Category: Artificial Intelligence

  • PM Modi takes part in G7 outreach on energy security; calls for clean energy access, AI oversight, Global South priorities

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday participated in the outreach session on energy security at the 51st G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Canada, where he called for universal access to clean energy, responsible use of artificial intelligence, and greater attention to the needs of the Global South.

    In a post on X, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal highlighted key takeaways from the Prime Minister’s address.

    PM Modi emphasized that affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy remains India’s top priority in an increasingly technology-driven world.

    “In the last century, we saw competition for energy. In this century, we will have to cooperate for technology. Moving forward on the fundamental principles of availability, accessibility, affordability, acceptability, India has chosen the path of inclusive development” PM Modi said.

    He underscored India’s clean energy initiatives such as the International Solar Alliance, Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), and the Global Biofuels Alliance.

    PM Modi noted that India has already fulfilled its Paris climate commitments ahead of schedule and is rapidly advancing toward its Net Zero target by 2070.

    “Currently, renewable energy accounts for around 50 percent of our total installed capacity,” he added.

    PM Modi also reiterated India’s commitment to representing the concerns of the Global South on the world stage.

    “Unfortunately, the Global South countries suffer the most from uncertainty and conflicts. They are the first to be hit by crises related to food, fuel, fertilizer, and finance. India considers it its responsibility to bring the priorities and concerns of the Global South to the world stage,” he said.

    Highlighting India’s success in democratizing technology through Digital Public Infrastructure, the Prime Minister stressed the importance of meaningful and high-quality data as the foundation for inclusive and responsible AI.

    He called for global cooperation to build governance frameworks around artificial intelligence that both encourage innovation and address emerging risks.

    “AI itself is an energy-intensive technology. If there is any way to sustainably fulfill the energy requirements of a technology-driven society, it is through renewable energy,” PM Modi said.

    Addressing AI risks, PM Modi warned of the growing threat of deepfakes, urging the need for safeguards.

    “Deep fake is a cause of great concern. Watermarking or clear declaration should be mandatory for AI-generated content,” he said.

    On the issue of terrorism, the Prime Minister strongly condemned the recent Pahalgam terror attack, describing it as an attack on humanity and democratic values.

    “There should be no place for double standards on terrorism,” he said, urging the global community to adopt a consistent and firm stance against terror networks.

    “For global peace and prosperity, our thought and policy must be clear — if any country supports terrorism, it will have to pay the price for it. On one hand, we are quick to impose all kinds of sanctions based on our own preferences. On the other hand, countries that openly support terrorism are rewarded,” PM Modi added. 

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Secretary-General’s message on the International Day of Countering Hate Speech [scroll down for French version]

    Source: United Nations secretary general

    Hate speech is poison in the well of society. It has paved the way for violence and atrocity during the darkest chapters of human history. Ethnic and religious minorities often bear the brunt – facing discrimination, exclusion and harm.

    Today, as this year’s theme reminds us, hate speech travels faster and farther than ever, amplified by Artificial Intelligence. Biased algorithms and digital platforms are spreading toxic content and creating new spaces for harassment and abuse.

    The Global Digital Compact, adopted at the Summit of the Future, offers a path forward: calling for stronger international cooperation to tackle hate online, rooted in human rights and international law.

    To drown out the voices of hate, we need partnerships at every level: among governments, civil society, private companies and religious and community leaders. We need to counter toxic narratives with positive messaging and empower people to recognize, reject and stand up to hate speech. The United Nations Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech guides the way.

    The Global Principles for Information Integrity that I launched last year are also supporting and informing these efforts, as we push for a safer and more humane information ecosystem.

    As we mark this day, let us commit to using Artificial Intelligence, not as a tool of hate, but as a force for good. Let us stand united in the pursuit of peace, mutual respect, and understanding for all.

    ***

    Les discours de haine empoisonnent la société. Ils ont mené à la violence et aux atrocités qui ont fait les chapitres les plus sombres de l’histoire de l’humanité. Les minorités ethniques et religieuses sont souvent les plus touchées, se heurtant à la discrimination, à l’exclusion et aux attaques.

    Aujourd’hui, comme nous le rappelle le thème de cette année, les discours de haine se propagent plus vite et plus loin que jamais, amplifiés par l’intelligence artificielle. Des algorithmes et des plateformes numériques intégrant et reproduisant les préjugés diffusent des contenus toxiques et créent de nouveaux espaces de harcèlement et de violence.

    Le Pacte numérique mondial, adopté lors du Sommet de l’avenir, nous montre le chemin : il encourage une plus grande coopération internationale pour lutter contre la haine en ligne, ancrée dans les droits humains et le droit international.

    Pour étouffer les voix de la haine, nous avons besoin de partenariats à tous les niveaux : entre les États, la société civile, les entreprises privées et les responsables religieux et communautaires. Nous devons contrer les récits toxiques par des messages positifs et donner à chacun et chacune les moyens de reconnaître les discours de haine, de ne pas y céder et de s’y opposer. La Stratégie et le Plan d’action des Nations Unies pour la lutte contre les discours de haine nous servent de guide.

    Par ailleurs, les Principes mondiaux pour l’intégrité de l’information que j’ai lancés l’an dernier viennent étayer et orienter l’action que nous menons pour créer un écosystème de l’information plus sûr et plus humain.

    À l’occasion de cette journée, prenons l’engagement d’utiliser l’intelligence artificielle non pas comme un outil de haine, mais comme une force au service du bien. Restons unis dans la poursuite de la paix, du respect mutuel et de la compréhension de toutes et tous.

    ***

    MIL OSI United Nations News

  • MIL-OSI: GAM Holding AG appoints Albert Saporta as Group Chief Executive Officer and Tim Rainsford as Group Chief Distribution Officer

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Zurich: 18 June 2025

    PRESS RELEASE

    Ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 Listing Rules:

    GAM Holding AG appoints Albert Saporta as Group Chief Executive Officer and Tim Rainsford as Group Chief Distribution Officer

    GAM Holding AG (SWX: GAM) today announces senior leadership changes as the Group moves into the next phase of sustainable growth. Albert Saporta has been appointed Group Chief Executive Officer (Group CEO) effective from 1 July 2025, succeeding Elmar Zumbuehl who will remain with GAM until 31 December 2025 to support the transition. Additionally, Tim Rainsford will return to GAM to lead its distribution efforts as Group Chief Distribution Officer on 1 October 2025.

    These leadership changes reflect that GAM has successfully transformed and is now well positioned for growth. Under Elmar Zumbuehl’s leadership, GAM has undergone a comprehensive repositioning over the last 21 months; divesting non-core businesses, and rebuilding a lean, scalable platform designed to attract and empower top investment talent and better connect them to clients worldwide through a strengthened global distribution and client servicing network.

    Albert Saporta has over 40 years of experience in the investment management industry and served as Global Head of Investments & Products at GAM since October 2023. He will take over as Group CEO with a clear focus on accelerating growth through building on our existing and new product offerings and external opportunities. His passion for innovative investment strategies, drive for positive client outcomes, and energy is key for GAM’s next phase of growth.  

    Drawing on GAM’s pioneering heritage, combining internal and external investment talent, Albert Saporta has been instrumental in strengthening GAM’s investment team line-up and entering into multiple new partnerships with best-in-class investment managers. GAM is strongly positioned to provide clients with access to differentiated investment strategies across asset classes.

    Tim Rainsford will return to GAM as Group Chief Distribution Officer and a Group Management Board member. He brings extensive experience in leading global distribution functions focused on growth and delivering for clients. Tim Rainsford was CEO of Generali Investments Partners, and latterly, Chief Product and Distribution Officer for Generali Asset Management. 

    Rossen Djounov, Global Head of Client Solutions, will remain a senior member of the distribution leadership team, reporting to Tim, with a focus on driving growth initiatives and deepening strategic client relationships.

    Chairman of the Board, Antoine Spillmann, said: “On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to express our deepest gratitude to Elmar for his dedicated service and the significant achievements he has accomplished during his many years at GAM. His leadership has been pivotal in steering the company through transformative changes and setting a solid foundation for future sustainable growth. The Board is looking forward to working with Albert and Tim as GAM enters its next phase as a highly agile and scalable platform with a renewed focus on growth, innovation, and client outcomes.

    Albert Saporta said: “I am honoured to take on the role of GAM’s Group CEO. We have transformed GAM, and it is now well positioned with unique investment talent to deliver differentiated strategies to our clients. I am excited to be leading GAM into this next phase of sustainable growth.”

    Elmar Zumbuehl commented: “I am proud of what we’ve accomplished over the last 21 months, and I want to thank the Board and our anchor shareholder NJJ Holding for their support during this transformational phase. I also extend my heartfelt appreciation to every member of the firm for their unwavering commitment and efforts in successfully transforming GAM.”

    Tim Rainsford commented: “I’m thrilled to be returning to GAM with the firm’s focus on innovative strategies and commitment to client outcomes. I look forward to working closely with Albert and the broader team to drive growth and strengthen our global presence.”

    Biographies

    Albert Saporta:

    Albert has 40 years’ experience in financial markets, with over 30 years in the hedge fund industry. Albert started his career at Paribas in Paris, where he managed the Japan/Asia mutual funds from 1984-85. He joined Merrill Lynch in London as Vice President of Japanese equity sales from 1985-88. In 1988, he joined UBS Securities in London where he headed quantitative research and hedge fund sales for Japanese equities. In 1991, he joined IFM, a hedge fund owned by Jacob Rothschild’s St James’s Place and AIG, where he managed relative value global equity arbitrage strategies. In 1995, he left to set up Geneva-based AIM&R, a hedge fund advisory and research firm, managing the SOG and SOGAsia funds. In March 2006, Albert sold AIM&R ‘s research and hedge fund businesses to ABN Amro Bank (London). As part of the transaction, he set-up the Special Opportunities Group (SOG) at ABN, managing a balance sheet of >USD1bn in global arbitrage strategies and special situations. AIM&R was relaunched in 2011 as a research and trading advisory firm, advising global hedge funds, pension funds, prop trading firms and family offices.

    Albert has a master’s in International Affairs from Columbia University (1984), an MBA (1983) and BSc in economics (1982) from New York University, and a Math/Physics degree from the University of Nice (1980). He is fluent in French, English, Spanish and Portuguese. Albert holds French, Israeli and Spanish citizenships.

    Tim Rainsford:

    Tim Rainsford joins GAM Investments from Generali Investments Partners, where since September 2020 he was the Global Head of Product and Distribution. In this capacity, he led the global team of sales professionals based in Europe, focusing on defining the commercial development plans and strategies aimed at strengthening Generali Investments’ positioning in key markets and expanding its international footprint. 

    He was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Generali Investments Partners S.p.A. Società di gestione del risparmio (GIP) in April 2021, a key entity within the Generali Group’s Asset & Wealth Management business unit. In this role, he was responsible for steering the regulated entity and focusing on the investment management, product development and global sales efforts of the business unit, maximising the Group’s multi-boutique approach.  

    Before his tenure at Generali, he held significant positions in other major financial institutions. He served as Group Head of Distribution and Marketing at GAM Investments, where he was responsible for the company’s marketing and sales strategic direction. Earlier in his career, he spent thirteen years at Man Investments Ltd, holding various senior roles including Senior Managing Director – Head of European Sales, and Global Co-Head of Sales and Marketing.  

    For further information please contact:

    Colin Bennett | GAM Media Relations
    T +44 (0) 20 73 938 544 
    colin.bennett@gam.com

    Visit us: www.gam.com
    Follow us: X and LinkedIn 

    About GAM

    GAM Investments is a highly scalable global investment platform with strong global distribution capabilities focusing on three core areas, Specialist Active Investing, Alternative Investing and Wealth Management, that is listed in Switzerland. It delivers distinctive and differentiated investment solutions across its Investment and Wealth Management businesses. Its purpose is to protect and enhance clients’ financial future. It attracts and empowers brightest minds to provide investment leadership, innovation and a positive impact on society and the environment. Total assets under management were CHF 16.3 billion as of 31 December 2024. GAM Investments has global distribution with offices in 14 countries and is geographically diverse with clients in almost every continent. Headquartered in Zurich, GAM Investments was founded in 1983, and its registered office is at Hardstrasse 201 Zurich, 8005 Switzerland. For more information about GAM Investments, please visit www.gam.com. 

    Other Important Information

    This release contains or may contain statements that constitute forward-looking statements. Words such as “anticipate”, “believe”, “expect”, “estimate”, “aim”, “project”, “forecast”, “risk”, “likely”, “intend”, “outlook”, “should”, “could”, “would”, “may”, “might”, “will”, “continue”, “plan”, “probability”, “indicative”, “seek”, “target”, “plan” and other similar expressions are intended to or may identify forward-looking statements.

    Any such statements in this release speak only as of the date hereof and are based on assumptions and contingencies subject to change without notice, as are statements about market and industry trends, projections, guidance, and estimates. Any forward-looking statements in this release are not indications, guarantees, assurances or predictions of future performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the person making such statements, its affiliates and its and their directors, officers, employees, agents and advisors and may involve significant elements of subjective judgement and assumptions as to future events which may or may not be correct and may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any such statements. You are strongly cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and no person accepts or assumes any liability in connection therewith.

    This release is not a financial product or investment advice, a recommendation to acquire, exchange or dispose of securities or accounting, legal or tax advice. It has been prepared without taking into account the objectives, legal, financial or tax situation and needs of individuals. Before making an investment decision, individuals should consider the appropriateness of the information having regard to their own objectives, legal, financial and tax situation and needs and seek legal, tax and other advice as appropriate for their individual needs and jurisdiction.

    Attachments

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: GAM Holding AG appoints Albert Saporta as Group Chief Executive Officer and Tim Rainsford as Group Chief Distribution Officer

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Zurich: 18 June 2025

    PRESS RELEASE

    Ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 Listing Rules:

    GAM Holding AG appoints Albert Saporta as Group Chief Executive Officer and Tim Rainsford as Group Chief Distribution Officer

    GAM Holding AG (SWX: GAM) today announces senior leadership changes as the Group moves into the next phase of sustainable growth. Albert Saporta has been appointed Group Chief Executive Officer (Group CEO) effective from 1 July 2025, succeeding Elmar Zumbuehl who will remain with GAM until 31 December 2025 to support the transition. Additionally, Tim Rainsford will return to GAM to lead its distribution efforts as Group Chief Distribution Officer on 1 October 2025.

    These leadership changes reflect that GAM has successfully transformed and is now well positioned for growth. Under Elmar Zumbuehl’s leadership, GAM has undergone a comprehensive repositioning over the last 21 months; divesting non-core businesses, and rebuilding a lean, scalable platform designed to attract and empower top investment talent and better connect them to clients worldwide through a strengthened global distribution and client servicing network.

    Albert Saporta has over 40 years of experience in the investment management industry and served as Global Head of Investments & Products at GAM since October 2023. He will take over as Group CEO with a clear focus on accelerating growth through building on our existing and new product offerings and external opportunities. His passion for innovative investment strategies, drive for positive client outcomes, and energy is key for GAM’s next phase of growth.  

    Drawing on GAM’s pioneering heritage, combining internal and external investment talent, Albert Saporta has been instrumental in strengthening GAM’s investment team line-up and entering into multiple new partnerships with best-in-class investment managers. GAM is strongly positioned to provide clients with access to differentiated investment strategies across asset classes.

    Tim Rainsford will return to GAM as Group Chief Distribution Officer and a Group Management Board member. He brings extensive experience in leading global distribution functions focused on growth and delivering for clients. Tim Rainsford was CEO of Generali Investments Partners, and latterly, Chief Product and Distribution Officer for Generali Asset Management. 

    Rossen Djounov, Global Head of Client Solutions, will remain a senior member of the distribution leadership team, reporting to Tim, with a focus on driving growth initiatives and deepening strategic client relationships.

    Chairman of the Board, Antoine Spillmann, said: “On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to express our deepest gratitude to Elmar for his dedicated service and the significant achievements he has accomplished during his many years at GAM. His leadership has been pivotal in steering the company through transformative changes and setting a solid foundation for future sustainable growth. The Board is looking forward to working with Albert and Tim as GAM enters its next phase as a highly agile and scalable platform with a renewed focus on growth, innovation, and client outcomes.

    Albert Saporta said: “I am honoured to take on the role of GAM’s Group CEO. We have transformed GAM, and it is now well positioned with unique investment talent to deliver differentiated strategies to our clients. I am excited to be leading GAM into this next phase of sustainable growth.”

    Elmar Zumbuehl commented: “I am proud of what we’ve accomplished over the last 21 months, and I want to thank the Board and our anchor shareholder NJJ Holding for their support during this transformational phase. I also extend my heartfelt appreciation to every member of the firm for their unwavering commitment and efforts in successfully transforming GAM.”

    Tim Rainsford commented: “I’m thrilled to be returning to GAM with the firm’s focus on innovative strategies and commitment to client outcomes. I look forward to working closely with Albert and the broader team to drive growth and strengthen our global presence.”

    Biographies

    Albert Saporta:

    Albert has 40 years’ experience in financial markets, with over 30 years in the hedge fund industry. Albert started his career at Paribas in Paris, where he managed the Japan/Asia mutual funds from 1984-85. He joined Merrill Lynch in London as Vice President of Japanese equity sales from 1985-88. In 1988, he joined UBS Securities in London where he headed quantitative research and hedge fund sales for Japanese equities. In 1991, he joined IFM, a hedge fund owned by Jacob Rothschild’s St James’s Place and AIG, where he managed relative value global equity arbitrage strategies. In 1995, he left to set up Geneva-based AIM&R, a hedge fund advisory and research firm, managing the SOG and SOGAsia funds. In March 2006, Albert sold AIM&R ‘s research and hedge fund businesses to ABN Amro Bank (London). As part of the transaction, he set-up the Special Opportunities Group (SOG) at ABN, managing a balance sheet of >USD1bn in global arbitrage strategies and special situations. AIM&R was relaunched in 2011 as a research and trading advisory firm, advising global hedge funds, pension funds, prop trading firms and family offices.

    Albert has a master’s in International Affairs from Columbia University (1984), an MBA (1983) and BSc in economics (1982) from New York University, and a Math/Physics degree from the University of Nice (1980). He is fluent in French, English, Spanish and Portuguese. Albert holds French, Israeli and Spanish citizenships.

    Tim Rainsford:

    Tim Rainsford joins GAM Investments from Generali Investments Partners, where since September 2020 he was the Global Head of Product and Distribution. In this capacity, he led the global team of sales professionals based in Europe, focusing on defining the commercial development plans and strategies aimed at strengthening Generali Investments’ positioning in key markets and expanding its international footprint. 

    He was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Generali Investments Partners S.p.A. Società di gestione del risparmio (GIP) in April 2021, a key entity within the Generali Group’s Asset & Wealth Management business unit. In this role, he was responsible for steering the regulated entity and focusing on the investment management, product development and global sales efforts of the business unit, maximising the Group’s multi-boutique approach.  

    Before his tenure at Generali, he held significant positions in other major financial institutions. He served as Group Head of Distribution and Marketing at GAM Investments, where he was responsible for the company’s marketing and sales strategic direction. Earlier in his career, he spent thirteen years at Man Investments Ltd, holding various senior roles including Senior Managing Director – Head of European Sales, and Global Co-Head of Sales and Marketing.  

    For further information please contact:

    Colin Bennett | GAM Media Relations
    T +44 (0) 20 73 938 544 
    colin.bennett@gam.com

    Visit us: www.gam.com
    Follow us: X and LinkedIn 

    About GAM

    GAM Investments is a highly scalable global investment platform with strong global distribution capabilities focusing on three core areas, Specialist Active Investing, Alternative Investing and Wealth Management, that is listed in Switzerland. It delivers distinctive and differentiated investment solutions across its Investment and Wealth Management businesses. Its purpose is to protect and enhance clients’ financial future. It attracts and empowers brightest minds to provide investment leadership, innovation and a positive impact on society and the environment. Total assets under management were CHF 16.3 billion as of 31 December 2024. GAM Investments has global distribution with offices in 14 countries and is geographically diverse with clients in almost every continent. Headquartered in Zurich, GAM Investments was founded in 1983, and its registered office is at Hardstrasse 201 Zurich, 8005 Switzerland. For more information about GAM Investments, please visit www.gam.com. 

    Other Important Information

    This release contains or may contain statements that constitute forward-looking statements. Words such as “anticipate”, “believe”, “expect”, “estimate”, “aim”, “project”, “forecast”, “risk”, “likely”, “intend”, “outlook”, “should”, “could”, “would”, “may”, “might”, “will”, “continue”, “plan”, “probability”, “indicative”, “seek”, “target”, “plan” and other similar expressions are intended to or may identify forward-looking statements.

    Any such statements in this release speak only as of the date hereof and are based on assumptions and contingencies subject to change without notice, as are statements about market and industry trends, projections, guidance, and estimates. Any forward-looking statements in this release are not indications, guarantees, assurances or predictions of future performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the person making such statements, its affiliates and its and their directors, officers, employees, agents and advisors and may involve significant elements of subjective judgement and assumptions as to future events which may or may not be correct and may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any such statements. You are strongly cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and no person accepts or assumes any liability in connection therewith.

    This release is not a financial product or investment advice, a recommendation to acquire, exchange or dispose of securities or accounting, legal or tax advice. It has been prepared without taking into account the objectives, legal, financial or tax situation and needs of individuals. Before making an investment decision, individuals should consider the appropriateness of the information having regard to their own objectives, legal, financial and tax situation and needs and seek legal, tax and other advice as appropriate for their individual needs and jurisdiction.

    Attachments

    The MIL Network

  • PM Modi wraps up ‘productive’ Canada visit after G7 Summit, heads to Croatia

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday concluded what he described as a “productive visit” to Canada, where he participated in the G7 Summit at Kananaskis and held several high-level bilateral meetings with global leaders. He has now departed for Croatia, the final stop of his three-nation tour.

    “Concluding a productive Canada visit. Thankful to the Canadian people and Government for hosting a successful G7 Summit, which witnessed fruitful discussions on diverse global issues. We remain committed to furthering global peace, prosperity and sustainability,” PM Modi posted on X.

    In a separate post on X, Ministry of External affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said:

    “PM @narendramodi concludes a very productive visit to Canada! Held fruitful dialogue on key issues in the global context on energy security, technology, and innovation at the @G7 Summit. Met with several leaders and discussed bilateral ties. Next stop — Croatia.”

    During the G7 outreach session on energy security, PM Modi underscored the need for universal access to clean and sustainable energy. 

    He also highlighted India’s global initiatives, including the International Solar Alliance, Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), and the Global Biofuels Alliance.

    PM Modi reiterated India’s zero-tolerance policy on terrorism, thanking leaders for their condemnation of the Pahalgam terror attack. He called for unified global action against terrorism and emphasized the need to hold those who support or sponsor terrorism accountable.

    Highlighting India’s digital transformation, the Prime Minister emphasised India’s success in democratizing technology and adopting a human-centric approach. 

    “PM Modi also highlighted India’s experience in democratising use of technology and its human-centric approach in deploying it. He called for addressing global governance issues to tackle concerns of AI and to promote innovation in the field. He called for addressing global governance issues to tackle concerns of AI and to promote innovation in the field,” Jaiswal said in a post on X

    On the sidelines of the summit, PM Modi held bilateral meetings with several global leaders, including Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission; Charles Michel, President of the European Council; Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney; South African President Cyril Ramaphosa; UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer; French President Emmanuel Macron; Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva; Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

    Before departing for the three-nation tour, PM Modi had said the visit aimed to thank key partner nations for their unwavering support in India’s fight against cross-border terrorism and to rally international consensus on combating terrorism in all its forms.

  • PM Modi wraps up ‘productive’ Canada visit after G7 Summit, heads to Croatia

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday concluded what he described as a “productive visit” to Canada, where he participated in the G7 Summit at Kananaskis and held several high-level bilateral meetings with global leaders. He has now departed for Croatia, the final stop of his three-nation tour.

    “Concluding a productive Canada visit. Thankful to the Canadian people and Government for hosting a successful G7 Summit, which witnessed fruitful discussions on diverse global issues. We remain committed to furthering global peace, prosperity and sustainability,” PM Modi posted on X.

    In a separate post on X, Ministry of External affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said:

    “PM @narendramodi concludes a very productive visit to Canada! Held fruitful dialogue on key issues in the global context on energy security, technology, and innovation at the @G7 Summit. Met with several leaders and discussed bilateral ties. Next stop — Croatia.”

    During the G7 outreach session on energy security, PM Modi underscored the need for universal access to clean and sustainable energy. 

    He also highlighted India’s global initiatives, including the International Solar Alliance, Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), and the Global Biofuels Alliance.

    PM Modi reiterated India’s zero-tolerance policy on terrorism, thanking leaders for their condemnation of the Pahalgam terror attack. He called for unified global action against terrorism and emphasized the need to hold those who support or sponsor terrorism accountable.

    Highlighting India’s digital transformation, the Prime Minister emphasised India’s success in democratizing technology and adopting a human-centric approach. 

    “PM Modi also highlighted India’s experience in democratising use of technology and its human-centric approach in deploying it. He called for addressing global governance issues to tackle concerns of AI and to promote innovation in the field. He called for addressing global governance issues to tackle concerns of AI and to promote innovation in the field,” Jaiswal said in a post on X

    On the sidelines of the summit, PM Modi held bilateral meetings with several global leaders, including Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission; Charles Michel, President of the European Council; Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney; South African President Cyril Ramaphosa; UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer; French President Emmanuel Macron; Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva; Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

    Before departing for the three-nation tour, PM Modi had said the visit aimed to thank key partner nations for their unwavering support in India’s fight against cross-border terrorism and to rally international consensus on combating terrorism in all its forms.

  • PM Modi, Mark Carney agree on calibrated steps to restore India-Canada ties: Foreign Secretary Misri

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    In a key bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G7 Summit on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Canadian counterpart, Mark Carney, agreed to take “calibrated steps” to stabilise and rebuild the strained ties between India and Canada.

    Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri described the meeting as “very positive and constructive,” adding that both leaders underlined the importance of the relationship, grounded in “shared values, democracy, the rule of law, and people-to-people contact.”

    “The Prime Ministers agreed to take calibrated steps to restore stability to this very important relationship,” Misri told reporters in Kananaskis, Alberta, where the G7 Summit is underway. “The first of these steps will be the early restoration of High Commissioners to each other’s capitals.”

    Further, the foreign secretary said that the discussions explored a wide array of potential areas for collaboration, including clean energy, digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence, food security, critical minerals, LNG, higher education, mobility, and supply chain resilience. The two leaders reaffirmed their shared interest in promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

    Trade negotiations, which had stalled amid diplomatic tensions, were another major agenda item. The leaders agreed on the importance of restarting negotiations on the Early Progress Trade Agreement (EPTA), with a view to paving the way for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).

    “The leaders have agreed to remain in touch and meet again at the earliest opportunity,” Misri said.

    Carney, attending his first G7 Summit as prime minister, described India’s participation as a reflection of its rising global stature. “India’s presence here underscores its importance on the world stage and Prime Minister Modi’s leadership,” he said, also acknowledging New Delhi’s contributions to global counter-terrorism efforts.

    PM Modi thanked Carney for the G7 invitation and recalled his last visit to Canada in 2015. He noted that India’s G20 presidency had laid a strong foundation for initiatives now gaining traction at the G7.

    “It is my honour to visit Canada once again. The strong foundation India laid during the G20 Summit has taken a new shape and given new direction at the G7,” the Prime Minister said.

    The meeting marked the first in-person interaction between the two leaders since Carney assumed office following Canada’s recent general elections. It came amid efforts to restore stability and momentum to bilateral ties, which had been strained in recent times.

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Teach independence and reveal talents: how the best teachers of Moscow work with modern schoolchildren

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    Aleksandr Odzho was predicted to have a career as a diplomat, Elizaveta Bogatyreva wanted to become a teacher since childhood, and Pavel Sibiryakov came to the system of additional education from the theater stage. But they are all united by their victory in the Moscow City Professional Competition of Pedagogical Excellence and Public Recognition “Teachers of the Year in Moscow”, the results of which were summed up at the end of May. Teachers, educators, psychologists, defectologists, speech therapists, young specialists and teachers of additional education competed in six nominations. The winners and prize-winners will become mentors in their profession, and their methods will be used by colleagues.

    mos.ru correspondents talked to the best teachers in Moscow about modern children, learned how schools are changing, what opportunities there are for revealing students’ talents, and how technology helps with this.

    The Trial of Ivan the Terrible and Historical Dishes

    Alexander Odzho, the winner in the nomination “Teacher of the Year of Moscow”, had every chance to become a diplomat, journalist, actor. But the choice was made in favor of a teacher. But in this profession he successfully combines the ability to master words, and artistry, and diplomacy. Today Alexander Odzho teaches history, social studies, music and the basics of spiritual and moral culture of the peoples of Russia inschool #854 in Zelenograd.

    “The outstanding innovative teacher Vasily Sukhomlinsky has always been an example for me. Just like him, I believe that a child should always be given the right to choose and respected as an individual. Of course, since Sukhomlinsky’s time, the school education system has changed a lot, many new opportunities have appeared, but the teacher’s tasks have remained the same – to provide all the conditions for the development of children’s abilities and talents. Due to the development of the Internet, students’ attention quickly evaporates today, so lessons should be dynamic, with different types of activities. Visits to museums, excursions, videos and paintings by artists dedicated to historical subjects help study the events of the past. There are many such materials in

    “Moscow Electronic School”, and we constantly turn to them. History can even be “tasted”, for example, by preparing a dish described in books or archival documents,” notes Alexander Odzho.

    In the nomination “Moscow Teacher of the Year”, Alexander Odzho became the best among 437 participants. Earlier, he took second place in the nomination “Pedagogical Start” of the competition “Moscow Teachers of the Year” and reached the final of the Russian TV show “Class Topic”.

    “I dreamed of such a result since my student years, but I considered it unattainable. However, the management, colleagues and family supported me in everything. We filmed a fragment of a lesson for the selection round, then there was an interview with experts, a public speech on how to take care of yourself and others. At the master class, I showed my developments on how to teach a child to ask questions. This is an important point in pedagogy. In my lessons, I use such formats as discussion debates, conferences, round tables or a historical trial. At the last “session”, my students and I looked at the state administration of Ivan the Terrible. The class was divided into lawyers and prosecutors, who had to operate with facts. And everyone made their own verdict,” says Alexander Odzho.

    Now the teacher is preparing for the all-Russian stage of the “Teacher of the Year of Russia” competition and for the publication of his two books. One of them is dedicated to the development of domestic medicine, and the second – to the history of Russia in diagrams and tables.

    Become the first and move forward: what does victory at the All-Russian School Olympiad give to Moscow studentsExhibition of professions: how open days are held at the College of Architecture, Design and Reengineering No. 26

    Mind Maps and Mail with Pockets

    Elizaveta Bogatyreva works as a teacher inschool No. 236 named after Hero of the Soviet Union G.I. Shchedrin in the Dmitrovsky district with groups of children aged three to seven years. She chose her profession as a teenager: she took care of her younger brother and felt a calling to work with children. Two years ago, Elizaveta Bogatyreva won the Pedagogical Start nomination of the Moscow Teachers of the Year competition, and recently won the title of Moscow Educator of the Year, showing the best results among 409 participants.

    “The main task of the teacher is to teach children independence. For this, various methods and teaching aids are used. With the little ones, we study new words and phenomena using a mind map. In the center of the diagram, we briefly write down the topic, for example, “What do we know about dinosaurs.” Then we mark with arrows how we will develop it: we will make figures, put books about dinosaurs in the reading corner, ask parents what the difference is between predatory and herbivorous species. Another tool is a question tree. We write down on its leaves what interests the children, and then look for answers. All problems in the group are also brought up for discussion. Children offer their ideas, we form rules, write them down and hang them on the board. We also have a post office: each child has their own pocket on a special stand. The children put notes and gifts in them,” says Elizaveta Bogatyreva, a teacher at School No. 236.

    In her work with children, the mos.ru interviewee uses a playful approach. Thus, in the fall, Elizaveta Bogatyreva’s students made costumes of different animals and prepared for winter: they built burrows from construction sets and blankets, prepared supplies, the “predators” hunted, and the “herbivores” gathered forage.

    At one of the stages of the competition, Elizaveta Bogatyreva held a master class for teachers, where she showed her version of a literary hero’s diary of emotions.

    “I believe that it is important to instill an interest in reading from an early age, so we analyze the feelings and actions of characters in literary works. At the competition, I introduced my development to my colleagues, and as part of the selection round, I presented a video with a fragment of the lesson. At other tests, I answered questions from the field of school education, revealed the connection between humans and artificial intelligence, and demonstrated rapid response skills in the format of a press conference. Winning such a significant competition became a new point of personal growth for me and confirmation of my professional qualities. Now the main task is to worthily represent Moscow at the “Educator of the Year of Russia” competition, which will be held in September,” says Elizaveta Bogatyreva.

    More than 2.7 million people accessed the MES library materials during the past academic yearGraduates will be able to choose a university and specialty with the help of “MES”

    The most devoted fans are the students

    In the nomination “I give my heart to children”, having beaten 319 participants, the best was Pavel Sibiryakov, a teacher of additional education from the center for the development of creativity of children and youth “Hermes” in the Dmitrovsky district. Five years ago, he founded the theater studio “Nachalo” in the center, today more than 250 children aged six to 18 study there.

    “I came to the profession from the theater and today I combine teaching with acting. Being a theater teacher is not that easy: it is the work of a mentor, director and scriptwriter at the same time. An individual approach is important here. When we staged the play “The Nose” based on the story by Nikolai Gogol, I entrusted the main role – Kovalev – to the most shy student. He coped with it well, and this experience influenced his character: the student became more relaxed and self-confident, made friends with other children. For modern teenagers who are used to communicating on the Internet, the theater teaches live interaction, empathy, they mature, become more responsible,” says Pavel Sibiryakov.

    Pavel Sibiryakov has developed warm, trusting relationships with the students of the theater studio. The young actors share with him not only their creative experiences, but also their personal ones. And when the teacher took part in a competition, the children became his most devoted support group.

    “My students were very worried about me, wrote encouraging messages, sent videos, watched the live broadcast of the award ceremony together. It was my first time participating in such a serious competition and I did it primarily so that the children could be proud of their mentor and strive for more. I was also glad to meet my colleagues, and with some of them — to make friends. In the second round, having split into teams, we designed a residential area with a focus on educational infrastructure from a construction set, and in the final I held a master class with the cadets: I showed how to do a speech warm-up and diction exercises,” Pavel Sibiryakov shares.

    The teacher is currently preparing for the All-Russian stage of the competition and has already filmed a welcome video for it.

    Get the latest news quicklyofficial telegram channel the city of Moscow.

    More than 18 thousand pre-vocational students attended excursions to the capital’s enterprisesThe best school theatres have been selected in the capitalSergei Sobyanin: 103 students from creative schools and colleges became grant winners

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/155388073/

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • Prime Minister meets Prime Minister Mark Carney on the sidelines of the G7 Summit

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, on Tuesday.

    This was the first in-person interaction between the two leaders since Prime Minister Carney assumed office following Canada’s recent general elections. The meeting provided an opportunity for both sides to hold frank and forward-looking discussions on the state of India-Canada relations and the way ahead.

    The leaders reaffirmed the importance of India-Canada ties, based on shared democratic values, respect for the rule of law. and commitment to upholding the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity. They underlined the need to pursue a constructive and balanced partnership grounded in mutual respect for concerns and sensitivities, strong people-to-people ties, and growing economic complementarities. In this regard, both sides agreed to take calibrated and constructive steps to restore stability in the relationship, beginning with the early return of High Commissioners to each other’s capitals.

    They also emphasized the importance of restarting senior ministerial and working-level engagements across various domains to rebuild trust and inject momentum into the bilateral relationship.

    During their talks, the leaders discussed potential areas of future collaboration, including clean energy, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, liquefied natural gas (LNG), food security, critical minerals, higher education, mobility, and supply chain resilience. They reiterated their shared interest in promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific.

    The two leaders also stressed the importance of restarting negotiations on the stalled Early Progress Trade Agreement (EPTA), with a view to eventually concluding a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). To that end, they agreed to instruct their respective officials to intensify engagement.

    Both sides acknowledged the significant progress made at the G7 Summit and expressed their shared commitment to working together constructively on global priorities such as climate action, inclusive growth, and sustainable development.

    They further underlined the strength of the deep-rooted people-to-people ties between India and Canada, agreeing to leverage this living bridge for the benefit of both nations.

    The leaders concluded their meeting with a commitment to remain in touch and expressed hope to meet again at the earliest opportunity.

  • Prime Minister meets Prime Minister Mark Carney on the sidelines of the G7 Summit

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, on Tuesday.

    This was the first in-person interaction between the two leaders since Prime Minister Carney assumed office following Canada’s recent general elections. The meeting provided an opportunity for both sides to hold frank and forward-looking discussions on the state of India-Canada relations and the way ahead.

    The leaders reaffirmed the importance of India-Canada ties, based on shared democratic values, respect for the rule of law. and commitment to upholding the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity. They underlined the need to pursue a constructive and balanced partnership grounded in mutual respect for concerns and sensitivities, strong people-to-people ties, and growing economic complementarities. In this regard, both sides agreed to take calibrated and constructive steps to restore stability in the relationship, beginning with the early return of High Commissioners to each other’s capitals.

    They also emphasized the importance of restarting senior ministerial and working-level engagements across various domains to rebuild trust and inject momentum into the bilateral relationship.

    During their talks, the leaders discussed potential areas of future collaboration, including clean energy, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, liquefied natural gas (LNG), food security, critical minerals, higher education, mobility, and supply chain resilience. They reiterated their shared interest in promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific.

    The two leaders also stressed the importance of restarting negotiations on the stalled Early Progress Trade Agreement (EPTA), with a view to eventually concluding a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). To that end, they agreed to instruct their respective officials to intensify engagement.

    Both sides acknowledged the significant progress made at the G7 Summit and expressed their shared commitment to working together constructively on global priorities such as climate action, inclusive growth, and sustainable development.

    They further underlined the strength of the deep-rooted people-to-people ties between India and Canada, agreeing to leverage this living bridge for the benefit of both nations.

    The leaders concluded their meeting with a commitment to remain in touch and expressed hope to meet again at the earliest opportunity.

  • PM Modi takes part in G7 Summit’s outreach session on energy security

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday participated in the outreach session on energy security at the 51st G7 Summit, where he underscored the need for a sustainable and inclusive approach to global energy access.

    Addressing the gathering, PM Modi emphasised the importance of ensuring energy security for all people through green and sustainable pathways. He highlighted India’s key international initiatives in this area, including the International Solar Alliance, the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), and the Global Biofuels Alliance, according to Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.

    “Artificial Intelligence itself is an energy-intensive technology. The only sustainable way to meet the energy demands of a technology-driven world is through renewable energy,” the Prime Minister said. “Ensuring affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy remains India’s top priority.”

    He also reiterated India’s belief that technology holds real value only when its benefits reach every person, particularly in the Global South. “No country in the Global South should be left behind,” he said.

    Referring to India’s experience with digital governance, he noted that the country has democratised access to technology through its Digital Public Infrastructure, empowering both the economy and citizens. He also stressed that meaningful and high-quality data is essential for developing inclusive, capable, and responsible AI systems.

    Highlighting the growing relevance of artificial intelligence, PM Modi called for global governance mechanisms to address its associated risks and to promote innovation. He underlined the strategic link between critical minerals and emerging technologies, and called for resilient and secure supply chains. “In the era of AI, close collaboration between critical minerals and technology is essential,” he said.

    He raised concerns over the misuse of AI, particularly the rise of deepfake technology. “Deepfakes are a serious concern. There must be clear watermarks or disclosures on AI-generated content,” he said.

    Reflecting on historical trends, PM Modi noted that while the last century was marked by competition for energy, the current century demands cooperation in the realm of technology. “India is moving ahead on the principles of availability, accessibility, affordability, and acceptability, and has chosen the path of inclusive development,” he said.

    Despite being the world’s fastest-growing major economy, India has already fulfilled its Paris Agreement commitments ahead of schedule, he noted. “We are moving rapidly toward our target of Net Zero by 2070. Currently, renewable energy constitutes about 50 per cent of our total installed capacity,” he added.

    Turning to geopolitical challenges, PM Modi drew attention to the disproportionate impact of crises—such as those related to food, fuel, fertilisers, and finance—on Global South nations. “These countries suffer the most from global uncertainties and conflicts. India considers it its responsibility to bring their concerns to the global stage,” he said.

    On the issue of terrorism, the Prime Minister made a strong statement against double standards. Referring to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, he said, “This was not just an attack on a place; it was an assault on the soul, identity, and dignity of every Indian — and indeed, on humanity itself.”

    “Terrorism is the enemy of humanity and threatens all nations that uphold democratic values. There must be no ambiguity: if a country supports terrorism, it must be held accountable,” he said. “While we are quick to impose sanctions on various issues, the same urgency must be applied to terrorism.”

    The Prime Minister thanked world leaders at the G7 Summit for condemning the Pahalgam attack and urged the international community to take strong action against those who support or sponsor terrorism.

    He concluded by reiterating India’s commitment to promoting a human-centric and inclusive approach to technology, and called for strengthened global cooperation to ensure peace, sustainability, and equitable development.

    (IANS)

  • PM Modi takes part in G7 Summit’s outreach session on energy security

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday participated in the outreach session on energy security at the 51st G7 Summit, where he underscored the need for a sustainable and inclusive approach to global energy access.

    Addressing the gathering, PM Modi emphasised the importance of ensuring energy security for all people through green and sustainable pathways. He highlighted India’s key international initiatives in this area, including the International Solar Alliance, the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), and the Global Biofuels Alliance, according to Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.

    “Artificial Intelligence itself is an energy-intensive technology. The only sustainable way to meet the energy demands of a technology-driven world is through renewable energy,” the Prime Minister said. “Ensuring affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy remains India’s top priority.”

    He also reiterated India’s belief that technology holds real value only when its benefits reach every person, particularly in the Global South. “No country in the Global South should be left behind,” he said.

    Referring to India’s experience with digital governance, he noted that the country has democratised access to technology through its Digital Public Infrastructure, empowering both the economy and citizens. He also stressed that meaningful and high-quality data is essential for developing inclusive, capable, and responsible AI systems.

    Highlighting the growing relevance of artificial intelligence, PM Modi called for global governance mechanisms to address its associated risks and to promote innovation. He underlined the strategic link between critical minerals and emerging technologies, and called for resilient and secure supply chains. “In the era of AI, close collaboration between critical minerals and technology is essential,” he said.

    He raised concerns over the misuse of AI, particularly the rise of deepfake technology. “Deepfakes are a serious concern. There must be clear watermarks or disclosures on AI-generated content,” he said.

    Reflecting on historical trends, PM Modi noted that while the last century was marked by competition for energy, the current century demands cooperation in the realm of technology. “India is moving ahead on the principles of availability, accessibility, affordability, and acceptability, and has chosen the path of inclusive development,” he said.

    Despite being the world’s fastest-growing major economy, India has already fulfilled its Paris Agreement commitments ahead of schedule, he noted. “We are moving rapidly toward our target of Net Zero by 2070. Currently, renewable energy constitutes about 50 per cent of our total installed capacity,” he added.

    Turning to geopolitical challenges, PM Modi drew attention to the disproportionate impact of crises—such as those related to food, fuel, fertilisers, and finance—on Global South nations. “These countries suffer the most from global uncertainties and conflicts. India considers it its responsibility to bring their concerns to the global stage,” he said.

    On the issue of terrorism, the Prime Minister made a strong statement against double standards. Referring to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, he said, “This was not just an attack on a place; it was an assault on the soul, identity, and dignity of every Indian — and indeed, on humanity itself.”

    “Terrorism is the enemy of humanity and threatens all nations that uphold democratic values. There must be no ambiguity: if a country supports terrorism, it must be held accountable,” he said. “While we are quick to impose sanctions on various issues, the same urgency must be applied to terrorism.”

    The Prime Minister thanked world leaders at the G7 Summit for condemning the Pahalgam attack and urged the international community to take strong action against those who support or sponsor terrorism.

    He concluded by reiterating India’s commitment to promoting a human-centric and inclusive approach to technology, and called for strengthened global cooperation to ensure peace, sustainability, and equitable development.

    (IANS)

  • MIL-OSI: Bitget Wallet Expands Crypto Payment Capabilities with National QR Integration

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador, June 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —  Bitget Wallet, the leading non-custodial crypto wallet, has launched national QR payment support as part of its global PayFi initiative, with Vietnam becoming the first market to go live. The new feature allows users to pay with crypto by scanning VietQR, the country’s national QR code standard, widely adopted by local merchants. It marks a broader push to integrate crypto payments into national payment infrastructures across global markets, enabling direct payments from the self-custodial wallet with minimal fees and eliminating the need for fiat conversion.

    Users can now scan VietQR at local merchants and pay with stablecoins like USDT and USDC on Ethereum, Tron, Solana, Base, TON, and BNB Chain, with more chains to be added in the future. Upcoming auto-swap support will also allow payments in any token without manual conversion. Everyday transactions such as dining at street vendors and restaurants or buying groceries can be completed through a single scan, streamlined with automatic conversion and low fees.

    Through a strategic partnership with its licensed partner AEON, the next-generation crypto payment framework, Bitget Wallet now enables crypto payments across all 55+ banks and payment institutions that support VietQR. Over 2 million merchants nationwide accept the standard, offering stablecoin spending at both large retailers and small businesses. Vietnam marks the first phase of a broader rollout, with similar integrations planned across Southeast Asia, Latin America, and other regions.

    Bitget Wallet is the first self-custodial wallet to natively integrate a national QR system. Its scan function automatically detects whether a QR code is national or blockchain-based, such as Solana Pay, and processes transactions with real-time conversion. This eliminates reliance on third-party DApps and delivers a faster, more seamless payment experience.

    “We’re turning crypto from an investment asset into a usable currency,” said Jamie Elkaleh, CMO of Bitget Wallet. “By embedding local payment rails directly into the wallet via our partnership with AEON, we’re helping users spend their assets as easily as they store them — starting in Southeast Asia, and soon expanding to other regions.”

    Bitget Wallet also supports crypto card payments for both online and in-store use, as well as purchases from over 300 brands through its in-app marketplace. This unified payment experience gives users complete control—whether scanning, tapping, or shopping in-app—with a secure, intuitive interface.

    From June 16 to July 30, Bitget Wallet is offering 50% cashback on the first national QR payment made in Vietnam.

    More information is available through Bitget Wallet’s official channels.

    About Bitget Wallet
    Bitget Wallet is a non-custodial crypto wallet designed to make crypto simple and secure for everyone. With over 80 million users, it brings together a full suite of crypto services, including swaps, market insights, staking, rewards, DApp exploration, and payment solutions. Supporting 130+ blockchains and millions of tokens, Bitget Wallet enables seamless multi-chain trading across hundreds of DEXs and cross-chain bridges. Backed by a $300+ million user protection fund, it ensures the highest level of security for users’ assets. Its vision is Crypto for Everyone — to make crypto simpler, safer, and part of everyday life for a billion people.
    For more information, visit: X | Telegram | Instagram | YouTube | LinkedIn | TikTok | Discord | Facebook
    For media inquiries, contact media.web3@bitget.com

    About AEON
    AEON is the next-generation crypto payment framework, built for AI to drive intelligent, automated payments across Web3 and simplify how crypto works in real life. With omni-chain support, AEON’s AI Payments system allows intelligent agents to manage and automate transactions, payments, subscriptions, and remittances for users. With offerings like Web3 Mobile Payment that allows users to pay with crypto across 10,000 brands at 20+ million retail merchants in SEA, Africa and Latin America, Online Web3 Payment, Swap Pay, and a growing suite of AI-integrated payment services, AEON aims to create a future of crypto finance that’s intelligent, scalable, and borderless, where AI meets real life through seamless, scalable payments for next billion of users.

    Website | X | Telegram | Medium | AEON Pay

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-Evening Report: ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for June 18, 2025

    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on June 18, 2025.

    Saving species starts at home: how you can help Australia’s 1,000 threatened invertebrates
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Umbers, Associate Professor in Zoology, Western Sydney University Atlas Moth (_Attacus wardi_) Garry Sankowsky/flickr, CC BY When we think about animals, we tend to think of furry four-legged mammals. But 95% of all animal species are invertebrates – bees, butterflies, beetles, snails, worms, octopuses, starfish, corals,

    Matariki and our diminishing night sky: light pollution from cities and satellites is making stars harder to see
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shea Esterling, Senior Lecturer Above the Bar, University of Canterbury Zhang Jianyong/Xinhua via Getty Images This week, Aotearoa New Zealand officially celebrates Matariki for the fourth time, marked by the reappearance in the night sky of the star cluster also known as the Pleiades. Yet, ironically, the

    Why a US court allowed a dead man to deliver his own victim impact statement – via an AI avatar
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James D Metzger, Senior Lecturer in Law & Justice, UNSW Sydney Composite image: Arrington Watkins Architects / AI avatar: YouTube/StaceyWales, CC BY In November 2021, in the city of Chandler, Arizona, Chris Pelkey was shot and killed by Gabriel Horcasitas in a road rage altercation. Horcasitas was

    What’s the difference between food poisoning and gastro? A gut expert explains
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vincent Ho, Associate Professor and Clinical Academic Gastroenterologist, Western Sydney University Andrey_Popov/Shutterstock If you’ve got a dodgy tummy, diarrhoea and have been vomiting, it’s easy to blame a “tummy bug” or “off food”. But which is it? Gastro or food poisoning? What’s the difference anyway? What’s gastroenteritis?

    Sharks come in many different shapes and sizes. But they all follow a centuries-old mathematical rule
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jodie L. Rummer, Professor of Marine Biology, James Cook University Rachel Moore From hand-sized lantern sharks that glow in the deep sea to bus-sized whale sharks gliding through tropical waters, sharks come in all shapes and sizes. Despite these differences, they all face the same fundamental challenge:

    Iran war: from the Middle East to America, history shows you cannot assassinate your way to peace
    ANALYSIS: By Matt Fitzpatrick, Flinders University In the late 1960s, the prevailing opinion among Israeli Shin Bet intelligence officers was that the key to defeating the Palestinian Liberation Organisation was to assassinate its then-leader Yasser Arafat. The elimination of Arafat, the Shin Bet commander Yehuda Arbel wrote in his diary, was “a precondition to finding

    Solomon Islanders safe but unable to leave Israel amid war on Iran
    RNZ Pacific The Solomon Islands Foreign Ministry says five people who completed agriculture training in Israel are safe but unable to come home amid the ongoing war between Israel and Iran. The ministry said in a statement that the Solomon Islands Embassy in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, was closely monitoring the situation and maintaining

    We tracked Aussie teens’ mental health. The news isn’t good – and problems are worse for girls
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Scarlett Smout, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use and Australia’s Mental Health Think Tank, University of Sydney skynesher/Getty Images We know young people in Australia and worldwide are experiencing growing mental health challenges. The most recent national survey

    Australia could become the world’s first net-zero exporter of fossil fuels – here’s how
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Frank Jotzo, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy and Director, Centre for Climate and Energy Policy, Australian National University Photo by Jie Zhao/Corbis via Getty Images Australia is the world’s third largest exporter of gas and second largest exporter of coal. When burned overseas, these exports result

    Would a corporate tax cut boost productivity in Australia? So far, the evidence is unclear
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Isaac Gross, Lecturer in Economics, Monash University The Conversation, CC BY-NC The first term of the Albanese government was defined by its fight against inflation, but the second looks like it will be defined by a need to kick start Australia’s sluggish productivity growth. Productivity is essentially

    How high can US debt go before it triggers a financial crisis?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Hartigan, Lecturer in Economics, University of Sydney rarrarorro/Shutterstock The tax cuts bill currently being debated by the US Senate will add another US$3 trillion (A$4.6 trillion) to US debt. President Donald Trump calls it the “big, beautiful bill”; his erstwhile policy adviser Elon Musk called it

    Jaws at 50: how two musical notes terrified an entire generation
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alison Cole, Composer and Lecturer in Screen Composition, Sydney Conservatorium of Music, University of Sydney Universal Pictures Our experience of the world often involves hearing our environment before seeing it. Whether it’s the sound of something moving through nearby water, or the rustling of vegetation, our fear

    As Luxon heads to China, his government’s pivot toward the US is a stumbling block
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert G. Patman, Professor of International Relations, University of Otago Ahead of his first visit to China, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has been at pains to present meetings with Chinese premier Xi Jinping and other leaders as advancing New Zealand’s best interests. But there is arguably a

    The story of the journalist on the Rainbow Warrior’s last voyage, David Robie
    Report by Dr David Robie – Café Pacific. – In April 2025, several of the Greenpeace crew visited Matauri Bay, Northland, the final resting place of the original flagship, the Rainbow Warrior. This article was one of the reflections pieces written by an oceans communications crew member. COMMENTARY: By Emma Page I was on the

    As Israeli attacks draw tit-for-tat missile responses from Iran and shuts Haifa refinery, Gaza genocide continues
    Israeli media report that Iranian missile strikes on Haifa oil refinery yesterday killed 3 people and closed down the installation. The Israeli death toll has risen to 24, with 400 injured and more than 2700 people displaced. Israeli authorities report 370 missiles fired by Iran in total, 30 reaching their targets. Iranian military report they

    View from the Hill: Cancelled Albanese-Trump meeting a setback on tariffs, AUKUS
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Anthony Albanese’s failure to get his much-anticipated meeting with US President Donald Trump is not the prime minister’s fault, nor should it be characterised as a “snub” by the president. There was always a risk of derailment by outside events,

    Decoding PNG leader Marape’s talks with French President Macron
    ANALYSIS: By Scott Waide, RNZ Pacific PNG correspondent The recent series of high-level agreements between Papua New Guinea and France marks a significant development in PNG’s geopolitical relationships, driven by what appears to be a convergence of national interests. The “deepening relationship” is less about a single personality and more about a calculated alignment of

    There’s a new ban on vaping in childcare centres, but what else do we need to keep kids safe?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Erin Harper, Lecturer, School of Education and Social Work, University of Sydney On Monday, the federal government announced new rules to boost safety in the early childhood sector. From September there will be mandatory reporting of any allegations or incidents of child physical or sexual abuse within

    Regime change wouldn’t likely bring democracy to Iran. A more threatening force could fill the vacuum
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Thomas, Lecturer in Middle East Studies, Deakin University The timing and targets of Israel’s attacks on Iran tell us that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s short-term goal is to damage Iran’s nuclear facilities in order to severely diminish its weapons program. But Netanyahu has made clear another

    Why is there so much concern over Iran’s nuclear program? And where could it go from here?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Benjamin Zala, Senior Lecturer, Politics & International Relations, Monash University Maxar satellite imagery overview of the Fordow enrichment facility located southwest of Tehran. Maxar/Contributor/Getty Images Conflict between Israel and Iran is intensifying, after Israeli airstrikes on key nuclear sites and targeted assassinations last week were followed by

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-Evening Report: ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for June 18, 2025

    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on June 18, 2025.

    Saving species starts at home: how you can help Australia’s 1,000 threatened invertebrates
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Umbers, Associate Professor in Zoology, Western Sydney University Atlas Moth (_Attacus wardi_) Garry Sankowsky/flickr, CC BY When we think about animals, we tend to think of furry four-legged mammals. But 95% of all animal species are invertebrates – bees, butterflies, beetles, snails, worms, octopuses, starfish, corals,

    Matariki and our diminishing night sky: light pollution from cities and satellites is making stars harder to see
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shea Esterling, Senior Lecturer Above the Bar, University of Canterbury Zhang Jianyong/Xinhua via Getty Images This week, Aotearoa New Zealand officially celebrates Matariki for the fourth time, marked by the reappearance in the night sky of the star cluster also known as the Pleiades. Yet, ironically, the

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    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James D Metzger, Senior Lecturer in Law & Justice, UNSW Sydney Composite image: Arrington Watkins Architects / AI avatar: YouTube/StaceyWales, CC BY In November 2021, in the city of Chandler, Arizona, Chris Pelkey was shot and killed by Gabriel Horcasitas in a road rage altercation. Horcasitas was

    What’s the difference between food poisoning and gastro? A gut expert explains
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vincent Ho, Associate Professor and Clinical Academic Gastroenterologist, Western Sydney University Andrey_Popov/Shutterstock If you’ve got a dodgy tummy, diarrhoea and have been vomiting, it’s easy to blame a “tummy bug” or “off food”. But which is it? Gastro or food poisoning? What’s the difference anyway? What’s gastroenteritis?

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    RNZ Pacific The Solomon Islands Foreign Ministry says five people who completed agriculture training in Israel are safe but unable to come home amid the ongoing war between Israel and Iran. The ministry said in a statement that the Solomon Islands Embassy in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, was closely monitoring the situation and maintaining

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    Would a corporate tax cut boost productivity in Australia? So far, the evidence is unclear
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    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alison Cole, Composer and Lecturer in Screen Composition, Sydney Conservatorium of Music, University of Sydney Universal Pictures Our experience of the world often involves hearing our environment before seeing it. Whether it’s the sound of something moving through nearby water, or the rustling of vegetation, our fear

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    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-OSI China: Full text of Xi’s keynote speech at second China-Central Asia Summit

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    ASTANA, June 18 — Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a keynote speech Tuesday at the second China-Central Asia Summit in Astana, Kazakhstan.

    The following is the full text of the speech:

    Championing the China-Central Asia Spirit For High-Quality Cooperation in the Region

    Keynote Speech by H.E. Xi Jinping

    President of the People’s Republic of China

    At the Second China-Central Asia Summit

    Astana, June 17, 2025

    Your Excellency President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev,

    Distinguished Colleagues,

    Friends,

    I am delighted to join you at the second China-Central Asia Summit in the beautiful city of Astana. I’d like to thank President Tokayev and the government of Kazakhstan for the gracious hospitality and thoughtful arrangement.

    During our meeting in Xi’an two years ago, we jointly outlined the Xi’an Vision for China-Central Asia cooperation. The six pomegranate trees we planted together are in full bloom today, auguring the vitality of the cooperation among the six nations.

    Two years on, China and Central Asian countries have further deepened and substantiated Belt and Road cooperation. Our trade has grown by 35 percent, and we have made important progress in industrial investment, green mining, technological innovation, and other fields of cooperation. The package of projects with Chinese financial support are well underway. While more and more Chinese new energy vehicles and photovoltaic products are entering Central Asian markets, Central Asian agricultural products, including honey, fruits, wheat and poultry, are diversifying the dinner tables of Chinese families.

    Two years on, the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project has been officially launched. We are making steady progress in planning for the third railway link between China and Kazakhstan, in phase-II restoration of the China-Tajikistan highway, and in China-Turkmenistan energy cooperation. Freight train services are connecting more and more Chinese cities to Central Asia. The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route has been upgraded and expanded. Green industries, digital economy, artificial intelligence, aviation and space are becoming new drivers of our cooperation. Cross-border e-commerce, online education, and other new business models are benefiting more and more people in China and Central Asia.

    Two years on, China and Central Asian countries have made progress in establishing cultural centers in each other as well as in opening branches of Chinese universities and Luban Workshops. China has made mutual visa-free arrangements with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, facilitating more than 1.2 million travels between China and Kazakhstan alone in 2024. Tourism and culture years and art festivals of Central Asian countries are very popular in China. Chinese films and TV dramas, such as Min-Ning Town and To the Wonder, have become great hits in Central Asia. The China-Central Asia train services for cultural tourism have been successfully inaugurated. And today, we will witness the number of sister cities between China and Central Asia reach the milestone of 100 pairs.

    Two years on, we have launched 13 ministerial cooperation platforms under the China-Central Asia mechanism. The Secretariat is fully functioning, and the core framework of the mechanism is largely in place.

    I am pleased to see that our consensus at the first Summit has been implemented across the board — from the millennium-old Xi’an to Astana “the pearl of the steppe,” from the coast of the Yellow Sea to the shores of the Caspian Sea, from the Tianshan Mountain Range to the Pamir Plateau. The path of our cooperation is steadily widening, and our friendship is blooming ever more brightly.

    Distinguished Colleagues,

    Friends,

    Our cooperation is rooted in more than 2,000 years of friendly exchanges, cemented by solidarity and mutual trust cultivated through more than three decades of diplomatic ties, and taken forward via openness and win-win cooperation of the new era. Building on our collective efforts over the years, we have forged a China-Central Asia Spirit of “mutual respect, mutual trust, mutual benefit, and mutual assistance for the joint pursuit of modernization through high-quality development.”

    — We practice mutual respect and treat each other as equals. All countries, big or small, are equal. We handle issues through consultation and make decisions by consensus.

    — We seek to deepen mutual trust and enhance mutual support. We firmly support each other in safeguarding independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national dignity. We do not do anything harmful to the core interests of any party.

    — We pursue mutual benefit and win-win cooperation and strive for common development. We view each other as priority partners, and share development opportunities together. We accommodate each other’s interests, and work to build a win-win and symbiotic relationship.

    — We help each other in time of need and stand together through thick and thin. We support each other in choosing development paths suitable to our respective national conditions and in taking domestic matters into our own hands. We work together to address various risks and challenges, and uphold regional security and stability.

    This China-Central Asia Spirit is an important guideline for our endeavor to carry forward friendship and cooperation from generation to generation. We should always uphold it and let it shine forever.

    Distinguished Colleagues,

    Friends,

    Today, unprecedented changes are unfolding at a faster pace across the globe, thrusting the world into a new state of heightened turbulence and volatility. A strong belief in fairness and justice and an unyielding commitment to mutual benefit and win-win cooperation are the only way to maintain world peace and achieve common development. There is no winner in tariff wars or trade wars. Unilateralism, protectionism and hegemonism will surely backfire while hurting others.

    I always maintain that history should move forward, not backward; and the world should be united, not divided. Humanity must not regress to the law of the jungle. Instead, we should build a community with a shared future for mankind.

    Three years ago, we announced together that we would build a China-Central Asia community with a shared future, setting out the goal and direction of our six nations in building consensus, overcoming challenges and pursuing development. We should act on the China-Central Asia Spirit, enhance cooperation with renewed vigor and more practical measures, promote high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative, and forge ahead toward our goal of a community with a shared future for the region.

    First, we should stay committed to our fundamental goal of unity, and always trust and support each other. China consistently takes Central Asia as a priority in its neighborhood diplomacy. With a firm belief in an amicable, secure and prosperous neighborhood as well as a strong dedication to amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness, China interacts with Central Asian countries on the basis of equality and sincerity. We always wish our neighbors well.

    Today, we will sign together a treaty on eternal good-neighborliness, friendship and cooperation to enshrine the principle of everlasting friendship in the form of law. This is a new landmark in the history of the relations between our six countries and a pioneering initiative in China’s diplomatic engagement with its neighbors. It is a milestone for today and a foundation for tomorrow.

    Second, we should optimize our cooperation framework to make it more results-oriented, more efficient, and more deeply integrated. We have agreed to designate 2025 and 2026 as the Years of High-Quality Development of China-Central Asia Cooperation. We should focus our cooperation on smooth trade, industrial investment, connectivity, green mining, agricultural modernization and personnel exchanges, and roll out more projects on the ground. We should do our best to get early harvests as soon as possible.

    China is ready to share with Central Asian countries development experience and latest technological advances, promote connectivity in digital infrastructure, enhance cooperation on artificial intelligence, and foster new quality productive forces.

    In order to promote relevant cooperation, China has decided to establish three cooperation centers, i.e. on poverty reduction, on education exchange, and on desertification prevention and control, as well as a cooperation platform on smooth trade under the China-Central Asia cooperation framework. China will provide a grant of RMB 1.5 billion yuan to Central Asian countries this year to be used in livelihood and development projects high on their agenda. China will also provide 3,000 training opportunities to Central Asian countries in the next two years.

    Third, we should develop a security framework for peace, tranquility and solidarity. We should step up regional security governance, deepen law enforcement and security cooperation, jointly prevent and thwart extreme ideologies, and resolutely fight terrorism, separatism and extremism, so as to maintain peace and stability in our region.

    China supports Central Asian countries in modernizing their national defense, law enforcement and security capacities. We will do our best to help Central Asian countries combat terrorism and transnational organized crime and safeguard cybersecurity and biosecurity. We will launch more Safe City projects, and conduct more joint exercises and joint training cooperation.

    Afghanistan is our close neighbor. We should strengthen coordination to help the country boost its development capacity and achieve peace, stability, reconstruction and development at an early date.

    Fourth, we should cement the bonds of shared vision, mutual understanding and mutual affection between our peoples. China will enhance cooperation between legislatures, political parties, women, youth, media and think tanks with Central Asian countries, conduct in-depth exchange of governance experience, and share experience in green development, poverty reduction and anti-corruption.

    China is ready to set up more cultural centers, university branches and Luban Workshops in Central Asia, and launch new majors in Central Asian languages in Chinese universities. We will continue to carry out effectively the “China-Central Asia technology and skills improvement scheme” to train more high-caliber talent for Central Asian countries.

    China supports deepening subnational cooperation with Central Asia. We will make good use of sister-city relations and people-to-people exchanges to nurture heart-to-heart connections at central and subnational levels, between official and non-governmental actors, and from adjacent to broader areas.

    I hope that the travel-facilitation measures we adopt today will be implemented as soon as possible to help our people visit each other more conveniently, efficiently and frequently like relatives, and in the course help them become ever closer to each other.

    Fifth, we should uphold a fair and equitable international order and an equal and orderly world structure. China supports Central Asian countries in playing a bigger role in international affairs. We stand ready to work with all parties to defend international fairness and justice, oppose hegemonism and power politics, and promote an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization.

    This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, and the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. In the strenuous times of war, Chinese and Central Asian peoples supported each other through adversity, and jointly made important contributions to the cause of justice of humanity. We should promote the correct view of history, defend the fruits of the victory of World War II, uphold the UN-centered international system, and provide more stability and certainty for world peace and development.

    Distinguished Colleagues,

    Friends,

    China is building a great modern socialist country in all respects and advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through Chinese modernization. No matter how the international situation changes, China will remain unwavering in opening up to the outside world, and embrace higher-quality cooperation with Central Asian countries to deepen the integration of interests and achieve common development.

    Distinguished Colleagues,

    Friends,

    Ancient Chinese philosophy advocates “mutual care and mutual benefit.” Similarly, a Central Asian proverb compares harmony and unity to happiness and wealth. China is ready to work with all parties to carry forward the China-Central Asia Spirit, pursue the goal of a community with a shared future, and strive for new progress in China-Central Asia cooperation.

    Thank you.

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI China: Trump’s tax, budget bill to add 2.8 trillion USD to deficit: CBO

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    U.S. President Donald Trump’s tax and budget bill will increase the deficit by 2.8 trillion U.S. dollars over the next decade, according to a report released Tuesday by the U.S. nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO).

    The bill, also known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” is a core agenda for the Trump administration, encompassing a range of policies including taxation, border control, and artificial intelligence. The bill sparked sharp partisan debate within the United States over whether it would increase the national debt.

    “It’s not only not paying for all of itself, it’s not paying for any of itself,” Marc Goldwein, senior vice president and senior policy director for the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, said Tuesday on social media.

    The bill will also increase the wealth gap in the United States, costing the poorest Americans approximately 1,600 dollars per year, while increasing the average annual income of the wealthiest households by 12,000 dollars, according to the report released by the CBO on June 12.

    Due to several reports expressing pessimism about the bill and the government’s economic measures, the CBO has faced criticism from some Republican leaders.

    House Speaker Mike Johnson said the CBO is “notorious for getting things wrong.” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt described the CBO’s projections as “absurd.”

    As Trump urges Congress to approve the bill before July 4, the CBO’s predictions could lead to further controversy between the two parties over the bill. 

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-Evening Report: Why a US court allowed a dead man to deliver his own victim impact statement – via an AI avatar

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James D Metzger, Senior Lecturer in Law & Justice, UNSW Sydney

    Composite image: Arrington Watkins Architects / AI avatar: YouTube/StaceyWales, CC BY

    In November 2021, in the city of Chandler, Arizona, Chris Pelkey was shot and killed by Gabriel Horcasitas in a road rage altercation.

    Horcasitas was tried and convicted of reckless manslaughter.

    When it was time for Horcasitas to be sentenced by a judge, Pelkey’s family knew they wanted to make a statement – known as a “victim impact statement” – explaining to the judge who Pelkey had been when he was alive.

    They found they couldn’t get the words right.

    The solution for them turned out to be having Pelkey speak for himself by creating an AI-generated avatar that used his face and voice, allowing him to “talk” directly to the judge.

    In Arizona, a judge allowed an AI avatar of a deceased crime victim to “read” an impact statement.

    This marked the first time a United States court had allowed an AI-generated victim to make this kind of beyond-the-grave statement, and likely the first time something like this had occurred anywhere in the world.

    How was the AI avatar made and received?

    The AI avatar was created by Pelkey’s sister Stacey Wales and her husband Tim, with Stacey writing the words “spoken” by Pelkey – words that were not taken from anything he actually said when he was alive but based on what she believed he would have said.

    Stacey Wales explained how she came to create an AI video of her brother to allow him to deliver his own victim impact statement.

    The avatar was created by using samples of Pelkey’s voice from videos that had been recorded before his death and photos the family had of him – specifically a photo used at his funeral.

    In the video, Pelkey “says” he believes in forgiveness and “a God who forgives”, and that “in another life” he and Horcasitas could have been friends.

    After the video was played in court, Judge Todd Lang, who had allowed the AI statement to be delivered, stated he “loved” the AI, adding he “heard the forgiveness” contained in it. He further stated he felt the forgiveness was “genuine”.

    Judge Todd Lang’s reaction to Chris Pelkey’s AI victim impact statement.

    In the end, Horcasitas was sentenced to the maximum of ten-and-a-half years – more than the nine years the prosecution was seeking but equal to what Pelkey’s family asked for in their own victim impact statements.

    Could this happen in Australia?

    In general, court rules are similar across Australian states and territories and it would be unlikely these technological advances would be acceptable in Australian sentencing courts.

    These rules allow victims or their families to read their statement to courts, but this is limited to written statements usually edited by the prosecution, although victims may include drawings and photos where approved.

    A victim will generally read their own statement to the court. However, where the victim has died, family members can make a statement speaking to their own trauma and loss.

    Sometimes victims ask the prosecutor to read their statement, or the prosecutor merely hands over a written statement to the judge.

    To date, no Australian court has permitted family members to speak for the deceased victim personally and family members are generally limited to describing harms they have directly suffered.

    Victims may also be cross-examined by defence counsel on the statements’ content.

    Creating an AI avatar would be time-consuming and expensive for prosecutors to edit. Cross-examination by the defence would be impossible.

    Compared to the US, there is generally far less tolerance in Australian courts for dramatic readings of statements or using audio-visual materials.

    In the US, victims enjoy greater freedom to invoke emotions, explore personal narratives and even show videos of the deceased, all to give the court a better sense of the victim as a person.

    The use of an AI avatar, therefore, is not too far from what is already allowed in most US courts.

    Despite these allowances, there is still concern the emotional impact of a more direct statement from an AI victim could be used to manipulate the court by putting words into the victim’s virtual mouth.

    As can be seen in the Arizona sentencing, Judge Lang was clearly affected by the emotions generated by the AI Pelkey.

    Changes to Australian law would be needed to ban use of AI recordings specifically. But even without such changes, Australian sentencing practice is already so restrictive as to essentially preclude such technology.

    It seems Australia is some ways from joining Arizona in allowing an AI avatar of a deceased person speaking from “beyond the grave”.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    ref. Why a US court allowed a dead man to deliver his own victim impact statement – via an AI avatar – https://theconversation.com/why-a-us-court-allowed-a-dead-man-to-deliver-his-own-victim-impact-statement-via-an-ai-avatar-259045

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-OSI: High Arctic Overseas Announces Normal Course Issuer Bid

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES. ANY FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THIS RESTRICTION MAY CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF U.S. SECURITIES LAW

    CALGARY, Alberta, June 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — High Arctic Overseas Holdings Corp. (TSXV: HOH) (“High Arctic Overseas” or the “Corporation”) announced today that the TSX Venture Exchange (the “Exchange”) has accepted a notice filed by the Corporation of its intention to make a Normal Course Issuer Bid (the “Bid”) to be transacted through the facilities of the Exchange.

    The notice provides that the Corporation may, during the 12-month period commencing June 20, 2025 and ending June 19, 2026 purchase up to 622,408 Common Shares (“Shares”) in total, being approximately 5% of the total number of Shares outstanding as at June 17, 2025. The price which the Corporation will pay for any such Shares will be the prevailing market price at the time of acquisition. The actual number of Shares which may be purchased pursuant to the Bid and the timing of any such purchases will be determined by management of the Corporation. Purchases under the Bid will be made from time to time by ATB Capital Markets on behalf of the Corporation. The Corporation may enter into a pre-defined automatic securities purchase plan with ATB Financial to allow for the repurchase of Shares at times when the Corporation ordinarily would not be active in the market due to its own internal trading blackout periods, insider trading rules or otherwise. Any such plans entered into will be adopted in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws. Outside of the restricted periods, the timing of purchases will be determined by management of the Corporation.

    All Share purchases will be made on the open market through the facilities of the Exchange and will be purchased for cancellation. The funding for any purchase pursuant to the Bid will be financed out of the working capital of the Corporation.

    The Board of Directors believes the underlying value of the Corporation may not be reflected in the current market price of its Shares. As a result, depending upon future price movements and other factors, the Board believes that the purchase of the Shares would be an appropriate use of corporate funds and in the best interests of the Corporation and its shareholders. Furthermore, the purchases are expected to benefit all persons who continue to hold Shares by increasing their equity interest in the Corporation if the repurchased Shares are cancelled.

    A copy of the Corporation’s notice filed with the Exchange may be obtained, by any shareholder without charge, by contacting the Corporation’s Chief Executive Officer.

    About High Arctic Overseas Holdings Corp.

    High Arctic Overseas is a market leader in Papua New Guinea providing drilling and specialized well completion services, manpower solutions and supplies rental equipment including rig matting, camps, material handling and drilling support equipment.

    For further information, please contact:

    Mike Maguire
    Chief Executive Officer
    1.587.320.1301

    High Arctic Overseas Holdings Corp.
    Suite 2350, 330–5th Avenue SW
    Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2P 0L4
    www.higharctic.com
    Email: info@higharctic.com

    Cautionary Note and Forward-Looking Information

    This press release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information relates to future events or the anticipated performance of the Corporation and reflects management’s expectations or beliefs regarding such future events. In certain cases, statements that contain forward-looking information can be identified by the use of words such as “plans”, “expects”, “is expected”, “budget”, “scheduled”, “estimates”, “forecasts”, “intends”, “anticipates”, “believes” or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might”, or “will be taken”, “occur” or “be achieved” or the negative of these words or comparable terminology. Forward-looking information in this press release includes statements with respect to the anticipated benefits of the Bid, the entering into of an automatic securities purchase plan,‎ and the number of Shares that may be purchased under the Bid. By its very nature forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual performance of the Corporation to be materially different from any anticipated performance expressed or implied by such forward-looking information.

    Forward-looking information is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking information, including, without limitation, the risks described in the Corporation’s public disclosure documents which are filed on the Corporation’s profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

    The risk factors referred to above are not an exhaustive list of the factors that may affect any of the Corporation’s forward-looking information. Forward-looking information includes statements about the future and is inherently uncertain, and the Corporation’s actual achievements or other future events or conditions may differ materially from those reflected in the forward-looking information due to a variety of risks, uncertainties and other factors. The Corporation’s statements containing forward-looking information are based on the beliefs, expectations, and opinions of management on the date the statements are made, and the Corporation does not assume any obligation to update such forward-looking information if circumstances or management’s beliefs, expectations or opinions should change, other than as required by applicable law. For the reasons set forth above, one should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information.

    Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: High Arctic Overseas Announces Normal Course Issuer Bid

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES. ANY FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THIS RESTRICTION MAY CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF U.S. SECURITIES LAW

    CALGARY, Alberta, June 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — High Arctic Overseas Holdings Corp. (TSXV: HOH) (“High Arctic Overseas” or the “Corporation”) announced today that the TSX Venture Exchange (the “Exchange”) has accepted a notice filed by the Corporation of its intention to make a Normal Course Issuer Bid (the “Bid”) to be transacted through the facilities of the Exchange.

    The notice provides that the Corporation may, during the 12-month period commencing June 20, 2025 and ending June 19, 2026 purchase up to 622,408 Common Shares (“Shares”) in total, being approximately 5% of the total number of Shares outstanding as at June 17, 2025. The price which the Corporation will pay for any such Shares will be the prevailing market price at the time of acquisition. The actual number of Shares which may be purchased pursuant to the Bid and the timing of any such purchases will be determined by management of the Corporation. Purchases under the Bid will be made from time to time by ATB Capital Markets on behalf of the Corporation. The Corporation may enter into a pre-defined automatic securities purchase plan with ATB Financial to allow for the repurchase of Shares at times when the Corporation ordinarily would not be active in the market due to its own internal trading blackout periods, insider trading rules or otherwise. Any such plans entered into will be adopted in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws. Outside of the restricted periods, the timing of purchases will be determined by management of the Corporation.

    All Share purchases will be made on the open market through the facilities of the Exchange and will be purchased for cancellation. The funding for any purchase pursuant to the Bid will be financed out of the working capital of the Corporation.

    The Board of Directors believes the underlying value of the Corporation may not be reflected in the current market price of its Shares. As a result, depending upon future price movements and other factors, the Board believes that the purchase of the Shares would be an appropriate use of corporate funds and in the best interests of the Corporation and its shareholders. Furthermore, the purchases are expected to benefit all persons who continue to hold Shares by increasing their equity interest in the Corporation if the repurchased Shares are cancelled.

    A copy of the Corporation’s notice filed with the Exchange may be obtained, by any shareholder without charge, by contacting the Corporation’s Chief Executive Officer.

    About High Arctic Overseas Holdings Corp.

    High Arctic Overseas is a market leader in Papua New Guinea providing drilling and specialized well completion services, manpower solutions and supplies rental equipment including rig matting, camps, material handling and drilling support equipment.

    For further information, please contact:

    Mike Maguire
    Chief Executive Officer
    1.587.320.1301

    High Arctic Overseas Holdings Corp.
    Suite 2350, 330–5th Avenue SW
    Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2P 0L4
    www.higharctic.com
    Email: info@higharctic.com

    Cautionary Note and Forward-Looking Information

    This press release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information relates to future events or the anticipated performance of the Corporation and reflects management’s expectations or beliefs regarding such future events. In certain cases, statements that contain forward-looking information can be identified by the use of words such as “plans”, “expects”, “is expected”, “budget”, “scheduled”, “estimates”, “forecasts”, “intends”, “anticipates”, “believes” or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might”, or “will be taken”, “occur” or “be achieved” or the negative of these words or comparable terminology. Forward-looking information in this press release includes statements with respect to the anticipated benefits of the Bid, the entering into of an automatic securities purchase plan,‎ and the number of Shares that may be purchased under the Bid. By its very nature forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual performance of the Corporation to be materially different from any anticipated performance expressed or implied by such forward-looking information.

    Forward-looking information is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking information, including, without limitation, the risks described in the Corporation’s public disclosure documents which are filed on the Corporation’s profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

    The risk factors referred to above are not an exhaustive list of the factors that may affect any of the Corporation’s forward-looking information. Forward-looking information includes statements about the future and is inherently uncertain, and the Corporation’s actual achievements or other future events or conditions may differ materially from those reflected in the forward-looking information due to a variety of risks, uncertainties and other factors. The Corporation’s statements containing forward-looking information are based on the beliefs, expectations, and opinions of management on the date the statements are made, and the Corporation does not assume any obligation to update such forward-looking information if circumstances or management’s beliefs, expectations or opinions should change, other than as required by applicable law. For the reasons set forth above, one should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information.

    Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI USA: Video: Kaine Speaks About Harmful Impacts of GOP Tax Bill

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine

    VIDEO OF KAINE’S REMARKS IS AVAILABLE HERE.

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, hosted a spotlight forum with Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) to highlight how President Donald Trump and Republicans’ bill would make major cuts to vital programs that families rely on, including Medicaid and SNAP, in order to pay for massive tax breaks for the wealthy.

    “We’re here because of the reconciliation bill … which we call the ‘Big Beautiful Betrayal.’ And my Republican colleagues are trying to pass it by a party-line vote without including us in any of the discussions about what’s in the bill. But it would be disastrous for this country,” said Kaine as he began the forum. “We’ll do everything we can to try and defeat it.”

    Kaine continued, “President Trump and congressional Republicans are championing this BBB and it reflects choices – affirmative, calculated decisions about who to help and who to harm … But we don’t have to make a choice to harm middle-class and working people. We don’t have to do that. We can cut taxes for working- and middle-class families without cutting crucial programs that these families rely on. We can choose not to give additional tax breaks to those who have already been so benefitted in the past by tax breaks.

    “The top 20 percent of households will receive nearly 70 percent of the tax cuts in the House bill. That is an upside-down priority,” Kaine continued. “According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office … 16 million Americans nationwide will lose health care coverage under the House bill, and that includes more than 300,000 Virginians.

    “According to our Joint Economic Committee, the House bill … would cut SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, by 20 percent, slashing away a crucial safety net for about 200,000 Virginians – 800,000 get SNAP benefits [in total in Virginia]. The benefits are modest – $4.70 per day – but 200,000 of those 800,000 will either have their $4.70 benefit reduced or completely eliminated,” said Kaine. “SNAP fights hunger fast. When it’s slashed, families will feel hunger a lot faster.”

    Kaine continued, “If we take a second and just tally things up: the tax plan would boot millions off health care, take food from the mouths of hungry children and families, cut taxes for millionaires and billionaires, and drive up the deficit by 3 trillion, although I saw the Senate version actually knocks it up even further, maybe as high as $5 trillion. This is before you start factoring in historic and illegal tariffs that the administration is levying on the same everyday people who are suffering by these cuts,” Kaine said.

    “The Yale Budget Lab found that when you factor in both the reconciliation bill and the President’s tariff actions, the bottom 80 percent of American households are going to be worse off. So I truly hope my Republican colleagues will have a change of heart and rework this product, and we’re sure going to give them an opportunity to do it with all the amendments that we’re going to offer—very targeted amendments that will pose some really important choices for them. They could take out all of the SNAP and Medicaid cuts by scaling back the tax cuts for the wealthy, and still have a bill that costs the same as it is. This legislation is going to harm Virginians and harm Americans,” Kaine concluded.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Video: Kaine Speaks on Senate Floor Regarding His War Powers Resolution to Prevent War with Iran

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine

    VIDEO OF KAINE’S FLOOR SPEECH IS AVAILABLE HERE.

    WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees, spoke on the Senate floor about a war powers resolution he filed this week to express concern about the escalating violence in the Middle East and its potential to pull the U.S. into conflict. The resolution requires that any U.S. participation in offensive hostilities against Iran be explicitly authorized by Congress through a declaration of war or specific authorization for use of military force. It does not prevent the U.S. from defending itself from an imminent attack. The resolution is privileged, meaning that the Senate will be required to promptly consider and vote upon the resolution.

    “There’s no part of the Constitution that’s more important than the Article One provision making plain that the United States should not be at war without a vote of Congress,” said Kaine. “Yet the news of the day suggests that we are potentially on the verge of a war with Iran.”

    “I was elected to the Senate in 2012, having served as a Governor from 2006 to 2010 during a tremendous upsurge in the two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. I visited our troops multiple times in the green zones in Baghdad and in Afghanistan. I went to the deployments and the homecomings. I went to the wakes and the funerals,” Kaine continued. “And I told myself when I came to the Senate that if I ever had the chance to stop this nation from getting into an unnecessary war, I would do everything I could to stop us.”

    “I happen to believe that the United States engaging in a war against Iran – a third war in the Middle East since 2001 – would be a catastrophic blunder for this country,” Kaine said. “I think there are some in this body who have a different point of view than me on that point, but I think we should all be able to agree in the fundamental constitutional principle that says we shouldn’t be in a war if Congress doesn’t have the guts to debate it and vote on it. We should all – having taken an oath to the Constitution – at least support the principle that war is something that should be for Congress to declare.”

    “Our Constitution has, accordingly, with studied care, vested the question of war with the legislature,” said Kaine. “Other countries don’t do this, but the Framers of our Constitution in 1787 decided we’re going to be different. Before we send troops in harm’s way where they could be killed, where they could be injured, where they could see people that they love – their colleagues killed and injured – before we’re going to send troops in harm’s way in war, we want to see the people’s elected bodies – both houses – have a debate about what the stakes are and whether we should force our troops into harm’s way and potentially lose their lives. And that debate will be in full view of the American public, so the American public can understand what’s at stake and then they can call their representatives or write them a letter and tell them what they think about whether war is necessary and whether the sacrifice we ask of our troops should be the ultimate sacrifice that we are often asking of them in war.”

    “The question for this body that we will grapple with over the course of the next couple of weeks is whether the United States should be in another war in the Middle East – in particular, whether we should allow war to start without us, whether we should hide in the tall grass, rather than exercise our constitutional responsibility under Article One. This is fundamentally a debate about Congress being true to its oath of office and actually also being true to the obligations we have to our public,” Kaine said. “The Framers put this in the Constitution so that we wouldn’t be at war without a debate in front of the public.”

    “If we have that debate and we decide that war is in the national interest, then the troops go into war knowing that the civilian leadership of this country have had the hard debate in view of the American public and decided that the stakes are sufficient to ask people to make the ultimate sacrifice,” Kaine said. “How dare we ask people to make the ultimate sacrifice if we don’t have the guts to have a debate and decide whether a war is in the interest of this country?”

    “We need to have this debate in front of the American public,” Kaine said. “Let them watch us debate the stakes of this – and it might be that colleagues in this body or in the House think a war with Iran is a good idea. Let them put a war authorization on the table. Let’s debate that. Let’s debate that in front of Virginians and Kansans and Californians and hear what our constituents have to say. Let’s debate that in the full view of people whose spouses are in the military or whose kids are in the military. Let’s have that debate in front of them and hear what they think before we cast a vote that would be one of the most serious votes that you ever cast on the floor of a body like this. But we should not allow a war of the magnitude of this to begin with Congress hiding.”

    “I will be asking my colleagues to support my simple resolution as early as next week. No war without a vote of Congress. I’ll be asking my colleagues to support it and uphold the oath we’ve all taken to support the Constitution that established that most unusual principle, most unique principle, that is part of what makes this nation special,” Kaine concluded.

    For years, Kaine has been a leading voice in Congress raising concerns over presidents’ efforts to expand the use of military force without congressional authorization. In 2017, Kaine wrote a piece in TIME warning of the consequences if President Donald Trump pulled out of the nuclear deal with Iran. In 2018, Kaine wrote a piece in The Atlantic warning that Trump was blundering toward war with Iran. In March 2020, Congress passed Kaine’s bipartisan war powers resolution to prevent further escalation of hostilities with Iran without congressional authorization. In 2023, the Senate passed bipartisan legislation led by Kaine to repeal the 1991 and 2002 Authorizations for Use of Military Force (AUMFs) and formally end the Gulf and Iraq wars.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Economics: “Defying Boundaries To Celebrate Creativity” — Highlights From Art Basel in Basel 2025

    Source: Samsung

    From June 19 to 22, 2025, Samsung Electronics will collaborate with globally renowned artists to celebrate global diversity, artistic innovation and the power of display technology at Art Basel in Basel 2025, the world’s largest art fair held in Basel, Switzerland.
     
    ▲ As Art Basel’s official display partner, Samsung Electronics offers exclusive access to curated exhibition artworks via the Samsung Art Store, also on display onsite at Art Basel in Basel 2025.
     
    With participation from approximately 280 galleries across 42 countries, Art Basel in Basel 2025 offers a comprehensive view of the latest ideas shaping contemporary art today. As the official display partner, Samsung Electronics presents a new digital art experience that brings together art and technology through its premium screens including The Frame, Micro LED and Neo QLED 8K.
     

    Immersive Digital Art Experience: ‘ArtCube’ Draws Visitors Into the World of Art
    At Art Basel in Basel 2025, Samsung Electronics unveiled ‘ArtCube,’ a lounge dedicated to digital art experiences on Samsung devices. Created under the theme “Borderless, Dive Into the Art,” ArtCube offers a progressively immersive journey as visitors navigate the space.
     
    Passing through a large LED entrance where the Art Basel in Basel Collection from Samsung Art Store is reinterpreted as digital artworks, visitors discover a space showcasing the full lineup of Samsung Art TVs in the ArtCube. Artworks from the Samsung Art Store, displayed across ‘The Frame,’ ‘Micro LED’ and ‘Neo QLED 8K’ screens, envelope the front and side walls to create a deeply immersive experience — one that makes visitors feel as though they have stepped directly into the art itself.
     
    ▲ Samsung Art TVs — including The Frame Pro, MICRO LED and Neo QLED 8K — line the interior walls of ArtCube.
     
    ▲ A visitor views Basim Magdy’s artwork on display at ArtCube, part of the Samsung Art Store collection at Art Basel in Basel 2025.
     
    An interactive experience zone, powered by Samsung Art Store, is also featured. Visitors can select an artist showcased in the exhibition, take a photo and generate a personalized selfie in the chosen artist’s style, using generative AI — offering a distinctive and engaging experience.
     

    Bringing Art Into Everyday Life Through the Samsung Art Store
    Earlier this week, Samsung Electronics has unveiled a new collection featuring 38 highlighted pieces from Art Basel in Basel 2025, now available on the Samsung Art Store. With this launch, Samsung Art Store subscribers around the world can enjoy a diverse selection of Art Basel artworks from the comfort of their homes — without needing to travel to Basel, Switzerland.
     
    As the official display partner of Art Basel for 2025, Samsung Electronics will continue its participation in the annual exhibitions held in Basel, Hong Kong, Paris and Miami. Through Samsung Art Store, the company aims to make art more accessible and seamlessly integrated into everyday life.
     

    The Samsung Art Store* is a subscription-based art service available on Samsung’s The Frame and QLED TVs. Now accessible in 117 countries, the Samsung Art Store offers more than 3,500 artworks in stunning 4K resolution through collaboration with over 70 leading partners.

     
    ▲ Basim Magdy, featured in the Samsung Art Store collection at Art Basel in Basel 2025, views his own work on display at ArtCube.
     
    ▲ Visitors take in the vibrant, dreamlike works of Basim Magdy on display at ArtCube, part of Samsung’s digital art showcase at Art Basel in Basel 2025.
     
    ▲ A visitor captures Lee Kun-yong’s artwork on display at Samsung ArtCube.
     
    ▲ A visitor views Marc Dennis’ artwork on display at Samsung ArtCube.
     
    ▲ A vivid portrait in the style of Marc Dennis captures visitors’ attention at ArtCube, part of Samsung’s digital art showcase at Art Basel in Basel 2025.
     
    ▲ A vivid portrait in the style of Saya Woolfalk captures visitors’ attention at ArtCube, part of Samsung’s digital art showcase at Art Basel in Basel 2025.
     
    ▲ The experience zone highlights the Samsung Art Store and lets visitors create immersive, AI-powered photos with animated elements from featured artworks.
     
    ▲ One of the most striking pieces at ArtCube, Basim Magdy’s “The Dictator and His Cockroach Count Their Blessings” merges satire and dreamlike visuals in Samsung’s digital art showcase.
     
    ▲ Visitors explore the immersive artworks by Marc Dennis at ArtCube, where his vivid, hyperreal art pieces are brought to life with digital projections.
     
     
    * All artworks in Samsung Art Store are available with a membership subscription. Artwork availability is subject to change without prior notice and may vary by region.

    MIL OSI Economics

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tillis, Coons Announce New Bipartisan Support for Legislation to Restore American Innovation

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for North Carolina Thom Tillis
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Chris Coons (D-DE) announced that Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Mazie Hirono (D-HI) have joined the Patent Eligibility Restoration Act (PERA) as cosponsors. This bipartisan, bicameral legislation will restore patent eligibility to important inventions across many fields while also resolving legitimate concerns over the patenting of mere ideas, the mere discovery of what already exists in nature, and social and cultural content that everyone agrees is beyond the scope of the patent system. It also affirms the basic principle that the patent system is central to promoting technology-based innovation.
    “In recent years the Supreme Court has expanded judicial exceptions to such a degree that patent eligibility has gone from being a coarse filter to a fine one – resulting in U.S. inventors being unable to obtain patents in areas where our economic peers offer protections, such as for diagnostic medicine and for artificial intelligence,” said Senator Tillis. “Patent eligibility is but one of four criteria that determines whether a patent application can be issued as a patent. PERA will expand the aperture of patent eligibility – it does not automatically render something patentable – and will ensure that the U.S. does not shut the door to innovations that is welcomed by the patent systems of our economic peers. We cannot allow the U.S. to fall behind on the global stage and I’m glad to see more of my Senate colleagues recognize this pressing need.” 
    “When American innovators know their ideas are eligible for patent protection, they take the risks that push us into the future – whether that’s the next groundbreaking medical test or the latest AI technology,” said Senator Coons. “PERA restores clarity to the law on what can be patented and what cannot – guidance that federal courts have been requesting for years and that the Supreme Court has refused to provide. I’m excited to welcome my colleagues from both sides of the aisle to this bill. This is another step toward providing America’s inventors with the stable legal foundation they need to produce the cutting-edge technologies that power our economy.”
    “Our patent system must fuel innovation and secure America’s competitive edge over adversaries like Communist China,” said Senator Blackburn. “The bipartisan Patent Eligibility Restoration Act would restore patent eligibility for important inventions across many critical fields to ensure America remains ahead of the curve when it comes to technological innovation.”
    “A series of Supreme Court decisions restricting patent eligibility have constricted American innovation,” said Senator Hirono. “The Patent Eligibility Restoration Act will help clarify patent eligibility law, encouraging technological innovation to help ensure that our country does not fall behind on innovation. Importantly, this legislation only affects patent eligibility, it does nothing to affect the many other requirements for patentability.”
    Background:
    Unfortunately, due to a series of Supreme Court decisions, patent eligibility law in the United States has become confused, constricted, and unclear in recent years. This has resulted in a wide range of well-documented negative impacts – inconsistent case decisions, uncertainty in innovation and investment communities, and unpredictable business outcomes.
    As of 2021, all 12 then-sitting judges of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit lamented the state of the law. Witnesses and stakeholders from a wide array of industries, fields, interest groups, and academia have testified and submitted comments confirming the uncertainty and detailing the detrimental effects of patent eligibility confusion in the United States. There is now widespread bipartisan agreement in Congress and across all recent Administrations that reforms are necessary to restore the United States to a position of global strength and leadership in key areas of technology and innovation, such as medical diagnostics, biotechnology, personalized medicine, artificial intelligence, 5G, and blockchain. 
    The Patent Eligibility Restoration Act achieves this critical goal by restoring patent eligibility to important inventions across many fields, while also resolving legitimate concerns over patenting of mere ideas, the mere discovery of what already exists in nature, and social and cultural content that everyone agrees is beyond the scope of the patent system, which is a system aimed at promoting technology-based innovation. As a general approach, the Patent Eligibility Restoration Act maintains the existing statutory categories of eligible subject matter, which have worked well for over two centuries, but eliminates the overly malleable set of current judicial exceptions – replacing them with five specific, defined statutory exclusions. By eliminating and replacing the current judicial exceptions, the Patent Eligibility Restoration Act provides predictable patent eligibility for important computer-implemented technological developments and medical advances, creating a solid bedrock for America’s innovation future.
    Full text of the bill is available HERE. 

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Marine Environment – Three major French investors reject deep sea mining

    Source: United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC)

    Three major French financial institutions, including two of the country’s largest banks and the state’s public investment arm, have announced their rejection of deep sea mining during the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC) last week in Nice.

    The three institutions are:

    • BNP Paribas – France’s largest and Europe’s second largest bank. BNP Paribasconfirms it does not invest in deep sea mining projects due to the intrinsic environmental and social risks involved.

    • Crédit Agricole – The second largest bank in France and the world’s largest cooperative financial institution. Crédit Agricole stated it will not finance deep sea mining projects until it has been proven that such operations pose no significant harm to marine ecosystems.

    • Groupe Caisse des Dépôts – The public investment arm of the French Government, which also holds a majority stake in La Banque Postale. The Group has pledged to exclude all financing and investment in companies whose main activity is deep sea mining, as well as in deep sea mining projects.

    Amundi Asset Management also made a statement that it seeks to avoid investment in companies “involved in deep sea mining and/or exploration”.

    This now brings to 24 the number of financial institutions who exclude deep sea mining in some form. 

    Deep Sea Mining Campaign Finance Advocacy Officer Andy Whitmore says: “This is a truly significant outcome from UNOC. Until recently no French financiers had matched their Government’s position calling for a ban. This UN Ocean Conference, co-hosted by France, was the perfect opportunity for the most important national players to step up and be counted”

    These financial announcements are a sign of global concern pushing itself on to the agenda. World leaders renewed calls for a global moratorium on the dangerous industry, with French President Emmanuel Macron denouncing it as “madness”, with UN Secretary-General António Guterres responding to recent announcements from President Trump by warning that the deep sea “cannot become the Wild West.” Slovenia, Latvia, Cyprus and the Marshall Islands also announced their support for a moratorium or precautionary pause, bringing the number of like-minded countries to 37. 

    Andy Whitmore concluded “the events at UNOC have added further momentum to the financial establishment rejecting deep sea mining. The recent unseemly rush to mine is creating push-back from the financial world, as much as from governments and civil society.”

    Read the Full List of Financiers Excluding DSM.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News

  • MIL-OSI USA: FAA Announces $1.9 Million for Projects at North Dakota Airports

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced an award of $1,906,102 through the Airport Infrastructure Grant (AIG) program for projects at several airports across North Dakota. The funding will be distributed as follows:

    • $1,000,000 to the City of Minot to reconstruct 1,500 feet of the existing airport firefighting, rescue building, and hangar access road.
    • $322,254 to the Washburn Municipal Airport Authority for a new 200-foot Taxilane midfield to provide airfield access to a nonexclusive hangar development area to bring the airport into conformity with current standards.
    • $250,000 to the Barnes County Municipal Airport Authority to fund the final reconstruction of an existing lighting vault building and equipment.
    • $225,000 to the Oakes Municipal Airport Authority to replace one existing airport rotating beacon.
    • $108,848 to the Cando Municipal Airport Authority to reseal 4,433 square yards of existing North Apron pavement and pavement joints, reseal 450 feet of existing Taxiway A pavement and pavement joints, and reseal 466 feet of existing Taxilane East pavement and pavement joints to extend its useful life.

    The AIG Program was established by the fully-paid-for Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to provide airports with funding for modernization and safety projects. Since its creation, airports in North Dakota have received over $49 million in program funding.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Prime Minister Carney concludes 2025 G7 Leaders’ Summit

    Source: Government of Canada – Prime Minister

    In an increasingly dangerous and divided world, co-operation with reliable partners is more important than ever. With G7 partners, Canada will build a new era of collaboration – one rooted in mutual support and resilient partnerships. Canada is ready to lead.

    Today, the Prime Minister, Mark Carney, concluded his participation in the 2025 G7 Leaders’ Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta. Under Canada’s Presidency, this G7 deepened co-operation with joint statements in the following areas: 

    Prime Minister Carney also announced the following measures in support of Ukraine:

    • Sanctions on individuals, entities, and vessels that continue to support Russia’s aggression in Ukraine.
    • An additional $2 billion in military assistance this year.
    • The disbursement of a $2.3 billion loan to Ukraine through the G7 Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration Loans mechanism.
    • The allocation of $57.4 million in security-related assistance.

    Canada will also be taking action to build stronger economies and international systems:

    • $391.3 million to catalyze private capital toward economic growth and development projects around the world.
    • Up to $185.6 million to accelerate the adoption and commercialization of artificial intelligence.
    • $120.4 million to global wildfire prevention, response, and recovery.
    • $80.3 million to build reliable critical minerals supply chains.
    • $22.5 million to accelerate the development and use of quantum technologies.
    • Up to $544 million in guarantees for new development financing in Latin America and the Caribbean.

    While our threats cross borders, so do our partnerships and opportunities. In these areas of common interest, Canada is leading G7 co-operation to deliver stability, security, and prosperity. 

    Quote

    “In Kananaskis, Canada’s Presidency showed that we’re ready to create new international partnerships, deepen alliances, and lead member nations into a new era of global co-operation. Canada has the resources the world wants and the values to which others aspire. Canada is meeting this moment with purpose and strength.”

    Related Products

    Associated Link

    MIL OSI Canada News

  • MIL-OSI: Diversified Royalty Corp. Announces Acquisition of US-Based Cheba Hut Franchising, Inc.’s Trademarks, a 10% Dividend Increase, and an Increase in Size of its Acquisition Facility

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Diversified Royalty Corp. (TSX: DIV and DIV.DB.A) (the “Corporation” or “DIV”) is pleased to announce that it has acquired the trademarks and certain other intellectual property used by Cheba Hut Franchising, Inc. (“Cheba Hut”) of Fort Collins, Colorado, adding a ninth royalty stream (and the second based in the United States) to DIV’s portfolio. All dollar amounts in this news release, unless specifically denominated in U.S. dollars, are represented in Canadian dollars.

    Highlights

    • Acquisition of Cheba Hut’s worldwide trademark portfolio and certain other intellectual property rights for US$36 million and certain additional consideration
    • Initial annual royalty revenue from Cheba Hut of US$4 million, representing approximately 7% of DIV’s pro-forma adjusted revenue1
    • The royalty grows at a fixed rate equal to the greater of 3.5% and the U.S. Consumer Price Index (“U.S. CPI”) + 1.5% per year
    • Annual dividend on DIV’s common shares to be increased 10% from 25 cents per share to 27.5 cents per share, effective July 1, 2025
    • DIV’s strong balance sheet enabled it to fund the Transaction without the need to raise equity

    1. Pro-forma adjusted revenue is a non-IFRS financial measure and as such, does not have a standardized meaning under IFRS. For additional information, refer to “Non-IFRS Measures” in this news release.

    Acquisition Overview

    DIV and its wholly-owned subsidiary Cheeb Royalties Limited Partnership (“Cheeb LP”) entered into an acquisition agreement dated June 17, 2025 (the “Acquisition Agreement”) with Cheba Hut and an affiliate of Cheba Hut pursuant to which Cheeb LP acquired (the “Acquisition”) Cheba Hut’s worldwide trademarks portfolio and certain other intellectual property rights utilized by Cheba Hut in its fast casual, toasted sub sandwich restaurants (the “Cheba Rights”) for a purchase price (the “Purchase Price”), of US$36 million cash. The Purchase Price was funded with (i) approximately US$18 million drawn from DIV’s amended acquisition facility (further details below) (the “Acquisition Facility”), (ii) approximately US$8 million from DIV’s cash on hand, (iii) US$5 million drawn from a new senior credit facility issued to Cheeb LP (the “Cheeb Credit Facility”), and (iv) US$5 million drawn from a new senior term credit facility issued to DIV (the “Additional Term Facility”).

    Immediately following the closing of the Acquisition, DIV licensed the Cheba Rights in the United States back to Cheba Hut for 50 years, in exchange for an initial royalty payment of US$4 million per annum (the “Royalty” and together with the Acquisition, the “Transaction”). The Royalty will be automatically increased at a rate equal to the greater of 3.5% and the U.S. CPI + 1.5% per year without any further consideration payable by DIV or Cheeb LP. Cheba Hut may also increase the annual royalty payable on April 1st of each year following the closing (each an “Adjustment Date”) subject to Cheba Hut satisfying certain royalty coverage tests. The amount of each royalty increase cannot be less than US$500,000 per annum and must, in respect of amounts over that threshold, be in increments of US$100,000 per annum. In consideration for a royalty increase on an Adjustment Date, Cheeb LP will pay an amount to Cheba Hut in cash, based on a multiple between 7 and 8 times (depending on certain conditions being met) the incremental annual royalty purchased, as additional consideration for the Cheba Rights.

    Payment of the Royalty will be secured by a general security agreement granted by Cheba Hut to Cheeb LP, and by secured corporate guarantees to be granted to Cheeb LP by several affiliates of Cheba Hut.

    The Acquisition is expected to increase DIV’s tax pools by approximately $51 million to a total of approximately $424 million, which can be depreciated over time to reduce DIV’s cash taxes. Amounts paid for incremental annual royalties will also increase DIV’s tax pools.

    Founded in 1998, Cheba Hut has 77 fast casual, toasted sub sandwich restaurants in the US. All of Cheba Hut’s locations are franchised, except for two corporate stores and substantially all future growth is currently expected to result from opening additional franchised locations. Cheba Hut had US$149 million of system sales2 and SSSG2 of 5% in 2024. Cheba Hut is forecasting over US$187 million in system sales2 in the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025.

    2. System sales and same store sales growth (SSSG) are supplementary financial measures and as such, do not have standardized meanings under IFRS. For additional information, refer to “Non-IFRS Measures” in this news release.

    Sean Morrison, Chief Executive Officer of DIV, stated, “The Cheba Hut trademark acquisition and royalty agreement adds a ninth royalty stream to DIV’s portfolio, representing approximately 7% of DIV’s pro-forma adjusted revenue3 and is another step in our strategy of purchasing royalties from a diverse group of proven multi-location businesses and franchisors. We believe Cheba Hut’s impressive track record of growth is a result of its strong store-level economics, quality of its franchisees and experience of its management team. Scott Jennings, the founder of Cheba Hut, and his management team represent a great partner for DIV, as they strongly believe in the continued success of Cheba Hut over the long term and therefore partnering with DIV was far superior to selling equity ownership. We look forward to working with Scott and Cheba Hut’s management team to continue expanding the business across the U.S.

    DIV has worked to promote its royalty model in the U.S. market and now, with its second US-based royalty transaction, is building significant momentum in that market. Such continued momentum in the U.S. franchisor market will become significant to DIV as it scales its business going forward.

    Further, DIV’s strong balance sheet (cash on hand, under-levered existing royalty LP’s, an unused acquisition facility) enabled it to fund the Transaction without the need to raise equity. DIV’s less than 100% payout ratio4, automated DRIP program and ability to refinance existing LP’s will enable it to substantially pay down the acquisition facility within 12 months. This is a game-changer for DIV as all prior trademarks acquisitions have been funded concurrently, or shortly thereafter, with a sizeable equity raise.”

    Scott Jennings, stated, “DIV understands and believes that leaving us in control of our company keeps us in the best position to sustain our controlled growth. In addition, we can continue to take care of our product, partners, crew, and most importantly our CUSTOMERS the way we have for the last 27 years. We thank DIV for believing in Cheba Hut and helping us stay in excellent position to keep our soul intact for the next 50 years and beyond!!!”

    3. Pro-forma adjusted revenue is a non-IFRS financial measure, and as such, does not have a standardized meaning under IFRS. For additional information, refer to “Non-IFRS Measures” in this news release.

    Amendment to Acquisition Facility

    DIV amended its Acquisition Facility to increase the size from $50 million to $70 million and extend the maturity date to May 30, 2027, and thereafter to June 17, 2028 (if certain conditions are met).

    DIV and Cheeb LP Credit Facilities

    Cheeb LP financed US$5 million of the Purchase Price with new bank debt having a term of three years from closing. The Cheeb Credit Facility is non-amortizing and has a floating interest rate equal to SOFR + 2.5% per annum; however, DIV will have 90 days following closing to effectively fix the interest rate on 75% of the amount borrowed under this facility through an interest rate swap. The Cheeb Credit Facility is secured by the Cheba Rights and the Royalty payable by Cheba Hut, and has covenants customary for this type of a credit facility.

    DIV financed approximately US$18 million of the Purchase Price from the Acquisition Facility as amended and described above. The approximately US$18 million drawn on the Acquisition Facility is interest-only for twelve months and thereafter amortizes over a 60-month period. In connection with the Transaction, DIV financed US$5 million of the Purchase Price from an Additional Term Facility of US$5 million with a term of approximately 18 months. The Additional Term Facility is non-amortizing and has a floating interest rate based on SOFR plus a spread based on prevailing market rates. The Additional Term Facility is secured by a general security interest over the assets of the Corporation and, if requested by the lender, may be secured by specific assignments of certain material agreements entered into by the Corporation from time to time, and has covenants customary for this type of credit facility. DIV intends to pay down the Acquisition Facility through a combination of cash flows, debt refinancings and/or capital markets transactions.

    Dividend Policy Increase

    DIV’s board of directors has approved an increase in DIV’s dividend policy to increase its annualized dividend from 25.0 cents per share to 27.5 cents per share effective July 1, 2025, an increase of 10%. DIV estimates its pro-forma payout ratio4 will be approximately 94.9% (pro-forma payout ratio, net of DRIP is approximately 83.0%)4.

    4. Pro-forma payout ratio and pro-forma payout ratio, net of DRIP are non-IFRS ratios, and as such, do not have standardized meanings under IFRS. For additional information, refer to “Non-IFRS Measures” in this news release.

    Investor Conference Call

    Management of DIV will host a conference call on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, at 7:00 am Pacific Time (10:00 am Eastern Time). To participate by telephone across Canada, call toll free at 1 (800)  717-1738 or 1 (289) 514-5100 (conference ID 02753). The presentation will be followed by a question-and-answer session. An archived telephone recording of the call will be available until Wednesday, September 17, 2025, by calling 1 (888) 660-6264 or 1 (289) 819-1325 (playback passcode: 02753 #). The management presentation for the conference call will be available on DIV’s website https://www.diversifiedroyaltycorp.com/investors/investor-presentation/ prior to the call. Alternatively, the link to the webcast of the conference can be found below:

    https://onlinexperiences.com/Launch/QReg/ShowUUID=AE82A2E9-8F95-4F22-BF7D-3DF54A94A39D

    About Diversified Royalty Corp.

    DIV is a multi-royalty corporation, engaged in the business of acquiring top-line royalties from well-managed multi-location businesses and franchisors in North America. DIV’s objective is to acquire predictable, growing royalty streams from a diverse group of multi-location businesses and franchisors.

    DIV currently owns the Mr. Lube + Tires, AIR MILES®, Sutton, Mr. Mikes, Nurse Next Door, Oxford Learning Centres, Stratus Building Solutions, BarBurrito and Cheba Hut trademarks. Mr. Lube + Tires is the leading quick lube service business in Canada, with locations across Canada. AIR MILES® is Canada’s largest coalition loyalty program. Sutton is among the leading residential real estate brokerage franchisor businesses in Canada. Mr. Mikes operates casual steakhouse restaurants primarily in western Canadian communities. Nurse Next Door is a home care provider with locations across Canada and the United States as well as in Australia. Oxford Learning Centres is one of Canada’s leading franchisee supplemental education services. Stratus Building Solutions is a leading commercial cleaning service franchise company providing comprehensive janitorial, building cleaning, and office cleaning services primarily in the United States. BarBurrito is the largest quick service Mexican restaurant food chain in Canada. Cheba Hut is a fast casual toasted sub sandwich franchise with locations across 19 U.S. states.

    DIV’s objective is to increase cash flow per share by making accretive royalty purchases and through the growth of purchased royalties. DIV intends to continue to pay a predictable and stable monthly dividend to shareholders and increase the dividend over time, in each case as cash flow per share allows.

    Forward Looking Statements

    Certain statements contained in this news release may constitute “forward-looking information” or “financial outlook” within the meaning of applicable securities laws that involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking information or financial outlook. The use of any of the words “anticipate”, “continue”, “estimate”, “expect”, “intend”, “may”, “will”, ”project”, “should”, “believe”, “confident”, “plan” and “intends” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking information, although not all forward-looking information contains these identifying words. Specifically, forward-looking information or financial outlook in this news release includes, but are not limited to, statements made in relation to: the increase in DIV’s annual dividend; statements related to the expected tax implications of the Acquisition on DIV; substantially all future growth for Cheba Hut is currently expected to result from opening additional franchised locations; Cheba Hut’s forecasted system sales in the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025; the expected financial impact of the Transaction on DIV, including on its pro-forma payout ratio, pro-forma payout ratio, net of DRIP and pro-forma adjusted revenue; DIV intends to pay down the Acquisition Facility through a combination of cash flows, debt refinancings and/or capital markets transactions; the continued expansion in the U.S. franchisor market and the expected effect on DIV and its business; DIV’s intention to continue to pay a predictable and stable monthly dividend to shareholders and increase the dividend over time; and DIV’s corporate objectives. The forward-looking information and financial outlook contained herein involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events, performance, or achievements of DIV to differ materially from those anticipated or implied therein. DIV believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information and financial-outlook are reasonable but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct. In particular there can be no assurance that: DIV will realize the expected benefits of the Transaction, or that it will be accretive; the actual tax implications of the Acquisition and the Transaction on DIV will be consistent with the tax implications expected by DIV; Cheba Hut will pay the Royalty and otherwise comply with its obligations under the agreements governing the Transaction; Cheba Hut will not be adversely affected by the other risks facing its business; DIV may not complete any further royalty acquisitions; DIV may not increase its dividend in accordance with the currently expected timing or amounts; DIV will be able to make monthly dividend payments to the holders of the DIV common shares; or DIV will achieve any of its corporate objectives. Given these uncertainties, readers are cautioned that forward-looking information and financial outlook included in this news release are not guarantees of future performance, and such forward-looking information and financial outlook should not be unduly relied upon. More information about the risks and uncertainties affecting DIV’s business and the businesses of its royalty partners can be found in the “Risk Factors” section of its Annual Information Form dated March 24, 2025 and the “Risk Factors” section of its management’s discussion and analysis for the three months ended March 31, 2025 that are available under DIV’s profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

    In formulating the forward-looking statements contained herein, management has assumed that, among other things, Cheba Hut will be successful in meeting its stated corporate objectives, including its growth targets; DIV will realize the expected benefits of the Transaction; the Cheba Hut business will not suffer any material adverse effect; the actual tax implications of the Acquisition, the Transaction and the payment of the Royalty will be consistent with the tax implications expected by DIV; and the business and economic conditions affecting DIV and Cheba Hut will continue substantially in the ordinary course, including without limitation with respect to general industry conditions, general levels of economic activity and regulations. These assumptions, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect.

    To the extent any forward-looking information in this news release constitute a “financial outlook” within the meaning of applicable securities laws, such information is being provided to assist investors in understanding the potential financial impact of the Transaction, the Cheeb Credit Facility, the Additional Term Facility and the dividend increase and may not appropriate for other purposes.

    All of the forward-looking information and financial outlook disclosed in this news release is qualified by these cautionary statements and other cautionary statements or factors contained herein, and there can be no assurance that the actual results or developments contemplated thereby will be realized or, even if substantially realized, that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on, DIV contemplated by such forward-looking information and financial outlook contained herein. The forward-looking information and financial outlook included in this news release is made as of the date of this news release and DIV assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise such information to reflect new events or circumstances, except as may be required by applicable law.

    Non-IFRS Measures

    Management believes that disclosing certain non-IFRS financial measures, non-IFRS ratios and supplementary financial measures provides readers with important information regarding the Corporation’s financial performance and its ability to pay dividends, the performance of its royalty partners and the financial impacts to DIV of the Transaction. By considering these measures in combination with the most closely comparable IFRS measure, management believes that investors are provided with additional and more useful information about the Corporation, its royalty partners and the Transaction than investors would have if they simply considered IFRS measures alone. The non-IFRS financial measures, non-IFRS ratios and supplementary financial measures used in this news release do not have standardized meanings prescribed by IFRS and therefore are unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. Investors are cautioned that non-IFRS financial measures should not be construed as a substitute or an alternative to net income or cash flows from operating activities as determined in accordance with IFRS.

    The non-IFRS financial measure used in this news release is pro-forma adjusted revenue, which includes as components the following non-IFRS financial measures: DIV royalty entitlement, adjusted revenue and run-rate adjusted revenue. Run-rate adjusted revenue is calculated as the sum of DIV’s adjusted revenue for each of the three months ended December 31, 2024 and March 31, 2025, multiplied by two for purposes of annualizing such amount, plus the amount of Mr. Lube’s roll-in of royalties from 5 net new store locations on May 1, 2025. Pro-forma adjusted revenue is calculated as the run-rate adjusted revenue plus the amount of the initial adjusted revenue contribution payable by Cheba Hut. DIV management believes run-rate adjusted revenue provides useful information as it provides supplemental information regarding DIV’s consolidated revenues, and pro-forma adjusted revenue provides useful information as it provides supplemental information regarding DIV’s consolidated revenues after giving effect to the Transaction. For an explanation of the composition of DIV royalty entitlement and adjusted revenue, including a reconciliation to the most directly comparable IFRS measure, see the disclosure under the heading “Description of Non-IFRS Financial Measures, Non-IFRS Ratios and Supplementary Financial Measures” in DIV’s management discussion and analysis for the three months and year ended December 31, 2024 and three months ended March 31, 2025, copies of which are available under DIV’s profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca, which is incorporated by reference herein.

    The following table reconciles revenue for the three months ended December 31, 2024 and March 31, 2025 to pro-forma adjusted revenue and run-rate adjusted revenue:

    (Cdn$000’s)  (a)
    Q4 2024
    (b)
    Q1 2025
    =(a+b) x 2
    Annualized
    Revenues 17,032 15,639 65,342
    DIV royalty entitlement 1,320 1,329 5,298
    Adjusted revenue 18,352 16,968 70,640
           
    Adjustment:      
    Mr. Lube roll-in – May 1, 2025(1)     668
    Run-rate adjusted revenue      71,308
           
    Cheba Hut contribution(2)     5,600
    Pro-forma adjusted revenue     76,908
           

    1) Adjustment for Mr. Lube’s roll-in of royalties from 5 net new store locations on May 1, 2025, assuming incremental annual net system sales (system sales is a non-IFRS supplementary measure and as such, does not have a standardized meaning under IFRS – see the disclosure under the heading “Description of Non-IFRS Financial Measures, Non-IFRS Ratios and Supplementary Financial Measures” in DIV’s management discussion and analysis for the three months and year ended December 31, 2024 and three months ended March 31, 2025) of $8.4 million, multiplied by 7.95% royalty rate

    2) Cheba Hut contribution is calculated as the initial adjusted revenue contribution of USD$4,000,000 payable by Cheba Hut, multiplied by a USD to CAD exchange rate of $1.4:1

    The non-IFRS ratios used in this news release are pro-forma payout ratio and pro-forma payout ratio, net of DRIP, which include as components the following non-IFRS financial measures: EBITDA, normalized EBITDA, distributable cash, run-rate distributable cash, pro-forma distributable cash, pro-forma dividends declared and DIV royalty entitlement net of NND Royalties LP expenses. Run-rate distributable cash is calculated as the sum of DIV’s distributable cash for each of the three months ended December 31, 2024 and March 31, 2025, multiplied by two for purposes of annualizing such amount, plus the after-tax amount of Mr. Lube’s roll-in of royalties from 5 net new store locations on May 1, 2025, less adjustments for interest income and current tax. Pro-forma distributable cash is calculated as run-rate distributable cash plus the amount of the initial adjusted revenue contribution payable by Cheba Hut, less incremental operating expenses, interest expenses and taxes. DIV management believes run-rate distributable cash provides useful information as it provides supplemental information regarding DIV’s ability to generate cash available for payment of dividends after adjusting for non-recurring expenses and pro-forma distributable cash provides useful information as it provides supplemental information regarding DIV’s ability to generate cash available for payment of dividends after giving effect to the Transaction. Pro-forma dividends declared is calculated as DIV’s new annualized dividend of $0.275 per share multiplied by the number of DIV common shares issued and outstanding as of March 31, 2025. Pro-forma dividends declared is used to calculate the pro-forma payout ratio, and thus management believes that it provides useful information as to DIV’s expected future aggregate annualized dividend payments. Pro-forma payout ratio is calculated as pro-forma dividends declared divided by pro-forma distributable cash. Pro-forma payout ratio, net of DRIP is calculated as the difference of (X) pro-forma dividends declared less (Y) dividends paid by DIV in the form of DIV common shares issued under DIV’s dividend reinvestment plan (“DRIP”) at an estimated participation rate of 12.5%, divided by pro-forma distributable cash. For an explanation of the composition of EBITDA, normalized EBITDA, distributable cash and DIV royalty entitlement net of NND Royalties LP expenses, including a reconciliation to the most directly comparable IFRS measure, see the disclosure under the heading “Description of Non-IFRS Financial Measures, Non-IFRS Ratios and Supplementary Financial Measures” in DIV’s management discussion and analysis for the three months and year ended December 31, 2024 and three months ended March 31, 2025, copies of which are available under DIV’s profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca, which is incorporated by reference herein. DIV management believes that (i) pro-forma payout ratio provides useful information as it provides supplemental information regarding DIV’s ability to generate cash to pay dividends following the completion of the Transaction and the increase to the dividend, and (ii) pro-forma payout ratio, net of DRIP provides useful information as it provides supplemental information regarding DIV’s ability to generate cash to pay dividends following the completion of the Transaction and the increase to the dividend after adjusting for dividends paid by DIV in the form of DIV common shares issued under the DRIP.

    The following table reconciles net income for the three months ended December 31, 2024 and March 31, 2025, to run-rate distributable cash and pro-forma distributable cash and illustrates the calculation of pro-forma payout ratio and pro-forma payout ratio, net of DRIP:

    (Cdn$000’s) (a)
    Q4 2024
    (b)
    Q1 2025
    =(a+b) x 2
    Annualized
    Net income 4,015 7,993 24,016
           
    Interest expense on credit facilities 3,368 3,150 13,036
    Income tax expense 1,653 2,997 9,300
    Depreciation expense 25 24 98
    EBITDA 9,061 14,164 46,450
           
    Adjustments:      
    Share-based compensation 645 368 2,026
    Other finance costs, net (2,044) 995 (2,098)
    Fair value adjustment on financial instruments 15 (904) (1,778)
    Payment of lease obligations (28) (28) (112)
    DIV royalty entitlement net of NND Royalties LP expenses 1,314 1,325 5,278
    Impairment loss 8,204 16,408
    Normalized EBITDA 17,167 15,920 66,174
    Add: interest income 139 135 548
    Less: Distributions on exchangeable MRM units (34) (48) (164)
    Less: current tax expense (1,301) (1,719) (6,040)
    Less: interest expense on credit facilities (3,368) (3,150) (13,036)
    Distributable cash 12,603 11,138 47,482
           
    Adjustment:      
    Mr. Lube roll-in – May 1, 2025, net of taxes(1)     487
    Interest income adjustment     (493)
    Current tax adjustment     (2,000)
    Run-rate distributable cash     45,476
    Cheba Hut distributable cash contribution(2)     3,075
    Pro-forma distributable cash     48,551
           
    Pro-forma dividends declared(3)     46,081
    Pro-forma payout ratio     94.9%
           
    Pro-forma dividends declared, net of DRIP(4)     40,321
    Pro-forma payout ratio, net of DRIP     83.0%
           

    1) Adjustment for Mr. Lube’s roll-in of royalties from 5 net new store locations on May 1, 2025, assuming incremental annual net system sales (system sales is a non-IFRS supplementary measure and as such, does not have a standardized meaning under IFRS – see the disclosure under the heading “Description of Non-IFRS Financial Measures, Non-IFRS Ratios and Supplementary Financial Measures” in DIV’s management discussion and analysis for the three months and year ended December 31, 2024 and three months ended March 31, 2025) of $8.4 million, multiplied by 7.95% royalty rate, less marginal income taxes assumed at 27%

    2) Cheba Hut contribution is calculated as the initial adjusted revenue contribution of USD$4,000,000, multiplied by a USD to CAD exchange rate of $1.4:1, less incremental operating expenses of $50,000, interest expense of $1,890,000 and taxes of $586,000

    3) Calculated as the number of DIV common shares issued and outstanding as of March 31, 2025 (167,567,468) multiplied by the new annualized dividend of $0.275 per share

    4) Calculated as pro-forma dividends declared, multiplied by 1 minus the effective DRIP rate of 12.5%

    System Sales is a supplementary financial measure and is a reference to the top-line sales revenue reported to Cheba Hut by all Cheba Hut franchisees. System sales is a supplementary financial measure and does not have a standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS. The Corporation believes system sales is a useful measure as it provides investors with an indication of performance of the franchisees underlying Cheba Hut’s business.

    Same store sales growth or SSSG is a supplementary financial measure and is a reference to the percentage increase in system sales over the prior comparable period for Cheba Hut locations that were in operation in both the current and prior periods, excluding stores that were permanently closed. The Corporation believes that SSSG is a useful measure as it provides investors with an indication of the change in year-over-year sales of Cheba Hut locations.

    Third Party Information

    This news release includes information obtained from third party reports and other publicly available sources as well as financial statements and other reports provided to DIV by its royalty partners and Cheba Hut. Although DIV believes these sources to be generally reliable, such information cannot be verified with complete certainty. Accordingly, the accuracy and completeness of this information is not guaranteed. DIV has not independently verified any of the information from third party sources referred to in this news release nor ascertained the underlying assumptions relied upon by such sources.

    THE TORONTO STOCK EXCHANGE HAS NOT REVIEWED AND DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR THE ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

    Additional Information

    Additional information relating to the Corporation and other public filings, is available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

    Contact:
    Sean Morrison, President and Chief Executive Officer
    Diversified Royalty Corp.
    (236) 521-8470

    Greg Gutmanis, Chief Financial Officer and VP Acquisitions
    Diversified Royalty Corp.
    (236) 521-8471

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Slide Insurance Holdings, Inc. Announces Pricing of Upsized Initial Public Offering

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TAMPA, Fla., June 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Slide Insurance Holdings, Inc. (“Slide”) announced today the pricing of its upsized initial public offering of 24,000,000 shares of its common stock, par value per share $0.01 (the “common stock”) at a public offering price of $17.00 per share. Slide is offering 16,666,667 shares and certain selling stockholders are offering 7,333,333 shares of common stock in the offering. In connection with the offering, the selling stockholders have granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 3,600,000 shares of common stock at the public offering price, less underwriting discounts and commissions. Slide will not receive any proceeds from the sale of the shares by the selling stockholders. The shares of common stock are expected to begin trading on the Nasdaq Global Select Market on June 18, 2025 under the symbol “SLDE”.

    The closing of the offering is expected to occur on June 20, 2025, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

    Barclays and Morgan Stanley are acting as joint book-running managers for the proposed offering. Citizens Capital Markets, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, A Stifel Company, and Piper Sandler are acting as co-managers for the proposed offering.

    A registration statement on Form S-1 relating to the offering has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and was declared effective on June 17, 2025. The offering is being made only by means of a prospectus. Copies of the final prospectus relating to the offering, when available, may be obtained for free by visiting EDGAR on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, copies of the final prospectus, when available, may be obtained from Barclays Capital Inc., c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717 (or by email at barclaysprospectus@broadridge.com or telephone at 1-888-603-5847) or Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Attention: Prospectus Department, 180 Varick Street, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10014.

    This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor will there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. Any offers, solicitations or offers to buy, or any sales of securities will be made in accordance with the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and otherwise in accordance with applicable securities laws in any other jurisdiction.

    About Slide

    Slide is a technology-enabled insurance company that makes it easy for homeowners to choose the right coverage for their unique needs and budgets. Slide’s cutting-edge technology leverages artificial intelligence and big data to optimize and streamline every part of the insurance process. Based in Tampa, FL, Slide was founded by Bruce and Shannon Lucas, insurance insiders with a deep understanding of how technology can be applied to achieve better underwriting outcomes.

    Contacts

    Media
    Rachel Carr
    Chief Marketing Officer
    press@slideinsurance.com

    Investors
    ir@slideinsurance.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Carbon Streaming Announces Corporate Update and Legend Removal Process for All U.S. Investors From the 2021 Financings

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, June 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Carbon Streaming Corporation (Cboe CA: NETZ) (OTCQB: OFSTF) (FSE: M2Q) (“Carbon Streaming” or the “Company”) today provides a corporate update and announces legend removal process for all U.S. investors from the 2021 Financings (as defined below).

    Highlights:

    • Restrictive Legend Removal: The Company has finalized the process to offer qualifying U.S. investors who participated in the 2021 Financings (as defined below) the opportunity to remove the restrictive legend on share certificates at no cost to the investor. This legend on the share certificates renders the securities “restricted securities” as defined in Rule 144 of the Securities Act of 1933 and restricts these investors from selling stock.
    • Cash Conservation Update: In February 2025, the Company converted US$18.0 million to Canadian dollars at an exchange rate of 1.42. Since then, the US dollar to Canadian dollar exchange rate has decreased to 1.36 as of June 16, 2025, resulting in a foreign exchange gain of approximately US$0.8 million on that portion of the cash. The Company currently holds US$37.0 million (C$50.3 million) in cash, remains debt-free, and has no outstanding legal payables.
    • Credit Portfolio Update: The Company currently holds 532,720 carbon credits from cookstove projects and 18,990 carbon credits from water purification projects under the Community Carbon Stream. A breakdown of credit vintage, project ID and registry information is provided below.
    • Notice of Arbitration: The Company has filed a Notice of Arbitration in Ontario against Will Solutions Inc.
    • AGM Reminder: The Company’s Annual General Meeting (the “AGM”) of holders of common shares of the Company (“Common Shares”) will be held on June 18th, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. (Vancouver time), at the offices of Farris LLP, 25th Floor, 700 W Georgia Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

    Restrictive Legend Removal:

    The Company has finalized the process to offer qualifying U.S. investors who participated in the 2021 Financings (defined below) the opportunity to remove the restrictive legend from their share certificates—or from book-entry shares, as applicable—without the need for the shareholder to pay for a legal opinion, regardless of whether a particular shareholder intends to sell or actually sells the shares into the public market. This service is being provided at no cost to all qualifying investors. This legend on the share certificates renders the securities “restricted securities” as defined in Rule 144 of the Securities Act of 1933 and restricts these investors from selling stock.

    The blanket opinion provides that the removal of the restrictive legend is now permissible under Section 4(a)(1) of the Securities Act of 1933.

    While removing the legend is permissible, it is not required. Shareholders are not required to take any action if they prefer to keep the restrictive legend in place.

    Marin Katusa, CEO of the Company, stated “The vast majority of the capital raised for Carbon Streaming came from the financings throughout the 2021 calendar year. Since those financings in 2021, over 700 U.S. residents who invested in those financings have been unable to deposit their shares into a brokerage firm or freely sell those shares because of the restrictive legend that is applied to U.S. investors investing in private placements.

    The typical process to remove a restrictive legend is done on a one-off basis, meaning each U.S resident must complete the removal of the restrictive legend on their own. This is the first time a publicly listed Canadian company, such that we are aware, has offered the removal of the restrictive legend through a digitalized process applicable to a large group of U.S. investors (over 700 shareholders at the same time) to simplify and expediate the process of removing the restrictive U.S. legend.

    We approached DealMaker in early 2025 with the concept to digitalize the legend removal process for the U.S. investors. The Company worked with DealMaker on the 2021 Financings where all subscription forms were digitalized and the funding process was completed.

    I am especially proud of the innovation of this potential solution to U.S. legend removals, as it will ultimately cost less than 5% of the quotes the Company initially received to obtain a global opinion letter for the removal the U.S. restrictive legend through the traditional process. In addition, DealMaker has agreed to not charge for their services.”

    Eligibility for Blanket Removal

    Holders of Common Shares are eligible if they are US residents, non affiliates and acquired the Common Shares pursuant to:

    • that certain private placement of special warrants issued on July 20, 2021,
    • that certain private placement of Common Shares issued on March 11, 2021,
    • that certain private placement of Common Shares issued on May 12, 2021,
    • that certain private placement of Common Share issued on January 27, 2021,
    • that certain private placement of units, with each unit consisting of one Common Share and one share purchase warrant to purchase one Common Share, issued on December 22, 2020, and
    • that certain private placement of units, with each unit consisting of one Common Share and one share purchase warrant to purchase one Common Share, issued on December 16, 2020.

    (collectively, the “2021 Financings”)

    Timing and Process to Participate in Blanket Removal

    Holders who are eligible will receive an email from DealMaker on or about June 23, 2025 with instructions on how to participate.

    If you are a U.S. investor and do not want to register your shares into a brokerage account or sell your shares, then no action is required. This service is being offered by the Company to U.S. investors who acquired their shares in the 2021 Financings, are not affiliates and who have the restrictive legend on their share certificates—or book-entry shares, as applicable and wish to deposit them in a brokerage account or sell their shares in the public market.

    Marin Katusa, CEO, further added: “DealMaker handled the 2021 Financings for the Company which included the digitalizing subscription forms and managing the subscription wires from the investors in a professional, efficient and low-cost manner. We strongly believe that this innovative solution we have created with DealMaker to remove the U.S. restrictive legends will be equally successful. We are grateful for DealMaker’s innovative approach and commitment to excellence, which continues to streamline our investor communications and elevate the overall experience for our shareholders.”

    Cash Conservation

    As of June 16, 2025, the Company has US$37.0 million in cash (C$50.3 million), remains debt-free, and has no outstanding legal payables. With cash generated from the sale of carbon credits held by the Company, interest earned on the Company’s cash balance, and substantial reductions in operating expenses to date, the Company expects a significant improvement in operating cash flow in 2025 when compared to previous years. The Company currently has three full-time employees and a part-time CFO, with a combined annual base compensation of approximately US$0.5 million, while the CEO and Board of Directors are not collecting any salaries, fees, nor equity-based compensation of any kind.

    Carbon credits held by the Company as of June 16, 2025

               
    Project Registry Project ID Vintage Credits available for sale  
    Uganda cookstove project Gold Standard GS12119 2022 53,801  
        GS10967 2023 129,383  
        GS12119 2023 199,340  
        GS12120 2023 41,514  
        GS12120 2024 15,432  
            439,470  
    Uganda household safe water project Gold Standard GS10968 2022 38  
        GS10968 2023 14,373  
            14,411  
    Tanzania cookstove project Verra VCS2676 2022 27,492  
        VCS2676 2023 60,788  
            88,280  
    Mozambique cookstove project Gold Standard GS11211 2022 1,401  
      Gold Standard GS12638 2023 3  
      Gold Standard GS12638 2024 296  
      Gold Standard GS11211 2024 3,270  
            4,970  
    Malawi household safe water project Gold Standard GS11245 2022 988  
      Gold Standard GS11245 2023 3,310  
      Gold Standard GS11245 2024 281  
            4,579  
               

    The Company has been in discussions with several different parties regarding the sale of its existing carbon credits. While current market pricing for cookstoves remains weak, the Company continues to advance its marketing efforts. A new initiative by the Company leverages AI-driven analysis of public disclosures to identify active buyers of environmental attributes. This effort is helping the Company more effectively target potential buyers for its current credit inventory, without incurring additional cost.

    Notice of Arbitration – Will Solutions.

    On June 16, 2025, the Company delivered a written Notice of Arbitration in Ontario to Will Solutions Inc. and the ADR Chambers. As previously disclosed, in the third quarter of 2024, the Company exercised its contractual rights to terminate the purchase sale agreement dated June 20, 2022 with Will Solutions Inc. (the “Sustainable Community Stream”) as a result of, among other things, the failure of Will Solutions Inc. to meet its milestone related to the registration of its Ontario project and its failure to develop and implement the project in accordance with the project plan (including continued delays in project development activities and lower-than-expected project enrollments). The Company has advanced $4.0 million of the upfront deposit to Will Solutions Inc. under the Sustainable Community Stream. The Company will continue to pursue all of its rights and interests.

    2025 Annual General Meeting

    The Company’s AGM will be held on June 18th, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. (Vancouver time), at the offices of Farris LLP, 25th Floor, 700 W Georgia Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

    About Carbon Streaming

    Carbon Streaming’s focus is on projects that generate high-quality carbon credits and have a positive impact on the environment, local communities, and biodiversity, in addition to their carbon reduction or removal potential.

    ON BEHALF OF THE COMPANY:
    Marin Katusa, Chief Executive Officer
    Tel: 365.607.6095
    info@carbonstreaming.com
    www.carbonstreaming.com

    Investor Relations
    investors@carbonstreaming.com

    Media
    media@carbonstreaming.com

    Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information
    This news release contains certain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, “forward-looking information”) within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, that address activities, events or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, are forward-looking information, including, without limitation, the impact of the Company’s restructuring strategies, including evaluation of strategic alternatives; the ability of the Company to execute on expense reductions and savings from operating cost reduction measures; statements with respect to cash conservation; its sales strategy; supporting the Company’s carbon streaming and royalty partners; statements with respect to the eligibility, timing, process and completion of restrictive legend removal; statements with respect to the expected improvement in operating cash flow in 2025 when compared to previous years; statements with respect to the effectiveness and cost of AI-driven analysis of public disclosures to identify active buyers of environmental attributes; statements regarding the Company’s intention to pursue all of its rights and interests under the Sustainable Community Stream; and statements with respect to the timing of the Company’s AGM.

    When used in this news release, words such as “estimates”, “expects”, “plans”, “anticipates”, “will”, “believes”, “intends” “should”, “could”, “may” and other similar terminology are intended to identify such forward-looking information. This forward-looking information is based on the current expectations or beliefs of the Company based on information currently available to the Company. Forward-looking information is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual results of the Company to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking information, and even if such actual results are realized or substantially realized, there can be no assurance that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on, the Company. They should not be read as a guarantee of future performance or results and will not necessarily be an accurate indication of whether or not such results will be achieved. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things: general economic, market and business conditions and global financial conditions, including fluctuations in interest rates, foreign exchange rates and stock market volatility; volatility in prices of carbon credits and demand for carbon credits; change in social or political views towards climate change, carbon credits and environmental, social and governance initiatives and subsequent changes in corporate or government policies or regulations and associated changes in demand for carbon credits; the Company’s expectations and plans with respect to current litigation, arbitration and regulatory proceedings; limited operating history for the Company’s current strategy; concentration risk; inaccurate estimates of project value, which may impact the ability of the Company to execute on its growth and diversification strategy; dependence upon key management; impact of corporate restructurings; the inability of the Company to optimize cash flows or sufficiently reduce operating expenses; reputational risk; risks arising from competition and future acquisition activities failure or timing delays for projects to be registered, validated and ultimately developed and for emission reductions or removals to be verified and carbon credits issued (and other risks associated with carbon credits standards and registries); foreign operations and political risks including actions by governmental authorities, including changes in or to government regulation, taxation and carbon pricing initiatives; uncertainties and ongoing market developments surrounding the validation and verification requirements of the voluntary and/or compliance markets; due diligence risks, including failure of third parties’ reviews, reports and projections to be accurate; dependence on project partners, operators and owners, including failure by such counterparties to make payments or perform their operational or other obligations to the Company in compliance with the terms of contractual arrangements between the Company and such counterparties; failure of projects to generate carbon credits, or natural disasters such as flood or fire which could have a material adverse effect on the ability of any project to generate carbon credits; volatility in the market price of the Company’s common shares or warrants; the effect that the issuance of additional securities by the Company could have on the market price of the Company’s common shares or warrants; global health crises, such as pandemics and epidemics; and the other risks disclosed under the heading “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in the Company’s Annual Information Form dated as of March 31, 2025 filed on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

    Any forward-looking information speaks only as of the date of this news release. Although the Company believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking information are reasonable, forward-looking information is not a guarantee of future performance and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein. Except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise.

    The MIL Network