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Whether it’s reporting on conflicts abroad and political divisions at home, or covering the latest style trends and scientific developments, Times Video journalists provide a revealing and unforgettable view of the world.
Whether it’s reporting on conflicts abroad and political divisions at home, or covering the latest style trends and scientific developments, Times Video journalists provide a revealing and unforgettable view of the world.
Cambodia dismisses Thai army accusation that it breached truce and international law after incident near border.
A Thai soldier has been seriously injured by a landmine near the Cambodian border, days after both countries agreed to a ceasefire following last month’s deadly border clashes.
The soldier’s left ankle was badly damaged on Tuesday after he stepped on the device while patrolling about 1km (0.6 miles) from the Ta Moan Thom Temple in Thailand’s Surin province, the army said. He is receiving treatment in hospital.
Thai army spokesperson Major General Winthai Suvaree said the incident proved Cambodia had breached the truce and violated international agreements, including the Ottawa Convention banning landmines.
“Cambodia continues to covertly plant landmines while the Thai army has consistently adhered to peaceful approaches and has not been the initiating party,” he said.
The statement warned that if violations continued, Thailand might “exercise the right of self-defence under international law principles to resolve situations that cause Thailand to continuously lose personnel due to violations of ceasefire agreements and sovereignty encroachments by Cambodian military forces”.
Phnom Penh dismissed the accusation, insisting it has not laid new mines.
“Cambodia, as a proud and responsible State Party to the Ottawa Convention, maintains an absolute and uncompromising position: we have never used, produced, or deployed new landmines under any circumstances, and we strictly and fully honour our obligations under international law,” the Cambodian Ministry of National Defence said in a social media post.
This is the fourth landmine incident in recent weeks involving Thai soldiers along the two Southeast Asian neighbours’ disputed border. On Saturday, three soldiers were injured in a blast between Thailand’s Sisaket province and Cambodia’s Preah Vihear province.
Two earlier incidents on July 16 and 23 prompted a downgrade in diplomatic relations and triggered five days of fighting that erupted on July 24.
Those battles, the worst between the neighbours in more than a decade, saw exchanges of artillery fire and air strikes that killed at least 43 people and displaced more than 300,000 on both sides.
Thailand has accused Cambodia of planting mines on its side of the border, which stretches 817km (508 miles), with ownership of the Ta Moan Thom and 11th-century Preah Vihear temples at the heart of the dispute.
The fragile truce has held since last week when both governments agreed to allow Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) observers to monitor contested areas to prevent further fighting.
While European markets benefited from the Ukraine war, analysts believe peace could boost the euro and stocks even more. Lingering distrust of Russia means Europe is unlikely to cut defense spending after any ceasefire. NATO’s new commitment to 5% of GDP for defense means military investment will continue regardless of peace talks, analysts at Macquarie say.
President Trump meets Russia’s Vladimir Putin in Alaska later this week to discuss the possibility of a ceasefire or a peace deal in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Politically, Trump would very much like to claim credit for ending the conflict on Europe’s Eastern border. Unfortunately, Russia has broken 190 different “deals” over Ukraine since 1994, and 25 of those were since 2014. So there is every chance that a “deal” may be announced, followed by a resumption of hostilities by Moscow.
For investors in Europe, this may be no bad thing, according to Macquarie analysts Thierry Wizman and Gareth Berry. The euro may rally against the dollar, they predict, as it is unlikely that Europe will roll back defense spending simply because Putin signs another piece of paper.
And, they note, European stocks have done well this year, boosted by a massive military spending package from NATO countries that comits all European allies to devote 5% of their GDP to defense.
“The prospect of European growth and re-inflation may have also been boosted by the war, since the conflict energized new commitments to increase defense expenditure and associated infrastructure expenditure in Europe. Notably, the June 2025 NATO summit saw a formalization of the plan to get each country to spending the equivalent of 5% of GDP on defense by 2035,” they write. “The ramp up is steeper than in the U.S.”
The scale of Europe’s return to military spending is under-appreciated, according to an analysis of satellite imagery carried out by the Financial Times. More than seven million square meters of new military production facilities have been added in Europe since 2022, at 150 sites across 37 companies.
After the Cold War ended in 1989, Europe reduced its defense spending to enjoy a “peace dividend.” Might that not happen again, if Putin freezes his action in Eastern Ukraine? Unlikely, the Macquarie team says, because no one in Europe believes that Putin is likely to disarm or avoid future military engagements.
“A review of what analysts have written about this topic leans us strongly toward the view that the EU and NATO would not roll back commitments toward higher defense spending if some form of ‘peace’ came to Russia and Ukraine. Even with a peace agreement or cease-fire, the long-term implications of Russia’s actions and the potential for future conflict could lead the EU to maintain or increase defense spending to ensure long-term security and deter potential aggression later,” they wrote.
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European leaders have warned against Ukrainian borders being redrawn by force – two days before a US-Russia summit on Ukraine is due to take place in Alaska.
In a statement, European leaders said “the people of Ukraine must have the freedom to decide their future.”
It added the principles of “territorial integrity” must be respected and “international borders must not be changed by force”.
The statement was signed by 26 of 27 leaders. Missing from the signatories was Hungary’s leader Viktor Orban, who has maintained friendly relations with Russia and has repeatedly tried to block EU support for Ukraine.
The statement underscored the nervousness felt by Europeans about Moscow’s actions in Ukraine, which many countries – particularly those bordering Russia or those in which the memory of Soviet occupation still lingers – believe could pose a direct threat in the near future.
In recent years Sweden and Finland have joined Nato, Baltic countries have reinstated conscription, and Poland has set aside billions to build a barrier alongside its border with Russia.
European countries have a long history of borders being redrawn by bloody wars and are extremely concerned by the prospect of the US allowing that to happen in Ukraine. A legal recognition of Russia’s sovereignty over territories it conquered by force is unacceptable to the EU.
However, the notion that some Ukrainian regions currently under Russian control may not return to Kyiv is gaining ground.
US President Donald Trump has insisted that any peace deal would involve “some swapping of territories” and could see Russia taking the entire Donbas region in eastern Ukraine and keeping Crimea. In exchange it would give up the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, which it partially occupies.
Last week, while admitting that some Ukrainian territory might end up being de facto controlled by Russia, Nato chief Mark Rutte stressed that this should not be formally recognised.
In their statement, European leaders said “Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has wider implications for European and international security”, and stressed the need for a “just and lasting peace”.
They also said Ukraine should be capable of “defending itself effectively” and pledged to continue providing military support to Kyiv, which was “exercising its inherent right of self-defence”.
“The European Union underlines the inherent right of Ukraine to choose its own destiny and will continue supporting Ukraine on its path towards EU membership,” the statement concluded.
Denting the apparent unity of the declaration was a line in smaller print at the bottom of the page pointing out that “Hungary does not associate itself with this statement”.
In a post on social media its leader Viktor Orban said he had opted out of supporting the statement as it attempted to set conditions for a meeting to which the EU was not invited and warned leaders not to start “providing instructions from the bench”.
He also urged the EU to set up its own summit with Russia – though EU leaders have been shunning direct talks with Moscow since it launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
On Monday Trump revealed he had sought Orban’s advice over the chances of Ukraine winning against Russia on the battlefield. “He looked at me like, ‘What a stupid question’,” Trump said, suggesting that Orban felt Russia would continue to wage war until it beat its adversary.
EU leaders are due to hold talks with Trump on Wednesday. They will be hoping to put the security of the European continent and Ukrainian interests at the forefront of his mind – at a time when nervousness is growing that the peace imposed on Ukraine may end up being neither “just” nor “lasting”.
Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin are then expected to meet in Alaska on Friday.
The quarterly filing, covering the three months ended June 30, 2025, reveals a USD $70 million pre-tax impairment charge on “long-lived assets associated with certain of [WMG’s] non-core e-tailer operations” – following what Warner describes as a “triggering event”.
In previous Warner annual filings, only one subsidiary is referred to as an “e-tailer”: EMP.
An impairment charge, essentially a corporate write-down, occurs when a company determines that assets on its balance sheet are worth less than their recorded book value.
So-called “triggering events” for companies to record impairments can include receiving market offers, commissioning independent valuations ahead of asset sales, or other reasons.
In addition to revealing details of the impairment charge, Warner’s Q3 filing notes that the e-tailer now carries “recoverable fair value based on current market indicators”.
“Current market indicators” could obviously suggest sale discussions, or unsolicited offers.
Either way, the $70 million write-down ($48 million after tax) confirms that EMP’s previous book value significantly exceeded what Warner believes it can recover, either through operations or a sale.
Given Warner paid approximately $180 million for EMP in 2018, this represents a substantial reduction in market value.
The tell-tale line in Warner’s fiscal Q3 (calendar Q2) earnings report
WMG confirming EMP’s status as a “non-core” asset tells its own story.
In July, Kyncl announced plans to reduce WMG’s annual costs by $300 million.
That target was broken down into $200 million from lay-offs ($170 million from redundancies and a further $30 million in related admin/real estate costs) plus an additional $100 million in “a decrease in SG&A expenses unrelated to headcount”.
Whole-asset sales are an obvious avenue to achieve the latter part of the plan.
In February 2024, as part of a previous restructuring program, Warner sold/shed its “owned and operated media properties” including UPROXX and HipHopDX, with Kyncl telling staff these brands “operate outside our core responsibilities to our roster.”
Warner’s decision to write off $70 million from EMP’s value came in the same quarter as a change of leadership for the e-tailer.
According to filings at Germany’s companies register, Dr. Jan Marc Fischer ended his tenure as EMP’s boss in April.
Fischer was named CEO of EMP in 2023 after 10 years as its Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer.
Succeeding him as EMP’s leader was Tom Kuper, who stepped up from his then-role as COO.
Writing on LinkedIn at the time, Kuper said (translated): “Change brings opportunities – and I am ready to lead the EMP crew through this exciting phase of change with heart and attitude.”
EMP, founded in Germany in 1986, was acquired by Warner in September 2018 from private equity firm Sycamore Partners.
At acquisition, Warner described it as offering merchandise from artists including Twenty One Pilots, Panic! At The Disco, Metallica, Motörhead, Guns N’ Roses, Nirvana, Pink Floyd, AC/DC, and The Doors.
EMP also operates as an e-tailer beyond music merchandise, selling products from entertainment brands like Disney, Marvel, Star Wars, gaming brands like Nintendo and PlayStation, and alternative fashion brands like Vans.
This diversification may no longer align with Warner’s music-first strategy under Kyncl, who last week emphasized “focusing on the artists, songwriters, and markets with the greatest potential”.
A Warner Music Group spokesperson declined to comment when contacted by MBW.Music Business Worldwide
Fitter and Faster Swim Camps is the proud sponsor of SwimSwam’s College Recruiting Channel and all commitment news. For many, swimming in college is a lifelong dream that is pursued with dedication and determination. Fitter and Faster is proud to honor these athletes and those who supported them on their journey.
Alondra Ortiz from Edmond, Oklahoma, has committed to swim and study at William Jewell College beginning in the 2025-26 school year.
“I loved the team dynamic and how well everyone trains and works together. As well as how the coaches support them every step of the way.”
Ortiz graduated from Epic Charter School this spring. She does her year-round swimming with Sooner Swim Club and specializes in butterfly and IM. During her senior year of high school, she updated her lifetime bests in the 50 back and 50/100/200 fly at the King Marlin Swim Club Pro-Am Classic and at the Oklahoma Senior State Championships.
She achieved a PB in the 100 meter fly (1:11.03) this summer at the Oklahoma Senior State Championships, which followed on last summer’s PBs in the 50/100 free and 200 fly.
Best SCY times:
200 fly – 2:18.93
100 fly – 1:02.73
50 fly – 29.00
200 back – 2:20.63
100 back – 1:04.55
50 free – 27.1
100 free – 58.06
400 IM – 5:12.51
200 IM – 2:27.05
Ortiz will join the Cardinals’ class of 2029 with Addison Williams and Mallorie Reed. William Jewell competes in Division II’s Great Lakes Valley Conference. The women’s team placed 7th out of 10 teams at the 2025 GLVC Championships.
If you have a commitment to report, please send an email with a photo (landscape, or horizontal, looks best) and a quote to Recruits@swimswam.com.
About the Fitter and Faster Swim Tour
Fitter & Faster Swim Camps feature the most innovative teaching platforms for competitive swimmers of all levels. Camps are produced year-round throughout the USA and Canada. All camps are led by elite swimmers and coaches. Visit fitterandfaster.com to find or request a swim camp near you.
After oxygen, silicon is the most abundant element in the earth’s crust. Sand, for example, is composed mainly of it. It is also the material that has driven the microprocessor revolution and a key element in green power production, as it is the basis for most photovoltaic panels. However, silicon is not the only option for developing computing technologies or producing solar energy.
Lahari Saha, a researcher at the University of Maryland in the USA, believes there are other strategies for achieving more efficient solar panels. In her case, it is a matter of using elements from the greatest experts in processing sunlight: plants and the molecules with which they carry out photosynthesis. Today, photovoltaic panels offer a maximum efficiency of around 20 %. The challenge is to increase this figure and to do so in a sustainable manner.
Improving the efficiency of solar panels with chlorophyll and other moleculese
The findings of Saha’s research were presented at the 67th Biophysical Society Meeting in San Diego, California, as part of his paper “Fluorophore-induced plasmonic current for solar energy harvesting.“ Her project, which is still preliminary, focuses on fluorescence, specifically on molecules known as fluorophores. That is, they can absorb energy at one wavelength and emit it at a longer wavelength but with lower energy.
“Any sort of molecule that fluoresces, gives off light. If we excite the fluorophore, it can transfer its energy to metal nanoparticles, and if the particles are close enough to each other, they will knock off electrons and generate current,” explained Saha. This principle can be extrapolated to other non-fluorescent particles with a high light absorption capacity, such as chlorophyll or lutein. In addition to improving the panels’ efficiency, these molecules’ use will facilitate their recycling.
Another of the researcher’s major goals is the development of solar panels with a smaller footprint since the same renewable energy can be generated with a smaller size. As renewable energies become increasingly important, finding ways to optimize the physical space they occupy will be necessary. While wind energy opts for offshore installations, photovoltaics is turning to floating facilities in water reservoirs. The new “vegetable” panels could help obtain more energy per square meter.
The quest for biophotovoltaic energy
Of course, silicon has a long life ahead of it, as these developments based on plant molecules have not yet reached commercial or industrial maturity. However, research in biophotovoltaics is opening up exciting possibilities, as in the case of these solar panels based on living bacteria. And there are even more radical approaches. One of the latest research projects has explored the power-generating potential of plants, specifically succulents.
In a paper recently published in the scientific journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, a team of researchers has raised the possibility of a living “biosolar cell” based on photosynthesis. All living cells move electrons as part of their biological processes. In the case of plants, photosynthesis produces a flow of electrons that can be harnessed to power an external circuit.
In this case, scientists have concentrated their efforts on a succulent plant known as the Ice Plant. As part of their research, they inserted an iron anode and a platinum cathode into one of its leaves and managed to generate a current of 0.28 v. Although this is a small voltage, lower than that of an alkaline battery, the current was maintained throughout the day and, technically, could be increased by using a network of plants.
Another example of biophotovoltaics is using an algae colony to power a microprocessor. In the experiment, researchers at the University of Cambridge used blue-green algae, also known as cyanobacteria, capable of photosynthesis. Their system, exposed to light, managed to power an ARM Cortex-M0+ microprocessor for six months. The current generated is small but sufficient to power IoT devices in remote areas.
If you want to know more about the potential of microorganisms to produce and store energy, you can check out this article about a new generation of biobatteries that can deliver power for weeks by leveraging the interaction of three types of bacteria.
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