oleh admin | Mar 24, 2025 | celebrities, politics, politics and government, popular culture, social issues
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Keir Starmer
has cautioned that Brits cannot ‘simply ignore’ young men being influenced by ‘harmful’ role models.
The Prime Minister, who has a teenager son, expressed similar concerns shared by numerous parents, stating his worry and highlighting the increasing acknowledgment of an issue that requires attention.
He proposed that athletes could serve as ‘role models’ in tackling these problems—while emphasizing that educators and other individuals within the community also play crucial roles.
Nevertheless, the leader dismissed the notion of appointing a ‘minister for men,’ stating that this was ‘not the solution.’
The intervention followed the ex-England football team manager.
Gareth Southgate
many young men are resorting to ‘manipulative and toxic influencers’ due to the absence of positive male role models.
Sir Keir told
BBC
On Radio 5 Live, he addressed Sir Gareth regarding the matter.
“I’m concerned about this situation because I have a 16-year-old son and a 14-year-old daughter,” he stated.
‘The discussion has unexpectedly gained momentum for a specific reason: many parents and individuals working with youth in schools or other settings believe there might be an issue with boys and young men that requires our attention.’
During his talk earlier this month, Sir Gareth mentioned that ‘heartless’ online influencers deceive young men into believing women are opposed to them.
He cautioned about young men retreating into the digital sphere, hesitant to communicate or share their feelings, as traditional community interactions and guidance diminish.
He stated that a ‘vacuum’ in guidance has led many influencers to fill this space by ‘deceptively convincing young men that success is defined solely by wealth or domination.’
The problem has similarly been tackled in the Netflix series “Adolescence,” mentioned by Sir Keir, whom he stated he was viewing with his kids.
The Prime Minister proposed that football players and athletes could serve as role models for boys and young men, though he acknowledged that there should also be inspiring individuals within local communities.
Asked who the British male role models were, Sir Keir told BBC Radio 5 Live: ‘I always go to sport for this. Footballers, athletes, I think they are role models.
However, I believe that if you genuinely inquire with a younger individual, they are more prone to mention someone from their school, such as a teacher, or perhaps a sports coach, for example.
Therefore, we must ensure that – typically fathers might look up to a sports idol as an example – I believe young individuals are more inclined to seek inspiration from someone nearer to them, such as within their school or local community.
And I believe that’s where we need to focus our efforts.
He dismissed the notion of establishing a ‘minister for men,’ stating, ‘I believe that isn’t the solution.’
He stated: “I believe this is an opportunity to attentively listen to what Gareth Southgate has to say and react accordingly, and that is precisely what I intend to do.”
‘I’ve communicated with Gareth Southgate; I wish to engage in an additional conversation with him. We have already had some preliminary discussions on this matter.’
But I believe it’s crucial that we take on this challenge and understand it for what it truly is.
Read more
oleh admin | Mar 24, 2025 | controversies, funding, government, healthcare and medicine, news
Letters canceling funding, which abruptly halts millions of rand worth of HIV and TB research grants funded by the U.S. government at South African universities, began circulating over the weekend. One impacted researcher predicts that more than 300 such grants could be terminated by the end of Sunday, potentially leading to significant consequences for higher education and research institutions, including substantial job cuts.
Certain specialists approximate that as high as 70% of South Africa’s medical research, equivalent to between $400 million (approximately R7.2 billion) including both primary and subsidiary grants from the previous fiscal year, receives funding via the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The NIH comprises various components.
27 institutes and centres
Each one concentrates on a particular field of study. The NIH funds roughly seventy-five percent of global biomedical research.
On Friday night, the University of the Witwatersrand’s
Wits Health Consortium
The unit responsible for managing the institution’s clinical trials and donor-funded initiatives has received termination notices for all aspects of a $2.5 million (approximately R460 million) grant, which concludes in November 2027. This particular grant was provided via the NIH.
National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
.
Letters of cancellation, issued on behalf of the chief grants management officer at USAID, Emily Linde, appear to follow a standardized format informing researchers that their projects “fail to contribute to our understanding of living systems, yield minimal returns on investment, and do not improve health outcomes, longevity, or disease reduction.” The letters also allege that these research efforts negatively impact “the well-being of Americans.”
The Wits project was conducted.
by lead researchers Helen Rees, who heads the
Wits Reproductive Health Institute
, with Ian Sanne, leading the Clinical HIV Research Unit, who is now also involved with an international development organization,
Palladium
as its
chief medical officer
.
Paradoxically, our grant concluded on Human Rights Day, a time dedicated to assisting and protecting those in need. Yet now, the U.S. government is compelling us to act contrary to these principles,” Sanne explained to Bhekisisa. “Abruptly halting study volunteer participation could place them in danger. Does this align with global ethical standards for humans?
The study, ongoing since 2007, came under the
The Wits Research Group Clinical Trials Unit,
and carried out research on HIV and TB prevention and treatment, along with clinical trials for hepatitis and HIV-associated cancers.
Letters of termination were received on Human Rights Day
Other grants that have apparently been terminated up until now encompass research initiatives at the
Center for AIDS Research Program in South Africa
, Caprisa,
headed up
By Salim and Quarraisha Abdool Karim.
Several South African universities, which received sub-grants for health research from American institutions like Columbia University in New York, received cease operations directives on Friday following the loss of funding by the U.S.-based grantors. At present, these South African entities wish to remain unnamed.
Science magazine
reports
The ex-leader of the South African Medical Research Council, Glenda Gray was informed that her $3.1 million (approximately R56.5 million) grant for a clinical trials unit in Soweto [operating via Wits] has shifted from an approved to a pending status.
The
Center for AIDS Research Program in South Africa
, Caprisa,
headed up
By Salim and Quarraisha Abdool Karim, who receive substantial funding from the NIH, is currently on high alert. “So far, we haven’t gotten any notifications of terminated NIH grants. However, we anticipate receiving them soon,” Salim Abdool Karim informed Bhekisisa on Sunday morning.
TB funding ends as the US confronts TB outbreaks.
Throughout the years, certain HIV prevention research conducted within Sanne’s and Rees’s initiative has focused on populations more susceptible to HIV infection, including adolescent girls and young women in Africa, transgender individuals, and female sex workers.
The cancellation email mentioned that their “award no longer aligns with agency goals” and noted that “research programs focused mainly on arbitrary and nonscientific criteria, such as vague equity aims, go against genuine scientific exploration, fail to broaden our understanding of living systems, yield minimal benefits from investments, and ultimately do not improve health outcomes, extend lifespan, or decrease illnesses.”
Worst of all, the note said, “so-called diversity, equity, and inclusion (“DEI”) studies are often used to support unlawful discrimination on the basis of race and other protected characteristics, which harms the health of Americans. Therefore, it is the policy of NIH not to prioritise such research programmes.
The mentions of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the letter probably pertain to the work conducted at Wits regarding transgender individuals and women involved in sex work—topics that the Trump administration disapproves of.
On the evening of his inauguration, which took place on January 20, the president
signed an executive order
banning people’s right to identify as transgender or non-binary individuals. There are only two genders, the executive order declared: male and female.
However, Sanne argues that the mentions of DEI in their letter are not relevant because even though some of their studies have centered around marginalized communities like transgender individuals and sex workers, much of their efforts are directed towards developing efficient treatments for pediatricTB and improving medications for those suffering from multi-drug resistant TB, along with focusing on preventative measures against TB.
Indeed, our efforts align perfectly with President Trump’s vision of ‘making America great.’ We enhance national safety, fortify economic strength, and boost prosperity by safeguarding Americans from tuberculosis. Furthermore, much of the patent rights and intellectual property for the novel medications we evaluate belong to U.S.-based firms.
Experts weigh in
Linda-Gail Bekner, who leads the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation at the University of Cape Town and also receives support from the NIH, cautions that this further setback to our clinical research sector occurs when new tuberculosis infections are ”
have reached their peak levels in many years within the USA
“.
Kansas is presently experiencing the biggest tuberculosis outbreak that the United States has witnessed in this period.
past 30-40 years
(TB is a condition that has been well-managed in the U.S. for many years.) More than
60TB of data related to disease cases, along with two fatalities, have been reported.
.
By Saturday, Bekker hadn’t gotten a cancellation letter for her grant, yet she states: “Reducing the impact of HIV and TB so they no longer pose a major public health risk is crucial globally. South Africa has taken considerable steps and made important contributions toward achieving this objective.”
Yogan Pillay, who leads HIV and TB initiatives at the Gates Foundation—a organization that also supports HIV andTB research—expresses concern over potential U.S. government funding reductions. He states, “These budget cuts could halt progress in developing new prevention methods and treatments for HIV. As a result, eradicating AIDS may remain an unattainable vision, with HIV continuing to proliferate.”
“It’s absolutely tragic.”
Trump: “No corrective action is possible here”
The Wits initiative conducted significant TB research. One
study
Published in February and featured on the NIH website, this study examined the effectiveness of double doses of the antiretroviral medication dolutegravir in treating tuberculosis patients.
Previous trials looked at
How secure was it for expectant mothers with HIV to use preventative tuberculosis medication?
, regarding the effectiveness of long-acting, injectable formulations of antiretroviral therapy
worked for teens
And how effective the bi-monthly HIV injection is
worked
.
Sanne says “it is inconceivable that [Elon Musk’s so-called] department of government efficiency [which is leading cuts on US government spending], does not understand that there is more than just DEI activities happening through HIV and other research”.
The email stated: “While NIH typically opts for suspension rather than immediate termination of a grant, providing the recipient a chance to implement necessary corrections prior to a potential termination decision, such corrective actions cannot be undertaken in this case.”
This award’s objective is not aligned with our agency’s priorities, and no changes to the project can bring it in line with these priorities.
Terminations not unexpected
However, the termination of the grants was not unforeseen — or at least not since last week.
On March 12,
Science magazine reported
Matthew Memoli, who was serving as the acting director of the NIH, requested officials at the institute to gather lists of grants related to South Africa. The content of this email mirrored the phrasing used in previous NIH inquiries that resulted in the cancellation of numerous grants focusing on areas such as transgender health, vaccine hesitance, and other subjects not endorsed by the administration.
At least
300 US university projects
have also had their grants revoked by the Trump administration, with many being US universities.
resulting in demonstrations throughout the United States
.
These terminations are part of the measures that the Trump administration views as cost-saving efforts or research that doesn’t align with their beliefs, and such actions are expected to keep occurring globally.
SA researchers have initiated discussions with charitable organizations and the government to provide financial support, according to Sanne, who adds that “there haven’t been definite results yet.”
Projects in South Africa that received cancellation notices were informed that they had the option to “contest and submit evidence refuting” their termination decisions.
However, they must initially go through a “first-level grant appeal process” which needs to be completed before they can proceed to “submit an appeal to the departmental appeals board.”
If projects decide to contest, they must file an appeal within 30 days of receiving their termination notices.
Sanne mentions his intention to utilize the appeals process, and if that proves unfruitful, at minimum, seek negotiations for an ethical and responsible termination of the trials. He elaborates: “Our research is crucial for saving lives, and the NIH has supported us in this endeavor. What we must now strive to achieve is convincing them of our work’s significance instead of ending decades of investment which could lead to lost lives.”
The Gates Foundation is referenced in this piece. Although Bhekisisa receives financial support from the Foundation, it maintains its independence in editorial matters.
This narrative was created by the
Bhekisisa Center for Health Journalism
. Register for the
newsletter
.
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oleh admin | Mar 24, 2025 | cricket players, indian cricket, indian cricket players, international cricket, sports
New Delhi [India], March 24 (ANI): Ex-spinner Harbhajan Singh turned into a “fan” of Ishan Kishan following an impressive batting performance against the Rajasthan Royals during Sunrisers Hyderabad’s match in the current IPL 2025 season.
In the opening match of their campaign, Sunrisers Hyderabd maintained their aggressive form and thoroughly outplayed Rajasthan Royals at Hyderabad’s batting-friendly venue.
After Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head set the tempo with a belligerent start, Kishan came in to enchant the spectators with his all-out attacking approach. He got off the mark with a boundary off an outside edge but found the middle of the bat on the next ball and never looked back.
He pulled out a wide array of shots laced with raw power and raced to fifty in 25 balls. Then, he peeled off his maiden IPL ton just 20 deliveries later.
He momentarily deactivated his turbo mode and shifted into a sprint to mark the occasion. Kishan stayed undefeated at 106 as Sunrisers surged to an enormous total of 286/6, which stands as the second highest score in the tournament’s history.
Harbhajan believed that Mumbai Indians, after losing their opening match against Chennai Super Kings later that day, had made a mistake by allowing the 26-year-old left-handed batsman to leave.
“I sensed MI missing out twice today. First, they lost their match, and then the player they let go, Ishan, delivered an extraordinary performance for SRH,” Harbhajan stated on his YouTube channel.
Harbhajan thinks that Sunrisers’ aggressive batting style, consistent with their performance in the earlier season, makes them the most “threatening” squad in the current 18th installment of the lucrative tournament.
“Their squad poses the greatest threat. Ishan returned and demonstrated his genuine prowess to all spectators. This has turned him into my favorite player,” he remarked.
Responding to Hyderabad’s score of 286/6, Sanju Samson (66) and Dhruv Jurel (70) attempted a brave chase for RR. Nonetheless, the run-rate became unachievable. Even after putting up a fight until the final ball, Rajasthan Royals ended up losing by 44 runs. (ANI)
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