Conducted by Queen Mary University in partnership with White & Case, the 2025 International Arbitration Survey results state:
“The ICC Arbitration Rules are highly regarded, with many interviewees highlighting their established reputation and ease of use for arbitrators and counsel, as well as the support of the Secretariat.”
The survey revealed a strong preference among arbitration communities on every continent for the ICC Arbitration Rules, from a choice of more than 60 sets of rules. The ICC Rules took top position in Africa (53%), the Caribbean and Latin America (74%), Europe (60%), the Middle East (59%) and North America (55%), underlining the global character and adaptability of the regulations.
In 2024, 831 new cases were filed under the ICC Arbitration Rules, with a total of 2,392 parties from 136 jurisdictions.
Claudia Salomon, President of the ICC International Court of Arbitration, said:
“We’re delighted that the ICC Court again tops the list of the Queen Mary Study as the most-preferred arbitral institution globally. Our services are built on over 100 years of experience, combined with our continued focus on meeting the evolving needs of the parties. We take this opportunity to thank those who entrust the resolution of their disputes to ICC. Our ranking would not be possible without the exemplary leadership and dedication of the ICC Court members and the Secretariat”.
The 2025 International Arbitration Survey investigates current trends in user preferences and perceptions, as well as opportunities to shape the future of international arbitration practice. The 2025 edition is the result of 2,402 questionnaire responses and 117 interviews with a diverse pool of participants.
Full survey findings are available on the Queen Mary University London website
Large cuts to government-funded research and development can endanger American innovation – and the vital productivity gains it supports.
The Trump administration has already canceled at least US$1.8 billion in research grants previously awarded by the National Institutes of Health, which supports biomedical and health research. Its preliminary budget request for the 2026 fiscal year proposed slashing federal funding for scientific and health research, cutting the NIH budget by another $18 billion – nearly a 40% reduction. The National Science Foundation, which funds much of the basic scientific research conducted at universities, would see its budget slashed by $5 billion – cutting it by more than half.
Research and development spending might strike you as an unnecessary expense for the government. Perhaps you see it as something universities or private companies should instead be paying for themselves. But as research I’ve conducted shows, if the government were to abandon its long-standing practice of investing in R&D, it would significantly slow the pace of U.S. innovation and economic growth.
I’m an economist at Texas A&M University. For the past five years, I’ve been studying the long-term economic benefits of government-funded R&D with Karel Mertens, an economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. We have found that government R&D spending on everything from the Apollo space program to the Human Genome Project has fueled innovation. We also found that federal R&D spending has played a significant role in boosting U.S. productivity and spurring economic growth over the past 75 years.
Measuring productivity
Productivity rises when economic growth is caused by technological progress and know-how, rather than workers putting in more hours or employers using more equipment and machinery. Economists believe that higher productivity fuels economic growth and raises living standards over the long run.
U.S. productivity growth fell by half, from an average of roughly 2% a year in the 1950s and 1960s to about 1%, starting in the early 1970s. This deceleration eerily coincides with a big decline in government R&D spending, which peaked at over 1.8% of gross domestic product in the mid-1960s. Government R&D spending has declined since then and has fallen by half – to below 0.9% of GDP – today.
Government R&D spending encompasses all innovative work the government directly pays for, regardless of who does it. Private companies and universities conduct a lot of this work, as do national labs and federal agencies, like the NIH.
Correlation is not causation. But in a Dallas Fed working paper released in November 2024, my co-author and I identified a strong causal link between government R&D spending and U.S. productivity growth. We estimated that government R&D spending consistently accounted for more than 20% of all U.S. productivity growth since World War II. And a decline in that spending after the 1960s can account for nearly one-fourth of the deceleration in productivity since then.
These significant productivity gains came from R&D investments by federal agencies that are not focused on national defense. Examples include the NIH’s support for biomedical research, the Department of Energy’s funding for physics and energy research, and NASA’s spending on aeronautics and space exploration technologies.
Not all productivity growth is driven by government R&D. Economists think public investment in physical infrastructure, such as construction of the interstate highway system starting in the Eisenhower administration, also spurred productivity growth. And U.S. productivity growth briefly accelerated during the information technology boom of the late 1990s and early 2000s, which we do not attribute to government R&D investment.
More R than D
We have found that government R&D investment is more effective than private R&D spending at driving productivity, likely because the private sector tends to spend much more on the development side of R&D, while the public sector tends to emphasize research.
Like the private sector, the Department of Defense spends much more on development – of weapons and military technology – than on fundamental research. We found only inconclusive evidence on the returns on military R&D.
R&D work funded by the Defense Department also tends to initially be classified and kept secret from geopolitical rivals, such as the Manhattan Project that developed the atomic bomb. As a result, gains for the whole economy from that source of innovation could take longer to materialize than the 15-year time frame we have studied.
The high returns on nondefense R&D that we estimated suggest that Congress has historically underinvested in these areas. For instance, the productivity gains from nondefense R&D are at least 10 times higher than those from government investments in highways, bridges and other kinds of physical infrastructure. The government has also invested far more in physical infrastructure than R&D over the past 75 years. Increasing R&D investment would take advantage of these higher returns and gradually reduce them because of diminishing marginal returns to additional investment.
So why is the government not spending substantially more on R&D?
One argument sometimes heard against federal R&D spending is that it displaces, or “crowds out,” R&D spending the private sector would otherwise undertake. For instance, the administration’s budget request proposed reducing or eliminating NASA space technology programs it deemed “better suited to private sector research and development.”
But my colleague and I have found that government spending on R&D complements private investment. An additional dollar of government nondefense R&D spending causes the private sector to increase its R&D spending by an additional 20 cents. So we expect budget cuts to the NIH, NSF and NASA to actually reduce R&D spending by companies, which is also bad for economic growth.
Federal R&D spending is also often on the chopping block whenever Congress focuses on deficit reduction. In part, that likely reflects the gradual nature of the economic benefits from government-funded R&D, which are at odds with the country’s four-year electoral cycles.
Similarly, the benefits from NIH spending on biomedical research are usually less visible than government spending on Medicare or Medicaid, which are health insurance programs for those 65 years and older and those with low incomes or disabilities. But Medicare or Medicaid help Americans buy prescription drugs and medical devices that were invented with the help of NIH-funded research.
Even if the benefits of government R&D are slow to materialize or are harder to see than those from other government programs, our research suggests that the U.S. economy will be less innovative and productive – and Americans will be worse off for it – if Congress agrees to deep cuts to science and research funding.
The views expressed in the Dallas Fed working paper are the views of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas or the Federal Reserve System.
Andrew Fieldhouse does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
It is true that college students’ mental health has deteriorated in many regards during the past two decades.
The Healthy Minds Study, which gathers national survey data on tens of thousands of students annually, has found that the percentage who considered suicide in the prior year rose from 6% in 2007 to 13% in 2024. The percentage of students who made a specific suicide plan tripled during that period.
While some news reports portray the current state of student mental health as an unprecedented crisis, the full picture is more nuanced. As a psychologist who has been researching college student mental health for more than 20 years, as summarized in my recent book, “College Student Mental Health and Wellness: Coping on Campus,” I believe recent data suggests a turning of the tide.
The 2024 Health Minds Study found a slight decrease over the previous two years in the percentage of students contemplating suicide.
Data also reveals a similar decline in the percentage of students dealing with severe anxiety from 2022 to 2024.
The study marks the first time since data collection began on suicide or severe anxiety that there has been a two-year decrease in either area.
Reason for concern
The demand for psychological services at college and university counseling centers has outpaced growth in undergraduate enrollment. Peter Dazeley/Getty Images
To be clear, there is reason for concern about the psychological well-being of college students.
Healthy Minds Study researchers found that in 2007, 9% of college students were taking psychotropic medication such as antidepressants. In 2024, that number had grown to 26%.
A 2024 national survey conducted by the American College Health Association found that more than a third of students received mental health care in the previous year.
The demand for psychological services at college and university counseling centers has outpaced growth in undergraduate enrollment more than fourfold.
Findings from another national dataset gathered by the Center for Collegiate Mental Health, an international network of more than 800 college and university counseling centers, indicate that from 2010 to 2024, depression symptoms increased 18% among students receiving psychological services, general anxiety symptoms rose more than 25%, and social anxiety symptoms climbed more than 30%.
In addition, students’ family-related distress steadily increased during the past decade.
The sky is not falling
Despite disturbing trends in student mental health, recent data suggests that fewer students are contemplating suicide and dealing with anxiety. Ariel Skelley/Getty Images
Despite these challenges, there is good news regarding decreases in the share of students considering self-injury and reporting depression symptoms.
Data from the Healthy Minds Study reveals that the percentage of students considering self-injury has not increased the past two years, after more than doubling from 14% in 2007 to 29% in 2022.
A similar pattern can be found in Center for Collegiate Mental Health data about depression. Depression symptoms have decreased each of the past two academic years.
The network has been collecting depression data since 2010, and never before have scores dropped in consecutive years.
The Center for Collegiate Mental Health data also indicates that students’ academic distress peaked following the onset of COVID-19 and declined each of the past three years, returning to pre-pandemic levels. Students’ frustration has also shown a gradual, 7% decline from 2010 to 2024.
Furthermore, for the first time since 2012, there has been a two-year uptick in college students who are flourishing, according to data from the Healthy Minds Study. Other researchers have found a similar recent trend, accompanied by a decrease in student loneliness.
More good news, based on data, about what students put in their bodies: Symptoms related to eating disorders have not increased in any of the past four years, according to the Center for Collegiate Mental Health. Data from the network indicates that current alcohol use is at its lowest level since 2010, declining 29% over that period.
Binge drinking has also decreased 18% since 2012, according to the Healthy Minds Study.
We need data, not dread
Mental health professionals need accurate data to support the psychological well-being of college students. SeventyFour/Getty Images
Valid data can help in discerning the truth about college student mental health.
Data that captures national trends in college student psychological well-being is needed to support mental health professionals. For example, as data reveals emerging trends, such as an increase in college students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, training can be provided to clinicians in treating students with these concerns.
Campus mental health professionals and administrators can also use data to advocate for resources they need to support students. For instance, our research has found that students of color are more likely to seek psychological help when there are therapists on staff from the same ethnic or racial background. This data can inform hiring practices at college and university counseling centers.
Finally, continuous data collection can help determine how college student mental health is impacted by specific events, such as pandemics, campus shootings and laws that eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs. During the COVID-19 pandemic, social anxiety decreased, while general anxiety spiked.
These events may not affect students equally.
International students, a group that already experiences heightened suicidal thoughts, may be particularly impacted by recent news of visa cancellations and deportations.
Jeffrey A. Hayes has received a research grant from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention to study college student suicide.
Source: The Conversation – USA – By Magali A. Delmas, Professor of Management, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, Anderson School of Management, University of California, Los Angeles
Since the early 1990s, the small blue Energy Star label has appeared on millions of household appliances, electronics and even buildings across the United States. But as the Trump administration considers terminating some or all of the program, it is worth a look at what exactly this government-backed label means, and why it has become one of the most recognizable environmental certifications in the country.
Energy Star was launched by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1992 and later expanded in partnership with the Department of Energy with a simple goal: making it easier for consumers and businesses to choose energy-efficient products, helping them reduce energy use and save money, without sacrificing quality or performance.
As a scholar of energy conservation, I have studied the Energy Star program’s development and public impact, including how it has shaped consumer behavior and environmental outcomes.
Products that earn the Energy Star certification typically use significantly less energy than standard models, often between 10% and 50% less. The energy – and financial – savings can add up quickly, especially when homes or buildings have multiple Energy Star appliances and systems.
Energy Star itself does not manufacture or sell products. Instead, it acts as a trusted third-party certifier, providing consumers and businesses with reliable information and clear labeling. It also offers information to help people estimate energy savings and compare long-term costs, making it easier to identify high-performing, cost-effective options. Manufacturers participating in Energy Star seek to improve their environmental reputation and increase their market share, giving them a strong incentive to meet the program’s efficiency criteria.
Today, the label appears on refrigerators, dishwashers, laptops, commercial buildings and even newly built homes. The government says people in more than 90% of American households recognize the label.
Energy Star-certified appliances include upright freezers, clothes washers and many other types of home equipment, which use between 10% and 50% less energy than uncertified items. AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel
People don’t always choose efficient products
Energy Star seeks to tackle a wide range of problems that can result in people deciding not to buy energy-efficient products.
One problem is that efficient models often come with higher up-front costs. While efficient models save money over time, that higher purchase price can discourage buyers. Energy Star helps counter this problem by clearly showing how much money can be saved on energy costs over the lifetime of the product – as compared with noncertified products – and by offering rebates that reduce the initial expense.
Another problem involves what economists call “split incentives.” A landlord might not want to pay a higher price up front for energy-efficient appliances if the tenants are the ones who will save money on the utility bills. And renters may not want to spend a lot of money on appliances or equipment in a place they do not own. Energy Star tries to bridge this divide by promoting whole-building certifications, which encourage landlords to invest in their buildings’ energy efficiency with the goal of making their properties more attractive to tenants.
The countless varieties of refrigerators, dishwashers, air conditioners and other items on the market can also create confusion. Consumers who just look at manufacturers’ promotional material may find it very hard to determine which appliances truly deliver better energy efficiency. The Energy Star label makes this comparison easier: If the label is there, it is among the most efficient choices available.
And consumers are often skeptical of manufacturers’ claims – especially when it comes to new technologies or environmental promises. Energy Star’s status as a program backed by the government, rather than a private company, gives it a level of independence and credibility that many other labels lack. People know the certification is based on science, not sales tactics.
Lastly, Energy Star helps overcome the problem that many people are not aware of how much energy their appliances consume, or how those choices contribute to climate change. By connecting everyday products to larger environmental outcomes, Energy Star helps consumers understand the effects of their decisions, without needing to become energy experts.
The program delivers real results
Since its inception, more than 800,000 appliance models have earned Energy Star certification based on the criteria for their type of product.
The same principles that make the label valuable for consumer appliances – independent certification, clear metrics and a focus on results – have proved equally effective in real estate. Nearly 45,000 commercial buildings and industrial plants have earned certification. And there have been more than 2.5 million Energy Star-certified homes and apartments built in the U.S.
Energy Star-certified homes are designed to be at least 10% more energy efficient than those built to standard building codes, with more insulation and windows and lights that are energy-efficient, as well as appliances. These enhancements can translate to better quality, comfort and long-term cost savings for homeowners.
Commercial buildings, which account for about 18% of total U.S. energy use, have also benefited substantially. Research I was involved in found that certified commercial buildings use an average of 19% less energy than their noncertified counterparts.
Energy Star’s status as a government-led label contributes to its credibility as a more neutral and science-based source of information than commercial labels.
Energy Star’s government connections also bring scale: By requiring federal purchases to have Energy Star certifications, the federal government can influence manufacturers. For example, a federal executive order in 1993 required government agencies to purchase only computers that had been Energy Star-certified, which required them to have energy-saving sleep functions.
In response, manufacturers began including the feature so they could sell their products to the government. Consumers soon came to expect the sleep feature on all computers.
A quiet success story in energy and climate
Energy Star does not grab headlines. It does not rely on regulation or mandates. Yet it has quietly become one of the most effective tools the U.S. has for improving energy efficiency across homes, offices and public buildings.
That said, the program is not without its limitations. Some critics have pointed out that not all certified products consistently perform at the highest efficiency levels. Other critics note that the benefits of Energy Star are more accessible to wealthier consumers who can afford up-front investments, even with available rebates. And the EPA itself has, at times, struggled to manage the certification process and update standards in line with the latest technological advances.
At a time when energy costs and climate concerns are rising, Energy Star stands out as a rare example of a practical, nonpartisan program that delivers real benefits. It helps individuals, businesses and communities save money, lower emissions and take part in a more sustainable future – one smart decision at a time.
Magali Delmas received funding from the US EPA in 2002 for research on Environmental Management Strategies and Corporate Performance.
Source: The Conversation – USA – By Michael Naparstek, Associate Teaching Professor Religious Studies, University of Tennessee
A man plays the Chinese action role-playing game ‘Black Myth: Wukong’ during its launch day in Hangzhou, in eastern China’s Zhejiang province, on Aug. 20, 2024.STR/AFP via Getty Images
Uncommon Courses is an occasional series from The Conversation U.S. highlighting unconventional approaches to teaching.
Title of the course
Religion and Gameworlds
What prompted the idea for the course?
Most of my research is in Chinese religions, and I find it fascinating that popular video games – like many popular films before them – draw from the mythologies, cosmologies, unseen powers and heroic narratives found across the world’s religious traditions.
Recent examples such as “Black Myth: Wukong” and “Raji: an Ancient Epic” draw explicitly from mythologies and religious narratives of China and India, respectively, putting the player in direct contest against pantheons of gods. Meanwhile, games such as “Sid Meier’s CIV VI,” where players develop an historical civilization from the Stone Age to Space Age in a quest for global domination, explicitly utilize religion as ways to develop and conquer the world.
At the same time, the interactive experience of a video game makes it an especially interesting place to study religion. When your character uses magic, interacts with powerful deities, or even achieves godlike status themselves, the player also shares such experiences on some level as well. Sometimes, viewers’ experiences blur the lines between “real life” and on-screen.
Some churches have even used the game “Second Life” to offer worshippers the option of getting baptized using their digital avatar in the game. This kind of practice raises poignant questions about how we understand religion in our modern world.
What makes this course different from many others that utilize video games is that the student experience of playing the games influences how we frame our investigation of religion. Students wrestle with questions about how religion helps build the worlds they are experiencing.
We meet in the game lab as a class once a week to observe and analyze each other’s experiences playing different kinds of games.
We start the week with relevant theoretical and historical framing in the traditional classroom. For example, in our investigation of “Black Myth: Wukong,” a game inspired by the 16th-century novel “Journey to the West,” students first read selections from the work as they learn about its protagonist, the trickster monkey god Sun Wukong.
In the novel, Wukong picks fights with all the gods in an attempt to overthrow the cosmic order, only to eventually be violently put in his place by the highest gods of the Chinese pantheon. Our class discussions thus serve as a general introduction to Chinese religions, while we also get to discuss the theoretical basis for culturally defined ideas such as what makes a hero.
Playing as a descendant of Sun Wukong, students explore enchanted landscapes, interact with local spirits and engage in magical combat against the very gods that we learned about in class.
Each week, students note their observations, carefully detailing their experience playing the game, as well as the experience of watching others do the same. Students are also asked to analyze the ways in which religious themes, narratives and practices played a role in the game world they experienced.
We conclude the class with weekly reflections on the overall experience.
What will the course prepare students to do?
In 2024, the video game industry boasted over US$184 billion generated in market value. The global reach of games allows new audiences to experience and learn about religious narratives and practices in new ways.
Popular media has long been a powerful mode of cultural exchange. Video games are just a recent example, but the scale to which gamers around the world connect with each other through playing demands more attention.
The wild popularity following the 2024 release of the game “Black Myth: Wukong,” the first premier produced game out of China for an international audience, suggests that this kind of experience is truly a global phenomenon that will only continue to grow. It only makes sense that video games can serve as powerful pedagogical tools as well.
The goal of the course is to prepare students to better understand the broader contexts in which their shared experience of enjoying video games derives. Learning about the role of religion in shaping that experience allows students to better understand how religion shapes our modern world.
Michael Naparstek does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
When combined with factors such as easy access to tobacco products or living with someone who uses them, the risk of adolescent use more than doubles, which sets the stage for harmful physical and mental health effects.
Parental awareness and adolescents’ motivations to use tobacco
As a mother of a teenager, one of us, Adriana, has experienced this firsthand. For months, my 14-year-old son was vaping in his room, and I had no idea. When he finally told me that he turned to vaping whenever he felt upset, it was like coming face-to-face with the very issues we study.
Since 2022, our team has been examining the factors associated with tobacco use among more than 8,000 adolescents ages 12 to 17 from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health, or PATH, study – the largest multiyear, nationally representative study of tobacco use in the U.S. We looked at the use of cigarettes, electronic products, traditional or filtered cigars, cigarillos, pipes, hookahs, smokeless or dissolvable tobacco and more.
We found that emotional distress, along with the belief that tobacco products help manage negative emotions, are significant factors driving adolescent tobacco use.
This highlights the complexity of the issue – that even when teens recognize the health risks of tobacco use, vaping and other forms of tobacco use may function as a coping strategy, albeit an unhealthy one, for the wide range of emotional challenges that come with adolescence.
Teachers and school administrators are struggling to control vaping among students because many devices are small, odorless and easy to conceal. Peter Dazeley/Photodisc via Getty Images
The availability of flavored options further increases the appeal of these products and can contribute to the progression from occasional to regular use and ultimately the development of nicotine dependence.
What makes vaping especially difficult to manage is its stealth. Unlike combustible products, many vaping devices are small, odorless and very easy to conceal. As a result, parents, teachers and school administrators are struggling to detect and curb vaping among teens.
Strategies for addressing why teens use tobacco
In our view, policy efforts that focus primarily on raising awareness about health risks, restricting access to tobacco products or reducing the appeal of e-cigarettes or vapes will reach only a subset of youth who use them, and not those who may use for emotional reasons.
And while such bans may limit access to tobacco products in formal settings, the availability of these products from friends and social networks, online platforms or unregulated markets will not likely be reduced solely through that type of health messaging.
As our findings show, these efforts may miss a stronger, even more enduring driver of youth tobacco use: the pervasive belief that tobacco use helps manage stress, anger and other difficult emotions. Our research highlights that emotional distress and the perception that tobacco use can help them cope with stress are central to why many adolescents begin and continue using these products, even when they are aware of the health risks.
In this context, simply limiting access to tobacco products or repeating well-known health warnings will do little to address the underlying emotional motivations to use.
We believe that to make meaningful progress, policy and prevention interventions will need to address the underlying motives for use, and not just focus on the harmful health effects of nicotine or means of access.
This includes integrating emotional and behavioral health support into tobacco prevention strategies and expanding school-based and community mental health services. And while public health education campaigns such as The Real Cost have been successful in reducing the number of adolescents who begin using e-cigarettes, our findings suggest more emphasis on the emotional drivers of tobacco use is warranted.
Adriana Espinosa receives funding from the National Institutes of Health (NCI and NIMHD).
Lesia M. Ruglass receives funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIGMS, NIDA, NCI, and NIMHD).
Source: The Conversation – USA – By Ian McDonough, Associate Professor of Psychology, Binghamton University, State University of New York
Older adults generally have a good sense of their own financial abilities – unless they have dementia. shapecharge/E+ via Getty Images
Older adults diagnosed with dementia lose their ability to assess how well they manage their finances, according to a recent study I co-authored in The Gerontologist. In comparison, people of the same age who don’t have dementia are aware of their financial abilities – and this awareness improves over time.
For our study, we used data from over 2,000 adults in the U.S. age 65 and older, collected during a long-term study on aging.
We focused on how participants’ financial skills changed over time. The study began in 1998 and is still running, but we probed data collected between 1998 and 2009.
Participants were assessed at one year, two years, five years and 10 years for their ability to carry out everyday tasks, including ones that required handling money. For example, they had to calculate the cost of a gym membership and a store discount rate, fill out part of a tax return and assess the cost of medical services. They also rated how well they thought they could do everyday financial tasks. Initially, none of the participants were diagnosed with dementia, but over the course of the decade, 87 participants, or 3.1%, received a dementia diagnosis.
We found that even though participants’ performance on financial tasks declined as they aged, older adults who did not have dementia and older adults who had mild cognitive impairment were appropriately aware of their financial abilities. What’s more, that awareness increased over time. However, participants who were diagnosed with dementia during the study and experienced severe cognitive decline often misjudged how well they performed financial tasks.
Financial scams targeting older adults are on the rise.
The lack of insight into one’s cognitive abilities is called anosognosia. This study reveals a new type called financial anosognosia.
Few tools are available that can support families in helping cognitively impaired adults manage their finances. Our research suggests that there is a critical window of time after people begin to experience cognitive decline during which they are still aware of their financial abilities. We believe that this is when people can take action to secure their finances and develop systems to protect themselves from fraud.
What still isn’t known
Close friends or family members are often tempted to take away the financial autonomy of an older adult who is mismanaging their finances. However, that may not be the best solution, particularly for people who feel that handling their finances is a core part of their identity. More research is needed to identify how best to balance personal autonomy and the need to protect a person’s finances.
What’s next
This study used paper-and-pencil tasks to assess financial performance. But increasingly, many older adults are using online banking.
E-banking simplifies many calculations, which may be helpful for older adults with declining cognition. However, e-banking can also make finances more of a black box, which may decrease a person’s awareness of their financial abilities. Furthermore, e-banking is constantly advancing, putting older adults at a disadvantage because they are more likely to be less cognitively flexible and to learn more slowly.
We hope to explore whether older adults with and without cognitive decline have similar awareness of their ability to appropriately manage their finances online and identify potential financial scams.
The Research Brief is a short take on interesting academic work.
Ian McDonough receives funding from The National Institutes of Health.
The 49 bus connects the Strawberry Mansion, Grays Ferry and University City neighborhoods. Courtesy of SEPTA
When the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority launched the 49 bus route in Philadelphia in early 2019, those who most benefited were older adults and people who already ride the bus – and not commuters who were persuaded to ditch their cars for public transportation, according to our new research.
Some of the largest benefits of Route 49 came in saved time and fewer transfers for existing users of other transit routes.
Route 49 launched in early 2019 and was the first local bus service that SEPTA added to its system in nearly a decade. It connects two residential Philadelphia neighborhoods – Strawberry Mansion in North Philadelphia and Grays Ferry in South Philadelphia – with the job-rich University City area in West Philadelphia.
Public transit agencies often try to court “choice” riders – people who have a reasonable chance of choosing to either drive or use public transportation for a given trip, and who tend to be higher income.
SEPTA, however, didn’t necessarily focus on choice riders with the design of Route 49. But planners at the agency did tell us during our data collection that many commuters to University City don’t take public transit.
We found that early riders of Route 49 tended to be previous transit riders who seldom drove before the line’s launch. They took other SEPTA buses, or did not make that trip.
Riders ages 65 and older, who are less likely to be commuters, were even more likely to have simply switched bus routes to make the same trip they regularly made before the new service line began.
For new bus and rail lines to be financially sustainable, they must attract enough riders. The fares those riders pay allow agencies to run services more regularly and have the line be cost effective.
While it’s always difficult to attract new riders, the past few years have been especially challenging for U.S. transit agencies. National transit ridership remains only about 80% of what it was when the COVID-19 pandemic began in early 2020.
Getting people back onto buses and trains will require agencies to understand what attracts people to new transit lines. If public transit agencies want to recapture ridership and echo the success of bus services like Route 49, it may be best for them to talk to current users rather than potential public transit converts.
How we do our work
To understand how new riders used Route 49, we boarded Route 49 buses throughout the route and conducted in-person surveys with over 350 riders in early 2019. We wanted to capture feedback and data from users of the service shortly after it was launched.
In addition to asking riders what they used Route 49 for and how they took the same trip before its launch, we recorded characteristics such as age, income and gender.
What’s next
Drawing on our 2019 survey data, we plan to explore how new Route 49 riders learned about the transit line and decided to begin riding the new service. Did they hear about it from agency flyers or websites? From seeing new bus lines on the road, or from friends discussing it? Analyzing these answers can help transit agencies enhance access for all travelers.
The Research Brief is a short take on interesting academic work.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
President Donald Trump’s second term as president will surely go down in history, though of course, just six months into his four-year term, much of this story has yet to be written.
But it is already clear that most Americans will not be able to read exactly what Trump has said, as they have with previous presidents, during his current term in the White House.
The White House has removed the official transcripts of Trump’s public remarks from its government website, NBC News reported in May 2025, replacing the written transcripts with select videos and audio of Trump’s public appearances.
White House officials told NBC News that this switch should help people get a fuller, more consistent and accurate sense of Trump by watching and listening to him, rather than reading what he says verbatim at official events.
Government stenographers are also still recording and transcribing all of Trump’s remarks, though these are no longer being published on the White House’s website or elsewhere. It is not clear where or how those transcriptions are being saved.
For years, translators, reporters, students, historians and presidential scholars like me have used official presidential transcripts to understand a president’s exact words and track government decisions. Without these written transcripts, it becomes harder to get the full story of exactly what the president has done or said.
President Donald Trump, joined by members of his cabinet, delivers a statement on natural disaster preparedness in the Oval Office at the White House on June 10, 2025. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
A partial history
A nation’s history is etched in its records. The preservation of official proceedings provides the bedrock for understanding a country’s past and navigating its future.
A growing chorus of historians, public officials and transparency advocates is raising alarms about how the Trump administration is curating and potentially manipulating the government’s records and actions.
The White House’s recent decision to not share official, written transcripts of what the president has said is not the first time this issue has emerged under Trump.
As I wrote in 2021, the first Trump administration did not consistently submit the transcripts of the president’s political rally speeches to the National Archives, as was the custom with previous presidents. The National Archives is an independent government agency within the executive branch that preserves the nation’s historical records.
This official recordkeeping is important, and it’s more than a tradition – it’s a legal obligation. A law called the Presidential Records Act of 1978 says that everything a president does in office – from making speeches to writing emails – belongs to the public.
This includes not just formal speeches, but also public remarks and oral exchanges, which are traditionally included in a compilation of presidential documents.
My examination of this compilation for 2025 appears to show a gap in such records from mid-April 2025 onward. While the transcript of Trump’s full remarks when speaking with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was published on this government site on April 18, for example, publicly available documents from May only include a checklist of White House press releases, a digest of White House announcements and a list of acts that the president signed into law.
In the absence of complete official records from government sources, external, independent organizations that also monitor the presidency, like The American Presidency Project at the University of California, Santa Barbara, have become crucial repositories.
The American Presidency Project diligently logs and, when transcripts are unavailable, provides video of public presidential messaging, striving to create as complete a record as possible for all curious viewers and readers.
The fight over keeping an honest record of presidents is a problem that comes up again and again in American history.
Perhaps the most powerful example of losing historical records comes from the country’s very first president, George Washington. He knew he was setting an example for all future presidents and kept very careful records. He wanted to leave a complete story of his life and his work for the future.
But there is very little of it left.
After Washington died, his wife, Martha, burned most of the letters they wrote to each other to keep their lives private.
Washington left his official papers to his nephew, Supreme Court Justice Bushrod Washington. But Bushrod gave many of them to Chief Justice John Marshall, who was writing a book about the president. The papers were not treated carefully, and many were damaged. To make matters worse, Bushrod would often tear off scraps of Washington’s writings and give them to people as souvenirs.
The result is that Americans have an incomplete picture of their first president. What now exists is a weaker version of the real story, created more by what other people did than by what Washington himself had planned.
Memories fade, and people are not around forever.
The main way that the U.S. can preserve its story is through accurate records. The current arguments over saving transcripts and official papers are about more than just rules. They are about the future. The records that Trump and other presidents leave behind will decide if people in the future see them as they really were, or just how they wanted others to view them.
Shannon Bow O’Brien does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
The majority of the building’s exterior is now exposed for all to see as contractor McLaughlin & Harvey continue to remove the protective covering and scaffolding to unveil the distinctive terracotta coloured cladding.
Construction works are ongoing on the state of the art facility, which forms part of phase 2 of Wolverhampton Council’s masterplan to boost skills and employment.
Situated around the Old Hall Street and St George’s Parade area, incorporating a site on the corner of Garrick Street and Bilston Street where the former Faces nightclub building once stood, the development is also utilising the existing Metro One building – it will open to City of Wolverhampton College students in the autumn.
Alongside improvements to the neighbouring Adult Education Wolverhampton and Central Library facilities, the £61 million scheme – supported by Government funding – will establish new educational provision that will enhance skills and employment outcomes for residents across the city and wider region.
It will offer A Levels in a range of subjects and vocational qualifications in art, design and photography, business and management, catering and hospitality, computing and digital, creative media, games design and e-sports, hair and beauty, health and social care, music technology, performing arts, and science.
Prospective students can find out more about what will be on offer at the new campus at the college’s Open Day this Saturday (14 June), at its existing Wellington Road and Paget Road campuses, between 10am and 2pm. Book your place at Open Events | 14 June 2025 | City of Wolverhampton College.
Construction on phase 1 of the City Learning Quarter masterplan – a new £8.1 million Advanced Technology and Automotive Centre at the college’s Wellington Road campus – has been completed and opened to students in September 2024.
Councillor Chris Burden, City of Wolverhampton Council Cabinet Member for City Development, Jobs and Skills, said: “As we get the first look at the exterior finish of the new City Learning Quarter there is no doubt it is going to provide an inspirational setting for students and staff.
“It will also act as a focal point in the city centre, increasing footfall to support neighbouring businesses, especially with its excellent connectivity to rail, bus, tram and cycle routes.
“The City Learning Quarter has been a long held ambition of the council to drive education and skills in the city and it will unlock opportunities for the people of Wolverhampton and beyond.”
Warinder Juss MP, Wolverhampton West, said: “The development of the City Learning Quarter provides exciting opportunities to not only the students of the college, but also to help with the regeneration of the city centre.”
Paul Davies, Director of Finance at the college, said: “The unveiling of the new City Learning Quarter campus is a major milestone for the college and for education in Wolverhampton. It’s the result of years of planning and investment, and it’s exciting to see the vision becoming a reality.
“Relocating from our long standing Paget Road site to this purpose built, centrally located campus will allow us to deliver a modern, high quality learning experience that has greater accessibility through public transport links. The new facilities will not only benefit our staff, students and apprentices, but also play a key role in supporting skills development and economic growth across the wider region.”
The exciting City Learning Quarter proposals were initially supported by investment from the council with a further £49 million coming through UK Government funding, plus additional government grants and contributions from the college and council.
It will pave the way for City of Wolverhampton College to move from its 1960s Paget Road site, which has been identified as land to build much needed housing.
The college forecasts that over a 10 year period approximately 45,000 people will benefit from learning at the City Learning Quarter and around 7,500 apprenticeships will be started.
Its central location and close proximity to the new £150 million transport interchange will make it easily accessible. It will also boast environmental benefits in line with council’s climate emergency agenda.
VICTORIA, Seychelles, June 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitget, the leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company, has now enabled onboarding of Syrian citizens on the platform. This comes following the recent suspension of OFAC sanctions. Syrian citizens and residents can now register on the platform, complete identity verification, and access the full suite of services—ranging from P2P and spot trading to futures and yield-generating products.
This update holds particular significance for a country that has faced prolonged conflict, economic isolation, and limited access to reliable financial systems. In the absence of stable banking infrastructure, crypto has strong real-life use cases, as a tool for survival, growth, and connectivity to the broader world. The adoption of crypto in Syria shows a deeper truth about the role of crypto in places where traditional systems have failed or aren’t accessible either.
With this, Syrian users now have access to all major Bitget features, including peer-to-peer (P2P) trading with local currency support, spot and futures markets, copy trading, and Bitget Earn products that enable passive income on crypto holdings. The mobile app and web platform also offer multi-language support and 24/7 security monitoring to ensure safe transactions. Educational content, trading tools, and customer assistance are readily available to guide new users at every step.
Bitget’s decision to welcome Syrian users stems from a focused strategy to support real use cases in regions where crypto is vital. The inclusion of Syria signals intent to enable access where it is most urgently needed.
“At Bitget, the priority is clear—reach those who need crypto the most. Our platform is built to serve individuals navigating unstable economies, restricted banking, or political uncertainty. Extending access to Syrian users is part of a larger effort to deliver impactful financial tools where they make the greatest difference,” said Gracy Chen, CEO at Bitget.
Bitget remains focused on expanding access in regions where crypto plays a critical role in everyday life. For Syrian users, Bitget will play an important role in actively maintaining safe, efficient, and user-friendly channels for participation in crypto. Resources will be allocated to support regional engagement, improve accessibility, and ensure users in Syria are equipped to navigate the cryptospace with industry-leading products and best-in-class tools.
Effective immediately, Syrian users can now begin their journey with full platform functionality.
Established in 2018, Bitget is the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company. Serving over 120 million users in 150+ countries and regions, the Bitget exchange is committed to helping users trade smarter with its pioneering copy trading feature and other trading solutions, while offering real-time access to Bitcoin price, Ethereum price, and other cryptocurrency prices. Formerly known as BitKeep, Bitget Wallet is a leading non-custodial crypto wallet supporting 130+ blockchains and millions of tokens. It offers multi-chain trading, staking, payments, and direct access to 20,000+ DApps, with advanced swaps and market insights built into a single platform. Bitget is at the forefront of driving crypto adoption through strategic partnerships, such as its role as the Official Crypto Partner of the World’s Top Football League, LALIGA, in EASTERN, SEA and LATAM markets, as well as a global partner of Turkish National athletes Buse Tosun Çavuşoğlu (Wrestling world champion), Samet Gümüş (Boxing gold medalist) and İlkin Aydın (Volleyball national team), to inspire the global community to embrace the future of cryptocurrency.
Risk Warning:Digital asset prices are subject to fluctuation and may experience significant volatility. Investors are advised to only allocate funds they can afford to lose. The value of any investment may be impacted, and there is a possibility that financial objectives may not be met, nor the principal investment recovered. Independent financial advice should always be sought, and personal financial experience and standing carefully considered. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Bitget accepts no liability for any potential losses incurred. Nothing contained herein should be construed as financial advice. For further information, please refer to ourTerms of Use.
AI tools gather information about you from many types of devices, including smartphones.Prostock-Studio/Getty Images
Like it or not, artificial intelligence has become part of daily life. Many devices – including electric razors and toothbrushes – have become “AI-powered,” using machine learning algorithms to track how a person uses the device, how the device is working in real time, and provide feedback. From asking questions to an AI assistant like ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot to monitoring a daily fitness routine with a smartwatch, many people use an AI system or tool every day.
While AI tools and technologies can make life easier, they also raise important questions about data privacy. These systems often collect large amounts of data, sometimes without people even realizing their data is being collected. The information can then be used to identify personal habits and preferences, and even predict future behaviors by drawing inferences from the aggregated data.
As an assistant professor of cybersecurity at West Virginia University, I study how emerging technologies and various types of AI systems manage personal data and how we can build more secure, privacy-preserving systems for the future.
Generative AI software uses large amounts of training data to create new content such as text or images. Predictive AI uses data to forecast outcomes based on past behavior, such as how likely you are to hit your daily step goal, or what movies you may want to watch. Both types can be used to gather information about you.
How AI tools collect data
Generative AI assistants such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini collect all the information users type into a chat box. Every question, response and prompt that users enter is recorded, stored and analyzed to improve the AI model.
OpenAI’s privacy policy informs users that “we may use content you provide us to improve our Services, for example to train the models that power ChatGPT.” Even though OpenAI allows you to opt out of content use for model training, it still collects and retains your personal data. Although some companies promise that they anonymize this data, meaning they store it without naming the person who provided it, there is always a risk of data being reidentified.
ChatGPT stores and analyzes everything you type into a prompt screen. Screenshot by Christopher Ramezan, CC BY-ND
Predictive AI
Beyond generative AI assistants, social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and TikTok continuously gather data on their users to train predictive AI models. Every post, photo, video, like, share and comment, including the amount of time people spend looking at each of these, is collected as data points that are used to build digital data profiles for each person who uses the service.
The profiles can be used to refine the social media platform’s AI recommender systems. They can also be sold to data brokers, who sell a person’s data to other companies to, for instance, help develop targeted advertisements that align with that person’s interests.
Many social media companies also track users across websites and applications by putting cookies and embedded tracking pixels on their computers. Cookies are small files that store information about who you are and what you clicked on while browsing a website.
One of the most common uses of cookies is in digital shopping carts: When you place an item in your cart, leave the website and return later, the item will still be in your cart because the cookie stored that information. Tracking pixels are invisible images or snippets of code embedded in websites that notify companies of your activity when you visit their page. This helps them track your behavior across the internet.
This is why users often see or hear advertisements that are related to their browsing and shopping habits on many of the unrelated websites they browse, and even when they are using different devices, including computers, phones and smart speakers. One study found that some websites can store over 300 tracking cookies on your computer or mobile phone.
Here’s how websites you browse can track you using cookies or tracking pixels.
Data privacy controls – and limitations
Like generative AI platforms, social media platforms offer privacy settings and opt-outs, but these give people limited control over how their personal data is aggregated and monetized. As media theorist Douglas Rushkoff argued in 2011, if the service is free, you are the product.
Many tools that include AI don’t require a person to take any direct action for the tool to collect data about that person. Smart devices such as home speakers, fitness trackers and watches continually gather information through biometric sensors, voice recognition and location tracking. Smart home speakers continually listen for the command to activate or “wake up” the device. As the device is listening for this word, it picks up all the conversations happening around it, even though it does not seem to be active.
Some companies claim that voice data is only stored when the wake word – what you say to wake up the device – is detected. However, people have raised concerns about accidental recordings, especially because these devices are often connected to cloud services, which allow voice data to be stored, synced and shared across multiple devices such as your phone, smart speaker and tablet.
If the company allows, it’s also possible for this data to be accessed by third parties, such as advertisers, data analytics firms or a law enforcement agency with a warrant.
Privacy rollbacks
This potential for third-party access also applies to smartwatches and fitness trackers, which monitor health metrics and user activity patterns. Companies that produce wearable fitness devices are not considered “covered entities” and so are not bound by the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act. This means that they are legally allowed to sell health- and location-related data collected from their users.
Concerns about HIPAA data arose in 2018, when Strava, a fitness company released a global heat map of user’s exercise routes. In doing so, it accidentally revealed sensitive military locations across the globe through highlighting the exercise routes of military personnel.
Smart speakers can collect information even when they’re sleeping. recep-bg/Getty Images
Such partnerships can expand corporate and government reach into everyday consumer behavior. This one could be used to create detailed personal profiles on Americans by linking their consumer habits with other personal data. This raises concerns about increased surveillance and loss of anonymity. It could allow citizens to be tracked and analyzed across multiple aspects of their lives without their knowledge or consent.
Some smart device companies are also rolling back privacy protections instead of strengthening them. Amazon recently announced that starting on March 28, 2025, all voice recordings from Amazon Echo devices would be sent to Amazon’s cloud by default, and users will no longer have the option to turn this function off. This is different from previous settings, which allowed users to limit private data collection.
Changes like these raise concerns about how much control consumers have over their own data when using smart devices. Many privacy experts consider cloud storage of voice recordings a form of data collection, especially when used to improve algorithms or build user profiles, which has implications for data privacy laws designed to protect online privacy.
Implications for data privacy
All of this brings up serious privacy concerns for people and governments on how AI tools collect, store, use and transmit data. The biggest concern is transparency. People don’t know what data is being collected, how the data is being used, and who has access to that data.
Companies tend to use complicated privacy policies filled with technical jargon to make it difficult for people to understand the terms of a service that they agree to. People also tend not to read terms of service documents. One study found that people averaged 73 seconds reading a terms of service document that had an average read time of 29-32 minutes.
Data collected by AI tools may initially reside with a company that you trust, but can easily be sold and given to a company that you don’t trust.
AI tools, the companies in charge of them and the companies that have access to the data they collect can also be subject to cyberattacks and data breaches that can reveal sensitive personal information. These attacks can by carried out by cybercriminals who are in it for the money, or by so-called advanced persistent threats, which are typically nation/state- sponsored attackers who gain access to networks and systems and remain there undetected, collecting information and personal data to eventually cause disruption or harm.
While laws and regulations such as the General Data Protection Regulation in the European Union and the California Consumer Privacy Act aim to safeguard user data, AI development and use have often outpaced the legislative process. The laws are still catching up on AI and data privacy. For now, you should assume any AI-powered device or platform is collecting data on your inputs, behaviors and patterns.
Using AI tools
Although AI tools collect people’s data, and the way this accumulation of data affects people’s data privacy is concerning, the tools can also be useful. AI-powered applications can streamline workflows, automate repetitive tasks and provide valuable insights.
But it’s crucial to approach these tools with awareness and caution.
When using a generative AI platform that gives you answers to questions you type in a prompt, don’t include any personally identifiable information, including names, birth dates, Social Security numbers or home addresses. At the workplace, don’t include trade secrets or classified information. In general, don’t put anything into a prompt that you wouldn’t feel comfortable revealing to the public or seeing on a billboard. Remember, once you hit enter on the prompt, you’ve lost control of that information.
Remember that devices which are turned on are always listening – even if they’re asleep. If you use smart home or embedded devices, turn them off when you need to have a private conversation. A device that’s asleep looks inactive, but it is still powered on and listening for a wake word or signal. Unplugging a device or removing its batteries is a good way of making sure the device is truly off.
Finally, be aware of the terms of service and data collection policies of the devices and platforms that you are using. You might be surprised by what you’ve already agreed to.
This article is part of a series on data privacy that explores who collects your data, what and how they collect, who sells and buys your data, what they all do with it, and what you can do about it.
It is “the policy of the United States to promote AI literacy and proficiency among Americans,” reads an executive order President Donald Trump issued on April 23, 2025. The executive order, titled Advancing Artificial Intelligence Education for American Youth, signals that advancing AI literacy is now an official national priority.
This raises a series of important questions: What exactly is AI literacy, who needs it, and how do you go about building it thoughtfully and responsibly?
The implications of AI literacy, or lack thereof, are far-reaching. They extend beyond national ambitions to remain “a global leader in this technological revolution” or even prepare an “AI-skilled workforce,” as the executive order states. Without basic literacy, citizens and consumers are not well equipped to understand the algorithmic platforms and decisions that affect so many domains of their lives: government services, privacy, lending, health care, news recommendations and more. And the lack of AI literacy risks ceding important aspects of society’s future to a handful of multinational companies.
How, then, can institutions help people understand and use – or resist – AI as individuals, workers, parents, innovators, job seekers, students, employers and citizens? We are a policy scientist and two educationalresearchers who study AI literacy, and we explore these issues in our research.
What AI literacy is and isn’t
At its foundation, AI literacy includes a mix of knowledge, skills and attitudes that are technical, social and ethical in nature. According to one prominent definition, AI literacy refers to “a set of competencies that enables individuals to critically evaluate AI technologies; communicate and collaborate effectively with AI; and use AI as a tool online, at home, and in the workplace.”
AI literacy is not simply programming or the mechanics of neural networks, and it is certainly not just prompt engineering – that is, the act of carefully writing prompts for chatbots. Vibe coding, or using AI to write software code, might be fun and important, but restricting the definition of literacy to the newest trend or the latest need of employers won’t cover the bases in the long term. And while a single master definition may not be needed, or even desirable, too much variation makes it tricky to decide on organizational, educational or policy strategies.
Who needs AI literacy? Everyone, including the employees and students using it, and the citizens grappling with its growing impacts. Every sector and sphere of society is now involved with AI, even if this isn’t always easy for people to see.
Exactly how much literacy everyone needs and how to get there is a much tougher question. Are a few quick HR training sessions enough, or do we need to embed AI across K-12 curricula and deliver university micro credentials and hands-on workshops? There is much that researchers don’t know, which leads to the need to measure AI literacy and the effectiveness of different training approaches.
Ethics is an important aspect of AI literacy.
Measuring AI literacy
While there is a growing and bipartisan consensus that AI literacy matters, there’s much less consensus on how to actually understand people’s AI literacy levels. Researchers have focused on different aspects, such as technical or ethical skills, or on different populations – for example, business managers and students – or even on subdomains like generative AI.
A recent review study identified more than a dozen questionnaires designed to measure AI literacy, the vast majority of which rely on self-reported responses to questions and statements such as “I feel confident about using AI.” There’s also a lack of testing to see whether these questionnaires work well for people from different cultural backgrounds.
Moreover, the rise of generative AI has exposed gaps and challenges: Is it possible to create a stable way to measure AI literacy when AI is itself so dynamic?
In our research collaboration, we’ve tried to help address some of these problems. In particular, we’ve focused on creating objective knowledge assessments, such as multiple-choice surveys tested with thorough statistical analyses to ensure that they accurately measure AI literacy. We’ve so far tested a multiple-choice survey in the U.S., U.K. and Germany and found that it works consistently and fairly across these three countries.
There’s a lot more work to do to create reliable and feasible testing approaches. But going forward, just asking people to self-report their AI literacy probably isn’t enough to understand where different groups of people are and what supports they need.
Approaches to building AI literacy
Governments, universities and industry are trying to advance AI literacy.
Finland launched the Elements of AI series in 2018 with the hope of educating its general public on AI. Estonia’s AI Leap initiative partners with Anthropic and OpenAI to provide access to AI tools for tens of thousands of students and thousands of teachers. And China is now requiring at least eight hours of AI education annually as early as elementary school, which goes a step beyond the new U.S. executive order. On the university level, Purdue University and the University of Pennsylvania have launched new master’s in AI programs, targeting future AI leaders.
Despite these efforts, these initiatives face an unclear and evolving understanding of AI literacy. They also face challenges to measuring effectiveness and minimal knowledge on what teaching approaches actually work. And there are long-standing issues with respect to equity − for example, reaching schools, communities, segments of the population and businesses that are stretched or under-resourced.
Next moves on AI literacy
Based on our research, experience as educators and collaboration with policymakers and technology companies, we think a few steps might be prudent.
Building AI literacy starts with recognizing it’s not just about tech: People also need to grasp the social and ethical sides of the technology. To see whether we’re getting there, we researchers and educators should use clear, reliable tests that track progress for different age groups and communities. Universities and companies can try out new teaching ideas first, then share what works through an independent hub. Educators, meanwhile, need proper training and resources, not just additional curricula, to bring AI into the classroom. And because opportunity isn’t spread evenly, partnerships that reach under-resourced schools and neighborhoods are essential so everyone can benefit.
Critically, achieving widespread AI literacy may be even harder than building digital and media literacy, so getting there will require serious investment – not cuts – to education and research.
There is widespread consensus that AI literacy is important, whether to boost AI trust and adoption or to empower citizens to challenge AI or shape its future. As with AI itself, we believe it’s important to approach AI literacy carefully, avoiding hype or an overly technical focus. The right approach can prepare students to become “active and responsible participants in the workforce of the future” and empower Americans to “thrive in an increasingly digital society,” as the AI literacy executive order calls for.
Funding from Google Research helped to support part of the authors’ research on AI literacy.
Funding from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research under the funding code 16DHBKI051 helped to support part of the authors’ research on AI literacy.
Arne Bewersdorff does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) Chief Executive Officer, Themba Matlou, has pledged maximum support to the families affected by thedevastating floodsthat have wreaked havoc and claimed 57 lives in the OR Tambo District, Eastern Cape.
In a statement on Thursday, the agency said it has acted swiftly, through its Social Relief of Distress programme, to assist families whose homes were severely affected during the floods.
“To this end, SASSA is active at three established sites, where about 229 people are served with three nutritious meals a day, reinforcing the agency’s commitment to immediate food security. In addition, 229 vanity packs and five baby packs have been procured and distributed to meet essential personal and infant care needs,” SASSA said.
In anticipation of the transition phase, SASSA has developed a Disengagement Plan aimed at equipping beneficiaries with basic resources to support reintegration and restore stability. This package will include:
Two-ply blankets.
One mattress per individual.
Cash vouchers to address short-term financial needs.
School uniforms for affected learners, promoting educational continuity.
Recognising the profound impact of loss on families, SASSA will provide two vouchers in support of the grieving families with immediate needs.
Matlou said SASSA has a mandate, derived from the Social Assistance Act, to offer assistance to the affected families.
“Social Relief of Distress is temporary provision of assistance intended for persons in such a dire material need that they are unable to meet their families’ most basic needs. We also wish to offer our utmost condolences to the families of the deceased and wish a speedy recovery to those who are injured.
“We are working very closely with all the relevant stakeholders in the social cluster of the province to ensure that maximum support is given to the distressed families. We extend our gratitude to all stakeholders, partners, and community members, who continue to support this vital work,” Matlou said. – SAnews.gov.za
Last updated 10 June 2025 Last updated 10 June 2025
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Auckland University of Technology’s (AUT’s) Te Mātāpuna Library & Learning Services share their approach to embedding academic support services that enable better outcomes for learners. Auckland University of Technology’s (AUT’s) Te Mātāpuna Library & Learning Services share their approach to embedding academic support services that enable better outcomes for learners.
Te Mātāpuna Library & Learning Services are getting their library workshops and resources in front of thousands of AUT students, which is making a positive impact on learner success. Kate Absolum, Senior Manager Learning and Academic Engagement at Auckland University of Technology’s Te Mātāpuna Library & Learning Services, covers three key initiatives in this Learner Success Community of Practice lightning session. First, Kate shares how AUT’s library services have embedded learning support into academic courses and how this has helped enable better learner outcomes. She then covers the asynchronous learning materials available through their library, and how they support students to use generative AI ethically and productively. Kate has over 20 years of experience teaching, writing and designing learning materials across diverse educational settings in New Zealand, Australia, South Korea and Hong Kong. Her areas of interest and expertise include curriculum development, assessment and materials design, academic integrity, generative AI and academic literacy education. To watch Kate’s 12-minute lightning session, visit the Learner Success Community of Practice. Learner Success Community of Practice sessions The Tertiary Education Commission hosts online and pre-recorded online Community of Practice sessions in partnership with the tertiary sector. The aim is to connect tertiary education organisations to share knowledge, collaborate, and promote individual, group and organisational development to improve the success of their learners. To find out about upcoming sessions, please contact 0800 601 301 or customerservice@tec.govt.nz with the subject line [EDUMIS # Learner Success Community of Practice]. To view recordings of previous sessions, visit Learner Success Community of Practice.
Funding for micro-credentials and qualifications WDCs need to be aware that micro-credentials and qualifications must meet the Tertiary Education Commission’s (TEC’s) funding conditions to be eligible for funded delivery by tertiary education organisations (TEOs). Funding conditions include requirements relating to the eligibility of programmes and micro-credentials. For information on funding conditions, see funding conditions for the relevant year. Why this matters If TEC funding conditions are not met, the cost of delivery will need to be covered by employers or learners. We encourage WDCs to engage with the TEC early in the development process, if they intend for a micro-credential or qualification to be delivered by a TEO using public funding. Funding is only available where micro-credentials and qualifications meet the base and fund-specific funding conditions. The two main funds used by TEOs delivering WDC-developed micro-credentials and qualifications are:
Delivery at Levels 1 and 2 on the New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework (DQ1-2) Delivery at Levels 3 to 7 (non-degree) on the New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework and all industry training (DQ3-7).
What is excluded from funding? Two exclusions may mean a WDC-developed micro-credential, or qualification is ineligible for TEC funding:
Health and safety or regulatory compliance learning Post-entry health-related professional qualifications or micro-credentials.
Health and safety or regulatory compliance learning Under DQ1-2 and DQ3-7 funding, the TEC cannot fund a TEO for a programme or micro-credential where:
we consider on reasonable grounds that a majority of the programme relates to health and safety, or regulatory compliance learning, and that learning would displace the responsibility of employers to provide training necessary to mitigate their health and safety risks – or meet their regulatory compliance obligations.
Note: 51% or more is how we define ‘majority’ for the purposes of assessment. We focus on content that displaces an employer’s legal responsibility, eg, requirements under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 that keep workers and those impacted by business operations safe and well. What is or isn’t considered within the 51% threshold? This content does not contribute to the 51% or more threshold:
health and safety and regulatory compliance content that is embedded in broader occupational or technical skill development content that supports transferable industry wide skills.
This content does contribute the 51% or more threshold:
stand-alone health and safety or regulatory compliance training that exists primarily to meet legal obligations general or theoretical compliance learning not linked to practical skill development site- or employer-specific training (eg, inductions, emergency procedures).
Health-related professional qualifications or micro-credentials TEC funding can only be used for post-entry health-related professional qualifications or micro-credentials if they meet specific conditions regarding their academic or research nature and clinical components. Programmes, micro-credentials, and/or their component courses are eligible for funding if they:
lead to the award of a post-entry health-related professional qualification or micro-credential, and are of an academic or research nature and have a clinical component of 30% or less.
Programmes, micro-credentials, and/or their component courses are not eligible for funding if they:
lead to the award of a post-entry health-related professional qualification or micro-credential, and have a clinical component of more than 30%, and either
require clinical education or training, or have an emphasis on specialist clinical professional skills.
Conditions for delivery at Levels 1 and 2 on the New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework (NZQCF) There are some additional requirements to be aware of for delivery at Levels 1 and 2 on the NZQCF, funded through DQ1-2:
A micro-credential must be at least 20 credits in size. Programmes and micro-credentials must include embedded literacy and numeracy (except for programmes in English language or te reo Māori).
Note: These requirements apply to provision funded through DQ1-2, which supports provider-based delivery. If a Level 1 or 2 programme or micro-credential is delivered in a work-based setting (ie, the learner is employed and training occurs in the workplace), it is instead funded through the DQ3-7 fund. WDCs should take care to align the intended delivery mode with the appropriate fund when developing qualifications and micro-credentials at Levels 1 and 2. As stated above, restrictions on health and safety and regulatory compliance apply under both DQ1-2 and DQ3-7 across work-based and provider-based modes of delivery. General guidance for WDCs
Engage early: Contact TEC if you intend for a qualification or micro-credential to be eligible for funding. Be aware of funding conditions: Be aware of the conditions that are imposed on the fund that a qualification or micro-credential would be funded under. Be mindful of thresholds: TEC uses a 51% rule to assess whether health and safety or regulatory compliance content is the dominant purpose of a credential, therefore making it ineligible for funding.
Funding for micro-credentials We want to invest in micro-credentials, delivered by highly capable TEOs, that meet the needs of industries and communities, and support government priorities. To be funded, micro-credentials need to meet a clearly established industry or community need, be tightly focused on a set of skills, and have stand-alone value. Not all quality-assured micro-credentials can be funded by the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) as we have to prioritise how we distribute funding. Our investment in micro-credentials will complement rather than replace existing privately funded training. Alongside the micro-credentials we fund, we expect employers, industries, and learners will cover the full cost of others themselves. We are open to funding micro-credentials at any level of the New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework (NZQCF), but we want to ensure learners are supported to make good choices, including enrolling in full qualifications where appropriate. For more information on the micro-credential funding conditions, see the DQ1-2, DQ3-7 and DQ7-10 funding conditions for the relevant year. Eligible organisations All TEOs eligible for Delivery on the NZQCF funding, at any level (DQ1-2, DQ3-7 (non-degree) and DQ7-10), can apply for funding to deliver micro-credentials. If your organisation is not currently approved to receive any funding from us via an Investment Plan, you will first need to apply for funding as a new provider. For more information about this, see Application to receive TEC funding. Talk to us early If you are a TEO creating a new micro-credential, you may choose to get in touch with us early in the development process before submitting it to the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA). We may be able to advise you if it is something we could potentially fund before you invest resources into developing it. Any advice is provisional, based on the information known to us at the time, and does not replace the application and assessment process. To receive guidance from the TEC on funding eligibility for your micro-credential, please email micro-credential@tec.govt.nz. How to apply The current TEC criteria and guidelines for the approval of TEO-developed micro-credentials came into effect on 1 November 2022. All applications must meet the approval criteria and use the form below.
How to submit your application Please read the criteria and guidelines carefully and submit your completed application through DXP Ngā Kete. Let us know when you’ve submitted, by emailing micro-credential@tec.govt.nz. You can apply at any time. We expect to advise outcomes within six weeks. It may take longer in some circumstances or if we require additional information. WDC-developed micro-credentials Workforce Development Councils (WDCs) developing micro-credentials for which TEOs may seek TEC funding approval will need to be familiar with what we will and won’t fund. Funding requirements can be found in the DQ1-2, DQ3-7 and DQ7-10 funding conditions for the relevant year. You can also find more information at: WDC-developed micro-credentials and qualifications Please be aware that where a WDC-developed micro-credential does not meet our investment requirements, we will not fund its delivery. A TEO wanting to gain accreditation to deliver a micro-credential developed by a WDC must first apply to NZQA. If granted accreditation by NZQA, the TEO can then enter the micro-credential into DXP Ngā Kete. If you have any questions about this, please call us on 0800 601 301 or email customerservice@tec.govt.nz. Fee limits on micro-credentials For information on fee limits on micro-credentials, including exception criteria, see Fee cap for micro-credentials. Re-prioritising funding from existing allocation If we approve a micro-credential for funding, we expect that in most cases TEOs will re-prioritise funding from within their existing allocation. To do this, you need to make an in-year Plan Amendment via a Mix of Provision (MoP) change in DXP Ngā Kete. You can increase the number of learners you enrol in the micro-credential over time (and make any necessary changes to the MoP), but you need to ensure the micro-credential continues to meet the priorities set out in the Tertiary Education Strategy, Plan Guidance and Supplementary Plan Guidance in force at the time of the proposed increase.
If we approve your micro-credential for funding and you would like to seek additional funding for it, you can submit an additional funding request either at the time of your micro-credential application, or after it is approved. You will need to follow the standard process for additional funding. You can do that as part of the annual investment round or as an in-year additional funding request. We may consider investing additional funding to support micro-credentials if there is an exceptionally compelling case for strong employer or community demand and a clear contribution to government priorities. In considering further funding, we will look at your TEO’s performance in existing provision, including whether existing allocation can be reprioritised from lower-performing provision to the micro-credential.
Last updated 11 June 2025 Last updated 11 June 2025
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This page outlines our approach to 2025 in-year additional funding requests (AFRs). This page outlines our approach to 2025 in-year additional funding requests (AFRs).
The application period is 1 May to 30 September 2025. Template for 2025 In-Year Additional Funding (XLSX 155 KB) You can now apply for 2025 in-year additional funding at any time until 30 September 2025. Below are the final application submission dates for each month.
Application submission date
15/5/2025
12/6/2025
17/7/2025
18/8/2025
September (a)
19/9/2025
September (b)
30/9/2025
Submissions received after 30 September 2025 will not be accepted. The template outlines the process for submitting your application for in-year additional funding, along with the information required to appropriately assess your request. We expect to advise outcomes within four to six weeks of the submission date. It may take longer than this in some circumstances or if we require additional information.
Targeted funds As in 2024, we are taking a targeted approach to additional funding for the following funds:
Delivery at Levels 3 to 7 (non-degree) on the New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework and all industry training (DQ3-7) Fund Delivery at Levels 7 (degree) to 10 on the New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework (DQ7-10) Fund.
The Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) will contact tertiary education organisations (TEOs) that we consider meet the following criteria:
demand from learners in 2025 within targeted priority areas history of strong Education Performance Indicators (EPIs) strong focus on improving educational outcomes for all learners.
We will also consider other factors, such as:
availability of funding for 2025 and outyears External Evaluation and Review ratings the Fund’s intent 2025 April Single Data Return supported by the March interim forecasts, including whether returns were submitted on time 2024 and 2025 AFRs, data and TEO engagement advice received from Workforce Development Councils (WDCs) relevant supporting evidence from the TEOs and their stakeholders delivery over 105% financial viability, whether a repayment plan is or has recently been established, and if any debt is outstanding or owing to the TEC.
Funds not open for additional funding The following funds are subject to specific constraints, which mean we will not be targeting additional funding and TEOs cannot apply for additional funding:
Adult and Community Education (ACE) in Communities and ACE in Schools TEO-led Workplace Literacy and Numeracy Fund Delivery at Levels 1 and 2 on the New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework (DQ1-2) Fund Youth Guarantee (YG) All Levels.
Should money become available for these funds, through under-delivery or returned funding, we will notify you of our intended approach to additional funding. Funds open for additional funding The following funds are not subject to the targeted approach and TEOs can apply for additional funding:
Intensive Literacy and Numeracy Fund ACE in Tertiary Education Institutions (TEIs) English Language Teaching Intensive Literacy and Numeracy Fund Refugee English Intensive Literacy and Numeracy Fund.
Last updated 11 March 2025 Last updated 11 March 2025
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Funding across the tertiary sector varies across years. In most instances these variations are due to funding adjustments, mergers or where funds end or are amalgamated. Funding across the tertiary sector varies across years. In most instances these variations are due to funding adjustments, mergers or where funds end or are amalgamated.
The All Grants Provider Funding Publication spreadsheet contains information on the funding we provided to the tertiary education sector for 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 calendar years. This information was extracted as of 11 June 2025. All Grants Provider Funding Publication spreadsheet (XLSX 3.2 MB) What the spreadsheet tells you The spreadsheet includes allocations, recoveries, and performance adjustments for every tertiary education organisation (TEO) we fund. You can view funding allocation information by year, fund, subsector, region of TEO head office, or by provider. Filters allow you to view allocations, recoveries and performance adjustments separately and to see year-by-year comparisons. The contents of the spreadsheet There are six tabs in the spreadsheet. These are:
Tab
Tab name
Contains
1
Definitions and explanatory notes
Summary funding information
2
Merger list
A list of organisations which merged between 2021–2025
3
2021–2025 summary
Allocations by appropriation and fund
4
2021–2025 comparison
Allocations comparing any two specified years
5
Regional summary by provider
Allocations by provider and region based on the location of the TEO’s head office
6
Regional summary by fund
Allocations by fund and region based on the location of the TEO’s head office
All Grants Provider Funding Publication spreadsheet All Grants Provider Funding Publication spreadsheet (XLSX 3.2 MB) – as at 11 June 2025. Note this spreadsheet is protected from editing. To enable editing and be able to expand the data lists follow these steps:
To activate the drop down menus, you will need to click “Enable Editing” on the spreadsheet. You will then see a message in the title bar: “An author has marked this workbook as final to discourage editing.” Choose “Edit Anyway”. You should now be able to expand the lists marked with a “+ ”.
Funding allocations and final funding While we determine most funding allocations before the start of the calendar year, funding changes are made during the year. These include:
new allocations changes to existing allocations performance adjustments recoveries for under-delivery.
The information provided in each update of the All Grants Provider Funding Spreadsheet reflects these changes until the allocation of funds and the recoveries for a particular year are complete. Funding across the tertiary sector varies across years. In most instances these variations are due to funding adjustments, mergers or where funds end or are amalgamated.
Land is a fixed resource, and while we cannot create more, it is possible to use available land and infrastructure more efficiently. Connecticut farmers, especially those in urban and peri urban locations, consistently cite land access as one of their biggest challenges.
A UConn Extension team is expanding urban agriculture in Connecticut through a new project focusing on vacant lot activation and peri-urban farmland access linking, led by Jacqueline Kowalski, an associate extension educator based in UConn Extension’s Bethel office.
Connecticut has five cities – Bridgeport, Stamford, New Haven, Hartford, and Waterbury – with over one hundred thousand residents, and 88% of the state’s population lives in urban areas. Meanwhile, the number of urban agricultural operations is also increasing, and there is more interest in beginning new operations. Urban agriculture’s growth is driven by increasing food security through local production, and a greater interest among more people in connecting with the land and growing their own food.
“Secure land access is one of the greatest challenges that urban producers grapple with in Connecticut,” Kowalski says. “It is our hope that through this project, municipalities will see urban agriculture as integral to resilient communities and that urban producers can access underutilized space to start and expand their operations.”
Kowalski currently works with urban farmers throughout the state to improve their operations, provide resources, expand agricultural involvement, and increase the number of urban agriculture operations statewide. Urban agriculture benefits include improving food security, contributing to sustainable landscapes, and aiding economic development.
The new project builds upon UConn Extension’s current urban agriculture resources and will conduct a needs assessment with urban farmers on their land needs and the characteristics of vacant lots in urban and peri-urban areas to make them usable.
The group is partnering with local organizations and has a 13-member advisory team working with them. Next, the research results will help the group identify potential land using geospatial analysis, including state and public land parcels. Municipalities and land trust organizations are providing input on these parcels, currently focusing on urban areas in western and southwestern Connecticut.
Existing resources and training available through UConn Extension’s urban agriculture programs include site selection and modification and then working with cities and navigating zoning requirements. Programs provide education on intensive vegetable and flower production, season extension, business management, and product marketing. Complementary resources are available through UConn Extension’s food safety program and Center for Land Use Education and Research (UConn CLEAR).
The project’s final phase is connecting urban farmers with the identified land and ensuring agricultural-friendly leases. The team’s goal is expanding or starting 20 urban farming operations. Partner organizations include the Councils of Governments (COGs), land trusts, and Land For Good, a nonprofit focused on the future of farming in New England. Team members will use existing resources, including CT Farm Link, a site managed by Connecticut Farmland Trust, to assist farmers and land use officials.
“UConn Extension has over a century of experience supporting and strengthening food systems in Connecticut,” says Amy Harder, associate dean for UConn Extension. “We are excited to continue that commitment by helping farmers find success in urban areas, creating more opportunities for all families to have access to Connecticut Grown foods and products.”
Connecticut has a heightened awareness about urban agriculture and land access because of the Northeast region’s population density. UConn Extension’s urban agriculture program, including this initiative, is building infrastructure for a more resilient and vibrant agricultural and food system. The broader impacts include helping other regions develop stronger urban agriculture programs through improved land access.
This work is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under award number2024-70019-42200.
This work relates to CAHNR’s Strategic Vision area focused on Ensuring a Vibrant and Sustainable Agricultural Industry and Food Supply.
Oak Ridge, Tennessee, June 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — LIS Technologies Inc. (“LIST” or “the Company”), a proprietary developer of advanced laser technology and the only USA-origin and patented laser uranium enrichment company, today announced that it has appointed Brent Park, Ph.D., as its Executive Director of Nuclear Security and Safeguards Policy.
“LIST’s technology arrives at a pivotal moment, as the United States accelerates efforts to build a secure, domestic nuclear‑fuel supply chain,” said Brent Park, Ph.D., Executive Director of Nuclear Security and Safeguards Policy of LIS Technologies Inc. “This proprietary technology can be a key step toward reducing reliance on foreign sources of enriched uranium and strengthening our national energy independence. I’m honored to join the Company and look forward to advising the leadership team as they advance the CRISLA technology from revival to commercialization.”
Brent is a nuclear physicist and a former government official with demonstrated leadership experience at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Nevada Test Site (NTS), and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Between 2018 and 2021, with Senate confirmation just 6 weeks after being nominated by President Donald J. Trump, Brent served as Deputy Administrator at the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). He led Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation programs to support the nation’s efforts in nonproliferation treaties and international arms control, international nuclear security, safeguards, and export control policies. Prior to joining NNSA, Brent was Associate Laboratory Director at ORNL, leading the science-to-application efforts for national security programs. Research topics are wide-ranging, with particular focus on materials science and engineering, cybersecurity, high-performance computing and big data analytics, artificial intelligence, and nuclear science and engineering.
Figure 1 – LIS Technologies Inc. Appoints Brent Park, Ph.D., as its Executive Director of Nuclear Security and Safeguards Policy.
Previously, Brent was the director of NNSA’s Remote Sensing Laboratory, where he led efforts to advance and field cutting-edge diagnostics and communications instruments in support of counterterrorism and radiological incident response for the nation. As the NNSA’s non-proliferation chief, he led efforts and engagements to prevent nuclear weapons proliferation and to reduce the threat of nuclear and radiological terrorism around the world. Earlier, Brent managed and contributed to basic and applied research programs at LANL in the areas of physics and engineering, modeling and analysis, and nuclear weapons physics and engineering in support of stockpile stewardship, as well as nuclear emergency response and nuclear facility operations. Brent earned a bachelor’s degree in physics and mathematics at Illinois State University and a master’s degree in physics with an emphasis on remote sensing at Indiana State University. Later he shifted the direction of his research to nuclear physics and earned a master’s degree at Indiana University. Brent performed a thesis experiment using the spallation neutron source at LANL and earned a PhD in physics at Ohio University. He held a prestigious Physics Division postdoctoral fellowship at LANL before becoming a technical staff member.
“Brent steps into this role with real enthusiasm, and we’re honored to welcome him to our team,” said Jay Yu, Executive Chairman and President of LIS Technologies Inc. “A distinguished leader, public official, and scientist, he brings a depth of experience that will benefit the Company both now and well into the future. During his tenure at the NNSA, Brent worked with some of the most advanced nuclear technologies in the industry. Now, his decision to join LIST reflects the promise of our patented, proprietary and U.S.-based CRISLA technology and the dedication that has shaped our company’s growth.”
“Brent’s depth of experience and extensive network are a testament to his distinguished career, and it is a pleasure to welcome him to LIS Technologies,” said Christo Liebenberg, CEO and Co-Founder of LIS Technologies Inc. “His technical expertise, combined with his longstanding relationships across key institutions, will be instrumental as we navigate complex licensing, regulatory and non-proliferation pathways and advance our CRISLA technology through testing, demonstration activities and eventually to commercialization.”
About LIS Technologies Inc.
LIS Technologies Inc. (LIST) is a USA based, proprietary developer of a patented advanced laser technology, making use of infrared lasers to selectively excite the molecules of desired isotopes to separate them from other isotopes. The Laser Isotope Separation Technology (L.I.S.T) has a huge range of applications, including being the only USA-origin (and patented) laser uranium enrichment company, and several major advantages over traditional methods such as gas diffusion, centrifuges, and prior art laser enrichment. The LIST proprietary laser-based process is more energy-efficient and has the potential to be deployed with highly competitive capital and operational costs. L.I.S.T is optimized for LEU (Low Enriched Uranium) for existing civilian nuclear power plants, High-Assay LEU (HALEU) for the next generation of Small Modular Reactors (SMR) and Microreactors, the production of stable isotopes for medical and scientific research, and applications in quantum computing manufacturing for semiconductor technologies. The Company employs a world class nuclear technical team working alongside leading nuclear entrepreneurs and industry professionals, possessing strong relationships with government and private nuclear industries.
In Dec 2024, LIS Technologies Inc. was selected as one of six domestic companies to participate in the Low-Enriched Uranium (LEU) Enrichment Acquisition Program. This initiative allocates up to $3.4 billion overall, with contracts lasting for up to 10 years. Each awardee is slated to receive a minimum contract of $2 million.
This news release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In this context, forward-looking statements mean statements related to future events, which may impact our expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as “expects”, “anticipates”, “intends”, “plans”, “believes”, “will”, “should”, “could”, “would” or “may” and other words of similar meaning. These forward-looking statements are based on information available to us as of the date of this news release and represent management’s current views and assumptions. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, events or results and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may be beyond our control. For LIS Technologies Inc., particular risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in our forward-looking statements include but are not limited to the following which are, and will be, exacerbated by any worsening of global business and economic environment: (i) risks related to the development of new or advanced technology, including difficulties with design and testing, cost overruns, development of competitive technology, loss of key individuals and uncertainty of success of patent filing, (ii) our ability to obtain contracts and funding to be able to continue operations and (iii) risks related to uncertainty regarding our ability to commercially deploy a competitive laser enrichment technology, (iv) risks related to the impact of government regulation and policies including by the DOE and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission; and other risks and uncertainties discussed in this and our other filings with the SEC. Only after successful completion of our Phase 2 Pilot Plant demonstration will LIS Technologies be able to make realistic economic predictions for a Commercial Facility. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which apply only as of the date of this news release. These factors may not constitute all factors that could cause actual results to differ from those discussed in any forward-looking statement. Accordingly, forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as a predictor of actual results. We do not undertake to update our forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this news release, except as required by law.
Search and recovery efforts are ongoing across the Eastern Cape, following the recent inclement weather.
Torrential rains over the past few days have caused devastating landslides and flooding, leaving hundreds of families displaced. The adverse weather has also caused extensive damage to critical infrastructure.
Updating the media on Wednesday, Eastern Cape Premier Lubabalo Oscar Mabuyane, said that he has ordered the suspension of all other provincial programmes in the province, to enable Members of the Executive Council (MECs), including himself, to be on the ground and offer support to the affected communities.
This after assessing the extent of widespread devastation, following the rains and strong winds that hit the province’s OR Tambo District Municipality enduring most of the severe weather.
“Each of the MECs are looking at the service delivery needs of this and other affected communities across the province as mop-up operations begin in earnest. Together with the leadership of the OR Tambo District and King Sabata Dalindyebo Local Municipality, the provincial government is on the ground assessing the damage, to support relief operations, and engage directly with affected families and communities,” Mabuyane said.
The Premier extended his deepest condolences to the families of the 49 people who passed away in OR Tambo District alone. Among the deceased are children whose scholar transport was swept away by floodwaters.
“The number of people confirmed to have been in the minibus taxi…. sadly, four learners have been confirmed to be deceased, together with the driver and a conductor of the minibus taxi. The rest of the deceased people are citizens of different ages. Four learners are still missing,” the Premier said.
The heavy rains in the Amathole District have also displaced hundreds of residents from informal settlements, with many relocated to temporary shelters. The severe weather also caused power outages across several areas in the district.
Mabuyane said a coordinated, multi-disciplinary emergency and rescue services team has been deployed across the province and remains actively involved in recovery, evacuation, and support efforts across the affected areas.
The continuous provision of shelter, food, psychosocial support services, blankets, and other essentials to displaced families, through partnerships with the South African Social Service Agency (SASSA), the Department of Social Development, and local municipalities are some of the interventions that have been put in place by the provincial government.
“Through the Intergovernmental Committee on Disaster Management (ICDM), technical experts are addressing damage to water infrastructure. When necessary, water tankers will be dispatched to ensure access to clean drinking water,” the Premier said.
Search and rescue operations for the scholars is being led by the South African Police Service (SAPS) while the Department of Education is intervening to bring in the necessary support to the affected families during this tragic time.
Restoration of electricity, reopening of roads
Mabuyane also noted progress being made in reopening major roads affected by snowfall, and the continuous restoration of electricity following outages caused by gale-force winds and heavy snow.
“Over the past 48 hours, at least 136 000 customers have since been brought back online, down from 300 000 that were without electricity. Eskom teams have resumed to continue with restoration to outstanding customers,” Mabuyane said.
The Premier commended the South African Weather Service (SAWS) for their forecasts confirming that the inclement weather is coming to an end, as the cut-off low system responsible for the recent conditions moves out to sea.
He also expressed gratitude to the provincial disaster management teams, including SAPS K-9 divers, the SAPS Search and Rescue Airwing, as well as residents for their swift response.
The Premier further urged those that are yet received assistance to remain calm and patient, and that relief efforts will move faster with the easing of the inclement weather.
“Infrastructure technical teams have been activated to carry out assessment to ascertain the extent of the damage as well as interventions that are required across the province. At this stage 20 health facilities have suffered damages to varying levels.
“In terms of road infrastructure, engineers are on the ground assessing the impact and extent of the damage on our road network including rural roads. The R58 Khowa to Barkey through the Barkely is now open,” Mabuyane said.
He advised motorists to exercise caution due to slippery conditions. He further called on citizens, and organisations to support the communities, as they continue to deal with this tragedy.
“Condolences once again to the families who lost their loved ones,” he said.
The Premier’s update on Wednesday came ahead of the visit of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa’s visit to the province on Thursday.
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi marks 11 years in office, India’s digital economy is poised to become a cornerstone of national growth, projected to account for nearly one-fifth of the country’s income by 2029-30. According to the State of India’s Digital Economy Report 2024, India ranks as the third most digitized economy globally and 12th among G20 nations for individual user digitalization, reflecting remarkable progress in digital transformation over the past decade.
The digital economy, contributing 11.74% of India’s GDP (Rs. 31.64 lakh crore or USD 402 billion) in 2022-23, is growing nearly twice as fast as the overall economy. Employing 14.67 million workers—2.55% of the workforce—it is almost five times more productive than other sectors. Under PM Modi’s leadership, this sector has flourished, driven by digital-enabling industries like ICT services, electronic component manufacturing, and communication equipment, which account for 7.83% of Gross Value Added (GVA). Digital platforms and intermediaries contribute an additional 2% of GVA, while digitalization in traditional sectors such as banking, financial services, insurance (BFSI), retail, and education adds another 2%.
By 2029-30, the digital economy is expected to outpace agriculture and manufacturing, fueled by rapid adoption of artificial intelligence (AI), cloud services, and the expansion of global capability centers (GCCs). India hosts 55% of the world’s GCCs, which are offshore hubs established by multinational corporations for services like R&D, IT support, and business process management. The growth of digital intermediaries and platforms is anticipated to lead in the short term, with broader digital diffusion across the economy reducing the relative share of ICT industries over time.
Digital transformation is reshaping traditional sectors unevenly. In BFSI, over 95% of banking payment transactions are digital, but revenue-generating activities like loans and investments remain largely offline. Retail is embracing omni-channel models, with e-tailers adding physical stores and leveraging AI chatbots and digital inventory tools for efficiency. Education is adopting hybrid models combining offline and online learning, while hospitality and logistics are integrating AI, metaverse technologies, and digital tools, though smaller firms lag behind larger ones in full digitalization.
The digital economy’s growth rate of 17.3% over the past decade surpasses the overall economy’s 11.8%. Digital platforms, in particular, are projected to grow at approximately 30% in the coming years. In 2022-23, the sector employed 14.67 million workers, with 58.07% in digital-enabling industries. Notably, digital platforms are creating job opportunities for women, overcoming barriers related to mobility and safety, though the workforce remains predominantly male.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Speech
UK applauds Ukraine’s heroic resistance and demands Russia end its illegal war: UK Statement to the OSCE
UK Military Advisor, Lt Col Joby Rimmer, reiterates the UK’s call for Russia to cease its unlawful aggression against Ukraine and reaffirms Ukraine’s right to self-defence under international law.
Thank you, Madame Chair. The United Kingdom again calls on the Russian Federation to immediately cease its illegal and unprovoked aggression against Ukraine. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has been extremely clear: Ukraine is not defeated. On the contrary, it has emerged as a formidable fighting force, demonstrating extraordinary resilience and determination in defending its sovereignty. And let us be clear, Ukraine has an absolute right to defend itself against aggression, and the United Kingdom stands firmly in support of that right.
We remain focused on achieving a just and lasting peace. In Istanbul, Ukraine demonstrated its commitment to peace by offering reasonable and practical proposals aimed at securing an unconditional ceasefire. Regrettably, Russia failed to reciprocate. Instead, it presented maximalist, non-negotiable demands that do not respect Ukraine’s sovereignty. This behaviour underscores that President Putin is not serious about peace and remains committed to prolonging his illegal war.
Since Ukraine’s offer of a full, unconditional ceasefire on 11 March 2025, Russia has continued its brutal campaign, launching daily airstrikes that have killed over 500 civilians and injured more than 2,700. We fully anticipate that the Russian Federation will deliver more disinformation in this forum today about alleged ‘acts of terrorism’ from Ukraine. But the distinction between Ukraine striking military targets and Russia hitting civilian targets is a critical one, both morally and under international law.
There is a clear difference. Ukraine’s drone and missile strikes have been targeting military infrastructure within Russian territory or illegally occupied regions. These include airbases, logistics hubs, ammunition depots, command and control centres and radar and missile systems. These strikes are intended to degrade Russia’s ability to wage war, especially its long-range bombing capabilities. Under international humanitarian law, Ukraine is within its rights to target military assets of an aggressor state, especially in self-defence.
In contrast, Russia has repeatedly launched drone and missile attacks on civilian areas across Ukraine. These have included Residential buildings, Hospitals and Schools, Energy Infrastructure and Emergency Services. In Kharkiv, over 50 explosions were recorded, damaging residential buildings and killing civilians. In Kyiv, three firefighters were killed while responding to earlier strikes. Lviv, Lutsk, and Chernihiv also suffered civilian casualties and infrastructure damage. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights verified a total of 45,000 civilian casualties as of 30th April 2025 and specified that the real numbers could be higher.
Russian strikes on civilians or civilian infrastructure are either an attempt to terrorise the civilian population and break morale (rather than achieve legitimate military objectives), or a failure to adequately distinguish military targets and act proportionately for military necessity. These are not the actions of a nation seeking peace, despite what President Putin says. These are the acts of blatant retaliation from the Kremlin, following Ukraine’s most successful and comprehensive strike against Russian Strategic bomber air bases.
Russia’s continued occupation in Ukraine and escalating aggression are not only unlawful, but they are also unsustainable. President Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, has now dragged on for over 1,200 days, resulting in catastrophic losses – including an estimated one million Russian casualties. President Putin continues to sacrifice Russian lives and futures and must choose another path – one of peace, responsibility and respect for international law. We have seen what the brave men and women of Ukraine’s Armed Forces are capable of, and the UK will continue to provide them with the tools they need to defend their sovereignty and protect their people. We call on Russia to accept the unconditional ceasefire, return to the negotiating table in good faith, and end this illegal war. Thank you, Madame Chair.
Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering –
Russia Day is a national holiday celebrated annually on June 12. It was established in honor of the event of 1990, when the first Congress of People’s Deputies adopted the Declaration of State Sovereignty of the RSFSR. The document established the supremacy of the Constitution and laws of the RSFSR throughout the country, the principle of separation of powers, and the equality of political parties and public organizations.
At first, the holiday was called Independence Day. In 1994, it received official status and a name – Day of Adoption of the Declaration of State Sovereignty of Russia. Since 1998, the holiday has been renamed Russia Day.
On this day, our fellow citizens celebrate the beginning of a new stage in our national history. Russia Day embodies love for the Motherland, reminds us of the importance of unity and mutual respect for each other.
The staff of the Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering celebrates this day together with everyone else. Everyone contributes to the development of the country – through their scientific research, conscientious work, success in studies, social activities, sports and creativity.
On Russia Day, we wish everyone success, energy and productive work for the benefit of the Motherland!
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: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering –
Dear friends, colleagues, fellow citizens!
Happy Russia Day!
This day embodies the power and greatness of our state. It symbolizes civil harmony and unity of the multinational people, preserving the memory of the labor and military exploits of our ancestors.
The history of Russia is full of grandiose achievements of our people. And today we are united by the spirit of patriotism, a noble sense of responsibility for the fate of the country.
We are proud of the heroes of our time – the participants of the special military operation who valiantly defend our common home – Russia. We are proud of the scientists, engineers, teachers – all who contribute to the development of Russia with honor and dignity every day.
Dear friends! On this festive day I wish you good health, prosperity and success in all your endeavors for the benefit of our Motherland!
Valery Falkov
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.
Headline: Thales ranked No.1 most attractive employer among engineering students in France in 2025
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Thales has secured the top spot in the 2025 ranking of the most attractive employers for engineering students in France, in a survey conducted by the Universum research institute. The survey covered 23,376 students, including 11,556 from engineering schools. Thales also ranked 4th among IT students.
Students notably praised the Group’s capacity for innovation and the wide range of career development opportunities it offers. As a global leader in high technology across Defence, Aerospace, Cybersecurity and Digital Identity, Thales provides the opportunity to work in critical environments involving artificial intelligence, quantum technologies or cloud computing. The company offers a very broad array of career paths, backed by a strong industrial and academic presence across 68 countries. For the past three years, Thales has also invested heavily in a global upskilling initiative called the “Learning Company” programme, delivered by 2,000 in-house trainers. It brings together 13 Domain Academies (Radar, Radio, Naval, Tubes, Pyrotechnics…) and 19 Functional Academies (Engineering, Industry, HR, Finance, Communications…).
The preference expressed by young engineering students for Thales also reflects the Group’s efforts to reach out to younger generations. Last year, Thales engaged with over 150,000 young people through 600 events. In 2025, in France alone, the Group expects to welcome more than 3,000 interns and apprentices in higher education, with around 25% going on to secure permanent or fixed-term roles. Nearly 1,500 students in Year 10 and Year 11 will also be welcomed for short-term work experience across around 40 Thales sites in mainland France, helping to spark interest in science and technology careers.
“Attracting engineers – and diverse talent more broadly – to Thales is essential to staying at the forefront of innovation. We firmly believe that mathematics and science are key to understanding the world around us and tackling society’s greatest challenges. Joining Thales means continuing to learn throughout your career and helping to address the major societal challenges we are working on through our activities.” Patrice Caine, Chairman & CEO of Thales
Former prime minister Paul Keating famously used to say the resident galah in any pet shop was talking about micro-economic policy. These days, if you encounter a pet shop with a galah, she’ll be chattering about productivity.
Productivity is currently the hot topic for a conversation on economic reform. Australia, like many other countries, has a serious problem with it. Our productivity hasn’t significantly increased for more than a decade (apart from a temporary spike during the pandemic).
Now Treasurer Jim Chalmers has named productivity as his priority for Labor’s second term; assistant minister Andrew Leigh, part of the government’s economic team, has had it inserted into his title; the Productivity Commission has put out 15 potential reform areas for discussion, and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced a roundtable to canvass the way ahead.
The roundtable appears to be a prime ministerial initiative. Announcing it at the National Press Club on Tuesday, Albanese made a point of saying he had asked Chalmers to convene it. Perhaps it’s a case of the prime minister emulating his forerunner Bob Hawke, with his penchant for summits, while Chalmers seeks to be a contemporary Keating, as he searches for reforms to promote.
It would be a major achievement if people were able to remember the second-term Albanese government for paving the way for a significant lift in Australia’s productivity. It would probably also be an economic and political miracle.
Let’s never knock a summit, but let’s not be taken in by the suggestion that the planned August meeting, involving employers, unions and the government, will mark some breakthrough moment. Business representatives are approaching it with a degree of cynicism; they saw the 2022 jobs and skills summit as preparing the ground for the new government to meet union demands.
This summit is expected to have fewer participants than the 2022 meeting, and may be briefer. Albanese described it as “a more streamlined dialogue than the jobs and skills summit, dealing with a more targeted set of issues”. Chalmers will announce more details next week. We can expect the government will package a collection of initiatives at least for further work, and perhaps a few for early action.
While many stakeholders give lip service to improving productivity, there are huge obstacles to actually doing so.
There’s perennial talk about tax reform – from business and economists, rather than the government. But serious change produces winners and losers, and having “losers” has become a political no-no, especially when there is not enough money to compensate them.
The housing crisis could be eased, with more homes built faster, if there were less onerous regulations, notably at state and local level. Governments are working around the edges of this, but attempting to seriously slash regulation immediately runs into opposition from those who, variously, argue that will harm city-scapes, the environment, safety or the like.
Red tape hampers big projects, but interest groups concerned about fauna, flora or the climate defend extensive hurdles and appeals processes as important for other priorities.
We’d be more productive if people with skills (whether immigrants or those moving between states) faced fewer complexities in getting their credentials recognised. But critics would point to the risk of underqualified people getting through.
Regulations are both barriers and protections. Whether you see particular regulations as negative or positive will depend where you are coming from. Less regulation can enhance productivity – but in certain cases the trade-off can be less protection and/or more risk. We have, for good or ill, become a more risk-averse community.
Employers say various industrial relations laws and regulations restrict changes that could boost productivity. A Labor government interlocked with the union movement is going to listen to its industrial base on that one. Asked on Tuesday whether his message to business groups going to the summit was, “don’t waste your breath if you’re going to raise IR” Albanese said, “People are entitled to raise whatever they want to raise. But I’m a Labor prime minister.”
Artificial Intelligence presents great opportunities to advance productivity. But it will cost some jobs and produce dislocation. Industry Minister Tim Ayres said recently, “I will be looking in particular at how we can strengthen worker voice and agency as technology is diffused into every workplace in the Australian economy. I look forward to working with our trade union movement on all of this.” Employers’ ears pricked at the union reference.
While the government is signalling it wants to do something meaningful on productivity, the prime minister is also highly cautious when it comes to getting ahead of what he considers to be the government’s electoral mandate. Nor is he one to gamble political capital.
He is not like, for example, John Howard, who before the 1996 election said he would “never ever” have a GST, then brought forward an ambitious GST package that he took to the 1998 election. That package had plenty of compensation for losers but Howard, who had a big parliamentary majority, was nearly booted out of office.
Reform is more difficult than it was in the Hawke–Keating era – though it wasn’t as easy then as is often portrayed now. The voters are less trusting of government, and less willing to accept the downsides of change.
The voices of those wanting to say “no” to various proposed changes are greatly amplified, in a highly professionalised political milieu and ubiquitous media opportunities. In the era of the “permanent campaign”, opinion polling has become so constant that politicians are always measuring their support in the moment, making a government hyper-nervous.
Progress on productivity is also harder these days because the easier things have been done, and because changes in our economy – especially the growth of the care economy – mean in some sectors efficiencies are not so readily available, or measurable.
We don’t actually need more inquiries, or a roundtable, to come up with ideas for what could or should be done on productivity. There have been multiple reports and thousands of recommendations. What is required is for the government to devise a bold program, have the will and the skill to implement it, and the ability to sell it to the public. But that runs into the problem of not having sought permission from the voters – which forces the government back to incrementalism.
Whatever the problems, it is not too fanciful to see Chalmers hanging his hat on the productivity peg in his longer-term bid to be the next Labor prime minister. We’ll see how he goes.
Michelle Grattan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
“Innovative Music-making Journey to China: MO x e-Orch” concert to showcase musical achievementsIssued at HKT 12:00
The public concert of the Innovative Music Making: MO x e-Orch music training programme during the 2024/25 academic year will be held at 7.30pm on July 12 (Saturday) at the Auditorium of Kwai Tsing Theatre, under the title “Innovative Music-making Journey to China: MO x e-Orch”, to showcase the students’ achievements. The programme is organised by the Music Office of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, in collaboration with the Education University of Hong Kong. Four digital music orchestras (e-Orchs) formed by about 80 students participating in the training programme from the Buddhist Chan Wing Kan Memorial School, Sacred Heart of Mary Catholic Primary School, Chan Sui Ki (La Salle) Primary School and St. Rose of Lima’s School will showcase their original collaborative multimedia works at the concert. They will also collaborate with the string and Chinese music ensembles of the Music Office to perform original and arranged works. Musicians from the eOrch@EdUHK Contemporary Music and Digital Instrument Lab will also be invited to present their original works combining music and technology. Various awards and certificates of attendance will also be presented to participating students at the concert as encouragement. Apart from original works of the students, the concert also presents world premieres of local composers Wat Nga-man’s “Lion Dance” and Lau Hiu-lam’s “The Guardians of The Underground Empire”, which are commissioned by the Music Office with 12/06/2025, 11:31 “Innovative Music-making Journey to China: MO x e-Orch” concert to showcase musical achievements https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202506/12/P2025061100295p.htm 1/2 sponsorship from the CASH (Composers and Authors Society of Hong Kong) Music Fund. Rearrangements of Ren Guang’s “Colourful Clouds Chasing the Moon” and the traditional Chinese music “Evening Song of the Fishermen” by Lau and Wat respectively, will also be performed in the concert. To promote the integration of music and technology on school campuses, the Music Office launched the first Innovative Music Making: MO x e-Orch music training programme in 2022 for students of participating primary and secondary schools to form eOrchs and learn musical knowledge and music creation with the use of tablets. Tickets priced at $70 are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For telephone bookings, please call 3166 1288. For programme enquiries and concessionary schemes, please call 2158 6467 or 3842 7776 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/mo/activities/schoo lprogrammes/arttech/24art/2025imm.html. The concert is one of the programmes of the Chinese Culture Festival (CCF) 2025. For more information about programmes and activities of the CCF 2025, please visit www.ccf.gov.hk. Ends/Thursday, June 12, 2025 Issued at HKT 12:00
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Scientists comment on a London-bound Boeing 787-8 aircraft crashing shortly after take-off in India.
Prof Graham Braithwaite, Director of Aerospace and Aviation, Cranfield University, said:
What do we know about the situation so far?
“The aircraft involved is an 11-year-old Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. This is the first major accident involving the 787.
“At this point we don’t know whether there are any survivors or whether there have been any casualties on the ground.
What don’t we know and are waiting to find out?
“At this stage the focus will be on search and rescue at the site. For the airline, they will be focused on caring for family members and friends at both the departure airport and destination. Until the manifest is confirmed, they will be dealing with a very high number of enquiries from concerned friends and families. Early information about the accident is unlikely to be accurate so even though people will look at tools like FlightRadar 24, it won’t tell us anything about the “why it happened”. We should be very careful not to speculate on cause when there is so little reliable information available.
Is it unusual for a plane crash to occur so soon after take-off?
“Yes. Although take off is a critical stage of flight, aircraft accidents are incredibly rare, especially involving modern aircraft types such as the Boeing 787. Take off is a critical stage because the aircraft is still accelerating and any problem-solving requires a rapid response.
Any other information you think is relevant for journalists to know.
“The accident will be investigated by the Indian Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau – an organisation which is independent from the aviation regulator, and which is focused on ‘not for blame’ safety investigations. This is governed by an international standard known as ICAO Annex 13. Under that, participants will include the US National Transportation Safety Board as the State of Manufacturer. Stated with a significant number of people on board will also have a right to participate so I would expect the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch to be involved.”
