Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –
A delegation from Salymbekov University (Kyrgyzstan), headed by President Amangeldi Zhumadilov, visited Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University to discuss prospects for cooperation in education and science. The partners agreed to jointly implement educational programs, research projects, and academic exchanges aimed at training highly qualified specialists for high-tech sectors of the economy.
The key topic of the negotiations was the creation of joint educational programs, including double degrees, in various areas of secondary vocational and higher education. The pilot areas planned for launch this fall include “Information Systems and Programming”, “International Logistics” and “International Business”, “Digital Enterprise Economics” and IT specialties. This is necessary in order to purposefully train highly qualified specialists in professions that are really in demand in the region.
Vice-Rector for International Affairs of SPbPU Dmitry Arsenyev noted: We see great potential in cooperation with Salymbekov University. Specific projects that can be implemented in the short term are already being discussed. This indicates a high degree of mutual trust and interest in developing partnership.
Director of the Institute of Industrial Management, Economics and Trade Vladimir Shchepinin emphasized: Our institute has unique experience in training specialists in economics and management, adapted to the real needs of industry. Joint programs with Kyrgyz colleagues will allow us to train personnel that are in demand not only in Kyrgyzstan, but also on the international market.
The meeting discussed issues of organizing internships for students in Russian companies, developing programs for improving the qualifications of teachers, and developing cooperation in the field of biotechnology and biomedical systems. Representatives of Salymbekov University expressed interest in adapting SPbPU educational programs to train specialists in these promising areas.
The colleagues agreed to develop a roadmap for cooperation, which provides for the exchange of curricula, joint research, and the organization of academic exchanges. The first student intake for joint programs is planned for September of this year.
President of Salymbekov University Amangeldi Zhumadilov noted: Our university occupies a leading position in the national rankings of Kyrgyzstan and first place among the young universities of the country. Partnership with SPbPU is an important step in expanding international cooperation and improving the quality of Kyrgyz education.
The visit ended with the signing of a memorandum of understanding, which laid the foundation for further joint work. The next step will be a detailed elaboration of mechanisms for implementing the agreed initiatives and the preparation of the necessary documents for launching the first joint programs.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –
From April 24 to 28, the State University of Management is hosting the fourth All-Russian KVN School, organized by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education.
More than 400 applications were submitted for participation, of which 120 participants were selected. The guys came from 36 regions of Russia, including new territories.
The opening was attended by Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education Olga Petrova, Acting Director of the Department of Youth Policy and Educational Activities of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia Denis Savenkov and other employees of the Ministry of Education and Science, as well as representatives of TTO “AMiK”.
Over the course of several days, participants interact with experienced editors from various KVN MS leagues, including the Major League. And as a pleasant bonus, they will attend the dress rehearsal of the KVN Major League filming.
The final event of the All-Russian School will be a return game, where the participants will show what they have been working on all days of the School.
Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 04/28/2025
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Distinguished guests, participants, ladies and gentlemen, Good afternoon
At the outset, let me thank the organisers for inviting me and giving me an opportunity to deliver the valedictory address and share some of my thoughts on a subject which continues to engage national as well as global attention. I believe there would have been fruitful deliberations on the topics of green and sustainable finance and the role of financial institutions, opportunities and challenges, aligning of regulatory and policy worlds, facilitating global financing, and integration of climate change aspects in credit risks of the financial institutions. Each of these topics require detailed deliberations and collectively they form the building blocks for creation of a robust ecosystem for green and sustainable finance for the economy and financial system at large.
2. The critical enablers to attract green and sustainable investments that need to be put in place for financial ecosystem has been and continues to be a subject of deliberations at various fora be it G20 Sustainable Finance Working Group, the international standard setting bodies such as the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, the International Sustainability Standards Board as well as the Financial Stability Board, and the Network for Greening the Financial System. These enablers range from adoption of a national green/ climate finance taxonomy, globally aligned disclosure standards for climate related financial risks, and robust assurance and verification process. Green and sustainable finance being a niche area, requires us to be mindful of greenwashing risks. Moreover, there are certain inherent risks and conditions that need to be met from the risk-reward perspective in green and sustainable lending/ investment decisions. Let me delve a bit into these aspects and try to build a narrative on how we can collectively build and develop a robust ecosystem for green and sustainable finance in India.
The Green and Sustainable Finance Taxonomy
3. When we talk of green and sustainable finance, the primary consideration is understanding as to what defines it. A national level taxonomy is crucial as it serves as the first building block that aligns the entire ecosystem, be it the government, regulators, other policy makers, financial institutions and borrowers/investors. This is under development in India. You are aware that an announcement to this effect was made by the Hon’ble Finance Minister in the Budget Speech for 2024-25. Meanwhile, we at Reserve Bank of India have till this juncture used the Sovereign Green Bonds (SGrB) framework for mapping of the green and sustainable sectors. This was also used when we issued a Framework on acceptance of Green Deposits in April 2023, which aligns with the SGrB framework towards identification of the green sectors. Thus, as a robust ecosystem enabler, the first building block would be a national level taxonomy for identification of the sectors and alignment of various regulatory dispensations along this taxonomy.
Consistent and harmonised Regulatory approach
4. The second building block would be a consistent and harmonised regulatory approach towards assessment of climate change risks and fostering of related financing. The climate change risks, and the related issues are sector agnostic, with significant inter-dependencies. To ensure that the net zero target announced by the Hon’ble PM at COP26 in 2021 is achieved by 2070, it would require players in the economy and financial system to fine-tune their respective actions/ measures, so that as a country, we can achieve this target. It would also require a consistent and harmonised approach among the concerned regulators and authorities.
Assurance and Verification Function
5. The next building block would be the development of robust assurance and verification functions. Assessment of climate related financial risks, green and sustainable finance are context specific, with need for a clear and objective demonstration of end use of funds. Transparency and related checks and balances that provide assurance on end use of the funds related to green and sustainable finance is extremely important. Given the technical expertise needed for assurance on climate related aspects, as well as adherence to benchmark assurance standards, there is a need to ensure credibility of this assurance and verification process. This would mean defining the requirement of consistent standards detailing expertise and skills that any assurer or verifier must possess to provide these services. A consistent approach across the financial system on the processes would provide confidence to the investors, which would then operate as a key enabler for increased flow of credit to the relevant sectors while addressing concerns around risks of greenwashing.
Transparency and Disclosures
6. The fourth aspect is the need for transparency in climate related disclosures. This is essential for financial institutions to assess and manage climate related financial risks, ensure transparency, and support long-term financial stability. It also underscores the need for coherence among various sectors on disclosure aspects. To give an example, if a financial institution is to make any lending or investment decision or assess its portfolio risks, or is mandated to make climate related financial disclosures, then it must depend on the borrowers to provide the requisite information. This means not just putting in place an enabling mechanism for both the lender and the borrower but also having consistency across the financial system for seamless flow of data and information. The Reserve Bank of India had published a draft “Disclosure framework on Climate-related Financial Risks”, in February 2024 for public consultation. The draft guidelines require Regulated Entities to make qualitative and quantitative disclosures with respect to climate related financial risks based on four broad areas, viz., (i) governance (ii) strategy (iii) risk management and (iv) metrics and targets. We have received comprehensive feedback on the framework basis which the guidelines are being finalised.
Complexities of climate change modelling and data considerations
7. Another area where consistency and harmonisation are required is compilation of data. For purpose of climate related financial risk, assessment and related facets of green and sustainable finance, be it transition or adaptation finance, data is very crucial. One of the limitations for climate risk assessment at this juncture is the need for technical expertise coupled with unique data requirements. Climate related data, understanding nuances of the climate patterns and the impact on account of climate change, is a highly technical and skilled job. Climate scientists across the world use super computers to study climate and weather patterns and its related aspects. It involves complex modelling and is resource intensive. If we depend on a financial sector expert, who uses financial modelling for assessing quantitative estimates and then arrive at the financial sector impact, this expertise alone may not suffice. The two skill sets needed for climate scenario analysis and climate finance risks are completely different in that as climate scientists are not experts in financial modelling and financial modellers have limited expertise in area of climate science. This makes the job of assessment of impact of climate change risks on financial sector more difficult and would therefore require collaboration amongst the two.
8. Given the impact of climate change risks, viz., physical and transition risks and the impact it has on the value of real assets and financial instruments, understanding these risks is crucial for lenders or investors from a risk-reward perspective. Thus, for uniform and consistent assessment of risks across the financial system, the aspect of disclosure and data becomes crucial. This will remove the misalignment of information between borrowers and lenders/ investors and not only allow a fair assessment of climate change risks but also foster green and sustainable finance.
9. As a part of this endeavour, Reserve Bank had in the monetary policy statement of October 2024, announced the formation of Reserve Bank – Climate Risk Information System (RB-CRIS). It is envisaged to bridge data gaps and provide standardised datasets to the Regulated Entities (REs) on three aspects – Physical Risk Data, Transition Risk Data, and Carbon Emission Factor Database. The physical risk data part would focus on providing pan-India hazard and vulnerability data. As regards the transition risk, the plan is to arrive at India specific transition scenarios and use them to provide sectoral benchmark transition pathways. Finally, recognising the need to standardise the emission calculation across the sectors, a consistent approach towards carbon emission methodology and the uniform database is also being proposed. Under RB-CRIS, the RBI intends to bring all the stakeholders together and bring coherence and bridge the existing data gaps.
Climate change and credit risks
10. Climate change risks impact the financial institutions, financial system and real economy through the traditional risk categories and one risk factor that prominently stands out is credit risk. Climate change would lead to additional operational costs for the borrowers with an increased possibility of loss of their assets, leading to increased probability of default by the borrowers. The real economy is also impacted through various means such as direct property losses, crop losses, loss of employment and livelihood losses. Another facet of credit risk in climate change emanates from the need to promote green and sustainable financing. The fact that the net-zero technologies driving the transition to decarbonisation, are at various developmental and evolving stages, itself signifies a significant increase in credit risks. Thus, there is a dichotomy wherein on one hand there is a need for incentivising green and sustainable finance and on the other there is an increase in inherent risks from encouraging such financing. So, the key issue is how to manage this dichotomy? While the prudential aspect, i.e., the risk management consideration, is the prime concern for any regulator, the flow of credit is generally market determined albeit mandated at times through specific directed lending policies. Therefore, a delicate balancing act needs to be performed by the regulators to avoid any imbalance from the broader financial stability perspective.
Challenges to Green and Sustainable Finance and Global Financing
11. Challenges to green and sustainable finance are many. However, they can be broadly categorised in two specific buckets – one is the structural issues while the other relates to the quantum of financing available. From the structural perspective, the main challenges would be, high-upfront capex requirements given the specific nature of required project loans/ investments; perceived high inherent risks given the evolving nature of climate related technologies; asset liability mismatches which is ubiquitous to any lending/ investing activity, more so in case of project loans given the longer maturity, commencement and gestation timelines; and knowledge and information gaps, given the technical nature of assessment of climate change risks and appraisal of climate related technologies.
12. As to the quantum of financing available, there are various pull and push factors at work, in the context of global capital mobilisation. The global capital stock of lending/ investments flows also follows a risk-reward perspective. The pull factors are the specific domestic enablers which may drive investor appetite. This would be a function of robustness of the financial ecosystem, liquidity, and depth of the financial markets, transparency and disclosure standards, rigour of verification and assurance mechanism, development and dissemination of risk assessment models for climate-related risks, data and capacity gaps, long-term strategy on transition plans, and availability of pool of bankable projects. The push factors would be the global commitment of funds for climate related funding. The recent geo-political developments could possibly lead to the weakening of these push factors. This is a developing story and there is a need to closely monitor the wider implications. Given the huge requirement for funding of the green transition, the availability of global funds remains critical.
13. The inherent risks in the green and sustainable finance, skews the risk-reward considerations leading to increased cost of credit. This leads to demand by private sector investors/ lenders for appropriate derisking mechanisms through grants/ guarantees/ philanthropic capital/ financial incentives, etc. Mobilising such capital on scale, would be a challenge. A related issue is the availability of bankable projects. Though, bankable projects invariably find credit, there are funding challenges with partially bankable and non-bankable projects. As you all may be aware, there are two aspects of climate change finance we need to consider, one is mitigation and other is adaptation. Mitigation is used for transition purpose and adaptation for resilience purpose. Financing in case of mitigation can be associated with cash flows, but it becomes difficult for adaptation and resilience, as the associated cash-flows are difficult to assess leading to sub optimal capital flows towards sustainable investments in resilient infrastructure and adaptation.
Augmenting green and sustainable finance
14. Given these limitations, there is a need for concerted efforts to overcome these challenges and augment green and sustainable finance. This would require a multi-pronged approach. Blended finance, which combines concessional public funding with private sector investment can be one of the main conduits of the credit flow by de-risking climate related projects. India is a diverse country, with varying needs of climate mitigation and resilience, meaning, a coastal area would require a differentiated approach as compared to the regions near the Himalayas. We would need practical implementable solutions, curated to specific issues. Tools like guarantees, sustainability-linked loans, and climate-resilient bonds could be explored to further enhance private sector involvement.
15. The problem of climate change needs scalable solutions, and it cannot come by entirely relying on public funds. There is thus a need to develop a market wherein the risk-reward perspective itself takes care of the scale of requirements. Even within adaptation space, there are pockets which can be associated with cash flows. Climate change risks and financing needs to be viewed also as an opportunity. Innovative solutions which not only mitigate financial risks associated with climate change but also incentivise private investors to participate in climate projects need to be explored.
16. Developmental Financial Institutions (DFIs) would have to play a major role in channelising the flow of credit for green and sustainable finance. There is a need for more collaboration between DFIs, Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs), National Development Banks (NDBs) and Vertical Climate and Environmental Funds (VCEFs). Given the current geo-political developments, with the world moving to a multi-polar world, there is a need for certain reforms within the MDBs as well greater representation from/ credit to the global south.
17. Technology and innovation would play a major role in mitigation of climate change risks while creating a robust ecosystem for green and sustainable finance in the country. This requires developing a platform that would bring together the REs and technology solution providers, to facilitate an orderly development of required technological solutions to mitigate climate related risks and overcome the current limitations and foster sustainability linked credit flow. The Reserve Bank has on April 09, 2025, included sustainable finance and climate risk mitigation as a topic under the Theme Neutral “On Tap” application facility under the Regulatory Sandbox which could help develop and test innovative solutions.
The Way Forward
18. One term which often finds mention in global context has been “inter-operability”. While as a concept, inter-operability seems ideal in a just and equal world, in these times in a world with stark inequalities, mandating inter-operability with similar level of commitments, may not be the ideal way and there is a need for a differentiated approach. The Emerging Markets and Developing Economies (EMDEs) have started this journey to achieve seamless integration and inter-operability. However, there is yet some distance to be covered. Though, historical examples from high-income countries demonstrate the potential to decouple economic growth from emissions, for EMDEs this would require strong international co-operation, significant investments, and effective policies. Further, any transition from carbon intensive economy to a greener economy is not a smooth ride and there are going to be disruptions be it restructuring, reallocation of resources and financial flows as also displacement of workers and have a bearing on land use. Thus, as we traverse this journey there is a need for delicate balance to ensure that socio-economic implications are carefully considered and addressed.
19. Going forward, we would also need to arm our respective organizations with skilled manpower and technical expertise to spearhead the transformation in addressing the challenges of climate change. With this end in view, Reserve Bank has been conducting extensive capacity building programmes for the REs. The focus has been on bringing international experts to share their experience on green and sustainable financing, stress testing and scenario analysis, credit risk assessment, transition planning, physical risk assessment, and global best practices for governance, strategy and risk management.
Conclusion
20. India occupies a unique position in the global climate context. As one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, it faces the dual challenge of fostering and sustaining economic development while addressing climate change. On the one hand, it is highly vulnerable to climate risks while on the other hand, it has the potential to lead the global green transition. While we have made a fair start, there are several challenges that remain to be addressed. The risk management architecture in REs for climate related financial risks is still evolving and further concerted efforts are required. Further, a comprehensive assessment on the extent of losses that may be caused due to climate change risks in the future requires more granular approach. There is a need to build technical expertise and competencies for comprehensive assessment and mitigation of climate change risks. There is also a need for a more harmonised and coherent regulatory approaches across various sectors so that the sectoral dependencies may be addressed in an efficient manner. While the need for the world to transition to a greener tomorrow is given, there are several challenges on the way, and they need to be addressed in a holistic manner. We also need a collaborative and sensitive approach to address the various issues given the impact on the economies and the societies at large. I am confident seminars such as these give an opportunity to further the work to achieve these objectives.
An antidepressant containing a form of the drug ketamine has been added to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), making it much cheaper for the estimated 30,000 Australians with treatment-resistant depression. This is when a patient has tried multiple forms of treatment for major depression – usually at least two antidepressant medications – without any improvement.
From May 1, a dose of Spravato (also known as esketamine hydrochloride) will cost $A31.60 and $7.70 for concession card holders.
However, unlike oral antidepressants, Spravato can’t be taken at home. Here’s how it works, and who it’s expected to help.
What is Spravato?
The chemical ketamine is used as an anaesthetic. In this formulation it combines both the right-handed (designated “R”) and left-handed (called “S”) forms of the molecule.
This means they are mirror images of each other, similar to how your left hand is a mirror image of your right hand. The left- and right-hand forms can have different effects in the body.
Spravato contains only the left-handed version, giving the drug its generic name esketamine.
Spravato works by increasing the levels of glutamate in the brain. Glutamate is a key chemical messenger molecule that excites brain nerve cells, lifting and improving mood. It also plays a role in learning and forming memories.
How is it taken?
Spravato cannot be taken at home.
A patient can self-administer, but it must be done at a registered treatment facility, such as a hospital, under the supervision of medical staff so they can look out for blood pressure changes and monitor potential side effects.
The drug is provided as a single-use nasal spray. This application means it’s absorbed directly through the nasal lining into the brain, so it starts to work within minutes.
Spravato must also be taken alongside an oral antidepressant. This will be a new one the patient hasn’t tried before. In clinical trials, it was usually an SNRI or SSRI medication.
When a patient first starts on Spravato, they are given the spray twice a week in the first month. It is then administered once a week for the second month, and then weekly or fortnightly after that.
Once there are signs the medicine is working, treatment is continued for at least six months.
You can use the spray yourself but it must be under medical supervision in a registered facility. Scarc/Shutterstock
How effective is it?
Spravato was approved for sale in Australia based on clinical trial data from more than 1,600 patients who were administered the drug for a period of four weeks. Each was given either Spravato, or a nasal placebo, and an oral antidepressant.
Patients were given a starting dose of either 28 or 56mg, which could be then increased up to 84mg by their doctor.
By the end of the four weeks, a greater percentage of patients who were given Spravato were found to have had a meaningful response to the treatment when compared with patients who received the placebo. Patients who were taking Spravato were also found to relapse at a lower rate. For those who did relapse, it took the Spravato patients longer to relapse when compared with patients who took the placebo.
It is expected Spravato will benefit a wide range of patients. The clinical trials demonstrated effectiveness for men and women, people aged 18 to 64, and those from a range of different ethnic backgrounds.
As with any medicine, Spravato may cause side effects, some of which can be serious. The most common include:
dissociation (feeling disconnected from yourself or what is around you)
dizziness
nausea and vomiting
drowsiness
headache
change in taste
vertigo.
Because Spravato can potentially increase blood pressure, medical staff will monitor a patient before and after it is administered.
Usually, blood pressure spikes around 40 minutes after taking the drug, so a reading is taken around this time. After taking Spravato, if their blood pressure has stayed low, or it’s dropping, the patient is given the all-clear to go home.
Due to the potential for this and other serious side effects, Spravato carries a black triangle warning. This means medical staff are encouraged to report any problem or side effect to the Therapeutic Goods Administration. A black triangle warning is generally used for new medicines or medicines that are being used in a new way.
Who will be eligible?
To be eligible for a prescription, a patient will need to have been diagnosed with treatment-resistant depression. In practice, this means they will have unsuccessfully tried at least two other antidepressant drugs first.
Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration approved Spravato for use in Australia in 2021, meaning it was available but not subsidised. Since then, the sponsoring company, Janssen-Cilag (an Australian subsidiary of the multinational Johnson & Johnson), applied to have it added to the PBS four times.
In December 2024, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee recommended a PBS listing.
The new PBS listing, capping the price of a single treatment at $31.60, is a significant price drop. In 2023, single doses of branded Spravato were reported to cost anywhere between $500 and $900.
However, patients may still have to pay hundreds of dollars for appointments at private clinics where Spravato can be administered. Public places are available but limited.
Spravato may be suitable for you if you’ve tried different antidepressants without success. If it is suitable for you, then your doctor can discuss the next steps.
If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.
Nial Wheate in the past has received funding from the ACT Cancer Council, Tenovus Scotland, Medical Research Scotland, Scottish Crucible, and the Scottish Universities Life Sciences Alliance. He is a fellow of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute. Nial is the chief scientific officer of Vaihea Skincare LLC, a director of SetDose Pty Ltd (a medical device company) and was previously a Standards Australia panel member for sunscreen agents. He is a member of the Haleon Australia Pty Ltd Pain Advisory Board. Nial regularly consults to industry on issues to do with medicine risk assessments, manufacturing, design and testing.
Shoohb Alassadi does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mohan Yellishetty, Professor, Co-Founder, Critical Minerals Consortium, and Australia-India Critical Minerals Research Hub, Monash University
The world needs huge quantities of critical minerals to make batteries, electric vehicles, wind turbines, mobile phones, computers and advanced weaponry.
Many of these minerals lie under Australian soil. Australia is able to produce 9 out of 10 mineral elements required to produce lithium-ion batteries, such as lithium, nickel and cobalt. It also has the highest total reserves of battery minerals.
But at a time of major geopolitical upheaval, critical minerals are also contested. China controls many critical mineral supply chains, allowing it to dominate clean energy technologies. The ongoing United States–China trade war has intensified competition for access to critical minerals.
It’s against this backdrop that Labor has proposed a A$1.2 billion strategic reserve of critical minerals. It’s a timely and welcome step in the right direction.
Why is this reserve needed?
Critical minerals are vital to the industries of the future. But supply can be hard to secure and disruptions can be devastating.
After US President Donald Trump jacked up tariffs on China, Beijing responded by clamping down on critical mineral exports. Almost 80% of US weaponry depends on Chinese critical minerals.
China now dominates mining and refining of many critical minerals. Beijing controls 90% of the world’s rare earth refining, 80% of lithium refining and 68% of nickel refining. The US and other nations are belatedly trying to catch up.
Mining has long been a major Australian industry, particularly iron ore and coal. But Australia has huge reserves of many critical minerals, producing the largest volume of lithium ore in the world as well as stocks of cobalt, manganese, rutile and others. Australian miners Lynas and Australian Strategic Materials are two of the few rare-earth mining companies not owned by China.
That’s where this strategic reserve comes in. If it comes to fruition, the federal government would buy agreed volumes of critical minerals from commercial projects, or establish an option to purchase them at a given price. It would then keep stockpiles of these key minerals to prevent market manipulation by China and stabilise prices by releasing or holding stocks strategically.
The reserve would give Canberra more leverage in negotiating with trading partners and enable a rapid response to supply disruptions. Government backing for the industry would boost onshore processing, scale up domestic production and encourage more high-wage, high-skill jobs in regional areas.
Which minerals will be stockpiled? That’s yet to be determined. The list of ‘critical minerals’ can vary between countries, and a mineral critical to one nation may not be to another.
The minerals most commonly included in these lists include cobalt, gallium, indium, niobium, tantalum, platinum group minerals and rare earth elements.
Why is the government intervening?
In 2023, major miners produced close to a billion tonnes of iron ore in Western Australia.
By contrast, critical mineral volumes are small. For instance, only 610 tonnes of gallium were mined in 2023. Major miners such as Rio Tinto, BHP and Vale don’t tend to bother.
Critical mineral markets are often opaque and highly concentrated. The barrier to entry is high. Globally, the market for the 31 critical minerals on Australia’s list is valued at around A$344 billion – about the size of the global aluminium market.
That leaves it to mid-tier and small miners to bridge the gap between rapidly growing demand and supply. The problem is, raising capital is often very difficult. The price of critical minerals can fluctuate wildly. The price of lithium and nickel have fallen sharply over the last two years due to market oversupply.
The strategic reserve would make it easier for these miners by providing access to capital through loans from Export Finance Australia and private investors, reducing financial uncertainty and cost overruns and acting as a buffer against market volatility.
For instance, mid-tier miner Illuka Resources is building Australia’s first rare earths refinery in Western Australia. The project already has significant government support, but it is likely to need more.
Despite Australia’s significant mineral resources, it faces an uphill battle to gain market share. China’s dominance has been driven by low production costs; low environmental, social and goverance standards; and a competitive labour market. But intensifying geopolitical competition between China and the US means Australian minerals would likely be sought by the US.
How can Australia best play its hand?
In volatile market conditions, cheaper operations have a significant advantage, while new mines face an uphill battle.
Australia’s critical minerals hub framework could help offset capital costs. Smaller miners could form cooperatives to share infrastructure and manage logistics, processing and access to international markets. Sharing infrastructure such as roads, rail, energy and ports would reduce the investment risk.
There are other challenges to overcome, such as the long lead times of 10 years or more to go from discovery to production, limited access to low-cost renewable energy and a shortage of technical and scientific capabilities.
Labor’s strategic reserve would help. But it won’t be enough to make Australia into a critical mineral giant. The government should consider:
building more regional processing hubs with shared infrastructure and microgrids
offering royalty exemptions, tax incentives and energy subsidies early on
giving incentives to retrofit facilities to produce critical minerals found alongside main ores, such as cobalt found alongside copper and antimony with gold
encouraging models where rare earths are concentrated in Australia and processed overseas in partner countries
establishing Centres of Excellence on critical minerals and creating shared libraries of intellectual property to support research, avoid duplication and optimise resource allocation.
Overall, the proposed reserve is an excellent idea. Government intervention will be necessary to absorb and mitigate risks from price fluctuations and geopolitical shocks.
Mohan Yellishetty receives funding from the Australian Research Council, Geoscience Australia, Defense Science Institute, Boral Limited, AGL Loy Yang, Indian Ministry of Education. He is affiliated with AusIMM as its fellow, Honorary Academic Fellow, Australia India Institute, Foreign Fellow, Indian Geophysical Union, and affiliated with Indian Institute of Technology (Dharwad, Mumbai, Hyderabad). David Whittle contributed to the research base and data for this article.
EXOSENS DELIVERS STRONG REVENUE GROWTH IN Q1 2025 IN A DYNAMIC DEFENSE MARKET ENVIRONMENT
FULLY ON TRACK TO 2025 GUIDANCE
HIGHLIGHTS
Sustained revenue growth of +21.1% to €104.9m in Q1 2025, reflecting strong like-for-like performance (+18.0%)
Continued strong growth in Amplification revenue (+29.1% vs. Q1 2024), driven by a growing demand of image intensifier tubes for Defense night vision applications from NATO and Tier-1 allies forces
Detection & Imaging revenue slightly down (-1.0% vs. Q1 2024), affected by temporary headwinds mostly related to Telops, the Group’s imaging systems business in Canada (+16% growth vs. Q1 2024 excluding Telops). Growth is expected to resume and accelerate throughout the remainder of the year supported by solid underlying end-market trends
Adjusted gross margin up +28.1% to €52.6m in Q1 2025 (margin rate of 50.1%, +270bps vs. Q1 2024), mainly driven by strong Amplification growth (+39.5%)
Closing of Noxant acquisition, reinforcing Exosens’ position in high-performance cooled infrared imaging, particularly in fast growing Defense and Surveillance markets
OUTLOOK
Fully on track to deliver on 2025 guidance: continued strong performance expected, with revenue growth in the high-teens and adjusted EBITDA growth in the low twenties
Mérignac (France), 28 April 2025 – Exosens (EXENS; FR001400Q9V2), a high-tech company focused on providing mission and performance-critical amplification, detection and imaging technologies, today publishes its revenue and adjusted gross margin for the first quarter of 2025.
“After a very successful 2024, which marked a turning point in our trajectory and saw us exceed our IPO guidance, we are proud to start 2025 with a strong Q1 performance,confirming the positive momentum across our core markets. Regarding our Defense-related activities, demand remains high amid increasing geopolitical tensions and sustained investment from NATO countries and Tier-1 allies. This solid start of the year demonstrates the strength of our positioning and our ability to execute. Amplification continues to be a key growth engine, supported by accelerating demand and increased capacity, while our Detection & Imaging segment is on track to deliver solid like-for-like growth, progressively improving over the course of the year.
Supported by strong fundamentals , and solid operational performance, we are fully confident in our ability to deliver our 2025 objectives and continue creating long-term value for all stakeholders.” commented Jérôme Cerisier, CEO of Exosens.
Strong revenue performance in Q1 2025 in a dynamic defense market environment
Q1 2024
Q1 2025
Change
Like-for-like
In €m
In €m
In €m
In %
In %
Amplification
63.3
81.7
+18.4
+29.1%
+29.3%
Detection & Imaging
24.2
24.0
(0.2)
(1.0)%
(13.0)%
Eliminations & Other
(0.8)
(0.7)
+0.1
n/a
n/a
Total revenue
86.7
104.9
+18.3
+21.1%
+18.0%
Exosens delivered strong revenue performance in Q1 2025, demonstrating its ability to continue its sustained growth trajectory. Consolidated revenue amounted to €104.9 million, which represented a growth of +21.1% (+€18.3 million) compared to Q1 2024. On a like-for-like basis, revenue grew by +18.0% year-over-year, driven by continued strong momentum in Defense end-markets.
Amplification revenue amounted to €81.7 million in Q1 2025, marking a significant growth of +29.1% (+€18.4 million) compared to Q1 2024, reflecting higher sales volumes due to increased production capacity and growing demand of image intensifier tubes for Defense night vision applications.
Reflecting this dynamic market environment, Exosens has continued benefiting from its position as the strategic supplier of NATO and Tier-1 allies, which have continued to ramp up their procurement of night vision systems on the back of the need for armies to enhance their night fighting capabilities. This positive trend was particularly noticeable in Europe with a number of major business wins, notably in Eastern and Northern Europe.
Detection and Imaging revenue amounted to €24.0 million in Q1 2025, representing a small decline of -1.0% compared to Q1 2024. The first semester revenue contribution for Detection & Imaging is typically lower due to seasonality. On a like-for-like basis, D&I revenue was down -13.0% (-€3.1 million), mainly due to Telops, the Group’s Canadian-based imaging system business. Telops was temporarily impacted by US tariff uncertainties and reductions in federal science funding, which resulted in softer demand from US customers, as well as by delays in securing certain export licenses. Excluding Telops, D&I revenue grew by around +16% year-over-year and was broadly stable on a like-for-like basis.
Exosens continued to see robust demand across its key high-growth markets, particularly in Nuclear and Defense & Surveillance.
The Group expects D&I like-for-like growth to resume and accelerate throughout the remainder of the 2025 fiscal year, supported by solid underlying end-market trends.
On the M&A front, Exosens closed on 13thMarch 2025 the acquisition of Noxant, a specialist in high-performance cooled infrared cameras. Noxant’s range of high-performance MWIR cooled camera cores provides complementary capabilities that meet the increasing demand for advanced infrared solutions, particularly for drone-based Defense and Surveillance applications where camera integration is required. Meaningful synergies are expected with Exosens’ imaging business leveraging its technologies portfolio and worldwide commercial reach.
The Group has started Noxant’s integration process, which is expected to be finalized by end-June. Q1 2025 revenue and adjusted gross margin do not include any contribution from this acquisition.
Otherwise, the closing of the acquisition of NVLS, a specialist in man-portable night vision and thermal devices, is expected to occur during Q2 2025, pending customary clearances and approvals.
Adjusted gross margin up +28.1% in Q1 2025
Q1 2024
Q1 2025
Change
In €m
% of sales
In €m
% of sales
In €m
In %
Amplification
29.2
46.2%
40.8
49.9%
+11.6
+39.5%
Detection & Imaging
11.8
48.9%
11.8
49.3%
(0.0)
(0.1)%
Eliminations & Other
0.0
n/a
0.0
n/a
n/a
n/a
Adjusted gross margin
41.1
47.4%
52.6
50.1%
+11.5
+28.1%
Exosens recorded a strong increase in adjusted gross margin at Group level, mainly driven by higher sales volumes, improved yields and favorable product mix. The Group’s adjusted gross margin stood at €52.6 million in Q1 2025, reflecting a growth of +28.1% (+€11.5 million) compared to Q1 2024. As a percentage of consolidated revenue, adjusted gross margin was 50.1% in Q1 2025, representing an improvement of 270 basis points year-on-year.
Adjusted gross margin for the Amplification segment reached €40.8 million in Q1 2025, recording a growth of +39.5% (+€11.6 million) compared to Q1 2024. Margin rate increased by 370 basis points to 49.9% in Q1 2025, driven by the strong growth in sales volume with increased production capacity, improved yields and favorable product mix.
Adjusted gross margin for the Detection and Imaging segment amounted to €11.8 million in Q1 2025, stable compared to Q1 2024. Margin rate improved by 50 basis points to 49.3% in Q1 2025, despite lower revenue, driven by better yields, effective cost control, and supply chain synergies.
Evolution of corporate governance
The Board of Directors of Exosens, at its meeting on 25 April 25, proposed to the upcoming annual combined General Meeting on 23 May to appoint Bpifrance Investissement as a director.
This nomination of Bpifrance Investissement, represented by Ms. Dorianne Bonfils as permanent representative, for a seat on the Board of Directors is aligned with Bpifrance Participations’ increased investment in Exosens’ share capital.
Following the exercise of the call option on Exosens shares granted by HLD as part of Exosens’ IPO, Bpifrance Participations acquired an additional 2.7% stake in the share capital and voting rights on 25 April 2025 and now ranks as Exosens’ second-largest shareholder, holding 7.2% of the share capital and voting rights, behind the HLD Group.
At its meeting on 25 April 2025, the Board of Directors, following the recommendation of Exosens’ Nominations and Compensation Committee, and after evaluating its independence according to the AFEP-MEDEF code criteria, confirmed Bpifrance Investissement’s status as an independent director, should it be appointed by the Company’s General Meeting.
Outlook for 2025 and the 2024-2026 period confirmed
Exosens expects a continued strong performance in 2025, with revenue growth in the high-teens and adjusted EBITDA growth in the low twenties compared to 2024.
The Group expects a high-teens 2024-2026 adjusted EBITDA CAGR and a cash conversion1ratio in the range of 70%-75% over the period, taking into account capacity investment in Europe and in the US.
Furthermore, the Group intends to pursue its growth strategy, at a pace consistent with historical trend, while maintaining a leverage ratio2of around 2x.
Financial calendar
29/04/2025: Publication of 2024 universal registration document;
23/05/2025: Annual general meeting;
31/07/2025: H1 2025 results (publication before market opening);
Exosens is a high‐tech company, with more than 85 years of experience in the innovation, development, manufacturing and sale of high‐end electro‐optical technologies in the field of amplification, detection and imaging. Today, it offers its customers detection components and solutions such as travelling wave tubes, advanced cameras, neutron & gamma detectors, instrument detectors and light intensifier tubes. This allows Exosens to respond to complex issues in extremely demanding environments by offering tailor‐made solutions to its customers. Thanks to its sustained investments, Exosens is internationally recognized as a major innovator in optoelectronics, with production and R&D carried out on 11 sites, in Europe and North America, and with over 1,800 employees. Exosens is listed on compartment A of the regulated market of Euronext Paris ﴾Ticker: EXENS – ISIN: FR001400Q9V2﴿. Exosens is a member of Euronext Tech Leaders segment and is also included in several indices, including the SBF 120, CAC All-Tradable, CAC Mid 60, FTSE Total Cap and MSCI France Small Cap. For more information: www.exosens.com.
Like-for-like growth is the revenue growth achieved by the Group excluding currency impact and scope effect, which corresponds to the revenue recorded during period “n” by all the companies included in the Group’s scope of consolidation at the end of period “n-1” (excluding any contribution from the companies acquired after the end of period “n-1”), compared with revenue achieved during period “n-1” by the same companies. Like-for-like growth for the first quarter of 2025 therefore excludes the contribution of Centronic and LR Tech, acquired by the Group in July 2024 and September 2024, respectively.
Adjusted gross margin is equal to the difference between the selling price and the cost price of products and services (including notably employee benefits).
Adjusted EBITDA is defined as operating profit, less (i) additions net of reversals to depreciation, amortization and impairment of non-current assets; (ii) non-recurring income and expenses as presented in the Group’s consolidated income statement within “Other income” and “Other expenses”, and (iii) the impact of items that do not reflect ordinary operating performance (in particular business reorganization and adaption costs, costs relating to acquisition and external growth transactions, as well as the IFRS 2 share-based payment expense).
Cash conversion is calculated as follows: (adjusted EBITDA – capitalized research and development costs – capital expenditure) / adjusted EBITDA – capitalized research and development costs).
Leverage ratio is calculated as net debt / adjusted EBITDA as defined in the Group’s Senior Credit Facilities Agreement entered into as part of the refinancing executed in the frame of the IPO.
Forward-looking statements
Certain information included in this press release are not historical facts but are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on current beliefs, expectations and assumptions, including, without limitation, assumptions regarding present and future business strategies and the environment in which Exosens operates, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the forward-looking statements included in this press release. These risks and uncertainties include those set out and detailed in Chapter 3 “Risk Factors” of the registration document approved on 22 May 2024 by the French financial markets’ authority (“Autorité des marchés financiers”) under number I. 24-010. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release and the Group expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release any update or revisions to any forward-looking statements included in this press release to reflect any change in expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which these forward-looking statements are based. Forward-looking information and statements are not guarantees of future performances and are subject to various risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond the control of the Group. Actual results could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied or projected by, forward-looking information and statements. This press release is provided for information purposes only. It does not constitute and should not be deemed to constitute an offer to the public of securities.
1 Cash conversion is defined as (adjusted EBITDA – capitalized R&D – capex) / (adjusted EBITDA – capitalized R&D). 2 Leverage ratio is defined as net financial debt / adjusted EBITDA.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
A study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine looks at ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and premature mortality.
Prof Nita Forouhi, Professor of Population Health and Nutrition, MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, said:
“There are limitations to this paper, including the points the authors themselves raised. Nonetheless, evidence on the ‘health harms of UPF’ are accumulating and this paper does add to that body of evidence, and UPFs are unlikely to be healthful.
“We already know that correlation does not necessarily mean causation. But well conducted observational studies with long term prospective cohort data are often the best we are going to get realistically; we will not get randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of behaviours awaiting death or chronic disease events, and RCTs have their own biases and limitations, particularly for behavioural factors (different to taking medication vs placebo studies). So we should not ignore such findings, especially as the current research has reported consistently similar associations in several countries which increases the degree of confidence.
“In addition to the 8 countries they included for their population attributable fraction (PAF) estimates (Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, UK, USA), it would have been useful if they had also included the countries that provided the results on associations of UPFs with mortality but were not included (e.g. France, Italy, Spain).”
Prof Kevin McConway, Emeritus Professor of Applied Statistics, Open University, said:
“I’d be pretty cautious about the details and specific numerical estimates in this paper, for reasons I’ll explain. Also, some of the terminology in the paper and the press release appears, in my opinion, much more definite about what’s causing what than the evidence in the paper merits. That’s partly because some of the technical wording, even though it’s standard in this kind of research, doesn’t mean quite the same as it means in ordinary English.
“The problems of interpretation arise because the studies involved are observational, but they go further than that. The researchers have to make mathematical assumptions about exactly how UPF consumption is correlated with mortality risk, and even though they base these assumptions on data, there is at least one issue (described later). And in calculating what’s known as the attributable epidemiological burden, or population attributable fraction, of UPF consumptions, the researchers may appear to be making a simple comparison, but in fact it’s a lot more complicated than you might think.
“The data that the paper draws on for its conclusions, about consumption of UPFs and mortality, is all observational. The researchers are not reporting any new data here – they are taking data from previous studies, and population estimates for the countries concerned, and putting it all together. Nothing at all wrong with that – in fact in general it’s a good idea to review studies of the same things from different times and places, to see what overall picture emerges.
“The seven studies that the authors of this paper used, to find an overall pooled estimate of the association between UPF consumption and all-cause mortality, are all themselves observational. Again there’s nothing wrong with that – it’s pretty difficult, indeed impossible in most cases, to do a study linking diet to long-term health outcomes that is not observational. Such a study would have to allocate different individuals to different diets, and somehow ensure that they stuck to these diets for many years. So instead, researchers record what people eat, and then follow them up for a long time and record if and when they die.
“This all means that it’s impossible, for any one study like that, to be sure whether differences in mortality between people who consume different UPF amounts are actually caused by differences in their UPF consumption. There are bound to be many other differences between groups who consume different UPF amounts, in terms of other details of their diet, their lifestyle, their economic position, their sex and age, and so on. These differences might be, in part or in whole, the reason for the differences in the risk of early death. In other words, each individual study can find a correlation, an association, but can’t say for sure whether the association between UPF consumption and mortality is one of cause and effect. It might be, or it might not.
“The researchers in each of the studies reviewed in this new paper obviously are aware of this, and they all made statistical adjustments to allow for differences in other factors (though in different ways in different studies). But that doesn’t make the problem disappear – you still can’t be sure from any study of this kind exactly what’s causing what.
“The fact that the new paper puts together data from seven different observational studies does again help somewhat with the issue of what’s causing what, but it can’t deal with it entirely. There have been many criticisms of interpretation of observational studies involving UPFs and health outcomes, some of them on the basis that UPFs are defined in rather different ways by different writers, or on the grounds that the mechanisms by which UPFs might actually cause ill health haven’t been established clearly enough.
“I’m certainly not saying that there is no association between UPF consumption and ill health – just that it’s still far from clear whether consumption of just any UPF at all is bad for health, or of what aspect of UPFs might be involved.
“Then there are particular aspects of this new study that make the interpretation more complicated than it would be for other observational studies of UPFs and health.
“The authors begin by estimating the nature of the association between the consumption of UPFs and the risk of premature death. That is, they aren’t just trying to see whether high levels of UPF consumption are correlated with higher mortality. They want to know something more precise – exactly how much does the risk of dying increase, for every additional 10 per cent of a person’s calorie intake that comes from UPFs. (Again, no assumption here that the increase in risk is all caused by UPFs.) That sounds fine, but it involves assuming a particular mathematical form for the association (in the light of the data).
“After that, the authors use the estimate of that association between UPF consumption and risk of early death to calculate estimates of the population fraction of premature deaths (ages 30-69) attributable to UPF consumption, for 8 different countries including the UK. They use that to calculate estimates of the number of additional deaths in each of the 8 countries attributable to UPF consumption, and some of those numbers look pretty large.
“This is done by taking data on the number of people in different groups (defined by age and sex) in each country. This is then used to calculate how many would be expected to die at current levels of UPF consumption (using data from the estimate of the association between UPF consumption and premature death in all the studies that were put together in the first part of the work, so not just for the UK for example). Finally this is compared with the number that would be expected to die in a theoretical population where nobody consumes (or ever consumed) UPFs. No such population exists, not in a whole country, so this calculation has to be based on a statistical model. Then the deaths attributable to UPF consumption is the difference between these two expected numbers of deaths.
“What this sounds like, for the UK in 2018-19 for example, is that there would have been almost 18,000 fewer deaths of people aged between 30 and 69, if nobody in the country had consumed any UPFs (ever). However, that’s very far from the whole story, for a lot of reasons.
“First, it doesn’t mean that, because the studies involved are observational, and as the authors of the new paper rightly point out, there could be factors that could not be adjusted for in the original studies, that are involved in causes of early death. That’s why it’s called a population attributable fraction, rather than something even more definite, like population fraction caused by UPFs. Technically, it can’t mean that we know we could save those lives just by changing UPF consumption.
“But it’s deeper than that. There isn’t a whole population in the UK or in the other seven countries in the study, where nobody ever consumed any UPFs. So the comparison is being made between an estimate for current UPF consumption levels and an estimate for a theoretical population that can’t exist. Even if somehow all UPFs were banned today, it would take many decades before there was a population where nobody had ever consumed UPFs.
“And even if somehow we did get to that position, well, people have to eat something, and if they aren’t getting their calories from UPFs, they would need to get them from something else. They might well not get them all in the same way that people who consume very few UPFs do today. We just can’t tell.
“So it’s not the case that we could save 18,000 premature deaths annually in the UK by taking action to reduce UPF consumption. This doesn’t mean that taking such actions wouldn’t reduce early deaths – just that we can’t tell how much the reduction might be, or when it would occur, or how much longer the individuals concerned might have lived – not from the calculations in this paper.
“I have some other concerns.
“Several of the authors of the new paper collaborated on a previous paper, published in 2023 (reference 17 in the new paper, which is the reference given for the model used in the new paper for estimates of attributable deaths). The 2023 paper uses similar methodology to make an estimate of the premature deaths attributable to UPFs in Brazil in 2019. This uses similar data on the association between UPF consumption and premature mortality, from a systematic review and meta-analysis, to what’s used in the new paper, except that there are three additional studies reviewed in the new paper. The estimate is only for Brazil, and is 57,000 deaths in a year. The estimate for Brazil in the new paper is just over 25,000 deaths in a year.
“The big difference between the 2023 and the 2025 estimates for Brazil seems to be very largely because of a different assumption made in the two papers about the mathematical form of the association between UPF consumption and death risk. (In the jargon, they use a log-linear model in the 2023 paper but a linear model in the 2025 paper.) The new estimate is based on more data from more countries – but the big difference does emphasise the importance of mathematical modelling assumptions. Data can throw light on what assumptions are appropriate, but don’t tie things down very firmly at all in a situation like this.
“Finally, the systematic review and meta-analysis in the new paper is missing some of the technical details that one normally sees in this kind of work. The paper is very unclear on how the researchers chose the studies they included in their review, which after all drives all the estimates of attributable deaths. The authors write that studies were selected ‘on the basis of recently published systematic reviews’. That’s not normally the way it’s done, and in any case three of the included studies were not mentioned in the systematic reviews that are referred to in the new paper. I don’t know where the researchers got them. They may well be perfectly respectable studies – I haven’t had time to look at them – but really the authors of the new paper should have been much clearer about what they were doing, if we are to be confident about their conclusions. Also it’s usual in a systematic review to give some assessment of the quality of the research studies that were included, and that just isn’t done here. None of this increases trust in how the work was done.”
Dr Nerys Astbury, Associate Professor – Diet & Obesity, Nuffield Department of Primary Health Care Sciences, University of Oxford, said:
“Here Nilson and colleagues report findings from a study reporting associations between consumption of Ultra Processed Foods (UPF), defined by the NOVA classification system, and premature mortality.
“This study combines evidence on dietary intake of UPF from Columbia, Brazil, Australia, Canda, United Kingdom and USA and reports that for each 10% increase in proportion of UPF in the diet there was a 3% increase in all-cause mortality. The authors then used a mathematical formula to estimate the population attributable fraction, which is an estimate of the number of deaths which could be prevented if the exposure (consumption of UPF) was eliminated. It is important to note this does not mean that these deaths were caused by UPF consumption. The methods of this study simply cannot determine this.
“It’s been established for some time including in the Global Burden of Disease Consortium that consuming diets higher in energy, fat and sugar can have detrimental effects on health, including premature mortality. This study adds to the body of evidence on the association between UPF and ill health and disease. However, many UPF tend to be high in these nutrients, and studies to date have been unable to determine with certainty whether the effects of UPF are independent of the already established effects of diets high in foods which are energy dense and contain large amounts of fat and sugar.
“The authors of the study conclude that advice to reduce UPF consumption should be included in national dietary guideline recommendations and in public policies. However, rushing to add recommendations on UPF to these recommendations is not warranted based on this study in my opinion. Many national dietary guidelines and recommendations already advise the reduction of consumption of energy dense high-fat high-sugar foods, which typically fall into the UPF group. Adding additional recommendations based on UPF could cause consumer confusion – some foods may be considered unhealthy by nutrient standards, but not so by NOVA classification (and vice versa).
“This study and other similar studies that have explored the association between UPF and diet related disease, have used the NOVA classification system invented by Dr Carlos Monteiro (an author on this paper). In my view the NOVA system which defines foods according to different levels of food processing has many limitations, including arbitrary definitions and overly broad food categories, the over-emphasis of food ingredients opposed to the processing per se and the difficult practical application of the system in accurately classifying foods. This is especially notable when attempting to classify foods from dietary data collected in large cohort studies, as in this study.
“More research is needed to ascertain a causal link between UPF and disease and to establish the mechanisms involved.”
Dr Stephen Burgess, statistician in the MRC Biostatistics Unit, University of Cambridge, said:
“This study assesses observational associations rather than interventions, and so it is not able to make reliable causal claims. That is to say, it shows that individuals who consume higher levels of ultraprocessed foods have greater risk of premature mortality, rather than showing that increasing your consumption of ultraprocessed foods would increase your mortality risk. However, the similarity of findings across populations is notable, as consistent associations were seen in a variety of contexts, including those where high consumption of ultraprocessed foods is a sign of relative wealth and those where it is a sign of relative deprivation. This type of research cannot prove that consumption of ultraprocessed foods is harmful, but it does provide evidence linking consumption with poorer health outcomes. It is possible that the true causal risk factor is not ultraprocessed foods, but a related risk factor such as better physical fitness – and ultraprocessed foods is simply an innocent bystander. But, when we see these associations replicated across many countries and cultures, it raises suspicion that ultraprocessed foods may be more than a bystander.”
‘Premature Mortality Attributable to Ultraprocessed Food Consumption in 8 Countries’ by Eduardo A.F. Nilson et al. was published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine at 05:05 UK time on Monday 28 April 2025.
DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2025.02.018
Declared interests
Prof Nita Forouhi: “No conflicts of interest to declare.”
Prof Kevin McConway: “Previously a Trustee of the SMC and a member of its Advisory Committee.”
Dr Nerys Astbury: “No conflicts.”
Dr Stephen Burgess: “No relevant conflict of interest to declare.”
Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –
Research staff Department of Laser Physics and Innovative Technologies, Novosibirsk State University (OLFIT NSU) optimized birefringent filters for use in fiber lasers. NSU scientists were far from the first specialists in the field of photonics who, with varying degrees of success, used these filters in fiber lasers, but they summarized and analyzed the previous experience of their colleagues and proposed their own innovative solution for their optimization. The results of this work are presented in the article by the head of the Department of Laser Physics and Innovative Technologies of NSU, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences Sergey Kobtsev “Bifractive Filters in Fiber Systems” (“Birefringent filters in fiber systems”), which was published in the international scientific journal “Journal of the Optical Society of America B” It became one of the most downloaded in January-March 2025.
— We have been working with birefringent filters for many years. Several works were devoted to improving filters of this type, in which we considered birefringent filters as the main selectors of liquid and solid-state tunable lasers. Filters of this type have proven themselves in our traditional lasers from the best side. Naturally, there was a desire to use them in fiber lasers. It turned out that when adapting birefringent filters to fiber lasers, essentially only the operating principle of these filters remains, and their configuration undergoes significant changes. The article “Birefringent filters in fiber systems” shows options for these changes, analyzes the capabilities and limitations of modified filters. The article, of course, is of interest to a wide range of researchers and developers in the field of photonics, — explained Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences Sergey Kobtsev.
Interest in laser spectral-selective components from photonics specialists is quite high, since such elements allow in many cases to achieve the required laser line width and/or control the radiation wavelength. Birefringent filters, whose action is based on changing the polarization of radiation when passing through a birefringent optical material, have long established themselves as one of the best spectral-selective components for lasers with a relatively wide gain band.
Filters of this type are widely used in tunable dye lasers or titanium-sapphire lasers. They typically contain one or more birefringent plates (usually made of crystalline quartz) inclined at the Brewster angle to the beam.
The inclined surfaces of the plates act as partial radiation analyzers, and the plates themselves act as radiation polarizers. The wavelengths of radiation whose polarization does not change when passing through the filter are generated.
— Most fiber lasers are tunable, their radiation wavelength can be changed by tens of nanometers. This change can be made using birefringent filters, but they require adaptation to fiber lasers. As a result of attempts to use these filters in fiber lasers, there was a need for new solutions to adapt birefringent filters to a relatively new platform with original properties. The article “Birefringent filters in fiber systems” is devoted to the analysis of changes in these filters (material, configuration, controllability, etc.) associated with their use in new conditions. Optimized birefringent filters are in demand in many fiber lasers, widely used in various tasks – from medicine to cooling atoms. It would not be an exaggeration to say that thanks to the efforts of NSU scientists, one of the key elements of fiber lasers is being improved, — explained Sergey Kobtsev.
The research described in the article is carried out within the framework of the project “New fiber short-pulse laser systems including advanced composite materials, intelligent technologies and metrological extensions”, supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on April 28, 2025.
Reefs in the ‘middle’ light zone along NZ’s coast are biodiversity hotspots – many are home to protected species Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James J Bell, Professor of Marine Biology, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington James Bell, CC BY-SA The latest update on the state of New Zealand’s environment paints a concerning outlook for marine environments, especially amid the increasing push to use the marine estate for
Pokies line the coffers of governments and venues – but there are ways to tame this gambling gorilla Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Charles Livingstone, Associate Professor, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University Recently, much public attention has been given to the way online wagering and its incessant promotion has infiltrated sport and our TV screens. Despite a 2023 parliamentary inquiry that recommended new restrictions on online
Vancouver SUV attack exposes crowd management falldowns and casts a pall on Canada’s election Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ali Asgary, Professor, Disaster & Emergency Management, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies & Director, CIFAL York, York University, Canada A car attack at a Filipino street festival in Vancouver just two days before Canada’s federal election has killed at least 11 people and injured many
Is Canada heading down a path that has caused the collapse of mighty civilizations in the past? Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daniel Hoyer, Senior Researcher, Historian and Complexity Scientist, University of Toronto Canada is, by nearly any measure, a large, advanced, prosperous nation. A founding member of the G7, Canada is one of the world’s most “advanced economies,” ranking fourth in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development’s
Rwanda’s genocide: why remembering needs to be free of politics – lessons from survivors Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samantha Lakin, Lecturer, Clark University Memory and politics are inherently intertwined and can never be fully separated in post-atrocity and post-genocidal contexts. They are also dynamic and ever-changing. The interplay between memory and politics is, therefore, prone to manipulation, exaggeration or misuse by clever actors to meet
In talking with Tehran, Trump is reversing course on Iran – could a new nuclear deal be next? Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jeffrey Fields, Professor of the Practice of International Relations, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences A mural on the outer walls of the former US embassy in Tehran depicts two men in negotiation. Majid Saeedi/Getty Images Negotiators from Iran and the United States are set
What will the UK Supreme Court gender ruling mean in practice? A legal expert explains Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Maine, Senior Lecturer in Law, City St George’s, University of London jeep2499/Shutterstock The Supreme Court’s decision in For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers will mean changes in how trans people in the UK access services and single-sex spaces. In the highly anticipated judgment announced
What are ‘penjamins’? Disguised cannabis vapes are gaining popularity among young people Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jack Chung, PhD Candidate, National Centre for Youth Substance Use Research, The University of Queensland Stenko Vlad/Shutterstock E-cigarettes or vapes were originally designed to deliver nicotine in a smokeless form. But in recent years, vapes have been used to deliver other psychoactive substances, including cannabis concentrates and
Used EV batteries could power vehicles, houses or even towns – if their manufacturers share vital data Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daryoush Habibi, Professor and Head, Centre for Green and Smart Energy Systems, Edith Cowan University EV batteries are made of hundreds of smaller cells. IM Imagery/Shutterstock Around the world, more and more electric vehicles are hitting the road. Last year, more than 17 million battery-electric and hybrid
Climate change and the housing crisis are a dangerous mix. So which party is grappling with both? Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ehsan Noroozinejad, Senior Researcher and Sustainable Future Lead, Urban Transformations Research Centre, Western Sydney University Australia is running out of affordable, safe places to live. Rents and mortgages are climbing faster than wages, and young people fear they may never own a home. At the same time,
Why film and TV creators will still risk it all for the perfect long take shot Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kristian Ramsden, PhD Candidate, University of Adelaide Apple TV In the second episode of Apple TV’s The Studio (2025–) – a sharp satirical take on contemporary Hollywood – newly-appointed studio head Matt Remick (Seth Rogen) visits the set of one of his company’s film productions. He finds
Is there a best way to peel a boiled egg? A food scientist explains Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paulomi (Polly) Burey, Professor in Food Science, University of Southern Queensland We’ve all been there – trying to peel a boiled egg, but mangling it beyond all recognition as the hard shell stubbornly sticks to the egg white. Worse, the egg ends up covered in chewy bits
Australia once had ‘immigration amnesties’ to grant legal status to undocumented people. Could we again? Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sara Dehm, Senior Lecturer, International Migration and Refugee Law, University of Technology Sydney The year is 1972. The Whitlam Labor government has just been swept into power and major changes to Australia’s immigration system are underway. Many people remember this time for the formal end of the
Independents may build on Australia’s history of hung parliaments, if they can survive the campaign blues Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joshua Black, Visitor, School of History, Australian National University Major parties used to easily dismiss the rare politician who stood alone in parliament. These MPs could be written off as isolated idealists, and the press could condescend to them as noble, naïve and unlikely to succeed. In
Peter Dutton: a Liberal leader seeking to surf on the wave of outer suburbia Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In searching for the “real” Peter Dutton, it is possible to end up frustrated because you have looked too hard. Politically, Dutton is not complicated. There is a consistent line in his beliefs through his career. Perhaps the shortest cut
Albanese has been a ‘proficient and lucky general’. But if he wins a second term, we are right to demand more Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Strangio, Emeritus Professor of Politics, Monash University Barring a rogue result, this Saturday Anthony Albanese will achieve what no major party leader has done since John Howard’s prime-ministerial era – win consecutive elections. Admittedly, in those two decades he is only the second of the six
Peter Dutton declares Welcome to Country ceremonies are ‘overdone’ in heated final leaders’ debate Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andy Marks, Vice-President, Public Affairs and Partnerships, Western Sydney University Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton have had their fourth and final leaders’ debate of the campaign. The skirmish, hosted by 7News in Sydney, was moderated by 7’s Political Editor Mark Riley. Cost of
Election Diary: a cost-of-living election where neither leader can tell you the price of eggs Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The fourth election debate was the most idiosyncratic of the four head-to-head contests between Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton. Apart from all the usual topics, the pair was charged with producing one-word responses to pictures of
Trump’s war on the media: 10 numbers from US President’s first 100 days Reporters Without Borders Donald Trump campaigned for the White House by unleashing a nearly endless barrage of insults against journalists and news outlets. He repeatedly threatened to weaponise the federal government against media professionals whom he considers his enemies. In his first 100 days in office, President Trump has already shown that he was not bluffing.
Plenty of businesses are starting their own sustainability initiatives, but only a few large companies are taking serious steps to slowly phase out single-use plastics from their operations. Stepping up to the challenge is Okada Manila, a major player in the Philippine hospitality industry.
The six-time Forbes 5-star integrated resort started its operations in 2016, with the aim of boosting tourism by providing a “comprehensive leisure experience” combining gaming with hotel, dining, shopping and entertainment options. This would evolve into a much bigger cause: embedding environmentally sustainable practices into the services they bring.
“From the very beginning, sustainability has been top of mind — from planning to construction of the property,” shared Okada Manila Vice President for Hotel Operations Robert Scott.
“Almost a decade in, we have integrated environmentally responsible practices across all facets of our operations. Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do, and we continue to develop programs through the Okada Green Heart movement.”
The Philippine hotel industry is the largest consumer of single-use plastics in the country, according to data referenced by a 2022 journal article. Packaging alone accounts for up to 40% of a hotel’s waste stream, a harmful byproduct from manufacturers that doesn’t decompose over time.
Photo by: Greenpeace
While over 94% of Filipinos are in favor of global caps on plastic production in the country, most are left with limited options as the problematic material continues to be cheaper for businesses.
From plastic bottles to reuse and refill
Okada Manila started out using single-use plastic bottles for various hotel amenities just like most businesses. This includes water bottles, shampoos and conditioners provided to guests. But with over 1,001 rooms, this translates to an immense volume of plastic waste daily.
Acknowledging the problem, the hotel earlier removed disposable bottles carrying hygiene products in all of their guest rooms, effectively replacing it with a similar reuse and refill system.
“We started off with single-use plastic bottles for all of our in-room amenities: shampoos, conditioners, but we’ve removed all those,” added Robert. “Initially we moved them across to aluminium foil tubes and have now removed them completely. So we’ve got the big dispenser pumps that are in the room.”
Photo by: Miguel Louie de Guzman / Greenpeace
Plastic bottles carrying essential toiletries are usually taken home by hotel guests in the Philippines, many of which are very small in size. These are replaced by staff before the next guests arrive.
The integrated resort likewise started to eliminate single-use plastic water bottles in their facilities. In order to do this, the Parañaque-based company recently enlisted the services of Swedish firm Nordaq to replace the harmful material with glass bottles.
These are to be filled with filtered water directly within Okada’s property.
Photo by: Miguel Louie de Guzman / GreenpeacePhoto by: Miguel Louie de Guzman / Greenpeace
“We go through thousands and thousands of plastic water bottles every month. Very soon they’ll be gone. You won’t see these around Okada Manila anymore,” exclaimed Rob while holding a single-use bottle.
Okada Manila Vice President for Hotel Operations Robert Scott holds a plastic water bottle while explaining how they’re phasing out the problematic material out from their hotel and restaurant operations. Photo by: Rico Ibarra / Greenpeace
‘Okada Green Heart’
All of the above initiatives form part of Okada Manila’s larger campaign, Okada Green Heart. Central to the initiative are its six pillars, namely: waste management, energy efficiency, water conservation, talent and community, safety, security and welfare, and responsible gaming.
The program is anchored on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, a collection of 17 objectives providing for a “shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet.” Okada Manila says that it wants to instill the Green Heart program not only in their operations but also for the purposes of community development.
As part of the program, on-site composting alongside other initiatives such as recycling and upcycling of old uniforms are now taking place within their premises. Rooms are also now equipped with smart systems that optimize lighting, heating and cooling based on occupancy. Okada is currently aiming for 100% LED lighting across all outlets.
Photo by: Miguel Louie de Guzman / Greenpeace
The program not only targets the above-mentioned practices but also other hospitality tasks not usually attributed to the “greening” of an establishment.
“We use different chemicals now that are more environmentally friendly, and they also allow us to wash our laundry at a lower temperature, which saves the energy that’s normally required to heat up that water,” Robert added.
Photo by: Miguel Louie de Guzman / Greenpeace
Plastics Treaty as blueprint for business guidelines
Environmental organizations have earlier called for an ambitious treaty, calling for a global plastic production reduction of at least 75% to regulate global warming. Over 100 countries have backed a proposal to introduce global reduction targets, only to be frustrated by a handful of oil producing states such as Saudi Arabia.
“Through our Okada Green Heart program, we can really support a strong Global Plastics Treaty,” continued Robert, emphasizing that they could use it to further their sustainability goals as a business. “We can use it to consistently innovate and make some really impactful changes.”
Photo by: Miguel Louie de Guzman / Greenpeace
Okada Manila is just one of the many signatories of Champions of Change, a growing network of progressive businesses advocating for a strong Global Plastics Treaty. The group believes that it’s possible for entrepreneurs to operate without contributing to the worsening plastic crisis — provided that steps are made to make it easier for companies to do the right thing.
“We’re really proud and excited to be part of Champions of Change. But it’s not just us. We need everybody to be involved in it, and every single business and every single person can be involved in this project and really make a difference,” he said.
“It’s really important for our kids’ future and for future generations that we leave this world in a better place than it was when we found it.”
Photo by: Greenpeace / Sungwoo Lee
Want to show your support for a Strong Global Plastics Treaty? Signthis petitionnow.
Around 2,500 years ago, a princess living in what is now modern-day Iraq collected a number of artefacts, including a statue, a boundary stone and a mace head. The items, which show signs of preservation, date from around 2100 BCE to 600 BCE. This collection, it is generally thought, was the world’s first known “museum”.
Between Two Rivers, by Oxford scholar Moudhy Al-Rashid, tells the story of ancient Mesopotamia, a period in world history sometimes known as a “forgotten age”.
Review: Between Two Rivers: Ancient Mesopotamia and the Birth of History – Moudhy Al-Rashid (Hodder Press)
The first museum
The world’s first known museum, and its curator, Ennigaldi-Nanna, are among these many firsts. The daughter of the Neo-Babylonian king Nabonidus, Ennigaldi-Nanna was a priestess at the temple of the moon deity, as well as a princess.
Both Ennigaldi-Nanna and Nabonidus were keenly interested in history. Indeed, Nabonidus’ interest in excavating old temples and describing his findings once saw him described as the “first archaeologist”. This makes these figures well suited as the book’s central focus.
At its heart, Between Two Rivers is an ode to the power of history. It builds a persuasive case for history writing as a particularly human impulse, and for how lives of people living thousands of years ago can reflect and shape our modern lives in unexpected ways.
10 museum objects
The book is organised around the ten items from Ennigaldi-Nanna’s collection. This structural conceit creates a sense of unity, despite the diversity of topics the book covers. Each chapter is focused on one item. For example, an ancient granite mace head introduces a chapter on warfare, violence and death.
Moudhy Al-Rashid. Hachette
In chapter one, we are introduced to ancient Mesopotamian history. We’re also introduced to the author herself. Al-Rashid punctuates her prose with personal recollections and humour, as well as touching reflections on her experience of motherhood. She is our companion, tour guide and teacher as we navigate this journey into the past, helping the reader feel a personal stake in the scholarly adventure ahead.
Other chapters explore cuneiform script (the world’s first known writing), cities, leadership, education (including some of the earliest doodles by bored students), early scientific developments and the gods. The final three chapters look at economics, warfare and curator Ennigaldi-Nanna herself.
The book offers a useful timeline, though pictures of the ten ancient items and a map would have been useful additions.
Fun historical facts
The broad range of subjects, periods and people explored in this book results in the inclusion of many dazzling features of Mesopotamian history, rarely considered together. Indeed, there is a plethora of fun historical facts.
We get a brief overview of the fascinating diplomatic correspondence between New Kingdom Pharaohs and their West Asian vassals, known as the Amarna Letters. There is also the cuneiform tablet referencing the death of Alexander the Great, and an overview of the practice of divination (including an attempted palace coup).
These highlights from ancient evidence are balanced against frequent commentary from the author. She notes the less glamorous nature of much of it, such as economic texts and legal agreements.
Indeed, Al-Rashid is careful to note the limits of the evidence used to build this vivid picture of ancient Mesopotamia. She notes the difficulties of learning Sumerian, the world’s first known language, written in the intricate cuneiform script. In her chapter on leadership, she notes that further evidence for powerful women leaders may yet be discovered, while discussing what is currently known of these figures.
The author’s transparency and expert handling of evidence puts the reader at ease, while subtly championing the importance of continued studies in this field. This is timely, as the academic field of Mesopotamian history has seen significant cuts in the last decade.
Rediscovering cultural riches
Despite the rich cultural legacy of this region, Mesopotamian history is largely unknown in the modern day. While 21st-century audiences are often familiar with the works of Plato, Homer and Virgil, they may struggle to identify Enheduanna – a princess, priestess, and poetess who lived over 4,000 years ago – as the world’s first known author, or Sin-leqe-uninni as the editor of the Epic of Gilgamesh.
This is likely due to the circumstances around the recovery of the Mesopotamian writing script, cuneiform. This style of writing faded from use around the 1st century CE, and was only re-deciphered in 1857 CE. This meant that for almost two millennia, awareness of the Mesopotamian cultural legacy almost entirely disappeared.
This modern lack of awareness of Mesopotamian history is slowly changing. Between Two Rivers is part of an emerging trend in the field of Assyriology — the study of the languages, literature, history, laws and sciences of Mesopotamia — for producing accessible works, for non-specialist audiences.
Between Two Rivers further demonstrates the usefulness of this approach in bringing the riches of the ancient Near East to modern audiences.
There are new books on Mesopotamian religion and the cuneiform script by Irving Finkel, who has been an ambassador for the discipline for many years. Indeed, Al-Rashid notes his influence.
To write a book like this one, the author needs to have both mastery over the subject material and an engaging style of communication. Al-Rashid excels in both areas. For general audiences, Between Two Rivers is a fascinating, balanced introduction to this complex – and at times elusive – ancient world.
Louise Pryke does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steny H Hoyer (MD-05)
WASHINGTON, DC — Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) issued the following statement after Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced that he will not run for re-election in 2026:
“I’ve been proud to serve alongside my friend Senator Dick Durbin ever since he became a Member of the House of Representatives in 1983. He is the same person now that he was then: a principled leader, a gifted consensus builder, and an energetic advocate for Illinoisans and all Americans. That will remain true after he retires from the Congress at the end of the 119th Congress, as he announced earlier today.
“Dick is a model legislator. That was evident from working with him on the House Appropriations Committee early in his career in Congress. He knew how to bring Democrats and Republicans together to fulfill our institution’s most basic responsibility of funding the government. Crucially, as the second highest ranking Democratic leaders in the Senate and House respectively, Dick and I coordinated closely to secure groundbreaking legislation. He was invaluable in the effort to unite Democrats behind historic bills like the Affordable Care Act, the American Rescue Plan, and the Inflation Reduction Act. He also helped us garner modest Republican support on the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS and Science Act, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, and other critical legislation.
“Dick has delivered results at a time when gridlock is the norm in the Senate. That is a testament to his congeniality, pragmatism, and determination. From his successful effort to regulate smoking to his ongoing leadership on the DREAM Act, he knows how to cut through the partisan noise and find common ground. His retirement is a great loss for our Congress and country. I have no doubt that my friend’s legacy of accomplishment will only grow in the 119th Congress and beyond.”
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Eike Schneiders, Assistant Professor, School of Electronics and Computer Science, University of Southampton
Alexander Supertramp / shutterstock
People who aren’t legal experts are more willing to rely on legal advice provided by ChatGPT than by real lawyers – at least, when they don’t know which of the two provided the advice. That’s the key finding of our new research, which highlights some important concerns about the way the public increasingly relies on AI-generated content. We also found the public has at least some ability to identify whether the advice came from ChatGPT or a human lawyer.
AI tools like ChatGPT and other large language models (LLMs) are making their way into our everyday life. They promise to provide quick answers, generate ideas, diagnose medical symptoms, and even help with legal questions by providing concrete legal advice.
But LLMs are known to create so-called “hallucinations” – that is, outputs containing inaccurate or nonsensical content. This means there is a real risk associated with people relying on them too much, particularly in high-stakes domains such as law. LLMs tend to present advice confidently, making it difficult for people to distinguish good advice from decisively voiced bad advice.
We ran three experiments on a total of 288 people. In the first two experiments, participants were given legal advice and asked which they would be willing to act on. When people didn’t know if the advice had come from a lawyer or an AI, we found they were more willing to rely on the AI-generated advice. This means that if an LLM gives legal advice without disclosing its nature, people may take it as fact and prefer it to expert advice by lawyers – possibly without questioning its accuracy.
Even when participants were told which advice came from a lawyer and which was AI-generated, we found they were willing to follow ChatGPT just as much as the lawyer.
One reason LLMs may be favoured, as we found in our study, is that they use more complex language. On the other hand, real lawyers tended to use simpler language but use more words in their answers.
LLMs might voice their advice more confidently than real lawyers. apatrimonio / shutterstock
The third experiment investigated whether participants could distinguish between LLM and lawyer-generated content when the source is not revealed to them. The good news is they can – but not by very much.
In our task, random guessing would have produced a score of 0.5, while perfect discrimination would have produced a score of 1.0. On average, participants scored 0.59, indicating performance that was slightly better than random guessing, but still relatively weak
Regulation and AI literacy
This is a crucial moment for research like ours, as AI-powered systems such as chatbots and LLMs are becoming increasingly integrated into everyday life. Alexa or Google Home can act as a home assistant, while AI-enabled systems can help with complex tasks such as online shopping, summarising legal texts, or generating medical records.
Yet this comes with significant risks of making potentially life altering decisions that are guided by hallucinated misinformation. In the legal case, AI-generated, hallucinated advice could cause unnecessary complications or even miscarriages of justice.
That’s why it has never been more important to properly regulate AI. Attempts so far include the EU AI Act, article 50.9 of which states that text-generating AIs should ensure their outputs are “marked in a machine-readable format and detectable as artificially generated or manipulated”.
But this is only part of the solution. We’ll also need to improve AI literacy so that the public is better able to critically assess content. When people are better able to recognise AI they’ll be able to make more informed decisions.
This means that we need to learn to question the source of advice, understand the capabilities and limitations of AI, and emphasise the use of critical thinking and common sense when interacting with AI-generated content. In practical terms, this means cross-checking important information with trusted sources and including human experts to prevent overreliance on AI-generated information.
In the case of legal advice, it may be fine to use AI for some initial questions: “What are my options here? What do I need to read up on? Are there any similar cases to mine, or what area of law is this?” But it’s important to verify the advice with a human lawyer long before ending up in court or acting upon anything generated by an LLM.
AI can be a valuable tool, but we must use it responsibly. By using a two-pronged approach which focuses on regulation and AI literacy, we can harness its benefits while minimising its risks.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 2
Press release
Major NHS App expansion cuts waiting times
Reform of NHS App stops 1.5 million hospital appointments being missed, with 87% of hospitals now offering services through NHS App.
Reform of NHS App stops 1.5 million hospital appointments being missed, saving 5.7 million staff hours since July
Push to get patients seen quicker is part of Government’s Plan for Change to end hospital backlogs and shift NHS services from analogue to digital
87% of hospitals now offering services through NHS App – up nearly 20% since July and exceeding government target
Millions of patients are benefiting from greater choice and flexibility in the way they access healthcare as the Prime Minister welcomes a major milestone in the roll out of the NHS App today.
Latest data shows 1.5 million appointments have been saved thanks to the Government’s accelerated rollout of the NHS App, which helps patients access treatment more conveniently so that it fits around their lives, rather than the other way round.
Making sure patients get greater power over how and when they can book their treatments and appointments is at the heart of the government’s plans to end hospital backlogs and improve care through the Plan for Change.
Users can manage appointments, view prescriptions, access their GP health record, and receive notifications at the touch of a button, reducing stress on healthcare services and providing easier access to information and services.
The government has exceeded its first target under the plan to increase the number of hospitals allowing patients to view appointment information via the App up to 85% by the end of March – reaching 87%, up from 68% in July 2024.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:
Our NHS has been stuck in the dark ages – held back by old fashioned systems where patients are struggling for appointments and unable to access their own data.
We saw during the pandemic how apps can totally transform everyday access to health services. So there’s no excuse for the lack of progress in the NHS we’ve inherited.
NHS reform has to come through better use of tech – it’s the fuel we need to power change.
As we deliver our Plan for Change to end hospital backlogs, I want to see more and more people having the option to use the app, so that everyone benefits from more control and choice over their treatment.
Measures to expand the use of the App were set out earlier this year in the government’s Elective Reform Plan, which set out how patients will be offered a wider choice of providers and an easier, quicker way to book appointments.
The move comes as the government steps up the use of health data to accelerate the discovery of life-saving drugs and improve patient care. Earlier this month, the Prime Minister announced an investment alongside Wellcome Trust of up to £600 million to create a new health data research service. This will transform access to NHS data by providing a secure single access point to national-scale data sets, slashing red tape for researchers and boosting the UK’s world leading life sciences sector.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said:
This government is determined to get our NHS fixed and fit for the future – and this is just one of the innovative ways through the Plan for Change that we’re helping patients, cutting waiting lists and saving taxpayers money all at the same time.
By putting the latest technology into the hands of patients so they can access services quicker, we’re freeing up more time for doctors and nurses to focus on treating people and getting waiting lists down.
This government is doing things differently. Every missed appointment and wasted staff hour saved means another patient getting the care they need as we drive a digital NHS revolution through our Plan for Change.”
Since July, the increased use of existing app features have saved almost 5.7 million hours of staff time including 1.26 million clinical hours across care settings – together with the 1.5 million missed appointments avoided, the NHS App has helped save the equivalent of £622 million.
The app has spared staff from tasks such as managing appointments, completing questionnaires, ordering repeat prescriptions and taking patient details, freeing up frontline staff to focus directly on patient care and treatment.
And new analysis shows patients are getting faster treatment, with trusts that offer services through the app and patient online systems cutting waiting times for more elective care patients than those who do not.
Trusts who use the app’s key features saw a 3-percentage point increase in the number waiting less than 18 weeks in November 2024. This would equate to up to 211,000 more treatments meeting the 18 week target over the same time period if expanded to all hospitals across the country.
With more patients able to access correspondence digitally through the App, almost 12 million fewer paper letters have been sent by hospitals since July – saving £5.2million in postage costs. Forecasts for this year show the use of in-app notifications for planned care will prevent the need for 15.7million SMS messages – saving the NHS a further £985,000.
To assist elderly and more vulnerable patients, the NHS is now offering the public support in how to access online health services including the NHS App at 1,400 libraries across England.
Dr Vin Diwakar, NHS national clinical transformation director, said:
The NHS App is leading the way in switching from analogue to digital services, empowering over 37 million users with faster access to information and slashing waiting times.
With services now live in 87% of hospitals it is also boosting NHS productivity, cutting the number of missed appointments and freeing up almost 5.7 million staff hours since July alone.
Saffron Cordery, interim chief executive of NHS Providers, said:
Any innovations that give patients more control over their care, reduce the risk of missed appointments and free up valuable staff time so that they can focus on patients are a step in the right direction.
While it’s really positive that even more hospitals are now offering services through the NHS App, trust leaders know that not everyone has access to or feels comfortable using technology. That’s why it’s welcome that alongside paper letters and phone calls, the NHS is offering more support to help elderly and more vulnerable patients access online health services including via the NHS App.
Planned NHS App upgrades are set to include the ability for patients to choose from a wide range of providers through the app; book tests at convenient locations, such as their local community diagnostic centre; and receive test results quickly through the app before choosing the next step.
The app drive is part of the government’s wider ambitions to shift NHS services from analogue to digital and cut waiting lists under its Plan for Change. With a total of three million additional appointments already delivered six months early, the government is exceeding its own targets and driving down waiting lists at pace, which have fallen for six months in a row and by 219,000 since July.
The milestone follows the government’s announcement that 4.5 million tests, checks and scans were carried out in Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs) between July and February, a 50% increase on the previous year. Alongside this, NHS waiting lists in the areas with the highest economic inactivity have been slashed by almost 50,000 between October and February – a number larger than Stamford Bridge stadium.
Dr John Dean, Clinical Vice President of the Royal College of Physicians, said:
We welcome the continued rollout and improvements to the NHS app with the aim of putting patients in control of their own health. A focus on incrementally building functionality in the NHS App to support patients to manage their own healthcare will lead to better more connected digital systems that work better for staff and patients, freeing up time and increasing productivity.
We are keen to work closely with NHS England and the government to ensure that the NHS App is rolled out and improved in ways that most benefit patients and clinicians. It is also vital that we ensure sufficient mitigations are put in place so that those without access to the app are not excluded from accessing the same quality of patient care.
Rachel Power, Chief Executive of the Patients Association, said:
It’s very encouraging to see how digital tools like the NHS App are giving patients greater power over their healthcare, from managing appointments to accessing important health information. The NHS figures showing 1.5 million prevented missed appointments and 1.7 million staff hours saved demonstrate just how transformative this innovation can be.
While this digital progress is vital and the 20% increase in hospital participation is welcome, we must also ensure no one is left behind. Digital access remains a barrier for many, so we welcome the initiative providing support for online health services at 1,400 libraries across England. This kind of practical support needs to remain a key priority as services continue to modernise.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jeffrey Fields, Professor of the Practice of International Relations, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
A mural on the outer walls of the former US embassy in Tehran depicts two men in negotiation.Majid Saeedi/Getty Images
The scheduled talks follow the two previous rounds of indirect negotiations that have taken place under the new Trump administration. Those discussions were deemed to have yielded enough progress to merit sending nuclear experts from both sides to begin outlining the specifics of a potential framework for a deal.
The development is particularly notable given that Trump, in 2018, unilaterally walked the U.S. away from a multilateral agreement with Iran. That deal, negotiated during the Obama presidency, put restrictions on Tehran’s nuclear program in return for sanctions relief. Trump instead turned to a policy that involved tightening the financial screws on Iran through enhanced sanctions while issuing implicit military threats.
But that approach failed to disrupt Iran’s nuclear program.
Now, rather than revive the maximum pressure policy of his first term, Trump – ever keen to be seen as a dealmaker – has given his team the green light for the renewed diplomacy and even reportedly rebuffed, for now, Israel’s desire to launch military strikes against Tehran.
Jaw-jaw over war-war
The turn to diplomacy returns Iran-US relations to where they began during the Obama administration, with attempts to encourage Iran to curb or eliminate its ability to enrich uranium.
As a long-time expert on U.S. foreign policy and nuclear nonproliferation, I believe Trump has a unique opportunity to not only reinstate a similar nuclear agreement to the one he rejected, but also forge a more encompassing deal – and foster better relations with the Islamic Republic in the process.
There are real signs that a potential deal could be in the offing, and it is certainly true that Trump likes the optics of dealmaking.
But an agreement is by no means certain. Any progress toward a deal will be challenged by a number of factors, not least internal divisions and opposition within the Trump administration and skepticism among some in the Islamic Republic, along with uncertainty over a succession plan for the aging Ayatollah Khamenei.
Conservative hawks are still abundant in both countries and could yet derail any easing of diplomatic tensions.
Many Iranians would say relations have been strained since 1953, when the U.S. and the United Kingdom orchestrated the overthrow of Mohammad Mossadegh, the democratically elected prime minister of Iran.
Washington and Tehran have not had formal diplomatic relations since 1979, and the two countries have been locked in a decadeslong battle for influence in the Middle East. Today, tensions remain high over Iranian support for a so-called axis of resistance against the West and in particular U.S. interests in the Middle East. That axis includes Hamas in Palestine, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen.
For its part, Tehran has long bristled at American hegemony in the region, including its resolute support for Israel and its history of military action. In recent years that U.S. action has included the direct assaults on Iranian assets and personnel. In particular, Tehran is still angry about the 2020 assassination of Qassem Soleimani, the head of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Standing atop these various disputes, Iran’s nuclear ambitions have proved a constant source of contention for the United States and Israel, the latter being the only nuclear power in the region.
The prospect of warmer relations between the two sides first emerged during the Obama administration – though Iran sounded out the Bush administration in 2003 only to be rebuffed.
U.S. diplomats began making contact with Iranian counterparts in 2009 when Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs William Burns met with an Iranian negotiator in Geneva. The so-called P5+1 began direct negotiations with Iran in 2013. This paved the way for the eventual Iran nuclear deal, or Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in 2015. In that agreement – concluded by the U.S., Iran, China, Russia and a slew of European nations – Iran agreed to restrictions on its nuclear program, including limits on the level to which it could enrich uranium, which was capped well short of what would be necessary for a nuclear weapon. In return, multilateral and bilateral U.S. sanctions would be removed.
Many observers saw it as a win-win, with the restraints on a burgeoning nuclear power coupled with hopes that greater economic engagement with the international community that might temper some of Iran’s more provocative foreign policy behavior.
Yet Israel and Saudi Arabia worried the deal did not entirely eliminate Iran’s ability to enrich uranium, and right-wing critics in the U.S. complained it did not address Iran’s ballistic missile programs or support for militant groups in the region.
Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel, draws a red line on a graphic of a bomb while discussing Iran at the United Nations on Sept. 27, 2012. Mario Tama/Getty Images
When Trump first took office in 2016, he and his foreign policy team pledged to reverse Obama’s course and close the door on any diplomatic opening. Making good on his pledge, Trump unilaterally withdrew U.S. support for the JCPOA despite Iran’s continued compliance with the terms of the agreement and reinstated sanctions.
Donald the dealmaker?
So what has changed? Well, several things.
While Trump’s withdrawal from the JCPOA was welcomed by Republicans, it did nothing to stop Iran from enhancing its ability to enrich uranium.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia, eager to transform its image and diversify economically, now supports a deal it opposed during the Obama administration.
In this second term, Trump’s anti-Iran impulses are still there. But despite his rhetoric of a military option should a deal not be struck, Trump has on numerous occasions stated his opposition to U.S. involvement in another war in the Middle East.
In addition, Iran has suffered a number of blows in recent years that has left it more isolated in the region. Iranian-aligned Hamas and Hezbollah have been seriously weakened as a result of military action by Israel. Meanwhile, strikes within Iran by Israel have shown the potential reach of Israeli missiles – and the apparent willingness of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to use them. Further, the removal of President Bashar al-Assad in Syria has deprived Iran of another regional ally.
Tehran is also contending with a more fragile domestic economy than it had during negotiations for JCPOA.
With Iran weakened regionally and Trump’s main global focus being China, a diplomatic avenue with Iran seems entirely in line with Trump’s view of himself as a dealmaker.
A deal is not a given
With two rounds of meetings completed and the move now to more technical aspects of a possible agreement negotiated by experts, there appears to be a credible window of opportunity for diplomacy.
This could mean a new agreement that retains the core aspects of the deal Trump previously abandoned. I’m not convinced a new deal will look any different from the previous in terms of the enrichment aspect.
There are still a number of potential roadblocks standing in the way of any potential deal, however.
As was the case with Trump’s meetings with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during his first term, the president seems to be less interested in details than spectacle. While it was quite amazing for an American leader to meet with his North Korean counterpart, ultimately, no policy meaningfully changed because of it.
As has become a common theme in Trump administration foreign policy – even with its own allies on issues like trade – it’s unclear what a Trump administration policy on Iran actually is, and whether a political commitment exists to carry through any ultimate deal.
Top Trump foreign policy negotiator Steve Witkoff, who has no national security experience, has exemplified this tension. Tasked with leading negotiations with Iran, Witkoff has already been forced to walk back his contention that the U.S. was only seeking to cap the level of uranium enrichment rather than eliminate the entirety of the program.
For its part, Iran has proved that it is serious about diplomacy, previously having accepted Barack Obama’s “extended hand.”
But Tehran is unlikely to capitulate on core interests or allow itself to be humiliated by the terms of any agreement.
Ultimately, the main question to watch is whether a deal with Iran is to be concluded by pragmatists – and then to what extent, narrow or expansive – or derailed by hawks within the administration.
Jeffrey Fields receives funding from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
However, all of this prosperity and ostensible stability can mask social tensions, which can simmer for years, even decades, before boiling over into widespread unrest, civil violence and even societal collapse.
Our new organization, Societal Dynamics (SoDy), works to translate what we learn from observing historical patterns into lessons for today.
Even the most powerful empires can collapse
Devoting my time to studying historic crises has shown me just how fragile societies are. Even big, powerful, famous civilizations can succumb to crises.
What happened to these once-mighty empires? The aforementioned study gives some answers. The authors explored the distribution of wealth and income in these empires, comparing it to the modern United States.
They found that each of these empires permitted fairly high disparities to accumulate.
In each case, the richest five per cent and one per cent of citizens controlled an outsized share of their society’s wealth. This leads to fairly high “gini index” values as well. The gini is a commonly used measure of inequality in nations — the higher the number up to one, the more inequitable a society is. For comparison, the current average gini among OECD countries is 0.32, notably lower than each of the four societies shown above.
The researchers suggest this high level of inequality contributed to the eventual collapse of these empires.
It creates conflict as the upper classes become bloated with too many wealthy and powerful families vying for control of the vast spoils that accumulate at the top. It also erodes society’s ability to respond to acute shocks like ecological disasters or economic downturns as the government loses capacity and authority.
Canada today bears several similarities with these and other famous civilizations of the past — and that should make Canadians nervous.
Canada, like the Romans, Han, Aztecs and many other once great societies, has maintained a relatively peaceful and secure rule over a large territory for a time. It’s generated a great deal of wealth, has facilitated the exchange of technology, ideas and movement of people over vast distances and has produced amazing works of art. But Canada has also allowed inequality to grow and linger for generations.
The measurement quantifies the ratio of wealth or income between the richest 10 per cent and the poorest 40 per cent of citizens. Higher numbers indicate that the richest are capturing the lion’s share of a country’s overall wealth.
Canada’s economy has been growing steadily as measured by GDP per capita — with a few notable exceptions — since the Second World War.
Initially, inequality held steady, but starting in about 1980, the Palma ratio jumps up sharply. This suggests the bulk of this growth was making its way into the hands of the wealthy. After a downturn in the late 2000s, inequality has begun to grow again in recent years.
By comparison, the U.S. has experienced similar trends, though without the momentary downturn in the 2000s. Note also that these two graphs show different levels — the Palma ratio in the U.S. in 2022 (the latest available data) is about 4.5, while it’s just over two in Canada.
Heading down a dangerous path
Most citizens living in the heyday of these once mighty empires probably thought that collapse was unfathomable, just as few living in the U.S. or Canada today feel that we’re headed that way.
Canada remains, in many ways, a stable, thriving, modern democratic-socialist country. But it’s on a dangerous path.
If Canada allows inequality continue to rise unchecked as it has over the last few generations, it risks ending up where Rome, Han, the Aztecs and hundreds of other societies have been before: widespread unrest, devastating violence and even complete societal collapse.
As Canadians head to the polls, the country is at another crossroads. Will it continue down this all-too-familiar path, or will it take the opportunity to forge a different route and avoid the fate of the fallen societies of the past?
Daniel Hoyer is director of SoDy and affiliated with ASRA Network, Complexity Science Hub, Vienna, and the SocialAI lab at the University of Toronto. He has received funding from: the Tricoastal Foundation; the Institute for Economics and Peace; and the V. Kann Rasmussen Foundation.
University of South Australia scientists have developed a highly sensitive method to detect illegal opioids and a veterinary sedative in Australia’s wastewater system, providing a vital early warning tool to public health authorities.
A new study published in Environmental Science and Pollution Research, funded by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission and Preventative Health SA, explains the innovative wastewater-based testing method capable of identifying trace levels of nitazenes – a class of highly potent synthetic opioids – and xylazine, an animal sedative not approved for human use.
Nitazenes are among the most dangerous opioids ever synthesised, up to 1000 times more potent than morphine. Initially developed in the 1950s but never approved for clinical use, these substances have recently emerged in the illicit drug supply worldwide. Their extreme potency poses a significant risk of overdose, often with fatal consequences.
Xylazine, commonly used in veterinary medicine, is often added to illicit opioids such as fentanyl and heroin. It complicates overdose treatment because its effects cannot be reversed with naloxone, the standard emergency antidote for opioid toxicity. Moreover, xylazine use is associated with severe health impacts including sedation, respiratory depression, hypotension, and dangerous skin ulcerations.
“This is the first time a comprehensive suite of nitazene compounds and xylazine has been monitored in Australian wastewater,” says lead researcher UniSA Associate Professor Cobus Gerber.
“Our method can detect even minute levels, allowing us to track emerging threats before they escalate,” he says.
Over a three-day period in August 2024, researchers analysed 180 wastewater samples from 60 sites around Australia. They identified five different nitazenes in 3–6% of all samples. Alarmingly, xylazine was detected in 26% of all samples.
“Given the potency of nitazenes and the health complications associated with xylazine, even low-level detections are a red flag,” says co-first author Dr Emma Keller.
The research team developed a laboratory method using solid phase extraction and liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to concentrate and identify target compounds. The method achieved up to 1000-fold enrichment, with limits of detection well below 1 ng/L for most substances.
Crucially, the method is adaptable and can be quickly updated to detect new derivatives as they emerge – an essential capability as drug manufacturers continue to tweak chemical structures to evade legislation.
“This analytical platform enhances Australia’s capacity to monitor and respond to the shifting landscape of illicit drug use,” says Assoc Prof Gerber. “It complements forensic analysis and can provide near real-time data to inform public health strategies.”
The results underscore the growing presence of harmful and often unsuspected substances in street-level drugs. In the United States, xylazine has already been detected in over 80% of fentanyl-containing paraphernalia and is implicated in an increasing number of overdose deaths.
“With similar patterns now being detected in Australia and nitazenes also infiltrating the stimulant market, there’s an urgent need to raise awareness and strengthen harm reduction responses,” Assoc Prof Gerber says.
“Comprehensive method to detect nitazene analogues and xylazine in wastewater” is authored byEmma L. Keller, Brock Peake, Bradley S. Simpson, Jason M. White and Cobus Gerber. DOI: 10.1007/s11356-025-36425-0
Around the world, more and more electric vehicles are hitting the road. Last year, more than 17 million battery-electric and hybrid vehicles were sold. Early forecasts suggest this year’s figure might reach 20 million. Nearly 20% of all cars sold today are electric.
But as more motorists go electric, it creates a new challenge – what to do with the giant batteries when they reach the end of their lives. That’s 12 to 15 years on average, though real-world data suggests it may be up to 40% longer. The average EV battery weighs about 450 kilograms.
By 2030, around 30,000 tonnes of EV batteries are expected to need disposal or recycling in Australia. By 2040, the figure is projected to be 360,000 tonnes and 1.6 million tonnes by 2050.
Is this a problem? Not necessarily. When a battery reaches the end of its life in a vehicle, it’s still got plenty of juice. Together, they could power smaller vehicles, houses or, when daisy-chained, even whole towns.
For this to work, though, we need better information. How healthy are these batteries? What are they made of? Have they ever been in an accident? At present, answers to these questions are hard to come by. That has to change.
Gauging the health and reliability of a used EV battery is harder than it should be. Fahroni/Shutterstock
Huge potential, challenging reality
Old EV batteries have huge potential. But it’s not going to be easy to realise this.
That’s because it’s hard to get accurate data on battery performance, how fast it’s degrading and the battery’s current state of health – how much capacity it has now versus how much it had when new.
Unfortunately, vehicle manufacturers often make it difficult to get access to this crucial information. And once a battery pack is removed, we can’t get access to its specific data.
This comes with real risks. If a battery has a fault or has been severely degraded, it could catch fire when opened or if used for an unsuitable role. Without data, recyclers are flying blind.
Reusing EV batteries will only be economically viable if there’s sufficient confidence in estimates of remaining capacity and performance.
Without solid data, investors and companies may hesitate to engage in the repurposing market due to the financial risks involved.
Extracting minerals from a battery
EV batteries are full of critical minerals such as nickel, cobalt, lithium and manganese. Nearly everything in an EV battery can be recycled – up to 95%.
Here, too, it’s not as easy as it should be. Manufacturers design batteries focusing on performance and safety with recyclability often an afterthought.
Battery packs are often sealed shut for safety, making it difficult to disassemble their thousands of individual cells. Dismantling these type of EV batteries is extremely labour-intensive and time-consuming. Some will have to be crushed and the minerals extracted afterwards.
EV batteries have widely differing chemistries, such as lithium iron phosphate and nickel manganese cobalt. But this vital information is often not included on the label.
EV batteries require significant quantities of critical minerals. Pictured: lithium salt evaporation ponds in Argentina. Freedom_wanted/Shutterstock
Better ways of assessing battery health
Used EV batteries fall into three groups based on their state of health:
High (80% or more of original capacity): These batteries can be refurbished for reuse in similar applications, such as electric cars, mopeds, bicycles and golf carts. Some can be resized to suit smaller vehicles.
Medium (60-80%): These batteries can be repurposed for entirely different applications, such as stationary power storage or uninterruptible power supplies.
Low (below 60%): These batteries undergo shredding and refining processes to recover valuable minerals which can be used to make new batteries.
Researchers have recently succeeded in estimating the health of used EV batteries even without access to the battery’s data. But access to usage and performance data would still give better estimates.
What’s at stake?
An EV battery is a remarkable thing. But they rely on long supply chains and contain critical minerals, and their manufacture can cause pollution and carbon emissions.
Ideally, an EV battery would be exhausted before we recycle it. Repurposing these batteries will help reduce how many new batteries are needed.
If old batteries are stockpiled or improperly discarded, it leads to fire risk and potential contamination of soil and water.
Right now, it’s hard for companies and individuals to access each battery’s performance data. This means it’s much harder and more expensive to assess its health and remaining useful life. As a result, more batteries are being discarded or sent for recycling too early.
Recycling EV batteries is a well-defined process. But it’s energy-intensive and requires significant chemical treatments.
What needs to change?
At present, many battery manufacturers are wary of sharing battery performance data, due to concerns over intellectual property and other legal issues. This will have to change if society is to get the fullest use out of these complex energy storage devices. But these changes are unlikely to come from industry.
In 2021, California introduced laws requiring manufacturers to give recyclers access to data and battery state of health. Likewise, the European Union will require all EV batteries to come with a digital passport from January 2027, giving access to data on the battery’s health, chemistry and records of potentially harmful events such as accidents or charging at extreme temperatures.
Australia should follow suit – before we have a mountain of EV batteries and no way to reuse them.
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.
E-cigarettes or vapes were originally designed to deliver nicotine in a smokeless form. But in recent years, vapes have been used to deliver other psychoactive substances, including cannabis concentrates and oils.
Cannabis vapes, also sometimes known as THC vape pens, appear to have increased in popularity in Australia over the past few years. Among those Australians who had recently used cannabis, the proportion who reported ever vaping cannabis increased from 7% in 2019 to at least 25% in 2022–23.
The practice appears to be gaining popularity among young people, who are reportedly using devices called “penjamins” to vape cannabis oil. These are sleek, concealable vapes disguised as everyday objects such as lip balms, earphone cases or car keys.
On social media platforms such as TikTok, users are sharing tips and tricks for how to carry and use penjamins undetected.
So what’s in cannabis vapes, and should we be worried about young people using them?
Are cannabis vapes legal in Australia?
While medicinal cannabis is legal for some users with a prescription, recreational cannabis use remains illegal under federal law.
In Australia, recent vaping reforms have made it illegal to sell disposable vapes such as penjamins.
Cannabis vaping is often perceived to be less harmful than smoking cannabis as it does not involve combustion of the cannabis, which may reduce some respiratory symptoms. But that doesn’t mean it’s without risk.
Most forms of cannabis can be vaped, including cannabis flower and cannabis oil. The difference is, cannabis oil typically contains much higher concentrations of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) compared to cannabis flower.
THC is the ingredient responsible for the “high” people feel when they use cannabis. THC works by interacting with brain receptors that influence our mood, memory, coordination and perception.
The strength of these effects depends on how much THC is consumed. Vaping can produce a more intense high and greater cognitive impairment compared to smoking cannabis, as less THC is lost through combustion.
Our research in the United States and Canada found many people who vape cannabis are moving away from traditional cannabis flowers and increasingly preferring highly potent products, such as oils and concentrates.
Cannabis oil typically contains much higher concentrations of THC compared to cannabis flower. Nuva Frames/Shutterstock
Prolonged consumption of products with high THC levels can increase the risk of cannabis use disorder and psychosis.
Young people are particularly vulnerable to the risks of high THC exposure, as their brains are still developing well into their mid-20s. Those without previous experience using cannabis may even be more susceptible to the adverse effects of vaping cannabis.
Our study found those who vape and smoke cannabis reported more severe mental health symptoms, compared to those who only smoke cannabis.
Cannabis vaping can also affect the lungs. Findings from large population-based surveys suggest respiratory symptoms such as bronchitis and wheezing are common among those who vape cannabis.
Cannabis vapes don’t just contain cannabis
The risks associated with cannabis vapes do not just come from THC, but also from the types of solvents and additives used. Solvents are the chemicals used to extract THC from the cannabis plant and produce a concentrated oil for vaping.
While some can be safe when properly processed, others, such as vitamin E acetate, have been linked to serious lung injuries, including E-cigarette or Vaping Use-Associated Lung Injury (EVALI).
This condition hospitalised more than 2,500 people and caused nearly 70 deaths in the US between late 2019 and early 2020. Common symptoms of EVALI include chest pain, cough, abdominal pain, vomiting and fever.
This raises concerns about product safety, particularly when it comes to unregulated cannabis oils that are not subjected to any quality control. This may be the case with penjamins.
There’s no simple answer to this question. Both nicotine and cannabis vapes come with different health risks, and comparing them depends on what you are measuring – addiction, short-term harms or long-term health effects.
Nicotine vapes can be an effective way of helping people quit smoking. However, these vapes still contain addictive nicotine and other chemicals that may lead to lung injuries. The long-term health effects of inhaling these substances are still being studied.
Cannabis vapes can be used to deliver highly potent doses of THC, and pose particular risk to brain development and mental health in young people. Regular cannabis use is also linked to lower IQ and poorer educational outcomes in young people.
In unregulated markets, both these products may contain undisclosed chemicals, contaminants, or even substances not related to nicotine or cannabis at all.
The “worse” option depends on the context, but for non-smokers and young people without any medical conditions, the safest choice is to avoid
both.
Jack Chung receives research scholarship funding from the University of Queensland. He has not received any funding from the alcohol, cannabis, pharmaceutical, tobacco or vaping industries.
Carmen Lim receives funding from the National Medical Health Research Council (2024–2028). She has not received any funding from the alcohol, cannabis, pharmaceutical, tobacco or vaping industries.
Wayne Hall 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.
We’ve all been there – trying to peel a boiled egg, but mangling it beyond all recognition as the hard shell stubbornly sticks to the egg white. Worse, the egg ends up covered in chewy bits of adhesive membrane in the end.
The internet is littered with various “hacks” that claim to prevent this problem. But there are several reasons why eggs can be hard to peel. Luckily, that means there are also science-based strategies we can use to avoid the problem.
Egg ‘peelability’ factors
Eggs consist of a hard, porous shell, an inner and outer membrane, the egg white (albumen), and a membrane-encased yolk at the centre. There is also an air cell between the inner and outer membrane next to the shell.
A lot of research was done in the late 1960s and 1970s on factors that affect the peelability of eggs after they’ve been boiled.
One of these factors is the pH of the egg white. An early study from the 1960s indicated that the pH of the egg white needs to be in the range of 8.7–8.9, quite alkaline, in order for the egg to be easier to peel.
Storage temperature has a role to play, too. A study from 1963 showed that storing eggs at about 22 degrees Celsius (or 72 degrees Fahrenheit) gives a better peelability result than storage at lower temperatures of 13°C, or even fridge temperatures at 3–5°C.
Of course, there is a risk of spoilage if eggs are stored at higher ambient temperatures.
In the studies, an increase in storage time before boiling – using less fresh eggs – also increased the ease of peelability.
The fact that fresh eggs are harder to peel is relatively well known. Based on the factors above, there are a couple of reasons for this.
For one, in a fresh egg the air cell is still quite small. As the egg ages, it (very) slowly loses moisture through the porous shell, increasing the size of the air cell while the rest of the egg contents shrink. A bigger air cell makes it easier to start the peeling action.
Additionally, egg whites, although they already start out relatively alkaline, increase in pH as the eggs age, also making them easier to peel.
Step two: water temperature
Some keen egg boiling pundits believe that starting off with boiling water and lowering it to a simmer before gently placing the eggs into it provides a better result. However, you want to do this with room temperature eggs to avoid them cracking due to a sudden temperature change.
The reasoning behind this approach is that exposure to higher temperatures from the start of cooking also makes it easier for the membrane to come away from the shell and egg white.
Furthermore, the quick hot start makes it easier for the egg white proteins to denature (change structure as they cook) and bond to each other, rather than to the membrane.
After boiling eggs for the desired amount of time (typically 3–5 minutes for runny yolks, 6–7 minutes for jammy yolks, and 12–15 minutes for hard boiled), you can quench them in ice water. This should help the egg white to slightly shrink away from the shell, improving peelability.
Starting in hot water might help peelability, especially if you plunge the eggs in ice water afterwards. Max4e Photo/Shutterstock
Step three (optional): adding things to the water
Some other suggestions to improve peelability include adding salt to the boiling water, but this has mixed results. In one study, this approach did actually improve peelability, but this effect was lost after eggs had been stored for longer periods.
Acids and alkali have also been shown to aid eggshell peelability or removal. The patent that describes this used rather harsh substances with the goal to dissolve away the shell.
But based on this idea, you could try adding baking soda or vinegar to the water. With vinegar, the theory is that it attacks the calcium carbonate in the eggshell to then aid its removal. As for baking soda, because it’s alkaline, it could help detach the membrane from the shell.
Bonus: alternative cooking methods
There are other methods for hard-cooking eggs, such as pressure steaming, air-frying and even microwaving.
In steaming eggs, some proponents theorise that water vapour permeates the eggshell, loosening the membrane from the egg white, and thereby making the egg much easier to peel.
While studies have recently been done on the air-frying of other foods, there is still scope to further understand how this style of cooking might affect eggshells and peelability.
Lastly, once you have successfully separated the eggshells, don’t just throw them in the bin. There are lots of different uses for them, including compost, slug and snail deterrent in your garden, using them as little biodegradable pots for seedlings, or even something as advanced as scaffolds for cancer research.
Paulomi (Polly) Burey receives funding from the Australian Government Department of Education which has funded the eggshell research mentioned at the end of this article.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton have had their fourth and final leaders’ debate of the campaign. The skirmish, hosted by 7News in Sydney, was moderated by 7’s Political Editor Mark Riley.
Cost of living and housing affordability featured in the clash, with both leaders acknowledging the price pain being felt by many Australians. Immigration, US President Donald Trump, energy policy and welcome to country ceremonies were also thrashed out in a number of lively exchanges.
How did each leader perform? Have they done enough to convince undecided voters before polling day? Three experts give their analysis
Andy Marks, Western Sydney University
This is the election, Seven’s opening voiceover proclaimed, “that will decide the future of Welcome to Country ceremonies.”
Puzzled voters no doubt welcomed the promise of clarification. So Riley cut to the chase. Some people, he said, are “uncomfortable” with the ceremonies.
Dutton agreed:
I think a lot of Australians think it is overdone and cheapens the significance of what it was meant to do.“
Albanese said it was up to event organisers to decide whether to have a ceremony. On the lost Voice referendum? He “accepts the outcome”.
No fight. Just consensus from both leaders January 26 should remain as Australia Day.
Lack of spark was never going to stop Seven. A dramatic soundtrack rumbled away behind the leaders’ statements added an Oscars vibe, with each rushing their answers before being played off.
It worked. Halfway in, a fire was lit. “It’s hard to believe anything you say”, Dutton said to his opponent. “You’ve made promises you haven’t delivered. People are getting smashed.”
Albanese shot back. “Peter can attack me. But I won’t let him attack the wages of working people.”
Hostilities abated as Riley asked Albanese if he had Trump’s mobile number. “Do you have [UK Prime Minister] Keir Starmer’s?” Dutton added.
Nuclear power reheated the debate. “I am proud”, Dutton said of the Coalition’s energy plans. But he would not commit to visiting any of the proposed sites in the final days of the campaign.
Suddenly it became a science lesson. Dutton asked “how will solar work at night?” When you turn on a tap, Albanese responded, water still comes out even when it isn’t raining.
A highlight? Dutton almost quoted Taylor Swift. “The prime minister promises a band-aid on a bullet wound” he quipped on cost of living.
Blair Williams, Monash University
“This is the debate for every Australian”, the Channel 7 voiceover said at the start of the debate. However, to reference Sex and the City’s Carrie Bradshaw, I couldn’t help but wonder if this debate would truly include everyone.
We saw the usual quibbles between Albanese and Dutton over various crises, such as housing and the cost of living. Albanese argued he would help through initiatives such as cheaper medicines and childcare.
However, he put his foot down on scrapping negative gearing as it’s a measure that “will not build supply”.
Dutton’s response made it clear he was not planning to include “everyone” in this debate, as he quickly blamed immigrants for the housing crisis in Australia.
Riley posed a question to both leaders about Welcome to Country, saying booing during an ANZAC event sparked an “important discussion […] there are people in Australia who are uncomfortable being welcomed to Country”.
Riley asked both leaders if the ceremonies are “overdone”.
Dutton argued they do have a place but he wants “everyone to be equal” as “we are all equal”. Dutton said he wanted the country to be “one”. This overlooks how structural disadvantages, such as racism and sexism, result in inequality.
Albanese took a more Keating-esque perspective, citing ANZAC Day in New Zealand and the central place of Maori language in their events, emphasising the importance of First Nations people and multiculturalism in Australia.
The debate ended without any discussion of violence against women. So far this year, 24 women have been killed as a result of gendered violence, with three in just the past week. Yet both parties have barely mentioned it during the campaign or the debates.
Women’s issues were also barely raised. While Albanese mentioned cheaper childcare, Dutton failed to reference any issues that might specifically impact women. He has done little in this campaign and during this debate to win them over.
Instead, both leaders wasted time arguing over the Coalition’s plan to produce nuclear energy in 2035.
“Is this helping you decide?” Channel 7 asked viewers. For many women – and other – around the country, it merely showed two white men in suits and ties yelling over each other. This could explain why a third of Australians will preference a minor party or independent at the ballot box. Perhaps these are the voters who have felt left out.
Michelle Cull, Western Sydney University
While the debate started off friendly, it became quite heated very quickly. Dutton found it difficult to finish his talking points on time but had no problem interrupting Albanese. Cost of living was central to the debate.
There wasn’t much the leaders could agree on – no surprises there. Although both concurred there should be no change to the date for Australia Day.
When asked about Welcome to Country ceremonies, Dutton mentioned them happening at the “start of every meeting at work” and they were “divisive”. Perhaps there was some confusion here with Acknowledgement of Country.
Dutton focused on short-term cost-of-living relief and his fuel excise cuts. He blamed Albanese for high inflation, high interest rates and housing affordability issues. The prime minister was quick to remind him not everything was “hunky dory” when Labor took office.
Albanese did well to promote many of the Labor policies targeted at reducing cost of living through lower HECS-HELP, free TAFE and cheaper childcare. He was the only leader to include what his party was doing for renters and those in social housing, as well as first home buyers. Albanese also responded to Dutton’s short-term cost-of-living relief with Labor’s more permanent help through wage increases and tax cuts.
Dutton was clever enough to throw Labor’s proposed superannuation changes into the debate by referring to the plan to tax unrealised capital gains on superannuation balances greater than A$3 million. But this didn’t seem to make it much further in the debate, as it did not relate to the question being asked.
We’ll now have to wait until Saturday to see if the leaders really managed to sway any undecided voters.
Michelle Cull is an FCPA member of CPA Australia, member of the Financial Advice Association Australia and President Elect of the Academy of Financial Services in the United States. Michelle is an academic member of UniSuper’s Consultative Committee. Michelle co-founded the Western Sydney University Tax Clinic which has received funding from the Australian Taxation Office as part of the National Tax Clinic Program. Michelle has previously volunteered as Chair of the Macarthur Advisory Council for the Salvation Army Australia.
Andy Marks and Blair Williams 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.
Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Ashika Niraula, Senior Research Associate, Canada Excellence Research Chair in Migration & Integration Program, Toronto Metropolitan University
Skilled migrants and international students are leaving the United States for Canada in growing numbers. A March 2025 report by Statistics Canada reveals a sharp rise in the numbers of American non-citizen residents moving to Canada. Reasons given are largely restrictive U.S. immigration policies, visa caps and long wait times for green cards.
This is a shift from earlier decades when American-born citizens dominated the trend. By 2019, nearly half of those making the move were U.S. non-citizen residents.
Since U.S. President Donald Trump’s election win and early days in office, Google searches by American residents on how to move to Canada, New Zealand and Australia have surged.
British Columbia recently announced plans to launch landmark policies to streamline the credential recognition process for internationally trained health-care professionals, particular American doctors and nurses.
Skilled talent like health-care professionals, researchers and engineers are essential to building innovative, future-ready economies. But attracting them requires staying competitive in an increasingly global bid for talent.
Global competition for talent
In this global race for talent, Canada and Australia need to offer not only efficient immigration pathways but also faster credential recognition and better integration support.
Yet both nations find themselves walking a tightrope. Once both celebrated as welcoming destinations for global talent, each country has experienced recent immigration restrictions and growing anti-immigration sentiments, undermining those reputations.
But for migrants in Canada, these goals are becoming harder to attain.
A more cautious approach
Since the pandemic, Canada’s immigration approach has shifted. During the early COVID-19 years, Canada was praised for its inclusive response, including recognizing immigrants as essential to economic recovery. Temporary workers, including essential workers, international student graduates and French-speaking immigrants, were offered new routes to permanent residency through a federal program.
However, since 2024, Canada has taken a more cautious approach.
While permanent residency is still more accessible than in the U.S., skilled migrants are increasingly questioning whether the wait for permanent residency is worth it.
Australia visa rules slow things down
Australia faces similar dilemmas. In late 2023, the government launched a new migration strategy to address critical workforce shortages in construction, tech and health care. The Skills in Demand visa promised faster processing and clearer pathways to permanent residency for workers in priority sectors.
Yet a recent report by the Grattan institute warns that tighter eligibility rules risk excluding much-needed talent, potentially weakening Australia’s competitiveness.
Growing visa delays are also noted to be an additional barrier that may deter both prospective migrants and employers.
Working in jobs far below qualifications
Migration data often tells a story of numbers, categories and eligibility thresholds. However, the human stories behind the numbers reveal deep systemic issues and missed opportunities. One recurring issue is the widespread phenomenon of deskilling.
In both Canada and Australia, many skilled migrants often find themselves working in jobs far below their qualifications.
These experiences are part of a pattern that affects not only individuals but also national economies, which lose out on the full potential of their skilled workforce.
Credential recognition systems are opaque, inconsistent and frequently biased.
Another overlooked issue is that many skilled migrants do not move alone. People arrive with spouses, children and sometimes elderly parents.
Yet immigration and settlement systems in both countries are largely structured around individual economic migrants rather than families. In Canada, for instance, federally funded settlement services are mainly geared toward supporting only permanent residents.
Many spouses, particularly women, face even greater barriers to employment. Issues also include things like high fees for visa processing for parents. Other considerations include children who may struggle with schooling and identity in unfamiliar environments.
Housing shortages and high costs in major urban centres compound these challenges, pushing newcomers into unaffordable living conditions.
All this contributes to growing disillusionment. Migrants initially drawn to Canada or Australia as alternatives to unwelcoming environments elsewhere may choose to still come, but it doesn’t mean they will stay.
The experiences of skilled migrants in Canada and Australia show that attracting talent is only half the battle. The real challenge is in retention and integration.
Many countries like Germany, Japan, South Korea and some Gulf states have begun offering more competitive pathways to immigration along with promises of a work-life balance, streamlined visa programs and competitive salaries. This means skilled migrants are increasingly mobile.
Australia has made strides in streamlining visa categories and targeting sectoral needs, while Canada has built a strong narrative around inclusion and multiculturalism.
However, there is a need to combine Australia’s responsiveness and Canada’s inclusive ethos to build resilient migration systems.
Build future-ready migration systems
In an era defined by geopolitical uncertainties, countries can no longer afford to treat skilled migrants as temporary fixes or just economic inputs. They are people with aspirations, with families and with dreams.
They must be seen and supported as future citizens. To build future-ready migration systems Canada must:
Ensure transparency and consistency in immigration pathways to reduce uncertainties caused by policy reversals and lengthy processing times.
Improve credential recognition and career support to help skilled migrants, including temporary residents, transition into roles that match their qualifications.
Develop regional settlement strategies to address where migrants settle and ensure equitable access to services, job markets and housing, especially outside major cities.
Adopt inclusive, intersectional policies that consider gender, race and class in shaping the migrant experience, including support for spouses, children and aging parents.
Foster collaborative and responsive policymaking. This involves connecting researchers, employers, community organizations and migrants to inform policy making.
For Canada, the challenge ahead is clear. It’s not just about opening the door. It’s about making sure that once here, migrants have the support, rights and opportunities to walk through that door — and thrive.
Ashika Niraula works as a Senior Research Associate at the Canada Excellence Research Chair in Migration & Integration Program at Toronto Metropolitan University. The Skilled Migrant Decision Making Under Uncertainty project has received financial support from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Insight Grant (435-2021-0752) and from the wider program of the Canada Excellence Research Chair in Migration and Integration at Toronto Metropolitan University.
Iori Hamada does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
LCQ5: Nurturing foreign language talents Question:
In 2018, the State President stated at the National Conference on Education that vigorous efforts should be made to nurture international talents proficient in foreign languages and adept at Chinese-foreign negotiations and communications. There are views that as the country’s super connector and super value-adder, as well as the premier international financial centre connecting the country and the Middle East market, Hong Kong needs to nurture a large pool of foreign language talents. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) when Government officials make overseas visits and when the Government releases videos and hands out publications overseas to promote Hong Kong, whether local mother tongues of the relevant places have been used as the medium of communication; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(2) as it is learnt that there are a number of language universities in the country, such as Beijing Foreign Studies University, which is approved to teach more than a hundred foreign languages, whether the Government will study allocating more resources to tertiary institutions to strengthen training in foreign languages other than English, or establishing foreign language universities drawing on the models of the Mainland, with a view to nurturing multilingual talents in public and private organisations, so that they can tell the good stories of Hong Kong in different languages; and
(3) whether it will study enhancing the existing “biliterate and trilingual” policy by turning it into a “triliterate and quadrilingual” policy?
Reply:
President,
Hong Kong is a cosmopolitan city. In recent years, various national strategies have even brought about tremendous development opportunities for Hong Kong, which require us to strengthen exchanges and co-operation with the Mainland and overseas regions and countries by capitalising on our advantage of “linkage with our Motherland and close connection to the world”. To enhance our international competitiveness and strengthen our position as an international post-secondary education hub, we have been striving to nurture talents who are biliterate and trilingual, and proficient in other languages.
Having consulted the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau and the Information Services Department (ISD), I would like to reply to the Hon Benson Luk’s questions as follows:
(1) Currently, in taking forward overseas promotion work, the overseas Economic and Trade Offices (ETOs) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government and Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) will make appropriate arrangements taking into account the common languages of the relevant places. For instance, apart from the English version of the relevant ETOs’ websites, languages commonly used in the countries/regions under their respective purview are also available, e.g. Japanese, Thai, German, Arabic to facilitate local people in understanding the information disseminated by ETOs. Also, for meetings between officials of the HKSAR Government and local officials/representatives of the political and business sectors and preparation of relevant promotional materials, the ETOs concerned will arrange interpretation and prepare and issue the relevant promotion materials in local languages as appropriate.
In addition, to facilitate investors from around the world to understand the latest information about Hong Kong’s business environment, InvestHK’s website is available in a number of major languages, including simplified Chinese, traditional Chinese, English, Japanese, Spanish, French, Italian, as well as Arabic, which has been newly added. Separately, InvestHK’s promotional videos are mainly in English and Putonghua. Depending on the origin of individual successful case studies, subtitles may be available in the local language. As for InvestHK’s client meetings and promotional materials, Putonghua and simplified Chinese are used on the Mainland, while English and the local language where necessary are used in overseas markets. Interpretation will also be arranged at investment promotion seminars.
On external promotion, the ISD produces a series of creative contents in multiple languages for placement in overseas and Mainland cities through digital and social media platforms, as well as outdoor advertising, in the form of short videos and banner advertisements to tell the good stories of Hong Kong. These creative contents are available in Arabic, Bahasa Indonesia, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Thai, Vietnamese, etc. The ISD also translated and printed the promotional booklet entitled “HK Connect” into foreign languages such as Arabic, Bahasa Indonesia, Malay and Thai for distribution to target recipients at promotional activities during senior officials’ overseas visits.
Moreover, the ISD has held the “Immersive Hong Kong” promotional roving exhibitions in Jakarta, Indonesia; Bangkok, Thailand; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; and Guangzhou, China since July 2023. It will also be staged in Dubai, the Middle East next month. In addition to English, the exhibition information is also available in the local languages of each stop to enhance the publicity effect.
(2) The eight University Grants Committee (UGC)-funded universities have all along been making flexible use of their resources to offer a wide range of publicly-funded programmes with regard to their respective roles and positioning, as well as providing diversified learning opportunities for students in response to market demands. Learning foreign languages can help students to understand multiculturalism and strengthen their connections with different parts of the world, thereby enhancing their competitiveness in entering the workforce, pursuing further studies or starting their own businesses in the future. University education also aims to encourage students to acquire knowledge and skills in different fields, and nurture the high-calibre talents required by different industries, so as to inject impetus into the development of Hong Kong.
In recent years, the eight UGC-funded universities have offered as many as 12 contemporary foreign languages for learning, including Arabic, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Kiswahili, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Swedish, Spanish and Thai. They also offer a range of specialised programmes majoring in individual foreign languages or cultures for students who aspire to become professionals in relevant fields in the future. As for students pursuing undergraduate programmes in other areas such as engineering technology, business or social sciences, a number of universities also offer minor options or foreign language courses as free electives for interested students to pursue having regard to their personal aspirations and abilities. In addition, a number of self-financing institutions at present offer post-secondary programmes related to different foreign languages and relevant elective subjects according to market demand.
The above arrangements for major, minor and free electives enable students to study foreign languages having regard to their learning objectives in an appropriate manner. The existing arrangements meet practical needs with flexibility; hence the Government has no plans to set up a foreign language university. Nevertheless, we will continue to encourage the UGC-funded universities to provide students with opportunities to learn foreign languages, and through various avenues, such as student exchange programmes and experiential learning activities, enable students to gain exposure to the cultures of more places, broaden their horizons, seize Hong Kong’s unique advantages, and be better prepared for their future development.
(3) Over the years, the Government has been collaborating with the Standing Committee on Language Education and Research, other advisory bodies and stakeholders to enable the Hong Kong people, particularly students and working adults, to become biliterate and trilingual, through sponsoring and implementing various measures using the Language Fund. Moreover, the Education Bureau (EDB) endeavours to develop students’ multilingual competence, enabling them to make life planning based on their own interests, abilities and aspirations, and to connect to the world. Over the years, the EDB has offered “other languages” courses (Note 1) (Category C of the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination) for senior secondary students to study as an elective subject. As announced in the 2024 Policy Address, the EDB will implement a pilot scheme to invite schools to apply for additional resources to provide opportunities for junior secondary students to learn “other languages” (Note 2), in order to facilitate a stronger articulation in their learning of “other languages” as an elective subject at the senior secondary level.
Thank you, President.
Note 1: The EDB subsidises schools to offer courses of the six “other languages”, i.e. French, German, Japanese, Korean, Spanish and Urdu, for secondary four to six students.
Note 2: Schools can use the funding to offer junior secondary courses of the six designated “other languages” (i.e. French, German, Japanese, Korean, Spanish and Urdu), which are the senior secondary elective subjects. Arabic and Russian could also be considered. Issued at HKT 15:40
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
LCQ8: Supporting students with special educational needs in post-secondary institutions Question:
It is learnt that the community has all along been concerned about whether various post-secondary institutions can adequately support students with special educational needs (SEN) in terms of their learning needs, so as to equip them for pursuing further studies and joining the workforce. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) whether it knows the number of SEN students studying in the eight universities funded by the University Grants Committee (UGC) (the eight universities) in the current academic year, together with a breakdown by type of SEN, including but not limited to hearing impairment, visual impairment, physical disability, and specific learning difficulties;
(2) as the Government has indicated in its reply to a question raised by a Member of this Council on November 8 last year that the UGC further allocates additional resources to the eight universities between 2022 and 2025 by providing an additional special funding of $67.5 million for the Special Grant to Enhance the Support for Students with Special Educational Needs (the Special Grant), which seeks to enable the universities to (i) enhance the teaching and learning experience of SEN students, (ii) strengthen staff training, and (iii) promote campus integration, whether the Government knows the actual amount of funding granted to each university, the expenditure on items (i) to (iii), as well as the relevant specific measures and their effectiveness respectively;
(3) whether it knows if the UGC will extend or regularise the Special Grant in the future to continuously implement one of the strategic recommendations of the Persons with Disabilities and Rehabilitation Programme Plan, which is to provide adequate resources and ensure equal opportunities for SEN students to receive higher education or pursue further studies; if the UGC will, of the estimated relevant annual expenditure; if not, the reasons for that;
(4) as some organisations and their assistance seekers have relayed that some university students need to engage sign language interpretation services to support their studies, but due to limited study hours funded by their universities, rather exorbitant sign language interpretation costs have to be borne by such students in their three or four-year undergraduate programmes, whether the authorities will require the eight universities to strengthen the support for such students and ensure that the relevant measures are put in place in a proper and effective manner, so that no such students will be unable to complete their studies or pursue further studies because of lack of means; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(5) whether the authorities will consider offering dedicated post-secondary programmes that are suitable and able to provide support for SEN students, complemented by related all-round support services (including but not limited to sign language interpretation), so that they can equip themselves and join the workforce; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
The eight University Grants Committee (UGC)-funded universities have all along been making special teaching arrangements and providing support services to students with special educational needs (SEN).
Our replies to Dr the Hon Chow Man-kong’s questions are as follows:
(1) In the past three academic years (AY), the numbers of full-time UGC-funded sub-degree and undergraduate students with SEN (Note 1) are tabulated below by their types of SEN –
Type of SENAYAY(provisional figures)language impairmentNote 2: Including different types of disabilities, visceral disability /chronic illness, etc.
We do not have the relevant figures for the 2024/25 AY for the time being.
(2) and (3) To assist students with SEN in pursuing UGC-funded programmes and adapt to campus life, as well as promoting an inclusive culture, the UGC has launched the Special Grant for Enhancing Support for Students with SEN (the Special Grant) since 2015 to provide additional resources for universities to take forward three key objectives, i.e. (i) improving the educational experience of students with SEN, (ii) enhancing staff training and (iii) promoting an inclusive campus. The subsidy scope of the Special Grant is comprehensive, with specific initiatives covering professional services such as educational psychology services, development of e-learning platforms, enhancement of awareness of students with SEN through seminars, workshops, online resources, etc, implementation of integrated education, improvement of campus accessibility, and provision of additional assistive tools for students with SEN, etc.
With the support and efforts of the stakeholders over the years, the Special Grant has been effective in supporting students with SEN and promoting a caring culture among staff and peers. According to the results of surveys conducted by the UGC-funded universities among students with SEN in the 2022/23 AY, the average student satisfaction rating was 4.1 (i.e. above the “satisfactory” level) on a five-point scale. The UGC has also noted the positive impact of the Special Grant on the UGC-funded universities in deepening their institutional changes and addressing the needs of students with SEN in a more organised and systematic manner.
In view of its effectiveness, the UGC has further increased the funding to $67.5 million in the 2022/23 – 2024/25 (2022-25) triennium to extend and enhance the support for students with SEN, and to expand the scope of funding to cover employment support, etc. The special grant for the 2022-25 triennium was allocated primarily with reference to the average numbers of students with SEN enrolled in full-time publicly-funded sub-degree and undergraduate programmes at the UGC-funded universities in the past five AYs. Allocations of the special grant to the UGC-funded universities are set out in the table below –
UGC-funded universities2022-25 triennium （$ million）Science and Technology Regarding the expenditure in different areas, the UGC-funded universities will formulate appropriate support strategies and allocate budgets having regard to their actual circumstances. Overall, the UGC-funded universities deploy about 40 per cent of the funding for staff and general expenses, while about 50 per cent of the remaining funding is deployed to enhance the learning experience of students, 20 per cent to strengthen staff training, and 30 per cent to promote an inclusive campus.
Recurrent funding for the UGC-funded universities is provided on a triennial basis. Like other funding schemes, the existing special grant is aligned with the current funding cycle (i.e. the 2022-25 triennium). For the arrangements of the next triennium, the UGC will continue to communicate with the funded universities closely, and consider the means for supporting the universities as they continue to provide appropriate assistance for students with SEN in a timely manner.
(4) Under the existing arrangements, the UGC-funded universities may make use of the special grant to support students with hearing impairment, including hiring staff to provide sign language interpretation service to support their learning. The UGC believes that the funded universities will balance the needs of different students with SEN and deploy the special grant appropriately to render suitable support, including those with hearing impairment. Meanwhile, with the rapid advancement in technology, the UGC encourages the funded universities to actively explore the use of new technologies and adopt various technological solutions to provide more comprehensive support to students in need in a more cost-effective manner.
(5) Under the existing policy on integrated education, the Education Bureau advocates “equal opportunities and enhancing students’ learning having regard to the uniqueness of individual students”. With suitable support and assistance from institutions, all students are provided with equal learning opportunities such that students with SEN can overcome their learning barriers and join the mainstream campus life together with others. On the one hand, the UGC is making use of the special grant to motivate the UGC-funded universities to provide students with SEN with the necessary support, barrier-free facilities and information such that they can learn in the same way as their peers. On the other hand, the special grant promotes an inclusive campus through various means to advocate the sharing of campus life among teachers, students and those with SEN such that they can learn to respect, understand and accept each other, thereby cultivating whole-person development in a wider context. At the same time, with the special grant for the 2022-25 triennium, the UGC has further expanded the scope of funding to cover activities and projects that will help students to join the society and develop their careers in the future. This involves encouraging the universities to provide more comprehensive, targeted and practical support to students with SEN, and to enable them to plan and prepare for their career paths upon graduation as early as possible during their studies. Apart from the special grant, the UGC-funded universities could make use of the block grant to take forward integrated education on their campuses. Issued at HKT 14:15
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
LCQ2: Vocational education Question:
It is learnt that the Government has allocated quite a lot of resources to promote the development of vocational education in recent years, including setting aside some $680 million to support the Vocational Training Council’s efforts in extending the Pilot Incentive Scheme to Employers (PISE) and the Pilot Subsidy Scheme for Students of Professional Part-time Programmes (Pilot Subsidy Scheme) for five years. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the respective numbers of employers and trainees participating in the PISE and the number of trainees participating in the Pilot Subsidy Scheme in the 2023/24 academic year, as well as the amounts of subsidies involved, together with a breakdown by industry;
(2) whether the PISE and the Pilot Subsidy Scheme will be regularised; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(3) whether the subsidy-to-tuition fee ratio of the Pilot Subsidy Scheme will be raised and, at the same time, whether the $36,000 cap on tuition fee subsidy for the creative industries programmes and the health and life sciences programmes will be raised, so as to align with the $45,000 cap on tuition fee subsidy for the construction and engineering programmes?
Reply:
President,
The Government is committed to promoting vocational and professional education and training (VPET), and, under the strategy of fostering industry???institution collaboration and diversified development, encourages the co-operation between industries and education and the collaboration between schools and businesses, with a view to providing diversified learning and career opportunities and nurturing more quality talent with applied skills. The Vocational Training Council (VTC) is the largest VPET provider in Hong Kong. The Financial Secretary announced in the 2024-25 Budget that the Government has set aside around $680 million to support the VTC in strengthening its work on VPET, including extending the Pilot Incentive Scheme to Employers (PISE) and the Pilot Subsidy Scheme for Students of Professional Part-time Programmes (Pilot Subsidy Scheme) for five years, stepping up support for student-exchange activities, strengthening assistance to students with special educational needs, and encouraging employers to provide workplace learning opportunities.
The reply to the different parts of the question raised by the Hon Jimmy Ng is as follows:
(1) With the Government’s support, the VTC has implemented the PISE under the Training and Support Scheme since the 2019/20 academic year (AY) to encourage employers to provide trainees with structured workplace learning and assessment, so that the content of training programmes could be more effectively adapted to enhance trainees’ work performance. Employers participating in the PISE can receive a subsidy of up to $36,000 (per trainee). In the 2023/24 AY, the numbers of participating employers and trainees under the PISE by industries are as follows:
Industry As of August 31, 2024, the subsidies involved in the PISE in the 2023/24 AY amounted to around $21 million.
The Government has also implemented the Pilot Subsidy Scheme since the 2016/17 AY to provide tuition fee subsidies (60 per cent of the tuition fees) with a cap of $45,000 per person for practitioners admitted to designated professional part-time programmes offered by the VTC related to the discipline of engineering. From the 2019/20 AY, the Pilot Subsidy Scheme has been expanded to cover VTC’s programmes related to creative industries, with a subsidy cap of $36,000 per person. The numbers of participants under the Pilot Subsidy Scheme in the 2023/24 AY by industries are as follows:
IndustryAs of October 31, 2024, the subsidies involved in the Pilot Subsidy Scheme in the 2023/24 AY amounted to around $15 million.
(2) and (3) As far as the Pilot Subsidy Scheme is concerned, the tuition fee subsidy levels for different designated courses are different, depending on the respective disciplines of the courses. The Financial Secretary announced in the 2024-25 Budget, the PISE and the Pilot Subsidy Scheme would be extended for five years. The Government will work closely with the VTC and review the effectiveness of the above two schemes, in order to consider their long-term operation and arrangements, including the tuition fee subsidy arrangements of the Pilot Subsidy Scheme. Issued at HKT 14:15
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The Study Subsidy Scheme for Designated Professions/Sectors (SSSDP) will subsidise a total of 2 330 places under 32 sub-degree programmes offered by eight post-secondary institutions, including Caritas Bianchi College of Careers, HKCT Institute of Higher Education, HKU SPACE Po Leung Kuk Stanley Ho Community College, Hong Kong College of Technology, Hong Kong Metropolitan University (including Li Ka Shing School of Professional and Continuing Education), Saint Francis University, Tung Wah College and YMCA College of Careers, for the cohort to be admitted in the 2024/25 academic year. The programmes and number of subsidised places, which fall under six disciplines with keen manpower demand, namely Architecture and Engineering, Computer Science, Creative Industries, Health Care, Sports and Recreation, and Tourism and Hospitality, are determined by the Education Bureau in consultation with relevant policy bureaux and departments.
In the 2024/25 academic year, the annual subsidy amounts for non-laboratory-based programmes and laboratory-based programmes are up to about $22,000 and $39,000 respectively. The subsidy amounts are applicable to both new and continuing eligible students. The subsidy is tenable for the normal duration of the programmes concerned. Subsidised students will pay a tuition fee with the subsidy applied. Students in need may still apply for student financial assistance from the Student Finance Office of the Working Family and Student Financial Assistance Agency in respect of the actual amount of tuition fee payable.
The subsidised places are allocated according to existing admission arrangement of the self-financing sub-degree programmes, i.e., through direct admission by institutions. Students can apply for admission to the designated sub-degree programmes directly through the institutions concerned. Local students who have attained (a) Level 2 or above in five subjects, including English Language and Chinese Language, in the HKDSE Examination; (b) Diploma of Applied Education / Diploma Yi Jin; or (c) Diploma of Foundation Studies awarded by the Vocational Training Council are eligible for the subsidy for sub-degree programmes under SSSDP. The participating institutions are allowed to admit local students with other relevant qualifications, subject to a ceiling of 50% of the subsidised places of the designated programmes.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The Study Subsidy Scheme for Designated Professions/Sectors (SSSDP) will subsidise a total of 2 330 places under 32 sub-degree programmes offered by eight post-secondary institutions, including Caritas Bianchi College of Careers, HKCT Institute of Higher Education, HKU SPACE Po Leung Kuk Stanley Ho Community College, Hong Kong College of Technology, Hong Kong Metropolitan University (including Li Ka Shing School of Professional and Continuing Education), Saint Francis University, Tung Wah College and YMCA College of Careers, for the cohort to be admitted in the 2024/25 academic year. The programmes and number of subsidised places, which fall under six disciplines with keen manpower demand, namely Architecture and Engineering, Computer Science, Creative Industries, Health Care, Sports and Recreation, and Tourism and Hospitality, are determined by the Education Bureau in consultation with relevant policy bureaux and departments.
In the 2024/25 academic year, the annual subsidy amounts for non-laboratory-based programmes and laboratory-based programmes are up to about $22,000 and $39,000 respectively. The subsidy amounts are applicable to both new and continuing eligible students. The subsidy is tenable for the normal duration of the programmes concerned. Subsidised students will pay a tuition fee with the subsidy applied. Students in need may still apply for student financial assistance from the Student Finance Office of the Working Family and Student Financial Assistance Agency in respect of the actual amount of tuition fee payable.
The subsidised places are allocated according to existing admission arrangement of the self-financing sub-degree programmes, i.e., through direct admission by institutions. Students can apply for admission to the designated sub-degree programmes directly through the institutions concerned. Local students who have attained (a) Level 2 or above in five subjects, including English Language and Chinese Language, in the HKDSE Examination; (b) Diploma of Applied Education / Diploma Yi Jin; or (c) Diploma of Foundation Studies awarded by the Vocational Training Council are eligible for the subsidy for sub-degree programmes under SSSDP. The participating institutions are allowed to admit local students with other relevant qualifications, subject to a ceiling of 50% of the subsidised places of the designated programmes.
My dear countrymen, Namaskar. Today as I speak to you in ‘Mann Ki Baat’, there is a deep anguish in my heart. The terrorist incident that took place in Pahalgam on the 22nd of April has hurt every citizen of the country. Every Indian holds deep sympathies for the affected families. No matter which state one belongs to, no matter which language one speaks, one is feeling the pain of those who have lost their loved ones in this attack. I can feel that the blood of every Indian is on the boil after seeing the pictures of the terrorist attack. This attack in Pahalgam shows the desperation of the patrons of terrorism; displays their cowardice… at a time when peace was returning to Kashmir, there was a vibrancy in schools and colleges, construction work had gained unprecedented pace, democracy was getting stronger, the number of tourists was increasing at a record rate, people’s income was increasing, new opportunities were being created for the youth. The enemies of the country, the enemies of Jammu and Kashmir, did not like that. The terrorists and the masterminds of terror want Kashmir to be destroyed again and hence they executed such a big conspiracy. In this war against terrorism, the unity of the country, the solidarity of 140 crore Indians, is our biggest strength. This unity is the basis of our decisive fight against terrorism. We have to strengthen our resolve to face this challenge that has surfaced before the country. We have to demonstrate strong willpower as a nation. Today the world is watching, after this terrorist attack, the whole country is speaking in one voice.
Friends, the anger that we the people of India feel, that anger is there in the whole world. After this terrorist attack, condolences are continuously pouring in from all over the world. Global leaders have called me up as well; written letters and sent messages too. Everyone has strongly condemned this heinous terrorist attack. They have expressed condolences to the families of the deceased. The whole world stands with 140 crore Indians in our fight against terrorism. I once again assure the affected families that they will get justice, and justice will be done. The perpetrators and conspirators of this attack will be served with the harshest response.
Friends, two days ago we lost the country’s great scientist Dr. K. Kasturirangan ji. Whenever I met Kasturirangan ji, we discussed topics like the talent of Indian youth, modern education, Space-Science. His contribution in lending newer heights to science, education and India’s Space Program shall always be remembered. ISRO attained a new identity under his leadership. The Space Programs that moved forward under his guidance gave global recognition to India’s efforts. Many of the satellites that India uses today were launched under the supervision of Dr. Kasturirangan.
There was one more special facet to his personality, which the younger generation can learn from. He always accorded importance to innovation. The vision of learning, knowing and doing something new is very inspiring. Dr. K. Kasturirangan also played a major role in formulating the new National Education Policy of the country. Dr. Kasturirangan came up with the idea of forward looking education according to the modern needs of the 21st century. His selfless service to the country and contribution to nation building will always be remembered. Very humbly, I pay my tribute to Dr. K. Kasturirangan.
My dear countrymen, this month of April marks 50 years of the launch of the Aryabhatta Satellite. Today, when we look back and remember this journey of 50 years, we realize how far we have come. This flight of India’s dreams in space once commenced with just conviction. Some young scientists with the passion to do something for the nation … they neither had the modern resources like today, nor the access to world technology as such. If at all they had anything, it was talent, dedication, hard work and the passion to do something for the country. You must have seen pictures of our scientists carrying critical equipment themselves on bullock carts and bicycles. It is the result of that very dedication and spirit of service to the nation that so much has changed today. Today India has become a Global Space Power. We have created a record by launching 104 Satellites simultaneously. We have become the first country to reach the South Pole of the Moon.
India has launched the Mars Orbiter Mission and we have reached pretty close to the Sun through the Aditya – L1 Mission. Today India is leading the most cost effective but successful Space Program in the entire world. Many countries of the world take help of ISRO for their Satellites and Space Missions. Friends, when we see a Satellite launch by ISRO, we are filled with pride. I had a similar feeling when I witnessed the launch of PSLV-C-23 in 2014. I was also present at the ISRO Center in Bengaluru during the landing of Chandrayaan-2 in 2019. At that time Chandrayaan failed to achieve the expected success, it was a very difficult time for the scientists. But I could see with my own eyes the patience of the scientists and their zeal to achieve something. And a few years later, the whole world too noticed how the same scientists made Chandrayaan-3 a success.
Friends, now India has opened her Space Sector for the private sector as well. Today many youth are attaining new milestones in the field of Space Startups. 10 years ago, there was only one company, but today there are more than 325 Space Startups working in the country. The times to come are ushering in a lot of new possibilities in Space. India is going to scale new heights. The country is busy preparing for many important missions like Gaganyaan, SpaDeX and Chandrayaan-4. We are also working on the Venus Orbiter Mission and Mars Lander Mission. Our Space Scientists are going to fill the countrymen with new pride through their innovations.
Friends, you certainly must have seen the horrific pictures of the earthquake that struck Myanmar last month. The earthquake caused huge devastation there… every breath, every moment was precious for the people trapped under the debris. That is why India immediately started Operation Brahma for our brothers and sisters in Myanmar. From Air Force aircraft to Navy ships, everything was sent to help Myanmar. The Indian team set up a field hospital there. A team of engineers helped in assessing the damage to important buildings and infrastructure. The Indian team supplied blankets, tents, sleeping bags, medicines, food items and many other things. During all of that, the Indian team also received a lot of appreciation from the people there.
Friends, in this crisis, many heart-touching examples of courage, patience and ingenuity came to light. The Indian team rescued an elderly woman of more than 70 years of age who was buried under the debris for over 18 hours. Those who are watching ‘Mann Ki Baat’ on TV right now, you must be able to see the face of that elderly woman. The team from India provided every treatment facility, from stabilizing her oxygen level to treatment of fractures. When this elderly woman was discharged from the hospital, she expressed her gratitude to our team. She expressed that she had got a new life because of the Indian rescue team. Many people told our team that because of them they were able to locate their friends and relatives.
Friends, after the earthquake, there was a possibility of many people being trapped in a monastery in Mandalay, Myanmar. Our team also carried out relief and rescue operations there, that resulted in them receiving a lot of blessings from Buddhist monks. We are very proud of all those who participated in Operation Brahma. We have our tradition, our values, the sentiment of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ – the whole world is one family. India’s readiness as the Vishwa-Mitra in times of crisis and India’s commitment to humanity is becoming the hallmark of our identity.
Friends, I have come to know about an innovative effort of NRIs in Ethiopia, Africa. Indians living in Ethiopia have taken the initiative to send children who are suffering from heart disease since birth to India for treatment. Many such children are also being helped financially by Indian families. If the family of a child is unable to come to India on account of lack of money, our Indian brothers and sisters are making arrangements for that too. The effort is to ensure that every needy child of Ethiopia suffering from a serious ailment receives better treatment. This noble work of NRIs is being appreciated a lot in Ethiopia. You know that medical facilities are constantly improving in India. Citizens of other countries are also benefitting from that.
Friends, just a few days ago, India has also sent a large quantity of vaccine for the people of Afghanistan. These vaccines will be useful in preventing dangerous diseases like Rabies, Tetanus, Hepatitis B and Influenza. This week, on Nepal’s request, India has sent a large consignment of medicines and vaccines there. This will ensure better treatment for patients of thalassemia and sickle cell disease. Whenever it comes to serving humanity, India has always been at the forefront and will always be at the forefront in every such need in the future as well.
Friends, we were just referring to Disaster Management and the most important thing in dealing with any natural disaster is your alertness. You can now get help in this alertness from a special APP on your mobile. This APP can save you from getting trapped in any natural disaster and its name too is ‘Sachet’. The ‘Sachet APP’ has been developed by India’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). Be it flood, cyclone, land-slide, tsunami, forest fire, avalanche, storm, hurricane or lightning, ‘Sachet APP’ tries to keep you informed and protected in every way. Through this APP, you can receive updates related to the weather department. The special thing is that ‘Sachet APP’ also provides a lot of information in regional languages. You too should take advantage of this APP and share your experiences with us.
My dear countrymen, today we see India’s talent being appreciated all over the world. India’s youth has changed the world’s view towards India and the interest of the youth of any country shows what the future of the country would be like. Today, India’s youth is moving towards science, technology and innovation. Even in those regions, which were earlier known for backwardness and other factors, the youth have set examples that give us new confidence. A Science Centre at Dantewada in Chhattisgarh is drawing everyone’s attention these days. Until some time ago, Dantewada was known only for violence and unrest, but now, the Science Centre there has become a new ray of hope for children and their parents. Children are enjoying going to this Science Centre. They are now learning everything from making new machines to technology.
Through making new machines and using technology, they are learning to make new products now. They have got the opportunity to learn about 3D printers and robotic cars as well as other innovative things. Some time ago, I also inaugurated Science Galleries at Gujarat Science City. These galleries provide a glimpse of the potential of modern science, and how much science can do for us. I have been informed that the children there are very excited about these galleries. This growing attraction towards science and innovation will surely take India to new heights.
My dear countrymen, the biggest strength of our country is our 140 crore citizens, their capability, their will power. And when crores of people join a campaign together, its impact is huge. An example of this is ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ – this campaign is in the name of the mother who gave birth to us and it is also for Mother Earth who ensconces us in her lap. Friends, On the 5th of June, on ‘World Environment Day’, this campaign is completing one year. During this one year, under this campaign, more than 140 crore trees have been planted in the name of the mother across the country. Observing this initiative of India, people outside the country have also planted trees in the name of their mother. You too should become a part of this campaign, so that on completion of one year, you can be proud of your participation.
Friends, all of us know that trees provide coolness… we get relief from heat in the shade of trees. But recently I came across another news related to this which caught my attention. During the last few years, more than 70 lakh trees have been planted in Ahmedabad city of Gujarat. These trees have increased the green area in Ahmedabad to a great extent. Along with that, the number of water bodies has also increased here due to the construction of the River Front on the Sabarmati river and reconstruction of some lakes like Kankaria lake. Now news reports say that in the last few years, Ahmedabad has become one of the major cities fighting against global warming.
The people there are also feeling this change; the coolness in the environment. The trees planted in Ahmedabad are becoming the reason of bringing myriad shades of happiness there. I again urge all of you to plant trees to maintain the health of the earth, to deal with the challenges of climate change, and to secure the future of your children. ‘Ek Ped – Maa Ke Naam’.
Friends, there is an old saying ‘where there is a will there is a way’. When we decide to do something new, we certainly reach our destination. You must have eaten a lot of apples grown in the mountains. But, if I ask you whether you have tasted the apples of Karnataka, you will be surprised. Usually, we think that apples are grown only in the mountains. But Shri Shail Teli ji, who lives in Bagalkot, Karnataka, has grown apples in the plains. In his Kulali village, apple trees have started bearing fruits even in temperatures above 35 degrees. Actually since, Shri Shail Teli was fond of farming, so he tried apple farming as well and he attained success in it. Today, a lot of apples grow on the trees planted by him and he is earning a good income by selling them.
Friends, now that we are talking about apples, you must have heard the name of Kinnauri apple. Saffron production has started in Kinnaur, famous for apples. Generally, saffron cultivation was little in Himachal, but now it has commenced in the beautiful Sangla valley of Kinnaur. One such example is Wayanad in Kerala.
Success has been achieved in growing saffron there as well. And in Wayanad, this saffron is not being grown in any field or soil; rather with the help of the Aeroponics Technique. Something astonishingly similar has happened with the production of litchi. We had been hearing that litchi grows in Bihar, West Bengal or Jharkhand. But now litchi is being grown in South India and Rajasthan as well. Thiru Veera Arasu of Tamil Nadu used to cultivate coffee. He planted litchi trees in Kodaikanal and after 7 years of hard work, those trees have started bearing fruit. The success in growing litchi has inspired other farmers in the area. Jitendra Singh Ranawat has succeeded in growing litchi in Rajasthan. All these examples are very inspiring. If we decide to do something new and persist despite difficulties, even the impossible can be made possible.
My dear countrymen, today is the last Sunday of April. The month of May is beginning in a few days. I will take you around 108 years back from today. The year 1917… these two months of April and May… a unique battle for independence was being fought in the country. The atrocities of the British were at their peak. The exploitation of the poor, the deprived and the farmers had crossed inhuman levels. On the fertile land of Bihar, the British were forcing the farmers to grow indigo. The farmers’ fields were becoming barren due to indigo cultivation, but the British government was least concerned. In such a situation, Gandhiji reached Champaran in Bihar in 1917.
The farmers told Gandhiji – “our land is dying, we are not getting food grains to eat.” The pain of lakhs of farmers made a resolve come up in Gandhiji’s mind. From there the historic Satyagraha of Champaran started. ‘Champaran Satyagraha’ was the first big experiment by Bapu in India. The entire British rule was shaken by Bapu’s Satyagraha. The British had to suspend the law that forced farmers to cultivate indigo. This was a victory that infused new confidence in the freedom struggle. All of you must be aware that another son of Bihar also contributed a lot to this Satyagraha, who became the first President of the country after independence. The great personality was – Dr. Rajendra Prasad. He also wrote a book on the ‘Champaran Satyagraha’ – ‘Satyagraha in Champaran’… every young person should read this book. Brothers and sisters, many more indelible chapters of the freedom struggle are associated with April itself. Gandhiji’s ‘Dandi March’ culminated on the 6th of April itself. This March which commenced on the 12th of March and continued for 24 days had shaken the British. The Jallianwala Bagh massacre took place in April itself. The marks of this blood stained history are still present on the soil of Punjab.
Friends, in a few days, on the 10th of May, the anniversary of the first freedom struggle would also be there. The spark that arose in that first battle for freedom, later became a torch for millions of freedom fighters.
On the 26th of April, we observed the death anniversary of the great hero of the 1857 revolution, Babu Veer Kunwar Singh. The entire country derives inspiration from this great freedom fighter of Bihar. We have to keep alive the immortal inspirations of lakhs of such freedom fighters. The energy we receive from them provides renewed strength to our resolve of Amritkaal.
Friends, in this long journey of ‘Mann Ki Baat’, you have formed an intimate relationship with this programme. The achievements that the countrymen want to share with others are conveyed to the people through ‘Mann Ki Baat’. Next month, we will again meet and talk about the diversity, glorious traditions and new achievements of the country. We will learn about people who are bringing about a change in the society with their dedication and spirit of service. As always, keep sending us your thoughts and suggestions. Thank you, Namaskar.
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Charles Helm, Research Associate, African Centre for Coastal Palaeoscience, Nelson Mandela University
A team of scientists who study vertebrate fossil tracks and traces on South Africa’s southern Cape coast have identified the world’s first fossil pangolin trackway, with the help of Indigenous Master Trackers from Namibia. Ichnologists Charles Helm, Clive Thompson and Jan De Vynck tell the story.
What did you find?
A fossil trackway east of Still Bay in South Africa’s Western Cape province was found in 2018 by a colleague and was brought to our attention. It was found on the surface of a loose block of aeolianite rock (formed from hardened sand) that had come to rest near the high-tide mark in a private nature reserve.
The site where the pangolin tracks were found. They are on the top surface of the rock in the middle of the photo.Pieter-Jan Gräbe, Author provided (no reuse)
We studied it but our cautious approach required that we could not confidently pin down what had made the track. It remained enigmatic.
Fossil trackway made by a pangolin.Charles Helm, Author provided (no reuse)
How did you eventually identify it?
In 2023, we were working with two Ju/’hoansi San colleagues from north-eastern Namibia, #oma Daqm and /uce Nǂamce, who have been interpreting tracks in the Kalahari all their lives. They are certified as Indigenous Master Trackers and we consider them to be among the finest trackers in the world today. We’d called on their expertise to help us understand more about the fossil tracks on the Cape south coast. One example of the insights they provided was of hyena tracks, and we have published on this together.
We showed them the intriguing trackway, which consisted of eight tracks and two scuff marks made, apparently, by the animal’s tail. They examined the track-bearing surface at length, conversed with one another for some time, and then made their pronouncement: the trackway had been registered by a pangolin.
Master Tracker #oma Daqm examines the pangolin tracks.Jan De Vynck, Author provided (no reuse)
This was an astonishing claim, as no fossilised pangolin tracks had previously been recorded anywhere in the world.
It also confirms that pangolins were once distributed across a larger range than they are now.
We then created three-dimensional digital models of the trackway, using a technique called photogrammetry.
Photogrammetry image of fossil trackways of pangolin.Charles Helm, Author provided (no reuse)
We shared these images with other tracking and pangolin experts in southern Africa (like CyberTracker, Tracker Academy, the African Pangolin Working Group, wildlife guides and a pangolin researcher at the Tswalu Foundation). There were no dissenting voices: not surprisingly, it was agreed that our San colleagues were highly likely correct in their interpretation.
There is something really special about a fossil trackway, compared with fossil bones – it seems alive, as if the animal could have registered the tracks yesterday, rather than so long ago.
What are the characteristics of pangolin tracks?
Pangolins are mostly bipedal (walking on two legs), with a distinctive, relatively ponderous gait. Track size and shape, the distance between the tracks, and the width of the trackway all provide useful clues, as do the tail scuff marks and the absence of obvious digit impressions. A pangolin hindfoot track, in the words of our Master Tracker colleagues, looks as if “a round stick had been poked into the ground”. And being slightly wider at the front end, it has a slightly triangular shape.
Pangolin walking (video in slow motion)
Our Master Tracker colleagues are familiar with the tracks of Temminck’s pangolin (Smutsia temminckii) in the Kalahari, which was the probable species that registered the tracks that are now evident in stone on the Cape coast. Other trackmaker candidates, such as a serval with its slim straddle, were considered, but could be excluded or regarded as far less likely.
How old is the fossil track and how do you know?
The surface would have consisted of loose dune sand when the pangolin walked on it. Now it’s cemented into rock. We work with a colleague, Andrew Carr, at the University of Leicester in the UK. He uses a technique known as optically stimulated luminescence to obtain the age of rocks in the area.
The results he provided for the region suggest that these tracks were made between 90,000 and 140,000 years ago, during the “Ice Ages”. For much of this time the coastline might have been as much as 100km south of its present location.
What’s important about this find?
Firstly, this demonstrates what you can uncover when you bring together different kinds of knowledge: our western scientific approach combined with the remarkable skill sets of the Master Trackers, which have been inculcated in them from a very young age.
Without them, the trackway would have remained enigmatic, and would have deteriorated in quality due to erosion without the trackmaker ever being identified.
Secondly, we hope it brings attention to the plight of the pangolin in modern times. There are eight extant pangolin species in the world today, and all are considered to be threatened with extinction. Pangolin meat is regarded as a delicacy, pangolin scales are used in traditional medicines, and pangolins are among the most trafficked wild animals on earth. Large numbers in Africa are hunted for their meat every year.
What does the future hold?
Our San Indigenous Master Tracker colleagues have just completed their third visit to the southern Cape coast, thanks to funding from the Discovery Wilderness Trust.
The results have once again been both unexpected and stupendous, and their tracking skills have again been demonstrated to be unparalleled. Many more publications will undoubtedly ensue, bringing their expertise to the attention of the wider scientific community and anyone interested in our fossil heritage or in ancient hunter-gatherer traditions.
We hope that our partnership continues to lead to our mutual benefit as we probe the secrets of the Pleistocene epoch by following the spoor of ancient animals.
– First fossil pangolin tracks discovered in South Africa – https://theconversation.com/first-fossil-pangolin-tracks-discovered-in-south-africa-253383
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region 3
The Study Subsidy Scheme for Designated Professions/Sectors (SSSDP) will subsidise a total of 4 916 places in 55 undergraduate programmes, covering 3 365 places in 55 first-year-first-degree (FYFD) programmes and 1 551 places in 44 top-up degree (TUD) programmes of eight post-secondary institutions (including Hong Kong Chu Hai College, Hong Kong Metropolitan University, Hong Kong Shue Yan University, Saint Francis University, The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong, Tung Wah College, UOW College Hong Kong and Vocational Training Council – Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong) for the cohort to be admitted in the 2025/26 academic year.
The programmes and number of subsidised places, which fall under ten disciplines with keen manpower demand, namely architecture and engineering, computer science, creative industries, financial technology, health care, insurance, logistics, sports and recreation, testing and certification, and tourism and hospitality, are determined by the Education Bureau in consultation with relevant policy bureaux and departments. The programmes include the eight applied degrees introduced under the Pilot Project on the Development of Applied Degree Programmes, which will receive additional subsidies, with a view to further strengthening the vocational and professional education and training progression pathway at the post-secondary level.
In the 2025/26 academic year, the annual subsidy amounts for non-laboratory-based programmes and laboratory-based programmes are up to $46,780 and $81,450 respectively. For applied degree programmes, with the additional annual subsidies, the total annual subsidy amounts will be up to $89,620 for laboratory-based applied degree programmes and $51,880 for non-laboratory-based applied degree programmes. The subsidy amounts are applicable to both new and continuing eligible students. The subsidy is tenable for the normal duration of the programmes concerned. Subsidised students will pay a tuition fee with the subsidy applied. Students in need may still apply for student financial assistance from the Student Finance Office of the Working Family and Student Financial Assistance Agency in respect of the actual amount of tuition fee payable.
Allocation of the subsidised first-year intake of the FYFD programmes will mainly go through the Joint University Programmes Admissions System (JUPAS); participating institutions are allowed to admit non-JUPAS local students via direct admission of no more than 20% of the subsidised places of each designated programme, and the non-JUPAS admission may take place in parallel with JUPAS admission. Non-JUPAS local applicants should refer to the relevant institutions’ websites for their admission arrangements including the commencement date and deadline of the application.
The subsidised places of the TUD programmes are allocated according to existing admission arrangements of the self-financing TUD programmes, i.e. through direct admission by institutions.
