Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, inaugurated the Annual Conference of Vice-Chancellors of Agricultural Universities and Directors of ICAR Institutes at the Dr. C. Subramaniam Auditorium, NASC Complex, Pusa, New Delhi. The event was announced through an official statement by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare on Tuesday.
Addressing the gathering, Chouhan lauded the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) as the pride of the nation in research and extension, and underscored the critical role of agriculture in realizing the vision of a “Viksit Bharat” (Developed India). “Farmers are equivalent to God. They nurture the world and deserve our utmost respect and support,” he said.
The minister urged Vice-Chancellors to play a proactive role in the Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan, aligning academic activities with real-time agricultural transformation. Emphasizing the immediate implementation of the “Lab to Land” initiative, Chouhan outlined a six-point strategy of the ministry aimed at agricultural advancement. These include: enhancing productivity, reducing production costs, ensuring fair prices, compensating for natural calamities, encouraging diversification, and promoting value addition and food processing.
He also highlighted the importance of natural and organic farming, calling agricultural diversification and environmental stewardship collective responsibilities. “Science-based transformation integrated with traditional practices is our path forward,” he added. As part of this mission, Chouhan announced a padayatra (foot march) on May 25–26 to directly interact with farmers and understand their challenges.
“Our collective goal is to ensure national food security and establish India as the global food basket. We are one team with one mantra — One Nation, One Agriculture, One Team,” he said.
Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Bhagirath Choudhary, also addressed the conference, emphasizing that agriculture is the backbone of the country and that empowering farmers is essential for a developed India. He called for innovation-driven and research-oriented approaches in agriculture and urged participants to move beyond dialogue to action in policymaking and implementation.
Dr. Mangi Lal Jat, Secretary (DARE) and Director General (ICAR), highlighted the strategic significance of the conference in guiding the future of agricultural research, education, and extension. He emphasized ICAR’s role as a mentor to institutions like Krishi Vigyan Kendras and agricultural universities.
A foster carer has praised the ‘invaluable’ help provided by a series of nurturing networks which have just celebrated 10 years of supporting families in Leeds.
The mockingbird hub model of fostering was first set up in Leeds in 2015 and involves linking foster families with an experienced foster carer – known as the ‘hub home carer’ – who provides much-needed guidance and support for both adults and children as they navigate their new lives together.
The model first originated in Seattle, USA and Leeds City Council was one of the early pioneers, now having the largest and most established network in the UK.
Michelle Raw, 53, of Whinmoor, has been a hub home carer for the past six years, having fostered children with husband Mark, 49, for 21 years.
She supports eight families – most of whom are ‘kinship carers,’ where relatives or close friends step in to care for children who are unable to remain living with their parents.
She said: “The mockingbird hub model is amazing – it acts just like an extended family.
“I help provide practical support as well as just having a cuppa and chat about the day with carers. Carers come to my house, we might do a bit of training, have a chat about life, they meet other carers and get to know each other and the children get to know each other and play together.
“It feels like we become part of their family and they become part of ours.”
As the hub home carer, Michelle provides support in a variety of ways – such as hosting coffee mornings, supporting with any appointments, holding activity days in school holidays and looking after children for overnight stays or weekends.
She added: “The hubs are vital for both carers and the children because everyone needs that connection and bit of help and time to recharge their batteries.
“It’s the most amazing model, it works really well.
“I work really closely with our supervising social worker from Foster 4 Leeds to support our families too. I speak to her three or four times a week and if I ever need help with anything, she’s there.”
Leeds currently has nine hubs across the city with a 10th soon to launch.
All the families supported by the city’s hubs recently came together to celebrate the network’s landmark anniversary with a special event at Herd Farm Activity Centre, where they joined staff from the council’s fostering and kinship care teams and children enjoyed face-painting, a climbing wall, inflatables, ice creams, a barbecue and sporting fun.
The event also coincided with Foster Carer Fortnight (May 12-25) which this year has a theme of ‘The Power of Relationships’ – of which the mockingbird family model is a poignant example.
The model is one of many ways Foster 4 Leeds provides support to 400 fostering placements and 350 children living with kinship or connected carers across Leeds.
The service also offers high quality social work support, training and an extensive programme of enrichment activities and family fun days throughout the year.
As is the case nationally, however, Leeds has an ever-increasing need for more foster carers.
Currently, there are nearly 1,500 of the city’s children in care and Foster 4 Leeds continues to appeal for carers who can offer a stable, safe and loving home for children in Leeds.
Councillor Helen Hayden, Leeds City Council’s executive member for children and families, who attended the anniversary event at Herd Farm, said: “We’re absolutely committed to supporting all our carers and it’s great to see and hear how valuable these mockingbird hubs have been for our families over the past ten years.
“I’d like to thank all who have contributed to their success – with particular thanks, once again, to our amazing foster and kinship carers who play such a vital role in transforming the lives of our children looked after.
“Celebrating our mockingbird hubs during Foster Carer Fortnight and its theme of relationships feels particularly timely. Relationships are the golden thread that run through every fostering story – but we urgently need more foster carers who can invest in these relationships and offer a stable, home environment to allow children to grow and thrive.”
Anyone interested in finding out more about foster caring in Leeds can visit the https://foster4.leeds.gov.uk/ website.
LEEDS, England, May 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As Web3 continues to evolve, the limitations of manual execution, static smart contracts, and human-dependent workflows have become more visible than ever. Artificial Intelligence is rapidly proving its utility across industries but in Web3, AI is often misunderstood as little more than a chatbot layer or a trading algorithm. The potential for real, autonomous AI agents that interact directly with blockchains has yet to be fully realized. That potential is what Nimanode is fulfilling.
Nimanode is a new AI x blockchain platform built on the XRP Ledger (XRPL) that empowers anyone, technical or not — to deploy autonomous AI agents that can work, earn, and evolve on-chain.
What makes Nimanode different isn’t just its AI or even its blockchain integration. It boasts of a hybrid model (off-chain & on-chain) that allows AI agents to act independently, adapt to on-chain events, and perform real work for users and organizations alike.
What Makes Nimanode Unique
From a zero-code interface, users can build intelligent agents that do far more than chat. These agents can:
Deploy and manage smart contracts
Reallocate capital across DeFi pools
Monitor wallet and access risk in real time
Ensure compliance with regional regulations
Provide 24/7 on-chain support for dApps, DAOs, and marketplaces
Whether you’re a Web3 newbie, DAO, Institution, startup or investor, Nimanode lets you deploy AI Agents that automate entire workflows without needing to write code manually.
XRP + AI: The Missing Infrastructure
While most AI-blockchain projects default to Ethereum or private chains, Nimanode chose the XRP Ledger for a very specific reason: performance.
XRPL’s speed, scalability, and near-zero fees make it the ideal chain for intelligent agents operating at scale. Agents may interact with smart contracts, execute microtransactions, or request on-chain data hundreds of times per day — all of which require fast finality and cost-efficiency.
This native integration positions Nimanode as a protocol layer that enhances the XRP ecosystem while enabling a completely new category of on-chain intelligence.
$NMA: Utility Driven
At the heart of the platform is $NMA, the utility and governance token that powers agent deployment, upgrades, and staking. With their Presale set to launch soon, Early birds are getting a unique chance to back the infrastructure layer of AI-powered automation.
From agent deployment to marketplace interactions and protocol governance. $NMA Token holders can:
Build and Deploy agents
Earn staking rewards
Unlock Agent Marketplace discounts
Vote on platform upgrades and governance decisions
Final Word
The Web3 world doesn’t just need faster networks or prettier frontends, it needs autonomous infrastructure. AI agents are the next evolution in decentralization, and Nimanode is positioning itself to lead that frontier.
If you believe that smart contracts should be deployable without code… If you believe that DeFi should be optimized by intelligent systems… If you believe in a future where agents work for you, not the other way around…
Then Nimanode isn’t just another project, it’s your next protocol.
Disclaimer: This is a paid post and is provided by Nimanode. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented.We do not guarantee any claims, statements, or promises made in this article.This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice. Investing in crypto and mining-related opportunities involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital.It is possible to lose all your capital. These products may not be suitable for everyone, and you should ensure that you understand the risks involved. Seek independent advice if necessary. Speculate only with funds that you can afford to lose.Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. However, due to the inherently speculative nature of the blockchain sector—including cryptocurrency, NFTs, and mining—complete accuracy cannot always be guaranteed.Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release.In the event of any legal claims or charges against this article, we accept no liability or responsibility. Globenewswire does not endorse any content on this page.
Legal Disclaimer: This media platform provides the content of this article on an “as-is” basis, without any warranties or representations of any kind, express or implied. We assume no responsibility for any inaccuracies, errors, or omissions. We do not assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information presented herein. Any concerns, complaints, or copyright issues related to this article should be directed to the content provider mentioned above.
Source: The Conversation – USA – By Joseph Patrick Kelly, Professor of Literature and Director of Irish and Irish American Studies, College of Charleston
At the time, Ireland was a kingdom within the state of Great Britain. The island’s three religious factions had long been divided. Families who belonged to the Anglican Church of Ireland made up the aristocratic landlords and colonial administrators. Presbyterians, concentrated in the north, boasted a robust middle class. But as “dissenters” from the Anglican church, they were second-class citizens.
And most of the remaining 80% of the population, the “native” Catholics, were near-destitute farmers. For more than a hundred years, they had lived under debilitating penal laws meant to keep Catholics out of economic and political power.
A new organization, the Society of United Irishmen, was established in the early 1890s in Belfast, and chapters quickly spread to Dublin and across the country. Anyone could join, so long as they dreamed of making Ireland a republic, like the United States and France, where the people had dispensed with the monarch and ruled themselves.
Catholics and Presbyterians flocked to the cause, and even a few Anglicans joined up. The handsome and charismatic Lord Edward Fitzgerald, an Anglican son of a duke, renounced his title and commanded the society’s militia.
By 1798, a quarter of a million men, many armed with long-handled, iron-tipped pikes, awaited the summons.
It was the last time Catholics and Presbyterians in Ireland would unite under one banner in a really meaningful way until 1998, when a majority of both factions signed on to the Good Friday Agreement.
As an Irish studies scholar, I’d argue the nationalist movement was symbolized best by revolutionary Theobald Wolfe Tone, whose father was an Anglican tradesman and whose mother was born and raised a Catholic.
“I am a Protestant,” Tone wrote in his most famous political pamphlet, but also “a lover of justice and a steady detester of tyranny.”
Enlightenment ideals
Ever since King Henry VIII severed his nation’s ties to Roman Catholicism in the 16th century, Irish Catholics had suffered for their faith. Their lands were confiscated. They couldn’t bear arms. They couldn’t run schools or build churches. Though the worst of these laws had been reformed by the end of the 18th century and a small Catholic middle class was emerging, they were still barred from political office.
Inspired by the American and French revolutions, the United Irishmen wanted a secular republic that separated church from state. They professed the Enlightenment principles of equality, liberty and government by the people – and thought citizens had a duty to abolish any government destructive of their rights.
Their creed was a secular catechism, often expressed in the form of a question-and-answer text:
What is in your hand? It is a branch.
Of what? Of the Tree of Liberty
Where did it first grow? In America.
Where did it bloom? In France.
Where did the seeds fall? In Ireland.
Transcending sectarian differences, these Irish patriots took green as the color of their national flag. Upon this field they imposed an ancient symbol of Ireland, the harp.
The rebellion
The English began to suspect a revolt, and in 1787 they decided to strike first, unleashing a brutal crackdown. Redcoats “dragooned” the country, ransacking and burning homes, and flogging and summarily executing suspects.
The Irish still sing about it today in the ballad “The Wearing of the Green”:
I met with Napper Tandy and he took me by the hand,
He said, “How’s dear old Ireland and how does she stand?”
“She’s the most distressful country that you have ever seen,
They’re hanging men and women for the wearing of the green.”
Young Wolfe Tones singing ‘The Wearing of the Green.’
Most of the United Irishmen’s leaders, including Fitzgerald, were arrested or killed in the dragnet. As a result, when the signal finally came, the flaming mail coach proved a fizzle rather than a rocket.
Like guttering candles, the rebellion spent itself in uncoordinated risings at different times in different parts of the country. Help from France, which was then at war with Great Britain, came too little and too late. By October, Ireland’s revolution had been brutally suppressed.
Historical memory
Even before the conflict was over, aristocratic Anglican writers such as Sir Richard Musgrave spun the rebellion as an uprising of disgruntled Catholics. Reprisal killings, like rebels’ massacre of government supporters in County Wexford, helped them portray the rebellion as a religious war: Catholics against Protestants.
Cynical English policies further dissolved the Presbyterian-Catholic alliance. An “Act of Union” in 1800 rewarded Irish Presbyterians with full citizenship – not in an Irish republic, but in the Protestant, monarchical state of Great Britain.
Because Irish nationalism became synonymous with Catholic liberation, it was mostly Catholics who celebrated the memory of the United Irishmen. The “Fenians,” a nationalist brotherhood who fought for Irish independence in the 1860s, used the United Irishmen for inspiration. Their famous ballad “The Rising of the Moon” laments, “What glorious pride and sorrow/ Fill the name of Ninety-Eight!”
On Easter Monday 1916, Irish republicans rose up again in Dublin, beginning the revolution that would lead, finally, to Irish independence. One portion of their forces, the Citizen Army, raised the old United Irishmen’s banner above their headquarters in Dublin, Liberty Hall.
But when the Irish got their “Free State,” they did not build the kind of secular republic envisioned by the United Irishmen. The new country was a decidedly Catholic nation.
The nation’s new flag, the Irish tricolor, included green for Catholics, orange for Protestants and white to represent peace between them. But it was a largely empty gesture. Today only about 4% of the population of the Republic of Ireland identify as Protestant, while another 15% say they have no religion.
That’s mostly because in 1922 the British carved out an enclave of six northern counties where most of the Presbyterians and many Anglicans lived. This political entity, “Northern Ireland,” stayed united to England. Protestants outnumbered Catholics 2-to-1, and the minority faced widespread discrimination.
Inspired by Martin Luther King Jr., Catholics in Northern Ireland began a campaign for equal rights in 1968. But when their acts of civil disobedience were met with violence, peaceful protest devolved into “the Troubles,” a guerrilla war to get the British out.
Making peace
A ceasefire was called in 1994, not long before the bicentennial of Ireland’s 1798 rebellion.
To coincide with the anniversary, historian Kevin Whelan published an influential book, “The Tree of Liberty,” which emphasized the 1798 rebellion’s Enlightenment foundation. Catholics and Protestants together, Whelan argued, had fought to construct a secular nation based on equal rights.
Almost exactly 200 years after the United Irishmen rose up, the people of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland voted in favor of the Good Friday Agreement of 1998. Though Northern Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom today, the treaty secured the main goal of the 1798 rebellion: equal rights and self-determination for all citizens, no matter their religion.
Joseph Patrick Kelly does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
SYDNEY, May 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — With XRP’s bullish momentum driving renewed investor interest across the industry, XenDex is quickly emerging as the most anticipated DeFi platform on the XRP Ledger and its next milestones are just around the corner.
As of today, the $XDX presale has successfully filled its soft cap, and now with the hard cap nearly complete, investor demand is pushing XenDex into its final phase. This is the last window of opportunity to buy $XDX before listings go live and prices move higher.
XenDex is currently developing its Version 1 all-in-one decentralized exchange, designed to fill the long-standing DeFi gaps on XRPL. In the coming days, XenDex will unveil its full platform mockup, offering the public a visual preview of how its core features will function together in a single, sleek user interface.
These features include:
AI Copy Trading
Non-Custodial Lending & Borrowing
Cross-Chain Trading with networks like Solana, BNB Chain, and Ethereum
Staking & Yield Farming
DAO Governance using $XDX
Additionally, XenDex has announced that its first independent security audit is set to begin shortly, reinforcing its commitment to transparency, platform integrity, and long-term safety for users.
Disclaimer: This is a paid post provided by XenDex.The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented.We do not guarantee any claims, statements, or promises made in this article.This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice.
Investing in crypto and mining-related opportunities involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital.It is possible to lose all your capital. These products may not be suitable for everyone, and you should ensure that you understand the risks involved. Seek independent advice if necessary. Speculate only with funds that you can afford to lose.Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. However, due to the inherently speculative nature of the blockchain sector—including cryptocurrency, NFTs, and mining—complete accuracy cannot always be guaranteed. Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release.In the event of any legal claims or charges against this article, we accept no liability or responsibility. Globenewswire does not endorse any content on this page.
Legal Disclaimer: This media platform provides the content of this article on an “as-is” basis, without any warranties or representations of any kind, express or implied. We assume no responsibility for any inaccuracies, errors, or omissions. We do not assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information presented herein. Any concerns, complaints, or copyright issues related to this article should be directed to the content provider mentioned above.
Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University – Last week, 30 advanced engineering schools of the first wave, selected in 2022, presented the results of their work and development plans to the Council for the Review and Coordination of Activities of Advanced Engineering Schools.
In the published Minutes of the meeting of the Council for the consideration of issues and coordination of the activities of advanced engineering schools, the Council assessed various aspects of the schools’ activities: the ambition and elaboration of the development program, interaction with partners, and reporting indicators. This year, NSU’s PIS received the highest scores for the criteria of recognition and the university’s potential (8th place) and the volume of attracted funding (7th place). The Council’s assessments provide an incentive for further improvement of PIS’s activities.
PISh “Cognitive Engineering” NSU ahead of 13 leading engineering schools in the overall ranking. In order to attract students with good fundamental training to the master’s programs of the NSU PIS, a system of career guidance and motivation of future applicants has been built, starting in school. At each stage of preparation, interaction with partners has been established: science and industry in order to ensure a high level of project work based on real problems from industry. Over three years of active work, a number of new educational spaces and laboratories equipped with modern equipment have been created at the NSU PIS. The leading engineering school of NSU successfully presented the results of its work and was recommended for participation in the next competitive selection.
— Along with the universities of the Ministry of Education and Science, the first wave of the project included universities of the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Agriculture, and the Ministry of Digital Development, which already at the start of the project allowed for more comprehensive coverage of key sectors of the economy. The focus of the leading engineering schools and their technology partners was on strategically important areas, including automation and artificial intelligence, digital twins and new materials, optimization of technological processes, and unmanned aircraft systems. It is important that business was very interested in working with leading engineering schools, so if the volume of state funding for the first wave of schools over three years amounted to 25.1 billion rubles, then extra-budgetary investments amounted to 33.3 billion rubles, — said the head of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia, Valery Falkov.
This year, the first wave of PISs are moving to a new stage of financing — now they will continue to develop by fulfilling external orders from industrial partners and funds raised under other competitive programs of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia. In total, there are currently 50 PISs in 23 regions. By 2030, on the instructions of the President, the number of PISs should double. The Advanced Engineering Schools project is being implemented within the framework of the national project Youth and Children.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
I remember seeing footage, several years ago, of a jubilant Malcolm Turnbull, then prime minister and Liberal leader, speaking in Tamworth to loyal members of the National Party. These were the rank and file who had spent weeks stumping for their man in New England, Nationals leader and deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce, who had resubmitted himself to voters after discovering he was a dual citizen of Australia and New Zealand.
A lot was riding on the outcome. Turnbull’s government had the slimmest possible majority in the lower house, and the loss of the Nationals leader would have been bad for the government as well as morale. Consequently, Turnbull was overjoyed when he thanked voters in New England “for getting the band back together”. Joyce’s handsome victory was, he explained, a “great demonstration” of the “strength of our Coalition”.
While it may seem unfair to bands everywhere to lean too heavily on that metaphor, there is something to it. Like The Beatles, the Liberal and National parties have allowed their creative tension to become little more than just tension. Like Simon and Garfunkel, deep-seated resentments have been allowed to fester without resolution for too long. And now, like Fleetwood Mac, the two parties have chosen to go their own way, at least for a time.
An agreement and an idea
The Coalition is first and foremost an agreement – or rather, a series of agreements. It is predicated on the pragmatic reality that neither the Liberal Party (and beforehand, its predecessor parties) nor the agrarian National (formerly Country) Party was able to govern alone, or at least not for very long.
The first of these agreements was struck in February 1923, following an election the previous year that left the Nationalist Party, led by wartime prime minister Billy Hughes, well short of a lower house majority. The new Country Party won 14 seats in the lower house (roughly 18%) on its own, making it a force to be reckoned with.
Country MPs were willing to form a power-sharing agreement with the Nationalists, but not without cost. The larger party had to jettison its leader in favour of a new prime minister, Stanley Melbourne Bruce. The rural party won a hefty share of the ministries (five out of 11) and Earle Page, Country Party leader, became treasurer and de facto deputy prime minister.
Though they were not aware of it, Bruce and Page were creating something that has since become a tradition, an idea that can all too easily seem like an immutable part of Australia’s political life.
For more than 100 years now, some form of that “Coalition” has stood against Labor, and in doing so has helped to constitute a two-party system whose predominance is well and truly waning.
Discordant notes
The termination of the Coalition in 2025 is neither shocking nor unprecedented. Indeed, if the band analogy has any meaning here, it is because there have been so many discordant notes over those 102 years.
When the United Australia Party (UAP) came on to the federal scene in response to the Great Depression, the party of farmers chose to go it alone. The UAP won a majority and governed in its own right from 1931 to 1934, only joining the Country Party in coalition when the 1934 elections robbed it of outright majority.
The death of UAP founder and prime minister Joe Lyons in April 1939 tore that marriage apart. His successor, Robert Menzies, declared his desire to choose all ministers (even those from the Country Party) himself, thereby alienating that party. Apart from a few dissidents, the Country Party quit the coalition, until the outbreak of war and declining electoral fortunes made a remarriage necessary.
The Liberals and Country Party/Nationals managed their affairs well enough during their long stints in office from 1949 to 1972, and again under Malcolm Fraser (1975–83) and John Howard (1996–2007). But even in good times, these were not always the happiest of bandmates.
Country Party leader John McEwen dominated the government in the late 1960s, to the point of brazenly vetoing the leadership candidacy of Harold Holt’s deputy (the unpopular Billy McMahon) when the former went swimming and failed to return.
Fraser was often criticised by Liberal colleagues for his instinctive closeness to the National Party. Paul Davey explains that in Howard’s day, the Nationals felt “overshadowed” and “undersold”. In fact, the very word “Coalition” bordered on synonymous with “Liberal”.
Different states of mind
To be fair, Howard had learned a lot about managing the Coalition relationship by the time he arrived at The Lodge. The agreement had been brutally severed during his first stint as leader, thanks to Queensland premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen’s quest to become prime minister.
A figure head of New Right populism, Bjelke-Petersen felt that neither the federal Liberal Party (then led by Howard) nor his National Party colleagues were made of tough enough stuff to beat modern Labor.
The Nationals’ federal leader, Ian Sinclair, later said the vision of Howard, Sinclair and Bjelke-Petersen presenting separate election programs was an “absolute farce”.
It mattered that the death of the Coalition was spearheaded by a state premier. Such agreements had always been less popular and more controversial within the state branches of both parties.
South of the Murray, it was quite unspectacular for Country Party MPs in the mid-20th century to change their allegiances and even stand alone in office with the tentative support of the Labor Party.
In Queensland, the Liberal and National Parties governed together, often with the latter as the senior partner. But Bjelke-Petersen scrapped the Coalition in that state in 1983 and consolidated its parliamentary majority at an election in 1986. By the time of his departure in 1987, both parties had badly fractured.
In time, the two parties merged in that state to prevent such outbreaks in future. Federal members of the Queensland LNP face some awkward conversations now.
Principled stances and survival
In announcing the latest split, Nationals leader David Littleproud said his party was taking a “principled stance”, though what exact principles were involved we have not learned. His deputy, Kevin Hogan, said he hoped the parties would “get back together” later on.
We know the sticking points were these: a guaranteed $20 billion Regional Australia Fund, divestiture powers to break up businesses with unhealthy market power, obligations for better regional mobile coverage, and an ongoing commitment to the nuclear energy project.
The latter commitment flies in the face of electoral reason, but the other three policies are clearly informed by the history of telecommunications deregulation and privatisation (which caused many sleepless nights in the National Party during the Howard years) and the ever-present threat of other, more populist parties chasing Nationals MPs’ heels in regional Australia.
The National Party made a big effort to resist that pressure in the 1990s, when One Nation looked like it might decimate its grip on the regions. A few days ago, Pauline Hanson said the Nationals and One Nation could in fact form their own coalition, so close were their policy offerings. That this was even uttered is a testament to how much the Nationals have changed over the past 30 years in their quest for survival.
Time apart could provide the parties with the political space they need for self-reflection and strategic reorientation. But they will not have one another to blame for their performance in coming months and years. Breaking up the band is easy to do. Touring alone is hard.
Joshua Black is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at The Australia Institute.
Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –
The Moskino Cinema Park hosted a weekend of various events for the whole family.
Meetings with filmmakers
As part of the program “The Last Session”, the director of the war film “Not on the Lists” Sergei Korotayev met with the audience at the Gonzaga Theater. He shared his impressions of working on the film and also talked about the construction of the “Brest Fortress” set.
“When we drew sketches and diagrams of this set, which replicated the life-size Brest Fortress citadel with a 25-meter-high church, all the sites refused us. They said that we would never find a place for such a set, nor people who would undertake it. And so our team came to the Moskino cinema park, where they showed us a plot of land overgrown with grass and trees, provided builders, equipment, and we did it. A professional team of people in love with their work gathered, who with some superhuman effort did the impossible in three months. I think this is worthy of the Guinness Book of Records, because such a site had to be built in a year and a half,” the director said.
The creator of the film added that in the future, when he finds a suitable script, he wants to film on the set of “Moscow in the 1940s.”
The educational center hosted master classes on working with chromakey. Director Artem Nikolaev and cameraman Vladislav Kovalev showed guests how to set up lighting, work with a camera, and move correctly in the frame.
Artem Nikolaev noted that it is very important for mentors that young guests come who want to learn how to work with a camera and be filmed. In the age of information technology and social networks, such skills in using technology are necessary. Children must understand how to present themselves, speak on camera and correctly voice their thoughts. Such classes are the essence of the modern educational process and help children decide on their future profession.”
The master classes were conducted by young artist Nikita Malakhov, who showed the young participants several exercises and explained how to work in a team.
The audience warmly received the performance of Anton Shagin, an actor from the Lenkom Mark Zakharov Theatre, who read his poems and spoke about his profession.
“I visited this amazing venue, the Gonzaga Theatre, for the first time. I didn’t feel like I was performing surrounded by scenery, everything was alive – my poems, questions and the emotions of the audience. This is a wonderful hall with very good acoustics and comfortable lighting. I highly recommend coming to the cinema park to anyone who is looking for new experiences and wants to attend cozy meetings with actors, directors and other creators. We must pay tribute to all the organizers and creators of this powerful project for the development of our film industry,” the artist said.
Viewing cult films
Open-air film screenings were held at three venues at once. Spectators sat on soft poufs in front of a large screen on the central square and at the Moscow Center venue. Surrounded by decorations, viewers saw original films by directors from different countries: the adventure film Spirit of Baikal, the melodrama My Year in New York, the comedy Sleepless in Seoul, and many others. It was possible to watch films until two in the morning from your own car.
At the Moskino Kinopark cinema, viewers saw the comedy film Faithful Friend (about the friendship between the writer Iris and a Great Dane named Apollo), the war drama Not Listed, the film Kraken, and the adventure comedy Deniskiny Rasskazy. In addition, children tried to make a film award and posters at master classes, took part in a film lottery, played big dominoes, mini-football, and took pictures among large-sized dishes — props from the film Cheburashka.
The Moskino cinema park is part of Sergei Sobyanin’s “Moscow – City of Cinema” project and an object of the Moscow cinema cluster, which is being developed by the capital Department of Culture. The first stage of creation has already been completed here: 24 natural sites, four pavilions and six infrastructure facilities have been built. Among them are the sets “Center of Moscow”, “Moscow of the 1940s”, “Vitebsk Station”, “Yurovo Airport”, “Cathedral Square of Moscow”, “Deaf Village”, “County Town”, “Cowboy Town”, “St. Petersburg Bar” and others.
The Moscow Film Cluster is an infrastructure facility, services and facilities for filmmakers, which are being developed by the Moscow Government within the framework of the Moscow — City of Cinema project. Its structure includes the Moskino film park, the Gorky Film Studio (sites on Sergei Eisenstein Street and Valdaisky Proyezd), the Moskino film factory, the Moskino cinema chain, the film commission and the Moskino film platform.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect
EU agriculture sector loses more than €28 billion a year as a result of adverse weather, according to new report
Farm insurance in Europe can play key role to keep climate risks in check, says study published by EIB and European Commission
EU can do more to expand insurance coverage for European farmers
The European Union agricultural sector loses more than €28 billion a year, on average, as a result of adverse weather such as droughts and the EU can do more to reduce such business risks, including by expanding farm insurance, according to a groundbreaking new study.
The analysis, published jointly today by the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Commission, says that worsening climate change threatens to increase EU agricultural average annual losses as much as 66% by 2050, and urges a stronger EU risk-management system for the sector.
Only 20% to 30% of climate-induced farm losses in the EU are insured through public, private or mutual systems including those supported by Europe’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Insurance coverage backed by public funding is often more effective than government compensation programmes, according to the study.
“Climate-related risks are an increasing source of uncertainty for food production. Mitigating these risks through insurance and de-risking mechanisms is essential to support the investments of European farmers,” said EIB Vice-President Gelsomina Vigliotti. “The findings of this analysis will guide our future action as we step up support to bolster the resilience of the EU’s agricultural system.”
The EIB Group to date has supported the EU farm industry in three main ways. One is loans and guarantees to agricultural businesses or equity stakes in them. The second is the financing of rural infrastructure such as irrigation and roads. The third is advice to public authorities and financial institutions on how EU farm grants can be used to attract funding from other sources and to limit risks included those related to climate.
Commissioner for agriculture and food, Christophe Hansen, said: “Climate change and its consequences could restrict farmers’ access to finance, as banks could become even more reluctant to take risks than they are today. The study we are publishing today with the EIB shows that only 20% to 30% of climate-related losses are insured by public, private or mutual systems. We need to do something to cover the remaining losses. I encourage all Member States to assess and launch new financial instruments under their CAP Strategic Plans, to better prevent climate risks in the agricultural sector. I also welcome the work of the EIB Group, which is playing a key role in mobilising capital to ensure the long-term resilience of the EU’s agri-food sector.”
The new study is the first-of-its-kind analysis of agriculture-insurance schemes across the EU. It was commissioned by the Commission’s Directorate-General for Agriculture and carried out by EIB Advisory, under the fi-compass platform, with the support of the global insurance intermediary group Howden.
Across the 27-nation EU, climate-induced losses for the agricultural sector average €28.3 billion a year, according to the study. That’s around 6% of annual EU crop and livestock production.
Global warming threatens to cause greater volatility in EU agricultural yields and more instability in European farm incomes, with projected losses rising between 42% and 66% by mid-century, according to the report.
It examines the broad impact of weather on agriculture and explores options for expanding farm insurance in Europe and for encouraging the sector to reduce risks through climate adaptation.
Main recommendations in the report include:
To limit economic shocks for farmers, the EU should pursue risk-transfer measures including catastrophe bonds and public-private reinsurance arrangements
The EU should provide rapid-response funding when disasters occur
The sector as a whole should take more adaptation steps because, even with improved insurance coverage, they are critical for countering future climate risks.
Background information
EIB
The European Investment Bank (ElB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. The EIB finances investments in eight core priorities that support EU policy objectives: climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, cohesion, agriculture and the bioeconomy, social infrastructure, the capital markets union and a stronger Europe in a more peaceful and prosperous world.
The EIB Group, which also includes the European Investment Fund (EIF), signed nearly €89 billion in new financing for over 900 high-impact projects in 2024, boosting Europe’s competitiveness and security.
All projects financed by the EIB Group are aligned with the Paris Climate Agreement, as set out in our Climate Bank Roadmap. Almost 60% of the EIB Group’s annual financing supports projects that contribute directly to climate change mitigation, adaptation and a healthier environment.
In addition to financing, the EIB offers advisory services that help public and private partners develop and implement high-quality, investment-ready projects. In 2024 alone, EIB advisory teams helped mobilise over 200 billion of investment across Europe and beyond.
High-quality, up-to-date photos of the organisation’s headquarters for media use are available here.
About fi-compass
Delivered by EIB Advisory, fi-compass is a unique advisory platform established by the European Commission in partnership with the European Investment Bank (EIB). It is designed to support EU Member States and their managing authorities in the implementation of financial instruments under the European Shared Management Funds for Cohesion and Agriculture policy. The platform provides comprehensive guidance, practical know-how, and learning tools on financial instruments, helping to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of public investments.
About Howden
Howden is a global insurance intermediary group with employee ownership at its heart. Founded in 1994, it provides insurance broking, reinsurance broking and underwriting services and solutions to clients ranging from individuals to the largest multinational companies.
The group operates in 55 countries across Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, the USA, Australia and New Zealand, employing 22,000 people and handling $45bn of premium on behalf of clients.
Defendant preyed on juvenile as well as young adults to support his expensive lifestyle of luxury cars, multiple apartments, travel, and luxury goods
Tacoma – A 35-year-old Washington State man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 11 years in prison for sex trafficking of a minor, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Dominique Terrel Gonzales used residences in Seattle, Portland, and Vancouver, Washington, as well as different short-term rental homes on the East Coast, during the period when he preyed on young women, forcing them into prostitution. Gonzales has been in federal custody since his arrest for illegal firearms possession in August 2020.
At today’s sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle said, Gonzales “engaged in monstrous activity that profoundly affected a number of people. In many ways, your victims have lifetime sentences as a result of the harm you’ve caused. It is hard to overstate the human suffering and damage . . . The victims in this case go beyond those that you abused. You can see how profoundly your actions have affected their families.”
“For years this defendant used violence, threats, and emotional coercion to force vulnerable young women into having sex with strangers and giving their earnings to him,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Miller. “He preyed upon teenagers and young women who were insecure and estranged from their families. To maintain control over his victims, Gonzales physically beat them, verbally assaulted them, and forced them to install tracking programs on their cellphones so that he could follow their every move. He used whatever means necessary to ensure that his victims engaged in prostitution to fund his luxurious lifestyle.”
“Today’s sentence holds the defendant accountable for the criminal conduct he perpetrated for years within the Western District of Washington,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Predators who target and coerce the vulnerable face appropriately serious sanctions under federal law, and the Justice Department will continue to seek significant sentences to vindicate the rights of human trafficking victims.”
Law enforcement in Idaho, Southwest Washington, and Seattle investigated the case. According to records in the case, in August 2020, Gonzales trafficked a juvenile female causing her to engage in commercial sex acts. Gonzales transported the girl across state lines to Portland, Oregon, for her to engage in commercial sex acts.
The investigation revealed that between 2016 and 2019, Gonzalez also forced four adult women to work for him as prostitutes – using force, fraud, and coercion to make them do his bidding. One of the victims was lured from her home in Idaho and then forced to engage in prostitution. Many of the victims met Gonzales through online dating aps. After he lured them in promising a relationship, he put them to work doing sex acts with strangers. Gonzales arranged the “dates” and forced the women to turn over any money they earned. He used violence and threats of violence to keep the victims working for him.
At the time of his arrest, Gonzales illegally possessed a Desert Eagle 9mm semi-automatic pistol and ammunition. Three felony convictions prohibit him from possessing firearms: Two counts of second-degree assault (domestic violence) from August 2014 in King County Superior Court and one count of unlawful imprisonment – domestic violence, from the same incident.
In asking for a 12-year prison sentence and 15 years of supervised release prosecutors wrote to the court, “The facts make clear that Gonzales is a manipulative, violent predator who targets vulnerable women to work for him in prostitution and then brutally beats them to keep them under his control….. Despite being prohibited from doing so, Gonzales possessed firearms and used them to threaten and frighten his victims. As a result of their victimization, all five victims have suffered significant trauma – trauma that they were forced to revisit during the course of this prosecution.”
“Today’s sentencing is a powerful reminder that those who prey on vulnerable children through violence and exploitation will be held fully accountable,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Seattle Acting Special Agent in Charge Matthew Murphy. “This individual used force and coercion to rob a minor of their freedom and dignity, and justice has now been served. This outcome was made possible through the unwavering collaboration with our law enforcement partners across multiple jurisdictions, whose dedication and coordination were vital to this investigation. We remain steadfast in our commitment to protecting victims, dismantling trafficking networks, and ensuring that those responsible face the full weight of the law.”
Judge Settle ordered that Gonzales be on supervised release for 15 years following his prison term. Restitution for the victims will be determined at a hearing in August 2025.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), Olympia Police Department, Vancouver Police Department, Idaho State Police, Ada County (Idaho) Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Department of Agriculture-Office of Inspector General (USDA-OIG), and the Department of Homeland Security’s Center for Countering Human Trafficking.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Crisham for the Western District of Washington and Trial Attorney Jessica Arco of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit prosecuted the case. Ms. Crisham leads the Anti-Trafficking prosecutions in the Western District of Washington.
Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking
Statistics on Scottish Nitrogen Balance Sheet published today.
The Scottish Nitrogen Balance Sheet (SNBS) 2022 presents the Nitrogen Use Efficiencies (NUEs) which are the headline measures of the SNBS and show the percentage of useful nitrogen outputs, for example food, relative to total nitrogen inputs.
In 2022, the whole economy NUE figure was 27%. Although the whole economy figure is dominated by food production, this figure is lower than the NUE for food production due to the inclusion of sources such as transport which produce no useful nitrogen outputs. The NUE for all food production is 33%, with the figure for agriculture ( 33%) being very similar, given that agriculture dominates food production. The 33% figure for all of agriculture comprises values for arable agriculture ( 70%) and livestock based agriculture ( 10%).
The largest component of nitrogen use in Scotland is associated with food production. Overall, out of the 66.9 kt N / yr of total useful nitrogen-containing outputs produced in Scotland, almost 89.5% of these are associated with food production (namely 53.6 kt N / yr of foodstuffs from agriculture, with the remainder from aquaculture and landings from sea fisheries).
The units kt N / yr refers to thousands of tonnes of nitrogen consumed or produced per year.
Livestock based agriculture is inherently less nitrogen efficient than arable agriculture because only a small proportion of the ingested nitrogen by livestock ends up in useful nitrogen-containing produce.
This is the fourth time these data have been compiled.
Official statistics are produced by professionally independent statistical staff – more information on the standards of official statistics in Scotland can be accessed at: https://www2.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/About
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE)
Washington, DC — Today Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE) and Governor Jim Pillen hosted U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins on a visit to Nebraska. The officials toured the Cargill Bioscience Complex in Blair, NE, the Wholestone Farms pork facility in Fremont, and Ohnoutka family farm in Valparaiso where they held a roundtable with local agriculture producers. Secretary Rollins announced the administration’s new Farmers First: Small Family Farms Policy Agenda to support family agriculture operations for a prosperous future.
The officials released the following statements.
“Welcoming Secretary Rollins to Nebraska alongside Governor Pillen provided a tremendous opportunity to showcase Nebraska’s world-leading livestock, crop, and biofuels producers. As we mark 163 years since the signing of the Homestead Act, agriculture remains the economic driver of our state and the nation’s Heartland. USDA’s new Farmers First strategy will expand markets, deliver regulatory relief, promote long-term certainty, and ensure the accessibility of USDA resources for American farming families working tirelessly to feed and fuel the world. I will continue to work with Secretary Rollins and President Trump to unleash prosperity for generations to come,” said Representative Smith.
“Nebraska is helping to lead the nation in agriculture! Great to meet with the farmers, ranchers, and producers from the Cornhusker State who are working to feed, fuel, and clothe the world. Under President Trump’s leadership, we are returning USDA to a Farmers First department, and that starts with giving farmers a seat at the table,” said Secretary Rollins.
“Our family-owned farms and ranches are at the heart of agriculture in America and are the backbone of the economy in states like Nebraska. Generations of producers have passed down the love of farming, strongly-rooted values, and common-sense stewardship of our land and water to the next generation. I’m glad that Secretary Rollins and the USDA are highlighting the value and importance of family owned and small operations as part of our efforts to put Farmers First. I look forward to this tremendous initiative, and I am thrilled that she chose to launch it from a family farm right here in Nebraska,” said Governor Pillen.
Source: Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART)
Researchers have developed the world’s first species-agnostic nanosensor that enables non-destructive, real-time monitoring of plants’ primary growth hormone: a form of auxin called indole-3-acetic acid (IAA)
Auxins help plants to regulate their development, and stress responses such as shade or high temperature – making it a key indicator of plant health
Using the corona phase molecular recognition (CoPhMoRe) technique, the nanosensor can precisely track IAA levels in different crop types without the need for genetic modification
This breakthrough technology holds significant potential for agricultural applications, allowing farmers to monitor plant growth and stress response, and develop stress-tolerant crops.
Singapore, 20 May 2025 – Researchers from the Disruptive & Sustainable Technologies for Agricultural Precision (DiSTAP) interdisciplinary research group (IRG) of Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), MIT’s research enterprise in Singapore, in collaboration with Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory (TLL) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), have developed the world’s first near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent nanosensor capable of real-time, non-destructive and species-agnostic detection of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) – the primary bioactive auxin hormone that controls the way plants develop, grow and respond to stress.
Auxins, particularly IAA, play a central role in regulating key plant processes such as cell division, elongation, root and shoot development, and response to environmental cues like light, heat and drought. External factors like light affect how auxin moves within the plant, temperature influences how much is produced, and a lack of water can disrupt hormone balance. When plants cannot effectively regulate auxins, they may not grow well, adapt to changing conditions or produce as much food.
Existing IAA detection methods, such as liquid chromatography, require taking plant samples from the plant – which harms or removes part of it. Conventional methods also measure the effects of IAA rather than detecting it directly, and cannot be used universally across different plant types. In addition, since IAA are small molecules that cannot be easily tracked in real-time, biosensors that contain fluorescent proteins need to be inserted into the plant’s genome to measure auxin, making it emit a fluorescent signal for live imaging.
SMART’s newly developed nanosensor enables direct, real-time tracking of auxin levels in living plants with high precision. The sensor uses NIR imaging to monitor IAA fluctuations non-invasively across tissues like leaves, roots and cotyledons, and it is capable of bypassing chlorophyll interference to ensure highly reliable readings even in densely pigmented tissues. The technology does not require genetic modification and can be integrated with existing agricultural systems – offering a scalable precision tool to advance both crop optimisation and fundamental plant physiology research.
By providing real-time, precise measurements of auxin – a hormone central to plant growth and stress response – the sensor empowers farmers with earlier and more accurate insights into plant health. With these insights and comprehensive data, farmers can make smarter, data-driven decisions on irrigation, nutrient delivery and pruning, tailored to the plant’s actual needs – ultimately improving crop growth, boosting stress resilience and increasing yields.
“We need new technologies to address the problems of food insecurity and climate change worldwide. Auxin is a central growth signal within living plants, and this work gives us a way to tap it to give new information to farmers and researchers. The applications are many, including early detection of plant stress, allowing for timely interventions to safeguard crops. For urban and indoor farms, where light, water and nutrients are already tightly controlled, this sensor can be a valuable tool in fine-tuning growth conditions with even greater precision to optimise yield and sustainability,” said Prof Michael Strano, Co-Lead Principal Investigator at DiSTAP and Carbon P. Dubbs Professor of Chemical Engineering at MIT, and co-corresponding author of the paper.
The research team documented the nanosensor’s development in a paper, titled “A Near-Infrared Fluorescent Nanosensor for Direct and Real-Time Measurement of Indole-3-Acetic Acid in Plants”, published in the journalACS Nano. The sensor comprises single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) wrapped in a specially designed polymer, which enables it to detect IAA through changes in NIR fluorescence intensity. Successfully tested across multiple species, including Arabidopsis, Nicotiana benthamiana, choy sum and spinach, the nanosensor can map IAA responses under various environmental conditions such as shade, low light and heat stress.
“This sensor builds on DiSTAP’s ongoing work in nanotechnology and the CoPhMoRe technique, which has already been used to develop other sensors that can detect important plant compounds such as gibberellins and hydrogen peroxide. By adapting this approach for IAA, we’re adding to our inventory of novel, precise and non-destructive tools for monitoring plant health. Eventually, these sensors can be multiplexed, or combined, to monitor a spectrum of plant growth markers for more complete insights into plant physiology,” said Dr Duc Thinh Khong, Principal Research Scientist at DiSTAP and co-first author of the paper.
“This small but mighty nanosensor tackles a long-standing challenge in agriculture: the need for a universal, real-time and non-invasive tool to monitor plant health across various species. Our collaborative achievement not only empowers researchers and farmers to optimise growth conditions and improve crop yield and resilience, but also advances our scientific understanding of hormone pathways and plant-environment interactions,” said Dr In-Cheol Jang, Senior Principal Investigator at TLL and Principal Investigator at DiSTAP, and co-corresponding author of the paper. Looking ahead, the research team is looking to combine multiple sensing platforms to simultaneously detect IAA and its related metabolites to create a comprehensive hormone signaling profile, offering deeper insights into plant stress responses and enhancing precision agriculture. They are also working on using microneedles for highly localised, tissue-specific sensing, and collaborating with industrial urban farming partners to translate the technology into practical, field-ready solutions. The research is carried out by SMART, and supported by the National Research Foundation under its Campus for Research Excellence And Technological Enterprise (CREATE) programme.
The Government e Marketplace (GeM), India’s national public procurement portal, celebrated its 8th Incorporation Day with a renewed commitment to inclusive growth, digital governance, and economic empowerment. On this occasion, GeM launched GeMAI, India’s first generative AI-powered chatbot for the public sector, marking a significant milestone in digital public service delivery.
Driving Innovation and Inclusion
Speaking at the event, GeM CEO Mihir Kumar said that GeM continues to innovate and empower, aiming to unlock opportunities for every Indian entrepreneur. He emphasized that the platform’s vision goes beyond procurement to create a more accessible, efficient, and equitable marketplace, especially for micro and small enterprises, startups, weavers, and women-led businesses.
Expanding Reach and Economic Impact
Over the years, GeM has significantly expanded its reach and impact. The platform now supports over 1.64 lakh primary buyers and 4.2 lakh active sellers. It offers more than 10,000 product categories and 330 services. Independent studies by the World Bank and findings from India’s Economic Survey have highlighted the platform’s effectiveness, citing an average cost saving of nearly 10 percent in government procurement through GeM.
Empowering Small Sellers and Entrepreneurs
In line with its goal of empowering traditionally underrepresented groups, GeM has onboarded over 10 lakh micro and small enterprises, 1.3 lakh artisans and weavers, 1.84 lakh women entrepreneurs, and 31,000 startups. Kumar noted that through transparent bid dissemination and integration of diverse stakeholders such as self-help groups and farmer producer organizations, GeM has redefined public procurement in India.
Lowering Costs and Simplifying Participation
The platform has also significantly reduced costs for sellers. Currently, 97 percent of all transactions are free from transaction charges. Fee structures have been revised, with reductions ranging from 33 percent to 96 percent and a cap of ₹3 lakh for orders exceeding ₹10 crore, down from the earlier ₹72.5 lakh. For small sellers with an annual turnover below ₹1 crore, the caution money deposit has been cut by 60 percent, with full exemptions for specific categories.
Enabling Strategic and High-Value Procurements
GeM has also played a critical role in key national procurements, including ₹5,000 crore worth of equipment for the Akash Missile System and ₹5,085 crore in vaccine procurement. The platform is enabling a wide range of complex services such as drone-as-a-service for AIIMS, GIS and insurance coverage for over 1.3 crore lives, and the wet leasing of chartered flights and CT scanners.
Nationwide Adoption and Digital Integration
The platform is now operational across all 36 states and union territories. Uttar Pradesh has emerged as a leader in GeM adoption. Eight states, including Maharashtra, Manipur, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Assam, Uttarakhand, and Chhattisgarh, have made GeM usage mandatory. Successful integrations with Integrated Financial Management Systems (IFMS) have been completed in Assam, Kerala, Odisha, West Bengal, and Delhi, with upcoming implementations planned in Gujarat, Karnataka, and Uttar Pradesh.
Pioneering AI in Public Service Delivery
In a significant digital governance initiative, GeM has introduced GeMAI, a generative AI chatbot designed to enhance user support. The chatbot supports both voice and text interactions in 10 Indian languages, reflecting GeM’s vision of inclusive, intelligent service. Alongside, the platform has adopted advanced analytics for real-time fraud detection, risk mitigation, and ongoing monitoring to ensure transparency and accountability.
A pacemaker with a ‘beat’ that responds to breathing is showing good results in studies and is now being trialled in Kiwi heart patients.
A pacemaker that mimics the heart’s naturally variable rhythm is being trialled in humans for the first time with no adverse effects reported and the promise of improved outcomes.
The first-in-human trials started in the Waikato, New Zealand just before Christmas and are now being conducted in Adelaide and Melbourne, Australia, and Bristol and Cardiff in the UK.
Usual pacemakers support a regular, monotonic beat in the patient’s heart, but our hearts naturally beat irregularly depending on our breathing.
The new pacemaker would vary according to respiration and has shown improvements in the health animal models so far, with a new study offering further evidence. See below.
The first patient was in Waikato hospital just before Christmas. The pacemaker is being tested in patients coming out of a heart operation in which temporary pacing wires are fitted that allows doctors to connect the new pacemaker to them for a few days.
Professor Martin Stiles, a cardiologist at Waikato Hospital, is overseeing the trial there and is hopeful about the novel pacemaker.
“This new technology is moving toward replicating the way nature has evolved pulse variability to make the most efficient use of the heart’s function,” Stiles says.
“Remarkably, researchers have found in sheep that our pacemaker allows the ability to exercise again despite heart failure, which usually prohibits any exertional activity, says study lead Professor Julian Paton, director of Manaaki Manawa, Centre for Heart Research in the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences at Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland.
“We believe that, if patients have the choice of a pacemaker, then one that improves exercise performance without the need to undergo training will be a preferred option,” Paton says.
The new study led by colleague Associate Professor Rohit Ramchandra tested whether sheep’s ability to exercise was improved by a variable heart pacemaker. Sheep’s heart functions are similar to human’s.
“This is important since the ability to exercise can dramatically improve quality of life in patients with heart failure,” Ramchandra says.
“Our findings indicated that respiratory heart rate variability pacing improves baseline levels of heart function but also dramatically improves the capacity of the heart to pump blood during exercise. This translates to more blood being delivered to muscles during exercise.
“Remarkably, respiratory heart rate variability pacing also improved the recovery time of the heart post-exercise, which is an established marker of physical fitness.”
The researchers also tested whether the variable pacing improved heart function when the sheep remained on heart medications.
“We found variable pacing continues to improve heart function against a background of current medication. None of these changes happened in the group which underwent conventional monotonic pacing.”
Nationals’ leader David Littleproud has singled out nuclear energy as a key reason for his party’s spectacular split from the Liberals, as both parties seek to rebuild following the Coalition’s devastating election loss.
our party room has got to a position where we will not be re-entering a Coalition agreement with the Liberal Party […] Those positions that we couldn’t get comfort around [include] nuclear being a part of an energy grid into the future.
The junior partner had long held strong sway over the Coalition’s climate and energy stance, including the plan to build nuclear reactors at seven sites across Australia using taxpayer funds.
After public sentiment appeared to go against nuclear power during the election, the Nationals had reportedly been weighing up changes to the policy. It would have involved walking away from the plan to build reactors and instead lifting a federal ban on nuclear power.
But some quarters of the Nationals remained deeply wedded to the original nuclear plan. Meanwhile, Nationals senator Matt Canavan had called for the net-zero emissions target to be scrapped, and Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie insisted renewable energy was harming regional communities.
Now, with the Nationals unshackled from the binds of the Coalition agreement, the future of its energy policy will be keenly watched.
A graceful way out of nuclear
Littleproud on Tuesday did not confirm where exactly he expected the Nationals to land on energy policy. But he rejected suggestions his party was unwise to stick with the nuclear policy after the Coalition’s poor election result, saying public opinion had been swayed by a “scare campaign”.
Even if the Coalition had won the election, however, the policy was running out of time.
CSIRO analysis showed, contrary to the Coalition’s claims, a nuclear program that began this year was unlikely to deliver power by 2037. But up to 90% of coal-fired power stations in the national electricity market are projected to retire before 2035, and the entire fleet is due to shut down before 2040.
Now, the earliest possible start date for nuclear is after the 2028 election. This means plugging nuclear plants into the grid as coal-fired power stations retire becomes virtually impossible.
This very impossibility provided the National Party with a graceful way out of the policy. It could have regretfully accepted the moment had passed.
With nuclear out of the picture, and coal-fired power almost certain to be phased out, that would have left two choices for the Coalition: a grid dominated by gas, or one dominated by renewables.
However, expanding gas supply frequently requires the controversial process of fracking, which is deservedly unpopular in many regions where it’s undertaken.
What’s more, gas is an expensive energy source which can only be a marginal add-on in the electricity mix, used alongside batteries to secure the system during peak times.
Logically, that would have left renewable energy as the only feasible energy policy option for the Nationals – but it wasn’t to be.
‘Technology agnostic’?
Littleproud claims the party is technology agnostic about energy policy. In practice, that would mean choosing the technology that can reduce emissions most rapidly and cheaply, rather than being bound by ideology or political expediency.
In principle, this approach is the right one. Many energy sources can reduce carbon emissions, including solar and wind (backed up by energy storage), nuclear, hydro-electricity, and even gas and coal if emissions can be captured and stored.
But the Nationals’ claim to agnosticism is not reflected in its actual policies which, in recent years, have been characterised by dogmatic faith in nuclear and so-called “clean” coal, and an equally dogmatic rejection of solar, wind and battery storage.
The Nationals’ hostility to renewables may in part be driven by pressure from anti-renewable activist groups.
The Institute of Public Affairs, for example, has sought to promote rural opposition to renewables and emissions reduction and focused its efforts on Nationals-held seats
And the now-defunct Waubra Foundation, named after the small town in northwest Victoria, opposed wind farms and claimed they caused health problems. The group was created by an oil and gas executive with no apparent links to the town.
What about net-zero?
Elements of the Nationals had been calling for the Coalition to abandon support for Australia’s target of net-zero emissions by 2050.
This would mostly have been a symbolic measure, since the target does not require, or prohibit, any particular policy in the short run. It may, however, have exposed Australia’s agricultural exports to tariffs on carbon-intensive goods.
The move would have been disastrous for the Liberals’ chances of regaining urban seats, and for investment in renewable energy. So it was never likely to be accepted as part of a Coalition agreement.
The Nationals could have chosen to accept the target in return for concessions elsewhere. Or it might have sought an agreement with the Liberals where the parties agreed to differ.
It’s not clear what role, if any, net-zero played in the dissolution of the Coalition agreement. But in the end, the Nationals decided to walk away from it altogether.
Renewables can be good for the bush
Nationals Senate leader Bridget McKenzie last week said her party was concerned that renewable energy targets are “impacting rural and regional communities”. The party has long voiced concern about the impact of large-scale wind and solar projects in the bush.
Concerns that wind farms and solar panels might slash the value of neighbouring properties have been shown to be ill-founded.
And importantly, the increasing frequency of extreme climate events is already a challenge to Australia’s agriculture sector and will become more difficult. Tackling the problem is in regional Australia’s interests.
The Nationals’ hostility to renewable energy comes at a cost to rural and regional Australians. But Littleproud clearly could not balance competing views within the Nationals on energy policy while inking a deal with the Liberals. Instead, the party will now go it alone.
John Quiggin is a former Member of the Climate Change Authority and has written extensively in support of a transition to clean energy
ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on May 20, 2025.
Can you treat headaches with physiotherapy? Here’s what the research says Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Zhiqi Liang, Lecturer in Physiotherapy, The University of Queensland BaanTaksinStudio/Shutterstock You might’ve noticed some physiotherapists advertise they offer treatments for headaches and wondered: would that work? In fact, there’s a solid body of research showing that physiotherapy treatments can be really helpful for certain types of headache.
NZ joins call for Israel to allow full resumption of aid to Gaza New Zealand has joined 22 other countries and the European Union in calling for Israel to allow a full resumption of aid into Gaza immediately. The partners also said Israel must enable the United Nations and humanitarian organisations to work independently and impartially “to save lives, reduce suffering, and maintain dignity.” Israel imposed a blockade
Can cats drink milk? Despite the stereotypes, it’s actually a bad idea Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julia Henning, PhD Candidate in Feline Behaviour, School of Animal and Veterinary Science, University of Adelaide Shawn Rain/Unsplash Cats have a long history with humans, going back more than 9,000 years. Attracted to human settlements by the rodents that plagued (sometimes literally) our ancestors, cats ingratiated themselves
Boredom gets a bad rap. But science says it can actually be good for us Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Kennedy, Youth Mental Health Researcher, University of the Sunshine Coast We have all experienced boredom – that feeling of waning interest or decreased mental stimulation. Eventually we lose focus, we disengage. Time seems to pass slowly, and we may even start to feel restless. Whether it
15 years ago, I urged the AFL to launch a mental health round. Now it’s time for action Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Pat McGorry, Professor of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne The death of former AFL footballer Adam Selwood, less than four months after the death by suicide of his twin Troy, is an unfathomable tragedy for the Selwood family. The devastating news has sent shockwaves through the AFL
Does drawing on memory help us solve problems? Our experiment gave some surprising answers Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anne Macaskill, Senior Lecturer in Experimental Psychology, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Getty Images Conventional wisdom suggests memories of past experiences can help us navigate problems in the present. For example, if a friend told you they were having a disagreement with their partner,
Speight’s Fiji coup had more to do with power, greed than iTaukei rights, says Chaudhry Today marks the 25th anniversary of the May 19, 2000, coup led by renegade businessman George Speight. The deposed Prime Minister, Mahendra Chaudhry, says Speight’s motive had less to do with indigenous rights and a lot more to do with power, greed, and access to the millions likely to accrue from Fiji’s mahogany plantation. On
The federal government wants to boost productivity. Science can help Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deanna D’Alessandro, Professor & Director, Net Zero Institute, University of Sydney Daniel Sone/National Cancer Institute In the wake of Labor’s resounding victory in Australia’s federal election earlier this month, there has been much talk about flailing productivity in Australia. In fact, last week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese
Fish driving cars and chimps doing maths: what teaching animals ‘irrelevant’ skills reveals about our own minds Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Scarlett Howard, Research Fellow, School of Biological Sciences, Monash University VixtorPhoto / Shutterstock Did you know goldfish can learn to drive cars? Have you heard bumblebees can learn to pull on a string? Would you believe some primates can perform calculations with Arabic numerals? These tasks seem
Surviving swamps on South Australia’s parched Fleurieu Peninsula are a lifeline to wildlife – and farmers Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Auricht, Visiting Research Fellow in Natural Resources Management, University of Adelaide Yundi Nature Conservancy, CC BY-NC-ND South Australia is famously the driest state on the driest inhabited continent. But even for South Australia, the current drought is extreme. Rainfall has been the lowest on record across
‘No pain, no gain’: why some primary students are following intense study routines Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christina Ho, Associate professor in Social and Political Sciences, University of Technology Sydney MNStudio/ Shutterstock Every year, thousands of New South Wales students sit a test to determine places for highly sought-after selective high schools. These are academically selective public schools often associated with high Year 12
NZ Budget 2025: anything less than a 5% increase in health funding amounts to merely standing still Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Tenbensel, Professor of Health Policy, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Health Minister Simeon Brown. Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images Minister of Health Simeon Brown claimed earlier this year that health funding in New Zealand has never been higher and that suggestions of underfunding are “fake news”. On
Former Canberra diplomat Ali Kuzak dies on the way to Palestine Ali Kazak: born Haifa, 1947; died May 17 2025, Thailand By Helen Musa in Canberra Former Palestinian diplomat and long-time Canberra identity Ali Kazak died on Saturday en route to Palestine. Sources at the Canberra Islamic Centre report that he was recovering from heart surgery and died during a stopover in Thailand. Kazak was born
Environmentalists question Henry Puna’s role in deep sea mining firm By Caleb Fotheringham, RNZ Pacific journalist Environmentalists in the Cook Islands have criticised former Prime Minister and Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) head Henry Puna for joining the board of a deep sea mining company. Puna, who finished his term as PIF secretary-general in May last year, played a pivotal part in the creation of multi-use
Climate scientists are trusted globally, just not as much as other scientists – here’s why Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Omid Ghasemi, Research Associate in Behavioural Science at the Institute for Climate Risk & Response, UNSW Sydney I. Noyan Yilmaz, Shutterstock Societies increasingly rely on scientists to guide decisions in times of uncertainty, from pandemic outbreaks to the rise of artificial intelligence. Addressing climate change is no
Joe Biden has advanced prostate cancer with a Gleason score of 9. What does this mean? Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Diepstraten, Senior Research Officer, Blood Cells and Blood Cancer Division, WEHI (Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research) Former US President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that has already spread to his bones. A statement Biden’s office issued
Open letter from John Cusack: ‘The children of Gaza need your outrage – end the siege’ Pacific Media Watch American film star celebrity John Cusack, who describes himself on his x-page bio as an “apocalyptic shit-disturber”, has posted an open letter to the world denouncing the Israeli “mass murder” in Gaza and calling for “your outrage”. While warning the public to “don’t stop talking about Palestine/Gaza”, he says that the “hollow
Russia is labelling Oscar Jenkins a ‘mercenary’, not a prisoner of war. What’s the difference – and why does this matter? Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shannon Bosch, Associate Professor (Law), Edith Cowan University Oscar Jenkins, a 33-year-old former teacher from Melbourne, was one of many foreigners who responded to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s call in 2022 for volunteers to join Ukraine’s armed forces to help repel Russia’s invasion. In early 2024, Jenkins
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julia Henning, PhD Candidate in Feline Behaviour, School of Animal and Veterinary Science, University of Adelaide
Cats have a long history with humans, going back more than 9,000 years. Attracted to human settlements by the rodents that plagued (sometimes literally) our ancestors, cats ingratiated themselves as useful mousers and slowly domesticated themselves.
Farmers began to employ them as pest controllers. It was through this arrangement that cats and milk first became acquainted.
Before the commercialisation of pet food, cats were mostly fed scraps from the family table. Not much was known about their nutritional needs. In his 1877 book on cats, Scottish doctor Gordon Stables insisted cats need two bowls – “one for water and the other for milk” – and suggested porridge and milk as an excellent feline breakfast.
From these origins, cats and milk became further embedded in the collective zeitgeist through depictions of milk-loving cats in art, books, movies and cartoons. There’s even the classic trope of the scruffy street cat being rescued from the rain to enjoy a saucer of milk from a kindly stranger.
While it’s not surprising that cats and milk have persisted as an unquestioned combination, research now tells us cats shouldn’t be drinking milk at all.
Like all mammals, cats begin life drinking milk from their mother. But past kittenhood, milk is a completely unnecessary part of a cat’s diet.
After weaning (around 6–12 weeks of age), kittens stop producing the enzyme lactase, required to digest lactose in milk. For the vast majority of cats, this means they are lactose intolerant.
However, just like in humans, the level of intolerance varies for each individual based on how much of the enzyme their body naturally produces.
Don’t rush to give your kitten milk, though. Just because kittens can digest lactose doesn’t mean they should be drinking cow’s milk. Cats are much smaller animals than cows and, fittingly, the amount of lactose in the milk of mother cats is much lower than in cow’s milk. It’s best to let them drink from their mother or to get them a kitten-appropriate cat formula.
Lactose intolerance isn’t the only reason not to give your cats milk. Though rare, cats can also develop an allergy to milk or dairy.
Milk from mother cats is different to cow’s milk, which is not appropriate for kittens to drink. Hadifa Art/Shutterstock
What happens to cats who drink milk?
Lactose is a type of sugar. When it can’t be broken down to be absorbed into the bloodstream, lactose travels through the intestines to the colon where the bacteria inside the body ferment it.
This fermentation breaks lactose down into acids and gases which cause unpleasant symptoms, including the passing of excessive gas, bloating, constipation, abdominal pain and occasionally nausea and vomiting. In cats, the most common symptom observed is diarrhoea.
Chronic or persistent diarrhoea can cause further complications such as dehydration, electrolyte imbalance and malnutrition. In some cases, it can even be life threatening.
Cats who consume milk or dairy regularly as part of their diet are at increased risk of these health complications.
When farm mousers are ‘paid’ in milk, their lactose intolerance can cause diarrhoea and even serious health complications. Aleksandr Lupin/Shutterstock
If milk is so bad for cats, why do they love it?
We often like things that are bad for us. But to answer this question, we first have to remember cow’s milk is intended for feeding and growing a baby cow.
To achieve this feat, it contains an assortment of proteins and fats that are highly palatable, especially to cats. Cats need high levels of protein and fat for optimal health and daily functioning.
Cow’s milk, in particular, is also high in casein, a protein that is broken down by the body into alpha-casozepine. In some studies, it’s been associated with a calming effect in cats. While this wouldn’t initially make a cat want to drink milk, it may create a comforting association with milk over time.
If you want to treat your cat, give them species appropriate foods, not cow’s milk or food meant for humans. Hamza Yaich/Pexels
Can I give milk sometimes as a treat? What about milk alternatives?
The short answer is: no.
Dairy is not a natural part of cats’ diet. While they may like the taste, milk is likely to cause your furry friend discomfort and health issues, so it’s best to avoid entirely.
And if you’re thinking your cat is one of the lucky few that isn’t lactose intolerant, think again. Cats are very good at hiding discomfort because, in the wild, showing weakness would make them a target for predators.
If you absolutely must, opt for lactose-free milk or milk formulated specifically for cats, and keep it as a very occasional treat.
While it won’t upset their stomachs in the same way as regular cow’s milk, it still won’t offer your cat any nutritional benefit.
As for milk alternatives like oat, soy or almond milk? Any unusual additions to your cat’s diet are likely to cause digestive upset, so it’s best to avoid these as well.
The bottom line? Don’t give your cat milk. They don’t need it, they probably can’t digest it and it’s likely to cause more pain than it’s worth.
Julia Henning does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
Senator Grassley’s weekly Capitol Hill Report can be found HERE.
Topics include: Farm Bill Update, Federal Agriculture Risk Management Enhancement and Resilience (FARMER) Act, Soybean Association President Questioning, Qatari Plane Gift, NFA Regulation on Firearm Suppressors and Pharmacy Benefit Manager Reform.
Federated Farmers is calling on the Government to deliver on National’s pre-election promise to change KiwiSaver rules to help young farmers get their foot on the farming ladder.
On the eve of the 2023 election National pledged that, if elected to Government, they would allow young farmers to use their KiwiSaver to buy their first home, farm, herd or flock.
“They made that campaign promise in Morrinsville, but 18 months later there has been no action,” says Federated Farmers dairy chair Richard McIntyre.
“The announcement was incredibly popular, particularly among the next generation of farmers, but also with older farmers who are looking for succession pathways.
“There are a lot of people out there waiting for these changes to be made, so it’s important they follow through and deliver on their promise.”
While National MP Suze Redmayne has since submitted a Members’ Bill that would address some of the issues young farmers face, McIntyre says that isn’t enough.
“It’s great that Suze has put forward a bill – but it’s one of more than 70 others in the Members’ Ballot. It’s effectively a raffle and the bill may never be drawn.
“That aside, having a Members’ Bill in the biscuit tin doesn’t even come close to delivering on their campaign promise. It needs to be picked up as a Government Bill.
“To make that happen, we need the Minister of Agriculture, and all rural MPs, to really get in behind farmers and push hard on this issue. They should be championing the cause.”
McIntyre says young farmers across the country are being held back by outdated rules that don’t reflect the reality of farm ownership or rural employment.
“These rules are holding young farmers back years in their career progression as they scrimp and save every dollar to get on the ladder, particularly for sharemilkers and contract milkers.
“I understand that KiwiSaver is about saving for retirement, but for these young farmers, owning a farm, herd or flock is going to be what sets them up for their later years.
“These are ambitious young people who are trying to build a future in farming, who just need the Government to get out of their way and allow them to access their own savings to invest in their future.
“A change in policy would give them a tangible pathway towards ownership and investment in agriculture – something the next generation of farmers desperately needs to see.”
McIntyre says changing the rules would help level the playing field for young farmers and encourage greater use of KiwiSaver.
“A lot of young people in towns get into KiwiSaver because they know they can use it as a great way to build a deposit for their first house. “In their early years, that’s effectively what they’re doing – not saving for their retirement.
“On the other hand, so many young farmers don’t use KiwiSaver because they know they’re not allowed to access that for their first home, farm, herd, or flock.
“They won’t be able to use those savings until their retirement, whereas there are really important things they need to invest in early in their careers, long before retirement age.
“It’s an unfair playing field and young farmers are missing out on a key step towards growing their long-term wealth.”
Federated Farmers are strongly calling on the National-led Government to deliver on this campaign promise and show their support for the next generation of farmers.
Source: United States Senator for Alabama Tommy Tuberville
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined Larry Kudlow on Fox Business to discuss the urgent need for Congress to pass President Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which cleared the House Budget Committee last night.
Read excerpts from the interview below or watch on YouTube or Rumble.
KUDLOW: “Senator Tuberville, as always, sir, great to see you. The Laffer Curve is one thing, [but] I’m hearing rumors that Republican Senators are gonna take the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ and split it up into three parts. I can’t—I mean, we had this debate months ago. I can’t imagine getting three reconciliation bills through Congress, but you tell me what’s going on here with three parts.”
TUBERVILLE: “Well, first of all, Larry, we all need to read the book titled JFK and the Reagan Revolution, written by Larry Kudlow himself. I think a lot of us up here have read that book, Larry. It’s a great book.”
KUDLOW: “Thank you, sir.”
TUBERVILLE: “But there is a lot of Republican Senators up here that would love to see more than ‘One Big Beautiful Bill.’ There are some pluses and there are some minuses [to that]. But at the end of the day, we’ve gone a long way and let’s go ahead and get this done if we possibly can. I think it’s gonna be very tough, though, Larry. There’s a lot of reform that has to be put into this bill, not cuts, but reform. […] So, I think tomorrow, President Trump’s coming here at 8:30 in the morning, as we just heard, is a warning signal that something’s not going very well over in the House to get this thing pushed to the Senate.”
KUDLOW: “I mean, you wanna get these tax cuts done. July 4th is fine. Memorial Day, March 31st would have been better, but whatever. July 4th is fine, okay? Get them done and [let them] take effect. The withholding rates will change. The depreciation rates will change. We’ll get the overtime pay and the tax-free tips and so forth and so on. We’ll get growth into the middle class, the blue collar, the working folks coalition. You wanna get it done as soon as possible. I can’t imagine dilly dallying through the rest of the year with three bills or whatever and risk a $5 trillion dollar tax hike?”
TUBERVILLE: “Yeah, we can’t do that. It’ll be disastrous. And, again, going back to the Laffer Curve, we all know. Everybody understands the more you lower taxes, the more money that comes into the federal government. And we have to understand that. A lot of people don’t believe that. Democrats keep fighting back on that. But as you said, it has been proven right. So, let’s get this done. Let’s let President Trump have his tax cuts that he ran on. We need to do that, but if we don’t get a tax bill done in the very near future, it won’t get done this year, and it will be a disaster for the Republican party.”
Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP and Aging Committees.
Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) tonight spoke on the Senate floor about how health care is at risk for millions, and challenged President Trump to join him and Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) in working to lower prescription drug prices through concrete, durable legislation, such as the recently-introduced, bipartisan Fair Prescription Drug Prices for Americans Act:
“The bottom line is that President Trump issued an executive order that I support—my hope is that he’s going to follow through, because we are going to need the leadership of the president of the United States, and the influence he has in Congress, to…make more progress on price negotiation. All for the goal of making lifesaving medications more accessible to folks on Medicare, folks on Medicaid, to folks who have private insurance, and also to bring down the cost for our employers,” said Senator Welch.
Watch more here:
■■■
Senator Welch’s Committee and Subcommittee Assignments for the 119th Congress include:
Senate Committee on Finance
Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, & Forestry
Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Rural Development, Energy, and Credit
Senate Committee on the Judiciary
Ranking Member, Subcommittee on the Constitution
Senate Committee on Rules & Administration
Learn more about his work by visiting his website or by following him on social media.
Before this date, under the NES-F 2020, consent was required to convert to dairy farming.
At the time those temporary restrictions on dairy conversions were put in place, the expectation was that regional councils would notify new freshwater plans or change existing plans, to manage effects on water quality.
Central Government has since introduced restrictions on plan changes that would have given effect to the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2020. A replacement National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management (NPS-FM) is currently being prepared and will give new national direction on managing water quality.
While consent is no longer required for a change in land use to dairy farming, there are still consenting controls in place under the Canterbury Land and Water Regional Plan (LWRP) to protect the environment. Both existing and new dairy farms must hold consent for animal effluent discharges.
Farms may also require water permits for the taking and use of water in the dairy shed.
Applications for these activities still need to be considered through the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) process with a consideration of the effects of these activities on the environment.
A consent may also be required for the use of land for farming in general, but that requirement isn’t specific to dairy farming.
Farming and the environment
We know that water quality is degraded in some parts of Waitaha. This means we carefully consider all consent applications for the discharge of animal effluent to evaluate the effects of the proposed discharge relative to the existing state of the local environment. Every consent application is considered on a case-by-case basis following RMA process; we can’t pre-determine decisions.
The likelihood of a new dairy effluent discharge permit being open for public input (being publicly notified) and/or being granted will depend on the state of the receiving environment, the effect of the proposed operation, and the proposed mitigations.
For example, declining water quality trends in the area where dairy farming is proposed may require a consent applicant to demonstrate how the conversion will not worsen, or in some cases improve, local water quality outcomes.
If the likely adverse effects of the proposal are deemed to be more than minor, they will be publicly notified to give the wider community an opportunity to be heard.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 8, 2025
Contact: Jin.Choi@mail.house.gov
WASHINGTON, DC – On Tuesday, Congresswoman Nanette Barragán (CA-44) signed a discharge petition to force consideration of a special rule to prevent the largest cuts to Medicaid and food assistance in American history — just so Donald Trump and Republicans can pay for massive tax giveaways to their billionaire donors. The petition is led by Congressman Brendan F. Boyle (PA-02), Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee. The petition is now open for signature by any Member of the House who is committed to protecting access to Medicaid and SNAP for millions of Americans.
Under House rules, once a discharge petition receives 218 signatures, it triggers a vote on the House Floor. Ranking Member Boyle’s petition would trigger a special rule that includes the text of his Hands Off Medicaid and SNAP Act—amending the Congressional Budget Act to protect Medicaid and SNAP from any reduction in coverage or benefits in the reconciliation process.
“This is the chance for House Republicans to do the right thing and prove that they do indeed work for the American people,” said Rep. Barragán. “Donald Trump and House Republicans’ budget would cut healthcare and food assistance for the hardworking families who struggle more than ever to put food on the table and secure the care that they deserve. House Democrats will fight and take every possible path of action to prevent this budget from passing, because we believe that working- and middle-class families having access to essential benefits is far more important than funding tax breaks for Republicans’ billionaire donors.”
“Instead of working to lower the high cost of living, Donald Trump and Rubber Stamp House Republicans are advancing their deeply unpopular budget scheme to give tax breaks to their billionaire donors like Elon Musk while sticking everyday Americans with the bill,” said Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries. “They are planning to enact the largest cut to Medicaid and food assistance in American history, but House Democrats will continue pushing back with the fierce urgency of now. If House Republicans are telling the truth that they do not support taking food out of the mouths of children and slashing healthcare, our bill does just that.”
“The Republican budget includes the largest cuts to Medicaid and SNAP in our nation’s history—cuts that would jeopardize health care and food assistance for millions of Americans,” said Budget Committee Ranking Member Boyle. “This discharge petition is an opportunity for every Member of Congress to show where they stand. We intend to gather 218 signatures from both parties, and I sincerely hope my colleagues across the aisle will join us. If they truly believe in protecting these essential benefits, this is their chance to prove it.”
“Republicans have repeatedly claimed they’re not going to take away people’s health care by cutting Medicaid,” said Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Pallone, Jr. “If they’re telling the truth, Republicans should join Democrats in signing this discharge petition to bring our bill to the House floor to ensure Medicaid will not be cut to pass tax breaks that help the rich get richer.”
“Slashing $230 billion from SNAP will take food assistance away from children, seniors and veterans,” said Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Craig. “Supporting the Hands Off Medicaid and SNAP discharge petition is a way to protect their access to food and health care at a time when all Americans are struggling with rising costs.”
“House Democrats oppose taking food and health care from working people to pay for tax cuts for billionaires,” said Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Casar. “Now the question is: will any House Republican join us, or will they all support taking health care and food from millions of Americans?”
“Signing this discharge petition should be as easy as saying you support Medicaid and SNAP, but so far not one Republican is willing to put health care and food assistance for millions of people above tax cuts for billionaires,” said New Democrat Coalition Chair Schneider. “If our colleagues across the aisle truly support hardworking families over President Trump’s billionaire buddies, they’ll join us in signing this petition.”
“In my district alone, nearly 80,000 residents rely on SNAP and food assistance programs to keep their families fed. Under this budget plan, they would be left behind. And the 34,000 CA-46 residents who receive Affordable Care Act coverage would see their premiums go up by over $2,000 every year. That is unacceptable, unconscionable, and un-American,” said Blue Dog Coalition Co-Chair for Policy and Legislative Strategy Lou Correa. “We’re introducing this discharge petition to block these harmful cuts and ensure that tens of millions of our constituents continue to receive the health care and food assistance they need and deserve. And we hope our colleagues across the aisle will join us in signing it.”
The Hands Off Medicaid and SNAP Act is led in the House by Representatives Brendan F. Boyle (PA-02), Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee; Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06), Ranking Member of the Energy and Commerce Committee; Angie Craig (MN-02), Ranking Member of the Agriculture Committee; Greg Casar (TX-35), Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus; Brad Schneider (IL-10), Chair of the New Democrat Coalition; and Lou Correa (CA-46), Blue Dog Coalition Co-Chair for Policy and Legislative Strategy.
More information about the Hands Off Medicaid and SNAP Act is available here.
Dominique Terrel Gonzales, 35, was sentenced today to 11 years in prison followed by 15 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to one count of sex trafficking a minor. Gonzales has been in federal custody since his arrest for illegal firearms possession in August 2020. The court has set a restitution hearing date for Aug. 18.
According to court documents, Gonzales first met the victim when she was 13 or 14 years old. In July and August 2020, when the victim was 17 years old, Gonzales caused her to engage in commercial sex acts. He arranged her travel across state lines and directed her acts in a rented apartment in Portland, Oregon. Gonzales collected the illicit proceeds and controlled the victim with various rules that he implemented.
“Today’s sentence holds the defendant accountable for the criminal conduct he perpetrated for years within the Western District of Washington,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Predators who target and coerce the vulnerable face appropriately serious sanctions under federal law, and the Justice Department will continue to seek significant sentences to vindicate the rights of human trafficking victims.”
“For years this defendant used violence, threats, and emotional coercion to force vulnerable young women into having sex with strangers and giving their earnings to him,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller for the Western District of Washington. “He preyed upon teenagers and young women who were insecure and estranged from their families. To maintain control over his victims, Gonzales physically beat them, verbally assaulted them, and forced them to install tracking programs on their cellphones so that he could follow their every move. He used whatever means necessary to ensure that his victims engaged in prostitution to fund his luxurious lifestyle.”
“Today’s sentencing is a powerful reminder that those who prey on vulnerable children through violence and exploitation will be held fully accountable,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Matthew Murphy of ICE Homeland Security Investigations Seattle. “This individual used force and coercion to rob a minor of their freedom and dignity, and justice has now been served. This outcome was made possible through the unwavering collaboration with our law enforcement partners across multiple jurisdictions, whose dedication and coordination were vital to this investigation. We remain steadfast in our commitment to protecting victims, dismantling trafficking networks, and ensuring that those responsible face the full weight of the law.”
Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), Olympia Police Department, Vancouver Police Department, Idaho State Police, Ada County (Idaho) Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Department of Agriculture-Office of Inspector General (USDA-OIG), and the Department of Homeland Security’s Center for Countering Human Trafficking.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Crisham for the Western District of Washington and Trial Attorney Jessica Arco of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit prosecuted the case.
Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
Dominique Terrel Gonzales, 35, was sentenced today to 11 years in prison followed by 15 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to one count of sex trafficking a minor. Gonzales has been in federal custody since his arrest for illegal firearms possession in August 2020. The court has set a restitution hearing date for Aug. 18.
According to court documents, Gonzales first met the victim when she was 13 or 14 years old. In July and August 2020, when the victim was 17 years old, Gonzales caused her to engage in commercial sex acts. He arranged her travel across state lines and directed her acts in a rented apartment in Portland, Oregon. Gonzales collected the illicit proceeds and controlled the victim with various rules that he implemented.
“Today’s sentence holds the defendant accountable for the criminal conduct he perpetrated for years within the Western District of Washington,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Predators who target and coerce the vulnerable face appropriately serious sanctions under federal law, and the Justice Department will continue to seek significant sentences to vindicate the rights of human trafficking victims.”
“For years this defendant used violence, threats, and emotional coercion to force vulnerable young women into having sex with strangers and giving their earnings to him,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller for the Western District of Washington. “He preyed upon teenagers and young women who were insecure and estranged from their families. To maintain control over his victims, Gonzales physically beat them, verbally assaulted them, and forced them to install tracking programs on their cellphones so that he could follow their every move. He used whatever means necessary to ensure that his victims engaged in prostitution to fund his luxurious lifestyle.”
“Today’s sentencing is a powerful reminder that those who prey on vulnerable children through violence and exploitation will be held fully accountable,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Matthew Murphy of ICE Homeland Security Investigations Seattle. “This individual used force and coercion to rob a minor of their freedom and dignity, and justice has now been served. This outcome was made possible through the unwavering collaboration with our law enforcement partners across multiple jurisdictions, whose dedication and coordination were vital to this investigation. We remain steadfast in our commitment to protecting victims, dismantling trafficking networks, and ensuring that those responsible face the full weight of the law.”
Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), Olympia Police Department, Vancouver Police Department, Idaho State Police, Ada County (Idaho) Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Department of Agriculture-Office of Inspector General (USDA-OIG), and the Department of Homeland Security’s Center for Countering Human Trafficking.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Crisham for the Western District of Washington and Trial Attorney Jessica Arco of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit prosecuted the case.
Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
Washington DC, United States – President Cyril Ramaphosa has arrived in Washington DC for a high-level Working Visit aimed at resetting and revitalising bilateral relations between South Africa and the United States.
Touching down in the US capital this afternoon, the President was in high spirits as he greeted members of the media with a warm smile and a wave before proceeding into his hotel.
The visit is set against the backdrop of a rapidly changing global landscape and comes at a time when both countries are exploring opportunities to redefine their engagement.
WATCH | President Ramaphosa arrives in Washington DC
On Wednesday, President Ramaphosa is expected to meet with US President Donald Trump at the White House, in what is seen as a pivotal moment for strengthening cooperation in trade, investment, and global diplomacy.
Speaking to media upon arrival, Presidential Spokesperson Vincent Magwenya emphasised the importance of the visit, describing it as a significant step in reframing bilateral, economic and trade relations.
“The President is prepared for the moment. He’s looking forward to it. He’s highly enthused, and we’re looking forward to a very successful meeting aimed at resetting the relationship between South Africa and the United States,” Magwenya said.
He added that the primary goal is to engage openly and constructively on a range of issues, with a strong focus on trade relations.
“The whole world knows there is no persecution of any particular race in South Africa. So, we don’t need to spend any effort dispelling something that is well known is not there.
“We’re going to be focusing on opportunities that will underpin this resetting of the relationship, and we’re looking forward to ironing out whatever issues of concern that there may be,” he said.
The future of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a US trade preference programme, is expected to feature prominently in the discussions.
“We would still like to see AGOA extended and see South Africa’s continued participation in AGOA. However, if the Trump administration has decided to do away with the trade scheme, we will then be ready to table an outline of what will be a new trade relationship framework,” said Magwenya.
AGOA is a US trade preference programme that benefits eligible sub-Saharan African countries, providing duty-free access to the US market for many products, including vehicles, citrus, wine, and some apparel.
In April, President Trump announced global reciprocal tariffs on most imported goods, with South Africa facing a 31% tariff increase, effectively nullifying the preference that sub-Saharan African countries enjoy under AGOA.
Commenting on broader multilateral dynamics, including South Africa’s G20 Presidency, Magwenya addressed questions about the perceived lack of high-level US participation in recent ministerial meetings.
“[On] that so-called instruction [by the National Security Council], we have not received any formal communication. As far as that is concerned, we’ve seen media reports citing unnamed sources, so we can’t respond to that.
“Up until now, the US has been fully engaged in the Troika, participating in all G20-related activities. The invitation to President Trump remains open to join other Heads of State at the G20 Summit in November. It’s still a long time between now and then, and a lot can still happen,” Magwenya said.
When asked whether President Ramaphosa was apprehensive, particularly in light of past contentious interactions between President Trump and other world leaders, Magwenya was unequivocal.
“No, he’s not apprehensive at all. We don’t think President Trump invited [the] President for that kind of treatment. There are issues of concern on the side of the US and on our side as well. It is possible that those issues may trigger a rather robust discussion, that’s all in the nature of these engagements.
“President Ramaphosa… has his own style of engaging. He’s got his own style of communicating, and so we cannot attribute that event to what may or may not happen,” he said.
The Spokesperson also responded to questions on the so-called “persecution” of white South African farmers and the refugee narrative.
“Clearly, it’s an issue that needs to be addressed, and it will be addressed. But the President is not planning to spend an inordinate amount of time on that issue. The focus is on resetting this relationship and refocusing towards a revised and more enhanced and mutually beneficial trade relationship,” he said.
On whether President Ramaphosa will meet South African-born entrepreneur Elon Musk during his time in the US, Magwenya said: “Well, we’ve just arrived. We’re going to be briefed by our team that advanced here, and so we will take direction from them in terms of what has been done, what has been prepared, and the allocations.”
President Ramaphosa is accompanied by a high-level delegation of Ministers, including Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola; Minister in The Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni; Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Parks Tau; Minister of Agriculture, John Steenhuisen, and the Special Envoy to the United States of America, Mcebisi Jonas. – SAnews.gov.za
ALBUQUERQUE – A Ojo Amarillo man has been charged by criminal complaint with assault following an incident that left the victim with multiple fractures and severe facial injuries.
According to court documents, on May 6, 2025, the Navajo Nation Police Department responded to a residence in Ojo Amarillo, New Mexico, where officers discovered the victim suffering from extensive facial lacerations, swelling, and a right eye swollen shut. She was immediately transported to San Juan Regional Medical Center for emergency treatment.
The victim reported that Kyle Kee, 33, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, attacked her without warning, striking her repeatedly in the face, back, and stomach. The assault only ended when a phone call interrupted the attack. The victim said that Kee had previously assaulted her and was on probation for a prior offense.
Officers located Kee hiding in a nearby field. After initially attempting to evade capture, Kee was apprehended and became verbally aggressive, spitting on and kicking an officer during the arrest.
Medical records confirm the victim sustained an orbital fracture, nasal bone fractures, multiple contusions, and a laceration above her right eye requiring sutures.
Keeis charged with assault resulting in serious bodily injury and will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been set. If convicted, Kee faces up to 10 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Jordan is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
South Australia is famously the driest state on the driest inhabited continent.
But even for South Australia, the current drought is extreme. Rainfall has been the lowest on record across large areas.
When drought strikes and water sources dry up, life becomes hard for wildlife. In these conditions, perennial water sources become enormously valuable.
Dotted across the drought-stricken Fleurieu Peninsula south of Adelaide are more than 850 swampy wetlands. When the landscape dries out, these swamps act as refuges. Animals, birds, insects and reptiles come from far and wide, drawn by permanent spring-fed water, good habitat, diverse plant species and cooler, more humid micro-climates. These swamps are vital habitat for the critically endangered Mount Lofty Ranges southern emu-wren.
Drainage channels were cut through many of these swamps in the early days of settlement, in an effort to turn them into pasture. The Fleurieu swamps are now considered an endangered ecological community. More than 90% of the remaining swamps are located on private property.
Keeping these swamps intact and restoring dried out wetlands comes with real benefits for farmers. Birds and insects seek refuge in the swamps, but feed on pest species on nearby farmland.
As drought tightens its grip on South Australia, these swamps will only become more important to wildlife. Restoring these swamps by bringing back the water and restoring plants and pollinators could go some way to help.
Important for nature – and humans
The swamps of the Fleurieu are some of the most diverse and productive habitats on Earth. Many species of plants, birds, frogs, fish, insects, mammals and reptiles rely on them to survive.
Before colonisation, swamps and wetlands covered large areas of the Fleurieu Peninsula. Three First Nations language groups lived in these areas on the central and eastern peninsula. The importance of these wetlands is recorded in the shared story of Tjilbruki, a Kaurna ancestor whose tears at the death of his nephew gave rise to six freshwater springs.
Over the last 200 years, most of this region has been cleared for pasture, crops and vineyards. Only 4% of the swamps are conserved. They are now listed as a critically endangered ecological community. These swamps are still declining due to threats such as more human settlement, land clearance, water extraction and invasive species such as blackberries.
Many were drained to make way for agriculture. We don’t fully know how many remain, as many are not well captured in current maps.
But we know these wetlands are vital, not just for nature but for farmers too. Farmers would miss them if they were gone.
We can see this most clearly during droughts. As the land gets drier and ephemeral water sources evaporate, ibises, eastern great egrets, white-faced herons and masked lapwings move into these swamps, seeking water. During the days, though, they spread out and feed on pasture pests such as grasshoppers and cockchafer beetle grubs.
Similarly, these wetlands act as a haven for important insect pollinators and predators. Hoverflies and native bees help farmers by pollinating pasture legumes such as clover, while predators keep down the numbers of pest species.
As adults, parasitic wasps rely on the nectar from swamp plants such as woolly teatree. But they lay their eggs on common pasture pests such as caterpillars and grubs. When their larvae hatch, they eat these pests. Carnivorous insects such as ladybirds and assassin bugs eat other insects which can trouble farmers.
Ibises and other bird species base themselves in the swamps during drought, but fan out to eat insects which can trouble farmers. Yundi Nature Conservancy, CC BY-NC-ND
Restoration is possible
Swamps don’t have a great reputation. Throughout human history, they have been seen as sources of foul air and a haven for insects and disease. A common response was to dig channels to drain them.
We now know much more about how important swamps and other wetlands for the natural world – and for humans. Wetlands naturally store water and carbon, tame floods and offer refuges during drought. Correcting these historic mistakes will take time.
Wetlands are home to many species of plants, insects and animals. Yundi Nature Conservancy, CC BY-NC-ND
Peatlands like these store huge volumes of carbon in their waterlogged soils. Our research estimated the carbon storage of a peat swamp at Yundi at more than 2,500 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per hectare. The depth of carbon-rich organic peat was up to three metres in places. By contrast, a healthy woodland stores around 650 tonnes per hectare.
This natural carbon sink will remain as long as the peat remains moist and annual increments from plant growth and decay add to the stock.
When an agricultural drain is cut through a swamp, water gradually leaches out of the peat profile. Over time, enough water leaves to dry out the peat, beginning with the surface layer. This means long-stored carbon and methane can be released back to the atmosphere.
Conserving remaining peatlands and restoring those already drained is essential if the climate goals of the Paris Agreement are to be achieved, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization.
On the Fleurieu Peninsula, there’s huge potential to return water to the soils and expand these once-thriving wetlands.
The good news? Community groups and farmers have already embarked on several restoration projects. Around 50 farmers in the region have formed the Fleurieu Swamp Restoration Network. To date, in cooperation with Yundi Nature Conservancy, 25 swamp restoration plans have been developed and 15 are under way. If successful, these will restore more than 100 hectares of swamp.
Christopher Auricht is a director of environmental consultancy Auricht Projects Pty Ltd. He receives funding from both state and federal governments for wetland related consulting and research.
Source: Republic of South Africa (video statements-2)
President Cyril Ramaphosa has this afternoon, Monday 19 May 2025 arrived in Washington DC for his working visit.
The purpose of the visit is to reset and revitalise bilateral relations between South Africa and the United States (US). In this regard, the visit will focus specifically on reframing bilateral, economic and commercial relations.
On Wednesday, 21 May 2025, President Ramaphosa will meet with President Donald Trump at the White House.
President Ramaphosa will be accompanied by the following Ministers: Mr Lamola, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ms Ntshavheni, Minister in the Presidency, Mr Tau, Minister of Trade, Industry Competition, Mr Steenhuisen, Minister of Agriculture and Mr Jonas, Special Envoy to the United States of America.
