Northern Horizon Capital AS, the management company of Baltic Horizon Fund, hereby notifies of a change to its shareholdings and a decrease in its share capital and the related amendments to the articles of association.
The shareholders decided to decrease the share capital from EUR 138,899 to EUR 125,000 by cancelling all 13,899 B-class shares held by the shareholder Northern Horizon Capital JIC OÜ (total nominal value of EUR 13,899).
As a result of the foregoing, Northern Horizon Capital A/S (registered in Denmark under registration number CVR 27599397) increases its direct shareholding from 90% to 100% of the shares, remaining the sole shareholder of Northern Horizon Capital AS.
The Fund is a registered contractual public closed-end real estate fund that is managed by Alternative Investment Fund Manager license holder Northern Horizon Capital AS.
Distribution: GlobeNewswire, Nasdaq Tallinn, Nasdaq Stockholm, www.baltichorizon.com
The day we’ve been waiting for is almost here – the transformed Derby Market Hall reopens this Saturday 24 May! Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the big day.
What is Derby Market Hall?
The lovingly restored, Grade II-listed Victorian market hall is a flexible space that incorporates a modern street food dining area and bars, traditional and contemporary retail units, and creative spaces for artisan makers and traders.
An ongoing programme of events, activities and entertainment will bring the Market Hall to life throughout the week with regular themed markets, live music, DJs, craft workshops and more. It’s also dog-friendly!
When is it open?
The transformed Market Hall will officially open at 11am on Saturday 24 May, almost 159 years to the day since its original grand opening. There will be a short opening ceremony outside the Osnabruck Square entrance.
Usual opening times will be:
Monday – Wednesday: 8am – 3pm
Thursday – Saturday: 8am – 10pm
Sunday: 11am – 3pm
How do I get there?
Derby Market Hall is at the heart of the city centre. There are entrances at Osnabruck Square, which is off Albert Street, and through the Guildhall Theatre, which is accessed from Derby Market Place. If you use what3words, it’s ///eating.pints.gangs.
It couldn’t be easier to find if you’re travelling by bus – Derby Bus Station is just a couple of minutes’ walk away. If you’re driving, there are several car parks within walking distance including Bold Lane and Darwin Place. The nearest Blue Badge parking is in Morledge and Full Street.
Who are the traders?
Shopping and services: Explore a diverse range of traditional and contemporary stalls. Buy top-quality produce at Anthony Andrews Butchers and Bailey’s Fishmongers. Derbyshire’s Own specialises in the best locally-sourced food and drink while Olivia’s Coffee and Bakery will have artisan bread, pastries, specialty coffee, and fresh deli sandwiches.
Pick up fashion finds at Mardy Ducks and Preloved, shop for your pets at Dawkins Pet Supplies, and find ethically sourced crystals and gifts at SpiritCrystals. Ayup Bikes specialise in servicing, repairs and maintenance classes and Derby City Lab will provide an interactive hub for engaging people in the latest regeneration projects in the city.
Eat & Drink: Foodies will be in heaven with the cosmopolitan array of eateries on offer:
Plus coming soon: The Spirit Run – Distillery and bar, offering cocktails, locally-crafted spirits and more, from the team at Darley Abbey Wines.
Make & Trade: On the first floor, you can meet local artists, makers and creators in our new Make & Trade spaces. Layer create performance sportswear designed for athletes at all levels, while The Oddities Store is a luxury sustainable fashion brand specialising in made-to-order knitted collections and deconstructed fashion pieces.
Regular pop-up traders will add to our permanent retail stalls, creating a vibrant community of independent businesses and products you won’t find anywhere else.
What’s happening during opening week?
Derby Market Hall will open with a spectacular week-long celebration packed with free music, creative workshops, and family-friendly activities – coinciding with the May half-term holiday. A detailed schedule of the week’s events is available on the Derby Market Hall website.
Highlights on opening day include live music from walkabout acts and sessions on the Market Hall stage. The musical entertainment will continue until 9:30pm, with a fantastic line-up of local talent including Carl North, Sura Laynes, Leah Wilcox, Anna Milne, and Mesha Terry. There will be workshops in photography, illustration and craft plus Virtual Reality headset sessions.
The fun continues every day for the rest of the week and into the following weekend, with a packed programme featuring:
Live music from talented local artists on the Market Hall stage
Entertaining walkabout acts both indoors and outdoors, on Cornmarket and Osnabruck Square
Theatre performances and virtual reality sessions in the Market Hall’s multi-use space
Workshops in crafts, pottery, music, performance and songwriting
But that’s just the start! Regular events will bring a buzz to Derby Market Hall throughout the year.
How do I order food?
When ordering food at Derby Market Hall, visitors are encouraged to use our new order and pay system, provided by Peazi.
There’s no need to download an app, simply scan the QR code at your table, browse the menus and pay without having to leave your seat. You can order from multiple vendors at the same time, and you’ll receive a text message once your order is ready to collect.
Ordering at the counter is still available from all of our traders, and cash is accepted when ordering directly.
Is Derby Market Hall accessible?
Thoughtful design with access and inclusion as a key priority ensures the Market Hall and its surrounding areas, including Osnabruck Square, are easily accessible and inclusive to all visitors. Features include:
Levelled flooring to facilitate step free access
New lift to provide access between the ground and first floors
Changing Places toilet – the fifth in Derby’s city centre
Muted colours to support visually impaired visitors and lighting designed at the correct lumens to improve visibility. Fixtures, fittings and furniture specifically colour contrasted to enhance accessibility
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 2
Press release
£1 billion BioNTech investment sets way for jobs, growth, breakthroughs
Covid-19 vaccine pioneers BioNTech commit to up to £1 billion, 10-year investment in the UK.
Covid-19 vaccine pioneers BioNTech commit to up to £1 billion, 10-year investment in the UK.
New research and AI centres to be established in London as well as Cambridge – demonstrating the benefits of the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor – to develop the next generation of life-changing medicines.
Underpinned by up to £129 million of government support, this agreement underscores the government’s commitment to life sciences as a key part of the Plan for Change, driving improvements in healthcare, and delivering economic growth.
Hundreds of highly skilled jobs will be created, and new research centres will be set up aimed at making new advances in medical science, thanks to a planned investment of up to £1 billion into the UK by world-leading biopharmaceutical company BioNTech announced today (Tuesday 20 May).
This is one of the biggest investments in the history of UK life sciences, made possible with government backing – all part of plans to support this growth-driving sector as part of the Plan for Change, and our mission to turbo-charge economic growth in every part of the country.
This historic investment is a testament to the confidence in the UK life sciences – one of the priority sectors of the economy that will form a key part of the forthcoming Industrial Strategy – as a driver of economic growth, job creation, and innovations that could overhaul what’s possible in healthcare. The sector is already thriving, worth £108 billion to the economy and providing more than 300,000 highly skilled jobs across the country. But through measures like our commitment to investing up to £520 million in the sector through the Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund, we want to boost UK life sciences to even greater heights, bolstering our ambitions to grow the economy, create jobs, and building on the UK’s position as the second-most attractive destination for international investment.
BioNTech will invest in the UK over the course of the next 10 years as part of an ambitious plan to significantly expand their presence here. That will see them create two new R&D hubs, the first to be based in Cambridge, as well as an AI hub to be based at BioNTech’s planned UK headquarters in London. These are planned to create more than 400 new highly skilled jobs over the next 10 years, including researchers in clinical and scientific drug development, bioinformatics, and a range of supporting functions. Indirectly, the investment is also likely to create a substantial number of additional jobs in the supply chain.
BioNTech are the pioneering company behind mRNA vaccines and cancer immunotherapies notably used to tackle COVID-19, and more recently trialled to help patients with cancer.
BioNTech signed an agreement finalising the investment together with Science Secretary Peter Kyle today. As part of the agreement, the government will contribute up to £129 million in grant funding over a period of 10 years.
Science and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said:
This investment will propel the growth-driving life sciences sector to new heights, delivering cutting-edge facilities, building careers in the future-facing jobs we want our children to have, and ultimately unlocking progress in medical science that could save lives.
This is a clear indication of how we will deliver the government’s Plan for Change: working together with the best and brightest businesses and innovators to unlock their potential, and then reap the benefits for the economy, health and more that their drive and genius can deliver.
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, said:
This is another testament to confidence in Britain being one of the world’s top investment destinations and a global hub for life sciences. It will create hundreds of high-skilled, well-paid jobs, as we deliver on our promise to put more money in working people’s pockets through our Plan for Change.
CEO and co-founder of BioNTech, Uğur Şahin, said:
This agreement marks the next chapter of our successful strategic partnership with the UK government. Together, we have already made a meaningful difference in expanding access to investigational personalized cancer therapies for patients. Now, we are taking the next step to accelerate and broaden our research and development efforts advancing towards our vision to translate science into survival for patients.
In Cambridge, BioNTech plans to set up a new R&D centre focused on genomics, oncology, structural biology, and regenerative medicine. In London, BioNTech intends to establish its UK headquarters, which will be home to a new AI hub led by InstaDeep Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of BioNTech SE, and a leading global technology company in the field of AI and machine learning. This hub will enable medical research, using AI, including looking into understanding disease causes, drug target selection and predictive analytics.
Over time, this work could lead to the discovery and development of new therapies, diagnostics and treatments for a range of diseases that currently cause heartbreak for countless patients and their families – all supporting the mission to rebuild the NHS for the long-term, that sits at the heart of the government’s Plan for Change.
It also builds on the government’s existing strategic partnership with BioNTech, to provide up to 10,000 patients with investigational personalised cancer immunotherapies by 2030. This is already transforming the experience of patients by broadening access to cancer vaccine trials in the UK.
The government’s support for BioNTech’s investment is a further example of how we are backing the UK’s thriving life sciences sector to even greater success – following on from the announcement of the Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund at the Autumn Budget, and strategic collaborations agreed with other innovative life sciences companies. We will say more about our vision for a thriving future for UK life sciences in the forthcoming Life Sciences Sector Plan.
Steve Bates, CEO of the UK BioIndustry Association, said:
BioNTech’s investment demonstrates the UK’s position as a top destination for life sciences innovation and underlines why the government is absolutely right to back our sector as a priority for growth.
BioNTech is not only a pioneer in mRNA science, but also a visionary partner in building a truly unique public-private collaboration with the UK government and NHS – one that sets a benchmark for the world.
The UK has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to leverage its strong position to attract investment from global investors to create well-paid jobs and scale UK companies, if the upcoming Life Sciences Sector Plan can address long-standing structural challenges in the financing and commercial environment.
Richard Torbett, Chief Executive of the ABPI, said:
This investment is a testament to the fantastic skills, research capabilities, and scientific infrastructure we have in the UK. It is also a template for how the UK could unlock further life science sector growth by removing the barriers and roadblocks to investment.
Big investments like this are years in the making and require both sides to have confidence that the other will deliver on their commitments. Trust is slow to build, but this deal shows it is worth the time and the risk.
Life science companies are already the largest investors in UK R&D – but much of this comes from a handful of companies with deep UK roots. The UK has an opportunity to capture more of the global science pie if we can improve our competitive offering to the sector.
Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –
Students of the State University of Management won the All-Russian festival-competition of journalists, advertisers and PR people “Life in creative flight!”, which was held at the Voronezh State University.
In total, almost 400 works from students of Russian universities studying in areas of training related to communication technologies were submitted to the competition’s organizing committee.
The jury evaluated projects in 19 nominations of the Mass Media Master competition in the categories of Television and Radio Broadcasting and Press and Internet Publications and 8 nominations of the FROG competition, which includes advertising and PR materials.
Creative projects by students of the Institute of Marketing of the State University of Management became winners and prize winners in several nominations of the festival.
In the nomination “Printed and polygraphic advertising” 1st place was taken by the project of students of the State University of Management “Live here and now”. Authors: Maria Stefani and Violetta Vdovitsa. Supervisor – Alexandra Timokhovich.
“According to VTsIOM statistics, every second Russian is dissatisfied with their lives. One of the reasons is the syndrome of postponed life. In the developed digital layouts of social advertising, we used the technique of analogy with an airport board, where flights with symbolic destinations of “dream”, “success”, “chance”, “love” are postponed and cancelled. Just as flight delays cause anticipation, disappointment, so postponing goals does not allow them to be realized,” Maria Stefani explained the idea of the project.
In the nomination “Radio Advertising” (radio commercial) our students took several prizes at once:
1st place – project “Don’t forget your elders”. Authors: Dmitry Denisov, Pavel Polyakov, Riad Gubatov, Viktor Lozovsky. Leader – Alexandra Timokhovich.
“In modern society, there are frequent situations when representatives of the older generation are left without due attention and care from their relatives. Literally, elderly people are left to their own devices, forced to cope with everyday life, illnesses, and financial difficulties on their own. In the audio clip, we urge you to think about this problem, to become more sensitive and attentive to the elderly,” shared Pavel Polyakov.
2nd place – project “Take your eyes off the screen”. Authors: Maria Bychenkova, Elizaveta Ruzanova, Alena Kladnitskaya. Leader – Alexandra Timokhovich.
3rd place – project “Let’s save food from the trash”. Authors: Yulia Talishevskaya, Ekaterina Tkacheva, Marina Belova. Leader – Alexandra Timokhovich.
3rd place – project “Doxing is the scourge of the modern Internet community”. Author: Anastasia Lilyakova. Leader – Alexandra Timokhovich.
Congratulations to the winners and the head of the student projects! We wish you interesting projects and further victories!
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.
ANALYSIS:By Birte Leonhardt, Folker Hanusch and Shailendra B. Singh
The role of journalism in society is shaped not only by professional norms but also by deeply held cultural values. This is particularly evident in the Pacific Islands region, where journalists operate in media environments that are often small, tight-knit and embedded within traditional communities.
Our survey of journalists across Pacific Island countries provides new insight into how cultural values influence journalists’ self-perceptions and practices in the region. The findings are now available as an open access article in the journal Journalism.
Cultural factors are particularly observable in many collectivist societies, where journalists emphasise their intrinsic connection to their communities. This includes the small and micro-media systems of the Pacific, where “high social integration” includes close familial ties, as well as traditional and cultural affiliations.
The culture of the Pacific Islands is markedly distinct from Western cultures due to its collectivist nature, which prioritises group aspirations over individual aspirations. By foregrounding culture and values, our study demonstrates that the perception of their local cultural role is a dominant consideration for journalists, and we also see significant correlations between it and the cultural-value orientations of journalists.
We approach the concept of culture from the viewpoint of journalistic embeddedness, that is, “the extent to which journalists are enmeshed in the communities, cultures, and structures in which and on whom they report, and the extent to which this may both enable and constrain their work”.
The term embeddedness has often been considered undesirable in mainstream journalism, given ideals of detachment and objectivity which originated in the West and experiences of how journalists were embedded with military forces, such as the Iraq War.
Yet, in alternative approaches to journalism, being close to those on whom they report has been a desirable value, such as in community journalism, whereas a critique of mainstream journalism has tended to be that those reporters do not really understand local communities.
Cultural detachment both impractical and undesirable What is more, in the Global South, embeddedness is often viewed as an intrinsic element of journalists’ identity, making cultural detachment both impractical and undesirable.
Recent research highlights that journalists in many regions of the world, including in unstable democracies, often experience more pronounced cultural influences on their work compared to their Western counterparts.
To explore how cultural values and identity shape journalism in the region, we surveyed 206 journalists across nine countries: Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, the Cook Islands, Tuvalu, Nauru and the Marshall Islands.
The study was conducted as part of a broader project about Pacific Islands journalists between mid-2016 and mid-2018. About four in five of journalists in targeted newsrooms agreed to participate, making this one of the largest surveys of journalists in the region.
Respondents were asked about their perceptions of journalism’s role in society and the extent to which cultural values inform their work.
Our respondents averaged just under 37 years of age and were relatively evenly split in terms of gender (49 percent identified as female) with most in full-time employment (94 percent). They had an average of nine years of work experience. Around seven in 10 had studied at university, but only two-thirds of those had completed a university degree.
The findings showed that Pacific Islands journalists overwhelmingly supported ideas related to a local cultural role in reporting. A vast majority — 88 percent agreed that it was important for them to reflect local culture in reporting, while 75 percent also thought it was important to defend local traditions and values.
Important to preserve local culture Further, 71 percent agreed it was important for journalists to preserve local culture. Together, these roles were considered substantially more important than traditional roles such as the monitorial role, where journalists pursue media’s watchdog function.
This suggests Pacific islands journalists see themselves not just as neutral observers or critics but as active cultural participants — conveying stories that strengthen identity, continuity and community cohesion.
To understand why journalists adopt this local cultural role, we looked at which values best predicted their orientation. We used a regression model to account for a range of potential influences, including socio-demographic aspects such as work experience, education, gender, the importance of religion and journalists’ cultural-value orientations.
Our results showed that the best predictor for whether journalists thought it was important to pursue a local cultural role lay in their own value system. In fact, the extent to which journalists adhered to so-called conservative values like self-restraint, the preservation of tradition and resistance to change emerged as the strongest predictors.
Hence, our findings suggest that journalists who emphasise tradition and social stability in their personal value systems are significantly more likely to prioritise a local cultural role.
These values reflect a preference for preserving the status quo, respecting established customs, and fostering social harmony — all consistent with Pacific cultural norms.
While the importance of cultural values was clear in how journalists perceive their role, the findings were more mixed when it came to reporting practices. In general, we found that such practices were valued.
Considerable consensus on customs There was considerable consensus regarding the importance of respecting traditional customs in reporting, which 87 percent agreed with. A further 68 percent said that their traditional values guided their behaviour when reporting.
At the same time, only 29 percent agreed with the statement that they were a member of their cultural group first and a journalist second, whereas 44 percent disagreed. Conversely, 52 percent agreed that the story was more important than respecting traditional customs and values, while 27 percent disagreed.
These variations suggest that while Pacific journalists broadly endorse cultural preservation as a goal, the practical realities of journalism — such as covering conflict, corruption or political issues — may sometimes create tensions with cultural expectations.
Our findings support the notion that Pacific Islands journalists are deeply embedded in local culture, informed by collective values, strong community ties and a commitment to tradition.
Models of journalism training and institution-building that originated in the West often prioritise norms such as objectivity, autonomy and detached reporting, but in the Pacific such models may fall short or at least clash with the cultural values that underpin journalistic identity.
These aspects need to be taken into account when examining journalism in the region.
Recognising and respecting local value systems is not about compromising press freedom — it’s about contextualising journalism within its social environment. Effective support for journalism in the region must account for the realities of cultural embeddedness, where being a journalist often means being a community member as well.
Understanding the values that motivate journalists — particularly the desire to preserve tradition and promote social stability — can help actors and policymakers engage more meaningfully with media practitioners in the region.
Birte Leonhardt is a PhD candidate at the Journalism Studies Center at the University of Vienna, Austria. Her research focuses on journalistic cultures, values and practices, as well as interventionist journalism.
Folker Hanusch is professor of journalism and heads the Journalism Studies Center at the University of Vienna, Austria. He is also editor-in-chief of Journalism Studies, and vice-chair of the Worlds of Journalism Study.
Shailendra B. Singhis associate professor of Pacific journalism at the University of the South Pacific, based in Suva, Fiji, and a member of the advisory board of the Pacific Journalism Review.
This article appeared first on Devpolicy Blog, from the Development PolicyCentre at The Australian National University and is republished under Creative Commons.
Source: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe – OSCE
Headline: OSCE supports coordination meeting of newly elected women parliamentarians and development partners
On 20 May 2025, the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe facilitated a coordination meeting between the newly elected members of the Alliance of Women Parliamentarians — comprising 23 women — and representatives from government institutions and development agencies.
The meeting introduced both the new members of the Alliance and the Alliance’s 2025–2026 Work Plan to national and international partners. The OSCE and UNFPA presented examples of successful co-operation with the Alliance from 2021 to 2024, highlighting achievements in gender mainstreaming and legislative reform.
Development partners also used the opportunity to discuss potential entry points for future co-operation with the Alliance, focusing in particular on gender-sensitive legislation and strengthening institutional capacity for gender mainstreaming in parliamentary processes.
The Council imposed restrictive measures against 21 individuals and 6 entities responsible for Russia’s destabilising actions against the EU and its member states and broadened the scope of the sanctions regime to target physical and digital assets, as well as media outlets.
A foster carer has praised the ‘invaluable’ help provided by a series of nurturing networks which have just celebrated 10 years of supporting families in Leeds.
The mockingbird hub model of fostering was first set up in Leeds in 2015 and involves linking foster families with an experienced foster carer – known as the ‘hub home carer’ – who provides much-needed guidance and support for both adults and children as they navigate their new lives together.
The model first originated in Seattle, USA and Leeds City Council was one of the early pioneers, now having the largest and most established network in the UK.
Michelle Raw, 53, of Whinmoor, has been a hub home carer for the past six years, having fostered children with husband Mark, 49, for 21 years.
She supports eight families – most of whom are ‘kinship carers,’ where relatives or close friends step in to care for children who are unable to remain living with their parents.
She said: “The mockingbird hub model is amazing – it acts just like an extended family.
“I help provide practical support as well as just having a cuppa and chat about the day with carers. Carers come to my house, we might do a bit of training, have a chat about life, they meet other carers and get to know each other and the children get to know each other and play together.
“It feels like we become part of their family and they become part of ours.”
As the hub home carer, Michelle provides support in a variety of ways – such as hosting coffee mornings, supporting with any appointments, holding activity days in school holidays and looking after children for overnight stays or weekends.
She added: “The hubs are vital for both carers and the children because everyone needs that connection and bit of help and time to recharge their batteries.
“It’s the most amazing model, it works really well.
“I work really closely with our supervising social worker from Foster 4 Leeds to support our families too. I speak to her three or four times a week and if I ever need help with anything, she’s there.”
Leeds currently has nine hubs across the city with a 10th soon to launch.
All the families supported by the city’s hubs recently came together to celebrate the network’s landmark anniversary with a special event at Herd Farm Activity Centre, where they joined staff from the council’s fostering and kinship care teams and children enjoyed face-painting, a climbing wall, inflatables, ice creams, a barbecue and sporting fun.
The event also coincided with Foster Carer Fortnight (May 12-25) which this year has a theme of ‘The Power of Relationships’ – of which the mockingbird family model is a poignant example.
The model is one of many ways Foster 4 Leeds provides support to 400 fostering placements and 350 children living with kinship or connected carers across Leeds.
The service also offers high quality social work support, training and an extensive programme of enrichment activities and family fun days throughout the year.
As is the case nationally, however, Leeds has an ever-increasing need for more foster carers.
Currently, there are nearly 1,500 of the city’s children in care and Foster 4 Leeds continues to appeal for carers who can offer a stable, safe and loving home for children in Leeds.
Councillor Helen Hayden, Leeds City Council’s executive member for children and families, who attended the anniversary event at Herd Farm, said: “We’re absolutely committed to supporting all our carers and it’s great to see and hear how valuable these mockingbird hubs have been for our families over the past ten years.
“I’d like to thank all who have contributed to their success – with particular thanks, once again, to our amazing foster and kinship carers who play such a vital role in transforming the lives of our children looked after.
“Celebrating our mockingbird hubs during Foster Carer Fortnight and its theme of relationships feels particularly timely. Relationships are the golden thread that run through every fostering story – but we urgently need more foster carers who can invest in these relationships and offer a stable, home environment to allow children to grow and thrive.”
Anyone interested in finding out more about foster caring in Leeds can visit the https://foster4.leeds.gov.uk/ website.
Opening Remarks by Alfred Kammer, IMF European Department Director, for the Annual EU Budget Conference
May 20, 2025
Thank you for the opportunity to join this important discussion today on the EU budget.
Europe stands at a transformative crossroads. The global environment is increasingly complex, and structural changes are reshaping the foundations of European economies. The challenges before us are significant: strengthening productivity and resilience amid demographic aging and rising geopolitical and trade tensions while increasing defense spending in a fiscally sustainable way, and enhancing energy security and accelerating the clean energy transition.
This is an extraordinary combination of challenges, and it will take an extraordinary effort to meet them. The key is to combine (i) a determined push to complete the single market with (ii) national reforms to allow Europe’s firms to grow to scale. The benefits of doing both promise to be much larger than EU-level and national efforts could achieve on their own. For example, dropping “red tape” that holds back firms at the national level will have a significant larger effect on investment when supported by a much deeper and fully integrated European capital market. And (iii) we will need the EU budget to amplify these efforts by enabling the joint provision of European public goods and incentivizing national reforms. Just think of the importance of energy security for the single market—this is just one example of a European public good where the EU budget has an important role to play.
The Multiannual Financial Framework, or MFF, has proven its strategic importance time and again. It has supported economic convergence through cohesion policy, and, more recently, the ambitious NextGenerationEU package launched in 2020 helped Europe recover from the pandemic with renewed resilience.
Yet, once again, the scale and nature of the challenges ahead require a fundamental rethink. To remain fit for purpose, the upcoming MFF must undergo a comprehensive overhaul. Our recommendations focus on three critical areas.
First, a more ambitious budget with a stronger focus on European public goods is needed.
Over time, the MFF has evolved to reflect emerging needs, but it has not kept pace with the expanding list of challenges that demand a joint EU-level response. Its current size and structure are insufficient to meet the scale of new investments required.
The budget must prioritize areas where EU action can deliver the greatest value—by generating positive spillovers, leveraging economies of scale, and also avoiding duplication between member states. These are the hallmarks of European public goods. Investments in energy security, defense capabilities, and research and innovation are clear examples where joint EU action is both necessary and efficient.
To meet these needs, we must consider a significant increase in expenditures targeted at European public goods, from 0.4 percent of GNI currently to at least 0.9 percent, based on various estimates from the Commission and others. Doing so without reducing allocations to existing programs would imply increasing the MFF budget by at least 50 percent for the 2028–2034 period, from 1.1 percent of GNI to 1.7 percent of GNI.
In the first instance, more EU spending on public goods would reduce the burden on national budgets for the provision of these public goods. But, importantly, this would not simply shift costs from the national to the EU level. With coordinated EU-level investment, greater efficiency will be achieved and, thus, net savings in the provision of these public goods will be generated. For instance, in the case of investments for the clean energy transition, we estimate that improved coordination at the EU level could reduce aggregate costs by approximately 7 percent. At a time when many countries face tight fiscal constraints, such efficiency gains are critical.
Second, we must ensure the MFF is more performance-based, streamlined, and adaptable.
At the core of this effort should be a stronger focus on performance. Linking financial support more systematically to outcomes—an approach implemented through the Recovery and Resilience Facility—can significantly improve the effectiveness of EU spending. The performance-based approach should be expanded across more areas of the EU budget, particularly where targeted financial incentives can catalyze national and regional reforms that complement EU objectives. But as we expand this approach, we must also ensure it remains as simple and transparent as possible—complexity can hinder both implementation and accountability. Programs under cohesion policy and the Common Agricultural Policy are clear candidates. Importantly, though, effective implementation will also require leveraging local and regional expertise to tailor solutions to specific contexts.
Beyond performance, the design of the MFF must be modernized to reduce complexity and increase strategic focus. Consolidating the more than 50 budgetary programs into a smaller number of thematic clusters, organized around key policy priorities, would help streamline the budget. Moreover, harmonizing requirements across programs would reduce the administrative burden for governments, organizations, and beneficiaries, while improving accessibility and implementation.
The budget also needs to become more adaptable. The events of the past five years have demonstrated the need for greater flexibility to respond to evolving circumstances. Thus, the MFF should be equipped with a greater margin for reallocation within the budget and stronger flexibility instruments—backed by sufficient resources—to address more frequent and intense shocks. A mid-term review process within the regular budget cycle could continue to help respond to changing realities.
Third, the financing framework of the budget must be strengthened.
A more ambitious EU budget will require an enhanced financial capacity. Currently, the MFF is predominantly funded through national contributions based on GNI. To support a step-up in European public goods investment, the financing model should be expanded to include borrowing and more robust own resources.
Borrowing capacity—particularly during the initial investment scale-up—can enable the EU to achieve shared objectives without delay, while smoothing the fiscal impact for member states over time. Moreover, bond-financing can support the further development of a European safe asset, thereby advancing capital market integration and contributing to macro-financial stability.
At the same time, the long-term sustainability of the EU budget requires solid and predictable revenue sources. Progress on new own resources is essential—not only to finance existing debt obligations under NextGenerationEU, but also to underpin future borrowing. The Commission’s proposals, including revenue based on the Emissions Trading System, the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, and potentially a harmonized corporate tax base under the “Business in Europe” initiative, represent a meaningful step forward.
In the longer term, additional revenue sources linked to European public goods—such as user fees on jointly funded infrastructure—may also play a role as the budget evolves toward supporting more EU-wide investments, even if the scope remains limited for now.
In conclusion, meeting Europe’s complex challenges requires a more impactful EU budget. The next MFF presents a unique opportunity to scale up ambition, deliver on shared priorities, and transform the budget into a true engine for growth, resilience, and European sovereignty.
This will not be an easy path. Increasing the budget, improving its design, and broadening its financing base will all require political consensus across member states. But the potential rewards are significant: a more united, more competitive, and more secure Europe.
BOSTON, May 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Thrive, a global technology outsourcing provider for cybersecurity, Cloud, and IT managed services, today announced its new Compliance Center. The Compliance Center provides mid-market businesses and public sector organizations with valuable content that aligns with industry-specific needs and international regulations, delivering comprehensive support for diverse industries.
As technology continues to advance, global regulatory expansion continues to advance protections around personal data from cyberattacks or other misuse. With new and evolving standards appearing on the international stage, such as DORA, the EU AI Act, and data privacy laws that differ region to region, maintaining compliance and seamless operations is becoming increasingly complex. With streamlined, compliance-friendly processes and technology in place, mid-market businesses and public sector organizations can focus on growth and innovation. Thrive’s tailored, scalable solutions align with industry-specific needs and international regulations.
“Whether it’s industry-specific or government-enforced, organizations are facing stricter and ever-changing regulations to ensure they are protecting their users’ data,” said Bill McLaughlin, CEO of Thrive. “Thrive empowers mid-market organizations across the globe to meet regulatory requirements, improve operations, and achieve business goals. By leveraging robust guidelines, best practices, and automation, Thrive optimizes security and mitigates potential fines.”
Thrive currently supports organizations across various industries – including financial services, healthcare, and government operations – that want to maintain compliance in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. Thrive services can effectively help modernize IT infrastructure, managing risk in data protection, business continuity planning, strategic consulting, vCISO services, and secure Cloud operations.
The Compliance Center builds on Thrive’s teams of subject matter experts, including supporting organizations with DORA regulations, CMMC, CJIS, and more. Thrive experts are also trained to address specific regulatory requirements and policy areas, including HIPAA and SEC. For more information on our newest service, Cyber Essentials (CE) and Cyber Essentials Plus (CE+) consulting, auditing, and certification, see here. To learn more about these offerings, visit Thrive’s website here.
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Thrive delivers global technology outsourcing for cybersecurity, Cloud, networking, and other complex IT requirements. Thrive’s NextGen platform enables customers to increase business efficiencies through standardization, scalability, and automation, delivering oversized technology returns on investment (ROI). They accomplish this with advisory services, vCISO, vCIO, consulting, project implementation, solution architects, and a best-in-class subscription-based technology platform. Thrive delivers exceptional high-touch service through its POD approach of subject matter experts and global 24x7x365 SOC, NOC, and centralized services teams. Learn more at www.thrivenextgen.com or follow us on LinkedIn.
Katy Loudon, the SNP’s candidate in the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election, has called on the Labour candidate to “call out Labour’s tax hike for what it is … another broken promise that will cost the people of Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse dearly.”
The Daily Record has reported that Labour peer, Lord Willie Haughey, who has donated over £2 million to Keir Starmer’s Labour, has warned unemployment will rise because of the Westminster Labour government’s decision to increase employer’s National Insurance Contributions to 15%.
The Labour Lord highlighted how his own customers who are making cuts to afford the National Insurance increase and said “there is nothing that we as Labour can point to that we have got right in the Budget.”
The tax hike is estimated to cost South Lanarkshire Council over £15 million, and Scotland’s wider public services £700 million.
Scotland’s third sector also face a £75 million hit, and universities expect to be facing up to £45 million of additional costs.
Meanwhile GP practices could be forced to close and businesses will have to pay an extra £850 on average, per employee.
Lord Haughey went on to say “I don’t know what group we haven’t fallen out with yet. So now we are going to fall out with the people who need the most help” regarding Labour’s planned £5 billion worth of cuts to support for disabled people.
Commenting on Lord Haughey’s remarks the SNP’s Katy Loudon said:
“Amid a cost-of-living crisis, Labour’s tax hike is the last thing ordinary people and local businesses need. It is yet another example of the Labour Party letting Scotland down.
“While I’m glad a senior Labour figure is acknowledging the harm being caused by this Labour government, many still remain silent – including Labour’s candidate in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse.
“Anyone seeking to represent this area must be the strongest voice on the issues that matter to the people here, and I know from my conversations with local charities and businesses that there is grave concern about the cost of Labour’s tax on jobs.
“I am absolutely clear that this tax hike must be scrapped. But will the Labour candidate stand up for Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse and join me in my calls for Labour to u-turn on this preposterous decision?”
Supporting postgraduate students with living costs and course fees.
Bursaries available to support postgraduate social work students in the 2025-26 academic year will increase by almost 50% on average.
From 1 June students commencing courses in the academic year beginning August 2025 will be able to apply for £11,000 to support them through each year of their studies – split between £6,000 towards living costs and £5,000 for course fees. The average bursary previously available to postgraduate social work students was valued at £7,415.
The scheme, funded by the Scottish Government and administered by the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC), will provide support to up to 250 students in the coming academic year. Additional allowances for students who are carers or who have disabilities will continue to be available for those eligible.
Students can apply for the support from 1 June through the SSSC website.
Minister for The Promise Natalie Don-Innes said:
“Social workers play a vital role in supporting people and their families within their communities. We are determined to support more people to acquire the skills and knowledge to enter social work, and these increased bursaries will help to remove financial barriers for many postgraduate students amidst the wider cost of living crisis.
“This increased bursary is in addition to wider support, including grants to support social work students undertaking mandatory assessed practice learning placements and loans for tuition and cost-of-living support for those not eligible for the SSSC bursary.”
Alison Bavidge, National Director of the Scottish Association for Social Work, said:
“This is excellent news for postgraduate social work students. It is a significant piece of the jigsaw Scotland needs to put in place to deliver the social workers of the future. It should help to make social work a more attractive career and enable a wider range of applicants.
“While this improvement to the postgraduate bursary is very welcome, we hope the Scottish Government will build on this progress and further enhance support to ensure social work is an accessible profession.”
The Minister for the Environment, Deputy Steve Luce, has upheld the refusal of planning permission for the partial change of use from a restaurant to self-catering holiday accommodation, as well as various external alterations, at the former Nude Food Dunes restaurant at La Route de la Pulente.
The appeal was considered by an independent planning inspector, David Hainsworth, who recommended that planning permission be granted. However, the Minister was satisfied that there were sufficient reasons not to give effect to the inspector’s recommendation.
The Minister recognised that the proposed development had the potential to provide a new use for the currently vacant building, which is in a sensitive location of Jersey’s Coastal National Park. It would also offer the prospect of securing the reopening and maintenance of public toilets and the operation of a café. The Minister also agreed with the inspector that the proposed development would not harm the landscape character of the area.
On balance, however, the Minister considered that the proposed development presented overall conflict with the policies set out in the Government’s Island Plan. Specifically, the Minister considered that the redundancy of the existing approved use for the site had not been sufficiently demonstrated. Additionally, the design and layout failed to optimise the quality of the proposed uses for the site.
The Minister’s decision effectively upholds the original decision to refuse planning permission based on the first two reasons for refusal only.
Rome (Agenzia Fides) – “In a time of tension, we can only call for prayer for peace between India and Pakistan. We must rediscover our roots: we are brothers and sisters because we are children of one Mother, as Mahatma Gandhi used to say,” said Pakistani Cardinal Joseph Coutts, Archbishop Emeritus of Karachi, who participated in the conclave and the Mass celebrating the beginning of the pontificate of Pope Leo XIV, in an interview with Fides. “Today, we feel the urgency to do something for authentic peace,” the Cardinal continued. “We as citizens and as religious communities in India and Pakistan can and will promote a culture of peace to defuse hatred, disarm hearts, and educate people to forgiveness. Our political leaders should therefore do something concrete in the form of an agreement, because the Kashmir conflict is a political issue, with the governments of the two nations continuing to accuse each other.”Historically, Cardinal Coutts noted, the problem dates back to the time of independence from the British Empire: “Muslims in Kashmir did not want to be part of India. At that time, it was said that citizens had a choice: if they were Muslim, they belonged to Pakistan; if they were Hindu, they belonged to India. However, this was not the case for Kashmir, because the kingdom’s Hindu Raja chose India, even though this went against the wishes of the people and the general situation. This is where the conflict arose.” “Back then,” the Cardinal said, “we were truly brothers and sisters, a people fighting together for liberation from the colonial yoke. This fraternity must be rediscovered today and is the path to building a just and lasting peace for the future. We must return to the words of Mahatma Gandhi, who said: For two thousand years we have lived together as one people, we are all children of one mother, Mother India. But today Gandhi is forgotten and not even taught in schools,” he notes with a certain bitterness.”Political nationalism,” Cardinal Coutts continued, “has complicated the situation over the years; clashes and wars have fueled tensions between peoples with the same history and culture. This makes us realize the senselessness of this war. Back then, the goal was to create two nations that would grant equal rights to all citizens and live in peace. The leaders of the independence process, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, Mohandas Gandhi, and Jawaharlal Nehru, envisioned two sister nations. Let us return to that desire. Today, we are called to live together as good neighbors.”Cardinal Coutts recalls his episcopal motto, “Harmony”: “I would like to apply it both to relations within Pakistan, as the fruit of interreligious and intercultural dialogue and the cultivation of benevolent relations between the various communities, and to relations with the outside world, especially with India: Our desire is that we can build bridges, reach out to one another, and reconcile ourselves to live in harmony,” he concludes. (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 20/5/2025)
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by Father Ibrahim Faltas, ofm*Jerusalem (Agenzia Fides) – “In Gaza, children, families, and the surviving elderly are reduced to starvation.” With these words, Pope Leo XIV recalled the suffering in Gaza during Sunday’s Regina Caeli in St. Peter’s Square, packed with faithful and in the presence of Heads of State, government leaders, and representatives of numerous countries around the world.Earlier, in his homily, the Holy Father had emphasized that love and unity are the starting point of the mission entrusted by Jesus to Peter. Leo XIV shows us the way: the defense of life, both physical and spiritual, is born from love and unity.In the Holy Land, life remains suspended between betrayed promises of peace and the certainty of death. It is not unforeseeable events or natural disasters that cause this suffering, but rather unscrupulous human hands and minds.In Gaza, 950 children have died in the last month alone. Since the beginning of the war, the death toll has risen to more than 20,000. It is estimated that one million children lack food, medical care, and education.The suffering of the children of the Holy Land moves and saddens the Holy Father, as well as all those who value the life and future of humanity. All the children of this land suffer: Palestinians, Israelis, Lebanese, Syrians, Muslims, Christians, Jews. All are marked by profound physical and moral traumas. The pain of childhood is profound, it leaves deep scars. I know children in the Holy Land who can no longer smile, play, or even eat, because they suffer for their peers in Gaza.Those who have suffered hunger will not forget it: the lack of food leaves a wound of humiliation that persists even when they have food. It will also take a long time to heal the physical wounds and restore serenity to those who have suffered.While children suffer, weapons continue to kill, aid fails to cross the border, and no one can find a solution to stop the violence. The Holy Father suffers for Gaza and reaffirms that love and unity are the missionary commitment of the People of God. The powerful of the Earth have heard, directly, his firm and simple, humble and determined message: love for humanity, unity in the search for peace.Let us not waste time, so as not to lose the possibility of saving lives and the possibility of giving hope to lives. Time is precious. Whoever does not stop violence wastes time without love. (Agenzia Fides, 20/5/2025)*Vicar of the Custody of the Holy Land
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Rocca di Papa (Agenzia Fides) – A total of 55 delegates—including provincial and district superiors, elected delegates, facilitators, and guests—from around the world gathered in Rome to participate in the 22nd General Assembly of the Society of African Missions (SMA), a time of communal discernment, planning and renewal.The Assembly officially opened on Sunday, May 18, at the Sacred Heart of Jesus International Spirituality Center in Rocca di Papa (Rome), under the guidance of the Superior General, Father Antonio Porcellato. The Assembly offers a privileged opportunity to strengthen unity and renew the SMA’s missionary commitment to serving Africa and the world.The participants arrived on the afternoon of Saturday, May 17, and participated in an important orientation session to familiarize themselves with the logistical and practical aspects of their stay. The official opening of the Assmebly took place on Sunday with a solemn Eucharistic celebration.In his opening address, the Superior General emphasized the historic and evolving nature of the SMA. This year, 33 members are participating for the first time, and for the first time in the Society’s history, the majority of delegates are of African origin. The average age of participants is 51, reflecting a dynamic combination of experience and renewed energy. The Superior General emphasized listening as a fundamental spiritual attitude for shared discernment. The opening Eucharist was the culminating moment of the day, during which the intentions of the SMA were offered to God, confirming the SMA’s fundamental missionary identity: to set aside to proclaim the Gospel in Africa, with Africa, and from Africa. According to a note from Dominic Wabwireh of SMA International, the Assembly will last three weeks, considered a time of grace, strategic planning, and renewal, during which the SMA will assess its mission and look to the future.During these days, small group work will be held, offering participants the opportunity to share their expectations and reflect on their contributions to the common mission. At the center of the agenda is a review of the General Assembly Manual, a document that contains the rules, program, and structure for the coming weeks. “The manual is essentially a guiding framework approved by the members of the Assembly to facilitate the entire process,” explained SMA Secretary General, Father Emmanuel Dim. “It contains the calendar, the program, and the various rules that govern the General Assembly. Therefore, it is essential that all members approve it to ensure the proper conduct of the Assembly”.The goal of the SMA delegates is to make this Assembly not just a time of governance and planning, but a true expression of communion in mission. (AP) (Agenzia Fides, 20/5/2025)
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On Tuesday, 20 May 2025, the NATO Secretary General, Mr Mark Rutte, will meet the Minister of Defence of Latvia, Mr Andris Sprūds, at NATO Headquarters, in Brussels.
Cyabra has entered into a business combination agreement with Trailblazer Merger Corp. (TBMC)
New York, NY, May 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —Cyabra Strategy Ltd. (“Cyabra”), a leading AI platform for real-time disinformation detection, has released a new investigation into coordinated manipulation campaigns aimed at swaying public opinion in the weeks ahead of Portugal’s general election. The findings, based on a comprehensive analysis of social media activity between April 14 and May 14, expose how fake profiles and bot networks are reshaping Portugal’s political discourse and voter sentiment in real time.
Cyabra’s report – “Fake Voices, Real Votes” – has been widely featured by CNN Portugal in a series of articles highlighting how inauthentic profiles attempted to hijack online conversations to boost the far-right Chega party while discrediting its rivals:
“What’s happening in Portugal is a masterclass in modern influence operations,” said Dan Brahmy, CEO & Co-founder of Cyabra. “This is a deliberate, strategic campaign to undermine democratic institutions, sway public opinion, and manipulate voters during a critical election. We’re proud that CNN is helping shine a light on these threats.”
Key Findings from the Report:
58% of the accounts commenting on Chega’s official X account were fake, creating the illusion of overwhelming public support.
49% of profiles commenting on posts from the Socialist (PS) and Social Democratic (PSD) parties were also fake, launching coordinated attacks against opposition leaders while promoting Chega in the same threads.
Fake profiles amplified false narratives about Socialist leader Pedro Nuno Santos and malicious attacks on PSD’s Luís Montenegro, spreading conspiracy theories, economic discontent, and anti-immigration rhetoric.
Many fake accounts engaged in cross-campaign promotion, simultaneously attacking rival parties and praising Chega—further evidence of a coordinated effort.
This is the latest in Cyabra’s global work supporting election protection. In 2024 alone – the biggest election year in history – Cyabra supported 19 democracies to monitor and safeguard their elections.
Cyabra has entered into a business combination agreement with Trailblazer Merger Corporation I (NASDAQ: TBMC), a blank-check special-purpose acquisition company.
Cyabra partnered with Global Vector Group.
About Cyabra Cyabra is a real-time AI-powered platform that uncovers and analyzes online disinformation and misinformation by uncovering fake profiles, harmful narratives, and GenAI content across social media and digital news channels. Cyabra’s AI solutions protect corporations and governments against brand reputation risks, election manipulation, foreign interference, and other online threats. Cyabra’s platform leverages proprietary algorithms and NLP solutions, gathering and analyzing publicly available data to provide clear, actionable insights and real-time alerts that inform critical decision-making. Cyabra uncovers the good, bad, and fake online.
About Trailblazer Trailblazer is a blank check company formed for the purpose of entering into a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, recapitalization, reorganization, or other similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities. For more information, visit: www.trailblazermergercorp.com
Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws with respect to certain products and services that are the subject of a proposed transaction (the “Business Combination”) between Trailblazer and Cyabra. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this press release, including statements regarding Cyabra’s business strategy, products and services, research and development costs, plans and objectives of management for future operations, and future results of current and anticipated product offerings, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “believe,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “strategy,” “future,” “opportunity,” “plan,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result,” and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including, but not limited to, the following risks relating to the proposed transaction: the ability to complete the Business Combination or, if Trailblazer does not consummate such Business Combination, any other
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Important Information for Investors and Stockholders In connection with the Business Combination, Trailblazer Holdings, Inc., a subsidiary of Trailblazer (“Holdings”) has filed a registration statement on Form S-4 (the “Registration Statement”) with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), which includes a preliminary proxy statement/prospectus, and certain other related documents, which will be both the proxy statement to be distributed to holders of shares of Trailblazer’s common stock in connection with its solicitation of proxies for the vote by its stockholders with respect to the Business Combination and other matters as may be described in the Registration Statement, as well as the prospectus of Holdings relating to the offer and sale of its securities to be issued in the Business Combination. . After the Registration Statement is declared effective, the proxy statement/prospectus will be sent to all Trailblazer stockholders so that they may vote on the Business Combination.
INVESTORS AND STOCKHOLDERS OF TRAILBLAZER ARE URGED TO READ CAREFULLY THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT, PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS, AND OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED OR TO BE FILED WITH THE SEC WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE, AS THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE BUSINESS COMBINATION AND THE PARTIES INVOLVED.
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Participants in the Solicitation Cyabra, Trailblazer, and their respective directors and executive officers may be deemed participants in the solicitation of proxies from Trailblazer stockholders regarding the proposed Business Combination. Information about Trailblazer’s directors and executive officers and their ownership of Trailblazer’s securities is set forth in the proxy statement/prospectus pertaining to the proposed Business Combination.
No Offer or Solicitation This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, or a solicitation of any vote or approval. No sale of securities shall occur in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful before registration or qualification under applicable laws.
Source: The Conversation – USA – By Joseph Patrick Kelly, Professor of Literature and Director of Irish and Irish American Studies, College of Charleston
At the time, Ireland was a kingdom within the state of Great Britain. The island’s three religious factions had long been divided. Families who belonged to the Anglican Church of Ireland made up the aristocratic landlords and colonial administrators. Presbyterians, concentrated in the north, boasted a robust middle class. But as “dissenters” from the Anglican church, they were second-class citizens.
And most of the remaining 80% of the population, the “native” Catholics, were near-destitute farmers. For more than a hundred years, they had lived under debilitating penal laws meant to keep Catholics out of economic and political power.
A new organization, the Society of United Irishmen, was established in the early 1890s in Belfast, and chapters quickly spread to Dublin and across the country. Anyone could join, so long as they dreamed of making Ireland a republic, like the United States and France, where the people had dispensed with the monarch and ruled themselves.
Catholics and Presbyterians flocked to the cause, and even a few Anglicans joined up. The handsome and charismatic Lord Edward Fitzgerald, an Anglican son of a duke, renounced his title and commanded the society’s militia.
By 1798, a quarter of a million men, many armed with long-handled, iron-tipped pikes, awaited the summons.
It was the last time Catholics and Presbyterians in Ireland would unite under one banner in a really meaningful way until 1998, when a majority of both factions signed on to the Good Friday Agreement.
As an Irish studies scholar, I’d argue the nationalist movement was symbolized best by revolutionary Theobald Wolfe Tone, whose father was an Anglican tradesman and whose mother was born and raised a Catholic.
“I am a Protestant,” Tone wrote in his most famous political pamphlet, but also “a lover of justice and a steady detester of tyranny.”
Enlightenment ideals
Ever since King Henry VIII severed his nation’s ties to Roman Catholicism in the 16th century, Irish Catholics had suffered for their faith. Their lands were confiscated. They couldn’t bear arms. They couldn’t run schools or build churches. Though the worst of these laws had been reformed by the end of the 18th century and a small Catholic middle class was emerging, they were still barred from political office.
Inspired by the American and French revolutions, the United Irishmen wanted a secular republic that separated church from state. They professed the Enlightenment principles of equality, liberty and government by the people – and thought citizens had a duty to abolish any government destructive of their rights.
Their creed was a secular catechism, often expressed in the form of a question-and-answer text:
What is in your hand? It is a branch.
Of what? Of the Tree of Liberty
Where did it first grow? In America.
Where did it bloom? In France.
Where did the seeds fall? In Ireland.
Transcending sectarian differences, these Irish patriots took green as the color of their national flag. Upon this field they imposed an ancient symbol of Ireland, the harp.
The rebellion
The English began to suspect a revolt, and in 1787 they decided to strike first, unleashing a brutal crackdown. Redcoats “dragooned” the country, ransacking and burning homes, and flogging and summarily executing suspects.
The Irish still sing about it today in the ballad “The Wearing of the Green”:
I met with Napper Tandy and he took me by the hand,
He said, “How’s dear old Ireland and how does she stand?”
“She’s the most distressful country that you have ever seen,
They’re hanging men and women for the wearing of the green.”
Young Wolfe Tones singing ‘The Wearing of the Green.’
Most of the United Irishmen’s leaders, including Fitzgerald, were arrested or killed in the dragnet. As a result, when the signal finally came, the flaming mail coach proved a fizzle rather than a rocket.
Like guttering candles, the rebellion spent itself in uncoordinated risings at different times in different parts of the country. Help from France, which was then at war with Great Britain, came too little and too late. By October, Ireland’s revolution had been brutally suppressed.
Historical memory
Even before the conflict was over, aristocratic Anglican writers such as Sir Richard Musgrave spun the rebellion as an uprising of disgruntled Catholics. Reprisal killings, like rebels’ massacre of government supporters in County Wexford, helped them portray the rebellion as a religious war: Catholics against Protestants.
Cynical English policies further dissolved the Presbyterian-Catholic alliance. An “Act of Union” in 1800 rewarded Irish Presbyterians with full citizenship – not in an Irish republic, but in the Protestant, monarchical state of Great Britain.
Because Irish nationalism became synonymous with Catholic liberation, it was mostly Catholics who celebrated the memory of the United Irishmen. The “Fenians,” a nationalist brotherhood who fought for Irish independence in the 1860s, used the United Irishmen for inspiration. Their famous ballad “The Rising of the Moon” laments, “What glorious pride and sorrow/ Fill the name of Ninety-Eight!”
On Easter Monday 1916, Irish republicans rose up again in Dublin, beginning the revolution that would lead, finally, to Irish independence. One portion of their forces, the Citizen Army, raised the old United Irishmen’s banner above their headquarters in Dublin, Liberty Hall.
But when the Irish got their “Free State,” they did not build the kind of secular republic envisioned by the United Irishmen. The new country was a decidedly Catholic nation.
The nation’s new flag, the Irish tricolor, included green for Catholics, orange for Protestants and white to represent peace between them. But it was a largely empty gesture. Today only about 4% of the population of the Republic of Ireland identify as Protestant, while another 15% say they have no religion.
That’s mostly because in 1922 the British carved out an enclave of six northern counties where most of the Presbyterians and many Anglicans lived. This political entity, “Northern Ireland,” stayed united to England. Protestants outnumbered Catholics 2-to-1, and the minority faced widespread discrimination.
Inspired by Martin Luther King Jr., Catholics in Northern Ireland began a campaign for equal rights in 1968. But when their acts of civil disobedience were met with violence, peaceful protest devolved into “the Troubles,” a guerrilla war to get the British out.
Making peace
A ceasefire was called in 1994, not long before the bicentennial of Ireland’s 1798 rebellion.
To coincide with the anniversary, historian Kevin Whelan published an influential book, “The Tree of Liberty,” which emphasized the 1798 rebellion’s Enlightenment foundation. Catholics and Protestants together, Whelan argued, had fought to construct a secular nation based on equal rights.
Almost exactly 200 years after the United Irishmen rose up, the people of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland voted in favor of the Good Friday Agreement of 1998. Though Northern Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom today, the treaty secured the main goal of the 1798 rebellion: equal rights and self-determination for all citizens, no matter their religion.
Joseph Patrick Kelly 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.
The World Health Organization (WHO) today welcomed the donation of a sculpture from the government of the Republic of Croatia in a ceremony held at WHO headquarters in Geneva. The bronze sculpture, Shape of Space, created by celebrated Croatian artist Ivan Kožarić, pays tribute to health workers around the world. It also honours Dr Andrija Štampar, the first President of the World Health Assembly (WHA), and a founding figure in modern public health.
The initiative to install the sculpture was launched by Croatia in 2021, during the International Year of Health and Care Workers, which recognized the essential role of health and care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking at the unveiling, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus welcomed the sculpture as a powerful symbol of solidarity and resilience. “This donation reflects our shared commitment to honouring the courage and dedication of health workers, and to carrying forward the vision of Dr Štampar, who believed that health is a fundamental human right.”
The ceremony was attended by Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, WHO senior leadership, Member State representatives, and invited guests. In his address, Prime Minister Plenković emphasized Dr Štampar’s global impact and the sculpture’s message: “Open and flowing in form, Shape of Space embodies the compassion and protection that health workers provide. It stands here as a beacon of international cooperation and shared values.”
The sculpture, which is more than 2.5 metres tall and is situated at the main entrance of the WHO building, will serve as a lasting symbol of the contributions of health and care workers everywhere, and of the Republic of Croatia’s commitment to the global health community.
AUSTIN, Texas, May 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ambiq®, a technology leader in ultra-low-power solutions for edge AI, announced a strategic partnership with CardioMedive, an award-winning health technology innovator, to revolutionize cardiovascular care with the Medive – an advanced modular health monitoring platform powered by the Apollo510.
Breakthrough Technical Innovations
Ultra-low power Apollo510 MCU employs the Subthreshold Power Optimized Technology (SPOT®) platform to deliver unparalleled energy efficiency for high-performance edge AI
Modular plug-and-play scalable architecture tailored to patient needs, no more managing separate devices. It integrates clinical-grade 1 lead multi-parameter patch, 3/5/12-lead ECGs, blood pressure, SpO2, temperature, respiration, digital stethoscope, and comprehensive remote examination capabilities
Multi-week battery life ensures continuous health data capture in a lightweight, unobtrusive design
Dual SDIO interfaces handle high-throughput Wi-Fi and eMMC storage simultaneously, enabling seamless connectivity without performance comprises
Transforming Healthcare Access Through Edge AI The Medive uses AI-driven analytics to deliver hospital-grade cardiovascular insights in diverse settings, from clinics to patients’ homes. By leveraging the Apollo510’s powerful edge computing capabilities for on-device inferencing, Medive enables immediate anomaly detection, real-time patient alerts, and predictive insights, drastically reducing the latency issues associated with cloud-based communications. The Apollo510 dual SDIO architecture enables Medive to run high-throughput Wi-Fi and eMMC Storage simultaneously, delivering fast performance and seamless connectivity with zero trade-offs. The Medive was selected as the “Medical Innovation of the Year” winner by the Romanian Healthcare Awards for advancing remote cardiovascular patient monitoring.
“CardioMedive is transforming all phases of the patient’s journey for both in-home and hospital care,” says Fumihide Esaka, CEO of Ambiq. “We are proud to power such an important digital health innovation that makes effective prevention, diagnosis, and disease management more accessible using our ultra-low power solutions.”
Ion Mocanu, CEO & Co-founder of CardioMedive, added, “Our partnership with Ambiq has been instrumental in creating a truly groundbreaking platform that addresses critical healthcare challenges. The Apollo510’s exceptional processing power, peripherals and energy efficiency have enabled us to design a solution that not only meets today’s needs but is future proofed for tomorrow’s healthcare innovations.”
Comprehensive Health Monitoring Patients using Medive can monitor a wide range of vital health metrics, including ECG, blood pressure, and SpO₂, while also conducting specialized examinations using modules for stethoscope exams, spirometry, otoscopy, thermal imaging for diabetes-related complications, breast cancer screening, and more.
Availability CardioMedive is on track for commercial launch in Q3 2026, beginning in Europe and the U.K., with phased expansion to the U.S., Canada, and Asia-Pacific markets in 2027. Learn more about the Medive here.
About Ambiq
Our mission is to enable intelligence (artificial intelligence (AI) and beyond) everywhere by delivering the lowest power semiconductor solutions. We enable our customers to deliver artificial intelligence compute at the edge where power consumption challenges are the most profound. Our technology innovations, built on the patented and proprietary subthreshold power optimized technology (SPOT), fundamentally deliver a multi-fold improvement in power consumption over traditional semiconductor designs. We’ve powered over 270 million devices today. For more information, visit www.ambiq.com.
About CardioMedive
CardioMedive is a health technology company redefining how cardiovascular care is delivered — through a modular, AI-enabled monitoring platform that adapts to patients’ needs at home, in clinics, or anywhere in between. Combining medical-grade accuracy with user-friendly design, CardioMedive empowers providers, patients, and digital health platforms to detect, manage, and respond to heart health anomalies. Visit www.cardiomedive.eu to learn more or inquire about global partnerships.
Contact Charlene Wan VP of Marketing, and Investor Relations cwan@ambiq.com +1.512.879.2850
Charity Commission statement on Kids Company Judgment
The collapse of Kids Company was a matter of significant public, media and Parliamentary interest at the time, with ramifications for the wider charitable sector, notably on public trust and confidence in charities.
Today’s High Court judgment has upheld our finding of mismanagement of the charity’s finances and has confirmed that it was based on “ample evidence”. Furthermore, the judgment firmly rejected allegations we predetermined the outcome of the inquiry, stating the threshold for this was “not met in this case by a wide margin”.
The court has confirmed it was entirely reasonable for the Commission to have drawn independent regulatory conclusions on the demise of Kids Company, based on all the evidence available, in keeping with the role Parliament has set us.
The judgment notes we took care in the inquiry report to point out areas in which the charity’s trustees were acting within their duties and responsibilities, and where we found external criticism of the charity was unfounded. Our inquiry report stated clearly there was “no dishonesty, bad faith or inappropriate personal gain in the operation of the charity”.
While the court has dismissed the challenge on all but two grounds, and is clear that the overall findings of our report were not ‘irrational’, we acknowledge its finding that we made important errors in relation to two paragraphs of the report and will act to remedy this.
District Energy Systems (“DES”), or Thermal Energy Networks (“TEN”), provide thermal energy to multiple buildings from a central energy plant. Steam or hot water produced at the plant is transmitted 24/7 through highly insulated underground thermal piping networks. Thermal energy is transferred into and from the building’s system through energy transfer stations placed in the building, reducing mechanical room space required for housing equipment and simplifying heating and cooling systems. SHARC Energy enables DES or TENs to leverage wastewater, a forgotten resource, as a low-carbon source of thermal energy to help save energy and reduce carbon emissions on a multiple-building scale.
“We are extremely pleased to announce our partnership with Creative Energy and the Squamish Nation to participate in the rebirth of the historic village of Senakw located in the heart of Vancouver. We are developing a net- zero district heating and cooling system for Sen̓áḵw, which will contain 11 buildings and over 6,000 rental homes, designed to leverage sewer heat recovery as a low-carbon source of thermal energy by extracting heat from one of Metro Vancouver’s nearby sewer trunk mains. Working with SHARC Energy, we will utilize its WET system as the core component for the Sen̓áḵw Energy System,” says Kieran McConnell, Senior Vice President, Engineering & Innovation, Creative Energy.
Sen̓áḵw, is being developed by the Squamish Nation’s economic development arm, Nch’ḵay̓ Development Corporation. Once fully completed, it will comprise 11 buildings featuring over 6,000 rental units across more than 3 million square feet of residential floor space. It is set to become Canada’s largest net zero operational carbon purpose-built community.
Over the next 30 years, the Sen̓áḵw Energy System is projected to reduce carbon emissions by 120,000 tonnes compared to a conventional natural-gas based system. This reduction is equivalent to planting 5.5 Stanley Parks or 165,000 acres of trees. The system will initially provide heating and cooling to each building within the development with the potential for future expansion to accommodate upcoming projects.
Significantly, this project not only represents the first private development in British Columbia to leverage Metro Vancouver’s Sewage and Waste: Heat Recovery policy, but also marks the first private residential development in Canada to harness an external sewer force main as its primary energy source.
“District energy systems powered by renewable sources have significant benefits for the community and for the climate,” said Mike Hurley, Chair of the Metro Vancouver Board of Directors. “We’re pleased to provide access to the abundant heat in our sewers for this project and others like it, which will help us achieve regional carbon neutrality by 2050.”
Currently, there are several WET district energy projects in development in various stages across the lower mainland of British Columbia. Quietly, the Metro Vancouver region is becoming the Wastewater Energy Transfer capital of the world showcasing climate leadership in how other regions globally can leverage a forgotten resource like wastewater to significantly decarbonize heating and gain natural resources like fresh water used in cooling towers. As highlighted in a recent Wall Street Journal article featuring several SHARC WET projects, awareness and education around the untapped reservoir of energy available in the sewers continues to gain momentum.
“SHARC Energy is excited to be at the forefront of this transformative project,” said Michael Albertson, CEO of SHARC Energy. “The Sen̓áḵw development sets a new standard for sustainable urban living, and our WET system is pivotal in realizing this vision.”
In North America, recent years have shown the proliferation of legislation supporting DES or TEN systems. Currently, eight states, including Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Colorado, Washington, Maryland, Vermont and California, have legislation that either allows or mandates utilities to develop thermal energy network demonstration projects or pilots.
About SHARC Energy
SHARC International Systems Inc. is a world leader in energy transfer with the wastewater we send down the drain every day. SHARC Energy’s systems exchange thermal energy with wastewater, generating one of the most energy-efficient and economical systems for heating, cooling & hot water production for commercial, residential and industrial buildings along with thermal energy networks, commonly referred to as “District Energy”.
SHARC Energy is publicly traded in Canada (CSE: SHRC), the United States (OTCQB: INTWF) and Germany (Frankfurt: IWIA) and you can find out more on our SEDAR profile.
Recognized as a leader in innovative energy solutions, Creative Energy designs, builds, owns, and operates sustainable district energy systems across North America. Our team has a client-focused, community-vested approach to projects that deliver outstanding quality and service while providing tangible value for continued growth. In addition to owning and operating one of Canada’s largest thermal networks in downtown Vancouver, Canada, we provide value to developers, landowners, end-users and the broader community through flexible thermal neighborhood energy systems. Our projects focus on innovation, resiliency, and sustainability, and span across a broad spectrum of technologies including geo-exchange, ocean exchange, cogeneration, microgrids, solar PVs, and sewer heat recovery.
Serving customers for over 55 years with a reliability rate of 99.99%, we’re developing more than a dozen new low-carbon district energy systems across North America, including the revitalization and decarbonization of our downtown Vancouver steam plant which will be one of North America’s largest thermal fuel-switch projects and provide downtown Vancouver with renewable energy infrastructure for decades to come.
Visit our website to learn more https://creative.energy/
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD
Fred Andriano Chairman
The Canadian Securities Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements contained in this news release may constitute forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is often, but not always, identified using words such as “anticipate”, “plan”, “estimate”, “expect”, “may”, “will”, “intend”, “should”, and similar expressions. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. SHARC Energy’s actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in this forward-looking information as a result of regulatory decisions, competitive factors in the industries in which the Company operates, prevailing economic conditions, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. SHARC Energy believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking information should not be unduly relied upon. Any forward-looking information contained in this news release represents the Company’s expectations as of the date hereof and is subject to change after such date. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information whether because of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities legislation.
TALLINN, Estonia, May 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitcoin Solaris is gaining rapid traction in the crypto community as its presale advances with impressive momentum. With over $1 million raised and more than 8,900 early adopters already on board, BTC-S is emerging as one of 2025’s most talked-about projects. The presale is set to end on July 31, 2025, creating a limited window for entry before the launch price climbs to $20.
A New Era of Crypto Access: Powered by Mobile Mining
At the core of Bitcoin Solaris is a groundbreaking approach to accessibility. Through the Solaris Nova App—now in beta for community testers—anyone can mine BTC-S directly from their smartphone, laptop, or web browser. No complex rigs, no expensive GPUs—just a single tap.
Key benefits of the Bitcoin Solaris ecosystem include:
Mobile-first mining that works on Android, iOS, desktop, and browsers
10,000 transactions per second (TPS) with 2-second finality
Hybrid PoW + DPoS architecture for top-tier speed and energy efficiency
99.95% less energy usage than traditional Bitcoin mining
The Solaris Nova App is already in use, providing early participants with hands-on access to one-click mining, a built-in wallet, energy-saving modes, and intuitive tutorials for beginners. This live, working product underlines the project’s readiness and long-term viability.
Crypto influencer CryptoChester recently reviewed the project, detailing why it may become one of the biggest crypto stories of the year—and he’s not alone. Telegram groups and Twitter threads are buzzing, and you can follow the action on Telegram and X.
Presale Frenzy: The Window Is Open, But Not for Long
The Bitcoin Solaris presale is what’s turning heads—because it’s not just big… it’s explosive.
Presale Snapshot
Current Price: $4
Next Phase: $5
Launch Price: $20
Presale Ends: July 31, 2025
Investors joining now have the opportunity to get in before the next price increase, with potential gains of up to 1,900% by launch.
New users receive a 5% bonus on their contributions
No delays, no paperwork—fully automated payouts
This referral structure is driving viral expansion, with influencers, content creators, and crypto newcomers sharing and benefiting alike.
Built for Everyone—Not Just Whales
Bitcoin Solaris is designed with inclusivity in mind. Whether you’re new to crypto or a seasoned investor, BTC-S makes mining and holding tokens simple and sustainable.
The app supports:
Smartphones (iOS & Android)
Laptops & desktops
Mining rigs and GPUs
Web browser-based mining
Don’t Miss the Moment
Bitcoin Solaris is more than a presale—it’s a movement toward democratizing crypto wealth creation. With a working app, proven infrastructure, and an inclusive vision, BTC-S is shaping up to be one of the most promising crypto launches of the year.
Disclaimer:This is a paid post and is provided by Bitcoin Solaris. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented.We do not guarantee any claims, statements, or promises made in this article.This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice.Investing in crypto and mining-related opportunities involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital.It is possible to lose all your capital. These products may not be suitable for everyone, and you should ensure that you understand the risks involved. Seek independent advice if necessary. Speculate only with funds that you can afford to lose.Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. However, due to the inherently speculative nature of the blockchain sector—including cryptocurrency, NFTs, and mining—complete accuracy cannot always be guaranteed. Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release.In the event of any legal claims or charges against this article, we accept no liability or responsibility. Globenewswire does not endorse any content on this page.
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Source: People’s Republic of China – Ministry of National Defense 2
On the afternoon of May 15, 2025, Senior Colonel Jiang Bin, Deputy Director-General of the Information Office of China’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) and Spokesperson for the MND, answered recent media queries concerning the military.
On the afternoon of May 15, 2025, Senior Colonel Jiang Bin, Deputy Director-General of the Information Office of China’s Ministry of National Defense (MND)andSpokesperson for the MND, answers recent media queries concerning the military. (Photo by He Youwen)
(The following English text is for reference. In case of any divergence of interpretation, theChinese textshall prevail.)
Jiang Bin: Friends from the media, good afternoon. I’m Jiang Bin, Deputy Director-General of the Information Office of the Ministry of National Defense (MND) and the new Spokesperson for the MND. It is a great honor to meet you all in this new role. I will do my utmost to carry forward the baton passed on by my predecessors, release timely updates on national defense and military development, and tell the stories of the Chinese military in the new era. I will communicate with you sincerely, respond to your concerns earnestly, and work with you in the spirit of mutual understanding and support, to show the world a true, multidimensional and comprehensive picture of the Chinese military. Thank you!
First, I would like to announce one piece of news.
The 2nd Meeting of China-Brunei Joint Defence Working Committee (JDWC) was convened in Beijing on May 14. Both sides had in-depth exchange of views on friendly cooperation between the two militaries and relevant international and regional issues, and agreed to strengthen communication and coordination on policy and planning between their international military cooperation organs, promote exchanges and cooperation in various fields, and jointly maintain regional peace and tranquility.
Journalist: Recently, President Xi Jinpingpaid a state visit to Russia and attended the celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War of the Soviet Union, during which a contingent of the PLA Guard of Honor participated in the military parade. How will the Chinese side promote military-to-military relations with Russia?
Jiang Bin: This year marks the 80th year of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the Soviet Union’s Great Patriotic War and the World Anti-Fascist War. On this special historical occasion, President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to Russia upon invitation, and attended the celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War of the Soviet Union. President Xi Jinping held talks with President Putin, and had in-depth exchange of views on China-Russia relations and major international and regional issues. They agreed to unswervingly deepen strategic coordination, and promote the stable, sound and high-level development of China-Russia relationship. During the visit, a contingent of the PLA Guard of Honor participated in the Red Square Military Parade, which was widely publicized and warmly welcomed.
In recent years, China-Russia military-to-military relationship has been operating at a high level. We’ve had frequent high-level exchanges, conducted joint strategic air patrols and joint maritime exercises, and rendered support to each other in holding important commemorative celebrations. Under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, the Chinese military stands ready to work with the Russian side to further deepen strategic mutual trust, step up strategic communication, and expand practical cooperation, so as to strengthen the sound momentum of military-to-military relations, enrich the content of China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era, and contribute to maintaining and strengthening global strategic stability.
On the afternoon of May 15, 2025, Senior Colonel Jiang Bin, Deputy Director-General of the Information Office of China’s Ministry of National Defense (MND)andSpokesperson for the MND, answers recent media queries concerning the military. (Photo by He Youwen)
Journalist: It is reported that China and Singapore are holding China-Singapore Exercise Cooperation-2025 joint maritime exercise. Please further brief us on the exercise.
Jiang Bin: China-Singapore Exercise Cooperation-2025 joint maritime exercise is being held in Changi Naval Base and in the waters and airspace to the east of Singapore from May 9 to 16. The guided-missile frigate PLANS Xuchang and the mine countermeasure vessel PLANS Chishui, together with the RSS (Republic of Singapore Ship) Steadfast-class frigate and the RSS Bedok-class mine countermeasure vessel, participated in the exercise. With joint command and planning, the two sides conducted live exercises on naval gunfire against sea targets, replenishment-at-sea, joint search and rescue and other subjects. The exercise tested tactical command coordination and joint operations capability of the participating forces. During the exercise, the troops also had professional seminars, on-board visits and cultural and sports activities. It is the 4th edition of this series of exercise, which is significant for further promoting practical cooperation and strengthening joint maritime operations capability between the two sides.
Journalist: It is reported that recently the Philippines has frequently sent patrol vessels in an attempt to intrude into the territorial sea of China’s Huangyan Dao, and claimed that the Chinese military vessels took high-risk maneuvers. What’s your comment?
Jiang Bin: Huangyan Dao is China’s inherent territory. In recent days, the Philippine military vessels attempted to intrude into the territorial sea of China’s Huangyan Dao. The Chinese side took necessary measures to stop and dispel them, which was completely legitimate, legal, professional and restrained. The Philippine side’s actions were highly irresponsible, and severely threatened China’s sovereignty and security by approaching Chinese vessels in a dangerous manner. We urge the Philippine side to stop any risky infringements and provocations, and refrain from challenging China’s firm resolve in safeguarding territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests. Otherwise, it will only taste the bitter fruit of its own doing.
On the afternoon of May 15, 2025, Senior Colonel Jiang Bin, Deputy Director-General of the Information Office of China’s Ministry of National Defense (MND)andSpokesperson for the MND, answers recent media queries concerning the military. (Photo by He Youwen)
Journalist: According to reports, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities recently held their first-ever event commemorating Victory in Europe (V-E) Day of WWII at the Taipei Guest House, which once served as the Governor-General’s residence during Japan’s colonial rule. During the event, Lai Ching-te made the unfounded claim that Taiwan and Europe are now facing threats from a so-called “new authoritarian bloc.” What’s your comment on this?
Jiang Bin: Lai Ching-te has been engaging in authoritarian practices, intensifying the “green terror” on the island, provoking cross-Strait antagonism and confrontation, and heightening tensions and instability in the Taiwan Strait. He is a true “saboteur of cross-Strait peace” and “creator of the Taiwan Strait crisis.” In a shameless attempt to seize the spotlight and assert his presence, Lai Ching-te stood on the ground once trampled by Japanese invaders and brazenly peddled deceptive rhetoric. By distorting the history of WWII and inserting separatist narratives, he has betrayed the Chinese nation, which is a disgraceful act beneath contempt.
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, as well as the recovery of Taiwan to China. Taiwan’s return to China is an important part of the victory of WWII and the post-war international order. A number of international legal instruments including the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Proclamation have affirmed China’s sovereignty over Taiwan in clear-cut terms. This is an indisputable fact supported by history and the law. The historical trend that China will and must achieve reunification is unstoppable. Any words or deeds that forget the ancestry or solicit external support for “Taiwan independence” is surely disdained by the people and condemned by history.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Scientists comment on an atypical case of BSE (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy) detected on a farm in Essex.
Prof Neil Mabbott, Personal Chair in Immunopathology and Head of Immunology Division, The Roslin Institute & Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Sciences, University of Edinburgh, said:
“Atypical BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) is a rare disease of cattle. The disease is considered to occur sporadically and it is not acquired between cattle as an infection. Atypical BSE differs from the classical BSE which caused the outbreak in the UK cattle herd in the 1980s and 1990s. Classical BSE was considered by scientists to be spread amongst cattle through use of feed BSE-contaminated (meat and bone meal), and is estimated to have caused infection in up to half a million cattle during that period.
“Very occasionally, rare atypical cases of BSE are sporadically detected in cattle, but these are considered non-contagious and are not linked to an infectious origin. Four cases of atypical BSE have been detected in the UK in the past ten years. This current case was detected through the routine surveillance and testing brain tissues from fallen stock animals.
“The detection of this isolated case of atypical BSE shows that the UK’s surveillance programme is working well. There is no risk to the public, as the animal’s carcass will have been destroyed and no tissues will have entered the food chain.
“BSE is a devastating neurological disease in cattle affecting the brain, spinal cord and some other organs. Control measures remain in place to exclude these organs from the food chain to prevent the spread of BSE amongst cattle and to humans. A measure of their success, is that there have been no cases of variant CJD (linked to consumption of BSE infected food) in people born after these controls were put in place in the UK in the 1990s.”
Declared interests
Prof Neil Mabbott: “I have no conflicts of interest to declare”
Lufthansa Group’s passenger airlines, including Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, SWISS, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings and Discover Airlines, have published their winter flight schedules for 2025/26. The winter flight schedule begins on October 26, 2025. All destinations can be booked now.
“A stable, punctual, and reliable flight schedule for all Lufthansa Group airlines for the winter, especially for the Christmas holidays, is our top priority. Our employees at the airports will ensure that everything runs smoothly. In addition, with the expansion of the Allegris offering at Lufthansa Airlines, we are bringing a significant upgrade in the premium segment to many core markets,” said Dieter Vranckx, Chief Commercial Officer Lufthansa Group.
Winter flight schedule highlights for Lufthansa:
For the 2025/2026 winter flight schedule, Lufthansa will offer additional long-haul flights whereby passengers can enjoy the new Allegris cabin in all classes: Economy, Premium Economy, Business, and First Class. Starting October 26, the new aircraft, with state-of-the-art cabin interiors, will fly daily from Munich to New York (John F. Kennedy and New Jersey-Newark), Chicago, Miami, Shanghai, Cape Town and Tokyo. In addition, Bengaluru in India will be served three times a week. This is the largest number of Allegris destinations operating simultaneously since its debut. Passengers already booked with these flights can now look forward to the Allegris seat.
Ten A350-900s with the new cabin interior are already flying for Lufthansa in the winter schedule. More than half a million passengers in all classes have now enjoyed the new seats with extremely high satisfaction rates of nearly 100 percent. This year, Lufthansa also plans to introduce Allegris in Frankfurt with the Boeing 787-9 and the retrofitting of its existing fleet, starting with the Boeing 747-8.
More news from Lufthansa: due to high demand, flights from Frankfurt to Bydgoszcz (Poland) and from Munich to Oradea (Romania) will continue next winter. These connections were added to the flight schedule in summer 2025. The winter season Airbus A380 destinations from Munich have also been confirmed: A380 enthusiasts can look forward to flights to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Bangkok andDelhi with the A380, which is extremely popular with guests and crew alike.
Further news from Lufthansa Group Airlines:
Austrian Airlines will add Amsterdam as a fourth destination from Innsbruck this winter, in addition to its existing connections to Brussels, Warsaw, and Copenhagen. Austrian Airlines is also expanding its service from Vienna to Bangkok: up to two daily connections are now on the flight schedule. From October 26, 2025, Austrian Airlines will now fly to Linate Airport instead of Malpensa for all flights to Milan. This change was made by taking over the corresponding slots from ITA Airways, which, like Austrian Airlines, has been part of the Lufthansa Group since the beginning of the year. Linate Airport is much closer to Milan, significantly reducing the travel time to the city center for passengers.
SWISS is expanding its service to the Polish city of Krakow. In addition, the destinations Cluj-Napoca (Romania) and Košice (Slovakia), which were served for the first time last winter, will continue to be served from Zurich. The long-haul destination Washington D.C. (USA) will also continue from Zurich this winter. From Geneva, SWISS is focusing on connections to and from the UK, Ireland, and Scandinavia – especially for winter sports travelers planning a vacation in Switzerland.
Brussels Airlines is continuing to expand its services from Brussels to Africa. Lomé (Togo), Dakar (Senegal), Conakry (Guinea), Monrovia (Liberia), Accra (Ghana), and Freetown (Sierra Leone) will all receive additional weekly connections. Brussels Airlines is thus strengthening its role as the “Africa expert” within the Lufthansa Group.
Eurowings, Germany’s largest leisure airline will connect Berlin with Abu Dhabi with three non-stop flights per week beginning in November 2025. After Dubai and Jeddah, this will be the third long-distance route for the German capital within a short space of time. The Berlin service to the booming metropolis of Dubai will also be expanded: Eurowings will fly to Dubai up to eleven times a week (instead of the previous seven times a week). Eurowings is also providing a real winter highlight in Lower Saxony: With the inaugural flight on November 4, there will be three direct flights a week from Hanover to Dubai. The third new destination will be reached from Baden-Württemberg: Eurowings will connect Stuttgart with Jeddah in Saudi Arabia twice a week going forward. The program to Egypt is also being expanded: In the new winter flight schedule 25/26, Eurowings will be flying to Marsa Alam from Cologne, Hamburg and Berlin.
Discover Airlines is adding another highlight to its route network: starting in winter 2025/26, the leisure-focused airline will fly non-stop from Frankfurt to the Seychelles for the first time. This is a first for the Lufthansa Group: no airline in the group has ever flown to the island paradise before. Flights to Punta Cana, in the Dominican Republic, are also on the schedule – the only direct connection from Munich to the popular Caribbean vacation destination. Discover Airlines is also adding Alta in Norway to its schedule from Frankfurt for the first time.
DETROIT, May 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — DT Midstream, Inc. (NYSE: DTM) announced that it has achieved an investment grade rating with two agencies:
Moody’s Ratings upgraded DTM’s credit rating to Baa3 with a stable outlook on May 16, 2025; and
Fitch Ratings upgraded DTM’s credit rating to BBB- with a stable outlook on October 3, 2024.
With investment grade ratings from these two credit agencies, DTM expects an improvement in liquidity and reduced interest expense.
“Achievement of an investment grade credit rating was a strategic goal we had since we became a standalone public company,” said David Slater, President and CEO. “The ratings upgrades are a recognition of the strength of our balance sheet and the quality and scale of our business.”
About DT Midstream
DT Midstream (NYSE: DTM) is an owner, operator and developer of natural gas interstate and intrastate pipelines, storage and gathering systems, compression, treatment and surface facilities. The company transports clean natural gas for utilities, power plants, marketers, large industrial customers and energy producers across the Southern, Northeastern and Midwestern United States and Canada. The Detroit-based company offers a comprehensive, wellhead-to-market array of services, including natural gas transportation, storage and gathering. DT Midstream is transitioning towards net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, including a plan of achieving 30% of its carbon emissions reduction by 2030. For more information, please visit the DT Midstream website at www.dtmidstream.com.
Forward-looking Statements
This release contains statements which, to the extent they are not statements of historical or present fact, constitute “forward-looking statements” under the securities laws. These forward-looking statements are intended to provide management’s current expectations or plans for our future operating and financial performance, business prospects, outcomes of regulatory proceedings, market conditions, and other matters, based on what we believe to be reasonable assumptions and on information currently available to us.
Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as “believe,” “expect,” “expectations,” “plans,” “strategy,” “prospects,” “estimate,” “project,” “target,” “anticipate,” “will,” “should,” “see,” “guidance,” “outlook,” “confident” and other words of similar meaning. The absence of such words, expressions or statements, however, does not mean that the statements are not forward-looking. In particular, express or implied statements relating to future earnings, cash flow, results of operations, uses of cash, tax rates and other measures of financial performance, future actions, conditions or events, potential future plans, strategies or transactions of DT Midstream, and other statements that are not historical facts, are forward-looking statements.
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The above list of factors is not exhaustive. New factors emerge from time to time. We cannot predict what factors may arise or how such factors may cause actual results to vary materially from those stated in forward-looking statements, see the discussion under the section entitled “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report for the year ended December 31, 2024, filed with the SEC on Form 10-K and any other reports filed with the SEC. Given the uncertainties and risk factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, you should not put undue reliance on any forward-looking statements.
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Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
News story
Construction begins on new Civil Service office in Blackpool
Construction has begun on a new office building for Ministry of Defence (MOD) civil servants as part of Blackpool’s Talbot Gateway redevelopment.
L-R Alan McBride, Muse; Will Town, Defence Infrastructure Organisation; Jennifer Chard, Defence Business Services; Cllr Lynn Williams, Blackpool Council; Garry Bowker, Vinci Building. (Copyright Blackpool Council)
A groundbreaking ceremony has taken place for a new MOD office within the Talbot Gateway redevelopment in Blackpool.
The regeneration programme sees Blackpool Council working with development partner Muse Places and construction company VINCI Building on the new 53,000 sq. ft MOD building which will hold up to 1,100 staff from Defence Business Services (DBS).
As MOD’s shared services organisation, DBS provides corporate services across the information and technology, finance, procurement and people function to the whole of defence, including serving military, veterans and civilian staff, as well as other government departments. The move from a leased site within the local area concludes the consolidation of DBS’ northwest estate into a single, purpose-built office owned by the MOD, securing future jobs and saving the taxpayer money long term.
Representatives from DBS signed the contract for the new building on 31 March 2025 with them coming together last week at a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the start of construction.
The DBS project is being delivered under the MOD’s Defence Estate Optimisation portfolio, which is investing £5.1 billion in a more modern and sustainable defence estate. This includes new and refurbished military accommodation and housing for over 40,000 service personnel and their families, as well as technical, training and office space for over 64,000 personnel, including civilian staff. Construction will be managed on behalf of the MOD by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation, working closely with Blackpool Council, development partner Muse Places, main contractor VINCI Building and DBS.
The building is scheduled for completion in 2027.
Ross Porter, Defence Infrastructure Organisation Programme Manager, said:
After several years of pre-construction work and a huge collaborative effort from all parties involved, progressing this project to the construction stage is a great milestone to reach. We’re very much looking forward to delivering a first-class office facility for MOD staff in the area, as part of the Defence Estates Optimisation Portfolio.
Cllr Lynn Williams, Leader of Blackpool Council, said:
This is another major step forward in our plans to make Blackpool better. We’re very grateful to government for recognising Blackpool’s economic potential and continuing to invest and help us create quality jobs for local people.
Officers from both the council and government have worked exceptionally hard to make this deal possible. With over 8,000 workers and students coming to the town centre in the next few years, this provides a phenomenal opportunity and confidence for local businesses to continue to invest and hire more local people.
Alan McBride, Technical Director at Muse, said:
It’s great to see work commencing on phase five of Talbot Gateway’s regeneration. This future-proofed, sustainable workspace for the Civil Service will bring increased footfall into the town centre, spur further economic growth in the heart of Blackpool, and build on the momentum we’ve generated alongside our long-standing partners, Blackpool Council, for more than 15 years.
Gary Hughes VINCI Building’s Regional Director said:
We’re delighted to have been appointed on this key project at Talbot Gateway to continue our working partnership with Blackpool Council and Muse. We will ensure we continue to provide local opportunities through the development of our local supply chain, whilst generating significant education and training opportunities with local schools, colleges and education groups as we progress on site.
Scientists comment on the World Health Assembly adopting the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Pandemic Agreement.
Prof Sir Andrew Pollard, Director of the Oxford Vaccine Group; and Ashall Professor of Infection and Immunity at the Pandemic Sciences Institute, University of Oxford, said:
“The pandemic agreement is an important endorsement of a globally collegiate approach to tackling the existential threat we face from a future pandemic. It recognises the particular challenges highlighted by the COVID19 pandemic around equity in access to life saving vaccines and drugs, the geographical boundaries caused by limited global manufacturing capability and nationalism. The agreement also highlights the importance of international research coordination so that we are better prepared for the next one. It shows a level of cooperation and coordination that could make the world a safer place, but the real test of such a document is in its execution. It is heavily dependent on the actions of the world’s major powers today to lay the groundwork in surveillance, strengthening of health systems distributed manufacturing and research, all of which are severely hampered by the current political and economic headwinds. We will also critically need such cooperation to remain strong in the face of the next life-threatening microbial invasion of national borders, which will challenge even the most resolute political minds.”
Prof Mishal Khan, Professor of Global Public Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said:
“It’s been a huge challenge to get to this point so the fact that this has now been formally agreed at the World Health Assembly, is very welcome.
“But in reality we won’t know how useful this agreement is until the next pandemic hits.
“A key question is around whether countries will voluntarily comply with the terms and, if not, how enforceable is it. Past experience, for example with the International Health Regulations, suggests that powers to enforce will be limited.
“The success of this treaty will also depend on each country’s capacity to contribute to potentially valuable elements such as the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing System through collecting and sharing high-quality data.
“It’s concerning that the US will not be bound to the treaty and has not been part of the final discussions, leaving us unsure what its approach to resource and data sharing will be in future disease outbreaks.
“We must continue to strengthen and support capacity globally to ensure the agreement is equitable and has the best chance of being effective in protecting the world from pandemics.”
Prof Alice Norton, Associate Professor, Pandemic Sciences Institute, University of Oxford, said:
“The adoption of the Pandemic Agreement by the 78th World Health Assembly today is welcome news for global health security.
“Article 9 on research and development was one of the first to be unanimously agreed by member state negotiators. This recognises the ability for science to get us out of a pandemic, as was the case for COVID-19, showing that unlike many other natural disasters we can mitigate the risks and impacts of pandemics through science.
“Respect for human rights, equity, solidarity and science-based evidence are all key principles rightly enshrined in the Agreement.
“What will be needed now is the political will and sustainable financing so that all countries can make the Agreement a reality.
“It is a mistake to believe that our recent experience of a pandemic means we are safe for a while. The threat of epidemic and pandemic diseases that could devastate lives, livelihoods and economies still loom large.
“Recent global health funding cuts only serve to worsen our preparedness and response capabilities. After today’s announcement, governments must now step-up and put the Agreement’s principles into practice.”
Prof Martin Antonio, Professor of Molecular Microbiology and Global Health based at the MRC Unit The Gambia at LSHTM, and Co-Director of the LSHTM Centre for Epidemic Preparedness and Response, said:
“Having all WHO member states (except the US) endorsing the treaty is a big leap forward in the fight against future pandemics. Crucially it will accelerate appropriate action, for example the commitment we need to enable vaccines to be developed quickly and made globally accessible within the 100 days mission target set by CEPI.
“This is a global agreement and will only work with global support. But to make these measures effective, we must also push for investment in regional measures such as the development of ‘pandemic’ manufacturing facilities in Africa in support of diagnostics, vaccines, and other interventions.”
Dr Richard Hatchett, CEO of CEPI, said:
“Rebecca Solnit once wrote that ‘Perfection is a stick with which to beat the possible.’ Is the Pandemic Agreement perfect? No. But no such international agreement can be.
“Does it represent a huge step forward, in terms of recognising the threat that pandemics pose and as a binding expression of solidarity against this common threat? Absolutely. It is now a defining feature of the landscape, under the canopy of which all our efforts going forward will be conducted.
“Is there a great deal of practical work still to be done to make the world safe from pandemics? Of course.
“But this is a moment to celebrate! And also a moment to rededicate ourselves to the hard work of pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response.”
CEPI statement on the adoption of the Pandemic Agreement:
CEPI commends the commitment of countries and negotiators to advancing this once-in-a-generation opportunity to make the world a safer place. By their nature, pandemics can only be effectively tackled through international cooperation and the adoption of the Pandemic Agreement represents an historic step forward in this regard. It seeks to drive systemic change that will address the inequity that characterized the response to COVID-19 and brings us closer to realizing the 100 Days Mission goal to respond to future pandemic threats with a new vaccine in just three months.
CEPI stands ready to support the implementation of the Pandemic Agreement, including:
Requirements for publicly-funded R&D to include equitable access obligations – such as affordable pricing terms, technology transfer, information sharing;
Commitments to support sustainable and geographically distributed production facilities with the capability to scale up for rapid response in a health emergency;
The establishment of a multilateral pathogen benefits sharing system that supports rapid and efficient sharing of samples and data on pathogens with pandemic potential to expedite R&D for medical countermeasures. This, together with a global supply chain and logistics network, will help to strengthen research and innovation and support global access to medical countermeasures based on public health need rather than ability to pay.
While we celebrate today’s achievement, we must also recognise that the Agreement on its own will not deliver the level of pandemic preparedness the world urgently needs.
It will take sustained investment, enduring political commitment and unprecedented scientific collaboration to create the systemic change needed to protect not just our own generation, but generations to come.
Dr Daniela Manno, Clinical Assistant Professor, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said:
“We know pandemics do not respect borders. COVID-19 demonstrated how quickly infectious diseases can spread and underscored the importance of international cooperation for early detection and response.
“Adopting this first global agreement on pandemic preparedness and response is a major milestone. It signals a global commitment to avoiding the fragmented and unequal responses of past crises, and to promoting greater solidarity and equity in future health emergencies.
“It shows that countries are willing to work together more effectively and more fairly, through timely data sharing, coordinated rapid responses, and fair access to vaccines, diagnostics and treatments.
“However, while the treaty marks important progress, concerns remain about its strength and enforceability. For example, the proposal to create a Coordinating Financial Mechanism is a positive step, but it lacks firm commitments to new, long-term funding streams, specifically for low- and middle-income countries. Without clear financial provisions, LMICs may face increased debt or be forced to divert funding from other essential health services to meet treaty obligations.
“While the treaty references inclusiveness and community engagement, there needs to be a greater emphasis on integrating local knowledge and enabling community-led decision-making. This is crucial to avoid top-down approaches that may not reflect the needs and realities of diverse communities, particularly in LMICs.”
Dr Michael Head, Senior Research Fellow in Global Health, University of Southampton, said:
“The WHO Pandemic Agreement is quite a triumph for diplomacy, and will rely hugely on cooperations from the member states. The draft agreement is full of words such as equity, respect and solidarity. This is where the WHO is very strong, in providing expert guidance from an ethical and practical standpoint that applies across the world. However, the Organization does not have much of a role in any legal enforcement.
“The Agreement makes reference to the International Health Regulations (IHR) 2005. Member states have a legal obligation to adhere to the IHR, although it’s not fully clear what would happen if a country chooses not to.
“For example, the USA are technically still a member of WHO, with a one year notice period for withdrawal put forward by the Trump government. Given their recent commentary on national and global health, one can imagine they may not comply with regulations both currently in place and proposed here under the Agreement.”
Prof Sir Andrew Pollard:“Professor Pollard is chair of JCVI which provides independent scientific advice on vaccines to DHSC. The comment above is given in a personal capacity.”
Prof Mishal Khan: “No conflicts.”
Prof Alice Norton: “Professor Alice Norton receives a research grant from the World Health Organization – this does not relate to the Pandemic Agreement.”
Dr Richard Hatchett: “No conflicts of interest to declare.”
Dr Michael Head: “No COI from me (and not involved in the Pandemic Treaty in any way).”
For all other experts, no reply to our request for DOIs was received.
