Ruakākā Wahitakaro and Northland Regional Volleyball Arena will receive up to $2.6 million and Sportsville Dargaville Stage Two up to $1.2M in the latest allocations from the Northland Regional Council’s Regional Sporting Facilities Rate.
The council’s Strategic & Commercial Projects Manager Phil Heatley says the GST exclusive sums will go to Ruakākā Wahitakaro and Northland Regional Volleyball Arena in the current financial year and to Sportsville Dargaville Stage Two in 2026-2027.
Stage One of Ruakākā Wahitakaro was a community centre completed in 2024. The estimated total project cost for Stage Two is $8.5M and will include a multi-sport indoor facility featuring two indoor courts and supporting meeting spaces. It will also include ‘Northland’s Home of Volleyball’, a regional facility for volleyball providing training and competition opportunities and the ability to host regional, district and community events.
Mr Heatley says Sportsville Dargaville Stage One was completed in December 2018 and involved six multi-purpose outdoor courts with a supporting multi-sport facility.
“The estimated project cost of Stage Two is $9M and will include a multi-sport indoor facility featuring two indoor courts and supporting meeting spaces.” “It is designed to provide opportunities for training and district competitions and the ability to host regional, district and community level events.”
Mr Heatley says the NRC struck the targeted $14.07 plus GST Regional Sporting Facilities Rate (per SUIP/Rating Unit) in its 2024-2034 Long Term Plan to provide funding support to assist in the development of Northland sporting facilities that are of regional or district-wide benefit.
A working group made up of representatives from the NRC, Northland’s three district council’s and Sport Northland had recommended the funding for the 2024-2027 financial years. Regional councillors had confirmed the group’s recommendation at a council meeting late last month.
“This will give those overseeing the projects a degree of certainty to plan and a platform to apply for third party funding.”
Mr Heatley says potential recipient projects are identified through a regionwide consultation process, initially to inform ‘Kokiri ai Te Waka Hourua’, a strategy for play, active recreation and sport. The strategy was produced in partnership by the NRC, Sport Northland, Northland’s three district councils and Sport New Zealand.
“A proposed project is presented to Sport Northland in the first instance, by a regional or district not-for-profit sporting focussed group, for consideration and prioritisation.”
“Substantial work by the working group sees the prioritisation of regional sporting facility projects.
Mr Heatley says for this allocation, 16 projects had been in varying states of readiness with six being advanced enough to be able to be scored and benchmarked against council-approved criteria.
Northlanders keen to join the fight to tackle the region’s worst weeds can learn how at Northland Regional Council’s free weeds workshops next month.
Council’s pest plant experts will be sharing tips at a series of workshops in Kaitaia, Russell, Kerikeri, Maungaturoto and Whangārei from Monday 04 August to Friday 08 August.
Biosecurity Manager – Pest Plants Joanna Barr says the workshops are a great chance to plan ahead and get ready for the busy ‘weed knockdown period’ once the warmth of spring starts to take hold.
“To fight the onslaught of weeds species we are facing in Te Taitokerau we need everyone to tackle the weeds in their backyard, and other special places they care about.”
“Our workshops are a great way to remove some of the barriers to getting stuck in and are a chance to meet others who are keen to make a difference,” Ms Barr says.
“The workshops are hands-on and delivered in a relaxed and fun way to help people learn how best to tackle a wide variety of nasties, including wild ginger, lantana, moth plant, Taiwan cherry and privet.”
The workshops will include a short presentation, hands-on identification tips and information on control options, including chemicals and other methods.
Two workshops will be held on Monday 04 August at Te Ahu Centre, Kaitaia (Corner of State Highway 1 and Matthews Avenue), the first from 9am-noon and the second from 1pm-4pm.
On Tuesday 05 August, a workshop will be held at Russell Town Hall (17 The Strand, Russell) from 9am-noon.
On Wednesday 06 August, two workshops will be held at NorthTec’s Kerikeri Campus (Room 12, Corner of Kerikeri Road and Hone Heke Road), the first from 9am-noon and the second from 1pm-4pm.
The next workshop will be on Thursday 07 August at Maungaturoto Centennial Hall (44 View Street, Maungaturoto) from 9am-noon.
A final three workshops will be held on Friday 08 August at Barge Showgrounds Events Centre (474 Maunu Road, Whangārei). The first will be held from 9am-noon, another from 1pm-4pm and a final session from 6pm-9pm.
Spaces are limited. Those wanting to attend should register atwww.nrc.govt.nz/weedsworkshopsor contact Biosecurity Specialist Sara Brill on freephone 0800 002 004.
Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
Welch took to the Senate floor to demand Noem resign or be fired
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) today called for the resignation of U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, citing Secretary Noem’s mishandling of the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and record of undermining FEMA’s work, as well as her handling of President Trump’s cruel and illegal mass deportation campaign.
“The Department of Homeland Security has a simple but extremely important mission: keep Americans safe. Under that mission, the department is tasked with two critical jobs—border security and disaster response. Our current Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, has failed both. In her short tenure, Secretary Noem has overstepped, underperformed, and endangered the lives of countless Americans,” said Senator Welch. “I believe it is time for Secretary Noem to resign or for her to be fired.”
Watch Senator Welch’s floor remarks here:
Read key excerpts of Senator Welch’s remarks:
“Secretary Noem has undermined FEMA’s work, and in so doing has endangered disaster victims. Just a few months ago, Secretary Noem said in a cabinet meeting, and I quote ‘We are eliminating FEMA.’ And she meant it.
“And we saw evidence of that in not just Texas, but in North Carolina, New Mexico, California, Kentucky, Hawaii, and Vermont—where FEMA is crucial to helping people, and communities, and businesses recover from disaster. We need FEMA. It’s only the federal government that can surge into affected communities. We can’t lose that function and that capacity. When you need safety from a flood, and when you need to start the long road to recovery, you need the support of the federal government. No state, no community can do this alone. They cannot do this alone.
“I have seen from our experience in Vermont that FEMA, in fact, must be reformed—it must not be destroyed, as Secretary Noem has suggested. We cannot have a leader in charge of FEMA that is committed to its destruction. We must have one who is energetically committed to its reform.”
• • •
“We are seeing under the leadership of Secretary Noem that her response is an across-the-board embarkation on a massive and far-reaching deportation plan. There is no distinction in her policy among those who were brought here as children, who have families, who have jobs, who pay taxes, and who serve their communities.
“And there is a big difference between deporting known criminals and rounding up immigrants—some of whom have status to be here, in fact, are here legally—from work sites, and schools, and churches. This mass deportation policy is not about serving America and doing what our country needs to be strong and safe. It is instead about Secretary Noem accumulating the highest possible headcount of deportees. It’s hurting those folks, their families, and their communities, of course.
“It’s also hurting America. Particularly rural America. Our farmers depend on labor to milk their cows, to pick their crops. It’s weakening our construction industry, where workplace raids are shutting down construction sites, including for low-income housing, which we desperately need. This is decimating our health care workforce and the hospitality industry in every state in the union.
“We need a Homeland Security Secretary who will help us develop a sensible policy for folks who are here without status but have no criminal record; work; who have families; and are taxpayers.”
• • •
“We have an obligation to protect the safety of the families that all of us represent. I urge every one of my colleagues to demand better for our constituents and for every American. We need a Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security who puts public safety and preparedness before her personal image or political aspirations. Secretary Noem must resign.”
Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
Welch took to the Senate floor to demand Noem resign or be fired
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) today called for the resignation of U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, citing Secretary Noem’s mishandling of the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and record of undermining FEMA’s work, as well as her handling of President Trump’s cruel and illegal mass deportation campaign.
“The Department of Homeland Security has a simple but extremely important mission: keep Americans safe. Under that mission, the department is tasked with two critical jobs—border security and disaster response. Our current Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, has failed both. In her short tenure, Secretary Noem has overstepped, underperformed, and endangered the lives of countless Americans,” said Senator Welch. “I believe it is time for Secretary Noem to resign or for her to be fired.”
Watch Senator Welch’s floor remarks here:
Read key excerpts of Senator Welch’s remarks:
“Secretary Noem has undermined FEMA’s work, and in so doing has endangered disaster victims. Just a few months ago, Secretary Noem said in a cabinet meeting, and I quote ‘We are eliminating FEMA.’ And she meant it.
“And we saw evidence of that in not just Texas, but in North Carolina, New Mexico, California, Kentucky, Hawaii, and Vermont—where FEMA is crucial to helping people, and communities, and businesses recover from disaster. We need FEMA. It’s only the federal government that can surge into affected communities. We can’t lose that function and that capacity. When you need safety from a flood, and when you need to start the long road to recovery, you need the support of the federal government. No state, no community can do this alone. They cannot do this alone.
“I have seen from our experience in Vermont that FEMA, in fact, must be reformed—it must not be destroyed, as Secretary Noem has suggested. We cannot have a leader in charge of FEMA that is committed to its destruction. We must have one who is energetically committed to its reform.”
• • •
“We are seeing under the leadership of Secretary Noem that her response is an across-the-board embarkation on a massive and far-reaching deportation plan. There is no distinction in her policy among those who were brought here as children, who have families, who have jobs, who pay taxes, and who serve their communities.
“And there is a big difference between deporting known criminals and rounding up immigrants—some of whom have status to be here, in fact, are here legally—from work sites, and schools, and churches. This mass deportation policy is not about serving America and doing what our country needs to be strong and safe. It is instead about Secretary Noem accumulating the highest possible headcount of deportees. It’s hurting those folks, their families, and their communities, of course.
“It’s also hurting America. Particularly rural America. Our farmers depend on labor to milk their cows, to pick their crops. It’s weakening our construction industry, where workplace raids are shutting down construction sites, including for low-income housing, which we desperately need. This is decimating our health care workforce and the hospitality industry in every state in the union.
“We need a Homeland Security Secretary who will help us develop a sensible policy for folks who are here without status but have no criminal record; work; who have families; and are taxpayers.”
• • •
“We have an obligation to protect the safety of the families that all of us represent. I urge every one of my colleagues to demand better for our constituents and for every American. We need a Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security who puts public safety and preparedness before her personal image or political aspirations. Secretary Noem must resign.”
Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
Welch took to the Senate floor to demand Noem resign or be fired
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) today called for the resignation of U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, citing Secretary Noem’s mishandling of the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and record of undermining FEMA’s work, as well as her handling of President Trump’s cruel and illegal mass deportation campaign.
“The Department of Homeland Security has a simple but extremely important mission: keep Americans safe. Under that mission, the department is tasked with two critical jobs—border security and disaster response. Our current Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, has failed both. In her short tenure, Secretary Noem has overstepped, underperformed, and endangered the lives of countless Americans,” said Senator Welch. “I believe it is time for Secretary Noem to resign or for her to be fired.”
Watch Senator Welch’s floor remarks here:
Read key excerpts of Senator Welch’s remarks:
“Secretary Noem has undermined FEMA’s work, and in so doing has endangered disaster victims. Just a few months ago, Secretary Noem said in a cabinet meeting, and I quote ‘We are eliminating FEMA.’ And she meant it.
“And we saw evidence of that in not just Texas, but in North Carolina, New Mexico, California, Kentucky, Hawaii, and Vermont—where FEMA is crucial to helping people, and communities, and businesses recover from disaster. We need FEMA. It’s only the federal government that can surge into affected communities. We can’t lose that function and that capacity. When you need safety from a flood, and when you need to start the long road to recovery, you need the support of the federal government. No state, no community can do this alone. They cannot do this alone.
“I have seen from our experience in Vermont that FEMA, in fact, must be reformed—it must not be destroyed, as Secretary Noem has suggested. We cannot have a leader in charge of FEMA that is committed to its destruction. We must have one who is energetically committed to its reform.”
• • •
“We are seeing under the leadership of Secretary Noem that her response is an across-the-board embarkation on a massive and far-reaching deportation plan. There is no distinction in her policy among those who were brought here as children, who have families, who have jobs, who pay taxes, and who serve their communities.
“And there is a big difference between deporting known criminals and rounding up immigrants—some of whom have status to be here, in fact, are here legally—from work sites, and schools, and churches. This mass deportation policy is not about serving America and doing what our country needs to be strong and safe. It is instead about Secretary Noem accumulating the highest possible headcount of deportees. It’s hurting those folks, their families, and their communities, of course.
“It’s also hurting America. Particularly rural America. Our farmers depend on labor to milk their cows, to pick their crops. It’s weakening our construction industry, where workplace raids are shutting down construction sites, including for low-income housing, which we desperately need. This is decimating our health care workforce and the hospitality industry in every state in the union.
“We need a Homeland Security Secretary who will help us develop a sensible policy for folks who are here without status but have no criminal record; work; who have families; and are taxpayers.”
• • •
“We have an obligation to protect the safety of the families that all of us represent. I urge every one of my colleagues to demand better for our constituents and for every American. We need a Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security who puts public safety and preparedness before her personal image or political aspirations. Secretary Noem must resign.”
Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
Welch took to the Senate floor to demand Noem resign or be fired
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) today called for the resignation of U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, citing Secretary Noem’s mishandling of the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and record of undermining FEMA’s work, as well as her handling of President Trump’s cruel and illegal mass deportation campaign.
“The Department of Homeland Security has a simple but extremely important mission: keep Americans safe. Under that mission, the department is tasked with two critical jobs—border security and disaster response. Our current Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, has failed both. In her short tenure, Secretary Noem has overstepped, underperformed, and endangered the lives of countless Americans,” said Senator Welch. “I believe it is time for Secretary Noem to resign or for her to be fired.”
Watch Senator Welch’s floor remarks here:
Read key excerpts of Senator Welch’s remarks:
“Secretary Noem has undermined FEMA’s work, and in so doing has endangered disaster victims. Just a few months ago, Secretary Noem said in a cabinet meeting, and I quote ‘We are eliminating FEMA.’ And she meant it.
“And we saw evidence of that in not just Texas, but in North Carolina, New Mexico, California, Kentucky, Hawaii, and Vermont—where FEMA is crucial to helping people, and communities, and businesses recover from disaster. We need FEMA. It’s only the federal government that can surge into affected communities. We can’t lose that function and that capacity. When you need safety from a flood, and when you need to start the long road to recovery, you need the support of the federal government. No state, no community can do this alone. They cannot do this alone.
“I have seen from our experience in Vermont that FEMA, in fact, must be reformed—it must not be destroyed, as Secretary Noem has suggested. We cannot have a leader in charge of FEMA that is committed to its destruction. We must have one who is energetically committed to its reform.”
• • •
“We are seeing under the leadership of Secretary Noem that her response is an across-the-board embarkation on a massive and far-reaching deportation plan. There is no distinction in her policy among those who were brought here as children, who have families, who have jobs, who pay taxes, and who serve their communities.
“And there is a big difference between deporting known criminals and rounding up immigrants—some of whom have status to be here, in fact, are here legally—from work sites, and schools, and churches. This mass deportation policy is not about serving America and doing what our country needs to be strong and safe. It is instead about Secretary Noem accumulating the highest possible headcount of deportees. It’s hurting those folks, their families, and their communities, of course.
“It’s also hurting America. Particularly rural America. Our farmers depend on labor to milk their cows, to pick their crops. It’s weakening our construction industry, where workplace raids are shutting down construction sites, including for low-income housing, which we desperately need. This is decimating our health care workforce and the hospitality industry in every state in the union.
“We need a Homeland Security Secretary who will help us develop a sensible policy for folks who are here without status but have no criminal record; work; who have families; and are taxpayers.”
• • •
“We have an obligation to protect the safety of the families that all of us represent. I urge every one of my colleagues to demand better for our constituents and for every American. We need a Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security who puts public safety and preparedness before her personal image or political aspirations. Secretary Noem must resign.”
Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
Welch took to the Senate floor to demand Noem resign or be fired
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) today called for the resignation of U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, citing Secretary Noem’s mishandling of the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and record of undermining FEMA’s work, as well as her handling of President Trump’s cruel and illegal mass deportation campaign.
“The Department of Homeland Security has a simple but extremely important mission: keep Americans safe. Under that mission, the department is tasked with two critical jobs—border security and disaster response. Our current Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, has failed both. In her short tenure, Secretary Noem has overstepped, underperformed, and endangered the lives of countless Americans,” said Senator Welch. “I believe it is time for Secretary Noem to resign or for her to be fired.”
Watch Senator Welch’s floor remarks here:
Read key excerpts of Senator Welch’s remarks:
“Secretary Noem has undermined FEMA’s work, and in so doing has endangered disaster victims. Just a few months ago, Secretary Noem said in a cabinet meeting, and I quote ‘We are eliminating FEMA.’ And she meant it.
“And we saw evidence of that in not just Texas, but in North Carolina, New Mexico, California, Kentucky, Hawaii, and Vermont—where FEMA is crucial to helping people, and communities, and businesses recover from disaster. We need FEMA. It’s only the federal government that can surge into affected communities. We can’t lose that function and that capacity. When you need safety from a flood, and when you need to start the long road to recovery, you need the support of the federal government. No state, no community can do this alone. They cannot do this alone.
“I have seen from our experience in Vermont that FEMA, in fact, must be reformed—it must not be destroyed, as Secretary Noem has suggested. We cannot have a leader in charge of FEMA that is committed to its destruction. We must have one who is energetically committed to its reform.”
• • •
“We are seeing under the leadership of Secretary Noem that her response is an across-the-board embarkation on a massive and far-reaching deportation plan. There is no distinction in her policy among those who were brought here as children, who have families, who have jobs, who pay taxes, and who serve their communities.
“And there is a big difference between deporting known criminals and rounding up immigrants—some of whom have status to be here, in fact, are here legally—from work sites, and schools, and churches. This mass deportation policy is not about serving America and doing what our country needs to be strong and safe. It is instead about Secretary Noem accumulating the highest possible headcount of deportees. It’s hurting those folks, their families, and their communities, of course.
“It’s also hurting America. Particularly rural America. Our farmers depend on labor to milk their cows, to pick their crops. It’s weakening our construction industry, where workplace raids are shutting down construction sites, including for low-income housing, which we desperately need. This is decimating our health care workforce and the hospitality industry in every state in the union.
“We need a Homeland Security Secretary who will help us develop a sensible policy for folks who are here without status but have no criminal record; work; who have families; and are taxpayers.”
• • •
“We have an obligation to protect the safety of the families that all of us represent. I urge every one of my colleagues to demand better for our constituents and for every American. We need a Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security who puts public safety and preparedness before her personal image or political aspirations. Secretary Noem must resign.”
Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
Legislation would make it easier for generic and biosimilar drugs to enter the market, increasing competition and lowering the price of prescription drugs
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) teamed up to introduce the Eliminating Thickets to Improve Competition (ETHIC) Act, bipartisan, bicameral legislation to streamline drug patent litigation, encourage fair market competition, and lower prescription drug prices by making it easier for generic and biosimilar companies to enter the market. U.S. Representative Jodey Arrington (R-TX-19) introduced companion legislation in the House.
“For decades, Big Pharma has exploited U.S. courts and the patent system through anti-competitive practices that prevent generic and biosimilar competitors from entering the market, forcing Vermonters to pay more out of pocket for life-saving drugs. It’s outrageous, and it’s gone on for far too long,” said Senator Welch. “I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing the ETHIC Act to stop pharmaceutical companies from abusing the patent system and lower prescription drug prices for patients across the country. Congress must pass our legislation to cut drug costs for families and streamline access to care.”
“Big Pharma knows exactly what it’s doing in monopolizing the U.S. patent system: driving up drug costs for Americans while preventing generic-drug manufacturers from getting their foot in the market. This bipartisan bill would break up the anticompetitive ‘patent thickets’ that pharmaceutical companies have abused to the detriment of the American patient,” said Senator Hawley.
“Big Pharma is exploiting loopholes in our courts and patent system to block generic and biosimilar pharmaceuticals from the market, leading to higher out-of-pocket costs for everyone,” said Senator Klobuchar. “Enough is enough. Our bipartisan bill will close these loopholes, strengthen competition, and lower prescription drug prices.”
“America leads the world in medical innovation and Congress understands the necessity of strong IP protections. Groundbreaking research and development fuels our economy, improves quality of life for patients, and brings down healthcare costs – one of the drivers of our national debt. Unfortunately, loopholes in our current patent system allow manufacturers to file for duplicative patents that delay competition. I am proud to lead this legislation to ensure new patents include real innovation and bring additional value to patients,” said Rep. Arrington.
The U.S. Patent system was designed to promote innovation and foster competition. However, pharmaceutical companies are exceedingly abusing the patent system through patent extension strategies such as “patent thicketing,” a strategy in which pharmaceutical companies develop a “web” of patents around their most profitable drugs. These patent thickets deter generic and biosimilar drugs from entering the market, due to the high cost of challenging each patent in a thicket.
The ETHIC Act codifies the practice that many federal district courts across the country already apply to limit the number of patents or patent claims a company can assert in litigation. Specifically, this bipartisan bill:
Streamlines patent litigation by limiting to one, the number of patents per patent thicket a pharmaceutical company can assert in litigation.
Prohibits a patent owner from asserting multiple patents from the same thicket in separate actions against the same alleged infringer to circumvent the intent of the law.
Safeguards quality patents that improve existing drugs, benefiting patients.
The ETHIC Act is endorsed by the Association for Accessible Medicines and Generation Patient.
“Patent thickets increasingly serve as a barrier to patient access to lower-cost generic and biosimilar medicines. This bill proactively addresses anticompetitive patent thickets by limiting brands to a single patent out of a duplicative patent family in Hatch-Waxman and biologics patent litigation, said John Murphy III, President and CEO, Association for Accessible Medicines. “In alignment with the Administration’s Executive Order on competition, this bill will accelerate generic and biosimilar launches and stop these problematic double patenting practices.”
“As an organization representing over 25 million young adults with chronic conditions in the United States, we witness daily the barriers to accessing affordable, life-saving medicines. For young adults striving for financial security and independence, these obstacles to accessing necessary medicines are especially daunting. With the leadership of Senators Welch and Hawley, the ETHIC Act represents a pragmatic step toward closing loopholes that allow brand-name pharmaceutical companies to use overlapping patents to block competition. By limiting infringement claims to one patent per group of closely related patents, this legislation promotes fair competition and enables more affordable treatment options for our community. It is time to prioritize the health and futures of patients, and this legislation is a step forward in that direction,” said Sneha Dave, Founder and Executive Director, Generation Patient.
Learn more about the ETHIC Act.
Read and download the full text of the bill.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
A study published in JAMA Network Open looks at the association between people with obesity and diabetes taking weight loss drugs, and risk of neurodegenerative diseases, stroke, and all-cause mortality.
Dr Sarah Marzi, Senior Lecturer in Neuroscience and UK DRI Group Leader, UK Dementia Research Institute at King’s College London, and Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, said:
Is this good quality research? Are the conclusions backed up by solid data?
“This is retrospective study in over 60000 individuals with type 2 diabetes and obesity who were using antidiabetic drugs between 2017 and 2024. The authors looked at the incidence of neurological diseases and mortality. They showed that people taking glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1Ras), such as semaglutide, was associated with a lower incidence of dementia, stroke and all-cause mortality, but not associated with Parkinson’s disease or mild cognitive impairment. The hazard ratio for developing dementia with GLP1-RA treatment compared to other diabetic drugs was 0.63. Or maybe more easily interpretable: The cumulative probability of developing dementia on GLP1-RA after 7 years was 1.63%, whereas it was slightly higher (1.98%) in the group with other antidiabetics. The study seems well executed and open about the limitations. There could have been some more detail on the methods, but I suspect that has to do with the format of the publication.
How does this work fit with the existing evidence?
“It has been hypothesised that GLP1-RAs may have protective effects in the brain, particularly in the context of dementia, possibly through lowering neuroinflammation or promoting neurogenesis. There is increasing epidemiological evidence that supports this, for example this meta analysis of clinical trials of GLP1-RAs: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaneurology/fullarticle/2831975
Have the authors accounted for confounders? Are there important limitations to be aware of?
“They used propensity weighting to account for various factors that might bias the outcome, like sex, age, ethnicity, BMI or hospitalisation. This is good and what should be done in these type of observational studies. If there is a difference in the two populations that receive the different drugs, that could easily affect their risk to develop neurodegenerative or other neurological conditions. For example, the proportion of GLP1-RA users who were within hospital inpatient care was much higher than in the comparison group – and this could indicate worse diabetes symptoms or other health complications that may increase risk for neurological disease. The propensity weighting should account for these differences. However, it only works for variables that were actively measured, and may overlook other relevant factors. The authors are clear about the limitations in their discussion, also saying that only a randomized controlled trial would establish causality and that it would be important to investigate underlying biological mechanisms. One thing I would also note is that the studied population is slightly young for the investigation of neurodegenerative diseases. Late onset Alzheimer’s disease typically starts after the age of 65 and the probability increases as people age. The study population here was around 58 years of age on average when originally recruited, so should have been around 65 at 7-year follow-up. This would be when people are only about to start to develop some of these diseases.
What are the implications in the real world? Is there any overspeculation?
“If shown to be protective for neurodegenerative diseases in future trials, GLP1-RAs could potentially be used clinically in disease prevention in the future, so this is definitely important – but we are not there yet. No overspeculation on behalf of the authors.”
Dr Richard Oakley, Associate Director of Research and Innovation, Alzheimer’s Society, said:
“It is well established that diabetes and obesity can increase your risk of developing dementia. This study retrospectively examines whether GLP-1RAs drug, such as semaglutide and tirzepatide which are used to treat diabetes, can also reduce a person’s dementia risk.
“This study supports existing evidence that shows these drugs may reduce dementia risk, particularly for people aged 60 and over who are living with Type 2 diabetes and obesity.
“Although interesting, we can’t draw conclusions from this study alone as it is an observational study, only a small number of people who took part went on to develop dementia and as the impact of these drugs on different types of dementia is not clear.
“There are clinical trials currently looking at whether drugs like these can be used to treat early-stage Alzheimer’s disease, so this is a really exciting area being explored in the research fight against dementia.”
Prof Tara Spires-Jones, Director of the Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences at the University of Edinburgh, Group Leader in the UK Dementia Research Institute, and Past President of the British Neuroscience Association, said:
“This is a very interesting study adding to evidence that GLP1 receptor agonists are associated with a lower risk of dementia in people with type 2 diabetes and obesity. This study by Lin and colleagues looked at data from over 60,000 people and found an association between taking GLP1 receptor agonists semaglutide or tirzepatide for 7 years and reduced risk of dementia, stroke, and all-cause mortality (death). This type of study cannot determine whether the drugs reduced disease risk by directly protecting the brain. It is highly likely that effectively treating type 2 diabetes and obesity would reduce dementia and stroke risk as they are known risk factors for these conditions. Further work is needed including randomised clinical trials to confirm these drugs are protective in people with diabetes and obesity and other trials are needed to determine whether these drugs will be protective in people who do not have type 2 diabetes and obesity.”
Dr Coco Newton, Senior Research Fellow, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, UCL; and Health Systems Group, University of Cambridge, said:
“This is a rigorous study and suggests important therapeutic effects of GLP-1RAs beyond glycemic control. However, the protective effects against dementia should be taken with caution. Three types of dementia outcomes were investigated – Alzheimer’s, vascular, and ‘other’. Although there was an overall lower risk of dementia associated with GLP-1RAs, the sub-group analysis revealed that this was only the case for ‘other’ dementia, but not for Alzheimer’s disease or vascular dementia – the two most common forms of dementia. What constitutes ‘other’ dementia is unclear. The relatively short average follow-up of 1.7 years is far less than the time it takes to develop symptoms of a dementia disease and access a diagnosis, so a longer follow-up time should be investigated before making claims around dementia protection.”
Prof Kevin McConway, Emeritus Professor of Applied Statistics, Open University, said:
“This study adds to previous evidence suggesting that, in people who have type 2 diabetes and are overweight, taking the newer GLP-1RA drugs to manage and alleviate those conditions might also lead to benefits in terms of reduced rates of some neurological conditions such as dementias, and of stroke.
“I think it’s a careful and competent study of its type. But it doesn’t yet come near showing with any certainty that talking these drugs definitely causes reduced risk of these neurological and brain conditions. Also, since everyone in the study already had type 2 diabetes and obesity, and was aged 40 or over, the results can’t tell us anything direct about people who aren’t in that group.
“That’s why the brief press release, and the abstract (summary) of the research paper, rightly don’t go beyond a suggestion that these GLP-1RA drugs might have a protective effect, even in people with diabetes and obesity, but instead say that their results mean that further clinical trials are called for.
“The newer GLP-1RA drugs being studied are semaglutide (marketed as Ozempic, Rybelsus or Wegovy) and tirzepatide (marketed as Zepbound or Mounjaro).
“The researchers for this study are based in Taiwan. For the study they used data from deidentified health records from 67 US health care organisations, made available through a research network called TriNetX. The researchers used data on people aged 40 and over with type 2 diabetes and obesity, who had started as new users of semaglutide, tirzepatide, or other antidiabetic drugs between 2017 and 2024. They excluded from their analysis patients who had previously been prescribed one of the earlier GLP-1RA drugs.
“The primary outcomes that were analysed were new diagnoses of neurodegenerative diseases, including dementia, mild cognitive impairment, and Parkinson’s disease, and also diseases of blood circulation to the brain, including strokes (where a blood clot blocks the blood supply to part of the brain) and intracerebral haemorrhage (bleeds in the brain).
“The study found that there were fewer new cases of several, but not all, of these conditions in people who had started taking semaglutide or tirzepatide, compared to people who had started on a different antidiabetic drug that was not a GLP-1RA.
“However, this was an observational study – so not like a randomised clinical trial where people are allocated at random to one of the drug treatments. That means that there will, inevitably, be some other differences between the people taking the GLP-1RA drugs and people taking other kinds of drug, apart from which antidiabetic drug they were taking. So it would remain possible that any difference in diagnosis rates, for the conditions they were looking at, between those on GLP-1RAs and those on other drugs, was caused by one of these other factors and not by the drugs themselves.
“Of course the researchers were aware of this possibility, and they tried to allow for it using a statistical procedure called propensity score matching. They found factors, that were recorded on their database, that were associated with the chance of being prescribed a GLP-1RA drug, and used them to construct a statistical model giving a score for how likely each person was to be prescribed a GLP-1RA drug. Then each of the more than 30,000 patients who was prescribed a GLP-1RA was matched with a patient who was prescribed a different drug, on the basis of this score. Here the so-called propensity scores were based on people’s age, sex, ethnicity, BMI and various other aspects of their lives and their previous health. Then in the statistical analysis, each patient was primarily compared with the person they were matched with.
“This is a standard statistical procedure these days, but it doesn’t get the researchers off the hook of not being able to conclude that the different type of drug actually cause differences in the risk of being diagnosed with one of the diseases they were interested in.
“That’s partly because there’s no way to be sure that all relevant factors are included in the statistical model that produces the propensity scores. For instance, the researchers couldn’t include factors that are not recorded in the database they had – they mention the patient’s frailty as one example of something quite possibly relevant that was not on the database.
“And basically that’s why the researchers, rightly, don’t go further than suggesting that their findings are a reason for doing clinical trials rather than just more observational studies.
“The research found evidence that was reasonably solid statistically of a reduced risk of diagnosis of dementia and of stroke in patients who were prescribed semaglutide or tirzepatide, compared to patients prescribed another antidiabetic drug. But don’t forget that they can’t show that these associations are one of cause and effect. They might be, but they might not be.
“Also, all these findings apply only to patients like those in the study – that is, people aged 40 or more who already had both type 2 diabetes and obesity.
“They did not, however, find good statistical evidence of a reduced risk of Parkinson’s disease, or mild cognitive impairment, or bleeds in the brain in people taking GLP-1RA drugs.
“That can’t be taken to mean that the drugs definitely don’t lead to reductions in the risk of those conditions. It’s possible that they don’t lead to risk reductions or risk increases. But it’s also possible that the study, despite the large number of participants, didn’t provide enough evidence one way or the other. Only just over 100, out of the over 60,000 people studied, had a Parkinson’s diagnosis and that’s not really enough to come to clear conclusions. Or it’s also still possible that the effect of other unrelated factors, not accounted for by the propensity scores, disguised an association that would otherwise be detectable. That’s always a risk with observational studies.
“The study made one other interesting finding, which actually arose from a restriction in the data tools the researchers had available. Imagine that, for some reason, patients on the GLP-1RA drugs had a higher death rate than patients on the other antidiabetic drugs. Then perhaps the GLP-1RA patients would have a lower risk of being diagnosed with one of the diseases being studied, simply because they would have been more likely to die of something else first. There are standard statistical methods for getting round this issue, but they could not be used with the available database.
“Therefore the researchers decided to use death from any cause (so-called all-cause mortality) as a secondary outcome of this study, as well as the primary outcomes about neurological conditions, strokes and brain bleeds. In fact. they found that patients on the GLP-1RA drugs had a lower risk of death, during the study, than patients on the other antidiabetic drugs, not a higher risk, again using the propensity scoring method. So the lower diagnosis rates for stroke and dementia, that they found in their primary data analyses, weren’t simply an odd consequence of differences in mortality rates.
“This conclusion about death rates is subject to the same provisos as the other conclusions – we can’t conclude that the difference in death rates is actually caused by the different drugs that people were taking for their diabetes, though it certainly doesn’t rule that possibility out.
“And it raises the interesting question of whether the associations between the drugs people were talking and their risks of diagnoses of the specific conditions of interest could look different, possible stronger, if differences in risk of death from any cause could have been taken into account directly in measuring those associations.”
‘Neurodegeneration and Stroke After Semaglutide and Tirzepatide in Patients With Diabetes and Obesity’ by Huan-Tang Lin et al. was published in JAMA Network Open at 16:00 UK time on Tuesday 15 July 2025.
DOI:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.21016
Declared interests
Dr Sarah Marzi: “No conflicts of interest on my part (no industry funding etc).”
Dr Richard Oakley: “Nothing to declare.”
Prof Tara Spires-Jones: “I have no conflicts with this study but have received payments for consulting, scientific talks, or collaborative research over the past 10 years from AbbVie, Sanofi, Merck, Scottish Brain Sciences, Jay Therapeutics, Cognition Therapeutics, Ono, and Eisai. I am also Charity trustee for the British Neuroscience Association and the Guarantors of Brain and serve as scientific advisor to several charities and non-profit institutions.”
Dr Coco Newton: “No interests to declare.”
Prof Kevin McConway: “I have no conflicts of interest to declare.”
Reacting to plans by Rachel Reeves to place financial services at the heart of the government’s growth agenda by softening up regulations on banks and reintroducing greater risk-taking into the financial system, co-leader of the Green Party Adrian Ramsay MP, said:
“If in their desperation to achieve growth, the government is willing to set up the conditions for another disastrous financial crash, then we need to question whether growth should be the be-all and end-all of economic policy.
“For Greens the focus will always be on improving health and wellbeing, creating greater equality and building a greener economy. And designing economic policy as a means to those ends.”
City of York Council has unveiled a new draft strategy to support children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and their families in York.
Young people, parents and carers, schools and health and childcare professionals are being invited to share their views on the draft strategy over the next few months.
The five-year strategy, entitled Inclusion and Belonging, sets out to help every child and family in York feel that they belong at school, in their community, and in the wider city.
The strategy has been developed through extensive co-production with young people with SEND and their families. It outlines ten key priorities including:
ensuring that the voice and visibility of children and young people is most important
ensuring that children and young people’s needs are identified at the earliest opportunity
making sure that the right support is available at the right time.
Cllr Bob Webb, the council’s Executive Member for Children, Young People and Education, said:
We want all children and young people to feel that they belong in our city. Their views, together with those of their families, carers, and childcare and health professionals, are essential. We want to hear people’s experiences, ideas, and concerns so we can create a final strategy that reflects real lives and needs; one which helps make a significant different to the lives of local children and young people with SEND and their families.
You can have your say in various ways:
In person: At the Gateway Centre in Acomb on Tuesday 15 July 11-1pm and Monday 21 July 5-7pm
Complete an online survey: www.york.gov.uk/consultations
Complete a paper survey: Available from Customer Services at West Offices
For more information visit www.york.gov.uk/consultations
City of York Council is also inviting schools, parents, carers, and young people to share their views on the development of York’s Autism and ADHD Strategy as this work is closely linked to York’s Inclusion and Belonging Strategy.
Inclusion means recognising and valuing all kinds of diversity, including neurodiversity. For children and young people with autism or ADHD, feeling understood, supported, and included at school and in the community is key to a sense of belonging.
You can have your say on the draft Autism and ADHD Strategy at the same events as for the SEND strategy, or complete the online survey at www.york.gov.uk/consultations
The survey will run from Tuesday 15 July until Sunday 7 September. Feedback will be used to shape the final strategy.
Millennium Square has come alive with music, sunshine and unforgettable moments as this year’s Summer Series has kicked off in style. With two sold out shows already – Mika and The Black Keys – this year’s series is shaping up to be one of the most exciting yet.
Pop sensation Mika brought his signature energy to the square, delivering a stunning set that created an electrifying atmosphere. In a magical moment, Mika left the stage and performed among the crowd – much to the delight of fans who were treated to an up-close experience they’ll never forget.
“Fabulous evening loved every minute, and got to share the experience with my daughter. Priceless. We love you Mika,” said Loretta.
Sam also commented: “Thank you to all those that worked so hard to pull this together. Mika was amazing, totally brilliant and I feel so lucky to have been able to watch him live. Scouting for Girls were excellent too.”
Just days later, The Black Keys rocked the square as part of their limited UK run—one of only three UK dates on their European tour. Welcoming the legendary American duo to Leeds was a huge honour and their powerful set was matched only by the energy of the crowd.
Opening the evening was rising star Alex Spencer, who began his musical journey busking on the streets of Manchester. Now, with a full band behind him, he’s opening for one of the biggest names in modern rock—a truly inspiring moment that lit up the stage.
Alex said on a video he shared with his fans before the show in Millennium Square: “We went from busking on the streets of Manchester at 12 years old to now touring with The Black Keys this summer, playing in dream venues to thousands and thousands of people every night. (…) I’m grateful to be here.”
There’s still plenty more to come over the coming weeks, including hosting the Leeds Pride Community Stage and the fantastic 80s Classical, which brings together iconic 80s legends under the summer sky, all under the expert direction of Cliff Masterson and a 50-piece Orchestra of Opera North.
Then, from 31 July to 3 August, audiences can enjoy Cinema on the Square for a series of open-air screenings packed with sing-alongs, family favourites, and fantastic live performances.
It’s been an incredible start to Summer Series 2025—and it’s only just getting started.
Councillor Salma Arif, Leeds City Council executive member for adult social care, active lifestyles and culture, said:
“This year’s Summer Series has started in wonderful style with two memorable events which the sold-out crowds loved. They have set the ideal tone for the great range of events still to come, with something for everyone to enjoy all in the perfect summer concert setting of Millennium Square. We look forward to seeing more packed crowds all having a brilliant time enjoying the fantastic performances to come.”
A variety of street food vendors and a fully licensed bar will be available on-site, with the venue fully accessible, including a raised viewing platform, accessible toilets and a Mobile Changing Places unit. Companion ticket info is available via the website or Leeds Ticket Hub.
Tickets for all events along with information on the full line-up are available to purchase online from www.millsqleeds.com, by phone on 0113 376 0318 (Mon-Sat 10am-4pm) or from the Carriageworks Theatre (open two hours before any performances at the Carriageworks Theatre).
Notes to editors:
Dates: Summer Series events 3 July – 3 August 2024 Opening Hours: Door times vary, please check the website for details. Events are outdoor standing unless otherwise stated. Venue: Millennium Square, Millennium Square, Leeds, LS2 3AD
Remaining events:
Thursday 17 July: MAN IN THE MIRROR – A Tribute to Michael Jackson – £35.20
Friday 18 July: Funeral For A Friend (The Blackout, Casey & Kill The Lights) – £46.75
Letters from Suzie Daykin and Yvette Bosworth, Deputy Director, Fire Strategy and Reform Unit at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to:
Fenella Morris KC confirming her appointment as the Lead Inspector
Anna Bicarregui confirming her appointment as Assistant Inspector
Gethin Thomas confirming his appointment as Assistant Inspector
Tasnim Shawkat confirming her appointment as Assistant Inspector (Monitoring Officer)
The letters set out the scope of the inspection and the responsibilities of the inspectors.
Reacting to news that thousands of Afghans have moved to the UK under a secret scheme which was set up after a British official inadvertently leaked their data, Ellie Chowns, MP for North Herefordshire and Green Party spokesperson for foreign affairs, said:
“It is nothing short of horrifying that a British security breach exposed the personal details of thousands of Afghans who risked everything to stand alongside our forces, leaving them and their families exposed to persecution, torture, or worse at the hands of the Taliban.
“It’s truly shocking that proper data protection practices were not in place to prevent such a dangerous event. And though the government has assured Parliament that action has been taken to prevent such a leak from happening again, this does not negate the great danger posed to thousands through sheer carelessness.
“This breach should never have happened. Yet, in the face of this appalling mistake, it is absolutely right that the government acted decisively to bring those exposed to safety in the UK. These courageous people stood by us at great personal peril and put their trust in the government to not expose them to more risk; the UK owes them nothing less than safe refuge and a chance to rebuild their lives in security and dignity in Britain.”
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 2
Speech
Defra Secretary of State at Water UK Reception
Secretary of State for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs delivered a speech at the UK Water Reception hosted at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre
This is a moment for Government and industry to join together to unlock the potential of our water sector and grow our economy in every region of this country.
We need water for economic growth.
Communities can’t function without it. Water is essential for every household and business across the country. We need it to grow the food that feeds our families. To build 1.5 million new homes, hospitals, schools and roads. To cool power stations that supply our electricity and the data centres to run our IT systems.
Water flows through our breathtaking countryside, boosting our tourism and leisure industries.
The public were not aware at the time of the last general election, this country was facing water rationing within ten years. There was not enough water to meet the growing demands of our population. As David just said, no new reservoirs had been built in 30 years.
Water infrastructure was outdated and crumbling. Leaking pipes wasted valuable water supplies. Record levels of sewage polluted our waterways.
[Political section removed]
In just one year, we’ve introduced tough new measures to clean up our rivers, lakes and seas. Including ringfencing customers’ money so it can only be spent on what it was intended for: upgrading and improving water infrastructure.
Our Water Special Measures Bill became law in February, giving the regulators new powers to hold water companies to account.
And Sir Jon Cunliffe, the former Deputy Governor of the Bank of England, will soon complete the biggest review of the water sector in a generation to ensure we have a robust regulatory framework to clean up our waterways, build the infrastructure we need for a reliable water supply, and restore public confidence in this vital economic sector.
He will publish his full findings next week, and the Government response will follow quickly afterwards.
This strong action has laid the groundwork for the sector to move forward.
Today is the start of a new partnership between the water sector and government.
Turning the page on the past to begin a new chapter of growth and opportunity.
The water sector is a priority for economic growth.
We’ve worked together and secured £104 billion pounds of private sector investment in the water sector over the next five years.
That’s the biggest private sector investment into our water sector in its entire history, and the second biggest investment in any part of the economy over the lifetime of this parliament – and getting this investment right matters.
It will build and upgrade infrastructure in every region of the country – cutting sewage in half by 2030 and cleaning up our rivers, lakes and seas.
So, parents don’t have to worry about letting their children splash about in the water. So, we can experience the majesty of national treasures like Lake Windermere. Or enjoy a moment of calm by going for a swim in nature.
It will fund nine new reservoirs and nine large-scale water transfer schemes, and reduce leaks from water pipes.
So families – like those in Guildford – don’t have to rely on bottled water when their water supply is disrupted. So businesses don’t lose profits when they’re forced to shut because the taps have run dry. So farmers can keep growing food in the face of increasingly unstable and unpredictable weather patterns.
This vast investment will fuel economic growth.
Over the next 5 years, it will create 30 thousand good, well-paid jobs in every corner of the country.
Jobs that are rooted in the communities they serve.
Money to upgrade roads, schools and hospitals. Encouraging businesses to invest in the area. Attracting more visitors to support rural tourism.
This investment will make sure we can build 1.5 million homes this Parliament, construct major infrastructure projects to support the green energy transition, and power new industries such as data centres that can unlock the UK’s AI potential.
This is what we mean when we talk about the Government’s Plan for Change.
We must work together to make sure that £104 billion is spent in the best way to secure the improvements we want to see, and in the timescales we want to see them.
Earlier this year, my colleague the Water Minister Emma Hardy and I toured the country to see how this investment will be spent.
Around Cambridge, one of the UK’s fastest growing economies, investment in water infrastructure will support 4500 new homes, community facilities such as schools and leisure centres, and office and laboratory space in the city centre.
On the River Avon, Wessex Water are investing £35 million pounds to expand the Saltford Water Recycling Plant, increasing their wastewater treatment capacity by 40% to meet rising demand, and creating local jobs near Bath.
And in Hampshire, work’s begun on the Havant Thicket Reservoir, the first reservoir to be built in the South East since the 1970s and when it’s full, this will supply water to around 160,000 people and, during construction, it will generate more than £10 million a year to the South East economy, with construction jobs and apprenticeships.
We need to get spades in the ground in every region.
I’ve set up a Water Delivery Taskforce to bring together Government, regulators, and water industry representatives, to ensure water companies complete their planned investments on time and on budget – providing value for money for customers.
The Taskforce will make sure we have the water, wastewater and drainage needed for the new developments and infrastructure that will drive long-term economic growth.
Energy and Utility Skills estimate 43,000 people will be needed to take up jobs in the water industry over the next five years.
That’s good, skilled, well paid jobs such as bioresources technicians, hydraulics specialists, engineers, construction workers, and surveyors.
It’s imperative we have the skilled workforce in place.
Because without it, all this investment will not be possible.
That’s why we’re here today. To work together to ensure the industry and supply chain have the capacity to meet our shared ambitions for a successful, growing water sector underpinning a successful, growing economy.
This demands a whole Government approach.
Torsten Bell, the Minister for Pensions, and Baroness Jacqui Smith, Minister for Skills, will both be here today, will give more details on how we plan to do this via our employment and skills programmes.
And I’m delighted that later today I’ll sign our ‘Water Skills Pledge’ with Alison McGovern, the Minister for Employment – affirming our commitment to ensuring the water sector has the skills and workforce it needs to succeed.
We will work together to show people that a career in the water industry and its supply chain is something they can be proud of for a lifetime.
Something that gives you new skills, exciting challenges and can set you up for life – wherever in this country you live.
These are jobs that make a difference. Making sure people have a reliable, clean water supply, protecting our food security, cleaning up our waterways – and stimulating economic growth in every part of the country to raise living standards and wages and improve people’s lives.
This is a fresh start, a moment to build new partnerships and set the direction for the water sector of the future.
We are working together to bring about the change that people in this country voted for last year. It’s an exciting time for the water industry, and I’m proud to stand alongside you as we chart the journey forwards to success.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Speech
Defra Secretary of State at UK Water Reception
Secretary of State for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs delivered a speech at the UK Water Reception hosted at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre
This is a moment for Government and industry to join together to unlock the potential of our water sector and grow our economy in every region of this country.
We need water for economic growth.
Communities can’t function without it. Water is essential for every household and business across the country. We need it to grow the food that feeds our families. To build 1.5 million new homes, hospitals, schools and roads. To cool power stations that supply our electricity and the data centres to run our IT systems.
Water flows through our breathtaking countryside, boosting our tourism and leisure industries.
The public were not aware at the time of the last general election, this country was facing water rationing within ten years. There was not enough water to meet the growing demands of our population. As David just said, no new reservoirs had been built in 30 years.
Water infrastructure was outdated and crumbling. Leaking pipes wasted valuable water supplies. Record levels of sewage polluted our waterways.
[Political section removed]
In just one year, we’ve introduced tough new measures to clean up our rivers, lakes and seas. Including ringfencing customers’ money so it can only be spent on what it was intended for: upgrading and improving water infrastructure.
Our Water Special Measures Bill became law in February, giving the regulators new powers to hold water companies to account.
And Sir Jon Cunliffe, the former Deputy Governor of the Bank of England, will soon complete the biggest review of the water sector in a generation to ensure we have a robust regulatory framework to clean up our waterways, build the infrastructure we need for a reliable water supply, and restore public confidence in this vital economic sector.
He will publish his full findings next week, and the Government response will follow quickly afterwards.
This strong action has laid the groundwork for the sector to move forward.
Today is the start of a new partnership between the water sector and government.
Turning the page on the past to begin a new chapter of growth and opportunity.
The water sector is a priority for economic growth.
We’ve worked together and secured £104 billion pounds of private sector investment in the water sector over the next five years.
That’s the biggest private sector investment into our water sector in its entire history, and the second biggest investment in any part of the economy over the lifetime of this parliament – and getting this investment right matters.
It will build and upgrade infrastructure in every region of the country – cutting sewage in half by 2030 and cleaning up our rivers, lakes and seas.
So, parents don’t have to worry about letting their children splash about in the water. So, we can experience the majesty of national treasures like Lake Windermere. Or enjoy a moment of calm by going for a swim in nature.
It will fund nine new reservoirs and nine large-scale water transfer schemes, and reduce leaks from water pipes.
So families – like those in Guildford – don’t have to rely on bottled water when their water supply is disrupted. So businesses don’t lose profits when they’re forced to shut because the taps have run dry. So farmers can keep growing food in the face of increasingly unstable and unpredictable weather patterns.
This vast investment will fuel economic growth.
Over the next 5 years, it will create 30 thousand good, well-paid jobs in every corner of the country.
Jobs that are rooted in the communities they serve.
Money to upgrade roads, schools and hospitals. Encouraging businesses to invest in the area. Attracting more visitors to support rural tourism.
This investment will make sure we can build 1.5 million homes this Parliament, construct major infrastructure projects to support the green energy transition, and power new industries such as data centres that can unlock the UK’s AI potential.
This is what we mean when we talk about the Government’s Plan for Change.
We must work together to make sure that £104 billion is spent in the best way to secure the improvements we want to see, and in the timescales we want to see them.
Earlier this year, my colleague the Water Minister Emma Hardy and I toured the country to see how this investment will be spent.
Around Cambridge, one of the UK’s fastest growing economies, investment in water infrastructure will support 4500 new homes, community facilities such as schools and leisure centres, and office and laboratory space in the city centre.
On the River Avon, Wessex Water are investing £35 million pounds to expand the Saltford Water Recycling Plant, increasing their wastewater treatment capacity by 40% to meet rising demand, and creating local jobs near Bath.
And in Hampshire, work’s begun on the Havant Thicket Reservoir, the first reservoir to be built in the South East since the 1970s and when it’s full, this will supply water to around 160,000 people and, during construction, it will generate more than £10 million a year to the South East economy, with construction jobs and apprenticeships.
We need to get spades in the ground in every region.
I’ve set up a Water Delivery Taskforce to bring together Government, regulators, and water industry representatives, to ensure water companies complete their planned investments on time and on budget – providing value for money for customers.
The Taskforce will make sure we have the water, wastewater and drainage needed for the new developments and infrastructure that will drive long-term economic growth.
Energy and Utility Skills estimate 43,000 people will be needed to take up jobs in the water industry over the next five years.
That’s good, skilled, well paid jobs such as bioresources technicians, hydraulics specialists, engineers, construction workers, and surveyors.
It’s imperative we have the skilled workforce in place.
Because without it, all this investment will not be possible.
That’s why we’re here today. To work together to ensure the industry and supply chain have the capacity to meet our shared ambitions for a successful, growing water sector underpinning a successful, growing economy.
This demands a whole Government approach.
Torsten Bell, the Minister for Pensions, and Baroness Jacqui Smith, Minister for Skills, will both be here today, will give more details on how we plan to do this via our employment and skills programmes.
And I’m delighted that later today I’ll sign our ‘Water Skills Pledge’ with Alison McGovern, the Minister for Employment – affirming our commitment to ensuring the water sector has the skills and workforce it needs to succeed.
We will work together to show people that a career in the water industry and its supply chain is something they can be proud of for a lifetime.
Something that gives you new skills, exciting challenges and can set you up for life – wherever in this country you live.
These are jobs that make a difference. Making sure people have a reliable, clean water supply, protecting our food security, cleaning up our waterways – and stimulating economic growth in every part of the country to raise living standards and wages and improve people’s lives.
This is a fresh start, a moment to build new partnerships and set the direction for the water sector of the future.
We are working together to bring about the change that people in this country voted for last year. It’s an exciting time for the water industry, and I’m proud to stand alongside you as we chart the journey forwards to success.
Source: US Department of Health and Human Services
CMS Proposes Bold Reforms to Modernize Hospital Payments, Strengthen Transparency, and Put Patients Back in Control
Proposed rule advances administration’s vision to “Make America Healthy Again”
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today issued the Calendar Year (CY) 2026 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) Payment System proposed rule (CMS-1834-P), introducing a series of patient-focused reforms that would modernize payments, expand access to care, and enhance hospital accountability.
Source: US Department of Health and Human Services
CMS Proposes Bold Reforms to Modernize Hospital Payments, Strengthen Transparency, and Put Patients Back in Control
Proposed rule advances administration’s vision to “Make America Healthy Again”
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today issued the Calendar Year (CY) 2026 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) Payment System proposed rule (CMS-1834-P), introducing a series of patient-focused reforms that would modernize payments, expand access to care, and enhance hospital accountability.
Source: US House of Representatives – Democratic Caucus
The following text contains opinion that is not, or not necessarily, that of MIL-OSI –
July 15, 2025
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar and Vice Chair Ted Lieu held a press conference on the failure of House Republicans to protect health care and lower costs.
CHAIRMAN AGUILAR: Thank you for joining us. Pleased as always to be joined by Vice Chair of the Democratic Caucus, Ted Lieu. Good morning. Republicans spent the last week lying about their vote to throw 17 million Americans off of health insurance. They’re so terrified of voter backlash that they’re charting new frontiers in dishonesty and political chutzpah. Rob Bresnahan says the Big Ugly Law will be the largest deficit reduction in 30 years, when it actually explodes the deficit by $4 trillion. Gabe Evans, on the other hand, has twisted himself into knots claiming that there are no Medicaid cuts, because, technically, health care spending will continue to rise—he’s hoping that the one in three voters in Colorado who he represents won’t notice losing their health care. Derrick Van Orden wants his voters to believe that somehow he managed to secure more money for BadgerCare even though he voted for $1 trillion in cuts to Medicaid—prompting the Governor of Wisconsin to call him out for lying.
Here’s the truth: Republicans own the health care crisis that they’ve created. People will get sick, hospitals will close—like we’ve seen in places like Curtis, Nebraska—and nursing homes will shut down. And they’re doing all of this so they can give billionaires tax breaks and make private jets fully tax-deductible. They’re the same rich and well-connected elites that they’re protecting by keeping the Epstein files under lock and key after campaigning to release them. It’s shameful—and House Democrats will make sure that they’re held accountable. Now I’ll turn it over to Vice Chair Ted Lieu.
VICE CHAIR LIEU: Thank you, Chairman Aguilar. Donald Trump, when he campaigned, promised on day one he would end inflation and lower costs. Donald Trump lied to the American people because we now know that inflation has continued to increase under his policies and that of Republicans. The most recent inflation report shows that inflation increased to 2.7 percent above expectations and core CPI increased to 2.9 percent. We call on Trump and Republicans to focus on lowering costs instead of things like the Big Ugly Bill, that are kicking millions of people off health care.
I’ve also noticed that there’s been an uptick in activity around Epstein files recently. I just want to remind the American people that in February of this year, Attorney General Pam Bondi acknowledged the existence of Jeffrey Epstein’s client list. In fact, she said that Jeffrey Epstein’s client list is, ‘sitting on my desk right now.’ Where is that client list? What is Attorney General Pam Bondi hiding? She needs to release the Epstein files as soon as possible. I talked about the Epstein files under the Biden Administration; I’m talking about it under the Trump Administration. This is a case of the powerful protecting the powerful. We need to have those files released. I also note that the Epstein files that have already been released show that Trump is all over the files. He’s in multiple pictures with Jeffrey Epstein. There’s multiple videos of Trump with Jeffrey Epstein. There are plane logs of Trump on Epstein’s plane. There are statements by Trump about Epstein. There are court pleadings of alleged victims of Epstein naming Trump. So, we need to have these Epstein files released.
I also want to talk a little bit about Ukraine. The only way we get Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table is to defeat Russian troops on the battlefield. I support President Trump’s decision to send Patriot missiles to Ukraine. I support President Trump’s decision to say that he’s going to backfill Europe’s military equipment when Europe sends military equipment to Ukraine. That is how we’re going to get Putin to the negotiating table by letting Putin know that he cannot win this war. With that, I yield back.
Video of the full press conference and Q&A can be viewed here.
Philosophy is the study of fundamental questions about reality, knowledge, and values. One “does philosophy” when they respond to such questions in ways that engage critical thought and inquiry.
Many of us will often respond philosophically to the world around us without even realising it. We may do this, for instance, when we reflect on various aspects of culture and the arts.
But does going to the cinema really amount to doing philosophy? While you may have never thought about it this way, this is exactly what one famous French philosopher named Gilles Deleuze (1925–95) argued.
Deleuze’s movement-image
Deleuze presents a philosophical approach to cinema that treats films not merely as entertainment, but as a medium for thinking and creating philosophical concepts.
This creation of philosophical concepts is what he and his collaborator, Felix Guattari, prize as “doing philosophy” in their 1991 book What is Philosophy?.
For Deleuze and Guattari, the creation of concepts is not entirely mental. It is an embodied process that involves engaging the senses – which is what cinema demands of both filmmakers and viewers. To that end, filmmakers and film viewers can both be seen as special kinds of philosophers.
Deleuze suggests cinema is not simply leisure or culture. In his 1983 book Cinema 1: The Movement-Image, he highlights how cinema is a philosophical practice made possible though “movement-images” – cinematic images which can actively shape our perception and experience of the world.
Great film directors can create concepts through movement-images, just as great philosophers do so through language.
Good cinema demands viewers engage using all their senses, resulting in an embodied experience. Kumiko Shimizu/Unsplash
Deleuze identified three categories of movement-images: perception-images, affection-images and action-images.
The perception-image frames the world from a particular point of view, usually to establish context for an action. For example, at the start of a scene, the camera might pan across the contents of a room before resting on the protagonist.
The affection-image is the cinematic expression of pure emotion. Affection-images can evoke empathy, such as when we see a character’s face overcome with sadness in a close-up. These images usually sit between perception and action images.
The action-image embodies action and reaction within a defined situation, and usually links perception and affection images. In the horror genre, this may be the “jump scare” that suddenly reveals a killer, after a long buildup of tension.
Deleuze’s time-image
In his 1985 book Cinema 2: The Time-Image, Deleuze extends his film philosophy from that of movement-images to include time-images.
The time-image is one where the experience of time is prioritised over narrative. For instance, a time-image may make use of long takes, empty spaces and irrational cuts to depict time directly onscreen, rather than represent time through props.
Through masterfully crafting movement-images and time-images, directors can (knowingly or unwittingly) create the opportunity for audiences to think about philosophical concepts and themes.
For example, in the trailer for Get Out (2017), director Jordan Peele uses a range of movement-images and time-images to convey the concepts of racism, trauma, social isolation and social stratification.
Multiple closeups of main character Chris Washington’s face looking alarmed produce affection-images (a type of movement-image) that engage the viewer’s emotions.
Peele also strategically uses time-images to intensify the themes being conveyed, such as when Rose’s mother clinks the spoon on the teacup, both moving Chris back in time and freezing him in real time.
For Deleuze, it is these embodied, affective experiences that are the fundamental conditions for thought. By allowing the film to be sensed and felt, and by transmuting these feelings into the domain of thought, the cinemagoer can become philosophically engaged.
Repetition is another element that can bear philosophical fruits, according to Deleuze. The more one repeats a film, whether by re-watching, or repeating certain sequences, the more they allow themselves to be affected by it in different ways. This opens up different avenues for thought.
How to engage philosophically with films
Cinemagoers need not be familiar with Deleuze’s ideas to engage philosophically with a film. The only thing required is an openness to the film. But if you do want to consciously approach your next viewing like a philosopher, you might consider the following steps:
Feel as you watch. Open yourself up and allow cinematic moments to affect you on an emotional and bodily level, even if this is unpleasant or uncomfortable.
Allow for multiple interpretations. Resist the temptation to fall into black and white thinking about which characters are “good” or “bad”. Remain open to different readings of the film.
Reflect on what you felt. Allow what you experienced in your body guide your thoughts afterwards. For instance, if you experienced shock, rage, or confusion, ask yourself why.
Gently arrive at some conclusions based on your multiple readings of the film. Allow for perspectives that both contribute to and challenge your worldview.
Consider watching the film again, and repeating the above steps. This will likely help you feel and think new things that further enhance your understanding of the film, and your worldview.
Ruari Elkington has received funding from The Queensland Government Dept of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI), Screen Queensland, The Embassy of France in Australia and Cinema Association Australasia
Alain Guillemain 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.
There are 53 wildfires currently burning across Alberta in the Forest Protection Area, and four mutual aid fires.
10 are classified as out of control, eight are being held and 35 are under control.
There have been five new wildfires since yesterday.
Since Jan. 1, there have been 764 wildfires in the Forest Protection Area, burning more than 663,000 hectares.
More than 1,400 Alberta firefighters, contract firefighters and imported firefighters are currently battling wildfires across the province.
Resources currently being used include heavy equipment, air tankers, helicopters and night vision helicopters.
Alberta has imported firefighters and support staff from Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, Australia, Costa Rica and the United States Forest Service.
Information about wildfires can be found by visiting the Alberta Wildfire Status Dashboard.
Orders and alerts
Updates on evacuation orders are available on www.alberta.ca/emergency.
On July 17, the Kee Tas Kee Now Tribal Council plans to rescind its evacuation orders for Peerless Lake and Trout Lake, allowing all residents to return home. Residents must remain prepared to evacuate again if conditions change.
The Municipal District of Opportunity No. 17’s evacuation order for Chipewyan Lake remains in effect.
Reception centre at Lakeview Sports Centre, 102 Opportunity Drive, Wabasca-Desmarais.
The Kee Tas Kee Now Tribal Council’s evacuation alert for the Loon River First Nation (Loon Lake) remains in effect.
The Municipal District of Opportunity No. 17’s evacuation alert for Red Earth Creek remains in effect.
Alberta Emergency Alerts are issued by local authorities and are updated at their discretion. For the best source of information on the status of evacuation orders and alerts, residents are encouraged to follow their local authorities’ preferred communication channels for updates.
People living in Alberta are encouraged to download the Alberta Emergency Alert mobile app, which immediately pushes all alerts out to subscribers.
Fire bans
A fire advisory is in place for the Grande Prairie Forest Area and the Lac La Biche Forest Area.
Under the advisory, fire permits will only be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Safe campfires are still permitted.
Please confirm advisories, restrictions or bans for your area at alberta.ca/fire-bans.
Fire bans outside the Forest Protection Area are the responsibility of municipalities and counties.
Everyone has a role to play in wildfire prevention. Follow all fire bans and restrictions to avoid new fire starts. If you see smoke or flames in the forest, call 310-FIRE to report it.
Applying FireSmart principles to homes and property can mitigate the risk of wildfire damage. Removing flammable materials and vegetation around the property and preventing embers from accumulating can help protect your home from wildfires. To learn more, visit FireSmart Alberta.
Air quality
Visit Wildfire Smoke Information for air quality monitoring information to make informed decisions about outdoor activities to protect your health. While wildfire smoke is affecting air quality in parts of Alberta, the presence of smoke does not necessarily mean there is fire near your community. Find information about the status of active wildfires and wildfire updates at Alberta Wildfire.
Roads and highways
Highway 686 between Red Earth Creek and Trout Lake is closed due to a wildfire.
511 Alberta is the best source of real time information as conditions change on our highways. Follow on X (formerly known as Twitter) @511alberta.
Alberta highways that are affected by the wildfires will open and close frequently depending on safety and weather conditions. Be patient and respect the staff at the closure/detour sites – they are there with your safety in mind.
Health
For information about wildfire resources, including mental health, visit Wildfire Resources | Alberta Health Services.
Child care
One child-care centre is currently closed in response to community evacuations:
Opportunity Childcare, in Red Earth Creek.
Licensed child-care programs are required to notify Child Care Connect if they close unexpectedly.
Parents and guardians should reach out to their child-care provider for information on closures.
Justice and court services
The Red Earth Creek courthouse is closed until further notice.
Visit the Alberta Courts website for the most current information regarding court scheduling.
Related information
Active emergency updates
Alberta Emergency Alerts
Download the Alberta Emergency Alerts app
Download the Alberta Wildfire app
How to prepare for an emergency
Wildfire smoke information
Emergency evacuation payments
Free admission to provincial museums and historic sites
Young Futures Hubs to launch offering vulnerable young people lifeline
Vulnerable young people who are at risk of being drawn into gangs, violence or knife crime will be given the help they need when the first Young Futures Hubs get up and running later this year.
First wave of Government’s Young Futures Hubs to launch later this year
The new hubs will bring together vital community-focused services under one roof to help teenagers who face being dragged into violence and at risk of mental health challenges
Latest step in the Government’s pledge to halve knife crime and open up opportunity for all, part of the Plan for Change
Vulnerable young people who are at risk of being drawn into gangs, violence or knife crime will be given the help they need when the first Young Futures Hubs get up and running later this year.
Sitting at the heart of the Government’s Plan for Change, these hubs will help create opportunity for all and keep our streets safe. They will bring together vital local services in the local community, providing support ranging from well-being and mental health to careers advice.
The hubs will help all teenagers thrive, in particular, those who face being dragged into criminal gangs or young people at risk of mental health challenges.
Backed by a £2m cash injection eight hubs will launch this year, targeted in areas with high levels of knife crime and antisocial behaviour and offer a lifeline to vulnerable young people. It is expected that 50 Young Future Hubs will be launched over the next four years.
The Prime Minister set out these plans while attending a summit hosted by His Majesty The King at St James’s Palace and attended by Idris Elba OBE to discuss youth opportunity. Members of the Coalition to Tackle Knife Crime, set up at Downing Street last year, also attended the event.
The event was an opportunity to discuss what more must be done to offer community-led support to young people, in particular those who are vulnerable, stopping them from taking the wrong path.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:
“My government was elected on a pledge to tackle knife crime, and we have hit the ground running by banning dangerous weapons and bringing in laws to clamp down on illegal online sales.
“We are determined to do more to prevent vulnerable young people from turning to violence in the first place and open greater opportunities. As part of the Plan for Change, we will open up Young Futures Hubs across to country to stop teenagers from being dragged into crime and find a better future.”
To make sure young people get the help they need, before getting caught up in criminal activity, the Government will also pilot new multi-agency Prevention Partnership Panels to proactively identify and refer vulnerable teenagers – who may currently be falling through the net – to a range of different support services much earlier, including the Young Futures Hubs. More than twenty panels will be up and running in the coming months, across the areas of the country that collectively account for more than 80% knife crime, with many more to follow.
This is the latest measure taken by the government to cut knife crime and keep our streets safe, part of its Plan for Change.
Since coming into office last year, the Government has brought forward the strongest controls on dangerous knives, implementing bans on zombie-style knives and ninja swords and announced plans to toughen up online sales, including sanctions for tech executives who fail to remove illegal knife crime content from their platforms.
In September, the Prime Minister also launched the Coalition to Tackle Knife Crime, bringing together campaign groups, families of people who have tragically lost their lives to knife crime, young people who have been impacted and community leaders.
The Prime Minister will reconvene this group later in the year to update on the progress the Government has made during its first year in office.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper:
“Knife crime devastates families and communities across the country, and too many young lives have already been lost. That’s why we’ve set out an unprecedented mission to halve knife crime in a decade and why we are working tirelessly with our coalition to tackle the scourge of serious violence on our streets.
“We are bringing in some of the toughest measures to date, curbing access to weapons being sold online and getting them off the streets, but we also need to make sure that the right prevention structures are in place to stop young people being drawn into violent crime in the first place.
“Today’s Youth Opportunities Summit is a powerful reminder of what can be achieved when government, communities, and campaigners come together with a shared purpose.”
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said:
“Too many young people are being let down – left without the support they need when they should be building bright futures. Young Futures Hubs will help change that, providing mental health support, mentoring, careers guidance, and activities that help young people thrive, ensuring no one is left behind.
“This is our Plan for Change in action – clearing barriers to opportunity while creating safer streets. With our National Youth Strategy coming later this year, we’re putting young people back in the driving seat of their own futures, offering the support they deserve with the opportunities they need.”
WASHINGTON — Today, Attorney General Pamela Bondi highlighted the great work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to get illegal drugs off our streets and protect innocent Americans from addiction, overdose, and drug-related crime and violence. Since January 20, 2025, DEA has seized approximately 44 million fentanyl pills, 4,500 pounds of fentanyl powder, nearly 65,000 pounds of methamphetamine, more than 201,500 pounds of cocaine, and made over 2,105 fentanyl-related arrests.
“Our DEA agents are doing historic work to keep our communities safe from deadly drugs like fentanyl and dismantle the cartels selling them,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “I want to remind all Americans to exercise extreme caution: a pill can kill.”
“DEA is hitting the cartels where it hurts—with arrests, with seizures, and with relentless pressure. From meth labs in California to fentanyl pills disguised as pharmaceuticals seized at our border, these operations are saving American lives every single day,” said DEA Acting Administrator Robert Murphy. “We are not slowing down. We are dismantling these networks piece by piece—and we won’t stop until the last brick of their empire falls.”
Over the last several weeks, DEA has conducted a number of successful operations across the United States including:
In Lexington County, South Carolina, DEA, in coordination with its state and local partners, seized over 156 pounds of fentanyl and 44 pounds of methamphetamine, a firearm and arrested one trafficker.
In Gainesville, Georgia, DEA, and its state and local partners intercepted over 705 pounds of methamphetamine hidden in a truckload of cucumbers and arrested two traffickers.
In Minneapolis, Minnesota, DEA and its federal and local partners seized 889 pounds of methamphetamine, one handgun and arrested three traffickers.
In Kern County, California, DEA and its local partners shut down a major methamphetamine conversion lab, seizing over 240 pounds of crystal methamphetamine, 151 gallons of liquid methamphetamine, and arrested five traffickers.
In Fresno, California, DEA and its federal, state and local partners seized 24 pounds of carfentanil disguised as real prescription pills— the largest single seizure to date of carfentanil in Northern California.
In Galveston, Texas, DEA, in close coordination with its federal partners at CBP, helped uncover over 1,700 pounds of methamphetamine—worth more than $15 million dollars—hidden inside a vehicle.
In Austin, Texas, DEA, in coordination with its FBI, state and local partners, seized 783 pounds of methamphetamine hidden inside a refrigerated truck carrying blueberries.
In a single coordinated takedown spanning Indiana, Kentucky, and Arizona, DEA, working alongside its federal, state and local partners, DEA seized 59 illegal firearms, possessed by serious violent felons—along with 74 pounds of methamphetamine, 11 pounds of fentanyl, 11 pounds of cocaine, cash, and conducted 23 arrests.
In Miami, Florida, DEA in coordination with its FBI partners, seized over $10 million dollars in cryptocurrency, directly linked to the Sinaloa cartel.
In El Paso, Texas, DEA, with the assistance of its federal partners at HSI and U.S. Border Patrol, seized 115 pounds of methamphetamine from a drug-laden vehicle outfitted with a GPS tracker.
In Omaha, Nebraska, DEA and its local partners seized machinegun conversion devices, AR-style pistols and fentanyl pills in a raid that dismantled a multi-state poly-drug operation.
Crews will be busy in Cannock Road from Thursday 24 July with work taking place at night, between 7pm and 5am, to minimise traffic disruption.
The first section will be resurfaced from the Stafford Street junction to Nine Elms, along with fresh road markings. It is expected to be finished by Friday 8 August, weather permitting.
The Park Lane junction of Cannock Road will be resurfaced and relined between 7pm and 5am, from Monday 11 August to Friday 15 August.
It follows improvements made to roads across the city in recent weeks with more to come. The council has also made a commitment to repair more than 7,500 potholes this year.
Councillor Qaiser Azeem, City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport, said: “We know Cannock Road needs resurfacing and that work will be taking place soon giving this main route into the city a much needed facelift.
“Fixing roads and tackling potholes is a priority for the council and we have a programme of work being put into action.
“Like councils up and down the country, we can’t do everything all at once.
“The Local Government Association estimated the backlog of road repairs stands at about £17 billion and could take more than a decade to fix.
“In Wolverhampton we are following a data led, informed strategy to identify where improvements can have the greatest impact, reducing the need for urgent repairs on our roads in the long run.”
The council is responsible for maintaining 480 miles of roads and nearly 800 miles of footpaths.
Highways maintenance is funded through the council’s £9.7 million capital programme for 2025 to 2026.
Earlier this year the council also welcomed an extra £2 million from the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) to help fix even more potholes.
You can search your road via Causeway one.network to see updates on planned work, road closures and traffic diversions.
Report a pothole by downloading our Love Clean Streets app at Report a pothole or via the website.
The Basic Income Earth Network, an advocacy organisation, defines a basic income as “a periodic cash payment unconditionally delivered to all on an individual basis, without means-test or work requirement.”1
There is currently one active Universal Basic Income (UBI) trial in the UK: the Welsh Government commissioned a 3-year trial running from July 2022, involving 500 care leavers receiving a monthly payment of £1,600.2
The London Assembly Economy, Culture and Skills Committee will meet tomorrow to understand the benefits and drawbacks associated with a Universal Basic Income (UBI) in London, and evaluate how far a UBI would be effective in addressing some of the most acute problems faced by Londoners.
The two panels are split to hear from one set of guests that are supportive of the idea of UBI, with the second panel made up of guests who take a more sceptical view.
The guests are:
Panel 1:
Professor Elliott Johnson, Vice Chancellor’s Fellow in Public Policy, Northumbria University
Dr Otto Lehto, Postdoctoral Researcher, New York University
Professor Guy Standing, Professorial Research Associate, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London
Dr Will Stronge, Chief Executive, The Autonomy Institute
Panel 2:
Anna Coote, Principal Fellow, New Economics Foundation
Dr Joe Chrisp, Research Associate, Institute of Policy Research, University of Bath
Professor David Piachaud, Emeritus Professor of Social Policy, London School of Economics
Dr Matthew Thompson, Lecturer in Urban Studies, University College London, University of London
The meeting will take place on Wednesday 25 June 2025 from 10am in the Chamber at City Hall, Kamal Chunchie Way, E16 1ZE.
Media and members of the public are invited to attend.
The meeting can also be viewed LIVE or later via webcast or YouTube.
Westminster City Council’s Cabinet has agreed to appoint Altius Real Estate (‘Altius’), and its contractor partner Erith, as a delivery partner for Huguenot House – a building which is located between Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus.
Subject to a five-day call-in period, Altius will begin the design development before undertaking public consultation and then submitting a planning application.
Huguenot House is an early 1960s design with flats, offices, cinema and a car park. Options for the future of Huguenot House have been under consideration since 2017, and in March 2021, the decision was taken that the preferred option was to redevelop the building. Future plans will deliver significant improvements to residents and the wider community, providing a better environment for people to live, work and visit the area.
The principle of appointing a delivery partner was considered and agreed by Cabinet on 18 September 2023. Since November 2023, Westminster City Council has been looking for a partner that met various requirements including:
Significant experience of delivering well designed buildings with high-quality homes and facilities
Reprovision of affordable homes, the cinema and office space
Delivering wide ranging community benefits aligned to the needs of the community
Maximising local employment, training and skills
Commitments to involving the local community in the development of the design
Altius was selected as the preferred bidder as it met and exceeded all these criteria, with a project team that includes architecture studio Foster+Partners. Its proposals for Huguenot House involve new homes including a greater number of affordable homes, community assets including a garden, plus a cinema, hotel and offices.
Cllr David Boothroyd, Westminster City Council Cabinet Member for Finance and Council Reform, said:
“The redevelopment of Huguenot House represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform a key site in the heart of the West End.
“Altius has demonstrated a clear commitment to delivering high-quality homes, including much-needed affordable housing in our city, alongside vibrant community spaces and a reimagined public realm. This is about creating a place that works for residents, businesses, and visitors alike and we will ensure local people and existing residents remain at the heart of the process through continued engagement and consultation.”
On-site businesses, residents and leaseholders have been kept updated on plans as they have progressed and Westminster City Council is committed to continuing this engagement going forward. The Cabinet heard directly from a residents’ representative at the meeting and answered their questions.
Secure tenants and resident leaseholders have a right to return to the new development should they choose, and will be supported throughout whilst they temporarily live away from the site. The council is committed to working closely with residents and to discussing all options and entitlements, including support for costs associated with moving. Residents also have access to advice from an independent advisor.
To coincide with the Festival of the Sea (12-27 July) Aberdeen Maritime Museum volunteers have recorded a selection of stories relating to ships built in Aberdeen and the city’s maritime history. Visitors can listen to the stories on the Bloomberg Connects free digital guide to the Museum.
Donald Alexander, Colin Heling, Richard Leavett and Finlay McKichan regularly volunteer their time with the Aberdeen-built Ships project. This database holds records of the 3,000 ships built in Aberdeen at the shipyards of Alexander Hall & Co, John Lewis and Sons, Hall, Russel & Co, and Walter Hood & Co. Many of the Aberdeen-built Ships volunteers have worked in the city’s maritime industries and they all share a passion for maritime history. This direct knowledge and experience benefits the understanding of the collection of objects, plans, films and photographs cared for by Aberdeen Archives, Gallery and Museums.
On the Bloomberg Connects digital guide, the volunteers highlight a number of objects and themes around the Museum, including
Objects relating to the clipper ship Thermopylae, built in Aberdeen in 1868 by Walter Hood & Co. This was the age of the ‘Tea Races’ when fast clipper ships raced to be the first back to Britain with a cargo of tea. The Cutty Sark was one of Thermopylae’s rivals. Twice they raced each other from China. On both occasions Thermopylae reached the British ports first.
The propellor and a model of the Arctic steam yacht Fox. The Fox was built for the landowner Sir Richard Sutton of Nottinghamshire (1798 – 1855). After Sutton’s death the vessel was bought in 1857 by subscription at Aberdeen by Lady Jane Franklin in order to mount an expedition to discover the fate of her husband, Sir John Franklin and his expedition team, who had gone missing in the north of Canada.
The bell cast for the RMS St Helena, the last ship to be built at the Hall, Russel yard.
The Aberdeen-built ships database contains extensive information about the vessels including technical details, stories discovered from original sources, data from the Lloyd’s Register of Shipping, newspaper accounts and information passed to the volunteers by relatives and researchers. It also contains information about some vessels which, although not built in the city, were associated with it through ownership, operation, or reconstruction.
Finlay McKichan, Aberdeen-built Ships volunteer, said, “Volunteering for the Aberdeen-built Ships Project gives me the opportunity to follow up on my interest in shipping with research which, through the website, may be read by enthusiasts and genealogists across the world.”
Councillor Martin Greig, Aberdeen City Council’s culture spokesman, said, “The Aberdeen-built Ships database is a remarkable record of Aberdeen’s rich maritime heritage which has been added to over the past 25 years thanks to the dedication of volunteers. We are incredibly grateful for all the knowledge and expertise the volunteers bring to the understanding of the collection. We look forward to sharing their insights with visitors on the Bloomberg Connects digital guide.”
The free Bloomberg Connects art and culture app can be downloaded at bloombergconnects.org
The Maritime Museum will be open until 8pm on Saturday 19, Sunday 20 and Monday 21 July during the Tall Ships Races Aberdeen. Admission is free and donations are welcome. For visiting information go to www.aagm.co.uk
Festival of the Sea 12 – 27 July From sports camps to singing and storytelling, theatre and dancing to sea dragons and coastal discovery tours, and from exhibitions and creative writing to watercolour workshops, there’s something for all ages to discover and enjoy during the Festival of the Sea. For details of what’s on go to https://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/services/leisure-culture-and-parks/major-events-aberdeen/festival-sea-2025
The Council has appointed Sarah Broad as the new Director of Policy, Performance and Reform following a highly competitive recruitment process this week.
The position plays a key role in supporting the next chapter of Manchester’s success as one of the fastest growing cities in Europe – and a vital engine of growth for the UK, attracting major international business and investment.
Sarah will lead improvements to the quality and efficiency of services across the city, delivering culture change and inspiring innovation, and will embed a data and evidence-led approach to decision making.
The role will help drive the Our Manchester strategy – the vision for the city – over the next decade through key policy and strategic initiatives to address challenges facing our residents.
Sarah will work closely with the Leader, Chief Executive, and Deputy Chief Executive, and lead strategic partnerships across the city, Greater Manchester, and nationally.
With close to 20 years of local government and public sector experience, Sarah brings a wealth of knowledge and understanding to this role. And having worked as Deputy Director of Adult Social Services at Manchester City Council since 2020, she understands intimately some of the challenges facing Manchester people and has led nationally recognised service change and transformation. Her deep understanding of the challenges facing Manchester residents will be invaluable in her new position.
Previously, Sarah has worked as Strategic Lead for Reform and Innovation – reporting directly into a former Director of Policy, Performance and Reform – and previously in programme, partnership and commissioning roles at GM Active, Co-operatives UK and in two London Borough councils, as well as in an advisory role at Auckland Council in New Zealand.
Cllr Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council, said: “It’s an exciting time for Manchester and this role is highly influential in the direction of travel and vision of our city. We want Manchester to be a place where all our residents can be supported to share in our success – and at a time when we are seeing huge confidence in Manchester and significant growth, this position will play an important role in the city’s future.”
Tom Stannard, Chief Executive of Manchester City Council, said: “I look forward to working closely with Sarah in the coming months and years with a shared vision to make sure our residents have what they need to succeed in the future, supported by great services and ambitious programmes.
“Sarah will play a pivotal role in delivering the Our Manchester strategy—the city’s long-term vision—over the next decade. Here work will focus on key policy and strategic initiatives aimed at tackling the challenges facing residents, including reducing inequalities, narrowing the economic and skills gap, and creating a fairer city where all Manchester people can thrive. This will also include prioritising the development of a public service reform programme for the next decade, building on the Council’s long-standing commitment to early intervention, prevention, and integrated services.”
Sarah said: “I have spent a large part of my career in Manchester and the wider region and I am passionate about delivering for the people of this city. Manchester is brimming with confidence and I look forward to supporting the city’s ongoing success – while also tackling head on some of the key challenges facing our residents.”
Don’t let history repeat itself, says Manchester’s public health team, as they urge parents and carers to take action now to stop preventable Victorian diseases like Measles and typhoid return
Their plea comes as schools prepare for summer and families are set to travel for their holidays – which also increases the possibility for picking up or spreading diseases in unvaccinated people.
In particular, cases of measles are starting to increase across the country. There was no vaccination available during the Victorian era, which meant rapid spread of the disease and the mortality rate was high from associated complications like pneumonia.
Without today’s knowledge and approach they were frequently limited to using soaps and oils. “We can’t go back to the past for the future,” says Dr Cordelle Ofori, Manchester’s Director of Public Health. “In Manchester we want everyone to have the chance to have as much protection as possible and take up our free vaccinations offer.
“It’s totally understandable that parents or carers want as much detail as possible about the vaccinations, so please do ask any questions from your doctor or pharmacist, or health champions in your areas. NHS-trained health champions are local people, who live near you and are able to ask questions to medical teams on your behalf.”
Cllr Thomas Robinson, Manchester City Council’s Executive Member for Healthy Manchester and Adult Social Care, continues: “It’s never too late to come forward for the MMR vaccination – and if you do not know if you or your family have had it, please ask your GP. Where there is no record of having had the vaccinations, it is better to have them to be on the safe side.”
As part of a preventative stance, Manchester is writing to all parents or carers of school-age children to give them more details on vaccinations and other travel advice.
They are also sending it with a link to a bespoke guide for Manchester on how the body can be affected by certain diseases when people are not vaccinated. The booklet can be downloaded here: https://www.manchesterlco.org/childhood-vaccinations/
This is so that parents can act quickly now through free vaccinations with their GP and also so that they are ready for when schools return in September. Key travel advice for parents or carers ahead of the holidays has a focus on Hepatitis A, Typhoid, Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) – all of which were prevalent in Victorian times.
Hepatitis A This affects your liver. You can catch it from dirty water or food, or from someone who has it. Your child might:
Measles This spreads very easily from person to person. It can be very dangerous for young children and can even cause brain swelling. Your child might:
Abbey Park has been awarded the prestigious Green Flag award, which recognises its high standards.
Issued to Abbey Park every year since 1997 for its well-managed grounds and inviting atmosphere, the Green Flag award is given to parks and green areas that represent the ideal space for the public to visit: clean, welcoming and environmentally sustainable. This year, the park was ‘mystery shopped’ for the award, which means that it was assessed without informing Abbey Park staff.
Each potential Green Flag park is assessed on factors such as its safety, cleanliness and sustainability, as well as how they encourage wildlife and how they get volunteers and the wider community involved in the park. Abbey Park impressed the judges in each of these criteria, with its sensory garden (pictured) offering a quiet space for mindfulness and relaxation, and its Friendship Garden and lavender maze providing areas bursting with nature, which can be enjoyed by all.
A huge effort has been made to encourage wildlife, in the use of peat-free bark mulch, planting for pollinators and many areas of longer grass.
Visitors have a wide array of opportunities for a free day out, especially those with children; the park offers a kids’ play area, tennis courts and table tennis, and a Pets’ Corner with birds, rabbits and goats. There are wooden sculptures throughout the park, with a new sculpture recently carved from a tree trunk, in the shape of a seat.
