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Trump admits he didn't know what a red card was in World Cup row with Europe
'I didn’t know what that meant. I didn’t think it meant much,' said the US president
Business Monday: Big Island companies continue to recover from Kona low storms and earthquake
With the completion of property damage assessments from South Kona’s magnitude 6 earthquake that struck on May 22, Hawai‘i County officials now are waiting for Gov. Josh Green’s decision about whether he will file for a presidential disaster declaration that will help individuals and business owners secure funding for repairs.
Appendix B: Classifying European political parties
Classifying parties as populist Although experts generally agree that populist political leaders or parties display high levels of anti-elitism, definitions of populism vary. We use three measures to classify parties as populist: anti-elite ratings from the 2024 Chapel Hill Expert Survey (CHES), the 2023 Populism and Political Parties Expert Survey (POPPA) and the 2023 PopuList. […]
Nintendo has detailed rollout plans for Switch 2 product revisions in Europe with replaceable batteries, and Switch 1 consoles are being discontinued
Nintendo has detailed the rollout plans for Switch 2 revisions with replaceable batteries in Europe and announced Switch 1 will stop production in 2027.
Texas oil tycoon buys $28M Mercer Island residential property
Rodney R. Lewis, the fourth-biggest gas producer in Texas, purchased a $28 million Mercer Island residential property with two homes last week.
Comcast's Sky Acquires ITV Media and Entertainment For $2 Billion
Comcast’s European satellite TV operator Sky July 6 announced it has agreed to acquire ITV Media & Entertainment from ITV plc for a total consideration of up to £1.6 billion ($2 billion) in cash, debt and net working capital. In addition to £1.2 billion in cash and up to £0.2 billion in performance-related earn-out, the … Continue reading "Comcast’s Sky Acquires ITV Media and Entertainment For $2 Billion"
Switch 2 Hardware Revision With Replaceable Battery Coming Later This Year In Europe
Battery capacity and weight also set to change
Nintendo officially announces revisions for Switch 2 and more in Europe in light of new battery regulations
Today, Nintendo officially announced plans for revisions of several of its products, led by Switch 2. Changes will begin to take place starting in the summer. Products will be updated only to support user-replaceable batteries. Outside of that, everything will be staying the same. Note that if you already have one of these products, there’s nothing that you need to...
Here's how much the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8, Z Flip8 foldables will cost in South Korea
The foldables are expected to be announced later this month. Last week, the European pricing for Samsung's upcoming Galaxy Z foldables surfaced online....
Trump to Meet With Zelensky as Russia-Ukraine Battlefield Remains ‘Frozen’ | WSJ Politics Newsletter for July 6
Also, Trump faces obstacles to put the new Air Force One in his museum, and an inside look at Europe’s rupture with the U.S.
Ukraine recovery: International Coalition for Science, Research and Innovation signs Gdansk Declaration
On 26 June, the first-ever High-level Steering Committee of the International Coalition for Science, Research and Innovation in Ukraine signed the Gdansk Declaration during the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Poland. The Declaration outlines a shared ambition to support Ukraine in increasing its research and development investment to 3% of the GDP following the end of Russia’s full-scale war of aggression. This is in line with the European Research Area target. It also outlines various activities that Coalition members can implement to achieve this objective. The Declaration further provides a strategic framework for the Coalition’s work to support Ukraine’s modern and
Padres Snap 8-Game Losing Streak With Win Over Dodgers
Manny Machado’s three-run blast and dominant pitching from JP Sears propelled the San Diego Padres past the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Connections: Steve Toth appointed Thrilled Land company president
Cave Springs-based Thrilled Land Investments LLC, parent company of Leadership Properties and Thrilled Home Builders, recently named Fayetteville business leader Steve Toth as the company’s first president. Toth has more...
Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli commits future to Chelsea by signing scholarship terms
The central midfielder turned down many leading European clubs in favour of continuing his development at Stamford Bridge.
Morocco Return to the World Cup Last Eight
Morocco are going back to the World Cup quarter-finals after defeating Canada in a Round of 16 tie that confirmed their status as one of the most formidable sides in international football outside of Europe and South America. A goal from Amine Ouahbi was enough to separate the teams on Friday in what proved to…
Electronic Health Record Ehr Systems Market Forecast Points Higher Toward 2035, Driven by Interoperability Mandates and Cloud Migration
World EHR systems market forecast to 2035: 6-8% CAGR, cloud adoption, interoperability mandates, and value-based care drive growth. Key players and regional insights.
NATO's eastern flank prepares to fend off Russia
Reporters traveled to three exposed stretches of Europe's eastern frontier and found varied strategies and uneven progress to deter Russia.
Wang Yi Says China Welcomes Stronger European Business Relations
China welcomes deeper cooperation with Swedish and European businesses, which will benefit all parties involved, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in a meeting with Investor AB Chairman Jacob Wallenberg in Stockholm on July 4, according to a statement from the ministry on Sunday.
A child can drown in seconds. Doctors want more families to be prepared
About 4,000 to 5,000 Americans drown each year. Most are adults who die in natural bodies of water, such as lakes, ponds or oceans.
Alexander Lake Lodge in Cedaredge offers rare business opportunity
This weekend’s unique commercial property is a mountain retreat located on top of the Grand Mesa near Cedaredge, CO.
Fight them for the beaches: the real villain of Europe’s overtourism is big business
From Albania to Portugal, privatisation of the coastline is bringing locals out on to the streets. For them, the economic benefits are few and far between, says Adam Almeida, a writer living in London
Piknik Theatre ushers in new era as health issues keep founder away
Celina Taylor will be trying to ensure that everything is in its proper place when performers take the stage at Branham Amphitheater in Strawberry Park on Sunday for Piknik Theatre‘s first performance of the 2026...
With ERP.net’s New App Builder, Businesses Can Create Applications Directly Inside Their ERP System
Bulgaria, July 3, 2026 -- European enterprise software company ERP.net has introduced App Builder - a new Agentic AI-native platform that enabl...
Palantir CEO Alex Karp's properties, homes: See inside
Palantir's Alex Karp has quietly built a nine-figure real estate portfolio. Here are some of the homes and properties he owns in the US.
Galaxy Z Fold 8, Fold 8 Ultra, and Flip 8 prices just leaked, and your wallet won't be happy
A new leak reveals alleged European prices for the Galaxy Z Fold 8, Fold 8 Ultra, Flip 8, Watch 9, and Watch Ultra 2 ahead of July 22 event.
Watch every goal of matchday 22 of the World Cup
Three European teams got through as Spain dominated and Cristiano Ronaldo got his first knockout stage goal.
Goldman dominates first-half M&A as dealmaking surges in EMEA
Goldman Sachs increased its share of mergers and acquisitions advisory work involving Europe, the Middle East and Africa in the first half of 2026, capturing the biggest slice of the market in the period for nearly a decade, LSEG data showed.
Christine Lagarde leaves door open to early ECB exit, as she mulls French politics
The European Central Bank's Christine Lagarde has declined to rule out an early end to her term as president, as she mulls a foray into French politics.
Could Your AI Content Land Your Business In Court?
Generative AI is helping businesses create content faster, but it is also creating new copyright and intellectual property risks that many companies do not understand.
Are Europe’s extreme summers the new normal? What the science says
WHO warns Europe must 'plan for heat like winter flu' as experts reveal how permanent this summer's extreme heat is.
Trump's ties to Erdogan sold him on this year's NATO summit. Turkey may win big in other ways
U.S. President Donald Trump has berated and belittled many of the European leaders expected to attend next week’s NATO summit in Turkey but has only praise for its host, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
The European sports host with the most - Live Updates
Switzerland is home to many international sporting organizations — and a pile of upcoming big events.
Europe’s Health Systems Face a Heat Test
New WHO guidance highlights how extreme heat is straining hospitals, with practical measures now shaping safer care environments across Europe.
NATO tensions push Europe to chart a path past Washington
Ahead of a major NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey next week, strain on the alliance is pushing European lawmakers toward a new posture—one that is less reliant on Washington.
Could your gut bacteria really slow Alzheimer’s? Scientists reveal a surprising link - Futura-Sciences
European researchers previously demonstrated that transferring stool samples from human Alzheimer’s patients into healthy rats triggered symptoms like spatial memory issues. Other models show that altering gut microbes changes the buildup of amyloid plaques and tau proteins, the two main hallmarks of the disease. Scientists have even found that certain...
Businesses on the move in Marin and Sonoma counties: July 2 report
Check out which companies are leasing and buying office, retail, industrial and residential development properties in Sonoma and Marin counties via the following deals.
Entertainment-focused Cosmic Sports launches black light ice hockey venture
Cosmic Sports founder Chris Martin the success of Cosmic Baseball to the ice, announcing the launch of the glow in the dark, barnstorming property Cosmic Hockey.
Trump filing shows he took in about $1.2 billion from crypto businesses last year
Mere startups when he took the oath of office, the new ventures have now eclipsed in revenue much of his vast property portfolio that took him decades to accumulate.
Heat Wave Caused Some 480 Excess Deaths in Netherlands, Health Authorities Say
AMSTERDAM, July 2 (Reuters) - Last week's unprecedented heat wave led to around 480 excess deaths in the Netherlands, Dutch health authorities said on Thursday. • Excess deaths in the week from June 22 to 28 were mainly among people aged 80 years and older. • Most were reported in the ...
“It’s a Business”: NYC Landlord Facing $35K Property Tax for His Buildings Speaks Out Against Zohran Mamdani’s Rent Freeze
NYC Landlord thinks people don't understand that owning apartments is a business.
Cost-Free Entertainment Platforms Propel Growth in the Ad-Supported Streaming TV Sector
The FAST market is driven by increasing consumer adoption of cost-free streaming, expanding ad-supported content, and enhanced personal advertising technologies. This growth is further accelerated by smart TV integration, diverse content offerings, and rising digital video libraries, notably in Asia-Pacific. Free Advertisement (Ad)-Supported Streaming Television (TV) (FAST) Market Free Advertisement (Ad)-Supported Streaming Television (TV) (FAST) Market Dublin, July 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --
German Prosecutors Charge Ukrainian Suspect Over Nord Stream Explosions
The Nord Stream explosions remain among the most politically sensitive investigations in Europe, given their impact on EU energy security.
A Nation Larger Than Its Politics
As America approaches its 250th birthday, I find myself wondering whether we have lost sight of something that earlier generations understood instinctively.Americans have never agreed on politics.We have argued over wars, taxes, immigration, religion, civil rights, economic policy, and the proper ro...
Politics in the Park: Natrona County commissioner candidates talk taxes, energy, responsibilities
CASPER, Wyo. — Nine Republican candidates for the Natrona County Board of County Commissioners outlined their visions Wednesday for property taxes, energy
Facing Barbs and Pressure From Trump, Europe's Leaders Close Ranks
ROME (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump’s attacks on Italy’s premier have had an unintended consequence. After Trump questioned Italy’s reliability as a wartime ally and claimed Giorgia Meloni had groveled for his attention, European leaders rallied to Meloni's side, thawing what had been a frosty ...
Owners of Society Hotel put historic Old Town property on the market
Because the hotel is independently operated, the listing says, new owners could easily keep it as a boutique hotel or convert it into apartments.
Sudden danger: the science and stakes of flash flood forecasting
Flash floods pose a major threat to lives and property. When it comes to researching them, understanding the rain as it falls is only half the battle. The next step is knowing how the water will move once it hits the ground.
Redford Township cat hoarding case: Animal Control rescues cats from home deemed public health hazard
Animal control officers from multiple agencies are continuing efforts to rescue dozens of cats from a Redford Township home after authorities declared the property an imminent danger to public health.
Garden City restaurant violations include black mold, unsafe foods
Wayne County health reports show violations at Garden City eateries, including improper food storage, equipment malfunctions and hygiene issues.
How Elite Sports Coaches Make High-Pressure Decisions
Drawing on interviews with 11 elite coaches across major U.S., European, Australian, and New Zealand professional sports leagues, the authors show that high-pressure decisions aren’t a single “formula” but a set of practices that unfold before, during, and after pivotal moments—and translate directly to business leadership. Top coaches combine disciplined preparation with emotional control and social awareness during crunch time and accountability and continual system improvement after the fact.
Trump raked in more than $1bn from crypto businesses in 2025, filing shows
President’s crypto ventures have eclipsed in revenue much of his property portfolio that took decades to accumulate
Qualified real property business debt exclusion
The election to exclude a discharge of qualified real property business debt from cancellation-of-debt income can provide valuable tax planning opportunities.
Trump made hundreds of millions from cryptocurrency ventures in first year back in office
President Donald Trump collected billions of dollars through an array of cryptocurrency holdings, royalty payments and property investments last year, according to his latest annual financial disclosure released on Tuesday.
What’s being built, bought and planned in Ascension Parish
Here are the latest property transactions, issued permits and upcoming business-related events in Ascension Parish. Property transactions Local organization American Soldiers Evaluation Services purchased a 4,000-square-foot office building on East Josephine Street from Nolan and Sharon Aikens for $400,000. American Soldiers Evaluation Services’ CEO, Dr. Sandrine Nkouga, represented the buyer in the transaction. ASES provides […]
Authentic Signs Definitive Agreement to Acquire Care Bears
Authentic Brands Group, a global brand and entertainment platform, today announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the intellectual property of Care Bears, one of the world's most beloved and enduring family entertainment franchises.
Who’s building and who’s buying in Greater Baton Rouge
Here are the latest issued permits and property transactions in East Baton Rouge and Ascension parishes. East Baton Rouge Parish The East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office purchased the pr… Already an INSIDER? Sign in. Already an INSIDER? Sign in
France’s Far Right Joins the Fray of Air Conditioning Politics
France’s far right is promising air conditioners now, rather than climate solutions for later, to try and sway voters as Europe bakes under record temperatures.
US bill requiring paid games to be playable after they shut down has failed to pass a Senate vote
Stop Killing Games says it will try again with “the funding to do this properly”…
Reaching communities close to hostilities in Ukraine
Primary health care teams in Ukraine are reaching 121 locations within 60 km from active hostilities. This is part of the largest primary health care intervention in frontline areas in the country. European Union (EU)-supported teams are delivering essential services to people trapped by constant shelling and severe security constraints in 7 regions where no pharmacies operate, no health facilities function and evacuation remains impossible for residents.
The Satire, Autograph Collection | The Hotel Collection
Discover The Satire, Autograph Collection an American Express Travel Luxury Property. Learn More About The Offerings & Features of The Satire, Autograph Collection in Alexandria, Virginia US.
Nation’s largest industrial landlord bets $100M on Chicago warehouse demand
The project is a show of confidence by one of the biggest industrial property companies that the Chicago-area warehouse market has pent-up demand.
Company that made a Steam Machine wrap based on Valve intellectual property without asking forced to take it down
Dbrand's Portal-themed Companion Cube wrap for the Steam Machine won't be seeing the light of day for a very good reason.
Developer addresses community concerns around Franklin youth sports complex project
The project, proposed by developer BLVD Capital, would transform Brownland Farm, a 233-acre property on Hillsboro Road just outside downtown Franklin, into “The Banks at Brownland.”
France Keeps Health Emergency Plan at Highest Level in Case of Another Heatwave
PARIS, June 29 (Reuters) - French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said on Monday he was keeping the country's health emergency response plan, ORSAN, at its highest level for the coming days in view of "a possible recurrence of a heatwave episode". Lecornu was speaking at the start of a ...
Heat forces yodelers at annual Swiss festival to sing in fountains
Yodelers at a festival in Basel, Switzerland, turned city fountains into rehearsal spaces during Europe’s June heat wave.
Apple Acquires Award-Winning App 'Play'
In February, Apple notified the European Commission that it would be acquiring certain assets from and have the right to hire certain employees from Rabbit 3 Times, the company behind the award-winning app design tool Play. The notification was published on the European Commission's website this week, following a four-month waiting period. Play was a Mac and iPhone app that allowed designers to prototype iPhone app interfaces using Apple's SwiftUI frameworks, and then send them to Xcode.
French election politics bring surrogacy back into Europe’s spotlight
The former prime minister's call to legalize surrogacy has drawn opposition from across France's political spectrum, including within his own party, with possible consequences across Europe.
Benevolent, manufacturing facilities: See 20 latest business, apartment, land sales ($30K to $1.4M)
See a list of property sales in Onondaga County other than residential homes.
Apple accuses India of 'copy-pasting' rivals' claims in antitrust investigation
Apple has accused Indian antitrust investigators of "copy-pasting" its rivals' claims and failing to properly conduct its own investigation in concluding the U.S. tech giant breached competition laws, calling for the findings to be quashed, regulatory papers reviewed by Reuters showed.
Ingredion plans global Benicaros prebiotic expansion across gut and immune health applications
Ingredion highlights that its recent acquisition of the Benicaros prebiotic is a strong strategic addition to its Healthful Solutions portfolio, supporting the company’s formulation versatility alongside expansion of health-forward and clean label ingredients. The company purchased the patented prebiotic fiber, made from upcycled carrot pomace, from NutriLeads earlier this month. With the deal, Ingredion obtained full ownership of all intellectual property, trademarks, human clinical trials, and know-how related to manufacturing Benicaros.
Is this World Cup now Europe v South America? Which giants fall today? Day 18 recap
Sunday was the strangest day of this World Cup, in that there was only one match, sandwiched between days with six and three respectively. This was for scheduling reasons: no third-placed sides could have played on Sunday, given that the identity of the eight sides and their precise fixtures had only been decided on Saturday night. It would also have been impossible to organise fixtures between any other winners and runners-up while also giving them a reasonable — and relatively similar — number of days since their final group stage fixture. In the game that did happen, co-hosts Canada...
Multiple sclerosis affects social life and work beyond physical health
Multiple sclerosis (MS) can have a substantial impact on many aspects of life beyond physical health, with 51% of people reporting that the disease affects their social life and 48% reporting that it affects their work, according to new research presented at the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) Congress 2026.
VSP Vision Announces Winner of Propel Student Business Challenge Scholarship
RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif.—VSP Vision, in collaboration with the Student Optometric Leadership Network (SOLN), today announced that Mason Martin, a student at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Optometry, is the winner of the 2026 Propel Student Business Challenge Scholarship, powered by PECAA. Martin, who was awarded the $10,000 scholarship and a travel grant to attend the SOLN conference in Denver, is the first first-year student at the school to receive this honor, the announcement said. VSP said his standout submission featured a thoughtful, patient-centered private practice business plan.
Europe’s Heat Politics
As the continent swelters, some right-wing populists are talking up their support for air-conditioning.
Bob on Business: Fort Worth Stockyards auction barn seeing new life as studio, live venue
Also, more Stockyards-area property on the market; area CEO honored; pawnshop deal; and another acquisition.
Efzimfotase alfa demonstrated improvements in bone health in treatment-naïve pediatric patients with hypophosphatasia achieving median difference of 1.67 vs placebo in RGI-C Score at week 25 in MULBERRY Phase III trial
Positive results from the MULBERRY Phase III trial showed that efzimfotase alfa (ALXN1850), an investigational enzyme replacement therapy, demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in bone health in children (2 to
Sony will pull Studio Canal purchases for European users
The trend of revoking access to digital purchases continues, this time affecting European customers of Sony's PlayStation Store.
Linux 7.3 To Introduce DRM "Color Format" Property With AMD GPU Driver Support
While the Linux 7.2 kernel merge window is only ending later today to cap off the feature work on this next version of the Linux kernel, already for the Linux 7.3 kernel cycle later in the year there is one notable feature on the way: the DRM color format property is being introduced and being first supported by the AMDGPU kernel graphics driver.
Austria lobbies EU to host Anthropic AI after US curbs, Bloomberg News reports
Austria is pushing the European Union to consider hosting Anthropic AI system within its borders to counter efforts by the U.S. to block foreigners from using the company's most advanced models, Bloomberg News reported on Sunday.
Climate change to blame for intensity of Europe heat wave: Scientists
Human-caused climate change is "unequivocally" responsible for the intensity of a record-breaking heat wave scorching Europe, scientists said Friday.
Fiorentina agreement for Beltran, but striker resists River Plate
Fiorentina have agreed to sell half of Lucas Beltran to River Plate following the loan at Valencia, but it’s reported the player wants to remain in Europe.The striker spent time in the River Plate a...
Ryman Hospitality Addresses Reports About Opry Entertainment Group
Ryman Hospitality Properties addressed recent media reports regarding its Opry Entertainment Group business.
Germany news: Heat soars as political reforms split opinion
As Europe's heatwave rages, Germany continues to swelter with new records expected Saturday. Elsewhere, politicians bicker over reforms and industry blames train operator DB for billions in losses. DW has the latest.
Trump threatens 100% tariffs on Europe if countries tax digital services
He added that the new tax would supersede any previously negotiated trade deals
Trump threatens 100% tax on European imports if countries impose tax on digital services
“Please let this statement serve to represent that any Country that imposes such a Tax will immediately be met with a 100% TARIFF on any and all Goods sent to the United States of America,” Trump wrote in a post on social media.
Air-conditioning becomes political amid sweltering Europe heatwave
Much of western Europe baked under a “heat dome” as temperatures soar. Authorities warn that the extreme conditions could endanger lives across countries, many of which have limited air conditioning, a topic of which has left the people of Paris divided.
How PENN’s US$360 Million Aurora Resort Shift At PENN Entertainment (PENN) Has Changed Its Investment Story
PENN Entertainment has opened the US$360 million Hollywood Casino and Hotel Aurora, replacing its former Fox River riverboat with a 388,500-square-foot, 24/7 land-based resort featuring over 1,000 slots, 50 table games, a sportsbook, 226-room hotel, spa, event center, and extensive dining options. The Aurora project, which created around 700 permanent roles and mirrors PENN’s broader shift into higher-amenity land-based properties, highlights how the company is reinvesting heavily to refresh...
Remigration: a growing far-right movement
Once a fringe position, calls for mass deportation are spreading throughout Europe and entering mainstream politics
How to get free Windows 10 security patches until October 2027 - and avoid the $30 fee
Don't want to pay to keep Windows 10 security updates? Microsoft has several workarounds, with the best deal for European users.
Sweden and WHO launch new long-term initiative to transform Ukraine’s health system
WHO and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) have launched a new multi-year cooperation project to support the long-term recovery and transformation of Ukraine’s health system. The new project, “Ukraine’s Health System Transformation Initiative: Strengthening Health Governance, Health Financing and Service Delivery for Long-Term Recovery”, was launched at the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2026 in Gdansk, Poland on 26 June, and will run from June 2026 to 2029. Sweden will contribute approximately US$ 26 million (240 million Swedish krona) to support this project. This contribution forms part of Sweden’s broader support to Ukraine through the Team Europe approach, which brings together the European Union, its Member States, and key partners such as the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Enlargement and Eastern Neighbourhood and Enabel, and WHO as lead health agency, to support Ukraine’s recovery, reform agenda and European integration.“Ukraine’s health recovery cannot be measured only by what is rebuilt, but by whether people can count on the health system when they need it most. The scale of the task is immense, with health reconstruction and modernization needs estimated at US$ 19.4 billion over the next decade. Sweden’s US$ 26 million contribution to Ukraine’s Health System Transformation Initiative is a timely investment in the institutions, financing and services that will support Ukraine’s long-term recovery and European integration. WHO remains a trusted partner of the Government of Ukraine in advancing this process. I am deeply grateful to Sweden for its consistent support and partnership,” said Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe. More than 4 years of war have placed unprecedented pressure on Ukraine’s health system, creating 3 interconnected challenges. The first is responding to the immediate consequences of the war and the urgent health needs of the population. The second is recovering and modernizing health services today. The third is continuing reforms and aligning the health system with European standards in the context of Ukraine’s future accession to the European Union. The war has led to large-scale population displacement, an increasing need for trauma care and rehabilitation, and shortages of health workers. High out-of-pocket payments in Ukraine make access to health services more difficult. Around 46% of total health expenditure is paid directly by individuals, placing a significant financial burden on many households and underscoring the need for reforms in health financing. Older people, persons with disabilities, women, children and veterans continue to face the greatest difficulties in accessing health services. “Ukraine is demonstrating that health system transformation can continue even during war. Ukraine is also continuing to align its health system with European norms and standards. WHO is committed to supporting Ukraine on this journey. We provide technical support, help coordinate partners’ efforts and support the institutional changes needed to strengthen the system. We are grateful to Sweden for its support. Through this partnership, we can help Ukraine build a more resilient, accessible and people-centred health system,” said Dr Jarno Habicht, WHO Representative in Ukraine. About the Health System Transformation InitiativeThe new initiative will support Ukraine through 3 interconnected areas: strengthening governance and coordination of health sector reforms through more inclusive coordination platforms and structured policy dialogue; transforming service delivery by reinforcing a primary health care-centred model that integrates family medicine, nursing and midwifery; and improving financial sustainability by supporting reforms that ensure the long-term viability of the national health system and reduce out-of-pocket payments for households. Overall, these reforms are expected to make the health system more coherent and easier to navigate, improve the quality and continuity of care, and ensure more equitable access to services, particularly for those who need them most. They will also support Ukraine’s progress towards a more modern health system aligned with European standards. “We are convinced that long-term recovery is not possible without strong, high-quality, person-centred health services that are accessible to everyone. Our partnership with WHO is designed to support deep and lasting systemic changes. Investments in human capital especially autonomous midwives, whose role for maternal, newborn and adolescent sexual and reproductive health cannot be understated, stronger governance, digital transformation and the financial sustainability of the health system are investments in Ukraine’s future. We are proud to support this process,” said Malin Perhult, the Head of the Ukraine Unit at Sida. Focus throughout implementation will be given to the most vulnerable population groups, including older people, women and children, and persons with disabilities, who have been affected by the war and face greater health-care needs. The initiative will be implemented in close cooperation with the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, the National Health Service of Ukraine, the Public Health Centre of Ukraine, regional authorities and international partners. This project will help Ukraine move towards a system where everyone can access the health care they need. It will strengthen primary care, make the health finance system more stable and predictable, and reduce the out-of-pocket costs that Ukrainians face when using health services. As a result, the Ukrainian health system will become more aligned with European standards and more sustainable in the long run.
Europe’s Deadly Heat Wave: A Jolt for Climate Action, or Just for A.C.?
Heat-related deaths and disruptions to daily life are forcing politicians to reckon, in different ways, with a rapidly warming planet.
Sweden: European Social Rights Committee calls for an end to Sweden’s two-tier healthcare system
Amnesty International welcomes a landmark decision by the European Committee of Social Rights finding that Sweden breached the right to health without discrimination.
TravelTech Show, Business Travel Show Europe name 2026 innovation award winners
Arcube, ImpersonAlly, Acai and Nowadays were recognized in separate competitions for travel technology innovations spanning airline retailing, brand protection, contact center automation and meetings management.
Joint statement – WHO/Europe and CCEE to collaborate on addressing health inequities and loneliness
WHO/Europe and the Council of Bishops’ Conferences of Europe (CCEE) officially signed a Letter of Intent on 23 June to establish a strategic partnership for promoting pan-European dialogue to reduce inequities, enabling every child and adult to live in health, safety and dignity.
233-acre Franklin farm could become major youth sports complex
A Nashville Predators-operated ice rink and athletic facility could transform historic Franklin property.
Growing sinkhole in Houston's Third Ward raising safety concerns for business owner, neighbor
A growing sinkhole behind a property on Scott Street in Houston’s Third Ward is raising concerns for a longtime business owner and her neighbor.
Monkey Business: Wild rhesus macaque spotted at Mount Dora hotel
A wild rhesus macaque was spotted at the historic Lakeside Inn in Mount Dora, Florida, spending about 45 minutes roaming the property and attracting attention from guests and staff. The hotel and local businesses responded with humorous, monkey-themed social media content, engaging the community. Wildlife officials cautioned the public not to approach or feed wild monkeys due to potential health risks and encouraged reporting sightings to authorities. The monkey has not returned to the hotel but has been seen elsewhere in downtown Mount Dora.
Making Our Own Luck
We are cross-posting a piece that former NIH official Kris Willis wrote for Macroscience. Kris is now the President and Founder of the Woodley Park Institute, for which I’m a board member. Picking winners or hedging bets? Federal science agencies have long wrestled with the question of how to ensure their billions of dollars of grants and contracts result in maximum benefits for Americans. On the surface, it might seem that a goal-oriented, interventionist style of management would be the best policy: prioritize our most pressing problems and distribute funding accordingly.This top-down strategy creates a unique hazard, though: bad choices can send resources in the wrong direction, resulting in slow progress that impedes the delivery of tangible benefits to citizens. Moreover, if decision makers pursue an applied advance when the underlying scientific principles remain poorly understood, they risk costly failures and a loss of support for the research enterprise at large. Examples include Nixon’s 1971 War on Cancer, undertaken on the premise that a cure could be achieved in less than a decade, the drive to build an operational commercial fusion plant by the mid-1990s, and the National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease, which failed to produce the effective treatments and prevention strategies promised by 2025. The contrasting laissez-faire approach is to hedge your bets. If the path to an advance is impossible to predict, then the wisest choice might be to distribute funding to as widely as possible. The main risk of this strategy is that spreading funding thinly may limit the resources available to the most promising research, resulting in the same negative outcomes as the interventionist approach: limited support for the most promising topics, slow progress, and delayed returns. In reality, at science agencies like the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health, program managers navigate between these two extremes, setting some funds aside to target high-priority areas and using the rest to cover the widest possible range of meritorious proposals. This middle path seems like the most rational way to proceed, but it still requires making choices. How much should be set aside for high priority topics? What should those topics be? How should we define merit? Expert opinion can provide a helpful guide, but leading experts can have remarkably different opinions about what matters and what should be prioritized. Moreover, experts and administrators alike can be risk averse, giving an edge to high-profile, well-established concepts. What’s really needed is a data-driven framework to help guide decision-making, one that doesn’t simply repackage prestige or incumbency. Recognizing breakthroughs years in advance Many breakthroughs fail to attract funding or recognition at the earliest stages of development. Katalin Karikó, for example, spent years struggling to win grants for work on mRNA that would eventually win her and Drew Weissman a Nobel Prize. Similar stories can be told about Jim Allison’s groundbreaking studies leading to the development of cancer immunotherapy, Stan Pruisner’s demonstration that prions can self-replicate without DNA, or Robin Warren and Barry Marshall’s proof that Helicobacter pylori, not stress, causes ulcers. Yet at some point, the scientific community recognizes and responds to transformative breakthroughs like these. How does that change happen? And what if science funders could identify the areas that are on the cusp of a breakthrough? Those questions led my collaborators and me to study how scientists responded to past breakthroughs. Based on patterns in that data, we developed a means of predicting future breakthroughs, using biomedicine as a proof of concept. It’s worth taking a moment to describe how our approach works. Briefly, our prediction process begins by grouping the 18 million or so peer-reviewed papers in PubMed, the authoritative database of biomedical research, into roughly 50,000 unique topics. A small subset of these topics are so widely acclaimed as breakthroughs that they have been recognized with a major prize like a Nobel or a Lasker Award. We theorized that studying the development of these outliers over time, especially before they gained acclaim, was the key to identifying future instances of them. After defining topics, we chose 21 representative breakthroughs and asked what they looked like before they won prestigious prizes. To answer that question, we re-ran our topic-mapping algorithm repeatedly, winding back the clock one year each time, stringing together the years to follow the progress of each field as it grew and advanced. We found that in each case, the years leading up to a discovery followed a pattern: a burst of papers on a new, rapidly evolving topic, many of which quickly became influential. These characteristics—the percent of papers that are new, the percentage of papers that are brought in from other topics, and the influence of each individual paper—can all be measured separately for any given topic. Together, they act as a predictive signal that is detectable an average of five years before a transformative discovery is made, and up to thirty years before the discovery receives a major prize. Scanning the current research landscape for topics that display this signal allows us to predict what work will likely produce a future breakthrough. Each year we analyzed includes four or five signals, a number that appears to have remained constant across a twenty year time frame. In their classic work on the sociology of science, Bruno Latour and Steve Woolgar established that the desire to participate in a major discovery is an important motivator for scientists as they consider whether they should take up (or abandon) a research problem. Although further work is needed, the simplest explanation for our results is that this behavior is widespread enough to detect at scale. A foundational advance, or something like it, draws the attention of scientists and causes them to change the direction of their research. They vote with their feet, staking their own reputation and careers by publishing on and citing the new idea. That upswell of interest is the foundation of our breakthrough signal. What kind of research does our model identify as a breakthrough? After building a model based on the patterns in our 21 preselected breakthroughs, we tested it by identifying all early signals of discovery from 1994 through 1997. Of the 18 signals we found in that time period, 17 can be traced forward in time to a breakthrough. Examples include super-resolution fluorescence microscopy (see the image above), the directed evolution of proteins and enzymes (Chemistry Nobel, 2018), and sequencing the human genome (National Medal of Science, 2008). The discovery of the role of leptin signaling in obesity is a particularly interesting case study. Around 1950, scientists noticed the existence of a type of lab mouse that suffered from a unique inherited form of obesity. When given the freedom to choose their own diet, these mice ate more than normal and preferred food that was high in fat. Researchers had few clues as to why the animals overate; early experiments pointed to the existence of a soluble ob factor found circulating in the bloodstream that regulated appetite, but its identity was unknown. In 1994, Jeffrey Friedman and colleagues identified and sequenced the ob gene, noting that the protein it encoded appeared to fit the profile of a circulating factor. A year later, a trio of high-profile publications demonstrated that ob was a hormone that regulated body weight and fat deposition by regulating appetite. One of these was co-authored by Friedman, who christened it leptin from the ancient Greek word for thin. Using our model, the data from 1996 make it clear this advance would become a breakthrough. Scientists had flocked to study the biology of the new hormone, generating the flurry of new papers and citations required to produce a signal. One of these demonstrated that serum leptin concentrations reflected the amount of adipose tissue in the human body, providing clinical validation of the earlier mouse studies. Before the identification of leptin, scientists were unable to point to a specific molecule that controlled appetite and adiposity, so that it was impossible to rule out non-physiological causes of obesity; its characterization fundamentally changed our concept of weight gain. In 2010, Friedman and fellow pioneer Douglas Coleman were awarded a Lasker for the discovery. Our work also identifies breakthroughs in clinical practice and behavioral and social sciences, even though these areas are less likely to draw the attention of major prize committees. One example that falls into this category is the introduction of endovascular aneurysm repair, a minimally invasive surgical procedure for the treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysm, a leading cause of death among Americans over the age of 65. Relative to the previous standard of care, it reduces in-hospital mortality by almost four-fold. In 2017, Timothy Chuter received the American College of Surgeons’ prestigious Jacobsen Innovation award for his multiple refinements to the technique. Another under-recognized breakthrough identified by our model is the development of standardized survey instruments to assess the quality of life for HIV+ patients. The antiretroviral cocktails introduced in the mid-1990s reduced AIDS mortality, but treatment came with serious side effects. The new evaluations showed that patients whose disease progressed had worse physical functioning than Americans with other chronic diseases, while those who were asymptomatic maintained a health-related quality of life on par with the overall US population. This evidence made it possible for patients and activists to argue that even in the absence of a total cure, and in spite of the side effects, alleviation of symptoms was a worthwhile priority for clinicians. My colleagues and I have failed to identify any significant recognition for the physicians and health policy experts who pioneered this advance, although in 2016, researchers called for the World Health Organization to set targets for good health-related quality of life as part of its framework to end the AIDS pandemic. From forecasting to funding How should science funders use our predictions? Any serious discussion of what we should do with this new capability needs to begin with an understanding of its limitations. We can’t (and shouldn’t) invest all of our resources in the small number of topics predicted to produce breakthroughs. Innovative new fields are born from existing ones; they rarely arise de novo. If funders don’t maintain a diverse portfolio, the breakthroughs of tomorrow will have no antecedents. Think of this as eating the seed corn, or killing the goose that lays the golden egg. There are also multiple goals of funding beyond basic scientific discovery, including translating discoveries into clinical practice, developing new technologies, supporting economic development, and training new scientists. The investments needed to accomplish these goals are likely different from those required to support emerging breakthroughs. Finally, we must be aware that we may not capture every instance of a breakthrough. The concept is fuzzy, and not every significant discovery is recognized with a major award. Further, breakthroughs are rare, meaning that our dataset is, by necessity, small. This makes formal estimates of accuracy challenging. Although our overall success rate appears to be high, any one signal may turn out to be a false positive. We found one apparent example: the development of the third generation COX-2 inhibitors, Vioxx and Celebrex, which were much celebrated in the early 2000s as effective but non-addictive pain relievers, meets all the algorithmic criteria of a breakthrough. Five years after it received FDA approval, researchers demonstrated that Vioxx was associated with serious cardiovascular complications, and the manufacturer voluntarily pulled the drug from the market. Celebrex remains available, although like other NSAIDs, it carries an FDA warning for increased cardiovascular risk. Decision makers who were overly focused on the breakthrough potential of this research might have wasted substantial resources nurturing an area that ultimately proved to be a failure—but so would those who relied on expert opinion at the time. That said, the potential benefits of funding the next mRNA vaccine or cancer immunotherapy years earlier than we might have are large. When we can’t assume the outcome of an action, it’s worth conducting an experiment. Can targeted support for areas that are poised to produce a breakthrough increase the return on scientific investment without cannibalizing future advances? With the necessary administrative infrastructure in place, conducting this experiment would be straightforward. First, identify all the breakthrough signals between 2018 and 2023, select half at random, and commit to a decade of investment. For biomedicine, a six year window should yield about 30 topics with the potential to produce a breakthrough. Providing strong support to half of these might be accomplished for $300 million a year. That’s roughly half of the recent annual budget of the NIH Common Fund or around 20% of the fiscal year 2025 budget for ARPA-H. After five years, then again at ten, compare to see which group — the one that was actively managed, or the control — produced more breakthroughs, and on what timescale. Although we used biomedicine as an example, the same experiment could just as well be run for physics, materials science, or any other discipline. Any attempt to undertake such an experiment should keep three points top of mind. First, we can predict the topic of future breakthroughs, but the people and vision for how to move the work forward are still important. In practice, this means success requires active program managers with the expertise to develop the science and the authority to do so, including by recruiting investigators. Second, we would be wise to learn from the failures of past attempts to fund transformative research. High among these are funding modestly repackaged work, confusing the genuinely novel with the merely unfamiliar, and relying too much on incumbent investigators. All of these risks can be mitigated by thoroughly and intelligently integrating high quality data into portfolio management. Finally, we need to have patience. Even with strong funding support, producing a breakthrough takes time. If supporting breakthroughs is the best way to nurture the birth of new fields, we also need to accurately describe and properly manage the other two stages, so that we invest wisely throughout the productive lifetime of ideas and divest once they reach the point of diminishing returns. We would benefit from more study of all of these phases, especially the transition from one to another. More research could answer questions like: When does a breakthrough become an established field? How do the availability of funding, the size and characteristics of the available workforce, and the accumulation of evidence that disagrees with prevailing models affect a field’s decline? Exactly how do old ideas give birth to new ones, and can we speed up the process? The more we understand about the dynamics of scientific progress, the better we can maximize the odds that our curiosity leads to results. I’d call that finding a way to make our own luck.