Public health officials in Plymouth are warning people about blue tablets being sold illegally as Valium. These tablets may come in blister packs with Arabic writing.
This follows the news that three people died after taking what is believed to be these tablets.
Professor Steve Maddern, Director of Public Health for Plymouth City Council, said:
“Any loss of a life is a tragedy, and we want to prevent it happening to anyone else. We’re very concerned about these tablets. We cannot currently speculate about the content of these drugs whilst they are being tested, but we do want people to be aware. They might look like Valium, but they could be contaminated with another substance and therefore more toxic. If you or someone you know has these tablets, do not take them.”
What to do if someone becomes unwell
If someone has taken drugs and becomes unwell, call 999 straight away or take them to Derriford Hospital’s Emergency Department. Don’t wait—doctors and nurses are there to help, not to judge.
If the person is unconscious but breathing, put them in the recovery position. This helps keep their airway clear. You can find more advice on the FRANK website.
Reducing the risk
The safest option is not to take these pills at all. But if you do choose to use drugs:
Don’t use alone. Being with someone else could save your life.
Take a small amount first and wait to see how it affects you.
Don’t all take drugs at the same time—stagger your use so someone is always alert.
If you’re using alone, tell someone your plans or use the BuddyUp app by Cranstoun so someone can check on you.
Carry naloxone if you can. It’s a medicine that can reverse opioid overdoses, and it won’t harm someone even if they haven’t taken opioids. Having naloxone nearby could save a life. In some cases, more than one dose is needed, so carrying extra is a good idea. You can get naloxone for free in Plymouth from:
Harbour, Hyde Park House, Mutley
Hamoaze House, Mount Wise
North Road West Medical Centre
Adelaide Street GP Surgery
St Levan GP Surgery
Detective Inspector Michelle Dunn from Devon and Cornwall Police said: “We are currently investigating the unexplained deaths of three men in Plymouth which occurred over the weekend.
“At this time, the deaths are believed to be drug related and we are working closely with our partner agencies to establish the full circumstances.
“Anyone with information which may assist police is asked to call 101 or report via our website quoting reference 50250144278.”
If you’re looking for help with your own drug use, contact Harbour on 01752 434343 or visit harbour.org.uk.
Hamoaze House offers support for anyone affected by someone else’s drug or alcohol use. Their Affected Others group meets every Friday from 1–3pm. Call 01752 566100 to get in touch.
Anyone with information about these pills are asked to contact police through theirwebsite, or call 101.
overnor Kathy Hochul today released new data showing the massive impact the GOP’s ‘Big Ugly’ Reconciliation Bill would have on New York families. The latest bill threatens to severely disrupt health coverage for millions of New Yorkers. In addition to increasing the number of uninsured by 1.5 million and stripping $13.5 billion in annual funding from New York’s healthcare system, the bill would trigger steep increases in private health insurance premiums for vulnerable New Yorkers and impose excessive burdens on consumers enrolling through NY State of Health, the State’s official health plan marketplace.
“The GOP’s Big Ugly bill would slash health care coverage for millions of New Yorkers and raise monthly costs by hundreds of dollars,” Governor Hochul said. “If New York’s Republican delegation won’t stand up for their own constituents, I will.”
Health care providers, insurers and state leaders across the country are sounding the alarm over the proposed legislation, which would slash billions in federal health care support. In addition to jeopardizing and in some cases entirely eliminating coverage for New York’s 1.6 million Essential Plan enrollees, the bill would trigger steep increases in costs for many New Yorkers who purchase private health insurance. The elimination of American Rescue Plan enhanced premium tax credits, alone, will increase net cost of coverage across the State by an average of 38 percent for 140,000 low-income individuals and families purchasing plans through the state’s marketplace. This equates to an increase in cost of $114 per month for an individual and $228 per month for a couple.
See below for a summary of expected premium increases due to the elimination of American Rescue Plan enhanced premium tax credits across the State:
Region
Average Monthly Cost Increase For a Couple ($)
Average Monthly Cost Increase For a Couple (%)
New York City
$211
38%
Mid-Hudson
$206
31%
Long Island
$219
32%
Capital Region
$231
33%
Western New York
$267
38%
Central New York
$256
43%
Finger Lakes
$248
42%
Mohawk Valley
$270
49%
Southern Tier
$265
48%
North Country
$253
44%
Statewide
$228
38%
The combined impact of the elimination of enhanced premium tax credits and additional provisions of the proposed U.S. House Republican reconciliation bill will push more healthy consumers out of the insurance market, leaving behind a less healthy population and driving further rate increases. This cycle will result in spiraling insurance costs and lack of access to coverage for individuals and families.
New York State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said, “The proposed cuts to federal health care support hurt everyone. These cuts take health insurance away from working New Yorkers. They undermine the progress we’ve made in providing affordable and accessible health insurance to New Yorkers. When people lose health insurance, they risk going without needed health care or suffering financial hardship.”
In addition to increasing premiums for low-income individuals and families who qualify for tax credits, it is estimated that the elimination of those tax credits will increase insurance rates for the more than 100,000 New Yorkers who purchase coverage in the individual commercial market but do not qualify for tax credits. Insurers have estimated that those consumers and families will face a 4.3 percent increase in their insurance rates next year solely due to the elimination of these credits.
Early estimates also indicate the proposed bill could result in 65,000 to 80,000 people — approximately one-third of enrollees in the individual market — losing their coverage. Many more consumers will experience significant new red tape that will make it harder to enroll in and renew coverage.
The proposed bill would also strip New York of its flexibility and autonomy in running its own marketplace and serving the needs of its residents, imposing onerous and costly new administrative burdens on the State. The State anticipates more than $10 million in new administrative costs to implement the changes required by the bill.
NY State of Health Executive Director Danielle Holahan said, “We have tremendous concerns about the compounding effects of this bill especially when combined with the expiration of the premium tax credits. Reducing eligibility for the financial assistance that helps New Yorkers afford care means people end up paying more for doctor visits, medications, and mental health care. Already struggling providers, especially in rural parts of the state, might not be able to sustain operations under this proposal, further restricting New Yorkers’ access to care.”
New York has had tremendous success over the past 12 years in operating its marketplace — with 6.7 million individuals currently enrolled in coverage — and has achieved a statewide uninsured rate of less than 5 percent, the lowest rate amongst large states across the country. This bill would reverse decades of progress in expanding coverage and making health care more affordable and accessible in New York and jeopardize the health of consumers across the State.
Foster Portsmouth braved the thunderstorms alongside Fostering South East cluster partners Fostering Southampton and Hampshire County Council at UK Pride on Saturday 7 June.
Of the 260+ community-run Pride organisations across the UK, Portsmouth Pride won the bid to host UK Pride in 2025.
Taking ‘Pride’ of place at the event is part of a campaign being run throughout June by Foster Portsmouth, Portsmouth City Council‘s fostering service. Their team were also part of UK Pride and The Family Network’s LGBTQ+ Routes to Parenting event on 3 June, and they will be celebrating their foster carers from the LGBTQ+ community and taking action to bust myths around who can foster throughout Pride Month.
Foster Portsmouth, Fostering Southampton and Hampshire County Council’s fostering service joined forces at UK Pride with the aim to raise awareness of the national crisis in foster care and the need for more foster carers in the area.
They also engaged with event goers to tackle any perceptions that may prevent some from the LGBTQ+ community from exploring fostering to build a family life.
Anyone aged over 21 with a spare bedroom could foster – regardless of their age, gender, sexuality, faith, ethnicity, marital or work status, or whether they rent or own their own home.
Councillor Nick Dorrington, Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Education at Portsmouth City Council, said:
“Foster Portsmouth celebrates the diversity of our committed team of foster carers, and we are all proud to work with many individuals and couples from the LGBTQ+ community.”
Foster Portsmouth’s presentation at the Parenting Network and UK Pride’s ‘LGBTQ+ Routes to Parenthood’ event helped identify pathways to parenthood within the LGBTQ+ community. Attendees were also offered expert insights, lived experiences and an opportunity to connect with community members and support networks.
This Pride Month, Foster Portsmouth also aims to shine a light on the incredible efforts of our existing LGBTQ+ foster carers and thank them for their contribution to the care of vulnerable children and young people in the city and the immediate surrounding areas. Foster carers like sole carer Michael.
Michael, a full-time IT project manager, fosters teens with Foster Portsmouth. He shared:
“Because I was fostered myself, I chose to become a foster carer rather than adopt. I had the same wonderful long-term carers who gave me amazing opportunities. I want to give something back to children who need care and stability in their lives.”
Michael has fostered a number of teenagers, including providing respite care for a sibling pair and an emergency placement, and three longer-term arrangements for teenage boys, one of whom was a child seeking safety and asylum.
“There have been many touching moments which makes it all worthwhile and lets me know that I’ve been a positive chapter in their story.”
Foster Portsmouth are in need of additional foster carers with the skills and experience to help children develop a positive sense of their own identity, so they are asking individuals and couples in the LGBTQ+ community to consider the impact they could have on a child or young person’s life through fostering.
There are many types of fostering and everyone will be able to find one that will work for them and their family or commitments. This could be a short or long-term arrangement for a child or siblings until they’re ready to live independently or be reunited with family, support for children with a disability or children seeking safety and asylum, supported lodgings to develop their independent living skills, a parent and baby placement, or respite care.
Our Foster carers receive local round the clock support and ongoing quality training such as therapeutic care, including through our mentoring scheme and our innovative award-winning Mockingbird programme which provides a support network of other foster carers similar to that of an extended family. They also receive competitive fees, discounts, benefits and allowances, social activities, and free membership to The Fostering Network.
Our foster carers come from Portsmouth or the immediate surrounding areas, from Emsworth and Rowlands Castle to Gosport and Fareham, and the Isle of Wight and Hayling Island to Petersfield and Havant.
They would welcome the opportunity to explore if their close-knit fostering community at Foster Portsmouth would be the right fit for them.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, June 9 (Xinhua) — The number of China-Europe/Central Asia freight trains originating and returning from Zhejiang Province totaled 904 in the first five months of this year, up about 8 percent from the same period last year, according to the official website of the State Post Administration of China.
In particular, in January-May, 201 freight trains departed from the city of Jinhua in this province, with 113 trains arriving there on the return journey, and 348 trains departed from the city of Yiwu, with 242 trains arriving back.
China-Europe/Central Asia rail freight plays an important role in developing trade links between Zhejiang Province and Belt and Road countries. At present, the province has opened a total of 25 China-Europe regular rail freight routes, covering 160 cities in 50 countries and regions.
Zhejiang Province is one of China’s economically developed regions. The province’s Yiwu City is known as the “world’s supermarket” and a key supplier for China’s cross-border e-commerce platforms. -0-
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, June 9 (Xinhua) — China saw double-digit growth in passenger car retail sales last month as the country continued to implement policies to stimulate consumption, the China Association of Passenger Automobile Manufacturers said Monday.
According to the association’s statistics, in May this year, retail sales of passenger cars in the country increased by 13.3 percent year-on-year and exceeded 1.93 million units.
To stimulate domestic demand and support economic recovery, China launched a large-scale trade-in program in 2024. Under the program, individual consumers can receive subsidies to buy new cars, home appliances and many other items. The program was expanded earlier this year.
According to China’s Ministry of Commerce, 4.12 million new vehicles were sold under the program in the first five months of this year.
In addition, about 1.17 million new energy vehicles were produced in the country in May, and retail sales of such vehicles exceeded 1.02 million units, up 30.2 percent and 28.2 percent year-on-year, respectively.
According to the association, in the first five months of this year, retail sales of passenger cars in the country exceeded 8.81 million units, up 9.1 percent. -0-
SUNNYVALE, Calif., June 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Real-Time Innovations (RTI), the software framework company for physical AI systems, will host a live webinar on June 24, 2025, titled Real-Time Data Anywhere: Powering Edge AI and Cloud with Data-Centricity. The 60-minute session will begin at 8:00 a.m. PDT and feature expert insights on the evolving landscape of autonomy, AI, and connectivity.
As next-generation autonomous systems emerge in industries such as agriculture, mining, and transportation, the need for intelligent, real-time data exchange between the edge and cloud becomes essential. This webinar will explore how a data-centric architecture streamlines communication across distributed systems and helps overcome the performance, cost, and scalability challenges of traditional approaches.
Presented by Rajive Joshi, Systems Architect at RTI; Nancy Post, Senior Advisor at Boston Consulting Group; and Tim Frasier, Founder and President of The Frasier Group LLC, the session will offer an in-depth discussion on designing high-performance, intelligent systems for edge-to-cloud operations.
Attendees will gain insights into how data-centricity enables seamless connectivity through a common global databus, supporting operational intelligence and the low-latency performance required by AI-driven applications.
Webinar Details
What: Real-Time Data Anywhere: Powering Edge AI and Cloud with Data-Centricity When: June 24, 2025 | 8:00 a.m. PDT Where: Online
To learn more or register for the session, visit the webinar page.
About RTI
RTI is the software framework company for physical AI systems, with a mission to run a smarter world. RTI Connext® provides the data architecture for over 2,000 designs in Aerospace and Defense, Medtech, Automotive, and Robotics – running in more than $1T of total deployed systems worldwide. Only RTI combines decades of technical expertise with industry-leading software and tools to develop smarter systems, faster. Learn more at www.rti.com.
HOUSTON, June 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Viva Payday Loans has announced the launch of a powerful new platform for loans for bad credit aimed specifically at U.S. borrowers seeking urgent loans for bad credit with guaranteed approval. With traditional banks still turning away millions with low credit scores, this online solution provides a free, fast, and secure alternative for accessing personal loans for bad credit, even for those previously denied.
Backed by top-rated lenders and cutting-edge matching algorithms, Viva Payday Loans now helps applicants get matched with flexible offers in real-time offering up to $5,000 in funding through a 3-minute application, without any hard credit check.
Viva Payday Loans connects borrowers to a wide network of licensed lenders across the U.S., making it easier to get bad credit loans without facing the delays and rejections typical of banks.
Key Features:
Borrow from $100 to $5,000
No hard credit checks—only soft inquiries
Guaranteed approval based on income, not FICO score
100% online, no paperwork, no phone calls
Works for gig workers, freelancers, and benefit recipients
Same-day deposit for most approved loans
Step-by-Step: How to Apply for Bad Credit Loans in 2025
Step 1: Complete a Simple Form Go to Viva Payday Loans and enter basic info: name, location, monthly income, and amount needed.
Step 2: Compare Offers Instantly The system searches multiple lenders and shows pre-approved offers—no FICO score required.
Step 3: Accept Offer & Get Paid Choose the best offer, e-sign, and funds are deposited—often within hours.
Who Qualifies for Bad Credit Loans?
You may be eligible for personal loans for bad credit if you:
Are 18+ and a U.S. resident
Make $800+ per month (job, side hustle, or benefits)
Have an active checking account
Can verify email and mobile number
Types of Bad Credit Loans Offered by Viva Payday Loans
No Credit Check Loans – Skip the FICO check. Get offers based on your current income only.
Installment Loans – Flexible repayment terms from 2 to 24 months.
Urgent Loans for Bad Credit – Ideal for medical bills, rent, car repairs, and more.
$500 Cash Advance – Small loans with fast approval and no credit penalty.
Same-Day Personal Loans for Bad Credit – Often funded within a few hours.
Online Payday Loans – Short-term loans for emergency needs with quick turnaround.
Emergency Loans for Unemployed – For those with benefit or non-traditional income.
Bad Credit Installment Loans with Monthly Payments – Easier to manage than lump-sum payback.
Fast Approval Personal Loans – Zero paperwork, zero phone calls—100% digital.
Guaranteed Approval Bad Credit Loans – High approval rates even with past defaults.
Real Customer Testimonials
Andrea T., Austin, TX “I was rejected by two banks because of my credit history. Viva got me $750 within the same day—without any embarrassment.”
Carlos M., Phoenix, AZ “I drive Uber full-time and needed help covering rent. Viva Payday Loans connected me to a lender who didn’t care about my score—just my income.”
Why This Matters in 2025
In today’s economy, more Americans are living paycheck to paycheck—and bank systems are outdated. Millions have been excluded from fair lending due to FICO scores, old debt, or non-traditional jobs.
Viva Payday Loans is changing that. With a mobile-first platform and high approval rates, it’s one of the few ways to access loans for bad credit with real-time decisions and no risk to your credit report.
If you’re looking for personal loans for bad credit with guaranteed approval, Viva Payday Loans offers one of the fastest, most trusted ways to get funded. The application is free, secure, and open 24/7.
Media Contact: Mukesh Bhardwaj Email: mukesh@paydayventures.com
Disclaimer: Loan approval depends on lender criteria and income verification. Viva Payday Loans is not a direct lender. All services are free to use and open to U.S. residents only.
Synchrony to become exclusive issuer of OnePay credit cards at Walmart, with the credit card experience embedded inside the OnePay app
The program will add credit cards to OnePay’s growing portfolio of financial services products, helping consumers save, spend, borrow, and grow their money — all in one place
NEW YORK and STAMFORD, Conn., June 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — OnePay, a leading consumer fintech, and Synchrony (NYSE: SYF), a premier consumer financial services company, today announced a strategic partnership to exclusively power a new industry-leading credit card program with Walmart (NYSE: WMT). The credit card program is expected to launch this fall, with the experience embedded inside the OnePay app and powered by Mastercard’s global payments network, and will be made available to millions of Walmart customers and to consumers across the U.S.
OnePay, the consumer fintech backed by Walmart and Ribbit Capital, today serves millions of customers nationwide and offers a suite of banking, credit, and payments products — including cashback debit, high-yield savings, installment loans, a digital wallet, and domestic and international peer-to-peer payments. In partnering with Synchrony and Mastercard, OnePay will add credit cards to its growing portfolio as part of its vision to help people save, spend, borrow, and grow their money with a simplified way to holistically manage their financial lives.
As part of the program, OnePay and Synchrony will introduce both a general-purpose card, which will serve as the program’s signature card and be available to use anywhere Mastercard is accepted, and a private label card, which will be exclusively for Walmart purchases. The credit card functionality will be embedded inside the OnePay app, offering millions of Walmart’s U.S. customers a sleek, intuitive digital experience and the ability to access OnePay’s suite of financial services products.
“Our goal with this credit card program is to deliver an experience for consumers that’s transparent, rewarding, and easy to use,” said Omer Ismail, Chief Executive Officer, OnePay. “We’re excited to be partnering with Synchrony to launch a program at Walmart that checks each of those boxes and will help serve millions of people.”
Synchrony will leverage its deep lending expertise and innovative digital capabilities to deliver financial flexibility through a seamless experience. Following the initial launch and reserve costs, the program is expected to drive loyalty and sales at attractive risk-adjusted returns and be accretive to the company’s long-term financial performance.
“We are proud to be selected by OnePay to further our mission of helping people live better and build healthier financial futures with Walmart,” said Brian Doubles, President and Chief Executive Officer, Synchrony. “Together, we aim to drive even greater innovation and new credit experiences to better serve customers while driving long-term, high-quality growth.”
“Walmart is always seeking innovative ways to help customers save money and live better,” said John David Rainey, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Walmart Inc. “Today’s announcement represents one more way we’re serving our customers the way they want to be served, providing an upgraded digital financial services experience with even greater choice and value.”
“Consumers today expect financial products that are simple, secure, and built around how they live and shop,” said Linda Kirkpatrick, President, Americas at Mastercard. “Our partnership with OnePay and Synchrony brings together deep retail expertise, trusted credit capabilities, and the scale, security, and reliability of Mastercard’s global payments network to deliver a seamless, rewarding experience for Walmart customers — whenever and wherever they choose to pay.”
About OnePay OnePay is a leading consumer fintech on a mission to help people achieve financial progress. The company is backed by Walmart and Ribbit Capital and partners with other financial institutions to offer digital financial services that empower consumers to save, spend, borrow, and grow their money — all in one place. OnePay is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services are provided by Coastal Community Bank and Lead Bank, Members FDIC and loans through OneProgress Services LLC. OnePay debit and credit cards are issued by partner banks pursuant to licensing by MastercardⓇ International. To learn more about OnePay, please visit onepay.com.
About Synchrony Synchrony (NYSE: SYF) is a leading consumer financing company at the heart of American commerce and opportunity. From health to home, auto to retail, our Synchrony products have been serving the needs of people and businesses for nearly 100 years. We provide responsible access to credit and banking products to support healthier financial lives for tens of millions of people, enabling them to access the things that matter to them. Additionally, through our innovative products and experiences, we support the growth and operations of some of the country’s most respected brands, as well as more than 400,000 small and midsize businesses and health and wellness providers that Americans rely on. Synchrony is proud to be ranked as the country’s #2 Best Company to Work For® by Fortune magazine and Great Place to Work®. For more information, visit www.synchrony.com.
Forward-Looking Statements This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as “will,” “aim,” “expect,” or words of similar meaning. The forward-looking statements convey expectations related to the strategic partnership between Synchrony and OnePay, which are based on assumptions and subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes that are difficult to predict. As a result, actual results could differ materially from those indicated in these forward-looking statements. For the reasons described above, we caution you against relying on any forward-looking statements, which should also be read in conjunction with Synchrony’s public filings, including under the heading “Risk Factors Relating to Our Business” and “Risk Factors Relating to Regulation” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, as filed on February 7, 2025. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made and we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as otherwise may be required by law.
Paddy Hill spent more than 16 years in prison for murders he did not commit. One of the so-called Birmingham Six who were wrongfully convicted for the Birmingham pub bombings in 1974, he was proof that exoneration and financial compensation do not fix a miscarriage of justice.
When I met him in July 2023, more than 30 years after his release from prison, his ordeal continued to haunt him. He was in his late 70s, looking frail and far from the “12 and a half stone” man he was in Parkhurst Prison. He had very little appetite and was in poor health. The little sleep he was able snatch was marred by screaming nightmares.
Neither of us knew it at the time, but this was to be his final interview. He died aged 80, on December 30 2024. I sat down to talk with Hill in his living room. Struggling to control his emotions, he told me: “Sometimes I sit in the bedroom … and I’m crying my eyes out like a child and I don’t know what the fuck happened … I’ve been so fucking screwed up.”
The ITV docudrama Mr Bates vs the Post Office thrust wrongful convictions into mainstream consciousness in January 2024 – a quarter of a century after the Post Office began prosecuting sub-postmasters and mistresses for fraud, theft, and false accounting and 15 years after Rebecca Thomson’s Computer Weekly article exposing the Horizon IT system as the potential culprit.
Now the public could finally see the human impact of miscarriages of justice on these upstanding – and, more importantly, innocent – members of their communities. Public outrage followed.
But despite the mass quashing of hundreds of convictions, and amid promises of speedy financial compensation, progress has been pitiful. While collecting a National Television Award in September 2024, former sub-postmistress Jo Hamilton confirmed that out of the “555 group”, those involved in the litigation which exposed the Horizon scandal, “more than 300 haven’t been paid yet, including Sir Alan Bates”.
Sadly, this timescale is far from unusual. In July 2023, Andrew Malkinson finally had his 2003 rape conviction overturned after several unsuccessful appeals, including unsuccessful applications in 2012 and 2020 to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), the independent body which investigates potential miscarriages of justice.
Crucially, the CCRC did not commission the DNA testing that finally exonerated him and did not review police files which would have shown that Greater Manchester Police had withheld crucial evidence at his trial.
Malkinson spent 17 years in prison maintaining his innocence. Perversely, he could have been released sooner had he falsely confessed. He was eventually exonerated thanks to the help of the charity Appeal, which commissioned those crucial DNA tests and unearthed the disclosure failures.
The CCRC has since acknowledged in an independent review that it “failed Mr Malkinson” with chairperson Helen Pitcher OBE (whose recent resignation was welcomed by the Ministry of Justice) eventually expressing “sincere regret and an unreserved apology on behalf of the commission”. All of this happened 12 months after Malkinson called on the CCRC to apologise to him. Malkinson said it was “shameful” that the CCRC has kept private the names of those responsible for his ordeal and delayed the publishing of the report highlighting its mishandling of his case.
The true number of miscarriages of justice is unknown. In the UK, the CCRC referral rate averages 2% including appeals of sentence. In the US, estimates of wrongful conviction and imprisonment range from 6% to 15.4%.
The Insights section is committed to high-quality longform journalism. Our editors work with academics from many different backgrounds who are tackling a wide range of societal and scientific challenges.
Inevitably, some innocent people will have their appeals denied and will remain convicted for the rest of their lives. The trauma of remaining legally guilty of a crime you did not commit cannot be overstated.
But persistent psychological ill-effects can be seen even in those who have been formally exonerated, including long-term effects on their employment and relationships.
I’ve been examining cases like this as part of a research project into the experiences of people who suffer grave miscarriages of justice. Working with Dr Mandy Winterton at Edinburgh Napier University, I interviewed several men who have been imprisoned for crimes they did not commit.
As academics with psychology and sociology backgrounds, we were predominantly interested in how victims were affected by such injustices. Previous research has documented the litany of mental health and social effects on those who have been wrongfully convicted and exonerated, and the flaws in the criminal justice system that are to blame. But little attention has been paid to individual experiences. While there were clear commonalities in the men’s stories, they all had unique perspectives.
Of the people we spoke to, Hill and a man called Jimmy Boyle spoke to us on the record and specifically requested that they be named. I have given the other men featured here pseudonyms to protect their anonymity.
Paddy Hill
Hill’s story is particularly harrowing. On November 21 1974, shortly after 8pm, bombs exploded in two pubs in Birmingham, England, killing 21 people and injuring around 200 others. They were attributed to the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA), which had detonated many bombs in the West Midlands in the previous year.
Hill and his friends were arrested at Heysham Docks as they were boarding the ferry to Belfast to attend the funeral of an old friend who had been a member of the IRA. Hill said that they were initially interviewed at Morecambe police station in Lancashire, and the West Midlands Police took over their questioning the next day.
Hill and his co-accused were, says Hill, tortured by the West Midlands serious crime squad. They were subjected to anti-Irish verbal abuse, hours-long beatings over several days, mock executions, were burned with cigarettes, and deprived of sleep, food and drink. Unable to withstand this, four of the six men eventually signed false confessions, condemning them all to life imprisonment in 1975 for the murders. The six men brought a civil action against the West Midlands Police which was thrown out in 1980 by Lord Denning.
These shocking revelations eventually reached the public consciousness thanks to investigative journalist and former Labour MP Chris Mullin, who uncovered evidence of police wrongdoing and corruption. His work informed the group’s court of appeal hearing in 1987. However, the convictions were upheld by Lord Chief Justice Lane. It was only at their second appeal in 1991, after Mullin had uncovered more evidence of their innocence, that they were finally exonerated.
Despite other lines of enquiry which could have led to the real bombers – including a confession and several named suspects – the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) decided in 2023 that there was insufficient evidence to prosecute, denying justice to the families of those killed and injured.
The impact on Hill’s family was enormous. With such public vitriol for the Birmingham Six, his wife and children had to move house regularly and change their names to avoid being recognised. He told me:
Everywhere they went, sooner or later somebody found out who they were and then they’d pick on them. And sometimes my kids were going to school and they couldn’t even remember what fucking name they were supposed to be using, they were that confused.
Hill’s marriage ended while he was in prison. “I told her to divorce me. I said: ‘Meet someone, you want to get married, don’t worry about me.’ And that was it.”
He later remarried, but his relationship with his children was irretrievably destroyed. “Along the way I lost my own kids, because I came out of jail and I didn’t feel nothing for my kids. I still don’t … I’ve spent more time here with you than I have done in the last 20 fucking years with my kids.”
Though he was referred to psychologists for support, he told me none were able to help him. Over and above the pains of imprisonment, the wrongfully convicted are betrayed by the very people that we are led to believe are there to protect us. The justice system has wrought on them the worst injustice, and many will suffer from enduring anger and mistrust of authorities.
When we met, Hill was still consumed by his anger and felt badly let down: “Over the years I realised I was never going to get any professional help from the government, even though we have it in writing that they have a duty of care towards us – but they’ve never done nothing to help us … If they did, they would acknowledge what they’ve done wrong.”
Up until his death, Hill had spent much of the past 30 years helping other survivors of miscarriages of justice. Initially intending to spend his first 12 months of freedom campaigning, he “got involved with the families, and it was then I realised how bad the families had it … That’s what kept me going, coming out and campaigning.”
He established the Miscarriages of Justice Organisation (Mojo), a Glasgow-based charity dedicated to supporting the wrongfully convicted. It provides advocacy for clients in prison, aftercare and reintegration services, and dedicated psychological support offered pro-bono by a clinical psychologist.
But the demand far exceeds Mojo’s ability to help, and it may take several months for a case to be assessed. Euan McIlvride, the organisation’s legal officer, told me it typically receives “250 applications a year, and we will probably support only ten of those because the rest of them don’t meet the requirements for our support … We have finite resources.”
For Hill, keeping busy provided some relief from thinking about his ordeal.
…When you aren’t doing something, all you’re going to do is sit there and think … about things you don’t fucking want to think about. I don’t know what happens to me when I go to sleep … [My wife] hears me screaming … kicking and punching everything … I’ll be watching television and all of a sudden … BANG! It’s like a non-stop video going through your head all the time.
Chained to a radiator
The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (Pace), which came to effect in 1986, aimed to reduce miscarriages of justice by balancing the powers of the police and the public. Pace provides safeguards for suspects during questioning, puts a limit on how long suspects can be questioned for, and insists that interviews be recorded.
This makes it easier to detect when protocols have not been followed or there may have been mistreatment or intimidation.
It doesn’t prevent such wrongdoing, however.
I spoke with one man, who I am calling Mark, who was wrongfully convicted of murder in 1988. He told me there were over one hundred breaches of Pace in his case, including being handcuffed to a hot radiator, being denied food and water, and being denied a solicitor.
One of his co-accused, a vulnerable adult, had also falsely confessed to the crime. Mark lost his first appeal in 1990 but his case went to the CCRC when it was established in 1997. The CCRC brought in another police force to investigate. He said:
When I saw [their] report … I nearly fell off my chair and nearly choked on my coffee … Everything I had said all those years ago … the handcuffing to the radiators, they proved it. All the breaches of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act … that we were interviewed off the record … Making up notes and stuff like that. I couldn’t believe it. I knew we were going home.
He subsequently pursued a civil action against the police which was settled out of court, with the force insisting the settlement did not mean it was admitting liability.
Mark also suffered a marital breakdown, after he and his wife lost their baby daughter while he was on remand:
It ripped the guts out of my marriage, you know. My wife was only 17-18, same age as me … She had a husband inside and she lost a child. And you’ve got to look at the economical impact and the mental impact it had on her … She was just as much a victim as what I was.
He started taking drugs in prison: “I didn’t care if I lived or died because I had lost everything, as far as I was concerned.”
But Mark turned himself around, got off drugs and availed himself of all the education he had access to, including law and human rights, to build the strongest possible case for his appeal. With the aid of a human rights lawyer the CCRC referred his conviction in 1998, which was then quashed by the Court of Appeal in 1999. He had spent 11 years in prison as a convicted murderer.
‘The innocence test’
After his exoneration, Mark was successful in securing over £600,000 compensation for his ordeal, though he had over £37,000 deducted for “saved living expenses”. A House of Lords ruling in 2007 deemed that those receiving compensation for a miscarriage of justice can have the amount reduced to account for “savings” made while in prison – for costs such as food, housing and other bills that they would have had to pay had they not been wrongfully incarcerated.
Considering the difficulties people face accessing any financial compensation for their wrongful imprisonment, this adds further insult to injury. The rule has since been scrapped following the high-profile Malkinson case – but deductions made prior to this are not being reimbursed.
Mark was given no financial counselling or support, and he rapidly spent the money – more than he had ever had in his life – while trying to block out his pain:
By the time six months had gone, I’d spent the hundred grand [interim payment] on wine, women, drugs … ’cause I couldn’t cope with what was going on … That was my way of blotting out all the things I saw in prison.
The money also caused a rift in his family – something echoed by others I have spoken to. After the death of his mother, his family “went their own ways”.
Nowadays, only a small proportion of those exonerated will ever receive financial compensation due to the requirements of the so-called “innocence test”.
The Criminal Justice Act 1988 made it difficult for applicants to receive compensation because there had to be a newly discovered fact – not available at the time of their original trial – that they could use to make the case that they had suffered a miscarriage of justice.
The definition of what constitutes a miscarriage of justice has become more restrictive over time, meaning an applicant now must provide evidence, beyond reasonable doubt, of their innocence. In the absence of a key witness admitting to falsifying their statement or DNA evidence proving innocence, this is unlikely.
Like Hill, Mark struggled to adjust after his exoneration and release, and found support to be woefully lacking:
I had nobody to talk to, no money, no job, no house. I didn’t have any prospects. I phoned up my solicitor … I remember saying: ‘Why did you get me out?’ It was difficult to adjust … I slept with a hammer … under my pillow – I was very paranoid … All they did was give me tablets and told me to get on with my life. No counselling. Nothing. They didn’t know what to do with people like me.
Mark still suffers with post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, and has never been able to work a normal job. He continues to campaign for the wrongfully convicted and to increase awareness of miscarriages of justice. He credits this work with giving him a sense of purpose.
Jimmy Boyle – not innocent enough?
I also spoke to James Boyle, who was acquitted at retrial of historical sexual offences after he had spent five years in prison. Boyle, from Rutherglen, who likes to be known as Jimmy, has always maintained these offences never happened.
From the outset, Boyle found processes quite at odds from how we are told they are supposed to be. He said: “Things that you should have: for example, presumption of innocence – nonsense, it doesn’t exist. None of these rights exist in reality.” He claims that lines of evidence undermining the allegations against him were not investigated. Further, he encountered professionals in the criminal justice system who he says were incompetent and even “malicious” and “criminal”.
To add further insult, he was later told that he was not considered exonerated because he did not provide evidence proving his innocence (he failed the “innocence test”). As a result, the General Teaching Council for Scotland did not reinstate him and he was unable to return to his teaching career which he had found enormously fulfilling.
Like others I have spoken to, Boyle, now in his 60s, hasn’t been able to work since his release:
There was so much involved, and fighting with the Teaching Council – you know, it was full time. It really was full time when you’re dealing with these agencies … I do plenty [at Mojo] – I’ve spoken at a number of events … But I had to continue fighting my own fight.
Martin: total lack of victim support
Miscarriages of justice have a huge effect on a person’s mental health. But my research found the impact begins long before a conviction – with effects such as anxiety, trauma and depression resulting from the wrongful allegation.
Martin (not his real name) detailed the difficulties he experienced from his initial wrongful allegation of rape – including isolation, lack of advice, and a lack of appropriate mental health support. He said:
I kept [the rape allegations] to myself and it was horrific, because I didn’t know what was going to happen … Once I was charged … I went to my GP because I was severely depressed. I could barely function. [Counselling] was actually making things worse rather than better … I had looked online … There’s victim support and there’s witness support, but if you’ve been accused there is absolutely nothing.
It took over three years from the initial allegation to court proceedings, during which time two other allegations of rape and indecent assault were made and charges were brought. Martin kept the allegations from his employers and friends:
You don’t mention it because if you mention it, you’re opening the box and then that becomes a big thing – and God help how you’re going to feel at the end of that conversation.
Convicted of rape and indecent assault (the second and third charges), he was sentenced to four years in prison, but successfully appealed on the basis that the Moorov doctrine was misapplied.
Moorov is a principle of Scottish law which allows evidence of one crime to corroborate evidence of another. As the charges against him were considered to corroborate one another, having been acquitted of the key (first) charge he should have been acquitted of all. Instead, he spent about a year in prison – yet he considers himself fortunate.
The guy [Andrew Malkinson] that won his appeal the other day spent 17 years in prison. I only spent one. And although I shouldn’t have spent any, it could have been a hell of a lot worse. There are a lot of people that haven’t been able to clear their names, there are a lot of people that have spent a long time in prison. I spent one year and managed to clear my name, so I should be thankful for what little happiness I’ve managed to get out of it.
Martin was fortunate in that he’d had a good education and had taken detailed notes during his trial, which assisted his appeal. He also helped other prisoners who were struggling to complete required forms for themselves, and managed to get a job in the prison kitchen.
Since his release, he has pursued a law degree, eager to use his experience for positive change in the justice system. “I think it’s given me a new perspective really … You know what, life’s too short – let’s just get on with it.”
What needs to be done?
People wrongly accused of crimes are in dire need of support from the moment the initial allegation is made, to help them navigate the complex legal processes and challenging psychological effects of being wrongly accused.
Currently there is woefully inadequate mental health support at all stages, from initial allegation to post-release.
Of course, there are many guilty people in prison who protest their innocence – but support should not be denied to those who maintain their innocence.
Reforms are needed to make it easier for an innocent person to appeal their conviction. The CCRC has suffered a decline in funding, from £9.24 million in 2004 to £6 million in 2022. Over this period, the workload has more than doubled while the Ministry of Justice has reduced CCRC commissioners’ terms of employment from full-time salaried positions to one-day-a-week contracts, making the workload unsustainable.
People may also face significant barriers in accessing evidence that would exonerate them such as police files, without which they have little hope of a successful appeal. This was evident in the Malkinson case, where the charity Appeal accessed the police files the CCRC had refused to look at.
The lack of accountability and consequences for those who purposely harm innocent people causes further anger and distress to the wrongfully accused and convicted. Yet those affected rarely even receive an apology. This needs to change.
Finally, there needs to be greater public awareness of wrongful convictions and allegations, their causes and consequences, and an understanding of their devastating and long-term effects. As Hill told me the year before he died:
People think you come out and they give you a few quid … [then you] walk off into the sunset and live happily ever after. If only. I would love to go to bed at night like an ordinary fucking person … without waking up so angry and tense.
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This work was supported by the BA/Leverhulme Trust grant SRG1819190884. Many thanks to Dr Mandy Winterton, co-Investigator on this research, and to the Miscarriages of Justice Organisation (MOJO) for supporting us by facilitating access to clients.
Faye Skelton is affiliated with the Miscarriages of Justice Organisation having joined the Board of Directors in April 2025.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Victoria Mapplebeck, Professor in Digital Arts, Royal Holloway University of London
Ten years ago I was at a preview screening at the British Film Institute (BFI) of short films shot and set in London. My smartphone-filmed short, 160 Characters, was part of the programme and told the story of me raising my son Jim alone.
I was excited to have my film included, but by the end of the night I was a little less euphoric. I was one of only a handful of women directors screening work that night and almost every film in the programme was set on a council estate, featuring one-dimensional characters who were either mad, bad or sad.
At the post-screening drinks, I met some of the male directors who’d written and directed those films. Several of them had put between £20,000 and £40,000 of their own money into their productions, hoping their short would be the calling card to their first feature. Having a “day job” was not a concept they seemed to have come across.
Flash forward a decade and I’m at a Reclaim The Frame preview screening of Daisy May Hudson’s feature drama Lollipop, watching her receive a standing ovation from an audience who – like me – were bowled over by the authenticity and power of her storytelling .
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Lollipop is a BBC Films-funded feature drama which tells the story of Molly (Posy Sterling), recently out of a prison after serving a four-month sentence. She comes out to find she has lost her council housing and custody of her kids. Molly finds herself in the mother of all catch-22s: she can’t get housing because she doesn’t have her kids living with her, but she can’t get them back without a roof over her head.
On the surface, this film could read like another council estate melodrama. But Lollipop is the polar opposite of middle class fantasies of working class life. When Hudson was writing it she drew on her own experience of homelessness, explored in her debut feature documentary, Half Way (2015).
In Half Way, Hudson, her mum and her kid sister find themselves stuck in “half way” hostels in an endless battle with council bureaucrats who meet their escalating housing crisis with a continual chorus of “computer says no”.
There’s a great scene in which Hudson’s sister complains that the film is too heavy and that she’s sick of talking about their “trauma”. She jokes: “I was thinking we need to liven this documentary up, it’s really dull and miserable and boring, we just talk about doom and gloom stuff.” She goes on to mimic Hudson’s line of questions about how they’re all “feeling”.
Hudson’s decision to keep that scene in gave us a much needed reminder of how many documentary directors fall into the trap of “poverty porn” in which the money shot is the tear rolling down your protagonist’s cheek.
The trailer for Lollipop.
Watching Lollipop with an audience of mainly women, there were a lot of tears but also lots of laughter. Hudson continues to see the importance of humour in her stories as a way of enriching and empowering her characters. She explains in the film’s production notes: “Although Lollipop is grounded in real-life, I never want to see women as victims on screen, because we’re so full of life, there’s so much about us.”
In Hudson’s entirely female cast, Molly and her best mate Amina (Idil Ahmed) are fierce single mums who transform the challenges they face into laugh-out-loud moments of comedy. The film is about the power of their friendship, their love for their kids and their sense of humour.
When it came to casting, Hudson wanted to work with women actors – professionals and first timers – who could relate to what the characters were going through. In the film’s production notes, Hudson explains:
I come from a lived experience background, and it was really important to me that I worked with women with lived experience … women who felt full and rounded, not perfect. Every woman you see in the film is someone trying to do their best. We’re humans. We’re messy, and our beauty is in our messiness.
Hudson’s work is part of a new wave of film and TV drama and comedy written and directed by women who are empowered rather than disempowered by their messiness.
Cash Carraway’s Rain Dogs (2023), Sophie Willan’s Alma’s Not Normal (2020), Michelle de Swarte’s Spent (2024) and Charlotte Regan’s debut feature drama, Scrapper (2023) are all part of an emerging genre of stories in which we finally see working class characters who are well written and relatable. Every one of these directors has mined the highs and lows of their own lives to create these funny, flawed, complex and ultimately believable characters.
The trailer for Rain Dogs.
Rain Dogs*, for instance,* follows the roller-coaster journey of Costello (Daisy May Cooper), a single mum battling to find a permanent home for her and her nine-year-old daughter. Carraway has said of her series:
We don’t see interesting single mothers in TV. We don’t really see that many interesting people living in poverty. If we do, it’s always politicised. I wanted to make it entertaining.
Hudson echoes these sentiments. Speaking to me over the phone, she explains:
Lollipop isn’t issue-led. I don’t want to shout from the rooftops and talk about everything that’s wrong with the world. Yes, the context is these things that I care strongly about. But ultimately, I want audiences to come away, feeling: Wow, isn’t love a magical thing?“
Hudson’s mantra in both life and film is to: “Turn your pain into power and into medicine.” Her women characters have an alchemy and agency we rarely see in the black and white council estate films that became such a staple of UK independent films in the 80s and 90s. Hudson’s women aren’t victims or martyrs, the magic of Lollipop is that she has created fascinating real characters – and captured them in glorious technicolour.
Victoria Mapplebeck 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.
When I started horse riding lessons at the age of eight, I was told that if a horse had its ears forward that was a good sign, and if horse had its ears back it wasn’t happy. Those riding lessons sparked a fascination with equine behaviour that is still with me and inspires my research.
Yet when I carried out my new study into horse facial expressions I was still surprised at how complex equine communication can be.
Horses are a social species with wild and feral populations living in complex societies. They form relatively stable herds or “bands”, typically made up of a stallion protecting his group of mares. The ranges of these bands overlap, and the need to share space and resources means that effective communication is essential for horses.
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We also know that facial expressions are an important method of communication for horses. In a 2016 study, equine cognition researcher Jen Wathan and her colleagues demonstrated this when they showed a group of horses images of another horse.
The horse in the images was displaying one of three different facial expressions: aggression, positive attention and relaxation. Horses were more likely to approach the images of the horse showing positive attention and relaxation. They tended to avoid the horse showing aggression. This shows that horses can use the expression of another horse to infer that animal’s intent.
Equine facial communication is therefore, understandably, of significant interest to those working with and around horses. Go to any stables, as I did when I was young, and you will hear talk of which signals to look out for. You will quickly learn that the ears are important. However, in recent years, scientists have become interested in the more subtle cues that are often overlooked.
Research into horse facial expressions began in 2014 with identifying indicators of pain to try and improve horse welfare. More recently, there have been a number of studies that have looked at facial expressions outside of pain contexts. These have, however, been restricted to a small number of usually human-created, contexts.
For example, in 2024 animal behaviour researchers Romane Phelipon and colleagues examined the facial expressions of horses when they were being led towards a bucket of feed and allowed to eat. They were also shown the bucket of feed and then prevented from eating it.
In the positive situation, horses had a lower neck position, their ears forward, and their upper lip extended forwards. In the more frustrating situation, horses held their neck higher, with their ears backward or to the side.
My team wanted to extend what we know about equine facial behaviour into contexts that don’t involve humans, and to identify the expressions that horses use when communicating with each other.
To do this we used something called the equine facial action coding system (EquiFACS). This involves two types of code: action units, which correspond to the contraction of particular facial muscles; and action descriptors, which correspond to more general facial movements.
There are already similar codes for a variety of primate and domestic species, including cats and dogs. This makes them useful for making comparisons between species and for studying the evolution of facial behaviour.
We observed groups of domestic horses out at pasture. Whenever they interacted with one another we would hit record on our video camera and film the facial expressions they made. This gave us a bank of 805 expressions, which were coded using EquiFACS.
We categorised the expressions based on the behaviour they were associated with, such as a kick threat or friendly contact. Then we used network analysis techniques to assess how the individual action units and action descriptors work together to create the overall facial expression. Network analysis is a statistical method usually used to study social networks, but which also works well for understanding how the different areas of the face work together.
This created a catalogue that identified 22 discrete facial expressions. These included expressions from a range of aggressive, friendly, playful and alert interactions. Some movements are used across several contexts, for instance rotated and flattened ears which can indicate aggression or playfulness.
When making a threat, horses have their ears rotated backwards and flattened downwards. They often lower their head, raise the inner corner of their brow, and/or flare their nostrils.
Most interesting are facial expressions during play, which are highly dynamic. They involve a range of different facial movements, often in quick succession. Movements include depressed lower lips, raised chins, parted lips, wide-open mouths, rotated and flattened ears, increased visibility of eye whites, and noses pushed forward.
We also identified similarities between the facial expressions horses make during play and the play faces used by primates and carnivores. Primates and carnivores often use an open-mouthed expression to indicate that an interaction is playful. This can help prevent misunderstandings about the intent of an interaction, and is particularly useful during rough-and-tumble play. The fact that this expression is also used by horses suggests that it evolved much further back than scientists believed.
Anyone who needs a way to assess a horse’s subjective experience can benefit from our catalogue, from researchers through to those working with horses. I certainly wish I had had it over the many years I spent riding, and later working, at my local riding school.
Our results also highlight the importance of looking beyond our primate cousins if we are to gain a comprehensive understanding of facial expressions and their evolutionary origins.
Kate Lewis does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Stephen Clear, Lecturer in Constitutional and Administrative Law, and Public Procurement, Bangor University
Since returning to office, Donald Trump has often called the US legal system into question. He has criticised judges as activists, challenged the role of the courts and insisted some firms do free legal work in support of his administration’s causes to make up for working for some of his political opponents.
Meanwhile, Vice-President J.D. Vance has advised US Supreme Court chief justice John Roberts that he ought to be “checking the excesses” of the lower courts.
And Stephen Miller, deputy White House chief of staff, said: “We are living under a judicial tyranny,” after the US Court of International Trade ruled the president didn’t have the power to impose international trade tariffs. Meanwhile, judges are asking for more security to protect them from threats.
Trump’s federal investigations and volley of executive orders (presidential directives that don’t require legislative approval by Congress) have also put enormous pressure on law firms. And a recent report shows that both trust in law firms’ independence, and even the rule of law itself, is perceived as under threat in the US. But what does this mean, and why is it important?
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The president has taken action against law firms in two prominent ways:
First, by federal investigation. Specifically, letters to a group of 20 law firms from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. These demanded information about their diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) policies, based on the proposition that any sort of treatment of underrepresented groups that appeared preferential to them in policy, or practice, was unequal treatment for other groups, and, consequently, discriminatory.
Second, the president has passed numerous executive orders introducing punitive measures on specific law firms that previously represented clients opposing his administration, or employed attorneys involved in past investigations against him. His administration has also revoked government contracts and suspended security clearance from buildings. In practice, the orders would prevent attorneys from accessing from where they work, such as courthouses and federal agencies.
In response, some prominent law firms have sought to mitigate the fallout with the Trump administration by entering into agreements with it. These have included pledging US$1 billion (£730,000,000) in pro bono (free) legal services supporting causes aligned with Trump’s agenda.
For example, support for veterans, representing police officers, and antisemitism prevention. Noteworthy is that law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison have now agreed to discontinue certain DEI policies, in addition to committing US$40 million (£29.4 million) in pro bono work for the president’s causes. In response the Trump administration has now lifted restrictions against them.
Judges say they are under threat.
More broadly, it has been reported that 70% of the US Justice Department civil rights division’s attorneys are leaving their posts. The mass exodus is believed to be part of attempts to reshape the division into one focused on enforcing executive orders.
The consequences of these developments are that the president’s actions have led to a significant realignment in the legal professions. Some US attorneys have reported that law firms are now more hesitant to engage in pro bono work that could be viewed as opposing the administration’s policies.
By contrast, some lawyers are now trying to establish independent firms aimed at defending civil servants and challenging federal overreach, ensuring at least some, albeit less resourced, support for underrepresented groups.
Trump criticizes judges and legal activists.
Other lawyers have sought legal action against the orders as unconstitutional interference. Some of these have led to success. For example, Perkins Coie challenged theirs and got it struck down. The concern here centred around their representation of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. In arriving at the decision, the district judge ruled the president’s actions to be an “overt attempt to suppress and punish certain viewpoints”.
Why this matters
These developments call into question the balance between governmental influence and the independence of lawyers in upholding the rule of law. Lawyers must be impartial in representing their clients in order to effectively represent their interests, and allow the judiciary to fulfil their duty of checks and balances on the government’s decisions.
When unfettered power is wielded by the government, and the law is undermined, scope for monitoring the constitutionality of decision making is compromised.
The rule of law is a foundational principle of western democracies. It means that everyone is subject to the law, including governments. Laws must be applied equally, fairly and consistently, and no one is above them.
In essence, laws govern the nation, not arbitrary decisions by individuals in power. In that sense, following the rule of law helps prevent tyranny, protect people’s rights and liberties, and ensures a stable and predictable society.
In order to deliver these objectives, an independent legal sector is needed. Trump’s actions are a threat to achieving this cornerstone US constitutional principle. Some have gone as far as to suggest that by entering into agreements with Trump, law firms have become subsidiaries of his administration.
A recent study on trust in the rule of law found that Americans’ trust in lawyers was already undermined, even before the second Trump administration.
The results, based on public attitudes in 2024, compared public perceptions in Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Norway, the UK and the US. Norway and the UK ranked highest in respect of trust in the rule of law (81% and 74% respectively), and Spain and Italy were least trusted (49% and 43%).
The results for the US are interesting. Around 71% of American respondents stated that they had a high level of trust in the rule of law. Yet the country came third from the bottom under the metric “you feel like you are in good hands in US courts”.
The reasons for this are implied in the responses to the other questions in the survey. The US performed second worst (just behind Spain) in respect of belief that judges could be biased. The US also performed worst of all in the category where the public were asked if lawyers were impartial (just 41% agreed).
In interpreting these results it is important to note that the survey was conducted in 2024, prior to Trump’s second term. But anti-elite and anti-judge rhetoric pointing to arguments for more presidential power and less judicial oversight had already been prominent in the first Trump term, and the 2024 campaign.
The results expose the already fragile nature of trust in the legal sector in the US, and underline how this could be ramped up further after the announcements in recent weeks.
Stephen Clear 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.
Fitness enthusiasts have debated the question for decades: is it better to do cardio before or after lifting weights? Until recently, the answer has largely been down to preference – with some enjoying a jog to warm up before hitting the weights, while others believe lifting first is better for burning fat.
But a new study may have finally answered this long disputed question.
According to the study, the order of your workout does significantly affect how much fat you lose. Participants who performed weight training before cardio lost significantly more fat and became more physically active throughout the day compared to those who did cardio first.
The researchers recruited 45 young men aged 18-30 years who were classified as obese. The researchers split participants into three groups for 12 weeks. One group was a control group. This meant they stuck to their usual lifestyle habits and didn’t make any changes to their exercise regime.
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The other two groups exercised for 60 minutes three times weekly. Participants were also given sports watches to objectively track daily movement. This helped the researchers avoid reliance on self-reporting, which can often be inaccurate.
Both exercise groups followed identical training programmes, differing only in exercise sequence. Strength training involved actual weights, with participants performing exercises such as the bench press, deadlift, bicep curl and squat. The cardio sessions involved 30 minutes of stationary cycling.
Participants in both groups experienced improvements in their cardiovascular fitness, muscle strength and body composition – specifically, they lost fat mass while gaining lean muscle mass. Interestingly, cardiovascular fitness improvements were similar regardless of sequence – echoing recent findings that exercise order has limited impact on cardiovascular adaptations.
But the real differences emerged when it came to fat loss and muscle performance. Participants who lifted weights first experienced significantly greater reductions in overall body fat and visceral fat – the type of fat most strongly linked to cardiovascular disease risk.
They also increased their daily step count by approximately 3,500 steps compared to just 1,600 steps for the cardio-first group. Additionally, the weights-first approach enhanced muscular endurance and explosive strength.
Why exercise sequence matters
The reason behind these findings is tied to how your body uses energy.
Resistance training depletes muscle glycogen stores – the sugar that’s stored in the muscles which acts as your body’s quick-access fuel. Imagine glycogen as petrol in your car’s fuel tank. When you lift weights first, you effectively drain this fuel tank, forcing your body to switch energy sources.
With glycogen stores already low, when you transition to cardio, your body must rely more heavily on fat reserves for energy. It’s akin to a hybrid car switching to battery power once the petrol runs low. This metabolic shift helps explain the greater fat loss seen in the weights-first group.
This recent study’s findings align with broader research. A comprehensive systematic review published in 2022 found resistance training alone can significantly reduce body fat and visceral fat, the type linked to chronic diseases. Muscles are metabolically active tissues, continuously burning calories even at rest, which amplifies these effects.
Conversely, performing cardio first might compromise your strength training effectiveness. Cardio uses up glycogen stores, leaving muscles partially depleted before you even lift a weight. It also induces fatigue and may reduce your muscles’ ability to produce explosive power and strength.
A recent systematic review on concurrent training (the practice of combining both resistance and aerobic exercise within the same program) supports this – highlighting that explosive strength gains might diminish if aerobic and strength training occur in the same session, especially if cardio is performed first.
These findings align with other research on concurrent training. A systematic review and meta-analysis examining exercise sequence effects found that resistance-first protocols produced significantly superior strength improvements compared to endurance-first training.
The American Heart Association’s 2023 statement on resistance training confirmed resistance exercise significantly improves lean body mass and reduces fat, especially when combined with other exercise types. However, resistance training alone was found less effective in improving cardiovascular health. This underscores the importance of including cardio in your exercise routine.
However, it is worth noting the study’s limitations. As it only involved obese young men, this means we don’t know how the results will apply to women, older adults or those with different body compositions. A 2024 review suggests adaptations may differ by sex, indicating the need for further research involving diverse populations.
The 12-week duration also may not capture long-term changes. Results also specifically only apply to concurrent training – performing both exercises in the same session.
Moreover, the study did not account for nutritional intake, sleep patterns or stress levels, all of which can significantly influence body composition outcomes. Future research should incorporate these factors to offer even more comprehensive guidance.
Workout sequence
Whether you prefer to do cardio before or after lifting weights, the message is clear: both will improve overall health. The only difference is that weight training before cardio provides advantages for fat loss, abdominal fat reduction and increased daily physical activity.
Interestingly, resistance training boosts confidence and energy levels, naturally encouraging more movement throughout the day, further aiding fat loss.
If cardiovascular fitness is your primary goal, the sequence matters less, as both ways equally boost aerobic fitness. However, if fat loss and optimising daily activity are your main objectives, evidence strongly supports placing resistance training first.
Jack McNamara does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, June 9 — In the first quarter of 2025, the medical expenses of nearly 70.8 million patients incurred outside their home provinces were directly settled on site, according to the National Healthcare Security Administration (NHSA).
During the first quarter, over 3.6 million online registrations for the direct cross-province settlement scheme were processed through China’s unified online-filing channel, representing an increase of 18.06 percent year-on-year.
In addition, a rising number of medical institutions have been incorporated into the streamlined settlement scheme. By the end of the first quarter, China had built 651,600 institutions of such kind nationwide.
These projects are a part of the Council’s and Scottish Government’s ongoing play area upgrade programme.
Four play parks, Langlands Park in Luncarty, The Well Green in Scotlandwell, Westfield Common in Rattray, and Greenloaning, have all undergone full upgrades as part of the council’s commitment to enhancing outdoor spaces for communities. On Friday 6 June, Langlands Park, The Well Green and Westfield Common were officially opened, with community celebrations at each location.
The upgrades include a wide range of new play equipment and surfacing, designed to make each park more fun, inclusive, and environmentally sustainable.
These improvements were shaped in partnership with community councils, local schools, and residents, ensuring the new spaces reflect the needs and aspirations of the people who use them most.
A unique feature of the project is the installation of commemorative boards at each site, combining printed acknowledgements with handwritten signatures from those involved creating a lasting tribute to the community spirit behind the transformation.
Local children also played a key role, contributing creative ideas, designing logos for park signage, and sharing their hopes for the future of their play spaces through a detailed consultation process.
Councillor Richard Watters, Convenor of Climate Change and Sustainability Committee said: “We are delighted to see these play parks transformed into vibrant, welcoming spaces for children and families.
“This investment reflects our ongoing commitment to improving local amenities and supporting healthy, active lifestyles. We hope these parks will be enjoyed by the community for many years to come.”
Park Highlights
Westfield Common, Rattray
Combining a free draining circular pathway, the play areas contain soft fall areas of wood chip. A large climbing net and basket swing provides fun for the older children whilst a multi-unit, roundabout and springies keep the younger children engaged. A zip line also provides family fun on the other side of the greenspace. Coupled with the community run BMX track and MANTALK Blairgowrie garden this greenspace provides facilities for all.
The Well Green, Scotlandwell
Includes a thrilling new zip line, monkey bars, swings, and other modern play equipment. Located on the site of a freshwater well, the history of the site is noted in the entrance sign and was once used as an area to dry clothing lines manufactured from locally grown flax.
Langlands Park, Luncarty
Features a hybrid grass surfacing that combines artificial and natural grass for a durable, safe play area. Aimed at the younger children, the play area was developed and relocated following consultation with the Community Council and local school. Combining the adjacent route to school with a line-marked cycleway helps provide the opportunity for young children to learn road safety skills at roundabouts and junctions. There is also a ‘hopscotch’ marked on the footway, which we are sure must be used by all age groups, sometimes ‘secretly!’
Greenloaning
Located within the greenspace area of a housing estate this facility provides for all the family with picnic benches for family feasts and a range of play equipment for all ages. A rubber surfacing keeps the site useable in all weathers with the play equipment combining a range of vibrant natural colours. The equipment is manufactured from many recycled materials including ‘used fishing nets’ melted down and used in the production for the recycled plastic posts, guaranteed for life.
Acquisition Target Specializes in High-Precision Electrical and Mechanical Assembly, Including Printed Circuit Board Manufacturing for Commercial and Industrial Customers Across the U.S.A.
PMGC’s second pending acquisition since April, demonstrates that its M&A strategy is well underway, with additional deals expected this year.
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., June 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — PMGC Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: ELAB) (the “Company,” “PMGC,” “we,” or “us”), a diversified public holding company, is pleased to announce the signing of a non-binding Letter of Intent (“LOI”) to acquire a U.S.-based, cash-flow positive electronics contract manufacturing company with over 40 years of operational history.
About the Target Company
Established in the 1980s, the Target company (“Target”) is a full-service provider of high-precision electronics manufacturing and assembly services. With core capabilities, including electrical and mechanical assembly, printed circuit card assembly and functional testing, and electronic component testing, the Target serves a range of commercial and industrial clients. It also supports small-batch production and prototyping, offering both consignment and turnkey solutions.
The Target generated approximately $699,000 in revenue and $173,000 in adjusted EBITDA in 2024.
Strategic Rationale
This acquisition aligns with PMGC’s approach of acquiring US based, fundamentally strong businesses with durable cash flow and growth potential. PMGC Management believes the Target stands out for its longstanding customer relationships and strong control over its operations and manufacturing abilities.
“We are thrilled to partner with a business that embodies the precision and reliability that we believe defines American manufacturing,” said Graydon Bensler, Chief Executive Officer of PMGC Holdings Inc. “This company has built a legacy of excellence, and we believe there is a compelling opportunity to scale operations and enhance customer acquisition through strategic support and platform integration.”
Industry Tailwinds
This acquisition comes at a time of renewed national focus on revitalizing domestic manufacturing. With ongoing support from federal initiatives such as the CHIPS and Science Act, the reshoring of electronics supply chains continues to gain momentum. The U.S. electronics manufacturing services (EMS) sector is positioned for growth as industries prioritize secure, localized, and high-quality production partners. PMGC believes this transaction places the company at the intersection of that movement, offering exposure to a high-integrity operator deeply embedded in that ecosystem.
The closing of this acquisition is subject to customary conditions, including completion of due diligence, certain corporate approvals, and execution and delivery of definitive documentation. We cannot assure that closing of the acquisition will occur.
About PMGC Holdings Inc.
PMGC Holdings Inc. is a diversified holding company that manages and grows its portfolio through strategic acquisitions, investments, and development across various industries. Currently, our portfolio consists of three wholly owned subsidiaries: Northstrive Biosciences Inc., PMGC Research Inc., and PMGC Capital LLC. We are committed to exploring opportunities in multiple sectors to maximize growth and value. For more information, please visit https://www.pmgcholdings.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements contained in this press release regarding matters that are not historical facts are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. Words such as “believes,” “expects,” “plans,” “potential,” “would” and “future” or similar expressions such as “look forward” are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release and are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on our current beliefs, expectations and assumptions regarding the future of our business, future plans and strategies, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economy, activities of regulators and future regulations and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of our control. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that such expectations will turn out to be correct, and the Company cautions investors that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. These and other risks are described more fully in PMGC Holdings’ filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including the “Risk Factors” section of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, filed with the SEC on March 28, 2025, and its other documents subsequently filed with or furnished to the SEC. Investors and security holders are urged to read these documents free of charge on the SEC’s web site at www.sec.gov. All forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date on which they were made. Except to the extent required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update such statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made.
New York, June 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — GraniteShares, a leading innovator in exchange-traded funds (ETFs), is pleased to announce that its YieldBOOST ETF family will update to a weekly distribution schedule. Designed with the goal of providing investors with enhanced income opportunities, the YieldBOOST suite of ETFs employs an options strategy to generate yield while offering exposure to major equities.
The following table outlines the new distribution schedule for each YieldBOOST ETF:
Ticker
Fund Name
Previous Distribution Schedule
New Distribution Schedule
TSYY
GraniteShares YieldBOOST TSLA ETF
Monthly
Weekly
TQQY
GraniteShares YieldBOOST QQQ ETF
Monthly
Weekly
YSPY
GraniteShares YieldBOOST SPY ETF
Monthly
Weekly
XBTY
GraniteShares YieldBOOST Bitcoin ETF
Monthly
Weekly
NVVY
GraniteShares YieldBOOST NVDA ETF
Monthly
Weekly
Distributions are determined based on the underlying strategy of each ETF and may vary over time. Investors are encouraged to review fund details and consult with financial professionals regarding their investment choices. Distributions are not guaranteed.
GraniteShares remains committed to delivering innovative investment solutions that aim to empower investors to optimize income generation and portfolio diversification (diversification does not limit risk). For additional details regarding the YieldBOOST ETFs, including performance, holdings, and strategy, please visit www.graniteshares.com.
About GraniteShares:
GraniteShares is a global investment firm dedicated to creating and managing ETFs. Headquartered in New York City, GraniteShares offers a diverse range of investment solutions across U.S., U.K., German, French, and Italian stock exchanges. With a focus on high-conviction investing, the firm is a market leader in leveraged single-stock ETFs and other alternative investment products. As of May 2025, GraniteShares manages $8.5 billion in assets.
Media Contact: GraniteShares Inc. Attn: Media Relations 222 Broadway, 21st Floor New York, NY 10038 844-476-8747 info@graniteshares.com
The ex-date (or ex-dividend date) for an ETF is the critical trading day on which investors who purchase shares will no longer be entitled to receive the forthcoming dividend distribution, marking the cutoff point that determines dividend eligibility for shareholders.
The record date for an ETF is the specific day, typically one business day after the ex-dividend date, when the fund company takes a snapshot of its shareholder registry to determine which investors are officially entitled to receive the upcoming dividend distribution.
The payable date for an ETF is the specific calendar day when the fund administrator actually distributes the declared dividend payments to all eligible shareholders who owned shares on the record date, completing the dividend distribution process.
Distribution per share for an ETF is the precise monetary amount paid out to investors for each share they own, representing income from dividends, interest, capital gains, or return of capital collected by the fund and subsequently distributed to shareholders according to their ownership stake.
The distribution rate for an ETF is a critical performance metric that expresses the annualized percentage return derived from all distributions (including dividends, interest, and capital gains) paid to shareholders over a specified period relative to the fund’s current market price, providing investors with a standardized measure to evaluate income-generating potential across different investment vehicles.
Disclaimer:
Performance data quoted represents past performance and is no guarantee of future results. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than original cost. Returns less than one year are not annualized. Returns for the fund would have been lower if the management fee had not been waived. NAV prices are used to calculate market price performance prior to the date when the Fund first traded on the NASDAQ. Market performance is determined using the bid/ask midpoint at 4:00pm Eastern time, when the NAV is typically calculated. Market performance does not represent the returns you would receive if you traded shares at other times. For the fund’s most recent month end performance, please call 1(844) 476-8747, or visit graniteshares.com.
This material must be preceded or accompanied by a Prospectus. Carefully consider the Fund’s investment objectives, risk factors, charges, and expenses before investing. Please read the prospectus before investing.
Shares are bought and sold at market price (not NAV) and are not individually redeemed from the ETF. There can be no guarantee that an active trading market for ETF shares will develop or be maintained. Buying or selling ETF shares on an exchange may require the payment of brokerage commissions and frequent trading may incur costs that detract significantly from investment returns.
An investment in the Fund involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. The Fund is non-diversified and includes risks associated with the Fund concentrating its investments in a particular industry, sector, or geographic region, which can result in increased volatility. The use of derivatives such as option contracts and swaps are subject to market risks that may cause their price to fluctuate over time. Additional risks include Risk of the Underlying ETF, Derivatives Risk, Affiliate Fund Risk, Counterparty Risk, Price Participation Risk, Distribution Risk, NAV Erosion Risk, Put Writing Strategy Risk, and Option Market Liquidity Risk. These and other risks can be found in the prospectus.
This information is not an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy shares of any Funds to any person in any jurisdiction in which an offer, solicitation, purchase, or sale would be unlawful under the securities laws of such jurisdiction. Please consult your tax advisor about the tax consequences of an investment in Fund shares, including the possible application of foreign, state, and local tax laws. You could lose money by investing in the ETFs. There can be no assurance that the investment objective of the Funds will be achieved. None of the Funds should be relied upon as a complete investment program.
The ETF Funds are distributed by ALPS Distributors, Inc. GraniteShares is not affiliated with ALPS. ALPS Distributors, Inc, provides marketing services to the Exchange-Traded Grantor Trusts. The Sponsor of the Trust is GraniteShares LLC.
Many people have been closely following the journey this week of the Madleen, a small humanitarian yacht seeking to break Israel’s illegal blockade of Gaza with a crew of 12 on board, including humanitarian activists and journalists.
This morning we woke to the harrowing, yet not unexpected, news that the vessel had been illegally hijacked by Israeli forces, who boarded and took the crew captive into Israeli territories, in contravention of international law.
Yet another on the long list of war crimes Israel has committed over the last 20 months of genocide, and decades of illegal occupation.
Communication with the crew was lost after the final moments of tense onboard footage as they donned lifejackets, threw phones and other sensitive data overboard, and raised their arms in preparation for whatever might come next.
Israel has a detailed history of attacking all previous freedom flotillas — including the 2010 mission aboard the Mavi Marmara in which 10 crew were killed and dozens more injured when Israeli forces hijacked the humanitarian vessel.
Another mission earlier this year was cut short when it was targeted by an airstrike in international waters, injuring crew.
The next updates were scenes filmed by Israeli forces which appear to show them calmly handing bread rolls and water to the detained crew, painting a picture which immediately recalled my own experience last year being unlawfully arrested in the southern West Bank.
Detained while documenting I was detained while documenting armed settler violence, taken illegally to a military base where myself and three other internationals were given a bathroom stop, bread and water.
While we ate, they filmed us, saying “You are unharmed, yes? We are looking after you well?”
We were then loaded into a police van where a Palestinian farmer sat blindfolded, in silence, with his hands zip-tied behind him.
Eleven of the 12 crew members on board the humanitarian yacht Madleen before being arrested by Israeli forces today. Image: FFC screenshot APR
Israel loves to put on a show of their “humane treatment” when internationals are present and cameras are rolling, but it’s a shallow and sinister facade for their abusive racism and cruelty towards Palestinians.
It appears their response to the Madleen’s crew over the next few days will be exactly that. Don’t buy into it; this is no more than deeply sinister propaganda to cover state-backed racism, supremacy, and cruelty.
Families in Gaza are still facing indiscriminate airstrikes, continuous displacement, forced starvation, and the phony Israel/US “Gaza Humanitarian Foundation” which has led to more than 100 civilians being shot while desperately seeking food.
Thousands of trucks still wait at the border to Gaza, barred entry by Israeli forces, while Palestinians face severe malnutrition and a man-made famine.
The New Zealand government has still not placed a single sanction on the Israeli state.
Cole Martin is an independent New Zealand photojournalist based in the Middle East and a contributor to Asia Pacific Report.
The brain is a marvel of complexity, orchestrating every aspect of our lives. Researchers striving to decode its functions have revealed that biochemical changes in the brain correspond to a diverse range of behaviors. Natale Sciolino, an assistant professor in the Department of Physiology and Neurobiology (PNB) in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, has dedicated her career to studying neural circuits — networks of interconnected neurons that regulate various functions — and their profound influence on motivated behaviors, including anxiety and feeding. Her work focuses on the connections between the brain, behavior, and the environment.
A Surprising Path to Science
“I never planned to become a scientist,” Sciolino says. “Growing up, I always thought I’d be a teacher.”
Her initial aspiration led her to SUNY Buffalo State College in New York, which was close to home and hosted a well-regarded teaching program. After taking one transformative course in biological psychology, however, Sciolino was introduced to a whole new realm: neuroscience. This discipline fused her growing interest in psychology with a desire to understand the biological underpinnings of behavior.
“My professor’s passion for science was contagious,” Sciolino says. “It inspired me to join her lab, and I realized I wanted to pursue a career in research.”
Sciolino became especially captivated by the question of why some individuals were more vulnerable to addiction than others. Her transition from the desire to become a teacher to a neuroscientist was driven by her perceptiveness to the environment and the people around her.
“Growing up in a low-income neighborhood, I saw firsthand how addiction and mental health disorders affected so many in my community,” she says. “I wanted to understand how some people seemed resilient while others struggled.”
As an aspiring neuroscientist, she knew she needed to go to graduate school. She ended up far from home at the University of Georgia, where she worked with the guidance of pioneering cannabinoid researcher Andrea Hohmann.
Exploring Cannabinoid Systems
Sciolino delved into the role of the endogenous cannabinoids – chemical compounds produced by the body that bind with the cannabinoid receptors in the brain. These compounds influence critical processes such as emotion regulation, pain perception, appetite, and sleep.
Sciolino’s research focused on how environmental stressors like social isolation could alter the activity of cannabinoid receptors and endogenous cannabinoids in the brain. Her research on the biochemistry of the cannabinoid system became a cornerstone of her neuroscience career.
Unlocking the Secrets of the Locus Coeruleus
Sciolino’s research journey took a pivotal turn when she joined another Georgia research lab and began studying the locus coeruleus (LC), a tiny yet influential brain structure. Despite containing only about 1,200 neurons in each brain hemisphere of the mouse, the LC is the brain’s largest source of noradrenaline, a neurotransmitter crucial for regulating states like anxiety, attention, and arousal.
“Even though the LC is small, its neurons project to nearly every area of the brain,” Sciolino says. “It has the capacity to influence virtually all behavioral states.”
Her Ph.D. research continued under the direction of Georgia’s Philip Holmes and Emory University’s David Weinshenker. She focused on understanding how exercise could impact the activity of the LC and reduce stress levels.
She continued exploring the functions of the LC as a postdoctoral fellowship at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), under the direction of Patricia Jensen, where she had access to cutting-edge intersectional viral and genetic tools to express molecules to map, monitor, and manipulate neural activity.
“At the NIH, I was like a kid in a candy store,” Sciolino says. “The tools available there made it possible to tackle questions I had only dreamed of exploring.”
In 2021, Sciolino joined UConn faculty, where she is continuing her research on the brain and behavior. Specifically, she focuses on defining noradrenaline circuits in aversion, feeding, and taste. Her work has been supported by federal and private grants, including an NIH R00 Pathway to Independence Grant and the Brain Research Foundation Seed Grant. Most recently, she received a two-year, $70,000 NARSAD Young Investigator Grant (formerly known as the NARSAD award) from the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation to investigate the role of the LC in obesity-induced anxiety.
Fostering the Next Generation of Scientists
Bringing her incredible knowledge and passion for science with her to UConn’s PNB department, Sciolino has made a significant contribution to student success by fostering a collaborative and inclusive lab environment. Her love for teaching remains central to her role at UConn.
“I prioritize building an internal network with our team,” she says. She adapts her mentoring approach to suit the diverse learning styles of her students, striking a careful balance between providing guidance and encouraging independence.
By nurturing the next generation of neuroscientists, Sciolino combines her love of teaching with her commitment to advancing our understanding of the brain and behavior.
A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) presents a blood-based proteomic signature that predicts how long people are likely to live in good health—known as healthspan. The Healthspan Proteomic Score (HPS), developed by researchers at the UConn School of Medicine and collaborators at the University of Helsinki and the University of Exeter (UK), provides a powerful tool for understanding biological aging and assessing risks for a wide range of chronic diseases.
Using proteomic data from over 53,000 UK Biobank participants, the research team identified a panel of proteins that collectively signal a person’s biological health. A lower HPS, determined based on the expression of these proteins, was significantly associated with a higher risk of mortality and age-related diseases, including heart failure, diabetes, dementia, and stroke—even after adjusting for chronological age and other health indicators. The score was validated in an independent Finnish cohort and demonstrated superior performance compared to existing measures of biological aging.
“Our findings underscore the importance of shifting the focus from lifespan to healthspan,” says Dr. Chia-Ling Kuo, lead author and associate professor of Public Health Sciences at UConn School of Medicine and The Cato T. Laurencin Institute for Regenerative Engineering. “The HPS captures early biological changes in the body and may help inform interventions that promote healthier aging.”
Dr. Breno S. Diniz, senior author and associate professor of Psychiatry at UConn School of Medicine and UConn Center on Aging, adds, “By integrating proteomic signals of biological aging, HPS offers a promising tool for identifying individuals at risk for age-related diseases and for guiding personalized prevention strategies.”
Although aging is inevitable, this study team, as well as others, are increasingly learning that the pace of aging and how we each age are highly variable. The theme of the NIA-funded UConn Older Americans Independence Pepper Center is Precision Gerontology. This concept seeks to enhance independence in older adults by studying this heterogeneity. This research adds to growing evidence that aging biology can be measured and potentially modified, with the HPS offering a promising surrogate outcome for clinical trials of anti-aging therapies and preventive strategies aimed at extending years lived in good health; it marks an important step toward better predicting variability in aging trajectories and ultimately developing more targeted and effective interventions.
The research team is now working to evaluate the HPS in clinical trial settings. While it is not yet available for widespread use, this work lays critical groundwork for future tools that could help individuals and healthcare providers monitor and promote healthier aging.
This research was supported by the Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Centers (OAIC) program (P30AG067988). Access to UK Biobank data was granted under application no. 92647, “Research to Inform the Field of Precision Gerontology” (PI: Richard H. Fortinsky, Ph.D., study co-author and professor at the UConn Center on Aging). The research team gratefully acknowledges the UK Biobank for providing data access and sincerely thanks the collaborators at the University of Helsinki for their replication efforts, as well as the UK Biobank participants for their invaluable contributions of time, health information, and biological samples that made this research possible.
It is well-established that exercise has tremendous health benefits in terms of preventing and managing a host of diseases. But current recommendations don’t fully reflect this.
A group of medical professionals and experts have published a paper in Current Sports Medicine Reports urging the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), the premier sports medicine professional organization, to lighten up their recommendations for medical clearance prior to exercise, including individuals considered “high-risk.”
Authors on the paper include Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor Linda Pescatello from the Department of Kinesiology (College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources) and Dr. Peter Robinson, assistant professor of cardiology at UConn Health.
The writing group emphasizes the significant benefits of exercise for all people, including those deemed “high risk.” High-risk individuals include those with cardiovascular disease and metabolic disease such as diabetes.
“We’re trying to loosen up potential challenges that people may have for moving,” Pescatello says.
This recommendation differs from the current ACSM guidelines, which state all healthy adults should engage in 150 minutes of moderate physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity exercise weekly or a combination of the two, and engage in muscle strength and endurance building activities twice a week.
The key word here is “healthy.” The authors of the new paper advocate for a change that would encourage all adults, including those with cardiovascular disease and diabetes, to engage in appropriate levels of physical activity, which can actually help to manage disease.
“Physical activity is the best thing for your health,” Pescatello says. “Exercise is medicine, and it has numerous health benefits.”
There is only one cardiovascular event per every 1.5 million hours of vigorous intensity exercise, according to the paper, meaning the risks are extremely low, but the benefits are great.
“Exercise is not risky,” Pescatello says. “The riskiest part of exercise is when you’re not a regular exerciser and you exercise rigorously suddenly.”
Research has shown that the greatest benefits of exercise are seen when those who are sedentary begin exercising.
“At an individual level, this transition away from sedentary behavior has been shown to have numerous benefits. In addition, if large numbers of individuals are able to make this transition, possibly by removing barriers and alleviating unfounded fears, we could see tremendous health benefits at the population level,” Robinson says.
“If you’re sedentary, if you’re not regularly physically active, the greatest health benefits are getting off the couch and doing something instead of doing nothing,” Pescatello says.
The authors encourage a change that would indicate that even individuals with cardiovascular disease or diabetes can begin light-level physical activity without the need for a medical evaluation.
They emphasize the importance of switching from a model in which people must seek medical “clearance,” a term without a specific medical definition, before participating in exercise to one that assumes light-to-moderate physical activity is healthy and beneficial for all.
However, people should still consult a physician if they begin to experience new or changes to signs or symptoms of cardiovascular disease or diabetes, Pescatello says.
“Our message is to get people up and moving and not stopping that unless absolutely necessary,” Pescatello says.
This work relates to CAHNR’s Strategic Vision area focused on Enhancing Health and Well-Being Locally, Nationally, and Globally.
TALLINN, Estonia, June 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitcoin Solaris (BTC-S), a next-generation blockchain project, has officially entered Phase 7 of its presale, offering early participants a strategic entry point ahead of its upcoming exchange launch. With tokens currently priced at $7 and a forecasted listing price of $20, BTC-S presents a 233% ROI potential for early supporters — based on current market benchmarks and demand from its live mining ecosystem.
A Structural Replay of Bitcoin’s Earliest Advantages
Bitcoin Solaris isn’t riding a wave of speculative hype. Its model is engineered around fundamentals that made Bitcoin successful in the first place — a fixed 21 million token supply, scarcity-based mechanics, and a functioning distribution model tied to user contribution rather than capital lockups.
At its core, the protocol combines a Proof-of-Stake and Proof-of-Capacity base layer with a high-performance Solaris Layer that processes over 10,000 transactions per second. Finality occurs in under two seconds, and energy consumption is reduced by over 99.95% compared to traditional mining systems.
Price Forecasts Rooted in Function
Phase 7 of the presale is now live, with BTC-S priced at $7 per token. Exchange launch benchmarks target $20, translating to an immediate 233% ROI for early backers — assuming no speculative appreciation beyond the forecasted listing value.
This figure isn’t abstract. It’s grounded in market benchmarking, liquidity provisioning frameworks, and rising demand from the Bitcoin Solaris mining ecosystem, which has already completed closed beta testing with strong reported returns.
Analyst Attention and Audit-Backed Trust
As President Trump’s crypto-positive policies fuel renewed attention toward blockchain technologies, Bitcoin Solaris is emerging as a key beneficiary — not because of political noise, but because its structure and transparency offer actual utility.
The project has passed a full Cyberscope audit of its smart contract systems, as well as a mobile infrastructure audit by Freshcoins. KYC verification has also been completed by a third party , giving retail participants added assurance in a space often lacking transparency.
Analyst Ben Crypto recently released a market breakdown on YouTube, calling Bitcoin Solaris the closest thing we’ve seen to early Bitcoin conditions since 2012. His thesis centers not on nostalgia, but on clear tokenomics: a capped supply, no emissions curve, and a network ready for mainstream use.
Final Thoughts
Crypto markets follow narratives, but they reward mechanics. Bitcoin Solaris isn’t promising future breakthroughs — it’s rolling them out. The tech is live, the presale is active, and the fundamentals are visible to anyone willing to look beyond the headlines.
With President Trump signaling favorable conditions for crypto adoption, and BTC-S offering a direct path to early-stage ownership with built-in mining incentives, this moment marks a real chance at structural participation.
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As Prime Minister Narendra Modi completes 11 years in office, one of his government’s flagship health initiatives — the Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) — has completed nine impactful years, delivering significant gains in maternal healthcare across the country. Launched in June 2016, the programme continues to demonstrate its role in transforming India’s approach to antenatal care (ANC) and in reducing maternal and neonatal mortality.
PMSMA, spearheaded by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, provides free, assured, and quality antenatal care to pregnant women on the 9th of every month, with special emphasis on those in their second and third trimesters. Since its inception, over 6.19 crore pregnant women have been examined under the scheme, many of them from rural and underserved areas. The programme focuses on early detection and management of high-risk pregnancies (HRPs) to ensure safe outcomes for both mother and child.
One of the most impactful results of PMSMA has been its contribution to reducing India’s Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR). The MMR has dropped significantly from 130 per 1 lakh live births in 2014–16 to 80 in 2021–23, reflecting a 50-point decline. Health officials attribute this success to a combination of systematic antenatal services, community engagement, and increased health awareness.
The programme also draws strength from active private sector participation. As of now, more than 6,800 private doctors have registered as volunteers and are contributing their expertise across 20,752 healthcare facilities that offer PMSMA services nationwide.
In January 2022, the government launched the Extended PMSMA (E-PMSMA) initiative, further strengthening the original programme. E-PMSMA focuses on continuous monitoring and tracking of HRPs until safe delivery. It also offers financial incentives to both pregnant women and Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) for completing three additional ANC visits beyond the standard PMSMA check-ups. As of December 2024, the programme had identified over 78.27 lakh HRPs across all states and union territories.
E-PMSMA has incorporated a strong digital component, including name-based tracking of HRPs and follow-up through automated SMS alerts to both beneficiaries and ASHAs. Each high-risk pregnancy is monitored until at least 45 days postpartum, ensuring comprehensive care.
The PMSMA and its extended version work in alignment with several other maternal and child welfare schemes initiated or strengthened under PM Modi’s leadership. These include the Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY), which promotes institutional deliveries and has benefited over 11.07 crore women; the Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK), which ensures free maternity and neonatal services for over 16.60 crore beneficiaries since 2014; and Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan (SUMAN), which guarantees respectful and quality maternity care through 90,015 health facilities nationwide.
Additionally, POSHAN Abhiyaan, targeting nutritional needs of women and children, and the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), which offers direct cash support of ₹5,000 to pregnant and lactating women, have strengthened the foundation laid by PMSMA in improving maternal and child health outcomes.
As the nation reflects on a decade of policy-led transformation in healthcare, the PMSMA stands out as a symbol of sustained commitment to women’s health. With continued focus on digital tracking, community outreach, and public-private collaboration, the programme has brought India closer to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to maternal health.
Changes have been made to higher education grants for distance learning students.
The Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning, Deputy Rob Ward, has signed an Amendment order allowing students studying through distance learning to be eligible for maintenance grants and a higher tuition grant from September 2025, equal to what campus-based students receive.
This follows the Ministerial Decisions signed in October 2024 and April 2025 to increase distance learning grant thresholds and remove long-term care and hypothec benefits from students’ income assessment. These changes have now taken effect following the signing of the Amendment order.
The key changes are:
Distance learning students can get up to £9,138 to help with living costs
The maximum tuition grant will increase from £7,400 to £9,535
Grants remain means-tested and depend on household income – the same income thresholds apply to both distance and campus students
For distance learners, grants will be adjusted based on how many credits they study (study intensity)
Grants for distance learning are only available for degree courses that are regulated in the British Islands.
Deputy Ward said: “These changes will ensure young people studying for their degrees off-campus are entitled to the same maintenance and tuition grants as their campus-based peers.
“This will level the playing field and further open higher education as a viable path for more young people in Jersey to pursue. This further contributes towards our strategic priority to increase the provision of lifelong learning and skills development.”
An international medical technology company which has made York its UK base has praised the business support available in the city.
Icentia, which was founded in Quebec City, Canada, in 2012, provides wearable ECG (electrocardiogram) devices which monitor the wearer’s heartbeat and can help diagnose irregular cardiac rhythms, in turn helping medical professionals detect and treat cardiac disease early and effectively.
After being worn for between 24 hours and 14 days, patients return the monitor by post to the Icentia’s offices, in Monks Cross, where a team of Cardiac Physiologists analyse the readings and provide summary reports directly to clinicians.
Through providing easy to use, discreet devices, the company aims to improve patient experience by reducing the number of hospital appointments required, facilitating faster clinical decisions and reducing waiting times for treatment.
According to the firm’s UK Managing Director, Darren Macfarlane, the decision over the whereabouts of Icentia’s British HQ was an easy one:
“In many ways the question for us wasn’t so much ‘Why York?’ as ‘Why not York?’
“Why wouldn’t we want to situate our business in a city with a fantastic quality of life, a highly skilled workforce and great transport links to the rest of the country?”
The city’s highly skilled workforce has been of particular benefit to the company, as Darren explained:
“It’s been wonderful to be able to tap into the talent pool offered by the University of York and York St John University. We’ve had several members of staff come to work for us after graduating, and others who have worked part-time with us while studying in relevant fields, who then progressed to working with us full-time on graduation.”
Darren and his team have been supported by the council’s Economic Growth Team from the very start of the company’s UK venture, being helped to get established in York and then supported to grow from then on.
Christine Hogan, an Inward Investment Manager, helped connect Darren to essential regional and local business networks and helping them to identify potential office premises, with the business finally settling in, first at York Science Park in Heslington, then more recently making the move to Monk’s Cross as the business grew.
Once established in York, Darren worked with Louise Saw, one of the council’s Business Growth Managers, who has provided ongoing advice and guidance, including making introductions to key contacts, signposting to funding sources and programmes like Green Economy, which has helped Icentia develop a bespoke Carbon Reduction Plan to reduce their emissions and make cost savings.
Darren said:
“The really great thing about the business support offered by City of York Council is that it’s totally flexible and tailor-made for your specific needs as a business.
“We’ve received different support at different times across our seven years’ operating so far from York and that’s been really valuable to us as we’ve faced evolving business challenges, from finding office space, navigating the complexities of Brexit, to expanding the business and starting to export our products to Europe.”
Cllr Pete Kilbane, Executive Member for Economy and Culture at City of York Council, said:
“The work Icentia are doing is vital and making a real difference to thousands of patients across the world every year, including here in the UK, and it’s fantastic that this life-changing work is taking place right here in York.
“We’re delighted that we’ve been able to support Icentia at every step along the way, from ensuring that they could set up their York HQ with ease, to connecting them to the funding, talent and networks that they need to thrive and expand.
“Because no two businesses are the same, the support we offer is tailored to the specific needs and challenges of your business, and changes as your business grows.”
The council’s Economic Growth team have a wealth of local knowledge, and can help you identify premises and advise on funding, workforce development and much more.
For free, impartial business support, get in touch at economicgrowth@york.gov.uk to start a conversation with our team.
Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –
The results of the 18th All-Russian (with international participation) competition of social advertising “Exit” have been summed up. The competition has been held since 2007 on the basis of Lipetsk State Technical University. This year the festival was dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War and the year of the Defender of the Fatherland.
The competition received over 300 entries. Projects by students majoring in Advertising and Public Relations at the State University of Management won a record number of prizes in various competition nominations.
Winning and prize-winning projects completed by student teams within the framework of the SUM project activities:
Nomination “PR-project”: Subject – Healthy lifestyle 1st place – “Mental Help – for your health” Project team: Victoria Vlasova, Victoria Dudetskaya, Valeria Solodkova, Sofia Zhigalkina (RISSO in business 2-3), manager – Alexandra Nikolaevna Timokhovich.
Valeriya Solodkova: “Our development is dedicated to the current topic of youth mental health. The target audience of our project is young people suffering from depression, anxiety disorders, phobias, stress disorders and other psychological problems. It is important for such people to monitor their health and condition. We have developed a concept and design solutions for a mobile application that is designed to support people with mental problems and improve their well-being.”
Theme: Strong family – strong state 1st place – “Babylon – the door to the diversity of the world” Project team: Chaleleshvili Mariami, Basencyan Meri (RISSO in business 2-3), leader – Timokhovich Alexandra Nikolaevna.
Basentsyan Meri: “In a modern multicultural society, people are not sufficiently informed about the culture and traditions of different nations and nationalities. The lack of a single platform for the exchange of knowledge and experience between representatives of different cultures makes it difficult to preserve and pass on cultural heritage to future generations. As part of the completed project solutions, we offer the audience not only to get acquainted with the culture of other peoples by providing information about traditions, languages, art, history, but also to exchange cultural samples, unite in communities of interest.”
2nd place – “VUZ Directions – your chance!” Project team: Anna Antipa, Olga Lazarenko, Ekaterina Zamordueva, Veronika Kviring, Maria Rasskazova (RISSO in business 2-3), leader – Alexandra Nikolaevna Timokhovich.
Olga Lazarenko: “In connection with the opening up of new technological opportunities, the structure of the labor market is changing. The problem of professional self-determination is becoming relevant. Teenagers often face the problem of choosing a future profession, since it is quite rare that young people in their youth are able to accurately determine in which professional field they would like to develop. Our project developments allow schoolchildren and their parents, as well as adults who want to change their profession, to choose a direction for study at a university or in additional professional education courses, and to decide on a future profession.”
2nd place – “Profor” Project team: Veronika Aparina, Kira Bogatkina, Anna Vaslyaeva, Ksenia Ignatyeva, Sofia Mazeina, Anna Shorohova (RISSO in business 3-1), leader – Elena Vadimovna Dianina.
Shorokhova Anna: “We thought for a long time about how to help schoolchildren with the choice of a university and profession, since we also faced this problem when entering. That’s why the idea arose to create a career guidance mobile application – “Profor”. We want the children to be able to understand their interests and find their favorite thing with the help of our mobile application.”
Subject: We are against crime and corruption 2nd place – “Connectify – there is a solution!” Project team: Angelina Igoshina, Victoria Zobnina, Ruslana Bulakh, Polina Savina, Lolita Krasotina (RISSO in business 2-3), leader – Alexandra Nikolaevna Timokhovich.
Bulakh Ruslana: “In the conditions of globalization of the labor market, the key factor of success is the ability to quickly find reliable business partners. We have developed a concept and solutions for a digital product that allows not only to quickly find the necessary professional contacts for business, but can be used as a network of professional connections necessary for career growth and professional self-realization.”
Nomination “PR-project”: Subject – Doing good 1st place – “Helping the tails” Authors: Ulyana Eremina, Elizaveta Patorova, Alexandra Podganina (RISSO in business 2-2), manager – Elena Vadimovna Dianina.
Topic — Live soberly! 3rd place — “Gambling is an irreversible choice” Authors: Violetta Vdovitsa, Alina Karpova, Shonia Sofiko (RISSO in business 3-1), leader — Elena Vadimovna Dianina.
Subject: We are against crime and corruption 3rd place: “Don’t tolerate! Don’t be afraid! Don’t be silent!” Authors: Bulakh Ruslana, Dudetskaya Victoria, Peldiakova Darya (RISSO in business 2-3), leader: Dianina Elena Vadimovna.
Topic — Social networks, or Where are you, our children? 2nd place — “Virtual shackles” Authors: Anastasia Lazinkova, Polina Pukhova, Maria Sineok (RISSO in business 2-3), leader — Elena Vadimovna Dianina.
3rd place – “Leaving Online 2.0” Authors: Marina Zotkina (PRK 1-1), Svetlana Akimova (RISSO in Business 4-2), supervisor – Elena Vadimovna Dianina.
3rd place – “Safe Path” Authors: Veronika Aparina, Sofia Mazeina (RISSO in business 3-1), leader – Alexandra Nikolaevna Timokhovich.
Topic: You need to live soberly 2nd place – “Every fifth” Authors: Egor Meshcheryakov, Violetta Evteeva, Artem Vozyakov (Digital Marketing Communications 3-2), supervisor – Alexandra Nikolaevna Timokhovich.
3rd place – “Make a conscious choice” Authors: Valeria Gusarova, Dmitry Dzhafarov, Ekaterina Kalchenko (RISSO in business 3-2), leader – Alexandra Nikolaevna Timokhovich.
Subject — Healthy lifestyle 1st place — “Beautiful jars are not for you” Authors: Ulyana Sorokina, Sofia Alekseeva (RISSO in business 3-3), leader — Alexandra Nikolaevna Timokhovich
2nd place – “The Key to a Happy Childhood” Authors: Elizaveta Chabanova, Sofia Petrova, Diana Shakurova (Promotion of New Business 3-1), supervisor – Alexandra Nikolaevna Timokhovich.
Topic: A strong family means a strong country 2nd place: “Take a step towards happiness” Authors: Daria Barinova, Kristina Kazakova, Linara Valeeva (RISSO in business 3-2), leader: Alexandra Nikolaevna Timokhovich.
Subject: Family and children’s problems 1st place – “It’s time to act” Authors: Elizaveta Ilyinichna Fedoseeva, Daria Aleksandrovna Yezhova (RISSO in business 3-1), supervisor – Alexandra Nikolaevna Timokhovich.
2nd place – “Don’t forget your elders” Authors: Dmitry Denisov, Pavel Polyakov, Riad Faig oglu Gubatov, Viktor Lozovsky (Promotion of new business 3-1), leader – Alexandra Nikolaevna Timokhovich.
Topic — Social networks, or Where are you, our children? 1st place — “Take a break” Authors: Anisimova Ioanna, Petrosyan Diana (Promotion of new business 3-1), supervisor — Timokhovich Alexandra Nikolaevna.
2nd place – “Protect yourself on the Internet” Authors: Salnikova Sabina, Karpova Alina, Korotkaya Daria (RISSO in business 3-1), supervisor – Timokhovich Alexandra Nikolaevna.
Subject: Ecoworld 1st place – “Take a pet from a shelter” Authors: Anna Badayeva, Ksenia Stavtseva (RISSO in business 3-1), leader – Alexandra Nikolaevna Timokhovich.
2nd place – “Don’t betray them” Authors: Elizaveta Zhazhina (Promotion of new business 3-1), supervisor – Alexandra Nikolaevna Timokhovich.
2nd place – “Let’s help together” Authors: Ksenia Kalichkova, Maria Vanyakina (Digital Marketing Communications 3-2), supervisor – Alexandra Nikolaevna Timokhovich.
3rd place – “Recycle for the sake of life” Authors: Ruslan Dasaev (RISSO in business 3-3), supervisor – Alexandra Nikolaevna Timokhovich.
3rd place – “Find a friend today” Authors: Maria Sitnikova, Nikita Anufriev (Digital Marketing Communications 3-1), supervisor – Alexandra Nikolaevna Timokhovich.
Nomination: “Outdoor and Print Advertising” Subject: Healthy Lifestyle 3rd place: “Live Here and Now” Authors: Stephanie Maria, Widow Violetta (RISSO in Business 3-1), manager: Timokhovich Alexandra Nikolaevna.
Congratulations to the winning teams and scientific supervisors!
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.
QUEBEC CITY, Canada, June 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — LeddarTech® Holdings Inc. (“LeddarTech” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: LDTC), an automotive software company that provides patented disruptive AI-powered low-level sensor fusion and perception software technology, LeddarVision™, today announced that it has entered into:
an eighteenth amending agreement (the “Eighteenth Amending Agreement”) with Fédération des caisses Desjardins du Québec (“Desjardins”) with respect to the amended and restated financing offer dated as of April 5, 2023 (the “Desjardins Credit Facility”), pursuant to which Desjardins has agreed to, among other things, temporarily postpone certain payments of interest and fees until January 31, 2026, subject to acceptable cash flow projected payments; and
a sixth amending agreement (the “Sixth Amending Agreement”) with the initial bridge lenders, certain members of management and the board of directors and FS Investment Management (collectively, the “Bridge Lenders”) with respect to the bridge financing offer dated as of August 16, 2024 (the “Bridge Financing Offer”) pursuant to which the Bridge Lenders have agreed to, among other things, extend the maturity of the bridge loan to January 31, 2026.
The Sixth Amending Agreement to the Bridge Financing Offer also provides for a new bridge to equity term loan by FS Investment Management in the amount of up to US$2,000,000 for the purposes of providing LeddarTech with the cash necessary to complete one or more equity investments or commercial transactions involving LeddarTech and its technology.
There is no certainty that LeddarTech will be able to raise additional funds or complete any commercial transaction and there can be no assurance that LeddarTech will be successful in pursuing and implementing any such alternatives, nor any assurance as to the outcome or timing of any such alternatives.
The foregoing descriptions of the Eighteenth Amending Agreement and the Sixth Amending Agreement do not purport to be complete and are qualified in their entirety by reference to such amendments, copies of which will be filed under LeddarTech’s SEDAR+ and EDGAR profiles at www.sedarplus.ca and www.sec.gov, respectively.
The term loan by FS Investment Management described above constitutes a “related-party transaction” within the meaning of Regulation 61-101respecting Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions (“Regulation 61-101”) as FS Investment Management is a related party of the Company under Regulation 61-101. The Company is relying on exemptions from the formal valuation requirements of Regulation 61-101 pursuant to section 5.5(a) and the minority shareholder approval requirements of Regulation 61-101 pursuant to section 5.7(1)(a) in respect of such related party’s participation as the fair market value of the transaction, insofar as it involves interested parties, does not exceed 25% of the Company’s market capitalization.
Return to Work of Certain Employees Following the Previously Announced Furlough
LeddarTech also announced a return to work, beginning on June 4th, of certain employees that had been affected by the previously announced workforce reduction. The employees that have resumed their functions are supporting various ongoing commercial activities. LeddarTech plans to progressively call back more of its employees that were furloughed in order to support such commercial activities. There can be no assurance as to the timing of such decision nor that such additional employees will be called back in the near term or at all.
About LeddarTech
A global software company founded in 2007 and headquartered in Quebec City with additional R&D centers in Montreal and Tel Aviv, Israel, LeddarTech develops and provides comprehensive AI-based low-level sensor fusion and perception software solutions that enable the deployment of ADAS, autonomous driving (AD) and parking applications. LeddarTech’s automotive-grade software applies advanced AI and computer vision algorithms to generate accurate 3D models of the environment to achieve better decision making and safer navigation. This high-performance, scalable, cost-effective technology is available to OEMs and Tier 1-2 suppliers to efficiently implement automotive and off-road vehicle ADAS solutions.
LeddarTech is responsible for several remote-sensing innovations, with over 190 patent applications (112 granted) that enhance ADAS, AD and parking capabilities. Better awareness around the vehicle is critical in making global mobility safer, more efficient, sustainable and affordable: this is what drives LeddarTech to seek to become the most widely adopted sensor fusion and perception software solution.
Certain statements contained in this Press Release may be considered forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (which forward-looking statements also include forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws), including, but not limited to, statements relating to LeddarTech’s anticipated strategy, future operations, prospects, objectives and financial projections and other financial metrics, its plans to call back employees who have been laid off as well as expectations regarding the anticipated performance, adoption and commercialization of its products. Forward-looking statements generally include statements that are predictive in nature and depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, and include words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “would,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “likely,” “believe,” “estimate,” “project,” “intend” and other similar expressions among others. Statements that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on current beliefs and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties and are not guarantees of future performance. Actual results could differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement as a result of various factors, including, without limitation: (i) our ability to continue to maintain compliance with Nasdaq continued listing standards following our transfer to the Nasdaq Capital Market, (ii) our ability to timely access sufficient capital and financing on favorable terms or at all; (iii) our ability to maintain compliance with our debt covenants, including our ability to enter into any forbearance agreements, waivers or amendments with, or obtain other relief from, our lenders as needed; (iv) discussions regarding potential alternatives relating to refinancing, recapitalization or any commercial or other suitable transaction; (v) our ability to execute on our business model, achieve design wins and generate meaningful revenue; (vi) our ability to successfully commercialize our product offering at scale, whether through the collaboration agreement with Texas Instruments, a collaboration with a Tier 2 supplier or otherwise; (vii) changes in our strategy, future operations, financial position, estimated revenues and losses, projected costs and plans; (viii) changes in general economic and/or industry-specific conditions; (ix) our ability to retain, attract and hire key personnel; (x) potential adverse changes to relationships with our customers, employees, suppliers or other parties; (xi) legislative, regulatory and economic developments; (xii) the outcome of any known and unknown litigation and regulatory proceedings; (xiii) unpredictability and severity of catastrophic events, including, but not limited to, acts of terrorism, outbreak of war or hostilities and any epidemic, pandemic or disease outbreak, as well as management’s response to any of the aforementioned factors; and (xiv) other risk factors as detailed from time to time in LeddarTech’s reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including the risk factors contained in LeddarTech’s Form 20-F filed with the SEC. The foregoing list of important factors is not exhaustive. Except as required by applicable law, LeddarTech does not undertake any obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statement, or to make any other forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Contact: Chris Stewart, Chief Financial Officer, LeddarTech Holdings Inc. Tel.: +1-514-427-0858, chris.stewart@leddartech.com
Leddar, LeddarTech, LeddarVision, LeddarSP, VAYADrive, VayaVision and related logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of LeddarTech Holdings Inc. and its subsidiaries. All other brands, product names and marks are or may be trademarks or registered trademarks used to identify products or services of their respective owners.
LeddarTech Holdings Inc. is a public company listed on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol “LDTC.”
DALLAS, June 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — CSW Industrials, Inc. (NYSE: CSW) (the “Company”) today announced the commencement of trading of the Company’s common stock on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) under the new ticker symbol, “CSW”. Trading on the NYSE will begin at market open today, June 9, 2025.
CSW’s Executive Management Team and Board of Directors will be in New York City this afternoon to ring the closing bell at the NYSE in celebration of joining the world’s largest stock exchange.
About CSW Industrials CSW Industrials is a diversified industrial growth company with industry-leading operations in three segments: Contractor Solutions, Specialized Reliability Solutions, and Engineered Building Solutions. The Company provides niche, value-added products with two essential commonalities: performance and reliability. The primary end markets we serve with our well-known brands include: HVAC/R, plumbing, electrical, general industrial, architecturally-specified building products, energy, mining, and rail transportation. For more information, please visit www.cswindustrials.com.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Moscow, June 9 /Xinhua/ — The Federal Security Service (FSB) of Russia has thwarted an attempt to commit sabotage at a defense enterprise in the Moscow region, the FSB’s Public Relations Center (PRC) reported.
“The Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation has stopped the illegal activity of two Russian citizens, born in 1987 and 1999, who intended to commit sabotage at one of the enterprises of the military-industrial complex (MIC) in the Moscow region,” the FSB Public Relations Center said in a statement.
The detainees acted on instructions from a Ukrainian organization recognized by the Russian Supreme Court as terrorist, the FSB Public Relations Center reported, without specifying its name. They established contact with representatives of the organization via Telegram, “acting independently of each other.”
In preparation for the sabotage, the detainees conducted reconnaissance and photography of key facilities of the enterprise, sending the resulting footage to their curators, the FSB Public Relations Center added. They removed the components for the homemade explosive device from pre-prepared hiding places.
Both men have been arrested. They confessed to carrying out tasks for a terrorist organization aimed at stopping the operation of a defense industry facility, the FSB Public Relations Center said.
“The Russian FSB draws attention to the fact that Ukrainian special services are increasingly using the Telegram and WhatsApp messengers to involve citizens in sabotage and intelligence activities,” the statement says. –0–