Source: European Union 2
Around 48 million Europeans are unable to keep their homes warm, according to a new report. Rural areas in the EU experience higher levels of energy poverty, especially in Bulgaria, Romania and Greece. However, rural areas are ahead of cities in carrying out energy efficiency improvements.
Source: Samsung
Samsung in mphopartnership with the Central University of Technology (CUT) recently hosted a graduation ceremony where certificates were awarded to 21 students from the 2nd cohort that have successfully completed studies in AI in the prestigious Samsung Innovation Campus (SIC) programme.
At this year’s graduation, the SIC partnership with CUT is also celebrating the fact that 16 out of the 21 students have already secured employment, while five (5) of these graduates have opted to further their studies. This is a key milestone in this partnership and a confirmation of how this SIC programme has successfully managed to fulfil its main objectives of addressing South Africa’s youth unemployment and the critical skills gap in technology and innovation.
Since November 2022, when the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) was signed by Samsung and CUT – this SIC programme has been able to equip an overall group of 71 enthusiastic, young participants with in-demand skills in 4IR including Artificial Intelligence (AI), as well as Coding and Programming (C&P). This second cohort of CUT students that is now graduating with skills in AI; were also part of the cohort that completed Coding and Programming in Python. The programme has been structured in such a way that it includes theoretical learning, practical sessions and capstone projects.
These essential skills that these CUT students have acquired have not only prepared them for the demands of the modern tech industry but have also turned them into a group of eligible young professionals – able to secure permanent employment in the local market. This global SIC programme is in line with the country’s transformation goals outlined in the National Development Plan, the long-term strategic plan for South Africa’s future which aims to eliminate poverty and reduce inequality by 2030.
Professor Wendy Setlalentoa, CUT acting Deputy Vice Chancellor: Research, Innovation and Engagement said: “We are grateful to Samsung for choosing to partner with our institution and for helping us to make a lasting difference in the lives of young people in South Africa. This partnership is a perfect example of a well-functioning and mutually beneficial Public-Private Partnership (PPP) with tangible examples of how to address youth unemployment and skills development.
“In the last few years, our institution has had the opportunity to play a crucial role in providing the curriculum and training for students in 4IR skills and focus on developing practical skills that have helped prepare our graduates for future careers in innovation and technology space,” added Prof. Setlalentoa.
CUT’s Centre for Innovation in Learning and Teaching (CILT) has also supported the SIC programme by creating an enabling education environment and improving the quality of teaching and learning. Also, CUT students that participated in the SIC programme have now developed stronger problem-solving skills, which are crucial for both career advancement and entrepreneurial pursuits.
And furthermore, the institution’s broader emphasis on work-integrated learning and industry exposure has allowed CUT to play an instrumental role in securing jobs for students participating in the SIC programme, primarily through its Careers Office and other key industry partners. Some of the partners who are employers to these employed graduates and their primary activities include: Capacity – Full stack developer in Python; BoxFusion – Junior Data Analyst and Junior Software Engineer respectively; Vodacom – Software Architect; BitCube – Junior Software Developer Associate and Standard Bank – Junior Software Engineer.
One of the top performing students in the graduating cohort, Mpho Macdonald Ramaisa said: “I am overjoyed and exceptionally grateful to have been part of the SIC programme. The programme has equipped me with critical skills, particularly in the tech field and these, have now boosted my confidence in my abilities, given me a clearer career direction and enhanced my innovative thinking skills.
“The majority of us have already secured jobs and this alone, has given us a sense of purpose and accomplishment. For us, access to these in-demand tech skills needed by our local economy and the employment opportunities that we have secured – means that we will be able to create better opportunities for ourselves and our families,” Ramaisa.
The partnership between Samsung and CUT has also seen success in the increase of female representation in the SIC programme as well as in ensuring that graduates have better opportunities in the job market or entrepreneurship space. The gender split in this graduating cohort is as follows: 52% female representation.
Lefa Makgato, Corporate Social Responsibility Manager for Samsung Electronics in Southern Africa said: “We are very proud of what this partnership has achieved since inception; and how well its accomplishments align with the country’s vision 2030 goals.
Importantly, this collaboration with CUT has also ensured that these students are now equipped with skills to contribute to the digital economy. But most importantly, in conjunction with CUT – we have now been able to accomplish Samsung’s education vision which centres around fostering future technological leaders and ICT entrepreneurs by providing accessible and engaging learning experiences that integrate technology and real-world application.”
Source: City of York
York has once again been recognised on the global stage for its work to tackle climate change — retaining an ‘A’ rating from the independent CDP (formerly Carbon Disclosure Project) for a third time.
The rating places York among only 112 cities worldwide to achieve the top grade, highlighting the city’s climate leadership and transparency.
This accolade isn’t just about international recognition — it reflects the real, practical changes being delivered across the city. From lower energy bills to warmer homes, greener transport options to community energy partnerships, the council’s work is making an everyday difference to those living and working in the city.
One of the city’s key tools in supporting that progress is YorEnergy — a free advice service helping people across York find ways to cut energy bills and reduce emissions. More information is available at yorenergy.co.uk.
Samantha Mills, who’s Heworth home has benefitted from the YorEnergy scheme, explained:
We’ve had some really important work on our home through the YorEnergy scheme and already we’ve seen a difference.
“Bills were higher and the house didn’t stay warm, but with our new insulation things have changed.
“The process to get these improvements done was really easy too, with someone on hand to guide us through the whole process.”
The council is actively working with York Community Energy to expand solar rooftop projects to reduce costs across the city’s schools, with ten school’s already completed and another in the pipeline. Alongside this, citywide upgrades to LED street lighting are saving energy and reducing costs for council taxpayers.
York’s longer-term ambition is reflected in major infrastructure investments, such as a proposed developments at the former Harewood Whin landfill site. The council is also exploring new heat networks and commercial partnerships as part of its Local Area Energy Plan — helping lay the groundwork for a more resilient, sustainable energy future.
In council housing, the ongoing insulation programme is improving comfort and affordability for tenants.
City of York Council Executive Member for Environment and Climate Emergency, Cllr Jenny Kent, said:
This is independent recognition for the third year running that CYC is ahead of the curve, making real headway and building a healthier, energy secure, resilient York.
“We should all be very proud that we are one of only 112 cities globally to be recognised as top ranking for our efforts.
“It reflects the continued hard work of our dedicated staff in obtaining external funding for projects that reduce energy costs and emissions for residents, businesses, and council taxpayers alike. This includes making more people’s homes comfortable and affordable, helping improve air quality, expanding our tree planting, and supporting active travel and investment in supporting bus services.”
To hear more about the city’s climate initiatives and other resident news, sign up for updates at york.gov.uk/EmailUpdates.
Source: Scotland – City of Edinburgh
A full design for the George Street and First New Town project, has been approved by the Transport and Environment Committee.
The report discusses the completion of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Stage 4 Technical Design. The progression of this stage has led to a revised overall cost estimate of £35.07m, representing a saving of over £4.3m on previous estimates.
The wider project was included to proceed under the City Mobility Plan Prioritisation programme in May 2025, following a rigorous assessment of feasibility.
The full design will contain the following features:
Under the current timeline, construction is due to begin in Autumn 2027 and take approximately two years with a further one-year defect period.
The appropriate road orders will now be implemented before moving on to final budget confirmation and ultimately to RIBA Stage 4B (Tender) and securing of statutory consents. Final approval will then be sought to proceed to RIBA Stage 5 (Construction).
The full report is available to view on our website.
Transport and Environment Convener, Councillor Stephen Jenkinson said:
I’m really pleased that we’ve taken the decision today to move forward with the George Street and First New Town project. The project is rooted in making the area safer, more sustainable and accessible for all.
This is a unique opportunity to bring one of Edinburgh’s most important streets into the modern world whilst still maintaining its unique history and features.
The wider potential improvements are vast, from benefits to local residents and businesses to enhancing Edinburgh as a visitor destination, and beyond – we’re on our way to delivering a bold new vision for George Street and our city centre.
Whilst we’re committed to this important project, we’re also committed to making broader improvements across the city for the benefit of all our residents.
Source: US Department of Homeland Security
This detainee received prenatal care, including an ultrasound and OB-GYN visit, dental care, and medication
WASHINGTON – Today, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) set the record straight about Iris Dayana Monterroso-Lemus, a Guatemalan criminal illegal alien – who claimed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) provided no medical treatment or prenatal care for her pregnancy while detained and blamed ICE for her pregnancy loss.
CLAIM: “They didn’t give me medical attention, nowhere, not in Louisiana, not in Alabama.”
FALSE: She received prenatal care, including an ultrasound and OB-GYN visit, dental care, and medication. She was also admitted to a hospital and saw multiple nurses.
CLAIM: “Asked for ultrasound and only tested for blood pressure and urine.”
FALSE: She received prenatal care including a fetal doppler ultrasound.
CLAIM: “Thought she was having a stroke, but they didn’t give her medical exam.”
FALSE: As soon as she identified the distress on April 29, ICE provided immediate medical assistance.
CLAIM: “Begged to go to hospital, but was told no.”
FALSE: ICE sent her to a hospital immediately to receive medical care.
CLAIM: “In Alabama, I was sleeping on the floor.”
FALSE: She was not required to sleep on the floor. She had a bed in her cell.
CLAIM: “She was starving and not getting the nutrients she needed. Spaghetti had cockroaches.”
FALSE: All ICE New Orleans detainees are provided appropriate dietician cleared menus daily, per ICE Performance Based National Detention Standards.
CLAIM: “Mistreatment and mocking from guards.”
FALSE: We have no record of a grievance filed by detainee.
Monterroso-Lemus was arrested twice for child abuse/neglect with the Loudon County Sheriff’s Office. She also has an active warrant for homicide in Guatemala. Monterroso-Lemus entered the country illegally in 2018 and was deported back to Guatemala on May 9, 2025.
“This reporting is absolutely FALSE. Iris Dayana Monterroso-Lemus had FULL medical, prenatal care,” said DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “We have documentation to show it. Iris Dayana Monterroso-Lemus, 37, is a citizen of Guatemala who has been arrested multiple times for child abuse and is wanted on an active warrant for homicide.”
Source: US Department of Homeland Security
This detainee received prenatal care, including an ultrasound and OB-GYN visit, dental care, and medication
WASHINGTON – Today, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) set the record straight about Iris Dayana Monterroso-Lemus, a Guatemalan criminal illegal alien – who claimed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) provided no medical treatment or prenatal care for her pregnancy while detained and blamed ICE for her pregnancy loss.
CLAIM: “They didn’t give me medical attention, nowhere, not in Louisiana, not in Alabama.”
FALSE: She received prenatal care, including an ultrasound and OB-GYN visit, dental care, and medication. She was also admitted to a hospital and saw multiple nurses.
CLAIM: “Asked for ultrasound and only tested for blood pressure and urine.”
FALSE: She received prenatal care including a fetal doppler ultrasound.
CLAIM: “Thought she was having a stroke, but they didn’t give her medical exam.”
FALSE: As soon as she identified the distress on April 29, ICE provided immediate medical assistance.
CLAIM: “Begged to go to hospital, but was told no.”
FALSE: ICE sent her to a hospital immediately to receive medical care.
CLAIM: “In Alabama, I was sleeping on the floor.”
FALSE: She was not required to sleep on the floor. She had a bed in her cell.
CLAIM: “She was starving and not getting the nutrients she needed. Spaghetti had cockroaches.”
FALSE: All ICE New Orleans detainees are provided appropriate dietician cleared menus daily, per ICE Performance Based National Detention Standards.
CLAIM: “Mistreatment and mocking from guards.”
FALSE: We have no record of a grievance filed by detainee.
Monterroso-Lemus was arrested twice for child abuse/neglect with the Loudon County Sheriff’s Office. She also has an active warrant for homicide in Guatemala. Monterroso-Lemus entered the country illegally in 2018 and was deported back to Guatemala on May 9, 2025.
“This reporting is absolutely FALSE. Iris Dayana Monterroso-Lemus had FULL medical, prenatal care,” said DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “We have documentation to show it. Iris Dayana Monterroso-Lemus, 37, is a citizen of Guatemala who has been arrested multiple times for child abuse and is wanted on an active warrant for homicide.”
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
8.3
PUBLIC OPENING POSITION DISCLOSURE/DEALING DISCLOSURE BY
A PERSON WITH INTERESTS IN RELEVANT SECURITIES REPRESENTING 1% OR MORE
Rule 8.3 of the Takeover Code (the “Code”)
1. KEY INFORMATION
| (a) Full name of discloser: | Rathbones Group Plc |
| (b) Owner or controller of interests and short positions disclosed, if different from 1(a): The naming of nominee or vehicle companies is insufficient. For a trust, the trustee(s), settlor and beneficiaries must be named. |
|
| (c) Name of offeror/offeree in relation to whose relevant securities this form relates: Use a separate form for each offeror/offeree |
Tritax Big Box REIT Plc |
| (d) If an exempt fund manager connected with an offeror/offeree, state this and specify identity of offeror/offeree: | |
| (e) Date position held/dealing undertaken: For an opening position disclosure, state the latest practicable date prior to the disclosure |
25/06/2025 |
| (f) In addition to the company in 1(c) above, is the discloser making disclosures in respect of any other party to the offer? If it is a cash offer or possible cash offer, state “N/A” |
Yes |
2. POSITIONS OF THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE
If there are positions or rights to subscribe to disclose in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 2(a) or (b) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security.
(a) Interests and short positions in the relevant securities of the offeror or offeree to which the disclosure relates following the dealing (if any)
| Class of relevant security: | 1p Ord | |||
| Interests | Short positions | |||
| Number | % | Number | % | |
| (1) Relevant securities owned and/or controlled: | 28,233,149 | 1.13% | ||
| (2) Cash-settled derivatives: | ||||
| (3) Stock-settled derivatives (including options) and agreements to purchase/sell: | ||||
|
TOTAL: |
28,233,149 | 1.13% | ||
All interests and all short positions should be disclosed.
Details of any open stock-settled derivative positions (including traded options), or agreements to purchase or sell relevant securities, should be given on a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions).
(b) Rights to subscribe for new securities (including directors’ and other employee options)
| Class of relevant security in relation to which subscription right exists: | |
| Details, including nature of the rights concerned and relevant percentages: |
3. DEALINGS (IF ANY) BY THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE
Where there have been dealings in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 3(a), (b), (c) or (d) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security dealt in.
The currency of all prices and other monetary amounts should be stated.
(a) Purchases and sales
| Class of relevant security | Purchase/sale | Number of securities | Price per unit |
| 1p Ordinary Shares | Sale | 96,751 | 146.5p |
| 1p Ordinary Shares | Sale | 2,264 | 146.2643p |
(b) Cash-settled derivative transactions
| Class of relevant security | Product description e.g. CFD |
Nature of dealing e.g. opening/closing a long/short position, increasing/reducing a long/short position |
Number of reference securities | Price per unit |
(c) Stock-settled derivative transactions (including options)
(i) Writing, selling, purchasing or varying
| Class of relevant security | Product description e.g. call option | Writing, purchasing, selling, varying etc. | Number of securities to which option relates | Exercise price per unit | Type e.g. American, European etc. |
Expiry date | Option money paid/ received per unit |
(ii) Exercise
| Class of relevant security | Product description e.g. call option |
Exercising/ exercised against | Number of securities | Exercise price per unit |
(d) Other dealings (including subscribing for new securities)
| Class of relevant security | Nature of dealing e.g. subscription, conversion |
Details | Price per unit (if applicable) |
| 1p Ordinary Shares | Transfer out | 4,195 |
4. OTHER INFORMATION
(a) Indemnity and other dealing arrangements
| Details of any indemnity or option arrangement, or any agreement or understanding, formal or informal, relating to relevant securities which may be an inducement to deal or refrain from dealing entered into by the person making the disclosure and any party to the offer or any person acting in concert with a party to the offer: Irrevocable commitments and letters of intent should not be included. If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none” |
| None |
(b) Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to options or derivatives
| Details of any agreement, arrangement or understanding, formal or informal, between the person making the disclosure and any other person relating to: (i) the voting rights of any relevant securities under any option; or (ii) the voting rights or future acquisition or disposal of any relevant securities to which any derivative is referenced: If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none” |
| None |
(c) Attachments
| Is a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions) attached? | No |
| Date of disclosure: | 26/06/2025 |
| Contact name: | Chinwe Enyi – Compliance Department |
| Telephone number: | 0151 243 7053 |
Public disclosures under Rule 8 of the Code must be made to a Regulatory Information Service.
The Panel’s Market Surveillance Unit is available for consultation in relation to the Code’s disclosure requirements on +44 (0)20 7638 0129.
The Code can be viewed on the Panel’s website at.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jennifer Donnelly, Doctoral Researcher, Meditation-based Interventions in Clinical Settings, Centre of Positive Health Sciences, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences
Meditation has become a popular subject on self-improvement podcasts, corporate strategy days and health campaigns. But beyond the buzz, there’s a growing scientific and clinical interest in meditation as a tool to regulate attention and promote relaxation. These are increasingly recognised as central to wellbeing in a world of constant notifications, high demands and information overload.
Mantra meditation has roots in ancient contemplative traditions across many cultures. At its simplest, a mantra is a word, phrase, or sound repeated silently or aloud to focus the mind, steady attention and support relaxation. Depending on the tradition, mantras may carry deep spiritual, linguistic or energetic significance. But in a more personal or secular practice, you might choose or create a mantra that’s meaningful only to you.
It’s important to note that mantra meditation is distinct from focusing on breathing. While both help develop concentration and awareness, the mantra, not the breath, is the primary anchor of attention in mantra meditation. You may notice the breathing naturally while meditating, but the repetition of the mantra is what gently draws your mind back when it wanders.
Emerging research suggests that mantra meditation may have promising benefits, from reducing stress and burnout to improving mood, focus and sleep. Focusing on a mantra to disengage from an overactive mind can be a valuable tool in today’s fast-paced world.
A simple starting point is to choose a phrase that resonates with you, something easy to remember and calming. For example: “I am … here now.” Or a word like “ease” or “peace”. Some people visualise a calming image, like a steady tree or a gentle wave, repeating it silently in their mind. The key is to return to your chosen anchor, your mantra, each time your mind drifts.
You don’t need a special cushion, app or ritual. Below are five everyday moments when you can try this light mantra-practice:
• On public transport: Use a few minutes of your commute to mentally repeat your mantra. The surrounding noise and movement can actually enhance the practice. When your mind wanders, which it will, gently return to your anchor.
• While brushing your teeth: This brief, repetitive activity is already part of your day. Use the rhythm of brushing as a cue to repeat your mantra internally.
• During your first sips of tea or coffee: Let this be a pause point. Breathe naturally. Repeat your chosen phrase. Even a few seconds of presence can shift the tone of your morning.
• Instead of scrolling: Replace one moment of habitual phone use with one minute of mantra repetition. Notice the impulse to scroll, and meet it with your mantra instead. You can scroll later if you want; the point is to notice the choice.
• Before stepping out of the car: Pause for 30-60 seconds before entering a new environment, whether that’s work, home or a social setting. This brief ritual can be a surprisingly powerful reset when transitioning to a new destination or activity.
Longer sessions may deepen the effects, but short, consistent moments of practice are what build tolerance and insight. Meditation doesn’t always begin with peace. More often, it starts with the uncomfortable awareness of how distracted our thoughts can become. That moment of noticing is not a failure, it’s the practice.
For parents, especially those with young children, meditation might feel unrealistic. But mantra practice can be adapted. Children often respond well to repetitive, rhythmic exercises. Try counting fingers together, repeating a calming phrase, or simply taking three breaths. It might not look like traditional meditation, but it can still create a shared moment of calm.
For those living with chronic pain, health challenges or intense life transitions, meditation can sometimes make discomfort feel more present. In such cases, stillness might initially increase distress.
Some research confirms that meditation can have uncomfortable or adverse effects, and distraction may be necessary at times. Even so, carefully introduced mantra meditation techniques or similar practices may support people living with chronic conditions by helping shift how discomfort is experienced, if approached with care, and suitable supports are offered.
Mantra meditation isn’t about perfect focus, or fixing all our problems. Its strength lies in offering you a portable, repeatable practice to build awareness, one moment at a time.
So before you move on after reading, try this: take 30 seconds, close your eyes, and return to your mantra. Just for now.
Jennifer Donnelly 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.
– ref. Five ways you can use mantra meditation every day to boost your wellbeing – https://theconversation.com/five-ways-you-can-use-mantra-meditation-every-day-to-boost-your-wellbeing-259313
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jennifer Donnelly, Doctoral Researcher, Meditation-based Interventions in Clinical Settings, Centre of Positive Health Sciences, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences
Meditation has become a popular subject on self-improvement podcasts, corporate strategy days and health campaigns. But beyond the buzz, there’s a growing scientific and clinical interest in meditation as a tool to regulate attention and promote relaxation. These are increasingly recognised as central to wellbeing in a world of constant notifications, high demands and information overload.
Mantra meditation has roots in ancient contemplative traditions across many cultures. At its simplest, a mantra is a word, phrase, or sound repeated silently or aloud to focus the mind, steady attention and support relaxation. Depending on the tradition, mantras may carry deep spiritual, linguistic or energetic significance. But in a more personal or secular practice, you might choose or create a mantra that’s meaningful only to you.
It’s important to note that mantra meditation is distinct from focusing on breathing. While both help develop concentration and awareness, the mantra, not the breath, is the primary anchor of attention in mantra meditation. You may notice the breathing naturally while meditating, but the repetition of the mantra is what gently draws your mind back when it wanders.
Emerging research suggests that mantra meditation may have promising benefits, from reducing stress and burnout to improving mood, focus and sleep. Focusing on a mantra to disengage from an overactive mind can be a valuable tool in today’s fast-paced world.
A simple starting point is to choose a phrase that resonates with you, something easy to remember and calming. For example: “I am … here now.” Or a word like “ease” or “peace”. Some people visualise a calming image, like a steady tree or a gentle wave, repeating it silently in their mind. The key is to return to your chosen anchor, your mantra, each time your mind drifts.
You don’t need a special cushion, app or ritual. Below are five everyday moments when you can try this light mantra-practice:
• On public transport: Use a few minutes of your commute to mentally repeat your mantra. The surrounding noise and movement can actually enhance the practice. When your mind wanders, which it will, gently return to your anchor.
• While brushing your teeth: This brief, repetitive activity is already part of your day. Use the rhythm of brushing as a cue to repeat your mantra internally.
• During your first sips of tea or coffee: Let this be a pause point. Breathe naturally. Repeat your chosen phrase. Even a few seconds of presence can shift the tone of your morning.
• Instead of scrolling: Replace one moment of habitual phone use with one minute of mantra repetition. Notice the impulse to scroll, and meet it with your mantra instead. You can scroll later if you want; the point is to notice the choice.
• Before stepping out of the car: Pause for 30-60 seconds before entering a new environment, whether that’s work, home or a social setting. This brief ritual can be a surprisingly powerful reset when transitioning to a new destination or activity.
Longer sessions may deepen the effects, but short, consistent moments of practice are what build tolerance and insight. Meditation doesn’t always begin with peace. More often, it starts with the uncomfortable awareness of how distracted our thoughts can become. That moment of noticing is not a failure, it’s the practice.
For parents, especially those with young children, meditation might feel unrealistic. But mantra practice can be adapted. Children often respond well to repetitive, rhythmic exercises. Try counting fingers together, repeating a calming phrase, or simply taking three breaths. It might not look like traditional meditation, but it can still create a shared moment of calm.
For those living with chronic pain, health challenges or intense life transitions, meditation can sometimes make discomfort feel more present. In such cases, stillness might initially increase distress.
Some research confirms that meditation can have uncomfortable or adverse effects, and distraction may be necessary at times. Even so, carefully introduced mantra meditation techniques or similar practices may support people living with chronic conditions by helping shift how discomfort is experienced, if approached with care, and suitable supports are offered.
Mantra meditation isn’t about perfect focus, or fixing all our problems. Its strength lies in offering you a portable, repeatable practice to build awareness, one moment at a time.
So before you move on after reading, try this: take 30 seconds, close your eyes, and return to your mantra. Just for now.
Jennifer Donnelly 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.
– ref. Five ways you can use mantra meditation every day to boost your wellbeing – https://theconversation.com/five-ways-you-can-use-mantra-meditation-every-day-to-boost-your-wellbeing-259313
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Matt Smith, Reader in Applied Theatre and Puppetry, University of Portsmouth
A herd of puppet animals is migrating north from Africa. This 12,000 mile journey represents wildlife’s response to the climate crisis as species are forced to move north due to rising temperatures. As The Herds travels through the UK en route to the Arctic, the organisers hope this artistic project will help spectators along the route understand what is happening to the environment.
Events like this are “louder than traffic”, according to US-based puppeteer Peter Schumann. The giant puppets are a visual tool to capture the public’s imagination.
Over the past 30 years working as a theatre scholar, I have observed that puppetry has become an important artform for telling stories that explore the way we respond to and interact with nature.
Like traditional street theatre such as Punch and Judy, puppets grab the audience’s attention against the backdrop of everyday life. Now with the rise of social media, modern culture is now even more visually oriented. Puppetry is a big hit in these new digital spaces, according to some researchers.
The Herds project was created by a theatre company called Little Walk after the success of Little Amal, a Syrian refugee puppet project about human migration and climate relocation. One of the Little Amal puppeteers told me that, ironically, it was easier for the puppets to cross borders but the human artists and puppeteers had to take major detours to carry out the Little Amal project in 17 countries.
The Herds aims to inspire people to think about the direct consequences of the climate crisis as the animal puppets travel from Africa to the Arctic. Puppeteers animate the life-size puppets in full view of the audience. As each puppeteer focuses on moving the puppet, they transfer their energy and emotion into the puppets body.
I was trained in these techniques during the 1990s. I know that when a performer intensely focuses on a performing object, the result is mesmerising. It can enable the audience to feel empathy for another non-human being. The aim is to cut through discourses and affect people directly with images performed beyond language and local agendas.
Puppetry is both an interdisciplinary and interactive artform that is as old as human culture. Animated figures have been employed in both the popular spaces of folk theatres and the avant garde spaces of high art. Puppet characters can tell very simple stories in slapstick shows or speak to complex issues in projects like The Herds.
Even having researched puppetry in communities for more than three decades, the many varied uses for puppetry continue to surprise me. Beyond theatres, puppets can affect people in everyday spaces, just as The Herds does. My book, published in 2024, explores how the popular global practice of puppetry by communities and groups brings pleasure through both making and performing with puppets.
In 2023, I collaborated with scientists at the Centre for Enzyme Innovation at University of Portsmouth who are developing enzymes that can break down plastic waste. We found that puppets could help to communicate complex science about innovative recycling to audiences through workshops and a showcase event. The puppets as entertaining figures symbolising ideas could animate the science and engage audiences in a playful and non-elitist fashion.
Puppetry is a powerful and engaging art form that can capture the imagination of audiences globally. Even during our advanced technological times puppetry is still employed both by technologies – for example our own XR lab used puppets recently exploring their use with avatars.
With successful West End productions in London such as Lion King and War Horse (a show which changed the fortunes of the National Theatre, puppetry has become mainstream in the UK. Now with The Herds, animal puppets are having a global reach.
Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?
Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 45,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.
Matt Smith receives funding from Royal Academy of Engineering for the enzyme puppet project.
– ref. How huge migrating animal puppets captivate in ways that climate news can’t – https://theconversation.com/how-huge-migrating-animal-puppets-captivate-in-ways-that-climate-news-cant-259592
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Matt Smith, Reader in Applied Theatre and Puppetry, University of Portsmouth
A herd of puppet animals is migrating north from Africa. This 12,000 mile journey represents wildlife’s response to the climate crisis as species are forced to move north due to rising temperatures. As The Herds travels through the UK en route to the Arctic, the organisers hope this artistic project will help spectators along the route understand what is happening to the environment.
Events like this are “louder than traffic”, according to US-based puppeteer Peter Schumann. The giant puppets are a visual tool to capture the public’s imagination.
Over the past 30 years working as a theatre scholar, I have observed that puppetry has become an important artform for telling stories that explore the way we respond to and interact with nature.
Like traditional street theatre such as Punch and Judy, puppets grab the audience’s attention against the backdrop of everyday life. Now with the rise of social media, modern culture is now even more visually oriented. Puppetry is a big hit in these new digital spaces, according to some researchers.
The Herds project was created by a theatre company called Little Walk after the success of Little Amal, a Syrian refugee puppet project about human migration and climate relocation. One of the Little Amal puppeteers told me that, ironically, it was easier for the puppets to cross borders but the human artists and puppeteers had to take major detours to carry out the Little Amal project in 17 countries.
The Herds aims to inspire people to think about the direct consequences of the climate crisis as the animal puppets travel from Africa to the Arctic. Puppeteers animate the life-size puppets in full view of the audience. As each puppeteer focuses on moving the puppet, they transfer their energy and emotion into the puppets body.
I was trained in these techniques during the 1990s. I know that when a performer intensely focuses on a performing object, the result is mesmerising. It can enable the audience to feel empathy for another non-human being. The aim is to cut through discourses and affect people directly with images performed beyond language and local agendas.
Puppetry is both an interdisciplinary and interactive artform that is as old as human culture. Animated figures have been employed in both the popular spaces of folk theatres and the avant garde spaces of high art. Puppet characters can tell very simple stories in slapstick shows or speak to complex issues in projects like The Herds.
Even having researched puppetry in communities for more than three decades, the many varied uses for puppetry continue to surprise me. Beyond theatres, puppets can affect people in everyday spaces, just as The Herds does. My book, published in 2024, explores how the popular global practice of puppetry by communities and groups brings pleasure through both making and performing with puppets.
In 2023, I collaborated with scientists at the Centre for Enzyme Innovation at University of Portsmouth who are developing enzymes that can break down plastic waste. We found that puppets could help to communicate complex science about innovative recycling to audiences through workshops and a showcase event. The puppets as entertaining figures symbolising ideas could animate the science and engage audiences in a playful and non-elitist fashion.
Puppetry is a powerful and engaging art form that can capture the imagination of audiences globally. Even during our advanced technological times puppetry is still employed both by technologies – for example our own XR lab used puppets recently exploring their use with avatars.
With successful West End productions in London such as Lion King and War Horse (a show which changed the fortunes of the National Theatre, puppetry has become mainstream in the UK. Now with The Herds, animal puppets are having a global reach.
Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?
Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 45,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.
Matt Smith receives funding from Royal Academy of Engineering for the enzyme puppet project.
– ref. How huge migrating animal puppets captivate in ways that climate news can’t – https://theconversation.com/how-huge-migrating-animal-puppets-captivate-in-ways-that-climate-news-cant-259592
Source: South Africa News Agency
The death toll from the devastating floods that struck the Eastern Cape earlier this month has risen to 101, the provincial government confirmed on Thursday.
Briefing the media on the provincial government’s response to the June disaster incident on Thursday, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) MEC, Zolile Williams, said the victims include 63 adults and 38 children, with 32 children identified as learners, while two remain missing.
The OR Tambo and Amathole Districts remained the most severely affected areas due to loss of lives and the displacement of families, damaged infrastructure, livestock losses and learners missing examinations.
“The OR Tambo District alone accounts for 77 of the deceased, with Amathole District 10, Alfred Nzo District five, Chris Hani District five, Joe Gqabi District two, and Sarah Baartman District two,” Williams said.
He also noted that among those who lost their lives include public servants, who were the first responders.
Ongoing relief efforts
The MEC said the provincial government remains in the first phase of disaster management response, including Immediate Response and Humanitarian Relief, which is characterised by the provisions made to ensure that all affected people are safe and basic needs are met.
He noted that the provincial government has activated response systems, enabled through the District Development Model (DDM) approach, and in line with National Disaster Response Standard Operating Procedures, as well as in collaboration with non-governmental organisations and the private sector.
Humanitarian partners include Gift of the Givers, Al Imdaad Foundation, the Black Coffee Foundation, and Asfraful Aid. Corporates such as Old Mutual, MTN, and local businesses and supermarkets continues to reach communities whose homes and belongings were destroyed by the floods.
“These collaborations underscore the power of public-private partnerships in responding swiftly to emergencies,” Williams said.
Williams also acknowledged ongoing support from ordinary citizens who have extended a helping hand to those in need, including those whose presence and contributions have brought hope and comfort to the affected families during this time of need.
He said government continues to appeal for continued support from the private sector, businesses, and individuals to assist with donations of food, clothing, blankets, furniture, and other essentials. Some affected families have commenced laying their loved ones to rest.
“Burial support that is being provided has been made possible by AVBOB who have pledged to offer the storage of the bodies, burial services and transportation of the human remains to the area identified by the family for burial.
“From today, we are expecting that 31 of the bodies will be buried across the provinces and this includes two learners from Jumba Senior Secondary School who are being buried in Ngqeleni, as well as Nomonde Ntlabathi, who was an Enrolled Nursing Assistant at Bedford Orthopedic Hospital, who will be buried in Centane on Saturday, together with her three grandchildren,” Williams said.
Through the Department of Education and South African Social Security Agency (SASSA), government has also provided financial assistance to the families to assist with funerals preparations.
“We remain grateful to our social partners who have provided groceries to the families.” – SAnews.gov.za
Source: Government of India
Source: Government of India (4)
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India Dubai Chapter marked International Yoga Day with a celebration focused on holistic well-being, mindful living, and the transformative power of yoga. The event brought together members of the accounting fraternity to emphasize the importance of physical and mental health through simple, sustainable habits.
CA Jai Prakash Agarwal, Chairman of ICAI Dubai Chapter, said, “Yoga is a journey of self-discovery that fosters balance, joy, and connection with oneself and others, empowering true health and well-being beyond physical postures.” He encouraged members to remain active, practice yoga regularly, and monitor their health proactively, stressing that “if earning money is important, enjoying it in the long run is impossible without good health.”
The session featured Chartered Accountant Surabhi Gandhi who introduced a unique form of chair yoga tailored for professionals. She advocated for practical routines like the “9 to 1 rule” to improve work-life balance and performance.Shivani Shah, a six-time kettlebell world champion, also shared her personal transformation through fitness and faith. Her journey highlighted the “four wheels of life,” focusing on self-awareness and resilience.
Health experts including Dr. Nidhi Kumar from Aster DM Healthcare addressed the psychological toll of modern stress, urging attendees to treat mental health with the same seriousness as physical illnesses. Dr. Brijesh Mittal of Medcare underscored that while death is inevitable, premature death is not. He emphasized preventive care, balanced diets, and stress management over reliance on gadgets or extreme diets.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Salud Carbajal (CA-24)
U.S. Representatives Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24), a senior member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and Mike Lawler (R-NY-17) reintroduced their bipartisan Railroad Yardmaster Protection Act. The legislation would strengthen workplace protections for railroad yardmasters by giving them the same protections as other railroad yard workers. Yardmasters are the traffic controllers of our country’s rail yards and terminals.
“Yardmasters are the traffic controllers of our country’s railroad network. Like their counterparts in aviation, they play a vital role in ensuring the safety of everyone traveling by train,” said Rep. Carbajal. “My bipartisan legislation will improve working conditions and support the professionals who keep America’s railroads running safely and efficiently.”
“I’m proud to join Rep. Carbajal in reintroducing the Railroad Yardmaster Protection Act, a commonsense, bipartisan bill that closes a long-overdue gap in rail safety policy. Yardmasters are essential to the safe and smooth operation of our freight rail system, and it’s only right that they receive the same duty hour protections as other rail employees. This legislation is about protecting workers, improving safety, and ensuring our rail network continues to serve communities and commerce across the country effectively,” said Rep. Lawler.
The bipartisan Railroad Yardmaster Protection Act would include railroad yardmasters under federal hours of service requirements which currently cover safety-sensitive rail workers such as locomotive engineers, conductors, switchmen, dispatchers, and signal employees.
The bill ensures that a yardmaster may not be required or allowed to remain on duty for more than a total of 12 hours, and then must receive a minimum of 10 hours off duty.
First introduced in 2019, the Railroad Yardmaster Protection Act passed the House in 2020 as part of the INVEST in America Act.
The bill has also been endorsed by SMART, the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07)
Last Month, After Pressure from Pressley, Treasury and Trump Said Exemption Was “Under Consideration”
Text of Letter (PDF)
WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) led 25 of her colleagues on a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent demanding an immediate exemption for essential infant and toddler products—including car seats, strollers, cribs, and highchairs—from current and future tariffs. Last month, after sharp questioning from Congresswoman Pressley in the House Financial Services Committee, Secretary Bessent conceded that such an exemption was “under consideration,” which was later reaffirmed by President Trump.
“There have been more than thirty days since your testimony and no exemptions on baby products have been announced. Hence, we urge you to relieve families of the high tariffs on products they need to care for their children,” the lawmakers wrote in their letter. “As you are aware, baby products are not optional luxury goods. They are necessities for millions of American families to ensure a safe environment for infants.”
Car seats are legally required in all fifty seats, but more than 90% of them are made in China. Under the current on-again, off-again tariff regime, many of these products have seen price increases of up to 30%, placing a significant and unnecessary burden on working families. With approximately 3.5 million babies born each year in the United States, this means millions of families face steep cost increases to care for their newborns and comply with basic child safety laws. Further, according to BabyCenter, new parents now spend an estimated $20,000 during their child’s first year—including nearly $1,000 on baby safety gear alone.
According to the Joint Economic Committee, new parents are at risk of paying an additional $875 million overall in 2025 on baby goods, including bouncers, activity centers, carriers, diaper bags, and other types of car seats, as a result of Trump’s tariffs. In Massachusetts, new parents could pay an additional $20.6 million.
“At a time when families are already struggling with the rising costs of food, housing, and healthcare, trade policies that further inflate essential childcare expenses are both counterproductive and deeply concerning,” the lawmakers continued. “We therefore urge you to immediately work with the President to exempt baby and toddler products from current and future tariffs, particularly those involving imports from China.”
The lawmakers noted that during the first Trump Administration, the U.S. Trade Representative created exclusions for baby safety products, an acknowledgement that the health and safety of infants should not be collateral damage in trade policy. They requested a response to their letter by July 10, 2025.
Joining Rep. Pressley in sending the letter are Representatives Becca Balint, Greg Casar, Sharice Davids, Cleo Fields, Bill Foster, Josh Gottheimer, Al Green, Jonathan Jackson, Julie Johnson, Stephen F. Lynch, Betty McCollum, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Chris Pappas, Delia Ramírez, Deborah K. Ross, Andrea Salinas, Brad Sherman, Eric Swalwell, Emilia Strong Sykes, Shri Thanedar, Rashida Tlaib, Jill Tokuda, Ritchie Torres, Eugene Simon Vindman, and Frederica S. Wilson.
To view a copy of the letter, click here.
Last month, in a House Financial Services Committee hearing, Rep. Pressley pressed Secretary Bessent about the harmful impact of Trump’s tariffs on families with young children and asked if he would support an exemption to tariffs on baby products and other items that parents need to care for their kids, such as car seats. In response to her questioning, Secretary Bessent conceded that such an exemption was “under consideration.”
In April, Congresswoman Pressley joined 45 colleagues in sending a Congressional letter to the Trump Administration imploring them to end tariffs on essential baby goods.
###
Source: The Conversation – USA – By Adriana Costa, Assistant Professor of Sustainable Bioproducts, Mississippi State University
People dedicated to the art of grilling often choose lump charcoal – actual pieces of wood that have been turned into charcoal – over briquettes, which are compressed charcoal dust with other ingredients to keep the dust together and help it burn better.
The kinds of wood used to make lump charcoal affect how it burns and how the food tastes when grilled. Dedicated grillers are often willing to pay a premium for higher heat, no additives, particular flavors and the cleaner burn they get from particular wood species in lump charcoal.
Buyers probably expect the label to accurately report how much charcoal they are getting, what kind of wood it is, and where the wood was grown.
A spot-check I helped conduct on lump charcoal for sale in the U.S. has revealed that the information on the label does not always match what is inside the bag. Customers might not know what they are actually buying, potentially affecting their purchasing choices and even their grilling experience.
Charcoal is made from wood heated in a low-oxygen environment to remove water and volatile compounds. This process leaves behind a carbon-rich material that burns hotter and more cleanly than raw wood, making it ideal for grilling.
The origin of the trees used affects charcoal’s ecological sustainability. Some charcoal produced in Mexico, Paraguay and Brazil has been linked to deforestation and unsustainable logging practices. Charcoal from hardwood trees harvested in the U.S. is generally considered to be more sustainable.
We decided to investigate more deeply what consumers are actually getting when they buy a bag of lump charcoal.
We looked at a range of products, some of which were labeled as from the U.S., some from other countries and others that did not specify a country of origin.
We purchased one bag each of 15 major U.S. lump charcoal brands online. We did not identify the specific producers. Instead, we wanted to give an overall sense of the products available on the market and evaluate how closely product claims on the packaging matched what was actually in the bags.
We determined the type of wood the charcoal was made from by examining each lump under a microscope or handheld magnifying lens and matching the patterns in the wood structure with the ones in our collection.
Identifying the species allowed us to broadly infer the origin of the charcoal based on where those kinds of trees typically grow.
Nearly half of all the lump charcoal we examined was oak or mesquite, which are both hardwoods that grow in North America, including in the U.S. and Mexico.
In two out of five bags claiming their charcoal had come from the U.S., 15% or more of the material was actually tropical woods, such as ipe, which are not native to the U.S. These woods may have been harvested unsustainably. Other species we found included pine and sweet gum, which perform poorly as grilling woods.
Much of the tropical wood was in small fragments, which made us think it might have been intentionally used as cheap filler.
We found one bag that was labeled “One ingredient: Oak hardwood” that contained no oak at all. Instead, it was a mix of at least six tropical woods.
We also discovered concerns related to product weight and the quantity of extraneous material in the bags. The Fair Packaging and Labeling Act is a U.S. law that requires product containers to carry labels that accurately describe the contents. The National Institute of Standards and Technology has specific methods for measuring and characterizing contents of packaged goods.
These requirements do allow some variations in weight, but nearly half the bags we examined were underfilled, and one-third were far enough underweight that their label claims fell outside what is legally acceptable.
Also, in every bag we found bark and tiny charcoal fragments, which burn quickly and unevenly. Six bags had rocks in them. Without those extra materials, all 15 bags were underweight, and none gave buyers as much effective grilling fuel as they promised.
So when consumers pay more for what they think is a premium charcoal product, they may, in fact, be getting nothing of the sort.
Adriana Costa has received funding from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, McIntire Stennis, USDA Agricultural Research Service, and the USDA Forest Products Laboratory. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and should not be construed to represent any official USDA or U.S. Government determination or policy.
– ref. Grilling with lump charcoal: Is US-grown hardwood really in that bag? – https://theconversation.com/grilling-with-lump-charcoal-is-us-grown-hardwood-really-in-that-bag-258157
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
QINGDAO, June 26 — The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Defense Ministers’ Meeting on Thursday convened in Qingdao, east China’s Shandong Province.
It is necessary for the SCO to serve as an anchor of stability amid the current complex global situation, Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun said while addressing the meeting.
China is willing to work with all SCO member states to adhere to the original aspiration of the organization, carry forward the “Shanghai Spirit,” firmly safeguard international fairness and justice, jointly address security challenges, and promote steady and far-reaching defense and security cooperation, Dong noted.
All parties participating in the meeting agreed to enhance strategic communication, promote practical cooperation, and jointly maintain regional peace and stability.
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
IRVINE, Calif., June 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — EtherWAN is excited to announce the launch of the IG5 SV series. These switches offer enhanced performance with versatile port combinations, including 8 optional PoE ports delivering up to 30W each. The compact, front-facing interface design with a shorter depth ensures easy access and installation in tight cabinet spaces, while PoE capabilities reduce the need for extra switches.
The IG5 SV series provides advanced features and a ruggedized design, making it ideal for critical environments and outdoor installations. Whether you need to support critical infrastructure, intelligent transportation, industrial IoT, or smart energy networks, the IG5 SV series delivers high bandwidth 24 1G ports and 4 10G ports running at full switching capacity. The switches also feature rich Layer 2 and Layer 3 management functionalities and digital I/O to support diverse network applications.
“Space can be a valuable commodity in cabinets out in the field” says David Choi, EtherWAN’s Sr. Product Manager. “The IG5 SV series provides high bandwidth connectivity at up to 10-gigabit along with flexible RJ45 and SFP port combinations in a compact package, allowing for installations in tight cabinet spaces.”
Designed to withstand extreme conditions, the IG5 SV series can resist thermal shock and electrical noise, with a wide operating temperature range of -40 to 75°C (-40 to 167°F), being able to operate at up to 85°C (185°F) ambient for 16 hours additionally. They comply with IEC and IEEE standards for network time synchronization, ensuring rapid response and high reliability
The products are backed by a long warranty and complimentary US-based tech support. Networking training courses are also available, providing general technical knowledge for network design and planning.
Visit EtherWAN’s website for more details and engage with the team to learn how EtherWAN can help design your network and integrate the range of IG5 SV Series products into the network.
About EtherWAN Systems, Inc.
EtherWAN Systems, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of Ethernet, PoE, Wireless, Media Converters and Fiber connectivity products for demanding environments. Founded in 1996 by NASA Engineers, EtherWAN’s expertise lies in Urban Infrastructure connectivity solutions that make communities safe and secure. From in-house designed and manufactured products to the implementation and support for customers of all sizes, EtherWAN achieves unparalleled levels of reliability and quality.
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
IRVINE, Calif., June 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — EtherWAN is excited to announce the launch of the IG5 SV series. These switches offer enhanced performance with versatile port combinations, including 8 optional PoE ports delivering up to 30W each. The compact, front-facing interface design with a shorter depth ensures easy access and installation in tight cabinet spaces, while PoE capabilities reduce the need for extra switches.
The IG5 SV series provides advanced features and a ruggedized design, making it ideal for critical environments and outdoor installations. Whether you need to support critical infrastructure, intelligent transportation, industrial IoT, or smart energy networks, the IG5 SV series delivers high bandwidth 24 1G ports and 4 10G ports running at full switching capacity. The switches also feature rich Layer 2 and Layer 3 management functionalities and digital I/O to support diverse network applications.
“Space can be a valuable commodity in cabinets out in the field” says David Choi, EtherWAN’s Sr. Product Manager. “The IG5 SV series provides high bandwidth connectivity at up to 10-gigabit along with flexible RJ45 and SFP port combinations in a compact package, allowing for installations in tight cabinet spaces.”
Designed to withstand extreme conditions, the IG5 SV series can resist thermal shock and electrical noise, with a wide operating temperature range of -40 to 75°C (-40 to 167°F), being able to operate at up to 85°C (185°F) ambient for 16 hours additionally. They comply with IEC and IEEE standards for network time synchronization, ensuring rapid response and high reliability
The products are backed by a long warranty and complimentary US-based tech support. Networking training courses are also available, providing general technical knowledge for network design and planning.
Visit EtherWAN’s website for more details and engage with the team to learn how EtherWAN can help design your network and integrate the range of IG5 SV Series products into the network.
About EtherWAN Systems, Inc.
EtherWAN Systems, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of Ethernet, PoE, Wireless, Media Converters and Fiber connectivity products for demanding environments. Founded in 1996 by NASA Engineers, EtherWAN’s expertise lies in Urban Infrastructure connectivity solutions that make communities safe and secure. From in-house designed and manufactured products to the implementation and support for customers of all sizes, EtherWAN achieves unparalleled levels of reliability and quality.
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
SOMERSET, N.J., June 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — CareCloud, Inc. (Nasdaq: CCLD, CCLDO) (“CareCloud” or the “Company”), a leader in AI-driven healthcare technology solutions for medical practices and health systems nationwide, today announced that its current independent registered public accounting firm may resign if an ICFR auditor attestation of the Company’s Internal Control over Financial Reporting (“ICFR”) under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act is required for fiscal year 2025.
Our audit firm has informed the Company that it does not have the capacity to perform an ICFR attestation. Under SEC rules, the same audit firm must conduct both the financial statement audit and the ICFR attestation. Therefore, if an ICFR attestation becomes necessary, the audit firm would be unable to fulfill the full scope of the required audit services, and CareCloud would need to engage a new independent registered public accounting firm.
The requirement for an ICFR attestation will be determined based on CareCloud’s public float amount as of the close of trading on June 30, 2025. If the public float equals or exceeds $75 million, CareCloud would be classified as an accelerated filer, triggering the ICFR attestation requirement under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.
CareCloud will provide an update on July 1, 2025, following the determination of its public float and any resulting impact on its audit arrangements.
About CareCloud
CareCloud (Nasdaq: CCLD, CCLDO) brings disciplined innovation to the business of healthcare. Our suite of AI and technology-enabled solutions helps clients increase financial and operational performance, streamline clinical workflows and improve the patient experience. More than 40,000 providers count on CareCloud to help them improve patient care, while reducing administrative burdens and operating costs. Learn more about our products and services, including revenue cycle management (RCM), practice management (PM), electronic health records (EHR), business intelligence, patient experience management (PXM) and digital health, at carecloud.com.
Follow CareCloud on LinkedIn, X and Facebook.
For additional information, please visit our website at carecloud.com. To listen to video presentations by CareCloud’s management team, read recent press releases and view the latest investor presentation, please visit ir.carecloud.com.
Disclaimer
This press release is for information purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of such state or jurisdiction.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains various forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements relate to anticipated future events, future results of operations or future financial performance. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may,” “might,” “will,” “shall,” “should,” “could”, “intends,” “expects,” “plans,” “goals,” “projects,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “seeks,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “possible,” “potential,” “target,” or “continue” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology.
Our operations involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are outside our control, and any one of which, or a combination of which, could materially affect our results of operations and whether the forward-looking statements ultimately prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, without limitation, statements reflecting management’s expectations for future financial performance and operating expenditures, expected growth, profitability and business outlook, the impact of pandemics on our financial performance and business activities, and the expected results from the integration of our acquisitions.
These forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are only predictions, are uncertain and involve substantial known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our (or our industry’s) actual results, levels of activity or performance to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity or performance expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. New risks and uncertainties emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of the risks and uncertainties that could have an impact on the forward-looking statements, including without limitation, risks and uncertainties relating to the Company’s ability to manage growth, migrate newly acquired customers and retain new and existing customers, maintain cost-effective global operations, increase operational efficiency and reduce operating costs, predict and properly adjust to changes in reimbursement and other industry regulations and trends, retain the services of key personnel, develop new technologies, upgrade and adapt legacy and acquired technologies to work with evolving industry standards, compete with other companies’ products and services competitive with ours, and other important risks and uncertainties referenced and discussed under the heading titled “Risk Factors” in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The statements in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, even if subsequently made available by the Company on its website or otherwise. The Company does not assume any obligations to update the forward-looking statements provided to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made.
SOURCE: CareCloud
Company Contact:
Norman Roth
Interim Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Controller
CareCloud, Inc.
nroth@carecloud.com
Investor Contact:
Stephen Snyder
Co-Chief Executive Officer
CareCloud, Inc.
ir@carecloud.com
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
SOMERSET, N.J., June 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — CareCloud, Inc. (Nasdaq: CCLD, CCLDO) (“CareCloud” or the “Company”), a leader in AI-driven healthcare technology solutions for medical practices and health systems nationwide, today announced that its current independent registered public accounting firm may resign if an ICFR auditor attestation of the Company’s Internal Control over Financial Reporting (“ICFR”) under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act is required for fiscal year 2025.
Our audit firm has informed the Company that it does not have the capacity to perform an ICFR attestation. Under SEC rules, the same audit firm must conduct both the financial statement audit and the ICFR attestation. Therefore, if an ICFR attestation becomes necessary, the audit firm would be unable to fulfill the full scope of the required audit services, and CareCloud would need to engage a new independent registered public accounting firm.
The requirement for an ICFR attestation will be determined based on CareCloud’s public float amount as of the close of trading on June 30, 2025. If the public float equals or exceeds $75 million, CareCloud would be classified as an accelerated filer, triggering the ICFR attestation requirement under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.
CareCloud will provide an update on July 1, 2025, following the determination of its public float and any resulting impact on its audit arrangements.
About CareCloud
CareCloud (Nasdaq: CCLD, CCLDO) brings disciplined innovation to the business of healthcare. Our suite of AI and technology-enabled solutions helps clients increase financial and operational performance, streamline clinical workflows and improve the patient experience. More than 40,000 providers count on CareCloud to help them improve patient care, while reducing administrative burdens and operating costs. Learn more about our products and services, including revenue cycle management (RCM), practice management (PM), electronic health records (EHR), business intelligence, patient experience management (PXM) and digital health, at carecloud.com.
Follow CareCloud on LinkedIn, X and Facebook.
For additional information, please visit our website at carecloud.com. To listen to video presentations by CareCloud’s management team, read recent press releases and view the latest investor presentation, please visit ir.carecloud.com.
Disclaimer
This press release is for information purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of such state or jurisdiction.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains various forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements relate to anticipated future events, future results of operations or future financial performance. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may,” “might,” “will,” “shall,” “should,” “could”, “intends,” “expects,” “plans,” “goals,” “projects,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “seeks,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “possible,” “potential,” “target,” or “continue” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology.
Our operations involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are outside our control, and any one of which, or a combination of which, could materially affect our results of operations and whether the forward-looking statements ultimately prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, without limitation, statements reflecting management’s expectations for future financial performance and operating expenditures, expected growth, profitability and business outlook, the impact of pandemics on our financial performance and business activities, and the expected results from the integration of our acquisitions.
These forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are only predictions, are uncertain and involve substantial known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our (or our industry’s) actual results, levels of activity or performance to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity or performance expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. New risks and uncertainties emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of the risks and uncertainties that could have an impact on the forward-looking statements, including without limitation, risks and uncertainties relating to the Company’s ability to manage growth, migrate newly acquired customers and retain new and existing customers, maintain cost-effective global operations, increase operational efficiency and reduce operating costs, predict and properly adjust to changes in reimbursement and other industry regulations and trends, retain the services of key personnel, develop new technologies, upgrade and adapt legacy and acquired technologies to work with evolving industry standards, compete with other companies’ products and services competitive with ours, and other important risks and uncertainties referenced and discussed under the heading titled “Risk Factors” in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The statements in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, even if subsequently made available by the Company on its website or otherwise. The Company does not assume any obligations to update the forward-looking statements provided to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made.
SOURCE: CareCloud
Company Contact:
Norman Roth
Interim Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Controller
CareCloud, Inc.
nroth@carecloud.com
Investor Contact:
Stephen Snyder
Co-Chief Executive Officer
CareCloud, Inc.
ir@carecloud.com
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
PALM BEACH, Fla., June 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FN Media Group News Commentary – Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) imagery service providers have been offering innovative opportunities for businesses in the construction & agriculture industries and widening their potential application base to enable predictive and actuation capabilities. These capabilities offer significant advantages, such as quality improvements, risk mitigation, and cost reduction, thereby providing a competitive advantage to adopters. Drones and their sensors provide companies with significant data, multiplying applications and capabilities within their business processes. Analyzing the obtained information improves predictive/preventive maintenance and operational intelligence. Companies increasingly adopt data management platforms to process and analyze information for detecting and classifying notable events and creating reports. A report from Grand View Research said that the global drone data services market size is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 39.0% through 2030. The market growth is attributed to the increasing need for drone information analysis amongst businesses worldwide to perform various critical tasks remotely, such as automated mapping, cadastral surveying, corridor surveying, volumetric calculations, and LiDAR mapping. Active Companies in the markets today include ZenaTech, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZENA), Ondas Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: ONDS), AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVAV), AIRO Group Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: AIRO), EHang Holdings Limited (NASDAQ: EH).
The Grand View Research report said: “Drone data service providers are expected to gain prominence by empowering companies globally to utilize UAV imagery better. This can be achieved by converting it into actionable information in simple 3D models, Digital Elevation Models (DEMs), and orthomosaic maps. An increasing number of companies are now seeking to enter the UAV software space and develop software to provide aerial imagery analysis and mapping solutions for the commercial sector. Businesses worldwide are increasingly using drones across a wide range of industries. Farmers are utilizing maps generated with drone software to identify areas of damage & crop variation, diagnose the potential causes for damages, such as pests, equipment malfunctioning, and irrigation problems, and prescribe solutions such as variable-rate nitrogen applications. The 3D modeling & DEM segment is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR of 40.5% during the forecast period. The advancements in drone technology have enabled the collection of high-resolution aerial data, which can be processed to create detailed and precise 3D models and DEMs. It has significantly enhanced the accuracy and efficiency of data analysis and decision-making processes in industries that rely on geospatial information.”
ZenaTech (NASDAQ:ZENA) Signs Offer to Acquire North Carolina Land Surveying Company to Expand State Operations and Government Customers – ZenaTech, Inc. (FSE: 49Q) (BMV: ZENA) (“ZenaTech”), a technology company specializing in AI (Artificial Intelligence) drone, Drone as a Service (DaaS), enterprise SaaS, announces it has signed an offer to acquire a well-established North Carolina-based land surveying company with a strong government customer base. The proposed acquisition expands operations in the state when combined with a previously announced proposed land survey acquisition with operations in North Carolina. With over three decades of success serving government agencies, municipal governments, construction companies, and real estate developers, this strategic acquisition would significantly advance the company’s regional market penetration as well as growth in the US Southeast.
“This proposed acquisition aligns with our strategy to build a robust, scalable, national Drone as a Service business while empowering strong regional and local hubs and recurring revenue opportunities,” said Shaun Passley, Ph.D., ZenaTech CEO. “We plan to embed AI-powered drone technology into critical land survey workflows providing unparalleled speed and precision. Land surveys are a first step to innovating multiple legacy businesses and inefficient processes with our DaaS model and our drones.”
The land survey company offers comprehensive services include boundary surveys, topographic and site planning surveys, ALTA (American Land Title Association) / ACSM (American Congress on Surveying and Mapping) surveys, construction staking, and other essential survey solutions for permitting, financing, and construction across city, county, and commercial sectors.
ZenaTech’s Drone as a Service (DaaS) business model offers both business and government customers reduced costs and convenience to utilize drones to streamline legacy processes and manual tasks such as inspections, surveying, maintenance, precision agriculture and inventory management ─ there is no need to purchase drone hardware and software, find a drone pilot, manage maintenance and operation, or acquire regulatory approvals. The model also offers scalability to use more often or less often based on business needs and utilizes ZenaDrone’s multifunction AI autonomous drones.
The company has closed five acquisitions across the US to date as part of its DaaS business model and strategy and has announced it plans to complete 20 more acquisitions in the next 12 months. Continued… Read this full release by visiting: https://www.financialnewsmedia.com/news-zena/
Other recent developments in the markets include:
Ondas Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: ONDS), a leading provider of private industrial wireless networks and commercial drone and automated data solutions, recently announced that its subsidiary, American Robotics Inc., has entered into a strategic partnership with Mistral Inc. (“Mistral”), a Maryland-based business development and defense contracting firm. The agreement focuses on joint marketing, sales, and integration of the Optimus drone system and Iron Drone Raider into the United States defense and homeland security markets.
Under the agreement, Mistral will support American Robotics’ business development by opening sales channels through its well-established relationships with U.S. governmental buyers, including federal, state, local law enforcement, military, and homeland security entities. The initial term of the agreement is three years, with an automatic renewal option and a structured success fee model based on realized sales.
AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVAV) (“AeroVironment” or the “Company”) recently reported financial results for the fiscal fourth quarter and year ended April 30, 2025.
Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year Highlights Were: Record fourth quarter revenue of $275.1 million and fiscal year revenue of $820.6, up 40% and 14% year-over-year, respectively; Fourth quarter and fiscal year net income of $16.7 million and $43.6 million, respectively and record fourth quarter and fiscal year non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA of $61.6 million and $146.4 million, respectively; and Record fiscal year bookings of $1.2 billion
“AeroVironment finished out fiscal year 2025 with a remarkable fourth quarter, which included record revenue, significantly higher profits and a robust backlog nearly double that from fiscal year 2024,” said Wahid Nawabi, AeroVironment chairman, president and chief executive officer. “The investments we’ve consistently made in our multi-generational Uncrewed Systems and Loitering Munition Systems products coupled with our strong execution, continue to pay off, as evidenced by significantly higher demand and key strategic wins leading to a record $1.2 billion in total bookings throughout this fiscal year.”
Nawabi continued, “Our acquisition of BlueHalo further advances our leadership position within the defense-technology sector by adding a complementary portfolio of innovative products and capabilities aligned to our customers’ highest priorities. With integrated solutions across every domain of modern warfare, enhanced innovation and domestic manufacturing scale, we believe we are well positioned to meet the rising demand across the globe and drive strong growth and value creation in fiscal year 2026 and beyond.”
AIRO Group Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: AIRO) recently announced that Company executives, including Executive Chairman and Co-Founder Dr. Chirinjeev Kathuria and CEO and Co-Founder Joe Burns, attended the 55th edition of the Paris Air Show, which took place from June 16 to June 22, 2025, in Paris, France.
Shares of AIRO common stock began trading on the Nasdaq Global Market under the ticker symbol “AIRO” on June 13, 2025. AIRO’s market debut comes amid strong historical financial performance for the Company and underscores its commitment to an integrated portfolio of cutting-edge technologies, including the development of fully autonomous AI-enabled surveillance drones, eVTOL hybrid and electric cargo aircraft, advanced avionics systems and comprehensive flight operations training solutions. In 2024, AIRO achieved over $86 million in revenue, reflecting growth of more than 100% from the previous year. This increase is attributed to an increase in drone shipments and support revenue driven by market entry strategies to target NATO member countries.
“The strength of AIRO lies in its diversified yet complementary portfolio of products and services, all centered around a unified aerospace and defense ecosystem,” said Executive Chairman, Dr. Chirinjeev Kathuria. “AIRO’s complementary business segments, with strategic locations in the US, Canada, and Europe, provide unparalleled access for our global client base. With significant year-over-year revenue and EBITDA growth, we believe our offerings are essential for both current and future operational landscapes.”
EHang Holdings Limited (NASDAQ: EH), the world’s leading Urban Air Mobility (“UAM”) technology platform company, recently announced the expansion of its strategic partnership with Gotion High-Tech Co., Ltd. (“Gotion”), a leading innovator in power battery solutions. Building on a power system framework agreement signed in December 2023, this enhanced collaboration marks a significant step forward in powering the electric vertical take-off and landing (“eVTOL”) aircraft. Under the upgraded partnership, the two companies will jointly advance the development of power systems for EHang’s flagship EH216 series of pilotless eVTOL aircraft, with plans to extend their collaboration to future aircraft models. By leveraging cutting-edge battery technologies, the partnership aims to accelerate the advancement of a safe, intelligent, and sustainable low-altitude transportation ecosystem and contribute to the high-quality development of the low-altitude economy.
As part of the agreement, Gotion will deliver a customized battery solution tailored to the EH216 series. At the core of the solution is Gotion’s newly developed 46-series cylindrical battery cell, which offers high energy density and robust power output. The next-generation battery system is expected to significantly enhance the EH216 series aircraft in flight range, thrust performance, and operational safety — further improving the aircraft’s efficiency across a variety of use cases and strengthening its readiness for future scaled commercial deployment.
About FN Media Group:
At FN Media Group, via our top-rated online news portal at www.financialnewsmedia.com, we are one of the very few select firms providing top tier one syndicated news distribution, targeted ticker tag press releases and stock market news coverage for today’s emerging companies. #tickertagpressreleases #pressreleases
Follow us on Facebook to receive the latest news updates: https://www.facebook.com/financialnewsmedia
Follow us on Twitter for real time Market News: https://twitter.com/FNMgroup
Follow us on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/financialnewsmedia/
DISCLAIMER: FN Media Group LLC (FNM), which owns and operates FinancialNewsMedia.com and MarketNewsUpdates.com, is a third party publisher and news dissemination service provider, which disseminates electronic information through multiple online media channels. FNM is NOT affiliated in any manner with any company mentioned herein. FNM and its affiliated companies are a news dissemination solutions provider and are NOT a registered broker/dealer/analyst/adviser, holds no investment licenses and may NOT sell, offer to sell or offer to buy any security. FNM’s market updates, news alerts and corporate profiles are NOT a solicitation or recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities. The material in this release is intended to be strictly informational and is NEVER to be construed or interpreted as research material. All readers are strongly urged to perform research and due diligence on their own and consult a licensed financial professional before considering any level of investing in stocks. All material included herein is republished content and details which were previously disseminated by the companies mentioned in this release. FNM is not liable for any investment decisions by its readers or subscribers. Investors are cautioned that they may lose all or a portion of their investment when investing in stocks. For current services performed FNM has been compensated fifty one hundred dollars for news coverage of the current press releases issued by ZenaTech, Inc. by the Company. FNM HOLDS NO SHARES OF ANY COMPANY NAMED IN THIS RELEASE.
This release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. “Forward-looking statements” describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as “may”, “future”, “plan” or “planned”, “will” or “should”, “expected,” “anticipates”, “draft”, “eventually” or “projected”. You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, and other risks identified in a company’s annual report on Form 10-K or 10-KSB and other filings made by such company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included herein, and not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and FNM undertakes no obligation to update such statements.
Contact Information:
Media Contact email: editor@financialnewsmedia.com – +1(561)325-8757
SOURCE: FN Media Group
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
PALM BEACH, Fla., June 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FN Media Group News Commentary – Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) imagery service providers have been offering innovative opportunities for businesses in the construction & agriculture industries and widening their potential application base to enable predictive and actuation capabilities. These capabilities offer significant advantages, such as quality improvements, risk mitigation, and cost reduction, thereby providing a competitive advantage to adopters. Drones and their sensors provide companies with significant data, multiplying applications and capabilities within their business processes. Analyzing the obtained information improves predictive/preventive maintenance and operational intelligence. Companies increasingly adopt data management platforms to process and analyze information for detecting and classifying notable events and creating reports. A report from Grand View Research said that the global drone data services market size is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 39.0% through 2030. The market growth is attributed to the increasing need for drone information analysis amongst businesses worldwide to perform various critical tasks remotely, such as automated mapping, cadastral surveying, corridor surveying, volumetric calculations, and LiDAR mapping. Active Companies in the markets today include ZenaTech, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZENA), Ondas Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: ONDS), AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVAV), AIRO Group Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: AIRO), EHang Holdings Limited (NASDAQ: EH).
The Grand View Research report said: “Drone data service providers are expected to gain prominence by empowering companies globally to utilize UAV imagery better. This can be achieved by converting it into actionable information in simple 3D models, Digital Elevation Models (DEMs), and orthomosaic maps. An increasing number of companies are now seeking to enter the UAV software space and develop software to provide aerial imagery analysis and mapping solutions for the commercial sector. Businesses worldwide are increasingly using drones across a wide range of industries. Farmers are utilizing maps generated with drone software to identify areas of damage & crop variation, diagnose the potential causes for damages, such as pests, equipment malfunctioning, and irrigation problems, and prescribe solutions such as variable-rate nitrogen applications. The 3D modeling & DEM segment is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR of 40.5% during the forecast period. The advancements in drone technology have enabled the collection of high-resolution aerial data, which can be processed to create detailed and precise 3D models and DEMs. It has significantly enhanced the accuracy and efficiency of data analysis and decision-making processes in industries that rely on geospatial information.”
ZenaTech (NASDAQ:ZENA) Signs Offer to Acquire North Carolina Land Surveying Company to Expand State Operations and Government Customers – ZenaTech, Inc. (FSE: 49Q) (BMV: ZENA) (“ZenaTech”), a technology company specializing in AI (Artificial Intelligence) drone, Drone as a Service (DaaS), enterprise SaaS, announces it has signed an offer to acquire a well-established North Carolina-based land surveying company with a strong government customer base. The proposed acquisition expands operations in the state when combined with a previously announced proposed land survey acquisition with operations in North Carolina. With over three decades of success serving government agencies, municipal governments, construction companies, and real estate developers, this strategic acquisition would significantly advance the company’s regional market penetration as well as growth in the US Southeast.
“This proposed acquisition aligns with our strategy to build a robust, scalable, national Drone as a Service business while empowering strong regional and local hubs and recurring revenue opportunities,” said Shaun Passley, Ph.D., ZenaTech CEO. “We plan to embed AI-powered drone technology into critical land survey workflows providing unparalleled speed and precision. Land surveys are a first step to innovating multiple legacy businesses and inefficient processes with our DaaS model and our drones.”
The land survey company offers comprehensive services include boundary surveys, topographic and site planning surveys, ALTA (American Land Title Association) / ACSM (American Congress on Surveying and Mapping) surveys, construction staking, and other essential survey solutions for permitting, financing, and construction across city, county, and commercial sectors.
ZenaTech’s Drone as a Service (DaaS) business model offers both business and government customers reduced costs and convenience to utilize drones to streamline legacy processes and manual tasks such as inspections, surveying, maintenance, precision agriculture and inventory management ─ there is no need to purchase drone hardware and software, find a drone pilot, manage maintenance and operation, or acquire regulatory approvals. The model also offers scalability to use more often or less often based on business needs and utilizes ZenaDrone’s multifunction AI autonomous drones.
The company has closed five acquisitions across the US to date as part of its DaaS business model and strategy and has announced it plans to complete 20 more acquisitions in the next 12 months. Continued… Read this full release by visiting: https://www.financialnewsmedia.com/news-zena/
Other recent developments in the markets include:
Ondas Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: ONDS), a leading provider of private industrial wireless networks and commercial drone and automated data solutions, recently announced that its subsidiary, American Robotics Inc., has entered into a strategic partnership with Mistral Inc. (“Mistral”), a Maryland-based business development and defense contracting firm. The agreement focuses on joint marketing, sales, and integration of the Optimus drone system and Iron Drone Raider into the United States defense and homeland security markets.
Under the agreement, Mistral will support American Robotics’ business development by opening sales channels through its well-established relationships with U.S. governmental buyers, including federal, state, local law enforcement, military, and homeland security entities. The initial term of the agreement is three years, with an automatic renewal option and a structured success fee model based on realized sales.
AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVAV) (“AeroVironment” or the “Company”) recently reported financial results for the fiscal fourth quarter and year ended April 30, 2025.
Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year Highlights Were: Record fourth quarter revenue of $275.1 million and fiscal year revenue of $820.6, up 40% and 14% year-over-year, respectively; Fourth quarter and fiscal year net income of $16.7 million and $43.6 million, respectively and record fourth quarter and fiscal year non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA of $61.6 million and $146.4 million, respectively; and Record fiscal year bookings of $1.2 billion
“AeroVironment finished out fiscal year 2025 with a remarkable fourth quarter, which included record revenue, significantly higher profits and a robust backlog nearly double that from fiscal year 2024,” said Wahid Nawabi, AeroVironment chairman, president and chief executive officer. “The investments we’ve consistently made in our multi-generational Uncrewed Systems and Loitering Munition Systems products coupled with our strong execution, continue to pay off, as evidenced by significantly higher demand and key strategic wins leading to a record $1.2 billion in total bookings throughout this fiscal year.”
Nawabi continued, “Our acquisition of BlueHalo further advances our leadership position within the defense-technology sector by adding a complementary portfolio of innovative products and capabilities aligned to our customers’ highest priorities. With integrated solutions across every domain of modern warfare, enhanced innovation and domestic manufacturing scale, we believe we are well positioned to meet the rising demand across the globe and drive strong growth and value creation in fiscal year 2026 and beyond.”
AIRO Group Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: AIRO) recently announced that Company executives, including Executive Chairman and Co-Founder Dr. Chirinjeev Kathuria and CEO and Co-Founder Joe Burns, attended the 55th edition of the Paris Air Show, which took place from June 16 to June 22, 2025, in Paris, France.
Shares of AIRO common stock began trading on the Nasdaq Global Market under the ticker symbol “AIRO” on June 13, 2025. AIRO’s market debut comes amid strong historical financial performance for the Company and underscores its commitment to an integrated portfolio of cutting-edge technologies, including the development of fully autonomous AI-enabled surveillance drones, eVTOL hybrid and electric cargo aircraft, advanced avionics systems and comprehensive flight operations training solutions. In 2024, AIRO achieved over $86 million in revenue, reflecting growth of more than 100% from the previous year. This increase is attributed to an increase in drone shipments and support revenue driven by market entry strategies to target NATO member countries.
“The strength of AIRO lies in its diversified yet complementary portfolio of products and services, all centered around a unified aerospace and defense ecosystem,” said Executive Chairman, Dr. Chirinjeev Kathuria. “AIRO’s complementary business segments, with strategic locations in the US, Canada, and Europe, provide unparalleled access for our global client base. With significant year-over-year revenue and EBITDA growth, we believe our offerings are essential for both current and future operational landscapes.”
EHang Holdings Limited (NASDAQ: EH), the world’s leading Urban Air Mobility (“UAM”) technology platform company, recently announced the expansion of its strategic partnership with Gotion High-Tech Co., Ltd. (“Gotion”), a leading innovator in power battery solutions. Building on a power system framework agreement signed in December 2023, this enhanced collaboration marks a significant step forward in powering the electric vertical take-off and landing (“eVTOL”) aircraft. Under the upgraded partnership, the two companies will jointly advance the development of power systems for EHang’s flagship EH216 series of pilotless eVTOL aircraft, with plans to extend their collaboration to future aircraft models. By leveraging cutting-edge battery technologies, the partnership aims to accelerate the advancement of a safe, intelligent, and sustainable low-altitude transportation ecosystem and contribute to the high-quality development of the low-altitude economy.
As part of the agreement, Gotion will deliver a customized battery solution tailored to the EH216 series. At the core of the solution is Gotion’s newly developed 46-series cylindrical battery cell, which offers high energy density and robust power output. The next-generation battery system is expected to significantly enhance the EH216 series aircraft in flight range, thrust performance, and operational safety — further improving the aircraft’s efficiency across a variety of use cases and strengthening its readiness for future scaled commercial deployment.
About FN Media Group:
At FN Media Group, via our top-rated online news portal at www.financialnewsmedia.com, we are one of the very few select firms providing top tier one syndicated news distribution, targeted ticker tag press releases and stock market news coverage for today’s emerging companies. #tickertagpressreleases #pressreleases
Follow us on Facebook to receive the latest news updates: https://www.facebook.com/financialnewsmedia
Follow us on Twitter for real time Market News: https://twitter.com/FNMgroup
Follow us on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/financialnewsmedia/
DISCLAIMER: FN Media Group LLC (FNM), which owns and operates FinancialNewsMedia.com and MarketNewsUpdates.com, is a third party publisher and news dissemination service provider, which disseminates electronic information through multiple online media channels. FNM is NOT affiliated in any manner with any company mentioned herein. FNM and its affiliated companies are a news dissemination solutions provider and are NOT a registered broker/dealer/analyst/adviser, holds no investment licenses and may NOT sell, offer to sell or offer to buy any security. FNM’s market updates, news alerts and corporate profiles are NOT a solicitation or recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities. The material in this release is intended to be strictly informational and is NEVER to be construed or interpreted as research material. All readers are strongly urged to perform research and due diligence on their own and consult a licensed financial professional before considering any level of investing in stocks. All material included herein is republished content and details which were previously disseminated by the companies mentioned in this release. FNM is not liable for any investment decisions by its readers or subscribers. Investors are cautioned that they may lose all or a portion of their investment when investing in stocks. For current services performed FNM has been compensated fifty one hundred dollars for news coverage of the current press releases issued by ZenaTech, Inc. by the Company. FNM HOLDS NO SHARES OF ANY COMPANY NAMED IN THIS RELEASE.
This release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. “Forward-looking statements” describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as “may”, “future”, “plan” or “planned”, “will” or “should”, “expected,” “anticipates”, “draft”, “eventually” or “projected”. You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, and other risks identified in a company’s annual report on Form 10-K or 10-KSB and other filings made by such company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included herein, and not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and FNM undertakes no obligation to update such statements.
Contact Information:
Media Contact email: editor@financialnewsmedia.com – +1(561)325-8757
SOURCE: FN Media Group
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
WASHINGTON, June 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ibex (NASDAQ: IBEX), a leading global provider of business process outsourcing (BPO) and AI-powered customer engagement technology solutions, today announced it has been ranked as a Leader in the Frost Radar™ Customer Experience Management Outsourcing 2025 report for both North America and Latin America.
“We are proud to be named a Leader by Frost & Sullivan in its highly respected Frost Radar™ report for CX management outsourcing, which accurately reflects ibex’s position as one of the most dynamic and visionary BPOs in the industry,” said Bob Dechant, CEO of ibex. “ibex has been disrupting the CX industry with innovative agent assist technology and raising the bar on world-class CX for more than a decade, and we are at it again today. From award-winning AI-assisted live agent support to lifelike autonomous customer interactions, we automate the routine and empower human agents to solve the complex.”
The Frost Radar™ is a proprietary, data-driven benchmarking tool that evaluates companies based on their focus on continuous innovation and their ability to convert that innovation into sustained growth. ibex outperformed in both innovation and growth, reflecting its winning AI strategy and market-leading performance.
“ibex earned a leadership position in this year’s Frost Radar™ because of its unique innovation capabilities, elevated adoption rates, nimbleness, and unusually high growth rates in non-traditional businesses,” said Sebastian Menutti, Industry Director at Frost & Sullivan. “A key aspect of ibex’s success is its investment in advanced technology and proprietary platforms. The company’s Wave iX AI solutions platform is a game-changer and underscores its commitment to technology-driven CX management.”
The report noted that ibex’s cutting-edge Wave iX platform serves as the cornerstone of the company’s AI-powered CX strategy, enhancing CX through predictive analytics, automation, and real-time business intelligence. The report further noted that by embedding AI and automation into daily operations, ibex ensures seamless technology integration, enabling real-time performance tracking and efficiency analysis.
The report also stated that a major success driver for ibex is its commitment to employee development and career progression. A remarkable 95% of leaders started out as agents before advancing into management positions, helping to foster experienced leadership and strengthen employee loyalty and engagement.
“Next-generation CX takes more than just technology; it takes deep understanding of the customer journey, unparalleled business analytics, a remarkable workforce, and a proven track record of flawless execution and rapid deployment,” added Dechant. “We design and implement bespoke solutions that meet our clients’ unique needs in weeks, not months, ensuring exceptional customer outcomes at scale. ibex brings it all together!”
About ibex
ibex delivers innovative business process outsourcing (BPO), smart digital marketing, online acquisition technology, and end-to-end customer engagement solutions to help companies acquire, engage and retain valuable customers. Today, ibex operates a global CX delivery center model consisting of approximately 30 operations facilities around the world, while deploying next generation technology to drive superior customer experiences for many of the world’s leading companies across retail, e-commerce, healthcare, fintech, utilities and logistics.
ibex leverages its diverse global team of more than 31,000 employees together with industry-leading technology, including its AI-powered ibex Wave iX solutions suite, to manage nearly 175 million critical customer interactions, adding over $2.2B in lifetime customer revenue each year and driving a truly differentiated customer experience. To learn more, visit our website at ibex.co and connect with us on LinkedIn.
Media Contact:
Dan Burris
ibex
Daniel.Burris@ibex.co
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8058762e-db5d-4bd3-8a99-ee4349da15d1
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
CHICAGO, June 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Rate, a leading fintech company, proudly announces that Chad Barris, one of the country’s top-producing mortgage originators, has returned to the company.
A 20-year industry veteran and Scotsman Guide Top 1% Mortgage Originator, Barris rejoins Rate after a seven-year tenure at CrossCountry Mortgage, reaffirming the company’s unmatched ability to support top-tier loan officers in delivering excellent service to homebuyers.
Barris brings decades of experience, consistently ranking among the nation’s highest performers thanks to his commitment to client service, market insight, and relationship-first approach. With a proven history of helping individuals and families achieve homeownership, his return signals Rate’s continued draw for elite talent seeking long-term growth and results.
“After a meaningful seven-year chapter with my previous group, I’m excited to take the next step in my career—one that aligns with my goals for growth and development,” said Barris. “I’m deeply grateful for the experiences and relationships I’ve built along the way. Change is never easy, but it often leads to breakthroughs. I’m ready to grow in new ways and thrilled to begin this next chapter at Rate.”
“We are thrilled to announce that Chad has rejoined Rate!” said Jeff Nelson, Chief Production Officer, East at Rate. “As a Scotsman Guide Top 1% Originator with over 20 years of mortgage experience, Chad brings unparalleled expertise. His success is rooted in exceptional customer service and helping clients achieve their dreams of homeownership. Welcome back to the Rate family, Chad!”
Rate continues to attract and retain the industry’s best by offering a platform purpose-built for originator success, combining AI technology, streamlined operations, and an unmatched support system. The company’s national footprint and infrastructure enable loan officers to scale their business and provide borrowers with a modern, efficient lending experience.
About Rate
Rate Companies is a leader in mortgage lending and digital financial services. Headquartered in Chicago, Rate has over 850 branches across all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Since its launch in 2000, Rate has helped more than 2 million homeowners with home purchase loans, refinances, and home equity loans. The company has cemented itself as an industry leader by introducing innovative technology, offering low rates, and delivering unparalleled customer service. Recent honors and awards include: a Best Mortgage Lender of 2025 by Fortune; Best Mortgage Lender of 2025 for First-Time Homebuyers by Forbes; a Best Mortgage Lender of 2025 for FHA Loans, Home Equity Loans, and Lower Credit Scores by NerdWallet; Best Mortgage Lender of 2025 for Digital Experience and Down Payment Assistance by Motley Fool; Chicago Agent Magazine’s Lender of the Year for seven consecutive years. Visit rate.com for more information.
Media Contact:
press@rate.com
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
WINTER PARK, Fla., June 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Crown of Life Advisors proudly announces its affiliation with NFL wide receiver Jaylin Lane. Crown of Life is a division of Financial Harvest Wealth Advisors, dedicated to providing personalized wealth management and financial planning services to collegiate and professional athletes. With firsthand insights into the unique demands and decisions athletes face, from NIL to contracts to post-career asset management, Crown of Life takes athletes beyond what is thought possible with their wealth.
Lane, a former wide receiver at Virginia Tech, was the 26th pick in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. As part of the Washington Commanders, Lane is projected to start immediately as a punter/kick returner and will compete for playing time his first year, most likely as a Slot Receiver or “WR3”. The National Football League Players Association recognized Lane as a Premier Rookie for 2025.
Kellen H. Williams, Principal and Wealth Advisor at Financial Harvest and co-founder of Crown of Life Advisors, said, “Most advisors see dollar signs when an athlete walks in. I see someone juggling 5 a.m. workouts, game film, memorizing a playbook, and family obligations while attempting to make sense of a signing bonus. By working with our team, Jaylin is well-positioned to focus on this important next step in his life. He can devote his energy to his career, confident that Crown of Life is working in partnership with him now, and for decades ahead.”
Kellen is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, and holds FINRA Series 7, 66, 9 and 10. He played four years of Division I NCAA football at Vanderbilt University. He is the son of Reggie Williams, an NFL legend, and the brother of state and national championship winners in track and field and wrestling. His older brother is a professional mixed martial artist and coach. “I have an understanding of the athlete’s experience because I have personally witnessed or lived the challenges of elite athletes at every level.”
Follow Crown of Life Advisors on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
About Financial Harvest Wealth Advisors
David Witter, a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and a Certified Succession Planner™ in partnership with his wife, Katie M. Witter, licensed fiduciary Investment Advisor, Certified Succession Planner™, Wealth Advisor and Strategist, and their carefully curated team of financial industry professionals provide customized, fee-based financial planning and wealth advisory services. Clients typically hold at least $1 million in assets for investment purposes. Financial Harvest is majority owned by women and minorities.
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
A Media Snippet accompanying this announcement is available in this link.
BOISE, Idaho, June 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — SSDs are vital to enhancing user experience and system performance for PCs and client devices. Micron Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: MU) today announced the Micron 2600 NVMe™ SSD, a value client storage solution designed for OEMs. Built with the industry’s first 9th-generation QLC NAND in an SSD, the 2600 SSD features Micron’s innovative Adaptive Write Technology™ (AWT) to deliver exceptional PCIe Gen4 performance with QLC economics.1 The Micron 2600 SSD achieves up to 63% faster sequential write and 49% faster random write speeds than competing value QLC and TLC SSDs,2 offering a best-in-class user experience for demanding client users.
“The Micron 2600 QLC SSD achieves superior performance compared to competitive value TLC drives,” said Mark Montierth, corporate vice president and general manager of the Mobile and Client Business Unit at Micron Technology. “Micron’s unparalleled combination of high-performance G9 NAND and innovative Adaptive Write Technology unlocks the performance previously only considered possible with TLC drives and is in qualification with Micron’s OEM customers. This Micron innovation milestone allows for broader commercial adoption of QLC NAND.”
Optimized QLC NAND performance
Micron AWT improves the write performance of QLC NAND by delivering an industry-first multi-tiered SLC, TLC and QLC dynamic caching architecture to improve sequential write speeds. Improved write performance provides up to four times faster sequential write speeds while continuously writing up to 800GB of data to a 2TB SSD.3
The cutting-edge six-plane NAND architecture of Micron’s 2Tb G9 QLC NAND allows for higher degrees of parallelism and increases read and write commands issued to the NAND simultaneously to improve performance. With speeds up to 3.6 GB/s, the 2600 SSD offers the fastest NAND I/O rate now shipping in a client SSD.4
Storage matters
Powerful PC storage solutions enable improved application productivity and optimized user experience. The Micron 2600 SSD transforms everyday computing experiences, significantly boosting productivity for commonly used applications.
The Micron 2600 NVMe SSD is now shipping to OEMs globally in 22x30mm, 22x42mm, and 22x80mm form factors, with capacities ranging from 512GB to 2TB. The variation of smaller form factors, capacity options and a single-sided design is perfect for handhelds, ultra-thin laptops and workstations. For example, the compact 2TB, 22x30mm form factor is ultra-small and high-capacity for use in limited-space designs such as handheld gaming devices.
For more information, visit the Micron 2600 Client SSD webpage.
Industry quotes
“The Micron 2600 QLC SSD is one of the best examples of client storage, bringing high-capacity, efficient and responsive performance to modern computing. As AMD advances processor technology, Micron’s innovations help users get the best possible user experience for everyday applications,” said Joe Macri, senior vice president and chief technology officer of Compute and Graphics at AMD.
“Building upon Micron’s legacy of NAND innovation, the Micron G9 QLC NAND has the potential to set a new level of performance for QLC NAND. As part of our ongoing collaborative efforts, IBM is eager for the opportunity to integrate this exceptional NAND into our products,” said Alistair Symon, vice president of Storage Systems Development at IBM Storage.
“The Micron 2600 SSD is a groundbreaking product that showcases the power and potential of Intel’s latest technology. We are excited to see this innovative solution transform the industry and drive new levels of performance for value SSDs on Intel Platforms. Furthermore, the Micron 2600 SSD is now included on Intel’s Platform Component List (PCL),” said Todd Lewellen, vice president of the Client Ecosystem Group at Intel.
“The Micron 2600 SSD, powered by Phison’s industry-leading E29T controller, supports high NAND flash speeds, redefining user experiences for value-based client SSDs. In the data center storage realm, Micron’s G9 QLC NAND marks a significant technological advancement that will bolster our lightning-fast Pascari enterprise drives,” said K.S. Pua, chief executive officer at Phison.
“Micron G9 QLC NAND is a substantial leap forward in QLC NAND technology. Pure Storage continues to lead the way in QLC NAND deployment for the enterprise, and now for hyperscale customers. The initiation of the testing and implementation phases for the innovative Micron G9 QLC NAND marks a significant milestone for both companies,” said Bill Cerreta, vice president and general manager of Hyperscale at Pure Storage.
Additional resources:
About Micron Technology, Inc.
Micron Technology, Inc. is an industry leader in innovative memory and storage solutions, transforming how the world uses information to enrich life for all. With a relentless focus on our customers, technology leadership and manufacturing and operational excellence, Micron delivers a rich portfolio of high-performance DRAM, NAND and NOR memory and storage products through our Micron® and Crucial® brands. Every day, the innovations that our people create fuel the data economy, enabling advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and compute-intensive applications that unleash opportunities — from the data center to the intelligent edge and across the client and mobile user experience. To learn more about Micron Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: MU), visit micron.com.
© 2025 Micron Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. Information, products, and/or specifications are subject to change without notice. Micron, the Micron logo, and all other Micron trademarks are the property of Micron Technology, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Micron Product and Technology Communications Contact:
Mengxi Liu Evensen
+1 (408) 444-2276
productandtechnology@micron.com
Micron Investor Relations Contact
Satya Kumar
+1 (408) 450-6199
satyakumar@micron.com
1 AWT is available on select 2600 SSD SKUs and may not be available from every OEM.
2 SSD comparisons are based on currently in-production, commonly available 2TB QLC & value TLC NAND client SSDs from the top five competitive suppliers of OEM SSDs by revenue (using 1TB where the supplier does not offer 2TB), excluding consoles and Apple® products, as per Forward Insights analyst report, “SSD Supplier Status Q1/25”. Performance comparisons are based on publicly available data sheet information.
3 Refers to rated capacity, formatted capacity will be less, 1TB = 1 trillion bytes. AWT accelerates large file transfers for 40% of the SSD capacity based on internal Micron testing results.
4 Statements are based on publicly available information and Micron lab testing results available at the time of product announcement. NAND analysis based on production NAND from the top five competitive NAND suppliers, as noted in the Forward Insights analyst report, “NAND Quarterly Insights Q1/25.” SSD analysis is based on currently in-production, commonly available 2TB QLC & value TLC client SSDs from the top five competitive suppliers of OEM SSDs by revenue (using 1TB where the supplier does not offer 2TB), excluding consoles and Apple® products, as per Forward Insights analyst report, “SSD Supplier Status Q1/25.”
5 The PCMark 10 Full System Drive Benchmark suite uses a wide-ranging set of real-world traces from popular applications such as Adobe and Microsoft, along with PC games such as Call of Duty, to fully test common tasks and performance of the fastest modern drives.
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
A Media Snippet accompanying this announcement is available in this link.
BOISE, Idaho, June 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — SSDs are vital to enhancing user experience and system performance for PCs and client devices. Micron Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: MU) today announced the Micron 2600 NVMe™ SSD, a value client storage solution designed for OEMs. Built with the industry’s first 9th-generation QLC NAND in an SSD, the 2600 SSD features Micron’s innovative Adaptive Write Technology™ (AWT) to deliver exceptional PCIe Gen4 performance with QLC economics.1 The Micron 2600 SSD achieves up to 63% faster sequential write and 49% faster random write speeds than competing value QLC and TLC SSDs,2 offering a best-in-class user experience for demanding client users.
“The Micron 2600 QLC SSD achieves superior performance compared to competitive value TLC drives,” said Mark Montierth, corporate vice president and general manager of the Mobile and Client Business Unit at Micron Technology. “Micron’s unparalleled combination of high-performance G9 NAND and innovative Adaptive Write Technology unlocks the performance previously only considered possible with TLC drives and is in qualification with Micron’s OEM customers. This Micron innovation milestone allows for broader commercial adoption of QLC NAND.”
Optimized QLC NAND performance
Micron AWT improves the write performance of QLC NAND by delivering an industry-first multi-tiered SLC, TLC and QLC dynamic caching architecture to improve sequential write speeds. Improved write performance provides up to four times faster sequential write speeds while continuously writing up to 800GB of data to a 2TB SSD.3
The cutting-edge six-plane NAND architecture of Micron’s 2Tb G9 QLC NAND allows for higher degrees of parallelism and increases read and write commands issued to the NAND simultaneously to improve performance. With speeds up to 3.6 GB/s, the 2600 SSD offers the fastest NAND I/O rate now shipping in a client SSD.4
Storage matters
Powerful PC storage solutions enable improved application productivity and optimized user experience. The Micron 2600 SSD transforms everyday computing experiences, significantly boosting productivity for commonly used applications.
The Micron 2600 NVMe SSD is now shipping to OEMs globally in 22x30mm, 22x42mm, and 22x80mm form factors, with capacities ranging from 512GB to 2TB. The variation of smaller form factors, capacity options and a single-sided design is perfect for handhelds, ultra-thin laptops and workstations. For example, the compact 2TB, 22x30mm form factor is ultra-small and high-capacity for use in limited-space designs such as handheld gaming devices.
For more information, visit the Micron 2600 Client SSD webpage.
Industry quotes
“The Micron 2600 QLC SSD is one of the best examples of client storage, bringing high-capacity, efficient and responsive performance to modern computing. As AMD advances processor technology, Micron’s innovations help users get the best possible user experience for everyday applications,” said Joe Macri, senior vice president and chief technology officer of Compute and Graphics at AMD.
“Building upon Micron’s legacy of NAND innovation, the Micron G9 QLC NAND has the potential to set a new level of performance for QLC NAND. As part of our ongoing collaborative efforts, IBM is eager for the opportunity to integrate this exceptional NAND into our products,” said Alistair Symon, vice president of Storage Systems Development at IBM Storage.
“The Micron 2600 SSD is a groundbreaking product that showcases the power and potential of Intel’s latest technology. We are excited to see this innovative solution transform the industry and drive new levels of performance for value SSDs on Intel Platforms. Furthermore, the Micron 2600 SSD is now included on Intel’s Platform Component List (PCL),” said Todd Lewellen, vice president of the Client Ecosystem Group at Intel.
“The Micron 2600 SSD, powered by Phison’s industry-leading E29T controller, supports high NAND flash speeds, redefining user experiences for value-based client SSDs. In the data center storage realm, Micron’s G9 QLC NAND marks a significant technological advancement that will bolster our lightning-fast Pascari enterprise drives,” said K.S. Pua, chief executive officer at Phison.
“Micron G9 QLC NAND is a substantial leap forward in QLC NAND technology. Pure Storage continues to lead the way in QLC NAND deployment for the enterprise, and now for hyperscale customers. The initiation of the testing and implementation phases for the innovative Micron G9 QLC NAND marks a significant milestone for both companies,” said Bill Cerreta, vice president and general manager of Hyperscale at Pure Storage.
Additional resources:
About Micron Technology, Inc.
Micron Technology, Inc. is an industry leader in innovative memory and storage solutions, transforming how the world uses information to enrich life for all. With a relentless focus on our customers, technology leadership and manufacturing and operational excellence, Micron delivers a rich portfolio of high-performance DRAM, NAND and NOR memory and storage products through our Micron® and Crucial® brands. Every day, the innovations that our people create fuel the data economy, enabling advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and compute-intensive applications that unleash opportunities — from the data center to the intelligent edge and across the client and mobile user experience. To learn more about Micron Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: MU), visit micron.com.
© 2025 Micron Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. Information, products, and/or specifications are subject to change without notice. Micron, the Micron logo, and all other Micron trademarks are the property of Micron Technology, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Micron Product and Technology Communications Contact:
Mengxi Liu Evensen
+1 (408) 444-2276
productandtechnology@micron.com
Micron Investor Relations Contact
Satya Kumar
+1 (408) 450-6199
satyakumar@micron.com
1 AWT is available on select 2600 SSD SKUs and may not be available from every OEM.
2 SSD comparisons are based on currently in-production, commonly available 2TB QLC & value TLC NAND client SSDs from the top five competitive suppliers of OEM SSDs by revenue (using 1TB where the supplier does not offer 2TB), excluding consoles and Apple® products, as per Forward Insights analyst report, “SSD Supplier Status Q1/25”. Performance comparisons are based on publicly available data sheet information.
3 Refers to rated capacity, formatted capacity will be less, 1TB = 1 trillion bytes. AWT accelerates large file transfers for 40% of the SSD capacity based on internal Micron testing results.
4 Statements are based on publicly available information and Micron lab testing results available at the time of product announcement. NAND analysis based on production NAND from the top five competitive NAND suppliers, as noted in the Forward Insights analyst report, “NAND Quarterly Insights Q1/25.” SSD analysis is based on currently in-production, commonly available 2TB QLC & value TLC client SSDs from the top five competitive suppliers of OEM SSDs by revenue (using 1TB where the supplier does not offer 2TB), excluding consoles and Apple® products, as per Forward Insights analyst report, “SSD Supplier Status Q1/25.”
5 The PCMark 10 Full System Drive Benchmark suite uses a wide-ranging set of real-world traces from popular applications such as Adobe and Microsoft, along with PC games such as Call of Duty, to fully test common tasks and performance of the fastest modern drives.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Dipa Kamdar, Senior Lecturer in Pharmacy Practice, Kingston University
As temperatures rise, so does the risk of heat-related illness – especially for people taking certain prescription drugs.
The body uses several mechanisms to regulate temperature: sweating, blood flow to the skin and fluid balance. But some commonly prescribed drugs interfere with these processes, making it harder to stay cool.
Here are a few you should know about this summer:
Two specific types of antidepressants – selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and tricyclics (TCAs) – may make summer harder to cope with. They could even cause heat intolerance due to how they affect the body’s ability to sweat.
Both these antidepressants are believed to partly work by affecting neurotransmitter levels in the brain – primarily serotonin and noradrenaline. However, they may also affect other neurotransmitters.
For instance, TCAs can block acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter important for sweating. This may cause some patients to sweat less. On a hot day, this could make it hard to cool down.
However, TCAs also increase noradrenaline levels, a neurotransmitter that stimulates sweat glands. This can increase sweating. In fact, both SSRIs and TCAs can increase sweating in users. Data shows up to 14% of antidepressant users experience this side-effect.
SSRIs may also interfere with the hypothalamus – the brain region that controls body temperature and tells the sweat glands to start producing sweat. But this signal may be affected by the increased serotonin levels.
Since sweating is a key cooling mechanism, any disruptions to this process can lead to heat-related illness. Excess sweating may also cause dehydration if fluids aren’t replaced.
Antipsychotics are used to treat psychosis, which can occur in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. They do this by blocking the neurotransmitter dopamine – which in turn affects levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin. This can disrupt the hypothalamus’s ability to sense and respond to body temperature changes.
As a result, someone taking an antipsychotic might not feel overheated or thirsty when it’s hot out. This can cause low blood pressure and reduced heart function. The body then tries to compensate by narrowing the blood vessels and holding in heat. This in turn reduces sweating and makes it harder to cool down properly.
Additionally, antipsychotics have anticholinergic properties. This means they block the action of acetylcholine, making it harder to sweat.
Beta-blockers are used to manage heart failure and arrhythmias. They do this by lowering heart rate and reducing how forcefully the heart pumps. But this can limit blood flow to the skin – making it harder for the body to release heat on hot days.
Diuretics are also commonly used in the treatment of high blood pressure or heart failure. But as these drugs increase urine output, this may lead to dehydration and electrolyte imbalances during hot weather. With less fluid available, the body may struggle to sweat properly. If you become severely dehydrated, you might actually stop feeling thirsty. Blood pressure can also drop, which may cause dizziness or fainting – especially when standing up.
Ramipril and losartan, also used to manage blood pressure, can increase the risk of dehydration as well. These drugs block a system in the body that helps control blood pressure, fluid balance and thirst. This may reduce your natural urge to drink, increasing dehydration risk when it’s hot.
Stimulants – such as the amphetamines used for ADHD – affect many brain chemicals, including dopamine and noradrenaline. This can increase body temperature, boost metabolism and change how the body sweats – all of which can make it harder to cool down, especially when exercising or in hot weather. This can also potentially lead to dehydration, overheating or even heatstroke. Stimulants may also reduce the feeling of tiredness, which can cause people to overexert themselves without realising the danger.
However, some recent research shows people with ADHD who take stimulants may actually have a lower chance of heat-related illnesses – but larger trials are needed to investigate further. The researchers hypothesise that this protective effect may be due to factors such as lower body weight and users staying hydrated.
Warm temperatures cause the body’s blood vessels to dilate (widen) in order to help us cool off. But this action means insulin is absorbed into the bloodstream faster as there’s enhanced blood flow to the area where insulin is injected – making blood sugar drop more quickly. This can lead to hypoglycemia (low blood glucose level), which may lead to dizziness, shaking, sweating, irritability and even potentially loss of consciousness or seizures.
Faster insulin absorption can also make it harder for people with diabetes to notice signs of low blood sugar in the heat, since common symptoms may be mistaken for being hot.
Heat can also degrade insulin, reducing its effectiveness and making it unsafe. This is why insulin should be stored in the fridge until use – especially in summer. Damaged insulin will change appearance – turning cloudy or changing colour.
Read more:
Drugs and the sun – your daily medications could put you at greater risk of sunburn
Older adults, people with chronic conditions (especially those with heart or lung disease) and those taking multiple prescription drugs are especially vulnerable to heat-related illnesses.
Fortunately, there are steps you can take to stay safe during summer if you’re taking one of these common prescription drugs.
First, check labels for storage instructions. Avoid leaving medications in hot places, such as in cars or on windowsills. Insulin isn’t the only drug affected by heat – inhalers and EpiPens can also malfunction or become less effective.
Second, stay hydrated when it’s hot – unless your doctor has advised otherwise. Dehydration can actually worsen the effects of many medicines. For example, anti-inflammatory painkillers (such as ibuprofen) are more likely to cause kidney problems and bipolar medicines (including lithium) can become toxic if you’re dehydrated.
Avoid peak heat hours and stay in cool environments when possible. Watch for warning signs of heat-related illness – such as dizziness, confusion, nausea or excessive sweating.
Last, don’t stop taking your prescriptions medication without medical advice. If it’s affecting your ability to cope with the heat, speak with your doctor or pharmacist.
Dipa Kamdar 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.
– ref. Five prescription drugs that can make it harder to cope with the heat – https://theconversation.com/five-prescription-drugs-that-can-make-it-harder-to-cope-with-the-heat-259479
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Nada Saadaoui, PhD Candidate in English Literature, University of Cumbria
In Pride and Prejudice (1813), when heroine Elizabeth Bennet arrives at Netherfield Park with “her petticoat six inches deep in mud”, she walks not only through the fields of Hertfordshire, but into one of literature’s most memorable images of women’s independence.
Her decision to walk alone, “above her ankles in dirt”, is met with horror. “What could she mean by it?” sneers Miss Bingley. “It seems to me to show an abominable sort of conceited independence.” And yet, in that walk – unaccompanied, unfashionable, unbothered – Elizabeth reveals more about her spirit and autonomy than any parlour conversation could.
For Austen’s heroines, independence – however “abominable” – often begins on foot. Elizabeth may be the most iconic of Austen’s pedestrians, but she is far from alone. Across Austen’s novels, women are constantly in motion: walking through country lanes, walled gardens, shrubberies, city streets and seaside resorts.
These are not idle excursions. They are socially legible acts, shaped by class, decorum, and gender – yet often quietly resistant to them.
This article is part of a series commemorating the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth. Despite having published only six books, she is one of the best-known authors in history. These articles explore the legacy and life of this incredible writer.
Fanny Price, the often underestimated heroine of Mansfield Park (1814), is typically seen as timid and passive. Yet beneath her reserved exterior lies a quiet but determined spirit.
“She takes her own independent walk whenever she can”, remarks Mrs Norris disapprovingly. “She certainly has a little spirit of secrecy, and independence, and nonsense about her.” Austen’s choice of “nonsense” here is revealing: Fanny’s desire for solitude and self-direction is not revolutionary, but it is gently subversive. In a world offering women little room for self-assertion, her steps become acts of resistance.
When Jane Fairfax, constrained by class and circumstance in Emma (1815), declines a carriage ride, she asserts: “I would rather walk … quick walking will refresh me.” It’s a seemingly modest decision, but one layered with significance. To walk is to control your own movement, to maintain autonomy and resist the genteel suffocation of being constantly observed or helped.
In Persuasion (1817), Anne Elliot’s story shows walking as a path to renewal. Reserved and long burdened by regret, Anne finds restoration in the coastal air of Lyme Regis. As she walks along the Cobb, Austen notes that “she was looking remarkably well … having the bloom and freshness of youth restored by the fine wind … and by the animation of eye which it had also produced”.
Her emotional reawakening is framed as a physical one. Walking becomes not only therapeutic but transformative – a way back to herself.
Not all of Austen’s walks are reflective or restorative. Some are decidedly social. Lydia and Kitty Bennet’s frequent walks to Meryton in Pride and Prejudice, for example, are driven as much by shopping as by the hope of romantic encounters.
Austen notes the “most convenient distance” of the village, where “their eyes were immediately wandering up in the street in quest of the officers”. These girls were more interested in uniforms than in bonnets.
Yet even this behaviour hints at something subtler. For young, unmarried women, shopping and social errands were among the few socially sanctioned reasons to move independently through public space. These excursions offered moments of visibility, mobility, and the possibility of courtship – however frivolously pursued.
Catherine Morland of Northanger Abbey (1817), a devoted reader of gothic fiction, fuses her walks with imagination. As she strolls along the Avon River with the Tilneys, she muses: “It always puts me in mind of the country that Emily and her father travelled through in The Mysteries of Udolpho.” Walking becomes an act of imaginative projection, where the boundaries between fiction and reality blur in the mind of a heroine learning to navigate both the world and herself.
Austen’s fiction draws much of its vitality from her own experiences. She was, by her own admission, a “desperate walker”, rarely deterred by weather, terrain or propriety.
Her letters, written from Bath, Steventon, Chawton and elsewhere, capture the physicality and pleasure of walking in vivid, often playful detail. These glimpses into her daily life reveal not only her attachment to movement but also the quiet autonomy it afforded her.
In 1805, Austen writes from Bath: “Yesterday was a busy day with me, or at least with my feet & my stockings; I was walking almost all day long.” Several years later, in 1813, she reports with unmistakable relief: “I walked to Alton, & dirt excepted, found it delightful … before I set out we were visited by several callers, all of whom my mother was glad to see, & I very glad to escape.”
Perhaps most revealing is an earlier letter from December 1798, in which Austen describes a rare solitary excursion: “I enjoyed the hard black frosts of last week very much, & one day while they lasted walked to Deane by myself. I do not know that I ever did such a thing in my life before.” The comment registers the novelty and boldness of a woman walking alone.
In an age where walking is once again praised for its physical and mental benefits, Austen’s fiction reminds us that these virtues are not new. Her characters have been walking for centuries – through mud, across class boundaries and against expectation.
They walk in pursuit of clarity, connection, escape and self-hood. Their steps – measured or impulsive, solitary or social – mark turning points in their lives. And in a world designed to keep them stationary, their walking remains a radical act.
This article features references to books that have been included for editorial reasons, and may contain links to bookshop.org. If you click on one of the links and go on to buy something from this website, The Conversation UK may earn a commission.
Nada Saadaoui 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.
– ref. For Jane Austen and her heroines, walking was more than a pastime – it was a form of resistance – https://theconversation.com/for-jane-austen-and-her-heroines-walking-was-more-than-a-pastime-it-was-a-form-of-resistance-258101
