March 21, 2025 Statement by Governor Christopher J. Waller Governor Christopher J. Waller
At the most recent Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting, I supported no change in the federal funds target range but preferred to continue the current pace of decline in securities holdings. Reducing the Federal Reserve’s balance sheet is an important part of normalizing monetary policy implementation and reducing unneeded reserves in the banking system. Slowing further or stopping redemptions of securities holdings will be appropriate as we get closer to an ample level of reserves. But in my view we are not there yet because reserve balances stand at over $3 trillion and this level is abundant. There is no evidence from money market indicators or my outreach conversations that the banking system is getting close to an ample level of reserves. The Committee slowed the pace of redemptions in June 2024 to help ensure a smooth transition to the appropriate level of securities holdings needed to implement monetary policy efficiently and effectively. I believe that pace continues to be the right one. If unanticipated disturbances to reserve demand emerge on the path to balance sheet normalization, the Federal Reserve System has a variety of tools to address such a development. Rather than changing our current pace of balance sheet reduction, the Federal Reserve should rely on those tools and develop a plan for how to respond to short-run strains if they emerge. Such a plan could be implemented swiftly in the event more reserves need to be injected into the banking system. Even with the decision to slow the pace of runoff at this meeting, a plan is still required should a disturbance occur in the future. While this is a procedural matter, good process leads to good outcomes, and good contingency planning helps avoid disruptions to markets and to the FOMC’s efforts to achieve our economic objectives.
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Home » Latest News » Councils submit interim plans for future delivery of services across the county
District councils across Kent, including Canterbury City Council, have worked with Kent County Council (KCC) and Medway Council to today (Friday 21 March) to submit interim proposals to the government on how they should be organised in the future.
The government wants to replace the current two-tier system of KCC delivering some services and districts delivering others with unitary councils which will have responsibility for delivering all council services.
The government says this will cut wasteful duplication, increase value for money for taxpayers and make council services more resilient and sustainable.
At a meeting of Full Council on Monday, Canterbury City Council councillors debated the options around what areas of the county each unitary council should cover.
The city council’s Cabinet then agreed to give the Leader of the Council the ability sign off the Kent-wide submission and carry on discussions with Council Leaders across the county.
Sarnia, Ontario – The Canadian Coast Guard advises residents of Midland, Ontario that the CCGSPierre Radissonwill carry out icebreaking operations in the Georgian Bay area on or aroundMarch 24, 2025.The purpose of this operation is to break up the ice to allow commercial vessels safe and efficient movement.
It is recommended that all traffic on the ice, including pedestrians, fishers, snowmobilers, and all-terrain vehicle operators, leave the ice during icebreaking operations. The ice may move, creating a real danger for anyone on it. Additionally, plan activities carefully and use extreme caution after operations are complete as the ice will remain unstable even once the icebreaker has left the area.
Icebreaking on the Great Lakes and connecting waterways is delivered through close co-operation between the Canadian and United States Coast Guards. By working together, the two Coast Guards ensure scheduled vessel traffic can move through the shipping channels and in and out of community harbours. Vessels will be assigned as needed to provide this service.
The date and assets are subject to change with no notice, as activities could begin before or after that period, depending on operational requirements or weather conditions.
WASHINGTON — The Department of Justice congratulates Gadyaces “Gady” Serralta on his nomination to be the next Director of the United States Marshals Service (USMS).
Gady Serralta (USMS Director Nominee)
Beginning his career as a Miami Patrol Officer in 1990, Mr. Serralta has dedicated over 34 years of his life to serving in law enforcement. Mr. Serralta has spent the last six years as the U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of Florida after being confirmed in 2018. As the U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of Florida, Mr. Serralta faithfully served millions of residents by managing operations across several counties and in multiple courthouses. Prior to becoming a U.S. Marshal, Mr. Serralta was a Major in the Miami-Dade Police Department and the Police Chief for Palmetto Bay, Florida. Mr. Serralta has extensive experience in handling criminal investigations and tackling organized crime.
Mr. Serralta received a B.S. in Criminal Justice Studies from Florida International University and a M.S. in Leadership from Nova Southeastern University.
From triage and testing to diagnostics and surgeries, China’s healthcare sector is rapidly integrating AI technology into medical practices to improve efficiency and upgrade quality. At the 2025 China Medical Equipment Exhibition in mid-March, the Longwood Valley MedTech unveiled its ROPA orthopedic smart surgical robot, a groundbreaking device packed with AI deep learning features. Like a super-smart assistant for doctors, it helps with preoperative decision-making and planning. The robot can be used in joint replacement and spinal surgeries with its AI system being able to reconstruct the 3D model of the human joint based on the patient’s CT images, allowing doctors to simulate the surgery in advance and formulate preoperative plans, said Chen Peng, vice president of the company. “Manual modeling usually takes a technician a whole day, while our AI system can complete it in just one to three minutes,” Chen added. He explained that the company’s AI system had already been applied in surgical practices at many hospitals across the country, significantly improving surgeries’ efficiency, safety, and accuracy. Using AI-powered robots can cut the average surgical time by 30 percent, resulting in less anesthesia duration, lower intraoperative exposure risks, and a lower probability of complications, Chen said. Beijing Children’s Hospital’s first AI pediatrician, who joined the medical team in February of this year, also offered a helping hand. During a joint consultation held at the hospital, ten children from across the country, each battling complex tumors or undiagnosed conditions, received diagnoses from both the AI pediatrician and a panel of medical experts. The AI pediatrician’s treatment recommendations aligned closely with the expert panel’s. “I trust doctors’ judgments, and I also think the opinion of the AI pediatrician can be a valuable reference,” said a Tianjin father who brought his child for the consultation. The medical knowledge of the AI pediatrician matches that of experts at top Chinese hospitals. In recent consultations on tough cases, its conclusions were highly consistent with human experts, according to Wang Xiaochuan, founder and CEO of Baichuan AI, the developer of the AI pediatrician. “With AI colleagues, we can better protect the health and lives of children,” said Ni Xin, hospital president, where some 8,000 to 10,000 outpatient and emergency cases are handled daily. This AI program is expected to expand to primary-level hospitals, communities and households. It will offer on-site training for local doctors and guide home-based medical care to ease the shortage of top-notch pediatric medical resources. So far, Chinese domestic enterprises have released over 50 AI healthcare vertical large models, according to a recent report by CITIC Securities. These models can alleviate the problem of insufficient grassroots medical resources and improve the efficiency of diagnosis and treatment at a lower cost. Triage and medical image interpretation are currently the primary scenarios among these large models. For instance, the AI-powered cognitive function analysis system used in Peking Union Medical College Hospital is designed for the early screening of patients and high-risk groups with brain cognitive impairments caused by stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease. The large model RuiPath at Ruijin Hospital, affiliated with the Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, is applied to assist in analyzing pathology images. Developed by Huawei, this model integrates multimodal data and incorporates the disease characteristics of the Chinese population, providing pathologists with accurate and efficient support. Some 6,000 pathological slides are generated daily in Ruijin Hospital, with each doctor examining an average of 200 to 300 slides. Through traditional methods, doctors have to diagnose each slide under a microscope, a process that takes about 40 minutes per slide. However, using RuiPath’s interactive pathological diagnostics, the model can identify the lesion areas, reducing the diagnosis time for a single slide to mere seconds. Indeed, the application of AI will effectively ease the lack of pathologists in China, improve the slide examination efficiency and diagnostic accuracy, and provide more precise support for clinical treatment decisions, said Ning Guang, president of Ruijin Hospital. However, the ultimate goal of AI technology in healthcare is not to replace doctors, said Liu Zhongjun, director of the spinal surgery institute at Peking University Third Hospital. Instead, it should aim to relieve doctors of their repetitive tasks, allowing them to focus more on in-depth communication with patients and provide humanistic care, Liu said. Every technological iteration should be measured by its clinical value and underpinned by patient safety. Only in this way can this AI revolution truly safeguard human health and support the future of human well-being, he said.
Based on research on lunar samples retrieved by Chang’e-6 mission, a team of Chinese scientists confirmed that the oldest and largest impact crater on the moon, the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) basin, was formed 4.25 billion years ago, providing critical insights into the understanding of the early evolution of the moon and the solar system. According to the study paper published Friday on National Science Review, the team, led by Chen Yi from the Institute of Geology and Geophysics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has analyzed the samples returned by the Chang’e-6 mission, and precisely dated SPA basin’s formation to 4.25 billion years ago. The SPA basin, a colossal scar stretching across the moon’s far side, was likely formed during a barrage of asteroids pummeling much of the solar system within the first few hundred million years of its history. However, it has been difficult to date the basin. As indirect estimates of the time of the SPA impact range widely from 4.26 to 4.35 billion years ago, planetary scientists have long waited to get their hands on direct evidence–rock samples from the SPA basin itself–to unravel the mysteries of the moon and the solar system. China’s Chang’e-6 mission returned the first samples from the SPA basin, finally providing the long-anticipated opportunity for direct dating of the SAP basin. However, the Chang’e-6 lander landed on the mare basalt area of the Apollo Basin within the SPA Basin. This area has experienced multiple impacts and a basaltic eruption after the SPA impact. This has led to the fact that Chang’e-6 lunar samples contain fragments of materials from different periods, posing a challenge to the accurate dating of the SPA basin. “The SPA impact event produced a massive impact melt sheet,” explained Chen. “To precisely determine its formation age, we first need to identify the products of this impact melt sheet in the Chang’e-6 lunar samples.” The researchers examined approximately 1,600 fragments from 5 grams of samples, identifying 20 representative norite clasts with textures, mineralogy and geochemistry indicative of an impact origin. Through precise lead-lead dating of zirconium-bearing minerals within these clasts, the team uncovered evidence of two distinct impact events at 4.25 and 3.87 billion years ago. The older norites, dating back to 4.25 billion years, exhibited structural and compositional characteristics that suggest they crystallized at different levels within a common impact melt sheet generated by the SPA impact. The extensive geological surveys and comparative lithological analyses of the SPA basin strongly suggest that the older impact age of 4.25 billion years most likely represents the timing of the SPA impact, Chen added. According to the study, this finding provides the first direct, sample-based evidence that the moon’s largest impact basin formed approximately 320 million years after the beginning of solar system. The definitive age of 4.25 billion years for the SPA basin can serve as a crucial anchor point for refining the lunar cratering chronology and establishing a more complete temporal sequence of the moon’s early evolution. The Chang’e-6 probe was launched from China on May 3, 2024. On June 25, 2024, its returner landed in north China, bringing back 1,935.3 grams of samples from the far side of the moon.
A 19-year-old woman was arrested by Grand Falls-Windsor RCMP on March 19, 2025, for impaired operation.
At approximately 3:15 a.m. on Wednesday, police stopped a vehicle on Lincoln Road in Grand Falls-Windsor. The driver showed signs of alcohol impairment, failed a roadside breath test and was arrested. At the detachment, the woman provided further breath samples that were above the legal limit.
She was released from custody and is set to appear in court at a later date to answer to charges of impaired operation. Her licence was suspended and the vehicle was seized and impounded.
RCMP NL continues to fulfill its mandate to protect public safety, enforce the law, and ensure the delivery of priority policing services in Newfoundland and Labrador.
DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Davenport man was sentenced yesterday to 121 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon and possessing a distribution quantity of marijuana.
According to public court documents, and evidence presented at sentencing, Demarcus Letrelle Culberson Jr., 22, possessed a distribution quantity of marijuana in his car and at his residence. At Culberson’s residence, law enforcement also found a loaded firearm. A shell casing found at the scene of an October 2023 shooting was identified as having been fired from the firearm found at Culberson’s residence. Culberson was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he is a felon.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Culberson will be required to serve a three-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Davenport Police Department.
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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man admitted to several firearms and narcotics trafficking offenses, U.S. Attorney John Giordano announced.
Carlo M. De Leon De Jesus, 28, of Newark, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert Kirsch in Trenton federal court to an Information charging him with one count of dealing firearms without a license, one count of transferring firearms to an out-of-state resident, one count of firearms trafficking, and one count of conspiracy to distribute narcotics. De Leon De Jesus’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 28, 2025.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On multiple dates between July 2023 and September 2023, De Leon De Jesus sold firearms and narcotics to law enforcement, including one pistol, one semiautomatic handgun, one short barrel rifle, one AK variant style rifle, fentanyl, heroin and cocaine.
The count of dealing firearms without a license and transferring firearms to an out-of-state resident each carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of $250,000. The count of gun trafficking carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. The count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of $1,000,000.
U.S. Attorney Giordano credited special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Field Division, under the leadership of Special Agent in Charge L.C. Cheeks Jr., with the investigation leading to the charges. He also thanked the Drug Enforcement Administration, Newark Field Division, under the leadership of Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz, and Homeland Security Investigations, Newark Field Division, under the leadership of Special Agent in Charge Ricky Patel.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Taj Moore of the Narcotics/OCDETF in Newark.
Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:
BRAZZAVILLE, Congo (Republic of the), March 21, 2025/APO Group/ —
With expertise spanning multiple industries, a delegation from pan-African legal and advisory firm CLG (formerly Centurion Law Group) will speak at the inaugural Congo Energy & Investment Forum (CEIF) in Brazzaville this March. CLG, the official legal partner for CEIF 2025, is set to leverage this platform to address the unique challenges within Congo’s energy investment sector.
The delegation will include Zion Adeoye, CEO and Group Managing Partner; Yves Ollivier, Managing Director of CLG Congo; Grace Yella, Tax and Legal Director for Cameroon and Achare Takor, Senior Associate for Cameroon at CLG.
The inaugural Congo Energy & Investment Forum, set for March 24-26, 2025, in Brazzaville, under the patronage of President Denis Sassou Nguesso and supported by the Ministry of Hydrocarbons and Société Nationale des Pétroles du Congo, will bring together international investors and local stakeholders to explore national and regional energy and infrastructure opportunities. The event will explore the latest gas-to-power projects and provide updates on ongoing expansions across the country.
At CEIF 2025, CLG will host the Legal & Regulatory Frameworks for Congo’s Energy Market Development technical workshop. This session aims to provide an in-depth analysis of the current frameworks governing natural gas, including licensing requirements, fiscal policies and gas monetization strategies under the country’s Hydrocarbons Code. A panel of legal experts from CLG will discuss how legal factors influence investment decisions and contribute to the growth of Africa’s energy sector.
Congo is also set to unveil its Gas Master Plan and new Gas Code at CEIF 2025, which will advance the country’s gas monetization agenda and catalyze new infrastructure development. In parallel, Congo will launch an international oil and gas licensing round aimed at attracting investment in both marginal and deepwater blocks as part of its strategy to double oil production by 2027. With its recent office opening in Pointe-Noire, CLG is poised to offer direct support to energy professionals operating in or entering the Congolese market.
CLG’s Pointe-Noire office, managed by Ollivier, is focused on providing legal support for current and upcoming hydrocarbons projects in the region. Under Ollivier’s leadership, CLG’s local presence will help energy players navigate Central Africa’s complex legal landscape, minimizing risks and protecting assets. With expertise spanning energy, infrastructure, mining, agriculture and ESG standards, CLG offers comprehensive guidance to clients operating across Africa’s dynamic business environments. The firm combines technical excellence with an understanding of local markets and regulatory frameworks, helping clients achieve their business objectives and capitalize on growth opportunities.
“CLG’s expertise across energy, legal frameworks and regulatory issues is invaluable, particularly as we work to unlock the immense potential of Congo’s energy sector. The insights from CLG’s distinguished team will play a pivotal role in shaping discussions around the future of energy investment in Congo and Africa at large, providing crucial perspectives on the legal and regulatory complexities that will guide the region’s growth,” states Sandra Jeque, Events and Project Director at Energy Capital & Power.
Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:
BRAZZAVILLE, Congo (Republic of the), March 21, 2025/APO Group/ —
The African region has recorded the steepest decline globally in tuberculosis (TB) deaths since 2015, despite falling short of key milestones to significantly lower the burden of the disease and end its toll on health and lives.
Deaths from TB fell by 42% between 2015 and 2023 while cases declined by 24% over the same period, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) Global TB Report 2024.
The reductions were mainly due to increased efforts by countries to reinforce case detection and provision of treatment, thus averting deaths. About 1.9 million cases were detected in 2023 compared with 1.4 million in 2020. Over the same period, treatment coverage rose from 55% to 74% across the region.
This year, World TB Day is being marked under the theme “Yes! We Can End TB: Commit, Invest, Deliver”, which calls for urgent action to turn commitments into tangible impact. It emphasizes the need for strong investment and decisive measures to scale up WHO-recommended interventions for early detection, diagnosis, preventive treatment and high-quality TB care.
The WHO End TB Strategy calls for countries to reduce TB deaths and cases by 75% and 50% respectively by 2025, compared with 2015 levels.
Several African countries have made notable progress. South Africa achieved a 50% reduction in TB incidence between 2015 and 2023, becoming the first country in the region to surpass the 2025 milestone ahead of schedule.
Mozambique, Tanzania, Togo and Zambia have also already met the 2025 goal of a 75% reduction in TB deaths. Other countries, including Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Sierra Leone and Uganda are close behind, with mortality reductions of 66% or more.
At a subregional level, Eastern and Southern Africa has been the main driver of TB reduction, cutting incidence from 466 to 266 per 100 000 between 2000 and 2023. Progress has been slower in Central and West Africa, where TB incidence and mortality remain a concern.
Despite the progress, several challenges still need to be overcome. Limited access to rapid diagnostics, which currently reach only 54% of TB patients, is one of the most pressing issues. While this marks a significant improvement from just 24% in 2015 – nearly doubling coverage in 10 years – access is insufficient to curb the spread of multidrug-resistant TB strains.
The burden of MDR-TB persists, with more than half of these cases undiagnosed and untreated in 2023.
TB also imposes a severe economic burden. For nearly 68% of TB-affected households in Africa, the cost of seeking treatment is catastrophic. Many families face high out-of-pocket medical expenses, loss of income and inadequate social protection, hindering adherence and full recovery.
Low funding continues to impede TB control efforts at national and regional levels. The African region requires US$ 4.5 billion annually for comprehensive TB services, yet only US$ 0.9 billion is currently available, leaving a US$ 3.6-billion gap. Without urgent investment, life-saving interventions will remain out of reach for many.
WHO continues to support countries to reinforce TB control and contribute to global efforts against the disease. This includes working with countries to adopt rapid diagnosis and updated treatment guides, in line with the UN High-Level Meeting Political Declaration on TB 2023.
To meet the global targets, urgent action is required to close the diagnostic gap, increase funding, and expand access to treatment and prevention.
Source: The Conversation – USA – By Chen Reis, Associate Clinical Professor, Director, Humanitarian Assistance Program, & Director, Human Rights MA, University of Denver
A woman scoops up portions of wheat to be allocated to each waiting family after it was distributed in the Tigray region of northern Ethiopia in 2021.AP Photo/Ben Curtis
More than 305 million people require lifesaving humanitarian aid today. Most of them live in areas wracked by conflict, such as Sudan, Gaza, Afghanistan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
As scholars who studyhumanitarian aid, we are seeing not just a crisis of funding but also one that jeopardizes the credibility of the entire global system that provides this lifesaving assistance.
When conflict breaks out or a disaster like an earthquake strikes, people require emergency medical care, temporary shelter, food and water. In countries where the government is unable or unwilling to provide these services, humanitarian organizations and international agencies step in to fill the gaps. Humanitarian aid is based on empathy and the recognition that everyone has a right to live with dignity.
“Our biggest global competitor and adversary is delighted that we’ve handed them an opportunity to say to communities and countries around the world that we are not a reliable partner,” Coons said.
By highlighting geopolitical, security and economic arguments for humanitarian aid, in our view, they risk further hurting the sector’s legitimacy.
While needs have increased, humanitarian funding has been flat or declining for years, leaving millions of people who need food, health care, shelter and protection without the assistance they need.
Every year, the U.N. assesses humanitarian need for the coming year and issues what amounts to a global budget request to meet those needs. Government donors commit funds toward that budget request, and those funds are then distributed to U.N. agencies and NGOs that implement humanitarian programming.
Humanitarian groups have historically embraced a set of core principles that emphasize the alleviation of human suffering wherever it may occur while remaining independent, neutral and impartial.
In conflict zones, these principles are essential for gaining access to people who need help. Aid workers build trust and acceptance by not picking sides in a conflict and providing aid based on need.
Focusing on what benefits donor countries instead of what serves humanitarian needs in areas experiencing famine, disasters or conflicts is at odds with these principles. However, in January, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested that U.S. interests would decide how aid is allocated.
“Every dollar we spend, every program we fund and every policy we pursue must be justified with the answer to three simple questions,” Rubio said. “Does it make America safer? Does it make America stronger? Does it make America more prosperous?”
Since late January, the Trump administration has cut 83% of USAID’s programs, according to recent reports.
Transactional arguments
In March, the State Department sent a questionnaire to nongovernmental organizations and U.N. agencies asking how they will conform to President Donald Trump’s “America First” policy and distribute aid in alignment with foreign policy goals.
Governments always consider their own interests as one factor when making decisions about humanitarian aid. But, we are concerned that humanitarian organizations and the public are not pushing back on these purely transactional arguments.
Instead, some organizations seem to be falling in line.
“This investment pays dividends by preventing humanitarian crises, containing disease outbreaks, and countering adversarial influence in vulnerable regions,” stated InterAction, an association of U.S.-based NGOs that distribute humanitarian aid and development assistance. “That’s why foreign aid has maintained decades of support across party lines — it is vital for U.S. security and international stability.”
We also see in these comments signs that justifications for aid are changing.
When former Secretary of State Colin Powell called nongovernmental organizations a “force multiplier” in 2001, it stirred controversy because he suggested that they were an extension of the government and a pillar of U.S. strategy. Even still, he acknowledged that NGOs required independence from government to do their essential work.
An important choice
Humanitarian organizations are grappling with the financial and operational consequences of their reliance on a small number of donor governments that have cut off or cut back aid. As they adjust to the new reality, we believe that they must make a choice.
They can embrace the increasingly transactional agendas of the rich countries that have historically provided most humanitarian aid funding. Doing so may increase aid flows but compromise humanitarian neutrality and impartiality – potentially restricting their access to the places they need to go to do their work.
Or they can focus on people affected by crises – as recipients of assistance and as agents of change. This option would likely mean operating on an even smaller budget at a time when needs are increasing.
Either way, the decisions made today will have significant implications for the future of humanitarian action.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
When companies advertise job openings, they often use buzzwords like “ambitious” and “self-reliant” to describe their ideal candidate. These traits sound appealing — what hiring manager wouldn’t want a driven employee?
As behavioral researchers in accounting, we are interested in executives who bend the rules. We decided to study job postings after noticing that the language used to describe an “ideal candidate” often included traits linked to narcissism. For example, narcissists tend to see themselves as highly creativeand persuasive. Prior research also shows that narcissistic employees are more innovative and willing to take risks to get the success and admiration they crave, even if it means bending the rules.
Based on these observations, we compiled two sets of terms commonly used in job postings. We call the two sets “rule-follower” and “rule-bender” language.
Some examples of rule-bender language include “develops creative and innovative solutions to problems,” “communicates in a tactical and persuasive manner” and “thinks outside the box.” In contrast, the rule-follower language includes terms like “relies on time-tested solutions to problems,” “communicates in a straightforward and accurate manner” and “thinks methodically.”
Through a series of experiments, we found that rule-bender language attracts individuals with higher levels of narcissism for accounting-specific jobs, as well as other industries. To measure narcissism, we used a personality assessment that asks people to choose whether they identify more with more narcissistic statements like, “I always know what I am doing,” or less narcissistic statements like “Sometimes I am not sure of what I am doing.”
We also found that recruiters are more likely to use rule-bender terms when hiring for highly innovative, high-growth companies. For accounting positions, recruiters are more likely to use such terms when aggressive financial reporting could benefit the firm.
Why it matters
Companies write job postings carefully in hopes of attracting the ideal candidate. However, they may unknowingly attract and select narcissistic candidates whose goals and ethics might not align with a company’s values or long-term success. Research shows that narcissistic employees are more likely to behave unethically, potentially leading to legal consequences.
While narcissistic traits can lead to negative outcomes, we aren’t saying that companies should avoid attracting narcissistic applicants altogether. Consider a company hiring a salesperson. A firm can benefit from a salesperson who is persuasive, who “thinks outside the box” and who is “results-oriented.” In contrast, a company hiring an accountant or compliance officer would likely benefit from someone who “thinks methodically” and “communicates in a straightforward and accurate manner.”
Bending the rules is of particular concern in accounting. A significant amount of research examines how accounting managers sometimes bend rules or massage the numbers to achieve earnings targets. This “earnings management” can misrepresent the company’s true financial position.
In fact, my co-author Nick Seybert is currently working on a paper whose data suggests rule-bender language in accounting job postings predicts rule-bending in financial reporting.
Our current findings shed light on the importance of carefully crafting job posting language. Recruiting professionals may instinctively use rule-bender language to try to attract someone who seems like a good fit. If companies are concerned about hiring narcissists, they may want to clearly communicate their ethical values and needs while crafting a job posting, or avoid rule-bender language entirely.
What still isn’t known
While we find that professional recruiters are using language that attracts narcissists, it is unclear whether this is intentional.
Additionally, we are unsure what really drives rule-bending in a company. Rule-bending could happen due to attracting and hiring more narcissistic candidates, or it could be because of a company’s culture – or a combination of both.
The Research Brief is a short take on interesting academic work.
Jonathan Gay does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: The Conversation – USA – By Betsy Sinclair, Professor and Chair of Political Science, Washington University in St. Louis
As Americans’ social worlds grow further apart, stereotypes intensify – driving an even deeper wedge between red and blue America.wildpixel/iStock via Getty Images Plus
Are you angry about politics right now? Seething? You’re not alone. According to the Mood of the Nation Poll by researchers at Penn State, 9 in 10 Americans can name a recent news event or something about American politics that made them angry.
Political scientists Steven Webster, Elizabeth Connorsand I have investigated what happens to people’s social networks – their friends, family and neighbors – when partisan anger takes over. For example, suppose your neighbor is a member of the opposite political party. You’ve always watered their plants when they go on vacation. Given the news these days and how angry you’re feeling, what will you say when they ask for help during their next trip?
We found that when someone is angry with the opposite party, they avoid people with those views. That can include not assisting neighbors with various tasks, avoiding social gatherings attended by people from the other side, and refusing to date people who vote differently. It means being disappointed if your son or daughter marries a supporter of the opposing party, and even severing close friendships or distancing yourself from close relatives.
We see that political anger disrupts ordinary life – coffee with a friend – as well as more major life decisions. Political anger breaks our social networks.
People rely on their relationships to understand our world – and to vote. The more we isolate ourselves from people who see things differently, the easier it is to misunderstand them, pushing us to separate even more.
Stereotype vs. reality
During the Obama administration, my collaborators and I asked a nationally representative sample of voters to describe their stereotypes about the opposite party. Our questions were intended to tap into perceptions of the other side’s lifestyles and cultural values, in addition to policy attitudes.
First, we wanted to establish each side’s actual views. Our 2012-2016 study asked around 1,300 Americans whether they agreed with statements that are often associated with one party or the other – including creationism, guns, taxes and eco-friendliness.
For example, 42.5% of all Republicans we surveyed agreed with the statement that “this country would be safer if every law-abiding citizen possessed a firearm,” versus 25.1% of independents and 14.2% of Democrats. Meanwhile, 38.7% of Democrats agreed that “this country would be better if every citizen drove an electric car,” compared with 22% of independents and 11.4% of Republicans.
Two months later, we went back to the same voters and asked them a different question: What percentage of Democrats and Republicans did they think would agree with these statements?
We saw dramatic evidence of stereotypes. For example, only 19% of Democrats agreed that all Americans should pay more taxes, but more than 80% of Republicans believed the percentage to be higher. The same pattern occurred with electric cars and firearms. Just over 42% of Republicans agreed that all “law-abiding” citizens should have a gun, but the typical Democrat believed the percentage to be 60%-80%.
Americans do not understand each other across the red-blue divide. Importantly, respondents with more ideologically extreme views themselves had less accurate perceptions of the other party.
Avoiding the Joneses
The more extreme our beliefs become, the harder it will be to understand our neighbors.
Suppose you are a Republican. You learn that your Democratic neighbors believe that everyone should drive an electric car, marijuana should be legal in all states, and universal health care should be available to all citizens. Or suppose you are a Democrat, and you learn that your Republican neighbors believe that humans and dinosaurs walked the Earth at the same time, that elementary school students should be required to recite the Pledge of Allegiance every morning, and that a fence should be built between the U.S. and Mexico.
Would you want to be friends?
These hypothetical neighbors have stereotypical beliefs – and most Americans say they do not want those neighbors in their social networks. Specifically, according to our 2023 study, they reported not wanting to become friends, not having this neighbor over for a family meal, and not feeling comfortable allowing their children to play with the neighbor’s kids, among other activities.
Stereotypes don’t just drive individual people and families apart; they make neighborhoods less cohesive. We ascribe stereotypical beliefs to people who are members of the opposite party – and then we react to these stereotypes, not to our neighbors themselves.
Cutting off those in-person relationships isn’t just a problem for safety and friendliness around the block. It’s a problem for democracy because Americans need relationships with people whose politics are different than their own.
A majority of Americans have social circles that are politically homogeneous. Even in 2020, 53% of Republicans said that their network was exclusively composed of Donald Trump supporters, and 55% of Democrats said that their network was exclusively composed of Joe Biden supporters.
In her book “Through the Grapevine,” political scientist Taylor Carlson documents that approximately 1 in 3 American voters mostly learn about politics from socially transmitted information: news they get from talking with friends or scrolling on social media. Relying on these sources is particularly problematic in social networks that are homogeneous, as exposure to information from someone in your own party can lead people to have more extreme positions. Carlson’s work highlights that voters who rely on friends to shape their views rely upon a resource that is heavily biased.
In my own book “The Social Citizen,” I investigated the influence peers have on political decisions, from voting and donating to identifying with a political party. For example, if a neighbor knocks on your door and asks you to turn out to vote, you are 4%-11% more likely to go cast a ballot than if a stranger knocked on your door.
Democracy in action
What can we do to remedy the fractures? We need to understand each other.
The U.S. has a long tradition of political dialogue. Indeed, after a brutal election tested their friendship, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson did not exchange letters for 11 years. But the pair resumed their correspondence in 1812 with Adams’ statement – later echoed by Jefferson – “You and I, ought not to die, before We have explained ourselves to each other.”
What Adams and Jefferson understood in the 19th century still applies to the divisions in American society today: Reconciliation requires understanding. These conversations are frequently painful and hard; data scientists have noted that Thanksgiving dinners with guests who cross party lines are frequently shorter. But as my own research shows, we are most able to persuade people with whom we have the closest ties.
Democracy challenges us to participate in more ways than simply by voting. It challenges everyone to understand those around us and seek what is in the collective best interest.
And we have the most influence over people in our social networks. So that friend you’re really angry with about their politics? It’s time to give them a call and have a conversation.
Betsy Sinclair does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: The Conversation – USA – By Samuel C. Mahaney, Director, Missouri S&T Policy and Armed Forces Research and Development Institute; Lecturer of History, National Security, and Leadership, Missouri University of Science and Technology
Nor did he give an explanation for similarly ousting other senior military leaders, including the only women ever to lead the Navy and the Coast Guard, as well as the military’s top three lawyers – the judge advocates general of the Army, Navy and Air Force.
The president is the commander-in-chief of the U.S. armed forces. But since the days of George Washington, the military has been dedicated to serving the nation, not a specific person or political agenda. I know this because I served 36 years in the U.S. Air Force before retiring as a major general. Even now, as a lecturer in history, national security and constitutional law, I know that nonpartisanship is central to the military’s primary mission of defending the country.
If so, military personnel at all levels would face a crucial question: Would they stand up for the military’s independent role in maintaining the integrity and stability of American democracy or follow the president’s orders – even if those orders crossed a line that made them illegal or unconstitutional?
After the American Revolution, George Washington resigned his military commission and returned to civilian life. Herman Bencke via Library of Congress
Political neutrality from the start
Washington and other U.S. founders were very aware that a powerful military could overthrow the government or be subjected to political whims as different parties or factions controlled the presidency or Congress, so they thought long and hard about the role of the militia and the use of military power.
Julius Caesar, who used his army to seize power in ancient Rome, was a cautionary tale. So was Oliver Cromwell’s use of his military power in the English Civil War to execute King Charles I and rule England.
One of Washington’s most significant contributions to the apolitical tradition of the military was his resignation as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army after the American Revolution officially ended, in 1783. By voluntarily giving up his military power and returning to civilian life, the man who would become the nation’s first president demonstrated his commitment to civilian control of a military grounded in allegiance to the pursuit of life, liberty and happiness, not allegiance to any one party, faction or person.
Washington’s act set a powerful example for future generations. A few years later, the founders embedded civilian control over the military in the U.S. Constitution. Article I, Section 8 gives Congress the power to declare war and fund armies, while Article II, Section 2 designates the president as the commander-in-chief of the military.
This check and balance ensures the military remains neutral and subordinate to elected leaders. It also solidifies the allegiance of military leaders to a principled document, not to the ebbs and flows of politics.
Polling consistently shows that the American people trust the military more than any other element of the U.S. government. In part that trust comes from the military’s professional dedication to political neutrality, which includes training its personnel to uphold values like duty, honor and integrity.
Military members up and down the ranks take their allegiance to the Constitution seriously. At the beginning of their service, at every reenlistment and usually during promotion ceremonies, all military members – officers and enlisted – swear to support and defend the Constitution. The enlisted oath also includes a promise to follow the lawful orders of the president and of the officers appointed above them.
This foundational oath ensures that if members of the military receive orders that they believe are questionable, they will not follow those orders blindly. They are taught throughout their career – during basic training, officer candidate training and in recurring sessions through the years – to seek clarification. If necessary, they are told to challenge those orders through their chain of command, or through attorneys associated with their units, or by contacting their branch’s inspectorgeneral.
Depending on their ranks, military members’ responses to questionable orders can vary. Senior officers, who have extensive experience and higher levels of responsibility, have the authority and the duty to ensure that any orders they follow or pass down are lawful and in line with the Constitution. When evaluating uncertain orders or navigating unclear situations, they often consult with legal advisers, discuss the implications with peers and thoroughly analyze the situation before taking action.
Junior officers and senior enlisted personnel often find themselves in positions where they must make quick decisions based on the information available to them. While they are trained to follow orders, they are also encouraged to use their judgment and seek guidance when they believe an order to be unlawful – including getting advice from people with direct access to attorneys.
Junior enlisted personnel, who make up more than 40% of the military force, are also taught the importance of the legality and constitutionality of orders. They have the right to seek clarification if they believe an order is unlawful.
The responsibility of scrutinizing orders falls on senior military leaders – admirals and generals, colonels and Navy captains. Junior officers and senior enlisted and junior enlisted personnel rely on their leaders to navigate the complexities of politics and ensure orders they receive are lawful and focused on national defense, not politics.
If senior military leaders fail in their responsibility, chaos could ensue: Units may end up following conflicting orders or ignoring directives altogether. This can lead to a breakdown in command and control, with some units acting independently or based on politically motivated directives. This would be a dangerous shift, making the military extremely vulnerable to operational failures and enemy attack.
President Lyndon Johnson, center, and Gen. William Westmoreland visit troops in South Vietnam in 1967. AP Photo
Such a situation has never happened in the history of the U.S. military. But some events have come close to crossing the line. For instance, during the Vietnam War, President Lyndon Johnson was determined to demonstrate American strength and resolve, famously stating, “I will not lose in Vietnam.” His pressure landed on the shoulders of Gen. William Westmoreland.
Westmoreland responded by publicizing the numbers of enemy personnel killed in battle, attempting to show that U.S. efforts were reducing the size of opposing forces. But historians have found that this emphasis lacked clear military objectives, meaning troops faced confusion and contradictory orders. The price was a longer war, and more deaths for Americans and for Vietnamese civilians.
Ultimately, Westmoreland was accused of manipulating enemy troop strength estimates to create an impression of progress – in service of Johnson’s political desire to avoid defeat. His decisions did not directly violate the Constitution or U.S. law, but they exemplify how political pressures can adversely influence military strategies, with devastating consequences.
Unbiased sources of information
In addition to senior military leaders’ responsibility to remain apolitical, leaders also have clear responsibilities to the civilians elected and appointed above them.
For example, the president needs factual and unbiased information about the military’s capabilities from the Joint Chiefs of Staff, based on their experience and professional opinions. If advisers are hesitant to speak freely about what is and is not possible in any given situation, and about potential consequences both good and bad, the president will miss out on the kinds of critical insights that shape effective strategies.
The bottom line is that when top military experts give advice and take action influenced by politics, they undermine the centuries-old system of military training and ethics. Some traditions are worth keeping.
Samuel C. Mahaney does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
The CEOs of Meta, Amazon, Google and X — Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Sundar Pichai and Elon Musk — attend the inauguration of Donald Trump on Jan. 20, 2025.Photo by Ricky Carioti – Pool/Getty Images
Social media platforms tend not to be that bothered by national boundaries.
What is brewing is a global struggle over digital platform governance. And in this battle, U.S. platforms are increasingly leaning on American laws to challenge other nation’s regulations. It is, we believe as experts on digital law – one an executive director of a forum monitoring how countries implement democratic principles – a form of digital imperialism.
A rumble in the tech jungle
The latest manifestation of this phenomenon occurred in February 2025, when new tensions emerged between Brazil’s judiciary and U.S.-based social media platforms.
Trump Media & Technology Group and Rumble filed a lawsuit in the U.S. against Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, challenging his orders to suspend accounts on the two platforms linked to disinformation campaigns in Brazil.
The case follows earlier unsuccessful efforts by Elon Musk’s X to resist similar Brazilian rulings.
Together, the cases exemplify a growing trend in which U.S. political and corporate actors attempt to undermine foreign regulatory authority by pressing the case that domestic U.S. law and corporate protections should take precedence over sovereign policies globally.
From corporate lobbying to lawfare
At the core of the dispute is Allan dos Santos, a right-wing Brazilian influencer and fugitive from justice who fled to the U.S. in 2021 after De Moraes ordered his preventive arrest for allegedly coordinating disinformation networks and inciting violence.
Dos Santos has continued his online activities abroad. Brazil’s extradition requests have gone unanswered due to claims by U.S. authorities that the case involves issues of free speech rather than criminal offenses.
Trump Media and Rumble’s lawsuit attempts to do two things. First, it seeks to frame Brazil’s judicial actions as censorship rather than oversight. And second, it seeks to portray the Brazilian court action as territorial overreach.
Their position is that as the target of the action was in the U.S., they are subject to U.S. free speech protections under the First Amendment. The fact that the subject of the ban was Brazilian and is accused of spreading disinformation and hate in Brazil should not, they argue, matter.
For now, U.S. courts agree. In late February, a Florida-based judge ruled that Rumble and Trump Media need not comply with the Brazilian order.
Big Tech pushback to regulation
The case signals an important shift in the contest over platform accountability – a move from corporate lobbying and political pressure to direct legal intervention in foreign jurisdictions. U.S. courts are now being used to challenge overseas decisions regarding platform accountability.
The outcome and the broader legal strategy behind the lawsuit could have far-reaching implications not only for Brazil but for any country or region – such as the European Union – attempting to regulate online spaces.
The resistance against digital regulation predates the Trump administration.
In Brazil, efforts to regulate social media platforms have long faced substantial opposition. Big Tech companies – including Google, Meta and X – have used their economic and political influence to lobby against tighter regulation, often framing such policies as a threat to free expression.
In 2020, the Brazilian “Fake News Bill,” which sought to hold platforms accountable for the spread of disinformation, was met with strong opposition from these companies.
Google and Meta launched high-profile campaigns to oppose the bill, warning it would “threaten free speech” and “harm small businesses.” Google placed banners on its Brazilian homepage urging users to reject the legislation, while Meta ran advertisements questioning its implications for the digital economy.
These efforts, alongside lobbying and political resistance, were successful in helping to delay and weaken the regulatory framework.
Mixing corporate and political power
The difference now is that challenges are blurring the line between the corporate and the political.
This imbalance extends to corporate power, with decades of legal precedent expanding protections for private interests. The case law cemented corporate speechprotections, a logic laterextended to digital platforms.
U.S. free speech advocates in Big Tech and the U.S. government are seemingly escalating this trend to an even more extreme interpretation: that American free speech arguments can be deployed to resist the regulation of other jurisdictions and challenge foreign legal frameworks.
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who has fought disinformation on tech platforms, attends a session of the country’s high court on Feb. 26. Ton Molina/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Such an argument may have been fine if the same interpretation of free speech – and its appropriate protections – were universally accepted. But they are not.
The concept of free speech varies significantly across nations and regions.
Countries such as Brazil, Germany, France and others adopt what legal experts refer to as a proportionality-based approach to free speech, balancing it against other fundamental rights such as human dignity, democratic integrity and public order.
Sovereign countries using this approach recognize freedom of expression as a fundamental and preferential right. But they also acknowledge that certain restrictions are necessary to protect democratic institutions, marginalized communities, public health and the informational ecosystem from harms.
While the U.S. imposes some limits on speech – such as defamation laws and protection against incitement to imminent lawless action – the First Amendment is generally far more expansive than in other democracies.
The future of digital governance
The legal battle over platform regulation is not confined to the current battle between U.S.-based platforms and Brazil. The EU’s Digital Services Act and the Online Safety Act in the United Kingdom are other examples of governments trying to assert control over platforms operating within their borders.
As such, the lawsuit by Trump Media and Rumble against the Brazilian Supreme Court signals a critical moment in global geopolitics.
And this overlap in the policy priorities of social media platforms and the political interests of the U.S. administration opens a new era in the deregulation debate in which U.S. free speech absolutists are seeking to establish legal precedents that might challenge the future of other nations’ regulatory efforts.
As countries continue to develop regulatory frameworks for digital governance – for instance, AI regulation imposing stricter governance rules in Brazil and in the EU – the legal, economic and political strategies platforms employ to challenge oversight mechanisms will play a crucial role in determining the future balance between corporate influence and the rule of law.
Camille Grenier is Executive Director at the Forum on Information and Democracy, a non-profit entity led by civil society organisations and mandated to implement democratic principles.
Yasmin Curzi de Mendonça does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
When I taught research methods to undergraduates, I would start by asking whether anyone in the class had $20. Though harder to come by thanks to digital payment options, inevitably someone would produce a $20 bill. I would then ask whether they knew how the bill came to look the way it does. Students would take guesses – often rooted in history and counterfeiting concerns.
While valid, the larger font and picture designs that came about in the 1990s and early 2000s were also the result of research intended to make the bills more accessible for the 3.5 million Americans with low vision. One of those Americans with low vision was a researcher on the team designing the new bill, experimental psychologist Gordon Legge.
These changes made it easier for those low-vision Americans, their families and others around the world to read and use American dollars. In other countries, bills and coins come in different sizes that pertain to their value, making them much easier for people with low vision and the blind to use. Legge’s research saved Americans the cost of having to completely redesign the currency to come in different sizes.
My goal in talking about the currency redesign with my students was to show them how research has shaped their lives, often in ways they didn’t even realize.
Now, following President Donald Trump’s executive order on federal projects related to DEIA – diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility – many research initiatives similar to the bill redesign project will lose funding.
DEIA initiatives are projects that seek to reduce discrimination and promote equal opportunities and equal access in multiple spaces such as school and workplaces, as well as in legal, housing and medical systems.
While frequently focused on those who have faced long-standing barriers to these resources – for example, racial and ethnic minorities and people with disabilities – the results of research related to DEIA are often applied to help all people achieve their potential.
The Trump administration’s list of DEIA-related terms is so broad that it’s flagging non-DEIA related work for potential termination. I’ve heard many scientists discuss how their programs of research have been wrongfully included in the anti-DEIA sweeps because they use terms such as “biodiversity.”
However, research that would be considered DEIA work has made influential contributions to society over the past few decades – it raises the question of whether any flagging is actually right. The backlash to anti-DEIA research seems to have started with criticism of DEI-related human resources training in workplaces. But the word list goes well beyond what would appear in HR training.
DEIA research identifies the problems and proposes the solutions. Solutions such as translation services for the hearing impaired, parental leave for mothers and fathers, pay equity, time off for religious holidays and lactation rooms for nursing mothers all stem from what could be labeled DEIA research and advocacy.
For instance, lactation rooms came about based on research into what working mothers needed to ease their return to work after pregnancy. This included research into breast pumps and even architectural research on how to best design these rooms.
DEIA contributions
DEIA work is nothing new – just the label is. After all, it was DEIA research in the 1950s that psychologists Kenneth and Mamie Clark presented to the Supreme Court to argue that school segregation harmed children, leading to the banning of the policy.
This work continues today as new DEIA research reveals that schools are often still racially homogenous. That means many American students still go to schools where the student bodies are primarily white or primarily racial minorities. However, the reasons for these divides are no longer due to segregation being the law.
Just today, I received a news alert about scientific breakthroughs in the neurological study of postpartum depression. Because “women” and “pregnant people” are on the list of terms flagged as DEIA-related, studies on postpartum depression could be considered DEIA.
Some might say “of course DEIA research will show DEIA works,” but it is also DEIA research that critiques the limitations of training to reduce bias – such as human resources workshops intended to teach workers about inclusive language, cultural sensitivity or implicit bias. Other non-DEIA HR training also faces criticism.
Scientists discuss these limitations, and the scientific process is constantly self-correcting as researchers search for better solutions. Recommendations about better training are proposed based on new research.
For instance, racial colorblindness is an ideology that grew out of the civil rights era and a desire to treat individuals equally regardless of race. However, it has led to some problems where people say they ignore race when really they don’t. For instance, in one study looking at race and dating preferences, white people endorsing a colorblind ideology were actually more likely to say they wouldn’t date a Black person than those who didn’t endorse colorblindness.
Many experts say that colorblindness is a flawed approach to talking about and understanding race and discrimination.
Colorblindness can also make people feel uncomfortable bringing up race in any context. One study shows how young people, who are not yet wary of identifying people by race, can outperform adults, who avoid race, during a game of Guess Who.
For example, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott created executive order GA-55 to end DEIA policies and institute a “color-blind” approach instead. Texas public universities had to eliminate DEIA offices and practices but not legacy admissions and scholarships that studies show disproportionately benefit white students.
Meritocracies assume a level playing field and can ignore disparities, such as wealth, that may afford some more opportunities than others – social mobility between income levels is rare and can take generations.
Hard work or talent does not compensate for imbalances in society as much as many people would like to believe.
Where we stand
Despite the anti-DEIA rhetoric present in American discourse, most Americans do not have negative attitudes toward DEIA; 52% even still think DEIA in the workplace is good. Most Americans, including white people, men and Republicans, also do not report having been harmed by DEIA policies. Overall, studies report that Americans value inclusivity.
Stopping cancer research because cancer prevention training doesn’t always work and sometimes backfires won’t stop cancer. Ignoring disparities will not make them go away. DEIA-related science is an ingrained part of the scientific enterprise, and cutting its funding could mean missing out on important breakthroughs.
H. Colleen Sinclair does not personally have any DEIA-related federal grants but she has received foundation research funding for math education research that includes looking at how to close disparities in achievement. The statements and opinions included in this The Conversation article are solely the author’s. Any statements and opinions included in these pages are not those of the Social Research and Evaluation Center, the College of Human Sciences & Education, the Louisiana State University, or the LSU Board of Supervisors.
When bots – automated agents that perform tasks on behalf of humans – become more active in online communities, it has profound effects on how humans interact with each other on those platforms. Bots designed to help users see more content increase the number of people users connect with but also decrease the interactions between people.
In online communities, replies, likes and comments between users form a network of interactions. Analysis of these social networks shows patterns, such as who is connecting and who is popular or important in the community.
My colleagues Nicholas Berente and Hani Safadiand Ianalyzed the network structure of communities on Reddit, called subreddits, that had seen increased use of bots from 2005 to 2019. Our goal was to see whether the presence of bots affected how the human community members interacted with each other.
Based on recent research, we knew that we were looking for two types of bots: reflexive and supervisory bots.
Reflexive bots are coded to plug into a community’s application programming interface. Based on how they are coded, they either post content based on specific rules or search for specific content and post a reply based on their preprogrammed rules. Supervisory bots have more permissions in the community and can delete or edit posts or even ban users based on preprogrammed community moderation rules.
We found that when there is more reflexive bot activity in a community – more bots posting content – there are more human-to-human connections. This means that the reflexive bots posting content enable people to find novel content and engage with other users they otherwise would not have seen. However, this high bot activity leads to less back-and-forth discussion between users. If a user posts on a subreddit, it is more likely that a bot will reply or interject itself into the conversation instead of two human users engaging in a meaningful back-and-forth discussion.
When there are supervisory bots moderating a community, we see less centralization in the human social network. This means that those key people who were important to the community have fewer connections than before. Without supervisory bots, these members would be the ones who establish and enforce community norms. With supervisory bots, this is less necessary, and those human members are less central to the community.
Social media bots explained.
Why it matters
Bots are prevalent across online communities, and they can process vast amounts of data very quickly, which means they can react and respond to many more posts than humans can.
What’s more, as generative AI improves, people could use it to create more and more sophisticated bot accounts, and the platforms could use it to coordinate content moderation. Tech companies investing heavily in generative AI technologies could also deploy generative AI bots to increase engagement on their platforms.
Our study can help users and community leaders understand the impact of these bots on their communities. It can also help community moderators understand the impact of enabling automated moderation through supervisory bots.
What’s next
Bots are rigid because of their rules-based nature, but they are likely to become more advanced as they incorporate new technologies such as generative AI. More research will be needed to understand how complex generative AI bots affect human-to-human interactions in online communities.
At the same time, automating platform moderation can lead to strange effects, because bots are more rigid in their enforcement and cannot deal with potential issues on a case-by-case basis. How generative AI changes moderator bots remains to be seen.
The Research Brief is a short take on interesting academic work.
John Lalor does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
When someone sees something that isn’t there, people often refer to the experience as a hallucination. Hallucinations occur when your sensory perception does not correspond to external stimuli.
Technologies that rely on artificial intelligence can have hallucinations, too.
When an algorithmic system generates information that seems plausible but is actually inaccurate or misleading, computer scientists call it an AI hallucination. Researchers have found these behaviors in different types of AI systems, from chatbots such as ChatGPT to image generators such as Dall-E to autonomous vehicles. We are information scienceresearchers who have studied hallucinations in AI speech recognition systems.
Wherever AI systems are used in daily life, their hallucinations can pose risks. Some may be minor – when a chatbot gives the wrong answer to a simple question, the user may end up ill-informed. But in other cases, the stakes are much higher. From courtrooms where AI software is used to make sentencing decisions to health insurance companies that use algorithms to determine a patient’s eligibility for coverage, AI hallucinations can have life-altering consequences. They can even be life-threatening: Autonomous vehicles use AI to detect obstacles, other vehicles and pedestrians.
Making it up
Hallucinations and their effects depend on the type of AI system. With large language models – the underlying technology of AI chatbots – hallucinations are pieces of information that sound convincing but are incorrect, made up or irrelevant. An AI chatbot might create a reference to a scientific article that doesn’t exist or provide a historical fact that is simply wrong, yet make it sound believable.
In a 2023 court case, for example, a New York attorney submitted a legal brief that he had written with the help of ChatGPT. A discerning judge later noticed that the brief cited a case that ChatGPT had made up. This could lead to different outcomes in courtrooms if humans were not able to detect the hallucinated piece of information.
With AI tools that can recognize objects in images, hallucinations occur when the AI generates captions that are not faithful to the provided image. Imagine asking a system to list objects in an image that only includes a woman from the chest up talking on a phone and receiving a response that says a woman talking on a phone while sitting on a bench. This inaccurate information could lead to different consequences in contexts where accuracy is critical.
What causes hallucinations
Engineers build AI systems by gathering massive amounts of data and feeding it into a computational system that detects patterns in the data. The system develops methods for responding to questions or performing tasks based on those patterns.
Supply an AI system with 1,000 photos of different breeds of dogs, labeled accordingly, and the system will soon learn to detect the difference between a poodle and a golden retriever. But feed it a photo of a blueberry muffin and, as machine learning researchers have shown, it may tell you that the muffin is a chihuahua.
Object recognition AIs can have trouble distinguishing between chihuahuas and blueberry muffins and between sheepdogs and mops. Shenkman et al, CC BY
When a system doesn’t understand the question or the information that it is presented with, it may hallucinate. Hallucinations often occur when the model fills in gaps based on similar contexts from its training data, or when it is built using biased or incomplete training data. This leads to incorrect guesses, as in the case of the mislabeled blueberry muffin.
It’s important to distinguish between AI hallucinations and intentionally creative AI outputs. When an AI system is asked to be creative – like when writing a story or generating artistic images – its novel outputs are expected and desired. Hallucinations, on the other hand, occur when an AI system is asked to provide factual information or perform specific tasks but instead generates incorrect or misleading content while presenting it as accurate.
The key difference lies in the context and purpose: Creativity is appropriate for artistic tasks, while hallucinations are problematic when accuracy and reliability are required.
To address these issues, companies have suggested using high-quality training data and limiting AI responses to follow certain guidelines. Nevertheless, these issues may persist in popular AI tools.
Large language models hallucinate in several ways.
What’s at risk
The impact of an output such as calling a blueberry muffin a chihuahua may seem trivial, but consider the different kinds of technologies that use image recognition systems: An autonomous vehicle that fails to identify objects could lead to a fatal traffic accident. An autonomous military drone that misidentifies a target could put civilians’ lives in danger.
For AI tools that provide automatic speech recognition, hallucinations are AI transcriptions that include words or phrases that were never actually spoken. This is more likely to occur in noisy environments, where an AI system may end up adding new or irrelevant words in an attempt to decipher background noise such as a passing truck or a crying infant.
As these systems become more regularly integrated into health care, social service and legal settings, hallucinations in automatic speech recognition could lead to inaccurate clinical or legal outcomes that harm patients, criminal defendants or families in need of social support.
Check AI’s work
Regardless of AI companies’ efforts to mitigate hallucinations, users should stay vigilant and question AI outputs, especially when they are used in contexts that require precision and accuracy. Double-checking AI-generated information with trusted sources, consulting experts when necessary, and recognizing the limitations of these tools are essential steps for minimizing their risks.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Tesla’s new Megafactory in east China’s Shanghai on Friday exported its first batch of Megapack energy-storage batteries, the company announced.
It took the new Megafactory just over a month after its production launch to achieve its first export, with the batteries being transported from Shanghai Port to Australia.
This export highlights Tesla’s further expansion in the global energy storage market, and also underlines the extension of its battery technology from electric vehicles to energy storage, according to the company.
The batteries produced at the Shanghai facility will supply both the domestic and Asia-Pacific markets.
Megapack is an electrochemical energy storage device that uses lithium batteries — a dominant technical route in the new-type energy storage industry. This sector is characterized by short construction periods, flexible layouts and fast responses, when compared to conventional pump storage.
Hailed by the company as a “milestone,” the new Megafactory is the first of its kind built by Tesla outside the United States and the company’s second plant in Shanghai, following the inauguration of its Gigafactory in 2019.
The Shanghai facility was built with an initial annual production capacity of 10,000 units. Notably, each Megapack unit can store over 3.9 megawatt-hours of energy — sufficient to power approximately 3,600 households for one hour.
Tesla anticipates a year-on-year increase of at least 50 percent in its energy storage deployments in 2025.
“Megafactory gives us the ability to scale production and efficiency,” said Mike Snyder, vice president of Tesla. “We can lower logistics costs as well as product costs, and grow the business to new markets.”
In the mountainous region of Daixian County, north China’s Shanxi Province, a pumped-storage power station with a total installed capacity of 1.4 million kilowatts is set to begin construction in June.
Li Zhitao, deputy general manager of Shanxi Daixian Zhenghuaneng Energy Development Co., Ltd., was busy working with his colleagues to finalize preparations for the commencement of the project, which involves an investment of 10.99 billion yuan (about 1.53 billion U.S. dollars).
“This project primarily serves new energy generation in northern Shanxi. The construction will take 72 months. Once completed, it will have an annual full-capacity power generation of 2.98 billion kilowatt-hours,” said Li.
As of the end of last year, the total installed capacity of new and clean energy in the three cities in northern Shanxi had reached nearly 31 million kilowatts.
To cope with the instability of wind and solar power output, a pumped-storage power station is needed to regulate and ensure the safe operation of the power grid, as well as reducing the waste of unused renewable energy.
Cai Pin, a renowned Chinese expert in hydropower industry, said that pumped-storage projects enjoy numerous advantages, including a long service life, mature technology, large-scale capacity, and low costs, making them the most economical energy storage option available.
China is actively striving to achieve “carbon peak” and build a new power system centered around renewable energy. According to the latest data released by the National Energy Administration, by the end of 2024, the country’s installed solar power capacity is approximately 890 million kilowatts, a year-on-year increase of 45.2 percent. Meanwhile, wind power capacity reached about 520 million kilowatts during the same period, marking an 18-percent increase.
Due to the demand for new energy installations, pumped-storage power stations have become a new investment hotspot in China’s power industry.
According to official data, by the end of 2024, China’s installed pumped-storage capacity had exceeded 58 million kilowatts, with the industry showing an overall positive development trend.
“Since 2021, the annual power generation growth rate of the State Grid’s pumped-storage power stations has remained above 18 percent, with an average of over 28 billion kilowatt-hours of new energy accommodated each year,” said Le Zhenchun with the State Grid.
China’s pumped-storage installed capacity remains the largest in the world, but industry experts said relying solely on the State Grid for construction will no longer be sufficient to meet the rapidly growing market demand. In response, the Chinese government has introduced policies to accelerate the development of pumped-storage power stations.
In addition to Shanxi’s plans to construct 10 such stations, other provinces across China have also introduced plans to accelerate the layout of pumped-storage power stations.
A national medium- and long-term plan for the industry has indicated that 340 key projects with a total planned installed capacity of approximately 420 million kilowatts will be constructed by 2035, while the total operational capacity is expected to reach around 120 million kilowatts by 2030.
As China’s new energy installations expand into deserts and seas, pumped-storage projects will also extend into these areas.
“With the support of innovations such as distributed pumped storage and seawater-based pumped storage, these projects will play a crucial role in helping China achieve its ‘dual carbon’ goals,” Cai said.
Source: People’s Republic of China Ministry of Health
SAO TOME — The Chinese government donated a batch of medical supplies to Sao Tome and Principe during a handover ceremony held here on Tuesday.
The supplies included essential medicines, basic surgical tools, and routine examination equipment.
Celso Matos, Sao Tome and Principe’s minister of health, praised China as a “reliable partner” in the country’s healthcare development.
Noting that the supplies would help ease shortages, the minister voiced hope for continued medical cooperation between the two sides.
Xu Yingzhen, Chinese ambassador to Sao Tome and Principe, reaffirmed China’s commitment to deepening cooperation, particularly in technical exchanges and training of healthcare professionals, to protect the lives and health of local people.
Zhao Linyong, head of the 19th batch of the Chinese medical team in the country, said local health authorities would distribute the supplies to hospitals and clinics nationwide.
In November, China donated medical equipment to the African country, including ventilators, monitors, and central venous catheters, to support intensive care units and surgical procedures.
A 71-year-old man is deceased following an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) crash that occurred on March 20, 2025, in Conception Harbour.
Shortly after 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, Holyrood RCMP received the report of the crash. A motorist came upon the overturned ATV that was towing a trailer, resting in a ditch on the side of the road. The lone occupant of the ATV died at the scene.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner was engaged and the investigation is continuing.
On March 20, 2025, the Board of Directors (Board) of the New Development Bank (NDB) convened for its 46th Meeting at the Bank’s Headquarters in Shanghai, China.
Pará Sanitation Development Project
The Board of Directors approved a loan of up to USD 50.0 million to Brazil’s State of Pará, guaranteed by the Federative Republic of Brazil, for the Pará Sanitation Development Project (Projeto de Desenvolvimento de Saneamento do Pará – Etapa Lagos – PRODESAN LAGOS). By implementing a sewage collection and treatment network in neighbourhoods surrounding the water bodies serving as the main water source in Belém Metropolitan Region (BMR) and carrying out preventive and corrective environmental control actions, the Project aims to restore the water sources providing supply to the BMR. The Project will be co-financed by the NDB and FONPLATA Development Bank (FONPLATA), strengthening ongoing collaboration between the two institutions. The Project contributes to achievement of UN Sustainable Development Goal 6 – Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.
Operations
The Board of Directors received a comprehensive update on the Bank’s robust and dynamic project pipeline. The Board was also briefed on project implementation, disbursement, ESG portfolio and project procurement in non-member countries.
Treasury and Finance
The Board of Directors was updated on the Bank’s funding activities, took note of the Annual Treasury Investment Portfolio Report for 2024, received a comprehensive analysis on the Bank’s loan book, and approved listing the Bank’s Euro Medium-Term Note Programme on the Nasdaq Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and the Bank’s Fourth RMB Bond Programme.
Membership Expansion
The Board of Directors took note of the progress of membership expansion and provided its guidance for the next steps.
Tenth Annual Meeting of the NDB Board of Governors
The Board of Directors recommended that the Tenth Annual Meeting of the NDB Board of Governors be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on July 4-5, 2025.
Committee Meetings
The 34th Meeting of the Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee and the 30th Meeting of the Budget, Human Resources and Compensation Committee were held on March 18, 2025, and March 19, 2025, respectively.
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Busani Ngcaweni, Visiting Adjunct Professor, Wits School of Governance, University of the Witwatersrand
The persistent challenge of falsified or misrepresented qualifications in South Africa exposes serious shortcomings in recruitment and appointment processes. Although the scale of the problem is difficult to quantify, it’s considered to be reaching “pandemic” levels. It is worse in the public sector.
The problem became so serious that government introduced the National Qualifications Framework Amendment Act in 2019, making it a criminal offence to misrepresent qualifications. It is punishable by up to five years in prison.
Once unsuitable people occupy positions of responsibility, it is difficult to remove them. Their performance seldom improves because they lack the foundation.
Their incompetence can affect institutions severely because they can make wrong decisions that result in financial losses. The South African Broadcasting Corporation, for instance, suffered financially due to poor decisions made by unqualified executives.
Important infrastructure projects have collapsed owing to fake engineers.
I am a researcher and practitioner of public sector reforms. I also head the National School of Government, which leads the drive to make the country’s public sector professional. I argue that to deter qualifications fraud, the management of human resources in the public sector must be professional.
South Africa can draw lessons from the private sector and other governments.
But measures to deter and punish it must be complemented by human resources management reforms.
In my view, poor human resource screening processes, inadequate verification systems and ambiguous job descriptions and entry requirements contribute to appointing unsuitable candidates.
The weekly public sector vacancies circular, published by the Department of Public Service and Administration, is a major source of data showing these limitations. It’s full of job advertisements where the minimum qualifications requirements are either too wide or below standard.
Some of the people who recruit and select staff are negligent. They fail to conduct thorough background checks or to screen applicants properly. This results in the appointment of unqualified and fraudulent candidates.
Learning from the private sector
The private sector, driven by competitive pressures and stakeholder expectations, developed robust systems to ensure the integrity and effectiveness of human resource functions. These systems can guide public sector reforms.
Companies invest in advanced technologies and third-party verification services. They use agencies to check candidates’ fingerprints, verify qualifications, find references, and even do personality profiles.
In contrast, public sector human resources personnel often rely on manual processes. These consume time and are prone to inaccuracies and manipulation. They can also be cumbersome as junior and middle management job advertisements often attract thousands of applicants.
The private sector uses well-defined competency frameworks. These outline the skills, knowledge and experience required to evaluate a candidate.
Many private sector human resources practitioners belong to professional bodies. These enforce ethical standards. They also certify practitioners and promote ongoing professional development.
Businesses also employ licensed and professional human resources practitioners. These are expected to be innovative, productive and ethical, and to act in the best interests of their employers. They can be dismissed if they lose their professional licence. These are guardrails against abuse.
Learning from other governments
India, China, South Korea, Singapore and several European nations have stringent public sector recruitment and selection methods. They emphasise merit and transparency to ensure only qualified and competent people are appointed.
China uses the National Civil Service Examination, known as the Guokao. It evaluates candidates’ intellectual aptitude, policy knowledge and professional skills for jobs in government ministries and state-owned enterprises.
South Korea’s Civil Service Examination system is a rigorous process which tests candidates’ analytical and managerial capabilities.
Singapore is known for its efficient government. It employs structured assessment centres, psychometric testing and panel interviews to ensure capable people join the public sector.
To uphold high standards of professionalism and integrity in governance, Germany and France have competitive entrance assessments for civil service roles.
South Africa introduced a pre-entry assessment called Nyukela/Step Up in 2020. It is applicable to public servants and citizens who wish to apply for a position in the senior management service.
Professionalising the public sector
Cabinet approved the National Framework Towards Professionalisation of the Public Sector in October 2022. It aims to tighten pre-entry requirements and carefully screen applicants. This includes verifying qualifications, testing integrity and assessing competence. The framework requires that public sector entities develop detailed job descriptions.
The framework will help block fraud by professionalising human resources, supply chain management and legal services, among others. It will help human resources practitioners improve their competencies and make them part of a wider professional network. This is important for continued professional development.
There will be consequences when officials violate their professional code of ethics. This has worked for lawyers and accountants who are disbarred for ethical and professional breaches.
The framework gives the Public Service Commission a role in recruiting of heads of departments. This step controls entry to top positions in the civil service. The commission will bring two or more subject matter sector experts into the selection panels, making the process more rigorous.
Busani Ngcaweni is affiliated with the University of Johannesburg as Senior Research Associate and Wits School of Governance as Visiting Adjunct Professor
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Martin Lang, Senior Lecturer and Programme Leader in Fine Art , University of Lincoln
Barbara Steveni (1928-2020) was a pioneering artist who broke boundaries with new concepts such as “the artist as a living archive” and “art as social strategy”. The legacy of her 70-year career is explored in a new exhibition, Barbara Steveni: I Find Myself, at Modern Art Oxford.
Steveni was an activist whose art had real-world impacts. One of her pioneering works was the foundation of the Artists Placement Group (APG), which placed artists in various industries and public institutions, ranging from zoos to corporations. The group arose from the idea that artists could provide unique insights and assist with the decision-making processes of these institutions.
In 1972, she successfully negotiated with the civil service to place artists in government departments – which led, for example, to the placement of artist John Latham at the Scottish Office in Edinburgh (1975-76). This resulted in radical proposals for the future of the huge industrial spoil tips, known as “bings”, found in the region. Latham proposed retaining them as works of art and marking them with beacons.
Today, the Policy Lab, a new civil service department, continues the spirit of APG by placing artists in government departments.
The exhibition includes work associated with the APG such as The Sculpture (1971) – the board table around which APG artists. This table is not only a functional object but has twice previously been exhibited as a conceptual sculpture, inviting live discussions.
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Modern Art Oxford activates The Sculpture every Friday, inviting people including Policy Lab to engage with artists in discussions. Various APG archive materials – such as contracts and video footage of Steveni advocating for the inclusion of artist-advisors in business and policy decision-making – surround this table.
But the exhibition is much more than a history of APG. It’s a reassessment of Steveni’s importance and influence as an artist. After spending much of her earlier career denying she was an artist at all (in one APG video, she declares: “I am not and have never called myself an artist”), in the late 2000s she had the revelation that she was the vessel which contained her archive and practice. That Steveni was herself an archive, and that her art was her life, is the central theme of this exhibition.
Steveni’s assemblages – three-dimensional works composed of found objects – reflect a modernist heritage that dates back to Picasso and was developed by the Dadaists and Surrealists. However, the exhibition primarily focuses on her “dematerialised” practice, which includes non-traditional art objects and processes such as meetings, conversations and collections. These are considered precursors to today’s contemporary art where human interaction is central, and in some cases the art itself.
In the spirit of Steveni’s collaborative and discursive ethos, Modern Art Oxford commissioned artists to realise some of her unfinished works and reinterpret existing ones. For example, Laure Prouvost, a long-time collaborator, created Dancing Thought Leftovers with Steveni.
This immersive installation fills an entire room with music reminiscent of a child’s toy, alongside Steveni’s found objects hanging from the ceiling in front of projected films. The objects cast shadows on the walls, creating a nursery-like atmosphere.
Both these objects and those in the films look like the kind of things you might dredge from a river: a knackered car tyre, a crumpled sheet of metal, a horseshoe, and part of an old speaker. Two car wing mirrors protrude from a wall.
Mundane fillers around good art
Steveni was at the forefront of developing the notion of the artist as a living archive, as well as “dematerialised art practice”, where ideas replace physical art, and artists’ involvement in decision-making. All this comes across strongly in the exhibition, but its curatorial approach gives the impression that filler material was also needed.
At times, it feels as if you are looking at an exhibition of the artist’s admin rather than her art. Meeting notes, contacts and the contents of a paper shredder are displayed, blurring the line between art and life.
In 1971, Linda Nochlin, a contemporary of Steveni, published the influential article Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?. This essay is often seen as the beginning of feminist art history.
Nochlin acknowledged that while many interesting and good women artists remained insufficiently investigated or appreciated, there had been no great women artists due to systemic barriers. She warned: “No amount of manipulating the historical or critical evidence will alter the situation; nor will accusations of male-chauvinist distortion of history.”
Nochlin’s point was that presenting mediocre art as great ignores these systemic barriers and hinders work to lift them. I am not suggesting Steveni’s work is mediocre, but it feels like the exhibition’s curators overreached regarding the classification of her personal effects as art, which distracts from the important work she did.
The curators, no doubt, intended to highlight the balance women artists must strike between domestic chores and their practice. However, Nochlin’s treatise explicitly warns against having different standards for women’s art compared with men’s.
While presenting Steveni’s personal effects as part of her living archive is appropriate, the inclusion of mundane items like clothes and biscuit recipes raises questions about their relevance. Do we really need to see Steveni’s old newspapers? Would we expect this in a retrospective of a male artist?
In my view, these examples distract from her important artistic work. Nonetheless, the exhibition successfully highlights Steveni’s pioneering contributions, and her lasting impact on the art world.
Barbara Steveni: I Find Myself is on at Modern Art Oxford till June 8 2025
Martin Lang does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:
PARIS, France, March 21, 2025/APO Group/ —
Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, will take the stage at the Invest in African Energy (IAE) Forum in Paris this May, offering insights into Nigeria’s strategy to leverage its natural gas resources for long-term development. As a key decision-maker shaping Nigeria’s gas policies, Minister Ekpo’s participation will provide valuable perspectives on the country’s current gas-focused investment opportunities, relevant regulatory reforms and role within Nigeria’s energy mix.
Nigeria remains one of Africa’s most attractive energy investment destinations and is targeting $10 billion in deepwater gas exploration investments through tax incentives and new policy measures. The country is prioritizing gas as a transition fuel, with major developments underway to expand both domestic and export infrastructure, alongside plans to auction undeveloped oil and gas blocks to accelerate exploration and production. TotalEnergies’ $500 million Ubeta onshore field development is set to begin production in 2027, supplying gas to the Nigeria LNG plant. The company is also planning to sanction the $750 million Ima dry gas project this year to further boost LNG supplies. Other recent milestones include Shell’s sale of its Nigerian onshore subsidiary, signaling a shift toward greater local participation in the sector.
IAE 2025(apo-opa.co/4htIbEq) is an exclusive forum designed to facilitate investment between African energy markets and global investors. Taking place May 13-14, 2025 in Paris, the event offers delegates two days of intensive engagement with industry experts, project developers, investors and policymakers. For more information, please visitwww.Invest-Africa-Energy.com.To sponsor or participate as a delegate, please contactsales@energycapitalpower.com.
Nigeria is also advancing several major pipeline projects to expand its gas sector and strengthen regional energy security and export capacity. The Nigerian National Petroleum Company is undertaking a $1.2 billion rehabilitation of the Obiafu-Obrikom-Oben (OB3) gas pipeline to enhance gas supply for power generation and industrial use. Last month, Nigeria, along with the governments of Algeria and Niger, signed agreements to accelerate the implementation of the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline project, which aims to transport Nigerian gas through Niger and Algeria to Europe. Agreements for the construction of the Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline, which would connect West African markets to European demand by running along the Atlantic coast through several countries, are also expected to be signed in 2025.
As Nigeria places renewed focus on monetizing its more than 200 trillion cubic feet of proven gas reserves, Minister Ekpo’s participation at IAE 2025 comes at a pivotal moment for the country’s gas industry. His participation will offer critical insights into Nigeria’s investment climate, ongoing infrastructure projects and how global stakeholders can engage with local ministries, regulators and the evolving gas market to advance the energy transition while securing energy supplies.
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Busani Ngcaweni, Visiting Adjunct Professor, Wits School of Governance, University of the Witwatersrand
The persistent challenge of falsified or misrepresented qualifications in South Africa exposes serious shortcomings in recruitment and appointment processes. Although the scale of the problem is difficult to quantify, it’s considered to be reaching “pandemic” levels. It is worse in the public sector.
The problem became so serious that government introduced the National Qualifications Framework Amendment Act in 2019, making it a criminal offence to misrepresent qualifications. It is punishable by up to five years in prison.
Once unsuitable people occupy positions of responsibility, it is difficult to remove them. Their performance seldom improves because they lack the foundation.
Their incompetence can affect institutions severely because they can make wrong decisions that result in financial losses. The South African Broadcasting Corporation, for instance, suffered financially due to poor decisions made by unqualified executives.
Important infrastructure projects have collapsed owing to fake engineers.
I am a researcher and practitioner of public sector reforms. I also head the National School of Government, which leads the drive to make the country’s public sector professional. I argue that to deter qualifications fraud, the management of human resources in the public sector must be professional.
South Africa can draw lessons from the private sector and other governments.
But measures to deter and punish it must be complemented by human resources management reforms.
In my view, poor human resource screening processes, inadequate verification systems and ambiguous job descriptions and entry requirements contribute to appointing unsuitable candidates.
The weekly public sector vacancies circular, published by the Department of Public Service and Administration, is a major source of data showing these limitations. It’s full of job advertisements where the minimum qualifications requirements are either too wide or below standard.
Some of the people who recruit and select staff are negligent. They fail to conduct thorough background checks or to screen applicants properly. This results in the appointment of unqualified and fraudulent candidates.
Learning from the private sector
The private sector, driven by competitive pressures and stakeholder expectations, developed robust systems to ensure the integrity and effectiveness of human resource functions. These systems can guide public sector reforms.
Companies invest in advanced technologies and third-party verification services. They use agencies to check candidates’ fingerprints, verify qualifications, find references, and even do personality profiles.
In contrast, public sector human resources personnel often rely on manual processes. These consume time and are prone to inaccuracies and manipulation. They can also be cumbersome as junior and middle management job advertisements often attract thousands of applicants.
The private sector uses well-defined competency frameworks. These outline the skills, knowledge and experience required to evaluate a candidate.
Many private sector human resources practitioners belong to professional bodies. These enforce ethical standards. They also certify practitioners and promote ongoing professional development.
Businesses also employ licensed and professional human resources practitioners. These are expected to be innovative, productive and ethical, and to act in the best interests of their employers. They can be dismissed if they lose their professional licence. These are guardrails against abuse.
Learning from other governments
India, China, South Korea, Singapore and several European nations have stringent public sector recruitment and selection methods. They emphasise merit and transparency to ensure only qualified and competent people are appointed.
China uses the National Civil Service Examination, known as the Guokao. It evaluates candidates’ intellectual aptitude, policy knowledge and professional skills for jobs in government ministries and state-owned enterprises.
South Korea’s Civil Service Examination system is a rigorous process which tests candidates’ analytical and managerial capabilities.
Singapore is known for its efficient government. It employs structured assessment centres, psychometric testing and panel interviews to ensure capable people join the public sector.
To uphold high standards of professionalism and integrity in governance, Germany and France have competitive entrance assessments for civil service roles.
South Africa introduced a pre-entry assessment called Nyukela/Step Up in 2020. It is applicable to public servants and citizens who wish to apply for a position in the senior management service.
Professionalising the public sector
Cabinet approved the National Framework Towards Professionalisation of the Public Sector in October 2022. It aims to tighten pre-entry requirements and carefully screen applicants. This includes verifying qualifications, testing integrity and assessing competence. The framework requires that public sector entities develop detailed job descriptions.
The framework will help block fraud by professionalising human resources, supply chain management and legal services, among others. It will help human resources practitioners improve their competencies and make them part of a wider professional network. This is important for continued professional development.
There will be consequences when officials violate their professional code of ethics. This has worked for lawyers and accountants who are disbarred for ethical and professional breaches.
The framework gives the Public Service Commission a role in recruiting of heads of departments. This step controls entry to top positions in the civil service. The commission will bring two or more subject matter sector experts into the selection panels, making the process more rigorous.
– South Africa has a problem with people in the public service lying about their qualifications: what needs to change – https://theconversation.com/south-africa-has-a-problem-with-people-in-the-public-service-lying-about-their-qualifications-what-needs-to-change-244942
Allow me to address you with the expression that in my country is reserved for the rectors of the university of the Coimbra, your sister university: Magnificus rectorus, magnificent rectors.
Thank you for your warm welcome, your very kind words and this significant honour. I am proud to accept it on behalf of the United Nations and remembering the women and men of the UN all over the world.
You will find them working everywhere and around the clock.
Building and keeping peace.
Delivering lifesaving relief in the most desperate places on earth.
Fighting poverty and standing up for the marginalized.
Advancing human rights and the rule of law.
And striving to realize the universal values that express the very best of the human spirit.
By bestowing this honour at this consequential time, you are sending a clear message.
A message of support for the noble mission of the United Nations —a message of solidarity to all those working to make it real – and a message of inspiration for us to keep up the fight.
On behalf of the United Nations — thank you.
Distinguished Guests, Dear Students, Ladies and Gentlemen,
You honour the United Nations as we celebrate a remarkable milestone:
The 600th anniversary of the University of Leuven, one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious institutions of higher learning, today represented by the two universities that are together in this beautiful ceremony.
Six centuries ago, scholars lit a flame of knowledge.
Generation after generation have kept this flame alive.
Through times of turmoil and triumph.
In war and in peace.
From the Renaissance to the information age.
It is here at Leuven that Erasmus refined his humanist thought, teaching the world to see learning as a path to compassion and understanding.
It was here that Mercator mastered cartography, revolutionizing navigation and the way we see our world — opening new horizons across continents.
It was here that future Prime Minister and statesman August Beernaert began his intellectual journey that led to his bold vision of peace through arbitration, which was recognized with the Nobel Peace Prize in 1909.
It was here that a young Georges Lemaître gazed at the stars and proposed what became the Big Bang theory — forever reshaping humanity’s understanding of the universe itself.
And it was here that Dominique Pire, a humble Dominican friar, developed humanitarian principles that would earn him the Nobel Peace Prize for working with refugees and bringing hope to the forgotten.
All of you are keeping this flame alive in the 21st century.
Your scholars have helped lead the work of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change — and the need for urgent climate action.
Your universities played a pivotal role in launching the Global University Academy — supporting higher education for refugees worldwide.
The Leuven Institute for Artificial Intelligence fosters knowledge-sharing and international partnerships on AI.
Your startup incubators and technology transfer efforts transform innovative research into tangible benefits for humanity.
And you are opening new doors to equality and justice through your Gender Equality Plan, and by actively participating in initiatives like the Belgian Women in Science Network to increase the number of female students and staff in science, technology, engineering and math.
This joint celebration — bringing together KU Leuven and UC Louvain — is yet another example of your spirit of common purpose and renewed partnership…
One that shines a light towards a better, more equal future for all.
Excellencies, dear friends,
We need that light more than ever.
I am here today to deliver a simple and stark message:
Multilateralism matters.
But it is under attack like never before.
We can and must overcome this threat together.
Now is the time.
Your 600th anniversary coincides with a moment of reflection for the United Nations.
2025 marks our 80th anniversary as an organization and as the epicenter of multilateralism.
Our founding Charter embodies the world’s conviction that by working together and adhering to shared principles and values, we can solve global problems.
Standing here in Europe, we know this same commitment to multilateralism is the beating heart of your own European union.
At home and around the world, Belgium and the European Union champion international cooperation, democracy, human rights and global solidarity.
Over the decades, Belgium has brought to life its motto of “unity makes strength” — contributing troops to UN peacekeeping missions, advancing peacebuilding and supporting lifesaving relief around the world.
Today, the European ideal stands as a powerful reminder of our shared responsibility to the world’s most vulnerable people, and proof that isolationism is an illusion, never a solution.
A strong and united Europe is not just essential for the continent.
It is a fundamental pillar of a strong and effective United Nations.
Around the globe, the European Union and the United Nations work hand-in-hand:
Providing humanitarian aid to those in desperate need.
Building peace in fragile states and strengthening democratic institutions.
Defending human rights and dignity.
Supporting sustainable development and climate action.
And putting the spotlight on ending the scourge of domestic violence.
But these and other investments in international cooperation are under threat.
Deadly conflicts are multiplying and deepening, exacting a devastating human toll.
And a contagion of impunity is taking hold.
Poverty, hunger and inequalities are growing — while the wealth of a handful of men eclipses that of half of humanity.
The climate crisis is raging.
Vulnerable countries are often locked out of decision-making rooms.
Technology is outpacing our ability to protect people’s safety, rights and dignity.
We see a dangerous rollback of fundamental freedoms.
Women’s rights are under attack.
Minorities, refugees and migrants are demonized.
The voices of nationalism and isolationism are growing louder with a dangerous resurgence of strongarm politics.
And donors are dramatically scaling-back humanitarian and development support — while defense budgets soar.
It would be the cruelest of ironies for the poor to be made to pay for the weapons of the rich.
Last week, I was in Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh during the holy month of Ramadan on a mission of solidarity with Rohingya refugees, and with the Bangladeshi communities that so generously host them.
The entire refugee population depends on humanitarian aid.
But with looming cuts, Cox’s Bazar is fast-becoming ground zero of the funding crisis, with money for basic essentials like food, running out.
And I am hopeful that what we are doing now with several donor countries will help us overcome this tragic situation, because without a reversal of these cuts in Cox’s Bazar and beyond — people will suffer and people will die.
Dear friends,
As the darkness spreads, we risk losing sight of Europe’s greatest gift to civilization — the Enlightenment.
Everywhere we look, the fruits of the Enlightenment are being challenged by the voices of irrationality, ignorance and isolationism.
Truth, science and knowledge are being questioned.
Expertise and experience have somehow become liabilities.
And the multilateral values that the United Nations embodies — collaboration, solidarity, united action and human rights — are being undone by mistrust and geopolitical divisions.
Excellencies, dear friends,
Anniversaries are about more than looking to the past.
At their best, they are about renewing for the future.
And renewal sometimes means asking hard questions.
Let’s be clear: The UN was never meant to be stuck in time.
The world has changed in fundamental ways — most notably the rise in economic influence and political power across the Global South.
How, can we justify, today, a Security Council without permanent representation for Africa — home to one-quarter of humanity?
How can we accept an unfair and dysfunctional global financial architecture that inadequately supports developing countries in their hour of need?
How can we passively accept that the great promise of Artificial Intelligence might be won at the expense of handing over our humanity to algorithms?
Renewal is the driving force of the Pact for the Future, agreed at the United Nations in September.
And multilateralism must be the engine of this renewal.
We need all countries working together — in solidarity — as we tackle the challenges facing our world.
In this spirit of renewal through multilateralism, I want to outline four areas where we can overcome today’s threats by standing as one and forging common solutions. First — we must find common solutions for peace in our fragmented world.
Around the world, peace is in short supply.
Look no further than Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — an open wound in Europe.
This brutal war is now in its fourth year and has claimed thousands of lives, displaced millions — including many who have found shelter here in Belgium — and challenged the very foundations of European security and international order.
It is time for a just and lasting peace. But a just peace means that it must be based on the UN Charter, international law and UN resolutions, including the respect for territorial integrity.
In Gaza, since the horrific terror attacks by Hamas on October 7, the ensuing Israeli military operations have unleashed an unprecedented level of death and destruction. I am outraged at this week’s Israeli attacks in Gaza, which killed hundreds of people.
I was deeply saddened and shocked to learn of the death of one of our UN staff members — and the wounding of five other UN personnel — when two UN guesthouses in Deir al Balah were hit in strikes.
And appallingly another 5 UNRWA humanitarians were also killed this week, bringing the death toll to 284.
The ceasefire had finally allowed some measure of relief to ease the horrendous suffering of Palestinians in Gaza — and relief to Israeli families finally welcoming home hostages after over a year of anguish and desperation.
All of that has now been shattered.
Escalation is not the answer.
There is no military solution to this conflict.
I strongly appeal for the ceasefire to be restored, for unimpeded humanitarian assistance to be reestablished and for the remaining hostages to be released immediately and unconditionally.
Beyond ending this terrible war, we must lay the foundations for lasting peace — through immediate and irreversible steps towards a two-State solution — with Israel and Palestine living side-by-side in peace and security, in line with international law and relevant UN resolutions, with Jerusalem as the capital of both states.
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo — a country whose tragic history resonates so strongly here in Belgium — renewed fighting, fueled by external interference and armed militias, has devastated communities and plunged the region into a deeper crisis, naturally aggravated by the presence of Rwandan troops, violating the territorial integrity of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
In Sudan, bloodshed, displacement and famine are engulfing the country.
The warring parties must take immediate action to protect civilians, uphold human rights, cease hostilities and forge peace.
And domestic and international human rights monitoring and investigation mechanisms must be permitted to document what is happening on the ground.
Beyond these and other conflicts, we need to reform the global security architecture.
Drawing from proposals included in the New Agenda for Peace that we developed, the Pact for the Future calls for strengthening the machinery of peace by prioritizing the tools of prevention, mediation and peacebuilding.
The changing nature of conflict calls for a review of our global peace operations;
Enhancing coordination with regional organizations;
And the Pact includes also the first multilateral agreement on nuclear disarmament in more than a decade, even if we are still very far from a world free of nuclear weapons.
Dear friends,
Second — we can overcome threats to multilateralism by finding common solutions to reduce inequalities and ensure financial justice for all.
The Pact includes a call for a massive Stimulus to help countries invest in the Sustainable Development Goals.
It also urges bold reforms of the international financial architecture, including expanding the voice and representation of developing countries in institutions.
We must also substantially increase the lending capacity of Multilateral Development Banks to make them bigger, bolder and better.
And we must review the debt architecture to stop debt from bleeding countries dry.
No country should have to choose between servicing their debt and serving their people.
Our global economy also needs open, predictable and inclusive trade to spur broad-based prosperity and help developing countries to better link to global markets and supply chains.
The Pact also reminds us of a basic truth: societies can only thrive when all women and girls enjoy their full rights.
Investing in their education, economic empowerment, and social protection is not only fair — it is essential for a better future for all.
Third — we can strengthen multilateralism for the future by finding common solutions for climate action before it is too late. The climate crisis is costing lives, livelihoods, and billions in damages.
Record heatwaves scorch continents.
2024 was the hottest year — in the hottest decade in history.
Relentless storms ravage communities.
Rising seas threaten coastlines — including here.
And those least responsible are bearing the heaviest burden.
If we are to limit temperature rise to 1.5 degrees — essential to avoid the worst of climate catastrophe — the science is clear:
Global emissions must peak this year and rapidly decline afterwards. And we must recognize this challenge for what it is: a moment of enormous opportunity.
The benefits of the clean energy transition are clear.
Renewables renew economies.
They boost growth, lower energy bills, and help us all breathe easier with cleaner air.
This year — in advance of the UN Climate Conference, or COP30, in Brazil — every country must submit new economy-wide national climate plans that align with the 1.5 degree limit and seize the benefits of clean energy.
I am working closely with President Lula of Brazil to drive action by the biggest emitters.
The United Nations is also helping nearly 100 developing countries to prepare their national climate action plans.
And we will convene a special event to take stock of the plans of all countries, push for action to keep 1.5 within reach, and deliver climate justice.
I urge Europe to keep leading the way.
To set strong and ambitious emission reduction targets. And to put an end to the myth that fossil fuels are the future.
We must accelerate the renewables revolution which can lower emissions, boost energy security, create good jobs, and provide cheap and accessible power.
Throughout, we must continue supporting developing and vulnerable nations, by making good on long-standing promises and delivering on climate finance across the board. Climate solidarity is a moral obligation — and a matter of survival for us all. Fourth and finally — we can overcome threats to multilateralism by making sure technology upholds human rights and dignity for all.
The information age is unfolding at a dizzying scale and speed.
Artificial Intelligence holds great promise.
But today, those benefits remain concentrated in the hands of a privileged few.
And while some are racing ahead with record investments, most developing countries are left in the dark.
Without guardrails, AI risks deepening geopolitical divides and inequalities;
Humans must always retain control — guided by international law, human rights and ethical principles.
Technology must serve humanity, not the other way around.
That is the spirit of the Global Digital Compact also adopted at the United Nations last year.
It calls for closing the digital divide, so all countries can benefit.
It includes the first universal agreement on AI governance to bring every country to the table.
It calls for an Independent International Scientific Panel on AI that promotes a common understanding of AI risks, benefits and capabilities.
It proposes initiating a Global Dialogue on AI Governance — within the United Nations — to ensure that all countries have a voice in shaping common governance standards that help uphold human rights and prevent misuse.
And it urges support for helping grow AI tools and skills in developing countries.
I will soon present a report on innovative voluntary financing models and capacity-building initiatives to help all countries harness AI as a force for good.
Excellencies, dear students,
These are all ways that we can overcome the clear and present dangers to multilateralism in our time.
I am convinced that we can do it.
Every generation faces moments of decisive choice.
Yet none has possessed our tools, knowledge, and global awareness.
Today, we are celebrating history.
But history is also unfolding before our eyes — and I urge you to be on the frontlines for human dignity.
And for that you can draw, being inspired by the values these universities represent.
Dear students, I ask you today to draw strength and inspiration from your universities’ history.
Dear Rector Sels and Rector Smets,
I wish to conclude by reinforcing your opening words.
You recounted the powerful story of the University’s library — destroyed in 1914, and again in 1940.
In the midst of two world wars — and the rubble of this very city — the global shock and outrage that followed the destruction of a library sent a clear and powerful message.
These were not only attacks on books and manuscripts.
These were attacks on history, science, reason, knowledge and art.
These were attacks on the very hallmarks of humanity.
These were attacks on our common soul.
Twice the forces of ignorance tried to extinguish Leuven’s light of knowledge.
And twice the world answered Leuven’s call — and helped you restore that light brighter than ever.
Because in the aftermath of these attacks, we saw other aspects of humanity’s soul revealed and shining brightly.
We saw generosity, in countries providing funding to rebuild, and books to re-stock the library.
We saw the power of collaboration, in countries standing with Belgium and with Leuven to resurrect this library not once, but twice.
And yes, we saw humanity’s hunger for the eternal values that have guided your universities for 600 years — and the United Nations for 80 years.
Generosity, solidarity, renewal.
This is more than just your story — it is humanity’s story.
It shows that no matter the challenge, we can face down threats.
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