Source: International Association of Drilling Contractors – IADC
Headline: University of Louisiana at Lafayette Student Chapter Participates in Petroleum Engineering Crawfish Boil
The IADC University of Louisiana at Lafayette (ULL) Student Chapter recently participated in the ULL Petroleum Engineering Crawfish Boil. It was a beautiful day with great weather and an excellent turnout. Events like this provide a wonderful opportunity for networking in a laid back environment.
Source: International Association of Drilling Contractors – IADC
Headline: University of North Dakota Student Chapter Hosts Lunch & Learn with IADC Rep Mike Harris
The IADC University of North Dakota Student Chapter recently welcomed IADC representative Mike Harris to campus. With over 50 years of experience in the oil and gas industry, Mike shared valuable insights on the roles of operators, contractors, and service companies, as well as the different types of drilling contracts and the bidding process.
His visit included a tour of the UND petroleum engineering labs, a Lunch & Learn with students and faculty, and a visit to the Wilson M. Laird Core & Sample Library—one of the nation’s premier geological archives, housing over 485,000 feet (92 miles) of core samples from the Williston Basin.
Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Liena Kano, Professor, Haskayne School of Business, University of Calgary
Family businesses constitute a vital component of Canada’s economic landscape. They make up 63 per cent of privately held firms, employ nearly seven million people and generate about $575 billion a year.
While Canadian family-run businesses express international ambitions, their overseas engagement tends to be more conservative compared to their non-family counterparts.
In today’s turbulent economic environment — marked by geopolitical tensions, technological disruption and shifting trade patterns — international competitiveness is more important than ever.
Around the world, family firms have shown remarkable resilience in the face of external shocks. Some of the world’s longest-standing corporations are family-owned, having endured world wars, revolutions, natural disasters and pandemics. For Canadian family firms aspiring to expand abroad, such examples offer both inspiration and insight.
Among such long-standing multinationals is Rothschild, a centuries-old European family-run investment bank. Our case study of Rothschild, based on historical analysis, highlights how the family’s enduring relationships, reliable routines and long-term goals gave it significant advantages in international business.
At the same time, however, families can contribute unique biases, especially “bifurcation bias” — a tendency to favour family resources over equally or more valuable non-family ones. Our study reveals that bifurcation bias can compromise a firm’s international trajectory, especially in distant and complex markets.
Initially a merchant business, the firm was founded in the late 18th century by Mayer Amschel Rothschild, a Frankfurt Jew.
Rothschild and his wife, Guttle, had 10 children, including five sons: Amschel, Salomon, Nathan, Carl and James.
In 1798, Rothschild sent Nathan to Manchester, England, which initiated the firm’s growth in that country and a transition from merchant operations to financial transactions.
By the 1820s, Rothschild became a multinational bank, with Amschel, Salomon, Nathan, Carl and James leading banking houses in Frankfurt, Vienna, London, Naples and Paris, respectively.
In the 19th century, the Rothschild’s strategy of relying on family members initially worked well for the firm.
The five Rothschild brothers corresponded in a coded language and shared a common pool of resources at a time when shared balance sheets were uncommon in international banking.
Their close familial bonds allowed the brothers to move information, money and goods across international borders with a speed and reach that wasn’t accessible to competitors. Rivals, by contrast, had to worry about protecting sensitive information and enforcing commitments.
This internal cohesiveness safeguarded the Rothschild’s business, facilitated transactions and allowed them to maintain resilience through the periods of significant political upheaval: the Napoleonic wars, revolutions and, ultimately, the First World War, which interrupted economic and social progress in Europe.
However, this same over-reliance on family became a disadvantage when Rothschild expanded into the United States.
The Rothschilds showed an interest in the American market as early as the 1820s. However, their repeated attempts to send family members to the U.S to expand operations failed, as none were willing to stay, preferring the comforts of European life.
Since they were unable to establish a family-based anchor in the country, the Rothschilds appointed an agent, August Belmont, to run the U.S. operations on their behalf in 1837.
However, Belmont wasn’t given the authority to exercise entrepreneurial judgment, make investments or enter into deals. He also didn’t have unrestricted access to capital, was never entrusted with an official Rothschild mandate or acknowledged as a full-fledged partner.
The Rothschilds were unwilling to delegate such decisions to someone who was not a direct male descendant of the founder, Mayer Amschel Rothschild.
This failure to use Belmont as a link between the family — with its successful experiences, capabilities, routines and connections in Europe — and the American market — with its growing opportunities and the valuable networks Belmont had begun to develop — ultimately prevented Rothschild from replicating its success in the U.S.
The Rothschilds were eventually eclipsed by the Barings and JP Morgan banks in America. Both competitors followed a different path in the market by opening full-fledged U.S. subsidiaries under their corporate brands with significant funds and decision-making autonomy.
Bifurcation bias does not always have an immediate negative impact. In fact, biased governance practices remained inconsequential for the Rothschilds — as long as there were enough capable family heirs available to lead the bank’s dispersed operations.
In the short- to medium-term, the family’s connections, time-tested routines and mutual reliability built a well of resilience that sustained the bank through the 19th century, one of the most volatile political periods in European history.
But as a firm’s international ambitions outgrow the size of the family, bifurcation bias can damage competitiveness, both in international markets and at home.
At some point, family firms must shift from emotional, biased decision-making to efficient governance systems, which may involve incorporating non-family managers and selecting resources, locations and projects that do not carry emotional significance.
Many successful family firms implement tools in their governance systems to detect and eliminate biased behaviour. For instance, family-owned multinationals such as Merck (Germany), Cargill (U.S.) and Tata Group (India) have checks and balances that prevent decision-makers from thinking only in family terms.
The most successful strategies to safeguard against bifurcation bias invite outside scrutiny into corporate decision-making: appointing non-family CEOs, establishing independent boards, hiring consultants and granting partners decision-making powers.
Today, as the global business environment faces arguably unprecedented volatility, firms are seeking to build resilience to survive the turbulence.
While multi-generational family firms must learn to guard against bifurcation bias to thrive in international markets, their demonstrated ability to withstand external shocks offers valuable lessons for other companies.
How can non-family firms emulate the Rothschild’s success and longevity? The Rothschild case teaches us the value of having a shared organizational language, setting long-term goals, maintaining stable routines and placing a strong emphasis on brand reputation.
These strategies can help any company, family-owned or not, build resilience during volatile times.
Liena Kano receives funding from SSHRC.
Alain Verbeke receives funding from SSHRC.
Luciano Ciravegna receives funding from INCAE Business School, where he leads the Steve Aronson Endowed Chair.
Andrew Kent Johnston 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.
– ref. What family firms like Rothschild can teach Canadian businesses about resilience – https://theconversation.com/what-family-firms-like-rothschild-can-teach-canadian-businesses-about-resilience-254279
Source: US State of New York
overnor Kathy Hochul today announced the ratification of a three-year labor contract agreement with the Communications Workers of America/Graduate Student Employees Union, Local 1104 (GSEU). The GSEU includes more than 4,500 teaching assistants and graduate assistants who are pursuing advanced degrees at campuses within the State University of New York (SUNY) system. Members of the GSEU are employed assisting SUNY faculty and administrators in a variety of teaching, research and administrative activities. The agreement, which runs until July 1, 2026, won the overwhelming approval of members who cast ballots.
“This labor agreement with the Communications Workers of America and the Graduate Student Employees Union reflects our commitment to affordability and higher education,” Governor Hochul said. “I appreciate the partnership of the union leadership throughout negotiations and thank its membership for their commitment to furthering the educational experience at our SUNY campuses across New York State.”
The ratified contract includes compensation increases in each year of the agreement, as well as increases to the minimum stipend paid to unit members. In addition, the contract includes a lump sum bonus in the last year of the agreement and increases to labor/management funds for each year as well.
Communications Workers of America Union 1104 Executive Vice President for Education Andrew Dobbyn said, “GSEU is pleased to reach this agreement with Governor Hochul’s administration. This contract will improve the lives of thousands of Graduate Assistants, both economically and non-economically, who provide the vital instruction and research that makes SUNY run.”
SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. said, “SUNY’s graduate student employees serve our campuses through teaching, research, and so much more as they earn their degrees, and this contract is a well-deserved and responsible reflection of the important role graduate student employees play. We are grateful for the commitment of the Governor’s office, the NYS Office of Employee Relations, and the Graduate Student Employees Union to work together toward this agreement.”
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Will Baker, Associate Professor of Sociology and Education, University of Bristol
All children in England living in households claiming universal credit will soon be eligible for free school meals, the UK government has announced. This will improve the lives of 500,000 more children and save their families £500 per year.
This will reduce hunger at school. But it will not solve the UK’s child poverty crisis.
In her spending review on 11 June, Chancellor Rachel Reeves described the move – as well as investment in education – as “a downpayment ahead of publication of the Child Poverty Strategy in the autumn”. However, the two-child benefit cap, which the government is considering scrapping, and challenging school budgets, remain major barriers to addressing child poverty and food insecurity.
According to analysis from the Institute for Fiscal Studies, the new free school meals policy will ultimately lift 100,000 children out of poverty and cost £1 billion a year. Under the current system, only families in receipt of universal credit and earning below £7,400 a year qualify for free school meals. This incredibly low threshold has excluded a huge number of children living in poverty from getting a good meal at school.
Reactions have been justifiably positive. Nick Harrison, CEO of social mobility charity the Sutton Trust, has called the move “a significant step towards taking hunger out of the classroom”.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies pointed out, however, that the implied poverty reducing benefits of the policy will only be realised in the long term.
This is partly because, since 2018, the eligibility for free school meals has been temporarily widened to mitigate the impact of changes in the welfare system (the roll out of universal credit) on families. During this period, which ended in April this year, children still received free school meals even if family entitlements to universal credit changed.
This means that many children made eligible for free school meals under the new policy are already receiving them. And far fewer than 100,000 children will immediately be “lifted out of poverty”, as the government had claimed.
The education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, called the new school meals entitlement part of “the moral mission of this government to tackle the stain of child poverty”. She said: “Today this government takes a giant step towards ending it with targeted support that puts money back in parents’ pockets.”
Such forceful language almost does justice to the scale of the problem. In the UK, 4.45 million children live in poverty. One in five children live in food insecure households – meaning their families struggle to put food on the table.
My own research shows that a fifth of all schools now run a food bank. Extending free school meals is an undoubtedly positive step but it will only scratch the surface of these much deeper problems.
Given the depths of child poverty in the UK, the government must build on this development if it really wants to tackle the problem. Firstly, the government must commit to removing the two-child benefit cap, which limits benefits paid for children to the first two children in a family. Doing so would lift 350,000 children out of poverty immediately and reduce the number of children turning up to school too hungry to learn.
Extending free schools meal coverage is the less contentious policy option. There is, rightly or wrongly, public support for the two-child limit.
But it is also the comparatively less ambitious and effective one. Lifting the two child benefit cap would help more children at a lower cost per child.
Secondly, too often the government asks schools to meet essential costs, duties and innovations out of their existing budgets. In the long run, this disadvantages all children and particularly those living in poverty. This needs to change.
For example, the government currently only funds 75% of the costs of the new national school breakfast clubs. Next year schools will have to find £400 million from their existing budgets to fund pay rises for teachers. This figure dwarfs the amount schools will receive next year for extending free school meals.
Finally, we need to tackle the root causes of poverty and build viable pathways out of it. This cannot be achieved by largely focusing on education and providing more funding to schools – important as this is.
Child poverty is shaped by how our welfare and benefits system is organised, insecure and low-paid work, the high costs of housing and bills, and the absence of high-quality services and community resources that help children thrive. Only by tackling all of these issues in a coordinated and progressive way will be able to make child hunger and poverty things of the past, which is where they belong.
Will Baker 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.
– ref. More free school meals is a start – here’s what would really address child poverty – https://theconversation.com/more-free-school-meals-is-a-start-heres-what-would-really-address-child-poverty-258509
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ed Case (Hawai‘i – District 1)
(Washington, DC) – U.S. Congressman Ed Case (HI-01), a member of the House Appropriations Committee, early this morning voted against the proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations funding measure.
The measure (MILCON-VA) would fund worldwide military construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and various small agencies and programs supporting our nation’s some 19 million veterans, including some 112,000 throughout Hawai‘i, and their families.
The bill is the first of twelve separate bills developed by the Appropriations Committee that would fund the federal government at some $1.6 trillion for FY 2026 commencing October 1st of this year.
“While the measure does have positive provisions including funding for essential veterans programs, I regrettably had to vote against it because it kicks critical military infrastructure projects down the road yet again, pursues the Project 2025 goal of privatizing VA medical care, shortchanges dedicated funding for Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) cleanup, eliminates climate resiliency efforts and excludes important VA infrastructure funding,” said Case, who is in his seventh year on Appropriations and previously served on the Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs for four years. He currently serves on its Subcommittees on Defense and Homeland Security.
Case spoke to his Appropriations Committee colleagues on the serious deficiencies in the bill that fail to address critical military infrastructure needs throughout the Indo-Pacific (speech here). He stated that only one milcon project is located in the Indo-Pacific despite critical needs in meeting the challenge of the People’s Republic of China. The bill also fails to provide funding for infrastructure in Europe to support U.S. servicemembers working to bolster NATO and deter Russia.
Case further said that the funding measure specifically advances the privatization of veterans health care by proposing vastly larger increases for medical care provided in private sector compared to shorfunding the government’s VA healthcare system, a key goal of the Project 2025 plan being followed by the Trump administration. By vast margins, veterans oppose privatizing the VA and want to receive their medical care at VA clinics and hospitals with a direct mission to care for veterans and their families as opposed to the private sector.
Despite these and other significant problems with the bill, Case highlighted positive provisions he requested, including fully funding the budget request for veterans’ medical care at $131.4 billion and for veterans’ toxic exposures-related needs under the PACT Act.
It also includes $1.3 billion for specific care for women veterans, and supports the Office of Women’s Health, including its childcare initiative. These funds will allow the VA to continue hiring women primary care providers and to increase the number of peer support specialists for women veterans. These efforts have become even more critical as the number of female veterans using VA health care services has increased.
“Women veterans often require specialized care due to unique health needs stemming from their military service and gender,” said Case. “With sustained support from my Committee over multiple years, Congress is working to ensure the VA set the standard for women veterans care, ensuring consistent, high-quality services across all facilities.”
The measure also continues support as Case requested for the VA Center for Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander and United States-affiliated Pacific Islander (NHPIUSAPI) Veterans. The center’s doctors and scientists coordinate research from all over the Pacific Islands and the United States to specifically address veterans’ healthcare in the Hawaiian Islands and throughout the Pacific. The center works with the University of Hawai‘i, and the bill encourages the VA to continue partnering with universities in the Pacific region focusing on issues unique to the NHPIUSAPI community.
Further details follow:
Veterans-Related Programs
The bill provides $133.7 billion in discretionary spending for veterans-related programs, an increase of $4.7 billion above the FY 2025 enacted level
“Our Hawai‘i veterans and their families make up one of the largest percentages of any state in our nation including in such key areas like women and minority veterans. I continued to focus especially on the often unique challenges of delivering full veterans’ health and other benefits in a diverse island state,” said Case.
Specific veterans-related programs and provisions requested and secured by Case include:
· $12 million for the Native American Veteran Housing Loan Program, which is $6 million above the FY 2025 level.
· Contracting preferences for Native Hawaiian owned business that work with the VA.
· Directing the VA to continue supporting the VA Center for NHPIUSAPI Veterans.
· $1.5 million for a pilot project using the most advanced technology to identify the remains of unidentified fallen servicemembers buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
· Directing the VA to develop a plan for more fully providing VA benefits for veterans living in the Freely Associated States.
· $106 million for the American Battle Monument Commission, which manages the Honolulu Memorial at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
· $60 million for the VA Grants for the Construction of Veterans Cemeteries Program, which regularly provides fundings to support Hawaii’s state cemeteries.
· $233 million for substance-use disorder (SUD) efforts to ensure veterans can receive timely SUD specialty services.
· $3.4 billion for the Veterans’ Homelessness Program Resources Account for our nation’s veterans. This funding will enhance homeless veterans service providers ability to provide high demand care such as health services, substance use disorder programs, compensated work therapy and other supportive services.
· $342 million for Rural Health Initiatives, $5 million above FY 2025 level. This will improve access and quality of care for the more than 3 million enrolled veterans residing in highly rural areas.
Military Construction
The bill provides $453.6 billion for Department of Defense (DoD) military construction and family housing, $480 million above the FY 2025 enacted level.
Specific military construction programs and provisions requested and secured by Case critical to Hawai‘i include:
· $634 million for the Energy Resiliency and Conservation Investment Program, which funds projects that save energy and water, reduce DoD energy costs and improve energy resilience.
· Directing the DoD to identify the Army’s investment needs in order to support the wildland firefighters located on Schofield Barracks.
· Directing the DoD to provide a report on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam infrastructure development plan, to address ongoing concerns of the aging water and wastewater facilities on the installation.
· Directing the DoD to assess the aging infrastructure that houses the headquarters of the Marine Corps, Space Force and Special Operations Commands on O‘ahu.
· Directing the DoD to assess the requirement for a floating drydock at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility.
· Directing the DoD to assess the capacity for battle damage repair of all public shipyards and how to prepare these shipyards for conflict requirements under the Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program (SIOP). SIOP is a multi-billion multi-year effort to upgrade the Navy’s four public shipyards, including Pearl Harbor.
· Directing the DoD to assess the infrastructure needs and shortfalls for 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment on Marine Corps Base Hawai‘i.
· Directing the DoD to study the impacts of unexploded ordnance on military construction sites in Guam.
· Directing the DoD to study the necessary steps and what actions would be required to begin construction on port improvements on Tinian Island.
· Directing the DoD to study the necessity and feasibility of establishing a biosecurity inspection facility to combat invasive species on the Northern Mariana Islands.
· Directing the DoD to study the impact and develop a plan to address growing solid waste management issues on Tinian Island.
The bill now moves to the full House of Representatives for its consideration.
A summary of the VA-MilCon funding bill is available here. The committee report explaining the full bill in detail is available here.
###
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Elodie Freymann, Post-doc affiliate, University of Oxford
As it turns out, chimpanzees make pretty good doctors. For decades, scientists have been studying what chimpanzees do when they fall ill. This search has led to the identification of medicinal behaviour, which often involves the ingestion of plants with chemical or physical properties that can help the animal’s recovery.
My team’s recent study in the Budongo Forest of western Uganda found its chimpanzees show a range of healthcare behaviour – one of which, applying chewed botanical material to wounds, had never before been documented in chimpanzees.
Previous studies have shown that wild chimpanzees appear to treat their wounds and maintain sexual hygiene using medicinal plants found in their environment. What’s more, they treat other group members, even ones who are unrelated to them.
In 2022, a study in Gabon, west Africa found that wild chimpanzees catch and apply insects to their wounds as well as the wounds of non-kin community members. A previous study had reported that chimpanzees in the Kibale Forest of Uganda occasionally dab the wounds of unrelated group members with leaves.
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Now our research, published in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, shows the chimpanzees of the Budongo Forest engaging in topical healthcare, both on themselves and others.
To figure out whether the Budongo chimpanzees practice first aid, we combed through more than three decades of hand-written observations from field staff and researchers who have worked in this forest, and searched video archives by Budongo primatologists. We also headed into the field to collect eight months of our own behavioural data. The aim: to accumulate all the cases we could find of external healthcare behaviour and see if a pattern emerged.
What we found surprised us. The Budongo chimpanzees appear to have quite a diverse behavioural toolkit for tending to their own wounds and maintaining hygiene in the wild. This behaviour ranges from simple actions like wound licking, to more complicated behaviour such as applying plant material to an injury.
In some cases, chimpanzees dabbed their open wounds with leaves. In rarer cases, they chewed up plant material (like leaves or stem bark) and applied it directly to the affected area with their mouths. Similar behaviour was shown in Sumatran orangutans in 2024.
Read more:
What the hidden rhythms of orangutan calls can tell us about language – new research
But these chimpanzees don’t limit their self-care to treating wounds. We recorded them freeing themselves from wire snares set by hunters, and cleaning their genitals with leaves after mating. In one notable case documented in the forest’s logbook from 2009, a chimpanzee wiped herself with a leaf after defecating.
We also wanted to determine which plants the Budongo chimpanzees were selecting. We discovered that some of these plants, such as Alchornea floribunda and a species of Acalypha, have traditional medicinal uses and chemical properties related to wound-healing or infection prevention. Whether this is a coincidence, or an indicator that chimpanzees can identify medicinal plants helpful for wound care, is a question for future research.
Buried in logbooks and video archives, we also found seven cases of chimpanzees providing healthcare for others in their community. Even more interesting, the demographics of the providers and receivers of this healthcare varied dramatically – occurring between both genetically related and unrelated chimpanzees.
Our study includes cases of chimpanzees licking each other’s wounds and applying plant material to the wounds of injured group members. This kind of wound care, directed toward others, is considered “prosocial” as it offers no obvious or immediate benefit to the carer. In fact, this kind of direct interaction with the wounds of others can pose risks for the carer, exposing them to infectious pathogens or infections.
As far as we know, this is the first time prosocial wound care has been reported among chimpanzees in the Budongo forest reserve. We also noted cases in which chimpanzees helped free others from nylon snares, and one case in which a female wiped the genitals of a male in her group with leaves after mating.
Our findings add this site to the growing list of places where altruistic healthcare has been observed among non-kin, advancing our understanding of chimpanzees’ capacity for compassion and empathy.
Chimpanzees are often painted as aggressive, Machiavellian and self-interested, especially in comparison to their peace-loving bonobo cousins. But it appears that these highly social animals have a softer side.
Chimpanzees are not the only animals who have been observed administering first aid to others. Recently, a US study found that mice help pull the tongues out of the mouths of unconscious cage companions, clearing their air passages. The carer mice were more likely to do this if they were familiar with the incapacitated mouse.
Even Matabele ants from sub-Saharan Africa will help treat nest mates’ infected wounds with self-generated antibiotic secretions.
Non-human healthcare may take different forms, but it appears that animals throughout the animal kingdom can administer first aid to themselves and others. It may not be such a dog-eat-dog world after all.
Elodie Freymann 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.
– ref. Inside the chimpanzee medicine cabinet: we’ve found a new way chimps treat wounds with plants – https://theconversation.com/inside-the-chimpanzee-medicine-cabinet-weve-found-a-new-way-chimps-treat-wounds-with-plants-258094
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Linda Yueh, Fellow in Economics/Adjunct Professor of Economics, University of Oxford
UK chancellor Rachel Reeves has delivered the government’s spending review, setting out its plans and priorities for the next three years. The aim of the review is of course to allocate spending over that time period – but this government is keen for economic growth and so has directed the funds to try to boost GDP. This approach could work but is particularly challenging in an uncertain global environment.
The parameters of the UK’s fiscal policy were set in the budget last October and the spring statement in March when the chancellor confirmed her fiscal rules, which allowed borrowing only for investment. Day-to-day spending on public services like the NHS and schools has to be met by tax revenues.
As a result of an earlier tweak to the fiscal rules, public investment – spending on things like roads and hospitals – will total about £113 billion from now until nearly the end of this parliament.
Many investors and creditors will have been looking out for this boost, as the UK has lagged behind comparable economies partly due to its lower levels of investment. The announcements have the potential to bring in private funding if more investors see an opportunity to benefit from increased economic growth, particularly if the UK’s relatively high energy costs are also addressed.
Also in line for government investment is social and affordable housing. The announcement of £39 billion for this sector in England was a centrepiece of Reeves’ announcement. Coupled with planning reforms, the independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) judged in March that this could indeed boost growth.
In terms of day-to-day spending, health and defence received the biggest increases among government departments because of, respectively, pressures on the NHS arising from COVID-19 and the ageing population, and from geopolitical challenges like the war in Ukraine.
Both departments, though, also have the potential to raise economic growth. Rates of economic inactivity (people who aren’t in paid work, for example) in the UK have not fallen back to their pre-COVID levels as they have in other major economies such as the US, France and Germany. Improving health services, cutting waiting lists and widening access to mental health support could help get more people back to work, which would boost employment and support growth.
And on defence, spending in this area has the potential (depending greatly on the type of spend) to create technology that could eventually boost the nation’s productivity. GPS, for example, was developed by the US Department of Defense, as were many innovations now used in smartphones. Boosting UK defence spending to 2.6% of GDP by 2027 and investing in technology has the potential to unlock advances in equipment for the UK.
This is not to say that increasing the settlements to other government departments would not support growth too. But some of those departments, including the Home Office, Foreign Office and transport, are now facing cuts in real terms to their spending. And they may find themselves under even more pressure should GDP growth slow.
This is because of the chancellor’s fiscal rule about funding current spending from taxes. This would mean cuts if these receipts fall as a result of slowing growth, since Reeves has very little “fiscal headroom” (spare cash) to ensure she can meet her rules – only £9.9 billion.
But the reverse may also prove to be true. Should investment in research and development (£22.6 billion per year by 2029‑30), renewable energy and infrastructure, alongside planning reforms, increase GDP growth, then the chancellor may find that she has more funding to allocate to day-to-day departmental spending to support public services.
However, it takes time for investment to generate growth. OBR forecasts only expect increased growth of around 1.7% to 1.8% in the second half of this parliament. But those growth forecasts pre-date the US president Donald Trump’s tariffs announced in April, which are causing turmoil in global trade.
This is why it is even more important for the UK to raise domestic economic growth through investing in people, technology and productivity. To govern is to choose, as the saying goes, and the government will hope that these are the right trade-offs to have made in order to grow during such shaky times. Despite the uncertain global picture, the chancellor has laid some promising foundations. Now the challenge will be delivering the growth.
Linda Yueh 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.
– ref. Spending review delivers big boosts for health and defence – but Rachel Reeves is focused on investment – https://theconversation.com/spending-review-delivers-big-boosts-for-health-and-defence-but-rachel-reeves-is-focused-on-investment-258746
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Yvonne Ryan, Associate Professor in Environmental Science, University of Limerick
Electric e-bikes make cycling easier, faster and more accessible. They are already playing an important role in reducing the environmental impact of transport, particularly when they replace a trip in a private car.
But when you scrap an e-bike, you also have to scrap its battery. And these batteries can be particularly dangerous and tricky to dispose of. This means the growth of e-bikes is leading to at least one related environmental problem: a rise in electronic or e-waste.
The sector needs stronger regulations to encourage it to cut its waste. This includes encouraging bikes to be designed to be easier to repair or recycle, and establishing universal standards that allow parts to work across different brands and models, so components can be reused instead of thrown away.
However, e-bikes often fall between legislative cracks, and their exclusion from the priority products under the EU Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, introduced in 2024, was unfortunate.
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At the University of Limerick in Ireland, colleagues and I have been researching the environmental impact of e-bikes. We’re interested in their full lifecycle, from metals in rocks to extraction, manufacturing, years of use and eventual disposal – to see if there are ways to reduce the materials they use.
We interviewed retailers and people who work in waste management. They expressed concerns about online sales of lower-quality e-bikes with easily broken components, as well as the high turnover rates of e-bikes.
Using data from the fleet of e-bikes loaned out at our university, we noted issues with design and compatibility of components. Bike tyres, for instance, have become increasingly non-standard and specialised.
Additive manufacturing, such as 3D printing, may become more important for bike retailers and repairers, who could use it to “print” themselves replacements nuts, screws or even seats. This may be particularly needed in island states such as Ireland, where there are often delays in sourcing parts.
But first, the e-bikes must be of sufficient quality to be repaired. Then, to create the replacement parts, people will need to access the necessary data – digital files with precise designs of objects such as a bicycle tyre or handlebar.
New business models are emerging. Some companies are lending e-bikes to their employees, with a management company taking care of maintenance and repair.
There are also a growing number of mobile e-bike repair services, and specialist training for e-bike repair and retail through manufacturer platforms like Bosch and Shimano.
E-bike brands are shifting from a focus on selling bikes towards offering ongoing services. For example, e-bike retailer Cowboy offers a subscription to mobile bike mechanics, and VanMoof partners with authorised repair services. But while these models work well in big towns and cities, they may not be suitable for rural and smaller urban areas.
Care needs to be taken to ensure that consumers are not disadvantaged or locked out from repair options. In the US, e-bike manufacturers have been requesting exceptions to laws designed to make products easier to repair – while urging that the public should not be allowed to access data needed to make repairs.
On the waste handling side, some of the innovations that have made e-bikes more accessible are also creating new problems.
For example, e-bikes have evolved to be sleeker and sometimes indistinguishable from regular bikes. This makes it easier for them to end up in regular waste management facilities that aren’t equipped for electronic waste. If a lithium-ion battery inside an e-bike still holds charge and gets crushed or shredded, it can start a fire.
But this is a problem we can solve. Computer vision and other AI technologies could help to recognise e-bikes and batteries at waste management facilities. QR codes on bike frames could be used to provide information on the entire product lifecycle, including repair manuals and service history – just like the EU’s proposed product passports.
Consumer awareness, choice and education are key. While it’s up to consumers to initiate the maintenance and repair of e-bikes, policymakers need to ensure these options are available and affordable, and that consumers are aware of them.
Retailers need support to embed “repair and reuse” in their business models. This includes cycle-to-work schemes for people to buy e-bikes, as well as better access to insurance and legal protections for selling refurbished e-bikes, and a workforce with the skills to repair these bikes.
Across the world, bike libraries and “try before you buy” schemes are helping consumers make better decisions, as people can test an e-bike before committing. Moving away from traditional ownership – especially for expensive e-bikes – could make active mobility more accessible.
Policies that drive sales, such as grants and incentives for new bike purchases, can work against efforts to reduce waste. We need more policies that support refurbished and repaired e-bikes.
The e-bike sector is one with great potential to improve both environmental and public health. But to realise these benefits, we need to focus on making them last longer and use less resources.
Yvonne Ryan 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.
– ref. E-bikes are becoming e-waste – here’s how to reduce the environmental cost – https://theconversation.com/e-bikes-are-becoming-e-waste-heres-how-to-reduce-the-environmental-cost-258367
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Eva Cheuk-Yin Li, Lecturer in Media & Cultural Studies, Lancaster University
As a queer woman of East Asian descent who researches transnational queer media and culture, Saving Face (2004), the debut feature by Alice Wu, holds a special place in both my heart and my research.
Set in the tightly knit Chinese-American community of Flushing, New York, Saving Face follows Wil (Michelle Krusiec), a young, promising yet closeted surgeon whose carefully balanced life is thrown into chaos when her widowed mother, Hwei-Lan (Joan Chen), shows up on her doorstep. Hwei-Lan is pregnant and has been banished by her community, and is refusing to name the father.
What unfolds is a story that blends romantic comedy with drama. As well as Wil’s budding relationship with a dancer named Vivian (Lynn Chen), the film explores the tensions between mothers and daughters, identity and duty, and the quiet pressure of silence and the fear of coming out.
But what makes Saving Face stand out two decades after its release is its portrayal of love and family – through a lens of tenderness and care. It was one of the first mainstream films to centre a queer Asian American woman.
The emotional heart of the film lies in the layered interplay between personal desire and cultural expectation, which is felt not only by Wil but also by her mother. While Wil is carefully exploring a same-sex romance, Hwei-Lan’s unexpected pregnancy has left the family reeling with shame. The film explores how these two women of different generations are pushed to perform “respectability”, even as they long for love and self-determination on their own terms.
This article is part of a series highlighting brilliant films that should be more widely known and firmly part of the canon of queer cinema .
In many East Asian societies, the idea of “face” – a person’s reputation, dignity and social currency – shapes the way they move through the world. To “lose face” is to lose one’s social standing, bringing shame on oneself and one’s family.
Growing up as a tomboyish daughter in Hong Kong, I was acutely aware of how even my clothing, hairstyle or mannerisms could be read as a reflection of my parents’ success or failure in raising me. In other words, my gender expression could make my family lose face, something that queer ethnographer Denise Tang has also observed in the experiences of her lesbian informants in Hong Kong. This social pressure – the way neighbours stare and talk, the way family reputation hinges on everyday interaction – can be exhausting.
And like Wil in the film, I channelled my energy into academic achievement. This was perhaps to compensate for my (unspoken-yet-socially recognised) queerness, to prove my worth and save face – both mine and my family’s. In environments where silence is preferred, excelling becomes a form of camouflage – a way of negotiating who you are without having to say it aloud.
Wu’s film captures this perfectly. Both Wil and her mother are caught in webs of expectation: to be the “dutiful daughter” and “respectable mother”.
But what I love about Saving Face is that it doesn’t demonise culture or community. Instead, it invites viewers to witness how love – queer love, maternal love, self-love – can expand our understanding of what it means to belong. The mother-daughter dynamic is just as central as the romantic plot, and it is rare to see this kind of intergenerational, diasporic storytelling rendered with such care and grace.
Shot on 35mm, Saving Face is a visual joy. The warm, lived-in colours and soft, quiet richness give the film a timeless, intimate feel. There is a restrained elegance to Wu’s direction that lets the emotional currents breathe.
Joan Chen is magnetic as Wil’s mother, bringing unexpected comedic charm alongside poignancy. Krusiec and Lynn Chen, as Wil and Vivian, bring a nuanced chemistry that feels genuine. Their connection has all the longing and awkwardness that makes a romcom work, without falling into cliché.
Despite its cult status in queer Asian and Sinitic-language communities, Saving Face is still often left out of broader LGBTQ+ film canons – even though it was recently added to the Criterion Collection, known for curating significant classic and contemporary cinema. But it should not be.
This film is far more than a “representation win”. It’s a sharp, funny and emotionally rich story that complicates the binary between personal freedom and responsibility. And queer Asian characters are still rarely portrayed with this much nuance, complexity – and joy.
For viewers unfamiliar with the cultural backdrop, Saving Face offers a glimpse into the negotiations many of us make within families and communities who prioritise harmony and silence over disruption. For those of us who know this world intimately, the film is a gift. It is a recognition that our experiences are not only valid, but beautiful.
Eva Cheuk-Yin Li 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.
– ref. Hidden gems of LGBTQ+ cinema: Saving Face is a complicated romcom that tenderly depicts the experiences of queer Asians – https://theconversation.com/hidden-gems-of-lgbtq-cinema-saving-face-is-a-complicated-romcom-that-tenderly-depicts-the-experiences-of-queer-asians-258520
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Barbara Jacquelyn Sahakian, Professor of Clinical Neuropsychology, University of Cambridge
Anxiety disorders are the world’s most common mental health problem. But it isn’t always easy to get professional help, with long waiting lists in many countries.
Worldwide, only about 28% of people with anxiety receive treatment. The figure is similar for the UK, and in the US about 37% receive a treatment. This is due to a number of factors such as lack of resources, including mental health staff, and stigma associated with mental health problems.
But if you’re struggling to get help, there are things you could try at home in the meantime – including some novel technologies. To understand how they work, let’s first take a look at how anxiety is expressed in the brain and body.
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The symptoms of anxiety are cognitive and emotional as well as physiological. They can include trouble concentrating and making decisions, feeling irritable or tense and having heart palpitations or shaking. Trouble sleeping and feelings of panic or impending danger are also common.
These symptoms often start in childhood and adolescence. Sadly, it frequently continues into adulthood, especially if untreated.
There are many genetic and environmental factors involved in the development of anxiety. These can include competition and pressure at school, university or work or financial worries and lack of job security. Social isolation and loneliness are also common factors, often a result of retirement, home working or stemming from bullying or maltreatment in childhood.
Such experiences may even rewire our brains. For example, our neuroimaging study has shown that maltreatment in childhood is linked to changes in the connectivity of the brain’s centromedial amygdala, which plays a key role in processing emotions, including fear and anxiety, and the anterior insula, which processes emotion among other things.
Anxiety is commonly associated with depression or other conditions, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder. During the COVID pandemic when the prevalence of anxiety and depression increased by 25%, people with such neurodevelopmental conditions exhibited more emotional problems than others.
According to the Children’s Commissioner this is still on the rise with 500 children per day being referred to mental health services for anxiety, more than double the rate pre-pandemic.
Researchers are still uncovering new ways for professionals to help treat such people. For example, in our recent study, we noticed that suicidal thoughts and depression were more common in children with anxiety who were also very impulsive. This could impact the treatments they receive. So the science of how to best treat anxiety is constantly moving forward.
Unfortunately though, waiting lists for even receiving a diagnosis can sometimes take years. Neurotechnology can, at least in part, help fill the gap before symptoms get worse. There are a number of startup companies in the anxiety space, working on both hardware and software for anxiety management.
Technology for managing anxiety is rapidly advancing, offering alternatives and complements to traditional therapies. Moonbird, for example, uses a handheld device that guides users through paced breathing with gentle physical movements. You essentially feel the device move in your hand and breathe along with it. Research has shown that such breathing can help the nervous system to reduce anxiety symptoms.
The company Parasym influences brain regions involved in mood and stress regulation. People can use it by wearing a small device that applies mild electrical micro impulses running through the vagus nerve, which runs from the ears and downwards trough the neck and activates a key part of the nervous system.
Neurovalens and Flow Neuroscience are exploring non-invasive brain stimulation, such as transcranial “direct current stimulation (tDCS)”. This can be applied by using electrodes placed on the scalp to deliver a mild, constant electrical current to alter brain activity. These devices ultimately target the prefrontal cortex to support the regulation of emotions. One scientific review of tDCS studies in anxiety has concluded that some research clearly showed benefits of tDCS for treating anxiety symptoms, although larger scale and longer duration studies were needed.
How we experience life events and feel or react to them also influences physiological functions such as our heart rate. You will have experienced how having a meaningful conversation creates a special connection between two people. This can actually manifest in the body as increased synchronisation of your heart rates and other functions. This is termed “physiological synchrony” and is thought to be important for positive social interaction.
Unfortunately, in common conditions of anxiety, including social anxiety and postpartum maternal anxiety, heart rate can become less variable and therefore less able to synchronise. Therefore, a device that promotes physiological synchrony would be beneficial. The company Lyeons is currently developing such a device, targeting anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and ADHD.
On the digital side, Headspace offers structured meditation and cognitive behavioural therapy based programmes. Similarly, ieso offer typed text-based CBT therapy for mild to moderate anxiety and low mood. These platforms use guided meditation, breathing exercises and behavioural tools to help users build emotion resilience and reduce anxious thought patterns.
Other emerging tools also include virtual reality, which is being explored for exposure therapy and immersive stress reduction, in particular. All these technologies have used scientific and medical information to offer diverse options that address both mind and body.
If we can halt the trend towards increasing numbers of people suffering from anxiety and find ways to improve access to effective treatments, it will lead to a better quality of life for individuals and their families, improved productivity and wellbeing at work and promote a flourishing society.
Barbara Jacquelyn Sahakian receives funding from the Wellcome Trust. Her research work is conducted within the NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) Mental Health and Neurodegeneration Themes.
Christelle Langley receives funding from the Wellcome Trust. Her research work is conducted within the NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) Mental Health and Neurodegeneration Themes.
– ref. Anxiety is the most common mental health problem – here’s how tech could help manage it – https://theconversation.com/anxiety-is-the-most-common-mental-health-problem-heres-how-tech-could-help-manage-it-258116
Source: The Conversation – USA – By Kimmika Williams-Witherspoon, Professor of Theater, Temple University
Joseph V. Labolito/Philadelphia Collections
To celebrate Father’s Day, The Conversation U.S. asked Philadelphia anthropologist, playwright and poetic ethnographer Kimmika Williams-Witherspoon to reflect on a poem she recently performed to accompany a 1986 photograph by Philadelphia photographer Joseph V. Labolito.
Williams-Witherspoon, who also serves as senior associate dean of the Center for the Performing and Cinematic Arts at Temple University, shares how the collaboration came about, and why one of Labolito’s photos in particular brought back a rush of cherished memories of being a little girl hanging out with her dad.
There Are Black Fathers
To Daddy, Father’s Day, June 19, 1983
I’ve known men
Who rise at dawn
To run a sort of race;
Working through sleep
Stopping long enough to yawn
Providing for their families Just a little
place.
Black men going, going, going
(sometimes, till their gone.)
I’ve known men
Who trudge home after long hours
And an even longer pain,
And still manage to smile,
Warmed by the voice of a child.
"Hi, Daddy!"
"How was your day?"
I’ve known men Who take care
Even when Mommy can’t.
And, even though they can only
Cook hamburgers really good,
They put band-aids on awfully well.
I’ve known men
Who loving replace lost teeth
With shiny new dimes;
Remember birthdays and Christmas’.
Dutifully repair
Old, broken toys And, even, sometimes,
Wipe away salty tears.
I’ve known men
Who reprimand,
Teach us values
And, if we’re lucky,
Along with Mom,
Help us take a stand.
Who calm us when we’re frightened;
Scare us when we’re bad — Hold our hands.
I’ve known men,
Not just as Fathers;
But, more so, as "Dads" —
Who give us what we get
And gave us what we had.
Loving and kind;
Stern, yet strong,
I’ve known men
Who’ve guided generations along
As provider, supporter, parent — Pop, Dad!
There are Black fathers
Who would gladly do it again
Parenting future generations.
Yes, I have known These men.
© 2025 Kimmika L. H. Williams-Witherspoon
The whole poem is a tribute to my father, Samuel Hawes Jr., who lived from 1920 to 1989, and the many men like him who were always present and participatory in the parenting of their children and the providing for their families.
Because of stereotypes and popular culture – media, movies, news stories – that tend to demonize and pathologize Black men, there’s a myth that men in our communities are all cut from the same cloth.
For me, the poem discounts that stereotypical narrative and celebrates the African American men that I knew growing up – Daddy, my uncles, the deacons in our church, the neighborhood dads on my block.
The men in this photograph represent men like Daddy, who at one point worked two jobs to provide for his family. He drove a yellow cab and worked the graveyard shift as a presser at the U.S. Mint. He took me to school every morning when I was in high school. He made it to every school function or occasion, drove me to and from parties so I could hang out with friends, took me to church every Sunday morning and on those special road trips to Cleveland, Akron, Ohio, and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, throughout my life.
Joe Labolito is a Philadelphia photographer whose work, I believe, is visual ethnography at its best. Throughout the ‘80s, ’90s and 2000s, he documented the people, streets and neighborhoods of Philadelphia. His photographs are housed in several public and private collections, including the Special Collections Research Center at Temple University and the Free Library of Philadelphia’s Print and Picture Collection.
About a year ago, I saw an exhibit of Joe’s work at Temple. Since that time, I have been using some of his photographs as a visual prompt for my students, while he and I talked about doing something together down the road.
When I was asked to participate in Temple University President John Fry’s investiture events in March 2025, I asked Joe if he wanted to do something with me. Right away he said “Yes … whatever it is.” I asked him to send me maybe 25 of his favorite photos, and instead, he sent me about a hundred. When I got a minute to sift through them, there were 11 that, as soon as I looked at them, immediately prompted lines of poetry.
This photograph of the two men and the little girl, however, made me remember an old poem, “There Are Black Fathers,” I had written a long time ago – on Father’s Day on June 19, 1983 – for my father before he passed away from prostate and bone cancer. I went digging through my old journals until I found the poem that I had written for Daddy, and I performed that poem to this photograph at the event.
The juxtaposition between the men and the little girl – their beautiful, bright smiles, the joy they seemed to radiate – it all made me think about and remember how much I loved Daddy my entire life but especially as a little girl.
That’s the power in these kinds of artistic, material and visual artifacts. This photograph transported me right back to my childhood, filled with the warmth of a summer’s day, hanging out with my dad, and the promise of a banana Popsicle later in the afternoon.
Whatever the prompt – a photograph, a landscape, a person I’ve passed on the street, a word or phrase – the first draft is a free-write sensory download dump. I ruminate and then write down everything that comes to me in whatever order it comes.
And then with each subsequent draft or pass at it, I start reading the poem out loud and tweaking it, making edits, moving and changing things while crafting lines that frame and build the story. I read the piece aloud over and over and over again until the poem tells me when I’ve got it right. I don’t know how, but my ear will tell me when it’s done and right with my spirit.
Ethnography is an area of anthropology. From the Greek word “ethnos,” ethno simply means people or culture, and graphy, from the Greek word “graphia,” is the writing about said people or culture.
Traditional ethnographies are usually written in a diarylike journal form. You end up jotting things down – thoughts, feelings, expressions, verbatim texts from interview participants – alongside bits and pieces of theory that correlate. Field notes are a combination of prose and scientific inquiry. I am a proponent of compiling poetic ethnographies – turning my observation and investigation of cultures, communities, and my field notes, into poetic form.
Growing up in Philadelphia and a product of Philadelphia public schools, my primary language is mainstream U.S. English, but I tell people that my actual language is poetry. I see the world through poetry, and through the medium of poetry, I think I am better able to articulate the world I see.
Read more of our stories about Philadelphia.
Kimmika Williams-Witherspoon has received funding from Lumena Foundation’s Fund for Racial Justice and Equity (2018-19) and PEW Charitable Trusts Arts Grant (2020).
Joseph V. Labolito owns the copyright to Philadelphia Collections. Philadelphia Collections research and operations is supported and partially funded by the Bridge award; an internal grant provided by the Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) at Temple University for the 2024 – 2025 year.
– ref. A portrait taken in North Philly in the 1980s reconnects poet with cherished memories of her own beloved father – https://theconversation.com/a-portrait-taken-in-north-philly-in-the-1980s-reconnects-poet-with-cherished-memories-of-her-own-beloved-father-255810
Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Ruchira Nandasiri, Instructor, Agrology, University of Manitoba
Healthy food is hard to come by in northern Manitoba. Food shipped from the south is prohibitively expensive and is often stale, and the climate and soil in the region don’t support much traditional outdoor farming.
This issue disproportionately impacts northern Indigenous communities, many of which have moved away from traditional food practices, creating a supply problem with far-reaching health consequences.
The 10-year First Nations Food, Nutrition and Environment Study, funded by Health Canada and published in 2018, found that one in four First Nations people in Manitoba is affected by diabetes. Those living in Manitoba’s vast but sparsely populated portion of the Boreal Shield Ecozone experience poorer health outcomes compared to their southern neighbours.
A lack of employment opportunities, combined with limited food accessibility and high prices, contributes to food insecurity and poor nutrition. With few affordable, healthy food options — especially fresh produce — communities in the region are grappling with rising rates of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and hypertension.
To address these inequities effectively, solutions must respect Indigenous autonomy and self-determination, which have been critical to the success of an especially innovative, community-led initiative.
The Opaskwayak Cree Nation (OCN), located south of Flin Flon near the Saskatchewan border, has taken bold steps to address diabetes and other health challenges facing its residents.
According to the OCN Health Authority, more than 40 per cent of adults in the community live with hypertension and diabetes. The implications of this epidemic are profound: not only are health-care costs soaring, but resources that could be allocated to other critical areas, such as infrastructure and education, are being diverted to manage the growing health crisis. In response, OCN has made improved access to nutritious foods a priority.
In 2016, the community launched a smart vertical farm (SVF), a cutting-edge indoor facility designed to grow fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs year-round. The SVF employs computer-controlled smart technology that optimizes growing conditions by adjusting factors such as light, humidity and CO2 levels, and nutrient delivery. This advanced system ensures that the farm produces high-quality produce, despite the harsh northern climate.
The benefits of the SVF go beyond access to fresh vegetables. The system uses energy-efficient LED lights and a closed-loop water and nutrient system, making it both environmentally friendly and economically sustainable.
By growing food locally, the OCN reduces its reliance on expensive and hard-to-access groceries. This also enhances food security and fosters community empowerment and self-sufficiency.
Among the fresh produce grown, vegetables from the Brassica family — such as broccoli, kale and cabbage — are especially valued for their healthy properties. These vegetables can aid in the management of diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and hypertension.
Microgreens like broccoli sprouts are of special interest for their bioactive compounds, including phenolics and glucosinolates. These compounds have been linked to improved health outcomes, including improved blood sugar levels and reduced inflammation.
The health benefits can be further enhanced by optimizing growing conditions such as light intensity, nutrient levels and water supply.
The OCN Health Authority, in collaboration with a research team at the University of Manitoba, has been investigating the most effective methods for cultivating these high-value crops in the SVF and exploring post-harvest processing techniques to maximize their bioactive potential.
Research has shown that air frying vegetables, for example, helps retain nutritional value while enhancing bioactive compounds. The high heat and minimal oil that characterizes air frying preserves nutrients, making it an ideal preparation technique.
The potential for these optimized vegetables to help manage Type 2 diabetes is significant.
By increasing access to nutrient-dense, bioactive-rich foods, the OCN aims not only to improve community health but also to reduce the burden on the health-care system. As the community continues to explore innovative solutions, its goal is to build a sustainable, locally controlled food system that addresses both immediate health concerns and long-term economic resilience.
The success of the OCN’s vertical farm demonstrates the powerful interactions of Indigenous knowledge, technological innovation and community-led action in tackling complex health and food security challenges. By empowering local communities to take charge of their own food systems, the OCN is setting an example for other Indigenous and remote communities, striving for self-sufficiency and health equity.
Ultimately, the collaborative journey toward health equity in northern Manitoba is just beginning. But the lessons learned from the OCN’s innovative approach to food production and diabetes prevention offer valuable lessons and a blueprint for other communities across Canada.
With continued support and investment in Indigenous-led initiatives, a future where healthy, affordable and culturally appropriate food is accessible to all is within reach.
Miyoung Suh receives funding from the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP)
Ruchira Nandasiri 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.
– ref. Indoor farming helps community members bring healthy food to northern Manitoba – https://theconversation.com/indoor-farming-helps-community-members-bring-healthy-food-to-northern-manitoba-256295
Source: Republic of Taiwan – Ministry of Foreign Affairs
June 5, 2025
No. 196
Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung on the morning of June 4 met with a delegation led by Hanna Zdanowska, Mayor of Łódź, Poland. The six-member delegation also included Łódź University of Technology Rector Krzysztof Jóźwik, Łódź City Councilors Beata Bilska and Maciej Rakowski, and Łódź city government officials. The two sides engaged in an in-depth exchange of opinions regarding Taiwan-Poland interactions on economics and trade, culture, and academic and city affairs.
During the meeting, Minister Lin began by once again welcoming Mayor Zdanowska to Taiwan and thanking her for the warm reception extended to him during his visit to Łódź in November 2024. Noting that city-to-city diplomacy played an important role in Taiwan’s overall external relations, Minister Lin said he was delighted that the delegation would be meeting with Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che to formally conclude a sister-city agreement. He said that Tainan and Łódź had many things in common and that he looked forward to the two cities continuing to deepen substantive cooperation, further expanding mutual interactions and exchanges in a range of areas, and developing a mutually beneficial partnership.
Mayor Zdanowska said that Łódź, a city with a long history at the heart of Poland, enjoyed convenient transport links, a rich cultural heritage, and a solid industrial foundation. Remarking that the development of special economic zones and road and airport infrastructure had much improved the city’s economic prospects in recent years, she said she hoped that Taiwanese industries would work with Łódź to generate mutual prosperity. Mayor Zdanowska also stated that Łódź had recently been active in developing its film and television and arts and cultural industries, and said she believed there was room for collaboration with related sectors in Taiwan.
Taiwan and Poland share such values as freedom and democracy. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to promote close cooperation between Taiwan and Poland and seek to deepen their resilient partnership so as to create enduring prosperity and well-being for the peoples on both sides. (E)
Source: Republic of Taiwan – Ministry of Foreign Affairs
June 6, 2025
No. 198
Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung hosted a dinner on June 5 to mark a state visit by President Bernardo Arévalo of the Republic of Guatemala and First Lady Lucrecia Peinado. Minister Lin conveyed a sincere welcome on behalf of the government of Taiwan and said that Taiwan hoped to build upon the existing solid foundation of cooperation with Guatemala to jointly forge an even more strategically significant partnership.
In his remarks, Minister Lin said that Taiwan and Guatemala enjoyed a deep friendship and had maintained diplomatic ties for more than 90 years, adding that cooperation between the two sides had yielded fruitful results across various domains. He noted that during this state visit, President Arévalo had signed a letter of intent on semiconductor cooperation with President Lai Ching-te and that the two presidents had also witnessed the signing of an MOU on a political consultation mechanism between their respective foreign ministers and the signing of a letter of intent on bilateral investment in supply chains between their respective economic ministers. He stated that these actions not only demonstrated the two countries’ staunch and cordial relations but would also further deepen bilateral cooperation. Minister Lin emphasized that Taiwan’s government would continue to work hand in hand with the Guatemalan government under President Arévalo’s leadership to advance Guatemala’s national development; deepen trade, economic, and investment ties and semiconductor cooperation; and jointly advance comprehensive bilateral collaboration across all sectors. Minister Lin also mentioned how cordially he was received by President Arévalo and First Lady Peinado when he visited Guatemala last October. He said that he had brought home and continued to cherish a menu, signed by President Arévalo, from the banquet held at the president’s residence.
In his remarks, President Arévalo thanked Minister Lin for his warm reception and expressed delight at being able to meet in Taipei again after October 2024, when his wife had visited Taiwan for National Day celebrations and Minister Lin and his wife had visited Guatemala. He said that their interactions had always been convivial and sincere. President Arévalo also pointed out that the attendees of the dinner were experts and leaders in different fields, highlighting how Taiwan-Guatemala cooperation had become more comprehensive and diverse. He said that the documents signed on the morning of June 5 would serve as guideposts for the direction of future cooperation between the two nations and voiced his firm conviction that the Taiwan-Guatemala partnership would continue to grow even closer.
Among other attendees at the dinner were International Cooperation and Development Fund Secretary General Huang Yu-lin; National Taiwan University Professor Chang Pei-zen; Vice Superintendent of National Taiwan University Hospital Lou Pei-jen; President of Chunghwa Telecom Lin Rong-shy; and CIECA Chairman Joseph Jye-cherng Lyu. Interactions at the event were lively and cordial. (E)
Source: Republic of Taiwan – Ministry of Foreign Affairs
June 9, 2025
No. 204
Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung hosted a luncheon on June 9 to welcome a delegation led by Marie-Noëlle Battistel, Chair of the French National Assembly’s Taiwan Friendship Group. He extended appreciation to the French Parliament for its staunch support and close friendship with Taiwan.
In his speech, Minister Lin congratulated Ms. Battistel on her election as chair of the Taiwan Friendship Group earlier this year and thanked the French Parliament for its long-standing and cross-party support of Taiwan, including the overwhelming endorsement in a resolution in 2021 supporting Taiwan’s international participation, the passage of the seven-year Military Programming Law in 2023 supporting freedom of navigation in the Taiwan Strait, and its enthusiastic response to sending a joint letter to the director-general of the World Health Organization in May backing Taiwan’s bid. Minister Lin noted that Europe’s support for Taiwan was crucial, that Taiwan-France relations continued to grow and thrive, and that there was great potential to deepen collaboration between Taiwan and France in key technological domains and innovative industries. He expressed hope that the two sides would further contribute to global prosperity and development through closer exchanges and cooperation in the future.
In her speech, Chair Battistel said that she was honored to serve as chair of the French National Assembly’s Taiwan Friendship Group and emphasized that she would continue to lead the group in its steadfast support of Taiwan, in line with French values and global common interests. She indicated that China’s threats and attempts to suppress Taiwan had had wide-ranging impacts on the world and urged democratic countries to jointly support Taiwan. She added that she believed Taiwan’s participation in international organizations was pivotal and that the entire international community stood to benefit from Taiwan’s knowledge and experience.
This is the second delegation from the French National Assembly to visit Taiwan this year, following a visit in May by Guillaume Kasbarian, former French Minister of Civil Service and member of the National Assembly’s Taiwan Friendship Group.
At the invitation of Minister Lin, Professor Lee Hahn-ming of the Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering at National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, along with Wu Min-hsuan, CEO of Doublethink Lab, attended the luncheon and exchanged views with the delegation on such issues as how Taiwan and France could jointly cope with the use of artificial intelligence by foreign forces to manipulate information. (E)
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
TORONTO, June 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL), Canada’s premier nuclear science and technology laboratory, and Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL), Canada’s nuclear Crown corporation, are pleased to announce that they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the University Network of Excellence in Nuclear Engineering (UNENE) to pursue the development of the Canadian Nuclear Learning Centre (CNLC). The vision of the centre is to coordinate education, training, knowledge management and workforce development across Canada’s growing nuclear sector.
“CNL has always played a critical role in developing highly qualified people for Canada’s nuclear workforce,” says Dr. Stephen Bushby, CNL’s Vice-President, Science & Technology. “This effort will continue through the creation of the Canadian Nuclear Learning Centre, which will provide learning opportunities to build a talent pipeline for both CNL and the industry as a whole. The CNLC, with the support of AECL’s Federal Nuclear Science and Technology Work Plan, provides an excellent complement to our Academic Partnership Program that began in 2022.”
The new agreement addresses collaborative work the three organizations will undertake to establish the centre. These include expanding UNENE programming and activities to incorporate use of the world-class facilities and expertise at Chalk River Laboratories and other CNL sites, while exploring both the development of micro-credential offerings and the opportunity for regional hubs via academic and other national laboratory partners. Central to the collaboration is advancing nuclear education to support workforce development priorities. Each organization will also look to leverage their long-term relationships with Canadian academic institutions to examine opportunities for joint project coordination.
“Canada’s national nuclear laboratories play a vital role in developing the next generation of scientific talent,” noted Dr. Amy Gottschling, Vice President of Science, Technology, and Commercial Oversight at AECL. “We know that it’s not enough to have world class scientific facilities; we are always thinking about how we can contribute to the growth of the next generation of nuclear leaders and innovators. That’s what makes UNENE such an important partner for AECL and CNL. Wherever today’s students ultimately make their careers, the investment we make today in building their expertise will pay huge dividends for all of us in the future.”
Since 2002, UNENE has worked to advance nuclear knowledge – offering nuclear engineering, science and technology research and education programming. With the support of its partners and funding organizations, including CNL and AECL, it is the centre of a network of universities, industry and government that is focused on building capacity and heightening visibility of Canada’s university excellence as an important contribution to the country’s tier one nuclear nation.
“UNENE has a proud history of contributing to nuclear education and training in Canada, including our activities to enable collaboration between industry and academia,” says Jerry Hopwood, President, UNENE. “Today, the momentum is rapidly increasing for nuclear technology as part of the growing clean energy sector. The learning centre initiative is a vital contributor to the crucial task of developing a capable nuclear workforce for tomorrow, and broadening understanding of nuclear technology. This initiative will enable Canadians to grow valuable, practical skills towards a qualified workforce, and will provide a pathway for information and insight to students and stakeholders who wish to learn more about nuclear science and technology. UNENE is looking forward to being part of this exciting initiative.”
As part of the collaborative work to develop the centre, the organizations will present an initial concept of the centre for input at CNL and AECL’s Second Annual University Day this July. An initial plan for the centre is expected to be finalized in Fall 2025.
About CNL
As Canada’s premier nuclear science and technology laboratory and working under the direction of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL), CNL is a world leader in the development of innovative nuclear science and technology products and services. Guided by an ambitious corporate strategy known as Vision 2030, CNL fulfills three strategic priorities of national importance – restoring and protecting the environment, advancing clean energy technologies, and contributing to the health of Canadians.
By leveraging the assets owned by AECL, CNL also serves as the nexus between government, the nuclear industry, the broader private sector and the academic community. CNL works in collaboration with these sectors to advance innovative Canadian products and services towards real-world use, including carbon-free energy, cancer treatments and other therapies, non-proliferation technologies and waste management solutions.
To learn more about CNL, please visit www.cnl.ca.
About Atomic Energy of Canada Limited
Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) is a federal Crown corporation with a mandate to drive nuclear opportunities for Canada. Working through a government-owned / contractor-operated (GoCo) model that is executed by its contractor, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, AECL enables nuclear science and technology through its Chalk River Laboratories, Canada’s largest research complex, and by engaging with academia and private industry to advance nuclear innovation. It is committed to advancing reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. It also manages the Government of Canada’s radioactive waste responsibilities. AECL continues to own the intellectual property for the CANDU® reactor technology and is accountable for deriving optimal benefit from this technology for Canada. Read more on AECL at www.aecl.ca.
About UNENE
The University Network of Excellence in Nuclear Engineering (UNENE), founded in 2002, is a network of Canadian and partner international universities offering nuclear engineering, science and technology research and education programming. Its members also include Canadian industry participants and Canada’s national nuclear science and technology institution. With its partners and funding organizations, UNENE works to advance nuclear knowledge, build capacity and heighten the visibility of Canada’s strength as a global partner, and to elevate the role of nuclear in advancing global sustainability, prosperity and a clean energy future. Learn more about UNENE at www.unene.ca.
CNL Contact:
Philip Kompass
Director, Corporate Communications
1-866-886-2325
media@cnl.ca
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2600a13d-70d0-4a94-b2a3-72c80c5def72
Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Anthony Bonato, Professor of Mathematics, Toronto Metropolitan University
The proverbial gauntlet has been thrown down. The friendship and partnership between United States President Donald Trump and “special government employee” Elon Musk has collapsed in spectacular fashion.
On X on June 3, Musk posted about the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act, calling it a “disgusting abomination.”
An argument ensued, and two days later, Trump called Musk “CRAZY” on Truth Social. The fight escalated and Trump’s slur was followed by Musk’s suggestion the president should be impeached and alleging he appeared in the Jeffrey Epstein files.
These Musk posts in particular were seen as a step too far by many in Trump’s circle, even after the Tesla CEO deleted them.
Trump and Musk’s storied bromance contributed to one of the greatest comebacks in American presidential history, with Trump winning a second term despite his numerous legal troubles. Musk actively campaigned for Trump, contributing more than $250 million to his re-election bid.
While we can only speculate about what exactly went wrong between the world’s most powerful man and the world’s richest, their feud reveals a potentially highly impactful disruption in American politics. It also illustrates what happens when social networks fall apart and the impact those types of fissures have on social structures.
Feuds between political figures are nothing new, and neither are fissures in social groups. The latter has been studied for decades by network scientists who measure the strength of ties between people.
Networks, consisting of nodes and links, appear everywhere. They measure interactions and provide us with another lens through which to view the world. For example, we can consider networks of neurons in our brains, networks of banking transactions, or likes and follows on social media.
Over three years from 1970 to 1972, Temple University anthropologist Wayne Zachary studied the social network of 34 members in a university karate club. He observed a split between the club’s instructor and its administrator. What ensued was a partition of the club into factions, centred on the two respective leaders. Zachary referred to this as fission within the group in his 1977 paper.
“Communities” in a social network are groups of like-minded individuals who are more likely to interact with one another than those outside the group. Think of a community as a clique in a high school, with separate groups of teenagers who are into football, members of the math club or fans of Taylor Swift.
The Zachary Karate Club network is a well-cited and early example of the emergence of two distinct communities from one. The network became a popular example of community structure in networks after its use by physicist Michelle Girvan and network scientist Mark Newman in 2002.
The split between Trump and Musk echoes the split in the Zachary Karate Club network. While the Karate Club network is much smaller than the the 160 million-plus group of likely U.S. voters, it does suggest the kind of polarization that can occur when powerful individuals go their separate ways.
Imagine each voter as a node, with two nodes linked if they voted for the same presidential candidate. That would split voters into two main groups: one that voted Republican and the other that voted Democrat, with a smaller group comprising the roughly three million people who voted for independent candidates like Jill Stein in 2024.
U.S. presidential elections can be razor-close, as was the case with George W. Bush and Al Gore in 2000. Even a minor split among voters can upend the results. For example, in the 1992 presidential election, independent candidate Ross Perot garnered almost 19 per cent of the popular vote, which likely siphoned off Republican votes and contributed to George H.W. Bush’s loss.
On June 5, Musk polled X about creating a new political party — The America Party. Within hours, about 80 per cent of 1.3 million people who took his poll supported his idea.
That party could fracture the traditional voting base of Republicans and Democrats, leaving the fate of the White House uncertain for the foreseeable future. While die-hard MAGA voters will likely always support Trump, tech-savvy millennial and Gen Z voters may be more receptive to Musk’s disruptive third-party aspirations.
Social networks adhere to two core principles that govern ties between individuals. These principles are well accepted and are also common sense.
The first is the adage that friends of friends are more likely to be friends. Given Musk’s strong past ties to Trump, followers of Musk would more likely consider voting for Trump.
The second and equally important principle is that the enemy of my enemy is my friend. That could be bad news for Republicans, as independent-leaning voters who don’t like Trump but voted for him in 2024 may consider supporting the hypothetical “America Party.”
Another possibility is that the feud ends — Musk is already expressing regrets, saying his posts about Trump “went too far.” That could go a long way to reversing the fissure, though it may not ease the hard feelings that could linger among either Musk or Trump fans.
We can view both Trump and Musk as powerful attractors who influence the social network of U.S. voters.
While the majority of Democrats may reject the policies and ideology of both men, the 49.9 per cent of Americans who supported Trump in 2024 could splinter.
Because this is the official final term of Trump’s presidency, Musk could also support Vice President JD Vance or another Republican frontrunner, dropping his musings about a third party altogether.
Whatever happens next — just like everything else in the Trump presidency — network science tells us it won’t be predictable.
Anthony Bonato receives funding from NSERC.
– ref. Musk apologizes but the bromance is over: What network science tells us about the Trump-Musk breakup – https://theconversation.com/musk-apologizes-but-the-bromance-is-over-what-network-science-tells-us-about-the-trump-musk-breakup-258554
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Vermont – Bernie Sanders
WASHINGTON, June 11 – As President Trump and Senate Republicans rush forward with their budget reconciliation bill – which would throw 16 million people off of their health insurance – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), alongside every Democratic member of the HELP Committee, today sent a letter to committee Chairman Bill Cassidy (R-La.) urging him to schedule hearings with patients and health care providers to hear about the legislation’s disastrous impact on the health and well-being of the American people and markup this bill before it reaches the Senate floor for consideration.
“We are deeply concerned that if these policies were signed into law they would create a national health care emergency,” wrote Sanders and the senators. “Not only would millions of Americans lose their health insurance and tens of thousands of our constituents die as a result of the House-passed reconciliation bill, the cost of prescription drugs would go up for seniors, hospitals and community health centers in rural and underserved areas would close or shut down access to services that patients rely on, and nursing homes would be made less safe.”
Last week, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated that the House-passed budget reconciliation bill would slash more than $1 trillion from federal health care programs. The bill, coupled with the expiration of health care premium tax credits that Republicans have refused to extend, would lead to 16 million Americans losing the health insurance they currently have according to CBO. New research from Yale University and the University of Pennsylvania found that more than 51,000 additional Americans will die each year if Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” becomes law. The bill would also defund Planned Parenthood, slash funding for women’s health care, and restrict reproductive health care coverage across the country.
“Regardless of your views on the merits of these policies, we hope you would agree with us that the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee has a solemn responsibility to hold extensive hearings on the impact these policies would have on the health and well-being of the American people and our entire health care system,” conclude Sanders and the senators. “Failure to hold hearings and a markup on this reconciliation bill before it is considered on the Senate floor would be an abdication of our duty to the American people.”
Joining Sanders as cosigners on this letter are Sens. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), and Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.).
Read the letter here.
Source: US Government research organizations
Members of the team who created the CURBy quantum random number generator. From left to right, Jasper Palfree (University of Colorado Boulder), Gautam Kavuri (NIST) and Krister Shalm (NIST).
Credit: NIST
Randomness is incredibly useful. People often draw straws, throw dice or flip coins to make fair choices. Random numbers can enable auditors to make completely unbiased selections. Randomness is also key in security; if a password or code is an unguessable string of numbers, it’s harder to crack. Many of our cryptographic systems today use random number generators to produce secure keys.
But how do you know that a random number is truly random? Classical computer algorithms can only create pseudo-random numbers, and someone with enough knowledge of the algorithm or the system could manipulate it or predict the next number. An expert in sleight of hand could rig a coin flip to guarantee a heads or tails result. Even the most careful coin flips can have bias; with enough study, their outcomes could be predicted.
“True randomness is something that nothing in the universe can predict in advance,” said Krister Shalm, a physicist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Even if a random number generator used seemingly random processes in nature, it would be hard to verify that those numbers are truly random, Shalm added.
Einstein believed that nature isn’t random, famously saying, “God does not play dice with the universe.” Scientists have since proved that Einstein was wrong. Unlike dice or computer algorithms, quantum mechanics is inherently random. Carrying out a quantum experiment called a Bell test, Shalm and his team have transformed this source of true quantum randomness into a traceable and certifiable random-number service. Their results were just published in Nature.
“If God does play dice with the universe, then you can turn that into the best random number generator that the universe allows,” Shalm said. “We really wanted to take that experiment out of the lab and turn it into a useful public service.”
To make that happen, NIST researchers and their colleagues at the University of Colorado Boulder created the Colorado University Randomness Beacon (CURBy). CURBy produces random numbers automatically and broadcasts them daily through a website for anyone to use.
Credit: NIST
At the heart of this service is the NIST-run Bell test, which provides truly random results. This randomness acts as a kind of raw material that the rest of the researchers’ setup “refines” into random numbers published by the beacon.
The Bell test measures pairs of “entangled” photons whose properties are correlated even when separated by vast distances. When researchers measure an individual particle, the outcome is random, but the properties of the pair are more correlated than classical physics allows, enabling researchers to verify the randomness. Einstein called this quantum nonlocality “spooky action at a distance.”
This is the first random number generator service to use quantum nonlocality as a source of its numbers, and the most transparent source of random numbers to date. That’s because the results are certifiable and traceable to a greater extent than ever before.
“CURBy is one of the first publicly available services that operates with a provable quantum advantage. That’s a big milestone for us,” Shalm explained. “The quality and origin of these random bits can be directly certified in a way that conventional random number generators are unable to.”
NIST performed one of the first complete experimental Bell tests in 2015, which firmly established that quantum mechanics is truly random. In 2018, NIST pioneered methods to use these Bell tests to build Really Random Numbers”>the world’s first sources of true randomness.
However, turning these quantum correlations into random numbers is hard work. NIST’s first breakthrough demonstrations of the Bell test required months of setup to run for a few hours, and it took a great deal of time to collect enough data to generate 512 bits of true randomness. Shalm and the team spent the past few years building the experiment to be robust and to run automatically so it can provide random numbers on demand. In its first 40 days of operation, the protocol produced random numbers 7,434 times out of 7,454 attempts, a 99.7% success rate.
“If God does play dice with the universe, then you can turn that into the best random number generator that the universe allows.” —Krister Shalm, NIST physicist
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3
UK Government’s Plan for Change delivers record settlement for Scottish Government with an extra £9.1 billion over the SR period to deliver public services
Working people across Scotland will benefit from significant investment in clean energy and innovation, creating thousands of high-skilled jobs and strengthening Scotland’s position as the home of the United Kingdom’s clean energy revolution.
The UK Government has confirmed £8.3 billion in funding for GB Energy-Nuclear and GB Energy in Aberdeen. This is alongside an increased commitment to the Acorn Carbon Capture, Usage and Storage project, which will receive development funding.
The Spending Review, outlined today, Wednesday 11 June, announces targeted investment in Scotland’s most promising sectors to grow the economy and put more money in working people’s pockets. It delivers an extra £9.1 billion over Phase 2 of the Spending Review, through the Barnett formula.
The government also confirmed £25 million for the Inverness and Cromarty Firth Freeport.
These investments are part of a wider package, with funding for hydrogen production projects at Cromarty and Whitelee.
Secretary of State for Scotland, Ian Murray, said:
Putting more money in the pockets of working Scots by investing in the country’s renewal is at the heart of this Spending Review and our Plan for Change.
The Chancellor has unleashed a new era of growth for Scotland, confirming billions of pounds of investment in clean energy – including new development funding for Acorn – creating thousands of high-skilled jobs.
Scotland’s leading role at the heart of UK defence policy has been strengthened and there is also significant investment in our trailblazing innovation, research and development sectors.
And the Scotland Office will work with local partners to ensure hundreds of millions of pounds of new targeted support for Scottish communities and businesses goes to projects that matter to local people. This means that the UK Government is now investing almost £1.7 billion in dozens of important growth schemes across Scotland over 10 years.
To maximise the benefit of recent trade deals with India, US and the EU we are continuing the Brand Scotland programme to promote inward investment opportunities boosting Scottish exports of our globally celebrated products.
And we are delivering a record real-terms funding settlement for the Scottish Government with an extra £9.1 billion over the Spending Review period through the Barnett formula. That’s more money than ever before for them to invest in Scottish public services like our NHS, police, housing and schools.
This is a historic Spending Review for Scotland that chooses investment over decline and delivers on the promise that there would be no return to austerity.
Investment in Scotland to strengthen UK defence
Speaking in the House of Commons today, the Chancellor reaffirmed the government’s commitment to increase defence spending to 2.6% of GDP by April 2027, backing our Armed Forces, creating British jobs in British industries, and prioritising the security of Britain when it is most needed.
The long-term future of the Clyde is secured through an initial £250 million investment over three years which will begin a multi-decade, multi-billion pound redevelopment of HM Naval Base Clyde through the ‘Clyde 2070’ programme.
Investing in innovation and R&D
Scotland will also become home to the UK’s largest and most powerful supercomputer, with up to £750 million committed to its development at Edinburgh University. This world-class facility will give scientists across all UK universities access to extraordinary computer power, further strengthening Scotland’s research and innovation capability.
The UK Government is backing Scottish industry with a share of increased UK-wide R&D spending set to grow from £20.4 billion in 2025-26 to over £22.6 billion per year by 2029-30. Scotland will also benefit from a £410 million UK-wide Local Innovation Partnerships Fund.
Targeted support for Scottish communities
The government is also investing £160 million over 10 years for Investment Zones in the North East of Scotland and in Glasgow City Region, and confirming £452 million over four years for City and Growth Deals across Scotland.
A £100 million joint investment for the Falkirk and Grangemouth Growth deal with the Scottish Government (£50 million from UK Government and £50 million from Scottish Government), demonstrating the UK Government’s continued commitment to the Grangemouth industrial area.
A new local growth fund, and investments in up to 350 deprived communities across the UK, will maintain the same cash level as in 2025-26 under the Shared Prosperity Fund. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Scotland Office, will work with local partners and the Scottish Government, to ensure money goes to projects that matter to local people. This investment will help drive growth and improve communities across Scotland.
Supporting Scottish businesses
The National Wealth Fund (NWF) is trialling a Strategic Partnership with Glasgow City Region to provide enhanced, hands-on support to help it develop and finance long term investment opportunities. The NWF has already made its first investment in Scotland with £43.5 million in direct equity for a sustainable packaging company, which is to build its first commercial-scale manufacturing facility near Glasgow.
Through its Nations and Regions Investment programme the British Business Bank is delivering £150 million across Scotland to break down access to finance barriers and drive economic growth.
The settlement also allocates £0.75 million each year to champion our ‘Brand Scotland’ trade missions to promote Scotland’s goods and services on the world stage and to encourage further growth and investment.
A record settlement for Scottish public services
The Government has been clear that local decision-making against local priorities is central to delivering growth.
The Scottish Government will receive the largest real terms settlement since devolution began in 1998, with an average £50.9 billion per year between 2026-27 and 2028-29, enabling the Scottish Government to deliver for working people in Scotland. This includes £2.9 billion per year on average through the operation of the Barnett formula, with £2.4 billion resource between 2026-27 and 2028-29 and £510 million capital between 2026-27 and 2029-30.
This investment and record settlement is made possible by the tough but necessary decisions taken in the October Budget.
Source: Republic of China Taiwan
Foreign Minister Lin meets with delegation led by Mayor Zdanowska of Polish city of Łódź
Date：2025-06-05
Data Source：Department of European Affairs
June 5, 2025
No. 196
Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung on the morning of June 4 met with a delegation led by Hanna Zdanowska, Mayor of Łódź, Poland. The six-member delegation also included Łódź University of Technology Rector Krzysztof Jóźwik, Łódź City Councilors Beata Bilska and Maciej Rakowski, and Łódź city government officials. The two sides engaged in an in-depth exchange of opinions regarding Taiwan-Poland interactions on economics and trade, culture, and academic and city affairs.
During the meeting, Minister Lin began by once again welcoming Mayor Zdanowska to Taiwan and thanking her for the warm reception extended to him during his visit to Łódź in November 2024. Noting that city-to-city diplomacy played an important role in Taiwan’s overall external relations, Minister Lin said he was delighted that the delegation would be meeting with Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che to formally conclude a sister-city agreement. He said that Tainan and Łódź had many things in common and that he looked forward to the two cities continuing to deepen substantive cooperation, further expanding mutual interactions and exchanges in a range of areas, and developing a mutually beneficial partnership.
Mayor Zdanowska said that Łódź, a city with a long history at the heart of Poland, enjoyed convenient transport links, a rich cultural heritage, and a solid industrial foundation. Remarking that the development of special economic zones and road and airport infrastructure had much improved the city’s economic prospects in recent years, she said she hoped that Taiwanese industries would work with Łódź to generate mutual prosperity. Mayor Zdanowska also stated that Łódź had recently been active in developing its film and television and arts and cultural industries, and said she believed there was room for collaboration with related sectors in Taiwan.
Taiwan and Poland share such values as freedom and democracy. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to promote close cooperation between Taiwan and Poland and seek to deepen their resilient partnership so as to create enduring prosperity and well-being for the peoples on both sides. (E)
Source: Republic of China Taiwan
Foreign Minister Lin hosts welcome dinner to mark state visit by Guatemala President Arévalo
Date：2025-06-06
Data Source：Department of Latin American and Caribbean Affairs
June 6, 2025
No. 198
Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung hosted a dinner on June 5 to mark a state visit by President Bernardo Arévalo of the Republic of Guatemala and First Lady Lucrecia Peinado. Minister Lin conveyed a sincere welcome on behalf of the government of Taiwan and said that Taiwan hoped to build upon the existing solid foundation of cooperation with Guatemala to jointly forge an even more strategically significant partnership.
In his remarks, Minister Lin said that Taiwan and Guatemala enjoyed a deep friendship and had maintained diplomatic ties for more than 90 years, adding that cooperation between the two sides had yielded fruitful results across various domains. He noted that during this state visit, President Arévalo had signed a letter of intent on semiconductor cooperation with President Lai Ching-te and that the two presidents had also witnessed the signing of an MOU on a political consultation mechanism between their respective foreign ministers and the signing of a letter of intent on bilateral investment in supply chains between their respective economic ministers. He stated that these actions not only demonstrated the two countries’ staunch and cordial relations but would also further deepen bilateral cooperation. Minister Lin emphasized that Taiwan’s government would continue to work hand in hand with the Guatemalan government under President Arévalo’s leadership to advance Guatemala’s national development; deepen trade, economic, and investment ties and semiconductor cooperation; and jointly advance comprehensive bilateral collaboration across all sectors. Minister Lin also mentioned how cordially he was received by President Arévalo and First Lady Peinado when he visited Guatemala last October. He said that he had brought home and continued to cherish a menu, signed by President Arévalo, from the banquet held at the president’s residence.
In his remarks, President Arévalo thanked Minister Lin for his warm reception and expressed delight at being able to meet in Taipei again after October 2024, when his wife had visited Taiwan for National Day celebrations and Minister Lin and his wife had visited Guatemala. He said that their interactions had always been convivial and sincere. President Arévalo also pointed out that the attendees of the dinner were experts and leaders in different fields, highlighting how Taiwan-Guatemala cooperation had become more comprehensive and diverse. He said that the documents signed on the morning of June 5 would serve as guideposts for the direction of future cooperation between the two nations and voiced his firm conviction that the Taiwan-Guatemala partnership would continue to grow even closer.
Among other attendees at the dinner were International Cooperation and Development Fund Secretary General Huang Yu-lin; National Taiwan University Professor Chang Pei-zen; Vice Superintendent of National Taiwan University Hospital Lou Pei-jen; President of Chunghwa Telecom Lin Rong-shy; and CIECA Chairman Joseph Jye-cherng Lyu. Interactions at the event were lively and cordial. (E)
Source: Republic of China Taiwan
Foreign Minister Lin hosts welcome luncheon for delegation led by Chair Battistel of French National Assembly’s Taiwan Friendship Group
Date：2025-06-09
Data Source：Department of European Affairs
June 9, 2025
No. 204
Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung hosted a luncheon on June 9 to welcome a delegation led by Marie-Noëlle Battistel, Chair of the French National Assembly’s Taiwan Friendship Group. He extended appreciation to the French Parliament for its staunch support and close friendship with Taiwan.
In his speech, Minister Lin congratulated Ms. Battistel on her election as chair of the Taiwan Friendship Group earlier this year and thanked the French Parliament for its long-standing and cross-party support of Taiwan, including the overwhelming endorsement in a resolution in 2021 supporting Taiwan’s international participation, the passage of the seven-year Military Programming Law in 2023 supporting freedom of navigation in the Taiwan Strait, and its enthusiastic response to sending a joint letter to the director-general of the World Health Organization in May backing Taiwan’s bid. Minister Lin noted that Europe’s support for Taiwan was crucial, that Taiwan-France relations continued to grow and thrive, and that there was great potential to deepen collaboration between Taiwan and France in key technological domains and innovative industries. He expressed hope that the two sides would further contribute to global prosperity and development through closer exchanges and cooperation in the future.
In her speech, Chair Battistel said that she was honored to serve as chair of the French National Assembly’s Taiwan Friendship Group and emphasized that she would continue to lead the group in its steadfast support of Taiwan, in line with French values and global common interests. She indicated that China’s threats and attempts to suppress Taiwan had had wide-ranging impacts on the world and urged democratic countries to jointly support Taiwan. She added that she believed Taiwan’s participation in international organizations was pivotal and that the entire international community stood to benefit from Taiwan’s knowledge and experience.
This is the second delegation from the French National Assembly to visit Taiwan this year, following a visit in May by Guillaume Kasbarian, former French Minister of Civil Service and member of the National Assembly’s Taiwan Friendship Group.
At the invitation of Minister Lin, Professor Lee Hahn-ming of the Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering at National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, along with Wu Min-hsuan, CEO of Doublethink Lab, attended the luncheon and exchanged views with the delegation on such issues as how Taiwan and France could jointly cope with the use of artificial intelligence by foreign forces to manipulate information. (E)
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman David Scott (GA-13)
WASHINGTON D.C. — Congressman David Scott (GA-13) and Congressman Greg Murphy, M.D. (NC-03) sent a letter to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Doug Collins, urging the Department to preserve the highest standards of anesthesia care for our nation’s Veterans. The bipartisan letter was signed by more than 85 Democrats and Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives.
“After years of reviews and agency listening sessions, we know that removing physicians during anesthesia care, strips away a critical layer of medical expertise—particularly during high-risk or emergency scenarios where seconds matter and complications are unpredictable,” said Congressman David Scott. “I expressed deep concern with the previous Administration’s effort to diminish and depart from universally agreed upon anesthesia care standards, independent data, and the very voices of our Veterans who remain firmly opposed to this dangerous initiative. Secretary Collins can protect the integrity of the VA’s anesthesia standards and reaffirm the agency’s firm commitment to medical excellence. Veterans earned that commitment through their service. It would be unconscionable to think the government is now planning to compromise their care.”
“Our veterans deserve the highest standard of care, including careful oversight by trained physicians,” said Congressman Greg Murphy, M.D. “The trend in medicine to allow nurses to assume certain responsibilities that medical doctors are trained to do is dangerous. The attempt to cut costs is noble, but doing so at the expense of quality and safety is unacceptable. I urge Secretary Collins to reconsider the proposed policy change that would authorize nurse-only anesthetic care without physician oversight.”
The 2025 letter comes in response to a VA department proposal to eliminate physician anesthesiologists from surgical anesthesia teams and adopt a “nurse-only” model. Currently, VA policy ensures that a physician anesthesiologist leads a team of certified registered nurse anesthetists, working together to deliver safe, high-quality anesthesia care to veterans. This collaborative model is the standard of care at the nation’s leading medical institutions, including the Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, Johns Hopkins, and Emory University Hospitals, and is mandated by law in 46 states.
Cosigners (84) David Scott (GA), Greg Murphy (NC), Amodei (NV), Babin (TX), Barr (KY), Bean (FL), Bell (MO), Bice (OK), Boyle (PA), Bresnahan (PA), J. Brownley (CA), Burchett (TN), Carson (IN), Cisneros (CA), Yvette Clarke (NY), Conaway (NJ), Correa (CA), Crockett (TX), Cuellar (TX), Danny Davis (IL), De La Cruz (TX), Dunn (FL), Edwards (NC), Estes (KS), Ezell (MS), Feenstra (IA), Figures (AL), Fine (FL), Foushee (NC), Garbarino (NY), Gillen (NY), Gooden (TX), Griffiths (VA), Hamadeh (AZ), Andy Harris (MD), Mark Harris (NC), Hudson (NC), Hurd (CO), Jonathan Jackson (IL), Julie Johnson (TX), Hank Johnson (GA), John Joyce (PA), Kennedy (UT), Knott (NC), Krishnamoorthi (IL), Lawler (NY), Letlow (LA), Lieu (CA), Loudermilk (GA), Lutrell (TX), Mace (SC), Malliotakis (NY), McBath (GA), McCollum (MN), McCormick (GA), McDowell (NC), Messmer (IN), Meuser (PA), Miller-Meeks (IA), Moolenaar (MI), Barry Moore (AL), Tim Moore (NC), Morelle (NY), Newhouse (WA), Norman (SC), Olszewski (MD), Onder (MO), Owens (UT), Rouzer (NC), Rulli (OH), Salazar (FL), Schweikert (AZ), Austin Scott (GA), Sessions (TX), Strickland (WA), Suozzi (NY), Tenney (NY), Timmons (SC), Tlaib (MI), Turner (OH), Van Drew (NJ), Van Duyne (TX), Wagner (MO), Webster (FL)
View a copy of the letter HERE.
# # #
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)
June 11, 2025
Washington D.C.—U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, along with U.S. Representatives Suzanne Bonamici, Andrea Salinas and Maxine Dexter, said today they have joined colleagues in introducing legislation that would ensure victims of gun violence have their day in court and that negligent gun companies and gun sellers are not shielded from liability when they disregard public safety.
The Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act—co-sponsored by the Oregon lawmakers—would repeal a 2005 federal law that gives gun manufacturers a unique and unjustifiable legal liability shield that protects them from lawsuits.
“It is absolutely unacceptable that this industry is absolutely immune from any accountability,” Wyden said. “Other industries are subject to scrutiny for the safety and use of their products, and I believe Congress should enact common-sense gun safety regulations like the Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act.”
“As we continue to face a nationwide gun violence crisis, we must ensure that gun companies and gun sellers are held accountable when their negligence costs lives,” Merkley said. “For the sake of all those who have lost loved ones to this tragic epidemic, we must take our pain and grief and turn it into real action, with the Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act and other common-sense gun safety reforms.”
“Gun violence is a leading cause of death in the country, yet unscrupulous gun companies and gun sellers continue to evade accountability because of a legal shield passed two decades ago. I am grateful to join my colleagues in this long-overdue effort to overturn this misguided law and allow gun violence victims to seek justice,” Bonamici said.
“Current laws give negligent gun makers unprecedented special treatment that shields them from accountability for malpractice, leaving victims of gun violence without recourse in the courts. The Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act is a way for Congress to stand up for victims of gun violence through our judicial system,” Salinas said.
“As a mother, I’ll never forget the terror of not being able to reach my daughter while she was in lockdown for over 12 hours during a mass shooting at the University of Virginia. As a physician, I’ve held the hands of patients and families devastated by gun violence. And as someone who has volunteered with Moms Demand Action and served on gun violence prevention task forces, I know this crisis demands urgent action. No other industry gets a free pass when their negligence leads to death. Repealing PLCAA is a necessary step to give survivors and families their day in court and to finally hold the gun industry accountable—just like every other industry. I’m proud to support the Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act,” said Dexter.
When Congress in 2005 passed the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) giving the gun industry legal liability, its supporters argued it was necessary to protect the gun industry from frivolous lawsuits, and that victims of gun violence would not be shut out of the courts. In reality, numerous cases around the nation have been dismissed based on this law, even when the gun dealers and manufacturers acted in a fashion that would qualify as negligent if it involved any other product. Victims in these cases were denied the right to even discover or introduce evidence. This Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act allows civil cases to go forward against irresponsible bad actors.
In 2005, the National Rifle Association identified PLCAA as its “number one” legislative priority, and celebrated its passage by calling it the “most significant piece of pro-gun legislation in twenty years.” Letting courts hear these cases would provide justice to victims and their families, while creating incentives for responsible business practices that would reduce injuries and deaths. Effectively, the gun industry would once again be subject to the same laws as every other industry, just as it was prior to 2005.
The legislation is endorsed by Brady, GIFFORDS Law Center, Everytown for Gun Safety, March for Our Lives, Guns Down America, Newtown Action Alliance, and Sandy Hook Promise Action Fund.
The legislation was led in the Senate by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and Chris Murphy, D-Conn. In addition to Wyden and Merkley, the legislation is also co-sponsored by Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. and U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., Cory Booker, D-N.J., Chris Coons, D-Del., Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., Dick Durbin, D-Ill., John Fetterman, D-Pa., Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., Mazie K. Hirono, D-Hawaii, Tim Kaine, D-Va., Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., Patty Murray, D-Wash., Alex Padilla, D-Calif., Jack Reed, D-R.I., Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Peter Welch, D-Conn., and Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I.
The legislation was led in the House by U.S. Representatives Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., Jason Crow, D-Colo., Dwight Evans, D-Pa., and Mike Thompson, D-Calif. In addition to Bonamici, Salinas and Dexter, the legislation is also cosponsored by U.S. Representatives Gabe Amo, D-R.I., Jake Auchincloss, D-Mass., Wesley Bell, D-Mo., Don Beyer, D-Va., Shontel Brown, D-Ohio, Julia Brownley, D-Calif., Salud Carbajal, D-Calif., Sean Casten, D-Ill., Judy Chu, D-Calif., Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo., Danny Davis, D-Ill., Madeleine Dean, D-Pa., Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., Suzan DelBene, D-Wash., Chris Deluzio, D-Pa., Mark DeSaulnier, D-Calif., Lizzie Fletcher, D-Texas, Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., John Garamendi, D-Calif., Daniel Goldman, D-N.Y., Jimmy Gomez, D-Calif., Sara Jacobs, D-Calif., Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., Hank Johnson, D-Ga., Robin Kelly, D-Ill., Timothy Kennedy, D-N.Y., Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., Stephen Lynch, D-Mass., Seth Magaziner, D-R.I., Betty McCollum, D-Minn., LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., Joe Morelle, D-N.Y., Kelly Morrison, D-Minn., Seth Moulton, D-Mass., Joe Neguse, D-Colo., Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-D.C., Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., Jimmy Panetta, D-Calif., Scott Peters, D-Calif., Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, Mike Quigley, D-Ill., Jamie Raskin, D-Md., Mary Gay Scanlon, D-Pa., Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., Brad Schneider, D-Ill., David Scott, D-Ga., Lateefah Simon, D-Calif., Dina Titus, D-Nev., Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., and Jill Tokuda, D-Hawaii.
The full text of the bill is here.
Translation. Region: Russian Federal
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 11 (Xinhua) — Northwest University (NWU, China) and the Silk Road International University of Tourism and Cultural Heritage (Uzbekistan) recently jointly held a training course on archaeometric methods, according to the official website of NWU.
The event was held in the Samarkand branch of the China-Central Asia Belt and Road Joint Laboratory for Human and Environmental Studies. Deputy Head of the Laboratory Lin Xue introduced the cadets to the principles of analysis in molecular paleontological methods and the latest achievements in their application in research in such areas as the economic and household model of ancient people inhabiting Central Asia, human migration and genetic evolution, the origin of domesticated animals and their distribution, etc.
With the help of Chinese scientists, the cadets conducted practical training on preparing samples of animal remains found during archaeological excavations.
After completion of the course, the laboratory’s scientific director, SZU professor Wang Jianxin, and the head of the Department of History and Cultural Heritage of the International University of Tourism and Cultural Heritage Mastura Sidikova issued certificates of completion of training to the cadets.
As Wang Jianxin stated, archaeometric methods can acquire rich historical and cultural information from archaeological remains. This training course helped participants gain a preliminary understanding of the basics and operational standards of archaeometrics.
He expressed hope that the event would spark interest among cadets in archaeometry and archaeological research. -0-
Translation. Region: Russian Federal
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 11 (Xinhua) — China’s first non-standard gym will soon open in the east Chinese city of Shanghai, where not people but their pets will improve their health!
In an advertising post published on the official account of the GOGOGYM fitness club on the popular Chinese social media app Xiaohongshu /Rednote/, a video is captured of several dogs exercising on special treadmills.
According to the fitness club employee, the pets will be provided with exercise machines such as a treadmill, a pool, an underwater treadmill, ground exercise machines, etc., which are not inferior to exercise machines for people.
Although such gyms for companion animals have long appeared in Russia, they remain a “novelty” in China. The industry is new, but promising.
A report by US investment bank Goldman Sachs says that in 2024, the number of pets in China will exceed the number of children under four for the first time. It also expects that by 2030, this figure will be twice as high.
For reference, there were 73.4 million infants and toddlers under the age of four in China in 2021, but that number has declined in recent years due to declining birth rates.
However, compared with the data from the China Pet Industry White Paper for 2025, Goldman Sachs’ calculations were quite conservative.
The white paper noted that the number of pets in urban areas in China alone will reach 120 million in 2024, and the consumer market size for pet dogs and cats in Chinese cities and towns will exceed 300 billion yuan (about 41.8 billion US dollars) by the end of 2024, an increase of 7.5 percent year on year.
The latest data released by China’s Ministry of Housing, Urban-Rural Development showed that China’s urban population was about 930 million in 2023, meaning that on average, one in eight urban residents, regardless of age or gender, had a pet.
Enterprising entrepreneurs will not miss such a business opportunity, so much so that a trendy term in modern Chinese social media and media has emerged: the pet economy. This sector covers a wide range of products and services, including pet food, healthcare, grooming, insurance, and even luxury goods.
In ancient China, it was believed that the most important thing for a person is food. This saying also applies to pets. Currently, “pet cafeterias” have opened in major cities in China, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chongqing, Wuhan, etc.
According to Chen Ruiqi, an employee at one of the “pet canteens” in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, central China, the canteen sells fresh food and light meals, including dried chicken, lollipops, pizza with cheese and sausage, and even cakes.
According to a customer surnamed Wang, her cat really liked the duck meat from this cafeteria. “My cat eats everything at every meal. Although the prices of the products here are higher than those of regular food, I don’t have to worry about the quality and safety because I can watch the cooking process,” she explained.
Each type of fresh food in the canteen is labeled with the recommended age of the pet and the calorie content. There are also “weight loss recipes” for different pets.
In addition, owners can order a cake for their pet’s birthday in the canteen. Those who wish can organize a corresponding party here.
In recent years, a new profession has emerged in China – dog sitter, which almost no one had heard of ten years ago. Simply put, these are “pet nannies” who take care of an animal while its owner is away from home. They look after the pet, walk it, feed it strictly according to the veterinarian’s recommendations, play, and also provide comfort.
Since around 2019, this profession has started to gain more and more popularity, attracting those who enjoy a flexible work schedule. For many, providing pet feeding services at home on weekends or holidays has become an ideal way to earn extra income simply by spending time with cats and dogs.
In 2023, 25-year-old Bai Xiao, working in the financial sector in the southwestern Chinese city of Chongqing, turned her love of animals into a side hustle. She offered pet-sitting services through online platforms and quickly built a loyal clientele.
Each session with a pet sitter lasts about 45 minutes. She feeds the pets, cleans up after them, plays with them and documents the entire work process with photos and videos in real time, sending information to the owners.
The holidays bring a surge in requests for services. During the May Day holiday this year, Bai Xiao worked from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day, with almost no breaks between visits. She earns 60 to 100 yuan (US$8.30 to US$13.90) per session.
The growth of the pet industry is apparently driven by high demand. As of the end of 2024, the number of pet owners in Chinese cities and towns was nearly 77 million. More than 70 percent of these owners belong to the post-80s and post-90s generations.
This raises the question: “Why do young people in China love pets so much?” In addition, some experts point out that a pet replaces a child for many.
According to Chinese psychologist Gao Aihua, due to the fast pace and high intensity of work in modern society, many young people face the problem of emotional isolation. They often feel lonely.
“Animals help to cope with anxiety and loneliness. They can reduce the level of stress received at work and in society. A wagging tail and a funny gait at the end of a hard day is good therapy,” he said.
And as Li Junpeng, deputy director of the Institute of Sociology at Central China Normal University, noted, in modern Chinese society, instead of large families, small ones dominate, which emphasize an independent personality. Many single young people or small families consider pets as an “additional” family member.
“Therefore, pet owners take responsibility for their care and pay for various goods and services based on their warm feelings for their pets,” the sociologist explained.
He concluded that today, pet-oriented consumption is already “personified” and covers the entire life cycle of pets. “Pets are no longer just “objects for feeding,” but are becoming “family members,” he emphasized.
For example, services such as cremation, ashes storage, post-mortem care, and funeral services are now widely available. According to Chinese business information platform Tianyancha, more than 1,100 new pet funeral companies have emerged in the past six months alone.
However, experts also warned that pets would ultimately not replace family and community ties, and that the sector’s development needed to be regulated.
Xiao Beiying, an associate professor at Huaqiao University, noted that the relationship between people and pets is different from the relationship between people themselves, which is more complex.
Deputy head of the China Pet Industry Association Yan Jinsheng highlighted issues such as outdated policies and gaps in legislation, stressing the need for positive public discussion and the implementation of relevant policies and regulations to ensure the sustainable and healthy growth of China’s pet economy. -0-
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Judy Chu (CA2-27)
Introduction comes as Congressional Republicans push to make higher education more unaffordable through their Big Ugly Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Rep. Judy Chu (CA-28) and Sen. Alex Padilla (CA) reintroduced the Protecting Our Students by Terminating Graduate Rates that Add to Debt (POST GRAD) Act, a bill that would once again make graduate students eligible to receive Federal Direct Subsidized Loans.
For over a decade, unlike their undergraduate counterparts, graduate students have only been eligible to receive Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans which accrue interest even while they are still in school. This is because the Budget Control Act of 2011 stripped graduate students of eligibility for the Federal Direct Subsidized Loan. This can cost a student thousands of additional dollars over the life of the loan, particularly as interest rates on graduate loans are now at their highest since 2006. The POST GRAD Act would reverse the provision of the Budget Control Act and restore the eligibility of graduate students to receive Federal Direct Subsidized Loans.
Many professions like mental health clinicians, school administrators, nurse practitioners, and physical therapists often require a graduate degree, but the high cost of borrowing can dissuade potential students from seeking these advanced degrees or discourage students from entering lower-paying public service jobs after graduation.
Instead of addressing this higher education affordability crisis, Congressional Republicans are pushing to make the problem even worse. Recently, House Republicans passed a reconciliation bill that, among other harmful provisions, would eliminate the Grad PLUS loan program, a vital source of federal support for graduate students. Nationally, over 1.6 million student borrowers have Grad PLUS loans, amounting to $91 billion in debt. California has nearly 57,000 Grad PLUS borrowers, according to the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities.
“Many of the most rewarding and in-demand jobs in the U.S. require advanced degrees, but do not always come with high earning potential. A lifetime of debt should never be the cost for obtaining a graduate degree,” said Rep. Chu. “At a time when our country is facing a shortage of specialized workers in critical fields, we should be doing everything we can to encourage students to enter these fields, rather than creating additional barriers to higher education. Democrats in Congress are committed to lowering costs and reducing debt, and that’s why I’m proud to be joined by Senator Padilla in introducing the POST GRAD Act as one important step in making higher education more attainable to everyone in America.”
“Graduate students help fuel our economy, filling workforce shortages in critical sectors like health care, education, and STEM that often require advanced degrees. Yet, too many talented students in California and nationally cannot afford to pursue advanced degrees due to the rising cost of higher education,” said Senator Padilla. “As Republicans threaten to slash the Grad PLUS program entirely, we are taking a stand to make graduate school more affordable by reinstating subsidized federal student loans for graduate students so they don’t accrue interest while they are in school. We did this for decades, and now is the time to support our 21st century graduate workforce and expand educational opportunities for low-income communities.”
“The cost of graduate education often serves as a barrier to pursuing advanced degrees, including in psychology, where shortages of qualified, culturally competent providers persist. By reinstating subsidized federal student loans for graduate students, the POST GRAD Act would relieve a portion of the financial burden associated with financing a graduate degree. APA applauds Congresswoman Chu and Senator Padilla for their leadership on this important legislation, which would make graduate study more affordable and help build a workforce ready to meet the growing needs of our population,” said Arthur C. Evans Jr., PhD, CEO of the American Psychological Association.
The bill is endorsed by: American Psychological Association, National Association of School Psychologists, National Education Association, AccessLex, Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, American Physical Therapy Association, American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges, American Occupational Therapy Association, Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions, Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry, Physician Assistant Education Association, American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, Council on Social Work Education, American Dental Education Association, American Association of Colleges of Nursing, American Association of the Colleges of Podiatric Medicine, University of California System.
Click HERE for bill text
Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Misheck Mutize, Post Doctoral Researcher, Graduate School of Business (GSB), University of Cape Town
The governments of Ghana and Zambia recently took a decision that could have serious consequences for other African countries. The decision relates to arrangements on how the two countries will repay the debt they owe to Africa Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank).
They have both taken decisions to relegate Afreximbank to a commercial lender from a preferred creditor. This means that the terms on which Afreximbank has lent money to these two countries will change. And it will lose certain protections. For example preferred creditors are repaid first, before any other lenders.
This protects preferred creditors’ balance sheets and enables them to continue lending during crisis periods when others cannot. In contrast, commercial banks get paid later or might not get paid at all. This higher risk factor means that they charge higher rates.
Based on decades of researching Africa’s capital markets and the institutions that govern them it’s my view that the long-term consequences of this precedent are detrimental. If other African borrowers follow suit, treating loans from African multilateral development banks as ordinary commercial debt during restructuring, it will erode the viability of these institutions. Investors who fund Afreximbank through bonds and capital markets may reassess its risk profile, pushing up its cost of funding and making future lending less affordable.
The ultimate losers will be African countries themselves, especially those with limited access to international capital. Afreximbank, along with other African financial institutions, is a lifeline for trade finance, infrastructure development, and crisis response. Undermining its legal protections weakens the continent’s capacity for self-reliant development.
Afreximbank was created under the auspices of the African Development Bank (AfDB) in 1993. It was set up with a public interest mandate to develop African trade and promote integration. Its legal status and structural features place it closer to international multilateral development banks than to private creditors, justifying its treatment as a preferred creditor.
The decision by Accra and Lusaka signals lack of confidence in African financial institutions. It suggests that they do not trust them to the same extent as global institutions like the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. These are treated as preferred creditors, on the assumption that they will lend to countries in crisis or distress when commercial lenders retreat.
The actions of Ghana and Zambia set a dangerous precedent by sidelining African financial institutions in favour of external creditors. That risks weakening Africa’s financial institutions and undermining the very concept of African solutions to African problems. Investors will become more sceptical and pessimistic, demanding more interest.
The continent needs to develop an ability to independently design, finance and implement its economic development policies without support from external financial institutions. Afreximbank helps to achieve this through financing African-designed infrastructure and counter-cyclical lending.
Ghana and Zambia still have an opportunity to correct course. In my view they should do so for the sake of the bank, its member states and the future of African economic sovereignty.
Ghana and Zambia have both defaulted on their external bonds in the last four years. Zambia in October 2020 and Ghana in December 2022. This forced them to negotiate new sustainable terms with creditors.
During their respective debt negotiations, both countries have announced that they would include African multilateral development banks such as Afreximbank and the Trade and Development Bank in the debt restructuring.
This followed private and bilateral creditors contesting unequal distribution of restructuring burdens, where they face losses while some multilateral institutions are shielded. The International Monetary Fund and World Bank, which are preferred creditors, do not fund infrastructure, they only offer balance of payments support.
The decision by Ghana and Zambia to relegate Afreximbank was made during an ongoing comprehensive debt restructuring. Ghana and Zambia have been negotiating with creditors for over a year in an attempt to resolve their sovereign debt crises.
The two countries were complying with International Monetary Fund supported restructuring terms. Bilateral creditors were also demanding fair burden sharing with African multilateral banks.
Ghana and Zambia don’t have a legal leg to stand on.
Afreximbank’s preferred creditor status is not an informal privilege but derives from Article VX(1) of its founding agreement. The agreement has been signed and ratified by member states into national laws, including Ghana and Zambia.
This status is further reinforced by the bank’s diplomatic immunities and privileges and its ability to operate across African jurisdictions under protected legal frameworks. The role of Afreximbank, therefore, goes beyond that of a traditional commercial bank.
Preferred creditor status protects development finance institutions in a number of ways. The biggest protection is that lenders are prioritised for repayment. This protects their balance sheets, enabling them to continue lending when others cannot.
A preferred creditor status is accorded for a reason. It is to ensure that development finance institutions can lend in times of distress with confidence, on the guarantee that they will be repaid ahead of other creditors. Country actions that violate this principle disrupt the implicit covenant that enables counter-cyclical financing. This is breaking the financial lifeline that countries might need when nobody else is willing to help them. This is precisely the kind of support that Ghana and Zambia relied on during their respective debt crises in December 2022 and October 2020, respectively.
It is worth recalling that during the COVID-19 pandemic (2019–2021) and again when global markets closed access to Eurobond issuances for African countries, investors didn’t want to lend African countries for fear of defaulting. Afreximbank was one of the few institutions that continued to lend to African sovereigns. This included US$750 million to Ghana and US$45 million to Zambia.
When Ghana, Zambia and other commodity export-dependent countries faced acute foreign currency shortages and tightening global liquidity caused by the 2015/16 commodity crisis of low prices, Afreximbank did not hesitate to deploy resources.
Zambia has also benefited significantly from Afreximbank’s trade and development finance in energy, agriculture and healthcare. These are areas that many commercial banks view as too risky or low-margin.
For Zambia and Ghana to classify Afreximbank in the same category as hedge funds, bondholders or purely commercial lenders, is ahistorical and unwarranted.
Restructuring loans from Afreximbank risks inadvertently raising the cost of capital for African countries. If Afreximbank can no longer be shielded under preferred creditor status norms, it may be forced to adopt more conservative lending practices, charge higher risk premiums or retreat from high-risk markets altogether.
The knock-on effect is reduced access to affordable, timely financing for countries that need it most.
Afreximbank has rejected the idea that its loans ought to be restructured.
Ghana and Zambia still have an opportunity to correct course. They can reaffirm Afreximbank’s preferred creditor status, exclude it from restructuring tables meant for commercial creditors, and honour their legal commitments.
In doing so, they would not only preserve their reputations as reliable debtors but also strengthen the broader fabric of African financial solidarity.
African countries must be cognisant that no one else will build their institutions for them. If they do not defend and respect them, they cannot expect the rest of the world to do so. The credibility, sustainability and legitimacy of Africa’s financial independence depends, in large part, on how they treat the institutions they have built.
The decision to treat Afreximbank and the Trade and Development Bank like commercial lenders is short-sighted and self-defeating. It must be reversed.
Misheck Mutize 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.
– ref. Ghana and Zambia have snubbed Africa’s leading development bank: why they should change course – https://theconversation.com/ghana-and-zambia-have-snubbed-africas-leading-development-bank-why-they-should-change-course-258467
