Microsoft acknowledged Thursday that it sold advanced artificial intelligence and cloud computing services to the Israeli military during the war in Gaza and aided in efforts to locate and rescue Israeli hostages.

But the company also said it has found no evidence to date that its Azure platform and AI technologies were used to target or harm people in Gaza.

The unsigned blog post on Microsoft’s corporate website appears to be the company’s first public acknowledgement of its deep involvement in the war, which started after Hamas killed about 1,200 people in Israel and has led to the deaths of tens of thousands in Gaza.

It comes nearly three months after an investigation by The Associated Press revealed previously unreported details about the American tech giant’s close partnership with the Israeli Ministry of Defense, with military use of commercial AI products skyrocketing by nearly 200 times after the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack. The AP reported that the Israeli military uses Azure to transcribe, translate and process intelligence gathered through mass surveillance, which can then be cross-checked with Israel’s in-house AI-enabled targeting systems and vice versa, reports AP.

The partnership reflects a growing drive by tech companies to sell their artificial intelligence products to militaries for a wide range of uses, including in Israel, Ukraine and the United States. However, human rights groups have raised concerns that AI systems, which can be flawed and prone to errors, are being used to help make decisions about who or what to target, resulting in the deaths of innocent people.

Microsoft said Thursday that employee concerns and media reports had prompted the company to launch an internal review and hire an external firm to undertake “additional fact-finding.” The statement did not identify the outside firm or provide a copy of its report.

The statement also did not directly address several questions about precisely how the Israeli military is using its technologies, and the company declined Friday to comment further. Microsoft declined to answer written questions from The AP about how its AI models helped translate, sort and analyze intelligence used by the military to select targets for airstrikes.

The company’s statement said it had provided the Israeli military with software, professional services, Azure cloud storage and Azure AI services, including language translation, and had worked with the Israeli government to protect its national cyberspace against external threats. Microsoft said it had also provided “special access to our technologies beyond the terms of our commercial agreements” and “limited emergency support” to Israel as part of the effort to help rescue the more than 250 hostages taken by Hamas on Oct. 7.

“We provided this help with significant oversight and on a limited basis, including approval of some requests and denial of others,” Microsoft said. “We believe the company followed its principles on a considered and careful basis, to help save the lives of hostages while also honoring the privacy and other rights of civilians in Gaza.”

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The company did not answer whether it or the outside firm it hired communicated or consulted with the Israeli military as part of its internal probe. It also did not respond to requests for additional details about the special assistance it provided to the Israeli military to recover hostages or the specific steps to safeguard the rights and privacy of Palestinians.

In its statement, the company also conceded that it “does not have visibility into how customers use our software on their own servers or other devices.” The company added that it could not know how its products might be used through other commercial cloud providers.

In addition to Microsoft, the Israeli military has extensive contracts for cloud or AI services with Google, Amazon, Palantir and several other major American tech firms.

Microsoft said the Israeli military, like any other customer, was bound to follow the company’s Acceptable Use Policy and AI Code of Conduct, which prohibit the use of products to inflict harm in any way prohibited by law. In its statement, the company said it had found “no evidence” the Israeli military had violated those terms.

Emelia Probasco, a senior fellow for the Center for Security and Emerging Technology at Georgetown University, said the statement is noteworthy because few commercial technology companies have so clearly laid out standards for working globally with international governments.

“We are in a remarkable moment where a company, not a government, is dictating terms of use to a government that is actively engaged in a conflict,” she said. “It’s like a tank manufacturer telling a country you can only use our tanks for these specific reasons. That is a new world.”

Israel has used its vast trove of intelligence to both target Islamic militants and conduct raids into Gaza seeking to rescue hostages, with civilians often caught in the crossfire. For example, a February 2024 operation that freed two Israeli hostages in Rafah resulted in the deaths of 60 Palestinians. A June 2024 raid in the Nuseirat refugee camp freed four Israeli hostages from Hamas captivity but resulted in the deaths of at least 274 Palestinians.

Overall, Israel’s invasions and extensive bombing campaigns in Gaza and Lebanon have resulted in the deaths of more than 50,000 people, many of them women and children.

No Azure for Apartheid, a group of current and former Microsoft employees, called on Friday for the company to publicly release a full copy of the investigative report.

“It’s very clear that their intention with this statement is not to actually address their worker concerns, but rather to make a PR stunt to whitewash their image that has been tarnished by their relationship with the Israeli military,” said Hossam Nasr, a former Microsoft worker fired in October after he helped organize an unauthorized vigil at the company’s headquarters for Palestinians killed in Gaza.

Cindy Cohn, executive director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, applauded Microsoft Friday for taking a step toward transparency. But she said the statement raised many unanswered questions, including details about how Microsoft’s services and AI models were being used by the Israeli military on its own government servers.

“I’m glad there’s a little bit of transparency here,” said Cohn, who has long called on U.S. tech giants to be more open about their military contracts. “But it is hard to square that with what’s actually happening on the ground.”

TF

We associate fitness with muscles, cardiovascular, and the gym. But a revolution is taking place in the world of wellness—brain health is the new fitness focus. Science has shown us that more and more of us are identifying that a quick, robust, and well-nourished brain is as critical as a robust body.

The Shift from Six-Pack Abs to Sharp Brains

Decades of health discourse were all about how you look—biceps of steel, steel abs, and weight loss. Recently, and particularly after the pandemic, individuals have come to understand the importance of the clarity of mind, balance of emotions, and sharpness of mind. We now know that it’s not just about how you look “fit” but how fit you think, feel, and concentrate.

Mental weariness, burnout, loss of memory, and perpetual distraction made people question: what is the use of possessing a fit body when the brain cannot even keep up with it? Brain fitness has thus begun to be mainstreamed—not as a luxury, but as a necessity. 

What Is Brain Fitness, Really?

Brain fitness is maintaining the brain in top condition with mental, emotional, and physical training. It is simply strengthening memory, attention, processing speed, mood management, and mental flexibility. Regular exercise does for the body what some habits will do for the brain:

• Mindful movement: Dancing, walking in nature, or yoga doesn’t only get the body moving—it relaxes and gets the brain ready.
• Brain foods: Omega-3 foods such as walnuts, chia seeds, berries, and leafy greens may enhance cognitive function.
• Deep sleep: Your brain cleanses and reboots during sleep. Cutting it is no longer an option.
• Digital detoxing: Cutting down on screen time, particularly at night, allows your mind to unwind and concentrate better.
• Neuroplasticity exercises: Acquiring a new language, hobby, or even a puzzle can rewire the brain for development.

Why It’s Trending Now

The increase in anxiety, depression, and brain fog—particularly among millennials—has brought brain health into the limelight. Work pressures, constant notifications, and constantly being “on” have driven individuals inward. Neuroscience-based well-being is the current rage, and individuals want to future-proof their brains.

Even the world of fitness has begun catching up. Gyms are now including brain-based classes, meditation rooms, and cognitive well-being machines. Apps for health have begun incorporating mood tracking, brain games, and mental well-being features into their products alongside step counters.

Final Thought

Brain health is the new fitness objective not because it’s trendy, but because we’re coming to an understanding that wellness begins from within. Your body may take you so far, but your brain will have you on your toes, emotionally balanced, and prepared for whatever life throws your way. In our hyper-stimulated culture, training your mind is no longer optional, it’s obligatory.

Related

I’ve used the Oura ring to track my menstrual cycle for the past four years, and it’s the only device I trust to do so. My Oura ring knew I was pregnant before I did, helped me keep an eye on my vitals during pregnancy, and monitor how ready I was for exercise with a toddler who doesn’t sleep. That, and many others, is a reason why it’s at the top of our list of the best smart rings.

But Oura is doing far more behind the scenes — in fact, it’s designing algorithms for women, something that shouldn’t be groundbreaking in 2025, but really is. We sat down with Oura’s resident women’s health expert, Dr. Neta Gotlieb. Gotlieb is a Senior Product Manager and Clinical Research Scientist, who has led the teams that developed Cycle Insights and Pregnancy Insights on the Oura ring.

Dr. Gotlieb earned a Master’s Degree in Biological Psychology from Tel Aviv University and a PhD in Reproductive Neuroendocrinology from University of California Berkeley, where she focused on the neural regulation of menstrual cycles, pregnancy, and birth. She has also received the Women in Tech Global Technology Leadership Award. 

A mother of two daughters, Dr. Gotlieb is the author of the children’s book, Every Body’s Brain.

Tech, training and tracking — three fixes that boost conversions in 90 days

Remember when the front desk just handed out towels and smiled? Those days are gone. In today’s crowded fitness market, your front-of-house team isn’t simply providing customer service — it’s your first, and often best, shot at converting a prospect/lead into a member. Yet many clubs still leave money on the counter because staff aren’t set up to track or nurture leads.

Turning a casual “hi” into “sign me up” comes down to three basics. The Sales Arms, a remote sales team specializing in revenue growth for fitness facilities, call them the Three Ts. Master these and your front desk shifts from passive reception to a true revenue driver.

Let’s dive into the Three Ts and see how they can transform your team into expert lead managers.

• 

  Without a robust, well-integrated tech stack, even the best teams will struggle to manage leads efficiently. Modern fitness sales require seamless communication, automation, and data visibility.

  Give your team superpowers:

  • Send mass SMS, emails, and automate follow-ups.
  • Use a call system with recording, voicemail drops, and easy callback features.
  • Track every lead’s position within an extended sales journey.
  • Integrate CRM tools that simplify — not complicate — daily tasks.
  • Enable fast access to vendor support to avoid downtime.

  Many studios operate with fragmented or outdated systems, making it nearly impossible for front desk teams to nurture leads effectively.

  Tip:
  Conduct a quarterly tech audit to ensure all systems align with lead management goals and that staff are fully trained on using every feature.

  Chris Appiah, The Sales Arms Founder and CEO, advises operators to be mindful of the full spectrum of options available. 

  “The biggest oversight I see is not including all three major forms of communication – phone calls, text messages, and emails – in your lead and member management processes,” Appiah says. “Don’t pigeonhole yourself by only using one or two forms of communication, especially with your new leads. Until someone engages with you, you don’t know how they prefer to communicate, and you want to be able to meet each individual where they’re at.” 

  Book a complimentary discovery call for a tech stack audit and discover how top studios streamline lead engagement.

• 

  2. Training: Create a Culture of Continuous Improvement

  Sales isn’t a “set it and forget it” process. The Sales Arms highlights that front desk teams thrive when treated like sales athletes — requiring ongoing coaching, practice and refinement.

  Turn reps into sales athletes:

  • Develop a structured follow-up cadence, tailored for both new leads and missed sales opportunities.
  • Implement 30-touchpoint strategies to manage today’s longer sales cycles without overwhelming staff.
  • Schedule regular role-playing sessions to handle objections, upsell confidently, and personalize the sales conversation.
  • Simplify service offerings to make “prescribing” the right membership or package intuitive.
  • Foster a mindset where continuous learning is expected and supported.

  Too often, studios rely solely on initial onboarding, leaving teams to “figure it out” — a major reason why leads fall through the cracks. 

  Tip:
  Introduce bi-weekly training sessions focused on real scenarios, and review follow-up cadences quarterly to ensure they align with evolving member behaviors.

  Appiah says that a lead and member management cadence is not one size fits all. 

  “Yoga customers tend to like a softer approach, while we see with HIIT modalities that clients prefer a more direct, right-to-the-point conversation,” he says. “It’s important to hone in on the cadence and tone that work best for your client base.”

  Schedule a free training audit to implement sustainable follow-up systems and ongoing coaching.

• 

  3. Tracking: Drive Accountability Through Data

  “Teams do what you inspect, not what you expect.” This core philosophy underpins The Sales Arms’ approach to performance management.

  Studios should focus on:

  See Also

  
  

  • Defining clear KPIs: Track metrics like follow-up completion rates, conversion percentages, response times and touchpoint consistency.
  • Implementing regular performance reviews: Weekly check-ins ensure accountability and provide opportunities to address gaps in lead management.
  • Establishing incentive programs: Motivate front desk teams with structured rewards tied to measurable outcomes — not just effort, but results.
  • Creating a culture of feedback: Use tracking data to identify coachable moments, encouraging staff development through constructive insights.
  • Ensuring visibility: Simple dashboards or reports should make performance transparent, so both owners and staff know where they stand.

  The Sales Arms works with operators to embed these practices, ensuring front desk teams stay aligned with sales goals and continuously improve.

  Actionable Tip:
  Introduce weekly performance reviews and align incentives with clearly defined KPIs to foster accountability and motivation.

  The best way to understand exactly what needs to be changed in the delivery or language, according to Appiah, is to listen to call recordings and read text message conversations where your team speaks to your leads. “This will allow you to uncover areas of opportunity and coach your team using real examples,” Appiah says. 

  Contact The Sales Arms for a complimentary consultation on building tracking systems and performance-based incentives.

• 

  Turning Strategy Into Results

  Here’s a real-world example of the Three Ts at work. When Chromacore set out to open the world’s first studio blending Lagree Fitness with color‑therapy in Portland, Oregon, founders Sara and Linda Stimac knew they needed more than marketing buzz — they needed a bulletproof sales engine before day one. They partnered with The Sales Arms and put the Three Ts into motion:

  • Tech — A CRM with two‑way SMS and automated nurture kept every inquiry in view and every prospect engaged.
  • Training — A 30‑touch, 21‑day follow‑up cadence was drilled through weekly role‑plays, ensuring staff echoed the same consultative script the remote Sales Arms rep used online.
  • Tracking — Daily dashboards aligned everyone on four must‑hit targets: 80% leads to first booking, 75% bookings to show, 50 % shows to enroll, and 15% total leads to enrollment.

  The impact was immediate. Chromacore sold 88 Founder’s Memberships in its first month, then maintained a 40% lead‑to‑member conversion rate as full‑price memberships rolled out. Within a year the studio crossed the 300‑member profitability threshold, and monthly gross sales climbed by $4,500 on average. Clients never sensed that the friendly voice on the phone was off-site, which is proof that seamless tech, steady training and transparent tracking can turn any front desk into a revenue powerhouse.

  Studios aiming for the same lift can start with a complimentary Three T assessment.Dive deeper into the Chromacore success story in the full case study.

HANGZHOU – From April 23 to 25, 2025, the Third UNESCO High-level Forum for Museums was held in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. More than 190 Chinese and foreign guests, including museum curators, experts and representatives of relevant institutions from more than 60 countries and regions, gathered in Liangzhu to discuss the innovation and development of museums.

Mr. Ernesto Ottone R., Assistant Director-General for Culture, UNESCO delivers the opening speech.

“Museums are the most visited cultural sites in the world, and their development is also facing multiple challenges.” said Mr. Ernesto Ottone R., Assistant Director-General for Culture, UNESCO in his opening speech. He likened museum to a beacon of resilience and hope, “It guards memory, stimulates creativity and builds bridges to a more equal, inclusive and sustainable society.”

The forum lasts for three days, including keynote speeches, thematic exchanges, interactive links and field visits. Representatives from Chantilly Castle in France, National Museum of Colombia, Singapore Museum, Jordan Museum, Palace Museum of China, China Arts and Crafts Museum (China Intangible Cultural Heritage Museum) as well as others shared their experiences and practices around the themes of “the evolution and transformative role of museums”, “the application of digital technology and artificial intelligence”, “the role of museums as educational carriers and lifelong learning platforms”.

Third UNESCO High-level Forum for Museums

The forum also conducted interactive exchanges on topics such as virtual museum of stolen cultural relics, cutting-edge technology exhibitions, the challenges and innovations in contemporary museums. Additionally, it submitted a report on the outcomes of the World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development, which is scheduled to take place in Spain in September 2025.

Hangzhou is a famous historical and cultural city, a city of innovation and vitality, and a city of ecological civilization. Hangzhou embodies history in every corner and cultural legacy every step. The three wonders of world cultural heritages, West Lake, Liangzhu Archaeological Ruins and Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, synergize into a heritage matrix where historical legacies mutually illuminate their civilizational dimensions. Nearly 300 museums, various cultural relics’ resources and cultural products are distributed throughout the city.

Technological innovation and Liangzhu culture are two shining “golden cards” in Yuhang District of Hangzhou, “Five thousand years of Chinese civilization are epitomized in the Liangzhu Ruins”. In recent years, Hangzhou Liangzhu Archaeological Site Administrative District Management Committee has cooperated with many universities and scientific research institutions to solve the problem of “protection of earthen sites in humid environment” and provide solid support for the protection and inheritance of Liangzhu culture.

At Liangzhu Museum, global visitors use AR glasses to animate engraved black pottery from 5,000 years ago, digitally reviving ancient life ways while building inclusive cultural bridges through technology. The Liangzhu culture is radiating new vitality in the new era.

“Led by AI-driven technological and scientific revolution, the museum sector is undergoing systemic transformation. Digital technologies now serve as an important transnational connectors of civilizations. We are willing to join hands with our global counterparts to promote dialogue among civilizations through technological innovation and inject cultural impetus into sustainable development,” said Ding Pengbo, deputy curator of the National Museum of China.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Gen Z’s favorite app will nudge users toward better sleep with meditation prompts 

TikTok is launching in-app guided meditation exercises and expanding its Mental Health Education Fund after a test of its “Meditation in Sleep Hours” feature found that 98% of teen users kept it enabled.

The social media platform – used predominantly by Gen Z – is also partnering with TikTok creator and child psychiatrist Dr. Willough Jenkins to demonstrate the new feature.

“Research shows us that mindful meditation can improve sleep quality in people of all ages, so we’ll also introduce Meditation in Sleep Hours to all our users, regardless of their age,” the social media platform said in a press release. “For teens under age 18, it will be turned on by default. If a teen decides to use TikTok after 10 p.m., their For You feed will be interrupted by a guided meditation exercise, helping them wind down for the night. If a teen decides to spend additional time on TikTok after the first reminder, we show a second, harder-to-dismiss, full-screen prompt. Adults can turn on Sleep Hours at any time from the Screen Time Insettings page.”

If there’s irony in an app prompting users to disconnect for their mental health, it’s not exactly rare. In April, the Touch Grass app launched with a strict approach to screen time: users select their most distracting apps, which remain blocked until they physically touch grass and verify it with a photo taken on their phone.

TikTok has also announced $2.3 million in ad credits to 31 mental health organizations across 22 countries as part of its Mental Health Education Fund, which supports organizations in creating engaging mental health content. Recipients include the Alliance for Eating Disorders, Crisis Text Line, Peer Health Exchange and Active Minds. 

See Also

“At Active Minds, we plan to leverage the TikTok ad credits to run a diverse mix of evergreen ads focused on mental health, including promoting the importance of mental health breaks and raising awareness for our core resources,” Active Minds chief marketing officer Jessica Mayorga said. “We’re also excited to spotlight our programs and initiatives that empower young people to prioritize their well-being. This approach will allow us to engage and educate audiences on TikTok while aligning with our mission to champion a new era of mental health.”