Source: The Conversation – UK – By Julie M. Norman, Senior Associate Fellow on the Middle East at RUSI; Associate Professor in Politics & International Relations, UCL
Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, declared on May 5 that his government intends to intensify military operations and indefinitely reoccupy Gaza. The announcement has dashed hopes for a permanent ceasefire and the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas.
The plan, which was unanimously approved by Israel’s security cabinet, includes displacing Gaza’s 2.1 million inhabitants to a single “humanitarian area” on less than a quarter of Gaza’s territory. This will result in Palestinians leaving “in great numbers to third countries”, said Israel’s far-right finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich.
It is tempting to view the plan as another move by Netanyahu to placate the hard-right members of his coalition. It can also be viewed as a pressure tactic on Hamas – a threat to force the militant group to agree to a short-term ceasefire ahead of the visit of the US president, Donald Trump, to the Middle East from May 13.
However, Netanyahu’s announcement is much more than rhetorical sabre-rattling. Israel’s recent operations in Gaza indicate that the plan should be taken literally and seriously. Since March, when the war in Gaza resumed following a temporary ceasefire, Israel has declared about 70% of the enclave either a military “red zone” or under evacuation.
The new plan affirms what many have long feared: that expanding territorial control is not merely a short-term military tactic but a long-term occupation. In my view, this will only bring more suffering for Palestinians, less security for Israel, and more instability to the region.
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza cannot be overstated. Many observers have described the current situation as the worst of any time during the past 18 months.
The flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza has been politicised and widely criticised throughout the war, often slowing to a trickle. However, at least some aid trucks were allowed to pass into the Strip from late October 2023, shortly after the war began. This was followed by a surge of aid during the ceasefire in January and February 2025.
But no food, fuel or medicines have entered Gaza since early March. This has led to near-famine conditions and the breakdown of the few remaining healthcare services.
Israel’s proposed plan would forcibly move Gazans, nearly all of whom have already been displaced multiple times, into militarised “sterile zones” in the south. Humanitarian aid would be managed there by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and private US companies.
Deteriorating humanitarian conditions, combined with further displacement, will only create more security challenges for Israel. Entrenched occupation fuels armed resistance and further mobilises insurgency.
The US saw this following its 2003 invasion of Iraq, which resulted in over 8,000 US military personnel and contractors being killed. Israel has repeatedly faced the rise of armed militant groups in response to prolonged military occupations in Lebanon, Gaza and the West Bank.
Hamas has already dismissed further ceasefire talks in the wake of the new plan, and the group is seemingly having no trouble recruiting new members to its military wing. This has ensured a costly deployment for IDF ground troops.
It goes without saying that Hamas should release all of the remaining hostages – and should have done so long ago. But Hamas now sees little incentive to do so when Israeli ministers are calling for what appears to be the complete destruction of Gaza, with or without a hostage release.
A renewed occupation of Gaza will also further complicate regional dynamics. Arab states that have promised billions of dollars for Gaza’s reconstruction, alongside a credible plan for a two-state solution, will balk at subsidising Israeli military control.
The stalled US-backed normalisation deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia, which has long been sought both by the Trump and Biden administrations, will probably be pushed even further back. It may even be abandoned entirely if Israel retrenches in Gaza.
And any US involvement in Israel’s new Gaza plan could complicate negotiations between the US and Iran over Tehran’s nuclear programme. The Iranian foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, has already accused Netanyahu of dragging the US into a “disaster” in the Middle East by “attempting to brazenly dictate” what Trump can and cannot do in his diplomacy with Iran.
But perhaps most importantly, the reoccupation of Gaza – coupled with incursions, annexations and settlement expansion in the West Bank – communicates in no uncertain terms that the Israeli government is torpedoing any pathway to a two-state solution.
This has long been clear to Palestinians and many onlookers. Most realists accepted that any moves towards Palestinian self-determination would be non-starters in the aftermath of the October 7 attacks on southern Israel.
However, Israel’s friends in the international community, especially in Europe, have been holding on to the hope that Israel would eventually come back to the two-state framework. This latest plan calls their bluff.
France and the UK are already in discussion about possibly recognising Palestine as a state at a conference in June. The UK has long preferred recognition as part of a peace process towards two states, rather than a symbolic gesture.
But a retrenched “capture” of Gaza, combined with another massive civilian displacement, may speed up serious consideration of this recognition – while there is still Palestinian territory left to recognise.
Julie M. Norman does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Amsterdam hit its self-imposed limit of 20 million overnight stays in 2023.4kclips/Shutterstock
In the controversial case of expansion at Heathrow airport, the UK government insists that the benefits of economic growth outweigh the environmental and wellbeing costs. But what if focusing on prosperity is a shortsighted approach? The debate about a third runway, placed in the context of exponential growth in travel and tourism, makes the impact on people and the environment clear to see.
Meanwhile, many tourism destinations are struggling to cope with growing numbers of visitors. Residents have protested at the impact of overtourism on their quality of life, with harms including overcrowding, loss of amenities for residents and a skewed property market.
London’s airport development plans (expansion is also mooted at Gatwick and Luton) aim to inject investment into a range of sectors beyond tourism. However, our research suggests that aligning tourism with other sectors and better cooperation of decision-making at different levels of government could lead to increased wellbeing, a healthier environment and greater benefits to the local economy.
This provides options to rethink what tourism could look like when the focus is not just economic growth.
It should be possible to look at new models that take a holistic approach to tourism development. This means putting the wellbeing of the community and the environment first. Falling under the umbrella term of “post-growth”, there are various approaches that all rethink the role of economic growth. They advocate prioritising human wellbeing within planetary boundaries.
“Degrowth” argues that limiting growth is essential for a sustainable future. On the other hand, “doughnut economics” and regenerative approaches are more agnostic about economic growth. They argue that human prosperity and wellbeing should be prioritised regardless of whether GDP is going up or down.
In the context of tourism and travel, these approaches provide a different perspective on the role of the sector and what it can bring to a place, beyond economic growth.
They also go further than most strategies being implemented in popular tourist cities to prioritise residents’ wellbeing, quality of life, and lower-carbon travel.
Taking the heat off tourist hotspots
As part of a net-zero emission pledge, and in an attempt to curb overtourism and the frustration of locals, some cities across Europe are enforcing restrictions on cruise ships. And Greece is applying a climate resilience tax on top of the tourism tax on all overnight stays.
One of the cities that has done the most to curb tourism is Amsterdam. After the start of the COVID pandemic, it adopted a citizen initiative to cap tourism at 20 million overnight stays per year.
This number was reached in 2023, and the city has put forward a wide range of measures since then. These include a tourist tax rate of 12.5%, strict rules on short-term rentals, limits on visitor numbers at large attractions and reducing the number of cruises. The city has also strengthened its environmental regulations.
Copenhagen, on the other hand, chooses not to restrict tourism. Rather, it now rewards visitors who engage in climate-friendly actions, with the “CopenPay” pilot project. Visitors who choose to cycle, use public transport or participate in volunteering are eligible for discounts or free access to 24 attractions.
Visitors to Greece pay a climate charge as well as a tourist tax. ecstk22/Shutterstock
While these initiatives are laudable, there are two reasons why they don’t go far enough.
The first is that the majority of the measures are based on financial disincentives, such as charging entrance fees to destinations and taxing the most polluting transport. They rest on the assumption that we do not need to address the underlying pursuit of growth that led to this unsustainability.
Likewise, arguments in favour of green growth are based on technological advances, such as sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). This underpins claims that air travel can continue to grow. However, both within and beyond the travel sector, it has been argued that green growth is a myth.
In the long run, these measures do not cut the ever-growing number of travellers. Nor do they effectively address climate issues.
Second, cities need support from higher levels of government if they want to encourage travel that is more environmentally friendly and contributes to the wellbeing of residents. In the case of Amsterdam, the ongoing expansion of Schiphol airport can be linked to overtourism, as well as noise and air pollution.
City leaders want to cut the maximum number of flights. But they cannot do much as long as economic growth is the focus of the Dutch government’s plans.
This highlights the deep complexities of controlling visitor numbers. And it also suggests that the economic benefits that come with the growth of London’s airports may come with societal and environmental costs. These will be felt by London and its residents, and cannot be solved with local policies.
Rather than going further and faster with growth, when it comes to travel and tourism we may need to go “closer by and slower”.
That might mean placing greater emphasis on promoting destinations to nearby markets, investment in low-carbon travel options and regenerative tourism activities. A post-growth approach should ensure that the economic benefits do not outweigh long-term ecological and societal growth. After all, these are the things we all need for a resilient society.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Nicola Tempest, Senior Lecturer, Subspecialist in Reproductive Medicine and Consultant Gynaecologist, University of Liverpool
Linzagolix, which is sold under the brand name Yselty, can help manage the pain caused by endometriosis.Prostock-studio/ Shutterstock
A daily pill to treat endometriosis has just been recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice). Once available on the NHS, linzagolix will provide a new treatment option for those who have been unable to manage the condition using other standard treatments.
Endometriosis affects one in ten women of reproductive age. The condition causes the lining of the womb (the endometrium) to grow outside the uterus – most commonly in the pelvis, bladder and bowel. This causes wide and varied symptoms, including heavy, painful periods, pelvic pain between periods, pain when using the toilet, painful sex, tiredness and difficulty getting pregnant. Up to half of women diagnosed with endometriosis experience infertility as a consequence of the condition.
Endometriosis currently has no cure. Available treatments include the use of painkillers, hormonal contraceptives and surgery to remove lesions. However, these treatment options are often inadequate and, in many cases, aren’t suitable for patients for many reasons – including existing medical conditions, pregnancy or because of the risk of side-effects or complications.
Endometrium growth (both inside and outside of the womb) is driven by the reproductive hormone oestrogen. As such, blocking oestrogen can help prevent or slow the growth of the abnormal endometrial tissue and help relieve symptoms in people with endometriosis.
This is what linzagolix aims to do. Linzagolix is a gonadotrophin releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist, which works by suppressing oestrogen – inducing a “medical menopause”. Medical menopause refers to the cessation of periods as a result of a prescribed medical treatment. Menopausal symptoms are typically reversed as soon as the drug is no longer being used.
The hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis is vital in women. It regulates the hormones involved in the menstrual cycle (including the release of oestrogen). GnRH is produced by a brain region called the hypothalamus. Usually, GnRH would bind to receptors in the pituitary gland (a small, pea-sized gland found at the base of the brain in line with the top of the nose) leading to the release of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinising hormone (LH). FSH and LH then stimulate the ovaries to produce oestrogen and progesterone.
But linzagolix works by attaching to the pituitary gland GnRH receptors and preventing the GnRH from attaching. With no GnRH, FSH and LH are rapidly suppressed. This in turn leads to a decrease in oestrogen production from the ovary.
Linzagolix has been shown to cause a statistically significant reduction in painful periods and general pelvic pain in multiple trials. Patients saw the greatest benefits when taking a dose of 75mg or more. Significant relief from pelvic pain was noted by week 12 and maintained or even enhanced by weeks 24 and 52.
The side-effect from linzagolix that is most worrying is loss of bone mineral density due to the suppression of oestrogen. However, this was only really a concern when patients were taking doses of 200mg. In this instance, patients would need to be prescribed add-back hormone replacement therapy (HRT) – low doses of oestrogen and progesterone that help prevent the loss of bone mineral density while on a treatment that induces medical menopause. Add-back HRT can also help treat the crippling menopausal symptoms that women of reproductive age suffer with while in a medical menopause.
Unfortunately, add-back HRT is not suitable for all patients – especially those who have other medical conditions.
Take-at-home treatment
Linzagolix will be prescribed to those that have failed usual hormonal treatments (such as the combined pill, progesterone-only pill or hormonal coil) or surgery.
Linzagolix will be the second take-at-home pill to become available on the NHS for treating endometriosis in those that have failed other treatments.
In March, Nice also approved relugolix. This drug works similar to linzagolix, but has add-back HRT included in the prescription. Since add-back HRT isn’t suitable for everyone, linzagolix has the advantage of being a more tailored treatment option for women with endometriosis.
Linzagolix also offers multiple advantages over GnRH agonists, which are also used to manage endometriosis. GnRH agonists fully suppress the release of oestrogen. This can lead to many side-effects, including hot flushes, loss of libido, vaginal dryness and bone mineral density loss. But because linzagolix is a GnRH antagonist, this means it can be tailored to only partially suppress oestrogen, leading to fewer side effects.
Linzagolix is taken orally, whereas GnRH agonists need an injection every month or three months to work.
Linzagolix is also rapidly reversible, whereas GnRH agonists have unpredictable reversibility, it can take months for ovarian function to return to normal when using GnRH agonists. This is clearly a problem for those wishing to conceive or stop the treatment due to side-effects. Linzagolix has a short half life which means it does not stay in a person’s system for very long.
The most commonly reported side-effect of linzagolix are hot flushes – though this usually only occurs when a patient is taking a higher dose of the drug. Bone mineral density loss can also occur at higher doses, which is why add-back HRT will be needed in these instances.
Endometriosis affects millions of women. Current treatment options are limited – and with no cure in sight, any additional treatments offer new hope for those affected. Linzagolix may soon offer a lifeline to those with endometriosis who haven’t been able to find relief using other treatments.
Nicola Tempest receives funding from the Wellbeing of Women.
It was May 4 1975. The Japanese Women’s Everest Expedition team had been living at a high altitude for six weeks, and were less than a week away from their scheduled bid for the summit of Mount Everest. Exhausted, having established camp five at just below 8,000m on the south side of the mountain, Junko Tabei and the team descended to camp two at 6,300m to rest.
Then – avalanche!
In the early hours, tons of ice and snow engulfed the camp, burying several of the teammates. Crushed by the snow and ice, Tabei was unable to move. It took the strength of four Sherpas, the elite Nepali climbing guides assisting the expedition, to pull her out. Suffering severe bruising, Tabei argued that she did not need to be returned to base camp to recover, and would remain at camp two.
“There was no way I was leaving the mountain,” she later recalled in her memoir.
It had taken five years for this group – the first all-women team – to get to Everest. The pressure on them to succeed was immense, given the limited number of annual international permits to climb Mount Everest issued by the Nepalese government. If they gave up, they might have to wait several years to make another attempt.
Meanwhile, on the Tibetan side of the mountain, Tabei’s team had competition. A 200-strong Chinese team was also working to place a woman on the summit at the same time.
From the late 1950s, Tibetan women were recruited to participate in state-sponsored Chinese mountaineering expeditions. In 1958, Pan Duo had been selected to participate in the successful Chinese 1960 Everest expedition – but was ordered to remain below 6,400 metres because above that height was “a man’s world”. Nonetheless, Pan Duo – referred to as “Mrs Phanthog” in some older accounts – was celebrated in her country and elected deputy captain of the 1975 Chinese Everest Expedition.
Unfortunately, the Chinese team suffered a climbing accident resulting in the death of a team member. They retreated to recover – only to be ordered by the Chinese government to “climb ahead of the Japanese women”.
They were too late. On May 16 1975, the all-women Japanese expedition worked together to place Tabei on the summit of Everest. Two team members – Tabei and Yuriko Watanabe – had been nominated to make the summit attempt. However, other teammates were suffering from altitude sickness, so Watanabe was assigned to help return them to camp two.
The ascent Tabei was making was arduous. Given her injuries, it took great tenacity to muster the strength to continue. But finally, she took her last steps to the summit, becoming the first woman and 40th person, according to the latest official record, to summit the peak. She was part of only the tenth successful Everest expedition, later recalling:
I felt pure joy as my thoughts registered: ‘Here is the summit. I don’t have to climb any more.’
Eleven days later, the Chinese team returned to the high slopes to make another attempt. Using minimal oxygen, Pan Duo was also successful, becoming the second woman to summit Everest – and the first to climb the harder northern side of the mountain.
Prior to these two successful expeditions, only 38 people had summited Everest – all of them men. News of Tabei’s feat travelled fast across Asia, leading to national celebrations in Japan, Nepal and India. But it made little impact in the west.
In my own career as both a mountaineer and researcher of adventure tourism, I had been struck by how few women I encountered on the mountainside. I wanted to understand why this might be, and what women had achieved. It was through this research that I discovered Tabei’s story.
I was astonished both by her achievements – she is also the first woman to complete the “Seven Summits”, climbing the highest peaks on every continent – and by how few prominent mountaineering organisations and mountaineers appeared to know about her.
Tabei’s bravery helped her lead record-setting all-women expeditions and overcome the mountain of sexism in this male-dominated space. Yet very few organisations, even in Japan, have thought to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first ascent of Everest by a woman.
Breaking the mould
Historically, men have dominated the public record in mountaineering. In the last few years, the 70th anniversary of the first summit of Everest in 1953 by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay has been marked, along with the centenary of the unsuccessful and fatal attempt by George Mallory and Andrew Irvine in 1924.
During that period, women were excluded from many mountaineering clubs. When they did join, they often faced prejudice, were discouraged and sometimes not permitted to publish records of their adventures. In 1975, women were finally admitted to the Alpine Club, the first and one of the most prestigious climbing institutions.
At a time when Japanese women were expected to remain at home, many members of the Japanese Women’s Everest Expedition, including Tabei, were working, with two of them also raising children. Tabei’s daughter, Noriko, was three at the time of her Everest summit. Tabei later revealed that the expedition encountered significant resistance:
Most of the men in the alpine community opposed our plan, claiming it would be impossible for a women-only expedition to reach Everest.
As a married woman and the assistant expedition leader, Tabei felt torn between motherhood and mountaineering, explaining: “Although I would never forfeit Everest, I felt pulled in the two directions of mountains and motherhood.”
Facing unsympathetic attitudes from team members when childcare conflicts arose, Tabei realised she needed to put in extra effort to prove herself as a leader.
The Insights section is committed to high-quality longform journalism. Our editors work with academics from many different backgrounds who are tackling a wide range of societal and scientific challenges.
Years before the Everest expedition, Tabei and other Japanese women were already logging major climbing achievements across the globe. These included the first ascent of the north face of the Matterhorn by an all-women’s team in 1967, and the first all-women’s Japanese expedition to the Himalayas in 1970 to climb Annapurna III. Tabei was both the first woman and Japanese person to ascend the peak.
This set the scene for the Japanese Women’s Everest Expedition. To locate and train suitable candidates for the expedition, Tabei helped establish the Joshi-Tohan Japanese Ladies Climbing Club, founded on the slogan: “Let’s go on an overseas expedition by ourselves.”
Tabei’s contribution to women’s high-altitude mountaineering was astounding. To reach Everest, she defied mid-20th-century social norms that tied Japanese women to domestic roles, later musing: “I tried to picture myself as a traditional Japanese wife who followed her husband. The idea never sat well with me.”
Throughout her career, Tabei contributed significantly to the emerging culture of women’s climbing and mountaineering expeditions. She felt strongly that climbing with other women was more rewarding because there was greater physical equality.
In 1992, she became the first woman to ascend the highest peaks on all seven continents. Using her celebrity, Tabei was also an activist for environmental change in high-altitude regions, having grown appalled by the degradation of fragile mountain glaciers that was being caused by the mountaineering industry.
Film by 4GTV Nepal.
With her friend and Everest teammate Setsuko Kitamura, Tabei established the first Mount Everest conference in 1995, inviting all 32 women who had by then successfully climbed Everest (not all attended). Under her leadership, this transnational exchange created a space to celebrate women’s mountaineering achievements.
Soon after her Everest achievement, Tabei had been a symbol of social progress and women’s emancipation at the UN International Women’s Year world conference. Yet her status as one of the greatest high-altitude mountaineers has since faded from the public eye. This has much to do with the stories we tell about man – and it’s almost always a man – vs. nature.
Telling her own story
Hillary’s much-lauded autobiography, High Adventure (1955), was published two years after his first successful ascent of Everest. In contrast, it was 42 years after her ascent before Tabei’s memoir, Honouring High Places, was published and translated.
The way Japanese women’s experiences were represented in the media did not, in Tabei’s view, represent the reality of women’s experiences. She was particularly perplexed by the inability of the press to see beyond her gender. She was repeatedly asked how it felt “as a woman” to climb at high altitudes.
Portrayals of Tabei focused on her stature as a small Japanese woman. This only reinforced the perception that women like her did not fit the norm of the heroic white, male mountaineer. She reflected:
When people meet me for the first time, they are surprised by my size. They expect me to be bigger than I am, more strapping, robust, like a wrestler … I was always puzzled by this, by people’s obsession with the physical appearance of a mountaineer.
To counter this narrative, Tabei brought a new approach to writing about Japanese women mountaineers’ achievements – challenging the tendency of traditional Japanese expedition publications to gloss over the harsh realities of expedition life.
Critical of the flowery and vain writing style of these reports, Tabei’s frank accounts reported on the “unkinder side of human behaviour”. Making tough choices was particularly difficult for women, she wrote, because of their social conditioning to be a “good person”:
It was unusual enough to be a female climber in that era of yesteryear, let alone to make a stand in front of your friends that would possibly upset them.
Transcending these social norms had a personal impact. Tabei lamented that, although “I remained strong-willed about Everest, tears of doubt fell down my cheeks at night”.
Her honesty was criticised by some in the established mountaineering community in Japan, particularly in her published account, Annapurna: Women’s Battle, which expressed the raw emotions and feelings experienced on their 1970 expedition. Tabei shared “the feelings of the team members when things failed to go in the direction they had envisioned … We put our honest experiences on paper”.
Reflecting on how she had to overcome social norms to lead the expedition – “In my day, we were strictly advised that being different was abnormal” – Tabei concluded that: “A person must be able to voice her opinion without worrying about criticism.”
A problem of representation
Ever since the late 1850s, women have made a significant yet often-hidden contribution to mountaineering. It retains a powerful legacy of male-dominated clubs and governing institutions founded on masculine norms such as risk-taking. This has often cast mountaineering achievements in a way that privileges men.
Clubs established traditions based on the first ascents of mountains – very few of which were made by women. Their absence from leading mountaineering clubs and lack of representation in published club journals meant their achievements were often attributed to male companions.
In 1872, the American climber Meta Brevoort felt it best, due to social prejudice, to publish her extraordinary first ascents in the European Alps under the name of her nephew, William A.B. Coolidge. Mountaineer and author David Mazel notes that Brevoort’s account was “carefully written to conceal the author’s sex”.
Mountain exploration and climbing have traditionally been framed as heroic endeavours dominated by men. Figures such as Hillary, Mallory and Reinhold Messner are celebrated for their bravery, strength and leadership — traits associated with masculinity.
Early mountaineering narratives often emphasised physical endurance, dominance over nature, and the ability to withstand extreme conditions – reinforcing ideas of masculine heroism. Mountains as towering, imposing and seemingly unconquerable landscapes have been metaphorically linked to power and challenge.
Traditions that have been passed down through generations – from ascent styles to route names – have also been synonymous with masculinity. In the words of mountaineering historian Walt Unsworth, climbing Everest “is the story of Man’s attempts to climb a very special mountain”.
This has had real-world consequences for mountaineering. Today, only 6% of British mountain guides are women, while globally, less than 2% of those registered to the International Federation of Mountain Guide Association (IFMGA) are women. If you don’t see your face reflected, it becomes a daunting prospect to imagine yourself in mountaineering – whether as a mountain guide, or an amateur mountaineer like me.
By 2024, women represented 13% of all Everest summiteers since 1953, yet their stories are seldom told. White, male, able-bodied and middle-class voices dominate representations in published records and popular portrayals of adventure on the world’s highest mountain.
As anthropologist Sherry B. Ortner attests, this is not surprising given mountaineering’s history as a western imperialist and colonising project that aimed to conquer nations and nature, built upon all-male institutions. Yet men and women have the same statistical odds of making a successful summit or dying on Everest.
Julie Rak, in her book False Summit, shows how some accounts can treat women’s achievements with ambivalence, and at worst question their authenticity. It has even been suggested that Tabei was effectively dragged up the mountain by her friend, the male Sherpa Ang Tsering.
Having suffered significant trauma following the avalanche that nearly wiped out their 1975 expedition, Tabei showed enormous courage and resilience to summit Everest just a few days later. She describes the ascent as difficult – and yes, accepted help from Ang Tsering – but this was her achievement, not a “stunt” to be denied by those who were not even present.
Diversity on the mountain
Since Tabei’s Everest summit, mountaineering has undergone changes as a sport, shifting from an elite, exploratory pursuit to a commercialised industry where wealthy clients can hire companies to reach summits with professional support.
From the late 1980s, high-altitude mountaineering became a valuable tourism commodity. Seizing the opportunity to boost tourism, the Nepalese government began to issue more permits, fuelling the growth of commercial companies offering clients the opportunity to be guided up 8,000-metre summits. In 2023, Nepal welcomed over 150,000 high-altitude trekking and mountaineering visitors, with 47 teams attempting to climb Everest.
Yet despite the popularity and commercialisation of the sport, mountaineering remains stubbornly resistant to diversity.
Scholar Jennifer Hargreaves argues that women have been excluded from being represented as the “sporting hero”. What constitutes our cultural identity, meaning and values almost exclusively solidifies heroic masculinity in most forms of sport, including mountaineering.
And much of this is due to the stories that are – not – told.
Delphine Moraldo’s research found that of the mountaineering autobiographies published in Britain and Europe from the late 1830s to 2013, only 6% were written by women.
Historically, literary representations of women mountaineers have often been met with ambivalence, their achievements portrayed as lesser. Women are stereotyped as weaker, bound to domesticity and lacking the hardiness required to be a “good mountaineer”.
These perceptions, coupled with a lack of representation, have reduced women’s opportunities to secure funding for expeditions, or to access female-specific clothing and equipment. Tabei and her team had to make their own expedition clothing because women’s sizes did not exist, a problem that remains today. When raising sponsorship for Everest, she was told: “Raise your children and keep your family tight, rather than do something like this.”
But while there is still a mountain to climb when it comes to attaining equality in adventure sports, there is a growing body of research and media celebrating women’s achievements – from campaigns such as Sport England’s This Girl Can to films charting the lives of some women mountaineers.
A hidden sisterhood
Junko Tabei and Pan Duo’s names may never be as well known as Edmund Hillary’s. But they are just two of many women whose achievements reach far beyond the peaks. I’ve written about many of them in my research.
Polish mountaineer Wanda Rutkiewicz was the third woman and first from Europe to summit Everest. When asked in 1979 by high-altitude record holder Maurice Herzog why she had climbed Everest, Rutkiewicz responded that she did it for “women’s liberation”. By the late 1980s, such activism was harnessed by large sponsors such as Tata Steel, who recruited Indian mountaineer Bachendri Pal, the fifth woman to summit Everest, to lead a women’s adventure programme.
Corporate sponsorship has, however, eluded many leading women mountaineers. Despite all her outstanding achievements – including holding a world-record ten Everest summits by a woman – Lhakpa Sherpa struggled for years to achieve recognition and the status of her male contemporaries. In 2019, writer Megan Mayhew Bergman asked why she didn’t have sponsors.
More recently, however, Lhakpa Sherpa’s mountaineering career was documented in the 2023 Netflix documentary Mountain Queen, which raised her profile and has led to new sponsorship opportunities.
Film by Netflix.
There is also work being done to change the exclusion of women from mountaineering. In Nepal and around the world, charitable organisations have been initiated by women mountaineers to help their fellow women climbers, including Empowering Women Nepal and 3Sisters Adventure Trekking.
My research has shown how women and mountaineers from other marginalised backgrounds can use their successes to become role models for and drivers of social change.
Tabei, for example, was appalled at the degradation mountaineering had caused to Mount Everest, and spoke out about the need for responsible mountaineering and conservation. She led cleanup expeditions and researched the environmental impact of tourism and climate change on both mountain ecosystems and local communities.
Tabei’s efforts helped bring global attention to the need for conservation in high-altitude environments, inspiring climbers to take a more responsible approach to their expeditions.
In research about Asian women’s contribution to climbing Everest, I examined how the struggle for women’s emancipation, empowerment and recognition is a phenomenon that is shared globally. A new generation of Asian women mountaineers such as Dawa Yangzum Sherpa, the first woman to achieve IFMGA status, and Shailee Basnet are defying gender norms and achieving status as internationally recognised mountaineers and mountaineering guides.
Basnet became one of ten women to scale Everest in 2008 as part of Sagarmatha Expedition, which was established to draw attention to climate change and gender equality, and to reclaim the Nepali name for the mountain: Sagarmatha. The expedition brought together ten women from six different religious, caste and ethnic backgrounds. All ten reached the summit, making it the most successful women’s expedition to date.
Following this, in 2014 Basnet led the formation of the first all-women Seven Summits project to climb the highest peak on every continent. Importantly, she harnessed the team’s newfound profile to undertake a large-scale social justice programme, visiting hundreds of schools, leading hikes and giving talks across the Kathmandu Valley. Their mission was to improve educational awareness concerning opportunities for women and girls, and also to protect the environment.
Since the mid-1950s, a hidden sisterhood has forged a route for women to access high-altitude mountaineering. Their impact has reached far beyond the expeditions they led.
Women have used their status as mountaineers to empower and support other women to achieve social, political and environmental justice, and raise awareness about poverty, sex trafficking, religious and ethnic marginalisation, environmental degradation and the impact of mass tourism.
Junko Tabei was a pioneer whose tenacity helped a whole generation of women in mountaineering. By not recognising their achievements, we deny an important part of our cultural heritage – and miss the opportunity to learn and share the inspirational work that women continue to undertake.
Tabei’s memoir is not simply a remarkable mountaineering account, it is, in the words of Julie Rak, a feminist text that challenges what society has always thought it means to be heroic, brave and adventurous.
Tabei died in 2016 at the age of 77. On the 50th anniversary of one of her many achievements, it’s fitting to end with these words from her memoir:
My approach was one of not worrying about the loss of a job or missing out on a promotion. I felt it was important to live a life we would never regret.
To hear about new Insights articles, join the hundreds of thousands of people who value The Conversation’s evidence-based news. Subscribe to our newsletter.
Jenny Hall does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
COLUMBUS, Ohio, May 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bread Financial® (NYSE: BFH), a tech-forward financial services company that provides simple, personalized payment, lending and saving solutions, today released its 2024 Sustainability Report, highlighting its continued progress and organization-wide commitment to environmental stewardship, social progress and strong governance.
“Our 2024 report is more than an annual milestone, it is a reflection of Bread Financial’s deep and ongoing commitment to advancing our reputation, mitigating risk, improving efficiency and driving sustainable, profitable growth,” said Ralph Andretta, president and chief executive officer, Bread Financial. “With a focus on transparency and accountability, we are proud to share our progress and highlight the ways we are delivering value for our stakeholders.”
The 12th annual report details the company’s performance related to its five key sustainability tenets, such as:
Managing the business responsibly — In 2024, Bread Financial made significant progress on operational excellence efforts aimed at improving processes and driving efficiency and value-creation across the enterprise. The company also began to mature its Enterprise Risk Management Framework and established an AI Council.
Empowering customers — For the 19th consecutive year, Bread Financial was certified as a Center of Excellence by BenchmarkPortal for its customer service. It continued to drive a customer-oriented culture to create best-in-class experiences and award-winning products, including the expansion of its mobile app.
Engaging associates — Bread Financial demonstrated its commitment to delivering a competitive, personalized and fulfilling associate experience through improved career development tools, expanded options for virtual health care and an annual “free money” deposit into each associate’s 401(k), regardless of their individual contribution. For its culture, the company was recognized with a Great Place to Work Certification in both the U.S. and India.
Protecting the planet — In an effort to reduce its carbon footprint, the company established greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets that it plans to meet by 2030. Additionally, it developed a new sustainable IT framework, issued nearly 1.5 million cards made from sustainable plastic and prioritized digitalization to enhance efficiency and reduce paper.
Creating possibilities for our communities — Bread Financial increased associate donations and participation in its annual Giving Campaign, with donations totaling $3 million after the company’s match. Associates also recorded more than 10,000 volunteer hours, and the company improved its measurement process to more accurately capture the impact of its charitable donations, which exceeded $9 million in 2024.
“At the core of this year’s Sustainability Report is our notable and measurable progress, reflecting decades of continuous improvement and reporting on critical components of our business,” said Dana Beckman, vice president and chief sustainability officer, Bread Financial. “The successes highlighted are the result of enterprise-wide collaboration and an intentional approach to embed sustainability throughout all aspects of our operations.”
For more information on Bread Financial’s 2024 Sustainability report, visit here.
About Bread Financial® Bread Financial® (NYSE: BFH) is a tech-forward financial services company that provides simple, personalized payment, lending and saving solutions to millions of U.S. consumers. Our payment solutions, including Bread Financial general purpose credit cards and savings products, empower our customers and their passions for a better life. Additionally, we deliver growth for some of the most recognized brands in travel & entertainment, health & beauty, jewelry and specialty apparel through our private label and co-brand credit cards and pay-over-time products providing choice and value to our shared customers.
To learn more about Bread Financial, our global associates and our sustainability commitments, visit breadfinancial.com or follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn.
Contacts Rachel Stultz – Media Rachel.Stultz@BreadFinancial.com
Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –
On May 7, a traditional celebration dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the end of the Great Patriotic War was held on the square in front of the main building of NSU. The event brought together not only NSU students and staff, but also residents of Akademgorodok.
Many were united by the concert of front-line songs by student creative groups of NSU, who performed famous compositions from the back of a military vehicle.
During the concert, several interactive platforms were operating in parallel: “Search Movement”, “Frontline Letters”, “Scientists to the Front”, “Military Hospital” and, of course, a field kitchen!
— Colleagues, friends, I congratulate you on this wonderful, sacred holiday for our country — the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory. This is, of course, a holiday that has gone down in history forever. Our people, our army crushed the greatest evil of the 20th century — fascism. On the other hand, this day for us is a day of sorrow, because we paid an immeasurably high price for this Great Victory. The Soviet Union lost 27 million of its fellow citizens. We should more often remember those people who gave their lives for the freedom and independence of our Motherland, the countries of Europe and the world. Our main task is to preserve in the memory of the people, in the memory of the younger generation this heroic feat of the Soviet people and the soldiers-liberators. I congratulate you on this wonderful holiday and wish you well, a peaceful sky above your heads! — the rector of NSU, academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Mikhail Fedoruk addressed the participants and guests of the festive program.
A special part of the event was a retro fashion show in costumes from the pre-war and war years, a dance program and master classes. The concert “At the Soldier’s Campfire” in the park behind the NSU laboratory building added intimacy to the event.
— I decided to take part in the retro fashion show because I wanted to be a part of this great holiday, to serve as a link in the transfer of memory between generations, and I am very grateful to the organizers for this opportunity. This year’s holiday left unforgettable impressions, and for me this day was the best of the entire academic year — it brought me the brightest emotions and a feeling of complete happiness! I was very happy to perform in public, and the master class on 1940s dances made me truly happy! I was also very impressed by the songs with a guitar in the courtyard of the old building of NSU — it was nice to listen to a wonderful performance of beautiful, eternal songs — songs with great meaning and memories of those distant days for us, — Polina Ryabova, a second-year master’s student, shared her emotions and impressions. Faculty of Economics, NSU.
The creative groups that took part in the festive program were the NSU vocal studio “Million Voices”, the NSU Music Club, the historical dance studio “Medival”, the student association “Evening of Songs with a Guitar” and the NSU Academic Choir.
The event partner was the Academburo (ANO KIC “Integral 2.0”).
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.
Bukavu (Agenzia Fides) – “I entered the city yesterday morning (May 10, ed.) with a feeling of joy and hope in light of the election of Pope Leo XIV. I seemed to sense this feeling in the people I met, even though the reality remained the same,” reports a missionary from Bukavu (who wishes to remain anonymous for security reasons), the capital of South Kivu, in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, which was taken over by the M23 militia on February 16 (see Fides, 17/2/2025). Since then, the city has been in a state of limbo, suspended between the lack of services guaranteed by state institutions that are no longer present and insecurity reigns.”An eight-year-old boy in a school uniform sat on a pipe by the side of the road with a notebook on his lap. “How come you are on the street at this time and not at school?” I asked him. “They sent me away because I did not pay for the school year. My brother stayed, my parents paid for him yesterday, but they could not pay for me. I will wait for him until he finishes and then we will go home together.” His sadness infected me: “It is not your fault or your parents’ fault. Children have the right to learn for free. It is the country that is not working…” He nodded, and I continued on my way,” the report continues. “In this time of ongoing bank and cooperative closures, even humanitarian aid is becoming difficult, and how many will be helped? Poverty is spreading day by day: so many have lost their jobs because their deposits were plundered, because there is no money, in the case of civil servants, because they were replaced by someone hired by their new rulers, and sometimes because they refused to submit to their ideology…” the missionary says. “For three months now, there have been no police officers, no police stations, no central prison, no courts, no judges, and no lawyers in the city. The law is being hastily enforced by the military branch of the M23. A few days ago, a poor man walking through the narrow streets of his neighborhood at 7 a.m. on his way to work encountered some armed men who accused him of being a thief and immediately shot him”. Sometimes, bodies, tied together with stones, surface from Lake Kivu and have been dumped in the water. There are no investigations, and it is often unknown who killed during the night: an M23 fighter? A thief taking advantage of weapons abandoned by fleeing Congolese soldiers? A former convict among the more than 2,000 released shortly before the M23’s arrival on February 16? Revenge and settling of scores? To eliminate someone, it is enough to accuse them of being a thief, a soldier, or one of the Wazalendo…,” the missionary laments. “Or was it a group of people plagued by insecurity and hunger?” “Cases of ‘popular justice,’ executions carried out by popular outcry, are indeed numerous. In their desperation, they seize one or more suspected thieves and kill them immediately. This does not discourage the repetition of the facts. There is no investigation: Bukavu is abandoned to hunger and neglect, left only to the conscience of its inhabitants. Many private and public vehicles have been taken by the residents, used, or taken to neighboring Rwanda. Unjustified taxes are levied on every bundle that arrives from the countryside to the city on a motorcycle or bus; unjustified fines are imposed for non-existent violations. And there is no fruit to be seen in the city,” the missionary says of the current situation. “In these last weeks of the year, the children who suffer most are those who are expelled from school, as if the trauma they have been suffering for weeks from constant shelling were not enough. They, too, are often witnesses to violence: What is being sown in their hearts when they should be dreaming of beautiful things?” she asks herself. “People fill the churches, clinging with all their might to the God they believe in, who knows how to listen to the oppressed, but from a human perspective, they see no way out. Distant authorities who do not even offer a word of compassion, great powers pursuing their own interests… People go so far as to say: Let them take away all our minerals, but let us live…” reports the missionary. “Life in eastern Congo is like experiencing a prolonged agony. And the tenacity of the people to smile, the courage to show solidarity, to marry. “Giving birth and thanking God every day that he is still there is like a caress that seeks to revive hope,” the missionary concludes. “Today a mother from one of the vibrant congregations, called “Shrika,” who take turns bringing food to the General Hospital, testifies to this: “Yesterday it was our Shrika’s turn to do the apostolate at the hospital. There was enough food for the sick and their caregivers; the night nurses, the maintenance and security staff also benefited. The war wounded, the combatants… are cared for by the ICRC and Doctors Without Borders. Many do not know how to pay for treatment, so that even though they are cured, they cannot leave the hospital. The group has helped some of them pay the medical bills and some who have no means to pay for medication. … The number of patients is declining, and with it the income. How can you stock the pharmacy, pay the staff, and buy medical equipment in such a crisis? It is a vicious circle. More and more malnourished children are being cared for… It is the multiplication of loaves.” (Agenzia Fides, 12/5/2025)
Share:
Lahore (Agenzia Fides) – “We know that the Lord hears the prayers of the children who are in his heart. And the ceasefire between India and Pakistan has a very special meaning for us because we consider it a truce,” says to Fides Fr. Qaisar Feroz, Capuchin friar and parish priest at the parish of Our Lady Queen of Angels, Bhai Pheru, on the outskirts of Lahore, in Pakistani Punjab. “On Saturday, May 10, a group of children and families gathered in front of the grotto and shrine of Our Lady Queen of Peace in our parish of Bhai Pheru,” he reports. “I, Brother Father Robinson OFM Cap, and the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of Mary celebrated a Rosary of Peace with the parish community. Children and young people were present, while the girls from the ‘Ibne Mariam’ boarding school recited songs of peace and devotional prayers. At the end of the prayer, we released some doves as a symbol of peace and the children’s fervent desire, holding signs reading ‘Yes to Peace, No to War.’ At the end of the rosary, we received the wonderful news of the announcement of a ceasefire between India and Pakistan. Now we hope that it will hold and that we can create a just and lasting peace between the peoples.”The people in the parish were very concerned, among other things, because, as Father Feroz explains, in the days before the military clashes in the disputed region of Kashmir, a bullet struck the industrial area on the territory of the parish of Our Lady, Queen of Angels in Bhai Pheru. “It was a bit like we felt the war coming home. There was great concern, and that is why we intensified our prayers for peace,” Father Feroz reported. Meanwhile, the entire Church in Pakistan welcomes the ceasefire. In an official statement, the President of the Pakistani Bishops’ Conference and Bishop of Hyderabad, Samson Shukardin (OFM), emphasized: “This significant step toward peace is a source of great relief and hope for millions of people throughout the region following the recent tensions and military clashes. The Pakistani bishops express their appreciation to Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for choosing the path of dialogue and moderation, and are deeply grateful to international mediators, especially the United States and other global partners, for their role in facilitating this peaceful breakthrough.” “The peoples of South Asia have long yearned for peace, stability, and cooperation,” said the Pakistani bishops. “We pray that this ceasefire marks not only the end of hostilities, but also the beginning of a new chapter of mutual understanding, reconciliation, and regional harmony,” assuring them that they pray “for lasting peace and for the common good of all.” Chairman of the National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP) and Archbishop of Islamabad-Rawalpindi, Joseph Arshad, added: “This ceasefire is also a reminder that diplomacy has the power to overcome conflict. It is vital that both nations continue dialogue to address long-standing issues and find lasting solutions that prioritize the well-being and security of their peoples. A peaceful future for the South Asian region begins with cooperation, dialogue, mutual respect, and a commitment to peace.” The Catholic Church on both sides of the border hopes that India and Pakistan can “build stronger, more reliable, and peaceful relations to ensure a better future for all” and that “the spirit of justice, peace, solidarity, and fraternity prevails in this region to build bridges of hope, love, and peace between nations.” (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 12/5/2025)
Share:
by Sandro Lafranconi*Huahine (Agenzia Fides) – At 6:45 p.m. on Thursday, May 8, in Italy, here, on the other side of the world, in the heart of the immense Pacific, it was 6:45 a.m. Like every day, I turned on the Italian radio, to my surprise, a voice mentioned crowds rushing toward St. Peter’s Square. I doubted I had understood correctly. The night before, I had celebrated the opening Mass of the Conclave, and it seemed unthinkable to me that the lightning bolt of the election had struck so soon. But then, from the voice of the commentator, I learned that for almost an hour, thick, prolonged, unquestionably white smoke had been rising from the chimney of the Apostolic Palace. Without delay, I called the Raromatai Islands: “Turn on the radio or television, hurry!” I hadn’t finished my round of calls when, over the radio, the voice of the Dean of Cardinals announced a name and surname unknown to me, which from that moment on would be LEO XIV. I then ran to the bell tower of the Church of the Holy Family, here in Huahine, and rang a sustained burst of one hundred bells. Then I returned home to search my computer for a live broadcast that would allow me to see the still-unknown face of Leo XIV Provost. And I thought: even before the new Pope appeared in the central lodge, in the heart of the Pacific, we had already proclaimed the appointment of Peter’s Successor. Then when I welcomed the first blessing of the new Pope, while the radio transmitted his voice to me and while I made the sign of the cross, a wave of emotion ran through me and I realized that I was drying my eyes … At midday we found ourselves celebrating the exceptional event with some parishioners. (Agenzia Fides, 12/5/2025)*Priest of the Society of African Missions
Share:
In Q1 2025, Beamr expanded sales pipelines amid growing traction from large-scale prospects, engaged in major industry events, and continued innovation in cloud and product offerings
Herzliya, Israel, May 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Beamr Imaging Ltd. (NASDAQ: BMR), a leader in video optimization technology and solutions, today issued a Letter to Shareholders from Sharon Carmel, Chief Executive Officer.
Dear Shareholders:
I am pleased to share with you our Q1-2025 activities, progress, and other recent updates, including the expansion of our sales initiatives, supported by growing traction from large-scale prospective customers, participation in leading industry events where we engaged with hundreds of attendees, and continued advancement of our strategic partnerships.
Q1 2025 Highlights – Capitalizing on Market Validation:
Scaling Our Sales Pipelines
Beamr’s value proposition continues to gain traction across verticals where video is central to business activity and its usage is growing rapidly. Our technology addresses critical challenges associated with large-scale video workflows, including storage, networking, and operational efficiency. These challenges are particularly acute in markets such as media and entertainment, user-generated content, and machine learning sectors, including internet-of-things and autonomous vehicles.
During Q1 2025 and into early Q2 2025, Beamr expanded its sales team by adding two U.S.-based sales managers to strengthen outreach and responsiveness in our key geographic market. The company’s executives and sales directors conducted more than 130 face-to-face meetings with existing and prospective customers, as well as strategic partners. A significant portion of these meetings took place at three premier industry events: ACM Mile-High-Video 2025, NVIDIA GTC 2025, and the NAB Show 2025. During these engagements, Beamr showcased its high-quality, high-performance, GPU-accelerated video solutions, enabling efficient AI-powered video enhancements.
In the coming months, we aim to build on the expanding sales pipeline and growing industry recognition. We anticipate significant revenue growth in 2025, driven by the momentum established in customer and prospect engagements and continued implementation of our go-to-market strategy.
Amazon Web Services – ISV Accelerate
In Q1 2025, Beamr joined the AWS ISV Accelerate program, a global co-sell initiative for Amazon Web Services (AWS) partners, offering key benefits to drive visibility and co-selling opportunities. As an Independent Software Vendor (ISV) in the program, Beamr demonstrates strong alignment with AWS’s go-to-market strategies and initiatives. Beamr had progressed from listing on AWS Marketplace to becoming an ISV Accelerate Member in just three months.
AI Video Webinar
In January 2025, Beamr hosted a webinar titled: “The Future of AI Video – From Infrastructure to Experience”. The webinar featured Richard Kerris, VP of Media and Entertainment at NVIDIA, Jeffrey Schick, VP Strategic Client Engagement Media and Entertainment at Oracle and myself.
Participating in Premier Industry Events
ACM Mile-High-Video 2025
In February 2025, I delivered a keynote speech at the ACM Mile-High-Video 2025 conference, held in Denver, Colorado, titled “Is the future of video processing destined for GPU.” The conference is a flagship video formats and streaming event that is geared towards practicing engineers in areas related to media compression and streaming.
NVIDIA GTC 2025
In March 2025, I presented a session showcasing how AI algorithms reshape video quality and usability and improve the efficiency of video workflows, at NVIDIA GTC in San Jose, California. The session attracted more than 430 attendees.
Beamr CEO Sharon Carmel presenting at NVIDIA GTC
NAB Show 2025
In April, 2025, Beamr participated in the NAB Show 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada where we presented our solution for scalable, high-quality video content upgrade to the advanced AV1 codec. Our offering, paired with a simple, competitive pricing plan, addresses key adoption barriers to AV1, and received the NAB Show Product of the Year award. As part of the event, I delivered a presentation at the AWS theater and participated in a panel at the Oracle streaming summit.
Beamr’s AV1 solution wins the NAB Show Product of the Year award
In February 2025, Beamr presented at the A.G.P.’s Virtual Technology Conference, and in March 2025 participated in the Loop Capital Markets 2025 Investor Conference. This month, we will participate in the Ladenburg Thalmann Technology Innovation Expo in New York and participate virtually in the Needham Technology, Media & Consumer 1×1 Conference.
In January 2025, I was interviewed for the Wall Street Resource Podcast (Listen to the full interview here), after an interview at Nasdaq as part of their Amplify Spotlight interview series in December 2024 (Watch the full interview here).
Developing the Beamr Cloud and Product Offering
In recent months, we enhanced our SaaS, Beamr Cloud, with new capabilities addressing evolving needs of customers and prospects, including:
Increasing subjective and objective video quality.
A competitive, flexible pricing model with tiered, minutes-based plans that support video business growth, offered alongside storage-based pricing tailored to companies with heavy video usage.
A “Playground” designed to provide new users with an engaging and intuitive experience for evaluating Beamr’s services.
Beamr GPU-accelerated, high-quality, and scalable video solutions extend beyond Beamr Cloud to include offerings on our partner cloud platforms, AWS and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI), private cloud and enterprise-tailored deployments with improved security and privacy, and on-premises deployments.
Strengthening the Beamr Team
To support our expanding research and development, sales and marketing initiatives, we hired six new team members across our offices in Herzliya, Serbia and the US, during Q1 2025 and early Q2 2025. New hires include engineers, a product growth lead, and directors of sales.
Financial highlights*
During the three month period ended March 31, 2025, we generated approximately $0.63M in revenue, compared with $0.41M in the three months ended March 31, 2024, representing a 55% year over year increase, which was primarily attributable to the earlier recognition of a significant legacy license renewal in Q1-2025 that was previously renewed in Q2-2024. Our balance sheet remains strong with $15.2M of cash and cash equivalents, as of March 31, 2025.
The first quarter of 2025 marked a strong start to the year, with multiple opportunities to present our vision and showcase our technology and solutions to hundreds of professionals and executives in the video industry across multiple verticals. We continue to see growing interest in our offerings, highlighting both rising demand and expanding market validation. Notably, we believe that increased engagement from larger industry players signals a promising outlook for the company’s business development in the months ahead. We remain focused on implementing our vision and believe that Beamr will continue to capitalize on the significant validation that we have been creating as we convert prospects in the sales funnel into significant revenue growth in the coming quarters.
Beamr (Nasdaq: BMR) is a world leader in content-adaptive video optimization, trusted by top media companies, including Netflix and Paramount. Beamr’s perceptual optimization technology (CABR) is backed by 53 patents and an Emmy® Award for Technology and Engineering winner. The innovative technology reduces video file size by up to 50% while guaranteeing quality.
Beamr Cloud is a high-performance, GPU-accelerated video optimization and modernization service designed for businesses and video professionals across diverse industries. It is conveniently available to Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) customers. Beamr Cloud enables high-performance, cost-effective video modernization to advanced formats, such as AV1, and efficient AI-powered enhancements.
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” that are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements in this communication may include, among other things, statements about Beamr’s strategic and business plans, technology, relationships, objectives and expectations for its business, the impact of trends on and interest in its business, intellectual property or product and its future results, operations and financial performance and condition, including its expectations for significant revenue growth in 2025. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, contained in this press release are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release may be identified by the use of words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “contemplate,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “seek,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “target,” “aim,” “should,” “will” “would,” or the negative of these words or other similar expressions, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. Forward-looking statements are based on the Company’s current expectations and are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Further, certain forward-looking statements are based on assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be accurate. For a more detailed description of the risks and uncertainties affecting the Company, reference is made to the Company’s reports filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including, but not limited to, the risks detailed in the Company’s annual report filed with the SEC on March 4, 2025 and in subsequent filings with the SEC. Forward-looking statements contained in this announcement are made as of the date hereof and the Company undertakes no duty to update such information except as required under applicable law.
* This unaudited preliminary financial information regarding our revenues for the three months and quarter ended March 31, 2025, is based upon our estimates and subject to completion of our quarter-end financial results. Moreover, this financial information has been prepared solely on the basis of currently available information by, and is the responsibility of, management. Our independent registered public accounting firm has not audited, reviewed or performed any procedures with respect to such preliminary estimates or the accounting treatment thereof and does not express an opinion or any other form of assurance with respect thereto. This preliminary financial information is not a comprehensive statement of our financial results for this period.
NEW YORK, May 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM), operator of regulated markets for trading 12,000 U.S. and international securities, today announced OMV AG (Vienna Stock Exchange: OMV; OTCQX: OMVKY, OMVJF), an integrated sustainable chemicals, fuels, and energy company, has qualified to trade on the OTCQX® Best Market. OMV AG upgraded to OTCQX from the Pink® market.
OMV AG begins trading today on OTCQX under the symbols “OMVKY” and “OMVJF.” 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.
“We are pleased to announce our upgrade to the OTCQX® Best Market. With a strong foundation of international investors, this move further enhances the accessibility and visibility of our shares to both U.S. institutional and retail investors and it provides them with an opportunity to participate in OMV’s growth and financial strength. Based on our strong balance sheet, OMV is a sector leader in shareholder distributions, with a strong track record of consistently delivering value to its investors. We look forward to sharing our equity story and warmly welcoming new investors to join us on this journey,” said Reinhard Florey, Chief Financial Officer.
About OMV AG It is our purpose to re-invent essentials for sustainable living. OMV is transitioning to become an integrated sustainable chemicals, fuels and energy company with a focus on circular economy solutions. By gradually switching over to the low carbon business, OMV is striving to achieve net zero by 2050 at the latest. In 2024, the company generated revenues of 34 billion euros with a diverse and talented workforce of around 23,600 employees worldwide. OMV shares are traded on the Vienna Stock Exchange (OMV) and in the US as American Depository Receipts (OMVKY). For more information, please visit www.omv.com.
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 ATSTM are each an SEC regulated ATS, operated by OTC Link LLC, a FINRA and SEC registered broker-dealer, member SIPC.
To learn more about how we create better informed and more efficient markets, visit www.otcmarkets.com.
LOS ANGELES, May 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — InStride, a leading provider of strategic education benefits and skills development solutions, has been recognized on the TIME World’s Top EdTech Companies 2025 list, ranking #26 globally and #7 among U.S.-based companies. Presented by TIME and Statista Inc., the annual list highlights companies that are transforming education through innovation, scale, and meaningful contributions to the industry.
Now in its second year, the TIME list evaluated more than 7,000 education companies worldwide based on two key dimensions:
Financial strength, including revenue, funding data, and company disclosures
Industry impact, evaluating the quality and influence of products, services, and intellectual property
“This recognition signals what’s possible when companies treat education as core to business strategy,” said Craig Maloney, CEO of InStride. “When learning is aligned to business needs and made accessible to all employees, it creates real competitive advantage, and real opportunity.”
InStride partners with some of the most influential organizations on the Fortune 250, unlocking access to life-changing education for their employees. Its model breaks down barriers to learning and drives career growth aligned with organizational goals, connecting employees to the roles and skills companies need most. Built for scale and impact, InStride offers tailored solutions that help fill clinical pipelines, upskill frontline teams, and develop future leaders. This recognition from TIME affirms the power of that model.
InStride is a human capital management company that solves corporate talent challenges through strategic education benefits and skills development solutions. By breaking down barriers to learning, fostering career growth aligned with organizational goals, and simplifying program management, InStride delivers lasting impact. Partnering with forward-thinking companies like Labcorp, Adidas, and SSM Health, InStride drives meaningful social and business outcomes by providing access to life-changing education. Visitinstride.comor follow InStride onLinkedInfor more information and up-to-date news.
Eviden Awarded Contract for “Kaufhaus des Bundes – Next Generation” Project by the Procurement Office of the Federal Ministry of the Interior (BeschA)
Together with veenion, Eviden is redesigning the ‘KdB NG’ procurement platform for more than 480 federal authorities and federal-related institutions
Berlin, Deutschland, and Paris, France – May 12, 2025 –Eviden, the Atos Group business leading in digital, cloud, big data and security and IT partner veenion GmbH announce the successful signing of a contract for the modernization project “Kaufhaus des Bundes – Next Generation (KdB NG)”. The KdB NG will replace the existing system and create a convenient and modern procurement portal. This new platform will fully digitize the electronic procurement for over 480 federal authorities and federal-related institutions in Germany, significantly improving the existing system on multiple relevant levels. The platform will enable approximately 22,000 registered users to quickly and securely procure goods and services online – another milestone in the digitization of public administration.
Innovative Technology for Future-Proof Processes
The “Kaufhaus des Bundes” has evolved into a comprehensive procurement platform for public administration. By centrally bundling the procurement needs of federal authorities, it offers a wide range of goods and services, from office supplies and IT services to vehicles and much more.
The new solution, based on the standard software solution “open ordering” from our partner veenion, creates the basis for workflow-driven process optimization. This allows a modern and transparent procurement experience by implementing an end-to-end digital process chain between the awarding authority, the contractor, and the demand carrier.
The implementation takes place in three successive phases:
First Phase: establishment of the basic system with the most important core functionalities for test operation
Second Phase: Expansion of the overall system with the deployment of all functionalities up to piloting
Third Phase: Support of the pilot phase until the full solution goes live at the end of 2025
In addition to providing the software solution, Eviden and veenion will continuously keep developing and adapting the solution to the specific requirements of the federal administration as it evolves.
Long-Term Collaboration as a Success Factor
Eviden has been supporting the “Kaufhaus des Bundes” since 2001. This long-standing experience and Eviden’s in-depth know-how in the public sector and public procurement solutions form the basis for this new project. The collaboration between Eviden and the BeschA enabled the development of a tailored solution that is precisely aligned with the needs of public administrations. The new “Kaufhaus des Bundes” sets the standards for a modern, secure, and efficient procurement solution.
veenion GmbH has been specializing in procurement solutions for cities, public authorities, and research institutions for over 25 years. Together with Eviden, veenion successfully implements projects and creates networks through e-procurement solutions that efficiently bring together demand carriers, buyers, and suppliers – from the emergence of demand to payment.
Sustainable Added Value for Public Administration
The new procurement solution offers numerous advantages for public administrations:
Maximum Efficiency: The use of electronic catalogues and self-service options significantly accelerates digital procurement processes and reduces workload.
High Security: Individually configurable approval processes and seamless documentation ensure maximum transparency and security.
User-Friendliness: The intuitive user interface makes it easier for users to access all relevant functions and information.
Future-proofing: Continuous developments and the integration of state-of-the art technologies ensure that the system remains up-to-date, meeting current and future customer requirements and ensuring the platform’s long-term usability.
Sustainability: Sustainability labels in the products’ catalogue overview provide transparent guidance for economic, ecological, and social based offers.
“With the new procurement solution for the ‘Kaufhaus des Bundes’ we can significantly advance the digitization process in public administration,” says Boris Hecker, Managing Director of Eviden Deutschland GmbH, an Atos business. ” Our long-standing experience in implementing IT projects for the public sector is the foundation for a future-proof and sustainable procurement platform that meets the specific requirements of the authorities.”
“Our close collaboration with Eviden has enabled us to develop a tailored solution that can flexibly adapt to the individual needs of the public authorities,” explains Manuel Delvo, Managing Director of veenion GmbH. “We are excited to lead the ‘Kaufhaus des Bundes’ into the next generation with our technology and elevate procurement to a new level.”
“The ‘Kaufhaus des Bundes’ is the central procurement platform that has enabled efficient and secure procurement for federal authorities for years. With this new solution, we ensure that all requirements for a modern and user-friendly Kaufhaus des Bundes continues to be met in the future,” explains Frank Schmitz, Head of Department Z of the Procurement Office of the Federal Ministry of the Interior. “The new shop solution will consistently advance the digitization of the public sector’s ordering process and establish a future-proof foundation.“
***
About Eviden Eviden is a next-gen technology leader in data-driven, trusted and sustainable digital transformation with a strong portfolio of patented technologies. With worldwide leading positions in advanced computing, security, AI, cloud and digital platforms, it provides deep expertise for all industries in more than 47 countries. Bringing together 41,000 world-class talents, Eviden expands the possibilities of data and technology across the digital continuum, now and for generations to come. Eviden is an Atos Group company with an annual revenue of c. € 5 billion.
About Atos
Atos is a global leader in digital transformation with c. 74,000 employees and annual revenue of c. € 10 billion. European number one in cybersecurity, cloud and high-performance computing, the Group provides tailored end-to-end solutions for all industries in 68 countries. A pioneer in decarbonization services and products, Atos is committed to a secure and decarbonized digital for its clients. Atos is a SE (Societas Europaea) and listed on Euronext Paris.
The purpose of Atos is to help design the future of the information space. Its expertise and services support the development of knowledge, education and research in a multicultural approach and contribute to the development of scientific and technological excellence. Across the world, the Group enables its customers and employees, and members of societies at large to live, work and develop sustainably, in a safe and secure information space.
Bindi Irwin has reportedly been rushed to hospital in the United States to undergo emergency surgery for a ruptured appendix.
According to brother Robert Irwin, “she’s going to be OK”, however the 26-year-old was forced to miss an annual gala event honouring her late father Steve Irwin.
So what is the role of the appendix, and in what circumstances can it rupture? Here’s what you need to know about appendicitis.
What is the appendix?
The appendix is a finger-like pouch attached to the large intestine. It can be found on the right of our lower abdomen.
For a long time, there was a theory that the appendix was an evolutionary remnant which may have played a role in our ancestors’ digestion, but wasn’t overly useful for modern humans following contemporary diets.
However emerging research has shown the appendix could play a role in the body’s immune function and microbiome, particularly in the gut. The gut microbiome may be disrupted by infection or antibiotics and the appendix may help the gut flora replenish and recover.
That said, most people who need to have their appendix removed to treat appendicitis do completely fine without it.
What is appendicitis, and what are the symptoms?
Appendicitis is typically a bacterial infection. Most commonly, appendicitis starts with blockage of the appendix, caused for example by a hardened piece of stool or swelling. Once blocked, bacteria in the appendix are not cleared as normal, but build up. In turn this leads to inflammation and infection of the appendix, and in some instances the appendix can burst or rupture.
The more time that elapses before someone with appendicitis is treated, the greater the risk the appendix may rupture.
Rupture is more common in children, accounting for roughly one-quarter of all cases. This is especially so for younger children, who might not have the words to describe their symptoms and might not show the classic signs, both of which can delay diagnosis.
But even in adults, sometimes the symptoms can be hard to discern from other things.
Typically, early symptoms of appendicitis can be vague, and can easily be mistaken for something else, such as viral gastroenteritis. They might include a lack of appetite, vomiting, diarrhoea, low grade fever, together with general tummy pain around the belly button.
Over hours or days the pain increases in severity and becomes localised to the right lower part of the abdomen.
How common is appendicitis?
Across the country, more than 40,000 Australians are hospitalised with appendicitis each year. The condition is responsible for around 180 of every 100,000 hospitalisations.
It’s estimated that about one in 12–15 people will experience appendicitis in their lifetime.
Appendicitis is more common in children and young people. The “peak” age group for appendicitis is between about age 10 and 30, but it can certainly happen in other age groups too.
For the most part the diagnosis of appendicitis is made clinically – in other words, by talking to the patient and examining them. There may be a role for blood tests and scans to help make the diagnosis, but these tests may not be able to distinguish between appendicitis and other causes of abdominal pain.
For most people, appendicitis is treated with a surgery called an appendicectomy (where the appendix is removed) together with intravenous antibiotics.
Some people may be treated only with antibiotics. However research suggests removing the appendix, alongside antibiotics, is more effective.
Nowadays an appendicectomy is generally a keyhole (or laproscopic) surgery, meaning it’s minimally invasive, doesn’t leave a big scar, and sees patients back on their feet sooner.
Some patients will be able to be discharged from hospital the day after surgery, while others will stay a few days. Hospital-in-the-home is a positive alternative which can help patients get home sooner, even many children treated for a ruptured appendix.
An appendicectomy can be performed whether the appendix has burst or not. But the surgery is more complex, and the recovery longer, if the appendix has ruptured.
For a minority of people, appendicitis can have complications, for example infections and scars inside the abdomen or at the site of surgery. Untreated, appendicitis can be life-threatening and even in the setting of well-organised health systems such as ours in Australia, there are instances of death due to appendicitis. This is thankfully rare, with mortality rates as low as 0.02% of appendicetomies performed in Australia.
Fortunately, for most people, a bout of appendicitis and its treatment with surgery does not leave a long-lasting legacy and a return to full health and life is a few quieter weeks away. Hopefully this will be the case for Bindi Irwin, and we join the rest of Australia in wishing her a quick and complete recovery.
Warwick Teague does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Press release
England’s peatlands mapped for first time in major step towards their recovery
England’s most in-depth peatland map shows the extent, depth and condition of our peatlands
Scientific first made possible due to satellite imagery, AI and in-depth data analysis showing the extent, depth and condition of our peatlands
Data reveals that around 80% of England’s peatlands are in dry and degraded states, but targeted mapping will now help aid their recovery
Restoring 55% of peatland would have a value of around £50 billion in reduced carbon emissions alongside benefits for water storage and purification
Scientists have mapped England’s peatlands to a level of extraordinary detail never achieved before – revealing their worrying, degraded state and need for recovery.
The England Peat Map launched today (Saturday 10th May) is the most complete map of England’s peatlands and peaty soils to date and one’s of the world’s most comprehensive peat maps in existence. Our peatlands are a critical natural resource providing essential public goods such as carbon sequestration , water purification and storage – helping protect communities from flooding.
The map models the extent, depth, and important aspects of the condition of our peat, including vegetation, and even shows gullies and man-made and natural drainage channels and has been produced using cutting edge techniques.
Researchers used AI, satellite data from the European Space Agency, individual data sets from field surveys and modelled to identify the likelihood of peaty soils, and marks a step change in our ability to make decisions about land use and target conservation activities where they’re most needed.
The map, published alongside key research, shows:
Peaty soil covers roughly 8.5% of England’s surface
Around 80% of England’s peatlands are in dry and degraded states, making this an area in need of urgent action
Around three quarters of our peat is covered by plants and land use types associated with dryer conditions such as heather, while only 1% is covered by important peat forming plants such as sphagnum moss
The most extensive peatland habitat is to be found across the Pennines, North York Moors, parts of the Lake District, and in the uplands of the South West.
The findings present a worrying picture of widely degraded peat from the blanket bog most associated with our northern uplands to the lowland deep peat found most commonly in the fens of the East England.
Degraded peat also emits carbon, meaning that our peatlands are releasing carbon into the atmosphere and helping drive global heating. Understanding how much peat we have is the first step to calculating how much carbon it holds and how much it’s releasing – vital information as we work together to combat climate change.
The open source map available today on gov.uk will empower land managers and key decision makers to better understand and restore the nation’s peatland– for example, blocking drainage channels to re-wet the land and support better informed decisions on how to effectively balance biodiversity and carbon storage with food security in some of England’s most fertile farmland.
Restoring peatland will bring benefits for nature, communities, and the wider economy. Estimates suggest restoring 55% of peatland to near-natural condition will have a value of around £50 billion in reduced carbon emissions, while their value as a source of drinking water and recreation space is worth many hundreds of millions of pounds.
Natural England’s Chief Scientist Dr Sallie Bailey said:
Trying to map something that’s largely underground, changes in volume depending whether it’s rained recently, and tries to swallow you up every time you set foot in it comes with its challenges, which makes this map extraordinary in its accomplishment and something of a global first.
Mapping peat to this level of detail will help us maximise the benefits of peat and massively advances our understanding the role our peatlands are playing in a changing climate.
Natural England Chair Tony Juniper said:
The benefits of healthy peatlands are well documented – they are our biggest natural carbon stores, essential to the water cycle, and refuge to some of our rarest plants and wildlife, such as the carnivorous sundew plant, marsh violet, and charismatic birds like golden plover and curlew.
The England Peat Map will allow us to make far better and more informed decisions when it comes to managing peatlands – targeting restoration efforts to the most degraded peat and identifying the best opportunities for nature recovery.
Nature Minister Mary Creagh said:
Our peatlands are this country’s Amazon Rainforest and in desperate need of restoration and protection, as this mapping and research work starkly demonstrates.
That is why we have announced up to £400m for nature restoration, including of our peatlands, and are consulting on new plans to extend the ban on burning deep peat. This government, as part of our Plan for Change, are committed to expanding nature-rich habitats and turning the tide on nature’s decline after years of neglect.
The annual Service of Remembrance will be held at the Hammond Memorial for all those who so tragically lost their lives during the occupation of the Island between 1940-1945.
It is an opportunity to reflect upon the hardship and the suffering of those whose lives were cut short by the cruelties at the hands of the occupying forces. There are constant reminders across the Island of those dark days. The Service will be held at 4pm on Sunday 18 th May at the Hammond Memorial.
All faiths on the Island will be represented, along with members of our community and young people from our school. The Service will be even more poignant this year, given the terrible suffering that is being endured by the people of the Ukraine.
By attending this Service we can demonstrate as a community our support for the brave people fighting on behalf of democratic principles enjoyed by all civilized societies. Attending the Service on Sunday will be representatives of the Collectif Saint-Jean, 24 Janvier 1943 (Saint-Jean Association 24 January 1943).
At the request of the Association a plaque has recently been added to the existing plaques at the Hammond Memorial to honour the residents of Marseille, who were rounded up in January 1934, some of whom 2 were transported to Alderney during the Occupation. A representative of the Association will lay a wreath in their memory.
All are welcome to demonstrate the importance of the event both here and across the world.
Ends
Please contact Gill Trousdale in the President’s Office by email president.alderney@gov.gg or telephone 01481 820001
Deadline of January 2026 for voters to update their details, or have their postal vote option cancelled
Letters are being sent from today to all registered postal voters in Leeds who need to renew their details to be able to continue to vote that way.
New rules introduced by the government’s Elections Act 2022 mean postal voters need to renew their application to vote by post every three years. A deadline to do so of January 31 2026 is in place for anyone who applied to vote by post before October 31 2023. Failure to update their details by the January expiry date means voters will have their postal vote option cancelled.
After initially contacting postal voters in March by email, where possible, the remainder of the more than 156,000 registered postal voters in Leeds are to be sent letters by Leeds City Council’s elections team from today with information about what they need to do to complete the process.
As part of the changes introduced by the government, all postal vote applications must contain the applicant’s name, address, date of birth, national insurance number and a clear image of their signature.
Their identity will be verified against records held by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). If this check fails, the applicant must provide further evidence of their identity.
Electoral Registration Officer and chief executive of Leeds City Council Ed Whiting said:
“It is very important postal voters in Leeds take note of this letter which will be arriving this week, and make sure their details are updated to remain able to vote that way.
“These changes have been brought in nationally by the government. The process only takes a few minutes to do online if you have your details and a clear image of your signature ready. We would encourage all registered postal voters to carry out this process while they remember now in order to avoid any potential problems using their preferred voting method in future elections.”
After a fallow year for local elections in Leeds this year, the next scheduled local government elections in Leeds will be held on Thursday 7 May 2026.
The new session starts after the summer holidays. For the first time, lessons will be held in a game format. The lessons are united by a common plot that unfolds in the city of finance. Schoolchildren and students will help superheroes during the game.
“Online lessons on financial literacy have been held for 10 years. Of course, there is a need to update them to keep up with the times. We studied the opinions of teachers and students, experimented with different approaches. In one of the pilot lessons, schoolchildren helped residents of a magical city cope with inflation, solving interactive problems along the way. This game-like presentation of educational material increases the interest of schoolchildren and helps them learn complex topics. Therefore, we decided to develop the idea of a game format and expect that this will also lead to an increase in our audience,” said Mikhail Mamuta, Head of the Service for the Protection of Consumer Rights and Ensuring the Availability of Financial Services of the Bank of Russia.
During the completed spring session, more than 850 live broadcasts were held on 29 topics of financial literacy and career guidance. Almost 55% of Russian schools and more than 60% of colleges and technical schools joined the classes. In the spring, online lessons were viewed more than 3 million times.
One of the most popular topics of the completed session was financial security: lessons on combating cyber fraud gained more than 380 thousand views. Thus, representatives of the Bank of Russia told schoolchildren and students how to protect themselves from fraudsters and not become a dropper.
The Bank of Russia has been conducting online lessons on financial literacy since 2015. Follow the project news on the website.
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.
Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect
Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
In the new regions, as part of a comprehensive program for the development and modernization of housing and utilities, among a number of activities, work continues to renew worn-out heat and water supply facilities, and new ones are being built. Thus, in Severodonetsk, specialists have begun building the 80th Anniversary of Victory boiler house. This was reported by Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin.
“This boiler house with a symbolic name confirms that in general in the new regions we are moving in the right direction, creating conditions for people that will provide them with a comfortable peaceful life. Severodonetsk is being restored, a master plan for the city and agglomeration has been developed, so it is necessary to lay down capacities for the communal infrastructure for their development. According to calculations, the 80th Anniversary of Victory boiler house will warm residents of about 360 houses, as well as 14 social facilities,” the Deputy Prime Minister said.
The capacity of the new boiler house will be 58 MW. Construction is being carried out under the supervision of the Territorial Development Fund.
“To date, the FRT has replaced more than 30 km of heating networks in Severodonetsk, and plans to modernize another 40 km of pipes by the end of 2025. In addition, the boiler houses of the 71st and 83rd microdistricts have been restored. We plan to launch the new boiler house under construction, the 80th Anniversary of Victory, in pilot operation mode by the next autumn-winter season and begin supplying heat to residents,” said the fund’s general director, Ilshat Shagiakhmetov.
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.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Angie Craig (MN-02)
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Representative Angie Craig recently introduced a bipartisan bill to eliminate tax breaks for pharmaceutical companies on prescription drug advertising. The bipartisanNo Handouts for Drug Advertisements Act would eliminate the tax deduction companies can claim for pharmaceutical marketing and promotional expenses related to advertising on television, radio, social media and other common platforms.
The bill was co-introduced by Reps. Greg Murphy (R-NC), Nick Begich (R-AK) and Hillary Scholten (D-MI).
“We shouldn’t be cutting taxes for Big Pharma – especially for spending on direct-to-consumer advertisements that may lead to overprescribing and massive profits for drug companies,” said Rep. Craig. “It’s time we start holding Big Pharma accountable and investing in lower health care costs for consumers.”
In 2023, overall pharmaceutical expenditures in the US grew13.6% compared to 2022, for a total of $722.5 billion. The U.S. Government Accountability Office found that nearly all direct-to-consumer (DTC) spending was on brand-name drugs, with about two-thirds concentrated on 39 drugs. The industry spent approximately $6 billion per year on U.S. DTC advertising.
The Campaign for Sustainable Rx Pricing estimatesthat prohibiting pharmaceutical advertising could increase federal tax revenues by $1.5 to $1.7 billion annually from 10 of the largest pharmaceutical companies operating in the U.S.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Angie Craig (MN-02)
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Representative Angie Craig led 89 of her Congressional colleagues in blasting the Administration’s decision to eliminate critical Head Start programs that promote early childhood development and ease the burden of child care on working families.
In a letter to President Donald Trump and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., the lawmakers demanded answers from the Administration about how they intend to fill the gap left by the potential elimination of Head Start and support students, teachers and parents who benefit from these programs.
“A shutdown of Head Start programming would have devastating, far-reaching impacts for nearly half a million children, families and local communities,” the Members wrote. “Over 800,000 children benefit from attending 17,000 Head Start Centers across the country, strengthening their early education and providing developmental screenings.”
“Additionally, the National Head Start Association estimates that more than one million parents who use Head Start and Early Start centers would lose necessary child care, impacting their ability to attend in-person work, causing further workforce disruptions,” the Members continued. “The impacts of these cuts would be generational and long-lasting.”
The Members concluded, “While we share the Administration’s goal of rooting out waste and abuse in government, attempting to defund early education programming and indiscriminately attacking our nation’s most vulnerable families is not the appropriate way to increase government efficiency.”
Rep. Craig has long fought to protect education in Minnesota and across the country. She has been a fierce criticof the Administration’s efforts to defund the Department of Education.
This Congress, she co-sponsored theDepartment of Education Protection Act, which would prohibit Congressional funds from being used to fire agency workers or drastically alter the Department of Education. She also led a joint resolution opposing cuts to the Department of Education and condemning any Congressional or Executive action that attempts to dismantle the Department.
In a show of support for Minnesota’s educators and in opposition to the Administration’s proposed cuts to education funding, Rep. Craig invited Education Minnesota President Denise Specht as her guest to this year’s State of the Union.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
News story
Government announces confirmed Chair and Board appointments to the S4C Board
Delyth Evans is confirmed as the new Chair of S4C. Denise Lewis Poulton is reappointed and five new appointments have been made to the Board.
Delyth Evan
Delyth Evans’ term as Chair commenced on 1 May 2025 and will last for 4 years. Delyth Evans appeared before the Welsh Affairs Committee on Wednesday 23rd April for pre- appointment scrutiny. The Committee published their report on Friday 25 April, endorsing the appointment. The Government’s response to the Committee’s report was published on 30 April 2025.
This process for appointing the Chair of S4C is set out in the Broadcasting Act 1990.
Ministers were assisted in their decision-making by an Advisory Assessment Panel which included a departmental official and a senior independent panel member approved by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. The Welsh Government and UK Government Wales office were also represented on the Panel.
Delyth has declared she worked as a speechwriter for John Smith MP, Leader of the Labour Party between 1992-94. She worked as a special adviser to Alun Michael, First Minister of the Welsh Assembly between 1999-2000. She became a Member of the Welsh Assembly, representing the Mid and West Wales constituency for the Labour Party, between 2000-2003. She stood as a Labour Parliamentary Candidate for the Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire Constituency at the 2015 General Election. She has not undertaken any political activity since 2015.
Denise Lewis Poulton is reappointed to the Board
Denise is an experienced non-executive director, trustee and senior advisor to private, public and third sector bodies. She specialises in strategic communications, brand and corporate affairs. She spent her corporate career primarily as a senior director at international telecommunications companies such as Bell Canada plc, Cable & Wireless Communications plc and Orange plc. She went on to set up a consultancy business advising a number of cultural, media and public sector organisations including the Welsh Government, The Senedd S4C and the Millennium Centre in Cardiff.
Denise is a Trustee of the National Lottery Heritage Fund and National Heritage Memorial Fund and Chair of the Wales Committee. She has also chaired the NLHF’s Grant-in-Aid programme on behalf of Welsh Government. She has served as a Trustee and Non-Executive Director with several charitable and national cultural organisations including The Welsh National Opera, the Hay Literary Festival and The Wallace Collection in London. She is an Honorary Lifetime Fellow of BAFTA.
Five new Board Members have been appointed to the Board of S4C
William Dyfrig Davies
William Dyfrig Davies is an experienced leader in the Welsh media industry with 30 years of experience in radio, television, and digital content creation. Starting as a researcher, he was trained as Director, Producer, Executive Producer, and ultimately Managing Director of Telesgop Independent Media Company before retiring earlier this year. Davies played a key role in TAC (Independent TV Production Association) for many years, serving as Chair for over three years. His extensive expertise in the Welsh production sector equips him to tackle the challenges faced by industry professionals. He is experienced in dealing with broadcasters, politicians and industry leaders. He chaired the Urdd, the youth movement of Wales, where he honed skills in guiding organizations through strategic changes during the covid pandemic. He remains a trustee and believes strongly in promoting opportunities for the youth of Wales.
A strong advocate for S4C’s independence, Dyfrig Davies believes in its vital role in promoting Welsh language, culture, and the economy. His interests lie in Welsh culture and sports. Recently, he returned to his roots to support family businesses in west Wales.
William Dyfrig Davies declared he has canvassed in the past on behalf of Plaid Cymru for county council/local authority, Senedd and Parliament elections, but not for at least 10 years.
Dr Gwennllian Lansdown-Davies
Dr Gwenllian Lansdown Davies is originally from Bangor but now lives with her husband and four children in Llanerfyl, Powys. After being elected to represent Riverside on Cardiff County Council in 2004, she worked as Office Manager for Leanne Wood MS in the Rhondda before being appointed Plaid Cymru’s Chief Executive in 2007. After working for the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol at Aberystwyth University, she became Chief Executive of Mudiad Meithrin (a voluntary organisation and main provider and enabler of Welsh- medium early years childcare and education in the voluntary sector with over 1000 settings all over the country) in 2014.
Gwenllian is on the Board of the Commission for Tertiary Education and Research and the National Lottery Fund in Wales and volunteers at her local Cylch Meithrin on the committee as the RI.
Dr Gwenllian Lansdown Davies declared she obtained office as a Plaid Cymru Councillor (2004-2011), Stood as a candidate for Plaid Cymru where she stood for the last time in 2008 as Councillor and MEP and has spoken on behalf of the Plaid Cymru CEO until 2011. She has acted as a political agent for the Plaid Cymru CEO until 2011 and was a branch official. She has also canvassed on behalf of the party until 2011.
Catryn Ramasut
Catryn Ramasut is a strategic leader and entrepreneurial media practitioner with over 25 years of experience in the creative industries and arts organisations. A Cardiff-born, Welsh-speaking woman of mixed heritage, she brings a unique perspective to Wales’s cultural landscape. Catryn co-founded and served as Managing Director of award-winning ie ie productions, producing acclaimed films like “American Interior” and “Rockfield: The Studio on the Farm,” alongside critically recognised television content. Recently, she co-produced “Brides,” which premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.
She represents Wales on the DCMS Creative Industries Council, was the inaugural Chair of Creative Wales, Welsh Government and a board member of Chapter Arts Centre. Catryn has recently been appointed Director of Arts at Arts Council of Wales, where she provides strategic leadership across the sector. Committed to revitalising Wales’s creative industries, Catryn combines cultural sensitivity with strategic innovation to develop a forward-thinking vision that embraces diversity, nurtures talent, and showcases Welsh creativity on the international stage.
Catryn has declared she has applied independently but has no other political activity.
Wyn Innes
Wyn is a Chartered Accountant, who trained with Grant Thornton and Price Waterhouse with over 30 years experience working in both the Public and Private Sectors. He is currently Chief Financial Officer and Board Director of Ogi, Wales’s largest independent full fibre broadband business.
Previously Wyn worked in both London and Cardiff in executive, financial and commercial roles. He was Managing Director of S4C’s commercial companies for 7 years. This included being CEO of SDN, a Digital Television Multiplex Company which he oversaw the sale of to ITV. Wyn was born in Cardiff and attended Bryntaf Cardiff’s only Welsh language Primary school at the time, and Ysgol Gyfun Llanhari. He is passionate about extending the role of the Welsh language and sees S4C as having a pivotal role in this endeavour. Married with three grown up children, in his spare time he enjoys playing cricket, golf and running whenever he can.
Wyn Innes declared he has undertaken no political activity.
Betsan Powys
Betsan Powys was, for nearly three decades, a BBC journalist, a news and current affairs reporter and for some years, a member of the ITV Wales Current Affairs team. She won BT and BAFTA Wales journalism awards and became part of the prestigious BBC Panorama reporting team, before returning to Cardiff to cover the impact of devolution as BBC Wales Political Editor. She was responsible for leading BBC Wales’ election and referendum broadcasting for many years, appearing regularly on both network television and radio. Betsan became Editor of Welsh language radio and online services and subsequently, a BBC Wales board member. For some years now she’s been working as a freelance and is proud to have been honoured with fellowships of Aberystwyth University and the Radio Academy.
Betsan Powys has declared she has undertaken no political activity.
Notes to Editors
S4C (Sianel Pedwar Cymru, meaning “Channel 4 Wales”) is a British Welsh-language free-to-air television channel.
The Chair of S4C is remunerated at £40,000 per annum and the time commitment will be equivalent to an average of two days a week.
The Board members of S4C are remunerated at £9,650 per annum and the time commitment is on average of one day a week.The Broadcasting Act sets out how the Chair will be appointed.
DCMS has around 400 regulated Public Appointment roles across 42 Public Bodies including Arts Council England, Theatres Trust, the National Gallery, UK Sport and the Gambling Commission. We encourage applications from talented individuals from all backgrounds and across the whole of the United Kingdom. To find out more about Public Appointments or to apply visit the HM Government Public Appointments Website.
NHS Grampian has been escalated to Stage 4 of NHS Scotland’s National Performance Framework for finance, leadership and governance.
This follows concerns about the board’s financial position, plans, leadership and governance and the impact these may have on the delivery of local services.
The Scottish Government will oversee the development and delivery of NHS Grampian’s Improvement Plan to address concerns in spending.
Health Secretary Neil Gray said:
“Staff in NHS Grampian continue to work tirelessly to deliver the high quality care we expect. However there are continuing concerns about financial management and associated operational pressures.
“Escalation to Stage 4 will bring enhanced scrutiny and support from the Scottish Government and we will work with Grampian to ensure sustained improvement. This will include a whole system diagnostic to be carried out by an external consultancy to help inform a tailored package of support.
“I am confident that, through these actions, we will soon have a clear plan to stabilise the system and set the right conditions for the necessary, longer term transformational work – with the key aim being to ensure the sustainable delivery of high quality healthcare services for the benefit of local people.”
Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
From January 1, 2026, Russia will begin implementing the updated Concept for the Sustainable Development of Indigenous Peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East until 2036. The order approving it was signed by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.
The main goals of the concept are the economic, social and cultural development of indigenous peoples, the preservation of their original territories of residence, as well as support for their traditional way of life, economic activity and culture.
Thus, work on preserving the original territories of residence of small peoples implies monitoring the ecological state of such places, as well as taking into account the interests of indigenous peoples when implementing infrastructure projects. Representatives of the peoples of the North should be involved in public hearings and environmental assessments when developing federal and regional programs for the development of natural resources.
Support for traditional economic activities and trades of indigenous peoples is supposed to be carried out by improving the mechanisms for their priority use of hunting and fishing grounds. In addition, it is necessary to promote products of traditional trades on the domestic and foreign markets. Other areas include the development of the tourism industry and grant support for small and medium entrepreneurs.
The creation of a comfortable and safe living environment will proceed in several directions at once. One of them is improving the quality of communications and providing access to the Internet. Another is expanding the network of multifunctional public service centers, including by organizing mobile teams of MFC specialists. This also includes the development of a network of medical institutions, organizing medical examinations and medical check-ups, expanding the use of telemedicine technologies and mobile forms of assistance.
A separate section of the concept is devoted to ensuring accessibility of education. Such work, in particular, involves providing schools in areas where indigenous peoples live with modern equipment and textbooks in their native languages. A new vector of work is supporting the languages of small peoples in the information and digital space. This means creating keyboard layouts, electronic dictionaries, online translators and search engines.
A special place is occupied by the topic of preserving the ethnocultural heritage and traditions of the peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East. The events of this section include preserving and popularizing cultural heritage objects and intangible ethnocultural heritage objects (legends, songs, rituals). In addition, assistance will be provided to the activities of theaters and folk groups that use native languages in their performances. Fundamental and applied scientific research in the field of history, culture, and ethnography of small peoples will receive state support.
The Federal Agency for Nationalities Affairs, together with other interested government bodies, has been tasked with developing an action plan for implementing the concept within six months.
The previous concept for the sustainable development of indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East, the implementation of which will continue until the end of 2025, was approved in 2009.
The document will be published.
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.
Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Dmitry Chernyshenko and General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam To Lam greeted the participants of the Russian-Vietnamese business forum. Also in their presence, the start of work was given to the plant for the production and processing of dairy products of the company “TH True Milk” in the Kaluga region.
The event took place as part of To Lam’s official visit to Russia. Earlier, on May 10, negotiations between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Secretary General took place in the Kremlin.
The forum featured speeches by representatives of VTB Bank, AFK Sistema, and the Cyberus Foundation for the Development of Effective Cybersecurity.
Dmitry Chernyshenko thanked the Vietnamese delegation for participating in the festive events dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory. He quoted President Vladimir Putin as saying that relations between Russia and Vietnam continue to develop steadily in the spirit of equality, mutual respect and consideration of each other’s interests.
This year our countries celebrate a significant date – 75 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations. As was indicated at the recent meeting of To Lam with the Chairman of the Russian Government Mikhail Mishustin, today special attention is paid to increasing trade and economic cooperation and increasing mutual trade turnover between Russia and Vietnam.
“We see how much Vietnam has achieved in these areas
in recent years. By the end of 2024, the GDP growth rate exceeded 7%, and the country’s trade turnover approached the $800 billion mark. The Russian economy is also showing high growth rates: by the end of last year – more than 4.1%. Today, the demand of the state and business for increasing economic ties, including with our friendly Vietnam, is obvious. The key tasks of our bilateral cooperation are mutual investments and the implementation of specific projects. We need to create the most favorable climate for the fruitful work of Russian and Vietnamese companies in the markets of both countries,” said the Russian Deputy Prime Minister.
The Free Trade Agreement has been in force between Russia and Vietnam for almost 10 years. It provides duty-free access to almost all groups of goods. Especially in such important positions as dairy products, meat, wheat, fertilizers and cars. It is important to come to a joint decision on how to use this agreement even more effectively.
Dmitry Chernyshenko also noted the Comprehensive Cooperation Plan for the period up to 2030 signed in January: “It was this strategic document that allowed us to agree on joint measures and new mechanisms for cooperation on projects in the scientific sphere, energy and mechanical engineering, which will lead to an almost threefold increase in trade turnover between our countries – up to 15 billion dollars by 2030.”
Cooperation is developing on the digital track: “Vietnam is the leader in terms of growth rates of the digital economy and e-commerce. Russia offers the best solutions in the field of digital technologies, industrial software and telecommunications. The work of the joint Center for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Technologies in Hanoi has already been launched,” the Russian Deputy Prime Minister said.
In agriculture, Russia and Vietnam not only successfully carry out mutual deliveries of food products, but are already localizing production.
Dmitry Chernyshenko also highlighted cooperation in the tourism sector: “According to the Ministry of Economic Development, following the results of the first quarter of 2025, Russia came out on top in terms of growth rates of tourist flow to Vietnam – 110%. We are creating comfortable conditions for your tourists in Russia. An electronic visa for Vietnamese citizens has been launched, and we are increasingly adapting the service sector to their wishes. We will increase the length of stay, for example, with an electronic visa to 30 days. We are expanding the geography of flights of Russian airlines to Vietnamese cities. We sincerely thank the Vietnamese side for the fact that on May 8, with the participation of the Secretary General, the flight program of Vietnam Airlines from Hanoi to Moscow was resumed. I am confident that this will allow us to qualitatively improve the level of our relations in the tourism industry!” he said.
The Deputy Prime Minister invited Vietnamese partners to take part in the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum and the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok in 2025.
To Lam stressed the importance of economic cooperation between Vietnam and Russia. According to him, the parties reached an agreement to expand investment volumes to $15 billion. To Lam called on business circles of both countries to actively conclude contracts and agreements within the framework of the business forum in order to maximize the benefits in all areas: investment, trade, and scientific and technical cooperation. He also expressed Vietnam’s interest in deepening partnership relations with Russia in such sectors as agriculture, energy, industry, mechanical engineering, and information technology. He specifically mentioned the great potential for cooperation in energy and agriculture.
In conclusion, the Secretary General thanked the Russian Government for providing conditions for Vietnamese investors and businessmen aimed at developing tourism in Russia.
In the presence of Dmitry Chernyshenko and To Lam, a ceremony of exchanging bilateral documents between Russian and Vietnamese companies took place. Among them are the Agreement on Cooperation between the National Research University Higher School of Economics and the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, as well as the Memorandum of Understanding, Strategic Cooperation for 2025-2026 for the purpose of jointly promoting Vietnam as a tourist destination and Vinpearl products between Anex Tour LLC and Vinpearl.
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.
Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
The official ceremony of transferring the research vessel Professor Gagarinsky to the joint Russian-Vietnamese Tropical and Technological Center.
On May 11, a ceremonial handover of the research vessel Professor Gagarinsky to the joint Russian-Vietnamese Tropical and Technological Center took place in Vladivostok. On May 12, Russian scientists and a Vietnamese crew will set off on their first joint voyage, during which marine research will be conducted along the route from Vladivostok to Haiphong.
Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, Co-Chairman of the Russian-Vietnamese Intergovernmental Commission Dmitry Chernyshenko sent a welcoming address to the event participants. He recalled that 2025 marks 75 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, and quoted Russian President Vladimir Putin, who emphasized that relations between Russia and Vietnam continue to “develop progressively in the spirit of equality, mutual respect and consideration of each other’s interests.”
“Bilateral cooperation has been established in various areas, including science and technology. A Memorandum has been signed on the implementation of the project to create a Nuclear Science and Technology Center in Vietnam. The Hanoi branch of the Pushkin Russian Language Institute will be actively developed. We will also continue to equip the joint Russian-Vietnamese Tropical Center. The transfer of this modern vessel will allow us to conduct joint research in the waters of Vietnam and study current problems of the marine environment,” the Deputy Prime Minister of Russia noted.
The ceremony to hand over the vessel was attended by Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation Konstantin Mogilevsky, Deputy Minister of National Defense of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Hoang Xuan Tien, members of the Bureau of the Intergovernmental Coordination Committee of the Tropical Center, representatives of the scientific and maritime communities of Vladivostok and descendants of Corresponding Member of the USSR Academy of Sciences Yuri Vladimirovich Gagarinsky, after whom the vessel was named.
“Many natural processes that are significant for humanity are particularly pronounced in the tropical zone. It is important for us that Russian scientists have the opportunity to work there on a permanent basis. And our joint Russian-Vietnamese Tropical Center, which received the vessel today, gives scientific teams from our countries the opportunity to work in these places. In this way, we open up new opportunities for our scientists,” said Konstantin Mogilevsky.
The decision to transfer the research vessel to the Tropical Center was made in January 2025 – an intergovernmental agreement between the Russian Ministry of Education and Science and the Vietnamese Ministry of Defense was signed in Hanoi in the presence of Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Tinh. The Tropical Center plans to expand comprehensive marine environmental research in Vietnam’s territorial waters and develop a corresponding scientific program for the coming year.
The R/V Professor Gagarinsky is equipped with geophysical and hydrographic laboratories, a workshop for repairing pneumatic sources, and rooms for office processing and electric compressors. Given the size of the vessel, researchers can carry out work on it both in the open sea and in the coastal zone.
“The transfer of the vessel is a symbol of traditional friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and Russia. In just 10 days, “Professor Gagarinsky” will arrive in the port of Haiphong. And scientists from the Tropical Center will have the opportunity to conduct research in remote waters of the sea of Vietnam. We undertake to use the vessel as efficiently as possible and achieve new scientific results,” said Deputy Minister of National Defense of Vietnam Hoang Xuan Tien.
As a gesture of friendship, the Vietnamese side decided to leave the name of Yuri Vladimirovich Gagarinsky, a Soviet chemist and corresponding member of the USSR Academy of Sciences, on the ship transferred by Russia.
Recall that the day before, Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam To Lam. The parties outlined ways to further advance the comprehensive strategic partnership in various areas, including scientific and technological cooperation.
During the meeting, a ceremony of exchanging signed documents between Russia and Vietnam took place. Among them are agreements concluded during a working meeting between Valery Falkov and the Minister of Science and Technology of Vietnam Nguyen Manh Hung.
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.
MIAMI, May 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Hut 8 Corp. (Nasdaq | TSX: HUT) (“Hut 8” or the “Company”), an energy infrastructure platform integrating power, digital infrastructure, and compute at scale to fuel next-generation, energy-intensive use cases such as Bitcoin mining and high-performance computing, today announced that its majority-owned subsidiary, American Bitcoin, has entered into a definitive merger agreement to go public with Gryphon Digital Mining, Inc. (Nasdaq: GRYP) (“Gryphon”) pursuant to which Gryphon will acquire American Bitcoin in a stock-for-stock merger transaction.
Upon closing, the combined company will operate under the American Bitcoin brand, led by the American Bitcoin board of directors, including Mike Ho, Asher Genoot, Justin Mateen, and Michael Broukhim, and management team, including Mike Ho, Matt Prusak, and Eric Trump. The combined company is expected to trade on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol “ABTC.” The transaction is expected to close as early as Q3 2025.
“This transaction marks the next step in scaling American Bitcoin as a purpose-built vehicle for low-cost Bitcoin accumulation at scale,” said Asher Genoot, CEO of Hut 8. “By taking American Bitcoin public, we expect to unlock direct access to dedicated growth capital independent of Hut 8’s balance sheet, while preserving long-term exposure to Bitcoin upside for our shareholders.”
Existing stockholders of American Bitcoin are expected to own approximately 98% of the combined company. Immediately following the completion of the transaction, the Company will beneficially own a majority of the issued and outstanding capital stock of the combined company.
Following the transaction, Hut 8 will continue to serve as American Bitcoin’s exclusive infrastructure and operations partner through a series of long-term commercial agreements expected to generate stable, contracted revenue streams in Hut 8’s Power and Digital Infrastructure segments.
Additional Transaction Information
American Bitcoin has made available on its website a presentation with additional information concerning the transaction.
Supplemental Materials and Upcoming Communications
For important news and information regarding the Company, including investor presentations and timing of future investor conferences, visit the Investor Relations section of the Company’s website, https://hut8.com/investors, and its social media accounts, including on X and LinkedIn. The Company uses its website and social media accounts as primary channels for disclosing key information to its investors, some of which may contain material and previously non-public information.
About Hut 8
Hut 8 Corp. is an energy infrastructure platform integrating power, digital infrastructure, and compute at scale to fuel next-generation, energy-intensive use cases such as Bitcoin mining and high-performance computing. We take a power-first, innovation-driven approach to developing, commercializing, and operating the critical infrastructure that underpins the breakthrough technologies of today and tomorrow. Our platform spans 1,020 megawatts of energy capacity under management across 15 sites in the United States and Canada: five Bitcoin mining, hosting, and Managed Services sites in Alberta, New York, and Texas, five high performance computing data centers in British Columbia and Ontario, four power generation assets in Ontario, and one non-operational site in Alberta. For more information, visit www.hut8.com and follow us on X at @Hut8Corp.
About American Bitcoin
American Bitcoin is a Bitcoin accumulation platform focused on building American’s Bitcoin infrastructure backbone. A majority-owned subsidiary of Hut 8, the company combines Hut 8’s proven mining operations, cost-efficient infrastructure development capabilities, and disciplined approach to capital allocation with Eric Trump’s commercial acumen, capital markets expertise, and commitment to the advancement of decentralized financial systems. For more information, visit www.americanbtc.com and follow the company on X at @AmericanBTC.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward–Looking Information
This press release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and Rule 175 promulgated thereunder, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and Rule 3b-6 promulgated thereunder, which statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Examples of forward-looking statements, include, but are not limited to, statements relating to the structure, timing, and completion of the proposed transaction between American Bitcoin and Gryphon, the combined company’s listing on Nasdaq after the closing of the proposed transaction, the expected management and board of directors of the combined company, American Bitcoin’s capital markets access, Hut 8’s ability to preserve long-term exposure to Bitcoin upside for its shareholders, Hut 8’s ownership interest in the combined company, Hut 8’s exclusive provision of infrastructure and operations services to American Bitcoin, and the vision, goals, and trajectory of American Bitcoin and the combined company.
Forward-looking statements are not statements of historical fact, but instead represent management’s expectations, estimates, and projections regarding future events based on certain material factors and assumptions at the time the statement was made. While considered reasonable by Hut 8 as of the date of this press release, such statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance, or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to: the occurrence of any event, change, or other circumstances that could give rise to the right of one or both of the parties to terminate the merger agreement; the possibility that the proposed transaction does not close when expected or at all because the conditions to closing are not satisfied on a timely basis or at all, including the failure to timely obtain stockholder approval for the proposed transaction from Gryphon’s stockholders, if at all; risks related to Gryphon’s continued listing on Nasdaq until closing of the proposed transaction; the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against American Bitcoin, Gryphon, or the combined company; the possibility that the anticipated benefits of the proposed transaction to the parties or to Hut 8 are not realized when expected or at all; the possibility that the vision, goals, and trajectory of the combined company are not timely achieved or realized or achieved or realized at all; the possibility that the integration of the two companies may be more difficult, time-consuming or costly than expected; the possibility that the proposed transaction may be more expensive or take longer to complete than anticipated, including as a result of unexpected factors or events; the diversion of management’s attention from ongoing business operations and opportunities; changes in Gryphon’s stock price before closing; and other factors that may affect future results of American Bitcoin, Gryphon, or the combined company. Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described above can be found in Gryphon’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024 and other documents subsequently filed by Gryphon with the Securities Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), and in the Company’s recent and upcoming annual and quarterly reports and other continuous disclosure documents, which are available under the Company’s EDGAR profile at www.sec.gov and SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca.
Additional Information About the Proposed Transaction and Where to Find It
This press release relates to a proposed transaction between American Bitcoin and Gryphon. In connection with the proposed transaction, Gryphon intends to file with the SEC a Registration Statement on Form S-4 (the “Registration Statement) to register the Class A common stock to be issued by Gryphon in connection with the proposed transaction. The Registration Statement will include a proxy statement of Gryphon and a prospectus of Gryphon (the “Proxy Statement/Prospectus”), and each of American Bitcoin and Gryphon may file with the SEC other relevant documents concerning the proposed transaction. After the Registration Statement is declared effective, the definitive Proxy Statement/Prospectus will be sent to the stockholders of Gryphon to seek their approval of the proposed transaction. This press release is not a substitute for the Registration Statement, the Proxy Statement/Prospectus or any other relevant documents that American Bitcoin or Gryphon has filed or will file with the SEC. BEFORE MAKING ANY VOTING OR INVESTMENT DECISION, INVESTORS AND STOCKHOLDERS OF GRYPHON ARE URGED TO CAREFULLY AND ENTIRELY READ THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT AND PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS REGARDING THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS, AS WELL AS ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS TO THOSE DOCUMENTS, IF AND WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE, BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT AMERICAN BITCOIN, GRYPHON, THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION, AND RELATED MATTERS.
A copy of the Registration Statement, Proxy Statement/Prospectus, as well as other relevant documents filed by American Bitcoin and Gryphon with the SEC, may be obtained free of charge, when they become available, at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. You will also be able to obtain these documents free of charge, when they are available, by directing a request to Gryphon’s Investor Relations department at 646-755-7412 or emailing James@HaydenIR.com. The information on the Company’s, American Bitcoin’s, or Gryphon’s respective websites is not, and shall not be deemed to be, a part of this communication or incorporated into other filings either company makes with the SEC.
Participants in the Solicitation
American Bitcoin, Gryphon and certain of their respective directors, executive officers, and employees may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies in connection with the proposed transaction. Information about the directors and executive officers of Gryphon, their ownership of Gryphon common stock, and Gryphon’s transactions with related persons is set forth in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, as filed with the SEC on March 31, 2025, the definitive proxy statement for Gryphon’s 2024 annual meeting of stockholders, as filed with the SEC on August 7, 2024, the definitive proxy statement for Gryphon’s 2025 special meeting of stockholders, as filed with the SEC on April 21, 2025, and other documents that may be filed from time to time with the SEC. Additional information about the directors and executive officers of American Bitcoin and Gryphon and other persons who may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of stockholders of Gryphon in connection with the proposed transaction and a description of their direct and indirect interests will be included in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus related to the proposed transaction or other relevant materials, which will be filed with the SEC. These documents may be obtained free of charge, when they become available, at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov and from Gryphon using the sources indicated above.
No Offer or Solicitation
This communication is for informational purposes only and is not intended to and does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy or sell any securities or the solicitation of any proxy, vote or approval, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act, or in a transaction exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act.
Hut 8 Corp. Investor Relations Sue Ennis ir@hut8.com
Hut 8 Corp. Public Relations Gautier Lemyze-Young media@hut8.com
Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Ekaterina Voznyak and Grand Prix winner Victoria Ivanova
The results of the III National (All-Russian) scientific-practical conference “Architectural Seasons” were summed up at SPbGASU. The conference work was held in four departments-sections, 88 reports were heard.
Each department identified the best speakers who presented their work to the competition jury, which included faculty members of the architecture department and invited experts. However, there were not four but five contenders for the award: the architectural design department nominated two finalists at once.
“The smartest and strongest master’s students of our faculty have gathered here. Representatives of Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University have also come to us. We need to develop, compare our level with others: we will take something from you, and you will take something from us. We will compete, but this will not cancel our deep respect for each other,” said Ekaterina Voznyak, Dean of the Faculty of Architecture, in her welcoming speech.
Associate Professor of the Department of Architectural Design Fyodor Perov announced the opening of a new training program in the Master’s program 07.04.01 Architecture. Architectural Design and Urbanism for the Arctic Zone of Russia since 2025. Fyodor Viktorovich emphasized that the Arctic has become the most important area of development and training at SPbGASU.
During the presentations of the students, the master’s student of SPbGASU Victoria Talavirya presented the results of her dissertation work. She examined the formation of the architectural and design environment of the equestrian complex as a public space (scientific supervisor – associate professor of the landscape architecture department Irina Shkolnikova).
According to Victoria, modern society has faced a number of problems in the environmental, social, and economic spheres, indirectly or directly related to the equestrian industry. Such problems include the deterioration of the physiological and psychological state of the population, the reduction of buffer zones within the city, the destruction of natural landscapes, and the low level of equestrian sports in Russia. As a solution to these problems, the student proposed holding sports events, creating unique public spaces, developing domestic horse breeding, etc.
“The concept of an ideal equestrian complex should be based on the symbiosis of three factors: the creation of a public space that attracts people to equestrian sports; involvement in the culture of ecotourism, promotion of views and ideas that influence attitudes towards ecology; creation of conditions that satisfy all the needs of horses. The results of the dissertation can be used in further theoretical and practical work on the design of multifunctional equestrian complexes. Two scientific articles have been published on the topic of the dissertation research,” said Victoria. Alexandra Sudarikova, a student of the Higher School of Design and Architecture of the St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, presented a report on “Development of Ecotourism Territories in Russia Using the Example of the Republic of Karelia” (supervisor – Associate Professor of the Higher School of Design and Architecture Elena Ladik).
According to Alexandra, domestic tourism is becoming increasingly popular in Russia. At the same time, ecotourism is becoming the most dynamically developing direction, which is due to the desire of modern people for clean and safe recreation, saving resources and preserving the natural environment. Ecotourists prefer recreation in small groups in active interaction with nature, choose environmentally friendly options for transport and accommodation. In this context, Karelia with its unique natural landscapes is one of the most attractive regions.
The student chose the city of Kem, located on the route to the Murmansk Region and the Solovetsky Islands, as the territory for the study. By order of the President of Russia, the Kemsky District and the Belomorsky District are classified as Arctic support settlements.
Alexandra identified the territory for the development of tourist infrastructure and proposed to form additional walking and water routes in the city. In addition, she developed a project proposal for an all-season tourist complex on the riverside territory of the Kem River, which will become a potential point of attraction for city residents and tourists.
Vasilisa Smirnova, a master’s student at SPbGASU, spoke about the regional architectural features of the manor development of the 18th–19th centuries in the city of Toropets in the Tver Region (academic supervisor: associate professor of the Department of Architectural and Urban Heritage Natalia Dubrovina).
There are six estate complexes on the territory of modern Toropets. They are significantly ruined and in a lost state. To find analogues, Vasilisa expanded the boundaries of the study and studied 46 estates where the main house has been preserved. She focused on estates built of stone in the 18th–19th centuries in the classical and eclectic styles.
“Five main types were identified in general according to the volumetric-spatial and compositional solution of the main house. The estates of the city of Toropets turned out to be diverse. They are related to the types of the Pskov, Novgorod, Tver and Smolensk regions. However, the estate has characteristic features of the so-called Toropets Baroque,” the student said.
The author believes that the main results of his project are the organization of points of attraction for local residents and tourists, the design of development zones for children and the improvement of territories.
Master’s student Nikita Milov developed a project for a multifunctional sea terminal in Kandalaksha, Murmansk Region (supervised by associate professors of the Department of Architectural Design Alexey Mikhalychev, Igor Ivanov, Yulia Devyatova and Valeria Supranovich). The topic of the work is based on a fundamental approach to the development of the Far North. The student is confident that Kandalaksha has great tourism potential as a point for sea and river cruises from Moscow and St. Petersburg to Arkhangelsk, Salekhard, Tiksi and further along the northern coast. Kandalaksha can become both a transit point for these routes and create its own package of offers. The routes can be one-day, short-term, medium-term and long-term.
Victoria Ivanova, a student of the Department of Urban Development at SPbGASU, designed a residential area with a multifunctional tourist complex in Monchegorsk, Murmansk Region (scientific supervisors: associate professors of the Department of Architectural Design Fyodor Perov and Alexandra Eremeeva, associate professor and academic secretary of the department Olga Kokorina, senior lecturer Larisa Venatovskaya).
“Based on the urban development analysis, I identified the main hubs of public life in the city, drew up a diagram of the relationship between the main hubs and identified four main sites that were the most promising for development. The choice was made on the territory of the Leningradskaya Embankment with a park near Komsomolskoye Lake and a yacht club. It would seem, what kind of yacht club is there in the north? However, in Monchegorsk, one has existed since the 1950s. In the summer season, sailing competitions and regattas are held annually; in March of this year, the Russian Windsurfing Championship was held. At the same time, the infrastructure of the yacht club is in decline: the building is falling apart, there are vacant lots and chaotically located boathouses and garages around. There is a complex system of residential development in the block. It is mainly represented by outdated Soviet-era buildings in need of renovation.”
According to Victoria, the main urban problems are ecology and population outflow. However, there are recreational resources that can be used wisely.
Victoria proposed creating a single route that would connect four key points – the bus station, the park at Komsomolskoye Lake, Leningradskaya Embankment and the yacht club, which could become a center of attraction not only within the block, but for the entire city. The complex consists of various buildings connected to each other: residential buildings, a hotel, a preserved yacht club building, new and under-construction boathouses, a panoramic restaurant on the water, a building of a water entertainment complex with a water park, an entertainment center, exhibition halls, and a cafe. The water park offers a view of Lake Imandra and the Khibiny Mountains. The architectural appearance was formed in accordance with Sami motifs (the Sami are the indigenous people of the territory).
The author of the project is confident that the multifunctional complex can become an additional vector for the city’s development, slow down the rate of outflow of local residents and increase the flow of tourists to the region.
Alexandra Sudarikova, Vasilisa Smirnova, Victoria Talavirya, Nikita Milov and Victoria Ivanova received first-degree diplomas. Victoria Ivanova also received the Grand Prix.
We wish you further professional success!
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.
Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –
The jubilee, twentieth in a row, military-patriotic rally “Syandeba. Connection of generations” was held in Karelia. It was timed to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War. More than 100 students, teachers and employees of the Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University gathered at the site of bloody battles. This rally has long become the most important tradition for polytechnics – a relay race of memory that young people pass on from generation to generation.
Vice-Rector for Youth Policy and Communication Technologies Maxim Pasholikov visited the scene. He expressed gratitude to the organizers and participants of the gathering, emphasizing the importance of the event in preserving historical memory and passing it on to future generations. This gives an opportunity to touch the fates of the polytechnicians who stood up to defend the Motherland during the Great Patriotic War.
The participants of the rally organized a festive concert dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War. Ceremonial rallies were held. The first one was held at the monument to the soldiers of the 3rd (Vyborg) regiment of the Leningrad division of the people’s militia who died in the battles for the height of 40.0 in August 1941. The ranks of the rallied …
The second rally took place at the Alyosha memorial complex, attended by a delegation from Spain. Together with the polytechnicians, young Spaniards, who also bravely fought against the Nazi invaders, also signed up as volunteers for the 3rd Frunze division of the people’s militia. They fought shoulder to shoulder with our students on the Karelian front and died for this land. The guys planted a young oak tree brought from Guernica, symbolizing fortitude and courage.
According to tradition, the Military History Club “Our Polytechnic” organized a reconstruction of “Syandeba, 1941”. Polytechnicians, dressed in the uniform of Red Army soldiers, fought as student militiamen once fought. Each shot, each fall to the ground is not just an element of the production, but a deep, personal experience of history. Deafening explosions, screams, smoke and shots made the reconstruction not just a spectacle, it became an emotional journey through time, allowing viewers to feel at what cost the Victory was won.
At the gathering, students read real letters from the front of the Polytechnics, helped restore the museum, participated in a military-sports game, went on a walking tour of the places of military glory of the 3rd Frunze Division of the Leningrad People’s Militia, tidied up mass graves, monuments and much more.
Syandeba is not just a point on the map. It is a living memory that we carefully preserve and pass on. Here, among the Karelian forests, each participant of the gathering becomes part of a great history, part of a living connection between generations.
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.
HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam, May 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Cake Digital Bank has become the first digital-only bank in Southeast Asia to achieve ISO/IEC 30107-3 Level 2 certification from iBeta for its facial biometric solution, Cake Face Authen. This certification represents the highest level of facial spoofing protection recognized by iBeta in this technology category.
A Digital Bank Owning Its Core Technology
Cake Face Authen, the bank’s facial biometric and anti-spoofing solution, was fully developed in-house by Cake’s team of Vietnamese engineers. Utilizing Passive Liveness Detection technology, the system verifies a user’s identity without requiring interaction such as blinking, head movements, or facial gestures. Instead, it quickly authenticates a live face using a combination of facial features, ensuring a seamless and secure experience during critical activities such as account opening, transaction approvals, and spending limit upgrades.
According to iBeta’s evaluation, Cake Face Authen demonstrated advanced fraud detection capabilities by successfully identifying sophisticated 3D spoofing attacks—including those using 3D printers, resin masks, and latex masks. The system achieved a 0% Attack Presentation Classification Error Rate (APCER) and 0% Bona Fide Presentation Classification Error Rate (BPCER), ensuring the highest level of accuracy during the eKYC (electronic Know Your Customer) process.
iBeta’s official announcement confirms that Cake is one of only five BFSI (Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance) organizations in Vietnam to obtain ISO/IEC 30107-3 Level 2 certification for facial biometrics. Notably, it is the first digital-only bank in Southeast Asia to be recognized for meeting this highest international standard in biometric security.
Beyond meeting international benchmarks, Cake has optimized its facial recognition technology using a large dataset of Vietnamese users to ensure maximum accuracy and relevance. Its robust protective layers help the bank comply with the State Bank of Vietnam’s security regulations for online banking services, while simultaneously enabling fast, user-friendly transactions.
Thanks to its flexible integration with various data sources and eKYC models, Cake’s facial recognition solution is widely applied across multiple domains—including customer identification, security access control, attendance tracking, and fraud prevention—for partners with large user ecosystems.
Multiple Technology Solutions to Protect Customers
In its commitment to user protection, Cake was an early adopter of the FIDO2 passwordless authentication standard and has also implemented advanced encryption for savings accounts. These innovations offer additional high-level security against account takeovers and the theft of personal savings.
As part of its “Next GenAI Bank” strategy, Cake leverages artificial intelligence across all operational functions. The bank has developed over 80 AI models supporting customer interaction, credit risk analysis, and operational efficiency. In addition, Cake complies with PCI DSS 4.0 Level 1, the highest global standard for payment card data security.
Nguyễn Hữu Quang, CEO of Cake Digital Bank, stated:
“Achieving the highest international ISO standard for facial biometrics with a solution developed entirely in-house by our Vietnamese engineering team is a remarkable milestone for Cake. It reflects not only our technological autonomy but also our ability to meet the world’s most stringent security standards. We are proud to lead the way in digital banking innovation and remain committed to protecting our customers and partners through secure, locally developed solutions. At the same time, we aim to contribute to the broader digital transformation of Vietnam’s financial sector.”
