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The Vision for a Just and Sustainable FutureImagine a future in which everyone enjoys high levels of wellbeing; where 90% of the world's population doubles their income but works half the hours we work today. A world in which the bottom half of humanity sees its share of global wealth rise from just 2% today to 30%; a world where we consume enough, but nobody over-consumes. And imagine achieving this on a planet that can comfortably sustain human life without its climate breaking down.Against the bleak techno-authoritarian futures now being sold to us, a radical new vision for global progress in the 21st century feels urgently needed. The most credible vision is one in which the habitability of the planet is a precondition for human development and equality.The Three Pillars of Global TransformationOur new report examines the conditions required for the world to progress towards this ambition on an economically and ecologically compatible path, by the end of the century. Its conclusion? A global transformation that reconciles planetary habitability and high standards of wellbeing for all is possible – as long as three conditions are simultaneously met.Fast decarbonisation of energy systems is necessary. But we also need a major shift away from overconsumption towards 'sufficiency'. This would involve a sharp reduction in labour hours and the use of raw materials, along with big changes in consumption patterns, food habits, land use and forest cover. Financing and politically sustaining decarbonisation and sufficiency will require a drastic reduction in inequality of income, wealth and power, between countries and within them.Quantifying the Path to Global JusticeThe Global Justice Report is the first attempt to propose a fully quantified plan for this transition. It combines four dimensions that today's debates often treat separately: redistribution at the world scale; a deep reform of the international financial and economic order; a radical transformation of energy systems; and substantial shifts in consumption patterns. Compared with most climate scenarios (including those of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), the main novelty is that we model all four dimensions together – and place inequality and sufficiency at the centre of the analysis.The Economic Convergence by 2100What would this transition deliver? At its heart is convergence between countries. Average per capita national income, today separated by a 16-fold gap between the poorest (€290 a month in sub-Saharan Africa) and richest (€4,590 in North America/Oceania) regions of the world, would rise towards a common level of about €5,000 a month in all countries by 2100.But this convergence is not just monetary. Annual working hours per employed person would fall from roughly 2,100 to about 1,000, continuing the long shift towards shorter working time; while the share of global working hours devoted to education and health would rise from 11% to 43%. Women and men would converge on equal pay and on an equal share of economic and domestic labour.Climate and Wealth TransformationAll of this would unfold within a habitable climate. Thanks to sustainable convergence and fast decarbonisation, global heating would reach 1.8C, against more than 4C on current trends.None of this will be possible without a deep contraction of inequality. The income scale between individuals would narrow to a ratio of one to five and the wealth scale to one to 10, prolonging what western and Nordic Europe achieved over the 20th century. The share of global wealth held by the poorest half of humanity would rise from 2% to 30%, while the share held by the billionaire class would fall from 6% to 0.05%.Financing the Global Justice TransitionThese shifts would be financed and governed through new institutions. A global justice fund would spend an average of 10% of world GDP a year from 2026 to 2060 on country dividends and investment, against the less than 0.4% that aid and the combined budgets of the UN, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank represent today.Its resources would come from a world sovereign fund holding 10% of the world capital stock, a global wealth tax rising to 20% a year on billionaires and a global income tax rising to 90% at the very top, each touching about 1% of the world's population.The Political Path ForwardThe result is not a transfer from many to few but a gain for almost everyone. Close to 90% of the world's population would double their income between 2026 and 2100, and once leisure and a habitable planet are counted, more than 99% come out ahead.Our report is part of a broader international agenda for planetary habitability, social justice and reform of the global financial architecture – including the Bridgetown agenda launched by Barbados in 2022, the Sevilla Commitment on development finance, the UN tax convention process, and G20 initiatives led by Brazil and South Africa on global inequality.A habitable, equal and prosperous 21st century is materially possible. The carbon budget allows it and history offers precedents at comparable scales: universal suffrage, the universalisation of healthcare and education, the halving of working hours and the sharp compression of inequality over the 20th century. Technical impossibility is not what is standing in the way, but rather the absence of a shared vision of social progress, at once concrete and radical. What it will take instead is political choice, and the hard work of coalition-building behind it.

The Nothing Phone 4a Pro: A Departure from Glass-Clad Designs Nothing’s latest smartphone, the Phone 4a Pro, marks a significant departure from its previous glass-clad transparent designs. The new device boasts a solid aluminium body, a rare sight in the world of Android phones, and a touch of those elements in the camera island at the top. Design and Display The Phone 4a Pro features a 6.83in OLED screen with a high 144Hz refresh rate, making it ideal for watching videos on the commute. The slim aluminium body feels great, but the phone is quite large, making it a two-handed affair most of the time. Specifications Screen: 6.83in 144Hz QHD+ OLED (450ppi) Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 RAM: 8 or 12GB Storage: 128 or 256GB Operating system: Nothing OS 4.1 (Android 16) Camera: 50MP main, 50MP 3.5x tele and 8MP ultrawide, 32MP selfie Connectivity: 5G, eSIM, wifi 6, NFC, Bluetooth 5.4 and GNSS Water resistance: IP65 (25cm depths for 20 minutes) Dimensions: 163.6 x 76.6 x 7.9mm Weight: 210g Mid-range Power with Solid Battery Life The Phone 4a Pro is equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 chip, which handles daily tasks efficiently but may not win any raw processing awards. The battery lasts a solid two-plus days between charges with the screen in active use for more than seven hours across a mix of wifi and 5G for general messaging, browsing, watching video and using various apps.

The Leap into Opera Direction Danielle de Niese, a renowned singer, has taken on a new challenge by directing her first opera, The Marriage of Figaro. In an interview, she shares her thoughts on what inspired her to make this career shift and how she approached the project. An Unexpected Opportunity de Niese explains that she was approached by Wild Arts' producer Max Parfitt to direct a new production of Figaro. With a gap in her schedule, she decided to take on the challenge. Her deep familiarity with the opera, having performed in it multiple times, made her a suitable candidate for the task. A New Perspective on a Classic de Niese aimed to bring a fresh perspective to the classic opera. She set her production in the 18th century, the time it was written, and focused on creating realistic characters and believable plot actions. Her goal was to make the opera feel less pantomimic and more coherent, with every moment having tension and plausibility. Breaking Away from Tropes de Niese wanted to avoid common tropes in Figaro productions. She sought to portray the Count as more than just a buffoon and Cherubino as a young page with more depth. By doing so, she aimed to create a more nuanced and engaging performance. The Importance of Character Development As a performer, de Niese understands the importance of character development. She emphasized that every character's actions must make sense and be believable. This approach allowed her to create a cohesive and engaging production. A New Chapter in Her Career Directing Figaro marks a new chapter in de Niese's career. While she loves her day job as a performer, she sees directing as an opportunity to explore new skills and challenge herself. With this experience, she has proven that she is capable of taking on new roles and pushing her creative boundaries.

The Miraculous Discovery A Nepali Sherpa guide who went missing on Mount Everest six days ago has been found crawling alone to base camp after fears that he had died. According to Pemba Sherpa of 8K Expeditions, which was coordinating the search for the missing guide, Dawa Sherpa was found by a clearing crew on Thursday morning as he was crawling down snowy slopes around the Khumbu Icefall. The Dramatic Rescue Operation Dawa, 52, was carried down to safety and given food and water. A rescue helicopter flew him to HAMS Hospital in the capital, Kathmandu, where his wife and daughter, who had already begun funeral rituals, were waiting. "We first heard that he was still alive on the local news and from a person we know who called with the news that … he is being brought down," his wife, Damu Sherpa, said. The Timeline of Events Dawa was last seen around May 29 descending the mountain He did not reach base camp, although his client, a Polish climber, did There was a delay in organizing a search team When rescue helicopters were finally sent, they could not locate him He was found by a clearing crew from the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee Family's Emotional Journey For Dawa's family, hope of seeing him again was all but gone. His teenage daughter, Mendo Lhamu Sherpa, said they were already on the second day of a funeral ritual, which lasts for several days. "When we first heard about it, we could not be sure if that person was indeed our father," Mendo Lhamu said. "So to be certain, we asked for photos to be sent, and then only we were sure and very happy." Everest's Busiest Season The team that spotted him was part of the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee, which lays ladders and ropes on the route at the start of each climbing season and then removes the equipment and cleans up the site after the climbers have left. Last month, more than 1,000 climbers and their guides scaled Everest during the busiest climbing season ever on the world's highest mountain. At least five people have died this season.

The Wall Street Test for AI DominanceArtificial intelligence giant Anthropic has confidentially filed for an initial public offering (IPO) in the United States, positioning itself as a critical contender in the ongoing Wall Street AI frenzy. This move signals a high-stakes test to determine if investor appetite for the AI revolution can sustain sky-high expectations.Confidential Filing Signals Aggressive Growth StrategyAnthropic's decision to file confidentially allows the company to advance its listing preparations while shielding sensitive financial details from competitors and the public. The company last raised $65bn in late May, a massive influx of capital that underscores the aggressive expansion of its infrastructure and talent pool.Valuation Milestone: Anthropic is currently valued at $965bn, surpassing rival OpenAI.Revenue Scale: The company reports annualised revenue of $47bn from enterprise clients using its Claude chatbot.Strategic Focus: Unlike OpenAI's consumer focus, Anthropic is heavily concentrated on enterprise, coding, and software development.A $1 Trillion Benchmark for Frontier ModelsThe impending listing sets a new benchmark for the valuation of frontier AI models. At close to a $1 trillion valuation, Anthropic would vault into the top tier of the S&P; 500, joining an elite group of global equity market leaders.This valuation comes on the heels of SpaceX's mega-IPO, which is pursuing a $75bn offering at a $1.75 trillion valuation. The combined demand for capital from these tech giants is expected to create significant disruptions in the capital markets.Capital Markets Under Siege from Tech GiantsAnalysts warn that the race to go public is intensifying as OpenAI prepares its own confidential filing. The competition for a finite pool of investor capital is expected to drain liquidity and attention from smaller listings.“OpenAI and Anthropic are in a race to go public before capital runs out,” said analyst Gil Luria. “The other reason for Anthropic to try to beat OpenAI out to the public market is that they will get to set the agenda for how a frontier model reports financials.”Setting the Agenda for AI Financial ReportingThe IPO race is not just about raising funds; it is about defining the future of AI financial metrics. As both firms continue to lose more money than they make, the market will be watching closely to see if the AI boom can be sustained by revenue or if it represents a bubble.Anthropic's rapid rise in early 2026 rattled markets, triggering sell-offs in software stocks as investors worried about the disruption of traditional business models. The outcome of this IPO will likely dictate the valuation standards for the entire industry for years to come.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially classified the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and neighboring Uganda as a 'public health emergency of international concern.' This declaration highlights the severity of the situation involving the rare Bundibugyo strain, which has already claimed over 130 lives and exposed critical gaps in regional health infrastructure. The Escalation of the Bundibugyo Outbreak The epicenter of the current crisis lies in the northeastern province of Ituri, a gold-mining hub straddling borders with Uganda and South Sudan. The virus has rapidly spread beyond its initial ground zero, reaching neighboring provinces up to 200km away and crossing into Uganda. Death Toll: The latest strain has resulted in an estimated 131 deaths from 513 suspected cases. Uganda Situation: At least 1 person has died and 2 more have been infected, with over 120 people currently quarantined. WHO Response: WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed deep concern over the 'scale and speed' of the epidemic. Assessing the Fatality and Spread Metrics The Bundibugyo strain is a distinct species within the Ebola virus family, differing significantly from the Zaire strain responsible for the 2014-2016 West Africa outbreak. While historically less deadly than Zaire, it remains a serious pathogen. Historical Fatality Rate: Prior outbreaks of this strain have seen case fatality rates ranging from approximately 30-50%. Detection Challenges: Diagnostic platforms were optimized for the Zaire strain and failed to reliably detect the Bundibugyo virus, leading to missed early cases. Containment Hurdles: Ongoing conflicts and population displacement in the region have complicated surveillance and delayed detection efforts. Diagnostic Gaps and Regional Displacement The spread of the virus into urban and cross-border settings raises significant concerns about amplification if containment measures are not rapidly strengthened. Experts note that the lack of specific therapeutics for this strain exacerbates the vulnerability of the region. Community fear is palpable, with residents in cities like Bukavu and Kinshasa adopting protective measures such as face masks. Street vendors and transport workers, who are in constant contact with the public, express heightened anxiety about bringing the disease home to their families. Vaccine Development Timelines and Global Travel Restrictions While no approved vaccine exists for the Bundibugyo strain, the scientific community is not starting from zero. The Merck vaccine (Ervebo) showed some protection in animal studies, and organizations like CEPI are funding multivalent filovirus vaccines. However, the development timeline remains uncertain due to the resource-limited setting of the outbreak. In response to the PHEIC declaration, several nations have implemented travel restrictions: Bahrain: Suspended entry for travelers from DRC, Uganda, and South Sudan for 30 days. Rwanda: Closed its borders with the DRC. United States: Implemented a 30-day temporary entry restriction for non-citizens who have traveled to the affected regions within the prior 21 days. Unlike the COVID-19 pandemic, the global response to Ebola has historically lacked the same urgency and financing, though partnerships involving WHO, CEPI, and GAVI have strengthened since the 2014 outbreak.

The Incident Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket has exploded on the launchpad during a test in the US state of Florida. The incident on Thursday evening is the latest setback for Jeff Bezos’s space venture as it seeks to narrow the gap with Elon Musk’s SpaceX. Explosion Details Footage of the incident shows smoke emerging from underneath the rocket before it erupts into a massive fireball that billows skyward, sending a towering plume of flames and smoke into the air. Emergency crews remained at the scene more than an hour later, but officials said there was no threat from fumes or other potential hazards. No injuries have been reported. Response and Investigation “We experienced an anomaly during today’s hotfire test,” Blue Origin said in a brief statement posted on X, adding that “all personnel have been accounted for”. In a separate X post, Bezos said it was “too early to know the root cause” of the incident. “Very rough day, but we’ll rebuild whatever needs rebuilding and get back to flying. It’s worth it,” Bezos added. Impact on Future Projects Blue Origin is preparing the New Glenn rocket to launch 48 Amazon Leo satellites into low-Earth orbit, part of efforts to build a broadband constellation to rival Musk’s Starlink network. Last month, the New Glenn rocket failed a mission to deliver a communications satellite into the correct orbit, prompting an investigation.

The Return of a Eradicated ParasiteThe New World screwworm, a flesh-eating parasite which infects cattle and other warm-blooded animals, has been found in a calf in Texas, the US Department of Agriculture announced on Wednesday. This marks the first confirmed case in the United States since the parasite was declared eradicated in 1966, following decades of successful containment through biological barriers and sterile fly release programs.The screwworm is believed to have travelled from Central America to Mexico before being found in the calf in LaPryor, Texas, around 50km from the Mexican border. Experts suggest that a combination of factors, including possible disruptions to sterile-fly programs during the COVID-19 pandemic, increased movement of livestock and people, and favorable weather conditions, may have contributed to its re-emergence.Understanding the Screwworm ThreatA screwworm comes from the larvae of a screwworm fly (Cochliomyia hominivorax), and humans can indeed be infected. Female screwworm flies lay their eggs in scratches and wounds of warm-blooded animals, normally livestock or wild animals. The eggs hatch into hundreds of screwworm larvae which eat the living tissue of the infected animals.The flies are attracted to the smell of open wounds on the bodies of these animals, or sometimes even of humans. Newborn calves are particularly vulnerable because the post-partum navel has yet to scar. The larvae use their sharp mouths to burrow through the living flesh of their hosts for about a week before dropping to the ground to form a pupa.Screwworm can be devastating in cattle and wildlife, which can die from infection if untreated. As adult screwworm flies are capable of travelling many kilometers in search of hosts, infestations can spread quickly across wildlife populations, livestock herds and between humans.Economic Fallout for the Beef IndustryAn outbreak in the US could heavily impact the livestock industry and cause increased beef prices. The USDA predicts that could cost the Texas economy $1.8 billion in losses. Between mid-July and mid-August 2025, Mexico reported a 53 percent rise in the number of cases in animals, indicating the rapid spread of the parasite.Washington has halted cattle imports from Mexico for the past year, citing the insect's spread further into Mexico. The US typically imports more than one million Mexican cattle annually. The import suspension has already contributed to rising beef prices by tightening the supply of beef cattle, which dwindled after a drought forced ranchers on both sides of the border to reduce herds.Mexican cattle are usually fed and fattened on US farms for five to six months before slaughter, and a diminished slaughter rate can also raise beef prices. With US cattle herds already at a multi-decade low after severe drought, high feed costs have forced ranchers to shrink their herds.Regional Vulnerability and ResponseA quarantine zone spanning 20km (12.4 miles) has been established around the affected farm in Texas with no movement of any animals including pets. The infected calf is being treated and the larvae will be killed. The primary measures being implemented include vigilance, identification and isolation of cases, treatment and elimination of larvae, and controlling movement of animals.Dr Timothy Goldsmith, a veterinary medicine professor at the University of Minnesota, noted that homeless people can be especially vulnerable to infestation because they sleep outside and have less access to hygiene products and medical care. Last year, Mexico confirmed 41 human cases, primarily in the state of Chiapas.The parasite reappeared in Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Belize and El Salvador before moving on to Mexico in 2023. While the precise reasons for its resurgence are unclear, experts point to climate change, increased global travel, and disruptions to agricultural monitoring programs as potential contributing factors.Future Outlook and Prevention MeasuresThe first confirmed case in the US during the latest outbreak represents a serious challenge for ranchers and could cause beef prices to rise further. After decades of eradication, most cattle ranchers no longer have the experience or tools to diagnose and treat screwworm, experts say.Infestations can be cured, but treatment is a time-consuming, pricey and labor-intensive process. A program of sterile male release is considered the best long-term method of controlling this fly, similar to the approach that successfully eradicated screwworm from the US in the 1960s.Authorities are likely to expand surveillance efforts along the US-Mexico border and potentially implement enhanced screening protocols for livestock entering the country. The incident highlights the ongoing challenges of biosecurity in an increasingly globalized world where pests and diseases can cross borders with ease.

The Call for Energy Stability Saudi Arabia's Minister of Energy, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud, has met his Russian counterpart in St Petersburg and called for stability in global energy markets as OPEC+ grapples with disruptions caused by the wars in Iran and Ukraine, which have sent oil prices skyrocketing. OPEC+ Challenges OPEC+ has been mired with unprecedented challenges, with slashed oil exports, and the United Arab Emirates, an OPEC powerhouse for almost 60 years, left the oil cartel in April. Uncertainty in the Energy Sector “The situation we’re going through now does make a point here, which is the world needs every molecule of energy, and every form of stabilisation to this energy, because without energy security, you will lose sustainability,” the minister said. “There are so many moving parts, there are so many unknowns, there are things that you think have become a reality, but then you wake up the next morning, and the reality is no longer a reality.” Russia's Low Oil Production Russian counterpart and Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak echoed his views, adding that OPEC+ was able to offset global changes in the energy sector. Novak also mentioned that Russian oil production has fallen since the start of the year, blaming the decline on unplanned maintenance at refineries. Future Outlook Reuters reported that Saudi Arabia, Russia, and five other OPEC+ countries would likely agree to a further hike in their output target for July when they meet on Sunday, quoting unnamed sources.