Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
TEHRAN, June 16 (Xinhua) — Iran’s state-run IRIB TV reported that one of its buildings was attacked by Israel on Monday, calling it a “brutal aggression.”
It is noted that all live broadcasts of IRIB TV continue without interruption. As the channel emphasized, by attacking the Iranian news network, Israel “tried to silence the voice of the Iranian people and the voice of truth.” –0–
Schoolchildren are calling on the government to prioritize education to secure their future as they met to commemorate the Day of the African Child in Juba, South Sudan.
At an all-day jamboree hosted by Radio Miraya, operated by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, 20 schoolchildren from two schools took over programs and hammered home the message that quality education is paramount to the future of the country’s young population.
“If South Sudan is to become as developed as Uganda and Kenya, then our government needs to invest in training for our teachers and provide resources for our schools,” says 12-year Torosa Addisan from the Bishop Mazzoldi Memorial Basic School.
“That way, we can all learn the best education methods and improve our examination scores,” he says to nods from the other three children who, together with him, hosted the Miraya Breakfast Show.
Over in another studio, 11-year-old Naima Alex from the Juba Parents School is one half of a duo reading out the news in English to listeners.
Although still an adolescent, Naima thinks for a while before saying that she is very concerned about the future and has her heart set on becoming a doctor when she grows up.
But for now, English is her favorite subject at school.
“I like English because it allows me to read more and to learn new things and to understand about the world. I want to become a doctor so that I can save lives in South Sudan and take care of people when they become sick,” says Naima.
The Day of the African Child honors South African school children who lost their lives in 1976 while leading a revolt against the Apartheid government to seek a better education.
Every year, UNMISS commemorates this day by giving school children a platform on Radio Miraya to speak about their challenges and to suggest solutions in their own words.
Children in South Sudan face overwhelming challenges as the country grapples with some of the lowest indicators on the continent for children’s health, nutrition, and education.
A report from the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) indicates that over 70% of South Sudanese children are out of school due to a combination of factors, including conflict, displacement, and natural hazards such as seasonal flooding.
This is compounded by the lack of educational facilities and poorly trained teachers.
Fourteen-year-old Intisar Faisal from Juba Parents School is one of the most fluent Arabic speakers in her class. Today she reads out the news in Arabic alongside Radio Miraya’s anchor, Abraham Malek, who commends her calmness after they complete the broadcast.
Asked about the significance of the day and why it matters to her, she is quiet at first. Naturally shy, she thinks for a while and then says: “African children need to be provided with more education opportunities, and I want to tell all the girls that we must complete school if we want to have a bright future.”
Today’s rendition of The Beat programme was led by 13-year-old Irvei Deng and four other children who take listeners through an hour of upbeat music, a snapshot of the day’s newspaper headlines, a reading of the weather, and even calls from listeners.
“I loved the experience,” says Irvei, her eyes twinkling with joy. “At first, I was a little nervous, but it felt so nice to be connected and to get those live calls from people.” Her co-hosts could not match her enthusiasm, but they all looked equally pleased to have been a part of the show to commemorate the Day of the African Child.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
ALBUQUERQUE – Nine of the 10 members of the Lopez Human Smuggling Organization indicted in June 2023 have pleaded guilty to federal charges stemming from a multi-year investigation into their roles in an extensive alien smuggling conspiracy. All nine defendants admitted to conspiring to bring, harbor, and transport groups of undocumented individuals into and within the United States for financial gain.
The defendants are identified as Rosa Adriana Lopez-Escobar, 43, illegal residing in Phoenix, Arizona; Deysi Marisela Lopez-Ambrosio, 27, illegal residing in Long Beach, California; Franklin Leonardo Chilel-Ramirez, 39, illegal residing in Phoenix, Arizona; Junior Vanegas Portillo, 22, illegal residing in Phoenix, Arizona; Jose Denilson Lopez Chilel, 26, illegal residing in Phoenix, Arizona; and Mildred Yanira Lopez-Ambrosio, 23, illegal residing in Long Beach, California, all citizens of Guatemala, as well as Jose Gianluca Lopez-Perez, 21, of Phoenix, Arizona, Sebastian Rolando Cortez, 22, of Tempe, Arizona, and Carlos Chavez-Hernandez, 22, of Avondale, Arizona.
According to court records, between October 2021 and April 2023, these individuals operated in Luna County, New Mexico, and elsewhere, coordinating and executing the transportation and harboring of undocumented aliens. The organization used peer-to-peer money transfer apps to facilitate payments among co-conspirators and instructed others to pick up and move groups of undocumented individuals in exchange for money.
The organization coordinated pick-ups near the U.S.-Mexico border, including attempts to move individuals from Animas, New Mexico, to Phoenix, Arizona. In one instance, a defendant was apprehended by Border Patrol while en route to pick up a group of undocumented aliens.
To date, four defendants have been sentenced. Junior Vanegas Portillo was sentenced to 37 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Sebastian Rolando Cortez was sentenced to one year of probation. Carlos Chavez-Hernandez was sentenced to time served and two years of supervised release. Jose Denilson Lopez Chilel was sentenced to 45 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Sentencing for the remaining defendants is pending.
As part of his plea agreement, Jose Denilson Lopez Chilel agreed to forfeit several items used in furtherance of the conspiracy. These include two firearms, ammunition, a 2017 Chevrolet Camaro, a 2017 Ford Mustang, a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado and a 2020 Polaris Can-Am Side by Side UTV.
Ronaldo Galindo Lopez-Escobar, 47, of Guatemala City, Guatemala, the alleged leader of the Lopez Crime Family, remains a fugitive.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Special Agent in Charge Jason T. Stevens of U.S. Immigration and Customs and Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) El Paso, made the announcement today.
HSI New Mexico led U.S. investigative efforts, with enforcement assistance from HSI in Arizona and the Central District of California. HSI received investigative assistance from U.S. Border Patrol Deming, Lordsburg, Blythe, El Centro, Yuma, and Tucson, as well as U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center/Operation Sentinel, and the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department. The Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS) of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division also provided support in this matter.
The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Randy Castellano and Alyson Hehr as part of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been elevated with a mandate to target cartels and transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the southwest border, including the Southern District of California, District of Arizona, District of New Mexico, and Western and Southern Districts of Texas. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by HRSP and supported by MLARS; Office of Enforcement Operations; and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, DEA, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 380 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 340 U.S. convictions; more than 290 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.
Detectives have released CCTV footage of a man they wish to speak to following an attempted rape in Finchley on Wednesday, 11 June.
A woman in her 30s reported that a man seriously sexually assaulted her at a cinema in Finchley Road, NW3 at around 15:45hrs. She is currently being supported by specialist officers.
The man can be seen leaving the venue following the incident – walking south down Finchley Road towards Swiss Cottage.
He is described as in his 50s and approximately 5ft 6ins tall, with a slim build. He has dark hair on the sides of his head and was captured on CCTV wearing a black North Face coat and glasses.
Detective Chief Inspector Paul Ridley, leading the Met’s investigation, said: “We are steadfast in our commitment to take those who pose the biggest threat off our streets, so women and girls in London can feel safe going about their daily lives.
“This horrific attack happened in the middle of the day in a busy establishment – highlighting the brazen and opportunistic nature of the offender.
“It is really important we find this man as soon as possible.
“If you have any information to share – particularly if you were in Finchley Road, NW3 on Wednesday afternoon – please contact us on 101 immediately and quote 5365/11JUN.”
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Muhammad Wakil Shahzad, Associate Professor and Head of Subject, Mechanical and Construction Engineering, Northumbria University, Newcastle
Data centres are the invisible engines of our digital world. Every Google search, Netflix stream, cloud-stored photo or ChatGPT response passes through banks of high-powered computers housed in giant facilities scattered across the globe.
These datacentres consume a staggering amount of electricity and increasingly, a surprising amount of water. But unlike the water you use at home, much of the water used in datacentres never returns to the water reuse cycle. This silent drain is drawing concern from environmental scientists. One preprint study (not yet reviewed by other scientists) from 2023 predicted that by 2027 global AI use could consume more water in a year than half of that used by the UK in the same time.
Datacentres typically contain thousands of servers, stacked and running 24/7. These machines generate immense heat, and if not properly cooled, can overheat and fail. This happened in 2022 when the UK endured a heatwave that saw temperatures reach a record-breaking 40° Celsius in some areas, which knocked off Google and Oracle datacentres in London.
To prevent this, datacentres rely heavily on cooling systems, and that’s where water comes in.
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One of the most common methods for cooling datacentres involves mechanical chillers, which work like large fridges. These machines use a fluid called a refrigerant to carry heat away from the servers and release it through a condenser. A lot of water is lost as it turns into vapour during the cooling process, and it cannot be reused.
A 1 megawatt (MW) datacentre (that uses enough electricity to power 1,000 houses) can use up to 25.5 million litres annually. The total data centre capacity in the UK is estimated at approximately 1.6 gigawatts (GW). The global data centre capacity stands at around 59 GW.
Unlike water used in a dishwasher or a toilet, which often returns to a treatment facility to be recycled, the water in cooling systems literally vanishes into the air. It becomes water vapour and escapes into the atmosphere. This fundamental difference is why data centre water use is not comparable to that of typical household use, where water cycles back through municipal systems.
As moisture in the atmosphere that can return to the land as rain, the water datacentres use remains part of Earth’s water cycle – but not all rain water can be recovered.
The water is effectively lost to the local water balance, which is especially critical in drought-prone or water-scarce regions – where two-thirds of datacentres since 2022 have been built. The slow return of this water makes its use for cooling datacentres effectively non-renewable in the short term.
The rise of AI tools like ChatGPT, image generators and voice assistants has made datacentres work much harder. These systems need a lot more computing power, which creates more heat. To stay cool, data centres use more water than ever.
This growing demand is leading to a greater reliance on water-intensive cooling systems, driving up total water consumption even further. The International Energy Agency reported in April 2025 that datacentres now consume more than 560 billion litres of water annually, possibly rising to 1,200 billion litres a year by 2030.
What’s the alternative?
Another method, direct evaporative cooling, pulls hot air from datacentres and passes it through water-soaked pads. As the water evaporates, it cools the air, which is then sent back into server rooms.
While this method is energy-efficient, especially in warmer climates, the added moisture in the air can damage sensitive server equipment. This method requires additional systems to manage and control humidity, which necessitates more complex datacentre design.
My research team and I have developed another method which separates moist and dry air streams in datacentres with a thin aluminium foil, similar to kitchen foil. The hot, dry air passes close to the wet air stream, and heat is transferred through the foil without allowing any moisture to mix. This cools the server rooms in datacentres without adding humidity that could interfere with the equipment.
Trials of this method at Northumbria University’s datacentre have shown it can be more energy-efficient than conventional chillers, and use less water. Powered entirely by solar energy, the system operates without compressors or chemical refrigerants.
As AI continues to expand, the demand on datacentres is expected to skyrocket, along with their water use. We need a global shift in how we design, regulate and power digital infrastructure.
Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?
The Bible Society recently published a report claiming that church attendance in England and Wales increased by more than half between 2018 and 2024. The revival was especially striking among young men, with reported church attendance jumping from 4% to 21% over this short period.
As a quantitative social scientist who has studied religious change in modern societies for more than 25 years, I’m surprised – and sceptical. I do not doubt that the Bible Society acted in good faith, but they haven’t engaged with the mountain of evidence, some of it very recent, pointing to religious decline.
The annual British Social Attitudes survey – widely regarded as the best and most reliable source of data on such matters – shows that the share of adults in England and Wales who said that they were Christian and went to church at least monthly fell by nearly a quarter (from 12.2% to 9.3%) between 2018 and 2023, the last year available. The Bible Society surveys suggest that churchgoers were 8% of the adult population in 2018 and 12% in 2024.
The main Christian denominations (Anglican, Catholic, Methodist, Baptist) conduct and publish their own attendance counts every year. Those show that while churchgoing continues to rebound from the lows of the COVID lockdown, attendance at worship services remains substantially lower than it was in 2019, before the pandemic. In the Church of England, average weekly attendance is down about 20% from pre-pandemic levels, and the story is similar in other denominations.
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The Bible Society report claims that “Catholicism has risen sharply.” According to their figures, Catholics were 23% of churchgoers in 2018 and 31% in 2024. As total churchgoing supposedly increased by 56% over that period, from 3.7 million to 5.8 million, the implication is that Catholic mass attendance has more than doubled.
We know from the Catholic church itself, however, that the reality is far different. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales counted 701,902 people attending Sunday mass in 2019. In 2023, there were 554,913 – a drop of 21%.
The findings are also inconsistent with other data from YouGov, the polling firm that collected the data for the Bible Society. A decade ago, the British Election Study (BES) commissioned YouGov to create an online panel. This panel, which includes more people than the Bible Society surveys, was asked about religious affiliation and church attendance in 2015, 2022 and 2024.
According to YouGov’s data for the BES internet panel, the share of Christian churchgoers in England and Wales declined from 8.0% to 6.6% between 2015 and 2024, whereas YouGov’s surveys for the Bible Society apparently show an increase from 8% to 12% between 2018 and 2024.
The fact that the findings were completely different in the two cases suggests that this kind of polling is not a reliable way of measuring trends in church attendance.
What could be the problem with the data?
Gold standard social surveys are based on random (probability) samples of the population: everyone has a chance to be included. The British Social Attitudes survey is one such example – and found that churchgoing fell by nearly a quarter from 2018-23.
By contrast, people opt in to YouGov’s survey panel and are rewarded after completing a certain number of surveys. The risk of low-quality or even bogus responses is considerable.
YouGov creates a quota sample from its large self-selected panel. The sample will match the population on a number of key characteristics, such as age and sex, but that does not make it representative in all respects. As quota samples do not give each person in the population a known chance of being selected, statistical inference is not possible and findings cannot be reliably generalised.
To write (as in the Bible Society report) that because thousands of people participated in the two surveys, they “give a 1% margin of error at a 99% confidence level” is misleading.
This study is not the first time such non-probability sampling has led to dubious findings. In late 2023, the Economist ran the story that one in five young Americans believed that the Holocaust was a myth, based on another YouGov poll. A study by the Pew Research Center showed that that finding was almost certainly fallacious, and the Economist added a disclaimer acknowledging the problem.
The trouble with young adults
The Bible Society claims that the alleged religious revival is being driven by young people flocking to church (and reading their Bibles). There are numerous reasons to be sceptical of survey findings about young adults. They are what survey researchers call a hard-to-reach population. They tend to be in transition between the parental home and education or employment; they are often out of the house and difficult for interviewers to find or for online survey companies to recruit.
Those who do respond to surveys may not be representative of their age group. They are more likely to be living with their parents, less likely to be out with friends, more likely to be compliant, less likely to be suspicious of authority, and so on. Such characteristics are associated with religious participation.
The Bible Society report claims 21% of men aged 18-24 are regular churchgoers. Yuri A/Shutterstock
Other findings from the report are also surprising. The Bible Society asserts: “Men are now more likely to attend church than women.” Most churchgoers would probably be surprised by this news, which would make England and Wales an exception to the religious gender gap present in most western countries. For example, recent research by Pew in the US has found that, although the gender gap is less pronounced among the youngest adults, “women remain more religious than men … by a variety of measures”.
It would be fascinating to probe all of these issues further, but regrettably the Bible Society has not published the dataset. (When contacted about this, the Bible Society pointed to aggregate statistics published by YouGov and said it plans to publish more summary tables in the coming months.) Open access to all data is now a basic expectation in scientific work.
That the Bible Society report has generated some enthusiastic coverage is not surprising – it appears to challenge conventional wisdom, and there are plenty of anecdotes to be provided as supporting “evidence”.
But this doesn’t mean the data should be taken at face value. We need to place more trust in surveys based on probability sampling and less in data collected from opt-in online panels. That’s particularly the case when people are pushing a story that runs counter to everyday experience – and years of data.
In response to the arguments made in this article, the Bible Society said it was committed to producing rigorous and high-quality research that equips the church and provokes conversation in culture. “We are well aware of the limits of non-probability panels, but also the demonstrated strength of this method in producing valid and actionable insights when paired with quota controls and post-stratification, as widely acknowledged in existing survey methodology literature according to academic standards. [Our data] points to both increased engagement with Christianity and a changing spiritual atmosphere, and we are happy to acknowledge it may be on the upper end of a range that future data sets will nuance.”
A spokesperson for YouGov said: “YouGov’s methodology is robust. We have a proprietary panel of millions of people to take part in our surveys. YouGov draws a sub-sample of the panel that is representative of British adults by range of demographic factors, and invites this sub-sample to complete a survey.”
David Voas does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond his academic appointment.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Colin Alexander, Senior Lecturer in Political Communications, Nottingham Trent University
Jaws turns 50 on June 20. Last year, Quentin Tarantino called Stephen Spielberg’s film “possibly the greatest movie ever made”. Though he was quick to add that it isn’t the best film in terms of script, cinematography or acting, he was convinced that its overall quality as a movie remains unmatched.
I’m not so sure if Jaws is the best movie ever made – but it’s certainly the movie that I like to watch the most. It is as fascinating and multilayered as it is entertaining and depressing. As a researcher of political propaganda, I believe that Jaws had political purpose.
I have watched Jaws well over 50 times and still, with every viewing, I spot a new detail. Just last week I noticed that when police chief Brody (Roy Scheider) leaves his office after the first shark attack, he opens a gate in a white picket fence.
The white picket fence is often used to symbolise the American dream and Brody’s actions are likely intended to symbolise the disruption to the dream’s pursuit of capitalism as he seeks to close the beaches and potentially ruin the town’s tourism season.
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The film was released in June 1975. Just in time for summer holidays spent splashing in the waves (or not!). However, despite its continued acclaim, it didn’t win any of the big Academy Awards in 1976. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest dominated that year. Composer John Williams did, however, win the Oscar for best original score, which I assume you are now humming in your head.
The film is based on the book by Peter Benchley, published a year earlier in 1974. The book’s plot is somewhat different to the film. For example, Matt Hooper – the shark specialist played by Richard Dreyfuss in the film – is eaten by the shark, possibly as an act of retribution for his sins on land. He survives in the film.
Benchley was US president Lyndon Johnson’s (1963-1969) communications advisor before he became an author and so knew Washington’s priorities well. The film was then commissioned before the book had time to become a commercial success, which is somewhat unusual.
The trailer for Jaws.
The shark – powerful, mysterious, dark eyed, stalking the American people and killing without emotion – represents the threat posed by communism. The defeat of this “menace” will require the reunification of American society following its disastrous and fractious involvement in the Vietnam war and political scandals like Watergate.
Hence, the white public sector worker (Brody), the scientist (Hooper) and the military veteran (Quint), put their differences aside to band together on a rickety and ill-equipped boat – the Orca – which was possibly meant to symbolise the wobbling US of its time.
So while Jaws is a parable of societal repair, it is also a story of exclusively white unification amid external threats. The civil rights movement and Vietnam are inextricably linked through the service of young black men to the cause, and yet black characters are conspicuous by their absence from the book and the film. The only black presence in the book is an anonymous gardener who rapes wealthy white women.
Human will to dominate the natural world
In the book, the horror focuses upon human, rather than animal, behaviour. This comes in the form of political corruption, mafia influence, adultery, snobbery, racial prejudice, community disconnect and dishonest journalism. And it occurs as much on land as it does at sea. There is a large section midway through the book where the shark plays no part in the, at times, highly sexual plot.
Spielberg removed many of the undercurrents and insinuations of the book for his adaptation. The film gives less attention to life in the town of Amity and focuses largely on the shark and the horror of its actions.
The irony is that so many characters feel personally offended by an animal capable of instinct alone, when they as humans – capable of reason and choice – behave so badly towards each other. Indeed, the lack of an eco-centric character to defend the shark in both the book or the film is telling.
Brody yells for people to ‘get out of the water’.
The overwhelming horror is instead found in the treatment of the shark and the assertion that it must be killed rather than respected and left alone. Indeed, Jaws represents a parable of the modern human perception of battle against nature. Wherein Brody, Hooper and Quint, despite their differences, are united in their assumption of human superiority and their perspective that the problem ought to be dealt with using violence.
The story of Jaws also speaks to George Orwell’s essay Shooting an Elephant from 1936. It captured the author’s dilemma while working as a police officer in colonial Burma when an elephant disrupted the regular process of capitalism by trampling through a local market.
The philosophers Max Horkheimer and Theodor Adorno referred to the enlightenment as having created a “new barbarity” wherein humans are engaged in a project of destruction. Here then, a shark has had the audacity to behave in an inconvenient way to man’s profiteering from tourism and must be killed.
Indeed, one of the biggest criticisms of the film, which Spielberg has subsequently acknowledged, is its inaccurate representation of shark behaviour and the extent to which the film’s success contributed to the decline of the species.
Ultimately then, Jaws – the book, the film and the reaction of audiences to it – serves as a testimony to the role played by fear within human decision-making. The fear of “others”. Fear of the unknown. Fear of the natural world. Fear of loss of status or reputation.
It’s a testament to the susceptibility of humans to become insular and violent when they are scared, but also to the distorting influence of propagandists in determining what they ought to be afraid of.
This article features references to books that have been included for editorial reasons, and may contain links to bookshop.org. If you click on one of the links and go on to buy something from bookshop.org The Conversation UK may earn a commission.
Colin Alexander does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Following years of grassroots efforts, a driver-led coalition secures commitment from Uber to support statewide legislation that will pave a pathway to unionization
CHICAGO – In a historic breakthrough to transform the rideshare industry and to improve the lives of drivers across the state, the Illinois Drivers Alliance – a coalition powered by drivers and anchored by SEIU Local 1 and IAM Local 701 – announced on Monday that it will file legislation that will at last secure bargaining rights for the more than 100,000 estimated rideshare drivers who reside in Illinois. At the same time, the coalition also announced that after years of grassroots pressure and mobilization, including many protests and rallies aimed at the largest companies in the rideshare industry, Uber has now agreed not to oppose bargaining rights for rideshare drivers in Illinois.
For years, rideshare drivers in Illinois have been united in their demand to have the right to form a union and to bargain with rideshare industry giants. Thousands of drivers have attended rallies, protests, and regular events and meetings organized by SEIU Local 1, IAM Local 701, the Chicago Gig Alliance, among others. Many of these demonstrations and protests, some outside Uber headquarters and others at key rideshare locations like the airport, have been focused on demanding that the companies agree to respect the rights of workers to unionize and bargain for better wages and stronger working conditions.
The victory for drivers in winning such a condition from the company follows another major victory for drivers in Massachusetts, where rideshare drivers secured bargaining rights by passing a ballot referendum in November 2024. That referendum was backed by thousands of rideshare drivers who had been organizing with SEIU and the IAM. It drew support not only from a majority of voters but also countless community and religious allies who understood that workers could not wait any longer to gain the right to unionize in the rideshare industry.
The announcement from the largest rideshare company in the industry, Uber, to support statewide legislation that allows drivers to form a union marks a significant step toward achieving economic justice for rideshare drivers.
The agreement is also the result of years of organizing by the members of the Illinois Drivers Alliance and the Chicago Gig Alliance to advance the Chicago Rideshare Living Wage and Safety Ordinance, which, until now, had been set to face a vote in the City Council this week.
The aggressive organizing action around the ordinance played a key role in driving the company to commit to working cooperatively to pass state legislation that would grant workers the right to join a union. Due to loopholes and restrictions in current federal labor regulations, state-level legislation needs to be passed in order to allow rideshare drivers to bargain to improve pay and working conditions.
“This breakthrough would not have been possible without the courage and efforts of drivers shining the light on their safety and working conditions. The Illinois Drivers Alliance, the Chicago Gig Alliance, and their many allies, along with Workforce Committee Chair Ald. Michael Rodriguez (22) laid the groundwork by pushing the envelope at the city level. That forced the largest rideshare company in Illinois to begin reckoning with the fact that opposing bargaining was an untenable position in our city and our state,” said Illinois Drivers Alliance leader and IAM Midwest Territory Special Representative Ronnie Gonzalez. “Ald. Rodriguez’s dedication to improving the lives of workers was essential in paving the way for this unprecedented agreement and the path to union rights for rideshare drivers.”
“This is a historic day for Illinois rideshare drivers, not just in Chicago but all across Illinois who are leading the fight to unionize, which would improve their working conditions, pay standards, and give them a voice on the job,” said Illinois Drivers Alliance leader and SEIU Local 1 President Genie Kastrup. “With state legislation, we will be able to reach beyond city limits to lift up hundreds of thousands of drivers across Illinois. Real change can only happen when workers have a union and a voice at the table. We’re ready to take this fight to Springfield and win the future of rideshare.”
“Illinois rideshare drivers have been leading the way toward a union and a voice on the job for years,” said IAM Union Midwest Territory General Vice President Sam Cicinelli. “Today’s announcement brings us closer than ever to statewide legislation that delivers the right to union representation for Illinois rideshare drivers. Together, the Illinois Drivers Alliance and thousands of rideshare drivers in Illinois are ready to pass landmark legislation in Springfield that raises wages, increases safety standards, and makes the rideshare industry work for the drivers who make it all possible.”
“The Chicago Gig Alliance has been organizing workers to win better wages, more safety, and stronger worker protections for drivers since 2019,” said Chicago Gig Alliance Lead Organizer and driver Lori Simmons. The Fairshare Ordinance was the result of years of hard work and dedication by Chicago Gig Alliance members. Although we are extremely disappointed that we will not see the ordinance come to fruition at the city level in the way that we had hoped, we are also incredibly excited about the opportunity to create real and lasting driver power on a much larger scale as a member of the Illinois Drivers Alliance.”
“This is a huge victory for rideshare drivers and the broader fight for economic justice in our city and state,” said Ald. Rodriguez. “Our job as public servants is to improve the lives of working people. This agreement between Uber and the Illinois Drivers Alliance does just that. I am grateful for our work with the Chicago Gig Alliance on the Fairshare Ordinance as we laid the groundwork for a future where drivers are treated with dignity, have a real voice on the job, and can shape the conditions they work under. This is what progress looks like.”
“As an Uber driver who has organized for a union for years, today is a testament to the driver power we continue to build upon,” said Chicagoland Uber driver Mark Ballentine. “We know that the only way to a better life for rideshare drivers is a union and a strong voice on the job. We’re energized and ready to pass statewide legislation that gives us the freedom to negotiate better pay, benefits and work rules through the power of a union.”
Rideshare drivers with the Illinois Drivers Alliance, the Chicago Gig Alliance and their allies will now work to advance legislation in Springfield that secures union rights for drivers and establishes a statewide framework for bargaining in the rideshare industry.
While the details of the bargaining bill are being finalized, the bill is expected to draw some inspiration from reforms recently passed by ballot referendum in Massachusetts, where drivers won the right to a union in November 2024.
The Illinois Drivers Alliance is a coalition of thousands of rideshare drivers across the state, powered by SEIU Local 1 and IAM Local 701. Together, we’re fighting for a legal pathway to unionization because drivers deserve the same rights and protections as every other worker. For years, drivers have been organizing with SEIU and IAM to demand fair pay, stronger protections, and a real voice on the job. Now, we’re calling on lawmakers at every level to stand with drivers and pass legislation that ensures our right to organize and build power that lasts.
The post Illinois Drivers Alliance Announces Historic Breakthrough that Paves the Way for 100,000+ Drivers to Form a Union and Bargain to Improve Pay and Working Conditions appeared first on IAM Union.
Source: United States Senator for New York Charles E Schumer
Buffalo Clean Energy Biz Like Solar Liberty Were Boosted By Federal Clean Energy Incentives – But Now Face Major Issues For Future Of Business Under GOP Job-Killing Bill – And Families Who Tap These Programs To Lower Their Energy Bills In WNY Could Be Left High & Dry
House GOP Rushed Trump’s Tax Giveaway To Billionaires, Gutting Fed Clean Energy Tax Credits That Lower Energy Costs and Boost & Local Jobs –Now Even House Rs Are Regretting It, Asking Senate GOP To Reverse Cuts They Voted For; Senator – With Impacted Buffalo Businesses, Families, Union Workers – Shows Local Impact Of These Cuts, Demands GOP Block It
Schumer: ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ Is A ‘Big, Bad Blow’ To Western NY Jobs, Families & Businesses
Standing at Buffalo’s Solar Liberty, one of the largest solar installers in the region, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer warned how the GOP plan to kill clean energy tax credits could raise energy costs for Western NY families, slash local jobs, and devastate Buffalo’s clean energy businesses & manufacturers.
Schumer explained these unpopular, job-killing cuts in Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” have already created panic among House Republicans and companies, and even House Republicans who voted for this bill last month are now begging to save these tax credits. Schumer said Solar Liberty is just one of many local Buffalo businesses that could be decimated by this bill and demanded the GOP block these tax hikes that could devastate Buffalo families and small businesses.
“Right now, we are at Defcon 1 for America’s clean energy future. Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ would deal a ‘big bad blow’ to Buffalo, raising families’ energy costs and killing good-paying local jobs. These federal clean energy investments have boosted Buffalo’s businesses, like Solar Liberty, which is helping families and businesses save on their monthly energy bills. The current GOP bill would decimate the programs these companies rely on, which will kill jobs and drive up energy costs for consumers,” said Senator Schumer. “It guts investment to bring clean energy manufacturing back from overseas and eliminates one of the most effective tax credits middle-class families use to lower their monthly energy bills and that Buffalo families use to help weatherize their homes to make them warmer in the winter, all to give bigger breaks to billionaires; It’s outrageous. America needs to be producing more energy, investing in making sure these jobs grow in places like Buffalo, not go back overseas. That’s why I’m demanding Republicans to stop this plan to gut America’s clean energy future and block these tax hikes that will hurt Buffalo families’ wallets and decimate jobs.”
Schumer was joined by workers from leading clean energy company Solar Liberty, who said the elimination of these investments would be a massive blow to their businesses, employees, and customers. Buffalo’s Solar Liberty employs nearly 100 workers and has helped thousands of families and businesses across the Northeast install solar panels for over two decades, reducing their energy bills by hundreds or even thousands per year.
Three years ago, new and expanded clean energy tax credits created in the Inflation Reduction Act expanded Solar Liberty’s ability to bring the manufacturing of solar energy parts back to Western New York. Solar Liberty is growing rapidly by building out community solar projects, partnering with schools and nonprofits to take advantage of new direct-pay credits, and expanding battery storage, now eligible for a 30% federal tax credit even when deployed without solar. These IRA-driven incentives have not only boosted deployment and manufacturing but are also helping underserved communities and energy transition hubs across Western New York access affordable, reliable, clean power.
However, the House GOP bill would make it more difficult for both residents and businesses to work with Solar Liberty to install solar panels. Cutting the Residential Clean Energy Credit – which gives New York families a 30% discount on home energy improvements, like solar panels – would make the cost of installing solar panels skyrocket for hardworking families, gutting Solar Liberty’s main customer base. Schumer said if this bill passes, it will pull the rug out from under Solar Liberty just as it is growing, rendering their investments in Buffalo worthless and forcing them to lay off local workers.
“Since 2005, the Federal Investment Tax Credit has supported 280,000 American jobs, strengthened energy independence, and delivered cost-saving solutions for millions of families and businesses,” said Adam Rizzo, President of Solar Liberty. “As energy demand accelerates, solar’s unmatched speed of deployment makes it one of the most effective tools we have to strengthen America’s energy future. We’re grateful to Senator Schumer for his steadfast support in advancing solar energy and helping drive this progress forward.”
Brian Gould, retired Cheektowaga Police Chief, hired Solar Liberty to install solar panels with help from the Residential Clean Energy Tax Credit. Gould said the cost would have been prohibitive without these tax credits, but now he is saving over $1,000 every year on his energy bill. If these tax credits are repealed, the cost of making homes more energy efficient will skyrocket, and families like Gould’s would not have the support they need to bring their energy costs down. Thousands of families across New York State are waiting to see what the GOP does in Washington and are holding off on new clean energy installations, hurting companies like Solar Liberty and the thousands of workers in the clean energy industry. Singer Farm Naturals used the 30% Federal Investment Tax Credit to install two solar arrays, cutting a significant portion of their upfront costs and lowering long-term energy expenses. Programs like this, along with USDA Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) grants, have been essential to keeping operating costs down — and are now under threat in the proposed federal budget.
“As a homeowner who installed solar back in 2013, I know firsthand how important federal tax credits are in making clean energy affordable,” said Brian Gould, a residential solar customer. “Those incentives made it possible for me to go solar—and today, I save over $1,000 a year on my electric bills. The Inflation Reduction Act builds on that foundation, making it easier than ever for families to make the switch. These credits are helping more people access solar, lower their energy costs, and invest in a cleaner future. Rolling them back now would make home solar harder to afford and deny others the same opportunity I had to take control of my energy and support local jobs.”
The GOP bill would kill clean energy incentives already benefiting hundreds of New York businesses with ongoing projects and the families who are using them to help improve their homes’ energy efficiency and lower their electric bills. Schumer specifically highlighted how the bill:
Eliminates the Energy Efficient Home Improvement Tax Credit, which provides families in New York up to $3,200 to help weatherize their homes for better protection in the harsh winters and make improvements to their home’s energy efficiency, lowering their electric bills with qualifying items like doors, windows, better insulation and heat pumps, and more.
Eliminates the Residential Clean Energy Credit, which gives New York families a 30% discount on home energy improvements, like solar panels, heat pumps, or energy storage, that help lower energy bills and keep the lights on during power outages.
It isn’t just solar that would be hurt; these cuts hurt businesses across the clean energy sector and its supply chains. Viridi Parente,a fast-growing company on Buffalo’s East Side, has added hundreds of good-paying jobs, growing the domestic battery manufacturing industry with support from clean energy tax credits created by the Inflation Reduction Act, such as the Advanced Manufacturing Production tax credit. Viridi Parente helped breathe new life into the former American Axle Factory, which was once the beating heart of the community. However, if the GOP bill becomes law, it would be a major blow to Viridi Parente’s progress in growing the domestic battery manufacturing industry, gutting federal investment at a time when it is critically needed.
Schumer said clean energy tax incentives have spurred a clean energy boom in New York State, and rolling them back would have devastating impacts. The Clean Economy Tracker estimates the Inflation Reduction Act’s incentives have spurred over $5 billion worth of investments in clean manufacturing in New York, creating over 7,200 jobs. Data from NERA Economic Consulting shows that repealing clean energy tax credits could cause New York to lose up to 20,300 jobs as clean energy projects are cancelled or scaled back, with a whopping nearly $3.5 billion hit to the state’s GDP, and New Yorkers paying up to $650 in higher energy costs each year by 2032 if these devastating cuts become law.
Already, Republicans have shown doubts about the provisions in this bill. Earlier this month, thirteen House Republicans sent a letter to Senate Republican leaders urging them to scale back clean energy cuts in the “Big, Beautiful Bill” – the very bill their votes helped pass in the House.
“The fight is far from over. House Republicans’ latest flip-flopping shows our pressure is working, and we have a real opportunity to get them to go back to the drawing board on this bill, and stop their attacks to totally eliminate these clean energy tax credits. And we are doing that by showing the real-world impacts, the jobs lost, and lives devastated by their brutal cuts,” added Schumer.
Schumer said if this House Republican plan goes through, many of the clean energy projects spurred by the IRA could be forced to scale back or even stop, the workers building the future of American energy would be laid off, and projects that otherwise would have plugged into the grid will never come to fruition. That would impact both major NY employers and manufacturers in the clean energy, manufacturing, electric vehicle, battery, and research sectors, and also our small businesses and major economic projects slated to come to New York. Schumer said the House Republican bill would repeal the very parts of the Inflation Reduction Act that have helped companies grow in New York and spurred millions of investments, many of which are in Republican districts such as:
Eliminates the Clean Electricity Investment & Production Credits that support more cheap, clean electricity. With natural gas turbines on a five-year delay, the IRA’s clean electricity tax credits have ensured a robust buildout of wind and solar power while spurring demand for American-made energy products and helping keep electricity prices from increasing.
Sabotages the Advanced Manufacturing Investment Tax Credit that has generated a more than five-fold increase in investment in manufacturing in the solar and EV supply chains, creating thousands of good-paying jobs and shifting these industries out of China to the U.S.
Eliminates the IRA’s Electric Vehicle Tax Credits that make it cheaper to buy new and used electric and plug-in hybrid cars, and has led to a massive onshoring of EV and battery supply chain manufacturing, undercutting China and bolstering American companies.
Eliminates the New Energy-Efficient Home Credit that makes it cheaper to build new, highly efficient and affordable homes, expanding the housing supply while reducing energy costs.
Eliminates the Clean Hydrogen Production Tax Credit that supports American-made clean hydrogen, led by New York companies like Plug Power and Air Products, to be used for clean manufacturing and agriculture.
Repealing the clean energy tax incentives would also be a disaster for America that Schumer said would cede energy manufacturing leadership to China, which already produces a significant amount of the world’s clean technologies like solar panels, wind turbines, and batteries. If companies can no longer support clean energy manufacturing in the United States, they will bring these projects to America’s competitors, and jobs that would’ve otherwise been created in America will be created in countries like China. This will destabilize American supply chains and make American families and businesses reliant on China and other foreign countries for cheap energy.
“We’re grateful to Senator Schumer for providing strong, common-sense leadership at a time when what we’ve fought so hard to deliver for working people is being threatened by this administration. Organized Labor has fought nationally for generational investments in clean energy and a green transition away from fossil fuels, and we’ve won many of those fights with Senator Schumer’s support. Now those wins are being threatened. The climate crisis is already making workers less safe on the job. From blistering farm fields to sweltering classrooms, workers will continue to suffer and die as long as the current President and Congress continue to deny scientific consensus and defund projects and programs that set us on an environmentally stable path. Working families in Buffalo know better than most the devastation of changing industry and the benefits of renewable energy sources for our communities. Corporate and political greed—lining the pockets of billionaires at workers’ expense—is unsustainable, and we’ll keep fighting it every step of the way forward,” said Buffalo Central Labor Council President Denise Abbott.
“Clean Air members are working class people who have suffered the brunt of pollution from the burning of gas and coal for energy. Clean energy tax credits can lower our energy bills, reduce pollution protecting our health, and provide family- sustaining jobs. he house bill is a bad deal for the working class. We stand with Senator Schumer to ask that these clean energy credits be protected,” saidChris Murawski, Executive Director, Clean Air Coalition of Western New York.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager California (37th District)
LOS ANGELES – Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37) and Mayor Bass were joined today by nearly 30 Congressional and state legislators to call for an end to immigration raids ahead of the President’s military march this weekend.Watch the press conference here.
Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove
“Trump is manufacturing chaos in Los Angeles, using our city as his movie set to justify his authoritarian crackdowns and cruel ICE raids. This is all a distraction. To distract from the fact that Trump isn’t going after ‘criminals,’ but citizens, legal immigrants, and immigrants seeking legal status the right way. To distract from his effort to cut $880 billion from Medicaid. To distract from his destruction of our economy through his Temper Tariffs. These are the real issues that the American people care about—and we will not be distracted.”
Mayor Karen Bass
“We are here today because the White House ordered raids of home depots, they took over our state’s national guard, and they activated the U.S. Marines. Let me be clear – Los Angeles is not a war zone. What you’re seeing and hearing out of this Administration is not representative of our city, of our state, of our country. The Trump Administration has caused unnecessary chaos and fear in our city and across the country. It’s not keeping anyone safe. We’ve come together today to demonstrate the American values of tolerance, freedom, and a respect for our Constitution and to show the world what L.A. is really about.”
Senate President Pro Tem Mike McGuire
“Our rights, our freedoms, and our Constitution are under attack. America’s armed forces have been illegally deployed in our communities, our representatives have been threatened and detained, and a sitting U.S. Senator has been handcuffed and muzzled. Today, it’s Los Angeles County in the crosshairs, but make no mistake, tomorrow it could be your community, your neighborhood, or your family. These are the actions of an authoritarian not the leader of the free world. This cannot continue. We’re grateful to Mayor Bass for standing up for all Angelenos and demanding action and accountability from the Trump Administration.”
Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas
“Here in California, we are not going to be intimidated. I stand as the first Speaker of the California State Assembly born to immigrant farmworkers. This is personal. My family came from Mexico seeking opportunity, and they found it — in the fields, in the classroom and in the promise of this state. That promise still belongs to every Californian, no matter where they were born or how long they’ve been here.”
Congresswoman Judy Chu
“Tonight, I am honored to stand alongside local and federal leaders in Los Angeles to demand an end to the ICE raids and to speak out against Trump’s dangerous militarization of our communities. This is not what public safety looks like, this is fear, intimidation, and overreach. Enough is enough, Los Angeles deserves peace, dignity, and compassion, not armored vehicles and mass arrests.”
Congressman Mark Takano
“I am proud of this state, I am proud of the community which I represent, and I am proud of the leadership of this state who are showing the world that we will not be ruled by a king. We will continue to use our voice to object to ICE’s inflammatory tactics to meet arbitrary deportation quotas. My community and constituents deserve more out of a President and our Country.”
Congresswoman Norma Torres
“We will not stand by as we see the Trump Administration break the law and harm our state. They are continuing to deploy ICE, the National Guard and the Marines into our city streets without legal authority or coordination with local officials. That’s not just dangerous—it’s unlawful and unnecessary. This kind of unilateral action wastes taxpayer dollars and directly undermines the stability of California—the world’s fourth-largest economy and the backbone of the United States. I am proud to see California’s Congressional Delegation and Mayor Bass standing united to protect our communities, uphold the rule of law, and support the people of Los Angeles.”
Assemblymember Tina McKinnor
“This President and his Administration? They not like us. On behalf of the 10 million people that call LA County home, we have a simple message for the current President of the United States. STOP. Mr. President, stop violating the constitutional rights of the people of LA County. Mr. President, stop violating the due process rights of the people of LA County. Mr. President, stop provoking fear and violence in LA County. LA is strong, diverse and resilient. Our resilience is our strength and we will not be intimidated by anyone threatening our peace. Including threats by this President.”
Senator María Elena Durazo “The Trump Administration is detaining everyday workers, denying them due process, and summarily deporting them. It’s deploying military forces against our own peaceful citizens. Make no mistake, this is an unprecedented assault on our democracy. We all must organize peacefully, defend our communities from this authoritarian overreach, and stand united in our defense to protect everyone’s constitutional rights.”
Assemblymember Mark González “I’m not just speaking today as an Assemblymember — I’m speaking as a son of Los Angeles. I grew up in these neighborhoods. I’ve seen the fear ICE has brought into our homes — parents hiding, children walking alone, families torn apart. This is not justice. This is trauma. But Los Angeles does not live in fear — we rise in love, in courage, and in community. I want to thank Mayor Karen Bass for her steady, principled leadership in this moment. She’s shown what it means to lead with both strength and compassion. So I’m calling on our people: check on your neighbors. Show up for one another. Speak out, organize, and lead with the values that built this city. Because when we stand together, no raid, no troop, no fear can divide us. This is Los Angeles. And we take care of our own.”
Assemblymember José Luis Solache
“The families I represent are hardworking people who came here to chase their dreams, not to be treated like criminals. They contribute to our economy, they strengthen our communities, and they deserve dignity. I urge the President to stop these raids, return federal resources to where they belong, and respect the humanity of our people. We stand with peaceful demonstrations, and we will continue to lift our voices with unity and heart.”
Attendees:
Rep. Sydney Kamlager Dove,California’s 37th Congressional District
Sen. Mike McGuire,California State Senate Pro Tempore
Asm. Robert Rivas,California State Assembly Speaker
Rep. Judy Chu,California’s 28th Congressional District
Rep. Mark Takano,California’s 39th Congressional District
Rep. Norma Torres,California’s 35th Congressional District
Asm. Tina McKinnor,State Assembly District 61
Sen. María Elena Durazo,State Senate District 26
Asm. Mark Gonzalez,State Assembly District 54
Asm. José Solache,State Assembly District 62
Sen. Laura Richardson,State Senate District 35
Sen. Caroline Menjivar,State Senate District 20
Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas,State Senate District 28
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager California (37th District)
LOS ANGELES – Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37) and Mayor Bass were joined today by nearly 30 Congressional and state legislators to call for an end to immigration raids ahead of the President’s military march this weekend.Watch the press conference here.
Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove
“Trump is manufacturing chaos in Los Angeles, using our city as his movie set to justify his authoritarian crackdowns and cruel ICE raids. This is all a distraction. To distract from the fact that Trump isn’t going after ‘criminals,’ but citizens, legal immigrants, and immigrants seeking legal status the right way. To distract from his effort to cut $880 billion from Medicaid. To distract from his destruction of our economy through his Temper Tariffs. These are the real issues that the American people care about—and we will not be distracted.”
Mayor Karen Bass
“We are here today because the White House ordered raids of home depots, they took over our state’s national guard, and they activated the U.S. Marines. Let me be clear – Los Angeles is not a war zone. What you’re seeing and hearing out of this Administration is not representative of our city, of our state, of our country. The Trump Administration has caused unnecessary chaos and fear in our city and across the country. It’s not keeping anyone safe. We’ve come together today to demonstrate the American values of tolerance, freedom, and a respect for our Constitution and to show the world what L.A. is really about.”
Senate President Pro Tem Mike McGuire
“Our rights, our freedoms, and our Constitution are under attack. America’s armed forces have been illegally deployed in our communities, our representatives have been threatened and detained, and a sitting U.S. Senator has been handcuffed and muzzled. Today, it’s Los Angeles County in the crosshairs, but make no mistake, tomorrow it could be your community, your neighborhood, or your family. These are the actions of an authoritarian not the leader of the free world. This cannot continue. We’re grateful to Mayor Bass for standing up for all Angelenos and demanding action and accountability from the Trump Administration.”
Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas
“Here in California, we are not going to be intimidated. I stand as the first Speaker of the California State Assembly born to immigrant farmworkers. This is personal. My family came from Mexico seeking opportunity, and they found it — in the fields, in the classroom and in the promise of this state. That promise still belongs to every Californian, no matter where they were born or how long they’ve been here.”
Congresswoman Judy Chu
“Tonight, I am honored to stand alongside local and federal leaders in Los Angeles to demand an end to the ICE raids and to speak out against Trump’s dangerous militarization of our communities. This is not what public safety looks like, this is fear, intimidation, and overreach. Enough is enough, Los Angeles deserves peace, dignity, and compassion, not armored vehicles and mass arrests.”
Congressman Mark Takano
“I am proud of this state, I am proud of the community which I represent, and I am proud of the leadership of this state who are showing the world that we will not be ruled by a king. We will continue to use our voice to object to ICE’s inflammatory tactics to meet arbitrary deportation quotas. My community and constituents deserve more out of a President and our Country.”
Congresswoman Norma Torres
“We will not stand by as we see the Trump Administration break the law and harm our state. They are continuing to deploy ICE, the National Guard and the Marines into our city streets without legal authority or coordination with local officials. That’s not just dangerous—it’s unlawful and unnecessary. This kind of unilateral action wastes taxpayer dollars and directly undermines the stability of California—the world’s fourth-largest economy and the backbone of the United States. I am proud to see California’s Congressional Delegation and Mayor Bass standing united to protect our communities, uphold the rule of law, and support the people of Los Angeles.”
Assemblymember Tina McKinnor
“This President and his Administration? They not like us. On behalf of the 10 million people that call LA County home, we have a simple message for the current President of the United States. STOP. Mr. President, stop violating the constitutional rights of the people of LA County. Mr. President, stop violating the due process rights of the people of LA County. Mr. President, stop provoking fear and violence in LA County. LA is strong, diverse and resilient. Our resilience is our strength and we will not be intimidated by anyone threatening our peace. Including threats by this President.”
Senator María Elena Durazo “The Trump Administration is detaining everyday workers, denying them due process, and summarily deporting them. It’s deploying military forces against our own peaceful citizens. Make no mistake, this is an unprecedented assault on our democracy. We all must organize peacefully, defend our communities from this authoritarian overreach, and stand united in our defense to protect everyone’s constitutional rights.”
Assemblymember Mark González “I’m not just speaking today as an Assemblymember — I’m speaking as a son of Los Angeles. I grew up in these neighborhoods. I’ve seen the fear ICE has brought into our homes — parents hiding, children walking alone, families torn apart. This is not justice. This is trauma. But Los Angeles does not live in fear — we rise in love, in courage, and in community. I want to thank Mayor Karen Bass for her steady, principled leadership in this moment. She’s shown what it means to lead with both strength and compassion. So I’m calling on our people: check on your neighbors. Show up for one another. Speak out, organize, and lead with the values that built this city. Because when we stand together, no raid, no troop, no fear can divide us. This is Los Angeles. And we take care of our own.”
Assemblymember José Luis Solache
“The families I represent are hardworking people who came here to chase their dreams, not to be treated like criminals. They contribute to our economy, they strengthen our communities, and they deserve dignity. I urge the President to stop these raids, return federal resources to where they belong, and respect the humanity of our people. We stand with peaceful demonstrations, and we will continue to lift our voices with unity and heart.”
Attendees:
Rep. Sydney Kamlager Dove,California’s 37th Congressional District
Sen. Mike McGuire,California State Senate Pro Tempore
Asm. Robert Rivas,California State Assembly Speaker
Rep. Judy Chu,California’s 28th Congressional District
Rep. Mark Takano,California’s 39th Congressional District
Rep. Norma Torres,California’s 35th Congressional District
Asm. Tina McKinnor,State Assembly District 61
Sen. María Elena Durazo,State Senate District 26
Asm. Mark Gonzalez,State Assembly District 54
Asm. José Solache,State Assembly District 62
Sen. Laura Richardson,State Senate District 35
Sen. Caroline Menjivar,State Senate District 20
Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas,State Senate District 28
Gosford Forest Park was buzzing with activity on Saturday 14th June as the Armagh County Show brought together the best of rural life. Organised by the Armagh Show Committee and supported by Council, this year’s event proved once again why the show is a cherished highlight of the agricultural calendar.
Despite the wet weather, the show was a true celebration of farming, food, family, and fun, and welcomed farmers, producers, makers, and visitors of all ages to experience a full day of competitions, displays, demonstrations, and entertainment.
From champion livestock and equestrian classes to mouth-watering local produce in the Food Heartland showcase and impressive machinery exhibitions, the show offered something for everyone.
Lord Mayor, Alderman Stephen Moutray said: “The Armagh County Show continues to go from strength to strength, and it was a real pleasure to attend this year’s event and meet so many passionate individuals – from livestock exhibitors and food producers to volunteers and families enjoying the day out. Events like this are the heartbeat of our rural communities and play a vital role in sustaining our agricultural traditions while supporting our local economy. Huge congratulations to the organisers for another outstanding show.”
Among the many highlights was the Food Heartland Showcase, which brought together some of the borough’s finest artisan producers and food businesses. Promoting the best of local food and drink, it proved a major draw for food lovers and those keen to sample and shop local.
The Council is proud to support the Armagh County Show as part of its wider commitment to promoting the borough as Northern Ireland’s Food Heartland, recognising and celebrating the vital role the agri-food sector plays in local life and the regional economy.
To learn more about the Food Heartland and its producers, contact:
Electrify Expo brings in its largest exhibitor participation ever to a new venue at the Port of LA
Kia, Volvo and Lexus will debut their most anticipated new vehicles alongside current models
Tesla will offer the exclusive opportunity for self driving demos at the LA festival
Notable new exhibitors include Karma Automotive, Drako Motors, Verge Motorcycles, ChargePoint and more
The first eVOTL personal aircraft, Pivotal Helix, will join the lineup in LA
Two ticket options available, with general admission starting at $20
Festival runs June 21-22 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; tickets availableonlineand in person
LOS ANGELES, June 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Electrify Expo, North America’s largest electric vehicle (EV) and technology festival, is returning to Southern California with its largest lineup of exhibitors ever. The festival will take over the Port of LA for the first time, bringing over 1 million square feet of electric demos, experiences, entertainment zones and never-before-seen electric vehicles. Electrify Expo welcomes new exhibitors to join the EV festival including ChargePoint, Verge Motorcycles, Karma Automotive, Drako Motors and many others.
California continues to lead the nation in EV adoption, standing out as a hub for innovation and consumer demand. As more drivers explore what going electric means, they’re looking for flexible options that fit their lifestyle, whether that’s fully electric vehicles, hybrids or e-bikes. According to the California New Car Dealers Association’s auto outlook released in April 2025, hybrids now hold 17.9% of the automotive market share in the state. At Electrify Expo attendees will experience the full spectrum of electric offerings, making it the ideal place for first-time shoppers, long-time enthusiasts and even skeptics.
“California has long led the way in EV adoption, but we’re now seeing a fresh wave of interest from consumers who have been watching from the sidelines—many of whom are now waking up to the practicality of EVs,” said BJ Birtwell, CEO and Founder of Electrify Expo. “Today’s EVs are more affordable, go farther than ever and charge faster than people think. They are the clear practical choice in California where EV infrastructure is abundant and gas prices are surging. We’re ready to bring the festival back to LA with more brands, more options and more excitement than ever.”
New Attractions for Los Angeles:
For the first time ever, Electrify Expo will have the Pivotal Helix, an eVTOL personal aircraft, on display for attendees to experience the future of transportation with SoFly.
The all-new, fully electric Volvo EX30 Cross Country is making its North American debut in Los Angeles, showcasing how big experiences can come in a small SUV. Joining it is the refreshed Volvo XC60 Plug-In Hybrid, on public display for one of the first times, highlighting one of the Swedish automaker’s best-selling SUVs designed to suit every kind of driver.
Be among the first to experience the all-new 2026 Lexus ES 500e, making its public debut at Electrify Expo LA. Joining the spotlight is the enhanced 2026 Lexus RZ 350e—part of a new, extended lineup engineered for more power, greater efficiency, and an even more dynamic drive.
As seen at auto shows, Kia is bringing its all-new EV9 ADVNTR CONCEPT, an all-electric SUV built for extreme yet sustainable off-road adventure based on the successful 3-row EV9.
Join Ford for hot laps in the Mustang Mach-E GT with professional drivers at the Ford Thrill Zone and take the wheel yourself with test drives of the Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning, as well as have the chance to see a one-of-a-kind adventure-focused Mustang Mach-E Rally built by off-road racer Jim Beaver.
General Motors brands including Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC will be bringing every electric offering, marking their first Electrify Expo California stop.
Verge Motorcycles joins the Electrify Expo roster and will have its California Edition, homage to the Californian way of life, available for demos and on display.
Former professional NBA basketball player turned Los Angeles Clippers TV analyst, Corey Maggette will have a meet and greet on Saturday, June 21 from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at the Kia booth.
The Electric Freestyle Motocross Stunt Zone will feature X Games Gold Medalist Destin Cantrell and his freestyle MX team, who will jump and soar with electric dirt bikes in thrilling live performances at select times over the weekend.
Electrify Race League will host its championship event with the top athletes in e-mobility from across the nation for a thrilling series of competitions.
Attendees will take the driver’s seat in the newest electric vehicles from top automakers, including:
Ford
Lexus
Lucid
Tesla
Toyota
Volvo
Cadillac
Chevrolet
GMC
Kia
Rivian
Drako Motors
Karma Automotive
Top micromobility brands invite attendees to cruise around with the hottest e-bikes, e-scooters, e-motorcycles and other electric rideables on the market, including:
Verge Motorcycles
P-51 Bikes
ONYX Motors
Can-Am
GoTrax
SUPER73
Jack Rabbit
Monday Motorbikes
E-Z-GO
… and many more!
Electrify Expo’s gates will open at 9 a.m. on Saturday, June 21 and Sunday, June 22, with the full day of festivities concluding at 5 p.m. Tickets are available for purchase in person and online.
For the 2025 LA festival, Electrify Expo will offer two ticket options to suit every attendee’s needs:
General Admission Pass ($20): All day access to the festival and demo experiences.
Power Pack ($55): The best of both worlds, early entry plus priority access for the ultimate experience.
About Electrify Expo Electrify Expo is North America’s largest electric vehicle (EV) and technology festival, where consumers come to shop and experience all things electric. The festival showcases the industry’s leading brands and exciting startups through hands-on activations, demos and experiences spanning EVs, micromobility, solar energy, charging solutions, powersports, automotive aftermarket, and connected home technology, providing attendees with immersive learning opportunities and memorable interactions. From high-powered demo courses to engaging education zones, Electrify Expo offers a unique festival vibe for consumers to reshape what they think they know about EVs. In 2025, Electrify Expo’s nationwide tour will visit Orlando, Phoenix, Dallas, Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago and New York. To stay up to date on the latest news and announcements from Electrify Expo, visit www.electrifyexpo.com and follow on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
San Francisco, CA, June 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — LambdaTest, a unified agentic AI and cloud engineering platform, has unveiled its Accessibility MCP Server, a powerful new solution designed to streamline accessibility testing for modern web applications. This server empowers developers to identify, understand, and resolve accessibility issues in both publicly hosted websites and front-end React applications still in development.
By leveraging the Model Context Protocol (MCP), the server simplifies the integration of AI assistance, enabling efficient interaction with accessibility tools. Users receive detailed, actionable insights that not only highlight accessibility barriers but also guide teams through effective remediation.
The Accessibility MCP Server currently offers three core tools: an Accessibility Report that instantly generates a comprehensive accessibility report for public URLs, A local build app tool allowing developers to build and serve their local React app to identify accessibility issues during development and Analyze App that helps in local app tests analysis, which are already running in LambdaTest via LambdaTest tunnel for accessibility failures.
LambdaTest’s Accessibility MCP Server generates comprehensive reports that can be shared across teams, supporting collaborative issue resolution. Developers using AI assistants such as Cline can connect to the server with minimal setup. Once connected, Cline can automatically analyze websites or local apps, deliver accessibility reports, and even suggest or implement fixes directly within the codebase.
For local development, developers can serve their application through a LambdaTest Tunnel and instruct Cline to analyze the app. The tool identifies accessibility violations, provides automated suggestions for remediation, and delivers a detailed report. This workflow enables developers to address compliance directly within their development environment.
“At LambdaTest, our mission is to empower developers with tools that make building inclusive digital experiences both simple and scalable,” said Jay Singh, Co-Founder and Head of Product at LambdaTest. “The Accessibility MCP Server is a major step forward in that vision—bridging the gap between accessibility compliance and everyday development workflows through the power of AI and seamless automation.”
LambdaTest is an AI-native, omnichannel software quality platform that empowers businesses to accelerate time to market through intelligent, cloud-based test authoring, orchestration, and execution. With over 15,000 customers and 2.3 million+ users across 130+ countries, LambdaTest is the trusted choice for modern software testing.
Browser & App Testing Cloud: Enables manual and automated testing of web and mobile apps across 10,000+ browsers, real devices, and OS environments, ensuring cross-platform consistency.
HyperExecute: An AI-native test execution and orchestration cloud that runs tests up to 70% faster than traditional grids, offering smart test distribution, automatic retries, real-time logs, and seamless CI/CD integration.
KaneAI: The world’s first GenAI-native testing agent, leveraging LLMs for effortless test creation, intelligent automation, and self-evolving test execution. It integrates directly with Jira, Slack, GitHub, and other DevOps tools.
Kaltura (Nasdaq: KLTR), the AI Video Cloud, today announced that it has partnered with Canadian television network APTN (Aboriginal Peoples Television Network) to power APTN lumi, a streaming service that delivers content to Indigenous communities across Canada and the globe.
APTN is dedicated to sharing Indigenous perspectives, stories, and cultures through original news, documentaries, dramas, and educational content created by and for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities. With the launch of APTN lumi, the network aims to expand its digital footprint and promote understanding, foster dialogue, and amplify Indigenous voices across Canada.
Leveraging Kaltura’s end-to-end OTT video platform, APTN lumi offers the largest curated collection of Indigenous stories and Indigenous-language content in one destination. The service is available across web and mobile, making it easy for viewers to discover and engage with Indigenous voices wherever they are.
APTN selected Kaltura for its deep expertise in powering OTT platforms for public broadcasters and mission-driven media organizations. Kaltura’s solution includes a robust content management system, multi-platform distribution, monetization capabilities, AI-driven personalization, and fully branded white-label applications for mobile, tablet, web, and Smart TVs. The launch of the new APTN lumi platform includes full integration with APTN’s CMS, VOD support in multiple Indigenous languages, and infrastructure for subscription purchases.
“For over 25 years, APTN’s mission has been to share Indigenous perspectives, stories and cultures through content created by and for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities,” said John Bauer, Director of Digital Media and IT at APTN. “We’re thrilled to partner with Kaltura to expand our reach and bring these voices to a broader audience.”
“It’s incredibly fulfilling to work with visionary partners like APTN and help bring their mission to life through our technology,” said Natan Israeli, Chief Customer Officer at Kaltura. “We’re proud to support the distribution of Indigenous stories and Indigenous-language content, making them accessible to viewers across Canada.”
About Kaltura
Kaltura’s mission is to create and power AI-infused hyper-personalized video experiences that boost customer and employee engagement and success. Kaltura’s Video Experience Cloud includes a platform for enterprise and TV content management and a wide array of Gen AI-infused video-first products, including Video Portals, LMS and CMS Video Extensions, Virtual Events and Webinars, Virtual Classrooms, and TV Streaming Applications. Kaltura engages millions of end-users at home, at work, and at school, boosting both customer and employee experiences, including marketing, sales, and customer success; teaching, learning, training and certification; communication and collaboration; and entertainment and monetization. For more information, visit www.corp.kaltura.com
About APTN APTN launched in 1999 as the first national Indigenous broadcaster in the world. Since then, the network has become a global leader in programming that celebrates the rich diversity of Indigenous Peoples at home and abroad. A respected charitable broadcaster, APTN shares authentic stories to Canadian households through basic channel packages via two distinct HD channels: APTN (English and French language programming) and APTN Languages (Indigenous language programming). APTN proudly features over 80% Canadian content and inspires audiences via multiple platforms, including its Indigenous-focused streaming service, APTN lumi.
AUSTIN, Texas, June 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — AutoScheduler.AI, a leader in Agentic AI Warehouse Orchestration, has received the 2025 Top Supply Chain Projects Award from Supply & Demand Chain Executive and Food Logistics for the fourth consecutive year. This award profiles innovative case study-type projects designed to automate, optimize, streamline, and improve the supply chain. AutoScheduler.AI was chosen for its warehouse orchestration project with a Global CPG Leader, where the company helped the CPG firm increase productivity, customer service levels, and efficiencies.
“Many of today’s supply chain companies are tasked with providing the utmost visibility. Whether it’s tracking reverse logistics, implementing financial software, or upgrading sourcing solutions, collaborations and partnerships are what make supply chain projects a success. That’s why it’s important to celebrate those projects (and partnerships),” says Marina Mayer, editor-in-chief of Food Logistics and Supply & Demand Chain Executive and co-founder of the Women in Supply Chain Forum.
“Winning this prestigious award for the fourth year in a row is a tremendous honor and a reflection of the real impact our technology is delivering across complex warehouse networks,” says Keith Moore, CEO, AutoScheduler.AI. “We are optimizing operations and transforming how supply chains respond to change, drive efficiency, and create value. This recognition reinforces our commitment to continuous innovation and partnership with our customers to solve their toughest logistics challenges.”
A global consumer packaged goods (CPG) company with an extensive portfolio of food and beverage brands operates a vast and complex distribution network. When the company merged with another brand leader, the CPG faced increasing operational challenges, especially around warehouse visibility, cost control, and overall efficiency. The company contacted AutoScheduler.AI to integrate seamlessly with existing systems, consolidate data, automate workflows, and optimize operations for maximum efficiency.
In every distribution center at the global CPG company, planners and administrative staff use all data available to manage shipping, receiving, dock schedules, inventory control, the release of work, and more. These distribution centers have complex tasks that need to be performed, and each has a variety of constraints that need to be understood and balanced by the planning staff to get all the proper inventory out of the right door at the right time. The challenge is that there are too many decisions to optimize the warehouse, labor, and customer delivery.
The results:
Accelerated Planning: AutoScheduler streamlines planning processes, reducing the time required to plan operations, which frees up leadership to focus on strategic decisions while automatically optimizing day-to-day operations.
30% Increase in Pick Rates: In key facilities, pick rates can increase by up to 30%, driving higher throughput and overall productivity. This boost translates directly into cost savings and faster service for customers.
Faster Load Readiness: Warehouses achieve load readiness earlier, enabling faster turnover and improving alignment with transportation schedules, which significantly reduces dock congestion and improves overall efficiency.
Product Flow at Automated Sites: + 30-35%
Product Flow at Non-Automated Sites: + 12-14%
Controllable Cuts: – 50%
Productivity: +12%
Detention and Dwell: – 33%
Supply & Demand Chain Executive, the only publication covering the entire global supply chain, and Food Logistics, the only publication exclusively dedicated to covering the movement of product through the global cold food supply chain, select innovative case study-type projects to be featured in the June issues of the magazines. Go to https://sdcexec.com/22938222 to view the complete list of winners.
About AutoScheduler.AI AutoScheduler.AI empowers your supply chain with its Agentic AI-based warehouse orchestration platform that integrates with your existing WMS/LMS/YMS or any other solution to drive value across the supply chain by improving throughput, cutting labor costs, and ensuring customer service goals are met. AutoScheduler automates critical tasks for the warehouse like labor scheduling, task sequencing, and dock management, ensuring everything runs smoothly and efficiently. Our Agentic AI-based platform makes better decisions to create an adaptive, living supply chain. For more information, visit: http://www.AutoScheduler.AI.
About Supply & Demand Chain Executive Supply & Demand Chain Executive is the only supply chain publication covering the entire global supply chain, focusing on trucking, warehousing, packaging, procurement, risk management, professional development and more. Supply & Demand Chain Executive and sister publication Food Logistics also operate SCN Summit and Women in Supply Chain Forum. Go to www.SDCExec.com to learn more.
About Food Logistics Food Logistics reaches more than 26,000 supply chain executives in the global food and beverage industries, including executives in the food sector (growers, producers, manufacturers, wholesalers and grocers) and the logistics section (transportation, warehousing, distribution, software and technology) who share a mutual interest in the operations and business aspects of the global cold food supply chain. Food Logistics also operates SCN Summit and Women in Supply Chain Forum. Go to www.FoodLogistics.com to learn more.
Hazlehead Park was filled with the sound of bagpipes on Sunday as thousands enjoyed the Aberdeen Highland Games.
Over 8,000 attendees enjoyed traditional Highland Games events, including caber tossing and Highland Dancing, as well as a range of fun activities such as an assault course, climbing wall, segways and TechFest.
The 2025 Highland Games were officially opened by the Lord Provost of Aberdeen, Dr David Cameron, and The Marquess of Aberdeen and Temair, George Gordon, who was the Chieftan of the games.
The Lord Provost said: “I had a fantastic time being a part of this year’s Highland Games.
“Each year the Highland Games is so popular, with this year once again being no different, and I was delighted to see so many people turn out and enjoy a fun day out in the sun for the most part, the two heavy showers late in the afternoon did not dampen the spirits of everyone present.
Stage entertainment featured popular children’s act Mr Bloom from CBeebies and musical performances by Aberdeen City Music Service, The Rock Choir and Vienna.
A selection of fine food and drink from local producers was also available alongside quality trade and charity stalls.
Aberdeen’s summer events programme will continue with the Armed Forces Day Parade on 28 June, followed by the Festival of the Sea running from 12-27 July, and The Tall Ships Races from 19-22 July that will see the city welcome 50 magnificent vessels for four days of international celebration, music, food and family fun.
LONDON, June 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — via IBN – Roth Capital Partners, LLC (“ROTH”), www.roth.com, will host the 15th Annual Roth London Conference on June 24-26, 2025, at the Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane in London, UK.
This event offers institutional investors an exclusive opportunity to engage directly with C-suite leaders and senior executives from approximately 80 companies with a strong focus on the Sustainability and Technology sectors. Designed to foster meaningful dialogue, the conference facilitates 1-on-1 and small group meetings in an intimate setting allowing investors to evaluate various businesses, assess market trends, and identify compelling investment opportunities.
Throughout the event, ROTH’s team of Senior Research Analysts will be on hand to offer expert insights and facilitate introductions. Participating analysts include:
On June 25th, during the lunch session, Michael Darda, ROTH’s Chief Economist and Macro Strategist, will lead a discussion on Markets and Economics, covering key topics such as the US business cycle, inflation, interest rates, and asset allocation strategies across equities and fixed income.
This will be followed by the Keynote Presentation by Dan Shugar, CEO and Founder of Nextracker, Inc. (NXT), exploring the technological, policy, and cost dynamics driving PV adoption. The session will be moderated by Philip Shen.
Later that day, Suji DeSilva, CFA, will moderate a fireside chat with Alan Baratz, CEO of D-Wave Quantum Inc. (QBTS). The discussion will focus on D-Wave’s approach to quantum computing, its unique technology platform, and the growing market opportunities as AI compute accelerates industry demand.
On June 26th, Suji DeSilva, CFA, will return to moderate a fireside chat with Waseem Shiraz, SVP of Strategic Initiatives & Chief of Staff at Quantinuum (PRIVATE). The conversation will cover Quantinuum’s advancements in quantum computing, the competitive landscape, and the anticipated impact of quantum technologies on AI and enterprise applications.
Following will be JC O’Hara, CAIA, CMT, ROTH’s Chief Technical Strategist, presenting insights on portfolio allocation in a globally connected yet increasingly fragmented world.
“We look forward to hosting the 15th edition of our flagship London conference,” said Byron Roth, Executive Chairman of ROTH. “This event creates a unique environment for our corporate clients to engage directly with international financial professionals on a personal level.”
Sagar Sheth, CEO of ROTH, added, “Given the current macroeconomic headwinds and geopolitical tensions, this year’s conference is especially timely. We’re proud to present nearly 80 innovative spanning sustainability, technology, media, and the consumer sector, each addressing some of today’s most critical global challenges.”
TUESDAY | June 24, 2025 –All Times are listed in British Summer Time (BST) 4:00pm – 6:00pm – Pre-Conference Registration 6:00pm – 10:00pm – ROTH Summer Social
WEDNESDAY | June 25, 2025 8:00am – 9:00am – Registration and Morning Coffee 9:00am – 12:00pm – 1-on-1 / Small Group Meetings 12:00pm – 1:30pm – Lunch
The conference is intended for qualified investors, companies, service providers, and members of the media/press related to ROTH.
About ROTH: ROTH is a relationship-driven investment bank focused on serving growth companies and their investors. Our full-service platform provides capital raising, high impact equity research, macroeconomics, sales and trading, technical insights, derivatives strategies, M&A advisory, and corporate access. Headquartered in Newport Beach, California, ROTH is a privately held, employee-owned organization and maintains offices throughout the U.S. For more information on Roth, please visit www.roth.com.
Samsung Electronics will showcase its upcoming 2025 Hospitality (HTV) lineup at the 2025 Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference (HITEC®), the world’s largest, longest-running hospitality technology event, in Indianapolis. At booth #4215, attendees can discover Samsung’s new generation of HTVs designed to empower hotel owners with dynamic management tools while providing guests with effortless streaming and seamless connectivity options.
“Today’s travelers are no longer just looking for a room, they’re seeking personalized experiences that feel thoughtfully designed and engaging,” said Sara Grofcsik, Head of Sales, Samsung Electronics America. “Samsung is helping hotels meet these expectations by providing a connected ecosystem of in-room displays, entertainment options and intuitive content management tools that make it easy to create memorable guest journeys from check-in to check-out.”
Premium picture, design and guest entertainment
Samsung’s latest in-room HTVs deliver premium picture quality, modern design and intuitive features that elevate hotel stays. The 2025 lineup includes:
HU8000F: Powered by Samsung’s Crystal Processor 4K, HDR10+, and Dynamic Crystal Color, the HU8000F HTV immerses guests in one billion shades of color with lifelike clarity and detail. Its sleek AirSlim design creates an elegant, nearly bezel-free look that complements any hotel space. The HU8000F also features adaptive sound technology, which provides real-time audio scene analysis and quality optimizations for any programming. (Available in 43-, 50-, 55-, 65-, 75- and 85-inch sizes)
HU6000F: With Samsung’s Crystal Processor 4K, the ultra-high-definition HU6000F HTV automatically adjusts image brightness and contrast to optimal levels in every frame, allowing guests to enjoy their favorite content as it was meant to be viewed. The slim, bezel-less HTV adds comfort and sophistication to hotel rooms. (Available in 43-, 50-, 55-, 65-, and 75-inch sizes)
HU701F: Designed for flexibility, the HU701F HTV delivers the same ultra-high-definition picture quality as the HU8000F and HU6000 models, paired with an innovative, ergonomic form factor. The slim, bezel-less HTV sits on an adjustable swivel stand that rotates 360 degrees for easy viewing from any angle. This rotating center stand makes the HU701F ideal for multi-room suites, allowing guests to enjoy a single HTV as they move throughout the suite. (Available in 43-, 50-, 55-, 65-, and 75-inch sizes)
Attendees can also discover how Samsung’s award-winning The Frame (model name HL03F) transforms hotel interiors with stunning 4K QLED picture quality. Blending technology and art, The Frame features an innovative Art Mode that allows hotel managers to customize guest rooms by displaying curated collections of modern or classic artwork—or even tailored visuals such as hotel-branded imagery—when the TV is not in use. The Anti-Reflection Matte Display minimizes light interference for a gallery-like effect, while the Slim-Fit Wall Mount allows the TV to sit flush against the wall, serving as a true art piece.
Hotel-ready features and integrated hospitality solutions
Together with The Frame, Samsung’s new HU8000F and HU701F models expand guest entertainment options by adding Disney+ and Prime Video to the existing portfolio of OTT apps like Netflix and Samsung TV Plus. Guests can easily access these apps through the intuitive on-screen Smart Hub and enjoy a wide variety of streaming content during their stay.
Samsung’s hospitality solutions also help hotels unlock new operational efficiencies and revenue streams. Samsung LYNK Cloud provides centralized remote management and actionable business insights, streamlining global hospitality operations while driving incremental revenue through targeted promotions. With the Visual eXperience Transformation (VXT) platform, operators can create, manage, and distribute content across all displays in a connected ecosystem. IoT connectivity through SmartThings Pro and the Multi-Code Remote further enable staff to personalize in-room experiences and ensure interference-free control, enhancing both convenience and guest satisfaction.
Samsung will offer booth demonstrations showcasing how SmartThings Pro enables guests to control their hotel room temperature, lighting, shades and more using one central device.
For hotels currently using the HBU8000, a software update will soon be available to enable Google Cast without interrupting service.1 Major properties participated in a successful pilot of this upgrade, and have recently selected Samsung LYNK Cloud as their preferred solution. These locations underwent simultaneous software updates of devices, demonstrating the scalability and reliability of the solution.
Included in the streaming options is Apple AirPlay. Through casting solutions like AirPlay, Google Cast and OTT integration, Samsung HTVs deliver seamless viewing options and an optimized solution that enhances the overall guest experience.
Samsung HTVs are also built with practical features tailored for hotel environments, including RJ12 connectors, bathroom speaker support and LAN out ports. Powered by the intuitive and secure Tizen platform, the latest lineup offers smooth navigation, enterprise-grade protection with Samsung Knox and flexible connectivity through multiple HDMI and USB ports.
Samsung’s systems integrators create connected guest experience
Within Samsung’s booth at HITEC, attendees will find hospitality solutions from leading system integrators including GuestTek, Moviebeam, Enseco, WorldVue and Sonifi. These partners will demonstrate how Samsung hospitality displays seamlessly connect with their dynamic platforms to create more personalized guest experiences and drive operational efficiency across the industry.
Additional system integrators in Samsung’s booth include MCOMS, Uniguest and Allbridge.
Samsung offers special savings this summer
To kick off the summer travel season, Samsung is running special promotions in June and July on select displays. Hotel brands of all sizes can outfit their properties with displays, in key locations such as lobbies, restaurants, spas and guest rooms.
Throughout the month of June, Samsung is offering up to $1,000 off its 105-inch 5K UHD Smart Signage and up to $500 off the Color E-Paper display. Additionally, Samsung is offering up to $400 off its LCD Video Walls, which create a virtually seamless large-format viewing experience to elevate any business setting, and up to $280 off the Samsung Kiosk, which meets the demands of any high-traffic self-service environment. Hotel owners can enjoy up to $200 off Samsung Pro TVs — which range from 43- to 85-inches — to match the screen size requirements of any location.
From now until the end of July, customers can also take advantage of the buy one WAF Interactive Display, get one Samsung Pro TV free promotion.
Samsung’s new lineup of HTVs will be available for early order starting at HITEC 2025. For more information about Samsung’s hospitality solutions, please visit www.samsung.com.
As a glaciologist who thinks about ice a lot, rewatching the movie Frozen umpteen times with my six-year-old daughter provides ample opportunity for my imagination to run wild. The movie is set in the fictional kingdom of Arendelle, which is modelled on a fjord landscape, complete with a large glacier at the head of Arenfjord. Ice unsurprisingly plays a very prominent role in the story. Yet this glacier receives very little attention.
Glaciers are receding across the world at an unprecedented rate. And on more than one occasion I have wondered how Arendelle’s glacier might have fared since the time of Frozen.
To add some scientific rigour to this thought experiment, it is useful to approximate a real geographical location. Arendelle is inspired by the fjords of western Norway, a region where most of the glaciers flow from the Jostedalsbreen ice cap, the largest ice mass in mainland Europe.
We can also approximate the date. Based on various clues, including the clothing and technology on show, it appears the events in Frozen take place one July in the mid-19th century. This means the glacier is depicted towards the end of the little ice age, a cool period lasting several centuries during which most northern hemisphere glaciers expanded to their largest size in recent history.
In the movie, the glacier plunges from a high elevation plateau into the fjord below and looks steep and crevassed at the front. This implies a healthy, advancing glacier, in a similar condition to the many outlet glaciers of Jostedalsbreen that reached their little ice age maximum positions around this time.
The short-term health of Arendelle’s glacier may have been further boosted by the unseasonal summer snowfall and cold temperatures that Elsa’s powers unleashed on the kingdom.
Real glaciers are shrinking fast
The fate of the fictional glacier since the little ice age would have been less positive, as demonstrated by the very real glaciers of Jostedalsbreen. This period has been characterised by accelerated climate warming, causing widespread glacier retreat and thinning.
Since Elsa’s time, the real glaciers it’s based on have shrunk by about a fifth. Individual glaciers have retreated several kilometres at rates of up to 20 metres per year. This makes it likely that, without any further help from Elsa, Arendelle’s glacier would have retreated onto land within decades of the time of the film.
How Jostedalsbreen’s glaciers have retreated from the little ice age (red outline) to today (blue). Andreassen et al. 2023
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, an increase in winter snowfall in western Norway meant most major glaciers in the region began to advance up to a few hundred metres. The Arendelle glacier might therefore have grown again for a time, although probably not enough for the glacier to re-enter the fjord. While there are other explanations, the more imaginative mind might consider the possibility that a descendent of Elsa was responsible for this period of increased snowfall.
Retreat of this scale means the fictional glacier today might look something like Briksdalsbreen, now just a small tongue spilling over from the plateau ice behind. Indeed, it is quite possible that in 2025, designated by the UN as the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation, Arendelle’s glacier would no longer have been visible from Arendelle Castle.
Briksdalsbreen, one of Jostedalsbreen’s outlet glaciers, shows what the Arendelle glacier might look today. Nataliya Nazarova / shutterstock
So, if Arendelle’s glacier were real, it would be a shadow of its 19th-century self – much like its real-life Norwegian equivalents. By 2050, approximately 200 years after the time of Frozen, the glacier would probably have retreated onto the plateau. The ice cap would also have thinned considerably and might even be in the early stages of terminal break up.
Magic helped Arendelle once. This time, it’ll take real-world action to ensure the real glaciers have a fighting chance of still being around by the time Frozen 3 is finally released.
Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?
MONTREAL, June 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Boralex inc. (“Boralex” or the “Company”) (TSX: BLX) announces that its 2030 Strategy will be presented at an Investor Day on June 17, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., in Toronto.
Financial analysts, investors and the media are invited to attend the conference in person in Toronto or via a live video webcast during which members of Boralex’s senior management will present the various aspects of the 2030 Strategy and financial targets.
Date and time
Tuesday, June 17, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (ET)
In person in Toronto (analysts, investors and media): please contact Dominique Hamelin (dominique.hamelin@boralex.com) to reserve your place.
Anyone interested in this conference are invited to attend the webcast, which will be broadcast live and available for replay on Boralex’s website at www.boralex.com until July 17, 2026.
Media availability
Members of Boralex’s Executive Committee will be available for media interviews on the afternoon of June 17, 2025, either by telephone or videoconference, to discuss the company’s 2030 Strategy. For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact Camille Laventure, Senior Advisor, Public Affairs and Communications. Her contact details are provided at the end of this press release.
About Boralex
At Boralex, we have been providing affordable renewable energy accessible to everyone for over 30 years. As a leader in the Canadian market and France’s largest independent producer of onshore wind power, we also have facilities in the United States and development projects in the United Kingdom. Over the past five years, our installed capacity has increased by more than 50% to 3.2 GW. We are developing a portfolio of projects in development and construction of more than 8 GW in wind, solar and storage projects, guided by our values and our corporate social responsibility (CSR) approach. Through profitable and sustainable growth, Boralex is actively participating in the fight against global warming. Thanks to our fearlessness, discipline, expertise and diversity, we continue to be an industry leader. Boralex’s shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol BLX.
Source: The Conversation – USA – By Elizabeth Wolfson, Assistant Director of Campus Partnerships for the Office of Public Scholarship, Washington University in St. Louis
Edward Gorey on the set he designed for the Broadway revival of Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ in 1977. Jack Mitchell/Getty Images
The book reproduces, in stunning detail, a series of 50 elaborately illustrated envelopes Gorey created in the mid-1970s. But when I started reading “From Ted to Tom,” I felt confused – and a little let down.
The book makes no mention of Gorey’s queerness. To me, this is a missed opportunity to shed light on how being gay may have fueled some of his most personal work.
The master of macabre
Today, Edward Gorey is widely known for his sprawling, macabre-yet-humorous body of work, which spans nearly every medium.
His stories often feature adults and children alike who meet untimely ends through mostly hilarious, unlikely accidents – and, yes, the occasional straight-up murder. But they’re never gratuitous, nor do they glorify violence for violence’s sake.
As for his personal life, Gorey may have been what today we’d call asexual; Gorey himself used the term “undersexed,” but he also acknowledged, when asked directly about his sexuality, that he “supposed” he was gay.
Mark Dery’s 2018 Gorey biography, “Born to be Posthumous: The Eccentric Life and Mysterious Genius of Edward Gorey,” documents the artist’s participation in postwar gay life. The book details a handful of crushes Gorey had on various men, at least one of which – a brief affair with a man named Victor – involved some physical intimacy.
To whatever extent Gorey entertained sex or romance, it was with men. As Dery points out, however, this fact largely goes unaddressed in discussions of the artist’s work.
A chance encounter
“From Ted to Tom” reinforces this silence.
The “Tom” is Tom Fitzharris, the author of the book’s introduction and some commentary at the book’s end.
In the introduction, Fitzharris explains that before he met Gorey, he was already collecting the artist’s “small, exquisite books.”
After attending a gallery exhibit of Gorey’s work in 1974, Fitzharris mailed him one of the books from his collection to request Gorey’s signature, along with a cryptic inquiry about two of the book’s characters. Gorey obliged and returned the book with a similarly cryptic reply.
Soon after this exchange, Fitzharris spotted Gorey on the street and introduced himself. The two soon began meeting regularly “for dinner, the theater, coffee, and especially the ballet, his great passion,” one that Fitzharris shared. When Gorey left to summer on Cape Cod, he began sending Fitzharris the envelopes collected in “From Ted to Tom.”
Fitzharris shares almost no information about himself in the book, and he has never commented publicly about his own sexuality. However, even his dry, minimalist narration cannot conceal the intensity of their connection.
Describing his first visit to Gorey’s apartment, he writes: “I thought I’d be at Gorey’s for ten minutes, but I left two hours later.” Whether Fitzharris lost track of time as the two explored their “dozens of shared interests” or simply couldn’t tear himself away, when he finally made it back to work, he was surprised that he still had a job.
The envelope as canvas
Given this voracious drive to create, it is no surprise that Gorey saw an object as humble as a letter envelope as a creative opportunity. As Dery points out, Gorey was also making his illustrated envelopes as the mail art movement was becoming popular. Sparked by artist Ray Johnson in the 1960s – who, like Gorey, lived in New York City – it involved artists using the postal service to exchange works of art, using it as an alternative to the commercial galleries and museums that artists had largely depended on.
The 50 envelopes reproduced in “From Ted to Tom” was not Gorey’s first dalliance with the envelope as canvas; he’d experimented with it six years earlier, while in the midst of a collaboration with author and editor Peter Neumeyer, with whom he produced three children’s books.
In his drawings to Neumeyer, Gorey mostly seems to be having fun playing around with a new formal challenge: how to integrate drawings with the prerequisite address text in a satisfying way.
The Fitzharris series is poised and polished from the jump. Gorey’s distinctive hand-lettering is crisp, precise and perfectly straight, each envelope a complete scene. Some scenes are more complex than others, but each is a complete thought.
There’s another notable difference between the Neumeyer and Fitzharris envelopes. While the former features a revolving cast of real and imaginary creatures, the latter has two co-stars: two black-and-white dogs, sides emblazoned with matching, serifed T’s.
In his introduction to the book, Fitzharris confirms that the animals represent Gorey and him. Fitzharris is also clearly more than the lucky witness to a burst of creative genius. He is its muse.
‘Pen pal’ or something more?
Whatever Gorey’s artistic ambitions for the project, it is also a visual diary of sorts: an album of their shared experiences, their common interests and hobbies, and a document of Gorey’s goings-on while they were apart.
Take, for example, an envelope that depicts the canine duo standing amid a vast assemblage of blue bottles, with Fitzharris’ address displayed as labels.
“All the blue bottles are a recollection of a window full of them in one of the antique shops I stopped in after you left that Sunday,” Gorey wrote in the accompanying letter. “The sun coming through them is not reproducible, at least by me.”
In the same letter, Gorey struggles to convey the depth of his feeling upon receiving a recent letter from Fitzharris.
“I used to maintain that if it couldn’t be put into words it didn’t exist; if anything I believe rather the opposite now. All of which is rather a strangled attempt to say that I appreciated your letter of the 23rd very much, but that I don’t know how to say so directly. Yes.”
What did Fitzharris’ letter say that moved Gorey so much? What is the meaning of his singular, elliptical “yes”? Is it simply stylistic? Or is it a response?
We’ll likely never know. But evidently whatever Fitzharris said moved him deeply.
There are other poignant scenes. In his notes to “From Ted to Tom,” Fitzharris takes credit for introducing Gorey to the French phrase “heure bleue,” which translates to “the blue hour” and refers to the time of day just after the sun sets. Gorey’s delight is reflected in a lovely scene of quiet companionship.
Tom and Ted stand at a low fence or porch railing, sharing drinks and gazing up at a darkening sky as dusk settles over thick foliage. For once leaving nothing to the imagination, he inscribes “HEURE BLEUE” next to the image in thick, bold letters – a rare act of captioning.
This unusual relative directness continues into the accompanying letter. Though he can hardly bear admitting it, Gorey describes their recent visit as “a happy day,” immediately qualifying the comment as a “revolting phrase.”
One “cannot help but think how seldom in life one knows one is having one at the time,” he continues. The phrasing is somewhat innocuous. But I wonder how much pleasure Gorey must have felt – and how strong his need to convey it must have been – to overcome the force of his “revulsion.”
This push and pull between attraction to one another and repulsion at one’s own spontaneous emotion supplies the dynamism that make the drawings in “From Ted to Tom” so compelling.
Despite this powerful current, Fitzharris, who is credited as the book’s editor, leaves the topic of Gorey’s sexuality untouched in both his introduction to the book and its end notes, where he provides a guide to some of the personal and cultural references in Gorey’s drawings and letters. The book’s back cover refers to Fitzharris as the artist’s “pen pal.”
Denied access to the underlying details driving this dynamism, the reader loses the chance to reflect on the source of this electrical current, its impact on his art, and how Gorey’s struggles with intimacy and desire, which are all too universal, were also undoubtedly shaped by the challenge of being gay in a deeply homophobic society.
Rather than limiting the understanding of his work, accounting for Gorey’s queerness invites viewers of his art and readers of his work into deeper communion with the artist – and themselves.
Elizabeth Wolfson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
If you’ve worried that AI might take your job, deprive you of your livelihood, or maybe even replace your role in society, it probably feels good to see the latest AI tools fail spectacularly. If AI recommends glue as a pizza topping, then you’re safe for another day.
But the fact remains that AI already has definite advantages over even the most skilled humans, and knowing where these advantages arise — and where they don’t — will be key to adapting to the AI-infused workforce.
AI will often not be as effective as a human doing the same job. It won’t always know more or be more accurate. And it definitely won’t always be fairer or more reliable. But it may still be used whenever it has an advantage over humans in one of four dimensions: speed, scale, scope and sophistication. Understanding these dimensions is the key to understanding AI-human replacement.
Speed
First, speed. There are tasks that humans are perfectly good at but are not nearly as fast as AI. One example is restoring or upscaling images: taking pixelated, noisy or blurry images and making a crisper and higher-resolution version. Humans are good at this; given the right digital tools and enough time, they can fill in fine details. But they are too slow to efficiently process large images or videos.
AI models can do the job blazingly fast, a capability with important industrial applications. AI-based software is used to enhance satellite and remote sensing data, to compress video files, to make video games run better with cheaper hardware and less energy, to help robots make the right movements, and to model turbulence to help build better internal combustion engines.
Real-time performance matters in these cases, and the speed of AI is necessary to enable them.
Scale
The second dimension of AI’s advantage over humans is scale. AI will increasingly be used in tasks that humans can do well in one place at a time, but that AI can do in millions of places simultaneously. A familiar example is ad targeting and personalization. Human marketers can collect data and predict what types of people will respond to certain advertisements. This capability is important commercially; advertising is a trillion-dollar market globally.
AI models can do this for every single product, TV show, website and internet user. This is how the modern ad-tech industry works. Real-time bidding markets price the display ads that appear alongside the websites you visit, and advertisers use AI models to decide when they want to pay that price – thousands of times per second.
Scope
Next, scope. AI can be advantageous when it does more things than any one person could, even when a human might do better at any one of those tasks. Generative AI systems such as ChatGPT can engage in conversation on any topic, write an essay espousing any position, create poetry in any style and language, write computer code in any programming language, and more. These models may not be superior to skilled humans at any one of these things, but no single human could outperform top-tier generative models across them all.
It’s the combination of these competencies that generates value. Employers often struggle to find people with talents in disciplines such as software development and data science who also have strong prior knowledge of the employer’s domain. Organizations are likely to continue to rely on human specialists to write the best code and the best persuasive text, but they will increasingly be satisfied with AI when they just need a passable version of either.
How AI is affecting the job market.
Sophistication
Finally, sophistication. AIs can consider more factors in their decisions than humans can, and this can endow them with superhuman performance on specialized tasks. Computers have long been used to keep track of a multiplicity of factors that compound and interact in ways more complex than a human could trace. The 1990s chess-playing computer systems such as Deep Blue succeeded by thinking a dozen or more moves ahead.
Modern AI systems use a radically different approach: Deep learning systems built from many-layered neural networks take account of complex interactions – often many billions – among many factors. Neural networks now power the best chess-playing models and most other AI systems.
Chess is not the only domain where eschewing conventional rules and formal logic in favor of highly sophisticated and inscrutable systems has generated progress. The stunning advance of AlphaFold2, the AI model of structural biology whose creators Demis Hassabis and John Jumper were recognized with the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 2024, is another example.
This breakthrough replaced traditional physics-based systems for predicting how sequences of amino acids would fold into three-dimensional shapes with a 93 million-parameter model, even though it doesn’t account for physical laws. That lack of real-world grounding is not desirable: No one likes the enigmatic nature of these AI systems, and scientists are eager to understand better how they work.
But the sophistication of AI is providing value to scientists, and its use across scientific fields has grown exponentially in recent years.
Context matters
Those are the four dimensions where AI can excel over humans. Accuracy still matters. You wouldn’t want to use an AI that makes graphics look glitchy or targets ads randomly – yet accuracy isn’t the differentiator. The AI doesn’t need superhuman accuracy. It’s enough for AI to be merely good and fast, or adequate and scalable. Increasing scope often comes with an accuracy penalty, because AI can generalize poorly to truly novel tasks. The 4 S’s are sometimes at odds. With a given amount of computing power, you generally have to trade off scale for sophistication.
Even more interestingly, when an AI takes over a human task, the task can change. Sometimes the AI is just doing things differently. Other times, AI starts doing different things. These changes bring new opportunities and new risks.
For example, high-frequency trading isn’t just computers trading stocks faster; it’s a fundamentally different kind of trading that enables entirely new strategies, tactics and associated risks. Likewise, AI has developed more sophisticated strategies for the games of chess and Go. And the scale of AI chatbots has changed the nature of propaganda by allowing artificial voices to overwhelm human speech.
It is this “phase shift,” when changes in degree may transform into changes in kind, where AI’s impacts to society are likely to be most keenly felt. All of this points to the places that AI can have a positive impact. When a system has a bottleneck related to speed, scale, scope or sophistication, or when one of these factors poses a real barrier to being able to accomplish a goal, it makes sense to think about how AI could help.
Equally, when speed, scale, scope and sophistication are not primary barriers, it makes less sense to use AI. This is why AI auto-suggest features for short communications such as text messages can feel so annoying. They offer little speed advantage and no benefit from sophistication, while sacrificing the sincerity of human communication.
Many deployments of customer service chatbots also fail this test, which may explain their unpopularity. Companies invest in them because of their scalability, and yet the bots often become a barrier to support rather than a speedy or sophisticated problem solver.
Where the advantage lies
Keep this in mind when you encounter a new application for AI or consider AI as a replacement for or an augmentation to a human process. Looking for bottlenecks in speed, scale, scope and sophistication provides a framework for understanding where AI provides value, and equally where the unique capabilities of the human species give us an enduring advantage.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Banbridge town centre was filled with the sound of live music and the buzz of community spirit as Buskfest 2025 welcomed performers and visitors for a relaxed and enjoyable day of entertainment – despite the rain!
With over eighty acts taking part and a prize fund of £3,500 up for grabs, the annual busking competition attracted a wide mix of musical talent, from solo acoustic artists to lively bands. The atmosphere was friendly and welcoming, with visitors enjoying performances across the town between 2pm and 5pm.
This year’s winners, 4AM Club, were announced during the evening concert in the town centre, which also featured performances from last year’s champions Banshee, popular local act The Reillys, and headliners The Nooks.
Alongside the music, an artisan market offered a range of local food, crafts, and handmade products, while a family funfair at Solitude Park, added to the day’s relaxed, family-friendly feel.
Alderman Stephen Moutray ,Lord Mayor of Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon Borough, commented: “Buskfest continues to provide a fantastic showcase for emerging and established performers and is a much-loved highlight in the borough’s events calendar. The atmosphere in Banbridge was brilliant, with the town centre buzzing with music, family fun, and a real sense of community. Events like this not only celebrate our local talent but also support our businesses and hospitality sector.”
The judging panel, including BBC Radio Ulster’s Ralph McLean, noted the diversity and quality of talent on show, with many returning acts and new faces adding to the variety. This year’s event was supported by several valued sponsors including Banbridge Chamber of Commerce, The Boulevard Outlet Shopping, Game of Thrones Studio Tour, and Eats and Beats Festival, Newcastle, whose contributions helped ensure a vibrant and well-supported day for performers and visitors alike.
When the Netflix series Adolescence hit TV screens in March this year, its depiction of boyhood, violence and online misogyny sparked debates across the UK and beyond.
As Young People editor at The Conversation, I knew that these were topics that academics who write for us had been building their expertise on for years. The many articles we’ve published include how parents can talk to their children about the “manosphere”, the world of hypermasculine influencers, how hustle culture plays into ideas of male self worth and what girls have to say about all this.
At the charity Cumberland Lodge, with whom I’ve collaborated in the past, the young people who make up their Youth and Democracy network had thoughts, too. And the points they’ve raised have a huge overlap with some of the nuance brought up by our experts.
How much is social media actually to blame for rising misogyny? Are influencers exploiting uncertainty left by a shift away from traditional gender roles? Do young people lack the knowledge and the opportunity to discuss these issues? How does class play a role? And is a culture of blame and a fear of doing harm stopping boys and young men from being part of the solution?
It seemed obvious that we should get everyone together to talk about this – young people giving their perspective, and academic researchers offering theirs. And we’d like you to join the discussion, too. At Newcastle University on Thursday July 3, I’ll be talking to experts and contributors to The Conversation Sophie Lively and Michael Joseph Richardson, along with young people from Cumberland Lodge’s Youth and Democracy project.
The exhibition presents hobbies of all kinds to celebrate their variation, freedom of expression and ingenuity, broadening our perception of who gets to be called creative and where the impulse to create stems from.
On display will be unique hand crafted objects loaned by hobbyists working in diverse disciplines, such as knitters and needleworkers, wood carvers and model makers, potters, painters and illustrators, costume and cosplay makers, model engineers, origami specialists and many more. There will also be collections, including vintage football programmes, kitchenalia, milk bottles, painted eggs, gnomes and stones, alongside comics, action figures and toys – from Goo-jit-Zu to Transformers and He-Man to dollhouses!
The exhibition also features new and existing works by Patel, including a new film that explores the outstanding creativity and passion that people put into their hobbies. A selection of objects by the hobbyists featured in the film will be interspersed throughout the exhibition, including animals sculpted in wool by Mandy Smith, a needle felting enthusiast from Tipton.
Come As You Really Are by Hetain Patel is a nationwide project made up of 13 partner presentations across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales from Summer 2024 – 2026.
Commissioned by Artangel, the project began with a national call out inviting members of the public to share the activity to which they dedicate their spare time. At the heart of this project is a nationwide community of people whose labours of love are a lens through which the artist presents an alternative portrait of the UK. The inaugural exhibition took place at The Hobby Cave at Grants, Croydon, London between 18 July and 20 October 2024. This is being followed by curated presentations at partner venues across the UK throughout 2025 – 2026.
Aiming to showcase hobbies from across the region, Wolverhampton Art Gallery launched a fresh call out in the Midlands in January 2025. Gallery staff have been amazed by the immense skill, passion and imagination demonstrated in the hundreds of responses from hobbyists across the region and further afield.
Councillor Chris Burden, City of Wolverhampton Council Cabinet Member for City Development, Jobs and Skills, said: “The power of creativity is unstoppable, and at Wolverhampton Art Gallery, we’re celebrating it in all its forms.
“Come As You Really Are brings together an incredible tapestry of hobbies from handcrafted masterpieces to nostalgic collections – revealing the passion, ingenuity, and individuality behind each one.
“Whether you’re a dedicated hobbyist or simply curious, this exhibition invites you to explore the many ways we express ourselves beyond the everyday. Join us in celebrating the limitless nature of human creativity and the joy of making!”
Hetain Patel said: “There is a vulnerability in sharing something so personal, which often happens in private spaces around the responsibilities of daily life. But there is also a tremendous power in sharing collectively, which is at the heart of this project. I hope people join us in this celebration of the unstoppable nature of self expression that is demonstrated by our hobbies.”
Mariam Zulfiqar, Director at Artangel, said: “Hetain Patel’s work has always invited us to reflect on identity as multidimensional and complex. For Come As You Really Are he generously extends an invitation to people around the country, asking them to share the objects, activities and pastimes that form part of their identity. The ambitious presentation of hundreds of objects loaned by as many hobbyists creates a new kind of picture, where people and their identities are seen beyond national, racial, gendered or age related categories that conventionally categorise who we are.
“Artangel is working with a network of leading arts and cultural organisations to realise this ambitious project across the UK and supporting one of our most exciting artists working today to create an exceptionally memorable and inclusive project.”
Come As You Really Are opens on Saturday 12 July and runs until Sunday 5 October, 2025. The exhibition is free to the public, and timeslots can be booked in advance. Wolverhampton Art Gallery is open Monday to Saturday from 10.30am to 4.30pm and Sunday from 11am to 4pm. For more information, please visit Wolverhampton Arts & Culture.
The launch weekend on Friday 25 and Saturday 26 July celebrates hobbies and hobbyists, with a Friday Late, from 6pm to 9.00pm, and a Hobby Fair, from 1pm to 3pm on Saturday. Visitors will have the opportunity to explore the exhibition hobbies and themes in the company of artist Hetain Patel and participating hobbyists, with talks, workshops, demos and live performances including music and fashion.
NEW YORK and MIAMI, June 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Gebbia Media, a wholly owned subsidiary of Siebert Financial Corp. (NASDAQ: SIEB), has announced the launch of its Sports Division. The new group will focus on serving the unique needs of elite and professional athletes, offering a comprehensive platform that combines financial education, wealth management, tax planning, and strategic support for long-term success.
At launch, the division has signed several standout NCAA athletes from top programs and universities, including TCU, Villanova, University of Washington, BYU, and Xavier, among others.
The initiative will be led by Greg Murphy, a former collegiate basketball player and seasoned financial executive for Alliance Bernstein and Investco, newly appointed President of Sport Division. “I’ve spent years helping institutions scale and grow, but this is different,” said Murphy, “Athletes today are more than sports professionals. They are leaders, creators, and entrepreneurs. We’re here to help them navigate that journey with a full team behind them.”
In line with Siebert’s Financial growth strategy, Gebbia Media’s Sports Division offering is designed to go beyond what traditional sports agencies offer. With in-house capabilities in marketing, PR, media production, and IP development, Gebbia Media will help athletes elevate their personal brands and unlock new ways to share and monetize their stories. These services are paired with the broader financial platform of Siebert Financial, helping athletes protect and grow their wealth well beyond their playing years, starting with a strong focus on financial literacy and education.
Richard Gebbia, Co-CEO of Muriel Siebert & Co., LLC., as well as a former Ole Miss Football standout, comments: “We understand what athletes are going through. Our goal is to help them build real value that lasts beyond the game. By welcoming them to our offices and spending time with wealth management and finance professionals, we foster financial learning, protect their earnings, grow their potential, and support their ambitions inside and outside of sports.”
“Gebbia Media is built to go where traditional finance hasn’t,” said David Gebbia, CEO of Gebbia Media “With the launch of our Sports Division, we’re helping a new generation of athletes learn about and take control of their finances, as well as telling their stories, and building their legacies.”
The division is led by a team of financial and sports management experts with deep experience in athlete representation, contract negotiation, and NIL monetization. With offices in Miami, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Nashville, and other key locations, the team operates nationwide. Beyond a current roster that includes multi-million dollar deals for several signed athletes, the pipeline is rapidly expanding across both collegiate and professional circuits.
About Gebbia Media Gebbia Media is an artist-first entertainment company focused on the development and promotion of music and sports talent, catalog acquisition, and bold storytelling across film, television, podcasts, and digital media. As a subsidiary of Siebert Financial Corp., Gebbia Media also functions as the in-house production and marketing agency for Siebert and its subsidiaries, creating branded content, advertising strategies, and social media campaigns.
Driven by the belief that creativity, raw talent, and commercial acumen can birth extraordinary storytelling, Gebbia Media is building a premier media company rooted in cultural impact and financial strategy. By fusing compelling content with financial infrastructure, the company is redefining how audiences are engaged, enhancing financial literacy, expanding market reach, and unlocking new monetization opportunities across platforms. Gebbia Media’s operations span music, sports, and entertainment, creating powerful synergies between culture and commerce within Siebert’s broader ecosystem. More information is available at www.gebbiamedia.com.
About Siebert Financial Corp. Siebert is a diversified financial services company and has been a member of the NYSE since 1967, when Muriel Siebert became the first woman to own a seat on the NYSE and the first to head one of its member firms.
Siebert operates through its subsidiaries Muriel Siebert & Co., LLC, Siebert AdvisorNXT, LLC, Park Wilshire Companies, Inc., RISE Financial Services, LLC, Siebert Technologies, LLC, and StockCross Digital Solutions, Ltd, and Gebbia Media LLC. Through these entities, Siebert provides a full range of brokerage and financial advisory services, including securities brokerage; investment banking and capital markets services; investment advisory and insurance offerings; securities lending; corporate stock plan administration solutions; in addition to entertainment and media productions. For over 55 years, Siebert has been a company that values its clients, shareholders, and employees. More information is available at www.siebert.com.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements The statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts, including statements about our beliefs and expectations, are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include statements preceded by, followed by, or that include the words “may,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “estimate,” “target,” “project,” “intend” and similar words or expressions. In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, projections, or other characterizations of future events or circumstances are forward-looking statements.
These forward-looking statements, which reflect beliefs, objectives, and expectations as of the date hereof, are based on the best judgment of the management of Siebert. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made. Such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in such statements, including, without limitation, the following: economic, social and political conditions, global economic downturns resulting from extraordinary events; securities industry risks; interest rate risks; liquidity risks; credit risk with clients and counterparties; risk of liability for errors in clearing functions; systemic risk; systems failures, delays and capacity constraints; network security risks; competition; reliance on external service providers; new laws and regulations affecting Siebert’s business; net capital requirements; extensive regulation, regulatory uncertainties and legal matters; failure to maintain relationships with employees, customers, business partners or governmental entities; the inability to achieve synergies or to implement integration plans; and other consequences associated with risks and uncertainties detailed in Part I, Item 1A – Risk Factors of Siebert’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, and Siebert’s filings with the SEC.
Siebert cautions that the foregoing list of factors is not exclusive, and new factors may emerge, or changes to the foregoing factors may occur that could impact its business. Siebert undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise these statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except to the extent required by the federal securities laws.
New York, N.Y., June 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NANO Nuclear Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: NNE) (“NANO Nuclear” or “the Company”), a leading advanced nuclear energy and technology company focused on developing clean energy solutions, today announced that Matthew Barry has joined the Company as its Director of Investor Relations.
As Director of Investor Relations, Matt will spearhead NANO Nuclear’s efforts to connect with and inform its growing retail and institutional investor base and assist with all corporate communication initiatives.
Matt has over 10 years of experience in accounting, equity research and investor relations at both public and private companies. He began his career at Deloitte, where he audited the financial statements and internal controls of various public and private clients across various industries. Matt served as an equity research analyst at investment banks H.C. Wainwright and Cowen and Company, where he covered an aggregate portfolio of approximately 40 companies across both firms, creating complex financial models and analyzing a wide range of macroeconomic and industry data and trends. He later served as Manager of Investor Relations at Veeco Instruments Inc. (NASDAQ: VECO), a Nasdaq-listed global capital equipment provider, where he led the investor relations function. At Veeco, he successfully developed an in-house investor targeting program and was instrumental in attracting investment from multiple ideal long-only long-term oriented investors who initiated substantial positions in the company.
Matt joins NANO Nuclear following the recent addition of Intel technologist and former U.S. Department of Energy Deputy (DOE) Chief Data Officer, Seth Berl, Ph.D. as an independent member in NANO Nuclear’s Board of Directors, and the appointment of former U.S. Secretary of Energy and Texas Gov. Rick Perry as Chair of the NANO Nuclear’s Executive Advisory Board. These quality additions to the team highlight NANO Nuclear’s growing reputation for excellence in advanced nuclear technology and its commitment to strong leadership as it propels its ambitious business plans forward.
“I feel privileged to join this exciting company, which is not only striving to lead the advanced nuclear technology sector, but has made remarkable achievements so far, including having been the top performing initial public offering in the U.S. in 2024,” said Matthew Barry, Director of Investor Relations of NANO Nuclear. “I firmly believe in NANO Nuclear’s mission, and as we continue our progress, keeping our shareholders fully informed and aligned with our long‑term vision is essential. I’m looking forward to bringing my communications experience and my knowledge of public companies and the equity capital markets to NANO Nuclear at this pivotal time and to work with our energetic leadership team committed to delivering lasting value.”
Figure 1 – NANO Nuclear Appoints Matthew Barry as its Director of Investor Relations.
Matt earned his Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license in 2017 and Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation in 2024. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting and a Master of Science in Taxation from Hofstra University where he received the FEI Top Accounting Student award.
“I’m very excited to welcome Matt to NANO Nuclear,” said Jay Yu, Founder and Chairman of NANO Nuclear. “His background in accounting, equity research and investor relations gives him a solid understanding of how public companies work and what their investor communities desire in terms of information and outreach. I believe he will be instrumental in strengthening our dialogue with shareholders, whose support has been vital to our success as we pursue our strategic objectives.”
“Matt aligns perfectly with our commitment to transparent, investor‑focused communication,” said James Walker, Chief Executive Officer of NANO Nuclear. “His capital‑markets expertise will be invaluable as we engage new investors and broaden market awareness. Matt’s appointment underscores our commitment to excellence, and I look forward to collaborating with him.”
About NANO Nuclear Energy, Inc.
NANO Nuclear Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: NNE) is an advanced technology-driven nuclear energy company seeking to become a commercially focused, diversified, and vertically integrated company across five business lines: (i) cutting edge portable and other microreactor technologies, (ii) nuclear fuel fabrication, (iii) nuclear fuel transportation, (iv) nuclear applications for space and (v) nuclear industry consulting services. NANO Nuclear believes it is the first portable nuclear microreactor company to be listed publicly in the U.S.
Led by a world-class nuclear engineering team, NANO Nuclear’s reactor products in development include patented KRONOS MMR™Energy System, a stationary high-temperature gas-cooled reactor that is in construction permit pre-application engagement U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in collaboration with University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U. of I.), “ZEUS”, a solid core battery reactor, and “ODIN”, a low-pressure coolant reactor, and the space focused, portable LOKI MMR™, each representing advanced developments in clean energy solutions that are portable, on-demand capable, advanced nuclear microreactors.
Advanced Fuel Transportation Inc. (AFT), a NANO Nuclear subsidiary, is led by former executives from the largest transportation company in the world aiming to build a North American transportation company that will provide commercial quantities of HALEU fuel to small modular reactors, microreactor companies, national laboratories, military, and DOE programs. Through NANO Nuclear, AFT is the exclusive licensee of a patented high-capacity HALEU fuel transportation basket developed by three major U.S. national nuclear laboratories and funded by the Department of Energy. Assuming development and commercialization, AFT is expected to form part of the only vertically integrated nuclear fuel business of its kind in North America.
HALEU Energy Fuel Inc. (HEF), a NANO Nuclear subsidiary, is focusing on the future development of a domestic source for a High-Assay, Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) fuel fabrication pipeline for NANO Nuclear’s own microreactors as well as the broader advanced nuclear reactor industry.
NANO Nuclear Space Inc. (NNS), a NANO Nuclear subsidiary, is exploring the potential commercial applications of NANO Nuclear’s developing micronuclear reactor technology in space. NNS is focusing on applications such as the LOKI MMR™ system and other power systems for extraterrestrial projects and human sustaining environments, and potentially propulsion technology for long haul space missions. NNS’ initial focus will be on cis-lunar applications, referring to uses in the space region extending from Earth to the area surrounding the Moon’s surface.
This news release and statements of NANO Nuclear’s management in connection with this news release contain or may contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In this context, forward-looking statements mean statements related to future events, which may impact our expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as “expects”, “anticipates”, “intends”, “plans”, “believes”, “potential”, “will”, “should”, “could”, “would” or “may” and other words of similar meaning. In this press release, forward-looking statements include those related to the anticipated benefits to the Company of the new Director of Investor Relations referred to herein. These and other forward-looking statements are based on information available to us as of the date of this news release and represent management’s current views and assumptions. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, events or results and involve significant known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may be beyond our control. For NANO Nuclear, particular risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in our forward-looking statements include but are not limited to the following: (i) risks related to our U.S. Department of Energy (“DOE”) or related state or non-U.S. nuclear fuel licensing submissions, (ii) risks related the development of new or advanced technology and the acquisition of complimentary technology or businesses, including difficulties with design and testing, cost overruns, regulatory delays, integration issues and the development of competitive technology, (iii) our ability to obtain contracts and funding to be able to continue operations, (iv) risks related to uncertainty regarding our ability to technologically develop and commercially deploy a competitive advanced nuclear reactor or other technology in the timelines we anticipate, if ever, (v) risks related to the impact of U.S. and non-U.S. government regulation, policies and licensing requirements, including by the DOE and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, including those associated with the recently enacted ADVANCE Act, and (vi) similar risks and uncertainties associated with the operating an early stage business a highly regulated and rapidly evolving industry. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which apply only as of the date of this news release. These factors may not constitute all factors that could cause actual results to differ from those discussed in any forward-looking statement, and NANO Nuclear therefore encourages investors to review other factors that may affect future results in its filings with the SEC, which are available for review at www.sec.gov and at https://ir.nanonuclearenergy.com/financial-information/sec-filings. Accordingly, forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as a predictor of actual results. We do not undertake to update our forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this news release, except as required by law.
Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Forum participants
The team of students from St. Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering “Legal Support” (second year students of the Faculty of Forensic Expertise and Law in Construction and Transport) took part in the IV Inter-University Patriotic Forum “I Love My Homeland”.
The forum, organized by the St. Petersburg University of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, was held on June 9 at the M. Gorky House of Scientists.
Our university was represented by Anastasia Abramova (team captain), Elena Samoilova, Alina Bashirova and Anastasia Kochukova under the guidance of Associate Professor of the Department of Legal Regulation of Urban Development and Transport Elena Markova.
In addition, students from the All-Russian State University of Justice, the Military Institute (Railway Troops and Military Communications), the Russian Customs Academy, other universities, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation also took part in the forum.
The forum was held in a quiz format. After the teams were introduced, the students answered questions about culture and history, painting, architecture and poetry, Russian cinema, music and composers of our country. The SPbGASU team took fourth place out of nine.
“The value of such events is that students do not compete with each other when answering questions, but interpersonal communication takes place between cadets, students and their leaders from different educational organizations. The main topic of the event is the Motherland, something that every citizen should know, because patriotism is not only the willingness to defend, but also knowledge of the history of your country. Therefore, we recommend that everyone who has the opportunity participate in such events to remember some of the most important moments in the history of Russia and learn something new,” said Elena Samoylova. “The forum dedicated to the topic of patriotism and love for the Motherland left a vivid impression. The questions raised at the event were different: some seemed easy and obvious, others were deep and thought-provoking. Particularly interesting were the speeches of the forum participants, who touched on the topic of the modern understanding of patriotism and the role of youth in the development of the country. Such events unite people, inspire good deeds,” shared Anastasia Kochukova.
“The forum became a source of new information and rethinking of already known facts for me. Particularly valuable was the acquaintance with the experience of various public organizations engaged in patriotic education of youth. Information about new projects aimed at preserving cultural heritage and developing civic activity turned out to be useful. It is important that the information presented was not only educational, but also inspiring, motivating to participate in positive changes,” Alina Bashirova is sure.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
SINGAPORE, June 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — OMS Energy Technologies Inc. (“OMS” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: OMSE), a growth-oriented manufacturer of surface wellhead systems (“SWS”) and oil country tubular goods (“OCTG”) for the oil and gas industry, today provided a business update outlining its recent accomplishments as the Company prepares for its inaugural earnings call following its successful Nasdaq listing in May 2025.
Operational Highlights
New order win in Angola and renewed contract in Thailand; Southeast Asia emerging as driving force in customer acquisition
Expanding business footprint and growing talent pool
R&D achievements and partnerships steadily enriching product portfolio
Consistent enhancements to occupational health, safety and environmental management
Development initiatives fostering revenue diversification and enhancing financial stability
Mr. How Meng Hock, CEO of OMS Energy Technologies Inc., commented, “We’re excited to begin our journey as a public company with a healthy operational foundation, underscored by thriving customer relationships and partnerships, an expanding brand presence and cutting-edge R&D and manufacturing capabilities. We are also supported by a strong balance sheet and a deep commitment to prudent financial management, positioning us to quickly and flexibly execute our development strategy when suitable opportunities arise. With our focus on exceptional service and dedication to crafting superior products, we’re confident of delivering innovative solutions to a growing, global customer base, creating value for all of our stakeholders.”
Customer Growth and Diversification
Offering a broad array of highly engineered products and customizable solutions for the oil and gas industry, OMS is anchored by a solid base of long-term contracts and longstanding relationships with global and local oil companies, drilling contractors, E&P and oilfield service providers across the Asia Pacific, Middle East and North Africa (MENA), and West African regions. The Company recently entered the Angola market and has secured a letter of award through its Middle East representative for the supply of surface wellhead systems to Grupo Simples Oil in the Onshore Kwanza Basin Block of KON-06 in Angola, expanding its brand presence in West Africa.
In the Indonesian market, the Company’s marketing efforts are attracting new customers, such as PT Seleraya Belida (South Sumatra) and Pertamina Hulu Sanga Sanga (East Kalimantan), and driving steady growth in sales of surface wellhead and Christmas tree products.
OMS’ existing customer base continues to exhibit strong loyalty. In June, PTTEP, a long-term customer in the Thailand market, signed a new three-year agreement effective July 1, 2025, further stabilizing the Company’s revenue base. The Company also inked a 10-year supply agreement with Saudi Aramco in early 2024, projected to generate an estimated $120 to $200 million annually. Moreover, the Company’s annual price agreement with Halliburton continues to fuel robust order volumes at its Malaysia and Singapore facilities.
Geographic and Talent Pool Expansion
OMS boasts a broad geographic footprint in the oil-rich Asia Pacific and MENA regions, with 11 manufacturing facilities strategically situated across six countries (Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, and Indonesia). By hiring local citizens, producing products and services within these jurisdictions, and sourcing high-value materials locally, the Company establishes eligibility to participate in government tenders and contracts, boosting its competitive edge. Employing locals also helps the Company meet the requirements of localization programs such as IKTVA in Saudi Arabia and TKDN in Indonesia while enriching its talent pool. The Company is exploring new operating jurisdictions to increase market share and extending its reach globally through a growing number of export countries.
Product Development & Manufacturing Advancements
OMS’s $1.1 million investment in Additive Manufacturing (AM) research is propelling progress in the development of a metallic seal for the Company’s high-pressure-high temperature (HPHT) gate valves, a technological breakthrough that promises to promote innovation, improve supply chain efficiency and enable better material selection for critical components. To date, OMS has completed Phase 1 of its proof of concept, covering material selection, additive manufacturing methodology and stress analysis on the part for fit, form and function for using this method. The Company continues to invest in R&D, forging partnerships with top institutions such as the Singapore Institute of Manufacturing and Technology (SIMTech) to remain at the forefront of industry innovation.
Meanwhile, the Company is steadily delivering on orders placed under its long-term agreements with Saudi Aramco and Halliburton Malaysia and Singapore, leveraging its precision manufacturing expertise and strategically-located facilities to produce mission-critical products and custom solutions with shorter lead times. A healthy, balanced manufacturing capacity utilization level empowers OMS to seamlessly meet rising demand from new and existing customers.
Occupational Health, Safety and Environmental Management Enhancements
Safety and environmental protection are critical to the oil and gas industry and a key cornerstone of OMS’ operations. The Company holds ISO 9001 and API Q1 quality management system certifications for all of its manufacturing sites, as well as ISO 45001-Occupational Health and Safety Management System and ISO 14001-Environmental Management System certifications. The Company recently completed the annual surveillance audit required to maintain its ISO 45001 and ISO 14001 certifications, a crucial step in the Company’s ongoing implementation of ESG programs.
Strategic Development Initiatives
Sustainable, long-term growth remains OMS’ top priority. The Company’s R&D collaboration with Singapore’s Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) and SIMTech reflects its commitment to environmental sustainability, covering life cycle analysis, energy efficiency monitoring and digital transformation and innovation. OMS is also actively exploring growth and revenue diversification through acquisitions, joint ventures and strategic alliances. By driving development both organically and externally, OMS is creating a more resilient and balanced portfolio, strengthening the backbone of its business.
AboutOMS Energy Technologies Inc.
OMS Energy Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: OMSE) is a growth-oriented manufacturer of surface wellhead systems (SWS) and oil country tubular goods (OCTG) for the oil and gas industry. Serving both onshore and offshore exploration and production operators, OMS is a trusted single-source supplier across six vital jurisdictions in the Asia Pacific, Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) regions. The Company’s 11 strategically located manufacturing facilities in key markets ensure rapid response times, customized technical solutions and seamless adaptation to evolving production and logistics needs. Beyond its core SWS and OCTG offerings, OMS also provides premium threading services to maximize operational efficiency for its customers.
The information in this press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. These statements generally relate to future events or our future financial or operating performance and include statements regarding the expected size, timing and results of the initial public offering. When used in this press release, words such as “expect,” “project,” “estimate,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “budget,” “plan,” “seek,” “envision,” “forecast,” “target,” “predict,” “may,” “should,” “would,” “could,” and “will,” as well as the negative of these terms and similar expressions, are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words.
Forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations and assumptions, and are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. As a result, actual results could differ materially from those indicated in these forward-looking statements. When considering these forward-looking statements, you should keep in mind the risk factors and other cautionary statements in OMS’s prospectus. OMS undertakes no obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after this press release. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release.
For investor and media inquiries, please contact:
OMS Energy Technologies Inc. Investor Relations Email: ir@omsos.com
