nited Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, following consultation with the Bureau of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), announced today the appointment of Yasmine Fouad of Egypt as the next Executive Secretary of the UNCCD. She will succeed Ibrahim Thiaw of Mauritania to whom the Secretary-General is deeply grateful for his dedicated service and outstanding commitment to the Organization.
Serving as Minister of Environment of Egypt since 2018, Ms. Fouad is an expert in environmental diplomacy with over 25 years of experience in environmental governance, global environmental themes and international climate diplomacy. She has a proven track record in designing and implementing institutional and systemic reforms for sustainable development.
On the global stage, Ms. Fouad has played a pivotal role in multilateral environmental processes, serving as the President of the 14th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD-COP 14) (2018-2021) and as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) COP 27 Envoy (2021-2022). She co-led the process for reaching consensus to draft the Global Biodiversity Framework 2030 and played a key role in advancing global initiatives on adaptation, food security, agriculture and nature-based solutions at COP 27. She also spearheaded the Presidential Global Initiative, which links the Rio Conventions launched at CBD COP 14. She co-facilitated climate finance at five Climate COPs representing the interests of the global South in collaboration with Northern partners.
Regionally, she has contributed to the Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC) and African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) (2015-2017) as Assistant Minister of Environment for Sustainable Development, Regional and International Cooperation. She was instrumental in the technical preparation and coordination of the African Adaptation Initiative and the African Renewable Energy Initiative. She co-chaired the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) Regional Flagship Programmes steering committee including Sustainable Land Management, Desertification, Biodiversity and Ecosystems-based Adaptation to Climate Change.
As a visiting scholar at Columbia University, Ms. Fouad contributed to the Earth Institute, helping design a Centre of Excellence for Climate Change Adaptation in Egypt. She holds a Ph.D.in Euro-Mediterranean Studies, Cairo University, and a M.Sc. in Environmental Science, Ain Shams University. She is fluent in English and Arabic.
In the world of high school athletics, athletic trainers are often the unsung heroes, steadfast, skilled, and always ready. But for Kyia Barnett, athletic trainer with the UConn Institute of Sports Medicine a recent evening at Bloomfield High School turned into a moment of true heroism.
On a Monday evening, shortly after 7 p.m., Kyia was wrapping up a long day in her office after a late practice when she received a frantic call from one of the track and field coaches. The message was urgent, 911 had just been called, and she was needed at the track immediately.
Without hesitation, Kyia grabbed her medical bag and AED and sprinted to the scene. When she arrived, she found two adult men: one lying unresponsive on the track, the other kneeling beside him in distress. Kyia quickly assessed the situation and, finding no pulse, immediately initiated CPR.
“When you get a frantic call like that for a medical emergency, the only thing in the moment for me is to blank out everything else around me and zone in on the situation and do what needs to be done,” said Barnett. “It’s almost like second nature to hyperfocus in emergencies. At the same time, as soon as I assessed the situation of the collapsed individual with no pulse, it’s shocking. In our line of work, it’s uncommon to deal with cardiac arrest, and we also hope to never see it even though we have been intensely trained and prepared for it since day one.”
Barnett performed four to five rounds of chest compressions before EMS arrived on the scene. Thanks to her rapid and skilled intervention, paramedics were able to regain a pulse and transport the patient to a local hospital for further treatment and is now recovering.
“Kyia’s swift action and clinical expertise were instrumental in saving a life that night. Her calm under pressure, unwavering focus, and precise execution are the very embodiment of what it means to be an athletic trainer,” said Christopher Watkins, director of ambulatory services for Storrs, Willimantic, and Putnam.
Justin Bolton, Athletic Trainer, Kyia Barnett and Carin Dulin, Athletic Trainer, Clinical Practice Manager celebrate Kyia’s award from CATA.
Barnett was recently honored with the Connecticut Athletic Trainers’ Association (CATA) President’s Award, a special recognition presented at the discretion of the CATA Executive Council to acknowledge excellence in the practice of Athletic Training.
“There is no question that Kyia exemplifies this excellence every day, and on that evening, she went far beyond the call of duty,” says Anne Horbatuck, Vice President, Ambulatory Services and Chief Operating Officer, UConn Medical Group.
“It is a blessing and honor to receive this award, not only for me and my own successes, but to bring attention to other athletic trainers’. Our skills, responsiveness, and assets are extremely vital to athletic departments, as well as communities,” says Barnett. “I’m thankful that I was in the right place at the right time in this situation, and that my many years of experience and training, alongside my attentiveness, aided me in saving this man’s life.”
This event also speaks volumes about the trust and strong relationships Barnett has built with the Bloomfield High School coaching staff. In the most critical moment, their first call after 911 wasn’t to a supervisor or colleague, it was to Barnett
“It’s an honor, truly to be an athletic trainer. We are not only the medical backbone to athletic teams, but we are also a shoulder to cry on for athletes (and coaches), a safe space for them, and even the comical output to brighten one’s bad day,” says Barnett. “Somedays, we are simply just cheering on our athletes at games after rehabbing athletes back to their sport, others we may be in the situation where another’s lives are in our hands. I’ve put so much hard work, education, dedication, love, and compassion into being an Athletic Trainer, and I would not trade it for the world.”
ATLANTA (May 22, 2025)—Lt. Gov. Burt Jones has appointed Sen. Chuck Payne (R–Dalton) to serve on the following committees and commissions:
Career and Technical Education Advisory Commission (Co-Chairperson)
Education Commission of the States
Georgia Commission on Civics Education
High School Athletics Overview Committee
Joint Georgia Hall of Fame Authority Overview Committee
Joint Recreational Authorities Overview Committee
Southern States Energy Board
Sen. Chuck Payne spoke on the appointments, saying, “I’m grateful to Lt. Governor Burt Jones for these appointments and for his trust in me to serve. Promoting education, advancing student athletics and supporting Georgia’s parks and recreational spaces are issues I look forward to seeing reflected through these committees and commissions. These are areas where thoughtful policy can make a difference in people’s lives, and I’m honored to continue this important work on behalf of my district and the people of Georgia.”
Each appointment is effective immediately and will extend for two years, aligning with the remainder of Sen. Payne’s term in the Georgia Senate.
# # # #
Sen. Chuck Payne serves as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans, Military, and Homeland Security. He represents the 54th Senate District, which includes Whitfield and Murray County as well as part of Gordon County. He may be reached at 404.463.5402 or by email atChuck.Payne@senate.ga.gov.
For all media inquiries, please reach out toSenatePressInquiries@senate.ga.gov.
Scientists from the US Geological Survey (USGS), the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) will conduct ship-based research in the deep waters and seafloor far offshore the Hawaiian Islands in Fall 2024. The team, with its broad range of expertise in biology, geology, and oceanography, will study marine minerals and their environmental setting—the microbes and animals that coexist with them and the characteristics of the surrounding sediments and seawater—in the deepest and least scientifically characterized parts of the ocean, known as the abyssal plains.
Map showing study area (outlined in yellow) of the Hawaii Abyssal Nodules and Associated Ecosystems Expedition.
Abyssal Plains and Manganese Nodules
Abyssal plains exist at depths between 3,000 and 6,000 meters (9,800 to 19,700 feet) and constitute more than 70 percent of the global seafloor. Processes driving the geology and biology of these deep-sea environments remain largely unstudied. To facilitate understanding of global abyssal seafloor settings given the very little physical data available, scientists use large-scale factors like sedimentation rate, surface primary productivity, and bathymetry to predict the geologic features, marine minerals, and ecosystems that are likely to occur. In the abyssal regions about 230 miles (~370 kilometers) south of the Island of Hawaiʻi, oceanographic and geologic evidence indicate that manganese nodules may be present on the seafloor.
Abyssal manganese nodules—concretions smaller than a fist that are mainly composed of iron and manganese and form very slowly, at rates of millimeters per million years—offer a distinct habitat for local fauna compared to the surrounding sediment-covered seafloor. Since these nodules form in layers, they can offer unique insights into the geochemistry of the ocean going back millions of years, yet their formation, regional distribution, and interaction with their environment is still not well understood.
The research expedition will characterize the abyssal plain south of Hawai’i, focusing on the interaction of geology and biology within a holistic mineral-environment system.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Stephen Cushion, Chair Professor, Cardiff School of Journalism, Media and Culture, Cardiff University
Following a legal battle with GB News, the UK’s media regulator is proposing to tighten its rules on politicians appearing as presenters.
Earlier this year, a judge concluded that Ofcom’s current impartiality guidelines are badly worded, and do not clearly explain to broadcasters when and where politicians can present news or current affairs programming.
Ofcom is now recommending changing its code to clarify that politicians cannot act as newsreaders, news interviewers or news reporters in any type of programming.
Ofcom defines news programming as a newsreader presenting information in bulletins, and reporters or correspondents delivering packages and live reports. Current affairs content is interpreted as long-form programming, involving extensive discussions, analysis or interviews with guests.
The proposed rule change is under consultation until June 2025. Ofcom noted: “The distinction between news and current affairs content has become more blurred and the use of politicians presenting programmes has become more prevalent.”
In February 2025, Ofcom lost a legal case to GB News about whether the channel breached “due impartiality” rules. The case involved Conservative former MP Jacob Rees-Mogg, who was acting as a presenter on GB News while an MP.
Ofcom found GB News had breached impartiality rules without exceptional editorial justification. In separate programmes, Rees-Mogg had acted as a newsreader by reading out an Autocue summary of breaking news and engaging with a news correspondent.
GB News challenged Ofcom’s ruling. A judge at the high court found that the politician had produced news-related content, but within a current affairs programme. The judge concluded that Ofcom’s impartiality code was ambiguous about how politicians could present across different broadcast programming. Ofcom is proposing to clarify this in the rule change.
GB News, which has been the subject of several Ofcom investigations, has now accused the regulator of bias and demanded that it withdraw the proposals.
Due impartiality and public opinion
In recent years, new radio stations and television channels have begun pushing the boundaries of the UK’s rules on impartiality. High-profile politicians such as Nigel Farage have acted as presenters in programming that blurs the lines between news and current affairs.
Ofcom has so far allowed this on the grounds of freedom of expression and audience engagement. But the regulator has faced increasing pressure from politicians, lobby groups and the public to curb the creeping partisanship on TV and radio.
My new research project with colleagues at Cardiff University and broadcasters is exploring the impartiality of news across media platforms. We are also examining the implications of Ofcom’s rule change by asking whether the public wants politicians to act as broadcast presenters.
Ofcom has justified its decision to allow politicians to act as broadcast presenters by referring to audience research it commissioned in June 2024 that found no consensus against it.
However, the commissioned research by Ipsos UK was not an accurate representation of public opinion.
It involved a qualitative focus group study of 157 people across 29 online focus groups. Fifteen of the focus groups were frequent viewers or listeners of news and current affairs programmes, three had people who did not frequently watch or listen to these type of programmes, and 11 were with audiences of channels where politicians have regularly presented current affairs content.
In other words, the study drew on a highly constructed sample likely to support politicians presenting. Well over a third of the participants were represented by audiences who choose to regularly watch channels featuring politicians presenting.
Despite the skewed sample, according to Ipsos UK the “most prevalent opinion” – among focus group participants – “was feeling uncomfortable with politicians presenting current affairs content”.
This suggests that there was, in fact, a consensus of respondents concerned with politicians acting as presenters – and that consensus was opposed to politicians acting as presenters on TV and radio. This highlights the need for a representative study of public opinion on this issue.
What does the public really want?
Existing evidence suggests that public opinion is more against opinionated presenters than supporting partisanship in broadcasting. One poll in 2020 found more people opposed than favoured a Fox News-style channel to broadcast in the UK.
Academic research, including my ongoing work with colleagues, has consistently found the public prefers impartial news over partisan journalism. The Reuters Institute for Journalism has long found in representative surveys that the public rate neutral news well ahead of partisan reporting.
While Ofcom’s proposed latest amendment would tighten the rules on politicians acting as news presenters, it appears out of step with public opinion because many people feel uncomfortable with politicians presenting in any type of broadcast programme.
While GB News has recorded an increase in online views over recent years, its reach on broadcast media is relatively small. But the bigger impact of GB News could be in normalising political partisanship on TV and radio, and gradually pushing the boundaries of the UK’s regulations on broadcast impartiality.
At a time when political disinformation is rising and trust in journalism is declining, is it time for Ofcom to rethink giving politicians a bigger platform to promote their politics? In doing so, it should properly consult the public on how they want broadcasting to be impartially regulated.
Stephen Cushion has received funding from the BBC Trust, Ofcom, AHRC, BA and ESRC.
Certain university degrees – especially in the arts and humanities – are often maligned as “rip-offs” or “Mickey Mouse degrees”. The argument is that while some degrees lead to high-paying jobs, others offer little financial return and may leave graduates worse off than if they hadn’t gone to university.
Financial returns are important, and prospective students should understand the cost implications of different degrees. This is a particularly vital consideration when recent reports suggest that the graduate premium – the boost in earnings that comes from having a degree – may be faltering, with some degrees particularly implicated.
But part of making an informed decision also means understanding how degrees shape graduates’ early experiences of work. That’s where our research comes in.
The research study I carried out with colleagues explores this broader view of graduate success. We analysed responses from UK graduates who finished university in 2018-19, surveyed 15 months after graduation through the national Graduate Outcomes survey. This gave us a sample size of over 67,500 graduates.
Rather than focusing on salary, we looked at how graduates responded to three simple but telling questions:
1) Do you find your work meaningful?
2) Does it align with your future plans?
3) Are you using the skills you learned at university?
Our results challenge the idea that only high-earning degrees offer value. While some vocational courses – such as medicine, veterinary science, and education – perform especially well on these measures, graduates across all subjects reported largely positive experiences. In fact, 86% said their work felt meaningful, 78% felt on track with their careers, and 66% said they were using their university-acquired skills.
This matters because public debate has long been dominated by a single metric: income. While earnings are undoubtedly an important outcome of higher education, they’re not the only one.
Many would trade a higher salary for work that offers purpose and uses their talents. These aren’t just “touchy-feely” concerns: they’re key drivers of employee retention, productivity, and competitiveness.
Vocational and generalist degrees
Graduates of medicine and dentistry were around 12 percentage points more likely than others to say their work was meaningful, and more than 30 points more likely to say they were using their university-acquired skills. Education, allied health, and veterinary science also performed well.
But generalist degrees – including many of those that have been labelled “low value” – held their own. History, languages, and the creative arts all produced graduates who, on average, felt positively about their work. Once we adjusted for background factors like social class, gender, and prior attainment, many of the gaps between vocational and generalist fields narrowed.
Graduates of generalist degrees, such as languages and history, also felt positive about their careers. Atthapon Niyom/Shutterstock
Crucially, we found little support for the idea that certain degrees routinely leave students disillusioned. Even in subjects like history or media studies, often targeted in value-for-money debates, the data show a more positive picture than the headlines suggest.
Of course, our study has limitations. It captures only the first 15 months after graduation, which are still early days for recent graduates. It also doesn’t track income or job stability over the longer term. But it provides something previously missing from the debate: nationally representative evidence on how UK graduates across different degree subjects experience their early careers.
And the findings are striking. Many of the most heavily criticised degrees consistently deliver positive subjective outcomes for their graduates. This challenges the idea that the arts, humanities, and social sciences are bad investments, for individuals or for society.
More than financial returns
Our findings prompt broader questions about how value in higher education should be defined. Framing only high-earning degrees as “worth it” reduces university study to a financial transaction.
It risks sending the message that choosing a subject based on personal interest, talent, or intellectual curiosity is a mistake, and may deter students from pursuing degrees that, while less lucrative, often lead to fulfilling and meaningful work.
Yes, graduates should be employable. And yes, some degrees deliver clearer financial returns than others. But higher education is also about developing individual potential, nurturing intellectual curiosity, and enabling people to make meaningful contributions to society beyond just income. If we ignore these dimensions, we risk undervaluing not just certain degrees, but the wider purpose of education itself.
By branding arts and humanities degrees as “rip-offs”, we risk further weakening the talent pipeline for one of the UK’s genuinely world-leading sectors — arts and culture. This sector is already facing skills shortages following years of cuts to creative education.
So, before we write off a subject as a rip-off, we should ask: what are we really measuring? Because for many university graduates, we now have credible evidence that success is about more than just a pay packet.
Sean Brophy 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.
Endometriosis is a long-term and invisible gynaecological condition that affects around 1.5 million women in the UK alone. It’s known for its unpredictable and debilitating symptoms, like chronic pelvic pain, heavy periods and fatigue. But many women face outdated practices in the workplace that just don’t accommodate the reality of the condition.
Women with endometriosis can be unfairly thought of as unreliable or weak for not being able to adhere to conventional ideas of productivity or working hours. Times could be changing, though, with the UK’s employment rights bill, which is making its way through parliament.
The bill could mark a significant turning point by framing menstruation and related health conditions as legitimate workplace issues. What this could mean, in practice, is a move towards employers taking measures such as offering flexible hours as the norm rather than the burden falling on individual women to make the case for what they need.
But as a researcher on women’s health and wellbeing at work, I believe the bill must go further. If this legislation is to represent a new era for women, it should explicitly include provisions to support all reproductive health as part of its gender equality plans. After all, it has been estimated that menstrual health issues, including endometriosis, cost the UK economy £11 billion per year due to worker absences.
Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox.Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.
Workers deserve a framework that supports the entire lifecycle of women’s health at work – from menstruation to miscarriage to menopause and beyond. Incorporating menstruation action plans alongside the bill’s proposed menopause action plans could include measures to destigmatise menstrual health. This could help workers feel safe sharing their symptoms or condition.
It could also involve training for managers so conversations focus on support as opposed to the burden of medical proof. And clearly, sick leave policies should not penalise women for symptoms that can frequently be irregular.
Historically, endometriosis was labelled the “career woman’s disease”. The suggestion was that it was a consequence of women delaying motherhood for paid work, and the stressful professional lives of women.
These outdated theories framed endometriosis as the result of ambition. But the echoes persist, reinforcing the idea that women must silently manage their condition at work. This framing, rather than recognising that endometriosis can in some cases be considered a disability, diverts attention from failures in workplace policies and healthcare systems.
Women with endometriosis can lose between 1.9 and 15.8 work hours per week managing painful and fluctuating symptoms within rigid work schedules and unaccommodating workplaces.
However, having the permission to adjust where and how you work can help with managing symptoms and can also help to prevent them. For example, having the flexibility to start work later in the day for pain that presents in the morning, or to work from home on bad pain days, can make it easier to manage symptoms, and actually increases productivity. On the other hand, rigid working days can cause stress that exacerbates symptoms.
Issues like stigma, disbelief of the level of pain and other symptoms, and the inability to deal with symptoms when they come on (by taking frequent breaks or using a hot water bottle, for example), as well as unfriendly absence policies, make work more difficult than it needs to be.
This time lost can also place women in a precarious position, forcing them to choose between concealing their pain or risking career setbacks by disclosing their condition. Workplaces are typically designed for those who can maintain uninterrupted schedules, leaving workers with symptoms that come and go at a disadvantage.
My research on “endo time”, which will be published later this year, reflects this. It highlights how women with endometriosis must constantly adjust their routines to manage symptoms. This is a reality at odds with rigid workplace expectations. It can mean having to think about every day in advance like “strategising a war”.
Emotional and economic costs
The cost of managing endometriosis extends beyond physical pain. Women with endometriosis in the UK can experience reduced earnings alongside lost promotions, bonuses and clients. A major constraint can be the need to take frequent sick days. This is often treated as a performance issue rather than a medical issue.
As such, women can be left ducking and diving, and trying to work out little systems and workarounds for fear of losing their jobs. Women with endometriosis may also be pushed into part-time or insecure work, or feel compelled to become self-employed, trading stability for flexibility.
Ultimately, left unsupported, endometriosis can make it extremely difficult for women to work within standard schedules and timetables. Yet, despite its prevalence, endometriosis research remains underfunded, contributing to continued misunderstandings and inadequate support.
Unsupported menstrual health issues are thought to cost the UK economy £11 billion per year in lost work days. tuaindeed/Shutterstock
The employment rights bill could be a significant step forward. It will require organisations with more than 250 employees to develop gender equality plans, including menopause support. The bill also aims to promote transparency around gender pay gaps and strengthen flexible working rights. These provisions would undoubtedly support the economic and emotional costs of working with endometriosis.
Endometriosis is more than a health challenge. It is a lens through which we can understand broader issues around gender, health and work. By pushing for more comprehensive policies, the UK can shift the narrative from one of individual struggle to one of collective responsibility. This could create a workplace culture where women can thrive without being penalised for their health.
The bill presents an opportunity to do just that – but only if it goes far enough to address the full spectrum of reproductive health challenges that women face throughout their careers.
Victoria Williams is affiliated with The Menstruation Friendly Accreditation.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of the European Space Agency (Esa). It has launched spectacularly successful missions, but is different to other space agencies which generally represent one country. Esa is funded by 23 member states and also has cooperation agreements with nations such as Canada.
Esa operates cutting edge spacecraft designed to monitor the Earth, as well as space telescopes that study the distant cosmos. It has launched robotic spacecraft to other planets and to objects such as comets. It is also involved in human spaceflight – training European astronauts to work on the International Space Station (ISS).
These are hugely successful achievements. But the agency now faces challenges as competition heats up among newer space powers such as China and India.
The history of Esa can be traced to events immediately after the second world war, when many European scientists moved to either the US or to the Soviet Union. Many of them realised that projects supported only by a single nation could not compete with those supported by the two big geopolitical players at the time.
This motivated the physicists Pierre Auger, from France, and Edoardo Amaldi, from Italy, to propose a European organisation that would carry out space research and would be “purely scientific”.
In 1962, two agencies were created. One of these, the European Launch Development Organisation (ELDO), would concentrate on developing a rocket. The other, the European Space Research Organisation (ESRO), would focus on developing robotic spacecraft. Both were joined together in 1975 to form the European Space Agency.
The push to build a European rocket would eventually yield the Ariane launcher, which is operated by the French company Arianespace.
The first satellite to be launched under the banner of the newly formed European Space Agency was Cos-B. This spacecraft was designed to monitor a high energy form of radiation called gamma rays, being emitted from objects in space.
Esa collaborated with other space agencies on the Hubble Space Telescope. ESA/NASA
In 1978, Esa cooperated with Nasa and the UK on the International Ultraviolet Explorer mission. This space telescope was designed to observe the cosmos in ultraviolet light, something that cannot be done from Earth.
The agency would later collaborate with Nasa and the Canadian Space Agency on one of the most successful space telescopes of all time: Hubble. Launched in 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope helped confirm the expansion rate of the universe and showed that black holes are at the cores of almost all galaxies. Hubble’s stunning images also changed the way that many people saw the universe. Esa funded one of the original instruments on the space telescope, the Faint Object Camera, and provided the first two solar arrays.
The space agency is also a partner on the revolutionary James Webb Telescope, which launched in 2021. Esa contributed two of the telescope’s instruments: the Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NirSpec) and the Mid-Infrared Instrument (Miri).
Solar System missions
Esa has also launched pioneering missions to other planets and objects in our solar system. The first of these was the Giotto comet explorer. This robotic spacecraft flew past Halley’s comet in 1986 and was successfully woken up in 1992 to study a comet called Grigg-Skejllerup.
A second successful cometary mission followed when the Rosetta spacecraft entered orbit around Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko in 2014. Rosetta despatched a lander called Philae to touch down on the comet’s surface.
Rosetta has been my favourite of all Esa achievements, simply due to the pure audacity of attempting to land on an object whose shape and composition was until then only sparsely known. In order to “land” on an object with low gravity, Philae was to have deployed harpoons that would attach the lander to the surface. These systems did not work, but the overall mission was a success, leading to high levels of engagement from the public.
Besides comets, Esa launched one of the most successful missions to the red planet: Mars Express. The spacecraft entered orbit around Mars in 2003 and has played a key role in enhancing understanding of our planetary neighbour. It is expected to continue working until at least 2034. Mars Express also carried the ill-fated British Beagle 2 spacecraft to Mars. This was supposed to land in 2003, but contact was never established with the probe, which is presumed to have been damaged while touching down.
In 2005, Esa’s Huygens spacecraft landed on Titan, Saturn’s largest moon. This was the furthest from Earth that a spacecraft has ever landed. These are all outward facing missions, but Esa has also had major success with projects to study what’s going on here on Earth. These include the Envisat satellite, which operated from 2002-2012, and the Sentinel series of spacecraft, which have operated from 2014 to the present.
These have helped map agriculture and forests, understand the Earth’s climate, track ice, and monitor atmospheric ozone. In addition, the Galileo navigation satellites are providing a high precision alternative to GPS.
Esa is also a major player in human spaceflight, having been a partner in the International Space Station project since 1993. It has built sections of the ISS, including the Columbus laboratory, launched in 2008, and the Cupola viewing window, which gives astronauts panoramic views of Earth. The agency’s astronauts regularly spend time on the ISS as crew and could even fly to the Moon under Nasa’s Artemis programme.
Since the 1990s, Esa has frequently collaborated with Nasa – often very successfully. However, this relationship has also faced challenges. In the wake of the financial crisis, for example, Nasa cancelled its participation in several collaborative missions with Esa. Under a proposed Nasa budget this year, the US space agency may again cancel its involvement with the joint Nasa-Esa Mars Sample Return mission.
Esa’s future
Times have changed in the space industry since Esa’s founding 50 years ago. Major countries such as China, India and Japan all have their own space programmes. Esa faces considerable financial pressures to compete with them.
Nevertheless, Esa is working on strengthening its space exploration and launch capabilities through the use of a commercial space port in Norway.
It has also put together a long-term strategy for 2040. This document highlights important areas where Esa can play a major role, including protecting Earth and its climate, continued missions to explore space and also efforts to boost European growth and competitiveness.
All this should strengthen and secure the agency for the future. Through a mixture of developing its own missions and collaborating with other agencies and commercial partners on others, Esa should be a major player in space exploration for decades to come.
Daniel Brown 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.
Pseudonyms are used in this article; interviewees who asked for their real names to be used are asterisked.
In 2016, one of us (Kath) attended New Normal, a conference in London which opposed LGBT+ rights, including lesbian parenting and gender recognition. As a lesbian parent, I was upset by what was said – and by the way people stood to applaud speakers who warned of the dangers of parents like me, while mentioning the need to “protect children”.
Yet that conference also opened my eyes to my – and perhaps, many other people’s – lack of understanding of what it can mean to stand against the apparent state-supported, liberal consensus on such issues. On day two, the organisers appealed for help for the parents of a trans or gender-diverse child. My notes from that day read:
The parents feel they are not listened to, and are ‘encouraged by social services’ to treat ‘her’ like a boy. But social services have only known ‘her’ for six months – so they don’t know ‘her’. The parents are told if they don’t agree to a name change, it is neglectful and that she is suicidal. The mother argues: ‘We love our daughter.’
Unexpectedly and conflictually, I found myself relating to the parents’ story in some way. And I wondered how I would feel as a same-sex parent if I was ever in a situation where my child rejected their family as a “moral abomination”.
These thoughts proved a starting point for Beyond Opposition – our project which, since 2020, has been looking at the lives of people who are reticent about or object to the perceived liberalising of societies’ sexual and gender laws in Great Britain, Ireland and Canada.
The idea of this research is not to defend their positions. Nor is it to explore their politics around sexualities and genders, which we and many others do in research into anti-gender movements. Rather, we wanted to understand the experiences that might drive these politics.
The Insights section is committed to high-quality longform journalism. Our editors work with academics from many different backgrounds who are tackling a wide range of societal and scientific challenges.
As far back as 2012, prompted by my colleague, urban geographer Catherine Nash, I (Kath) began noticing an evolution in arguments against changes like same-sex marriage, gender recognition and relationship and sexuality education in schools – an evolution that was not always fully recognised, or even noticed, by supporters of these changes. People who objected to such societal shifts were sometimes being politicised through court cases around their work and their children’s experiences at school.
For Beyond Opposition, we put a call out to people who opposed or had concerns about changing laws and policies related to gender, sexuality or abortion. As well as contacting organisations and activists who actively campaigned against these changes, we used social media to reach out to people who had no connections with these groups.
In more than 160 interviews between 2020 and 2022, we explored the daily experiences of living outside the social consensus in three countries where, at the time, there was broad legal, political and social agreement in favour of same-sex marriage, abortion, gender self-identification and related policies. The surprising diversity of positions and experiences we heard not only shed new light on how societies were changing; they painted a sometimes disturbing picture of how these shifts were being challenged and resisted.
Not all far-right
In the 1990s in secondary school, I would have been completely open about my view on [abortion], because it was a more accepted view, I suppose … [Now] I have this view and don’t feel I can even express it [because] everyone else disagrees … I feel like I can’t even say this to anyone.
We first met Niamh in 2021, three years after Ireland’s historic referendum to repeal one of the EU’s strictest legal barriers to abortion, which led to limited access to abortion care. Where once her anti-abortion views were considered mainstream, in Ireland and many other countries where abortion is accepted legally and socially, now her views are in the minority.
Niamh was clear she did not regard herself as “conservative” and said she was strongly in favour of human rights. She told us: “If I have to categorise myself, I’d categorise myself as ‘pro-life’.” But she expressed frustration at how people assumed this position automatically predicted what she thought about other topics relating to gender and sexuality, explaining:
There’s this thing that’s like: [because] you’re against abortion, you’re against same-sex marriage or against refugees coming into the country … I struggle with it because the people in my circle on social justice issues are not usually aligned with my [anti-abortion] position. They tend to have the opposite view – [mine] tends to be seen as a really conservative stance, not a rights-based stance.
Niamh, like many of our interviewees, expressed views quite differently from the organisations opposing sexual and gender equalities that I (Kath) had encountered in earlier research. While those organisations were diverse, they were often aligned on abortion, same-sex marriage and gender recognition. This contrasted with the differences that people such as British woman Jane identified when we met her.
“I wouldn’t want to sit down in a room with somebody who said gay people were going to hell,” Jane told us. “We just wouldn’t have anything to talk about.” But she also felt it would be “impossible to have a conversation with somebody who does not believe in the existence of biological sex”.
While Jane objected to trans rights being “given primacy”, she thought of herself as different to people who are seen as anti-gender activists. Describing herself as “gender critical”, she said: “Why this is so toxic and has started to spill out into my day-to-day life is that we are all just lumped under one umbrella of hate.”
Like many of our interviewees, Jane objected to being placed in a single category that, in her experience, carries overwhelmingly negative associations. She told us her daily life was being affected because people attributed opinions to her that she considers hateful.
On the whole, public attitudes across the EU and Canada still favour a broadening of gender and sexual inclusion. But academic research on changing social norms relating to gender and sexuality is largely silent on how these changes can affect those who “do not agree”.
Many of our interviewees emphasised their distance from other people who held similar views. Indeed, this sentiment of not fitting a stereotype was so common that we still have no single phrase to describe the group of people we spoke to. Common terms like “anti-gender” or “far-right” were rejected by most participants.
Yet we found the experiences they described had a lot in common. James, in Ireland, said he “came down towards the ‘no’ side” in the 2018 Irish abortion referendum, yet the social associations of this troubled him:
I definitely wouldn’t ever go on a pro-life parade or protest, or anything like that. I see those people [as] ultra-religious conservatives who are not free-thinking, who want to just force their opinions on other people. There’s no way I could ever want to be associated with people like that.
While most interviewees resisted the stereotypes they say get assigned to their position, pushing back against being seen as anti-rights or anti-equalities, some did express positions more in line with a stereotypical anti-gender activist. Brian in Canada, for example, told us he was “in a pro-life Catholic Christian bubble”, and that he would not welcome gay or trans people into his home for dinner.
‘I don’t feel comfortable in my own house’
Anne, a Canadian woman who described herself as a feminist with gender-critical opinions, said she had withdrawn from her volunteer work supporting survivors of sexual violence because she recognised that “my gender-critical opinions are really toxic to others”.
But the relationship that most troubled her was with her daughter. Anne described how her home life had been significantly affected by her interest in “gender-critical” content:
In my house, which should be the place where I feel the most comfortable, at no time do I discuss these things. If I’m watching a video with these concerns, or am online in some way with these concerns, when my daughter who lives with me comes into the room, I turn it off. So I don’t feel at all comfortable in my own house.
Anne was distressed by the impact her gender-critical position had on her relationship with her daughter. She recognised that content she sometimes viewed was considered “toxic” by many people, including her daughter, and expressed sadness about the damage this had done to their relationship:
It’s very saddening to me because my daughter and I are so close, but this has become a barrier. It has become a block. The only time we talked about it at length, we were both in tears.
We heard a number of stories like Anne’s, of close relationships becoming deeply fractured by differences on such topics. These interviewees felt their positions were fundamentally opposed by family members. Some, conscious of the tensions, kept their views to themselves even in their own home. As a result of her differences with her daughter, Anne said: “I don’t speak to her about anything in order to keep peace in the house.”
Ciara, a leftwing Irishwoman who voted against abortion in the 2018 referendum, described the careful way she navigated her friendships, recognising that her friend group would hold very different views to her on abortion:
You kind of judge the friendship a little bit. Can this friendship take this news that I voted ‘no’? [Laughs] I’ve lied – I’ve told others I voted ‘yes’.
Ciara noted that in her everyday life, it was generally assumed everybody was pro-choice – as she had once been. She was not religious and, like many of our interviewees, distanced herself from rightwing politics.
But in her family and among her friends, being against abortion was automatically understood as being rightwing, so she kept quiet about it. This made her question herself, resulting in what she described as “a whole range of inner dilemmas”:
You strategise – you suss out, like, how is this going to go down? How is this going to impact on this friendship? And on trust – how will I be seen?
Keeping quiet among friends and family makes concerned, oppositional positions harder to see and understand. So, it is possible for researchers and others to deny these positions exist – and to not address their impact. Many people spoke to us on condition that their identities would be concealed – something that came across especially strongly when they spoke about their fears at work.
‘At work, I can’t risk my livelihood’
Work is central to many people’s lives. Tammy* from Canada, who described herself as “not a pro-gay person, just a pro-people person”, told us she felt uncomfortable with some workplace inclusion policies, such as Pride month:
At work, we have an app on our phone and … for gay pride, in June, the whole month is just devoted to that history, right? And it annoys me because it’s like: OK, I get it … [but] I don’t like people trying to program me.
The promotion of LGBTQ+ rights through corporate platforms made Tammy feel suspicious. Other Beyond Opposition participants went further, fearing their jobs could be at risk.
For Cindy, who is also from Canada and described herself as “dabbling in gender-critical feminism”, her position was out-of-line with her workplace. Her employer took positive actions to promote LGBTQ+ inclusion. She felt that to object to such actions might “risk my livelihood, so I can’t even broach the subject”.
It was not only the owners and managers who Cindy feared would view her “as a bigot”. She also worried that colleagues might cause conflict for her if she expressed her position outside the workplace consensus.
Like others in our research, Cindy deliberately stayed out of activism. But during her mandatory workplace training, she said: “The whole time I’m biting my tongue.” Her concern was that she might be obliged to take an action that she didn’t believe in:
If anyone were ever to say: ‘Go around the room and say your preferred pronouns,’ I’m not sure how I would answer that because I don’t believe in the ideology of preferred pronouns. I worry that if I just said something like: ‘No thank you, I don’t believe in it,’ that might actually cause me to lose my job.
Workplace inclusion policies, training and practices have been shown to be effective in improving workplaces in terms of their productivity and wellbeing for employees – although in some cases, they can be poorly implemented and insufficient. But some of the people we spoke to, including Tammy and Cindy, described them as “feared” and “hated”.
Mark went even further, suggesting he was being asked to deny his “moral values” – and that his work would not be secure if he didn’t. A freelance worker in rural Ireland, Mark believed he needed to “keep his head down” with regard to his views on sexuality and abortion:
I’m self-employed … I can say it here to you but I’m certainly not shouting about this in the pub. I depend on the milk of human kindness from people.
Some of our interviewees have used the law to challenge employers where their jobs were lost or under threat. Most had not experienced any official sanctions – yet many feared them. Cindy said that as a result, she kept her views to herself at work: “I guess I choose harmony and peace over being right.”
It is these “quiet concerns” at work and among family and friends – of people who are not vocal in opposition to changing laws and policies, but still act against them – that we believe are not well documented or understood. And our research shows that in their experience of being negatively labelled and having their experiences dismissed or minimised, some have been driven to look beyond their usual communities to find support for their views.
Although most people in our study are not activists and did not seek to be public about their views, many quietly supported those who were, or engaged with them to find support for their views.
Those who felt uncomfortable talking to people in their own circles often told us about how they had found support elsewhere. Suzy, a British woman who said she was gender critical, described the first meeting she had attended that opposed trans rights:
I just happened to make the decision to go [to a conference run by an organisation opposing gender self-identification] on my own … I had nobody in my life at that point who was a feminist who had these views. It’s why I went by myself. And I met some really amazing women who just completely welcomed me into this world. That opened a lot of doors for me.
Suzy’s experience was echoed by others who had concerns about trans rights or gender recognition. Such groups were not always public, and some organised in secret – something Suzy believed was unjust but necessary, because of the distance from the social consensus of people who held views like hers:
There is a private online messaging app – you have to be invited. I had to be vetted … to make sure I was a real person – [that] I wasn’t trying to infiltrate. It’s so ridiculous that we are having to jump through these hoops just to talk about it and express our opinion about something that for a really long time was okay to think. Now all of a sudden, it’s not okay to think this way. So you’re a societal pariah.
At the time of our interview in 2020, Suzy was actively involved in organising to oppose the proposed amendments to the UK’s Gender Recognition Act. She had moved from having “nobody in my life … who was a feminist who had those views”, to participating in an organised campaign to influence this legislation:
I wouldn’t necessarily describe myself as an activist – I think that word is quite a bit loaded in negative connotations now … I prefer the term ‘campaigner’ because what I started to get involved in was campaigning for the law not to be changed. I wasn’t going out on marches or anything like that.
Proposals to update the Act in line with international human rights standards stalled and then were halted in the UK from 2018 onwards, with the support of civil society campaigners including Suzy. Since then, other campaigns have had greater successes – including, most recently, a Supreme Court ruling defining “sex” as “biological sex” in the 2010 Equality Act.
‘I’m not saying that I am right’
For the many people who have spent years campaigning for gender equality and to improve LGBTQ+ lives, it is possible to understand the day-to-day accounts of our interviewees as evidence of success. Many told us they could not now express opinions on others’ relationships, sexual activity or their decisions about pregnancy and parenthood in some workplaces – and sometimes even at home.
For some interviewees, this shift was expressed as fear, where their positions were seen to negatively affect them at work even if they didn’t express them openly. They didn’t feel able to raise questions about gender and sexual equality or abortion at work or in their volunteering and organising spaces.
It is possible to understand this shift as a welcome victory for equalities. But our research highlights that, for many people who maintain reticence to these societal changes, the ability to reconsider or change their position has been reduced by their day-to-day work, social and family experiences.
Cindy, for example, expressed a moment of doubt about her concerns about trans rights, admitting: “I’m not saying that I am right. Like, there is the possibility I’m not …” However, this reflective stance was not encouraged by experiences of work that she described as forcing her to “bite my tongue”.
She and others told us the implementation of inclusion policies and training in their workplaces felt paradoxical – because they’d had the effect of making their own behaviour less inclusive. Cindy admitted she was less inclined to question herself because of the way she felt her views were treated.
Mark, the freelance worker in Ireland, considered himself “very leftwing” and said he would “always defend the underdog”. But he told us people like him were “very much put off” by what he saw as the “tactics of what now are leftwing liberal policies”. His experiences of feeling outside the consensus, and fearing a loss of employment opportunities, meant he – and others we interviewed – were less open to engaging sympathetically with the experiences of sexual- and gender-minoritised people.
Fear, upset and discomfort from social change
While stories like Niamh’s and Cindy’s are sometimes used to argue that transformations have “gone too far”, research does not support this argument. In fact, those “left out in the cold” are typically the LGBTQ+ people whose needs are not being met by policies like same-sex marriage (or who remain excluded from these policies), and those seeking sexual and reproductive healthcare in all its forms.
Our interviewees do not negate this. They highlight the fear, upset and discomfort that results from social change for some people who hold firm to their positions opposing or questioning provisions such as abortion, same-sex marriage, gender recognition. In research, these everyday experiences are rarely considered beyond their political views (assumed to be rightwing) and how to explain or change them.
Our interviewees believe their positions are frequently mis-characterised and conflated in the media and by policymakers in order to dismiss them – and therefore, that their experiences go unseen and unrecognised. And in their experience of being outsiders – feeling labelled and minimised – they may, like Suzy, find their way to actively opposing legislation and social change that benefits LGBTQ+ people and/or those who need abortion rights. Some offered quiet support to political causes, including donating their time or money.
The world today is very different even to 2022, when we finished the Beyond Opposition interviews. The UK has seen some fundamental shifts especially regarding gender recognition, including the recent Supreme Court ruling that defined “sex” as “biological sex” in the 2010 Equality Act.
In the US, providing affirmative care to trans children was deemed “mutilation” in recent executive orders from the president, Donald Trump, which stated that offering support to trans and gender-diverse children against their families’ will would be considered as “child abuse”.
As the struggle for rights continues, we believe it’s essential for research, policy and practice to pay attention to the full range of impacts of the divisions that drive much of today’s politics. Experiences like those of the parents at the conference mentioned at the start of this article, who felt that affirming their child’s gender identity went against their beliefs, contribute to the shape of the world we all live in.
It is possible to have a clear and firm view on the rights of trans and gender-diverse children, while also considering the implications for society of the experiences (as distinct from the opinions and arguments) of those who disagree. It feels important to do this now in places where some of us – lesbian parents, parents of trans kids and others – are still (somewhat) protected by the system, as we find ourselves, in the US and elsewhere, once again labelled “a danger to children”.
For the second phase of Beyond Opposition, we brought people together from very different positions to see if they could imagine a world where they could live together, without seeking to change each other’s minds. We wanted to know if there were new ways of thinking about the problem of division, which recognised that some differences may be here to stay.
Our intention was not to debate, negotiate or resolve their differences, but to explore the idea that it may be necessary to live together without ever agreeing on aspects related to gender, sexuality or abortion. One key outcome of these workshops was a number of moments in which participants met a complete impasse – where they had to acknowledge that their utopia could not accommodate the other person’s position at all.
This is a starting point for important questions about not being able to change someone else’s mind, yet still needing to share places with them. We hope to write more on this subject soon.
To hear about new Insights articles, join the hundreds of thousands of people who value The Conversation’s evidence-based news. Subscribe to our newsletter.
Dr. Carol Ballantine researches genders, sexualities and violence. She worked as the Ireland and UK postdoctoral researcher on Beyond Opposition, funded by the ERC.
This article is funded by work undertaken under the ERC Grant No: 81789 granted to Kath Browne and also receives EU Horizon Europe funding. She has worked for LGBTQIA+ organisations is affiliated with LinQ.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Press release
New UK-Japan partnership to boost economic growth and cultural exchanges
Boost for UK businesses and growth as new Musubi Initiative strengthens UK-Japan connections
Innovative public-private partnership to encourage investment and grow the next generation of UK and Japanese leaders, while creating new opportunities for sports programmes, youth scholarships and cultural exchanges
Backed by major partners including UCL, Liverpool FC International Academy, SSE Pacifico and Hello Kitty presented by Sanrio
Current and future business leaders across the UK and Japan will benefit from a range of new opportunities thanks to the innovative Musubi Initiative launched at the World Expo in Osaka by UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy today.
The initiative, which begins a new phase of UK-Japan cooperation, will draw in private funding to support a diverse range of programmes to create lasting connections spanning youth scholarships, sport, cultural exchanges, science, innovation and opportunities for women in business in both countries. It builds upon the UK and Japan’s increasingly strong relationship, reflected in collaboration on defence, security, digital innovation and expanding trade through the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the Hiroshima Accord.
Named after the Japanese word for ‘connection’, the Musubi Initiative is a first-of-its-kind for the UK-Japan partnership and will strengthen ties and grow the international talent pool needed to grasp future opportunities.
Unveiled as part of the UK National Day celebrations at World Expo 2025 Osaka, it represents another step forward in delivering the Government’s Plan for Change by fostering international relationships that drive economic growth and opportunity.
UK Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Lisa Nandy said:
The UK’s vibrant display in Osaka demonstrates the breadth of creativity and innovation from across our four nations and our strong partnership with Japan. From BBC Planet Earth and Paddington to our world-famous musicians, the UK’s creative industries are a truly global hit, worth £125 billion to our economy and vital to our Plan for Change – it’s great to see them in the spotlight today as part of UK National Day.
I am delighted that we have deepened our relationship with Japan further through this new Musubi Initiative, which will create even more opportunities for businesses in both the UK and Japan now and in the future.
Pioneer Partners
The Culture Secretary announced the first group of Musubi Pioneer Partners, who will help deliver the initiative’s vision, including:
Sports programmes:
Liverpool Football Club International Academy sports programme supported by Musubi developing young players and providing opportunities to build leadership qualities.
The UK Ekiden, inspired by Japan’s famous relay race, with UK and Japanese university students participating.
Educational programmes:
A new Musubi Scholarship with University College London supported by Amano Enzyme Inc. for Japanese students, building on an over 160-year relationship between the university and Japan.
A Youth Offshore Wind Scholarship Programme with SSE Pacifico to foster future talent in the offshore wind sector, including study abroad opportunities in Scotland.
The Robert Walters career development programme to help bright young people, including Chevening Scholars, reach their full potential.
Leadership programmes:
An event focussed on Women’s Economic Empowerment and strengthening relationships between female exporters in Japan and the UK, co-hosted by the UK and Japan at Osaka Expo.
The Musubi Alumni programme will bring together the talent and potential of alumni across our programmes.
Representing the strong links between the UK and Japan, Hello Kitty presented by Sanrio, the globally popular Japanese brand, will be the Musubi Friendship Ambassador, while Japanese firm Dentsu PR Consulting Inc. will be providing PR advisory services.
The programmes under the Musubi Initiative will be delivered with an ambition to create a long-lasting legacy and network of alumni that will become champions of their communities, their country and of UK-Japan relations.
The Culture Secretary has also been in Japan to promote Britain’s creative industries overseas, push British brands within Japanese markets, and attract trade and investment into the UK that can be redistributed across the country to the places where it is needed the most.
Yesterday (21 May) the Culture Secretary met with Minoru Kiuchi, a senior Japanese minister with responsibility for the Cool Japan Strategy, in Tokyo to discuss strengthening creative industries collaboration. She also met with executives from major video games organisations, including Bandai Namco and Nintendo, as well as the Japanese cast of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
Japan is currently the UK’s 6th largest investor, with an inward Foreign Direct Investment stock of more than £86 billion at the end of 2023, and with bilateral trade worth £31 billion in 2024. Japanese investment into the UK has already roughly doubled over the last decade, with nearly 1,000 Japanese companies sustaining 200,000 UK jobs.
Exports Minister Gareth Thomas said:
The UK and Japan enjoy a dynamic and enduring trading relationship, with £86 billion in investment to the UK economy.
As part of the Government’s Plan for Change, initiatives like the Musubi Initiative and Expo 2025 are helping to strengthen our ties with key economic partners, creating new opportunities for businesses and deepening people-to-people connections across the world.
Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya said:
It is connections between people that develop our societies and serve as a foundation for exchanges between countries.
In the Japan-UK Hiroshima Accord, issued by the leaders of Japan and the UK in 2023, we also confirmed our cooperation in revitalising people-to-people exchanges, including in the key areas of tourism, studying abroad, culture, and the working holiday programme.
I hope this initiative will strengthen our “Musubi (bonds)” especially among the younger generation and that our partnership, now stronger than ever, will continue to grow.
The UK’s presence at World Expo 2025 is providing a global showcase for British companies and creative talent.
To mark UK National Day (22 May), there were musical performances from all four UK nations featured across Yumeshima Island, from bagpipes to bass guitars. This was followed by the Japanese premiere of BBC’s ‘Planet Earth III Live in Concert’.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
Supporting VisitBritain’s new Starring GREAT Britain campaign, beloved characters including Paddington, Peter Rabbit and Shaun the Sheep made appearances outside the UK Pavilion, delighting visitors as the campaign trailer played across the Expo site.
UK National Day highlighted creative collaborations between British and Japanese performers, with Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo performers joined by traditional Japanese Taiko Drummers, music from BBC Planet Earth III performed by the Japan Century Symphony Orchestra, and British rapper Shao Dow performing in Japanese.
The British Ambassador to Japan, Julia Longbottom, said: “We want Musubi to live up to its name, creating and supporting the leaders of tomorrow by fostering long-term, meaningful connections between people in the UK and Japan. The relationship between the UK and Japan is stronger than ever, and we want to invite as many even more businesses and organisations to join us as we look to build the shared leadership needed to grasp future opportunities and tackle future challenges.”
UK Commissioner General for Expo 2025, Carolyn Davidson said: “With an estimated audience of over 28 million expected Japanese and international visitors and more than 150 countries represented, Expo 2025 Osaka offers a unique platform to raise awareness of the UK as a dynamic and innovative country on the world stage. Our National Day is a representation of the best of British and Japanese fusion from across our creative industries, and I am delighted that our countries’ close partnership will be further enriched through Project Musubi, boosting our people-to-people connections and delivering projects that invest in the next generation of UK and Japanese leaders.”
o The Japanese premiere of BBC Planet Earth III Live in Concert with music performed by the Japan Century Symphony Orchestra, conducted by British conductor Matthew Freeman, featuring a score by Oscar winner Hans Zimmer, Jacob Shea and Sara Barone
o The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, accompanied by Miyamoto Unosuke Shoten Taiko drummers
o Shao Dow (England), :Panic :Over (Northern Ireland), Nina Nesbitt (Scotland), and Strawberry Guy (Wales) – all former recipients of the UK’s Music Export Growth Scheme Awards
World Expo 2025 Osaka runs from 13 April – 13 October 2025, and is expected to attract 28 million visitors. For more information: https://www.ukatexpo2025.uk/
The “Starring GREAT Britain” campaign launched by VisitBritain in January 2025 promotes UK tourism through iconic film and TV locations.
The UK’s presence at Expo 2025 forms part of the UK Government’s GREAT Campaign, which promotes the UK internationally and has delivered billions in economic returns.
Notes to Editors on the Musubi Initiative:
The Musubi Friendship Ambassador – Hello Kitty presented by Sanrio. We are grateful to Sanrio for providing Hello Kitty as the Friendship Ambassador for the Musubi Initiative. Sanrio’s vision of “One World, Connecting Smiles” aligns with Musubi’s objective to build positive people-to-people relationships and we look forward to working with Sanrio’s world-famous characters to achieve this. Hello Kitty was born and raised in London as a schoolgirl and now an iconic Japanese character, she is not only a great representative for our two countries, but she also represents the deep desire among our people to feel joy and happiness. We look forward to working with her to reinforce connections between people of the UK and Japan.
We are grateful to the Japanese firm Dentsu PR Consulting Inc. for joining the Musubi Initiative as a Pioneer Partner providing PR advisory services. We welcome their support as we work to showcase the best of Musubi – and UK-Japan – connections.
Full details of the initial programmes to be supported through the Musubi Initiative include:
Educational programmes:
Musubi UCL scholarship: The Musubi scholarship with University College London, supported by Amano Enzyme Inc., gives Japanese students the opportunity to study a one-year Masters programme at UCL. The scholarship will form part of UCL’s Global Scholarships targeting students from various background with the aim of increasing diversity.
SSE Pacifico Offshore Wind Scholarship Programme supported by Musubi: With a focus on fostering future talent in the dynamic offshore wind sector, SSE Pacifico, in collaboration with Musubi, will launch a scholarship programme to support young students from Japan. This initiative will offer short-term study opportunities in the UK, with the goal of upskilling and empowering the next generation of young leaders.
Musubi Robert Walters career development programme: Robert Walters Japan, a Specialist Recruitment & Talent Advisory firm with roots in the UK and 25 years of expertise in Japan, will deliver a tailored career development programme for the 2025-26 recipients of the UK Government’s Chevening scholarship, with a view to extending this to future Musubi scholars.
Sports programmes:
Liverpool Football Club International Academy sports programme supported by Musubi: With a commitment to empowering disadvantaged young people, 2025 Premier League winners Liverpool Football Club offer their LFC International Academy Japan soccer programme in connection to the Musubi initiative. Drawing on the power of sport to build connections and confidence, this will focus on developing young players and providing opportunities to learn new skills and build leadership qualities.
UK Ekiden: Musubi is proud to be connected to the UK Ekiden – a team relay race inspired by Japan’s beloved running tradition. With university students leading the main event and school children joining through the Mini Ekiden programme, it brings people together across generations. More than a race, it’s a celebration of teamwork, connection, and the growing friendship between the UK and Japan. Like the Musubi initiative, the UK Ekiden builds personal connections and unites different cultures.
Leadership programmes:
Women’s Economic Empowerment: British Embassy Tokyo and Japan will host a joint Women’s Economic Empowerment Forum at the UK Expo Pavillion. This will focus on strengthening relationships between female exporters in Japan and the UK and is the first in-person event the UK and Japan have run under the Women’s Economic Empowerment chapter in the UK-Japan Free Trade Agreement. We hope that this event will be the first of many Musubi activities investing in female leaders of the future.
Musubi Alumni: Our Alumni programme will bring together the talent and potential of Alumni across our programmes. This Network will give our Alumni the connection, inspiration and empowerment to help realise their ambitions of building a better world.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Speech
Culture Secretary speech at evening reception of UK National Day at World Expo Osaka 2025
Culture Secretary launches Musubi initiative at World Expo in Osaka
Good evening everyone. Konbanwa .
It’s a pleasure to welcome you all to the UK’s Pavilion to celebrate our National Day at the Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai. I would especially like to extend a warm welcome to Her Imperial Highness Princess Akiko of Mikasa and former Prime Minister Kishida, both good friends of the United Kingdom.
The UK and Japan bilateral relationship is the strongest it has been in decades, underpinned by our common values, shared view of the world and our close people-to-people links. From security to economic growth and working together to tackle global challenges, our partnership is going from strength to strength. This step-up in collaboration was launched under the 2023 Hiroshima Accord – with thanks to former Prime Minister Kishida – and last year Prime Ministers Starmer and Ishiba agreed to build on it even further. The State Visit to the UK by Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress of Japan in June last year celebrated the depth and breadth of our partnership – as His Majesty the Emperor said, ‘we are friends like no other’.
I have seen this partnership first-hand here in Japan. And if you have had a chance to go through our visitor experience today, you will have seen the power of UK and Japanese collaboration. We can achieve so much more when we harness our shared creativity and innovation. In this spirit, the National Ballet of Japan makes their European debut at the Royal Opera House in London with their production of “Giselle” in July, under the artistic direction of Yoshida Miyako, who made her career as the first Japanese Principal ballerina in the UK’s Royal Ballet.
Ours is a partnership that is more relevant than ever. With growing uncertainty and instability around the world, there is so much that the UK and Japan can do together to ‘design future society for our lives’. This is, I believe, the defining challenge of our lives – to empower people the world over to build a world that works for us, and us for it.
So, I am delighted to be launching Musubi: a flagship new initiative that will foster meaningful people-to-people connections between the UK and Japan and build the shared leadership to tackle the challenges and opportunities ahead of us.
That includes championing our young people and building a pool of international talent. And today we are announcing:
A new Musubi Scholarship with University College London, supported by Amano Enzyme Inc.;
A Youth Offshore Wind Scholarship Programme with SSE Pacifico to foster future talent in this dynamic sector; and * The Robert Walters career development programme to help our brightest young people reach their full potential.
It includes drawing on the power of sport to build connections and enrich lives. Where:
2025 Premier League winners Liverpool Football Club’s International Academy in Kawasaki is developing young players and providing opportunities to build leadership qualities.
And the UK Ekiden – inspired of course by Japan’s famous relay race – is bringing teams together in a celebration of teamwork, connection and friendship.
And it includes building the leadership of the future. Later this summer at this Pavilion the UK and Japan will host an event focused on promoting female leadership in business, building on the fact that our agreement with Japan was the first UK trade agreement to include a chapter on women’s economic empowerment.
All of this will be championed by our Musubi Friendship Ambassador – Hello Kitty, presented by Sanrio.
This is the most ambitious initiative of its kind between the UK and Japan – but it is also just the beginning. Over the years to come, this initiative will continue to grow – building a lasting legacy of connections and opportunity for our countries. Thank you to all our Pioneer Partners – and I hope to see many other companies and organisations joining us on this journey! I am now delighted to introduce a congratulatory message from The Princess Royal in her capacity as Chancellor of the University of London.
Finally, this event and indeed our pavilion itself would not have been possible without our key sponsors and contributors: I would especially like to thank AstraZeneca, Aston Martin, IHG Hotels & Resorts, Diageo’s Johnnie Walker, Robert Walters, Liberty, the governments of Scotland and Wales, Ampetronic, Brompton and last but certainly not least, BBC Studios.
Finally, I would like to thank everyone here this evening – I’m delighted that we have been able to gather so many of the UK’s closest friends in Japan, and I know with your support the UK-Japan partnership will continue to flourish. Arigato gozaimasu!
Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3
For Immediate Release: May 22, 2025
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) issued General Correspondence Letters to two third-party testing companies in China after discovering data that was falsified or otherwise found to be invalid. “Let me be clear. The FDA has no room for bad actors. Once we discover data integrity issues, we will respond accordingly,” said FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, M.D., M.P.H. “Such false and shoddy activity jeopardizes access to new devices for patients and healthcare providers, negatively impacts product sponsors, and potentially disrupts the medical device supply chain.” The General Correspondence Letters were sent to Mid-Link Technology Testing Co., Ltd. (“Mid-Link”) in Tianjin, China, and Sanitation & Environment Technology Institute of Soochow University Ltd. (dba “SDWH”) in Suzhou, China. The letters stated in part, that because the FDA could not ensure the reliability and validity of biocompatibility testing and animal safety and performance testing studies conducted at their respective testing facilities, the agency will reject those testing facilities’ data generated for use in premarket device submissions.“The FDA is committed to working with the medical device industry to remain vigilant in protecting the public health, including proactive practices in ensuring the data that sponsors include in medical device submissions are truthful and accurate,” said CDRH Director Michelle Tarver, M.D., Ph.D. “Until the two firms have adequately addressed these issues, all study data from all studies conducted at these testing facilities will be rejected.” Accurate study data in a premarket submission is essential so that the FDA has the ability to fully and properly assess the overall safety and effectiveness of a device. Data that are copied from the results of another study, or are otherwise falsified or invalid, raise concerns about the reliability and validity of associated premarket submissions, which could ultimately put the public health at risk. Medical device sponsors contract with third-party companies to conduct performance, biocompatibility, and other product tests. The resulting data are included in marketing submissions to the FDA. However, unreliable data cannot be used to support the agency’s authorization decision. The General Correspondence Letters are the latest step taken by the FDA to address concerns around testing data and the broader issue surrounding the integrity of data coming from foreign countries. In September 2024, the FDA sent Mid-Link and SDWH warning letters citing both for laboratory oversight failures and animal care violations that raised concerns about the quality and integrity of data generated by the labs. Last year, the FDA alerted the medical device industry to concerns regarding data from third-party testing labs, including those based in China, and stressed the need for firms to carefully review any data from testing that the firm itself did not perform. Related Information
Related Information
Consumer:888-INFO-FDA
###
Boilerplate
The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, radiation-emitting electronic products, and for regulating tobacco products.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Helen Vassallo, Associate Professor of French and Translation, University of Exeter
Banu Mushtaq’s quietly powerful collection of short stories, translated by Deepa Bhasthi, shines a light on the lives of Muslim women in rural India. It is the first time that the International Booker prize has been won by a book translated from Kannada, a language of south India spoken by between 50 and 80 million people.
Mushtaq is a writer who has previously worked as a journalist and lawyer, fighting for women’s rights and speaking out against caste and religious oppression. This comes through in the vignettes collected in Heart Lamp. At the centre of this work is great compassion for the women Mushtaq brings to life in her writing.
Inspired by encounters with women who came to her for help, each of Mushtaq’s stories introduces us to a different woman from a different family. What the women of Heart Lamp share is that their lives are all dictated by men.
We meet a young girl forced into wedlock, and a woman whose son arranges a new marriage for her. Elsewhere, an older woman is obliged to accept the indignity of her husband taking a second wife.
Heart Lamp opens up an intimate world of domestic rituals and family tensions, rife with judgement, suspicion, righteousness and sacrifice. In the quiet of daily life, Mushtaq reveals the enormity of human emotion and experience. She also reveals the resilience of the women who resist the violence – physical, emotional, social and psychological – inflicted on them.
Women are insulted for not expressing desire when they are forced into the conjugal bed, reproached for bearing girls, and warned repeatedly that any non-compliance is a stain on family honour. They are beaten, and casually replaced with second wives.
In one horrific instance from the title story, a woman is told in no uncertain terms that “if you had the sense to uphold our family honour, you would have set yourself on fire and died” – a chilling sanction that hangs over the story until its tense dénouement.
Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. Sign up here.
Deepa Bhasthi’s bold and memorable translation invites us not to impose our own language and linguistic system on the original work.
There are several words that are offered as a transliteration of their original Kannada form, without heavy-handed glosses or an attempt to transpose them into something more immediately recognisable to Anglophone readers. In her translator’s note, Bhasthi describes this as “against italics”, where using italics would signal to the reader that a word has been brought across from the Kannada.
Bhasthi favours a way of translating that aims to respect the culture and language of the original text. This trusts readers to come to that language and culture rather than rendering the text in a blandly comfortable English that might make the setting more familiar but would strip it of its specificity.
Instead, Bhasthi’s work welcomes Kannada’s evocative phrases, introducing into English lines such as “No matter how many times I tell you, you don’t let it fall inside your ears.” “Is the fruit a burden on the creeper?” And “the snake of arrogance had laid many, many eggs.”
Bhasthi selected the 12 stories of Heart Lamp from a range of pieces written by Mushtaq over many years, and with her translation of the title story, was a winner of the first issue of PEN Presents, a digital initiative led by English PEN (which stands for poets, playwrights, editors, essayists and novelists).
This organisation funds and promotes samples of original and diverse literature not yet available in English translation, fostering bibliodiversity by brokering connections between under-represented cultural contexts and UK publishers and readers.
Following its promotion through PEN Presents, Heart Lamp was acquired by And Other Stories, a Sheffield-based independent publisher that has been at the vanguard of publishing innovative literature in translation over the past 15 years. The award represents multiple important firsts.
As well as being the first book translated from Kannada to win the International Booker prize, it is the first time the prize has been won by an Indian translator. It is the first time a short story collection has won the award.
It is also the first time And Other Stories has won the award and the first International Booker prize to be awarded to a PEN Presents winner. That it has received this highest of accolades in the translated literature sector of the publishing industry shows the importance of publishing that takes risks, of representing a broader range of languages and cultures in translation and of initiatives to support translators.
This striking collection is perhaps best summed up in the final story, “Be a Woman Once, O Lord!”, in which the narrator teasingly implores her creator:
“If you were to build the world again, to create males and females again, do not be like an inexperienced potter. Come to earth as a woman, Prabhu!”
With unfailing compassion and humour, Mushtaq and Bhasthi lead us through a society that prioritises masculinity, male dominance, and father-son lineage. In so doing, they invite us – and whichever male deity might be listening – to walk in the shoes of women overlooked by an unquestioned patriarchal and religious hierarchy, and to re-evaluate what we think we know about social dynamics.
Helen Vassallo 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.
It’s the tenth anniversary of the marriage referendum in Ireland on May 22. The first country to legalise same-sex marriage by popular vote, Ireland has transformed itself from a conservative stronghold to a liberal state. This transformation could not have occurred without the important contributions of activists like Mary Dorcey, one of Ireland’s most significant LGBTQ+ writers.
Dorcey began her political activism in the 1970s, having returned to Ireland after living in France and England. Having met other queer people abroad, Dorcey was struck by the repression that characterised Irish life: “The word ‘homosexual’ was not spoken or written in Ireland before the 1970s. The word ‘gay’ didn’t exist.”
Determined to break through the silence, Dorcey became a founding member of various activist groups, including the Sexual Liberation Movement at Trinity College Dublin.
One of Dorcey’s most prominent displays of early activism occurred at the Women’s Week conference at University College Dublin, where she substituted for an absentee speaker. Frustrated by the erasure of homosexuality from Irish life, Dorcey took the stage, quoting the American feminist slogan “if feminism is the theory, lesbianism is the practice”.
Mary Dorcey discusses the controversy around her statement at Women’s Week.
A headline appeared on the front page of the Irish Times the following day. It read: “Self-confessed lesbian denounces heterosexuality as sadomasochism.” While the headline caused ruptures at home, Dorcey remained an advocate of queer rights. “I wasn’t going to make any apologies,” she told the Museum of Literature Ireland. “It was their problem if they couldn’t see how beautiful we were.”
Dorcey’s unwavering commitment to breaking the silence surrounding queerness is clearly displayed in her first poetry collection, Kindling (1982). Poems like Night, for example, are explicit in their bold use of homosexual imagery:
I ask you then what am I to do with all these memories
heavy and full?
Hold them, quiet, between my two hands,
as I would if I could again
your hard breasts?
The collection made waves, with even members of the queer community commenting on its outspokenness. Dorcey has discussed how her unflinching portrayal of homosexuality worried many community members – did her candidness threaten to expose them?
Despite this, her activist tendencies prevailed, recognising the power of literature to shock readers into sociopolitical awareness, as expressed in poems like Deliberately Personal.
Deliberately Personal, read by Mary Dorcey.
One of Dorcey’s most important literary contributions is her short story collection A Noise from the Woodshed (1989). The collection debuted a year after her former Sexual Liberation Movement comrade David Norris’s landmark victory at the European Court of Human Rights, which required Ireland to decriminalise homosexual activity between men.
Lesbianism was never explicitly illegal in Ireland under its adoption of British legal codes, which feared that writing it into law would introduce otherwise “respectable” women to its existence.
Dorcey’s overtly lesbian stories are therefore groundbreaking. They depict autonomous women unafraid to voice their lesbian desires. Much of her work responds to the main concerns of the “decriminalisation era”, resulting in a charged critique of traditional Irish life.
For example, the title story of A Noise from the Woodshed follows a group of lesbians refusing domestic duties to bask in the sensuality of a rural Irish landscape. The collection won the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature a year after its publication.
Writing desire
Seven years after Norris’s win, a 1995 referendum signalled further shifts in Irish society. Succeeding by only a whisper, the legalisation of divorce reflected the further weakening influence of the Catholic church, making way for alternative family structures.
Although Dorcey’s Biography of Desire doesn’t address the referendum directly, its story touches on many of the same issues. The 1997 novel follows the growing relationship between Katherine and Nina. Katherine has left her husband and children to start a new life with Nina.
While Katherine chooses to only separate from her husband, she is fearful that a judge will grant him full custody of their children because of her lesbian relationship. “Can there be any doubt which of us would be considered the more respectable parent by the law?” she wonders.
In this regard, the novel anticipates many of the issues that would emerge during the 2015 referendum.
Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. Sign up here.
Biography of Desire also marks an early exploration of bisexuality in Irish literature, with Katherine and Nina’s intense affair leading critics to position the book as one of the first erotic novels in Irish history.
Dorcey’s commitment to voicing the fluid possibilities of queerness continues with Katerine’s suggestion: “We ought to be bisexual all of us … Men would learn to surrender themselves to pleasures … and women would learn to please themselves … instead of waiting passively.”
The novel, however, should not be taken as a simplistic disavowal of heterosexuality, but rather aligned with Dorcey’s mission to explore the universality of human love, life and experience.
While Dorcey is no longer making such a ruckus at public gatherings, she continues to publish, with her influence on queer Irish literature voiced by the likes of Irish Canadian novelist Emma Donoghue and affirmed by her admittance to the prestigious Irish organisation of artists, the Aosdána in 2010.
Her most recent poetry collection, Life Holds its Breath (2022), testifies to her talents as a writer, and concludes with the poem Banshee, which reflects on her activist days: “We are the women our mothers / warned us about.”
Jack Reid 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.
Hay fever can be annoying at the best of times. But this year, many people are reporting their usual symptoms are worse than ever before – with their normal go-to remedies doing little to provide relief.
Here’s what you can do if you’re finding that nothing seems to be helping your itchy eyes, sneezing and runny nose this year.
There are several reasons why hay fever is so bad right now. Climate change and pollution have lengthened and intensified pollen seasons, so trees and grasses now release allergens earlier and for longer. Urban smog may even make pollen grains more potent.
In the UK, 2025’s unusually dry and warm spring has worsened conditions, leading to earlier and more intense tree pollen release. Birch pollen, which affects around 25% of UK hay fever sufferers, peaked sharply this year due to the high temperatures and low rainfall – two factors which increase pollen production and dispersal. The lack of rain has also prevented pollen from being cleared from the air, prolonging exposure and symptom severity.
Another issue is timing. For full relief from hay fever symptoms, allergy medicines (especially steroid nasal sprays) should be started one to two weeks before pollen appears. So in the UK, steroid nasal sprays should ideally be started in early March for tree pollen or late April for grass pollen. Starting them late can make them seem ineffective.
You can also develop new sensitivities, even as an adult. Pollen that didn’t bother you years ago might start causing symptoms now. Grass and birch pollen are among the most common types of seasonal pollen that start bothering people in adulthood.
Managing symptoms
If you’re finding allergy pills alone just aren’t cutting it this year, the best thing you can do to reduce symptoms is cut your pollen exposure wherever possible.
Before going outdoors, check the local pollen forecast. Avoid exercising outside during peak pollen hours (usually mid-morning on dry, windy days).
If you do go outside, wear a face mask (such as an N95 mask) when pollen counts are high. After coming inside, remove your shoes at the door, change your clothes and take a shower to wash off pollen.
Inside, you can use a HEPA air purifier or high-MERV filters in your heating or cooling system. These will capture airborne pollen particles, which may help to reduce the severity of your symptoms during high-pollen seasons. On high-pollen days, keep windows and doors closed. You might also want to vacuum with a HEPA-filter vacuum and wash bedding often to remove any pollen.
While these steps won’t cure allergies, they can sharply reduce your total exposure. This gives medications a better chance to work.
While non-drowsy antihistamines such as loratadine, cetirizine and fexofenadine are common first-line treatments, research suggests fexofenadine may provide more consistent symptom relief for people with moderate to severe seasonal allergies compared to other types of antihistamines. However, each person will respond differently – so use whichever type provides you the most relief. Allergy tablets work best when taken daily and pre-emptively, ideally before peak exposure each morning.
Nasal steroid sprays, such as fluticasone, are often more effective than antihistamines for nasal congestion. These should be started one to two weeks before the allergy season begins and used consistently.
Allergy wipes and saline nasal rinses may also help reduce pollen exposure – though evidence of their benefit have only been shown in small studies, so larger, high-quality trials confirming their effectiveness are still needed.
Some people may also decide to try at-home remedies for their symptoms. However, the science behind whether they really work is mixed.
Take local honey, for example. The idea is that it exposes you to local pollen and helps build tolerance. In reality, the pollen that triggers hay fever is usually windborne and not present in honey. Studies haven’t shown eating it reduces allergy symptoms. At best, it may soothe a sore throat, but it’s not a proven remedy.
You may have better luck by targeting your gut. Some research suggests a more diverse gut microbiome may help moderate allergic reactions. A recent meta-analysis also found that probiotic supplements can offer a small but measurable improvement in hay fever symptoms. Still, results vary by probiotic strain and treatment length. Probiotics should be seen as a complement to – not a replacement for – conventional allergy management.
Longer-term fixes
When symptoms stay severe, allergy immunotherapy – which helps desensitise a hay fever sufferer to pollen – can help. This works like an allergy “vaccine”. You receive tiny, gradually increasing doses of your specific allergen either by regular injection or as a daily under-the-tongue tablet or drop. This trains your immune system to tolerate the pollen and shifts your immune response by making your body better able to block allergens while simultaneously dampening the allergic response.
In one study, around 90% of patients who underwent a full course of immunotherapy had major relief from symptoms – and this effect often lasted many years. The trade-off with immunotherapy is commitment: a typical course lasts 3–5 years under a specialist’s guidance. But for people with chronic hay fever, immunotherapy can dramatically improve their quality of life.
Researchers are also refining immunotherapy to make it faster and more efficient. One method, which only requires a few small injections into a lymph node, can reduce symptoms by up to 40% within a season.
Technology is also reshaping allergy care. Smart monitors and mobile apps can now track pollen and pollution in real time, while AI tools are being developed to identify specific pollen types from air samples. These tools could soon provide personalised alerts to help people avoid triggers before symptoms start.
Pollen seasons are getting longer and stronger, so allergies can feel worse than in the past. But the good news is that science is keeping pace. By combining smart exposure-reduction strategies with the right medical treatment, most people can significantly reduce their hay fever misery.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
The U-turn is a long and, depending on your point of view, honourable or dishonourable tradition in British politics. Now Keir Starmer has been accused of following this tradition after heavily hinting the UK government is reconsidering last year’s decision to deny the winter fuel allowance to millions of pensioners.
As a reminder, the winter fuel payment is a lump sum of £200 or £300 paid to pensioner households to help pay heating bills. Last year, the government restricted eligibility to those who qualify for pension credit or other income-related benefits, in order to save £1.4 billion.
This was followed by months of pressure from Labour MPs that has intensified since the local elections. Starmer seemed to confirm at prime minister’s questions on May 21 that the government would change the threshold (by how much remains unclear), allowing more pensioners to qualify for the payment.
Want more politics coverage from academic experts? Every week, we bring you informed analysis of developments in government and fact check the claims being made.
One view is that this is a belated but ultimately sensible recognition, in the wake of Labour’s drubbing at the local elections, that the policy was hurting the party badly. On the other hand, in giving in to pressure to ditch it, the government may be setting a dangerous precedent. Capitulate on this and Labour’s anxious backbenchers would soon be demanding Starmer and Rachel Reeves go back on their intention to cut billions from the welfare budget.
Both takes are essentially correct. Polling evidence points to the removal of the allowance being one of the most unpopular measures announced by the government since it came to power in 2024. Regardless of the £22 billion “black hole” in the public finances, taking a universal benefit away from a bunch of people who are regarded by most voters as uniquely deserving was bound to be as politically toxic as it was (arguably) financially rational.
The only question now is quite how far Starmer’s rethink on the payment to pensioners will go. He has said the government will look at changing the income threshold that determines eligibility, but has not said by how much.
One has to ask whether a change along those lines would actually constitute a U-turn at all. By definition, a U-turn is a 180-degree reversal of a previous commitment. In this particular case, that would mean restoring the allowance to everyone in receipt of a state pension, irrespective of their income or wealth.
This is not merely semantic nitpicking, a pointy-headed demand for terminological exactitude. It’s a deeply political question.
Will a complicated (and costly) mitigation of the policy be sufficient – symbolically and substantively – to cut through to a disappointed electorate? And will Starmer be able to convince the public that this is a government holding its hand up, admitting it got it wrong, and determined now to do the right thing?
How to U-turn
Successful U-turns have tended to be big and bold. The best example, perhaps, is John Major’s announcement after he took over from Margaret Thatcher in 1990 that he was scrapping the poll tax. “Scrapping” is the operative word: unlike Thatcher, he didn’t try to preserve the principle of a per person charge by getting the Treasury to subsidise individuals’ bills. Instead, he returned to financing local government via a charge to households rather than every adult within them.
And as for the parliamentary precedents, history teaches us that once a government’s MPs realise they can prevent it from doing something they’re convinced will harm their chances of re-election, they will try to do exactly that – however much the policy makes long-term sense for the nation as a whole. Just look at how “Nimby” (not in my back yard) Tory backbenchers continually scuppered the last government’s attempts to get more houses built in those parts of the country that needed them most.
That’s not to say that Starmer and Reeves won’t now get their way on welfare cuts (or “welfare reform” as they like to frame the issue). Labour has a massive majority, and its MPs aren’t (yet) as habituated to rebellion as their Conservative counterparts became over the course of their party’s 14 years in power.
What’s more, we are still four years from a general election, and the media narrative around “benefit cheats” means voters are far more inclined to support cuts to welfare than, say, the NHS.
Whether, then, Starmer’s U-turn (if, indeed, we should really be calling it that) works – whether electorally or in terms of his ability to force his backbenchers to accept measures they don’t like – remains to be seen.
Unfortunately for him, he faces something of a paradox. In order to convince the public, he should probably go the whole hog; but doing so may well render his life at Westminster rather trickier than he would like it to be.
No surprise there, perhaps. After all, “Politics,” the economist JK Galbraith once suggested to US President John F. Kennedy, “is not the art of the possible. It consists in choosing between the disastrous and the unpalatable”.
Tim Bale 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: The Conversation – UK – By Annie Curtis, Professor (Assoc), School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences (PBS), RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences
We’ve long known that a lack of sleep is bad for the heart – but scientists are now starting to understand exactly how it causes harm.
In a new study from Uppsala University in Sweden, researchers found that just three nights of restricted sleep – around four hours a night – triggered changes in the blood linked to a higher risk of heart disease.
The researchers looked at inflammatory proteins in the blood. These are molecules the body produces when it is under stress or fighting off illness. When these proteins stay high for a long time, they can damage blood vessels and raise the risk of problems like heart failure, coronary heart disease and atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat).
The study involved 16 healthy young men who spent several days in a lab, where everything from their meals to their activity levels and light exposure was carefully controlled.
Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox.Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.
The participants followed two routines: three nights of normal sleep (8.5 hours) and three night of sleep restriction (4.25 hours). After each sleep phase, the men completed a short, high-intensity cycling workout, and their blood was tested before and after.
Researchers measured almost 90 different proteins in the blood samples. They found that sleep deprivation caused a clear rise in inflammatory markers linked to heart disease. And while exercise usually boosts healthy proteins such as interleukin-6 and BDNF (which support brain and heart health), these responses were weaker after poor sleep.
The researchers looked at 90 protein markers in the blood of healthy volunteers. Dusan Petkovic/Shutterstock
Even young adults
Strikingly, the changes happened even in young, healthy adults, and after only a few nights of bad sleep. That’s worrying given how common it is for adults to experience poor sleep from time to time – and around one in four people work shifts that disrupt sleep patterns.
The researchers also discovered that the time of day blood was taken mattered: protein levels varied between morning and evening, and even more so when sleep was restricted. This suggests that sleep affects not only what’s in your blood, but when those changes are most visible.
Although modern life often encourages us to trade sleep for productivity, socialising or screen time, studies like this remind us that the body keeps score – quietly, chemically and without compromise.
Annie Curtis does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: United States Senator for North Dakota John Hoeven
05.22.25
Senator Discusses Need for More Competitive & Transparent Cattle Market, Urges Nominee to Push Back on Barriers to U.S. Beef Exports
WASHINGTON – At a hearing of the Senate Agriculture Committee this week, Senator John Hoeven discussed efforts to strengthen market opportunities for the nation’s cattle industry. With Mr. Dudley Hoskins, the nominee to be Under Secretary of Agriculture for Marketing and Regulatory Programs, Hoeven outlined the need to:
Fully enforce the Packers and Stockyards Act to help ensure more competitive and transparent cattle markets.
As chairman of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committee, Hoeven has worked to provide additional funding for the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) to enforce the law and investigate anti-competitive practices.
Hoskins highlighted the Cattle Contract Library pilot program that Hoeven established as an example of how to create greater price transparency for cattle producers.
Secure fair access to foreign markets for U.S. beef producers and push back against artificial barriers impacting U.S. exports.
“There is a real need for greater price discovery in cattle markets, which would provide our ranchers with more transparency and access to a more competitive market. That’s a win for both producers and consumers,” said Hoeven “Between our efforts to ensure enforcement of the Packers and Stockyards Act, advance my Cattle Contract Library pilot program and reinstate MCOOL, we’re working to strengthen the U.S. domestic cattle market. At the same time, we need to remove artificial trade barriers used to block U.S. livestock producers from accessing foreign markets. That’s why we support the Trump administration as it works to secure better trade deals for U.S. ag producers. We look forward to working with Mr. Hoskins to continue advancing these priorities.”
In addition, Hoeven invited Dr. Scott Hutchins, the nominee to be Under Secretary of Agriculture for Research, Education and Economics, to visit North Dakota to learn firsthand about:
The state’s leadership in precision agriculture technology development, including the innovative work occurring under the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) partnership at Grand Farm.
The Agricultural Risk Policy Center (ARPC) that Hoeven has worked to stand up at North Dakota State University (NDSU). The center will:
Help address farm and agribusiness challenges through in-depth policy and economic analysis.
• • Complement the work conducted at similar centers currently housed at the University of Missouri, Texas A&M University and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
PROVIDENCE, RI � On Monday, May 19, 2025, Secretary of State Gregg M. Amore honored the 130 high school students selected as 2025 Rhode Island Civic Leadership Award winners at a State House ceremony. The award is given annually to high school students who have made outstanding contributions to their schools and communities over the past year.
“Every year, it’s a great honor to celebrate students who are committed to public service and civic engagement,” said Secretary of State Gregg M. Amore. “These young civic leaders deserve recognition for their accomplishments inside and outside of the classroom, as well as their efforts to make their communities a better place.”
Schools from around Rhode Island nominated students who have excelled in areas such as public service, leadership, and academic achievement.
Photos of award winners are available here.
The ceremony was recorded by Capitol TV and can be viewed online here.
The students honored were:
Achievement First Providence High School Alejandra Guissell Avila Estrada Zachareus Desrosiers
Barrington Christian Academy Polly Bosch Lincoln Wright
Barrington High School Anaaya Deshpande Andres Gil
Beacon Charter High School for the Arts Kiara Canterbury Micah St. Onge
Bishop Hendricken High School Shane Ciunci Lincoln Tiernan
Blackstone Academy Charter School Kadjatou Diallo Jayilson Fernandes
Blackstone Valley Prep High School Safiyatu Gassama Angel Hernandez
Block Island School Chase Hatfield Maximus Walsh
Burrillville High School Spencer Wayland Arrow Yuszczak
Central Falls Senior High School Edgar Ardon Flores Sofia Lopez Callejas
Chariho Regional High School Ryan Sheldon Nicholas Wilusz
Charles E. Shea High School Joseph Manu Behnema Sirleaf
Coventry High School Raegan Garcia Ryan Pina
Cranston High School East Oliver Cruz Madelyn Hart
Cranston High School West Sophia DiBenedetto Promise Pitts
Cumberland High School Brett Hawkins Brody Vroegindewey
Dr. Jorge Alvarez High School Yazan Alothman Emma Garcia
East Greenwich High School Emma Sheahan-Nguyen Wen Xin Shi
East Providence High School Pooja Ezhilmaran Acadia Ullucci
E-Cubed Academy August Kletzian Melissa Paula
Exeter-West Greenwich Regional High School Ayden Enos Clare Titus
The Greene School Adriel Falowo Kyannie Fernandez
Hope High School Julian Genao Elmer Poz Benito
Jacqueline M. Walsh School for the Performing & Visual Arts Isabella Benavides Melissa Paulin
Johnston Senior High School Olivia Forgetta Bennett McClish
La Salle Academy Derek La Fazia Carter Rankin
Lincoln School Ruby Verkuijlen
Lincoln Senior High School Helen Green David Lucci
Middletown High School Taylor Bridges Chloe Tysor
The Metropolitan Regional Career & Technical Center Marcel Anderson Osayro Urizar Vargas
Moses Brown School Sophie Hesser Josselyn Wolf
Mount Pleasant High School Anthony Berroa Testimony Thompson
Mount Saint Charles Academy Emma Foxon Aidan Quinn
Mt. Hope High School Jessica Deal Gavin Stegall
Narragansett High School Hannah Abrams Mia DeLuise
NEL/CPS Construction & Career Academy Alfredo Cuthburt Anniyah Wright
North Kingstown Senior High School Benjamin Butera Fiona Wilk
North Providence High School Isabelle Desanges Gabriella Paulino Cabrera
North Smithfield High School Emerson Deschene Leah Goodwin
Paul Cuffee Upper School Sofia Alabede Mia Medeiros
Pilgrim High School Laryssa Farrell Sean Skinnard
Ponaganset High School Mackenzie Bell Omar Sasa
Portsmouth High School Andrew Rodrigues Hanalei Streuli
The Prout School Madeline Monaco Madeleine Pisano
Providence Country Day School Cedric Ye
Rhode Island Nurses Institute Middle College Charter High School Aillyn Ospina Bedoya Lia Tavarez Sobalvarro
Rocky Hill Country Day School Wilbur Conterio Luke Lehouiller
Rogers High School Hannah Conroy Kira Parsons
School One Ibrahim Mohammed Sienna Wills
Scituate High School Annette Hartley Cameron Healey
Sheila Skip Nowell Leadership Academy Jaziyah Lewis Zi’Rell Rivers
Smithfield Senior High School Kyla Alberg Shane Trainor
South Kingstown High School Samuel Cadman Jay Thornber
St. Andrew’s School Yosmel Amparo-Moya Violet Vandale
St. George’s School Reese Starling
St. Mary Academy – Bay View Ariana Bobiak Sophie Sullivan
St. Patrick Academy Genesis Monzon Morales Ashly Urbina
Saint Raphael Academy Michael Duschang Sara Lebeuf
Tiverton High School Evan Duda Norah Winslow
Toll Gate High School Jaylene Le Estherangelica Santana
Trinity Academy for the Performing Arts Samia Perez Wilde Rosales-Gousie
Trinity Christian Academy Mateo Ghoshal Vargas Michael Susi
Village Green Virtual Charter School Zoey Dupuis Nyzaiah Law
Warwick Area Career and Technical Center Gianna Gioffreda
West Warwick Senior High School Michael Andruchow Lucas Martins
William E. Tolman Senior High School Melissa Gomes-Ramos Danicah Xavier
Harvard is being held accountable for collaboration with the CCP, fostering violence, antisemitism, and pro-terrorist conduct from students on its campus.
WASHINGTON – Today, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem ordered DHS to terminate the Harvard University’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification.
This means Harvard can no longer enroll foreign students and existing foreign students must transfer or lose their legal status.
Harvard’s leadership has created an unsafe campus environment by permitting anti-American, pro-terrorist agitators to harass and physically assault individuals, including many Jewish students, and otherwise obstruct its once-venerable learning environment. Many of these agitators are foreign students. Harvard’s leadership further facilitated, and engaged in coordinated activity with the CCP, including hosting and training members of a CCP paramilitary group complicit in the Uyghur genocide.
“This administration is holding Harvard accountable for fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus,” said Secretary Noem. “It is a privilege, not a right, for universities to enroll foreign students and benefit from their higher tuition payments to help pad their multibillion-dollar endowments. Harvard had plenty of opportunity to do the right thing. It refused. They have lost their Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification as a result of their failure to adhere to the law. Let this serve as a warning to all universities and academic institutions across the country.”
On April 16, 2025, Secretary Noem demanded Harvard provide information about the criminality and misconduct of foreign students on its campus. Secretary Noem warned refusal to comply with this lawful order would result in SEVP termination.
Harvard University brazenly refused to provide the required information requested and ignored a follow up request from the Department’s Office of General Council. Secretary Noem is following through on her promise to protect students and prohibit terrorist sympathizers from receiving benefits from the U.S. government.
Facts about Harvard’s toxic campus climate:
A joint-government task force found that Harvard has failed to confront pervasive race discrimination and anti-Semitic harassment plaguing its campus.
A protester charged for his role in the assault of a Jewish student on campus was chosen by the Harvard Divinity School to be the Class Marshal for commencement.
Harvard’s own 2025 internal study on anti-Semitism revealed that almost 60% of Jewish students reported experiencing “discrimination, stereotyping, or negative bias on campus due to [their] views on current events.”
In one instance, a Jewish student speaker at a conference had planned to tell the story of his Holocaust survivor grandfather finding refuge in Israel. Organizers told the student the story was not “tasteful” and laughed at him when he expressed his confusion. They said the story would have justified oppression.
Meanwhile, Pro-Hamas student groups that promoted antisemitism after the October 7 attacks remained recognized and funded.
Instead of protecting its students, Harvard has let crime rates skyrocket, enacted racist DEI practices, and accepted boatloads of cash from foreign governments and donors.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Don Beyer (D-VA)
Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA) today issued the following statement in response to Judge Myong J. Joun’s order blocking the Trump Administration and the “Department of Government Efficiency’s” (DOGE) illegal efforts to gut the Department of Education and mandating the reinstatement of wrongfully terminated staff:
“This ruling is a victory for millions of students, educators, and families across the country who rely on the Department of Education’s programs, protections, and support. Judge Joun accurately determined that the Trump Administration and DOGE’s political purge of the Department of Education was unlawful and reaffirmed that the executive branch cannot unilaterally work toward abolishing a congressionally established agency without the approval of Congress. I am grateful that thanks to Judge Joun’s ruling, more than 1,300 wrongfully terminated employees must be reinstated to fulfill the Department’s statutorily mandated functions.
“Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and Linda McMahon’s actions – reductions in force and the eliminations of entire offices, including key Office for Civil Rights (OCR) hubs – inhibited the Department from being able to carry out its statutory obligations. Their abuse of the federal civil service targeted attorneys, student aid workers, and civil rights office staff and had detrimental effects on our schools. It left millions of students and teachers without essential services they need, including the enforcement of anti-discrimination laws and support for students with disabilities. Their attempted purge of the Department of Education is a direct assault on the protection of student’s rights and the promise of equal opportunity through education. It was a gross betrayal of American students.
“Today’s decision brings much-needed relief for students, educators, our public servants in the Department of Education, and civil rights across the country. It restores the rule of law and sends a clear message that our nation’s promise of equal educational opportunity cannot be unraveled by political whim.”
Beyer has been critical of illegal attempts by the Trump Administration and “DOGE” to dismantle the Department of Education, and has led efforts to restore the Department’s ability to fulfill its statutorily required mandates. He also met with Education Secretary Linda McMahon to discuss the serious harm these actions inflicted upon his constituents, and on students and educators across the country.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Glenn Grothman (R-Glenbeulah 6th District Wisconsin)
Congressman Glenn Grothman (R-WI), joined by Congressman Paul Gosar (R-AZ), introduced the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Elimination Act, which will repeal the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC), an outdated, costly, and ineffective program that has primarily enriched politically-connected developers and banks, while doing little to reduce housing costs for low-income Americans.
Currently, LIHTC provides tax credits to developers to subsidize the construction and rehabilitation of affordable housing units. These subsidies cover around 70% of a project’s cost. However, rather than benefiting tenants, the program has become a cash grab for developers and banks. The elimination of LIHTC will save taxpayers a staggering $69.1 billion over a ten-year period.
“The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit is another way for developers to get rich, while hardworking taxpayers foot the bill,”said Grothman.“It’s absurd that the federal government is paying 70% of construction costs to private developers, who often use these funds to build lavish and costly housing units. We need to stop throwing money at a broken system and instead focus on reducing supply constraints that make it so difficult to build affordable housing in the first place.
“Despite its original intent, LIHTC fails to effectively serve low-income tenants. The primary beneficiaries are rich developers, banks, law firms, and state bureaucracies. Only 24% of the programs’ costs benefit low-income households in the form of rent savings. Its elimination will save taxpayer dollars, end the funneling of money to corrupt developers, and allow us to refocus on solutions that work for hardworking Americans.”
“Unfortunately, the government subsidy meant to ease the financial burden of tenants is ripe with abuse. Instead of creating affordable housing for those who need it most, the program produces costly low-income housing and lines the pockets of greedy developers and banks,”saidCongressman Paul Gosar.
“The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit is a textbook case of good intentions gone wrong. After nearly four decades and billions in federal subsidies, the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit has done more for banks and developers than for struggling renters. It’s time Congress ended this inefficient corporate welfare program,”said Adam Michel, Director of Tax Policy Studies at the Cato Institute.
“Since its inception in 1986, the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) has been plagued by the Five Cs: crowding out, cost, complexity, corruption, and cartel,”said Edward Pinto and Tobias Peter, Co-Directors AEI Housing Center.“LIHTC developments often displace housing that the private market would have produced without subsidies, creating a crowding-out effect. The cost to taxpayers is staggering, with the average LIHTC unit priced at approximately $450,000—compared to zero for private developments that would have otherwise been built. The program’s excessive complexity has given rise to a cartel-like ecosystem dominated by a small cadre of developers and nonprofits, who have profited handsomely, while calling for even more subsidies. This has bred corruption and inefficiency. At its core, LIHTC reflects a misguided emphasis on the futile task of building ever more expensive subsidized housing, rather than on policies that allow for the building of housing that is affordable. We applaud Representative Grothman for taking this step to sunset this fundamentally flawed program.”
Background Information
Currently, the federal government provides a tax credit, the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC), to developers to subsidize the construction and rehabilitation of housing units with income limits and rent caps for eligible tenants. These LIHTC tax credits subsidies cover roughly 70% of the cost of qualified housing projects.
A 2009 study found for a large sample of projects that the construction costs per square foot of LIHTC projects were 20 percent higher than for average industry projects.
Because of the complex structure of the program, most of the LIHTC benefits go to the developers and banks, rather than the tenants. A 2017 study found that “tenants capture at most 24% of the [LIHTC] development subsidies.” The ability for states and localities to dole out these lucrative tax credits breeds corruption and funneling subsidies to politically connected developers.
The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Elimination Act would end this costly, inefficient, and corrupt program. To lower housing costs, policymakers should focus on reducing supply constraints on housing, not funneling tax dollars to politically connected developers.
According to the Congressional Budget Office, repealing LIHTC would save taxpayers $69.1 billion over ten years.
-30-
U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-Glenbeulah) is serving his fifth term representing Wisconsin’s 6th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman David Scott (GA-13)
Stockbridge– This week, Congressman David Scott (GA-13) proudly announced the winners of his 22nd Annual Congressional Art Competition during a special awards ceremony. In addition to celebrating the top entries, every participating student was honored with a Congressional Certificate recognizing their artistic achievement. The first-place winner’s artwork will be displayed in the Cannon House Office Building tunnel for one year, representing Georgia’s 13th District on Capitol Hill.
“I want to express my heartfelt congratulations not only to the winners of this year’s Art Competition, but to every student who participated,” said Congressman David Scott. “Their dedication to developing their artistic talents reflects both intelligence and creativity. I am excited to see the inspiring works this new generation of artists will create in the future.”
Finalists include:
1st Place: Becky Alemayehu – Providence Christian Academy
Students’ artwork will be displayed in the Tunnel of the Cannon House Office Building for one year.
Two Round-trip airfare tickets for Southwest Airlines to attend the national ribbon cutting ceremony in Washington, D.C.
$600 Scholarship.
2nd Place: Aderia Rucker – Mt. Zion High School
Students’ artwork will be displayed in Congressman Scott’s Washington, D.C. office for one year.
$250 scholarship.
3rd Place: Asmaa Osama Jasseb – Parkview High School
Students’ artwork will be displayed at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport for one year.
$150 scholarship.
4th Place: Jaylen Stanley – Newton High School
Students’ artwork will be displayed in the County Administrative Office for the county in which the student resides.
Six-month Dual Family Membership to the High Museum of Art-Atlanta.
5th Place: Mariam Nagvi – Parkview High School
Students’ artwork will hang in Congressman Scott’s Stockbridge office for one year.
Two tickets to any Aurora Production at the Lawrenceville Arts Center.
6th Place – Honorable Mention: Ana Sofia Solis Matos – Morrow High School
Students’ artwork will hang in Congressman Scott’s Stockbridge office for one year.
Background:
Established in 1982, the Congressional Art Competition was created to celebrate and showcase the artistic talents of high school students across the United States. Since its inception, hundreds of thousands of students have had the opportunity to participate through their local congressional districts. This year, the first-place winner will have their artwork displayed for one-year in the Cannon Tunnel of the U.S. Capitol. The second-place winner’s piece will be featured in Congressman Scott’s Washington D.C. office, while the third-place winner’s artwork will be exhibited at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
More information regarding the 2025 Art Competition is forthcoming. Please visit www.DavidScott.House.gov for updates and additional information.
WASHINGTON—The U.S. Supreme Court today handed down a 4-4 ruling inOklahoma Charter School Board v. DrummondandSt. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School v. Drummond,affirming the Oklahoma Supreme Court’s decision that authorizing religious charter schools violates the Oklahoma state constitution, the state charter school statute, and the U.S. Constitution. The National Education Associationjoined a broad-based coalition of education groups in filinganamicus briefin the case and was on hand for oral arguments.
“Educators and parents know that student success depends on more resources in our public schools, not less. Yet for too long, we have seen anti-public education forces attempt to deprive public school students of necessary funding and support,” said NEA President Becky Pringle. “We are gratified that the Supreme Court did not take the radical step of upending public education by requiring states to have religious charter schools.”
“Our public schools and educators work tirelessly to meet the needs of each student despite the challenges placed on them by elected officials,” said Cari Elledge, a fifth-grade teacher who serves as president of the Oklahoma Education Association. “Requiring Oklahoma to fund religious doctrine in charter school programs would have diminished funding for classroom resources, educator salaries, and other supports our students need. Funneling funding meant for all to only a select few would have harmed our students and our public schools.”
Requiring taxpayers to fund religious charter schools would have extended far beyond Oklahoma’s borders and could have caused irreparable harm to public schools everywhere.
“Americans have consistently rejected taking public funds away from our public schools—where 90% of our students attend—and today, the Supreme Court agreed,” added Pringle.
To find out more about how to protect public education, visit www.nea.org/vouchers
Follow us on Bluesky at https://bsky.app/profile/neapresident.bsky.socialand https://bsky.app/profile/neatoday.bsky.social
# # #
The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professionalemployeeorganization, representing more than 3 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators, students preparing to become teachers, healthcare workers, and public employees. Learn more at www.nea.org.
Dean JC Zhao of the UConn College of Engineering has appointed Professor Kay Wille as the director of the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering (SoCEE). Wille’s formal appointment will start in August 2025.
Wille has served as interim director since August 2024.
Professor Kay Wille will become the permanent director of the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering in August 2025.
“I feel incredibly fortunate for the vote of confidence in leading the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering,” Wille said. “Having been part of this academic community for more than a decade, I’ve seen firsthand the talent, dedication, and innovation that define our students, faculty, and staff. I’m excited to build on our legacy of research excellence and educational leadership while preparing the next generation of engineers to tackle society’s most urgent infrastructure and sustainability challenges.”
Wille joined UConn Engineering in 2010 as an assistant professor in the (then) Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. He then served as associate professor from 2016- 2024, and professor and interim director since 2024. He has held roles as group coordinator of Structures and Applied Mechanics from 2022-2024 and the director for graduate programming from 2015-2016.
“Dr. Wille is an excellent scholar, an innovative researcher, and a respected leader in our community,” said Zhao. “His deep commitment to student success and impactful research make him well-suited to lead the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering into its next chapter. We’re proud to have him at the helm.”
Wille has led a total of 31 funded research projects (26 as PI), totaling more than $12.7 million.
His research focuses on ultrahigh performance concrete (UHPC), concrete durability, and sustainable infrastructure materials. He is a leading expert in UHPC development and application, with particular emphasis on fiber-reinforced composites. His work also addresses concrete deterioration caused by pyrrhotite-containing aggregates, and he actively explores resource-efficient, sustainable mix designs to improve long-term performance and environmental impact.
Before arriving at UConn, he worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Michigan, and a graduate research/teaching assistant, and research assistant at the University of Leipzig in Germany.
He earned his diploma and Ph.D., both in civil engineering, from the University of Leipzig in 2002 and 2008, respectively.
During his teaching career at UConn, he has taught 54 courses, impacting more than 1,600 students.
He has authored one book, two patents, 60 journal papers, and 40 conference papers. His significant contributions to research and scholarship have led to the recognition to be among the top 2% of world scientists ranked by the methodology developed by Stanford University.
When it comes to the sincerity, or otherwise, of Vladimir Putin’s apparent willingness to talk peace with Ukraine, the Russian leader has given us plenty of hints. He may insist he wants to see a deal done and an end to the killing. But his insistence that any agreement would have to address the “root causes” of the war is a clear indication that he hasn’t rowed back from his original maximalist war aims. To whit: no Nato membership, a Kremlin-friendly government in Kyiv, ownership of Crimea and control – preferably annexation – of the four provinces of Ukraine presently under Russian occupation.
Meanwhile his great ally Dmitry Medvedev continues to insist that there are at present no Ukrainian officials who legitimately qualify as partners for negotiation. The Russian national security council secretary claims that Ukraine is a “failed state” whose leaders’ lack of legitimacy, meanwhile, raise “serious questions” about who Russia can conclude any agreement with.
So when Donald Trump said this week after a two-hour chat with Putin that Russia and Ukraine would “immediately start negotiations” toward a ceasefire, it’s not clear who he thought the Russian president was planning to talk to if, as Putin and his cronies insist, Zelensky and his team are not legitimate. And, from what he had to say about his recent phone call with Putin, it appears that Trump has his eyes more on the sorts of deals that might be done with Russia once this is all cleared up.
As he posted on his Truth Social platform after talking with Putin: “Russia wants to do largescale [sic] TRADE with the United States when this catastrophic ‘bloodbath’ is over, and I agree. There is a tremendous opportunity for Russia to create massive amounts of jobs and wealth. Its potential is UNLIMITED.”
Accordingly, he has backed away from his previous willingness to join Europe in imposing fresh sanctions on Russia. Meanwhile Russia continues to hammer Ukraine both on the battlefield and via ever larger drone and missiles attacks against its civilian population.
Sign up to receive our weekly World Affairs Briefing newsletter from The Conversation UK. Every Thursday we’ll bring you expert analysis of the big stories in international relations.
The real clue to Trump’s attitude, writes Stefan Wolff, is the order of phone calls on Monday. Before settling down to talk with Putin, the US president put in a call to the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky. Reporting back on the call, Zelensky said he had urged Trump that he mustn’t make any decisions about Ukraine “without us”. Having subsequently spoken at length with Putin, Trump emerged saying in his Truth Social post that Russia and Ukraine will “immediately start negotiations” towards a ceasefire and an end to the war.
The state of the conflict in Ukraine, May 21 2025. Institute for the Study of War
But Wolff, professor of international security at the University of Birmingham who has written regularly here about the conflict, believes that the fact that Trump added the conditions for peace “will be negotiated between the two parties, as it can only be” suggests he is indeed planning to abandon his peacemaking ambitions. The whole deal was taking far longer than the 24 hours he boasted of during the election campaign last year.
Where this leaves Europe is unclear, writes Wolff. If it can no longer rely on Washington as a security partner (and the signs aren’t good), then this will require a substantial rethink. Indeed there are signs, with the UK’s recent agreement over security and defence, that minds are increasingly focused on a more self-reliant future. In turn, this has implications for US security. If Europe is compelled to rethink its security relationship with the US it could cut both ways as Washington pivots to face an increasingly aggressive China.
Of course, it should have been clear to all concerned not to take Putin at face value over his apparent willingness to talk peace with Zelensky when he failed to turn up to talks in Istanbul at the end of last week. As Natasha Lindstaedt writes here, none of the main players attended the talks, despite plans for Putin, Zelensky and Trump to all meet face-to-face.
Lindstaedt, an expert in international relations at the University of Essex, describes what for all the world seemed like a bizarre game of bluff – certainly as far as Putin and Trump are concerned. All three leaders had promised to be there, but in the end they all sent intermediaries with the result that nothing of any consequence was agreed. Trump’s aides insisted that if Putin attended he would be there. Then the US president said the reason that Putin hadn’t turned up was because he knew Trump wasn’t going to be there.
“It’s certainly hard to take peace talks seriously when there is an awkward back-and-forth just about who is going to attend,” Lindstaedt concludes. “And while Trump thinks peace is only possible through bilateral meetings between himself and Putin, it’s clear he can’t even influence Putin to show up to peace talks that the Russian president himself suggested.”
The US president, meanwhile, has announced plans for an ambitious missile defence system to be called “Golden Dome”. It’s a next-generation system, says Trump, “capable even of intercepting missiles launched from the other side of the world, or launched from space”.
The plan, for which US$25 billion (£18.6 billion) has been set aside in the US president’s “one big beautiful bill”, presently before the US Congress, calls for a network of surveillance satellites complemented by a separate fleet of offensive satellites that would shoot down offensive missiles soon after lift-off. Trump has estimated this will cost US$175 billion and will be completed by the end of his current four-year term. But other estimates are that it will be much more expensive and take far longer to complete.
“There has never been anything like this”, the US president said. And indeed there hasn’t, writes Matthew Powell, an expert in air power from the University of Portsmouth. In fact, Powell is deeply sceptical that the technology to enable such an ambitious defence system exists at present. He points to Ronald Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative, which became known by critics, with their tongues in their cheeks, as “Star Wars”, which never really got any further than the drawing board.
It did, however, have the effect of signalling to the Kremlin and the Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, that the sky would be the limit in terms of US willingness to push the boundaries of defence spending. Powell believes it significantly changed the calculations when it came to the feasibility of continuing the nuclear arms race and may have been responsible for the end of the cold war.
Incidentally, the US president’s funding bill scraped through the House of Representatives with 215 votes for and 214 against. In addition to setting aside funds for Golden Dome, the bill, which in its current form adds trillions of dollars to the US debt, has been described by Democrat critics as a “tax scam”. A statement from Democrat leaders said: “This fight is just beginning, and House Democrats will continue to use every tool at our disposal to ensure that the GOP Tax Scam is buried deep in the ground, never to rise again.”
But how much stomach do the Democrats have for the fight? They’ve had a pretty terrible few months since the election. Their approval rating in March was at 29%, the worst since polling began in 1992. Fernando Pizarro, a lecturer in journalism at City St Georges, University of London, who has several Emmys under his belt for his work on US politics, has cast his eye over some of the leading Democrats who he thinks will spearhead the opposition to the Republicans over the next few years and identifies a few players who could vie for the presidential nomination in 2028.
Meanwhile, after 11 weeks of Israeli blockade of aid to the people of Gaza, limited deliveries have now recommenced in the face of pressure from both the US and increasingly outspoken interventions from the likes of the UK, France and Canada.
But despite reports that up to 100 trucks are now being allowed into the Gaza Strip, human rights agencies and aid organisations have said that there is a desperate threat of widespread starvation unless the amount of food, fuel and medicine getting through increases exponentially. And fast.
There is talk of a US-administered programme, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which could be up and running by the end of May and could accelerate the delivery of vital supplies to the civilian population while ensuring it does not does not get into the hands of militants or black marketeers.
But this scheme has its critics, write Sarah Schiffling and Liz Breen, experts in humanitarian logistics and health service operations at Hanken School of Economics and the University of Bradford respectively. They point to a number of flaws, including the plan to concentrate the secure distribution points in southern and central Gaza, forcing large numbers of people to travel considerable distances for supplies.
The GHF plan also calls for aid distribution to be coordinated with the Israel Defense Forces, which humanitarian organisations says is a “humanitarian cover for a military strategy of control and dispossession”.
Schiffling and Breen point out that humanitarian organisations have 160,000 pallets of supplies and almost 9,000 aid trucks ready to be dispatched across the border “as soon as Israel allows it”. Whether Israel will allow it is, of course, another question entirely.
The Western Cape Government (WCG) has welcomed the additional funding allocated to provinces for education and health services in the Budget presented by Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana on Wednesday.
Godongwana announced that the provincial education sector’s baseline budget over the 2025 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) will be R1.04 trillion, with an additional R9.5 billion allocated over the medium-term.
This funding aims to retain teachers in classrooms and hire more staff.
In addition, R10 billion has been included in the baseline to maintain expanded access to early education, as announced in last month’s budget.
This adjustment will increase the Early Childhood Development (ECD) subsidy from R17 per child per day to R24.
According to the Minister, this extra funding will also support increased access to ECD for an additional 700 000 children up to the age of five.
Meanwhile, the provincial health sector budget has been projected to be R845 billion over the medium-term.
This budget will be increased by R20.8 billion over three years to hire 800 post-community service doctors and to cover essential goods and services, as well as to reduce accrued liabilities.
The Minister noted that this increase will help address pressure on the personnel budget in the health sector.
The WCG has recognised the challenging fiscal environment in which this budget has been formulated.
“However, provincial government budgets remain under intense pressure, and we note that provincial fiscal frameworks have not been further cut to protect critical services.”
Western Cape Premier Alan Winde acknowledged that the 2025 budget process has been difficult and contentious, but said they were relieved that the key compromises have been made and that citizens will be spared from the value-added tax (VAT) hike.
Meanwhile, the Western Cape MEC for Finance, Deidré Baartman, said the provincial government aims to table its new budget in the first week of June 2025.
“We also urge all municipalities in the province to table and adopt their budgets by the end of June, in line with legislative timelines, and to ensure that service delivery continues to reach our communities uninterrupted,” said Baartman.
The Premier said the additional allocations for health and education will only come into effect in the adjustment budget later this year.
“The main budget provides provinces with a clearer understanding of how we will manage the significant fiscal challenges over the current financial year,” Winde said.
The Premier said the province’s population grew by nearly 20% between 2015 and 2024 – a 19.6% increase over this period.
Over the next decade, the Western Cape is expected to grow by another two million people.
“We welcome those who are making the Western Cape their home and want to contribute to our success, but we must find ways to simultaneously build our services to meet their needs and the funding to support this.
“The majority of provincial budget funding comes from national government – thus, not increasing provincial envelopes in real terms has a direct impact on service delivery, such as health, education, and social development,” Winde said. – SAnews.gov.za
Alberta’s government is investing in made-in-Alberta solutions to strengthen the province’s primary health care system, including Indigenous primary health care. These new grants will support projects that improve access, reduce administrative burdens and support team-based care so all people in Alberta can get the care they need, when and where they need it.
The grants are being awarded through two innovation-focused programs: the Primary Care Innovation Fund and the Indigenous Primary Health Care Innovation Fund. These funds will support 19 projects that will improve primary care, advance research and innovation and support community health priorities.
“A strong, reliable primary health care system is the foundation of the entire health system. These strategic investments are helping to make that a reality for families across Alberta. They are especially meaningful for Indigenous communities, as they support culturally safe care that respects traditional knowledge and addresses unique community needs.”
“Ensuring Indigenous communities have access to quality primary health care that aligns with their unique needs is a priority for Alberta’s government. The Indigenous Primary Health Care Innovation Fund empowers communities to lead the way in developing solutions that enhance care, support cultural traditions and improve health outcomes for Indigenous Peoples across the province.”
The $5-million Primary Care Innovation Fund is supporting five projects that will help improve access to care, support early detection of dementia and other conditions, provide post-reproductive care for women, advance research and clinical trials, and harness the potential of artificial intelligence to improve health care services.
The $20-million Indigenous Primary Health Care Innovation Fund is supporting 14 community-led initiatives, including virtual care clinics, cultural reconnection, facility upgrades and Elder care. The funding is flexible so Indigenous communities can address their specific priorities and support culturally appropriate care.
“We are thrilled to announce the approval for the Indigenous Primary Health Care Innovation Fund. We are eager to be providing a welcoming and supportive environment for our Elders. This facility represents a significant investment in our community and is a testament to the growing need of quality care for our Elders.”
Both of the grant programs stem from a recommendation in the Modernizing Alberta’s Primary Care System (MAPS) final report. MAPS was created to strengthen Alberta’s primary health care system and ensure all people in Alberta have access to timely, appropriate care throughout their lives.
“University Hospital Foundation is grateful for the Primary Care Innovation Fund that enabled us to match the vision of our donors with talented University of Alberta researchers and health providers. Using a co-design approach, the dementia program will enhance early diagnosis, facilitate more efficient research and improve post-diagnosis care pathways for people living with dementia and their caregivers.”
“We’re excited to work with Alberta’s primary care teams and innovation partners to build a program grounded in real-world needs – helping them develop the skills and confidence to turn ideas into action and shape the future of care.”
Indigenous Support Line
To further support access to primary care for Indigenous patients and families, the Indigenous Support Line will be expanded to Edmonton and Calgary on June 1. The phone line has supported more than 10,000 callers over the past three years with health system navigation, access to cultural supports, language services and more.
Operated by Health Link in partnership with the Indigenous Wellness Core, the line connects callers with health professionals who understand Indigenous ways of knowing and traditional healing practices.
The support line can also be utilized by front-line health care providers to assist in providing culturally appropriate care. Providers can use the support line to learn about cultural support services, Indigenous ways of knowing, traditional healing practices, access to ceremony and other services that may assist their patients.
“Health Link and Indigenous Wellness Core teams have provided exceptional care to Indigenous Peoples in the north, south and central zones for the past three years through the Indigenous Support Line. The impact of this service is evident in the response from those who have accessed the line, and through it, Indigenous listeners who aid their health care journey. I am thrilled that the line will now be available to Indigenous Peoples and communities across the province.”
Quick facts
Primary Care Innovation Fund grant recipients are:
Praxus Health – to develop and deliver a comprehensive primary care innovation training program for health professionals.
Arthritis Society of Canada – to implement a cost-effective, AI-enhanced portable infant ultrasound screening for developmental dysplasia of the hip.
Dr. Kerry McBrien, University of Calgary – to develop a community health navigator program to enhance team-based care, integrate social and community resources and improve access to care.
University Hospital Foundation – to develop and implement an early diagnosis and care pathway for Albertans living with dementia.
Dr. Colleen Norris, University of Alberta – to establish the Alberta Women’s Post-Reproductive Health Centre to provide comprehensive primary care for midlife women.
Indigenous Primary Health Care Innovation Fund grant recipients include:
Samson Cree Nation – to establish the Nipisihkopahk Medical Clinic to provide the community with long-term access to equitable and comprehensive health care services.
Elizabeth Metis Settlement – to support the Métis Lifeways Elders Care Initiative, including a comprehensive Elder care facility.
Stoney Nakoda Tsuut’ina Tribal Council Ltd. (G4) – to evaluate the current state of non-insured health benefits coverage and financial implications.
Dene Tha’ First Nation – to renovate an existing building and upgrade to a satellite primary health care centre.
Related information
Indigenous primary health care funding – Innovation Fund
Modernizing Alberta’s Primary Health Care System (MAPS)
Related Media
Opening more doors to primary care (April 10, 2025)
Leading primary care into the future (Oct. 15, 2024)
Strengthening health care: Improving access for all (Oct. 18, 2023)
Saskatchewan, British Columbia and Manitoba have renewed their financial commitment to the University of Saskatchewan’s Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM), continuing a long-standing interprovincial agreement that has been in place for six decades.
The renewed agreement provides more than $194 million to the WCVM over the next five years, helping ensure the college can deliver critical veterinary medicine programming, research and clinical services that address the needs of each province.
“We are proud of the Western College of Veterinary Medicine and the exceptional education opportunities it provides to veterinary students from across Western Canada,” Saskatchewan Advanced Education Minister Ken Cheveldayoff said. “We are grateful to have this internationally recognized college right here in Saskatchewan and are fully confident in USask’s ability to produce highly skilled veterinarians to care for both our livestock and companion animals.”
“Our partnership is a great example of how provinces can work collaboratively to achieve our shared priorities and economic goals,” Manitoba Advanced Education and Training Minister Renée Cable said. “We are pleased that this partnership creates opportunities for our students to access high-quality education right here in Western Canada. Communities across Manitoba benefit from the caliber of veterinarians that graduate from the program.”
“We are proud to continue this longstanding interprovincial partnership to provide world-class veterinary medicine education,” British Columbia Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills Minister Anne Kang said. “This agreement ensures that our communities have access to skilled professionals who play a significant role in animal health, food security and public wellbeing.”
The WCVM is a leading centre of veterinary education, research and expertise in Western Canada, serving the needs of the livestock, fowl and fisheries industries, pet owners, and public health and food safety networks. The college is internationally accredited and includes a veterinary medical centre, a provincial diagnostic laboratory, and large-scale research facilities that serve as resources for both students and professionals across the region.
“Ongoing financial support from the Governments of Saskatchewan, Manitoba and British Columbia has played a vital role in maintaining the WCVM’s reputation as a centre for excellence in education, research and clinical services,” WCVM Dean Dr. Gillian Muir said. “We look forward to working together with the college’s funding partners on strategies that address Western Canada’s increasing need for veterinarians and animals health care services.”
The new interprovincial agreement is in place until 2030. For more information about the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, visit: www.wcvm.usask.ca.
-30-
For more information, contact:
Media Relations Advanced Education Regina Phone: 306-520-2572 Email: ae.media@gov.sk.ca
Victoria Dinh Media Relations USask Phone: 306-966-5487 Email: victoria.dinh@usask.ca
Seina Cho Media Relations Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills British Columbia Phone: 250-889-9334
Ryan Jamula Media Relations Advanced Education and Training Manitoba Phone: 431-323-4873 Email: ryan.jamula@manitoba.ca
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn, said today (May 22) that the Buildings Department (BD) has refused the application for registration renewal of Aggressive Construction Company Limited (ACCL).
As a registered general building contractor (RGBC), the registration of ACCL expired in April 2023. It was involved in three serious incidents, including a fatal incident in 2022 involving the collapse of a tower crane at a construction site at Anderson Road, a fatal incident in July 2020 involving the electrocution of a worker at a construction site at Wang Chin Street, and a fatal incident in October 2023 involving a worker falling from height at a construction site at To Wah Road. These incidents resulted in a total of five deaths. The BD referred the renewal application to the Contractors Registration Committee (CRC) for interview and assessment in accordance with the Buildings Ordinance (BO). The CRC is established under the BO and its key members are nominated by the relevant building professional registration boards and the industry. After several rounds of interviews, the CRC was not satisfied that the authorised signatories of ACCL were competent and capable in site supervision and safety management to act on behalf of ACCL for the purpose of the BO, and was not satisfied that the contractor had proper site safety management. After careful consideration of CRC’s recommendation, the BD has decided to refuse ACCL’s application for registration renewal. The BD issued today a letter to ACCL, notifying that it will be removed from the register of general building contractors on June 20, and that it will not be allowed to carry out any building works under the BO from that date onwards.
The BD has also requested ACCL to inform the authorised persons (APs) of the building sites of the relevant private development projects under its charge in accordance with the law, including submitting to the APs a notice of cessation of appointment, certifying that the building works carried out are in accordance with the provisions of the BO and its regulations, and giving a clear account of the scope of the completed building works. At the same time, the BD also issued a letter to inform the APs responsible for the relevant building sites that the application for renewal of registration of ACCL has been refused, reminding the APs that they should make arrangements for the remaining works as soon as possible, including proposing to the owner of the project the appointment of another registered contractor to follow up the outstanding building works and ensuring that the building works of the project have been carried out in compliance with the provisions of the BO and its regulations. A copy of the letter has been copied to the relevant project owners. It is believed that the relevant owners will expeditiously and properly handle and hand over the outstanding works with the original contractor and appoint another suitable registered contractor to continue with the relevant works as soon as possible.
ACCL is currently the main contractor for six development projects, three of which are public housing projects (including the public housing development at Tuen Mun Area 29 West, the public housing development at Tung Chung Area 100, and the underground link of Pak Tin Estate redevelopment Phase 10), one is a public works project for the construction of a new Chai Wan Government Complex, one is a subsidised sale housing project on Anderson Road by the Hong Kong Housing Society, and the remaining one is a student and staff dormitory project of the University of Hong Kong on Pok Fu Lam Road. With ACCL being removed from the register of general building contractors, it will no longer be allowed to carry out five of the residential and hostel projects mentioned above according to the law or contract terms. As for the public works project of Chai Wan Government Complex, although it is neither bound by the BO or relevant contract terms to employ a contractor from the register of general building contractors for this project, in view of the slow progress over the past months and the fact that the performance of the contractor is far below contract requirements, the relevant works department will terminate the contract as soon as possible in accordance with the contractual mechanism. The Housing Authority and the relevant works department will follow up with ACCL as soon as possible to arrange for a new contractor to take over the project sites within two months of ACCL leaving the site, so as to complete the remaining works and to minimise the impact on the projects.
In order to minimise the impact to current workers and subcontractors, the Government encourages new contractors for the projects concerned to take priority in engaging current workers and subcontractors. In addition, special consultation counters have been set up at ten Regional Offices of the Labour Relations Division of the Labour Department (LD) to provide appropriate assistance to affected workers. If affected workers need assistance or have enquiries in respect of matters of employment or employees’ rights, they may call the Construction Industry Recruitment Centre (Tel: 3428 3303) or the Labour Relations Division (Tel: 2927 6080) of the LD during office hours.
During the processing of the registration renewal application, relevant departments and parties have strengthened efforts to ensure site safety at ACCL’s construction sites. Apart from proactively doubling surprise inspections to private construction sites, the BD has also required project owners and ACCL to implement additional measures to enhance site supervision. As for public construction sites, the responsible parties have also strengthened site supervision. From now until ACCL’s removal from the register, these enhanced measures will continue to be in place if construction activities are still taking place at the construction sites.
Ms Linn emphasised, “We understand that the decision to refuse the registration renewal may have an impact on the works in progress, but the BD, as the regulatory authority, is required to process registration renewal applications rigorously and professionally in accordance with the BO, which clearly stipulates the factors to be taken into account by the BD. These factors are mainly for assessing whether the registered contractor continues to have the competence, experience, qualifications and suitable appointed persons to act on its behalf in discharging statutory obligations in respect of building works under construction, including building safety. We need to ensure that the system for renewing the registration of registered contractors can play an effective gatekeeping role in maintaining the professional standard of the industry, separating the wheat from the chaff and sending a clear message to the industry and the community, so that the construction industry can continue to develop healthily.”
She supplemented, “Refusing the application for renewal of registration of ACCL is only one of the series of follow-up actions taken by the Government following construction site fatal incidents. In 2023, the BD and the LD instigated prosecutions against ACCL and related individuals under their respective ordinances regarding the collapse of a tower crane on Anderson Road. The case will be heard in January 2026. The involved authorised signatory of ACCL was also charged with manslaughter in 2024, which will be heard in July 2025. As for the other two serious incidents, ACCL and related individuals were convicted and fined under labour ordinances for the 2020 incident, while the 2023 incident will be heard in July 2025.”
