Source: United Nations (Video News)
Joint press encounter delivered by Samuel Žbogar, Representative of the Republic of Slovenia to the UN Security Council, joined by representatives of the Denmark, France, Greece and the United Kingdom on Russia, Ukraine and multilateralism.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Farah Houdroge, Mathematical Modeller, Burnet Institute
Needle and syringe programs are a proven public health intervention that provide free, sterile injecting equipment to people who use drugs. By reducing needle sharing, these programs help prevent the spread of blood-borne viruses such as hepatitis C and HIV and minimise life-threatening bacterial infections.
Australia leads the world in community-based needle and syringe programs. But they are not used in Australian prisons – which are hotspots for injection-related infections.
This is a breach of human rights and United Nations resolutions, which make clear health-care standards for people in prison must be equivalent to those in the community.
In addition to meeting human rights standards, our new modelling – the first of its kind in Australia – shows there would be significant economic benefits to implementing prison-based programs.
Australia is a world leader in needle and syringe programs in the community. There are 4,218 sites across the country (as of 2021). Each year they distribute more than 50 million needles and syringes.
Among people who inject drugs, that’s about 508 needles and syringes per person each year — the highest rate globally, and more than double the World Health Organization’s benchmark for high needle and syringe program coverage (200 per person per year).
For reference, the country with the second-highest coverage was Finland (with 450 needles and syringes per person who injects drugs per year) followed by the Netherlands (367).
A law enforcement emphasis in responding to drug use – rather than public health focus – has resulted in grossly disproportionate rates of incarceration among people who use drugs.
In Australia, between 29% and 52% of people in prisons report injecting drugs at some point in their lives, and around 40% of people who were injecting drugs in the community before prison continue to inject inside.
Without access to sterile injecting equipment, needle sharing and unsafe injecting practices are common. As a result, people who inject drugs in prison are at higher risk of transmitting blood-borne viruses such as hepatitis C than those in the community.
In 2023, 42% of all hepatitis C treatments in the country were delivered in prisons. These treatments are government-funded, highly effective and curative (meaning total recovery).
But the prevention strategies used in the community – which stop infections happening again – are not used in prison. Re-infection in prisons occurs at more than twice the rate of initial infection.
Australian peak bodies, as well as major research and community health organisations, have long supported the introduction of prison-based programs.
However, legal and political opposition, concerns around safety and security, and funding constraints have all contributed to the lack of progress.
As of 2023, prison needle and syringe programs operated in eleven countries worldwide. The outcomes are positive for both health (reduction in needle sharing, drug use and hepatitis C and HIV transmission) and prison safety.
A 2024 study of Canada’s existing needle and syringe program, operating in nine prisons, found it will save the health-care system $C0.85 million in treatment costs between 2018 and 2030 by preventing hepatitis C and other injection-related infections. In contrast, the program cost just $C0.45 million to run. Canada has since expanded the program to eleven prisons nationwide.
To bring an economic perspective to this debate in Australia, our new study estimated the costs and benefits of introducing needle and syringe programs in all Australian prisons, aiming to reach 50% of people who inject drugs in prison between 2025 and 2030.
We drew on a similar program in Luxembourg which follows international best practice. This needle and syringe program is delivered through prison health services. Sterile injecting equipment is provided face-to-face by health staff. Used equipment is exchanged one-for-one (meaning a sterile needle-syringe can be exchanged for a used one), in a confidential and safe manner.
Then, we identified the specific components and resources needed to implement the program, such as sterile injecting equipment and annual training sessions for prison health staff. We researched their associated costs to calculate the total cost of scaling-up nationally.
Finally, we modelled the number of hepatitis C and other injection-related infections the program would prevent. These infections can have serious health consequences and are costly to treat. The money saved here helped us calculate the cost savings (that is, the benefits) of the program.
Implementing prison-based programs nationally would cost approximately $A12.2 million between 2025 and 2030. But this investment could prevent 894 hepatitis C infections and 522 injection-related bacterial and fungal infections.
We estimated these infections would cost the health-care system $31.7 million to treat – more than double the cost of preventing them with a prison needle and syringe program.
In other words: for every dollar invested in prison-based programs, more than two dollars would be saved in health-care costs.
People have strong views about injecting drug use and prison-based needle and syringe programs. But countries where needle and syringe programs have been successfully implemented in prisons have several things in common.
First, there is widespread understanding among everyone involved in using, administrating or overseeing the program of its benefits. Eliminating blood-borne viruses can reduce health risks for people in prison and improve the safety of staff.
Second, successful implementation is inclusive. It ensures a range of people have meaningful input in how the program is designed and delivered, including incarcerated people, health-care professionals and policymakers, prison officers and government bodies.
Third, drug use in prison is treated as a public health issue, not a political football. The failed War on Drugs has only compounded the issue, leading to the over-incarceration of people who use drugs and the creation of lucrative prison drug markets.
If Australia is to eliminate hepatitis C by 2030 – as the national hepatitis C strategy outlines – it will be essential to combine prison-based treatment with prevention strategies, including needle and syringe programs.
We now know they are likely to save money too.
Mark Stoové has received funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council, the Victorian Department of Health, and the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aging. He has also received investigator-initiated research funding from Gilead Sciences and AbbVie and consultant fees from Gilead Sciences for activities unrelated to this work.
Nick Scott receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia, and has previously received funding from the Victorian Department of Health and the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care.
Farah Houdroge 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.
– ref. Prison needle programs could save double what they cost – our new modelling shows how – https://theconversation.com/prison-needle-programs-could-save-double-what-they-cost-our-new-modelling-shows-how-254592
Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Jamie Levin, Associate Professor of Political Science, St. Francis Xavier University
The policy of every American president since Harry S. Truman has been to limit the proliferation of nuclear weapons.
They have not always been successful. The world’s most powerful weapons spread, with nine countries now possessing them. But no United States president has actively sought their further proliferation, as the belligerent policies of Donald Trump are now set to do.
In 2018, during his first term as president, Trump tore up the Iran nuclear deal, which had successfully placed limits on the enrichment of weapons-grade materials in exchange for sanctions relief.
Iran has since accelerated its nuclear weapons program. Estimates now put Iran within months or even weeks of producing several bombs.
A short time later, after a series of escalating threats, Trump suggested that North Korea had agreed to denuclearize. Talks ensued, but a deal never materialized.
In fact, Trump failed to stop, let alone roll back, North Korea’s ambitious nuclear weapons programs. North Korea is now said to possess at least 50 warheads as well as the means to deliver them.
Under the second Trump administration, the world is facing a rapidly growing proliferation risk of a different kind, one that is found not only among the usual suspects in Iran and North Korea, but also among a long list of U.S. allies who once basked in American security guarantees.
Merely two months into Trump’s second term, America’s European allies have grown increasingly concerned that the U.S. is no longer a reliable ally.
That’s due to his suspension (and then reinstatement) of weapons transfers and intelligence sharing with Ukraine, an explicitly prioritized rapprochement with Russia, open denigration of its NATO allies, suggestions that the U.S. would not come to their defence if attacked, and his active and repeated threats to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Canada, Greenland and Panama.
Against this backdrop, Trump’s guiding Project 2025 principles advocate escalating nuclear testing, breaking a long-held taboo.
Once protected by its nuclear umbrella, America’s closest allies are now threatened by it. Europe’s loss of confidence in the U.S. is so severe that finding alternatives has now become part of serious discussions in capitals across the continent. France and the United Kingdom are poised to fill the void by extending their nuclear deterrence to the likes of Germany and Poland.
But the risk of proliferation is greatest in East Asia. On the campaign trail in 2016, Trump mused that Japan and South Korea might need to develop nuclear weapons. “It’s only a matter of time,” he said.
That time is unfortunately now.
While Trump has been busy burning bridges in Europe and North America, his allies in East Asia — South Korea and Japan — have been watching the implosion of the U.S.-led international order in dismay. They have no alternative to the American nuclear umbrella but to build their own deterrent capabilities.
Polls now show that more than two-thirds of South Koreans support their country’s acquisition of nuclear weapons independent of the U.S. Key figures across the political spectrum as well as a growing chorus of academics and journalists have also openly floated the idea of nuclearization.
To address South Korea’s growing anxiety and check its nascent nuclear ambitions, the previous Joe Biden administration launched a bilateral initiative called Nuclear Consultative Group in 2023.
It established a regular mechanism between the two countries to discuss the state of the nuclear umbrella and perform joint defence exercises. This measure went a long way to quiet the voices calling for South Korean nuclearization — until Trump returned to the White House.
Trump’s so-called America First foreign policy has given every reason for South Korea to once again question the reliability of U.S. security guarantees. If the Trump administration is willing to throw its oldest and closest allies in the North Atlantic under the bus, there is little reason for South Koreans to place their continued faith in the U.S.
As important as South Korea has been to an American grand strategy, it has always been a second-tier ally and its bilateral alliance with the U.S. was never as important as NATO or as special as the Canada-U.S. relationship. South Korea is much more vulnerable to abandonment, and it now appears to be expandable in the second Trump administration.
Going nuclear is not a question of means for South Korea. It has one of the most advanced civilian nuclear industries in the world, with 24 reactors in operation and more than enough scientific know-how to churn out weapons in a short time, estimated at six to 12 months.
The question has always been one of political will, the absence of which has rested on American security assurances. With the Trump administration actively demolishing security guarantees to its closest allies, South Korea may conclude that the only viable path to its continued existence in the post-American world is acquiring nuclear weapons.
South Korea’s nuclearization would likely lead to a domino effect, triggering a new wave of nuclear proliferation across the region. If South Korea makes a dash for the bomb, Japan will have no choice but to follow suit.
Japan has a full nuclear fuel cycle, including a uranium enrichment plant, spent-fuel reprocessing facilities, nine tons plutonium and 1.2 tons of enriched uranium that can be easily fashioned into thousands of nuclear bombs in as little as six months.
While the tragedies of Hiroshima and Nagasaki have long served as a guardrail against nuclearization in Japan, that moral taboo was sustained by a credible U.S. nuclear umbrella. And once the nuclear genie is out of the bottle, Taiwan will have every incentive to resurrect its earlier clandestine nuclear weapons program and seek its own deterrence capability.
While going nuclear may be individually rational for the East Asian countries, the collective outcome for the region and beyond is fraught with catastrophic risks.
The world is now grappling with the most dangerous collective action problem because the solution that has worked so well for decades — credible American security assurance — is eroding.
In upending the very international order that the U.S. established, the Trump administration is not merely chipping away at the global security architecture underpinned by myriad American security guarantees. It’s imploding the post-Second World War security order from within and the moral, political and institutional bulwark against nuclear proliferation.
In this predatory, zero-sum world of Trumpian foreign policy, putting America First necessarily means putting everyone else last — and, along the way, inadvertently fuelling nuclear proliferation.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
– ref. 80 years after atomic bombs devastated Japan, Donald Trump’s actions risk nuclear proliferation – https://theconversation.com/80-years-after-atomic-bombs-devastated-japan-donald-trumps-actions-risk-nuclear-proliferation-254459
Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements
UK fighter jets have intercepted two Russian aircraft flying close to NATO airspace
UK fighter jets have intercepted two Russian aircraft flying close to NATO airspace as part of the UK’s contribution to NATO’s enhanced Air Policing in the region.
Two RAF Typhoons were scrambled from Malbork Air Base in Poland on Tuesday (April 15) to intercept a Russian Ilyushin Il-20M “Coot-A” intelligence aircraft over the Baltic Sea.
Whilst on Thursday (17 April) another two Typhoons scrambled from the base, to intercept an unknown aircraft leaving Kaliningrad air space and close to NATO airspace.
The intercepts mark the RAF’s first scramble as part of Operation CHESSMAN and come just weeks after the aircraft arrived in eastern Poland to begin their deployment alongside Sweden in defence of NATO’s Eastern Flank.
It follows the Prime Minister’s historic commitment to increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP, recognising the critical importance of military readiness in an era of heightened global uncertainty.
Keeping the country safe is the Government’s first priority and foundation of its Plan for Change. The work of the Royal Air Force is critical to the security and stability of the UK, supporting the delivery of the Government’s five missions.
The UK is unshakeable in its commitment to NATO. With Russian aggression growing and security threats on the rise, we are stepping up to reassure our Allies, deter adversaries and protect our national security through our Plan for Change.
This mission shows our ability to operate side by side with NATO’s newest member Sweden and to defend the Alliance’s airspace wherever and whenever needed, keeping us safe at home and strong abroad.
The UK’s deployment of six Typhoon jets and nearly 200 personnel from 140 Expeditionary Air Wing is the UK’s latest contribution to NATO’s air policing efforts, following successful operations in Romania and Iceland last year.
It also represents a landmark in NATO integration with RAF jets from RAF Lossiemouth operating alongside Swedish Gripens – the first time Sweden has contributed fighter aircraft to another Ally’s air policing since joining NATO in 2024.
The intercepts come after the Defence Secretary’s visit to NATO last week where he reaffirmed the UK’s unshakeable commitment to the alliance and co-led a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group in which more than 50 nations pledged a total of £21 billion of support to Ukraine.
The Typhoon programme supports more than 20,000 jobs across all regions of the UK every year, which is defending our security whilst creating jobs back home.
The RAF’s Quick Reaction Alert forces, based at RAF Coningsby, Lossiemouth, and Brize Norton, remain ready to protect UK airspace around the clock, while deployed operations like Op CHESSMAN ensure that British airpower is defending the Alliance wherever it is most needed.
Source: The Conversation – USA – By Cristina Bodea, Professor of Political Science, Michigan State University
Nearly every country in the world has a central bank – a public institution that manages a country’s currency and its monetary policy. And these banks have an extraordinary amount of power. By controlling the flow of money and credit in a country, they can affect economic growth, inflation, employment and financial stability.
These are powers that many politicians – including, currently, U.S. President Donald Trump – would seemingly like to control or at least manipulate. That’s because monetary policy can provide governments with economic boosts at key times, such as around elections or during periods of falling popularity.
The problem is that short-lived, politically motivated moves may be detrimental to the long-term economic well-being of a nation. They may, in other words, saddle the economy with problems further down the line.
That is why central banks across the globe tend to receive significant leeway to set interest rates independently and free from the electoral wishes of politicians.
In fact, monetary policymaking that is data-driven and technocratic, rather than politically motivated, has since the early 1990s been seen as the gold standard of governance of national finances. By and large, this arrangement, in which central bankers keep politicians at arm’s length, has achieved its main purpose: Inflation has been relatively low and stable in countries with independent central banks, such as Switzerland or Sweden – certainly until the pandemic and war in Europe began pushing up prices globally.
In comparison, countries such as Lebanon and Egypt, where independence was never extended, or Argentina and Turkey, where it has been curtailed, have experienced more bouts of high inflation.
But despite independence being seen to work, central banks over the past decade have come under increased pressure from politicians. They hope to keep interest rates low and reap voter gratitude for a humming economy and cheap loans.
Trump is one recent example. In his first term as president, he criticized his own choice to head the U.S. Federal Reserve and demanded lower interest rates. After Fed Chair Jerome Powell warned that tariffs are “highly likely” to trigger inflation, Trump lashed out on April 17, 2025, in an online post in which he accused Powell of being “TOO LATE AND WRONG” on interest rate cuts, while suggesting that the central banker’s “termination cannot come fast enough!”
As political economists, we are not surprised to see politicians try to exert influence on central banks. Monetary policy, even with independence, has always been political. For one thing, central banks remain part of the government bureaucracy, and independence granted to them can always be reversed – either by changing laws or backtracking on established practices.
Moreover, the reason politicians may want to interfere in monetary policy is that low interest rates remain a potent, quick method to boost an economy. And while politicians know that there are costs to besieging an independent central bank – financial markets may react negatively or inflation may flare up – short-term control of a powerful policy tool can prove irresistible.
If monetary policy is such a coveted policy tool, how have central banks held off politicians and stayed independent? And is this independence being eroded?
Broadly, central banks are protected by laws that offer long tenures to their leadership, allow them to focus policy primarily on inflation, and severely limit lending to the rest of the government.
Of course, such legislation cannot anticipate all future contingencies, which may open the door for political interference or for practices that break the law. And sometimes central bankers are unceremoniously fired.
However, laws do keep politicians in line. For example, even in authoritarian countries, laws protecting central banks from political interference have helped reduce inflation and restricted central bank lending to the government.
In our own research, we have detailed the ways that laws have insulated central banks from the rest of the government, but also the recent trend of eroding this legal independence.
Around the world, appointments to central bank leadership are political – elected politicians select candidates based on career credentials, political affiliation and, importantly, their dislike or tolerance of inflation.
But lawmakers in different countries exercise different degrees of political control.
A 2025 study shows that the large majority of central bank leaders – about 70% – are appointed by the head of government alone or with the intervention of other members of the executive branch. This ensures that the preferences of the central bank are closer to the government’s, which can boost the central bank’s legitimacy in democratic countries, but at the risk of permeability to political influence.
Alternatively, appointments can involve the legislative power or even the central bank’s own board. In the U.S., while the president nominates members of the Federal Reserve Board, the Senate can and has rejected unconventional or incompetent candidates.
Moreover, even if appointments are political, many central bankers stay in office long after the people who appointed them have been voted out. By the end of 2023, the most common length of the governors’ appointment is five years, and in 41 countries the legal mandate was six years or longer. Powell is set to stay on as Fed chair until his term expires in 2026. The Fed chair position has traditionally been protected by law, as Powell himself acknowledged in November 2024: “We’re not removable except for cause. We serve very long terms, seemingly endless terms. So we’re protected into law. Congress could change that law, but I don’t think there’s any danger of that.” But Trump’s firing of leaders of other independent federal agencies has set up a legal challenge that could affect the Fed, too.
In the 2000s, several countries shortened the tenure of their central banks’ governors to four or five years. Sometimes, this was part of broader restrictions in central bank independence, as was the case in Iceland in 2001, Ghana in 2002 and Romania in 2004.
As of 2023, all but six central banks globally had low inflation as their main goal. Yet many central banks are required by law to try to achieve additional and sometimes conflicting goals, such as financial stability, full employment or support for the government’s policies.
This is the case for 38 central banks that either have the explicit dual mandate of price stability and employment or more complex goals. In Argentina, for example, the central bank’s mandate is to provide “employment and economic development with social equity.”
Conflicting objectives can open central banks to politicization. In the U.S. the Federal Reserve has a dual mandate of stable prices and maximum sustainable employment. These goals are often complementary, and economists have argued that low inflation is a prerequisite for sustainable high levels of employment.
But in times of overlapping high inflation and high unemployment, such as in the late 1970s or when the COVID-19 crisis was winding down in 2022, the Fed’s dual mandate has become active territory for political wrangling.
Since 2000, at least 23 countries have expanded the focus of their central banks beyond just inflation.
The first central banks were created to help secure finance for governments fighting wars. But today, limiting lending to governments is at the core of protecting price stability from unsustainable fiscal spending.
History is dotted with the consequences of not doing so. In the 1960s and 1970s, for example, central banks in Latin America printed money to support their governments’ spending goals. But it resulted in massive inflation while not securing growth or political stability.
Today, limits on lending are strongly associated with lower inflation in the developing world. And central banks with high levels of independence can reject a government’s financing requests or dictate the terms of loans.
Yet over the past two decades, almost 40 countries have made their central banks less able to limit central government funding. In the more extreme examples – such as in Belarus, Ecuador or even New Zealand – they have turned the central bank into a potential financier for the government.
In recent years, governments have tried to influence central banks by pushing for lower interest rates, making statements criticizing bank policy or calling for meetings with central bank leadership.
At the same time, politicians have blamed the same central bankers for a number of perceived failings: not anticipating economic shocks such as the 2007-09 financial crisis; exceeding their authority with quantitative easing; or creating massive inequality or instability while trying to save the financial sector.
And since mid-2021, major central banks have struggled to keep inflation low, raising questions from populist and antidemocratic politicians about the merits of an arm’s-length relationship.
But chipping away at central bank independence, as Trump appears to be doing with his open criticism of the Fed chair and implicit threats of dismissal, is a historically sure way to high inflation.
This is an updated version of an article that was originally published by The Conversation on June 14, 2024.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
– ref. Trump’s attacks on central bank threaten its independence − and that isn’t good news for sound economic stewardship (or battling inflation) – https://theconversation.com/trumps-attacks-on-central-bank-threaten-its-independence-and-that-isnt-good-news-for-sound-economic-stewardship-or-battling-inflation-254870
Source: The Conversation – USA – By Christina Erickson, Associate Dean in the College of Nursing and Professional Disciplines, University of North Dakota
_Nearly a half-century after the Supreme Court ruled that school spankings are permissible and not “cruel and unusual punishment”, many U.S. states allow physical punishment for students who have misbehaved.
_Today, over a third of the states allow teachers to paddle or spank students. More than 100,000 students are paddled in U.S. schools each year.
Christina Erickson, an associate dean and professor of social work at the University of North Dakota, wrote a book on the subject: “Spanked: How Hitting Our Children is Harming Ourselves.” She discussed the scope of the practice and its effects with The Conversation.
Around the world, 68 countries have banned the hitting of children in any form, including spanking. This movement began in 1979 with Sweden’s ban on all forms of physical punishment, including spanking in any setting, and including in the family home.
The pace of change quickened in the early 2000s when more countries adopted similar laws. For example, the legal language of countries like Nepal rests on an emerging definition of children as rights holders similar to adults and as humans worth protecting from harm.
Each state in the U.S. has its own child abuse laws, and all states, tribes and territories aim to protect children from abuse. But all state laws also allow parents to hit their children if it does not leave an injury or a mark.
A typical example is Oklahoma’s definition of child abuse and neglect. It includes an exception that permits parents to use ordinary force as a means of discipline, including spanking, using an implement like a switch or a paddle. However, leaving evidence of hitting, such as welts, bruises, swelling or lacerations, is illegal and considered child abuse in all states.
Parental spanking of children is considered unique from other physical violence because of the relational context and the purpose. Laws entitle parents to hit their children for the purpose of teaching a lesson or punishing them to improve behavior. Children are the only individuals in society who can be hit by another person and the law does not regard it as assault.
Spanking’s impact on a child is unfortunately similar to abusive hitting. Spanking has been labeled as an “Adverse Childhood Experience,” or ACE. These are events that cause poor health outcomes over the span of one’s life.
The practice of spanking also affects parents. Acceptance of the physical discipline of spanking puts parents at risk for the escalation of physical punishment that leads to abuse.
Parents who spank their child have the potential to abuse them and be caught in a legal and child protection system that aims to protect children from harm. It is unclear what triggers a parent to cross over from discipline into abuse. Research shows that spanking at a young age, such as a 1-year-old, increases the chance of involvement by Child Protective Services by 33%.
Some school districts require permission from parents to allow disciplinary paddling in school, while others do not require any communication. State law does not assure agreement between parents and school districts on what offenses warrant a paddling. Parents may feel they have no alternative but to keep their child in school, or fear reprisal from school administrators. Some students are old enough to denounce the punishment themselves.
The term spank conceals the concept of hitting and is so commonplace it goes unquestioned, despite the fact that it is a grown adult hitting a person much smaller than them. The concept is further concealed because hitting a child’s bottom hides any injuries that may occur.
Types of hitting that are categorized as spanking have narrowed over the years but still persist. Some parents still use implements such as tree switches, wooden spoons, shoes or paddles to “spank” children, raising the chances for abuse.
Most spanking ends by the age of 12, partly because children this age are able to fight back. When a child turns 18, parental hitting becomes the same as hitting any other adult, a form of domestic violence or assault throughout the U.S.
There is a lack of a consistent understanding of what constitutes a spanking. The definition of spanking is unique to each family. The number of hits, clothed or not, or using an implement, all reflect geographical or familial differences in understanding what a spanking is.
People in the United States generally accept spanking as part of raising children: 56% of U.S. adults strongly agree or agree that “… it is sometimes necessary to discipline a child with a good, hard spanking.” This view has been slowly changing since 1986, when 83% of adults agreed with that statement.
The laws worldwide that protect children from being hit usually begin by disallowing nonparental adults to hit children. This is happening in the U.S. too, where 31 states have banned paddling in schools.
At a national level, efforts have been made to end physical punishment in schools. However, 19 states still allow spanking of children in public schools, which was upheld by a 1977 Supreme Court case.
With the slow but steady drop of parents who believe that sometimes children need a good hard spanking, as well as the ban of paddling in schools in 31 states, one could argue that the U.S. is moving toward a reduction in spanking.
Spanking’s negative influence on children’s behavior has been documented for decades. Spanking seems to work in the moment when it comes to changing or stopping the immediate behavior, but the negative effects are hidden in the short term and occur later in the child’s life. Yet because the spanking seemed to work at the time, the parent doesn’t connect the continued bad behavior of the child to the spanking.
An abundance of research shows that spanking causes increased negative behaviors in childhood. Spanking lowers executive functioning for children, increases dating violence as teenagers and even increases struggles with mental health and substance abuse in adulthood. Spanking does not teach new or healthy behaviors, and is a stress-inducing event for the child and the adult hitting them.
No studies have shown positive long-term benefits from spanking. Because of the long-standing and expansive research findings showing a range of harm from spanking and the increased association with child abuse, the American Psychological Association recommends that parents should never spank their children.
Consider these questions when choosing a discipline method for your child:
Is the expectation of your child developmentally accurate? One of the most common reasons parents spank is because they are expecting a behavior the child is not developmentally able to execute.
Can the discipline you choose grow with your child? Nearly all spanking ends by age 12, when kids are big enough to fight back. Choose discipline methods you can use over the long term, such as additional chores, apologies, difficult conversations and others that can grow with your child.
Might there be another explanation for your child’s behavior? Difficulty of understanding, fear or miscommunication? Think of your child as a learner and use a growth mindset to help your child learn from their life experiences.
Parents are the leaders of their families. Good leaders show strength in nonthreatening ways, listen to others and explain their decisions. Don’t spoil your kids. But being firm does not have to include hitting.
Doubtful. Parents who hit their kids may be unaware that it influences their frustration in other relationships. Expressing aggression recharges an angry and short-tempered internal battery that transfers into other parts of the adults’ lives.
Practicing calm when with your children will help you be calmer at work and in your other relationships. Listening to and speaking with a child about challenges, even from a very early age, is the best way to make it part of your relationship for the rest of your life.
Choose a method that allows you to grow. Parents matter too.
Christina Erickson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
– ref. As views on spanking shift worldwide, most US adults support it, and 19 states allow physical punishment in schools – https://theconversation.com/as-views-on-spanking-shift-worldwide-most-us-adults-support-it-and-19-states-allow-physical-punishment-in-schools-240186
Source: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe – OSCE
Headline: OSCE-Led Training Enhances Ammunition Management Capacity of the Ministry of Defense of the Kyrgyz Republic
Participants of the training learn safe ammunition handling techniques from German Bundeswehr experts. (OSCE) Photo details
From 1 to 11 April 2025, eighteen specialists from the Ministry of Defense of the Kyrgyz Republic completed a training course on safe storage, surveillance and transportation of ammunition. The course was organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek, in collaboration with the Ministry of Defense of the Kyrgyz Republic and with support from the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Germany.
This 2-week intensive training course, led by experts from Bundeswehr Verification Center (BwVC), equipped participants with in-depth technical knowledge and practical skills in handling ammunition safely in line with international standards. The training adhered to globally recognized frameworks, including the International Ammunition Technical Guidelines (IATG), the UN “Orange Book,” the Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR), and OSCE best practice guides.
Throughout the course, participants gained hands-on experience and insights into the safe storage, surveillance, and transportation of ammunition, all of which are crucial for enhancing national security and ensuring compliance with international regulations. By following the best international practices, the training reinforced the Kyrgyz Republic’s commitment to improving ammunition safety management, contributing to the country’s overall security infrastructure.
This session marked the final phase of training delivered so far by the German Armed Forces from 2023 to 2025. Throughout this period, a total of 65 personnel from the Ministry of Defense were successfully trained.
**This initiative is part of an ongoing series of activities within the extra-budgetary project “Improvement of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) and Conventional Ammunition (CA) Life-Cycle Management Capacity of the Ministry of Defence of the Kyrgyz Republic,” supported by Austria, France, Germany, Norway and Switzerland.
Source: United Nations secretary general
Your Excellency To Lam, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam,
Your Excellency Pham Minh Chinh, Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam,
Your Excellency Abiy Ahmed, Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia,
Your Excellency Hun Sen, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia,
Excellencies,
Distinguished guests,
On behalf of the Secretary-General, António Guterres, I thank the Government of Viet Nam and the co-chairs H.E. Mr. Abiy Ahmed, Prime Minister of Ethiopia, and the Prime Minister of Denmark for organizing this year’s P4G Summit.
This year marks a crucial inflection point: the tenth anniversary of both the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement.
A decade has passed, and much progress has been made.
But let’s state what we all know to be true: we are nowhere near where we need to be.
As I speak, there are 750 million people who do not have access to electricity.
2 billion people have no clean cooking solutions to cook their dinner tonight.
Children across the world are breathing air increasingly filled with fossil fuel emissions affecting their health.
Not only are we not where we need to be, but intensifying climate shocks and geopolitical turmoil threaten to push back some of the progress and development wins of the past decade.
These statistics, and the picture I have painted is enough to make some give up. But as the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu said, ‘Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness’.
Excellencies, three things give me hope today.
First, what I see in this room today – leaders, representatives of governments, businesses, investors, and civil society from around the world. By showing up, you are showing your commitment to building societies that are more sustainable, more resilient, more inclusive, and more prosperous. You are not giving up.
Second, the relentless human endeavor for genuine collaboration gives me hope. The Just Energy Transition Partnerships and the P4G’s public-private partnership are just two examples. By working together for a common purpose, we can help emerging and developing economies transform their energy, water, and food systems to become zero-carbon and more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable.
Third, the economic imperatives of taking climate action have never been stronger and more urgent.
Last year, climate disasters caused 320 billion dollars worth of damage worldwide.
The climate crisis is draining our pockets of resources that we desperately need for development.
Yet experts estimate that every dollar invested in climate adaptation generates a return of up to 10 times.
Meanwhile, the costs of wind, solar, and battery storage have plummeted so much that they have become the cheapest source of new electricity across most markets.
Last year, renewables accounted for 92.5% of all new power capacity added globally, and clean power surpassed 40% of global electricity generation for the first time.
This is not just an opportunity for tomorrow – the clean energy sector is already driving development and boosting jobs, accelerating digitalization and granting energy access to a wider range of people .
1.5 million jobs and 10 per cent of GDP growth globally were added in 2023 across the sector.
And crucially, most economies are now breaking the link between GDP growth and rising emissions.
Viet Nam is setting the pace on clean energy. Its bold shift from coal isn’t just fighting climate change, it’s fuelling a fairer, more equal future for all.
Excellencies,
We have a rare opportunity in our hands.
A new economic era is about to begin — and we’re right at the cusp of setting a concrete pathway to green growth.
One that can ensure energy access, affordability, and security, and one that can create zero-carbon, disaster-resilient, and sustainable societies while protecting people and planet. At the UN, we have translated that vision and what it means for the multilateral system, under the Pact for the Future.
Yet time is a luxury we do not have.
The climate crisis is setting the pace and scale. It’s our responsibility to keep up.
Investment is critical.
To keep 1.5 degrees in reach and deliver on the SDGs, experts estimate that 2.4 trillion dollars per year will need to flow to emerging and developing economies outside China by 2030.
That means around 1.6 trillion dollars of that going to the clean energy transition.
And it means around 250 billion dollars to strengthen adaptation and resilience.
And so, I urge every government leader here today to use the tools at your disposal.
Accelerate the readily available, cost-effective solutions.
And drive change with smart policies and reforms at every level – locally, nationally, and globally.
The next round of national climate plans — or Nationally Determined Contributions — due well before COP 30 present a unique opportunity in this mission. As does meeting the Baku Road Map to deliver 1.3 trillion in Belém.
They are the key to syncing energy and development plans, building energy efficient infrastructure that aligns with a country’s climate goals, developing industries of the future in green energy, as Vietnam has demonstrated, and creating clear, consistent policies that draw big investments.
This means aligning national energy and development strategies, including regulatory framework to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) with sustainable agricultural systems, digitalization, job creation, and clean energy access – fostering policy coherence and predictability to attract investments at scale.
Viet Nam is demonstrating that attracting investments, even in challenging times, is not only possible but achievable. With FDI reaching impressive new levels of $2-3 billion every month, Vietnam stands as a powerful example for others to follow.
To the corporate, financial, and civil society leaders in the room, I urge you to keep up the pressure. Keep innovating and collaborating and shifting obstacles into business opportunities.
And keep creating new models and partnerships that can mobilize finance at scale to drive commitments on climate and sustainable development into real investments in peoples’ lives.
Finally, let us commit to deliver on the promise of the SDGs and the Paris Agreement to our people today and for future generations.
Thank you.
***
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
Electromagnetic Geoservices ASA (the “Company” or “EMGS”) releases information on vessel activity and multi-client sales during the quarter approximately 4-5 working days after the close of each quarter. The Company defines vessel utilisation as the percentage of the vessel charter period spent on proprietary or multi-client data acquisition. Downtime (technical or maritime), mobilisation, steaming, and some standby activities are not included in the utilisation rate.
At the end of the first quarter 2025 the Company had one vessel on charter, the Atlantic Guardian. The Atlantic Guardian completed a proprietary survey in India in the quarter and started mobilisation for a second proprietary survey in India.
The utilization for the first quarter was 35% compared with 27% for the first quarter 2024.
EMGS had one vessel in operation and recorded 3.0 vessel months in the quarter. In the first quarter 2024, the Company recorded 3.0 vessel months.
Multi-client revenues in the first quarter
The Company expects to record approximately USD 150 thousand in multi-client late sales in the first quarter of 2025.
EMGS will publish its first quarter 2025 financial results on Wednesday 14 May 2025 prior to 07:30 local time (Norway). A recorded presentation will also be made available over the Internet. To access the presentation, please go to the Company’s homepage (www.emgs.com) and follow the link.
Contact
Anders Eimstad, Chief Financial Officer, +47 948 25 836
This information is published in accordance with the Norwegian Securities Trading Act § 5-12.
About EMGS
EMGS, the marine EM market leader, uses its proprietary electromagnetic (EM) technology to support oil and gas companies in their search for offshore hydrocarbons. EMGS supports each stage in the workflow, from survey design and data acquisition to processing and interpretation. The Company’s services enable the integration of EM data with seismic and other geophysical and geological information to give explorationists a clearer and more complete understanding of the subsurface. This improves exploration efficiency and reduces risks and the finding costs per barrel. CSEM technology can also be used to detect the presence of marine mineral deposits (primarily Seabed Massive Sulphides) and EMGS believes that the technology can also be used to estimate the mineral content of such deposits. The Company is undertaking early-stage initiatives to position itself in this future market.
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
Generate passive income through Zaminer’s cloud mining service.
MIDDLESEX, United Kingdom, April 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ZA Miner, a leading cloud mining provider, is excited to announce the launch of its free cloud mining platform, enabling Bitcoin (BTC) and Dogecoin (DOGE) enthusiasts worldwide to participate in crypto mining without any upfront investment or the need for expensive hardware.
Innovating Cloud Mining for Global Access
In response to the growing interest in cryptocurrency, ZA Miner is dedicated to making mining more inclusive. Unlike traditional methods that require costly equipment, ZA Miner’s cloud-based platform allows users to mine Bitcoin, Dogecoin, and Litecoin (LTC) effortlessly, without the need for hardware or high electricity costs. This model aligns with global pro-crypto policies and addresses the demand for accessible mining opportunities.
Why Choose ZA Miner’s Free Cloud Mining Platform?
ZA Miner operates from Middlesex, UK, leveraging energy-efficient mining facilities in regions like Kazakhstan and Iceland. These strategic locations optimize mining efficiency and sustainability, allowing the company to deliver a low-cost, high-output service to its users.
By offering a risk-free mining experience, ZA Miner eliminates the technical barriers typically associated with crypto mining. New users are provided with a $100 free mining contract, enabling them to explore cloud mining without any financial commitment. For those looking to enhance their mining experience, ZA Miner also offers flexible contract options tailored to various investment goals.
Flexible mining contracts from ZA Miner cater to all experience levels.
Key Features of ZA Miner’s Cloud Mining Platform:
Getting Started with ZA Miner
As cryptocurrency adoption accelerates, ZA Miner is redefining access to cloud mining. By offering a risk-free entry point and competitive contracts, ZA Miner is empowering individuals to engage in the digital economy with ease and confidence.
For more information, visit www.zaminer.com or follow ZA Miner on Twitter @zamining and YouTube @Zaminers.
Media Contact:
SHEIKH, Anisah Fatema
ZA FUNDINGS LTD
info@zaminer.com
https://www.zaminer.com/
Photos accompanying this announcement are available at
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3738e78d-c1a7-41c7-b8c4-7b7c6f10edfe
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9fba6dee-4df6-44b7-9b1f-9a3c87ce8a84
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Utah Mike Lee
Senator Lee and Senator R. Scott following their meeting with Jonatan Vseviov,
Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Estonia
WASHINGTON – Senator Mike Lee recently returned from a congressional delegation to Denmark, Estonia, and Finland with Senator Rick Scott (R-FL). They met with senior government officials to discuss shared military and national security priorities. As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Multilateral International Development, Multilateral Institutions, and International Economic, Energy, and Environmental Policy, Senator Lee shares the Trump Administration’s goal of peace through strength.
Of the trip, Senator Mike Lee said:
“I enjoyed the opportunity to visit Denmark, Estonia, and Finland with my friend, Senator Rick Scott. Our meetings with government, military, and shipbuilding industry leaders, including Ministers of Defense, Ministers of Foreign Affairs, and legislators were productive. I walk away from this trip with a deeper understanding of the issues facing the region, as well as the regulatory burdens shipbuilders face. While abroad, I also had the distinct privilege to meet with U.S. service members, including one Utahn, at Tapa Army Base in Estonia, to discuss the Baltic region.
The nations I visited are United States allies who have made good on their commitments and have a shared focus on enhancing regional partnerships for shipbuilding and national security. It was an honor to represent Utah overseas, and upon returning home, it is clear to me that the United States is once again respected on the world stage.”
Senator Lee meets with U.S. service members
at Tapa Army Base in Estonia
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
The CHERRY MX NORTHERN LIGHT is a limited-edition linear switch engineered for peak smoothness and precision.
K5V2 Keyboard + GP6 Northern Light Bundle also available for a limited time.
KENOSHA, Wis. and AUERBACH IN DER OBERPFALZ, Germany, April 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — CHERRY, the global leader in mechanical keyboard switch innovation, is proud to introduce the MX Northern Light, a limited-edition, community-crafted linear switch delivering the smoothest typing experience CHERRY has ever engineered.
Developed by CHERRY’s in-house team of switch enthusiasts, MX Northern Light is a love letter to the keyboard community. It blends the latest MX2A innovations with never-before-seen enhancements, including an ultra-polished top housing and a custom-engineered blue bottom, resulting in a switch that’s as smooth as it is striking.
“This is our most refined linear switch to date, and it’s made for the people who helped inspire it,” said Joakim Jansson, Managing Director of CHERRY. “MX Northern Light reflects what happens when CHERRY listens closely to its community and pushes the limits of precision engineering.”
This exclusive set pairs the ultra-customizable K5V2 compact keyboard, featuring the new CHERRY MX Northern Light switches and uniquely designed PBT keycaps, with the matching GP6 Northern Light XL mousepad.
Bold Bundle
To celebrate the launch of MX Northern Light, CHERRY XTRFY is also releasing a limited-edition K5V2 + GP6 Northern Light Bundle. This exclusive set pairs the ultra-customizable K5V2 compact keyboard, featuring the new CHERRY MX Northern Light switches and uniquely designed PBT keycaps, with the matching GP6 Northern Light XL mousepad. Designed for performance and built to stand out, the bundle offers enthusiasts a premium typing and gaming experience with a cohesive, aurora-inspired aesthetic.
Crafted by CHERRY’s in-house switch enthusiasts, the MX Northern Light features a polished top housing and a striking blue base, and is designed for the smoothest typing experience yet.
Built by Enthusiasts, for Enthusiasts
Crafted by CHERRY’s in-house team of engineers and enthusiasts, the MX Northern Light features a polished top housing and a striking blue base, and is designed for the smoothest typing experience yet.
At its core, Northern Light delivers a smooth, dampened linear feel with whisper-quiet performance. Every keystroke is refined, responsive, and satisfying, and ideal for gaming, deep focus sessions, or simply enjoying the pure pleasure of a perfectly tuned mechanical switch.
The switch is fully enhanced with the latest MX2A technology stack, including factory-applied premium lubricant that reduces friction, a noise-dampening barrel spring that softens the sound profile, and glide-optimized stem geometry paired with a polished top housing for ultra-smooth actuation.
Built with CHERRY’s iconic Gold Crosspoint technology, Northern Light guarantees consistent performance and incredible durability, rated for over 50 million keystrokes without loss of quality. Add in its <1ms bounce time, and you have a switch that doesn’t just feel great, it keeps up with your fastest moves.
Visually, the blue bottom housing sets Northern Light apart from every other CHERRY switch. It’s a bold look that reflects the bold thinking behind its design, which is eye-catching, distinct, and impossible to mistake for anything else.
Northern Light (36 piece switch kit) Product Info
K5V2 GP6 Northern Light Bundle
This is a collector’s drop for the true keyboard connoisseurs, the enthusiasts who crave something rare, premium, and purpose-built.
About Cherry
Cherry SE [ISIN: DE000A3CRRN9] is a globally operating manufacturer of high-end mechanical keyboard switches and computer input devices such as keyboards, mice, and headsets for applications in the worlds of gaming, e-sports, office and hybrid workplaces, industry, and healthcare. Since it was founded in 1953, Cherry has been synonymous with innovative, high-quality products developed specifically to meet the various needs of its customers.
Cherry has its operational headquarters in Auerbach in Germany’s Upper Palatinate region and over 400 employees in production facilities in Auerbach, Zhuhai (China), and Vienna (Austria) as well as in various sales offices in Auerbach (Germany), Munich (Germany), Landskrona (Sweden), Paris (France), Kenosha (USA), Chicago (USA), Taipei (Taiwan), and Hong Kong (China).
More information is available online at https://www.cherry.de/en-us.
Media Contact
Photos accompanying this announcement are available at
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f2727fda-81c8-473a-b375-a56e56583d7f
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e911935a-a210-432b-b5c3-d8606ec90ba0
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/55a9db02-375c-46e7-9b22-9931184d99c9
Source: Government of India
Hon’ble Prime Minister to inaugurate the flagship event of Steel Industry
Posted On: 17 APR 2025 3:14PM by PIB Delhi
The India Steel 2025 is set to take place from *24 April to 26 April, 2025*, at the Bombay Exhibition Centre in Mumbai. This 6th edition of the biennial international exhibition and conference will bring together leading stakeholders from across the global steel value chain to discuss the future trajectory of the sector, with a sharp focus on growth, sustainability, resilience, and innovation.
India is on a trajectory to achieve a production capacity of 300 million tonnes and a per capita consumption of 160 kg by 2030, in line with the National Steel Policy. Keeping in view this ambitious growth in the steel sector, the conference is being organised to unlock new opportunities for inter-state and international collaboration, facilitate knowledge exchange, and showcase India’s policy reforms and infrastructure initiatives aimed at enhancing the ease of doing business across the steel value chain.
The Hon’ble Prime Minister of India will address the premier Steel Industry event of the country on 24th April 2025 through Video conferencing , in the esteemed presence of dignitaries including Hon’ble Minister of Steel and Heavy Industries Shri H. D. Kumaraswamy, Hon’ble Minister of State for Steel and Heavy Industries Shri Bhupathi Raju Srinivasa Varma, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Maharashtra Shri Devendra Phadnavis and Hon’ble Chief Minister of Chattisgarh Shri Vishu Deo Sai.
The conference will see presence of high-level participation from various Central Ministries and States including Chief Ministers and Union Ministers indicating the critical importance of Steel as an important clog in the wheel of Atmanirbhar Bharat. Among those who will grace the program with their presence include Union Ministers, Hon’ble Minister of Steel and Heavy Industries Shri H. D. Kumaraswamy, Minister of Commerce and Industry Shri Piyush Goyal, Hon’ble Minister of Railways Shri. Ashwini Vaishnaw, Hon’ble Minister of New & Renewable Energy and Consumer Affairs Shri Pralhad Venkatesh Joshi, Hon’ble Minister of Mines Shri G. Kishan Reddy , Hon’ble Minister of State for Steel and Heavy Industries Shri Bhupathi Raju Srinivasa Varma, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shri Devendra Fadnavis, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, Shri Vishnu Deo Sai and Hon’ble Chief Minister of Odisha, Shri Mohan Charan Majhi. They will preside over key sessions of the conference, reflecting the multi-sectoral relevance of steel in India’s economic and industrial strategy.
Senior officials of the Government of India, including Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Secretary, Ministry of Steel and Secretary, Ministry of Coal will also chair key sessions during the event.
The event will also have a presence of global Industry leaders and senior Foreign dignitaries leading high-level delegations, including the Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, Ambassadors of Australia, Mozambique, and Mongolia, reflecting the deepening international engagement and strategic cooperation in the steel sector.
Key highlights of the International Conference-cum-Exhibition includes:
– Exhibition and Innovation Showcase: Displaying cutting-edge technologies and advancements in the steel industry.
– Roundtable Conferences: Discussions on sector-specific topics, international collaboration, and emerging trends including CEOs roundtable and Sectoral roundtables.
– Reverse Buyer-Seller Meet (RBSM): Facilitating trade opportunities and fostering new business engagements.
– International Engagement: Country specific sessions involving key steel-producing nations, including the South Korea, Sweden, Australia, and Mongolia. These discussions will explore joint research, technology transfer, and resilient supply chains to de-risk India’s steel production and drive global competitiveness.
The event will also focus on themes like augmenting domestic consumption, showcasing futuristic steel applications, and fostering global partnerships
With more than 12,000 business visitors, 250 exhibitors, and 1,200 conference delegates representing various sectors, Government departments, State Governments, country delegations, and domestic and international buyers from India and abroad, the conference would be one of the biggest Steel event globally.
*********
TPJ/NJ
(Release ID: 2122393) Visitor Counter : 36
Source: United Nations (Video News)
Joint media stakeout by the Security Council members that have joined the Joint Pledges on Climate, Peace and Security (Denmark, France, Greece, Guyana, Panama, the Republic of Korea, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, and the United Kingdom) on Climate, Peace, and Security in the Great Lakes Region.
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
Generate passive income through Zaminer’s cloud mining service.
TBC, April 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ZA Miner, a leading cloud mining provider, is excited to announce the launch of its free cloud mining platform, enabling Bitcoin (BTC) and Dogecoin (DOGE) enthusiasts worldwide to participate in crypto mining without any upfront investment or the need for expensive hardware.
Innovating Cloud Mining for Global Access
In response to the growing interest in cryptocurrency, ZA Miner is dedicated to making mining more inclusive. Unlike traditional methods that require costly equipment, ZA Miner’s cloud-based platform allows users to mine Bitcoin, Dogecoin, and Litecoin (LTC) effortlessly, without the need for hardware or high electricity costs. This model aligns with global pro-crypto policies and addresses the demand for accessible mining opportunities.
Why Choose ZA Miner’s Free Cloud Mining Platform?
ZA Miner operates from Middlesex, UK, leveraging energy-efficient mining facilities in regions like Kazakhstan and Iceland. These strategic locations optimize mining efficiency and sustainability, allowing the company to deliver a low-cost, high-output service to its users.
By offering a risk-free mining experience, ZA Miner eliminates the technical barriers typically associated with crypto mining. New users are provided with a $100 free mining contract, enabling them to explore cloud mining without any financial commitment. For those looking to enhance their mining experience, ZA Miner also offers flexible contract options tailored to various investment goals.
Flexible mining contracts from ZA Miner cater to all experience levels.
Key Features of ZA Miner’s Cloud Mining Platform:
Getting Started with ZA Miner
As cryptocurrency adoption accelerates, ZA Miner is redefining access to cloud mining. By offering a risk-free entry point and competitive contracts, ZA Miner is empowering individuals to engage in the digital economy with ease and confidence.
For more information, visit www.zaminer.com or follow ZA Miner on Twitter @zamining and YouTube @Zaminers.
Media Contact:
SHEIKH, Anisah Fatema
ZA FUNDINGS LTD
info@zaminer.com
https://www.zaminer.com/
Photos accompanying this announcement are available at
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3738e78d-c1a7-41c7-b8c4-7b7c6f10edfe
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9fba6dee-4df6-44b7-9b1f-9a3c87ce8a84
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
WISeKey, SEALSQ, OISTE Foundation, and the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations Unite to Launch HUMAN-AI-T, a Global Initiative to Embed Humanity into Artificial Intelligence
UNAOC AI for #OneHumanity: Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence
Geneva, Switzerland, April 17, 2025 –WISeKey International Holding Ltd (“WISeKey”) (SIX: WIHN, NASDAQ: WKEY), a leading global cybersecurity, blockchain, and IoT company, its subsidiary SEALSQ Corp (Nasdaq: LAES), which focuses on semiconductors, PKI, and post-quantum technology products, the OISTE Foundation, and the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) today announced that are joining forces with leading global institutions, innovators, and thought leaders to launch HUMAN-AI-T, a pioneering initiative that places humanity at the heart of artificial intelligence.
In 2022, during the early stages of artificial intelligence’s emergence, the Onuart Foundation, in collaboration with the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), the United Nations Office in Geneva (UNOG), and the Government of Spain (including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Secretary of State for Digitalization), organized the First Global Dialogue on AI at the United Nations in Geneva. The event, held on October 10 and 11 in the Human Rights and Alliance of Civilizations Room (also known as the “Spain Room at the UN”), brought together high-level global speakers such as Dr. Rafael Yuste, Director of the U.S. Brain Initiative, and Mr. Carlos Moreira, CEO of WISeKey. It was opened by Dr. Amandeep Gill, the UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology; Mr. Miguel Ángel Moratinos, High Representative for UNAOC; Ms. Tatiana Valovaya, Director-General of UNOG; as well as Ms. Carmen Artigas, Spain’s Secretary of State for Digitalization, and Ms. Ángeles Moreno Bau, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. The meeting concluded with the approval of a manifesto signed by all participants, addressing the emergence of new human rights frameworks in the era of AI.
Codenamed HUMAN-AI-T, the initiative seeks to develop a universal AI platform rooted in the collective wisdom, ethical principles, and cultural richness of human civilization. By drawing on verified and ethically sourced knowledge—ranging from religious texts and philosophical treatises to indigenous traditions and legal doctrines—this platform will become a digital vault preserving and promoting the values that unite humanity.
Inspired by the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, HUMAN-AI-T will act as a secure repository of humanity’s ethical DNA. All content will be digitally signed and protected using advanced post-quantum cryptographic technologies developed by WISeKey and SEALSQ, ensuring trust, traceability, and resilience for generations to come.
The United Nations Alliance of Civilizations plays a foundational role in HUMAN-AI-T. Guided by its principle of “Many Cultures, One Humanity,” UNAOC will embed intercultural and interreligious dialogue into the AI’s core, creating a system that reflects humanity’s diverse voices while reinforcing shared values of peace, dignity, and inclusion.
This initiative comes at a crucial moment, as Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) and quantum computing draw closer to reality. The possibility of superintelligent systems operating beyond human oversight raises profound ethical concerns. HUMAN-AI-T proactively addresses these risks by ensuring that such systems are anchored in universal ethics and human-centered safeguards.
“We are entering an era where machines may become more intelligent than their creators. If we do not act now, we risk building technologies that evolve beyond our moral control,” said Carlos Moreira, Founder and CEO of WISeKey. “HUMAN-AI-T is our response to this challenge. It is not just about creating smarter machines, but about ensuring those machines remain aligned with the best of what makes us human.”
The initiative supports the vision outlined in the United Nations General Assembly’s historic resolution advocating for safe, secure, and trustworthy AI systems. HUMAN-AI-T reinforces this mission by transforming AI into a global moral infrastructure, a platform that enhances human potential, safeguards dignity, and reclaims the future of technology for the common good.
Through this bold collaboration, HUMAN-AI-T is poised to redefine the future of artificial intelligence, turning it from a source of disruption into a beacon of ethical progress for all of humanity.
The United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) is a United Nations entity that builds bridges between societies, promotes dialogue and understanding, and seeks to forge the collective political will required to accomplish these tasks. UNAOC works as a convener and facilitator to bring all sectors of society together to strengthen intercultural and interreligious dialogue to diminish hostility, and promote mutual respect and harmony among the people and cultures of the world.
#HUMANAIT #QuantumRisks #AGI #AIForGood #OneHumanity #TrustedAI #EthicalAI
About WISeKey
WISeKey International Holding Ltd (“WISeKey”, SIX: WIHN; Nasdaq: WKEY) is a global leader in cybersecurity, digital identity, and IoT solutions platform. It operates as a Swiss-based holding company through several operational subsidiaries, each dedicated to specific aspects of its technology portfolio. The subsidiaries include (i) SEALSQ Corp (Nasdaq: LAES), which focuses on semiconductors, PKI, and post-quantum technology products, (ii) WISeKey SA which specializes in RoT and PKI solutions for secure authentication and identification in IoT, Blockchain, and AI, (iii) WISeSat AG which focuses on space technology for secure satellite communication, specifically for IoT applications, (iv) WISe.ART Corp which focuses on trusted blockchain NFTs and operates the WISe.ART marketplace for secure NFT transactions, and (v) SEALCOIN AG which focuses on decentralized physical internet with DePIN technology and house the development of the SEALCOIN platform.
Each subsidiary contributes to WISeKey’s mission of securing the internet while focusing on their respective areas of research and expertise. Their technologies seamlessly integrate into the comprehensive WISeKey platform. WISeKey secures digital identity ecosystems for individuals and objects using Blockchain, AI, and IoT technologies. With over 1.6 billion microchips deployed across various IoT sectors, WISeKey plays a vital role in securing the Internet of Everything. The company’s semiconductors generate valuable Big Data that, when analyzed with AI, enable predictive equipment failure prevention. Trusted by the OISTE/WISeKey cryptographic Root of Trust, WISeKey provides secure authentication and identification for IoT, Blockchain, and AI applications. The WISeKey Root of Trust ensures the integrity of online transactions between objects and people. For more information on WISeKey’s strategic direction and its subsidiary companies, please visit www.wisekey.com.
Disclaimer
This communication expressly or implicitly contains certain forward-looking statements concerning WISeKey International Holding Ltd and its business. Such statements involve certain known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which could cause the actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements of WISeKey International Holding Ltd to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. WISeKey International Holding Ltd is providing this communication as of this date and does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements contained herein as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
This press release does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities, and it does not constitute an offering prospectus within the meaning of the Swiss Financial Services Act (“FinSA”), the FinSa’s predecessor legislation or advertising within the meaning of the FinSA. Investors must rely on their own evaluation of WISeKey and its securities, including the merits and risks involved. Nothing contained herein is, or shall be relied on as, a promise or representation as to the future performance of WISeKey.
Press and Investor Contacts
| WISeKey International Holding Ltd Company Contact: Carlos Moreira Chairman & CEO Tel: +41 22 594 3000 info@wisekey.com |
WISeKey Investor Relations (US) The Equity Group Inc. Lena Cati Tel: +1 212 836-9611 lcati@equityny.com |
Source: Office of United States Attorneys
TRENTON, N.J. – An Ocean County, New Jersey, man was arrested and charged with traveling to a foreign place to engage in sexual conduct with a minor, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Jacob Bauer, 28, of Toms River, is charged by complaint with one count of traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and one count of engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place. He made his initial appearance on April 2, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Rukhsanah L. Singh in Trenton federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From December 1, 2023 through December 10, 2023, Bauer, then 27 years old, traveled from the United States to Norway to engage in sexual activity with a 14-year-old female. Once in Norway, Bauer, staying at a hotel, engaged in sexual activity with the victim on at least one occasion. After returning to the United States, Bauer communicated over social media platforms with the victim and others about his sexual activities with the victim. During those conversations, Bauer acknowledged the victim’s age and status as a minor. After members of an online community that Bauer was active in learned of his sexual activities with a minor, Bauer was “doxxed” (his public information published online) by members of that community.
“Public safety is my number one priority for New Jersey’s residents, and my office is laser focused on protecting children and ending their exploitation at the hands of abusers. The conduct here is as reprehensible as it is egregious: a then-27-year-old male took pains to plan international travel from New Jersey to Norway for the purpose of having sex with a 14-year-old girl. These charges underscore how we are standing up for the most vulnerable and will not tolerate the sexual abuse of children. I commend our partners at the Federal Bureau of Investigation, law enforcement members at the state and local levels, and our international partners who assisted with this investigation.”
U.S. Attorney Alina Habba
“We have federal laws protecting children because they cannot defend themselves,” said Newark FBI Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly. Most of these investigations go unnoticed because we do all we can to protect the innocent victims. However, the work FBI Newark agents and task force officers are doing should be heralded by all of us. Day in and day out – they are saving children who shouldn’t have to experience unspeakable horrors and abuse perpetrated by child sexual predators.”
Each of the charges, traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place, carries a potential maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited the special agents and task force officers of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly in Newark, with the investigation leading to the charges. She also thanked the New Brunswick Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Vincent Sabo, the Manchester Township Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Antonio Ellis, the FBI Legal Attaché Office, U.S. Embassy, Copenhagen, Denmark, the FBI Legal Attaché Office, U.S. Embassy, Warsaw, Poland, the Jackson County, Georgia Sheriff’s Office, INTERPOL, the Norwegian Politiet, Troms District, the Norwegian Politiet, NC3 KRIPOS, and the Poland Policja CBZC, Central Cybercrime Bureau for their assistance in the investigation.
The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Garelick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
###
Defense counsel: Andrea Aldana, Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender
Source:
We’ve reviewed our travel advice for Denmark and advise exercise normal safety precautions.
Denmark’s domestic terror threat level is set to ‘significant’ (level 4 of 5). Terrorist attacks could occur anywhere and at any time. Terrorists may target tourist areas and attractions or other places frequented by foreigners. Take official warnings seriously and follow the advice of local authorities (see ‘Safety’).
Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA
Frequent air raid alarms, the regular sound of explosions nearby and the presence of drones are continuing to highlight the dangers facing Ukraine’s main nuclear sites during the military conflict, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said today.
“The nuclear safety and security situation in Ukraine remains precarious. This is very clear from the daily reports of our teams on the ground. Military activities are still taking place in the vicinity of nuclear sites, putting their safety at constant risk. Our work to help prevent a nuclear accident is far from over,” Director General Grossi said.
The IAEA continues to monitor and assess nuclear safety and security at Ukraine’s five main nuclear facilities and deliver essential equipment and other technical assistance, including medical support.
At the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) over the past week, the IAEA team based at the site has heard explosions at varying distances almost every day, as well as occasional bursts of gunfire.
As part of regular walkdowns across the site, the team visited the turbine halls of two reactor units, where they were again denied access to the western parts of the halls. The team also visited the site’s water treatment facility where they confirmed the arrangements for the treatment of wastewater and observed the testing of an emergency diesel generator.
At the South Ukraine NPP, the IAEA team was informed that five drones were detected 2 km west of the site during the night of 11-12 April. From their residence, the team observed the drones and heard gunfire apparently aimed at repelling them.
At the Chornobyl site, the IAEA team visited the New Safe Confinement and received an update on its status following the mid-February drone attack that punched a hole in the structure. Radiation levels remained normal for the area and there had been no release of radioactive substances beyond the established limits.
Air raid alarms were heard on most days over the past week at these two sites, the IAEA teams reported.
Over the past week, the IAEA has organised five additional deliveries of equipment as part of its efforts to help ensure nuclear safety and security, bringing the total to 130 since the start of the conflict.
The Rivne NPP received two static test benches that had been refurbished and modernized in Germany, with funding from Norway. Plant staff also received training on the newly automated system. The benches are used to test the plant’s hydraulic shock absorbers, which reduce vibrations in coolant pumps, steam generators and other equipment essential for nuclear safety.
Other types of equipment were delivered to Chornobyl, the Centralized Dry Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage Facility and State Specialized Enterprise “Radon Association”, which manages radioactive waste. These deliveries were funded by the European Union, Denmark and Sweden. The Khmelnytskyy NPP received medical equipment supported with funding from Norway.
Source: Government of India
Posted On: 16 APR 2025 5:45PM by PIB Delhi
The leaders review ongoing bilateral collaboration and reiterated commitment to to further deepen the partnership.
They exchanged view on regional and global issues
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi had a telephonic conversation with the President of the Republic of Finland H.E. Mr. Alexander Stubb today.
The leaders reviewed the ongoing collaboration between the two countries including in the areas of digitalization, sustainability and mobility. They reiterated their commitment to further strengthen and deepen the partnership including in the areas of quantum, 5G-6G, AI and cyber-security.
The leaders also exchanged the views on regional and global issues of mutual interest, including the situation in Ukraine. President Stubb expressed Finland’s support for closer
India- EU relations and conclusion of a mutually beneficial FTA at the earliest.
The two leaders agreed to remain in touch.
******
MJPS/SR/SKS
(Release ID: 2122157) Visitor Counter : 53
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
N.B. THIS ENGLISH TEXT IS AN UNOFFICIAL TRANSLATION OF THE SWEDISH ORIGINAL OF THE NOTICE TO ATTEND THE EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING IN TERRANET AB, AND IN CASE OF ANY DISCREPANCIES BETWEEN THE SWEDISH AND THE ENGLISH TRANSLATION, THE SWEDISH TEXT SHALL PREVAIL.
The shareholders of Terranet AB, reg. no. 556707-2128, (the “Company“) are hereby invited to the Annual General Meeting on 23 May 2025 at 14.00 at Mobilvägen 12, Bricks building, room “Oktagonen”, Lund. Registration will commence at 13.45 p.m.
ELIGIBILITY AND REGISTRATION
Shareholders who wish to attend the General Meeting shall
NOMINEE-REGISTERED SHARES
Shareholders whose shares are registered in the name of a nominee must have their shares registered in their own name in order to be entitled to attend the AGM. Such registration may be temporary (so-called voting rights registration) and is requested from the nominee according to the nominee’s procedures. Voting rights registrations that have been completed (registered with Euroclear Sweden AB) no later than 19 May 2025 are taken into account in the preparation of the share register.
PROXY
Shareholders represented by proxy shall issue a written power of attorney for the proxy, signed and dated by the shareholder. The period of validity of the power of attorney may not exceed five years if specifically stated. If no period of validity is specified, the power of attorney shall be valid for a maximum of one year. If the power of attorney is issued by a legal entity, a copy of the certificate of registration or equivalent for the legal entity must be attached. A copy of the power of attorney and any registration certificate should be sent by letter or e-mail to the Company at the above addresses in good time before the meeting. Furthermore, the original power of attorney must be brought to the meeting. A proxy form is available on the Company’s website (www.terranet.se) no later than three weeks before the meeting.
PROPOSED AGENDA
1. Opening of the meeting
2. Election of Chairman
3. Establishing and approval of the voting list
4. Election of one or more persons to verify the minutes
5. Examination of whether the meeting has been duly convened
6. Approval of the agenda
7. Presentation of the annual accounts and the auditors’ report as well as the consolidated accounts and the consolidated auditors’ report
8. Decision on
a) Adoption of the income statement and balance sheet and the consolidated income statement and consolidated balance sheet
b) Allocation of the Company’s profit or loss according to the adopted balance sheet and the adopted consolidated balance sheet
c) Discharge from liability of the members of the Board of Directors and the Managing Director
9. Resolution on the determination of the number of members of the Board of Directors and
10. Resolution on the determination of the remuneration of the Board of Directors and auditors
11. Election of the Board of Directors, auditors and any deputies
12. Resolution to amend the articles of association
13. Resolution on approval of the Board of Directors’ decision of 16 April 2025 on a directed issue of units
14. Resolution to approve the Board of Directors’ decision of 16 April 2025 on a rights issue of units
15. Resolution on authorisation for the Board of Directors to resolve on new issues of shares, warrants and/or convertibles
16. Resolution authorising the Board of Directors to make minor adjustments to the resolutions adopted by the General Meeting
17. Closure of the meeting
PROPOSAL FOR A DECISION BY THE NOMINATION COMMITTEE
Prior to the Annual General Meeting of the Company, the Nomination Committee was established by the Chairman of the Board of Directors contacting the shareholders who, as of August 31, 2024, were the three largest shareholders in the Company, who each appointed one member to the Nomination Committee.
Prior to the 2025 AGM, the Nomination Committee consisted of Julian Aleksov, Chairman of the Nomination Committee, appointed by Maida Vale Capital AB and Oliver Aleksov, Michael Knutsson, appointed by Knutsson Holdings AB, and Torgny Hellström, Chairman of the Board of Terranet AB. The members are appointed by shareholders who, as of March 31, 2025, together represented approximately 13.09 percent of the voting rights for all shares in the Company. The Nomination Committee proposes the following.
Item 2 – Election of the Chairman
The Nomination Committee proposes that attorney Mark Falkner of Eversheds Sutherland Advokatbyrå AB be elected Chairman and keeper of the minutes of the Annual General Meeting or, if he is prevented from attending, the person he designates.
Item 9 – Determination of the number of Board members and auditors
The Nomination Committee proposes that the Board of Directors shall consist of five (5) members without deputies.
The Nomination Committee further proposes that the Company shall have a registered accounting firm as auditor.
Item 10 – Determination of fees for the Board of Directors and auditors
The Nomination Committee proposes that a fee of SEK 185,000 shall be paid to each of the Board members elected by the AGM who are not employed by the Company or the Group and SEK 495,000 to the Chairman of the Board.
The Nomination Committee proposes that a fee of SEK 27,500 shall be paid to each of the members of the Remuneration Committee (maximum three members). The Nomination Committee further proposes that a fee of SEK 65,000 shall be paid to each of the members of the Audit Committee (maximum two members) and that a fee of SEK 110,000 shall be paid to the Chairman of the Audit Committee.
The auditor’s fees shall be paid according to approved invoices.
Item 11 – Election of the Board of Directors, auditors and any deputies
The Nomination Committee proposes that Torgny Hellström, Anders Blom, Magnus Edman and Mats Fägerhag be re-elected as ordinary Board members. Furthermore, it is proposed that Uwe Brandenburg be elected as an ordinary Board member. Nils Wollny and Tarek Shoeb have declined re-election. Torgny Hellström is proposed to be re-elected as Chairman of the Board.
Uwe Brandenburg, born 1966
Uwe Brandenburg, a German citizen, holds a bachelor’s degree in telecommunications technology and is Chief Technology Officer for Automotive and Manufacturing at DXC Luxoft.
Uwe has worked 30 years in senior positions in the automotive, telecommunications and semiconductor industries. He has been ADAS CTO and Global Engineering Head at Valeo, Global Head for Camera and Radar Development at Continental and ADAS Engineering Director Europe at Autoliv. Autoliv, Continental and Valeo are all three major suppliers to the automotive industry.
The Nomination Committee further proposes re-election of the registered accounting firm Ernst & Young Aktiebolag (“E&Y”) as the Company’s auditor for the period until the end of the Annual General Meeting 2026. E&Y has notified that the authorised public accountant Martin Henriksson will continue to be the auditor in charge.
THE BOARD’S PROPOSAL FOR A DECISION
Item 8b – Resolution regarding allocation of the Company’s profit or loss according to the adopted balance sheet and the adopted consolidated balance sheet
The Board of Directors proposes that all funds available to the Annual General Meeting be carried forward.
Item 12 – Resolution on amendment of the Articles of Association
The Board of Directors proposes that the Annual General Meeting resolves to amend the Articles of Association as set out below.
| Current wording | Proposed wording |
| § 4 Share capital
The share capital shall be not less than SEK 3 300 000 and not more than SEK 13 200 000. |
§ 4 Share capital
The share capital shall be not less than SEK 14,500,000 and not more than SEK 58,000,000. |
| § 5 Number of shares
The number of shares shall be not less than 330 000 000 and not more than 1 320 000 000. |
§ 5 Number of shares
The number of shares shall be not less than 1,450,000,000 and not more than 5,800,000,000. |
The CEO, or the person appointed by the Board of Directors, shall be entitled to make any minor adjustments that may be required in connection with the registration of the resolution with the Swedish Companies Registration Office. In the event that the share capital or the number of shares after registration of the directed issue and/or the rights issue under items 13 and 14, respectively, on the agenda falls below the proposed limits in the articles of association, the limits shall be adjusted to the extent necessary to enable registration.
The resolution under this paragraph shall be valid only if supported by shareholders holding not less than two-thirds (2/3) of both the votes cast and the shares represented at the meeting.
Item 13 – Resolution on approval of the Board of Directors’ resolution of 16 April 2025 on a directed share issue
The board of directors proposes that the general meeting resolves to approve the board of directors’ resolution of 16 April 2025 on a new issue of up to 5,461,210 units (the “Directed Issue“). The resolution shall otherwise be subject to the following conditions.
1. The new shares of Series B and warrants shall be issued in units. Each unit shall contain 33 shares of Series B and five (5) warrants of series TO9 B.
2. The Company’s share capital may be increased by a maximum of SEK 1,802,199.30 through the issue of a maximum of 180,219,930 shares of series B. A maximum of 27,306,050 warrants of series TO9 B shall be issued, entailing an increase in the share capital upon full exercise by a maximum of SEK 273,060.50.
3. The right to subscribe for shares in the Directed Issue shall, with deviation from the shareholders’ preferential rights, be granted to a number of pre-announced investors, existing shareholders and members of the Company’s management and board of directors. Prior to the decision on the Directed Issue, the Board of Directors has carefully investigated and considered alternative financing options, including raising capital solely through a rights issue. However, after an overall assessment and taking into account that a directed share issue allows the Company to raise capital earlier, the Board of Directors considers that new share issues carried out with deviation from the shareholders’ preferential rights in combination with a rights issue is a more favourable option for the Company and the Company’s shareholders than a rights issue alone. The Company is in an important phase and has a need for financing to ensure the Company’s long-term operations. It is therefore the Board of Directors’ assessment that a directed issue is the most appropriate financing solution given the current market conditions and the Company’s capital needs and that it is in the interest of all shareholders to carry out the Second Directed Issue.
4. The subscription price per unit amounts to SEK 2.97, corresponding to a subscription price per B-share of SEK 0.09. The subscription price in the Directed Issue has been determined after negotiations with the subscribers and corresponds to a premium of approximately four percent in relation to the volume-weighted average price of the Company’s share on Nasdaq First North Premier Growth Market during the period 7 April 2025 up to and including 11 April 2025 and is considered by the Board of Directors to be on market terms. The subscription price also corresponds to the subscription price in the Rights Issue, which the Board of Directors decided on 16 April 2025. The share premium shall be added to the unrestricted share premium reserve.
5. Subscription can only be made in units and thus not of shares and warrants separately. Allotment may only take place in units. However, after the completion of the issue, the shares and warrants will be separated.
6. Subscription shall be made on a separate subscription list on the day of the unit issue. However, the board of directors is entitled to postpone the last day for subscription.
7. Payment shall be made within three (3) banking days of the date on which the General Meeting approves the decision of the Board of Directors. However, the Board of Directors is entitled to postpone the final date for payment.
8. Each warrant of series TO9 B entitles the holder to subscribe for one (1) Class B share at a subscription price corresponding to SEK 0.18. The subscription price may not be less than the share’s quota value applicable at any given time. Subscription for new shares by exercising the warrants of series TO9 B may take place during the period from 1 December 2025 up to and including 15 December 2025. Any surplus price upon subscription for new Class shares of Series B by exercising the warrants shall be added to the unrestricted share premium reserve. The warrants are subject to additional conditions including customary conversion conditions.
9. The new shares entitle their holders to dividends from the date of their entry in the share register.
10. The Board of Directors or the person appointed by the Board of Directors is authorized to make the minor adjustments necessary for the registration of the resolution with the Swedish Companies Registration Office.
The resolution under this item is valid only if supported by shareholders representing at least nine-tenths (9/10) of both the votes cast and the shares represented at the meeting. The resolution is conditional upon the Meeting approving the proposal to amend the Articles of Association in accordance with item 12 above and that the resolution is registered with the Swedish Companies Registration Office.
Item 14 – Resolution to approve the Board of Directors’ decision of 16 April 2025 on a rights issue of units
The board of directors proposes that the general meeting approves the board of directors’ resolution of 11 April 2025 on a new issue of a maximum of 13,880,714 units with preferential rights for existing shareholders (the “Rights Issue“). The resolution shall otherwise be subject to the following conditions.
(i) In the first instance, allotment shall be made to those who have also subscribed for shares by virtue of subscription rights, regardless of whether the subscriber was a shareholder on the record date or not, and in the event of oversubscription in relation to the number of subscription rights that each person has exercised for subscription of shares and, to the extent that this cannot be done, by drawing lots.
(ii) Secondly, allotment shall be made to others who have subscribed for shares without subscription rights and, in the event that they cannot receive full allotment, in proportion to the number of shares that each has applied for subscription and, to the extent that this cannot be done, by drawing lots.
(iii) Ultimately, any remaining shares shall be allocated to the underwriters who have entered into underwriting commitments in proportion to the size of the respective underwriting commitment and, to the extent that this cannot be done, by drawing lots.
The resolution is conditional upon the AGM approving the proposal to amend the Articles of Association in accordance with item 12 above and that the resolution is registered with the Swedish Companies Registration Office.
Item 15 – Resolution on authorisation for the Board of Directors to resolve on new issues of shares, warrants and/or convertibles
The Board of Directors of the Company proposes that the Annual General Meeting resolves to authorise the Board of Directors, until the next Annual General Meeting, on one or more occasions, to issue shares of series B, warrants and/or convertibles with the right to subscribe for or convert shares of series B, with or without deviation from the shareholders’ preferential rights, within the limits of the Articles of Association applicable from time to time, to be paid in cash, in kind and/or by way of set-off.
The main reason for the Board of Directors to be able to decide on a new share issue without preferential rights for shareholders as described above is to be able to raise new capital to increase the Company’s flexibility for financing.
For the resolution to be valid, the proposal must be supported by shareholders representing at least two thirds (2/3) of both the votes cast and the shares represented at the Annual General Meeting.
Item 16 – Resolution authorising the Board of Directors to make minor adjustments to the resolutions adopted by the Meeting
The Board of Directors proposes that the Meeting authorises the Board of Directors, the Managing Director or the person otherwise appointed by the Board of Directors to make such minor adjustments and clarifications to the resolutions adopted at the Meeting to the extent required for registration of the resolutions.
OTHER
Documents and information
The notice, accounting documents, auditor’s report and proxy form will be made available to shareholders at the Company no later than three weeks before the meeting and will be sent free of charge to shareholders who so request and state their postal address. The documents will also be published on the Company’s website, www.terranet.se, no later than the same day.
According to Chapter 7, Section 32 of the Swedish Companies Act, shareholders have the right to request information from the Board of Directors and the CEO regarding circumstances that may affect the assessment of an item on the agenda or the assessment of the Company’s financial situation. The board of directors and the managing director shall disclose such information if the board of directors considers that it can be done without material harm to the Company.
Processing of personal data
The personal data collected from the share register maintained by Euroclear Sweden AB, notifications received and information about proxies and assistants will be used for registration, preparation of the voting list for the general meeting and, where applicable, minutes of the general meeting. For further information on how your personal data is processed, see www.euroclear.com/dam/ESw/Legal/Integritetspolicy-bolagsstammor-svenska.pdf
Number of shares and votes
At the time of publication of this notice, the total number of shares in the Company amounts to 1,193,741,451, divided into 1,083,063 shares of series A and 1,192,658,388 shares of series B. After registration of the directed share issue resolved by the Board of Directors on 16 April 2025, pursuant to the authorization granted by the Annual General Meeting 2024, the total number of shares in the Company will amount to 1,291,299,252, divided into 1,083,063 shares of series A and 1,290,216,189 shares of series B. Each Class A share entitles to two (2) votes and each Class B share entitles to one (1) vote
_____________________________
Lund in April 2025
Terranet AB
The Board of Directors
About Terranet
Terranet’s goal is to save lives in urban traffic. The company develops innovative technical solutions for Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and Autonomous Vehicles (AV). Terranet’s anti-collision system BlincVision laser scans and detects road objects up to ten times faster than any other ADAS technology available today.
The company is headquartered in Lund, with offices in Gothenburg and Stuttgart. Since 2017, Terranet has been listed on Nasdaq First North Premier Growth Market (Nasdaq: TERRNT-B). Follow our journey at: www.terranet.se
Attachment
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Benjamin Jones, Chief Conservation Officer, Project Seagrass & Research Affiliate, Swansea University
For millennia, humans lived as hunter-gatherers. Savannas and forests are often thought of as the cradle of our lineage, but beneath the waves, a habitat exists that has quietly supported humans for over 180,000 years.
Archaeological evidence suggests that early humans migrated along coasts, avoiding desert and tundra. So, as Homo spread from Africa, they inevitably encountered seagrasses – flowering plants evolved to inhabit shallow coastal environments that form undersea meadows teeming with life.
Our recently published research pieces together historical evidence from across the globe, revealing that humans and seagrass meadows have been intertwined for millennia – providing food, fishing grounds, building materials, medicine and more throughout our shared history.
Our earliest known links to seagrass date back around 180,000 years. Tiny seagrass-associated snails were discovered in France at Paleolithic cave sites used by Neanderthals. Too small to be a consequence of food remains, these snails were likely introduced with Posidonia oceanica leaves used for bedding – a type of seagrass found only in the Mediterranean. Neanderthals didn’t just use seagrass to make sleeping comfortable – 120,000 year old evidence suggests they harvested seagrass-associated scallops too.
Seagrass meadows provide shelter and food for marine life, such as fish, invertebrates, reptiles and marine mammals. Because they inhabit shallow waters close to shore, seagrass meadows have been natural fishing grounds and places where generations have speared, cast nets, set traps and hand-gathered food to survive and thrive.
Long before modern fishing fleets, ancient communities recognised the value of these underwater grasslands. Around 6,000 years ago, the people of eastern Arabia depended on seagrass meadows to hunt rabbitfish – a practice so prevalent here that remnants of their fishing traps are still visible from space.
Seagrass meadows have even been directly harvested as food. Around 12,000 years ago, some of the first human cultures in North America, settling on Isla Cedros off the coast of Baja California, gathered and consumed seeds from Zostera marina, a species commonly called eelgrass. These seeds were milled into a flour and baked into breads and cakes, a process alike to wheat milling today.
Further north, the Indigenous Kwakwaka’wakw peoples, as far back as 10,000 years ago, developed a careful and sustainable way of gathering eelgrass for consumption. By twisting a pole into the seagrass, they pulled up the leaves, and broke them off near the rhizome – the underground stem that is rich in sugary carbohydrates. After removing the roots and outer leaves, they wrapped the youngest leaves around the rhizome, dipping it in oil before eating. Remarkably, this method was later found to promote seagrass health, encouraging new growth and resilience.
Read more:
Seagrass, protector of shipwrecks and buried treasure
Today, seagrass meadows remain a lifeline for coastal communities, particularly across the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Here, fishing within seagrass habitats is shown to be more reliable than other coastal habitats and women often sustain their families by gleaning – a fishing practice that involves carefully combing seagrass meadows for edible shells and other marine life. For these communities, seagrass fishing is vital during periods when fishing at sea is not possible, for example, during tropical storms.
When seagrasses returned to the sea around 100 million years ago, they evolved to have specialised leaves to tolerate both saltwater submergence and periods of time exposed to the sun during tidal cycles. This allowed seagrasses to flourish across our coastlines, but also made them useful resources for humans.
Seagrass leaves, once dry, are relatively moist- and rot-proof – properties likely discovered by ancient civilisations when exploring the uses of plants for different purposes. Bronze age civilizations like the Minoans, used seagrass in building construction, reinforcing mudbricks with seagrass. Analysis of these reveal superior thermal properties of seagrass mudbricks compared to bricks made with other plant fibres – they kept buildings warmer in winter and cooler in summer.
These unique properties may have been why early humans used seagrass for bedding and by the 16th century, seagrass-stuffed mattresses were prized for pest resistance, requested even by Pope Julius III.
By the 17th century, Europeans were using seagrass to thatch roofs and insulate their homes. North American colonialists took this knowledge with them, continuing the practice. In the 19th century, commercial harvesting of tens of thousands of tonnes of seagrass began across North America and northern Europe.
In the US, Boston’s Samuel Cabot Company patented an insulation material called Cabot’s “Quilt”, sandwiching dried seagrass leaves between two layers of paper. These quilts were used to insulate buildings across the US, including New York’s Rockefeller Center and the Capitol in Washington DC.
The prevalence of seagrass throughout human civilisation has fostered spiritual and cultural relations with these underwater gardens, manifesting in rituals and historical customs. In Neolithic graves in Denmark, scientists found human remains wrapped in seagrass, representing a close connection with the sea.
Our new research tells us that seagrass meadows are not just biodiversity hotspots or carbon storage systems. They are ancient human allies. This elevates their value beyond conservation – they’re repositories of cultural heritage and traditional knowledge. They were practical, valuable, and deeply integrated into human cultures.
We have depended on seagrass for 180,000 years – for food, homes, customs – so investing in their conservation and restoration is not just ecological, it’s deeply human.
Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?
Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 45,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.
Nicole Foster receives funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe Training and mobility actions.
Oscar Serrano receives funding from the Spanish National Research Council
Benjamin Jones 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.
– ref. Human connections to seagrass meadows date back 180,000 years, study reveals – https://theconversation.com/human-connections-to-seagrass-meadows-date-back-180-000-years-study-reveals-253307
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Moa Wolff, Postdoctoral Fellow, Family Medicine and Community Medicine, Lund University
Teenage girls who avoid meat in favour of a plant-based diet are at higher risk of developing an iron deficiency, according to our latest research.
Our study confirmed that iron deficiency is common among teenage girls, with 38% of participants affected. We also found that risk of iron deficiency was strongly associated with both eating patterns and menstrual blood loss. Girls who reported heavy periods and followed a meat-restricted diet – meaning they were vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian or avoided red meat – had by far the highest risk of developing iron deficiency. We found that nearly 70% of vegans and vegetarians had iron deficiency.
As a growing number of young people turn to sustainable eating practices, this condition could become even more common. This is why it’s important teenagers are properly informed about the risks of low iron – and how they can get enough iron even while following a plant-based diet.
The idea for this study came from the personal experience of one of us, whose teenage daughter struggled with fatigue, low mood and poor stamina. After months of assuming it was stress or excess screen time, blood tests revealed the cause: iron deficiency anaemia. The experience made us wonder whether the issue is more widespread. This sparked a research collaboration that brought together clinical and nutritional expertise.
The study included 475 female high school students from southern Sweden. Participants completed questionnaires about their diet, what supplements they used, as well as their menstrual patterns. They also provided blood samples, which were analysed for haemoglobin and ferritin – the key markers used to assess iron status.
The body contains about as much iron as a two-inch nail. Around two-thirds of the body’s iron is used in red blood cells to carry oxygen from the lungs to the rest of body. This is why a deficiency can cause tiredness, pale skin and shortness of breath.
But iron isn’t just about oxygen. The remaining one-third plays a key role in brain function, energy metabolism and nerve signalling. Studies show that even without anaemia, low iron can lead to fatigue, poor concentration, reduced academic performance and physical tiredness. Treating iron deficiency has been linked to reduced fatigue.
Teenage girls are at particular risk of iron deficiency. There are several reasons for this.
First, the body needs extra iron to keep up with the rapid growth that happens during puberty. Second, menstruation leads to iron loss, with periods often heavy during the first years after menarche (a woman’s first period). Third, diet plays a key role. Many girls also change their eating habits during adolescence, often reducing their intake of red meat or animal products. But even among omnivores, iron intake tends to be too low. It’s not just about what they avoid – it’s that many simply aren’t getting enough iron overall.
While our findings are from Sweden, the issue is not unique to the country. A European school-based study from 2006-2007 found iron deficiency in 26% of girls aged between 12 and 17. Data from the United States also found that around 17% of girls aged 12 to 21 have low iron stores. Study methods may differ, but the trend is consistent: adolescent girls across countries are at risk of iron deficiency – often without knowing it.
Despite how common iron deficiency is, several persistent myths can prevent young people from getting the help they need.
One common belief is that eliminating animal products is inherently healthy, without acknowledging the need to replace the nutrients they supply.
A plant-based diet can absolutely be healthy and sustainable. But when animal sources of iron are removed, it’s essential to include iron-rich plant foods and to combine them with certain foods for better absorption. Without that knowledge, even well-intentioned choices can lead to nutritional gaps.
Another common belief is that low iron would be obvious – that you’d feel if you had it.
In reality, iron deficiency and anaemia often develops slowly and the body adapts over time. Symptoms such as tiredness, poor concentration and low mood can sneak up gradually and become the new normal.
A third misconception is that iron supplements are dangerous or unnecessary.
For those diagnosed with a deficiency, supplements are often essential and safe when used properly. Treatment usually needs to continue for at least three months to restore the body’s iron stores.
So, what can be done? Here are three simple, evidence-based tips for a sustainable iron-rich diet:
Make iron part of your daily routine. Whole grains, legumes and leafy greens (such as spinach, kale and chard) are good plant-based sources of iron. Even in a balanced diet, where a person consumes a maximum of 500g of red meat per week, more than 80% of daily iron intake comes from plant-based sources.
Help your body absorb it. Plant-based iron is often tightly bound to phytic acid and needs help to be released. So it’s important to combine iron-rich meals with enhancers such as vitamin C (citrus fruits, peppers and cruciferous vegetables) or natural acids (citrus juice, vinegar, soy sauce, miso, kimchi or sauerkraut). These enhancers help improve iron absorption. You can also use fermentation to your advantage. Foods such as sourdough bread have gone through processes that reduce phytic acid, making iron more accessible.
Avoid iron blockers. Skip tea or coffee with meals. The tannins they contain can significantly reduce iron absorption.
With the right knowledge, young people can eat both sustainably and healthily – and avoid iron deficiency and its consequences.
Moa Wolff receives funding from the Southern Health Care Region of Sweden, the Lions Research Fund Skåne, and Regional Funding for Clinical Research (USVE). She has also received an honorarium from Pharmacosmos for giving an educational webinar.
Anna Stubbendorff 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.
– ref. Low iron is common in teenage girls – with vegans and vegetarians at greatest risk, according to our research in Sweden – https://theconversation.com/low-iron-is-common-in-teenage-girls-with-vegans-and-vegetarians-at-greatest-risk-according-to-our-research-in-sweden-253878
Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Aisha Ahmad, Associate Professor, Political Science, University of Toronto
United States President Donald Trump has been loud and clear. America’s liberal democratic allies cannot rely on the U.S. to protect them.
Trump has also suggested using illegal force to achieve his own imperialist ambitions, even against former allies.
Message received.
Canadians and Europeans understand the American partnership is over.
They’re now processing the implications of America’s apparent democratic collapse for global security.
Does Trump’s stance mean that liberal democracies are now vulnerable to invasions, annexations and theft of natural resources? Yes, it does.
Read more:
An American military invasion of Canada? No longer unthinkable, but highly unlikely
International security scholarship shows that, unless they are deterred, predatory superpowers use force to seize territory and natural resources for the purpose of aggrandizement.
While an invasion of Canada is not imminent, the threats to democratic nations are now fully detectable and predictable.
The responsible time to deter these threats is right now.
Deterrence works when the imposed cost of an action is higher than its expected benefit. That means a hostile power won’t attack Canada if the risks of invasion are higher than the value of seizing our natural resources.
Given that Canada is extremely resource-rich, that’s a challenge.
While the Canadian government can make smart choices on military procurement, there is little any Canadian leader can do to transform the Canadian Armed Forces into a superpower army.
Even if Canada redirected every penny of its budget to defence spending, it could not catch up with American, Russian or Chinese military power. Given this asymmetry, is deterrence possible?
Absolutely.
To get there, Canada must take two big steps: first, adopt a “whole-of-society” defence system to protect the homeland; and second, contribute to a democratic nuclear umbrella.
Read more:
Amid U.S. threats, Canada’s national security plans must include training in non-violent resistance
In “whole-of-society” defence, all citizens play a role in national security and emergency response. This approach requires mandatory military service and nationwide civil defence preparations.
Whole-of-society defence not only improves societal resilience, but it also scares away potential invaders.
Ordinary citizens can in fact defeat superpowers using nothing more than small arms and light weapons. The U.S. and Russia have both been trounced in the past by well-armed resistance movements.
For a power-drunk dictator, whole-of-society defence is a sobering reality check.
The presence of a large, well-armed and well-trained domestic population promises invaders a bloody, expensive and protracted ground war. That means high risks, low rewards, skyrocketing costs and decades-long timelines.
That’s enough to deter a predatory superpower.
Read more:
Why annexing Canada would destroy the United States
Many of Canada’s democratic allies have already embraced whole-of-society defence. Norway, Finland, Sweden and Switzerland all have mandatory military service and civil defence, and sensible gun regulations that allow law-abiding citizens to contribute to national security.
Canada has every reason to adopt the Scandinavian approach to national defence, including mandatory military and civil service and the removal of some restrictions on Canadian firearms. An excellent model to consider is Sweden’s brand new “Total Defence” system.
Norwegians, Finns and Swedes are peaceful people who have learned to survive next to a dangerous superpower. Canadians must look at their own vulnerabilities and see the logic and wisdom behind the Scandinavian approach.
Although the 1968 Non-Proliferation Treaty prohibits nuclear weapons development, the Trump administration’s utter disdain for democratic allies has prompted a global rethink. Trump has demanded NATO countries stop relying on the U.S. military and spend more on their own defence.
Nuclear weapons acquisition complies with his demand.
Germany and Poland have reopened the nuclear debate, but most European democracies lack the materials to develop their own weapons. Instead, they are looking to France and the United Kingdom to create a new European nuclear umbrella.
Some Canadians hope the U.K. and French umbrellas could protect Canada, too.
That’s the wrong mentality.
The U.K. and France have a combined 515 nuclear weapons. Russia has 5,580.
Instead of asking the U.K. and France to further stretch their limited arsenals, Canada could step up and contribute to the solution.
Canada is already a nuclear-threshold state with both the know-how and raw materials to develop a nuclear weapon. It would take time and money, but Canada is in a better position to help than most other European countries.
Once across the nuclear threshold, Canada would have a bulletproof defence of its homeland. It could then work with the U.K. and France as an equal and reliable partner, contributing to a democratic nuclear umbrella to protect vulnerable allies.
This would require formal withdrawal from the Non-Proliferation Treaty, but that action doesn’t need to be provocative or unilateral. Canada could co-ordinate its withdrawal with European allies as part of a collective defence of liberal democracies.
In the face of rising tyranny and superpower conquest, Canada can either choose to be a burden on its overstretched French and British allies or a source of renewed safety for its democratic friends.
Deterrence is hard work, but it is infinitely better than the horrors of invasion.
Mandatory military service and nuclear weapons may be new ideas for Canadians, but other friendly democracies have been using these strategies for decades.
The good news is that successful deterrence means stability and peace, so citizens can relax and carry on with their lives. Canadians want this safety for themselves, and for their allies, too.
The time for Canada to act is now, when threats are foreseeable but not imminent. Waiting until an army amasses at the border is too late.
To deter aggression, Canadians need to step up and be a little more like their Scandinavian, British and French allies. That is the price of continued freedom.
Aisha Ahmad receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
– ref. How could Canada deter an invasion? Nukes and mandatory military service – https://theconversation.com/how-could-canada-deter-an-invasion-nukes-and-mandatory-military-service-253414
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Kylie Thomas, Senior Researcher and Senior Lecturer (Radical Humanities Laboratory, University College Cork), NIOD Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies
Ernest Cole is famous for photographing the everyday realities of South Africa’s racist apartheid system. His 1967 book House of Bondage ensured his damning critique of the white minority regime was seen by the world. But its publication sent him into exile and was banned at home.
The startling discovery of a vast archive of his work in a Swedish bank vault in 2017 has returned him to public view.
House of Bondage was republished in 2023 and then, in 2024, celebrated Haitian film-maker Raoul Peck made Ernest Cole: Lost and Found.
It would win the documentary prize at the Cannes Film Festival and show around the world, restoring the legacy of a photographer who died penniless in New York in 1990 at the age of 49.
As a researcher of South African photography under apartheid, I was intrigued by how the film would convey this complex life story.
It draws extensively on Cole’s images, made in South Africa, Europe and the US. It’s a beautiful, poetic interpretation of how his images mirrored his own experiences of oppression, displacement and the loneliness of exile.
Cole was just 10 when the state introduced the Group Areas Act and entrenched racial segregation. He was 22 when his childhood neighbourhood of Eersterust was razed to the ground. His family was among the thousands forcibly removed to a new township.
In his second year of high school, he elected to drop out. The state had introduced Bantu Education, designed to ensure Black children learned only enough for a life of servitude.
Cole began to study by correspondence, taking a course with the New York Institute for Photography. By 18, he’d landed a position as a darkroom assistant at Drum magazine, working alongside German photographer Jürgen Schadeberg.
In 1959, Cole saw a copy of French street photography pioneer Henri Cartier-Bresson’s The People of Moscow, and decided he would create a similar book to convey what it meant to live under apartheid.
He spent six years taking the photographs that would become House of Bondage, a book that exposed the apartheid state.
Determined to publish his images, he fled to the US in 1966, where his book appeared a year later. Acclaimed internationally, it was banned for 22 years in South Africa. Cole was prohibited from returning home and spent the next 20 years stateless.
Read more: Ernest Cole: South Africa’s most famous photobook has been republished after 55 years
He hoped to find freedom in America. Instead he felt pigeonholed as a Black photographer, dismayed at only ever being commissioned to document suffering.
He made hundreds of photographs of people in Harlem, often drawn to scenes that were impossible in South Africa. Mixed-race couples holding hands in public, young people of different races hanging out, neon signs offering “Sex, sex, sex” rather than the “Whites only” signs of segregation he documented at home.
Commissioned to take photos in the Deep South, he found the same suffering and racism he’d thought particular to South Africa.
In a letter to the Norwegian government requesting an emergency travel certificate to leave the US, he wrote:
Exposing the truth at whatever cost is one thing. But having to live a lifetime of being a chronicler of misery and injustice and callousness is another.
For me, the most poignant moment of the film is the footage of Cole speaking in his own voice in a 1969 documentary. A slight man with a sorrowful gaze, he’s seated at a table with prints of his photos:
I’ve been banned in absentia, but that doesn’t matter because it (his book) will stand in the future. Because I’m sure South Africa will be free.
His youthful conviction is undercut by the presence, in his voice, of the weight of all he’s experienced. Correspondence shows Cole’s book was sent to government officials in the US and Europe, and to the United Nations, but it would take decades of resistance before apartheid fell.
Despite his fame, and the support of leading international photographers, writers and editors, Cole’s determination was ground down by the racism he encountered everywhere he went. Although he received grants to continue his work, he descended into poverty and depression.
By the mid-1980s he stopped taking photos – his cameras were lost, stolen, or sold, and he learned that his belongings, including negatives and prints that he’d left in a hotel storage room in New York, had been discarded. Cole was destitute and ill.
Diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, he watched Nelson Mandela’s release from prison in 1990 from his hospital bed. Cole died in New York that same year. All his negatives and the work he’d made during his life in exile were thought to be lost.
Peck’s meditative film draws on Cole’s notebooks and letters, along with research interviews, in a rather bold attempt to have him “tell his own story”. It’s a story driven by both curiosity and heartbreak, narrated by actor LaKeith Stanfield, whose rather jarring American accent gives voice to a South African experience.
Although she’s not mentioned in the credits, Peck’s script draws heavily on interviews by Swedish curator and researcher Gunilla Knape. Her association with the Hasselblad Foundation might account for why she remains unacknowledged – the organisation is linked to the ongoing controversy over ownership of Cole’s work.
Read more: Glimpses into the history of street photography in South Africa
In 2017, Cole’s nephew, Leslie Matlaisane, received an email requesting that he travel to Sweden to discuss the return of items belonging to his uncle, discovered in a bank vault in Stockholm.
The film includes footage of Matlaisane’s journey to Sweden and the bizarre scene that unfolds as Cole’s archive is returned without any explanation about how it came to be either lost or found, or who’d placed it there.
The boxes included 60,000 negatives, and Cole’s notebooks and research materials for House of Bondage. An incredible trove of history has resurfaced, but as Peck’s film shows, Cole himself was irrecoverably lost in exile.
Ernest Cole: Lost and Found is showing in Johannesburg. It can be streamed on various services.
– Ernest Cole: the South African photographer at the centre of a powerful and heartbreaking film
– https://theconversation.com/ernest-cole-the-south-african-photographer-at-the-centre-of-a-powerful-and-heartbreaking-film-254508
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Chloe Orkin, Professor of Infection and Inequities, Centre for Immunobiology, Blizard Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London
The global outbreak of mpox in 2022-23 affected more than 100 countries and grabbed the attention of the scientific community. Research on mpox has intensified since.
The virus behind the outbreak, technically mpox clade IIb, is spread through close physical contact. During the 2022 outbreak it was found in both sperm and vaginal fluid for the first time. This suggests it is sexually transmissible.
Overall, deaths in the 2022 outbreak were very low: 0.1%. However, in people with very weak immune systems – such as those with advanced HIV – deaths were much higher, at around 15%.
The outbreak was curtailed through public health agencies and doctors working in partnership with those most at risk of the disease – sexually active men who have sex with men. Key interventions included ensuring that people knew what signs to look for and how to protect themselves, as well as offering vaccinations.
The more a virus spreads, the greater the likelihood it will mutate. Mutations can allow the virus to be more easily transmissible. This happened with the clade II virus, which branched into two and resulted in the clade IIb global outbreak in 2022. Something very similar has now happened with clade I. Clade I virus caused 14,626 mpox cases and 654 deaths in 2023.
Doctors in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have been battling to contain exponentially rising cases of the more severe clade I mpox, mainly affecting children under 15 and their caregivers.
Mpox can be lethal, especially for children under five years old. The mortality rate for clade I is between 3% and 10%. The variation in mortality rates is due to differences in access to healthcare, such as access to antibiotics, as well as specialist care in hospital and intensive care.
This strain, which has caused significant harm in central African countries such as the DRC, has not attracted the world’s attention in the same way as it has in the west – even though the number of people with the disease was rising year on year. Sadly, it’s very common in global public health for infectious diseases to be neglected unless they affect people in wealthy countries.
Clade I virus is transmitted through close physical contact, respiratory droplets and contact with infected materials like bedding and infected animals. Historically affected countries, like the DRC, have not had access to the vaccine that helped curtail the outbreak in the US, Europe and the UK.
The vaccine – called Jynneos in the US and Imvanex in Europe – has not been made or sold in Africa so far. And at US$100 per dose (£76), it is beyond the affordability of most low- and middle-income countries.
These countries have relied on donations from philanthropic organisations or from governments. However, during the 2022 mpox outbreak, insufficient vaccines were donated to African countries, and local laboratory capacity – needed to test, monitor and respond to cases – was not significantly strengthened. According to experts, wealthier nations, international health agencies and global health donors should have taken the lead in addressing these gaps, but their support fell far short of what was needed.
In 2024, the mpox virus spread very quickly from the Kivu area of the DRC, which is on the eastern border with Uganda, Burundi and Rwanda – and caused over 16,000 new cases and 511 deaths. The rapid spread among heterosexual people who were moving across porous borders with neighbouring countries – and within camps of internally displaced people – prompted scientists to study the virus to see if it had mutated.
The virus has changed significantly enough to warrant being named as a new sub-variant: clade Ib.
These changes may have enabled the rapid spread to several other African countries and the first ever case of clade I virus in Europe (Sweden) in a returning traveller.
So what does this mean for people in wealthy countries? The risk to the general population is very low. However, travellers to affected countries who mix with affected communities are at risk of contracting mpox and transmitting it to close contacts on return.
We live in an interconnected world, so cases of the new strain are extremely likely to be identified in the coming weeks and months in many countries. But this does not make a global outbreak of clade Ib inevitable. The tools needed to limit the virus from spreading are in use already: community engagement, contact tracing, laboratory surveillance of new cases to monitor spread of clade Ib virus, and vaccination.
Anyone who develops symptoms after being in contact with a returning traveller should isolate and follow national guidance on where to attend for medical care. It’s essential to do this as soon as possible after noticing symptoms because being vaccinated within four days of exposure can limit the likelihood of getting mpox and the severity – and length – of infection.
Mpox causes skin lesions that look like blisters which become filled with pus after a few days – and it can cause ulcers in the mouth and on the genitals and bottom. People diagnosed with mpox should isolate and limit close physical and sexual contact while they have lesions.
Stopping this outbreak is possible if affected countries are equipped with three things: access to free diagnostic tests, laboratory capacity to determine the mpox clade so the extent of the outbreak can be monitored and, most important, equal access to the vaccine.
Millions of doses will be needed to protect people in affected countries. The declaration of a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organization will allow better coordination of the international response, such as emergency licensing of the vaccine in all countries and greater capacity to buy and make the vaccine where it is needed most.
Chloe Orkin 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.
– ref. The world could stop central Africa’s deadly mpox outbreak if it wanted to – https://theconversation.com/the-world-could-stop-central-africas-deadly-mpox-outbreak-if-it-wanted-to-236981
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Kylie Thomas, Senior Researcher and Senior Lecturer (Radical Humanities Laboratory, University College Cork), NIOD Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies
Ernest Cole is famous for photographing the everyday realities of South Africa’s racist apartheid system. His 1967 book House of Bondage ensured his damning critique of the white minority regime was seen by the world. But its publication sent him into exile and was banned at home.
The startling discovery of a vast archive of his work in a Swedish bank vault in 2017 has returned him to public view.
House of Bondage was republished in 2023 and then, in 2024, celebrated Haitian film-maker Raoul Peck made Ernest Cole: Lost and Found.
It would win the documentary prize at the Cannes Film Festival and show around the world, restoring the legacy of a photographer who died penniless in New York in 1990 at the age of 49.
As a researcher of South African photography under apartheid, I was intrigued by how the film would convey this complex life story.
It draws extensively on Cole’s images, made in South Africa, Europe and the US. It’s a beautiful, poetic interpretation of how his images mirrored his own experiences of oppression, displacement and the loneliness of exile.
Cole was just 10 when the state introduced the Group Areas Act and entrenched racial segregation. He was 22 when his childhood neighbourhood of Eersterust was razed to the ground. His family was among the thousands forcibly removed to a new township.
In his second year of high school, he elected to drop out. The state had introduced Bantu Education, designed to ensure Black children learned only enough for a life of servitude.
Cole began to study by correspondence, taking a course with the New York Institute for Photography. By 18, he’d landed a position as a darkroom assistant at Drum magazine, working alongside German photographer Jürgen Schadeberg.
In 1959, Cole saw a copy of French street photography pioneer Henri Cartier-Bresson’s The People of Moscow, and decided he would create a similar book to convey what it meant to live under apartheid.
He spent six years taking the photographs that would become House of Bondage, a book that exposed the apartheid state.
Determined to publish his images, he fled to the US in 1966, where his book appeared a year later. Acclaimed internationally, it was banned for 22 years in South Africa. Cole was prohibited from returning home and spent the next 20 years stateless.
Read more:
Ernest Cole: South Africa’s most famous photobook has been republished after 55 years
He hoped to find freedom in America. Instead he felt pigeonholed as a Black photographer, dismayed at only ever being commissioned to document suffering.
He made hundreds of photographs of people in Harlem, often drawn to scenes that were impossible in South Africa. Mixed-race couples holding hands in public, young people of different races hanging out, neon signs offering “Sex, sex, sex” rather than the “Whites only” signs of segregation he documented at home.
Commissioned to take photos in the Deep South, he found the same suffering and racism he’d thought particular to South Africa.
In a letter to the Norwegian government requesting an emergency travel certificate to leave the US, he wrote:
Exposing the truth at whatever cost is one thing. But having to live a lifetime of being a chronicler of misery and injustice and callousness is another.
For me, the most poignant moment of the film is the footage of Cole speaking in his own voice in a 1969 documentary. A slight man with a sorrowful gaze, he’s seated at a table with prints of his photos:
I’ve been banned in absentia, but that doesn’t matter because it (his book) will stand in the future. Because I’m sure South Africa will be free.
His youthful conviction is undercut by the presence, in his voice, of the weight of all he’s experienced. Correspondence shows Cole’s book was sent to government officials in the US and Europe, and to the United Nations, but it would take decades of resistance before apartheid fell.
Despite his fame, and the support of leading international photographers, writers and editors, Cole’s determination was ground down by the racism he encountered everywhere he went. Although he received grants to continue his work, he descended into poverty and depression.
By the mid-1980s he stopped taking photos – his cameras were lost, stolen, or sold, and he learned that his belongings, including negatives and prints that he’d left in a hotel storage room in New York, had been discarded. Cole was destitute and ill.
Diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, he watched Nelson Mandela’s release from prison in 1990 from his hospital bed. Cole died in New York that same year. All his negatives and the work he’d made during his life in exile were thought to be lost.
Peck’s meditative film draws on Cole’s notebooks and letters, along with research interviews, in a rather bold attempt to have him “tell his own story”. It’s a story driven by both curiosity and heartbreak, narrated by actor LaKeith Stanfield, whose rather jarring American accent gives voice to a South African experience.
Although she’s not mentioned in the credits, Peck’s script draws heavily on interviews by Swedish curator and researcher Gunilla Knape. Her association with the Hasselblad Foundation might account for why she remains unacknowledged – the organisation is linked to the ongoing controversy over ownership of Cole’s work.
Read more:
Glimpses into the history of street photography in South Africa
In 2017, Cole’s nephew, Leslie Matlaisane, received an email requesting that he travel to Sweden to discuss the return of items belonging to his uncle, discovered in a bank vault in Stockholm.
The film includes footage of Matlaisane’s journey to Sweden and the bizarre scene that unfolds as Cole’s archive is returned without any explanation about how it came to be either lost or found, or who’d placed it there.
The boxes included 60,000 negatives, and Cole’s notebooks and research materials for House of Bondage. An incredible trove of history has resurfaced, but as Peck’s film shows, Cole himself was irrecoverably lost in exile.
Ernest Cole: Lost and Found is showing in Johannesburg. It can be streamed on various services.
Kylie Thomas 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.
– ref. Ernest Cole: the South African photographer at the centre of a powerful and heartbreaking film – https://theconversation.com/ernest-cole-the-south-african-photographer-at-the-centre-of-a-powerful-and-heartbreaking-film-254508
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra
Australians strongly disagree with key policies of US President Donald Trump, and have overwhelmingly lost trust in the United States to act responsibly in the world, according to the Lowy Institute’s 2025 poll.
Despite this, 80% of people say the alliance is “very” or “fairly” important for Australia’s security, only fractionally down on last year’s 83%.
The poll also found people nearly evenly divided on whether Peter Dutton (35%) or Anthony Albanese (34%) would be the better leader to manage Australia’s relations with Trump.
But Albanese rated much more strongly than Dutton as better able to manage Australia’s relationship with China and President Xi Jinping (45% to 25%).
Albanese was also well ahead (41%-29%) when people were asked who would be more competent at handling Austrlaia’s foreign policy over the next three years.
The poll comes as the “Trump effect” has overshadowed the campaign, and increasingly worked against Dutton. Labor has cast Dutton as having looked to the US for policies, such as his proposed cuts to the public service. It has labelled him “DOGEy Dutton”, a reference to Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
The Lowy poll of 2,117 people was taken between March 3 and 16. This was after Trump had announced plans for a 25% tariff on steel and aluminium imports, and other tariffs, but before his “Liberation Day” regime which saw a 10% general tariff hitting all countries.
Trust in the US has plummeted since the last Lowy poll in 2024, with nearly two-thirds of respondents (64%) having little or no trust in the US to act responsibly in the world, compared with 44% a year before.
This is a new low in the poll’s two-decade history. Trust fell dramatically among older voters. Trust was already relatively low among younger voters, and fell by a smaller margin.
On various Trump stances, the poll found Australians most disapproving (89%) of Trump’s pressure on Denmark to sell or or hand over its self-governing territory of Greenland to the US.
More than eight in ten (81%) disapproved of Trump’s use of tariffs to pressure other countries to comply with his administration’s objectives.
Three-quarters disapproved of the US withdrawing from the World Health Organization (76%) and from international climate change agreements (74%).
In addition, three-quarters (74%) disapproved of Trump negotiating a deal on the future of Ukraine with Russian President Vladimir Putin that might require Ukraine to accept a loss of territory. The dramatic Oval Office showdown between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US Vice President JD Vance took place just before the survey.
Australians also disapproved of the US cutting spending on foreign aid (64%) and undertaking mass deportations of undocumented migrants (56%).
On Trump’s demand that US allies spend more on defence people were, however, evenly divided (49% approved/disapproved).
Michelle Grattan 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.
– ref. Poll shows Australians hate Trump policies and have lost trust in US, but still strongly believe in alliance – https://theconversation.com/poll-shows-australians-hate-trump-policies-and-have-lost-trust-in-us-but-still-strongly-believe-in-alliance-254587
Source: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe – OSCE
Headline: Enhancing Security in BiH: OSCE ILP Project Delivers Tangible Results
The Mission organized a joint progress meeting on 16 April 2025 in Sarajevo, bringing together over 40 representatives, including heads of law enforcement agencies, and international partners. (OSCE) Photo details
Since its launch in September 2022, the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s (Mission) project Enhancing Intelligence-led Policing to Combat Serious Security Threats and Crimes (ILP) has made significant strides in supporting law enforcement agencies across the country. To date, over 300 police managers and operational staff have been introduced to the ILP model through 16 specialized workshops. The project has also contributed to the development of structural recommendations and regulatory frameworks aimed at strengthening criminal intelligence processes.
To improve co-operation between law enforcement and prosecutors, the project facilitated joint discussions and supported the establishment of the ILP Coordination Body. This platform enables real-time, cross-institutional collaboration, which has already led to several ILP driven operations. Furthermore, 21 law enforcement agencies and institutions received specialized IT equipment, software, and training, thereby enhancing and standardizing their analytical and operational capacities.
To mark this progress, the Mission organized a joint progress meeting on 16 April 2025 in Sarajevo, bringing together over 40 representatives, including heads of law enforcement agencies, and international partners.
“The main aim of our ILP Project is to empower law enforcement agencies at all levels to use ILP to combat serious crime and help increase the safety and security of BiH and its citizens,” said Ambassador Brian Aggeler, Head of the OSCE Mission to BiH. “IT modernization is not a luxury – it is a prerequisite. Strengthening the digital and analytical tools available to BiH law enforcement is essential to fully benefit from the ILP model and to confront the complex security challenges of our time.”
Marijo Marić, Minister of Interior of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton, emphasized the need for modern police practices to evolve alongside technology: “Within the chain of police–prosecutor’s office–court, the greatest burden undoubtedly falls on the police. For this reason, the police must be the strongest link—something that can only be achieved through close co-operation, as we share a common mission. The ILP project has recognized this need by introducing mechanisms for establishing and maintaining coherent and uniform systems, which, most importantly, will accelerate the mutual exchange of data. This, in turn, ensures more efficient operational work in the field.”
The Service for Foreigners’ Affairs, an agency within the BiH security system, plays a key role in managing migration and safeguarding national security. Rade Kovač, Head of the Operational Support Sector, stated: “The implementation of the project organized by the OSCE Mission to BiH, Improving Police Intelligence Work in Combating Serious Security Threats and Serious Crimes (ILP Project), has established significant prerequisites for enhancing the organizational structure, IT compatibility, and operational intelligence capabilities within the Service. By applying the I2 system and the Criminal Intelligence Database Application (CIDA) database, members of the Service will be equipped with a more efficient and unified approach to collecting, processing, analysing, and exchanging operational intelligence data. This will also enable timely co-ordination and inter-agency co-operation in detecting and preventing all forms of security threats.”
Enes Karić, Director of the Directorate for Coordination of Police Bodies of BiH, highlighted the ILP Project’s role in improving intelligence-led policing: “Particularly significant is the procurement of the analytical software i2 Analyst’s Notebook, which has elevated criminal intelligence work to a higher level. It has improved data collection and processing, contributing to more accurate and reliable security assessments during the implementation of protection measures for VIPs, delegations, and facilities under the Directorate’s jurisdiction, as well as facilitating the exchange of intelligence data with other agencies.” He added that the improved quality and volume of criminal intelligence reports have already led to concrete police actions, particularly in preventing illegal migration.
Goran Pisić, Head of the Brčko District BiH Police, emphasized that the implementation of the ILP Project has notably strengthened their capabilities, especially in criminal intelligence work, thanks to the donated equipment and software. He added: “It is also worth noting that co-operation between the Brčko District BiH Police and other police agencies in Bosnia and Herzegovina has improved as well.”
This initiative is part of the Mission’s broader efforts to strengthen overall security in BiH, generously supported by Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, and Türkiye.
Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI
Wednesday, 16 April 2025 war
Khartoum (Agenzia Fides) – The London conference organized exactly two years after the outbreak of the Sudanese civil war on 15 April 2023, to try to put an end to the conflict, ended without a final declaration.The conference was convened by the United Kingdom, the African Union (AU), the European Union (EU), France and Germany, and was attended by foreign ministers and high-level representatives of Canada, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, Norway, Qatar, South Sudan, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Uganda and the United States of America, together with high-level representatives of the League of Arab States (LAS) and the United Nations (UN). However, the absence of the two opposing forces—the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), commanded by Mohamed Hamdan “Hemeti” Dagalo—has severely limited the prospects for progress. The organizers of the conference said that this year’s participants pledged more than $1 billion to Sudan and its neighbors. This figure includes $590 million from the EU and its member states and $158 million from the United Kingdom.The final declaration that was supposed to address the formation of a contact group to mediate between the parties, fell through due to differences between Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, according to The Guardian. The first two support General al-Burhan, while the third are suspected of siding with Dagalo. The latter, coinciding with the London conference, proclaimed once again yesterday, April 15, the formation of an alternative government to the one led by General al-Burhan, calling it a “Government of Peace and Unity, the true face of Sudan.” Dagalo described the administration as “an alliance between the Sudanese Revolutionary Front, civil society, humanitarian organizations, and youth movements.” He also emphasized that the RSF government aims to unify Sudan by committing to providing education, healthcare, and essential services throughout the war-torn country, and not only in the territories they control. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 16/4/2025)
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