Week in Brief: Drones in classrooms, shifting student flows, Panama Canal limits, and biodegradable balloons

# At a glance

LIGA Group, an electronics company in Yekaterinburg, shelved plans to manufacture laptops and will build drone-piloting simulators for schools instead. The move followed President Vladimir Putin's directive to include drone-operating in school curricula, and the decision was reported by the independent outlet Meduza. LIGA judged that drone simulators present a stable market opportunity amid wartime headwinds and shifting educational priorities.

Anglosphere universities losing competitive edge

Panama Canal reduces daily ship transits to save water

Biodegradable party balloons designed to break down within months

Researchers at Imperial College London developed a modified-latex balloon intended to biodegrade within nine months. Juliana Cumming, a researcher on the project, expressed enthusiasm about the results. The work was partly funded by Charlotte Melia, who runs a party business and is concerned about litter and microplastic left behind by conventional balloons.

# What this means for readers

• Schools and training programs may incorporate more drone-related hardware and curricula, creating a steady market for simulators and related educational services.

• Businesses that depend on predictable Panama Canal transit times should anticipate possible constraints and plan shipping routes or timing accordingly.
• Event planners and retailers may soon have an alternative product that reduces microplastic pollution, affecting procurement and waste management choices.

# Byline and sources