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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LD to hold exhibition on Employment Ordinance and Minimum Wage Ordinance

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    LD to hold exhibition on Employment Ordinance and Minimum Wage Ordinance
    LD to hold exhibition on Employment Ordinance and Minimum Wage Ordinance
    ************************************************************************

         Members of the public are invited to visit an exhibition on the Employment Ordinance and the Minimum Wage Ordinance organised by the Labour Department in Southern District on February 13 and 14 (Thursday and Friday).     The exhibition will feature the main provisions of the Employment Ordinance and the Minimum Wage Ordinance, good human resource management measures, as well as employment rights and benefits for foreign domestic helpers. Related publications and souvenirs will be distributed and promotional videos will be shown.     The exhibition will be held at the Atrium, 1/F, West Commercial Block, Marina Square, 12A South Horizon Drive, Ap Lei Chau, Hong Kong, from 11am to 6pm. Admission is free.

     
    Ends/Tuesday, February 11, 2025Issued at HKT 11:30

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Raksha Rajya Mantri holds a series of bilateral meetings on the sidelines of Aero India 2025

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 11 FEB 2025 7:45AM by PIB Delhi

    Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Sanjay Seth held a series of bilateral meetings on the sidelines of 15thAero India in Bengaluru on February 10, 2025. In his meeting with Under Secretary of State for Defence, Italy Mr Matteo Perego Di Cremnago, both Ministers reviewed the various facets of bilateral defence cooperation including discussion about India’s growing capabilities in manufacturing equipment and development of indigenous systems. They reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen the ties in all spheres.

    During the meeting with Minister for the House of Lords, UK Lord Vernon Coaker, both Ministers reviewed the bilateral defence cooperation and pledged to strengthen the relations. They also reiterated their commitment to work bilaterally and with other partners for peace, prosperity and rules-based world order, specifically in the Indo-Pacific & Indian Ocean Region wherein cooperation would ensure freedom of navigation and rule of law in the maritime & other domains.

    In his meeting with the Minister in Prime Minister’s Office (Defence and Security), Lesotho Mr Limpho Tau, both Ministers discussed the immense potential available in the field of defence exports and ways to expand the cooperation.

    *****

    SR/Savvy

    (Release ID: 2101574) Visitor Counter : 26

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LD to hold Youth Employment Expo

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         The Labour Department (LD) will hold the Youth Employment Expo at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai on February 15 (Saturday). The Expo is an event jointly organised by the Greater Bay Area (GBA) Youth Employment Scheme, the Youth Employment and Training Programme (YETP) and the Youth Employment Start (Y.E.S.) of the LD, providing abundant opportunities to work locally and in GBA Mainland cities for young people aged 29 or below, as well as introducing the diverse youth employment services of the LD.
          
         The Chief Executive in the 2024 Policy Address announced measures to strengthen employment services and support for young people, including, starting from 2025, relaxing the eligibility requirements for the GBA Youth Employment Scheme to allow young people aged 29 or below with sub-degree or higher qualifications to join the Scheme and increasing the allowance granted to enterprises. Moreover, the upper age limit for YETP participants has been raised to provide employment support services to young people aged 15 to 29 with sub-degree or below qualifications.
          
         A total of 47 organisations from various industries, including airline services, hotels, banking, public services, retail, transport, construction, catering, tourism, security and technology, will join the Expo, providing over 1 200 on-the-job training vacancies for young people to work locally and in GBA Mainland cities. Eligible young job seekers are welcome to submit applications on the spot and may be invited for on-site interviews.
          
         The Expo also features career talks, sharing sessions, course introduction and demonstration of the programmes, employment consultation, interview preparation consultation, resume photo shooting, etc. Singers Ms Gin Lee and Mr Andy Lai will join the Expo and share their stories of pursuing their own career developments. The talk and sharing sessions will be conducted in Cantonese. Limited seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis. In addition, the Youth Entrepreneurship Bazaar will also be run by business members of Y.E.S. at the Expo, selling a diverse range of handcrafted and innovative products. Members of the public are welcome to visit.
          
         The Expo will be held from 11am to 6pm at 3G Exhibition Hall of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai. Admission is free. Last admission time is 5.30pm. For details of the Expo, please visit the LD’s website www.labour.gov.hk.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Commissioner – law ruling leaves policing in a “hopeless position”

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    The Commissioner has responded to a High Court judgment published today on a judicial review that sought to challenge Operation Assure.

    Operation Assure is the Met’s process, based on national guidance, to consider dismissing officers who can no longer pass vetting. The Met lost the judicial review.

    Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said:

    “For more than two decades police leaders have been asking Government for greater powers to sack officers who are not fit to wear the uniform. For two-and-a half-years I have repeated that call and successive Governments have promised change.

    “Tens of thousands of good officers joined the police because we care deeply about public safety. The majority of the Met is committed to this drive to clear out those who threaten our collective integrity. This makes us better placed to protect communities.

    “Being able to sack officers who fail vetting is critical. Under Op Assure, in the last 18 months

    • 96 officers have been sacked or resigned due to vetting removal
    • 29 more are on special vetting leave, having lost vetting
    • Over 100 more are in the early stages of vetting reviews

    “Those we have removed vetting from, had a pattern of behaviour that meant if they applied to work in policing today, we’d never let them in.

    “But today’s ruling on the law has left policing in a hopeless position.

    “We now have no mechanism to rid the Met of officers who are not fit to hold vetting – those who cannot be trusted to work with women, or enter the homes of vulnerable people.

    “It is absurd that we cannot lawfully sack them – this would not be the case in other sectors where staff have nothing comparable to the powers a police officer holds.

    “This judgement is focussed on the human rights of Sgt Di Maria. But there are wider human rights at play here, those of the public, and those of colleagues who have to work alongside officers like this.

    “We are seeking leave to appeal the judgment, not just for the Met but for law enforcement nationally due to these profoundly damaging implications.

    “The judge identified a clear gap in the law, one we have done our best to bridge. But as the judge said, the answer lies in strengthened Police Vetting Regulations.

    “So in repeating the same request for two-and-a half-years, echoed by the Casey and Angiolini reports, I am once again calling on the Government today, to introduce new regulations as a matter of extreme urgency.

    “It is crucial they are practical, nimble and empowering. They must allow police forces to deal with those who pose risks to colleagues and of course to the public, and must apply to those we have already removed.

    “Finally, regardless of the current legal framework, the public of London have my assurance and that of my colleagues that Di Maria and those like him will not be policing the streets or working alongside other officers. They will remain on ‘vetting special leave’, a ridiculous waste of public money but the least bad option until regulations are fixed. “

    +++

    A judgment has been published in relation to a judicial review heard at the High Court between 15 and 16 January 2025.

    Sgt Lino Di Maria is a Met officer who during his police service has received allegations of rape, and other allegations about his conduct towards women.

    Under the Met’s ‘Operation Assure’ – a key part of our drive to raise standards and root out corruption – Di Maria’s vetting clearance was reviewed and, in light of the significant pattern of adverse information against him, his vetting was removed.

    Sgt Di Maria applied to the court for judicial review, challenging the lawfulness of the Met’s decision to remove his vetting and refer him to gross incompetence proceedings.

    He challenged the wider Operation Assure process which is the Met’s process, based on national guidance, to consider dismissing officers who can no longer pass vetting.

    The officer would have been dismissed many months ago but for this legal action, which is funded in support of him by the Police Federation.

    The College of Policing and Home Secretary were interested parties to the proceedings.

    The judgment has found in favour of Sgt Di Maria. It is published here: Di Maria -v- Met Police and others – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary

    Background

    Operation Assure

    In March 2023 the Met became the first police service in the UK to adopt a new process, based on College of Policing guidance and called Operation Assure, to consider dismissing officers and staff who can no longer pass vetting.

    It is unacceptable there has never been an explicit legal provision to enable sacking of officers who fail vetting reviews. Policing has asked for this loophole to be closed for more than 20 years. We have been promised for two-and-a-half years that changes will happen but little progress has been made.

    The regulations make it too hard to remove those few who undermine the majority. Our own analysis and that of Casey and Angiolini pointed to the need to ‘join the dots’ – using intelligence to spot patterns of behaviour to remove those who should not be in the job. This followed in the wake of significant cases such as Wayne Couzens and David Carrick.

    Operation Assure is a programme of prioritised vetting reviews for serving officers and staff where we hold significant adverse information that means we need to review their vetting clearance. In most cases this information has not previously led to a criminal conviction, and, in all cases, not dismissal from the Met.    

    Operation Assure provides a pathway for the Met to follow if an officer’s basic vetting clearance cannot be maintained. It can lead to that person being dismissed from the Met at a gross incompetence hearing – as their inability to hold vetting clearance makes them ‘incompetent’ to hold a role.

    There are hundreds of pages of guidance, law and regulations telling us at length how important vetting is and how it should be done. But these are far less clear on what to do if things change and an officer can no longer can be trusted to hold that vetting, nor how such an officer should be dismissed.

    We carefully interpreted the existing guidance and laws as best we could and we filled that gap in the public interest. Operation Assure was the right thing to do in circumstances when the law did not provide a clear way of doing this, and it was supported by the College of Policing. It was a risk, but the issue was too important to ignore and too urgent to wait – the public deserve better.

    Police officers are vetted when they join the Met, with vetting renewal every seven-10 years. The framework exists in the Vetting Approved Professional Practice – as set by the College of Policing.  The framework also says that vetting clearance should be reviewed upon ‘adverse information’.

    The majority of those subject to Assure have worrying patterns of behaviour, mainly allegations of sexual offending. They would not pass vetting if joining the police for the first time today.

    The primary pipeline for Operation Assure is Operation Onyx. The Operation Onyx team have reviewed completed domestic or sexual abuse cases against officers and staff for offences from the last 10 years (until April 2022) to ensure those cases were dealt with properly, and revisit them if not via Operation Assure.

    Operation Assure to date

    • More 300 officers and staff referred into the Assure process overall so far.
    • 107 officers/staff have had vetting withdrawn. 
    • 96 officers/staff have exited the Met (dismissals, retirements and resignations) while in the Op Assure process (including 19 who resigned before their gross incompetence hearing). 
    • This includes 24 officers/staff dismissed at gross incompetence hearing (or staff equivalent) for failure to maintain vetting.
    • Today, 29 officers and staff are in the Met having had their vetting removed and are on vetting special leave. Until the judgment today, 12 of those were due to attend a hearing soon where they may have been dismissed – others had appeals ongoing.
    • Approximately 100 officers and staff are at an earlier stage of the Assure process – perhaps at an early review stage, or awaiting their vetting interview or vetting decision.

    And:

    • 82 have had their vetting retained – which is important to note as it shows the process is fair and proportionate.
    • 7 successful appeals. 

    Examples

    • Officer received multiple rape and sexual assault allegations from a number of separate female complainants in 2011-2023. Under Op Assure, officer had vetting reviewed, removed and he was dismissed at a gross incompetence hearing. Criminal charges followed a year later, as further information came to light following his dismissal. This was the first officer we dismissed under Assure, in October 2023.
    • Officer had numerous domestic abuse allegations, including rape of ex-partner, and also had received two reports of sexual assault/harassment of colleagues. He had been reduced in rank to a PC in 2022 for a separate matter for misuse of his warrant card while off-duty. Under Op Assure, officer had vetting reviewed, removed and he was dismissed at a gross incompetence hearing.     
    • Officer committed indecent act on a train and pleaded guilty to outraging public decency – later received a final written warning. Under Op Assure, officer had vetting reviewed, removed and he was dismissed at a gross incompetence hearing. 
    • Following intelligence checks it was identified that a serving officer was arrested in the USA on charge of endangering welfare of child, having travelled there to meet a 13-year-old girl he had met online.  No criminal charges were brought but the intelligence was reconsidered as part of Assure. Officer resigned in May 2023 when he was told he was to have a vetting review.

    Judicial Review

    A Judicial Review took place at the High Court on 15/16 January between Met officer Sgt Lino Di Maria, supported by the Met Police Federation, and the Met Police supported by the College of Policing and the Home Office as interested parties.

    The Judicial Review challenged the legality of Operation Assure, and how it applied to Sgt Di Maria’s case.

    The multiple historic and serious allegations against Sgt Lina Di Maria, attached to forensics at Kentish Town, were outlined in the hearing.

    His vetting clearance was removed in Sept 2023 and his appeal against this dismissed. In March 2024 he was referred to a gross incompetence hearing due to having no vetting clearance. His particular case was paused pending the outcome of the JR.   

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Cloud emerged as a key driving force for TMT deal activity in 2024, finds GlobalData

    Source: GlobalData

    Cloud emerged as a key driving force for TMT deal activity in 2024, finds GlobalData

    Posted in Strategic Intelligence

    Amidst the rising mergers and acquisitions (M&A) deal activity in the tech, media, and telecom (TMT) sector, the cloud has emerged as one of the dominant themes. However, persistent inflation, relatively high interest rates, regulatory scrutiny and geopolitical tensions have created a challenging backdrop for the M&A market in 2024. At the same time, the demand for cloud computing continues to surge as businesses seek greater scalability, agility, and operational efficiency, reveals GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

    GlobalData’s latest report, “Global TMT M&A Deals 2024 – Top Themes and Predictions – Strategic Intelligence,” highlights that cloud-related deals totaled $61 billion in 2024, making it the second-largest theme among the top 100 deals and reflecting a 221% growth from the previous year. The total global TMT M&A deal value grew 27% in 2024 to $514 billion, compared to $403 billion in the previous year. Similar trends were seen in deal volume, which totaled 512 deals in 2024, and grew 14% from 2023.

    Priya Toppo, Analyst, Strategic Intelligence at GlobalData, comments: “In today’s fast-paced market, adopting cloud-based solutions is essential for maintaining a competitive edge, while those slow to adapt risk falling behind. To enhance cloud performance, companies have invested in AI-driven IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS solutions, alongside expanding hyperscale cloud infrastructure and edge AI capabilities.”

    The biggest cloud deal was Blackstone’s acquisition of AirTrunk for $16 billion. This deal was also the biggest in APAC (excluding China) region in 2024. It was followed by IBM’s acquisition of HashiCorp for $6.4 billion and Clearlake Capital Group and Insight Partners’s acquisition of Alteryx for $4.4 billion.

    Toppo continues: “A significant amount of M&A deal activity was driven by the application software sector in TMT, accounting for $253 billion across 230 deals. This was followed by the telecom services, IT services, music, film & TV, and gaming sectors.”

    By studying the themes that are currently driving the M&A market, the report also identifies potential future acquisition targets along with their thematic rationale.

    Toppo concludes: “Although the TMT sector saw growth in M&A activity in 2024, cloud deals played a crucial role, with major companies like Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and Oracle acquiring AI-native cloud firms, cybersecurity providers, and data analytics companies to strengthen their cloud ecosystems. marked by a substantial decline in both deal value and volume. The outlook for M&A activity in 2025 remains subdued; however, easing inflation and lower interest rates may lead to a gradual recovery.”

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Qatar Airways YouTube ads showcase innovation, strategic partnerships, and enhanced passenger experiences, reveals GlobalData

    Source: GlobalData

    Qatar Airways YouTube ads showcase innovation, strategic partnerships, and enhanced passenger experiences, reveals GlobalData

    Posted in Business Fundamentals

    Qatar Airways’ YouTube advertising campaigns for the last six months (August 2024 to January 2025) focus on strategic collaborations, technological advancements, and enhancing passenger experiences. The airline leverages major global events, sports sponsorships and cutting-edge inflight technology to engage diverse audiences. By emphasizing seamless connectivity, luxury offerings, and exclusive partnerships, the campaigns appeal to sports enthusiasts, high-end travelers, and those seeking convenience. This approach reflects Qatar Airways’ commitment to elevating the travel experience and expanding its global presence, according to the Global Ads Platform of GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

    Sagar Kishor, Ads Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Qatar Airways’ advertising campaign highlights its strategy of leveraging partnerships with prominent events like Formula 1 and the UEFA Champions League, while also showcasing innovations such as Starlink Wi-Fi and ORYX ONE. The ads emphasized the airline’s focus on enhancing both in-flight and on-ground experiences, aiming to enhance global connectivity and cultural engagement. By showcasing diverse destinations and highlighting the potential for unique travel experiences, the campaign aims to inspire and appeal to those seeking meaningful adventures and a comprehensive journey.”

    Below are the key focus areas of Qatar Airways’ advertisements, revealed by GlobalData’s Global Ads Platform:

    Technological innovation: Qatar Airways consistently showcases its adoption of new technologies, including Starlink-powered Wi-Fi, which is described as offering “the fastest Wi-Fi in the sky.” The airline also highlights advancements in aircraft design and passenger comfort, such as the Qsuite 2.0, aiming to provide a seamless and connected travel experience.

    Strategic partnerships: The airline’s collaborations with prominent sporting events and organizations, such as Formula 1, the UEFA Champions League, and FIFA, are prominently featured. These partnerships are used to associate Qatar Airways with excitement, global reach, and high performance, increasing overall brand visibility.

    In-flight entertainment: The airline emphasizes its exclusive entertainment offerings, such as the “Pit Stop” series on ORYX ONE, showcasing high-quality in-flight content that enhances the overall passenger experience. This approach highlights Qatar Airways’ commitment to providing a comprehensive and enjoyable travel journey.

    Human connection and personalization: The “Cabin Crew Essentials” and “Star in Your Own Adventure” advertisements focus on relatable stories and individual experiences. This approach fosters a sense of connection with the audience, positioning Qatar Airways as an enabler of personal journeys and meaningful moments.

    Destination promotion and global reach: Qatar Airways’ ads highlight its global reach with seamless connections to over 170 destinations, showcasing cultural landmarks from Texas, Italy, and Qatar. This positions the airline as a gateway to enriching travel experiences, promoting tourism, cultural exploration, and major events.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: African telcos pivot to underserved regions amid Starlink competition, observes GlobalData

    Source: GlobalData

    African telcos pivot to underserved regions amid Starlink competition, observes GlobalData

    Posted in Technology

    As Starlink intensifies competitive pressures and African governments remain uncertain about intervening to protect telco incumbents, African telecom companies are increasingly focusing on underserved regions. In response, they are launching strategic initiatives to tackle the rising challenge of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite connectivity to maintain their market position and tap into new growth opportunities, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

    Recent tie-ups – including the Orange–Vodacom deal in Uganda for network deployment in rural areas; Safaricom partnering with local satellite operator ESD Kenya; ZainTech partnership with Arabsat covering North Africa; and Vodacom and MTN’s own desire to boost connectivity across their footprint via LEOs – point to this trend.

    Ismail Patel, Senior Analyst, Enterprise Technology and Services at GlobalData, says: “The rapid shift in focus by Africa’s telcos can largely be attributed to a confluence of factors, with Starlink being a key driver. These telcos are increasingly seeing unserved and underserved regions of the continent as opportunities rather than investment dead ends.”

    GlobalData analysis uncovered the existence of not only regulatory divergence in how to deal with Starlink, but also variation in Starlink’s attitudes to compliance with licensing or lack thereof in the wider MEA region. In Africa, some governments require it to be licensed, thus adopting a protectionist approach. Some are more hesitant to do so, ostensibly due to the potential of Starlink connectivity stimulating the economy in rural and underserved regions.

    Although its subscriber market share is small, Starlink is eating into the untapped revenue opportunities, with the potential of building up a loyal customer base. This represents a concern for the incumbents as Starlink builds up a base of higher-than-average revenue generating customers such as small office/home office (SOHOs) and small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), on top of connecting underserved populations that include thousands of micro-businesses.

    With Starlink promising to launch in 14 new markets across Africa in 2025, pressures on the traditional telco incumbents will only become starker and sharper, leading to more collaboration among themselves as well as with alternative LEOs.

    Patel concludes: “Starlink has undeniably changed the competitive field for connectivity, resulting in telcos scrambling for a piece of the rural greenfield opportunity that was neglected for a considerable time. The global LEO is competitive on pricing and offer a quality connection that has not been the norm for many in Africa. But not all is lost for the continent’s telco groups, as they can typically offer the type of tech-based services to SMBs that a global LEO cannot, such as – inter alia – improved supply chain management, e-health, adverse weather mitigation, mobile payments, and natural resource management.”

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Obesity market to reach $173.5 billion sales in 7MM by 2031, forecasts GlobalData

    Source: GlobalData

    Obesity market to reach $173.5 billion sales in 7MM by 2031, forecasts GlobalData

    Posted in Pharma

    The number of patients living with obesity keeps growing, and following the recent advances in the therapeutic space, more patients are being prescribed pharmacotherapy on top of the usual diet and exercise lifestyle changes, which by themselves are often unsuccessful. With physicians and patients awareness expected to increase, sales of obesity medications are forecast to reach $173.5 billion in the seven major markets (7MM*) by 2031, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

    GlobalData’s latest report “Obesity: Seven-Market Drug Forecast and Market Analysis- Update” reveals that the revolution in obesity treatment is not over yet, and many changes are still needed to fulfill the unmet needs in the obesity space.

    Costanza Alciati, Pharma Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “The therapies available for obesity treatment are still limited, and many patients cannot access them due to their high cost. The most effective weight loss drugs on the market are currently Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro/Zepbound (tirzepatide) and Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy (semaglutide), which are expected to continue generating high sales for their respective manufacturers.”

    According to GlobalData, more than 200 million people currently live with obesity in 7MM, and the numbers will be growing at an annual growth rate (AGR) of 0.7% until 2031.

    Alciati continues: “Although Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk are expected to maintain their role in the space, there is a big opportunity for new entrants. Pipeline therapies in development include drugs with new mechanisms of action, longer action resulting in a reduced number of treatment days, and oral candidates as potent as currently available injectables.”

    Alciati concludes: “Many promising new drugs are expected to reach the market in the next few years. This will not only continue revolutionizing the obesity space, but also the whole cardiometabolic diseases sector.”

    *7MM- US, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK, and Japan

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Trump’s ‘Riviera’ plan for Gaza heralds an age of naked fascism

    COMMENTARY: By Sawsan Madina

    I watched US President Donald Trump’s joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week in utter disbelief. Not that the idea, or indeed the practice, of ethnic cleansing of Palestine is new.

    But at that press conference the mask has fallen. Recently, fascism has been on the march everywhere, but that press conference seemed to herald an age of naked fascism.

    So the Palestinians have just been “unlucky” for decades.

    “Their lives have been made hell.” Thank God for grammar’s indirect speech. Their lives have been made hell. We do not know who made their lives hell. Nothing to see here.

    Trump says of Gaza: “We’ll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site, level the site, and get rid of the destroyed buildings — level it out and create an economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing for the people of the area . . . ”

    I wonder who are those lucky “people of the area” he has in mind, once those “unlucky” Palestinians have been “transferred” out of their homeland.

    Trump speaks of transforming Gaza into a magnificent “Riviera of the Middle East”. Obviously, the starved amputees of Gaza do not fit his image of the classy people he wants to see in the Riviera he wants to build, on stolen Palestinian land.

    No ethnic cleansing questions
    After the press conference, I did not hear a single question about ethnic cleansing, genocide, occupation or international law.

    Under the new fascist leaders, just like under the old ones, those words have become old-fashioned and are to be expunged from the lexicon.

    The difference has never been more striking between the meek who officially hold the title “journalist” and the brave who actually work to hold the powerful to account.

    Now, more than ever, independent journalists are a threatened species. We should treasure them, support them and protest every attempt to silence them.

    Gaza is now the prototype. We can forget international laws and international organisations. We have the bombs. You do as we wish or you will be obliterated.

    Who now dares say that the forced transfer of a population by an occupying power is a war crime under the Geneva Convention? But then again, Trump and Netanyahu are not really talking about “forced transfer”. They are talking about “voluntary transfer”.

    Once the remaining Israeli hostages have been freed, and water and food have been cut off again, those unlucky Palestinians will climb voluntarily onto the buses waiting to transport them to happiness and prosperity in Egypt and Jordan.

    Or to whatever other client state Trump manages to threaten or bribe.

    Can the International Criminal Court (ICC) command a shred of respect when Netanyahu is sharing the podium with Trump? Or indeed when Trump is at the podium?

    Dismantling the international order
    Recently, fascist leaders have been dismantling the international order by accusing its organisations and officials of being “antisemitic” or “working with terrorists”. Tomorrow they will defund and delegitimise these organisations without the need for an excuse.

    I listen to Trump speak of combatting antisemitism and deporting Hamas sympathisers and I hear, “We will combat anti-Israel views and we will deport those who protest Israel’s crimes.

    “And we will continue to conflate antisemitism and anti-Israel’s views in order to silence pro-Palestinian voices.”

    I watch Trump and Netanyahu, the former reading the thoughts of a real estate developer turned into a president’s speech and the latter grinning like a Cheshire cat — and I am gripped by fear. Not just for the Palestinians, but for all humanity.

    If we think fascism is only coming for people on a distant shore, we ought to think again.

    I watch Netanyahu repeating lies that investigative journalists have spent months debunking. Why would he care? The truth about his lies will not make it to mainstream media and the consciousness of the majority of people.

    Lies taking hold, enduring
    And the more he repeats those lies, the more they take hold and endure.

    I wonder how our political leaders will spin our allies’ new, illegal and immoral plans. For years, they have clung to the mantra of the two-state solution while Israel continued to make every effort to render this solution unfeasible.

    What will they say now? With what weasel words will they stay on the same page as our friends in the US and Israel?

    Netanyhu praises Trump for thinking outside the box. Here is an idea that Israel has spent billions on arms and propaganda to persuade people that it is dangerously outside the box.

    Instead of asking Egypt and Jordan to take the Palestinians, why not make Israel end the occupation and give Palestinians equal rights in their own homeland?

    Sawsan Madina is former head of Australia’s SBS Television. This article was first published by John Menadue’s public policy journal Pearls and Irritations and is republished with permission.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Leased car park’s upper storey closed for safety reasons

    Source: St Albans City and District

    Publication date:

    The upper tier of a Harpenden car park – leased by St Albans City and District  Council – has been shut for safety reasons until further notice. 

    Around 100 spaces have been put out of action at Bowers Way West with some 60 spaces on the ground floor still available.

    The Council has been informed that a structural weakness had been identified during an inspection of the building which is owned by Edenrise Properties.

    Council officers are now waiting for an update from Edenrise about their future plans.

    Councillor Helen Campbell, Lead for Car Parking, said:

    This issue came as a bolt out of the blue and was completely unexpected.

    Sainsbury’s, who also lease some of the site, advised us about the issue and we had no option but to order the car park’s upper storey to be closed to ensure the safety of the public.

    It is most unfortunate news for Harpenden where demand for parking spaces is high.

    However, I am sure residents will understand that this issue is completely out of our control as we do not own the building or have responsibility for maintaining its structure, and safety needs to be the primary concern.

    Our car parking team has been at the scene and started discussions with Edenrise about the next steps. We will keep residents informed about any updates we receive.

    Bowers Way West season ticket holders will be allowed to use Bowers Way East, which has 148 spaces and three disabled bays, at no extra charge.

    The Council operates two other car parks in Harpenden with a further 532 spaces: Lydekker, which is owned by Harpenden Town Council, and Amenbury Lane.

    You can find out more about our car parks here: https://www.stalbans.gov.uk/car-parks-and-street-pay-and-display

    Media contact:  John McJannet, Principal Communications Officer: 01727- 819533; john.mcjannet@stalbans.gov.uk.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: NW Mutual chooses Preston for retail and business customer banking

    Source: City of Preston

    Preston has been chosen as one of the locations for NW Mutual branches, offering a mutual bank service for retail and business customers in the North West.

    NW Mutual Ltd, the co-operative society behind pioneering plans for a mutual bank serving retail and business customers in the North West of England has revealed Preston as one of its locations for approximately 60 proposed branches spanning the region.

    Dave Burke, a highly experienced financial services executive with an extensive background in launching, building and managing regulated businesses, has been appointed as the chief executive of NW Mutual Ltd. Dave Burke said:

    “Our market research, supported by a large body of public research and information, shows a proven need and demand for a bank that’s trustworthy, democratic, ethical, deeply rooted in the North West and that enough people and businesses in the region would use to make it a great success.

    “The North West is more than capable and large enough to create and sustain a prosperous bank. When we achieve our goals, our mutual bank will recycle more than £900m of money from the North West back into the region.

    “This is serious money and it’s already here but it’s not. We want to stop it leaking out and heading south, north or east.”

    Having already registered NW Mutual Ltd with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), regulator of financial services firms and markets in the UK, David is preparing a banking licence application to submit to the Bank of England in late 2025.

    If the licence is granted by the Bank of England, the first bricks and mortar branch is planned to open in the third quarter of 2026, with a full roll-out proposed for the first quarter of 2027. So far, about £1m has been invested to build the systems and financial model of NW Mutual, prepare the banking license application and analyse its market.

    Following a decision by Preston City Council Members at full council in January, Preston City Council has committed £250,000 to NW Mutual Ltd becoming the first North West authority to pledge money to supporting the bank’s plans to date.

    Councillor Matthew Brown, Leader of Preston City Council said:

    “For too long much of our mainstream banking system has failed to serve our communities and local businesses. Across the North West region more than half of our branches have disappeared in the last 10 years and small businesses especially struggle to secure the finance needed to expand.

    At Preston City Council we want to do something about that by directly investing in the NW Mutual as a viable cooperative and ethical alternative. We are delighted to hear plans for the first branch to open in Preston and market research shows the public would welcome this new model of banking owned by and run in the interest of local people.”

    The proposed ‘bricks, clicks and flicks’ business model of NW Mutual will deliver hi-tech and staffed branches, complemented by mobile and online banking, providing retail and small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) customers with a full range of financial products and services.

    Visit NW Mutual to learn more.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Rouge Bouillon closure update06 February 2025 ​Timeline update: 28 Clarendon Road The owner of 28 Clarendon Road has been working with an engineering team and a Geotechnical Engineer, to take action to ensure the building is made safe and restored… Read more

    Source: Channel Islands – Jersey

    06 February 2025

    ​

    Timeline update: 28 Clarendon Road 

    The owner of 28 Clarendon Road has been working with an engineering team and a Geotechnical Engineer, to take action to ensure the building is made safe and restored efficiently. 

    This highlights the complexity of the response needed to carry out the repairs, as investigations continue into the stability of the building, affected by a burst water main. 

    We want to thank the owner for working with all parties to come to the fastest possible resolution. 

    Next steps 

    • Step 1: Manufacture and install steel strapping system to stabilise the building. 
    • Step 2: Geotechnical Engineer to then assess soil conditions beneath the foundations. 
    • Step 3: The wider team can then proceed with necessary demolition of external structures, including boundary walls affecting neighbouring properties. 
    • Step 4: We continue to monitor progress and review timelines for the safe reopening of Rouge Bouillon, currently expected after the Easter holidays. 

    The project remains under constant review to ensure the best and safest outcome. 

    Rouge Bouillon continues to remain closed between Clarendon Road and Palmyra Road as investigations continue into the stability of an adjacent building wall, affected by a burst water main. 

    The Government of Jersey is monitoring and facilitating ongoing meetings held with all relevant stakeholders to ensure public safety. These include Highways, Network Management, Drainage, Building Control, Jersey Water, CYPES and other key parties, alongside property owners impacted by the issue. 

    Current status with investigatory and repair work 

    • private parties (residents and private owners) responsible for the affected buildings are undertaking detailed investigations and repair work, which are expected to take some time
    • the situation is highly complex with several adjacent walls and buildings that are unsafe and severely cracked 
    • multiple parties are involved, including Infrastructure and Environment, I&E, Jersey Water, structural engineers, building surveyors, loss adjustors, and insurance companies.

    Alternative routes and safety assurance 

    We have considered other options to manage the traffic around the closure however, the decision to retain the current traffic arrangement is based on the following factors: 

    • reversing Clarendon Road poses additional safety risks for residents and pedestrians 
    • allowing right-turn access onto Clarendon Road from Val Plaisant could cause severe traffic congestion, particularly near the Gyratory 
    • reversing Midvale Road, while potentially useful, would necessitate signal junction changes, creating confusion, complications, and further safety concerns. 

    We advise the traveling public to continue to avoid the area and use alternative routes to access town where possible. 

    Public impact 

    We understand that the closure has significant impacts on daily travel and local businesses. The road will only reopen once the buildings are stabilised and all risks of structural collapse have been mitigated. 

    Next steps 

    A further update on the situation will be provided in seven days. 

    Constable Simon Crowcroft of St Helier has previously said: “I fully understand the frustration and inconvenience that the ongoing closure of Rouge Bouillon is causing for residents, businesses, and commuters. This is a highly complex situation involving multiple parties, and ensuring the safety of everyone remains our priority. We appreciate the patience and cooperation of the public as investigations and repair work continue. 

    “The Minister for Infrastructure and I wish to see the Ring Road re-opened as soon as possible. In the meantime, I urge Islanders to continue using alternative routes where possible, and I thank everyone for their understanding during this challenging period.”​

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: York celebrates National Apprenticeship Week

    Source: City of York

    National Apprenticeship Week

    Published Tuesday, 11 February 2025

    City of York Council is celebrating the value, benefits and opportunities apprenticeships bring to individuals and businesses during National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) this week [10-16 February].

    NAW will highlight how apprenticeships are an excellent option to consider for young people wishing to start a career, for employees looking to progress in their current role or retrain for a new career, or for employers needing to fill skills gaps to help grow their business.

    Numerous apprenticeship opportunities are available within York’s key and growth sectors including Hospitality, Engineering,  Health Care and Early Years.  

    Councillor Pete Kilbane, Deputy Leader of the Council and Executive Member for Economy and Culture, including Skills and Apprenticeships, said:

    Prioritising high quality skills and learning for all our residents is a key commitment of our Council Plan.

    “National Apprenticeship Week provides an opportunity for us all to celebrate our amazing apprentices in the city, as well as highlighting the fantastic advantages apprenticeships can bring for employees and employers.”

    City of York Council supports apprenticeships in York through its impartial Apprenticeship Hub, which offers information and advice to potential apprentices and local organisations, as well as through the Apprenticeship Levy Transfer scheme.

    The national scheme enables apprenticeship levy-paying employers to use a percentage of their levy to fully fund the apprenticeship training and assessment costs, from entry level to master’s degree level, for small to medium sized businesses in their area, helping connect them to their future workforce or boost productivity by upskilling existing teams.

    To date, the council has approved over £380,000 worth of apprenticeship levy transfer requests to support both new apprentice recruits and existing employees in York businesses to develop their skills.

    For free, impartial information emailyork.apprenticeships@york.gov.uk or visit www.york.gov.uk/yorkapprenticeships.

    For vacancies to go www.gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship and for information about T Levels got to tlevels.gov.uk

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Vegetable oil fuel rolls out to more bin lorries

    Source: Scotland – City of Perth

    Following a successful trial of Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) in several of its bin lorries, Perth and Kinross Council is now extending the use of the fuel to more of its large fleet vehicles.

    HVO is used, filtered vegetable oil and it provides an environmentally-friendly alternative to diesel that helps reduce carbon emissions from previously fossil-fuelled vehicles. As a result of the six-month trial in 2024, a significant reduction in carbon emissions from the six lorries has been achieved, namely a saving of` 87 tonnes of CO2. 

    Starting from 3 February 2025, the process of running down the diesel supply in a further 18 bin lorries based at Friarton in Perth and swapping to HVO is moving forward. It is estimated that a reduction of around 500 tonnes of CO2 a year could be achieved with the changeover. 

    Convener of Climate Change and Sustainability, Councillor Richard Watters said: “The trial introduction of HVO to our bin lorries has proved to be a real success by providing a simple, readily available and much greener fuel source. It reflects the commitment we have made to reducing our carbon footprint and I look forward to seeing more of our vehicles out on the road powered by HVO.” 

    Vice-Convener, Councillor Liz Barrett said: “I warmly welcome this very significant reduction in our CO2 emissions from refuse collection.  It shows great progress towards our targets to reduce emissions from Council vehicles.  I’d like to thank our Waste Management and Fleet teams for their commitment to making a difference.” 

    Last modified on 11 February 2025

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    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Help keep our city tidy

    Source: Scotland – City of Aberdeen

    The Council is asking everyone to help keep our city tidy by using bins provided for litter and dog waste, or taking waste home with them, to avoid the risk of being issued with a fixed penalty notice (fine).

    City wardens are to be given support to help tackle dog fouling and littering following calls from citizens for increased action against offenders.
    Aberdeen City Council has entered into an agreement with National Enforcement Solutions (NES), which will be empowered to issue fixed penalty notices from Wednesday (12 February).

    “Council Co-Leader Councillor Ian Yuill said: “We have heard the feedback from our residents and share the frustration about the problems caused by littering and dog fouling. Dog waste can be harmful, especially to young people. 

    Littering is unacceptable and unsightly. Litter pollutes the environment and is harmful to wildlife. We all share responsibility of looking after our city. It is important to dispose of refuse carefully to keep streets and open spaces clean and to avoid receiving a penalty notice.”  

    Council Co-Leader Councillor Christian Allard said: “The National Enforcement Solutions team will support our wardens – the message to the people of Aberdeen remains the same. Please look after our environment by picking up after your pets, and using the litter bins provided, or take your waste home.”

    The NES team, and City Wardens, will both use digital technology to issue on-the-spot fines for littering, and dog fouling. City Wardens can also issue on-the-stop fines for fly tipping offences. 

    Community Safety Officers will also be undertaking investigations where reports require more in-depth investigation.  

    Where notices are handed out, they will include information on the different methods of payment and dates by which they should be paid so these should be read carefully.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: More Average Speed Enforcement cameras are on the way in Coventry

    Source: City of Coventry

    Coventry City Council is getting ready to extend the Average Speed Enforcement (ASE) network by introducing four more ASE camera locations.

    These measures come following evidence that ASE has been effective across the rest of the network in recent years in a bid to improve road safety and further crackdown on speeding. Data from Transport for West Midlands shows that ASE locations across Coventry have had a significant impact, contributing to more than a 40% reduction in personal injury collisions.

    Moseley Avenue and Four Pounds Avenue, Wheelwright Lane and Holbrook Lane, and Alderman’s Green Road, including Parrotts Grove are the four new ASE corridors approved as part of the Council’s transport capital programme in March 2024. It’s all part of making major routes safer for all road users.  

    We work closely with West Midlands Police, who operate and undertake the enforcement of speed limits and provide historical evidence of collisions resulting in casualties, as well as speed surveys, which indicate that speeding is an issue within the current speed limit area.

    The cameras are due to go live in March/ April time 2025. 

    Councillor Patricia Hetherton, Cabinet Member for City Services said: “These cameras are not being put in place to raise money, the purpose is to keep people safe and to reduce the number of people killed and seriously injured on our roads. We have shown with the other ASE schemes we have introduced across the city that these cameras work to reduce the severity and number of personal injuries.

    “Road safety is a priority for the council and drivers should be getting used to these schemes by now and realise how irresponsible speeding is unacceptable. Avoidable collisions caused by speed and driving dangerously affects many people, so anything done to reduce this is great news for all residents. Just by slowing down and being aware of all others around them will make the city safer for us all.”

    Signs will go up well ahead cameras being switched on to ensure drivers are aware of the go live date for each new zone. We will be installing the bright yellow ASE camera equipment on columns across the four new corridors over the coming weeks. The signs will state the message ‘Average speed enforcement starting soon’ on this road.

    Average Speed Cameras record the registration of a car and calculate its speed by measuring the time taken to travel between set points and are seen as an effective way of reducing speed, as they can cover a longer stretch of road compared to other cameras. Data will be collected over time to give accurate information around speed reduction, collisions and injuries and will show how increased speeds relate to increased serious collisions and injuries.  

    Tuesday, 11th February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Funding awarded to Nairnshire Community Regeneration projects

    Source: Scotland – Highland Council

    Two projects which will bring welcome improvements to Nairn beach and harbour have received a total of £19.8K from the area’s Community Regeneration Fund.

    Community Regeneration Funding is an umbrella term for a number of funds that are available for communities and organisations to access in Highland.

    The first project will help to make the popular East Beach Harbour and Pier area more accessible to people of all abilities. The area is very popular with walkers with its close proximity to various local amenities at the Nairn links. Enhancing the path network will help the area increase its visitation and more visitors to walk to nearby local businesses.

    The second project will look to install a beach shower unit at Nairn Links for beachgoers and those pursuing water sports. Nairn’s vibrant water sports community currently has no shower facilities so this addition will provide a convenient station for users to wash off sand and saltwater after their activities.

    Cllr Michael Green, Nairnshire Area Chair said: “We are delighted to support both projects which will bring welcome improvements to our coastal offering. Nairn beach and harbour is a popular spot for locals and visitors to stroll along and it is right that everyone should be able to enjoy this pastime, no matter their ability. The beach shower unit will also be a great addition to our beach front and its intended location close to the splashpad will help to maintain the operation of the Team Hamish site.

    “I can also confirm that the Committee has recently agreed an uplift to the Team Hamish Nairn Links Regeneration Phase 2 Project to include a new path section linking the Marine Road carpark passed the cottages to reach the Links path at the cricket pavilion. This is another development that will improve accessibility for all at the popular Links area.”

    11 Feb 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Nairn and Cawdor roads capital programme approved for 2025/26

    Source: Scotland – Highland Council

    A proposed list of prioritised roadworks has been agreed by Nairnshire Committee Members, which will be funded out of The Highland Council’s Capital Budget allocation for 2025/26.

    Councillors have agreed funding allocations for specified locations for roads resurfacing works including footpath reconstruction/resurfacing works which can be funded from the capital allocation.

    The estimated local allocation for Nairn and Cawdor (based on 2024/25) is £586K comprising £391K for overlay/inlay works and £195K for surface dressing works.

    Cllr Michael Green, Nairnshire Area Chair said: “I am pleased we were able to agree a list of prioritised roadworks which will make travel in and around the Nairn and Cawdor areas smoother and will result in improved transport links for locals, visitors and businesses.

    “We also recognise that there are some prioritised roads which will have works carried out should funds become available, such as any finalised increase in capital budget allocation and any potential underspend being carried forward.”

    The local allocations capital budget for 2025/26 remains to be established, which will be calculated from the approved capital budget allocation.

    The full list of prioritised roads for the Nairnshire area can be found in the Area Roads report to the Nairnshire Area Committee. 

    Reports are available to download from the Council’s website.

    11 Feb 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Garage rent increase agreed in Nairnshire 2025/26

    Source: Scotland – Highland Council

    Garage rents for the Nairnshire area will increase by 20% for 2025/26 as agreed at today’s Area Committee.

    Councillor Michael Green, Chair of the Nairnshire Area Committee, said: “Garages and garage sites within Nairnshire are competitively priced, and even taking today’s agreed increase into account, our rates still sit below the average across all other areas in Highland.

    “Equally, we recognise that the majority of our garages are used by local residents for storage purposes, with the Council’s offering at a fraction of the cost of commercial solutions.”

    Garage Rent for Council Tenants will increase by £1.60 to £9.62. Meanwhile, Garage Rent for non-tenants will go up by £1.92 to £11.54 per week.

    For Garage Sites, the weekly rent for Council Tenants will increase to £1.12. Garage Site Rent for Non-Tenants will also increase to £1.34.

    As a result, the increase will bring a total of £21,949.78 annually based on current occupancy.

    11 Feb 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: ThreeD Capital Inc. Provides Update on TODAQ Investment

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, Feb. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ThreeD Capital Inc. (“ThreeD” or the “Company”) (CSE:IDK) (OTCQX:IDKFF), a Canadian-based venture capital firm focused on opportunistic investments in companies in the junior resources and disruptive technologies sectors, is pleased to congratulate TODAQ Micro Inc. (“TODAQ Micro”) on the successful commercialization of its technology.

    ThreeD is an investor in TODAQ Micro. Additionally, ThreeD owns 478,739 preferred shares in TODAQ Holdings Inc. (“TODAQ Holdings”), the parent company of TODAQ Micro, as well as owning five TODA Note Royalty Certificates (“TDN Royalties”) with an aggregate maximum value of USD$279,613,283. Each TDN Royalty entitles the holder to receive royalty payments over time to the holder’s micropayment node, subject to certain terms and conditions. Each TDN has been fixed at $USD 1 per TDN by TODAQ Holdings.

    TODAQ Micro is now releasing its groundbreaking TAPPTM micropayments solution to address long-standing inefficiencies in the digital economy.

    The company’s first commercial deployment is in the entertainment industry, where TODAQ Micro is enabling a revolutionary “fair trade Netflix” experience with a new video platform called Truce Plus (‘Truce+’). Producers, studios and distributors that own Tier 1 movie, show, and documentaries face multiple headwinds trying to sell to the leading content platforms. These challenges include poor negotiating power, loss of relationship with the viewing customer, low upfront payments and poor revenue share terms, delayed payments, and limited transparency and recourse to name just a few. By embedding micropayments into Truce+ digital content transactions, TODAQ Micro enables these content owners to go directly to consumer (DTC) with a frictionless, real-time, pay as you go model that also enables users to instantly buy and rent content in a few seconds without needing to subscribe or login. The content producers are paid in real time and can also instantly micro distribute those revenues to cast, crew and other supply chain payees eliminating nearly all back office costs. The first commercial movie powered by TAPP will be available in February and is called the Flamingo Effect and is produced by Truce Studios in Denver, CO. The first half dozen content titles that include both American and Canadian Tier 1 producers of movies and TV shows will be available in Q1 with over 100 titles being put on the platform by the end of the year. The Truce+ platform can also provide instant referral bonuses and awards to studios and viewers that bring in additional followers. Fortune Business Insights values the global video streaming market size at USD 674 billion in 2024 with growth to USD 2,661 billion by 2032, exhibiting a CAGR of 18.7% during the forecast period, driven by Increasing Demand for Video on Demand (VoD) streaming services.

    “There are almost too many places TAPP can be applied. Given the massive size and growth rate of the streaming industry it was a natural first place to focus. In addition, the market pain felt by the subscription fatigued consumer and the content producers who feel that they are not getting a fair deal means we have a unique ability to make the market much better and larger for both parties. TAPP represents the only deeptech powered platform capable of enabling full microtransaction VoD (or MVoD) as a new streaming market category,” said Hassan Khan, CEO of TODAQ Micro.

    TODAQ Micro has garnered significant recognition, recently being named a Top 8 FinTech Startup by the Government of Canada and sent to Silicon Valley as part of the Canadian Technology Accelerator Program with the Canadian Consulate in San Francisco. The company boasts strong strategic partnerships and finalized a partnership with Oracle in the summer of 2024 to ensure it has massive capacity to scale, and to provide the streaming industry with micropayable data labelling for video content and AI conversational agents that can close movie sales, take payments, and initiate micro-distributions. TODAQ Micro has deployed its technology on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) and successfully demonstrated multi-cloud transactions between OCI and Amazon AWS without reliance on traditional payment processors or blockchain networks. This innovation enables businesses to monetize micro-services without locking customers into subscriptions, providing a cost-efficient, pay-as-you-go alternative.

    Traditionally, enabling secure, private online web payments with a 5 second checkout for a consumer have not been possible and micro-payments of less than a dollar are impractical due to high processing costs. TODAQ’s technology eliminates intermediaries, enabling seamless transactions for businesses and consumers alike. Rather than using a blockchain, TODAQ solved the problem by returning to the original architecture of the World Wide Web and added a new Web Application Protocol called ADOT to coexist alongside HTTPS, SMTP and other older protocols built to handle websites, emails and other data. TODAQ also added another cryptographic technology called TODA to ensure portable integrity for these new web asset transactions. Together TODA and ADOT enable any software system to create, update, verify and transfer unique digital assets without requiring payment and authentication rails, or blockchains. This project took over six years, and involved collaboration with Cambridge University researchers at the Cambridge Centre for Redecentralization (CRDC) and support from the UK Research and Innovation Ministry alongside private investment. TAPP is the first ADOT Web native commercial application created.

    Sheldon Inwentash, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of ThreeD, commented: “TODAQ Micro has made tremendous advancements, achieving major milestones with the commercialization of its technology and attracting tier one strategic partners. It has emerged as a leader in providing micropayment solutions without the high costs traditionally associated with such transactions. We are very pleased to have been an early-stage investor in TODAQ and look forward to seeing the company continue to scale and disrupt the industry.”

    More information about TODAQ Micro can be found through the ThreeD YouTube channel where Hassan Khan, CEO of TODAQ Micro, is interviewed.

    About ThreeD Capital Inc.

    ThreeD is a publicly-traded Canadian-based venture capital firm focused on opportunistic investments in companies in the junior resources and disruptive technologies sectors. ThreeD’s investment strategy is to invest in multiple private and public companies across a variety of sectors globally. ThreeD seeks to invest in early stage, promising companies where it may be the lead investor and can additionally provide investees with advisory services and access to the Company’s ecosystem.

    For further information:

    Jakson Inwentash
    Vice President Investments
    jinwentash@threedcap.com
    Phone: 416-941-8900 ext 107

    The Canadian Securities Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release and accepts no responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy hereof.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This news release contains certain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively referred to herein as “forward-looking statements”) within the meaning of Canadian securities laws including, without limitation, statements with respect to future investments by the Company. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. Often, but not always, these forward looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as “believe”, “believes”, “estimate”, “estimates”, “estimated”, “potential”, “open”, “future”, “assumed”, “projected”, “used”, “detailed”, “has been”, “gain”, “upgraded”, “offset”, “limited”, “contained”, “reflecting”, “containing”, “remaining”, “to be”, “periodically”, or statements that events, “could” or “should” occur or be achieved and similar expressions, including negative variations.

    Undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements, which are inherently uncertain, are based on estimates and assumptions, and are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties (both general and specific) that contribute to the possibility that the future events or circumstances contemplated by the forward-looking statements will not occur. Although the Company believes the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance they will prove accurate. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable law. The forward-looking statements contained herein are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: NAV Announcement

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Foresight Technology VCT plc (“Company”)

    LEI: 21380013CXOR8N6OD977

    NAV Announcement
    The Board of Foresight Technology VCT plc announces that the unaudited Net Asset Value for the FWT share class as at 31 December 2024 was 97.2p per share.

    For further information please contact:

    Gary Fraser, Foresight Group: 020 3667 8181

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Lantronix Appoints Steve Burrington as Vice President of Global Research and Development

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    IRVINE, Calif., Feb. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Lantronix Inc. (NASDAQ: LTRX) (“the Company”), a global leader of compute and connectivity for IoT solutions enabling AI Edge Intelligence, is proud to announce the appointment of Steve Burrington as Vice President of Global Research and Development. Burrington will oversee all aspects of product development and will play a key role in defining the Company’s technology direction as it continues to deliver innovative solutions to meet the demands of an evolving market.

    “Steve’s deep expertise in advanced product development and engineering leadership perfectly complements our Edge AI focus and mission to drive technological innovation and operational excellence,” said Saleel Awsare, Chief Executive Officer and President at Lantronix. “His leadership will be instrumental as we continue to align our technology and product strategies to achieve sustainable growth and market leadership in enabling Edge Intelligence with compute and connect.”

    Burrington brings more than 25 years of experience in engineering and technology leadership, specializing in LTE IoT, telematics, video product development and global engineering management. He has a proven ability to lead diverse, cross-functional teams and has successfully driven product innovations from concept through high-volume manufacturing. His leadership has consistently delivered results aligned with cost, schedule and performance objectives.

    During his career, Burrington has held senior leadership roles at Sierra Wireless and Netgear, where he managed global teams of over 150 engineers, directed operating budgets exceeding $35 million, and spearheaded the development of industry-leading hardware and firmware products. His extensive experience working with chipset vendors, ODMs, and structured development environments positions him well to enhance Lantronix’s R&D capabilities.

    “I am honored to join Lantronix during such an exciting time for the Company,” said Burrington. “I look forward to collaborating with the talented team here to innovate, execute and deliver products that define the future of Industrial IoT and Edge AI Intelligence. Together, we will continue to set the standard for excellence in our field.”

    About Lantronix

    Lantronix Inc. is a global leader of compute and connectivity IoT solutions that target high-growth markets, including Smart Cities, Enterprise and Transportation. Lantronix’s products and services empower companies to succeed in the growing IoT markets by delivering customizable solutions that enable AI Edge Intelligence. Lantronix’s advanced solutions include Intelligent Substations infrastructure, Infotainment systems and Video Surveillance, supplemented with advanced Out-of-Band Management (OOB) for Cloud and Edge Computing.

    For more information, visit the Lantronix website.

    Lantronix Media Contact:
    Gail Kathryn Miller
    Corporate Marketing &
    Communications Manager
    media@lantronix.com

    Lantronix Analyst and Investor Contact:
    investors@lantronix.com

    © 2024 Lantronix Inc. All rights reserved. Lantronix is a registered trademark, and SLB and SLC are trademarks of Lantronix Inc. Other trademarks and trade names are those of their respective owners.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b21a60c7-74c8-4d08-9648-e5e8b8798774

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Diversified Energy’s Unique Strategy Produces Reliable Cash Flow and Strong Full Year 2024 Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Seventh Year in a Row of Approximately 50% or Better Cash Margins

    Cash Flow Growth Initiatives Contributed Over $50 million in Cash Flow

    Company Returned Over $105 million to Shareholders in 2024

    BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Feb. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Diversified Energy Company PLC (LSE: DEC, NYSE: DEC) (“Diversified” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce the following operations and trading update for the year ended December 31, 2024.

    Delivering Reliable Results

    • Full-year 2024 average production of 791 MMcfepd (132 Mboepd)
      • 4Q24 average production of 843 MMcfepd (141 Mboepd)
      • December 2024 exit rate of 864 MMcfepd (144 Mboepd)
    • 2024 Adjusted EBITDA(a) of $470-$475 million; Adjusted Free Cash Flow(b) of $210-$215 million
    • 2024 Adjusted EBITDA Margin(a) of 50%and TTM Adjusted Free Cash Flow Yield(b) of 33%
      • 2024 Total Revenue, Inclusive of Settled Hedges per Unit(c) of $3.21/Mcfe ($19.28/Boe)
      • 2024 Adjusted Operating Cost per Unit(d) of $1.70/Mcfe ($10.22/Boe)

    Cash Flow Growth Initiatives

    • Announced fixed-price contract for gas delivery to a major Gulf Coast LNG export facility
    • Generated ~$42 million year-to-date in cash flow through divestiture of undeveloped leasehold
    • Recorded $8 million in impact to Adjusted EBITDA from Coal Mine Methane (“CMM”) Revenues

    Executing Strategic Objectives and Milestones

    • Retired over $200 million in debt principal through amortizing debt payments
    • Returned $105 million to shareholders, including $21 million in share buybacks(e)
    • Completed $585 million (gross) in strategic and bolt-on acquisition during 2024
    • Announced accretive bolt-on acquisition of southern Appalachia assets from Summit Natural Resources
    • Announced transformative $1.3 billion acquisition of Maverick Natural Resources
    • Marked one full year of trading on the New York Stock Exchange and as is customary, the Company expects to file a shelf registration with the US Securities and Exchange Commission

    Next LVL Milestones

    • The Company retired 202 operated wells in 2024, marking its third consecutive year to exceed its stated goal of retiring 200 wells per year
    • Next LVL Energy completed a total 287 well retirements, including Diversified’s wells and 85 wells associated with state-owned orphan wells and third-party operators

    Rusty Hutson, Jr., CEO of Diversified, commented:

    “Our team executed extremely well and continued to deliver solid results in 2024 that enabled us to advance our balanced capital allocation framework. Our strong results highlight our unique business model that strives to deliver consistent cash flow during the full range and volatility of commodity cycles. Aligned with our priorities, we generated significant cash flows, returned capital to investors, and paid down more than $200 million in debt principal, all while executing and integrating over $585 million in accretive acquisitions. Once again, our ability to deliver durable production and consistent cash flow throughout the year was a result of our team’s relentless execution of our strategies. We are committed to lowering costs and improving operational efficiencies across the organization, along with providing innovative solutions to extract hidden value from our asset base. The results we have achieved in 2024 strike at the heart of our business model and strategy.

    We believe that 2025 has the potential to be a transformative year for the Company as we work to execute our strategic initiative to become the premier public company focused on managing mature producing assets. The Company’s previously announced accretive acquisitions of Summit Natural Resources and Maverick Natural Resources are proceeding as planned, and we have received encouraging comments from both shareholders and the public debt and equity markets. During the past year, we have seen our strategy and our previous investment decisions yield increased performance in all aspects of our business model. We are optimistic about our future and confident that our current efforts will continue to position us well to have a significant positive impact on shareholder value.”

    Operations and Finance Update

    Production

    Diversified exited the year with December 2024 average production of 864 MMcfepd (144 Mboepd), up 11% versus the December 2023 exit rate of 775 MMcfepd (129 Mboepd), reflecting the cumulative effect of the Company’s 2024 acquisitions and industry-leading PDP declines of ~10% per year(f).

    Diversified ended the year with 4Q24 average production of 843 MMcfepd (141 Mboepd) and full-year 2024 average production of 791 MMcfepd (132 Mboepd).

    The Company’s production continues to be positively impacted by Diversified’s Smarter Asset Management (“SAM”) approach focused on the improvement and optimization of production profiles, development of efficiency gains and extension of well life, and the Company is well-positioned to again-deliver on a solid operational foundation for robust cash flows in 2025 with the additional impact of the recently announced acquisitions of Maverick Natural Resources and Summit Natural Resources.

    Margin, Realized Price and Total Cash Expenses per Unit

    Diversified’s resilient cash flow strategy is exemplified by the Company’s 2024 Adjusted EBITDA Margin of 50%, marking the Company’s seventh consecutive annual period of ~50% margins or higher.

    The Company’s commitment to responsibly hedge production and initiatives to expand revenue generation is reflected in 2024 Total Revenue, Inclusive of Settled Hedges per unit of $3.21/Mcfe ($19.28/Boe), with Financial Derivatives Settled in Cash delivering $151 million in cash flows, and Midstream & Other Revenue delivering $63 million in supplemental income during the year.

    Prudent expense management resulted in the stable Adjusted Operating Cost per Unit for 2024 of just $1.70/Mcfe ($10.22/Boe) representing a minimal 1% change when compared to the prior year.

          2024       2023      
        $/Mcfe   $/Boe   $/Mcfe   $/Boe   %
                         
    Total Commodity Revenue,Including the Impact of derivatives settled in cash   $ 3.05   $ 18.30     $ 3.27   $ 19.62     (7 )%
    Other Revenue1     0.16     0.98       0.13     0.75     31 %
    Average Realized Price1   $ 3.21   $ 19.28     $ 3.40   $ 20.37     (5 )%
                         
    Adjusted Operating Cost per Unit(d)     2024       2023      
        $/Mcfe   $/Boe   $/Mcfe   $/Boe   %
                         
    Lease Operating Expense2   $ 0.73   $ 4.40     $ 0.64   $ 3.83     15 %
    Midstream Expense     0.24     1.44       0.23     1.38     4 %
    Gathering and Transportation     0.31     1.86       0.32     1.92     (3 )%
    Production Taxes     0.12     0.72       0.21     1.26     (43 )%
    Total Operating Expense2   $ 1.40   $ 8.42     $ 1.40   $ 8.39     — %
    Employees, Administrative Costs and Professional Fees(g)     0.30     1.80       0.29     1.74     3 %
    Adjusted Operating Cost per Unit2   $ 1.70   $ 10.22     $ 1.69   $ 10.13     1 %
                         
    Adjusted EBITDA Margin(a)     50%       53%      
                         
    12024 excludes $0.06/Mcfe ($0.34/Boe) and 2023 excludes $0.09/Mcfe ($0.57/Boe) of other revenues generated by Next LVL Energy
    Values may not sum due to rounding; 2024 excludes $0.09/Mcfe ($0.54/Boe) & 2023 excludes$0.08/Mcfe ($0.48/Boe) of proceeds from land sales
    22024 excludes $(0.07)/Mcfe ($(0.40)/Boe) and 2023 excludes $(0.07)/Mcfe ($(0.43)/Boe) of expenses attributable to Next LVL Energy
    Values may not sum due to rounding
     

    Results of Hedging and Current Financial Derivatives Portfolio

    Diversified’s consistent application of the Company’s differentiated hedging strategy resulted in a 2024 weighted average natural gas hedge floor of $3.26/MMbtu and realized price of $2.49/MMBtu, providing insulation from historically low commodity prices and representing respective premiums of 44% and 10% to the 2024 NYMEX average Henry Hub settlement price of $2.27/MMbtu(h). The Company enters 2025 with ~80% of consolidated production hedged, and stands to benefit from the recent improvement in the forward strip. The table below reflects Diversified’s full-year hedge positions through calendar year 2027 as of December 31, 2024:

      GAS (Mcf)   NGL (Bbl)   OIL (Bbl)
      Wtd. Avg.
    Hedge
    Price(i)(j)    		   ~ % of
    Production
    Hedged(k)    		   Wtd. Avg.
    Hedge
    Price(i)    		   ~ % of
    Production
    Hedged(k)    		   Wtd. Avg.
    Hedge
    Price(i)    		   ~ % of
    Production
    Hedged(k)
                           
    FY25 $3.32   85%     $33.98   60%     $64.25   90%  
    FY26 $3.25   75%     $32.38   55%     $62.44   55%  
    FY27 $3.27   70%     $32.29   45%     $62.67   50%  
                                 

    Environmental Update

    Asset Retirement Progress and Next LVL Energy Update

    During the year, the Company exceeded its Appalachian well retirement commitments and stated plugging goals by retiring 202 Diversified-operated wells. Total well retirements by Next LVL Energy in Appalachia amounted to 287 wells, including 51 retirements associated with state orphan well programs.

    Next LVL Energy continues to be a strategic and value-additive component of Diversified’s vertically integrated operations focused on the full life cycle of operated wells and to provide third-party revenue to offset the cash costs associated with the retirement of operated wells.

    Acquisition Update

    2024 Acquisitions Update

    The Company’s previously announced acquisition of Oaktree Working Interests, Crescent Pass Energy assets and East Texas assets were successfully closed in the course of the year, representing $585 million (gross) in strategic, accretive acquisitions in 2024. These assets have been fully integrated into Diversified’s systems and processes, and are already benefiting from the Company focus on safe, efficient operations through the application of Smarter Asset Management.

    Summit Natural Resources

    Diversified’s previously announced acquisition of Appalachia and Alabama assets from Summit Natural Resources is proceeding as planned and the Company expects to close the transaction in the first quarter of 2025.

    Maverick Natural Resources

    As previously announced on January 27, 2025, Diversified has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Maverick Natural Resources for total consideration of approximately $1,275 million. The acquisition of Maverick by Diversified (the “Acquisition”) adds immediate scale, increases liquids production, and creates a combined company with long-term free cash flow generation, superior unit cash margins, and a compelling sustainability profile.

    The Acquisition is expected to close during the first half of 2025, subject to customary closing conditions, including, among others, regulatory clearance and approval by Diversified shareholders for the issue and allotment of the Ordinary Shares pursuant to the merger agreement.

    2024 Annual Results and Conference Call Details

    Diversified will release its 2024 full-year results on Monday, March 17, 2025 and will host a conference call that day at 12:30 PM GMT (8:30 AM EDT) to discuss the Annual Results.

    Footnotes:

    (a) Adjusted EBITDA represents earnings before interest, taxes, depletion, and amortization, and includes adjustments for items that are not comparable period-over-period; As presented, Adjusted EBITDA includes the impact of the accounting basis for land sales; Adjusted EBITDA Margin represents Adjusted EBITDA (excluding the adjustment for the accounting basis on land sales) as a percent of Total Revenue, Inclusive of Settled Hedges; For purposes of comparability, Adjusted EBITDA Margin excludes Other Revenue of $16 million in 2024 and $28 million in 2023, and Lease Operating Expense of $19 million in 2024 and $21 million in 2023 associated with Diversified’s wholly owned plugging subsidiary, Next LVL Energy.
    (b) Free Cash Flow represents net cash provided by operating activities less expenditures on natural gas and oil properties and equipment and cash paid for interest; As used herein, Adjusted Free Cash Flow represents Free Cash Flow, plus cash proceeds from undeveloped acreage sales; Adjusted Free Cash Flow Yield is calculated using 2024 Free Cash Flow per share, divided by the 2024 average share price of $13.47; Free Cash Flow per Share calculated as Adjusted Free Cash Flow divided by average shares outstanding of 48,031,916 during the period.
    (c) Includes the impact of derivatives settled in cash; Excludes the impact of land sales during the period; For purposes of comparability, excludes certain amounts related to Diversified’s wholly owned plugging subsidiary, Next LVL Energy.
    (d) Adjusted Operating Cost represent total lease operating costs plus recurring administrative costs. Total lease operating costs include base lease operating expense, owned gathering and compression (midstream) expense, third-party gathering and transportation expense, and production taxes. Recurring administrative expenses (Adjusted G&A) is a Non-IFRS financial measure defined as total administrative expenses excluding non-recurring acquisition & integration costs and non-cash equity compensation; For purposes of comparability, excludes certain amounts related to Diversified’s wholly owned plugging subsidiary, Next LVL Energy.
    (e) Share repurchases include activity by Diversified’s Employee Benefit Trust.
    (f) Calculated as the rate of decline in average daily production from December 2023 to December 2024, adjusted to exclude the impact of acquisitions and divestitures.
    (g) As used herein, employees, administrative costs and professional services represents total administrative expenses excluding cost associated with acquisitions, other adjusting costs and non-cash expenses. We use employees, administrative costs and professional services because this measure excludes items that affect the comparability of results or that are not indicative of trends in the ongoing business.
    (h) Calculated as the average monthly settlement price for NYMEX Henry Hub futures contracts.
    (i) Weighted average price reflects the weighted average of the swap price and floor price for collar contracts as applicable.
    (j) MMBtu prices have been converted to Mcf using a richness factor of 1Mcf=1.036 MMBtu, calculated as the weighted average Btu richness factor for the twelve months ended December 31, 2024.
    (k) Illustrative percent hedged, calculated using December 2024 average production and assuming a consolidated annual corporate decline rate of 10%; Calculation assumes constant product mix over the illustrative decline period.
       

    For Company-specific items, refer also to the Glossary of Terms and/or Alternative Performance Measures found in the Company’s Annual Report and Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2023 filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and available on the Company’s website.

    For further information, please contact:

    About Diversified Energy Company PLC

    Diversified is a leading publicly traded energy company focused on natural gas and liquids production, transport, marketing, and well retirement. Through our unique and differentiated strategy, we acquire existing, long-life assets and invest in them to improve environmental and operational performance until retiring those assets in a safe and environmentally secure manner. Recognized by ratings agencies and organizations for our sustainability leadership, this solutions-oriented, stewardship approach makes Diversified the Right Company at the Right Time to responsibly produce energy, deliver reliable free cash flow, and generate shareholder value.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This announcement contains forward-looking statements (within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) concerning the financial condition, results of operations and business of the Company and its wholly owned subsidiaries (the “Group”). All statements other than statements of historical fact are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements, which contain the words “anticipate”, “believe”, “intend”, “estimate”, “expect”, “may”,”should”,”intend”, “will”, “seek”, “continue”, “aim”, “target”, “projected”, “plan”, “goal”, “achieve” and words of similar meaning, reflect the Company’s beliefs and expectations and are based on numerous assumptions regarding the Company’s present and future business strategies and the environment the Company and the Group will operate in and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially. No representation is made that any of these statements or forecasts will come to pass or that any forecast results will be achieved. Forward-looking statements involve inherent known and unknown risks, uncertainties and contingencies because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that may or may not occur in the future and may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company or the Group to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. Many of these risks and uncertainties relate to factors that are beyond the Company’s or the Group’s ability to control or estimate precisely, such as the expected timing and likelihood of completion of the Acquisition and the risk that problems may arrise in successfully integrating Maverick or that the combined company may not achieve synergies as expected,as well as factors such as future market conditions, currency fluctuations, the behavior of other market participants, the actions of regulators and other factors such as the Company’s or the Group’s ability to continue to obtain financing to meet its liquidity needs, the Company’s ability to successfully integrate its other acquisitions, changes in the political, social and regulatory framework in which the Company or the Group operate or in economic or technological trends or conditions. The list above is not exhaustive and there are other factors that may cause the Company’s or the Group’s actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements contained in this announcement, including the risk factors described in the “Risk Factors” section in the Company’s Annual Report and Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission ( the “SEC”) and the risk factors descibed in Exhibit 99.2 to the Company’s Form 6-k furnished with the SEC on January 27, 2025.

    Forward-looking statements speak only as of their date and neither the Company nor the Group nor any of its respective directors, officers, employees, agents, affiliates or advisers expressly disclaim any obligation to supplement, amend, update or revise any of the forward-looking statements made herein, except where it would be required to do so under applicable law. In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, the events described in the forward-looking statements in this announcement, may not occur. As a result, you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. Past performance of the Company cannot be relied on as a guide to future performance. No statement in this announcement is intended as a profit forecast or a profit estimate and no statement in this announcement should be interpreted to mean that the financial performance of the Company for the current or future financial years would necessarily match or exceed the historical published for the Company.

    Unaudited Financial Information

    Certain financial and operating results included in this announcement are based on unaudited estimated results. These estimated results are subject to change upon completion of the Company’s audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2024, and changes could be material. The Company anticipates publishing its audited financial results for the year ended December 31, 2024 on Tuesday, March 17, 2025.

    Use of Non-IFRS Measures

    Certain key operating metrics that are not defined under IFRS (alternative performance measures) are included in this announcement. These non-IFRS measures are used by us to monitor the underlying business performance of the Company from period to period and to facilitate comparison with our peers. Since not all companies calculate these or other non-IFRS metrics in the same way, the manner in which we have chosen to calculate the non-IFRS metrics presented herein may not be compatible with similarly defined terms used by other companies. The non-IFRS metrics should not be considered in isolation of, or viewed as substitutes for, the financial information prepared in accordance with IFRS. Certain of the key operating metrics are based on information derived from our regularly maintained records and accounting and operating systems. We have not presented reconciliations of the non-IFRS measures included in this announcement because the comparable IFRS measures will not be accessible until the Company’s audited financial results for the year ended December 31, 2024 are complete. The Company will include the comparable IFRS measures and reconciliations of the non-IFRS measures in its release of full-year results, which we expect to publish on Tuesday, March 17, 2025.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: HackerRank Introduces New Benchmark to Assess Advanced AI Models

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CUPERTINO, Calif., Feb. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — HackerRank, the Developer Skills Company, today introduced its new ASTRA Benchmark. ASTRA, which stands for Assessment of Software Tasks in Real-World Applications, is designed to evaluate the capabilities of advanced AI models, such as ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini, to perform tasks across the entire software development lifecycle.

    The ASTRA Benchmark consists of multi-file, project-based problems designed to mimic real-world coding tasks. The intent of the HackerRank ASTRA Benchmark is to determine the correctness and consistency of an AI model’s coding ability in relation to practical applications.

    “With the ASTRA Benchmark, we’re setting a new standard for evaluating AI models,” said Vivek Ravisankar, co-founder and CEO of HackerRank. “As software development becomes more human + AI, it’s important that we have a very good understanding of the combined abilities. Our experience pioneering the market in assessing software development skills makes us uniquely qualified to assess the abilities of AI models acting as agents for software developers.”

    A key highlight from the benchmark showed o1 from OpenAI was the top performer, but Claude- -3.5-sonnet produced more consistent results.

    Key features of ASTRA Benchmark include:

    • Diverse skill domains: The current version includes 65 project-based coding questions, primarily focused on front-end development. These questions are categorized into 10 primary coding skill domains and 34 subcategories.
    • Multi-file project questions: To mimic real-world development, ASTRA’s dataset includes an average of 12 source code and configuration files per question as model inputs. This results in an average of 61 lines of solution code per question.
    • Model correctness and consistency evaluation: To provide a more precise assessment, ASTRA prioritizes comprehensive metrics such as average scores, average pass@1 and median standard deviation.
    • Wide test case coverage: ASTRA’s dataset contains an average of 6.7 test cases per question, designed to rigorously evaluate the correctness of implementations.
    • Benchmark Results: For a full report and analysis of the initial benchmark results, please visit hackerrank.com/ai/astra.

    Ravisankar added, “By open sourcing our ASTRA Benchmark, we’re offering the AI community the opportunity to run their models against a high-quality, independent benchmark. This supports the continued advancement of AI while fostering more collaboration and transparency in the AI community to ensure the integrity of new models.”

    For more information about HackerRank’s ASTRA Benchmark, contact rafik@hackerrank.com.

    About HackerRank
    HackerRank, the Developer Skills Company, leads the market with over 2,500 customers and a community of over 25 million developers. Having pioneered this space, companies trust HackerRank to help them set up a skills strategy, showcase their brand to developers, implement a skills-based hiring process, and ultimately upskill and certify employees…all driven by AI. Learn more at hackerrank.com.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Employ Introduces New Features in Winter 2025 Product Release

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    DENVER, Feb. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Employ Inc., a leading provider of people-first recruiting and talent acquisition solutions, including JazzHR, Lever and Jobvite, today announced the details of its Winter 2025 product release. 

    In today’s job market, where every hire matters, it is time for recruiters to shift from ‘doing more with less’ to ‘doing better.’ To help bring out the best in recruiting teams, Employ has invested in and delivered new innovations to enhance the effectiveness and consistency of the entire hiring process.

    The Employ Winter release is focused on delivering simpler processes and a flexible talent ecosystem to help enhance the recruiting process. These enhancements streamline recruiting operations by automating tasks, improving connectivity and reducing errors, enabling teams to focus on strategic hiring and building stronger candidate relationships.

    Highlights include:

    • A more simplified, candidate-friendly experience 
      • Empower candidates to take control of their interview experience by self-scheduling for in-person and virtual panel interviews in Lever.
      • Ensure candidates receive timely communications with Jobvite’s automated interview invitations.
    • Automation and insights so recruiters can focus on more impactful work 
      • Jobvite customers can connect their CRM to LinkedIn Recruiter to streamline the sourcing workflow. Recruiters can find and add promising candidates from LinkedIn to their CRM while maintaining an accurate work history and skills data.
      • Free up recruiters’ time for high-impact work with the ability to update multiple jobs at once, positively impacting the overall candidate experience
        • For Lever customers, recruiters can now close multiple roles simultaneously, eliminating repetitive, manual work.  
        • Within Jobvite, recruiters can now update multiple requisition statuses at the same time to accelerate the hiring process without the admin work.  
    • Greater flexibility for admins to build the right workflow for their needs 
      • For Jobvite customers, their third-party vendors can now pull candidate data from their CRM based on criteria like date ranges and status changes.
      • Recruiters can now easily turn LinkedIn Easy Apply on and off per job in JazzHR, allowing them to control application volume and conduct more targeted sourcing efforts. This innovation will roll out progressively to all customers in March.

    “At Employ, we’re focused on driving innovations across our entire portfolio that address, head-on, the real problems of recruiters today,” said Dara Brenner, Chief Product Officer at Employ. “With simpler processes and a flexible talent ecosystem, we can enable recruiters to focus on building meaningful relationships with top talent and achieve better hiring outcomes to drive organizational success. We are committed to growth and excellence for our customers, and with personalized choice and optionality, we can help them stay ahead and remain flexible in an increasingly competitive landscape.”

    Brenner continued, “This year, customers in the Employ ecosystem can anticipate faster access to industry-leading hiring technology. By building foundational components once and seamlessly integrating them across all our best-in-class applicant tracking systems, we’re accelerating time to market, ensuring that every customer, regardless of size, benefits from the same innovative technology to increase their competitive advantage.” 

    For more from Brenner about this current release and what’s ahead for Employ, read the company’s latest blog here. 

    To learn more about Employ Inc. and its people-first approach to talent acquisition, visit www.employinc.com.  

    About Employ Inc.
    Employ Inc. provides people-first recruiting solutions that empower companies to overcome their greatest hiring challenges. Serving SMBs to global enterprises, Employ focuses on the unique recruiting needs of each organization — from foundational hiring to sophisticated talent acquisition. Employ is the only organization to offer companies choice in their hiring solutions, providing a curated set of recruiting technologies and services. Together, Employ and its solutions (JazzHR, Lever, Jobvite) serve more than 23,000 customers across multiple industries. For more information, visit www.employinc.com.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Bread Financial Provides Performance Update for January 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    COLUMBUS, Ohio, Feb. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bread Financial® Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: BFH), a tech-forward financial services company that provides simple, personalized payment, lending, and saving solutions to millions of U.S. consumers, provided a performance update. The following tables present the Company’s net loss rate and delinquency rate for the periods indicated:

      For the
    month ended
    January 31,
    2025    		   For the
    month ended
    January 31,
    2024
      (dollars in millions)
    End-of-period credit card and other loans $ 18,366     $ 18,785  
    Average credit card and other loans $ 18,530     $ 18,915  
    Year-over-year change in average credit card and other loans   (2 %)     (9 %)
    Net principal losses $ 123     $ 128  
    Net loss rate   7.8 %     8.0 %
      As of
    January 31,
    2025    		   As of
    January 31,
    2024
      (dollars in millions)
    30 days + delinquencies – principal $ 1,032     $ 1,170  
    Period ended credit card and other loans – principal $ 16,874     $ 17,311  
    Delinquency rate   6.1 %     6.8 %

    About Bread Financial® 
    Bread Financial® (NYSE: BFH) is a tech-forward financial services company that provides simple, personalized payment, lending and saving solutions to millions of U.S. consumers. Our payment solutions, including Bread Financial general purpose credit cards and savings products, empower our customers and their passions for a better life. Additionally, we deliver growth for some of the most recognized brands in travel & entertainment, health & beauty, jewelry and specialty apparel through our private label and co-brand credit cards and pay-over-time products providing choice and value to our shared customers.

    To learn more about Bread Financial, our global associates and our sustainability commitments, visit breadfinancial.com or follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements give our expectations or forecasts of future events and can generally be identified by the use of words such as “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “project,” “plan,” “likely,” “may,” “should” or other words or phrases of similar import. Similarly, statements that describe our business strategy, outlook, objectives, plans, intentions or goals also are forward-looking statements. Examples of forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements we make regarding, and the guidance we give with respect to, our anticipated operating or financial results, future financial performance and outlook, future dividend declarations, and future economic conditions.

    We believe that our expectations are based on reasonable assumptions. Forward-looking statements, however, are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict and, in many cases, beyond our control. Accordingly, our actual results could differ materially from the projections, anticipated results or other expectations expressed in this release, and no assurances can be given that our expectations will prove to have been correct. Factors that could cause the outcomes to differ materially include, but are not limited to, the following: macroeconomic conditions, including market conditions, inflation, interest rates, labor market conditions, recessionary pressures or concerns over a prolonged economic slowdown, and the related impact on consumer spending behavior, payments, debt levels, savings rates and other behaviors; global political and public health events and conditions, including ongoing wars and military conflicts and natural disasters; future credit performance, including the level of future delinquency and write-off rates; the loss of, or reduction in demand from, significant brand partners or customers in the highly competitive markets in which we compete; the concentration of our business in U.S. consumer credit; inaccuracies in the models and estimates on which we rely, including the amount of our Allowance for credit losses and our credit risk management models; the inability to realize the intended benefits of acquisitions, dispositions and other strategic initiatives; our level of indebtedness and ability to access financial or capital markets; pending and future federal and state legislation, regulation, supervisory guidance, and regulatory and legal actions, including, but not limited to, those related to financial regulatory reform and consumer financial services practices, as well as any such actions with respect to late fees, interchange fees or other charges; impacts arising from or relating to the transition of our credit card processing services to third party service providers that we completed in 2022; failures or breaches in our operational or security systems, including as a result of cyberattacks, unanticipated impacts from technology modernization projects or otherwise; and any tax or other liability or adverse impacts arising out of or related to the spinoff of our former LoyaltyOne segment or the bankruptcy filings of Loyalty Ventures Inc. (LVI) and certain of its subsidiaries and subsequent litigation or other disputes. In addition, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has issued a final rule that, absent a successful legal challenge, will place significant limits on credit card late fees, which would have a significant impact on our business and results of operations for at least the short term and, depending on the effectiveness of the mitigating actions that we have taken or may in the future take in anticipation of, or in response to, the final rule, may potentially adversely impact us over the long term; we cannot provide any assurance as to the effective date of the rule, the result of any pending or future challenges or other litigation relating to the rule, or our ability to mitigate or offset the impact of the rule on our business and results of operations. The foregoing factors, along with other risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in forward-looking statements, are described in greater detail under the headings “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most recently ended fiscal year, which may be updated in Item 1A of, or elsewhere in, our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed for periods subsequent to such Form 10-K. Our forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made, and we undertake no obligation, other than as required by applicable law, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, subsequent events, anticipated or unanticipated circumstances or otherwise.

    Contacts 
    Brian Vereb — Investor Relations 
    Brian.Vereb@breadfinancial.com 

    Susan Haugen — Investor Relations 
    Susan.Haugen@breadfinancial.com 

    Rachel Stultz — Media 
    Rachel.Stultz@breadfinancial.com 

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: OTC Markets Group Welcomes Tantalus Systems Holding Inc. to OTCQX

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, Feb. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM), operator of regulated markets for trading 12,000 U.S. and international securities, today announced Tantalus Systems Holding Inc. (TSX: GRID; OTCQX: TNTLF), a technology company dedicated to helping utilities modernize their distribution grids by harnessing the power of data, has qualified to trade on the OTCQX® Best Market. Tantalus Systems Holding Inc. upgraded to OTCQX from the Pink® market.

    Tantalus Systems Holding Inc. begins trading today on OTCQX under the symbol “TNTLF.” U.S. investors can find current financial disclosure and Real-Time Level 2 quotes for the company on www.otcmarkets.com.

    Upgrading to the OTCQX Market is an important step for companies seeking to provide transparent trading for their U.S. investors. For companies listed on a qualified international exchange, streamlined market standards enable them to utilize their home market reporting to make their information available in the U.S. To qualify for OTCQX, companies must meet high financial standards, follow best practice corporate governance and demonstrate compliance with applicable securities laws.

    “Accessing the OTCQX Market highlights Tantalus’ dedication to transparency and operational excellence while also strengthening our access to U.S. investors,” said Peter Londa, President & CEO of Tantalus. “Given that the vast majority of our utility customers and revenue is generated from the United States, we believe cross-trading between the TSX and OTCQX will enhance liquidity and reinforces our commitment to delivering long-term value for our shareholders.”

    About Tantalus Systems Holding Inc.
    Tantalus is a technology company dedicated to helping utilities modernize their distribution grids by harnessing the power of data across all their devices and systems deployed throughout the entire distribution grid. We offer a grid modernization platform across multiple levels: intelligent connected devices, communications networks, data management, enterprise applications and analytics. Our solutions provide utilities with the flexibility they need to get the most value from existing infrastructure investments while leveraging advanced capabilities to plan for future requirements. Learn more at http://www.tantalus.com/.

    About OTC Markets Group Inc.
    OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM) operates regulated markets for trading 12,000 U.S. and international securities. Our data-driven disclosure standards form the foundation of our three public markets: OTCQX® Best Market, OTCQB® Venture Market and Pink® Open Market.

    Our OTC Link® Alternative Trading Systems (ATSs) provide critical market infrastructure that broker-dealers rely on to facilitate trading. Our innovative model offers companies more efficient access to the U.S. financial markets.

    OTC Link ATS, OTC Link ECN and OTC Link NQB are each an SEC regulated ATS, operated by OTC Link LLC, a FINRA and SEC registered broker-dealer, member SIPC.

    To learn more about how we create better informed and more efficient markets, visit www.otcmarkets.com.

    Subscribe to the OTC Markets RSS Feed

    Media Contact:
    OTC Markets Group Inc., +1 (212) 896-4428, media@otcmarkets.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Bishop Fox appoints Christopher Martin as Chief Operating Officer

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PHOENIX, Feb. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bishop Fox, the leading authority in offensive security, today announced the addition of Christopher Martin as the company’s new COO. Martin has extensive experience as an entrepreneur, scaling operations and driving growth from startups to multi-billion dollar organizations, while safeguarding culture and quality of services. Martin will be responsible for Bishop Fox Service Delivery, Finance, People, Product and R&D, reporting to Bishop Fox Co-Founder and CEO, Vinnie Liu.

    Martin joins Bishop Fox at a time that has seen the company continue its steady growth and maintain its market leadership in continuous offensive security and penetration testing services. Notably, the company saw Annual Recurring Revenues grow by nearly 60 percent, and year-over-year partner bookings increase by more than 200 percent, beating targets by more than 70 percent. Bishop Fox also expanded its European presence, and added former @Stake and Neohapsis CEO, James Mobley to its Advisory Board.

    Martin brings a wealth of experience in overseeing strong organic and inorganic growth for B2B SaaS and applied AI organizations. In particular he co-founded, grew and executed the successful acquisition of digital marketing services & consultancy firm MightyHive, and later served as public Executive Director of S4 Capital. He has held a number of executive positions including his time in the Controllership of Yahoo!’s $6 billion P&L, and later the Mergers and Acquisitions group, guiding acquisitions and operational integrations. Martin is an active investor and advisor in Applied AI and B2B SaaS startups. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering from Lehigh University, and MBA from The Wharton School.

    “Bishop Fox is at the forefront of the evolving offensive security landscape,” commented Martin. “Our technology-driven approach —combining elite human expertise with automation, AI-driven threat emulation, and deep integrations—delivers adaptive, real-time defense at enterprise scale. As attack surfaces expand and adversaries evolve, our ability to provide continuous, intelligence-led security validation, positions us as a strategic partner in fortifying large enterprises against emerging threats. The opportunity to redefine security resilience and drive measurable impact for our clients has never been greater.”

    “Bishop Fox has always had a focus on all around quality – quality of life, quality of work and quality of our business,” added Liu. “So, as we searched for our next COO, we needed to find someone that respected and excelled at all three. In meeting and talking with Chris, his passion for taking care of people, a focus on collaboration, and a forward-thinking mindset came through as strongly as his many career accomplishments. We’re very happy to have him on the team and look forward to continuing to build great things together.”

    About Bishop Fox

    Bishop Fox is the leading authority in offensive security, providing solutions ranging from continuous penetration testing, red teaming, and attack surface management to product, cloud, and application security assessments. We’ve worked with more than 25% of the Fortune 100, half of the Fortune 10, eight of the top 10 global technology companies, and all of the top global media companies to improve their security. Our Cosmos platform, service innovation, and culture of excellence continue to gather accolades from industry award programs including Fast Company, Inc., SC Media, and others, and our offerings are consistently ranked as “world class” in customer experience surveys. We’ve been actively contributing to and supporting the security community for almost two decades and have published more than 16 open-source tools and 50 security advisories in the last five years. Learn more at bishopfox.com or follow us on Twitter.

    Media Contact:

    Kevin Kosh, Senior Director of Communications

    kkosh@bishopfox.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: CW Petroleum Corp (OTCQB: CWPE) Reports Revenues for Q4-2024, Year-End

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Katy, Texas, Feb. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — CW Petroleum Corp (OTCQB: CWPE) (the “Company”), a leading provider of Specialty Renewable and Hydrocarbon Motor Fuels, today announces to its investors and future investors unaudited financial results for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2024, Year-End 2024.

    Key Financial Highlights for Three Months Ended December 31, 2024, Compared to Prior Year Period:

    • 2024 Revenues of $1.73 Million vs 2023 Revenues of $1.98 Million
    • 2024 EBITDA of $96,220 vs 2023 EBITDA of $51,567
    • 2024 Net Income of $48,633 vs 2023 Net Income (loss) of ($9,749)

    Key Financial Highlights for Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2024, Compared to Prior Year Period:

    • 2024 Revenues of $8.00 Million vs 2023 Revenues of $9.31 Million
    • 2024 EBITDA of $180,850 vs 2023 EBITDA of $732,733
    • 2024 Net Income (loss) of ($44,322) vs 2023 Net Income of $449,293

    Management Commentary:

    Chief Executive Officer Christopher Williams commented, “The Company continues to produce substantial annual revenues between $8MM-$10MM, making it a top-tier company in the OTC Markets space. Despite posting ~$8MM in revenue for 2024, the Company only slightly missed its 2024 volume sales target compared to 2023. The result in the ~$1.0MM revenue drop is due to the lower average cost of renewable and petroleum-based fuels in 2024 compared to the increased average cost of renewable and petroleum-based fuels in 2023. The Company regained OTCQB status in May 2024 and continues to seek an uplisting to Nasdaq or NYSE with a $5MM-$15MM capital raise to execute its growth plan.

    The Company’s 2024 Financial Audit has started and will report its SEC Form 1-K (2024 Annual Report) by 4/30/2025.

    Additional accurate information about the Company can be found on the OTC Markets website at the following links and on the EDGAR filing website provided by the Securities and Exchange Commission:

    CWPE Overview
    CWPE Security Detail
    CWPE Financials
    CWPE News
    CWPE Disclosures

    SEC Filings

    For additional information, visit our website at cwpetroleumcorp.com, email: investor@cwpetroleumcorp.com , or call 281-817-8099

    About CW Petroleum Corp

    CW Petroleum Corp, a Texas corporation, began operations in 2011. CW Petroleum Corp, a Wyoming corporation, was incorporated in April 2018 and has acquired the Texas corporation as a wholly-owned subsidiary. CW Petroleum Corp supplies and distributes Biodiesel, Biodiesel Blends, Renewable Gasoline, and a 92 Octane Reformulated No Ethanol Gasoline to distributors, convenience stores, marinas, and end-users. The EPA licenses the Company to create its proprietary gasoline blends. CW Petroleum Corp is licensed to distribute Diesel Fuel & Gasoline by the States of Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, California, Colorado, New Jersey, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Arizona.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    Certain statements in this press release may contain “forward-looking statements” regarding future events and our future results. All statements other than statements of historical facts are statements that could be deemed to be forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations, estimates, forecasts, and projections about the oil and gas markets, energy markets, and other markets in which we operate and the beliefs and assumptions of our management. Words such as “expects,” “anticipates,” “targets,” “goals,” “projects,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “seeks,” “estimates,” “endeavors,” “strives,” “may,” or variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned that these forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that are difficult to predict, estimate, or verify. Therefore, actual results may differ materially and adversely from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include those factors described in the Company’s most recent annual report on Form 1-K, which may be amended or supplemented by subsequent semiannual reports on Form 1-SA or other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements are made only as of the date hereof, and the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly release the result of any revisions to these forward-looking statements. For more information, please refer to the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

    No Offer or Solicitation

    This communication does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or a solicitation of any vote or approval, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Thriving and Flourishing Throughout 2024, Plum Sets Sights on Continued Growth in 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, Feb. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Reflecting on the company’s 18 percent growth over the past year, revolutionary talent assessment provider Plum expects to see the trend accelerate in the coming months. Citing the versatility of its offerings across the employee journey, including talent acquisition, internal mobility and leadership development, Plum secured several new clients, expanded existing relationships and forged significant partnerships throughout 2024.

    Plum CEO Caitlin MacGregor commented, “For Plum, 2024 was marked by the launch of PlumFlourish and PlumThrive, which were driven by the need to address very specific workforce challenges around career development and talent insights. Because of this, Plum is able to ensure that employees and employers can navigate today’s dynamic business environment, and enterprise organizations are looking to us for that guidance.”

    With the availability of PlumFlourish and PlumThrive alongside the company’s other enterprise solutions, Plum began working with Advocate Aurora Health, Scotia Caribbean and Temenos while expanding relationships with a Canadian multinational investment bank and financial services company, Arup, Bloomberg, CMP, Foundever and Hyundai Canada. Through Plum’s continued support for its customer base, the company helped to reimagine hiring processes, improve productivity, fill positions with internal talent, promote team development, maximize team efficiency and allow human potential to drive decision-making.

    On the partnership front, Plum added FairNow, Fountain, HackerRank, North Star Talent and Paylocity to its marketplace and finalized integration experiences with iCIMS and Paylocity. Plum also expanded its partnership with SAP SuccessFactors.

    MacGregor concluded, “By focusing on product and nurturing our relationships, Plum has built a strong foundation and maintained momentum, even through the headwinds observed last year. That’s what sets Plum apart and what makes Plum poised for success in 2025.”

    About Plum

    Revolutionary workforce solutions provider Plum knows that when people flourish, business thrives. Using objective data backed by scientific insights to measure and match human potential to job needs, Plum provides personalized career insights, improves quality of hire and helps create high-performing teams.

    With unmatched scalability, the award-winning Plum platform enhances talent decisions across the employee lifecycle, making it possible to understand skills, quantify job fit and analyze organizational culture. Visit www.plum.io to learn more.

    The MIL Network –