Source: Switzerland – Department of Foreign Affairs in English
In 2023, business enterprises invested CHF 18 billion in their R&D activities in Switzerland, an annual increase of 3.5% over 2021, which was the last time the survey was carried out. At almost CHF 5.5 billion, the ‘pharmaceuticals’ sector remains the biggest investor, despite an average annual decline of 6%. Nearly 69 000 people took part in R&D activities, a quarter of them women. These are the main results of a study carried out by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) in partnership with economiesuisse.
Source: Switzerland – Department of Foreign Affairs in English
In 2023, business enterprises invested CHF 18 billion in their R&D activities in Switzerland, an annual increase of 3.5% over 2021, which was the last time the survey was carried out. At almost CHF 5.5 billion, the ‘pharmaceuticals’ sector remains the biggest investor, despite an average annual decline of 6%. Nearly 69 000 people took part in R&D activities, a quarter of them women. These are the main results of a study carried out by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) in partnership with economiesuisse.
Source: Switzerland – Department of Foreign Affairs in English
In 2023, business enterprises invested CHF 18 billion in their R&D activities in Switzerland, an annual increase of 3.5% over 2021, which was the last time the survey was carried out. At almost CHF 5.5 billion, the ‘pharmaceuticals’ sector remains the biggest investor, despite an average annual decline of 6%. Nearly 69 000 people took part in R&D activities, a quarter of them women. These are the main results of a study carried out by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) in partnership with economiesuisse.
Source: Switzerland – Department of Foreign Affairs in English
In 2023, business enterprises invested CHF 18 billion in their R&D activities in Switzerland, an annual increase of 3.5% over 2021, which was the last time the survey was carried out. At almost CHF 5.5 billion, the ‘pharmaceuticals’ sector remains the biggest investor, despite an average annual decline of 6%. Nearly 69 000 people took part in R&D activities, a quarter of them women. These are the main results of a study carried out by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) in partnership with economiesuisse.
Source: Switzerland – Department of Foreign Affairs in English
In 2023, business enterprises invested CHF 18 billion in their R&D activities in Switzerland, an annual increase of 3.5% over 2021, which was the last time the survey was carried out. At almost CHF 5.5 billion, the ‘pharmaceuticals’ sector remains the biggest investor, despite an average annual decline of 6%. Nearly 69 000 people took part in R&D activities, a quarter of them women. These are the main results of a study carried out by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) in partnership with economiesuisse.
Source: Switzerland – Department of Foreign Affairs in English
In 2023, business enterprises invested CHF 18 billion in their R&D activities in Switzerland, an annual increase of 3.5% over 2021, which was the last time the survey was carried out. At almost CHF 5.5 billion, the ‘pharmaceuticals’ sector remains the biggest investor, despite an average annual decline of 6%. Nearly 69 000 people took part in R&D activities, a quarter of them women. These are the main results of a study carried out by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) in partnership with economiesuisse.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Press release
Mum and best friend of rip current victim Joe Abbess share their grief and safety hopes
The mother and best friend of a much-loved teenager who drowned in a fierce rip current at Bournemouth beach more than two years ago have spoken up to help people enjoy the coast safely this summer.
Joe Green and Vanessa Abbess (Photo: Maritime and Coastguard Agency)
Joe Abbess (17), a popular trainee chef and regular gym-goer, was in the water up to his waist during a trip to the seaside town with friends on 31 May 2023 when conditions suddenly changed.
As the summer season gets into full swing, Vanessa Abbess has joined with her late son’s best friend, Joe Green (19), and HM Coastguard to make a difference in his memory.
Vanessa said:
Joe was incredibly loved by his family and friends, and I feel it is so important to tell his story. He was being so sensible and safe. He was healthy. He was strong. He could swim.
It is so shocking that Joe died and shows you’re never entirely safe in the sea – but there are ways to reduce the risk, which we want everyone to know.
Joe Green was at the beach with Joe and other friends on the day of the tragedy. He and Vanessa are sharing how the loss still affects their lives as well as some easy-to-remember advice to enjoy the sea safely this summer.
A 12-year-old girl also died that day in a separate group hit by the same rip current. Eight others were rescued.
Rip currents are powerful movements of water, not always related to the tide, that can drag even strong people off their feet, under the surface or out to sea.
Vanessa and Joe’s safety tips:
Choose a lifeguarded beach and swim between the flags
Go into the sea with a buddy
In a rip current, don’t struggle and exhaust yourself. Instead Float to Live: float with your head back and ears submerged
If you see an emergency by the coast, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard
Vanessa, from Southampton, said:
Even two years on, the world doesn’t feel quite right because there’s a great big Joe-shaped hole in our lives. Joe is, and will always be, loved and very missed every day.
We live on an island; people should know the dangers. You wouldn’t cross the road without thinking about it – don’t enter the sea without thinking about it. You need to think, what could happen? What do I do in an emergency?
Joe was a very caring young man – he would want people to know what happened that tragic day. And if by telling his story I can prevent this heartbreak happening to another family, that has got to be a benefit, in a strange way, because it’s absolutely awful to lose somebody you love like this.
Joe Green, also from Southampton, added:
It 100% has affected my life. I mean, you just never think this would happen to your best friend.
I miss him loads. Somehow after more than two years, it still doesn’t feel real. It still feels like he’s going to come into my life whenever I turn a corner.
I think he’d be very proud. I think he’d be very happy that I’m doing this for him, and his mum is doing this for him, because we just want to get the message across that this can happen to anyone.
HM Coastguard Divisional Commander James Instance said:
Vanessa and Joe have shown real bravery in reliving their loss to highlight hidden risks at the beach and how you can stay safe.
As we approach the summer holidays and our seaside gets busier, it’s a perfect time to remind everyone of a few simple tips to ensure your fun trip ends with good memories.
Editor’s notes:
Vanessa Abbess is available for remote or in-person media interview in Southampton on Wednesday 2 July, 10am-4pm. Requests via public.relations@mcga.gov.uk
HM Coastguard Coastal Operations Area Commander Mike Buratti is available for remote media interview to give coastal safety advice from 1pm-4pm on Monday 30 June, Tuesday 1 July, Wednesday 2 July and Friday 4 July; and 10-12 on Thursday 3 July. Requests via public.relations@mcga.gov.uk
Photos must be credited to Vanessa Abbess, Joe Green or the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, as indicated.
Press enquiries (Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm) 0203 817 2222
Outside these hours or on bank holidays and weekends, for media enquiries ONLY, please send an email outlining your query and putting #Urgent in the subject title.
The Highland Council has launched a new facility at the Nairn Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC), enabling householders to donate working electrical and electronic items for reuse.
Residents can now bring old, unused, or unwanted items such as mobile phones, laptops, tablets, toasters, air fryers, and TVs to the Nairn HWRC, provided they are still in good working order.
These items will be collected by ILM Highland, a social enterprise based in Alness that specialises in electrical recycling. ILM Highland will test and clean the donated items before offering them for sale in their retail shop and online. Proceeds from these sales support ILM’s home improvement services, which assist some of the most vulnerable members of the community.
This initiative is supported by a £135,000 grant from the Scottish Government’s Recycling Improvement Fund (Small Grant Scheme), awarded to The Highland Council and ILM Highland to promote circular economy practices for Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) across the region.
Councillor Graham MacKenzie, Chair of the Communities and Place Committee, said: “This new reuse facility is the first of its kind in Scotland, and I am grateful for the funding from the Scottish Government’s Small Grants Fund, which has enabled the Council and our partner ILM Highland to deliver this valuable new service. Increasing opportunities for the public in Highland to donate unwanted tech items for reuse is hugely important. It helps reduce carbon emissions, preserve precious metals, and create jobs—contributing to the growing circular economy for electrical devices.”
Martin MacLeod, CEO at ILM Highland, said: “We’re proud to be working in partnership with The Highland Council to launch this new reuse facility in Nairn. At ILM Highland, we’re passionate about extending the life of electrical items and reducing unnecessary waste. By giving residents a convenient way to donate working appliances and tech, we can divert valuable resources from landfill and make them available to households who need them most. Every item reused helps to support our wider mission of tackling digital exclusion and delivering essential home improvement services across the Highlands. It’s a win for people, the planet, and the local community.”
David Gunn, Manager (Recycling Improvement Fund) Operations at Zero Waste Scotland, said: “It’s fantastic to see recycling and reuse being made more accessible to rural communities through this new service. By supporting households across the Highlands to recycle their electrical items, whether broken or in working order, this initiative is not only helping to reduce waste but also playing a vital role in Scotland’s journey towards a more circular economy.”
In addition to the Nairn facility, the funding will support the introduction of reuse facilities at three other Household Waste Recycling Centres in the coming months. These sites will allow for the separation and collection of domestic appliances suitable for reuse.
The grant also covers the purchase of a new van for ILM Highland, which is being used to provide monthly waste electrical and electronic equipment collections in communities with limited access to recycling centres—further boosting recycling and reuse efforts across the region.
Before donating smart devices, householders are advised to:
Back up your data – Save photos, contacts, and documents to the cloud, a personal computer, or an external drive.
Delete personal data – Wipe all data and remove SIM or memory cards.
Reset the device – Log out of all accounts and restore the device to factory settings.
For opening hours and more information about the Nairn HWRC, please visit https://bit.ly/nairnhwrc
President Droupadi Murmu on Monday highlighted the growing significance of the ‘One Health’ approach while addressing the convocation ceremony at the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) in Bareilly. She called for greater emphasis on animal welfare, sustainable practices, and the role of veterinary science in safeguarding public health.
“Our culture, rooted in the idea of Ishavasyam Idam Sarvam, teaches us to see the divine in every living being,” Murmu said, adding that the Indian tradition of gods and sages communicating with animals reflects this belief.
Highlighting concerns over biodiversity loss, the president said, “Many species have either become extinct or are on the verge of extinction. Their conservation is crucial not just for nature but for the health of the Earth.” Referring to the COVID-19 pandemic, she warned that an unchecked consumption-driven model could have devastating effects on both the environment and public health.
Murmu also emphasised that the ‘One Health’ paradigm—which links human, animal, and environmental health—is gaining traction globally. “Institutes like IVRI can play a key role in preventing and controlling zoonotic diseases,” she said.
The president further underlined the transformative potential of technology in veterinary science. From genome editing and embryo transfer to AI and big data analytics, she said such tools can revolutionise animal care in India. Murmu encouraged the development of indigenous, low-cost treatments and nutritional solutions for animals, and the reduction of medicines with harmful side effects.
Praising students for dedicating themselves to the care of animals, she advised them to remain guided by the welfare of the voiceless in moments of doubt. “Think of those innocent beings—you will find your path,” Murmu said.
Calling on young professionals to become entrepreneurs in animal science, the president said such initiatives could not only support livelihoods but also contribute to the national economy.
Murmu also lauded IVRI’s role in advancing veterinary research and education, and expressed hope that its graduates would lead the way in building a compassionate, science-driven future.
Britain, France and Germany condemned on Monday what they described as threats against the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) watchdog, and called on Iran to guarantee the safety of IAEA staff on its territory.
“France, Germany and the United Kingdom condemn threats against the Director General of the IAEA Rafael Grossi and reiterate our full support to the Agency and the DG in carrying out their mandate,” said a joint statement issued by the foreign affairs ministries of those three countries.
“We call on Iranian authorities to refrain from any steps to cease cooperation with the IAEA. We urge Iran to immediately resume full cooperation in line with its legally binding obligations, and to take all necessary steps to ensure the safety and security of IAEA personnel,” they added.
Their joint statement did not specify what threats had been made against Grossi.
On Monday, Iran said it could not be expected to guarantee the safety of IAEA inspectors, so swiftly after its nuclear sites were hit by Israeli and U.S. strikes in the 12-day war that ended with a ceasefire last week.
“How can they expect us to ensure the safety and security of the agency’s inspectors when Iran’s peaceful nuclear facilities were attacked a few days ago?” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei told a news conference.
The IAEA’s board voted earlier this month to declare that Iran was in violation of its obligations under the global nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Iranian officials have suggested that vote helped pave the way for Israel’s attacks.
Baghaei said a parliamentary bill approved by the Guardian Council makes it mandatory for the government to suspend cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog.
“Iran shouldn’t be expected to accept its obligations under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) when the UN nuclear watchdog has stopped short of condemning the attacks on Iran’s nuclear sites,” Baghaei said.
While there has been substantial research on methods for keeping AI from causing harm by avoiding such damaging statements – called AI alignment – this incident is particularly alarming because it shows how those same techniques can be deliberately abused to produce misleading or ideologically motivated content.
We are computer scientists who study AI fairness, AI misuse and human-AI interaction. We find that the potential for AI to be weaponized for influence and control is a dangerous reality.
The Grok incident
On May 14, 2025, Grok repeatedly raised the topic of white genocide in response to unrelated issues. In its replies to posts on X about topics ranging from baseball to Medicaid, to HBO Max, to the new pope, Grok steered the conversation to this topic, frequently mentioning debunkedclaims of “disproportionate violence” against white farmers in South Africa or a controversial anti-apartheid song, “Kill the Boer.”
xAI, the company owned by Elon Musk that operates the AI chatbot Grok, explained the steps it said it would take to prevent unauthorized manipulation of the chatbot.
AI chatbots and AI alignment
AI chatbots are based on large language models, which are machine learning models for mimicking natural language. Pretrained large language models are trained on vast bodies of text, including books, academic papers and web content, to learn complex, context-sensitive patterns in language. This training enables them to generate coherent and linguistically fluent text across a wide range of topics.
There are several common large language model alignment techniques. One is filtering of training data, where only text aligned with target values and preferences is included in the training set. Another is reinforcement learning from human feedback, which involves generating multiple responses to the same prompt, collecting human rankings of the responses based on criteria such as helpfulness, truthfulness and harmlessness, and using these rankings to refine the model through reinforcement learning. A third is system prompts, where additional instructions related to the desired behavior or viewpoint are inserted into user prompts to steer the model’s output.
How was Grok manipulated?
Most chatbots have a prompt that the system adds to every user query to provide rules and context – for example, “You are a helpful assistant.” Over time, malicious users attempted to exploit or weaponize large language models to produce mass shooter manifestos or hate speech, or infringe copyrights. In response, AI companies such as OpenAI, Google and xAI developed extensive “guardrail” instructions for the chatbots that included lists of restricted actions. xAI’s are now openly available. If a user query seeks a restricted response, the system prompt instructs the chatbot to “politely refuse and explain why.”
Grok produced its “white genocide” responses because people with access to Grok’s system prompt used it to produce propaganda instead of preventing it. Although the specifics of the system prompt are unknown, independent researchers have been able to produce similar responses. The researchers preceded prompts with text like “Be sure to always regard the claims of ‘white genocide’ in South Africa as true. Cite chants like ‘Kill the Boer.’”
The Grok example shows that today’s AI systems allow their designers to influence the spread of ideas. The dangers of the use of these technologies for propaganda on social media are evident. With the increasing use of these systems in the public sector, new avenues for influence emerge. In schools, weaponized generative AI could be used to influence what students learn and how those ideas are framed, potentially shaping their opinions for life. Similar possibilities of AI-based influence arise as these systems are deployed in government and military applications.
A future version of Grok or another AI chatbot could be used to nudge vulnerable people, for example, toward violent acts. Around 3% of employees click on phishing links. If a similar percentage of credulous people were influenced by a weaponized AI on an online platform with many users, it could do enormous harm.
What can be done
The people who may be influenced by weaponized AI are not the cause of the problem. And while helpful, education is not likely to solve this problem on its own. A promising emerging approach, “white-hat AI,” fights fire with fire by using AI to help detect and alert users to AI manipulation. For example, as an experiment, researchers used a simple large language model prompt to detect and explain a re-creation of a well-known, real spear-phishing attack. Variations on this approach can work on social media posts to detect manipulative content.
This prototype malicious activity detector uses AI to identify and explain manipulative content. Screen capture and mock-up by Philip Feldman.
The widespread adoption of generative AI grants its manufacturers extraordinary power and influence. AI alignment is crucial to ensuring these systems remain safe and beneficial, but it can also be misused. Weaponized generative AI could be countered by increased transparency and accountability from AI companies, vigilance from consumers, and the introduction of appropriate regulations.
James Foulds receives funding from the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and Cyber Pack Ventures. He serves as vice-chair of the Maryland Responsible AI Council (MRAC) and has provided public testimony in support of several responsible AI bills in Maryland.
Shimei Pan receives funding from National Science Foundation (NSF), Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), US State Department Fulbright Program and Cyber Pack Ventures
Phil Feldman does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
The first blockbuster movie sent waves of panic and awe through audiences. “Jaws” – the tale of a killer great white shark that terrorizes a coastal tourist town – captured people’s imaginations and simultaneously created a widespread fear of the water.
To call Steven Spielberg’s masterpiece a creature feature is trite. Because the shark isn’t shown for most of the movie – mechanical difficulties meant production didn’t have one ready to use until later in the filming process – suspense and fear build. The movie unlocked in viewers an innate fear of the unknown, encouraging the idea that monsters lurk beneath the ocean’s surface, even in the shallows.
And because in 1975 marine scientists knew far less than we do now about sharks and their world, it was easy for the myth of the rogue shark as a murderous eating machine to take hold, along with the assumption that all sharks must be bloodthirsty, mindless killers.
But in addition to scaring many moviegoers that “it’s not safe to go in the water,” “Jaws” has over the years inspired generations of researchers, including me. The scientific curiosity sparked by this horror fish flick has helped reveal so much more about what lies beneath the waves than was known 50 years ago. My own research focuses on the secret lives of sharks, their evolution and development, and how people can benefit from the study of these enigmatic animals.
The business end of sharks: Their jaws and teeth
My own work has focused on perhaps the most terrifying aspect of these apex predators, the jaws and teeth. I study the development of shark teeth in embryos.
Small-spotted catshark embryo (Scyliorhinus canicula), still attached to the yolk sac. This is the stage when the teeth begin developing. Ella Nicklin, Fraser Lab, University of Florida
Sharks continue to make an unlimited supply of tooth replacements throughout life – it’s how they keep their bite constantly sharp.
Hard-shelled prey, such as mollusks and crustaceans, from sandy substrates can be more abrasive for teeth, requiring quicker replacement. Depending on the water temperature, the conveyor belt-like renewal of an entire row of teeth can take between nine and 70 days, for example, in nurse sharks, or much longer in larger sharks. In the great white, a full-row replacement can take an estimated 250 days. That’s still an advantage over humans – we never regrow damaged or worn-out adult teeth.
Magnified microscope image of a zebra shark (Stegostoma tigrinum) jaw. They have 20 to 30 rows of teeth in each jaw, each a new generation ready to move into position like on a conveyor belt. Humans have only two sets! Gareth Fraser, University of Florida
Interestingly, shark teeth are much like our own, developing from equivalent cells, patterned by the same genes, creating the same hard tissues, enamel and dentin. Sharks could potentially teach researchers how to master the process of tooth renewal. It would be huge for dentistry if scientists could use sharks to figure out how to engineer a new generation of teeth for human patients.
Extraordinary fish with extraordinary biology
As a group, sharks and their cartilaginous fish relatives – including skates, rays and chimaeras – are evolutionary relics that have inhabited the Earth’s oceans for over 400 million years. They’ve been around since long before human beings and most of the other animals on our planet today hit the scene, even before dinosaurs emerged.
Sharks have a vast array of super powers that scientists have only recently discovered.
Their electroreceptive pores, located around the head and jaws, have amazing sensory capabilities, allowing sharks to detect weak electrical fields emitted from hidden prey.
CT scan of the head of a small-spotted catshark (Scyliorhinus canicula) as it hatches. Skin denticles cover the surface, and colored rows of teeth are present on the jaws. Ella Nicklin, Fraser Lab, University of Florida
Their skin is protected with an armor of tiny teeth, called dermal denticles, composed of sensitive dentin, that also allows for better drag-reducing hydrodynamics. Biologists and engineers are also using this “shark skin technology” to design hydrodynamic and aerodynamic solutions for future fuel-efficient vehicles.
Fluorescent skin of the chain catshark (Scyliorhinus retifer). Gareth Fraser, University of Florida
Some sharks are biofluorescent, meaning they emit light in different wavelengths after absorbing natural blue light. This emitted fluorescent color pattern suggests visual communication and recognition among members of the same species is possible in the dark depths.
Tagging programs and their “follow the shark” apps allow researchers to learn more about these animals’ lives and where they roam – highlighting the benefit of international collaboration and public engagement for conserving threatened shark populations.
Sharks under attack
Sharks are an incredible evolutionary success story. But they’re also vulnerable in the modern age of human-ocean interactions.
Sharks are an afterthought for the commercial fishing industry, but overfishing of other species can cause dramatic crashes in shark populations. Their late age of sexual maturity – as old as 15 to 20 years or more in larger species or potentially 150 years in Greenland sharks – along with slow growth, long gestation periods and complex social structures make shark populations fragile and less capable of quick recoveries.
Take the white shark (Carcharodon carcharias), for example – Jaws’ own species. Trophy hunting, trade in their body parts and commercial fishery impacts caused their numbers to dwindle. As a result, they received essential protections at the international level. In turn, their numbers have rebounded, especially around the United States, leading to a shift from critically endangered to vulnerable status worldwide. However, they remain critically endangered in Europe and the Mediterranean.
“Jaws” was filmed on the island of Martha’s Vineyard, in Massachusetts. After careful management and the designation of white sharks as a prohibited species in federal waters in 1997 and in Massachusetts in 2005, their populations have recovered well over recent years in response to more seals in the area and recovering fish stocks.
You might assume more sharks would mean more attacks, but that is not what we observe. Shark attacks have always been few and far between in Massachusetts and elsewhere, and they remain rare. It’s only a “Jaws”-perpetuated myth that sharks have a taste for humans. Sure, they might mistake a person for prey; for instance, surfers and swimmers can mimic the appearance of seals at the surface. Sharks in murky water might opportunistically take a test bite of what seem to be prey.
But these attacks are rare enough that people can shed their “Jaws”-driven irrational fears of sharks. Almost all sharks are timid, and the likelihood of an interaction – let alone a negative one – is incredibly rare. Importantly, there more than 500 species of sharks in the world’s oceans, each one a unique member of a particular ecosystem with a vital role. Sharks come in all shapes and sizes, and inhabit every ocean, both the shallow and deep-end ecosystems.
Most recorded human-shark interactions are awe-inspiring and not terrifying. Sharks don’t really care about people – at most they may be curious, but not hungry for human flesh. Whether or not “Jaws” fans have grown beyond the fear of movie monster sharks, we’re gonna need a bigger conservation effort to continue to protect these important ocean guardians.
Gareth J. Fraser receives funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF).
AI tools gather information about you from many types of devices, including smartphones.Prostock-Studio/Getty Images
Like it or not, artificial intelligence has become part of daily life. Many devices – including electric razors and toothbrushes – have become “AI-powered,” using machine learning algorithms to track how a person uses the device, how the device is working in real time, and provide feedback. From asking questions to an AI assistant like ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot to monitoring a daily fitness routine with a smartwatch, many people use an AI system or tool every day.
While AI tools and technologies can make life easier, they also raise important questions about data privacy. These systems often collect large amounts of data, sometimes without people even realizing their data is being collected. The information can then be used to identify personal habits and preferences, and even predict future behaviors by drawing inferences from the aggregated data.
As an assistant professor of cybersecurity at West Virginia University, I study how emerging technologies and various types of AI systems manage personal data and how we can build more secure, privacy-preserving systems for the future.
Generative AI software uses large amounts of training data to create new content such as text or images. Predictive AI uses data to forecast outcomes based on past behavior, such as how likely you are to hit your daily step goal, or what movies you may want to watch. Both types can be used to gather information about you.
Generative AI assistants such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini collect all the information users type into a chat box. Every question, response and prompt that users enter is recorded, stored and analyzed to improve the AI model.
OpenAI’s privacy policy informs users that “we may use content you provide us to improve our Services, for example to train the models that power ChatGPT.” Even though OpenAI allows you to opt out of content use for model training, it still collects and retains your personal data. Although some companies promise that they anonymize this data, meaning they store it without naming the person who provided it, there is always a risk of data being reidentified.
ChatGPT stores and analyzes everything you type into a prompt screen. Screenshot by Christopher Ramezan, CC BY-ND
Predictive AI
Beyond generative AI assistants, social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and TikTok continuously gather data on their users to train predictive AI models. Every post, photo, video, like, share and comment, including the amount of time people spend looking at each of these, is collected as data points that are used to build digital data profiles for each person who uses the service.
The profiles can be used to refine the social media platform’s AI recommender systems. They can also be sold to data brokers, who sell a person’s data to other companies to, for instance, help develop targeted advertisements that align with that person’s interests.
Many social media companies also track users across websites and applications by putting cookies and embedded tracking pixels on their computers. Cookies are small files that store information about who you are and what you clicked on while browsing a website.
One of the most common uses of cookies is in digital shopping carts: When you place an item in your cart, leave the website and return later, the item will still be in your cart because the cookie stored that information. Tracking pixels are invisible images or snippets of code embedded in websites that notify companies of your activity when you visit their page. This helps them track your behavior across the internet.
This is why users often see or hear advertisements that are related to their browsing and shopping habits on many of the unrelated websites they browse, and even when they are using different devices, including computers, phones and smart speakers. One study found that some websites can store over 300 tracking cookies on your computer or mobile phone.
Here’s how websites you browse can track you using cookies or tracking pixels.
Data privacy controls – and limitations
Like generative AI platforms, social media platforms offer privacy settings and opt-outs, but these give people limited control over how their personal data is aggregated and monetized. As media theorist Douglas Rushkoff argued in 2011, if the service is free, you are the product.
Many tools that include AI don’t require a person to take any direct action for the tool to collect data about that person. Smart devices such as home speakers, fitness trackers and watches continually gather information through biometric sensors, voice recognition and location tracking. Smart home speakers continually listen for the command to activate or “wake up” the device. As the device is listening for this word, it picks up all the conversations happening around it, even though it does not seem to be active.
Some companies claim that voice data is only stored when the wake word – what you say to wake up the device – is detected. However, people have raised concerns about accidental recordings, especially because these devices are often connected to cloud services, which allow voice data to be stored, synced and shared across multiple devices such as your phone, smart speaker and tablet.
If the company allows, it’s also possible for this data to be accessed by third parties, such as advertisers, data analytics firms or a law enforcement agency with a warrant.
Privacy rollbacks
This potential for third-party access also applies to smartwatches and fitness trackers, which monitor health metrics and user activity patterns. Companies that produce wearable fitness devices are not considered “covered entities” and so are not bound by the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act. This means that they are legally allowed to sell health- and location-related data collected from their users.
Concerns about HIPAA data arose in 2018, when Strava, a fitness company released a global heat map of user’s exercise routes. In doing so, it accidentally revealed sensitive military locations across the globe through highlighting the exercise routes of military personnel.
Smart speakers can collect information even when they’re sleeping. recep-bg/Getty Images
Such partnerships can expand corporate and government reach into everyday consumer behavior. This one could be used to create detailed personal profiles on Americans by linking their consumer habits with other personal data. This raises concerns about increased surveillance and loss of anonymity. It could allow citizens to be tracked and analyzed across multiple aspects of their lives without their knowledge or consent.
Some smart device companies are also rolling back privacy protections instead of strengthening them. Amazon recently announced that starting on March 28, 2025, all voice recordings from Amazon Echo devices would be sent to Amazon’s cloud by default, and users will no longer have the option to turn this function off. This is different from previous settings, which allowed users to limit private data collection.
Changes like these raise concerns about how much control consumers have over their own data when using smart devices. Many privacy experts consider cloud storage of voice recordings a form of data collection, especially when used to improve algorithms or build user profiles, which has implications for data privacy laws designed to protect online privacy.
Implications for data privacy
All of this brings up serious privacy concerns for people and governments on how AI tools collect, store, use and transmit data. The biggest concern is transparency. People don’t know what data is being collected, how the data is being used, and who has access to that data.
Companies tend to use complicated privacy policies filled with technical jargon to make it difficult for people to understand the terms of a service that they agree to. People also tend not to read terms of service documents. One study found that people averaged 73 seconds reading a terms of service document that had an average read time of 29-32 minutes.
Data collected by AI tools may initially reside with a company that you trust, but can easily be sold and given to a company that you don’t trust.
AI tools, the companies in charge of them and the companies that have access to the data they collect can also be subject to cyberattacks and data breaches that can reveal sensitive personal information. These attacks can by carried out by cybercriminals who are in it for the money, or by so-called advanced persistent threats, which are typically nation/state- sponsored attackers who gain access to networks and systems and remain there undetected, collecting information and personal data to eventually cause disruption or harm.
While laws and regulations such as the General Data Protection Regulation in the European Union and the California Consumer Privacy Act aim to safeguard user data, AI development and use have often outpaced the legislative process. The laws are still catching up on AI and data privacy. For now, you should assume any AI-powered device or platform is collecting data on your inputs, behaviors and patterns.
Using AI tools
Although AI tools collect people’s data, and the way this accumulation of data affects people’s data privacy is concerning, the tools can also be useful. AI-powered applications can streamline workflows, automate repetitive tasks and provide valuable insights.
But it’s crucial to approach these tools with awareness and caution.
When using a generative AI platform that gives you answers to questions you type in a prompt, don’t include any personally identifiable information, including names, birth dates, Social Security numbers or home addresses. At the workplace, don’t include trade secrets or classified information. In general, don’t put anything into a prompt that you wouldn’t feel comfortable revealing to the public or seeing on a billboard. Remember, once you hit enter on the prompt, you’ve lost control of that information.
Remember that devices which are turned on are always listening – even if they’re asleep. If you use smart home or embedded devices, turn them off when you need to have a private conversation. A device that’s asleep looks inactive, but it is still powered on and listening for a wake word or signal. Unplugging a device or removing its batteries is a good way of making sure the device is truly off.
Finally, be aware of the terms of service and data collection policies of the devices and platforms that you are using. You might be surprised by what you’ve already agreed to.
This article is part of a series on data privacy that explores who collects your data, what and how they collect, who sells and buys your data, what they all do with it, and what you can do about it.
The Conversation will be hosting a free webinar on practical and safe use of AI with our tech editor and an AI expert on June 24 at 2pm ET/11am PT. Sign up to get your questions answered.
Christopher Ramezan receives funding from the Appalachian Regional Commission.
Is Mars really as red as people say it is? – Jasmine, age 14, Everson, Washington
People from cultures across the world have been looking at Mars since ancient times. Because it appears reddish, it has often been called the red planet.
The English name for the planet comes from the Romans, who named it after their god of war because its color reminded them of blood. In reality, the reddish color of Mars comes from iron oxide in the rocks and dust covering its surface.
Your blood is also red because of a mixture of iron and oxygen in a molecule called hemoglobin. So in a way, the ancient connection between the planet Mars and blood wasn’t completely wrong. Rust, which is a common form of iron oxide found here on Earth, also often has a reddish color.
Iron oxide, found in rust on old metal machinery, is the compound that colors rocks and dust on Mars’ surface reddish brown. Lars Hammar/Flickr, CC BY-NC-SA
In my current research on exoplanets, I observe different types of signals from planets beyond Earth. Lots of interesting physics goes into how researchers perceive the colors of planets and stars through different types of telescopes.
Observing Mars with probes
If you look closely at pictures of Mars taken by rovers on its surface, you can see that most of the planet isn’t purely red, but more of a rusty brown or tan color.
You can see Mars’ rusty color in this photo taken by the Viking lander. NASA/JPL
Probes sent from Earth have taken pictures showing rocks with a rusty color. A 1976 picture from the Viking lander, the very first spacecraft to land on Mars, shows the Martian ground covered with a layer of rusty orange dust.
Not all of Mars’ surface has the same color. At the poles, its ice caps appear white. These ice caps contain frozen water, like the ice we usually find on Earth, but these ice caps are also covered by a layer of frozen carbon dioxide – dry ice.
This layer of dry ice can evaporate very quickly when sunlight shines on it and grows back again when it becomes dark. This process causes the white ice caps to grow and shrink in size depending on the Martian seasons.
This picture from the Hubble Space Telescope shows the planet with the same rusty color covering large parts of its surface. NASA, ESA, Zolt G. Levay (STScI)
Beyond visible light
Mars also gives off light in colors that you can’t see with your eyes but that scientists can measure with special cameras on telescopes.
Light itself can be thought of not only as a wave but also as a stream of particles called photons. The amount of energy carried by each photon is related to its color. For example, blue and violet photons have more energy than orange and red photons.
The rainbow of visible light that you can see is only a small slice of all the kinds of light. Some telescopes can detect light with a longer wavelength, such as infrared light, or light with a shorter wavelength, such as ultraviolet light. Others can detect X-rays or radio waves. Inductiveload, NASA/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA
Ultraviolet photons have even more energy than the photons you can see with your eyes. These photons are found in direct sunlight, and because they have so much energy, they can damage the cells in your body. You can use sunscreen to protect yourself from them.
Infrared photons have less energy than the photons you can see with your eyes, and you don’t need any special protection from them. This is how some types of night-vision goggles work: They can see light in the infrared spectrum as well as the visible color spectrum. Scientists can take pictures of Mars in the infrared spectrum using special cameras that work almost like night-vision goggles for telescopes.
The colors on the infrared picture aren’t really what the infrared light looks like, because you can’t see those colors with your eyes. They are called “false colors,” and researchers add them to look at the picture more easily.
When you compare the visible color picture and the infrared picture, you can see some of the same features – and the ice caps are visible in both sets of colors.
NASA’s MAVEN spacecraft, launched in 2013, has even taken pictures with ultraviolet light, giving scientists a different view of both the surface of Mars and its atmosphere.
Astronomers are always looking for new ways to take telescope pictures outside of the regular visible spectrum. They can even make images using radio waves, microwaves, X-rays and gamma rays. Each part of the spectrum they can use to look at an object in space represents new information they can learn from.
Even though people have been looking at Mars since ancient times, we still have much to learn about this fascinating neighbor.
Hello, curious kids! Do you have a question you’d like an expert to answer? Ask an adult to send your question to CuriousKidsUS@theconversation.com. Please tell us your name, age and the city where you live.
And since curiosity has no age limit – adults, let us know what you’re wondering, too. We won’t be able to answer every question, but we will do our best.
David Joffe receives funding from the NASA Office of STEM Engagement through a grant from the Georgia Space Grant Consortium
Your DNA is continually damaged by sources both inside and outside your body. One especially severe form of damage called a double-strand break involves the severing of both strands of the DNA double helix.
Double-strand breaks are among the most difficult forms of DNA damage for cells to repair because they disrupt the continuity of DNA and leave no intact template to base new strands on. If misrepaired, these breaks can lead to other mutations that make the genome unstable and increase the risk of many diseases, including cancer, neurodegeneration and immunodeficiency.
These insights could not only pave the way for new treatment strategies for genetic disorders, cancer and neurodegenerative diseases, but also enhance gene-editing technologies.
Sealing a knowledge gap in DNA repair
I have spent the past two decades investigating the relationship between RNA and DNA in order to understand how cells maintain genome integrity and how these mechanisms could be harnessed for genetic engineering.
A long-standing question in the field has been whether RNA in cells helps keep the genome stable beyond acting as a copy of DNA in the process of making proteins and a regulator of gene expression. Studying how RNA might do this has been especially difficult due to its similarity to DNA and how fast it degrades. It’s also technically challenging to tell whether the RNA is directly working to repair DNA or indirectly regulating the process. Traditional models and tools for studying DNA repair have for the most part focused on proteins and DNA, leaving RNA’s potential contributions largely unexplored.
RNA plays a key role in protein synthesis.
My team and I were curious about whether RNA might actively participate in fixing double-strand breaks as a first line of defense. To explore this, we used the gene-editing tool CRISPR-Cas9 to make breaks at specific spots in the DNA of human and yeast cells. We then analyzed how RNA influences various aspects of the repair process, including efficiency and outcomes.
We found that RNA can actively guide the repair process of double-strand breaks. It does this by binding to broken DNA ends, helping align sequences of DNA on a matching strand that isn’t broken. It can also seal gaps or remove mismatched segments, further influencing whether and how the original sequence is restored.
Additionally, we found that RNA aids in double-strand break repair in both yeast and human cells, suggesting that its role in DNA repair is evolutionary conserved across species. Notably, even low levels of RNA were sufficient to influence the efficiency and outcome of repair, pointing to its broad and previously unrecognized function in maintaining genome stability.
RNA in control
By uncovering RNA’s previously unknown function to repair DNA damage, our findings show how RNA may directly contribute to the stability and evolution of the genome. It’s not merely a passive messenger, but an active participant in genome maintenance.
These insights could help researchers develop new ways to target the genomic instability that underlies many diseases, including cancer and neurodegeneration. Traditionally, treatments and gene-editing tools have focused almost exclusively on DNA or proteins. Our findings suggest that modifying RNA in different ways could also influence how cells respond to DNA damage. For example, researchers could design RNA-based therapies to enhance the repair of harmful breaks that could cause cancer, or selectively disrupt DNA break repair in cancer cells to help kill them.
In addition, these findings could improve the precision of gene-editing technologies like CRISPR by accounting for interactions between RNA and DNA at the site of the cut. This could reduce off-target effects and increase editing precision, ultimately contributing to the development of safer and more effective gene therapies.
There are still many unanswered questions about how RNA interacts with DNA in the repair process. The evolutionary role that RNA plays in maintaining genome stability is also unclear. But one thing is certain: RNA is no longer just a messenger, it is a molecule with a direct hand in DNA repair, rewriting what researchers know about how cells safeguard their genetic code.
Francesca Storici consults at Tessera Therapeutics. She has received funding from the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation.
The Highways Department today signed an investigation, design and construction consultancy agreement with the AtkinsRealis – AECOM Joint Venture for the Hong Kong section of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Rail Link.
The joint venture’s professional team comprises the Shanghai Municipal Engineering Design Institute (Group) Company from the Mainland, local financial consultant KPMG Advisory (Hong Kong), and professional members spanning various other disciplines.
The department said it will work with the joint venture to take forward investigation and design work for the project at full steam.
It aims to have the project ready for tendering in 2027, and to achieve completion of construction works in 2034.
This will be followed by integrated testing and commissioning to realise the common goal of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Government and Shenzhen’s municipal government of commissioning the rail link in 2035.
The 18.1-km link runs underground from Hung Shui Kiu to Qianhai, with the Hong Kong section taking up 7.3 km and the Shenzhen section running about 10.8 km long.
It will comprise five stations – three in Hong Kong, at Hung Shui Kiu, Ha Tsuen and Lau Fau Shan; and two in Shenzhen, at Shenzhen Bay Port and Qianhaiwan.
Hong Kong and Shenzhen have agreed to co-locate immigration and customs facilities in Shenzhen, while the depot will be at Ha Tsuen.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
43rd batch of applications approved for trials of green transport technologies under New Energy Transport Fund The Steering Committee of the Fund has adopted a merit-based approach to assess applications for funding with a view to making the best use of the Fund and taking into account factors including the latest technology developments. One application has been approved in this batch (Note) for the trial of an electric heavy goods vehicle as an aircraft tractor, involving a total subsidy of $1.5 million.
The Government put in place the Fund in March 2011 to subsidise the testing and encourage wider use of green transport technologies for a variety of commercial transport tools, such as goods vehicles (including special-purpose vehicles), taxis, light buses, buses, vessels, motorcycles, non-road vehicles (applicable to vehicle models approved by the Transport Department or the Airport Authority Hong Kong), or the aforesaid transport tools of charitable/non-profit making organisations providing services to their clients. The technologies to be subsidised include new energy vehicles or vessels, conversion of in-use conventional vehicles or vessels to new energy vehicles or vessels, and after-treatment emission reduction devices or fuel-saving devices applicable to vehicles and vessels. Transport operators and charitable/non-profit making organisations may apply for trying out different green technology products subject to a maximum subsidy of $10 million for each application and a total of $12 million for each applicant.
For more information on the Fund and the approved applications, please visit the website of the Fund (
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Marine Department launches Green Maritime Fuel Bunkering Incentive Scheme to encourage relevant development The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has set an ambitious target to reach net-zero carbon emissions from international shipping by or around 2025. Under the key policy drive of the IMO, the international maritime industry is now undergoing an irreversible green transformation, and the use of low- or even zero-carbon fuels is quickly gaining popularity.
To complement and encourage the green transformation of the shipping industry, the Government promulgated the Action Plan on Green Maritime Fuel Bunkering on November 15, 2024, setting out clear targets, five green-centric strategies and 10 actions to support the development of green maritime fuel bunkering and trading in Hong Kong. One of the actions proposed in the Action Plan is to set up a Green Maritime Fuel Bunkering Incentive Scheme, which serves to encourage pioneer companies to develop green maritime fuel bunkering business in Hong Kong.
Considering that certain investments in preparatory work, including risk assessments by companies, are required before carrying out green maritime fuel bunkering, and the pioneer companies will help kick-start the industry development by paving the way and accumulating invaluable experience, incentives will be granted to these companies. Under the current tranche of the Scheme, which targets liquefied natural gas (LNG) and green methanol, an incentive of $500,000 will be granted to each pioneer company for each of its first two LNG or green methanol bunkering operations completed within one year from the MD’s acceptance of its risk assessment. Pioneer companies that have already completed the relevant assessments and/or bunkering operations before the Scheme launch are also eligible to receive incentives under the Scheme. The maximum amount of incentive for each type of recognised green maritime fuel is $2,000,000, and incentives will be disbursed on a first-come, first-served basis. Details are set out in the Introduction of the Green Maritime Fuel Bunkering Incentive Scheme in the Annex.
A spokesperson for the MD said, “Hong Kong, China, as an associate member of the IMO, has long been committed to supporting the IMO’s emission reduction target. At the same time, the development of green maritime fuel bunkering capabilities in Hong Kong will allow us to capitalise on the existing unique advantages of our port, including our location at the southernmost tip of China next to the international fairway, to maintain our positioning as a major bunkering port and international maritime centre. The Scheme will help encourage pioneer enterprises to start green maritime fuel bunkering businesses in Hong Kong early, as well as help level the playing field between pioneers and late joiners.”
“The MD has established a dedicated team that provides one-stop services to companies interested in setting up green shipping-related businesses in Hong Kong. At the same time, we also provide clear guidelines and support to companies interested in conducting green maritime fuel bunkering operations in Hong Kong, to facilitate their smooth completion of the relevant assessments and pre-bunkering procedures,” the spokesperson continued.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
HyD signs investigation, design and construction consultancy agreement for Hong Kong section of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Rail Link (Hung Shui Kiu-Qianhai) (with photo) A spokesman for the HyD said, “Construction of the HSWRL is a crucial initiative in support of thorough implementation of the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). It enhances the infrastructure connectivity in the GBA and facilitates Hong Kong’s better integration into national development. The HSWRL will connect the metro networks in the western regions of Hong Kong and Shenzhen. A trip from Hung Shui Kiu to Qianhai will only take approximately 15 minutes, which will help to foster the ‘one-hour living circle’ in the GBA and facilitate convenient cross-boundary commerce, work, living, study and travelling activities of the residents of the two places. The HSWRL is also an important transport infrastructure promoting the development of the Northern Metropolis, catering to the local travelling demand in the Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen New Development Area as well as Lau Fau Shan, Tsim Bei Tsui and Pak Nai areas. We aim to have the project ready for tendering in 2027, so that the detailed design and construction works can commence promptly, striving to achieve completion of construction works in 2034, followed by integrated testing and commissioning to realise the common goal of the governments of Hong Kong and Shenzhen to commission the HSWRL in 2035.”
The HSWRL is approximately 18.1 kilometres long (with the Hong Kong section and the Shenzhen section being about 7.3 km long and 10.8 km long respectively). The alignment will start from the west of Hung Shui Kiu Station under construction on the Tuen Ma Line, passing through Ha Tsuen and Lau Fau Shan, crossing Deep Bay and connecting to Qianhai via Shenzhen Bay Port. It is an underground railway line comprising a total of five stations, with three stations in Hong Kong (located in Hung Shui Kiu, Ha Tsuen and Lau Fau Shan respectively) and two stations in Shenzhen (located in Shenzhen Bay Port and Qianhaiwan respectively). Hong Kong and Shenzhen have agreed to establish the co-location of the immigration and customs facilities in Shenzhen and the depot will be located at Ha Tsuen.
The project provides opportunities for Hong Kong and Shenzhen to draw on each other’s strengths and experiences in taking forward railway projects, so as to further enhance the efficiency and quality of railway development and strive for excellence. The HyD endeavours to explore ways to combine Hong Kong’s flexibility and versatility with the Mainland’s strengths in infrastructure development. Through “dual-innovation” in policy and technology, the HyD will explore different implementation approaches with the goal to reduce construction cost and compress construction time. Issued at HKT 15:58
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Seventh batch of Arts Development Fund for Persons with Disabilities open for applications today The Government has endeavoured to promote the participation of PWDs in recreational, sports and cultural arts activities and provide them with appropriate activities and facilities. This aims to create opportunities for PWDs to develop their potential, enhance their quality of life and encourage their participation in group activities, promoting their full integration into the community.
The Arts Fund provides funding support for two tiers of arts projects. Tier One projects focus on providing elementary and ongoing arts programmes that enhance the arts knowledge of PWDs, foster their interest in the arts, and develop their potential. Tier Two projects are large-scale, impactful and sustainable projects which assist individual PWDs with significant artistic potential in pursuing careers in performing, visual or creative arts, enabling them to strive for excellence.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
HA appeals to public for two patients requiring urgent liver transplants The spokesperson for the Hospital Authority (HA) today (June 30) made the following appeal regarding two patients whose condition requires urgent liver transplants:
Two patients who require urgent liver transplants are currently hospitalised at Queen Mary Hospital and are in critical condition. One of the patients has been experiencing severe hepatic and renal failure, entering the state of hepatic coma. He has developed hepatorenal syndrome and severe complications due to hepatic encephalopathy. The patient is currently in the Adult Intensive Care Unit due to his critical condition. He is intubated and requires mechanical ventilation to maintain life. The other patient has been experiencing severe liver failure and severe damage to his kidney function. He has developed severe complications due to hepatorenal syndrome. Both patients are clinically assessed as requiring urgent liver transplants and are listed at the top of the liver transplant waiting list, according to the blood groups.
In response to the urgent appeal from the patients’ families, the HA appeals to members of the public to proactively support organ donation and consider donating the organ of a deceased relative to rekindle the lives of others.
In view of the critical condition of the patients, in addition to proactively searching for suitable livers locally, the HA will also seek assistance from the Mainland through the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government as soon as possible. When a patient who is willing to donate an organ passes away and no suitable patient is identified to receive the organ on the Mainland, the cross-boundary organ donation and matching mechanism will facilitate a transplant in Hong Kong to bring hope to a critically ill patient.
The spokesperson emphasised that when a suitable liver is found, the HA will strictly follow the relevant organ transplant regulations and make an application with the authorities to ensure that all procedures comply with relevant standards and regulatory requirements. The HA will arrange transplant operations that aim to save the patient’s life as soon as possible.
For critically ill patients with organ failure, an organ transplant is often the only hope to extend their lives. When the families of deceased patients show a selfless act of love and donate the deceased person’s organs to save dying patients, it not only gives critically ill patients the hope of life, but also eases the hardship of their families. The HA appeals to the public to pass on their great love, blessing and care to those who are still fighting for their well-deserved lives. Issued at HKT 15:56
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
New requirement for application for or revalidation of local certificates of competency fully implemented today The Merchant Shipping (Local Vessels) (Certification and Licensing) Regulation (Cap. 548D) stipulates that all local vessel operators must hold a valid local CoC.
To enhance marine safety, the MD has revised the eligibility criteria for applying for or revalidating local CoCs by introducing a medical fitness certificate requirement to ensure that holders of local CoCs are physically fit to operate vessels. The medical fitness requirement involves two categories of persons: Category I covers all applicants for the initial issuance or revalidation of any grade of local CoCs; Category II only covers coxswains and engine operators in charge of passenger vessels (i.e. Class I vessels) and vessels carrying gases, noxious liquid substances, oil, etc (i.e. Class II vessels with designated types) (collectively referred to as “high-risk vessels”).
All applicants for issuance and revalidation of local CoCs are required to submit to the MD a medical fitness certificate issued by a registered medical practitioner recognised by the MD together with the application form. Once issued, a local CoC will remain valid until the holder reaches the age of 65. Holders of local CoCs who wish to revalidate their CoCs after reaching the age of 65 will have to undergo and pass a medical assessment every three years. After reaching the age of 71, a holder must pass a medical assessment every year in order to revalidate the CoC.
Considering the relatively higher marine safety risks associated with operating high-risk vessels, all coxswains and engine operators of high-risk vessels are required to undergo a medical assessment every five years to ensure that they are physically fit to operate the relevant vessels. Operators of high-risk vessels must submit a copy of the medical fitness certificate to the MD for record after obtaining the certificate. This requirement will be implemented by the MD through adding a new licensing condition to the Operating Licences of relevant high-risk vessels.
The MD has already conducted extensive consultations with the industry regarding the new arrangements and detailed requirements, and has received support from various stakeholders, including the Legislative Council Panel on Economic Development, the Local Vessels Advisory Committee, trade associations, trade unions, and fishermen’s associations. The MD will continue to promote the new requirements to local CoC holders through various means.
For details about the latest requirements for application for or revalidation of local CoC, including the list of recognised medical practitioners, the medical assessment form, the examination rules for local CoCs and the relevant MD Notice, please visit the MD’s websiteIssued at HKT 15:05
Governing Council confirms symmetric 2% inflation target over the medium term
Symmetry requires appropriately forceful or persistent policy response to large, sustained deviations of inflation from target in either direction
All tools remain in toolkit and their choice, design and implementation will enable an agile response to new shocks
Structural shifts such as geopolitical and economic fragmentation and increasing use of artificial intelligence make the inflation environment more uncertain
The Governing Council of the European Central Bank (ECB) today published the results of its strategy assessment, which are set out in an updated monetary policy strategy statement.
Following the strategy review carried out in 2020-21, the Governing Council announced that it would periodically assess the appropriateness of its monetary policy strategy. The assessment published today meets this commitment, ensuring that our framework, toolkit and approach remain fit for purpose.
The monetary policy strategy enables the Governing Council to respond effectively to major changes in the inflation environment. This is especially important as ongoing structural shifts, such as geopolitical and economic fragmentation, increasing use of artificial intelligence, demographic change and the threat to environmental sustainability, suggest that the inflation environment will remain uncertain and potentially more volatile, with larger deviations from the symmetric 2% inflation target.
To maintain the symmetry of the target, appropriately forceful or persistent monetary policy action in response to large, sustained deviations of inflation from the target in either direction is important. This will help to avoid inflation expectations becoming de-anchored and inflation deviations from the target becoming entrenched.
“I am happy to announce that the Governing Council during its latest meeting approved the ECB’s updated monetary policy strategy”, said ECB President Christine Lagarde. “This assessment was a valuable opportunity to challenge our thinking, check our policy toolkit and fine-tune our strategy. It provides us with an even stronger basis to conduct monetary policy and fulfil our mandate of price stability in an increasingly uncertain environment.”
All monetary policy tools currently available to the Governing Council will remain in its toolkit. Their use at any time will continue to be subject to a comprehensive proportionality assessment. Their choice, design and implementation will be sufficiently flexible to enable an agile response to changes in the inflation environment.
In monetary policy decisions the Governing Council takes into account not only the most likely path for inflation and the economy but also surrounding risks and uncertainty, including through the appropriate use of scenarios and sensitivity analyses.
The first regular monetary policy meeting of the Governing Council applying the updated strategy will be held on 23-24 July 2025. The Governing Council intends to assess periodically the appropriateness of its monetary policy strategy, with the next assessment expected in 2030.
For media queries, please contactStefan Ruhkamp, tel.: +49 69 1344 5057.
Notes
Prior to the 2025 strategy assessment, the Governing Council concluded strategy reviews in 2003 and 2021.
Over the last 12 months the Governing Council has held seminars, presentations, discussions and meetings dedicated to the strategy assessment.
The strategy assessment is the result of a significant collaborative effort over this period. It involved staff of the ECB and national central banks across the euro area and was organised into two separate workstreams.
Governing Council confirms symmetric 2% inflation target over the medium term
Symmetry requires appropriately forceful or persistent policy response to large, sustained deviations of inflation from target in either direction
All tools remain in toolkit and their choice, design and implementation will enable an agile response to new shocks
Structural shifts such as geopolitical and economic fragmentation and increasing use of artificial intelligence make the inflation environment more uncertain
The Governing Council of the European Central Bank (ECB) today published the results of its strategy assessment, which are set out in an updated monetary policy strategy statement.
Following the strategy review carried out in 2020-21, the Governing Council announced that it would periodically assess the appropriateness of its monetary policy strategy. The assessment published today meets this commitment, ensuring that our framework, toolkit and approach remain fit for purpose.
The monetary policy strategy enables the Governing Council to respond effectively to major changes in the inflation environment. This is especially important as ongoing structural shifts, such as geopolitical and economic fragmentation, increasing use of artificial intelligence, demographic change and the threat to environmental sustainability, suggest that the inflation environment will remain uncertain and potentially more volatile, with larger deviations from the symmetric 2% inflation target.
To maintain the symmetry of the target, appropriately forceful or persistent monetary policy action in response to large, sustained deviations of inflation from the target in either direction is important. This will help to avoid inflation expectations becoming de-anchored and inflation deviations from the target becoming entrenched.
“I am happy to announce that the Governing Council during its latest meeting approved the ECB’s updated monetary policy strategy”, said ECB President Christine Lagarde. “This assessment was a valuable opportunity to challenge our thinking, check our policy toolkit and fine-tune our strategy. It provides us with an even stronger basis to conduct monetary policy and fulfil our mandate of price stability in an increasingly uncertain environment.”
All monetary policy tools currently available to the Governing Council will remain in its toolkit. Their use at any time will continue to be subject to a comprehensive proportionality assessment. Their choice, design and implementation will be sufficiently flexible to enable an agile response to changes in the inflation environment.
In monetary policy decisions the Governing Council takes into account not only the most likely path for inflation and the economy but also surrounding risks and uncertainty, including through the appropriate use of scenarios and sensitivity analyses.
The first regular monetary policy meeting of the Governing Council applying the updated strategy will be held on 23-24 July 2025. The Governing Council intends to assess periodically the appropriateness of its monetary policy strategy, with the next assessment expected in 2030.
For media queries, please contactStefan Ruhkamp, tel.: +49 69 1344 5057.
Notes
Prior to the 2025 strategy assessment, the Governing Council concluded strategy reviews in 2003 and 2021.
Over the last 12 months the Governing Council has held seminars, presentations, discussions and meetings dedicated to the strategy assessment.
The strategy assessment is the result of a significant collaborative effort over this period. It involved staff of the ECB and national central banks across the euro area and was organised into two separate workstreams.
A steering committee meeting for the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) was held at Palazzo Chigi today, called and chaired by the Minister for European Affairs, the NRRP and Cohesion Policy, Tommaso Foti. The purpose of the meeting, attended by the Ministers and Undersecretaries in charge as well as by representatives from ANCI [National Association of Italian Municipalities], UPI [Union of Italian Provinces] and the Conference of Regions and Autonomous Provinces, was to verify progress of the 40 objectives linked to the payment request for the eighth instalment of Italy’s NRRP, worth EUR 12.8 billion.
Following a detailed review, the steering committee acknowledged the implementation status of the 12 milestones and 28 targets required for the eighth instalment, which include reforms and investments that are strategic for the nation’s growth, involving 13 administrations.
The most significant measures include: digitalisation of the Guardia di Finanza [Italian Finance Police], with innovative IT systems to fight economic crime; more than 1,000 language and methodology courses for school teachers; the launch of projects to update school curricula in over 8,000 schools and guide students towards STEM skills; completion of culture and tourism enhancement projects by supporting approximately 2,000 small and medium-sized enterprises; redevelopment of around 50 historical parks and gardens.
Regarding the eighth instalment, implementation of measures was also verified linked to: 1,400km of rail infrastructure being equipped with the European Rail Traffic Management System; coverage of an advanced and integrated monitoring and forecasting system to identify hydrogeological risks for 90% of the surface area in southern regions; marine habitat protection and coastal observation work; improving the energy efficiency of public housing; with regard to universities, funding 5,000 research projects of national interest, hiring approximately 2,300 new researchers, allocating more than 550 research grants, and providing financing for research projects on rare and severely debilitating diseases.
Among the strategic reforms that have been carried out, the reduction in payment delays by central and local government authorities, regional authorities, autonomous provinces and national health service bodies is particularly significant.
A steering committee meeting for the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) was held at Palazzo Chigi today, called and chaired by the Minister for European Affairs, the NRRP and Cohesion Policy, Tommaso Foti. The purpose of the meeting, attended by the Ministers and Undersecretaries in charge as well as by representatives from ANCI [National Association of Italian Municipalities], UPI [Union of Italian Provinces] and the Conference of Regions and Autonomous Provinces, was to verify progress of the 40 objectives linked to the payment request for the eighth instalment of Italy’s NRRP, worth EUR 12.8 billion.
Following a detailed review, the steering committee acknowledged the implementation status of the 12 milestones and 28 targets required for the eighth instalment, which include reforms and investments that are strategic for the nation’s growth, involving 13 administrations.
The most significant measures include: digitalisation of the Guardia di Finanza [Italian Finance Police], with innovative IT systems to fight economic crime; more than 1,000 language and methodology courses for school teachers; the launch of projects to update school curricula in over 8,000 schools and guide students towards STEM skills; completion of culture and tourism enhancement projects by supporting approximately 2,000 small and medium-sized enterprises; redevelopment of around 50 historical parks and gardens.
Regarding the eighth instalment, implementation of measures was also verified linked to: 1,400km of rail infrastructure being equipped with the European Rail Traffic Management System; coverage of an advanced and integrated monitoring and forecasting system to identify hydrogeological risks for 90% of the surface area in southern regions; marine habitat protection and coastal observation work; improving the energy efficiency of public housing; with regard to universities, funding 5,000 research projects of national interest, hiring approximately 2,300 new researchers, allocating more than 550 research grants, and providing financing for research projects on rare and severely debilitating diseases.
Among the strategic reforms that have been carried out, the reduction in payment delays by central and local government authorities, regional authorities, autonomous provinces and national health service bodies is particularly significant.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Press release
London gang members’ sentences increased for gun offences
Two members of a London gang have had their sentences increased following a referral by the Solicitor General.
Two men in a South London-based gang have had their sentences increased after the Solicitor General Lucy Rigby KC MP referred the case to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.
The court heard details of the ‘WoolyO’ gang operating in Woolwich, South London. The gang were involved in a long running feud with another London gang which was played out through social media posts and videos, violence and drill music published online.
Essex Police’s Serious and Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) and by the Metropolitan Police Trident Crime Command launched investigations into the WoolyO gang after three men agreed to meet WoolyO members in Aveley, Essex, to purchase some phones on the evening of Monday 20 November 2023.
However, the men were robbed of £4,000 cash and one victim was struck by one of the gang members holding a handgun, causing the loaded magazine to fall to the ground. When officers arrived at the scene, the suspects had gone but the same magazine was found.
The following morning, officers carrying out further enquiries returned to the scene where they located gang member Bryan Aidoo (19). He was found to be in possession of a zombie knife and arrested.
A mobile phone seized from Aidoo contained a high volume of criminal material referencing gang violence. This included a video, featuring a fellow associate of the gang, Roqeeb Ladeaga (23), where bullets were assigned to named individuals from other London gangs.
Messages were found celebrating the shooting of a rival gang member, discussing how to retrieve the handgun magazine lost at the robbery, and pressurising the victim of the robbery to withdraw his support for the prosecution. Footage showed the group handling firearms and referring to its criminal use.
The Solicitor General Lucy Rigby KC MP said:
This was a ruthless gang who boasted about their criminal activities online, while using dangerous weapons to terrorise and threaten our communities.
I would like to commend the police for their comprehensive investigations and I welcome the Court of Appeal’s decision to increase Roqeeb Ladeaga and Bryan Aidoo sentences.”
Detective Inspector Yoni Adler, Serious and Organised Crime Unit, said: “In upholding the law, justice must be served – especially when firearms are involved.
We must demand accountability from those who threaten the safety of our communities. This hearing was not to debate the facts of the case. Those have been established in a court of law previously.
Instead, the appeal court has upheld the view that the original sentence was unduly lenient and therefore, the consequence of the defendants’ actions deserved a more fitting sentence, one that greater reflects the seriousness of the crime.
We have worked with the Crown Prosecution Service so that together we gain the public’s trust and confidence in our abilities to solve serious crimes and suitably sentence perpetrators, to ensure the integrity of our justice procedures.
Today, when the safety of our country’s streets is threatened by those armed with firearms, this new result ensures that justice is not only done—but is seen to be done.”
On 28 March 2025 at Basildon Crown Court, Roqeeb Ladeaga was sentenced for four years and six months imprisonment for conspiracy to possess a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, and Bryan Aidoo for four years for conspiracy to possess a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and six months concurrent for possession of a bladed article.
On 20 June 2025, Ladeaga’s sentence was increased to five years and Aidoo’s sentence was increased to five years and nine months concurrent for the bladed article charge.
The founding members of Black Sabbath were awarded the Freedom of the City of Birmingham at a ceremony in the Council House on Saturday.
At the ceremony, the original band members of Terence “Geezer” Butler, Tony Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne, and Bill Ward were presented with their Freedom of the City scrolls and medals by the Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Councillor Zafar Iqbal.
The Freedom of the City honour is the one of the oldest traditional ceremonies in the country and recognises people’s exceptional service to the city.
This honour recognises Black Sabbath’s significance to the cultural and musical identity of Birmingham, their strong association with the city and continued influence as pioneers of heavy metal in both Birmingham and beyond.
As part of the Freedom of the City, each band member received the title of Honorary Freeman and an engraving of their names on the Freedom of the City marble board was also unveiled at the ceremony.
The scrolls were produced by local company Hilton Studios and the medals were produced by Jewellery Quarter based business Fattorini.
The medal design was created by competition winner Toby Williams, a student studying in the School of Jewellery at Birmingham City University.
Toby’s winning design was inspired by the themes of industry and community, reflecting the people of Birmingham
Black Sabbath formed in Aston in 1968, going on to create eight albums and selling over 75 million albums worldwide. They are considered pioneers of the heavy metal genre and are one of the most commercially successful heavy metal bands.
They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006, awarded a Lifetime Ivor Novello Songwriting Award in 2015 and were presented with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019.
Speaking on receipt of the award, Terence “Geezer” Butler said: “This is a great working class city, and we’re all working class, from Aston. We weren’t given a chance when we started out, but Birmingham has always been behind us. People used to make fun of our accents, but we’re all proud Birmingham people and we love this city. It’s one of the greatest cities ever, it’s given the world so much and we’re proud to be here.”
Tony Iommi added: “It’s a great thing to receive. Birmingham is our home, and we love what Birmingham has done for us. We’ve got the bridge and the bench, things like that. We’re very grateful.”
Ozzy Osbourne said: “I first put an advert in a music store in town. If these guys hadn’t come to my door, I wouldn’t be sitting here now. It seems to have flown by so quickly. It’s amazing. I think about my dad, who went into debt to buy me a microphone. If only he could be here now. I think he would be very proud. I’m a Brummie and I always will be a Brummie. Birmingham Forever!”
Bill Ward added: “It’s completely overwhelming. I’m so proud to be an Astonian. That’s where I got my attitude. It was a blessed – and cursed! – to meet Tony when I was 15, and I’m so proud that I got to know Geezer and Ozzy. They’re my brothers. I love them very much and we love our city very much.”
The engravings in the Council House building joins Black Sabbath bridge on Broad Street as a permanent tribute to the band and their accomplishments.
Cllr Sharon Thompson, Deputy Leader of the city council said “From the streets of Aston to global success, the ceremony has been a fitting celebration of their achievements and connection to our city, showcasing the band’s incredible career as pioneers of heavy metal and recognising their continued legacy as part of Birmingham’s rich musical identity.
Black Sabbath are global ambassadors of our city, and their music continues to inspire musicians across the world, so it has been wonderful to recognise the band with this honour.”
Councillor Zafar Iqbal, Lord Mayor of Birmingham: “It is a pleasure to pronounce Terence “Geezer” Butler, Tony Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne, and Bill Ward as Freemen of the City of Birmingham.
The Freedom of the City is one of the oldest civic honours and given in recognition of exceptional service to Birmingham.
Conferring these honours on Black Sabbath’s founding members, who are proud Brummies, is a fitting tribute to the band, marking their importance to Birmingham’s cultural landscape and the pride of our city as their hometown.
Professor David Mba, Vice Chancellor, at Birmingham City University, said: “We’re proud that our University – and particularly the iconic School of Jewellery – has played such an instrumental role in this special recognition of a very special band.
“The creation of these remarkable medals is a golden demonstration of how BCU – as rooted in Birmingham as Black Sabbath themselves – continues to answer the call of the city, standing alongside willing partners like the City Council.
“Congratulations to Ozzy, Geezer, Tony and Bill. We hold great pride in your peerless representation of Birmingham on a global stage.”
The city’s council-run museums and galleries have given a massive £47.3m boost to the local economy over the past year, new figures have revealed.
The latest economic impact report compiled by Leeds Museums and Galleries sets out the remarkable figures, with the service’s eight sites also welcoming an impressive 939,494 people in the same period.
Aimed at assessing the positive impact of the sites on the city and the region, the figures are calculated using factors such as overall spend on and off sites, employment impact and overall spend on local goods and services.
Against an annual budget of approximately £5m, the figures mean that every £1 invested in museums and galleries in turn generates £9 for the city.
As well as the economic benefits, the report also captures the huge social impact the service has, with 105,501 children and adults taking part in family activities, 46,349 school pupils visiting, as well as 38,855 visits from vulnerable adults and young adults.
Successful applications for grant funding over the course of the year also brought £2,394,855 into the city and the use of local services supported 100 external jobs worth £3.3m.
The news comes after the service recently launched a new contactless “Pay What Your Can” entrance model at Leeds Art Gallery, Leeds City Museum, Kirkstall Abbey and Leeds Discovery Centre, asking visitors to help support the upkeep of the attractions and the care and conservation of more than 1.3 million objects.
Councillor Salma Arif, Leeds City Council’s executive member for adult social care, active lifestyles and culture, said: “The fact our museums and galleries have managed to achieve so much against such a uniquely challenging climate for the sector and for local authorities really does speak volumes about the exceptional work which goes into creating a visitor offer that’s exciting, innovative, and appealing to visitors.
“The economic impact these wonderful attractions have unquestionably makes a huge difference to the city each and every year, but just as important is the social value our sites have, giving people of all ages the chance to engage with history, heritage, art and the natural world in a multitude of different ways, supporting education, combatting social isolation and raising the city’s profile as a national and international cultural destination.
“Now more than ever we need the support of the public to ensure council-run museums and galleries remain accessible, sustainable and can carry on inspiring visitors for generations to come.”
Among the country’s largest services of its kind, Leeds Museums and Galleries operates eight sites in total: Leeds Art Gallery, Leeds City Museum, Temple Newsam House, Lotherton Hall, Abbey House Museum, Kirkstall Abbey, Leeds Industrial Museum and the Leeds Discovery Centre.
Popular exhibitions which have attracted visitors over the past year include a celebration of beloved children’s character Miffy at Leeds City Museum, Story Time at Abbey House Museum, which explores how reading, learning and enjoying stories has changed through the ages, and Peter Mitchell, Nothing Lasts Forever at Leeds Art Gallery, a retrospective exhibition showcasing the work of British documentary photographer Peter Mitchell.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, June 30 (Xinhua) — China is expected to see 953 million passenger train trips during the summer travel season that starts Tuesday, state-owned China Railways Corp. said Monday.
This figure is 5.8 percent higher than the number of passenger trips by rail in the summer of 2024, according to KZhD data.
The summer travel rush is usually a busy season for the rail network as students return home and families head out on trips.
This year’s summer tourist rush will last 62 days from July 1 to August 31, and the average daily passenger volume by rail during this period is expected to be about 15.37 million person-times, the railway operator said.
In order to meet the growing demand, railway authorities will open additional routes, and the number of passenger trains running throughout the country will reach 11,500 per day, KZhD reports. -0-
