A report presented to members of the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet last week outlined a number of improvements that have been made, leading to reduced waiting times for support and greater independence for the residents of Wolverhampton.
The council says that the transformation of Adult Social Care was needed to address the rising demand for care and the complexity of need, particularly as the city recovered from Covid-19 which had a significant impact – with demand increasing by 31% over the last 5 years.
In that time, the budget for care packages has increased by £44.6 million, with a further £11 million increase approved for 2025 to 2026, making Adult Social Care the council’s highest area of spend.
As part of the transformation programme, the council has been working with IMPOWER, a sector specialist organisation that supports local government with complex change and which helped the council successfully deliver its transformation of Children’s Services in 2016.
Councillor Paula Brookfield, Cabinet Member for Adults, said: “As a council one of our key priorities is ensuring that residents who need it are able to receive high quality care – and we know from our recent budget consultation that this is a top priority for the people of Wolverhampton too.
“We are determined to ensure Adult Social Care services are the best they can possibly be, but we must also be mindful that the increase in costs which we have seen in recent years is not sustainable in the long term.
“This is why we’ve embarked on an ambitious programme of transformation which will ensure the service is fit for purpose, can meet current and future demands, is sustainable and is able to support people to live safely and as independently as possible.”
As part of the transformation, the council has completed a series of ‘test and learn’ programmes which have already delivered a number of improvements, including the establishment of a new ‘front door’ team which has simplified pathways and ensured that people receive support in a timelier manner, reducing wait times from months to less than 5 working days in most cases.
In addition, the number of people requiring support from the locality social work teams has reduced by over half because the front door team has been able to resolve their issues.
Meanwhile, work to improve people’s independence has seen a significant number of the people supported to make connections within their local area, meaning they are able to maintain their independence and get support from within their community, doing the things that are important to them, rather than having to rely on expensive long term care.
A focus on early support and connecting people to help and support at the first opportunity – sometimes while waiting for a formal assessment – has also helped prevent escalation of needs and therefore the requirement for long-term care.
The council has also been working with West Midlands 5G (WM5G) and neighbouring authorities on a trial to show how Technology Enabled Care (TEC) can transform the lives of vulnerable residents in the city — empowering independence, improving wellbeing, and delivering value for public services.
As part of the project, sensor devices and voice activated wireless technologies including fall detectors, smart speakers, smart doorbells and remote monitoring sensors are being used in people’s homes to help support individual care needs.
Work is now underway to develop an outcomes based commissioning framework for residential and nursing placements, to ensure that people who require residential or nursing care receive support that will best meet their outcomes, rather than their needs being fitted to the support on offer.
Councillor Brookfield added: “Already, the programme has delivered sustainable change and received positive feedback from staff and service users, and we look forward to continuing our partnership with IMPOWER as we continue our transformation journey.”
British prosecutors have this week charged social media influencer Andrew Tate with a string of serious sexual offences, including rape and human trafficking, alleged to have been committed in the United Kingdom between 2012 and 2015.
This comes in the wake of an ongoing case in Romania. There, Tate and his brother Tristan face similar charges of coercing and exploiting women through what is sometimes described as the “loverboy method” of manipulation that is used to control and monetise women through webcam performances.
A self-described misogynist, Tate is a widespread figure of notoriety for his views on women and his role in the internet “manosphere”. He has millions of followers globally, including ten million on X alone.
This latest round of prosecutions will likely further entrench the loyalty of those followers: boys and young men who will see their leader as the victim of a corrupt system.
Who is Andrew Tate?
Tate is a British-American social media influencer and former kickboxer. He gained international notoriety for his violently misogynistic videos and pronouncements.
He’s built a massive, loyal social media following through a brand that is part provocateur, part self-help guru and part conspiracy theorist.
His rhetoric emphasises an aspirational masculinity geared towards extreme wealth and a physically fit body, combined with resentment towards women and so-called “feminised” societies. He has, for example, stated that women should “bear responsibility” for sexual assault.
Tate is a leading ideological figurehead of what is often called the “manosphere” – a loose network of online communities and content creators who promote regressive ideas about masculinity, gender roles and male identity.
Tate offers a template for many boys and young men to make sense of their place in the world, playing up ideas that boys are disenfranchised by social, economic, or cultural change.
This is part of an emotional hook that provides belonging and clarity in a world his followers are told is stacked against them.
Tate’s content involves both overt and, more often, insidious celebration of harmful gender norms and misogynistic ideologies.
Research has found boys’ exposure to this content has contributed to a resurgence of a sense of male supremacy in classrooms. This then increases sexism and hostility towards women teachers and girl peers.
Reinforcing the narrative
Given this context, it is unlikely the new charges will erode his popularity.
To be clear, he is not universally admired. In fact, the majority of boys reject what he stands for.
However, for the significant minority who comprise his hardcore followers, these new charges will likely be used to reinforce a persecution narrative.
In this way, Tate has paved the way for more violent and extreme misogyny to become standard, not rare.
This was exactly the pattern when the Romanian charges first emerged. His followers flooded platforms with hashtags like #FreeTopG, reframing his arrest as proof that he was “telling the truth” and being punished for it.
Figures like US President Donald Trump provide a relevant comparison. Trump has faced multiple criminal indictments and was found liable in a civil trial for sexually assaulting E. Jean Carroll.
Yet, his popularity among his base has held firm.
For many of his supporters, these legal challenges are not signs of wrongdoing, but evidence their champion is being unfairly targeted by corrupt institutions.
Tate is similar in that his hypermasculine posturing and anti-establishment bravado ensures his audience see him the same way.
Prompting more loyalty
Given their previous responses, we can already predict how the Tate brothers will respond this time. They will deny the charges, of course, but more importantly, they will use the moment to deepen their mythos.
We might expect to see talk of “the matrix” of shadowy elites, and the weaponisation of justice systems to silence truth-telling men.
They will insist the charges are not about what they did, but about who they are: disruptors of a weak, feminised society. This victim-persecutor framing is central to their appeal and will remain so as this unfolds.
Their followers will, then, likely respond with greater loyalty. For those already steeped in online misogyny and disillusionment, legal accusations such as these don’t raise doubt, but instead confirm the story they already buy into.
This makes combating Tate’s influence a complex challenge. Simply “calling it out” is not enough.
As our research shows, Tate’s brand thrives not in spite of controversy, but because of it.
This is why we need a more strategic, long-term approach to address the harms Tate and other such figureheads represent.
We need robust gender education in schools, stronger commitments to critical media literacy, and the elevation of alternative role models who can speak to the same emotional terrain without reinforcing misogyny.
A key lesson here is that, for the manosphere’s key figures, being charged or even found guilty of crimes (should that occur) might not signal their downfall or diminish their relevance.
Steven Roberts receives funding from Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety, the Australian Research Council and the Australian Government. He is a Board Director at Respect Victoria, but this article is written wholly separate from and does not represent that role.
Stephanie Wescott receives funding from Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety.
Mavenir Open vRAN and O-RAN compliant small cells central to success of Three UK’s Glasgow City Centre roll-out – boosting coverage and capacity across a high-demand, dense urban environment
Landmark trial demonstrates the benefit of deploying Open RAN small cells alongside existing macro networks to solve blackspot issues
GLASGOW, Scotland, May 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Mavenir, the cloud-native network infrastructure provider, working in collaboration with operator Three UK and the world’s leading provider of open source solutions, Red Hat, has successfully demonstrated the performance benefits of 5G non-standalone O-RAN compliant small cells in Glasgow City Centre – doubling 5G speeds at peak times.
This milestone UK-first trial of Open RAN in a dense urban environment also marks the first live deployment of O-RAN compliant small cells working alongside legacy macro cells from traditional vendors in this environment – driving a significant reduction in traffic congestion by delivering high-quality coverage and additional capacity. During the initial phase of the trial, both 4G and 5G speeds doubled during the busiest times of the day, with Three UK’s 5G speeds reaching an impressive 520Mbps across the trial area. The capacity boost also cascaded into further performance and user experience improvements in surrounding sites.
Following the successful trial of 18 live sites in Glasgow City Centre, the project will now move into its final deployment phase, bringing the total number of Open RAN small cell sites to 34.
Mavenir’s roll-out of a small cell densification layer for Three UK is being delivered as part of the SCONDA (Small Cells O-RAN in Dense Areas) project – a key connectivity initiative backed by the UK government’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). The project represents a significant step forward for Open RAN in the UK by trialing – for the first time – the integration of a full decentralized Open RAN architecture with existing traditional infrastructure into a high traffic, high footfall city setting.
Mavenir is delivering a full 4G and 5G O-RAN solution, including its OpenBeam small cell radios running on Red Hat OpenShift, the industry’s leading hybrid cloud application platform powered by Kubernetes. Mavenir 4G and 5G small cell radios are being deployed on lamp posts across Glasgow to offload macro traffic and enable automation of network performance within a challenging multi-vendor, multi-technology radio environment. Three UK is leveraging Red Hat OpenShift to build and deliver the Open vRAN network, integrated into the existing 4G core of Three UK, and operating alongside the operator’s traditional RAN.
Brandon Larson, SVP, Cloud and AI at Mavenir, said: “This network densification project proves that the Open RAN layer built by Mavenir can efficiently and effectively meet the needs of Three UK and its customers in one of the busiest cities in the UK. Our solution has delivered a 2x improvement in 5G speeds, a measurable uplift in capacity, and handover of customer traffic has been outstanding. This powerfully demonstrates that Open RAN can be fully integrated alongside traditional vendors – a breakthrough that will get the attention of radio network design teams around the world for the cost savings and flexibility it offers.”
Iain Milligan, Chief Network Officer at Three UK said: “Mavenir and Red Hat have been exceptional partners on this groundbreaking project – the UK’s first Open RAN trial to tackle the real-world complexity of a dense urban environment. We have pushed the boundaries and proven that the Open RAN approach is a hugely valuable addition to network design and deployment.”
He added: “Urban deployments bring a different level of technical and operational challenge compared to rural environments. We’ve had to navigate integration with legacy systems, security layers, and evolving software – all while delivering measurable improvements for customers. The trial results are encouraging and provide a strong foundation for further scaling and optimisation of Open RAN in cities.”
Honoré LaBourdette, Vice President, Global Telco Ecosystem at Red Hat, said: “Red Hat and Mavenir share a commitment to delivering optimized Open RAN solutions for service providers to achieve improved network performance and unlock the next generation of 5G use cases. We are pleased to collaborate with Mavenir to implement an integrated 5G Standalone Open RAN solution, powered by Red Hat OpenShift, to help Three UK deliver enhanced customer experiences and streamline operations for the city of Glasgow.”
With this latest deployment, Mavenir and Red Hat are continuing to offer carrier-grade telco cloud solutions to mobile network operators, leveraging a decade of well-established collaboration. Mavenir RAN workloads on Red Hat OpenShift offer an attractive value proposition for the mobile network operators.
Key benefits delivered by Mavenir using Red Hat OpenShift include:
Full stack automation: Integration of Red Hat Advanced Cluster Management for Kubernetes with Mavenir’s Cloud-Native Automation provides full stack automation and streamlined day-1 and day-2 operational management.
Pre-integrated and pre-tested reference architectures: Red Hat and Mavenir help minimize complexity and reduce time spent on integration by providing a common, pre-integrated reference architecture.
Scalable design and faster time-to-market: Offering design flexibility to scale the architecture with Mavenir workloads on Red Hat OpenShift and leveraging additional tools for faster deployments.
Comprehensive Security Capabilities: Mavenir’s Open RAN solution on Red Hat OpenShift provides mobile networks with core platform security controls, including admission controllers, container isolation via Security Context Constraints (SCCs), runtime protection using kernel-level security modules (seccomp, SELinux), role-based access controls (RBAC) and network segmentation through CNI/OVN. These capabilities align with industry practices, enabling operators to implement hardened configurations for compliance objectives.
Notes to editors
The SCONDA project is a partnership with Three UK, Mavenir, AWTG, Freshwave, PI Works, the 5G Scotland Centre and Accenture, with the support of Glasgow City Council and funding from the UK government’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT).
Hutchison 3G UK Limited, trading as Three UK, is a British telecommunications company based in Reading, England. It is an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of CK Hutchison Holdings, a limited liability Cayman Islands company registered and listed in Hong Kong. Three is the fourth-largest mobile network operator in the United Kingdom, with about 10.9 million subscribers as of November 2024. For more information, please visit https://www.three.co.uk/
About Mavenir:
Mavenir is building the future of networks today with cloud-native, AI-enabled solutions which are green by design, empowering operators to realize the benefits of 5G and achieve intelligent, automated, programmable networks. As the pioneer of Open RAN and a proven industry disruptor, Mavenir’s award-winning solutions are delivering automation and monetization across mobile networks globally, accelerating software network transformation for 300+ Communications Service Providers in over 120 countries, which serve more than 50% of the world’s subscribers. For more information, please visit www.mavenir.com
Red Hat, the Red Hat logo and OpenShift are trademarks or registered trademarks of Red Hat, Inc. or its subsidiaries in the U.S. and other countries.
Press Release Nokia brings Wi-Fi 7 to all with launch of Beacon 4 and 9 home devices
Nokia introduces new entry-level and mid-tier Beacons that can deliver speeds over 3x faster than Wi-Fi 6 devices.
Nokia Beacons bring affordable Wi-Fi 7 to customers globally, providing multi-gigabit capacity needed to support future devices and services in the home.
Nokia’s Beacon 4 and 9, powered by Corteca software, simplify device management and support enhanced services via applications available on the Corteca marketplace.
29 May 2025 Espoo, Finland – Today, Nokia launched two new Wi-Fi 7 gateways designed to deliver, reliable, ultra-fast broadband to every corner of the home. Nokia’s entry level Beacon 4 and mid-tier Beacon 9 offer gigabit speeds over Wi-Fi – essential for supporting the expanding demands of streaming, online gaming, video, smart home, and security applications in the home.
As XGS-PON and 25G PON services grow, Wi-Fi upgrades are essential to delivering multi-gigabit speeds into homes. Nokia’s new Beacon 4 and 9 are designed specifically for this purpose, allowing service providers to offer an affordable, best-in-class Wi-Fi 7 experience for the masses. Incorporating Wi-Fi 7’s full capabilities, the dual-band Beacon 4 gateway delivers 3.6Gbs speeds over Wi-Fi while the tri-band Beacon 9 gateway delivers blazingly fast 9.4Gbs speeds that help eliminate slowdowns and buffering issues. Both Beacons are powered by its Corteca software which allows operators to create and monetize better broadband experiences.
“As the connected home ecosystem grows increasingly complex, Wi-Fi 7 emerges not just as a technological upgrade, but as a strategic necessity. To unlock the full market potential of Wi-Fi 7, it is essential to accelerate its availability across a wider range of devices. Expanding access – while preserving opportunities for service providers to differentiate and monetize premium offerings – will be key to driving adoption at scale and delivering the elevated experience consumers expect.” said Alzbeta Fellenbaum, Practice Leader, Service Provider – Consumer at Omdia.
“Wi-Fi 7 is a pivotal new technology that will power the connected home of the future. Operators can now make Wi-Fi 7 a reality for customers, with two new affordable solutions that ensure multi-gigabit speeds are delivered to every corner of the home for the ultimate experience,” said Dirk Verhaegen, Head of Broadband Devices, Fixed Networks at Nokia.
The new gateways expand Nokia’s portfolio of Wi-Fi 7 devices which now include the Beacon 4, Beacon 9, Beacon 19 and Beacon 24 models, each designed to meet the varying demands of operators and end-users globally.
About Nokia At Nokia, we create technology that helps the world act together.
As a B2B technology innovation leader, we are pioneering networks that sense, think and act by leveraging our work across mobile, fixed and cloud networks. In addition, we create value with intellectual property and long-term research, led by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs, which is celebrating 100 years of innovation.
With truly open architectures that seamlessly integrate into any ecosystem, our high-performance networks create new opportunities for monetization and scale. Service providers, enterprises and partners worldwide trust Nokia to deliver secure, reliable and sustainable networks today – and work with us to create the digital services and applications of the future.
A United Nations warehouse in war-torn Gaza was broken into by “hordes of hungry people” on Wednesday as aid trickles into the Palestinian enclave on the brink of famine and the United States readies new terms for a possible truce between Israel and Hamas.
The World Food Programme said initial reports were that two people had died and several more were injured at the central Gaza warehouse. The U.N. agency appealed for an immediate scale-up of food aid “to reassure people that they will not starve.”
Eyewitness video independently verified by Reuters shows large crowds of people pushing into the warehouse and removing bags and boxes as gunfire can be heard. It was not immediately clear how the people may have been killed or injured in the incident.
Under growing international pressure, Israel ended an 11-week long aid blockade on Gaza 10 days ago. It has allowed a limited amount of relief to be delivered via two avenues – the United Nations or the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
U.N. Middle East envoy Sigrid Kaag told the Security Council that the amount of aid Israel had so far allowed the U.N. to deliver was “comparable to a lifeboat after the ship has sunk” when everyone in Gaza was facing the risk of famine.
The United States has been trying to broker a ceasefire. Israel – which resumed its military operation in Gaza in March after a brief truce – continued strikes on Wednesday, killing at least 30 people, Palestinian health officials said.
“We are on the precipice of sending out a new term sheet that hopefully will be delivered later on today,” U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, said on Wednesday. “The president is going to review it.”
The war in Gaza was triggered on October 7, 2023, when Palestinian militants Hamas killed 1,200 people in southern Israel and took some 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Since then, Israel’s military campaign has killed more than 53,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities.
UN VS GHF
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that Israel’s killing of Hamas Gaza chief Mohammad Sinwar marked a turn towards the “complete defeat of Hamas”, adding that Israel was “taking control of food distribution” in Gaza.
Israel has accused Hamas of diverting and seizing aid supplies. Hamas has denied stealing aid.
At the United Nations, more than half the Security Council called on Wednesday for the 15-member body to act on Gaza. Slovenia’s U.N. Ambassador Samuel Zbogar said some members are working on a draft resolution to demand unimpeded aid access.
“Remaining silent is not an option,” he told the council.
Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon told the Security Council that Israel would allow aid deliveries “for the immediate future” via both the U.N. and the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which began aid deliveries on Monday.
However, Israel ultimately wants the U.N. to work through the GHF, which is using private U.S. security and logistics companies to transport aid into Gaza for distribution by civilian teams at so-called secure distribution sites.
“The U.N. should put their ego aside and cooperate with the new mechanism,” Danon told reporters before the council meeting.
The U.N. and other international aid groups have refused to work with the GHF because they say the plan is not neutral.
“This new scheme is surveillance-based rationing that legitimizes a policy of deprivation by design,” senior U.N. aid official for the occupied Palestinian territories, Jonathan Whittall, told reporters in Jerusalem on Wednesday.
“The U.N. has refused to participate in this scheme, warning that it is logistically unworkable and violates humanitarian principles by using aid as a tool in Israel’s broader efforts to depopulate areas of Gaza,” he said.
WARNING SHOTS
The U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, told Reuters it was “sad and disgusting” that the U.N. and other groups would not work with the GHF, describing the foundation’s aid distribution as “effective so far.”
The Israeli military on Tuesday said it fired warning shots in the area outside a GHF distribution site, which was briefly rushed by people waiting for aid. Footage shared on social media showed fences broken down by crowds as private security contractors fell back before restoring order.
“I am a big man, but I couldn’t hold back my tears when I saw the images of women, men and children racing for some food,” said Rabah Rezik, 65, a father of seven from Gaza City.
The United Nations human rights office said on Wednesday that 47 people had been injured on Tuesday while seeking aid from the GHF, citing information from partners on the ground. It could not give a specific location of where people were injured. The GHF said no one was injured at the distribution site.
The foundation said aid distribution continued on Wednesday without incident as it opened a second distribution hub. Across the two sites it has so far given out the equivalent of 840,262 meals. The GHF said it is working to open four sites and expand further in Gaza in the weeks ahead.
The United Nations said that since aid deliveries resumed last week Israel had approved about 800 truckloads of relief.
But U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said that fewer than 500 truckloads had made it to the Palestinian side of the Kerem Shalom crossing, “where we and our partners could collect just over 200 of them – limited by insecurity and restricted access.”
Israel is under pressure over Gaza’s dire humanitarian situation. France, Britain, Canada and Germany have said they may take action if the military campaign is not halted. Italy on Wednesday said the offensive had become unacceptable.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Benjamin Smith, Professor of Archaeology (World Rock Art), School of Social Sciences, The University of Western Australia
Yesterday, new environment minister Murray Watt approved an extension for the North West Shelf liquefied natural gas project. The gas plant at Karratha, Western Australia, will run until 2070.
This expansion – and the pollution it will release – has led to a recommendation by the International Council on Monuments and Sites to defer UNESCO’s decision on the world heritage listing of the nearby Murujuga rock art.
Two of the recommendations prior to renomination of the site are to “ensure the total removal of degrading acidic emissions” and “prevent any further industrial development adjacent to, and within, the Murujuga Cultural Landscape”.
Murujuga has more than one million petroglyphs, some up to 50,000 years old.
It has the oldest depictions of the human face in the world and records the lore and traditions of Aboriginal Australians since the first human settlement of this continent. It is strikingly beautiful and is of enormous cultural and spiritual importance to the Traditional Owners.
Despite the immense significance of the site, a large industrial precinct has been built at its centre.
On Friday, the Western Australian Government released the long awaited Murujuga Rock Art Monitoring Program Year 2 report. This report examines the effect of industrial pollution upon one of the world’s most significant rock art sites.
We have conducted our own independent project into the impact of industrial emissions on Murujuga since 2018. Many of our findings support the details in this report but the government’s report summary and subsequent political commentary downplays the ongoing impacts of acidic emissions from industry on the world unique rock art.
The most significant findings are the Weathering Chamber results. These subjected all rock types from Murujuga to the air pollutants released by industry. The results showed that all were degraded, even with relatively low doses of sulphur dioxide (SO₂) and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂).
The second highly significant finding is that “there is statistically significant evidence of elevated porosity of granophyre rock surfaces”. This is centred on the industrial precinct in Murujuga. The report acknowledges industrial pollution is the most likely cause.
This degradation and elevated porosity of the rocks puts the survival of the petroglyphs at risk.
On our research team, Jolam Neumann’s still to be published PhD thesis at the University of Bonn, Germany, considered the impacts of industrial pollution on Murujuga rocks.
He used actual samples of gabbro and granophyre rock collected from Murujuga and simulated six years of weathering under current pollution conditions. He found elevated porosity in both rock surfaces. He also collected the residue to understand what was eroded from the rock and how.
He found there was significant degradation of birnessite (manganese) and kaolinite (clay) from the surface. The dark red/brown surface of the rock became porous and started to break down.
His work confirms industrial emissions are the cause of the elevated porosity in the report. His work shows the seriousness of the porosity: it is symptomatic of a process causing the rapid disintegration of the rock surface.
Damage is ongoing
With Murujuga Rock Art Monitoring Program report showing evidence of damage to the art from pollution, the state government chose to emphasise in their report summary that a defunct power plant from the 1970s and 1980s was likely the culprit.
The report’s data suggests this power plant produced about 3,600 tonnes of NO₂ per year, and less than 400 tonnes of SO₂ per year. Current industry in the immediate area produces more than 13,000 tonnes of NO₂ per year and more than 6,500 tonnes of SO₂.
If the old power plant damaged the art then contemporary industrial emissions will be damaging the rock art at least five times faster.
Neumann also gained access to a piece of rock collected in 1994 by archaeological scientist Robert Bednarik, and stored in his office in Melbourne for the past 30 years.
The area where this rock came from now has elevated porosity, but the Bendarik rock shows no signs of it. This means the bulk of the industrial damage is likely more recent than 1994 – and is ongoing.
Losing 50,000 years of culture
The rock art was formed by engraving into the outer thin red/brown/black surface of the rock, called rock varnish, exposing the blue-grey parent rock beneath.
This rock varnish was made in a process that involved the actions of specialised microbes called cyanobacteria. They concentrate manganese and iron from the environment to form an outer sheath to protect themselves from the harsh desert environment.
The rock varnish forms at an incredibly slow rate: 1 to 10 microns in 1,000 years (a human hair is about 100 microns).
These organisms can only thrive when the rock surface acidity is near neutral (pH 6.5–7). Their manganese sheaths are crucial to the integrity of the rock varnish, it binds it together and holds it to the underlying rock.
If you lose the manganese you lose the rock varnish and the rock art.
Neumann found the proportion of manganese in the Bednarik rock sample was 18.4% by weight. In samples collected in the same area in 2021, the manganese content had fallen to 9.6%. The depth of the varnish was reduced, and the varnish layer was full of holes where the manganese had been degraded.
The damage by industry over the last 26 years was clearly visible.
Increased porosity is reducing the density of the rock varnish layer and leading to its eventual degradation. There is also an absence of cyanobacteria close to the industrial sites, but not at more distant sites, suggesting industrial emissions are eliminating the varnish-forming microbes.
Where to next?
Industrial pollution has degraded the rock art and will continue to do so until the industrial pollution levels at Murujuga are reduced to zero.
There are two well-recognised ways to eliminate NO₂ emissions. One uses selective catalytic reduction to convert NO₂ to nitrogen and water. The second method is to replace all gas burning heat production processes with electricity.
The use of such technologies should form part of the conditions to the ministerial approval of the North West Shelf extension.
Benjamin Smith receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the National Foundation for Australia-China Relations. Neither of these funding bodies provided funding for the research discussed here and the views expressed here may not reflect those of these funding bodies. The research upon which this Conversation piece is based was funded solely by private donations from concerned citizens. We received no funding for this research from either industry or government.
John Black is retired and receives no government or industry funding. The research upon which this Conversation piece is based was funded solely by private donations from concerned citizens. We received no funding for this research from either industry or government.
ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Dominic Sprague, 41, of Greece, NY, pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford to conspiracy to transport stolen goods in interstate commerce. According to the plea agreement, Sprague faces up to 72 months in prison when sentenced.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi, who is handling the case, stated that between December 2021 and October 17, 2024, Sprague, who was the owner and operator of the New York Gold Diamond Pawn Shop in Greece, engaged in a conspiracy with larcenists, Amanda Reeves, Shabon Banks, Chad Lewis, Jr., and pawn shop manager James Civiletti, to buy and sell stolen goods.
As part of the scheme, Reeves, Banks, and Lewis stole new-in-box items from store shelves on a weekly and sometimes daily basis, both alone and in concert with one another. They then sold the stolen goods to the pawn shop, which was managed by Civiletti, for a fraction of their actual retail value. The pawn shop then resold the stolen merchandise on eBay at much higher prices, resulting in significant profits. In total, the New York Gold Diamond Pawn Shop purchased 37,936 stolen new-in-box items from Reeves, Banks, and Lewis on more than 670 occasions, for which they were paid $290,000.00, which was approximately 25% of the actual retail value of the stolen items. This resulted in actual losses to the victim-retailers of approximately $1,160,000.00.
Banks, Reeves, Lewis and Civiletti were previously convicted and are awaiting sentencing.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Greece Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael Wood; the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter; Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan, and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Harry Chavis.
Sentencing is scheduled for September 23, 2025, before Judge Wolford.
A nine-member Indian parliamentary delegation led by BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad will reach Denmark on Thursday after concluding a diplomatic outreach visit to Italy, where they emphasised India’s unwavering commitment to combating terrorism.
In Copenhagen, the Indian parliamentarians will highlight the significance of Operation Sindoor and India’s continuing battle against Pakistan-sponsored cross-border terrorism.
The delegation will interact with Danish parliamentarians, political parties, members of the media, and the Indian diaspora to share the country’s position on global terror challenges.
During the Italy leg of the visit, the delegation engaged with key Italian leaders, think tanks, strategic experts, and news agencies to underline India’s zero-tolerance and ‘new normal’ policy toward Pakistan-facilitated cross-border terrorism.
The meetings included discussions with Stefania Craxi, Chairperson of the Italian Senate’s Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee, who echoed India’s concerns and proposed stronger bilateral cooperation to address the global threat of terrorism.
“During our visit to Italy, my colleagues from the all-party delegation and I had the privilege of meeting Senator Stefania Craxi, Chair of the Senate’s Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee. We apprised her of India’s firm stance against terrorism in all its forms, underscoring our zero-tolerance policy towards cross-border terrorism. Senator Craxi echoed our sentiments, emphasising the need for a unified global response to terrorism and proposing enhanced cooperation between India and Italy to tackle this pressing challenge,” Prasad posted on X.
The delegation also engaged with the Indian diaspora and highlighted India’s unwavering commitment to combating terrorism.
The Indian delegation includes, Daggubati Purandeswari (BJP), Priyanka Chaturvedi (Shiv Sena-UBT), Ghulam Ali Khatana (BJP), Amar Singh (Congress), Samik Bhattacharya (BJP), M. Thambidurai (AIADMK), former Union Minister M.J. Akbar, and former Ambassador Pankaj Saran.
The Met is clamping down on courier fraud, following a targeted operation which has led to the seizure of more than £250,000 in cash and hundreds of bank cards and phones in recent weeks.
In just two months, officers have arrested 18people believed to be behind sophisticated fraud scams, with the oldest victim affected aged 101.
The Met’s operation has also seen a 46% decrease in reported offences since it began in February 2025.
Courier fraud is where fraudsters contact victims by telephone impersonating trusted authorities such as a police officer or bank officials. They will deceive them into withdrawing cash or handing over bank cards. Sometimes scammers trick victims into purchasing expensive items, such as jewellery, to hand over to who they believe is a courier. The items are often handed over in person, but also by post.
As part of these scams, criminals often target vulnerable members of the community, with 80% of victims of courier fraud above the age of 65.
Using intelligence and proactive policing, Met officers working with the City of London Police, have taken decisive action to bring suspected offenders to justice and clampdown on the organised crime networks sitting behind them.
Officers conducted a number of warrants across several London addresses, used covert tactics and intelligence to dismantle suspected organised crime networks.
Those involved in the operation also visited more than 100 victims to reassure, educate and help recover money stolen.
Detective Superintendent Kerry Wood, Head of the Met’s Economic Crime Unit, said:
“Met officers have worked extremely hard over the last few months to protect those vulnerable to this devasting crime, which can deprive vulnerable people of their livelihoods, pensions and hard-earned savings. The impact of these crimes can be long-lasting and cause significant emotional harm.
“We’ve arrested a number of individuals as part of our targeted operation, but the work doesn’t stop here and our officers will continue to pursue those who ruthlessly target our communities via sophisticated scams.
“Our message to criminals should be clear – we will investigate, arrest and put you before the courts.”
As part of the Met’s mission to tackle economic crime and fraud, detectives continue to work alongside banks, businesses and community groups, as well as the City of London Police and Action Fraud.
Detective Chief Inspector Alexander Eristavi, from the Lead Force Operations Room (LFOR) at City of London Police, said:
“This is a fantastic demonstration of collaborative police work and the impactful results that can be delivered when we come together.
“The results achieved over this period have positively impacted vulnerable members of the community, and we are eager to build on this success in the future.
“We would like to thank all of the teams at City of London Police who contributed to this operation as well as colleagues at the Metropolitan Police Service who we worked alongside.”
In recent weeks, officers have also focussed on crime prevention. They have carried out over 90 awareness visits to banks, jewellers and bureau de change branches, while delivering educational presentations to those working within the impacted industries.
Officers have also sent out over 115,000 crime prevention leaflets to help people spot the signs of courier fraud.
Case Studies
The operation investigated a series of courier fraud allegations. In one investigation, it’s alleged that a man and women posed as bank officials and tricked unsuspecting victims into handing over their bank cards. Two people have since been charged in relation to this investigation, after officers connected them to 60 other reports of a similar nature.
The operation also uncovered a suspected multi-million-pound organised crime network, who are alleged to have tricked victims into sending their bank cards to various addresses across London. It is alleged that the suspects would then use the cards to fraudulently purchase expensive goods within high-end retail shops. 70 reports were connected to this investigation and four men have since been charged with fraud in relation to this. Another three people have been charged for concealing stolen goods.
How to protect yourself from courier fraud:
Be extremely wary of unsolicited phone calls from your bank or the police, particularly if they are requesting personal or financial information.
End the call, and call back on a different phone line or on a mobile. If this is not possible, wait at least one minute before calling back. Use either the telephone number on your bank card, go to the bank’s website or for the police dial ‘101’.
Speak to friends or family before carrying out any actions. Don’t trust claims made by cold callers.
Never hand over your money, bank cards or make purchases following an unexpected call.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
The UN Security Council holds a meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, at the UN headquarters in New York, on May 28, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
The interim UN special coordinator for the Middle East peace process warned on Wednesday that the two-state solution is on life support, calling for collective action to revive it.
“The two-state solution is on life support. Reviving it requires collective action,” said Sigrid Kaag. “Peace cannot be a transaction or a partial, temporary arrangement. It needs to be built on international consensus and legitimacy, moving it from managing the conflict to ending it.”
There can be no sustainable peace in the Middle East without a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The region’s future will remain bound to its unresolved past, unless bold political will and decisions break the cycle, she told the Security Council.
Palestinian statehood is a right, not a reward, she said.
The upcoming high-level international conference in June, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, presents a critical opportunity. It must not be another rhetorical exercise. It must launch a path toward ending the occupation and realizing the two-state solution based on international law, UN resolutions and previous agreements, said Kaag. “We need to pivot ourselves from declarations to decisions. We need to implement rather than adopt new texts.”
Humanitarian aid and assistance urgently need to reach all civilians across Gaza. Essential services, livelihoods, and human dignity need to be restored. Forced displacement of civilians must be rejected and prevented. Post-war Palestinian governance and appropriate security arrangements in Gaza are needed. The territorial and political unity of Gaza and the West Bank must be preserved. Hostages need to be unconditionally released, said the UN envoy.
While war-torn Gaza rightly captures the world’s attention, the West Bank is on a dangerous trajectory, she warned.
“Developments are best described as accelerating de facto annexation through settlement expansion, land seizures, and settler violence. If not reversed, this will make the two-state solution physically impossible,” she said.
International engagement and alignment are critical, said Kaag. “We need to act now to reverse the current trajectory. A well-defined, widely supported and timebound political process, accompanied by safeguards and guarantees, is essential.”
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Members of the Chinese Yangqin Art Troupe perform during the 15th anniversary celebration of the Confucius Institute Ljubljana in Ljubljana, Slovenia, on May 28, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
Over 100 distinguished guests from the business, education, and cultural sectors of both China and Slovenia gathered in Ljubljana on Tuesday to mark the 15th anniversary of the Confucius Institute Ljubljana.
Zhao Binghui, charge d’affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Slovenia, spoke highly of the Institute’s contributions to deepening multi-level and multi-field exchanges between China and Slovenia by promoting high-quality Chinese language education and organizing diverse cultural activities over the past 15 years.
The Institute was jointly established by the Shanghai University of International Business and Economics (SUIBE) and the University of Ljubljana in May 2010.
To date, the Institute has established five Confucius Classrooms and 26 teaching centers throughout Slovenia, providing Chinese language education from kindergarten to university level. “Language is a bridge for exchanges and mutual learning of civilizations,” he noted.
Qi Ming, chairman of SUIBE, also emphasized the Institute’s role as a vital bridge between the two universities, helping foster mutual understanding between the Chinese and Slovenian peoples. He noted the partnership has led to diverse collaborations, including faculty and student exchanges, as well as joint research initiatives.
Meanwhile, Danijela Voljc, the Slovenian director of the Institute, said that over 600 Slovenians are currently studying Chinese through its programs. Over the past 15 years, the Institute has trained several thousand more students, bringing Chinese and Slovenian cultures closer together, the director added.
Since 2012, Chinese has been officially included in Slovenia’s national education system.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Reigning men’s champion Carlos Alcaraz of Spain and top-ranked women’s player Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus both clinched second-round victories at the French Open on Wednesday.
Alcaraz, 22, defeated Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan 6-1, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, and will confront Damir Dzumhur of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the third round.
“I started pretty well. In the first set, I had really high confidence. I think in the second set he started to play much better, very aggressive. He didn’t miss at all, so it was a little bit difficult to deal with his game in the second set, but I’m really happy with how I stayed strong and refreshed in the third set. I started to play better and better, and it has been a good last two sets,” the second seed recalled after the match.
In other men’s singles games, Portugal’s Nuno Borges shocked seventh-seeded Casper Ruud of Norway 2-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-0, while Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti saw off Daniel Elahi Galan of Colombia 6-4, 6-0, 6-4.
Three-time Grand Slam winner Sabalenka eased past Switzerland’s Jil Teichmann 6-3, 6-1 in 79 minutes, and Chinese favorite Zheng Qinwen also seized victory over Emiliana Arango of Colombia in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3.
Earlier this month, 22-year-old Zheng beat Sabalenka for the first time to reach the Italian Open semifinals. The French Open women’s singles draw is such that the two could potentially face off in the quarterfinal.
“Even myself, I got a lot of inspiration from last year. When I am in difficult moments, I always remember to keep fighting. I really love the French crowd. I would like to play more matches here,” said 2024 Olympic champion Zheng.
In women’s doubles, tenth-seeded Jiang Xinyu of China and Wu Fang-hsien of Chinese Taipei advanced into the second round after beating Camila Osorio of Colombia and America’s Alycia Parks 6-4, 6-1. Fellow Chinese players Xu Yifan, Zhang Shuai and Guo Hanyu all bowed out in the first round with their respective partners.
China’s Bu Yunchaokete and Argentina’s Camilo Ugo Carabelli failed to reach the men’s doubles second round, after losing to India’s N. Sriram Balaji and Miguel Reyes-Varela of Mexico 6-2, 6-1.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
The China-Germany (China-Europe) Hidden Champions Forum 2025 concluded in Beijing on Tuesday. The importance of investment and collaboration in Chinese market is repeatedly emphasized during three days of in-depth discussions on industrial chain resilience, policy access and new technology cooperation.
The forum brought together over 600 representatives from China and abroad, including company executives, government officials, and industry leaders.
Hidden champions refer to highly successful yet lesser-known small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that are global leaders in terms of market share in their respective niches.
Würth Group is a hidden champion that provides over 125,000 product variants, from screws to chemical-technical products for automotive maintenance, assembly technology, rail transportation, etc.
Harald Unkelbach, board member of Würth Group, highlighted the reliability and predictability of the Chinese market for foreign investors, noting that the group plans to increase its investment in China further, as it has already established 38 affiliated enterprises there.
Amid rapid digitalization, forum participants emphasized the urgent need for SME digital transformation and supply chain modernization.
According to Jiang Xiaojuan, professor at University of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, digital platforms are helping SMEs engaged in cross-border research and development address challenges like low levels of product localization and slow development cycles.
Another discussion point was the technological complementarity between China and Germany. Ivka Ocharova from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology noted that while Germany excels in foundational knowledge development and manufacturing technology, China leads in generative AI and applied technologies. This complementary dynamic creates vast potential for cooperation.
The innovation cluster network is one of the attractive aspects of Beijing, the host city of this forum. Beijing ranks third in the World Intellectual Property Organization’s Science and Technology Cluster Ranking 2024 and that its GDP surged 5.2 percent to 4.98 trillion yuan (about 692.69 billion U.S. dollars) last year, noted Mu Peng, vice mayor of Beijing.
Beijing has continued to improve the business environment by aligning with international standards, and over 8,300 foreign-funded enterprises have been established here in the past five years.
Peng Jian, expert at International Cooperation Center of National Development and Reform Commission, pointed to the evolving role of hidden champions, with many transitioning from “in China, for China” to “in China, for the World.” He added that German enterprises set up research and development links in China for products intended for global emerging markets and gain technical inspiration from this process.
Hans-Peter Friedrich, former vice president of the German Bundestag, said that not investing in China means missing out on prime access to Asia’s vast regional market.
Friedrich shared a proverb at the forum that received applause from the guests in attendance: When the winds of change blow, some people build walls, others build windmills. He expressed the hope to collaborate with China to jointly create more “windmills” and promote shared development, especially during period of transformation.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Arsenal is close to completing a deal to sign Spain international midfielder Martin Zubimendi for a fee of 60 million euros (68 million US dollars) from Real Sociedad.
Both the Spanish and UK media report Zubimendi is in London to have his medical check, with the deal expected to be completed in the coming hours.
He will be the second Spain international midfielder to join Arsenal from Real Sociedad in a year after Mikel Merino made the same move in the summer of 2024.
Whereas Merino is used to playing a more advanced role and even ended the season playing as a striker, Zubimendi tends to play in just ahead of the defense in a holding role, although he is capable of pushing further upfield.
Arsenal views him as a replacement for Thomas Partey, who is currently the only true holding midfielder at the club.
26-year-old Zubimendi progressed through the Real Sociedad youth system, making his first team debut at the end of the 2017-18 season, becoming established in the first team in the 2020-21 campaign.
He has made 232 first team appearances, scoring 10 goals, while he has also played 17 times for Spain.
Real Madrid were also interested in signing the midfielder, who nevertheless has preferred a move abroad out of respect for the fans of the club he has so-far represented all his career.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
The seventh stage (SS7) of the Taklimakan Rally unfolded Wednesday, with strong winds and dust storms forcing competitors to slow down on the short, technically moderate 82-kilometer route.
Veteran rider Martin Michek, drawing on extensive off-road experience, was the first to cross the finish line, showing dominant form through the sandstorm again. His Lithuanian teammate, Arunas Gelazninkas, maintained a steady approach, overcoming multiple dune entrapments to complete the stage safely.
Driver Fei Wei and co-driver Qu Shanshun of China compete during Stage 7 of the 2025 Taklimakan Rally in Kashgar, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, May 28, 2025. (Xinhua/Xin Yuewei)
Among the riders, joy and grit marked the finish.
“The Taklimakan Rally is my life. If there’s a rally, I’ll be here,” said local rider Zakir Yhep.
While the motorcycle field saw a clear leader emerge, the car category remained fiercely competitive. Several top contenders — including Liu Yangui, Fan Gaoxiang and Tao Yongming — remain in close contention for the overall title.
As the rally heads into its final sprint stages through vast dune fields, the stakes are higher than ever.
“We’re sticking to our rhythm and staying consistent,” said Fan. “All the pressure is on our mechanics and support crew. Huge thanks to them for their hard work.”
The rally will pause for its final rest day Thursday before moving into the decisive stages in Makit County, Kashgar Prefecture.
Few sports have witnessed a transformation as dramatic as darts in recent years.
From its origins as a pub game stereotypically played with cigarette and beer in hand, darts is now serious business.
With surging television ratings and huge demand for live events, the growth of darts continues to leave many sports looking on in envy.
There has been a combination of factors at play – not least one exceptionally prodigious teenager. Before discussing those factors, it’s worth taking a closer look at the numbers.
Becoming big business
Darts sits alongside a select few sports to have achieved significant commercial growth over the past decade.
In addition to the PDC World Championship – the sport’s premier knockout event – viewership records were also broken across the 2024 Premier League Darts season, a league-format competition featuring weekly fixtures between top-ranked players.
Outside the UK, darts viewership also continues to grow.
The Netherlands remains a strong and expanding heartland, while in Germany, viewership for the World Championship final has increased eightfold since 2008.
In Australia, precise viewing figures are not widely available, but the Foxtel Group’s landmark four-year deal with the PDC in 2023 suggests rising demand.
Surging audiences are translating into significantly larger broadcast deals.
In 2025, Sky Sports reportedly outbid Netflix to secure a new £125 million (A$260.3 million) deal for exclusive UK coverage of the PDC for 2026–30. That was double the size of the previous deal.
In contrast, many other sports face stagnation or even sharp declines in media rights value.
For instance, the UK Super League rugby’s rights on Sky Sports fell from £40 million (A$83.3 million) per season in 2021 to £21.5 million (A$44.5 million) in 2024.
Similarly, in soccer, the French Ligue 1’s TV deal with DAZN collapsed due to underwhelming subscriber numbers. Meanwhile, ESPN walked away from its long-standing agreement with Major League Baseball after unsuccessfully trying to cut its US$550 million (A$848 million) annual payment down to $200 million (A$309 million).
Prize money in darts has also exploded.
Next year, the winner of the two-week long World Championship will bank £1 million (A$2.08 million) – doubling this year’s purse.
Like Formula 1 and the UFC, darts benefits from being privately operated.
Without the typical bureaucracy and conflicting interests seen in many traditional sport governing bodies, the PDC can respond more quickly to audience preferences and market opportunities.
This streamlined, commercially driven approach has been key to darts’ growth.
The sport has been expertly tailored to modern audiences.
One of darts’ best-known selling points is the live event experience. The entertainment-first approach is known for loud music, the showmanship of player walk-ons, fancy dress from the crowd and yes, often plenty of alcohol.
The lines are blurred between sport and party and fans love it.
Culturally, darts is seen by many as fun, relatable, and rooted in working-class culture. After all, its heritage is in the pub.
Darts is ideally suited to modern sport media consumption habits: PLD matches last only 20–30 minutes and the up-close TV product works perfectly for social media highlight clips.
It is also one of the few sports where women compete directly against men.
This adds another layer of interest for fans and has helped elevate stars such as Fallon Sherrock, who made headlines in 2019 by becoming the first woman to win a match at the PDC World Championship, eventually reaching the final 32.
A prodigy emerges
The so-called “Littler Effect” has given darts’ profile a significant boost.
The emergence of talented teenager Luke Littler has broken new ground for the sport and drawn global interest.
The English prodigy, who has quickly risen to fame, is by far the sport’s biggest star, but it would be unfair to say darts is a one-man band.
Luke Humphries and Michael van Gerwen enjoy significant profiles while Phil Taylor is regarded as the sport’s greatest player. Australia’s Simon “The Wizard” Whitlock also forged a successful career.
There is also colourful two-time world champion Peter Wright.
Where to from here?
The success of darts reveals much about modern sports audiences and their preferences.
Darts does not rely on traditional ideas of athletic excellence, nor does it fit the Olympic ideal.
Darts’ success stems from remaining authentic to its working-class roots while evolving into an engaging commercial product suited for television, short-form content and digital media.
For darts to fully achieve its global potential, the next step has to be continued international growth. Although it has grown steadily in markets like Australia and throughout Asia, the UK remains darts’ dominant base.
As the global sports marketplace becomes more fragmented and competitive, darts is well positioned to continue growing.
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.
Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — As President Trump and Congressional Republicans work to make college unaffordable and unattainable for millions of working-class families, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) joined Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.-07), and eight Senate colleagues in introducing legislation to make public colleges and universities tuition free for 95 percent of students. The College for All Act would be the most transformative investment in higher education in 60 years and would substantially improve the lives of millions of students throughout the United States.
Nearly 4 million student borrowers live in California, owing an average of $38,168 and a total of $148.6 billion in student loan debt.
“As a first-generation college graduate from a low-income household, I know a good education is the foundation of the American dream, but I’ve seen firsthand the challenges of accessing and affording higher education,” said Senator Padilla. “We need bold, proactive solutions to make college more affordable — not the Trump Administration’s short-sighted plan to eradicate student financial aid and put higher education out of reach for millions of American families. The College for All Act would help millions of working families shoulder the financial burden of paying for their children’s college. When we invest in all students, we support our nation’s financial interests by ensuring that opportunity and economic prosperity are attainable for all, regardless of income.”
“In a highly competitive global economy where technology is changing the very nature of work and the jobs we perform, we need the best educated workforce in the world,” said Senator Sanders. “Our nation used to lead the world in the percentage of adults with a college degree. Today, we are in 11th place behind countries like Japan, South Korea, Canada, the United Kingdom and Switzerland. That is not a prescription for a strong American economy of the future. It is a prescription for failure. Instead of increasing the cost of college in order to give more tax breaks to billionaires, we have a better idea. We are going to make public colleges and universities tuition free so that working class students can succeed and are not burdened with a lifetime of debt.”
Making public colleges and universities tuition free is not a radical idea. In 1944, as World War II was coming to an end, the U.S. government made free higher education available to all those who served in the armed forces. That act not only improved the financial well-being of the Greatest Generation, but it also laid the groundwork for the greatest expansion of the American middle class in U.S. history. Moreover, over 50 years ago, many of America’s most prestigious public colleges and universities were also tuition free or virtually tuition free.
Since this legislation was first introduced 10 years ago, several colleges and universities in America have provided free tuition for working class and middle-class students, including every state college in New Mexico, the State University of New York, the University of Texas, the University of Wisconsin, and Arkansas State University.
Other wealthy countries like France, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland have made their public colleges and universities tuition free or virtually tuition free because they understand the value of investing in their young people.
The College for All Act would guarantee tuition-free community college for all students and allow students from single households earning up to $150,000 a year, and married households earning up to $300,000 a year, to attend college without fear of being saddled with student loan debt.
Specifically, the College for All Act would also:
Double the maximum Pell Grant award for students enrolled at public and private non-profit colleges;
Establish a $10 billion grant program to improve student outcomes and address equity gaps at underfunded public colleges and universities;
Triple federal TRIO program funding;
Double GEAR UP funding; and
Double mandatory funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and other Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs).
In addition to Senator Padilla, the legislation is also cosponsored by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Peter Welch (D-Vt.).
Senator Padilla has consistently advocated on behalf of students to make college more affordable and accessible. Last year, Padilla and Representative Norma J. Torres (D-Calif.-35) hosted local students and advocates to reintroduce the Basic Assistance for Students in College (BASIC) Act, bicameral legislation to help ensure college students can meet their basic needs while pursuing their education. He also introduced the Student Food Security Act of 2024, bicameral legislation to address food insecurity faced by college students nationwide. Padilla previously cosponsored the Pell Grant Preservation and Expansion Act, bicameral legislation that would nearly double the Pell Grant maximum award, index the maximum award for inflation, and expand the program to include Dreamers.
During the Biden Administration, Padilla led numerous letters urging the President to provide meaningful student debt cancellation, along with multiple letters urging former U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona to leverage his authority under the Higher Education Act to provide expanded student debt relief to working and middle-class borrowers.
A one-pager on the College for All Act is available here.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Wednesday unveiled a new plan to support Ukraine in developing long-range weapons at a joint press conference with visiting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Berlin.
The two countries’ defense ministers are expected to sign a letter of intent later on Wednesday, under which Germany will finance Ukrainian-produced long-range weapon systems, according to Merz and the German Defense Ministry.
Zelensky said the plan involves financing weapon production initiatives in Ukraine.
At the press conference, Merz reaffirmed that there will be no range restrictions. On Monday, Merz announced that Germany and its allies have lifted restrictions on the range of weapons supplied to Ukraine.
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that the decision of several European countries to remove range restrictions on missiles supplied to Kiev is “dangerous.”
Peskov said that if such decisions were actually made, “they absolutely run counter to our aspirations to reach a political settlement and the efforts currently being made within the framework of the settlement.”
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Chinese sensation Zheng Qinwen beat Emiliana Arango of Colombia 6-2, 6-3 in the women’s singles second round of the French Open on Wednesday.
Emiliana Arango returns a shot during the women’s singles 2nd round match between Zheng Qinwen of China and Emiliana Arango of Colombia at the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros, Paris, France, May 28, 2025. (Xinhua/Gao Jing)
Olympic champion Zheng took an upper hand throughout the match and didn’t give the 24-year-old Arango many chances to bounce back.
“She [Arango] had great defense skills. When I saw the short ball, I got to go to the net to finish the point whatever happened. I feel if we stayed in the baseline, she could put all the balls back, which was a difficult match. I am really happy with my performance,” Zheng said after the match.
Zhena recalled a sweet memory at Roland Garros, as she triumphed in the women’s singles at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. “Even myself, I got a lot of inspiration from last year. When I am in difficult moments, I always remember to keep fighting. I really love the French crowd. I would like to play more matches here,” the 22-year-old added.
In the third round, Zheng will confront Canadian player Victoria Mboko who just defeated Germany’s Eva Lys in straight sets 6-4, 6-4.
When I despairingly contemplate the horrors and cruelty that Palestinians in Gaza are being subjected to, I sometimes try to put this in the context of where I live.
I live on the Kāpiti Coast in the lower North Island of Aotearoa New Zealand.
Geographically it is around the same size as Gaza. Both have coastlines running their full lengths. But, whereas the population of Gaza is a cramped two million, Kāpiti’s is a mere 56,000.
The Gaza Strip . . . 2 million people living in a cramped outdoor prison about the same size as Kāpiti. Map: politicalbytes.blog
I find it incomprehensible to visualise what it would be like if what is presently happening in Gaza occurred here.
The only similarities between them are coastlines and land mass. One is an outdoor prison while the other’s outdoors is peaceful.
New Zealand and Palestine state recognition Currently Palestine has observer status at the United Nations General Assembly. In May last year, the Assembly voted overwhelmingly in favour of Palestine being granted full membership of the United Nations.
To its credit, New Zealand was among 143 countries that supported the resolution. Nine, including the United States as the strongest backer of Israeli genocide outside Israel, voted against.
However, despite this massive majority, such is the undemocratic structure of the UN that it only requires US opposition in the Security Council to veto the democratic vote.
Notwithstanding New Zealand’s support for Palestine broadening its role in the General Assembly and its support for the two-state solution, the government does not officially recognise Palestine.
While its position on recognition is consistent with that of the genocide-supporting United States, it is inconsistent with the over 75 percent of UN member states who, in March 2025, recognised Palestine as a sovereign state (by 147 of the 193 member states).
NZ Prime Minister Christopher Luxon . . . his government should “correct this obscenity” of not recognising Palestinians’ right to have a sovereign nation. Image: RNZ/politicalbytes.blog/
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s government does have the opportunity to correct this obscenity as Palestine recognition will soon be voted on again by the General Assembly.
In this context it is helpful to put the Hamas-led attack on Israel in its full historical perspective and to consider the reasons justifying the Israeli genocide that followed.
7 October 2023 and genocide justification The origin of the horrific genocide of Palestinians in Gaza and the associated increased persecution, including killings, of Palestinians in the Israeli occupied West Bank (of the River Jordan) was not the attack by Hamas and several other militant Palestinian groups on 7 October 2023.
This attack was on a small Israeli town less than 2 km north of the border. An estimated 1,195 Israelis and visitors were killed.
The genocidal response of the Israeli government that followed this attack can only be justified by three factors:
The Judaism or ancient Jewishness of Palestine in Biblical times overrides the much larger Palestinian population in Mandate Palestine prior to formation of Israel in 1948;
The right of Israelis to self-determination overrides the right of Palestinians to self-determination; and
The value of Israeli lives overrides the value Palestinian lives.
The first factor is the key. The second and third factors are consequential. In order to better appreciate their context, it is first necessary to understand the Nakba.
Understanding the Nakba Rather than the October 2023 attack, the origin of the subsequent genocide goes back more than 70 years to the collective trauma of Palestinians caused by what they call the Nakba (the Disaster).
The foundation year of the Nakba was in 1948, but this was a central feature of the ethnic cleansing that was kicked off between 1947 and 1949.
During this period Zionist military forces attacked major Palestinian cities and destroyed some 530 villages. About 15,000 Palestinians were killed in a series of mass atrocities, including dozens of massacres.
The Nakba – the Palestinian collective trauma in 1948 that started ethnic cleansing by Zionist paramilitary forces. Image: David Robie/APR
During the Nakba in 1948, approximately half of Palestine’s predominantly Arab population, or around 750,000 people, were expelled from their homes or forced to flee. Initially this was through Zionist paramilitaries.
After the establishment of the State of Israel in May this repression was picked up by its military. Massacres, biological warfare (by poisoning village wells) and either complete destruction or depopulation of Palestinian-majority towns, villages, and urban neighbourhoods (which were then given Hebrew names) followed
By the end of the Nakba, 78 percent of the total land area of the former Mandatory Palestine was controlled by Israel.
Genocide to speed up ethnic cleansing Ethnic cleansing was unsuccessfully pursued, with the support of the United Kingdom and France, in the Suez Canal crisis of 1956. More successful was the Six Day War of 1967, which included the military and political occupation of the West Bank and Gaza.
Throughout this period ethnic cleansing was not characterised by genocide. That is, it was not the deliberate and systematic killing or persecution of a large number of people from a particular national or ethnic group with the aim of destroying them.
Israeli ethnic cleansing of Palestinians began in May 1948 and has accelerated to genocide in 2023. Image: politicalbytes.blog
In fact, the acceptance of a two-state solution (Israel and Palestine) under the ill-fated Oslo Accords in 1993 and 1995 put a temporary constraint on the expansion of ethnic cleansing.
Since its creation in 1948, Israel, along with South Africa the same year (until 1994), has been an apartheid state. I discussed this in an earlier Political Bytes post (15 March 2025), When apartheid met Zionism.
However, while sharing the racism, discrimination, brutal violence, repression and massacres inherent in apartheid, it was not characterised by genocide in South Africa; nor was it in Israel for most of its existence until the current escalation of ethnic cleansing in Gaza.
Following 7 October 2023, genocide has become the dominant tool in the ethnic cleansing tool kit. More recently this has included accelerating starvation and the bombing of tents of Gaza Palestinians.
The magnitude of this genocide is discussed further below.
The Biblical claim Zionism is a movement that sought to establish a Jewish nation in Palestine. It was established as a political organisation as late as 1897. It was only some time after this that Zionism became the most influential ideology among Jews generally.
Despite its prevalence, however, there are many Jews who oppose Zionism and play leading roles in the international protests against the genocide in Gaza.
Zionist ideology is based on a view of Palestine in the time of Jesus Christ. Image: politicalbytes.blog
Based on Zionist ideology, the justification for replacing Mandate Palestine with the state of Israel rests on a Biblical argument for the right of Jews to retake their “homeland”. This justification goes back to the time of that charismatic carpenter and prophet Jesus Christ.
The population of Palestine in Jesus’ day was about 500,000 to 600,000 (a little bigger than both greater Wellington and similar to that of Jerusalem today). About 18,000 of these residents were clergy, priests and Levites (a distinct male group within Jewish communities).
Jerusalem itself in biblical times, with a population of 55,000, was a diverse city and pilgrimage centre. It was also home to numerous Diaspora Jewish communities.
In fact, during the 7th century BC at least eight nations were settled within Palestine. In addition to Judaeans, they included Arameans, Samaritans, Phoenicians and Philistines.
A breakdown based on religious faiths (Jews, Christians and Muslims) provides a useful insight into how Palestine has evolved since the time of Jesus. Jews were the majority until the 4th century AD.
By the fifth century they had been supplanted by Christians and then from the 12th century to 1947 Muslims were the largest group. As earlier as the 12th century Arabic had become the dominant language. It should be noted that many Christians were Arabs.
Adding to this evolving diversity of ethnicity is the fact that during this time Palestine had been ruled by four empires — Roman, Persian, Ottoman and British.
Prior to 1948 the population of the region known as Mandate Palestine approximately corresponded to the combined Israel and Palestine today. Throughout its history it has varied in both size and ethnic composition.
The Ottoman census of 1878 provides an indicative demographic profile of its three districts that approximated what became Mandatory Palestine after the end of World War 1.
Group
Population
Percentage
Muslim citizens
403,795
86–87%
Christian citizens
43,659
9%
Jewish citizens
15,011
3%
Jewish (foreign-born)
Est. 5–10,000
1–2%
Total
Up to 472,465
100.0%
In 1882, the Ottoman Empire revealed that the estimated 24,000 Jews in Palestine represented just 0.3 percent of the world’s Jewish population.
The self-determination claim Based on religion the estimated population of Palestine in 1922 was 78 percent Muslim, 11 percent Jewish, and 10 percent Christian.
By 1945 this composition had changed to 58 percent Muslim, 33 percent Jewish and 8 percent Christian. The reason for this shift was the success of the Zionist campaigning for Jews to migrate to Palestine which was accelerated by the Jewish holocaust.
By 15 May 1948, the total population of the state of Israel was 805,900, of which 649,600 (80.6 percent) were Jews with Palestinians being 156,000 (19.4 percent). This turnaround was primarily due to the devastating impact of the Nakba.
Today Israel’s population is over 9.5 million of which over 77 percent are Jewish and more than 20 percent are Palestinian. The latter’s absolute growth is attributable to Israel’s subsequent geographic expansion, particularly in 1967, and a higher birth rate.
Palestine today (parts of West Bank under Israeli occupation). Map: politicalbytes.blog
The current population of the Palestinian Territories, including Gaza, is more than 5.5 million. Compare this with the following brief sample of much smaller self-determination countries — Slovenia (2.2 million), Timor-Leste (1.4 million), and Tonga (104,000).
The population size of the Palestinian Territories is more than half that of Israel. Closer to home it is a little higher than New Zealand.
The only reason why Palestinians continue to be denied the right to self-determination is the Zionist ideological claim linked to the biblical time of Jesus Christ and its consequential strategy of ethnic cleansing.
If it was not for the opposition of the United States, then this right would not have been denied. It has been this opposition that has enabled Israel’s strategy.
Comparative value of Palestinian lives The use of genocide as the latest means of achieving ethnic cleansing highlights how Palestinian lives are valued compared with Israeli lives.
While not of the same magnitude appropriated comparisons have been made with the horrific ethnic cleansing of Jews through the means of the holocaust by Nazi Germany during the Second World War. Per capita the scale of the magnitude gap is reduced considerably.
Since October 2023, according to the Gaza Health Ministry (and confirmed by the World Health Organisation) more than 54,000 Palestinians have been killed. Of those killed over 16,500 were children. Compare this with less than 2000 Israelis killed.
Further, at least 310 UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency) team members have been killed along with over 200 journalists and media workers. Add to this around 1400 healthcare workers including doctors and nurses.
What also can’t be forgotten is the increasing Israeli ethnic cleansing on the occupied West Bank. Around 950 Palestinians, including around 200 children, have also been killed during this same period.
Time for New Zealand to recognise Palestine The above discussion is in the context of the three justifications for supporting the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians strategy that goes back to 1948 and which, since October 2023, is being accelerated by genocide.
First, it requires the conviction that the theology of Judaism in Palestine in the biblical times following the birth of Jesus Christ trumps both the significantly changing demography from the 5th century at least to the mid-20th century and the numerical predominance of Arabs in Mandate Palestine;
Second, and consequentially, it requires the conviction that while Israelis are entitled to self-determination, Palestinians are not; and
Finally, it requires that Israeli lives are much more valuable than Palestinian lives. In fact, the latter have no value at all.
Unless the government, including Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters, shares these convictions (especially the “here and now” second and third) then it should do the right thing first by unequivocally saying so, and then by recognising the right of Palestine to be an independent state.
Ian Powell is a progressive health, labour market and political “no-frills” forensic commentator in New Zealand. A former senior doctors union leader for more than 30 years, he blogs at Second Opinion and Political Bytes, where this article was first published. Republished with the author’s permission.
This can happen when babies come early, when the mother-to-be is in denial, or when they simply don’t know they are pregnant. These out-of-hospital births can increase the risks for both mother and child.
While there haven’t been any New Zealand-specific studies, data from Norway and Ireland show infant mortality rates are two to three times higher for unplanned out-of-hospital births compared to those in medical facilities.
In 2024, Hato Hone St John, Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest ambulance service, responded to 2,745 obstetric emergencies. This accounted for 0.9% of all ambulance patients – similar to comparable countries such as Australia and the United States.
In our new research, we surveyed Hato Hone St John ambulance personnel to better understand their experiences attending unplanned out-of-hospital births. Although such events are rare, personnel must be prepared to provide care for mothers and newborns during any clinical shift.
The 147 responses we received highlighted the need for ongoing and targeted training for staff as they balance supporting the safe arrival of a newborn with patient and whānau-centered care.
Navigating the unknown
EMS personnel reported being dispatched for reports of abdominal or back pain in female patients, only to encounter an unanticipated imminent birth upon arrival.
In many of these cases, patients were unaware of their pregnancies and had received no prior antenatal care. This left EMS personnel to lead labour and birth care without crucial information about gestational age or potential complications. As one paramedic explained:
The call was for non-traumatic back pain. The patient had a cryptic pregnancy and was not aware she was pregnant until I informed her that she was in labour. I was the senior clinician in attendance, we were 25 minutes to a maternity unit that didn’t have surgical facilities and a [neonatal unit].
In some situations, EMS personnel attended teenage patients who were in denial of their pregnancies or fearful it would be discovered by their families.
Attending to the mother’s emotional needs, respecting her dignity and navigating family dynamics compounded existing challenges to providing care. Another paramedic explained:
Attended an 18-year-old that did not know or was in denial that she was pregnant. She had the baby on her own in the bathroom. The parents came home during the birth, and she was too scared to tell them and kept the baby quiet by nursing her. She called an ambulance from the bathroom and told them she didn’t want the parents to know.
Unplanned out-of-hospital birts can test the skills of ambulance staff. hedgehog94/Shutterstock
Practical challenges
Complex births, medical emergencies and limited specialised neonatal equipment required EMS to improvise in such cases. While some focused on skin-to-skin contact between mother and baby, others prepared makeshift blankets using things such as plastic clingfilm to keep their newborn patients warm. An intensive care paramedic said:
I needed to “chew” through the cord with the scissors provided, which was frustrating given the patient was under CPR. Also, I wanted to keep the patient warm as the house was cold and it was winter, so I used the Gladwrap in the ambulance. The roll I had was a new one and very difficult to start up as it shredded. I ended up using the patient’s industrial size wrap with a plastic blade attached.
The distance to a specialised newborn care facility, as well as rules around who could be transported and when, meant mothers and babies sometimes needed separate transport. This distressed mothers and added pressure to already stressful situations. One North Island-based paramedic explained:
The baby was flown to [a tertiary hospital] – great for the baby but very distressing for mum as she had to be transported by road.
Detailed accounts emerged of EMS providing labour and birth care in remote and poorer areas, such as homes with no electricity or heating, far away from hospital facilities and with no back up readily available. Another South Island-based paramedic said:
It was 2 degrees outside and the front door was open. The house was cold, and the mother was standing in the bathroom with the [newborn] lying on the cold floor. I called for backup as the mother had a severe postpartum haemorrhage, and the [newborn] required resuscitation. I was not sent assistance and had to manage the mother and [newborn] by myself during a 15-minute drive to the birth suite at hospital.
The stories shared by New Zealand ambulance personnel not only described their critical role in providing care during labour and birth, but also highlighted a gap in care for women not accessing routine antenatal and birth services.
Training and support needed
Studies from Norway, Australia, the US and the United Kingdom have previously highlighted the need for dedicated EMS training and equipment to support out-of-hospital births.
Change is happening in New Zealand. Recent updates to Hato Hone St John guidelines, resources and training, including education on cultural considerations related to birth, aim to prepare EMS personnel for these unpredictable and high-risk scenarios.
Ongoing training and education will be critical to support clinicians to confidently address birth emergencies while continuing to deliver patient and whānau-centered care.
Vinuli Withanarachchie works for Hato Hone St John.
Bridget Dicker is an employee of Hato Hone St John.
Sarah Maessen works for Hato Hone St John.
Verity Todd receives funding from the Heart Foundation NZ and Health Research Council NZ. She is affiliated with Hato Hone St John.
The following article contains material that some readers might find distressing.
Around the world, knives are a popular weapon of choice among criminals. In Australia, for example, they are the most common weapon used in homicides. And in countries such as the United Kingdom and Canada, knife crime has recently been on the rise.
As common as they are, stabbings are also difficult to investigate. Our new study, published this week in WIREs Forensic Science, presents the most comprehensive review to date of the methods used by forensic investigators for the reconstruction of knife crimes. It also highlights the limitations of these methods and introduces mechanical and robotic stabbing machines as a solution.
These technologies could significantly enhance forensic science and criminal investigations in the pursuit of justice.
An intensely personal act of violence
Stabbing is an intensely personal act of violence, carefully planned or opportunistic. It reflects not just an intent to harm but also a direct, physical engagement with the victim.
Forensic investigators will rely on a range of evidence to investigate a stabbing. For example, they will gather statements from any witnesses. But witnesses’ memory can be affected by issues such as shock, lighting conditions or their vantage point.
Forensic investigators will also gather physical evidence left behind after a stabbing. This can include bloodstain patterns, sharp-force damage in wounds and clothing, and impression evidence. It can also include trace evidence such as DNA, fibres, soil, glass and pollen from the victims clothing or suspected weapon.
This physical evidence is crucial for the next step of a criminal investigation: reconstructing a crime scene.
Knife cuts from a blunt blade (left) and a sharp blade (right) in cotton fabric reveal distinct yarn and fibre patterns, which forensic experts analyse to help identify the weapon used. Stevie Ziogos
A forensic puzzle
Investigators reconstruct a crime scene to determine the type of weapon used, estimate whether the stabbing was intentional or not and how forceful it was. But many variables complicate the analysis.
For example, the attacker’s (or attackers’) physical characteristics such as their size, strength or preferred hand, their familiarity and experience in handling knives can all influence the stabbing motion. So too can the characteristics of a knife.
The victim’s build, positioning, area of impact, and even the number of clothing layers they have on can also affect how a blade enters the body. For example, stabbing with a kitchen knife and slashing with a machete leave vastly different injuries, just as a thick jacket can slow or deflect a blade.
Reconstructing a stabbing is a forensic puzzle. It requires a combination of scientific analysis, investigative techniques and the collaborative effort of experts. Each specialist provides a comprehensive perspective on the victim, the weapon, the manner in which it was used, and the impact of the surrounding environment.
An accurate simulated stabbing
In many stabbing investigations, it is necessary to confirm evidence through simulation.
Our new research focuses on the different ways stabbing simulations are conducted. It provides an overview of current methodologies used to reconstruct sharp-force events, especially considering the role of clothing in the reconstruction.
A well-planned simulation must account for key variables affecting damage to the body and textiles. These factors fall into three categories:
Pre-impact (garment type, weapon and assailant-victim characteristics)
Impact (stabbing method, force and angle)
Post-impact (body decomposition, manipulation, contamination and environmental effects).
While adding more parameters can improve the realism of a simulation, it may also introduce complexity that reduces accuracy. Because of this, careful planning is pivotal.
A mix of methods is best
The choice of simulation method depends on available personnel, tools and funding. Approaches are typically categorised as manual or mechanical, with emerging research exploring the potential of robotic systems.
Manual simulations rely on human effort to replicate stabbing motions. They remain widely used in forensic testing and provide valuable insights into wound characteristics, biomechanics, and protective materials. But they can be subjective, particularly in force estimation and motion consistency.
Mechanical simulations address this issue by using devices for controlled, repeatable tests. While they reduce variability, they are often limited by restricted motion, force constraints, and a lack of standardisation in forensic protocols.
Robotic simulations offer a promising alternative. They combine the adaptability of manual approaches with the precision and repeatability of mechanical systems.
However, their forensic application is still being developed. They also face challenges such as cost, accessibility, professional expertise and the need for validation in real-world casework.
Our research suggests that combining manual simulations with robotic and mechanical systems can enhance the accuracy and reliability of stabbing simulations. The manual approach can be used to train robotic systems that replicate human actions while ensuring consistent and controlled measurements.
By adopting this combined approach, forensic science can bridge crucial gaps in crime scene reconstruction. In turn, this would improve the interpretation of stabbing incidents and the pursuit of justice.
We acknowledge that the research discussed in this article was conducted in collaboration with Dr. Kari Pitts, ChemCentre.
Alasdair Dempsey, Ian Dadour, and Stevie Ziogos 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.
United States President Donald Trump was “not happy” with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, this week.
For three consecutive nights, from Friday to Sunday, Russia launched about 900 drones and scores of missiles at Ukraine. At least 18 people were killed, including three children.
“We’re in the middle of talking and he’s shooting rockets into Kyiv and other cities,” Trump told reporters on Sunday, after Putin ordered the largest air assault on Ukraine’s civilians in its three-year war.
Following up on his remarks, Trump posted on social media that Putin had “gone absolutely CRAZY!”
Putin is not crazy. He is a tactician with a long-term goal: to make Russia a great power again and secure his place in the history books as the re-builder of Russia’s imperial might.
Trump announced after a phone call with Putin on May 19 that Russia and Ukraine would “immediately start negotiations” towards a ceasefire.
With his latest air campaign on Ukraine, however, Putin is threatening to destroy the goodwill he’s built up in Washington, where Trump has been consistently soft on Russia and tough on his allies.
So, what is Putin’s strategy? Why is he launching these massive air bombardments on Ukrainian civilians now?
Putin sees weakness in the West
One theory is these attacks are somehow preparations for a major offensive. That makes little sense.
Attacking military facilities, weapons depots or even frontline troops are useful preparations for an impending attack. Indiscriminate bombing of civilians, meanwhile, is a sign of either desperation or impatience.
The US also sent bombers to Japan in the final stages of the war because the American public became tired of seeing their sons, husbands, brothers and fathers die on Pacific islands they had never heard of. The war had dragged on forever by this point, and there seemed no end in sight.
Is Putin desperate or impatient? Likely the latter.
From the perspective of the Kremlin, Russia’s strategic situation is as good as it has been for years.
The US is trying to destroy itself through trade wars and boorish diplomacy. Trump clearly dislikes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and hopes the war will somehow end if he just demands it.
Europe is continuing to back Ukraine. However, for the time being, it still needs US support because its entire security structure is built around NATO and US strength, both economic and military.
What Putin sees when he surveys the international scene is weakness. In his thinking, such weakness needs to be exploited – now is the time to hurt Ukraine as much as possible, and hope it will crack. Analysts call this a “cognitive warfare effort”.
Indiscriminate air war on civilians is the only means Putin currently has to pressure Ukraine. His army has been advancing, but painfully slowly. There is no breakthrough in sight, even once the spring muds dry and the summer fighting season starts in earnest.
Russia has gradually advanced in Ukraine throughout 2024, but with no perceivable change in the overall situation. Putin does not command precision weapons or super spies, which he could use to take out Ukraine’s leadership.
All he can do is rain death on women, children and the elderly from relatively cheap, unsophisticated weapons, such as drones. He now has these in large supply, thanks to ramping up military production at home.
Bombing campaigns do not end wars
A strategic air war on civilians seldom works, however.
Japan’s surrender in 1945 is an exception, but it is misleading in many ways. The Americans had flattened Japan’s cities for a while already, just not using their new atomic weapons. Japan had already lost the war and the real question was if there would be a bloody US invasion or surrender.
And as the US dropped its two nuclear bombs in August of that year, the Red Army joined the fight, racing across Manchuria to help occupy Japanese territories.
In Germany, the British-American bombings from 1942 onwards certainly had an effect on war production, as they killed workers and destroyed factories. But they did not incapacitate the German army and certainly did not break morale.
Instead, the bombings led to embitterment and a closing of ranks around the regime. German society fought to the last moment. It did so not just despite, but because of the air war. The German army was eventually defeated by the ground troops of the Red Army, who took Berlin in an incredibly bloody fight.
Other historical failures are even more spectacular. The US air force dropped 864,000 tons of bombs on North Vietnam during an air campaign of more than 300,000 sorties lasting from 1965 to late 1968. The North Vietnamese lost maybe 29,000 people (dead and wounded), more than half of them civilians. The Americans and their South Vietnamese allies still lost the war.
Putin’s air war will likely follow the historical pattern: it has further embittered the Ukrainians, who know very well that what comes from the east is not liberation.
Another summer of fighting lies ahead. Ukraine’s friends in the democratic world need to urgently redouble their efforts to support Ukraine. The misguided hopes that Putin would somehow “make a deal” lie under the rubble his drones leave behind in Ukraine’s cities.
Mark Edele receives funding from the Australian Research Council.
Source: United Kingdom National Police Chiefs Council
Additional investment in science and technology could mean an extra 41,000 hours of police time available every day across England and Wales to be reinvested in neighbourhood policing and preventing crime.
Police chiefs are calling for the government to allocate circa £220 million to science and technology per year over the three-year spending review period to scale up tested science and technology capabilities.
As police chiefs set out their strategy for use of data and digital technology over the next five years, they make the case for government investment to enable police to roll out technology that has been successfully trialled across England and Wales.
The independent Policing Productivity Review of forces in England and Wales reported examples of science and technology driving productivity. The Office of the Chief Scientific Adviser to Policing estimates that these projects saved 347,656 of workforce hours per year and led to direct savings of £8.2 million a year in costs. If they were scaled nationally, and similar gains were made in all 43 forces, potentially up to 15 million hours, worth £370m per year, could be saved and reallocated each year.
National Police Chiefs’ Council Chair Chief Constable Gavin Stephens said:
“A decade with very limited capital investment into policing has meant prioritising maintaining existing technology over innovation. The vast majority of police force technology budgets are spent on ageing systems and simply keeping the lights on. This has to change.
“Criminals are investing in technology to do harm; we need to invest to keep up and stop them.
“With government investment in the spending review, we are ready to roll out technology which could save millions of hours, finish investigations in days instead of months and keep pace with criminal advancements.
“Without investment, we will fall behind rather than become more productive. We will not be able to restore neighbourhood policing. Halving violence against women and girls and knife crime will become much harder to reach targets.”
A refreshed National Policing Digital Strategy 2025-2030 developed by NPCC, Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC) working with Police Digital Service (PDS) has also been published today. It sets out police digital and data ambitions and the roadmap to achieving them. This supports the NPCC’s Science and Technology Strategy published in May 2023.
National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) Lead for Digital, Data and Technology Chief Constable Rob Carden, said: “Over the last decade, digital technology and data and analytics have become integral to policing’s ability to deliver an effective and efficient service and policing will spend nearly £2 billion on it in the next financial year. Policing must change the way we approach data, digital and technology to ensure we invest in solutions which can be used nationally across all police forces.
“The National Policing Digital Strategy will provide the direction, purpose and roadmap necessary for forces to enable the changes required. Working towards common goals, which can be upscaled at pace nationally to ensure we are making the savings in time and money in order to help our officers catch criminals and protect the public using data, digital and technology in the most effective way.
“One of our key ambitions is to give local communities more convenient ways to get in touch with their local force through improving things such as websites and apps, whilst developing a range self-service digital engagement channels that anyone is able to use and access.
“Transparency, fairness and ethical standards will be at the heart of all we implement.”
Examples of investment:
Roll out Live Face Recognition units. On average, throughout 2024, there were 60 arrests per month across the three forces currently using Live Facial Recognition, of which a quarter involved registered sex offenders. Live Facial Recognition reduces the time spent on investigations, ultimately meaning swifter justice.
Roll out Rapid Video Response – a video call software that offers a discreet, quick and specialist police response to non-urgent reports of domestic abuse. Developed by Kent Police, it has led to a decrease in the average response time from 32 hours to just three minutes, and a 50% increase in arrests.
Complete build of a newnational digital forensics’ platform. Checking digital devices for evidence takes a lot of police time. A national digital forensics’ platform will help officers to process evidence on digital devices more quickly, return devices faster and make the process less intrusive for victims. This will help to address the current backlog of around 25,000 devices and keep pace with digital crime, which is growing 29 per cent annually.
Enable the public to contact the police in the way that suits them best including adding services like AI-powered assistances and online case tracking, which in turn will reduce wait times for 101 or 999.
Developing data and digital capability to catch offenders and protect victims. This includes creation of a national Data and Analytics Office, which will lead improvements in data quality, compliance and sharing across the criminal justice system. Continued investment in analytical capability will exploit this data, enabling, e.g. predictive tooling for multi-agency risk assessments and geo-spatial analyses to identify and address unsafe spaces. To date, this work has saved around £1m p.a. per force in productive time, by enabling efficient officer deployment, while early ANPR journey analysis has quadrupled drugs seizures.
Funding a national Continuous Integrity Screening capability to provide ongoing detection of unacceptable behaviour from officers and staff and the removal of those who pose a risk.
Expanding our regional centres for Robotic Process Automation. In the three regions where it is deployed, automation is securing a return on investment of £8 in time saving for every £1 spent, covering 150 different administrative and crime management processes in relation to crime management and admin processes. Its national deployment will ultimately reduce administrative burden on frontline officers.
Roll out nationally video and text redaction tools, automatic translation capabilities, summarisation tooling, and new deepfake detection capabilities. Recent trials suggest these tools will offer significant time efficiencies and a better quality of service, with text redaction alone estimated to save around 1 million hours of workforce time, estimated at £16m a year.
Fund the police service’s Aviation Pathway Programme will consider use of Unmanned Arial Systems (i.e., drones). in investigations, surveillance and, to emergency response; improving service and reducing costs.
Latest research from the University of Birmingham and University Sheffield has demonstrated a clear link to increased economic growth and prosperity from investment in policing. Investment in policing, including technology investment, can lead to reduced demand on other parts of the public sector, level the playing field for companies who have to absorb the costs of crime, and reduce the need for the public to spend money as a consequence of crime.
For example the relationship between house prices and crime reduction shows that each £1 invested in policing yields £4.17 in economic benefits. Based on this, a 10% increase in policing i.e. around £1.7bn per year, will generate £14.5 billion in net benefits over twelve years, equivalent to 0.5% of annual GDP. Find out more in Issue 2 of Policing Tomorrow.
Source: United Kingdom National Police Chiefs Council
The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) Contact Portfolio today (29 May) announces a significant step forward in policing transparency and efficiency: the publication of monthly 101 call wait time data. This initiative demonstrates the continued commitment of police forces across England and Wales to improving public contact, responsiveness, and service accessibility.
Starting with figures for the financial year 2024/25, the data – published on Police.uk – will offer the public clearer insights into how long it takes to reach their local force via 101. The publication of these figures reflects years of dedicated efforts to modernise police contact systems, introduce technology-driven solutions, and provide greater accountability to the communities that police serve.
Policing Efforts Cut 101 Call Wait Times to Just 32 Seconds
Significant advancements in contact management, including enhanced digital triage, AI-driven call routing, and smarter resourcing strategies, have led to a remarkable reduction in 101 call wait times across the country – now just 30 seconds.
This achievement reflects the dedication of forces in adopting modern solutions and refining call-handling processes to ensure that members of the public receive swift assistance when they need it. Investments in intelligent queuing systems, workforce optimisation, and automated call-back technology have played a pivotal role in delivering these improvements.
The NPCC Contact Management Portfolio remains committed to further refining these systems, driving innovation, and maintaining the highest standards in public service efficiency.
T/DCC Catherine Akehurst is the outgoing NPCC Contact Management Lead and has led the development and implementation of this initiative. She said:
“This marks a defining moment in how policing connects with the public. The journey to reach this point has been one of collaboration, dedication, and sheer determination by colleagues across forces who have worked tirelessly to modernise contact management.
“From refining call-handling processes to integrating new technologies, every step has been guided by a commitment to ensuring that people who need assistance can access it efficiently. I want to extend my sincere thanks to everyone who has contributed their expertise and passion to this project; it is their ingenuity and perseverance that have made this possible.”
DCC Simon Megicks is the Digital Public Contact Lead and new NPCC Contact Management Lead. He added:
“Publishing this data is not only about transparency – it is about progress. Police forces are now leveraging artificial intelligence, digital call-routing, and smarter triage systems to enhance contact management like never before. We are at the forefront of technological transformation in policing, ensuring that public interactions become more efficient, seamless, and responsive.
“I want to thank T/DCC Catherine Akehurst and all those who have worked to bring us to this moment. Now, we move forward – continuing to evolve, innovate, and push the boundaries of what is possible in contact management. The future is bright, and this initiative is just the beginning of what’s to come.”
“This new standard in transparency and data publication reinforces policing’s commitment to continuous improvement in service accessibility, responsiveness, and efficiency. As forces integrate smarter digital solutions and refine operational processes, the focus remains on providing reliable and responsive contact management for communities across the country.”
Think Before You Call – Keep Emergency Lines Clear This Summer
With summer approaching, police forces are preparing for a surge in calls. The warmer months bring an increase in demand, and it’s essential that emergency lines remain clear for those who truly need urgent help.
999 is for emergencies only – serious crimes, threats to life, and situations requiring immediate police response. 101 should be used for genuine police matters, such as reporting non-urgent crime or seeking advice from your local force.
Unfortunately, we receive a surprising number of unnecessary calls, which clog up the system and delay responses for those in real need. Some examples include complaints about fast-food orders, requests for lost remote controls, and even enquiries about celebrity gossip.
Here are some unexpected examples of emergency calls that, in reality, were far from urgent:
Cambridgeshire Police received calls from individuals asking for assistance with homework and even placing requests for fast food.
Gloucestershire Police were dialled on 999 over a spilled cup of coffee and grievances about car wash employees.
Hertfordshire Constabulary had a caller seeking nothing more than a phone number for a taxi service.
Police urge the public to pause and consider before calling – if the issue isn’t police-related, it could be taking time away from someone in distress. Let’s keep the lines open for those who truly need help and ensure our emergency services can focus on keeping communities safe.
Many police forces now offer digital contact options, making it easier for people to get the help they need without picking up the phone.
Police.uk provides a range of services to help people report crimes, seek support, and access policing information. Here are some key services available:
Reporting Crimes – You can report incidents such as theft, fraud, domestic abuse, hate crimes, and missing persons online.
Advice & Support – The site offers guidance on staying safe, dealing with crime, and understanding your rights.
Local Policing Information – Find out about crime rates, policing teams, and safety initiatives in your area.
Performance & Statistics – Access data on police effectiveness and crime trends across the UK.
StreetSafe – A tool that allows people to highlight areas where they feel unsafe, helping police improve public safety.
The Police.UK app, available on Google Play and the iOS App Store, makes reporting crime and accessing vital policing information easier than ever. Whether you want to track local crime trends, find practical safety advice for your home, or stay updated on your local police team’s activities, the app puts essential services at your fingertips. Any contact made through the app is handled by the same trained professionals who manage 101 calls, ensuring consistent and reliable support.
More support for neurodivergent children in mainstream schools
Around 300,000 children across 1,200 primary schools to benefit from earlier and better neurodiversity support.
Around 300,000 children, including those with conditions such as autism, ADHD, and dyslexia, will be better supported to achieve and thrive as the government expands successful programme to help boost attendance and behaviour.
Backed by £9.5 million in government funding, the Partnership for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) programme – which supports neurodiverse students by training teachers to identify and better meet their needs and improves parental engagement – will be extended for another year across a further 1,200 schools.
One in seven children are estimated to be neurodiverse, and a lack of specialist training and awareness to support them means they often face bullying, higher rates of suspensions due to challenging behaviour, absence, and poor mental health.
The positive impact of the PINs programme is already being seen in 1,600 primary schools which have previously taken part, with staff reporting increased attendance, improved behaviour, and better pupil wellbeing – which in turn benefits the entire school community.
It ensures mainstream primary schools are more inclusive, enabling more children with SEN to thrive with their peers, meaning special schools can cater to those with the most complex needs – in line with the Government’s vision for a reformed SEND system as part of its Plan for Change.
Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson said:
The impact on life chances when there is a lack of appropriate support for neurodivergent children can be devastating.
We want a different future for children with SEND: inclusive and tailored to meet their needs, so everyone has the chance to achieve and thrive, and excellence is for every child.
As part of our Plan for Change, we are determined to fix the broken SEND system and restore the trust of parents by ensuring schools have the tools to better identify and support children before issues escalate to crisis point.
Some neurodivergent children are highly sensitive to loud noises or bright lights, leading to sensory overload which makes it difficult to learn, while others have difficulty understanding social cues or communication, leading to feelings of isolation.
Others can find skills such as managing time difficult, impacting their ability to complete tasks, and some may experience hyperactivity or difficulties with emotional regulation, which make behaviour challenging. On top of this, some pupils ‘mask’, which can lead to increased anxiety and burnout.
Through the PINS programme, specialist education and health professionals provide vital training to school staff to better identify conditions and access interventions tailored to their specific needs, and to better understand how to interact with neurodivergent children in a supportive way.
Schools are also expected to host termly meetings with parents and carers, allowing them to feedback on the school’s approach to supporting children’s needs, increasing parental confidence.
Carfield Primary School in Yorkshire received support from a speech and language team and occupational therapist through the PINS programme which helped teachers better identify and support children’s needs.
They now open the school gates earlier and stagger their lunch time for pupils to ensure there is a calmer, more regulated school environment to avoid overstimulation. Plus, each child has a profile for teachers to understand their individualised needs.
Parent at the school, Abi Olajide, said:
My son was finding some aspects of school difficult and I felt isolated until I was invited to a parents’ forum which made me feel like I wasn’t alone and we were in it together.
We got the opportunity to encourage one another as parents and better learn how to support our children’s needs. My son’s class teacher is marvellous and is always giving updates on how he’s getting on. Before PINs, I didn’t know what to do but now the school and parents are all linked up and work in partnership.
My son has improved in reading and in his enjoyment of school and he is starting to have better relationships with his peers. I feel really grateful for PINs because of all the support my son is getting, and how well he is now doing at school.
Bethan Arthur, SENCO and Deputy Head Teacher at the school, said:
We have seen a massive improvement in the schools’ relationship with parents and a significant improvement in children’s attendance – from 93% to 95%, which has been supported by engaging with the PINS programme.
Tom Cahill, National Director for learning disability and autism at NHS England, said:
It is fantastic news that thousands more neurodivergent children are to be better supported to thrive in mainstream primary schools.
I visited a PINS primary school and saw first hand how health professionals can support schools in meeting the needs of neurodivergent children – I heard from parents who appreciated the support without the need for diagnoses or waiting lists.
Effective partnerships between local NHS systems, local authorities, schools and parent carer forums allows schools to access specialist health professionals to provide advice and training. Strengthening relationships between schools and parent carers ultimately leads to improved children’s experiences at school and provides us with a blueprint for the future.
Sarah Clarke and Jo Harrison, Directors and Co-Chairs of the National Network of Parent Carer Forums said:
The PINS programme has been an inspiring initiative, bringing together educators, health professionals, and parents to ensure neurodivergent children receive the support they need in their local schools.
Through close collaboration with families and Parent Carer Forums, the programme has strengthened communication and mutual understanding between schools and families, leading to reduced isolation for those with SEND and improved access to additional support services. This collective effort has created a powerful network of expertise dedicated to improving outcomes for all neurodivergent children.
The Government established its Neurodivergence “Task and Finish Group”, led by Professor Karen Guldberg, which brings together a group of experts to drive understanding of how to improve inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, in a way that works for neurodivergent children and young people.
Professor Karen Guldberg, the Chair of the Neurodivergence Task and Finish Group, said:
I welcome the expansion of the Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) programme. It focuses on strengthening the knowledge, understanding and skills of those who support neurodiverse children and young people in mainstream schools.
It is an excellent example of strong partnership work between education, health and parent carers to meet the needs of neurodiverse children and young people.
This comes as £740 million has been invested to encourage councils to create more specialist places in mainstream schools, driving inclusivity and enabling more children to achieve and thrive at their local school.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
The programme is funded by the Department for Education (DfE) and supported by the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England (NHSE).
[Neurodiversity
NHS England
Workforce, training and education](https://www.hee.nhs.uk/our-work/pharmacy/transforming/initial/foundation/resources/edi/neurodiversity)
UK Government launches newly digitised historic editions of world’s oldest English language daily newspaper
From today (Thursday 29 May) copies from three centuries of the historic Belfast title will become accessible to the public online for the first time
Secretary of State Hilary Benn views newly digitised historic editions of the News Letter during a visit to the British Library in London, accompanied by British Library Chief Executive Rebecca Lawrence and Richard Hall, DC Thomson Deputy Chair.
Belfast News Letter editions featuring key historical moments from the 18th-20th centuries now online, including the signing of the American Declaration of Independence.
Project delivers Safeguarding the Union command paper commitment.
People around the world can now access newly digitised historic editions of the world’s oldest English language daily newspaper still in circulation, thanks to a UK Government project to highlight Northern Ireland’s cultural heritage.
From today (Thursday 29 May) copies from three centuries of the historic Belfast title will become accessible to the public online for the first time, strengthening understanding of Northern Ireland’s newspaper heritage around the world and delivering on commitments made in the Safeguarding the Union command paper.
First published in September 1737, the News Letter will mark its 288th anniversary as the oldest continuously published English language daily paper this year. The Northern Ireland Office has worked in partnership with the British Library and Findmypast to expand the online collection of the historic publication on the British Newspaper Archive dating to the late 18th, early 19th and 20th centuries.
Announcing the launch, Secretary of State Hilary Benn visited the British Library in London to view the new additions to the online archive. The British Library provided originals of the News Letter in microfilm and newspaper format, which were digitised by the online platform Findmypast, which has spent nearly 15 years working on a separate collaborative project to digitise the British Library’s vast newspaper collection.
The Secretary of State, Hilary Benn, said:
It was wonderful to be able to view the newly digitised editions of the Belfast News Letter at the British Library in London using the online archive.
Bringing Northern Ireland’s newspaper heritage to a global audience will encourage research, exploration and appreciation of Northern Ireland’s rich political and cultural history.
This UK Government project has opened up a unique resource to readers and researchers in nations around the world with historic links to Northern Ireland, including the USA.
The archive is available online through the British Newspaper Archive and on Findmypast, and can be viewed freely at the British Library sites in London and Yorkshire, as well as at any library or by any private individual around the world with a subscription.
Lee Wilkinson, Managing Director of DCThomson History, which owns Findmypast and the British Newspaper Archive, said:
We’re delighted to bring these historic News Letter pages to the public, enabling more people to access this rich resource documenting Northern Ireland’s past at the click of a mouse.
Over the past 15 years, through our unique relationship with the British Library, we have been able to bring millions of these key historical records to communities across the globe, so that families and researchers alike can uncover and understand their heritage.
Rebecca Lawrence, Chief Executive of the British Library, said:
We are thrilled to make all known surviving copies of the News Letter accessible for the first time through the British Newspaper Archive, in partnership with Findmypast and the UK government. As the world’s oldest English language general daily newspaper still in circulation, the historic Belfast title offers insight into centuries of life, politics, and culture in Northern Ireland and beyond.
The British Library is custodian of one of the world’s largest news archives, with over 60 million newspaper issues dating back to the 1600s, alongside growing collections of broadcast and digital news. Digitising all known surviving copies of the News Letter and making them available online preserves a vital piece of heritage and opens up the archive to researchers around the world.
David Montgomery, founder, National World, said:
Digitising The News Letter is an important step in preserving the paper’s iconic history of covering news from Northern Ireland and across the world for three centuries. By making historic copies of the paper available, we can recognise its continuing role in delivering quality journalism on stories that matter to its community.
Source: Australian Ministers for Regional Development
Vorwerk Australia Pty Ltd, trading as Thermomix in Australia, has paid $79,200 in penalties after the ACCC issued it with four infringement notices for allegedly making false or misleading representations to consumers online, suggesting two of its household appliances were endorsed by the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
In November 2024, the ACCC put businesses on notice of its focus on problematic advertising practices targeting NDIS participants. Since then, it has taken compliance and enforcement action against a number of businesses.
The ACCC alleges that in November 2024 and March 2025, Thermomix made false or misleading representations on its website promoting the Thermomix TM6 cooking product and Kobold cordless vacuum and mop as being endorsed through the NDIS or registered by an entity administering the NDIS.
This included allegedly describing the products as ‘NDIS approved’, ‘NDIS-registered product’, ‘NDIS-consumables’, ‘NDIS assistive technology’, and ‘NDIS equipment’.
“The NDIS does not provide specific approval for any particular goods or services. Each NDIS participant has unique needs, and what’s funded under their plan is determined individually, not through a list of approved products. There are no categories of goods or services which are automatically NDIS approved or funded for all NDIS participants,” ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said.
“Misleading consumers experiencing vulnerability or disadvantage is of concern to us, and we will not hesitate to take appropriate action.”
The Australian Government’s NDIS (Fair Price and Australian Consumer Law) Taskforce is comprised of the ACCC, the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission and the NDIA. The taskforce was established in December 2023 to address potential breaches of Australian Consumer Law amid concerns that NDIS participants were being charged more for goods and services than other consumers.
Any person who thinks a business has made false or misleading statements about products or services, including whether they are endorsed or approved by the NDIS, or who considers their consumer rights have not been met, can make a report to the ACCC.
Further information for NDIS participants is available on the ACCC website.
Note to editors
The ACCC can issue an infringement notice when it has reasonable grounds to believe a person or business has contravened certain consumer protection provisions in the Australian Consumer Law.
The payment of a penalty specified in an infringement notice is not an admission of a contravention of the Australian Consumer Law. The Australian Consumer Law sets the penalty amount.
What false or misleading advertising about the NDIS might look like
Examples of concerning advertising that may be false or misleading include:
The use of the words ‘NDIS approved’ as the NDIS does not have the function of approving or endorsing particular goods or services.
Advertising suggesting NDIS funds will cover “all inclusive” holidays, when general costs associated with holidays would not be covered by NDIS funding.
Meal delivery services suggesting the cost of meals is covered by the NDIS, when the NDIS does not cover food expenses.
Advertising that provides instructions on how to use NDIS funding codes to cover costs of recreational services that are not covered by the NDIS – for example, going to the movies or a theme park.
Advertising that suggests a business is affiliated or endorsed by the NDIS, by using NDIS in its business name or in the description of its services, for example ‘NDIS therapies’.
Background
Vorwerk Australia Pty Ltd is the sole Australian distributor of Thermomix products in Australia and the owner of TheMix Shop, an ecommerce store for Thermomix and Kobold products.
In November 2024, Vorwerk International AG, the Germany-based manufacturer of Thermomix and Kobold appliances, completed an acquisition of The Mix Australia Pty Ltd, which held the sole official licence to distribute Thermomix appliances in Australia and operated the ecommerce store TheMix Shop. After the acquisition, The Mix Australia Pty Ltd was renamed as Vorwerk Australia Pty Ltd.
In December 2024, the ACCC instituted proceedings against registered NDIS provider Ausnew Home Care Service Pty Ltd, for alleged false and misleading representations, including statements that certain products were ‘NDIS approved’ relating to aged care and disability products. The matter remains before the Court.
Last week, Bedding retailer Bedshed paid $39,600 in penalties for allegedly making false and misleading representations that some of the products it sold were ‘NDIS approved’ and ‘NDIS permitted’.
Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed
VIDEO: Sen. Reed delivers remarks on latest in Ukraine
CRANSTON, RI – As Russia steps up its targeting of Ukraine, with nearly 400 Russian drones and missiles fired at Ukrainian cities over the past few days, Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to demonstrate his commitment to the illegal invasion of Ukraine and contempt for President Trump’s negotiating efforts. In the wake of Russia’s increasing attacks, Germany became the latest Ukrainian ally to lift all range restrictions on weapons it sends to Ukraine to combat Moscow’s offensive.
U.S. Senator Jack Reed, the Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, believes now is the time for President Trump to throw his support behind tough, targeted sanctions against the Putin regime. Senator Reed says that if President Trump refuses to act, the U.S. Senate must quickly pass a comprehensive sanctions package with a veto-proof majority.
“The Trump Administration must recognize that the only thing Vladimir Putin responds to is strength. To demonstrate our strength, the U.S. must join our allies in levying new sanctions on Russia to intensify the economic pressure. The European Union has recently approved a new package of sanctions targeting covert Russian oil exports, and has announced that work is underway for another set of even tougher sanctions,” said Senator Reed.
“The President claims to understand pressure and leverage in tough negotiations. But none of that has been evident in his dealings with Putin. He has refused to pressure Russia and has been unwilling to bolster Ukraine with adequate military assistance to gain leverage,” Reed continued. “Since the Administration has so far failed to take tough actions to pressure Russia to stop its brutal and illegal war of choice, the U.S. Senate must take up and quickly pass a comprehensive sanctions package against Russia. These bipartisan sanctions on Russia are overdue, should be swiftly enacted to counter Putin, and failure to do so will only embolden bad actors.”
Senator Reed is an original cosponsor of the Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025 (S. 1241), which has 81 cosponsors – 40 Democrats, 40 Republicans, and 1 Independent. The measure includes a 500 percent tariff on imports from nations that purchase Russian oil, petroleum products, natural gas or uranium. The lead sponsor of the bill, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), wrote in the Wall Street Journal demanding change in Trump’s negotiating strategy and noting that the U.S. Senate is “prepared” to do what the president has not: impose severe sanctions on Moscow.
The bipartisan sanctions calls are coming from the U.S. Senate as President Trump himself is questioning Putin’s motives, writing over the weekend: “I’ve always had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin of Russia, but something has happened to him. He has gone absolutely CRAZY!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “He is needlessly killing a lot of people, and I’m not just talking about soldiers. Missiles and drones are being shot into Cities in Ukraine, for no reason whatsoever.”
“I’ve always said that he wants ALL of Ukraine, not just a piece of it, and maybe that’s proving to be right, but if he does, it will lead to the downfall of Russia!” Trump added.
The Kremlin responded to Trump’s criticism by blaming it on “emotional overload” followed by an escalation of military strikes on Ukraine. And Russian State Media site RT mocked Trump’s social media posts in a post of their own on X, writing:
‘Putin doesn’t realize… he’s playing with fire!’ — Trump’s message leaves little room for misinterpretation
Until he posts the opposite tomorrow morning
Senator Reed urged the Trump Administration to spend less time on social media and get to work on submitting a budget request that includes robust support for Ukraine. Failing to do so would harm U.S. national security and economic interests and benefit Russia.
“The Ukrainian people continue to bravely hold the line against Russian forces, which are supplemented by North Korean troops, equipped by Iran, and supported economically by China. The Ukrainians need arms and supplies to continue to protect their country. Instead, the Trump Administration has choked off U.S. military aid and has failed to request any additional support. This must be reversed immediately,” said Senator Reed. “I will continue to do everything in my power to support Ukraine, as their fight is our fight. I urge my Senate colleagues and the President to join me.”
-end-
Good morning. Thank you for the invitation to address this conference. Foreign Affairs responsibilities require us to be elsewhere today, so it is with regret that this address to you all must be delivered in this format. Let us begin by acknowledging the board members and management of the Australasian Railway Association; leaders from KiwiRail, Metlink, Auckland Transport, Auckland One Rail, infrastructure firms, and heritage operators, as well as our Australian freight and metro counterparts. As the Minister for Rail – that’s for rail – the chance to share our record and vision was not to be missed. We had responsibility for rail during the 2017-2020 term and we turned things around. Contrast our legacy for rail with any other and you will see who is out in front. We are rebuilding rail In 2020, we changed the law – rail is now funded like roads. A common-sense reform. We funded the third main line between Wiri and Westfield – Auckland’s busiest rail section – and planning is underway for a fourth main line across the whole Auckland southern corridor. New stations are being built in South Auckland and electrification has extended commuter trains to Pukekohe. Northland’s line can now take standard-weight trains and hi-cube containers. Marsden Point’s spur – stalled under the previous Government – is now in Fast Track legislation, alongside the Avondale-Southdown corridor. Remediation and upgrades are occurring across Auckland and Wellington, lifting the quality, reliability and frequency of services. A city rail link in Auckland’s centre and new trains in Wellington. Our regional investments are also about positioning New Zealand for global trade: port connections, less truck congestion, and more freight competition. Just a fortnight ago, the Honourable Shane Jones announced $8.2 million to fund a three-track rail siding connecting Southern Link Logistics to the network. Freight is about getting from A to B. Freight is the lifeblood of our economy. It’s no good making something if it doesn’t go to a customer. Inland freight hubs mean local road freight operators and rail freight can feed regional goods into the hub, and have rail take the combined heavy haul to port. Rail is the clearing house for busy ports, moving vast quantities so ports can handle more ships. More ships enable more exports, more imports, more trade. And, last week, we announced in Budget 2025 the commitment of $604 million for rail. $461 million for the national network, and $143 million to the metro networks in Auckland and Wellington. Both investments continue our focus on arresting the decline of the networks, contributing to better reliability. Freight must pay its way. KiwiRail must cover all its operating and capital costs—just like any other business. Freight volumes are down, as they are across the board. So the turnaround begins with cost. Competitive pricing requires leaner operations, better use of its assets and better, more responsive systems for customers. The second issue is reliability. Big players like Fonterra get a good service from KiwiRail – but KiwiRail must compete on speed and certainty for domestic and export freight. We know that KiwiRail is alive to these issues. They are hungry for customers, and as shareholders we are as eager as their customers are to see that lift in performance. We’re doing our part. Sixty-six new locomotives from Spain will replace the South Island fleet and support the North Island fleet. We’re refurbishing the Hamilton-Palmerston North electric fleet, and planning is underway on electrifying the line to Mt Maunganui. Electric engines haul heavy weights, cost little to run, and emit nothing. We’ve rebuilt Dunedin’s Hillside Workshops and new wagons are rolling out of there. A total of 1,350 wagons will be assembled, creating local jobs and capability, and wagons to reliably move customers’ freight. It is on KiwiRail to deliver a strong freight business on the back of our investment. You will be measured on volumes, reliability, and earnings. Succeeding will open the door to new customers and then we can truly begin to rebalance transport in this country. It is up to freight movers to come to the party, too. The Government is making the investment in rail that’s needed, so use it. The greater the use of the rail network, the greater the savings on reduced road congestion and road maintenance costs. Every person who sees a wagon of logs moving by rail is a person who is not stuck behind a logging truck on the road. Finally: the ferries. We shut down the bloated iReX project. No Taj Mahal in Picton, no Opera House in Wellington. Just safe, reliable efficient ferries for road and rail – by 2029 – and infrastructure that works. Ferry Holdings has two jobs: deliver ferries by 2029 and build low-cost infrastructure to serve them. Picton will get dual linkspans and faster load times. In Wellington, we’ll build on what’s already there. Rail is a primary customer across Cook Strait, and it will be served. We will deliver, and rail is here to stay. In closing: We back rail. Not with words, but with deeds. But do not mistake this for unquestioning support. Let iReX be a lesson to the whole rail system: we do not tolerate waste. As rail people, the delivery is up to all of you and your teams at this conference. All of New Zealand expects you to succeed. Thank you and have a great historic conference.
