All posts tagged: spends

Church of England spends £35 million on school evangelism in 2025

Church of England spends £35 million on school evangelism in 2025

Published by Sam Flores

The Church of England spent £35 million on school evangelism projects in 2025, new figures reveal. The latest annual report from the Church’s ‘Strategic Mission and Ministry Investment Board’ (SMMIB) shows that more than a third of its ‘Diocesan Investment Programme’ (DIP) funding was spent on initiatives involving school evangelism. The SMMIB is responsible for funding programmes that further the CofE’s “vision and strategy”. This includes “doubling the number of children and young people who are active Christian disciples by 2030”, which is described by the Church as its “priority of priorities”. In its report, the SMMIB said 17% of its total funding 2025 was dedicated to ‘doubling the number of children and young active disciples in the Church of England by 2030’. Six of the eleven projects that received DIP funding in 2025 included a focus on evangelising in schools: Diocese of Carlilse – £6.8 million to create 90 new Christian communities, including by resourcing a “discipleship pathway for young people from birth to 25 years old” achieved by “collaborating with schools”. Diocese of …

Xpeng spends 0M/year on AI training to beat Tesla FSD

Xpeng spends $500M/year on AI training to beat Tesla FSD

Published by skeptic

Xpeng’s head of autonomous driving told Electrek that the company is spending roughly 300 million RMB (~$41 million) per month on AI training alone and believes it has already reached parity with Tesla’s FSD v13 — with v14 within reach before the end of summer. I sat down with Dr. Xianming Liu, head of Xpeng’s General Intelligence Center, the day after he delivered a keynote at CVPR 2026 in Denver — sharing the stage with Tesla’s Ashok Elluswamy and leaders from Nvidia and Waymo at one of the world’s top computer vision conferences. The conversation covered Xpeng’s VLA 2.0 architecture, the company’s sensor strategy, its Volkswagen licensing deal, and why Dr. Liu believes the entire autonomous driving industry needs to stop treating language models as the answer to self-driving. Here’s the full interview: Advertisement – scroll for more content ‘Language is poison’ Dr. Liu has become known for a provocative statement: “language is poison” when it comes to autonomous driving. In our interview, he explained the nuance behind that headline. Xpeng’s first-generation VLA (Vision-Language-Action) model …

The US Spends More On ‘Defense’ Than The Next 8 Countries Combined

The US Spends More On ‘Defense’ Than The Next 8 Countries Combined

Published by Jenni Sidey

For the first time on record, the top 15 military spenders allocated more than $2 trillion to defense in 2025. Total global defense spending also reached a record $2.6 trillion, signaling a major shift in geopolitical priorities. Using data from the International Institute for Strategic Studies, this visualization, via Visual Capitalist’s Dorothy Neufeld, ranks the 15 countries driving this surge in military spending. While the U.S. still operates on an entirely different scale, the biggest shift is happening in Europe, where countries are no longer just maintaining military capacity but expanding it significantly. The $2 Trillion Arms Race: Defense Spending by Country The U.S. defense budget reached $921 billion in 2025, larger than the combined military spending of China, Russia, Germany, the UK, India, Saudi Arabia, France, and Japan. Looking ahead, Donald Trump has proposed increasing defense spending to $1.5 trillion by 2027, although this plan has not been enacted. If realized, this would represent roughly 90% higher spending than the Cold War peak in real terms. China ranked second globally with $251.3 billion in defense spending in 2025. Its share of …

Why New York City Spends So Much on Its Mediocre Schools

Why New York City Spends So Much on Its Mediocre Schools

Published by Sam Flores

New York City’s new mayor, Zohran Mamdani, will soon confront an ordeal that might finally knock that trademark smile off his face: balancing the budget. The city is projected to have a $5 billion deficit this year and is required by law to make up for that shortfall by raising revenue, cutting spending, or both. Mamdani has proposed large tax increases paired with modest cuts to city programs. But getting to $5 billion won’t be easy, in part because the biggest portion of the city’s budget is considered untouchable. I refer not to the police department or the transit system, but to the department of education. It costs about $40 billion a year, making up a third of the city’s gargantuan budget. New York City spends more money per pupil—north of $40,000, according to one recent estimate—than any of the other 100 largest public-school districts in the country, and more than twice as much as the median district. Meanwhile, it generates educational outcomes that are average at best. According to federal data, its per-pupil spending …

Parents Expecting Their 14th Child Reveal How Much The Family Spends On Groceries Each Week

Parents Expecting Their 14th Child Reveal How Much The Family Spends On Groceries Each Week

Published by Jenni Sidey

When a family announces that they are expecting their 14th child, the question on everyone’s mind is usually “How do they afford it?” For one extra-large family in the U.K., the Jacksons, their biggest expense, surprise, surprise, is food. During an interview on the U.K. morning show “This Morning,” parents Natalie and Oliver Jackson admitted they were a bit “apprehensive” about the fact that they were expecting a new addition to their already large family. After giving birth to their first child, son Elliot, in 2005, Natalie has been pregnant most years, and the pair now have 13 children, with their 14th due this summer. Take that in for a second. These parents are feeding a family of 15, soon to be 16! Parents expecting their 14th child reveal how much the family spends on groceries each week. During their interview, “This Morning” hosts read off some of the food items that the Jackson family tends to go through quite quickly in their home. Between all 15 of them, the family goes through 12 loaves …

Blind and deaf dog spends full year in kennels waiting for new home

Blind and deaf dog spends full year in kennels waiting for new home

Published by Sam Flores

Shiloh is searching for a new home in the UK (Image: miraclesmission) He has been in kennels for over a year – but young Shiloh is still patiently waiting for a forever home. The 19-month-old dog was rescued as a tiny puppy alongside his mum who had been found paralysed and unable to care for herself. The poor pooch is blind and has severely impaired hearing, meaning he perceives the world in an entirely different way to most other animals. Despite this, carers describe him as a “very sweet” boy with a gentle disposition. Shiloh is currently living in Egypt but is available for adoption across the UK. He has already been microchipped and neutered. Read more: Woman slams parking demand of neighbour that ‘doesn’t understand the word no’ A rehoming appeal notes that he gets along well with both dogs and cats, making him suitable for many households which are understanding and sympathetic towards his additional needs. Despite his challenging start in life, those looking after him say he has a calm and affectionate …

Trump administration spends 0 million on California water projects

Trump administration spends $540 million on California water projects

Published by Sam Flores

The Trump administration announced Tuesday it will spend $540 million on water infrastructure projects in California, much of it to repair aging and sinking canals in the Central Valley. The largest share, $235 million, will be used to rehabilitate the Delta-Mendota Canal, which carries water to farmlands. An additional $200 million will help continue repairs on the Friant-Kern Canal, another major conduit for water in the valley. Sinking ground due to heavy groundwater pumping has damaged segments of the Friant-Kern Canal and reduced its capacity. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum said in the announcement that the investments, together with nearly $350 million for water projects in other western states, “strengthen our nation’s water security, modernize aging infrastructure and support the farmers, communities and industries that depend on reliable water supplies.” California water agencies praised the announcement, saying the funding will improve the water system. The Interior Department said it also will spend $40 million to begin a plan to raise the height of Shasta Dam — a proposal that growers and water agencies have …

Putin ‘spends nights holed up inside Kremlin’ amid ‘assassination fears’ | World | News

Putin ‘spends nights holed up inside Kremlin’ amid ‘assassination fears’ | World | News

Published by Sam Flores

A paranoid Vladimir Putin spends his nights holed up in the Kremlin as fears for his safety soar, it has been claimed. The Russian President has blocked mobile internet across Moscow amid concerns his enemies have hacked his vast state surveillance apparatus, including CCTV cameras. A similar breach of security led to the assassination of Iran’s former supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, in Tehran last month. “According to sources, Putin himself has been spending much more time in the Kremlin — including overnight stays,” reported Russian Telegram channel VChK-OGPU, with security service links, and Rucriminal website. He also blocked the Telegram messenger on Russia’s frontline in Ukraine, even though it is a key means of communication for his troops. Russian troops have already lost the Starlink satellite internet connection. People in Moscow, home to roughly 13 million people, have found themselves unable to pay online bills, message co-workers or book taxis. Others have been forced to ask strangers for directions after being unable to access online maps, while remote workers have filled cafes in a desperate …

‘I know Andrew well – this is how reclusive royal spends his days in humiliating blow’ | TV & Radio | Showbiz & TV

‘I know Andrew well – this is how reclusive royal spends his days in humiliating blow’ | TV & Radio | Showbiz & TV

Published by Sam Flores

Royal biographer and historian Andrew Lownie has dished on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and how he spends his days since being evicted from Royal Lodge. According to reports, the former prince has been told not to go horse riding at Sandringham or Wood Farm following his arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office. Royal aides believe such images could be damaging while he is under investigation. Horse riding had been a regular activity for him at Windsor before his recent move to Norfolk. In a fresh update, the royal biographer, who appeared on the Jeremy Kyle Breakfast Show on Friday, shared how Andrew is spending his time, having not been seen in public for some weeks. Speaking on TalkTV, the host mused: “He’s stuck on Wood Farm up in Sandringham. I hear he’s not even allowed to go out the front door to go horse riding. “What does he do all day, man?” Lownie claimed the former Duke of York is stuck indoors watching movies all day. “Well, what he did before really,” Lownie remarked, “which …

Britney Spears spends night in cells after being arrested in California | Ents & Arts News

Britney Spears spends night in cells after being arrested in California | Ents & Arts News

Published by Daniella Wilson

Britney Spears has spent the night in custody after being arrested. The star was detained by highway patrol officers at 9.28pm on Wednesday and released at 6.07am, according to Ventura County Sheriff’s Office. Its online records give Spears’ height as 5ft 5ins, weight as 125lbs (8st 13lbs) and her occupation as “celebrity”. She has been scheduled to appear in court on 4 May. Various US media reports say she was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence in California. Her representative said after the news emerged that her arrest was “completely inexcusable” and the incident “can be the first step in long overdue change that needs to occur in Britney’s life”. In a statement they said: “This was an unfortunate incident that is completely inexcusable. “Britney is going to take the right steps and comply with the law and hopefully this can be the first step in long overdue change that needs to occur in Britney’s life. “Hopefully, she can get the help and support she needs during this difficult time. “Her boys are …