Some of these relate to the inclusion of households not facing economic hardship and the exclusion of families living in poverty. There’s a need to refine the current criteria to better identify households experiencing temporary financial difficulties, even if they own certain assets.
Challenges in data verification
Another area for improvement in Aswesuma is the difficulty officials face in verifying household information related to eligibility. For example, errors may occur during data collection if households withhold accurate information about their poverty status to qualify for benefits or are unable to recall details correctly. These inaccuracies can reduce the program’s effectiveness by excluding people who genuinely need help and undermining efforts to create a more objective social protection system.
Improving follow-up and monitoring
Better data collection methods during follow-ups with Aswesuma recipients would help improve the criteria. This would allow the program to monitor households’ economic conditions and track improvements resulting from cash transfers. The main goal of these transfers is to help participants move out of poverty by improving their living situations. Therefore, follow-up assessments should document any changes and measurable outcomes related to food insecurity or poverty levels. These outcomes should go beyond the current Aswesuma indicators to better reflect improvements in well-being.
Addressing chronic and transient poverty
Ongoing updates to Aswesuma should also improve its ability to target people experiencing both chronic and transient poverty. Chronic poverty refers to long-term deprivation, often passed down through generations, while transient poverty involves short-term income or spending losses, even when long-term resources are sufficient to stay above the poverty line (Duclos et al., 2078). The current deprivation score mainly focuses on chronic poverty, emphasizing household assets and housing conditions (13 of the 22 indicators are based on multidimensional measurements).
Gaps in coverage and food insecurity
While addressing chronic poverty is important, it’s also necessary to consider temporary poverty. A large portion of the population (households ineligible for Aswesuma but who experienced food insecurity in the past 12 months) remains underserved. Of the 20% of the population that faced food insecurity, nearly 40% are not eligible for Aswesuma.
Expanding the framework for vulnerability
Given the current economic climate, with rising costs and income losses, measures of temporary poverty could help identify both long-term and short-term hardship, regardless of assets or housing. Including data on household members’ recent employment experiences, especially job loss, could offer a more complete picture of who needs support. The amount of cash transferred is unlikely to directly improve indicators related to household assets or other long-term poverty markers, as those require larger investments in education, health, and infrastructure (Lipton and Ravallion, 1995).
Climate vulnerability and regional differences
Climate vulnerability also adds complexity to household conditions. Although it’s difficult to measure, including it would help the program reach more at-risk groups in Sri Lanka.
The current set of indicators can also be improved by accounting for both visible and hidden factors that influence household selection. The relevance of indicators varies by region and demographics. For example, vehicle use and electricity consumption depend on the availability of alternatives, which differ across the country. Rural households may lack access to transportation or electricity not because of poverty, but because those services aren’t available. Regional adjustments in how deprivation is measured could lead to more accurate assessments of poverty in both rural and urban areas.
Asset ownership and agricultural work
Asset indicators like ownership of agricultural machinery or land are influenced by both observable and hidden factors, including the decision to work in agriculture. This suggests a need for additional support programs, such as insurance for agricultural workers. In some areas, deprivation in agriculture-related indicators may actually reflect higher well-being, depending on location and market access.
Labor market impacts and conditional transfers
Finally, the program’s impact on labor market outcomes should be considered. The study predicts a drop in labor force participation for both men and women under various scenarios. This aligns with economic theory, which suggests that higher non-labor income reduces the need for paid work (Garganta et al., 2017). However, building resilience through employment is key to long-term poverty reduction. In some cases, transfers tied to employment have shown fewer negative, or even positive, effects on labor participation (Berlinski et al., 2024). While cash transfers are helpful for addressing food insecurity, exploring conditional transfers that encourage work and self-reliance is important for helping people move out of poverty.
Some of these relate to the inclusion of households not facing economic hardship and the exclusion of families living in poverty. There’s a need to refine the current criteria to better identify households experiencing temporary financial difficulties, even if they own certain assets.
Challenges in data verification
Another area for improvement in Aswesuma is the difficulty officials face in verifying household information related to eligibility. For example, errors may occur during data collection if households withhold accurate information about their poverty status to qualify for benefits or are unable to recall details correctly. These inaccuracies can reduce the program’s effectiveness by excluding people who genuinely need help and undermining efforts to create a more objective social protection system.
Improving follow-up and monitoring
Better data collection methods during follow-ups with Aswesuma recipients would help improve the criteria. This would allow the program to monitor households’ economic conditions and track improvements resulting from cash transfers. The main goal of these transfers is to help participants move out of poverty by improving their living situations. Therefore, follow-up assessments should document any changes and measurable outcomes related to food insecurity or poverty levels. These outcomes should go beyond the current Aswesuma indicators to better reflect improvements in well-being.
Addressing chronic and transient poverty
Ongoing updates to Aswesuma should also improve its ability to target people experiencing both chronic and transient poverty. Chronic poverty refers to long-term deprivation, often passed down through generations, while transient poverty involves short-term income or spending losses, even when long-term resources are sufficient to stay above the poverty line (Duclos et al., 2078). The current deprivation score mainly focuses on chronic poverty, emphasizing household assets and housing conditions (13 of the 22 indicators are based on multidimensional measurements).
Gaps in coverage and food insecurity
While addressing chronic poverty is important, it’s also necessary to consider temporary poverty. A large portion of the population (households ineligible for Aswesuma but who experienced food insecurity in the past 12 months) remains underserved. Of the 20% of the population that faced food insecurity, nearly 40% are not eligible for Aswesuma.
Expanding the framework for vulnerability
Given the current economic climate, with rising costs and income losses, measures of temporary poverty could help identify both long-term and short-term hardship, regardless of assets or housing. Including data on household members’ recent employment experiences, especially job loss, could offer a more complete picture of who needs support. The amount of cash transferred is unlikely to directly improve indicators related to household assets or other long-term poverty markers, as those require larger investments in education, health, and infrastructure (Lipton and Ravallion, 1995).
Climate vulnerability and regional differences
Climate vulnerability also adds complexity to household conditions. Although it’s difficult to measure, including it would help the program reach more at-risk groups in Sri Lanka.
The current set of indicators can also be improved by accounting for both visible and hidden factors that influence household selection. The relevance of indicators varies by region and demographics. For example, vehicle use and electricity consumption depend on the availability of alternatives, which differ across the country. Rural households may lack access to transportation or electricity not because of poverty, but because those services aren’t available. Regional adjustments in how deprivation is measured could lead to more accurate assessments of poverty in both rural and urban areas.
Asset ownership and agricultural work
Asset indicators like ownership of agricultural machinery or land are influenced by both observable and hidden factors, including the decision to work in agriculture. This suggests a need for additional support programs, such as insurance for agricultural workers. In some areas, deprivation in agriculture-related indicators may actually reflect higher well-being, depending on location and market access.
Labor market impacts and conditional transfers
Finally, the program’s impact on labor market outcomes should be considered. The study predicts a drop in labor force participation for both men and women under various scenarios. This aligns with economic theory, which suggests that higher non-labor income reduces the need for paid work (Garganta et al., 2017). However, building resilience through employment is key to long-term poverty reduction. In some cases, transfers tied to employment have shown fewer negative, or even positive, effects on labor participation (Berlinski et al., 2024). While cash transfers are helpful for addressing food insecurity, exploring conditional transfers that encourage work and self-reliance is important for helping people move out of poverty.
From $300 billion in annual climate commitments to support emerging economies to greater regulation of carbon credit trading, COP29 marked a crucial step forward for climate finance. However, the climate finance gap remains vast and trillions more are needed to drive rapid climate action.
How can private and public sector involvement be amplified to unlock capital at scale?
The Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) is set to conduct major research during its mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The Ax-4, a landmark private spaceflight to the ISS, will launch on Wednesday from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center.
The research complement includes around 60 scientific studies and activities representing 31 countries, including the US, India, Poland, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Nigeria, UAE, and nations across Europe.
This will be the most research and science-related activities conducted on an Axiom Space mission aboard the International Space Station to date.
NASA and ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) are collaborating to launch several scientific investigations.
These studies include examining muscle regeneration, growth of sprouts and edible microalgae, survival of tiny aquatic organisms, and human interaction with electronic displays in microgravity.
ISRO’s experiments include the following:
Crop Seeds on ISS
This ISRO experiment will investigate the impacts of spaceflight on six varieties of crop seeds. After the mission, seeds will be grown for multiple generations and plants showing preferred traits selected for genetic analyses. This project aims to help understand how crops may be grown in space for future exploration missions.
Cyanobacteria on ISS
Cyanobacteria are aquatic bacteria that can photosynthesize, and are of interest for integration into spacecraft environmental control systems. This ISRO experiment will compare two strains of cyanobacteria to investigate growth rates, cellular responses, and biochemical activity in microgravity. The results could help with the development of future spacecraft life support systems.
Sprouts
This ISRO experiment will investigate the impacts of spaceflight on germination and growth of crop seeds. After the mission, seeds will be grown for multiple generations and the effects on genetics, microbial load, and nutritional profile investigated. This project aims to help understand how crops may be grown in space for future exploration missions.
Space Microalgae
Microalgae are potentially useful organisms for future spaceflight that could be used as foods, fuel, or even used in life support systems. In this experiment, three strains of microalgae will be grown and the impact of microgravity on the growth, metabolism, and genetic activity will be investigated versus algae grown on the ground.
Myogenesis
This project aims to identify the pathways responsible for skeletal muscle dysfunction in microgravity and explore therapeutic targeting strategies. By studying how muscle loss occurs in space, the project seeks to pinpoint specific molecular mechanisms and potential interventions. Understanding these pathways is crucial for developing treatments to prevent muscle atrophy in astronauts during long space missions. On Earth, the findings could also impact the understanding of and treatments for muscle-related diseases and conditions related to aging or prolonged immobility.
Voyager Displays
This experiment will investigate how the physical and cognitive impact of utilizing computer screens in microgravity. The research will study how pointing tasks, gaze fixation, and rapid eye movements are affected my being performed in space, and how this may interact with subjective experiences of stress wellbeing. The results could inform future spacecraft computer design and interaction.
STEMonstrations
These will consist of four different STEAM outreach activities for Indian students. STEAM stands for Science and Technology, which is interpreted through Engineering and Arts and is based on mathematics.
Voyager Tardigrades
This ISRO project will investigate the revival, survival, and reproduction of tardigrades sent to the ISS. The project will examine the revival of dormant tardigrades, count the number of eggs laid and hatched during a mission, and compare the gene expression patterns of space flown vs. ground control populations. The research seeks to identify molecular mechanisms of resilience which has implications for understanding the limits of life in extreme environments. This knowledge could inform future space exploration and help develop biotechnology applications on Earth.
The Axiom-4 mission also sets the tone for ISRO’s own Gaganyaan Mission, a project to send a 3-day manned mission to the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) of 400 km with a crew of three members and bring them safely back to Earth.
The Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) is set to conduct major research during its mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The Ax-4, a landmark private spaceflight to the ISS, will launch on Wednesday from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center.
The research complement includes around 60 scientific studies and activities representing 31 countries, including the US, India, Poland, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Nigeria, UAE, and nations across Europe.
This will be the most research and science-related activities conducted on an Axiom Space mission aboard the International Space Station to date.
NASA and ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) are collaborating to launch several scientific investigations.
These studies include examining muscle regeneration, growth of sprouts and edible microalgae, survival of tiny aquatic organisms, and human interaction with electronic displays in microgravity.
ISRO’s experiments include the following:
Crop Seeds on ISS
This ISRO experiment will investigate the impacts of spaceflight on six varieties of crop seeds. After the mission, seeds will be grown for multiple generations and plants showing preferred traits selected for genetic analyses. This project aims to help understand how crops may be grown in space for future exploration missions.
Cyanobacteria on ISS
Cyanobacteria are aquatic bacteria that can photosynthesize, and are of interest for integration into spacecraft environmental control systems. This ISRO experiment will compare two strains of cyanobacteria to investigate growth rates, cellular responses, and biochemical activity in microgravity. The results could help with the development of future spacecraft life support systems.
Sprouts
This ISRO experiment will investigate the impacts of spaceflight on germination and growth of crop seeds. After the mission, seeds will be grown for multiple generations and the effects on genetics, microbial load, and nutritional profile investigated. This project aims to help understand how crops may be grown in space for future exploration missions.
Space Microalgae
Microalgae are potentially useful organisms for future spaceflight that could be used as foods, fuel, or even used in life support systems. In this experiment, three strains of microalgae will be grown and the impact of microgravity on the growth, metabolism, and genetic activity will be investigated versus algae grown on the ground.
Myogenesis
This project aims to identify the pathways responsible for skeletal muscle dysfunction in microgravity and explore therapeutic targeting strategies. By studying how muscle loss occurs in space, the project seeks to pinpoint specific molecular mechanisms and potential interventions. Understanding these pathways is crucial for developing treatments to prevent muscle atrophy in astronauts during long space missions. On Earth, the findings could also impact the understanding of and treatments for muscle-related diseases and conditions related to aging or prolonged immobility.
Voyager Displays
This experiment will investigate how the physical and cognitive impact of utilizing computer screens in microgravity. The research will study how pointing tasks, gaze fixation, and rapid eye movements are affected my being performed in space, and how this may interact with subjective experiences of stress wellbeing. The results could inform future spacecraft computer design and interaction.
STEMonstrations
These will consist of four different STEAM outreach activities for Indian students. STEAM stands for Science and Technology, which is interpreted through Engineering and Arts and is based on mathematics.
Voyager Tardigrades
This ISRO project will investigate the revival, survival, and reproduction of tardigrades sent to the ISS. The project will examine the revival of dormant tardigrades, count the number of eggs laid and hatched during a mission, and compare the gene expression patterns of space flown vs. ground control populations. The research seeks to identify molecular mechanisms of resilience which has implications for understanding the limits of life in extreme environments. This knowledge could inform future space exploration and help develop biotechnology applications on Earth.
The Axiom-4 mission also sets the tone for ISRO’s own Gaganyaan Mission, a project to send a 3-day manned mission to the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) of 400 km with a crew of three members and bring them safely back to Earth.
Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –
In service “My payments” The mos.ru portal now offers the option to set up an automatic payment for travel on toll roads. This was reported by the capital’s Department of Information Technology (DIT).
If previously car owners had to track and pay each invoice issued, now it is enough to connect autopayment, and the required amount will be debited from the bank card linked to the service automatically. This is especially convenient for those who regularly drive alongMoscow High-Speed Diameter (MSD), the M-12 “Vostok” highway, the Central Ring Road (CRR), Bagration Avenue andWestern High Speed Diameter in Saint Petersburg.
“We continue to develop the functionality of the My Payments service to make it even more convenient for residents of the capital to pay for services on the mos.ru portal without going to other resources. Over the past 2.5 years, payment for travel on Bagration Avenue, the Moscow Highway, M-12 Vostok, the Central Ring Road and the Western High-Speed Diameter in St. Petersburg has become available here. Now users have the opportunity to connect autopayment to pay for travel on these highways. It is enough to select and configure the appropriate parameters so that new bills are paid automatically and on time,” said Vladimir Novikov, Director of the Department for Support of Citywide Payment Systems of the Moscow Department of Information Technology.
The ability to connect automatic payments is one of the most popular functions among users of the My Payments service on the mos.ru portal. City residents have used automatic payment of bills more than 1.6 million times. This saves time and allows you not to worry about payment deadlines. All connected automatic payments are displayed in the section of the service with the same name. If necessary, you can edit their parameters or delete them here.
Automatic payment for the issued invoice
To make sure that payment for travel on toll road sections takes a minimum of time and is done automatically, you can set up automatic payment immediately after the first payment in the service on mos.ruto the invoice issued. To do this, in the “Connecting Auto Payment” window, you need to specify the maximum amount of one invoice and the amount of write-offs per month. Auto payment will occur automatically after the road operator issues an invoice.
Autopayment on schedule
Car owners using transponders can now set up automatic paymentsschedule. This is convenient for advance payment of travel. After the first payment is made, in the “Auto payment connection” window, it is enough to specify the amount and frequency with which funds will be debited from the account. At the moment, this opportunity is available to motorists who have installed transponders of two toll road operators – JSC “New Quality of Roads” AndUnited Toll Collection Systems LLC. Through the mos.ru portal, you can top up your transponder account to pay for travel on any Russian toll road.
The transponder account number is automatically displayed in the My Payments service on mos.ru if the user has specified the same phone number in their profile and in the contract with the toll road operator. If the numbers do not match, you can add the transponder yourself. To do this, in the Documents and Data section, simply select the Transport tab, the Add transponder option and fill out the form. The service will automatically generate a template with the current balance and the recommended amount to top up the transponder account. If several devices from different road operators are used, each of them will have its own template.
Automatic search for travel invoices
In order to make the payment for travel on toll road sections take a minimum of time, you must first indicate the state registration number of the car, as well as the series and number of the vehicle registration certificate in your personal account on the mos.ru portal. Then, after driving on the highway, the bill will automatically appear in the My Payments service. You can also set up a subscription to receive notifications aboutnew accountsTo do this, you will need to tick the convenient form of receiving messages in your profile – by email or via push notifications.
If there is not enough information in your personal account to automatically search for invoices, you can use the “Vehicle Certificate” widget. In the pop-up window that opens, simply enter the vehicle details, and the widget will show all unpaid invoices, and you will be asked to save the entered information in your profile so that you do not have to re-enter it in the future.
You can find out more about all the options for paying toll road bills in the My Payments service ininstructions.
The My Payments service on the mos.ru portal and in the Moscow State Services and My Moscow mobile applications is one of the most popular methods of paying bills among residents of the capital. It can be used to pay for about nine thousand municipal, federal and commercial services. Over the seven and a half years of the service’s operation, city residents have already paid more than 116 million bills.
The service automatically finds all unpaid bills if the user has a standard or full account and the necessary information is specified in the personal account. To save time, you can connect autopayment or create a template here. This will allow you to avoid filling in the details in the future. If necessary, it is possible to pay several bills at once. More information about all the features of the My Payments service is ininstructions.
You can learn more about how Moscow’s electronic services developed and how just 30 years ago, in order to pay bills, you had to visit up to five different departments from the film “Moscow in Digital”.
The creation, development and operation of the e-government infrastructure, including the provision of mass socially significant services, as well as other services in electronic form, corresponds to the objectives of the national project “Data Economy” and the regional project of the city of Moscow “Digital Public Administration”.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect
Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –
Moscow is implementing an educational project called “Nearby” dedicated to the people after whom the capital’s streets were named. It allows us to look at the city in a different way, and also helps preserve historical memory and remind us that real destinies lie behind familiar names.
As part of the project, posters will be placed on 80 streets in Moscow. They will tell about the participants of the Great Patriotic War, whose names were immortalized in the city’s toponymy. Information materials can be seen at public transport stops, newsstands and classic billboards.
Each of the 80 streets is named after one of the heroes of the Great Patriotic War. Thus, billboards dedicated to Georgy Zhukov, a commander who played a key role in the war, appeared on Marshal Zhukov Avenue. It was he who signed the act of unconditional surrender of Germany and hosted the Victory Parade on Red Square on June 24, 1945.
Similar posters have already been placed on several other streets, for example, on Letchitsa Tarasova, Pokryshkina and Artamonova streets.
The initiative is being carried out with the assistance of the capital’s Department of Mass Media and Advertising together with the All-Russian public-state movement of children and youth “Movement of the First”.
Moscow remembers and honors the heroes of the Great Patriotic War. Almost every district has streets named after our fathers and grandfathers who fought the Nazis. 164 streets, avenues, squares and lanes of the capital are named after the defenders of the Motherland. The city is a living memory of them. All these places can be easily found on the project website “Living Memory”.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect
Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –
Department of Cultural Heritage of the City of Moscow presented an updated series of audio podcasts “Voices of Moscow Buildings”, dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War. This year, the series is dedicated to heroic monuments – historical buildings of the capital, which not only survived the war, but also became its participants. A total of six audio stories will be released.
“The audio podcast series “Voices of Moscow Buildings” that started last year was loved by listeners, and we decided to continue it this year, timed to coincide with the anniversary of the Great Victory. This time, we are telling about the most dramatic moments in the history of the capital’s iconic architectural landmarks in six audio stories. We are talking about heroic monuments – and this is by no means a metaphor. Many Moscow buildings – cultural heritage sites – were full-fledged participants in military events,” said the head of the Department of Cultural Heritage
The podcast “Miracles of Camouflage. How Theater Artists and Artists Deceived the Enemy During the War Years” is about the Central Academic Theater of the Russian Army on Suvorov Square. The theater was built in 1940 according to the design of architect Karo Alabyan. The building, designed in the shape of a five-pointed star, attracted attention and needed camouflage. To do this, theater artists developed special visual techniques that hid its outlines from enemy aircraft.
The Novokuznetskaya metro station also became an important site during the war. Its design was developed by architects Nadezhda Bykova and Ivan Taranov before the start of hostilities. During air raids, the station served as a refuge for residents of Zamoskvorechye. After the start of the war, the station’s design was revised: elements dedicated to the frontline theme appeared in the decor – triumphal cartouches, a frieze with scenes of military life, mosaics. The station became one of the first memorial architectural complexes to immortalize the feat of the defenders of the Motherland.
The podcast “Art in Shelter. How Guardian Angels Managed to Hide National Heritage from Bombs” tells the story of the State Tretyakov Gallery building during the Great Patriotic War. The building with a neo-Russian style façade designed by Viktor Vasnetsov became a symbol of the museum community’s resilience. The episode reveals details of how, under the constant threat of bombing, gallery employees ensured the safety of the collection and saved works of Russian painting.
The history of the Krasny Oktyabr confectionery factory was also included in the podcast series. In 1941, its buildings were hit by enemy airstrikes. Since the beginning of the war, more than 500 employees have gone to the front. Those who remained — mostly women and teenagers — continued to produce products: briquetted cereals and Frontovye candies, which were sent to soldiers as a sign of support and a reminder of home.
A special place in the cycle is occupied by the story of the Epiphany Cathedral in Yelokhovo (Yelokhov Cathedral), where Alexander Pushkin was baptized in 1799. Even in 1941, despite military actions, the cathedral was not closed. The temple became a spiritual refuge for the townspeople. It was here that Metropolitan Sergius of Moscow (later Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus’) addressed the believers with a blessing to defend the Fatherland. Donations collected by parishioners helped form the tank column “Dmitry Donskoy” and the air squadron “Alexander Nevsky”.
Another episode is dedicated to the Vorontsovo estate, which at the beginning of the war was located on the outskirts of Moscow and fell into the city’s defense zone. Defensive structures were built on its territory, including anti-tank ditches and long-term fire points (pillboxes). One of these pillboxes has survived to this day and is located at the intersection of Obrucheva and Profsoyuznaya streets.
The podcast series “Voices of Moscow Buildings” will be hosted on a special platform, from where episodes will be automatically distributed to all major streaming services.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect
Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –
Moscow’s infrastructure is diverse, each district has everything necessary for life and leisure. Residential buildings house various organizations – from shops and pharmacies to libraries.
Residential buildings deserve special attention, during the construction of which architects and engineers provided special space for cinemas. In Soviet times, they were most often located on the ground floors of buildings. This approach made it possible to bring cinemas closer to city residents and create cultural centers in residential areas. They can be found especially often in buildings erected in the neoclassical style. During the implementation of the capital’s capital repair program, specialists from the Moscow City Services Complex put five buildings with cinemas in order.
Bas-reliefs, pilasters and keystones on Kostyakov Street
The residential building on Kostyakov Street (building 10), which houses the operating Iskra cinema, was built in 1939 according to an individual project in the style of Soviet neoclassicism. The house, which has a complex plan, is a striking example of pre-war Soviet architecture. You can enter the courtyard from the side or through the central arch. The three lower floors are rusticated, the upper ones are decorated with pilasters and bas-reliefs, some of the window spaces are emphasized by architraves and keystones. On the main facade, at the level of the third to fifth floors, there are decorative porticoes. Between the fifth and sixth floors, there is a wide multi-profile cornice. The courtyard facades are made in a more laconic style with standard windows. The stained glass windows of the stairwells are decorated with multi-level portals. Along the perimeter of the house, there is a massive crowning cornice with dentils.
In 2023, specialists renovated the facade of the house, carefully preserving the decorative elements. The main task that they faced was to update the structure, as well as restore the stucco decor and architectural elements of the building. First, the craftsmen cleaned and washed the surfaces. Then they sealed the cracks with a special construction compound and treated the wet areas with an antifungal and strengthening agent. At the next stage, they put in order the plaster layer, the rustication of the lower floors and restored the architectural elements using modern technologies. After that, the facade was painted, preserving the historical color scheme for the decorative elements in the colors “peanut cream” and “brown champignon”.
Much attention was paid to the balconies: specialists restored the slabs and laid new flooring. In addition, they cleaned and painted not only the walls, but also the base, external window and door slopes, replaced the ebbs and drainpipes, and tidied up the entrance groups.
Sandriks, capitals and columns on Kutuzovsky Prospect
The residential building on Kutuzovsky Prospekt (building 30) was built in 1953 according to an individual project. In the 1950s, it housed a two-hall cinema famous throughout the Dorogomilovo district. Each hall had 100 seats. This house with a colonnade on the upper tier, a balustrade and pinnacles is a striking example of late Soviet neoclassicism. The building consists of several volumes of different numbers of storeys – from seven to 11 storeys. Due to the configuration of the house, an internal courtyard is formed in the plan. In the corner parts of the facade, through arched passages are located in pairs, highlighted by framing and niches. The street facades are faced with ceramic blocks and painted, have complex plasticity: decorated with cornices, pilasters with bas-reliefs, architraves, flower beds and portals of entrance groups.
In 2024, the building underwent major repairs. The facade and roof of the building were completely repaired, and a number of engineering systems were replaced. In order to return the large neoclassical building to its original beauty, specialists from the Capital Repairs Fund developed a special project, selected the appropriate modern technologies and materials.
Work on the facade began with clearing and washing the exposed surfaces, as well as pointing the seams. Antifungal protection was applied to the surfaces in wet areas. All architectural elements that required additional fragmentation and restoration of lost parts were carefully restored by the craftsmen. These included cornices, pilasters with bas-reliefs and pinnacles at the top of the building. Specialists paid special attention to the colonnades located on the upper tier at the corners of the house. The facade and other external surfaces from the inside of the house were painted according to the color scheme in the color “light yellow wheat”. Decorative elements such as sandriks, capitals, bases of columns and pilasters were updated – they acquired a gray-beige color.
The specialists restored the balconies, including the balcony slabs with caissons, and installed new screens. In addition, they repaired the flower beds on the facade and put the entrance groups in order. They also updated the base of the building. The roof was repaired – the roofing was replaced, the rafter system was put in order. The attic spaces were insulated with mineral wool slabs, which have high thermal insulation, all wooden structures were treated with a fire-retardant composition. The drainage lines were also replaced.
Columns, interfloor belts and architraves on Marshal Rybalko Street
This year, work on transforming residential buildings continues. Currently, specialists from the capital repair fund are putting in order a residential building on Marshal Rybalko Street (building 1), which houses the operating chamber cinema “Yunost” with two halls.
The five-story apartment building was built in 1955 according to a standard series project; its plan is L-shaped. The facades, made of brick, have simple plasticity with decorative elements. There is a crowning cornice along the perimeter of the building. The three lower floors are separated from the upper part by interfloor belts. The main facades are decorated with architraves and bas-reliefs. On the courtyard facades, the entrance groups are separated by vestibules.
Specialists have already started work on renovating the facade, basement and roof of the building. They first cleared the open surfaces of the facade and renovated the brickwork. Wet areas were treated with antifungal compounds. Later, the facade will be hydrophobized – covered with an invisible film that will protect it from the effects of precipitation for many years.
The craftsmen are treating the wooden structures with a fire-bioprotective compound. They are also laying a new electrical network, central heating and water drainage lines. Work is planned on the cold water supply risers, water drainage and central heating. The cold water supply lines have already been replaced.
The specialists will also put in order the decorative elements on the building: fluted columns, interfloor belts, architraves and the crowning cornice. According to the color scheme, these elements will be in the shade of “brick red”. They will repair the entrance groups, the base and the blind area, and install doors. In addition, they will replace the ebbs and renew the slopes, hang a new external drainage system. They will also replace the sheathing and roof covering of the pitched roof and establish the temperature and humidity conditions in the attic spaces.
The Moscow City Services Complex noted that the regional housing stock capital repairs program being implemented in the capital is in line with the goals and objectives of the national project “Infrastructure for life”.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect
Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –
In the capital, 291 polyclinic buildings have been reconstructed according to a single Moscow standard.
More than eight million patients are already receiving medical care in the renovated institutions, the press service reported. Moscow City Health Department.
“The capital continues a large-scale renovation of the outpatient sector. There are already 291 polyclinic buildings operating under the new standard — they have become lighter, more spacious and more convenient for patients. In total, since the opening of the renovated buildings, doctors have conducted over 140 million appointments. More than eight million residents of the capital receive medical care in them, and this figure continues to grow. This indicates the high level of trust Muscovites have in the reconstruction program under the new standard. We are doing everything to ensure that the entire outpatient fund of Moscow meets modern requirements: is comfortable and technologically advanced,” the press service of the capital’s Department of Healthcare reported.
During the modernization of polyclinics, the equipment of laboratories, ophthalmology and physiotherapy rooms is updated, equipment for ENT, endoscopy and general therapy is installed. In addition, the buildings are equipped with electronic queue screens, air disinfection systems, refrigerators for storing drugs and other necessary devices.
“During major repairs, we also provide medical institutions with power supply according to the second reliability category. This means that in the event of a technological failure on one line, the voltage will be automatically supplied through the backup line. In addition to modernizing the buildings themselves, we also improve the adjacent territories: we separate pedestrian and transport flows, where possible, we create places for short-term rest, update the lighting system, install new or replace old fences, and adapt the spaces to the needs of people with disabilities. In addition, we install navigation elements. We additionally green the territory with hypoallergenic plants,” the press service noted.
The branches of the polyclinics have mammographs, X-ray machines, ultrasound machines, and functional diagnostics equipment. The main buildings are additionally equipped with bicycle ergometry machines, MRI, CT, expert-class ultrasound machines, densitometers (devices for examining bone tissue), and endoscopic equipment.
The premises are zoned in such a way as to reduce the likelihood of queues and make the wait for an appointment as comfortable as possible. The most popular offices are located on the lower floors, while less visited and administrative ones are on the upper floors. Patients are provided with comfortable waiting areas with air conditioners, coolers with drinking water, TVs and soft sofas. And for employees, there are rest rooms and psychological relief rooms, modern dressing rooms with showers and professional development rooms.
The modernization of the outpatient sector in Moscow began in 2020. During the first stage of the program, more than 200 buildings were reconstructed. The second stage, which began in 2023, provides for the renovation of almost 140 clinics. The implementation of the program and the construction of new institutions will completely update the capital’s outpatient fund.
The project is in line with the goals and objectives of the Moscow healthcare development strategy until 2030 and is aimed at improving the quality and accessibility of medical care for residents of the capital.
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Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect
The Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), a landmark private spaceflight to the International Space Station (ISS), will launch on Wednesday from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center.
Axiom Space, in collaboration with NASA and SpaceX, organised the mission, which features a diverse international crew and marks a major step forward in commercial and global space exploration.
Scheduled to lift off at 2:31 a.m. EDT (12:01 p.m. IST) from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the mission will transport four astronauts aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, propelled into orbit by a Falcon 9 rocket. Docking with the ISS is expected at around 7:00 a.m. EDT (4:30 p.m. IST) on Thursday, June 26.
“All systems are looking good for Wednesday’s launch of @Axiom_Space’s Ax-4 mission to the @Space_Station and weather is 90 per cent favorable for liftoff. Webcast starts at 12:30 a.m.” SpaceX posted on X ahead of the launch.
Among the crew is Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, representing ISRO, who will serve as the mission’s pilot. He is joined by veteran NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, ESA astronaut Sławosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland, and Tibor Kapu from Hungary. For India, Hungary, and Poland, this mission signifies a return to human spaceflight after a long hiatus.
Earlier on Tuesday NASA confirmed the final schedule via its official X handle, “With @Axiom_Spaceand @SpaceX, we’re now targeting Wednesday, June 25, to launch #Ax4 to the @Space_Station. The four-member crew, including astronauts from @ESA and @ISRO, is scheduled to lift off at 2:31am ET (0631 UTC).”
Axiom-4 has experienced multiple delays leading up to Wednesday’s launch. Initial postponements were due to unfavourable weather conditions, followed by technical issues, including detected leaks in the Falcon 9 rocket. After a thorough review and resolution of the problems, the launch was cleared.
This is the fourth private astronaut mission to the ISS under Axiom Space’s expanding program, signalling growing international interest in commercial space missions and partnerships.
The Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), a landmark private spaceflight to the International Space Station (ISS), will launch on Wednesday from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center.
Axiom Space, in collaboration with NASA and SpaceX, organised the mission, which features a diverse international crew and marks a major step forward in commercial and global space exploration.
Scheduled to lift off at 2:31 a.m. EDT (12:01 p.m. IST) from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the mission will transport four astronauts aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, propelled into orbit by a Falcon 9 rocket. Docking with the ISS is expected at around 7:00 a.m. EDT (4:30 p.m. IST) on Thursday, June 26.
“All systems are looking good for Wednesday’s launch of @Axiom_Space’s Ax-4 mission to the @Space_Station and weather is 90 per cent favorable for liftoff. Webcast starts at 12:30 a.m.” SpaceX posted on X ahead of the launch.
Among the crew is Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, representing ISRO, who will serve as the mission’s pilot. He is joined by veteran NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, ESA astronaut Sławosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland, and Tibor Kapu from Hungary. For India, Hungary, and Poland, this mission signifies a return to human spaceflight after a long hiatus.
Earlier on Tuesday NASA confirmed the final schedule via its official X handle, “With @Axiom_Spaceand @SpaceX, we’re now targeting Wednesday, June 25, to launch #Ax4 to the @Space_Station. The four-member crew, including astronauts from @ESA and @ISRO, is scheduled to lift off at 2:31am ET (0631 UTC).”
Axiom-4 has experienced multiple delays leading up to Wednesday’s launch. Initial postponements were due to unfavourable weather conditions, followed by technical issues, including detected leaks in the Falcon 9 rocket. After a thorough review and resolution of the problems, the launch was cleared.
This is the fourth private astronaut mission to the ISS under Axiom Space’s expanding program, signalling growing international interest in commercial space missions and partnerships.
‘Fake News’: Trump slams CNN, NYT for reports stating US strikes did not destroy Iranian nuclear sites
US President Donald Trump has slammed CNN for its report suggesting that the US strikes did not destroy nuclear sites in Iran. Trump said CNN, along with The New York Times, teamed up to “demean one of the most successful military strikes in history” and termed it “fake news.”
He reiterated his claim that the US has completely destroyed nuclear sites in Iran. According to him, both the media outlets faced backlash from the people.
In a statement shared on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump stated, “FAKE NEWS CNN, TOGETHER WITH THE FAILING NEW YORK TIMES, HAVE TEAMED UP IN AN ATTEMPT TO DEMEAN ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL MILITARY STRIKES IN HISTORY. THE NUCLEAR SITES IN IRAN ARE COMPLETELY DESTROYED! BOTH THE TIMES AND CNN ARE GETTING SLAMMED BY THE PUBLIC!”
The findings, first reported by CNN, citing seven individuals briefed on the assessments, noted that the early evaluation from the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) suggested that the attacks only caused a temporary disruption, possibly setting Tehran’s nuclear program back by a few months.
The findings based on a battle damage assessment by US Central Command contradict public claims made by US President Trump and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, who asserted that the US “completely obliterated” Iran’s nuclear capabilities, CNN reported.
As per CNN, citing intelligence sources, the centrifuges in Iran’s nuclear facilities remain mostly functional, and enriched uranium stockpiles were likely moved before the strikes.
The US strikes targeted Iran’s Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan nuclear sites, which inflicted heavy damage to above-ground structures, such as power infrastructure and facilities involved in uranium metal conversion, but failed to neutralise Iran’s underground enrichment systems, as reported by CNN.
As per CNN, citing officials, the US used its B-2 bombers that dropped over a dozen 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs during the assault; underground components remained largely intact.
Israel, which conducted their own strikes before the US operation, also found less damage at Fordow than anticipated; however, it was earlier believed that the combined efforts may delay Iran’s nuclear ambitions by up to two years, as reported by CNN. The long-standing doubts over whether the US’s Massive Ordnance Penetrators could penetrate Iran’s deeply buried nuclear sites.
Earlier on Tuesday (local time), Trump has stated that Iran will “never be able to rebuild” its nuclear facilities after recent American airstrikes carried out under “Operation Midnight Hammer” over the weekend while claiming that the sites were now “under rock”, referring to Iran’s nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. Taking to his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump wrote, “IRAN WILL NEVER REBUILD THEIR NUCLEAR FACILITIES!”
Shutting off the internet within an entire country is a serious action. It severely limits people’s ability to freely communicate and to find reliable information during times of conflict.
In countries that have privatised mobile and internet providers, control is often exercised through legislation or through government directives – such as age restrictions on adult content. By contrast, Iran has spent years developing the capacity to directly control its telecommunications infrastructure.
So how can a country have broad control over internet access, and could this happen anywhere in the world?
How does ‘blocking the internet’ work?
The “internet” is a broad term. It covers many types of applications, services and, of course, the websites we’re familiar with.
A nation may opt to physically disconnect the incoming internet connectivity at the point of entry to the country (imagine pulling the plug on a telephone exchange).
This allows for easy recovery of service when the government is ready, but the impact will be far-reaching. Nobody in the country, including the government itself, will be able to connect to the internet – unless the government has its own additional, covert connectivity to the rest of the world.
This is where it gets more technical. Every internet-connected endpoint – laptop, computer, mobile phone – has an IP (internet protocol) address. They’re strings of numbers; for example, 77.237.87.95 is an address assigned to one of the internet service providers in Iran.
IP addresses identify the device on the public internet. However, since strings of numbers are not easy to remember, humans use domain names to connect to services – theconversation.com is an example of a domain name.
That connection between the IP address and the domain is controlled by the domain name system or DNS. It’s possible for a government to control access to key internet services by modifying the DNS – this manipulates the connection between domain names and their underlying numeric addresses.
An additional way to control the internet involves manipulating the traffic flow. IP addresses allow devices to send and receive data across networks controlled by internet service providers. In turn, they rely on the border gateway protocol (BGP) – think of it like a series of traffic signs which direct internet traffic flow, allowing data to move around the world.
Governments could force local internet service providers to remove their BGP routes from the internet. As a result, the devices they service wouldn’t be able to connect to the internet. In the same manner, the rest of the world would no longer be able to “see” into the country.
These events clearly show that if a government anywhere in the world wants to turn off the internet, it really can. The democratic state of the country is the most significant influence on the willingness to undertake such action – not the technical capability.
However, in today’s world, being disconnected from the internet will heavily impact people’s lives, jobs and the economy. It’s not an action to be taken lightly.
How can people evade internet controls?
Virtual private networks or VPNs have long been used to hide communications in countries with strict internet controls, and continue to be an effective internet access method for many people. (However, there are indications Iran has clamped down on VPN use in recent times.)
However, VPNs won’t help when the internet is physically disconnected. Depending on configuration, if BGP routes are blocked, this may also prevent any VPN traffic from reaching the target.
This is where independent satellite internet services open up the most reliable alternative. Satellite internet is great for remote and rural areas where traditional internet service providers have yet to establish their cabling infrastructure – or can’t do so.
Even if traditional wired or wireless internet connections are unavailable, services such as Starlink, Viasat, Hughesnet and others can provide internet access through satellites orbiting Earth.
To use satellite internet, users rely on antenna kits supplied by providers. In Iran, Elon Musk’s Starlink was activated during the blackout, and independent reports suggest there are thousands of Starlink receivers secretly operating in the country.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
On June 21, the United States launched airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities – Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan – pounding deeply buried centrifuge sites with bunker-busting bombs.
Conducted jointly with Israel, the operation took place without formal congressional authorisation, drawing sharp criticism from lawmakers that it was unconstitutional and “unlawful”.
Much of the political debate has centred on whether the US is being pulled into “another Middle East war”.
The New York Times’ Nick Kristof weighed in on the uncertainties following the US’ surprise bombing of Iran and Tehran’s retaliation.
Even US Vice President JD Vance understood the unease, stating:
People are right to be worried about foreign entanglement after the last 25 years of idiotic foreign policy.
These reactions have revived comparisons with George W. Bush’s 2003 invasion of Iraq: a Republican president launching military action on the basis of flimsy weapons of mass destruction (WMD) evidence.
Hauntingly familiar?
While the surface similarity is tempting, the comparison may in fact obscure more about President Donald Trump than it reveals.
Comparisons to the Iraq War
In 2003, Bush ordered a full-scale invasion of Iraq based on flawed intelligence, claiming Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein possessed WMDs. And while the war was extremely unpopular across the world, it did have bipartisan congressional support.
The invasion toppled Iraq’s regime in just a few weeks.
What followed was a brutal conflict and almost a decade of US occupation. The war triggered the rise of militant jihadism and a horrific sectarian conflict that reverberates today.
So far, Trump’s one-off strikes on Iran bear little resemblance to the 2003 Iraq intervention.
These were precision strikes within the context of a broader Iran-Israel war, designed to target Iran’s nuclear program.
And, so far, there appears to be little appetite for a full-scale military invasion or “boots on the ground”, and regime change seems unlikely despite some rumblings from both Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Yet the comparison to Iraq persists, especially among audiences suspicious of repeated US military interventions in the Middle East. But poorly considered analogies carry costs.
For one, the Iraq comparison sheds little light on Trump’s foreign policy.
To better understand the recent strikes on Iran, we need to look at Trump’s broader foreign policy.
Much has been made of his “America first” mantra, a complex mix of prioritising domestic interests, questioning international agreements, and challenging traditional alliances.
Others, including Trump himself, have often touted his “no war” approach, pointing to large-scale military withdrawals from Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq,and the fact he had not started a new war.
But beyond this, Trump has increased US military spending and frequently used his office to conduct targeted strikes on adversaries – especially across the Middle East.
For example, in 2017 and 2018, Trump ordered airstrikes on a Syrian airbase and chemical weapons facilities. In both instances, he bypassed Congress and used precision air power to target weapons infrastructure without pursuing regime change.
Also, from 2017 to 2021, Trump authorised US support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen, enabling airstrikes that targeted militant cells but also led to mass civilian casualties.
Trump’s policy was the subject of intense bipartisan opposition, culminating in the first successful congressional invocation of the War Powers Resolution – though it was ultimately vetoed by Trump.
And in 2020, Trump launched a sequence of attacks on Iranian assets in Iraq. This included a drone strike that killed senior Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani.
Again, these attacks were conducted without congressional support. The decision triggered intense bipartisan backlash and concerns about escalation without oversight.
While such attacks are not without precedent – think back to former US President Barack Obama’s intervention in Libya or Joe Biden’s targeting of terrorist assets – the scale and veracity of Trump’s attacks on the Middle East are much more useful as a framework to understanding the recent attacks on Iran than any reference to the 2003 Iraq war.
What this reveals about Trump
It is crucial to scrutinise any use of force. But while comparing the 2025 Iran strikes to Iraq in 2003 may be rhetorically powerful, it is analytically weak.
A better path is to situate these events within Trump’s broader political style.
He acts unilaterally and with near-complete impunity, disregarding traditional constraints and operating outside established norms and oversight.
This is just as true for attacks on foreign adversaries as it is for the domestic policy arena.
For example, Trump recently empowered agencies such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to operate with sweeping discretion in immigration enforcement, bypassing legal and judicial oversight.
Trump also uses policy as spectacle, designed to send shockwaves through the domestic or foreign arenas and project dominance to both friend and foe.
In this way, Trump’s dramatic attacks on Iran have some parallels to his unilateral imposition of tariffs on international trade. Both are abrupt, disruptive and framed as a demonstration of strength rather than a way to create a mutually beneficial solution.
Finally, Trump is more than willing to use force as an instrument of power rather than as a last resort. This is just as true for Iran as it is for the US people.
The recent deployment of US Marines to quell protests in Los Angeles reveals a similar impulse: military intervention as a first instinct in the absence of a broader strategy to foster peace.
To truly understand and respond to Trump’s Iran strikes, we need to move beyond sensationalist analogies and recognise a more dangerous reality. This is not the start of another Iraq; it’s the continuation of a presidency defined by impulsive power, unchecked force and a growing disdain for democratic constraint.
Benjamin Isakhan receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the Australian Department of Defence. The views expressed in this article do not reflect those of Government policy.
After 12 days of war, US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between Israel and Iran that would bring to an end the most dramatic, direct conflict between the two nations in decades.
Israel and Iran both agreed to adhere to the ceasefire, though they said they would respond with force to any breach.
If the ceasefire holds – a big if – the key question will be whether this signals the start of lasting peace, or merely a brief pause before renewed conflict.
As contemporary war studies show, peace tends to endure under one of two conditions: either the total defeat of one side, or the establishment of mutual deterrence. This means both parties refrain from aggression because the expected costs of retaliation far outweigh any potential gains.
What did each side gain?
The war has marked a turning point for Israel in its decades-long confrontation with Iran. For the first time, Israel successfully brought a prolonged battle to Iranian soil, shifting the conflict from confrontations with Iranian-backed proxy militant groups to direct strikes on Iran itself.
This was made possible largely due to Israel’s success over the past two years in weakening Iran’s regional proxy network, particularly Hezbollah in Lebanon and Shiite militias in Syria.
Over the past two weeks, Israel has inflicted significant damage on Iran’s military and scientific elite, killing several high-ranking commanders and nuclear scientists. The civilian toll was also high.
Additionally, Israel achieved a major strategic objective by pulling the United States directly into the conflict. In coordination with Israel, the US launched strikes on three of Iran’s primary nuclear facilities: Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan.
Despite these gains, Israel has not accomplished all of its stated goals. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had voiced support for regime change, urging Iranians to rise up against Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s government, but the senior leadership in Iran remains intact.
Although Iran was caught off-guard by Israel’s attacks — particularly as it was engaged in nuclear negotiations with the US — it responded by launching hundreds of missiles towards Israel.
Iran has demonstrated its capacity to strike back, though Israel has succeeded in destroying many of its air defence systems, some ballistic missile assets (including missile launchers) and multiple energy facilities.
Since the beginning of the assault, Iranian officials have repeatedly called for a halt to resume negotiations. Under such intense pressure, Iran has realised it would not benefit from a prolonged war of attrition with Israel — especially as both nations face mounting costs and the risk of depleting their military stockpiles if the war continues.
As theories of victory suggest, success in war is defined not only by the damage inflicted, but by achieving core strategic goals and weakening the enemy’s will and capacity to resist.
While Israel claims to have achieved the bulk of its objectives, the extent of the damage to Iran’s nuclear program is not fully known, nor is its capacity to continue enriching uranium.
Both sides could remain locked in a volatile standoff over Iran’s nuclear program, with the conflict potentially reigniting whenever either side perceives a strategic opportunity.
Sticking point over Iran’s nuclear program
Iran faces even greater challenges when it emerges from the war. With a heavy toll on its leadership and nuclear infrastructure, Tehran will likely prioritise rebuilding its deterrence capability.
That includes acquiring new advanced air defence systems — potentially from China — and restoring key components of its missile and nuclear programs. (Some experts say Iran has not used some of its most powerful missiles to maintain this deterrence.)
Iranian officials have claimed they safeguarded more than 400 kilograms of 60% enriched uranium before the attacks. This stockpile could theoretically be converted into nine to ten nuclear warheads if further enriched to 90%.
Trump declared Iran’s nuclear capacity had been “totally obliterated”, whereas Rafael Grossi, the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog chief, said damage to Iran’s facilities was “very significant”.
However, analysts have argued Iran will still have a depth of technical knowledge accumulated over decades. Depending on the extent of the damage to its underground facilities, Iran could be capable of restoring and even accelerating its program in a relatively short time frame.
And the chances of reviving negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program appear slimmer than ever.
What might future deterrence look like?
The war has fundamentally reshaped how both Iran and Israel perceive deterrence — and how they plan to secure it going forward.
For Iran, the conflict has reinforced the belief that its survival is at stake. With regime change openly discussed during the war, Iran’s leaders appear more convinced than ever that true deterrence requires two key pillars: nuclear weapons capability, and deeper strategic alignment with China and Russia.
As a result, Iran is expected to move rapidly to restore and advance its nuclear program, potentially moving towards actual weaponisation — a step it had long avoided, officially.
At the same time, Tehran is likely to accelerate military and economic cooperation with Beijing and Moscow to hedge against isolation. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi emphasised this close engagement with Russia during a visit to Moscow this week, particularly on nuclear matters.
Israel, meanwhile, sees deterrence as requiring constant vigilance and a credible threat of overwhelming retaliation. In the absence of diplomatic breakthroughs, Israel may adopt a policy of immediate preemptive strikes on Iranian facilities or leadership figures if it detects any new escalation — particularly related to Iran’s nuclear program.
In this context, the current ceasefire already appears fragile. Without comprehensive negotiations that address the core issues — namely, Iran’s nuclear capabilities — the pause in hostilities may prove temporary.
Mutual deterrence may prevent a more protracted war for now, but the balance remains precarious and could collapse with little warning.
Ali Mamouri does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
We all like to imagine we’re ageing well. Now a simple blood or saliva test promises to tell us by measuring our “biological age”. And then, as many have done, we can share how “young” we really are on social media, along with our secrets to success.
While chronological age is how long you have been alive, measures of biological age aim to indicate how old your body actually is, purporting to measure “wear and tear” at a molecular level.
The appeal of these tests is undeniable. Health-conscious consumers may see their results as reinforcing their anti-ageing efforts, or a way to show their journey to better health is paying off.
But how good are these tests? Do they actually offer useful insights? Or are they just clever marketing dressed up to look like science?
How do these tests work?
Over time, the chemical processes that allow our body to function, known as our “metabolic activity”, lead to damage and a decline in the activity of our cells, tissues and organs.
Biological age tests aim to capture some of these changes, offering a snapshot of how well, or how poorly, we are ageing on a cellular level.
Our DNA is also affected by the ageing process. In particular, chemical tags (methyl groups) attach to our DNA and affect gene expression. These changes occur in predictable ways with age and environmental exposures, in a process called methylation.
Research studies have used “epigenetic clocks”, which measure the methylation of our genes, to estimate biological age. By analysing methylation levels at specific sites in the genome from participant samples, researchers apply predictive models to estimate the cumulative wear and tear on the body.
What does the research say about their use?
Although the science is rapidly evolving, the evidence underpinning the use of epigenetic clocks to measure biological ageing in research studies is strong.
Studies have shown epigenetic biological age estimation is a better predictor of the risk of death and ageing-related diseases than chronological age.
Epigenetic clocks also have been found to correlate strongly with lifestyle and environmental exposures, such as smoking status and diet quality.
In addition, they have been found to be able to predict the risk of conditions such as cardiovascular disease, which can lead to heart attacks and strokes.
Taken together, a growing body of research indicates that at a population level, epigenetic clocks are robust measures of biological ageing and are strongly linked to the risk of disease and death
But how good are these tests for individuals?
While these tests are valuable when studying populations in research settings, using epigenetic clocks to measure the biological age of individuals is a different matter and requires scrutiny.
For testing at an individual level, perhaps the most important consideration is the “signal to noise ratio” (or precision) of these tests. This is the question of whether a single sample from an individual may yield widely differing results.
A study from 2022 found samples deviated by up to nine years. So an identical sample from a 40-year-old may indicate a biological age of as low as 35 years (a cause for celebration) or as high as 44 years (a cause of anxiety).
While there have been significant improvements in these tests over the years, there is considerable variability in the precision of these tests between commercial providers. So depending on who you send your sample to, your estimated biological age may vary considerably.
Another limitation is there is currently no standardisation of methods for this testing. Commercial providers perform these tests in different ways and have different algorithms for estimating biological age from the data.
As you would expect for commercial operators, providers don’t disclose their methods. So it’s difficult to compare companies and determine who provides the most accurate results – and what you’re getting for your money.
A third limitation is that while epigenetic clocks correlate well with ageing, they are simply a “proxy” and are not a diagnostic tool.
In other words, they may provide a general indication of ageing at a cellular level. But they don’t offer any specific insights about what the issue may be if someone is found to be “ageing faster” than they would like, or what they’re doing right if they are “ageing well”.
So regardless of the result of your test, all you’re likely to get from the commercial provider of an epigenetic test is generic advice about what the science says is healthy behaviour.
Are they worth it? Or what should I do instead?
While companies offering these tests may have good intentions, remember their ultimate goal is to sell you these tests and make a profit. And at a cost of around A$500, they’re not cheap.
While the idea of using these tests as a personalised health tool has potential, it is clear that we are not there yet.
For this to become a reality, tests will need to become more reproducible, standardised across providers, and validated through long-term studies that link changes in biological age to specific behaviours.
So while one-off tests of biological age make for impressive social media posts, for most people they represent a significant cost and offer limited real value.
The good news is we already know what we need to do to increase our chances of living longer and healthier lives. These include:
We don’t need to know our biological age in order to implement changes in our lives right now to improve our health.
Hassan Vally 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.
In our guides to the classics, experts explain key literary works.
Ibn Battuta, was born in Tangier, Morocco, on February 24, 1304. From a statement in his celebrated travel book the Rihla (“legal affairs are my ancestral profession,”) he evidently came from an intellectually distinguished family.
According to the Rihla (travelogue), Ibn Battuta embarked on his travels from Tangier at the age of 22 with the intention of performing the Hajj (the sacred pilgrimage to Mecca) in 1325. Although he returned to Fez (his adopted home-town) around the end of 1349, he continued to visit various regions, including Granada and Sudan, in subsequent years.
Over the course of his almost 30 years of travel, Ibn Battuta covered an astonishing distance of approximately 73,000 miles (117,000 kilometres), visiting a region that today encompasses more than 50 countries. His journeys covered much of the medieval Islamic world and beyond, excluding Northern Europe.
In 1355, he returned to Morocco for the last time and remained there for the rest of his life. Upon his return he dictated his experiences, observations and anecdotes to the Andalusian scholar Ibn Juzayy, with a compilation of his travels completed in 1355 or 1356.
The work, formally titled A Gift to Researchers on the Curiosities of Cities and the Marvels of Journeys, is more commonly referred to as Rihlat Ibn Battuta or simply Rihla.
A painting of Ibn Battuta (on right) in Egypt by Leon Benett. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY
More than a travelogue or geographical record, this book provides rich insights into 14th-century social and political life, capturing cultural diversity across nations. Ibn Battuta details local lifestyles, linguistic traits, beliefs, clothing, cuisines, holidays, artistic traditions and gender relations, as well as commercial activities and currencies.
His observations also include geographical features such as mountains, rivers and agricultural products. Notably, the work highlights his encounters with over 60 sultans and more than 2,000 prominent figures, making it a valuable historical resource.
The travels
His travels began after a dream. According to Ibn Battuta, one night, while in Fuwwa, a town near Alexandria in Egypt, he dreamed of flying on a massive bird across various lands, landing in a dark, greenish country.
To test the local sheikh’s mystical knowledge, he decided if the sheikh knew of his dream, he was truly extraordinary. The next morning, after leading the dawn prayer, he saw the sheikh bid farewell to visitors. Later, the sheikh astonishingly revealed knowledge of Ibn Battuta’s dream and prophesied his pilgrimage through Yemen, Iraq, Turkey and India.
At the time, the Middle East was under the rule of the Mamluk sultanate, Anatolia was divided among principalities and the Mongol Ilkhanate state controlled Iran, Central Asia, and the Indian subcontinent.
Ibn Battuta initially travelled through North Africa, Egypt, Palestine and Syria, completing his first Hajj in 1326.
He then visited Iraq and Iran, returning to Mecca. In 1328, he explored East Africa, reaching Mogadishu, Mombasa, Sudan and Kilwa (modern Tanzania), as well as Yemen, Oman and Anatolia, where he documented cities like Alanya, Konya, Erzurum, Nicaea and Bursa.
His descriptions are vivid. Describing the city of Dimyat, on the bank of the Nile, he says:
Many of the houses have steps leading down to the Nile. Banana trees are especially abundant there, and their fruit is carried to Cairo in boats. Its sheep and goats are allowed to pasture at liberty day and night, and for this reason the saying goes of Dimyat, ‘Its wall is a sweetmeat and its dogs are sheep’. No one who enters the city may afterwards leave it except by the governor’s seal […]
Farmland on the banks of the Nile river today. Alice-D/shutterstock
When it comes to Anatolia (in modern-day Turkey), he declares:
This country, known as the Land of Rum, is the most beautiful in the world. While Allah Almighty has distributed beauty to other lands separately, He has gathered them all here. The most beautiful and well-dressed people live in this land, and the most delicious food is prepared here […] From the moment we arrived, our neighbors — both men and women — showed great concern for our wellbeing. Here, women do not shy away from men; when we departed, they bid us farewell as if we were family, expressing their sadness through tears.
A judge and husband
In 1332, Ibn Battutua met the Byzantine Emperor Andronikos III Palaiologos. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY
Since Ibn Battuta dictated his work, it’s difficult to assess the extent of the scribe’s influence in recording his narratives. Despite being an educated man, he occasionally narrates like a commoner and sometimes exceeds the bounds of polite language. At times, he provides excessive detail, giving the impression he may be quoting from sources beyond his own observations.
Nevertheless, the Rihla stands out for its engaging style and captivating anecdotes, drawing readers in.
Ibn Battuta later journeyed through Crimea, Central Asia, Khwarezm (a large oasis region in the territories of present-day Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan), Bukhara (a city in Uzbekistan), and the Hindu Kush Mountains. In 1332, he met Byzantine Emperor Andronikos III Palaiologos and travelled to Istanbul with the caravan of Uzbek Khan’s third wife. He mentions a caravan that even has a market:
Whenever the caravan halted, food was cooked in great brass cauldrons, called dasts, and supplied from them to the poorer pilgrims and those who had no provisions. […] This caravan contained also animated bazaars and great supplies of luxuries and all kinds of food and fruit. They used to march during the night and light torches in front of the file of camels and litters, so that you saw the countryside gleaming with light and the darkness turned into radiant day.
Ibn Battuta arrived in Delhi in 1333, where he served as a judge under Sultan Muhammad bin Tughluq for seven years. He married or was married to local women in many of the places he stayed. Among his wives were ordinary people as well as the daughters of the administrative class.
Miniature painting in Mughal style depicting the court of Muhammad bin Tughluq. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY
The Sultan’s generosity, intelligence and unconventional ruling style both impressed and surprised Ibn Battuta. However, Muhammad bin Tughluq was known for making excessively harsh and abrupt decisions at times, which led Ibn Battuta to approach him with caution. Nevertheless, with the Sultan’s support, he remained in India for a long time and was eventually chosen as an ambassador to China in 1341.
In 1345 his mission was disrupted when his ship capsized off the coast of Calcutta (then known as Sadqawan) in the Indian Ocean. Though he survived, he lost most of his possessions.
After the incident, he remained in India for a while before continuing his journey by other means. During this period, he travelled through India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. He served as a judge in the latter for one and a half years. In 1345, he journeyed to China via Bengal, Burma and Sumatra, reaching the city of Guangzhou but limiting his exploration to the southern coast.
He was among the first Arab travellers to record Islam’s spread in the Malay Archipelago, noting interactions between Muslims and Hindu-Buddhist communities. Visiting Java and Sumatra, he praised Sultan Malik al-Zahir of Sumatra as a generous, pious and scholarly ruler and highlighted his rare practice of walking to Friday prayers.
On his return, Ibn Battuta explored regions such as Iran, Iraq, North Africa, Spain and the Kingdom of Mali, documenting the vast Islamic world.
Back in his homeland, Ibn Battuta served as a judge in several locations. He died around 1368-9 while serving as a judge in Morocco and was buried in his birthplace, Tangier.
Historic copy of selected parts of the Travel Report by Ibn Battuta, 1836 CE, Cairo. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY
The status of women
Ibn Battuta’s travels revealed intriguing insights into the status of women across regions. In inner West Africa, he observed matriarchal practices where lineage and inheritance were determined by the mother’s family.
Among Turks, women rode horses like raiders, traded actively and did not veil their faces.
In the Maldives, husbands leaving the region had to abandon their wives. He noted that Muslim women there, including the ruling woman, did not cover their heads. Despite attempting to enforce the hijab as a judge, he failed.
He offers fascinating insights into food cultures. In Siberia, sled dogs were fed before humans. He described 15-day wedding feasts in India.
He tried local produce such as mango in the Indian subcontinent, which he compared to an apple, and sun-dried, sliced fish in Oman.
Religious practices
Ibn Battuta’s accounts of the Hajj (pilgrimage) rituals he performed six times provide a unique perspective. He references a fatwa by Ibn Taymiyyah, prominent Islamic scholar and theologian known for his opposition to theological innovations and critiques of Sufism and philosophy, advising against shortening prayers for those travelling to Medina.
Ibn Battuta’s accounts, particularly regarding the Iranian region, offer important perspectives into religious sects during a period when Iran started shifting from Sunnism to Shiism. He describes societies with diverse demographics, including Persians, Azeris, Kurds, Arabs and Baluchis. His observations on religious practices are especially significant.
Inclined toward Sufism, Ibn Battuta often dressed like a dervish during his travels. He offers a compelling view of Islamic mysticism. He considered regions like Damascus as places of abundance and Anatolia as a land of compassion, interpreting them with a spiritual perspective.
His accounts of Sufi education, dervish lodges, zawiyas (similar to monasteries), and tombs, along with the special invocations of Sufi masters, are important historical records. He also observed and documented unique practices, such as the followers of the Persian Sufi saint Sheikh Qutb al-Din Haydar wearing iron rings on their hands, necks, ears, and even private parts to avoid sexual intercourse.
While Ibn Battuta primarily visited Muslim lands, he also travelled to non-Muslim territories, offering key understandings into different religious cultures, for instance interactions between Crimean Muslims and Christian Armenians in the Golden Horde region.
He also documented churches, icons and monasteries, such as the tomb of the Virgin Mary in Jerusalem. His observation of Muslims openly reciting the call to prayer (adhan) in China is significant.
Other anecdotes include the division of the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus into a mosque and Christian church. Most importantly, his encounters with Hindus and Buddhists in the Indian subcontinent and Malay Islands provide rich historical context.
His accounts of death rituals reveal diverse practices. In Sinop (a city in Turkey), 40 days of mourning were declared for a ruler’s mother, while in Iran, a funeral resembled a wedding celebration. He observed similarities in cremation practices between India and China and described a chilling custom in some regions where slaves and concubines were buried alive with the deceased.
Ibn Battuta’s Rihla, widely translated into Eastern and Western languages, has drawn some criticism for containing depictions that sometimes diverge from historical continuity or borrow from other works. Ibn Battuta himself admitted to using earlier travel books as references.
Despite limited recognition in older sources, the Rihla gained prominence in the West in the 19th century. His legacy remains vibrant today. Morocco declared 1996–1997 the “Year of Ibn Battuta,” and established a museum in Tangier to honour him. In Dubai, a mall is named after him.
Notably, Ibn Battuta travelled to more destinations than Marco Polo and shared a broader range of humane anecdotes, showcasing the depth and diversity of his experiences.
Ismail Albayrak 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.
Bats are often cast as the unseen night-time stewards of nature, flitting through the dark to control pest insects, pollinate plants and disperse seeds. But behind their silent contributions lies a remarkable and underappreciated survival strategy: seasonal fattening.
Much like bears and squirrels, bats around the world bulk up to get through hard times – even in places where you might not expect it.
In a paper published today in Ecology Letters, we analysed data from bat studies around the world to understand how bats use body fat to survive seasonal challenges, whether it’s a freezing winter or a dry spell.
The surprising conclusion? Seasonal fattening is a global phenomenon in bats, not just limited to those in cold climates.
Even bats in the tropics, where it’s warm all year, store fat in anticipation of dry seasons when food becomes scarce. That’s a survival strategy that’s been largely overlooked. But it may be faltering as the climate changes, putting entire food webs at risk.
Climate shapes fattening strategies
We found bats in colder regions predictably gain more weight before winter.
But in warmer regions with highly seasonal rainfall, such as tropical savannas or monsoonal forests, bats also fatten up. In tropical areas, it’s not cold that’s the enemy, but the dry season, when flowers wither, insects vanish and energy is hard to come by.
The extent of fattening is impressive. Some species increased their body weight by more than 50%, which is a huge burden for flying animals that already use a lot of energy to move around. This highlights the delicate balancing act bats perform between storing energy and staying nimble in the air.
In colder climates, female bats used their fat reserves more sparingly than males – a likely adaptation to ensure they have enough energy left to raise young when spring returns. Since females typically emerge from hibernation to raise their young, conserving fat through winter can directly benefit their reproductive success.
Interestingly, this sex-based difference vanished in warmer climates, where fat use by males and females was more similar, likely because more food is available in warmer climates. It’s another clue that climate patterns intricately shape behaviour and physiology.
Climate change is shifting the rules
Beyond the biology, our study points to a more sobering trend. Bats in warm regions appear to be increasing their fat stores over time. This could be an early warning sign of how climate change is affecting their survival.
Climate change isn’t just about rising temperatures. It’s also making seasons more unpredictable.
Bats may be storing more energy in advance of dry seasons that are becoming longer or harder to predict. That’s risky, because it means more foraging, more exposure to predators and potentially greater mortality.
The implications can ripple outward. Bats help regulate insect populations, fertilise crops and maintain healthy ecosystems. If their survival strategies falter, entire food webs could feel the effects.
Fat bats, fragile futures
Our study changes how we think about bats. They are not just passive victims of environmental change but active strategists, finely tuned to seasonal rhythms. Yet their ability to adapt has limits, and those limits are being tested by a rapidly changing world.
By understanding how bats respond to climate, we gain insights into broader ecosystem resilience. We also gain a deeper appreciation for one of nature’s quiet heroes – fattening up, flying through the night and holding ecosystems together, one wingbeat at a time.
Nicholas Wu was the lead author of a funded Australian Research Council Linkage Grant awarded to Christopher Turbill at Western Sydney University.
But the situation is perhaps not as rosy for the animal itself. Domesticated animals often live longer than their free-living counterparts, but the quality of those lives can be compromised. Pets can be fed processed foods that can lead to obesity. Many are denied a sexual life and experience of parenthood. Exercise can be limited, isolation is common and boredom must be endured.
Is this the best life for the species we feel closest to? This question was raised for me when I heard the story of Valerie, the dachshund recaptured in April this year after almost 18 months living on her own on South Australia’s Karta Pintingga/Kangaroo Island.
Is being a pet the best life for the species we feel closest to? Oleksandr Rupeta/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Valerie: the story that captivated a nation
Valerie, a miniature dachshund, escaped into the bush during a camping trip on Kangaroo Island in November 2023. After several days of searching, her bereft humans returned to their home in New South Wales. They assumed the tiny dog, who had lived her life as a “little princess”, was gone forever.
Fast-forward a year, and sightings were reported on the island of a small dog wearing a pink collar. Word spread and volunteers renewed the search. A wildlife rescue group designed a purpose-built trap, fitting it out with items from Valerie’s former home.
After several weeks, a remotely controlled gate clattered shut behind Valerie and she was caught.
Cue great celebrations. The searchers were triumphant and the family was delighted. Social media lit up. It was a canine reenactment of one of settler Australia’s enduring narratives: the lost child rescued from the hostile bush.
A dog’s-eye view
But imagine if Valerie’s story was told from a more dog-centred perspective. Valerie found herself alone in a strange place and took the opportunity to run away. She embarked on a new life in which she was responsible for herself and could exercise the intelligence inherited from her boar-hunting ancestors.
No longer required to be a good girl, Valerie applied her own judgement – that notorious dachshund “stubbornness” – to evade predators, fill her stomach and pass her days.
Some commentators assumed Valerie must have been fed by anonymous benefactors – reflecting a widely held view that pets have limited abilities.
Veterinary experts, however, said her diet likely consisted of small birds, mammals and reptiles she killed herself – as well as roadkill, other carrion and faeces.
Valerie was clearly good at life on the lam. Unlike the human competitors in the series Alone Australia, she did not waste away when left in an island wilderness. Instead, she gained 1.8 kg of muscle – and was so stocky she no longer fit the old harness her humans brought to collect her. She had literally outgrown her former bonds.
Valerie could have sought shelter with the island’s humans at any time, but chose not to. She had to be actively trapped. Once returned to her humans, she needed time to reacclimatise to life as a pet.
Not all missing pets thrive in the wild. But all this raises the question of whether Valerie’s rescue would be better understood as a forced return from a full life of freedom, to a diminished existence in captivity?
A long history of pets thriving in the wild
Other examples exist which suggest an animal’s best life can take place outside the constraints of being a pet.
Exotic parrots have fled lives in cages to form urban flocks. In the United States, 25 species initially imported as pets have set up self-sustaining, free-living populations across 23 states.
Or take the red-eared slider turtle, which is native to parts of the US and Mexico. It’s illegal to keep the turtles as pets in Australia, but some of those smuggled in have later been released into urban wetlands where they have established large and widespread populations.
Cats are perhaps the most notorious example of escaped pets thriving on their own in Australia. They numbers in the millions, in habitats from cities to the Simpson Desert to the Snowy Mountains, showing how little they need human assistance.
One mark of their success is their prodigious size. At up to 7kg, free-living cats can be more than twice the weight of the average domestic cat.
Of course, I am not advocating that pets be released to the wild, creating new problems. But I do believe current pet-keeping practices are due for reconsideration.
A dramatic solution would be to take the animal out of the pet relationship. Social robots that look like seals and teddy bears are already available to welcome you home, mirror your emotions and offer up cuddles without the cost to other animals.
A less radical option is to rethink the idea of animals as “pets” and instead see them as equals.
Some people already enjoy these unforced bonds. Magpies, for example, are known to have strong allegiances with each other and are sometimes willing to extend those connections to humans in multi-species friendships.
As for Valerie, she did make “her little happy sounds” when reunited with her humans. But she might look back with nostalgia to her 529 days of freedom on Kangaroo Island.
Nancy Cushing receives funding from the State Library of New South Wales as the Coral Thomas Fellow. She is a member of the executive committee of the Australian Historical Association.
Have you had a tonsillectomy (your tonsils taken out), appendectomy (your appendix removed) or lumpectomy (removal of a lump from your breast)? The suffix “ectomy” denotes surgical removal of the named body part, so these terms give us a clear idea of what the procedure entails.
So why is the removal of the uterus called a hysterectomy and not a uterectomy?
The name hysterectomy is rooted in a mental health condition – “hysteria” – that was once believed to affect women. But we now know this condition doesn’t exist.
Continuing to call this significant operation a hysterectomy both perpetuates misogyny and hampers people’s understanding of what it is.
From the defunct condition ‘hysteria’
Hysteria was a psychiatric condition first formally defined in the 5th century BCE. It had many symptoms, including excessive emotion, irritability, anxiety, breathlessness and fainting.
But hysteria was only diagnosed in women. Male physicians at the time claimed these symptoms were caused by a “wandering womb”. They believed the womb (uterus) moved around the body looking for sperm and disrupted other organs.
Because the uterus was blamed for hysteria, the treatment was to remove it. This procedure was called a hysterectomy. Sadly, many women had their healthy uterus unnecessarily removed and most died.
The word “hysteria” did originally came from the ancient Greek word for uterus, “hystera”. But the modern Greek word for uterus is “mitra”, which is where words such as “endometrium” come from.
uterine prolapse (when the uterus protrudes down into the vagina)
adenomyosis (when the inner layer of the uterus grows into the muscle layer)
cancer.
However, in a survey colleagues and I did of almost 500 Australian adults, which is yet to be published in a peer-reviewed journal, one in five people thought hysterectomy meant removal of the ovaries, not the uterus.
It’s true some hysterectomiesfor cancer do also remove the ovaries. A hysterectomy or partial hysterectomy is the removal of only the uterus, a total hysterectomy removes the uterus and cervix, while a radical hysterectomy usually removes the uterus, cervix, uterine tubes and ovaries.
There are important differences between these hysterectomies, so they should be named to clearly indicate the nature of the surgery.
Research has shown ambiguous terminology such as “hysterectomy” is associated with low patient understanding of the procedure and the female anatomy involved.
Uterectomy should be used for removal of the uterus, in combination with the medical terms for removal of the cervix, uterine tubes and ovaries as needed. For example, a uterectomy plus cervicectomy would refer to the removal of the uterus and the cervix.
This could help patients understand what is (and isn’t) being removed from their bodies and increase clarity for the wider public.
Other female body parts and procedures have male names
There are many eponyms (something named after a person) in anatomy and medicine, such as the Achilles tendon and Parkinson’s disease. They are almost exclusively the names of white men.
Eponyms for female anatomy and procedures include the Fallopian tubes, Pouch of Douglas, and Pap smear.
The anatomical term for Fallopian tubes is uterine tubes. “Uterine” indicates these are attached to the uterus, which reinforces their important role in fertility.
The Pouch of Douglas is the space between the rectum and uterus. Using the anatomical name (rectouterine pouch) is important, because this a common site for endometriosis and can explain any associated bowel symptoms.
Pap smear gives no indication of its location or function. The new cervical screening test is named exactly that, which clarifies it samples cells of the cervix. This helps people understand this tests for risk of cervical cancer.
In line with increasing awareness and discussions around female reproductive health and medical misogyny, now is the time to improve terminology. We must ensure the names of body parts and medical procedures reflect the relevant anatomy.
Theresa Larkin 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.
Is AI going to take over the world? Have scientists created an artificial lifeform that can think on its own? Is it going to replace all our jobs, even creative ones, like doctors, teachers and care workers? Are we about to enter an age where computers are better than humans at everything?
The answers, as the authors of The AI Con stress, are “no”, “they wish”, “LOL” and “definitely not”.
The AI Con: How To Fight Big Tech’s Hype and Create the Future We Want – Emily M. Bender and Alex Hanna (Bodley Head)
Artificial intelligence is a marketing term as much as a distinct set of computational architectures and techniques. AI has become a magic word for entrepreneurs to attract startup capital for dubious schemes, an incantation deployed by managers to instantly achieve the status of future-forward leaders.
In a mere two letters, it conjures a vision of automated factories and robotic overlords, a utopia of leisure or a dystopia of servitude, depending on your point of view. It is not just technology, but a powerful vision of how society should function and what our future should look like.
In this sense, AI doesn’t need to work for it to work. The accuracy of a large language model may be doubtful, the productivity of an AI office assistant may be claimed rather than demonstrated, but this bundle of technologies, companies and claims can still alter the terrain of journalism, education, healthcare, service work and our broader sociocultural landscape.
Bender is a linguistics professor at the University of Washington, who has become a prominent technology critic. Hanna is a sociologist and former employee of Google, who is now the director of research at the Distributed AI Research Institute. After teaming up to mock AI boosters in their popular podcast, Mystery AI Hype Theater 3000, they have distilled their insights into a book written for a general audience. They meet the unstoppable force of AI hype with immovable scepticism.
Step one in this program is grasping how AI models work. Bender and Hanna do an excellent job of decoding technical terms and unpacking the “black box” of machine learning for lay people.
Driving this wedge between hype and reality, between assertions and operations, is a recurring theme across the pages of The AI Con, and one that should gradually erode readers’ trust in the tech industry. The book outlines the strategic deceptions employed by powerful corporations to reduce friction and accumulate capital. If the barrage of examples tends to blur together, the sense of technical bullshit lingers.
What is intelligence? A famous and highly cited paper co-written by Bender asserts that large language models are simply “stochastic parrots”, drawing on training data to predict which set of tokens (i.e. words) is most likely to follow the prompt given by a user. Harvesting millions of crawled websites, the model can regurgitate “the moon” after “the cow jumped over”, albeit in much more sophisticated variants.
Rather than actually understanding a concept in all its social, cultural and political contexts, large language models carry out pattern matching: an illusion of thinking.
But I would suggest that, in many domains, a simulation of thinking is sufficient, as it is met halfway by those engaging with it. Users project agency onto models via the well-known Eliza effect, imparting intelligence to the simulation.
Management are pinning their hopes on this simulation. They view automation as a way to streamline their organisations and not be “left behind”. This powerful vision of early adopters vs extinct dinosaurs is one we see repeatedly with the advent of new technologies – and one that benefits the tech industry.
In this sense, poking holes in the “intelligence” of artificial intelligence is a losing move, missing the social and financial investment that wants this technology to work. “Start with AI for every task. No matter how small, try using an AI tool first,” commanded DuoLingo’s chief engineering officer in a recent message to all employees. Duolingo has joined Fiverr, Shopify, IBM and a slew of other companies proclaiming their “AI first” approach.
The AI Con is strongest when it looks beyond or around the technologies to the ecosystem surrounding them, a perspective I have also argued is immensely helpful. By understanding the corporations, actors, business models and stakeholders involved in a model’s production, we can evaluate where it comes from, its purpose, its strengths and weaknesses, and what all this might mean downstream for its possible uses and implications. “Who benefits from this technology, who is harmed, and what recourse do they have?” is a solid starting point, Bender and Hanna suggest.
These basic but important questions extract us from the weeds of technical debate – how does AI function, how accurate or “good” is it really, how can we possibly understand this complexity as non-engineers? – and give us a critical perspective. They place the onus on industry to explain, rather than users to adapt or be rendered superfluous.
We don’t need to be able to explain technical concepts like backpropagation or diffusion to grasp that AI technologies can undermine fair work, perpetuate racial and gender stereotypes, and exacerbate environmental crises. The hype around AI means to distract us from these concrete effects, to trivialise them and thus encourage us to ignore them.
As Bender and Hanna explain, AI boosters and AI doomers are really two sides of the same coin. Conjuring up nightmare scenarios of self-replicating AI terminating humanity or claiming sentient machines will usher us into a posthuman paradise are, in the end, the same thing. They place a religious-like faith in the capabilities of technology, which dominates debate, allowing tech companies to retain control of AI’s future development.
The risk of AI is not potential doom in the future, à la the nuclear threat during the Cold War, but the quieter and more significant harm to real people in the present. The authors explain that AI is more like a panopticon “that allows a single prison warden to keep track of hundreds of prisoners at once”, or the “surveillance dragnets that track marginalised groups in the West”, or a “toxic waste, salting the earth of a Superfund site”, or a “scabbing worker, crossing the picket line at the behest of an employer who wants to signal to the picketers that they are disposable. The totality of systems sold as AI are these things, rolled into one.”
A decade ago, with another “game-changing” technology, author Ian Bogost observed that
rather than utopia or dystopia, we usually end up with something less dramatic yet more disappointing. Robots neither serve human masters nor destroy us in a dramatic genocide, but slowly dismantle our livelihoods while sparing our lives.
The pattern repeats. As AI matures (to some degree) and is adopted by organisations, it moves from innovation to infrastructure, from magic to mechanism. Grand promises never materialise. Instead, society endures a tougher, bleaker future. Workers feel more pressure; surveillance is normalised; truth is muddied with post-truth; the marginal become more vulnerable; the planet gets hotter.
Technology, in this sense, is a shapeshifter: the outward form constantly changes, yet the inner logic remains the same. It exploits labour and nature, extracts value, centralises wealth, and protects the power and status of the already-powerful.
Co-opting critique
In The New Spirit of Capitalism, sociologists Luc Boltanski and Eve Chiapello demonstrate how capitalism has mutated over time, folding critiques back into its DNA.
After enduring a series of blows around alienation and automation in the 1960s, capitalism moved from a hierarchical Fordist mode of production to a more flexible form of self-management over the next two decades. It began to favour “just in time” production, done in smaller teams, that (ostensibly) embraced the creativity and ingenuity of each individual. Neoliberalism offered “freedom”, but at a price. Organisations adapted; concessions were made; critique was defused.
AI continues this form of co-option. Indeed, the current moment can be described as the end of the first wave of critical AI. In the last five years, tech titans have released a series of bigger and “better” models, with both the public and scholars focusing largely on generative and “foundation” models: ChatGPT, StableDiffusion, Midjourney, Gemini, DeepSeek, and so on.
Scholars have heavily criticised aspects of these models – my own work has explored truth claims, generative hate, ethics washing and other issues. Much work focused on bias: the way in which training data reproduces gender stereotypes, racial inequality, religious bigotry, western epistemologies, and so on.
Much of this work is excellent and seems to have filtered into the public consciousness, based on conversations I’ve had at workshops and events. However, its flagging of such issues allows tech companies to practise issue resolving. If the accuracy of a facial-recognition system is lower with Black faces, add more Black faces to the training set. If the model is accused of English dominance, fork out some money to produce data on “low-resource” languages.
Companies like Anthropic now regularly carry out “red teaming” exercises designed to highlight hidden biases in models. Companies then “fix” or mitigate these issues. But due to the massive size of the data sets, these tend to be band-aid solutions, superficial rather than structural tweaks.
For instance, soon after launching, AI image generators were under pressure for not being “diverse” enough. In response, OpenAI invented a technique to “more accurately reflect the diversity of the world’s population”. Researchers discovered this technique was simply tacking on additional hidden prompts (e.g. “Asian”, “Black”) to user prompts. Google’s Gemini model also seems to have adopted this, which resulted in a backlash when images of Vikings or Nazis had South Asian or Native American features.
The point here is not whether AI models are racist or historically inaccurate or “woke”, but that models are political and never disinterested. Harder questions about how culture is made computational, or what kind of truths we want as society, are never broached and therefore never worked through systematically.
Such questions are certainly broader and less “pointy” than bias, but also less amenable to being translated into a problem for a coder to resolve.
What next?
How, then, should those outside the academy respond to AI? The past few years have seen a flurry of workshops, seminars and professional development initiatives. These range from “gee whiz” tours of AI features for the workplace, to sober discussions of risks and ethics, to hastily organised all-hands meetings debating how to respond now, and next month, and the month after that.
Bender and Hanna wrap up their book with their own responses. Many of these, like their questions about how models work and who benefits, are simple but fundamental, offering a strong starting point for organisational engagement.
For the technosceptical duo, refusal is also clearly an option, though individuals will obviously have vastly different degrees of agency when it comes to opting out of models and pushing back on adoption strategies. Refusal of AI, as with many technologies that have come before it, often relies to some extent on privilege. The six-figure consultant or coder will have discretion that the gig worker or service worker cannot exercise without penalties or punishments.
If refusal is fraught at the individual level, it seems more viable and sustainable at a cultural level. Bender and Hanna suggest generative AI be responded to with mockery: companies who employ it should be derided as cheap or tacky.
The cultural backlash against AI is already in full swing. Soundtracks on YouTube are increasingly labelled “No AI”. Artists have launched campaigns and hashtags, stressing their creations are “100% human-made”.
These moves are attempts to establish a cultural consensus that AI-generated material is derivative and exploitative. And yet, if these moves offer some hope, they are swimming against the swift current of enshittification. AI slop means faster and cheaper content creation, and the technical and financial logic of online platforms – virality, engagement, monetisation – will always create a race to the bottom.
The extent to which the vision offered by big tech will be accepted, how far AI technologies will be integrated or mandated, how much individuals and communities will push back against them – these are still open questions. In many ways, Bender and Hanna successfully demonstrate that AI is a con. It fails at productivity and intelligence, while the hype launders a series of transformations that harm workers, exacerbate inequality and damage the environment.
Yet such consequences have accompanied previous technologies – fossil fuels, private cars, factory automation – and hardly dented their uptake and transformation of society. So while praise goes to Bender and Hanna for a book that shows “how to fight big tech’s hype and create the future we want”, the issue of AI resonates, for me, with Karl Marx’s observation that people “make their own history, but they do not make it just as they please”.
Luke Munn 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.
National NAIDOC Week (6-13 July) is a time for all Australians to celebrate and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
This year’s theme, The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy, celebrates not only the achievements of the past but the bright future ahead, empowered by the strength of our young leaders, the vision of our communities and the legacy of our ancestors.
The City of Wanneroo is running a variety of free events and activities throughout July, and the community are encouraged to get involved.
On Friday 4 July, a formal Flag Raising Ceremony will take place in the Jacaranda Amphitheatre as symbol of respect and appreciation for the City’s local Aboriginal heritage, culture and community. The event will feature a Welcome to Country by Aboriginal elder Vaughn McGuire and a special cultural performance by students from Butler College.
The City is also running series of bushtucker sessions where participants will learn about native botanicals and bushfood plants for the backyard, Nyungar culture sessions at City youth centres, and special Six Seasons Storytime sessions at Wanneroo and Clarkson libraries.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Hop aboard, grip the handrail, press the gas, and it’s time for an exhilarating adventure across the vast, rolling sand dunes on a four-wheeled quad bike.
This thrilling experience is just one of many adventures visitors can enjoy at the N39 scenic area in Makit County of Xinjiang’s Kashgar Prefecture. Located on the southwestern edge of the Taklimakan, China’s largest and the world’s second-largest drifting desert — often referred to as the “Sea of Death” — this once-remote and seldom-visited wilderness has become a captivating destination.
“The ride was so much fun and so intense, we enjoyed it a lot,” said Li Wei, who brought her 18-year-old son for a post-graduation trip from Wuhu in east China’s Anhui Province, a city some 4,000 km from Kashgar. “Playing in the desert should be a great way for the kid to relax after the college entrance exam,” she added.
Launched in 2016, the tourist site is attracting a growing number of visitors. The annual tourist visits have reached 500,000, with a consistent year-on-year growth rate of 7 to 15 percent, according to Dong Mingjiang, general manager of the tourism development company of the scenic area.
“Many of our visitors come from afar, such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong, and we have also received many foreign visitors from countries such as the United States, Britain, Singapore and Thailand,” he said.
Besides the four-wheelers, the site offers a wide choice of desert-based activities such as off-roaders, sand surfing, camel riding and desert camping.
At the camel trekking area, Chen Wenbai mounted a camel and, under the guidance of staff, set off to explore the rolling sand dunes. The rhythmic chime of camel bells and the ethereal whistling of the camel herders echoed across the wilderness, creating a scene reminiscent of the ancient Silk Road.
“It is my first time to see the big desert, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said Chen, who traveled all the way from Zhuhai in south China’s Guangdong Province to Xinjiang. Accompanying him were a dozen “travel buddies” he met online, who had discovered this scenic spot through Xiaohongshu, the Chinese lifestyle online platform known overseas as “rednote.”
The name of the tourist site N39 means the 39 degrees north latitude, a line popular with adventurers and off-road enthusiasts to cross the Taklimakan Desert. The history of the N39 dates back to 1895 when Swedish explorer Sven Anders Hedin led his team along this line to cross the Taklimakan in vain.
Today, witnessing an evolving landscape, the once-feared “Sea of Death” is transforming into a sea of life and hope.
Over the years, against the background of China’s fight against desertification, people in Xinjiang have been cultivating drought-resistant plants such as populus euphratica, saxaul and red willow at the edge of the Taklimakan to fix the sand and improve the environment. In November 2024, a sand-blocking green belt stretching 3,046 km was completed to encircle the Taklimakan.
In Makit, a total of 78,400 hectares of sand prevention and control projects, including 30,666 hectares of protective forests, have been completed. At the same time, the county has been tapping into the economic potential of the desert. Besides the N39 scenic area, it also established a tourist site featuring the Daolang (swordsman) culture and paintings created by local farmers.
According to Pan Guoping, deputy director of the local culture, broadcasting and tourism bureau, in the first five months of 2025, the county received over 1.78 million tourist visits, a growth of 55.05 percent year-on-year. Tourism revenue during the period reached 732 million yuan (102 million U.S. dollars), up 61.58 percent.
The tourist boom is evident around the Taklimakan.
At the northern edge of the desert, Xayar County, Aksu Prefecture, boasts the world’s largest and best-preserved pristine populus euphratica forest stretching along the Tarim River.
Thanks to the ecological restoration efforts such as ecological water conveyance and replanting, the county has created a wetland scenic area in the desert, integrating populus euphratica forests, lakes, wetlands and waterfowl habitats. In autumn, when the forests turn into a sea of golden yellow, this once-isolated area emerges as a popular destination, drawing visitors and photographers from near and far.
At the southern margin of the desert, Yutian County in Hotan Prefecture has a long history of rose cultivation. As part of the sand control efforts, local communities have successfully cultivated drought-resistant and highly adaptable rose varieties suitable to their local desert conditions.
The region now hosts a rose culture tourism festival annually, featuring an array of activities including song and dance performances, cultural exhibitions, rose-themed experiences, gourmet food tasting, agricultural product fairs, and sports events.
The booming tourism industry is offering immense opportunities for locals.
Four years ago, after graduating from Shanghai Normal University, Aynur Emer returned to her hometown of Makit and became a tour guide at the N39 scenic area. Now, at just 25 years old, she is the scenic spot’s deputy general manager.
Growing up in a farming family, Aynur Emer often found herself reflecting on the desert that dominated her childhood memories — a place of hardship she hoped to leave.
“The back door of our house opened directly onto the desert,” she recalled. “During sandstorms, the roads would disappear entirely. Coming back from the market, I frequently struggled to find my way home.”
As a little girl, she never imagined that the desert could become a tourist destination. Yet today, thanks to environmental improvements and a burgeoning tourism industry, the desert has transformed in her eyes from a source of struggle to one of beauty and prosperity.
“When I was young, I dreamed of traveling to see stunning landscapes far from home,” Aynur Emer said. “But now, the best view is right at my doorstep.” ■
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
In the heartland of China, near a 4,500-year-old farmland, a team of agricultural scientists is modernizing an ancient practice. They are using big data analytics and AI modeling to study and improve the yield of a specific plot of land.
At the experimental field near the Baodun Site, where evidence of ancient rice cultivation was found, researchers from Sichuan Agricultural University are using AI-powered models to simulate the result of different hybrid rice varieties.
The modern research method has greatly saved time, unlike the conventional approach, which would require waiting until the harvesting season of a certain rice hybrid, researchers said.
Chinese archaeologists have unearthed carbonized rice, millet, and foxtail millet at the Baodun site, a walled enclosure dating from 4,500 to 4,200 years back. This late Neolithic culture emerging on the Chengdu Plain in southwestern China, bears witness to the agricultural dawn of ancient Chinese civilization. Today, the site’s agricultural values, and also archaeological and economic values are being explored and expanded through technological means.
In a nearby lab, researchers are constructing a 3D image of the site to study the impact of ancient floods and to understand how the walled structures may have contributed to the prosperity of the plain. Not far from the site, the Tianfu Agricultural Expo Park, sprawling 96 square km, accommodates eco-farming, expo and innovative farming practices.
The park with integrated platforms blending culture, commerce, agriculture, and tourism has transformed muddy fields into vibrant cultural spaces, said Yuan Zhouping, director of agricultural industry department of the Sichuan Tianfu Agricultural Expo Park Investment Co., Ltd.
In addition to rice cultivation, silk-weaving, another ancient invention that originated at the Chengdu Plain, has received a modern technological boost.
At the Jinmen Creative Park showcasing the silk culture, the application of AI in Shu Brocade bridges tradition and innovation. Clients submit AI-generated photos for machines to weave into brocade bases before artisans embroider.
“AI-assisted brocade slashes design time and ensures uniqueness,” said Zhong Ming, director of Sichuan Shujing Cultural Communication Co., Ltd., “It turns consumers into co-creators, revitalizing intangible heritage.”
Juxtaposing the modern brocade is a six-meter-tall Tang Dynasty (618-907) loom, with its warp and weft threads labeled “1” and “0” revealing a binary code. The centuries-old brocade patterns are also being digitized and analyzed to foster innovation, Zhong said.
China has more than 7,000 officially registered museums which attracted 1.49 billion visits last year. Across the country, the increasingly wide use of AI, VR and AR now facilitates the preservation, utilization and exhibition of cultural relics and heritage.
In Chengdu, ancient paper money, or jiaozi from the 10th century, inspires creative works now exhibited at the city’s art museum. Digital docents offer immersive tours and answer questions instantly for interested museum-goers. Kiln museums market tea sets based on golden masks freshly unearthed from the Sanxingdui Site, a rich and mysterious city. These innovative pieces are being sold on livestreaming platforms and have gained popularity among young consumers. ■
This 2.5km (one hour) signed heritage walk is in Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve.
Start your adventure at Flints picnic area, where you will walk through Flints homestead site and around Church Rock.
The walk has short steep hill sections, a rough surface and many steps. It’s suitable for most ages and fitness levels, but some bushwalking experience is recommended.
This easy 4.5km circuit is in the Googong Foreshores area.
The track takes you through the woodlands to the London Bridge Arch – an incredible geological formation that’s over 20,000 years old – before following the valley to London Bridge Homestead.
Both the arch and the homestead are heritage-listed sites, so remember not to climb on the arch, enter the caves or swim in the surrounding creek.
Start your walk at the London Bridge Woolshed carpark.
This is a short 3.5km (one hour) return walk on the Canberra Centenary Trail.
Mount Arawang is the highest point on Cooleman Ridge. Ascend through bird-rich bushland before reaching the trig point, which has beautiful views of Brindabella Mountains.
The walk requires no experience and has a formed track but has short steep sections and many steps.
Start the loop at the Namatjira Drive entry to Cooleman Ridge Park at Ballarat Street for easy access.
This moderate track curves through open woodlands to the summit of Mount McDonald. At the top, you will be rewarded with great views of Canberra, the Murrumbidgee River and Brindabella Range.
Distance:
3.8km return via Cotter Catchment Lookout Track (two hours)
Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, released the following statement on U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins’ efforts to rescind the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, also known as the Roadless Rule, established during the Clinton Administration to protect over 58 million acres of public lands administered by the Forest Service.
“Once again, the Trump Administration is putting special interests first by torching protections for our national forests. Rolling back the Roadless Rule will make millions of acres vulnerable to destructive wildfires, carve up wildlife habitat, degrade opportunities for recreation, and threaten the headwaters our communities rely on,” said Heinrich. “More than 80 percent of wildfires are started by humans within a half mile of a road – but now Trump is pretending that this rollback is necessary for fire prevention. This is nothing more than a reckless giveaway to private interests that puts lives and our lands at risk.”
See the map of New Mexico’s inventoried roadless areas on National Forest System lands here.
Source: United States Senator for Hawaii Brian Schatz
WASHINGTON — During a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense hearing today entitled, “A Review of the President’s Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request for the Navy,” U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) pressed top military officials on Middle East operations and partisan budget maneuvers. The witnesses included Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan, Commandant of the Marine Corps General Eric M. Smith, and Acting Chief of Naval Operations Admiral James W. Kilby.
Addressing the current situation in the Middle East, Senator Schatz began, “President Trump’s decision to strike Iran was impetuous. He conducted strikes without seeking Congressional authorization, and it endangered service members stationed throughout the region. Iran’s barrage of missile attacks on Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar demonstrated that. The announcement of a ceasefire is good news, but now we need an actual ceasefire, and it is on all parties to arrive at that conclusion this unnecessary 12-day conflict.”
Schatz then raised concerns about the readiness of U.S. forces amid shifting global threats, citing examples of multiple carrier strike groups rerouting from the Indo-Pacific to the Middle East and stressing the importance of replacing munitions expended by the U.S. to defend Israel to ensure that the U.S. can continue to deter future threats and protect its partners.
Turning to the Navy and Marine Corps budget request, Schatz noted that the FY26 request, which Republicans have tied to their budget reconciliation efforts, fell $8 billion short of the FY25 continuing resolution (CR), saying, “Failing to address the current shortfalls caused by the CR means that the Navy will not be able to successfully deter the threats posed by China. Reconciliation is not a responsible way to do spending, as Senator McConnell, the Chairman of the Defense Subcommittee said, using extraordinary parliamentary authorities does not sustain the Department of Defense. The Department’s ability to take care of our service members should not be contingent on whether Congress passes an unrelated package of tax cuts and health care cuts.”
He urged Republicans to pursue bipartisan cooperation through the regular appropriations process, saying, “Historically, the things that go in a reconciliation package are the things that can’t pass on a bipartisan basis… The model in this modern Senate, which is, granted, different from the Senate of 10 years ago and 30 years ago and so on, but the model has been that you explore bipartisanship, you explore achieving cloture, and making this committee relevant and important and a sort of center of power in the Article One branch, and if you fail, then you have these extraordinary authorities to go elsewhere. But to go elsewhere before you even try to cut a deal with Democrats, who are saying, ‘We’d like to cut a deal’ may not be the wisest course of action.”
ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on June 25, 2025.
Bats get fat to survive hard times. But climate change is threatening their survival strategy Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicholas Wu, Lecturer in Wildlife Ecology, Murdoch University Rudmer Zwerver/Shutterstock Bats are often cast as the unseen night-time stewards of nature, flitting through the dark to control pest insects, pollinate plants and disperse seeds. But behind their silent contributions lies a remarkable and underappreciated survival strategy: seasonal
Japanese prime minister’s abrupt no-show at NATO summit reveals a strained alliance with the US Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Craig Mark, Adjunct Lecturer, Faculty of Economics, Hosei University Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has sent a clear signal to the Trump administration: the Japan–US relationship is in a dire state. After saying just days ago he would be attending this week’s NATO summit at The Hague,
Why have athletes stopped ‘taking a knee’? Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ciprian N. Radavoi, Associate Professor in Law, University of Southern Queensland Eli Harold, Colin Kaepernick and Eric Reid of the San Francisco 49ers kneel ahead of a game in 2016. Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images It’s almost a decade since San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick started
Nearly half of Kiwis oppose automatic citizenship for Cook Islands, says poll By Caleb Fotheringham, RNZ Pacific journalist A new poll by the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union shows that almost half of respondents oppose the Cook Islands having automatic New Zealand citizenship. Thirty percent of the 1000-person sample supported Cook Islanders retaining citizenship, 46 percent were opposed and 24 percent were unsure. The question asked: The Cook
Melanesian Spearhead Group leaders discuss Middle East conflict before ceasefire RNZ Pacific Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape says the Middle East conflict was one of the discussions of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) in Suva this week — and Pacific leaders “took note of what is happening”. The Post-Courier reports Marape saying the “12 Day War” between Israel and Iran was based on
The ancients also had to deal with a cost-of-living crisis. Here’s how they managed Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Konstantine Panegyres, Lecturer in Classics and Ancient History, The University of Western Australia Louis Le Brun, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY Talk to anyone today, and they will probably have something to say about how expensive life has become. While the rate of inflation has
Video games can help trans players feel seen and safe. It all starts with design Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Phoebe Toups Dugas, Associate Professor of Human-Centred Computing, Monash University Shano Liang There is a comfort in finding and being yourself. Video games offer opportunities for this comfort. They allow people to exist in safe spaces, to develop community, and to explore the self – as well
How old are you really? Are the latest ‘biological age’ tests all they’re cracked up to be? Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hassan Vally, Associate Professor, Epidemiology, Deakin University We all like to imagine we’re ageing well. Now a simple blood or saliva test promises to tell us by measuring our “biological age”. And then, as many have done, we can share how “young” we really are on social
Global rankings fuel hype, but students have more to consider when choosing a uni Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kylie Message, Professor of Public Humanities and Director of the ANU Humanities Research Centre, Australian National University At this time of year, many year 12 students are seriously turning their minds to the future. Should they go to university next year? If so, which one? June is
Playful or harmful? David Seymour’s posts raise questions about what’s OK to say online Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kevin Veale, Senior Lecturer in Media Studies, part of the Digital Cultures Laboratory in the School of Humanities, Media, and Creative Communication, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images Deputy Prime Minister and ACT Party leader David Seymour says he is being “playful” and
Shadow treasurer Ted O’Brien accepts invitation to government’s economic roundtable Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The federal opposition has accepted an invitation from Treasurer Jim Chalmers for shadow treasurer Ted O’Brien to attend the August economic roundtable. The acceptance contrasts with the position taken by former opposition leader Peter Dutton last term. He refused to
Fiji advocacy group slams Indonesian role in MSG as a ‘disgrace’ Asia Pacific Report A Fiji-based advocacy group has condemned the participation of Indonesia in the Melanesian Spearhead Group which is meeting in Suva this week, saying it is a “profound disgrace” that the Indonesian Embassy continues to “operate freely” within the the MSG Secretariat. “This presence blatantly undermines the core principles of justice and solidarity
Will the fragile ceasefire between Iran and Israel hold? One factor could be crucial to it sticking Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ali Mamouri, Research Fellow, Middle East Studies, Deakin University Amir Levy/Getty Images After 12 days of war, US President Donald Trump has announced a ceasefire between Israel and Iran that would bring to an end the most dramatic, direct conflict between the two nations in decades. Israel
Ramzy Baroud: The fallout – winners and losers from the Israeli war on Iran COMMENTARY: By Ramzy Baroud, editor of The Palestinian Chronicle The conflict between Israel and Iran over the past 12 days has redefined the regional chessboard. Here is a look at their key takeaways: Israel:Pulled in the US: Israel successfully drew the United States into a direct military confrontation with Iran, setting a significant precedent for
Iran and Israel agree to a fragile ceasefire. One factor could be crucial to it sticking Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ali Mamouri, Research Fellow, Middle East Studies, Deakin University Amir Levy/Getty Images After 12 days of war, US President Donald Trump has announced a ceasefire between Israel and Iran that would bring to an end the most dramatic, direct conflict between the two nations in decades. Israel
eSafety boss wants YouTube included in the social media ban. But AI raises even more concerns for kids Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tama Leaver, Professor of Internet Studies, Curtin University Irina WS/Shutterstock Julie Inman Grant, Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, today addressed the National Press Club to outline how her office will be driving the Social Media Minimum Age Bill when it comes into effect in December this year. The bill,
Trouble getting out of bed? Signs the ‘winter blues’ may be something more serious Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kelvin (Shiu Fung) Wong, Senior Lecturer in Clinical Psychology, Swinburne University of Technology Justin Paget/Getty Winter is here. As the days grow shorter and the skies turn darker, you might start to feel a bit “off”. You may notice a dip in your mood or energy levels.
The war won’t end Iran’s nuclear program – it will drive it underground, following North Korea’s model Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anthony Burke, Professor of Environmental Politics & International Relations, UNSW Sydney The United States’ and Israel’s strikes on Iran are concerning, and not just for the questionable legal justifications provided by both governments. Even if their attacks cause severe damage to Iran’s nuclear facilities, this will only
Iran’s internet blackout left people in the dark. How does a country shut down the internet? Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mohiuddin Ahmed, Senior Lecturer of Computing and Security, Edith Cowan University Dylan Carr/Unsplash In recent days, Iranians experienced a near-complete internet blackout, with local service providers – including mobile services – repeatedly going offline. Iran’s government has cited cyber security concerns for ordering the shutdown. Shutting off
Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) marked the third anniversary of the Supreme Court’s disastrous decision to overturn Roe v. Wade by introducing legislation to restore abortion access nationwide and continuing her fight against attacks from the Trump Administration and Republicans in Congress to strip away access to comprehensive reproductive care.
To begin the day, Senator Baldwin led the entire Senate Democratic caucus in introducing the Women’s Health Protection Act of 2025, legislation to guarantee access to abortion everywhere across the country and restore the right to comprehensive reproductive health care for millions of Americans.
On the Senate floor, Senator Baldwin delivered a speech underscoring the impact of the Dobbs decision in Wisconsin – forcing women to travel out of state just to access health care. Baldwin highlighted the importance of passing her legislation, especially as the Trump Administration further attacks a woman’s right to choose and Congressional Republicans barrel ahead with a bill that defunds Planned Parenthood.
Additionally, Senator Baldwin joined her Senate colleagues for a press conference and hosted a forum focused on the devastation caused by the Dobbs decision. During the forum, Senator Baldwin questioned advocates and providers about why federal protection is essential for improving care for women nationwide and how the Republicans’ dangerous bill will make it harder for women to access reproductive health care both under Medicaid and private insurance.
Full text of Senator Baldwin’s bill is available here. A one-pager on the bill is available here.
