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  • Access to electricity stagnates, leaving globally 730 million in the dark – Analysis

    Access to electricity stagnates, leaving globally 730 million in the dark – Analysis

    Developing Asia reached a 98% access rate in 2024. India and Indonesia now have universal access, leaving most of the remaining gap in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Mongolia, Myanmar, and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, which together account for 83% of the region’s population still without electricity. Progress has stalled since 2021, with four of the five countries showing slower progress than before the pandemic.

    Latin America is close to universal access, with 98% of the population connected in 2024. But the last few percentage points are proving difficult. Remote areas such as the Andean Highlands and the Amazon remain underserved, and at the current pace, it could take 15 years to close the gap. Honduras and Haiti face the largest challenges. In Haiti, about half the population still lacks electricity, and progress in 2024 was 56% below the 2015–2019 average.

    Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for eight out of ten people globally without electricity. The number of people lacking access grew between 2020 and 2022 but has since begun to fall, though progress is concentrated in a handful of countries such as Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, and Mozambique. In 2024, regional progress remained below pre-pandemic levels, with 27 countries still lagging their 2015–2019 averages. Early 2025 estimates suggest a modest acceleration, supported by record solar PV imports from China and new electrification policies in key countries.

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  • Art Basel Qatar announces gallery list for inaugural edition

    Art Basel Qatar announces gallery list for inaugural edition

    EN |

    Art Basel Qatar announces 87 galleries for inaugural edition in February 2026 

    Art Basel Qatar will feature 84 artist presentations by 87 galleries when the fair debuts in Doha next February. Presented in partnership with Qatar Sports…

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  • Samuel Asamoah: Togo midfielder breaks neck in collision with advertising board

    Samuel Asamoah: Togo midfielder breaks neck in collision with advertising board

    Togo midfielder Samuel Asamoah broke his neck in a collision with a pitch-side advertising board in China that his club says could leave him paralysed.

    The 31-year-old, who plays for second-tier Chinese side Guangxi Pingguo, collided head-first…

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  • New stamps celebrate 90 years of Monopoly

    New stamps celebrate 90 years of Monopoly

    PA Media A close-up of a special edition stamp featuring a Monopoly board with a red house and a metal car.PA Media

    The game was first played in the UK in Horsforth, Leeds

    A new set of stamps is being issued to mark 90 years since classic board game Monopoly launched in the UK.

    John Waddington Limited of Leeds secured the European licence to make the…

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  • Kalle Rovanperä takes on exciting new challenge with TOYOTA GAZOO Racing in 2026 | 2025 | PRESS RELEASE | WRC

    Kalle Rovanperä takes on exciting new challenge with TOYOTA GAZOO Racing in 2026 | 2025 | PRESS RELEASE | WRC

    TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team driver Kalle Rovanperä has announced his decision to move on from rallying at the end of the 2025 season and pursue an exciting new challenge in motorsport.

    The two-time FIA World Rally Champion will…

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  • Pubs could stay open longer under licensing reforms

    Pubs could stay open longer under licensing reforms

    Pubs and bars in England and Wales could see extended opening hours as the government launches a fast-track a review on “outdated” licensing rules.

    The plans could make it easier for venues to serve food outside and host more live music, in a bid to “remove unnecessary barriers”.

    Pub landlords and local communities will be able to have their say in a four-week call for evidence. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the review was about “cutting red tape” and “boosting footfall” to support the UK’s economic growth.

    But critics have warned relaxing rules around alcohol would lead to more antisocial behaviour.

    Sir Keir said “pubs and bars are the beating heart of our communities”, and added that the government was “backing them to thrive”.

    “When our locals do well, our economy does too,” he said.

    The call for evidence will focus on nine key recommendations from the Government’s Licensing Taskforce, with particular emphasis on streamlining on-trade alcohol licensing for hospitality venues.

    It said it plans to cut the cost of licensing, extend business rates relief and cut alcohol duty on draught pints.

    Nick Mackenzie, co-chair of the Licensing Taskforce and chief executive at pub giant Greene King, said updating the licensing system was a “vital step” towards reducing the challenges of running a hospitality business.

    “Pubs are faced with continued rising costs, placing them under enormous pressures which is why the Government must continue to back the sector, including critical reforms on business rates which would unlock opportunities for pubs to invest and help drive economic growth,” he said.

    Dr Richard Piper, the chief executive of the charity Alcohol Change UK told the Guardian the proposed reforms would be a “charter for chaos” without support from local authorities and health experts.

    He said permitting vendors to sell alcohol later into the evening would “inevitably mean more victims of crime, including domestic violence, more antisocial behaviour and disturbance, more police time spent dealing with drink-fuelled incidents and both ambulance and A&E staff having to deal with even more people who have come to harm as a result of alcohol”.

    Pubs in England and Wales do not have universal fixed opening hours under current licensing rules. Instead, local authorities grant licenses with specific operating hours which pubs must follow.

    The number of pubs in the UK has steadily decreased every year since 2000, according to the British Beer and Pub Association. The association estimates that 378 pubs would close in 2025 across England, Wales and Scotland, amounting to more than 5,600 direct job losses.

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  • Acute Sleep Deprivation Suppresses Sleep Spindles in Mice

    Acute Sleep Deprivation Suppresses Sleep Spindles in Mice

    Introduction

    Sleep is characterized by rhythmic oscillations that play essential roles in neural plasticity and cognition. Among these, sleep spindles—~12 Hz rhythmic bursts during NREM sleep—originate in thalamocortical networks and…

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  • Global Research Status and Trends in Medial Meniscus Posterior Root Te

    Global Research Status and Trends in Medial Meniscus Posterior Root Te

    Introduction

    The medial meniscus posterior root tear (MMPRT) is a clinically significant injury characterized by avulsion of the posterior root attachment of the medial meniscus.1–3 As a critical structure for maintaining joint biomechanics,…

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  • Valeo and LIDEO form a strategic partnership to support technological transformation in the automotive sector

    Valeo and LIDEO form a strategic partnership to support technological transformation in the automotive sector

    Valeo Group | 9 Oct, 2025
    | 4 min

    A strategic partnership and a unique training program to prepare the 140 automotive expertise firms in the LIDEO network for tomorrow’s innovations.


    Paris, France – October 8, 2025 – Valeo, a leader in mobility technologies and automotive aftermarket services, and LIDEO, a network of independent automotive experts, have signed a strategic partnership. For the first time, an independent expert network has formed a structured partnership with a global equipment manufacturer. The partnership will launch a training program for LIDEO experts via Valeo Tech Academy, sharing cutting-edge technological knowledge. With this agreement, the partners aim to anticipate sector changes and build expertise in new-generation vehicle technologies, such as electric and hybrid vehicles, and driver assistance systems (ADAS).

    Marlene Carrias-Iked, Vice President of Strategic Marketing and Digital Services at Valeo, said: “By partnering with LIDEO, we are reinforcing our commitment to sharing our technical expertise as closely as possible to the field. Valeo Tech Academy aims to make the latest technologies accessible to all players in the automotive aftermarket sector. This initiative lays the foundations for a lasting collaboration between a network of experts and a leading industrial player.”

    Bruno CARANTA, President of the LIDEO network, adds: “Thanks to this partnership with Valeo, LIDEO is continuing its pioneering role and supporting network employees with a unique and pragmatic educational approach that enables them to better understand and diagnose faults, in line with the latest technological innovations.”

    The rollout began in 2025: the first sessions, held in Amiens, Nantes, Nancy, and Paris, France, were an immediate success, with 90% satisfaction among participants. In response to this enthusiasm, new sessions are already planned in Toulon, Salon-de-Provence, and other cities.

    This partnership marks a key step in the professionalization and modernization of the industry. The training modules, which focus on major innovations—electric vehicles, ADAS systems, smart sensors—aim to enable experts in the LIDEO network to better understand and diagnose faults in a constantly evolving technological environment.

    Together, Valeo and LIDEO are affirming their shared ambition: to support the transformation of the automotive sector by focusing on expertise, innovation, and proximity to the field.

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  • Valeo launches production of a remanufactured inverter for the Renault network

    Valeo launches production of a remanufactured inverter for the Renault network

    Valeo Group | 9 Oct, 2025
    | 5 min

    This milestone marks the completion of a project led by The Future is NEUTRAL and its subsidiary THE REMAKERS, to develop a competitive circular offering with low environmental impact.

    This new offering reduces the price by 30% compared to the equivalent new product and consumption of natural resources by at least 45%.


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