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  • OfS registration reopens in August ahead of franchise provider deadline

    The OfS, the independent regulator of higher education in England, recently announced it will accept new registration applications for higher education providers from 28 August following an eight-month hiatus. The regulator, which suspended registrations in December 2024 over financial sustainability concerns, said it will give priority to institutions with existing applications that have been on hold since last year.

    This development follows plans recently unveiled by the Department for Education (DfE) to bring greater oversight over higher education franchisees by bringing them under the scope of the OfS.

    Under the new proposals, it is anticipated that franchised providers with 300 students or more will be required to register with the OfS to ensure their courses are designated for student finance. The move, designed to bring greater regulatory oversight and assurance over public money invested in franchising providers, follows a consultation carried out by the DfE that closed in April. According to the consultation paper (32-page / 570KB), the new regulations will come into force in April 2026.
    The first decisions about course designation for student finance will be made in September 2027 for implementation in the 2028-29 academic year. Franchisee delivery partners will need to seek registration with the OfS over the next 12-18 months.

    There are several proposed exemptions to this requirement, including state-funded schools, the statutory further education sector, NHS trusts, police and crime commissioners and local authorities, which are already subject to regulatory oversight by government bodies. Franchised providers with 300 or more students that wish to deliver courses that are not designated for student finance will be able to continue to do so without any further requirement to register with the OfS.

    According to the government, more than half of 341 franchised institutions are currently unregistered with the OfS. In 2024, an investigation by the National Audit Office (NAO) revealed that fraud at franchised providers cost the public purse around £2 million in 2022-23. The NAO identified “weaknesses in the control framework” that contributed to several instances of fraud and abuse at franchised providers since early 2022.

    However, a recent report by The Post-18 Project, an initiative aimed at shaping policy for universities and colleges, says the proposals “represent a fundamentally flawed approach that misunderstands both the scale and nature of the problem” afflicting the higher education sector. In particular, the report’s author says the current proposals could still create geographic and other loopholes for rogue operators to fall through the cracks and fails to give universities any real powers over their financial arrangements.

    Commenting on the recent developments, Rachel Soundy, corporate and education specialist at Pinsent Masons, said: “The regulation of franchise partners in higher education is long overdue but the proposed reforms only skim the surface to tackle rogue players – leaving the opportunity for certain providers to step around the proposals. It is expected that DfE and OfS guidance will be issued which will seek to further tighten the regulation of such providers.”

    Gayle Ditchburn, higher education expert at Pinsent Masons, said it is now critical for affected franchise delivery partners to take active steps to prepare for their registrations with the OfS to ensure they do not lose out on vital funding. “This is a reputational and financial risk for both the franchise delivery partner and the university franchisor,” she said.

    “Universities partnering with franchise delivery partners to deliver their programmes should be working with their partners to support their registration journeys as their failure to register with the OfS will result in the franchised courses no longer being designated for student finance – the impact of which will severely impact student enrolment.” 

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  • Jury Asks For Cassie Ventura Testimony Transcripts

    Jury Asks For Cassie Ventura Testimony Transcripts

    Topline

    The jury deliberating whether Sean “Diddy” Combs is guilty of racketeering and sex trafficking sent another note to the judge Tuesday morning to request transcripts from Cassie Ventura and another witness, the jury’s fifth note overall, one day after it told the judge one of its jurors may not be able to follow instructions.

    Key Facts

    The jury sent a note to Judge Arun Subramanian on Tuesday morning requesting transcripts of some testimony from Combs’ ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura and sex worker Daniel Phillip, who participated in a “freak-off” with Ventura and Combs, CNN reported.

    The jury requested transcripts from multiple specific moments from Ventura’s testimony: her testimony about Combs attacking her at a Los Angeles hotel in 2016, which was captured on surveillance video and shown to the jury; her testimony that Combs threatened to release “freak-off” videos of her while they were on a flight home from the Cannes Film Festival; and testimony from both Phillip and Ventura about freak-offs they had with one another.

    The jury asked Subramanian late Monday afternoon, the first day of deliberations, for clarity on whether it is considered drug distribution if a person who is asked for controlled substances provides them to that person, CNN reported.

    Drug distribution is one of the alleged acts jurors are being asked to consider when deciding whether Combs is guilty of the racketeering charge, along with bribery, forced labor, kidnapping, arson and sex trafficking, according to the jury’s verdict sheet.

    Subramanian said Tuesday morning he would refer the jury to language in its instructions about drug distribution: “The word ‘distribution’ means actual, constructive, or attempted transfer. To distribute simply means to deliver, to pass over, or to hand over something to another person, or to cause it to be delivered, passed on, or handed over to another. Distribution does not require a sale.”

    The jury deliberated for more than five hours on Monday.

    What Is The Scene Like In The Courtroom?

    Combs arrived in the courtroom late Tuesday morning, CNN reported. His mother, Janice Combs, who has been present for much of the trial, is also in attendance.

    Why Did The Jury Raise Concerns Over Juror No. 25?

    Quickly after deliberations began Monday, the jury gave Subramanian a note that said: “We have a juror, No. 25, who we are concerned cannot follow your honor’s instructions.” Subramanian returned a note to the jury reminding “every juror of their duty to deliberate and their obligation to follow my instruction on the law,” urging them to continue deliberating. Mark Zauderer, a veteran trial and appellate lawyer, told Forbes jury questions are not uncommon and that the problem may blow over if the jury moves on and does not request any more intervention from the judge.

    When Could The Jury Return A Verdict—and Will Diddy Be Convicted?

    It’s unclear, as the jury will deliberate as long as it needs to reach a verdict. Subramanian has previously said he wanted to wrap up the trial, which began in May, by the July 4 weekend. Legal analysts previously told Forbes the prosecution presented a strong case against Combs, but it is impossible to know what a jury will decide. Zauderer said he believes Combs is more likely to be convicted than acquitted, but noted such a verdict may depend on whether the jury believes prosecutors sufficiently proved Combs ran a “criminal enterprise,” which would satisfy the racketeering charge. Former federal prosecutor Mark Chutkow also said the prosecution made a “very compelling case,” noting the prosecution’s emphasis on surveillance video depicting Combs attacking his ex-girlfriend and a key witness in the case, Cassie Ventura, in a Los Angeles hotel. Chutkow said, however, a jury may feel the video depicts domestic violence, which he is not charged with, instead of sex trafficking or racketeering. Chutkow also said it is possible the trial could end with a hung jury, meaning not all jurors agree on a verdict.

    What Is Combs Charged With?

    Combs faces five federal charges: two counts of sex trafficking, two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution and one count of racketeering conspiracy. He pleaded not guilty to all charges. Throughout the trial, the government has called high-profile victims to testify, including Ventura, considered a key witness for both the racketeering and sex trafficking charges. She testified Combs coerced her into “freak-off” sex performances throughout their decade-long relationship, which she said his employees assisted in producing, which some legal experts said could be evidence of Combs operating a criminal enterprise. Rapper Kid Cudi also testified Combs broke into his home and said he believed Combs was involved with setting his car on fire after he discovered Kid Cudi and Ventura were dating. Other alleged sex trafficking victims central to the prosecution’s case testified under the pseudonyms “Jane” and “Mia.”

    Further Reading

    Judge Orders Diddy Jury To ‘Continue Deliberating’ After Concerns Over Juror No. 25 (Forbes)

    Jury Begins Deliberating Criminal Case Against Diddy: Here’s Why A Verdict Is So Unpredictable (Forbes)

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  • Saks divisive debt reshuffle shows a retail sector under strain – Financial Times

    Saks divisive debt reshuffle shows a retail sector under strain – Financial Times

    1. Saks divisive debt reshuffle shows a retail sector under strain  Financial Times
    2. Saks Global $600M deal with bondholders includes $200M in new financing  Retail Dive
    3. New Money, Same Staud — Fashion Brand Connects With Wealthy Investors  WWD
    4. Saks Secures Financing and Plans to Make Debt Payment Monday  WSJ
    5. Saks Gets $600 Million Lifeline as Creditors Face Steep Losses  Yahoo Finance

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  • Origin Of The RNA World In Cold Hadean Geothermal Fields Enriched In Zinc And Potassium – Abiogenesis As A Positive Fallout From The Moon-Forming Impact?

    Origin Of The RNA World In Cold Hadean Geothermal Fields Enriched In Zinc And Potassium – Abiogenesis As A Positive Fallout From The Moon-Forming Impact?

    Scheme of a geothermal valley between two snow-covered Hadean volcanoes. The fumaroles, thermal springs, apron pools, and terracettes are shown based on the reconstruction of the 3.48 Ga old Hadean geothermal system. On the right, various reactions of CO2 sequestration in a Hadean volcanic system are indicated, see Section 3.2.5 and Section 3.2.6. Inserts: (A) volcanic fumaroles, image from https://home.nps.gov/articles/000/fumaroles.htm, credit: USGS. (B) Schematic cross section of a pH-neutral hot spring, redrawn with modifications from [341,342]. (C) White Terraces of New Zealand as an example of volcanic terracettes (painted by Charles Bloomfield in 1884, two years before the terraces were buried under the waters of the lake Rotomahana following the eruption of Mt. Tarawera. Image credit: Museum of New Zeeland, https://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/object/42254, accessed on 23 December 2024.). (D) Interconversion of nitriles, amides, and ammonium salts of organic acids, represented by their simplest species, in geothermal pools in the presence of inorganic catalysts; each of the nitrogen-containing compounds shown is considered as a substrate for further synthetic reactions. Formamide and other amides, as the least volatile components, may have sustained/buffered the whole system. — Life via PubMed

    The ubiquitous, evolutionarily oldest RNAs and proteins exclusively use rather rare zinc as transition metal cofactor and potassium as alkali metal cofactor, which implies their abundance in the habitats of the first organisms.

    Intriguingly, lunar rocks contain a hundred times less zinc and ten times less potassium than the Earth’s crust; the Moon is also depleted in other moderately volatile elements (MVEs). Current theories of impact formation of the Moon attribute this depletion to the MVEs still being in a gaseous state when the hot post-impact disk contracted and separated from the nascent Moon.

    The MVEs then fell out onto juvenile Earth’s protocrust; zinc, as the most volatile metal, precipitated last, just after potassium. According to our calculations, the top layer of the protocrust must have contained up to 1019 kg of metallic zinc, a powerful reductant.

    The venting of hot geothermal fluids through this MVE-fallout layer, rich in metallic zinc and radioactive potassium, both capable of reducing carbon dioxide and dinitrogen, must have yielded a plethora of organic molecules released with the geothermal vapor.

    n the pools of vapor condensate, the RNA-like molecules may have emerged through a pre-Darwinian selection for low-volatile, associative, mineral-affine, radiation-resistant, nitrogen-rich, and polymerizable molecules.

    Origin of the RNA World in Cold Hadean Geothermal Fields Enriched in Zinc and Potassium: Abiogenesis as a Positive Fallout from the Moon-Forming Impact?, Life via PubMed (open access)

    Astrobiology, Astrochemistry,

    Explorers Club Fellow, ex-NASA Space Station Payload manager/space biologist, Away Teams, Journalist, Lapsed climber, Synaesthete, Na’Vi-Jedi-Freman-Buddhist-mix, ASL, Devon Island and Everest Base Camp veteran, (he/him) 🖖🏻

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  • Detecting Land With Reflected Light Spectroscopy To Rule Out Waterworld O2 Biosignature False Positives

    Detecting Land With Reflected Light Spectroscopy To Rule Out Waterworld O2 Biosignature False Positives

    (a): Total land fraction posteriors for the nominal Earth-like retrieval at different SNR with 50% cloud coverage. Given these conditions, an SNR of 20 is required for land detection. (b): Total land fraction posteriors for the nominal Earth-like retrieval at an SNR of 20 with varying cloud fractions from 30% to 100%. 100% results in a clear non-detection, and for an SNR of 20, cloud fractions of approximately 50-60% or less are necessary for a land detection. (c): Total land fraction posteriors for the nominal Earth-like retrieval at an SNR of 20 for more restrictive wavelength ranges. A wavelength coverage of at least 0.3 − 1.1 µm is required for detection (dark blue contour). Restricting to 0.4 − 1.1 µm (red contour) results in a non-detection. (d): Long wavelength cutoff tests for SNR of 20. We find the total land constraint to be relatively unaffected by the cutoff as long as it is beyond 1.1 µm (red contour). The pink contour, 0.2 − 0.7 µm does not permit land detection. — astro-ph.EP

    The search for life outside our solar system is at the forefront of modern astronomy, and telescopes such as the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) are being designed to identify biosignatures.

    Molecular oxygen, O2, is considered a promising indication of life, yet substantial abiotic O2 may accumulate from H2O photolysis and hydrogen escape on a lifeless, fully (100%) ocean-covered terrestrial planet when surface O2 sinks are suppressed.

    This so-called waterworld false positive scenario could be ruled out with land detection because exposed land precludes extremely deep oceans (~50 Earth oceans) given topographic limits set by the crushing strength of rocks.

    Land detection is possible because plausible geologic surfaces exhibit increasing reflectance with wavelength in the visible, whereas liquid water and ice/snow have flat or decreasing reflectance, respectively.

    Here, we present reflected light retrievals to demonstrate that HWO could detect land on an exo-Earth in the disk-averaged spectrum. Given a signal-to-noise ratio of 20 spectrum, Earth-like land fractions can be confidently detected with 0.3-1.1 um spectral coverage (resolution R~140 in the visible, R~7 in the UV, with Earth-like atmosphere and clouds). We emphasize the need for UV spectroscopy down to at least 0.3 um to break an O3-land degeneracy.

    We find that the SNR and resolution requirements in the visible/UV imply that a larger aperture (~8 m) will be necessary to ensure the observing times required for land detection are feasible for most HWO terrestrial habitable zone targets. These results strongly inform the HWO minimum requirements to corroborate possible oxygen biosignatures.

    Anna Grace Ulses, Joshua Krissansen-Totton, Tyler D. Robinson, Victoria Meadows, David C. Catling, Jonathan J. Fortney

    Subjects: Earth and Planetary Astrophysics (astro-ph.EP)
    Cite as: arXiv:2506.21790 [astro-ph.EP] (or arXiv:2506.21790v1 [astro-ph.EP] for this version)
    https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2506.21790
    Focus to learn more
    Submission history
    From: Anna Grace Ulses
    [v1] Thu, 26 Jun 2025 22:12:38 UTC (1,517 KB)
    https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.21790
    Astrobiology,

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  • Michèle Lamy Reveals Her Top Five Recent Obsessions

    Michèle Lamy Reveals Her Top Five Recent Obsessions

    Michèle Lamy is a designer and executive manager of art and furniture at Owenscorp, the company she cofounded with fashion designer Rick Owens. Below, she discusses artificial intelligence (AI) and her hopes for the future.

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  • Air Pollution Exposure May Cause Heart Damage

    Air Pollution Exposure May Cause Heart Damage


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    Long-term exposure to fine particulate air pollution may contribute to subtle heart tissue changes associated with the early signs of heart damage, according to research published in Radiology.

    The study, which used cardiac MRI, found a connection between higher exposure to particulate matter and diffuse myocardial fibrosis – microscopic scarring in the heart muscle.

    Although the relationship between air pollution and cardiovascular disease is well established, the specific tissue-level changes driving this risk remain unclear. This investigation aimed to clarify that link using imaging-based assessments of myocardial health.

    MRI reveals early signs of fibrosis

    The study examined 694 individuals in total, including 201 healthy participants and 493 people with dilated cardiomyopathy. Researchers measured each participant’s myocardial extracellular volume, a marker of fibrosis, using cardiac MRI. These values were then compared with estimates of long-term exposure to fine particulate matter, also known as PM2.5.

    PM2.5 refers to airborne particles with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or smaller. These particles are small enough to be inhaled deeply into the lungs and pass into the bloodstream. Common sources include traffic emissions, industrial activity and wildfires.

    “We know that if you’re exposed to air pollution, you’re at higher risk of cardiac disease, including higher risk of having a heart attack,” said the study’s senior author Kate Hanneman, MD, MPH, from the Department of Medical Imaging at the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto and University Health Network in Toronto. “We wanted to understand what drives this increased risk at the tissue level.” 

    Participants with higher long-term exposure to PM2.5 exhibited greater levels of myocardial fibrosis. This association held true for both healthy individuals and those with existing heart disease. The most pronounced effects were observed in women, people who smoke and individuals with hypertension.

    Reinforcing pollution as a risk factor

    The findings contribute to a growing body of evidence suggesting that air pollution is an independent cardiovascular risk factor. This risk persists even when other major contributors, such as smoking and high blood pressure, are accounted for. The study also showed that health impacts may occur even when pollution levels fall below current global guidelines.

    “Even modest increases in air pollution levels appear to have measurable effects on the heart,” Hanneman said. “Our study suggests that air quality may play a significant role in changes to heart structure, potentially setting the stage for future cardiovascular disease.”

    “Public health measures are needed to further reduce long-term air pollution exposure,” continued Hanneman. “There have been improvements in air quality over the past decade, both in Canada and the United States, but we still have a long way to go.”  

    This research may support efforts to improve cardiovascular risk prediction. For example, air pollution exposure history could help clinicians refine risk assessments for patients in high-exposure settings, including outdoor workers or those living in highly polluted regions.

    The results also underscore the role of radiologists and medical imaging in environmental health research. 

    “Medical imaging can be used as a tool to understand environmental effects on a patient’s health,” Hanneman said. “As radiologists, we have a tremendous opportunity to use imaging to identify and quantify some of the health effects of environmental exposures in various organ systems.” 

    Reference: Du Plessis J, DesRoche C, Delaney S, et al. Association between long-term exposure to ambient air pollution and myocardial fibrosis assessed with cardiac MRI. Radiology. 2025. doi: 10.1148/radiol.250331

    This article has been republished from the following materials. Note: material may have been edited for length and content. For further information, please contact the cited source. Our press release publishing policy can be accessed here.

    This content includes text that has been generated with the assistance of AI. Technology Networks’ AI policy can be found here.

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  • Lenovo Named Global ‘Champion’ in Inaugural Canalys 2025 Global Channel Leadership Matrix

    Lenovo Named Global ‘Champion’ in Inaugural Canalys 2025 Global Channel Leadership Matrix

    Lenovo has been named a Champion in the inaugural Global Channel Leadership Matrix cementing its position as a worldwide leader in partner engagement, innovation, and sustainable channel growth.

    Canalys, part of Omdia, recognized seven technology vendors  recognized seven technology vendors with Champion status for demonstrating outstanding performance and leadership in global channel ecosystems, including Lenovo alongside AWS, Dell, HPE, NetApp, Palo Alto Networks, and Schneider Electric.Canalys global champions

    This first global Matrix consolidates regional rankings from Asia Pacific, Europe Middle East and Africa, and North America into a single, worldwide assessment of 24 leading IT vendors. Vendors were required to meet robust thresholds in global revenue and channel mix, demonstrating strategic scale and commitment to partner-led go-to-market models.

    Sustained Partner Excellence

    Lenovo’s consistent leadership in delivering profitable growth for partners through its globally integrated Lenovo 360 framework has unified the company’s portfolio and people across devices, infrastructure, services, and solutions. With more than ~80% of Lenovo’s commercial business conducted through partners, this recognition marks a pivotal moment in the evolution of Lenovo’s channel-centric model.

    “Lenovo’s strong revenue growth over the past 12 months reflects its commitment to a partner-first go-to-market strategy, with over 90% of global revenue generated through the channel and significant expansion in infrastructure and solutions, now accounting for 46% of sales,” said Alastair Edwards, Chief Analyst, Canalys (part of Omdia). “Its focus on sustainability, innovative partner programs like Lenovo 360 Circle, and tailored enablement for verticals such as AI and Education, as well as routes to market like MSPs, further solidify its leadership and momentum in the channel.”

    “Being named a global Champion by Canalys is a tremendous honor and validation of our partner-centric mindset,” said Pascal Bourguet, Lenovo’s Global Channel Chief. “We’ve made long-term investments in enabling partner success, from tools that simplify selling and boost profitability to sustainability-focused initiatives like Lenovo 360 Circle. This award reflects the commitment of our global channel teams and the trust of our partners.”

    Enabling the Channel of the Future

    The recognition comes at a time when channel ecosystems are adapting to rapid shifts in AI, hybrid work, and sustainability priorities. Canalys recognized Champions for forward-looking strategies and partner-centric models focused on co-selling, co-development, and co-delivery.

    Through Lenovo 360, partners benefit from a unified platform to build and deliver solutions across customer lifecycles, with added accelerators for as-a-service offerings and sustainability-led innovation. Since its inception, the Lenovo 360 framework has greatly simplified and reduced complexity of partner incentive programs by 63%, delivered more than 57,000 certifications and 12,000 partner accreditations through ‘learn and earn’ training opportunities, and enabled more than 54 ready-to-deploy solutions for partners across 50 markets through the Lenovo 360 Solutions Hub.

    Looking ahead, Lenovo is investing in AI-driven growth across the channel with initiatives like Lenovo 360 for AI, featuring a dedicated AI curriculum and tools to help partners build and scale AI practices.

    Methodology

    The Canalys Channel Leadership Matrix is a comprehensive assessment framework that evaluates the channel performance of 24 IT vendors across all major technologies and regions meeting minimum revenue and channel share thresholds. It is based on their contribution to the global partner ecosystem’s success.

    This evaluation relies on two primary inputs:

    • Analyst Assessment: Expert scoring of vendors’ channel vision, program execution, M&A activity, portfolio competitiveness, and channel initiatives
    • Ecosystem Feedback: Direct input from the partner community through interviews and ratings focused on enablement, sales engagement, and partner experience metrics

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  • M&S’s online business should be ‘fully’ operational by end of month, CEO says | Marks & Spencer

    M&S’s online business should be ‘fully’ operational by end of month, CEO says | Marks & Spencer

    Marks & Spencer’s online business should be running “fully” within the next four weeks, its boss has said, as the retailer recovers from a damaging cyber-attack.

    The hack forced the retailer to pause customer orders through its website for almost seven weeks, before resuming them last month. However, its click-and-collect services remain suspended, and the full range of clothing and homeware is not available to buy online.

    Stuart Machin, the M&S chief executive, told its annual general meeting in London: “I have previously highlighted that it would take all of June and all of July, maybe into August [to resume all of its operations].”

    Machin added: “Within the next four weeks we are hoping for the whole of online to be fully on.” Then the company’s focus will be on replenishing its Castle Donington warehouse in the East Midlands, the main distribution centre for its clothing and homeware.

    “We’re hoping that by August we will have the vast majority of this behind us and people can see the true M&S,” Machin told shareholders.

    He added: “During the incident we chose to shut things down because we didn’t want the risk of things going wrong.”

    In the aftermath of the cyber-attack that brought chaos to the department store chain, M&S lost ground to fashion rivals such as Next, Zara and H&M, and has estimated a £300m hit to profits this year.

    When asked about M&S losing market share to competitors, Archie Norman, the company’s chair, said this was “at the forefront of our minds”, adding: “We are going to have to win them [customers] back in the autumn.”

    Machin said the retailer would use its Sparks loyalty card to try to re-engage customers, for example by offering the usual birthday treat retrospectively to customers whose birthdays had been missed.

    He had been in stores every weekend and had tried to reply to as many customers as possible in writing, he added. He also admitted that M&S should improve its customer service.

    Machin received £7.1m for the last financial year – which ended weeks before the hack – up nearly 40% on the £5.1m he took home a year earlier, the company said last month.

    M&S was also asked whether bonuses for its bosses would be reduced after the cyber-attack. Norman said: “All of our pay is performance-related so of course the financial effect of the incident will be reflected in the bonus.”

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    The company’s share price is trading about 13% lower than in mid-April, before the hack.

    The Hargreaves Lansdown analyst Susannah Streeter said: “There will be high hopes that M&S can put this unfortunate chapter behind it, and the early signs are that there is pent-up demand, particularly for its summer styles, with many of the popular products sold out online.

    “Its strong set of annual results showed the retailer was in a resilient position before the cyber-attackers infiltrated systems. Sales growth in the fashion and home and beauty division reflected improved customer perceptions of value, quality and style. Demand for M&S food remains robust, with increased volumes driving growth.”

    All resolutions were passed by shareholders at the hybrid meeting, which was held in person in London as well as online, apart from one brought by campaign group ShareAction. The resolution was not supported by the board but received the backing of 30.7% of investors. It asked M&S to disclose information about its approach to pay for contracted staff, as well as a cost-benefit analysis of setting the real living wage across its workforce.

    The company said all its employees were “paid the living wage or above and we attach great importance to ensuring that subcontracted employees are appropriately paid and treated as part of the M&S family”.

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  • Tracking sea ice is ‘early warning system’ for global heating – but US halt to data sharing will make it harder, scientists warn | Climate crisis

    Tracking sea ice is ‘early warning system’ for global heating – but US halt to data sharing will make it harder, scientists warn | Climate crisis

    Scientists analysing the cascading impacts of record low levels of Antarctic sea ice fear a loss of critical US government satellite data will make it harder to track the rapid changes taking place at both poles.

    Researchers around the globe were told last week the US Department of Defence will stop processing and providing the data, used in studies on the state of Arctic and Antarctic sea ice, at the end of this month.

    Tracking the state of sea ice is crucial for scientists to understand how global heating is affecting the planet.

    Sea ice reflects the sun’s energy back out to space but, as long-term losses have been recorded, more of the planet’s ocean is exposed to the sun’s energy, causing more heating.

    The National Snow and Ice Data Center, based at the University of Colorado, maintains a Sea Ice Index used around the world to track in near real-time the extent of sea ice around the globe.

    In two updates in the past week, the centre said the US government’s Department of Defence, which owns the satellites that contain onboard instruments used to track sea ice, would stop “processing and delivering” the data on 31 July.

    Climate scientists have been warning that Trump administration cuts have targeted climate functions across government, and there has been fears the sea ice data could be targeted.

    The news comes as new research, some of which relied on the data, found that record low amounts of sea ice around Antarctica in recent years had seen more icebergs splintering off the continent’s ice shelves in a process scientists warned could push up global sea levels faster than current modelling has predicted.

    Dr Alex Fraser, a co-author of the research at the Australian Antarctic Program Partnership (AAPP), said NSIDC’s sea ice data was “our number one heart rate monitor” for the state of the planet’s ice.

    “It’s our early warning system and tells us if the patient is about to flatline. We need this data and now [the scientific community] will be forced to put together a record from a different instrument. We won’t have that continued context that we have had previously.”

    NSIDC has said it is working with alternative and higher-resolution instruments from a different satellite, but has warned that data may not be directly comparable with the current instruments.

    Fraser said: “We are seeing records now year on year in Antarctica, so from that perspective this could not have come at a worse time.”

    The research, published in the journal PNAS Nexus, found a link between increasing numbers of icebergs calving from floating ice shelves and the loss of sea ice.

    While the loss of sea ice does not directly raise sea levels, the research said it exposed more ice shelves to wave action, causing them to break apart and release icebergs faster.

    Glaciologist Dr Sue Cook, also from AAPP, said “like a cork in a bottle” those shelves help to slow down the advance of land-based ice that does raise sea levels if it breaks off into the ocean.

    She said the higher rates of iceberg calving seen in Antarctica were not accounted for in calculations of how quickly the ice sheet might break apart and contribute global sea levels.

    “If we shift to this state where summer sea ice is very low but we continue using models based on previous periods, then we will definitely underestimate how quickly Antarctica will contribute to sea level rise,” she said.

    The study also outlined other knock-on effects from the record low sea ice levels in the Antarctic, including the loss of more seals and penguins if trends continued.

    As many as 7,000 emperor penguin chicks died in late 2022 after the early break-up of the stable ice they used for shelter while they grow their waterproof plumage.

    Guardian Australia has requested comment from NSIDC and the US Department of Defence.

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