Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Beijing, June 6 (Xinhua) — Belarusbank was approved as a full member of the Interbank Association of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (IBA) following the 21st meeting of the Council.
Speaking at the meeting held at the China Development Bank headquarters in Beijing on Thursday, participants expressed their willingness to provide high-quality financial services to jointly build a more beautiful SCO common home.
As an important platform for regional financial cooperation, the SCO IBC should further intensify cooperation between its member banks in the areas of infrastructure connectivity, scientific and technological innovation, industrial modernization, green and low-carbon development, and digital economy, continuously deepen humanitarian exchanges, and strengthen mutual trust and understanding, the meeting participants said.
The SCO Interbank Association was established in October 2005. Its activities are aimed at supporting economic cooperation in the SCO region. -0-
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, June 6 (Xinhua) — A river cargo route linking Tongjiang City in northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province with Russia’s Khabarovsk was launched this week, the Zhongxinshe News Agency reported.
On Tuesday, two barges pulled by the tugboat Luntui-610 left the Tongjiang River port and headed to Khabarovsk along the Songhuajiang (Sungari) and Heilongjiang (Amur) rivers, marking the beginning of the navigation period along the specified route.
The barges carried 1,130 tons of cargo worth a total of 20 million yuan. The goods included building stone, elevator accessories, and non-ferrous steel rolls.
It is reported that during the current navigation period along the Songhuajiang and Heilongjiang rivers, cement is mainly supplied from China to Russia, and organic fertilizers and copper are supplied from Russia to China.
Songhuajiang is a large right tributary of the Heilongjiang River. Currently, river traffic connects such Chinese and Russian cities located on the banks of these rivers as Harbin, Jiamusi, Khabarovsk and Nikolaevsk-on-Amur. -0-
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
KABUL, June 6 (Xinhua) — Afghan police have rescued a kidnapped man and arrested three suspected kidnappers in northern Afghanistan’s Takhar province, the Interior Ministry said on Friday.
According to the statement, the suspects kidnapped the man in Takhar’s neighboring Kunduz province and demanded a ransom of US$50,000 for his release. Police tracked the victim to Takhar’s Darqad district and carried out a rescue operation, the statement said.
The ministry said the kidnappers had been handed over to judicial authorities for further investigation. The identity of the victim was not disclosed. No further details of the rescue operation were given. –0–
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, June 6 (Xinhua) — The 9th China-South Asia Expo will be held from June 19 to 24 in Kunming, capital of southwest China’s Yunnan Province, an official with China’s Ministry of Commerce announced Friday.
Jointly organized by the aforementioned department and the people’s government of Yunnan Province, the exhibition will be one of the most important events this year in the field of economic and trade exchanges between China and South Asian countries, Chinese Vice Minister of Commerce Yan Dong said at a press conference.
According to him, in 2024, trade turnover between China and South Asian countries will approach US$200 billion, doubling over the past decade.
He noted that investment cooperation had also yielded fruitful results, noting that flagship projects had become the main drivers of regional growth.
China will work closely with South Asian countries to align development strategies, expand cooperation in new areas such as the digital economy, low-carbon development and smart manufacturing, and support the region’s industrialization.
Li Chaowei, director of the Yunnan Provincial Bureau of Commerce, said this year’s expo will be more international, professional and market-oriented, adding that more than 1,400 enterprises from 54 countries and regions have confirmed their participation.
The expo will feature 11 themed pavilions covering key industries such as advanced manufacturing, clean energy and modern agriculture. About 1,000 professional buyers are expected to attend the event, Li Chaowei added. -0-
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:
Dimensional Fund Advisors Ltd. in its capacity as investment advisor and on behalf its affiliates who are also investment advisors (”Dimensional”). Dimensional expressly disclaims beneficial ownership of the shares described in this form 8.3.
(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
Empiric Student Property 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
05 June 2025
(f)
In addition to the company in 1(c) above, is the discloser making disclosures in respect of any other party to the offer? If it is a cash offer or possible cash offer, state “N/A”
YES UNITE Group PLC/The
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 ordinary (GB00BLWDVR75)
Interests
Short Positions
Number
%
Number
%
(1)
Relevant securities owned and/or controlled:
8,459,352
1.27 %
(2)
Cash-settled derivatives:
(3)
Stock-settled derivatives (including options) and agreements to purchase/sell:
Total
8,459,352 *
1.27 %
* Dimensional Fund Advisors LP and/or its affiliates do not have discretion regarding voting decisions in respect of 25,066 shares that are included in the total above.
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 (GB00BLWDVR75)
Sale
63,523
.9958 GBP
(b)
Cash-settled derivative transactions
Class of relevant security
Product descriptione.g. CFD
Nature of dealinge.g. opening/closing a long/short position, increasing/reducing a long/short position
Other dealings (including subscribing for new securities)
Class of relevant security
Nature of dealinge.g. subscription, conversion
Details
Price per unit (if applicable)
4.
OTHER INFORMATION
(a)
Indemnity and other dealing arrangements
Details of any indemnity or option arrangement, or any agreement or understanding, formal or informal, relating to relevant securities which may be an inducement to deal or refrain from dealing entered into by the person making the disclosure and any party to the offer or any person acting in concert with a party to the offer: Irrevocable commitments and letters of intent should not be included. If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”
None
(b)
Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to options or derivatives
Details of any agreement, arrangement or understanding, formal or informal, between the person making the disclosure and any other person relating to: (i) the voting rights of any relevant securities under any option; or (ii) the voting rights or future acquisition or disposal of any relevant securities to which any derivative is referenced: If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”
None
(c)
Attachments
Is a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions) attached?
NO
Date of disclosure
06 June 2025
Contact name
Thomas Hone
Telephone number
+44 20 3033 3419
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 atwww.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk.
Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –
The team of the Civil Engineering Institute has developed a unique software package “IMPULSE” for automated classification of elements of digital information models (DIM) based on artificial intelligence technologies. The use of a PC allows to significantly reduce labor costs at the stages of classification and coding of data in DIM, as well as to speed up and simplify the process of assigning codes and attributes to elements of the information model.
The project is interdisciplinary. The development was carried out by the Civil Engineering and Physics and Mechanical Institutes of SPbPU, whose specialists combined engineering competencies in the field of construction modeling and computational methods. Technical manager – Pavel Nedviga.
Students from two institutes took part in the project. This collaboration provided a unique opportunity not only to develop the technical aspects of the product, but also to develop skills in working with modern digital technologies in young specialists. The PhysMech team was led by Vyacheslav Chukanov, a senior lecturer at the Higher School of Applied Mathematics and Computational Physics.
The work lasted for two and a half years. The final stage was the inclusion of the PC “IMPULSE” in the Unified Register of Russian programs for electronic computers and databases with a special mark indicating that the software belongs to the field of artificial intelligence. The registration of the program confirms its compliance with the requirements for domestic software and its importance for the construction industry.
The project partners were GC Pioneer, a development company implementing large-scale housing and infrastructure projects, and the State Expertise Center, an organization that carries out an independent assessment of the quality of project documentation.
The IMPULSE PC is actively used in the educational process within the Digital Departments project. ISI students master the software package as part of their practical training and apply artificial intelligence mechanisms. The total number of such students has exceeded 350 people.
Currently, “IMPULSE” is successfully used by design organizations that turn to BIM modeling technologies. The program has proven highly effective in the educational process and project practice.
The use of artificial intelligence technologies allows to significantly reduce labor costs of certain types of work and operations in the process of developing design documentation and to increase the efficiency of design work. Thanks to the use of the software package “IMPULSE”, design engineers will be more focused on expert work, eliminating the need to perform routine tasks, such as manual classification of elements of the information model and assigning codes and classes to them. At the moment, the product is unique and has no analogues in the world, – noted the director of the Civil Engineering Institute Marina Petrochenko.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Secretary for Transport & Logistics Mable Chan today led a Hong Kong Logistics Development Council delegation to meet officials of the Chongqing Municipal People’s Government and inspect the high-speed rail freight services in Chongqing.
At the meeting with Vice Mayor of Chongqing Municipal People’s Government Zheng Xiangdong and other officials, the delegation reported Hong Kong’s latest logistics developments in Hong Kong.
They also discussed further deepening co-operation in intermodal cargo transshipment and building the Chongqing-Hong Kong logistics corridor under the Hong Kong-Chongqing Co-operation Conference Mechanism, with a view to leveraging the strengths of the two hubs to serve the country’s needs.
The delegation also inspected the operations of high-speed rail freight services to gain insights into how Chongqing leverages its railway transport system, complemented by intermodal cargo transshipment modes such as air and sea transport, to enhance the overall rail freight service capacity.
They also met representatives of local logistics and transportation enterprises to further explore collaboration opportunities between the two places.
Ms Chan said Hong Kong’s status as an international aviation hub and maritime centre, coupled with its professional strengths, means it can better serve Chongqing, a key manufacturing base of the country, by providing an efficient export channel for local goods.
Yesterday, Ms Chan and the delegation attended the Hong Kong-Chongqing logistics sector co-operation seminar, where she highlighted Hong Kong’s advantages in logistics and transport to the local logistics sector.
The seminar was organised by the Hong Kong Logistics Development Council and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council.
Yesterday afternoon, the delegation met representatives of local shipping enterprises to discuss enhancing the maritime ties between Hong Kong and Chongqing.
They also toured the Chongqing International Logistics Hub Park to learn about its operation, and met Deputy Director of the Hong Kong & Macao Affairs Office of the Chongqing Municipal People’s Government Zhang Yaqian, to exchange views on ways to facilitate exchanges and collaborations in logistics and transport.
Ms Chan concluded her visit this afternoon and will return to Hong Kong in the evening.
As global temperatures rise, ecosystems face new pressures and often multiple challenges simultaneously. This was the case in 2016 in areas of the northeast that experienced a one-two punch of extreme drought and an onslaught of spongy moth caterpillars that feasted on a massive portion of the region’s oak leaves.
Eastern Connecticut, much of Rhode Island, and large swaths of Central Massachusetts were hit hard, says UConn Department of Natural Resources and the Environment Associate Professor Robert Fahey. This stacking of disturbances is expected to increase with climate change, and it is important to understand how forests are responding.
Fahey and his collaborators Danielle Tanzer ’21 MS, now at the University of Wisconsin; UConn Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Associate Professor Robert Bagchi; Audrey Barker Plotkin at the Harvad Forest; James Mickley ’17 Ph.D., now at Oregon State University; Keenan Rivers ’20 (CAHNR), now at Michigan Technological University; researcher Maya Sagarin, now at the University of California; and UConn Department of Natural Resources and the Environment Assistant Professor Chandi Witharana saw the opportunity to study these interactions and their impacts on defoliation and tree mortality and their findings are published in the International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation, and Forest Ecology and Management.
“When disturbances overlap in their effects on an ecosystem, we often call that compounding disturbance, where sometimes there is more influence on the ecosystem than you would get from either of those disturbances independently. It’s this additive or multiplicative effect,” says Fahey.
The team developed a proposal to study these multiplicative effects with a National Science Foundation RAPID grant, which streamlined the funding process and helped them jumpstart the project.
Fahey explains they applied experimental and observational methods to assess the interactions of the disturbances by collecting increment cores from tree trunks to estimate biomass accumulation before and after the disturbances and by surveying the mortality of trees across the study sites.
Then the researchers compared their field data with satellite imagery in hope of developing a method to remotely assess mortality that was not only accurate but also faster and less labor-intensive than taking field samples.
The Landsat satellite collects images on an almost bi-weekly basis, and finding a method to analyze these vast quantities of data can be tricky. Besides being labor-intensive and time-consuming, current methods also rely on costly aerial overflights.
“One of the things we were trying to do is compare what we can see in the remote sensing imagery and use machine learning models to take the known mortality and map mortality across the landscape, and then compare that to the aerial documentation,” says Fahey.
The method they developed was able to predict between 60% and 80% of the mortality within Landsat’s resolution of a 30-by-30-meter pixel. Fahey says the method could be a useful tool, enabling land managers to quickly and easily assess the landscape.
To better understand the frequency and timing of the defoliation relative to the drought conditions, Fahey teamed up with Bagchi, whose research group had been studying caterpillars and their interactions within the food web in the region. They hoped to study the characteristics that led to different outcomes and levels of severity across the region.
Fahey’s group sampled and surveyed sites around Eastern Connecticut where Bagchi’s lab had already sampled for spongy moth caterpillars.
One curious observation was the timing of the defoliation differed across the landscape and the researchers wondered if these timing differences led to variations in mortality, says Fahey.
“The question is if that’s because there were fewer caterpillars in some places,” he says. “Is it because the drought differed in its severity across the landscape? Is it because there were fewer oaks available as host species across different forests, across the landscape, or is it something to do with the environment?”
They found the factor that mattered the most was whether a site experienced multiple years of defoliation, which Fahey says is not a novel or surprising result, but it is interesting because it showed the severity of the drought, and the timing of the defoliation also did not seem to matter as much as frequency.
“The drought definitely impacted the defoliation, but it didn’t seem to impact the mortality outcomes relating to the defoliation. The drought is probably associated with the severity of the defoliation in multiple ways,” says Fahey.
For example, one of the main controls of the spongy moth caterpillars is a fungus that doesn’t get established when there’s a drought; therefore, in an extremely dry year like 2016, the spongy moth population was able to explode across the landscape.
That extremely dry weather also stressed the trees, rendering them less capable of fighting defoliation. The 2016-17 drought was possibly the most severe New England has experienced since the 1960s, says Fahey, and we have had multiple such “100-year” droughts in the last decade.
“Obviously, things are changing, but that 2016 drought was severe enough across the landscape that there wasn’t enough variation for us to pick up a signal, and it probably affected the outcomes of defoliation and led to higher mortality across the landscape. We can’t say for sure because we don’t have anything to control it against, because there wasn’t a place that didn’t have drought,” he says.
Moving forward, Fahey says they are evaluating the response of the overall forest to the disturbance by looking at productivity, carbon sequestration, and any changes that occurred. The researchers are also trying to understand how growth prior to the disturbances impacted mortality outcomes. Did fast or slow-growing oaks fare better, and why? These questions are the focus of ongoing research that will help us understand how the region’s forests will fare as the climate continues to change. With thousands of increment cores from trees across Eastern Connecticut and from the Harvard Forest in Massachusetts yet to analyze, Fahey says it will take some time before they have answers.
“The frequency, severity, and nature of the disturbances that affect our forests is changing as a result of the impacts of climate change and other stressors, such as invasive pests and pathogens,” says Fahey. “These changes are leading to more frequent interactions between disturbances and understanding how compounding disturbance affects our forests will be an essential part of predicting the future of our region and its ecosystems.”
Source: People’s Republic of China – Ministry of National Defense
BEIJING, June 6 — Recently, the 5th Chinese Peacekeeping Military Utility Helicopter Unit to the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) successfully passed the UNISFA’s equipment inspection for the second quarter of 2025.
All the 45 inspection items of the Chinese peacekeeping helicopter unit, including barrack facilities, vehicles and equipment, and weapons and ammunition, met the verification standards of the UN.
Since its deployment to the mission area, the Chinese peacekeeping helicopter unit has primarily undertaken air patrol, medical evacuation, logistic support, and other tasks. Its mission area mainly covers 23 locations in Abyei, Sudan, and South Sudan.
Source: People’s Republic of China – Ministry of National Defense
BEIJING, June 6 — Recently, the 5th Chinese Peacekeeping Military Utility Helicopter Unit to the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) successfully passed the UNISFA’s equipment inspection for the second quarter of 2025.
All the 45 inspection items of the Chinese peacekeeping helicopter unit, including barrack facilities, vehicles and equipment, and weapons and ammunition, met the verification standards of the UN.
Since its deployment to the mission area, the Chinese peacekeeping helicopter unit has primarily undertaken air patrol, medical evacuation, logistic support, and other tasks. Its mission area mainly covers 23 locations in Abyei, Sudan, and South Sudan.
The word antisemitism has become so debased that depending on who is using it I might well take it as a sign that the accused is worth listening to.
When the World Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu’s arrest, he responded by saying the court was being antisemitic. One of the court’s legal advisers was Theodor Meron, a former Israeli ambassador and legal adviser who spent a chunk of his childhood in a Nazi concentration camp.
Last month, Netanyahu declared the leaders of France, the UK and Canada of fuelling antisemitism.
Their “crime”? Threatening “concrete action” against Israel if it continues its “egregious” blockade of aid entering Gaza.
Egregious not genocidal. And the concrete action referred to wasn’t sanctions or a full arms embargo but stalling free trade talks.
The bitter irony is that with none of those countries having yet imposed a complete ban on arms exports to Israel they are all in a sense fuelling a genocide.
The Army-McCarthy hearings We’re coming up to the 71st anniversary of the Army-McCarthy hearings where an army lawyer, Joseph Welch, rebuked Senator Joseph McCarthy with the famous line: “Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last?”
We’ll be waiting a long time for the wanted war criminal Netanyahu to show any decency, but could we be approaching a tipping point where the establishment finally calls off a witch hunt after realising no one is safe from false accusations.
The McCarthyite red scare, which began in the late 1940s, saw more than 2000 federal workers sacked, thousands of academics, teachers, and union members pressured or forced to resign due to anti-communist policies, and up to 500 Hollywood directors and actors blacklisted for being leftwing or refusing to name names.
Welch’s rebuke was triggered by none of that. It was McCarthy turning his metaphorical guns onto the military implying he would expose high ranking army personnel that saw the army lawyer return fire.
The conflating of criticism of Israel with antisemitism has been spectacularly successful in making any criticism of Israel a potentially career ending move. Three Ivy League presidents have been pushed out of their jobs for failing to crack down hard enough on students protesting the brutality of Israel’s ongoing genocide.
UK Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, whose popularity had seen the party become the biggest political movement in Europe, was toppled in 2016 after bogus accusations of antisemitism.
In the purge of the Labour Party that followed Jews were five times more likely to be investigated for antisemitism than goys.
It’s the same story in Germany where Jews feature prominently among those cancelled for alleged antisemitism. Renowned professor of Jewish studies Peter Schäfe was forced to resign as the director of Berlin’s Jewish Museum after it retweeted a post critical of Germany’s anti-Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) resolutions.
Greece’s former Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis — not a Jew — has been banned from Germany or even appearing via Zoom for this response, on 8 October 2023, to being asked if he condemned Hamas:
“I condemn every single atrocity, whomever is the perpetrator or the victim. What I do not condemn is armed resistance to an apartheid system designed as part of a slow-burning, but inexorable, ethnic cleansing programme. As a European, it is important to refrain from condemning either the Israelis or the Palestinians when it is us, Europeans, who have caused this never-ending tragedy: after practising rabid anti-Semitism for centuries, leading up to the uniquely vile Holocaust, we have been complicit for decades with the slow genocide of Palestinians, as if two wrongs make one right.”
That nuanced response, with its acknowledgement of the dreadful legacy of real antisemitism, has not only seen him banned from speaking — in person or virtually — but dropped by his German publisher.
Antisemitism is often referred to as the oldest hatred — with good reason — but the word itself is relatively recent.
A ‘scientific’ word for an old hatred Nineteenth century German journalist, Wilhelm Marr, popularised the term in a pamphlet the title of which translates as: The way to victory of Germanism over Judaism.
What distinguished antisemitism from the commonly used Judenhass — or Jewish hate — was the idea that it was a Jew’s race not their religion that was deserving of hate.
Antisemitism was a prejudice proud to speak its name. It was respectable in a way that religious intolerance wasn’t. Prominent professors and politicians happily declared themselves antisemites and adherents of “scientific racism”.
It was an old idea dressed up in new clothing. Fifteenth century Spain passed Limpieza de Sangre (cleanliness of blood) statutes to allow discrimination against Jewish and Muslim converts to Christianity.
The Judeo-Christian civilisational conflict with Islam, often referred to by right-wing supporters of Israel, is a relatively new construct. When the Jews were expelled from Spain, the Ottomans sent ships to take them to new homes in Istanbul, Thessaloniki and Izmer.
Times change and while it was once possible — even common — to be a respectable antisemite and scientific racist but frowned upon to discriminate based on religious belief, now the reverse is true.
So-called new atheists like Sam Harris and Richard Dawkins declare all religions bad but Islam worse.
“Listening to the lovely bells of Winchester, one of our great mediaeval cathedrals. So much nicer than the aggressive sounding “Allahu Akhbar.” Or is that just my cultural upbringing?” Dawkins once tweeted.
The cultures of Europe have indeed cultivated racist ideas for centuries. And just as half a millennia ago conversion offered you no protection from the racism of the Spanish court, embracing Buddhism didn’t protect Columbia University student Moshen Mahdawi from being snatched from a naturalisation interview by balaclava-clad ICE agents.
His crime? Being Palestinian and telling his story.
It’s a topsy-turvy world where life-long anti-fascists like Jeremy Corbyn and Yanis Varoufakis are sanctioned on bogus claims of antisemitism while the likes of Elon Musk and Hungarian PM Victor Orban — both peddlers of old-style antisemitic conspiracies — are welcomed to Israel as friends and allies in a contrived battle of civilisations.
One thing that differentiates antisemitism from the Judeophobia, which has been a European disease since the early days of Christianity, is that it places Jews among the victims of the continent’s white supremacist legacy.
It’s perhaps no coincidence the Christopher Columbus set sail for the Americas in the same year, 1492, that Spain expelled its Jews and Muslims.
The settler colonisation of the Americas has been estimated by historian David Stannard to have resulted in the death of 100 million indigenous people — many from introduced diseases but tens of millions also died in genocides only recently making their way into history books.
Last month, when Netanyahu declared Israel’s attacks on Gaza “a war against human beasts” he was echoing the words of settler colonialists from Alaska to Aotearoa and the dehumanising language of the Nazis against the Jews.
So, back to that question about whether we’ve reached a tipping point where unfair accusations of antisemitism will be seen in a similar light to McCarthy’s red scare.
With Netanyahu accusing the leader of the Democrats party, Yair Golan, an IDF reserve major-general, of promoting a blood libel for speaking out against the starving of babies in Gaza, it’s hard not to draw parallels with the Army-McCarthy hearings.
It’s worth quoting the words that saw Israel’s PM accuse Golan of a blood libel — a reference to the lie that Jews used the blood of non-Jewish children in the baking of matzos, and a trigger for centuries of pogroms.
“A sane country does not wage war against civilians, does not kill babies as a hobby, and does not set goals for itself like the expulsion of a population.”
The idea that an IDF general speaking out against the killing of babies is propagating racist hatred of Jews is surely a leap too far even for many fervent Zionists.
Another sign that the tide might be turning is Kenneth Stern, the lead drafter of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism, saying the US administration’s weaponisation of the IHRA definition is making academics and students (including Jews) less safe.
The self-described Zionist said the definition was being distorted and used to silence anti-Israel critics.
The IHRA working definition has been widely adopted internationally — including by institutions in New Zealand and Australia.
Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have both criticised the definition claiming it has seen those documenting Israel’s human rights abuses being falsely accused of antisemitism.
It’s a tragedy that weaponised accusations of antisemitism aimed at protecting Israel from criticism are obscuring a rise in Judeophobic conspiracy theories and attacks on Jewish community centres and synagogues around the world.
And even more tragically that those accusations are blunting criticisms of Israel that could help bring the ongoing genocide in Gaza to an end.
Decision letter and Inspector’s Report for a recovered appeal for outline permission for a film and television studio, ancillary development including car parking and a nature park.
PUBLIC OPENING POSITION DISCLOSURE/DEALING DISCLOSURE BY A PERSON WITH INTERESTS IN RELEVANT SECURITIES REPRESENTING 1% OR MORE Rule 8.3 of the Takeover Code (the “Code”)
(b)Owner or controller of interests and short positions disclosed, if different from 1(a): The naming of nominee or vehicle companies is insufficient. For a trust, the trustee(s), settlor and beneficiaries must be named.
N/A
(c)Name of offeror/offeree in relation to whose relevant securities this form relates: Use a separate form for each offeror/offeree
MARLOWE PLC
(d)If an exempt fund manager connected with an offeror/offeree, state this and specify identity of offeror/offeree:
N/A
(e)Date position held/dealing undertaken: For an opening position disclosure, state the latest practicable date prior to the disclosure
05 JUNE 2025
(f)In addition to the company in 1(c) above, is the discloser making disclosures in respect of any other party to the offer? If it is a cash offer or possible cash offer, state “N/A”
No
2.POSITIONS OF THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE
If there are positions or rights to subscribe to disclose in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 2(a) or (b) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security.
(a)Interests and short positions in the relevant securities of the offeror or offeree to which the disclosure relates following the dealing (if any)
Class of relevant security:
50p ORDINARY
Interests
Short positions
Number
%
Number
%
(1)Relevant securities owned and/or controlled:
3,130,796
3.9871
(2)Cash-settled derivatives:
(3)Stock-settled derivatives (including options) and agreements to purchase/sell:
TOTAL:
3,130,796
3.9871
All interests and all short positions should be disclosed.
Details of any open stock-settled derivative positions (including traded options), or agreements to purchase or sell relevant securities, should be given on a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions).
(b)Rights to subscribe for new securities (including directors’ and other employee options)
Class of relevant security in relation to which subscription right exists:
Details, including nature of the rights concerned and relevant percentages:
3.DEALINGS (IF ANY) BY THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE
Where there have been dealings in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 3(a), (b), (c) or (d) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security dealt in.
The currency of all prices and other monetary amounts should be stated.
(a)Purchases and sales
Class of relevant security
Purchase/sale
Number of securities
Price per unit
50p ORDINARY
SALE
1,000
435.05p
(b)Cash-settled derivative transactions
Class of relevant security
Product description e.g. CFD
Nature of dealing e.g. opening/closing a long/short position, increasing/reducing a long/short position
(d)Other dealings (including subscribing for new securities)
Class of relevant security
Nature of dealing e.g. subscription, conversion
Details
Price per unit (if applicable)
NONE
4.OTHER INFORMATION
(a)Indemnity and other dealing arrangements
Details of any indemnity or option arrangement, or any agreement or understanding, formal or informal, relating to relevant securities which may be an inducement to deal or refrain from dealing entered into by the person making the disclosure and any party to the offer or any person acting in concert with a party to the offer: Irrevocable commitments and letters of intent should not be included. If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”
NONE
(b)Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to options or derivatives
Details of any agreement, arrangement or understanding, formal or informal, between the person making the disclosure and any other person relating to: (i)the voting rights of any relevant securities under any option; or (ii)the voting rights or future acquisition or disposal of any relevant securities to which any derivative is referenced: If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”
NONE
(c)Attachments
Is a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions) attached?
NO
Date of disclosure:
06 JUNE 2025
Contact name:
PHIL HULME
Telephone number:
01253 376551
Public disclosures under Rule 8 of the Code must be made to a Regulatory Information Service.
The Panel’s Market Surveillance Unit is available for consultation in relation to the Code’s disclosure requirements on +44 (0)20 7638 0129.
SAN DIEGO, CA, June 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — RYVYL Inc. (NASDAQ: RVYL) (“RYVYL” or the “Company”), a leading innovator of payment transaction solutions leveraging electronic payment technology, announced the securityholder of its remaining 8% Senior Convertible Note (“Note”), has converted the entire outstanding principal balance of $4.0 million and accrued interest of $136,000 into 7.1 million shares of common stock.
“We’ve pursued an anti-dilutive strategy to restructure our balance sheet, and this final debt to equity conversion successfully completes that process,” said George Oliva, CFO of RYVYL. “In January 2025, we redeemed our Series B Convertible Preferred Stock with a liquidation value of $53.1 million and $14.3 million of the Note for a payment of $13.0 million, which avoided over 90 million shares of potential dilution and converted over $50 million of additional paid in capital from Preferred Stock to Common shareholders.”
About RYVYL
RYVYL Inc. (NASDAQ: RVYL) was born from a passion for empowering a new way to conduct business-to-business, consumer-to-business, and peer-to-peer payment transactions around the globe. By leveraging electronic payment technology for diverse international markets, RYVYL is a leading innovator of payment transaction solutions reinventing the future of financial transactions. Since its founding as GreenBox POS in 2017 in San Diego, RYVYL has developed applications enabling an end-to-end suite of turnkey financial products with enhanced security and data privacy, world-class identity theft protection, and rapid speed to settlement. As a result, the platform can log immense volumes of immutable transactional records at the speed of the internet for first-tier partners, merchants, and consumers around the globe. www.ryvyl.com
This press release includes information that constitutes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements are based on the Company’s current beliefs, assumptions and expectations regarding future events, which in turn are based on information currently available to the Company. Such forward-looking statements include statements that are characterized by future or conditional words such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate” and “continue” or similar words. You should read statements that contain these words carefully because they discuss future expectations and plans, which contain projections of future results of operations or financial condition or state other forward-looking information.
By their nature, forward-looking statements address matters that are subject to risks and uncertainties. A variety of factors could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those expressed in or contemplated by the forward-looking statements. Risk factors affecting the Company are discussed in detail in the Company’s filings with the SEC. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except to the extent required by applicable laws.
In a landmark visit to Jammu and Kashmir, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday flagged off new Vande Bharat trains and inaugurated two major railway bridges—the Chenab Rail Bridge and the Anji Khad Bridge—marking a pivotal moment in the region’s rail connectivity journey. The event highlighted more than a decade of sustained investment in railway infrastructure aimed at expanding access, improving mobility, and unlocking economic opportunity across the Union Territory.
The Chenab Rail Bridge, now recognised as the world’s highest railway arch bridge, towers 359 metres above the riverbed—rising 35 metres higher than the Eiffel Tower. Spanning 1,315 metres, this engineering marvel is a critical part of the Udhampur–Srinagar–Baramulla Railway Link (USBRL), one of India’s most ambitious transport projects. Designed to withstand extreme weather and seismic activity, the bridge is built to endure wind speeds of up to 260 kilometres per hour and has an expected lifespan of 120 years. Structural steel capable of withstanding temperatures from minus 10 to 40 degrees Celsius and cutting-edge Tekla software for structural precision were used in its construction.
Nearby, the Anji Khad Bridge stands as India’s first cable-stayed railway bridge. Stretching 725 metres across the Anji River valley and supported by 96 high-tensile cables, the bridge is anchored by a 193-metre-tall inverted Y-shaped pylon. Set against the dramatic Himalayan landscape, the structure was completed in a record time of 11 months. Over 8,200 metric tonnes of structural steel were used in its construction, making it a resilient and strategic link in the Katra–Banihal section of the USBRL. The bridge has been engineered to withstand tremors, high wind loads and shifting topography, providing a vital connection in a region marked by seismic and geological volatility.
The rail network in Jammu and Kashmir has undergone a radical transformation over the past 11 years. Once hindered by geography and conflict, the region’s integration into the national railway grid is now nearly complete. The USBRL project, which cuts across 272 kilometres of rugged Himalayan terrain, includes 36 tunnels spanning 119 kilometres and 943 bridges that connect isolated communities. Constructed at a cost of ₹43,780 crore, it represents one of the most challenging infrastructure undertakings in India’s post-independence era.
To maximise the benefit of this enhanced connectivity, the Vande Bharat Express will soon operate between Jammu and Srinagar. Designed for sub-zero conditions, the train is equipped with heated windshields, insulated toilets and advanced heating systems to withstand temperatures as low as minus 20 degrees Celsius. A snow removal train will operate ahead of it during harsh winters, and seismic dampers have been installed to ensure safety along the route.
The journey between Katra and Srinagar, which previously took more than five hours, will now be reduced to approximately three, a shift that is expected to bring substantial gains in tourism, trade and accessibility. Full electrification of railway lines in the region further strengthens this transformation, aligning with broader goals of energy efficiency and sustainability.
In addition to new services and engineering breakthroughs, the government has focused on modernising stations and expanding pilgrimage routes. In 2014, the commissioning of the Udhampur–Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra rail section opened a 25.6 km link built at a cost of ₹1,132.75 crore. It features 10.9 km of tunnels, 36 bridges and a modern Katra station, constructed with dedicated facilities including public conveniences and a footbridge for local residents. That same year, the Shri Shakti AC Superfast Express was introduced to connect New Delhi with the shrine town, enhancing accessibility for pilgrims.
More recently, in February 2024, a 48-km stretch between Banihal, Khari, Sumber and Sangaldan was inaugurated, along with the electrification of the 185.66-km Baramulla–Srinagar–Banihal–Sangaldan section. Prime Minister Modi flagged off the valley’s first electric train, marking a shift towards cleaner and more efficient rail operations. The Banihal–Sangaldan section features ballast-less tracks to ensure smoother rides.
In January 2025, Indian Railways conducted safety inspections on the 111-km Banihal–Katra section, featuring 97 km of tunnels and four major bridges. Once operational, this will complete the Jammu–Srinagar rail link. Jammu station is also being redeveloped to include eight platforms and upgraded passenger amenities. A dedicated railway division with headquarters in Jammu was created in the same month, carved out from the Ferozepur Division. It will oversee operations in Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh and parts of Punjab, enhancing administrative efficiency and service delivery.
The T-50 tunnel, a 12.77-km stretch connecting Khari and Sumber, is now the longest transportation tunnel in India and plays a critical role in the USBRL network. Constructed using the New Austrian Tunnelling Method, the tunnel includes a parallel escape tunnel and cross-passages every 375 metres for safety. Extensive geological challenges were met with strategic engineering solutions, including the construction of multiple adits to fast-track completion. The installation of CCTV cameras every 50 metres, monitored from a central control room, ensures operational safety.
To support these developments, Indian Railways also laid 215 km of approach roads to ensure access to remote construction sites. These roads have brought ancillary benefits by improving rural connectivity and enabling economic activity in previously inaccessible areas.
As part of its broader modernisation strategy, the Ministry of Railways has included four Jammu and Kashmir stations—Budgam, Jammu Tawi, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra and Udhampur—under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme. This initiative aims to deliver enhanced passenger services and drive integrated urban development.
In the Union Budget for 2025–26, the Centre allocated ₹844 crore specifically for railway development in Jammu and Kashmir. The funding is aimed at accelerating ongoing projects and strengthening rail infrastructure across the region.
The confluence of infrastructure upgrades, strategic investments and technical innovation over the past decade is reshaping Jammu and Kashmir’s transport landscape. The region, once isolated by mountains and weather, is now poised to emerge as a vital link in India’s national rail network, offering faster, cleaner and more inclusive mobility for its people.
This report is provided by Earth Negotiations Bulletin/International Institute for Sustainable Development. View the original reporthere.
Finance is critical to implementation of the Sendai Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), but investments have not kept pace with rising demands, and aid budgets are shrinking worldwide. In many sessions through the day, delegates focused attention on financing a wide range of needs, including school safety, measures to deal with extreme heat, and nature-based solutions (NbS).
High-level dialogue
What will it take to scale DRR financing solutions at the national and local level?
Journalist Mayowa Adegoke moderated the session.
Stine Renate Håheim, State Secretary to Minister of International Development, Norway, emphasized DRR financing as a high priority, saying, “it is better to prevent than repair afterwards.” She noted that one in three people globally-most in cities or highly vulnerable areas-are not covered by Early Warning Systems (EWS).
Hans Sy, CEO, SM Prime Holdings, explained his company’s investment in resilient building construction, such as building on concrete pillars to allow free flow of floodwaters. He stressed that risk-informed decisions based on science and technology “makes good business sense.”
Fatima Yasmin, Asian Development Bank (ADB), said the Bank regards DRR as a critical priority investment, particularly through supporting policy making, planning, advising on innovative investments, and incentivizing preparedness. On scaling DRR investments, she said financing should be fast, flexible and forward-looking.
Rob Wesseling, CEO, Co-operators Group, said no path to net zero emissions is possible without investment in both prevention and recovery. He encouraged governments to utilize the risk information gathered by insurance companies over decades to assist with decision making.
On mobilizing private sector investment, Velenkosini Fiki Hlabisa, Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, South Africa, stressed that every cent invested in resilience and preparedness saves lives and livelihoods.
View of the panel during the Multi-Stakeholder Plenary. Source: IISD/ENB | Anastasia Rodopoulou.
Ministerial roundtable
Inclusive comprehensive school safety-strengthening resilience for children and youth in all hazards
The event, which convened 36 ministries, was co-chaired by Kamal Kishore, Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for Disaster Risk Reduction and Head, UNDRR, and Paul Steffen, Deputy Director, Federal Office for the Environment, Switzerland.
In opening remarks, Kishore encouraged delegates to endorse the Comprehensive School Safety Framework 2017 (CSSF), noting only 80 countries have done so, and for countries to make schools heat-resilient.
On school safety policies, Tunisia, Zimbabwe, Mongolia, Pakistan, and Saint Lucia recognized the CSSF. Portugal highlighted its DRR working group on children and youth. Brunei Darussalam, Kenya, and Portugal recognized the fundamental rights of children to safe school environments. Colombia highlighted its Law on Teaching for Sustainability, Climate Change, and Disaster Risk Management. Republic of Korea described its 2020 Child Safety Management Act.
Many countries identified education programming as fundamental to reducing risk and developing children as agents of change in their homes and communities. Malaysia, Uganda, Russia, Algeria and others described homegrown examples of such programmes, for example, student leadership groups and First Aid skills training.
Leaders from around the globe express their shared commitment to making schools safer and more resilient to disasters. Source: IISD/ENB | Anastasia Rodopoulou.
Several countries, including Greece, Kenya and Cuba, recognized the importance of social support to children experiencing disaster and loss, and the ensuing mental and emotional health impacts. The Holy See flagged the need for spiritual care of those “who have seen whole lives swept away.”
Most countries discussed sustainable and resilient school infrastructure, including standards for new or retrofitted buildings. Belgium, Republic of Moldova, and Singapore highlighted energy efficiency and climate resilience. On heat stress in schools, Singapore flagged cooling strategies and energy-efficient fans. Tunisia described its sustainable school network that integrates climate change, disaster risk, and biodiversity objectives. Spain said new schools need to be “climate shelters.” Bangladesh noted the construction of more than 5,000 cyclone-resistant schools.
Multistakeholder plenary
Investments in reducing risk and building resilience to accelerate investments in sustainable development
Kishore introduced the session, which was co-chaired by Paul Steffen, Federal Office for the Environment, Switzerland, and Paola Albrito, UNDRR. Kishore noted less than 1% of national budgets is allocated to DRR.
Countries presented their national commitments, such as Australia’s Disaster-Ready Fund, which is providing up to AUD 1 billion (USD 648 million) over five years for locally-identified needs, and Switzerland’s DRR commitment of more than CHF 2 billion (USD 2.5 billion) annually. Many expressed appreciation for international support, including for Moldova’s local adaptation plans in 38 communities, and Samoa’s community-based disaster risk management activities. Peru highlighted its introduction of budget flexibility for regional and local authorities, enabling rapid response to imminent hazards.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) reported that only 3% of all development assistance is allocated to agricultural DRR measures, even while these deliver significant returns in ensuring food security. Swiss Re highlighted the role of insurance in informing risk and mitigation measures, noting the availaility of parametric insurance, for example, against extreme heat events and flooding. The Resilience Action Fund showcased the work of the International Finance Corporation in developing the Building Resilience Index as a world-first metric for assessing the safety and risk of buildings for insurers and construction developers. The Latin America and the Caribbean Development Bank (CAF), India, and the UK welcomed innovative initiatives, such as a new center on extreme events, establishment of risk pools, and the use of AI to identify flood threats.
Delegates affirmed regional solidarity, demonstrated in Tunisia’s hosting of the Africa-Arab Platform for DRR in 2023, and Iran’s hosting of three regional organizations, including a Regional Center for Urban Water Management. Albania welcomed its responsibilities under the EU Civil Protection Code for cooperation among EU countries and other partners, which, he noted, enables access to advanced DRR solutions.
The International Organization for Migration highlighted its 2024 launch of Climate Mobility Innovation Labs for the Africa and Asia regions to develop solutions to climate-related mobility.
Steffen urged all present to accelerate investment in DRR, and to engage the private sector as key partners.
Moderator, Juli Trtanj, Co-Chair, Gobal Heat Health Information Network, opened the session. Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General, World Meteorological Organization (WMO), called heat a “silent killer” because it is the least managed of all climate hazards. She said 50% of countries have heat warning systems in place but only 26 have dedicated Heat Health EWS. She identified three priorities: integrating heat risk into climate and DRR governance, heat EWS, and implementation using risk information and data.
In his keynote, Pramod Kumar Mishra, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, India, said heat threatened public health, economic stability, and the ecological resilience of cities and communities. He underscored UNDRR’s Common Framework on Extreme Heat Risk Governance and drew attention to India’s national guidelines on heat wave management, which decentralized more than 250 heat action plans in 23 states. He called for scaling hospital and primary health care preparedness and resilience and noted India is adopting a long-term heat wave mitigation strategy, including roof-cooling technologies, passive cooling centers, revival of traditional water bodies, and improved thermal comfort and livability of informal settlements.
In a panel discussion, Benoît Faraco, Ambassador, Climate Negotiations for Decarbonized Energies and for the Prevention of Climate Risks, France, urged being modest since we are still discovering impacts and avoiding maladaptation. Ousmane Ndiaye, Director General, African Center for Meteorological Application for Development, stressed the links between heat waves, energy crises, and health care demand. Rosa Galvez, Senator, Canada, spoke about lived experience saying, “We cannot adapt forever – we must work on the causes.” Jagan Chapagain, Secretary-General, International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), said extreme heat is a humanitarian crisis. On involving the financial sector, Mia Seppo, Assistant Director General, International Labour Organization, discussed climate risk insurance, just transition principles, and access to essential services. Mishra advised that industry protect labor from heat risk.
Source: IISD/ENB | Anastasia Rodopoulou.
Special session
Comprehensive approaches to reduce loss and damage-bridging climate action and DRR
Fatou Jeng, Former Climate Advisor to the UN Secretary-General and Member of the Early Warnings for All Advisory Panel, moderated the session.
Ralph Regenvanu, Minister for Climate Change, Adaptation, Meteorology and Geo Hazards, Energy, Environment and Disaster Management, Vanuatu, appreciated the support from the Fund for responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD) and the Santiago Network, which combined forces to launch the inaugural integrated loss and damage and DRR initiative in Vanuatu.
Kishore noted that, while many DRR practices are now in place, these need to be updated to deal with climate system changes and the associated risks, uncertainty, and volatility.
Benoît Faraco, argued that the distinction between loss and damage, and DRR, is theoretical, and remains irrelevant to people on the ground who want response, prevention, action, and solidarity to alleviate their situation.
Ibrahima Cheikh Diong, Executive Director, FRLD, emphasized the need to look at how interventions can be most impactful, stressing that solutions must be country-led, and recognize Indigenous groups and civil society participants. He expressed awareness that the FRLD must be “nimble, accessible, flexible and built on partnerships, always ensuring no one is left behind.”
Carolina Fuentes Castellanos, Director, Santiago Network Secretariat, elaborated on how the network is supporting countries to accelerate loss and damage, using Vanuatu’s experience to demonstrate how the Network can accelerate fund distribution and support with bold and transformative support.
Jagan Chapagain, Secretary-General, IFRC, cautioned that the terms loss and damage represent different meanings to communities, but the bottom line is to ensure the funds really reach the local level.
Thematic Sessions
Catalyzing governance solutions for disaster and climate-related displacement
Irwin Loy, The New Humanitarian, moderated this session.
John Mussington, activist and displaced person, Antigua & Barbuda, described his work of founding the community network, Stronger Caribbean Together, with others displaced by “disaster capitalism”, as storm-damaged sites are cleared for tourism development.
Sakiasi Ditoka, Minister of Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management, Fiji, highlighted the 2023 Pacific Regional Mobility Framework and Fiji’s own planned relocation guidelines.
Zahra Abdi Mohamed, Director-General, National Center for Rural Development and Durable Solutions, Somalia, described Somalia’s National Transformation Plan that prioritizes anticipatory action and climate-smart livelihoods, responding to the needs of long-term displaced communities.
Fatimah Zannah Mustapha, community representative, Nigeria, called for centering the voices of local women in decision making by removing barriers, “whether digital, linguistic, or cultural.” Claudinne Ogaldes Cruz, Executive Secretary, National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction (CONRED), Guatemala, noted that many Guatemalan households are women-led and have the knowledge to inform decision making.
Robert Piper, former UN Secretary-General’s Advisor on Solutions to Internal Displacement, said line ministries responsible for decisions on land use and building codes-“those who are responsible for dealing with the failure to prevent”-must become deeply involved in the governance of disaster displacement.
Leveraging Values of Nature for Resilience: Moderated by Cecilia Aipira, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the session addressed the role of nature-based solutions (NbS) in DRR.
In his keynote, Mohammed-Yahya Lafdal, General Director, National Environment and Coastline Observatory, Mauritania, highlighted the increase in tree cover through reforestation and restoration, taking into account Indigenous knowledge and solutions, and the development of barrier systems for water distribution and management in desert areas. He emphasized how addressing land degradation and rehabilitation has been Mauritania’s best solution for increasing resilience.
Rodrigo Hernández Escobar, Representative of the Latin American and Caribbean Indigenous Knowledge & DRR Network, highlighted political will and respect for Indigenous cosmovision and territories as key elements for leveraging traditional knowledge into programmes supporting NbS. Isaac Luwaga Mugumbule, Head of Landscaping, Kampala Capital City Authority, Uganda, stated that NbS are context-specific and require community involvement to be sustained.
Professor Satoru Nishikawa, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), stressed the need for scientific numerical quantification, analysis, and testing on the strengths and durability of NbS. Swenja Surminski, London School of Economics, noting that NbS “are not silver bullets,” stressed the need to work with nature, drawing attention to NbS co-benefits. Oliver Schelske, Swiss Re Institute, noting the absence of standardized values for nature, emphasized that even if “not everything is insurable,” investing in nature makes sense from an insurance perspective, as it reduces risks to the asset being insured.
On the prerequisites for NbS to be viable, speakers mentioned common sense, co-benefit considerations, identifying the number of protected lives, and conducting independent auditing.
Thematic Sessions as visual summaries capturing key messages and insights. Source: IISD/ENB | Anastasia Rodopoulou.
Side event
Inclusive comprehensive school safety—Strengthening resilience for children and youth in all hazards
This side event, organized and facilitated by the Global Alliance for Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience in the Education Sector (GADRRRES), showcased school safety and resilience programmes from Central Asia, the Pacific region and the Caribbean.
Anja Nielsen, Co-Chair, GADRRRES, gave an overview of CSSF, noting the all-hazards, all-risks approach that includes environmental, climate change, and biological health risks, technical threats, and other everyday risks. She elaborated on the global school safety survey, representing 350 million school-aged children, and highlighted, among other concerns, that significant infrastructure investment is needed to better protect children and teachers from natural hazards, with most suffering from funding constraints.
Education administrators from Saint Lucia, Tonga, and Kyrgyzstan described CSSF activities and outcomes from their regions, and emphasized: involving the children actively in school safety is a game changer; collaboration is the essence of resilience, requiring whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches; and building capacity at all levels, particularly teachers, for comprehensive school safety is key.
IISD’s summary
The summary report of the meeting will be available on Monday, 9 June 2025, here.
The 2025 Sasakawa Award winners are Dr. Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, from the India Meteorological Department, and Dr. Harkunti Rahayu, from the Indonesian Disaster Expert Association, both in the individual category; and the Global Network of Civil Society Organisations for Disaster (GNDR), in the organizational category.
These winners were announced at the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, in a vibrant Award Ceremony, packed with passionate candidates and their dedicated supporters, all gathered to celebrate some of the most outstanding contributions to disaster risk reduction.
Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director General of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), is popularly known as “The Cyclone Man of India” for his exceptional contributions to tropical cyclone forecasting and warning systems. He has been instrumental in improving India’s disaster preparedness and significantly reducing casualties from tropical cyclones through advanced forecasting and early warning systems.
Harkunti Pertiwi Rahayu is Professor of Disaster Aspect in Planning at the Institut Teknologi Sumatra and Chair of the Indonesian Disaster Expert Association. An internationally recognized leading expert in DRR, she chairs multiple international working groups on early warning and mitigation systems, disaster preparedness, developing people-centred early warning systems and capacity building, community awareness and preparedness.
The Global Network of Civil Society Organisations for Disaster Reduction (GNDR) – winner in the organizational category – is the largest global network of organizations working to strengthen the resilience of people most at risk of disasters, assembling around 2000 organisations in 130 countries. GNDR has made significant contributions to the content and implementation of the Sendai Framework, and is a strong advocate for inclusive and all-of-society disaster risk management.
Under the expert moderation of Anita Erskine, Ghanaian broadcast personality and sustainability champion, the ceremony honored those who have made exceptional strides in improving resilience to disasters.
Innovation and technology for inclusive resilience
This year’s theme, “Connecting science to people: democratizing access to innovation and technology for disaster resilient communities,” captured the spirit of innovation and accessibility that drives modern disaster preparedness. With over 200 outstanding nominees received in two categories, Individuals and Organizations, all candidates demonstrated incredible depth of talent and dedication within the global DRR community.
Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction Kamal Kishore delivered heartfelt gratitude to the community present and those watching online, acknowledging the tireless hard work and unwavering dedication of all those nominated for the award.
“This year’s award theme recognizes the importance of innovation and technology to advance resilience – and do it in a very inclusive and democratic way…. the efforts where science has been connected to society to serve the needs of people, those who are most vulnerable,” Mr Kishore said.
“I ask that we all ask and reflect on how we can support and scale up the vital efforts of these remarkable individuals and institutions,” he said.
The Nippon Foundation, whose generous support makes these awards possible, was proudly represented by Mr. Yosuke Ishikawa, Programme Director.
Mr. Kishore praised the high standard and exceptional achievements of all the nominees for the award, adding that the judges had to make difficult choices in selecting the winners from a group of such caliber. As a result they decided to recognize the following runners-up as highly commended.
Individuals:
Rob Hopkins “Radio Rob” from Yukon, Canada
Professor Virginia Murray from Global Disaster Risk Reduction at UK Health Security Agency, UK
Shee Kupi Shee from Disaster Management and Peace Building in Lamu County, Kenya
Kelvin Mashisia Shikuku from the International Livestock Research Institute in Kenya
Organization:
The World Institute on Disability (WID), Global/US
Inspiration for us all
The visionary work of these award winners demonstrates that disaster risk reduction is not just about preparation—it’s about building resilient communities where innovation meets humanity. Their dedication shows us that every contribution, no matter how small, can create ripples of positive change that protect lives and livelihoods.
Whether you’re a researcher, community leader, or simply someone who cares about making the world safer, there’s a place for you in disaster risk reduction. The challenges the world faces require diverse perspectives, innovative solutions, and collaborative efforts. Everyone is encouraged to continue the DRR journey and be part of the solution that builds a more resilient world for all.
The next edition of the Sasakawa Awards will be held at the Global Platform in three years’ time, and the jury will be thrilled to read even more inspiring stories of hope and action!
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Suzanne Bonamici (1st District Oregon)
WASHINGTON, DC [6/5/25] –Today Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) and Congressman Dan Goldman (D-NY) introduced legislation to protect access to nutritious meals for children during the summer months.
Families of students eligible for free or reduced-price school meals can receive a $40 per month per child grocery benefit during the summer through the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (S-EBT) Program. This program has successfully reduced hunger during the summer months, but some EBT cardholders have had their benefits stolen by skimming devices illegally installed on point-of-sale terminals.
The Mitigating Electronic Access Losses for Students (MEALS) Act will allow for the replacement of S-EBT benefits that have been targeted by scammers. Currently, EBT cardholders have limited protection and may lose all of their benefits if criminals skim their information and then cash out their benefits.
“Students should not have to go hungry if their families fall prey to scammers who install illegal skimming devices at the places where they buy groceries,” said Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici. “The MEALS Act is commonsense legislation that will prevent the theft of S-EBT benefits and restore those that are stolen. This legislation will help keep hungry kids fed when school is out during the summer.”
“It is unconscionable that any child should go hungry in the wealthiest nation on earth,” Congressman Dan Goldman said. “As lawmakers, we have a moral and legislative duty to ensure that every child has access to nutritious food year-round, especially during the summer months, when free or reduced-price school meals are unavailable. The Summer EBT program is a proven tool for combating food insecurity, yet far too often, these essential benefits are stolen through no fault of the families who rely on them. This is unacceptable. We must create a clear and efficient process to replace skimmed Summer EBT benefits quickly and in their entirety so that no child suffers due to theft or bureaucratic failure.”
This is the second year of Oregon’s Summer EBT program. On May 22, 2025, around 336,000 children received the grocery benefit to purchase nutritious meals during the summer break.
The MEALS Act will:
Require the Secretary of Agriculture to
Issue guidance to State agencies and covered Indian Tribal organizations (ITOs) in detecting and preventing theft of summer EBT benefits, and issue a rule for participating State agencies and ITOs to take appropriate security measures and implement procedures for the replacement of summer EBT benefits;
Coordinate with the Office of Family Assistance at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Attorney General to determine how summer EBT benefits are being stolen and establish measures to prevent summer EBT benefits from being stolen and establish standard reporting methods;
Submit a report to Congress that includes the prevalence of summer EBT theft and measures establishes by the Secretary and AG;
Replace stolen summer EBT benefits, and State agencies and covered ITOs to submit claims for replacement benefits that include a signed statement by the affected household, data reports on benefit theft, and planned use of benefit theft prevention measures;
Require GAO to submit a report to Congress that examines the risks related to summer EBT benefit payment system security and policy recommendations to improving the summer EBT payment system.
A summary of the Meals Act can be found here, and the full text can be found here.
Headline: Disaster Recovery Center Opening June 4 in Phelps County
Disaster Recovery Center Opening June 4 in Phelps County
Cape Girardeau – A Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) will open tomorrow, June 4 in Phelps County to assist Missourians who sustained damage to their primary residence, personal property, or have emergency needs due to the severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and wildfires on March 14-15, 2025
Those with disaster-related damage in Bollinger, Butler, Camden, Carter, Franklin, Howell, Iron, Jefferson, Oregon, Ozark, Perry, Phelps, Reynolds, Ripley, St
Louis, Wayne, Webster, and Wright counties may be eligible for assistance by registering with FEMA
At the center, affected individuals can get help applying for disaster assistance, speak to state or federal representatives, receive updates on their FEMA application, and more
The center will open Wednesday, June 4, 2025, at 8:00 a
m
CDT
See locations and hours below:Phelps County Courthouse Community Room200 N
Main StreetRolla, MO 65401Hours of operation – Mon – Sat: 8 a
m
to 7 p
m
(Closed Sundays)FEMA financial assistance may include money for basic home repairs, personal property losses or other underinsured/uninsured, disaster-related needs such as childcare, transportation, medical needs, funeral, or dental expenses
It is not necessary to go to a DRC to apply for FEMA assistance
The fastest way to apply is online at DisasterAssistance
gov or via the FEMA app
You may also call 1-800-621-3362
If you use a relay service, such as video relay, captioned telephone, or other service, notify FEMA by calling 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) or 1-800- 621-3362 (VRS)
Affected individuals who register for FEMA assistance will receive a decision letter by mail or on their DisasterAssistance
gov account
If the letter says you are “not approved” for some categories of assistance, it does not mean you have been denied assistance
It is important to read the letter carefully as it will explain your application status and advise what you need to do to continue the process
Missourians who need disaster information, shelter information or referrals, or would like to volunteer are urged to call 211 or 1-800-427-4626
Multilingual services are available, and the 211 service is available throughout Missouri
For out-of-state access: 314-421-0700
The Missouri State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and FEMA advise individuals and businesses impacted by the disaster to report damage to their local emergency management officials
Local officials can connect survivors to resources being provided by state departments and non-governmental organizations assisting with unmet needs
If you have questions about your FEMA letter, visit a Disaster Recovery Center or call the FEMA Helpline at 1-800-621-3362
Canada has vast boreal forests that span from the Yukon in the west to Newfoundland and Labrador in the east. Each year, thousands of wildland fires char millions of hectares of these forests, particularly in the northern areas, where few people live and development is scarce. Indeed, some amount of fire is beneficial to boreal forest health and biodiversity. Challenges arise when human activity and fires collide, as they did in May and June 2025, when several large fires raged in northern Alberta’s oil sands region. The fast-developing region is home to the world’s fourth-largest proven oil reserves. The oil sands accounted for 58 percent of oil production in Canada in 2023, according to the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers. On May 30, 2025, the OLI (Operational Land Imager) on Landsat 8 captured this false-color image of charred lands around oil infrastructure near Conklin. This band combination (6-5-3) helps to distinguish between unburned vegetated areas (green) and recently burned landscapes (brown). Thicker parts of the smoke plume appear light blue. Well pads and other gas and oil infrastructure appear as rectangular clearings connected by roads. In June, news reports indicated that fires in Alberta forced some companies to evacuate workers and temporarily pushed a portion of the province’s oil production offline. Subsequent reports indicated that production resumed after conditions improved. Alberta still had 51 out-of-control wildfires burning on June 4, 2025, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center. NASA Earth Observatory image by Wanmei Liang, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Story by Adam Voiland.
CPSC Provides Important Safety Tips This Pool Season as Americans Dive into Summer | CPSC.gov
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Release Date: June 05, 2025
WASHINGTON, DC – As the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC) Pool Safely public education campaign marks its 15th year, parents and caregivers can follow these simple steps to keep children safer in and around the water:
Never leave a child unattended in or near water and always designate an adult Water Watcher. This person should not be reading, texting, using a phone or being otherwise distracted. In addition to pools and spas, this warning includes bathtubs, buckets, decorative ponds and fountains. If you own a pool or spa, install layers of protection, including barriers to prevent an unsupervised child from accessing the water. Homes can use door alarms, pool covers, and self-closing, self-latching devices on fence gates and doors that access pools. Learn how to perform CPR on children and adults. Many communities offer online CPR training. Learn how to swim and teach your child how to swim. Keep children away from pool drains, pipes and other openings to avoid entrapments. Ensure any pool and spa you use has drain covers that comply with federal safety standards. If you do not know, ask your pool service provider about safer drain covers.
You can read the CPSC recent drowning and entrapment reports by visiting PoolSafely.gov. ### Pool Safely, a national public education campaign supporting the requirements of Section 1407 of the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act, to reduce child drownings, nonfatal drownings and entrapment incidents in swimming pools and spas. Parents, caregivers and the media are encouraged to visit: PoolSafely.gov or to follow Pool Safely on, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and X for vital safety information regarding the prevention of child drownings in and around pools and spas.
Release Number 25-310
About the U.S. CPSCThe U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risk of injury associated with the use of thousands of types of consumer products. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product-related incidents cost the nation more than $1 trillion annually. Since the CPSC was established more than 50 years ago, it has worked to ensure the safety of consumer products, which has contributed to a decline in injuries associated with these products. Federal law prohibits any person from selling products subject to a Commission ordered recall or a voluntary recall undertaken in consultation with the CPSC. For lifesaving information:
Report an unsafe product
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Consumer products present significant injury risks to older Americans, sending more than three million seniors to the hospital each year. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is hard at work addressing these hazards and helping them to live safer, more independent lives. According to CPSC’s most recent report, Senior Injuries and Deaths Associated with Consumer Products: 2024 Report, consumer products are associated with 41,000 senior deaths each year. CPSC is emphasizing the importance of keeping older adults safe during June—National Safety Month. This report comes as the CPSC sets yet another recall record for products violating the Safety Standard for Adult Portable Bed Rails. Last week CPSC announced the results of a recent enforcement sweep targeting these products, which can pose deadly entrapment and strangulation hazards when they do not comply with federal safety standards. In doing so, CPSC secured remedies for consumers in multiple recalls, totaling more than 95,000 units. “CPSC continues to carry out its vital mission and is outpacing key safety and performance metrics from recent years, including with respect to senior safety,” said Acting Chairman Peter Feldman. “I want to recognize the leadership of my colleague Commissioner Dziak, who has done more than others to advance this cause.” “My family has seen firsthand how a senior injury can change lives forever,” said Commissioner Douglas Dziak. “Several years ago, my mother-in-law suffered a serious head injury after an in-home fall. She has never fully recovered and requires significant ongoing treatment and care. Unfortunately, as the Commission’s report describes, our story is not unique, and I will continue to prioritize senior safety by seeking to reduce consumer hazards for seniors and increase awareness regarding senior injury risk.” Older adults and their caregivers can work to prevent these tragic injuries and deaths by following these safety steps:
Check if the portable adult bed rails in your home have been recalled. If they have, do not use them. If purchasing new ones, look for bed rails that meet the ASTM voluntary standard ASTM F3186 – 17, Standard Specification for Adult Portable Bed Rails and Related Products. Install handrails on both sides of any stairs in your home and grab bars in bathrooms. Keep stairs well-lit and free of clutter. Install smoke alarms on every level of the home, outside sleeping areas and inside each bedroom. Install carbon monoxide alarms on each floor outside sleeping areas. Do not wear loose clothing while cooking on the stove. The clothing can catch fire. Keep an eye on food cooking on the stovetop and in the oven. Stand by your pan. Do not swim alone. Take swimming lessons. Use a U.S. Coast Guard-approved flotation device if you are unsure of your swimming ability. Never operate a portable generator inside the home. Generators should be used outside at least 20 feet away from the house, and never near windows or vents. Watch for traffic and wear the appropriate gear when riding four-wheelers, bicycles and e-scooters, including bicycle helmets.
For more tips go to Older Adult Safety | CPSC.gov.
About the U.S. CPSCThe U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risk of injury associated with the use of thousands of types of consumer products. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product-related incidents cost the nation more than $1 trillion annually. Since the CPSC was established more than 50 years ago, it has worked to ensure the safety of consumer products, which has contributed to a decline in injuries associated with these products. Federal law prohibits any person from selling products subject to a Commission ordered recall or a voluntary recall undertaken in consultation with the CPSC. For lifesaving information:
What you need to know: Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the Golden State Literacy Plan — a step-by-step strategy to improve student reading achievement across California, building on existing efforts and proposing bold new investments. The Golden State Literacy Plan includes the deployment of over one thousand literacy coaches and specialists to the state’s highest need schools.
COMPTON – Standing alongside students and educators at Clinton Elementary School, Governor Gavin Newsom today launched the Golden State Literacy Plan, a step-by-step plan to boost literacy outcomes for California students. The plan builds on California’s recent progress in reading achievement while expanding investments to ensure every student — in every zip code — has the support they need to learn to read and read to learn. Implementation of these reforms over the coming years will mean that all students receive the comprehensive literacy instruction they need to read and analyze diverse texts, think critically and express their ideas orally and in writing, as students today and as citizens tomorrow.
“Literacy is the pathway to success – all of California’s kids deserve to discover the joys and benefits of reading and the power to formulate and express their ideas. I’m proud to unveil the Golden State Plan for Literacy today to give teachers, schools, and students the power to read – and succeed.”
Governor Gavin Newsom
State Superintendent Tony Thurmond: “Literacy has the power to unlock countless doors for our students and transform their lives. We are implementing a strategy to move the needle on literacy, which has already funded literacy coaches and reading specialists at 803 sites across 45 counties and has provided professional learning to nearly 4,000 educators within just this past year. I thank Governor Newsom for his partnership in this work and for proposing a budget this year that builds upon these critical investments in our children’s futures.”
State Board of Education President Linda Darling-Hammond: “The Golden State Literacy Plan is an encouraging milestone in our ongoing quest to improve literacy education, making sure it’s effective, meaningful, and engaging for all of our students. We know effective literacy instruction requires early language development; diagnosis of student needs and progress; high-quality curriculum and materials; and preparation, professional development, and coaching for teachers so that they understand the reading process thoroughly and become adept at addressing diverse student needs, including those of English learners. As all of these elements are being strengthened in California, we are seeing progress that will accelerate in the years to come.”
Current landscape
While California, like all states, experienced setbacks during the pandemic, the state’s progress in literacy since the adoption of our curriculum framework has been noteworthy.
Between 2011 and 2022, California’s 8th grade reading achievement on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) improved more than any other state in the nation.
California was one of three states that had the nation’s largest gains in 4th grade reading on NAEP over that decade.
California was one of only a few states whose NAEP reading scores did not decline during the pandemic (2019-2022).
While these indicators are positive, there is more work to be done to ensure all students achieve literacy success.
Literacy initiatives under Governor Newsom
The Newsom Administration in partnership with the Legislature has made significant investments in evidence-based literacy and professional learning to support the implementation of the ELA/ELD standards. Among these initiatives are:
Literacy Coaches: To date, the State has invested a total of $500 million for Literacy Coaches in the 2022 and 2023 Budget Acts, funding 818 of the state’s highest needs schools to hire and train literacy coaches and reading specialists.
Screener for Reading Difficulties: Beginning in the 2025-26 school year, California’s 1.2 million kindergarten, first, and second grade students will be annually screened for reading difficulties, including dyslexia. $25 million is allocated to support administration of literacy screenings.
Teacher Recruitment and Retention: Well-prepared educators are essential to delivering high quality literacy instruction, and the state has invested $1.3 billion in recent years to recruit and retain quality educators.
Literacy Roadmap: Beginning in the 2025-26 school year, elementary grades educators have literacy blocks to guide instruction with evidence-based strategies to support comprehensive literacy instruction.
Learning Recovery Emergency Block Grant: The State has allocated a total of $6.8 billion for the Learning Recovery Emergency Block Grant (LREBG) to support LEAs in addressing the academic and emotional impacts of the pandemic, including low ELA test scores.
Universal Transitional Kindergarten (TK): . In 2025-26, the state will provide universal access to TK, which will provide pre-kindergarten to more than 300,000 additional four-year-olds (compared to the 2021-22 school year).
Before School, After School, and Summer School: The Expanded Learning Opportunities Program provides before, after, and summer school instruction and enrichment for students in grades TK-6, including high-impact tutoring.
Proposed investments in literacy
The Governor’s Budget builds on the existing literacy initiatives and includes the following additional investments:
$500 million for TK-12 Literacy and Mathematics Coaching, which builds upon and expands the existing Literacy Coaches and Reading Specialists Grant Program and includes a new opportunity to support mathematics coaching.
$378.6 million in additional LREBG funding for LEAs.
$40 million in additional funding to support annual reading difficulties screenings for kindergarten, first, and second grade students.
$25 million to launch Literacy and Mathematics Networks to support implementation of state reading and mathematics initiatives.
Directs the Instructional Quality Commission to initiate an adoption for ELA/ELD instructional materials.
$1.7 billion for the Student Support and Discretionary Block Grant which prioritizes professional development on the ELA/ELD Framework and the Literacy Roadmap.
$2.1 billion to support the full implementation of universal TK, so that all children who turn four years old by September 1 of the school year can enroll in TK, and an additional $1.2 billion to support lowering the average student-to-adult ratio in every TK classroom.
$525.5 million to support full implementation of the Expanded Learning Opportunities Program, increasing the total ongoing funding for before, after school and summer school instruction and enrichment to $4.5 billion.
In addition, the Governor’s May Revision includes:
$200 million one-time funding to support evidence-based professional learning in literacy instruction for elementary school teachers. This proposal stems from AB 1454 by Speaker Robert Rivas that has brought together a broad coalition to support evidenced-based literacy teaching.
$10 million one-time funding to support the expansion of the Multitudes reading difficulties screening tool in additional languages.
Press releases, Recent news
Recent news
Jun 5, 2025
News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom issued the following statement today after a federal judge ruled that the Trump administration must restore funding to AmeriCorps in California. This comes after Governor Newsom, Attorney General Rob Bonta and a coalition of…
Jun 5, 2025
News What you need to know: California is launching the CalAssist Mortgage Fund on June 12, 2025, to provide $105 million in relief offering up to $20,000 to homeowners whose homes were destroyed in recent disasters, including the Los Angeles firestorms. LOS ANGELES —…
Jun 4, 2025
News What you need to know: California added a record of nearly 7,000 megawatts of new clean energy capacity in 2024, marking the largest single-year increase in state history and the third consecutive year of unprecedented growth. SACRAMENTO – California has achieved…
PUBLIC OPENING POSITION DISCLOSURE/DEALING DISCLOSURE BY A PERSON WITH INTERESTS IN RELEVANT SECURITIES REPRESENTING 1% OR MORE Rule 8.3 of the Takeover Code (the “Code”)
(b)Owner or controller of interests and short positions disclosed, if different from 1(a): The naming of nominee or vehicle companies is insufficient. For a trust, the trustee(s), settlor and beneficiaries must be named.
N/A
(c)Name of offeror/offeree in relation to whose relevant securities this form relates: Use a separate form for each offeror/offeree
CRANEWARE PLC
(d)If an exempt fund manager connected with an offeror/offeree, state this and specify identity of offeror/offeree:
N/A
(e)Date position held/dealing undertaken: For an opening position disclosure, state the latest practicable date prior to the disclosure
05 JUNE 2025
(f)In addition to the company in 1(c) above, is the discloser making disclosures in respect of any other party to the offer? If it is a cash offer or possible cash offer, state “N/A”
N/A
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 ORDINARY
Interests
Short positions
Number
%
Number
%
(1)Relevant securities owned and/or controlled:
1,694,728
4.7860
(2)Cash-settled derivatives:
(3)Stock-settled derivatives (including options) and agreements to purchase/sell:
TOTAL:
1,694,728
4.7860
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
SALE
200
2048.4001p
1p ORDINARY
SALE
210
2057p
1p ORDINARY
PURCHASE
514
2083.5p
(b)Cash-settled derivative transactions
Class of relevant security
Product description e.g. CFD
Nature of dealing e.g. opening/closing a long/short position, increasing/reducing a long/short position
(d)Other dealings (including subscribing for new securities)
Class of relevant security
Nature of dealing e.g. subscription, conversion
Details
Price per unit (if applicable)
NONE
4.OTHER INFORMATION
(a)Indemnity and other dealing arrangements
Details of any indemnity or option arrangement, or any agreement or understanding, formal or informal, relating to relevant securities which may be an inducement to deal or refrain from dealing entered into by the person making the disclosure and any party to the offer or any person acting in concert with a party to the offer: Irrevocable commitments and letters of intent should not be included. If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”
NONE
(b)Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to options or derivatives
Details of any agreement, arrangement or understanding, formal or informal, between the person making the disclosure and any other person relating to: (i)the voting rights of any relevant securities under any option; or (ii)the voting rights or future acquisition or disposal of any relevant securities to which any derivative is referenced: If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”
NONE
(c)Attachments
Is a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions) attached?
NO
Date of disclosure:
06 JUNE 2025
Contact name:
PHIL HULME
Telephone number:
01253 376551
Public disclosures under Rule 8 of the Code must be made to a Regulatory Information Service.
The Panel’s Market Surveillance Unit is available for consultation in relation to the Code’s disclosure requirements on +44 (0)20 7638 0129.
PUBLIC OPENING POSITION DISCLOSURE/DEALING DISCLOSURE BY A PERSON WITH INTERESTS IN RELEVANT SECURITIES REPRESENTING 1% OR MORE Rule 8.3 of the Takeover Code (the “Code”)
(b)Owner or controller of interests and short positions disclosed, if different from 1(a): The naming of nominee or vehicle companies is insufficient. For a trust, the trustee(s), settlor and beneficiaries must be named.
N/A
(c)Name of offeror/offeree in relation to whose relevant securities this form relates: Use a separate form for each offeror/offeree
GLOBALDATA PLC
(d)If an exempt fund manager connected with an offeror/offeree, state this and specify identity of offeror/offeree:
N/A
(e)Date position held/dealing undertaken: For an opening position disclosure, state the latest practicable date prior to the disclosure
05 JUNE 2025
(f)In addition to the company in 1(c) above, is the discloser making disclosures in respect of any other party to the offer? If it is a cash offer or possible cash offer, state “N/A”
N/A
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:
0.01p ORDINARY
Interests
Short positions
Number
%
Number
%
(1)Relevant securities owned and/or controlled:
11,064,919
1.3719
(2)Cash-settled derivatives:
(3)Stock-settled derivatives (including options) and agreements to purchase/sell:
TOTAL:
11,064,919
1.3719
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
0.01p ORDINARY
SALE
2,150
173.44p
0.01p ORDINARY
SALE
5,830
171.7093p
0.01p ORDINARY
SALE
10,700
171.68p
0.01p ORDINARY
PURCHASE
153,386
172.75p
(b)Cash-settled derivative transactions
Class of relevant security
Product description e.g. CFD
Nature of dealing e.g. opening/closing a long/short position, increasing/reducing a long/short position
(d)Other dealings (including subscribing for new securities)
Class of relevant security
Nature of dealing e.g. subscription, conversion
Details
Price per unit (if applicable)
NONE
4.OTHER INFORMATION
(a)Indemnity and other dealing arrangements
Details of any indemnity or option arrangement, or any agreement or understanding, formal or informal, relating to relevant securities which may be an inducement to deal or refrain from dealing entered into by the person making the disclosure and any party to the offer or any person acting in concert with a party to the offer: Irrevocable commitments and letters of intent should not be included. If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”
NONE
(b)Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to options or derivatives
Details of any agreement, arrangement or understanding, formal or informal, between the person making the disclosure and any other person relating to: (i)the voting rights of any relevant securities under any option; or (ii)the voting rights or future acquisition or disposal of any relevant securities to which any derivative is referenced: If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”
NONE
(c)Attachments
Is a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions) attached?
NO
Date of disclosure:
06 JUNE 2025
Contact name:
PHIL HULME
Telephone number:
01253 376551
Public disclosures under Rule 8 of the Code must be made to a Regulatory Information Service.
The Panel’s Market Surveillance Unit is available for consultation in relation to the Code’s disclosure requirements on +44 (0)20 7638 0129.
Kris Jenner’s “new” face sparked myriad headlines about how she can look so good at 69 years old. While she’s not confirmed what sort of procedures she’s undergone, speculation abounds.
As a US reality TV personality, socialite and Kardashian matriarch, Jenner has long curated her on-screen identity. Her fame and fortune are intimately tied to a multinational cosmetics industry that has, for centuries, bartered in the illusion of timeless beauty.
The pursuit of cosmetic enhancement can be traced back as far as Ancient Egypt, reminding us the desire to look younger is hardly new.
But while many women try in vain to battle the ageing process, Jenner is an example of someone who’s actually succeeded, at least visually. What does that mean for the rest of us?
Decades of surgeries
Modern cosmetic plastic surgery has its roots in compassion. It was developed to help disfigured first world war soldiers rebuild their faces and identities.
But this origin story has been sidelined. Today, aesthetic procedures are overwhelmingly pursued by women and marketed as lifestyle enhancements rather than medical interventions.
Advancements in reconstructive surgery were made after both world wars with treatments on wounded soldiers. AFP/Getty Images
Plastic surgery, once considered extreme or shameful, began to gain popularity in the 1960s, and is now widespread.
Hollywood has long played a role in shaping these standards. During its Golden Age, stars like Marilyn Monroe and John Wayne are reported to have undergone cosmetic surgeries – rhinoplasty (nose jobs), chin implants, facelifts – to preserve their screen personas.
Even before Instagram, before-and-after images were a cultural obsession, often used to shame or expose.
From taboo to trend
The digital age has further normalised cosmetic enhancements, with social media influencers and celebrities promoting procedures alongside beauty products.
It’s estimated Jenner spent upwards of US$130,000 (around A$200,000) on cosmetic interventions, resulting in a look that some media outlets suggest places her in her 30s.
On Jenner, social media users are split. Some offer aspirational praise (“If I had the money, I’d get it all done!”), while others criticise her rejection of “ageing gracefully”.
Yet many stars, including Courtney Cox, Ariana Grande, and Mickey Rourke, have spoken openly about regrets and the psychological toll of these procedures. Even with agency, the pressure remains immense.
Youth as a cultural ideal
This obsession with agelessness reflects a deeper societal discomfort with visible ageing, particularly in women.
Celebrities, with access to elite medical professionals and procedures, seem to cheat time.
Yet the outcome of is often disorienting: when Jenner appears younger than her children, the generational lines blur.
This erasure of age difference entrenches youth as an end in itself. It also destabilises how we perceive kinship and mortality.
Supermodel Bella Hadid has said she regrets getting a rhinoplasty as a teenager. Of Palestinian descent, she said “I wish I’d kept the nose of my ancestors”.
In my own research, I’ve argued cosmetic enhancement is tied to a cultural denial of death.
The ageing isn’t the problem – it’s our refusal to accept it.
The desperate clinging to youth reflects a collective resistance to change. Celebrity culture and consumer capitalism exploit this vulnerability, making age a problem to be solved rather than a life stage to be honoured.
We should mourn our ageing, not erase it. In another world, we could witness it, share it, and celebrate its quiet, powerful beauty.
So what about us?
But that’s not the world many live in, and the pressure extends beyond Hollywood.
With filters, apps, and social media platforms, ordinary people also curate and enhance their images, playing their part in a fantasy of perfection.
A recent study looked at the way young Australians use selfie editing tools. It found the widespread use of such apps have a significant effect on the body image of young people.
The line between self-care and self-deception has never been blurrier. We all want to present the best version of ourselves, even if reality slips into illusion.
So while women have long tried to outrun visible ageing, whether that be through anti-wrinkle creams or more invasive means, Jenner is an example of something relatively rare: a woman who’s actually managed to do it.
In doing so, she and her celebrity counterparts set a new youthful beauty standard in what ageing should (or shouldn’t) look like.
And while that standard may be felt by a variety of women, few will be able to achieve it.
Extremely wealthy beauty moguls like Kris Jenner can afford elite treatments, while most people face growing financial pressure and a cost-of-living crisis. The divide isn’t just aesthetic – it’s economic.
Beauty, in this context, is both a product and a privilege.
And of course, judgement of women’s appearances remains a powerful force for discrediting their political, social, and moral worth. For every bit of praise there is for Jenner’s “youthful” appearance, there are videos claiming she’s “ruined her face” and questioning of whether she should spend so much money on such a cause.
As long as gender inequality persists and beauty remains a currency of value, the pressure to conform will endure.
Margaret Gibson 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.
Black and white rhino populations in the Greater Kruger (Kruger National Park and surrounding reserves) in South Africa have plummeted from over 10,000 rhinos in 2010 to around 2,600 in 2023. Hundreds of rhinos are killed each year by poachers for their horns. These are sold on the illegal global market.
Nature reserve managers, rangers, international funders, and local non-profit organisations have invested millions of dollars in anti-poaching interventions. These include tracking dogs to track poachers, artificial intelligence-enabled detection cameras, helicopters to monitor reserves and, more recently, dehorning (removing rhinos’ horns reduces the incentive for poachers).
Together, managers and scientists gathered seven years of rhino poaching data across 2.4 million hectares in the north-eastern region of South Africa and western Mozambique. During this time, we documented the poaching of 1,985 rhinos across 11 reserves in the Greater Kruger area. This number is about 6.5% of the rhino populations in these reserves annually.
This landscape is a critical global stronghold that conserves around 25% of all Africa’s rhinos.
Our study’s headline result was that dehorning rhinos to reduce incentives for poaching achieved a 78% reduction in poaching (average reduction across implementing reserves). This was based on comparison between sites with and without dehorning as well as changes in poaching before and after dehorning. Exactly 2,284 rhinos were dehorned across eight reserves over the seven years of our research – this was most of the rhino in the region.
Our findings show that significant progress can be made against rhino poaching by reducing the reward attached to poaching (removing the horn). This is a strategic shift in focus away from purely focusing on increasing risks to poachers.
But we are being careful to note that dehorning is not a complete solution. Our research found that 111 rhinos were poached even though they had been dehorned. This is because up to 15cm of horn is left on the rhino when it is dehorned by veterinarians. This is to protect the growth plate at the base of the horn.
Rhinos’ horns regrow over time. During our fieldwork, we also noticed that criminal syndicates remain willing to kill rhinos for their stumps, even if they do this at lower rates than before dehorning.
It may be best to think of dehorning as a very effective but short-term solution that buys us time to address the more ultimate drivers of poaching: horn demand, socio-economic inequality, corruption, and organised criminal networks.
A different approach to pinning down the problem
Part of what made our study special was its strong focus on collaboration between managers and scientists. The project was first conceived by reserve managers at the frontline of rhino conservation and led by Sharon Haussmann, chief executive officer of the Greater Kruger Environmental Protection Foundation. They recognised the need to take a look at whether their investments into tracking dogs, artificial intelligence cameras and other anti-poaching interventions were paying off.
Faced with a poaching crisis despite millions of dollars invested in law enforcement, security and technology, Sharon and the team were bold enough to ask: “Why are we still losing so many rhinos? What could we do differently?” These managers then began working closely with scientists to tackle this problem together through our research.
Tragically, Sharon died unexpectedly on 31 May, less than a week before our research was published. We want to dedicate this research to her legacy.
Detecting and arresting poachers alone is not enough
The nature reserves we studied had invested US$74 million (R1 billion) in anti-poaching interventions between 2017 and 2021. Most of the investment focused on reactive law enforcement – rangers, tracking dogs, helicopters, access controls and detection cameras. This helped achieve over 700 poacher arrests. Yet we found no statistical evidence that these interventions significantly reduced poaching.
Why? These interventions are a necessary element of the anti-poaching toolkit. But they were compromised by bigger challenges. For example, stark socio-economic inequality in the region creates the ideal conditions for crime to thrive, and criminal syndicates find it easy to recruit people willing to take the large risk of poaching rhino.
Entrenched corruption among police and reserve staff allowed offenders access to inside information on the locations of dogs, cameras and rhinos. This meant that poaching was not deterred as much as it could have been.
Finally, ineffective criminal justice systems mean that arrested offenders often escape punishment, with evidence from the Greater Kruger of poachers who were multiple repeat offenders.
What can be done differently?
A range of interventions will be needed to complement dehorning, particularly as poaching for stumps would probably continue if there were no risk to poachers. There is also some evidence that dehorning rhino in one area means poachers may move to another area where rhino still have horns and poach there instead. (This has happened in South Africa’s second largest rhino stronghold in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park where rhino have not been dehorned.)
Our findings challenge the conventional wisdom that detecting and arresting poachers is enough on its own. Instead, we recommend these measures:
Give local people a voice and a stake. Many people affected by rhino conservation have no say and don’t share in the benefits of the industry.
Disrupt transnational criminal networks outside protected areas through intelligence-led investigations (follow the money).
Continue supporting dehorning in the short term. This will buy time to solve the biggest drivers of wildlife crime: inequality, horn demand, and corruption.
Dehorning needs to be supported by other measures to protect the rhino.
Support people first, then interventions. Rangers are key here – their welfare, wages, training and safety are not always given the attention or funding they deserve.
Keep loving rhinos and buying your kids pyjamas with them on.
Timothy Kuiper has received funding from the National Research Foundation in South Africa.
This week the US Federal Bureau of Investigation revealed two men suspected of bombing a fertility clinic in California last month allegedly used artificial intelligence (AI) to obtain bomb-making instructions. The FBI did not disclose the name of the AI program in question.
This brings into sharp focus the urgent need to make AI safer. Currently we are living in the “wild west” era of AI, where companies are fiercely competing to develop the fastest and most entertaining AI systems. Each company wants to outdo competitors and claim the top spot. This intense competition often leads to intentional or unintentional shortcuts – especially when it comes to safety.
Coincidentally, at around the same time of the FBI’s revelation, one of the godfathers of modern AI, Canadian computer science professor Yoshua Bengio, launched a new nonprofit organisation dedicated to developing a new AI model specifically designed to be safer than other AI models – and target those that cause social harm.
So what is Bengio’s new AI model? And will it actually protect the world from AI-faciliated harm?
An ‘honest’ AI
In 2018, Bengio, alongside his colleagues Yann LeCun and Geoffrey Hinton, won the Turing Award for groundbreaking research they had published three years earlier on deep learning. A branch of machine learning, deep learning attempts to mimic the processes of the human brain by using artificial neural networks to learn from computational data and make predictions.
Bengio’s new nonprofit organisation, LawZero, is developing “Scientist AI”. Bengio has said this model will be “honest and not deceptive”, and incorporate safety-by-design principles.
According to a preprint paper released online earlier this year, Scientist AI will differ from current AI systems in two key ways.
First, it can assess and communicate its confidence level in its answers, helping to reduce the problem of AI giving overly confident and incorrect responses.
Second, it can explain its reasoning to humans, allowing its conclusions to be evaluated and tested for accuracy.
Interestingly, older AI systems had this feature. But in the rush for speed and new approaches, many modern AI models can’t explain their decisions. Their developers have sacrificed explainability for speed.
Bengio also intends “Scientist AI” to act as a guardrail against unsafe AI. It could monitor other, less reliable and harmful AI systems — essentially fighting fire with fire.
This may be the only viable solution to improve AI safety. Humans cannot properly monitor systems such as ChatGPT, which handle over a billion queries daily. Only another AI can manage this scale.
Large language models and machine learning are just small parts of today’s AI landscape.
Another key addition Bengio’s team are adding to Scientist AI is the “world model” which brings certainty and explainability. Just as humans make decisions based on their understanding of the world, AI needs a similar model to function effectively.
The absence of a world model in current AI models is clear.
One well-known example is the “hand problem”: most of today’s AI models can imitate the appearance of hands but cannot replicate natural hand movements, because they lack an understanding of the physics — a world model — behind them.
Yoshua Bengio is recognised as one of the godfathers of AI. Alex Wong/Getty Images
On the right track – but it will be bumpy
Bengio is on the right track, aiming to build safer, more trustworthy AI by combining large language models with other AI technologies.
However, his journey isn’t going to be easy. LawZero’s US$30 million in funding is small compared to efforts such as the US$500 billion project announced by US President Donald Trump earlier this year to accelerate the development of AI.
There’s also an outstanding question. Even if Bengio can build an AI system that does everything he says it can, how is it going to be able to control other systems that might be causing harm?
Still, this project, with talented researchers behind it, could spark a movement toward a future where AI truly helps humans thrive. If successful, it could set new expectations for safe AI, motivating researchers, developers, and policymakers to prioritise safety.
Perhaps if we had taken similar action when social media first emerged, we would have a safer online environment for young people’s mental health. And maybe, if Scientist AI had already been in place, it could have prevented people with harmful intentions from accessing dangerous information with the help of AI systems.
Armin Chitizadeh 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.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday strongly condemned Pakistan’s repeated attempts to destabilise peace and progress in the region, asserting that such acts would not derail India’s development push in Jammu and Kashmir.
Addressing a public gathering in Katra, the Prime Minister laid the foundation stone and inaugurated multiple infrastructure projects worth over Rs 46,000 crore. These include the world’s highest railway arch bridge over the Chenab and India’s first cable-stayed railway bridge at Anji.
He said that tourism has emerged as a key driver of economic growth in Jammu and Kashmir, creating jobs and fostering unity. “Tourism generates employment and strengthens bonds between people. But Pakistan seeks to destroy this progress,” he said. PM Modi accused Pakistan of deliberately targeting the tourism sector, which has seen record-high visitor footfall in recent years, to hurt the earnings of local workers such as porters, horse riders, guides, and shopkeepers.
The Prime Minister paid tribute to Adil, a young man who died while resisting the attackers. “Adil was working hard to support his family. He stood up to terrorists and lost his life in the process. His courage will always be remembered,” he said.
Highlighting the shift in public sentiment, PM Modi said that the youth of Jammu and Kashmir are now determined to confront terrorism head-on. He recalled how the decades-long militancy in the Valley had scorched schools, hospitals, and even disrupted free and fair elections. “Generations lost their dreams, and many came to accept violence as their fate. But today, this has changed,” he said.
He noted that the current atmosphere reflects a profound transformation. “Kashmiri youth today take pride in the sight of thriving markets, lively cinema halls, and new shopping malls. They dream of bringing back film shoots and transforming Jammu and Kashmir into a sports hub,” he said, citing the Mata Kheer Bhawani Mela, the upcoming Amarnath Yatra, and Eid celebrations as signs of the region’s renewed energy.
PM Modi also recalled the military action carried out by India on May 6, named Operation Sindoor, which he said dealt a decisive blow to Pakistan-based terror networks. “The terror infrastructure built over decades was reduced to ruins within minutes. Pakistan never imagined such a bold response,” he said, adding that the operation would remain a reminder of Pakistan’s humiliation.
He alleged that in retaliation, Pakistan targeted civilian areas in Jammu, Poonch, and other districts. “They shelled schools, hospitals, temples, mosques, and gurdwaras. The world witnessed their cruelty,” PM Modi said, praising the courage and unity displayed by residents in the face of cross-border aggression. He assured the affected families that the country stood with them in full solidarity.
PM Modi announced that families who lost loved ones in cross-border firing have already been provided appointment letters for government jobs. He also said that the government had previously extended financial aid for home repairs in shelling-hit areas, and that this assistance would now be increased. Severely damaged houses will receive ₹2 lakh, while partially damaged homes will be granted ₹1 lakh in additional support.
The Prime Minister reiterated the government’s recognition of border residents as the “nation’s frontline protectors”. Over the past decade, nearly 10,000 new bunkers have been built in the region, he said, noting their importance during recent escalations. Modi further announced the formation of two new Border Battalions in Jammu and Kashmir and confirmed the establishment of two Women Battalions to strengthen both security and women’s participation in the armed forces.
PM Modi concluded his address by declaring that no obstacle would be allowed to hinder the aspirations of Jammu and Kashmir’s youth. “If anyone dares to threaten their dreams, they will have to face me first,” he said.
