When Tony N. King makes up his mind about something, he’s firm in his choice – you might call him a man of action.
“Decision-making sends out this frequency that propels you in the direction you want to go further and faster,” he says. “The more resolute that you are in your decision-making, I think the world conspires around the idea.”
That proved true early last year when King ’23 MFA decided to move from Atlanta, where he eventually settled after grad work at UConn, back to New York City, where he briefly landed after his undergrad and now was looking to return to make a go of it as an actor.
Like dominos, everything fell into place.
He called a friend to get permission to stay in his empty apartment for a month while he found his own. Then, three days before boarding the plane to head north, King booked three voiceover jobs.
“It was serendipitous,” he says of getting that work. “Now I had to get to New York because I needed to be in the studio and that gave me momentum to keep things rolling.”
About two weeks into the move, even before he’d found his own place, King came across an audition notice for a then-growing show he’d never heard of. It was work, so he sent in a self-tape and two days later he was sitting with casting to book the role.
“It was insanely fast,” he says. “Once I was fed up selling luggage in Atlanta, then everything moved into place. It felt like prayers being answered.”
Some might say quite literally.
That then-growing show was the acclaimed Biblical series “The Chosen,” twice rated the No. 1 show on Prime Video this year – and King had just secured a role in Season 5, which was released in theaters in late March before making a streaming debut June 15.
Resolving to Take Another Path
While it isn’t his first big-screen appearance – viewers can find him as an extra standing beside Eddie Murphy in “Coming 2 America” – the role, which carries through into Season 6, means King finally can say he’s earning a living as an actor.
“I had always been somewhat of an artsy, dramatic child,” he says of his upbringing in Charlotte, North Carolina. “I remember getting a karaoke machine and having a singing group in elementary school. But some level of realism smacked me in the face at some point, and I told myself I should probably consider being a doctor or a lawyer.”
He instead settled on studying business at Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) and headed to New York after graduation to take a job in corporate finance and investment banking, a quick-lived position as he says he developed “an overwhelming feeling of, ‘I don’t want to die doing this forever,’ and I also didn’t want to leave this world saying, ‘I didn’t try because I was afraid.’”
Once he resolved to quit, King says he headed home to North Carolina in search of a fully funded MFA acting program. The problem was he’d never taken an acting class, not a one, joking that the closest he got to creativity while working in corporate was designing a marketing flyer.
He sought coaching from Andre Minkins at WSSU to prepare for the program URTA – that’s short for University Resident Theatre Association – which lets prospective MFA acting students audition and apply to hundreds of schools with one application. UConn’s dramatic arts department is among those schools, and brought King to Storrs.
To prepare for his MFA, he booked a couple of children’s theater shows, rubbed elbows with Eddie Murphy, and started doing some voiceover work. After UConn came a bit more children’s theater and that job selling luggage in Atlanta, one might say another that caused him to wonder if this was it.
Then, into King’s life came the role of “bird vendor.”
Tony N. King ’23 (SFA) worked with “The Chosen” creator, director, co-writer, and executive producer Dallas Jenkins to bring to life the role of “bird vendor” in Season 5 of “The Chosen.” Jenkins asked King to return for Season 6, giving him a pivotal role in the series’ next installment about the crucifixion. (Contributed photo)
A Bird in the Hand
“That immediately told me that I may be handling birds, because in the script were these doves and pigeons,” he says. “I knew I was going to be passing and holding birds, so an actor prepares.”
King says he found the most idyllic bird shop imaginable in Brooklyn, Pigeons on Broadway, with an owner who not only could catch pigeons midair but agreed to teach King how to master the same.
“Being in ‘Coming 2 America’ and other various projects as an extra, I knew how quickly set moves. You need to be able to go when the director is ready for you, and I didn’t want to be flustered over holding birds,” he says. “And now I can quite literally grab a bird off the street and hold it like it’s a friend.”
As “bird vendor,” King appears several times in episodes 2 and 3 of “The Chosen: Last Supper,” filmed on set in Utah in an area that replicated Jerusalem’s Court of the Gentiles to the nth detail. That’s the courtyard area outside the Jewish temple, where animal dealers sold livestock and birds for sacrifice.
It’s also the location of the “cleansing of the temple” when Jesus tipped over tables and used a whip to drive, as he said, the merchants and moneymakers from his Father’s house. Each season of “The Chosen” covers a specific aspect of Jesus’ life, with Season 5 featuring the Last Supper and events leading up to it.
“When we got on set, everything went super smooth,” King says. “Dallas Jenkins, the director, has a very specific and keen eye for what he wants. He grew this show from a crowdfunded, indie project into this masterpiece. We had a blast on set, and now people all over the world get to see Jesus flip the table over on me.”
That’s a sentence King admits he never thought he’d say – and at the end of filming came words he’d only so far hoped would come.
“In my first contract, it says in so many words that my role ‘may continue.’ So, I had an idea that I could be invited back, but I knew I needed to do well for that to happen. Once I wrapped last season, Dallas came up to me and in his very soothsayer way said, ‘There’s more to come.’ Sure enough, my character has developed into a spoiler for Season 6. Let’s just say, he’s a very pivotal character in the crucifixion,” he says.
Filming for Season 6, at least the scenes that included King, wrapped this month in Italy, and now he’s in Paris celebrating his 30th birthday. Season 6 will depict Jesus’ crucifixion.
‘Grateful to be called to be a part of it’
“What’s beautiful about portraying biblical characters is that you have these stories, although truth to some, that really represent metaphorically the pillars that we lean on: taking on the burdens of someone you never thought you could or would and really lending yourself to a stranger. I feel like we all can reason with that,” King says.
Raised as a member of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church in Charlotte, King says he’s always been a spiritual person and in tune with faith, but not overtly religious. For the last two years, though, as he’s prepared for the role, he’s versed himself in the Gospel, coming to study the role of the disciples, Jesus’ ministry and miracles, and eventual crucifixion.
“I think the story of the Bible can be diluted and changed and misconstrued, but as long as we have good people retelling these stories with their hearts and sharing these universal truths, I think we’ll all be better off for it,” King says.
In a way, he goes on to say, his character in Season 6 reflects his place today in the world of acting and as a cast member on “The Chosen.”
“We’re both just grateful to be part of something bigger,” he says, adding, “You start to see the beauty and the magnificence that is Jesus and that is the people who he touched, and you’re just grateful that you were called to be a part of it.”
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Press release
Largest fund of its kind to support vulnerable kids & families
The world’s largest fund of its kind will support vulnerable children and families across the country.
Chancellor launches new £500m Fund to break down barriers to opportunity for up to 200,000 vulnerable children and young people and deliver Plan for Change.
World’s largest fund of its kind will boost pupil achievement and could fund programmes to reduce reoffending or provide specialist workers for children struggling with exclusion, mental health or crime.
Better Futures Fund will run for ten years, with plans to raise another £500 million from local government, social investors, and philanthropists on top of government’s funding
The launch is backed today by groups including Save the Children UK, The King’s Trust and Oxford University’s Blavatnik School of Government.
Struggling and vulnerable families and children are to be given a better start in life after a new government fund was announced today (Monday 14 July), which will provide them with the support and funding needed to access a better education, a safe home, and the caring supportive environment they need to flourish.
The Better Futures Fund will support up to 200,000 children and their families over the next ten years by bringing together government, local communities, charities, social enterprises, investors, and philanthropists to work together to give children a brighter future.
It could fund providing support in schools to improve attendance, behaviour and overall achievement of pupils, intervening to free children from a life of crime, and offering employment support to secure their futures.
The fund, which is the largest of its kind in the world, will be launched by the Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves at a visit to a school today in Wigan, hosted by the charity AllChild. It could fund providing support in schools to improve attendance and behaviour, intervening to free children from a life of crime, and offering employment support to secure their futures.
By investing in early support to tackle challenges like school absence, addiction and re-offending, the fund will help give children the stability and opportunity they need to thrive – delivering on a key part of the Prime Minister’s Plan for Change to give every child the best start in life.
It comes ahead of the government hosting the first Civil Society Summit this week, where the government will set out a comprehensive plan on how this government will partner with experts from outside the traditional corridors of power to create solutions that work for real people – all through the principles of fairness, collaboration and trust.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said:
I got into politics to help children facing the toughest challenges. This fund will give hundreds of thousands of children, young people and their families a better chance. For too long, these children have been overlooked. Our Plan for Change will break down barriers to opportunity and give them the best start in life.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said:
This groundbreaking Better Futures Fund represents a major step in partnering with the impact economy, which has long played an important role in strengthening communities and driving inclusive growth.
As part of the Plan for Change, we’re bringing together government, local authorities, charities, social enterprises and philanthropists to create a powerful alliance that will transform the lives of vulnerable children and young people.
We owe them the best start in life. Together we will break down barriers to opportunity, ensuring those who need support most aren’t left behind and have the chance to reach their potential.
Social Outcomes Partnerships have already been used with success across the UK, with over 180 commissioners using the model across the country. The Greater Manchester Better Outcomes Partnership (GMBOP), for example, works with young adults in the Greater Manchester area who are at risk of homelessness.
AllChild’s projects have already halved persistent school absences, and 80% of children have improved emotional wellbeing. Other programmes like the Skill Mill offer paid work experience and qualifications, reducing reconviction rates from 63% typically to 8% and three quarters of those in the programme progress to further employment, education or training.
This fund is a big step in the government’s work with the impact economy – unlocking extra resources from philanthropy, social investors and businesses to tackle urgent social challenges. Today’s announcement comes as the government’s Child Poverty Strategy is to be published in autumn to ensure it delivers fully funded measures that tackle the structural and root causes of child poverty across the UK.
The launch is backed today by groups including Save the Children UK, The King’s Trust and Oxford University’s Blavatnik School of Government.
Today’s announcement is informed by consultation with the Social Impact Investment Advisory Group and other representatives from civil society, purpose-driven business, and local government. Over the coming months Government will build on this and develop a strategic approach to working with the impact economy, who have long played an important role across the UK economy in unlocking innovation, driving inclusive growth and strengthening community resilience.
Chief Secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones said:
Partnering with impact capital to tackle child poverty was a personal priority for me coming into government – which is why I set up the Social Impact Investment Advisory Group to advise on the development of this brilliant fund, which we’ve been delighted to support as a government. I’d like to thank Dame Elizabeth Corley for chairing the group and all the members for their hard work.
I warmly welcome the government’s Better Futures Fund as a pivotal step toward transforming how we support children and families across the country. It’s vital that children engage with the right support and opportunities, at the right time, in the right way. Holistic support that is rooted in each child’s local community, builds on their strengths, and places trust and relationships at the heart of delivery.
I hope this fund will be a catalyst for a new way of working – one which prioritises prevention, shared accountability for locally identified outcomes, and genuine cross-sector partnerships. This is how we can ensure every child no matter where they live has the support and opportunities they need to flourish.
Richard Rigby, Head of UK Government Affairs, The King’s Trust said:
At The King’s Trust, we know that timely support can change the course of a young person’s life. Potential is everywhere but opportunity is not. The Better Futures Fund is an investment in the potential of young people who are too often left behind. We welcome this commitment to early intervention and collaboration with organisations like ours to tackle inequalities and help young people build brighter, more secure futures. By getting behind young people, we can all help to make the UK a healthier, wealthier, more positive and cohesive place.”
Further details on the fund will be set out in due course. It will be delivered by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Veronika Zolotova graduated from the RUDN University Agrarian and Technological Institute in 2020 in the field of “Land Management and Cadastres”. Now she is a project manager for the department for the construction of educational facilities in the autonomous non-profit organization “Development of Social Infrastructure” (ANO “RSI”). This year, Veronika reached the semi-finals of the All-Russian competition of managers “Leaders of the Construction Industry”, organized with the support of the Ministry of Construction of Russia. Veronika talks about who inspired her to go into construction, what the industry is living today and what it means to be a modern leader in an interview.
When you are a child, the field of “Land Management and Cadastre” cannot be called a dream profession. Everyone wants to become astronauts, doctors, teachers. How did you come to the profession?
Since childhood, I imagined myself in different professions. But one thing has always remained unchanged – the desire to be part of something great, significant, to leave a mark on history. Over time, I realized that the best way to make this dream come true is to work in the construction industry. In the field thanks to which cities are created before our eyes, the space of the future is formed. I was inspired by my godfather, who worked as a surveyor. His stories about the profession were filled with passion and meaning. Then, for the first time, I became truly interested in this field – and that is how I came to choose the direction of “Land Management and Cadastre”.
One of the facets of student life is exams and tests, preparation for which often makes students nervous. What was the most difficult subject during your studies?
It’s been a while since I graduated from university. Each exam was exciting and difficult in its own way, especially at the beginning. But one subject from my first year has remained especially vivid in my memory: soil science. At that time, it seemed incredibly difficult, almost incomprehensible. It’s funny, but many subjects have faded from memory over time, but soil science has not. Apparently, it was precisely because of its complexity and depth that it was so firmly imprinted in my mind.
Which teacher are you most grateful to?
I am sincerely grateful to all the teachers of our university — everyone who generously shared their knowledge, experience and warmth with us. All of them are true masters of their craft, devoted to their profession and their students. I would like to express special gratitude to two teachers who played a key role in my professional path. An amazing teacher and expert in his field — Anton Aleksandrovich Poddubsky. He taught geodesy and a number of other disciplines, thanks to which I discovered this science from a completely new, deep and fascinating side.
Mikhail Vyacheslavovich Aleshin not only taught classes on the theory of errors and mathematical processing of geodetic measurements, methods of decoding and other specialized subjects, but also became my scientific supervisor when writing my diploma thesis. His approach, exactingness and support became a real intellectual challenge for me and an important school of professional growth.
Thanks to such teachers, studying became not just a mandatory stage, but a real inspiration and a confident step into a future profession.
The most vivid memory from my studies at RUDN University…
The defense of my diploma sank deep into my soul. The fear was almost paralyzing, it is impossible to put into words. Tears, sleepless nights, anxiety to the point of trembling… But I coped. I coped largely thanks to the support of the teachers, who believed in us even when we ourselves doubted. And the joy when I heard: “The defense was successful” was truly immeasurable. It was as if I had flown to seventh heaven from happiness. I still keep in my archives videos where my classmates and I are crying from stress, and then, beaming with joy, we leave the defense – winners.
Already in your first year you started working in the construction industry. What projects did you manage to work on?
My career path began as an assistant surveyor in one of the largest construction companies in Moscow. I learned from professionals, gained experience, and gradually moved on to independent work. Over time, I became a full-fledged surveyor, and was involved in both office and field work. At that time, I was lucky enough to be part of large-scale projects, including the Rudnevo electric depot, Zaryadye Park, and the construction of the metro. This experience not only strengthened my professional skills, but also taught me responsibility, discipline, and the ability to work in a team under real production tasks.
When you are an applicant, “Land Management and Cadastres” sounds like something mysterious and enigmatic. In what areas can graduates of this program work today?
This is a multidisciplinary specialty, and you can develop along a variety of tracks.
Firstly, it is geodesy – work on construction sites, support of engineering surveys, creation of digital terrain models. Demand for surveyors is consistently high, especially in large infrastructure projects.
Secondly, cadastral activities – registration of land plots, work in cadastral chambers, preparation of technical documentation. This area requires attention to detail and a good understanding of the legislation.
Thirdly, land and legal relations. Here, specialists who understand the regulatory framework, can support transactions, participate in land use issues and dispute resolution are in demand.
In addition, areas related to the digitalization of the cadastre are developing – GIS systems, work with spatial data, automation of accounting processes. This is an excellent option for those who want to keep up with technology. The specialty provides a broad base and flexibility – you can choose both a technical direction and a legal one, or combine both. The main thing is not to be afraid to study further and look for your niche.
Where did you find yourself?
As a project manager. Today, I supervise objects from the conception stage to the moment of their transfer to the balance sheet — I control all stages: from surveys and design to registration of rights and commissioning. This requires a comprehensive approach, knowledge of several areas at once — and it was Land Management and Cadastres that gave me this foundation. So I am sure: this specialty has broad prospects, and success depends on how you yourself reveal its potential.
What principles do you follow in your work?
First of all, responsibility. If I accept a task, I will definitely bring it to a result, while focusing on the level of quality that I would like to receive. There is no place for negligence in the construction industry – even a small mistake can result in serious technical or financial consequences.
The second important principle is respect for people. Regardless of the position and role – be it a contractor, a customer, a colleague or a subordinate – I believe it is important to build communication on mutual respect. This helps to find a common language and quickly resolve even the most difficult issues.
The third principle is a friendly atmosphere in the team. We have warm, almost family-like relationships in our team: we support each other, we can talk not only about work, but also share personal moments. Such an environment increases trust and makes working together easier and more productive.
It is this foundation that gives a sustainable result. This is not about beautiful words – it is about how to work effectively, especially in conditions of limited time, resources and high responsibility. In our field, the winner is not the one who is louder, but the one who knows how to build a process, hears the team and is responsible for the result.
You are a finalist in the “Leaders of the Construction Industry” competition. What does participation in this competition mean to you?
For me, this is a big and very important stage in my professional development. The competition program is aimed at identifying promising managers who have experience in senior positions in the construction or housing and utilities sector. For the final, we are developing our own projects. I will not reveal all the cards yet. But I will say one thing: my project addresses current challenges in the construction industry and offers solutions aimed at achieving sustainable development goals. Now I am focusing on the final!
Daily work often becomes routine. What inspires you and allows you to maintain energy and move forward?
In any job, especially management, there is a place for routine – documents, meetings, process coordination. But I am always inspired by one thought: the result of your work is something tangible and long-lasting. When an object is completed, put into operation and begins to benefit the city and people – this is a real feeling of satisfaction. The pleasure of understanding that you have invested effort, experience, time and done something really useful for this world. The thought charges even in the most difficult moments.
And to replenish my energy, I have my own “recipe for a perfect weekend”: a trip to the countryside with friends in tents. We have an amazing team of 19 people, and we are all from the construction industry: surveyors, designers, architects, estimators, designers, project managers… In general, the list can go on and on. We met at one of the professional events, and then became real friends – our families are friends, we support each other both at work and in life. We even have our own name – “Go? Go!” This is about the fact that we are always “for” any activity: hiking, climbing, running, lectures, master classes, parties. This team is my source of energy and inspiration. With such people around you, you feel that you can move mountains – both literally and professionally.
Is it difficult to be a girl in the construction industry – a stereotype or prejudice that still exists today?
This stereotype, unfortunately, still exists – although not in such an open form as before. Sometimes you have to prove your competence a little more than a man would have to in the same position. But personally, I don’t make a problem out of it – I do my job well, consistently and for the result. And this is what ultimately builds trust and respect.
Construction is not about gender, but about responsibility, knowledge of processes, the ability to build communication and bring a project to completion. And every year there are more and more women like me in the industry – strong, smart, professional.
If I encounter bias, I try not to waste energy on arguments. It is much more effective to show in action that you are competent and reliable. And when you have more than one successfully completed project under your belt, the opinion of skeptics changes on its own.
If you had the opportunity to go back to your first year, what would you tell yourself then?
I would tell myself: don’t be afraid to be active, ask more questions, try yourself and don’t put off important steps “for later”. University is not only about lectures and tests, it is a time when you can form yourself as a professional, build connections, participate in projects, and most importantly – learn to take initiative. I would advise not to be afraid of mistakes. Because it is through them that a real understanding of the profession and self-confidence comes. A mistake is not a failure, but an experience, if you draw conclusions.
And, probably, the main advice: everything will work out if you do your job with interest and are truly involved.
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Sixty years ago, NASA’s Mariner 4 captured groundbreaking views of the Red Planet, leading to a steady stream of advances in the cameras used to study other worlds. In 1965, NASA’s Mariner 4 mission brought Mars into American living rooms, where TV sets showed fuzzy black-and-white images of a cratered landscape. The spacecraft took 21 complete pictures — the first ever captured of another planet — as it flew by as close as 6,118 miles (9,846 kilometers) above the surface. The mission team couldn’t wait to see what the camera aboard the spacecraft would return. When the actual images were delayed, they went so far as to create a color-by-numbers image, assigning hues to specific values in the data. Their handiwork wasn’t far off, and the barren landscape Mariner 4 captured ignited the imaginations of future scientists and engineers who would go on to work on a succession of missions, each revealing Mars in a way it had never been seen before. Millions of Mars images have been taken since then, many of which are captivating in their own way. The images that follow highlight some of the “firsts” in the way the agency has used imaging to help unlock the secrets of Mars. Viking 1 Sets Foot on Mars July 20, 1976
Viking 1 became the first spacecraft to touch down on Mars on July 20, 1976. The first high-resolution image it sent to Earth captured a dry, rocky landscape that dashed any hope among scientists of discovering life on the surface. But the crisp images that followed from the lander’s 360-degree cylindrical scan camera underscored the scientific value of seeing Mars from the ground and generated excitement for a more ambitious visit: a robotic spacecraft that could drive across this alien world. Portrait of Mars by Viking 1 Orbiter 1980
When the twin Viking landers arrived at Mars, each descended from an orbiter that used cameras to map Mars in a way Earth-based telescopes couldn’t. They began capturing images before the landers even touched down, continuing until 1980. That year, the Viking 1 orbiter captured images that were later stitched into a defining portrait of Valles Marineris — the “Grand Canyon of Mars.” Sojourner Starts to Explore July 5, 1997
By the time NASA returned to the Martian surface in 1997 with the Pathfinder lander and its microwave-oven-size Sojourner rover, much had changed on Earth since Mariner 4’s images beamed to TV viewers: Now, the internet was bringing around-the-clock news to personal computers, allowing a young generation of space fans to witness the tentative first steps of a new form of planetary exploration. The panoramic images from the ground were the first since Viking and, as part of NASA’s “faster, better, cheaper” initiative, offered more detail and a comparatively lower cost. Opportunity Spots Passing Dust Devil March 31, 2016
In 2004, NASA’s golf-cart-size twin rovers Spirit and Opportunity set down on the Red Planet, beginning a new phase of Martian exploration. Equipped with both mast-mounted panoramic and arm-mounted microscopic imagers, the roving spacecraft let scientists, engineers, and the world discover new terrain each day. They captured colorful views of Martian vistas and revealed details of pebble-size “blueberries.” Mars was beginning to feel less like an unfamiliar world than a place with recognizable landmarks. MRO’s HiRISE Views Victoria Crater July 18, 2009
Since Viking, a series of increasingly advanced orbiters have arrived at Mars with new science tools and cameras. Using increasingly sophisticated imagers, they have mapped the planet’s hills and valleys, identified significant minerals, and found buried glaciers. A camera that has been in operation aboard NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter since 2006, the High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) frequently captures individual dunes, boulders, and craters, as with this picture of Victoria Crater, revealing features that had been blurry in previous images. The camera has also identified landing sites and places where future rovers (perhaps even astronauts) could explore. Curiosity, Perseverance Bring More Cameras and Color Aug. 5, 2012 and Feb. 18, 2021
Both Curiosity and Perseverance arrived at Mars (in 2012 and 2021, respectively) loaded with cameras that pack millions of pixels into their images and peer farther into the distance than Spirit or Opportunity ever could. They also feature upgraded arm-mounted cameras for studying fine details like sand particles and rock textures. Perseverance took a step beyond Curiosity in several ways, including with high-speed cameras that showed its parachute deploying and its rocket-powered jetpack flying away during entry, descent, and landing on Mars. Another advance can be seen in each vehicle’s hazard-avoidance cameras, which help rover drivers spot rocks they might bump into. As seen in the first images each rover sent back, Curiosity’s black-and-white cameras were upgraded to color and higher resolution for Perseverance, providing clearer views of the surface. Ingenuity Spots Perseverance at Belva Crater Aug. 22, 2023
Just as Pathfinder brought the tiny Sojourner rover to Mars, NASA’s next-generation Perseverance rover carried the Ingenuity helicopter. Along with proving flight in Mars’ thin air was possible, Ingenuity used a commercial, off-the-shelf color camera to take aerial views over the course of 72 flights. During one of those flights, Ingenuity even spotted Perseverance in the distance — another first on the Red Planet. Future Mars helicopters might be able to scout paths ahead and find scientifically interesting sites for robots and astronauts alike. More About These Missions NASA JPL, which is managed for the agency by Caltech in Pasadena, California, built Mariner 4, the Viking 1 and 2 orbiters, Pathfinder, Sojourner, Spirit and Opportunity, Curiosity, Perseverance, and Ingenuity. It continues to operate Curiosity and Perseverance. Lockheed Martin Space in Denver built MRO and supports its operations, while JPL manages the mission. The University of Arizona, in Tucson, operates HiRISE, which was built by BAE Systems, in Boulder, Colorado. The Viking 1 and 2 landers were built by Martin Marietta; the Viking program was managed by NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. JPL led operations for the Viking landers and orbiters. News Media Contacts Andrew GoodJet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.818-393-2433andrew.c.good@jpl.nasa.gov Karen Fox / Molly WasserNASA Headquarters, Washington202-358-1600karen.c.fox@nasa.gov / molly.l.wasser@nasa.gov 2025-088
NASA astronaut Shannon Walker retired July 10, concluding a career that spanned 38 years, including 30 years of federal service and more than 21 years as an astronaut. During two spaceflights, she spent 330 days in orbit, contributing to hundreds of scientific experiments and technology demonstrations for the benefit of humanity. Walker served as a mission specialist during NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 mission to the International Space Station in 2020, the first crewed operational Dragon spacecraft flight. She also was the first woman to fly aboard a Dragon spacecraft. Once aboard the orbiting laboratory, Walker joined the Expedition 64/65 crew and briefly commanded Expedition 65, logging 167 days in space before returning to Earth in May 2021. She spent 163 days in space during her first spaceflight in 2010 as a member of the space station’s Expedition 24/25 crew. She was the pilot of the Soyuz TMA-19, which became the first crew to dock with the station’s Rassvet module. “Shannon’s dedication to human space exploration has left an incredible impact, not just here in Houston, but across the industry,” said Steve Koerner, acting director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. “Her leadership and guidance will be missed immensely, but she leaves behind a legacy of excellence that will continue to inspire the next generation of explorers for decades to come.” Most recently, Walker served as the deputy chief of the Astronaut Office. She also oversaw the 2021 class of astronaut candidates, supervising their training and graduation in 2024. “Shannon and I were a part of the same astronaut class back when we first started,” said Joe Acaba, chief of the Astronaut Office at NASA Johnson. “She has been a great friend to me ever since and a great leader within the Astronaut Office. I could not imagine a better partner by my side when, nearly 20 years later, we’d become chief and deputy chief. She has undoubtedly been a positive influence on this office, and her retirement is well-deserved.” Walker began her career as a flight controller in the Mission Control Center at NASA Johnson, supporting several shuttle missions. She next worked in the International Space Station Program Office, helping to develop, build, and integrate hardware for the space station. In the early days of the space station, she returned to mission control, leading the engineering team responsible for the space station’s technical health. She was selected as an astronaut in 2004. After completing her initial two years of training, she served as a crew support astronaut and worked as a capsule communicator, or capcom. She also held leadership positions within the several branches of the Astronaut Office focused on International Space Station operations, crew Soyuz missions, and supporting astronauts with flight assignments. She also commanded the NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations project, or NEEMO 15 underwater mission. “I had always known I wanted to be an astronaut when I grew up, but looking back on the past 38 years, I never would have imagined how many adventures my career would take me on,” said Walker. “I feel fortunate to have been able to work with people all over the world in the pursuit of space exploration. I have seen a lot of change in the evolution of human spaceflight, and I know the future is in good hands with all the talented people we have here and the generations yet to come.” The Houston native attended Rice University in her hometown, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in physics, followed by a master’s degree and doctorate in space physics. Learn more about how NASA explores the unknown and innovates for the benefit of humanity at: https://www.nasa.gov/ -end- Chelsey Ballarte Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 Chelsey.n.ballarte@nasa.gov
Over the past six months, the headlines have been dominated by stories of fear, division and hatred.However, activists around the world are working away to ensure hope prevails. Here are some of the human rights wins we can be proud of from January to June 2025.
January
Afghanistan
In 2023, Amnesty International released a report on the Taliban’s war on women. Following its findings, the International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor filed a request for arrest warrants against the Taliban’s Supreme Leader and their Chief Justice, citing crimes against humanity.
The request charges the Taliban’s Supreme Leader and their Chief Justice for gender persecution against women, girls, and LGBTI people since their return to power in August 2021. Although the warrants are still subject to the approval of ICC judges these are the first public arrest warrants sought by the ICC in Afghanistan since the country became a member of the court in 2003.
Cameroon
Dorgelesse Nguessan was released on 16 January after spending more than four years in prison for participating in a protest. The hairdresser and single mother had never been politically active yet joined a protest after growing concerned about the high cost of living. She was charged with insurrection, tried by a military court and sentenced to five years in prison on 7 December 2021.
I thank those who directly or indirectly work for your organization and contributed to my release.
Dorgelesse Nguessan
Dorgelesse was part of Amnesty International’s 2022 Write for Rights campaign, where thousands of supporters called for her release. Amnesty also provided short-term relief support to assist Dorgelesse and her family through the difficult moments of her detention. On 16 January, the Court of Appeal reduced her sentence.
“I thank you for all the efforts you have devoted as I was arbitrarily detained,” said Dorgelesse. “I thank those who directly or indirectly work for your organization and contributed to my release.”
Chile
On 2 January, two police [Carabineros] officers were sentenced to prison for shooting activist Renzo Inostroza and blinding him in one eye. The court concluded that their actions violated both Chile’s national regulations and international obligations. This conviction set a judicial precedent in the struggle to ensure the Chilean justice system pursues criminal responsibility for the unlawful actions of the Carabineros. This conviction follows Amnesty’s landmark Eyes on Chile report, which analyzed patterns and individual cases of police violence during the social unrest that broke out in Chile in October 2019. Renzo’s case was part of the report.
Saudi Arabia
From January to February, Amnesty successfully campaigned for the release of several human rights defenders in Saudi Arabia. On 7 January, human rights defender and former prisoner of conscience, Mohammed al-Qahtani, was conditionally released after spending 12 years in prison for his human rights work. On 13 February, 47-year-old teacher Asaad bin Nasser al-Ghamdi was released from prison following an unfair trial before the notorious Specialized Criminal Court (SCC). Asaad was arrested in 2022 and initially sentenced to 20 years in prison for social media posts criticizing the government’s Vision 2030 programme. On 10 February 2025, Leeds University PhD student and mother of two, Salma al-Shehab, was released from prison after completing a four-year prison term following an unfair trial before the SCC. Following a grossly unfair trial, the SCC had convicted Salma al-Shehab of terrorism-related offences for publishing tweets in support of women’s rights.
USA
The United States sanctioned a number of companies involved in the transfer of weapons into Sudan and Darfur. These sanctions follow Amnesty’s innovative briefing, published in July 2024, that combined business trade data and video analysis to show how the constant import of foreign-manufactured arms into Sudan was fuelling relentless civilian suffering.
Amnesty International members long campaigned for the release of Native American activist Leonard Peltier and most recently called on President Biden to grant Leonard Peltier clemency on humanitarian grounds and as a matter of justice.
USA
Leonard Peltier, a Native American activist, was imprisoned for nearly 50 years in the USA for a crime he maintains he did not commit. There were serious concerns about the fairness of his trial and conviction. Tribal Nations, Nobel Peace Laureates, former FBI agents, numerous others, and even the former U.S. Attorney, James Reynolds, whose office handled the prosecution, have called for Leonard Peltier’s release. Amnesty International members had long campaigned for his release, and most recently called on President Biden to grant Leonard Peltier clemency on humanitarian grounds and as a matter of justice. In the final hour of his presidency, former President Biden commuted Peltier’s life sentence to home confinement. Amnesty recently offered him short-term relief support as he works to rebuild his life after his release.
February
Algeria
Thanks to sustained advocacy work from Amnesty International Algeria and several national women’s rights organizations, Algeria’s president Abdelmadjid Tebboune announced a series of concrete measures to combat violence against women – moving from commitment to action.
The Ministry of Solidarity has since launched a national toll-free helpline, available 24/7 across the country, enabling victims to report abuse, be referred to appropriate support services, and receive emergency assistance when in danger. It is already proving effective. A Guide for Women Victims of Violence has been published in Arabic and English and is currently being distributed nationwide. New legal measures, including the possibility of issuing an immediate restraining order against perpetrators of violence, have also been announced.
Benin
Thousands of Beninese families living in coastal areas have been living an endless nightmare, victims of forced evictions orchestrated in the name of tourism development. However, in February the authorities issued a public call for people awaiting proper compensation to come forward so their case can be followed up. The National Agency for Land and Property’s direct also asked Amnesty International for a list of people who have not received appropriate reparations.
The move follows the release of an Amnesty International report on forced evictions in Benin in December 2023 and a subsequent campaign calling for proper compensation for those who have been unfairly evicted, which proved vital in securing this positive outcome.
Thank you all very much. Without your help, we could not have saved my husband.
Zaynura Hasan
Amnesty International had been campaigning for his freedom since he was initially detained in July 2021. Zaynura Hasan, Idris’ wife, thanked the organization for the relentless support.
“Thank you all very much. Without your help, we could not have saved my husband.”
Serbia
Recent research by Amnesty International’s Security Lab and European Regional Office documented how Serbian police and intelligence authorities are using advanced phone spyware alongside mobile phone forensic products to unlawfully target journalists, environmental activists and other individuals in a covert surveillance campaign.
In a significant human rights win, Cellebrite (a company specialising in digital intelligence and forensics) announced it will stop the use of its digital forensic equipment for some of its customers in Serbia as a direct result of Amnesty’s research. Simultaneously, Serbia’s Prosecutor for High Technological Crime, the Ombudsman and Data Protection Commissioner started separate investigations based on the research findings.
Senegal
In a positive step forward, the Senegalese government invited Amnesty International to provide support and assistance for people who have been arrested for participating in protests, as well as former detainees.
Since 2021, Amnesty International has denounced the unlawful use of force by security forces during protests, compiled a list of those who have been killed, and condemned the arbitrary detention of hundreds of people for having called for or participated in protests. According to figures gathered by Amnesty International and other civil society organizations, at least 65 people were killed, the majority by firearms, with at least 1,000 wounded. A further 2,000 people were arrested.
Amnesty International continues to call for the repeal of the amnesty law adopted by the former government, for justice and reparation for the victims and their family members.
Taner Kılıç, a refugee rights lawyer and former Chair of Amnesty International’s Türkiye section, was finally acquitted after nearly eight years of judicial proceedings.
Türkiye
Taner Kılıç, a refugee rights lawyer and former Chair of Amnesty International’s Türkiye section, was finally acquitted after nearly eight years of judicial proceedings.
Arrested in June 2017 and imprisoned for over 14 months, he was unjustly convicted in 2020 despite no credible evidence. He faced more than six years in prison for “membership of a terrorist organization”. Amnesty provided relief support to him and his family as they navigated the difficulty of his imprisonment.
Reflecting on the case, Taner said: “This nightmare that has gone on for almost eight years is finally over… The only thing I was sure of throughout this process was that I was right and innocent, and the support from all over the world gave me strength. I thank each and every one who stood up for me.”
In a landmark ruling, Brazilian actor Juan Darthés was found guilty for the rape of Argentinian actress Thelma Fardin. Amnesty provided legal and psychosocial support to Thelma.
Latin America
In a landmark ruling for women’s rights in Latin America, a Brazilian court convicted actor Juan Darthés of sexual violence against Argentine actress Thelma Fardin, who accused him in 2018 of abusing her when she was 16. Amnesty provided support for transport related costs, and psychosocial support for Thelma throughout her case. The sentence sets an important precedent for sexual violence cases in the region.
After a five-year legal battle across three countries, Thelma stated: “Today I can look my 16-year-old self in the eye and say we did it.”
Philippines
Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested by police on the basis of an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity.
Thousands of people, mostly from poor and marginalized communities, were unlawfully killed by the police – or by armed individuals suspected to have links to the police – during Duterte’s so-called “war on drugs”. Amnesty has been calling for his arrest for a number of years and described it as “a long-awaited and monumental step for justice”. He is now due to stand trial at the ICC.
Sierra Leone
Hawa Hunt, a reality TV star, was freed from detention on 4 March and cleared of all the cybercrime related charges against her. She was arrested on live television in December 2024 and charged with insulting the President and First Lady in a social media video.
Amnesty International called on authorities to release her and to ensure her rights were upheld.
Her daughter Alicia said: “In one of the very few phone calls I was able to have with my mother as she was in jail, I told her how Amnesty International spoke up for her. She and our whole family were very touched by the support. We believe it played a very key role in her being released.”
Since May 1995, the Saturday Mothers have held peaceful weekly protests demanding justice for relatives forcibly disappeared in the eighties and nineties.
Türkiye
Since May 1995, the Saturday Mothers have held regular peaceful protests at Galatasaray Square every Saturday, demanding justice for relatives forcibly disappeared in the eighties and nineties. Their 700th vigil on 25 August 2018 was banned and violently dispersed by police using tear gas and water cannons.
Forty-six people were detained and later released, but in 2020, they were prosecuted for “attending illegal meetings and marches without weapons and not dispersing despite warnings”.
Thanks to the determination of the Saturday Mothers and their supporters – including Amnesty International who provided legal aid – all were acquitted in March 2025.
USA
On March 17, US immigration authorities detained Alberto, the father of a Venezuelan family of four, separating him from his wife and two children. Despite the family having pending asylum applications, he was charged with “illegal” entry to the United States. His case was an example of the Trump administration’s use of a provision of immigration law to target individuals and families that have been in the United States for years, rather than recent arrivals at the US-Mexico border. On April 21, 2025, Alberto was granted bond and released from ICE detention, following calls from Amnesty International and reunited with his wife and two children.
May
Chile
Romario Veloz was shot and killed by an army captain during social unrest in La Serena, Chile, in 2019. The police officer who shot Romario Veloz was imprisoned in May 2025 – setting a precedent in cases of human rights violations committed by state agents. Despite the victory, widespread impunity for police violence continues. Romario was also part of Amnesty’s Eyes on Chile investigation (2020). Amnesty provided support to Romario’s young child, helping her access education as well as covering the legal expenses for the family’s quest to seek justice.
Alongside the report, Amnesty was part of the Advisory Unit for Police Reform, wrote letters to the Chilean president and gave numerous media interviews on police violence. Amnesty Chile’s relentless campaigning paid off and helped to stop the implementation of the use of tasers by Chilean police forces.
Côte d’Ivoire
On 7 May, Ghislain Duggary Assy, Communications Secretary of the Movement of Teachers for the Dignity Dynamic union, was provisionally released pending his trial, due to international pressure from Amnesty International. A month earlier, he had been sentenced to two years’ imprisonment solely for having called for strike action in primary and secondary schools.
Amnesty International condemned the flagrant violation of workers’ rights, in particular the right to strike and freedom of association and will continue to call for his unconditional release.
Greece
Two years ago, the Pylos shipwreck led to the death of more than 600 people. Now, 17 Greek coastguard officers face charges in connection with it, including causing a shipwreck, exposure to danger and failure to provide assistance. These developments may pave the way towards accountability for the worst shipwreck in the Mediterranean in recent years.
Amnesty has been calling for justice through sustained advocacy and campaigning.
Türkiye
Afghan asylum seeker Tabriz Saifi is blind due to chronic diabetes and relies on dialysis three times a week. However, his international protection application was rejected by the Turkish authorities on 28 February, which meant he no longer had access to life-saving healthcare. Amnesty International immediately launched an urgent action, calling for the decision to be reversed.
On 2 May, his family was informed that the decision had been reversed and that his asylum seeker status had been reinstated, along with full access to free healthcare.
Girls and women support the right to abortion in Argentina.
Argentina
An Argentine private health insurer was fined over $4,000 USD for denying a legal abortion to a woman whose pregnancy posed serious health risks — a clear violation of the country’s reproductive rights law.
Amnesty International Argentina provided legal advice and stressed that rulings like this reinforce the need to guarantee access to legal abortion as a right, not an exception subject to individual or institutional discretion.
Council of Europe
Following sustained advocacy by Amnesty International and the Omega Research Foundation, the Council of Europe’s Steering Committee for Human Rights (CDDH) adopted a report on measures against the trade in goods used for death penalty, torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
Georgia
After months of public pressure, protests and legal action, the Georgian Ministry of Justice announced it would end the humiliating practice of fully stripping detainees during body searches.
The decision followed a lawsuit from the Public Defender in February, a report from Amnesty International condemning the practice as degrading and unlawful, as well as a video featuring Georgian artist and activist Kristina Botkoveli, who was subjected to a forced strip search, harassment, and threats after participating in protests.
Following calls from Amnesty International and other organizations, the revised Sámi Parliament Act has now been approved by the Finnish parliament.
Finland
The Sámi are a group of Indigenous people that come from the region of Sápmi, which stretches across the northern parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland and the Kola peninsula in Russia.
For a number of years, they have been subjected to human rights violations. However, following calls from Amnesty International and other organizations, the revised Sámi Parliament Act has now been approved by the Finnish parliament.
The amended Act strengthens Indigenous Sámi people’s right to self-determination and improves the way in which the Sámi Parliament operates. It also corrects human rights violations highlighted by international human rights treaty bodies.
Hungary
On 28 June, Budapest Pride proceeded despite restrictive anti-Pride laws and police targeting the march. Around 200,000 people, including over 280 Amnesty International activists and staff from Hungary and 22 other countries, peacefully demanded equality and assembly rights. This was Budapest’s largest Pride in 30 years, symbolizing strong public resistance to discrimination and highlighting the resilience of Hungary’s LGBTI community. Amnesty’s Let Pride March campaign helped raise awareness, mobilize activists, and urged police to respect peaceful protest. With over 120,000 global actions supporting the event – it demonstrated that solidarity can overcome oppression, though challenges for LGBTI rights in Hungary persist.
Activists and speakers – including King Okabi of the Ogale community – call for an end to Shell’s pollution of the Niger Delta and compensation outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, on day one of the Ogale and Bille communities vs Shell trial, 13 February 2025.
Nigeria/UK
After a decade-long fight for justice, a UK court ruled that Shell can be held liable for the oil spills and leaks it has failed to clean up in the Niger Delta – regardless of how long ago they happened.
The judgement is an important step towards justice for communities in the Niger Delta and a vital opportunity to make Shell pay for the devastating pollution it has caused to the Ogale and Bille communities’ lands.
In parallel with this decision, the Nigerian government also pardoned the Ogoni Nine. The group of activists, led by Ken Saro-Wiwa, Nigerian author and campaigner, were executed 30 years ago by a government that wanted to hide the crimes of Shell and other oil companies that were destroying the lives and livelihoods of tens of thousands of people across the Niger Delta.
Amnesty has been supporting and campaigning for justice for the Ogoni Nine for years and documenting the destruction Shell has left behind through a series of powerful reports. While these are positive outcomes, much more needs to be done to ensure justice is achieved for communities in the Niger Delta, including holding Shell and other oil companies to account for the damage they have done and continue to do – and Amnesty will be there every step of the way!
Ukraine
On 24 June, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Secretary General of the Council of Europe Alain Berset signed an agreement establishing a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression Against Ukraine in Strasbourg, following calls from Amnesty International and others. It is hoped this will help hold perpetrators of the crime of aggression accountable.
Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist and student organizer who recently graduated from Columbia University, was targeted for his role in student protests at Columbia University.
USA
On March 9, US immigration authorities unlawfully arrested and arbitrarily detained Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist, lawful permanent resident of the USA, and student organizer who recently graduated from Columbia University. Mahmoud was targeted for his role in student protests at Columbia University, where he was exercising his rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. He was not charged with a crime yet was held in a detention centre, told that his permanent residency status was “revoked”, and placed in deportation proceedings. Amnesty International demanded that authorities release Mahmoud immediately and respect his rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and due process. After 104 days in a Louisiana immigration detention centre, Mahmoud Khalil was released on bail in June 21, however he’s still facing threats of deportation by US authorities. He has since filed a $20 million USD lawsuit against the Trump administration.
Global warming has picked up pace since around 2010, leading to the recent string of record warm years. Why this is happening is still unclear, and among the biggest questions in climate science today. Our new study reveals that reductions in air pollution – particularly in China and east Asia – are a key reason for this faster warming.
Cleanup of sulphur emissions from global shipping has been implicated in past research. But that cleanup only began in 2020, so it’s considered too weak to explain the full extent of this acceleration. Nasa researchers have suggested that changes in clouds could play a role, either through reductions in cloud cover in the tropics or over the North Pacific.
One factor that has not been well quantified, however, is the effect of monumental efforts by countries in east Asia, notably China, to combat air pollution and improve public health through strict air quality policies. There has already been a 75% reduction in east Asian sulphur dioxide emissions since around 2013, and that cleanup effort picked up pace just as global warming began accelerating.
Our study addresses the link between east Asian air quality improvements and global temperature, building on the efforts of eight teams of climate modellers across the world.
We have found that polluted air may have been masking the full effects of global warming. Cleaner air could now be revealing more of the human-induced global warming from greenhouse gases.
In addition to causing millions of premature deaths, air pollution shields the Earth from sunlight and therefore cools the surface. There has been so much air pollution that it has held human-induced warming in check by up to 0.5°C over the last century.
With the cleanup of air pollution, something that’s vital for human health, this artificial sunshade is removed. Since greenhouse gas emissions have kept on increasing, the result is that the Earth’s surface is warming faster than ever before.
Modelling the cleanup
Our team used 160 computer simulations from eight global climate models. This enabled us to better quantify the effects that east Asian air pollution has on global temperature and rainfall patterns. We simulated a cleanup of pollution similar to what has happened in the real world since 2010. We found an extra global warming of around 0.07°C.
While this is a small number compared with the full global warming of around 1.3°C since 1850, it is still enough to explain the recent acceleration in global warming when we take away year-to-year swings in temperature from natural cycles such as El Niño, a climate phenomenon in the Pacific that affects weather patterns globally.
Based on long-term trends, we would have expected around 0.23°C of warming since 2010. However, we actually measured around 0.33°C. While the additional 0.1°C can largely be explained by the east Asian air pollution cleanup, other factors include the change in shipping emissions and the recent accelerated increase in methane concentrations in the atmosphere.
Air pollution causes cooling by reflecting sunlight or by changing the properties of clouds so they reflect more sunlight. The cleanup in east Asian air pollution influences global temperatures because it reduces the shading effect of the pollution over east Asia itself. It also means less pollution is blown across the north Pacific, causing clouds in the east Pacific to reflect less sunlight.
The pattern of these changes across the North Pacific simulated in our models matches that seen in satellite observations. Our models and temperature observations also show relatively strong warming over the North Pacific, downwind from east Asia.
The main source of global warming is still greenhouse gas emissions, and a cleanup of air pollution was both necessary and overdue. This did not cause the additional warming but rather, removed an artificial cooling that has for a time helped shield us from some of the extreme weather and other well-established consequences of climate change.
Global warming will continue for decades. Indeed, our past and future emissions of greenhouse gases will affect the climate for centuries. However, air pollution is quickly removed from the atmosphere, and the recent acceleration in global warming from this particular unmasking may therefore be short-lived.
Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?
Laura Wilcox receives funding from the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), the Research Council of Norway, the Clean Air Fund, and Horizon Europe.
Bjørn H. Samset receives funding from the Research Council of Norway, the Clean Air Fund, and Horizon Europe.
Reappointment of a non-lay member of the Legal Services Board
The Lord Chancellor has approved the reappointment of Habib Motani as a non-lay member of the Legal Services Board.
The Lord Chancellor has approved the reappointment of Habib Motani as a non-lay member of the Legal Services Board for four years from 18 April 2026.
Mr Motani qualified as a solicitor in 1980. He is a Consultant to Clifford Chance LLP having spent over 30 years as a partner in the firm’s banking and finance practice. He is a Visiting Professor at the School of Law at the University of Edinburgh. and a Trustee at: The British Institute of International and Comparative Law, the Institute of Ismaili Studies and The Aga Khan University (International) in the United Kingdom. He is also a member of the Steering Group of the Canary Wharf Multi-faith Chaplaincy.
The Legal Services Board (LSB) is the independent body overseeing the regulation of lawyers in England and Wales. Its goal is to reform and modernise the legal services marketplace by putting the interests of consumers at the heart of the system. It is independent of government and the legal profession and oversees the approved regulators, which themselves regulate lawyers.
The LSB also oversees the Office for Legal Complaints and its administration of the Legal Ombudsman scheme that resolves complaints about lawyers.
Appointments and reappointments are made, by the Lord Chancellor, under the Legal Services Act 2007 and are regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. This reappointment has been made in line with the Governance Code on Public Appointments.
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Today, the Yandex Education student camp on NLP (Natural Language Processing) started at the Novosibirsk State University. It is attended by 100 students from IT departments of universities from all over the country. In two weeks, the participants will master key approaches to text processing, as well as work with large language models BERT, GPT and YandexGPT (used for content analysis and generation) in practice. At the end of the student camp, students will defend team projects that they can add to their own portfolios. Participants will teach artificial intelligence to structure information, find contradictions in texts, search for data in complex documents where text, tables and graphs are mixed, and also improve the reasoning skills of language models.
Minister of Digital Development and Communications of the Novosibirsk Region Sergey Tsukar emphasized: The Novosibirsk Region, as the capital of IT personnel, always supports the holding of various educational events on digital topics and is happy to host IT students from all over the country.
— In the Novosibirsk Region, 10 universities and 14 colleges train IT specialists. NSU is our reliable partner. The guys had a chance to study at one of the best universities — world-class and at one of the leading scientific centers of Russia — Akademgorodok. This is a unique opportunity — to get concentrated, fundamental knowledge in the field of artificial intelligence in two weeks, which usually takes months to study. Artificial intelligence is no longer just a trend, it is our reality today. I thank Yandex for such relevant, interesting, free educational projects, — noted Sergey Tsukar.
NSU has been cooperating with Yandex for many years. Based on Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics of NSU A master’s program was opened with the support of the School of Data Analysis – “Applied Machine Learning and Big Data”. Many graduates of the program work in large IT companies.
— It is an honor for us that such an event is held at Novosibirsk University. The student camp is an intensive course in IT areas, which is held by Yandex Education together with the leading universities of our country. Of course, our university, which is located in the very center of Akademgorodok, is one of such universities. I hope that these two weeks will be truly intensive for you, there will be intense work. There was a very big competition for the student camp, the best were selected. You will leave here not only with new acquaintances, friends, new impressions, but also with new knowledge. You will be taught by experts from Yandex and our university. I think this will help you in your professional career, and in some time, I am sure, we will be proud of many of you, — said the rector of NSU, academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Mikhail Fedoruk.
The first week of the student camp is devoted to getting acquainted with key approaches to NLP. Participants will understand the architecture of transformers (models that use the attention mechanism for fast learning), study methods of adaptation and interpretation of models, and master the tasks of classification, generation and error tolerance. They will also study advanced technologies: attention mechanisms, autoregressive models, multimodality and RAG (Retrieval Augmented Generation). In the second week, students will focus on practice: they will work with data analysis and the final defense of a project that solves real problems at the intersection of science and industry.
Kirill Barannikov, Head of Strategic Development of Higher Education at Yandex Education, notes:
— We focus on new formats of education, and student camps are one of them. Full-time intensive programs are open to students from all over Russia. They provide not only relevant knowledge, access to big tech technologies, but also the opportunity to meet practicing industry experts and teachers from the country’s strongest universities. In addition, in two weeks, participants have time to put together a full-fledged project for their portfolio and immerse themselves in a new socio-cultural environment – the city and university where the student camp is taking place. Almost 1,200 students from 200 universities applied for the NLP program at NSU – the competition was about 12 people per place. The selected participants will study natural language processing technologies, which are used today in various fields: from developing voice assistants to analyzing big data.
Yandex Education student camps are two-week intensive courses in mathematics, IT and artificial intelligence, which are held at leading Russian universities in a face-to-face format. Participating students come to the university for two weeks to immerse themselves in an educational program on a specific topic and create a team project for their own portfolio.
Experts from Yandex, SHAD and the host university participate in creating content for student camps. The creators of the program include both practicing specialists and theorists with experience in teaching.
The project is designed for 3rd-4th year undergraduate students who are already studying computer science at the university and have a base in programming and mathematics. Junior students can also participate in the selection if their knowledge allows them to master the program.
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
The 3rd Meeting of Gazprom’s target students took place in the shift settlement of Yamburg (YaNAO). It was attended by 150 students from the company’s specialized universities from all over the country. The meeting was held for the first time at an operating gas production facility.
The program of the meeting included lectures on the development of gas production at the Kara Sea shelf fields, trainings, team-building events and a team case championship. The students saw Gazprom production facilities at the Yamburg oil and gas condensate field, visited social and household facilities of the rotational village, and got acquainted with the culture and traditions of the indigenous peoples of the North.
Two students from the Institute of Power Engineering, in the Electrical Power Engineering and Electrical Engineering program, participated in the meeting from the Polytechnic University: Leonid Golubev (3rd year bachelor’s degree student) and Vladimir Sergeev (1st year master’s degree student), target students of Gazprom Transgaz Saint Petersburg.
“The gathering included interesting training sessions on soft skills development. It was interesting to solve cases, learn new things, improve communication and teamwork skills. The organizers also tried to fill the program with excursions, events “at the edge of the earth”. This gathering will be remembered for the knowledge acquired, friends and emotions,” Vladimir shared.
“Surrounded by one and a half hundred talented students from all over Russia, I solved current problems of developing new deposits. All this together helped me to start believing in myself more, not to be afraid to move forward, to learn to look for new non-standard solutions,” Leonid said.
Polytechnic employees also participated in the event as experts on the case championship jury: Elvira Tuktamysheva, Head of the Employment Assistance Sector, and Janis Olekhnovich, Curator of the “PAO Gazprom Flagship University” project.
“Immersion in the corporate culture, production and business processes of the company shows students their immediate future after graduation,” Elvira Tuktamysheva noted. “Thanks to this, the likelihood of stress during the transition from studying at a university to working in a company is reduced. Such a system helps the guys more easily adapt to a new stage in their professional career.”
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak, the UAE’s minister of climate change and environment, concluded a high-level visit to China from July 7-10, the UAE Embassy in Beijing said, as the two countries seek to deepen cooperation on climate action, sustainable agriculture and food security.
UAE Ambassador to China Hussein Ibrahim Al Hammadi (R) and UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak (L) pose for photo in Beijing, July 7, 2025. [Photo Provided to China.org.cn]
Al Dahak described UAE-China relations as “a comprehensive and interconnected strategic partnership and a unique model for successful cooperation across various fields and projects.”
She said the UAE views China as an important partner and hopes to combine China’s agricultural innovation capabilities with the UAE’s National Food Security Strategy 2051 to boost food production in both countries while expanding climate cooperation and people-to-people exchanges.
UAE Ambassador to China Hussain bin Ibrahim Al Hammadi said the visit “opens a new chapter for cooperation between the two countries in climate, agriculture and other fields, reflecting the vision of leaders of both countries to build a prosperous future.”
Representatives from China and the UAE pose for a group photo at the UAE-China Friendship Forest of Date Palm in Wenchang, Hainan province, July 10, 2025. [Photo Provided to China.org.cn]
A key part of the delegation’s itinerary was a visit to the UAE-China Friendship Forest of Date Palm in Wenchang, south China’s Hainan province. The project, launched by UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan during his 2019 visit to China, aims to plant 100,000 date palm seedlings.
Two phases of planting have been completed so far, totaling 25,000 seedlings. The remaining 75,000 will be planted in two phases in 2026 and 2028.
The delegation also visited institutions including the Beijing Tongzhou International Seed Industry Science and Technology Centre, Tsinghua University and the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences to exchange views on seed science, the circular economy and the transfer of sustainable agricultural technologies.
Meetings on air pollution control and solid waste management were conducted with the Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, alongside discussions on data transparency with the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs. Some members also visited technology firm Inspur Group to explore tech-based environmental solutions.
The delegation comprised senior officials from the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, agricultural institution heads and university experts.
The embassy said the visit reflects the UAE’s comprehensive determination to deepen cooperation with China at the government, academic and private sector levels.
Source: Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
A key meeting of the Council of the Consortium of Educational and Scientific Organizations was held, dedicated to the approval of candidates for the honorary title of “Ambassador of Russian Education and Science”. In February 2023, an agreement was signed on the consortium for the implementation of the “Ambassadors of Russian Education and Science” program, among its participants is the Polytechnic University. The session considered 21 submissions from 12 Russian universities. The Polytechnic nominated Liu Wei (China) and Issa Togo (Mali).
The activities of both candidates have been promoting Russian education abroad for decades. Secretary General of the Institute of Russia at Tsinghua University Liu Wei has been overseeing scientific and technical cooperation with the Russian Federation since 2002. Dozens of projects have been implemented under her leadership, including Russian-Chinese dialogues on innovation, the creation of Russian language testing centers, and youth competitions.
A 1985 graduate of the Leningrad Polytechnic Institute, associate professor at SPbPU and Honorary Consul of Mali in St. Petersburg, Issa Togo coordinates academic ties with African universities, participates in the reform of higher education in Mali and heads a large-scale hydroelectric project.
The consortium council unanimously approved the candidates, sending the documents for final approval to the Russian Ministry of Education and Science. If successful, Liu Wei and Issa Togo will join the ranks of 24 current ambassadors from 22 countries.
“Liu Wei and Issa Togo are not just allies, but living bridges between cultures. Their dedication to education is the polytechnic spirit in action: when a graduate, wherever he is, continues to carry the banner of his alma mater. We are proud that it is our candidates who set the tone in promoting Russian values abroad. Their recognition is an investment in the future, where science and education know no boundaries,” commented Dmitry Arsenyev, Vice-Rector for International Affairs at SPbPU.
Under the program “Ambassadors of Russian Education and Science”, which unites 44 universities of the country, since 2023, 24 experts from Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America have been awarded the title. Polytechnic University is traditionally among the most active participants in the initiative.
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
SHANGHAI, July 14 (Xinhua) — The SCO Think Tank Forum 2025, themed “Promoting Sustainable Development Guided by the Shanghai Spirit,” was held from Saturday to Sunday at the SCO Center for International Legal Training and Cooperation (China) based at the Shanghai University of Political Science and Law.
Nearly 100 experts and scholars from leading universities and think tanks in China and abroad attended the forum. They held in-depth exchanges of views on the issues of “SCO and the Transformation of the Global Governance System,” “SCO’s Own Construction and Reform,” “Striving for Sustainable Common Security,” “Inclusiveness, Win-Win, Mutually Beneficial Cooperation, and Striving for Common Prosperity,” “Searching for Universal Values in the Diversity of Civilizations,” and “Development Prospects for the SCO.”
Rector of Shanghai University of Political Science and Law, Director of the Office of the Center for International Legal Training and Cooperation of the SCO /China/ Liu Xiaohong noted that over the past 20 years, guided by the “Shanghai Spirit”, the SCO has achieved significant success in regional security, economic cooperation and humanitarian exchanges and serves as an important example of a new type of regional cooperation mechanism. She also expressed hope that the forum will give new impetus to regional cooperation.
According to Sun Zhuangzhi, Director of the Institute of Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), the launch of the “SCO Year of Sustainable Development” within the framework of China’s rotating chairmanship of the SCO will contribute to the development of global governance in a more just and rational direction and will make the SCO’s contribution to promoting peace and development throughout the world.
Speaking at the event, former SCO Secretary-General Vladimir Norov suggested that SCO think tanks focus on priority tasks, including aligning national strategies for transport infrastructure development, developing a unified mechanism for monitoring carbon emissions with the involvement of national environmental agencies, and expanding research into SCO humanitarian diplomacy, which, he said, not only reflect the realities of the current geopolitical and economic context, but also outline a concrete agenda that can transform the SCO from a platform of declarations into a mechanism for practical solutions.
The forum was jointly organized by the Shanghai University of Political Science and Law, the SCO Center for International Legal Training and Cooperation (China), the China Institute of International Studies (CIIS) and the China Center for SCO Studies. -0-
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
China’s Wang Chuqin swept Japan’s Tomokazu Harimoto in the men’s singles final, while university teacher and former World Cup winner Zhu Yuling returned to the top by defeating Chen Yi in a clash of female giant-killers at the WTT US Smash in Las Vegas on Sunday.
Wang, who became China’s first left-handed men’s singles world champion earlier this year, gave little chance to the third-seeded Harimoto, who has a reputation for struggling against left-handed opponents.
Displaying confidence and control, the second-seeded Wang dominated with wide-angled shots and steady rallies, securing an 11-3, 11-6, 12-10, 11-8 victory.
“I kept level-headed either in lead or trailing,” said Wang. “I felt so relieved when the tournament was over. I need a short break and come back again.”
Zhu, once a key player on the Chinese national team and now representing Macao, China, used her experience, strong backhands and unpredictable rhythm changes to overcome a two-set deficit and defeat Chen 7-11, 8-11, 11-7, 11-5, 11-9, 11-8 in 56 minutes.
Zhu had previously stepped away from the sport to recover from cancer, pursue academic studies, become a professor at Tianjin University, and manage her family business. She returned to competitive play last year and upset world No. 2 Wang Manyu on her way to the final. Chen, 20, had earlier eliminated several top seeds, including reigning world champion Sun Yingsha.
“This isn’t a typical clash of speed and power,” said Zhu. “We battled against each other in terms of patience, tenacity, spin, offense and defense.”
TAINAN, Taiwan and HSINCHU, Taiwan, July 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Himax Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: HIMX) (“Himax” or “Company”), a leading supplier and fabless manufacturer of display drivers and other semiconductor products, and Rabboni Co., Ltd. (“Rabboni”), a Taiwan-based company integrating next-generation semiconductor sensing and edge computing to enable smart living, smart sensing and wearable devices, today jointly announced the unveiling of bboni Ai, the world’s first multi-scenario endpoint AI sensing system. bboni Ai integrates Rabboni’s high-precision IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) motion sensors with Himax’s ultralow power WiseEye2 AI processor, opening a new chapter for real-time endpoint AI inference for wearable devices and accelerating the transition of AI from concept to real-world implementation.
WiseEye2 AI processor features a high-performance architecture built on Cortex-M55 cores and is equipped with the Ethos-U55 AI inference engine. It supports always-on sensing, dynamic voltage and frequency scaling (DVFS), and a multi-level power management structure. The design empowers dynamic adjustments in core voltage and frequency based on the scenarios of wearable devices, enabling data collection, event triggering, and endpoint AI inference at ultralow power consumption of just a few milliwatts. This architecture significantly reduces reliance on cloud transmission, effectively lowering latency and power consumption. It also enhances real-time responsiveness and data privacy, delivering a commercially viable endpoint AI solution for devices requiring long-hour operation. Notably, WiseEye™ AI can also collaborate with cloud-based large language models (LLMs), further enhancing the device’s ability to perceive, understand, and interact with complex real -world scenarios.
bboni Ai Brings AI to the Endpoint: On-Device AI Processing. No Cloud Needed
Featuring integrated motion sensing capability and ultralow power AI powered by Himax’s WiseEye2 AI processor, the bboni Ai system enables real-time motion analysis, posture recognition, and behavior interpretation directly on the endpoint device, eliminating the need for cloud computing. With low-latency, high-efficiency, and privacy-preserving on-device AI, bboni Ai delivers a truly scalable and deployable endpoint AI solution. bboni Ai not only enhances system stability but also meets the stringent requirements for data immediacy and security in applications such as healthcare and education.
bboni Ai Transforms Everyday Life Across Diverse Wearable Applications: Demonstrates broad real-world readiness across multiple use cases
Smart Healthcare: Supports WHO’s ICOPE (Integrated Care for Older People) framework, facilitating seniors to monitor physical function and rehabilitation progress at home, reducing the cost of care
Sports Technology: Real-time detection of user movements and behavior, providing instant motion feedback, optimizing training postures through AI analysis, improving training efficiency and reducing the risk of injury
Education and Interaction: Enables hands-on STEM and AI education by leveraging motion sensing and behavior analysis to foster interdisciplinary learning and innovation, cultivating the next generation of talent
Powered by Taiwan–Based Team with bboni Ai Developer Program to Launch in July 2025
To accelerate the development of innovative AI applications, Himax will officially launch the bboni Ai Developer Program in late-July 2025. This initiative will provide a complete set of APIs and SDKs, inviting developers, academic institutions, and corporate partners jointly to create a robust and commercial-ready endpoint AI ecosystem, advancing Taiwan’s AI technology around the globe.
“The bboni Ai system was entirely developed by a Taiwanese team, integrating key technologies such as semiconductor design, sensor technology, AI algorithms, and software-hardware integration, showcasing Taiwan’s technical strength in smart sensing and endpoint AI,” said Richard Chiang, Chairman of Rabboni.
“WiseEye’s ultralow power and always-on sensing capabilities make it a perfect fit for power-constrained endpoint devices, especially wearable applications in smart care, interactive education, and health monitoring that require long-hour operation,” said Mark Chen, Vice President of Smart Sensing Business at Himax. “Himax is excited to collaborate with Rabboni to integrate our respective technological strengths and bring AI out of the conceptual stage and into everyday life, enabling truly meaningful smart applications.”
About Rabboni Co., Ltd.
Rabboni Co., Ltd., originating from Silicon Instruments Co., Ltd. founded in 2009, is dedicated to integrating next-generation semiconductor sensing and edge computing to build the foundation of smart living. The company empowers professionals across various service domains to achieve digital and AI transformation, thereby enhancing their value-added services. For years, Rabboni has supported National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU) in university social responsibility (USR) programs and MIT-collaborated science outreach projects, as well as medical research initiatives. Through these efforts, Rabboni has developed interdisciplinary platform technologies and established a comprehensive industry chain for smart sensing and wearable technologies.
Rabboni also introduced the TEA Innovation Service Platform, inspired by the concept: “Technology x Experts x Aids = Brew better futures.” In collaboration with Himax’s engineering team, Rabboni successfully completed the development of the bboni Ai platform. An Endpoint AI Startup Competition will soon be co-hosted by Himax, Rabboni, and NYCU, featuring the world’s tiniest and ultralow power bboni Ai system.
About Himax Technologies, Inc.
Himax Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: HIMX) is a leading global fabless semiconductor solution provider dedicated to display imaging processing technologies. The Company’s display driver ICs and timing controllers have been adopted at scale across multiple industries worldwide including TVs, PC monitors, laptops, mobile phones, tablets, automotive, ePaper devices, industrial displays, among others. As the global market share leader in automotive display technology, the Company offers innovative and comprehensive automotive IC solutions, including traditional driver ICs, advanced in-cell Touch and Display Driver Integration (TDDI), local dimming timing controllers (Local Dimming Tcon), Large Touch and Display Driver Integration (LTDI) and OLED display technologies. Himax is also a pioneer in tinyML visual-AI and optical technology related fields. The Company’s industry-leading WiseEyeTM Ultralow Power AI Sensing technology which incorporates Himax proprietary ultralow power AI processor, always-on CMOS image sensor, and CNN-based AI algorithm has been widely deployed in consumer electronics and AIoT related applications. Himax optics technologies, such as diffractive wafer level optics, LCoS microdisplays and 3D sensing solutions, are critical for facilitating emerging AR/VR/metaverse technologies. Additionally, Himax designs and provides touch controllers, OLED ICs, LED ICs, EPD ICs, power management ICs, and CMOS image sensors for diverse display application coverage. Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Tainan, Taiwan, Himax currently employs around 2,200 people from three Taiwan-based offices in Tainan, Hsinchu and Taipei and country offices in China, Korea, Japan, Germany, and the US. Himax has 2,609 patents granted and 370 patents pending approval worldwide as of June 30, 2025.
Factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those described in this conference call include, but are not limited to, the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on the Company’s business; general business and economic conditions and the state of the semiconductor industry; market acceptance and competitiveness of the driver and non-driver products developed by the Company; demand for end-use applications products; reliance on a small group of principal customers; the uncertainty of continued success in technological innovations; our ability to develop and protect our intellectual property; pricing pressures including declines in average selling prices; changes in customer order patterns; changes in estimated full-year effective tax rate; shortage in supply of key components; changes in environmental laws and regulations; changes in export license regulated by Export Administration Regulations (EAR); exchange rate fluctuations; regulatory approvals for further investments in our subsidiaries; our ability to collect accounts receivable and manage inventory and other risks described from time to time in the Company’s SEC filings, including those risks identified in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in its Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2024 filed with the SEC, as may be amended.
Company Contacts:
Karen Tiao, Head of IR/PR Himax Technologies, Inc. Tel: +886-2-2370-3999 Fax: +886-2-2314-0877 Email: hx_ir@himax.com.tw www.himax.com.tw
Mark Schwalenberg, Director Investor Relations – US Representative MZ North America Tel: +1-312-261-6430 Email: HIMX@mzgroup.us www.mzgroup.us
Over the weekend, the Indian Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau released a preliminary report on last month’s crash of Air India flight 171, which killed 260 people, 19 of them on the ground.
The aim of a preliminary report is to present factual information gathered so far and to inform further lines of inquiry. However, the 15-page document has also led to unfounded speculation and theories that are currently not supported by the evidence.
Here’s what the report actually says, why we don’t yet know what caused the crash, and why it’s important not to speculate.
What the preliminary report does say
What we know for certain is that the aircraft lost power in both engines just after takeoff.
According to the report, this is supported by video footage showing the deployment of the ram air turbine (RAT), and the examination of the air inlet door of the auxiliary power unit (APU).
The RAT is deployed when both engines fail, all hydraulic systems are lost, or there is a total electrical power loss. The APU air inlet door opens when the system attempts to start automatically due to dual engine failure.
The preliminary investigation suggests both engines shut down because the fuel flow stopped. Attention has now shifted to the fuel control switches, located on the throttle lever panel between the pilots.
Data from the enhanced airborne flight recorder suggests these switches may have been moved from “run” to “cutoff” three seconds after liftoff. Ten seconds later, the switches were moved back to “run”.
The report also suggests the pilots were aware the engines had shut down and attempted to restart them. Despite their effort, the engines couldn’t restart in time.
We don’t know what the pilots did
Flight data recorders don’t capture pilot actions. They record system responses and sensor data, which can sometimes lead to the belief they’re an accurate representation of the pilot’s actions in the cockpit.
While this is true most of the time, this is not always the case.
In my own work investigating safety incidents, I’ve seen cases in which automated systems misinterpreted inputs. In one case, a system recorded a pilot pressing the same button six times in two seconds, something humanly impossible. On further investigation, it turned out to be a faulty system, not a real action.
We cannot yet rule out the possibility that system damage or sensor error led to false data being recorded. We also don’t know whether the pilots unintentionally flicked the switches to “cutoff”. And we may never know.
As we also don’t have a camera in the cockpit, any interpretation of pilots’ actions will be made indirectly, usually through the data sensed by the aircraft and the conversation, sound and noise captured by the environmental microphone available in the cockpit.
We don’t have the full conversation between the pilots
Perhaps the most confusing clue in the report was an excerpt of a conversation between the pilots. It says:
In the cockpit voice recording, one of the pilots is heard asking the other why did he cutoff. The other pilot responded that he did not do so.
This short exchange is entirely without context. First, we don’t know who says what. Second, we don’t know when the question was asked – after takeoff, or after the engine started to lose power? Third, we don’t know the exact words used, because the excerpt in the report is paraphrased.
Finally, we don’t know whether the exchange referred to the engine status or the switch position. Again, we may never know.
What’s crucial here is that the current available evidence doesn’t support any theory about intentional fuel cutoff by either of the pilots. To say otherwise is unfounded speculation.
We don’t know if there was a mechanical failure
The preliminary report indicates that, for now, there are no actions required by Boeing, General Electric or any company that operates the Boeing 787-8 and/or GEnx-1B engine.
This has led some to speculate that a mechanical failure has been ruled out. Again, it is far too early to conclude that.
What the preliminary report shows is that the investigation team has not found any evidence to suggest the aircraft suffered a catastrophic failure that requires immediate attention or suspension of operations around the world.
This could be because there was no catastrophic failure. It could also be because the physical evidence has been so badly damaged that investigators will need more time and other sources of evidence to learn what happened.
Why we must resist premature conclusions
In the aftermath of an accident, there is much at stake for many people: the manufacturer of the aircraft, the airline, the airport, civil aviation authority and others. The families of the victims understandably demand answers.
It’s also tempting to latch onto a convenient explanation. But the preliminary report is not the full story. It’s based on very limited data, analysed under immense pressure, and without access to every subsystem or mechanical trace.
The final report is still to come. Until then, the responsible position for regulators, experts and the public is to withhold judgement.
This tragedy reminds us that aviation safety depends on patient and thorough investigation – not media soundbites or unqualified expert commentary. We owe it to the victims and their families to get the facts right, not just fast.
Guido Carim Junior has received funding from Boeing R&D Australia to conduct research projects in the past five years.
Over the weekend, the Indian Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau released a preliminary report on last month’s crash of Air India flight 171, which killed 260 people, 19 of them on the ground.
The aim of a preliminary report is to present factual information gathered so far and to inform further lines of inquiry. However, the 15-page document has also led to unfounded speculation and theories that are currently not supported by the evidence.
Here’s what the report actually says, why we don’t yet know what caused the crash, and why it’s important not to speculate.
What the preliminary report does say
What we know for certain is that the aircraft lost power in both engines just after takeoff.
According to the report, this is supported by video footage showing the deployment of the ram air turbine (RAT), and the examination of the air inlet door of the auxiliary power unit (APU).
The RAT is deployed when both engines fail, all hydraulic systems are lost, or there is a total electrical power loss. The APU air inlet door opens when the system attempts to start automatically due to dual engine failure.
The preliminary investigation suggests both engines shut down because the fuel flow stopped. Attention has now shifted to the fuel control switches, located on the throttle lever panel between the pilots.
Data from the enhanced airborne flight recorder suggests these switches may have been moved from “run” to “cutoff” three seconds after liftoff. Ten seconds later, the switches were moved back to “run”.
The report also suggests the pilots were aware the engines had shut down and attempted to restart them. Despite their effort, the engines couldn’t restart in time.
We don’t know what the pilots did
Flight data recorders don’t capture pilot actions. They record system responses and sensor data, which can sometimes lead to the belief they’re an accurate representation of the pilot’s actions in the cockpit.
While this is true most of the time, this is not always the case.
In my own work investigating safety incidents, I’ve seen cases in which automated systems misinterpreted inputs. In one case, a system recorded a pilot pressing the same button six times in two seconds, something humanly impossible. On further investigation, it turned out to be a faulty system, not a real action.
We cannot yet rule out the possibility that system damage or sensor error led to false data being recorded. We also don’t know whether the pilots unintentionally flicked the switches to “cutoff”. And we may never know.
As we also don’t have a camera in the cockpit, any interpretation of pilots’ actions will be made indirectly, usually through the data sensed by the aircraft and the conversation, sound and noise captured by the environmental microphone available in the cockpit.
We don’t have the full conversation between the pilots
Perhaps the most confusing clue in the report was an excerpt of a conversation between the pilots. It says:
In the cockpit voice recording, one of the pilots is heard asking the other why did he cutoff. The other pilot responded that he did not do so.
This short exchange is entirely without context. First, we don’t know who says what. Second, we don’t know when the question was asked – after takeoff, or after the engine started to lose power? Third, we don’t know the exact words used, because the excerpt in the report is paraphrased.
Finally, we don’t know whether the exchange referred to the engine status or the switch position. Again, we may never know.
What’s crucial here is that the current available evidence doesn’t support any theory about intentional fuel cutoff by either of the pilots. To say otherwise is unfounded speculation.
We don’t know if there was a mechanical failure
The preliminary report indicates that, for now, there are no actions required by Boeing, General Electric or any company that operates the Boeing 787-8 and/or GEnx-1B engine.
This has led some to speculate that a mechanical failure has been ruled out. Again, it is far too early to conclude that.
What the preliminary report shows is that the investigation team has not found any evidence to suggest the aircraft suffered a catastrophic failure that requires immediate attention or suspension of operations around the world.
This could be because there was no catastrophic failure. It could also be because the physical evidence has been so badly damaged that investigators will need more time and other sources of evidence to learn what happened.
Why we must resist premature conclusions
In the aftermath of an accident, there is much at stake for many people: the manufacturer of the aircraft, the airline, the airport, civil aviation authority and others. The families of the victims understandably demand answers.
It’s also tempting to latch onto a convenient explanation. But the preliminary report is not the full story. It’s based on very limited data, analysed under immense pressure, and without access to every subsystem or mechanical trace.
The final report is still to come. Until then, the responsible position for regulators, experts and the public is to withhold judgement.
This tragedy reminds us that aviation safety depends on patient and thorough investigation – not media soundbites or unqualified expert commentary. We owe it to the victims and their families to get the facts right, not just fast.
Guido Carim Junior has received funding from Boeing R&D Australia to conduct research projects in the past five years.
A series of atrocity sites of the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia have been formally entered onto the World Heritage list, as part of the 47th session of the World Heritage Committee.
This is not only important for Cambodia, but also raises important questions for atrocity sites in Australia.
Before this, the World Heritage list only recognised seven “sites of memory” associated with recent conflicts, which UNESCO defines as “events having occurred from the turn of the 20th century” under its criterion vi. These sat within a broader list of more than 950 cultural sites.
In recent years, experts have intensely debated the question of whether a site associated with recent conflict could, or should, be nominated and evaluated for World Heritage status. Some argue such listings would contradict the objectives of UNESCO and its spirit of peace, which was part of the specialised agency’s mandate after the destruction of two world wars.
Sites associated with recent conflicts can be divisive. For instance, when Japan nominated the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, both China and the United States objected and eventually disassociated from the decision. The US argued the nomination lacked “historical perspective” on the events that led to the bomb’s use. Meanwhile, China argued listing the property would not be conducive for peace as other Asian countries and peoples had suffered at the hands of the Japanese during WWII.
Heritage inscriptions risk reinforcing societal divisions if they conserve a particular memory in a one-sided way.
Nonetheless, the World Heritage Committee decided in 2023 to no longer preclude such sites for inscription. This was done partly in recognition of how these sites may “serve the peace-building mission of UNESCO”.
Shortly after, three listing were added: the ESMA Museum and Site of Memory, a former clandestine centre for detention, torture and extermination in Argentina; memorial sites of the Rwandan genocide at Nyamata, Murambi, Gisozi and Bisesero; and funerary and memory sites of the first world war in Belgium and France.
A number of legacy sites associated with Nelson Mandela’s human rights struggle in South Africa were also added last year.
Atrocities of the Khmer Rouge
The recently inscribed Cambodian Memorial Sites include prisons S-21 (now known as Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum) and M-13, as well as the execution site Choeung Ek.
These sites were nominated for their value in showing the development of extreme mass violence in relation to the security system of the Khmer Rouge in 1975–79. They also have value as places of memorialisation, peace and learning.
The Khmer Rouge developed its methods of disappearance, incarceration and torture of suspected “enemies” during the civil conflict of 1970–75. It established a system of local-level security centres in so-called “liberated” areas.
One of these centres was known as M-13, a small, well-hidden prison in the country’s rural southwest. A man named Kaing Guek Eav – also called Duch – was responsible for prisoners at M-13.
Shortly after the entire country fell to the Khmer Rouge in April 1975, Duch was assigned to lead the headquarters of the regime’s security system: a large detention and torture centre known as S-21.
Under his instruction, tens of thousands of people were detained in inhumane conditions, tortured and interrogated. Many detainees were later taken to the outskirts of the city to be brutally killed and buried in pits at a place called Choeung Ek.
The sites operated until early 1979, when the Khmer Rouge was forced from power.
The S-21 facility and the mass graves at Choeung Ek have long been memorialised as the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and the Choeung Ek Genocidal Centre.
However, the former M-13 site shows few visual clues to its prior use, and has only recently been investigated by an international team led by Cambodian archaeologist and museum director Hang Nisay. The site is on an island in a small river that forms the boundary between the Kampong Chhnang and Kampong Speu provinces.
Further research, site protection and memorialisation activities will now be supported, with help from locals.
From repression to reflection
The Cambodian memorial sites have been recognised as holding “outstanding universal value” for the way they evidence one of the 20th century’s worst atrocities, and are now places of memory.
In its nomination dossier for these sites, Cambodia drew on findings from the Khmer Rouge Tribunal to verify and link the conflict and the sites.
In 2010, the tribunal found Duch guilty of crimes against humanity and grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions. Duch was sentenced to 30 years in prison (which eventually turned into life imprisonment). He died in 2020.
While courts such as the International Criminal Court have previously examined the destruction of heritage as an international crime, drawing on legal findings to assert heritage status is an unusual inverse. It raises important questions about the legacies of former UN-supported tribunals and the ongoing implications of their findings.
The recent listings also raise questions for Australia, which has many sites of documented mass killing associated with colonisation and the frontier wars that lasted into the 20th century.
Might Australia nominate any of these atrocity sites in the future? And could other processes such as truth-telling, reparation and redress support (or be supported by) such nominations?
Rachel Hughes has consulted to UNESCO Cambodia.
Maria Elander does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
In the runup to each election, federal treasury produces a “blue book” and a “red book”, with advice tailored to the priorities of the two alternative governments.
One of these is given to the incoming government and the other is never released. Freedom of Information requests have generally resulted in only heavily redacted versions of the incoming government brief being made public.
But this week, the table of contents was accidentally released, revealing treasury’s view of how the government should be handling the economy.
Taxes “need to be raised”
Treasury suggests more tax should be raised. This is unsurprising – there is bipartisan support for more defence spending, and an ageing population means more spending on health and aged care, only partially offset by less spending on education.
The government is hoping to slow spending on the National Disability Insurance Scheme but it is still projected to grow much faster than government revenue.
No one wants to default on government debt. So higher bond yields and the deficits incurred during the COVID pandemic, and projected for the next decade, mean governments will be paying more interest.
There are few areas of government spending expected to contract. So the cruel arithmetic is unless we are happy to keep government debt – already close to a trillion dollars – growing indefinitely, taxes need to rise.
The challenge is to find the most efficient way to do so. We don’t know whether Treasury made specific suggestions.
As we will probably hear at next month’s Economic Reform Roundtable, most economists think we should be putting more tax on things we want to discourage (greenhouse gas emissions, consumption of unhealthy products) and less on things we want to encourage (working, saving).
We want more taxes that do not alter economic activity (such as on land and excess profits from minerals) and less that discourage useful economic activities (such as stamp duties, which discourage mobility). We also want less tax where activity is being driven into black markets (arguably the case with cigarettes).
There may be some areas where tax concessions are excessive. Superannuation tax concessions are subsidising some rich people to build much larger savings than are needed for a comfortable retirement. (A proposal from the government to trim these will be before the Senate when parliament resumes next week.)
We also want to consider equity. Most people accept that a tax system should be progressive. This means the rich pay a higher proportion of income in taxes than do the poor. In our current tax system, income and land taxes are progressive but GST and some other excises are regressive. The overall system is roughly proportional.
Housing target “will not be met”
Treasury also warned the government that its pledge to build 1.2 million homes over five years will be very difficult to achieve. In the year to June 2024, just 176,000 homes were built.
Even the relevant ministers have described the target as “ambitious”. Treasurer Jim Chalmers said on Monday “we will need more effort”.
Treasury has cast doubt on the government’s plans to build 1.2 million new homes over five years. So far only 176,000 have been built. Inga Blessas/Shutterstock
Many commentators have described how difficult it will be to achieve this target.
over the past 30 years, the number of dwellings completed per hour worked by housing construction workers has declined by 53%.
Concerns about the US
Another unsurprising revelation in the briefing is Treasury is concerned about the economic consequences of Donald Trump as US president.
One threat comes from the ever-changing array of tariffs Trump is introducing. If other countries retaliate by raising their own tariffs, the adverse impact on the global economy will be even greater.
We can get some idea of the possible impact on Australia from modelling published by the Reserve Bank. In its Statement on Monetary Policy, the bank presented two alternative scenarios.
Under what it called the “trade war” scenario, global gross domestic product declines by more than it did during the 2007 global financial crisis. Australian unemployment increases to nearly 6%. Under the “trade peace” scenario, unemployment remains around its current 4% level.
Another concern held by Treasury was the possible loss of independence of the US Federal Reserve Board (or “Fed”), the counterpart to Australia’s Reserve Bank. Trump has vowed to replace Fed chair Jerome Powell with someone more compliant when Powell’s term ends next year.
Trump wants the Fed to slash short-term interest rates regardless of the economic circumstances. This would raise the risk of a surge in inflation. It could also lead to higher bond yields, which would flow into higher interest rates charged by banks on loans. This could plunge the US economy into recession, with impacts felt around the world.
John Hawkins was formerly a senior economist in the Australian Treasury.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christine Mary Hallinan, Senior Research Fellow, Department of General Practice and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne
In 2024 alone, Australia’s medicines regulator, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), authorised at least 979,000 prescription applications for medicinal cannabis through its specialised access pathways.
These “specialised access” mechanisms were originally designed for occasional, case-by-case use of unapproved drugs. But they have become mainstream.
As more and more people receive medicinal cannabis prescriptions, we’re left with a system that is misaligned with its original purpose.
The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) recently announced it’s going to crack down on unsafe prescribing. But this doesn’t go far enough. The system needs urgent reform.
What is medicinal cannabis used for?
Medicinal cannabis was legalised in Australia in 2016. Products come in different forms including oils, liquids, capsules, gels (which can be applied to the skin), dried flower (which can be inhaled using a vapouriser) and gummies.
Key ingredients include THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol). THC is the main psychoactive compound in cannabis, and is responsible if a “high” is experienced.
When it was first legalised, medicinal cannabis was intended for patients with complex needs and severe, treatment-resistant conditions.
The TGA clearly indicated medicinal cannabis should not be considered a first-line treatment for any condition, and should be administered with a “start low, go slow” dosage approach.
Patients for whom it might be deemed appropriate included those receiving palliative care, or suffering with intractable epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, nausea and vomiting from chemotherapy, or chronic pain unresponsive to standard care.
But over time, prescribing has expanded well beyond these cases. Today, most medicinal cannabis prescriptions are given for relatively common conditions such as chronic pain, anxiety and sleep disorders.
What does the evidence say?
The evidence remains inconsistent. Chronic pain – the most common reason medicinal cannabis is prescribed in Australia – offers a key example.
According to a recent TGA review, some randomised trials suggest medicinal cannabis may help a subset of patients achieve moderate reductions in pain. However, many studies are small, of variable quality, and don’t account for long-term effects.
And like all medicines, medicinal cannabis carries risks. Products containing THC have been linked to side-effects such as sedation, dizziness and cognitive impairment.
While generally better tolerated, CBD is not risk-free. For example, both CBD and THC can interact with certain medications, heightening the likelihood of adverse effects.
Access over evidence
In Australia, approved medicines undergo rigorous clinical testing before they’re registered. Drug manufacturers’ applications to the TGA normally include detailed data on efficacy as well as long-term safety monitoring and quality controls.
But driven by patient advocacy, political responsiveness, and commercial momentum, medicinal cannabis has come to reflect a different model.
Most medicinal cannabis products – bar two which have TGA approval – lack the evidence demonstrating safety, quality and efficacy required of registered pharmaceuticals.
In other words, the majority are not subject to the rigorous trials or data standards required for formal registration with the TGA’s Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods.
The TGA oversees access pathways but is neither resourced nor mandated to provide clinical oversight or direct support to prescribers, leaving many clinicians to navigate the system alone.
For example, Ahpra reported eight practitioners issued more than 10,000 medicinal cannabis scripts in a six-month period, while one appeared to have issued in excess of 17,000.
The surge in prescribing has been further shaped by active marketing from some cannabis companies, outpacing the development of coordinated clinical guidance and safety monitoring infrastructure.
Many people who get a script for medicinal cannabis do so via telehealth. Geber86/Shutterstock
Access and affordability: a system failing patients
Some people, including those living in rural and remote areas, can find it difficult to navigate medicinal cannabis prescribing processes. This can be due to limited digital access and fewer opportunities for follow-up with a local GP. These challenges make it harder for people to make informed decisions about their care.
Cost is also a major issue, particularly where bulk billing is unavailable or multiple consultations are needed. This is on top of the cost of the products.
One of the two TGA-approved medicinal cannabis products, Sativex, used to treat muscle stiffness in multiple sclerosis, is not currently subsidised by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. This means patients pay the full cost, which ranges between A$700 and $800 for a 6–8 week supply.
Australia’s medicinal cannabis system is based on a fragmented evidence base and a fast-growing market operating with limited visibility into how products are used or evaluated. Addressing these challenges will require coordinated reform across multiple fronts.
1. Capture real-world data
Most urgently, we need robust, real-world data. To deliver safe and equitable care, we must know how medicinal cannabis is being prescribed, for what conditions, under what circumstances, and with what outcomes.
Without this, we cannot answer the most basic questions about clinical benefits or track adverse events.
Real-world data, such as de-identified health information from clinics, could help inform better clinical and policy decisions.
2. Build a national accreditation model
Australia needs a national prescriber accreditation model for medicinal cannabis, developed in collaboration with clinicians, regulators and professional bodies.
Such a model would help ensure prescribing is clinically appropriate, evidence-informed, and consistent with evolving standards of care. In practice, this would mean health professionals would need to complete specific training before prescribing medicinal cannabis.
This approach is not without precedent. For example, some health professionals must undergo immuniser accreditation before they can administer vaccines independently.
3. Tackle inequity
Finally, we must confront persistent access inequities. That includes exploring government subsidies for TGA-approved medicinal cannabis products. No one should have to choose between financial hardship and safe access.
Dr Christine Hallinan, Senior Reseach Fellow, conducted research on the pharmacovigilance of medicinal cannabis at the University of Melbourne as part of the Pharmacovigilance theme within the Australian Centre for Cannabinoid Clinical and Research Excellence (ACRE), which was funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) through the Centre of Research Excellence (CRE) scheme. She served as an Associate Investigator on ACRE from 2017 to 2023. Christine Hallinan is also a member of an Expert Roundtable on medicinal cannabis, chaired by Ian Freckelton AO KC and facilitated by Montu. The Roundtable brings together experts from medicine, law, research, and policy to contribute recommendations for a more evidence-based and fit-for-purpose regulatory framework. These roles are disclosed in the interest of transparency and do not influence the content or conclusions of this work.
Another Stellar IP60 Flow Test Result in the Beetaloo
And
2025 Drilling Campaign Commences
14 July 2025 – Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd. (TSXV: FO, AIM: FOG) is pleased to announce that Shenandoah S2-2H ST1 (“SS-2H ST1”) achieved an average 60-day initial production (“IP60”) flow rate of 6.8 million cubic feet per day (“MMcf/d”) over 1,671-metres (5,483-foot) across a 35 stage stimulated horizontal within the Amungee Member B-Shale in the Beetaloo Sub-basin, Northern Territory, Australia, making it the highest IP60 result in the Beetaloo to date.
Points to note:
The average flow rate of 12.4 MMcf/d over a normalized 10,000-foot horizontal section remains in-line with an average of more than 11,000 wells in the Marcellus Shale dry gas area on production over a 12-month period. The results demonstrate the commercial deliverability of gas from the Beetaloo Sub-basin to the Australian domestic East Coast gas market that typically sells at a premium to Henry Hub in the United States.
The exit rate maintains a steady, low-declining curve at 6.4 MMcf/d with a flowing wellhead pressure of ~720 psi and has exhibited less decline than that of the Shenandoah South 1H well (“SS-1H”) over the last 30 days of testing.
For further details on the SS-2H ST1 flow test including a table, and charts please refer to Appendix A.
Drilling Campaign Gets Underway
The 2025 drilling campaign has now commenced targeting up to three 10,000-foot horizontal wells to be drilled back-to-back over the next few months. This will complete the drilling phase of the five well Shenandoah South pilot program.
As previously announced, Falcon Oil & Gas Australia Limited (“Falcon Australia”) has no cost exposure to the drilling of these three wells as it opted to reduce its participating interest in the three wells to 0%.
Philip O’Quigley, CEO of Falcon commented:
“The IP60 flow rate results announced today of 6.8 MMcf/d are truly stellar and mark another major data point in the Beetaloo Sub-basin, again demonstrating that it compares to the best shale wells in the United States. These results, coupled with the average 30-day initial productionexceeding Falcon’s pre-drill commercial threshold of a normalised flow rate of 3 MMcf/d per 1,000 metres, all point towards the significant resource potential of the Beetaloo.
The commencement of the 2025 three well drilling campaign, which is the largest drilling campaign in the Beetaloo to date, will hopefully provide further evidence of the real commercial potential of the Beetaloo.
We look forward to updating the market as soon as these drilling results become available.”
Ends.
CONTACT DETAILS:
Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd.
+353 1 676 8702
Philip O’Quigley, CEO
+353 87 814 7042
Anne Flynn, CFO
+353 1 676 9162
Cavendish Capital Markets Limited (NOMAD & Broker)
Neil McDonald / Adam Rae
+44 131 220 9771
This announcement has been reviewed by Dr. Gábor Bada, Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd’s Technical Advisor. Dr. Bada obtained his geology degree at the Eötvös L. University in Budapest, Hungary and his PhD at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands. He is a member of AAPG.
About Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd. Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd is an international oil & gas company engaged in the exploration and development of unconventional oil and gas assets, with the current portfolio focused in Australia. Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd is incorporated in British Columbia, Canada and headquartered in Dublin, Ireland.
Falcon Oil & Gas Australia Limited is a c. 98% subsidiary of Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd.
Falcon Oil & Gas Australia Limited (Falcon Australia)
22.5%
Tamboran (B2) Pty Limited (“Tamboran”)
77.5%
Total
100.0%
Shenandoah South Pilot Project -2 Drilling Space Units – 46,080 acres1
Company
Interest
Falcon Oil & Gas Australia Limited (Falcon Australia)
5.0%
Tamboran (B2) Pty Limited
95.0%
Total
100.0%
1Subject to the completion of SS–4H wells on the Shenandoah South pad 2.
About Tamboran (B2) Pty Limited Tamboran (B1) Pty Limited (“Tamboran B1”) is the 100% holder of Tamboran (B2) Pty Limited, with Tamboran B1 being a 50:50 joint venture between Tamboran Resources Corporation and Daly Waters Energy, LP.
Tamboran Resources Corporation is a natural gas company listed on the NYSE (TBN) and ASX (TBN). Tamboran is focused on playing a constructive role in the global energy transition towards a lower carbon future, by developing the significant low CO2 gas resource within the Beetaloo Sub-basin through cutting-edge drilling and completion design technology as well as management’s experience in successfully commercialising unconventional shale in North America.
Bryan Sheffield of Daly Waters Energy, LP is a highly successful investor and has made significant returns in the US unconventional energy sector in the past. He was Founder of Parsley Energy Inc. (“PE”), an independent unconventional oil and gas producer in the Permian Basin, Texas and previously served as its Chairman and CEO. PE was acquired for over US$7 billion by Pioneer Natural Resources Company.
Appendix A – SS-2H ST1 Flow Test Details
Note to reader: Please refer to the PDF attachment included at the end of this press release for further details including a table and charts related to the SS-2H ST1 flow test results.
Advisory regarding forward-looking statements
Certain information in this press release may constitute forward-looking information. Any statements that are contained in this news release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking information. Forward-looking information typically contains statements with words such as “may”, “will”, “should”, “expect”, “intend”, “plan”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “estimate”, “projects”, “dependent”, “consider” “potential”, “scheduled”, “forecast”, “anticipated”, “outlook”, “budget”, “hope”, “suggest”, “support” “planned”, “approximately”, “potential” or the negative of those terms or similar words suggesting future outcomes. In particular, forward-looking information in this press release includes, details on the IP60 flow test results of SS-2H ST1 including assumptions that the results are in line with average of more than 11,000 wells in the Marcellus Shale dry gas area on production over a 12-month period and that they demonstrate the commercial deliverability of gas from the Beetaloo Sub-basin in the Australian Domestic East Coast gas market that typically sells at a premium to Henry Hub in the United States; consistency of the results of SS-2H ST1 with SS-1H; belief the average 30-day initial production of a normalised flow rate of 3 MMcf/d per 1,000 metres is a commercial threshold and coupled with the IP60 flow rate points towards the significant resource potential of the Beetaloo; and details on the 2025 three well drilling campaign which has commenced.
This information is based on current expectations that are subject to significant risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. The risks, assumptions and other factors that could influence actual results include risks associated with fluctuations in market prices for shale gas; risks related to the exploration, development and production of shale gas reserves; general economic, market and business conditions; substantial capital requirements; uncertainties inherent in estimating quantities of reserves and resources; extent of, and cost of compliance with, government laws and regulations and the effect of changes in such laws and regulations; the need to obtain regulatory approvals before development commences; environmental risks and hazards and the cost of compliance with environmental regulations; aboriginal claims; inherent risks and hazards with operations such as mechanical or pipe failure, cratering and other dangerous conditions; potential cost overruns, drilling wells is speculative, often involving significant costs that may be more than estimated and may not result in any discoveries; variations in foreign exchange rates; competition for capital, equipment, new leases, pipeline capacity and skilled personnel; the failure of the holder of licenses, leases and permits to meet requirements of such; changes in royalty regimes; failure to accurately estimate abandonment and reclamation costs; inaccurate estimates and assumptions by management and/or their joint venture partners; effectiveness of internal controls; the potential lack of available drilling equipment; failure to obtain or keep key personnel; title deficiencies; geo-political risks; and risk of litigation.
Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of important factors is not exhaustive and that these factors and risks are difficult to predict. Actual results might differ materially from results suggested in any forward-looking statements. Falcon assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements unless and until required by securities laws applicable to Falcon. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties is contained in Falcon’s filings with the Canadian securities regulators, which filings are available at www.sedarplus.com, including under “Risk Factors” in the Annual Information Form.
Any references in this news release to initial production rates are useful in confirming the presence of hydrocarbons; however, such rates are not determinative of the rates at which such wells will continue production and decline thereafter and are not necessarily indicative of long-term performance or ultimate recovery. While encouraging, readers are cautioned not to place reliance on such rates in calculating the aggregate production for Falcon. Such rates are based on field estimates and may be based on limited data available at this time.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Another Stellar IP60 Flow Test Result in the Beetaloo
And
2025 Drilling Campaign Commences
14 July 2025 – Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd. (TSXV: FO, AIM: FOG) is pleased to announce that Shenandoah S2-2H ST1 (“SS-2H ST1”) achieved an average 60-day initial production (“IP60”) flow rate of 6.8 million cubic feet per day (“MMcf/d”) over 1,671-metres (5,483-foot) across a 35 stage stimulated horizontal within the Amungee Member B-Shale in the Beetaloo Sub-basin, Northern Territory, Australia, making it the highest IP60 result in the Beetaloo to date.
Points to note:
The average flow rate of 12.4 MMcf/d over a normalized 10,000-foot horizontal section remains in-line with an average of more than 11,000 wells in the Marcellus Shale dry gas area on production over a 12-month period. The results demonstrate the commercial deliverability of gas from the Beetaloo Sub-basin to the Australian domestic East Coast gas market that typically sells at a premium to Henry Hub in the United States.
The exit rate maintains a steady, low-declining curve at 6.4 MMcf/d with a flowing wellhead pressure of ~720 psi and has exhibited less decline than that of the Shenandoah South 1H well (“SS-1H”) over the last 30 days of testing.
For further details on the SS-2H ST1 flow test including a table, and charts please refer to Appendix A.
Drilling Campaign Gets Underway
The 2025 drilling campaign has now commenced targeting up to three 10,000-foot horizontal wells to be drilled back-to-back over the next few months. This will complete the drilling phase of the five well Shenandoah South pilot program.
As previously announced, Falcon Oil & Gas Australia Limited (“Falcon Australia”) has no cost exposure to the drilling of these three wells as it opted to reduce its participating interest in the three wells to 0%.
Philip O’Quigley, CEO of Falcon commented:
“The IP60 flow rate results announced today of 6.8 MMcf/d are truly stellar and mark another major data point in the Beetaloo Sub-basin, again demonstrating that it compares to the best shale wells in the United States. These results, coupled with the average 30-day initial productionexceeding Falcon’s pre-drill commercial threshold of a normalised flow rate of 3 MMcf/d per 1,000 metres, all point towards the significant resource potential of the Beetaloo.
The commencement of the 2025 three well drilling campaign, which is the largest drilling campaign in the Beetaloo to date, will hopefully provide further evidence of the real commercial potential of the Beetaloo.
We look forward to updating the market as soon as these drilling results become available.”
Ends.
CONTACT DETAILS:
Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd.
+353 1 676 8702
Philip O’Quigley, CEO
+353 87 814 7042
Anne Flynn, CFO
+353 1 676 9162
Cavendish Capital Markets Limited (NOMAD & Broker)
Neil McDonald / Adam Rae
+44 131 220 9771
This announcement has been reviewed by Dr. Gábor Bada, Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd’s Technical Advisor. Dr. Bada obtained his geology degree at the Eötvös L. University in Budapest, Hungary and his PhD at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands. He is a member of AAPG.
About Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd. Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd is an international oil & gas company engaged in the exploration and development of unconventional oil and gas assets, with the current portfolio focused in Australia. Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd is incorporated in British Columbia, Canada and headquartered in Dublin, Ireland.
Falcon Oil & Gas Australia Limited is a c. 98% subsidiary of Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd.
Falcon Oil & Gas Australia Limited (Falcon Australia)
22.5%
Tamboran (B2) Pty Limited (“Tamboran”)
77.5%
Total
100.0%
Shenandoah South Pilot Project -2 Drilling Space Units – 46,080 acres1
Company
Interest
Falcon Oil & Gas Australia Limited (Falcon Australia)
5.0%
Tamboran (B2) Pty Limited
95.0%
Total
100.0%
1Subject to the completion of SS–4H wells on the Shenandoah South pad 2.
About Tamboran (B2) Pty Limited Tamboran (B1) Pty Limited (“Tamboran B1”) is the 100% holder of Tamboran (B2) Pty Limited, with Tamboran B1 being a 50:50 joint venture between Tamboran Resources Corporation and Daly Waters Energy, LP.
Tamboran Resources Corporation is a natural gas company listed on the NYSE (TBN) and ASX (TBN). Tamboran is focused on playing a constructive role in the global energy transition towards a lower carbon future, by developing the significant low CO2 gas resource within the Beetaloo Sub-basin through cutting-edge drilling and completion design technology as well as management’s experience in successfully commercialising unconventional shale in North America.
Bryan Sheffield of Daly Waters Energy, LP is a highly successful investor and has made significant returns in the US unconventional energy sector in the past. He was Founder of Parsley Energy Inc. (“PE”), an independent unconventional oil and gas producer in the Permian Basin, Texas and previously served as its Chairman and CEO. PE was acquired for over US$7 billion by Pioneer Natural Resources Company.
Appendix A – SS-2H ST1 Flow Test Details
Note to reader: Please refer to the PDF attachment included at the end of this press release for further details including a table and charts related to the SS-2H ST1 flow test results.
Advisory regarding forward-looking statements
Certain information in this press release may constitute forward-looking information. Any statements that are contained in this news release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking information. Forward-looking information typically contains statements with words such as “may”, “will”, “should”, “expect”, “intend”, “plan”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “estimate”, “projects”, “dependent”, “consider” “potential”, “scheduled”, “forecast”, “anticipated”, “outlook”, “budget”, “hope”, “suggest”, “support” “planned”, “approximately”, “potential” or the negative of those terms or similar words suggesting future outcomes. In particular, forward-looking information in this press release includes, details on the IP60 flow test results of SS-2H ST1 including assumptions that the results are in line with average of more than 11,000 wells in the Marcellus Shale dry gas area on production over a 12-month period and that they demonstrate the commercial deliverability of gas from the Beetaloo Sub-basin in the Australian Domestic East Coast gas market that typically sells at a premium to Henry Hub in the United States; consistency of the results of SS-2H ST1 with SS-1H; belief the average 30-day initial production of a normalised flow rate of 3 MMcf/d per 1,000 metres is a commercial threshold and coupled with the IP60 flow rate points towards the significant resource potential of the Beetaloo; and details on the 2025 three well drilling campaign which has commenced.
This information is based on current expectations that are subject to significant risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. The risks, assumptions and other factors that could influence actual results include risks associated with fluctuations in market prices for shale gas; risks related to the exploration, development and production of shale gas reserves; general economic, market and business conditions; substantial capital requirements; uncertainties inherent in estimating quantities of reserves and resources; extent of, and cost of compliance with, government laws and regulations and the effect of changes in such laws and regulations; the need to obtain regulatory approvals before development commences; environmental risks and hazards and the cost of compliance with environmental regulations; aboriginal claims; inherent risks and hazards with operations such as mechanical or pipe failure, cratering and other dangerous conditions; potential cost overruns, drilling wells is speculative, often involving significant costs that may be more than estimated and may not result in any discoveries; variations in foreign exchange rates; competition for capital, equipment, new leases, pipeline capacity and skilled personnel; the failure of the holder of licenses, leases and permits to meet requirements of such; changes in royalty regimes; failure to accurately estimate abandonment and reclamation costs; inaccurate estimates and assumptions by management and/or their joint venture partners; effectiveness of internal controls; the potential lack of available drilling equipment; failure to obtain or keep key personnel; title deficiencies; geo-political risks; and risk of litigation.
Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of important factors is not exhaustive and that these factors and risks are difficult to predict. Actual results might differ materially from results suggested in any forward-looking statements. Falcon assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements unless and until required by securities laws applicable to Falcon. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties is contained in Falcon’s filings with the Canadian securities regulators, which filings are available at www.sedarplus.com, including under “Risk Factors” in the Annual Information Form.
Any references in this news release to initial production rates are useful in confirming the presence of hydrocarbons; however, such rates are not determinative of the rates at which such wells will continue production and decline thereafter and are not necessarily indicative of long-term performance or ultimate recovery. While encouraging, readers are cautioned not to place reliance on such rates in calculating the aggregate production for Falcon. Such rates are based on field estimates and may be based on limited data available at this time.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Grok, the artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot embedded in X (formerly Twitter) and built by Elon Musk’s company xAI, is back in the headlines after calling itself “MechaHitler” and producing pro-Nazi remarks.
The developers have apologised for the “inappropriate posts” and “taken action to ban hate speech” from Grok’s posts on X. Debates about AI bias have been revived too.
But the latest Grok controversy is revealing not for the extremist outputs, but for how it exposes a fundamental dishonesty in AI development. Musk claims to be building a “truth-seeking” AI free from bias, yet the technical implementation reveals systemic ideological programming.
This amounts to an accidental case study in how AI systems embed their creators’ values, with Musk’s unfiltered public presence making visible what other companies typically obscure.
So how do developers imbue an AI with such values and shape chatbot behaviour? Today’s chatbots are built using large language models (LLMs), which offer several levers developers can lean on.
What makes an AI ‘behave’ this way?
Pre-training
First, developers curate the data used during pre-training – the first step in building a chatbot. This involves not just filtering unwanted content, but also emphasising desired material.
We don’t know if these data were used, or what quality-control measures were applied.
Fine-tuning
The second step, fine-tuning, adjusts LLM behaviour using feedback. Developers create detailed manuals outlining their preferred ethical stances, which either human reviewers or AI systems then use as a rubric to evaluate and improve the chatbot’s responses, effectively coding these values into the machine.
A Business Insider investigation revealed xAI’s instructions to human
“AI tutors” instructed them to look for “woke ideology” and “cancel culture”. While the onboarding documents said Grok shouldn’t “impose an opinion that confirms or denies a user’s bias”, they also stated it should avoid responses that claim both sides of a debate have merit when they do not.
System prompts
The system prompt – instructions provided before every conversation – guides behaviour once the model is deployed.
To its credit, xAI publishes Grok’s system prompts. Its instructions to “assume subjective viewpoints sourced from the media are biased” and “not shy away from making claims which are politically incorrect, as long as they are well substantiated” were likely key factors in the latest controversy.
These prompts are being updated daily at the time of writing, and their evolution is a fascinating case study in itself.
Guardrails
Finally, developers can also add guardrails – filters that block certain requests or responses. OpenAI claims it doesn’t permit ChatGPT “to generate hateful, harassing, violent or adult content”. Meanwhile, the Chinese model DeepSeek censors discussion of Tianamen Square.
Ad-hoc testing when writing this article suggests Grok is much less restrained in this regard than competitor products.
The transparency paradox
Grok’s Nazi controversy highlights a deeper ethical issue: would we prefer AI companies to be explicitly ideological and honest about it, or maintain the fiction of neutrality while secretly embedding their values?
Every major AI system reflects its creator’s worldview – from Microsoft Copilot’s risk-averse corporate perspective to Anthropic Claude’s safety-focused ethos. The difference is transparency.
Musk’s public statements make it easy to trace Grok’s behaviours back to Musk’s stated beliefs about “woke ideology” and media bias. Meanwhile, when other platformsmisfirespectacularly, we’re left guessing whether this reflects leadership views, corporate risk aversion, regulatory pressure, or accident.
But there’s a crucial difference. Tay’s racism emerged from user manipulation and poor safeguards – an unintended consequence. Grok’s behaviour appears to stem at least partially from its design.
The real lesson from Grok is about honesty in AI development. As these systems become more powerful and widespread (Grok support in Tesla vehicles was just announced), the question isn’t whether AI will reflect human values. It’s whether companies will be transparent about whose values they’re encoding and why.
Musk’s approach is simultaneously more honest (we can see his influence) and more deceptive (claiming objectivity while programming subjectivity) than his competitors.
In an industry built on the myth of neutral algorithms, Grok reveals what’s been true all along: there’s no such thing as unbiased AI – only AI whose biases we can see with varying degrees of clarity.
Aaron J. Snoswell previously received research funding from OpenAI in 2024–2025 to develop new evaluation frameworks for measuring moral competence in AI agents.
Grok, the artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot embedded in X (formerly Twitter) and built by Elon Musk’s company xAI, is back in the headlines after calling itself “MechaHitler” and producing pro-Nazi remarks.
The developers have apologised for the “inappropriate posts” and “taken action to ban hate speech” from Grok’s posts on X. Debates about AI bias have been revived too.
But the latest Grok controversy is revealing not for the extremist outputs, but for how it exposes a fundamental dishonesty in AI development. Musk claims to be building a “truth-seeking” AI free from bias, yet the technical implementation reveals systemic ideological programming.
This amounts to an accidental case study in how AI systems embed their creators’ values, with Musk’s unfiltered public presence making visible what other companies typically obscure.
So how do developers imbue an AI with such values and shape chatbot behaviour? Today’s chatbots are built using large language models (LLMs), which offer several levers developers can lean on.
What makes an AI ‘behave’ this way?
Pre-training
First, developers curate the data used during pre-training – the first step in building a chatbot. This involves not just filtering unwanted content, but also emphasising desired material.
We don’t know if these data were used, or what quality-control measures were applied.
Fine-tuning
The second step, fine-tuning, adjusts LLM behaviour using feedback. Developers create detailed manuals outlining their preferred ethical stances, which either human reviewers or AI systems then use as a rubric to evaluate and improve the chatbot’s responses, effectively coding these values into the machine.
A Business Insider investigation revealed xAI’s instructions to human
“AI tutors” instructed them to look for “woke ideology” and “cancel culture”. While the onboarding documents said Grok shouldn’t “impose an opinion that confirms or denies a user’s bias”, they also stated it should avoid responses that claim both sides of a debate have merit when they do not.
System prompts
The system prompt – instructions provided before every conversation – guides behaviour once the model is deployed.
To its credit, xAI publishes Grok’s system prompts. Its instructions to “assume subjective viewpoints sourced from the media are biased” and “not shy away from making claims which are politically incorrect, as long as they are well substantiated” were likely key factors in the latest controversy.
These prompts are being updated daily at the time of writing, and their evolution is a fascinating case study in itself.
Guardrails
Finally, developers can also add guardrails – filters that block certain requests or responses. OpenAI claims it doesn’t permit ChatGPT “to generate hateful, harassing, violent or adult content”. Meanwhile, the Chinese model DeepSeek censors discussion of Tianamen Square.
Ad-hoc testing when writing this article suggests Grok is much less restrained in this regard than competitor products.
The transparency paradox
Grok’s Nazi controversy highlights a deeper ethical issue: would we prefer AI companies to be explicitly ideological and honest about it, or maintain the fiction of neutrality while secretly embedding their values?
Every major AI system reflects its creator’s worldview – from Microsoft Copilot’s risk-averse corporate perspective to Anthropic Claude’s safety-focused ethos. The difference is transparency.
Musk’s public statements make it easy to trace Grok’s behaviours back to Musk’s stated beliefs about “woke ideology” and media bias. Meanwhile, when other platformsmisfirespectacularly, we’re left guessing whether this reflects leadership views, corporate risk aversion, regulatory pressure, or accident.
But there’s a crucial difference. Tay’s racism emerged from user manipulation and poor safeguards – an unintended consequence. Grok’s behaviour appears to stem at least partially from its design.
The real lesson from Grok is about honesty in AI development. As these systems become more powerful and widespread (Grok support in Tesla vehicles was just announced), the question isn’t whether AI will reflect human values. It’s whether companies will be transparent about whose values they’re encoding and why.
Musk’s approach is simultaneously more honest (we can see his influence) and more deceptive (claiming objectivity while programming subjectivity) than his competitors.
In an industry built on the myth of neutral algorithms, Grok reveals what’s been true all along: there’s no such thing as unbiased AI – only AI whose biases we can see with varying degrees of clarity.
Aaron J. Snoswell previously received research funding from OpenAI in 2024–2025 to develop new evaluation frameworks for measuring moral competence in AI agents.
Grok, the artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot embedded in X (formerly Twitter) and built by Elon Musk’s company xAI, is back in the headlines after calling itself “MechaHitler” and producing pro-Nazi remarks.
The developers have apologised for the “inappropriate posts” and “taken action to ban hate speech” from Grok’s posts on X. Debates about AI bias have been revived too.
But the latest Grok controversy is revealing not for the extremist outputs, but for how it exposes a fundamental dishonesty in AI development. Musk claims to be building a “truth-seeking” AI free from bias, yet the technical implementation reveals systemic ideological programming.
This amounts to an accidental case study in how AI systems embed their creators’ values, with Musk’s unfiltered public presence making visible what other companies typically obscure.
So how do developers imbue an AI with such values and shape chatbot behaviour? Today’s chatbots are built using large language models (LLMs), which offer several levers developers can lean on.
What makes an AI ‘behave’ this way?
Pre-training
First, developers curate the data used during pre-training – the first step in building a chatbot. This involves not just filtering unwanted content, but also emphasising desired material.
We don’t know if these data were used, or what quality-control measures were applied.
Fine-tuning
The second step, fine-tuning, adjusts LLM behaviour using feedback. Developers create detailed manuals outlining their preferred ethical stances, which either human reviewers or AI systems then use as a rubric to evaluate and improve the chatbot’s responses, effectively coding these values into the machine.
A Business Insider investigation revealed xAI’s instructions to human
“AI tutors” instructed them to look for “woke ideology” and “cancel culture”. While the onboarding documents said Grok shouldn’t “impose an opinion that confirms or denies a user’s bias”, they also stated it should avoid responses that claim both sides of a debate have merit when they do not.
System prompts
The system prompt – instructions provided before every conversation – guides behaviour once the model is deployed.
To its credit, xAI publishes Grok’s system prompts. Its instructions to “assume subjective viewpoints sourced from the media are biased” and “not shy away from making claims which are politically incorrect, as long as they are well substantiated” were likely key factors in the latest controversy.
These prompts are being updated daily at the time of writing, and their evolution is a fascinating case study in itself.
Guardrails
Finally, developers can also add guardrails – filters that block certain requests or responses. OpenAI claims it doesn’t permit ChatGPT “to generate hateful, harassing, violent or adult content”. Meanwhile, the Chinese model DeepSeek censors discussion of Tianamen Square.
Ad-hoc testing when writing this article suggests Grok is much less restrained in this regard than competitor products.
The transparency paradox
Grok’s Nazi controversy highlights a deeper ethical issue: would we prefer AI companies to be explicitly ideological and honest about it, or maintain the fiction of neutrality while secretly embedding their values?
Every major AI system reflects its creator’s worldview – from Microsoft Copilot’s risk-averse corporate perspective to Anthropic Claude’s safety-focused ethos. The difference is transparency.
Musk’s public statements make it easy to trace Grok’s behaviours back to Musk’s stated beliefs about “woke ideology” and media bias. Meanwhile, when other platformsmisfirespectacularly, we’re left guessing whether this reflects leadership views, corporate risk aversion, regulatory pressure, or accident.
But there’s a crucial difference. Tay’s racism emerged from user manipulation and poor safeguards – an unintended consequence. Grok’s behaviour appears to stem at least partially from its design.
The real lesson from Grok is about honesty in AI development. As these systems become more powerful and widespread (Grok support in Tesla vehicles was just announced), the question isn’t whether AI will reflect human values. It’s whether companies will be transparent about whose values they’re encoding and why.
Musk’s approach is simultaneously more honest (we can see his influence) and more deceptive (claiming objectivity while programming subjectivity) than his competitors.
In an industry built on the myth of neutral algorithms, Grok reveals what’s been true all along: there’s no such thing as unbiased AI – only AI whose biases we can see with varying degrees of clarity.
Aaron J. Snoswell previously received research funding from OpenAI in 2024–2025 to develop new evaluation frameworks for measuring moral competence in AI agents.
Source: United States Senator for New York Charles E Schumer
Trump’s DHS Abruptly Cut Funding For NY’s Mesonet Program, Based At UAlbany, Which Covers Storm Tracking For Every County In NY & Plays Critical Role In Storm Data Gathering For Emergency Response & Safety Across The State
After Devastating Flooding In Texas, Schumer Says We Need More – Not Less – Investment In Weather Tracking To Warn And To Mitigate Damage When Disaster Strikes; Senator Slams Dangerous Cuts That Risk Ongoing Project To Improve Storm Monitoring
Schumer: Cutting Funding For NY Weather Tracking Is A Recipe For Disaster
After Trump abruptly canceled a $3 million grant project for New York State’s advanced regional weather early warning systems program, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer slammed the unexplained cuts and demanded the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reverse this harmful decision, which will weaken New York State’s ability to track and monitor extreme weather. As New York faces more extreme weather than ever, and in the wake of devastating flooding in Texas, Schumer said the federal government should invest more, not less, in systems that keep regions like Upstate NY safe and prepared for extreme storms.
“Cutting funding for New York’s weather tracking system is a recipe for disaster. With a record-breaking tornado season last summer and New York seeing more extreme weather than ever, we can’t afford to rip away resources for the program that tells us when a storm is going to hit and how bad it’s going to be,” said Senator Schumer. “Our state-of-the-art network of weather observation stations gathers real-time hyper-local data that keeps New Yorkers across the state safe and informed. We need to make sure New Yorkers are prepared for whatever punches Mother Nature delivers, to hinder their advancement. I’m calling on Secretary Noem to immediately reverse these cruel unexplained cuts to keep New Yorkers safe when the next storm comes.”
Schumer explained University at Albany’s Mesonet program was awarded a $3 million grant program in 2023 to support its Exploitation of Mesonets for Emergency Preparedness and Response in Weather Extremes (EMPOWER) program. The EMPOWER program is a partnership between researchers, higher education, emergency managers, and the federal government. This program works to upgrade technology to produce better, more accurate weather hazard impact warning and emergency response capabilities to keep New Yorkers—and ultimately the nation—safe.
Schumer explained the University at Albany hosts NYS’s Mesonet Program, a network of weather observation stations which unlock key data from the clouds using advanced instruments at 127 sites around New York, with at least one station located in each of New York’s 62 counties, and laser technology to monitor the atmosphere. Schumer said amid record-breaking extreme weather, including devastating flooding in Texas, we need sharper forecasts to better understand storms as they develop and approach communities. Schumer warned that without upgrades or with delayed investment in NY’s system, local forecasting ability could be hampered by deferred systems maintenance and decreased federal operations support, which could impact both storm prediction and public safety. These are not the first cuts to weather forecasting in NY under the Trump Administration, earlier this year it was revealed that firings and staff reductions at the National Weather Service offices in Albany would mean they would not be able to fly all their weather balloons, among other cuts.
According to the University at Albany, data from the NYS Mesonet informs forecasters and emergency managers (including those at the NYS Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services) to help mitigate the harmful effects from high-impact, extreme weather-related disasters. The NYS Mesonet provides real-time data to operational forecasters and emergency managers from across the state with updates every five minutes and an average station spacing of about 19 miles. These data points are combined with data from other surface networks, weather radars, and satellites to provide real-time weather information and to improve numerical weather prediction models for even greater accuracy and precision than ever before, giving emergency managers, first responders, and forecasters much greater confidence in their warning products and in subsequent protective action.
Schumer’s letter can to DHS Secretary Noem can be found HERE or below:
Dear Secretary Noem:
I write to urge you to swiftly reinstate the $3 million Department of Homeland Security (DHS) grant supporting the Exploiting Mesonets for Emergency Preparedness and Response to Weather Extremes (EMPOWER) project. DHS Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) has partnered with the University at Albany (UAlbany) since 2023 to build out a better, more accurate weather hazard impact warning and emergency response capability to keep New Yorkers—and ultimately the nation—safe. Until yesterday, the project focused on extreme weather, such as rapid and severe flooding, similar to what communities in Central Texas are tragically dealing with today, and any funding that is rescinded or stalled could put lives at risk.
Just last week, you acknowledged in remarks that “everybody wants more warning time, and that’s why we’re working to upgrade the technologies that have been neglected for far too long, to make sure that families have as much advanced notice as possible.” This project – a regional pilot with the potential to be deployed nationwide – does just that. It has been considered highly successful by DHS S&T, already having significant operational impact. Co-developed with the NY Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (among many other engaged end-users), the EMPOWER prototype extreme weather decision support dashboard is currently operational within the New York State Office of Emergency Management Watch Center. Furthermore, the project has brought direct access to high fidelity, real-time weather data covering all of New York State to the FEMA Geospatial Response Office for the first time.
The New York State Mesonet is a network of 127 weather stations across the state that supplement National Weather Service modeling and observations to provide more accurate and real-time weather information, helping improve forecasts and inform weather alerts. The EMPOWER project utilizes the Mesonet’s real-time data to develop cutting-edge tools designed specifically for emergency managers and first responders. In a world with increasingly frequent and unpredictable severe weather, these new tools will provide our community safety professionals with unparalleled information to make the fastest, most well-informed decisions when disasters strike, helping to alert communities of imminent threats and better protect lives and property.
The EMPOWER program exemplifies a successful partnership between researchers, higher education, emergency managers, and the Federal government. This program has tangible outcomes – emergency alert systems greatly benefit the public and upgrading our technology is necessary to mitigate risk and loss of life when disaster strikes. I cannot underline how important this program is to New York’s emergency response, as well as to the entire Nation. As our researchers better develop emergency management technology, we can count on the implementation of this technology across America in the near future to save lives. Not only does the public benefit, but improved emergency warning system technology and data about weather events helps our first responders, who put their lives on the line for their communities, better determine the risk to the area they serve. This $3 million grant is essential to supporting the completion of this vital work.
In the wake of the devastating flooding in Texas we have a responsibility to do everything we can to mitigate the risks of extreme weather and ensure that tragedies like this never happen again. The federal government should be investing in better technologies to improve hazard impact warning systems and provide emergency managers more timely and accurate information to ensure they can put out emergency alerts and evacuation orders to save lives and take other crucial actions to protect community lifelines. Cancelling this grant does exactly the opposite, and stifles emerging tools and technologies that have the potential to save lives.
I urge you to reinstate the $3 million DHS EMPOWER grant to support the project and its researchers so they can deliver groundbreaking technology to save Americans from avoidable weather-related harm. Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter. Please do not hesitate to contact my staff if you have any questions.
The United States can count on Australia as one of its closest allies.
Dating back to the shared experiences in the second world war and the ANZUS Treaty signed in 1951, Australia has steadfastly worked to help ensure the US remains the principal security guarantor in the Indo-Pacific.
Australia’s track record speaks for itself. Yet additional demands are being placed that rankle.
The Pentagon wants to know how Australia – and other allies such as Japan – would respond in the event of a war with China over Taiwan.
Since federation in 1901, Australians have found themselves alongside US counterparts in almost all the major conflicts of the 20th century and beyond.
It is this shared experience that led former Ambassador to Washington, Joe Hockey, to coin the term “100 years of mateship”.
The pinnacle of the security relationship is the ANZUS Treaty which is a loosely worded document barely 800 words long.
However, it is important to remember AUKUS is just that – a technical agreement, albeit premised on the century-spanning trusted collaboration across the full spectrum of national security ties.
Goldilocks solution
More recently, the US administration has made demands of allies, including Australia, the likes of which have not been seen in living memory.
It is this context which makes the US demands for a broad-ranging and largely open-ended commitment over the defence of Taiwan, in advance of any conflict, so extraordinary and unhelpful.
Under-secretary of defence for policy Elbridge Colby who wants a clear sense of how Australia would act in a potential war over Taiwan. Supplied by US Department of Defence, CC BY
Australia has long had a fear of abandonment. Ever since the searing experience of the fall of Singapore in 1942, officials have been eager to burnish ties with US counterparts. Conversely, there has always been a strong element in the community that has feared entrapment in yet another US-led war in Asia.
The experience in the Korean and Vietnam wars, let alone Afghanistan and Iraq, left many guarded about the efficacy of hitching the wagon to US-led military campaigns.
In essence, though, Australian policymakers have long sought the Goldilocks solution: not too enthusiastic to trigger entrapment and not too lukewarm to trigger abandonment.
No guarantees
Now Australia, Japan and others face a surprising new push by American officials for a commitment to a hypothetical conflict, under open-ended circumstances.
The irony is that American demands for a commitment fly in the face of the loosely worded ANZUS alliance – which stipulates an agreement to consult, but little more than that.
The AUKUS agreement includes no such guarantees either. The overt and confronting nature of Washington’s demands means Prime Minister Anthony Albanese effectively has no option but to push back:
We support the status quo when it comes to Taiwan. We don’t support any unilateral action […] we want peace and security in our region.
Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy was adamant Australia would not be committing forces ahead of any “hypothetical” conflict:
The decision to commit Australian troops to a conflict will be made by the government of the day, not in advance, but by the government of the day.
A further irony is Australia, like Japan, is already hugely invested in its US military relationship, particularly through its military technology.
The purchase of the F35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft, for instance, was meant to help enable the generation of interoperable forces, yet no such demand has been made when it comes to an advance commitment over their use in support of US ambitions.
So why invoke AUKUS in such a way?
Evidently, the way the US is trying to stand over Japan and Australia is harmful to its own interests. Such adversarial and unduly transactional behaviour could provoke a popular backlash in Australia and elsewhere.
The government has rightly rebuffed the calls saying it would be up to the government of the day to make such a decision. It is likely this will not be well received by the Trump administration. The PM is right though, to say it’s hypothetical and not worthy of a public endorsement.
Strategic ambiguity
Yet a further irony is that this is mostly a moot point.
The key benefit of alliance collaboration is already in place – and that relates to the efforts to deter China from ever acting on its desire to change the status quo in the first place.
As former PM and now ambassador to Washington, Kevin Rudd explained in his book, The Avoidable War, geo-political disaster is still avoidable, particularly if the US and China can find a way to coexist without betraying their core interests through managed strategic competition.
This strategic ambiguity is meant to complicate a potential adversary’s military planners and political decision makers’ thought processes over the advantages and disadvantages of going to war.
China already knows a clash over Taiwan would mean US allies like Japan and Australia would find it virtually impossible to avoid being entangled. The strategic ambiguity can be maintained ad infinitum, so long as an outright invasion is averted.
And the likelihood of conflict over Taiwan? I remain sanguine that conflict can be avoided.
But to do so would involve clear and compelling messaging: both through diplomatic channels and through the demonstration of robust military capabilities that war would be too costly.
John Blaxland received funding (2015–2018) from the US DoD Minerva Research Initiative.
Ten polytechnics will be re-established from 1 January 2026, restoring regional decision-making that supports strong communities and economic growth, Vocational Education Minister Penny Simmonds says. “This is a major milestone in building a vocational education system that’s locally led, regionally responsive, and future focused. We’ve listened to extensive industry feedback and I’m confident our plan will set the sector up for long-term economic and learning success. “We campaigned vigorously against Labour’s reforms which saw all New Zealand polytechnics merged into one unwieldy and uneconomic central institution, Te Pūkenga, taking away the ability of regions to respond to local training and employer needs. “Labour dismantled regionally-led vocational education – and we are restoring it,” Ms Simmonds says. The ten polytechnics returning to regional governance are:
Ara Institute of Canterbury (Ara) Eastern Institute of Technology (EIT) Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology (NMIT) Southern Institute of Technology (SIT) Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology Waikato Institute of Technology (Wintec) Unitec Institute of Technology (Unitec) and Manukau Institute of Technology (MIT), which will stand up as a single entity Otago Polytechnic Universal College of Learning (UCOL) The Open Polytechnic of New Zealand
The Open Polytechnic of New Zealand will be the anchor polytechnic of the new federation, which includes Otago Polytechnic and UCOL. The federation will coordinate programmes and other services, including shared academic boards. It will provide a low overhead way for polytechnics to create more efficient business models than they could on their own through the use of on online learning resources and programmes. Four other polytechnics — NorthTec, Western Institute of Technology at Taranaki (WITT), Whitireia Community Polytechnic and Wellington Institute of Technology (Whitireia and WelTec), and Tai Poutini Polytechnic (TPP) — will remain within Te Pūkenga for now as they work toward viability, with decisions due in the first half of 2026. These changes are part of legislation before Parliament. The Education and Workforce Select Committee is reviewing the Bill, which is expected to pass in October. The ten new polytechnics will begin operating from 1 January 2026. “I want to thank everyone who made submissions. Your feedback helped shape a better way forward,” Ms Simmonds says. Te Pūkenga will act as a transitional entity for up to a year to manage unallocated programmes and support a smooth handover. The legislation also allows mergers or closures if any polytechnic cannot achieve viability. “With more than 250,000 students in the vocational education system each year, these changes offer greater flexibility, financial sustainability, and ensure training remains relevant to employment needs,” Ms Simmonds says. “Industry will have a stronger role, communities will regain local control, and polytechnics will be financially sustainable. “We’re rebuilding our incredibly important vocational education system so that it delivers — for students, for employers, and for the future of New Zealand.”
In 2013, these health risks led the WHO to set a global target to reduce sodium intake by 30% by 2025. The WHO has since extended this to 2030, due to slow progress.
Public health efforts to reduce sodium (salt) have focused mainly on food, not drinking water. This is because most tap water contains low sodium levels (usually below 20mg per litre).
But some natural water sources contain excessively high sodium. In Australia, this mainly affects remote and rural communities.
Evidence suggests it’s a growing issue, compounded by climate change, rising sea levels, more frequent storms, prolonged droughts, and human activities, including over extraction of groundwater and agricultural runoff.
What does the WHO say about water?
The WHO’s recommended threshold for sodium in water – no more than 200mg/L – is based on how water tastes (palatability), not what is safe for health.
Worryingly, the WHO recommendations about drinking water are based on an outdated 2003 report that found evidence linking sodium with high blood pressure was lacking.
Convincing evidence has since confirmed that higher sodium intake is directly related to increased blood pressure.
The WHO updated its dietary guidelines for sodium in 2012 to reflect these health risks. But water guidelines have not changed.
What our new research shows
Our new research, published in recent weeks, reviewed guidelines for sodium in drinking water in 197 countries.
It found 20% of countries – home to 30% of the world’s population – have no sodium limit in drinking water.
Among the 132 countries that do, most (92%) follow WHO guidelines.
Our research found only 12 countries cited health reasons for setting sodium limits, and just two of these set stricter limits than WHO guidelines.
This means across the world, most drinking standards for sodium continue to be guided by taste, not health.
Palatability is highly subjective. Just as some people enjoy salty chips and others find them overpowering, sensitivity to sodium in water varies.
In contrast, the health risks of too much salt are clear.
What do Australia’s guidelines say?
Australia’s drinking water guidelines include a non-mandatory sodium limit of 180mg/L, also based on taste.
But this is still too high to protect health.
Drinking two litres of water at this concentration in one day would mean having 360mg of sodium – almost one-fifth of the recommended maximum. This is equivalent to eating a large bag of sea-salt popcorn.
While the guidelines do recommend that people with high blood pressure drink water with less than 20mg/L sodium, there is no clear plan for how this can be achieved equitably, especially when the alternative is expensive bottled water.
Water inequity in Walgett
The consequences of this policy gap are stark in places such as Walgett, a remote town in north-western New South Wales with a high Aboriginal population (almost 50%).
Local Aboriginal community controlled organisations asked researchers from the University of New South Wales to test the water. This revealed sodium levels over 300mg/L.
In 2020, the New South Wales government eventually installed a desalination plant, but due to issues managing waste, it was decommissioned a few months later.
Today, Walgett still lacks a long-term solution to provide drinking water with low levels of sodium.
Water inequality is health inequality
Walgett isn’t an isolated case. Many inland and remote towns, often with high Aboriginal populations, rely on rivers and bore water increasingly affected by drought and agricultural overuse.
This inequity in access to safe drinking water worsens the health gap.
In places such as Walgett, where some people report spending as much as A$50 a week on bottled water, families are forced to choose between safe hydration and essentials such as food or medicine.
Without mandatory health-based limits, these communities have no way to compel authorities to make their water safe.
Safe drinking water is a human right
In 2023, the European Union mandated legally binding drinking water standards in all member states.
Although still based on the outdated 200mg/L taste threshold, this legal framework gives communities a basis to advocate for safer water – something Australia currently lacks.
A sodium limit closer to the United States Environmental Protection Agency guideline of 30–60mg/L would better align with health advice.
No one should have to fight for safe drinking water. If we want to protect our most vulnerable communities, water policy must catch up with science and public health priorities.
We would like to thank all of the authors of the paper, and the Yuwaya Ngarra-li, a community-led partnership between the Dharriwaa Elders Groups in Walgett and the University of New South Wales.
This research was funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council. The George Institute’s Food Policy Group is a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre on Population Salt Reduction. Juliette Crowther has no other conflicts of interest to declare.
Jacqui Webster receives salary funding from a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Investigator Grant (#2018015) and DFAT. Jacqui Webster is Chief Investigator on the NHMRC Ideas grant (#2003862) that this research is funded through.
Alcohol has many negative effects on our health, some of which may surprise you. These include short-term impacts such as waking up with a pounding head or anxiety, to long-term effects including cancer.
If you are thinking about taking some time off alcohol, you’ll find many quick wins and long-term gains for your health.
How long will you have to wait to feel the benefits?
We’ve made a timeline – based on scientific research – that shows what you might feel in the first days, weeks, months and years after taking a break from alcohol.
Some benefits start immediately, so every day without alcohol is a win for your health.
After one day
Alcohol takes around 24 hours to completely leave your body, so you may start noticing improvements after just one day.
Alcohol makes you need to urinate more often, causing dehydration. But your body can absorb a glass of water almost immediately, so once alcohol is out of your system alcohol dehydration is reduced, improving digestion, brain function and energy levels.
Alcohol also reduces the liver’s ability to regulate blood sugar. Once alcohol leaves the system, blood sugar begins to normalise.
If you are a daily drinker you may feel a bit worse to start with while your body adjusts to not having alcohol in its system all the time. You may initially notice disrupted sleep, mood changes, sweating or tremors. Most symptoms usually resolve in about a week without alcohol.
After one week
Even though alcohol can make you feel sleepy at first, it disrupts your sleep cycle. By the end of an alcohol-free week, you may notice you are more energetic in the mornings as a result of getting better quality sleep.
As the body’s filter, the liver does much of the heavy lifting in processing alcohol and can be easily damaged even with moderate drinking.
The liver is important for cleaning blood, processing nutrients and producing bile that helps with digestion.
But it can also regenerate quickly. If you have only mild damage in the liver, seven days may be enough to reduce liver fat and heal mild scarring and tissue damage.
Alcohol damages your liver, but it’s very good at regenerating and healing itself. skynesher/Getty
After one month
Alcohol can make managing mood harder and worsen symptoms of anxiety and depression. After a few weeks, most people start to feel better. Even very heavy drinkers report better mood after one to two months.
After a month of abstinence regular drinkers also report feeling more confident about making changes to how they drink.
You may lose weight and body fat. Alcohol contains a lot of kilojules and can trigger hunger reward systems, making us overeat or choose less healthy foods when drinking.
Even your skin will thank you. Alcohol can make you look older through dehydration and inflammation, which can be reversed when you quit.
The liver starts to repair within weeks. For moderate drinkers, damage to your liver could be fully reversed by six months.
At this point, even heavy drinkers may notice they’re better at fighting infections and feel healthier overall.
Just a month without alcohol can you make more confident about sticking to changes. Yue_/Getty
After one year or more
Alcohol contributes to or causes a large number of chronic diseases, including heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and seven different types of cancer, as well as mental health issues. All of these risks can be reduced by quitting or cutting back on alcohol.
Alcohol increases blood pressure. High blood pressure (hypertension) is the top risk factor for death in the world. A small 2mmHg increase in blood pressure above the normal range (120mmHG) increases death from stroke by 10% and from coronary artery disease by 7%.
Cutting back on alcohol to less than two drinks a day can reduce blood pressure significantly, reducing risk of stroke and heart disease. Reducing blood pressure also reduces risk of kidney disease, eye problems and even erectile dysfunction.
With sustained abstinence, your risk of getting any type of cancer drops. One study looked at cancer risk for more than 4 million adults over three to seven years and found the risk of alcohol-related cancer dropped by 4%, even for light drinkers who quit. Reducing from heavy to moderate drinking reduced alcohol-related cancer risk by 9%.
Making a change
Any reduction in drinking will have some noticeable and immediate benefits to your brain and general health. The less you drink and the longer you go between drinks, the healthier you will be.
Whether you aim to cut back or quit entirely, there are some simple things you can do to help you stick with it:
set clear goals plus the smaller steps you need to take to get there
pay attention to the benefits you notice from quitting
If you are still wondering about whether to make changes or not you can check your drinking risk here.
If you have tried to cut back and found it difficult you may need professional help. Call the National Alcohol and other Drug Hotline on 1800 250 015 and they will put you in touch with services in your area that can help. You can also talk to your GP.
We would like to thank Dr Hannah MacRae for assistance in identifying the research used in this article.
Nicole Lee works as a paid evaluation and training consultant in alcohol and other drugs. She has previously been awarded grants by state and federal governments, NHMRC and other public funding bodies for alcohol and other drug research. She is CEO of Hello Sunday Morning.
Dr Katinka van de Ven is the Research Manager of Hello Sunday Morning. She also works as a paid evaluation and training consultant in alcohol and other drugs. Katinka has previously been awarded grants by state governments and public funding bodies for alcohol and other drug research.
