Month: September 2025

A well-constructed news bulletin should be a combination of stories, short pieces of actuality and sound clips. It should also have a theme, a short piece of music used to announce the bulletin and possibly to separate different sections of it (often called stabs or stings). A news bulletin is usually a fixed length of time such as five, 10 or 15 minutes so it is important that stories and other components such as headlines are arranged in order to fit the time available.

In addition, the overall balance or order of the stories should be considered and the pace should vary to keep listeners interested. For example, too many economic stories at the beginning could lose listeners’ attention. Similarly, too much dull news may bore the audience. It is therefore helpful to rank each story in order of importance before putting the bulletin together. This allows the presenter to see how each item will fit in the time available and to re-order them if necessary.

When arranging the order of stories, it is good to include dramatic or interesting stories at the start. This is particularly important for long bulletins as the lead story will determine whether or not listeners stay tuned to the rest of the bulletin. The lead story should be written in such a way that it promotes the drama, for example by using a ‘teaser’ style headline and by using short snappy sentences to convey simple ideas.

Even after the failure of regime change in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya, many in the US policy community continue to call for ousting illiberal governments. Advocates argue that such missions are cheaper, quicker and less risky than sustained diplomatic pressure and engagement and will not escalate into broader military action. However, the empirical record suggests that these claims are wrong. A look at the scholarly literature shows that regime-change operations are more likely to fail than succeed. In addition, they often spiral into decades-long state-building projects and often do not achieve predetermined goals.

Regime change is a dangerous strategy that undermines America’s ability to promote human rights and democracy abroad and harms the nation’s security. Instead of promoting American interests, it fosters resentment toward the United States. This resentment can sour the public’s attitude toward democracy, making it more difficult for democratic leaders to govern effectively. It can also undermine the ability of democratic and nondemocratic countries to cooperate and reduce the likelihood of a global peaceful order based on multilateralism.

The popular argument for regime change is that the current government in question does harm to its citizens and that if a chance at democracy were granted, the people would vote out the bad guys. This is a logical argument but it does not take into account that for democratization to work, necessary conditions must be in place. Instead of attempting to force regime change, it is best for policymakers to use normal means to control malfeasant states – including limited military action and non-military tools like sanctions and engagement.

The practice of representing a nation’s interests in the world, through peaceful negotiation and dialogue. Diplomacy aims to shape foreign policy and promote international cooperation in trade, culture, science, and security. It is the primary—but far from the only—instrument of statecraft. Diplomats are the principal–but not only–practitioners of this craft, specialists in carrying messages and negotiating adjustments in relations, as well as the resolution of quarrels among states, their peoples, and other entities.

Diplomacy grew in importance over the centuries as nations expanded and consolidated their power through military expansion, colonization, and commerce. The development of religions, ideologies, and cultures further shaped the international system and its actors. Diplomacy evolved to reflect and support the broader goals of a country’s foreign policy by means of international treaties, agreements, and alliances.

The word “diplomacy” derives from the ancient Greek word diplo, meaning folded paper or a document conferring privileges—often a permit to travel—on the bearer. By the 18th century, it had come to refer to all solemn documents issued by chancelleries, and later came to include any formal negotiations between sovereigns. The direct link to papers lapsed when diplomacy became synonymous with international relations, though the concept still has some association with the practice of authenticating old official documents.

In the modern sense, diplomacy includes all of a country’s efforts to shape its image in the world. It includes the activities of diplomats (or ambassadors) and of other officials who carry out diplomatic missions. It also entails embassy staff, who often act as openly acknowledged spies for their home countries, and the various “supply centers”—cities or regions that can be claimed by diplomats to expand a country’s resources in trade and warfare.

Whether it’s an international business career or working for a non-governmental organization, pursuing a degree in international relations allows you to work closely with people from all over the world. This collaborative approach to work helps you build strong relationships and develop your global perspective. Often, working internationally also requires mastering another culture’s language and traditions, which can be both challenging and rewarding.

The field of international relations encompasses multiple disciplines including political science, history, economics, sociology and law. Some of the most popular schools of thought within IR include realism, liberalism and constructivism. Each perspective focuses on different factors that influence how states interact with one another and the ways in which we can improve the way the world works for all.

Aside from being an incredibly fulfilling career path, working in international relations offers the opportunity to shape and impact global policies that can positively affect the lives of people across the globe. Whether you want to tackle issues like terrorism, natural disasters, human trafficking or world hunger, there are plenty of opportunities in the field of international relations to make a difference in the lives of others.

Depending on your career goals, you might need to gain specific qualifications or certifications before starting in the field of international relations. Most entry-level positions require at least a bachelor’s degree in an appropriate subject, while specialized roles such as working as a diplomat or an international business executive will require more advanced qualifications like a Master’s degree in your particular area of expertise. If you need help preparing for your postgraduate studies, a pre-Masters programme can be the ideal starting point.

Investor updates are a critical piece of your fundraising communication strategy that help you maintain transparency, build trust and ultimately raise capital more effectively. They typically include recent wins and losses, financials, team updates, customer wins, core metrics, and a request for help. Having regular conversations with your investors can double the likelihood of receiving follow on funding.

When your investors have a clear understanding of the current state of your business, they’re better equipped to use their experience, network and resources to support you. Investor updates provide a platform for you to step out of your day-to-day execution and reflect on the business on a high level at a consistent cadence.

The investor update outline can be as simple or complex as you like, but it should always include an overview section, a performance/economics section, and a needs/asks section. The overview section should start with a quick summary of the company health, including key metrics like daily active users or recurring revenue. It should also cover a couple of highpoints that happened during the month, whether it be new team hires, new customer wins or major milestones. Finally, the last paragraph should include any lowpoints (e.g. lost deal, slipping performance on a critical metric).

The final section of the investor update should be a call to action. This could be a request for help such as finding a COO, identifying a more reliable vendor or any other operational or tactical issue that you want your investors to help with. Having a regular conversation with your investors is one of the best ways to identify and tackle these issues before they become a bigger problem.

Are you tempted to invest but find the stock market is like a foreign language that you want to learn but can’t seem to grasp? Don’t worry, you are not alone. Investing in the stock market doesn’t have to be complicated but there are things you should know before getting involved.

The stock market is a marketplace that matches up investors who want to buy a company’s shares with those who want to sell them. It does this through exchanges and electronic trading systems that facilitate the transactions almost instantly. Prices are maneuvered based on supply and demand for the stocks, which in turn are determined by the overall economy’s health (tax cuts can boost the market, for example; high unemployment, the opposite).

You can purchase individual stocks through a licensed broker or advisor who makes trades on your behalf. Alternatively, you can invest in what are called mutual funds or exchange-traded funds, which include the shares of multiple companies so that you don’t have to hold a single stock. The funds can track a particular sector or an index, which is useful for reducing risk by diversifying your portfolio.

When you start investing, it’s a good idea to consider low-volatility stocks, which are those that have historically experienced less dramatic price movements. These stocks are often referred to as “blue chips” and tend to belong to recession-proof sectors, such as utilities, consumer staples or healthcare. They also include such iconic American brands as Johnson & Johnson, Coca-Cola and Hershey.

A financial report is an official document used to describe your business’s current and historical data, and also to share SMART goals for future performance. It can be a useful tool to help your business improve operations, optimize strategies, and spot trends.

A complete financial report should cover several key sections, including a summary of important statements, such as the cash flow statement and balance sheet. It should also include a section that highlights the key metrics and ratios most relevant to your audience. Finally, a financial report should also incorporate forecasts and projections that draw on the available data to make educated guesses about your company’s performance.

Creating a financial report starts with gathering and organizing all of your original receipts. Once this is done, you can begin preparing accounting vouchers to record each transaction. This is a time-consuming process, but one that is essential to guarantee accuracy. Using a professional reporting tool like FineReport, which allows for real-time data syncing, can help streamline this process and boost efficiency.

The most important parts of a financial report are the summary of income and balance sheet information. The first includes a breakdown of your business’s net income, subtracting non-cash expenses (like depreciation and amortization) from actual cash inflows and outflows. The second part lists all of your assets (cash, marketable securities, inventory, accounts receivable and loans payable), liabilities and equity at a given point in time. You should also include the amount of your retained earnings, which is profit that you choose not to distribute as dividends to owners or shareholders.

A parliamentary vote is one in which the members of parliament (MPs) of a polity (either a sovereign state or a republic) cast their votes on legislation that has passed through the legislature. The resulting votes are recorded and counted by the MPs who make up the parliament, which is sometimes called either the House of Commons or the Lok Sabha.

Voters typically choose a political party, and a majority of the parties select their leader to be the Prime Minister, who leads the executive branch of government along with the department ministers that are elected. Some ceremonial executive duties are carried out by a symbolic head of state, either a hereditary monarch in a constitutional monarchy or a democratically elected president or chancellor in a democratic constitutional republic.

The legislative branch of a parliamentary system is usually made up of representatives of political parties, although independents may be elected as well. Some parliamentary systems use plurality voting in multi-member constituencies, while others are single-member – or a mixture of both. In a few of the systems that use proportional means of allocating seats, the boundaries drawn to define electoral districts can have an impact on the overall election results.

If a candidate has more than 50 per cent of the first preference votes they are declared the winner. If no candidate reaches that threshold, the candidates with the fewest first preference votes are eliminated. Their second preference votes are reallocated to the remaining candidates, and this process continues until a candidate has more than 50 per cent. Up to and including 2023 elections for Mayors in England and Police and Crime Commissioners in England used Single Transferable Vote (STV).

Startup funding is the fuel that powers the rocketship of a new business, providing the capital to keep things going until revenue kicks in. However, it’s difficult to secure and manage funds while also meeting investor expectations. This challenge is exacerbated by the highly competitive startup financing landscape, in which startups are required to prove their value in order to attract investors.

Typically, the earliest stages of startup funding involve friends and family. This pre-seed funding can help a company develop a minimum viable product, find and test a market niche, and establish a strong team. Friends and family are usually willing to invest in startups, especially when they feel that the founders have passion and optimism. However, it’s important to be honest and realistic when discussing the risks of their investment. If you decide to take on friends and family funding, be sure to treat it like a professional transaction by putting everything in writing, establishing clear terms and conditions, and communicating openly and honestly.

Later-stage startup funding is often provided by angels and seed funds or venture capital firms (VCs). These are professionals that aggregate investment funding from various sources, investing in high-growth startups that they believe will make a substantial return on their investment. In exchange for their investment, VCs require solid proof that a company has scalable operations and is set up for success, such as consistent revenue and positive cash flow. Occasionally, government grants and subsidies may be available for select startup businesses that meet a specific criteria.

A summit meeting is an important event that brings different perspectives together to discuss high-stakes topics and perceived future directions for a profession, industry, or cause. Designed to be a catalyst for change, a successful summit is energizing and reveals new pathways forward. But, a summit also requires a strategic plan to harness and channel all that energy for the long haul of implementing new ideas.

Whether in person or online, summits are a powerful way to connect members and expand their professional circles. They’re also a chance to share the benefits of your association’s work with the broader industry—which can lead to increased trust and credibility. Providing summit-based resources, like presentations and handouts, is an easy way to expand your reach after the event. Plus, when attendees attend a virtual summit, the value of that engagement can be extended even further using video to connect with new and existing participants.

While summits can offer a range of perks for attendees, it’s also important to consider the limitations and downsides. For example, a narrow event agenda can limit exposure to more general industry topics, while a limited audience might make it hard to engage in meaningful conversations with others. Fortunately, with the right tools, summits can be a positive experience for both participants and organizers alike. Embrace these best practices to ensure your next summit is a successful, impactful, and engaging experience.