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Category: Business

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Puma’s advertising campaigns showcase partnerships across multiple sports with athlete narratives, reveals GlobalData

    Source: GlobalData

    Puma’s advertising campaigns showcase partnerships across multiple sports with athlete narratives, reveals GlobalData

    Posted in Business Fundamentals

    Puma’s YouTube advertising campaigns from February to April 2025 showcase its presence in various sports, such as running, football, cricket, and motorsport. These advertisements convey a narrative centered on individual athletic achievement, team camaraderie, and the pursuit of excellence. By highlighting personal journeys of perseverance and incorporating dynamic visuals of competitive environments, Puma’s messaging aims to resonate among individuals driven by sporting ambition, reveals Global Ads Platform of GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

    Sagar Kishor, Ads Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Puma’s advertising underscores its robust partnerships with athletes across multiple sports, notably football, where Neymar Jr. and Christian Pulisic endorse its footwear and apparel. The brand also maintains a significant presence in cricket and running, appealing to a wide and diverse athletic demographic. Its campaigns emphasize innovation and style, featuring products such as Ultra Ultimate boots, F1 racewear, and collaborations with AC Milan and Aston Martin.”

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

    Athletic Performance and Innovation: Puma’s campaigns highlight athletic gear engineered for optimal performance across various sports. Ads for Puma Ultra Ultimate football boots, as seen with Neymar Jr., emphasize enhanced speed and precision. Formula 1 overalls featuring drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll showcase advanced materials for high-speed racing.

    Resilience: Puma highlights athlete journeys and unique styles to inspire. Advertisements featuring Neymar Jr., Christian Pulisic, Diogo Dalot, and Sandy Baltimore showcase Puma football boots and apparel that support individual flair. These narratives emphasize resilience, creativity, and self-expression, linking Puma to athletes’ pursuit of their sporting aspirations.

    Community and Team Pride: Puma leverages authentic sports apparel to foster strong bonds of belonging among fans and teams. The consistent design of gear, such as the new Aston Martin F1 Puma overalls, reinforces team visual identity and strengthens partnerships. These promotions cultivate shared goals and connections within sporting communities.

    Blending Sport and Lifestyle Aesthetics: Puma combines aesthetics with practical utility in its sports products. Ads for football boots associated with Neymar Jr. and Sandy Baltimore highlight visually striking designs appealing to athletes who value both performance and fashion. The AC Milan x Off-White kit demonstrates this integration, showcasing a unique style that bridges athletic wear with high fashion.

    Holistic Well-being: Puma’s campaigns, like “PUMA. GO WILD”, emphasize the mental and physical benefits of an active lifestyle. They highlight the “runner’s high”, encouraging self-improvement and freedom through running. Featuring diverse runners and a motivational message, Puma connects its running shoes and apparel to holistic well-being and personal growth in the sport.

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: SA participates in water implementation and partnership conference in Lusaka

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina, will lead a high-level delegation to the 3rd Pan-African Implementation and Partnership Conference on Water (PANAFCON-3), scheduled to take place in Lusaka, Zambia, from 27 to 29 May 2025.

    South Africa’s participation in the conference, is in line with the country’s unwavering commitment to African unity, water justice, and sustainable development.

    The conference is hosted by the Republic of Zambia’s Ministry of Water Development and Sanitation, under the auspices of the African Union (AU), and the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW).

    It is co-convened by the Southern African Development Community (SADC), African Development Bank/Africa Water Facility (AfDB/AWF), and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA)

    Held under the theme: “Assuring inclusive and climate-resilient water security and sanitation for the Africa We Want”, PANAFCON-3 is a landmark platform bringing together governments, experts, decision-makers, and sector stakeholders to shape Africa’s Post-2025 Vision and Policy on water and sanitation.

    The conference responds to the urgent need for coordinated, African-led solutions to challenges of water scarcity, climate change, and sustainable infrastructure.

    South Africa’s participation led by Minister Majodina, signals the country’s commitment to Pan-Africanism and the broader African Union Agenda 2063.

    The department highlighted that progress reported by Member States against the targets of the Africa Water Vision 2025 (AWV 2025) and related commitments, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), indicated that the region is off track to actualise the vision.

    “In particular, the rate of growth in services provision is outstripped by rapid population growth and urbanisation and exacerbated by the impacts of climate change and climate variability.

    “Disproportionate public funding and investments to the sector have been identified as a fundamental factor underlying the fast-fading aspiration of actualising the Africa Water Vision by 2025,” the department said in a statement.

    The department added that the conference will pave a way for Member States and partners to review the initial draft of the vision and policy framework for assuring inclusive and climate resilient water security on the continent.

    Some of the sub-themes identified to be under discussion for three days include:
    •    Financing, investments and resource mobilisation.
    •    Water supply, sanitation, hygiene, and wastewater.
    •    Water infrastructure for economic production; climate resilience; and disaster risk reduction. 
    •    Governance and institutions for managing and protecting water resources.
    •    Information management and capacity development.
    •    Gender equality and social inclusion.

    As the continent faces mounting pressures from urbanisation, climate-related water stress, and infrastructure backlogs, the Minister said the conference offers a strategic moment for African states to align efforts toward inclusive development.

    “As Africans, our liberation is incomplete without sovereignty over our natural resources. Water is not just a basic right, it is a strategic resource essential to the dignity, health, and economic empowerment of our people.

    “Through platforms like PANAFCON, we unite to demand justice, equity, and transformation for all Africans,” the Minister said.

    At the conference, Majodina will engage in high-level dialogues on regional collaboration, transboundary water governance, and accelerating access to water and sanitation infrastructure across the continent.

    Majodina’s leadership is particularly significant given her portfolio’s central role in addressing access to clean water, sanitation equity, and climate resilience in South Africa.

    Her presence reinforces South Africa’s dedication to advancing a water-secure continent through practical cooperation and transformative partnerships. – SAnews.gov.za
     

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Infrastructure development “fundamental” for SA’s growth

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared infrastructure as “fundamental” to South Africa’s development and a propellant of growth.

    The President was delivering the keynote address at the fourth annual Sustainable Infrastructure Development Symposium South Africa (SIDSSA) held at Century City in Cape Town on Tuesday.

    The two-day symposium kicked off on Monday and brings together government leaders, infrastructure funding representatives, construction sector representatives and technical experts to discuss and share strategies and best practices for infrastructure development in the country. 

    READ | SA’s infrstructure symposium kicks off 

    “In many ways, this is a moment that – I believe – is filled with great promise and endless opportunities for infrastructure development in our country. Earlier this year, one industry publication said the country was ready to unleash an infrastructure boom. As we gather at this symposium year after year, it is important for us to understand the important role that is played by infrastructure in the life of a nation, particularly our South African nation.

    “This is so because infrastructure is fundamental to the development of our country. It serves as the backbone of economic growth and social progress and contributes to the improvement of the life of our people,” the President said.

    He described public infrastructure as the “flywheel that our economy needs to boost growth and to create jobs”.

    “Through public infrastructure we are able to build roads, ports, railways and airports to enable what we produce as a nation to move efficiently. Infrastructure development demonstrates stability and great potential to investors. Infrastructure that is well constructed and maintained encourages investors to see our country as a great investment destination.

    “Infrastructure projects create jobs not only in construction and maintenance but in a number of related industries as well. Public infrastructure in water supply, electricity, schools and health clinics improves living standards and provides dignity to our people and fosters national unity.

    “When we have good infrastructure, we are a nation that is connected by rail, road, telecommunications, electricity, education facilities, good health centres and outstanding entertainment facilities like stadiums,” he explained.

    WATCH | President Ramaphosa addresses the SIDSSA 

    From planning to execution
    During the past month, Infrastructure South Africa released the second edition of the Construction Book – which showcases some 250 fully funded infrastructure projects with a value estimated to exceed R238 billion.

    This, the President said, is a good show of intent by government to move from concept to implementation.

    “By showcasing the types of infrastructure projects being developed, the Construction Book helps the construction sector and supplier industries anticipate demand for local materials, components and services.

    “By focusing on projects that are procurement-ready and financially secured, it also reduces uncertainty for contractors, consultants, manufacturers and material suppliers. 

    “We are showing that we have moved from great ideas on paper to executable plans to implementation,” President Ramaphosa noted.

    Reflecting on the R1 trillion earmarked for infrastructure investment by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana, the President said government will look to partner with the private sector.

    “As the state substantially increases its capital investment, we recognise that government does not have the financial resources to undertake this work alone. That is why we are working to mobilise all available capital, both domestic and international, towards this infrastructure boom.

    “This requires that our projects have the credibility that is necessary for stakeholders to invest in our projects and so that we can mobilise the trillions of rands in long-term savings managed by the domestic financial sector,” he said.

    Reforms will be implemented to “make public-private partnerships easier, faster and more predictable”.

    “Some of the reforms we are focusing on will make it easier for public-private partnerships under the value of R2 billion to gain approval.

    “This will significantly reduce the procedural complexity of implementing public-private projects. We are implementing the reforms necessary to make it easier for more construction by reducing regulatory duplication and providing investors with long-term certainty,” he revealed.

    Developmental agenda

    On Monday, the SIDSSA hosted a Leaders Forum with a number of Ministers from across the continent, premiers, MECs and representatives of local government.

    The President described the gathering as “vital”.

    “The Leaders Forum is a vital platform for…creating space for strategic dialogue, knowledge exchange and policy alignment. This level of collaboration is essential if we are to overcome shared challenges and realise the full potential of the African Continental Free Trade Area.

    “As we seek to transform our country and continent and unlock its full potential, we must place infrastructure at the heart of our development agenda. Not only as a tool for economic growth and social development, but as a symbol of our great ambition and our hope for a better future,” President Ramaphosa concluded. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Government outlines process undertaken on EEIPs’ policy direction in ICT sector

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    Government has sought to allay fears that the recently published policy direction on the role of equity equivalent investment programmes (EEIPs) in the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) sector was intended to open a special dispensation for a particular company or an individual.

    On 23 May 2025, the Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies Solly Malatsi gave notice of the proposed policy direction to be issued to the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) in terms of section 3 of the Electronic Communications Act 36 of 2005 (the ECA) regarding Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) in the ICT Sector.

    The policy direction seeks to provide much-needed policy certainty to attract investment into the ICT sector, and specifically with regards to licensing for broadcasters, internet service providers, mobile networks, or fixed and mobile networks.

    The publishing of the policy direction in the Government Gazette by the Minister on Friday comes after President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Working Visit to the United States (U.S.), where the President met with President Donald Trump at the Oval Office in Washington D.C. to reset and revitalise bilateral relations between South Africa and the U.S.

    Among the U.S.’s delegation was Elon Musk, Special Government Employee, U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), who is also Starlink’s founder and believed to have interests in bringing his company to South Africa to provide internet services.

    Appearing before the Portfolio Committee on Communications and Digital Technologies on Tuesday, the Minister explained that the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT) has been working on the proposed policy since September last year.

    “Last year, we indicated the efforts from the department around the full recognition of equity equivalent investment programmes (EEIPs) in the ICT sector. This is also reflected in the Medium Term Development Plan for the seventh administration.

    “We are not attempting to open a special dispensation for Starlink or any other company or an individual. There is no conspiracy on our part in relation to the policy direction. There is no underhanded effort in darkness to railroad the South African public,” Malatsi said.

    In a statement issued on Friday, the Minister indicated that currently the rules around who can acquire a licence to provide electronic communications services or to operate an electronic communications network require a minimum of 30% shares to be in the hands of historically disadvantaged individuals. 

    “These regulations do not currently allow companies that can contribute to South Africa’s transformation goals in ways other than traditional ownership, to qualify for individual licences under the Electronic Communications Act (ECA), whether or not they are big international companies that do not usually sell shares to local partners,” the Minister said.

    EEIPs, provided for under the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Act (Act 53 of 2003) and the ICT Sector Code, allow qualifying multinationals to meet empowerment obligations through alternatives to 30% ownership. Examples of the latter can be in the form of investing in local suppliers, enterprise and skills development, job creation, infrastructure support, research and innovation, digital inclusion initiatives, and funding for Small, Medium, and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs). 

    Despite the legal standing of the ICT Sector Code under the BBBEE Act, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa’s  (ICASA) Ownership Regulations do not fully reflect its provisions – particularly regarding deemed ownership and EEIPs.

    In the process of developing the policy direction, ICASA was informed on 4 October 2024 by the DCDT of the intention to issue a policy directive to provide policy clarity on the full introduction of the EEIPs in the ICT sector.

    “That was followed by a public comment communication released on that specific day. As required by the process, we submitted the draft policy direction to ICASA to give them an opportunity to be able to engage with it,” the Minister said.

    Malatsi emphasised that EEIPs are not a new invention as it was approved by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic) in 2016.

    EEIPs are alternative contributions that multinational companies can make to achieve their BBBEE ownership obligations when they are unable to sell shares directly to black South Africans due to global policies.

    These contributions, approved by the dtic, are essentially investment initiatives that promote enterprise development, job creation and socio-economic advancement.

    “While ECA, which guides the policy making in our sector and the ICASA Act do allow for ICASA to make the regulations, it also allows for ICASA in making those regulations that it must give effect to the whole parts of the ICT sector code.

    “My duty is to ensure that there is alignment between the codes and regulations, in fulfilment of all our national laws, in this case the BBBEE Act. In terms of the process that we have followed from the formulation of the policy directive, leading ultimately to the gazetting, we have followed the prescripts a Ministerial policy directive should follow,” the Minister said.

    The Minister asserted that his department has fulfilled the key steps in the formulation of the policy direction, which includes engagement with ICASA.

    “The consultation with the authority means that its submission must be given due consideration. It does not mean that the regulator can stop a Minister from exploring a policy direction because there are two steps.

    “The first step is the opportunity for the regulator to engage with the draft policy and the second step is post the public comment stage, which is where we are.

    “We must take into consideration that each and every interested stakeholder or anyone with views on this policy direction must  have their views being considered in the formulation of the policy,” he said.

    Stakeholders have a 30-day period from the day on which the Gazette was published to make their submissions on the policy directive.

    “What is incumbent of the department and the Ministry is that in the consideration of inputs from the public, they must inform the final formulation of the policy direction, which will be shared with the regulator as it is required.

    “I am pretty clear that transformation is sacrosanct in our country; that it is a non-negotiable in order for the country to achieve its aspirations, but most importantly to live up to the provisions of the BBBEE Act as it was articulated and envisaged,” the Minister said. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Not just talk: how dialogue can help address complex problems

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Ralph Hamann, Professor, University of Cape Town

    Societies around the world are confronted with complex problems that defy resolution by any single actor, even well-resourced governments or corporations. Problems like food security, climate change, or biodiversity loss involve a lot of elements and dynamics. A variety of stakeholders need to be involved in creating effective responses to such problems.

    The difficulty is not only in creating coordinated responses. There is often also a need to develop a shared understanding of what the problem and its underlying causes actually are.

    To foster a shared understanding and coordinated, innovative action, it can help to convene key players in multi-stakeholder dialogue processes.

    A first step is to identify and enrol the actors that are either influential in – or directly affected by – the focal problem. These people are then invited to engage in dialogue with each other in a carefully designed, structured process.

    Processes can take a variety of forms. But a common feature is that participants have enough time and support to look at the problem from different angles, to interact in ways that break down stereotypes, and to think afresh about new ways of acting.

    Fifteen years ago, we were involved in establishing a platform for multi-stakeholder dialogue with a focus on the problem of hunger and food insecurity. It is called the Southern Africa Food Lab. Recently, we analysed the numerous dialogue processes hosted by this initiative over the years to better understand when and how they can make a positive difference.

    We found that even though some dialogue processes don’t seem to be obviously successful, they can play an important role in enabling subsequent dialogues to have far-reaching impacts. And for dialogue to have an impact, it needs to involve a “deeper” kind of participant interaction, beyond formal roles, polite facades, and adversarial debate.

    What does success look like, and when is it achieved?

    Participants and funders are unlikely to remain committed to a dialogue process if they feel it is little more than a series of “talk-shops”. We wanted to achieve tangible changes in government policies and corporate strategies, or collaborative actions that combine resources from different organisations.

    Because we had hosted numerous dialogue initiatives over the 15-year lifespan of the Food Lab, in our analysis we were able to compare different processes in terms of their impacts.

    We found that some of the dialogue processes – especially the early ones – had relatively limited impacts. Though the participants said they’d gained new insights and formed new relationships, there were few changes in organisational policies or practices.

    For example, early on in the initiative, we hosted a dialogue on supporting smallholder farmers. Participants emphasised that they learnt important lessons during this process. During field trips in different parts of the country, they came to appreciate the diverse difficulties encountered by smallholder farmers. And government officials appreciated academics’ analysis of the different kinds of smallholder farmers and corresponding support needs. But these insights and experiences did not yet result in changes in organisational behaviours or strategies.

    Other initiatives were more obviously successful in creating new and influential responses to the hunger problem. For example, we convened a second dialogue focused on smallholder farmers 18 months after the first one. It included some of the same participants as the first process, as well as others. This process resulted in more far-reaching changes.

    For instance, retail companies agreed to revise their supplier standards so that smallholder farmers’ diverse needs and challenges were better accounted for. Government officials used the dialogue to redesign their agricultural extension services. A farmer training programme was established with links to a more context-sensitive and supportive certification system.

    In our analysis, we considered many different explanations for why some dialogue processes were more successful than others. We discovered a pattern: our early dialogue processes were less likely to have impact than subsequent, follow-up dialogues.

    The early dialogues played a crucial role, however, in preparing the ground for the subsequent dialogues to be more effective. They helped participants develop the insights and relationships that enabled the deeper engagement necessary to create real changes.

    What kind of dialogue is needed?

    To create meaningful change, a dialogue needs to move from what we call “shallow” to “deep” dialogue. Shallow dialogue is the more common kind. It is what happens when different people are invited to a workshop and their interactions are shaped by their established views of themselves, the problem at hand, and other actors. Often they hide behind polite facades or blame each other.

    Deep dialogue, in contrast, has a distinct flavour and temperament. Participants gain a more multi-faceted understanding of each other. Thabo is not just a government official but also passionate about nature-based farming. John is not just a corporate manager but also volunteers for animal rights.

    Participants’ focus shifts from defending their personal views or organisational interests to a more expansive, genuine interest in learning from each other, and to exploring new ways to understand the focal problem and possible responses.

    How can this kind of dialogue be achieved?

    First, the potential for multi-stakeholder dialogue needs to be carefully assessed and motivated. Participants and funders need to agree that the problem is complex and in need of fresh responses. This rationale needs to be continuously reviewed and communicated to maintain commitment and engagement.

    Second, it is important to get the “right people” to participate in the process. This includes actors with influence, such as government officials or leaders. But it also includes people who are most directly affected by the focal problem, not least because they have unique knowledge about it.

    Third, convening and facilitating dialogue requires a range of commitments, resources and skills. For a start, as university-based researchers we had some degree of convening power. Participants perceived us to have at least some degree of neutrality. We needed to maintain this perception as much as possible, for example by being careful about what funding to accept. This was important given the controversies in the food security field.

    We also had to make sure we had the necessary facilitation competencies. Especially in the early years, we benefited from facilitators who had a lot of experience in this kind of thing. A facilitator needs to be able to make participants feel comfortable but, when necessary, challenge them to move beyond their “comfort zone”.

    Finally, it is helpful to recognise the cyclical and longer-term nature of dialogue – earlier processes create the “groundwork” for subsequent ones. This means that, as conveners, we needed to find ways of keeping the initiative alive in the periods in between dialogue processes, even if there was no funding available. In our case, it helped that we were university researchers who did not rely on consulting fees. More generally, conveners and funders should budget for “bridging” resources to enable the longer-term unfolding of dialogue’s true impact.

    Rebecca Freeth is a co-author of this article. She is a senior consultant with Reos Partners (Africa office).

    – Not just talk: how dialogue can help address complex problems
    – https://theconversation.com/not-just-talk-how-dialogue-can-help-address-complex-problems-256825

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI USA: AT&T’s Proposed Acquisition of Lumen’s Home Fiber Business Raises Concerns for Workers and Consumers

    Source: Communications Workers of America

    On May 21, AT&T announced plans to acquire Lumen’s residential fiber business across 11 states, which serves a million customers. CWA represents workers at both AT&T and Lumen.

    The structure of this transaction raises serious concerns for Lumen’s workers and customers. Rather than transferring the residential fiber assets to AT&T, they are being sold to a new subsidiary that AT&T is calling “NetworkCo,” which will then be partially sold to an as yet unnamed private equity partner.

    “We are taking a close look at AT&T’s plans for Lumen’s home fiber business to assess the impact on our members and communities,” said CWA President Claude Cummings Jr. “Our union’s leadership will work with both companies to ensure that our members are respected and protected so that they can continue providing the high-quality service that customers deserve.”

    Two years ago, AT&T launched a similar subsidiary, called Gigapower, which has begun operating in several markets. A CWA review of Gigapower’s deployment found that instead of hiring trained, experienced workers, AT&T’s Gigapower relies heavily on multi-tiered subcontracting and temporary staffing agencies. This low-road business model has put public safety at risk. In two cities—Mesa, Ariz., and Bloomington, Minn.—Gigapower contractors have been responsible for nearly 450 incidents of damage to the public right-of-way, and dozens of preventable underground utility hits.

    “Our members care deeply about the customers and communities we serve,” said CWA District 7 Vice President Susie McAllister. We have fought to ensure that fiber buildout is done right, with high-quality networks built by experienced union technicians. AT&T’s stated plans for Lumen’s home fiber business put that at risk. CWA members are going to make sure that regulators and elected officials understand and address our concerns as this process moves forward.”

    “AT&T should be putting its customers and workers first, not its shareholders,” said CWA District 3 Vice President Richard Honeycutt. “Lumen’s customers deserve a first-class fiber network, and that’s what CWA members deliver. Before this transaction is approved, AT&T and Lumen must commit to maintaining a well-trained, directly hired union workforce and make sure that customers who depend on Lumen’s copper network are not left behind.”

    ###

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

    cwa-union.org @cwaunion

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: For Every Crypto Futures Trader: BexBack Launches 100x Leverage, Double Deposit Bonus, and $50 Welcome Gift—No KYC

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SINGAPORE, May 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — With Bitcoin prices hovering above $100,000, analysts believe that the cryptocurrency market will remain in a state of high volatility for a long time. For investors, holding spot positions may no longer be enough to make a significant profit. In view of this, BexBack exchange has launched a groundbreaking offer to empower traders: 100% deposit bonus, $50 new user welcome bonus, and 100x leverage on cryptocurrency trading – all without KYC.

    Why 100x Leverage Is a Game-Changer?

    With 100x leverage, you can multiply your trading positions with minimal capital, unlocking unparalleled profit potential. Here’s how it works:

    • Assume Bitcoin is priced at $100,000. By opening a long position with 1 BTC and applying 100x leverage, your trade controls a position worth 100 BTC.
    • If the price rises to $105,000, your profit would be (105,000−100,000)×100÷100,000=5BTC—a 500% return.

    Coupled with BexBack’s 100% deposit bonus, you can further amplify your trading power and increase your opportunities to profit.

    How Does the 100% Deposit Bonus Work?

    The deposit bonus is an exclusive feature designed to enhance your trading experience:

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    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Apollo Capital Calls Out MediPharm Chairman Chris Taves (Managing Director, BMO Capital Markets) for Failure to Properly Communicate to Shareholders Details of David Pidduck’s Past as CEO and VP of Marketing for OxyContin® Manufacturer Purdue Pharma

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Opioid-Pusher Pidduck, Chairman Chris Taves and the Current MediPharm Board Have Presided Over $1 Billion in Shareholder Value Destruction while funneling $5,587,059 of the Shareholders’ Money Directly into Pidduck’s Pocket

    Apollo Capital’s Six Director Nominees Are Committed to Restoring Transparency and Value to MediPharm’s Shareholders

    URGES SHAREHOLDERS TO DISREGARD MEDIPHARM LABS’ GREEN PROXY CARD AND VOTE THE GOLD PROXY CARD “FOR” APOLLO CAPITAL’S SIX DIRECTOR NOMINEES

    TORONTO, May 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Apollo Technology Capital Corporation (“Apollo Capital”), which together with its affiliates and associates collectively is one of the largest shareholders of MediPharm Labs Corp. (TSX: LABS) (OTCQB: MEDIF) (FSE: MLZ) (“MediPharm”, “MediPharm Labs”, or the “Company”), owning approximately 3% of the Company’s common stock, today issued a statement regarding CEO David Pidduck’s background as former CEO & President of Purdue Pharma Canada (“Purdue Pharma”).

    Fellow shareholders deserve to know the truth regarding CEO David Pidduck. As stewards of a publicly traded company, MediPharm’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) have a responsibility to uphold transparency, accountability, and good governance. The current Board, which has overseen $1 billion of shareholder value destruction, and which has presided over an eye-watering 99% share price decline, is focused on downplaying Mr. Pidduck’s past, rather than its responsibilities to shareholders. Indeed, there was absolutely no reference to Pidduck’s role at Purdue Pharma, or of Purdue Pharma’s culpability in creating the opioid epidemic, in the Company’s press release announcing Mr. Pidduck’s appointment as CEO.

    Let’s look at the facts:

    From 2014 until December 2021, David Pidduck served as VP of Marketing, and then CEO & President of Purdue Pharma.

    As reported in the Globe and Mail, “More than 34,000 Canadians have died from opioids between January 2016, and September 2022, according to federal government data.”1

    In 2017, Purdue Canada agreed to pay $20 million to settle a class-action lawsuit involving allegations about how its pain pills were over-marketed, with the suit claiming that Purdue Pharma had engaged in deceitful marketing practices. In an interview with the CBC, Dr. David Juurlink, a drug safety researcher at the University of Toronto posited that, “the fair question that might be asked is did Purdue engage in questionable or even illegal activities in the marketing of OxyContin® in Canada.”2

    In 2020, Purdue Pharma’s U.S. entity pleaded guilty to three criminal charges over the handling of its painkiller OxyContin®, including conspiring to defraud officials and paying illegal kickbacks to doctors in a bid to keep prescriptions flowing.3

    In 2022, it was announced that Purdue Pharma agreed to pay a $150 million settlement in a proposed class action launched in 2018 on behalf of all provincial, territorial and federal governments, alleging that opioid manufacturers and distributors engaged in deceptive marketing practices that amplified addiction, destroying countless lives and killing of thousands of people. This remains the largest settlement of a governmental health claim in Canadian history.4

    Apollo Capital asks its fellow Shareholders – do you feel like Medipharm Chairman Chris Taves fulfilled his fiduciary duty, and even his moral duty to you, to make you aware of Opioid- Pusher Pidduck’s past with Purdue Pharma when he hired him as the CEO to steward your investments?

    Apollo Capital asks its fellow Shareholders – do you feel like Medipharm Chairman Chris Taves properly represented Pidduck’s past to you when he asked you on multiple occasions to vote on Opioid-Pusher Pidduck’s outrageous and off-market compensation package?

    Apollo asks its fellow Shareholders – do you feel like the details of Pidduck’s very recent past were MATERIAL facts that Medipharm Chairman Chris Taves should have made crystal clear to you so that you could have made a more informed decision before voting for nearly SIX MILLION DOLLARS of YOUR money to end up in Opioid-Pusher Pidduck’s pocket?

    While Shareholders have suffered immense losses with no path to stop the bleeding, Mr. Pidduck has benefited from the Board’s largesse with an excessive and off-market compensation package that has funneled $5,587,059 of Shareholders’ money directly to Pidduck, despite MediPharm’s share price plummeting nearly to zero.

    Shareholders should demand accountability from the Board at the 2025 Annual and Special Meeting of Shareholders on June 16, 2025. Apollo Capital has nominated six highly qualified individuals; namely, Regan McGee, Scott Walters, David Lontini, Demetrios Mallios, John Fowler and Alan D. Lewis (the “Apollo Nominees”) to replace the incumbents and hold the Board accountable for destroying one billion dollars of shareholder value, enriching themselves at your expense, and enabling a CEO whose actions have driven operational and strategic failure and arguably much, much worse.

    ___________

    The opioid crisis continues to be devastating for people across the country in terms of lives lost, families torn apart and the impact on our health care frontline staff.

    Victims who before February 28, 2017 were prescribed in Canada and ingested OxyContin® tablets and/or OxyNEO® tablets, can visit https://oxycontinclassactionsettlement.com/ for more information.

    __________

    MediPharm Labs Shareholders can visit www.CureMediPharm.com, to sign up for important campaign updates.

    To access Apollo Capital’s Circular and related proxy materials, including a proxy or voting instruction form, visit SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

    Contacts

    For Shareholders:
    Carson Proxy
    North American Toll-Free Phone: 1-800-530-5189
    Local or Text Message: 416-751-2066 (collect calls accepted)
    E: info@carsonproxy.com

    For Media:
    CureMediPharm@gasthalter.com

    Legal Disclosures

    Information in Support of Public Broadcast Exemption under Canadian Law

    In connection with the Annual Meeting, Apollo Capital has filed an amended and restated dissident information circular (the “Circular”) in compliance with applicable corporate and securities laws. Apollo Capital has provided in, or incorporated by reference into, this press release the disclosure required under section 9.2(4) of NI 51-102 – Continuous Disclosure Obligations (“NI 51-102”) and the corresponding exemption under the Business Corporations Act (Ontario), and has filed the Circular, available under MediPharm’s profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. The Circular contains disclosure prescribed by applicable corporate law and disclosure required under section 9.2(6) of NI 51-102 in respect of Apollo Capital’s director nominees, in accordance with corporate and securities laws applicable to public broadcast solicitations. The Circular is hereby incorporated by reference into this press release and is available under MediPharm’s profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. The registered office of the Company is 151 John Street, Barrie, Ontario, Canada L4N 2L1.

    SHAREHOLDERS OF MEDIPHARM ARE URGED TO READ THE CIRCULAR CAREFULLY BECAUSE IT CONTAINS IMPORTANT INFORMATION. Investors and shareholders are able to obtain free copies of the Circular and any amendments or supplements thereto and further proxy circulars at no charge under MediPharm’s profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. In addition, shareholders are also able to obtain free copies of the Circular and other relevant documents by contacting Apollo Capital’s proxy solicitor, Carson Proxy Advisors Ltd. (“Carson Proxy”) at 1-800-530-5189, local (collect outside North America): 416-751-2066 or by email at info@carsonproxy.com.

    Proxies may be revoked in accordance with subsection 110(4) of the Business Corporations Act (Ontario) by a registered shareholder of Company shares: (a) by completing and signing a valid proxy bearing a later date and returning it in accordance with the instructions contained in the accompanying form of proxy; (b) by depositing an instrument in writing executed by the shareholder or by the shareholder’s attorney authorized in writing; (c) by transmitting by telephonic or electronic means a revocation that is signed by electronic signature in accordance with applicable law, as the case may be: (i) at the registered office of the Company at any time up to and including the last business day preceding the day the Annual Meeting or any adjournment or postponement of the Annual Meeting is to be held, or (ii) with the chair of the Annual Meeting on the day of the Annual Meeting or any adjournment or postponement of the Annual Meeting; or (d) in any other manner permitted by law. In addition, proxies may be revoked by a non-registered holder of Company shares at any time by written notice to the intermediary in accordance with the instructions given to the non-registered holder by its intermediary. It should be noted that revocation of proxies or voting instructions by a non-registered holder can take several days or even longer to complete and, accordingly, any such revocation should be completed well in advance of the deadline prescribed in the form of proxy or voting instruction form to ensure it is given effect in respect of the Annual Meeting.

    The costs incurred in the preparation and mailing of any circular or proxy solicitation by Apollo Capital and any other participants named herein will be borne directly and indirectly by Apollo Capital. However, to the extent permitted under applicable law, Apollo Capital intends to seek reimbursement from the Company of all expenses incurred in connection with the solicitation of proxies for the election of its director nominees at the Annual Meeting.

    This press release and any solicitation made by Apollo Capital is, or will be, as applicable, made by such parties, and not by or on behalf of the management of the Company. Proxies may be solicited by proxy circular, mail, telephone, email or other electronic means, as well as by newspaper or other media advertising and in person by managers, directors, officers and employees of Apollo Capital who will not be specifically remunerated therefor. In addition, Apollo Capital may solicit proxies by way of public broadcast, including press release, speech or publication and any other manner permitted under applicable Canadian laws, and may engage the services of one or more agents and authorize other persons to assist it in soliciting proxies on their behalf.

    Apollo Capital has entered into an agreement with Carson Proxy Advisors (“Carson Proxy”) for solicitation and advisory services in connection with the solicitation of proxies for the Meeting, for which Carson Proxy will receive a fee not to exceed $250,000, together with reimbursement for reasonable and out-of-pocket expenses. Apollo Capital has also engaged Gasthalter & Co. LP (“G&Co”) to act as communications consultant to provide Apollo Capital with certain communications, public relations and related services, for which G&Co will receive a minimum fee of US$75,000 in addition to a performance fee of US$250,000 in the event that Apollo Capital’s nominees make up a majority of the Board following the Annual Meeting, plus excess fees, related costs and expenses.

    No member of Apollo Capital nor any of their associates or affiliates has or has had any material interest, direct or indirect, in any transaction since the beginning of the Company’s last completed financial year or in any proposed transaction that has materially affected or will or would materially affect the Company or any of the Company’s affiliates. No member of Apollo Capital nor any of their associates or affiliates has any material interest, direct or indirect, by way of beneficial ownership of securities or otherwise, in any matter to be acted upon at the Annual Meeting, other than setting the number of directors, the election of directors, the appointment of auditors and the approval of the ordinary resolution approving, among other things, the Company’s amended and restated equity incentive plan dated May 8, 2025 and the unallocated awards available thereunder.

    Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward‐looking statements. All statements contained in this filing that are not clearly historical in nature or that necessarily depend on future events are forward‐looking, and the words “anticipate,” “believe,” “expect,” “estimate,” “plan,” and similar expressions are generally intended to identify forward‐looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations of Apollo Capital and currently available information. They are not guarantees of future performance, involve certain risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict, and are based upon assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be accurate. All forward-looking statements contained herein are made only as of the date hereof and Apollo Capital disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any such forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that subsequently occur, or of which Apollo Capital hereafter becomes aware, except as required by applicable law.

    Hashtags: #ShareholderActivism #CorporateGovernance #InvestorProtection #Investor Alert #Investor Fraud #FinancialRegulation #CorporateCrime #FinancialCrime #HomelandSecurity #DHS #OpioidCrisis #OpioidEpidemic #OpioidLitigation #OpioidVictims #BMO #DEA #ONDCP

    __________________________________________________
    1 Source: The Globe and Mail, “McKinsey pitched Purdue Pharma Canada on plan to boost opioid sales in 2014, memo reveals”, 6/19/2023, https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-mckinsey-opioid-lawsuit-purdue-pharma/.
    2 Source: CBC, “OxyContin maker agrees to $20M settlement in Canadian class-action case”, 5/1/2017, https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/oxycontin-class-action-1.4093781
    3 Source: U.S. Department of Justice, “Opioid Manufacturer Purdue Pharma Pleads Guilty to Fraud and Kickback Conspiracies”, 11/24/2020, https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/opioid-manufacturer-purdue-pharma-pleads-guilty-fraud-and-kickback-conspiracies
    4 Source: Ontario Minitstry of the Attorney General, Opioid Damages Settlement Secured with Purdue Pharma (Canada), 6/29/2022, https://news.ontario.ca/en/bulletin/1002169/opioid-damages-settlement-secured-with-purdue-pharma-canada

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Standard Premium Finance Holdings Announces $250,000 Stock Repurchase Program

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MIAMI, May 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Standard Premium Finance Holdings, Inc. (OTCQX: SPFX), a leading specialty finance company, today announced that its board of directors approved a stock repurchase program where the Company may purchase up to $250,000 of common stock in privately negotiated transactions over a six-month period, expiring November 2, 2025. The program will depend on market conditions, stock price, regulatory requirements and limitations, corporate liquidity requirements, priorities and other factors.

    “The stock repurchase program reflects our confidence in the strategic direction, growth prospects and financial strength of the Company to support our strategic objectives,” says William Koppelmann, CEO, Standard Premium. “The program provides flexibility to return capital to shareholders and demonstrates the long-term value of our business model.”

    The program does not require the Company to purchase any particular number of shares and there is no guarantee as to the number of shares that will be purchased. The timing and price of repurchases, and the actual number of shares repurchased under the program will be at the discretion of management.

    “The repurchase program is an efficient use of capital and a reflection of our disciplined approach to growth and value creation,” added Koppelmann. “As we continue to execute our acquisition strategy and expand our national footprint, we remain focused on delivering long-term returns for our shareholders.”

    The repurchase program aligns with the Company’s record profitability in FY 2024 and Q1 2025, reflecting continued financial momentum and operational strength.

    About Standard Premium Finance Holdings, Inc. 
    Standard Premium Finance Holdings, Inc. (OTCQX: SPFX), is a specialty finance company which has financed premiums on over $2 Billion of property and casualty insurance policies since 1991. We currently operate in 38 states and are seeking M&A opportunities of synergistic businesses to leverage economies of scale. https://www.standardpremium.com/ 

    Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
    This press release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and 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 with regard to our anticipated future growth and outlook, including the Company’s current plans concerning the stock repurchase plan. Our actual results may differ from expectations presented or implied herein and, consequently, you should not rely on these forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. We do not undertake or accept any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statement to reflect any change in our expectations or any change in events, conditions or results.

    Additional information concerning risk factors relating to our business is contained in Item 1A Risk Factors of our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 10, 2025 which is available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov or on the Investor Relations section of our website, standardpremium.com.

    Media:
    Nicholas Turchiano
    CPR Marketing
    nturchiano@cpronline.com  
    201-641-1911×35

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Adriana D Kugler: Commencement remarks

    Source: Bank for International Settlements

    Thank you, Stefano, and before I say anything else, congratulations to the Class of 2025!1 My family is here today, so let me acknowledge my husband Ignacio, my daughter Miri, my son Danny, and my parents who are watching from elsewhere. I start with family because I know it takes a village! So, I want to acknowledge the enormous accomplishment by the graduates and also by their families and friends who supported them through this journey. Let’s give all of them a big round of applause! I also want to thank the leaders of Berkeley’s economics program for giving me the privilege of returning here, as a graduate of this program, to be a part of what is, in fact, my very first economics commencement ceremony here at Berkeley.

    On a similar spring afternoon in 1997, when my classmates were walking across this stage, I was across the country, hurrying to finish my dissertation at the Brookings Institution and preparing to start my first job as an economist. I would have loved to be here, as you are, and I praise you for taking the time to share with your classmates, friends, and family this moment of recognition for the huge achievement today represents. But somehow, at the time of my graduation, I felt the need to get on with earning a living and moving forward with my life, as I am sure many of you are eager to do also.

    So, you can understand that this is a very special-and also a little strange- moment for me because it feels, in a way, like I am celebrating my own graduation 28 years later! I think it is also an unusual situation for all of you to listen to this speaker who was once where you are today. It is unusual because standing at this podium now is not just the person I have become in the decades since leaving Berkeley. Standing beside me, very close by today, is also the young woman I was in 1997, who was too busy to attend her own graduation. You will be hearing at times from both of us today, and we may even exchange a few words with each other.

    This sounds a little like that Aubrey Plaza movie you may have seen last year, in which a young woman gets advice from her older self. Unfortunately, unlike Aubrey Plaza’s character, I cannot help my younger version through the many challenges that she will face, and let me tell you, there were many challenges indeed, and yet here I am! Nevertheless, because of my proximity, today, to that younger self, I hope I can see the world a little more through your eyes, when I try to offer some words of wisdom. I know, I know, commencement speakers are expected to provide wisdom and advice. But really, today, I would like to mainly tell you that the wisdom and also the conviction of my younger self are what allowed me to navigate the challenges along the way. So, trust yourselves!

    As I have indicated, the younger version of me was quite impatient to get her professional life started and try to make a mark in the world. The older me would say, “Take your time, figure out who you are, who you will become! Life is long, and among other things, life teaches you to have patience to work for big goals.” There is merit to this advice, of course, but today I am thinking about how I felt when I was in your shoes, and I am thinking that one of the underappreciated gifts of younger people is, in fact, impatience. I will say more about this, but if you take a look around at all the many urgent challenges we face here in the U.S. and the world, many of which depend on the powerful tool of economics and its potential to make people’s lives better, then I would certainly say that some impatience is, indeed, very much what we need.

    I speak of economics as a tool because that is all that it is. It is not a philosophy, a value system, or a religion, although I acknowledge that some in our profession might treat it that way. Economics can’t answer all the questions we face in our lives. Economics can’t tell us how to treat each other, or what kind of world we should strive to create, but it is a means to those ends.

    And even the answers that economics can provide are always evolving, as our understanding of economic behavior and phenomena evolves. What we understand in economics has evolved in the years since I left Berkeley, and it will continue to evolve. While this understanding does change over time, I think of it as changing like the California landscape changes. Some towns and cities grow, some decline, and there is the occasional earthquake to shake things up. But the landmarks that guide us in economics-the Golden Gate, the Sierra Nevada-they have been standing for a while now, and I believe they will continue to stand for a long time to come.

    Using these landmarks, these foundational and time-tested insights, economics can indeed be a powerful tool. But it is a tool, only to the extent, like any other tool, that it is useful. A brilliant insight, if not applied, or tested, or employed for some useful purpose, is like the gadget you pick up at the hardware store and never use. It is just taking up space in the toolbox. When economics reveals how to use resources efficiently, how to raise production and income and lower costs, these insights are only useful if they are applied-if they win in the marketplace of ideas.

    As you embark on your careers as economists, and the myriad ways in which you can employ the knowledge and skills you have acquired, one cause that I hope you all will embrace is actively participating in this marketplace of ideas. I hope you do, because, from the level of the individual household to the loftiest decisions of business leaders and government, employing the foundational insights of economics is the difference between prosperity and the utterly avoidable lack of prosperity.

    It is tempting to think that time-tested and broadly accepted ideas are permanent. In fact, the debate has never ended on many foundational ideas of economics, some of which can seem counterintuitive to people. These are ideas that must be fought for, because, as I said, to lose that fight is to go backward and accept less prosperity.

    Among the aspirations that each of you hold as you leave the Greek theater today, I hope that you will use what you have learned at Berkeley to be part of this fight. I would go further and argue that, along with the diplomas that you are receiving today, you will also carry with you a special responsibility to promote these principles and use them to promote greater prosperity for all. I am not shy in saying that economists have such a responsibility, nor in saying that the learning you have acquired qualifies you to be an active participant in these debates. I believe your expertise matters, because, in the cacophony of opinions, and trolling, and disinformation that seems to crowd ever more into the marketplace of ideas each year, I cling to the idea that expertise still matters. In his book The Constitution of Knowledge: A Defense of Truth, Jonathan Rauch argues that, just as important as America’s written Constitution is an unwritten one, based on a widespread agreement on what is true and what is not true. Knowledge, he writes, as it is added to and preserved over time, is a special glue, that Gorilla clear and precise super glue, that helps to hold society together and settle many conflicts. Expertise matters as the basis for that knowledge. When your expertise as economists is absent, when your voices are absent from the debate, knowledge suffers, and we are all poorer because of it.

    Let me pause for a moment because I am hearing from my younger self just now that these commencement remarks are maybe getting a little heavy. I can understand how she feels. Think about how things looked in 1997. The Cold War was over! The tech boom was just taking off, which meant that Oakland was still affordable. Honestly, in hindsight life back then sounds a lot less complicated than it seems today. My first job was at Pompeu Fabra University in Spain, and my second was at a large public university, the University of Houston. I had some research ideas, mostly in the area of labor economics, and I found some great collaborators, and I was off to the races. Today, I realize that colleges and universities are facing challenges like never before, which means that the prospect of trying to make a career in academia is much less certain.

    Public service is another traditional destination for economists, and I have been very fortunate to be able to move forward in my career as an academic, while taking time out on three occasions to work in Washington-as chief economist at the Department of Labor, as the U.S. executive director at the World Bank, and now as a governor at the Federal Reserve Board. By contrast, it is, of course, to put it mildly, a very challenging time to be thinking about starting a career in public service, at least at the federal level.

    I can stand here today and lament the new challenges faced by you and by many others in the Class of 2025. I am a mom, and my kids are also facing new circumstances. But I also look back sometimes and wonder how I got here. And this is another case where I believe the 27-year-old me had more wisdom than I do. If she were crossing this stage today, with you, facing these undeniable challenges, I do not think she would be discouraged. She would stubbornly say: “I love economic research; I will find a way to become an academic.” If you told her about the challenges facing colleges and universities, she would say that it is simply unthinkable that America would not support the greatest post-secondary educational system in the world. And if you told her that a pendulum swing in opinion might limit opportunities in public service, she might say: “If the purpose of life is helping others, (and I think it is) then public service will be valued, and it is something I must do, and that I will do.”

    I think if you had told the 27-year-old me that she could not achieve these things, which she dreamed of, she would stubbornly refuse to accept it. And of course, this is the way that humankind eventually solves most big problems. More than anything else, it is stubborn determination, which I hope is in good supply among you already, and which I encourage you to cultivate. You have already, of course, one of the greatest assets that anyone can have to make a career in economics, which is an education from one of the greatest universities in the world-the University of California, Berkeley. When I attended here, I had the privilege of taking classes with four winners of the Nobel Prize, and many people tell me that, if anything, the faculty is even stronger today. In my recent work at the Fed, I have had occasion to cite research by six current faculty members in public speeches. You have learned from the best, and with your energy, expertise, impatience, and stubborn determination, I know that nothing will stop you! Whatever you choose to do, I hope you will make use of what you have learned at Berkeley to be an active part of that marketplace of ideas. Go forth from here and make the world a brighter and better place. Go seize the day as you head out Sather Gate! Congratulations, again, Class of 2025, and thank you.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Not just talk: how dialogue can help address complex problems

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Ralph Hamann, Professor, University of Cape Town

    Societies around the world are confronted with complex problems that defy resolution by any single actor, even well-resourced governments or corporations. Problems like food security, climate change, or biodiversity loss involve a lot of elements and dynamics. A variety of stakeholders need to be involved in creating effective responses to such problems.

    The difficulty is not only in creating coordinated responses. There is often also a need to develop a shared understanding of what the problem and its underlying causes actually are.

    To foster a shared understanding and coordinated, innovative action, it can help to convene key players in multi-stakeholder dialogue processes.

    A first step is to identify and enrol the actors that are either influential in – or directly affected by – the focal problem. These people are then invited to engage in dialogue with each other in a carefully designed, structured process.

    Processes can take a variety of forms. But a common feature is that participants have enough time and support to look at the problem from different angles, to interact in ways that break down stereotypes, and to think afresh about new ways of acting.

    Fifteen years ago, we were involved in establishing a platform for multi-stakeholder dialogue with a focus on the problem of hunger and food insecurity. It is called the Southern Africa Food Lab. Recently, we analysed the numerous dialogue processes hosted by this initiative over the years to better understand when and how they can make a positive difference.

    We found that even though some dialogue processes don’t seem to be obviously successful, they can play an important role in enabling subsequent dialogues to have far-reaching impacts. And for dialogue to have an impact, it needs to involve a “deeper” kind of participant interaction, beyond formal roles, polite facades, and adversarial debate.

    What does success look like, and when is it achieved?

    Participants and funders are unlikely to remain committed to a dialogue process if they feel it is little more than a series of “talk-shops”. We wanted to achieve tangible changes in government policies and corporate strategies, or collaborative actions that combine resources from different organisations.

    Because we had hosted numerous dialogue initiatives over the 15-year lifespan of the Food Lab, in our analysis we were able to compare different processes in terms of their impacts.

    We found that some of the dialogue processes – especially the early ones – had relatively limited impacts. Though the participants said they’d gained new insights and formed new relationships, there were few changes in organisational policies or practices.

    For example, early on in the initiative, we hosted a dialogue on supporting smallholder farmers. Participants emphasised that they learnt important lessons during this process. During field trips in different parts of the country, they came to appreciate the diverse difficulties encountered by smallholder farmers. And government officials appreciated academics’ analysis of the different kinds of smallholder farmers and corresponding support needs. But these insights and experiences did not yet result in changes in organisational behaviours or strategies.

    Other initiatives were more obviously successful in creating new and influential responses to the hunger problem. For example, we convened a second dialogue focused on smallholder farmers 18 months after the first one. It included some of the same participants as the first process, as well as others. This process resulted in more far-reaching changes.

    For instance, retail companies agreed to revise their supplier standards so that smallholder farmers’ diverse needs and challenges were better accounted for. Government officials used the dialogue to redesign their agricultural extension services. A farmer training programme was established with links to a more context-sensitive and supportive certification system.

    In our analysis, we considered many different explanations for why some dialogue processes were more successful than others. We discovered a pattern: our early dialogue processes were less likely to have impact than subsequent, follow-up dialogues.

    The early dialogues played a crucial role, however, in preparing the ground for the subsequent dialogues to be more effective. They helped participants develop the insights and relationships that enabled the deeper engagement necessary to create real changes.

    What kind of dialogue is needed?

    To create meaningful change, a dialogue needs to move from what we call “shallow” to “deep” dialogue. Shallow dialogue is the more common kind. It is what happens when different people are invited to a workshop and their interactions are shaped by their established views of themselves, the problem at hand, and other actors. Often they hide behind polite facades or blame each other.

    Deep dialogue, in contrast, has a distinct flavour and temperament. Participants gain a more multi-faceted understanding of each other. Thabo is not just a government official but also passionate about nature-based farming. John is not just a corporate manager but also volunteers for animal rights.

    Participants’ focus shifts from defending their personal views or organisational interests to a more expansive, genuine interest in learning from each other, and to exploring new ways to understand the focal problem and possible responses.

    How can this kind of dialogue be achieved?

    First, the potential for multi-stakeholder dialogue needs to be carefully assessed and motivated. Participants and funders need to agree that the problem is complex and in need of fresh responses. This rationale needs to be continuously reviewed and communicated to maintain commitment and engagement.

    Second, it is important to get the “right people” to participate in the process. This includes actors with influence, such as government officials or leaders. But it also includes people who are most directly affected by the focal problem, not least because they have unique knowledge about it.

    Third, convening and facilitating dialogue requires a range of commitments, resources and skills. For a start, as university-based researchers we had some degree of convening power. Participants perceived us to have at least some degree of neutrality. We needed to maintain this perception as much as possible, for example by being careful about what funding to accept. This was important given the controversies in the food security field.

    We also had to make sure we had the necessary facilitation competencies. Especially in the early years, we benefited from facilitators who had a lot of experience in this kind of thing. A facilitator needs to be able to make participants feel comfortable but, when necessary, challenge them to move beyond their “comfort zone”.

    Finally, it is helpful to recognise the cyclical and longer-term nature of dialogue – earlier processes create the “groundwork” for subsequent ones. This means that, as conveners, we needed to find ways of keeping the initiative alive in the periods in between dialogue processes, even if there was no funding available. In our case, it helped that we were university researchers who did not rely on consulting fees. More generally, conveners and funders should budget for “bridging” resources to enable the longer-term unfolding of dialogue’s true impact.

    Rebecca Freeth is a co-author of this article. She is a senior consultant with Reos Partners (Africa office).

    Ralph Hamann’s work with the Southern Africa Food Lab has benefited from funding from the African Climate and Development Institute, the University of Cape Town, and the National Research Foundation. The Food Lab’s funders are listed on its website.

    Scott Drimie co-directs the Southern Africa Food Lab.

    Warren Nilsson is affiliated with the University of Vermont and the Institute for Collective Wellbeing.

    – ref. Not just talk: how dialogue can help address complex problems – https://theconversation.com/not-just-talk-how-dialogue-can-help-address-complex-problems-256825

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Sugary drinks, processed foods, alcohol and tobacco are big killers: why the G20 should add its weight to health taxes

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Karen Hofman, Professor and Programme Director, SA MRC Centre for Health Economics and Decision Science – PRICELESS SA (Priority Cost Effective Lessons in Systems Strengthening South Africa), University of the Witwatersrand

    By 2030, non-communicable diseases will account for 75% of all deaths annually. Eight percent of these will be in the global south. Most of these diseases are what we call silent killers: type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease, as well as certain types of cancer at increasingly younger ages.

    The consumption of sugary drinks and processed foods high in sugar, salt and saturated fats is fuelling these pandemics. And increasingly advertising is being seen as the means by which the consumption of unhealthy products is promoted. This translates into the growth of non-communicable diseases in populations across the globe. This rising threat is driven largely by the way in which markets and industries are organised, which, in turn, shapes social norms towards consumption of tobacco, alcohol, food and sugary beverages.

    This process is what’s known as commercial determinants of health.

    Products that top the list in terms of their risk to health are tobacco, sugary beverages, ultra processed food and alcohol.

    These products are heavily advertised. For example, in South Africa from 2013 to 2019, sugary beverage manufacturers spent US$191 million (R3.7 billion) to advertise their products. Many of the TV advertisements for sugary drinks were placed during child and family viewing time, between 3pm and 7pm.

    Over the past decade a number of countries have introduced policies in a bid to limit the use and intake of harmful food and beverages. These have ranged from taxes on certain products, such as sugar, alcohol and tobacco, to bans on advertising. Many have proved effective. But there are still big gaps in policies to control these harmful products.

    As academics who have researched this field for three decades we believe that the G20 can play a significant role in plugging these gaps. The countries under the G20 umbrella, which represent two thirds of the world’s population, have reason to act: all are experiencing a mounting burden of obesity-related illness such as diabetes, high blood pressure and cancer at ever-younger ages.

    One of South Africa’s G20 presidency health priorities is “stemming the tide of non-communicable diseases”. In our view this is an invitation for the G20 to pledge to combat the drivers of non-communicable diseases.

    The G20 can acknowledge that these diseases are part of a pathological system in which commercial actors are causing ill health. And G20 leaders can acknowledge that progress enacting health taxes has stagnated in most countries.

    By galvanising attention in this way, the G20 can give impetus to a high level United Nations meeting in 2025 at which a new vision for the control and prevention of non-communicable diseases is due to be set. Health taxes and bans on marketing are focus areas.

    What stands in the way of progress

    Efforts by various countries to curb consumption of these harmful products have shown one thing clearly: there’s no silver bullet.

    Nevertheless, evidence shows that consumers are responsive to price. This points to the fact that taxes are a key tool for decreasing demand, especially for young consumers.



    Read more:
    Sugary drinks are a killer: a 20% tax would save lives and rands in South Africa

    There is also mounting evidence that health taxes are progressive for health at a population level – in other words they lead to better health outcomes. Research also shows that they scarcely affect overall employment, if at all.

    But advances on alcohol and tobacco taxes are slow. And there has been little progress on taxes on sugary beverages.

    These taxes remain far too low because health promotion taxes face tough resistance from industry. When any health promotion taxes are proposed, industries deny harms, promote doubt, divert attention, spread disinformation, create front organisations, and varnish their reputations through corporate social responsibility initiatives.

    When taxes do proceed through the legislative or regulatory process, industries influence proposals to make them less effective. They also offer to replace legislation with voluntary commitments. Evidence shows that voluntary commitments do not work.

    What would be gained

    In 2024, a report by a panel of experts showed that US$3.7 trillion in additional revenue could be generated over five years if all countries increased prices of tobacco, alcohol and sugary beverages by 50%.

    This money is sorely needed to boost healthcare. Non-communicable diseases disproportionately affect the most poor and vulnerable and healthcare systems are increasingly unable to cope. Screening, diagnosis, medications and treatment are very expensive for both ministries of finance and at the household level, where health needs can result in catastrophic expenditure.

    And taxes that generate a 50% increase in real prices of tobacco, alcohol and sugary beverages would save 50 million lives globally over 50 years.

    Where to begin

    We believe the G20 platform is a sound one on which to champion efforts to curb the consumption of harmful products. This is because half of the countries in the group have one or two policies for food such as taxes on sweetened beverages. Their experiences can therefore inform debates about how to protect the public from the fatal effects of diet-influenced diseases.

    But building a solid foundation won’t be easy. What’s needed is for the G20 to put its weight behind these key points:

    • Promoting good health before people get sick should be an imperative because the cost of inaction in financial and human terms is just too high.

    • Promoting the case for raising tobacco taxes, because tobacco continues to cause the most death and illness. But taxation has stalled. Approximately 90% of smokers live in countries where cigarettes were equally or more affordable in 2022 than they were five years earlier.

    • A renewed focus on alcohol taxes, which have shown little improvement in the last decade. Alcohol excise taxes are not being used effectively.

    • Fresh impetus behind increasing the level of taxes as a percentage of the cost of sugar sweetened beverages. Evidence suggests that to be effective, taxes on sugar sweetened beverages should increase product prices by at least 20%.

    • Champion nutrition regulation when navigating the trade and nutrition policy environment. Trade policies can be inconsistent with health policies.

    • Lastly, push for stronger global monitoring frameworks to track corporate accountability in health. This should include clear conflict of interest policies, information management, and exposing when corporations try to shape their own evidence-base or discredit research that would be supportive of public health policies.

    Susan Goldstein receives funding from the SAMRC, the NIHR and UNICEF. She is a Board Member of the Southern African Alcohol Policy Alliance: South Africa,

    Karen Hofman 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. Sugary drinks, processed foods, alcohol and tobacco are big killers: why the G20 should add its weight to health taxes – https://theconversation.com/sugary-drinks-processed-foods-alcohol-and-tobacco-are-big-killers-why-the-g20-should-add-its-weight-to-health-taxes-256024

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Even small banks may be included in the list – the Central Bank of the Russian Federation will change its approach to assessing the systemic importance of credit institutions

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Mainfin Bank –

    How will the Central Bank of the Russian Federation assess the systemic importance of banks?

    A major reform to change the approach to assessing the importance of Russian banks planned for the coming years – the regulator plans to introduce several new criteria for analyzing credit institutions. Thus, the Central Bank of the Russian Federation will check:

    number of clients – the highest score will be given to banks with a client base of over 30 million people; availability of its own ecosystem – non-core assets must account for over 10% of capital for the regulator to assign the highest score; presence in the payment market – the bank will be checked for connection to the SBP, acquiring, and the ability to issue kart and the availability of self-service devices; cooperation with other banks – will assess how negative the consequences will be for other players if the institution being inspected experiences difficulties; the share of large deposits clients whose funds are not protected by the DIA (account balance over 1.4 million rubles); regional presence – banks operating in populated areas with a population of up to 100 people will receive a high rating.

    The introduction of additional verification criteria will allow even small banks with a developed ecosystem or presence in the payment market to be included in the list of systemically important institutions.

    What are the risks for banks if they are included in the SZKO list?

    The inclusion of a bank in the list of SZKO will entail the application of increased surcharges to capital adequacy standards. Thus, for large banks, the specified standard is 2.5%, and for systemically important banks – 3.5%. In the near future, the Central Bank of the Russian Federation will develop a new matrix of surcharges, which will be differentiated for different organizations.

    “Increased premiums are necessary so that if the bank’s financial situation worsens, there are more opportunities to emerge from the crisis,” noted the regulator’s representatives.

    At the same time, reduced capital allowances have been in effect in Russia since 2022 – the relaxations were due to the crisis and the regulator’s desire to reduce the burden on business. By 2028, all relaxations are planned to be lifted.

    15:00 05/27/2025

    Source:

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

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

    HTTPS: //Mainfin.ru/novosti/v-Speak-Mogut-Popa-Popa-Bolsi-Banki-Tsb-RF-RF-RIST-CONCLUSE-ECCOUNCE-System-Reasonability-Credit Credit

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Manchester Man Sentenced for Defrauding State and Federal Taxpayers of Nearly $300,000 in Pandemic Relief Funds

    Source: US FBI

    CONCORD – A Manchester man was sentenced for his involvement in a scheme to fraudulently obtain CARES Act funds from the United States government and the State of New York, Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announces.

    Kyereem Sackey, age 25, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Landya McCafferty to 18 months in federal prison and 3 years of supervised release.  Sackey was also ordered to make restitution in the amount of $295,167.  In January 2025, Sackey pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of bank fraud.

    “The defendant exploited a national crisis for personal gain,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack. “He stole nearly $300k in pandemic relief funds that were meant to support struggling families and small businesses. This office will continue to investigate and prosecute those who stole from the government during the pandemic and intentionally depleted the public fisc for personal profit.”

    “While the entire world was focused on dealing with a pandemic, Kyereem Sackey was selfishly focused on exploiting programs designed to help people struggling financially to instead enrich himself,” said Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “With today’s sentence, Mr. Sackey has been held accountable for cheating taxpayers, and the FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to identify and bring to justice those who have committed similar crimes.”

    “Kyereem Sackey and his co-defendants engaged in a scheme to fraudulently obtain New York Department of Labor pandemic-related unemployment insurance benefits and Small Business Administration Payroll Protection Program loans. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who seek to exploit these critical benefit programs,” said Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent-in-Charge, Northeast Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.

    According to the court documents and statements made in court, Sackey used social media to conspire with others to file false and fraudulent unemployment insurance claims. Sackey filed unemployment insurance claims in the State of New York on behalf of a co-defendant, which he was not entitled to.  When the money was deposited into the co-defendant’s bank account, a portion of the money was sent to Sackey and another co-defendant.  Sackey and his co-defendants filed approximately $50,000 in fraudulent unemployment insurance claims.  In addition to the claim made on behalf of his co-defendant, Sackey filed claims on behalf of a dozen individuals as well as himself resulting in more than $250,000 in fraudulent unemployment benefits to be paid by the State of New York.

    Sackey also used a co-defendant’s information to apply for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans using a false and fraudulent business that did not exist.  Sackey provided the bank with false documents, including fabricated tax documents.  Court records show that Sackey fraudulently applied for and obtained more than $30,000 in PPP loans.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General led the investigation.  Valuable assistance was provided by the Manchester Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Kennedy is prosecuting the case.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: BOBC Auction Results – 27 May 2025

    Source: Bank of Botswana

    The Monetary Policy Rate (MoPR) was unchanged at 1.9 percent of the previous week, for a paper maturing on 4 June 2025.  For the 1-month BoBC paper maturing on 25 June 2025, the stop-out yield remained unchanged at 2.24 percent. The summarised results of the auction held on 27 May 2025, are attached below:

    BOBC Results 27 May 2025.pdf

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI China: Aerial and maritime live-force drill of China-Cambodia “Golden Dragon 2025” joint exercise conducted 2025-05-27 19:35:29

    Source: People’s Republic of China – Ministry of National Defense

      SIHANOUKVILLE, Cambodia, May 27 — On May 26, the aerial and maritime live-force drill of the China-Cambodia “Golden Dragon 2025” joint exercise kicked off in the sea area and airspace near the port of Sihanoukville in Cambodia. A joint taskforce comprising 11 naval vessels and 3 air force helicopters from the two countries participated in the drill.

      In the scenario of a cargo ship hijacked by “terrorists” riding armed speedboats, and focusing on the joint maritime counter-terrorism and anti-hijacking operations, the drill mainly included the joint response, accompanying escort, counter-terrorism and anti-piracy, joint aerial and maritime search and rescue, and other training subjects.

      After receiving the situation briefing, the joint taskforce rushed to the “incident sea area”. Following target identification through the search at sea, the navy and air force participating troops applied various methods to deter and stop the “terrorists”, implemented rapid blocking and guard, and carried out visit, board, search, and seizure (VBSS). They also jointly searched and rescued the “terrorists” falling overboard and provided medical aid to them on humanitarian grounds.

      Subsequently, the two sides jointly held a conclusion ceremony for the aerial and maritime live-force drill. The drill achieved the purpose of mutual learning and advancement, and demonstrated the firm will and competence of both sides in jointly safeguarding maritime security.

      (Video Editor: Huang Panyue)

    loading…

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Time of Victory

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    The Museum of Time and Clocks presents exhibition, dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War.

    The exhibition includes unique historical exhibits, many of which were direct witnesses to the heroic deeds of the Soviet people in the fight against the fascist invaders. For example, award watches from 1941–1945 with commemorative inscriptions that were awarded for military and labor merits at the front and in the rear.

    Nine display cases are dedicated to the brand of Soviet wristwatches “Pobeda”. They were produced in many factories of the USSR starting in 1946. For several decades, they were presented as a memorable gift or an award for labor achievements.

    Among the historical exhibits is a rare collection of anniversary wristwatches that were produced by Soviet factories to mark memorable dates associated with the victory over Nazi Germany.

    In addition, the exhibition presents products of modern Russian manufacturers. The watch company “Slava”, the watch manufacturer “Polet-Chronos”, the jewelry factory “Nika”, the brand “Anton Sukhanov”, the Uglich watch factory and others exhibited this year’s models dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Victory.

    The exhibition design uses works by Soviet graphic artists – original propaganda posters from the Great Patriotic War.

    Entrance to the museum and viewing of permanent and temporary exhibitions is free.

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

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

    https: //bytle.mos.ru/event/347103257/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI: LPL Financial Welcomes Beamish Wealth Management to Linsco Channel

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN DIEGO, May 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — LPL Financial LLC announced today that financial advisor Colin Beamish, CFP®, has joined LPL’s employee advisor channel, Linsco by LPL Financial, to launch Beamish Wealth Management of LPL Financial. He reported serving approximately $445 million in advisory, brokerage and retirement plan assets* and joins LPL from City National Securities, Inc., a subsidiary of RBC.  

    Based in San Diego, Beamish transitioned to financial services in 2006 from the sports industry where he worked for the National Hockey League team Florida Panthers and the Arena Football League’s Los Angeles Avengers. Now with more than 19 years of industry experience, Beamish takes a holistic approach to helping his clients plan for their fiscal futures.

    “Fiscal education is important to me, and I believe in taking the time to help clients understand the wealth management process,” Beamish said. “Then I partner with my clients to put together a financial plan they are truly comfortable with and work with them every step of the way to help them work towards both their long and short-term financial goals.”

    Why he made the move to Linsco by LPL
    Looking for more autonomy and enhanced technology, Beamish turned to LPL for the next chapter of his business. He was drawn to the Linsco model, which serves financial advisors seeking the core tenets of independence, including owning their client relationships and having flexibility to run their practice, their way. With Linsco, advisors have access to LPL’s integrated wealth management platform and robust business resources, along with the additional benefits of having support from an experienced branch management team, dedicated marketing consultant and other resources that allow advisors to focus on their clients.

    “After doing my due diligence, it was clear that LPL was the right partner to help me take my business to the next level,” Beamish said. “My clients trust me to make the best decisions regarding their finances, and they deserve the best products and services available in the marketplace. From LPL’s strategic support, innovative technology and shared focus on putting clients first, I am confident that moving to LPL is the right decision for my business.”

    Scott Posner, LPL Managing Director, Business Development, said, “We welcome Colin to the Linsco community. With LPL’s support, more advisors are recognizing the importance of freedom and flexibility as they seek ways to differentiate themselves and enhance the client experience. We look forward to partnering with Beamish Wealth Management for years to come.”

    Related
    Advisors, learn how LPL Financial can help take your business to the next level.

    About LPL Financial

    LPL Financial Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: LPLA) is among the fastest growing wealth management firms in the U.S. As a leader in the financial advisor-mediated marketplace, LPL supports over 29,000 financial advisors and the wealth management practices of approximately 1,200 financial institutions, servicing and custodying approximately $1.8 trillion in brokerage and advisory assets on behalf of approximately 7 million Americans. The firm provides a wide range of advisor affiliation models, investment solutions, fintech tools and practice management services, ensuring that advisors and institutions have the flexibility to choose the business model, services, and technology resources they need to run thriving businesses. For further information about LPL, please visit www.lpl.com.

    Securities and advisory services offered through LPL Financial LLC (“LPL Financial”), a registered investment advisor and broker-dealer, member FINRA/SIPC.

    Throughout this communication, the terms “financial advisors” and “advisors” are used to refer to registered representatives and/or investment advisor representatives affiliated with LPL Financial.

    We routinely disclose information that may be important to shareholders in the “Investor Relations” or “Press Releases” section of our website.

    *Value approximated based on asset and holding details provided to LPL from end of year, 2024.

    Media Contact: 
    Media.relations@LPLFinancial.com 

    Tracking #735639

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Ashton Thomas Private Wealth Welcomes New Team in San Francisco

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, May 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ashton Thomas Private Wealth (“Ashton Thomas” or the “Company”), an Arax Investment Partners firm, today announced that Lance Millar and Stewart Preziose have joined the firm in San Francisco, further reinforcing the Company’s presence in the West Coast market. Together, they will form the Speritas Private Wealth Team, with Mr. Millar as a Partner, Managing Director and Private Wealth Advisor, and Mr. Preziose as a Wealth Advisor.

    Prior to Ashton Thomas, Mr. Millar and Mr. Preziose worked at SVB Private, a division of First Citizens Bank, where they provided wealth management, banking and financial planning services tailored to a diverse range of clients, including founders, executives, entrepreneurs, families and non-profit organizations. With decades of focused financial advisory experience, the pair manages a collective $900 million in assets under management (“AUM”), helping clients meet their financial goals through informed investment, retirement and estate planning services, as well as asset allocation and charitable giving guidance. Mr. Millar and Mr. Preziose’s combined experience will enhance Ashton Thomas’ ability to meet the specialized needs of successful individuals in the Bay Area and beyond, providing tailored solutions for a wide range of clients.

    “Stewart and I pride ourselves on a high-touch approach to wealth management, providing a truly customized experience that helps our clients make informed and effective decisions about their money. We are inspired by our alignment with Ashton Thomas’ approach and the firm’s commitment to delivering exceptional client-focused solutions,” said Mr. Millar.

    “As we leverage new partnerships with forward-thinking advisory groups to grow our business across the country, we are pleased to welcome another strong team of wealth managers to our San Francisco hub,” said Aaron Brodt, Chief Executive Officer of Ashton Thomas. “With their well-established practice and sterling reputations in market, Lance and Stewart are natural additions to our team, and I look forward to seeing what comes next.”

    “Arax and Ashton Thomas are pioneering a new approach to partnership in the wealth advisory space, providing the resources and capabilities necessary to support both advisors and clients across a growing national footprint,” added Haig Ariyan, Chief Executive Officer of Arax Investment Partners and Chairman of Ashton Thomas. “Just a few short months after putting down roots in San Francisco, Ashton Thomas is attracting top talent, supporting entrepreneurial advisors and delivering results for a robust Western client base – a validation of our strategy that continues to fuel expansive growth across the Arax platform.”

    About Ashton Thomas Private Wealth
    Ashton Thomas is a diversified financial services firm committed to a culture of excellence, integrity, and respect in every aspect of its business. Through its various entities listed below, Ashton Thomas serves foundations, businesses, and affluent individuals and families by providing a range of services which include fee-based financial planning and investment portfolio management, retirement plan consulting, securities brokerage, life and health insurance, and income tax preparation. The firm also strives to remain at the forefront of technological innovation and thought leadership within the financial services industry.

    Ashton Thomas Private Wealth, LLC, (“ATPW”), founded in 2010, is an SEC-registered investment adviser which provides fee-based financial planning, portfolio management, pension consulting, and fund manager selection services. Ashton Thomas Securities, LLC, (“ATS”) is a dually registered entity. ATS registered with FINRA as a broker-dealer in 1984 and provides securities brokerage services. ATS became an SEC-registered investment adviser in 2008 and provides fee-based financial planning, portfolio management, pension consulting, and fund manager selection services. Ashton Thomas Insurance Agency, LLC, (“ATIA”) provides life and health insurance brokerage services. ATIA also provides income tax services through its DBA, Ashton Thomas Tax Advisory. Representatives of the entities listed may only conduct business for which they are licensed, if required, and with residents of the states and jurisdictions in which they are properly registered and/or licensed.

    About Arax Investment Partners
    Arax Investment Partners is a rapidly growing boutique wealth management platform making strategic control investments in leading RIAs and elite advisor teams. Founded and led by CEO Haig Ariyan — a seasoned industry executive with a distinguished track record of building and scaling wealth management businesses — Arax empowers its partners to be entrepreneurial and focus on delivering exceptional client service. Firms benefit from a management team with deep M&A expertise, capital sourcing capabilities, and the backing of RedBird Capital Partners. For more information, visit www.araxpartners.com.

    Media Contact:

    Dan Gagnier
    Gagnier Communications
    RedBird@gagnierfc.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: ibex Appoints Ricky Fields as Global Head of Business Development for Wave iX

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    WASHINGTON, May 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ibex (NASDAQ: IBEX), a leading global provider of business process outsourcing (BPO) and AI-powered customer engagement technology solutions, today announced the appointment of Ricky Fields as Global Head of Business Development for ibex Wave iX, the company’s next-gen AI solutions platform that is redefining the customer experience (CX) industry.

    In this role, Fields will report directly to Carl O’Neil, EVP and GM of Wave iX, Augment, and ibex CX. He will spearhead the company’s new go-to-market strategy as ibex scales Wave iX across industries seeking high-performance, non-human agent solutions that deliver seamless, fully autonomous customer experiences.

    “ibex is the proven leader in AI for CX, delivering breakthrough AI solutions that transform how businesses engage with their customers,” said Bob Dechant, CEO of ibex. “We manage hundreds of millions of customer interactions for the world’s top brands across major industries and provide unmatched business insights, making ibex the ideal CX partner to ensure digital transformation success. With Ricky driving our Wave iX go-to-market efforts, we’re positioned to reset the industry standard for customer experience and create unprecedented value for our clients.”

    Fields brings more than 25 years of experience scaling transformative technology at leading companies including Google, HPE, Cloudflare, and Avaya. His unique blend of strategic vision, technical expertise, and customer-first focus will be instrumental as ibex aggressively pursues its BPO 3.0 strategy and positions Wave iX as the leading AI-native CX platform.

    Fields’ passion for reimagining customer engagement aligns perfectly with ibex’s vision to modernize legacy CX models. In his new role, Fields will help accelerate ibex’s evolution as the Generative AI CX leader by unlocking new opportunities where intelligent AI agents deliver scalable, high-impact outcomes. Under his leadership, Wave iX is poised to further drive new revenue through AI, business insights, and operational excellence.

    About ibex

    ibex delivers innovative business process outsourcing (BPO), smart digital marketing, online acquisition technology, and end-to-end customer engagement solutions to help companies acquire, engage and retain valuable customers. Today, ibex operates a global CX delivery center model consisting of approximately 30 operations facilities around the world, while deploying next generation technology to drive superior customer experiences for many of the world’s leading companies across retail, e-commerce, healthcare, fintech, utilities and logistics.

    ibex leverages its diverse global team of more than 31,000 employees together with industry-leading technology, including the AI-powered ibex Wave iX solutions suite, to manage nearly 175 million critical customer interactions, adding over $2.2B in lifetime customer revenue each year and driving a truly differentiated customer experience. To learn more, visit our website at ibex.co and connect with us on LinkedIn.

    Media Contact:
    Dan Burris
    ibex
    Daniel.Burris@ibex.co

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/585aee8d-87ff-43c4-9dc3-c972cfcfb84a

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Varonis at Infosecurity Europe 2025: Automating Data Security for the AI Era

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MIAMI and LONDON, May 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Varonis Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: VRNS), the leader in data security, announced its full event schedule for Infosecurity Europe 2025, taking place June 3 – 5 at ExCeL London. Varonis proudly returns to present expert sessions on strengthening cyber resilience, mastering proactive security, and modernizing DLP for today’s threat landscape.

    Stop by Varonis’ Booth D60 to learn how Varonis reduces risk to data in the age of AI. While there, learn how Varonis helps customers identify and mitigate threats across IaaS and SaaS, safeguard sensitive data, and boost compliance with privacy regulations automatically.

    Highlights at Infosecurity Europe 2025:

    Expert Session – CISO Secrets: Strengthening Cyber Resilience in 2025. Varonis’ Dr. William Priestley will share the data-centric security playbook built from conversations with top CISOs and cybersecurity leaders across manufacturing, finance, healthcare, and other industries.

    Date: Tuesday, June 3, at 12 p.m. – 12:25 p.m.
    Location: Technology Showcase stage

    Expert Session – Modernizing DLP for Today’s Threat Landscape. Varonis Field CTO Matt Lock will delve into next-gen DLP, an approach aligning modern collaboration with cloud-first detection and prevention. You’ll see how rethinking DLP can help you cut through noise, reduce workloads, and automate security posture.

    Date: Tuesday, June 3, 3:15 p.m. – 3:40 p.m.
    Location: Cyber Strategy stage

    Expert Session – Mastering Proactive SaaS Data Security. Varonis’ Dave Philpotts will cover the complexities of securing SaaS applications and the approach needed to enhance your security posture and prevent data breaches.

    Date: Wednesday, June 4, 12 p.m. – 12:25 p.m.
    Location: Technology Showcase stage 

    Additional Resources

    About Varonis
    Varonis (Nasdaq: VRNS) is the leader in data security, fighting a different battle than conventional cybersecurity companies. Our cloud-native Data Security Platform continuously discovers and classifies critical data, removes exposures, and detects advanced threats with AI-powered automation.

    Thousands of organizations worldwide trust Varonis to defend their data wherever it lives — across SaaS, IaaS, and hybrid cloud environments. Customers use Varonis to automate a wide range of security outcomes, including data security posture management (DSPM), data classification, data access governance (DAG), data detection and response (DDR), data loss prevention (DLP), AI security, and insider risk management.

    Varonis protects data first, not last. Learn more at www.varonis.com.

    Investor Relations Contact:
    Tim Perz
    Varonis Systems, Inc.
    646-640-2112
    investors@varonis.com

    News Media Contact:
    Rachel Hunt
    Varonis Systems, Inc.
    877-292-8767 (ext. 1598)
    pr@varonis.com 

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Strive Asset Management and Asset Entities (Nasdaq: ASST) Announce $750M Private Investment to Fund First Wave of Bitcoin Accumulation

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    • Transaction to raise up to $1.5 billion in total proceeds upon exercise of warrants, which would make Strive Asset Management one of the largest Bitcoin treasury companies.
    • The combined company will continue to have no outstanding debt for borrowed money after this financing.
    • Strive CEO Matt Cole to discuss the company’s proposed alpha-generating Bitcoin strategies during his 11:54 AM PT keynote on May 27, 2025 at the Bitcoin for Corporations Symposium in Las Vegas, Nevada.

    DALLAS, May 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Asset Entities (Nasdaq: ASST) and Strive Asset Management today announced the signing of a $750 million private investment in public equity (PIPE), with an additional $750 million in potential financing upon the exercise of warrants, which could increase total potential proceeds to $1.5 billion. Upon closing of the transactions, the proceeds are expected to support the company’s first wave of Bitcoin acquisitions, with the goal of establishing Strive Asset Management as the first Bitcoin treasury company focused on long-term Bitcoin outperformance through the implementation of alpha-generating strategies, in addition to the company’s plans to implement known beta strategies used by incumbent Bitcoin treasury corporations.

    A select group of leading institutional investors and Strive’s management team, including CEO Matt Cole, participated in the financing, which is expected to close concurrently with the transaction under the merger agreement between Strive Asset Management and Asset Entities.

    “Most Bitcoin treasury companies are valued based on multiples to their Bitcoin holdings, which makes sense because their strategies are tied to leveraged beta to Bitcoin,” said Matt Cole, CEO of Strive. “By contrast, our alpha-generating Bitcoin accumulation strategies are designed to drive sustained outperformance relative to Bitcoin itself, which requires a new valuation framework.”

    Strive Asset Management’s first wave of alpha-generating Bitcoin accumulation strategies include:

    • Unlocking discounted cash through acquisitions of biotech companies trading below their net cash position, which Strive views as a multi-billion dollar opportunity, and one where Strive believes it has a distinctive competitive advantage due to its founding and management team.
    • Acquiring distressed Bitcoin claims—such as Mt. Gox claims—at discounts to Bitcoin NAV, a market opportunity estimated to be over 75,000 BTC, through Strive’s recently announced strategic partnership with 117 Partners LLC.
    • Positioning itself to become a market leader in purchasing bottom tranches of structured Bitcoin credit vehicles, at discounted prices.

    The PIPE was priced at $1.35 per share of common stock, representing a 121% premium to the closing price of Asset Entities (NASDAQ:ASST) immediately before its merger announcement with Strive Asset Management. The exercise price for warrants in this PIPE transaction is $1.35 per share. Strive elected not to raise any debt financing in this transaction, to preserve maximal leverage capacity in the future to optimize returns for common equity.

    Strive will further discuss its alpha strategies during Matt Cole’s 11:54 AM PT presentation today at Bitcoin for Corporations in Las Vegas, Nevada. The presentation is expected to be streamed by the conference later in the day.

    The financing transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including approvals from the shareholders of both Strive and Asset Entities.

    Advisors

    Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. served as exclusive financial advisor to Strive. In addition, Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. served as exclusive placement agent for the PIPE financing.

    Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP is acting as legal advisor to Strive.

    DLA Piper LLP (US) acted as legal advisor to Cantor Fitzgerald & Co.

    Bevilacqua PLLC is acting as legal advisor to Asset Entities.

    To learn about Asset Entities, please go to www.assetentities.com. To learn about the Ternary payment platform, please go to www.ternarydev.com. To learn about Asset Entities 360 suite of discord services, go to https://www.ae360ddm.com/ and https://discord.gg/ae360ddm.

    About Asset Entities Inc.

    Asset Entities Inc. is a technology company providing social media marketing, management, and content delivery across Discord, TikTok, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, and other social media platforms. Asset Entities is believed to be the first publicly traded Company based on the Discord platform, where it hosts some of Discord’s largest social community-based education and entertainment servers. The Company’s AE.360.DDM suite of services is believed to be the first of its kind for the Design, Development, and Management of Discord community servers. Asset Entities’ initial AE.360.DDM customers have included businesses and celebrities. The Company also has its Ternary payment platform that is a Stripe-verified partner and CRM for Discord communities. The Company’s Social Influencer Network (SiN) service offers white-label marketing, content creation, content management, TikTok promotions, and TikTok consulting to clients in all industries and markets. The Company’s SiN influencers can increase the social media reach of client Discord servers and drive traffic to their businesses. Learn more at assetentities.com, and follow the Company on X at $ASST and @assetentities.

    About Strive Asset Management

    Strive Asset Management is an asset management firm with a mission to maximize value for clients through unapologetic capitalism.

    Strive Asset Management recently announced plans to become the first publicly traded asset management Bitcoin treasury company. The company is focused on outperforming Bitcoin over the long run by combining traditional Bitcoin treasury company leveraged beta strategies with novel alpha-generating strategies.

    After launching its first ETF in August 2022, the company has grown to manage ~$2 billion in assets.

    Learn more at strive.com

    Company Contacts:
    Arshia Sarkhani, President and Chief Executive Officer
    Michael Gaubert, Executive Chairman
    Asset Entities Inc.
    Tel +1 (214) 459-3117 
    Email Contact

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

    Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

    Certain statements herein and the documents incorporated herein by reference may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and Rule 175 promulgated thereunder, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and Rule 3b-6 promulgated thereunder, which statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Examples of forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the outlook and expectations of Strive and Asset Entities, Inc. (“ASST”), respectively, with respect to the proposed transaction, the strategic benefits and financial benefits of the proposed transaction, including the expected impact of the proposed transaction on the combined company’s future financial performance (including anticipated accretion to earnings per share, the tangible book value earn-back period and other operating and return metrics), the timing of the closing of the proposed transaction, and the ability to successfully integrate the combined businesses. Such statements are often characterized by the use of qualified words (and their derivatives) such as “may,” “will,” “anticipate,” “could,” “should,” “would,” “believe,” “contemplate,” “expect,” “estimate,” “continue,” “plan,” “project,” “predict,” “potential,” “assume,” “forecast,” “target,” “budget,” “outlook,” “trend,” “guidance,” “objective,” “goal,” “strategy,” “opportunity,” and “intend,” as well as words of similar meaning or other statements concerning opinions or judgment of Strive, ASST or their respective management about future events. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions as of the time they are made and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that are difficult to predict with regard to timing, extent, likelihood and degree of occurrence, which could cause actual results to differ materially from anticipated results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks, uncertainties and assumptions, include, among others, the following:

    • the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the right of one or both of the parties to terminate the Merger Agreement;
    • the possibility that the proposed transaction does not close when expected or at all because the conditions to closing are not received or satisfied on a timely basis or at all;
    • the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against Strive or ASST or the combined company;
    • the possibility that the anticipated benefits of the proposed transaction, including anticipated cost savings and strategic gains, are not realized when expected or at all, including as a result of changes in, or problems arising from, general economic and market conditions, interest and exchange rates, monetary policy, laws and regulations and their enforcement, and the degree of competition in the geographic and business areas in which Strive or ASST operate;
    • the possibility that the integration of the two companies may be more difficult, time-consuming or costly than expected;
    • the possibility that the proposed transaction may be more expensive or take longer to complete than anticipated, including as a result of unexpected factors or events;
    • the diversion of management’s attention from ongoing business operations and opportunities;
    • potential adverse reactions of Strive’s or ASST’s customers or changes to business or employee relationships, including those resulting from the announcement or completion of the proposed transaction;
    • changes in ASST’s share price before closing; and
    • other factors that may affect future results of Strive, ASST or the combined company.

    These factors are not necessarily all of the factors that could cause Strive’s, ASST’s or the combined company’s actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by any of the forward-looking statements. Other factors, including unknown or unpredictable factors, also could harm Strive’s, ASST’s or the combined company’s results.

    Although each of Strive and ASST believes that its expectations with respect to forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions within the bounds of its existing knowledge of its business and operations, there can be no assurance that actual results of Strive or ASST will not differ materially from any projected future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described above can be found in ASST’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and other documents subsequently filed by ASST with the Securities Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). The actual results anticipated may not be realized or, even if substantially realized, they may not have the expected consequences to or effects on Strive, ASST or their respective businesses or operations. Investors are cautioned not to rely too heavily on any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made and Strive and ASST undertake no obligation to update or clarify these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except to the extent required by applicable law.

    Additional Information and Where to Find It

    In connection with the proposed transaction, ASST intends to file with the SEC a Registration Statement on Form S-4 (the “Registration Statement”) to register the common stock to be issued by ASST in connection with the proposed transaction and that will include a proxy statement of ASST and a prospectus of ASST (the “Proxy Statement/Prospectus”), and each of Strive and ASST may file with the SEC other relevant documents concerning the proposed transaction. A definitive Proxy Statement/Prospectus will be sent to the stockholders of ASST to seek their approval of the proposed transaction. BEFORE MAKING ANY VOTING OR INVESTMENT DECISION, INVESTORS AND STOCKHOLDERS OF ASST ARE URGED TO READ THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT AND PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS REGARDING THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC, AS WELL AS ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS TO THOSE DOCUMENTS, BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT STRIVE, ASST AND THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION AND RELATED MATTERS.

    A copy of the Registration Statement, Proxy Statement/Prospectus, as well as other filings containing information about Strive and ASST, may be obtained, free of charge, at the SEC’s website (http://www.sec.gov). You will also be able to obtain these documents, when they are filed, free of charge, from ASST by accessing ASST’s website at https://assetentities.gcs-web.com/. Copies of the Registration Statement, the Proxy Statement/Prospectus and the filings with the SEC that will be incorporated by reference therein can also be obtained, without charge, by directing a request to ASST’s Investor Relations department at 100 Crescent Court, 7th floor, Dallas, TX 75201 or by calling (214) 459-3117 or emailing web@assetentities.com. The information on Strive’s or ASST’s respective websites is not, and shall not be deemed to be, a part of this communication or incorporated into other filings either company makes with the SEC.

    Participants in the Solicitation

    Strive, ASST and certain of their respective directors, executive officers and employees may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the stockholders of ASST in connection with the proposed transaction. Information about the interests of the directors and executive officers of Strive and ASST and other persons who may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of stockholders of ASST in connection with the proposed transaction and a description of their direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, will be included in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus related to the proposed transaction, which will be filed with the SEC. Information about the directors and executive officers of ASST, their ownership of ASST common stock, and ASST’s transactions with related persons is set forth in the section entitled “Board of Directors and Corporate Governance,” “Executive Officers of the Company,” “Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters,” “Executive Compensation,” and “Certain Relationships and Related Transactions” included in ASST’s definitive proxy statement in connection with its 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, as filed with the SEC on August 22, 2024.

    No Offer or Solicitation

    This communication is not intended to and shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or the solicitation of any vote of approval, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act, or pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, such registration requirements.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Antalpha Announces Strategic Investment in Tether Gold and Expansion into New Lending Verticals

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SINGAPORE, May 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Antalpha Platform Holding Company (NASDAQ: ANTA) (“Antalpha” or the “Company”), a leading fintech platform serving the Bitcoin mining ecosystem, today announced strategic initiatives to strengthen its treasury plan and expand its product offering. 

    Strategic Allocation into Tether Gold (XAUt)
    Antalpha intends to allocate up to US $40 million equivalent in XAUt at market price from now until June 30, 2026. The Company views this allocation as a strategic hedge against macroeconomic volatility, a tool to diversify its institutional collateral base, and a means to offer its clients access to stable-value lending solutions to hedge against periods of market uncertainty. The Company believes that XAUt offers strong strategic value for institutional asset allocation, particularly in its potential to withstand crypto market cycles and support diverse financial applications. XAUt will be a cornerstone collateral asset in Antalpha’s loan structure, enabling the Prime platform to scale its financing business with improved resilience and greater stability.

    XAUt Product Integration
    Antalpha plans to acquire XAUt and secure such digital assets to obtain funding for its lending operation. In line with this strategy, the Company’s product and risk management teams are working jointly to upgrade its MPC capabilities and account features on the Antalpha Prime platform. Additionally, the Company plans to launch a dedicated portal on its website to provide near real-time information on XAUt and the corresponding underlying physical gold holdings, further enhancing asset transparency and client confidence.

    Multi-Asset Collateral Strategy to Expand Addressable Market and Improve Risk Management Capability
    Antalpha remains focused on its core lending business and is committed to developing scalable financing solutions for different business lines with long-term growth potential. In addition to accepting Bitcoin and mining-machine collateral for its crypto financing, the Company plans to expand its addressable market by accepting new forms of collateral, including XAUt and GPU for AI compute, to build a more flexible and scalable digital-asset lending business. In addition, we plan to expand our business relationship with Northstar and enable them to provide Ethereum margin loans on the Antalpha Prime platform. Antalpha plans to broaden its business lines as follow:

    • XAUt–Collateralized Loans will begin accepting XAUt as collateral to improve collateral value stability for supply-chain financing;
    • AI Compute Financing will begin providing institutional loans for investment in AI compute using AI GPUs as loan collateral; and
    • Ethereum Margin Loans will expand Northstar’s margin loan offering on Antalpha Prime to enable borrowers to secure digital asset financing with Ethereum, in addition to Bitcoin.

    “We are building Antalpha for the long term, with transparency, prudence and risk management at the core,” said Paul Liang, Chief Financial Officer of Antalpha. “Our digital gold strategy and new lending business lines reflect our willingness to listen to our clients’ needs and lead the digital asset financing industry with innovative institutional-grade lending solutions while strengthening our risk-management capabilities.”

    These new initiatives reinforce Antalpha’s vision as a leading, trusted, crypto-native infrastructure partner in the digital asset financing industry.

    About Antalpha
    Antalpha is a leading fintech company specializing in providing financing, technology, and risk management solutions to institutions in the digital asset industry. As the primary lending partner of Bitmain, Antalpha offers Bitcoin supply chain and margin loans through the Antalpha Prime technology platform, which allows customers to originate and manage their digital assets loans, as well as monitor collateral positions with near real-time data.

    About Tether Gold
    XAUt is a digital token issued by TG Commodities Limited, a Tether Group company. Each token represents ownership of one troy ounce of fine gold on a London Good Delivery gold bar, held in custody by a third-party custodian in a secure Swiss vault. The token is issued on both Ethereum (ERC-20) and Tron (TRC-20) blockchains, providing institutional and DeFi participants with 24/7 access to highly liquid, gold-backed assets. 

    Contact
    Investor Relations: ir@antalpha.com

    Safe Harbor Statement
    This press release contains statements that may constitute “forward-looking” statements pursuant to the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “will,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “aims,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates,” “likely to,” and similar statements. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about Antalpha’s beliefs, plans, and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in Antalpha’s filings with the SEC. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and Antalpha does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Moomoo Expands into Cryptocurrency Market with Launch of New Digital Asset Business

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    JERSEY CITY, N.J., May 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Moomoo, a global investment and trading platform, is thrilled to announce its expansion into cryptocurrency trading with the upcoming launch of Moomoo Crypto, a comprehensive digital asset investment service for its U.S. users.

    The new U.S. Crypto’s plan to launch over 30 coins is an exciting option for moomoo investors to trade on its all-in-one trading platform. Moomoo leverages its established technology infrastructure and user-friendly interface to provide a seamless trading experience across both traditional securities through Moomoo Financial and digital assets through Moomoo Crypto. It will initially support trading of major cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and several other leading tokens for its current users, with plans to expand its offerings in the coming months to give users access in a gradual launch. The platform, backed by Moomoo Financial, will leverage Coinbase’s markets and infrastructure through its leading Crypto-as-a-Service (“CaaS”) platform.

    “As digital assets continue to gain mainstream adoption, we saw a clear opportunity to apply our expertise in creating accessible yet sophisticated investment tools for crypto space,” said Neil McDonald, moomoo’s US CEO.  “With Moomoo Crypto, we’re bridging the gap between traditional and digital finance, providing our users with the tools and insights they need to navigate this dynamic market.”

    Investors interested in crypto will be able to find an all-in-one platform with 32 coins offerings armed with advanced tools and various educational resources. Some advanced tools include spot charting and advanced charting, and moomoo is planning to adopt specific tools for crypto such as copy trading by early September.

    “We’re seeing growing demand from platforms like moomoo as crypto becomes increasingly mainstream,” said Brian Foster, Global Head of CaaS at Coinbase. “Our Crypto-as-a-Service offering is designed to help bridge traditional and digital finance, giving partners the infrastructure, security, and tools they need to confidently build in crypto and serve a wide range of users.”

    The move comes as interest in digital assets reaches new heights, with increasing retail participation and regulatory clarity emerging in key markets. Moomoo’s entry into the cryptocurrency sector helps the company capture growing demand from its existing user base of active investors while attracting new crypto-focused traders to its platform.

    About moomoo
    Moomoo is a leading global investment and trading platform dedicated to empowering investors with user-friendly tools, data, and insights. Our platform is designed to provide essential information and technology, enabling users to make more-informed investment decisions. With advanced charting tools, pro-level analytical features, moomoo evolves alongside our users, fostering a dynamic community where investors can share, learn, and grow together.

    Founded in the U.S., moomoo operates globally, serving investors in countries such as the US, Singapore, Australia, Japan, Canada and Malaysia. As a subsidiary of a Nasdaq-listed Futu Holdings (FUTU), we take pride in our role as a global strategic partner of the Nasdaq, earning numerous international accolades from renowned industry leaders such as Benzinga and Fintech Breakthrough. Moomoo has also received multiple awards in the US, Singapore, and Australia for its innovative, inclusive approach to investing.

    For more information, please visit moomoo’s official website at www.moomoo.com or feel free to email us: pr@us.moomoo.com.

    Moomoo is a financial information and trading app offered by Moomoo Technologies Inc. In the U.S., Investment products and services on Moomoo are offered by Moomoo Financial Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC.

    Cryptocurrencies are not legal tender, not backed by any government, and not FDIC insured or SIPC protected. Cryptocurrency trading involves high risk and potential loss of principal. Crypto services are offered by Moomoo Crypto Inc. (NMLS Number 2287314). Not available in all states, see our full licensing disclosures here.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4fa41088-a4e3-4db6-9551-5e3678ed14bd

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Orchid Security’s State of Identity Security 2025 Report Reveals Alarming Gaps in Application Identity Controls

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LAS VEGAS and NEW YORK, May 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Identiverse — Orchid Security, the company bringing clarity to the complexity of enterprise identity security, today released its inaugural State of Identity Security 2025 report. Orchid’s analysis shows nearly half of enterprise applications violate basic credential-handling guidance, 44% undermine centralized IdP policies and 40% fall short of widely accepted identity-control standards. These shortcomings expose organizations to heightened audit findings, compliance penalties and breach risk.

    Complementing traditional industry research based on post-incident findings, the report presents a proactive analysis of the state of identity controls. Unlike assessments of external exposures, Orchid analyzes authentication flows and authorization practices embedded deep within enterprise applications. These insights span financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, retail, energy and other sectors – offering the first large-scale view into unseen and often overlooked identity practices, and in doing so, exposing hidden vulnerabilities and compliance gaps.

    Orchid will showcase these findings and its Identity-First Security platform at Identiverse 2025, taking place June 3-6 in Las Vegas.

    The report’s findings come at a critical time in the industry. The recently released 2025 Verizon Data Breach Investigation Report confirms that stolen credentials are once again the most common initial access method leading to breaches. Similarly, Crowdstrike’s Threat Report observes that “​​every breach starts with initial access, and identity-based attacks are among the most effective entry methods.” As threat actors focus on “logging in” via stolen credentials rather than “hacking in,” understanding and eliminating identity security gaps becomes a top priority for CISOs and identity providers.

    Key findings from Orchid’s research:

    1. Clear-text credentials found in nearly 50% of applications
      Given that no code is impenetrable and weaknesses as well as their exploit, are a fact of life, masking or encrypting credentials – ideally in an identity store but certainly when coded into applications – is a security imperative. In nearly half of the binary-level assessments conducted, Orchid’s LLM-powered analysis uncovered clear-text credentials. These were normally associated with alternative access flows, often for non-human accounts, but they also present an easy target for threat actors seeking entry or lateral movement.
    2. 44% of applications bypass Identity Providers (IdP)
      While (IdPs) are very common within enterprises and a valuable tool to centralize secure authentication practices, 44% of the time no IdP was utilized by at least one authentication path offered by the application. This is often due to application-level constraints, particularly around integrating with third-party or legacy systems. While understandable, especially in support of external access scenarios, these siloed authentication paths create significant operational challenges. Because they sit outside the centralized IAM framework, these non-standard directories are frequently excluded from routine joiner, mover, and leaver (JML) processes. As a result, they can become outdated, unmanaged and ultimately represent a growing blind spot that increases organization’s exposure to identity-related cyber risk.
    3. ~40% of apps lack identity control basics
      Basic best practices to maintain identity security include monitoring and even rate controlling login attempts, implementing account lockout after a certain number of failed attempts, enforcement of password complexity, token lifetime configurations and more. Unfortunately, each of these was found to be missing roughly 40% of the time. We know that most application developers are valued for their creativity, as it spurs innovation, but that spirit can make the consistent implementation of standards across applications a challenge.

    “These identity security gaps are by no means a reflection on today’s identity and access management teams,” said Roy Katmor, CEO and co-founder of Orchid Security. “The reality is, with the average enterprise relying on more than 1,200 applications – some developed and deployed globally, others introduced by regional offices or specific lines of business – it is a huge challenge to simply know all of the apps in use. Let alone to fully understand not only the standard audited identity flows, but also all feasible authentication pathways and authorization attributes within each application. That complexity is only compounded by the fact that, until now, the process has been largely manual.”

    Orchid’s recommendations for reducing identity risk

    Orchid Security notes that there are a variety of common tools and methods that enterprises can use to assess their environments for identity security exposures, including:

    • Static Application Security Testing (SAST): Code analysis during the development phases can easily be configured to look for hard-coded credentials, including those stored in clear text. Applications developed without a SAST tool should also be subject to code reviews looking for these practices as part of the release process.
    • Architecture reviews: The use of identity providers (IdPs) should be a standard design requirement, enforced during design reviews.
    • Monitoring tools: Basic log monitoring and Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) products will show you whether basic identity security hygiene is in place.
    • Penetration testing: Identity is the most common way in for threat actors, as well as those acting as them for security assessment. Testing for common identity weaknesses should be included.

    “Organizations can no longer afford to overlook identity as a central element of their security posture,” said Katmor. “Even without automated tools such as Orchid Security in place, there are practical steps teams can take, from manual code reviews to architecture and monitoring enhancements. Identity remains the most common attack vector, and proactive, layered assessment is key to reducing exposure.”

    Methodology

    Orchid Security performed automated, binary‑level assessments of applications in production environments across North America and Europe between January and April 2025. Rather than observing primary user interactions, Orchid mapped every identity flow built into each application – including legacy, third‑party and service‑account paths – to surface controls that could be subverted by threat actors. The State of Identity Security 2025 report aggregates the most gaps revealed by those assessments in order to surface those that are most common.

    Visit Orchid at Identiverse 2025 in the Startup Alley (SU21) June 3-6.

    To learn more about the current state of identity security, download Orchid’s State of Identity Security report.

    For more information on Orchid’s Identity-First Security platform, visit the website.

    About Orchid
    Orchid Security is an identity security orchestration platform—leveraging Open Telemetry, Prompt Engineering and Large Language Models (LLMs)—to unify and secure complex identity environments across enterprises. Founded by AI and cybersecurity experts Roy Katmor, Robert Weisman, and Ido Kelson, and backed by Intel Capital and Team8, Orchid enables large organizations to reduce the costs and effort of identity and access management (IAM), while maintaining compliance and security across their digital infrastructure. Its platform facilitates the continuous discovery of both self-hosted and SaaS applications, assessment of their native identity controls (and gaps), and remediation of compliance and cyber exposure from a single point of control—without extensive effort or application recoding.

    Media Contact
    Chloe Amante
    Montner Tech PR
    camante@montner.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Channel Factory Launches Intelligence Suite and AI-Powered Products to Maximize Ad ROI and Contextual Precision

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, May 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Channel Factory, the global brand suitability and contextual advertising platform, is introducing Channel Factory Intelligence, along with two new AI-driven solutions to streamline media intelligence: the Media Intelligence Hub, a unified reporting dashboard, and the Chatbot Assistant, Channel Factory’s first personalized AI data analyst.

    Channel Factory Intelligence is powered by machine learning and is the result of the company’s multi-year investment in building proprietary AI models and algorithms. Additionally, the fully integrated AI product suite contains Channel Factory’s newest AI solutions, incorporating both unparalleled brand suitability and contextual precision across digital video platforms while ensuring advertisers maximize return on ad spend with advanced optimization.

    As advertisers continue to reckon with a lack of critical insights when executing campaigns across multiple platforms, many existing AI solutions seek to rectify this issue by demanding a trade-off of control and transparency. Channel Factory Intelligence eliminates that compromise and acts as a “second brain” to deliver precise, optimized campaign insights while maintaining complete visibility. Based on an independent verification study conducted by PwC, Channel Factory has significantly optimized ad performance for advertisers, reducing media waste by more than 20% and achieving 99% accuracy in content categorization—delivering maximum efficiency, precision, and ROI.

    The two new analytics, live insights, and reporting tools announced today are the first products available within the new intelligence suite and can be leveraged via Channel Factory’s AI-driven media activation and optimization proprietary platform for cross-platform campaigns, ActivateIQ.

    Media Intelligence Hub is a customizable dashboard that centralizes campaign data, cross-platform, and surfaces foundational insights, such as total media cost, delivery, and performance. Instead of juggling multiple reports, advertisers get a clear and singular view that reduces inefficiencies, breaks down data silos, and supports faster, smarter decision-making.

    The hub enables advertisers to move from reactive to proactive strategies, while built-in machine learning forecasts trends, automates reporting, and provides optimization recommendations in real-time. Advertisers can adjust their budgets on the go and significantly improve ROI by reducing media waste with live tracking of planned versus actual spending and delivery.

    Also launching today is the new Chatbot Assistant, Channel Factory’s first personalized AI data analyst, embedded within ActivateIQ. By combining real-time analytics with Channel Factory’s industry-leading contextual intelligence, the assistant helps advertisers make instant adjustments to campaigns, content, and ad spend, preventing waste on the wrong audiences or markets. The assistant delivers curated campaign performance summaries that offer much-needed transparency between ad agencies and their technology partners.

    “Channel Factory isn’t just a vendor but they’re a strategic extension of our team. Their understanding of contextual targeting, smart optimization, knowledge of the product and platforms they work on, and collaboration, has helped us unlock stronger outcomes for our clients. They consistently ensure our campaigns are performing, efficient, brand-safe, and impactful at scale,” said Mark Kwak, Director, Paid Social and Programmatic at Starcom.

    “Running ad campaigns requires you to dig through mountains of data. Some of it is valuable, but so much can be insignificant, forcing you to spend time digging through unnecessary metrics to find actionable insights. Our industry is only tapping the surface of what’s possible when you can apply AI to solve this problem,” said Anudit Vikram, Chief Product Officer at Channel Factory. “Our new Chatbot Assistant and Media Intelligence Hub surface the insights that truly drive performance, giving advertisers the clarity they need to make confident, strategic decisions.”

    About Channel Factory
    Channel Factory is a global technology and data platform that optimizes business performance and enhances brand reputation through ethical and effective contextual targeting. Utilizing proprietary AI and brand suitability technologies, Channel Factory ensures ads are placed on brand-safe, contextually relevant content across YouTube, CTV platforms, and social media, including Meta and TikTok. Through its conscious media planning, Channel Factory is committed to promoting sustainability, diversity, and positive content, helping brands achieve their goals while fostering a healthier digital ecosystem.

    Channel Factory has a presence in 31 countries across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and ANZ, providing advertisers with IAB standard category lists and customized content options in 49+ languages. For more information about Channel Factory, please visit http://www.channelfactory.com

    Media Contact:
    Aimee Miller
    aimee@broadsheetcomms.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: OSS to Attend NVIDIA GTC Paris 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ESCONDIDO, Calif., May 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — One Stop Systems, Inc. (OSS or the Company) (Nasdaq: OSS), a leading provider of rugged, enterprise-class compute solutions for AI, machine learning (ML), and sensor processing at the edge, and an NVIDIA TIER 2 OEM and a NPN Elite Partner, today announced its participation in the upcoming NVIDIA GTC Paris Conference. The event takes place at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles in Paris, France, on June 11–12, 2025.

    “NVIDIA is a valued long-time partner,” stated OSS President and CEO, Mike Knowles. “GTC Paris provides a premier platform to showcase our rugged, enterprise-class compute solutions designed for large-scale, data center-class AI, autonomy, and sensor fusion applications in edge environments.”

    Visitors to NVIDIA GTC Paris can experience OSS’s specialized AI computing solutions at Booth E07. Representatives from Bressner, OSS’s European subsidiary, will also be present and exhibiting at the conference.

    NVIDIA GTC Paris, organized in partnership with VivaTech 2025, brings together developers, researchers, business leaders, and technical experts to explore real-world applications of AI and accelerated computing. The event features live demos and sessions on generative AI, industrial digitalization, robotics, large language models, and more.

    For product inquiries or to schedule a meeting, contact OSS sales engineers at sales@onestopsystems.com or call +1 (877) 438-2724.

    About One Stop Systems
    One Stop Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: OSS) is a leader in AI enabled solutions for the demanding ‘edge’. OSS designs and manufactures Enterprise Class compute and storage products that enable rugged AI, sensor fusion and autonomous capabilities without compromise. These hardware and software platforms bring the latest data center performance to harsh and challenging applications, whether they are on land, sea or in the air.

    OSS products include ruggedized servers, compute accelerators, flash storage arrays, and storage acceleration software. These specialized compact products are used across multiple industries and applications, including autonomous trucking and farming, as well as aircraft, drones, ships and vehicles within the defense industry.

    OSS solutions address the entire AI workflow, from high-speed data acquisition to deep learning, training and large-scale inference, and have delivered many industry firsts for industrial OEM and government customers.

    As the fastest growing segment of the multi-billion-dollar edge computing market, AI enabled solutions require-and OSS delivers-the highest level of performance in the most challenging environments without compromise.

    OSS products are available directly or through global distributors. For more information, go to www.onestopsystems.com. You can also follow OSS on X, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

    Forward-Looking Statements
    One Stop Systems cautions you that statements in this press release that are not a description of historical facts are forward-looking statements. Words such as, but not limited to, “anticipate,” “aim,” “believe,” “contemplate,” “continue,” “could,” “design,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “suggest,” “strategy,” “target,” “will,” “would,” and similar expressions or phrases, or the negative of those expressions or phrases, are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. These statements are based on the Company’s current beliefs and expectations. The inclusion of forward-looking statements should not be regarded as a representation by One Stop Systems or its partners that any of our plans or expectations will be achieved, including but not limited to the potential and/or the results of current or future programs, the future adoption of technologies or applications, or the potential benefit of attending NVIDIA GTC Paris. Actual results may differ from those set forth in this press release due to the risk and uncertainties inherent in our business, including risks described in our prior press releases and in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including under the heading “Risk Factors” in our latest Annual Report on Form 10-K and any subsequent filings with the SEC. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof, and the company undertakes no obligation to revise or update this press release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement, which is made under the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

    Media Contacts:
    Robert Kalebaugh
    One Stop Systems, Inc.
    Tel (858) 518-6154
    Email contact

    Investor Relations:
    Andrew Berger
    Managing Director
    SM Berger & Company, Inc.
    Tel (216) 464-6400
    Email contact

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: ila Bank partners with Mastercard to launch innovative solutions and expand into new markets

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MANAMA, Bahrain, May 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ila Bank, powered by Bank ABC, has partnered with Mastercard to enhance the bank’s proposition across consumer products, launching new affluent, travel products and loyalty offerings.

    ila Bank will leverage Mastercard’s expertise to introduce loyalty program that supports cardholders’ lifestyle, providing added value across a wide range of areas, including dining, luxury shopping, travel and priceless experiences. The new product line will also leverage enhanced fraud solutions and privacy protection to secure every transaction.

    Mohamed Almaraj, ila Bank CEO, said, “ila has always been about the customer. We are proud to have maintained our commitment to offering customer-centric solutions and experiences in a growingly cashless economy, and this strategic agreement furthers the ila promise of ‘banking that reflects you’. Renewing our engagement with Mastercard will strengthen our standing as the frontrunner in the region’s digital payments landscape by offering the most seamless, secure and future-focused product portfolio that provides unparalleled premium benefits.”

    Adam Jones, Mastercard’s Division President for West Arabia, said, “In line with our shared commitment to driving innovation across the digital ecosystem, our long-standing relationship with ila Bank focuses on delivering customer-first solutions that help ensure a secure and rewarding banking experience. We will continue to provide our partners with enhanced product offering, supporting regional expansion.”

    Mastercard has been a trusted partner of ila Bank from the outset, supporting the bank’s strategy Together, they have introduced several innovative propositions to the market, including the multi-currency debit program, the Pay with Rewards loyalty program and the Mastercard airline co-brand with Gulf Air in Bahrain.

    Since its establishment in 2019, ila Bank has been dedicated to addressing the dynamic needs and lifestyles of its customers with bespoke banking solutions. The digital, mobile-only bank, well-received both domestically and regionally, currently offers a range of card products, including debit, credit and prepaid cards, that provide unparalleled bonus advantages and a personalized loyalty reward system.

    Other innovative products accessible through the award-winning ila app include smart digital saving tools, like Hassala and Jamiya, as well as Al Kanz, ila’s prize account that awards substantial cash prizes to lucky customers throughout the year.

    About Mastercard
    Mastercard powers economies and empowers people in 200+ countries and territories worldwide. Together with our customers, we’re building a sustainable economy where everyone can prosper. We support a wide range of digital payments choices, making transactions secure, simple, smart and accessible. Our technology and innovation, partnerships and networks combine to deliver a unique set of products and services that help people, businesses and governments realize their greatest potential.

    www.mastercard.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a838d1fe-d20b-4879-8e41-152c9e78b0a4

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Cheap Psychic Readings [$0.99/Min] Best Cheap Phone Psychics for Affordable Readings in 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    San Francisco, CA, May 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — — Are you searching for insight into your future without breaking the bank? You’re not alone. Many people want spiritual clarity but hesitate due to high prices. Fortunately, cheap psychic readings are now more accessible than ever. With a wide range of affordable psychics available online and over the phone, getting the answers you need is just a call or click away.

    ⇒ Talk to experienced and trusted cheap psychics offering free trial readings!

    You don’t need to spend a fortune to receive quality spiritual guidance. With so many reliable and cheap psychics available online and by phone, connecting with your higher path is more affordable than ever. Explore affordable psychic readings today and discover how much clarity and peace of mind are just a session away.

    The Psychic Experts, a reputable platform known for reviewing top psychic services, has released its 2025 report featuring the best affordable psychic readings online. The report reveals a rising trend: more people are turning to trusted, low-cost advisors for guidance on love, career, and emotional clarity. With growing demand for cheap phone psychics and live chat readings, this guide helps users find accurate, budget-friendly psychic services they can trust.

    ⇒ Connect with affordable psychics who deliver real answers!

    Why Choose Cheap Psychic Readings?

    Contrary to popular belief, a cheap psychic reading doesn’t mean low quality. Many trusted and gifted psychics offer discounted or promotional rates to make their services more accessible. These cheap psychics often deliver the same level of accuracy, empathy, and spiritual guidance as higher-priced readers, especially on reputable online platforms.

    Whether you’re looking for answers about love, career, family, or finances, affordable psychic readings can provide meaningful insights without straining your budget.

    ⇒ Talk to cheap psychics you can trust – free trial readings included!

    Top Benefits of Cheap Phone Psychics

    Cheap phone psychics offer incredible convenience. You can connect with a psychic instantly from the comfort of your home, eliminating travel time and added costs. Phone readings are especially ideal for those who value privacy or need guidance during stressful moments.

    Here are a few reasons people choose cheap phone psychics:

    • Immediate access to guidance during tough decisions
    • Flexible scheduling, day or night
    • Anonymity and emotional comfort
    • Affordable rates without compromising quality

    ⇒ Connect now for cheap psychic readings that are accurate and affordable!

    How to Find Affordable Psychics You Can Trust

    When looking for affordable psychics, it’s essential to choose a platform with verified readers and positive user reviews. Many well-known psychic websites offer introductory deals, such as:

    • First 3 minutes free
    • $1 per minute specials
    • Discounted first readings

    These promotions let you test a psychic’s style and accuracy before committing to a longer session.

    Get the best cheap psychic readings from trusted and accurate advisors. Affordable, real insights from cheap phone psychics ready to guide your path today.

    ⇒ Connect with affordable psychics offering free trial readings!

    What to Expect During a Cheap Psychic Reading

    A cheap psychic session can be just as enlightening as a premium one. The key is to approach the reading with an open mind and clear intentions. Whether your session is over chat, phone, or video, prepare your questions in advance and be honest with your psychic.

    Common reading types include:

    • Tarot card readings
    • Astrology reports
    • Love and relationship readings
    • Career guidance
    • Spiritual and life path coaching

    ⇒ Discover the best cheap psychics for love, career, or life decisions

    Tips to Maximize Your Affordable Psychic Readings

    To get the most out of your session:

    1. Write down your questions ahead of time.
    2. Choose a quiet, private space for your reading.
    3. Stay open and relaxed to receive clear guidance.
    4. Take notes during or after the reading.
    5. Follow up if needed — many platforms allow reviews or follow-up sessions.

    Explore accurate and affordable guidance with cheap psychic readings. Connect instantly with the best cheap phone psychics trusted by thousands.

    ⇒ Connect instantly and get free minutes with top-rated cheap psychics!

    As search interest grows for terms like “cheap psychic,” “cheap psychic readings,” and “affordable psychic readings,” it’s clear that accessibility is now just as important as accuracy. That’s why The-Psychic-Experts.com is committed to helping users find trusted, insightful services that don’t come with a high price tag.

    Unlike generic directories filled with marketing hype or vague listings, this guide was designed to provide real answers to real questions: Are psychics legitimate? Can you chat with a psychic online for free before paying? What are the best platforms for psychic phone readings on a budget?

    To answer these questions, The-Psychic-Experts.com reviewed platforms offering flexible options, such as chat or phone formats, transparent pricing, and specialties like love readings, energy healing, and mediumship. Special attention was given to services offering trial minutes, clear pricing, and affordable access to accurate guidance, helping users make informed choices without overspending.

    ⇒ Talk to cheap phone psychics for quick, accurate insights!

    The goal is to make it easy for users to find a cheap psychic without compromising on quality, accuracy, or privacy. Whether you’re looking for a quick live chat or a longer phone psychic reading, this guide connects you with options that suit both your budget and emotional needs.

    Trusted, accurate, and affordable — explore the best cheap psychic readings with top-rated cheap phone psychics who deliver real answers that matter.

    ⇒ Connect instantly with affordable and trusted cheap psychics!

    How The Psychic Experts Rank the Best Cheap Psychic Reading Services in 2025

    The psychic experts evaluate psychic reading platforms using a detailed and independent review system. The aim is to give users a clear understanding of what to expect from affordable psychic services before committing time or money. Every service reviewed is analyzed through several key criteria designed to ensure that the recommendations are trustworthy, accessible, and aligned with user expectations.

    Unlock your future with affordable and accurate cheap psychic readings. The best cheap phone psychics are available now for trusted, insightful advice.

    ⇒ Talk now to cheap phone psychics with a free trial offer!

    Price Transparency

    One of the most essential factors in the ranking process is pricing clarity. Services showing per-minute rates, trial offers, and refund terms are rated higher than those that obscure fees behind layered credit systems or hidden conditions. A primary concern among new users is being charged without fully understanding how pricing works. To address this, only platforms that provide upfront pricing and clearly explain the cost of cheap psychic readings were considered for the final list.

    The guide also places value on services that offer a low-cost entry point—such as a few free minutes to try the service or no requirement for upfront credit card information. These features help users test the quality of a phone psychic or live chat session before deciding whether to continue.

    ⇒ Connect with the most accurate cheap psychics today!

    Service Accessibility (Chat and Phone Options)

    Accessibility is also a priority. The rankings focus on services that support chat and phone psychic readings, allowing users to choose the most comfortable format. Some prefer speaking with a psychic by phone for a more direct and personal exchange, while others are more at ease using a chat-based interface, especially when exploring sensitive topics in private.

    In both formats, accessibility across devices (mobile and desktop), language support, and the option for instant sessions were all evaluated. Services that made it easy to chat with psychics online, free of complicated signups or long wait times, were rated more favorably.

    Spiritual Accuracy and Professionalism

    To assess the quality of the readings themselves, The-Psychic-Experts.com uses controlled testing. A selection of readers from each service is evaluated through trial sessions designed to measure consistency, relevance, and tone. Services that employed psychics with clear, situation-specific insights scored higher in this category.

    The site does not promote guarantees of supernatural outcomes or unrealistic claims. Instead, the focus is on practical guidance delivered respectfully, with a tone that supports emotional clarity. Psychics who consistently offered helpful, grounded insights in phone and chat formats were favored in the final ranking.

    ⇒ Discover affordable guidance with cheap psychic readings!

    User Experience and Real Reviews

    Finally, user feedback plays a central role in the ranking process. Hundreds of verified customer reviews, across multiple sources, were analyzed to identify patterns. Common themes included satisfaction with pricing, responsiveness, emotional impact, and whether the session met expectations.

    Services with frequent complaints about billing confusion, rushed readings, or lack of availability were excluded from the top ranks. Instead, preference was given to platforms with steady user satisfaction and repeat engagement.

    No specific company or brand is named in this report. The goal is to offer general consumer guidance based on consistent patterns and user needs. This approach protects the editorial neutrality of The-Psychic-Experts.com and keeps the focus on experience quality rather than marketing.

    The result is a trusted resource for anyone seeking a cheap psychic who can offer reliable advice without financial risk or long-term commitment.

    ⇒ Discover cheap psychic readings with honest and trusted advisors!

    What Makes Cheap Psychic Readings Online a Practical Option in 2025?

    There’s a common misunderstanding that lower-cost services mean lower quality. The-Psychic-Experts.com’s 2025 guide proves that this is not the case when it comes to psychic readings. Affordable services can deliver valuable, emotionally supportive insights, especially when evaluated carefully.

    Access Anytime, Across Time Zones

    One of the most substantial advantages of online psychic services is 24/7 access. No matter where the user is located, they can connect with a phone psychic or live chat advisor at any hour. This removes scheduling barriers and allows quick access during personal crises, major decisions, or periods of emotional uncertainty.

    The guide highlights how services offering both live chat and phone readings are helping users avoid the long wait times often associated with in-person appointments. Whether someone wants to speak with a psychic directly or have a text-based conversation, availability is much more flexible than before.

    ⇒ Talk live with affordable and accurate cheap psychics!

    Lower Cost Doesn’t Mean Low Value

    Price is a significant concern for many people looking for guidance, but not everyone can afford sessions that cost $5 or more per minute. The services reviewed in this report offer alternatives starting at under $1 per minute or include trial minutes to test the service at no cost.

    The ability to speak with cheap phone psychics under traditional rates means more people can access emotional support without pressure. It also encourages repeat engagement, helping users build longer-term insight without financial strain.

    Quality was not compromised. Many users reported that their experiences with cheap psychics were as detailed and impactful as sessions they’d previously paid more for. What matters most is how clear, focused, and helpful the reading is, not how much it costs.

    ⇒ Talk to cheap psychics now and enjoy a free trial session!

    Private, Flexible Sessions

    Not everyone is comfortable discussing personal issues face-to-face. Many users prefer psychic chat sessions because they can stay anonymous while receiving direct answers. The live chat format is handy for first-time users or those who want to explore specific questions discreetly.

    Phone readings remain a preferred option for those seeking a more interactive experience. The connection can feel more personal with voice tone, pauses, and real-time responses. Both methods have benefits, and having the option to choose adds to the appeal of cheap psychic readings online.

    Services that allow users to chat with psychics online for free, at least for a few minutes, give an added layer of confidence. They reduce risk, support trust, and allow users to experience the process before paying for a longer session.

    User Control and Session Customization

    Cheap psychic services often allow users to filter by category, skill, and reading style. This level of control helps people match with psychics who specialize in what they’re going through—whether that’s a relationship issue, work stress, or spiritual uncertainty.

    Rather than relying on one-size-fits-all solutions, users can choose how long they want their session to be, how much they’re willing to spend, and what topics they want to discuss.

    ⇒ Connect with top-rated cheap phone psychics today

    Types of Cheap Psychic Readings Available Online in 2025

    As demand for affordable psychic services increases, so do the options available. The psychic expert’s latest report outlines the most common formats users can choose from when seeking insight and support. These services are built around flexibility—letting people decide how to connect, how much time they want to spend, and what information they hope to receive.

    Psychic Phone Readings

    Phone psychic readings continue to be one of the most requested formats. This method lets users speak directly with a psychic, offering a natural and real-time conversation. Many people feel more connected when they hear voice tone, emotion, and pacing—all of which help build trust during a reading.

    Phone sessions are ideal for those who want detailed discussions or have multiple questions that need follow-up. They’re also preferred by people dealing with emotionally complex topics like relationship decisions or long-term career questions. Because of their interactive nature, phone readings often allow for deeper follow-through and clarification.

    Phone psychic readings are offered at various price points. The report features several services where cheap phone psychics offer quality sessions under $2 per minute, with many providing free minutes upfront for first-time users.

    ⇒ Talk to psychic experts offering affordable phone readings!

    Live Psychic Chat Readings

    Chat-based readings are especially popular with users who prefer privacy or wish to remain anonymous. This format involves real-time messaging with a psychic advisor, often through a platform’s built-in chat tool.

    Many users choose this option because it gives them more time to think about what they want to say. It also creates a written transcript of the conversation, which can be helpful for review later. Live psychic chat is a common starting point for new users exploring the service without committing to a phone call.

    For those wondering if chat readings are as effective as phone ones, The-Psychic-Experts.com notes that both formats can be equally accurate. The decision often comes down to personal comfort.

    Chat services are also a strong choice for people with hearing difficulties or those in shared living spaces where phone calls aren’t ideal. They often include features like instant connection, user ratings, and profile filters that help match the reader to the user’s concerns.

    ⇒ Connect with cheap psychics who offer real insight

    Psychic Medium Chat

    This chat form focuses specifically on communicating with loved ones who have passed away. Medium readings are usually more specialized and are handled by psychics trained in this type of spiritual connection.

    The format can vary between chat and phone, but many people find psychic medium chat to be less overwhelming than a phone session, especially when dealing with grief. Written communication allows them to take their time, reflect, and process what is being shared.

    Not all services offer this type of reading, and The-Psychic-Experts.com’s report highlights which platforms include mediumship among their specialties. Readers trained in this area are usually marked clearly on their profiles, and users are encouraged to seek reviews before beginning a session.

    Free Psychic Reading Online Chat (No Credit Card Needed)

    A growing number of users prefer to try a reading without any financial commitment. The guide also looks at platforms offering free psychic chat with no credit card required.

    These trial sessions are often short, typically 3 to 5 minutes, but give users a sense of the reader’s style and accuracy. More importantly, they reduce the risk of misunderstanding pricing models or being locked into service before feeling confident.

    Many people use these free minutes to test multiple readers before deciding who to work with long-term. For those unsure where to start, this is one of the most practical ways to explore psychic reading without pressure.

    ⇒ Talk now and get a free trial with cheap psychic readings!

    When to Choose Chat or Phone

    There’s no single format that fits everyone. Choosing between chat and phone depends on the user’s communication style, emotional needs, and environment.

    Phone is best for:

    • Real-time emotional support
    • Follow-up questions
    • Detailed explanations

    Chat is best for:

    • Privacy or public settings
    • Written reference after the session
    • First-time users testing the service

    ⇒ Connect for accurate, affordable cheap phone psychic sessions

    How to Choose the Right Cheap Psychic for Your Needs

    Finding the right psychic doesn’t always mean finding the most expensive one. Many users discover that a low-cost reader can offer just as much value when properly vetted. The-Psychic-Experts.com outlines several tips to help people choose wisely, avoid common mistakes, and match with a psychic who aligns with their goals.

    Look for Verified Reviews and Reading Samples

    A good starting point is reading user feedback. Platforms included in the guide often feature star ratings, written testimonials, and repeat client data. These reviews can help identify patterns, such as whether a psychic is known for accuracy, compassion, or quick connection.

    Some services allow potential clients to read public transcripts or summaries from previous sessions. This can give insight into how the psychic communicates and whether their tone matches the user’s preferences.

    ⇒ Talk to affordable, cheap psychics with top reviews!

    Focus on Specialty Match

    Not all psychics work the same way. Some focus on love and relationships, while others specialize in spiritual growth, career decisions, or past life readings. Choosing someone aligned with the topic at hand makes the session more productive.

    For example:

    • Love readings: Look for keywords like soulmate, twin flame, or relationship analysis.
    • Career or money questions: Search for financial clarity or professional guidance tags.
    • Past life insight: Choose readers trained in regression or spiritual recall techniques.

    Use Free Minutes or Trial Offers

    Cheap psychic readings don’t mean guessing. Many reviewed services offer free 3–5 minutes to new users. This time can be used to evaluate clarity, tone, and connection before deciding whether to continue.

    Users can end the session without penalty if the reader seems unclear, vague, or repetitive. Trial minutes are essential for testing multiple options until the right match is found.

    ⇒ Talk to affordable psychics now and enjoy free minutes!

    Red Flags to Watch Out For

    While most reviewed services are legitimate, staying cautious is still essential. The-Psychic-Experts.com advises users to be aware of certain warning signs:

    • Pushing for extended time: If a reader pressures a client to extend beyond their planned session, this is a concern.
    • Making absolute promises: No psychic can guarantee specific outcomes.
    • Scare tactics or upselling: Any mention of curses, spells, or urgent need for payment to avoid bad energy is a red flag.

    If a psychic introduces those themes, users can disconnect immediately and report the session if needed.

    Trust Your First Impression

    First impressions matter. If a psychic doesn’t feel present, respectful, or connected in the first few minutes, they may not be the right choice.

    Users are encouraged to prepare a few clear questions before the session and to keep the conversation focused. The best psychics will listen carefully, respond directly, and create a comfortable space for users to share details at their own pace.

    ⇒ Talk to the best cheap psychics for career and relationship insights!

    What Real Users Say About Cheap Psychic Readings Online

    The psychic experts gathered experiences from everyday users who’ve turned to cheap psychic readings online for clarity and emotional support. The following testimonials represent user profiles covering a range of demographics and situations. These stories help show how accessible psychic services, including psychic phone readings and free psychic chat options, are making a difference in people’s lives in 2025.

    ⇒ Discover peace of mind with cheap psychic readings!

    Samantha, 27, Graphic Designer — Oregon

    “I started using psychic chat services about a year ago when I was going through a confusing breakup. I didn’t want to discuss it with friends, and therapy wasn’t in my budget. I found a cheap psychic online who helped me put my feelings in perspective. We connected through a free psychic reading online chat with no credit card required. I was surprised by how calming it was just to talk through things.”

    Samantha now uses affordable psychics for guidance on career decisions. “It’s a tool I use when I need another point of view. Not everything is groundbreaking, but the good sessions really help me get unstuck.”

    ⇒ Connect to trusted cheap psychics offering free minutes!

    Richard, 64, Retired Police Officer — Florida

    “I used to think psychic readings were all just entertainment. But when I lost my wife, I found myself searching for anything that could offer comfort. I wasn’t ready for a full conversation at first, so I tried a live psychic chat. The reader made no wild claims; it just helped me think about what I was holding onto.”

    Now, Richard prefers phone psychic readings. “Sometimes you just want to talk, and the chat doesn’t feel like enough. I’ve found a few cheap phone psychics who actually take the time to listen.”

    He continues to use psychic phone readings every few months. “The cost is manageable, and it helps me focus.”

    Tania, 35, Single Mother of Two — Texas

    “I work full-time and raise two kids. There’s not a lot of time or money left over for me. A friend told me about free psychic chat online, and I thought, ‘Why not?’ I asked about some decisions I’d been avoiding—whether to move, take a promotion, start dating again.”

    Tania found the convenience of live chat critical. “I could message someone late at night while the kids were sleeping. And the advice felt honest, not like someone trying to sell me a dream.”

    She’s used affordable psychic readings several times since. “You can get what you need in 15 minutes, and it doesn’t cost more than lunch. That’s what makes it sustainable.”

    ⇒ Discover love, money, and destiny with cheap phone psychics

    Closing Summary: A Practical Guide for Affordable Spiritual Support in 2025

    The Psychic Experts 2025 report is a practical resource for anyone looking to explore cheap psychic readings without confusion or high costs. By focusing on services that are accessible, affordable, and flexible, the guide helps users take control of their spiritual questions, whether they prefer quick online chats or full phone psychic readings.

    With interest in cheap psychic readings, low-cost phone sessions, and flexible reading formats rising across the country, users now have more ways to get support that fits their schedule and budget. This guide simplifies that process by providing precise, unbiased evaluations prioritizing user experience over promotional claims.

    The platform has helped thousands of people find their first psychic, explore new reading formats, and return to trusted advisors—all without long-term commitment or inflated pricing. Whether someone seeks relationship advice, closure from a past event, or direction in a career choice, the right psychic match is easier to find when guided by accurate, experience-based information.

    FAQs

    Are cheap psychic readings accurate?

    Yes, cheap psychic readings can be just as accurate as more expensive sessions. Many affordable psychics offer low rates to attract new clients or provide spiritual guidance to a wider audience. Accuracy depends more on the psychic’s ability than the price.

    What makes a psychic reading “cheap”?

    A cheap psychic reading usually refers to sessions offered at a lower-than-average rate, often as part of a promotion or introductory offer. Many trusted platforms feature cheap psychics with special deals like $1 per minute or free first minutes.

    Where can I find affordable psychic readings online?

    You can find affordable psychic readings on reputable websites that verify their psychics and offer user reviews. Look for platforms that highlight cheap phone psychics and chat options, with clearly stated pricing and customer support.

    Are cheap phone psychics reliable?

    Yes, many cheap phone psychics are experienced and trustworthy. Phone readings can offer the same depth and accuracy as in-person sessions, especially when provided by vetted and well-reviewed affordable psychics.

    Can I get a cheap psychic reading about love and relationships?

    Absolutely. Many cheap psychics specialize in love, relationships, and compatibility readings. Whether you’re dealing with heartbreak or seeking your soulmate, cheap psychic readings can offer deep insights at a low cost.

    How long does a cheap psychic reading last?

    The duration depends on the platform and your budget. Most cheap psychic readings are billed per minute, allowing you to control how much you spend. Short sessions can still provide powerful insights, especially with focused questions.

    What should I ask during an affordable psychic reading?

    Prepare clear, specific questions to get the most out of your affordable psychic reading. Topics can include love, career, family, finances, or spiritual growth. Many people ask cheap phone psychics about timing, decision-making, or past-life insights.

    Do affordable psychics offer free readings?

    Many affordable psychics offer the first few minutes free or discounted as a trial. While not completely free, these offers make it easy to test the psychic’s style and accuracy before committing to a full cheap psychic reading.

    Are cheap psychic readings safe and confidential?

    Yes, most reputable platforms that offer cheap psychic readings ensure privacy and confidentiality. Whether you’re connecting with cheap phone psychics or using online chat, your personal information and questions remain secure.

    What’s the difference between a cheap psychic and an expensive one?

    Often, the difference lies in popularity or years of experience. However, many cheap psychics are just as talented but choose to keep their rates accessible. It’s always a good idea to read reviews and choose a psychic based on connection and accuracy, not just price.

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    Company: The Psychic Experts
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  • MIL-OSI Economics: The App Store prevented more than $9 billion in fraudulent transactions

    Source: Apple

    Headline: The App Store prevented more than $9 billion in fraudulent transactions

    May 27, 2025

    UPDATE

    The App Store prevented more than $9 billion in fraudulent transactions over the last five years

    In 2024 alone, Apple stopped over $2 billion in potentially fraudulent transactions and blocked nearly 2 million risky app submissions from reaching users

    Since launching in 2008, the App Store has been a safe and trusted place for users and a vibrant marketplace for developers to grow their businesses around the world. In the last five years, the App Store has protected users by preventing over $9 billion in fraudulent transactions, including over $2 billion in 2024 alone, according to Apple’s annual App Store fraud analysis. This reflects the App Store’s continued investment in fostering the most secure experience for users while providing developers with tools and resources, including a powerful commerce system that helps customers transact safely and securely in 175 regions around the globe. With an average of more than 813 million visitors a week, the App Store is a trusted destination for users to download their favorite apps and discover new ones.

    Preserving the App Store’s safe and secure marketplace requires constant vigilance, as bad actors continue to evolve their tactics in an attempt to defraud users. These threats range from deceptive apps designed to steal personal information, to fraudulent payment schemes that attempt to exploit users. Apple employs a comprehensive approach to combating fraud on the App Store, with teams across the company working to detect, investigate, and prevent malicious activity before it can reach users.

    Account Fraud

    Apple’s strong antifraud infrastructure helps ensure that malicious developer and customer accounts are swiftly flagged and eliminated. In 2024, Apple terminated more than 146,000 developer accounts over fraud concerns and rejected an additional 139,000 developer enrollments, preventing bad actors from submitting their apps to the App Store in the first place.

    Apple also rejected over 711 million customer account creations and deactivated nearly 129 million customer accounts last year, blocking these risky and malicious accounts from carrying out nefarious activity. That includes spamming or manipulating ratings and reviews, charts, and search results that risk compromising the integrity of the App Store.

    This commitment to safety extends beyond the App Store, as Apple works to prevent risky software distributed by pirate storefronts from reaching users. In 2024, Apple detected and blocked over 10,000 illegitimate apps on pirate storefronts, which include malware, pornography apps, gambling apps, and pirated versions of legitimate apps from the App Store. By restricting these storefronts, Apple also protects developers from having their apps cloned, altered, or weaponized for spreading malicious software.

    Over the past month, Apple has also stopped nearly 4.6 million attempts to install or launch apps distributed illicitly outside the App Store or approved third-party marketplaces.

    App Review

    Before any app makes its way onto the App Store, it is vetted by a member of Apple’s App Review team, all of whom are deeply familiar with the App Review Guidelines, and focused on ensuring apps meet Apple’s standards for quality and safety. On average, this team reviews nearly 150,000 app submissions each week, helping bring new apps and updates to the App Store. Last year, App Review helped more than 220,000 developers publish their first app on the App Store.

    App Review involves both human review and automated processes to detect and take action on apps that are suspected to be potentially harmful to users. With over 7.7 million App Store submissions reviewed in 2024, more than 1.9 million were rejected for failing to meet Apple’s standards for security, reliability, and user experience, including for privacy violations or fraud concerns.

    Malicious actors are known to employ a variety of tactics in their attempts to circumvent App Review’s safeguards and sneak bad apps onto the App Store with the intention of defrauding users. App Review rejects any potentially malicious apps it identifies during review, and the team’s investigation into one fraudulent app often results in the takedown of several others linked to the same problematic developer. In 2024, App Review removed more than 37,000 apps for fraudulent activity.

    Other common tactics used by fraudulent developers can include concealing hidden features and functionality in their code, which are only enabled after the app passes App Review. Apple monitors for such behavior, and in 2024, rejected over 43,000 app submissions for containing hidden or undocumented features. App Review also takes action against a number of apps that attempt to trick or scam users, and in 2024, rejected over 320,000 submissions that copied other apps, were found to be spam, or otherwise misled users.

    These bad actors can also attempt to deceive users by disguising potentially risky software as seemingly innocuous apps. Last year, App Review removed over 17,000 apps for bait-and-switch maneuvers such as these, as part of its ongoing efforts to routinely monitor and take action against problematic apps.

    Apps that attempt to access users’ personal data without their permission or knowledge are also prohibited from the App Store. In 2024, App Review rejected 400,000 app submissions for privacy violations.

    Discovery Fraud

    Apple takes swift action against apps that attempt to cheat the system and boost their ranking on the App Store, such as by using bots or paid services to artificially inflate download numbers or post fake five-star reviews.

    In 2024, Apple processed over 1.2 billion ratings and reviews and took significant action to combat fraud, removing more than 143 million fraudulent ratings and reviews from the App Store. In the same year, Apple also removed more than 7,400 apps from App Store charts and nearly 9,500 deceptive apps from appearing in App Store search results. These actions in turn benefit developers who are in good standing, leveling the playing field and allowing them a fair chance to thrive on the App Store.

    Payment and Credit Card Fraud

    Apple is diligent in its mission to protect users from scam and payment threats, and in 2024, protected users by preventing more than $2 billion in fraudulent transactions.

    Apple also takes credit card fraud extremely seriously and remains committed to protecting users from such. For example, when consumers make a purchase with Apple Pay, it uses a device-specific number and unique transaction code so a card number is never stored on a consumer’s device or on Apple servers. Additionally, credit and debit card numbers are never shared with developers, thus eliminating another risk factor in the payment transaction process. Last year, Apple identified nearly 4.7 million stolen credit cards and banned over 1.6 million accounts from transacting again.

    In addition to its antifraud measures, Apple also equips developers with access to world-class payment technologies. Examples of these include Apple Pay and StoreKit, which are used by over 420,000 apps to provide users with a safe, secure way to make purchases on the App Store.

    Developers leveraging StoreKit can take advantage of Apple’s in-app purchase system, which provides users with much more than a way to purchase subscriptions and digital add-ons. In-app purchase on the App Store offers users a secure and trusted environment designed to protect privacy, prevent fraud, and make managing purchases simple. With built-in tools to view, modify, or cancel subscriptions; purchase history; and support for refunds, users stay in control every step of the way. Every transaction is authenticated with a user’s Apple ID, backed by an industry-leading fraud protection engine, and handled with end-to-end encryption.

    Keeping Users Safe

    Apple will continue to build on its commitment to provide users with the safest and most secure experience on the App Store, which includes empowering them with resources to get help and report suspected fraud. Learn more about staying safe on the App Store at support.apple.com/en-us/122712.

    Press Contacts

    Adam Dema

    Apple

    AdamDema@apple.com

    Archelle Thelemaque

    Apple

    athelemaque2@apple.com

    Apple Media Helpline

    media.help@apple.com

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