Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Press release
PM meeting with President Macron of France: 9 July 2025
The Prime Minister met the French President Emmanuel Macron in Downing Street.
The Prime Minister met the French President Emmanuel Macron in Downing Street this afternoon.
They reflected on the State Visit of the President so far, agreeing that it had been an important representation of the deep ties between our two countries.
Moving on to discuss joint working, they shared their desire to deepen our partnership further – from joint leadership in support of Ukraine to strengthening our defence collaboration and increasing bilateral trade and investment.
The Prime Minister welcomed the news that EDF would take a 12.5% stake in Sizewell C leading to lower bills, more jobs and better energy security for the UK.
The leaders agreed tackling the threat of irregular migration and small boat crossings is a shared priority that requires shared solutions.
The Prime Minister spoke of his government’s toughening of the system in the past year to ensure rules are respected and enforced, including a massive surge in illegal working arrests to end the false promise of jobs that are used to sell spaces on boats.
The two leaders agreed on the need to go further and make progress on new and innovative solutions, including a new deterrent to break the business model of these gangs.
Finally, they looked ahead to the 37th UK-France Summit taking place tomorrow and agreed to aim for concrete progress on these areas.
The Government of Saskatchewan is expanding the Targeted Mineral Exploration Incentive (TMEI) to include more early-stage exploration activities to support mining sector growth and investment.
Launched in 2018, the TMEI program provides financial assistance in the form of a grant to exploration companies that undertake eligible drilling activities. The TMEI program is being expanded to cover a wider range of exploration activities, such as ground-based and borehole geophysical surveys and important pre-sampling tasks like core logging. These changes aim to increase program uptake and enable more exploration for critical and emerging minerals. Specifically, the changes are expected to improve the ability of smaller companies to raise private sector capital to undertake exploration activities.
“TMEI has been key to diversifying Saskatchewan’s mining sector by promoting drilling on hard rock mineral exploration projects,” Energy and Resources Minister Colleen Young said. “These changes will help us achieve our goals set out in Saskatchewan’s Critical Minerals Strategy, specifically, increasing Saskatchewan’s share of Canadian mineral exploration spending to 15 per cent and doubling the number of critical minerals produced in Saskatchewan, all by 2030.”
By recognizing a broader scope of the exploration process, this expansion is supporting new mineral discoveries and the diversification of our mining sector. With continuing advancements in helium, lithium, copper and zinc, and record production in uranium and potash, Saskatchewan is responding to growing global demand for critical minerals.
“Expanding TMEI funding to include additional generative, early-stage exploration activities will help identify more drill targets, attracting greater investor interest and capital to Saskatchewan,” Saskatchewan Mining Association President Pam Schwann said. “The collaborative partnership between government and industry exemplifies why Saskatchewan is a premier exploration and mining destination.”
In 2024-25, 27 exploration projects were approved for $1.9 million in TMEI funding with companies spending a total of $76.5 million on these projects. Since 2018, 96 projects have received $5.9 million in TMEI funding, resulting in 926 exploration drill holes and $172.5 million in total project expenditures.
Saskatchewan has 27 of the 34 critical minerals on Canada’s list and is the largest primary producer of critical minerals in Canada. With a suite of competitive incentive programs including TMEI, a predictable and stable regulatory framework, and an abundance of resources, Saskatchewan is one of the best places in the world to invest in resource development. Clear and stable supports like the TMEI program help build Saskatchewan’s resource sector and strengthen the provincial economy which benefits all Saskatchewan people.
For more information about the TMEI, visit: Targeted Mineral Exploration Incentive.
To review Saskatchewan’s Critical Minerals Strategy, visit: Securing the Future: Saskatchewan’s Critical Minerals Strategy.
Ottawa, Ontario (July 9, 2025) — The Honourable Rebecca Chartrand, Minister of Northern and Arctic Affairs and Minister responsible for CanNor, the Honourable Rebecca Alty, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, and the Honourable Mandy Gull-Masty, Minister of Indigenous Services, issued the following statement today:
“On Nunavut Day, we celebrate the culture, strength, and achievements of Nunavummiut. This day marks a key moment in our shared history when the Nunavut Agreement was signed, which led to the creation of Nunavut and the protection of Inuit rights to land, culture, and self-determination.
Nunavummiut have kept Inuktitut and Inuit traditions strong, and continue to protect the environment while building healthy communities. Their leadership continues to shape a better future for all.
Together with the Government of Nunavut and Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, we are working to fully implement the Nunavut Lands and Resources Devolution Agreement, the largest land transfer in Canadian history. This means Nunavummiut will have more control over their land, water, and natural resources and benefit from development that is responsible and sustainable.
Today, we honour the leadership of Nunavummiut and commit to building a future based on respect, environmental care, economic growth, and northern-led jobs—a future where Nunavummiut lead the way for generations to come.
CAMP HUMPHREYS, Republic of Korea — United Nations Command, which plays a pivotal role in supporting peace and security on the Korean Peninsula and enforces the terms of the 1953 Korean Armistice Agreement hosted a ceremony today to mark its 75th anniversary.
Alma íbúðafélag hf. hefur lokið við stækkun á skuldabréfaflokknum AL210926 sem gefinn er út undir útgáfuramma félagsins.
Skuldabréfaflokkurinn AL 210926 er óverðtryggður og ber fljótandi vexti tengdum 3 mánaða REIBOR vöxtum að viðbættu 1,40% vaxtaálagi. Lokagjalddagi flokksins er 21. september 2026. Skuldabréfaflokkurinn er veðtryggður samkvæmt almennu tryggingarfyrirkomulagi.
Seld voru skuldabréf að nafnverði 1.000 m.kr. á pari og verður heildarstærð flokksins því í kjölfar stækkunar 3.100 m.kr.
Greiðslu- og uppgjörsdagur er föstudagurinn 18. júlí 2025 og í kjölfarið verður sótt um að skuldabréfin verði tekin til viðskipta á Aðalmarkaði Nasdaq Iceland hf.
Acro verðbréf hf. hafði umsjón með sölu skuldabréfanna og töku þeirra til viðskipta.
Nánari upplýsingar veitir:
Ingólfur Árni Gunnarsson, framkvæmdastjóri Ölmu íbúðafélags hf., í tölvupósti ingolfur@al.is.
Alma íbúðafélag hf. hefur lokið við stækkun á skuldabréfaflokknum AL210926 sem gefinn er út undir útgáfuramma félagsins.
Skuldabréfaflokkurinn AL 210926 er óverðtryggður og ber fljótandi vexti tengdum 3 mánaða REIBOR vöxtum að viðbættu 1,40% vaxtaálagi. Lokagjalddagi flokksins er 21. september 2026. Skuldabréfaflokkurinn er veðtryggður samkvæmt almennu tryggingarfyrirkomulagi.
Seld voru skuldabréf að nafnverði 1.000 m.kr. á pari og verður heildarstærð flokksins því í kjölfar stækkunar 3.100 m.kr.
Greiðslu- og uppgjörsdagur er föstudagurinn 18. júlí 2025 og í kjölfarið verður sótt um að skuldabréfin verði tekin til viðskipta á Aðalmarkaði Nasdaq Iceland hf.
Acro verðbréf hf. hafði umsjón með sölu skuldabréfanna og töku þeirra til viðskipta.
Nánari upplýsingar veitir:
Ingólfur Árni Gunnarsson, framkvæmdastjóri Ölmu íbúðafélags hf., í tölvupósti ingolfur@al.is.
Austin, TX , July 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Easterseals New Jersey (ENJ), a nonprofit leader in empowering individuals with disabilities and special needs, has partnered with Opening Bell Ventures (OBV) to launch a cutting-edge data and analytics platform that is redefining how the organization delivers services, measures impact, and engages its community.
ESNJ Logo
With an annual revenue exceeding $105 million, ENJ is committed to helping individuals live, learn, work, and thrive with dignity. As part of its strategic vision to enhance operational excellence and deepen donor engagement, ENJ identified a powerful opportunity: to harness the full potential of its data.
By modernizing its data infrastructure, ENJ aimed to unify insights across departments, streamline reporting, and unlock new levels of transparency and efficiency. This forward-thinking initiative led to the creation of “Carehouse”—a cloud-based data Lakehouse developed in partnership with OBV.
“Our newly built Data Lakehouse has been a game-changer for us. This efficiency allows us to focus more on our mission of enriching lives,” said Aleisha Hart, Chief Operating Officer at ENJ.
Key achievements of the collaboration include:
Accelerated Reporting: The Quarterly Consumer Metrics Report (QCMR) now takes just 20 minutes to compile—down from two weeks—freeing up staff to focus on strategic initiatives.
Unified Insights: Over 20 Power BI dashboards provide real-time, department-specific analytics, enabling smarter decisions across services, finance, operations, and IT.
Strong Data Governance: With Microsoft Purview, ENJ has implemented a robust data catalog, quality rules, and weekly integrity checks to ensure ongoing data accuracy.
Scalable Innovation: The platform lays the groundwork for predictive analytics and AI, positioning ENJ for continued growth and innovation.
“This initiative reflects our belief that data is not just a tool—it’s a catalyst for mission-driven impact,” said a spokesperson from Opening Bell Ventures.
The success of this transformation highlights the power of strategic partnerships and digital innovation in the nonprofit sector. ENJ’s journey demonstrates how organizations can turn operational complexity into opportunity, using technology to amplify their mission and better serve their communities.
About Easterseals New Jersey Easterseals New Jersey is a nonprofit organization committed to enriching the lives of individuals with disabilities and special needs through community-based services and support.
About Opening Bell Ventures Opening Bell Ventures is a professional services firm specializing in data, analytics, and AI solutions that accelerate digital transformation for Fortune 500 and mission-driven organizations.
Austin, TX , July 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Easterseals New Jersey (ENJ), a nonprofit leader in empowering individuals with disabilities and special needs, has partnered with Opening Bell Ventures (OBV) to launch a cutting-edge data and analytics platform that is redefining how the organization delivers services, measures impact, and engages its community.
ESNJ Logo
With an annual revenue exceeding $105 million, ENJ is committed to helping individuals live, learn, work, and thrive with dignity. As part of its strategic vision to enhance operational excellence and deepen donor engagement, ENJ identified a powerful opportunity: to harness the full potential of its data.
By modernizing its data infrastructure, ENJ aimed to unify insights across departments, streamline reporting, and unlock new levels of transparency and efficiency. This forward-thinking initiative led to the creation of “Carehouse”—a cloud-based data Lakehouse developed in partnership with OBV.
“Our newly built Data Lakehouse has been a game-changer for us. This efficiency allows us to focus more on our mission of enriching lives,” said Aleisha Hart, Chief Operating Officer at ENJ.
Key achievements of the collaboration include:
Accelerated Reporting: The Quarterly Consumer Metrics Report (QCMR) now takes just 20 minutes to compile—down from two weeks—freeing up staff to focus on strategic initiatives.
Unified Insights: Over 20 Power BI dashboards provide real-time, department-specific analytics, enabling smarter decisions across services, finance, operations, and IT.
Strong Data Governance: With Microsoft Purview, ENJ has implemented a robust data catalog, quality rules, and weekly integrity checks to ensure ongoing data accuracy.
Scalable Innovation: The platform lays the groundwork for predictive analytics and AI, positioning ENJ for continued growth and innovation.
“This initiative reflects our belief that data is not just a tool—it’s a catalyst for mission-driven impact,” said a spokesperson from Opening Bell Ventures.
The success of this transformation highlights the power of strategic partnerships and digital innovation in the nonprofit sector. ENJ’s journey demonstrates how organizations can turn operational complexity into opportunity, using technology to amplify their mission and better serve their communities.
About Easterseals New Jersey Easterseals New Jersey is a nonprofit organization committed to enriching the lives of individuals with disabilities and special needs through community-based services and support.
About Opening Bell Ventures Opening Bell Ventures is a professional services firm specializing in data, analytics, and AI solutions that accelerate digital transformation for Fortune 500 and mission-driven organizations.
NEW YORK, July 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Class Action AttorneyJuan MonteverdewithMonteverde & Associates PC (the “M&A Class Action Firm”), has recovered millions of dollars for shareholders and is recognized as a Top 50 Firm in the 2024 ISS Securities Class Action Services Report. The firm is headquartered at the Empire State Building in New York City and is investigating PB Bankshares Inc. (NASDAQ:PBBK) related to its sale to Norwood Financial Corp. Under the terms of the proposed transaction, PB Bankshares’ shareholders will have the option to elect to receive either 0.7850 shares of Norwood common stock or $19.75 in cash for each common share of PB Bankshares they own. The election is subject to proration to ensure that, in the aggregate, 80% of the transaction consideration will be paid in the form of Norwood common stock. Is it a fair deal?
NOT ALL LAW FIRMS ARE EQUAL. Before you hire a law firm, you should talk to a lawyer and ask:
Do you file class actions and go to Court?
When was the last time you recovered money for shareholders?
What cases did you recover money in and how much?
About Monteverde & Associates PC
Our firm litigates and has recovered money for shareholders…and we do it from our offices in the Empire State Building. We are a national class action securities firm with a successful track record in trial and appellate courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court.
No one is above the law. If you own common stock in the above listed company and have concerns or wish to obtain additional information free of charge, please visit our website or contact Juan Monteverde, Esq. either via e-mail at jmonteverde@monteverdelaw.com or by telephone at (212) 971-1341.
Contact: Juan Monteverde, Esq. MONTEVERDE & ASSOCIATES PC The Empire State Building 350 Fifth Ave. Suite 4740 New York, NY 10118 United States of America jmonteverde@monteverdelaw.com Tel: (212) 971-1341
Attorney Advertising. (C) 2025 Monteverde & Associates PC. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Monteverde & Associates PC (www.monteverdelaw.com). Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome with respect to any future matter.
HALF-YEAR STATEMENT ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE LIQUIDITY CONTRACT AS OF JUNE 30, 2025
Bernin (Grenoble), France, July 9, 2025 – Soitec (Euronext Paris) announces that, under the liquidity contract entrusted to BNP Paribas on July 3, 2023, on the settlement date of June 30, 2025, the following resources appeared on the liquidity account:
72,325 Soitec shares, and
€904,901
During the 1st semester of 2025, a total of:
231,383 shares were bought for €14,129,177 (i.e. 2,855 transactions).
208,969 shares were sold for €12,889,302 (i.e. 2,792 transactions).
We remind you that:
At the time of the previous half-yearly balance sheet, on the settlement date of December 31, 2024, the following resources appeared on the liquidity account:
51,394 Soitec shares, and
€2,009,718
During the 2nd semester of 2024, a total of:
215,838 shares were bought for €19,591,223 (i.e. 3,775 transactions);
197,982 shares were sold for €17,859,326 (i.e. 3,174 transactions).
On July 3, 2023, the day before the start of trading, the following resources appeared on the liquidity account: €8,000,000.
Aggregate data for each trading day in the 1st semester of 2025 are given in the appendix to this press release.
*****
Agenda
Annual General Meeting: July 22, 2025.
First-quarter 2025-2026 revenue: July 22, 2025, after market close.
*****
About Soitec
Soitec (Euronext – Tech Leaders), a world leader in innovative semiconductor materials, has been developing cutting-edge products delivering both technological performance and energy efficiency for over 30 years. From its global headquarters in France, Soitec is expanding internationally with its unique solutions, and generated sales of 0.9 billion Euros in fiscal year 2024-2025. Soitec occupies a key position in the semiconductor value chain, serving three main strategic markets: Mobile Communications, Automotive and Industrial, and Edge and Cloud AI. The company relies on the talent and diversity of more than 2,200 employees, representing 50 different nationalities, working at its sites in Europe, the United States and Asia. Nearly 4,300 patents have been registered by Soitec.
Soitec, SmartSiC™ and Smart Cut™ are registered trademarks of Soitec.
NEW YORK, July 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Class Action AttorneyJuan MonteverdewithMonteverde & Associates PC (the “M&A Class Action Firm”), has recovered millions of dollars for shareholders and is recognized as a Top 50 Firm in the 2024 ISS Securities Class Action Services Report. The firm is headquartered at the Empire State Building in New York City and is investigating Core Scientific, Inc. (NASDAQ:CORZ) related to its sale to CoreWeave, Inc. Upon completion of the proposed transaction, each outstanding share of Core Scientific common stock will be converted into the right to receive 0.1235 shares of CoreWeave Class A common stock. Core Scientific shareholders will own less than 10% of the combined company. Is it a fair deal?
NOT ALL LAW FIRMS ARE EQUAL. Before you hire a law firm, you should talk to a lawyer and ask:
Do you file class actions and go to Court?
When was the last time you recovered money for shareholders?
What cases did you recover money in and how much?
About Monteverde & Associates PC
Our firm litigates and has recovered money for shareholders…and we do it from our offices in the Empire State Building. We are a national class action securities firm with a successful track record in trial and appellate courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court.
No one is above the law. If you own common stock in the above listed company and have concerns or wish to obtain additional information free of charge, please visit our website or contact Juan Monteverde, Esq. either via e-mail at jmonteverde@monteverdelaw.com or by telephone at (212) 971-1341.
Contact: Juan Monteverde, Esq. MONTEVERDE & ASSOCIATES PC The Empire State Building 350 Fifth Ave. Suite 4740 New York, NY 10118 United States of America jmonteverde@monteverdelaw.com Tel: (212) 971-1341
Attorney Advertising. (C) 2025 Monteverde & Associates PC. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Monteverde & Associates PC (www.monteverdelaw.com). Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome with respect to any future matter.
Source: International Association of Drilling Contractors – IADC
Headline: IADC Addresses U.S. Offshore Leasing Program through Comments & Trades Coalition Letter
IADC and fellow associations recently submitted comments on the 11th National Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Leasing Program calling for more leasing, exploration, and development of U.S. offshore oil and natural gas resources in all OCS planning areas. This action was taken in response to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s (BOEM) request for information and comments.
The following associations were involved in the submission:
American Petroleum Institute (API)
National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA)
Offshore Operators Committee (OOC)
Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA)
U.S. Oil and Gas Association (USOGA)
American Exploration & Production Council (AXPC)
International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC)
EnerGeo Alliance
Energy Workforce and Technology Council
Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association (LMOGA)
The comments and an accompanying letter were both submitted to Kelly Hammerle, National Program Manager with BOEM. The letter, which was signed by additional associations and organizations, had a total of 117 signees.
IADC is committed to continuously advocating for its Members. The Association will continue to encourage fair and sensible regulatory reform and provide the drilling contractor perspective where it is helpful and necessary.
Source: International Association of Drilling Contractors – IADC
Headline: IADC Addresses U.S. Offshore Leasing Program through Comments & Trades Coalition Letter
IADC and fellow associations recently submitted comments on the 11th National Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Leasing Program calling for more leasing, exploration, and development of U.S. offshore oil and natural gas resources in all OCS planning areas. This action was taken in response to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s (BOEM) request for information and comments.
The following associations were involved in the submission:
American Petroleum Institute (API)
National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA)
Offshore Operators Committee (OOC)
Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA)
U.S. Oil and Gas Association (USOGA)
American Exploration & Production Council (AXPC)
International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC)
EnerGeo Alliance
Energy Workforce and Technology Council
Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association (LMOGA)
The comments and an accompanying letter were both submitted to Kelly Hammerle, National Program Manager with BOEM. The letter, which was signed by additional associations and organizations, had a total of 117 signees.
IADC is committed to continuously advocating for its Members. The Association will continue to encourage fair and sensible regulatory reform and provide the drilling contractor perspective where it is helpful and necessary.
Source: International Association of Drilling Contractors – IADC
Headline: Electronic Drilling Rig Safety Inspection Checklist Now Available
Safety is vitally important on the rigs. The electronic IADC Drilling Rig Safety Inspection Checklist will help keep the operational integrity of the rig compliant. Regular use of the IADC Drilling Rig Safety Inspection Checklist promotes facility safety by identifying safety concerns before they become hazards. The Safety Inspection Checklist is published under the auspices of the IADC Health, Safety and Environment Committee.
The forms are available in user-friendly zoomable PDF format imprinted with the unique file number which cannot be edited. Each purchase comprises a month’s supply, providing 31 editable, savable, and easily shareable PDF forms. For further details, reach out to us at bookstore@iadc.org.
Source: International Association of Drilling Contractors – IADC
Headline: IADC Celebrates 50 Years of Participation with the IMO!
2025 marks IADC’s 50th year as a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) observer at the International Maritime Organization (IMO). When IADC petitioned the IMO and was admitted as an NGO observer in 1975, the IMO undertook the process of developing dedicated safety and construction provisions to address the unique operating characteristics that define Mobile Offshore Drilling Units (MODUs). IMO’s first edition of its MODU Code was issued in 1979. This Code has subsequently been revised in 1989 and 2009 along with a series of amendments to each of these three resolutions .
Throughout IADC’s 50-year participation at IMO, it has played an integral role towards facilitating these international safety provisions applied to MODUs engaged in global operations. Through the extensive knowledge and expertise of its Members, IADC has given a particular voice to technical matters not otherwise fully understood by IMO participants focused on broader “conventional transport” shipping concerns. Working with IMO member states and other NGOs, IADC continues to leverage its participation with this UN Specialized Agency and has long been recognized as a vital participant and resource for the advancement of MODU interests. IADC is honored to continue its NGO work at IMO and looks forward to another 50 years in support of our offshore drilling contractor Members operating units around the world.
Source: International Association of Drilling Contractors – IADC
Headline: Built to endure: The longevity and strength of the drilling industry
IADC President Jason McFarland addresses the current climate of uncertainty facing the drilling industry with a message of resilience and unity in his latest editorial From the July/August issue of Drilling Contractor. While acknowledging the uncomfortable reality of uncertain times, McFarland reminds Members that this industry has an extraordinary track record of not just surviving challenges, but emerging stronger from them.
Drawing from the industry’s rich history of weathering major downturns, tragedies, and even a global pandemic, McFarland argues that drilling professionals are uniquely positioned to face today’s uncertainties. The cyclical nature of both the industry and life itself means that current challenges are simply the newest chapter in a long survival story spanning over a century.
McFarland emphasizes that drilling remains essential for the foreseeable future, with the industry’s people and assets well-suited to play an active role in the energy expansion. He points to collaboration and adaptability as the twin pillars of the industry’s longevity, citing 2025 IADC Chairman Kevin Neveu‘s insight that “when teamwork, mutual respect and cooperation are the main objectives, everything else becomes easier, and success becomes more attainable.”
These principles were showcased at the 2025 IADC World Drilling Conference and Exhibition, where over 500 industry members gathered for discussions ranging from automation and AI to sustainability and cultural innovation. A standout panel, “Oil & Gas 2045: Next-Gen Energy & Fueling the Future,” featured diverse perspectives from drilling contractors, training providers, and IADC Student Chapter Members.
The Association’s advocacy efforts continue to strengthen the industry’s unified voice, with recent meetings involving leaders from the EU, Namibia, Mexico, Suriname, and Oman. IADC VP of Policy Joe Lillis has been actively addressing concerns about metal tariffs and their potential industry impacts, while the organization’s Washington, D.C., fly-in events facilitate direct Member engagement with key legislators.
In a particularly poignant reflection, McFarland discovered that many challenges facing the industry today mirror those from IADC’s founding in 1941, including concerns about government priority ratings. Rather than discouraging, he finds this continuity comforting—proof that despite decades of obstacles and external misunderstanding, the industry remains as necessary as ever.
As uncertainty continues to challenge the sector, McFarland’s message is clear: it’s natural to wish for more stability, but the drilling industry’s greatest strength lies in its resilience.
In closing, McFarland states:
“The people in this industry know how to get things done, and if there’s something we can all count on right now, it’s each other.”
Source: International Association of Drilling Contractors – IADC
Headline: Scott Tinker to Speak at IADC’s 2025 Annual General Meeting
IADC’s 2025 Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held from 23-24 September at the Ritz-Carlton in Naples, Florida. AGM is recognized as the keynote conference for the drilling industry and provides ideal networking opportunities for participants. It features prominent speakers from industry and government.
Joining us on this year’s program as a Featured Speaker is Scott Tinker, CEO of Tinker Energy Associates. Dr. Scott W. Tinker is a global energy explorer and educator bringing industry, government, academia, and nongovernmental organizations together to address major societal challenges in energy, the environment, and the economy.
For more information on registration, accommodations, or the full program, visit our website here.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Dawn Llewellyn, Associate professor of Religion and Gender, Theology and Religious Studies, University of Chester
What happens when the women immortalised in old master paintings step out of their gilded frames and into the chaos of modern domestic life? That’s the question artist Sarah Lightman tackles, with wit, irreverence and insight, in her exhibition Biblical Women Ageing Disgracefully, now on at Chester Visual Arts, Grovesnor Shopping Centre.
In works from her Biblical Domestic (2021–2024) and Menstrual Hystery (2024) series, Lightman trades halos for housework, and heavenly glory for the cluttered reality of her own everyday life. Her saints and heroines aren’t meditating in divine serenity – they’re battling menopause, messy kitchens and midlife malaise.
With humour and intimacy, Lightman probes the distance between the idealised women of religious art and the ageing bodies we’re taught to hide. Her characters, drawn from both the canon of western Christian art and the sacred Jewish texts of her upbringing, are lovingly reimagined through a feminist lens.
What if Mary hated soft play as much as the rest of us? What if Eve was just trying to get through another basket of laundry? What if biblical women aged in real time?
With bold colours, absurdist touches and deep empathy, Biblical Women Ageing Disgracefully reframes these archetypes for today – and starts fresh conversations about visibility, care and womanhood.
Old masters, new messes
In Fridge Frustrations (2022), Caravaggio’s Judith Beheading Holofernes (1599) becomes a scene of domestic dread. Judith still holds Holofernes’ severed head – but now her crisis is storage, not salvation:
Judith can’t find anywhere in the fridge for her organic and fresh cut of Holofernes.
Lightman retains the dramatic composition of the original but shifts its meaning entirely. Her watercolour medium softens the baroque oil intensity, introducing levity without losing emotional depth.
Here, Mary’s serene acceptance is swapped for something far more visceral: she sits beside an exam table mid heavy bleed, not in graceful surrender but bodily discomfort. Gabriel is gone, replaced by a gynaecologist in latex gloves. The walls? Tiled not with gold leaf but with packets of Always. This is no divine encounter – just hot flushes, greasy hair and hormonal chaos. No spiritual serenity in sight.
Instead of youthful grace, Lightman gives us perimenopausal truth: gritty, awkward, real.
Not a rejection, but a rewriting
Lightman’s work is unabashedly feminist and unapologetically funny – but it’s also rooted in reverence. Her reinterpretations of women from Hebrew scripture honour the complexity of these figures and draw from the feminist Jewish tradition of midrash: creative interpretation that fills in the biblical silences.
Lightman isn’t discarding these sacred stories: she’s inhabiting them. She paints the parts we were never told, the thoughts and struggles left out of the male-dominated canon. Her canvases ask: what if we didn’t accept the gaps in these women’s lives? What if we imagined them into our own?
Context matters – and Biblical Women Ageing Disgracefully is exhibited not in a white-walled gallery but in Chester’s Grosvenor Precinct, having previously shown at Chester’s cultural centre Storyhouse. The location is deliberate. These Madonnas and menopausal saints appear exactly where they live now: among shopping bags, toddler tantrums and the quiet sighs of women holding it all together.
Meeting Eve, Mary, Bathsheba, Susanna and Lot’s wife in a shopping centre creates a surreal and poignant dissonance. It collapses the sacred and the ordinary, and invites viewers to see their own lives reflected in these ancient figures.
Messy, mortal and magnificent
It’s a risk, of course, putting menopause, motherhood, grief, housework and rape culture centre stage. There’s a version of this exhibition that could have been grim. But Lightman’s palette is anything but dour. Her watercolours are vibrant and playful, her titles sharp with satire. These women aren’t tragic martyrs; they’re exhausted, yes, but also knowing, cheeky and in on the joke.
Lightman treats art history not as a fixed monument, but as a toolkit to be deconstructed and rebuilt. She gives her saints their bodies back – saggy, sweaty, miraculous – and their agency too.
What makes Biblical Women Ageing Disgracefully so powerful is its embrace of contradiction. It is sacred and silly, sincere and subversive, heartbreaking and hilarious. It is, in essence, a feminist midrash in watercolour: retelling holy stories through the grit and glory of contemporary womanhood, and holding them close even as it pushes them open.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
To many, the resurgence came as a surprise. The anti-fur movement, especially influential in the 1980s, continues to shape perceptions of fur. In the 2010s, cities including New York and Los Angeles banned the use of fur to make clothes. The UK meanwhile banned the farming of fur-bearing animals, and, alongside the EU, has committed itself to legislating against all fur imports.
Just last year the town of Worthing, in England, debated whether their mayor should wear ceremonial robes trimmed with fur or not. Despite these trends, many young people have embraced the renewed trend of wearing real fur.
Some clothes made from animal skins became popular during the counter-cultural movement of the 1960s, but historically, fur has mostly marked status, wealth and luxury. Today, many critics interpret fur’s return to fashion as a cultural expression of rightwing politics.
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Fur clothing is a reminder of the moral tensions between need and desire, and luxury and excess. In addition to being inter-generational, these debates are also about gender. For much of the 20th century, fur coats symbolised femininity, erotic power and class position in the west. But by the 1980s, advertising campaigns depicted women who wore fur as either stupid and unthinking or thinking and unspeakably cruel, leading many to jettison it.
Anti-fur protests were held across the US in 1994.
Fur’s return to fashion has injected old debates with new significance. Some young people are willing to wear faux fur because it does not involve killing animals. But others argue that, because it is made from synthetic material, faux fur is actually more environmentally damaging and prefer to wear the real thing. They claim that wearing vintage fur is a form of “sustainable consumption” but are challenged by those who argue that this fashion trend ultimately justifies killing animals to make clothes.
The boom boom trend is said to embody a contemporary expression of 1980s “conspicuous consumerism”, but in an era of economic austerity the adoption of fur by young people suggests the clothes they wear identify their desires rather than their financial reality.
A global history of fur
Today, as in the 1980s, the perspectives, interests and experiences of non-Europeans are often unheard in debates around fur. A decline of fur-bearing animal populations in North America and Siberia from the early 19th century, led to a global expansion in fur farming.
From the 1850s, for example, Central Asia supplied furs to Europe and North America. Local artisans cured the pelts of karakul lambs – a native breed – to yield a rich and glossy fur. In central and south Asia, men of high status wore karakul hats; in Europe and America, they were mostly used to make women’s coats.
After the Russian revolution of 1917, many nomadic and semi-nomadic pastoralists, who raised sheep and other animals, left central Asia and moved with their flocks to neighbouring Afghanistan. The trade in karakul fur grew in the country, and foreign currency reserves came to depend on lambskins sold at auctions in London and New York.
In the 1960s, sheepskin coats made in Afghanistan – known as “Afghans” – became popular in the west, being worn by stars including Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones. The 1969 British edition of Vogue featured an interview with an icon of “oriental chic”, the “beautiful, dashing, intelligent, adventurous” Afghan socialite, Safia Tarzi, who lived in Paris, and ran a boutique clothing shop in Kabul.
The Afghan coat enjoyed a resurgence in 2000 having been worn by the character Penny Lane (Kate Hudson) in the film Almost Famous.
In the 1980s, the anti-fur campaign contributed to a declining market for karakul. For decades, rumours of Central Asian shepherds extracting lambs from the wombs of sheep to ensure a steady yield of delicate pelts had circulated. Moral opposition to the practice was not confined to the west.
During my research on globally dispersed activists, intellectuals and merchants from Afghanistan, a man from Afghanistan, now based in London, told me that his father banned his family from wearing karakul hats because sheep and their lambs were treated cruelly.
In the 1990s, civil war destroyed much of the infrastructure of the karakul industry in Afghanistan, but a trickle of pelts reached auction houses located in Frankfurt, Copenhagen and Helsinki.
In the 2000s, international development organisations attempted to revive the trade, though sales never returned to anyway near the levels of the 1970s. By the 2010s, families in northern Afghanistan struggling economically opted to send sons to travel illegally to Turkey to find work as shepherds for commercially oriented Turkish farmers.
Promotional videos of fashion houses occasionally touch on the Penny Lane coat’s ties to Afghanistan, but media coverage of fur fashions rarely address its historical connections to central Asia.
Magnus Marsden received funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council including for the research upon which this article is based.
The cyber-attack on Marks & Spencer will lead to an estimated £300 million hit to the company’s profits this year. It now aims to have online shopping at the store back to normal by August, more than three months after IT systems were compromised.
Fans of M&S clothing and food will be relieved after all of the uncertainty. But that level of uncertainty, as well as the huge cost, is surely a sign that big retailers, which millions of people rely on, need to change how they think about – and invest in – cybersecurity.
It has to be an absolute priority. After all, few marketing strategies or HR initiatives can save a company £300 million in just six weeks. But perhaps a more sophisticated cybersecurity department could have done just that.
To be fair, M&S faced a relatively rare, high-impact ordeal. Most cyber-attacks of this nature don’t affect customers so directly, and much of the recovery typically happens behind the scenes.
On June 27, M&S issued a public apology and a £5 digital gift card to affected customers. But research suggests that the most important element of keeping customers onside is the quality of the recovery process, and whether normal service is eventually resumed.
To get back to normal service, it is possible that a ransom was paid to the cyber attackers, but M&S has refused to confirm or deny this. (One survey found that many organisations hit by cyber attacks agreed to pay a ransom – and then suffered a subsequent breach, often from the very same culprits.)
But even when normal service returns, when hackers steal customer data, as they did with M&S, research suggests that this information is often reused by criminals in identity theft and phishing. A study even found that victims of data breaches are more likely to have mortgage applications denied.
From what we know about the breach at M&S, it seems that the cyber-attackers simply used a phishing technique to get the support desk of a third-party contractor to reset the password of an admin-level account. That said, although in this case the main vulnerability was human, the lesson to be learnt here is that sometimes just one vulnerability can shake the whole system to its core.
This is why business owners need to think of cybersecurity not just as a tedious and inconvenient IT issue, but as a core function of the business. Otherwise, as the M&S case illustrates, it is simply not possible for the rest of the corporate structure to operate.
Testing times
So cybersecurity targets must be incorporated into every department to ensure collective defence. And organisations also need to stress-test the different aspects of their systems.
That could be checking on human responses, but it should also include technology (like a vulnerability in the web server), physical barriers (a poorly secured server room door) and HR procedures (failure to revoke ex-employee access).
These lines of defence have to be stress-tested regularly and from multiple angles, rather than being considered an annual checkbox activity for compliance.
Scenario-based tests – essentially a cyber fire-drill — such as internal threat simulations and response exercises, can provide useful insights into an organisation’s readiness to detect, respond to and recover from cyber-attacks.
It’s also important that organisations learn to communicate clearly once a breach occurs. Research into responses to data breaches suggests that any backlash is sharper when the company seems to be trying to hide the breach, which may later be publicised by the criminals instead.
Consumers should also remember that they are not powerless. We may not be able to prevent a data breach, but all of us can help to stop attackers from infiltrating our online worlds by something as simple as not re-using the same passwords.
By remaining sceptical, we can prevent attackers from using the information they stole to phish us later. And by thinking carefully about what personal data we share with companies, we can reduce the impact of future breaches.
Aybars Tuncdogan 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.
The cyber-attack on Marks & Spencer will lead to an estimated £300 million hit to the company’s profits this year. It now aims to have online shopping at the store back to normal by August, more than three months after IT systems were compromised.
Fans of M&S clothing and food will be relieved after all of the uncertainty. But that level of uncertainty, as well as the huge cost, is surely a sign that big retailers, which millions of people rely on, need to change how they think about – and invest in – cybersecurity.
It has to be an absolute priority. After all, few marketing strategies or HR initiatives can save a company £300 million in just six weeks. But perhaps a more sophisticated cybersecurity department could have done just that.
To be fair, M&S faced a relatively rare, high-impact ordeal. Most cyber-attacks of this nature don’t affect customers so directly, and much of the recovery typically happens behind the scenes.
On June 27, M&S issued a public apology and a £5 digital gift card to affected customers. But research suggests that the most important element of keeping customers onside is the quality of the recovery process, and whether normal service is eventually resumed.
To get back to normal service, it is possible that a ransom was paid to the cyber attackers, but M&S has refused to confirm or deny this. (One survey found that many organisations hit by cyber attacks agreed to pay a ransom – and then suffered a subsequent breach, often from the very same culprits.)
But even when normal service returns, when hackers steal customer data, as they did with M&S, research suggests that this information is often reused by criminals in identity theft and phishing. A study even found that victims of data breaches are more likely to have mortgage applications denied.
From what we know about the breach at M&S, it seems that the cyber-attackers simply used a phishing technique to get the support desk of a third-party contractor to reset the password of an admin-level account. That said, although in this case the main vulnerability was human, the lesson to be learnt here is that sometimes just one vulnerability can shake the whole system to its core.
This is why business owners need to think of cybersecurity not just as a tedious and inconvenient IT issue, but as a core function of the business. Otherwise, as the M&S case illustrates, it is simply not possible for the rest of the corporate structure to operate.
Testing times
So cybersecurity targets must be incorporated into every department to ensure collective defence. And organisations also need to stress-test the different aspects of their systems.
That could be checking on human responses, but it should also include technology (like a vulnerability in the web server), physical barriers (a poorly secured server room door) and HR procedures (failure to revoke ex-employee access).
These lines of defence have to be stress-tested regularly and from multiple angles, rather than being considered an annual checkbox activity for compliance.
Scenario-based tests – essentially a cyber fire-drill — such as internal threat simulations and response exercises, can provide useful insights into an organisation’s readiness to detect, respond to and recover from cyber-attacks.
It’s also important that organisations learn to communicate clearly once a breach occurs. Research into responses to data breaches suggests that any backlash is sharper when the company seems to be trying to hide the breach, which may later be publicised by the criminals instead.
Consumers should also remember that they are not powerless. We may not be able to prevent a data breach, but all of us can help to stop attackers from infiltrating our online worlds by something as simple as not re-using the same passwords.
By remaining sceptical, we can prevent attackers from using the information they stole to phish us later. And by thinking carefully about what personal data we share with companies, we can reduce the impact of future breaches.
Aybars Tuncdogan 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.
England footballer Lucy Bronze recently said in an interview that “cycle syncing” gives her an edge on the pitch. This practice involves aligning your training schedule to the different phases of your menstrual cycle.
Cycle syncing has become increasingly popular in recent years – especially among athletes who are looking to get an edge over the competition. Even Chelsea women’s football team have put this new approach to use, tailoring training schedules according to each player’s menstrual cycle.
For the average person, tailoring your workouts to your menstrual cycle is probably not going to have much of an impact. But for a professional athlete such as Bronze, cycle syncing could be a gamechanging strategy in shaping her elite performance.
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The menstrual cycle begins and ends with menstruation (a period). While the length of the menstrual cycle varies for each person, it’s usually around 28 days.
The menstrual cycle is underpinned by fluctuations in levels of the female sex hormones oestrogen and progesterone. This is why the cycle is divided into three key phases: early follicular, late follicular and the luteal phase.
The early follicular phase usually lasts around seven days and begins with the start of your period. This is when hormone levels are at their lowest.
The late follicular phase follows on from the first seven days, and is where ovulation happens – usually around day 14 of the cycle, though this will depend on cycle length. Ovulation is when the egg is released and you’re at your most fertile.
After that comes the luteal phase (lasting around 12-14 days), when progesterone peaks to prepare the body for pregnancy. If pregnancy doesn’t happen, hormones drop and the cycle begins again.
It’s no secret that mood and energy levels can shift – sometimes significantly – throughout the menstrual cycle. This is why some female athletes have begun using cycle syncing. By tailoring training schedules to match hormonal fluctuations, women are gaining a deeper understanding of their bodies and the symptoms they experience throughout each phase – empowering them to train smarter, not harder.
Bronze said the strategy has transformed her performance, saying that during certain phases of her cycle she feels “physically capable of more and can train harder”.
Despite these testimonials, scientists are yet to reach a definitive conclusion on how the menstrual cycle affects athletic performance.
So far, there’s some suggestion that there may be a slight dip in performance (specifically to strength and endurance) during the early follicular phase. However, these effects are minimal – and highly dependent on the person. It’s also not entirely clear what mechanisms underpin these small performance dips that some women experienced.
Other research suggests that certain aspects of the neuromuscular system (the network of nerves and muscles that make movement possible) – specifically how our muscles generate force – is altered during the luteal phase. Research has also found that certain muscles may fatigue less quickly during this phase as well.
This implies that during the luteal phase, there may be changes in signals from the brain and spinal cord to the skeletal muscles. However, no changes in the neuromuscular function have been observed.
Part of the reason it’s so difficult for researchers to gather enough evidence to draw firm conclusions on the menstrual cycle’s potential effects on athletic performance is because of the huge variability in menstrual cycle characteristics, which makes it difficult to study. Phase length, hormone levels and symptoms can differ widely between women – and even from cycle to cycle.
The small effects seen in these studies will have little effect on how most of us train or exercise. But for an elite athlete, these minuscule differences could have an effect on their training and competition, which may be why so many are willing to give the practice a try.
So while it isn’t entirely clear how much influence certain menstrual cycle phases have on performance, how you feel during different phases could certainly affect your ability to train at your best.
Around 77% of female athletes experience negative symptoms in the days leading up to and during menstruation. Fatigue, feeling less motivated and even experiencing digestive issues such as bloating and nausea, could all affect your ability to train at your best.
Trying cycle syncing
If you’re still interested in giving cycle syncing a try to see if it has any effect for you, the best place to start is by tracking your menstrual cycle. This will help you understand your body, how you feel in each phase of your cycle and what effect certain symptoms have on your training.
It’s recommended you track your cycle for at least three months before making any changes to your training to establish a baseline and spot trends over time.
For example, if you notice you often feel fatigued when training in your luteal phase, it may help to focus on ensuring you fuel well with carbohydrates before and during workouts. Or on days where you feel more energetic and motivated to train, you might be able to push yourself a bit harder in your workouts.
Whether you’re playing for England in the Euros or simply working towards your own fitness goals, understanding your cycle can help you train smarter, manage your symptoms better and stay consistent with your training.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
As the 14th Dalai Lama celebrates his 90th birthday with thousands of Tibetan Buddhists, there’s already tension over how the next spiritual leader will be selected. Controversially, the Chinese government has suggested it wants more power over who is chosen.
Traditionally, Tibetan leaders and aides seek a young boy who is seen as the chosen reincarnation of the Dalai Lama. It is possible that after they do this, this time Beijing will try to appoint a rival figure.
However, the current Dalai Lama, who lives in exile in India, insists that the process of succession will be led by the Swiss-based Gaden Phodrang Trust, which manages his affairs. He said no one else had authority “to interfere in this matter” and that statement is being seen as a strong signal to China.
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Throughout the 20th century, Tibetans struggled to create an independent state, as their homeland was fought over by Russia, the UK and China. In 1951, Tibetan leaders signed a treaty with China allowing a Chinese military presence on their land.
China established the Tibetan Autonomous Region in 1965, in name this means that Tibet is an autonomous region within China, but in effect it is tightly controlled. Tibet has a government in exile, based in India, that still wants Tibet to become an independent state.
This is a continuing source of tension between the two countries. India also claims part of Tibet as its own territory.
Beijing sees having more power over the selection of the Dalai Lama as an opportunity to stamp more authority on Tibet. Tibet’s strategic position and its resources are extremely valuable to China, and play a part in Beijing’s wider plans for regional dominance, and in its aim of pushing back against India, its powerful rival in south Asia.
The Dalai Lama celebrates his 90th birthday as many Tibetans living in China fear talking about independence.
Tibet provides China with a naturally defensive border with the rest of southern Asia, with its mountainous terrain providing a buffer against India. The brief Sino-Indian war of 1962 when the two countries battled for control of the region, still has implications for India and China today, where they continue to dispute border lands.
As with many powerful nations, China has always been concerned about threats, or rival power bases, within its neighbourhood. This is similar to how the US has used the Monroe Doctrine to ensure its dominance over Latin America, and how Russia seeks to maintain its influence over former Soviet states.
Beijing views western criticism of its control of Tibet as interference in its sphere of influence.
Another source of contention is that Beijing traditionally views boundaries such as the McMahon line defining the China-India border as lacking legitimacy, a border drawn up when China was at its weakest in the 19th century. Known in China as the “century of humiliation”, this was characterised by a series of unequal treaties, which saw the loss of territory to stronger European powers.
This continues to a source of political tensions in China’s border regions including Tibet. This is a controversial part of China’s historical memory and continues to influence its ongoing relationship with the west.
Demand for natural resources
Tibet’s importance to Beijing also comes from its vast water resources. Access to more water is seen as increasingly important for China’s wider push towards self-sufficiency which has become imperative in the face of climate change. This also provides China with a significant geopolitical tool.
For instance, the Mekong River rises in Tibet and flows through China and along the borders of Myanamar and Laos and onward into Thailand and Cambodia. It is the third longest river in Asia, and is crucial for many of the economies of south-east Asia. It is estimated to sustain 60 million people.
China’s attempts to control water supplies, particularly through the building of huge dams in Tibet, has added to regional tensions. Around 50% of the flow to the Mekong was cut off for part of 2021, after a Chinese mega dam was built. This caused a lot of resentment from other countries which depended on the water.
Moves by other nations to control access to regional water supplies in recent years show how water is now becoming a negotiating tool. India attempted to cut off Pakistan’s water supply in 2025 as part of the conflict between the two. Control of Tibet allows China to pursue a similar strategy, which grants Beijing leverage in its dealings with New Delhi, and other governments.
Another natural resource is also a vital part of China’s planning. Tibet’s significant lithium deposits are crucial for Chinese supply chains, particularly for their use in the electric vehicle industry. Beijing is attempting to reduce its reliance on western firms and supplies, in the face of the present trade tensions between the US and China, and Donald Trump’s tariffs on Chinese goods.
Tibet’s value to China is a reflection of wider changes in a world where water is increasingly playing an important role in geopolitics. With its valuable natural resources, China’s desire to control Tibet is not likely to decrease.
Tom Harper 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.
The recent launch of a government review into parental leave and pay in the UK is a hugely welcome development. In order to bring about meaningful change, it must challenge the fundamental issue at the heart of current parental leave laws. They are strongly influenced by, and so perpetuate, gender norms that see women as caregivers and fathers as breadwinners.
Parents in the UK can take maternity leave, paternity leave and shared parental leave in the first year of their child’s life. While these allowances provide parents with support, the support is disproportionate in how it is split between mothers and fathers. Although gender roles have evolved significantly, UK policies lag behind.
Mothers and fathers are equal parents and have equal parenting responsibilities. However, mothers are allowed up to 52 weeks of maternity leave, while fathers are only entitled to two weeks of statutory paternity leave.
There are significant barriers stopping fathers from benefiting fully from the legislation. Parents can share up to 50 weeks of leave between them. But because mothers are entitled to a year of leave, the policy requires mothers to act as gatekeepers. The mother determines if the father can share the leave and how long she is willing to give up for the father.
Consequently, fathers have no autonomy or independence to take parental leave at a time that is important to them and their babies – and they may be reluctant to deprive the mother of leave she is entitled to.
What’s more, while maternity and paternity leave is well known and the process relatively straightforward, shared parental leave has been criticised for its complexity. Parents that have explored shared parental leave have found the policy and process incredibly complex because some employers still don’t understand how it works and so are unable to support parents.
The problems with the policy have affected its uptake. Only 5% of fathers take any shared parental leave.
Financial implications
Another problem that affects all three policies is the pay. While the UK has a generous maternity leave allowance of 52 weeks, this is not accompanied by a decent financial allowance.
Although employers can set more generous terms, the law requires only the first six weeks of maternity leave to be paid at 90% of the mother’s salary. This is followed by 33 weeks at statutory pay of £187.18 and 13 weeks of no pay. The two weeks of paternity leave are paid at the statutory rate of £187.18, or 90% of the father’s average weekly earnings (whichever is lower).
And while shared parental leave allows the mother to split 50 weeks of leave with her partner, a significant period of this is unpaid. Out of these 50 weeks, parents can share 37 weeks of pay at statutory rate and the rest of the leave would be unpaid.
The same reason applies to shared parental leave because parents cannot afford to both be off at the same time or different times on the statutory rate. While the policies are well intended, there is no financial incentive for parents to take it.
Finances have a significant impact on parental leave choices. The government review should enhance parental leave pay to encourage and support parents, particularly fathers.
Impact on careers
The implications for parents’ careers also need to be considered. While parental leave should not affect the career aspirations or progressions of the parents, my research demonstrates otherwise. Mothers have been bullied, refused opportunities, and have felt forced to leave their jobs.
Research also shows that fathers have concerns about their careers when considering parental leave. While it is illegal for an employer to discriminate against a parent for taking parental leave, this remains an area of concern.
My research has demonstrated that some fathers consider shared parental leave as a “luxury” they cannot afford. They feel they need to work hard to demonstrate their commitment to their job. Equal parenting policies would support women’s careers and encourage fathers to take up more family responsibilities without fear of repercussions.
The last point to consider – and one that often goes overlooked – is that how parents choose to feed their baby may have an effect on their decisions to take parental leave. Babies can be breastfed, formula fed or a mixture of both breast and formula feeding. If the parents make the decision to breastfeed – a choice recommended by the World Health Organisation – this may affect the mother’s decision on how much leave she takes.
Employers have legal obligations to carry out risk assessments for breastfeeding mothers and make reasonable adjustments on specific health and safety guidelines. However, a general policy that covers the wider needs of breastfeeding mothers and offers them more support at work should be implemented.
My research shows that mothers may prefer to take more maternity leave to enable them to breastfeed.
The parental leave review shouldn’t miss the opportunity to introduce breastfeeding policies that ensure mothers are properly supported in the workplace – as well as making sure that both mothers and fathers have the opportunity to prioritise caring and their careers.
Ernestine Gheyoh Ndzi 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.
What does it mean to save a life – and what does it cost? In The Story of a Heart, Rachel Clarke answers this not with slogans or sentiment, but with quiet, searing honesty. This book, which won this year’s Women’s prize for non-fiction, is about organ donation, yes, but it’s also about family, grief, love, courage, and the astonishing edges of human experience.
At its centre are two children: Max Johnson, a healthy, active nine-year-old whose heart suddenly begins to fail, and Keira Ball, another nine-year-old – vibrant, horse-loving, full of life who tragically dies in a car accident. In a moment of unimaginable grief, Keira’s parents donate her organs. Her heart goes to Max.
A child dies. A child lives.
That is the simple, brutal, beautiful truth this book never looks away from. But Clarke does more than tell the story of heart. She immerses us in it – every breath, every monitor beep, every unbearable choice.
I read this as a health services researcher who has spent years working in the emotionally complex, ethically charged, and often hidden world of organ donation. My work explores how families navigate these unimaginable scenarios, particularly in the context of recent legislative change. Clarke’s account captures, with rare precision and compassion, the silences, the emotional labour of clinicians, and the profound weight of choice that families like Keira’s carry.
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As both a doctor and a mother, Clarke brings sensitivity to every page. We feel Max’s steady decline: the exhaustion, the fear, the silence that descends as even the doctors grow unsure. We witness Keira’s final hours, the heroic efforts to save her, and the moments where unbearable grief oscillates between hope and despair, eventually giving way to a different kind of gift.
There are no easy heroes in this story, only ordinary people facing the unthinkable with extraordinary grace. Clarke brings them to life with aching clarity: the cardiologist who, in the dim light of a hospital room, sketches Max’s failing heart on a napkin so his mother can understand what words can’t explain; the ICU nurse who stays long after her shift ends, gently brushing the hair of a child who will never wake up; the donation nurse who enters a family’s darkest hour not with answers, but with quiet presence and unwavering care; the surgeon who steadies his hands – and his heart – when every second matters.
And in the chaos of resuscitation, amid alarms and broken bodies, a teddy bear is tucked beneath Keira’s arm: “Someone in the crash team has seen Keira not simply as a body, inert and unresponsive, but as a vulnerable child in need of compassion.”
The Story of a Heart is also a book about history. It’s not just about one child’s transplant, but about medicine, surgery, and the heart itself. Clarke weaves in the stories of early transplant pioneers, accidental discoveries, and the scientific stumbles and breakthroughs that built modern practice. She brings it all to life with a storyteller’s flair, making science feel intimate, alive, and deeply human.
What the heart means
What sets the heart apart, Clarke reminds us, is not just its function, but its symbolism. No other organ holds such emotional weight. “Hearts sing, soar, race, burn, break, bleed, swell, hammer and melt,” she writes. They are not just organs, they are vessels for our hopes, fears and deepest longings.
Clarke shows how, across history, the heart was seen as the source of emotion, morality – even the soul – and how that deep humanism still pulses through our language and culture today. We have our hearts broken, wear our hearts on our sleeves, and as Clarke puts it: “When trying to express our truest and most sincere selves, we do so by saying we speak from the heart, or about all that our heart desires.”
But what makes The Story of a Heart so exceptional is its emotional truth. Clarke never shies away from the pain. Max’s parents watch their son fade, terrified to even touch him. Keira’s father buys her a pink princess dress for her funeral. Max, wired to machines, records a goodbye message; we learn later he even tried to take his own life. And yet, there is light.
Keira’s sisters climb into bed with her, painting her nails and sliding Haribo sweet rings onto her fingers. Then comes a moment so clear, so quietly astonishing, it takes everyone’s breath away. Katelyn, Keira’s older sister, turns to the doctor and asks, with calm, steady eyes: “Can we donate her organs?”
This isn’t a clinical decision or a well-rehearsed conversation. It is an unprompted act of extraordinary love. These moments – fragile, generous, profoundly human – are the true beating heart of Clarke’s book.
From there, we are guided into a world so few know and even fewer ever witness: the quiet choreography that carries a gift of life from one person to another. What Katelyn sets in motion with just five words unfolds with such precision, that reading it feels like witnessing a kind of living magic.
The aftermath is just as moving. Max recovers quickly, walks again, laughs again. The two families meet. There are no big speeches, just quiet awe. And beyond that: a law is passed. Max and Keira’s Law brings in an opt-out system of donation in England. Two children. One legacy. A country changed.
And still, Clarke doesn’t let us forget the hard truths. Not every child survives. Not every family gets a miracle. Transplants are fragile. But in that fragility, she shows us, is the real miracle. Max goes fishing with his dad, the sky glows orange – Keira’s favourite colour. That is enough.
At the moment organ donation consent rates for children are declining in the UK, and there are more children on the transplant wait list than ever before. The Story of a Heart asks us to see the children, the families, and the quiet acts of love behind every donation. It’s a powerful reminder that the greatest gifts are often given in the darkest hours.
This book will break your heart – and fill it up again. It’s not just essential reading for anyone interested in organ donation and transplant. It’s essential reading for anyone who has ever loved.
This article features references to books that have been included for editorial reasons, and may contain links to bookshop.org. If you click on one of the links and go on to buy something from bookshop.org The Conversation UK may earn a commission.
Leah McLaughlin does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Martin L. Olsson, Medical Director of the Nordic Reference Laboratory for Blood Group Genomics, Region Skåne & Professor of Transfusion Medicine, Head of the Division, Lund University
In a routine blood test that turned extraordinary, French scientists have identified the world’s newest and rarest blood group. The sole known carrier is a woman from Guadeloupe whose blood is so unique that doctors couldn’t find a single compatible donor.
The discovery of the 48th recognised blood group, called “Gwada-negative”, began when the woman’s blood plasma reacted against every potential donor sample tested, including those from her own siblings. Consequently, it was impossible to find a suitable blood donor for her.
Most people know their blood type – A, B, AB or O – along with whether they are Rh-positive or negative. But these familiar categories (those letters plus “positive” or “negative”) represent just two of several dozens of blood group systems that determine compatibility for transfusions. Each system reflects subtle but crucial differences in the proteins and sugars coating our red blood cells.
To solve the mystery of the Guadeloupian woman’s incompatible blood, scientists turned to cutting-edge genetic analysis. Using whole exome sequencing – a technique that examines all 20,000-plus human genes – they discovered a mutation in a gene called PIGZ.
This gene produces an enzyme responsible for adding a specific sugar to an important molecule on cell membranes. The missing sugar changes the structure of a molecule on the surface of red blood cells. This change creates a new antigen – a key feature that defines a blood group – resulting in an entirely new classification: Gwada-positive (having the antigen) or -negative (lacking it).
Using gene editing technology, the team confirmed their discovery by recreating the mutation in a lab. So red blood cells from all blood donors tested are Gwada-positive and the Guadeloupean patient is the only known Gwada-negative person on the planet.
The implications of the discovery extend beyond blood transfusions. The patient suffers from mild intellectual disability, and tragically, she lost two babies at birth – outcomes that may be connected to her rare genetic mutation.
The enzyme produced by the PIGZ gene operates at the final stage of building a complex molecule called GPI (glycosylphosphatidylinositol). Previous research has shown that people with defects in other enzymes needed for GPI assembly can experience neurological problems ranging from developmental delays to seizures. Stillbirths are also common among women with these inherited disorders.
Although the Caribbean patient is the only person in the world so far with this rare blood type, neurological conditions including developmental delay, intellectual disability and seizures have been noted in other people with defects in enzymes needed earlier in the GPI assembly line.
The Gwada discovery highlights both the marvels and challenges of human genetic diversity. Blood groups evolved partly as protection against infectious diseases (many bacteria, viruses and parasites use blood group molecules as entry points into cells). This means your blood type can influence your susceptibility to certain diseases.
But extreme rarity creates medical dilemmas. The French researchers acknowledge they cannot predict what would happen if Gwada-incompatible blood were transfused into the Guadeloupian woman. Even if other Gwada-negative people exist, they would be extremely difficult to locate. It is also unclear if they can become blood donors.
This reality points towards a futuristic solution: lab-grown blood cells. Scientists are already working on growing red blood cells from stem cells that could be genetically modified to match ultra-rare blood types. In the case of Gwada, researchers could artificially create Gwada-negative red blood cells by mutating the PIGZ gene.
Gwada is a colloquial term for Guadeloupe, a Caribbean island. Shutterstock.com
A growing field
Gwada joins 47 other blood group systems recognised by the International Society of Blood Transfusion. Like most of these blood-group systems, it was discovered in a hospital lab where technicians were trying to find compatible blood for a patient.
The name reflects the case’s Caribbean roots: Gwada is slang for someone from Guadeloupe, giving this blood group both scientific relevance and cultural resonance.
As genetic sequencing becomes more advanced and widely used, researchers expect to uncover more rare blood types. Each discovery expands our understanding of human variation and raises fresh challenges for transfusion and other types of personalised medicine.
Martin L Olsson is a Wallenberg Clinical Scholar who receives research funding from Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation (grant no. 2020.0234). He holds other major grants from the Swedish Research Council (grant no. 2024-03772), the Novo Nordisk Foundation (grant no. NNF22OC0077684) and the Swedish government funds to university healthcare for clinical research (ALF grant no. 2022.0287). He is also a member of the International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT)’s Working Party on Red Cell Immunogenetics and Blood Group Terminology.
Jill Storry receives funding from the Swedish Research Council (grant no. 2024-03772). She is affiliated with, and the current senior Vice-President, of the International Society of Blood Transfusion, as well as a member of the society’s Working Party on Red Cell Immunogenetics and Blood Group Terminology.
MANILA, Philippines – Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73), the flagship of the USS George Washington Carrier Strike Group (GWA CSG), with Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5 embarked, departed Manila, Philippines, following a scheduled port visit, July 7, 2025.
Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
Washington, DC — Today, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, and Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development issued the following joint statement in response to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) issuing areport that finds the Department of Energy (DOE) is not in compliance with required reporting to help ensure transparency in spending.
“This GAO report exposes a troubling failure by the Department of Energy to meet even the most basic budgeting responsibilities. Nearly a decade after Congress required forward-looking energy planning, DOE still hasn’t delivered — and now the Trump administration wants to do away with this basic good government requirement altogether. With nearly $50 billion in taxpayer funds at stake, this lack of accountability is unacceptable. At a time of fierce global competition, we can’t afford a Department flying blind. DOE must stop stonewalling and immediately implement GAO’s recommendations — as mandated by law — to deliver the transparency, accountability, and planning the American people deserve and that this administration has promised but routinely failed to deliver.”
The fiscal year 2012 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act required the Secretary of Energy to submit a future-years energy program (FYEP) alongside DOE’s annual budget justifications, starting with the fiscal year 2014 request and continuing each year thereafter.
However, GAO found that DOE has failed to fully comply with this statutory requirement, offering no justification for its ongoing noncompliance. The Department’s FYEP submissions have been incomplete and inconsistent, and it lacks both a finalized strategic plan and the necessary budgeting processes to generate accurate estimates.
Congress mandated this investigation in the fiscal year 2024 Energy and Water Development bill. In a striking acknowledgment of this failure, the Trump administration’s fiscal year 2026 budget proposal attempts to eliminate the reporting requirement altogether—undermining its own claims of promoting efficiency and exposing a broader disregard for transparency and fiscal accountability.
Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
ICYMI: At HELP Hearing, Senator Murray Presses CDC Nominee on Commitment to Scientific Integrity, Vaccine Access, as RFK Jr. Fires ACIP Members, Pushes Vaccine Conspiracies
Senator Murray, along with Senator Richard Burr (R-NC), authored the PREVENT Pandemics Act that made the CDC Director a Senate confirmed position for the first time starting this year
***WATCH HERE: Murray remarks at HELP markup on measles outbreak***
Washington, D.C. – Today—at a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee markup to advance the nomination of Susan Monarez, PhD to be Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)—U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former chair of the Committee, spoke forcefully about how measles cases in the U.S. have reached a 33-year high, and yet our conspiracy-minded Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has only doubled down on his dangerous anti-vaccine activism, and the Republican leadership of the HELP Committee is refusing to exercise any serious oversight of the measles crisis or other public health disasters the Trump administration is fanning the flames of.
At the markup, the HELP committee voted 12-11 to send Dr. Monarez’s nomination to the Senate floor—Senator Murray voted against advancing her nomination.
The CDC Director is a Senate-confirmed position for the first time this year thanks to a provision in Senator Murray’s bipartisan PREVENT Pandemics Act, which she negotiated and passed with former Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) in 2022.
Senator Murray’s full remarks at the HELP markup, as delivered, are below and video is HERE:
“I think it’s really important as we consider a CDC nominee today, we talk about the real elephant in the room.
“Because we could actually have the best CDC director in the world, and it wouldn’t change the fact that we have a person leading HHS who is an anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist—and a Committee that I fear is failing to do its bipartisan, public oversight of public health disasters.
“Measles cases are at a record 33-year high. They have not been this high since before we eliminated the disease in 2000.
“And now we are over 1,200 cases—that is really, we believe, also an undercount.
“But instead of pounding the pavement to encourage people to get vaccinated—the single most effective protection against measles, as you know—RFK Jr. has been firing every single member of the CDC vaccine advisory panel, and he loaded it up with his favorite vaccine skeptics, so they can pursue debunked conspiracies.
“And I am concerned because this Committee, it feels like, has all but abandoned serious oversight of this crisis. We haven’t had a hearing on the record-breaking number of measles outbreaks.
“Or a hearing on how the CDC vaccine panel is now stacked with people who are actually not unvetted, and all the previous board members—every single one of them—was removed with no credible explanation.
“So, I really believe we need public oversight.
“I really do hope that Dr. Monarez will defy my expectations, I hope she will stand up for science, and put public health first.
“But again, I have hoped that for others, and here we are today. So, I just want to express my disappointment, and real feeling that this committee should have oversight and do hearings before it’s too late to do anything all.
“And I would just say, my door is open to everyone. I think that we do need to work together and try and repair some of the harm that this anti-vaccine conspiracy theorists are doing to our country right now, and I hope that you take that into consideration.”
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At her nomination hearing last month, under Senator Murray’s questioning, Dr. Monarez admitted she agreed with Senator Murray that the eight new members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP)—which Secretary Kennedy handpicked after firing every member of the Committee for no reason—should go through a thorough ethics review process before participating in ACIP meetings. At the hearing, Senator Murray also raised alarm over Secretary Kennedy bringing Lyn Redwood in to the ACIP meeting to give a presentation on thimerosal in vaccines, and pressed Dr. Monarez on how changes to the ACIP recommendation could force families to pay out of pocket for vaccines, or forgo vaccination altogether. Senator Murray has been speaking out for weeks against Secretary Kennedy’s reckless decision to fire the entire slate of ACIP members without cause—holding a press call with Dr. Helen Chu of Washington state, one of the 17 ACIP members who was fired, and calling on Secretary Kennedy to reinstate the ACIP members he fired and ensure any new members undergo appropriate vetting.
Senator Murray forcefully opposed the nomination of notorious anti-vaccine activist RFK Jr. to be Secretary of HHS, and she has long worked to combat vaccine skepticism and highlight the importance of scientific research and vaccines. Murray was also a leading voice against the nomination of Dr. Dave Weldon to lead CDC, repeatedly speaking up about her serious concerns with the nominee immediately after their meeting. In 2019, Senator Murray co-led a bipartisan hearing in the HELP Committee on vaccine hesitancy and spoke about the importance of addressing vaccine skepticism and getting people the facts they need to keep their families and communities safe and healthy. Ahead of the 2019 hearing, as multiple states were facing measles outbreaks in under-vaccinated areas, Murray sent a bipartisan letter with former HELP Committee Chair Lamar Alexander pressing Trump’s CDC Director and HHS Assistant Secretary for Health on their efforts to promote vaccination and vaccine confidence.
Senator Murray has been a leading voice in Congress against RFK Jr.’s dismantling of HHS and attacks on America’s public health infrastructure, raising the alarm over HHS’ unilateral reorganization plan and slamming the closure of the HHS Region 10 office in Seattle and the CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Spokane Research Laboratory. Senator Murray has sent oversight letters and hosted numerous press conferences and events to lay out how the administration’s reckless gutting of HHS is risking Americans’ health and safety and will set our country back decades, and lifting up the voices of HHS employees who were fired for no reason and through no fault of their own.
