LONDON, May 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Global Business Complexity Index (GBCI) studies over 250 indicators of complexity in 79 jurisdictions that represent 94% of the world’s GDP. The complexity that the report measures is a dead-weight burden on business that stifles local innovation and deters foreign direct investment with no obvious societal benefit. The report has consistently shown that countries in Southern Europe and Latin America are the most complex for doing business and that continues to be true in 2025. At the other end of the scale, the least complex places to do business tend to be in Northern Europe and several of the offshore investment hubs. These all compete for investment on the basis of the ease of doing business there and have adopted less onerous requirements, as well as more efficient ways for firms to manage them.
The report notes that complexity is relatively straightforward to navigate, at least for larger multinationals able to absorb the cost of complying with local rules. What is much harder to deal with is uncertainty. US-led sanctions, lockdowns in China and the Suez blockage had already begun a shift in globalisation towards more diversified supply chains, with companies seeking to reduce their reliance on single countries for sourcing, building or selling their products. A part of that solution noted in last year’s report was the rise of connector economies like Mexico, Philippines and Vietnam, bridging trade between China and the US in the so-called ‘China plus one’ strategy. That strategy has now fallen foul of US tariffs, set to reflect a country’s trade surplus in goods with the US and so punishing countries with connector status.
Even if tariffs abate, their launch and rapid shifts point to an underlying risk for companies trading from countries with a high US trade surplus. The report notes a drop in confidence in stability, with the majority of jurisdictions (55%) reporting prioritisation of trade corridor diversity. It identifies a number of countries that might now emerge as the new connectors — with low levels of complexity pointing to business-friendly rules, a low US trade surplus pointing to less likely retaliatory action, a reasonable size and sophistication of economy to support a variety of activity at scale and absorb investment without tipping heavily into US trade surplus, and a multipolar stance that should allow them to trade across different blocs. Those countries include the UK and the Netherlands in Europe, Egypt and Saudi Arabia in the Middle East and Australia and Hong Kong in Asia Pacific.
The report finally notes that at a time of great uncertainty for global trade — and in particular, trade with the US — governments should focus on making their countries less complex places to do business whilst seeking trade agreements across different blocs to encourage cross-investment. It also notes that companies will need to further diversify their supply chains. That will add to their internal complexity and costs. At the same time, companies can help themselves by simplifying their arrangements for managing those supply chains, with many having excessive numbers of legal entities for their geographic scope along with large numbers of suppliers to help manage them.
TMF Group’s CEO Mark Weil, said:
“The real challenge for businesses today isn’t complexity, it’s uncertainty. With rising trade tensions, a shifting geopolitical landscape and economic unpredictability, companies are forced to make decisions in an environment that can change overnight. Tariffs are just the latest signal of the risks of supply chain concentration. Diversification is a necessity in this context, although it comes with a cost. The good news is that businesses can offset some of the complexities of diversification by reducing their own internal intricacies. Our benchmarking reveals stark differences in structural complexity among similar firms. We see an opportunity here: by simplifying their structures and support models — for example, by having fewer legal entities and a few trusted global partners — businesses can gain flexibility. Done right, this can improve efficiency and agility as firms navigate an uncertain world.”
Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –
On May 28, World Otter Day, the mos.ru portal published broadcasts with giant otters. These fearless, active and friendly animals are exhibited at the Moscow Zoo for the first time in 161 years. Anyone can observe the two young males, Fidel and Vasco, as well as the female Sevil, every day during the institution’s opening hours.
“The giant otter exhibit opened in the new area at the end of April, it is located next to the pedestrian bridge. The enclosure is decorated to resemble the tropical forest of the Amazon basin, where this species lives. The animals often swim close to the glass, look at visitors with interest and willingly show themselves,” shared Svetlana Akulova, General Director of the Moscow Zoo.
A new enclosure has been built for the giant otters, which meets the animals’ needs. It has a spacious pool with fresh water, where live fish are released. In addition, the enclosure has heated areas of land and a large log on which Fidel, Vasco and Sevil exercise. Several areas, separated by sides, are filled with soil: sand, earth and tree bark. The giant otters like to dig there.
To observe the animals, specialists installed three cameras, the video stream from which is broadcast on mos.ru. Until the end of May, the broadcast can be seen from 09:00 to 21:00, from June 1 from 07:30 to 22:00.
“The inhabitants of the Moscow Zoo have long won the hearts of not only the capital’s residents, but also millions of Russians. Now everyone has a unique opportunity to watch the amazing giant otters. These animals have their own page on zoo.mos.ru: in addition to the video broadcast, interesting facts about them and photos are also available there. This format allows you not only to see the animals, but also to learn about their character traits and habits in conditions as close to natural as possible,” said Boris Frolov, Deputy Head of the Moscow Department of Information Technology.
Giant (or Brazilian) otters live in fresh water bodies of South America. They feed mainly on fish, but can also catch crustaceans, snakes and small birds. Adults grow up to one and a half to two meters in length, weighing from 25 to 30 kilograms.
The giant otter is the largest freshwater mustelid, capable of confronting such a predator as the caiman. These animals are always noisy and active, because they have nothing to fear even in the Amazon forest. Few would dare to attack such a group of agile and friendly predators armed with sharp teeth. They usually get their food in the water. Otters have an intensive metabolism, they need to eat food daily in an amount of up to 10 percent of their own weight.
The body structure of these animals helps them dive to get food. Otters have webbed feet, a torpedo-shaped body, thick fur, and a strong paddle-shaped tail. When diving deep, the ears and nose close.
Brazilian otters live in family groups consisting of two parents and immature offspring. The head of the family is the female. The family usually lives on the shore of a reservoir, arranging burrows with a system of simple tunnels.
Broadcasts from the Moscow Zoo enclosures appeared on zoo.mos.ru in the fall of 2024. The list of animals that can be admired is gradually expanding. In addition to giant otters, everyone can watch online the Pallas’s cat, East Siberian lynx, tiger, lions, giant pandas, red panda, Himalayan bears, raccoons, honey badgers, meerkats, capybaras, llamas, vicunas and guanacos, as well as elephants, pygmy hippopotamuses, orangutans and gorillas.
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
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
MEXICO CITY, May 28 (Xinhua) — Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Tuesday once again vowed to defend the country’s independence and sovereignty from U.S. interference.
At her daily morning press conference, she said that to prevent any kind of foreign interference, “the most important thing is the strength of the government.” “We have great strength, and that is because we have never betrayed and will never betray the people of Mexico,” the head of state emphasized.
The activities of U.S. agents in Mexico have been regulated since the time of the previous president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who ruled from 2018 to 2024, she said, adding that provisions to that effect were included in the constitution.
Today, American agents have a “very clear” understanding of how to operate in Mexico, Sheinbaum said, noting that any foreign agent must request permission from the Foreign Ministry and comply with local laws. –0–
An all-party Indian parliamentary delegation led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor began its official engagements in Panama with a visit to the Indian Cultural Centre in Panama City, where they offered prayers at a local temple.
The visit was marked by a powerful moment of interfaith harmony as members from different religious backgrounds joined together in devotion.
Taking to social media platform X, Tharoor posted, “The multi-party MPs’ delegation visited the Indian Cultural Centre in Panama City and offered devotions at the beautiful temple there. It was moving to see our Muslim colleague Sarfraz Ahmed join his Hindu and Sikh colleagues at the temple. As he later told the audience, “jab bulane walon ko koi aitraaz nahin, toh jaane walo ko aitraaz kyon hoga?”
The delegation arrived in Panama on Tuesday, to begin a key leg of its international outreach. Upon arrival at the airport, the delegation was warmly received and welcomed by India’s Ambassador to Panama, Dr. Sumit Seth, and members of the Indian diplomatic mission.
The visit carries a significant diplomatic message, with the delegation tasked with conveying India’s firm stance of zero tolerance towards terrorism.
The delegation also held high-level meetings with Panama’s President of the National Assembly, Dana Castañeda, along with senior members of Parliament Edwin Vergara and Julio de la Guardia, the latter a former Ambassador to India.
Tharoor noted that he explained the purpose of the delegation’s visit and received “strong assurances of understanding and support for India’s war against terror.”
The visit included signing the visitors’ book and a tour of the main hall of Panama’s National Assembly.
“A positive start to our Panama visit,” said Tharoor, summing up the day’s events.
Earlier, Ambassador Dr Sumit Seth briefed them on various facets of India-Panama bilateral relations, as well as key areas of cooperation.
The delegation’s visit to Panama is part of India’s wider outreach, aiming to bolster diplomacy and cooperation in the global fight against terrorism.
At the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the President of Paraguay, Santiago Peña Palacios, will pay a State Visit to India from the 2nd to the 4th of June. This marks President Peña’s first visit to India and only the second-ever visit by a Paraguayan head of state to the country.
The visiting dignitary will be accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising ministers, senior government officials, and business representatives. In addition to engagements in the national capital, President Peña will also visit Mumbai before concluding his visit on June 4.
During the visit, President Peña is scheduled to hold delegation-level talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 2. The leaders will undertake a comprehensive review of the entire spectrum of bilateral relations. Prime Minister Modi is also expected to host a lunch in honour of the visiting President.
President Peña will also call on the Hon’ble President of India, Droupadi Murmu, who will host a banquet in his honour. The Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and the External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar are also expected to meet the visiting leader during his stay in New Delhi.
India and Paraguay share warm and friendly ties since the establishment of diplomatic relations on September 13, 1961. The bilateral partnership spans across a range of sectors including trade, agriculture, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and information technology. Paraguay is considered an important trading partner for India in the Latin American region.
Indian companies, particularly in the automobile and pharmaceutical sectors, have a growing presence in Paraguay. Similarly, Paraguayan firms — including those operating through joint ventures — have expanded their footprint in India, contributing positively to the economic engagement between the two nations.
India and Paraguay also share converging views on a range of global issues, including United Nations reforms, climate change, promotion of renewable energy, and the fight against terrorism.
During his visit to Mumbai, President Peña is scheduled to interact with state-level political leadership, business and industry representatives, startups, and leaders from the technology and innovation sectors.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
MONTEVIDEO, May 27 (Xinhua) — He Baoxiang, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), has called for consolidating the China-Latin America community with a shared future.
As He Baoxiang pointed out when he visited Mexico and Uruguay from May 21 to 27 as the head of a delegation, China attaches great importance to relations with these two countries.
He said China stands ready to work with Mexico and Uruguay to implement the important consensus reached by Chinese President Xi Jinping and the leaders of the two countries, as well as the results of the 4th ministerial meeting of the China-CELAC Forum (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States), deepening practical cooperation in various fields.
The CPPCC is ready to make its contribution to these efforts, the CPPCC National Committee vice-chairman stressed.
During his stay in Mexico, He Baoxiang met with the President of the Chamber of Senators (upper house of parliament) Gerardo Fernandez Noronha and the Vice-Presidents of the Chamber of Deputies (lower house of parliament) Dolores Padierna, Kenia Lopez and Luisa Mendoza.
In Uruguay, He Baoxiang met with the country’s President Yamandu Orsi, Vice President, Speaker of the General Assembly (parliament) and the Chamber of Senators (upper house of parliament) Carolina Cossé, and Speaker of the House of Representatives (lower house of parliament) Sebastian Valdomir.
Officials from Mexico and Uruguay expressed understanding and support for China’s core interests and major concerns, and expressed their willingness to work with China to implement the results of the 4th China-CELAC Forum Ministerial Meeting and promote the further development of bilateral relations and relations between Latin America and China, so as to benefit the peoples of both sides. –0–
End-of-Mission press releases include statements of IMF staff teams that convey preliminary findings after a visit to a country. The views expressed in this statement are those of the IMF staff and do not necessarily represent the views of the IMF’s Executive Board. Based on the preliminary findings of this mission, staff will prepare a report that, subject to management approval, will be presented to the IMF’s Executive Board for discussion and decision.
IMF staff and the Salvadoran authorities have reached staff-level agreement on the first review of the 40-month extended arrangement under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF). Subject to approval by the IMF Executive Board, El Salvador would receive nearly US$120 million (SDR 86.16 million).
Program performance has been strong. Key fiscal and reserve targets were met with margins and substantial progress continues in the ambitious reform agenda in the areas of governance, transparency, and financial resilience.
Continued implementation of the fiscal consolidation plan and structural agenda remains critical to address macroeconomic imbalances and create conditions for stronger and more sustainable growth.
Washington, DC: IMF staff and the Salvadoran authorities have reached staff-level agreement on the first review of the country’s extended arrangement under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF). They also finalized discussion on the 2025 Article IV consultation focused on boosting El Salvador’s medium-term growth prospects.
Upon the conclusion of these discussions Mr. Cubeddu, Deputy Director of the Western Hemisphere Department, and Mr. Torres, Mission Chief for El Salvador, issued the following statement:
“IMF staff have reached staff-level agreement with the Salvadoran authorities on the first review under the 40-month EFF arrangement.[1] The agreement is subject to approval by the IMF’s Executive Board, and contingent on the implementation of the agreed prior actions.
“The authorities have made significant progress in implementing their economic reform plan under the IMF-supported program. Most program targets set for the first review were comfortably met, and implementation of the structural benchmarks is progressing well. Meanwhile, despite a more challenging external backdrop, El Salvador’s economy continues to expand supported by improved confidence and still robust remittances. Prudent policies and more favorable terms of trade have led to reduction in inflation and the current account deficit.
Against the backdrop of early strong program implementation, understandings have been reached on policies to continue to secure program objectives, including with the technical support from the Fund and other development partners:
The fiscal consolidation will continue this year through cuts in the wage bill and current spending restraint, and plans are being developed to reform the civil service and the pension systems to underpin the adjustment beyond this year. This will be supported by the new Fiscal Sustainability Law, which is expected to be enacted shortly.
External buffers will be strengthened further through the accumulation of government deposits at the Central Bank, supported by financing from International Financial Institutions and fiscal discipline. Meanwhile, bank liquidity requirements will be raised in line with program commitments, while bank oversight is strengthened, including of cooperatives.
Following the adoption of the Anti-Corruption Law, attention will now focus in securing its proper and timely implementation to complement ongoing efforts to enhance governance, accountability, and transparency, including of the fiscal accounts of the overall public sector.
On Bitcoin, efforts will continue to ensure that the total amount of Bitcoin held across all government-owned wallets remains unchanged, consistent with program commitments, while also securing the unwinding of the public sector’s participation in the Chivo wallet by end-July.
There is a shared understanding that steadfast program implementation and agile policy making, in the context of rising global uncertainties, remain critical to further entrench stability and lay the foundation for stronger and more sustainable growth. IMF staff thank the Salvadoran authorities for the excellent collaboration and constructive discussions.”
[1] The EFF was approved by the IMF Executive Board on February 26, 2025, with total access of SDR 1033.92 million (about US$1.4 billion or 360 percent of quota), and initial disbursement of SDR 86.16 million. Other official creditors committed to provide additional financial support for a combined total of roughly US$3.5 billion.
Source: The Conversation – France – By Justine Loizeau, Postdoctoral research fellow in sustainability and organization, Aalto University
As early as 1917, the Michelin company invested in plantations to produce rubber in what is now Vietnam. Here, hevea trees are seen in Southeast Asia in 1913.W. F. de Bois Maclaren, The Rubber Tree Book.
Half of the world’s forests were destroyed during the 20th century, with three regions mainly affected: South America, West Africa and Southeast Asia. The situation has worsened to the point that, in 2023, the European Parliament voted to ban the import of chocolate, coffee, palm oil and rubber linked to deforestation.
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A long-standing dependence on raw materials
These products are at the heart of our economies and consumption habits. The case of rubber is particularly emblematic. Without this material, there would be no tyres and, thus, no cars, bicycles, sealing joints or submarine communication cables. Industrial rubber production depends on extracting latex, a natural substance that rubber trees such as hevea produce. Under pressure from corporations and states, Brussels last October announced a one-year postponement of its law regulating rubber imports.
This dependence on the rubber industry is not new. Rubber was central to the second industrial revolution, especially with the rise of automobiles and new management methods. While this history often centres on factories, citing contributions from figures such as Frederick Taylor and Henry Ford and industrial giants like Michelin, its colonial roots are less well known.
Indeed, rubber – like the other resources mentioned above – has been and continues to be primarily produced in former colonial territories. In many cases, rubber trees are not native to the regions where they have been cultivated. Rubber seeds from South America, where latex was already extracted by picking, were transported by colonists to empires for the development of plantations. In particular, the French colonial empire, spanning Africa and Southeast Asia, saw a significant expansion of hevea plantations at the expense of primary forests. Monocultures of rubber trees replaced thousands of hectares.
Ford in the Amazon, Michelin in present-day Vietnam
This management model was favoured because it allowed for lower extraction costs from the coloniser’s perspective. For example, in 1928, Henry Ford negotiated an agreement with the Brazilian government granting him a 10,000 km2 concession of forest land to establish Fordlandia, a settlement designed to produce the rubber needed for his factories. However, this industrial utopia in the Amazon failed due to resistance from Indigenous people and a fungal disease that ruined the plantations.
Business Insider reports on the Fordlandia fiasco.
Following the same model, Michelin invested in plantations in present-day Vietnam as early as 1917. The plantation model and new management methods reduced the cost of rubber production and accelerated its global distribution. These management practices spread across the British, Dutch and French empires, becoming dominant in Southeast Asia in the early 20th century at the expense of primary forests.
Rubber plantations resulted from applying Taylorism not only to workers – especially colonised workers – but also to nature. Both people and trees were subjected to a so-called “scientific” organisation of labour. In our article, L’arbre qui gâche la forêtThe Tree That Spoils the Forest, published in the Revue française de gestion (French Journal of Management) in 2024, we analysed historical archives, including a variety of newspapers from 1900 to 1950, covering national, local, colonial and thematic (scientific, cultural, etc.) perspectives. We show that this organisational model is based on an accounting undervaluation of indigenous people’s labour and of nature. This undervaluation is embodied in the metric of the cost price (i.e. the total cost of production and distribution) and in the shared concern to see it lowered. “Ultimately, it’s the cost price that must determine the fate of rubber,” stated the newspaper L’Information financière, économique et politique on February 1, 1914.
In the eyes of some, Asians who were labelled as “coolies” and Brazilian “seringueiros” comprised a low-cost labour pool, with no mention of their working conditions and despite very high mortality rates. “Coolie” is a derogatory colonial term that refers to agricultural labourers of Asian heritage, while “seringueiros” refers to workers in South American rubber plantations.
“By the way, in the Far East, there are reservoirs of labour (Java Island, English Indies), which supply plantations with workers who, while not the most robust, provide regular work at a very advantageous cost price.” (L’Information financière, économique et politique, November 11, 1922)
Concerning trees, only the plantation costs were considered, silencing the human and ecological costs of primary forest destruction.
“In the first year, some 237 francs will have to be spent on the clearing itself; then the planting, with staking […] and weeding, will represent an expense of 356 francs. […] For the following years, all that remains to be done is to consider the maintenance costs, cleaning, pruning, care, supply of stakes, replacement, etc. This will result in an expenditure of 1,250 francs for the first five years.” (L’Information financière, économique et politique, January 31, 1912)
The ‘Cheapization’ of life
The focus on cost price leads to standardisation of management practices by aligning with what is cheapest, at the expense of ever more intense exploitation of human and non-human workers. In other words, these assumptions about the construction of accounting metrics and the circulation of these metrics play a role in the “cheapization” of human and non-human labour. We borrow the concept of “cheapization” from the environmental historian Jason W. Moore. In his view, the development of capitalism is marked by a “cheapization of Nature”, which includes, within the circuits of capitalist production and consumption, humans and non-humans whose work does not initially have a market value. Living beings are thus transformed into a commodity or factor of production: “animals, soils, forests and all kinds of extra-human nature” are being put to work.
These ways of managing people and nature continue to this day. Many industries still rely on the extraction of natural resources at low cost and in large quantities in the countries of the global south. Rubber is not the only resource whose exploitation dates to the Industrial Revolution: palm oil, sugar, coffee and cocoa have also had, and still have, an impact on the forests of the global south and are based on the work of local people. The exploitation of these resources is also often the fruit of colonial history. In 1911, the Frenchman Henri Fauconnier brought the first palm oil seeds, a plant originally from Africa, to Malaysia. More than a century later, the country remains a leading palm oil producer, a resource largely responsible for the deforestation of primary forests.
Beyond the case of rubber alone, we question the link between the pursuit of profit in formerly colonised territories, the destruction of the environment and the exploitation of local populations on two levels. Not only are primary forests destroyed to feed short-term profits, but habituation to this mode of environmental management is a historical construct. We must remember this when looking at news from countries with colonial pasts. Whether we’re talking about preserving the Amazon rainforest, poisoning soil and human bodies with chlordecone in the Antilles, or building a pipeline in Uganda, we need to take a step back. What are the historical responsibilities? What are the links between creating economic activities here and exploiting ecosystems and local populations there? What role do management theories and tools play in realising or reproducing these exploitative situations?
At a time when the ecological and social emergency is constantly invoked to call for the transformation of management practices and business models, the rubber example invites us to consider the colonial matrix of managerial practices and the Western historical responsibilities that led to this same emergency. And suppose we have to turn to other forms of management tomorrow: who may legitimately decide how to bring about this change? Are former colonisers best placed to define the way forward? Knowledge of colonial history should encourage us to recognise the value of the knowledge and practices of those who were and remain the first to be affected.
The COCOLE project is supported by the French National Research Agency (ANR), which funds project-based research in France. The ANR’s mission is to support and promote the development of fundamental and applied research in all disciplines, and to strengthen dialogue between science and society. To find out more, visit the ANR website.
Antoine Fabre has received funding from the French National Research Agency
via the programme “Counting in a colonial situation. French Africa (1830-1962)” (ANR-21-CE41-0012, 2021-2026).
Pierre Labardin is a professor at La Rochelle University. He has received funding from the French National Research Agency via the programme “Counting in a colonial situation. French Africa (1830-1962)” (ANR-21-CE41-0012, 2021-2026).
Clément Boyer et Justine Loizeau ne travaillent pas, ne conseillent pas, ne possèdent pas de parts, ne reçoivent pas de fonds d’une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n’ont déclaré aucune autre affiliation que leur poste universitaire.
The events of 2022 sparked our latest research into the estuaries of NSW. These special places, where the rivers meet the sea, are teeming with life. Now – for the first time – we can reveal what lives where, in maps based on tell-tale traces of DNA.
Together with Indigenous rangers from six language groups, we surveyed 34 estuaries to capture evidence of living species – everything from microbes to fish, plants and mammals.
We were surprised to find platypus in places they had not been seen for years. We also identified elusive native species such antechinus and rakali, and 68 invasive or pest species including cane toads – spreading further south than previously thought.
This catalogue of species in NSW estuaries can be used by authorities and scientists – but anyone, anywhere can explore the map online.
Mapping life in NSW estuaries (Southern Cross University)
Estuaries are vital, yet many questions remain
First Nations Peoples have long recognised the vital importance of the areas where land meets sea. Estuaries are have provided food resources for thousand of years and are home to important historical and contemporary cultural sites.
Today, 87% of Australians live within 50km of the sea. This makes estuaries one of the most intensively used areas of NSW. They provide critical habitats such as seagrass or mangroves, host high biodiversity, and have a high social value as places for recreational activities such as fishing.
NSW has excellent water quality monitoring programs, and vital habitats such as seagrass meadows have been the subject of long-term mapping programs. However, large gaps remain.
Understanding how biodiversity in estuaries changes over time, especially in response to extreme events, can help governments design appropriate responses to maintain or restore ecosystem health. But with nearly 200 estuaries in NSW, studying changes in biodiversity is not a simple task.
Find out what lives in your local estuary free, online. Wilderlab
Our DNA detective work
Measuring salinity or oxygen levels in water is relatively straightforward, using equipment on the shoreline or hanging off the side of a boat. Finding out what lives where is much more difficult. This where new genetic methods come in.
Collecting environmental DNA samples at the Clarence River estuary. Southern Cross University
Life forms leave tell-tale traces of DNA in the environment. Animals may shed hair, skin or scales, as well as poo. Plants produce pollen and leaves that end up in the water.
We matched small snippets of DNA to find the species it belonged to – a bit like scanning a barcode in the supermarket.
This technique allows us to analyse the full extent of biodiversity in estuaries. This includes not just fish, but also species at the base of the food chain such as microscopic algae – all from a few litres of water.
Indigenous rangers live and work on Country and know it well. We formed alliances with six groups of Indigenous rangers through the state’s Cultural Restoration Program:
Batemans Bay Local Aboriginal Land Council (Walbunja)
Bega Local Aboriginal Land Council
Jali Local Aboriginal Land Council
Jerinja Local Aboriginal Land Council
LaPeruse Local Aboriginal Land Council (Gamay)
Yaegl Wadyarr Gargle Land and Sea Contractors.
Our research builds on the different strengths and interests of local groups. The rangers worked with us all the way through, from the design phase to selecting sampling sites of ecological or cultural significance, helping to conduct surveys and working with scientists to interpret the results.
Trained in environmental DNA methods, rangers can monitor their Country independently in future.
What did we find?
We now have the largest publicly available biodiversity dataset for NSW estuaries. It covers everything from single-celled algae at the base of the food chain, to top predators such as great white sharks and white-bellied sea eagles.
Anyone can explore the interactive map to find out what lives in the estuaries nearby or further afield.
Rangers detected platypus in the lower reaches of Bega River, in places where they were thought to have disappeared. Totemic species such as dolphins were widespread across the state, including urban estuaries such as Botany Bay in Sydney, while mullet and bream were found shifting between the mouth and further upriver. Cane toads were found at Sandon River in the Northern Rivers region, and most recently in Coffs Harbour, much further south than expected.
These results mean a lot to local Indigenous mobs. They can integrate contemporary scientific results into traditional ecological knowledge and use both approaches to better understand how estuaries respond to extreme weather events or activities such as habitat restoration.
We also recently returned to sample sites following Tropical Cyclone Alfred and the extreme rainfall events in March. Being able to compare the data to a well-established baseline survey means we will be able to see which species were worst affected.
Knowledge sharing for the future
Two-way knowledge sharing between Indigenous knowledge holders and research scientists is improving our understanding of estuarine health.
The results of this project will help Indigenous groups to care for their Country while also improving scientific knowledge to better respond to environmental impacts such as floods for decades to come.
The project was a team effort. L to R: Kait Harris (NSW Departments of Primary Industries and Regional Development), Maarten De Brauwer (Southern Cross University), Shaun Laurie (Yaegl Rangers), and Amos Ferguson (Yaegl Rangers). Southern Cross University
The authors wish to acknowledge this program was delivered collaboration with and on behalf of the Departments of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD), Fisheries & Forestry, with funding provided by the Australian and NSW governments under Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements as part of the NSW Estuary Asset Protection program (NEAP).
Maarten De Brauwer received funding from the federal government’s Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (Riparian Stabilisation Package) as part of the NSW state government’s Estuary Asset Protection program. He is a board member of the Southern eDNA Society.
Kaitlyn Harris works for NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development.
Kelly Gittins works for the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development.
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Hernan Nicolas Fuentes Alfaro (44, Chile) and Eduardo Luis Portilla Romero (19, Chile) with possessing fraudulent Peruvian passports and aggravated identity theft. The indictment also charges Fuentes Alfaro with illegally reentering the United States after deportation. If convicted on all counts, Fuentes Alfaro and Portilla Romero face a maximum penalty of 12 years in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Fuentes Alfaro and Portilla Romero that the United States intends to forfeit assets alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offense.
According to court records, on April 2, 2025, Fuentes Alfaro and Portilla Romero were found with fraudulent Peruvian passports. Both fraudulent passports contained identifying information belonging to real individuals. Fuentes Alfaro was previously deported from the United States on March 3, 2020.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) released the following statement in commemoration of Memorial Day:
“Today on Memorial Day, we honor all those who have sacrificed their lives in service to our country. We reflect on their boundless courage, their proud legacies, and their steadfast commitment to serving the greater good — often at great sacrifice to themselves and their families.
“In 1942, 29 members of the Navajo Nation joined the U.S. Marine Corps to pioneer what would become one of the most impactful programs of World War II: the Navajo Code Talkers. These 29 Diné recruits helped change the tide of the war.
“During Iwo Jima, over 800 encrypted messages were sent by six code talkers, without anything written down. Navajo Marines deciphered and coded each line in real time, on the front lines and under fire. By the end of World War II, almost 400 Diné Marines were serving around the world as Code Talkers, in addition to yet other Tribal members, including the Hopi Code Talkers in the U.S. Army.
“From the Long Walk and forced relocations to the tragic legacy of Indian boarding schools, the United States has inflicted horrific harms on the Diné and Hopi people. But when the time came to mobilize against authoritarianism, these brave men stepped forward and helped the world prevail against hate.
“This year, I especially want to recognize the long record of service to our nation by people who call New Mexico home. Though many of the Code Talkers are no longer with us, their sacrifice will never be forgotten. In their name, we will stand up for what is right, against hate, and in service to this country and to each other.”
class=”has-text-align-center”>BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
For 101 years, members of the United States Border Patrol (USBP) have courageously served as guardians of our sovereignty and protectors of our homeland against invasion, aggression, and violence. Every day, Border Patrol agents selflessly risk their lives to repel the flow of deadly drugs, weapons, criminals, and terrorists — many of whom come to our shores from jails, prisons, and mental institutions in far-flung countries across the globe. On this anniversary of the United States Border Patrol, we honor every agent for their honorable service and pledge to support them in their mission to keep Americans safe.
For decades, the USBP has maintained the thin line between order and chaos. Unfortunately, the last administration — in an extraordinary act of deception and betrayal, imported an army of unvetted illegal aliens, including violent criminals, thugs, gang members, and terrorists from the darkest and most dangerous parts of the world. Their arrival over the last 4 years ushered in record-shattering levels of immigrants illegally coming into our country while at the same time depleting resources and draining the morale of our incredible USBP agents.
The tide turned on January 20, 2025. One of my first actions as President was declaring a National Emergency at the southern border of the United States, which provided additional authority to the Department of Defense to support the Federal Government’s response to the crisis. I also designated cartels and other transnational organizations, such as Tren de Aragua and MS-13, as foreign terrorist organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists in order to end their campaign of violence and bloodshed on our homeland. Additionally, I have resumed our border wall construction, reinstated the Remain in Mexico policy, halted the practice of catch-and-release, ended asylum for illegal border crossers, deployed thousands of American soldiers to defend and protect our borders, and implemented the largest deportation operation in the history of our country.
Within my first 100 days in office, daily border encounters dropped 95 percent, and migrant crossings declined by an astounding 99.99 percent. In March, our Nation saw the lowest monthly number of border encounters in recorded history — and fentanyl traffic fell by 54 percent compared to March of the previous year. Also in my first 100 days, my Administration arrested more than 150,000 and deported more than 135,000 illegal aliens. Under my leadership, our USBP agents are not only receiving the resources they need to do their job but also the respect they have earned and deserve — and our work is only just beginning.
As we celebrate 101 years of the USBP, we honor the thousands of patriots who dedicate their careers to defending our borders and upholding the rule of law, even in the face of grave danger and tremendous risk. Above all, we pay tribute to every brave soul who has perished in the line of duty while proudly serving our Nation. In their memory, and in honor of their beloved family members, we pledge to empower the USBP to safeguard the American homeland today, tomorrow, and beyond.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 28, 2025, as a day in celebration of the 101st Anniversary of the United States Border Patrol.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-seventh day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.
After a political lull of almost a decade, the European Union (EU) and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) relaunched their strategic partnership in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on 27 October 2022. The 2022-2023 bi-regional roadmap, together with the EU’s joint communication of 7 June 2023 on a new agenda for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), prepared the ground for the successful third EU–CELAC summit that took place in Brussels on 17 and 18 July 2023 under the Spanish Presidency of the Council. Two years later, the partners are preparing for the next EU–CELAC summit, due to take place in Santa Marta, Colombia, on 9 and 10 November 2025. This leaders’ meeting is deemed crucial for the EU to deepen its commitment to LAC and advance the strategic partnership. From the EU’s perspective, the Latin American region is key – not only politically, given the recent geopolitical challenges, and economically, because of its great potential as a market for industrial products, but also as a stable supplier of renewable energy sources and critical minerals such as lithium and copper that are crucial for the transformation of the global economy. Geopolitical developments have made it all the more urgent to intensify relations between the EU and CELAC: China has become a dominant player in LAC and is today a strong competitor for the EU and the United States (US). The US policy approach towards LAC under President Donald Trump is strained; this could be an opportunity for the EU to present itself as a reliable partner to the region. The promotion of inclusive and, in particular, mutually beneficial agreements on trade and on raw materials could be an advantage for the EU over its competitors. The summit in Santa Marta provides a chance to elevate the EU–CELAC relationship to the next level. The main tasks will include deepening and concretising the bi-regional relations on issues such as trade and investment and the green and digital transitions, and further strengthening cooperation on other issues such as the fight against organised crime. A litmus test for the strategic partnership will also be whether the partners manage to finalise the two key pending international agreements with Mexico and Mercosur respectively.
The global cost of disasters is growing but, just as the costs of disasters have been under-estimated, so have the benefits of investing now to reduce disaster risk.
Drawing on dozens of positive examples from around the globe, the below case studies are selected from the full GAR report and show how effective disaster risk reduction (DRR) investment can accelerate both sustainable development and economic stability at a time when catastrophic risk is increasing globally.
The boundaries and names shown and the designations used on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations.
Dotted line represents approximately the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir agreed upon by India and Pakistan. The final status of Jammu and Kashmir has not yet been agreed upon by the parties.
Final boundary between the Republic of Sudan and the Republic of South Sudan has not yet been determined.
A dispute exists between the Governments of Argentina and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland concerning sovereignty over the Falkland Islands (Malvinas).
Making sound investments to build resilience is highly effective in countering seismic risk. But in key sectors such as infrastructure this is still not happening enough, meaning more people and assets are being left in harm’s way.
The Dominican Republic in 2015 had a baseline average annual loss figure of 1.55 deaths per 100,000 habitants from earthquakes. According to analysis by the Global Earthquake Model (GEM) team, without stepped up risk reduction action, this is projected to increase to 1.69 deaths per 100,000 people by 2030 and 1.82 deaths per 100,000 people by 2050, mainly due to demographic growth, urbanization and policy choices. While the Dominican Republic has already invested in developing strong seismic codes, it faces challenges in enforcing them and in retrofitting existing housing stock. However, these future impacts could be significantly reduced with stepped-up action on seismic risk management.
Solutions vary across locations, but in this case, code enforcement was identified as the most effective long-term mitigation action at the national level: with this option, the number of deaths could fall to 1.40 fatalities per 100,000 habitants by 2030 (a drop of 17 percent, compared to no action being taken) and 1.33 by 2050 (a reduction of 26 percent). However, a retrofitting campaign, would also have significant impact, leading to a 4 percent reduction compared to the baseline scenario by 2030 and a 7 percent reduction by 2050. The investment would be particularly effective in rapidly growing cities with high concentrations of informal construction, such as Santiago de los Caballeros and Puerto Plata.
Across the whole of Central America, the same opportunities to reduce seismic risk are evident. Without increased investment in seismic resilience, earthquake-induced economic losses across Central America are projected to double by 2050, reaching up to USD 4.4 billion. If code enforcement, building quality and urban planning remain inadequate, seismic risk is expected to rise significantly in the years to come, especially in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. On the other hand, countries such as Panama and Costa Rica are expected to see lower increases in risk, as they have already begun enforcing building codes and have lower population growth projections.
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, May 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Red Cat Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: RCAT) (“Red Cat”), a drone technology company integrating robotic hardware and software for military, government, and commercial operations, today announced a partnership with ESAero to provide critical AS9100 manufacturing capacity for the Black Widow sUAS and its subsystems. The AS9100 standard ensures a manufacturer has a quality management system in place to meet the stringent requirements of the aerospace industry.
Teal Drones is a wholly owned subsidiary of Red Cat Holdings. The company’s Black Widow drone is a small unmanned aerial system (sUAS) designed for short-range reconnaissance (SRR) missions. The system, which was down selected for the U.S. Army’s SRR Program of Record contract, provides military operators with improved situational awareness, autonomous capabilities, and rugged performance in contested environments.
“As we ramp up production of the Black Widow to fulfill our SRR contracts and meet growing demand from U.S. and international customers, securing high-quality, aerospace-certified manufacturing capacity is critical,” said Jeff Thompson, Red Cat CEO. “ESAero’s facilities, combined with their deep engineering expertise, make them an ideal partner for Red Cat. This collaboration supports our ability to scale manufacturing, focus on continuous improvement, and deliver mission-ready sUAS platforms to the warfighters that depend on them.”
ESAero is committed to supporting Red Cat’s mission of delivering high-quality Made-in-America sUAS to its customers and the warfighter. With multiple AS9100-certified manufacturing facilities located in San Luis Obispo, CA, ESAero is well-positioned to enhance the production throughput of Teal’s technologies for key customers. ESAero’s vertically integrated facilities and robust supply chain are perfectly suited to bolster the production of components and subsystems for Black Widow in a schedule-driven manner.
“We have had a great relationship with Red Cat over the past year and a half supporting various developments, including the Teal 2 and Black Widow,” said Andrew Gibson, President, CEO, and Co-Founder of ESAero. “During this time, we have made significant investments in our manufacturing capability for producing Group I – III UAS at scale, which we are thrilled to now provide to Red Cat and Teal. We believe this partnership will effectively and efficiently provide Teal the capacity they need to meet the production needs of their customers and the warfighter.”
Red Cat and ESAero recognize the importance of strong partnerships within America’s industrial base to meet the critical production needs of the warfighter. By combining Teal’s core technology with ESAero’s proven ability to scale production of advanced systems, Black Widow will be well positioned to be deployed rapidly and reliably.
About Red Cat Holdings, Inc.
Red Cat (Nasdaq: RCAT) is a drone technology company integrating robotic hardware and software for military, government, and commercial operations. Through two wholly owned subsidiaries, Teal Drones and FlightWave Aerospace, Red Cat has developed a leading-edge Family of Systems. This includes the flagship Black Widow™, a small unmanned ISR system that was awarded the U.S. Army’s Short Range Reconnaissance (SRR) Program of Record contract. The Family of Systems also includes TRICHON™, a fixed wing VTOL for extended endurance and range, and FANG™, the industry’s first line of NDAA compliant FPV drones optimized for military operations with precision strike capabilities. Learn more at www.redcat.red.
About Empirical Systems Aerospace, Inc. (ESAero)
ESAero produces Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and advanced aerospace technologies for commercial and military applications. An established leader in the field, ESAero has been demonstrating for decades its core competencies in the design and manufacturing of innovative, reliable, and scalable aircraft systems including power and battery management systems. Based in San Luis Obispo, California, ESAero provides vertically integrated AS9100 certified services in R&D, engineering, design for manufacturing, rapid prototyping, testing, and serialized production expanding in the thousands. With over 130,000 sq.ft., ESAero has the capacity, capability, and facilities to scale and accelerate manufacturing to support its partners and customers.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” that are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, contained in this press release are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release may be identified by the use of words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “contemplate,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “seek,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “target,” “aim,” “should,” “will” “would,” or the negative of these words or other similar expressions, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. Forward-looking statements are based on Red Cat Holdings, Inc.’s current expectations and are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Further, certain forward-looking statements are based on assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be accurate. These and other risks and uncertainties are described more fully in the section titled “Risk Factors” in the Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 27, 2023. Forward-looking statements contained in this announcement are made as of this date, and Red Cat Holdings, Inc. undertakes no duty to update such information except as required under applicable law.
Source: United States Small Business Administration
Click Here to View the Original U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Press Release
The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Joseph Ronald Trenkle, 54, formerly of Cherry Hills Village, Colorado and currently of Dorado, Puerto Rico, has been charged in a criminal information with one count each of wire fraud and money laundering.
According to the information, between April 30, 2020, and February 25, 2022, Trenkle applied for and received $1,850,000 in COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) from the Small Business Administration (SBA) and $2,999,995 in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funds from an SBA-approved lender. The information alleges that after first obtaining an EIDL loan in March 2020, Trenkle made two requests to increase the amount of his EIDL and made false representations as part of each of request. The information further alleges that Trenkle submitted two fraudulent PPP loan applications, and also submitted fraudulent applications for PPP loan forgiveness for each PPP loan.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was enacted in March 2020 and was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans dealing with the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act created the PPP, a program administered by the SBA that provided loans to small businesses to retain workers, maintain payroll, and certain other expenses consistent with PPP rules. Additionally, the CARES Act authorized the SBA to provide EIDLs to eligible small businesses experiencing substantial financial disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The defendant made his initial appearance on May 22, 2025, in Denver in front of Magistrate Judge Cyrus Y. Chung.
The charges contained in the information are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, and Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Craig Fansler.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form
Abingdon, VA – The United States Marshal in the Western District of Virginia is pleased to announce the arrest of fugitive Corey Parton in Mexico and his subsequent deportation to the United States on May 26, 2025. Parton is charged with violations of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act, resulting from alleged interstate or foreign travel after having been convicted as a sex offender and being required to register pursuant to the law.
On March 12, 2024, 36 year old Corey Parton, Bristol, Virginia, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Abingdon, Virginia, for violations of the Adam Walsh Act, or Sex Offender Registry and Notification Act, pursuant to an investigation by the United States Marshals Service. He remained a fugitive, presumably in Mexico, since said time. On May 25, 2025, members of the Federal Police of Mexico, acting on information provided by the U.S. Marshals Service, located and arrested Parton, an American citizen, and promptly deported him to the United States. On arrival back on American soil, members of the U.S. Marshals Service assumed custody of Parton and he is currently awaiting initial appearance and arraignment. He is presumed innocent until the resolution of his case.
United State Marshal Thomas Foster stated, “This case is not only proof of the dedication of members of the U.S. Marshals Service to investigate and prosecute persons in violation of federal law, but an example to all that regardless of how far one may flee, the U.S. Marshals Service, with our partners, will apprehend them. I express appreciation to all participating branches of the U.S. Marshals Service and to the Mexican Federal Police in bringing this person back to face his crimes.”
Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell
05.27.25
WSU Prof Joins Cantwell & Leading Scientists to Highlight Devastating Impacts of Slashing Funding for Science Research
Trump Administration wants to gut National Science Foundation funding by 55%, would be the most severe reductions in agency’s history, overturn bipartisan consensus reached in CHIPS & Science Act; WSU Professor Kalyanaraman: Cuts will “directly undercut” AI precision agriculture and agriculture cybersecurity research
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last Tuesday, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, was joined by Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and a panel of prestigious scientists to decry the devastating impacts of the Trump Administration’s proposed 55% cut to the FY 2026 budget of the National Science Foundation (NSF).
The panel included Dr. Ananth Kalyanaraman, Professor at Washington State University, and Director of the USDA NIFA-funded AI Institute on Agricultural AI for Decision Support and Workforce Development.
“We are in an Information Age. We are in an age where there are several areas of U.S. competitiveness that depend on continued science innovation, aerospace being one of those, certainly AI being another, quantum being a third,” Sen. Cantwell said. “And all of this is being put into jeopardy by this cut.”
Looking at the damage to our future if these cuts are implemented, the Senator continued: “In an Information Age economy, when so much innovation is available, the last thing you should be doing is having a 55 percent cut to one of your key science R&D institutions. You should be making increases, allowing a thousand flowers to bloom across these institutions, across the United States, because you never know where the next Bill Gates or the next Bill Boeing is going to be, and the innovation they’re going to drive.”
“WSU researchers are working on cutting edge security research across the entire computing stack, spanning hardware, software systems, and the web, and applications to precision agriculture,” said Dr. Kalyanaraman. “This research integrates AI to enhance the resilience of agricultural systems against cyber threats. We are deeply concerned about the nearly $5 billion in cuts to NSF, which will directly undercut this vital work and also our nation’s ability to remain globally competitive.”
President Trump’s FY 2026 skinny budget proposes to cut NSF’s funding by 55.8% from $8.8 billion to $3.9 billion. This is on top of $234 million in FY 2025 funding for construction projects that the Administration has frozen. The CHIPS and Science Act, which Sen. Cantwell championed through to passage, authorized dramatically increasing NSF funding to $17.8 billion in FY2026.
Besides recklessly proposing to slash future funding, the Trump Administration has already terminated 1,752 existing NSF grants totaling more than 1.3 billion dollars according to a list of terminated grants the Foundation released today. A large percentage of these grants are for projects and programs related to STEM education and expanding access and participation in STEM fields. Earlier this month, NSF announced it would cap indirect cost reimbursements at 15 percent for all new awards to universities and nonprofit institutions, down from negotiated rates that typically range from 30 to 60 percent. That action is on pause pending a lawsuit brought in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.
Other participants included: Dr. Arati Prabhakar, former Director of OSTP, DARPA, and NIST and venture capitalist; Dr. France Córdova, 14th Director of the National Science Foundation, and now President of the Science Philanthropy Alliance; Dr. Dean Chang, Chief Innovation Officer and Associate Vice President for Innovation & Entrepreneurship & Economic Development at the University of Maryland; and Dr. Marvi Matos Rodriguez, Engineering Director working in the Aerospace Industry.
Dr. Prabhakar took the lead in debunking the idea that corporate funding could in any way replace federal investment in science, stating: “It’s been a bedrock economic understanding that corporations invest in the R&D that they can see leading to products and profits, but not in the kind that evolves across many labs over many years and forms a shared foundation for whole industries and for public missions like defense.”
“These devastating cuts to public R&D are an embarrassing retreat from American leadership that hands the reins to the People’s Republic of China,” Dr. Prabhakar added. “And I would so much rather be here today talking about achieving our great aspirations for longer and healthier lives and for AI that extends our own human talents, for lowering our cost of living with clean energy and for restoring nature, because that is the future that America is capable of creating.”
Dr. Córdova, who strongly agreed that private funding is no substitute for the NSF, said: “I have a good handle on what industry and philanthropy can contribute, and I can tell you, as important as their contributions are to bolstering our economy, they cannot replace government funding.”
And Dr. Córdova decried the impacts of the cuts to STEM education that the Trump funding levels would force.
“Especially important to universities is the funding to train our STEM workforce pipeline, without which we would have no industries of the future. Industry representatives often tell me that arguably the most important investment NSF makes is in the workforce training of STEM talent,” she said.
In April, NSF revealed that Graduate Research Fellowships awarded in 2025 would be cut in half, from 2,000 to 1,000, the smallest cohort since 2010. NSF will also significantly reduce (from 368 to 70) the number of scientists it employs through a program that enables scientists on leave from their academic positions to work with the NSF to help choose the best research to fund.
Dr. Chang offered an eye-opening look at where our nation would be without the National Science Foundation.
”It’s hard to imagine a world without NSF, but this alternate world without NSF would have none of the following: No Medtronic pacemakers or insulin pumps; no ChatGPT; no Nvidia GPU chips that power ChatGPT; no Apple; no Siri; no Amazon, Alexa; no GE MRIs for medical imaging; no Teslas and actually, no smart cruise control in any car of any kind; no Da Vinci robotic surgical systems; no early quantum computers from IBM and IonQ; and no Fortnite — the video game that swept the nation a few years ago,” Dr. Chang explained.
“NSF celebrated its 75th anniversary this month,” Dr. Chang added. “But are we willing to relinquish our nation’s 75-year head start to other countries so they become the birthplace of the next generation of Teslas and ChatGPTs, the next generation of robotic surgeons and life saving devices? Not only must NSF continue to invest in high risk, high reward research, but NSF also must continue to invest in proven ways to shorten the decades long gestation periods.”
Dr. Matos Rodriguez talked about her personal educational and professional story of turning her love for math and science at the University of Puerto Rico into a passion for research and STEM career engineering and the role NSF played along the way.
“My passion for research blossomed when peers introduced me to the summer programs specifically designed to develop and enhance research skills,” Dr. Matos Rodriguez said, referring to research opportunities for undergraduates funded by the NSF that took her to California to conduct research at UC Davis and IBM.
“The impacts of the NSF REU program were far reaching. My journey continued at Carnegie Mellon, where I did my PhD… supported by a NASA grant. After graduate school, I worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, funded by a grant from the National Research Council,” Dr. Matos Rodriguez continued. “Little did I know that the product of all that research was not just the science, the discoveries or the papers, the product was me. The REU program, more than 25 years ago, was the seed for the STEM professional I am today, at a time when global competitiveness is vital, it is crucial to commit to cultivating generations of STEM professionals.”
In the National Science Foundation for the Future Title in CHIPS and Science Act, Congress specifically called for broader participation of populations underrepresented in STEM and authorized $13 billion over five years for the NSF to allocate to STEM education. The United States can’t compete with China and others in science and innovation if we cannot close a gap in the STEM workforce that could be as large as 3 million people nationwide by 2030.
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations with support from ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Marshals Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, arrested six illegal aliens May 17 during a targeted enforcement operation in San Juan.
The multiagency operation took place at a local establishment in Barrio Obrero where six Dominican nationals were arrested. All illegal aliens are in ICE custody pending removal.
“We urge people without defined immigration status to adjust their status or return to their country of origin,” said ICE HSI San Juan Special Agent in Charge Rebecca González-Ramos. “We will continue our collaboration with local federal agencies in accordance to the Presidential Executive Order ‘Protecting The American People Against Invasion’ to enforce our nation’s immigration laws assuring the public safety of the communities we serve.”
ICE is focused on public safety and national security threats. Individuals illegally present in the United States who are encountered during an enforcement operation may be taken into custody and processed for removal as stated by law.
Members of the public with information can report crimes or suspicious activity by dialing the ICE Tip Line at 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or by completing the online tip form.
Learn more about ICE HSI San Juan mission to increase public safety in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands on Instagram, Facebook and X.
TUCSON, Ariz. — A Mexican national was sentenced May 12 to 88 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for his role in a drug conspiracy. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the FBI and the DEA conducted the investigation in this case.
“The defendant will have over seven years in prison to think of the drugs he sought to peddle into our communities,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Arizona Special Agent in Charge Francisco B. Burrola. “HSI and our law enforcement partners are firmly committed to stopping criminals from peddling dangerous drugs in the Tucson area — drugs destroy neighborhoods and rip families apart — this criminal activity must stop.”
Following his prison term, German Montano-Peralta, 33, of Nacozari, Sonora, Mexico, will also be on three years of supervised release. Montano-Peralta previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine.
On April 30, 2024, in Tucson, Montano-Peralta and others possessed approximately 40 kilograms of powder and pills containing fentanyl and more than 55 pounds of methamphetamine, which they intended to deliver to others later that day.
This investigation was a collaborative effort between federal law enforcement agencies and is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces initiative in Southern Arizona that is being led by the Arizona Strike Force located in Tucson. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Petermann, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
WOONSOCKET, R.I. — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s removed a 29-year-old illegal Brazilian fugitive wanted by authorities to serve more than five years in prison for an armed robbery conviction in his native country. Officers with ICE Boston removed Juliano Araujo Dos Santos Silva from the United States to Brazil March 27 and turned him over to Brazilian authorities.
“Rhode Island is not a safe haven for the world’s criminal element,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde. “Mr. Araujo was convicted of armed robbery in his native country and attempted to subvert justice by hiding out in New England. Now he is in the hands of Brazilian authorities. ICE Boston will not tolerate alien criminals threatening the law-abiding residents of our communities. We will continue to prioritize public safety by arresting and removing criminal alien offenders from our neighborhoods.”
A Brazilian criminal court convicted Araujo of armed robbery with a firearm Oct. 2, 2017, and sentenced him to five years and four months in prison.
U.S. Border Patrol arrested Araujo July 3, 2019, after he illegally entered the United States near near El Paso, Texas. USBP issued Araujo a notice to appear before a Department of Justice immigration judge.
On Sept. 12, 2024, Brazilian authorities issued a warrant for Araujo’s arrest or failure to serve a sentence after conviction.
Officers with ICE Boston located and arrested Araujo in Woonsocket Jan. 13, 2025.
On Feb. 18, a DOJ immigration judge ordered Araujo removed from the United States to Brazil. Officers with ICE Boston effectuated the removal March 27 and turned Araujo over to Brazilian authorities.
Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.
Learn more about ICE’s mission to increase public safety in our New England communities on X at @EROBoston.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Sacramento Field Office is offering a reward of up to $20,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Jesus Jose Astorga, who allegedly fled to Mexico to avoid prosecution for murder in the first degree in Kern County, California. Anyone with information regarding the location of Astorga is urged to contact the local FBI office, nearest United States embassy, or submit a tip at tips.fbi.gov. All information can be submitted anonymously.
Astorga has ties to the cities of Durango and Sonora in Mexico. He is described as a Hispanic male standing five-feet, seven-inches tall, with black hair and brown eyes. Photos and additional identifying information about Astorga, including known aliases, are noted on the FBI wanted poster.
The Shafter Police Department alleges Astorga was involved in the fatal stabling of a man at a Shafter apartment on October 15, 1999. On November 2, 1999, the Kern County District Attorney’s Office charged Astorga with one count of murder in the first degree in the Bakersfield Municipal Court District in Kern County, California. On June 20, 2000, a federal arrest warrant for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution was issued for Astorga in the United States District Court in the Eastern District of California.
All charges are mere allegations. Individuals are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
“The FBI has a long-standing commitment to aiding our law enforcement partners and ensuring defendants face the charges brought against them—no matter how far they may run,” said Sid Patel, special agent in charge of the FBI Sacramento Field Office. “Every family deserves an opportunity to seek justice for their lost loved ones.”
Baltimore, MD – The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force (CARFTF) and the Prince George’s County Police Department May 12 arrested a gang member wanted for multiple violent felonies.
Jose Guardado-Orellana, 33, was charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of an individual who was found deceased on the side of a road in Riverdale, Maryland, in October 2024.
Guardado-Orellana was also charged with second-degree murder, first-degree assault, use of a firearm during a violent crime, second-degree assault, reckless endangerment, and multiple weapons violations.
Guardado-Orellana, a member of the 18th Street Revolutionary Gang, also has existing warrants in El Salvador charging him in a separate homicide and association to a terrorist organization.
CARFTF investigators developed information May 12 that Guardado-Orellana was in a residence on Liberty Road in Windsor Mill. On the same day, Guardado-Orellana was taken into custody without incident and turned over to Prince George’s County Police Department.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has also placed an immigration detainer for Guardado-Orellana.
Since 2004, the USMS Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force has focused resources and efforts on the enhancement of public safety and the reduction of violence within the Capital Region, through the identification, investigation, and apprehension of fugitives wanted for egregious crimes against the community, while ensuring the equal application of Justice, Integrity, and Service for all.
TRENTON, N.J. – An El Salvador national was arrested and charged with possessing firearms as an illegal alien, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Jose Manuel Menjivar Viera, a/k/a Jose Manuel Mejiva, 35, a citizen and national of El Salvador and most recently of Long Branch, New Jersey, was charged by complaint with one count of being an illegal alien in possession of firearms. Viera made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Brendan Day in Trenton federal court and was detained.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On December 11, 2024, at approximately 3:00 a.m., law enforcement officers in Long Branch responded to multiple calls for service regarding gunshots fired in a suburban neighborhood. Shortly after officers arrived, they observed an individual, later identified as Jose Manuel Menjivar Viera, riding a bicycle and carrying a large black bag. Officers followed Viera before he dismounted from the bike and fled into the exterior property of a nearby residence. Officers searched the area where Viera fled and eventually recovered his bicycle and the bag he was carrying. The bag contained two firearms, a semiautomatic rifle and a loaded handgun, firearm magazines, ammunition, and a machete. A short time later, officers discovered Viera hiding in the truck-bed of a pickup truck parked in the driveway next to the residence. Viera was subsequently identified by agents with the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as being an El Salvador national and citizen and without any legal status to be in the United States.
The alien in possession of a firearm charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited deportation officers of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations Newark, under the direction of Field Office Director John Tsoukaris, with the investigation leading to the charges. She also thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly in Newark, the Long Branch Police Department, under the direction of Officer-in-Charge Jorge Silverio, and the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago, for their assistance in the investigation.
The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Garelick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Defense counsel: Benjamin West, Federal Public Defenders
SBM Offshore announces that FPSO Alexandre de Gusmão is formally on hire as of May 24, 2025 after achieving first oil and the completion of a 72-hour continuous production test leading to Final Acceptance.
FPSO Alexandre de Gusmão has a processing capacity of 180,000 barrels of oil and 12 million m3 of gas per day.
FPSO Alexandre de Gusmão is owned and operated by special purpose companies owned by affiliated companies of SBM Offshore (55%) and its partners (45%). The FPSO will operate under 22.5-year charter and operation services contracts with Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. (Petrobras).
The FPSO is installed at the Mero unitized field located in the Santos Basin, approximately 160 kilometers offshore Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. The Mero unitized field is operated by Petrobras (38.6%), in partnership with Shell Brasil (19.3%), TotalEnergies (19.3%), CNPC (9.65%), CNOOC (9.65%) and Pré-sal Petróleo S.A. – PPSA (3.5%), representing the government in the non-contracted area.
FPSO Alexandre de Gusmão follows the start-up of FPSO Almirante Tamandaré, which is on hire since February 16, 2025 and is the fifth Fast4Ward® FPSO entering operation.
Corporate Profile
SBM Offshore is the world’s deepwater ocean-infrastructure expert. Through the design, construction, installation, and operation of offshore floating facilities, we play a pivotal role in a just transition. By advancing our core, we deliver cleaner, more efficient energy production. By pioneering more, we unlock new markets within the blue economy. More than 7,800 SBMers collaborate worldwide to deliver innovative solutions as a responsible partner towards a sustainable future, balancing ocean protection with progress. For further information, please visit our website at www.sbmoffshore.com.
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Source: The Conversation – UK – By Begum Zorlu, ESRC Research Fellow in the Department of International Politics, City St George’s, University of London
Venezuela’s ruling party romped to victory in regional and legislative elections on May 25, winning over 82% of votes cast for the national assembly. The government-controlled national electoral council said candidates for the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) won the race for governor in 23 out of the country’s 24 states.
One thing that stood out in that 2024 election was the ability of the opposition to mount a credible challenge. Their unified backing of Edmundo González as the presidential candidate, and the systematic gathering of evidence of electoral fraud from polling stations, reflected organisational strength and a coherent strategy.
However, that unity has since eroded. Protests against the 2024 result were met with a harsh government crackdown which included killings and mass detentions. Subsequently, Venezuela’s opposition became deeply divided over whether to participate in the most recent elections.
Veteran opposition leader María Corina Machado, who was barred from running for the presidency and has been in hiding since July, called on her supporters to boycott them. She said that participating would only serve to legitimise Maduro’s electoral fraud.
In contrast, a faction led by two-time presidential candidate Henrique Capriles viewed participation as an opportunity to reclaim political space. Capriles framed electoral participation as a form of protest, arguing that abstention only serves to strengthen Maduro.
Capriles claimed that victory in the 2015 parliamentary elections, which saw opposition parties win two-thirds of the seats in the national assembly, had been made possible by unity – whereas the decision by most of the opposition not to participate in the 2018 presidential election had effectively handed Maduro power.
Venezuela’s opposition parties have boycotted elections on several occasions over the past 25 years, as the government has tightened its authoritarian grip. But the decision has often had damaging consequences.
The most consequential boycott was in 2005, when a broad coalition of opposition parties withdrew from elections to the national assembly, citing concerns about voting irregularities and media bias. The move backfired.
The government, then led by Maduro’s PSUV predecessor Hugo Chávez, did not face international backlash. It won every seat and gained a supermajority that enabled constitutional changes, including expanded executive powers. The opposition lost its institutional foothold to challenge legislation.
The boycott also deepened internal rifts within Venezuela’s opposition. It entrenched the divide between moderates who favoured political engagement and hardliners who were sceptical of participation. These divisions have persisted to this day.
Opposition movements elsewhere have boycotted elections too, and the consequences have been similar. In 2014, the main opposition party in Bangladesh abstained from general elections in an attempt to delegitimise the ruling Awami League’s hold on power and prompt an international response.
In fact, this handed the Awami League near-total control of parliament. With no sustained international pressure, it contributed to the country’s authoritarian consolidation.
Such cases demonstrate that electoral boycotts pose a dilemma for opposition movements. By refusing to participate, they may unintentionally strengthen authoritarian rule by ceding space to incumbents and weakening their own unity.
Research shows that an electoral boycott is likely to be most effective when three conditions align: the ruling regime is vulnerable, the opposition is united, and the international context is favourable. These conditions have consistently been absent in Venezuela.
Its slide towards authoritarianism has been underpinned by the stability of the Maduro regime since 2013. His government has been able to rely on sustained military support and has used repression strategically to tighten its grip on power.
A lack of unity within the opposition has also worked to the regime’s advantage. In their work on Venezuela’s authoritarian trajectory, researchers Maryhen Jiménez and Antulio Rosales demonstrate that partial electoral boycotts have repeatedly failed to produce meaningful change. This is, in their view, due to the absence of a coordinated opposition strategy.
An uncoordinated strategy also risks fostering a sense of “defeatism” among regime critics. This can hamper people’s willingness to take collective action in the future.
Participation in authoritarian elections, even though they are not fair, can still expose underlying vulnerabilities within a ruling regime. Opposition mobilisation ahead of Venezuela’s 2024 election placed the Maduro government under significant pressure. It responded with electoral manipulation.
Evidence of voter fraud provoked international condemnation, including from Brazil and Colombia. These two countries had previously been more cautious in their criticism of the Maduro government.
This further isolated Maduro on the international stage. But condemnation was not accompanied by a sustained or coordinated international strategy to support mediation or political transition in Venezuela.
The road ahead
Whether the opposition can regain coherence and unity remains to be seen. But even if it can, authoritarianism in Venezuela appears firmly entrenched.
The national electoral council’s refusal to release vote tallies following the 2024 election, alongside an intensified crackdown on dissent, reflects a deepening consolidation of power. It is also evidence of Maduro’s declining concern with maintaining even a facade of democratic legitimacy.
In the absence of internal cohesion within Venezuela’s opposition, this authoritarian consolidation is likely to deepen. This will leave even fewer institutional footholds from which the opposition can mount a credible democratic challenge.
Begum Zorlu receives funding for her ESRC-funded South and East Network for Social Sciences Fellowship.
As illegal border crossings plummet, U.S. Border Patrol announced a soft-sided “migrant processing facility” in the San Diego Sector constructed under the Biden Administration has been dismantled after a 96%+ decline in illegal crossings along the sector.
The increased border enforcement is accompanied by the Trump Administration’s efforts to arrest criminal illegal immigrants throughout the nation.
Meet a few of the sick criminal illegal immigrantsarrestedjust over the past weekend:
Kevin Estuarde Hernandez, an 18-year-old illegal immigrant from Guatemala, was arrested in Boston. He is a suspected 18th Street Gang Member who was involved in a shooting between his gang and MS-13.
Jose Antonio Deras, a 45-year-old illegal immigrant from El Salvador, was arrested in Denver. He has pending charges for four felony counts of sexual assault on a child with a pattern of abuse. A judge ordered him removed from the country in 2009.
Eduardo Sanchez-Hernandez, a 32-year-old illegal immigrant from Mexico, was arrested in Newark. He has pending charges for sexual assault of a minor under 13-years-old.
Litzy Janel Saavedra, a 26-year-old illegal immigrant from Mexico, was arrested in New York City. He has a conviction for third-degree felony rape.
Carlos Torres Valdovinos, a 46-year-old illegal immigrant from Mexico, was arrested in San Francisco. He has a conviction for felony oral copulation of a child.
Jose Barrios-Bello, a 35-year-old illegal immigrant from Mexico, was arrested in Salt Lake City. He has a conviction for distribution of meth and has previously been removed from the country.
Misael Delgado-Carlos, a 35-year-old illegal immigrant from Mexico, was arrested in Houston. She has a conviction for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and has previously been removed from the country.
NEWARK, N.J. — A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigation led to the sentencing of a former New Jersey Department of Children and Family Services, Division of Child Protection and Permanency caseworker for the transportation and possession of child sexual abuse material.
Trent Collier, 58, of Kearny, New Jersey, was sentenced May 22 at the U.S. District Court in Newark to 109 months for one count of possession of child pornography and one count for the transportation of child pornography. He pleaded guilty to these charges on May 21, 2024, following his August 2022 indictment.
“Collier’s sentencing shows the strength and resolve of HSI and our law enforcement partners in the State of New Jersey to purse justice and uphold our commitment to protect children,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Newark Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel. “We’ve sworn an oath to protect those who have been victimized by perpetrators like Collier and serve in positions of trust. Instead of caring for New Jersey children, he sexually exploited them for his own perverse pleasure.”
According to the investigation, on or about Sept. 28, 2021, Collier arrived at Newark Liberty International Airport aboard a flight from the Dominican Republic. Upon his arrival, law enforcement searched Collier’s cellular phone and identified at least two images of child sexual abuse material. In a statement to law enforcement, Collier admitted that he had previously sent child sexual abuse material to at least one other individual via cell phone and that individual sent child sexual abuse material to Collier. A further search of Collier’s cell phone uncovered multiple additional videos of child sexual abuse material, including videos depicting the sexual exploitation of toddlers.
Collier’s federal sentence will run consecutively to any future state sentencing. He has been remanded to the custody of the State of New Jersey since May 2024.
HSI Newark also assisted the New Jersey State Police in garnering state charges against Collier in a seven-count indictment with sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual contact, attempted aggravated sexual assault, and official misconduct, based on Collier’s alleged sexually abusive conduct toward the two minor victims. Those charges were announced by the Division of Criminal Justice and NJSP Oct. 3, 2024.
According to the New Jersey State Attorney General, the investigation by HSI Newark and NJSP revealed that Collier had sexually abused two minors. The first victim was allegedly sexually assaulted while Collier served as the DCPP caseworker for the victim’s family. Collier allegedly verbally and physically threatened the victim that they would be removed from their family if they disclosed the abuse. Several instances of the alleged abuse occurred inside a DCPP office as well as a DCPP vehicle. As to the second victim, it is alleged that Collier leveraged his position as a DCPP caseworker to facilitate the sexual abuse, including use of his DCPP vehicle to facilitate an assault. It is also alleged that Collier offered financial incentives to the second victim to thwart disclosure.
The state charges and allegations are merely accusations, and they do not constitute proof of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
In addition to the federal prison term, Collier was sentenced to five years of supervised release.
HSI is at the forefront of the U.S. government’s efforts to combat online child sexual exploitation and abuse through its investigations, victim assistance programs, intelligence and analysis, policy development, and training and awareness programs.
For any child, parent, guardian of New Jersey, searching for resources and information on how to prevent and combat online child sexual exploitation, go to Know2Protect.gov. If you suspect a child might be a victim, please call the ICE Tip Line at 1-866-347-2423.
