Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that on April 10, 2025, DJOHN BRYANT (“BRYANT”),age 32, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 841(b)(1)(D) and possessing a firearm in furtherance of that drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i).
According to court documents, on or about February 4, 2024, New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) officers observed BRYANT conducting drug transactions. Upon arresting him, officers found that BRYANT possessed cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine, oxycodone, tapentadol, marijuana, and a Glock Model 27, .40 caliber handgun and ammunition.
As to the drug trafficking charges, BRYANT faces up to twenty years in prison, up to a $1,000,000 fine, and at least three years of supervised release. As to the charge of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years up to life in prison, which is to run consecutively to all other sentences, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to five years of supervised release. Each count also carries a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney James Ollinger of the Violent Crime Unit.
ATLANTA – Alexander Arellano has been sentenced to federal prison for distributing large amounts of fentanyl in the Atlanta area while possessing firearms.
“Fentanyl traffickers pose a tremendous threat to public safety especially when they illegally possess firearms in furtherance of their drug trafficking crimes,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr. “Defendants like Arellano who peddle this poison in our communities are being held accountable, including through lengthy prison sentences, thanks to the collaborative work of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners.”
“Arellano endangered countless lives by trafficking large quantities of deadly fentanyl,” Jae W. Chung, the Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division commented on the case. “The success of this investigation is proof that those destroying our communities with fentanyl will be held accountable.”
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Moultrie, the charges and other information presented in court: On May 3, 2024, special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration saw Arellano sell a half kilogram of fentanyl to another individual in a Marietta gas station parking lot. Agents followed Arellano back to an apartment on Windy Hill Road in Marietta. A short time later, Arellano was arrested at the apartment complex and agents obtained a federal search warrant for his apartment.
During the search, agents found 10 kilograms of fentanyl, two loaded firearms, including an AK-47 pistol, and $120,000 in cash inside a bedroom belonging to Arellano. Arellano had been previously convicted for trafficking methamphetamine and was on probation at the time of his arrest.
Alexander Arellano, 25, of Atlanta, Ga., was sentenced on April 14, 2025, by United States District Judge William M. Ray II to 13 years, three months in prison, followed by four years of supervised release. He was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, after he pleaded guilty to the charges on August 29, 2024.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with valuable assistance provided by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Cobb County Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorney Bethany L. Rupert prosecuted the case
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6280. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
On Monday, 14 April at 21:16hrs police were called to Hillingdon Street, SE17 following reports of a stabbing.
Officers attended the scene alongside the London Ambulance Service who treated a 21-year-old man for stab injuries.
Sadly, despite their best efforts, he was pronounced dead on scene.
Detective Chief Inspector Kate Blackburn said: “I am leading the investigation into the fatal stabbing of a 21-year-old man that took place at 21:16hrs on Monday, 14 April.
“On Monday, we received multiple 999 calls, to Hillingdon Street, SE17 reporting that a young man had been stabbed and a number of people were seen carrying knives.
“On arrival, officers found a 21-year-old man who had sustained serious stab injuries .He was treated by the London Ambulance Service before he was sadly pronounced dead on scene.
“I can now name the victim as Giovanny Rendon Bedoya from Walworth. His next of kin has been informed and they are currently being supported by specialist officers. Our thoughts remain with them at this incredibly difficult time.
“Following the incident, we immediately made six arrests. Out of the six people arrested, three have been no further actioned and three have been bailed pending further enquiries.
“I would now like to appeal to the public for information. Please, if you saw, heard or have any footage following this incident then please come forward. Your information can significantly help our detectives with their investigation.
“We believe there were many people in the area who saw the group, who haven’t yet come forward to speak to police.
“Were you in the Hillingdon Street area on Monday evening? Did you see anyone acting suspiciously? Did you see anyone carrying a knife? If so please contact police.”
Detective Superintendent Emma Bond who is Acting BCU Commander for Lambeth and Southwark policing added: “I recognise that this incident has caused deep concern across our communities.
“I want to reassure you all today that we are working around the clock to find the perpetrators of this attack and to bring them to justice.
“You can expect to see an increased police presence in the coming days and we have more neighbourhood officers on patrol in the surrounding areas this week.
If anyone has any concerns then please do approach these officers, or their local neighbourhood teams, as we are here to help.
“I want to reiterate what DCI Blackburn has said, and urge anyone who has any information about this incident to contact us on via 101 stating CAD7392/14APR. Alternatively, to remain 100% anonymous you can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
“Thank you all for your support and our thoughts and prayers go out the family and friends of the victim involved.”
Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:
WASHINGTON D.C., United States of America, April 16, 2025/APO Group/ —
The dispute over the leadership of the central bank last August and the associated disruption in oil production weighed on growth in 2024. Output is estimated to have contracted, driven by the forced contraction in hydrocarbon GDP, but offset somewhat by the expansion in non-oil activities fueled by sustained government spending. Following the resolution of the dispute, oil production has rebounded and is now approaching 1.4 million barrels per day.
Official inflation stood at close to 2 percent in 2024, reflecting extensive subsidies and affected by measurement issues. Subsidized goods and services account for around one-third of the consumer price index (CPI). The CPI was based on an outdated consumption basket that covered only Tripoli, likely leading to the inaccurate estimation of inflation, given the significant variation in prices across different regions in Libya. The Bureau of Statistics and Census (BSC) has now introduced a revamped CPI with an expanded geographical coverage and updated weights.
Preliminary estimates point to fiscal and current account deficits in 2024. Government spending continued to rise amid declining oil revenues due to the shutdown of oil production and exports. The current account balance is estimated to have turned from a large surplus in 2023 to a deficit in 2024 due to the reduction in hydrocarbon exports, whereas imports remained broadly unchanged. Reserves remained at a comfortable level, bolstered by the revaluation of the CBL’s gold holdings.
The banking sector has successfully increased capital and enhanced its financial soundness metrics. In late 2022, the CBL instructed banks to increase their capital to meet Basel II regulatory requirements, and the majority of banks have already met their targets in 2024, resulting in a doubling of paid-in capital. Additionally, banks’ financial soundness indicators have strengthened, with significant improvements in nonperforming loan ratios. Private sector credit growth remained strong in 2024, primarily in the form of Murabaha financing to retail customers and salary advances to public employees, whereas corporate financing was limited.
The economic outlook is dominated by developments in the oil sector. Real GDP growth is projected to rebound in 2025, primarily driven by an expansion of oil production, before moderating in the medium term. Non-hydrocarbon growth is set to remain around its 2021-2024 average (5-6 percent) throughout the forecast horizon, supported by sustained government spending. The current account and fiscal balances are slated to remain under pressure over the medium term, driven by projected lower oil prices and continued demands for the government to spend its entire revenues. The outlook is subject to elevated uncertainty and risks are tilted to the downside, particularly from domestic political instability, oil price volatility, intensifying regional conflicts, and deepening geo-economic fragmentation.
Pursuing efforts to establish a unified budget should remain a key objective. This will help identify priority spending and enhance fiscal credibility. In the meantime, the authorities should resist the pressure to increase current spending, particularly on salaries and subsidies, while also building capacity for more effective public financial management, including by strengthening the Macroeconomic Unit within the Ministry of Finance. In the medium term, substantial fiscal efforts will be needed to preserve sustainability and achieve intergenerational equity, including by introducing well-calibrated and orderly wage and energy subsidy reforms and mobilizing nonhydrocarbon revenues.
The CBL devalued the dinar by about 13 percent in early April and further tightened foreign exchange restrictions to alleviate pressures on reserves. In the absence of conventional monetary policy tools, controlling fiscal expenditure remains the preferred policy response consistent with Libya’s macroeconomic framework (see IMF Country Report No. 24/206). However, given Libya’s political instability and institutional fragmentation, addressing expenditure pressures may not be feasible in the short term. The authorities should reduce the gap between the official and the parallel exchange rates, including by phasing out the foreign exchange tax and easing foreign currency restrictions, while protecting international reserves.
The CBL needs to develop an effective domestic monetary policy framework with a well-defined policy rate to serve as a reference for banks in Libya. Such a framework would allow it to react to changing macroeconomic conditions, alleviate the recurring depreciation pressures on the Libyan dinar, and provide a benchmark for the pricing of credit by banks and other financial institutions.
The CBL’s recent efforts to inject new banknotes, promote electronic payments, and accelerate financial inclusion are welcome. Yet, more needs to be done to tackle the issue of cash hoarding and restore confidence in the financial sectors. Improving transparency, accountability and financial literacy, while also developing attractive savings plans would be key and foster credit provision to the private sector. The authorities should continue enhancing the anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) framework to support the stability of correspondent banking relationships and economic stability more broadly. The legal framework should be aligned with international standards, and AML/CFT mitigation should be properly coordinated and risk-focused.
To foster economic diversification in Libya, it is critical to address the challenges facing the private sector. The level of informality remains high, given the ongoing political uncertainty and weakness of the regulatory framework for businesses. The lack of access to finance and foreign currency, dominance of public employment, and poor governance are major impediments to growth in Libya. Banks continue to lack a well-defined framework for extending credit since the issuance of the law banning interest. The authorities should initiate a comprehensive economic reform plan that focuses on private sector development, starting with upgrading regulatory frameworks, enhancing access to finance, and improving the security situation.
Governance reforms will be key to support sustainable growth. Positive steps by the CBL taken to improve banks’ governance frameworks are welcome. Additionally, measures taken to confront corruption, such as the publication of annual reports of the Libyan Audit Bureau, and the adoption of a country anticorruption strategy are noteworthy. However, significant macro-critical governance vulnerabilities linked to the administration of state-owned enterprises, public spending, the rule of law, and the overall fragility of the country remain. Addressing them in a timely manner will support the creation of a better business environment and a more active private sector.
The next Article IV mission is expected in the Spring of 2026.
The mission thanks the Libyan authorities and other counterparts for the constructive policy dialogue and productive collaboration, and acknowledges the continued improvements in data collection, sharing and transparency.
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Amy Jo Murray, Social psychologist, University of Johannesburg
There are 861,000 domestic workers employed in South Africa. They make up about 25% of the informal (non-agricultural) labour sector. By and large, it is still uneducated, black working-class females who clean and care for the country’s middle- to upper-class homes. It’s an eerily familiar scene.
Paid domestic work provides a microcosm of South Africa’s continuing struggle with its apartheid past. While the slavery of the colonial era and the servitude of black people under apartheid’s white minority rule are now gone, paid domestic work has adapted to post-apartheid realities. A great deal has changed in the country’s legal landscape, but domestic labour preserves racial identities and inequalities.
We have researched domestic labour in South Africa extensively for more than a decade, including the first author’s PhD. We have done in-depth interviews with over 70 employers and workers through a range of studies in the province of KwaZulu-Natal.
Our research shows that these racial identities and inequalities persist, particularly when domestic employers and workers avoid discussing the racial aspects of their relationships, feeling these are “too close for comfort” and liable to evoke explosive apartheid-era stereotypes.
It’s clear that the injustices of paid domestic labour cannot be solved through legislation alone. The history, norms, and pain from the country’s past run too deep. They touch people personally, and affect the way they engage each other (or don’t).
Social change requires innovative solutions to disrupt the status quo, while also facing the country’s haunting past.
Changes on paper
The end of apartheid in 1994 brought about a wave of changes, including equal rights for all citizens. Labour laws were extensively reformed. Rights and standards for domestic workers were introduced to address wages, working conditions, and other aspects of employment, theoretically ensuring fair treatment.
The informal and private nature of domestic work makes it difficult to regulate. Progressive laws cannot reach here to eliminate cultural attitudes and behaviours that echo apartheid.
In other words…
In her 1980 book Maids and Madams, South African sociologist Jacklyn Cock was one of the first researchers to treat paid domestic labour as a reflection of broad structures of oppression in the country. She set out how apartheid racial hierarchies were overt, widely acknowledged, and crudely enacted. Domestic workers faced conditions close to slavery, with employers wielding unchecked power over their lives. Domestic work reinforced a rigid racial hierarchy, clearly demarcating the roles and status of the “madam” and the “maid”.
Through a close analysis of extensive interviews, our research shows how language underpins this relationship today, both through what is said and what isn’t. Domestic workers and employers go to great lengths not to talk about themselves as the “maid” or the “madam”. They focus instead on intimacy, reciprocation, and mutual support, avoiding the need to negotiate their employment relationship or any other topic that might arouse issues relating to race or inequality.
Middle- to upper-class employers are particularly sensitive to racial stereotypes and avoid language that hints at hierarchy or power. They sometimes say that domestic workers “feel like one of the family”, which obscures the underlying power dynamics.
This matters because it allows potentially unfair or exploitative labour practices to be carried out under the guise of “familial” relations. For example, we might expect an aunt to go the extra mile for the family, staying late to help out and showing she cares about the household. Outside of these familial boundaries, an “employee” should not have these obligations.
An employer supervises a domestic worker in the kitchen.David Turnley/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images
Polite language can create a veneer of equality that hides ongoing exploitation. To avoid sounding like “the baas” (boss) or “the madam”, with racial overtones, many employers are reluctant to give direct feedback or set clear boundaries for their employees.
Instead, we found that many give ambiguous instructions, or no instructions at all, avoiding the uncomfortable post-apartheid situation of being a middle-class white woman telling a working-class black woman what to do. This can lead to confusion, frustration, and potentially unfair treatment. As a result, employers may feel that their expectations go unfulfilled and workers don’t know what is required of them.
Calculations based on Quarterly Labour Force Statistics consistently demonstrate that only 20% of domestic workers are registered for the state’s Unemployment Insurance Fund. Instead, work relationships are regulated by informal understandings between parties, a fact that became apparent when domestic workers could not access unemployment insurance benefits during the COVID-19 lockdowns.
A contract requires negotiations that would make the employment-centred nature of the relationship, with its hierarchy and expectations, undeniable for all involved.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, these sensitivities and avoidances are apparent in conversations with domestic workers too. Workers prefer to focus on the value of their labour and justify, subvert, and evaluate their place in their employer’s household. Sometimes they talk about themselves as being “the boss” or “the owner” of the house, based on the responsibilities they have, the types of work they do – like caring for children or the elderly in the household – and the amount of time that they spend tending the home.
However, these assertions have a hollow ring when workers are excluded from big decisions in the household, like their right to have visitors, or small decisions like where to place household furniture. Feeling like part of the family is ruptured by exclusion from intimate moments like family celebrations, creating an all too familiar reminder of race and hierarchy.
Moving forward
The very real progress that has been made over the past 30 years of democracy should be celebrated. Legal reforms have achieved basic rights for domestic workers. Nevertheless, the spectre of apartheid still haunts South Africa and it’s clear that much work remains to be done.
It’s our view that disrupting the patterns that seem so ingrained in this relationship will take fresh thinking. Mutually negotiated employment contracts should be a norm. Professionalising paid domestic labour provides the opportunity to break the informality that has come to define domestic labour relations in South Africa.
And, with increasing access to the internet in South Africa, the digitisation of domestic labour holds promise for instituting social change through technology.
Workers have greater agency to market themselves, choose where and who to work for, and to rate and regulate employers. Online platforms could also provide the opportunity for vetting each other and for negotiating compliance with regulations.
– South Africa’s domestic workers still battle with echoes of a racist past – https://theconversation.com/south-africas-domestic-workers-still-battle-with-echoes-of-a-racist-past-250302
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Florence Malongane, Senior lecturer, University of South Africa
Fermentation is a process where microorganisms like bacteria and yeast work together to break down complex carbohydrates and protein into simpler, more digestible forms.
The fermentation process not only extends the shelf life of food but also enhances its nutritional content. During fermentation, beneficial microorganisms produce essential vitamins and minerals.
As nutrition researchers we undertook an in-depth assessment of fermented African foods and their potential to improve human health cost-effectively.
By gaining a deeper understanding of the diverse microbiomes present in various fermented indigenous African foods, we aim to enhance human health through targeted dietary interventions.
Going back in history
Fermentation as a preservation method can be traced back a long way.
Evidence of the alcoholic fermentation of barley into beer and grapes into wine dates back to between 2000 and 4000 BC.
In the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent milk was fermented to create yoghurt and other sweet and savoury fermented milks. White cabbage pickles and fermented olives are very popular in the Middle East.
In India and the Philippines, rice flour was fermented to produce products like noodles.
Africa’s traditions
In Africa, fermented foods hold great cultural significance and health benefits, yet this topic has not been thoroughly researched.
Foods are mostly fermented at home and trends vary by region.
The primary ingredients in African fermented foods are mainly cereals, tubers and milk.
Most of the fermented foods are plants that grow on their own in the wild and are often considered weeds in cropped and cultivated land. These include amaranths, Bidens pilosa, cleome and Corchorus species. The increased availability of African indigenous foods could expand the range of commercially available fermented African foods.
While some products like marula beer have entered the commercial market, the overall consumption of fermented foods among Africans has declined.
This drop is largely due to the widespread availability of refrigeration systems and a growing loss of interest in traditional African foods.
Harvesting baobab fruits in Limpopo province in South Africa.Getty Images
Improving health in Africa
Fermented root plants such as cassava and yam have been shown to decrease creatinine levels, which may indicate enhanced renal function and kidney health. This suggests that the fermentation process not only enriches these root plants with probiotics, but also promotes better physiological responses in the body.
Among the diverse array of fruits native to Africa, baobab and marula are the most popular fermented fruits. Fermenting them enhances their protein and fibre content. Consuming fermented baobab fruits has been shown to reduce the activity of α-amylase, an enzyme that may have implications for regulating blood sugar.
Millet, maize, African rice and sorghum are the most fermented grains in Africa. When these foods are fermented, they can help reduce blood glucose levels, serum triglycerides and cholesterol.
Amahewu is a traditional beverage produced through the fermentation of sorghum or maize, mostly enjoyed in South Africa and Zimbabwe for its tangy flavour and smooth texture.
In Kenya, a similar fermented cereal beverage known as uji is made of millet and flavoured with milk, adding to its rich and nutritious profile.
Ghana boasts its own version called akasa, which is prepared from a combination of sorghum, corn and millet and known for its unique taste and cultural significance.
In Sudan, the beverage referred to as abreh varies in preparation but shares the same essence of fermentation, while in Nigeria, ogi is another fermented cereal paste, from similar small grains like sorghum and millet, which produce a creamy beverage.
Fermenting sorghum and millet provides essential nutrients and supports metabolic health and gut function.
In Nigeria, fermented cereal beverages are widely used to control diarrhoea in young children.
Sour milk is the most fermented food in Africa, celebrated for its rich flavour and numerous health benefits.
During the fermentation process, bacteria convert the milk sugar, called lactose, into lactic acid.
Kulenaoto, a traditional fermented milk drink enjoyed in Kenya, is known for its creamy texture and slightly tangy flavour. South Africa produces sour milk known as amasi. Nigeria and Togo share a common fermented dairy product known as wara, which is made from fermented soybeans and is often served as a snack.
In Ghana, nyamie is a rich, thick yogurt-like product. In Cameroon, pendidam is a unique fermented milk product that is cherished for its distinctive taste and nutritional benefits, making it a staple in many households.
Regular consumption of fermented sour milk can play a significant role in weight management, decreasing visceral (gut) fat, which is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases.
Moreover, fermented milk offers valuable protection against folate deficiency.
Looking forward
African fermented foods could be the easiest and least expensive way of introducing beneficial microbes to the gastrointestinal tract, replacing expensive pharmaceutical probiotics.
These processes should be encouraged, and younger generations need to be exposed to the benefits of these traditions.
Vanishing plants could be preserved and distributed through seed banks.
The tradition of fermentation should be encouraged at both household and commercial levels to promote overall health.
– Africa’s traditional fermented foods – and why we should keep consuming them – https://theconversation.com/africas-traditional-fermented-foods-and-why-we-should-keep-consuming-them-243287
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Vinothan Naidoo, Associate Professor of Public Policy and Administration, University of Cape Town
South Africa’s multi-party government of national unity (GNU), which emerged in the wake of the May 2024 elections, marked a turning point in the country’s political history. It took South Africans back to the 1990s, when the country showed that political opponents could find common cause.
The formation of the government of national unity expressed the hope that the country could do it again.
But just nine months into its term, the good will and pragmatism which marked its formation have worn thin. A major budget impasse between the two major actors, the African National Congress (ANC) and the Democratic Alliance (DA), threatens the coalition.
South Africans have long been accustomed to viewing the world of politics, governance and bureaucracy through the lens of a top-down “strong” state – a vicious apartheid state, an East Asia style developmental state, or a collusive “predatory state”.
But as recent analyses we co-authored with others have detailed, the vision of a top-down politically cohesive state no longer fits South Africa’s realities.
The government of national unity promised the hope that the country was embracing an approach that is key to success for almost all inclusive constitutional democracies. That is – abandon “all or nothing” confrontation, and instead pursue pragmatic bargains to achieve mutually agreeable policy outcomes.
At the most basic level, the government of national unity achieved this, at least for a while. The sharing of cabinet ministries between multiple parties created a diverse platform for executive power-sharing that was not dictated by a single dominant party, and which prevented the risks of parties building institutional fiefdoms.
In our view, failure to overcome deeply ingrained political differences could set off a downward spiral in the country.
Achievements on the governance front
On governance, the government of national unity created the space to pursue two sets of gains.
The first comprises the potential benefit of bringing together unlikely bedfellows.
The former opposition parties brought into a power-sharing arrangement were bound to be performance-driven, given the country’s long deteriorating government performance and ethical integrity. They had made “good governance” and criticism of the ANC central to their political brands.
New “outsider” eyes brought into formerly cloistered and factionalised ANC-run departments created the possibility of a new urgency to perform.
It’s too soon to tell whether this is happening, but anecdotal evidence suggests there are some green shoots.
The second governance gain comprises the crucial task of building a capable and professional state bureaucracy. The challenges include being able to pay the public sector wage bill, fostering a culture of delivery, and consolidating the bloated network of government departments.
Based on their party manifestos and public utterances, members of the government all aim to professionalise the public service.
Detailed technical work is already happening on issues such as training and competency assessment, transferring powers of appointment from politicians to senior public servants, and instituting checks in the recruitment and selection process. The National Assembly’s recent adoption of the Public Service Commission Bill forms part of this agenda.
The government of national unity has struggled to create effective mechanisms to translate agreement on a broad agenda of policy priorities into specific outcomes. This came at a higher cost than expected.
Still, it has made gains in challenging policy areas. These gains have repeatedly been undermined by the perverse determination of sections within both the ANC and the DA to engage in brinkmanship.
On health, both parties agree on the principle of universalising access. They differ on how to achieve this. But at least one seemingly intractable sticking point has been resolved. Both sides agree that private medical aid schemes need to be retained as part of a broader strategy of pursuing health system reform.
On basic education, the public spat over the Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill overshadows the potential to agree on balancing the autonomy of school governing bodies with the oversight role of provincial departments.
On land expropriation, the emotive rhetoric which followed the signing of the Expropriation Bill and the unwelcome and toxic intervention of international actors has overshadowed technical concerns which can be resolved.
On pro-growth policies: Operation Vulindlela, a joint Presidency and National Treasury initiative to unblock constraints in targeted economic sectors, has made significant strides. It has laid the groundwork for new rounds of growth-supporting infrastructural reforms and has the potential to build cohesion in the government of national unity. However, the DA’s attempt to lobby for a greater role in the strategic oversight of Operation Vulindlela in exchange for supporting the budget risks souring relations with the ANC.
What now?
A thriving inclusive society depends on powerful actors visibly committed to co-operation.
For all of the challenges confronting the government of national unity, it was built on a foundation of pragmatism. For the sake of South Africa’s future, it remains vital to build on this foundation. Obsolete top-down governing approaches must go. Pathways to performance must be lifted above political grandstanding. Constructive solutions should supersede ideological rigidity. South Africa has done it before. It can do it again.
– South Africa’s coalition government is at risk of crumbling: why collapse would carry a heavy cost – https://theconversation.com/south-africas-coalition-government-is-at-risk-of-crumbling-why-collapse-would-carry-a-heavy-cost-254302
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
News story
Fatal accident at Ickenham station
Investigation into a fatal injury to a passenger at Ickenham London Underground station, 28 March 2025.
Ickenham Underground station.
At around 22:30 on 28 March 2025, a passenger fell from a platform and on to the track at Ickenham station, which serves the London Underground’s Metropolitan and Piccadilly lines.
The passenger remained on the track and was struck by a train before being discovered by London Underground station staff. The accident resulted in fatal injuries being sustained by the passenger.
Our investigation will seek to identify the sequence of events that led to the accident. It will also consider:
the actions of those involved and anything which may have influenced them
the management of the staff involved in the accident, including their training and competence
the arrangements in place to manage and control the risks of such accidents
any underlying management factors.
Our investigation is independent of any investigation by the railway industry or by the industry’s regulator, the Office of Rail and Road.
We will publish our findings, including any recommendations to improve safety, at the conclusion of our investigation. This report will be available on our website.
You can subscribe to automated emails notifying you when we publish our reports.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News (b)
EL PASO, Texas – An El Paso husband and wife were sentenced together in a federal court to a combined 25 years in prison for charges related to drug trafficking.
According to court documents, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop on Carlos Morales, 41, and Rebekah Sue Morales, 55, during an FBI surveillance operation on March 5, 2024. Two handguns were located in a backpack belonging to Carlos, a convicted felon. The subsequent execution of a search warrant on the couple’s home resulted in the seizure of additional firearms, ammunition and methamphetamine. Further investigation revealed that both Carlos and Rebekah were involved in trafficking the methamphetamine.
Carlos pleaded guilty on Jan. 6, 2025, to one count of felon in possession of a firearm. Rebekah pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance. U.S. District Judge Leon Schydlower sentenced Carlos Morales to the statutory maximum of 15 years in federal prison. Schydlower sentenced Rebekah Sue Morales to 10 years in federal prison. In addition, the court ordered the forfeiture of the defendant’s residence, as well as the forfeiture of multiple firearms, all used to facilitate the commission of their crimes.
Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
The FBI investigated the case with assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the El Paso Country Sheriff’s Office, and the El Paso Country Constables.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Susanna Martinez prosecuted the case.
DETROIT, April 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Lotlinx, the auto industry’s leading VIN-specific data company for dealership inventory management, announced today its Q1 2025Quarterly Vincensus Report, the most comprehensive monthly/quarterly inventory report in the industry. The report offers accurate, unparalleled insights into the current state of the automotive retail market for both new and used vehicles, inventory risk, vehicle sales, consumer preferences, and markdown/pricing strategies. Click here to access the full Q1 Quarterly Vincensus Report.
Market Outlook:
The automotive industry entered 2025 with mixed signals and mounting consumer concerns. While new vehicle sales declined slightly at the start of the quarter, March rebounded with a 19% sales surge, largely attributed to consumers accelerating purchases amidst the new tariffs. Used vehicle sales rose steadily throughout the quarter, increasing 10% quarter-over-quarter (QoQ) as demand remained resilient.
However, both new and used inventories experienced growth in carryover units, and aged inventory continues to challenge profitability. With shifting price trends and slower EV adoption, dealers must adopt precise inventory and pricing strategies to remain competitive.
Key Findings
Inventory and Pricing Trends
New vehicle day supply dropped by 3 days QoQ to 77 days but rose 19 days year-over-year (YoY).
Used vehicle day supply declined by 3 days QoQ to 42 days.
New vehicle carryover inventory increased by 8%, while used carryover rose by 5%.
Average list prices for used vehicles declined 3% QoQ and 4% YoY.
EV, Hybrid, and ICE Performance
EV sales declined 3x more than ICE and hybrid vehicles.
EV day supply dropped by 7 days YoY, indicating improved turnover.
EV prices decreased 6% YoY; hybrid prices dropped 4%, while ICE vehicle prices rose 2%.
Brand-Specific Insights
BMW saw EV momentum from the i4, while ICE vehicles dropped below 20% of its sales mix.
Cadillac’s EV growth came from Escalade IQ and Optiq, but LYRIQ sales dropped 41% QoQ.
Chevrolet’s Equinox sales rose 17% QoQ; Traverse redesign led to a 67% YoY decrease in aged inventory.
Ford’s Expedition Max had 91% of sold units marked down, leading all models in markdown activity.
Lotlinx Customer Performance
Despite market pressures, Lotlinx customers continued to outperform industry averages. On average, Lotlinx dealers carried 5% less aged inventory for new vehicles and 7% less for used vehicles compared to non-Lotlinx dealers. Additionally, 74% of new vehicle brands and 93% of used vehicle brands outperformed the market with Lotlinx-powered strategies.
“As dealers navigate economic headwinds and evolving buyer behaviors, data precision has never been more important,” said Len Short, Executive Chairman of Lotlinx. “The Q1 Vincensus Report shows that Lotlinx dealers—empowered by AI and VIN-specific insights—are achieving faster turn, more strategic pricing, and stronger gross profit potential.”
Founded in 2012 and based out in Peterborough, New Hampshire, Lotlinx is the automotive industry leader in VIN-specific data solutions for inventory risk management. The Lotlinx platform provides automobile dealers and manufacturers with enhanced operational control over their retail business. Leveraging state-of-the-art real-time data and machine learning technology, Lotlinx provides a precision retailing solution that enables dealers to automatically adapt to market dynamics, mitigating inventory risk through VIN-specific strategies. To learn more about Lotlinx, please visit www.lotlinx.com.
Fiji’s Minister for Defence and Veteran Affairs is facing a backlash after announcing that he was undertaking a multi-country, six-week “official travel overseas” to visit Fijian peacekeepers in the Middle East.
Pio Tikoduadua’s supporters say he should “disregard critics” for his commitment to Fijian peacekeepers, which “highlights a profound dedication to duty and leadership”.
However, those who oppose the 42-day trip say it is “a waste of time”, and that there are other pressing priorities, such as health and infrastructure upgrades, where taxpayers money should be directed.
Tikoduadua has had to defend his travel, saying that the travel cost was “tightly managed”.
He said that, while he accepts that public officials must always be answerable to the people they serve, “I will not remain silent when cheap shots are taken at the dignity of our troops, or when assumptions are passed off as fact.”
“Let me speak plainly: I am not travelling abroad for a vacation,” he said in a statement.
“I am going to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our men and women in uniform — Fijians who serve in some of the harshest, most dangerous corners of the world, far away from home and family, under the blue flag of the United Nations and the red, white and blue of our own.
‘I know what that means’ Tikoduadua, a former soldier and peacekeeper, said, “I know what that means [to wear the Fiji Military Forces uniform].”
“I marched under the same sun, carried the same weight, and endured the same silence of being away from home during moments that mattered most.
“This trip spans multiple countries because our troops are spread across multiple missions — UNDOF in the Golan Heights, UNTSO in Jerusalem and Tiberias, and the MFO in Sinai. I will not pick and choose which deployments are ‘worth the airfare’. They all are.”
He added the trip was not about photo opportunities, but about fulfilling his duty of care — to hear peacekeepers’ concerns directly.
“To suggest that a Zoom call can replace that responsibility is not just naïve — it is offensive.”
However, the opposition Labour Party has called it “unbelievably absurd”.
“Six weeks is a long, long time for a highly paid minister to be away from his duties at home,” the party said in a statement.
Standing ‘shoulder to shoulder’ “To make it worse, [Tikoduadua] adds that he is . . . ‘not going on a vacation but to stand shoulder to shoulder with our men and women in uniform’.
“Minister, it’s going to cost the taxpayer thousands to send you on this junket as we see it.”
Tikoduadua confirmed that he is set to receive standard overseas per diem as set by government policy, “just like any public servant representing the country abroad”.
“That allowance covers meals, local transport, and incidentals-not luxury. There is no ‘bonus’, no inflated figure, and certainly no special payout on top of my salary.
As a cabinet minister, the Defence Minister is entitled to business class travel and travel insurance for official meetings. He is also entitled to overseas travelling allowance — UNDP subsistence allowance plus 50 percent, according to the Parliamentary Remunerations Act 2014.
Tikoduadua said that he had heard those who had raised concerns in good faith.
“To those who prefer outrage over facts, and politics over patriotism — I suggest you speak to the families of the soldiers I will be visiting,” he said.
“Ask them if their sons and daughters are worth the minister’s time and presence. Then tell me whether staying behind would have been the right thing to do.”
Responding to criticism on his official Facebook page, Tikoduadua said: “I do not travel to take advantage of taxpayers. I travel because my job demands it.”
His travel ends on May 25.
This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.
Fermentation is a process where microorganisms like bacteria and yeast work together to break down complex carbohydrates and protein into simpler, more digestible forms.
The fermentation process not only extends the shelf life of food but also enhances its nutritional content. During fermentation, beneficial microorganisms produce essential vitamins and minerals.
As nutrition researchers we undertook an in-depth assessment of fermented African foods and their potential to improve human health cost-effectively.
By gaining a deeper understanding of the diverse microbiomes present in various fermented indigenous African foods, we aim to enhance human health through targeted dietary interventions.
Going back in history
Fermentation as a preservation method can be traced back a long way.
Evidence of the alcoholic fermentation of barley into beer and grapes into wine dates back to between 2000 and 4000 BC.
In the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent milk was fermented to create yoghurt and other sweet and savoury fermented milks. White cabbage pickles and fermented olives are very popular in the Middle East.
In India and the Philippines, rice flour was fermented to produce products like noodles.
Africa’s traditions
In Africa, fermented foods hold great cultural significance and health benefits, yet this topic has not been thoroughly researched.
Foods are mostly fermented at home and trends vary by region.
The primary ingredients in African fermented foods are mainly cereals, tubers and milk.
Most of the fermented foods are plants that grow on their own in the wild and are often considered weeds in cropped and cultivated land. These include amaranths, Bidens pilosa, cleome and Corchorus species. The increased availability of African indigenous foods could expand the range of commercially available fermented African foods.
While some products like marula beer have entered the commercial market, the overall consumption of fermented foods among Africans has declined.
This drop is largely due to the widespread availability of refrigeration systems and a growing loss of interest in traditional African foods.
Improving health in Africa
Fermented root plants such as cassava and yam have been shown to decrease creatinine levels, which may indicate enhanced renal function and kidney health. This suggests that the fermentation process not only enriches these root plants with probiotics, but also promotes better physiological responses in the body.
Among the diverse array of fruits native to Africa, baobab and marula are the most popular fermented fruits. Fermenting them enhances their protein and fibre content. Consuming fermented baobab fruits has been shown to reduce the activity of α-amylase, an enzyme that may have implications for regulating blood sugar.
Millet, maize, African rice and sorghum are the most fermented grains in Africa. When these foods are fermented, they can help reduce blood glucose levels, serum triglycerides and cholesterol.
Amahewu is a traditional beverage produced through the fermentation of sorghum or maize, mostly enjoyed in South Africa and Zimbabwe for its tangy flavour and smooth texture.
In Kenya, a similar fermented cereal beverage known as uji is made of millet and flavoured with milk, adding to its rich and nutritious profile.
Ghana boasts its own version called akasa, which is prepared from a combination of sorghum, corn and millet and known for its unique taste and cultural significance.
In Sudan, the beverage referred to as abreh varies in preparation but shares the same essence of fermentation, while in Nigeria, ogi is another fermented cereal paste, from similar small grains like sorghum and millet, which produce a creamy beverage.
Fermenting sorghum and millet provides essential nutrients and supports metabolic health and gut function.
In Nigeria, fermented cereal beverages are widely used to control diarrhoea in young children.
Sour milk is the most fermented food in Africa, celebrated for its rich flavour and numerous health benefits.
During the fermentation process, bacteria convert the milk sugar, called lactose, into lactic acid.
Kulenaoto, a traditional fermented milk drink enjoyed in Kenya, is known for its creamy texture and slightly tangy flavour. South Africa produces sour milk known as amasi. Nigeria and Togo share a common fermented dairy product known as wara, which is made from fermented soybeans and is often served as a snack.
In Ghana, nyamie is a rich, thick yogurt-like product. In Cameroon, pendidam is a unique fermented milk product that is cherished for its distinctive taste and nutritional benefits, making it a staple in many households.
Regular consumption of fermented sour milk can play a significant role in weight management, decreasing visceral (gut) fat, which is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases.
Moreover, fermented milk offers valuable protection against folate deficiency.
Looking forward
African fermented foods could be the easiest and least expensive way of introducing beneficial microbes to the gastrointestinal tract, replacing expensive pharmaceutical probiotics.
These processes should be encouraged, and younger generations need to be exposed to the benefits of these traditions.
Vanishing plants could be preserved and distributed through seed banks.
The tradition of fermentation should be encouraged at both household and commercial levels to promote overall health.
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.
Governments around the world have addressed the challenge of increasing life expectancy and declining birth rates by raising the pension age. The UK is no exception. The challenge this creates for governments is the thorny dual issue of rising care costs for the ageing population while fewer taxpayers support the economy.
Between the 1940s and 2010, the UK state pension age was 65 for men and 60 for women. This gender difference reflected long-standing norms about men’s and women’s employment patterns, as well as typical age differences at marriage.
These days, there is more acceptance of an equal age for women and men to receive the state pension. But in the process of levelling the playing field, some women feel they have been penalised by the government. So how did it happen?
The Pensions Act 1995 equalised things, setting out a plan to gradually increase women’s state pension age to 65. But ten years later, an independent Pensions Commission report found that a state pension age fixed at 65 was no longer sustainable or affordable.
Between 2007 and 2014 the law changed three times. This accelerated the equalisation of women’s and men’s state pension age, bringing forward the increase from 65 to 66 by five and a half years to 2020.
Further changes accelerated the increase in the state pension age for both men and women to 67 by 2028. This was eight years earlier than the previous timetable. Another review suggested increasing the state pension age from 67 to 68 in 2039. This would bring it forward by seven years in response to continued gains in life expectancy.
The Waspi campaign
These changes in the state pension age led to a long-running campaign by a group known as the Waspi (Women Against State Pension Inequality) women. This group claims that women born between April 6 1950 and April 5 1960 have been badly affected by the way the government equalised the state pension ages.
They are campaigning for compensation – but the government has repeatedly refused to pay out the recommended amounts of up to £2,950 per woman. These payment could have cost the government more than £10 billion.
The group’s argument rests on the way the increases in the state pension age were communicated and the amount of notice women were given to plan their finances in retirement. Some women in this cohort were affected by more than one increase in the state pension age.
The Waspi group estimates that about 3.8 million women are affected. Analysis from the House of Commons puts that figure just above 1.5 million women.
Analysis of data from the UK’s largest household panel study, the UK Household Longitudinal Study, shows that the impact of the rise in the state pension age has been positive for older women’s employment rates. But it has been harmful for their wellbeing.
The government’s analysis has also shown that younger women in the 1950-58 birth cohort have stayed in employment for longer.
Studies analysing the Family Resources Survey have shown that the women affected by the increased state pension age have a reduced household income, and this effect is larger for those in lower-income households.
The changes in the state pension age, and their effect on women born in the 1950s, has been the topic of both parliamentary debates and (unsuccessful) legal challenges by women affected by these changes.
In March 2024, the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman found the Department for Work and Pensions had demonstrated maladministration in its communication about the 1995 Pensions Act. This resulted in women losing opportunities to make informed decisions about their future. But it found that this did not result in an injustice or the women suffering direct financial loss.
How the UK state pension age was equalised – and raised
Whatever the outcome of the debate about women born in the 1950s, this topic raises broader issues – and lessons – about social policy. Change in social policies is inevitable. Social structures shift, as do norms and patterns in a population’s health and economic circumstances.
However, introducing change in a way that is both informed by evidence and transparent is vital for ensuring that reforms are acceptable.
Far from always creating “winners and losers”, social policy change can be a tool that demonstrates a collective sense of responsibility and adaptability to changing times.
Gender differences have consistently permeated employment and pensions, and women tend to fare worse than men. More women are working in the UK than ever before and benefit from state, workplace and personal pensions. But gender gaps are persistent across areas that directly affect someone’s ability to have enough money to live comfortably in later life.
Women are still less likely to work and to work full-time than men. And they are more likely to provide informal care within and beyond the household (except from age 75 and over). These realities result in lower earnings and a lower capacity to save for later life.
In the broader context of stubborn financial gender inequalities over lifetimes, the issue of changing the state retirement age for women born in the 1950s is a missed opportunity. The government could play a critical part in evening out gender differences for the Waspi women – and for the millions of others coming up after them.
Jane Falkingham receives funding from the Economic and Social Research Council.
Athina Vlachantoni receives funding from the Economic and Social Research Council.
Yifan Ge receives funding from the Economic and Social Research Council.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Chloe Orkin, Professor of Infection and Inequities, Centre for Immunobiology, Blizard Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London
The global outbreak of mpox in 2022-23 affected more than 100 countries and grabbed the attention of the scientific community. Research on mpox has intensified since.
The virus behind the outbreak, technically mpox clade IIb, is spread through close physical contact. During the 2022 outbreak it was found in both sperm and vaginal fluid for the first time. This suggests it is sexually transmissible.
Overall, deaths in the 2022 outbreak were very low: 0.1%. However, in people with very weak immune systems – such as those with advanced HIV – deaths were much higher, at around 15%.
The outbreak was curtailed through public health agencies and doctors working in partnership with those most at risk of the disease – sexually active men who have sex with men. Key interventions included ensuring that people knew what signs to look for and how to protect themselves, as well as offering vaccinations.
The more a virus spreads, the greater the likelihood it will mutate. Mutations can allow the virus to be more easily transmissible. This happened with the clade II virus, which branched into two and resulted in the clade IIb global outbreak in 2022. Something very similar has now happened with clade I. Clade I virus caused 14,626 mpox cases and 654 deaths in 2023.
Health inequality is a killer
Doctors in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have been battling to contain exponentially rising cases of the more severe clade I mpox, mainly affecting children under 15 and their caregivers.
Mpox can be lethal, especially for children under five years old. The mortality rate for clade I is between 3% and 10%. The variation in mortality rates is due to differences in access to healthcare, such as access to antibiotics, as well as specialist care in hospital and intensive care.
This strain, which has caused significant harm in central African countries such as the DRC, has not attracted the world’s attention in the same way as it has in the west – even though the number of people with the disease was rising year on year. Sadly, it’s very common in global public health for infectious diseases to be neglectedunless they affect people in wealthy countries.
Clade I virus is transmitted through close physical contact, respiratory droplets and contact with infected materials like bedding and infected animals. Historically affected countries, like the DRC, have not had access to the vaccine that helped curtail the outbreak in the US, Europe and the UK.
The vaccine – called Jynneos in the US and Imvanex in Europe – has not been made or sold in Africa so far. And at US$100 per dose (£76), it is beyond the affordability of most low- and middle-income countries.
These countries have relied on donations from philanthropic organisations or from governments. However, during the 2022 mpox outbreak, insufficient vaccines were donated to African countries, and local laboratory capacity – needed to test, monitor and respond to cases – was not significantly strengthened. According to experts, wealthier nations, international health agencies and global health donors should have taken the lead in addressing these gaps, but their support fell far short of what was needed.
In 2024, the mpox virus spread very quickly from the Kivu area of the DRC, which is on the eastern border with Uganda, Burundi and Rwanda – and caused over 16,000 new cases and 511 deaths. The rapid spread among heterosexual people who were moving across porous borders with neighbouring countries – and within camps of internally displaced people – prompted scientists to study the virus to see if it had mutated.
The virus has changed significantly enough to warrant being named as a new sub-variant: clade Ib.
These changes may have enabled the rapid spread to several other African countries and the first ever case of clade I virus in Europe (Sweden) in a returning traveller.
Vaccine accessibility
So what does this mean for people in wealthy countries? The risk to the general population is very low. However, travellers to affected countries who mix with affected communities are at risk of contracting mpox and transmitting it to close contacts on return.
We live in an interconnected world, so cases of the new strain are extremely likely to be identified in the coming weeks and months in many countries. But this does not make a global outbreak of clade Ib inevitable. The tools needed to limit the virus from spreading are in use already: community engagement, contact tracing, laboratory surveillance of new cases to monitor spread of clade Ib virus, and vaccination.
Anyone who develops symptoms after being in contact with a returning traveller should isolate and follow national guidance on where to attend for medical care. It’s essential to do this as soon as possible after noticing symptoms because being vaccinated within four days of exposure can limit the likelihood of getting mpox and the severity – and length – of infection.
Mpox causes skin lesions that look like blisters which become filled with pus after a few days – and it can cause ulcers in the mouth and on the genitals and bottom. People diagnosed with mpox should isolate and limit close physical and sexual contact while they have lesions.
Stopping this outbreak is possible if affected countries are equipped with three things: access to free diagnostic tests, laboratory capacity to determine the mpox clade so the extent of the outbreak can be monitored and, most important, equal access to the vaccine.
Millions of doses will be needed to protect people in affected countries. The declaration of a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organization will allow better coordination of the international response, such as emergency licensing of the vaccine in all countries and greater capacity to buy and make the vaccine where it is needed most.
Chloe Orkin does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
King Charles’s recent visit to the Vatican may appear to be simply a symbolic gesture of ecumenical goodwill. But moments like this provide an opportunity to look at the long-term consequences of church-state relations around the world.
Today’s religious identities have more to do with political decisions made centuries ago than with personal faith. Spain and Portugal are predominantly Catholic not because of the individual choices of their population, but because their monarchs aligned (and maintained the hegemony) of the Roman Catholic church-state. In England, on the other hand, King Henry VIII broke away from Rome in the 1530s, challenging (“protesting”) against the universal papal authority and leading to the establishment of the Church of England.
This religious split also carried over to former colonies. Compare the US, (a Protestant country) to Mexico or Brazil (Catholic countries), and you’ll see the long shadow of these old decisions. My research shows the profound and lasting consequences of religion on these societies.
My findings suggest that countries with historical and legal alignments with the Catholic church — such as Spain, Portugal, Austria, Ireland and much of Latin America — tend to underperform on a number of metrics, including inequality and education, and have more political corruption compared to states that maintained institutional separation (such as through the Protestant Reformation). Historical Protestant countries include the UK, Switzerland, Scandinavian and North American countries.
In particular, countries with strong traditional links to the Catholic church tend to exhibit higher levels of corruption and inequality. They also perform weaker in education, sustainability and competitiveness compared to Protestant countries.
Prosperity and educational differences between Protestants and Roman Catholics are evident even within countries. In Switzerland, the Protestant cantons (such as Geneva and Zurich) are currently the most competitive, while the Roman Catholic cantons (such as Ticino and Valais) are the least competitive. In Germany, Protestants are more educated (0.8 years more) and more prosperous (5.4% higher income) than Catholics.
Before the Reformation, literacy in England was below 10%, and the Roman church largely monopolised education. The Protestant emphasis on individual reading – especially of the Bible – dramatically increased literacy rates and access to knowledge. This paved the way for broader democratic participation, industrialisation and innovation.
Protestantism similarly proved influential in historical law revolutions, gradually separating society from feudal institutions and papalist medieval canon law.
In Britain, the Reformation was not just a theological shift, but a political one, breaking institutional ties with Rome and affirming national sovereignty. The long-term effects of that decision have echoed through the UK’s democratic and economic development.
Church-state relations
The Vatican’s political influence is often underestimated. The Roman Catholic church is the only religious body that is, at the same time, a sovereign political state – with ambassadors, diplomatic immunity and seats at international forums. The pope holds absolute executive, legislative and judicial authority.
Many of today’s Catholic-majority countries maintain formal relations with the Roman See through bilateral treaties called concordats. These agreements exert the power of the church in countries that have them, and are rarely democratically consulted with the population.
In Colombia, for example, concordats throughout history have linked religion and politics, have given church-influenced groups power over the economy, and allowed Rome to control what is taught in public and private education at all levels.
Since then, liberal efforts have reestablished much of the state’s power. But the effects are still evident in the strong cultural identity and presence of Catholicism in the country. Colombia has one of the highest proportions of adults raised as Roman Catholics in the world (92%), after Paraguay (94%).
Historically, informal gestures of religious diplomacy have laid the groundwork for further cooperation and formal agreements with Rome.
But King Charles’s recent Vatican visit is more diplomatic than anything. It reflects modern efforts to maintain and strengthen state-to-state relations and discuss shared global concerns like climate change and peacebuilding.
It is for this reason that the king’s visit matters – not because a formal treaty is on the table, but because it shows the strength of the UK’s experience since the Reformation. An exemplary model of the success of church-state separation, British democracy and prosperity have thrived for centuries – without formal entanglements with the Catholic church.
Dr Jason Garcia-Portilla earned his PhD in Organization Studies and Cultural Theory at the University of St. Gallen (Switzerland), financed with a Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship–ESKAS. Additionally, he holds an MSc in Climate Change and Policy from the University of Sussex in the UK (funded by the British Chevening Scholarship).
Source: United States Department of Justice (video statements)
On April 1, 2025, seven individuals in Georgia and Mexico were indicted by a federal grand jury seated in the Northern District of Georgia related to a drug trafficking and money laundering ring tied to a Mexico-based trafficker.
Source: International Organization for Migration (IOM)
Geneva 16 April 2025 — The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Global Donors Forum (GDF) have today signed a new agreement to work together and raise up to USD 10 million in Zakat-based donations to support IOM’s efforts to fight modern slavery and trafficking around the world.
An estimated 50 million people worldwide are affected by modern slavery, including human trafficking, on any given day. One in three victims of trafficking is a child, and up to 78 per cent of victims are trafficked for forced labour and sexual exploitation. With unprecedented levels of human displacement worldwide due to conflict, disaster and extreme poverty, millions are being pushed into vulnerable situations—heightening their risk of human trafficking, forced labour, and forced marriage.
“This collaboration creates an opportunity to channel faith-based giving to meet critical humanitarian needs and strengthen efforts to end modern slavery,” said IOM Chief of Staff Mohammed Abdiker. “By aligning our operational expertise with GDF’s outreach to Muslim philanthropic networks, we can help restore freedom and protect the dignity of those most in need.”
Under this new collaboration, GDF will lead the fundraising efforts, reaching out to donors and ensuring that all Zakat contributions follow Islamic guidelines. IOM will distribute funding through its recently launched Islamic Philanthropy Fund and use its global expertise to identify, design, and implement programmes that assist survivors of modern slavery. This includes rescuing victims, helping them recover and reintegrate into society, providing legal and psychological support, and offering education and livelihood opportunities.
“Modern slavery is a moral crisis that demands a moral response. Through this partnership, we are leveraging the power of Zakat—a sacred obligation in Islam—to protect the rights and freedom of those who have been stripped of both,” said Dr Tariq Cheema, founder and convener of the GDF.
The agreement brings together IOM’s experience as a leader in counter trafficking and protection with GDF’s strong network of Muslim donors and institutions. Both organizations share a common goal: to help people trapped in modern slavery and uphold their rights and dignity. The partnership is inspired by the Islamic principle of Riqab—a category of Zakat that supports the freeing of those in bondage.
Note to Editors
Launched in 2025, the Islamic Philanthropy Fund is part of IOM’s broader effort to strengthen resource mobilization and extend vital support to some of the world’s most vulnerable populations. As the Islamic Philanthropy Fund continues to build strategic partnerships, it also welcomes public contributions—upholding a 100 per cent Zakat distribution policy to ensure every donation reaches people in need.
The Global Donors Forum is the main event of the World Congress of Muslim Philanthropists. It works to promote effective, ethical, and faith-driven giving in Muslim communities around the world.
President Zelenskyy, Dear Volodymyr, It is important for me to be standing next to you today in Odesa, a city that has been under constant attack throughout Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Only this weekend, Russia attacked residential buildings and a hospital here with kamikaze drones. Today we both visited a hospital where I talked with some of the people injured in the war.
Just two days ago, in Sumy on Palm Sunday –the holiest day in the Christian calendar – two Russian ballistic missiles killed over 30 civilians – men, women, children. Over 100 were injured – many seriously. This is simply outrageous. It’s part of a terrible pattern of Russia attacking civilian targets and infrastructure across Ukraine. Even hundreds of hospitals and medical workers have been targeted over the last years.
I am here today because I believe Ukraine’s people deserve real peace – real safety and security in their country. In their homes. My heart goes out to the people of Ukraine. Those who lost loved ones in these recent strikes. And so many over the years. Those who have been injured. Or lost their homes. Or had their dreams shattered by this unjust and unlawful war.
So I am here with you today, dear Volodymyr, To affirm to you and the Ukrainian people this simple message: NATO stands with Ukraine.
You and I know that this has been true all along. I also know that some have called NATO’s support into question in the last couple of months. But let there be no doubt. Our support is unwavering.
NATO continues to provide political and practical support for Ukraine by delivering security assistance and training through our command in Wiesbaden. And we work closely together in Kyiv and in Brussels.
What’s more, just in the first three months of 2025, NATO Allies have already pledged more than 20 billion euros in security assistance for Ukraine this year. Our commitment is clear – and concrete. We saw further contributions as you rightly said from Allies during the latest Ramstein meeting that was held in Brussels on Friday
Our support to Ukraine is designed to ensure that your country is strong and sovereign. Able to defend today and to deter any future aggression. All of this to underpin the efforts towards a just and lasting peace.
Indeed, today we again spoke about the important talks that President Trump is leading with Ukraine as well as with Russia to try to end the war and secure a durable peace. These discussions are not easy – not least in the wake of this horrific violence – but we all support President Trump’s push for peace.
Other Allies – including through efforts led by France and the United Kingdom – are ready, willing and able to shoulder more responsibility in helping to secure a peace when the time comes.
So let me say again – to the people of Ukraine. We stand with you. And look forward to a day that the brave men and women of this incredible country can enjoy freedom without fear. So dear Volodymyr, thank you for inviting me here today. I am grateful for your leadership, for our friendship, and for our continued cooperation.
Slava Ukraini.
Question: I have one question for both of you but in different forms. First of all today Mr. Witkoff said that the peace agreement that is being discussed as we understand with Russia includes some five territories , there is no NATO, there is no five article. That is why I have a different question to you. Mr General Secretary do you understand what Russia and America discussed about NATO without you and what it means for NATO, for Ukraine and for all the world? (continues in Ukrainian)
Mark Rutte, NATO Secretary General: Let me first say that I want to commend President Trump for breaking the deadlock and starting these talks about peace in Ukraine. I think this is important because we have seen so many people die, we have seen so many cities being destroyed, the infrastructure having been targeted by the Russians so I think this is an important effort. And I have decided not to comment on all the intermediate stages of this whole process because I do not want to interfere with the peace process. Whatever we do when it comes to helping here we do as discreetly as possible and I cannot comment on this in the press. I am sorry.
Question: Mr Secretary General thank you for being here. The first question to you is, is there any information you could disclose on the update of the naval deployment of the coalition of the willing for securing of the Black Sea security situation? (Continues in Ukrainian)
Mark Rutte, NATO Secretary General: NATO is involved in a couple of these talks. We are of course following closely with our American friends, the initiatives by President Trump to bring Ukraine and Russia to a ceasefire and we support those efforts. Then through our command in Wiesbaden, so-called NSATU, we are working with Ukraine. And you had a visit last week of the French and the British senior officers here in Ukraine to discuss, going forward, what will be the best format to organise the Ukrainian armed forces for the future. Of course it will also help now with the fight against the Russians but also for the long term future. Because that will, in any case, be the first line of deterrence to make sure that whenever a peace deal is struck/a ceasefire is agreed, that the Ukrainian armed forces are, as the first line of deterrence, capable and able long term to defend the country. And there are initiatives ongoing, and I think you are particularly now referring to what the French and the Brits are working on through the Coalition of the Willing. And we are also very much, of course, part of those talks and trying to advise wherever we can these discussions in the right direction. And I am very happy that the French and the Brits took this initiative to make sure that when, as a first line of defence, you have the Ukrainian armed forces, post a peace deal/ceasefire, that there might be more necessary to make sure that Putin will never ever ever ever try this again. Because nobody wants to get back to a situation of Minsk 2014, where you think you have a sort of peace deal but basically it is not strong enough, it is not holding and Putin tries this again. And whenever we come to a conclusion of this terrible war, it has to be clear to Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin that he can never ever try again to capture one square kilometre or one square mile of Ukraine. So that is why the French, the Brits and others are discussing what we need more, on top of Ukrainian armed forces going forward, to make sure that that guarantee is there. This is all still being debated. It will also depend, it is my absolute conviction, on the exact outcome of a peace deal/a ceasefire and hopefully a strong combination of the two. What exactly will be that format and how it will work and who will do what, etc. These talks are ongoing. As we are preparing for that hopeful soon-to-be-achieved eventuality, I hope of course that NATO tries to steer that in the direction we think will be advisory.
(response from President Zelenskyy in Ukrainian)
Mark Rutte, NATO Secretary General: maybe I can add one sentence that Türkiye has in 2022 already successfully agreed a ceasefire on the grain deal, they agreed to a grain deal in 2022, so let’s be positive about the fact that Türkiye again tries to bring together all relevant parties and let’s hope they are successful.
Question: in Ukrainian
Mark Rutte, NATO Secretary General: Yes they are the aggressor. Let me be very clear. Russia is the aggressor. Russia started this war and there is no doubt.
The European rapid alert system for dangerous non-food products recorded more than 4000 alerts in 2024. Cosmetics (36%) remain the most frequently reported products posing health risks, followed by toys (15%), electrical appliances (10%), motor vehicles (9%) and chemical products (6%).
Headline: Starting today, we’re bringing computer use agent capabilities to Copilot Studio – enabling anyone to build agents that take action on the UI across both desktop and web apps. Excited to see what this unlocks!
Starting today, we’re bringing computer use agent capabilities to Copilot Studio – enabling anyone to build agents that take action on the UI across both desktop and web apps. Excited to see what this unlocks!
Charles Lamanna
Corporate Vice President, Business & Industry Copilot at Microsoft
Exciting news from Microsoft Copilot Studio today – computer use is here! With computer use, you can enable your agents to automate interactions across desktop and web apps effortlessly, responding to changes in real-time. Read all about it in this blog: https://lnkd.in/g-TwS4xV
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Kylie Thomas, Senior Researcher and Senior Lecturer (Radical Humanities Laboratory, University College Cork), NIOD Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies
Ernest Cole is famous for photographing the everyday realities of South Africa’s racist apartheid system. His 1967 book House of Bondage ensured his damning critique of the white minority regime was seen by the world. But its publication sent him into exile and was banned at home.
The startling discovery of a vast archive of his work in a Swedish bank vault in 2017 has returned him to public view.
It would win the documentary prize at the Cannes Film Festival and show around the world, restoring the legacy of a photographer who died penniless in New York in 1990 at the age of 49.
As a researcher of South African photography under apartheid, I was intrigued by how the film would convey this complex life story.
It draws extensively on Cole’s images, made in South Africa, Europe and the US. It’s a beautiful, poetic interpretation of how his images mirrored his own experiences of oppression, displacement and the loneliness of exile.
House of Bondage
Cole was just 10 when the state introduced the Group Areas Act and entrenched racial segregation. He was 22 when his childhood neighbourhood of Eersterust was razed to the ground. His family was among the thousands forcibly removed to a new township.
In his second year of high school, he elected to drop out. The state had introduced Bantu Education, designed to ensure Black children learned only enough for a life of servitude.
Cole began to study by correspondence, taking a course with the New York Institute for Photography. By 18, he’d landed a position as a darkroom assistant at Drum magazine, working alongside German photographer Jürgen Schadeberg.
In 1959, Cole saw a copy of French street photography pioneer Henri Cartier-Bresson’s The People of Moscow, and decided he would create a similar book to convey what it meant to live under apartheid.
He spent six years taking the photographs that would become House of Bondage, a book that exposed the apartheid state.
Determined to publish his images, he fled to the US in 1966, where his book appeared a year later. Acclaimed internationally, it was banned for 22 years in South Africa. Cole was prohibited from returning home and spent the next 20 years stateless.
He hoped to find freedom in America. Instead he felt pigeonholed as a Black photographer, dismayed at only ever being commissioned to document suffering.
He made hundreds of photographs of people in Harlem, often drawn to scenes that were impossible in South Africa. Mixed-race couples holding hands in public, young people of different races hanging out, neon signs offering “Sex, sex, sex” rather than the “Whites only” signs of segregation he documented at home.
Commissioned to take photos in the Deep South, he found the same suffering and racism he’d thought particular to South Africa.
In a letter to the Norwegian government requesting an emergency travel certificate to leave the US, he wrote:
Exposing the truth at whatever cost is one thing. But having to live a lifetime of being a chronicler of misery and injustice and callousness is another.
A life in fragments
For me, the most poignant moment of the film is the footage of Cole speaking in his own voice in a 1969 documentary. A slight man with a sorrowful gaze, he’s seated at a table with prints of his photos:
I’ve been banned in absentia, but that doesn’t matter because it (his book) will stand in the future. Because I’m sure South Africa will be free.
His youthful conviction is undercut by the presence, in his voice, of the weight of all he’s experienced. Correspondence shows Cole’s book was sent to government officials in the US and Europe, and to the United Nations, but it would take decades of resistance before apartheid fell.
Despite his fame, and the support of leading international photographers, writers and editors, Cole’s determination was ground down by the racism he encountered everywhere he went. Although he received grants to continue his work, he descended into poverty and depression.
By the mid-1980s he stopped taking photos – his cameras were lost, stolen, or sold, and he learned that his belongings, including negatives and prints that he’d left in a hotel storage room in New York, had been discarded. Cole was destitute and ill.
Diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, he watched Nelson Mandela’s release from prison in 1990 from his hospital bed. Cole died in New York that same year. All his negatives and the work he’d made during his life in exile were thought to be lost.
Finding Ernest Cole
Peck’s meditative film draws on Cole’s notebooks and letters, along with research interviews, in a rather bold attempt to have him “tell his own story”. It’s a story driven by both curiosity and heartbreak, narrated by actor LaKeith Stanfield, whose rather jarring American accent gives voice to a South African experience.
Although she’s not mentioned in the credits, Peck’s script draws heavily on interviews by Swedish curator and researcher Gunilla Knape. Her association with the Hasselblad Foundation might account for why she remains unacknowledged – the organisation is linked to the ongoing controversy over ownership of Cole’s work.
In 2017, Cole’s nephew, Leslie Matlaisane, received an email requesting that he travel to Sweden to discuss the return of items belonging to his uncle, discovered in a bank vault in Stockholm.
The film includes footage of Matlaisane’s journey to Sweden and the bizarre scene that unfolds as Cole’s archive is returned without any explanation about how it came to be either lost or found, or who’d placed it there.
The boxes included 60,000 negatives, and Cole’s notebooks and research materials for House of Bondage. An incredible trove of history has resurfaced, but as Peck’s film shows, Cole himself was irrecoverably lost in exile.
Ernest Cole: Lost and Found is showing in Johannesburg. It can be streamed on various services.
Kylie Thomas does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Temporary duties imposed on engine oils and hydraulic fluids
The Government has accepted the TRA’s recommendation to impose provisional duties on imports of engine oils and hydraulic fluids from Lithuania and the UAE.
The Secretary of State for Business and Trade has today (16/04/2025) accepted the Trade Remedies Authority (TRA)’s recommendation to impose provisional anti-dumping duties on imports of engine oils and hydraulic fluids from Lithuania and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), following evidence of dumping that has caused injury to UK industry. These measures will be in effect for a period of up to six months.
A Provisional Affirmative Determination (PAD) allows temporary duties to be imposed while a full investigation is completed.
The investigation, which was initiated in June 2024, found on a preliminary basis that UK producers were being undercut by an average of 37% of UK sales prices, causing material injury to domestic industry. The TRA’s investigation followed an application from UK manufacturer Aztec Oils Ltd.
The investigation covers certain engine oils and hydraulic fluids, including passenger car motor oils, heavy-duty commercial vehicle oils, and hydraulic oils.
In its Provisional Affirmative Determination, the TRA has recommended provisional duties ranging from 11.60% to 24.95% for individual participating companies and countrywide rates of 49.59% for Lithuania and 59.40% for the UAE.
UK producers are expected to benefit from these measures by between £5 million and £55 million, depending on their ability to adjust prices in response to the duties.
The TRA will continue its full investigation while these provisional measures are in place.
Note to editors:
The Trade Remedies Authority is the independent UK body that investigates whether new trade remedy measures are needed to counter unfair import practices and unforeseen surges of imports.
The TRA is an arm’s length body of the Department for Business and Trade.
Anti-dumping duties allow a country or union to act against goods which are being sold at less than their normal value – this is defined as the price for ‘like goods’ sold in the exporter’s home market.
The period of investigation is from 1 April 2023 to 21 March 2024.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
NASHVILLE – Dejuan Bell, 33, of Nashville, has been charged by criminal complaint with being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession with intent to distribute oxycodone and cocaine, and possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, announced Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee.
“Our efforts in Operation Bond Watch are designed to keep those with violent histories from possessing firearms and putting our community at risk,” said Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire. “A person previously and recently convicted of killing someone should not have a handgun – period.”
According to court documents, on the afternoon of March 18, 2025, Metropolitan Nashville Police Department detectives monitoring Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency (MDHA) cameras saw Bell arrive at the James Cayce Homes. The detectives were familiar with Bell because of his involvement in a 2018 homicide in Nashville. They saw Bell get out of the driver’s seat of a Nissan Altima and walk up to several people who were on porches. Bell was on the MDHA “No Trespassing” list, and he had a suspended driver’s license.
On the MDHA cameras, the detectives saw Bell approach the driver’s side door of a black truck that was stopped on South Sixth Street. Bell and the truck’s driver exchanged pills and a plastic bag, then Bell put the pills and plastic bag in his pant pockets and walked back to the James Cayce Homes porches. Bell went back to the Nissan Altima several times. When the detectives attempted to make contact with Bell, he fled on foot. While running from detectives, Bell threw away a firearm that had been in his pants waistband. The firearm, a Glock 23 Gen5, .40 caliber pistol, was recovered, and a search of the firearm’s history revealed that it had been reported stolen. Detectives caught Bell, and during a search incident to his arrest, detectives discovered $2,180 cash and 4.2 grams of suspected oxycodone pills in a plastic bag in Bell’s pants pockets.
The Nissan Altima smelled of marijuana and detectives conducted a probable cause search of the car and discovered individual plastic bags of a green leafy substance suspected to be marijuana, a plastic bag containing 4.5 grams of a white/grey powdery substance that field-tested positive for cocaine, and a digital scale in the car’s console.
After being read his Miranda rights, Bell agreed to answer questions. Bell admitted he had a manslaughter conviction for which he was on probation. Bell told detectives he had marijuana and cocaine for sale. Bell admitted to purchasing the firearm in the Cayce area approximately two weeks earlier, and that he ran from the detectives because he had the firearm on him.
Bell has three prior felony convictions in Davidson County Criminal Court: for Reckless Aggravated Assault, for which he received a two-year sentence; Evading Arrest by Motor Vehicle, for which he received a one-year sentence; and Voluntary Manslaughter, for which he received a six-year sentence, and was placed on probation October 27, 2023.
If convicted, Bell faces a maximum of 15 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine on the possession of a firearm by a convicted felon charge, up to 20 years in federal prison and a $1 million fine on the drug charge, and 5 years to life in prison and a $250,000 fine on the possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime charge.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel M. Stephens is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
A complaint is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Jerusalem –As Israeli forces resume and expand their military offensive by air, ground and sea on the Gaza Strip, Palestine, forcibly displacing people and deliberately blocking essential aid, Palestinian lives are once again being systematically destroyed, warns Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). A series of deadly attacks by Israeli forces have shown a blatant disregard for the safety of humanitarian and medical workers in Gaza.
We call on Israeli authorities to immediately lift the inhumane and deadly siege on Gaza, protect the lives of Palestinians, humanitarian and medical personnel, and for all parties to restore and sustain the ceasefire.
“Gaza has been turned into a mass grave of Palestinians and those coming to their assistance. We are witnessing in real time the destruction and forced displacement of the entire population in Gaza,” says Amande Bazerolle, MSF emergency coordinator in Gaza. “With nowhere safe for Palestinians or those trying to help them, the humanitarian response is severely struggling under the weight of insecurity and critical supply shortages, leaving people with few, if any, options for accessing care.”
Over 50,000 people have been killed since October 2023, nearly a third of whom are children, according to the Ministry of Health. Since the resumption of hostilities on 18 March, more than 1,500 people have been killed, according to local authorities.
According to the United Nations, at least 409 aid workers, most of whom were UNWRA staff, the main provider of humanitarian aid in Gaza, have been killed since October 2023. Eleven MSF colleagues, some while on duty, have been killed since the start of the war, including two in just the past two weeks.
In the latest instance of a ruthless attack by Israeli forces on aid workers, the bodies of 15 emergency responders and the ambulances they were traveling in were found in a mass grave on 30 March in Rafah, southern Gaza. The group was killed by Israeli forces while trying to assist civilians caught in shelling on 23 March. Recent publicly shared evidence has shown that the workers and their vehicles were clearly marked and identifiable, challenging the initial claims given by Israeli authorities.
“This horrific killing of aid workers is yet another example of the complete disregard shown by Israeli forces for the protection of humanitarian and medical workers. The silence and unconditional support of Israel’s closest allies further emboldens these actions,” says Claire Magone, General Director of MSF France.
MSF considers that only international and independent investigations can bring to light the circumstances of, and the responsibilities for, these attacks on aid workers.
Although the situation has already been catastrophic for over 18 months, over the past three weeks, MSF has witnessed several incidents involving the killing of humanitarian and medical workers. The coordination of humanitarian movements with Israeli authorities, known as the Humanitarian Notification System, an already imperfect mechanism, has become more unreliable and is now barely affording any protection guarantees.
Notified locations, in which humanitarians have informed Israel of their presence, such as health facilities where we work, compounds of humanitarian stakeholders, and MSF offices and guesthouses have been hit by shells or bullets. Areas near healthcare facilities have been subjected to strikes, fighting and evacuation orders.
Medical facilities are not exempt from attacks and evacuation orders by Israeli forces. MSF teams have had to leave many facilities, while others continue operating with staff and patients trapped inside, unable to leave safely for hours at a time.
On 7 April, MSF teams and patients found themselves trapped in the MSF field hospital in Deir Al-Balah, central Gaza. Rockets were launched by Hamas in close proximity to our field hospitals in Deir Al-Balah endangering both patients and staff and leading to an evacuation order of the area by Israeli forces, who also carried out strikes near the compounds of Al-Aqsa and Nasser hospitals. We strongly denounce these actions by the warring parties and call on them to respect and protect healthcare facilities, patients and medical staff.
Since 18 March, MSF has not been able to return to Indonesian hospital in northern Gaza where our teams were set to begin paediatric care but had to flee the field hospital, which was set up right next to the compound. MSF mobile clinics in north Gaza were suspended, and in the south, teams have been unable to return to Al-Shaboura clinic in Rafah.
The full siege on Gaza has depleted food, fuel and medical stocks. MSF is especially facing shortages in medications for pain management and chronic illnesses, antibiotics and critical surgical materials. The lack of fuel replenishment across the Strip will lead to the inevitable suspension of activities as hospitals rely on generators for electricity to keep critical patients alive and conduct lifesaving operations.
“Israeli authorities have deliberately blocked all aid from entering Gaza for over a month. Humanitarians have been forced to watch people suffer and die while carrying the impossible burden of providing relief with depleted supplies, all while facing the same life-threatening conditions themselves,” says Bazerolle. “There is no way they can carry out their mission under such circumstances. This is not a humanitarian failure — it is a political choice, and a deliberate assault on a people’s ability to survive, carried out with impunity.”
Israeli authorities must end their collective punishment of Palestinians.
We urge Israel’s allies to end their complicity and stop enabling the destruction of Palestinian lives.
I used to enjoy Holy Week—the Visita Iglesia in the day, candlelit nights, the circulating bands of door-to-door prayer squads greeted by every household with whispers and reverence. This was the 90s, the height of the long summer blackouts. Even if your family had AC, you wouldn’t have enjoyed it most nights. I remember playing in the streets. It was very hot, but not intolerable. Patintero under the moon, taguan under stars.
This is obviously a whole lot of children’s-book nostalgia, but there must be some truth to the feeling. I bring it up because I don’t look forward to summer anymore. Now, all I can think of when the days start getting warmer is the inevitable heat stroke I’ve gotten every year since 2020, more record-breaking temperatures, the bloated Meralco bills. I don’t remember daytime ever being so white hot and skin searing that every moment outdoors in the hours around noon feels like an assault. And while we know relief will come in a few months–it will be in the form of torrential rains capable of submerging all the cars in my neighborhood.
In other words, the beginning and end of summer gives me, an adult in my 40s, anxiety. Right now is the end of the short season of reprieve: after the storms but before the high heat–which will be lifted by a new round of typhoons and supertyphoons.
It is not lost on me that I am privileged: I live in a relatively sheltered, less flood-prone area of the capital. Millions of Filipinos live in impoverished communities hit hard and often by extreme weather that causes sickness, destruction, loss of livelihood and life. For many, this relentless cycle could be interpreted as a Sisyphean ordeal—endure one disaster after another and try to rebuild, only to be met with new threats and new loss. The reality of climate change looms large, with anxiety hanging thick in the air, never far from mind.
Do you remember Frank Nicol Melgar Marba, the teacher and public servant from Dinagat Islands? He made headlines joining a transnational climate lawsuit against a French fossil fuel company. In 2021, Super Typhoon Odette, one of the strongest recorded storms on Earth, destroyed Frank’s family home, and left them traumatized. He once told the press: “Whenever there’s news of a typhoon coming our way, my grandmother still shakes in fear.”
Polls and studies stretching back a decade tell us this is increasingly becoming the norm. The majority of the nation is worried about the climate crisis. Many Filipinos, especially the young, are burdened by climate anxiety.
Many may still be feeling the effects to this day. Social Weather Stations (SWS) conducted a poll in 2023 which determined that 8 in 10 Filipinos believe climate change poses dangers to physical and mental health. 87% say they have personally experienced climate impacts in the past three years. 81% consider climate change a threat to their mental well-being.
It does not help that much needed climate action by world governments is sluggish and lackluster. Majority of governments are missing deadlines for crucial greenhouse gas emissions cuts. Almost half of corporations around the world abandoned pledged climate targets and got away with it scott free. Fossil fuel consumption is on the rise, which is heating the planet. The heating planet is driving more energy consumption which then prompts the release of more emissions. It feels like being alive today–facing the notion of this escalation of climate change and its consequences–comes in two flavors: 1) aware and in despair or 2) blissfully ignorant, possibly in denial.
Despite all of this, though, the kids seem to be alright–to a degree. True to the trope (and no, please don’t bring the resilience thing into this) Filipinos, especially the youth, are powering through even the worst circumstances. Climate anxiety is translating to climate awareness, which, in the best of cases, translates to motivation to act.
I wonder if today’s young people ever got to experience childhood summers like mine. Or were they, armed early with access to all the world’s information, too addled by early onset awareness of what we’ve done to the environment? Give them a platform, place, and opportunity to channel anxiety into something. Give them support, encouragement, solidarity. Join them. Action, especially collective action, bodes well for the planet, and can ease a little panic.
Holy Week is for rest and fortification–mental, emotional, or spiritual–for the year ahead. It’s an opportunity to decide, in the quiet of our own company, or in the company of family and friends, on who to vote for in the coming elections, on what we can do to contribute; if it is in us to be brave, for ourselves and for others, in the midst of a crisis larger than any of our fears.
You might want to check out Greenpeace Philippines’ petition called Courage for Climate, a drive in support of real policy and legal solutions in the pursuit of climate justice.
Are you a researcher with an idea that could help solve one of today’s most pressing problems? A conference in Dubai this November will showcase research addressing a wide range of global social and environmental issues. And you can now apply to be involved – and present your work.
Prototypes for Humanity, the organisation behind the event, will invite a group of senior academics to attend the three-day forum, which will promote innovative scientific solutions from around the world and act as a platform for international research collaboration.
As part of the newly established Professors’ Programme, selected researchers will travel to the United Arab Emirates, with the event organisers covering the cost of flights and accommodation.
If you’re interested, simply submit a brief abstract for an academic paper addressing one of the key themes:
1. Wellbeing and Health Futures
How can we best harness the latest technological developments to help people live longer and better lives? From precision medicine to artificial intelligence systems, this category encompasses crucial questions around access to healthcare and how to support an ageing society.
2. Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure
This theme explores how we design, build, and maintain infrastructure that’s not only functional but future-proof. Submissions could include how to develop cities which are better able to cope with extreme climates, methods of improving water management and new models for sustainable transport.
3. Artificial and Augmented Intelligence
Artificial intelligence is reshaping nearly every aspect of modern life with crucial questions around citizenship, cybersecrutiy and where to draw the lines in human-AI collaboration, this theme investigates the risks and rewards inherent in our new technological age.
4. Environmental Sustainability and Climate Action
Many of today’s most important research questions relate to the climate crisis, whether its accelerating the uptake of green technologies, reducing pollution, or moving towards a circular economy, innovation is essential for driving sustainability and protecting the future of our planet.
5. Socio-Economic Empowerment and Innovation
Submissions are also welcome on how to make economic growth work for everyone including research into the evolving dynamics of the gig economy, micro-credit initiatives and questions around gender equality, as well as the use of technology for social good.
There are also “Open” and “Speculative” categories for potentially impactful research that doesn’t fit within a single theme and studies in uncharted or emerging fields.
Researchers should apply and submit their brief, 200- to 300-word abstracts by May 16 using this link. Those selected for the Professors’ Programme by the panel will then be asked to develop their abstract into a 1,500- to 2,000-word paper, which they will share at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers from November 17 to 20, 2025, alongside the other finalists of the Prototypes for Humanity programme.
Big ideas
Last year, more than 2,700 entries were submitted to the Prototypes for Humanity programme. And they came from 800 universities around the world – many from institutions which are members of The Conversation’s global media network.
More than 100 projects were presented at the final event, which was attended by Stephen Khan, editor of The Conversation UK, who wrote a blog about his experience.
“For The Conversation, it was an introduction to some projects that I expect you’ll hear and read more about in our content in the months to come,” he said.
“While we rightly assess and explain events as they happen, delivering information about new research, and particularly innovative solutions that are born in the labs, studios and seminars of our partner universities is also a central element of our mission as we strive to be the comprehensive conveyor of academic knowledge.”
Prototypes for Humanity is supported by the government of Dubai and seeks to place the Middle Eastern city at the heart of academic, research-driven solutions. The forum also awards US$100,000 to innovative research projects, recognising the commitment of academics to finding solutions to the world’s biggest issues.
At last year’s event, Tadeu Baldani Caravieri, Director of Prototypes for Humanity, elaborated on the team’s vision of the project “as the world’s most comprehensive convener of academic innovation”.
“The diversity, depth and range of applications received – covering all fields of sciences, technology and creative studies – make the initiative reflect the current global state of innovation and how complex global issues are manifested, and addressed, by top academic talent.
“Together, we’re raising awareness of academia’s essential role in driving progress and collaboratively developing solutions that create tangible impacts on people’s lives.”
This year, the event is being supported by Universal Impact, The Conversation’s commercial subsidiary, which offers specialist research communication services to academics around the world – donating profits back to its parent charity.
The Professors’ Programme, which will help academics around the world exchange knowledge and collaborate on shared goals, fits with our mission to help researchers make real world change.
If you, or any of your colleagues are interested in being part of the programme, you can find more information here – or apply here. Abstracts can be submitted until May 16, 2025, and successful participants will be notified by June 13, 2025.
Universal Impact offers specialist training, mentoring and research communication services – donating profits back to The Conversation, our parent charity. If you’re a researcher or research institution and you’re interested in working together, please get in touch – or subscribe to our weekly newsletter to find out more.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, April 16 — Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao has called for multiple measures to bolster service consumption, amid efforts to spur domestic demand and economic growth.
He made the remarks in a signed article published Wednesday in Qiushi Journal, the flagship magazine of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.
Expanding service consumption is an important lever for stimulating domestic demand across the board, a task that has been identified as the top priority for 2025 in China’s government work report, according to the commerce minister.
In recent years, service consumption has gained steam in China. Per capita service consumption expenditure in 2024 among residents rose 7.4 percent compared to the previous year, contributing 63 percent to the overall growth in per capita consumption expenditure.
China has tailwinds to expand service consumption, driven by the unlocking of market potential, upgrading consumption structure and accelerating industry development, according to Wang.
However, the minister cautioned that several challenges, such as the relatively low level of service industry openness, insufficient supply of high-quality services, and the room for improvement in consumption environment, still pose constrains on the sector’s expansion.
To further stimulate service consumption, the government plans to roll out policies that support sectors such as household services and digital consumption, Wang said, adding that support will also be directed toward industries related to tourism, ultra-high-definition, the sports events economy, and traditional Chinese medicine health services.
China will develop fiscal, tax, and financial policies to introduce targeted and practical measures, he said.
A fresh move in this direction, China on Wednesday unveiled a work plan to boost service consumption. The plan proposes 48 specific measures across a broad spectrum of industries, covering both main service sectors as well as new forms of business and new consumption scenarios.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Beijing sends first China-Europe freight train in 2025
Updated: April 16, 2025 20:51Xinhua
An aerial drone photo shows a China-Europe freight train bound for Moscow of Russia waiting for departure at a logistics center in Beijing, capital of China, April 16, 2025. Beijing on Wednesday sent its first China-Europe freight train in 2025. It is estimated that the train will cover a distance of about 9000 kilometers in 16 days. [Photo/Xinhua]An aerial drone photo shows a China-Europe freight train bound for Moscow of Russia waiting for departure at a logistics center in Beijing, capital of China, April 16, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]An aerial drone photo shows a China-Europe freight train bound for Moscow of Russia waiting for departure at a logistics center in Beijing, capital of China, April 16, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]A China-Europe freight train bound for Moscow of Russia departs from a logistics center in Beijing, capital of China, April 16, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]A China-Europe freight train bound for Moscow of Russia waits for departure at a logistics center in Beijing, capital of China, April 16, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]An aerial drone photo shows a China-Europe freight train bound for Moscow of Russia waiting for departure at a logistics center in Beijing, capital of China, April 16, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]A reach stacker loads a container onto a China-Europe freight train bound for Moscow of Russia at a logistics center in Beijing, capital of China, April 16, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
JIUQUAN, April 16 — The combination of the Shenzhou-20 crewed spaceship and a Long March-2F carrier rocket has been transferred to the launching area, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) said on Wednesday.
According to the CMSA, all facilities and equipment at the launch site are in good condition, while various pre-launch function checks and joint tests will be carried out as planned.
The spaceship will be launched at an appropriate time in the near future, the CMSA said.
SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison for his role in a gun theft and trafficking conspiracy.
According to court documents, between January and October 2023, Alcapone Maximus Pena, 23, was involved in the theft of firearms and vehicles in and around the San Antonio area as well as the sale of those stolen firearms. Pena, codefendant Nathan Tyler Padilla, 27, and others repeatedly broke into vehicles which they identified as likely to have firearms and that they believed they would be able to illegally sell.
A search of Pena’s home on Oct. 25, 2023 resulted in the seizure of 14 firearms. An additional 17 firearms were located in a separate search warrant and determined to be trafficked by Pena. During the course of the conspiracy, Pena was responsible for the knowing and illegal trafficking of 25-99 firearms. The investigation also revealed information that showed Padilla’s cell phone had been present during the theft of several seized firearms. For his work in the firearm thefts, Padilla would receive a share of the proceeds that came from the firearms’ eventual sale to third parties.
Both Pena and Padilla were named in a seven-count indictment filed Nov. 15, 2023. Pena was charged with one count of conspiracy to traffic firearms, one count of possession of a machine gun, and one count of possession of stolen firearms. Padilla, who had been previously convicted on Aug. 16, 2023 for the offense of evading arrest/detention with a vehicle, was charged in the indictment with one count of conspiracy to traffic firearms and one count of possession of ammunition by a felon.
The two codefendants pleaded guilty Jan. 7, 2025. Padilla was sentenced on April 1 to 90 months in federal prison.
“This case highlights the importance of holding individuals trafficking in firearms accountable for their actions. Each year, thousands of guns are stolen from vehicles in the San Antonio area, and then many of these are used to commit crimes, including violent crimes,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas. “We, along with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners, remain fully committed to investigating and prosecuting these firearm thefts as part of our commitment to public safety.”
“This case is a great example of our unwavering commitment to protecting our community,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael Weddel for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Houston Division. “By bringing individuals involved in gun theft and trafficking to justice, we are not only holding criminals accountable but also taking meaningful steps to reduce the kind of violent crime that threatens our neighborhoods. Our community is safer today because of the tireless efforts of our agency and our law enforcement partners.”
The ATF investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zack Parsons prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).