June 10, 2025 – Ottawa, Ontario – Global Affairs Canada
Today, the Foreign Ministers of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom have announced sanctions and other measures targeting Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich for inciting violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.
Settler violence is incited by extremist rhetoric which calls for Palestinians to be driven from their homes, encourages violence and human rights abuses and fundamentally rejects the two-state solution. Settler violence has led to the deaths of Palestinian civilians and the displacement of whole communities.
We are steadfastly committed to the two-state solution which is the only way to guarantee security and dignity for Israelis and Palestinians and ensure long term stability in the region, but it is imperilled by extremist settler violence and settlement expansion.
Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich have incited extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights. Extremist rhetoric advocating the forced displacement of Palestinians and the creation of new Israeli settlements is appalling and dangerous. These actions are not acceptable. We have engaged the Israeli Government on this issue extensively, yet violent perpetrators continue to act with encouragement and impunity. This is why we have taken this action now – to hold those responsible to account. The Israeli Government must uphold its obligations under international law and we call on it to take meaningful action to end extremist, violent and expansionist rhetoric.
The measures announced today do not deviate from our unwavering support for Israel’s security and we continue to condemn the horrific terror attacks of 7 October by Hamas. Today’s measures are targeted towards individuals who in our view undermine Israel’s own security and its standing in the world. We continue to want a strong friendship with the people of Israel based on our shared ties, values and commitment to their security and future.
Today’s measures focus on the West Bank, but of course this cannot be seen in isolation from the catastrophe in Gaza. We continue to be appalled by the immense suffering of civilians, including the denial of essential aid. There must be no unlawful transfer of Palestinians from Gaza or within the West Bank, nor any reduction in the territory of the Gaza Strip. We will continue to work with the Israeli Government and a range of partners. We will strive to ensure an immediate ceasefire, the release now of the remaining hostages and for the unhindered flow of humanitarian aid including food. We want to see a reconstructed Gaza no longer run by Hamas and a political pathway to a two-state solution.
June 10, 2025 – Ottawa, Ontario – Global Affairs Canada
The Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced that Canada is imposing new sanctions under the Special Economic Measures (Extremist Settler Violence) Regulations.
This round of sanctions lists two individuals for their crucial role in facilitating the significant expansion of settlements and outposts in the West Bank, offering political cover to perpetrators of settler violence, and actively contributing to a more permissive environment for higher levels of harassment and violence by Israeli extremist settlers against Palestinian civilians.
Extremist settler violence is leading to greater destabilization in the West Bank, resulting in the forced displacement of Palestinian communities, and increasingly threatening the viability of a two-state solution, as well as regional peace and security.
Today’s sanctions are in coordination with the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Norway, and are in response to the recent escalation of violence by Israeli extremist settlers and affiliates against Palestinian civilians and their property in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, contributing to insecurity for both Palestinians and Israelis.
The two individuals are the following:
Itamar Ben-Gvir
Bezalel Smotrich
The measures announced today do not deviate from our unwavering support for Israel’s security and we continue to condemn the horrific terror attacks of 7 October by Hamas. Canada continues to oppose the expansion of settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem and is committed to a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East.
These measures focus on the West Bank, but of course this cannot be seen in isolation from the catastrophe in Gaza. Canada continues to be appalled by the immense suffering of civilians, including the denial of essential aid. There must be no unlawful transfer of Palestinians from Gaza or within the West Bank, nor any reduction in the territory of the Gaza Strip. Canada will continue to work with the Israeli Government and a range of partners. Canada will strive to ensure an immediate ceasefire, the release now of the remaining hostages and for the unhindered flow of humanitarian aid including food. Canada wants to see a reconstructed Gaza, where Hamas can play no part, and ultimately a political pathway to a two-state solution.
Jefferson City — Today, Governor Mike Kehoe signed Senate Bill (SB) 81 into law in a significant move to strengthen public safety across Missouri.
“Public safety remains one of our top priorities, and with this bill, we are reinforcing that with real action,” said Governor Mike Kehoe. “From improving oversight and licensing to supporting law enforcement and victims of childhood abuse, this legislation gives the state the tools it needs to strengthen public safety measures.”
SB 81 is a comprehensive public safety package that includes a variety of provisions aimed at reinforcing criminal background checks, modernizing fireworks regulations, supporting families of law enforcement officers, continuing funding for emergency response preparedness, and strengthening protections for victims of childhood sexual abuse. SB 81, sponsored by Senator Kurtis Gregory and Representative Tim Taylor, includes the following provisions:
License Reciprocity for Law Enforcement Spouses: Adds spouses of law enforcement officers to the list of individuals who receive expedited reciprocity for their occupational licenses.
Line of Duty Compensation Sunset Extension: Extends the sunset of the Line of Duty Compensation Act to December 31, 2031. The Line of Duty Compensation Act is for public safety officers who have tragically died in the line of duty. This extension continues to award the family of the fallen safety officer with $25,000, which could be used for any number of financial needs.
Expanding Criminal Background Checks: In response to a 2021 FBI policy change, SB 81 gives statutory authority to numerous state board and agencies to allow fingerprint-based criminal background checks. This permits Missouri to continue processing background checks as usual, ensuring that individuals are properly vetted to serve the public.
Missouri Emergency Response Commission (MERC) Fee Extension: Reauthorizes vital fee collections to ensure Missouri remains prepared for hazardous material-related emergencies.
Modernizing Fireworks Regulations: Updates Missouri’s fireworks laws to match current national safety standards and gives the State Fire Marshal oversight to inspect facilities, enforce compliance, and ensure safe public displays.
Trey’s Law: Authorizes that NDAs signed after August 28, 2025, shall no longer be enforceable for childhood sexual abuse actions brought and broadens the list of criminal acts that qualify as “childhood sexual abuse” under civil law.
For more information on SB 81, click here. To view photos from the bill signing, click this link.
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Scott Firsing, Senior Research Associate, University of South Africa
The African Space Agency was officially inaugurated in Cairo’s Space City in April 2025. The event marked a milestone in a process that had been in the works since the early 2000s. Drawing inspiration from the European Space Agency, it unites African Union (AU) member states to harness space technology for development. This is in line with the AU’s Agenda 2063, aimed at advancing Africa into a prosperous future.
foster partnerships with international space agencies like the European Space Agency and others.
Over 20 African countries operate space programmes and more than 65 African satellites have been launched. It is my view as a global space diplomacy expert that the agency can help ensure that Africa isn’t a bystander in the space economy. This sector is projected to be worth US$1.8 trillion by 2035.
The space agency positions Africa to address pressing challenges and take advantage of opportunities in the global space economy. These include using satellite data, boosting connectivity, driving economic growth, fostering global partnerships and training future leaders.
Five benefits
Valuable eyes in the sky
Space assets, particularly Earth observation satellites, offer a number of advantages. The continent faces significant climate risks like droughts, fires and floods. This is particularly problematic as the agricultural sector is approximately 35% of Africa’s GDP and employs about half of its people across over 1 billion hectares of arable land.
Satellite data optimises crop yields, supports climate-resilient farming, and enhances sustainable fisheries and port modernisation. Nigeria’s National Space Research and Deveopment Agency, for example, has used satellites like the NigSat-2 to monitor crop health and predict yields.
Beyond agriculture, satellites assist in project planning in cities across Africa. Kenya uses a satellite to track urban development trends and enhance municipal urban planning capacities.
Satellites also keep an eye on Africa’s resource-abundant territories while tackling problems like armed conflict, deforestation, and illegal migration and mining.
The African Space Agency will help provide access to AI-enhanced satellite data. This will enable even nations with constrained resources to tackle local needs. For instance, Côte d’Ivoire’s first locally made satellite, launched in 2024, shows how African nations are building their own capabilities.
By making it easier to share data, the African Space Agency also positions the continent to generate revenue in the global space data market. That fuels innovation.
Enhancing connectivity and enabling cutting-edge technology
Africa’s digital divide is stark. Only 38% of its population was online in 2024, compared to the global average of 68%. The African Space Agency aims to bridge this gap through satellite-based communications. This technology can deliver broadband to remote regions where cell towers and undersea cables are impractical.
Connectivity enables education, e-commerce and telemedicine.
Satellite services, like those provided by SpaceX’s Starlink in 21 African countries, will drive digital inclusion. In turn this promises to reduce unemployment and help entrepreneurs.
The African Space Agency is also positioning Africa to embrace new space technologies. Examples include Japan’s 2025 demonstration of beaming solar power from space, following a US achievement in 2023.
This could revolutionise energy access. Space-based solar power captures solar energy in orbit via satellite and transmits it as microwaves to Earth. This offers a solution to Africa’s energy poverty. It could provide reliable power to remote areas without extensive grid infrastructure.
The African Space Agency’s role in coordinating satellite launches and data sharing will make these technologies more accessible and cost-effective.
Driving economic growth and innovation
Africa’s space sector, now worth over US$20 billion, is growing rapidly. The industry has seen an increase of private companies and investor support, moving beyond sole dependence on government funding. Investment is being fuelled by 327 NewSpace firms, a term used for the new emerging commercial space industry in nations such as Egypt, Nigeria, and South Africa. These firms often excel in satellite communication, Earth observation and component manufacturing.
But many African nations lack resources. The agency will lower barriers by fostering collaboration, coordinating national space programmes, and reducing duplication.For example, the African Space Agency’s efforts to streamline satellite development and launches will spur local manufacturing and tech hubs.
This means that smaller economies will be able to participate.
Strengthening regional and global connections
Africa’s space sector relies on partnerships with space agencies and commercial space companies based in the “space powers”. These include the US, Russia, China, France, India, Italy, Japan, Israel and the United Arab Emirates. These institutions provide launch services, satellite development and ground stations.
An example is Senegal’s GaindeSAT-1A, a CubeSat launched in 2024 via America’s SpaceX with French collaboration.
Meanwhile, countries like South Africa are exploring local rocket programmes to enhance the agency’s self-reliance. Africa’s space ground stations are already located across the continent, supporting the European Space Agency and commercial missions. They will soon host a deep space ground station for America’s National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
Funding remains a challenge. African nations allocated just US$426 million to space programmes in 2025. That’s less than 1% of global spending. The European Space Agency has an US$8 billion budget.
However, initiatives like the €100 million Africa-EU Space Partnership Programme (2025–2028) aim to boost Africa’s space sovereignty and innovation.
The agency’s vision extends beyond Earth, with an eye on the Moon. Some members, notably Angola, Nigeria and Rwanda, have already signed the US-led Artemis Accords for lunar exploration. For their part Egypt and South Africa are collaborating with China and Russia on the International Lunar Research Station.
A skilled workforce is critical to Africa’s space industry. The Africa Space Agency Space City plans to host a training academy. It will build on Egypt’s programmes in space project management, satellite design, and orbital simulation.
Partnerships like the Africa-EU programme offer scholarships, while private initiatives, such as the Pathways to Space programme by Boeing and the Future African Space Explorers STEM Academy, engage students in 63 schools in Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Tanzania.
– 5 benefits Africa’s new space agency can deliver – https://theconversation.com/5-benefits-africas-new-space-agency-can-deliver-258098
The African Space Agency was officially inaugurated in Cairo’s Space City in April 2025. The event marked a milestone in a process that had been in the works since the early 2000s. Drawing inspiration from the European Space Agency, it unites African Union (AU) member states to harness space technology for development. This is in line with the AU’s Agenda 2063, aimed at advancing Africa into a prosperous future.
foster partnerships with international space agencies like the European Space Agency and others.
Over 20 African countries operate space programmes and more than 65 African satellites have been launched. It is my view as a global space diplomacy expert that the agency can help ensure that Africa isn’t a bystander in the space economy. This sector is projected to be worth US$1.8 trillion by 2035.
The space agency positions Africa to address pressing challenges and take advantage of opportunities in the global space economy. These include using satellite data, boosting connectivity, driving economic growth, fostering global partnerships and training future leaders.
Five benefits
Valuable eyes in the sky
Space assets, particularly Earth observation satellites, offer a number of advantages. The continent faces significant climate risks like droughts, fires and floods. This is particularly problematic as the agricultural sector is approximately 35% of Africa’s GDP and employs about half of its people across over 1 billion hectares of arable land.
Satellite data optimises crop yields, supports climate-resilient farming, and enhances sustainable fisheries and port modernisation. Nigeria’s National Space Research and Deveopment Agency, for example, has used satellites like the NigSat-2 to monitor crop health and predict yields.
Beyond agriculture, satellites assist in project planning in cities across Africa. Kenya uses a satellite to track urban development trends and enhance municipal urban planning capacities.
Satellites also keep an eye on Africa’s resource-abundant territories while tackling problems like armed conflict, deforestation, and illegal migration and mining.
The African Space Agency will help provide access to AI-enhanced satellite data. This will enable even nations with constrained resources to tackle local needs. For instance, Côte d’Ivoire’s first locally made satellite, launched in 2024, shows how African nations are building their own capabilities.
By making it easier to share data, the African Space Agency also positions the continent to generate revenue in the global space data market. That fuels innovation.
Enhancing connectivity and enabling cutting-edge technology
Africa’s digital divide is stark. Only 38% of its population was online in 2024, compared to the global average of 68%. The African Space Agency aims to bridge this gap through satellite-based communications. This technology can deliver broadband to remote regions where cell towers and undersea cables are impractical.
Connectivity enables education, e-commerce and telemedicine.
Satellite services, like those provided by SpaceX’s Starlink in 21 African countries, will drive digital inclusion. In turn this promises to reduce unemployment and help entrepreneurs.
The African Space Agency is also positioning Africa to embrace new space technologies. Examples include Japan’s 2025 demonstration of beaming solar power from space, following a US achievement in 2023.
This could revolutionise energy access. Space-based solar power captures solar energy in orbit via satellite and transmits it as microwaves to Earth. This offers a solution to Africa’s energy poverty. It could provide reliable power to remote areas without extensive grid infrastructure.
The African Space Agency’s role in coordinating satellite launches and data sharing will make these technologies more accessible and cost-effective.
Driving economic growth and innovation
Africa’s space sector, now worth over US$20 billion, is growing rapidly. The industry has seen an increase of private companies and investor support, moving beyond sole dependence on government funding. Investment is being fuelled by 327 NewSpace firms, a term used for the new emerging commercial space industry in nations such as Egypt, Nigeria, and South Africa. These firms often excel in satellite communication, Earth observation and component manufacturing.
But many African nations lack resources. The agency will lower barriers by fostering collaboration, coordinating national space programmes, and reducing duplication.For example, the African Space Agency’s efforts to streamline satellite development and launches will spur local manufacturing and tech hubs.
This means that smaller economies will be able to participate.
Strengthening regional and global connections
Africa’s space sector relies on partnerships with space agencies and commercial space companies based in the “space powers”. These include the US, Russia, China, France, India, Italy, Japan, Israel and the United Arab Emirates. These institutions provide launch services, satellite development and ground stations.
An example is Senegal’s GaindeSAT-1A, a CubeSat launched in 2024 via America’s SpaceX with French collaboration.
Meanwhile, countries like South Africa are exploring local rocket programmes to enhance the agency’s self-reliance. Africa’s space ground stations are already located across the continent, supporting the European Space Agency and commercial missions. They will soon host a deep space ground station for America’s National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
Funding remains a challenge. African nations allocated just US$426 million to space programmes in 2025. That’s less than 1% of global spending. The European Space Agency has an US$8 billion budget.
However, initiatives like the €100 million Africa-EU Space Partnership Programme (2025–2028) aim to boost Africa’s space sovereignty and innovation.
The agency’s vision extends beyond Earth, with an eye on the Moon. Some members, notably Angola, Nigeria and Rwanda, have already signed the US-led Artemis Accords for lunar exploration. For their part Egypt and South Africa are collaborating with China and Russia on the International Lunar Research Station.
A skilled workforce is critical to Africa’s space industry. The Africa Space Agency Space City plans to host a training academy. It will build on Egypt’s programmes in space project management, satellite design, and orbital simulation.
Partnerships like the Africa-EU programme offer scholarships, while private initiatives, such as the Pathways to Space programme by Boeing and the Future African Space Explorers STEM Academy, engage students in 63 schools in Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Tanzania.
Scott Firsing does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) introduced legislation that would lay the groundwork to boost the workforce, energy and shoreside infrastructure, food security, and economies of coastal communities in Maine and across the country. The Working Waterfronts Act, which is also co-sponsored by Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), is comprised of more than a dozen provisions, would support efforts to mitigate the impacts of climate change and strengthen federal conservation research projects. Included in the legislation is Senator King’s Fishing Industry Credit Enhancement Act which would allow businesses that provide direct assistance to fishing operations — like gear producers or cold storage — to access loans from the Farm Credit System (FCS) that are already offered to service providers for farmers, ranchers and loggers.
“Maine’s coastal communities are changing. From a warming climate to an evolving economy, the Gulf of Maine faces both historic opportunities and challenges that will define our state’s success for generations,” said Senator King. “The Working Waterfronts Act would provide Maine’s working waterfronts up and down the coast with the necessary financial, energy and infrastructure resources to adapt to the rapidly shifting dynamics of natural disasters affecting economic and tourism operations. It would also help support the necessary workforce to sustain our coastal businesses. Thanks to my colleagues for working with me to ensure our waterfronts have the necessary tools and resources to thrive for years to come.”
“One of my priorities this Congress was reintroducing the Working Waterfronts Act, a comprehensive and collective effort to harness the potential of the blue economy for Alaska’s coastal communities,” said Senator Murkowski. “With 66,000 miles of coastline, it is vital Alaska strengthens our shoreside infrastructure and supports workforce development to ensure the sustainability and growth of our fisheries, tourism, and mariculture sectors. This legislation will provide essential resources for alternative energy initiatives, improve community processing facilities, and promote safety and wellness in the maritime workforce. Together, we can build a resilient future for our coastal communities while addressing climate change and preserving our precious marine ecosystems.”
“The men and women who make their living in Maine’s blue economy face growing challenges, including rising costs, workforce shortages, and changing ocean conditions,” said Senator Collins. “This bipartisan legislation would help address these issues by improving shoreside infrastructure, supporting the next generation of maritime workers, and investing in ocean ecosystem maintenance to ensure that Maine’s coastal communities remain strong for years to come.”
Bill Highlights:
Investing in Energy and Shoreside Infrastructure
Tax Credits for Marine Energy Projects supports projects that produce electricity from waves, tides, and ocean currents.
Fishing Vessel Alternative Fuels Pilot Program provides resources to help transition fishing vessels from diesel to alternative fuel sources such as electric or hybrid, and funds research and development of alternative fuel technologies for fishing vessels.
Rural Coastal Community Processing and Cold Storage Grant increases support for community infrastructure such as cold storage, cooperative processing facilities, and mariculture/seaweed processing facilities by establishing a competitive grant program through the Department of Commerce for rural and small-scale projects.
Working Waterfronts Development Act establishes a grant program for infrastructure improvements for facilities benefitting commercial and recreational fishermen, mariculturists, and the boatbuilding industry.
Boosting Maritime Workforce Development and Blue Economy
Fishing Industry Credit Enhancement Act strengthens financial support for fishery operations by expanding Farm Credit eligibility to fishing industry support businesses.
Maritime Workforce Grant Program establishes a Maritime Workforce Grant Program, directing the Maritime Administrator to award competitive grants supporting entities engaged in recruiting, educating, or training the maritime workforce.
Fishing Industry Safety, Health, and Wellness Improvement (FISH Wellness) Act expands the Coast Guard and CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Fishing Safety Research and Training (FRST) Grant Program to include projects supporting behavioral health in addition to the projects currently supported dedicated to occupational safety research and training.
Ocean Regional Opportunity and Innovation Act establishes at least one ocean innovation cluster in each of the five domestic NOAA Fisheries regions, as well as the Great Lakes and Gulf of Mexico regions. The ocean cluster model fosters collaboration between different sectors – including public, private, and academic – within a geographic region to promote economic growth and sustainability in the Blue Economy.
Supporting Sustainable and Resilient Ecosystems
Coastal Communities Ocean Acidification Act enhances collaboration on ocean acidification research and monitoring through ongoing mechanisms for stakeholder engagement on necessary research and monitoring. This provision would also establish two Advisory Board seats for representatives from Indian Tribes, Native Hawaiian organizations, Tribal organizations, and Tribal consortia affected by ocean acidification and coastal acidification.
Vegetated Coastal Ecosystem Inventory establishes an interagency working group for the creation and maintenance of a comprehensive national map and inventory detailing vegetated coastal and Great Lakes ecosystems. This inventory encompasses habitat types, species, ecosystem conditions, ownership, protected status, size, salinity and tidal boundaries, carbon sequestration potential, and impacts of climate change.
Marine Invasive Species Research and Monitoring provides resources and tools to mitigate the impact of invasive species and help limit their spread by authorizing research and monitoring grants for local, Tribal, and regional marine invasive prevention work. This includes training, outreach, and equipment for early detection and response to invasions.
Senator King is a longtime supporter of working waterfronts and small businesses. He previously introduced the bipartisan Providing Resources for Emergency Preparedness and Resilient Enterprises (PREPARE) Act to reauthorize the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Pre-Disaster Mitigation Pilot Program, which would give small businesses the opportunity to take out low-interest loans for the purpose of proactively implementing mitigation measures that protect their property from future disaster-related damage. He also led a bipartisan bill to provide working waterfronts with a 30 percent tax credit on up to $1 million in mitigation expenses, adjusted for inflation annually. In 2024, he was named a Hero of Main Street for his support of small businesses across Maine.
Senator Collins has consistently fought to strengthen Maine’s working waterfronts. Earlier this year, she successfully pushed the Department of Commerce to restore full funding for Maine Sea Grant, ensuring continued support for coastal research and marine industries in Maine. She secured $15 million in federal funding in the 2024 funding package to help coastal communities recover from storm damage and to launch a new grant program at the Economic Development Administration for working waterfronts. She previously introduced the bipartisan Working Waterfront Preservation Act to create a $20 million annual grant program to support working waterfronts nationwide.
Since the inauguration of President Trump, the Department of Justice is playing a critical role in Operation Take back America, a nationwide initiative to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from 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 Neighborhoods (PSN).
Last week, the U.S. Attorneys for Arizona, Southern California, New Mexico, Southern Texas, and Western Texas charged more than 1150 defendants with Criminal violations of U.S. immigration laws.
The Southern District of Texas filed a total of 202 cases in immigration and border security-related matters. The filed cases include seven involving human smuggling. A total of 129 people are charged with illegally entering the country, while another 63 face charges of felony reentry after prior removal. Most of those individuals have prior felonies such as narcotics, violent crime, immigration crimes and more. Other relevant cases charged this week relate to other immigration crimes. One such person charged this week is Luis Humberto Gonzalez-Sanchez who was arrested for allegedly harboring 16 illegal aliens in his home in Mercedes. The criminal complaint alleges he harbored over 100 aliens in the last six months for whom he was paid $150 each. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison.
The Western District of Texas filed 410 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases. Among the new cases, Mexican national Albert Sanchez-Jaimes was charged with one count of illegal re-entry in Austin. Sanchez-Jaimes was encountered at the Burnet County Jail, where he was booked for alleged charges of boating while intoxicated and marijuana possession. Sanchez-Jaimes has lengthy immigration and criminal records that include four prior removals, a deadly conduct conviction in 2020, multiple convictions for assault on a family member, and two prior convictions for illegal re-entry. In Waco, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Fugitive Operations Team arrested Mexican national Daniel Edgar Perez-Cortez on June 5 as the result of an investigation stemming from a Waco Crime Stoppers referral. Perez-Cortez has a prior conviction for illegal re-entry in 2024, as well as convictions for Driving While Intoxicated and possession of prohibited weapons, and a conviction for deadly conduct discharging a firearm. He’s now federally charged with illegal re-entry and, if convicted, faces up to 20 years in prison.
The District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 199 individuals. Specifically, the United States filed 74 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 104 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 18 cases against 20 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona. Protecting law enforcement officers is a key part of border vigilance, and federal prosecutors also charged one individual for assaulting a Border Patrol Agent.
The Southern District of California filed 131 border-related cases this week, including charges of assault on a federal officer, bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances. A sample of border-related arrests this week: On May 31, 2025, Brenda Esmeralda Sanchez and Marlen Yamille Salmoran, United States citizens, were arrested and charged with False Personation of Immigration Matters and Aggravated Identity Theft. According to a complaint, Sanchez and her adult daughter, Salmoran, attempted to cross the border at the San Ysidro Port of Entry with an unaccompanied undocumented child from Mexico by presenting Customs and Border Protection officers with a genuine U.S. birth certificate belonging to Sanchez’s son. Sanchez has two prior arrests for alien smuggling. On May 31, Ricardo Cuevas Diaz and Luis Armando Bojorquez Cazarez, Mexican citizens with border-crossing cards, were arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, when the two men attempted to cross the border at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry, Customs and Border Protection Officers found 128 packages containing 133 pounds of methamphetamine concealed in the air filter, firewall, roof, quarter panels and rear bed of the vehicle.
The District of New Mexico filed 211 criminal charges related to immigration and border security-related matters. the following criminal charges: 67 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326), 5 individuals were charged this week with Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324). 50 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325), and 88 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325), violation of a military security regulation (50 U.S.C. 797) and Entering Military, Naval, or Coast Guard Property (18 U.S.C. 1382), arising from the newly established National Defense Area in New Mexico.
We are grateful for the hard work of our border prosecutors in bringing these cases and helping to make our border safe again.
Andres Saucedo, Jr., of Dallas, was charged and arrested on June 4, 2025, for shooting at an undercover FBI Task Force Officer who was surveilling Saucedo to interrupt and stop a robbery of methamphetamine from another individual in the Dallas, Texas area, announced Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Nancy E. Larson.
According to a criminal complaint filed June 3, 2025, Saucedo and another individual, Angel Flores, were involved in importing and trafficking large quantities of methamphetamine and heroin obtained from a Mexico-based drug trafficking organization. Court documents reveal that Flores sold undercover agents a kilogram of heroin for $7,200 in the Dallas area late last year. Flores, Saucedo, and others working with them continued selling kilogram quantities of methamphetamine to numerous other individuals from that time until Flores was arrested on May 21, 2025. The two even orchestrated the sale of two kilograms of methamphetamine on May 20, 2025, the day before Flores was apprehended by FBI SWAT.
During the investigation, according to court documents, agents discovered that Flores, Saucedo, and others plotted to rob another drug trafficker of thirty to forty kilograms of methamphetamine on May 19, 2025. While surveilling Flores and Saucedo to prevent this robbery, Flores and Saucedo realized they were being followed and attempted to lure two federal agents to a place where other coconspirators in their group would ambush and shoot them. Before reaching the planned ambush location, Saucedo fired a gun at an undercover FBI Task Force Officer in one of the vehicles. The undercover officer was an FBI Task Force Officer with the Dallas Police Department who was working with the OCDETF North Texas Strike Force. The Task Force Officer was not struck by the gun fire but had to abandon surveillance at that time for safety.
The complaint charges Saucedo with his role in conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, as well as assaulting, resisting, or impeding a federal agent by using a dangerous and deadly weapon. Flores was also charged by complaint with similar crimes in May 2025.
Saucedo was previously convicted in Federal District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Fort Worth Division in December 2011, for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine. He was sentenced to serve 144 months in federal prison by United States District Judge Terry Means in 2012. Court documents reflect that in that case, Saucedo also conspired with a group of individuals who not only distributed cocaine, but also robbed other drug traffickers as well.
At his initial appearance on Friday, June 6, 2025, in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Brian McKay, Saucedo was detained in federal custody. Flores previously appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Rebecca Rutherford on Friday, May 23, 2025, and was also detained in federal custody. If convicted, Saucedo and Flores face a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
“We are fighting drug trafficking on multiple dangerous fronts, as demonstrated by this case,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Nancy E. Larson. “Beyond the tragic effects of the illegal drugs that cross our country’s border and flood our communities, drug traffickers unleash significant violence on each other, in our neighborhoods, and against the brave law enforcement officers attempting to stop them. The full prosecution of those in the drug trade and the violence they bring is a top priority for the safety of our law enforcement partners and our citizens.”
“This incident serves as a stark reminder of the danger agents and task force officers face every day,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “The FBI stands by our colleagues as they carry out their duties to keep our communities safe and pledge to investigate those who use violence against law enforcement.”
“Assaulting a Federal Agent can never be tolerated and undermines the very fabric of our ability to conduct drug investigations safely and effectively,” said Eduardo A. Chávez, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Dallas Field Division. “We do our jobs to make our community safer, and we will use every tool available to investigate and prosecute those who feel violent acts against our agents are held accountable.”
“The Dallas Police Department could not be more proud of the work that was done by the women and men of not only our department, but our Federal partners as well,” said Chief of Police Daniel Comeaux of the Dallas Police Department. “These joint task force and collaborations are essential in keeping our community and its members safe.”
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
This operation was conducted by the OCDETF North Texas Strike force with Special Agents and Task Force Officers from DEA, FBI, HSI, the Dallas Police Department, Grand Prairie Police Department and Coppell Police Department all participating. Assistant U.S. Attorney Courtney Coker is prosecuting the case.
This investigation 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 OCDETFs and Project Safe Neighborhoods.
Scotland’s future lays in renewable energy, we must reject new nuclear plans.
More in Energy
The UK Government’s plans to spend billions of pounds of taxpayers money on new nuclear power stations across the UK will not cut energy bills, and will only line the pockets of profiteers, warns Scottish Greens co-leader and energy spokesperson Patrick Harvie MSP.
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar and MP Michael Shanks have been touting building so-called ‘small modular reactors’, despite the catastrophic failure of the nuclear power industry running over schedule and over budget in the UK, and a long record of nuclear accidents and near misses; such as fires and radiation leaks.
The first nuclear power plant to be built in the UK for over 30 years, at Hinkley Point, is nearing £28 billion over its original budget and despite the construction phase beginning in 2016, it will likely not generate any electricity until at least 2029 but possibly 2031.
“The only people set to benefit from new nuclear power are the shareholders and executives of big energy companies, not the families who urgently need support with energy bills.
“Nuclear power takes decades and billions of pounds to construct, as we’ve seen with the shambles of Hinkley Point. Households need help with energy bills now, and we have renewable energy sources in Scotland already generating abundant, cheap-to-produce energy. People can’t afford to wait twenty years for a new power station to come online.
“Without real action to fix the broken energy market, bill payers will continue to come second to energy company profits.
“Scottish Greens are clear that we want to see real investment in cheap, clean renewables such as wind, solar and tidal to bring down household bills and create green jobs without the extreme cost, time or safety risks of nuclear power.
“Scotland already produces a majority of our energy from cheap, clean, renewable sources, and we have so much potential to go even further. What governments need to do is end our reliance on fossil fuels, cut the artificial high price of electricity, and commit to a renewable future, not toxic, dangerous, expensive nuclear power.”
Jefferson City — Governor Mike Kehoe has announced that President Donald J. Trump has approved two additional requests from the State of Missouri for major disaster declarations in response to the severe storms, tornadoes, and flooding that impacted the state, this time for events that occurred on April 29 and May 16.
“We are grateful for President Trump acting quickly to get vitally needed federal assistance to the thousands of Missourians hit hard by the violent severe weather that struck our state and who are now struggling to rebuild their lives and homes,” Governor Kehoe said. “We urge all eligible residents to apply now. The faster you apply, the faster you will receive assistance.”
Individual Assistance:
The President’s actions, which follow Governor Kehoe’s May 25 request, make Individual Assistance available to eligible residents in the City of St. Louis, and St. Louis and Scottcounties impacted by the May 16 storms. Individual Assistance allows eligible residents to seek federal assistance with temporary housing, housing repairs, replacement of damaged belongings, vehicles, and other qualifying expenses.
Individuals who sustained damage or losses due to the May 16 severe weather may now apply for FEMA disaster assistance online at www.disasterassistance.gov or by calling FEMA’s toll-free registration line at 1-800-621-3362 from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week. They can also download the FEMA app to apply. Affected individuals are encouraged to document losses, photograph damage, and retain receipts. The faster Missourians register with FEMA, the faster they may be able to receive assistance.
The deadline for most Individual Assistance programs is 60 days following the President’s major disaster declaration. Disaster assistance to eligible individuals generally falls into the following categories:
Housing Assistance may be available for up to 18 months for displaced persons whose residences were heavily damaged or destroyed. Funding also can be provided for housing repairs and replacement of damaged items to make homes habitable.
Disaster Grants are available to help meet other serious disaster related needs and necessary expenses not covered by insurance and other aid programs. These may include replacement of personal property, and transportation, medical, dental, and funeral expenses.
Low-Interest Disaster Loans are available after a disaster for homeowners and renters from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to cover uninsured property losses. Loans may be available for repair or replacement of homes, automobiles, clothing, or other damaged personal property. SBA loans are also available to businesses for property loss and economic injury. Businesses can visit sba.gov or call 1-800-569-2955.
Other Disaster Aid Programs include crisis counseling, disaster-related unemployment assistance, legal aid and assistance with income tax, Social Security, and veterans’ benefits.
Public Assistance:
The President’s actions also make the FEMA Public Assistance program available to local governments and qualifying nonprofits for the repair of damaged roads, bridges, and other public infrastructure as well as reimbursement of emergency response costs and debris removal.
For the April 29 storms, public assistance is available in the following six counties: Barry, Greene, Lawrence, McDonald, Newton, and Washington.
The Governor’s May 19 request for the April 29 storms included more than $16.5 million in Public Assistance qualifying expenses already identified through joint Preliminary Damage Assessments conducted with FEMA. FEMA Individual Assistance was not requested for these storms.
For the May 16 storms, Public Assistance is available in the City of St. Louis, and St. Louis and Scottcounties.
The Governor’s May 25 request for the May 16 storms included more than $57.9 million in Public Assistance qualifying expenses already identified and at least $18.7 million in qualifying Individual Assistance needs already identified through joint Preliminary Damage Assessments conducted with FEMA.
For more information on the federal disaster declaration process, visit this link.
For additional resources and information about disaster recovery in Missouri, please visit recovery.mo.gov.
SEMA continues to coordinate with local officials and volunteer and faith-based partners to identify needs and assist impacted families and individuals. Missourians with unmet needs are encouraged to contact United Way by dialing 2-1-1 or www.211helps.org or the American RedCross at 1-800-733-2767.
The following outlines the current status of Governor Kehoe’s additional federal assistance requests from this spring:
March 14 – 15 Storms
Status: Major Disaster Declaration Approved
March 30 – April 8 Storms
Status: Major Disaster Declaration Approved
April 29 Storms
Status: Major Disaster Declaration Approved
May 16 Storms
Status: Major Disaster Declaration Approved
May 23 – 26 Storms
Status: FEMA currently participating in joint damage assessments
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
News story
Foreign Ministers joint statement on measures targeting Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich
Joint statement by the Foreign Ministers of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom on measures targeting Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich
Joint statement:
“Today, the Foreign Ministers of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom have announced sanctions and other measures targeting Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich for inciting violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.
“Settler violence is incited by extremist rhetoric which calls for Palestinians to be driven from their homes, encourages violence and human rights abuses and fundamentally rejects the two-state solution. Settler violence has led to the deaths of Palestinian civilians and the displacement of whole communities.
“We are steadfastly committed to the two-state solution which is the only way to guarantee security and dignity for Israelis and Palestinians and ensure long term stability in the region, but it is imperilled by extremist settler violence and settlement expansion.
“Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich have incited extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights. Extremist rhetoric advocating the forced displacement of Palestinians and the creation of new Israeli settlements is appalling and dangerous. These actions are not acceptable. We have engaged the Israeli Government on this issue extensively, yet violent perpetrators continue to act with encouragement and impunity. This is why we have taken this action now – to hold those responsible to account. The Israeli Government must uphold its obligations under international law and we call on it to take meaningful action to end extremist, violent and expansionist rhetoric.
“The measures announced today do not deviate from our unwavering support for Israel’s security and we continue to condemn the horrific terror attacks of 7 October by Hamas. Today’s measures are targeted towards individuals who in our view undermine Israel’s own security and its standing in the world. We continue to want a strong friendship with the people of Israel based on our shared ties, values and commitment to their security and future.
“Today’s measures focus on the West Bank, but of course this cannot be seen in isolation from the catastrophe in Gaza. We continue to be appalled by the immense suffering of civilians, including the denial of essential aid. There must be no unlawful transfer of Palestinians from Gaza or within the West Bank, nor any reduction in the territory of the Gaza Strip. We will continue to work with the Israeli Government and a range of partners. We will strive to ensure an immediate ceasefire, the release now of the remaining hostages and for the unhindered flow of humanitarian aid including food. We want to see a reconstructed Gaza no longer run by Hamas and a political pathway to a two state solution.”
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3
Press release
UK and partners unite to sanction ministers inciting West Bank violence
UK sanctions Israeli government ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich in response to their repeated incitements of violence against Palestinian communities, alongside partners Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway
UK sanctions Israeli government ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich today, in response to their repeated incitements of violence against Palestinian communities
alongside partners Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway, the UK calls for immediate action against extremist settlers
measures announced today demonstrate UK commitment to challenging those inciting hatred and violence
As Palestinian communities in the West Bank continue to suffer from severe acts of violence by extremist Israeli settlers which also undermine a future Palestinian state, the United Kingdom has joined Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway in stepping up the international response.
In their personal capacity, Israeli government ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich are now sanctioned for their repeated incitement of violence against Palestinian civilians, effective immediately.
The UK has made clear in public and private to the Netanyahu government that Israel must cease expansion of illegal settlements which undermine a future Palestinian state, clamp down on settler violence, and condemn inflammatory and extremist statements from both individuals.
The measures announced by international partners today demonstrate commitment to ensuring the individuals are held accountable for encouraging and inciting human rights abuses.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy, along with the Foreign Ministers of Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway said in a joint statement:
We are steadfastly committed to the two-state solution and will continue to work with our partners towards its implementation. It is the only way to guarantee security and dignity for Israelis and Palestinians and ensure long term stability in the region, but it is imperilled by extremist settler violence and settlement expansion.
Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich have incited extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights. These actions are not acceptable. This is why we have taken action now – to hold those responsible to account.
We will strive to achieve an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the immediate release of the remaining hostages by Hamas which can have no future role in the governance of Gaza, a surge in aid and a path to a two-state solution.
As of April 2025, extremist settlers have carried out over 1,900 attacks against Palestinian civilians since January last year. The UK is committed to protecting the viability of a two-state solution and human rights, including by challenging those inciting violence.
In a joint statement with partners, the UK reiterated its commitment to continuing “a strong friendship with the people of Israel based on shared ties, values and commitment to [its] security and future.”
The Foreign Secretary was also clear that the UK will “continue to work with the Israeli Government and a range of partners” to deliver long-term peace and security.
Alongside partners Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway, the UK is clear that the rising violence and intimidation by Israeli settlers against Palestinian communities in the West Bank must stop. Measures today cannot be seen in isolation from events in Gaza where Israel must uphold International Humanitarian Law.
The UK and partners support Israel’s security and will continue to work with the Israeli Government to strive to achieve an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Hamas must release the hostages immediately, and there must be a path to a two-state solution with Hamas having no role in future governance.
Background
Individuals and entities sanctioned today:
Itamar BEN-GVIR (hereafter “BEN-GVIR”) – is an involved person within the meaning of the Global Human Rights Sanctions Regulations 2020 on the basis of the following ground: BEN-GVIR is responsible for, engaging in, inciting, promoting and/or supporting activity which amounts to a serious abuse of the right of individuals not to be subjected to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, in particular acts of aggression and violence against Palestinian individuals in the West Bank. BEN-GVIR is now subject to an asset freeze, travel ban, and director disqualification. BEN-GVIR is Minister for National Security but is sanctioned in his personal capacity.
Bezalel Yoel SMOTRICH (hereafter “SMOTRICH”) – is an involved person within the meaning of the Global Human Rights Sanctions Regulations 2020 on the basis of the following ground: SMOTRICH is responsible for engaging in, inciting, promoting and/or supporting activity which amounts to a serious abuse of the right of individuals not to be subjected to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, in particular acts of aggression and violence against Palestinian individuals in the West Bank. SMOTRICH is now subject to an asset freeze, travel ban, and director disqualification. SMOTRICH is Minister for Finance and Additional Minister of Defence but is sanctioned in his personal capacity.
asset freeze: where an asset freeze applies, in summary, it is generally prohibited within the UK, and for UK persons outside the UK, to:
o Deal with funds or economic resources, owned, held or controlled by a designated person
o Make funds or economic resources available, directly or indirectly, to, or for the benefit of, a designated person
o Engage in actions that, directly or indirectly, circumvent the financial sanctions prohibitions
director disqualification sanctions: Where director disqualification sanctions apply, it will be an offence for a person designated for the purpose of those sanctions to act as a director of a company or to take part in the management, formation or promotion of a UK company
travel ban: an individual subject to a travel ban will be an excluded person under section 8B of the Immigration Act 1971, meaning that they must be refused leave to enter or to remain in the United Kingdom
For years, Idahoans yelled loud and clear: the Lava Ridge Wind Project is not welcome in our state. Affected local residents, farmers, tribes, conservationists, and the Japanese-American community all stood united in opposition to this plan. However, despite numerous legitimate concerns and near-unanimous opposition to the project, the Biden administration’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) refused to listen. That was until January 20th, 2025, when President Trump was sworn in as the 47th President of the United States. With many thanks to Senator Risch for working with President Trump, the President stepped in and signed a Day One executive order to stop this project. President Trump’s efforts proved that he heard Idahoans’ concerns and was ready to act. Not only did President Trump show Idahoans that our voices matter, but this action also sent a clear message – Idahoans expect more out of the use of our public lands. The agency did not genuinely engage with stakeholders to address concerns about the Minidoka National Historic Site, grazing, wildfire response, and more. For four years, the Biden administration demonstrated that it would rather prioritize renewable wind power over multiple-use mandates directed by Congress. As Idahoans, we depend on the concept of multiple use on public lands, and it is deeply rooted in our way of life. Long-standing uses like ranching, grazing, and recreation have coexisted for years on these lands, yet the Lava Ridge Project threatened to upend these uses. Despite ignoring the voices of Idahoans and attempting to downplay the severity of the issues raised, the BLM adamantly rammed forward with this project—something I have not seen in all my time serving in Congress. The level of disregard for Congress and the law was especially concerning. As Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, I used every tool at my disposal to slow down or halt this out-of-touch project. Let me be clear: I opposed this project on day one. I questioned BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning and Interior Secretary Deb Haaland directly in congressional hearings, and included language in the Fiscal Year 2025 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations bill, which passed the House, that blocked the final Environmental Impact Statement for the Lava Ridge Wind Project from moving forward. I also introduced legislation with my Idaho delegation colleagues that would prevent the Secretary of the Interior from approving a wind or solar project on public lands if the Legislature in the respective state has passed a resolution of disapproval. I even authored language—passed by Congress and signed into law by President Biden—directing the Department of the Interior to reengage and incorporate feedback from the stakeholders on alternative plans before moving forward with Lava Ridge. Despite these efforts, the significant adverse impacts, and widespread opposition across the state, the BLM continued to push this project forward blindly. This was extremely discouraging. It was disappointing for residents in the Magic Valley, the Japanese-American community, due to the harmful impacts of the Minidoka National Historical Site, and for those of us in Congress who felt the Biden administration was bulldozing their authority over us. The administration change on January 20th was transformative in many ways. President Trump gave Idahoans hope again–and he backed it up with action. Idahoans owe a great deal of thanks to President Trump and to leaders like Senator Risch, who kept this issue at the forefront with the administration. President Trump listened. Lava Ridge is stopped. But even with this win, the fight is not over, and we must stay vigilant. We must ensure that no future project—regardless of a new name or administration—gets as close to implementation as the Lava Ridge Wind Project did. Throughout my time in Congress, I have worked to ensure our land management agencies are good neighbors, and it is abundantly clear that BLM needs to reconsider its approach moving forward. That’s why I will use my role in Congress to keep working with federal, state, and local leaders to ensure these voices are heard. Like many, I cherish our public lands. As a lifelong Idahoan, I understand the importance of ensuring that future generations can enjoy the same benefits that we have today. I will always work to preserve access to our public lands and defend our way of life. I am especially grateful to now have an administration that stands with us and has our backs. Thank you to President Trump and to all the Idahoans who made their voices heard. Common sense prevailed.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man was arrested Sunday on criminal charges related to his alleged role in two armored truck robberies that occurred in 2023.
According to court documents, Achanti Christopher Tyrese Gunn aka Bonzi, 25, allegedly conspired with three co-conspirators in an armed robbery scheme in which the co-conspirators would rob armored trucks at gunpoint, taking United States currency and other items before fleeing in a getaway vehicle.
Gunn was indicted May 7 and arrested June 8. He is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, one count of Hobbs Act robbery, and one count of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. If convicted, Gunn faces up to 20 years on the conspiracy and the Hobbs Act robbery charge and seven years to life on the brandishing charge consecutive to any other sentence imposed.
Co-defendants Daquwan Reshay Richardson, 30, Jeremiah Jerome Richardson aka Juice, 22, and Jordan Raekwon Jones aka Murda Maxx, 30, were already in custody and named in a previously filed indictment. Daquwan Richardson was arrested Aug. 21, 2023; Jeremiah Richardson was arrested July 11, 2023; and Jones was arrested Nov. 5, 2024. All four defendants face various combinations of the same charges.
U.S. Attorney Justin Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the San Antonio Police Department are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Nowinski is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
SAN FRANCISCO, June 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Tessell, the leading next-generation multi-cloud database-as-a-service (DBaaS) that enables enterprises and startups to accelerate database, data, and application modernization journeys at scale, today announced its selection to the 2025 InfraRed 100, Redpoint Ventures’ annual list spotlighting the 100 most promising private companies in cloud infrastructure.
This marks the second consecutive year Tessell has been honored, further validating its momentum, technical excellence, and fast-growing customer adoption across Fortune 1000 enterprises. Tessell will celebrate the recognition alongside fellow honorees at the InfraRed Summit 2025 on June 10th in San Francisco and participate in the Nasdaq Closing Bell Ceremony.
Each year, the InfraRed 100 highlights the companies poised to reshape the cloud ecosystem based on their innovation, growth, and long-term potential. Tessell stood out again for its continued product expansion, enterprise traction, and multi-cloud innovation that helps organizations simplify and accelerate their data and application modernization journeys.
“We’re honored to be named again to the InfraRed 100,” said Bakul Banthia, Co-founder of Tessell. “This recognition reflects the trust our customers place in us and the dedication of our team to building the most flexible, performant, and enterprise-ready DBaaS platform in the market. We look forward to continuing our momentum and empowering our customers to modernize faster, innovate with confidence, and unlock the full value of their data.”
Tessell’s inclusion highlights the platform’s growing traction among enterprises modernizing their infrastructure and adopting AI-centric workflows. On April 9th, Tessell announced a $60 million Series B led by WestBridge Capital, with participation from Lightspeed Venture Partners, B37 Ventures, and Rocketship.vc. The funding is being used to accelerate go-to-market expansion and enhance AI-driven features—including vector search, conversational query interfaces, and intelligent workload automation.
Tessell is a cloud-native DBaaS platform that supports major engines including Oracle, PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server, MongoDB, and Milvus. Operating across AWS and Azure, Tessell provides customers with self-service provisioning, DevOps integration, and complete lifecycle management—all while allowing customers to bring their own cloud accounts, identities, and keys to retain control and reduce vendor lock-in.
Key differentiators of Tessell’s cloud infrastructure solution include:
AI-Driven Automation – Intelligent lifecycle management, performance tuning, and fault remediation, allowing teams to focus on innovation over infrastructure.
Conversational Data Management (CoDaM) – A next-gen interface enabling teams to manage and query databases through natural language, dramatically simplifying access and insight generation.
Multi-Cloud Flexibility – Native integrations with AWS, Azure, OCI, and Google Cloud, allowing organizations to avoid vendor lock-in.
Unified Data Ecosystem – Native connectivity across data lakes, warehouses, and real-time pipelines, enabling cross-functional data flow and governance.
Enterprise-Grade Security & Compliance – Including end-to-end encryption, zero RPO/RTO disaster recovery, and certifications for SOC 2, GDPR, and HIPAA.
For more information about Tessell’s DBaaS platform, visit www.tessell.com.
About Tessell Tessell is a multi-cloud DBaaS platform redefining enterprise data management with its comprehensive suite of AI-powered database services. By unifying operational and analytical data within a seamless data ecosystem, Tessell enables enterprises to modernize databases, optimize cloud economics, and drive intelligent decision-making at scale. Through AI and Conversational Data Management (CoDaM), Tessell makes data more accessible, interactive, and intuitive, empowering businesses to harness their data’s full potential easily.
Media Contact Len Fernandes Firecracker PR for Tessell len@firecrackerpr.com
As winter’s chill sets in, communities across the North West are urged to stay vigilant amid severe weather and strong, fire-spreading winds.
“Freezing weather is upon us and an increasing dependence on indoor heating techniques like paraffin stoves, heaters and open fires are likely to be the order of the day,” the North West Provincial Government (NWPG) said in a statement.
The provincial government is urging community members to exercise extreme caution to avoid disastrous domestic and wildfires.
The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has reported that cold weather will continue in the coming days, bringing a mix of snowfall at higher elevations, strong winds, severe thunderstorms, and extremely low daytime temperatures.
The SAWS has issued level 9 warning in the Eastern Cape and levels 5 and 6 warning for certain areas in KwaZulu-Natal for Tuesday.
In addition, the N2 highway has been closed in the southern regions of KwaZulu-Natal due to snowfall, as adverse weather conditions persist in parts of the province.
Families are encouraged not to leave children unattended near open flames or heating devices, and to practice safe fire behaviours during the winter season.
“These conditions significantly increase the potential for uncontrolled fires, both in domestic settings and across open velds.
“Strong winds, in particular, can propel and rapidly spread veld fires, putting lives, property, and natural ecosystems at great risk.”
In addition, the provincial government cautioned that using heating appliances and open flames indoors during extremely cold weather often leads to accidental domestic fires, particularly in informal settlements.
Residents and communities are encouraged to take additional precautions during this winter season and to follow these guidelines:
Avoid leaving fires, candles, or stoves unattended.
Use heating appliances safely and keep them away from flammable materials.
Do not start fires in open areas, especially on dry, windy days.
Report any signs of veld fires immediately to local disaster management or emergency services.
Meanwhile, disaster management teams led by the Provincial Disaster Management Centre are on high alert and ready to respond to any eventuality.
“Let us all do our part to stay warm and safe and protect our communities from unnecessary fire disasters this winter.” – SAnews.gov.za
The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) has called on motorists to take extra caution when driving on the roads as icy cold weather conditions have gripped the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.
The South African Weather Service (SAWS) warned of widespread rain with disruptive snow over escarpments of the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal on Tuesday.
“The RTMC advises travellers in affected areas to delay their trips until the situation improves.”
Travel routes are also affected with the N2 from Ingeli towards Kokstad in KwaZulu Natal being closed due to snow.
The R58 Barkley East and West towards Barkley Pass was also closed due to snow.
Heavy rains with strong wind were reported in Umzimkhulu and Ixopo KwaZulu Natal and this could lead to flash flooding in low lying areas. Motorists are advised to switch their headlights on to increase their visibility.
Motorists should heed the following road safety precautions when driving on the road:
Decrease your speed and leave yourself plenty of room to stop. You should allow at least three times more space than usual between you and the car in front of you.
Brake gently to avoid skidding. If your wheels start to lock up, ease off the brake.
Turn on your lights to increase your visibility to other motorists.
Keep your lights and windshield clean.
Use low gears to keep traction, especially on hills.
Do not use cruise control or overdrive on icy roads.
Be especially careful on bridges, overpasses and infrequently travelled roads, which will freeze first. Even at temperatures above freezing, if the conditions are wet, you might encounter ice in shady areas or on exposed roadways like bridges.
Do not pass snow ploughs and sanding trucks. The drivers have limited visibility, and you are likely to find the road in front of them worse than the road behind.
Do not assume your vehicle can handle all conditions. Even four-wheel and front-wheel drive vehicles can encounter trouble on winter roads. – SAnews.gov.za
The video of a Los Angeles police officer shooting a rubber bullet at Channel Nine reporter Lauren Tomasi is as shocking as it is revealing.
In her live broadcast, Tomasi is standing to the side of a rank of police in riot gear. She describes the way they have begun firing rubber bullets to disperse protesters angry with US President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigrants.
As Tomasi finishes her sentence, the camera pans to the left, just in time to catch the officer raising his gun and firing a non-lethal round into her leg. She said a day later she is sore, but otherwise OK.
Although a more thorough investigation might find mitigating circumstances, from the video evidence, it is hard to dismiss the shot as “crossfire”. The reporter and cameraman were off to one side of the police, clearly identified and working legitimately.
The shooting is also not a one-off. Since the protests against Trump’s mass deportations policy began three days ago, a reporter with the LA Daily News and a freelance journalist have been hit with pepper balls and tear gas.
British freelance photojournalist Nick Stern also had emergency surgery to remove a three-inch plastic bullet from his leg.
In all, the Los Angeles Press Club has documented more than 30 incidents of obstruction and attacks on journalists during the protests.
Trump’s assault on the media
It now seems assaults on the media are no longer confined to warzones or despotic regimes. They are happening in American cities, in broad daylight, often at the hands of those tasked with upholding the law.
But violence is only one piece of the picture. In the nearly five months since taking office, the Trump administration has moved to defund public broadcasters, curtail access to information and undermine the credibility of independent media.
International services once used to project democratic values and American soft power around the world, such as Voice of America, Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, have all had their funding cut and been threatened with closure. (The Voice of America website is still operational but hasn’t been updated since mid-March, with one headline on the front page reading “Vatican: Francis stable, out of ‘imminent danger’ of death”).
The Associated Press, one of the most respected and important news agencies in the world, has been restricted from its access to the White House and covering Trump. The reason? It decided to defy Trump’s directive to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America.
Even broadcast licenses for major US networks, such as ABC, NBC and CBS, have been publicly threatened — a signal to editors and executives that political loyalty might soon outweigh journalistic integrity.
The Committee to Protect Journalists is more used to condemning attacks on the media in places like Russia. However, in April, it issued a report headlined: “Alarm bells: Trump’s first 100 days ramp up fear for the press, democracy”.
A requirement for peace
Why does this matter? The success of American democracy has never depended on unity or even civility. It has depended on scrutiny. A system where power is challenged, not flattered.
The First Amendment to the US Constitution – which protects freedom of speech – has long been considered the gold standard for building the institutions of free press and free expression. That only works when journalism is protected — not in theory but in practice.
Now, strikingly, the language once reserved for autocracies and failed states has begun to appear in assessments of the US. Civicus, which tracks declining democracies around the world, recently put the US on its watchlist, alongside the Democratic Republic of Congo, Italy, Serbia and Pakistan.
The attacks on the journalists in LA are troubling not only for their sake, but for ours. This is about civic architecture. The kind of framework that makes space for disagreement without descending into disorder.
Press freedom is not a luxury for peacetime. It is a requirement for peace.
Peter Greste is Professor of Journalism at Macquarie University and the Executive Director for the advocacy group, the Alliance for Journalists’ Freedom.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Alex Newman, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Sustainability Assessment at the Grantham Centre, University of Sheffield
Tomatoes could be grown at an industrial scale using heat generated from burning household waste in Essex, UK. Jenoche/Shutterstock
A new project in Bradwell, Essex, aims to change how we grow food and how we deal with our rubbish. Slated to begin operations in 2027, the Rivenhall greenhouse project could become Europe’s largest low-carbon horticulture facility.
The idea is to close two loops at once. By processing most of Essex’s household waste, the region’s reliance on landfill can be reduced – this cuts the amount of biodegradable waste decomposing to release methane (a greenhouse gas far more potent than carbon dioxide). Also, by diverting the energy from that waste to grow food locally, less produce will need to be imported from regions increasingly vulnerable to climate-related stresses like drought and water scarcity.
The giant greenhouse will sit next to the Rivenhall integrated waste management facility, operated by waste company Indaver. Household waste will be incinerated on site, producing steam. Some of that steam will drive turbines to generate electricity and power the greenhouse. The rest of the steam will heat the greenhouse at a constant temperature all year round.
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To further reduce greenhouse gas emissions, a carbon capture system (separates CO₂ from other gases in exhaust streams) will extract around 20,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually from the incinerator’s flue gases. Rather than releasing this into the atmosphere, the captured carbon dioxide will be piped into the greenhouse to enhance plant growth.
Still, the scale of carbon capture is modest and not a quick fix. The 20,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide expected to be captured annually represents less than 10% of typical emissions from similar-scale waste facilities.
The facility will include 13 hectares of artificially lit greenhouse space for winter growing and a vertical farm (growing crops in stacked layers) converted from a former RAF hangar to grow leafy greens. In theory, this creates a resilient, year-round food production system largely decoupled from fossil fuels and climate-sensitive imports.
Burning waste to grow tomatoes might sound counterintuitive. Incinerators still release emissions after all. As a method of electricity generation, incineration of waste has a higher carbon footprint than burning coal. But in the context of current waste management and food import practices, it may make sense.
According to the UK government’s Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, around 30.8% of England’s household waste went to landfill in 2023 (around 8 million tonnes). Landfill emissions (primarily methane) are not just large – they’re long-lived and hard to capture.
Rivenhall’s model claims to reduce total greenhouse gas emissions by roughly 20% compared to landfill. When electricity, heat, and food outputs are factored in, and carbon capture included, emissions per kilogram of tomato could be substantially lower than those from conventional imports or fossil-powered greenhouses.
But low-carbon status is not a badge that companies claim, it’s a result that needs to be verified. In lifecycle assessment (a method for measuring the environmental impacts of a product, service, or system, and the focus of my research), low-carbon status only applies if net emissions per kilogram of tomato are demonstrably lower than those from the realistic baseline.
That baseline, be it landfill, composting, anaerobic digestion, or recycling, must be clearly defined. If incinerated waste includes material better suited to recycling, the claimed benefits narrow or vanish.
The success of this particular project hinges not just on technical integration, but on accurate emissions accounting and efficient performance of carbon capture systems.
According to the waste hierarchy, the most sustainable strategy for reducing waste-related emissions is not incineration, but waste prevention and reduction. Energy recovery is better than landfill, but less preferable than eliminating waste altogether.
The bigger picture
In the Netherlands, greenhouses often run on combined heat and power systems. In Canada, some horticultural operations use industrial waste heat. But Rivenhall’s scale and its tight integration with waste management infrastructure makes it unusual. If it works, it could serve as a blueprint for how regions can simultaneously tackle food security and waste while keeping the environmental cost of consumption closer to home.
Beyond greenhouse gas emissions, there are other environmental considerations. Even modern incinerators produce air-polluting nitrogen oxides and particulates, which must be rigorously controlled to avoid human health problems such as lung disease. To comply with the UK’s biodiversity net gain rules, natural habitats and wildlife populations around this site must be enhanced, not degraded.
While delivering on its technical promises, Rivenhall must also prove that its low-carbon credentials are more than just hot air. Even so, projects like this are no substitute for upstream solutions like waste prevention, reduced consumption and circular design.
Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?
Alex Newman does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: The Conversation – USA – By Stewart Edie, Research Geologist and Curator of Paleobiology, Smithsonian Institution
Even bivalves looked different during the time of the dinosaurs, as these fossils of an ultra-fortified oyster, left, and armored cockle show.Smithsonian Institution
The fallout was immediate and severe. Evidence shows that about 70% of species went extinct in a geological instant, and not just those famous dinosaurs that once stalked the land. Masters of the Mesozoic oceans were also wiped out, from mosasaurs – a group of aquatic reptiles topping the food chain – to exquisitely shelled squid relatives known as ammonites.
But bubbling away on the seafloor was a stolid group of animals that has left a fantastic fossil record and continues to thrive today: bivalves – clams, cockles, mussels, oysters and more.
What happened to these creatures during the extinction event and how they rebounded tells an important story, both about the past and the future of biodiversity.
Surprising discoveries on the seafloor
Marine bivalves lost around three-quarters of their species during this mass extinction, which marked the end of the Cretaceous Period. My colleagues and I – each of us paleobiologists studying biodiversity – expected that losing so many species would have severely cut down the variety of roles that bivalves play within their environments, what we call their “modes of life.”
But, as we explain in a study published in the journal Sciences Advances, that wasn’t the case. In assessing the fossils of thousands of bivalve species, we found that at least one species from nearly all their modes of life, no matter how rare or specialized, squeaked through the extinction event.
Statistically, that shouldn’t have happened. Kill 70% of bivalve species, even at random, and some modes of life should disappear.
Most bivalves happily burrow into the sand and mud, feeding on phytoplankton they strain from the water. But others have adopted chemosymbionts and photosymbionts – bacteria and algae that produce nutrients for the bivalves from chemicals or sunlight in exchange for housing. A few have even become carnivorous. Some groups, including the oysters, can lay down a tough cement that hardens underwater, and mussels hold onto rocks by spinning silken threads.
We thought surely these more specialized modes of life would have been snuffed out by the effects of the asteroid’s impact, including dust and debris likely blocking sunlight and disrupting a huge part of the bivalves’ food chain: photosynthetic algae and bacteria. Instead, most persisted, although biodiversity was forever scrambled as a new ecological landscape emerged. Species that were once dominant struggled, while evolutionary newcomers rose in their place.
The reasons some species survived and others didn’t leave many questions to explore. Those that filtered phytoplankton from the water column suffered some of the highest species losses, but so did species that fed on organic scraps and didn’t rely as much on the Sun’s energy. Narrow geographic distributions and different metabolisms may have contributed to these extinction patterns.
Biodiversity bounces back
Life rebounded from each of the Big Five mass extinctions throughout Earth’s history, eventually punching through past diversity highs. The rich fossil record and spectacular ecological diversity of bivalves gives us a terrific opportunity to study these rebounds to understand how ecosystems and global biodiversity rebuild in the wake of extinctions.
The extinction caused by the asteroid strike knocked down some thriving modes of life and opened the door for others to dominate the new landscape.
The rebound from the extinction wasn’t so straightforward. Some modes of life lost nearly all their species, never to recover their past diversity. Others rose to take the top ranks. Genera is the plural of genus. Adapted from Edie et al. 2025, Science Advances
While many people lament the loss of the dinosaurs, we malacologists miss the rudists.
These bizarrely shaped bivalves resembled giant ice cream cones, sometimes reaching more than 3 feet (1 meter) in size, and they dominated the shallow, tropical Mesozoic seas as massive aggregations of contorted individuals, similar to today’s coral reefs. At least a few harbored photosymbiotic algae, which provided them with nutrients and spurred their growth, much like modern corals.
An ancient fossil of a rudist from before the last mass extinction. These bivalves could grow to a meter high. Smithsonian Institution
Today, giant clams (Tridacna) and their relatives fill parts of these unique photosymbiotic lifestyles once occupied by the rudists, but they lack the rudists’ astonishing species diversity.
Mass extinctions clearly upend the status quo. Now, our ocean floors are dominated by clams burrowed into sand and mud, the quahogs, cockles and their relatives – a scene far different from that of the seafloor 66 million years ago.
New winners in a scrambled ecosystem
Ecological traits alone didn’t fully predict extinction patterns, nor do they entirely explain the rebound. We also see that simply surviving a mass extinction didn’t necessarily provide a leg up as species diversified within their old and sometimes new modes of life – and few of those new modes dominate the ecological landscape today.
Like the rudists, trigoniid bivalves had lots of different species prior to the extinction event. These highly ornamented clams built parts of their shells with a super strong biomaterial called nacre – think iridescent pearls – and had fractally interlocking hinges holding their two valves together.
An ancient fossil of a pearly but tough trigoniid bivalve from the last mass extinction. The two matching shells show their elaborate hinge. Smithsonian Institution
But despite surviving the extinction, which should have placed them in a prime position to accumulate species again, their diversification sputtered. Other types of bivalves that made a living in the same way proliferated instead, relegating this once mighty and global group to a handful of species now found only off the coast of Australia.
Lessons for today’s oceans
These unexpected patterns of extinction and survival may offer lessons for the future.
The fossil record shows us that biodiversity has definite breaking points, usually during a perfect storm of climatic and environmental upheaval. It’s not just that species are lost, but the ecological landscape is overturned.
Many scientists believe the current biodiversity crisis may cascade into a sixth mass extinction, this one driven by human activities that are changing ecosystems and the global climate. Corals, whose reefs are home to nearly a quarter of known marine species, have faced mass bleaching events as warming ocean water puts their future at risk. Acidification as the oceans absorb more carbon dioxide can also weaken the shells of organisms crucial to the ocean food web.
Findings like ours suggest that, in the future, the rebound from extinction events will likely result in very different mixes of species and their modes of life in the oceans. And the result may not align with human needs if species providing the bulk of ecosystem services are driven genetically or functionally extinct.
The global oceans and their inhabitants are complex, and, as our team’s latest research shows, it is difficult to predict the trajectory of biodiversity as it rebounds – even when extinction pressures are reduced.
Billions of people depend on the ocean for food. As the history recorded by the world’s bivalves shows, the upending of the pecking order – the number of species in each mode of life – won’t necessarily settle into an arrangement that can feed as many people the next time around.
Stewart Edie receives funding from the Smithsonian Institution.
Despite the profound human, social and economic costs of alcohol abuse, existing treatments have failed to provide meaningful relief. Excessive alcohol consumption remains a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. In the U.S. alone, 16.4 million people age 12 and older reported binge drinking on five or more days in the past month.
Although there are several drugs available to those seeking to stop or lower their alcohol consumption, their effectiveness is limited, and they often have significant side effects. Over the past three decades, efforts to treat excessive drinking have focused primarily on developing drugs that target proteins that can control how neurons respond to stimuli. Because these proteins are present in almost every neuron throughout the brain, the drugs also affect neurons that aren’t directly responsible for regulating alcohol’s effects. This often leads to unwanted side effects like headache, fatigue, drowsiness or insomnia.
In my work as a neurobiologist, I study the idea that pinpointing the specific brain circuits that play a role in suppressing alcohol consumption is critical to developing targeted treatments with limited side effects. In my newly published research, my team and I identified a small cluster of neurons responsible for suppressing binge drinking.
A map of binge drinking neurons
Researchers have identified several brain regions that play a key role in alcohol abuse. But there has been strong evidence that only a very small number of neurons within these regions underpinned the effects of the drug on brain function.
Small populations of neurons, called neuronal ensembles, have been shown to play a key role in memory formation and experiencing fear. However, researchers haven’t known whether the neuronal ensembles activated during binge drinking also influence binge drinking behavior.
Considering the billions of neurons contained in the brain, the task of identifying these neurons is akin to finding a needle in a haystack. To solve this challenge, my colleagues and I used a genetically modified mouse model that, upon exposure to alcohol, activates a gene coding for a red fluorescent protein that is selectively expressed in alcohol-sensitive neurons. By tracing these fluorescent neurons, we were able to make a map of the precise locations of affected neurons.
We identified a discrete number of neurons that respond to binge drinking in a brain region called the medial orbitofrontal cortex. This area is known for its key role in controlling decision-making and adapting behavior to a changing environment.
We also found that turning this neuronal ensemble off resulted in a sharp increase of alcohol consumption in mice. This means that the brain has, in essence, a built-in regulation system that is activated during alcohol drinking to act as a brake on its consumption. Should these neurons misfire, the regulatory system would fail, possibly leading to uncontrolled drinking.
Future treatments
Although this study advances our understanding of how and where binge drinking modulates brain function in mice, it remains unclear whether human brains are also equipped with the same neuronal ensemble. If they are, stimulating these neurons may provide a path toward helping people who experience difficulty controlling their alcohol intake.
Although selective control of neuronal activity is a formidable challenge, progress in gene therapy for patients with cancer and other rare diseases offers hope for more effective alcohol use disorder treatments with fewer side effects.
Gilles Martin receives funding from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, which is part of the National Institutes of Health.
Published in 1915, and already widely accepted worldwide by physicists and mathematicians, the theory assumed the universe was static – unchanging, unmoving and immutable. In short, Einstein believed the size and shape of the universe today was, more or less, the same size and shape it had always been.
But when astronomers looked into the night sky at faraway galaxies with powerful telescopes, they saw hints the universe was anything but that. These new observations suggested the opposite – that it was, instead, expanding.
Scientists soon realized Einstein’s theory didn’t actually say the universe had to be static; the theory could support an expanding universe as well. Indeed, by using the same mathematical tools provided by Einstein’s theory, scientists created new models that showed the universe was, in fact, dynamic and evolving.
I’ve spent decades trying to understand general relativity, including in my current job as a physics professor teaching courses on the subject. I know wrapping your head around the idea of an ever-expanding universe can feel daunting – and part of the challenge is overriding your natural intuition about how things work. For instance, it’s hard to imagine something as big as the universe not having a center at all, but physics says that’s the reality.
The universe gets bigger every day.
The space between galaxies
First, let’s define what’s meant by “expansion.” On Earth, “expanding” means something is getting bigger. And in regard to the universe, that’s true, sort of. Expansion might also mean “everything is getting farther from us,” which is also true with regard to the universe. Point a telescope at distant galaxies and they all do appear to be moving away from us.
What’s more, the farther away they are, the faster they appear to be moving. Those galaxies also seem to be moving away from each other. So it’s more accurate to say that everything in the universe is getting farther away from everything else, all at once.
This idea is subtle but critical. It’s easy to think about the creation of the universe like exploding fireworks: Start with a big bang, and then all the galaxies in the universe fly out in all directions from some central point.
But that analogy isn’t correct. Not only does it falsely imply that the expansion of the universe started from a single spot, which it didn’t, but it also suggests that the galaxies are the things that are moving, which isn’t entirely accurate.
It’s not so much the galaxies that are moving away from each other – it’s the space between galaxies, the fabric of the universe itself, that’s ever-expanding as time goes on. In other words, it’s not really the galaxies themselves that are moving through the universe; it’s more that the universe itself is carrying them farther away as it expands.
A common analogy is to imagine sticking some dots on the surface of a balloon. As you blow air into the balloon, it expands. Because the dots are stuck on the surface of the balloon, they get farther apart. Though they may appear to move, the dots actually stay exactly where you put them, and the distance between them gets bigger simply by virtue of the balloon’s expansion.
Now think of the dots as galaxies and the balloon as the fabric of the universe, and you begin to get the picture.
Unfortunately, while this analogy is a good start, it doesn’t get the details quite right either.
The 4th dimension
Important to any analogy is an understanding of its limitations. Some flaws are obvious: A balloon is small enough to fit in your hand – not so the universe. Another flaw is more subtle. The balloon has two parts: its latex surface and its air-filled interior.
These two parts of the balloon are described differently in the language of mathematics. The balloon’s surface is two-dimensional. If you were walking around on it, you could move forward, backward, left, or right, but you couldn’t move up or down without leaving the surface.
Now it might sound like we’re naming four directions here – forward, backward, left and right – but those are just movements along two basic paths: side to side and front to back. That’s what makes the surface two-dimensional – length and width.
The inside of the balloon, on the other hand, is three-dimensional, so you’d be able to move freely in any direction, including up or down – length, width and height.
This is where the confusion lies. The thing we think of as the “center” of the balloon is a point somewhere in its interior, in the air-filled space beneath the surface.
But in this analogy, the universe is more like the latex surface of the balloon. The balloon’s air-filled interior has no counterpart in our universe, so we can’t use that part of the analogy – only the surface matters.
So asking, “Where’s the center of the universe?” is somewhat like asking, “Where’s the center of the balloon’s surface?” There simply isn’t one. You could travel along the surface of the balloon in any direction, for as long as you like, and you’d never once reach a place you could call its center because you’d never actually leave the surface.
In the same way, you could travel in any direction in the universe and would never find its center because, much like the surface of the balloon, it simply doesn’t have one.
Part of the reason this can be so challenging to comprehend is because of the way the universe is described in the language of mathematics. The surface of the balloon has two dimensions, and the balloon’s interior has three, but the universe exists in four dimensions. Because it’s not just about how things move in space, but how they move in time.
Our brains are wired to think about space and time separately. But in the universe, they’re interwoven into a single fabric, called “space-time.” That unification changes the way the universe works relative to what our intuition expects.
And this explanation doesn’t even begin to answer the question of how something can be expanding indefinitely – scientists are still trying to puzzle out what powers this expansion.
So in asking about the center of the universe, we’re confronting the limits of our intuition. The answer we find – everything, expanding everywhere, all at once – is a glimpse of just how strange and beautiful our universe is.
Rob Coyne receives funding from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the US National Science Foundation (NSF).
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Scientists comment on news that the UK government is investing in a nuclear plant at the Sizewell C site and a small modular reactor programme.
Prof Patrick Regan, Professor of Nuclear Metrology, University of Surrey, said:
“The announcement that the UK government has committed £14.2bn of investment to build European Pressurized Reactors (EPRs) at the Sizewell C site will contribute to the UK tackling the delicate balance between ever-increasing secure energy requirements and our commitment to achieving net-zero. The EPRs planned at Sizewell C represent Generation 3+ technology and build on more than 70 years of operational reactor experience worldwide to provide the cleanest, safest and most efficient form of nuclear power yet.
“This large investment, however, brings with it the obvious need to produce and maintain a highly skilled, expert workforce related to all phases of the Sizewell C project. Science and Engineering Apprentice, Graduate and Post-Graduate training in areas such as chemical engineering, material science, nuclear physics & radiochemistry, environmental monitoring, radiation measurement and health physics will be key in enabling ‘life-long’ UK-based careers in this industry, in line with such a far horizon project. This is a long-term investment in the UK’s national infrastructure, and it needs a skilled workforce to ensure its ultimate success.”
Dr Phil Johnstone, Principal Research Fellow, University of Sussex Science Policy Research Unit, Patron of Nuclear Information Service, Member of Sussex Energy Group, and Member of Nuclear Consultation Group:
Is this a good move?
“The decision on Sizewell C is a bad move. It will likely lead to increasing costs for UK electricity consumers and represents a significantly slower means of combatting climate change than alternative options. The announcement comes alongside the decision to select submarine reactor manufacturer Rolls Royce as the winning bidder to develop Small Modular Reactors. These are part of the same underlying goal: to sustain the UK military nuclear industrial base via subsidies from civil nuclear power, with democratic scrutiny of this strategy almost entirely absent.”
Prof Andy Stirling, professor of science and technology policy at the University of Sussex Science Policy Research Unit:
Is this a good move (or not) when it comes to energy and fossil fuels?
“It is well acknowledged behind the scenes (but denied in public), that this move is more intended to support the kind of nuclear industrial base needed for military than for climate reasons. Nuclear power stations like Sizewell C are so slow and expensive compared to renewables and storage strategies, that they erode rather than enhance climate action.”
What does this mean for UK energy production? Is there overspeculation?
“This will make UK energy production needlessly more expensive, less secure and less effective in climate terms, than if the same money had been spent on renewables and energy storage.”
What does the science say?
“On this as on many other policy issues, what counts as ‘the science’ is more uncertain and context-dependent than any side typically implies. If either nuclear advocates or critics claim their arguments to be uniquely or unequivocally science-based then that is a sign that they are seeking to mislead.”
Dr Sarah Darby, Emerita Research Fellow, Energy Programme, Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford, said:
“The argument that building Sizewell C will be markedly cheaper and quicker than Hinkley C is weak. Hinkley C is ‘first of a kind’ in the UK but has the same design as Olkiluoto in Finland and Flamanville in France. These two have been, respectively, over 10 years late and almost four times over budget [1] and over 12 years late and over four times over budget in real terms [2,3]. Neither is yet working reliably [4,5].
“The unfinished Hinkley C was reported by EdF last year as already 90% over budget and 7 years late – and EdF do not expect it to be finished before 2029-31.
“In the light of these figures from three power plants of the same design as SZC, Ed Miliband’s forecast of a 10-year build time looks wildly optimistic. Where cost and complexity are concerned, there is the additional concern about the SZC site being on a flood-prone and eroding coastline, with sea levels on the rise.
“EdF are now wholly owned by the French government, following their extreme financial difficulties, and it is unclear whether they will take any stake at all in SZC. This is hardly a vote of confidence in the prospects of their own design.
“The argument that nuclear build helps with climate goals is similarly weak. New nuclear would arrive too late to assist – renewables already supply over half of UK generation [6] – and are on the rise. The massive sums involved are money not spent on quicker and more effective moves towards energy transition. Bloomberg NEF’s latest assessment of energy transition investment trends* refers to renewables, energy storage, electric vehicles, and power grids as ‘proven, commercially scalable [and with] established business models’, yet categorises nuclear power as an ‘emerging’ technology, with investment held back by lack of affordability and technology maturity [7].
“Nuclear is being presented by the Government as complementary to renewables, for ‘when the sun doesn’t shine and the wind doesn’t blow’. But what we need for these times – and for times of abundant renewable supply – is flexibility from storage and demand-side response, not large-scale inflexible power plants that cannot easily be turned down or up and that can be shut down at a moment’s notice [5,8].
“As so often, the debate is focused on supply rather than demand – what we use energy for. The government are citing figures of a doubling of demand by 2050 that are certainly not set in stone and likely to be exaggerated. AI demands are the new kid on the block but, as DeepSeek has shown, they need not be nearly as high as is often made out. There is still plenty of scope to improve energy security through energy efficiency, allied with storage and demand-side response, without compromising quality of life [9].
“Successive governments have already sunk £6.4bn of taxpayers’ money into Sizewell C, but this is no reason to compound the error. A further £14.2bn is substantial but falls a long way short of the £40bn ‘overnight’ cost estimated by the FT [10]. Further, this £40bn estimate does not take into account the costs of capital, decommissioning and disposal of waste. The last of these is itself a topic of major concern to the Public Accounts Committee [11].
“It is not too late to avoid a FID for Sizewell C and to steer funding in more productive directions, including modernisation of the electricity grid, energy efficient buildings and transport systems, and storage. Such investment could create jobs and improve living conditions around the country.”
Stephanie Baxter, Head of Policy, Institution of Engineering and Technology, said:
“The £14.2 billion of funding announced today for the development of Sizewell C, alongside selecting Rolls-Royce SMR as the preferred bidder to develop the UK’s first small modular reactors, marks an important step forward towards nuclear playing a significant role in the UK’s energy mix.
“Nuclear infrastructure, both large and small, will be needed in our energy system if the UK is to have a secure, affordable and sustainable energy system for 2030 and beyond. However, the Government must also take a whole system view of the wider energy system to ensure new nuclear infrastructure compliments other energy generation and distribution resources currently deployed and being developed.
“Significant infrastructure projects such as these rely on long-term stability – in the supply chain, regulations and the skills pipeline. That is why today’s announcements must be backed up by clear plans for delivery, including engagement with local communities.
“These ambitions will also not be met without the skilled engineering and technician workforce that will be critical to delivering and maintaining new nuclear infrastructure.
“Great British Energy must work closely with Skills England to ensure that these plans are backed by a long-term workforce strategy to deliver skilled job opportunities across the country – both by training up new workers in schools and colleges, and upskilling/reskilling the existing workforce through flexible funding in the Growth and Skills Levy.”
Will Davis, Nuclear Expert and a Member of the Institution of Engineering and Technology’s Sustainability and Net Zero Policy Centre, said:
“Today’s announcements are a clear demonstration of the government’s long-term commitment to low-carbon energy security, extending beyond the 2030 clean power target and taking concrete steps toward achieving net zero by 2050.
“To meet our net zero ambitions, we must significantly scale up electricity generation – by two to three times current levels – and this will only be possible through large-scale projects like Sizewell C and the Small Modular Reactor (SMR) programme.
“While these developments are both welcome and necessary, the UK nuclear industry must address its ongoing credibility challenges around delivering projects on time and within budget. Unlike the UK’s Hinkley Point C, nuclear projects in countries like China and the UAE have avoided major delays. Learning from these international examples is essential if we are to attract private investment and reduce reliance on gas-fired power stations.
“The selection of a preferred bidder for the SMR fleet is a long-awaited milestone – over a decade in the making – and we’re pleased to see it finally progressing.
“The clarification of roles between Great British Energy and Great British Energy – Nuclear, with NESO overseeing the critical upgrades to our national electricity infrastructure is welcomed. These upgrades are vital and must be properly funded, not treated as an afterthought.
“With the announcements on Sizewell C and SMRs, we urge the government to clarify its position on future gigawatt-scale nuclear projects, such as the previously proposed development at Wylfa.
“New nuclear power stations require a high-tech supply chain and a highly skilled workforce. Investment in key manufacturers like Sheffield Forgemasters is encouraging, but broader supply chain investment hinges on project certainty – contracts must be signed.
“The IET continues to support the sector through initiatives like the Nuclear Skills Taskforce. We’re also pleased to see continued investment in STEP, the UK’s prototype fusion power plant. A £2.5 billion commitment is significant and deserves more visibility.
“However, we note the absence of updates on advanced nuclear technologies, which could play a crucial role in decarbonising hard-to-abate sectors such as steelmaking and hydrogen production. We hope to see further clarity on this soon.”
Dr Lewis Blackburn, Lecturer in Nuclear Materials, University of Sheffield, said:
“Today the UK government demonstrated a clear and renewed commitment to nuclear fission as a means to achieve Net Zero, a key goal that was outlined in the 2024 White Paper “Civil Nuclear: Roadmap to 2050”. This comes in the form of an approximately £14B commitment to the Sizewell C project, comprising two EPR (European Pressurised Reactors) delivering a total of 3.2 GWe. The project is forecast to support 70k jobs and produce enough energy to power 6M UK homes. Today’s news also comes alongside an announcement that Rolls-Royce have been identified as the preferred bidder to construct the UK’s first Small Modular Reactors (SMR) – a fleet of smaller fission reactors designed to be built ‘modular’ on a production line, prior to shipping and assembly on-site.
“The UK faces a potential skills challenge in the field of nuclear engineering and projects like Sizewell C and Rolls-Royce SMR offer an exciting opportunity to build a skills pipeline, increasing the number and diversity of people entering the nuclear workforce, and bolstering the supply chain.
“In order for the UK to maintain its international reputation as a leader in civil nuclear, it must continue to invest heavily in new infrastructure, the wider industrial supply chain and R&D. Thus, producing the next generation of nuclear expertise in both the industrial and academic sectors, equipping them with the skills required for the UK to continue to utilise nuclear fission, safely, for generations to come.
“An important aspect of this is ensuring that highly radioactive waste, generated as a by-product of nuclear fission, is not passed onto future generations and is permanently disposed of. In this area, the UK is in the process of siting a geological disposal facility – a dedicated site wherein intermediate and high-level radioactive waste will be isolated from the wider environment permanently. The international consensus in the wider scientific and technical community is that this is the only feasible way to safely manage such wastes, ensuring passive safety. This is the focus of significant R&D in both the technical and academic space.”
Dr Mark Foreman, Associate professor of Nuclear Chemistry / Industrial Materials Recycling, Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, said:
“Building a new power plant based on light water reactors at Sizewell is a good idea, it will provide a reliable supply of electric power which will help society reduce its dependency on fossil fuels. I hold the view that it will be a safe means of providing for the energy needs of society. Many critics of nuclear power use the example of the Chornobyl accident to argue that all nuclear power plants are unsafe. This is unreasonable, operating the Chornobyl reactor in the same way as it was just before the accident can be thought of as like roller blading along the M1. While running modern (or even a 1980s era) light water reactor is like calmly driving a Volvo equipped with all the latest safety features along the M1.”
Prof Robin Grimes FRS FREng, Professor of materials physics, Imperial College London, said:
“Large plants such as Hinckley, currently under construction and this announced plant at Sizewell are very good at providing constant base load electricity capacity. They are also good for supporting grid stability and providing inertia. Of course they offer generation diversity and energy security. They will offer these benefits for many decades. As we turn to more electricity use to reduce carbon emissions we will need more nuclear electrify. However, large plant are less good at helping with the inherent intermittency of renewables. For this we need the greater flexibility as provided by small modular reactors or the higher temperatures of advanced modular reactors which offer access to more technology options for decarbonisation. I therefore see this announcement as part of the systems approach by which we progress to greater energy security and decarbonisation.”
Prof David Armstrong, Professor of Materials Science and Engineering (Department of Materials), University of Oxford, said:
“This is excellent news for the UK energy landscape. As the UKs aging AGR fleet retires new baseload energy is required. Sizewell C will sit alongside Hinkley Point B to provide sustainable emission free baseload energy complementing the growing wind and solar power and making a significant contribution to UK energy security.”
Dr Iain Staffell, Associate Professor of Sustainable Energy at the Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London, said:
“Today’s decision is an important one, but even with Hinkley C and Sizewell C, the UK’s nuclear capacity in the 2030s will still be below its 1990s peak.
“After a decade of dithering, Sizewell C is a litmus test of the UK’s ability to deliver complex infrastructure on schedule.
“This deal lives or dies on its delivery. Sizewell C must be built on time and on budget, learning from the (many) mistakes from Hinkley Point C and other UK mega-projects.
“Nuclear power offers a strong energy security hedge. Fuel and key parts can be stockpiled, insulating consumers from foreign instability and gas price spikes.
“Sizewell C won’t start generating for nearly a decade if it is built on time, so it only just contributes towards the Government’s 2035 clean-power goal. But, it is building for the long-term, and will deliver carbon-free electricity well into the 2080s.
“People are rightly concerned by the environmental impacts and emissions from the enormous construction project, but compared to the scale of energy production over the next six decades, nuclear remains one of the cleanest power sources we have.
“The upfront cost is undoubtedly high. £14 billion could fund around 10 GW of offshore wind versus just 3.2 GW of nuclear. But, these reactors will run day and night, especially valuable when the wind is not blowing.”
Louis Barson, the Institute of Physics Director of Science, Innovation and Skills said:
“It is good to see this decision made about developing Sizewell C. New nuclear will play a vital role in bringing reliable, secure and affordable power to new markets, decarbonising industry and helping countries meet their net zero commitments – as part of our future low-carbon energy mix.
“But we need to make sure we also pay attention to the desperate need for hundreds of thousands of skilled workers to support both this project and the development of smaller, modular, nuclear reactors.
“Signing off on Sizewell C is only half the picture, we need the nuclear-ready scientific workforce to make it a reality: that means more physics teachers, well-funded physics departments in universities and a healthy pipeline of physics talent.”
Tom Greatrex, Chief Executive, Nuclear Industry Association, said:
On Sizewell C Given Go-Ahead from Government
“This is a momentous day for Sizewell C and for the British nuclear programme. Sizewell C is one of Britain’s most important clean power projects, and will give the country the jobs, the economic growth and the energy security we need to ensure a secure and reliable power supply for the future. This record investment confirms the government is serious about building new nuclear and all the economic benefits that come with it, and will be welcomed in communities the length and breadth of Britain.”
On Rolls-Royce SMR Winning the UK SMR Competition
“This is a hugely significant moment for Rolls-Royce SMR and for the British nuclear programme. These SMRs will provide essential energy security and clean power alongside large scale reactors, all the while creating thousands of well-paid, skilled jobs, opportunities for growth right across the country and significant export potential. We look forward to working with Rolls-Royce SMR and all other potential SMR vendors, including those not successful today, on making Britain the best place to build new nuclear anywhere in the world.”
Prof Mark Wenman, Professor in Nuclear Materials, Imperial College London, said:
“This is a big step forward. Since the 1990s the amount of nuclear energy the UK produces has been steadily declining from around 12 to 4.5 GWe today. Sizewell C will help reverse this trend and further provide the UK with energy security. It will help balance the grid with the increase of renewables, replace fossil fuel plants and protect us against potential blackouts, as recently seen in Spain. Whilst the costs may seem high initially, this needs to be balanced against the fact that these reactors will produce low carbon electricity for 80 or possibly 100 years, 24/7, providing around a tenth of the current UK electricity needs. Once paid for, nuclear reactors produce the cheapest electricity of any kind, so this investment should be seen as future proofing the UK electricity system.”
Prof Adrian Bull,Chair in Nuclear Energy and Society, Dalton Nuclear Institute, University of Manchester, said:
“It’s very welcome news to see the announcements today of Government support for a new wave of nuclear power in this country. We’ve known for decades that reliance on imported gas could ruin the environment – but recent years showed us that it can ruin the economy too. Nuclear gives much-needed resilience against global fossil fuel prices, without emitting the gases that cause climate change, so it’s excellent news that we are going to see new plants – both large and small – built.
“I’m especially pleased that we have finally got over our national phobia of replicating a previous project. We’ve never done that in our UK nuclear fleet before, but the rest of the world learned ages ago that series construction is the route to certainty over the time and budget for such projects. Doing the same things at Sizewell which we have already done at Hinkley Point is much easier than starting from scratch to build a massively complex plant for the first time.
“The announcement of Rolls Royce as the winner of the SMR competition is a welcome sign of progress, but it’s disappointing to see only one winner selected, when we had all anticipated more. Government has long been supporting the Rolls Royce SMR project – with over £200m of public funds provided already – so it was inconceivable they would not be on the podium at the end of the race. Seeing them there alone makes the two years spent by Great British Nuclear on running a competition look like time and effort that could have been better spent.
“Overall though, these nuclear plants – whilst not cheap – will produce reliable, low carbon electricity around the clock and will most likely do so for the best part of a century. This is an investment in our grandchildren’s future as well as helping towards our 2050 climate goal.”
Prof Dame Sue Ion GBE FREng FRS, a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, said:
“It’s really good news that the Government is finally taking steps to ensure that nuclear energy plays the vital role it should in achieving significant quantities of stable low carbon electricity. Perhaps as importantly, if not more so, is the news that Rolls Royce’s Small Modular Reactor has been selected as the technology of choice to progress the opportunity presented by SMRs. These systems are designed from the outset to be modular, with modern construction techniques using much more factory fabrication, so they will be faster and easier to build.”
Prof Tom Scott, Professor in Materials, University of Bristol, said:
“This is an extremely important strategic step for the UK towards achieving net zero carbon emissions. Nuclear energy is a safe, secure and reliable form of electricity generation. With the lessons learnt from the Hinkley Point C project, and with the experienced workforce and supply chain that has been established because of it, my expectations are high for the delivery of Sizewell C at a much lower cost and shorter timescale.
“The announcement about Government investment in Sizewell C and more excitingly, about the investment in Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), really shows the Government’s understanding and commitment towards nuclear as a key part of the solution towards achieving zero carbon emissions in the UK.
“SMRs offer the potential for providing new nuclear power stations much faster and more cheaply than conventional large-scale light water reactors like Hinkley Point C. Ultimately, the roll-out of SMRs delivered by British companies like Rolls-Royce will help to keep our electricity prices low whilst also generating high-value jobs across the U.K. This is a smart investment for the UK.”
Dr Mark Foreman, Associate professor of Nuclear Chemistry / Industrial Materials Recycling, Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, said:
“Building a new power plant based on light water reactors at Sizewell is a good idea, it will provide a reliable supply of electric power which will help society reduce its dependency on fossil fuels. I hold the view that it will be a safe means of providing for the energy needs of society. Many critics of nuclear power use the example of the Chornobyl accident to argue that all nuclear power plants are unsafe. This is unreasonable, operating the Chornobyl reactor in the same way as it was just before the accident can be thought of as like roller blading along the M1. While running modern (or even a 1980s era) light water reactor is like calmly driving a Volvo equipped with all the latest safety features along the M1.”
Prof Adrian Bull: “I am a (paid) part time Professor at the Dalton Nuclear Institute, part of the University of Manchester; I am a (paid) consultant for US nuclear communications consultancy Full On Communications; I am an (unpaid) Board member of the Northern Nuclear Alliance; I am an (unpaid) Trustee of the Nuclear Institute; and am also the President-Elect, taking over in Jan 2026.”
Prof Dame Sue Ion: “Sue is Honorary President of the National Skills Academy for Nuclear.” “Sue is also a member of the Nuclear Regulatory Task Force.”
Prof Tom Scott: “In terms of interests, I am Director of the Spur West Nuclear Hub and Professor of Nuclear Materials at the University of Bristol sponsored by the Royal Academy of Engineering and the UK Atomic Energy Authority.
The nuclear hub is a consortium of academic, industrial and governmental partners coalescing around the requirement for research, skills and innovation in the UK nuclear sector.”
Dr Mark Foreman: “I have worked on advanced nuclear reprocessing for years and have also have worked on nuclear reactor safety issues. I have done and supervised research on the chemistry of nuclear accidents.”
Prof Mark Wenman “I have previously received funding for research from EDF Energy, Rolls-Royce, the UK National Nuclear Lab”
Tom Greatrex “The NIA is funded by its 320 member companies from across the civil nuclear industry.”
Dr Iain Staffell “I receive industry funding from a several companies in the UK and European energy sector, I try to keep this balanced so as not to over-represent any one technology or organization. Recent funding sources include: Drax, Octopus, SSE, HM Government, NESO (National Grid), EWE, Aurora, Baringa, Shell, Uniper, SLB, and the World Bank.”
Prof David Armstrong “I’ve had funding from UKAEA, Rolls Royce and EdF for research and students over the last 20 years.”
Prof Robin Grimes “I am a non-executive director of UKAEA and receive research funding from the UK national nuclear laboratory.”
Dr Mark Foreman “I do not currently get any money from the nuclear industry, I do not stand to make any money from the sales of nuclear products / technology. I have not been employed by the nuclear industry. I think that in terms of conflicts of interest I have none.”
Dr Lewis Blackburn“He receives funding from industry via Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, National Nuclear Laboratory, and Nuclear Waste Services”
Stephanie Baxter “No conflicts of interest.”
Will Davis “No conflicts of interest.”
Prof Andy Stirling “no conflicts of interest to declare.”
Dr Phil Johnstone “no conflicts of interest to declare.”
Dr Sarah Darby “I have no conflicts of interest to declare.”
For all other experts, no reply to our request for DOIs was received.
Professor of anthropology Dimitris Xygalatas is a scientist and self-declared rational thinker. But he’s also a lifelong soccer fan, and he fully admits that when his Greek home team finally won their league in 2019, he cried tears of joy.
“Not what you might call a rational organism’s behavior,” he jokes.
But his reaction is in keeping with his latest study, published online this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), which shows that the intense feelings of joy, unity, and excitement fans experience surrounding sports can be less about the game and more about the ritual of coming together.
“Rituals are the kinds of things that, at first glance, don’t make any sense in terms of human behavior, but are deeply meaningful to people,” says Xygalatas.
With the cooperation of a die-hard Brazilian soccer (actually, it’s “football,” Xygalatas grudgingly reminds us Americans) fan club, Xygalatas and his team tracked the physiological arousal of fans before, during, and after a state championship final in Minas Gerais between local rival teams.
Using wearable heart monitors, they measured the emotional reactions of fans during the ritual of Rua de Fogo (Street of Fire), where crowds gather near the stadium to welcome the team’s bus. As it arrives, fans light flares, smoke bombs, and fireworks, wave flags, and chant to boost team morale and unify supporters.
The scientists outfitted participants with EKG monitors hidden beneath their clothing. The devices measured heart rate fluctuations, which is a proxy for emotional arousal, as fans participated in the pre-game celebration, entered the stadium, and watched the match unfold.
What they found was striking: The levels of shared excitement, or what the scientists call “collective effervescence,” peaked not during the game, but during the pre-game fan rituals.
Only when the home team scored a goal did those physiological markers exceed the emotional high of the pre-match gathering.
“What we see is that, in fact, the pre-game ritual generates more emotional synchrony than the game itself,” Xygalatas says. “There’s a single moment in the entire game when they have more collective emotional synchrony than the pre-game ritual, and that’s when they scored a goal.”
The findings underscore Xygalatas’ broader work to understand how ritual shapes human behavior and identity.
Xygalatas’ past research has taken him to remote firewalking ceremonies and intense religious festivals. But soccer, he says, offers a unique laboratory: It’s a global obsession that’s rich in ritual and pageantry, but largely free from political or religious ideology.
“People attribute a lot of meaning to sports,” Xygalatas says. “Sports generate billions and billions of dollars globally, and they take up so much of people’s attention. And the reason they do that is not just because of what’s happening on the pitch. It’s because of these ritualized interactions that occur among the fans.”
The implications, the paper argues, extend beyond sports. Ritualized group behaviors like concerts, religious ceremonies, or political rallies, may powerfully shape people’s emotions and even their beliefs.
“By going to these events, we’re actually shaping our beliefs,” he says. “So, sports is not just an excuse for people to get together. It’s a driver of identity.”
Xygalatas speaks from experience. As a young man growing up in Thessaloniki, Greece, he was a member of a soccer fan club. One day, while wearing his team’s scarf in the wrong neighborhood, he was ambushed by four men and brutally attacked, an incident that echoes the fatal beating of a 19-year-old in his hometown years later, also over team allegiance.
“I felt a blow to my head from behind, and next thing I knew, there were four men beating me, kicking me on the head, everywhere,” remembers Xygalatas. “The reason I was able to escape is that another group of men was turning the corner, wearing my insignia, so they chased them away.”
Football, he says, is the only sport that regularly leads to deadly violence, a fact that leagues and governing bodies like FIFA should take seriously.
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He says it’s in soccer clubs’ best interest to strike a balance between building loyalty, which Europeans and South Americans are excellent at doing, and making it safe for people to participate in.
Still, Xygalatas is clear that he’s not advocating for less passion. He hopes his work helps people understand why they care so deeply in the first place.
“If we look at what makes us human, we realize that it’s our ability and our need to derive meaning from things that seem meaningless,” he says.
Xygalatas’ co-authors on this paper are Mohammadamin Saraei, graduate student in the Department of Psychological Sciences; Vitor Leandro da Silva Profeta, professor in the Departamento de Educação Física at the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais; and Gabriela Baranowski-Pinto, professor in the Department of Human Movement Sciences at the Universidade do Estado de Minas Gerais.
CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom, June 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Subscription brands are pulling away from digital advertising. According to a new industry-wide study from Bango (AIM: BGO), 48% of subscription leaders report diminishing returns from traditional direct acquisition methods like paid search and paid social media. A further 53% warn that direct marketing is becoming “unsustainable” as customer acquisition costs spiral.
The report — Gravity Shift: Subscribers, bundles, and the acquisition black hole — captures responses from more than 200 senior executives at subscription-based businesses, spanning sectors from AI productivity apps to streaming services, retail, and finance. It reveals a stark reality: the performance marketing model that powered subscription growth over the last decade is under serious strain.
“Direct marketing used to be a reliable engine for growth. Now it’s a black hole,” said Anil Malhotra, CMO at Bango. “When nearly half your industry says ROI is vanishing, alarm bells should be ringing. It’s time to rethink how subscriptions go to market.”
Key findings:
88% of subscription brands expect direct acquisition costs to rise in 2025, with nearly one in three forecasting increases of over 25%.
80% are cutting back on at least one paid channel, including:
Paid search ads (33%)
Display advertising (30%)
Paid social ads (29%)
46% of leaders describe direct marketing spend as a “black hole” for their budgets.
53% believe direct channels are no longer a sustainable path to growth.
What’s driving the pullback?
Executives cited rising ad costs, algorithm changes, data privacy limits, and subscriber fatigue as the most pressing challenges. Compounding this, many brands report hitting the ceiling on their ability to profitably scale one-to-one acquisition.
“Netflix spends nearly $3 billion a year on marketing. That’s simply not feasible for the rest of the market,” said Giles Tongue, subscription expert at Bango. “Most brands don’t have the scale to absorb that kind of spend, especially when the returns are eroding. Direct-to-consumer marketing is hitting diminishing returns, and leaders are now looking for smarter, more sustainable ways to grow.”
Where the money is going
Rather than doubling down, brands are reallocating budget toward indirect acquisition strategies, such as bundling, partnerships, and aggregator platforms. According to the report:
82% of brands plan to increase investment in indirect channels this year.
90% are already bundling — or plan to — in 2025.
72% say indirect routes bring in higher quality subscribers than direct channels.
Among the fastest-growing channels: partnerships with telcos, banks, device platforms, and social media platforms. Over a quarter of brands (27%) are joining “Super Bundling” platforms like Verizon myPlan and myHome to reach new audiences without high upfront acquisition costs.
Bango’s recent consumer data also supports the shift: 62% of U.S. subscribers would prefer to manage multiple subscriptions through a single bundle, and 44% already get at least one subscription free as part of a packaged deal. Among younger users, these numbers are even higher — 55% of 18–24-year-olds now receive a bundled subscription they previously paid for directly.
Tongue added: “We’re seeing a clear shift from the subscription economy to the bundle economy. Consumers don’t want to manage ten separate subscriptions — they want value, convenience, and flexibility. The brands that win in this next phase will be the ones that package their offerings in ways that reflect how people actually want to buy.”
Implications beyond the subscription market
The findings come at a critical time for digital advertising giants like Google, Meta, and TikTok — whose earnings rely heavily on performance ad spend. If subscription leaders are a bellwether, Bango’s findings suggest we could be entering a post-performance marketing era, where distribution partnerships replace ad impressions as the metric that matters.
Bango expects the pivot to indirect acquisition and bundling to drive a wave of commercial opportunity for its Digital Vending Machine® (DVM™) platform. Bango’s DVM currently powers many of the world’s leading Super Bundling platforms, including Verizon myPlan and myHome, and supports acquisition for major services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Uber, YouTube, and Xbox. With 90% of subscription leaders now investing in bundling, the DVM is well placed to capitalize on the wider industry adoption and accelerated growth of indirect marketing through 2025 and beyond.
Bango enables content providers to reach more paying customers through global partnerships. Bango revolutionized the monetization of digital content and services, by opening-up online payments to mobile phone users worldwide. Today, the Digital Vending Machine® is driving the rapid growth of the subscription economy, powering choice and control for subscribers.
The world’s largest content providers, including Amazon, Google and Microsoft, trust Bango technology to reach subscribers everywhere.
Bango, where people subscribe. For more information, visit www.bango.com
NEW YORK, June 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Brandon Werley, Managing Director at Dave Cantin Group (DCG), a leading mergers and acquisitions advisory company to retail automotive groups and their owners, has been named a recipient of the 2025 Emerging Leaders Award from M&A Advisor magazine.
The 16th Annual Emerging Leaders Awards celebrate the accomplishments of M&A, finance and turnaround professionals whose significant level of success while still under the age of 40 establishes them as the industry’s emerging leaders. Brandon is the second DCG team member to receive this honor: in 2023, Brian Traugott, Chief of Staff, was also named an Emerging Leader.
“Brandon’s recognition as an Emerging Leader by M&A Advisor is a proud moment for all of us at DCG,” said CEO Dave Cantin. “His rapid rise and the trust he’s earned from major clients reflect not only his deep industry knowledge, but also his relentless work ethic and integrity. Brandon embodies the next generation of leadership in automotive M&A, and we’re honored to have him helping shape the future of our company and our industry.”
Since starting his professional career in 2018, Brandon’s path has taken him from Big Four accounting firm KPMG to Haig Partners, Withum and now Dave Cantin Group, where he helps companies strategically grow through acquisitions and optimize their portfolios through divestitures.
Brandon has advised on more than 70 completed transactions, overseeing everything from valuations and financial due diligence to negotiations and closings. He played pivotal roles in landmark deals such as Apollo Global Management’s $585 million acquisition of 34 dealership properties from Capital Automotive Real Estate Services Inc. (2019) and the sale of 17 Prime Automotive Group stores across six states (2020-2021). His expertise has contributed to strategic transactions with major dealership groups such as Lithia Motors, Asbury Automotive Group, Atlantic Coast Automotive and Open Road Capital, among several other Top 150 Dealership Groups.
Based in Pennsylvania, Brandon continues to play a key role at Dave Cantin Group, which is on track to have one of its most active advisory years in the company’s history.
About Dave Cantin Group
The Dave Cantin Group is a leading automotive M&A advisory company specializing in acquisitions, divestitures, intelligence, and other advisory services. The company is the M&A services provider of choice for North America’s top automotive dealership groups, advising on approximately 40 transactions annually. DCG is differentiated by its advisory approach, long-term lens on client relationships, and commitment to market intelligence tools that inform DCG and client strategies. In 2023, DCG became the only retail automotive M&A company with a significant strategic investor, welcoming Kaltroco to the DCG family.
Through its M&A intelligence division, DCG produces automotive content and delivers relevant, timely marketing intelligence, including the automotive industry Market Outlook Report (MOR). Together with CBT News, DCG produces the Inside M&A studio show and podcast to share stories, news and trends impacting the retail automotive industry. DCG’s proprietary AI-enabled software, Jump IQ, anchors its advisory services that support retail automotive dealers in developing informed M&A strategies and making smarter M&A decisions.
The company’s nonprofit initiative, DCG Giving, funds child and adolescent cancer research and treatment in communities nationwide and other worthy charitable initiatives. DCG team members regularly feature on the industry speaking circuit and are regularly cited by top national and global news outlets. For more information, please visit davecantingroup.com.
Bangui (Agenzia Fides) – “We, the Bishops of Bangassou, together with the entire Catholic community, are deeply concerned about the violence affecting Haut Mbomou,” emphasize Juan Josè Aguirre, Bishop of Bangassou and Aurelio Gazzera, Coadjutor Bishop of the diocese in the south-east of the Central African Republic, in a pastoral letter read on Sunday, June 8, during the Mass in the parishes of the diocese in the southeast of the Central African Republic.”We cannot accept that the southeast of our country, the Central African Republic, is the scene of violence of any kind, a land from which people are fleeing, a land of devastation,” the two bishops write. “We mourn the dozens of deaths in recent weeks,” they emphasize in this context. In their letter, Bishops Aguirre and Gazzera recall that “the southeast has been in mourning for decades, a region fought over and exploited first by LRA fighters, then by the Seleka rebels, and finally by the Azande Ani Kpi Gbe; the latter movement, founded to protect the population from the violence of the UPC and other former armed groups, is in danger of becoming a danger to the population itself.” The LRA (Lord’s Resistance Army) is a guerrilla movement born in Uganda that has been active in this part of Central Africa for several years, while the Seleka movement brings together a number of militias that emerged during the 2012 civil war. The UPC (Unité pour la Paix en Centrafrique), on the other hand, is a group that emerged in 2014 from a split of the Seleka movement. These groups have recently been joined by mercenaries from the Russian private military company Wagner, who officially operate in support of the Armed Forces of Central Africa (FACA), but have been responsible for serious violence against innocent civilians. “In recent weeks, we have mourned deaths: FACA soldiers, but also civilians. Civilians have been shot, wounded, tortured, and executed – with complete impunity,” said Bishops Aguirre and Gazzera. “We think of the thousands of civilians who have been forced to flee Zemio, Mboki, and Djema, including tens of thousands on their way to the Democratic Republic of Congo. We think of villages that have been bombed, looted, and set on fire.” “All of this must end: The violence will not stop. Quite the opposite! Violence only breeds more violence, division and misery, hatred, mistrust, and ultimately a vicious cycle of revenge,” the bishops warn. “We ask all those involved: Azande Ani Kpi Gbe, FACA, Wagner, and the population, to put an end to the violence and to commit themselves so that this remote and isolated region, without roads or transport links, can live in peace and become a territory where every woman, man, child, and young person can look to life and the future with hope,” Bishops Aguirre and Gazzera wrote in their pastoral letter. “The Catholic Church, which has opened the doors of the missions in Zemio, Mboki, and Obo in recent weeks, is always ready and willing to welcome all people of good will around the table to discuss and work on peace, reconciliation, and development in the region,” the two bishops emphasized. “This is not the time for war, but for dialogue! It is not the time for violence, but the time to listen! It is not the time for suspicion, resentment, accusations, and jealousies, but the time to listen to the poor, to hear their cry for peace! Let us pray and implore peace. But let us also be women and men of peace, in our thoughts, words, and deeds. Peace be with you!” the bishops conclude. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 10/6/2025)
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Israeli gunfire killed at least 17 Palestinians and wounded dozens as thousands of displaced people approached an aid distribution site of a U.S.-backed humanitarian group in central Gaza on Tuesday, local health authorities said.
Medics said the casualties were rushed at two hospitals, the Al-Awda Hospital in Nuseirat camp in central Gaza, and the Al-Quds in Gaza City, in the north.
The Israeli military said its forces fired warning shots at “suspects who were advancing in the area of Wadi Gaza and posed a threat to the troops.” It added that it was aware of reports that several were injured, but argued numbers released by local health authorities did not align with the information they collected.
“The warning shots were fired hundreds of meters from the aid distribution site, prior to its opening hours and toward the suspects who posed a threat to the troops,” the military added.
Last week it warned Palestinians not to approach routes leading to sites of the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. local time, describing these roads as closed military zones.
There was no immediate GHF comment on Tuesday’s incident.
The GHF began distributing food packages in Gaza at the end of May, overseeing a new model of aid distribution which the United Nations says is neither impartial nor neutral.
Many Gazans say they have to walk for hours to reach the sites, meaning they have to start travelling well before dawn if they are to stand any chance of receiving food.
While the GHF has said there have been no incidents at its so-called secure distribution sites, Palestinians seeking aid have described disorder, and access routes to the sites have been beset by chaos and deadly violence.
“I went there at 2 a.m. hoping to get some food, on my way there, I saw people returning empty-handed, they said aid packages have run out in five minutes, this is insane and isn’t enough,” said Mohammad Abu Amr, 40, a father of two.
“Dozens of thousands arrive from the central areas and from the northern areas too, some of them walked for over 20 km (12 miles), only to come back home with disappointment,” he told Reuters via a chat app. He said he heard the firing but did not see what happened.
Later on Tuesday, local health authorities said an Israeli strike on a house in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza Strip killed eight people, taking Tuesday’s death toll to at least 25.
The Israeli military said separately, it intercepted one rocket fired from northern Gaza towards Israeli territories, which signalled Hamas and other militant group remained able to fire the weapons despite Israeli devastation of their arsenal.
Israel allowed limited U.N.-led operations to resume on May 19 after an 11-week blockade in the enclave of 2.3 million people, where experts have warned a famine looms. The U.N. has described the aid allowed into Gaza as “drop in the ocean.”
Witnesses said at least 40 trucks carrying flour for U.N. warehouses were looted by desperate displaced Palestinians as well as thieves near Nabulsi roundabout along the coastal road in Gaza City.
The war erupted after Hamas-led militants took 251 hostages and killed 1,200 people, most of them civilians, in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack, Israel’s single deadliest day.
Israel’s military campaign has since killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to health authorities in Gaza, and flattened much of the coastal enclave.
A shooter killed at least nine people and wounded many others in an attack at a secondary school in the southern Austrian city of Graz on Tuesday, the city’s mayor said.
Graz Mayor Elke Kahr was quoted by Austrian news agency APA as saying the attacker was also dead, and that many of the injured had been taken to hospital following the shooting, which she called a “terrible tragedy”.
Police gave no initial toll but said “several” people were dead and they were working in the assumption there was only one attacker. APA video showed emergency workers loading a stretcher into an ambulance.
The reports did not specify how many of the dead were pupils. Ambulances were on the scene outside the school.
A local police spokesman said the area had been secured, the school had been evacuated and relatives of the victims and pupils were being cared for.
“There is no further danger for the population, but there are several dead,” he told Austrian television.
Salzburger Nachrichten newspaper cited unconfirmed reports as saying the suspect was a 22-year-old former student who carried two weapons – a pistol and a shotgun. Kronen Zeitung tabloid said a suspect had been found dead in a bathroom. Reuters could not immediately confirm this.
UNBEARABLE
“It’s incomprehensible and unbearable. My sympathy and grief go out to the victims and their families. No one can imagine the suffering; as a mother of three children, it breaks my heart,” Austria’s Minister for European and International Affairs Beate Meinl-Reisinger wrote on X.
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on X: “Every child should feel safe at school and be able to learn free from fear and violence. My thoughts are with the victims, their families and the Austrian people in this dark moment.”
Austria has one of the most heavily armed civilian populations in Europe, with an estimated 30 firearms per 100 persons, according to the Small Arms Survey, an independent research project.
Machine guns and pump action guns are banned, while revolvers, pistols and semi-automatic weapons are allowed only with official authorization. Rifles and shotguns are permitted with a firearms license or a valid hunting licence, or for members of traditional shooting clubs.
Four people were killed and 22 injured when a convicted jihadist went on a shooting spree in the centre of Vienna in 2020. In November 1997, a 36-year-old mechanic shot dead six people in the town of Mauterndorf before killing himself.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Orezone Gold Corporation (TSX: ORE, OTCQX: ORZCF) (the “Company” or “Orezone”) is pleased to provide additional drill results from its ongoing multi-year exploration campaign at its flagship Bomboré Gold Mine. These latest results are from multiple targets identified along the broader 14km long reserve defined Bomboré gold system, which remains open for further expansion.
Selected Drill Highlights1:
11.33g/t Au over 11.00m (BBC6960)
10.28g/t Au over 5.00m (BBC7132)
6.79g/t Au over 8.00m and 2.22g/t Au over 14.00m (BBC7141)
7.40g/t Au over 6.70m (BBD1124)
6.61g/t Au over 4.15m (BBD1341)
2.96g/t Au over 10.00m (BBC7158)
1.84g/t Au over 15.70m (BBD1346)
1.53g/t Au over 17.00m (BBC7148)
1.45g/t Au over 14.10m (BBD1344)
1.23g/t Au over 9.65m (BBD1329)
Patrick Downey, President and CEO stated, “These latest drill results further underscore the significant exploration upside at Bomboré and clearly illustrate that the broader system remains open to depth, along strike and outside of the currently delineated mineralized trends. At P17, drilling was successful in tracing higher-grade sub-zone mineralization a further 300m down plunge, while wide spaced step-out drilling at P16 and Siga have extended mineralization a respective 600m and 550m along strike. As we ramp up our exploration efforts at Bomboré, we continue to re-evaluate and update the project’s existing exploration framework. The latest results also provide clear evidence that the hanging wall and footwall of the broader 14km long reserve defined system are prospective for additional near-surface discoveries, which was not previously recognized.
While Bomboré currently hosts a stated 5 million ounce global resource, which is the basis for the ongoing production expansion to 220,000 to 250,000 ounces per annum, the results of the current exploration program continue to provide support for the Company’s long-term targeted resource base of 7 to 10 million ounces.”
P17 Trend: Higher-Grade Sub-Zones
Drilling at P17 was successful in further illustrating the down plunge continuity of the higher-grade sub-zones, the highlight of which was an intercept of 7.40g/t Au over 6.70m (BBD1124), which marks a 300m down plunge extension from the previously reported 11.52g/t Au over 10.60m (BBD1081, Figure 3). Other notable sub-zone intercepts from this recent round of drilling include 5.22g/t Au over 4.00m (BBD1346), 20.14g/t Au over 2.00m (BBD1341) and 15.61g/t Au over 1.00m (BBD1335).
While the Company continues to define the structural setting of the P17 Trend, and further develop a predictive model for future sub-zone targeting, a key takeaway from the recent drilling was a better understanding of the controls of the higher-grade mineralization which comprise these sub-zones. It is now recognized that the higher-grades are associated with a later-stage quartz veining event, within which multiple occurrences of visible gold were observed for the first time (Figure 1). This marks an important development in the Company’s understanding of the Bomboré system, which to date has been focused on a low grade, bulk tonnage open pit model. While still early-stage, the Company continues to evaluate the sub-zones along the P17 Trend, and other localized higher-grade areas along the broader 14km system, as future potential sources of higher-grade underground feed, beneath the open pits.
In addition to extending the Bomboré mineral system to depth, and defining higher-grade sub-zones within, further delineating near-surface strike extensions to multiple resource areas continues to be another important area of investigation. A highlight of such recent targeting was at P16, where a series of step-out holes successfully identified mineralization an additional 600m to the north (Figure 2), as supported by intercepts of 0.92g/t Au over 14.35m (BBD1348), 0.71g/t Au over 9.00m (BBD1349), 0.68g/t Au over 17.00m (BBD1338) and 1.27g/t Au over 5.00m (BBC7180). These initial step-out results support the interpretation that P16 is a sub-parallel trend to the P17 Trend, which significantly expands the exploration model and potential within this area of the project.
Future targeting of the P16 strike extension will be centered on backfill drilling, with the goal of delineating open pittable near-surface mineralization, as well as to further investigate the potential for higher-grade sub-zones, as is observed within the P16 resource area.
At Siga, initial testing of the southern strike extension yielded encouraging results, with mineralization intercepted approximately 550m to the south of the current mineral resource. This area of the project has not been previously explored with results of the initial scout drilling returning 5.93g/t Au over 0.85m and 6.35g/t Au over 1.00m (BBD1340). Follow-up drilling will comprise a series of wide spaced backfill fences to further delineate this broad southern extension.
Additionally, significant potential remains to extend resources to the north of the existing open pit designs in the North Zone. Localized 50-100m step-outs along the broader North Zone strike extension have demonstrated promising continuity, with initial results of 2.22g/t Au over 14.00m and 6.79g/t Au over 8.00m (BBC7141) and 2.21g/t Au over 7.00m (BBC7201). Further drilling along this northern strike extension, which has seen limited testing to date, is planned for upcoming campaigns.
Expanding Exploration Model
In addition to testing the extent of known mineralization, the Company continues to challenge the broader exploration model at Bomboré. The previously established exploration framework was centered on gold mineralization being confined to the Bomboré Shear Zone, with limited prospects within the hanging wall and footwall of the broader system. However, more recent targeted drilling, and local surface excavations outside of the mining lease, provide evidence to the contrary. Initial testing within the immediate hanging wall to the Siga Zone has led to the discovery of the HK Zone (Figure 2), which is marked by intercepts of 11.33g/t Au over 11.00m (BBC6960), 10.28g/t Au over 5.00m (BBC7132), 1.35g/t Au over 9.00m (BBC6976), and 1.46g/t Au over 6.00m (BBC7120).
With the prospects of identifying additional high-grade centers of mineralization outside of the Bomboré Shear Zone, the Company has recently commenced a near-mine and regional air core drill program, comprising a series of wide spaced drill fences within the mining lease and surrounding exploration tenements.
Figure 2 – Bomboré Plan Map Highlighting Selected Intercepts
* True widths for all zones are reported as a percentage of drilled lengths: North Zone 85%, P8/P9 70-85%, Siga 90%, P11 75-85%, P17S 70% and 90-100%, P17N 70% and HK 75-80%.
About Orezone Gold Corporation
Orezone Gold Corporation (TSX: ORE OTCQX: ORZCF) is a West African gold producer engaged in mining, developing, and exploring its 90%-owned flagship Bomboré Gold Mine in Burkina Faso. The Bomboré mine achieved commercial production on its oxide operations on December 1, 2022, and is now focused on its staged hard rock expansion that is expected to materially increase annual and life-of-mine gold production from the processing of hard rock mineral reserves. Orezone is led by an experienced team focused on social responsibility and sustainability with a proven track record in project construction and operations, financings, capital markets, and M&A.
The technical report entitled Bomboré Phase II Expansion, Definitive Feasibility Study is available on SEDAR+ and the Company’s website.
Contact Information
Patrick Downey President and Chief Executive Officer
Kevin MacKenzie Vice President, Corporate Development and Investor Relations
For further information please contact Orezone at +1 (778) 945 8977 or visit the Company’s website atwww.orezone.com.
The Toronto Stock Exchange neither approves nor disapproves the information contained in this news release.
Qualified person
Alastair Gallaugher (CGeol), Exploration Manager for Orezone, is the Qualified Person under NI 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information contained in this news release.
QA/QC
The mineralized intervals are based on a lower cut-off grade of 0.28g/t in the Oxide+Upper Transition zone, and 0.45g/t Au in the Lower Transition+Hard Rock zone. The half-core drilling samples were cut using a diamond saw by Orezone employees. The samples were prepared by BIGS Global Burkina s.a.r.l. (“BIGS Global”) and then split by Orezone to 1 kg using Rotary Sample Dividers (“RSDs”). A 1kg aliquot was analyzed for leachable gold at BIGS Global in Ouagadougou, by bottle-roll cyanidation using a LeachWellTM catalyst. The leach residues from all samples with a leach grade greater than or equal to 0.25g/t Au were prepared by BIGS Global and then split by Orezone to 50g using RSDs. A 50g aliquot was analyzed by fire assay at BIGS Global.
Orezone employs a rigorous Quality Control Program including a minimum of 10% standards, blanks and duplicates. The composite width and grade include the final leach residue assay results for most of the drill intercepts reported.
This press release contains certain information that constitutes “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable Canadian Securities laws and “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of applicable U.S. securities laws (together, “forward-looking statements”). Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as “plan”, “expect”, “project”, “intend”, “believe”, “anticipate”, “estimate”, “potential”, “possible” and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions “may”, “will”, “could”, or “should” occur.
Forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to statements with respect to the exploration program and the significant exploration upside at Bomboré including that the broader system remains open to depth, along strike and outside of the currently delineated mineralized trends; the potential to materially expand the project’s resource base from the current global 5 million gold ounces, to a targeted 7 to 10 million gold ounces longer term and the ongoing production expansion to 220,000 to 250,000 ounces per annum; evidence that the hanging wall and footwall of the broader 14km long reserve defined system are prospective for additional near-surface discoveries; the initial step-out results support the interpretation that P16 is a sub-parallel trend to the P17 Trend, which significantly expands the exploration model and potential within this region of the project; and significant potential remains to extend resources to the north of the existing open pit designs in the North Zone.
All forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements including, but not limited to, terrorist or other violent attacks, the failure of parties to contracts to honour contractual commitments, unexpected changes in laws, rules or regulations, or their enforcement by applicable authorities; social or labour unrest; changes in commodity prices; unexpected failure or inadequacy of infrastructure, the possibility of project cost overruns or unanticipated costs and expenses, accidents and equipment breakdowns, political risk, unanticipated changes in key management personnel, the spread of diseases, epidemics and pandemics diseases, market or business conditions, the failure of exploration programs, including drilling programs, to deliver anticipated results and the failure of ongoing and uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future, and other factors described in the Company’s most recent annual information form and management’s discussion and analysis filed on SEDAR+ on www.sedarplus.ca. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements are based on the applicable assumptions and factors management considers reasonable as of the date hereof, based on the information available to management at such time. These assumptions and factors include, but are not limited to, assumptions and factors related to the Company’s ability to carry on current and future operations, including: development and exploration activities; the timing, extent, duration and economic viability of such operations, including any mineral resources or reserves identified thereby; the accuracy and reliability of estimates, projections, forecasts, studies and assessments; the Company’s ability to meet or achieve estimates, projections and forecasts; the availability and cost of inputs; the price and market for outputs, including gold; foreign exchange rates; taxation levels; the timely receipt of necessary approvals or permits; the ability to meet current and future obligations; the ability to obtain timely financing on reasonable terms when required; the current and future social, economic and political conditions; and other assumptions and factors generally associated with the mining industry.
Although the forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based upon what management of the Company believes are reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure investors that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release and are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Subject to applicable securities laws, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this press release.
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