On 13 and 14 June in Strasbourg, around 8,500 16 to 30-year-olds from all over the world will take part in a series of activities centred on the future of Europe.
EYE2025 (European Youth Event) will be opened by Parliament Vice-president Sabine Verheyen (EPP, DE) on Friday 13 June at 10:00 in the EYE village. Vice-president Nicolae Ştefănuță (Greens/EFA, RO) will take part in a session dedicated to the next long-term budget, on Saturday at 15:00. The closing session, with Vice-president Pina Picierno (S&D, IT), will take place on Saturday at 16:45.
Over the two days, there will be panel discussions with MEPs and other EU decision-makers, as well as with experts, activists and content creators. Debates between MEPs and the young participants will cover climate justice, skills for the future, the EU’s next long-term budget, and freedom of speech and media, among many other topics.
Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport Glenn Micallef will lead a Youth Policy Dialogue on Friday at 11:00, and take part in a panel discussion on young people’s mental health that afternoon. Executive Vice-President of the Commission, Henna Virkkunen will join in a conversation on how technology can strengthen democracy, on Friday at 15:00.
Other guest speakers are democracy activist Daria Navalnya, the Kayapo Amazonian tribal leader Chief Tau Metuktire and the Mayor of Strasbourg Jeanne Barseghian.
The programme also includes workshops on a wide range of issues that concern young people, from disinformation to housing and migration. Quizzes, tours, artistic performances, storytelling workshops and concerts are other options among more than 450 activities organised for the sixth edition of EYE.
On Friday 13 June at 16:30, there will be a press briefing with Vice-president Verheyen on media freedom in the EU, in the Daphne Caruana Galizia press conference room. You can follow it live here.
The service involved a parade of standard bearers coordinated by the Royal British Legion, a wreath laying and 2 minutes silence, led by Father Cannon White. The Royal British Legion invited a Bugler, with the Lord Mayor’s cadets to support the service.
Councillor Steve Pitt, leader of the council, said: “It’s important that we commemorate the anniversary of D-Day each year to ensure we remember the extraordinary bravery and sacrifice of those who took part in this unparalleled military campaign in Normandy 81 years ago, which helped to hasten the end of World War II. They must never be forgotten, and the service helps to ensure that they never will be.”
The service was attended by veterans, military representatives, the Deputy Lord Mayor and local councillors. The Lord Mayor attended D-Day commemorations in our twin city of Caen, which is a long-established tradition.
D-Day marks the beginning of the allied invasion of Normandy, France, during World War II. You can learn more about the events of 6 June 1944 at the D-Day Story: https://theddaystory.com/
Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –
The team of the Civil Engineering Institute has developed a unique software package “IMPULSE” for automated classification of elements of digital information models (DIM) based on artificial intelligence technologies. The use of a PC allows to significantly reduce labor costs at the stages of classification and coding of data in DIM, as well as to speed up and simplify the process of assigning codes and attributes to elements of the information model.
The project is interdisciplinary. The development was carried out by the Civil Engineering and Physics and Mechanical Institutes of SPbPU, whose specialists combined engineering competencies in the field of construction modeling and computational methods. Technical manager – Pavel Nedviga.
Students from two institutes took part in the project. This collaboration provided a unique opportunity not only to develop the technical aspects of the product, but also to develop skills in working with modern digital technologies in young specialists. The PhysMech team was led by Vyacheslav Chukanov, a senior lecturer at the Higher School of Applied Mathematics and Computational Physics.
The work lasted for two and a half years. The final stage was the inclusion of the PC “IMPULSE” in the Unified Register of Russian programs for electronic computers and databases with a special mark indicating that the software belongs to the field of artificial intelligence. The registration of the program confirms its compliance with the requirements for domestic software and its importance for the construction industry.
The project partners were GC Pioneer, a development company implementing large-scale housing and infrastructure projects, and the State Expertise Center, an organization that carries out an independent assessment of the quality of project documentation.
The IMPULSE PC is actively used in the educational process within the Digital Departments project. ISI students master the software package as part of their practical training and apply artificial intelligence mechanisms. The total number of such students has exceeded 350 people.
Currently, “IMPULSE” is successfully used by design organizations that turn to BIM modeling technologies. The program has proven highly effective in the educational process and project practice.
The use of artificial intelligence technologies allows to significantly reduce labor costs of certain types of work and operations in the process of developing design documentation and to increase the efficiency of design work. Thanks to the use of the software package “IMPULSE”, design engineers will be more focused on expert work, eliminating the need to perform routine tasks, such as manual classification of elements of the information model and assigning codes and classes to them. At the moment, the product is unique and has no analogues in the world, – noted the director of the Civil Engineering Institute Marina Petrochenko.
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.
Secretary for Transport & Logistics Mable Chan today led a Hong Kong Logistics Development Council delegation to meet officials of the Chongqing Municipal People’s Government and inspect the high-speed rail freight services in Chongqing.
At the meeting with Vice Mayor of Chongqing Municipal People’s Government Zheng Xiangdong and other officials, the delegation reported Hong Kong’s latest logistics developments in Hong Kong.
They also discussed further deepening co-operation in intermodal cargo transshipment and building the Chongqing-Hong Kong logistics corridor under the Hong Kong-Chongqing Co-operation Conference Mechanism, with a view to leveraging the strengths of the two hubs to serve the country’s needs.
The delegation also inspected the operations of high-speed rail freight services to gain insights into how Chongqing leverages its railway transport system, complemented by intermodal cargo transshipment modes such as air and sea transport, to enhance the overall rail freight service capacity.
They also met representatives of local logistics and transportation enterprises to further explore collaboration opportunities between the two places.
Ms Chan said Hong Kong’s status as an international aviation hub and maritime centre, coupled with its professional strengths, means it can better serve Chongqing, a key manufacturing base of the country, by providing an efficient export channel for local goods.
Yesterday, Ms Chan and the delegation attended the Hong Kong-Chongqing logistics sector co-operation seminar, where she highlighted Hong Kong’s advantages in logistics and transport to the local logistics sector.
The seminar was organised by the Hong Kong Logistics Development Council and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council.
Yesterday afternoon, the delegation met representatives of local shipping enterprises to discuss enhancing the maritime ties between Hong Kong and Chongqing.
They also toured the Chongqing International Logistics Hub Park to learn about its operation, and met Deputy Director of the Hong Kong & Macao Affairs Office of the Chongqing Municipal People’s Government Zhang Yaqian, to exchange views on ways to facilitate exchanges and collaborations in logistics and transport.
Ms Chan concluded her visit this afternoon and will return to Hong Kong in the evening.
As global temperatures rise, ecosystems face new pressures and often multiple challenges simultaneously. This was the case in 2016 in areas of the northeast that experienced a one-two punch of extreme drought and an onslaught of spongy moth caterpillars that feasted on a massive portion of the region’s oak leaves.
Eastern Connecticut, much of Rhode Island, and large swaths of Central Massachusetts were hit hard, says UConn Department of Natural Resources and the Environment Associate Professor Robert Fahey. This stacking of disturbances is expected to increase with climate change, and it is important to understand how forests are responding.
Fahey and his collaborators Danielle Tanzer ’21 MS, now at the University of Wisconsin; UConn Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Associate Professor Robert Bagchi; Audrey Barker Plotkin at the Harvad Forest; James Mickley ’17 Ph.D., now at Oregon State University; Keenan Rivers ’20 (CAHNR), now at Michigan Technological University; researcher Maya Sagarin, now at the University of California; and UConn Department of Natural Resources and the Environment Assistant Professor Chandi Witharana saw the opportunity to study these interactions and their impacts on defoliation and tree mortality and their findings are published in the International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation, and Forest Ecology and Management.
“When disturbances overlap in their effects on an ecosystem, we often call that compounding disturbance, where sometimes there is more influence on the ecosystem than you would get from either of those disturbances independently. It’s this additive or multiplicative effect,” says Fahey.
The team developed a proposal to study these multiplicative effects with a National Science Foundation RAPID grant, which streamlined the funding process and helped them jumpstart the project.
Fahey explains they applied experimental and observational methods to assess the interactions of the disturbances by collecting increment cores from tree trunks to estimate biomass accumulation before and after the disturbances and by surveying the mortality of trees across the study sites.
Then the researchers compared their field data with satellite imagery in hope of developing a method to remotely assess mortality that was not only accurate but also faster and less labor-intensive than taking field samples.
The Landsat satellite collects images on an almost bi-weekly basis, and finding a method to analyze these vast quantities of data can be tricky. Besides being labor-intensive and time-consuming, current methods also rely on costly aerial overflights.
“One of the things we were trying to do is compare what we can see in the remote sensing imagery and use machine learning models to take the known mortality and map mortality across the landscape, and then compare that to the aerial documentation,” says Fahey.
The method they developed was able to predict between 60% and 80% of the mortality within Landsat’s resolution of a 30-by-30-meter pixel. Fahey says the method could be a useful tool, enabling land managers to quickly and easily assess the landscape.
To better understand the frequency and timing of the defoliation relative to the drought conditions, Fahey teamed up with Bagchi, whose research group had been studying caterpillars and their interactions within the food web in the region. They hoped to study the characteristics that led to different outcomes and levels of severity across the region.
Fahey’s group sampled and surveyed sites around Eastern Connecticut where Bagchi’s lab had already sampled for spongy moth caterpillars.
One curious observation was the timing of the defoliation differed across the landscape and the researchers wondered if these timing differences led to variations in mortality, says Fahey.
“The question is if that’s because there were fewer caterpillars in some places,” he says. “Is it because the drought differed in its severity across the landscape? Is it because there were fewer oaks available as host species across different forests, across the landscape, or is it something to do with the environment?”
They found the factor that mattered the most was whether a site experienced multiple years of defoliation, which Fahey says is not a novel or surprising result, but it is interesting because it showed the severity of the drought, and the timing of the defoliation also did not seem to matter as much as frequency.
“The drought definitely impacted the defoliation, but it didn’t seem to impact the mortality outcomes relating to the defoliation. The drought is probably associated with the severity of the defoliation in multiple ways,” says Fahey.
For example, one of the main controls of the spongy moth caterpillars is a fungus that doesn’t get established when there’s a drought; therefore, in an extremely dry year like 2016, the spongy moth population was able to explode across the landscape.
That extremely dry weather also stressed the trees, rendering them less capable of fighting defoliation. The 2016-17 drought was possibly the most severe New England has experienced since the 1960s, says Fahey, and we have had multiple such “100-year” droughts in the last decade.
“Obviously, things are changing, but that 2016 drought was severe enough across the landscape that there wasn’t enough variation for us to pick up a signal, and it probably affected the outcomes of defoliation and led to higher mortality across the landscape. We can’t say for sure because we don’t have anything to control it against, because there wasn’t a place that didn’t have drought,” he says.
Moving forward, Fahey says they are evaluating the response of the overall forest to the disturbance by looking at productivity, carbon sequestration, and any changes that occurred. The researchers are also trying to understand how growth prior to the disturbances impacted mortality outcomes. Did fast or slow-growing oaks fare better, and why? These questions are the focus of ongoing research that will help us understand how the region’s forests will fare as the climate continues to change. With thousands of increment cores from trees across Eastern Connecticut and from the Harvard Forest in Massachusetts yet to analyze, Fahey says it will take some time before they have answers.
“The frequency, severity, and nature of the disturbances that affect our forests is changing as a result of the impacts of climate change and other stressors, such as invasive pests and pathogens,” says Fahey. “These changes are leading to more frequent interactions between disturbances and understanding how compounding disturbance affects our forests will be an essential part of predicting the future of our region and its ecosystems.”
Source: People’s Republic of China – Ministry of National Defense
BEIJING, June 6 — Recently, the 5th Chinese Peacekeeping Military Utility Helicopter Unit to the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) successfully passed the UNISFA’s equipment inspection for the second quarter of 2025.
All the 45 inspection items of the Chinese peacekeeping helicopter unit, including barrack facilities, vehicles and equipment, and weapons and ammunition, met the verification standards of the UN.
Since its deployment to the mission area, the Chinese peacekeeping helicopter unit has primarily undertaken air patrol, medical evacuation, logistic support, and other tasks. Its mission area mainly covers 23 locations in Abyei, Sudan, and South Sudan.
Source: People’s Republic of China – Ministry of National Defense
BEIJING, June 6 — Recently, the 5th Chinese Peacekeeping Military Utility Helicopter Unit to the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) successfully passed the UNISFA’s equipment inspection for the second quarter of 2025.
All the 45 inspection items of the Chinese peacekeeping helicopter unit, including barrack facilities, vehicles and equipment, and weapons and ammunition, met the verification standards of the UN.
Since its deployment to the mission area, the Chinese peacekeeping helicopter unit has primarily undertaken air patrol, medical evacuation, logistic support, and other tasks. Its mission area mainly covers 23 locations in Abyei, Sudan, and South Sudan.
Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting & Parliamentary Affairs L. Murugan will inaugurate the National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA) for the Puducherry Legislative Assembly on Monday.
Puducherry Lieutenant Governor K. Kailashnathan, Chief Minister N. Rangasamy, Speaker Selvam R and legislative assembly members will also be present during the ceremony.
Puducherry assembly will have paperless operations after the implementation of NeVA.
A trial run of NeVA was conducted during 6th session of the assembly, and hands on training on the application is being provided to assembly members and government officials.
NeVA is an initiative by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs (MoPA) to digitize and streamline legislative processes across all 37 State and UT Legislatures through a unified platform, embodying the vision of ‘One Nation – One Application’.
The word antisemitism has become so debased that depending on who is using it I might well take it as a sign that the accused is worth listening to.
When the World Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu’s arrest, he responded by saying the court was being antisemitic. One of the court’s legal advisers was Theodor Meron, a former Israeli ambassador and legal adviser who spent a chunk of his childhood in a Nazi concentration camp.
Last month, Netanyahu declared the leaders of France, the UK and Canada of fuelling antisemitism.
Their “crime”? Threatening “concrete action” against Israel if it continues its “egregious” blockade of aid entering Gaza.
Egregious not genocidal. And the concrete action referred to wasn’t sanctions or a full arms embargo but stalling free trade talks.
The bitter irony is that with none of those countries having yet imposed a complete ban on arms exports to Israel they are all in a sense fuelling a genocide.
The Army-McCarthy hearings We’re coming up to the 71st anniversary of the Army-McCarthy hearings where an army lawyer, Joseph Welch, rebuked Senator Joseph McCarthy with the famous line: “Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last?”
We’ll be waiting a long time for the wanted war criminal Netanyahu to show any decency, but could we be approaching a tipping point where the establishment finally calls off a witch hunt after realising no one is safe from false accusations.
The McCarthyite red scare, which began in the late 1940s, saw more than 2000 federal workers sacked, thousands of academics, teachers, and union members pressured or forced to resign due to anti-communist policies, and up to 500 Hollywood directors and actors blacklisted for being leftwing or refusing to name names.
Welch’s rebuke was triggered by none of that. It was McCarthy turning his metaphorical guns onto the military implying he would expose high ranking army personnel that saw the army lawyer return fire.
The conflating of criticism of Israel with antisemitism has been spectacularly successful in making any criticism of Israel a potentially career ending move. Three Ivy League presidents have been pushed out of their jobs for failing to crack down hard enough on students protesting the brutality of Israel’s ongoing genocide.
UK Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, whose popularity had seen the party become the biggest political movement in Europe, was toppled in 2016 after bogus accusations of antisemitism.
In the purge of the Labour Party that followed Jews were five times more likely to be investigated for antisemitism than goys.
It’s the same story in Germany where Jews feature prominently among those cancelled for alleged antisemitism. Renowned professor of Jewish studies Peter Schäfe was forced to resign as the director of Berlin’s Jewish Museum after it retweeted a post critical of Germany’s anti-Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) resolutions.
Greece’s former Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis — not a Jew — has been banned from Germany or even appearing via Zoom for this response, on 8 October 2023, to being asked if he condemned Hamas:
“I condemn every single atrocity, whomever is the perpetrator or the victim. What I do not condemn is armed resistance to an apartheid system designed as part of a slow-burning, but inexorable, ethnic cleansing programme. As a European, it is important to refrain from condemning either the Israelis or the Palestinians when it is us, Europeans, who have caused this never-ending tragedy: after practising rabid anti-Semitism for centuries, leading up to the uniquely vile Holocaust, we have been complicit for decades with the slow genocide of Palestinians, as if two wrongs make one right.”
That nuanced response, with its acknowledgement of the dreadful legacy of real antisemitism, has not only seen him banned from speaking — in person or virtually — but dropped by his German publisher.
Antisemitism is often referred to as the oldest hatred — with good reason — but the word itself is relatively recent.
A ‘scientific’ word for an old hatred Nineteenth century German journalist, Wilhelm Marr, popularised the term in a pamphlet the title of which translates as: The way to victory of Germanism over Judaism.
What distinguished antisemitism from the commonly used Judenhass — or Jewish hate — was the idea that it was a Jew’s race not their religion that was deserving of hate.
Antisemitism was a prejudice proud to speak its name. It was respectable in a way that religious intolerance wasn’t. Prominent professors and politicians happily declared themselves antisemites and adherents of “scientific racism”.
It was an old idea dressed up in new clothing. Fifteenth century Spain passed Limpieza de Sangre (cleanliness of blood) statutes to allow discrimination against Jewish and Muslim converts to Christianity.
The Judeo-Christian civilisational conflict with Islam, often referred to by right-wing supporters of Israel, is a relatively new construct. When the Jews were expelled from Spain, the Ottomans sent ships to take them to new homes in Istanbul, Thessaloniki and Izmer.
Times change and while it was once possible — even common — to be a respectable antisemite and scientific racist but frowned upon to discriminate based on religious belief, now the reverse is true.
So-called new atheists like Sam Harris and Richard Dawkins declare all religions bad but Islam worse.
“Listening to the lovely bells of Winchester, one of our great mediaeval cathedrals. So much nicer than the aggressive sounding “Allahu Akhbar.” Or is that just my cultural upbringing?” Dawkins once tweeted.
The cultures of Europe have indeed cultivated racist ideas for centuries. And just as half a millennia ago conversion offered you no protection from the racism of the Spanish court, embracing Buddhism didn’t protect Columbia University student Moshen Mahdawi from being snatched from a naturalisation interview by balaclava-clad ICE agents.
His crime? Being Palestinian and telling his story.
It’s a topsy-turvy world where life-long anti-fascists like Jeremy Corbyn and Yanis Varoufakis are sanctioned on bogus claims of antisemitism while the likes of Elon Musk and Hungarian PM Victor Orban — both peddlers of old-style antisemitic conspiracies — are welcomed to Israel as friends and allies in a contrived battle of civilisations.
One thing that differentiates antisemitism from the Judeophobia, which has been a European disease since the early days of Christianity, is that it places Jews among the victims of the continent’s white supremacist legacy.
It’s perhaps no coincidence the Christopher Columbus set sail for the Americas in the same year, 1492, that Spain expelled its Jews and Muslims.
The settler colonisation of the Americas has been estimated by historian David Stannard to have resulted in the death of 100 million indigenous people — many from introduced diseases but tens of millions also died in genocides only recently making their way into history books.
Last month, when Netanyahu declared Israel’s attacks on Gaza “a war against human beasts” he was echoing the words of settler colonialists from Alaska to Aotearoa and the dehumanising language of the Nazis against the Jews.
So, back to that question about whether we’ve reached a tipping point where unfair accusations of antisemitism will be seen in a similar light to McCarthy’s red scare.
With Netanyahu accusing the leader of the Democrats party, Yair Golan, an IDF reserve major-general, of promoting a blood libel for speaking out against the starving of babies in Gaza, it’s hard not to draw parallels with the Army-McCarthy hearings.
It’s worth quoting the words that saw Israel’s PM accuse Golan of a blood libel — a reference to the lie that Jews used the blood of non-Jewish children in the baking of matzos, and a trigger for centuries of pogroms.
“A sane country does not wage war against civilians, does not kill babies as a hobby, and does not set goals for itself like the expulsion of a population.”
The idea that an IDF general speaking out against the killing of babies is propagating racist hatred of Jews is surely a leap too far even for many fervent Zionists.
Another sign that the tide might be turning is Kenneth Stern, the lead drafter of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism, saying the US administration’s weaponisation of the IHRA definition is making academics and students (including Jews) less safe.
The self-described Zionist said the definition was being distorted and used to silence anti-Israel critics.
The IHRA working definition has been widely adopted internationally — including by institutions in New Zealand and Australia.
Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have both criticised the definition claiming it has seen those documenting Israel’s human rights abuses being falsely accused of antisemitism.
It’s a tragedy that weaponised accusations of antisemitism aimed at protecting Israel from criticism are obscuring a rise in Judeophobic conspiracy theories and attacks on Jewish community centres and synagogues around the world.
And even more tragically that those accusations are blunting criticisms of Israel that could help bring the ongoing genocide in Gaza to an end.
India’s benchmark indices surged on Friday after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) reduced the repo rate by 50 basis points to 5.50 per cent and the cash reserve ratio (CRR) by 100 basis points, in four tranches.
The Sensex gained 746.95 points, or 0.92 per cent, to close at 82,188.99, while the Nifty rose 252.15 points, or 1.02 per cent, to end at 25,003.05.
The rally was led by banking stocks. The Nifty Bank index closed at 56,578.40, up 817.55 points or 1.47 per cent. During the session, Bank Nifty touched 56,695 – its highest level to date.
In addition to large-cap stocks, mid-cap and small-cap segments also saw gains. The Nifty Midcap 100 index rose by 707.30 points, or 1.21 per cent, to 59,010.30, while the Nifty Smallcap 100 index climbed 149.85 points, or 0.81 per cent, to 18,582.45.
Rupak De of LKP Securities said the sharp rise in the index followed what he described as a “bazooka policy move” by the RBI.
The significant rate cut and the liquidity boost via the CRR reduction are expected to facilitate a swift transmission of lower rates, reinforcing the RBI’s strong commitment to fostering economic growth, boosting investment, and stimulating consumption.
Rate-sensitive sectors such as banking, real estate, automobiles, and consumer durables are leading the rally, according to experts.
Going forward, the impact of the rate cut is expected to continue influencing market sentiment.
Decision letter and Inspector’s Report for a recovered appeal for outline permission for a film and television studio, ancillary development including car parking and a nature park.
PUBLIC OPENING POSITION DISCLOSURE/DEALING DISCLOSURE BY A PERSON WITH INTERESTS IN RELEVANT SECURITIES REPRESENTING 1% OR MORE Rule 8.3 of the Takeover Code (the “Code”)
(b)Owner or controller of interests and short positions disclosed, if different from 1(a): The naming of nominee or vehicle companies is insufficient. For a trust, the trustee(s), settlor and beneficiaries must be named.
N/A
(c)Name of offeror/offeree in relation to whose relevant securities this form relates: Use a separate form for each offeror/offeree
MARLOWE PLC
(d)If an exempt fund manager connected with an offeror/offeree, state this and specify identity of offeror/offeree:
N/A
(e)Date position held/dealing undertaken: For an opening position disclosure, state the latest practicable date prior to the disclosure
05 JUNE 2025
(f)In addition to the company in 1(c) above, is the discloser making disclosures in respect of any other party to the offer? If it is a cash offer or possible cash offer, state “N/A”
No
2.POSITIONS OF THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE
If there are positions or rights to subscribe to disclose in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 2(a) or (b) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security.
(a)Interests and short positions in the relevant securities of the offeror or offeree to which the disclosure relates following the dealing (if any)
Class of relevant security:
50p ORDINARY
Interests
Short positions
Number
%
Number
%
(1)Relevant securities owned and/or controlled:
3,130,796
3.9871
(2)Cash-settled derivatives:
(3)Stock-settled derivatives (including options) and agreements to purchase/sell:
TOTAL:
3,130,796
3.9871
All interests and all short positions should be disclosed.
Details of any open stock-settled derivative positions (including traded options), or agreements to purchase or sell relevant securities, should be given on a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions).
(b)Rights to subscribe for new securities (including directors’ and other employee options)
Class of relevant security in relation to which subscription right exists:
Details, including nature of the rights concerned and relevant percentages:
3.DEALINGS (IF ANY) BY THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE
Where there have been dealings in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 3(a), (b), (c) or (d) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security dealt in.
The currency of all prices and other monetary amounts should be stated.
(a)Purchases and sales
Class of relevant security
Purchase/sale
Number of securities
Price per unit
50p ORDINARY
SALE
1,000
435.05p
(b)Cash-settled derivative transactions
Class of relevant security
Product description e.g. CFD
Nature of dealing e.g. opening/closing a long/short position, increasing/reducing a long/short position
(d)Other dealings (including subscribing for new securities)
Class of relevant security
Nature of dealing e.g. subscription, conversion
Details
Price per unit (if applicable)
NONE
4.OTHER INFORMATION
(a)Indemnity and other dealing arrangements
Details of any indemnity or option arrangement, or any agreement or understanding, formal or informal, relating to relevant securities which may be an inducement to deal or refrain from dealing entered into by the person making the disclosure and any party to the offer or any person acting in concert with a party to the offer: Irrevocable commitments and letters of intent should not be included. If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”
NONE
(b)Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to options or derivatives
Details of any agreement, arrangement or understanding, formal or informal, between the person making the disclosure and any other person relating to: (i)the voting rights of any relevant securities under any option; or (ii)the voting rights or future acquisition or disposal of any relevant securities to which any derivative is referenced: If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”
NONE
(c)Attachments
Is a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions) attached?
NO
Date of disclosure:
06 JUNE 2025
Contact name:
PHIL HULME
Telephone number:
01253 376551
Public disclosures under Rule 8 of the Code must be made to a Regulatory Information Service.
The Panel’s Market Surveillance Unit is available for consultation in relation to the Code’s disclosure requirements on +44 (0)20 7638 0129.
NEW YORK, June 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM), operator of regulated markets for trading 12,000 U.S. and international securities, today announced Neo Performance Materials Inc (TSX: NEO; OTCQX: NOPMF), a manufacturer of the building blocks of many modern technologies that enhance efficiency and sustainability, has qualified to trade on the OTCQX® Best Market. Neo Performance Materials Inc upgraded to OTCQX from the Pink® market.
Neo Performance Materials Inc begins trading today on OTCQX under the symbol “NOPMF.” U.S. investors can find current financial disclosure and Real-Time Level 2 quotes for the company on www.otcmarkets.com.
Upgrading to the OTCQX Market is an important step for companies seeking to provide transparent trading for their U.S. investors. For companies listed on a qualified international exchange, streamlined market standards enable them to utilize their home market reporting to make their information available in the U.S. To qualify for OTCQX, companies must meet high financial standards, follow best practice corporate governance and demonstrate compliance with applicable securities laws.
Neo’s CEO, Rahim Suleman, said: “We are pleased to begin trading on OTCQX, which enhances Neo’s visibility and accessibility for U.S. investors. As a global leader in advanced rare earth materials, with a strong balance sheet and a growing magnetics business in Europe, we are well-positioned to support the accelerating demand for critical materials in electrification and other modern technologies. Trading on OTCQX provides an additional platform to broaden our shareholder base as we continue to execute on our strategic priorities and drive long-term value.”
About Neo Performance Materials Inc Neo manufactures the building blocks of many modern technologies that enhance efficiency and sustainability. Neo’s advanced industrial materials – magnetic powders, rare earth magnets, magnetic assemblies, specialty chemicals, metals, and alloys – are critical to the performance of many everyday products and emerging technologies. Neo’s products fast-forward technologies for the net-zero transition. The business of Neo is organized along three segments: Magnequench, Chemicals & Oxides and Rare Metals. Neo is headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada; with corporate offices in Greenwood Village, Colorado, United States; Singapore; and Beijing, China. Neo has a global platform that includes manufacturing facilities located in China, Germany, Canada, Estonia, Thailand and the United Kingdom, as well as one dedicated research and development centre in Singapore.
About OTC Markets Group Inc.
OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM) operates regulated markets for trading 12,000 U.S. and international securities. Our data-driven disclosure standards form the foundation of our three public markets: OTCQX® Best Market, OTCQB® Venture Market, and Pink® Open Market.
Our OTC Link® Alternative Trading Systems (ATSs) provide critical market infrastructure that broker-dealers rely on to facilitate trading. Our innovative model offers companies more efficient access to the U.S. financial markets.
OTC Link ATS, OTC Link ECN, OTC Link NQB, and MOON ATS™ are each an SEC regulated ATS, operated by OTC Link LLC, a FINRA and SEC registered broker-dealer, member SIPC.
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SHENZHEN, China, June 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — MoonFox Data, China’s leading provider of all-scenario data insights and analytics services, was recently invited to deliver a keynote address at the Neudata Hong Kong Data Summit 2025, held at the Hong Kong Cordis Hotel.
Senior Analyst Max Ma presented “Navigating China’s Market Pulse in 2025: Data-Driven Strategic Investment Insights,” offering global investment institutions and enterprise clients an in-depth analysis of the latest trends in China’s macroeconomy and key industry sectors.
As global investors increasingly focus on the Chinese market, data-driven market insights have become a critical foundation for institutional decision-making and corporate strategic planning. Against the backdrop of a complex, evolving macroeconomic environment and industrial structural transformation, accurately deciphering the pulse of the Chinese market using high-quality data has emerged as a central concern for global capital and enterprises.
About Neudata: The Global Alternative Data Authority
Neudata, headquartered in London, UK, is one of the world’s most influential independent data intelligence platforms in the alternative data domain. The platform specializes in identifying cutting-edge alternative data sources, providing market trend insights, and offering data procurement consulting services for global financial institutions such as asset managers, hedge funds, and quantitative investment firms. Leveraging its extensive supplier network and professional research team, Neudata empowers global investors to efficiently discover, evaluate, and apply various types of alternative data, enhancing the foresight and scientific rigor of investment decisions. The Neudata Data Summit convenes top global asset managers, data technology companies, and industry experts, serving as a vital international platform for exploring data innovation and collaboration.
Spotlight on Market Dynamics under Easing Policies
In his address, Max Ma highlighted that under the guidance of mildly easing policies in the first half of 2025, the Chinese market is undergoing structural transformation. Key sectors such as artificial intelligence (AI), e-commerce, consumer goods, and automotive are exhibiting distinct evolutionary characteristics. Based on MoonFox Data’s proprietary data product matrix, the team distilled three core insights through multi-dimensional dynamic monitoring and deep analysis:
Quantifying Industry Evolution
Brand Competition Analysis
Actionable Investment Guidance
“Data-driven insights are the core tool for navigating market uncertainty,” emphasized Max Ma. “MoonFox Data is committed to helping global clients precisely identify incremental opportunities in the Chinese market through objective, real-time, and in-depth data capabilities.”
Exhibition Spotlight: AI and Alternative Data Products Draw Wide Attention
Within the summit’s exhibition area, MoonFox Data’s AI and alternative data solutions became a focal point, attracting significant attention from numerous domestic and international industry experts, investment institutions, and corporate representatives. The innovation capabilities and real-world application scenarios of the flagship products, MoonFox iApp and MoonFox iBrand, garnered high recognition from attendees.
About MoonFox Data As a sub-brand of Aurora Mobile (NASDQ: JG), MoonFox Data is a leading expert in data insights and analysis services across all scenarios. With a comprehensive, stable, secure and compliant mobile big data foundation, as well as professional and precise data analysis technology and AI algorithms, MoonFox Data has launched iAPP, iBrand, iMarketing, Alternative Data and professional research and consulting services of MoonFox Research, aiming to help companies gain insights into market growth and make accurate business decisions.
SAN DIEGO, CA, June 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — RYVYL Inc. (NASDAQ: RVYL) (“RYVYL” or the “Company”), a leading innovator of payment transaction solutions leveraging electronic payment technology, announced the securityholder of its remaining 8% Senior Convertible Note (“Note”), has converted the entire outstanding principal balance of $4.0 million and accrued interest of $136,000 into 7.1 million shares of common stock.
“We’ve pursued an anti-dilutive strategy to restructure our balance sheet, and this final debt to equity conversion successfully completes that process,” said George Oliva, CFO of RYVYL. “In January 2025, we redeemed our Series B Convertible Preferred Stock with a liquidation value of $53.1 million and $14.3 million of the Note for a payment of $13.0 million, which avoided over 90 million shares of potential dilution and converted over $50 million of additional paid in capital from Preferred Stock to Common shareholders.”
About RYVYL
RYVYL Inc. (NASDAQ: RVYL) was born from a passion for empowering a new way to conduct business-to-business, consumer-to-business, and peer-to-peer payment transactions around the globe. By leveraging electronic payment technology for diverse international markets, RYVYL is a leading innovator of payment transaction solutions reinventing the future of financial transactions. Since its founding as GreenBox POS in 2017 in San Diego, RYVYL has developed applications enabling an end-to-end suite of turnkey financial products with enhanced security and data privacy, world-class identity theft protection, and rapid speed to settlement. As a result, the platform can log immense volumes of immutable transactional records at the speed of the internet for first-tier partners, merchants, and consumers around the globe. www.ryvyl.com
This press release includes information that constitutes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements are based on the Company’s current beliefs, assumptions and expectations regarding future events, which in turn are based on information currently available to the Company. Such forward-looking statements include statements that are characterized by future or conditional words such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate” and “continue” or similar words. You should read statements that contain these words carefully because they discuss future expectations and plans, which contain projections of future results of operations or financial condition or state other forward-looking information.
By their nature, forward-looking statements address matters that are subject to risks and uncertainties. A variety of factors could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those expressed in or contemplated by the forward-looking statements. Risk factors affecting the Company are discussed in detail in the Company’s filings with the SEC. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except to the extent required by applicable laws.
VANCOUVER, BC, June 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Eat & Beyond Global Holdings Inc. (CSE: EATS) (OTCPK: EATBF) (FSE: 988) (“Eat & Beyond” or the “Company”), is pleased to announce that that globally recognized entrepreneur, investor, and citizen journalist Mario Nawfal has joined the Company as a Strategic Advisor.
Mr. Nawfal is a force in modern media and Web3 innovation. As the founder of The Roundtable, X/Twitter’s most influential audio show, he has hosted global icons including Elon Musk, Marc Andreessen, Mark Cuban, CZ, Alexander Lukashenko, Sergei Lavrov, Sam Bankman-Fried, Andrew Tate, Hunter Biden, Bill Ackman, Matt Walsh, Michael Saylor, Michael Bay, Vinod Khosla, and Imran Khan.
Mario is also a seasoned entrepreneur with multiple successful exits, and a respected venture capitalist who has backed breakout companies in AI, gaming, blockchain, and digital media.
He is the founder of Citizen Journalism Network, its subsidiary, IBC Group, and its accelerator, CJNA, which is building Web3’s first fully integrated ecosystem, combining a media empire and venture capital firm with a startup accelerator and launchpad for Web3 projects. The company is building an AI-powered centralized exchange (CEX), deal desk, and fund, targeting both institutional and retail investors across Web2 and Web3.
As part of his advisory role, CJN Accelerator Ltd. (“CJNA”) has been granted 1,000,000 options at a strike price of $0.15, expiring five years from the grant date.
This announcement comes as the Company prepares for its name change to Digital Asset Technologies Inc. (proposed ticker: DATT) and updated investment policy to build a diversified portfolio of companies operating at the forefront of emerging technologies. This strategy reflects a sharpened focus on the AI, Blockchain, Web3, Fintech, and broader ICT (Information and Communication Technology) sectors, including tokenized infrastructure and digital assets.
The Company also recently acquired LiquidLink AI Corp., a cutting-edge platform that enables scalable and cost-efficient issuance and trading of digital assets, including real-world assets (RWAs) on the XRP Ledger.
Bringing Mario Nawfal onboard is a power move. His experience at the intersection of media, Web3, and venture capital is unmatched. As we focus on the digital asset space, we’re excited to have him advising our journey,” said Young Bann, CEO of Eat & Beyond.
About Eat & Beyond
Eat & Beyond (CSE: EATS) is a publicly traded investment issuer that identifies and makes equity investments in global companies that are developing and commercializing innovative food tech, sustainability and technology. Led by a team of industry experts, Eat & Beyond provides retail investors with the unique opportunity to participate in the growth of a broad cross-section of opportunities in the alternative food, sustainability and technology sectors. Through its wholly owned subsidiary, Liquidlink AI Corp., the Company has entered the blockchain technology sector with a focus on real-world asset tokenization, decentralized infrastructure, and advanced trading analytics.
The Canadian Securities Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release.
For further information: For further information, please contact Young Bann, CEO, young@purposeesg.com.
This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as, “subject to”, or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results “may” or “will” be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the Company’s business strategy, current and future investments, the proposed name change, the updated Investment Policy, and the Company’s ability to obtain the necessary shareholder and regulatory approvals in connection with the proposed name change and updated Investment Policy. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions, but the actual results may be materially different from any future expectations expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements can be affected by known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, including, but not limited to, the equity markets generally and a failure to obtain the necessary approvals from the Canadian Securities Exchange. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.
Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal on Thursday co-chaired the 22nd session of the India-Italy Joint Commission for Economic Cooperation (JCEC) alongside Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani.
The high-level meeting was held in Brescia, a key manufacturing hub in northern Italy, during Goyal’s two-day visit to the country. He was accompanied by a business delegation comprising senior leaders from nearly 90 Indian companies.
The JCEC brought together senior officials, policymakers, and key industry stakeholders from both countries.
According to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the discussions aligned with the India-Italy Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025–2029, which aims to enhance economic resilience, promote industrial collaboration, and support inclusive and sustainable growth.
Both sides agreed to intensify cooperation in priority sectors such as Industry 4.0, aerospace, energy transition, and sustainable mobility. The talks also emphasized collaboration in skill development, digital transformation, migration and mobility, and joint initiatives under global connectivity frameworks like the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC).
In addition, India and Italy resolved to boost ties in agriculture and food processing and agreed to establish Joint Working Groups in the automobile and space sectors to deepen technological and industrial cooperation.
A high-level growth forum was held on the sidelines of the JCEC to explore emerging business opportunities and foster potential industrial partnerships.
Goyal also held one-on-one meetings with prominent Italian corporate leaders and welcomed their plans to expand operations in India.
Marking World Environment Day, Goyal and Tajani visited A2A, an Italian waste-to-energy company, to explore collaboration in the clean energy space. They also planted saplings at the Santa Giulia UNESCO World Heritage complex in memory of their mothers, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” initiative.
In a landmark visit to Jammu and Kashmir, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday flagged off new Vande Bharat trains and inaugurated two major railway bridges—the Chenab Rail Bridge and the Anji Khad Bridge—marking a pivotal moment in the region’s rail connectivity journey. The event highlighted more than a decade of sustained investment in railway infrastructure aimed at expanding access, improving mobility, and unlocking economic opportunity across the Union Territory.
The Chenab Rail Bridge, now recognised as the world’s highest railway arch bridge, towers 359 metres above the riverbed—rising 35 metres higher than the Eiffel Tower. Spanning 1,315 metres, this engineering marvel is a critical part of the Udhampur–Srinagar–Baramulla Railway Link (USBRL), one of India’s most ambitious transport projects. Designed to withstand extreme weather and seismic activity, the bridge is built to endure wind speeds of up to 260 kilometres per hour and has an expected lifespan of 120 years. Structural steel capable of withstanding temperatures from minus 10 to 40 degrees Celsius and cutting-edge Tekla software for structural precision were used in its construction.
Nearby, the Anji Khad Bridge stands as India’s first cable-stayed railway bridge. Stretching 725 metres across the Anji River valley and supported by 96 high-tensile cables, the bridge is anchored by a 193-metre-tall inverted Y-shaped pylon. Set against the dramatic Himalayan landscape, the structure was completed in a record time of 11 months. Over 8,200 metric tonnes of structural steel were used in its construction, making it a resilient and strategic link in the Katra–Banihal section of the USBRL. The bridge has been engineered to withstand tremors, high wind loads and shifting topography, providing a vital connection in a region marked by seismic and geological volatility.
The rail network in Jammu and Kashmir has undergone a radical transformation over the past 11 years. Once hindered by geography and conflict, the region’s integration into the national railway grid is now nearly complete. The USBRL project, which cuts across 272 kilometres of rugged Himalayan terrain, includes 36 tunnels spanning 119 kilometres and 943 bridges that connect isolated communities. Constructed at a cost of ₹43,780 crore, it represents one of the most challenging infrastructure undertakings in India’s post-independence era.
To maximise the benefit of this enhanced connectivity, the Vande Bharat Express will soon operate between Jammu and Srinagar. Designed for sub-zero conditions, the train is equipped with heated windshields, insulated toilets and advanced heating systems to withstand temperatures as low as minus 20 degrees Celsius. A snow removal train will operate ahead of it during harsh winters, and seismic dampers have been installed to ensure safety along the route.
The journey between Katra and Srinagar, which previously took more than five hours, will now be reduced to approximately three, a shift that is expected to bring substantial gains in tourism, trade and accessibility. Full electrification of railway lines in the region further strengthens this transformation, aligning with broader goals of energy efficiency and sustainability.
In addition to new services and engineering breakthroughs, the government has focused on modernising stations and expanding pilgrimage routes. In 2014, the commissioning of the Udhampur–Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra rail section opened a 25.6 km link built at a cost of ₹1,132.75 crore. It features 10.9 km of tunnels, 36 bridges and a modern Katra station, constructed with dedicated facilities including public conveniences and a footbridge for local residents. That same year, the Shri Shakti AC Superfast Express was introduced to connect New Delhi with the shrine town, enhancing accessibility for pilgrims.
More recently, in February 2024, a 48-km stretch between Banihal, Khari, Sumber and Sangaldan was inaugurated, along with the electrification of the 185.66-km Baramulla–Srinagar–Banihal–Sangaldan section. Prime Minister Modi flagged off the valley’s first electric train, marking a shift towards cleaner and more efficient rail operations. The Banihal–Sangaldan section features ballast-less tracks to ensure smoother rides.
In January 2025, Indian Railways conducted safety inspections on the 111-km Banihal–Katra section, featuring 97 km of tunnels and four major bridges. Once operational, this will complete the Jammu–Srinagar rail link. Jammu station is also being redeveloped to include eight platforms and upgraded passenger amenities. A dedicated railway division with headquarters in Jammu was created in the same month, carved out from the Ferozepur Division. It will oversee operations in Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh and parts of Punjab, enhancing administrative efficiency and service delivery.
The T-50 tunnel, a 12.77-km stretch connecting Khari and Sumber, is now the longest transportation tunnel in India and plays a critical role in the USBRL network. Constructed using the New Austrian Tunnelling Method, the tunnel includes a parallel escape tunnel and cross-passages every 375 metres for safety. Extensive geological challenges were met with strategic engineering solutions, including the construction of multiple adits to fast-track completion. The installation of CCTV cameras every 50 metres, monitored from a central control room, ensures operational safety.
To support these developments, Indian Railways also laid 215 km of approach roads to ensure access to remote construction sites. These roads have brought ancillary benefits by improving rural connectivity and enabling economic activity in previously inaccessible areas.
As part of its broader modernisation strategy, the Ministry of Railways has included four Jammu and Kashmir stations—Budgam, Jammu Tawi, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra and Udhampur—under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme. This initiative aims to deliver enhanced passenger services and drive integrated urban development.
In the Union Budget for 2025–26, the Centre allocated ₹844 crore specifically for railway development in Jammu and Kashmir. The funding is aimed at accelerating ongoing projects and strengthening rail infrastructure across the region.
The confluence of infrastructure upgrades, strategic investments and technical innovation over the past decade is reshaping Jammu and Kashmir’s transport landscape. The region, once isolated by mountains and weather, is now poised to emerge as a vital link in India’s national rail network, offering faster, cleaner and more inclusive mobility for its people.
2. As announced in the Governor’s Statement dated June 06, 2025, it has been decided to reduce the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) of all banks by 100 basis points in four equal tranches of 25 basis points each to 3.0 per cent of net demand and time Liabilities (NDTL). Accordingly, banks are required to maintain the CRR at 3.75 per cent, 3.5 per cent, 3.25 per cent and 3.0 per cent of their NDTL effective from the reporting fortnight beginning September 6, October 4, November 1 and November 29, 2025, respectively.
3. A copy of the relative notification DoR.RET.REC.24/12.01.001/2025-26 dated June 6, 2025 is enclosed.
Yours faithfully,
(Manoranjan Padhy) Chief General Manager
Encl.: As above
DoR.RET.REC.24/12.01.001/2025-26
June 06, 2025
NOTIFICATION
In exercise of the powers conferred under the sub-section (1) of Section 42 of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934 and sub-section (1) of Section 18 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (10 of 1949), read with Section 56 thereof, and in partial modification of the earlier notification DoR.RET.REC.53/12.01.001/2024-25 dated December 06, 2024, the Reserve Bank of India hereby notifies that the average Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) required to be maintained by every bank shall be 3.75 per cent, 3.5 per cent, 3.25 per cent and 3.0 per cent of its net demand and time liabilities effective from the reporting fortnight beginning September 6, October 4, November 1 and November 29, 2025, respectively.
This report is provided by Earth Negotiations Bulletin/International Institute for Sustainable Development. View the original reporthere.
Finance is critical to implementation of the Sendai Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), but investments have not kept pace with rising demands, and aid budgets are shrinking worldwide. In many sessions through the day, delegates focused attention on financing a wide range of needs, including school safety, measures to deal with extreme heat, and nature-based solutions (NbS).
High-level dialogue
What will it take to scale DRR financing solutions at the national and local level?
Journalist Mayowa Adegoke moderated the session.
Stine Renate Håheim, State Secretary to Minister of International Development, Norway, emphasized DRR financing as a high priority, saying, “it is better to prevent than repair afterwards.” She noted that one in three people globally-most in cities or highly vulnerable areas-are not covered by Early Warning Systems (EWS).
Hans Sy, CEO, SM Prime Holdings, explained his company’s investment in resilient building construction, such as building on concrete pillars to allow free flow of floodwaters. He stressed that risk-informed decisions based on science and technology “makes good business sense.”
Fatima Yasmin, Asian Development Bank (ADB), said the Bank regards DRR as a critical priority investment, particularly through supporting policy making, planning, advising on innovative investments, and incentivizing preparedness. On scaling DRR investments, she said financing should be fast, flexible and forward-looking.
Rob Wesseling, CEO, Co-operators Group, said no path to net zero emissions is possible without investment in both prevention and recovery. He encouraged governments to utilize the risk information gathered by insurance companies over decades to assist with decision making.
On mobilizing private sector investment, Velenkosini Fiki Hlabisa, Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, South Africa, stressed that every cent invested in resilience and preparedness saves lives and livelihoods.
View of the panel during the Multi-Stakeholder Plenary. Source: IISD/ENB | Anastasia Rodopoulou.
Ministerial roundtable
Inclusive comprehensive school safety-strengthening resilience for children and youth in all hazards
The event, which convened 36 ministries, was co-chaired by Kamal Kishore, Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for Disaster Risk Reduction and Head, UNDRR, and Paul Steffen, Deputy Director, Federal Office for the Environment, Switzerland.
In opening remarks, Kishore encouraged delegates to endorse the Comprehensive School Safety Framework 2017 (CSSF), noting only 80 countries have done so, and for countries to make schools heat-resilient.
On school safety policies, Tunisia, Zimbabwe, Mongolia, Pakistan, and Saint Lucia recognized the CSSF. Portugal highlighted its DRR working group on children and youth. Brunei Darussalam, Kenya, and Portugal recognized the fundamental rights of children to safe school environments. Colombia highlighted its Law on Teaching for Sustainability, Climate Change, and Disaster Risk Management. Republic of Korea described its 2020 Child Safety Management Act.
Many countries identified education programming as fundamental to reducing risk and developing children as agents of change in their homes and communities. Malaysia, Uganda, Russia, Algeria and others described homegrown examples of such programmes, for example, student leadership groups and First Aid skills training.
Leaders from around the globe express their shared commitment to making schools safer and more resilient to disasters. Source: IISD/ENB | Anastasia Rodopoulou.
Several countries, including Greece, Kenya and Cuba, recognized the importance of social support to children experiencing disaster and loss, and the ensuing mental and emotional health impacts. The Holy See flagged the need for spiritual care of those “who have seen whole lives swept away.”
Most countries discussed sustainable and resilient school infrastructure, including standards for new or retrofitted buildings. Belgium, Republic of Moldova, and Singapore highlighted energy efficiency and climate resilience. On heat stress in schools, Singapore flagged cooling strategies and energy-efficient fans. Tunisia described its sustainable school network that integrates climate change, disaster risk, and biodiversity objectives. Spain said new schools need to be “climate shelters.” Bangladesh noted the construction of more than 5,000 cyclone-resistant schools.
Multistakeholder plenary
Investments in reducing risk and building resilience to accelerate investments in sustainable development
Kishore introduced the session, which was co-chaired by Paul Steffen, Federal Office for the Environment, Switzerland, and Paola Albrito, UNDRR. Kishore noted less than 1% of national budgets is allocated to DRR.
Countries presented their national commitments, such as Australia’s Disaster-Ready Fund, which is providing up to AUD 1 billion (USD 648 million) over five years for locally-identified needs, and Switzerland’s DRR commitment of more than CHF 2 billion (USD 2.5 billion) annually. Many expressed appreciation for international support, including for Moldova’s local adaptation plans in 38 communities, and Samoa’s community-based disaster risk management activities. Peru highlighted its introduction of budget flexibility for regional and local authorities, enabling rapid response to imminent hazards.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) reported that only 3% of all development assistance is allocated to agricultural DRR measures, even while these deliver significant returns in ensuring food security. Swiss Re highlighted the role of insurance in informing risk and mitigation measures, noting the availaility of parametric insurance, for example, against extreme heat events and flooding. The Resilience Action Fund showcased the work of the International Finance Corporation in developing the Building Resilience Index as a world-first metric for assessing the safety and risk of buildings for insurers and construction developers. The Latin America and the Caribbean Development Bank (CAF), India, and the UK welcomed innovative initiatives, such as a new center on extreme events, establishment of risk pools, and the use of AI to identify flood threats.
Delegates affirmed regional solidarity, demonstrated in Tunisia’s hosting of the Africa-Arab Platform for DRR in 2023, and Iran’s hosting of three regional organizations, including a Regional Center for Urban Water Management. Albania welcomed its responsibilities under the EU Civil Protection Code for cooperation among EU countries and other partners, which, he noted, enables access to advanced DRR solutions.
The International Organization for Migration highlighted its 2024 launch of Climate Mobility Innovation Labs for the Africa and Asia regions to develop solutions to climate-related mobility.
Steffen urged all present to accelerate investment in DRR, and to engage the private sector as key partners.
Moderator, Juli Trtanj, Co-Chair, Gobal Heat Health Information Network, opened the session. Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General, World Meteorological Organization (WMO), called heat a “silent killer” because it is the least managed of all climate hazards. She said 50% of countries have heat warning systems in place but only 26 have dedicated Heat Health EWS. She identified three priorities: integrating heat risk into climate and DRR governance, heat EWS, and implementation using risk information and data.
In his keynote, Pramod Kumar Mishra, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, India, said heat threatened public health, economic stability, and the ecological resilience of cities and communities. He underscored UNDRR’s Common Framework on Extreme Heat Risk Governance and drew attention to India’s national guidelines on heat wave management, which decentralized more than 250 heat action plans in 23 states. He called for scaling hospital and primary health care preparedness and resilience and noted India is adopting a long-term heat wave mitigation strategy, including roof-cooling technologies, passive cooling centers, revival of traditional water bodies, and improved thermal comfort and livability of informal settlements.
In a panel discussion, Benoît Faraco, Ambassador, Climate Negotiations for Decarbonized Energies and for the Prevention of Climate Risks, France, urged being modest since we are still discovering impacts and avoiding maladaptation. Ousmane Ndiaye, Director General, African Center for Meteorological Application for Development, stressed the links between heat waves, energy crises, and health care demand. Rosa Galvez, Senator, Canada, spoke about lived experience saying, “We cannot adapt forever – we must work on the causes.” Jagan Chapagain, Secretary-General, International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), said extreme heat is a humanitarian crisis. On involving the financial sector, Mia Seppo, Assistant Director General, International Labour Organization, discussed climate risk insurance, just transition principles, and access to essential services. Mishra advised that industry protect labor from heat risk.
Source: IISD/ENB | Anastasia Rodopoulou.
Special session
Comprehensive approaches to reduce loss and damage-bridging climate action and DRR
Fatou Jeng, Former Climate Advisor to the UN Secretary-General and Member of the Early Warnings for All Advisory Panel, moderated the session.
Ralph Regenvanu, Minister for Climate Change, Adaptation, Meteorology and Geo Hazards, Energy, Environment and Disaster Management, Vanuatu, appreciated the support from the Fund for responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD) and the Santiago Network, which combined forces to launch the inaugural integrated loss and damage and DRR initiative in Vanuatu.
Kishore noted that, while many DRR practices are now in place, these need to be updated to deal with climate system changes and the associated risks, uncertainty, and volatility.
Benoît Faraco, argued that the distinction between loss and damage, and DRR, is theoretical, and remains irrelevant to people on the ground who want response, prevention, action, and solidarity to alleviate their situation.
Ibrahima Cheikh Diong, Executive Director, FRLD, emphasized the need to look at how interventions can be most impactful, stressing that solutions must be country-led, and recognize Indigenous groups and civil society participants. He expressed awareness that the FRLD must be “nimble, accessible, flexible and built on partnerships, always ensuring no one is left behind.”
Carolina Fuentes Castellanos, Director, Santiago Network Secretariat, elaborated on how the network is supporting countries to accelerate loss and damage, using Vanuatu’s experience to demonstrate how the Network can accelerate fund distribution and support with bold and transformative support.
Jagan Chapagain, Secretary-General, IFRC, cautioned that the terms loss and damage represent different meanings to communities, but the bottom line is to ensure the funds really reach the local level.
Thematic Sessions
Catalyzing governance solutions for disaster and climate-related displacement
Irwin Loy, The New Humanitarian, moderated this session.
John Mussington, activist and displaced person, Antigua & Barbuda, described his work of founding the community network, Stronger Caribbean Together, with others displaced by “disaster capitalism”, as storm-damaged sites are cleared for tourism development.
Sakiasi Ditoka, Minister of Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management, Fiji, highlighted the 2023 Pacific Regional Mobility Framework and Fiji’s own planned relocation guidelines.
Zahra Abdi Mohamed, Director-General, National Center for Rural Development and Durable Solutions, Somalia, described Somalia’s National Transformation Plan that prioritizes anticipatory action and climate-smart livelihoods, responding to the needs of long-term displaced communities.
Fatimah Zannah Mustapha, community representative, Nigeria, called for centering the voices of local women in decision making by removing barriers, “whether digital, linguistic, or cultural.” Claudinne Ogaldes Cruz, Executive Secretary, National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction (CONRED), Guatemala, noted that many Guatemalan households are women-led and have the knowledge to inform decision making.
Robert Piper, former UN Secretary-General’s Advisor on Solutions to Internal Displacement, said line ministries responsible for decisions on land use and building codes-“those who are responsible for dealing with the failure to prevent”-must become deeply involved in the governance of disaster displacement.
Leveraging Values of Nature for Resilience: Moderated by Cecilia Aipira, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the session addressed the role of nature-based solutions (NbS) in DRR.
In his keynote, Mohammed-Yahya Lafdal, General Director, National Environment and Coastline Observatory, Mauritania, highlighted the increase in tree cover through reforestation and restoration, taking into account Indigenous knowledge and solutions, and the development of barrier systems for water distribution and management in desert areas. He emphasized how addressing land degradation and rehabilitation has been Mauritania’s best solution for increasing resilience.
Rodrigo Hernández Escobar, Representative of the Latin American and Caribbean Indigenous Knowledge & DRR Network, highlighted political will and respect for Indigenous cosmovision and territories as key elements for leveraging traditional knowledge into programmes supporting NbS. Isaac Luwaga Mugumbule, Head of Landscaping, Kampala Capital City Authority, Uganda, stated that NbS are context-specific and require community involvement to be sustained.
Professor Satoru Nishikawa, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), stressed the need for scientific numerical quantification, analysis, and testing on the strengths and durability of NbS. Swenja Surminski, London School of Economics, noting that NbS “are not silver bullets,” stressed the need to work with nature, drawing attention to NbS co-benefits. Oliver Schelske, Swiss Re Institute, noting the absence of standardized values for nature, emphasized that even if “not everything is insurable,” investing in nature makes sense from an insurance perspective, as it reduces risks to the asset being insured.
On the prerequisites for NbS to be viable, speakers mentioned common sense, co-benefit considerations, identifying the number of protected lives, and conducting independent auditing.
Thematic Sessions as visual summaries capturing key messages and insights. Source: IISD/ENB | Anastasia Rodopoulou.
Side event
Inclusive comprehensive school safety—Strengthening resilience for children and youth in all hazards
This side event, organized and facilitated by the Global Alliance for Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience in the Education Sector (GADRRRES), showcased school safety and resilience programmes from Central Asia, the Pacific region and the Caribbean.
Anja Nielsen, Co-Chair, GADRRRES, gave an overview of CSSF, noting the all-hazards, all-risks approach that includes environmental, climate change, and biological health risks, technical threats, and other everyday risks. She elaborated on the global school safety survey, representing 350 million school-aged children, and highlighted, among other concerns, that significant infrastructure investment is needed to better protect children and teachers from natural hazards, with most suffering from funding constraints.
Education administrators from Saint Lucia, Tonga, and Kyrgyzstan described CSSF activities and outcomes from their regions, and emphasized: involving the children actively in school safety is a game changer; collaboration is the essence of resilience, requiring whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches; and building capacity at all levels, particularly teachers, for comprehensive school safety is key.
IISD’s summary
The summary report of the meeting will be available on Monday, 9 June 2025, here.
The 2025 Sasakawa Award winners are Dr. Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, from the India Meteorological Department, and Dr. Harkunti Rahayu, from the Indonesian Disaster Expert Association, both in the individual category; and the Global Network of Civil Society Organisations for Disaster (GNDR), in the organizational category.
These winners were announced at the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, in a vibrant Award Ceremony, packed with passionate candidates and their dedicated supporters, all gathered to celebrate some of the most outstanding contributions to disaster risk reduction.
Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director General of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), is popularly known as “The Cyclone Man of India” for his exceptional contributions to tropical cyclone forecasting and warning systems. He has been instrumental in improving India’s disaster preparedness and significantly reducing casualties from tropical cyclones through advanced forecasting and early warning systems.
Harkunti Pertiwi Rahayu is Professor of Disaster Aspect in Planning at the Institut Teknologi Sumatra and Chair of the Indonesian Disaster Expert Association. An internationally recognized leading expert in DRR, she chairs multiple international working groups on early warning and mitigation systems, disaster preparedness, developing people-centred early warning systems and capacity building, community awareness and preparedness.
The Global Network of Civil Society Organisations for Disaster Reduction (GNDR) – winner in the organizational category – is the largest global network of organizations working to strengthen the resilience of people most at risk of disasters, assembling around 2000 organisations in 130 countries. GNDR has made significant contributions to the content and implementation of the Sendai Framework, and is a strong advocate for inclusive and all-of-society disaster risk management.
Under the expert moderation of Anita Erskine, Ghanaian broadcast personality and sustainability champion, the ceremony honored those who have made exceptional strides in improving resilience to disasters.
Innovation and technology for inclusive resilience
This year’s theme, “Connecting science to people: democratizing access to innovation and technology for disaster resilient communities,” captured the spirit of innovation and accessibility that drives modern disaster preparedness. With over 200 outstanding nominees received in two categories, Individuals and Organizations, all candidates demonstrated incredible depth of talent and dedication within the global DRR community.
Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction Kamal Kishore delivered heartfelt gratitude to the community present and those watching online, acknowledging the tireless hard work and unwavering dedication of all those nominated for the award.
“This year’s award theme recognizes the importance of innovation and technology to advance resilience – and do it in a very inclusive and democratic way…. the efforts where science has been connected to society to serve the needs of people, those who are most vulnerable,” Mr Kishore said.
“I ask that we all ask and reflect on how we can support and scale up the vital efforts of these remarkable individuals and institutions,” he said.
The Nippon Foundation, whose generous support makes these awards possible, was proudly represented by Mr. Yosuke Ishikawa, Programme Director.
Mr. Kishore praised the high standard and exceptional achievements of all the nominees for the award, adding that the judges had to make difficult choices in selecting the winners from a group of such caliber. As a result they decided to recognize the following runners-up as highly commended.
Individuals:
Rob Hopkins “Radio Rob” from Yukon, Canada
Professor Virginia Murray from Global Disaster Risk Reduction at UK Health Security Agency, UK
Shee Kupi Shee from Disaster Management and Peace Building in Lamu County, Kenya
Kelvin Mashisia Shikuku from the International Livestock Research Institute in Kenya
Organization:
The World Institute on Disability (WID), Global/US
Inspiration for us all
The visionary work of these award winners demonstrates that disaster risk reduction is not just about preparation—it’s about building resilient communities where innovation meets humanity. Their dedication shows us that every contribution, no matter how small, can create ripples of positive change that protect lives and livelihoods.
Whether you’re a researcher, community leader, or simply someone who cares about making the world safer, there’s a place for you in disaster risk reduction. The challenges the world faces require diverse perspectives, innovative solutions, and collaborative efforts. Everyone is encouraged to continue the DRR journey and be part of the solution that builds a more resilient world for all.
The next edition of the Sasakawa Awards will be held at the Global Platform in three years’ time, and the jury will be thrilled to read even more inspiring stories of hope and action!
The impacts of disasters are woven into all aspects of life.
Impacts send shockwaves across all systems – essential services, infrastructure, health, education and economic. They interact with climate change, conflict, economic fragility, and inequality – amplifying risks across systems.
However, even though disaster costs are rising, financing for disaster risk reduction (DRR) is largely fragmented, short-term, and reactive.
“Let us be clear: financing disaster risk reduction is not a cost – it is an investment, with benefits across different agendas: from protecting development, to reducing humanitarian needs, and achieving climate and environmental goals.”
Kamal Kishore, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction
To protect development gains from being eroded by a spiral of deepening crises, countries must systematically embed risk reduction in national budget processes – across all levels of government. This will require a raft of innovative financing mechanisms, public-private partnerships and novel inclusive approaches to ensure that investments provide benefits to those who need them most.
At a ministerial roundtable session at the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, Accelerating Financing for Resilience: Tailored Solutions for Disaster Risk Reduction, ministers from 43 countries, together with the World Bank and UNDP, discussed the challenges and opportunities they face when financing resilience building; their experiences, successes and solutions; and concrete proposal for inclusive and equitable financing strategies.
The ministers acknowledged that there is a deficit in global financing for disaster preparedness. The Philippines, South Sudan, Fiji, Barbados, and members of the African Union, amongst others, drew connections between financial planning for disaster risk and broader climate financing, noting the important role of resources like the Green Climate Fund, the Adaptation Fund, and the Loss and Damage Fund.
Financing resilience is public investment
Too often, public budgets only respond after disaster strikes. The consequence is mounting human and economic losses, especially in vulnerable countries.
“The root causes of disaster risk – inequality, misaligned financial incentives, insufficient risk governance – remain unaddressed in many development models.”
– UNDRR’s 2025 Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction (GAR 2025)
To address this will require a fundamental rethink, positioning disaster risk reduction firmly in development finance.
“We must support developing countries in establishing national disaster risk reduction financing systems that are tailored to their development priorities.”
– Kamal Kishore at the ministerial roundtable.
These systems must be pro-active, not reactive, and aligned with each country’s unique development goals, while integrating a firm understanding of systemic and cascading risks.
India, for example, is taking a rule-based approach with pre-determined allocations that flow from national to district levels. Japan and Norway noted that they are both mainstreaming DRR into private sector practice, with Norway advocating for legal requirements for DRR in corporate strategies.
The GAR 2025 findings reinforce this more holistic approach, recommending that countries reconfigure their financial and economic governance to create more favourable conditions for DRR investments, especially by shifting public spending “away from short-term consumption and toward resilience-building.”
Integrating disaster risk financing into budgets
Resilient budgets require more than a single DRR line item.
Mr. Kishore highlighted the need to embed risk considerations throughout public financial planning: “This includes exploring ways of embedding resilience into budget planning at every level.”
That means sectoral ministries, infrastructure agencies, local governments, and fiscal authorities must all adopt risk-informed budget planning. This shift is not just about earmarking funds, but about transforming how development priorities are selected, financed, and measured.
Countries including Brazil are calling for a global task force on effective DRR financing, while the Philippines proposed a global financing mechanism to support disaster resilience efforts, recognising the need to anchor DRR in fiscal systems.
In a conversation with Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed, Mr Kishore noted that we need a coordinated, global system making the appropriate mechanisms accessible to those who need them most:
“We have the tools to assess risk and see how much investment will lead to what kind of reduction in risk. We really need to make it a comprehensive system – where national budgets, whether countries have high income or low income – take into account the kind of disaster risk they face and systematically invest in it.”
Ms. Mohammed noted the need to develop more innovative financing mechanisms as a key priority during the Global Platform.
“We need to get to a space where we have more tools accessible to us to do it, and that again is a big challenge for this week.”
Tackling systemic challenges
For many countries, even those with the political will to invest in reducing disaster risk, systemic barriers stand in their way. These include:
Weak institutional frameworks for DRR investment planning.
Limited understanding of how DRR links to fiscal risk.
Inadequate incentives to prioritise risk reduction in capital budgeting.
DRR financing also needs to penetrate to local levels, enabling resources to reach the communities that need them most. Without fiscal devolution, even the most risk-informed national strategies will fall short in implementation.
Incentives for private sector investment
Initiatives to finance resilience must move away from reliance on public coffers.
This involves building stronger partnerships with the private sector, and cultivating greater awareness of the benefits of such investments and the dangers of neglecting them.
“We must enhance partnerships with the private sector, as it is a major source of financing that is often not guided by an understanding of disaster risks,” Kamal Kishore said.
The financial sector can play a catalytic role by developing innovative instruments, such as resilience bonds, blended finance structures, and a broad spectrum of insurance solutions. Several countries are already putting such innovations into practice:
China described its rollout of agricultural insurance, and its investment of $154 billion in property insurance.
Kiribati described its community-based insurance for drought programme providing payouts to farmers and fishers.
Norway highlighted parametric insurance schemes.
The Bahamas explained how they use their disaster-related expenditures tracking tool to map pre-disaster investments and post-disaster costs.
To mainstream such approaches, updated regulatory frameworks, disclosure standards, and fiscal incentives are needed to guide private capital toward risk reduction and embed DRR into national financial systems.
Risk-aware international finance
The global community must step up to encourage investors, both public and private, to prioritize DRR financing.
“We must rally the international community to prioritize investment in disaster risk reduction. This includes dedicating a larger portion of assistance funding to disaster risk reduction and ensuring all development funding is risk informed.”
– Kamal Kishore
Official development assistance (ODA) and climate finance must be structured and delivered accordingly. Risk-blind development projects, even when well-intentioned, can inadvertently amplify vulnerability.
Several countries at the roundtable – including Cambodia, Paraguay, and Montenegro – highlighted the importance of integrating DRR into social investment strategies, including gender-responsive financing, elderly-focused social protection, and health system resilience. Czechia called for embedding DRR funding across the humanitarian-development nexus.
“The upcoming Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development presents a critical opportunity to advance all these priorities to ensure all development is safe from disasters.”
– Kamal Kishore
The shift toward DRR financing within national budgets is technically feasible, economically wise, and morally urgent. As extreme weather events, pandemics, and conflict interact in increasingly complex ways, the costs of inaction grow exponentially.
By embedding DRR in national budgets, governments protect long-term development investments, and communities gain tools and funding for local resilience.
Additionally, the private sector becomes a co-architect of safety, increasing its stake in resilience building efforts, and international aid transitions from offering band-aids to repeated crises to providing a backbone for lasting stability.
“We must acknowledge that resilience is a long-term economic necessity, and it does have the best return on investment.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Suzanne Bonamici (1st District Oregon)
WASHINGTON, DC [6/5/25] –Today Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) and Congressman Dan Goldman (D-NY) introduced legislation to protect access to nutritious meals for children during the summer months.
Families of students eligible for free or reduced-price school meals can receive a $40 per month per child grocery benefit during the summer through the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (S-EBT) Program. This program has successfully reduced hunger during the summer months, but some EBT cardholders have had their benefits stolen by skimming devices illegally installed on point-of-sale terminals.
The Mitigating Electronic Access Losses for Students (MEALS) Act will allow for the replacement of S-EBT benefits that have been targeted by scammers. Currently, EBT cardholders have limited protection and may lose all of their benefits if criminals skim their information and then cash out their benefits.
“Students should not have to go hungry if their families fall prey to scammers who install illegal skimming devices at the places where they buy groceries,” said Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici. “The MEALS Act is commonsense legislation that will prevent the theft of S-EBT benefits and restore those that are stolen. This legislation will help keep hungry kids fed when school is out during the summer.”
“It is unconscionable that any child should go hungry in the wealthiest nation on earth,” Congressman Dan Goldman said. “As lawmakers, we have a moral and legislative duty to ensure that every child has access to nutritious food year-round, especially during the summer months, when free or reduced-price school meals are unavailable. The Summer EBT program is a proven tool for combating food insecurity, yet far too often, these essential benefits are stolen through no fault of the families who rely on them. This is unacceptable. We must create a clear and efficient process to replace skimmed Summer EBT benefits quickly and in their entirety so that no child suffers due to theft or bureaucratic failure.”
This is the second year of Oregon’s Summer EBT program. On May 22, 2025, around 336,000 children received the grocery benefit to purchase nutritious meals during the summer break.
The MEALS Act will:
Require the Secretary of Agriculture to
Issue guidance to State agencies and covered Indian Tribal organizations (ITOs) in detecting and preventing theft of summer EBT benefits, and issue a rule for participating State agencies and ITOs to take appropriate security measures and implement procedures for the replacement of summer EBT benefits;
Coordinate with the Office of Family Assistance at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Attorney General to determine how summer EBT benefits are being stolen and establish measures to prevent summer EBT benefits from being stolen and establish standard reporting methods;
Submit a report to Congress that includes the prevalence of summer EBT theft and measures establishes by the Secretary and AG;
Replace stolen summer EBT benefits, and State agencies and covered ITOs to submit claims for replacement benefits that include a signed statement by the affected household, data reports on benefit theft, and planned use of benefit theft prevention measures;
Require GAO to submit a report to Congress that examines the risks related to summer EBT benefit payment system security and policy recommendations to improving the summer EBT payment system.
A summary of the Meals Act can be found here, and the full text can be found here.
Headline: Secretary Noem Saves American Taxpayers Hundreds of Millions by Negotiating New Contract for the Coast Guard
lass=”text-align-center”>DHS is revolutionizing national security while saving the taxpayer over $260 million WASHINGTON – Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced that she successfully saved the American taxpayer over $260 million by cancelling a failing U
S
Coast Guard (USCG) shipbuilding project
Shipbuilding company Huntington Ingalls (HII) began production of a Legend-class National Security Cutter (NSC) in May 2021
It was supposed to be delivered by 2024 at the latest but is still nowhere near complete
“This is about fulfilling President Trump’s commitment to the American taxpayer,” said Secretary Noem
“Huntington Ingalls owed us this cutter over a year ago
As the Trump administration is revitalizing the U
S
Coast Guard through Force Design 2028, we need to be smart with the American taxpayer’s money
This project was over time and over budget
Now the money can be redirected to ensuring the Coast Guard remains the finest, most-capable maritime service in the world
I would like to extend my thanks to Huntington Ingalls for negotiating in good faith
” In addition to returning over $260 million to the U
S
Treasury, the Coast Guard will receive $135 million in parts that will be used to retrofit, upgrade, and maintain the Coast Guard’s existing fleet of 10 Legend-class cutters
By cancelling the production of NSC #11 and securing the parts deal with HII, Secretary Noem has ensured that the Treasury will recoup the remaining funds for use where they are most needed
Headline: Disaster Recovery Center Opening June 4 in Phelps County
Disaster Recovery Center Opening June 4 in Phelps County
Cape Girardeau – A Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) will open tomorrow, June 4 in Phelps County to assist Missourians who sustained damage to their primary residence, personal property, or have emergency needs due to the severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and wildfires on March 14-15, 2025
Those with disaster-related damage in Bollinger, Butler, Camden, Carter, Franklin, Howell, Iron, Jefferson, Oregon, Ozark, Perry, Phelps, Reynolds, Ripley, St
Louis, Wayne, Webster, and Wright counties may be eligible for assistance by registering with FEMA
At the center, affected individuals can get help applying for disaster assistance, speak to state or federal representatives, receive updates on their FEMA application, and more
The center will open Wednesday, June 4, 2025, at 8:00 a
m
CDT
See locations and hours below:Phelps County Courthouse Community Room200 N
Main StreetRolla, MO 65401Hours of operation – Mon – Sat: 8 a
m
to 7 p
m
(Closed Sundays)FEMA financial assistance may include money for basic home repairs, personal property losses or other underinsured/uninsured, disaster-related needs such as childcare, transportation, medical needs, funeral, or dental expenses
It is not necessary to go to a DRC to apply for FEMA assistance
The fastest way to apply is online at DisasterAssistance
gov or via the FEMA app
You may also call 1-800-621-3362
If you use a relay service, such as video relay, captioned telephone, or other service, notify FEMA by calling 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) or 1-800- 621-3362 (VRS)
Affected individuals who register for FEMA assistance will receive a decision letter by mail or on their DisasterAssistance
gov account
If the letter says you are “not approved” for some categories of assistance, it does not mean you have been denied assistance
It is important to read the letter carefully as it will explain your application status and advise what you need to do to continue the process
Missourians who need disaster information, shelter information or referrals, or would like to volunteer are urged to call 211 or 1-800-427-4626
Multilingual services are available, and the 211 service is available throughout Missouri
For out-of-state access: 314-421-0700
The Missouri State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and FEMA advise individuals and businesses impacted by the disaster to report damage to their local emergency management officials
Local officials can connect survivors to resources being provided by state departments and non-governmental organizations assisting with unmet needs
If you have questions about your FEMA letter, visit a Disaster Recovery Center or call the FEMA Helpline at 1-800-621-3362
Canada has vast boreal forests that span from the Yukon in the west to Newfoundland and Labrador in the east. Each year, thousands of wildland fires char millions of hectares of these forests, particularly in the northern areas, where few people live and development is scarce. Indeed, some amount of fire is beneficial to boreal forest health and biodiversity. Challenges arise when human activity and fires collide, as they did in May and June 2025, when several large fires raged in northern Alberta’s oil sands region. The fast-developing region is home to the world’s fourth-largest proven oil reserves. The oil sands accounted for 58 percent of oil production in Canada in 2023, according to the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers. On May 30, 2025, the OLI (Operational Land Imager) on Landsat 8 captured this false-color image of charred lands around oil infrastructure near Conklin. This band combination (6-5-3) helps to distinguish between unburned vegetated areas (green) and recently burned landscapes (brown). Thicker parts of the smoke plume appear light blue. Well pads and other gas and oil infrastructure appear as rectangular clearings connected by roads. In June, news reports indicated that fires in Alberta forced some companies to evacuate workers and temporarily pushed a portion of the province’s oil production offline. Subsequent reports indicated that production resumed after conditions improved. Alberta still had 51 out-of-control wildfires burning on June 4, 2025, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center. NASA Earth Observatory image by Wanmei Liang, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Story by Adam Voiland.
NASA continues to collaborate with global communities to solve complex challenges through crowdsourcing with a series of 25 new NASA Open Innovation Service (NOIS) contracts managed by the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. The contract aims to empower NASA’s workforce by actively engaging the public to find creative solutions to difficult space exploration challenges through rapid experimentation with new methodologies, new technologies, and unique perspectives, ensuring NASA remains at the forefront of innovation while accomplishing its missions. This is the third NOIS contract, managed by NASA’s Center of Excellence for Collaborative Innovation (CoECI), and used by NASA and other government agencies. The NOIS3 contract will provide solutions through multiple crowdsourcing tools and methodologies, which include public prize competitions, freelance tasking, technology searches, and other crowd-based methods. The total value of the NOIS3 contract is $475 million over 10 years. There is a guaranteed $500 minimum obligation for each contract award. The base contract spans June 5, 2025, through May 31, 2027, and there are two options, the first for three years, and the second for five years. If all options are exercised, work could continue through May 31, 2035. The awardees are:
Blue Clarity, Vienna, Virginia Capital Consulting Corp., Fairfax, Virginia Challenge Works, London, United Kingdom CrowdPlat Inc., Pleasanton, California Design Interactive Inc., Orlando, Florida DrivenData Inc., Denver Ensemble Government Services, Hyattsville, Maryland Hyperion Technologies, Arlington, Virginia Floor23 Digital, Jackson, Wisconsin Freelancer International, Sydney, Australia HeroX, Wilmington, Delaware HYVE Innovate, Munchen, Germany Innoget, Rockville, Maryland Institute of Competition Sciences, San Francisco Loyal Source Government Services, Orlando, Florida Luminary Labs, New York City National Institute of Aerospace Associates, Hampton, Virginia Randstad Federal, Duluth, Georgia Rios Partners, Arlington, Virginia SecondMuse, Bernalillo, New Mexico TechConnect, Summerville, South Carolina Toffler Associates, Arlington, Virginia Tongal Inc., Los Angeles Topcocder, Indianapolis yet2.com Inc., Waltham, Massachusetts
NASA’s CoECI provides guidance on open innovation initiatives, helping define challenges and requirements and formulating and evaluating potential solutions. The center’s end-to-end service allows NASA and other federal agencies to rapidly experiment with new methods and solve critical problems through innovation and collaboration. Learn more about the NASA Center of Excellence at: https://www.nasa.gov/coeci -end- Tiernan DoyleHeadquarters, Washington202-358-1600tiernan.doyle@nasa.gov Kelly HumphriesJohnson Space Center, Houston281-483-5111kelly.o.humphries@nasa.gov
CPSC Provides Important Safety Tips This Pool Season as Americans Dive into Summer | CPSC.gov
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Release Date: June 05, 2025
WASHINGTON, DC – As the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC) Pool Safely public education campaign marks its 15th year, parents and caregivers can follow these simple steps to keep children safer in and around the water:
Never leave a child unattended in or near water and always designate an adult Water Watcher. This person should not be reading, texting, using a phone or being otherwise distracted. In addition to pools and spas, this warning includes bathtubs, buckets, decorative ponds and fountains. If you own a pool or spa, install layers of protection, including barriers to prevent an unsupervised child from accessing the water. Homes can use door alarms, pool covers, and self-closing, self-latching devices on fence gates and doors that access pools. Learn how to perform CPR on children and adults. Many communities offer online CPR training. Learn how to swim and teach your child how to swim. Keep children away from pool drains, pipes and other openings to avoid entrapments. Ensure any pool and spa you use has drain covers that comply with federal safety standards. If you do not know, ask your pool service provider about safer drain covers.
You can read the CPSC recent drowning and entrapment reports by visiting PoolSafely.gov. ### Pool Safely, a national public education campaign supporting the requirements of Section 1407 of the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act, to reduce child drownings, nonfatal drownings and entrapment incidents in swimming pools and spas. Parents, caregivers and the media are encouraged to visit: PoolSafely.gov or to follow Pool Safely on, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and X for vital safety information regarding the prevention of child drownings in and around pools and spas.
Release Number 25-310
About the U.S. CPSCThe U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risk of injury associated with the use of thousands of types of consumer products. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product-related incidents cost the nation more than $1 trillion annually. Since the CPSC was established more than 50 years ago, it has worked to ensure the safety of consumer products, which has contributed to a decline in injuries associated with these products. Federal law prohibits any person from selling products subject to a Commission ordered recall or a voluntary recall undertaken in consultation with the CPSC. For lifesaving information:
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