Connect with us

Technology

Freedom House Announces 2025 Award Recipients

Published

on

The honorees were recognized at Freedom House’s annual awards ceremony.

WASHINGTON, May 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Freedom House recognized a distinguished slate of advocates for democracy and freedom around the globe at its Annual Awards in Washington, DC, last night. Award recipients included Venezuelan democratic movement leader María Corina Machado, US Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Roger F. Wicker (R-MS), representatives from the government and civil society of Taiwan, and Server Mustafayev, an unjustly imprisoned Crimean Tatar human rights defender.

“The suppression of freedom anywhere is a threat to freedom everywhere,” said Freedom House interim Copresidents Gerardo Berthin and Annie Boyajian. “For almost 85 years, Freedom House has worked tirelessly around the world to expand and defend freedom and democracy. Our latest research has shown that we are in the midst of a nearly two-decade decline in global freedom. But there is hope. The courage and commitment of these groups and individuals in their defense of democratic principles are a powerful reminder that democracy only endures through the resolve of those who rise up to protect it. Freedom House is thrilled to honor our 2025 awardees.”

The Freedom Award

María Corina Machado received the Freedom Award, which recognizes outstanding leaders in the cause of freedom and democracy. Machado, the leader of Venezuela’s democratic movement, won more than 92 percent of the vote in an October 2023 presidential primary election. Despite her triumph, the illegitimate regime of Nicolás Maduro disqualified her from running for president in the 2024 general election. Machado unified democratic forces behind Ambassador Edmundo González Urrutia’s candidacy in response, empowering nearly a million volunteers within Venezuela to safeguard the vote. Today, although she and her team remain under intense persecution by the regime, Machado continues to lead efforts alongside Venezuelans and the international community to achieve a democratic transition.

This year’s award was presented by Russian human rights activist and Free Russia Foundation advocacy director Evgenia Kara-Murza, who is married to former political prisoner and 2023 Freedom Award winner Vladimir Kara-Murza. The award was accepted by Rafael de la Cruz, an advisor to María Corina Machado.

Past recipients of the Freedom Award, which was launched in 1943, include the women of Iran; His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama; Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.; Václav Havel, the playwright, dissident, and first postcommunist president of Czechoslovakia; Saudi activist Hala al-Dosari; journalist Edward R. Murrow; Uyghur activist Ilham Tohti; and Pablo Casals, the musician and opponent of Spanish dictator Francisco Franco.  

The Leadership Award

US Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Roger F. Wicker (R-MS) each received Freedom House’s Leadership Award, which recognizes outstanding dedication to principled US leadership on the world stage and support for those on the front lines of the struggle against tyranny, such as in Ukraine, Taiwan, and the prodemocracy movement of Belarus.

The Honorable Jeanne Shaheen has represented New Hampshire in the US Senate since 2009. As current ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Shaheen champions a strong national defense and robust engagement with transatlantic allies, and has been a consistent advocate for democracy movements around the world. The Honorable Roger F. Wicker has represented Mississippi in the US Senate since 2007. He is currently serving as chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee and chairman of the US Helsinki Commission, and is a champion for democratic values and human rights across Europe and Eurasia.

Previous recipients of the Leadership Award include then–Vice President Joe Biden, Senator John McCain, Senator Bob Corker, then–House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, and Senator Lindsey Graham. This year’s award was presented by the Honorable Jane Harman, cochair emeritus of the Freedom House Board of Trustees.

The Beacon Award

The government and civil society of Taiwan received the inaugural Beacon Award for their steadfast efforts to protect their own vibrant democracy, and to support the global struggle for freedom, in the face of escalating pressure from the Chinese Communist Party. Representative Alexander Tah-Ray Yui, on behalf of the government of Taiwan, and civil society representative Chiang Min-yen accepted the award.

Alexander Tah-Ray Yui has been Taiwan’s representative to the United States since December 2023. He has over 35 years of experience in diplomacy and previously served as Taiwan’s vice minister of foreign affairs from 2021 to 2023. Chiang Min-yen is a nonresident fellow at the Taiwan Economic Democracy Union, where he focuses on Beijing’s economic coercion toward Taiwan, and at the Research Institute for Democracy, Society, and Emerging Technology (DSET), where he specializes in economic security and the semiconductor industry. The award was presented by Ambassador Robert Tuttle, a member of the Freedom House Board of Trustees.

The Alfred Moses Liberty Award

Server Mustafayev received the Alfred Moses Liberty Award, which honors exemplary courage by political prisoners or outstanding efforts to secure their release.

Mustafayev, a Crimean Tatar human rights defender, cofounded the Crimean Solidarity movement to support victims of political persecution in Russian-occupied Crimea. He was arrested by Russian authorities seven years ago on May 21, 2018, for alleged involvement with the Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir—such charges are often fabricated by Moscow as a pretext to silence dissent. In 2020, he was sentenced to 14 years in prison alongside six codefendants. His detention is widely recognized as politically motivated and has been condemned by Amnesty International, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, and Freedom House’s Fred Hiatt Program to Free Political Prisoners. The award was accepted on Mustafayev’s behalf by Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States Oksana Markarova and presented by Norman Willox, chairman of the Freedom House Board of Trustees.

Key Supporters

Freedom House is grateful to the Event Chairs Karen and Norman Willox, Co-Chairs Rodger Desai and Dr. Susan Gauthier, The Honorable Jane Harman, Maurice Perkins, Collin and Joanna Roche, and the Event Underwriters of the 2025 Annual Awards, Aegon Transamerica Foundation, Rodger Desai and Dr. Susan Gauthier, William and Sheila Konar Foundation, Collin and Joanna Roche; Freedom Supporters — Eileen Donahoe, Thomas and Susana Kahn, Karen and Norman Willox; and Freedom Advocates — Anonymous in Memory of Former Freedom House Trustee, Congressman Jim Kolbe, The Honorable Goli Ameri, The Honorable Jane Harman, Conrad Kiechel and Nancy Savage, Pan American Energy, Susan and Thomas Staudt, Telecom Argentina SA, Carlotta and Wendell Willkie, and David Willkie.

Freedom House is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works to create a world where all are free. We inform the world about threats to freedom, mobilize global action, and support democracy’s defenders.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/freedom-house-announces-2025-award-recipients-302462450.html

SOURCE Freedom House

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Technology

From Turbine Supply to Ecosystem Building: Goldwind Outlines APAC Strategy at the APAC Wind Energy Summit

Published

on

By

HANOI, Vietnam, June 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Speaking at the GWEC APAC Wind Energy Summit in Hanoi, Goldwind, a reliable global strategic partner in clean energy, reaffirmed its deep commitment to the Asia-Pacific region. Operating in 10 countries across APAC, Goldwind is driving the region’s energy transition through deep localization, ecosystem collaboration, and tailored clean energy solutions.

Drawing on two decades of international experience, Goldwind articulated a clear evolution at the summit: true globalization is not just about “going global” — it is about “landing well.” This strategic shift from pure market expansion to ecosystem building has already delivered tangible results. Goldwind’s cumulative installed capacity now exceeds 165 GW across 49 countries.

Across Asia Pacific, Goldwind delivers diversified, tangible impact: grid-forming storage in Australia, talent cultivation, localized supply chain and rapid delivery in Vietnam, typhoon-resilient designs in the Philippines, and hybrid towers that boost output in Thailand.

Dong Yinming, CEO of Goldwind Asia, emphasized in his keynote address at the summit:

“In Asia, our commitment goes beyond delivering turbines — we strive to be a locally-rooted system partner, supporting projects across the full lifecycle to create long-term value. Empowering local projects with global expertise and deeply cultivating the Asia-Pacific market — that is what true ‘landing well’ means for a greener, more prosperous region.”

 

Wu Kai, Vice President of Goldwind, added:

“Scaling wind power in Asia requires more than just installing additional turbines. It demands innovative solutions tailored to the region’s unique complexity. Closing the gap between ambition and implementation in Asia’s wind sector takes more than any single company. Let’s share what works, learn from each other, and co-create solutions that deliver lasting value — for the industry, for communities, and for the future.”

Looking ahead, Goldwind aims to deepen its local roots across every market it serves, empowering Asia’s energy transition with global expertise and local adaptation. As the region accelerates toward a green future, Goldwind remains committed to being a trusted, long-term partner — rooted in APAC, thriving together.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/from-turbine-supply-to-ecosystem-building-goldwind-outlines-apac-strategy-at-the-apac-wind-energy-summit-302800991.html

SOURCE Goldwind

Continue Reading

Technology

Bambu Lab Launches PLA Pure: A Filament Made for Printing Where You Live

Published

on

By

AUSTIN, Texas, June 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — As desktop 3D printers become a fixture in homes around the world, Bambu Lab – one of the fastest-growing companies in the consumer 3D printing space – is raising the bar on what a home printing filament should be. Today, Bambu Lab announced the launch of PLA Pure, a filament engineered for cleaner, safer home 3D printing, with every ingredient certified compliant with EU 10/2011, the European regulation governing plastics intended for food contact.

Five Ingredients. Each One Earned Its Place.

PLA Pure draws on materials you encounter in everyday life:

Polylactic acid (PLA) – derived from corn and sugarcane.Acrylic copolymer – commonly found in children’s toys.Color pigments – also used in baby tableware.EBS (ethylene bis-stearamide) – familiar from food packaging films.Talc – used in products such as biodegradable drinking straws; independently tested by a third party and verified asbestos-free.

Every ingredient appears on the EU 10/2011 positive list with a traceable FCM (Food Contact Material) substance number. Raw materials are supplied by global manufacturers including TotalEnergies Corbion, Dow, Chemours, and BASF, making compliance and traceability straightforward.

Most filaments marketed as food-contact compliant are tested only as finished products. PLA Pure is verified ingredient by ingredient, from the base material to the pigments.

Cleaner Air at Your Desk

Since printing often happens in living spaces, emissions matter. PLA Pure carries UL 2904 GREENGUARD certification*, the recognized standard for 3D printer emissions that measures particulate matter and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) for indoor air quality impact.

Particle and VOC levels during printing fall below what’s typically present in an average kitchen, living room, or office.In a four-hour continuous printing test conducted by an accredited laboratory, PLA Pure produced lower PM2.5 and PM10 emissions than a comparable filament under identical conditions.Proper ventilation is still recommended to minimize inhalation of any printing byproducts.

Bambu Lab’s PLA Basic also holds indoor air quality certification under the same standard, but PLA Pure’s cleaner ingredient profile yields even lower emission levels-particularly relevant when printing near children, pets, or in shared living spaces.

*Testing was conducted on Bambu Lab A1 and A2L printers, both open-deck models without enclosure or filtration. This setup represents the baseline emission scenario, where filament emissions are measured directly without any additional containment.

Safety Is One Thing. Reliability Is Another.

Most filaments rely on impact modifiers and flow agents to achieve consistent print results. PLA Pure takes a different approach: to keep the formula to five food-safe ingredients, Bambu Lab rebuilt the formulation from scratch—iterating until the chemistry alone could deliver what additives typically do. The result is less residue, reduced nozzle buildup, and more consistent extrusion spool after spool.

Less stringing — even without prior drying, PLA Pure produces noticeably fewer strings than typical third-party filaments.Cleaner surfaces — finished parts require less post-processing.Strength intact — PLA Pure matches PLA Basic in mechanical performance, with layer adhesion comparable to most PLA materials on the market.

All printing parameters are stored in the RFID tag and automatically read by the AMS system. Load the spool, let the material synchronize itself, and start printing. No guesswork required.

Toy Safety

The material has also passed EN 71-3 certification, the European safety standard that governs the migration of certain elements from toy materials. The standard’s main concern is whether potentially harmful elements-such as lead, cadmium, chromium, and other heavy metals-can leach out of a material when a child handles, mouths, or swallows it. It also sets strict limits on the permissible migration of each.

Passing this test makes the material suitable for models meant to be handled and played with: a toy kitchen plate, a small car, a cat toy.

As with any 3D-printed toy, common sense still applies. Small parts and support structures can pose a choking hazard, edges may be sharp, and the material is combustible. Models should be selected appropriately, and children should be supervised during play.

A Note on Application

These certifications apply to the filament itself and its ingredients. Whether a specific printed object is suitable for a particular application depends on factors such as equipment hygiene (especially nozzle cleanliness), printing conditions, and how the object is ultimately used. Because of the layered structure of FFF prints, they are not suitable for liquid foods, and PLA itself should not be exposed to temperatures above 60°C (like putting 3D prints into dishwashers). Bambu Lab recommends that users consider these factors when selecting a material for a specific application. PLA Pure provides a fully documented ingredient profile-the rest of the decisions are yours to make with confidence.

Availability

PLA Pure is available now at Bambu Lab Official Store

Price: USD 24.99 (With Spool)/ USD 21.99 (Refill)

Additional details regarding availability, colors, and variants will be announced separately.

About Bambu Lab

Bambu Lab is a consumer-tech company focusing on desktop 3D printers. Its state-of-the-art 3D printers offer a feature-rich, first-class experience for a global community of 3D printing makers, aiming to break the barriers between the digital and physical worlds and bring creativity to a whole new level. Bambu Lab sells its 3D printers, filaments, and accessories on its official website, serving customers across 30+ countries.

Learn more at https://www.bambulab.com. 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bambu-lab-launches-pla-pure-a-filament-made-for-printing-where-you-live-302800995.html

SOURCE Bambu Lab

Continue Reading

Technology

UROVO DT610 Pro: The Rugged AI Terminal Redefining Frontline Productivity

Published

on

By

SINGAPORE, June 15, 2026 /CNW/ — UROVO, a global leader in enterprise mobility solutions, unveiled the DT610 Pro, a next-generation ultra-rugged intelligent terminal purpose-built to empower frontline operations across industries. Designed to withstand the toughest environments, DT610 Pro combines enterprise-grade durability with cutting-edge AI capabilities to redefine workforce productivity.

In today’s fast-paced digital economy, frontline workers face increasing operational pressure. Field engineers must diagnose equipment failures on the spot, delivery drivers operate in extreme weather, and warehouse staff respond to sudden surges in order volume. Any device failure can disrupt critical workflows, making reliability and performance essential.

The DT610 Pro is purpose-built for frontline operations. Powered by the Qualcomm Q-6690 4nm platform with a dedicated 6 TOPS AI engine, it enables real-time OCR, intelligent data capture, and voice-assisted workflows directly on the device–without cloud dependency. This delivers faster response times, lower latency, and reliable performance for demanding enterprise workloads, while long-term platform support through 2034 helps maximize device lifecycle value.

Enterprise-grade ruggedness sets DT610 Pro apart from consumer devices. Rated IP68, and capable of surviving 1.8-meter drops while operating reliably from -20°C to 60°C, it minimizes downtime and reduces total cost of ownership.

Frontline workers benefit from a hot-swappable battery for uninterrupted full-shift operation and a sunlight-readable display built for demanding environments. Combining FlexRange barcode scanning (5 cm–10 m), high-performance RFID reading, and a 3-sided NFC design, the DT610 Pro delivers an all-in-one data capture platform for frontline operations. Workers can efficiently scan barcodes, track assets, verify IDs, card emulation, and enable contactless payments from virtually any angle. A 50MP autofocus camera with AI-powered OCR further streamlines delivery verification, document digitization, and field data collection, helping businesses boost productivity and operational efficiency.

Connectivity is critical for uninterrupted workflows. In warehouses, DT610 Pro’s Wi-Fi 7 with 2×2 MU-MIMO delivers wired-like speeds in high-density environments, while Multi-Link Operation (MLO) keeps connections stable with instant failover, lower latency, and rock-solid reliability. For field operations, 5G connectivity ensures instant work order updates, image capture, and data synchronization wherever work happens.

“Frontline operations don’t wait–and neither should the technology that supports them,” said Zhang Bo, CTO at UROVO. “DT610 Pro is not just a device; it’s a long-term investment in operational efficiency, workforce productivity, and business continuity.”

The DT610 Pro represents the next evolution in intelligent rugged devices, delivering performance, reliability, and future-ready AI capabilities for every shift, every environment, and every mission.

About Urovo
Founded in 2002, UROVO is the world’s leading industry application enabler, specializing in AI, Mobility, Barcode and RFID Technologies, Printers, and Payment Terminals. Committed to technological advancement, we provide cutting-edge digital solutions that drive smart transformation for clients across industries such as logistics, retail, finance, healthcare, manufacturing, government, and transportation.

By integrating pioneering innovations into business processes, we enable our clients to meet their strategic goals with unmatched efficiency and precision, fostering sustainable growth.

Website: https://en.urovo.com/

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/urovo-dt610-pro-the-rugged-ai-terminal-redefining-frontline-productivity-302800969.html

SOURCE UROVO

Continue Reading

Trending