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Category: Business

  • MIL-OSI: Minovia Therapeutics Ltd. and Launch One Acquisition Corp. Announce Proposed Business Combination to Create Nasdaq-Listed Mitochondrial Therapy Company in $1 Trillion+ Mitochondrial and Longevity Markets

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    HAIFA, Israel, and GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands, June 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Minovia Therapeutics Ltd. (“Minovia” or the “Company”), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing what it believes to be first-in-class therapies to treat mitochondrial diseases and combat age-related decline, and Launch One Acquisition Corp. (Nasdaq: LPAA, “Launch One”), a special purpose acquisition company focused on healthcare innovation, announce entering into a definitive business combination agreement (the “Business Combination Agreement”).   

    Transaction highlights:

    • The proposed business combination (the “Business Combination”) will create a publicly traded, clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing and commercializing Mitochondrial Augmentation Technology (MAT) – a proprietary platform designed to address a broad spectrum of diseases driven by mitochondrial dysfunction, from rare pediatric disorders to common adult conditions.
    • Upon closing of the transaction, the combined entity will operate under the name Mito US One Ltd. and is expected to be listed on Nasdaq.
    • The transaction is expected to provide Minovia with additional capital to facilitate accelerating its growth and development pipeline. This includes potentially reaching clinical and regulatory milestones, technology transfer, and the eventual commercial launch of the Company’s longevity-focused offerings from its MAT platform.
    • The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2025, subject to customary closing conditions and shareholder approvals.
    • Launch One’s trust account currently holds approximately $239.7 million in cash, a portion of which may be available to the combined company following the transaction, depending on the extent of redemptions by public shareholders.

    Natalie Yivgi-Ohana, Ph.D., Minovia Co-Founder and CEO commented, “Minovia is pioneering a new category of mitochondrial therapy that targets the root cause of disease and aging — mitochondrial failure. Our research has already demonstrated durable safety and life-changing impact in patients, including children with genetic mitochondrial disease and older adults with hematologic and kidney dysfunction. Supported by clinical data, FDA Fast Track Designation, and a clear path to pivotal trial, we believe our MAT platform is uniquely positioned to drive value across both rare disease and the fast-growing longevity market.”

    Unlocking a New Category in Regenerative and Longevity Medicine

    Mitochondria are the tiny powerplants inside human cells, generating the energy needed for everything from muscle movement and kidney function to immune defense and brain activity. When mitochondria break down, energy production collapses — contributing to a wide range of diseases, including neurodegenerative, metabolic, and kidney disease, as well as muscle weakness, anemia, and immune system decline. Minovia’s MAT platform is designed to enrich diseased cells with healthy and functional mitochondria, effectively recharging the body’s cellular batteries and restoring the energy essential for healing, resilience, and long-term health. This approach is backed by a deep patent portfolio, scalable manufacturing, a decade of research and development, and supported by clinical data.

    To date, Minovia has treated 23 patients for a combination of Pearson Syndrome, low-risk Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS), and neurological conditions such as Kearns-Sayre and Leigh syndromes. Patients have experienced significant outcomes — including increased body weight and growth, restored mobility, kidney function, and hematologic stability. The treatment demonstrated to be safe with no drug-product related adverse response. The Company believes these results differentiate Minovia from others in the field and support its regulatory strategy across multiple indications.

    Minovia’s lead product, MNV-201, supported by FDA Fast Track and Rare Pediatric Designations, is being developed under a Phase 2 trial for Pearson Syndrome, an ultra-rare pediatric disorder. In parallel, Minovia is also conducting a Phase 1b study of MNV-201 in low-risk MDS, a chronic blood disorder linked to aging and has launched compassionate use programs in neurological mitochondrial conditions. Across its pipeline, MAT has shown a preliminary consistent safety profile, multi-system benefit, and biomarker-driven evidence of mitochondrial restoration — supporting both accelerated regulatory pathways and broad clinical potential.

    Looking ahead, Minovia believes it is poised to become a leader in the $1+ trillion longevity and regenerative medicine market with the first clinical-stage mitochondrial cell therapy for aging-related dysfunction. Minovia plans to launch MAT-based offerings through global longevity clinic partnerships beginning in 2026. Minovia believes that the accumulated clinical data, as well as preclinical data showing that MAT reverses biological aging markers and improves cognition and mobility in aged mice, lay the foundation for a scalable mitochondrial regenerative medicine franchise.

    Chris Ehrlich, Launch One Acquisition Corp. CEO, added, “Minovia provides a clinical-stage platform with the potential to lead an entirely new category of cell therapy. FDA Fast Track designation, patient responses across multiple diseases, and a robust pipeline positions Minovia as a first mover in advanced mitochondrial medicine. The company is advancing toward pivotal trials and we expect it will be bringing U.S.-based GMP manufacturing online by the end of 2025, allowing it to scale both its rare disease and longevity programs globally.”

    Transaction Overview and Next Steps

    The Business Combination Agreement assigns Minovia a pre-money equity valuation of $180 million, which will be increased by additional proceeds into Minovia expected from a bridge financing of at least $5 million to be completed within 30 days of signing, payable to Minovia equity holders in newly issued shares of the combined company, and with the Minovia equity holders being eligible to potentially receive additional shares worth $57.5 million in the aggregate as an earnout after the closing of the Business Combination. In addition, the parties are currently anticipating at least $18 million in PIPE investments at closing of the Business Combination, in addition to remaining cash held in Launch One’s trust account after shareholder redemptions. The net proceeds will fund Minovia’s clinical milestones, regulatory approvals, and the commercial launch of longevity-focused offerings.

    The boards of directors of both Minovia and Launch One have unanimously approved the transaction, which is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2025, subject to customary closing conditions and shareholder approvals.

    Additional information about the transaction will be provided in a Current Report on Form 8-K to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and will be available at www.sec.gov. In addition, Launch One and Minovia intend to file relevant materials with the SEC, including a registration statement on Form F-4 (the ”Registration Statement“), which will include a proxy statement/prospectus of Launch One. This communication is not intended to be, and is not, a substitute for the proxy statement/prospectus or any other document that Launch One and/or Minovia have filed or may file with the SEC in connection with the Business Combination.

    Advisors and Legal Counsel

    Locus Walk is serving as lead placement agent on the transaction. Bevilacqua PLLC is acting as U.S. legal counsel to Minovia. Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP is U.S. legal counsel to Launch One.

    About Minovia Therapeutics Ltd.

    Minovia, chaired by John Cox, is a company working on treatments to augment defective mitochondria with new healthy mitochondria, helping people with mitochondrial diseases and fighting aging. Its lead product, MNV-201, is already being tested in clinical trials for Pearson Syndrome and Myelodysplastic Syndrome. Minovia is also developing ways to potentially help people live longer, healthier lives. Based in Haifa, Israel, with a factory for its therapy, Minovia is expanding to the U.S. For more information, visit www.minoviatx.com.

    About Launch One Acquisition Corp.

    Launch One Acquisition Corp. is a company set up to merge with and take public an exciting business in healthcare or technology. Listed on Nasdaq under the ticker LPAA, Launch One is led by experienced leaders who want to support game-changing solutions. For more information, contact Jurgen van de Vyver at jurgen@launchpad.vc.

    Participants In the Solicitation

    Launch One, Minovia, and their respective directors, executive officers, other members of management and employees may be deemed participants in the solicitation of proxies from Launch One’s stockholders with respect to the Business Combination. Investors and security holders may obtain more detailed information regarding the names and interests in the Business Combination of Launch One’s directors and officers in Launch One’s filings with the SEC, including, when filed with the SEC, the preliminary proxy statement/prospectus, the definitive proxy statement/prospectus, amendments and supplements thereto, and other documents filed with the SEC. Such information with respect to Minovia’s directors and executive officers will also be included in the proxy statement/prospectus. You may obtain free copies of these documents as described below under the heading “Additional Information and Where to Find It.”

    Non-Solicitation

    This press release is not a proxy statement or solicitation of a proxy, consent or authorization with respect to any securities or in respect of the potential transaction and shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the securities of Launch One or Minovia, nor shall there be any sale of any such securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such state or jurisdiction. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release includes certain statements that may be considered forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements about future events or Launch One’s or Minovia’s future financial or operating performance. For example, statements regarding the development and therapeutic benefits of MAT, the Business Combination and the anticipated timing of the completion of the Business Combination are forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may,” “should,” “could,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “project,” “strive,” “budget,” “forecast,” “expect,” “intend,” “will,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “predict,” “potential” or “continue,” or the negatives of these terms or variations of them or similar terminology.

    These forward-looking statements regarding future events and the future results of Launch One and Minovia are based on current expectations, estimates, forecasts, and projections about the development of MAT, the industry in which Minovia operates, as well as the beliefs and assumptions of Launch One’s management and Minovia’s management. These forward-looking statements are only predictions and are subject to, without limitation, (i) known and unknown risks, including the risks and uncertainties indicated from time to time in the final prospectus of Launch One relating to its initial public offering filed with the SEC, including those under “Risk Factors” therein, and other documents filed or to be filed with the SEC by Launch One; (ii) uncertainties; (iii) assumptions; and (v) other factors beyond Launch One’s or Minovia’s control that are difficult to predict because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will occur in the future. They are neither statements of historical fact nor promises or guarantees of future performance. Therefore, Minovia’s actual results may differ materially and adversely from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements and Launch One and Minovia therefore caution against relying on any of these forward-looking statements.

    These forward-looking statements are based upon estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by Launch One and its management and Minovia and its management, as the case may be, are inherently uncertain and are inherently subject to risks, variability and contingencies, many of which are beyond Launch One’s or Minovia’s control. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, but are not limited to: (i) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the Business Combination Agreement and any subsequent definitive agreements with respect to the Business Combination; (ii) the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against Launch One, Minovia, or others following the announcement of the Business Combination and any definitive agreements with respect thereto; (iii) the inability to complete the Business Combination due to the failure to obtain consents and approvals of the shareholders of Launch One and Minovia, to obtain financing to complete the Business Combination or to satisfy other conditions to closing, or delays in obtaining, adverse conditions contained in, or the inability to obtain necessary regulatory approvals required to complete the transactions contemplated by the Business Combination Agreement; (iv) changes to the proposed structure of the Business Combination that may be required or appropriate as a result of applicable laws or regulations or as a condition to obtaining regulatory approval of the Business Combination; (v) projections, estimates and forecasts of revenue and other financial and performance metrics, projections of market opportunity and expectations, and the estimated implied enterprise value of Minovia; (vi) Minovia’s ability to scale and grow its business, and the advantages and expected growth of Minovia; (vii) Minovia’s ability to source and retain talent, and the cash position of Minovia following closing of the Business Combination; (viii) the ability to meet stock exchange listing standards in connection with, and following, the consummation of the Business Combination; (ix) the risk that the Business Combination disrupts current plans and operations of Minovia as a result of the announcement and consummation of the Business Combination; (x) the ability to recognize the anticipated benefits of the Business Combination, which may be affected by, among other things, competition, the ability of Minovia to grow and manage growth profitably, maintain key relationships and retain its management and key employees; (xi) costs related to the Business Combination; (xii) changes in applicable laws, regulations, political and economic developments; (xiii) the possibility that Minovia may be adversely affected by other economic, business and/or competitive factors; (xiv) Minovia’s estimates of expenses and profitability; (xv) the failure to realize estimated shareholder redemptions, purchase price and other adjustments; and (xvi) other risks and uncertainties set forth in the filings by Launch One and Minovia with the SEC. There may be additional risks that neither Launch One nor Minovia presently know or that Launch One and Minovia currently believe are immaterial that could also cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statements made by or on behalf of Launch One or Minovia speak only as of the date they are made. Neither Launch One nor Minovia undertakes any obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect any changes in their respective expectations with regard thereto or any changes in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements are based.

    Additional Information and Where to Find It

    In connection with the Business Combination, Launch One and/or Minovia intend to file relevant materials with the SEC, including the Registration Statement, which will include a proxy statement/prospectus of Launch One, and will file other documents regarding the proposed transaction with the SEC. This communication is not intended to be, and is not, a substitute for the proxy statement/prospectus or any other document that Launch One has filed or may file with the SEC in connection with the proposed transaction. When available, the definitive proxy statement/prospectus and other relevant materials for the proposed transaction will be mailed or made available to stockholders of Launch One as of a record date to be established for voting on the proposed transaction.

    Before making any voting or investment decision, investors and stockholders of Launch One are urged to carefully read, when they become available, the entire Registration Statement, the proxy statement/prospectus, and any other relevant documents filed with the SEC, as well as any amendments or supplements to these documents, and the documents incorporated by reference therein, because they will contain important information about Launch One, Minovia, and the proposed transaction. Launch One’s investors and stockholders and other interested persons will also be able to obtain copies of the Registration Statement, the preliminary proxy statement/prospectus, the definitive proxy statement/prospectus, other documents filed with the SEC that will be incorporated by reference therein, and all other relevant documents filed with the SEC by Launch One and/or Minovia in connection with the Business Combination, without charge, once available, at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov, or by directing a request to Launch One or Minovia at the addresses set forth below.

    Contact

    Minovia Therapeutics Ltd.
    Natalie Yivgi Ohana, Co-Founder and CEO
    +972-74-7039954
    info@minoviatx.com 

    Launch One Acquisition Corp.
    Jurgen van de Vyver
    jurgen@launchpad.vc
    +1-510-692-9600

    Investor Relations
    Dave Gentry, CEO
    RedChip Companies
    +1-407-644-4256
    LPAA@redchip.com

    Investor Relations
    Jules Abraham
    Managing Director, Communications
    CORE IR
    1-917-885-7378
    Julesa@coreir.com

    The MIL Network –

    June 26, 2025
  • MIL-OSI: Anthony Pompliano’s ProCap BTC, LLC Buys Another 1,208 Bitcoin and Now Holds A Total of 4,932 Bitcoin

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    New York, NY, June 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — American investor and entrepreneur, Anthony Pompliano, today announced that ProCap BTC, LLC, a bitcoin-native financial services firm (the “Company”), has purchased 1,208 bitcoin at a time weighted average price (“TWAP”) of $105,977 per bitcoin, following the Company’s June 23, 2025 announcement of a proposed $1 billion business combination with Columbus Circle Capital Corp. I (NASDAQ: CCCM) to take the Company public as ProCap Financial, Inc. The Company now holds 4,932 bitcoin on its balance sheet. 

    The bitcoin was acquired as part of the Company’s on-going bitcoin purchase program. The Company has wasted no time delivering for its investors by deploying the funds raised at signing to accumulate bitcoin. As a result, equity investors received immediate bitcoin exposure from the equity raise.

    The Company plans to continue buying bitcoin for its balance sheet as part of its ongoing business strategy. At the closing of the proposed business combination, ProCap Financial is expected to hold up to $1 billion in bitcoin on its balance sheet. The TWAP for the Day 2 purchases may be different from the “Signing Bitcoin Price” for purposes of Business Combination Agreement signed by CCCM and the Company on June 23, 2025.

    ProCap BTC, LLC, believes bitcoin is the new hurdle rate.

    If you can’t beat it, you have to buy it.

    About ProCap BTC, LLC and ProCap Financial, Inc.

    ProCap BTC, LLC is a bitcoin-native financial services firm founded by Anthony Pompliano. Pompliano has invested in more than 300 private companies and is one of the leading voices on bitcoin globally. ProCap Financial, Inc., the company resulting from the proposed Business Combination, will focus on implementing various profit-generating products and services to support the unique financial needs of large financial institutions and institutional investors.

    About Columbus Circle Capital I

    Columbus Circle Capital Corp. I (NASDAQ: CCCM) is a Cayman Islands–incorporated blank check company formed to effect a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. The company is led by Chairman and CEO Gary Quin, a veteran investment banker with over 25 years of experience in cross-border M&A, private equity, and capital markets; COO Dan Nash, a skilled investment banker, with a strong track record in SPAC execution and building high-growth advisory platforms; and CFO Joseph W. Pooler, Jr., who brings decades of public company financial leadership. The board of directors includes Garrett Curran, Alberto Alsina Gonzalez, Dr. Adam Back, and Matthew Murphy.

    Additional Information and where to Find it

    ProCap Financial, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“ProCap Financial”) and Columbus Circle Capital Corp I, a Cayman Islands exempt company (“CCCM”) intend to file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) a Registration Statement on Form S-4 (as may be amended, the “Registration Statement”), which will include a preliminary proxy statement of CCCM and a prospectus (the “Proxy Statement/Prospectus”) in connection with (i) a proposed business combination, to be effected subject to and in accordance with the terms of certain business combination agreement dated as of June 23, 2025 (as may be modified, amended or supplemented from time to time, the “Business Combination Agreement”), by and among ProCap Financial, CCCM, Crius SPAC Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation, Crius Merger Sub, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, ProCap BTC, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“ProCap BTC”), and Inflection Points Inc, d/b/a Professional Capital Management, a Delaware corporation (collectively with all of the related actions and transactions contemplated by such agreement, the “Business Combination”), (ii) a private placement of non-voting preferred units (“ProCap BTC Preferred Units”) of ProCap BTC to certain “qualified institutional buyers” as defined in Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), or institutional “accredited investors” (as defined in Rule 506 of Regulation D)(such investors, “qualifying institutional investors”)(the “Preferred Equity Investment”) pursuant to preferred equity subscription agreements, and (iii) commitments by qualifying institutional investors to purchase convertible notes (“Convertible Notes”) issuable in connection with the Closing by ProCap Financial (the “Convertible Note Offering” and, together with the Preferred Equity Investment and the Business Combination, the “Proposed Transactions”) pursuant to convertible notes subscription agreements. The definitive proxy statement and other relevant documents will be mailed to shareholders of CCCM as of a record date to be established for voting on the Proposed Transactions and other matters as described in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus. CCCM and/or ProCap Financial will also file other documents regarding the Proposed Transactions with the SEC. This communication does not contain all of the information that should be considered concerning the Proposed Transactions and is not intended to form the basis of any investment decision or any other decision in respect of the Proposed Transactions. BEFORE MAKING ANY VOTING OR INVESTMENT DECISION, SHAREHOLDERS OF CCCM AND OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES ARE URGED TO READ, WHEN AVAILABLE, THE PRELIMINARY PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS, AND AMENDMENTS THERETO, AND THE DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS AND ALL OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED OR THAT WILL BE FILED WITH THE SEC IN CONNECTION WITH CCCM’S SOLICITATION OF PROXIES FOR THE EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING OF ITS SHAREHOLDERS TO BE HELD TO APPROVE THE PROPOSED TRANSACTIONS AND OTHER MATTERS AS DESCRIBED IN THE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS BECAUSE THESE DOCUMENTS WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT CCCM, PROCAP BTC, PROCAP FINANCIAL AND THE PROPOSED TRANSACTIONS. Investors and security holders will also be able to obtain copies of the Registration Statement and the Proxy Statement/Prospectus and all other documents filed or that will be filed with the SEC by CCCM and ProCap Financial, without charge, once available, on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov, or by directing a request to: Columbus Circle Capital Corp. I, 3 Columbus Circle, 24th Floor, New York, NY 10019; e-mail: IR@ColumbusCircleCap.com, or upon written request to ProCap Financial Inc. at 600 Lexington Ave., Floor 2, New York, NY 10022, respectively.

    NEITHER THE SEC NOR ANY STATE SECURITIES REGULATORY AGENCY HAS APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED THE PROPOSED TRANSACTIONS DESCRIBED HEREIN, PASSED UPON THE MERITS OR FAIRNESS OF THE PROPOSED TRANSACTIONS OR ANY RELATED TRANSACTIONS OR PASSED UPON THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THE DISCLOSURE IN THIS COMMUNICATION. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY CONSTITUTES A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.

    The offer and sale of the Convertible Notes to be issued by ProCap Financial pursuant to the Convertible Note Offering and the offer and sale of the ProCap BTC Preferred Units in the Preferred Equity Investment, in connection with the Proposed Transactions, has not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and such securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act.

    Participants in Solicitation

    CCCM, ProCap BTC, ProCap Financial and their respective directors, executive officers, certain of their shareholders and other members of management and employees may be deemed under SEC rules to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from CCCM’s shareholders in connection with the Proposed Transactions. A list of the names of such persons, and information regarding their interests in the Proposed Transactions and their ownership of CCCM’s securities are, or will be, contained in CCCM’s filings with the SEC, including the final prospectus for CCCM’s initial public offering filed with the SEC on May 19, 2025 (the “IPO Prospectus”). Additional information regarding the interests of the persons who may, under SEC rules, be deemed participants in the solicitation of proxies of CCCM’s shareholders in connection with the Proposed Transactions, including the names and interests of ProCap BTC’s and ProCap Financial’s respective directors or managers and executive officers, will be set forth in the Registration Statement and Proxy Statement/Prospectus, which is expected to be filed by ProCap Financial and CCCM with the SEC. Investors and security holders may obtain free copies of these documents as described above.

    No Offer or Solicitation

    This communication and the information contained herein is for informational purposes only and is not a proxy statement or solicitation of a proxy, consent or authorization with respect to any securities or in respect of the potential transactions and shall not constitute an offer to sell or exchange, or a solicitation of an offer to buy or exchange the securities of CCCM, ProCap BTC or ProCap Financial, or any commodity or instrument or related derivative, nor shall there be any sale of any such securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, sale or exchange would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such state or jurisdiction. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of the Securities Act or an exemption therefrom. Investors should consult with their counsel as to the applicable requirements for a purchaser to avail itself of any exemption under the Securities Act.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This communication contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. federal securities laws with respect to the Proposed Transactions involving ProCap Financial, ProCap BTC, and CCCM, including expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions, plans , prospects, financial results or strategies regarding ProCap BTC, ProCap Financial, CCCM and the Proposed Transactions, statements regarding the anticipated benefits and timing of the completion of the Proposed Transactions, the assets that may be held by ProCap BTC and ProCap Financial and the value thereof, the price and volatility of bitcoin, bitcoin’s growing prominence as a digital asset and as the foundation of a new financial system, ProCap Financial’s listing on any securities exchange, the macro and political conditions surrounding bitcoin, the planned business strategy including ProCap Financial’s ability to develop a corporate architecture capable of supporting financial products built with and on bitcoin including native lending models, capital market instruments, and future innovations that will replace legacy financial tools with bitcoin-aligned alternatives, plans and use of proceeds, objectives of management for future operations of ProCap Financial, the upside potential and opportunity for investors, ProCap Financial’s plan for value creation and strategic advantages, market size and growth opportunities, regulatory conditions, technological and market trends, future financial condition and performance and expected financial impacts of the Proposed Transactions, the satisfaction of closing conditions to the Proposed Transactions and the level of redemptions of CCCM’s public shareholders, and ProCap Financial’s expectations, intentions, strategies, assumptions or beliefs about future events, results of operations or performance or that do not solely relate to historical or current facts. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “believe,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “strategy,” “future,” “opportunity,” “potential,” “plan,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result,” and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events or conditions that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this communication, including, but not limited to: the risk that the Proposed Transactions may not be completed in a timely manner or at all, which may adversely affect the price of CCCM’s securities; the risk that the Proposed Transactions may not be completed by CCCM’s business combination deadline; the failure by the parties to satisfy the conditions to the consummation of the Proposed Transactions, including the approval of CCCM’s shareholders; failure to realize the anticipated benefits of the Proposed Transactions; the level of redemptions of the CCCM’s public shareholders which may reduce the public float of, reduce the liquidity of the trading market of, and/or maintain the quotation, listing, or trading of the Class A ordinary shares of CCCM or the shares of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of ProCap Financial (“Pubco Common Stock”) to be listed in connection with the Proposed Transactions; the insufficiency of the third-party fairness opinion for the board of directors of CCCM in determining whether or not to pursue the Proposed Transactions; the failure of ProCap Financial to obtain or maintain the listing of its securities on any securities exchange after closing of the Proposed Transactions; risks associated with CCCM, ProCap BTC and ProCap Financial’s ability to consummate the Proposed Transactions timely or at all, including in connection with potential regulatory delays or impediments, changes in bitcoin prices or for other reasons; costs related to the Proposed Transactions and as a result of becoming a public company; changes in business, market, financial, political and regulatory conditions; risks relating to ProCap Financial’s anticipated operations and business, including the highly volatile nature of the price of bitcoin; the risk that ProCap Financial’s stock price will be highly correlated to the price of bitcoin and the price of bitcoin may decrease between the signing of the definitive documents for the Proposed Transactions and the closing of the Proposed Transactions or at any time after the closing of the Proposed Transactions; asset security and risks associated with CCCM, ProCap BTC and ProCap Financial’s ability to consummate the Proposed Transactions timely or at all, including in connection with potential regulatory delays or impediments, changes in bitcoin prices or for other reasons; risks related to increased competition in the industries in which ProCap Financial will operate; risks relating to significant legal, commercial, regulatory and technical uncertainty regarding bitcoin; risks relating to the treatment of crypto assets for U.S. and foreign tax purposes; risks related to the ability of ProCap BTC and ProCap Financial to execute their business plans; the risks that launching and growing ProCap Financial’s bitcoin treasury advisory and services in digital marketing and strategy could be difficult; challenges in implementing ProCap Financial’s business plan, due to operational challenges, significant competition and regulation; risks associated with the possibility of ProCap Financial being considered to be a “shell company” by any stock exchange on which ProCap Financial’s common stock will be listed or by the SEC, which may impact ProCap Financial’s ability to list Pubco Common Stock and restrict reliance on certain rules or forms in connection with the offering, sale or resale of securities, which could impact materially the time, cost and ability of ProCap Financial to raise capital after the closing; the outcome of any potential legal proceedings that may be instituted against ProCap Financial, ProCap BTC, CCCM or others in connection with or following announcement of the Proposed Transactions, and those risk factors discussed in documents that ProCap Financial and/or CCCM filed, or that will be filed, with the SEC, including as will be set forth in the Registration Statement to be filed with the SEC in connection with the Proposed Transactions.

    The foregoing list of risk factors is not exhaustive. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties described in the “Risk Factors” section of the IPO Prospectus, CCCM’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and CCCM’s Annual Reports on Form 10-K that will be filed by CCCM from time to time, the Registration Statement that will be filed by ProCap Financial and CCCM and the Proxy Statement/Prospectus contained therein, and other documents that have been or will be filed by CCCM and ProCap Financial from time to time with the SEC. These filings do or will identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. There may be additional risks that neither CCCM nor ProCap Financial presently know or that CCCM and ProCap Financial currently believe are immaterial that could also cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements.

    Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and each of CCCM, ProCap BTC, and ProCap Financial assume no obligation and do not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Neither CCCM, ProCap BTC, nor ProCap Financial gives any assurance that any of CCCM, ProCap BTC or ProCap Financial will achieve their respective expectations. The inclusion of any statement in this communication does not constitute an admission by CCCM, ProCap BTC or ProCap Financial or any other person that the events or circumstances described in such statement are material.

    Media Contacts

    Ebony Lewkovitz

    ebony@edencommunications.com

    Larissa Bundziak

    larissa@edencommunications.com

    Dan Nash

    IR@ColumbusCircleCap.com

    The MIL Network –

    June 26, 2025
  • MIL-OSI: SAIC Awarded $928 Million Prototype Engineering and Mission Integration Contract

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    RESTON, Va., June 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — America’s leading mission integrator, Science Applications International Corp. (NASDAQ: SAIC), has been awarded the Hyper-Innovative Operational Prototype Engineering (HOPE) 2.0 contract in support of the U.S. Air Force Tactical Exploitation of National Capabilities (AF TENCAP). This $928 million contract spans a five-year performance period and is set for a July 2025 program start.

    A congressionally-mandated rapid-acquisition organization, AF TENCAP exploits existing air, space, cyber, national, and global Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) systems to accelerate delivery of innovative and secure warfighting capabilities across Air Force and Joint military missions for the Department of Defense (DoD).

    The HOPE 2.0 contract integrates Intelligence Community capabilities with urgent DoD operational needs. SAIC will provide comprehensive Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDT&E) mission engineering services to help AF TENCAP create near program of record ready prototypes that lead to improved warfighting superiority and decision dominance in all domains.

    “To deter conflict and win wars in today’s data-centric battlefield, warfighters must have integrated actionable data including the full power of Intelligence Community capabilities,” said Vincent DiFronzo, SAIC Executive Vice President of Air Force and Combatant Commands Business Group. “Using our proven expertise in rapid mission integration, SAIC leverages advanced commercial technologies to keep the DoD on the cutting edge of all-domain warfighting capabilities.”

    SAIC’s efforts will include: 

    • Utilizing sensor and data fusion to maintain decision dominance
    • Improving command and control (C2) decisions in complex environments
    • Integrating new materials and manufacturing processes
    • Fusing data to ensure accurate status of threat and friendly forces
    • Supporting unique requirements of Special Operations Forces
    • Enhancing battlespace awareness
    • Increasing air superiority and interoperability
    • Developing innovative cyberspace capabilities

    Incorporating warfighter feedback, SAIC will support rapid prototype development and mission integration for AF TENCAP and its 65 agencies and commands across the DoD and Intelligence Community. This includes partnering with more than a dozen traditional and non-traditional defense companies to deliver the nation’s most advanced technology to DoD Combatant Commands.

    “SAIC is proud to be a partner of choice to accelerate next-gen warfighting concepts into operational reality,” said DiFronzo. “We’re excited to help Air Force TENCAP achieve evolutionary and revolutionary warfighting improvements in capability, performance, and cost savings. In a larger strategic sense, HOPE 2.0 shows the urgent need of a data-centric mission integration approach for the military, intelligence, and space communities. TENCAP’s rapid development approach is fully aligned with DoD’s Software Acquisition Pathway and will be essential to contribute to national priorities such as deterrence in the Pacific and Golden Dome for America, keeping our military the best in the world.”

    About SAIC 
    SAIC® is a premier Fortune 500 mission integrator focused on advancing the power of technology and innovation to serve and protect our world. Our robust portfolio of offerings across the defense, space, civilian and intelligence markets includes secure high-end solutions in mission IT, enterprise IT, engineering services and professional services. We integrate emerging technology, rapidly and securely, into mission critical operations that modernize and enable critical national imperatives.

    We are approximately 24,000 strong; driven by mission, united by purpose, and inspired by opportunities. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, SAIC has annual revenues of approximately $7.5 billion. For more information, visit saic.com. For ongoing news, please visit our newsroom.

    Media Contact: 
    Darryn C. James
    Darryn.C.James@saic.com

    Forward-Looking Statements 
    Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this release contain or are based on “forward-looking” information within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by words such as “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “guidance,” and similar words or phrases. Forward-looking statements in this release may include, among others, estimates of future revenues, operating income, earnings, earnings per share, charges, total contract value, backlog, outstanding shares and cash flows, as well as statements about future dividends, share repurchases and other capital deployment plans. Such statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risk, uncertainties and assumptions, and actual results may differ materially from the guidance and other forward-looking statements made in this release as a result of various factors. Risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause or contribute to these material differences include those discussed in the “Risk Factors,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Legal Proceedings” sections of our Annual Report on Form 10-K, as updated in any subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other filings with the SEC, which may be viewed or obtained through the Investor Relations section of our website at saic.com or on the SEC’s website at sec.gov. Due to such risks, uncertainties and assumptions you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. SAIC expressly disclaims any duty to update any forward-looking statement provided in this release to reflect subsequent events, actual results or changes in SAIC’s expectations. SAIC also disclaims any duty to comment upon or correct information that may be contained in reports published by investment analysts or others. 

    The MIL Network –

    June 26, 2025
  • MIL-OSI: Aterian Expands Presence on Mercado Libre into Chile, Colombia, and Argentina

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SUMMIT, N.J., June 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Aterian, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATER), a consumer products company, today announced the expansion of its presence on Mercado Libre, Latin America’s leading e-commerce platform. Building on its 2024 launch on Mercado Libre’s Mexico marketplace, Aterian began offering select products from its PurSteam, Mueller, and Squatty Potty brands on Mercado Libre’s platforms in Chile, Colombia, and Argentina during the second quarter of 2025 reflecting a continued focus on categories such as home, kitchen, and wellness.

    “The expansion of our partnership with Mercado Libre advances Aterian’s long-term vision to scale our e-commerce presence beyond the U.S. to access new customers and positions us to capitalize on increasing demand in emerging e-commerce markets,” said Arturo Rodriguez, Chief Executive Officer. “While this program is still in its early stages, entering these new markets marks an important step toward building a long-term, durable brand ecosystem in Latin America. As with all our strategic expansions, we are approaching this opportunity with focus, discipline, and a long-term commitment to value creation.”

    Founded in 1999, MercadoLibre, Inc. is the leading company in e-commerce and financial technology in Latin America, with operations in 18 countries. Learn more at https://mercadolibre.com/.

    About Aterian, Inc.
    Aterian, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATER) a consumer products company that builds and acquires leading e-commerce brands across multiple categories, including home and kitchen appliances, health and wellness, and air quality devices. The Company sells across the world’s largest online marketplaces, including Amazon, Walmart, and Target as well as its own direct-to-consumer websites. Aterian’s brands include Mueller Living, PurSteam, hOmeLabs, Squatty Potty, Healing Solutions, and Photo Paper Direct. To learn more, visit www.aterian.io.

    Forward Looking Statements
    All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this press release that address activities, events or developments that we expect, believe or anticipate will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements including, in particular, our ability to expand our operations internationally and access new customers. These forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties and other factors, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our control and could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those described in the forward-looking statements. These risks include, but are not limited to, those related to our ability to continue as a going concern, the effect of tariffs and other costs on our results, our ability to continue to operate following our reduction in workforce, our ability to meet financial covenants with our lenders, our ability to maintain and to grow market share in existing and new product categories; our ability to continue to profitably sell the SKUs we operate; our ability to maintain Amazon’s Prime badge on our seller accounts or reinstate the Prime badge in the event of any removal of such badge by Amazon; our ability to create operating leverage and efficiency when integrating companies that we acquire, including through the use of our team’s expertise, the economies of scale of our supply chain and automation driven by our platform; those related to our ability to grow internationally and through the launch of products under our brands and the acquisition of additional brands; those related to consumer demand, our cash flows, financial condition, forecasting and revenue growth rate; our supply chain including sourcing, manufacturing, warehousing and fulfillment; our ability to manage expenses, working capital and capital expenditures efficiently; our business model and our technology platform; our ability to disrupt the consumer products industry; our ability to generate profitability and stockholder value; international tariffs and trade measures; inventory management, product liability claims, recalls or other safety and regulatory concerns; reliance on third party online marketplaces; seasonal and quarterly variations in our revenue; acquisitions of other companies and technologies and our ability to integrate such companies and technologies with our business; our ability to continue to access debt and equity capital (including on terms advantageous to the Company) and the extent of our leverage; and other factors discussed in the “Risk Factors” section of our most recent periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), all of which you may obtain for free on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

    Although we believe that the expectations reflected in our forward-looking statements are reasonable, we do not know whether our expectations will prove correct. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof, even if subsequently made available by us on our website or otherwise. We do not undertake any obligation to update, amend or clarify these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.

    Investor Contact:

    The Equity Group
    Devin Sullivan, Managing Director
    dsullivan@theequitygroup.com

    Conor Rodriguez, Associate
    crodriguez@theequitygroup.com

    The MIL Network –

    June 26, 2025
  • MIL-OSI: Synchronoss Achieves EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework Certification

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BRIDGEWATER, N.J., June 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Synchronoss Technologies, Inc. (“Synchronoss”) (NASDAQ: SNCR), a global leader and innovator in personal cloud platforms for telecoms, today announced that it has achieved certification under the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework (DPF), administered by the U.S. Department of Commerce.

    The DPF is a transatlantic data transfer mechanism that enables U.S.-based organizations to receive and process personal data from the European Union in compliance with European privacy laws, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The framework provides robust safeguards, enforcement mechanisms, and redress options to ensure personal data remains protected when transferred outside the EU.

    The DPF certification reinforces Synchronoss’s longstanding commitment to international privacy standards and strengthens its position as a trusted partner to Tier 1 telecom operators around the world.

    “Privacy and data protection are foundational to our mission as a white label cloud provider,” said Jeff Miller, President and CEO of Synchronoss. “Achieving DPF certification builds on our global compliance framework and reinforces our promise to deliver secure, scalable, and consumer friendly cloud solutions that meet the highest standards of trust.”

    “Our DPF certification reflects more than regulatory alignment, it demonstrates our steadfast dedication to responsible data governance,” added Mark Denihan, Chief Privacy Officer at Synchronoss. “For our European partners, the Data Privacy Framework provides assurance that cross-border transfers of personal data are conducted with the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and accountability, values that are a hallmark of Synchronoss’s global commitment to trusted data practices.”

    A Foundation of Trust

    The EU-U.S. DPF establishes legally enforceable safeguards for the transfer of personal data of EU individuals to certified U.S. organizations. This is particularly vital in the European landscape, where digital sovereignty and ethical data stewardship are paramount. Synchronoss’s successful certification affirms its ability to manage both HR and non-HR data responsibly in cross-border contexts, supporting the data privacy expectations of global partners.

    With the addition of the DPF certification, Synchronoss further strengthens its comprehensive compliance framework. This achievement adds to Synchronoss’s established suite of global credentials, including SOC 2 Type II for data security and integrity, ISO 27001 for information security management, and independent privacy validation through TRUST/e. Collectively, these certifications reflect a proactive and sustained investment in data protection and a robust global privacy infrastructure.

    To view Synchronoss’s DPF certification, visit the U.S. Department of Commerce registry:
    https://www.dataprivacyframework.gov

    For more information about Synchronoss and its global privacy and compliance commitments, visit: www.synchronoss.com/cloud-security/

    About Synchronoss
    Synchronoss Technologies (Nasdaq: SNCR), a global leader in personal Cloud solutions, empowers service providers to establish secure and meaningful connections with their subscribers. Our SaaS Cloud platform simplifies onboarding processes and fosters subscriber engagement using artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and other advanced features, resulting in enhanced revenue streams, reduced expenses, and faster time-to-market. Millions of subscribers trust Synchronoss to safeguard their most cherished memories and important digital content. Explore how our Cloud-focused solutions redefine the way you connect with your digital world at www.synchronoss.com.

    Media Relations Contact:
    Domenick Cilea
    Springboard
    dcilea@springboardpr.com

    Investor Relations Contact:
    Ryan Gardella
    ICR INC.
    ryan.gardella@icrinc.com

    The MIL Network –

    June 26, 2025
  • MIL-OSI: Fairmint Joins Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan and BNY Mellon in Canton Network’s Institutional Blockchain Ecosystem

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, June 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Fairmint, the leader in onchain equity infrastructure and registered SEC Transfer Agent, today announces it has joined the Global Synchronizer Foundation (GSF) as an active member and become a validator on the Canton Network. This strategic move positions Fairmint to port the Open Captable Protocol (OCP) to Canton’s privacy-enabled institutional blockchain, opening new possibilities for participants. Now, all within Canton’s framework, investment funds can programmatically rebalance portfolios, broker-dealers can create equity-linked structured products and private companies can offer real-time liquidity to investors, employees – scenarios that were extremely frictionful before onchain cap tables.

    “We’re not just joining Canton, we’re bringing an entirely new asset class to institutional blockchain infrastructure,” said Joris Delanoue, Co-founder and CEO of Fairmint. “While others tokenize bonds and real estate, we’re solving the fundamental problem of equity ownership. Cap tables are the DNA of every company, and Canton’s privacy-first architecture finally makes it possible to bring this critical infrastructure onchain without compromising regulatory compliance or institutional control.”

    Fairmint joins an elite ecosystem of over 30 major financial institutions, including Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, BNY Mellon, Deutsche Börse Group, BNP Paribas, DRW, Cumberland, Circle and Digital Asset, who have embraced Canton Network as the industry standard for institutional blockchain applications, with participants processing billions in tokenized assets across regulated financial markets.

    Traditional cap tables remain fragmented across isolated databases, creating friction, compliance gaps and settlement delays that can span weeks. Fairmint’s OCP, built on the industry-standard Open CapTable Format (OCF), already manages billions in equity value onchain. The protocol embeds transfer agent oversight directly into smart contracts, creating programmable compliance that strengthens rather than bypasses regulatory oversight.

    By porting OCP to Canton Network, Fairmint will deliver:

    • Instant Settlement: Reduce equity transfer times from weeks to seconds while maintaining full regulatory compliance
    • Sub-Transaction Privacy: Enable institutions to see only relevant portions of cap table data, protecting sensitive ownership information
    • Interoperable Equity: Allow cap tables to interact seamlessly with other institutional applications on Canton Network
    • Regulatory Certainty: Maintain compliance with existing securities regulations through Canton’s purpose-built architecture

    “Canton’s privacy-enabled infrastructure solves the core challenge that has kept cap tables offline, the need to protect sensitive private companies’ data while enabling institutional interoperability,” explained Thibauld Favre, Co-founder and CTO of Fairmint. “Our validator status ensures we can provide direct, reliable access to this critical equity infrastructure for the entire Canton ecosystem.”

    This partnership unlocks the promise of regulated DeFi for equity markets. The timing aligns with accelerating regulatory clarity, including SEC Chairman Atkins’ recent commitment to “work with market participants interested in tokenizing securities” and the Commission’s focus on modernizing traditional financial infrastructure through blockchain technology.

    “Fairmint is opening an entirely new frontier for institutional blockchain applications, blurring the lines between private and public markets,” said Melvis Langyintuo, Executive Director of the Global Synchronizer Foundation. “By bringing cap table infrastructure to Canton Network, they’re unlocking the equity markets for programmable finance, creating possibilities that will expand the overall Network. This is the missing piece that enables investors and institutions to truly leverage their equity holdings in ways that were previously impossible.”

    Fairmint brings $1B+ onchain equity to Canton, and will start implementing new smart contracts for select institutional clients, scaling to broader availability as the regulated DeFi infrastructure matures. Companies interested in turning their cap tables into smart contracts to leverage the opportunities offered by regulated DeFi can contact Fairmint directly.

    For more information about Fairmint, visit: https://www.fairmint.com/.

    About Fairmint
    Fairmint pioneers regulated DeFi infrastructure, bringing equity securities onchain. Fairmint makes it easy to issue, manage, and transfer equity while maintaining full regulatory compliance. Founded in 2019 by Joris Delanoue and Thibauld Favre, Fairmint operates as an SEC-registered Transfer Agent and created the Open Cap Table Protocol (OCP), enabling programmable equity and the foundation for compliant DeFi in equity markets.

    About the Global Synchronizer Foundation
    The Global Synchronizer Foundation is an independent U.S. -based entity operating with the support of the Linux Foundation. Established in July 2024, the GSF fosters transparency, neutrality and open development and operational governance across the Canton Network and the Global Synchronizer. The Global Synchronizer, is the decentralized interoperability backbone that enables Canton Network’s unique capabilities. With over 30 participating organizations, GSF ensures no single entity controls this critical infrastructure.
    Learn more at https://sync.global/

    About Canton Network
    Canton Network is the first public, permissionless blockchain purpose-built for institutional finance, uniquely combining privacy, compliance, and scalability. Canton enables major financial institutions to participate in blockchain applications while maintaining regulatory compliance, data sovereignty, and institutional controls.
    Learn more at https://www.canton.network/

    Media Contact:
    Matthew Greenfield
    Uproar by Moburst for Fairmint
    press@fairmint.com

    The MIL Network –

    June 26, 2025
  • MIL-OSI: Beeline Title Closes its First Crypto Real Estate Transaction – Building a Title Platform for Lenders leveraging Stable Coins looking to infuse liquidity in Residential Real Estate

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Providence, RI, June 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Beeline Holdings, Inc., (Nasdaq: BLNE) the fast-growing digital mortgage platform that shortens the path to homeownership, is pleased to announce that its subsidiary, Beeline Title holdings, Inc. (“Beeline Title”), has successfully closed what it believes to  be one of the first-ever residential real estate transactions funded through the sale of a cryptocurrency token which is backed by real property. The transaction marks a major milestone in the evolution of blockchain-driven real estate finance, bridging decentralized finance with traditional title and escrow services.

    “Several mortgage lenders are already developing funding models that involve the conversion of cryptocurrencies to U.S. dollars at closing,” said Nick Liuzza, CEO of Beeline Holdings. “But for these models to function at scale, you need a title company that not only understands blockchain transactions—but has the infrastructure to disburse and reconcile them in compliance with federal and state regulations.”

    Beeline’s first cryptocurrency-enabled transaction is the beginning of a broader rollout. Beeline Loans, Inc., another subsidiary, is set to launch its full cryptocurrency token funding platform nationally in early August 2025, with Beeline Title providing the title and closing services for each transaction—unless borrowers elect to use an outside title company.

    Importantly, Beeline Title will open this platform to all mortgage lenders, giving them access to a proven solution for cryptocurrency token transaction reconciliation, compliance, and disbursement.

    Liuzza continued, “Our team built Linear Title, one of the largest privately held title agencies in the U.S., prior to merging with Real Matters and going public on the TSX. Through 2019, they closed over one million title transactions across all 50 states, and this new platform is an extension of that expertise—tailored to the next generation of mortgage transactions.”

    As cryptocurrency adoption accelerates and becomes regulated by federal and state governments, Beeline is positioning itself as a leader in this fast-moving ecosystem, offering trusted infrastructure to help lenders scale into a future where crypto and compliance go hand-in-hand.

    About Beeline

    Beeline Financial Holdings, Inc. is a trailblazing mortgage fintech transforming the way people access property financing. Through its fully digital, AI-powered platform, Beeline delivers a faster, smarter path to home loans—whether for primary residences or investment properties. Headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, Beeline is reshaping mortgage origination with speed, simplicity, and transparency at its core. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Beeline Holdings and also operates Beeline Labs, its innovation arm focused on next-generation lending solutions. For more information please visit: https://makeabeeline.com/

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding the company’s prospective new home equity access product, the potential market for, timing, features, and demand for such product, and the benefits thereof. Forward-looking statements are prefaced by words such as “anticipate,” “expect,” “plan,” “could,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “would,” “intend,” “seem,” “potential,” “appear,” “continue,” “future,” believe,” “estimate,” “forecast,” “project,” and similar words. Forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations and assumptions regarding our business, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. We caution you, therefore, against relying on any of these forward-looking statements. Our actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements for a variety of reasons, including, without limitation, the possibility that estimates, projections and assumptions on which the forward-looking statements are based prove to be incorrect, the ultimate interest of homeowners in unlocking liquidity and Beeline’s ability to attract homeowners, its reliance on a related party to raise capital to fund the real estate transactions and the Risk Factors contained in our Form 10-K filed April 15, 2025. Any forward-looking statement made by us in this presentation speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

    Contact:
    ir@makeabeeline.com

    The MIL Network –

    June 26, 2025
  • MIL-OSI: Beeline Title Closes its First Crypto Real Estate Transaction – Building a Title Platform for Lenders leveraging Stable Coins looking to infuse liquidity in Residential Real Estate

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Providence, RI, June 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Beeline Holdings, Inc., (Nasdaq: BLNE) the fast-growing digital mortgage platform that shortens the path to homeownership, is pleased to announce that its subsidiary, Beeline Title holdings, Inc. (“Beeline Title”), has successfully closed what it believes to  be one of the first-ever residential real estate transactions funded through the sale of a cryptocurrency token which is backed by real property. The transaction marks a major milestone in the evolution of blockchain-driven real estate finance, bridging decentralized finance with traditional title and escrow services.

    “Several mortgage lenders are already developing funding models that involve the conversion of cryptocurrencies to U.S. dollars at closing,” said Nick Liuzza, CEO of Beeline Holdings. “But for these models to function at scale, you need a title company that not only understands blockchain transactions—but has the infrastructure to disburse and reconcile them in compliance with federal and state regulations.”

    Beeline’s first cryptocurrency-enabled transaction is the beginning of a broader rollout. Beeline Loans, Inc., another subsidiary, is set to launch its full cryptocurrency token funding platform nationally in early August 2025, with Beeline Title providing the title and closing services for each transaction—unless borrowers elect to use an outside title company.

    Importantly, Beeline Title will open this platform to all mortgage lenders, giving them access to a proven solution for cryptocurrency token transaction reconciliation, compliance, and disbursement.

    Liuzza continued, “Our team built Linear Title, one of the largest privately held title agencies in the U.S., prior to merging with Real Matters and going public on the TSX. Through 2019, they closed over one million title transactions across all 50 states, and this new platform is an extension of that expertise—tailored to the next generation of mortgage transactions.”

    As cryptocurrency adoption accelerates and becomes regulated by federal and state governments, Beeline is positioning itself as a leader in this fast-moving ecosystem, offering trusted infrastructure to help lenders scale into a future where crypto and compliance go hand-in-hand.

    About Beeline

    Beeline Financial Holdings, Inc. is a trailblazing mortgage fintech transforming the way people access property financing. Through its fully digital, AI-powered platform, Beeline delivers a faster, smarter path to home loans—whether for primary residences or investment properties. Headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, Beeline is reshaping mortgage origination with speed, simplicity, and transparency at its core. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Beeline Holdings and also operates Beeline Labs, its innovation arm focused on next-generation lending solutions. For more information please visit: https://makeabeeline.com/

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding the company’s prospective new home equity access product, the potential market for, timing, features, and demand for such product, and the benefits thereof. Forward-looking statements are prefaced by words such as “anticipate,” “expect,” “plan,” “could,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “would,” “intend,” “seem,” “potential,” “appear,” “continue,” “future,” believe,” “estimate,” “forecast,” “project,” and similar words. Forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations and assumptions regarding our business, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. We caution you, therefore, against relying on any of these forward-looking statements. Our actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements for a variety of reasons, including, without limitation, the possibility that estimates, projections and assumptions on which the forward-looking statements are based prove to be incorrect, the ultimate interest of homeowners in unlocking liquidity and Beeline’s ability to attract homeowners, its reliance on a related party to raise capital to fund the real estate transactions and the Risk Factors contained in our Form 10-K filed April 15, 2025. Any forward-looking statement made by us in this presentation speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

    Contact:
    ir@makeabeeline.com

    The MIL Network –

    June 26, 2025
  • MIL-OSI: Form 8.3 – [MARLOWE PLC – 24 06 2025] – (CGWL)

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    FORM 8.3

    PUBLIC OPENING POSITION DISCLOSURE/DEALING DISCLOSURE BY
    A PERSON WITH INTERESTS IN RELEVANT SECURITIES REPRESENTING 1% OR MORE
    Rule 8.3 of the Takeover Code (the “Code”)

    1.        KEY INFORMATION

    (a)   Full name of discloser: CANACCORD GENUITY WEALTH LIMITED (for Discretionary clients)
    (b)   Owner or controller of interests and short positions disclosed, if different from 1(a):
            The naming of nominee or vehicle companies is insufficient. For a trust, the trustee(s), settlor and beneficiaries must be named.
    N/A
    (c)   Name of offeror/offeree in relation to whose relevant securities this form relates:
            Use a separate form for each offeror/offeree
    MARLOWE PLC
    (d)   If an exempt fund manager connected with an offeror/offeree, state this and specify identity of offeror/offeree: N/A
    (e)   Date position held/dealing undertaken:
            For an opening position disclosure, state the latest practicable date prior to the disclosure
    24 JUNE 2025
    (f)   In addition to the company in 1(c) above, is the discloser making disclosures in respect of any other party to the offer?
            If it is a cash offer or possible cash offer, state “N/A”
    NO

    2.        POSITIONS OF THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE

    If there are positions or rights to subscribe to disclose in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 2(a) or (b) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security.

    (a)      Interests and short positions in the relevant securities of the offeror or offeree to which the disclosure relates following the dealing (if any)

    Class of relevant security: 50p ORDINARY
      Interests Short positions
    Number % Number %
    (1)   Relevant securities owned and/or controlled: 3,075,719 3.9170    
    (2)   Cash-settled derivatives:        
    (3)   Stock-settled derivatives (including options) and agreements to purchase/sell:        
    TOTAL: 3,075,719 3.9170    

    All interests and all short positions should be disclosed.

    Details of any open stock-settled derivative positions (including traded options), or agreements to purchase or sell relevant securities, should be given on a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions).

    (b)      Rights to subscribe for new securities (including directors’ and other employee options)

    Class of relevant security in relation to which subscription right exists:  
    Details, including nature of the rights concerned and relevant percentages:  

    3.        DEALINGS (IF ANY) BY THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE

    Where there have been dealings in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 3(a), (b), (c) or (d) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security dealt in.

    The currency of all prices and other monetary amounts should be stated.

    (a)        Purchases and sales

    Class of relevant security Purchase/sale Number of securities Price per unit
    50p ORDINARY SALE 2,785 441.25p
    50p ORDINARY SALE 7,510 441.4p

    (b)        Cash-settled derivative transactions

    Class of relevant security Product description
    e.g. CFD
    Nature of dealing
    e.g. opening/closing a long/short position, increasing/reducing a long/short position
    Number of reference securities Price per unit
    NONE        

    (c)        Stock-settled derivative transactions (including options)

    (i)        Writing, selling, purchasing or varying

    Class of relevant security Product description e.g. call option Writing, purchasing, selling, varying etc. Number of securities to which option relates Exercise price per unit Type
    e.g. American, European etc.
    Expiry date Option money paid/ received per unit
    NONE              

    (ii)        Exercise

    Class of relevant security Product description
    e.g. call option
    Exercising/ exercised against Number of securities Exercise price per unit

    (d)        Other dealings (including subscribing for new securities)

    Class of relevant security Nature of dealing
    e.g. subscription, conversion
    Details Price per unit (if applicable)
    NONE      

    4.        OTHER INFORMATION

    (a)        Indemnity and other dealing arrangements

    Details of any indemnity or option arrangement, or any agreement or understanding, formal or informal, relating to relevant securities which may be an inducement to deal or refrain from dealing entered into by the person making the disclosure and any party to the offer or any person acting in concert with a party to the offer:
    Irrevocable commitments and letters of intent should not be included. If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”

    NONE

    (b)        Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to options or derivatives

    Details of any agreement, arrangement or understanding, formal or informal, between the person making the disclosure and any other person relating to:
    (i)   the voting rights of any relevant securities under any option; or
    (ii)   the voting rights or future acquisition or disposal of any relevant securities to which any derivative is referenced:
    If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”

    NONE

    (c)        Attachments

    Is a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions) attached? NO
    Date of disclosure: 25 JUNE 2025
    Contact name: MARK ELLIOTT
    Telephone number: 01253 376539

    Public disclosures under Rule 8 of the Code must be made to a Regulatory Information Service.

    The Panel’s Market Surveillance Unit is available for consultation in relation to the Code’s disclosure requirements on +44 (0)20 7638 0129.

    The Code can be viewed on the Panel’s website at www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk.

    The MIL Network –

    June 26, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Global: Trump’s f-bomb: a psychologist explains why the president makes fast and furious statements

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Geoff Beattie, Professor of Psychology, Edge Hill University

    Donald Trump’s latest forthright outburst was made as part of his attempts to create a peace deal with Iran and Israel. “I’m not happy with Israel,” he told reporters on June 24. “We basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don’t know what the fuck they’re doing.”

    This came a day after Trump had announced a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. By the next day, the ceasefire had been violated by both Iran and Israel. Trump was clearly furious, and his language showed it.

    This was not a verbal slip – there was no immediate correction, no apology, no nonverbal indication of embarrassment. He just stormed off, clearly angry.

    This is not the kind of language that is normally associated with a president. Some have been reported to use the f-word before, but usually behind closed doors.

    Donald Trump uses the f-word in a press conference.

    We expect presidents to be calm, measured, thoughtful, considered. Trump’s comment was none of these things. Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th US president, once recommended a foreign policy strategy that was based on: “Speak softly and carry a big stick.” He was suggesting quiet menace, but Trump showed frustration, barely contained. His furious, aggressive response was like something straight out of an old psychology textbook.

    In the 1930s, psychologists developed the frustration-aggression hypothesis to explain how aggressive behaviour can arise. The hypothesis suggested that when a person’s goal is blocked in some way, it leads to frustration, which then results in aggression. Aggression was considered a “natural” way of releasing this unpleasant state of frustration. They were clearly different times.

    Over the next few decades, this hypothesis was thought by most psychologists to be a gross oversimplification of complex human behaviour. It assumed a direct causal relationship between frustration and aggression, ignoring all the other situational and cognitive factors that can intervene.

    Human beings are more complex than that, psychologists argued — they find other ways of dealing with their frustrations. They use their rational system of thought to find solutions. They don’t have to lash out when they’re frustrated in this seemingly primitive way.

    Perhaps, that’s why many people feel shocked when they watch this US president in certain situations. To many of us, it all seems so basic, so unsophisticated, so frightening.

    Fast v slow thinking

    The Nobel laureate and psychologist Daniel Kahneman, in his book Thinking Fast and Slow (2011), characterised the two systems that underpin everyday decision-making. His work may help with understanding of what’s going on here.

    He describes system one as the evolutionary, basic system. It operates unconsciously, automatically and very quickly, handling everyday tasks like reading other people’s emotions, without any effort. It is an intuitive system designed to work in a world full of approach and avoidance, scary animals and friendly animals. It is heavily reliant on affect to guide decision-making.

    In contrast, system two is slower, more deliberative. It requires conscious effort and is used for complex thinking, solving difficult problems, or making careful decisions.

    The relationship between the two systems is critical, and that may get us thinking about Trump in more detail.


    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.


    Kahneman says that system one is a bit of a “workaholic”, beavering away all the time, making “suggestions” for system two to endorse. Good decisions – depend upon system two checking the suggestions of system one. But system one often jumps quickly and unconsciously to certain conclusions. System two should check them, but often doesn’t, even when it would be easy.

    Here is a well-known example. Answer the following question: “A bat and ball cost one pound ten pence, the bat costs one pound more than the ball. How much does the ball cost?”

    One answer looks blatantly obvious – but it isn’t correct. The correct answer (after a bit of thought) is five pence.

    About 80% of university students give the very quick and incorrect answer of ten pence because it “looks” right. Their system two never checked.

    In many people, it seems system two is not used nearly enough. There are striking individual differences in the way that people rely on emotion and gut instinct versus the rational system in making decisions.

    Emotional decisions?

    It appears that Trump makes decisions very quickly (classic system one), often without extensive deliberation or consultation with advisers. Both in his presidency and in his business career, he seemed to prioritise immediate action over any sort of prolonged and thoughtful analysis. That’s why he changes his mind so often.

    His decisions seem to be driven by strong emotions. His response to events, opponents and issues are often passionate and visceral. This could lead to to decisions being unduly influenced by personal feelings, first impressions based on arbitrary cues, and interpersonal perceptions, rather than anything more substantial.

    Trump’s style of decision-making emphasises immediacy and emotional conviction, which can be effective in rallying supporters and creating a sense of decisiveness. However, it also can lead to unpredictable outcomes and, as has been seen again and again, somewhat controversial, impulsive actions.

    Many suggest that Trump’s decision-making style reflects his background in the high-pressure and high-stakes world of business, where quick judgements and gut instinct can be advantageous in these sorts of competitive winner-takes-all environments

    But the world at war is a more precarious place, where system one needs to be kept more firmly in check. Gut instincts may have a role to play, but that old lazy system two needs to be more vigilant. Especially, it would seem, in Trump’s case.


    This article features references to books that have been included for editorial reasons, and may contain links to bookshop.org. If you click on one of the links and go on to buy something from bookshop.org The Conversation UK may earn a commission.

    Geoff Beattie 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. Trump’s f-bomb: a psychologist explains why the president makes fast and furious statements – https://theconversation.com/trumps-f-bomb-a-psychologist-explains-why-the-president-makes-fast-and-furious-statements-259735

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    June 26, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Global: Trump’s f-bomb: a psychologist explains why the president makes fast and furious statements

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Geoff Beattie, Professor of Psychology, Edge Hill University

    Donald Trump’s latest forthright outburst was made as part of his attempts to create a peace deal with Iran and Israel. “I’m not happy with Israel,” he told reporters on June 24. “We basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don’t know what the fuck they’re doing.”

    This came a day after Trump had announced a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. By the next day, the ceasefire had been violated by both Iran and Israel. Trump was clearly furious, and his language showed it.

    This was not a verbal slip – there was no immediate correction, no apology, no nonverbal indication of embarrassment. He just stormed off, clearly angry.

    This is not the kind of language that is normally associated with a president. Some have been reported to use the f-word before, but usually behind closed doors.

    Donald Trump uses the f-word in a press conference.

    We expect presidents to be calm, measured, thoughtful, considered. Trump’s comment was none of these things. Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th US president, once recommended a foreign policy strategy that was based on: “Speak softly and carry a big stick.” He was suggesting quiet menace, but Trump showed frustration, barely contained. His furious, aggressive response was like something straight out of an old psychology textbook.

    In the 1930s, psychologists developed the frustration-aggression hypothesis to explain how aggressive behaviour can arise. The hypothesis suggested that when a person’s goal is blocked in some way, it leads to frustration, which then results in aggression. Aggression was considered a “natural” way of releasing this unpleasant state of frustration. They were clearly different times.

    Over the next few decades, this hypothesis was thought by most psychologists to be a gross oversimplification of complex human behaviour. It assumed a direct causal relationship between frustration and aggression, ignoring all the other situational and cognitive factors that can intervene.

    Human beings are more complex than that, psychologists argued — they find other ways of dealing with their frustrations. They use their rational system of thought to find solutions. They don’t have to lash out when they’re frustrated in this seemingly primitive way.

    Perhaps, that’s why many people feel shocked when they watch this US president in certain situations. To many of us, it all seems so basic, so unsophisticated, so frightening.

    Fast v slow thinking

    The Nobel laureate and psychologist Daniel Kahneman, in his book Thinking Fast and Slow (2011), characterised the two systems that underpin everyday decision-making. His work may help with understanding of what’s going on here.

    He describes system one as the evolutionary, basic system. It operates unconsciously, automatically and very quickly, handling everyday tasks like reading other people’s emotions, without any effort. It is an intuitive system designed to work in a world full of approach and avoidance, scary animals and friendly animals. It is heavily reliant on affect to guide decision-making.

    In contrast, system two is slower, more deliberative. It requires conscious effort and is used for complex thinking, solving difficult problems, or making careful decisions.

    The relationship between the two systems is critical, and that may get us thinking about Trump in more detail.


    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.


    Kahneman says that system one is a bit of a “workaholic”, beavering away all the time, making “suggestions” for system two to endorse. Good decisions – depend upon system two checking the suggestions of system one. But system one often jumps quickly and unconsciously to certain conclusions. System two should check them, but often doesn’t, even when it would be easy.

    Here is a well-known example. Answer the following question: “A bat and ball cost one pound ten pence, the bat costs one pound more than the ball. How much does the ball cost?”

    One answer looks blatantly obvious – but it isn’t correct. The correct answer (after a bit of thought) is five pence.

    About 80% of university students give the very quick and incorrect answer of ten pence because it “looks” right. Their system two never checked.

    In many people, it seems system two is not used nearly enough. There are striking individual differences in the way that people rely on emotion and gut instinct versus the rational system in making decisions.

    Emotional decisions?

    It appears that Trump makes decisions very quickly (classic system one), often without extensive deliberation or consultation with advisers. Both in his presidency and in his business career, he seemed to prioritise immediate action over any sort of prolonged and thoughtful analysis. That’s why he changes his mind so often.

    His decisions seem to be driven by strong emotions. His response to events, opponents and issues are often passionate and visceral. This could lead to to decisions being unduly influenced by personal feelings, first impressions based on arbitrary cues, and interpersonal perceptions, rather than anything more substantial.

    Trump’s style of decision-making emphasises immediacy and emotional conviction, which can be effective in rallying supporters and creating a sense of decisiveness. However, it also can lead to unpredictable outcomes and, as has been seen again and again, somewhat controversial, impulsive actions.

    Many suggest that Trump’s decision-making style reflects his background in the high-pressure and high-stakes world of business, where quick judgements and gut instinct can be advantageous in these sorts of competitive winner-takes-all environments

    But the world at war is a more precarious place, where system one needs to be kept more firmly in check. Gut instincts may have a role to play, but that old lazy system two needs to be more vigilant. Especially, it would seem, in Trump’s case.


    This article features references to books that have been included for editorial reasons, and may contain links to bookshop.org. If you click on one of the links and go on to buy something from bookshop.org The Conversation UK may earn a commission.

    Geoff Beattie 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. Trump’s f-bomb: a psychologist explains why the president makes fast and furious statements – https://theconversation.com/trumps-f-bomb-a-psychologist-explains-why-the-president-makes-fast-and-furious-statements-259735

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    June 26, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Global: The Ballad of Wallis Island is a masterpiece of the extraordinary made ordinary

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Nicola Bishop, Academic Enhancement Lead, De Montfort University

    With The Ballad of Wallis Island, Tom Basden and Tim Key have written a poignant and comical exploration of music, loss, nostalgia and hope.

    The film has been compared to Once (2007) and Local Hero (1983), similarly low-key films that put music at the heart of quiet personal transformations. It also shares common ground with movingly situated, deliberately gently paced and panoramically shot films like The Dig (2021).

    It was made in just 18 days on a tight budget in a typical Welsh summer. A doctor was on hand to stop the actors getting hypothermia when they filmed shots in the sea. Filmed in an eclectic mausoleum of an old manor house, with a charmingly decorated coat of arms in the hallway, leaky taps and socially awkward characters, it is easy to see why romcom giant Richard Curtis called it “one of the great British films of all time”.

    The film takes place on the fictional Wallis Island, home to millionaire Charles (Tim Key), an eccentric and almost obsessive fan of former folk-rock duo McGwyer Mortimer (Herb and Nell, played by Basden and Carey Mulligan). Invited to the island to play a private gig, Herb and Nell face their musical and romantic past, all under the gaze of an ecstatic Charles.


    Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. Sign up here.


    Pared back and slow paced, the film downplays the complex emotions at its core and leaves the audience to connect their own dots. Instead of verbose dialogue or emotional clashes it uses everyday details to encourage the audience to be observant – a two-second shot that picks out a framed picture on a sideboard, the shadow that passes over a face, a simple gesture.

    Sitting comfortably alongside these big feelings – love, loss, grief, change, nostalgia – are all of the hallmarks of a British comedy classic. Victoria Wood-esque puns (watch out for Dame Judi “Drenched”), slapstick physical gags and pop culture references keep the audience laughing without unbalancing the pathos. It is reminiscent of Wood’s sitcom Dinnerladies (1998-2000), in the breadcrumb trail of slipped in details that provide laughter in the moment but which return to make the audience think twice.

    Basden’s brilliance

    Writer and star Tom Basden has form in the sitcom world. As well as his sitcom Plebs (2013), his most recent television project, Here We Go (2022), shares many of the subtle emotional touches and casually observed titbits of everyday life.

    Here We Go is a wonderful blend of quirky British antics and emotional depth, equally aided by a stellar script and cast. Purportedly filmed as part of a media project by the youngest member of the Jessop family, and sequenced into flashbacks and forwards across several days or weeks, the episodes drip-feed humdrum details that later gain significance. And like Dinnerladies, the funniest observations are those that the audience earn, not those that are given away, by rewatching again and again.

    The trailer for The Ballad of Wallis Island.

    While Here We Go uses disordered sequencing to reveal the meaning behind tiny details, The Ballad of Wallis Island uses objects that give hints about the past. Pictures of Charles and Marie at gigs, fridge magnets of the places they visited, the ticket stumps and magazine interviews of a super-fan collector. The extraordinariness of now is rooted in the everyday of Charles’s past. Even the source of his wealth rests on a single ordinary moment that has the potential to change all of their lives.

    Key and Basden turn the complex emotions of minutia into a powerful narrative. A bar of well-used soap on the side of the bathtub, a plastic bag of 20-pence pieces, and a bowl of homemade soup become symbols of emotional connection to the story, while their everydayness stops them from feeling saccharine or soppy.

    This is, as others have called it, a nostalgic film, about loss and moving on. But it also records a present that is made up of tiny glimpses of everyday life, captured like Here We Go, against a backdrop of the familiar and the ordinary. The quietly hopeful takeaway from the film is that small gestures are as memorable as any stadium finale.

    Nicola Bishop 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. The Ballad of Wallis Island is a masterpiece of the extraordinary made ordinary – https://theconversation.com/the-ballad-of-wallis-island-is-a-masterpiece-of-the-extraordinary-made-ordinary-259635

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    June 26, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Global: The Ballad of Wallis Island is a masterpiece of the extraordinary made ordinary

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Nicola Bishop, Academic Enhancement Lead, De Montfort University

    With The Ballad of Wallis Island, Tom Basden and Tim Key have written a poignant and comical exploration of music, loss, nostalgia and hope.

    The film has been compared to Once (2007) and Local Hero (1983), similarly low-key films that put music at the heart of quiet personal transformations. It also shares common ground with movingly situated, deliberately gently paced and panoramically shot films like The Dig (2021).

    It was made in just 18 days on a tight budget in a typical Welsh summer. A doctor was on hand to stop the actors getting hypothermia when they filmed shots in the sea. Filmed in an eclectic mausoleum of an old manor house, with a charmingly decorated coat of arms in the hallway, leaky taps and socially awkward characters, it is easy to see why romcom giant Richard Curtis called it “one of the great British films of all time”.

    The film takes place on the fictional Wallis Island, home to millionaire Charles (Tim Key), an eccentric and almost obsessive fan of former folk-rock duo McGwyer Mortimer (Herb and Nell, played by Basden and Carey Mulligan). Invited to the island to play a private gig, Herb and Nell face their musical and romantic past, all under the gaze of an ecstatic Charles.


    Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. Sign up here.


    Pared back and slow paced, the film downplays the complex emotions at its core and leaves the audience to connect their own dots. Instead of verbose dialogue or emotional clashes it uses everyday details to encourage the audience to be observant – a two-second shot that picks out a framed picture on a sideboard, the shadow that passes over a face, a simple gesture.

    Sitting comfortably alongside these big feelings – love, loss, grief, change, nostalgia – are all of the hallmarks of a British comedy classic. Victoria Wood-esque puns (watch out for Dame Judi “Drenched”), slapstick physical gags and pop culture references keep the audience laughing without unbalancing the pathos. It is reminiscent of Wood’s sitcom Dinnerladies (1998-2000), in the breadcrumb trail of slipped in details that provide laughter in the moment but which return to make the audience think twice.

    Basden’s brilliance

    Writer and star Tom Basden has form in the sitcom world. As well as his sitcom Plebs (2013), his most recent television project, Here We Go (2022), shares many of the subtle emotional touches and casually observed titbits of everyday life.

    Here We Go is a wonderful blend of quirky British antics and emotional depth, equally aided by a stellar script and cast. Purportedly filmed as part of a media project by the youngest member of the Jessop family, and sequenced into flashbacks and forwards across several days or weeks, the episodes drip-feed humdrum details that later gain significance. And like Dinnerladies, the funniest observations are those that the audience earn, not those that are given away, by rewatching again and again.

    The trailer for The Ballad of Wallis Island.

    While Here We Go uses disordered sequencing to reveal the meaning behind tiny details, The Ballad of Wallis Island uses objects that give hints about the past. Pictures of Charles and Marie at gigs, fridge magnets of the places they visited, the ticket stumps and magazine interviews of a super-fan collector. The extraordinariness of now is rooted in the everyday of Charles’s past. Even the source of his wealth rests on a single ordinary moment that has the potential to change all of their lives.

    Key and Basden turn the complex emotions of minutia into a powerful narrative. A bar of well-used soap on the side of the bathtub, a plastic bag of 20-pence pieces, and a bowl of homemade soup become symbols of emotional connection to the story, while their everydayness stops them from feeling saccharine or soppy.

    This is, as others have called it, a nostalgic film, about loss and moving on. But it also records a present that is made up of tiny glimpses of everyday life, captured like Here We Go, against a backdrop of the familiar and the ordinary. The quietly hopeful takeaway from the film is that small gestures are as memorable as any stadium finale.

    Nicola Bishop 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. The Ballad of Wallis Island is a masterpiece of the extraordinary made ordinary – https://theconversation.com/the-ballad-of-wallis-island-is-a-masterpiece-of-the-extraordinary-made-ordinary-259635

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    June 26, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Global: Some people are turning to nicotine gum and patches to treat long COVID brain fog

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Dipa Kamdar, Senior Lecturer in Pharmacy Practice, Kingston University

    Andrey Popov/Shutterstock.com

    Some people with long COVID are turning to an unlikely remedy: nicotine gum and patches. Though typically used to quit smoking, nicotine is now being explored as a possible way to ease symptoms such as brain fog and fatigue.

    One such case, detailed in a recent article in Slate, describes a woman who found significant relief from debilitating brain fog after trying low-dose nicotine gum. Her experience, while anecdotal, aligns with findings from a small but interesting study from Germany.

    The study involved four participants suffering from symptoms related to long COVID. The researcher administered low-dose nicotine patches once daily and noticed marked improvements in the participants’ symptoms. Tiredness, weakness, shortness of breath and trouble with exercise rapidly improved – by day six at the latest.

    For those who had lost their sense of taste or smell, it took longer, but these senses came back fully within 16 days. Although it’s not possible to draw definitive conclusions on cause and effect from such a small study, the results could pave the way for larger studies.


    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.


    While some people slowly recover from COVID, others remain unwell for years, especially those who became sick before vaccines were available. Between 3% and 5% of people continue to experience symptoms months, and sometimes even years, after the initial infection. In the UK, long COVID affects around 2.8% of the population.

    Brain fog and other neurological symptoms of long COVID are thought to result from a combination of factors – including inflammation, reduced oxygen to the brain, vascular damage and disruption to the blood-brain barrier. Research continues as there is still a lot we don’t know about this condition.

    The researcher in the German study thinks that long COVID symptoms, such as fatigue, brain fog and mood changes, might partly be due to problems with a brain chemical called acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter. This chemical is important for many functions in the body, including memory, attention and regulating mood.

    Normally, acetylcholine works by attaching to special “docking sites” on cells called nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, which help send signals in the brain and nervous system. But the COVID virus may interfere with these receptors, either by blocking them or disrupting how they work. When this happens, the brain may not be able to send signals properly, which could contribute to the mental and physical symptoms seen in long COVID.

    So why would nicotine potentially be useful? Nicotine binds to the same receptors and might help restore normal signalling, but the idea that it displaces the virus directly is still speculative.

    Nicotine is available in different forms, such as patches, gum, lozenges and sprays. Using nicotine through the skin, for example, with a patch, keeps the amount in the blood steady without big spikes. Because of this, people in the study didn’t seem to develop a dependence on it.

    Chewing nicotine gum or using a lozenge can cause spikes in nicotine levels, since the nicotine is absorbed gradually through the lining of the mouth. But unlike a patch, which delivers a steady dose, the user has more control over how much nicotine they take in when using gum or lozenges.

    There are mixed results on the effectiveness of nicotine on cognitive functions such as memory and concentration. But most studies agree that it can enhance attention. Larger studies are needed to gauge the effectiveness of nicotine specifically for long COVID symptoms.

    An estimated 2.8% of people in the UK have long COVID.
    Chaz Bharj/Shutterstock.com

    Not without risks

    Despite its benefits, nicotine is not without risks. Even in gum or patch form, it can cause side-effects like nausea, dizziness, increased heart rate and higher blood pressure.

    Some of these stimulant effects on heart rate may be useful for people with long COVID symptoms such as exercise intolerance. But this needs to be closely monitored. Long-term use may also affect heart health. For non-smokers, the risk of developing a nicotine dependency is a serious concern.

    So are there any options to treat long COVID symptoms?

    There are some studies looking at guanfacine in combination with N-acetylcysteine, which have shown improvement in brain fog in small groups of people. There has been at least one clinical trial exploring nicotine for mild cognitive impairment in older adults, though not in the context of long COVID. Given that anecdotal reports and small studies continue to draw attention, it is likely that targeted trials are in development.

    The main recommendations by experts are to implement lifestyle measures. Slowly increasing exercise, having a healthy diet, avoiding alcohol, drugs and smoking, sleeping enough, practising mindfulness and doing things that stimulate the brain are all thought to help brain fog.

    For those grappling with long COVID or persistent brain fog, the idea of using nicotine patches or gum might be tempting. But experts caution against self-medicating with nicotine. The lack of standardised dosing and the potential for addiction and unknown long-term effects make it a risky experiment.

    While nicotine isn’t a cure and may carry real risks, its potential to ease long COVID symptoms warrants careful study. For now, those battling brain fog should approach it with caution – and always under medical supervision. What’s clear, though, is the urgent need for more research into safe, effective treatments for the lingering effects of COVID.

    Dipa Kamdar 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. Some people are turning to nicotine gum and patches to treat long COVID brain fog – https://theconversation.com/some-people-are-turning-to-nicotine-gum-and-patches-to-treat-long-covid-brain-fog-259093

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    June 26, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Global: Iran’s history has been blighted by interference from foreign powers

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Simin Fadaee, Senior Lecturer in Sociology, University of Manchester

    Iranians commemorate the 1979 revolution in Qom, central Iran. Mostafameraji via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-NC-SA

    Israel’s recent surprise attack on Iran was ostensibly aimed at neutralising Iran’s nuclear programme, but it didn’t just damage nuclear installations. It killed scientists, engineers and senior military personnel.

    Meanwhile, citizens with no ties to the government or military, became “collateral damage”. For 11 days, Israel’s attacks intensified across Tehran and other major cities.

    When the US joined the attack, dropping its bunker-buster bombs on sites in central Iran on June 21, it threatened to push the region closer to large-scale conflict. Israel’s calls for regime change in Iran were joined by the US president, Donald Trump, who took to social media on June 22 with the message: “if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn’t there be a Regime change??? MIGA!!!”

    Trump’s remarks are reminders of past US interventions. The threat of regime change by the most powerful state in the world carries particular weight in Iran, where memories of foreign-imposed coups and covert operations remain vivid and painful.


    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.


    In the early 1890s, Iran was rocked by a popular uprising after the shah granted a British company exclusive rights to the country’s tobacco industry. The decision was greeted with anger and in 1891 the country’s senior cleric, Grand Ayatollah Mirza Shirazi, issued a fatwa against tobacco use.

    A mass boycott ensued – even the shah’s wives reportedly gave up the habit. When it became clear that the boycott was going to hold, the shah cancelled the concession in January 1892. It was a clear demonstration of people power.

    This event is thought to have played a significant role in the development of the revolutionary movement that led to the Constitutional Revolution that took place between 1905 and 1911 and the establishment of a constitution and parliament in Iran.

    Rise of the Pahlavis

    Reza Shah, who founded the Pahlavi dynasty – which would be overthrown in the 1979 revolution and replaced by the Islamic Republic – rose to power following a British-supported coup in 1921.

    Autocrat: Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

    During the first world war, foreign interference weakened Iran and the ruling Qajar dynasty. In 1921, with British support, army officer Reza Khan and politician Seyyed Ziaeddin Tabatabaee led a coup in Tehran. Claiming to be acting to save the monarchy, they arrested key opponents. By 1923, Reza Khan had become prime minister.

    In 1925, Reza Khan unseated the Qajars and founded the Pahlavi dynasty, becoming Reza Shah Pahlavi. This was a turning point in Iran’s history, marking the start of British dominance. The shah’s authoritarian rule focused on centralisation, modernisation and secularisation. It set the stage for the factors that would that eventually lead to the 1979 Revolution.

    In 1941, concerned at the close relationship Pahlavi had developed with Nazi Germany, Britain and its allies once again intervened in Iranian politics, forcing Pahlavi to abdicate. He was exiled to South Africa and his 22-year-old son, Mohammad Reza, was named shah in his place.

    The 1953 coup

    Mohammad Mosaddegh became Iran’s first democratically elected prime minister in 1951. He quickly began to introduce reforms and challenge the authority of the shah. Despite a sustained campaign of destabilisation, Mossadegh retained a high level of popular support, which he used to push through his radical programme. This included the nationalisation of Iran’s oil industry, which was effectively controlled by the Anglo-Persian Oil Company – later British Petroleum (BP).

    Mohammad Mosaddegh in court martial by Ebrahim Golestan.
    Ebrahim Golestan via Wikimedia Commons

    In 1953, he was ousted in a CIA and MI6-backed coup and placed under house arrest. The shah, who had fled to Italy during the unrest, returned to power with western support.

    Within a short time, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi established an authoritarian regime that governed through repression and intimidation. He outlawed all opposition parties, and numerous activists involved in the oil nationalisation movement were either imprisoned or forced into exile.




    Read more:
    Iran’s long history of revolution, defiance and outside interference – and why its future is so uncertain


    The 1979 revolution: the oppression continues

    The shah’s rule became increasingly authoritarian and was also marked by the lavish lifestyles of the ruling elite and increasing poverty of the mass of the Iranian people. Pahlavi increasingly relied on his secret police, the Bureau for Intelligence and Security of the State.

    Meanwhile, a scholar and Islamic cleric named Ruhollah Khomeini, had been rising in prominence especially after 1963, when Pahlavi’s unpopular land reforms mobilised a large section of society against his rule. His growing prominence brought him into confrontation with the government and in 1964 he was sent into exile. He remained abroad, living in Turkey, Iraq and France.

    By 1964 cleric Ruhollah Khomeini had become the focus for some anti-government protests in Iran.
    emam.com via Wikimedia Commons

    By 1978 a diverse alliance primarily made up of urban working and middle-class citizens had paralysed the country. While united in their resistance to the monarchy, participants were driven by a variety of ideological beliefs, including socialism, communism, liberalism, secularism, Islamism and nationalism. The shah fled into exile on January 16 1979 and Khomeini returned to Iran, which in March became an Islamic Republic with Khomeini at its head.

    But the US was not finished in its attempts to destabilise Iran. In 1980, Washington backed Saddam Hussein in initiating a brutal eight-year war, which claimed hundreds of thousands of Iranian lives and severely disrupted the country’s efforts at political and economic reconstruction.

    Iran and the US have remained bitter foes. Over the years ordinary Iranians have suffered tremendously under rounds of US-imposed sanctions, which have all but destroyed the economy in recent years.

    This new wave of foreign aggression has arrived at a time of significant domestic unrest within Iran. Since the Woman, Life, Freedom protests, which began in September 2022 after the death of Mahsa Amini at the hands of the morality police, there has been a general groundswell of demand for social justice and democracy.

    But the convergence of external aggression and internal demands has brought national sovereignty and self-determination to the forefront, as it did during previous major struggles. While world powers gamble with Iran’s future, it is the Iranian people through their struggles and unwavering push for justice and democracy who must determine the country’s future.

    Simin Fadaee 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. Iran’s history has been blighted by interference from foreign powers – https://theconversation.com/irans-history-has-been-blighted-by-interference-from-foreign-powers-259700

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    June 26, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Global: Why there’s a growing backlash against plant-based diets

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jonathan Beacham, Research Fellow, University of Bristol Business School, University of Bristol

    Geinz Angelina/Shutterstock

    People in the UK are eating too much meat – especially processed meat – according to a recent report from the Food Foundation, a UK charity.

    The report recommends revisiting school food standards, which advises schools to serve meat three times a week. The consequence? Children often eat a higher proportion of processed meat than adults.

    The effects of meat-heavy diets are well documented. Some analyses estimate that overconsumption of meat, especially processed red meat, costs the global economy around £219 billion annually, in terms of harms to human health and the environment. At the same time, a growing body of evidence shows that a transition toward more plant-based diets is not just beneficial, but essential.

    And yet efforts to reduce meat consumption haven’t always been well received. In Paris, for instance, the mayor’s initiative to remove meat from municipal canteen menus twice a week triggered an angry backlash from unions and workers who called for the return of steak frites.

    A few years ago, meat consumption in the UK was falling, and interest in initiatives like Veganuary was surging. Venture capital flooded into plant-based startups, from cricket burgers to hemp milk.

    But enthusiasm, and investment, has since declined. Meanwhile, populism and “culture war” narratives have fuelled social media misinformation about food, diet and sustainability, hampering progress. So what has changed? And why is meat once again a flashpoint in the food debate?

    Working with the H3 Consortium, which explores pathways to food system transformation in the UK, our research has focused on why the backlash against plant-based diets is growing and what it means for people, animals and the planet.

    Part of the answer lies in coordinated messaging campaigns that frame meat and dairy not just as “normal” but as “natural” and essential to a balanced diet. One example is the Let’s Eat Balanced campaign, run by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board since 2021. It promotes meat and dairy as key sources of micronutrients such as Vitamin B12 and implicitly positions plant-based diets as nutritionally inadequate.

    But here’s the irony: many intensively farmed animals don’t get B12 from their diet naturally. Their feed is supplemented with vitamins and minerals, just as vegan diets are supplemented. So is meat really a more “natural” source of B12 than a pill?

    That raises a broader question: what could a fair and sustainable transition to plant-based protein look like – not just for consumers, but for farmers and rural communities? Some analyses warn that rapid shifts in land use toward arable farming could have serious unintended consequences, such as disrupting rural economies and threatening livelihoods.

    There are also legitimate questions about the healthiness of meat and dairy alternatives. Despite the early hype around alternative proteins, many products fall under the category of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) – a red flag for consumers wary of additives and artificial ingredients.

    The popularity of books like Chris van Tulleken’s Ultra-Processed People has stoked concerns about emulsifiers, ingredients used to bind veggie burgers or prevent vegan milk from curdling, and some headlines have asked whether they “destroy” our gut health.

    Still, it’s a leap to suggest that conventional red meat is the healthier alternative. The health risks of processed meat are well established, especially the carcinogenic effects of nitrites used to keep meat looking fresh in packaging.

    Some people suggest eating chicken instead of read meat because it produces less greenhouse gas. But raising chickens also causes problems, like pollution from chicken manure that harms rivers, and it depends a lot on soy feed, which can be affected by political and trade issues.

    There’s a strong case for reducing meat consumption, and the scientific evidence to support it is robust. But understanding the backlash against plant-based eating is essential if we want to make meaningful progress. For now, meat is not disappearing from our diets. In fact, the food fight may be just getting started.

    Jonathan Beacham receives funding from the UKRI Strategic Priorities Fund (grant ref: BB/V004719/1).

    David M. Evans receives funding from the UKRI Strategic Priorities Fund (grant ref: BB/V004719/1). He is affiliated with Defra (the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) as a member of their Social Science Expert Group.

    – ref. Why there’s a growing backlash against plant-based diets – https://theconversation.com/why-theres-a-growing-backlash-against-plant-based-diets-259455

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    June 26, 2025
  • MIL-OSI China: Feature: Chinese lychee, a sweet story in Mexico

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

    While China is going deep into summer, Mexico enters the rainy season of the year. In breaks of showery days, crowds hit the streets for sunshine and a sweet fruit from China — lychee.

    For many visitors to Mexico, lychee is something they don’t expect to see here. Meanwhile, the sweet, fleshy fruit has become a popular item on Mexican households’ seasonal grocery lists.

    Few know that lychee trees have grown in Mexico for over a century. In the late 19th century, hundreds of Chinese workers migrated to Mexico, and many settled in Sinaloa. Local legend says the first of the lychee trees the migrants cultivated with seeds taken from their homeland was gifted to Sinaloa’s governor.

    In an evolution journey starting from the Chinese lychee seeds, commercial farming didn’t take off until the 1970s in Mexico. After that, the seasonal fruit took no long time to find its way into the daily life of Mexicans. Liliana, a 37-year-old Mexican engineer, said: “They’ve always been a special treat in our home” every year since her childhood.

    The lychee plantation industry in Mexico now spans 13 states, including Veracruz, Puebla and Oaxaca. In 2023, official data showed Mexico produced more than 26,000 tons of lychee fruits, largely going for the North American market.

    On U.S. grocery platforms, lychee fruits command a premium price but continue to gain popularity. “Not as sweet as last year’s, but still the best I can find in the U.S. market,” one online reviewer wrote. “The season is short, just a few weeks. Worth savoring while it lasts.”

    The Mexican story of the lychee mirrors the story of migration — of roots transplanted; of tastes carried across oceans. In markets from Los Angeles to Merida, the lychee is both about exotic appeal and homesick comfort.

    “I was born and raised in Guangzhou, capital of China’s Guangdong Province,” said Zhang Tieliu from the Chinese American Business Association. “I later moved across the ocean for work. The U.S. doesn’t grow lychees, but for us Chinese living in North America, that taste of home is something we truly miss.”

    And the modern lychee story overseas involves more.

    “Over the years, I dreamed of bringing this jewel of South China’s fruits to the American market,” Zhang said.

    “Thanks to breakthroughs in preservation and logistics by Chinese companies and universities, we’ve finally made that dream a reality — Guangdong lychees now carry their fragrance all the way to North America.”

    Cold-chain technology is accelerating the lychee’s global reach. Pre-cooling and freshness-locking methods have helped overcome previous barriers in its trade, facilitating its rise in sales in recent years in the international fresh fruit market. From the plantations of Maoming City, Guangdong Province, lychee fruits can now reach destinations in the Middle East and Europe within three days.

    Even today, lychees in Mexican supermarkets aren’t quite what a southern Chinese native remembers. They vary in size, sweetness and fleshiness. Yet spotting them on shelves is still a moment of recognition, a thread between homes, while the fruit continues to bear sweetness for generations to come.

    And so, the lychee continues to bloom far from its native soil, as a living bridge between continents, past and present.

    In Latin America, lychee is seen as a luxury fruit outside Mexico. In Panama, it is called “chirimoya china” to indicate its origin and exotic flavor. Brazil has thousands of hectares of lychee orchards and is still expanding its cultivation area. 

    MIL OSI China News –

    June 26, 2025
  • MIL-OSI USA: A ‘Blueprint for Mass Cybercrime’

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    A sweeping and deeply concerning leak of internet user credentials is making headlines around the globe, with cybersecurity analysts confirming that more than 16 billion usernames and passwords have been compromised in what’s being called the largest credential compilation ever discovered online.

    Although many of us have been desensitized to data breaches, this appears to be a much more sophisticated concentration of effort and information.

    This sprawling dataset has reportedly been compiled from more than 30 major data breaches and malware operations, includes logins to Apple, Facebook, Google, Telegram, GitHub, government portals, and countless other platforms.

    Stephen Fitzgerald (contributed photo)

    Unlike outdated credential dumps often circulated on the dark web, this breach appears to be fresh, well-organized, and primed for exploitation. Different from a singular, high-profile breach, this leak is a curated amalgamation of stolen credentials gathered through various types of infostealer malware—malicious programs that quietly harvest passwords, cookies, tokens, and session data from infected devices.

    The scale is staggering. Some of the individual datasets within the leak contain over 3.5 billion records; others range in the tens or hundreds of millions. While some overlap is expected, the sheer volume represents an expansive threat surface for both individuals and institutions.

    Cybersecurity researchers warn that this is not just another recycled breach. It is a “blueprint for mass cybercrime” as threat actors can use the stolen credentials to launch phishing attacks, hijack accounts, or impersonate users across platforms.  Many sophisticated campaigns require many different data points and accounts to be successful, and the discovery of a trove of information of this magnitude opens up possibilities previously thought unrealistic.

    Why It Matters

    It’s not just old data: Many of the credentials appear recently stolen and remain usable—posing an immediate threat.

    It spans nearly every major platform: Apple, Facebook, Google, Telegram, developer tools, and even government systems are implicated. If you’ve reused a password in the past few years, you could be at risk.

    A Need for Vigilance

    This incident underscores the evolving nature of cyber threats. Even without a direct breach of one’s account, malware can silently compromise login data and sell or release it in bulk. It is uncommon to know that an account’s information has been compromised before a breach happens; this should be considered a rare but welcome early warning for us all.

    Institutions rely on the diligence of the entire community to build a strong culture of security. Whether you’re a student accessing HuskyCT, a faculty member conducting research, or a staff member handling sensitive administrative information, credential protection is a shared responsibility.

    As students in the Analytics and Information Management (AIM) major in the UConn School of Business know, IT security is a multidimensional field that relies on people, processes, and technology.  To help satisfy student curiosity in the growing field of cybersecurity, our curricula include an IT Security concentration for majors and an Information Assurance minor for those outside of the major. For those interested in brushing up on their personal security, you can find suggestions below.

    What You Can Do Right Now

    Everyone should take proactive steps to safeguard their information. Here’s what you can do immediately:

    • Reset passwords—especially for anything sensitive such as email, banking, and privileged accounts.
    • Create long, unique passwords—aim for at least 16 characters using a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols. Use a phrase instead of a word to help you remember it!
    • Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) on every account that supports it.
    • Consider using passkeys or a trusted password manager to generate and store complex credentials securely.
    • Check if your credentials were exposed using free services like https://haveibeenpwned.com/Passwords or Google’s Password Checkup.
      1. Note: haveibeenpwned is a trusted source in the security community, but if you are skeptical then you are exercising appropriate scrutiny!
    • Stay alert—watch for unfamiliar login attempts, password reset emails you didn’t request, or strange behavior on your accounts.

    People are (and likely always will be) the weakest link in security, but this is an opportunity for us all to prevent a future data breach, solidify our own security, and to collectively strengthen our community against malicious actors.

    Stephen Fitzgerald is the Academic Director of the Analytics and Information Management (AIM) Program at the School of Business. He previously worked as a learning and development consultant at Evisions and as a risk assurance professional at PwC.

    The AIM program (formerly MIS) is part of the Operations and Information Management Department at the School of Business. This fast-growing major preparing students with managing information and technology to drive business performance. The AIM program’s Information Security course is part of the foundation of the program.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 26, 2025
  • MIL-OSI USA: UConn Magazine: The Ace

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    For most of the year, UConn teams dominate the sports headlines throughout Connecticut. But that changes in mid-June, when the PGA Tour comes to town for the Travelers Championship, played at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell.

    The roots of the tournament date back to 1952. Then known as the Insurance City Open, the 1956 title went to a young golfer named Arnold Palmer. Today, as a Signature Event on the PGA Tour, it attracts the best players in the world, with an annual prize pool of $20 million — and as one of the top attended golf events in the country, raises millions of dollars each year for Connecticut charities. So you might be surprised to hear that it almost disappeared in the early 2000s due to a lack of corporate sponsorship.

    Travelers stepped up to save the day, led by executive vice president and chief administrative officer Andy Bessette ’75 (CLAS). Since the beginning of the company’s title sponsorship, he has partnered with tournament director Nathan Grube to deliver one of the best stops on the tour. A member of the UConn Board of Trustees, Bessette was a four-time All-American hammer thrower for UConn track and field. A record-setting win in the 1980 Olympic track and field trials earned him a spot on the 1980 U.S. Olympic team, and later that summer, he received the Congressional Gold Medal for his patriotism in supporting the boycott of the Moscow Olympic Games.

    “As a world-class athlete, you learn quickly that if you accept the status quo, if you accept where you are skill-wise and competitively, then you are going to go backwards,” Bessette told us on the eve of last year’s Travelers Championship from the clubhouse at TPC River Highlands. “You never ever stop trying to get better. That is what our rallying cry about the tournament has been for the past 20 years. We have a show for one week, but we work all year to plan to get everything right. And part of the week is taking a look around and making a list of things we can improve on for next year’s tournament.”

    Read on for more.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 26, 2025
  • MIL-OSI: Wearable Devices Advances AI Health Monitoring Platform as U.S. HHS Embraces Wearable Tech

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Yokneam Illit, Israel, June 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Wearable Devices Ltd. (the “Company” or “Wearable Devices”) (Nasdaq: WLDS, WLDSW), a technology growth company specializing in artificial intelligence (“AI”)-powered touchless sensing wearables, recently announced the expansion of its Large Motor Unit Action Potential Model (“LMM”) into new potential markets, such as predictive health monitoring and cognitive state analytics. This development will enable the broadening of bio-signal intelligence applications beyond wearables and will offer businesses and healthcare providers access to real-time physiological insights for monitoring health and wellness conditions.

    This strategic expansion into predictive health monitoring aligns with the rising interest in personalized wellness devices. This interest is now demonstrated at the federal level. U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has recently advocated for wearable devices to enhance health monitoring and cognitive well-being, underscoring the public and institutional momentum toward real-time data-driven care.

    This announcement follows Wearable Devices’ recent introduction of LMM as a groundbreaking AI-driven bio-signal platform focused on gesture-based control in extended reality (“XR”) and neural interaction with digital devices. The Company’s LMM approach to analyzing muscle activity signals will support the expansion into the field of health monitoring, enabling users to enhance their performance across various domains.

    From Passive Monitoring to Proactive Intelligence

    Unlike traditional bio-sensors that collect data passively, LMM continuously learns and adapts, turning muscle activity signals from the wrist into actionable insights. The technology is now being evaluated in controlled environments for real-world applications, including:

      ● Predictive Health Monitoring – Detecting hidden patterns in muscle activity that may indicate early signs of health conditions before symptoms appear, revolutionizing preventive diagnostics and digital health tracking.
         
      ● Cognitive State & Performance Analytics – Monitoring focus, fatigue, and stress levels through muscle tone and micro-movements, optimizing work productivity and mental well-being.
         
      ● Exploring Predictive Analytics – Assessing whether continuous monitoring of neural data can improve AI-driven user behavior predictions.

    A Platform for Innovation: Opening LMM to Business Partners

    Recognizing the transformative potential of bio-signal intelligence, Wearable Devices is intending to make LMM available to enterprises, researchers, and developers. The Company’s AI-powered bio-signal data platform is expected to enable businesses to:

      ● Develop custom applications tailored to healthcare and sports for athletic performance optimization.
         
      ● Integrate real-time physiological insights into enterprise solutions to enhance safety, performance, and productivity.
         
      ● Leverage LMM’s AI engine to continuously refine predictive health and interaction models.

    Following the initial evaluation phase, Wearable Devices aims to accelerate commercialization and strategic partnerships across the health sector, reinforcing its position as a pioneer in bio-signal intelligence and neural interface technology.

    About Wearable Devices Ltd.

    Wearable Devices Ltd. is a pioneering growth company revolutionizing human-computer interaction through its AI-powered neural input technology for both consumer and business markets. Leveraging proprietary sensors, software, and advanced AI algorithms, the Company’s innovative products, including the Mudra Band for iOS and Mudra Link for Android, enable seamless, touch-free interaction by transforming subtle finger and wrist movements into intuitive controls. These groundbreaking solutions enhance gaming, and the rapidly expanding AR/VR/XR landscapes. The Company offers a dual-channel business model: direct-to-consumer sales and enterprise licensing. Its flagship Mudra Band integrates functional and stylish design with cutting-edge AI to empower consumers, while its enterprise solutions provide businesses with the tools to deliver immersive and interactive experiences. By setting the input standard for the XR market, Wearable Devices is redefining user experiences and driving innovation in one of the fastest-growing tech sectors. Wearable Devices’ ordinary shares and warrants trade on the Nasdaq under the symbols “WLDS” and “WLDSW,” respectively.

    Forward-Looking Statements Disclaimer

    This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, that are intended to be covered by the “safe harbor” created by those sections. Forward-looking statements, which are based on certain assumptions and describe our future plans, strategies and expectations, can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terms such as “believe,” “expect,” “may,” “should,” “could,” “seek,” “intend,” “plan,” “goal,” “estimate,” “anticipate” or other comparable terms. For example, we are using forward-looking statements when we discuss the benefits and advantages of our devices and technology, including the potential of LMMs, the potential to accelerate commercialization and strategic partnerships across the health sector, the rising interest in personalized wellness devices and entering markets that need real-time physiological insights. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this press release regarding our strategies, prospects, financial condition, operations, costs, plans and objectives are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on our current beliefs, expectations and assumptions regarding the future of our business, future plans and strategies, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of our control. Our actual results and financial condition may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause our actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements include, among others, the following: the trading of our ordinary shares or warrants and the development of a liquid trading market; our ability to successfully market our products and services; the acceptance of our products and services by customers; our continued ability to pay operating costs and ability to meet demand for our products and services; the amount and nature of competition from other security and telecom products and services; the effects of changes in the cybersecurity and telecom markets; our ability to successfully develop new products and services; our success establishing and maintaining collaborative, strategic alliance agreements, licensing and supplier arrangements; our ability to comply with applicable regulations; and the other risks and uncertainties described in our annual report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2024, filed on March 20, 2025 and our other filings with the SEC. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

    Investor Relations Contact
    Michal Efraty
    IR@wearabledevices.co.il

    The MIL Network –

    June 26, 2025
  • MIL-OSI: Form 8.3 – [ALPHA GROUP INTERNATIONAL PLC – 24 06 2025] – (CGAML)

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    FORM 8.3

    PUBLIC OPENING POSITION DISCLOSURE/DEALING DISCLOSURE BY
    A PERSON WITH INTERESTS IN RELEVANT SECURITIES REPRESENTING 1% OR MORE
    Rule 8.3 of the Takeover Code (the “Code”)

    1.        KEY INFORMATION

    (a)   Full name of discloser: CANACCORD GENUITY ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED (for Discretionary clients)
    (b)   Owner or controller of interests and short positions disclosed, if different from 1(a):
            The naming of nominee or vehicle companies is insufficient. For a trust, the trustee(s), settlor and beneficiaries must be named.
    N/A
    (c)   Name of offeror/offeree in relation to whose relevant securities this form relates:
            Use a separate form for each offeror/offeree
    ALPHA GROUP INTERNATIONAL PLC
    (d)   If an exempt fund manager connected with an offeror/offeree, state this and specify identity of offeror/offeree: N/A
    (e)   Date position held/dealing undertaken:
            For an opening position disclosure, state the latest practicable date prior to the disclosure
    24 JUNE 2025
    (f)   In addition to the company in 1(c) above, is the discloser making disclosures in respect of any other party to the offer?
            If it is a cash offer or possible cash offer, state “N/A”
    N/A

    2.        POSITIONS OF THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE

    If there are positions or rights to subscribe to disclose in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 2(a) or (b) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security.

    (a)      Interests and short positions in the relevant securities of the offeror or offeree to which the disclosure relates following the dealing (if any)

    Class of relevant security: 0.2p ORDINARY
      Interests Short positions
    Number % Number %
    (1)   Relevant securities owned and/or controlled: 1,348,000 3.1864    
    (2)   Cash-settled derivatives:        
    (3)   Stock-settled derivatives (including options) and agreements to purchase/sell:        
    TOTAL: 1,348,000 3.1864    

    All interests and all short positions should be disclosed.

    Details of any open stock-settled derivative positions (including traded options), or agreements to purchase or sell relevant securities, should be given on a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions).

    (b)      Rights to subscribe for new securities (including directors’ and other employee options)

    Class of relevant security in relation to which subscription right exists:  
    Details, including nature of the rights concerned and relevant percentages:  

    3.        DEALINGS (IF ANY) BY THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE

    Where there have been dealings in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 3(a), (b), (c) or (d) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security dealt in.

    The currency of all prices and other monetary amounts should be stated.

    (a)        Purchases and sales

    Class of relevant security Purchase/sale Number of securities Price per unit
    0.2p ORDINARY SALE 10,812 3025p

    (b)        Cash-settled derivative transactions

    Class of relevant security Product description
    e.g. CFD
    Nature of dealing
    e.g. opening/closing a long/short position, increasing/reducing a long/short position
    Number of reference securities Price per unit
    NONE        

    (c)        Stock-settled derivative transactions (including options)

    (i)        Writing, selling, purchasing or varying

    Class of relevant security Product description e.g. call option Writing, purchasing, selling, varying etc. Number of securities to which option relates Exercise price per unit Type
    e.g. American, European etc.
    Expiry date Option money paid/ received per unit
    NONE              

    (ii)        Exercise

    Class of relevant security Product description
    e.g. call option
    Exercising/ exercised against Number of securities Exercise price per unit

    (d)        Other dealings (including subscribing for new securities)

    Class of relevant security Nature of dealing
    e.g. subscription, conversion
    Details Price per unit (if applicable)
    NONE      

    4.        OTHER INFORMATION

    (a)        Indemnity and other dealing arrangements

    Details of any indemnity or option arrangement, or any agreement or understanding, formal or informal, relating to relevant securities which may be an inducement to deal or refrain from dealing entered into by the person making the disclosure and any party to the offer or any person acting in concert with a party to the offer:
    Irrevocable commitments and letters of intent should not be included. If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”

    NONE

    (b)        Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to options or derivatives

    Details of any agreement, arrangement or understanding, formal or informal, between the person making the disclosure and any other person relating to:
    (i)   the voting rights of any relevant securities under any option; or
    (ii)   the voting rights or future acquisition or disposal of any relevant securities to which any derivative is referenced:
    If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”

    NONE

    (c)        Attachments

    Is a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions) attached? NO
    Date of disclosure: 25 JUNE 2025
    Contact name: MARK ELLIOTT
    Telephone number: 01253 376539

    Public disclosures under Rule 8 of the Code must be made to a Regulatory Information Service.

    The Panel’s Market Surveillance Unit is available for consultation in relation to the Code’s disclosure requirements on +44 (0)20 7638 0129.

    The Code can be viewed on the Panel’s website at www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk.

    The MIL Network –

    June 26, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Africa: Powering African Economies: African Energy Week (AEW) 2025 to Host Program Track on Power, Infrastructure Sectors

    African Energy Week (AEW): Invest in African Energies – taking place September 29 to October 3 in Cape Town – will feature a Power Africa Track as part of its main conference program. The track, dedicated to addressing emerging opportunities across the continent’s power and infrastructure sectors, will examine the state of play of Africa’s power market. Government representatives, private sector investors, independent power producers and public utilities will come together to discuss Africa’s future power systems – laying the foundation for new deals to be signed. 

    While many developed nations prioritize renewable energy developments, African nations continue to face significant energy access challenges. Approximately 43% of the continent’s population lives without access to electricity, with rural and remote communities struggling to gain access to national grid networks. At the same time, Africa is also the continent most-effected by climate change impacts globally. This highlights a need – and emerging opportunity – for a coordinated approach by both the private and public sectors to develop infrastructure that meets the demands of both urbanized and rural communities. The AEW: Invest in African Energies Powering Africa Track offers a platform to discuss strategies for expanding energy access across the continent. Sessions will explore the role public-private collaboration plays, how market liberalization can bolster investments and the impact of integrated power pools. Panel discussions include: Energy Leaders Dialogue: Strengthening Public & Private Collaborations for Increased Energy Access; Empowering Africa’s Energy Future: Market Liberalization and Private Sector Leadership; Scaling Renewable Innovation: Bridging the Energy Access Gap with Off-Grid and Smart Technologies; and Connecting Africa: Advancing Regional Trade Through Integrated Power Pools.

    Many countries in Africa are pursuing investment to support sustainable energy developments, seeking to both strengthen and expand power systems. Challenges related to inadequate generating capacity, transmission disruptions and maintenance have plagued many countries, resulting in unreliable power supply that hinders economic growth. South Africa, for example, Africa’s largest economy, struggles with intermittent power, largely due to an ageing coal fleet. To address this, the country is leveraging policy such as the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer program and Integrated Resource Plan to incentivize private sector investment in alternative energy sources. To date, the country has introduced 6.4 GW of renewable energy capacity to the grid through 122 independent power producers. AEW: Invest in African Energies 2025 sessions on Balancing Investment Strategies and the Integration of Renewable into the Energy Mix and The Role of African Energy in a World Where Climate is No Longer the First Priority will explore the role of renewable energy in Africa’s power systems and how Africa’s priorities have shifted to power expansion.

    Beyond renewables, Africa is well-positioned to leverage its natural gas and uranium resources to diversify its energy mix and strengthen power capacity. Wit over 620 trillion cubic feet of proven gas resources, the continent is turning to gas-based power to enhance access and support industrialization. Major projects include Angola’s 750 MW Soyo combined cycle power plant; Senegal’s 300 MW Cap des Biches power plant; Algeria’s 660 MW dual-fired Hassi Messaoud Gas Turbine plant, among others. In the nuclear sector, several African countries are pursuing power projects in collaboration with international partners. Projects are being planned in Burkina Faso, Ghana, Uganda, Rwanda, and more, all of which will complement the continent’s sole operating nuclear facility: South Africa’s Koeberg plant. Sessions on gas-to-power and nuclear at AEW: Invest in African Energies 2025 will explore the emerging role these resources will play in Africa’s power sector. Sessions include Gas-to-Power: Meeting Africa’s Growing Domestic Energy Demand Now; Overcoming Infrastructure and Regulatory Hurdles to Nuclear Deployment; Energy Efficiency: The Cornerstone of Africa’s Sustainable Growth; and Powering Africa’s Industrial Revolution.

    “With over 600 million people living without access to electricity, there has never been a more imperative time to advance the development of integrated power systems in Africa. While the continent’s population continues to grow, securing power supply becomes critical. By investing in African resources, strengthening infrastructure and introducing off-grid power solutions, Africa will be able to both alleviate energy poverty while driving long-term, sustainable growth,” states Sergio Pugliese, President for the African Energy Chamber, Angola.

    AEW: Invest in African Energies is the platform of choice for project operators, financiers, technology providers and government, and has emerged as the official place to sign deals in African energy. Visit http://www.AECWeek.com for more information about this exciting event.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

    MIL OSI Africa –

    June 26, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Russia: Marat Khusnullin: Reconstruction of the M-1 Belarus highway section is more than half complete

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    “We are carrying out systematic work across the country to expand and modernize roadways on key highways and city roads where this is necessary to improve transport accessibility. These measures allow us to increase the capacity of the road network, reduce travel time, reduce accidents and minimize logistics costs. In particular, we are reconstructing the M-1 Belarus high-speed highway from the 66th to the 84th km. We will expand this section from four to six lanes. Currently, specialists are constructing the roadbed at the site; 80% of the excavation work has been completed to date, amounting to about 440 thousand cubic meters. At the same time, work is being carried out to install the road surface. 178 thousand tons of asphalt concrete have already been laid, which is almost half of the planned volume. As of today, the overall readiness of the site is more than 50%. There is still a lot of work ahead, it is important to maintain the current momentum,” said Marat Khusnullin.

    The Deputy Prime Minister added that work is underway at the site to install a cable duct for the installation of an automated traffic control system. Barrier and reinforced concrete parapet fencing are being installed; 10 km and 14 km, respectively, have been installed so far. In addition, for safe travel at night, it is planned to install outdoor lighting lines in the dividing strip of the road throughout the site. Currently, the foundations of lighting poles are being installed on the section from the 66th to the 71st km.

    According to the Chairman of the Board of the state company Avtodor, Vyacheslav Petushenko, construction and installation work is being carried out on the reconstruction site to erect 12 artificial structures. These are bridges, overpasses and overground pedestrian crossings.

    “The main artificial structures at the site are two bridges across the Nara and Kapanka rivers. The bridge across the Nara river is 45% complete. A reinforced concrete monolithic superstructure has already been installed here, the embankment is being filled on the approaches with subsequent installation of transition slabs. The bridge across the Kapanka river is half ready, now it is being prepared for laying asphalt concrete on the junctions and the bridge deck. Also among the key structures are two overpasses. One is part of the interchange at the 74th km, and the other is in the turnaround loop from the village of Lyakhovo at the 72nd km. Their readiness is 70 and 50%, respectively. Small artificial structures are also being built in parallel. These include culverts necessary to ensure uninterrupted water flow under the roadway and prevent flooding, which directly affects road safety,” said Vyacheslav Petushenko.

    For the convenience of drivers and passengers, a rest area is being set up at the 74th km of the M-1 “Belarus”. Here, excavation work, road surface construction and storm sewer installation are nearing completion. At the moment, the site is being prepared for the installation of asphalt concrete pavement.

    In total, 355 units of equipment and approximately 1,080 people are involved in the reconstructed section.

    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 –

    June 26, 2025
  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Plans for UK to become sustainable finance capital of the world

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Press release

    Plans for UK to become sustainable finance capital of the world

    Energy Secretary Ed Miliband outlines plans to support banks and large companies in developing climate transition plans.

    • Government welcomes views on supporting banks and large companies to set out their climate transition plans  
    • Energy Secretary announces plans will “help unlock billions in clean energy investment” and grow the economy  
    • delivers on commitment to make the UK the “sustainable finance capital of the world” as part of the Plan for Change

    To help “unlock billions in clean energy investment”, the Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has today outlined plans to support banks and large companies in developing climate transition plans when addressing the Climate and Innovation Forum as part of London Climate Action Week (25 June).  

    The UK is consistently ranked first in the world for sustainable finance, and 70% of FTSE 100 companies have already voluntarily developed many of the key elements of a transition plan. Widespread transition planning will help provide long-term certainty and clarity to help scale the sustainable finance industry as part of our modern industrial policy. 

    The government’s clean energy superpower mission is already delivering economic growth, with net zero sectors growing 3 times faster than the overall economy last year, according to CBI Economics. Since July, over £40 billion of private investment has also been announced into the UK’s clean energy industries – creating good jobs for working people and driving long-term growth.  

    As part of the government’s Plan for Change, the government wants to help stimulate billions of pounds a year of private investment to deliver the government’s clean energy superpower mission and make the UK the “sustainable finance capital of the world”.  

    To support this growth, the government will take forward recommendations from last year’s Transition Finance Market Review to consult on transition plan requirements in order to catalyse the growing transition finance market. The design of any future transition plan requirements will be aligned with the Prime Minister’s commitment to reduce regulatory compliance costs by 25%. 

    Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said: 

    This government is determined to make the UK the sustainable finance capital of the world as we seize the huge economic opportunities provided by clean energy. 

    Through our clean energy superpower mission and industrial strategy, we can win this global race and accelerate investment into these sectors – growing the economy, turbocharging the transition to net zero and delivering on our Plan for Change. 

    Our plans will transform our leading financial services sector into a global hub for green investment.

    Minister for Competition and Markets Justin Madders said:  

    We want to work with businesses to develop a “common sense” sustainable reporting framework that is transparent, clear and proportionate for those investing in the UK. 

    These measures will enhance competition in the sustainability assurance sector, helping to deliver on our Plan for Change and kickstart economic growth.

    Rt Hon Lord Alok Sharma KCMG, Chair of the UK Transition Finance Council said: 

    A clear message from the Transition Finance Market Review was that high quality disclosure and information are vital for investors and a pre-condition to a flourishing sustainable and transition finance market.  

    I therefore very much welcome the government taking forward recommendations from the Review to consult on corporate transition plan requirements.  

    The UK can become the pre-eminent global financial centre for raising transition finance, but this is a time-limited opportunity, and that is why it will be vital to move quickly from consultation to implementation.

    The government is publishing 3 consultations on: 

    • how to take forward the government’s commitment on transition planning to support the market to invest in sectors that will deliver the clean energy superpower mission
    • new UK Sustainability Reporting Standards to provide clear, comparable information for investors on sustainability related financial risks and opportunities to enable them to make informed investment decisions
    • the development of a voluntary registration regime for the providers of assurance of sustainability reporting, supporting growth in this important sector

    Transition planning means businesses set out a roadmap that outlines how they intend to adapt and transform their operations, strategies, and business models to align with their climate goals. 

    This is a vital part of the government’s commitment to secure Britain’s position as the sustainable finance capital of the world and will help businesses and investors seize the opportunities from the clean energy transition.  

    A recent survey of financial institutions conducted by South Pole found that 84% of UK-based financial institutions find companies with transition plans more attractive to invest in. 

    Supporting British industry and creating good, skilled jobs up and up down the country is core to the government’s industrial strategy and plan to grow the economy, ensuring businesses can take advantage of the transition to new low carbon technologies as they reduce their emissions. This will allow UK industry to remain competitive globally and support the millions of manufacturing jobs in regions across the UK – as well as future-proofing existing sectors, and increasing economic resilience to climate impacts. 

    Alistair Phillips-Davies, Chief Executive at SSE plc said: 

    SSE has long been a firm supporter of credible, transparent transition planning. As an early adopter of climate transition plans, we’ve seen first-hand how they can build investor confidence and accelerate progress toward net zero. 

    We welcome the UK Government’s ambition to become the sustainable finance capital of the world and fully support the work of the Transition Plan Taskforce and the Transition Finance Market Review. 

    As the UK’s clean energy champion, we want to see the UK remain the best place in the world to attract transition finance and deliver the investment needed for a just and ambitious energy transition.

    Rachel Solomon Williams, Executive Director of the Aldersgate Group, said: 

    The Aldersgate Group welcomes today’s announcement as a significant step forward in creating a first-in-class green regulatory framework. 

    Using the feedback from these consultations to develop clear financial guardrails will help strengthen the transparency, interoperability, and credibility of climate-related financial disclosures. This is essential to support the measures in the government’s Modern Industrial Strategy, unlocking private sector investment in the UK’s low carbon economy.  

    We are particularly pleased to see the consultation on how best to take forward the government’s commitment on transition planning. Climate transition plans are a vital tool to help real economy companies integrate climate into strategic and operational decision-making, while also enabling financial institutions to align capital allocation, stewardship, and risk management with the transition to net zero.

    James Alexander, CEO of UK Sustainable Investment and Finance Association (UKSIF), said:  

    We welcome the government’s commitment to bringing forward the consultation on climate transition plans for banks and large companies. These are essential for enhancing growth and global competitiveness as the UK and other countries decarbonise.  

    Further dialogue between the government and industry on the UK Sustainability Reporting Standards is also very encouraging. We look forward to ministers taking forward these commitments, which will help future-proof our economy over the coming years.

    Heather McKay, Programme Lead, UK Sustainable and Resilient Finance at E3G, said:  

    The delivery of the government’s growth mission relies on ensuring Britain is a world-class destination for green and transition finance.  

    The clean economy is our ticket to a high-growth future, and credible transition plans – as part of a future-fit regulatory regime – are fundamental to unlocking the investment required to seize this opportunity.  

    The release of this highly anticipated consultation package is a welcome step towards turning this vision into reality.

    Claudine Blamey, Chief Sustainability Officer at Aviva, said:  

    We welcome this consultation as an important next step in understanding how transition planning is rolled out across the UK economy, helping businesses understand the steps needed to transition, supporting a greener, more prosperous future.

    Andrew Ninian, Director for Stewardship, Risk and Tax at the Investment Association, said:  

    We want the UK to remain at the forefront of sustainable finance. Ensuring that reporting standards are focused on the issues that impact the financial performance of companies is vital to achieve this.  

    Transition planning should enable investors to understand how climate risks and opportunities affect a company’s value and how they are adapting their business strategy to reduce their climate impact, in order to provide a sustainable future and grow the UK economy.  

    International comparability is also key, and with companies already preparing for reporting in line with ISSB, endorsing the standards will allow investors in UK companies to fully understand their long-term sustainability risks and simplify reporting expectations in the UK and globally.

    Ian Bhullar, Director, Sustainability Policy, UK Finance said: 

    The financial services industry backs proportionate, internationally aligned sustainability reporting. Many firms have already published transition plans and use their customers’ plans to make low-carbon financing decisions.  

    Better reporting by a range of companies will provide information that lenders and investors can use to increase green finance flows. UK Finance welcomes these consultations and will work with government to ensure they support growth in the UK economy.

    Faith Ward, Chief RI Officer, Brunel Pension Partnership said: 

    I hugely welcome the HMG announcements today. Having been deeply involved in supporting the International Sustainability Standards Board and Transition Plan Taskforce, I am delighted to see the UK take this vital step to regain its leadership role as global centre for green finance. 

    Investors want to allocate capital to growing businesses that are taking action to address climate and sustainability risks – and that are looking to business opportunities so that they deliver financially over the long term. They need globally consistent reporting on climate and sustainability actions, alongside critical insights into corporate plans for the transition.

    Bruno Gardner, Head of Climate Change and Nature, Phoenix Group said: 

    As a long-term investor, policy developments that provide greater certainty around the net zero transition enhance the UK’s role as the leading centre of sustainable finance.  

    Transition plans are critical to helping investors like Phoenix Group manage the risks of climate change and direct capital towards companies that are best equipped to navigate the transition to net zero, ensuring the best outcomes for our customers.  

    We welcome all three consultations and the government’s engagement with the private sector, which is a significant step towards giving investors greater policy certainty and enabling us to being net-zero by 2050.

    Notes to editors   

    DESNZ analysis of Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) data showed that global investment into low carbon sectors amounted to £1.6 trillion in 2024, with total investment in UK low carbon sectors representing 1.8% of GDP, the second highest share within the G7.

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    Updates to this page

    Published 25 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    June 26, 2025
  • MIL-OSI: G2 Recognizes Regula as Identity Verification Leader with 100% Support Satisfaction

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    RESTON, Va, June 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Regula, a global developer of forensic devices and identity verification solutions, has been recognized as a Leader in the G2 Grid® Report for Identity Verification | Summer 2025. Additionally, the company was placed at the top of the category for support satisfaction, earning a 100% positive rating, in the G2 Relationship Index for Identity Verification | Summer 2025. Both recognitions are based entirely on customer feedback.

    G2 badges recognize Regula’s leadership in identity verification and its unmatched customer support

    The G2 Relationship Index and Grid® Report evaluate identity verification (IDV) providers based on real user reviews across various dimensions of customer satisfaction and market presence, including quality of product support, ease of doing business, trust, the likelihood of recommendation, etc. Based on this data, IDV vendors are categorized as Niche players, Contenders, High Performers, or Leaders in the Grid® Report, and earn ratings in the Relationship Index.

    Regula earned its Leader status and 4.9 ranking (out of 5) supported by the following G2 user insights:

    • 100% of users are happy with customer support.
    • 98% would recommend Regula to others.
    • 97% say it’s easy to work with.
    • 94% confirm Regula products meet their requirements.
    • 90% of users believe the company is headed in the right direction.

    Commenting on this accolade, Ihar Kliashchou, Chief Technology Officer at Regula, said: “We’re especially proud to be recognized for what matters most—earning and keeping our customers’ trust. Our technology is built for precision and scale, but it’s the way we support our clients that defines the experience. This recognition reflects the dedication of our entire team.”

    Unlike traditional tiered support systems, Regula uses a swarming support model, where the right experts are brought in immediately to resolve issues collaboratively—eliminating long waits and escalations. This approach has proven especially effective in high-stakes industries where time and accuracy are critical.

    This latest recognition by the G2 community comes on the heels of Regula’s recent inclusion in the KuppingerCole Leadership Compass for Identity Verification 2025, where the company was named an Innovation Leader, noted for its 100% in-house R&D, forensic-grade technology, and one of the world’s most comprehensive global document coverage.

    To learn more about Regula’s solutions and expertise, visit the official website.

    About Regula

    Regula is a global developer of forensic devices and identity verification solutions. With our 30+ years of experience in forensic research and the most comprehensive library of document templates in the world, we create breakthrough technologies for document and biometric verification. Our hardware and software solutions allow over 1,000 organizations and 80 border control authorities globally to provide top-notch client service without compromising safety, security, or speed. Regula has been repeatedly named a Representative Vendor in the Gartner® Market Guide for Identity Verification.

    Learn more at www.regulaforensics.com.

    Contact:
    Kristina – ks@regulaforensics.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6650c827-9ad6-4665-8ca1-bb5ef935b078

    The MIL Network –

    June 26, 2025
  • MIL-OSI: G2 Recognizes Regula as Identity Verification Leader with 100% Support Satisfaction

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    RESTON, Va, June 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Regula, a global developer of forensic devices and identity verification solutions, has been recognized as a Leader in the G2 Grid® Report for Identity Verification | Summer 2025. Additionally, the company was placed at the top of the category for support satisfaction, earning a 100% positive rating, in the G2 Relationship Index for Identity Verification | Summer 2025. Both recognitions are based entirely on customer feedback.

    G2 badges recognize Regula’s leadership in identity verification and its unmatched customer support

    The G2 Relationship Index and Grid® Report evaluate identity verification (IDV) providers based on real user reviews across various dimensions of customer satisfaction and market presence, including quality of product support, ease of doing business, trust, the likelihood of recommendation, etc. Based on this data, IDV vendors are categorized as Niche players, Contenders, High Performers, or Leaders in the Grid® Report, and earn ratings in the Relationship Index.

    Regula earned its Leader status and 4.9 ranking (out of 5) supported by the following G2 user insights:

    • 100% of users are happy with customer support.
    • 98% would recommend Regula to others.
    • 97% say it’s easy to work with.
    • 94% confirm Regula products meet their requirements.
    • 90% of users believe the company is headed in the right direction.

    Commenting on this accolade, Ihar Kliashchou, Chief Technology Officer at Regula, said: “We’re especially proud to be recognized for what matters most—earning and keeping our customers’ trust. Our technology is built for precision and scale, but it’s the way we support our clients that defines the experience. This recognition reflects the dedication of our entire team.”

    Unlike traditional tiered support systems, Regula uses a swarming support model, where the right experts are brought in immediately to resolve issues collaboratively—eliminating long waits and escalations. This approach has proven especially effective in high-stakes industries where time and accuracy are critical.

    This latest recognition by the G2 community comes on the heels of Regula’s recent inclusion in the KuppingerCole Leadership Compass for Identity Verification 2025, where the company was named an Innovation Leader, noted for its 100% in-house R&D, forensic-grade technology, and one of the world’s most comprehensive global document coverage.

    To learn more about Regula’s solutions and expertise, visit the official website.

    About Regula

    Regula is a global developer of forensic devices and identity verification solutions. With our 30+ years of experience in forensic research and the most comprehensive library of document templates in the world, we create breakthrough technologies for document and biometric verification. Our hardware and software solutions allow over 1,000 organizations and 80 border control authorities globally to provide top-notch client service without compromising safety, security, or speed. Regula has been repeatedly named a Representative Vendor in the Gartner® Market Guide for Identity Verification.

    Learn more at www.regulaforensics.com.

    Contact:
    Kristina – ks@regulaforensics.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6650c827-9ad6-4665-8ca1-bb5ef935b078

    The MIL Network –

    June 26, 2025
  • MIL-OSI: Quidnet Energy Completes 35 MWh Discharge Test after 6-Months of Holding Charge with No Loss

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    HOUSTON, June 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Quidnet Energy (“Quidnet”), a pioneer in long-duration energy storage solutions for delivering baseload power, announced today that the company has completed 35 MWh discharge after storing the energy for six months without loss at its Texas project site for CPS Energy. The successful test provides further demonstration of the capability of the company’s Geomechanical Energy Storage (GES) technology following the MWh-scale test announced earlier this year.

    Having already proven the GES technology at the MWh scale, this successful operation by Quidnet offers continued validation of the GES technology to deliver scalable and dependable grid energy storage to meet the fast-growing demand for reliable power. Along with 35 MWh energy delivery, holding a charge with no discernible energy loss for six months proves that Quidnet’s technology can be relied upon to provide energy when needed by utilities for meeting firm power demands of the growing AI data center sector.

    At a time when a substantial backlog of large-scale generation projects threatens the country’s grid, Quidnet’s GES technology leverages a uniquely unconstrained supply chain to meet hyperscale power demand with rapidly deployable and reliable power capacity.

    “During our previous round of accelerated cycle testing, we put considerable strain on the storage system,” said Bunker Hill, Vice President of Engineering at Quidnet Energy. “To then see the system hold charge for 6 months, with no loss, and deliver energy at a substantial duration and scale is a strong validation of the robustness and scalability of our GES technology.”

    Quidnet completed the 35 MWh test at their Greater Houston project site which is under construction for CPS Energy, the largest municipally owned electric and natural gas utility in the United States. The project for CPS Energy is part of a 15-year commercial agreement between the utility and Quidnet, and the site is supported by the ARPA-E grant Quidnet received through the 2021 SCALEUP initiative. This test underscores how Quidnet will be able to confidently meet the project’s target storage capacity with their technology, which is rapidly deployable and easily scaled to meet the urgent demand for firm power.

    To learn more about how Quidnet’s Geomechanical Energy Storage works and its benefits compared to other storage technologies, visit https://quidnetenergy.com/.

    About Quidnet Energy
    Houston-based Quidnet Energy is an energy storage company that uses the subsurface as a sustainable natural resource. Quidnet Energy’s patented Geomechanical Energy Storage technology utilizes excess electricity from the grid to store water beneath the ground under pressure, delivering that energy later to provide firm, reliable power to the grid. Visit www.quidnetenergy.com to learn more.

    Media Contact
    Justin Williams
    Trevi Communications for Quidnet Energy
    justin@trevicomm.com
    +1 (978) 539-7157

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/71ab1f22-8862-4e1b-8458-8e7c311f951a

    The MIL Network –

    June 26, 2025
  • MIL-OSI: BigCommerce and Feedonomics Team Up with Perplexity to Help Brands Excel at AI Product Search

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    AUSTIN, Texas, June 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — BigCommerce (Nasdaq: BIGC), a leading open SaaS ecommerce platform for B2C and B2B businesses, and Feedonomics, a leading data feed management solution, today announced their customers now have access to cutting-edge AI-powered search engine Perplexity to optimize visibility and relevance for brands in AI search results.

    In the shift from traditional SEO to AI search, it is critical that merchants ensure their products can be syndicated to the right marketplaces and advertising channels or owned channels so they can be found in order to drive traffic and sales. Historical data scraping is inefficient and often inaccurate for large language models. Feedonomics now provides Perplexity with pre-optimized, structured product data, ensuring that the LLM understands and recognizes merchants’ products, leading to superior search results that favor the brand.

    “AI-powered search is redefining how consumers discover and engage with products online,” said Sharon Gee, senior vice president of product for AI at BigCommerce and Feedonomics. “For consumer brands, this represents a pivotal moment to lead with innovation. By delivering high-quality product data directly to LLMs, brands ensure their products surface more accurately and contextually. Ensuring quality data feeds are optimally structured and accessible to AI search channels is a strategic imperative for driving relevance, loyalty and growth in an increasingly competitive digital landscape.”

    Generative AI is projected to play a much more important role in ecommerce overall as consumers grow more accustomed to the technology and as retailers rely on it to offer customers a more personalized, relevant experience. Emarketer predicts AI agents and other AI tools will influence as much as 19% of global Cyber Five sales this year—up to $61 billion in spending—as both shoppers and retailers ramp up their use of the technology.

    “With Feedonomics powering our product data, we have confidence that our catalog is being presented accurately and optimally to drive results with AI search platforms,” said Owen Spencer, director of enterprise applications at adventure brand Revelyst, the parent company of Bell, Bushnell, CamelBak, Fox Racing, Giro and other notable brands. “Improved visibility and stronger brand consistency are critical for traffic and conversion. Having structured and channel-optimized data in place allows us to take more control of how our products appear in AI-driven experiences, and that is a game-changer for our ecommerce performance in the AI era.”

    As commerce adopts agentic shopping, where AI agents research, recommend and even act on behalf of consumers, the quality of the product catalog is critical. As agentic purchasing evolves, the need for flawless data transfers and optimized, conversion-ready storefronts become paramount. Together, BigCommerce, Feedonomics and Makeswift provide the data and storefront software that enable this critical connectivity and better performance for merchants on virtually any ecommerce platform to optimize revenue.

    “Some aspects of the AI future are already clear—consumers want agentic experiences throughout their shopping journey, and they turn to Perplexity for accurate answers they can trust,” said Taz Patel, head of advertising and shopping at Perplexity. “When our systems can ingest clean, well-organized product information — with rich attributes, consistent taxonomy and up-to-date availability — the results speak for themselves: more relevant search experiences, higher conversion rates and better alignment with shopper intent. With Feedonomics delivering AI-ready data to Perplexity’s powerful and highly-trusted answer engine, we are setting a new standard for ecommerce search.”

    Speak to a BigCommerce or Feedonomics team member at kiosk 207 at the CommerceNext Growth Show through June 25.

    Join the Perplexity beta program here: https://www.bigcommerce.com/dm/perplexity-beta-program/

    About BigCommerce
    BigCommerce (Nasdaq: BIGC) is a leading open SaaS and composable ecommerce platform that empowers brands, retailers, manufacturers and distributors of all sizes to build, innovate and grow their businesses online. BigCommerce provides its customers sophisticated professional-grade functionality, customization and performance with simplicity and ease-of-use. Tens of thousands of B2C and B2B companies across 150 countries and numerous industries rely on BigCommerce, including Coldwater Creek, Harvey Nichols, King Arthur Baking Co., MKM Building Supplies, United Aqua Group and Uplift Desk. For more information, please visit www.bigcommerce.com or follow us on X and LinkedIn.

    About Feedonomics
    Feedonomics is a leading data management platform powering omnichannel growth for the world’s top brands and retailers. With its flexible technology and full-service support team, Feedonomics facilitates a variety of data and order management use cases across industries such as ecommerce, automotive, employment, travel, real estate, and more. Feedonomics has thousands of active customers, integrations with hundreds of ecommerce platforms and channels, and strategic partnerships with industry leaders like Amazon, Meta, Google, Microsoft and TikTok. For more information, please visit www.feedonomics.com or follow us on X, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

    About Perplexity
    Perplexity is an AI-powered answer engine that draws from credible sources in real time to accurately answer questions with in-line citations, perform deep research, and more. Founded in 2022, the company’s mission is to serve the world’s curiosity by bridging the gap between traditional search engines and AI-driven interfaces. Each week, Perplexity answers more than 150 million questions globally. Perplexity is available in the app store and online at https://www.perplexity.com.

    BigCommerce® is a registered trademark of BigCommerce Pty. Ltd. Third-party trademarks and service marks are the property of their respective owners.

    Media Contact:
    Brad Hem
    pr@bigcommerce.com

    The MIL Network –

    June 26, 2025
  • MIL-OSI: CapEx Finance Index (CFI) May 2025: Demand Rose; Financial Conditions Remained Healthy

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    • FORECAST: New business volumes suggest a 0.7% increase in new durable goods orders in May.
    • Total new business volume (NBV) rose by $10.3 billion seasonally adjusted among surveyed ELFA member companies, an increase of 3.0% from the prior month.
    • NBV year-to-date contracted by 1.2% relative to the same period in 2024.
    • Year-over-year, NBV dropped by 3.7% on a non-seasonally adjusted basis.

    WASHINGTON, June 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — “The May CFI survey confirmed that the equipment finance industry had a good start to 2025. Demand for new equipment picked up in the latest data, particularly at captive businesses, and industry-wide financial conditions remained healthy,” said Leigh Lytle, President and CEO at ELFA. “The May delinquency data was largely unchanged after accounting for an outlier, and losses were stable, both good signs considering the restrictive stance of monetary policy. The slow bite of tariffs may still emerge this summer, and conflict abroad could impact energy prices and supply chains, but the string of solid CFI surveys is yet another clear indication that the equipment finance industry is going to be tough to slow down in 2025.”

    New business volumes picked up. New business volumes rose by 3.0% in May from the previous month to $10.3 billion. The increase was nearly exactly in line with the recent two-year trend. New business volumes for small ticket deals were up 17.8%, the fifth consecutive month of double-digit volatility. It was also a nearly complete reversal from the 18.3% decline in the prior month. New volumes grew by 14% at captives and 5.0% at independents from April to May but declined by 3.0% at banks. That contrasts with the recent increase in bank volumes relative to captives and independents. The six-month rolling average of activity at banks as a share of total new volume activity jumped by 7.3 percentage points over the last year. That gain has come at the expense of new deals at captives, where the share of new activity has dropped by a nearly identical 7.3 percentage points.

    Employment levels were lower than at the same time last year. The 12-month change in total employment was down 1.2% from May 2024. That’s an eight-tenths improvement from the 2.0% decline that was recorded in April. Employment was up at banks and independents and down at captives.

    Credit approvals remained elevated. The overall credit approval rate edged down by four-tenths of a percentage point to 77%. The May rate is the second highest reading in the last two years; the highest was last month at 77.4%. The average approval rate on small ticket items declined by half of a percentage point but also remained near its two-year high.

    Financial conditions were largely unchanged. Industry-wide delinquencies rose by more than percentage point, from 1.8% to 2.9%, from April to May. Adjusting for an outlier showed a more modest rise in 30-day aging receivables of around a tenth of a percentage point to 1.9%. Delinquencies for small ticket deals and at independent companies were also impacted. The loss rate was essentially unchanged from April.

    “New business activity has been strong for our equipment finance business this year and up significantly from the first five months of 2024 as economic fundamentals that we favor—labor market strength, moderating inflation, easing monetary policy, strong corporate earnings—remain resilient,” said David Drury, Senior Vice President and Head of Commercial Specialty Lending, Fifth Third Bank, National Association. “However, we suspect these fundamentals will deteriorate until a clear path forward for global trade is agreed upon by policymakers and businesses alike, and may present headwinds for equipment financing activity in the second half of the year.”

    Industry Confidence
    The Monthly Confidence Index from ELFA’s affiliate, the Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation, increased to 58.2 in June, rebounding from tariff pressures after dramatic lows in April and May.

    About ELFA’s CFI
    The CapEx Finance Index (CFI) is the only real-time dataset that tracks nationwide conditions in the equipment financing industry. The information is compiled from a diversified set of businesses that respond to questions about demand for equipment financing, employment, and changes in financial conditions. The resulting data is organized by institution type, such as banks, captives, and independents, and is classified into overall activity and financing for small ticket equipment and software. The CFI is released monthly from Washington, D.C., generally one day before the U.S. Department of Commerce’s durable goods report. More detail on the data and methodology can be found at www.elfaonline.org/CFI.

    About ELFA
    The Equipment Leasing & Finance Association (ELFA) represents financial services companies and manufacturers in the $1 trillion U.S. equipment finance sector. ELFA’s over 600 member companies provide essential financing that helps businesses acquire the equipment they need to operate and grow. Learn how equipment finance contributes to businesses’ success, U.S. economic growth, manufacturing and jobs at www.elfaonline.org.

    Follow ELFA:
    X: @ELFAonline
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/115191 

    Media/Press Contact: Jane Esworthy, Vice President, Communications & Marketing, ELFA, jesworthy@elfaonline.org

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f5541bc2-8141-4f5e-a659-55cac4443beb

    The MIL Network –

    June 26, 2025
  • MIL-OSI: Media Advisory – Energy Sector Gains New Edge in Vegetation and Methane Emissions Monitoring with Maxar and Satelytics Partnership

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PERRYSBURG, Ohio, June 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Maxar and its partner Satelytics are announcing today an expansion of their offerings to the energy industry. In addition to the methane monitoring solution that has been on the market for several years, Satelytics is now introducing a vegetation encroachment solution that leverages Maxar’s very high-resolution satellite imagery.

    Monitoring vegetation growth along utility lines and pipelines

    Caption: Satelytics’ vegetation monitoring product leverages Maxar’s very high-resolution satellite imagery to identify vegetation, like the coniferous tree in the above screenshot, that could possibly fall on electrical distribution networks. This alert enables a utility company to go into the field and mitigate specific vegetation issues instead of spending time monitoring the whole transmission line from a truck.

    Satelytics will generate risk profiles of vegetation in and around customer assets using mono- and stereo-imagery collections from the Maxar constellation, including the recently launched WorldView Legion satellites. This solution will lean on Maxar’s collection capability of 6 million sq km of capacity per day, which significantly outpaces any other commercial provider.

    Monitoring vegetation growth along utility lines or pipelines with Maxar’s 30 cm-class resolution satellite imagery and Satelytics’ value-added insights allows an energy company to prioritize sending ground crews to specific locations that are known to need trimming maintenance instead of having ground crews drive the entire lengths of lines, which can be hundreds of miles in distance. This targeted vegetation maintenance allows the energy company to reduce search time and increase efficiency of field crews, proactively identify and address potential threats outside the immediate corridor, verify completed work and optimize contractor management, and improve overall grid reliability by reducing vegetation-related outages.

    • “Maxar’s recently expanded capacity with the new WorldView Legion satellites creates new opportunities for us to reliably collect fresh, very high-resolution satellite imagery along our customers’ rights-of-way to analyze for vegetation encroachment. Our customers will benefit from the high-quality of Maxar’s imagery as value-added products like our vegetation risk assessments improve with better input data.”

    — Sean Donegan, President and Chief Executive Officer of Satelytics

    Producing methane detection alerts

    Maxar’s WorldView-3 satellite hosts a shortwave infrared (SWIR) sensor that collects imagery in wavelengths outside what the human eye can see. Satelytics uses this SWIR sensor to create a methane detection and measurement product for energy companies. Duke Energy’s Piedmont Gas division, a local distribution company that operates in the Midwest and Southeast U.S., uses Satelytics’ methane solution to improve operational efficiency, safety and reporting by quickly finding leaks, repairing them and reducing emissions across a five-state service territory. Since the beginning of 2022, Duke Energy has reduced recordable leaks by over 85% using Satelytics’ solution. To learn more about Satelytics’ methane detection and quantification alerts, read their blog post.

    • “Satelytics has been innovating with Maxar’s very high-resolution satellite imagery for nearly a decade, and we’re excited to see them expand their offerings to include vegetation management for utilities. The quality, currency and accuracy of our data enables use cases that require precision to make informed decisions and Satelytics is taking it a step further with their energy industry-focused products.”

    — Todd Surdey, SVP and GM of Enterprise at Maxar

    Geospatial insights for informed monitoring and mitigation
    The combined power of Maxar’s high revisit, very high-resolution satellite imagery and Satelytics’ AI-driven algorithms provides energy companies with early detection geospatial insights and alerts that enable informed decision-making and minimize environmental risks.

    About Satelytics
    Satelytics is a software company producing geospatial analytics for early detection, location and — in many instances — quantification of our customers’ most pressing challenges. The Ohio-based company uses science, software, and technology to deliver valuable services to customers to identify problems before they become disasters – environmentally, financially, or otherwise.

    About Maxar Intelligence
    Maxar Intelligence is a leading provider of secure, precise geospatial insights. Operating the most advanced commercial Earth observation constellation in orbit, we use the power of very high-resolution satellite imagery and software technology to deliver mission success on Earth and in space. Our secure, AI-powered products and services deliver ground truth in near real-time to keep nations safe, improve navigation, protect our planet, speed up disaster response and more. For more information, visit www.maxar.com.

    Media Contact:

    Michele Nachum
    Firecracker PR
    michele@firecrackerpr.com

    Photos accompanying this announcement are available at
    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/223f51a2-25c9-4d75-b653-4eb05608a42d

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f28ffb1d-70d8-4426-8d43-c3604a6a0eea

    The MIL Network –

    June 26, 2025
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