NewzIntel.com

Blog

  • MIL-OSI: American Rebel Light Beer Strengthens Brand Position with NHRA as Title Sponsor of American Rebel Light Virginia NHRA Nationals (June 20-22, 2025) – National Television Broadcast on FOX and FS1

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    American Rebel Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: AREB) Expanding Market Presence and Showcasing Patriotism through Strategic Partnerships, High-Profile Events, and Unmatched Fan Engagement

    American Rebel Light Beer Takes Center Stage at Virginia NHRA Nationals – Available at all concession locations selling beer, American Rebel Light fuels the excitement of motorsports while celebrating patriotism, highlighted by two electrifying concerts from CEO Andy Ross.

    American Rebel Light Virginia NHRA Nationals – America’s Patriotic Beer stands proudly in the spotlight, reaching millions of dedicated fans on-site and across national TV, reinforcing its commitment to fans of motorsports that aligns with our American values.

    NASHVILLE, TN, June 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — American Rebel Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: AREB) (“American Rebel” or the “Company”), creator of American Rebel Beer (americanrebelbeer.com) and a designer, manufacturer, and marketer of branded safes, personal security and self-defense products and apparel, proudly announces that its flagship beer, American Rebel Light, has been named the title sponsor of the American Rebel Light Virginia NHRA Nationals taking place June 20 – 22 at Virginia Motorsports Park in Richmond, VA.

    Race Weekend Highlights at the American Rebel Light Virginia NHRA Nationals

    Fans can enjoy American Rebel Light at all concession locations selling beer at Virginia Motorsports Park, as well as at the American Rebel Light Party Tent and American Rebel Light Trackside Bar. CEO Andy Ross will perform two concerts during race weekend, bringing his signature freedom-fueled anthems to NHRA fans.

    “We’re really playing to our audience and core customers at NHRA races,” said Andy Ross, CEO American Rebel Holdings, Inc. “Race fans are very patriotic, and they love our beer and if they give me the microphone, I’m happy to spread the word! NHRA 330+ mph, 12,000-horsepower nitro machines and Rebel Light are the perfect match. It’s the only beer we’re drinking round here.”

    NHRA Nationals Broadcast Details

    The American Rebel Light Virginia NHRA Nationals will broadcast on the FOX network and FS1, with eliminations coverage beginning at 4 pm EDT on Sunday, June 22.

    FOX broadcasts deliver major reach—up to 2 million viewers—making the Sunday eliminations a prime marketing moment for brand exposure for American Rebel Light.

    FS1 coverage reinforces awareness and offers additional touchpoints with hundreds of thousands more viewers.

    Expected and Historical Track attendance is strong, with several years of sold-out or near-capacity sessions, maximizing experiential fan engagement.

    Platform / Metric Estimated Range
    FOX (Sunday finals) 800K–2.1M viewers (800K avg, peak ~2.1M)
    FS1 (Qualifying / tape-delayed) ~250K–600K viewers, avg ~400K-500K
    On-site attendance Up to 23K capacity per day
       

    Andy Ross – Presented by American Rebel Light Beer – Live Performance Schedule

    Known for his patriotic and high-energy music, Andy Ross will take the stage:

    • Saturday Afternoon: Between Q2 & Q3 Nitro qualifying sessions (~3:15 pm EDT)
    • Sunday: Following Round 1 of Nitro Eliminations (~1:00 pm EDT)

    American Rebel Building on Past Success with the NHRA

    This marks the second NHRA title sponsorship for American Rebel Light in 2025. After a successful partnership at the American Rebel Light NHRA 4-Wide Nationals in Charlotte, the brand continues to expand its presence in professional drag racing.

    “Our experience in Charlotte was amazing,” said Andy Ross. “The exposure put us on the map in North Carolina and nationwide through FOX, FS1, and FS2 broadcasts. NHRA and Charlotte Motor Speedway were fantastic partners, and we can’t wait to do it again at Virginia Motorsports Park.”

    Strong Brand Presence at Virginia Motorsports Park

    As part of the sponsorship, American Rebel Light will have a strong brand presence at Virginia Motorsports Park, featuring trackside signage and brand integrations throughout the venue. Race fans (21+) can enjoy American Rebel Light—America’s Patriotic, God-Fearing, Constitution-Loving, National Anthem-Singing, Stand-Your-Ground Beer—while experiencing the intensity of NHRA drag racing.

    NHRA Excited to Welcome Back American Rebel Light

    “We’re thrilled to have American Rebel Light return as a title sponsor,” said Brad Gerber, NHRA Vice President and Chief Development Officer. “They’ve already proven to be a terrific partner with a team passionate about NHRA drag racing. We’re looking forward to an incredible weekend with American Rebel Light Beer and NHRA fans.”

    Meet NHRA Racing Legends

    Throughout the race weekend, fans can meet and greet American Rebel Light-sponsored drivers:

    • Tony Stewart
    • Matt Hagan
    • Other NHRA drivers in autograph sessions

    The Ultimate NHRA Experience

    Fans can grab a cold American Rebel Light at all concession locations selling beer at Virginia Motorsports Park. For an elevated experience, visit the American Rebel Light Trackside Bar or the American Rebel Light Party Tent, where guests can toast to horsepower and freedom with American Rebel Light 16 oz Tall Boys.

    Stay Connected & Get Tickets

    For tickets and event details, visit NHRA’s official site or follow Andy Ross (@andyrossrebel), American Rebel Beer (@americanrebelbeer) and American Rebel (@AmericanRebel99 on X) on social media for updates.

    New American Rebel Virginia Distributor – Valley Distribution Ensures Fans Enjoy American Rebel Light Beer at American Rebel Light Virginia NHRA Nationals

    American Rebel Beverages recently welcomed Valley Distributing Corporation (valleydist.net) as its newest distribution partner in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Their rapid execution was critical in ensuring that fans at the American Rebel Light Virginia NHRA Nationals could enjoy a cold American Rebel Light Beer throughout the race weekend—from the grandstands to the American Rebel Light Party Tent.

    “We’re incredibly grateful for Valley’s ability to move fast and deliver results,” said Todd Porter, President of American Rebel Beverages. “Their speed and commitment exemplify exactly why we believe this will be a long-term, high-impact partnership. We’re excited to grow together and build a retail footprint across Southwestern Virginia, so when fans head home from the race, they can find American Rebel Light Beer on shelves near them.”

    With this key partnership in place, American Rebel Beverages continues to expand its patriotic footprint—one race, one fan, and one state at a time.

    About American Rebel Light Beer

    American Rebel Light is more than just a beer – it’s a celebration of freedom, passion, and quality. Brewed with care and precision, our light beer delivers a refreshing taste that’s perfect for every occasion.

    Since its launch in September 2024, American Rebel Light Beer has rolled out in Tennessee, Connecticut, Kansas, Kentucky, Ohio, Iowa, Missouri, North Carolina, Florida, Indiana and now Virginia and is adding new distributors and territories regularly. For more information about the launch events and the availability of American Rebel Beer, please visit americanrebelbeer.com or follow us on our social media platforms (@americanrebelbeer).

    American Rebel Light is a Premium Domestic Light Lager Beer – All Natural, Crisp, Clean and Bold Taste with a Lighter Feel. With approximately 100 calories, 3.2 carbohydrates, and 4.3% alcoholic content per 12 oz serving, American Rebel Light Beer delivers a lighter option for those who love great beer but prefer a more balanced lifestyle. It’s all natural with no added supplements and importantly does not use corn, rice, or other sweeteners typically found in mass produced beers.

    For more information about American Rebel Light Beer follow us on social media @AmericanRebelBeer.

    For more information, visit americanrebelbeer.com.

    About American Rebel Holdings, Inc.

    American Rebel Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: AREB) has operated primarily as a designer, manufacturer and marketer of branded safes and personal security and self-defense products and has recently transitioned into the beverage industry through the introduction of American Rebel Light Beer. The Company also designs and produces branded apparel and accessories. To learn more, visit americanrebelbeer.com. For investor information, visit americanrebel.com/investor-relations.

    Watch the American Rebel Story as told by our CEO Andy Ross visit The American Rebel Story

    Media Inquiries:
    Matt Sheldon
    Matt@Precisionpr.co
    917-280-7329

    American Rebel Holdings, Inc.

    info@americanrebel.com
    ir@americanrebel.com

    American Rebel Beverages, LLC

    Todd Porter, President
    tporter@americanrebelbeer.com

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. American Rebel Holdings, Inc., (NASDAQ: AREB; AREBW) (the “Company,” “American Rebel,” “we,” “our” or “us”) desires to take advantage of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and is including this cautionary statement in connection with this safe harbor legislation. The words “forecasts” “believe,” “may,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “should,” “plan,” “could,” “target,” “potential,” “is likely,” “expect” and similar expressions, as they relate to us, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. We have based these forward-looking statements primarily on our current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy, and financial needs. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ from those in the forward-looking statements include benefits of our continued sponsorship of high profile events, success and availability of the promotional activities, our ability to effectively execute our business plan, and the Risk Factors contained within our filings with the SEC, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 and our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three months ended March 31, 2025. Any forward-looking statement made by us herein speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Founder Group Signs Memorandum of Understanding with GCL Systems Integration Technology Co., Ltd. to Cooperate on Renewable Energy Projects Valued at up to USD $220 Million

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, June 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Founder Group Limited (NASDAQ: FGL) (“Founder Group” or the “Company”), a leading engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning (EPCC) solutions provider for solar photovoltaic systems in Malaysia, is pleased to announce the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with GCL Systems Integration Technology Co. Ltd. (GCL). The companies have agreed to cooperate and work together to explore, identify, assess and undertake projects focused on the Renewable Energy industry across Malaysia and other ASEAN countries with an estimated value of up to USD $220 million.

    GCL Systems Integration Technology Co., Ltd. is a publicly traded company listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. Founded in 2003, GCL has grown into a world-leading one-stop smart PV and storage system integrator. GCL emphasizes technological innovation and excellence by providing high-quality, efficient and differentiated products. Leveraging on their powerful technical research and development strength and excellent system solution design capability, GCL has secured a leading position in intelligent PV and storage energy solutions after 20 years of unremitting efforts. As of today, their product range includes high efficiency cells, PV modules and energy storage systems. Furthermore, GCL offers diversified service modules such as integrated financial services and intelligent operation and maintenance management, aiming to deliver efficient, intelligent and integrated energy solutions alongside outstanding service experiences to global customers.

    Under the agreement, FGL and GCL will employ various methods to achieve their objectives, including exchanging information, proposing and implementing specific actions, and periodically evaluating the effectiveness of their collaboration. Additionally, both companies commit to contributing technical expertise and proficiency to support the collaboration on identified projects.

    Each entity will take essential steps to carry out proper procedures professionally and diligently to identify and procure the projects. If any projects are secured, a separate definitive agreement will be executed outlining each company’s commitments, including providing necessary assistance, relevant information and documents required by the other party. Upon execution of the MOU, both entities will utilize internal resources to source and secure potential projects, analyze tender documents, prepare business plans, and develop proposals.

    “We are proud to announce our collaboration with GCL Systems Integration Technology on future Renewable Energy projects. Leveraging GCL’s strong global reputation and expertise in manufacturing and supply of solar PV modules and storage will be an integral part of this cooperation to advance our capabilities to support Malaysia and the surrounding countries’ renewable energy goals and promote a greener environment for our customers. Additionally, we anticipate significant revenue opportunities as we work to establish sustainable projects that will drive top-line growth as well as margin and income expansion which we expect will result in substantial gains in shareholder value,” said Lee Seng Chi, Chief Executive Officer of Founder Group Limited.

    About Founder Group Limited

    Founder Group Limited is a pure-play, end-to-end EPCC solutions provider for solar PV facilities in Malaysia. The company’s primary focus is on two key segments: large-scale solar projects and commercial and industrial (C&I) solar projects. The company’s mission is to provide customers with innovative solar installation services, promote eco-friendly resources and achieve carbon neutrality.

    For more information on the Company, please visit https://www.founderenergy.com.my/.

    About GCL System Integration Technology Co., Ltd.

    GCL System Integration Technology Co., Ltd. strives to be the world’s leading integrator of comprehensive energy systems. The company closely follows the new stage development in the 14th Five Year Plan and new opportunities of the “Double Carbon Goals”, actively seizes the historical opportunity period, and provides customers with high-quality clean energy one-stop services following the strategic guidance of technological, digital and green GCL.

    For more information on the Company, please visit https://en.gclsi.com/about_us.

    Safe Harbor Statement

    This press release contains forward-looking statements that reflect our current expectations and views of future events. Known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, including those listed under “Risk Factors” in the Company’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. You can identify some of these forward-looking statements by words or phrases such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “aim,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “is/are likely to,” “potential,” “continue” or other similar expressions. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. These forward-looking statements involve various risks and uncertainties. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date on which the statements are made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. We qualify all of our forward-looking statements by these cautionary statements.

    CONTACT INFORMATION:

    For media queries, please contact:

    Founder Group Limited
    info@founderenergy.com.my

    Investor Relations Inquiries:

    Skyline Corporate Communications Group, LLC
    Scott Powell, President
    1177 Avenue of the Americas, 5th Floor
    New York, New York 10036
    Office: (646) 893-5835
    Email: info@skylineccg.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Fold Secures $250 Million Equity Purchase Facility Intended to Expand Bitcoin Treasury Holdings

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PHOENIX, June 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Fold Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: FLD) (“Fold” or the “Company”), the first publicly traded bitcoin financial services company, today announced that it has entered into an agreement for a $250 million equity purchase facility (“Facility”), with the net proceeds primarily intended to be used to acquire additional bitcoin for Fold’s corporate treasury.

    Pursuant to the Facility, the Company, in its sole discretion, has the right, but not the obligation, to issue and sell up to $250 million in newly issued shares of the Company’s common stock (“Common Stock”), subject to certain conditions, including that a registration statement covering the resale of the Common Stock be filed and declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). The Company is not required to use the Facility and controls the timing and amount of any drawdown on the Facility, subject to certain restrictions under the Facility. The Company expects to use the net proceeds from the Facility, if any, primarily to acquire additional bitcoin for Fold’s corporate treasury.

    The offers and sales of the Common Stock issuable under the Facility will be made in a private placement in reliance on an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act and/or Regulation D promulgated thereunder, and applicable state securities laws. The Company plans to file with the SEC a registration statement relating to the resale of the Common Stock issuable under the Facility. The Company cannot draw on the Facility, and the Common Stock may not be sold nor may offers to buy be accepted, prior to the time that the registration statement covering the resale of the Common Stock is declared effective by the SEC. This press release is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities.

    Cohen & Company Capital Markets, a division of J.V.B. Financial Group, LLC, served as the exclusive placement agent to the Company in connection with the establishment of the Facility.

    About Fold

    Fold (NASDAQ: FLD) is the first publicly traded bitcoin financial services company, making it easy for individuals and businesses to earn, save, and use bitcoin. With over 1,490 BTC in its treasury, Fold is at the forefront of integrating bitcoin into everyday financial experiences. Through innovative products like the Fold App, Fold Credit Card, Fold Bitcoin Gift Card, and Fold Card, the Company is building the bridge between traditional finance and the bitcoin-powered future.

    Forward-Looking Statements
    The information in this press release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), including statements regarding the Company’s management team’s expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions, plans, prospects or strategies regarding the future, including the anticipated use of proceeds from the Facility. Any statements contained herein that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Additionally, any statements that refer to projections, forecasts or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as “may,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “predict,” “estimate,” “plan,” “project,” “forecast,” “intend,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “believe,” or the negative or plural of these words, or other similar expressions that are predictions or indicate future events or prospects, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. These forward-looking statements include the potential benefits of the Facility and Fold’s treasury strategy. These statements are based on assumptions and on the current expectations and beliefs of Fold’s management, in light of their respective experience and their perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments and their potential effect on the Company, as well as other factors they believe are appropriate under the circumstances. There can be no assurance that future developments affecting the Company will be those that it has anticipated. Many actual events and circumstances are beyond the control of Fold. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including: (i) changes in domestic and foreign business, market, financial, political and legal conditions; (ii) the failure to realize the anticipated benefits of Fold’s recent business combination; (iii) the effect of the consummation of the business combination on Fold’s business relationships, performance, and business generally; (iv) the ability to implement business plans and other expectations after the completion of the business combination, and identify and realize additional opportunities; (v) the risk of downturns, new entrants and a changing regulatory landscape in the highly competitive industry in which Fold operates; (vi) Fold’s inability to satisfy the conditions precedent to the use of the Facility on a timely basis, if at all; (vii) the failure of Fold’s counterparty under the Facility to perform under the Facility on a timely basis, if at all; and (viii) those factors discussed in Fold’s filings with the SEC. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of the management’s assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary in material respects from those presented in these forward-looking statements. Additional factors that could cause actual results to differ are discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” and in other sections of the filings of the Company with the SEC, and in the current and periodic reports filed or furnished by the Company from time to time with the SEC. All forward-looking statements in this press release are made as of the date hereof, based on the information available to the Company and its management team as of the date hereof, and the Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.

    For investor inquiries, please contact:

    Orange Group
    Samir Jain, CFA
    FoldIR@orangegroupadvisors.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Locus Technologies Integrates with the Latest USGS Produced Water Database

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    The enriched software drives contextual business intelligence for the oil and gas industry 

    MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., June 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Locus Technologies, the sustainability and Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) compliance software leader, announced its new integration with the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) National Produced Waters Geochemical Database, simplifying compliance reporting for the oil and gas sector and enabling benchmarking against independent, scientifically validated data. Through this integration, geochemical records and water-related data from oil and gas wells across major U.S. basins—particularly those associated with hydraulic fracking—will be available to users of Locus Environmental Information Management (EIM) software, Locus GIS+, Locus Platform, and the company’s Produced Water App. The integration enriches geospatial analysis and accelerates strategic planning, placing an organization’s operational compliance and analytical data in the context of 100+ years of aggregated government records and 28 years of anonymized Locus data.

    “This is a game changer for oil and gas companies as they responsibly manage produced water,” said Neno Duplan, founder and CEO of Locus Technologies. “We are positioning enterprises to focus their resources on substantive action plans rather than on aggregating siloed information. By leveraging open data intelligently, Locus continues to lead in delivering not just software—but the knowledge and context our customers need to succeed in today’s ESG- and CSRD-driven landscape.”

    Locus software users tap chemistry sampling results from produced water and other deep formations from as early as 1905. The data spans 155 parameters, including metals, volatiles, gases, salts, radionuclides, and field readings, from 113,135 locations across the US and southern Canada. The publicly available dataset, released by USGS in December 2023, is the latest compilation and includes well descriptions, dates, rock properties, physical properties of the water, organic chemistry, and much more.

    “It’s incredibly powerful, enabling customers to instantly generate visualizations of their data compared to USGS by region, depth, and chemistry, define regional chemical profiles and reuse thresholds, or flag anomalies in water quality trends – in seconds,” said Duplan. “We’ve aggregated the largest curated dataset available for AI and machine learning in the oil and gas water quality domain, and our integrated AI tools yield unprecedented insight and predictive power for Locus customers to manage their water metrics and quality.”

    To learn more about Locus software and this integration, please visit http://www.locustec.com.

    About Locus Technologies
    Locus Technologies, the global environmental, social, governance (ESG), sustainability, and EHS compliance software leader, empowers companies of every size and industry to be credible with ESG reporting. From 1997, Locus pioneered enterprise software-as-a-service (SaaS) for EHS compliance, water management, and ESG credible reporting. Locus apps and software solutions improve business performance by strengthening risk management and EHS for organizations across industries and government agencies. Organizations ranging from medium-sized businesses to Fortune 500 enterprises, such as Sempra, Corteva, Chevron, DuPont, Chemours, San Jose Water Company, The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Port of Seattle, and Los Alamos National Laboratory, have selected Locus. Locus is headquartered in Mountain View, California. For further information regarding Locus and its commitment to excellence in SaaS solutions, please visit http://www.locustec.com or email info@locustec.com.

    Media Contact:
    Brenda Mahedy
    Locus Technologies
    media@locustechnologies.net 

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Brag House Launches Revenue-Generating NIL Platform to Monetize Gen Z Athlete Engagement Across 200+ College Campuses

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, June 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Brag House Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: TBH) (“Brag House” or the “Company”), the media-tech platform at the intersection of gaming, college sports, and Gen Z engagement, last week unveiled plans to launch a secure digital asset platform as part of its Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) initiative supporting the Company’s broader monetization strategy by introducing new revenue streams, expanding Gen Z engagement, and strengthening its data-driven value proposition.

    Building on its earlier announcement to explore digital NIL engagement models, the initiative leverages Brag House’s national footprint across 200+ NCAA campuses through its partnership with Learfield, enabling student-athletes to monetize personalized digital assets such as highlight reels, game-day passes, and authenticated collectibles. Brag House will retain transaction fees and recurring royalty revenue from secondary marketplace activity, while also capturing valuable user engagement and behavioral data.

    “We’re laying the groundwork for a new digital economy built around Gen Z athletes and fans, ” said Lavell Juan Malloy II, CEO and Co-Founder of Brag House. “By combining NIL rights with authenticated digital assets, we’re offering scalable monetization while enhancing our ability to understand and serve our community. This platform introduces a repeatable, high-margin business model aligned with the surging NIL and digital ownership economies.”

    Unlocking a Multi-Billion-Dollar Market Through a Scalable Revenue Model

    As referenced in Brag House’s previous announcement, the NIL market is projected to grow to $1.5 billion by 2027. Brag House’s NIL platform targets a key gap in the market: 95% of NCAA athletes currently receive little to no NIL compensation.

    Using a no-code interface, athletes will be able to mint and sell digital assets directly to fans while Brag House earns transaction fees on all primary sales and royalties on secondary trades. Fan-to-athlete commerce will be enabled by automated smart contract systems, with automated payments routed to athlete-controlled digital wallets. The Company is evaluating sustainable, next-gen digital platforms that offer low fees and reliable verification systems.

    Initial monetization scenarios include:

    • Personalized collectibles with resale royalties
    • Digital access passes for live/virtual events
    • Loyalty integrations with brand partners and sponsors
    • Tiered fan experiences that reward long-term participation

    Accelerating Brag House’s Strategic Flywheel

    This platform aligns directly with Brag House’s four-phase strategic roadmap: build Gen Z community, scale B2B solutions, monetize engagement, and activate proprietary data. The NIL initiative further supports each of these goals by:

    • Increasing user retention through exclusive athlete-fan interaction
    • Creating brand sponsorship inventory around collectible campaigns
    • Enhancing the Company’s first-party behavioral data for Gen Z
    • Enabling subscription and membership cross-sell opportunities

    “This initiative is not about chasing trends, it’s about capturing value,” added Malloy. “We’ve already proven our ability to engage Gen Z across gaming and college campuses. Now, we’re unlocking the next layer of monetization that expands our platform’s economic potential.”

    Pilot Rollout in Late 2025

    Brag House expects to launch initial NIL activations on select campuses later this year, in conjunction with branded loyalty campaigns and its Brag Gators Gauntlet Series. Full platform capabilities, including smart contract integration, athlete onboarding, and fan resale features, are anticipated to go live in early 2026.

    About Brag House
    Brag House is a leading media technology gaming platform dedicated to transforming casual college gaming into a vibrant, community-driven experience. By seamlessly merging gaming, social interaction, and cutting-edge technology, the Company provides an inclusive and engaging environment for casual gamers while enabling brands to authentically connect with the influential Gen Z demographic. For more information, visit www.braghouse.com.

    Forward-Looking Statements 
    Certain statements in this announcement are forward-looking statements. Investors can identify these forward-looking statements by words or phrases such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “aim,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “is/are likely to,” “potential,” “continue” or other similar expressions. These statements are subject to uncertainties and risks including, but not limited to, expectations related to the investigation of potential naked short selling, including the Company’s analysis, its ability to take appropriate corrective action, or any potential investigations by regulators and other risk factors discussed in the “Risk Factors” section of the Company’s filings with the SEC. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that such expectations will turn out to be correct, and the Company cautions investors that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results and encourages investors to review other factors that may affect its future results discussed in the Company’s filings with the SEC, which are available for review at www.sec.gov. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances, or changes in its expectations that arise after the date hereof, except as may be required by law.

    Media Contacts:
    Fatema Bhabrawala
    Director of Media Relations
    fbhabrawala@allianceadvisors.com

    Dave Gentry, CEO
    RedChip Companies, Inc.
    TBH@redchip.com

    Investor Relations Contact:
    Adele Carey
    VP, Investor Relations
    ir@thebraghouse.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: ESET Named a 2025 Gartner® Peer Insights™ Customers’ Choice for Endpoint Protection

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BRATISLAVA, Slovakia, June 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ESET, a global leader in cybersecurity solutions, is proud to announce its recognition as the Customers’ Choice in the 2025 Gartner® Peer Insights™ “Voice of the Customer” report1 for Endpoint Protection Platforms, in the category of Organizations with Annual Revenue between 50M – 1B USD. This distinction reflects the positive feedback and high satisfaction ratings from verified end users who rely on ESET´s solutions to defend against evolving cyber threats.

    According to the report, 95% of Gartner Peer Insights reviews received for ESET indicated a 5-star (60%) or 4-star (35%) rating. Overall, our customers have given us a rating of 4.9 out of 5 during the last 180 days, with 98% of them concluding they would recommend our product. “In our view, ESET’s placement in the report underscores our commitment to delivering reliable, effective, and user-friendly endpoint protection platforms solutions to organizations worldwide,” said Zuzana Legáthová, Director of Test, Analyst Relations and Market Research at ESET.

    The “Voice of the Customer” report aggregates peer reviews and ratings over an 18-month period, offering valuable insights into customer experiences with leading cybersecurity vendors. ESET´s recognition is based on reviews from 187 verified end-user professionals, and we believe that it focuses on their direct experience with operating the ESET PROTECT Platform.

    “Being named a Customers’ Choice by Gartner Peer Insights is a powerful validation of the trust our users place in ESET. It reflects our ongoing mission to deliver cybersecurity that’s not only powerful and reliable but also intuitive and tailored to the real-world needs of modern organizations,” said Pavol Balaj, Chief Business Officer at ESET.

    ESET PROTECT is a comprehensive cybersecurity platform designed to meet the evolving needs of modern organizations. Built on decades of expertise and continuous innovation, it delivers a Prevention-First approach to security, integrating advanced technologies and security services into a single, scalable solution.

    At its core, the platform features ESET LiveSense, a multilayered security engine powered by over 30 years of human expertise, machine learning, and ESET LiveGrid, a global cloud-based reputation system. This foundation enables balanced breach prevention, detection, and response capabilities, ensuring robust protection across all digital environments.

    Key features include:

    • Modern, multilayered endpoint security for desktops, servers, and mobile devices
    • Extended protection for cloud applications, email systems, and servers
    • Comprehensive vulnerability assessment and patch management
    • AI-native detection technologies and advanced threat protection
    • Globally sourced telemetry and threat intelligence
    • Managed Detection and Response (MDR) services with local support and a fast 20-minute response time

    The report is based on over 5,400 reviews collected over an 18-month period ending January 31, 2025. Only vendors with a minimum of 20 eligible reviews and 15 ratings for “Capabilities” and “Support/Delivery” were included.

    Discover more about ESET PROTECT Platform. For more information about ESET’s awards and recognized excellence, click here.

    GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc., and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally, and PEER INSIGHTS is a registered trademark of Gartner, Inc., and/or its affiliates and are used herein with permission. All rights reserved. Gartner® Peer Insights™ content consists of the opinions of individual end users based on their own experiences and should not be construed as statements of fact, nor do they represent the views of Gartner or its affiliates. Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product, or service depicted in this content nor makes any warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this content, about its accuracy or completeness, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

    About ESET

    ESET® provides cutting-edge digital security to prevent attacks before they happen. By combining the power of AI and human expertise, ESET stays ahead of emerging global cyberthreats, both known and unknown—securing businesses, critical infrastructure, and individuals. Whether it’s endpoint, cloud, or mobile protection, our AI-native, cloud-first solutions and services remain highly effective and easy to use. ESET technology includes robust detection and response, ultra-secure encryption, and multifactor authentication. With 24/7 real-time defense and strong local support, we keep users safe and businesses running without interruption. The ever-evolving digital landscape demands a progressive approach to security: ESET is committed to world-class research and powerful threat intelligence, backed by R&D centers and a strong global partner network. For more information, visit www.eset.com or follow our social media, podcasts, and blogs.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: ESET Named a 2025 Gartner® Peer Insights™ Customers’ Choice for Endpoint Protection

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BRATISLAVA, Slovakia, June 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ESET, a global leader in cybersecurity solutions, is proud to announce its recognition as the Customers’ Choice in the 2025 Gartner® Peer Insights™ “Voice of the Customer” report1 for Endpoint Protection Platforms, in the category of Organizations with Annual Revenue between 50M – 1B USD. This distinction reflects the positive feedback and high satisfaction ratings from verified end users who rely on ESET´s solutions to defend against evolving cyber threats.

    According to the report, 95% of Gartner Peer Insights reviews received for ESET indicated a 5-star (60%) or 4-star (35%) rating. Overall, our customers have given us a rating of 4.9 out of 5 during the last 180 days, with 98% of them concluding they would recommend our product. “In our view, ESET’s placement in the report underscores our commitment to delivering reliable, effective, and user-friendly endpoint protection platforms solutions to organizations worldwide,” said Zuzana Legáthová, Director of Test, Analyst Relations and Market Research at ESET.

    The “Voice of the Customer” report aggregates peer reviews and ratings over an 18-month period, offering valuable insights into customer experiences with leading cybersecurity vendors. ESET´s recognition is based on reviews from 187 verified end-user professionals, and we believe that it focuses on their direct experience with operating the ESET PROTECT Platform.

    “Being named a Customers’ Choice by Gartner Peer Insights is a powerful validation of the trust our users place in ESET. It reflects our ongoing mission to deliver cybersecurity that’s not only powerful and reliable but also intuitive and tailored to the real-world needs of modern organizations,” said Pavol Balaj, Chief Business Officer at ESET.

    ESET PROTECT is a comprehensive cybersecurity platform designed to meet the evolving needs of modern organizations. Built on decades of expertise and continuous innovation, it delivers a Prevention-First approach to security, integrating advanced technologies and security services into a single, scalable solution.

    At its core, the platform features ESET LiveSense, a multilayered security engine powered by over 30 years of human expertise, machine learning, and ESET LiveGrid, a global cloud-based reputation system. This foundation enables balanced breach prevention, detection, and response capabilities, ensuring robust protection across all digital environments.

    Key features include:

    • Modern, multilayered endpoint security for desktops, servers, and mobile devices
    • Extended protection for cloud applications, email systems, and servers
    • Comprehensive vulnerability assessment and patch management
    • AI-native detection technologies and advanced threat protection
    • Globally sourced telemetry and threat intelligence
    • Managed Detection and Response (MDR) services with local support and a fast 20-minute response time

    The report is based on over 5,400 reviews collected over an 18-month period ending January 31, 2025. Only vendors with a minimum of 20 eligible reviews and 15 ratings for “Capabilities” and “Support/Delivery” were included.

    Discover more about ESET PROTECT Platform. For more information about ESET’s awards and recognized excellence, click here.

    GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc., and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally, and PEER INSIGHTS is a registered trademark of Gartner, Inc., and/or its affiliates and are used herein with permission. All rights reserved. Gartner® Peer Insights™ content consists of the opinions of individual end users based on their own experiences and should not be construed as statements of fact, nor do they represent the views of Gartner or its affiliates. Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product, or service depicted in this content nor makes any warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this content, about its accuracy or completeness, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

    About ESET

    ESET® provides cutting-edge digital security to prevent attacks before they happen. By combining the power of AI and human expertise, ESET stays ahead of emerging global cyberthreats, both known and unknown—securing businesses, critical infrastructure, and individuals. Whether it’s endpoint, cloud, or mobile protection, our AI-native, cloud-first solutions and services remain highly effective and easy to use. ESET technology includes robust detection and response, ultra-secure encryption, and multifactor authentication. With 24/7 real-time defense and strong local support, we keep users safe and businesses running without interruption. The ever-evolving digital landscape demands a progressive approach to security: ESET is committed to world-class research and powerful threat intelligence, backed by R&D centers and a strong global partner network. For more information, visit www.eset.com or follow our social media, podcasts, and blogs.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Dime Announces Approval of Lakewood, NJ Branch by the NJ Department of Banking and Insurance

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    HAUPPAUGE, N.Y., June 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Dime Community Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ: DCOM) (the “Company” or “Dime”), the parent company of Dime Community Bank (the “Bank”), announced it has received approval from the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance to open a branch location at 500 Boulevard of Americas in Lakewood, New Jersey. As previously announced, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and the New York State Department of Financial Services have also approved the branch location.

    Construction of the branch is expected to start in the second half of 2025, with the branch opening planned for early 2026.

    ABOUT DIME COMMUNITY BANCSHARES, INC.
    Dime Community Bancshares, Inc. is the holding company for Dime Community Bank, a New York State-chartered trust company with over $14 billion in assets and the number one deposit market share among community banks on Greater Long Island (1).

    Dime Community Bancshares, Inc.
    Investor Relations Contact:
    Avinash Reddy
    Senior Executive Vice President – Chief Financial Officer
    Phone: 718-782-6200; Ext. 5909
    Email: avinash.reddy@dime.com

     ¹ Aggregate deposit market share for Kings, Queens, Nassau & Suffolk counties for community banks with less than $20 billion in assets.

    FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
    Statements contained in this news release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those currently anticipated.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Banzai to Present at the Singular Research Summer Solstice Conference on June 18, 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SEATTLE, June 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Banzai International, Inc. (NASDAQ: BNZI) (“Banzai” or the “Company”), a leading marketing technology company that provides essential marketing and sales solutions, today announced that Joe Davy, Founder and CEO of Banzai, will present at the Singular Research Summer Solstice Conference taking place on Wednesday, June 18, 2025.

    Singular Research Summer Solstice Conference
    Date: Wednesday, June 18, 2025
    Location: Virtual
    Format: Presentation
    Attendees: Joe Davy, Founder and CEO
    Presentation Time: 9:45 a.m. Eastern Time, Track 2
    Webcast: Click here

    A webcast of the presentation will also be available under the Events section of the Company’s investor relations website linked here.

    To schedule a one-on-one investor meeting with Banzai management, please contact your Singular Research Summer Solstice conference representative or email your request to at BNZI@mzgroup.us or call Chris Tyson at (949) 491-8235.

    About Banzai

    Banzai is a marketing technology company that provides AI-enabled marketing and sales solutions for businesses of all sizes. On a mission to help their customers grow, Banzai enables companies of all sizes to target, engage, and measure both new and existing customers more effectively. Customers who use Banzai’s product suite include Autodesk, Dell Technologies, New York Life, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Thinkific, and ActiveCampaign, among thousands of others. Learn more at www.banzai.io. For investors, please visit https://ir.banzai.io.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements often use words such as “believe,” “may,” “will,” “estimate,” “target,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “expect,” “should,” “would,” “propose,” “plan,” “project,” “forecast,” “predict,” “potential,” “seek,” “future,” “outlook,” and similar variations and expressions. Forward-looking statements are those that do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. Examples of forward-looking statements may include, among others, statements regarding Banzai International, Inc.’s (the “Company’s”): future financial, business and operating performance and goals; annualized recurring revenue and customer retention; ongoing, future or ability to maintain or improve its financial position, cash flows, and liquidity and its expected financial needs; potential financing and ability to obtain financing; acquisition strategy and proposed acquisitions and, if completed, their potential success and financial contributions; strategy and strategic goals, including being able to capitalize on opportunities; expectations relating to the Company’s industry, outlook and market trends; total addressable market and serviceable addressable market and related projections; plans, strategies and expectations for retaining existing or acquiring new customers, increasing revenue and executing growth initiatives; and product areas of focus and additional products that may be sold in the future. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of our control. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and our actual results of operations, financial condition and liquidity and development of the industry in which the Company operates may differ materially from those made in or suggested by the forward-looking statements. Therefore, investors should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially include changes in the markets in which the Company operates, customer demand, the financial markets, economic, business and regulatory and other factors, such as the Company’s ability to execute on its strategy. More detailed information about risk factors can be found in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and the Company’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q under the heading “Risk Factors,” and in other reports filed by the Company, including reports on Form 8-K. The Company does not undertake any duty to update forward-looking statements after the date of this press release.

    Investor Relations
    Chris Tyson
    Executive Vice President
    MZ Group – MZ North America
    949-491-8235
    BNZI@mzgroup.us
    www.mzgroup.us

    Media
    Nancy Norton
    Chief Legal Officer, Banzai
    media@banzai.io

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: NXP Completes Acquisition of TTTech Auto to Accelerate the Transformation to Software-Defined Vehicles

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    EINDHOVEN, The Netherlands, June 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NXP Semiconductors N.V. (NASDAQ: NXPI) today announced the completion of the acquisition of TTTech Auto, a leader in innovating unique safety-critical systems and middleware for software-defined vehicles (SDVs), pursuant to the terms of the previously announced agreement from January 2025.

    The open and modular offering of the NXP CoreRide platform and TTTech Auto’s MotionWise safety middleware helps automakers overcome software and hardware integration barriers, while reducing complexity and development efforts and increasing scalability and cost-efficiency required for next-generation vehicles.

    To continue operating within an open industry ecosystem, TTTech Auto’s services will remain with neutral position, supporting various System-on-Chips manufacturers, OEMs and 3rd party software partners. This will advance SDV capabilities while maintaining stringent safety and performance standards and ensuring data protection.

    Forward Looking Statements

    This document includes forward-looking statements which include statements regarding NXP’s acquisition of TTTech Auto, as well as any other statements which are not historical facts. By their nature, forward-looking statements are subject to numerous factors, risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and results to be materially different from those projected. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Except for any ongoing obligation to disclose material information as required by the United States federal securities laws, NXP does not have any intention or obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements after NXP distributes this document, whether to reflect any future events or circumstances or otherwise. For a discussion of potential risks and uncertainties, please refer to the risk factors and other cautionary statements included in NXP’s SEC filings. Copies of NXP’s SEC filings are available on NXP’s Investor Relation website, https://investors.nxp.com or from the SEC website, www.sec.gov. 

    About NXP Semiconductors
    NXP Semiconductors N.V. (NASDAQ: NXPI) is the trusted partner for innovative solutions in the automotive, industrial & IoT, mobile, and communications infrastructure markets. NXP’s “Brighter Together” approach combines leading-edge technology with pioneering people to develop system solutions that make the connected world better, safer, and more secure. The company has operations in more than 30 countries and posted revenue of $12.61 billion in 2024. Find out more at www.nxp.com. 

    NXP and the NXP logo are trademarks of NXP B.V. All other product or service names are the property of their respective owners. All rights reserved. © 2025 NXP B.V

    For more information, please contact:

    NXP-Corp
    NXP-Auto

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8029b30c-b73f-4318-9a1a-ed675027c8bf

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Andvaris Inc. Honored with Rising Star Award at 2025 FSMSDC Business Impact Awards

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MIAMI, June 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Andvaris Inc., a leading provider of staffing and workforce solutions, is proud to announce that it has been recognized with the prestigious Rising Star Award at the Florida State Minority Supplier Development Council’s (FSMSDC) 2025 Business Conference & Business Impact Awards.

    The Rising Star Award highlights the success of emerging small businesses that demonstrate strong growth potential, innovation, and a commitment to excellence. Andvaris was honored for its outstanding trajectory, forward-thinking strategies, and impactful contributions to the business community.

    “This award is more than just a milestone—it’s a testament to the hard work, resilience, and shared vision of our entire team,” said Zedrick Gilo, CEO of Andvaris. “We are deeply honored and inspired to continue pushing boundaries in service, innovation, and excellence.”

    Andvaris extends heartfelt thanks to Beatrice Louissaint, President and CEO of FSMSDC, for her visionary leadership, and to Kirk Gimenez, who brought energy and charisma to the event as host. Special thanks also go to the FSMSDC team for orchestrating a memorable evening that celebrated the achievements of Florida’s most dynamic businesses.

    As a fast-growing company, Andvaris remains committed to delivering value-driven staffing solutions while helping clients build agile, high-performing teams across the country.

    About Andvaris Inc.

    Founded in 2014, Andvaris is a national staffing and recruiting company specializing in contingent workforce solutions, AI-driven hiring technology, and employer of record services. With offices in Miami and Fort Lauderdale, the company helps businesses scale their workforce efficiently and strategically.

    Media Contact:

    Zedrick Gilo
    CEO, Andvaris Inc.
    Email: zgilo@andvaris.com
    Phone: (305) 600-1349
    Website: https://andvaris.com

    Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3edaf7c6-79bd-4b21-9eb6-981d831cc7bd

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9cfe1feb-c793-4ef4-8256-6bb54fafd48e

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Värde Launches Fund Finance Platform

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, June 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Värde Partners, a leading global alternative investment firm specializing in credit and credit-related assets, today announced the launch of its fund finance platform.

    Building on Värde’s broader asset-based finance strategy, the platform is an extension of Värde’s capabilities designed to address the increased demand for subscription lines (“sublines”) and other fund finance-related products. The firm’s fund finance strategy aims to support bank origination through natural distribution channels in addition to meeting borrower demands for more structured financing solutions, both of which will expand lending capacity to the market.

    Värde launches its fund finance platform with $300 million of strategic equity capital from Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPP Investments), through subsidiaries of CPPIB Credit Investments Inc., in addition to other Värde-dedicated capital. The platform has already closed a forward flow agreement with a large global bank to bolster the bank’s subline origination capacity.

    Brad Bauer, Managing Partner and CEO of Värde, said: “We deeply appreciate the support and collaboration of our longstanding partners as we developed the infrastructure to expand this offering to the broader market. The launch of this platform enables us to expand our relationships with bank partners while creating exposure to what we believe to be an attractive investment opportunity.”

    Missy Dolski, Global Head of Fund Finance and Capital Markets at Värde, said: “We see the rising demand for fund finance products as creating a durable, highly scalable opportunity as private capital and, therefore, fund financing needs continue to grow. The emergence of non-traditional long-term capital providers into the over $1 trillion subline lending market is a transformative development in a space that has not had a significant capital markets solution which we believe ultimately benefits underlying borrowers.”

    David Colla, Managing Director, Head of Capital Solutions Group at CPP Investments, said: “As demand for fund financing grows, we view subline lending markets as a compelling opportunity for investors like CPP Investments with long-term capital available for deployment. This transaction is an important and strategic step in building a strong partnership with Värde, who brings expertise in this space, and we look forward to working with them to generate attractive risk-adjusted returns for the benefit of CPP contributors and beneficiaries.”

    Värde has over 30 years of experience investing in private credit markets, including originating bespoke financing solutions through contractual cash flow lending and forward flow financing. Värde is also an experienced investor in significant risk transfer (“SRT”) transactions and other private capital solutions in partnership with banks. Since 2008, Värde has deployed $13 billion through its asset-based finance strategy.

    About Värde Partners
    Värde Partners is a leading global investment firm specializing in credit and credit-related assets. Founded in 1993, the firm has invested more than $100 billion across the credit quality and liquidity spectrum and currently manages $17 billion in assets. With local investment teams and partnerships in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific, Värde invests across private and public markets with a focus on real estate, asset-based finance and corporate credit. For more information, please visit www.varde.com.

    About CPP Investments
    Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPP Investments™) is a professional investment management organization that manages the Fund in the best interest of the more than 22 million contributors and beneficiaries of the Canada Pension Plan. In order to build diversified portfolios of assets, investments are made around the world in public equities, private equities, real estate, infrastructure and fixed income. Headquartered in Toronto, with offices in Hong Kong, London, Mumbai, New York City, San Francisco, São Paulo and Sydney, CPP Investments is governed and managed independently of the Canada Pension Plan and at arm’s length from governments. At December 31, 2024, the Fund totalled C$699.6 billion. For more information, please visit www.cppinvestments.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram or on X @CPPInvestments.

    Media Contacts

    Värde Partners
    communications@varde.com

    CPP Investments
    Frank Switzer, Public Affairs & Communications
    T: +1 416 523 8039
    fswitzer@cppib.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Built for Africa: Trinasolar Showcases Weather-Resilient Solar + Storage Solutions at Africa Energy Forum

    With over 1 gigawatt of solar equipment supplied in South Africa in the past year, Trinasolar (www.Trinasolar.com) returns to the Africa Energy Forum (AEF) reaffirming its position as a long-term partner in Africa’s clean energy journey. At this year’s event in Cape Town, the company is spotlighting its next-generation solar and battery storage solutions, designed to withstand extreme weather, harsh environmental conditions, and evolving grid demands across the continent.

    “As the energy crisis and climate volatility continue to impact South Africa and the broader African region, Trinasolar is focused on delivering real solutions that enable long-term energy security,” said Vincent Wu, Global Sales Vice President and MEA MU Head at Trinasolar. “Our high-efficiency PV modules and advanced energy storage systems are engineered to meet the challenging realities on the ground. Through our presence at AEF, we’re reinforcing our commitment to supporting Africa’s transition to a greener, more stable energy future; one built on innovation, resilience, and strategic collaboration.”

    Taking centre stage is the launch of the Vertex N 630W (NED19RC.20), Trinasolar’s newest ultra-durable solar module. Tailored for Africa’s diverse and often unpredictable conditions, the module features reinforced mechanical design, anti-dust and corrosion-resistant components, and a record-breaking 55 mm hail resistance rating, which is more than double the industry standard.

    Certified for fire safety and built to perform in environments rich in salt, ammonia, and sand, the module delivers a maximum power output of 630W and up to 23.3% efficiency. Its low-voltage, high-string design is compatible with leading inverters, while reducing system costs and installation time for commercial and utility-scale developers.

    “We’re seeing strong momentum across the region, especially in the commercial, industrial, and utility-scale sectors where innovation and ease of installation matter,” said Zaheer Khan, Regional Director for South Africa, Trinasolar MEA. “Installers and partners are drawn to solutions like the Vertex N 630W, not just for its performance, but because it addresses real operational challenges in tough environments.

    “In just the past year, Trinasolar has delivered over a gigawatt of technology solar equipment in South Africa alone,” Khan added. “It’s a milestone that reflects our growing footprint, trusted relationships, and long-term commitment to the region. And we’re just getting started.”

    Trinasolar’s growing Africa portfolio includes solar modules, smart tracker systems, energy storage solutions, and floating PV technologies. These offerings are designed to meet the continent’s diverse energy needs with quality, flexibility, and integration at the core. With local presence in Johannesburg and Cape Town, and warehouse facilities in Durban that maintain 10–20 megawatts of stock for quick nationwide delivery, Trinasolar supports rapid deployment across the region. Its expanding footprint includes commercial engagement in Kenya, Nigeria, Morocco, and other strategic markets.

    Over the past decade, Trinasolar has played a key role in shaping South Africa’s solar market—driving utility-scale projects, enabling C&I growth, and supporting the country’s path toward decentralisation and clean energy. As Africa’s energy transition accelerates, Trinasolar remains focused on scaling integrated systems, expanding local talent and operations, and collaborating closely with governments, utilities, and private sector partners to deliver long-term energy resilience.

    Trinasolar will be exhibiting at Booth B15 at the Africa Energy Forum in Cape Town from 17–20 June, where its senior team will be available for business meetings and stakeholder discussions.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Trinasolar.

    For media inquiries please contact:
    Mariam Agag – PR Manager, Trinasolar MEA
    Email: mariam.agag@trinasolar.com

    Lojayne Mohsen – Senior Consultant, Fekra Communications
    Email: lojayne.mohsen@fekracomms.com

    David Gyampo, Account Manager – Razor PR
    Email: david.gyampo@razorpr.co.za

    About Trinasolar (688599. SH):
    Founded in 1997, Trinasolar Co Ltd (stock symbol: Trinasolar; stock code: 688599) is engaged mainly in PV products, PV systems and smart energy. PV products include R&D, production and sales of PV modules. PV systems consist of power stations and system products. Smart energy comprises mainly PV power generation and operations and maintenance, smart solutions for energy storage, smart microgrid, and development and sales of multi-energy systems. We are committed to leading the way in smart PV and energy storage solutions and facilitating the transformation of new power systems for a net-zero future.

    On June 10, 2020, Trinasolar was listed on the Science and Technology Innovation Board (STAR Market) of the Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE). It was the first PV and energy storage company to go public on the STAR Market providing PV products and systems, as well as smart energy. For more information, please visit www.Trinasolar.com.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: How Birmingham will benefit from the Government’s Spending Review

    Source: City of Birmingham

    Access to more affordable homes, increased funding for schools and their pupils, and investment in Birmingham’s transport networks are among the Chancellor’s spending priorities.

    These headlines come from the Government’s Spending Review, which unveiled on 11 June, outlining their spending plans for the next three years.

    Finance officers are assessing what the Chancellor’s announcement means for the council’s own finances and services and the picture will become clearer later in the year.

    Cllr John Cotton, Leader of Birmingham City Council, said: “I welcome this Spending Review, and I’m encouraged the Chancellor has included funding for projects like the extension of the West Midlands Metro into East Birmingham, which will bring with it hundreds of jobs.

    “Working closely with West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker, we are ambitious for Birmingham and its people, and we need a government that matches those ambitions – so I am glad to see investment in education, children and young people are among those key spending priorities,

    “With the right support, cities like Birmingham can unlock growth and tackle inequalities that continue to hold too many people back – and the Government’s commitment to invest £39 billion in affordable housing is also key to this. This funding will transform the lives of so many people.”

    In Birmingham – one of the youngest cities in Europe – children will benefit from the £4.7 billion committed to spending on schools, up by £2 billion – to improve facilities and opportunities in education by 2028/29.

    There will also be investment in amenities and activities for young people, which in Birmingham could translate into revitalising local facilities. This is part of a new Local Growth Fund and an additional Mayoral Growth Fund to help cities deliver on the Government’s Growth Mission.

    In addition £410 million will be spent on extending the Free School Meals scheme to all pupils with a parent receiving Universal Credit. This comes on top of the council’s ongoing work to auto-enrol children across the city who qualify for free school meals, but have not applied for them.

    Meanwhile school breakfast clubs will be open to all children – to ensure their school day gets off to a good start.

    Housing features highly in this Spending Review – with a £39 billion commitment to increase the provision of affordable housing across the country over the next decade.

    Being able to access this funding will help Birmingham City Council tackle the city’s housing crisis – by improving access to safe, decent and affordable housing, to those most in need.

    Extending the West Midlands Metro through East Birmingham – connecting the Birmingham Sports Quarter and investment in West Midland Rail Hub will all help create thousands of jobs and opportunities for local business as part of our ambitious inclusive growth agenda for East Birmingham.

    This investment in key infrastructure will help to deliver Birmingham’s Sports Quarter – which will be home to Birmingham City FC’s new stadium.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: The Netherlands Associations for Investor Relations (NEVIR) announces the nominees for the 18th Annual Dutch IR Awards

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Amsterdam, the Netherlands, June 12, 2025: The Netherlands Association for Investor Relations (NEVIR) is proud to announce the nominations for the 18th Annual Dutch IR Awards.

    The nominees are:

    AEX Company of the Year

    ASML Holding

    ASR Nederland

    Shell

    AEX IR Professional of the Year

    Marcel Kemp, ASML Holding

    Michel Hulters, ASR Nederland

    Robin van den Broek, NN Group

    AMX Company of the Year

    CTP

    Just Eat Takeaway.com

    Royal Vopak

    AMX IR Professional of the Year

    Rutger Relker, Aalberts

    Maarten Otte, CTP

    Fatjona Topciu, Royal Vopak

    AScX Company of the Year

    Alfen

    Avantium

    Wereldhave

    AScX IR Professional of the Year

    Aarne Luten, Avantium

    Floor van Maaren, ForFarmers

    Inge Laudy, PostNL

    Best ESG Engagement

    ASR Nederland

    Royal Ahold Delhaize

    Unilever

    Best Investor Event

    ASR Nederland

    Royal Ahold Delhaize

    Shell

    Best IR Website

    AkzoNobel

    KPN

    Philips

    Most Improved Company (IR Programme)

    Adyen

    Corbion

    Exor

    Young IR Talent

    Valentina Fantigrossi, ASM International

    Lennart Scholtus, Heineken Company

    Thomas Turnock, NN Group

    The Dutch IR Awards celebrates the achievements of individuals and companies of Dutch stock-listed companies across nine categories; ranging from Best IR professional and Company, to Best Investor Event. 

    The nominations for the Dutch IR Awards are based on European research by Extel and incorporate feedback from global buy and sell-side professionals. 

    The 2025 awards ceremony will be held on Thursday, July 3 in Amsterdam.

    SPONSORS

    We would like to extend our gratitude to our 2025 Dutch IR Awards sponsors:

    Platinum: ABN AMRO and ODDO BHF, CMi2i, Computershare Georgeson, Euronext Corporate Solutions, Ingage, ING 

    Gold: FGS Global, Nasdaq, Notified

    Silver: S&P Global Market Intelligence, Tangelo

    Sponsoring through services / products: Extel and NFGD

    The publication of this press release has been made possible by GlobeNewswire.

     For media enquiries:

    Heather Robertson and Jonathan Berger

    secretariaat@nevir.nl

     About the NEVIR:

    The Netherlands Association for Investor Relations (NEVIR), is the professional representative

    body and advocacy organisation for all members of Investor Relations teams at Dutch listed

    companies and consultants in the field of Investor Relations.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: CERo Therapeutics Holdings, Inc. Announces FDA Orphan Drug Designation Granted to CER-1236 for the Treatment of Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SOUTH SAN FRANSCISCO, Calif., June 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — CERo Therapeutics Holdings, Inc., (Nasdaq: CERO) (“CERo” or the “Company”) an innovative immunotherapy company seeking to advance the next generation of  engineered T cell therapeutics that deploy phagocytic mechanisms, announces that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted CERo’s Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) for the company’s lead drug candidate CER-1236, for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). CER-1236 is an innovative therapy that engineers a cancer patient’s own T cell therapeutics that deploy phagocytic (i.e., target-cell eating) mechanisms alongside the array of built-in target cell destroying mechanisms used by T cells.

    CER-1236 is currently in Phase 1 clinical trials for AML. The first-in-human, multi-center, open label, Phase 1/1b study is designed to evaluate the safety and preliminary efficacy of CER-1236 in patients with acute myeloid leukemia that is either relapsed/refractory, or in remission with measurable residual disease, or newly diagnosed patients with TP53 mutated MDS/AML or AML. The two-part study has begun with dose escalation to determine highest tolerated dose and recommended dose for Phase 2, followed by an expansion phase to evaluate safety and efficacy.  Primary outcome measures include incidence of adverse events (AEs) and serious adverse events (SAEs), incidence of dose limited toxicities and estimation of overall response rate (ORR), complete response (CR), composite complete response (cCR), and measurable residual disease (MRD).  Secondary outcome measures include pharmacokinetics (PK).

    Chris Ehrlich, CERo CEO, commented, “Orphan Drug Designation underscores the importance of developing new treatments for AML, and the potential for CER-1236 to provide a new and differentiated approach toward treatment.  We believe that we are at the forefront of innovation in immuno-oncology and are grateful for the recognition from FDA.  We look forward to providing updates on our trial in the near term.”

    The FDA’s Orphan Drug program is designed to advance the development of drugs that treat a condition affecting 200,000 or fewer US patients annually.  ODD status is given to medicinal products that represent a significant benefit over existing treatments and are intended for the treatment of a disease that is life-threatening or chronically debilitating. The ODD designation qualifies CERo and CER-1236 for certain incentives, which include FDA assistance in designing clinical trials, access to the FDA Orphan Drug Grants Program, exemption from the drug approval application fee and eligibility for seven years of marketing exclusivity.

    About CERo Therapeutics Holdings, Inc.

    CERo is an innovative immunotherapy company advancing the development of next generation engineered T cell therapeutics for the treatment of cancer. Its proprietary approach to T cell engineering, which enables it to integrate certain desirable characteristics of both innate and adaptive immunity into a single therapeutic construct, is designed to engage the body’s full immune repertoire to achieve optimized cancer therapy. This novel cellular immunotherapy platform is expected to redirect patient-derived T cells to eliminate tumors by building in engulfment pathways that employ phagocytic mechanisms to destroy cancer cells, creating what CERo refers to as Chimeric Engulfment Receptor T cells (“CER-T”). CERo believes the differentiated activity of CER-T cells will afford them greater therapeutic application than currently approved chimeric antigen receptor (“CAR-T”) cell therapy, as the use of CER-T may potentially span both hematological malignancies and solid tumors. CERo has commenced clinical trials for its lead product candidate CER-1236 for hematological malignancies.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This communication contains statements that are forward-looking and as such are not historical facts. This includes, without limitation, statements regarding the financial position, business strategy and the plans and objectives of management for future operations of CERo, as well as statements regarding the Company’s plans to regain compliance with Nasdaq listing requirements and the ability for the Company’s securities to remain listed on Nasdaq.  These statements constitute projections, forecasts and forward-looking statements, and are not guarantees of performance. Such statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. When used in this communication, words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “strive,” “would” and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. When CERo discusses its strategies or plans, it is making projections, forecasts or forward-looking statements. Such statements are based on the beliefs of, as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to, CERo’s management.

    Actual results could differ from those implied by the forward-looking statements in this communication. Certain risks that could cause actual results to differ are set forth in CERo’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and the documents incorporated by reference therein. The risks described in CERo’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission are not exhaustive. New risk factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible to predict all such risk factors, nor can CERo assess the impact of all such risk factors on its business, or the extent to which any factor or combination of factors may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance. You should not put undue reliance on these statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. All forward-looking statements made by CERo or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the foregoing cautionary statements. CERo undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

    Contact:

    Chris Ehrlich
    Chief Executive Officer
    chris@cero.bio

    Investors:

    CORE IR
    investors@cero.bio

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Order.co Named One of Inc.’s 2025 Best Workplaces – Here’s What Sets It Apart

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, June 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Order.co, the world’s leading B2B Ecommerce Platform, is proud to announce it has been named to Inc.’s 2025 Best Workplaces list. This year’s list is the result of a comprehensive evaluation of American companies that have excelled in creating exceptional workplaces and company cultures – whether in-person or remote.

    To determine the final list, Inc. partnered with Quantum Workplace to conduct a detailed employee survey covering key areas like management effectiveness, perks, professional development, and overall company culture. Quantum also audited each company’s benefits to assess the full employee experience and calculate final scores. With thousands of companies applying and a highly selective process, only 514 organizations made the cut, including Order.co.

    “Being named one of Inc.’s Best Workplaces is an incredible honor,” said Karen Bedell, VP, People at Order.co. “It’s really a testament to the intentional work we’ve put into nurturing a culture where people feel supported and empowered. Our team has stayed grounded in gratitude, humility, and a shared commitment to doing what’s right – for each other and our customers.”

    At the heart of Order.co’s workplace culture is a strong commitment to connection, flexibility, and employee well-being. While the company embraces a remote-first workplace that empowers team members to work from anywhere, Order.co also invests in frequent in-person team-building events. From company-wide offsites to local meetups and volunteer opportunities throughout the year, employees across the country enjoy regular collaboration and maintain a strong sense of community.

    Alongside its commitment to connection and culture, Order.co also offers a robust benefits package to help employees thrive both personally and professionally. A few of these benefits include:

    • Flexibility to work from anywhere and access to an HQ in New York City
    • Comprehensive health coverage, including medical, dental, and vision plans
    • 401(k) with employer match to support long-term financial planning
    • Memberships to Wellhub and Talkspace
    • Generous parental leave available from day one
    • And many more

    “Inc.’s Best Workplaces program celebrates the exceptional organizations whose workplace cultures address their employees’ welfare and needs in meaningful ways,” says Bonny Ghosh, editorial director at Inc. “As companies expand and adapt to changing economic forces, maintaining such a culture is no small feat. Yet these honorees have not only achieved it—they continue to elevate the employee experience through thoughtful benefits, engagement, and a deep commitment to their teams.”

    To view the full list of winners, visit Inc.com.

    About Order.co

    Order.co simplifies business buying by combining the ease of online shopping with the sophistication of world-class purchase order and AP automation. The result? Businesses cut costs and complexity with every order.

    Hundreds of companies, like WeWork and Hugo Boss, leverage Order.co to centralize purchase-to-pay workflows, scale operations, and gain total control over spending – saving an average of 5% on products. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in New York City, Order.co has raised $70M in funding from industry-leading investors like MIT, Stage 2 Capital, Rally Ventures, 645 Ventures, and more.

    About Inc.
    Inc. is the leading media brand and playbook for the entrepreneurs and business leaders shaping our future. Through its journalism, Inc. aims to inform, educate, and elevate the profile of its community: the risk-takers, the innovators, and the ultra-driven go-getters who are creating the future of business. Inc. is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC, along with fellow leading business publication Fast Company. For more information, visit www.inc.com.

    About Quantum Workplace
    Quantum Workplace, based in Omaha, Nebraska, is an HR technology company that serves organizations through employee-engagement surveys, action-planning tools, exit surveys, peer-to-peer recognition, performance evaluations, goal tracking, and leadership assessment. For more information, visit QuantumWorkplace.com.

    Media Contact

    Allison Reich
    Senior Manager of Brand, Content & Enablement
    Allison.reich@order.co

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2c3327c4-5597-4c8b-9971-3a9545b0473a

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: BOBC Auctions- 17 June 2025

    Source: Bank of Botswana

    The Monetary Policy Rate (MoPR) was unchanged at 1.9 percent of the previous week, for a paper maturing on 25 June 2025.  The summarised results of the auction held on 17 June 2025, are attached below:

    BOBC Results 17 June 2025.pdf

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Lufthansa honored with World Airline Awards 2025

    Source: Lufthansa Group

    Lufthansa is the world’s most family-friendly airline. This prize from the World Airline Awards 2025 was presented today by the market research institute Skytrax at the Paris Air Show. The Lufthansa First Class Terminal in Frankfurt was also named the world’s best First Class Lounge. Austrian Airlines and Eurowings also received one of the coveted prizes – the award for “Best Airline Staff in Europe” went to Austrian Airlines in Vienna and Eurowings was named “Best Low Cost Airline in Europe”. Skytrax, a market research institute specializing in aviation, had previously surveyed 22.3 million passengers from well over 100 countries worldwide.

    “Lufthansa attaches great importance to ensuring that all guests on board feel comfortable with us – from Economy to First Class. I am therefore particularly pleased that we have received the award for the world’s most family-friendly airline and at the same time for the best First Class lounge,” says Heiko Reitz, Chief Customer Officer Lufthansa Airlines. “Above all, Lufthansa’s unsurpassed hospitality is also premium. In particular, our colleagues in the cabin, cockpit and on the ground can be very proud today. They are the ones who fulfill our promise of quality day after day.”

     

    Traveling with children  

    Lufthansa attaches great importance to ensuring that its youngest guests also feel comfortable on board. The airline therefore offers specially created kids’ menus prepared by the chefs at Gate Gourmet. The menus belong to the “Special Meals” category and can be pre-ordered by passengers free of charge up to 24 hours before departure. The offer applies to all classes on long-haul flights and to Business Class on short-haul flights.

    The trays are lovingly designed with colorful illustrations of the Lufthansa mascots “Lu” and “Cosmo” and the menu card invites young passengers to puzzle and color while they playfully learn how an airplane flies.

    Lufthansa has also introduced a new range of children’s toys on board. From cloud-shaped cuddly blankets for toddlers to puzzles and the game “City, Country, Flight”, there is something for every taste and every age. There is also a portfolio of coloring pages featuring Lu and Cosmo, which can be accessed via the Lufthansa eJournals homepage. Young passengers will also find magazines for children and teenagers in various languages. The in-flight entertainment program for children includes a large selection of films, series, music, audio books and podcasts. Children can also look forward to special amenity kits and, from summer 2025, new year-round “Best Friend” children’s boarding passes.

     

    Travel in Lufthansa First Class

    The separate First Class terminal in Frankfurt with limousine transfer directly to the aircraft and personal assistant, which has been named the best First Class lounge in the world, is emblematic of Lufthansa’s premium offering.

    Since the beginning of the year, traveling in Lufthansa’s top class has become even more exclusive. The new Lufthansa Allegris First Class on long-haul aircraft can be experienced in the summer timetable on flights from Munich to San Francisco, Chicago, San Diego, Shanghai and Bengaluru and sets new standards with two individual suites and the extraordinary Suite Plus: guests can heat or cool their almost one meter wide seats in the individual suites according to their personal needs. The separate cabins with ceiling-high walls and lockable door, large table and wide seat, a living room-sized screen and wireless “over-ear” headphones define a new standard in comfort and individuality. Generous storage space is provided by a personal wardrobe in the suite, so that travelers can change comfortably and have all their personal items to hand. Individual lamps allow travelers to create their very own feel-good atmosphere.

    The Suite Plus double cabin, the only one of its kind in the world, creates a special travel experience with two wide seats that can be combined to form a comfortable double bed if required. The flying private room impresses with maximum comfort and individuality. The Suite Plus offers maximum exclusivity for the single passenger and the unique opportunity to use the double cabin as a couple.

    The new First Class is part of a major Lufthansa premium offensive. Among other things, First Class guests can also look forward to renovated First Class check-in areas in Frankfurt (from late summer) and Munich as well as the newly designed First Class Lounge at Munich Airport.

     

    Skytrax

    The survey was conducted by the market research institute Skytrax. It evaluated the airlines’ in-flight offers and services at the airports. Skytrax has been conducting the annual passenger survey since 1999. All detailed results of the World Airlines Awards can be found at www.worldairlineawards.com

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: SARS clamps down on non-compliance in the fuel industry

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    The South African Revenue Service (SARS) is working with other law enforcement agencies to combat illicit fuel trade, which costs the fiscus approximately R3.6 billion per year.

    In the past four months, the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) has carried out several interventions.

    A joint intelligence team, comprising SARS and South African Police Service (SAPS) officials, has identified 23 targets across Gauteng, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal.

    In addition, 13 criminal cases were registered with SAPS, supported by SARS trade investigators, for customs and excise contraventions, and fraud. 

    “The intelligence-driven joint enforcement interventions included search-and-seizure operations targeting certain fuel storage facilities and depots, as well as random sampling of tanker transport to test the fuel viscosity and composition. In some cases, adulterated diesel – analysed in these investigations – had up to 68% paraffin content,” SARS said.

    Over the past decade, countries along the Maputo Corridor (South Africa, Eswatini and Mozambique) have become primary targets of the illicit fuel trade, which is driven by organised criminal networks that smuggle and illegally adulterate fuel. 

    SARS has established that some importers declare fuel amounting to 40 000 litres or less, whereas investigations reveal that up to 60 000 litres of fuel are actually imported. 

    “This is called under-declaration and documents are falsified to perpetuate this fraudulent activity. SARS has also detected a national trend, where many of the fuel-storage and distribution depots are involved in the adulteration of all fuel products, especially through illegal mixing of diesel with paraffin.

    “Fuel adulteration costs the fiscus approximately R3.6 billion per year, according to statistics by the International Trade Administration Commission,” SARS said.

    Faced with such carefully planned criminality, government agencies are working together more closely to detect, prevent and combat fuel adulteration, and enforce the Customs and Excise Act. 

    SARS noted that the illicit economy is a global phenomenon that threatens South Africa’s society, economy, and national security.

    “Tax evasion, smuggling, illegal transactions, illicit manufacturing and fraud undermine the rule of law, erode public trust, distort markets, deprive governments of revenue, and enable corruption and organised crime. 

    “The pervasiveness of these illicit activities in our country demands that all enforcement agencies work jointly to curb their harmful practices. The illicit economy is complex and requires a whole-of-government response among public entities, the private sector, civil society, and international partners,” SARS said.

    SARS Commissioner Edward Kieswetter expressed his appreciation to the SARS and SAPS teams and other government departments for their untiring efforts to detect, combat and prevent the scourge of the illicit economy. 

    “The criminal syndicates engaged in these brazen acts have become emboldened to act callously, with no restraint, in pursuit of their rapacious and criminal gains.

    “These syndicates can only underestimate our resolve to eradicate this criminality at their peril. These acts threaten the very foundation of our society. Our message is clear: we will spare no efforts to crush them,” the Commissioner said.

    Kieswetter said State agencies will collaborate and work within the law to confront illicit trade. 

    The joint intelligence team also found the following:

    • 953 515 litres of contaminated diesel fuel.
    • Six fuel depots that were in contravention of Sec. 37 of the Customs and Excise Act 91 of 1964, as amended.
    • Assets and contaminated fuel to the value of R367 274 330, leading to further investigation, and criminal and civil liabilities.
    • Two so-called fuel “washrooms”, one of which is a rare mobile “washroom” fitted on a transport truck, used to remove paraffin markers.
    • Twelve fuel transport trucks, which were identified after suspected false declaration on importation of an average of 15 000 litres of fuel per tanker. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Kyoto Fusioneering and Astral Systems join Culham fusion hub

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Kyoto Fusioneering and Astral Systems join Culham fusion hub

    UKAEA’s Culham Campus welcomes Kyoto Fusioneering and Astral Systems as its latest tenants.

    Culham Campus site in Oxfordshire – Image Credit: United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority

    Two pioneering companies, Kyoto Fusioneering and Astral Systems, have joined the growing cluster of fusion technology and AI organisations at United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority’s (UKAEA) Culham Campus.

    The arrival of Kyoto Fusioneering and Astral Systems marks another significant step in the evolution of Culham Campus as a community of like-minded people. The site has organisations across sectors including fusion energy, robotics, autonomous vehicles, and computing, supporting the UK’s ambition to lead the global quest for commercial fusion energy.

    Kyoto Fusioneering, a leading developer of fusion technologies, and Astral Systems, a leader in compact fusion innovations, bring cutting-edge capability to Culham, enhancing the dynamic ecosystem of science and technology tenants already based on site.

    Tim Bestwick, Deputy CEO, UKAEA, said:

    We are delighted to welcome Kyoto Fusioneering and Astral Systems to Culham Campus. Their presence demonstrates the growing momentum in the UK’s fusion technology sector and the strength of our innovation ecosystem. Culham is not just the home of the UK’s fusion programme – it is the UK’s first AI Growth Zone and is fast becoming the go-to location for industry, academia and investors focusing on high technology innovation.

    Richard Pearson, Co-founder and Chief Innovator at Kyoto Fusioneering, added:

    Being part of the Culham Campus community is an important milestone for Kyoto Fusioneering. Culham represents a world-class environment for fusion innovation, and we are excited to contribute our expertise and collaborate with the brilliant minds here to help realise a fusion-powered future.

    Talmon Firestone, Co-founder and CEO, Astral Systems, said:

    Securing space at Culham Campus marks another important step in deepening our relationship with UKAEA. With its world-class facilities and collaborative environment, Culham is the ideal home for our work on the Small-Scale Experiment for Tritium Breeding (SSETB) and future Fusion Futures initiatives. We’re excited to grow our presence here and continue contributing to the UK’s fusion ecosystem.

    Updates to this page

    Published 17 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Leeds City Council supports biodiversity improvements on green spaces

    Source: City of Leeds

    Leeds City Council is supporting investment in four local green spaces to boost biodiversity by improving wildlife habitats across the city. This comes after a successful pilot project funded by developers delivered improvements to local habitats including grasslands, woodlands and a wetland.

    Government rules relating to the new ‘Biodiversity Net Gain’ (BNG) planning requirements, say developers need to make sure nature is at least 10% better after their projects. If they can’t do it on-site, they have to find local spots to improve.

    The council has identified Rothwell Country Park, Skelton Lake, Killingbeck Fields, and Otley Chevin Forest Park for these investments with improvements being delivered through the Leeds Habitat Company, which is wholly owned by the council. 

    Councillor Mohammed Rafique, Leeds City Council’s executive member for climate, energy, environment and green space, said:

    “The council manages a large variety of green spaces which would benefit significantly from investment to enhance their biodiversity and allow local wildlife to thrive.

    “We are really pleased with what has been achieved so far through our pilot BNG scheme.

    “By making these new sites available for future investments, we are likely to secure significant long-term funding for the benefit of local wildlife and visitors to the sites.

    “This will help us with our aim to work together with local partners to protect nature and reverse the loss of biodiversity, as is set out in our Best City Ambition.

    “We are looking forward to being able to improve these four sites for people and wildlife soon.”

    Read more about BNG at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/understanding-biodiversity-net-gain.

    ENDS

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Homes England acquires Ripon Barracks from the Ministry of Defence to pave way for 1,300 new homes

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    Homes England acquires Ripon Barracks from the Ministry of Defence to pave way for 1,300 new homes

    Planning permission has been granted by North Yorkshire council for the new homes as part of a phased development plan

    Credit: Aecom

    Homes England and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) have today confirmed that land at Ripon Barracks, a military site scheduled for closure, will be developed into 1,300 new homes following a sale between the two public sector organisations.

    The homes will be surrounded by natural green spaces and complemented by a new primary school, community centre and retail area to create a vibrant new community. 

    In March, the site was named as part of a trailblazer approach to development on public sector land, with a changed cross-government approach to MoD land providing a blueprint for accelerating housebuilding. A ‘tripartite taskforce’ of MoD, the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government, and HM Treasury is working to deliver further planning changes

    The plans have been made possible by extensive collaboration work between Homes England, MoD, the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) and the Army Basing and Infrastructure Directorate, as part of the new trailblazer approach, with teams in all organisations working cooperatively to unlock the publicly owned site for housing delivery. The sale of Ripon Barracks is part of the MoD’s Defence Estate Optimisation (DEO) portfolio, which includes investing in key military infrastructure and releasing sites that are no longer needed by the MoD.  

    The development will be delivered in phases, with initial work beginning at the vacant Deverell Barracks site to provide the first 150 new homes. The remaining areas – Claro Barracks, Laver Banks, and the former Engineering Park – will be developed following the scheduled departure of the Royal Engineers to the nearby Marne Barracks in Catterick.

    Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary for Housing Angela Rayner, said: 

    Unlocking underused public land like Ripon Barracks is exactly the kind of practical action people want to see, and a crucial part of tackling the housing crisis we face.  

    By working with Homes England as a key delivery partner, we’re making a real difference for people in North Yorkshire by creating vibrant communities and driving economic growth. This marks another step forward in our mission to build 1.5 million homes in our Plan for Change.

    Defence Secretary, John Healey MP said: 

    We are delivering on our promise to create a new, trailblazer approach to the use of public land and unlock homeownership for working families in North Yorkshire and beyond. We are working together to speed up planning permissions and housebuilding plans. This is a truly cross-government effort to remove blockers, deliver homes and boost growth in support of our Plan for Change. 

    Alongside this, we are investing more than £7 billion this Parliament on improving accommodation for military personnel and their families, providing them the standard of living they truly deserve.

    Homes England will act as the master developer for Ripon Barracks and will coordinate delivery of the essential infrastructure needed before construction can begin. This includes the planning of site-wide drainage, supporting road networks, and other key enabling works.  

    Homes England and the MoD will work together to honour the site’s military past through appreciative design, landscaping, and interpretive elements within the new community. Core design principles will preserve and integrate notable historical features of the site, such as the linear parade ground layout and the original footpath network. 

    Eamonn Boylan, Chief Executive of Homes England, said:  

    This milestone achievement is the result of government bodies uniting to drive forward this government’s mission of building 1.5 million homes this parliament. By combining MoD’s land assets with Homes England’s planning and development expertise, we’ve unlocked a site with a historic past which we’re determined will shape the development’s future.

    Deputy Head of Major Disposals for DIO, Robert Smith, said:  

    This is an important milestone in bringing forward Ripon Barracks for redevelopment and is testament to the strong collaboration between all partners involved. Ripon Barracks has a rich history and this is an excellent example of how sites that are no longer needed by the military can be unlocked to bring real benefits to the local community.

    Notes to editors: 

    1. Under current DEO Army plans, 21 Engineer Regiment will move from Claro Barracks into Marne Barracks in Catterick where they will co-locate with 32 Engineer Regiment and 5th Regiment Royal Artillery in a mixture of refurbished and modern purpose-built buildings. 

    2. As well as delivering new and refurbished accommodation for over 40,000 military personnel and their families, the Defence Estate Optimisation Portfolio will also deliver new and refurbished technical, training and office space for over 64,000 MOD personnel. 

    3. DEO is on target to release enough surplus MOD land for over 32,000 new homes to be built across the country, as well as a range of community enhancing construction projects including schools, offices, shops, parks and open green spaces. 

    4. Defence Estate Optimisation is the single biggest estates change programme within Defence, bringing together an ambitious portfolio of interdependent programmes, construction activity, unit and personnel moves, and land release. www.gov.uk/guidance/defence-estate-optimisation-deo-portfolio 

    5. The Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) was formed in 2011 as the Ministry of Defence’s estates arm, supporting the armed forces to enable military capability by planning, building, maintaining, and servicing infrastructure.  https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/defence-infrastructure-organisation 

    About Homes England 

    We are the government’s housing and regeneration Agency, and we’re here to drive the creation of more affordable, quality homes and thriving places so that everyone has a place to live and grow.  

    We make this happen by working in partnership with thousands of organisations of all sizes, using our powers, expertise, land, capital and influence to bring investment to communities and get more quality homes built. 

    Learn more about us: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/homes-england/about 

    Press Office Contact Details 

    Email: media@homesengland.gov.uk 

    Phone: 0207 874 8262

    Updates to this page

    Published 17 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Seafront sculpture makes mark on Southsea

    Source: City of Portsmouth

    A series of five iconic stone sculptures called the Portsmouth Markers now has a sixth member with the addition of a new piece designed by the original artist John Maine RA.

    The Portsmouth Markers have been situated at five locations along the Southsea seafront since 1974. They were originally a series of six but one disappeared from its location in the late 1970s.

    John Maine was commissioned by Portsmouth City Council to create a new sculpture entitled Portsmouth Marker 2025, adding to the five markers he created more than 50 years ago.

    It is located on the promenade close to the Pyramids where it is part of the council’s arts programme for the Southsea Coastal Scheme.

    Now an internationally recognised artist in his 80s, John said: “The Portsmouth Markers have been sited to emphasise key points along the coast. 

    “In the Solent nearby there are island fortresses and navigational markers which create intervals across the vast expanse of the sea and this inspired my approach to sculpture in landscape.

    “The space between the stones becomes part of the story. I believe that such small-scale interventions can have a powerful influence on our reading of the whole landscape. 

    “It is a pleasure to revisit the project after an extended period of time and make a new mark on the landscape.”

    Portsmouth City Council Leader Cllr Steve Pitt said:

    “Over five decades, the Portsmouth Markers have been recognisable fixtures of our seafront.

    “The sculptures are the only remaining artworks from a 1974 citywide sculpture exhibition so it’s great to see the full set completed by the current addition as part of today’s sea defence project.”

    The sixth marker near the Pyramids joins its ‘cousins’ at The Point, Hotwalls Studios, Spur Redoubt, Bandstand Field and Castle Field. Like the others, it is carved from Portland stone.

    The commission was made possible thanks to funding from Arts Council England.

    Read more about the Portsmouth Markers.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Help shape our strategy to give Derby’s children the best start in life

    Source: City of Derby

    Derby City Council has launched a consultation to gather feedback on how it supports the city’s children. The Council’s draft Early Years 0-7 Strategy has been designed to create an inclusive and thriving city where every child and young person can succeed and live their best life.

    Children develop quickly in the early years and a child’s experiences between birth and age seven have a major impact on their future life. This strategy sets out a vision of how education, health and social care services will collaborate with families and the voluntary sector to provide all Derby children with equal opportunity to be healthy, happy, and safe.

    The Council would love to hear what parents, carers, stakeholders and city residents think about the draft strategy to help shape it going forwards. An online survey is now live on Let’s Talk Derby and is open until Friday 25 July.

    Derby has already demonstrated significant progress in supporting its most disadvantaged children. In 2024, 54% of Derby children eligible for free school meals achieved a Good Level of Development (GLD), surpassing the national average of 51.5%. Furthermore, 29.8% of Derby children receiving SEND Support and 4.1% of children with an Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan achieved a GLD, compared with national outcomes of 24.9% and 3.8% respectively. These achievements place Derby 10th nationally for these key outcomes.

    This new strategy builds on these existing strengths and aims to further narrow the educational attainment gap, ensuring that all children, particularly the most disadvantaged, can flourish.

    The Council has developed the strategy in partnership with key Early Years stakeholders, identifying areas where collective efforts can further improve outcomes for children and families across the city.

    Councillor Paul Hezelgrave, Derby City Council Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Skills, said:

    Derby aims to be an ambitious and inclusive city where all children and young people can thrive. This means providing the best possible start in life, fostering a strong sense of belonging, and supporting their development, health, and well-being. 

    This vision will be achieved through a strong collaborative network with children and families at the centre, ensuring they get the right support at the right time.

    You can contribute to this by taking part in our consultation on the draft Early Years Strategy, so please take part.

    The survey is available at Let’s Talk Derby until Friday 25 July. Feedback can also be sent by post to Coral Golding, Professional Advocate for Children in Education (PACE) and Early Years Quality Improvement Service Manager, at The Council House, Corporation Street, Derby, DE1 2FS.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Great British Energy Lands Deal to Deliver Offshore Wind Jobs

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Press release

    Great British Energy Lands Deal to Deliver Offshore Wind Jobs

    Britain’s workers in industrial heartlands such as Teesside, Scotland, South Wales and East Anglia to benefit from a deal for the country’s industrial renewal.

    • Britain’s workers and industries supported as Energy Secretary and Great British Energy announce a major public-private deal to drive investment into offshore wind jobs.
    • Great British Energy’s initial investment of £300 million to catalyse a further £700 million from industry and The Crown Estate, taking the total pot to £1 billion as part of the Industrial Strategy.
    • Comes as Clean Industry Bonus allocations are confirmed, as government turbocharges delivery of clean energy jobs and growth through the Plan for Change.

    Britain’s workers in industrial heartlands such as Teesside, Scotland, South Wales and East Anglia are set to benefit from a major deal crowding in investment for the country’s industrial renewal.

    The government and Great British Energy, the UK’s publicly owned clean power company, have today (17 June) joined forces with industry and The Crown Estate to invest £1 billion in offshore wind supply chains. This will secure Britain’s renewal through manufacturing facilities and skilled well-paid jobs, delivering on government’s mission to make the UK a clean energy superpower.

    Investment comes after the Spending Review confirmed the biggest programme of investment in homegrown energy in history and forms part of the government’s Industrial Strategy – which will include clean energy industries – sending a clear signal to the world to ‘Build it in Britain’.

    This investment will power the next generation of offshore wind in Britain, supporting British innovation from blueprint to blade. By backing the manufacturing of turbines, floating platforms, HVDC cables, and cutting-edge technologies, alongside upgrading vital port infrastructure from Leith and Teesside to Great Yarmouth and Port Talbot. This investment will unlock thousands of jobs, kickstarting growth in coastal communities and industrial towns, and secure a cleaner, more independent energy future for Britain.

    The funding is made up of:

    • £300 million announced by Great British Energy in April, which provides upfront public investment to crowd in funding from the private sector into Britain’s industrial regions.
    • £400 million from The Crown Estate, intended to support new infrastructure, including ports, supply chain manufacturing and research and testing facilities.
    • £300 million being developed by the offshore wind industry to match fund government through the Industrial Growth Plan, to deliver new investments into supply chains such as advanced turbines technologies and foundations and substructures.

    This takes the pot to £1 billion, building the industries of the future in Britain, such as floating offshore wind, and securing the UK as an attractive investment destination for international investors and existing UK companies. 

    Funding will support thousands of additional jobs – from the electricians manufacturing the turbines and blades to the engineers responsible for the construction and maintenance of wind farms. The government is giving long-term industrial certainty to hardworking British people as part of the Plan for Change.

    Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said:

    This is an unprecedented collaboration between public and private investors with Great British Energy crowding in millions of private sector investment from industry and The Crown Estate, to ensure that British companies and workers win the global race for clean energy.

    We are witnessing the coming of age of Britain’s green industrial revolution as we build this new era of clean energy abundance, helping deliver new jobs, energy security and lower household’s bills through our Plan for Change.

    Great British Energy Chief Executive Dan McGrail said:

    Today’s announcement highlights the unique role Great British Energy can play in the market. By providing state-backed, catalytic investment, we can deliver on our remit to crowd-in investment, giving much needed certainty to developers and investors in the clean energy sector. GBE will continue to support domestic supply chains, driving sustainable economic growth for all corners of the UK.

    RenewableUK’s Deputy Chief Executive Jane Cooper said:

    A concerted focus from industry and Government on growing the offshore wind industry’s supply chain in the UK could deliver an extra 10,000 jobs between now and 2035, boosting the UK’s economy by £25 billion. Our sector is stepping up, working closely with the Energy Secretary and the Crown Estate to create new opportunities for manufacturing high-value goods like turbine towers, blades, foundations and cables, and providing high quality jobs building, operating and maintaining offshore wind farms.

    Our ambition is to transform quaysides around our coastline into clusters of global excellence in offshore wind, bringing new jobs and investment to communities which often badly need economic renewal.

    Richard Sandford, Chair of the Offshore Wind Industry Council, said;

    Growing our supply will avoid the kind of bottlenecks that push up costs and cause delays, so it is good for developers, consumers and our Clean Power Mission. We are working to match the Government’s funding to support a homegrown supply chain, and drive long-term sector growth. It’s vital that industry and Government keep working together to remove barriers so that we can get more capacity through clean power auctions and more funding to the supply chain.

    Gus Jaspert CMG, Managing Director, Marine at The Crown Estate, said:

    The power of offshore wind is not just in secure, green energy, but also in the opportunity to create jobs, investment and support economic growth across the country.  As our ambition on renewable energy grows, so too does our ambition to grow the UK’s supply chain and infrastructure.  Scaling up investment in our domestic supply chain will propel the UK towards its clean energy goals and take our world-leading sector to the next level, supporting thousands more jobs and creating an increasingly attractive environment for investors.

    The funding comes as Great British Energy have announced that leading public finance and investment institutions have come together to accelerate the deployment of funding, supporting domestic supply chain development for offshore wind projects.

    Great British Energy will bring together the National Wealth Fund, The Scottish National Investment Bank, The Crown Estate, Crown Estate Scotland and The Development Bank of Wales, agreeing to develop a unified public finance ‘ecosystem’ to build Britain’s offshore wind supply chains.

    The government will also allocate up to £544 million from its Clean Industry Bonus, which provides funding to offshore wind developers for prioritising their investment into some of Britain’s most deprived communities, and in cleaner supply chains. 

    Funding will go to developers investing in regions such as Scotland, the North East and the East Anglia. Subject to the outcome of this year’s renewables auction, industry estimates this could support up to 14,000 jobs, and drive up to £9 billion of private funding into these communities over the next four years.  For every £1 spent on the bonus, it is estimated to crowd in £17 of private investment.

    This means unlocking private sector investment into manufacturers of electrical equipment, heavy steel products, upgraded port facilities and the high-tech components needed to build floating and fixed offshore wind farms.

    This will support good jobs for British people in these regions – delivering the government’s mission to become a Clean Energy Superpower and Plan for Change.

    Notes to editors: 

    Offshore wind supply chains:

    • The funding comes as Great British Energy today have announced that leading public finance and investment institutions have come together to accelerate the deployment of funding, supporting domestic supply chain development for offshore wind projects.
    • Great British Energy, The National Wealth Fund, The Scottish National Investment Bank, The Crown Estate, Crown Estate Scotland and The Development Bank of Wales have each agreed to develop a unified, integrated public finance ecosystem to support the growth of the UK’s offshore wind sector.
    • Developers are set to contribute to the pot once they have secured a Contracts for Difference in the next auction round (AR7).

    Clean Industry Bonus:

    • Industry applied for Clean Industry Bonus in their numbers, with hundreds of bids, in a major vote of confidence for the Prime Minister’s mission to become a Clean Energy Superpower.   
    • Up to £200 million has been allocated to invest in clean energy facilities in the North East, unlocking up to an additional £4 billion private sector investment into manufacturers such as electrical equipment and heavy steel products.     
    • Up to £185 million has been allocated to Scotland, unlocking up to £3.5 billion private sector investment in ports and high-tech components needed to build floating and fixed offshore wind farms.    
    • The East of England has been allocated up to £20 million and Northern Ireland has up to £25 million to develop clean energy manufacturing capacity. 

    Offshore wind developers will now go on to bid for contracts to deliver their projects, as part of the next Contracts for Difference renewables round. This means there will be some attrition in winning CIB bids. Those project that win CfD contracts can then finalise the above investments into factories, with any unsuccessful projects in the main auction able to bid again next year.

    Updates to this page

    Published 17 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Full Minnesota Delegation Statement Condemning the Politically Motivated Violence in Minnesota

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Betty McCollum (DFL-Minn)

    The Minnesota Congressional Delegation stands united in condemning the politically motivated violence in Minnesota.

    My joint statement with Senator Amy Klobuchar, Senator Tina Smith, Congressman Tom Emmer, Congresswoman Angie Craig, Rep. Ilhan Omar, Congressman Pete Stauber, Congresswoman Michelle Fischbach, Congressman Brad Finstad, and Rep. Kelly Morrison:

    “Today we speak with one voice to express our outrage, grief, and condemnation of this horrible attack on public servants. There is no place in our democracy for politically-motivated violence. We are praying for John and Yvette’s recovery and we grieve the loss of Melissa and Mark with their family, colleagues, and Minnesotans across the state. We are grateful for law enforcement’s swift response to the situation and continued efforts.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: PENSACOLA MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO CYBERSTALKING AND SENDING OBSCENE MATERIALS TO MINOR FEMALES

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Charles M. Schmaltz, 28, of Pensacola, Florida, pled guilty in federal court for cyberstalking and sending obscene materials to minor females. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

    U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Protecting children from online exploitation and abuse is of paramount importance, and my office will aggressively pursue, prosecute, and seek punishment to the fullest extent of the law for those who prey upon our most innocent, vulnerable populations. My message to offenders is clear: if you prey upon our children, you had better pray we don’t find you.”

    Court documents reflect that Schmaltz communicated with multiple minor females between 2022 – 2024 by utilizing ten or more social media accounts to contact them.  The minor females, and later their parents, repeatedly requested that Schmaltz cease communicating with them.  Instead, Schmaltz sent sexually explicit content to the minor females, including extremely graphic communications about engaging in sexual acts with the minors and images of his own genitals.  The minor females in this case ranged in age from 9 – 15 years old.  Schmaltz was eventually caught through the work of a multi-agency investigation in North Florida and South Alabama, where some of the victims were located.

    Schmaltz faces up to thirty years’ imprisonment, and lifetime supervision upon release.  

    The case involved a joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, and the Dale County Sheriff’s Office as well as Dothan Police Department in South Alabama. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg.

    Sentencing is scheduled for July 17, 2025, at 1:00 pm at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola before United States District Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

    The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: International Defense Ministry Awards BIO-key over $600K in Follow-On Orders for Secure Biometric Access to Critical Information

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    HOLMDEL, N.J., June 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — BIO-key® International, Inc. (NASDAQ: BKYI), an innovative provider of workforce and customer identity and access management (IAM) solutions featuring Identity-Bound Biometrics (IBB) for phoneless, tokenless, passwordless and phish-resistant authentication experiences, announced that the cyber-defense unit of one of the world’s most renowned defense ministries has placed over $600K in new orders for BIO-key’s biometric user authentication solution. The orders are for additional biometric hardware and authentication software to be shipped in the current quarter.

    The defense ministry has deployed BIO-key’s biometric authentication solution into new programs delivering convenient and positive authentication access to digital services for over 47,000 users utilizing over 40,000 BIO-key fingerprint scanners. BIO-key expects additional awards in future periods as the defense ministry expands the use of its solution.

    BIO-key’s secure biometric authentication platform has proven highly reliable, less costly and more secure than hardware security keys. BIO-key worked closely with the ministry’s cybersecurity team to integrate its state-of-the-art, cloud-enabled biometric authentication with the ministry’s authentication federation platform to deliver advanced, secure biometric access to systems and applications across organizational boundaries. Because BIO-key credentials are inherent to the individual themselves, secure access cannot be shared, delegated, phished or forgotten.

    Jim Sullivan, BIO-key’s SVP Strategy and Chief Legal Officer, said, “This organization is considered one of the most sophisticated consumer and developer of cybersecurity technologies in the world. It speaks volumes about BIO-key’s relentless innovation to be a component of such a strategic and sizeable deployment. BIO-key’s unique technology provides a means to quickly add new users without the need for cumbersome token or phone provisioning steps. It is an honor to be trusted to provide the highest level of security possible by ensuring only the right user can access “for-your-eyes-only” information. BIO-key sees growing adoption for high-stakes applications in the defense vertical as we continue to expand on our base of decade-plus customers deploying secure, robust solutions in government, manufacturing, finance and retail.”

    About BIO-key International, Inc. (www.BIO-key.com)
    BIO-key is revolutionizing authentication and cybersecurity with biometric-centric, multi-factor identity and access management (IAM) software securing access for over forty million users. BIO-key allows customers to choose the right authentication factors for diverse use cases, including phoneless, tokenless, and passwordless biometric options. Its cloud-hosted or on-premise PortalGuard IAM solution provides cost-effective, easy-to-deploy, convenient, and secure access to computers, information, applications, and high-value transactions.

    BIO-key Safe Harbor Statement
    All statements contained in this press release other than statements of historical facts are “forward-looking statements” as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the “Act”). The words “estimate,” “project,” “intends,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “believes” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are made based on management’s beliefs, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, management pursuant to the “safe-harbor” provisions of the Act. These statements are not guarantees of future performance or events and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those included within or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include factors set forth under the caption “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 and other filings with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to disclose any revision to these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

    Engage with BIO-key
    Corporate
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BIOkeyInternational/
    LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/bio-key-international
    X: @BIOkeyIntl
    Investors
    X: @BIO_keyIR
    StockTwits: @BIO_keyIR

    Investor Contacts
    William Jones, David Collins
    Catalyst IR
    BKYI@catalyst-ir.com or 212-924-9800

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Willis appoints new leader for law firms in North America

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, June 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Willis, a WTW business (Nasdaq: WTW), has announced the appointment of Linda Fisher as the sub-vertical leader for law firms within the Financial Services and Professional Services (FIPS) industry vertical division within North America.

    Based in Chicago and reporting directly to Brad Messinger, FIPS Leader, Fisher will leverage her extensive industry experience to drive growth in the legal sector. Her responsibilities will include business development, creating intellectual capital, representing Willis at industry events, and enhancing the full suite of services and solutions for law firm clients.

    Prior to joining Willis, Fisher was with Marsh McLennan Agency, where she was a Managing Director in their national law firm vertical. She was also a leader in Gallagher’s law firm group and the law firm practice leader at Old Republic Professional. Fisher holds a B.S. degree from the University of Alabama, has her RPLU and CPLP designations, and is a frequent conference and panel speaker.

    Messinger commented, “I am thrilled to welcome Linda to the team. Her deep understanding of the legal landscape and passion for law firms is second to none in the industry, and her expertise will guide us in deepening our business within the legal sector. I look forward to welcoming her to the team.”

    About WTW
    At WTW (NASDAQ: WTW), we provide data-driven, insight-led solutions in the areas of people, risk and capital. Leveraging the global view and local expertise of our colleagues serving 140 countries and markets, we help organizations sharpen their strategy, enhance organizational resilience, motivate their workforce and maximize performance.

    Working shoulder to shoulder with our clients, we uncover opportunities for sustainable success—and provide perspective that moves you.

    Learn more at wtwco.com.

    Media Contact
    Arnelle Sullivan +1 (718) 208-0474 | Arnelle.Sullivan@wtwco.com

    The MIL Network –