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Category: Business

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why international students could be a critical factor in bolstering Canada’s economic resilience

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Isaac Garcia-Sitton, Associate Faculty, School of Education and Technology, Royal Roads University

    In early 2024, the federal government imposed a two-year cap on new study permits. (Shutterstock)

    For decades, international students have contributed to Canada’s research enterprise, workforce development and economic growth.

    Now, as Canada navigates strained relations and an escalating trade war with its largest economic partner, it’s important policymakers stop overlooking international education that could be a critical factor in bolstering Canada’s resilience.

    Unlike volatile trade agreements and fragile supply chains, international education provides a stable, long-term economic and social advantage.



    Read more:
    Canadian supply chains are at the epicentre of Trump’s potential trade war

    Contributions

    In 2018, international students contributed $21.6 billion to Canada’s post-secondary institutions, local communities and gross domestic product (GDP).

    By 2022, that figure had grown to $37.3 billion. This represented just over 23 per cent of Canada’s total service exports and around five per cent of total merchandise exports. The economic contributions from international education outpaced economic contributions from other industries — such as softwood lumber and auto parts.

    But their contributions extend far beyond financial impact. International students drive cutting-edge research in artificial intelligence, clean energy, biotechnology and climate science. This strengthens Canada’s innovation ecosystem and global competitiveness.

    International students also serve as vital ambassadors — diversifying trade connections and expanding Canada’s global reach.

    Despite their undeniable value, recent policy shifts risk undermining Canada’s position as a top destination for global talent. In early 2024, the federal government imposed a two-year cap on new study permits. The cap would mean approximately 360,000 study permits would be approved in 2024 — a decrease of 35 per cent from the previous years.

    However, institutions fell well below the imposed cap. This wasn’t due to a lack of demand but because of the rushed, poorly managed roll-out that amplified disruption beyond expectations. In fall 2024, the number of permits granted was on track to drop by 45 per cent compared to the previous year.

    The government plans a further 10 per cent cut in 2025 and 2026 and will cap approvals at 437,000. They will also, for the first time, restrict master’s and PhD students — limiting access to Canada’s research ecosystem.

    Talent and innovation

    While a cap may have been necessary to moderate the sector’s growth, its rollout created uncertainty for institutions and students. This damaged Canada’s reputation for high-quality education. The impact to our global standing as a top destination for international students will take years to repair.

    The government plans cap student visa approvals at 427,000 by 2026.
    (Shutterstock)

    This policy shift is especially concerning given Canada’s ongoing innovation and productivity challenges. A recent report from U15 research institutions shows Canada lags behind its peers in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). It’s mainly falling behind in research and development intensity, private sector innovation and technology adoption.

    In 2022, Canada’s research and development spending stood at just under two per cent of GDP. This is well below the OECD average of around three per cent.

    Many small and medium-sized businesses rely on university partnerships for research and development. Cutting international graduate student numbers disrupts these collaborations — hindering innovation at a time when Canada can least afford it.

    Policymakers claim restricting international student permits will ease labour market pressures. But the real problems with the labour market lie in skill mismatches, underemployment and employer hiring biases — not the number of international students.



    Read more:
    Canadian immigrants are overqualified and underemployed — reforms must address this

    With unemployment at around six-and-a-half per cent and youth unemployment at 13.6 per cent, concerns about job competition are valid. Yet newcomers and international students face significant barriers in finding jobs in their fields.

    In 2024, the unemployment rate for recent immigrants reached 11 percent. This is nearly double the unemployment rate for Canadian-born workers. Despite holding advanced degrees, two-thirds of foreign-trained professionals remain underemployed. This may be due to employers undervaluing international credentials and prioritizing “Canadian experience.”

    This trend extends to international student graduates who remain less likely than their Canadian peers to find jobs that match their level of education. In 2023, just over 36 per cent of international graduates with a bachelor’s degree secured roles requiring a university-level qualification, compared to just under 59 per cent of Canadian graduates. International student graduates also earn significantly lower salaries, despite having similar levels of job satisfaction.

    International student graduates face barriers in findings employment.
    (Shutterstock)

    Like many newcomers, I personally faced this Canadian experience barrier when I entered the workforce over 15 years ago as a permanent resident. Despite my education, multilingual abilities and professional skills, I submitted hundreds of applications and secured only a handful of interviews before landing my first opportunity. This frustrating, unnecessary and economically wasteful struggle remains just as prevalent today.

    These barriers not only limit individual potential but also weaken Canada’s ability to harness the talent it attracts.

    Addressing systemic issues

    International students are more than workers — they’re entrepreneurs, innovators and future job creators.

    For instance, as of 2022, nearly 180 of the U.S.’s billion-dollar companies were founded by former international students. Each of these companies created an average of 800 jobs and made up nearly a quarter of all dollar companies.

    Canada risks losing similarly bright minds to more welcoming countries if clear pathways for them to stay, contribute and build businesses aren’t established. This would cost the country both talent and billions in economic potential.

    If Canada is serious about building a stronger, more competitive economy, it must address the systemic issues that stand in the way of international student success.

    This includes modernizing credential recognition so employers can fairly assess international experience and qualifications, expanding co-op programs, internships and mentorships so international students can gain relevant Canadian experience before graduation and protect them from misinformation and questionable recruitment practices.

    Employers need to be educated about immigration pathways to reduce hiring hesitancy. The government also must create a stable and predictable immigration policy framework to give businesses confidence in hiring international graduates.



    Read more:
    International university grads speak about aspirations and barriers

    As Canada continues to face labour shortages and growing economic and political volatility, international education remains a strategic asset. It fuels research, diversifies trading partners, supports innovation and supplies the workforce Canada needs for long-term prosperity.

    The future of Canada’s economy depends on its ability to attract and retain the thinkers, creators, and innovators who will define the next generation of progress. At this critical moment, Canada must decide if it will invest in the talent that fuels innovation, or close the door on opportunity.

    Isaac Garcia-Sitton is affiliated with the Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE), the Council of Ontario Universities (COU), and the Council of International Schools (CIS)

    – ref. Why international students could be a critical factor in bolstering Canada’s economic resilience – https://theconversation.com/why-international-students-could-be-a-critical-factor-in-bolstering-canadas-economic-resilience-251985

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Emergency alerts and news notifications can make us stressed and anxious — here’s what you can do to cope

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Indu Subramanian, Clinical Professor of Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles

    Emergency alerts may amplify distress in people who already have anxiety. (Shutterstock)

    When there’s a disaster, it’s helpful to know what’s going on — and know whether you’re truly at risk. But as essential as emergency alert systems are, they can leave many of us feeling anxious — even when the alert may be a false alarm or test.

    This is because emergency alerts, whether real or tests, can activate the same neural circuits involved in real danger. This can trigger stress, confusion and anxiety.

    Our nervous systems are constantly processing information from both our bodies and our environment, trying to distinguish between warnings that demand action and those that can be safely ignored.

    But over time, the stress associated with being on constant alert can have lasting effects on mental health. Chronic stress can contribute to the risk of developing anxiety disorders and depression, and even physical disorders such as heart disease. This is especially true for people who live in war-torn or natural disaster-prone areas.

    In people who already have anxiety, being unable to distinguish between real and perceived threats can be particularly debilitating. This can amplify their distress, making it difficult to navigate a world filled with both real and perceived threats.

    Similarly, neurological conditions such as migraines, Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease can be exacerbated by chronic stress responses. This can lead to a worsening of symptoms and lower quality of life.

    The constant barrage of information we’re exposed to — from daily news alerts to “doomscrolling” on social media — highlights a broader challenge we all face: learning to navigate a world increasingly filled with real and perceived threats that can further exacerbate anxiety.

    Chronic anxiety can disrupt sleep and circadian function. This can lead to a downward cycle in which poor sleep and poor mood can worsen cognitive and physical function.

    People who are chronically anxious may also be at risk for loneliness and social isolation. And when people get lonely, they tend to fixate on threatening stimuli, which can further exacerbate anxiety and perpetuate a vicious cycle.

    The body’s interoceptive system — the brain’s ability to sense and interpret internal physiological signals — plays a crucial role in determining which environmental signals warrant our attention.

    This systems helps us detect when our heart is racing from actual danger, versus when it’s simply responding to stress or uncertainty. But when interoception is disrupted, as it often is during heightened anxiety states, distinguishing between true and false alarms becomes increasingly difficult.

    Nervous system support

    Thankfully, there are things we can do to help better support our nervous systems in making these critical distinctions.

    It’s helpful to be conscious and deliberate about what we expose ourselves to in our internal and external environment. Creating a daily schedule with set times for exercise, sleep and social connection can be effective. Practising mind-body approaches such as mindfulness, breath work, yoga and tai chi might also help to facilitate an inward focus. Sustaining this inward focus can help reset our interoceptive system.

    Spending time with friends and sharing your concerns with them can also be helpful when dealing with perceived threats. This can also enhance social connection, which can buffer stress. It can be very comforting to feel connected to others who are experiencing a similar trauma. Limiting time with people who increase your anxiety is also key.

    Stepping away from information streams might also help. Finding ways to temporarily turn off or physically separate from digital devices such as laptops, cellphones and smart-watches for set periods of time can effectively facilitate a break from media. This can allow our minds to settle and reset our attention on priorities that are meaningful to us.

    Spending time in nature or finding time for stillness in other ways, such as listening to calming music, can also helpful.

    A novel strategy that has recently been studied for reducing anxiety and resetting the interoceptive nervous system is flotation tank immersion, also known as float therapy or flotation-REST. This involves lying in a shallow bath of warm water filled with concentrated levels of Epsom salt. When combined with reduced visual and auditory stimulation, this is thought to enhance the body’s interoceptive signals.

    Float therapy may be helpful for mental health.
    (Shutterstock)

    Float therapy has been shown to quickly reduce anxiety and stress levels, increase relaxation and even lead to lasting improvements in body image.

    Ultimately, understanding the brain’s role in processing internal and external threats is vital to improving our mental and physical wellbeing.

    Using our interoceptive nervous system as a way of developing resilience involves learning to be proactive rather than reactive. Sensing when our body is getting the preliminary cues of anxiety or stress that can mount into full-blown disarray can help. Not reacting to these cues, and consciously and deliberately choosing alternative actions, can help to unwind the anxiety from these cues. This may also potentially even help us avoid an episode of panic.

    Being more in tune with our nervous system can help us better equip ourselves to face the challenges ahead — whether they’re true threats or false alarms.

    Sahib Khalsa receives funding from the National Institute of Mental Health. He is an associate editor of several journals, Biological Psychology and JMIR Mental Health. He is a board member of several nonprofit organizations, the International Society for Contemplative Research and the Float Research Collective, which are non-compensated positions.

    Indu Subramanian does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Emergency alerts and news notifications can make us stressed and anxious — here’s what you can do to cope – https://theconversation.com/emergency-alerts-and-news-notifications-can-make-us-stressed-and-anxious-heres-what-you-can-do-to-cope-249112

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI: Halo Service Solutions Appoints Jack Parsons as Official Ambassador

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LONDON, March 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Halo Service Solutions is excited to announce the appointment of Jack Parsons as Halo’s Official Ambassador.

    This strategic role is designed to amplify Halo’s engagement with younger demographics and reinforce its position as a leader in innovative service solutions.

    Jack Parsons is an energetic, ambitious, and kind-hearted entrepreneur, renowned for his leadership and his knack for making things happen. As CEO of Youth Group, Jack has grown the organisation into a vibrant community that includes 1.8 million young people and 100,000 businesses, significantly impacting the UK’s youth employment landscape. Under his leadership, Youth Group has helped over 105,000 young individuals find jobs and mentorship, earning a place as #25 in the UK’s Top 100 Startups.

    His accolades include being named the UK’s Kindest Leader by the Financial Times, Most Connected Young Entrepreneur, and Digital Leader of the Year. A LinkedIn Top Voice in the UK, Jack is a prominent figure in discussions about work, money, and health. With roots in Essex and a passion born from his own challenges with social mobility and career support, Jack is driven to help others succeed in their career paths.

    In his role as Youth Ambassador, Jack Parsons will leverage his expertise and influence to promote Halo’s initiatives and drive greater involvement with youth-centric programs. His activities will include leading dynamic workshops, delivering inspirational keynote speeches, and utilizing his substantial social media following to enhance Halo’s visibility and impact within the youth community.

    Paul Hamilton, Founder and CEO of Halo Service Solutions, said: “Jack’s energetic approach and proven leadership make him the ideal choice to help us inspire and connect with the next generation. His deep understanding of youth culture and his ability to turn bold ideas into reality will be invaluable as we expand our reach and impact.”

    Jack Parsons, responding to his new role, stated: “I am thrilled to represent Halo and Paul and look forward to contributing to their visionary work. Together, we will create new opportunities and build a vibrant community of young innovators.”

    This appointment marks the beginning of a series of initiatives planned over the next year to strengthen Halo’s community connections and drive meaningful engagement.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8a0434f1-0138-46a1-bc54-52c3623a64db

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Hola Prime Unveils Enhanced Compliance Review Framework to Strengthen Fair Trading Practices

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, NY, March 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Hola Prime has presented a major enhancement to its compliance framework, reinforcing its commitment to transparency and accountability in proprietary trading. As regulators and market participants call for greater compliance, Hola Prime has implemented a robust monitoring system to uphold fair and ethical trading practices.

    Hola Prime’s compliance structure is a 24/7 Compliance Review system designed to ensure fair and ethical trading practices. A dedicated compliance team actively monitors trade execution, fund allocation, and reviews trader activity in real-time, preventing potential market manipulation and irregularities. Each trader undergoes an extensive review before being funded, eliminating any potential exploitation of loopholes and ensuring that all profits stem from genuine, skill-based trading rather than artificial tactics.

    Risk management is another pillar of Hola Prime’s approach. The internal audit team conducts continuous assessments and reviews of financial stability and risk exposure, identifying potential compliance gaps before they escalate. Proprietary trading firms often operate in a grey area, but Hola Prime’s commitment to stringent internal audits ensures accountability in every aspect of its operations. By proactively addressing risks, the firm provides a stable and predictable environment for traders.

    Payouts, often a contentious issue in prop trading, undergo a rigorous reconciliation process at Hola Prime. Each transaction is subject to dual-layer approval to prevent unauthorized withdrawals. The firm prioritizes liquidity planning, ensuring that reserves are always maintained to facilitate seamless trader payouts. This includes a rapid withdrawal system, enabling traders to access their earnings within an hour. Collaborations with leading payment service providers such as Rise and multiple cryptocurrency networks further optimize transaction efficiency, ensuring smooth and reliable fund transfers.

    Hola Prime’s simulated-to-live trading model serves as an additional safeguard. This system enables real-time risk assessment and seamless order execution, leveraging advanced algorithms and a parallel liquidity infrastructure. By minimizing execution lag and monitoring market exposure, the firm mitigates risk while maintaining optimal trade flow. Regular IT security audits further bolster these measures, ensuring that system access and transactions remain secure and compliant with international cybersecurity standards.

    One of the most unique aspects of Hola Prime’s compliance strategy is its approach to trader monitoring. The firm conducts in-depth evaluations of trading patterns, ensuring that no participant engages in practices that could compromise market integrity. This includes monitoring order flow management, identifying discrepancies in trading behavior, and preventing activities that may indicate manipulation.

    Transparency is a cornerstone of Hola Prime’s operational philosophy. Every financial decision, from earnings allocation to trader payouts, is backed by structured financial planning and accountability measures. The firm’s daily financial comparisons ensure that payouts for the next day are planned well in advance, with funds being kept separately to meet all the liabilities of the next day. In addition, an extra reserve of 35% is also kept as cushion funds, to make provision for any unforeseen expenses.

    Hola Prime also places a strong emphasis on compliance with global anti-money laundering (AML) protocols. A robust Know Your Customer (KYC) and AML framework ensures that only legitimate traders participate on the platform, reducing the risk of fraudulent activities. The firm conducts thorough background checks and transaction monitoring, preventing any attempts at money laundering or financial misconduct. By prioritizing trader integrity over sheer numbers, Hola Prime fosters a responsible trading community where only serious traders thrive.

    The company’s dedication to transparency is further exemplified through its industry-leading Price Transparency Report. This report offers a tick-by-tick comparison of Hola Prime’s pricing against industry benchmarks, allowing traders to independently verify execution quality. Forex markets, known for their decentralized nature and price discrepancies, often leave traders questioning the fairness of their trades. Hola Prime’s proactive approach addresses this concern, providing a publicly available record of price movements that reinforces trust and accountability.

    Ashutosh Sharma, Head of Risk and Compliance at Hola Prime, highlights the importance of financial prudence in the firm’s approach. “We don’t just aim to be profitable; we aim to be sustainable. Our liquidity planning ensures that trader payouts are secured in advance, preventing any shocks. We maintain separate accounts for company expenses and trader funds, reinforcing integrity at every level.”

    Another crucial component of Hola Prime’s compliance framework is its approach to liquidity and order flow management. The firm ensures that the gap between simulated and live trading execution remains under two minutes, maintaining efficiency while reducing market impact. Exposure limits are meticulously calculated, taking into account actual cash reserves, liabilities, and additional financial cushions. By capping risk exposure in accordance with its financial standing, the firm ensures that it never overextends its market position.

    Technology plays a vital role in Hola Prime’s compliance-driven ecosystem. From automated risk assessments to real-time transaction monitoring, the firm leverages advanced software to enhance its oversight capabilities. System checks and IT audits are conducted regularly, reinforcing data security and ensuring seamless trading operations.

    Somesh Kapuria, CEO of Hola Prime, believes that trust is the key to long-term success in prop trading. “Our traders deserve to know how we operate. We don’t believe in hiding behind complex structures or ambiguous policies. Transparency isn’t just a marketing term for us – it’s the foundation of our business. By implementing rigorous compliance standards, we ensure that Hola Prime remains a trusted platform where traders can focus on their craft without concerns over financial mismanagement.”

    In an industry often marred by uncertainty, Hola Prime stands as a beacon of reliability. Its stringent compliance measures, robust financial planning, and unwavering commitment to transparency set it apart as a leader in ethical prop trading. With its structured approach to governance, the firm is proving that self-regulation, when done right, can be just as effective as formal oversight—if not more so. For traders seeking a platform built on trust and accountability, Hola Prime continues to raise the bar.

    Social Links

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61565158992654&sk=about_contact_and_basic_info

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/holaprime_global/

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtVEJa1Ml132Be7tnk-DjeQ

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hola-prime/?viewAsMember=true

    X: https://x.com/HolaPrimeGlobal

    Discord: https://discord.gg/TJ7TcHPXBf

    Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/HolaPrime/

    Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/user/HolaPrime/

    Medium: https://medium.com/@social_46267

    Media Contact

    Company: Hola Prime

    Contact: Media Team

    Email: marketing@holaprime.com

    Website: https://holaprime.com/

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: NVIDIA and xAI join AI Infrastructure Partnership to drive investment in datacenters

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: NVIDIA and xAI join AI Infrastructure Partnership to drive investment in datacenters

    NEW YORK & REDMOND, Wash. & ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates & SANTA CLARA, Calif. & SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–BlackRock, Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), a part of BlackRock, Microsoft, and MGX today announced that NVIDIA and xAI will join the Global AI Infrastructure Investment Partnership, now named the AI Infrastructure Partnership (AIP), further strengthening the partnership’s technology leadership as the platform seeks to invest in new and expanded AI infrastructure. NVIDIA will also continue in its role as a technical advisor to AIP, leveraging its expertise in accelerated computing and AI factories to inform the deployment of next-generation AI data center infrastructure.

    Additionally, GE Vernova and NextEra Energy have agreed to collaborate with AIP to accelerate the scaling of critical and diverse energy solutions for AI data centers. GE Vernova will also work with AIP and its partners on supply chain planning and in delivering innovative and high efficiency energy solutions.

    AIP has attracted significant capital and partner interest since its inception in September 2024, highlighting the growing demand for AI-ready data centers and power solutions. The partnership will initially seek to unlock $30 billion in capital from investors, asset owners, and corporations, which in turn will mobilize up to $100 billion in total investment potential when including debt financing.

    By investing in next-generation AI data centers and energy infrastructure, AIP is not just expanding capacity—it is shaping the future of AI-driven economic growth. The addition of both NVIDIA and xAI, each a global AI technology leader, reinforces AIP’s commitment to scaling an open-architecture platform and fostering a broad ecosystem that supports a diverse range of partners on a non-exclusive basis. AIP’s investments will primarily focus on the U.S. as well as OECD and U.S. partner countries, driving AI innovation, economic expansion, and the advancement of critical digital and energy infrastructure.

    His Highness Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of MGX, said, “Artificial Intelligence is not just an industry of the future, it underpins the future. As we welcome new partners to the AI Infrastructure Partnership, we will accelerate innovation and technological breakthroughs to achieve transformational productivity gains across the global economy. Our singular focus is accelerating AI’s responsible and inclusive development for the benefit of humanity.”

    Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA, said, “The global buildout of AI infrastructure will benefit every company and country that wants to achieve economic growth and unlock solutions to the world’s greatest challenges. AI factories built on NVIDIA’s full-stack AI infrastructure will convert data into intelligence that will accelerate every industry and help society achieve unimaginable breakthroughs.”

    “AI infrastructure will play an increasingly critical role in driving economic growth across every industry and every region of the world,” said Satya Nadella, Chairman and CEO, Microsoft. “We’re thrilled to welcome these new companies to the AI Infrastructure Partnership as we invest together to build the infrastructure of the future.”

    Larry Fink, Chairman and CEO of BlackRock, said, “AI has the potential to transform the global economy if we can build the necessary infrastructure to support it. We believe this unparalleled partnership of leading global companies across the AI ecosystem brings technology expertise together with private capital to meet this demand and creates unique investment opportunities for our clients. This partnership also demonstrates the powerful combination of BlackRock’s global relationships with GIP’s infrastructure capabilities.”

    “Since we launched this partnership in September, the momentum we have achieved reinforces the need for significant private capital to fund investments in essential infrastructure, particularly to support the continued development of AI,” said Bayo Ogunlesi, Chairman and CEO of Global Infrastructure Partners. “With today’s announcement, we are proud to welcome our new partners to AIP. Together, we look forward to focusing on our joint ambition to enhance AI innovation and economic growth.”

    John Ketchum, Chairman and CEO of NextEra Energy, said, “In order to realize the full potential of Artificial Intelligence we must develop and support the energy infrastructure and data centers that will fuel this technology. Doing this will require an all forms of energy solution that leverages ready-now renewables and battery storage coupled with gas-fired and nuclear generation in the future. Our collaboration with GE Vernova and AIP is intended to get as many electrons onto the grid as quickly and most cost effectively as possible.”

    “The jobs and economies of tomorrow will be built on the infrastructure we develop today to support the rapid growth of AI,” said GE Vernova CEO Scott Strazik. “Our company is focused on an all-of-the-above approach with our customers to meet this unprecedented demand, utilizing gas, nuclear, wind and more, while continuing to drive innovation to reduce emissions. We look forward to working with AIP and its partners, a group that brings substantial capability and efficiency to this critical work.”

    About MGX

    MGX is a technology investment company focused on accelerating the development and adoption of AI and advanced technologies through world-leading partnerships in the United Arab Emirates and globally. MGX invests in sectors where AI can deliver value and economic impact at scale, including semiconductors, infrastructure, software, tech-enabled services, life sciences, and automation. For more information, visit www.mgx.ae.

    About BlackRock

    BlackRock’s purpose is to help more and more people experience financial well-being. As a fiduciary to investors and a leading provider of financial technology, we help millions of people build savings that serve them throughout their lives by making investing easier and more affordable. For additional information on BlackRock, please visit www.blackrock.com/corporate.

    About Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), a Part of BlackRock

    Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) is a leading infrastructure investor that specializes in investing in, owning and operating some of the largest and most complex assets across the energy, transport, digital infrastructure and water and waste management sectors. On October 1, 2024, BlackRock closed its acquisition of GIP. For more information, visit www.global-infra.com.

    About Microsoft

    Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) creates platforms and tools powered by AI to deliver innovative solutions that meet the evolving needs of our customers. The technology company is committed to making AI available broadly and doing so responsibly, with a mission to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release, and other statements that the parties may make, may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act, with respect to the parties’ or AIP’s future financial or business performance, strategies or expectations, including the anticipated timing, consummation and expected benefits of AIP. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words or phrases such as “trend,” “potential,” “opportunity,” “pipeline,” “believe,” “comfortable,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “current,” “intention,” “estimate,” “position,” “assume,” “outlook,” “continue,” “remain,” “maintain,” “sustain,” “seek,” “achieve,” and similar expressions, or future or conditional verbs such as “will,” “would,” “should,” “could,” “may” and similar expressions.

    The parties caution that forward-looking statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties, which change over time and may contain information that is not purely historical in nature. Such information may include, among other things, projections and forecasts. There is no guarantee that any projections or forecasts made will come to pass. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and the parties assume no duty to and do not undertake to update forward-looking statements. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in forward-looking statements and future results could differ materially from historical performance.

    Certain of the parties have previously disclosed risk factors in their respective United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) reports. These risk factors and those identified elsewhere in this release, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from forward-looking statements or historical performance. Such parties’ Annual Reports on Form 10–K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and subsequent filings with the SEC, accessible on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov and on the applicable party’s website, discuss certain of these factors in more detail and identify additional factors that can affect forward–looking statements. The information contained on each party’s website is not a part of this press release, and therefore, is not incorporated herein by reference.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Sarah Hunter: Monetary policy – forward looking and data dependent in the face of uncertainty

    Source: Bank for International Settlements

    I would first like to pay respect to the traditional and original owners of this land, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, to pay respect to those who have passed before us and to acknowledge today’s custodians of this land. I also extend that respect to any First Nations people joining us here today.

    Introduction

    Three weeks ago, the Reserve Bank Board cut interest rates for the first time since 2020. Naturally there is a lot of interest in what lies behind the Board’s decision-making process. Today I want to shine a light on three key inputs to the process, how they interact with one another and how they fit together to support the Board in its decision making.

    The first is our view of how changes in the cash rate affect the economy. The impact of policy changes takes time to flow through the economy; looking at the response of banking credit flows to interest rate changes, which many here today know intimately, clearly highlights this. So policy decisions today shape inflation and employment outcomes in the future.

    This necessitates a forward-looking approach to meeting our mandate. Policy decisions require both a view of the outlook for the economy and an understanding of how policy is likely to affect that outlook. That helps the Board set the cash rate to give the best chance of achieving the RBA’s objectives over time.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Sanjay Malhotra: Transforming grievance redress – the AI advantage

    Source: Bank for International Settlements

    I am delighted to participate in this year’s Annual Conference of the RBI Ombudsmen. The Reserve Bank has been organising this conference on or around the World Consumer Rights Day, that is, 15th March. World Consumer Rights Day is celebrated every year with the aim of raising global awareness about consumer rights and needs. We organise this conference to reflect on our achievements with regard to consumer services and to deliberate on how to improve services and reduce grievances. We need to improve consumer services, not only because it is our duty to do so, but because it is in our selfish interest to do so. In this age of competition, we would not survive long if we do not provide quality service to our consumers.

    We have made tremendous strides in improving consumer services over the years. We have enabled internet banking and mobile banking. Most of the banking services, be it opening a deposit account, or taking a small loan have been digitised, adding to the convenience and speed. We are making record number of digital transactions through UPI and other means of digital payments. Many among the younger generation may have never visited a bank branch. We have even enabled opening of accounts using video KYC.

    While we have enhanced customer experience over the years, the high number of customer grievances continues to be a matter of serious concern. I am told that last year (2023-24), the 95 Scheduled Commercial Banks alone received over 10 million complaints from their customers. If we take into account the complaints received at other RBI-regulated entities (REs), the number would be even higher. One may argue that this amounts to only four complaints per thousand accounts per year as there are about 2.5 billion bank accounts. But, for us, even one complaint is a cause of concern. We have 10 million complaints and with the rapidly growing customer base and expanding suite of products, this may grow, if we do not get our act together.

    Customer satisfaction – a cornerstone for banking and other financial services

    Excellent customer service, in fact excellent customer experience is a sine qua non in any service industry. Our effort should be to enhance the total customer experience. The experience should be such that there is no cause for a grievance that requires a redress. Let me state a fundamental truth: every complaint is a test of trust. When a consumer files a grievance – whether for a disputed transaction, a lapse in service, inappropriate pricing or charges or an unfair practice – it is a signal that our system has fallen short. Left unresolved, such issues can erode consumer confidence and tarnish the entire ecosystem.

    I am reminded of a real story about customer service. Some of you, especially the management graduates, may have heard it but it is so appropriate for today’s theme that it is worth being retold. In the winter of 1975, in a town in Alaska, a man walked into a store and complained to the salesman present that the snow tyres that he bought some time ago were not holding. The salesman was a little puzzled. He said that he could not replace them but will check what he could do and went to the back of the store. Those of you, who have visited departmental stores in the USA, would know that refunds are processed at the back of the store. The salesman came back after some time and handed over some cash as refund and the customer left satisfied. Can anyone guess why this was unique, as no questions asked policy for refunds is fairly common in the USA? It is because the company in question is Nordstrom which does not even sell tyres. It sells apparel and shoes. But, for Nordstrom, customer comes first. Trusting him and winning his trust is more important than anything else.

    Some say that this is not a true story. How is this possible? How could a company offer refund for a product which it never sold? Nordstrom, however, insists that this incident did take place. Nordstrom had acquired three stores from another company that sold miscellaneous articles including tyres. The customer did not realise that the store had changed and walked in with his complaint. The key message is that Nordstrom saw itself being in the business of customer service, and not just selling goods. We too need to realise that we are in the business of providing unalloyed customer service and not just selling banking and other financial services.

    Top management to accord priority to customer service

    I am sure you will all agree that we are indeed in the business of customer service. However, I suspect that we are not spending enough time on customer service and grievance redressal as a result of which not only are there a large number of complaints being received by banks and NBFCs but in the absence of satisfactory resolution, a large number of them are getting escalated to RBI Ombudsmen.

    Let me give you some perspective. The number of complaints received under RBI’s Integrated Ombudsman Scheme increased at a compounded average growth rate of almost 50 per cent per year over last two years to 9.34 lakh in 2023-24. The number of complaints processed at the Office of RBI Ombudsman increased by 25 per cent from about 2,35,000 in 2022-23 to almost 2,94,000 in 2023-24. Not only are large number of complaints getting escalated, a large proportion of them – nearly 57 per cent of the maintainable complaints last year – required mediation or formal intervention by the RBI Ombudsmen. You would all agree that this is a highly unsatisfactory situation and needs our urgent attention.

    I would, therefore, strongly urge all the MD&CEOs, Zonal and Regional Managers and the Branch Managers to spend some time every week, if not every day on grievance redressal. This is a must. All great CEOs find time to do it. We too must keep some time in our diary for improving customer service and grievance redressal.

    Improving customer service systems

    Customer complaints aren’t a nuisance – they are in fact opportunities to improve, innovate, and build trust. Handling them well can define your success. Each unresolved grievance is a missed opportunity for regulated entities to reaffirm customer trust and loyalty. It is also a warning signal as repeat complaints are often signs of systemic flaws. Today, complaints often surface on social media even before reaching official channels, highlighting the need for proactive measures.

    The effort thus should be to not only resolve the complaints but also to ensure that the same type of complaint does not arise again. Many of the complaints like digital transaction disputes, unauthorized charges, or miscommunication frequently recur. These are clearcut symptoms of underlying issues in the overall customer service framework of the regulated entities. A thorough root cause analysis should be performed for each complaint so as to enable remedial action and avoid repetition of same type of complaint.

    In fact, I would go a step further. Best service is not one in which there is no occasion for grievance redressal but one in which there is no occasion for the customer service department to step in. Systems should work seamlessly and conveniently so that customers do not have to call the branch or the customer service centre or talk to anyone in the Bank or NBFC. Systems have to be so user-friendly that customers can rely on self-service rather than being dependent on anyone else.

    Improving internal grievance redressal systems

    While improving systems to reduce grievances is important, setting up a robust grievance redressal system is equally important for all regulated entities. I would urge you all to review the same. While the regulations do not make any prescription for the organisational structure for grievance redressal, my experience suggests that there should be at least two levels for grievance redressal in large REs, with unresolved grievances getting escalated from the lower to the higher level. The highest level should be at a fairly high rank. This to ensure that requests do not get rejected without having been examined by a senior functionary who is empowered to take decisions in consumer interest. This will help reduce grievances getting escalated to the Ombudsman. It must also be ensured that there are sufficient number of grievance redress officers at all levels including in the Internal Ombudsman office.

    I would also like to draw your attention to the misclassification of complaints as requests, queries, and disputes by the regulated entities. This results in the complainants’ grievances remaining unaddressed. Moreover, this is also a gross regulatory violation.

    Major areas of service improvement

    Let me now briefly allude to some of the major areas where we need to improve. These relate to KYC, digital frauds, mis-selling, and aggressive recovery practices.

    As for KYC, we need to ensure that once a customer has submitted documents to a financial institution, we do not insist on obtaining the same documents again. Once the customer has updated his details, for example, his residential address, with one regulated entity of any financial sector regulator, it gets updated in CKYCR and other REs are notified of the updation. PML Rules made by the Department of Revenue in the Ministry of Finance and RBI’s Master Directions on KYC mandate regulated entities to check the CKYCR system before seeking KYC documents for opening an account. However, most banks and NBFCs have not enabled the same in their branches/business outlets, causing avoidable inconvenience to customers. This may be facilitated early. This will be in the interest of all.

    Another important issue connected to customer protection is rising digital frauds. It is a matter of great concern that innocent customers continue to fall prey to scamsters. While this could be attributed to rise in digital transactions and innovative methods adopted by fraudsters, lack of customer awareness is also a major reason for the same. To mitigate this menace, REs not only need to put in place robust internal controls but also enhance digital financial literacy.

    The issues of mis-selling and aggressive recovery practices have been highlighted earlier too. In this context too, I would request you to keep consumer interest supreme.

    Embracing technology – the AI way

    Let me now come to the theme of this year’s conference: AI’s potential to revolutionize grievance redressal. We are entering an exciting era where technology, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), can drive remarkable improvements in speed, accuracy, and fairness of complaint resolution.

    AI can help categorize incoming complaints by urgency, complexity, or subject area, ensuring minimal delay in reaching the right people or the right team. AI can also help in optimising complaint routing. Further, it can assist in decision-making and reducing processing time.

    Secondly, AI can be used to pinpoint systemic gaps by analysing both structured and unstructured data such as emails, chat logs, and call transcripts. This will aid in identifying training needs and guiding necessary process reforms. Using data from millions of consumer branch visits, call centre logs, mobile apps, and social media, a unified, AI-driven view of all these interactions can help identify common pain points more efficiently. Leveraging data analytics, sentiment analysis, and predictive models, AI can be used to analyse large volumes of data to detect spikes in issues – such as ATM failures or erroneous charges – and alert REs pre-emptively.

    Lastly, in a linguistically diverse country like India, AI-driven chatbots and voice recognition tools can eliminate language barriers by operating in local languages. Moreover, the implementation of conversational AI in chatbots, voicebots, and advanced IVR systems can handle routine queries round the clock, thereby freeing people to focus on cases that require empathy and complex problem-solving.

    In short, integrating AI at every stage – from complaint lodging to closure – can result in a seamless, efficient, and data-driven grievance redressal system. Such a framework not only reduces processing times and addresses repetitive complaints but also fosters equitable outcomes by mitigating human biases. It is time that the banking industry explores and pioneers the integration of technology – including AI – to strengthen the grievance resolution mechanisms and make it best in class across the globe.

    Challenges and guardrails in AI driven grievance redressal system

    While AI presents unparalleled opportunities, we need to be cognizant of the challenges and risks that its adoption poses. There are concerns on data privacy, algorithmic bias and complexity in AI-driven models. As we embrace AI in grievance redressal or any other process, we must also remain mindful of ethical considerations. Human oversight, bias mitigation and data privacy must be integrated into the AI Systems to ensure transparent and consistent outcomes.

    Investing in human resources

    While technology in all its forms is a powerful enabler, I would like to emphasise that it is no substitute for integrity, empathy, and human judgment. In a world increasingly driven by data, algorithms, and automation, it is all too easy to lose sight of the human element. Every transaction represents not just a number in a ledger, but the hard-earned savings of a family, the dreams of a small entrepreneur, or the lifelong savings of a senior citizen. It is, therefore, critical that REs continue to invest in human resources dedicated for customer service and grievance redressal. It is essential to invest in training of staff, especially in behavioural aspects of customer service. Moreover, the staff needs to be empowered to take decisions based on their judgement to redress consumer grievances, enhance customer satisfaction and win consumer trust.

    RBI as a facilitator

    In the end, I would like to assure you that, while we exhort you to provide services efficiently to customers, we in the Reserve Bank shall also provide various services, approvals, clarifications, etc. to the regulated entities in a timely manner. We already have a citizen’s charter. We are in the process of reviewing the charter. We will make the charter comprehensive to include all services that we offer either to the REs or directly to citizens. Moreover, we are reviewing the timelines for each service. It will be our endeavour to provide all approvals, etc. within the timelines. We are also making mandatory the use of PRAVAAH, which is RBI’s secure and centralised web-based portal for any individual or entity to seek authorisation, license or regulatory approval on any reference made to the Reserve Bank in a timely manner. This will help us in expediting the disposal of applications received by the Reserve Bank.

    Conclusion

    We stand at a pivotal juncture as India looks to realise its dream of a more resilient and inclusive Viksit Bharat. With the financial sector touching the lives of almost the entire population, we have a critical role. To succeed in this role, we must continue to enhance customer service and customer protection.

    Thank you !

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Caroline Abel: Women in environment and climate finance

    Source: Bank for International Settlements

    Minister Rose-Marie Hoareau,
    H.E High Commissioner Mr. Jeffrey Glekin,
    Distinguished Guests,
    Ladies and Gentlemen,

    Good morning,

    It is an honour to be here with you today. Our gathering indicates that the pilot edition of the British High Commission’s Women’s Forum launched last year was a success. I take this opportunity to congratulate you, High Commissioner, and your dedicated team for ensuring that this second edition takes place. This forum serves as a platform for knowledge exchange, policy assessment and a valuable space for women in Seychelles to collaborate and drive impactful change. By incorporating discussions on climate finance and gender inclusivity, we reaffirm our commitment to fostering equitable and sustainable solutions for our nation.

    As we all know, Seychellois women are not only represented in all aspects of life, but are successful in their own rights. When we look at the context of our society, according to official statistics, women in managerial positions make up 42 per cent of the workforce. Those in senior and middle management roles, make up an impressive 40 per cent of the workforce. In the National Assembly, 21 per cent of seats are held by women. This is testament to the strength, capability, and leadership qualities of our Seychellois women. We have to keep encouraging the younger generation to take every opportunity that arises, to break barriers and push towards greater heights. Seychelles might be small in size, but our ambitions are boundless.

    Given Seychelles’ unique characteristics, we are all in one way or another, connected to the environment. It fuels the very foundation of our economy. Tourism and fisheries – our two main economic pillars, thrive because of our natural resources. As we move forward, we must be mindful of our most pressing reality: Climate Change. It is not just a future threat; it is a present challenge, and one that poses long-term sustainability risks to our environment, our economy, and our way of life. We all have a shared responsibility to act on it. We must understand that climate change is not just an environmental issue, but also a social and economic issue. It affects our communities, our industries, and our livelihoods. We see it in the frequency of natural disasters – heavier monsoon rains, floods, landslides, and coastal erosion. These disasters highlight the urgent need for robust climate adaptation measures, sustainable financing, and enhancements in disaster risk management.

    While climate change is indeed a threat, let us not view it only as that. Within the challenges lie opportunities. This is our moment to innovate for a more progressive economy in a way that is sustainable for our planet. This is our opportunity to explore and invest in green and blue business ventures. We have seen a shift internationally, where global environmental policies are reshaping economies. The demand for fossil fuels will most probably decline as more nations commit to their national climate action plans on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and adapting to the impacts of climate change. To echo the words of a colleague from the National Bank of Angola, as said in a monetary policy and climate change workshop held last month, “In order to progress, we must adopt and adapt”.

    As the country implements reform measures under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility, we are committed to integrating climate resilience into our financial system. This is a step towards not just economic stability but long-term sustainability. We will discuss further on this programme that is being implemented with the support of the IMF later during the day.

    The journey ahead is not without obstacles, yet we remain optimistic. We are a nation that denotes the very definition of resilience, and I firmly believe that if we all play our part, no matter how small it may seem, together we can accomplish great things.

    As we move forward in today’s discussions, I encourage each of you to contribute, engage, and explore new avenues for climate finance that can create lasting change. Let this be a moment where ideas turn into action, policies into practice, and collaboration into concrete results.

    I look forward to your insights on climate finance throughout the day.

    Thank you.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Luke Forau: Launch of the new $1 coin

    Source: Bank for International Settlements

    Minister of Finance & Treasury Hon Manase D Sogavare, Ministry of Finance and Treasury
    CBSI Board of Directors
    Heads and Representatives of the Financial Institutions
    Members of the Press – both radio and print
    Our business partner from Royal Australia Mint (Not present here today)
    CBSI Executives, managers and staff
    CBSI Currency Taskforce
    Good people of Solomon Islands
    Friends, Ladies & Gentlemen

    Gud Fala Morning Lo Iufala Evriwan who are here today, including those who are turning in today from SIBC.

    It gives me great pleasure to welcome you all this morning, a special welcome to the Minister of Finance and Treasury, to witness yet another milestone in the Central Bank’s history – the launch of the New SI $1 circulation coin with the new effigy of His Majesty, “King Charles III” which the Minister is going to declare it later on, and will be released into circulation as of today, 13th March 2025.

    Let me briefly take you back to our currency history that we journey before SI Independence in July 1978.

    Before Solomon Islands gained Independence on 7th July 1978, the British Solomon Islands Protectorate has had its own currency notes and coins, which were first issued on 24th October 1977, using Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s Effigy. I suppose this is one of the prerequisites for a nationhood. And FYI, the Central Bank was established in 1976, then it was called Solomon Islands Monetary Authority (SIMA).

     In November 2011, for strategic reasons CBSI ceased all its currency coins agreement with the British Royal Mint and signed a new Agreement with the Royal Australia Mint Ltd (RAM) for the minting of all SI Circulation Coins & Numismatic Programs

    In June 2012, the Central Bank issued its first Circulation coins minted by the Royal Australian Mint Ltd, totalling SBD$25.7m.

    Today, this currency development continues as we come to witness yet another new circulation bank coin that marks a new reign in the line of Thrown replacing the obverse of the coin which features the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to a new Effigy of His Majesty King Charles III 2025.

    Let me turn to the new effigy of His Majesty King Charles III on the $1 SI circulation coin

    As you may have already probably aware, the CBSI had recently pre-launched and unveiled the new King Charles effigy on the $1 coin to international media at the Royal Australia Mint Ltd in Canberra, in October 2024, via a Bank Industry News Media Release.

    The coin, now set to be launched today (13th March 2025), represents a historic milestone in the journey of Solomon Islands’ modern currency development and a continuation of our ongoing relationship between Great Britain and Solomon Islands and between CBSI and its supplier, the Royal Australian Mint Ltd

    The new $1 coin will retain the same dimension (size and shape) with the beloved Nguzu Nguzu motif on its reverse, symbolizing good luck and protection, while the obverse will feature the new effigy of King Charles III designed by Daniel Thorne (DT). The inclusion of the effigy marks the first Solomon Islands coin to commemorate His Majesty’s reign, combining traditional elements with this fresh design to celebrate the nation’s heritage and monarchy.

    The new coin is more than a currency; it is a symbol of the Solomon Islands’ history, culture, and its ties to the Commonwealth. This design honors both our traditions and a shared value that the nations of the Commonwealth uphold in recognition of the monarchy.

    The coin will be officially launched and will become available through the commercial banks and its branches as of this afternoon and the coming days. CBSI will also conduct special promotional events and educational campaign to familiarize the public with the new effigy. It is important to differentiate the significance of the New King’s Effigy as compared to the Queen Effigy. The New King Charles’ III Effigy when looking at the coin obverse, will be facing to the Left while the Queen’s Effigy will be facing to your Right

    This latest collaboration with the Royal Australian Mint continues our long-standing partnership between the Solomon Islands and Australia, showcasing the shared values and excellent business relationship of both nations.

    What to look for on the new bank coin:

    Front Design:

    As alluded earlier, this new $1 coin will retain the same dimension (size, shape and aluminum bronze color) with the obverse featuring the new effigy of King Charles III designed by Daniel Thorne (DT).

    On the Back Design:

    The new $1 coin also retain the same design with the famous Nguzu Nguzu motif on its reverse, that symbolizes good luck and protection, so there is no change to the reverse side of the coin at all.

     As a market currency, this bank coin will be highly used in daily transactions because of its fitting face value for smaller payments for all retailers both in rural and urban areas.

    The new and colourful bank coin will join more than $46.8 million worth of coins already in circulation as at end of December, 2024.

    Cost of Printing Banknotes

    Allow me to now remind all our good people of Solomon Islands that the Central Bank spends a lot of money each time it prints or mints new currencies.  It costs the Central Bank around SBD3.4 million to get the new $1 coin with the new effigy from our supplier. The average life of the $1 coin is estimated at over 20 to 25 years before they become worn out to be used anymore.

    So, I believe the current $1 coins circulating in your pockets and wallets right now is around 13 years old and are still in very good or good conditions.  Our current stock of the new $1 coins should last more than 3 years.

    Statistics however show that the frequency of coins being issued to public through our commercial banks are excessively high due to coins being seen on a very high ONE-WAY Traffic for reasons that are not quite clear to us at the Central Bank. But we believe individuals and business houses could be keeping those coins in their small piggy banks and were not allowed to circulate.

    The more you hold to the coin and not circulating it through transactions, it reduces the multiplier effect that should have occurred. This causes shortage in coins, triggering CBSI to reorder coins more frequently from the supplier to ensure we have sufficient supply of quality coins to meet business and public demand. This further depletes our foreign reserves just to procure new currency notes or coins. We obviously do not want that to happen but it is happening.

    Hence, I appeal to the people of Solomon Islands that you USE your new coins with extra care and pride but we would also advice you all to ensure that you do circulate the coins once it comes around your way to facilitate small changes in the trades of goods and services.

    Again, our advice is: Do not store them away in containers, piggy banks or hide them under mattresses.

    Finally, I would like to thank the technical team from the Royal Australia Mint Ltd, for assisting CBSI in the design, formalities and production of our bank coins. Our partnership relationship with RAM, Australia had been now well around 13 years so this is indeed a unique occasion for both CBSI and RAM.

    We would also like to thank the CBSI Board of directors, Minister of Finance and Solomon Island Government and other stakeholders in ensuring the legislative procedures and arrangements are fully in compliance and to the success of this project milestone. Thank you too to all the Heads of Financial Institutions witnessing the launch for this morning as the main channel of our currency distributions.

    Final acknowledgement goes to my team the Currency Launch Taskforce, Currency & Banking Services Department and the CBSI Management team for their coordinated job well done in  making this a success.

    Official Launch

    Now, ladies and gentlemen, I now have the pleasure to invite the Hon Minister of Finance and Treasury (Hon Manasseh D Sogavare) to unveil the new $1 coin with the new effigy of His Majesty King Charles III 2025.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Denny H Kalyalya: Think before you follow, safeguard your money  

    Source: Bank for International Settlements

    Permanent Secretary, Southern Province, Dr Namani Monze
    The District Commissioner, Mazabuka District, Mr Oliver C. Mulomba
    All Senior Governmental officials
    Chief Executive Officers of Financial Sector Regulators – PIA and SEC
    All Chief Executive Officers of Financial Services Providers
    All Cooperating partners
    Invited Guests
    Ladies and Gentlemen

    Good morning

    I am delighted to extend a warm welcome to all of you joining us for the launch of this year’s public awareness campaign for the Financial Literacy Week. This launch event was pre-ceded by the broadcasted message from the Minister of Finance and National Planning, on 16 March 2025. The FLW activities will take place from March 17 to 23, 2025, in all the 10 provinces of the Republic of Zambia. For the first time since we started to commemorate Financial Literacy Week, the event is being launched away from Lusaka, in Mazabuka, Southern Province. I commend the organizers for this change and I hope that future launch events will be held in different provinces every year.

    The theme for this year, “Think before you follow, safeguard your money,” aligns with the official theme of the 2025 Global Money Week and has been adopted for the Financial Literacy Week in Zambia.

    This year’s theme underscores the importance of adopting an informed, responsible, security-conscious approach to managing personal finances. Therefore, individuals are encouraged to be mindful of potential risks in the financial sector and take steps to protect their hard-earned money. These risks include financial scams, fraud, theft, pyramid schemes, cyber-attacks, and other threats related to data privacy. In line with this year’s theme, I urge consumers of financial services and products to actively safeguard their money by engaging only with licensed financial service providers. I also encourage you to be cautious about sharing financial information as well as diligently protect your personal data. Avoid sharing sensitive financial information, such as account numbers or passwords, with unknown individuals or over unsecured platforms. Additionally, be vigilant for phishing schemes, and be sceptical of unsolicited emails, messages, or phone calls requesting personal or financial information.

    Finally, I encourage you to report any suspicious financial requests or digital invitations to the authorities, such as financial service providers (FSPs), ZICTA, or the Police.

    Ladies and Gentlemen, financial literacy initiatives continue to focus on young people in primary, secondary, and tertiary institutions as well as adults, with the aim of equipping future generations with the essential knowledge needed to make informed financial decisions for their financial well-being.

    In this regard, financial education has been incorporated in the national school curriculum and financial literacy initiatives continue to be undertaken in collaboration with the Ministry of Education.

    Esteemed Guests, we firmly believe that the development and execution of national strategies concerning financial education and inclusion have established a robust framework that facilitates effective engagement among various stakeholders, including the Government, financial sector regulators, financial service providers, and the general public. This collaborative effort has led to heightened awareness campaigns among the public regarding the availability and safe usage of financial products and services nationwide. Strengthening financial literacy among consumers would enable them to identify financial scams, fraudulent activities and avoid biased advice, thus helping them to make better financial decisions to safeguard their future well-being. In this regard with the conclusion of the National Strategy on Financial Education II (2019-2024), the Ministry of Finance and National Planning, along with the Bank and other financial sector regulators, have begun the process of conducting a comprehensive review of the strategy. The review will assess the progress, successes, and challenges of NSFE II, and guide the development of phase III of the N S F E.

    Ladies and Gentlemen, in order to measure the strides that have been made in advancing financial education and financial inclusion in the country, I would like to inform you that a multisectoral project team has been established to conduct the 2025 FinScope Survey and disseminate topline findings by the end of this year.

    FinScope surveys are invaluable tools for understanding the financial landscape of a country and developing targeted financial education and financial inclusion strategies. The survey provides information on access and usage of financial services (formal/informal), barriers encountered, financial literacy and overall financial inclusion. Enumerators will conduct interviews across all ten provinces, so we appeal to you, the public, to provide them with the necessary support.

    Distinguished Guests, before I conclude, let me take this opportunity to remind you that the Bank of Zambia announced the introduction of a new family of Zambian Currency on Monday, 10 February 2025 (pursuant to section 17(1) of the Bank of Zambia Act, 2022).

    The initiative reflects the Bank’s commitment to providing currency that is secure, efficient, user friendly and well suited for everyday transactions. The new notes also offer advanced security features to protect against counterfeiting and other threats to the integrity of the currency. A nationwide awareness campaign is currently being conducted to sensitize the public about the new currency. Further, the Minister of Finance and National Planning will soon issue an SI to provide details for the process of exchanging the old currency for the new series, scheduled to commence on 31 March 2025.

    As we carry out the 2025 Financial Literacy Week provincial activities, I encourage the campaign teams and financial service providers to continue to educate the public about the new family of Zambian Currency to prevent people being defrauded by unscrupulous people who may take advantage of this change. The Bank of Zambia team will also be available to provide information and distribute awareness materials that highlight the key features of the new currency.

    Dear Invited Guests, in conclusion, it is important to acknowledge that as part of the implementation of the National Strategy for Financial Education, Financial Literacy Awards are held annually in October. These awards aim to recognize the efforts of individuals and institutions in conducting financial literacy awareness initiatives. Therefore, I urge you to submit your financial literacy activities and initiatives to the Financial Literacy Working Group for consideration in this year’s awards.

    Once again, I extend my gratitude to the Working Group under the National Strategy on Financial Education Phase II for organizing the Financial Literacy Week activities. I particularly commend the Ministry of Finance and National Planning Financial Education Team, along with other financial sector regulators such as the Pensions and Insurance Authority and the Securities and Exchange Commission. I also wish to applaud the Bankers Association of Zambia, and our collaborating partners DSIK (the German Sparkassenstiftung) Zambia, as well as all other stakeholders who have consistently supported the Financial Literacy Week commemorations each year.

    The Bank of Zambia remains steadfast in its commitment to supporting this national event, and we encourage all financial institutions and stakeholders to actively participate in the Financial Literacy Week activities nationwide.

    THANK YOU FOR LISTENING MAY GOD BLESS US ALL.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: X5 Group and HSE Graduate School of Economics Launch Updated Master’s Program

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: State University Higher School of Economics – State University Higher School of Economics –

    X5 Group and the Higher School of Business of the National Research University Higher School of Economics are relaunching a joint master’s program. The name “Retail Management” was changed to “B2C Business Management: Technologies and Innovations”, completely revising the program’s content. Now students will focus on studying customer experience, new technologies and innovations in management – those competencies that are most in demand in modern business.

    B2C Business Management: Technologies and Innovations” will be the first specialized master’s program that trains leaders in retail and e-commerce. The training, taking into account all the latest trends, will be built around three main blocks – customer experience, new technologies, organizational and operational innovations. Among the disciplines offered to students: Data Science, Business Analytics, Digital Platforms, Digital Marketing, Customer Experience Management in an Omnichannel Environment.

    The program is built on the “experience first” principle. This approach combines academic depth and practical experience: the courses are taught by teachers from the Higher School of Business of the Higher School of Economics, as well as invited teachers-practitioners who hold senior positions in the retail sector. X5 Group top managers actively participate in the program, conducting special courses, lectures, master classes and organizing practice, which allows you to gain knowledge first-hand.

    The Master’s program is focused on solving real cases and business problems – during the training, students will master specific methods of working with the consumer sector, omnichannel business and modern retail, develop strategic thinking and leadership skills. Graduates are in demand in leading companies in the field of retail and e-commerce, in the financial services sector and FMCG companies, occupying leadership positions. The program is also suitable for those who run their own business, or have been working in retail for a long time, but want to master innovative approaches and grow in their career.

    “Modern retail is speed, adaptability, technology and innovative solutions. Russia has long been not just following trends here, we set them, creating unique digital services and the best customer experience in the world. Young professionals are increasingly choosing retail – last year, the number of employees aged 18 to 24 at X5 increased by 12% and amounted to more than 43 thousand people. Because here there is an opportunity to grow and develop your skills in many areas – from the use of machine learning and artificial intelligence tools to managing complex operational processes and systems. In a joint program with the HSE, we have combined all our experience, expertise and accumulated knowledge. Thus, students can adopt what the most advanced retailers, including, of course, X5 as a leader in this field, have been developing for years in different areas. And we, in turn, are very interested in young specialists, so we invest in their development from the very beginning,” said Vladimir Salakhutdinov, Chairman of the Academic Council of the program, First Deputy General Director of X5 Group.

    Starkov Andrey Gennadievich

    Academic Director of the Master’s Program, Associate Professor of Practice at the Higher School of Business, National Research University Higher School of Economics

    “We have updated the curriculum structure of the joint Master’s program with X5 Group, placing an emphasis on project-based learning. Consulting projects, group assignments, and internships will help students form an impressive portfolio in two years for successful career development or launching their own project. Modern teaching methods, elective courses, and extracurricular activities will help develop the necessary management competencies and skills. X5 Group’s participation in the program not only guarantees the relevance of the knowledge gained, but also the integration of students into the professional community through guest lectures, excursions, and round tables.”

    Reception of documents for applicants to the program in 2025 will be held from June 19 to August 15: this year, 63 places are open for students from Russia and one for students from foreign countries. X5 will provide grants for the best students to study.

    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.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: More schools for Edmonton and area | Un plus grand nombre d’écoles pour la région d’Edmonton

    [. That is why through Budget 2025, if passed, Alberta’s government is funding 14 new school projects in the Edmonton metro area, adding about 16,400 new and updated student spaces. In total, there are now 36 projects underway in and around Edmonton.

    “We have heard loud and clear that Edmonton and surrounding communities need new schools. To meet this call, we are supporting new and ongoing school projects in Edmonton and area to ensure every student has a space to grow and thrive.”

    Demetrios Nicolaides, Minister of Education

    Budget 2025, if passed, funds a total of 41 new school projects across the province. These school projects will add 38,500 new or upgraded student spaces. With the new investments in Budget 2025, there are now 132 active school projects underway in Alberta, all of which are being fast-tracked through the new and improved funding process designed and released by Alberta’s government in fall of 2024.

    “When we ensure that students have access to the classrooms they need, we are setting up the next generation to succeed. Our team is committed to working with everyone involved to turn permits into progress and get students into well-built and well-maintained schools as soon as possible.”

    Martin Long, Minister of Infrastructure

    Last fall, Alberta’s government announced an $8.6 billion program to accelerate school construction and build new classroom spaces to help ensure that every student has the space needed to grow and thrive. Over the next seven years, Alberta’s government will deliver more than 100 new and updated schools or about 200,000 student spaces.

    “The investment in five school projects is welcome news. Space for students in all grades, especially for high schools, is critical for Edmonton Public Schools. A school is the heart of a community, and we are grateful that more students will have access to a public school closer to home.”

    Julie Kusiek, board chair, Edmonton Public Schools

    “We are grateful for this investment in Catholic education. With nearly all our high schools over capacity and enrolment continuing to grow, this commitment is an important step in addressing these pressures. We look forward to advancing these projects quickly to ensure students have the spaces they need to succeed.”

    Sandra Palazzo, board chair, Edmonton Catholic Schools

    Budget 2025 is meeting the challenge faced by Alberta with continued investments in education and health, lower taxes for families and a focus on supporting the economy.

    Quick facts

    • The 2025 Capital Plan allocates $75 million over the next three years for the planning and design of the 41 school capital projects approved in 2025 and $2.3 billion to building and updating previously announced school projects.
    • With Budget 2025, if passed, there are now 36 school projects underway in the Edmonton metropolitan region:
      • 19 projects with construction approval
      • 7 projects with design approval
      • 10 projects with planning approval

    Budget 2025 (if passed) new school projects in the Edmonton region (11):   

    Community

    School division

    Project type/name

    Design funding (2)

    Edmonton

    Edmonton Public Schools 

    addition to Dr. Anne Anderson High School

    new K to 6 in Hawks Ridge

    Planning funding (9)

    Beaumont

    St. Thomas Aquinas Roman Catholic Schools

    new 10 to 12

    Black Gold School Division

    new 10 to 12

    Edmonton

    Edmonton Public Schools

    new 10 to 12 in Castle Downs

    new 10 to 12 in The Grange

    new K to 6 in Silver Berry

    Edmonton Catholic Schools

    new 10 to 12 in Lewis Farms

    new 10 to 12 in The Meadows

    Conseil scolaire Centre-Nord

    new K to 6 in Haddow/Henderson

    St. Albert

    St. Albert Public Schools

    new K to 9 in Chérot

    Budget 2025 (if passed) replacement school projects in the Edmonton region (2): 

     Community

    School division

    Project type/name

    Design funding (1)

    Morinville

    Sturgeon Public Schools

    replacement of Morinville Public School

    Planning funding (1)

    Edmonton

    Edmonton Catholic Schools

    replacement of St. Lucy Catholic Elementary School and Katherine Therrien Catholic Elementary School with K to 9 solution in Palisades/Oxford

    Budget 2025 (if passed) public charter school projects in the Edmonton region (1): 

     Community

    Charter authority

    Project type/name

    		  

    Design funding (1)

    		  

    Edmonton

    Alberta Classical Academy

    acquire and modernize the Edmonton Classical Academy, Eastgate Campus (K to 12)

    Related information

    • Budget 2025 Capital Plan
    • Budget 2025 overview
    • School construction accelerator program
    • Public charter schools

    Related news

    • Building schools in every corner of the province (March 7, 2025)
    • More schools for Calgary and region (March 14, 2025)

    Multimedia

    • Watch the news conference

    Quatorze nouveaux projets d’écoles pour Edmonton et les collectivités avoisinantes.

    La population de l’Alberta a augmenté rapidement au cours des dernières années et cette croissance démographique a exercé des pressions sur plusieurs écoles d’Edmonton confrontées à une hausse des inscriptions. Pour cette raison, le budget 2025, s’il est adopté, fera démarrer 14 nouveaux projets d’écoles dans la région métropolitaine d’Edmonton, ce qui permettra de créer et de rénover 16 400 places pour les élèves. Au total, 36 projets d’écoles sont désormais en cours de réalisation dans la région d’Edmonton.

    « Nous avons entendu haut et fort qu’Edmonton et les collectivités environnantes ont besoin de nouvelles écoles. Nous répondons à cet appel en soutenant de nouveaux projets d’écoles ainsi que des projets déjà en cours dans la région d’Edmonton afin que chaque élève ait un espace pour grandir et réussir. »

    Demetrios Nicolaides, ministre de l’Éducation

    Le budget 2025, s’il est adopté, finance un total de 41 nouveaux projets d’écoles dans l’ensemble de la province. Ces projets d’écoles permettront de créer et de moderniser plus de 38 500 places pour les élèves. Grâce aux nouveaux investissements prévus dans le budget 2025, 132 projets d’écoles sont maintenant en cours dans toute l’Alberta, tous accélérés au moyen du nouveau processus de financement amélioré conçu et mis en œuvre par le gouvernement de l’Alberta à l’automne 2024.

    « Lorsque nous veillons à ce que les élèves aient accès aux salles de classe dont ils ont besoin, nous donnons à la prochaine génération toutes les chances de réussir. Notre équipe s’engage à travailler avec toutes les parties concernées pour faire avancer la construction et offrir aux élèves des écoles bien construites et bien entretenues dès que possible. »

    Martin Long, ministre de l’Infrastructure

    L’automne dernier, le gouvernement de l’Alberta a annoncé un programme de 8,6 milliards de dollars pour accélérer la construction d’écoles et pour construire de nouvelles salles de classe afin que chaque élève ait l’espace nécessaire pour grandir et réussir. Au cours des sept prochaines années, le gouvernement de l’Alberta financera plus de 100 projets de construction et de rénovation d’écoles, ce qui permettra d’ajouter plus de 200 000 places pour les élèves.

    « L’investissement dans cinq projets d’écoles est une bonne nouvelle. Le besoin d’espace pour les élèves de toutes les classes, en particulier pour les écoles secondaires, est crucial pour les écoles publiques d’Edmonton. Les écoles sont au cœur des collectivités et nous sommes reconnaissants que davantage d’élèves aient accès à une école publique plus proche de chez eux. »

    Julie Kusiek, présidente, Edmonton Public Schools

    « Nous sommes reconnaissants de cet investissement dans l’éducation catholique. Alors que la quasi-totalité de nos écoles secondaires dépasse leur capacité d’accueil et que les inscriptions continuent d’augmenter, cet engagement est une étape importante pour faire face à ces pressions. Nous sommes impatients de faire avancer ces projets rapidement afin que les élèves disposent des espaces dont ils ont besoin pour réussir. »

    Sandra Palazzo, présidente, Edmonton Catholic Schools

    Le budget 2025 relève les défis auxquels fait face l’Alberta en continuant d’investir dans l’éducation et la santé, en réduisant les impôts pour les familles et en soutenant l’économie.

    En bref

    • Le plan d’immobilisations 2025 alloue 75 millions de dollars sur trois ans pour la planification et la conception des 41 projets d’immobilisations scolaires approuvés en 2025 et 2,3 milliards de dollars pour les projets de construction et de modernisation d’écoles déjà annoncés.
    • Si le budget 2025 est adopté, 36 projets d’écoles seront en cours de réalisation dans la région métropolitaine d’Edmonton :
      • 19 projets approuvés pour la construction;
      • 7 projets approuvés pour la conception;
      • 10 projets approuvés pour la planification.

    Le budget 2025 (si adopté) financera ces projets de nouvelles écoles dans la région d’Edmonton (11).

    Collectivité

    Autorité scolaire

    Type/nom de projet

    Financement pour la conception (2)

    Edmonton

    Edmonton Public Schools

    agrandissement de l’école secondaire Dr. Anne Anderson High School

    nouvelle école M à 6 dans Hawks Ridge

    Financement pour la planification (9)

    Beaumont

    St. Thomas Aquinas Roman Catholic Schools

    nouvelle école 10 à 12

    Black Gold School Division

    nouvelle école 10 à 12

    Edmonton

    Edmonton Public Schools

    nouvelle école 10 à 12 dans Castle Downs

    nouvelle école 10 à 12 dans The Grange

    nouvelle école M à 6 dans Silver Berry

    Edmonton Catholic Schools

    nouvelle école 10 à 12 dans Lewis Farms

    nouvelle école 10 à 12 sans The Meadows

    Conseil scolaire Centre-Nord

    nouvelle école M à 6 dans Haddow/Henderson

    Saint-Albert

    St. Albert Public Schools

    nouvelle école M à 9 dans Chérot

    Le budget 2025 (si adopté) financera ce projet de remplacement d’écoles dans la région d’Edmonton (2).

    Collectivité

    Autorité à charte

    Type/nom de projet

    Financement pour la conception (1)

    Morinville

    Sturgeon Public Schools

    école de remplacement pour Morinville Public School

    Financement pour la planification (1)

    Edmonton

    Edmonton Catholic Schools

    école de remplacement pour St. Lucy Catholic Elementary School et pour Katherine Therrien Catholic Elementary School avec solution M à 9 dans Palisades/Oxford

    Le budget 2025 (si adopté) financera ces projets d’écoles publiques à charte dans la région d’Edmonton (1).

    Collectivité

    Autorité à charte

    Type/nom de projet

    Financement pour la conception (1)

    Edmonton

    Alberta Classical Academy

    acquisition et modernisation du campus Eastgate (M à 12) de l’Edmonton Classical Academy

    Renseignements connexes

    • Budget 2025 : Plan d’immobilisations (en anglais seulement)
    • Aperçu du budget 2025 (en anglais seulement)
    • Programme pour accélérer la construction d’écoles
    • Écoles publiques à charte (en anglais seulement)

    Nouvelles connexes

    • Construire des écoles aux quatre coins de la province (7 mars 2025)
    • Un plus grand nombre d’écoles pour la région de Calgary (14 mars 2025)

    Multimédia (en anglais seulement)

    • Regarder la conférence de presse

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Florida Attorney Sentenced to 102 Months for an Attempted Bombing Near the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C.

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

               WASHINGTON – Christopher Rodriguez, 45, of Panama City, Fla., was sentenced today to 102 months in federal prison for the September 2023 attempted bombing near the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Washington, D.C., and for the November 2022 bombing of a satirical sculpture depicting communist leaders Vladimir Lenin and Mao Zedong in San Antonio, Texas.

               The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., and Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Washington Field Division. 

               Rodriguez, a licensed Florida attorney and a U.S. Army veteran, pleaded guilty August 2, 2024, to damaging property occupied by a foreign government, explosive materials—malicious damage to federal property, and receipt or possession of an unregistered firearm (destructive device). 

               In addition to the 102-month prison term, U.S. District Court Chief Judge James E. Boasberg ordered Rodriguez to serve three years of supervised release.

               According to court documents, on September 23-24, 2023, Rodriguez drove from his home in Panama City, Fla., to Northern Virginia with a rifle and 15 pounds of explosive material. On the way, he stopped in Harrisonburg and Charlottesville, Va., to buy a black backpack, nitrile gloves, and a burner cell phone. On September 24, he parked his car in Arlington, Va., and used the burner phone to arrange for a taxi to drive him to within a few blocks of the Chinese Embassy. Between midnight and 3 a.m. near the back wall of the Embassy in Northwest Washington, Rodriguez placed the explosives-filled backpack next to a streetlight. Rodriguez then attempted to detonate the explosives by shooting at the backpack with a rifle. Rodriguez missed his target, and the device failed to detonate. Law enforcement officers later recovered the backpack containing explosive material, three shell casings, and bullet fragments from the ground along the outer perimeter wall of the Chinese Embassy. Impact marks were found on the Embassy wall near the bullet fragments behind the backpack.

               According to court documents, DNA obtained from the black backpack was found to be consistent with DNA evidence obtained from a previous arrest of Rodriguez in June 2021 in California. During the California incident, Rodriguez possessed three firearms and apparent explosive material consistent with the explosives used during the Chinese Embassy attack. DNA evidence obtained from Rodriguez pursuant to a buccal swab warrant later confirmed this DNA match.

             Between November 5 and 7, 2022, according to court documents, Rodriguez rented a vehicle in Pensacola, Fla., and drove to San Antonio, Texas. At about 2:25 a.m. on November 7, Rodriguez scaled an eight-foot fence to enter a courtyard on the 300 block of West Commerce Street, San Antonio. Inside the courtyard, he placed two canisters of explosive materials at the base of a satirical steel sculpture titled “Miss Mao Trying to Poise Herself at the Top of Lenin’s Head.” At 2:30 a.m., Rodriguez used a rifle to shoot at the canisters at the base of the statue, causing an explosion that caused damages of at least $325,000 to the Miss Mao sculpture.

    Law enforcement arrested Rodriguez on November 4, 2023, in Lafayette, Louisiana. He has been held since that date. 

               This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Washington Field Division. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Northern District of Florida, the Western District of Louisiana, and the Western District of Texas; the ATF’s Tampa, New Orleans, and Houston Field Divisions; the FBI’s Washington and San Antonio Field Offices; the San Antonio Field Office of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations; the U.S. Secret Service, Uniformed Division and Foreign Missions Detective Unit; the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security; and the Metropolitan Police Department. 

                The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jolie F. Zimmerman and Stuart D. Allen. Valuable assistance was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maeghan Mikorski and Kelly Stephenson and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael McCarthy.

    23cr392

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: EquityZen Named “Best Retail Investment Platform” in 2025 FinTech Breakthrough Awards Program

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, March 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — EquityZen, the leading pre-IPO marketplace for individual accredited investors, today announced that it has been selected as winner of the “Best Retail Investment Platform” award in the 9th annual FinTech Breakthrough Awards program conducted by FinTech Breakthrough, an independent market intelligence organization that recognizes the top companies, technologies and products in the global FinTech market today.

    EquityZen’s marketplace connects buyers and sellers of shares in pre-IPO companies, making the private market accessible to accredited individual investors with one of the category’s lowest investment minimums of $5,000. EquityZen leverages its established network and reputation to offer curated investment offerings in leading venture backed technology companies to investors across industries like artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and fintech. By providing exclusive private market data and insights, EquityZen empowers clients to make informed decisions. The comprehensive investment platform delivers secure, compliant, fully streamlined processes and an intuitive, personalized interface. Guidance from private market investment specialists is also available.

    As a private market leader, EquityZen has enabled over 44,000 company-approved private market investments in over 450 late-stage companies for their clients since 2013.

    “EquityZen is opening up the private markets to the widest possible audience of investors and shareholders, not just the institutions who have always been able to invest in them. Companies are staying private longer than ever, making private market investing an essential component of a diversified portfolio,” said Steve Johansson, Managing Director, FinTech Breakthrough. “Over the last decade, growth equity returns have moved to the private market, and EquityZen is answering the growing investor demand for private market access. By automating an antiquated offline process, EquityZen is leading the charge of building more efficient, cost-effective, and transparent private markets for investors of all sizes.”

    The FinTech Breakthrough Awards is the premier awards program founded to recognize the FinTech innovators, leaders, and visionaries from around the world in a range of categories, including Digital Banking, Personal Finance, Lending, Payments, Investments, RegTech, InsurTech, and many more.

    “Our 710,000+ clients are predominantly individual investors, many of whom we’ve enabled to invest in late stage private companies for the first time. We believe the private market is the home of innovation and want to open investment access to as many investors as possible,” said Atish Davda, CEO and co-founder of EquityZen. “It’s an honor to be named ‘Best Retail Investment Platform’ by FinTech Breakthrough. We’ll continue to innovate and build a platform that can enable private markets for the public.”

    EquityZen Inc. was awarded a 2024 Fintech Breakthrough Award by Tech Breakthrough LLC on March 19, 2025, based on the prior year and covering calendar year 2024, and has compensated FinTech Breakthrough LLC for use of its name and logo in connection with the award. FinTech Breakthrough LLC is a third party and has no affiliation with EquityZen.

    About EquityZen
    Since 2013, the EquityZen marketplace has enabled the buying and selling of shares in private companies. EquityZen brings together over 700,000 investors and shareholders, providing liquidity to early shareholders and private market access to accredited investors for as little as $5,000 up to well over $5 million. Having completed more than 45,000 private placements in more than 450 private companies, EquityZen leads the way in delivering “Private Markets for the Public”.

    Media Contact
    Deborah Kostroun, Zito Partners
    deborah@zitopartners.com
    +1 (201) 403-8185

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Haitian media struggle to survive in face of attacks, revenue collapse

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    By Conor Lennon

    Peace and Security

    An increase in attacks on media outlets in Haiti by armed gangs which control most of the capital Port-au-Prince are intended to intimidate journalists and instill chaos according to the UN agency for culture, UNESCO.

    The Caribbean island nation is facing humanitarian, economic and political crises in addition to the break-down of law and order.

    In the last week, three media houses were targeted, in what appears to be a change in gang tactics in order to isolate the population.

    UN News asked Frantz Duval, the editor of Le Nouvelliste newspaper, Hervé LeRouge, the CEO of Le National newspaper and Télévision-Radio Pacific, and the head of the UNESCO Haiti office, Eric Voli Bi, what effect the attacks are having on journalists’ ability to continue providing accurate information to Haitians about the crisis there.

    UNOCHA

    Most of the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, is controlled by gangs.

    An attempt to silence the free press

    Frantz Duval: The Haitian press has been under attack for a long time already. It’s already been a year since our offices were totally vandalized. There have -also been attacks on Radio Télévision Caraïbes, Radio Mélodie, and Télé Pluriel. It’s all part of the total takeover of the Haitian capital by armed gangs, which has affected all institutions as well as private individuals.

    Eric Voli Bi: The situation is very alarming. We are seeing repeated against civilians, students and journalists. The attacks against the media are intended to intimidate them and end their essential mission of informing the public. UNESCO is calling for immediate measures to ensure the safety of journalists, protect their media facilities and create a secure environment for the free exercise of the press.

    Frantz Duval: Le Nouvelliste is 127 years old, and under the same ownership for four generations. It is the first time we have suffered a crisis of this magnitude. There have been difficult political situations in the past which disrupted publication, but only for a week or two. Even when we were hit by the 2010 earthquake, we resumed publishing just a few months later.

    It is very difficult to travel in Port-au-Prince. Those who continue to work are restricted to ever smaller areas. This means that are fewer news images and reports from places where there are violent clashes, because journalists no longer venture into these areas.

    Decades of archives and essential equipment destroyed

    Frantz Duval: When our historic premises were vandalized in March 2024, the editorial staff were unharmed because they had already left, but we couldn’t take the printing presses or our archives. Because downtown Port-au-Prince became a no-go area due to the presence of gangs, it was 10 months before we could get to the building. There was almost nothing left. This means that now we are an online-only news organisation.

    © UNOCHA/Giles Clarke

    A 63-year-old woman lies wounded on the floor of a hospital in Port-au-Prince after warring gangs swept through her neighborhood.

    Hervé LeRouge: So far, neither I nor my media companies have been attacked. However, I own several construction companies, providing concrete and asphalt, and two weeks ago, we were attacked by the gangs. Our premises were reduced to ruins and one of my employees was killed. He had been with me for fifteen years. It was a big loss.

    Non-existent revenue

    Frantz Duval: There are no subsidies or public funds for the Haitian press. Everything is financed by advertising, which has been slashed because hardly any businesses are doing well enough to be able to advertise.

    Hervé LeRouge: 51 people work for my TV station and newspaper, and the revenue doesn’t even cover payroll. My other companies allow me to pay their salaries, and I don’t want to let them go because there is no work for them anywhere else right now. Also, I consider this career to be a social service to the community.

    Eric Voli Bi: For the press to survive this difficult period, it goes without saying that we will still need a minimum of security in this country, and that is the responsibility of the government.

    UNESCO is working with the Ministry of Communications to restructure the state broadcaster (Radio Télévision Nationale d’Haïti), by providing training and new equipment. We are also using social media to help get verified information to the people, but also radio, which remains the must trusted channel of communication, especially in the countryside.

    Reliable information ‘a matter of life and death’

    Eric Voli Bi: Access to reliable information can be a matter of life and death. It can help people to identify safe zones, avoid danger and make the right decisions to protect themselves and their families.

    © UNICEF/Ralph Tedy Erol

    People flee the neighbourhood of Solino in Port-au-Prince following gang attacks there in May 2024.

    Hervé LeRouge: These journalists are used to difficult situations because, every day, they are reporting and presenting live shows from the streets, just as they have always done, showing the population what is happening, so that they know where it is safe to go. That is the service we provide to the people.

    Eric Voli Bi: The armed groups are trying to isolate the population and create chaos in the in the country by attacking the media. Press freedom is essential to guarantee the right to information and ensure transparency in the society. It’s also a platform for diverse voices a key to ensuring transparency. In this country, which has been scarred by violence and instability, knowing the truth can be incredibly healing.

    Hervé LeRouge: I will not leave the country I love. This is my country, and I will defend it even at the risk of my life.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why a journalist could obtain a minister’s ChatGPT prompts – and what it means for transparency

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Tom Felle, Associate Professor of Journalism, University of Galway

    When the New Scientist revealed that it had obtained a UK government minister’s ChatGPT prompts through a freedom of information (FOI) request, many in journalism and politics did a double take. Science and technology minister Peter Kyle had apparently asked the AI chatbot to draft a speech, explain complex policy and – more memorably – tell him what podcasts to appear on.

    What once seemed like private musings or experimental use of AI is now firmly in the public domain – because it was done on a government device.

    It’s a striking example of how FOI laws are being stretched in the age of artificial intelligence. But it also raises a bigger, more uncomfortable question: what else in our digital lives counts as a public record? If AI prompts can be released, should Google searches be next?

    Britain’s Freedom of Information Act was passed in 2000 and came into force in 2005. Two distinct uses of FOI have since emerged. The first – and arguably the most successful – is FOI applied to personal records. This has given people the right to access information held about them, from housing files to social welfare records. It’s a quiet success story that has empowered citizens in their dealings with the state.

    The second is what journalists use to interrogate the workings of government. Here, the results have been patchy at best. While FOI has produced scoops and scandals, it’s also been undermined by sweeping exemptions, chronic delays and a Whitehall culture that sees transparency as optional rather than essential.

    Tony Blair, who introduced the Act as prime minister, famously described it as the biggest mistake of his time in government. He later argued that FOI turned politics into “a conversation conducted with the media”.

    Successive governments have chafed against FOI. Few cases illustrate this better than the battle over the black spider memos – letters written by the then Prince (now King) Charles to ministers, lobbying on issues from farming to architecture. The government fought for a decade to keep them secret, citing the prince’s right to confidential advice.



    Read more:
    Dull content, but the release of Prince Charles letters is a landmark moment

    When they were finally released in 2015 after a Supreme Court ruling, the result was mildly embarrassing but politically explosive. It proved that what ministers deem “private” correspondence can, and often should, be subject to public scrutiny.

    The ChatGPT case feels like a modern version of that debate. If a politician drafts ideas via AI, is that a private thought or a public record? If those prompts shape policy, surely the public has a right to know.

    Are Google searches next?

    FOI law is clear on paper: any information held by a public body is subject to release unless exempt. Over the years, courts have ruled that the platform is irrelevant. Email, WhatsApp or handwritten notes – if the content relates to official business and is held by a public body, it’s potentially disclosable.

    The precedent was set in Dublin in 2017 when the Irish prime minister’s office released WhatsApp messages to the public service broadcaster RTÉ. The UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office has also published detailed guidance confirming that official information held in non-corporate channels such as private email, WhatsApp or Signal is subject to FOI requests if it relates to public authority business.

    The ongoing COVID-19 inquiry has shown how WhatsApp groups – once considered informal backchannels – became key decision-making arenas in government, with messages from Boris Johnson, Matt Hancock and senior advisers like Dominic Cummings now disclosed as official records.

    In Australia, WhatsApp messages between ministers were scrutinised during the Robodebt scandal, an illegal welfare hunt that ran from 2016-19, while Canada’s inquiry into the “Freedom Convoy” protests in 2022 revealed texts and private chats between senior officials as crucial evidence of how decisions were made.

    The principle is simple: if government work is being done, the public has a right to see it.

    AI chat logs now fall into this same grey area. If an official or minister uses ChatGPT to explore policy options or draft a speech on a government device, that log may be a record — as Peter Kyle’s prompts proved.

    This opens a fascinating (and slightly unnerving) precedent. If AI prompts are FOI-able, what about Google searches? If a civil servant types “How to privatise the NHS” into Chrome on a government laptop, is that a private query or an official record?

    The honest answer is: we don’t know (yet). FOI hasn’t fully caught up with the digital age. Google searches are usually ephemeral and not routinely stored. But if searches are logged or screen-captured as part of official work, then they could be requested.

    Similarly, what about drafts written in AI writing assistant Grammarly or ideas brainstormed with Siri? If those tools are used on official devices, and the records exist, they could be disclosed.

    Of course, there’s nothing to stop this or any future government from changing the law or tightening FOI rules to exclude material like this.

    FOI, journalism and democracy

    While these kinds of disclosures are fascinating, they risk distracting from a deeper problem: FOI is increasingly politicised. Refusals are now often based on political considerations rather than the letter of the law, with requests routinely delayed or rejected to avoid embarrassment. In many cases, ministers’ use of WhatsApp groups was a deliberate attempt to avoid scrutiny in the first place.

    There is a growing culture of transparency avoidance across government and public services – one that extends beyond ministers. Private companies delivering public contracts are often shielded from FOI altogether. Meanwhile, some governments, including Ireland and Australia, have weakened the law itself.

    AI tools are no longer experiments, they are becoming part of how policy is developed and decisions are made. Without proper oversight, they risk becoming the next blind spot in democratic accountability.

    For journalists, this is a potential game changer. Systems like ChatGPT may soon be embedded in government workflows, drafting speeches, summarising reports and even brainstorming strategy. If decisions are increasingly shaped by algorithmic suggestions, the public deserves to know how and why.

    But it also revives an old dilemma. Democracy depends on transparency – yet officials must have space to think, experiment and explore ideas without fear that every AI query or draft ends up on the front page. Not every search or chatbot prompt is a final policy position.

    Blair may have called FOI a mistake, but in truth, it forced power to confront the reality of accountability. The real challenge now is updating FOI for the digital age.

    Tom Felle does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Why a journalist could obtain a minister’s ChatGPT prompts – and what it means for transparency – https://theconversation.com/why-a-journalist-could-obtain-a-ministers-chatgpt-prompts-and-what-it-means-for-transparency-252269

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How a lack of period product regulation harms our health and the planet

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Poppy Taylor, PhD Candidate, Women’s Health, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol

    JLco Julia Amaral/Shutterstock

    Did you know that in the UK period products are regulated under the same consumer legislation as candles? For 15 million people who menstruate each month, these items are used internally or next to one of the most sensitive parts of the body for extended times.

    Consumers should be entitled to know what is in their period products before choosing which ones to buy. Yet, because of the current lack of adequate regulation and transparency, manufacturers are not required to disclose all materials. And only basic information is available on brand websites. Campaigners are now calling for better regulation.

    Independent material testing shows that single-use period pads can contain up to 90% plastic. An estimated 4.6 million pads, tampons and panty liners are flushed away daily in the UK. These contribute to blocked sewers and fatbergs. They also pollute rivers and oceans.

    Meanwhile, reusable period products are promoted by aid charities as a way to tackle period poverty and reduce waste. But independent tests by organisations such as Which? have found harmful chemicals inside both single-use and reusable period products.

    These include synthetic chemicals that disrupt hormones – known as endocrine-disrupting chemicals – and forever chemicals or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that don’t degrade. These chemicals have been associated with a range of health harms from cancers to reproductive disorders and infertility. They have no place in period products.

    I work as a women’s health researcher at the University of Bristol’s Digital Footprints Lab alongside a team of data scientists. We harness digital data, such as shopping records, to study public health issues. My research looks at how things like education affect which menstrual products people choose.

    In collaboration with the charity Women’s Environmental Network, I am exploring intersections between gender, health, equity and environmental justice – especially among marginalised women and communities. But social stigma prevents open discussions about menstruation and how best to improve period product regulation.

    Menstrual stigma influences everything from the information and support people who menstruate receive to the types of products we use and how we dispose of them. In a study of menstrual education experiences in English schools, my colleague and I found evidence of teacher attitudes perpetuating menstrual stigma.

    Lessons typically lacked content about the health or environmental consequences of period products. Our study showed that just 2.4% of 18- to 24-year-olds surveyed were taught about sustainable alternatives to single-use tampons and menstrual pads.

    An environmenstrual workshop hosted bythe charity, Women’s Environmental Network.
    Women’s Environmental Network / Sarah Larby, CC BY-NC-ND

    For decades, period product adverts portrayed menstrual blood as a blue liquid. The social taboos around periods, largely created and reinforced by period brands over decades of fear-based marketing, has left its mark.

    For example, in response to customer’s anxieties about supposed menstrual odour, manufacturers are increasingly using potentially environmentally harmful antimicrobials like silver and anti-odour additives in period products. This is despite there being no evidence that period products such as menstrual pants or pads transmit harmful bacteria that need sanitising. The silver also washes out after a couple of washes.

    The role of regulation

    In New York state, the Menstrual Products Right To Know Act means that a period product cannot be sold unless the labelling includes a list of materials. In Scotland, a government initiative provides free period products to anyone who needs them.

    Catalonia in Spain has introduced a groundbreaking law that ensures access to safe and sustainable period products, while also working to reduce menstrual stigma and taboos through education.

    A new European “eco label” is a step forward, but companies don’t have to use it. This voluntary label, which shows a product is good for the environment, doesn’t cover period underwear.

    Now, campaigners at the Women’s Environmental Network are calling for the UK government to adopt a Menstrual Health, Dignity and Sustainability Act, backed by many charities, academics and environmentalists. This will enable equal access to sustainable period products, improved menstrual education, independent testing, transparent product labelling and stronger regulations.

    The regulation of period products is currently being considered as part of the product regulation and metrology bill and the use of antimicrobials in period products is being included in the consumer products (control of biocides) bill introduced by Baroness Natalie Bennett. By tackling both health implications and environmental harms, period products can be produced in a safer way, for both people and planet.

    Poppy Taylor’s PhD is funded by the University of Bristol and the Health Foundation.
    Poppy Taylor is a member of the Women’s Environmental Network.

    – ref. How a lack of period product regulation harms our health and the planet – https://theconversation.com/how-a-lack-of-period-product-regulation-harms-our-health-and-the-planet-248941

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Only 15 countries have met the latest Paris agreement deadline. Is any nation serious about tackling climate change?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Doug Specht, Reader in Cultural Geography and Communication, University of Westminster

    Svet Foto/Shutterstock

    The latest deadline for countries to submit plans for slashing the greenhouse gas emissions fuelling climate change has passed. Only 15 countries met it – less than 8% of the 194 parties currently signed up to the Paris agreement, which obliges countries to submit new proposals for eliminating emissions every five years.

    Known as nationally determined contributions, or NDCs, these plans outline how each country intends to help limit average global temperature rise to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, or at most 2°C. This might include cutting emissions by generating more energy from wind and solar, or adapting to a heating world by restoring wetlands as protection against more severe floods and wildfires.

    Each new NDC should outline more stringent emissions cuts than the last. It should also show how each country seeks to mitigate climate change over the following ten years. This system is designed to progressively strengthen (or “ratchet up”) global efforts to combat climate change.

    The February 2025 deadline for submitting NDCs was set nine months before the next UN climate change conference, Cop30 in Belém, Brazil.

    Without a comprehensive set of NDCs for countries to compare themselves against, there will be less pressure on negotiators to raise national ambitions. Assessing how much money certain countries need to decarbonise and adapt to climate change, and how much is available, will also be more difficult.

    While countries can (and some will) continue to submit NDCs, the poor compliance rate so far suggests a lack of urgency that bodes ill for avoiding the worst climate outcomes this century.

    Who submitted?

    The 15 countries that submitted NDCs on time include the United Arab Emirates, the UK, Switzerland, Ecuador and a number of small states, such as Andorra and the Marshall Islands.

    Cop30 host Brazil submitted a pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 59-67% by 2035, compared to 2005 levels. This is up from its previous commitment, a 37% reduction by 2025 and 43% by 2030. Unfortunately, Brazil is not on track to meet its 2025 target and has set a more recent emissions baseline that will make any reductions more modest than they’d otherwise be.

    Japan aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 60% in 2035 and 73% in 2040, compared to 2013 levels. Japan’s previous target was for a 46% reduction by 2030. This demonstrates how the ratchet system is supposed to work.

    The UK’s NDC, which pledges to reduce all greenhouse gas emissions by at least 81% by 2035, compared to 1990 levels, was described by independent scientists as “compatible” with limiting global heating to 1.5°C.

    The US submitted a plan to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by 61-66% below 2005 levels by 2035. However, this was before Donald Trump pulled the US out of the Paris agreement (for the second time), so the commitment of one of the world’s largest polluters is in doubt.

    Who didn’t submit?

    Some of the world’s largest emitters failed to submit new NDCs, including China, India and Russia.

    India pledged to reduce its emissions by 35% below 2005 levels by 2030 at the signing of the Paris agreement. All of the country’s subsequent NDCs have been rated as “insufficient” by independent scientists. India’s recent national budget announcement offered scant additional funding for climate mitigation and adaptation measures.

    China also made big promises in 2015 with its aim to lower its CO₂ emissions by 65% by 2030, from a 2005 baseline. However, China has been responsible for over 90% of global CO₂ emissions growth since the Paris agreement was signed. China and the US also suspended formal discussions on climate change in 2022. Increased economic competition between these two nations has resulted in export control restrictions and tariffs which have made green technologies like electric vehicles more expensive, which is certain to slow down the shift from fossil fuels.

    Russia joined the Paris agreement in 2019. Its first NDC was labelled “critically insufficient” by scientists, and its follow-up in 2020 did not include increased targets. Russia is maximising the extraction of resources such as oil, gas and minerals and its 2035 strategy for the Arctic included plans to sink several oil wells on the continental shelf.

    With the USA’s 2025 NDC in limbo, President Trump is eyeing mineral reserves in Ukraine and Greenland, further ramping up oil production and cutting international climate research funding.

    The European Union could have positioned itself as a leader of global climate action, in lieu of US involvement. But the EU, which submits NDCs as a bloc alongside individual country submissions, also failed to submit on time.

    Global shifts

    The failure of most nations to submit new emission plans suggests that the era of cooperation on climate change is over. The largest and most powerful of these nations are growing their military and diplomatic presence around the world, particularly in countries with large reserves of critical minerals for electric vehicles and other technology relevant to decarbonisation. The lack of NDCs from these nations may be less a matter of middling green ambitions, more an attempt to disguise their planned exploitation of other countries’ resources.

    If countries keep failing to submit enhanced NDCs, or even withdraw from their commitments entirely, scientists warn that global heating could reach a catastrophic 4.4°C by 2100. This scenario assumes the continued, unabated use of fossil fuels, with little regard for the climate.

    In a more optimistic scenario, countries could limit warming to around 1.8°C by 2100. This will require global cooperation and significant investment in green technology, and entail a transition to net zero emissions by mid-century. This is a process that must include everyone. Simply having the most powerful nations decarbonise by exploiting and hoarding resources will imperil this critical target.

    The actual outcome will probably fall somewhere between these two scenarios, depending on forthcoming NDCs and how quickly and thoroughly they are implemented. All of the scenarios envisaged by climate scientists will involve warming continuing for decades.

    The effects of this warming will vary, however, based on the path we choose today.

    Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?

    Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 40,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

    Doug Specht does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Only 15 countries have met the latest Paris agreement deadline. Is any nation serious about tackling climate change? – https://theconversation.com/only-15-countries-have-met-the-latest-paris-agreement-deadline-is-any-nation-serious-about-tackling-climate-change-250847

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Real Estate CEO Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Manipulating WeWork Stock with Fraudulent Tender Offer Scheme

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News (b)

    Matthew Podolsky, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that JONATHAN MOYNAHAN LARMORE was sentenced today to five years in prison for manipulating the stock price of WeWork, Inc. (“WeWork”) with a fake tender offer designed to fraudulently inflate the value of LARMORE’s own WeWork securities. LARMORE’s sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer, who also presided over a one-week trial after which LARMORE was convicted of one count of tender offer fraud and one count of securities fraud.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky said: “Jonathan Larmore treated the stock market like a game he could rig to obtain instant riches at the expense of innocent investors. As today’s sentence shows, this Office will continue to advocate for significant penalties against those who manipulate our markets and defraud investors.”

    According to the evidence presented in court during the trial:

    LARMORE is the former CEO of Arciterra Companies LLC, a real estate investment and management firm. In the fall of 2023, LARMORE perpetrated a scheme to use a false and fraudulent tender offer to manipulate the stock price of WeWork, a co-working space company that was publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange.

    To execute his scheme, LARMORE created a sham real estate investment firm called Cole Capital Funds LLC (“Cole Capital”). LARMORE then spent more than $775,000 buying tens of thousands of cheap, short-dated, out-of-the-money WeWork call options and hundreds of thousands of shares of WeWork common stock. On November 3, 2023, LARMORE published a fake press release announcing that Cole Capital proposed to acquire 51% of all outstanding shares owned by minority shareholders of WeWork at a more-than-700% premium in an all-cash offer worth more than $77 million. At the time, WeWork was on the verge of bankruptcy. The press release itself contained a number of false and misleading claims about LARMORE and Cole Capital, and their ability to carry through with the purported tender offer.

    In fact, neither LARMORE nor Cole Capital had the intent or ability to execute the announced tender offer. Instead, LARMORE intended for news of the tender offer to fraudulently inflate WeWork’s share price and, thereby, to increase the value of LARMORE’s newly acquired WeWork call options and shares.

    Approximately one minute after LARMORE’s press release about his fraudulent tender offer was published, WeWork’s share price quickly increased during after-hours trading by more than 70% and continued to rise to a high of more than 150% over the stock price prior to the publication of the press release. The WeWork call options LARMORE purchased could have made him tens of millions of dollars with a big enough spike to WeWork’s stock price, but the vast majority of the options expired before LARMORE could publish his manipulative press release. The following Monday, November 6, 2023, WeWork filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. LARMORE never followed through on his fraudulent tender offer.

    *               *                *

    In addition to the prison term, LARMORE, 51, of Syracuse, Indiana, was sentenced to three years of supervised release during which the defendant must perform 500 hours of community service.

    Mr. Podolsky praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Mr. Podolsky also thanked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which filed a civil action against LARMORE, for its assistance and cooperation in the investigation.

    This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam S. Hobson, Sarah Mortazavi, and Justin V. Rodriguez are in charge of the prosecution. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: BexBack Launches No KYC, 100x Leverage Crypto Futures Trading, Double Deposit Bonus & $50 Welcome Bonus

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SINGAPORE, March 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Following President Donald Trump’s announcement to include Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Ripple (XRP), Solana (SOL), and Cardano (ADA) in the U.S. Strategic Crypto Reserve, the crypto market has experienced significant volatility. This led Bitcoin to surge past $94,000, while other major altcoins followed suit, reaffirming short-term market turbulence.

    As analysts predict continued volatility, simply holding spot positions may not generate profits. 100x leverage futures trading has become the preferred tool for experienced investors looking to maximize returns from market fluctuations. To meet growing demand, BexBack Exchange is offering exclusive promotions:

    • 100% Deposit Bonus – Double your funds instantly.
    • $50 Welcome Bonus – For new users after completing their first trade.
    • 100x Leverage on Crypto Trading – Maximize potential profits.
    • No KYC Required – Start trading immediately without identity verification.

    How Does 100x Leverage Work?

    With 100x leverage, traders can control larger positions with less capital. For example:

    • A 1 BTC long position with 100x leverage equals 100 BTC in trading value.
    • If Bitcoin rises to $105,000, the profit is 5 BTC, yielding a 500% return.

    About BexBack

    BexBack is a leading platform offering 100x leverage on BTC, ETH, ADA, SOL, and XRP futures contracts. It’s trusted by 500,000+ traders worldwide and provides:

    • No KYC Required – Start trading immediately, no complex verification needed.
    • 100% Deposit Bonus – Double your capital and increase your profit potential.
    • High-Leverage Trading – Trade with up to 100x leverage for enhanced capital efficiency.
    • $50 Welcome Bonus – New users receive $50 after completing one trade within one week of registration.
    • Demo Account – Practice risk-free trading with 10 BTC in virtual funds.
    • Comprehensive Trading Options – Trade via Web and mobile applications with advanced tools.
    • Fast, Precise Execution – No slippage, no spread, and seamless trading.
    • Global 24/7 Support – Dedicated customer service available anytime, anywhere.
    • Lucrative Affiliate Program – Earn up to 50% commission on referred traders’ fees.

    Sign up today to claim your 100% deposit bonus and $50 welcome bonus, and start trading with 100x leverage!

    Website: www.bexback.com

    Contact: business@bexback.com

    Contact:
    Amanda
    business@bexback.com

    Disclaimer: This content is provided by BexBack. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice. Investing in crypto and mining related opportunities involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital. Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. However, due to the inherently speculative nature of the blockchain sector–including cryptocurrency, NFTs, and mining–complete accuracy cannot always be guaranteed. Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release. Speculate only with funds that you can afford to lose.

    Legal Disclaimer: This media platform provides the content of this article on an “as-is” basis, without any warranties or representations of any kind, express or implied. We do not assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information presented herein. Any concerns, complaints, or copyright issues related to this article should be directed to the content provider mentioned above.

    Photos accompanying this announcement are available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/442bde6f-8dca-47cd-8b20-1f71c039ad58

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/35757608-961f-4f0b-af9d-9bd5af6ffedf

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6147c4c8-fa52-4dd5-92eb-c3f9c85d8419

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/269c1af7-d653-480b-99cb-a8f1f8fdd88a

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: authID Named “Best ID Management Platform” Award in 2025 FinTech Breakthrough Awards

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    The biometric verification and authentication leader was honored for setting a new standard in identity management with its advanced biometric solutions

    DENVER, Colorado, March 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — authID (Nasdaq: AUID), a leading provider of biometric identity verification and authentication solutions, today announced that it has once again been selected as the winner of the “Best ID Management Platform” award in the 2025 FinTech Breakthrough Awards.

    Presented by FinTech Breakthrough, a leading market intelligence organization that recognizes the top companies, technologies, and products in the global FinTech market, the 9th annual FinTech Breakthrough Awards recognize the most innovative companies in the financial technology industry, highlighting those that have demonstrated exceptional performance and growth. authID was recognized for its groundbreaking biometric identity verification technology, which has set a new standard for precision, speed, and data privacy in the fintech industry, as well as the verification landscape at large.

    This marks the third time in the past four years that authID has been recognized as the “Best ID Management Platform” by FinTech Breakthrough. The company previously received this recognition in 2022 and 2023.

    “We are honored to once again be recognized as the ‘Best ID Management Platform’ by FinTech Breakthrough,” said Rhon Daguro, CEO of authID. “At authID, we are committed to helping businesses navigate the ever-evolving challenges of digital identity security. Our platform offers biometric authentication and identity verification solutions that are not only sub-second fast and accurate but also designed with privacy and compliance in mind. This recognition is a testament to the dedication of our team in making the digital ecosystem safer, more secure, and more user-friendly for both businesses and consumers.”

    As consumer awareness of data privacy grows, authID addresses the need for secure digital identity management without compromising on compliance or ease of use. By leveraging public/private key encryption and key-rotation capabilities, as well as advanced deepfake detection, authID’s solutions enable companies to control who can access sensitive data and combat sophisticated fraud. Moreover, authID’s groundbreaking PrivacyKey™ solution stores zero biometric data while retaining one-in-one-billion false-match accuracy and 25ms authentication speed, and helping prevent identity fraud, account takeovers, and data breaches, ensuring clients stay ahead of emerging threats and regulatory changes.

    The FinTech Breakthrough Award nominations were evaluated by an independent panel of experts within the financial services and technology industries, with the winning products and companies selected based on a variety of criteria. For more about the 2025 Fintech Breakthrough Awards, click here. Learn more about authID and its suite of solutions here.

    About authID

    authID (Nasdaq: AUID) ensures enterprises “Know Who’s Behind the Device™” for every customer or employee login and transaction through its easy-to-integrate, patented biometric identity platform. authID quickly and accurately verifies a user’s identity and eliminates any assumption of ‘who’ is behind a device to prevent cybercriminals from compromising account openings or taking over accounts. Combining secure digital onboarding, biometric authentication, and account recovery with a fast, accurate, user-friendly experience, authID delivers biometric identity processing in 700ms. With our ground-breaking PrivacyKey Solution, authID delivers all the benefits of biometric identity verification, with a 1-to-1-billion false match rate, while storing no biometric data. Binding a biometric root of trust for each user to their account, authID stops fraud at onboarding, detects and stops deepfakes, prevents account takeover, eliminates password risks and costs, and provides the fastest, most frictionless, and most accurate user identity experience demanded by today’s digital ecosystem. Contact us to discover how authID can help your organization secure your workforce or consumer applications against identity fraud, cyberattacks, and account takeover.

    Media Contacts

    NextTech Communications
    Walter Fowler
    1-631-334-3864
    wfowler@nexttechcomms.com

    Investor Relations Contacts
    Investor-Relations@authid.ai

    Gateway Group, Inc.
    Cody Slach and Alex Thompson
    1-949-574-3860
    AUID@gateway-grp.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Next Layer Capital Joins Bitcoin for Corporations Amid Growing Institutional Adoption

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MIAMI, March 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Next Layer Capital has officially become a member of Bitcoin for Corporations (BFC), an initiative led by BTC Inc to accelerate corporate Bitcoin adoption. This strategic move aligns the firm with a corporate network of teams integrating and advancing Bitcoin initiatives. 

    Next Layer Capital’s Role in the Digital Asset Ecosystem 
    Headquartered in Miami and New York City, Next Layer Capital brings together a team of Digital Asset and traditional finance experts in one entity.

    Their diversified expertise enables the firm to offer comprehensive services that assist both corporations and family offices with their Digital Asset goals. Their proficiency has led them to the development of turn-key digital asset allocation strategies. Additionally, Next Layer Capital provides institutional-grade financing solutions, crafting alternative capital structures that incorporate Bitcoin, thereby enhancing financial flexibility. The firm also optimizes deal structuring using ai-agent workflows in its backend to ensure efficient transaction processes. This multifaceted approach positions Next Layer Capital as a pivotal player in facilitating corporate, and ultra-high net worth, Bitcoin adoption.

    Bitcoin for Corporations: An Organization Dedicated to Advancing Institutional Adoption
    Bitcoin for Corporations serves as a key organization for businesses seeking to incorporate Bitcoin into their balance sheets and treasury strategies. The initiative connects corporate leaders with industry experts, offering education, financial models, and execution frameworks to facilitate large-scale adoption. By joining BFC, Next Layer Capital strengthens its role in expanding the Bitcoin ecosystem, offering advisory services that support corporate adoption.

    Strategy’s Aggressive Bitcoin Accumulation
    The announcement of Next Layer Capital’s membership in BFC coincides with significant developments in the institutional Bitcoin landscape. Notably, Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy) has continued its aggressive Bitcoin accumulation strategy. As of Mar 18, 2025, Strategy holds approximately 499,096 bitcoins, acquired at an average price of $66,473 per bitcoin, totaling nearly $27.95 billion in investment. To further bolster its Bitcoin holdings, Strategy unveiled plans to raise up to $21 billion through a stock-sale initiative, underscoring the company’s commitment to Bitcoin as a primary treasury reserve asset.

    Other Public Companies Embracing Bitcoin
    The following public companies are actively incorporating Bitcoin into their corporate treasury strategies:

    • MicroStrategy: The largest corporate holder of Bitcoin, with 499,096 BTC, valued at approximately $40.96 billion as of March 2025.
    • Metaplanet: A Japan-based hotel business that has integrated Bitcoin into its corporate treasury, holding 3,200 BTC, valued at approximately $262.84 million as of March 2025.
    • Semler Scientific: A medical technology company that develops healthcare diagnostic solutions, holding 3,192 BTC, valued at approximately $261.98 million as of March 2025.

    Notable companies with Bitcoin on their balance sheet:

    • Tesla, Inc: The electric vehicle manufacturer currently holds 11,509 BTC, valued at approximately $944.59 million as of March 2025.
    • Marathon Digital Holdings Inc.: One of the world’s largest Bitcoin mining companies, holding approximately 40,435 BTC, valued at $3.32 billion as of March 2025.
    • Coinbase Global Inc.: A leading cryptocurrency exchange and custodian, holding 9,000 BTC, valued at approximately $738.67 million as of March 2025.

    These developments indicate a broader acceptance of Bitcoin as a legitimate corporate asset class.

    Advancing the Institutional Bitcoin Narrative
    “Digital assets, like Bitcoin and Stablecoins more specifically, are reshaping financial strategies at both the corporate and sovereign levels,” said Brandon Turp, Co-Founder at Next Layer Capital. “Joining Bitcoin for Corporations is a step toward providing the expertise necessary for corporations and family offices to integrate Bitcoin effectively.”

    As macroeconomic pressures drive increased demand for non-sovereign financial assets, Next Layer Capital’s participation in Bitcoin for Corporations marks a significant milestone in the evolution of corporate Bitcoin adoption. Corporations and family offices interested in exploring Digital Asset Strategies, like Bitcoin and Stablecoin integration, are encouraged to consider Next Layer Capital’s advisory services. 

    This development highlights the growing institutional acceptance of Bitcoin and reflects a broader shift toward digital asset integration in corporate finance.

    About Next Layer
    Next Layer Capital is a digital asset advisory firm that provides institutional-grade capital markets solutions to corporations, family offices, and nation-states looking to gain exposure to the digital asset ecosystem. Founded in 2024, the firm is dedicated to accelerating the global adoption of Bitcoin and digital assets. 

    Contact

    Co-Founder
    Brandon Turp
    Next Layer Capital
    turp@nextlayer.capital

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6918b242-b1ae-440c-95c3-dc8dbadd5ce1

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Order.co Achieves Effective Data Security Controls According to Recent SOC 2 Report

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, March 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Order.co, the world’s leading B2B Ecommerce Platform, announced that the company has undergone a System and Organization Controls (SOC) 2 examination resulting in a CPA’s report stating that management maintained effective controls over the security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy of its platform. This achievement reflects Order.co’s dedication to ensuring its customers’ data remains safe at every step of the ordering process.

    “We’re pleased that our SOC 2 report has shown we have the appropriate controls in place to mitigate security risks,” said Glenn Veil, Vice President of Engineering at Order.co. “We hope that achieving this milestone gives our customers and partners confidence that we view data security as a top priority.”

    A SOC 2 report is designed to meet the needs of existing or potential customers who need assurance about the effectiveness of controls used when processing their information. The engagement was performed by BARR Advisory, P.A., a global cybersecurity consulting and compliance attestation firm that has served as a trusted advisor to hundreds of cloud-based and hybrid organizations aiming to build trust and resilience through cybersecurity compliance.

    “This SOC 2 Type 1 report affirms that Order.co has successfully designed controls over the selected trust services criteria developed by the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) for effective data management,” said Sydney Buchel, manager of automation SOC services at BARR Advisory. “It’s a pleasure to work with a team that cares about data security and integrity as much as we do.”

    The following principles and related criteria have been developed by the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) for use by practitioners in the performance of trust services engagements:

    • Security: The system is protected against unauthorized access (both physical and logical).
    • Availability: The system is available for operation and use as committed or agreed.
    • Processing Integrity: System processing is complete, valid, accurate, timely, and authorized to meet the entity’s objectives.
    • Confidentiality: Information designated as confidential is protected as committed or agreed.
    • Privacy: Personal information is collected, used, retained, disclosed, and disposed of to meet the entity’s objectives.

    Based on one or more of these criteria, SOC 2 reports provide valuable information that existing and potential customers need when evaluating an outsourced service.

    Current and prospective customers interested in a copy of Order.co’s SOC 2 report can visit the company’s trust center: https://trust.order.co

    About Order.co

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

    Hundreds of companies, like WeWork and Hugo Boss, leverage Order.co to centralize purchase-to-pay workflows, scale operations, and gain total control over spending – saving an average of 5% on products. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in New York City, Order.co has raised $50M in funding from industry-leading investors like MIT, Stage 2 Capital, Rally Ventures, 645 Ventures, and more.

    About BARR Advisory

    BARR Advisory is a cloud-based security and compliance solutions provider specializing in cybersecurity consulting and compliance for companies with high-value information in cloud environments like AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform. A trusted advisor to some of the fastest growing cloud-based organizations around the globe, BARR simplifies compliance across multiple regulatory and customer requirements in highly regulated industries including technology, financial services, healthcare, and government.

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

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Mobile service revenue in China to increase at 2.5% CAGR over 2024-2029, forecasts GlobalData

    Source: GlobalData

    Mobile service revenue in China to increase at 2.5% CAGR over 2024-2029, forecasts GlobalData

    Posted in Technology

    The total mobile services revenue in China is poised to increase from $139.2 billion in 2024 to $157.3 billion in 2029 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2.5%, mainly driven by healthy growth in mobile data services segment, reveals GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

    GlobalData’s research reveals that growth in mobile data service revenues will offset the decline in mobile voice service revenues during the forecast period. While mobile voice service revenue will decline at a CAGR of 10.4% between 2024 and 2029, mobile data revenue will increase at a CAGR of 5.2% over the same period, primarily driven by the increasing adoption of higher average revenue per user (ARPU) 5G services.

    Srikanth Vaidya, Telecom Analyst at GlobalData, says: “The average monthly mobile data usage in China is expected to increase from 15.2 GB in 2024 to 28.3 GB in 2029, driven by the growing consumption of online video and social media content over smartphones, thanks to the widespread availability of 5G services.”

    GlobalData is optimistic about the country’s mobile broadband services outlook with 5G services leading the way. 5G subscriptions are estimated to account for 89.6% of the total mobile subscriptions in 2029, driven by the ongoing 5G network expansion and modernization efforts of the operators. For instance, China Mobile has commercially deployed 5G-A network in more than 280 cities till June 2024, with the goal of establishing the world’s largest 5G commercial network.

    Government’s policies and initiatives for promoting 5G adoption in the industrial sector will also lend traction to the 5G market in the country. For instance, MIIT, China’s telecom regulator had announced to develop more than 10,000 5G factories to drive industrial applications of 5G, particularly in manufacturing.

    The advancements in 5G technology will also drive robust growth in M2M/IoT subscriptions, which are expected to increase at a CAGR of 13.3% over the period 2024 to 2029.

    Vaidya concludes: “China Mobile will retain its leading position through 2029, supported by its ongoing 5G network expansions to cater to the rising demand for high-speed services by residential and enterprise segments. Till June 2024, the operator deployed over 2.29 million 5G base stations, including 705,000 700MHz 5G base stations. China Mobile had invested about CNY31.4 billion ($4.3 billion) on 5G infrastructure in H1 2024, of the total CNY173 billion ($23.8 billion) planned for the entire year.”

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: APAC deal activity faces challenges in early 2025, but some pockets of growth exist, finds GlobalData

    Source: GlobalData

    APAC deal activity faces challenges in early 2025, but some pockets of growth exist, finds GlobalData

    Posted in Business Fundamentals

    The Asia-Pacific (APAC) deal landscape has experienced a notable shift in early 2025, reflecting a complex interplay of market dynamics and economic conditions. In the first two months of 2025, the total deal volume* in the APAC region has seen a decline of approximately 8% compared to the same period in 2024. However, few countries in the region witnessed an increase in deal volume, reflecting that some pockets of growth still exist for funding activity, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

    Aurojyoti Bose, Lead Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Analyzing the trend across various deal types and key markets reveals both challenges and opportunities that stakeholders must navigate.”

    An analysis of GlobalData’s Deals Database revealed that the overall downturn is majorly driven by a significant reduction in venture financing activity, which contracted by around 13% during January-February 2025 compared to January-February 2024, reflecting a cautious approach from investors in the current economic climate.

    The impact was pronounced in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity, which contracted by 5%. M&A transactions, traditionally a barometer of corporate confidence and strategic growth, appear to be under pressure as companies reassess their expansion strategies.

    Conversely, private equity deals have shown resilience, with deal volume mostly remaining at the same level during the review period.

    Bose adds: “Meanwhile, a closer examination of the deal volume across select top markets within the APAC region reveals a mixed picture.”

    China, historically a powerhouse in deal-making, experienced a substantial decline of more than 20% in deal volume. This drop can be attributed to regulatory challenges and economic slowdown. In contrast, India emerged as a bright spot, with a growth of more than 10% in deal volume. This growth underscores India’s potential as a burgeoning market for deal-making.

    Japan has also demonstrated remarkable resilience with a growth rate of around 35%. Meanwhile, Australia and South Korea have both seen significant declines. These declines highlight the challenges faced by these markets, including economic uncertainties and geopolitical tensions that may be impacting investor sentiment.

    Other markets such as Singapore and Malaysia have also reported declines. This trend suggests that even established financial hubs are not immune to the broader market pressures affecting the region.

    Bose concludes: “Although the APAC deal landscape in early 2025 is characterized by a decline, pockets of growth, particularly in India and Japan, suggest that opportunities still exist for savvy investors.”

    *Coverage includes mergers & acquisitions (M&A), private equity and venture financing deals

    Note: Historic data may change in case some deals get added to previous months because of a delay in disclosure of information in the public domain

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: NHS approval of endometriosis therapy Ryeqo enhances patient care, eases healthcare strain, says GlobalData

    Source: GlobalData

    NHS approval of endometriosis therapy Ryeqo enhances patient care, eases healthcare strain, says GlobalData

    Posted in Pharma

    The National Health Service (NHS) in England has approved Gedeon Richter’s Ryeqo, the first long-term pill available for endometriosis for patients who have exhausted all other treatment options. The approval addresses the long-standing gap in long-term treatment options for endometriosis, improving overall disease management while easing the burden on healthcare resources, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

    GlobalData’s report, “Endometriosis Market Size and Trend Report,” reveals that the endometriosis market size across the seven major markets* (7MM) is expected to achieve a compound annual growth rate of more than 9% during 2020-2030.

    A few of the major endometriosis market growth drivers across the 7MM include improvements in non-invasive diagnostic methods, such as the utilization of biomarkers, which should further increase the number of early diagnoses.

    Ryeqo is a combination medication containing relugolix (a GnRH antagonist), estradiol (a form of estrogen), and norethisterone (a synthetic progestin). Together, these three components help regulate estrogen and progesterone levels—key hormones involved in endometriosis—effectively reducing symptoms and improving overall disease management.

    According to the key opinion leaders (KOLs) interviewed by GlobalData, injectable treatments for endometriosis often present challenges in patient adherence and comfort. The approval of relugolix-estradiol-norethisterone as a standard NHS treatment improves accessibility, reduces the need for invasive procedures, and gives patients more control in managing their condition.

    By eliminating the need for multiple medications and frequent clinic visits for injections, this oral treatment offers a more convenient alternative. Unlike injections, which may initially worsen symptoms, the pill is taken at home and combines all necessary hormones into one convenient tablet.

    Dr Shireen Mohammad, Senior Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disorders Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “By eliminating the need for multiple medications and frequent clinic visits for injections, this oral treatment offers a more convenient alternative. Unlike injections, which may initially worsen symptoms, the pill is taken at home and combines all necessary hormones into one convenient tablet. The oral route of administration offers greater clinical control over treatment, as dosages can be adjusted, and the medication can be quickly discontinued if necessary. This flexibility provides a significant advantage over long-acting injectable medications, allowing for easier management of side effects and treatment interruptions when needed.”

    Additionally, KOLs highlighted the lack of long-term treatment options for endometriosis, as most available medications are only approved for short-term use. Ryeqo helps address this gap by offering a sustained, long-term therapy, providing continuous symptom relief through hormonal regulation. This makes Ryeqo a valuable, non-invasive alternative for patients seeing effective, ongoing management of their condition, ultimately improving their quality of life.

    Dr Mohammad concludes: “The UK joins other nations in expanding access to endometriosis treatment, offering hope for continued progress in patient care. This approval enhances patients’ quality of life while also reducing strain on the NHS by decreasing hospital visits and the need for surgical procedures. Additionally, Ryeqo’s approval brings the UK in line with global advancements in endometriosis treatment, ensuring women have access to a more effective and convenient option.”

    7MM: The US, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK and Japan.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: BYD’s fast-charging tech ignites influencer buzz, reveals GlobalData

    Source: GlobalData

    BYD Co Ltd (BYD) has become a trending company among social media influencers on the third week of March 2025, driven by the unveiling of its new electric vehicle (EV) fast-charging technology. The announcement, boasting the capability to charge a vehicle for approximately 400+ kilometers in just five minutes, has sparked significant interest. Influencers are actively discussing the potential implications of this technological advancement, particularly in the context of the EV market and BYD’s growing influence, reveals the Social Media Analytics Platform of GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

    Shreyasee Majumder, Social Media Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Influencers are expressing optimism, fueled by the potential of the fast-charging technology to revolutionize EV adoption. The ability to charge an EV nearly as quickly as refueling a gasoline car is viewed as a pivotal development that could address a major barrier for potential EV buyers. Several influencers highlight the convenience and practicality this technology could bring to EV ownership, making it a more attractive alternative to traditional vehicles.”

    Below are a few popular influencer opinions captured by GlobalData’s Social Media Analytics Platform:

    1. Assaad Razzouk, Chief Executive Officer at Gurīn Energy:

    “Tesla who? BYD just unveiled new EV tech to charge a vehicle enough for 400km in just 5 minutes. 5 minutes! More evidence that China is the decisive leader of the world in clean tech innovation – by some distance.”

    1. Kim, Technology Expert:

    “EV: charging 100km in 2 seconds! BYD Breakthrough How comes that every big news is now from China? BYD unveils battery system that charges EVs in five minutes This is a huge breakthrough. And should it prove to be true, it would be a huge step forward. Robotics would also benefit massively from it. “BYD’s new EV platform will allow cars to reach a speed of 100 kilometers per hour in 2 seconds, Wang said at the event at the carmaker’s headquarters in Shenzhen.”

    1. Glen Gilmore, Founder at Gilmore Business Network:

    “China takes another tech win: Chinese automaker BYD shows off new battery and charging system capable of providing 470 kilometers (292 miles) of range in 5 minutes…”

    1. Dan Primack, Business Editor at Axios:

    “This could be an EV game changer: BYD unveils a new system for electric cars that the Chinese automaker says will allow them to charge almost as fast as it takes a regular car to refuel”

    1. James DePorre, CEO at Shark Investing:

    “$TSLA BYD Co. unveiled a new system for electric cars that the Chinese automaker says will allow them to charge almost as fast as it takes a regular car to refuel. BYD’s new battery and charging system was capable of providing 470 kilometers (292 miles) of range in 5 minutes in tests on its new Han L sedan, Chairman and founder Wang Chuanfu said Monday. The manufacturer will start selling vehicles with the new technology next month. Being able to charge a car in the time it takes a combustion engine vehicle to pull in and out of a gas station could convince drivers who aren’t willing to make lengthy stops to go electric.”

    1. Dirk Harbecke, Chairman of Rock Tech Lithium Inc:

    “Chinese #EV giant BYD achieves petrol-like 470km in 5 minutes charging. China expected to add >460,000 EV chargers this year. BYD looking for further plant locations in Europe. Plant constructions in #Hungary and #Turkey ongoing. Tough for EU car makers.”

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: EU adopts new strategy to enhance financial opportunities for EU citizens and businesses

    Source: European Union 2

    The Commission has adopted a new strategy to channel savings into productive investments. It seeks to increase EU citizens’ participation in capital markets with broader investment options and improved financial literacy, fostering their wealth and boosting the EU economy. 

    About 70% of household savings in the EU – worth €10 trillion – are held as bank deposits. They are safe and easy to access but usually earn less money than investments in capital markets. The new strategy can support EU citizens in building their household wealth and saving better for the future. Thanks to the savings and investments union, citizens who wish to invest will have better opportunities to invest in capital markets. This means having easy, simple and low-cost access to a wide variety of investment opportunities. 

    More investments in capital markets support the economy by enabling EU companies to grow and thrive. This can create better jobs with higher salaries for workers, and drive investment and growth across all economic sectors. 

    The strategy also aims at enhancing the integration and competitiveness of the EU banking sector, including through the deepening of the banking union.  

    EU institutions, EU countries, and all key stakeholders will need to work together to achieve the savings and investments union. The strategy will be further developed, and measures will be taken in specific areas to boost competitiveness in the EU economy, focusing first on the most impactful actions in 2025. 

    The EU must unlock its potential to achieve its goals linked to competitiveness, security, and digital and green transitions. By developing an integrated banking system and capital markets, the savings and investments union can bridge the gap between savings and investment needs. 

    For more information 

    Competitiveness 

    Press release: savings and investments union 

    Q&A: savings and investments union 

    Factsheet: savings and investments union 

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Video Game Workers Launch Industry-Wide Union with Communications Workers of America

    Source: Communications Workers of America

    NATIONWIDE – Today, in a historic development for video game organizing, workers across the U.S. and Canada are launching United Videogame Workers-CWA Local 9433, a direct-join, industry-wide video game union with the Communications Workers of America (CWA) in partnership with the American Federation of Musicians (AFM). The launch will be formally announced at the 2025 Game Developer Conference in San Francisco, Calif., the world’s largest industry event for video game professionals, where workers will be joined by other CWA members to launch this powerful new organization.

    CWA members will be handing out an introductory UVW-CWA zine 
    to GDC 2025 attendees. A digital version of the zine can be found here.

    UVW-CWA builds off of the unprecedented mobilization following the Game Developers Conference in 2018, which served as a launching pad for the creation of Game Workers Unite, an international grassroots organization dedicated to labor organizing the industry. The launch of UVW-CWA also coincides with the fifth anniversary of CODE-CWA, which has helped over 6,500 tech and video game workers organize to join the union since 2020.

    “The creation of this union was not done in isolation; it’s a cumulative effort by the thousands of video game workers who have been fighting for years to redefine what it means to stand together and reclaim power in one of the largest and highest-grossing industries on the globe,” said Tom Smith, CWA’s Senior Director of Organizing. “These workers are taking a bold stand, joining together to build power for the workers behind the games we all know and love.”

    As part of the United Videogame Workers-CWA launch, members will be gathering signatures for a petition demanding dignity and job security for all video game workers, particularly those facing layoffs. The video game industry is one of the fastest-growing entertainment industries in the world, with huge revenue increases in recent years. Across the industry, over 10,500 jobs were lost in 2023 and an additional 14,600 jobs were lost in 2024. According to the GDC 2025 State of the Game Industry, more than 10% of surveyed game developers reported being laid off in 2024. Over 30 studios have laid off their entire staff and were closed by their parent companies, including some of the largest and most profitable corporations like Microsoft and Sony Interactive Entertainment. The full petition can be found here.

    “Our mission is to take back our lives, our labor, and our passion from those who treat us like replaceable cogs; to empower our fellow workers; to link up arms with the laid off, with the freelancer, with the disillusioned contractor, with the disenfranchised and the marginalized, with the workers laboring invisibly to keep this industry afloat,” reads UVW-CWA’s mission statement. “We are going to create a game industry that works for us, one that nourishes its talent and invests in its future, rather than constantly seeking short-term profits. We are the ones that make the games, so we must be the ones that set the terms of how we work.”

    UVW-CWA joins a list of several other historic union campaigns with CWA that have organized within a direct-join organizing model, including United Campus Workers-CWA, Texas State Employees Union-CWA Local 6186, and Alphabet Workers Union-CWA. Direct-join organizing, sometimes referred to as pre-majority unionism, enables workers – including freelancers and the thousands of video game workers who were laid off in recent years – to build power across the industry without the obstacles and delays that employers can impose during the traditional union certification process., It also makes it easier for workers to address shared concerns beyond just one video game studio. UVW-CWA will include video game workers across the United States and Canada, as well as video game contractors, freelancers, indie developers, workers who are currently unemployed, and workers who are already organizing their workplaces.

    “The formation of United Video Game Workers-CWA is an exciting next step in our union’s work to help video game workers build power in their industry,” said CWA President Claude Cummings Jr. “As video game studios have consolidated, the workers whose creativity, dedication, and skill bring the games to life have become more an afterthought. They are subject to endless cycles of layoffs and rehiring as corporate executives pursue short-term profits at the expense of a sustainable future.”

    Video game workers and musicians in the United States/Canada who are interested in becoming members can apply here.

    Follow UVW-CWA on Bluesky, X, and Instagram. Visit uvw-cwa.org for more information on campaign updates and membership opportunities.

    ###

    About CODE-CWA
    The Campaign to Organize Digital Employees (CODE-CWA) is a network of worker-organizers and their staff working every single day to build the voice and power necessary to ensure the future of the tech, game, and digital industries in the United States and Canada. CODE-CWA is a project of the Communications Workers of America which represents hundreds of thousands of workers throughout tech, media, telecom, and other industries who stand together to fight for justice on the job and in our communities.

    About CWA
    The Communications Workers of America represents working people in telecommunications, customer service, media, airlines, health care, public service and education, manufacturing, tech, and other fields.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Santech Holdings Announces Completion of Issuance of Ordinary Shares

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    HONG KONG, March 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — On March 17, 2025, Santech Holdings Limited (NASDAQ: STEC) (the “Company”), entered into a share subscription agreement and raised additional capital to fund its current operations. Pursuant to the share subscription agreement, the Company will issue to Carmel Holdings Limited 112,000,000 restricted ordinary shares of the Company (the “Subscription Shares”) for a total consideration of approximately US$1.0 million.

    With the approval of all independent directors of the Board of Directors, issuance of the Subscription Shares has been completed on March 19, 2025. The total proceeds to the Company are approximately US$1.0 million, which will be used to support the Company’s liquidity and working capital needs.

    Carmel Holdings Limited is a company duly incorporated and validly existing under the laws of the British Virgin Islands, controlled by Lawrence Wai Lok, Chief Executive Officer. This issuance of ordinary shares marks the completion of another key step in the Company’s ongoing efforts in restructuring and business reorganization.

    About Santech Holdings Limited

    Santech Holdings Limited (NASDAQ: STEC) is a consumer-focused technology company. The Company historically served a large number of high net-worth clients in China in financial services and health management, and accumulated a large customer base. The Company has exited or disposed of its historical businesses in financial services and is actively exploring innovative new opportunities in technology, including but not limited to new retail, social e-commerce and metaverse. For more information, please visit https://ir.santechholdings.com.

    Safe Harbor Statement

    This press release contains statements that may constitute “forward-looking” statements pursuant to the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “anticipate,” “estimate,” “forecast,” “plan,” “project,” “potential,” “continue,” “ongoing,” “expect,” “aim,” “believe,” “intend,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “is/are likely to,” “could” and similar statements. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the Company’s beliefs, plans, and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in the Company’s filings with the SEC. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

    Investor Contact:

    Santech Holdings Limited
    Email: ir@santechholdings.com

    The MIL Network –