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Category: Business

  • MIL-OSI: CAI Recognized as a Forbes 2025 Best Employers for New Grads

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ALLENTOWN, Pa., May 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — CAI, a global services firm, announced today it has been awarded America’s Best Employers for New Grads 2025 by Forbes, an accolade that highlights companies fostering a positive working environment for young professionals. CAI ranked 24th out of 500 companies, across seven industries, that received recognition on this list.

    Statista, a leading statistics portal and industry ranking provider, in collaboration with Forbes, conducted an independent survey from over 100,000 U.S. young professionals with less than 10 years of work experience. The survey considered companies employing at least 1,000 people across various industry sectors, evaluating them on multiple dimensions such as Atmosphere & Development, Diversity, Image, Salary/Wage, Workplace, and Working Conditions.

    The survey employed both direct evaluations from employees and indirect evaluations from friends, family, and industry peers. The comprehensive scoring model considered personal drivers and public recommendations, ensuring a thorough analysis over a three-year period.

    “Being recognized as a top employer for new grads is a testament to our unwavering commitment to cultivating an environment where young talent not only shines but thrives,” said Tammy Harper, chief human resources officer at CAI. “Our Internship eXperience Program (IXP) is intentional on empowering the next generation of professionals. We give our teams the tools and support they need to succeed from day one.”

    CAI offers the IXP, providing college interns with real-world experience by working alongside CAI professionals. It equips interns with the first-hand knowledge and skills necessary to transition from an academic environment to the professional working world.

    For more information on the America’s Best Employers for New Grads 2025, please visit: https://www.forbes.com/lists/best-employers-for-new-grads/

    To browse open roles, visit https://careers.cai.io/us/en

    About CAI

    CAI is a global services firm with over 9,000 associates worldwide and a yearly revenue of $1.3 billion+. We have over 40 years of excellence in uniting talent and technology to power the possible for our clients, colleagues, and communities. As a privately held company, we have the freedom and focus to do what’s right—whatever it takes. Our tailor-made solutions create lasting results across the public and commercial sectors, and we are trailblazers in bringing neurodiversity to the enterprise.

    Contact:

    Madison Oler
    Sr. PR & Communications Specialist
    CAI
    Madison.oler@cai.io

    The MIL Network –

    May 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Standard Premium Reports Record Profitability for FY 2024 and Q1 2025, Signaling Continued Growth

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MIAMI, May 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Standard Premium Finance Holdings, Inc. (“Standard Premium”) (OTCQX: SPFX), a leading specialty finance company, announces record-breaking profitability across its latest financial reporting periods. In fiscal year 2024, net income rose 84.1% year-over-year and total revenues exceeded $12.1 million, a 24.9% increase over 2023. In Q1 2025, the Company delivered its strongest single-quarter performance, including 230% increase in earnings per share and 82.7% rise in net income compared to the same period in 2024.

    “This level of profitability reflects the strength of our business model, discipline of our team and long-term potential of the specialty finance sector,” says William Koppelmann, CEO, Standard Premium. “We focus on customer service and scaling strategically while delivering consistent value to shareholders.”

    Financial highlights:

    FY 2024:

    • Revenue: $12.1 million (up 24.9%)
    • Net Income: $980,000 (up 84.1%)
    • Earnings Per Share (Basic): $0.29
    • Loan Originations: $149 million (up 14%)
    • Return on Equity: 16.6%

    Q1 2025:

    • Net Income: $336,000 (up 182.7%)
    • Earnings Per Share (Basic): $0.10 (up 230%)
    • Return on Equity: 20.99%
    • Operating expenses reduced 7.8% year-over-year

    Standard Premium maintains continued growth using strong fundamentals, including payment of preferred dividends and improved returns on equity and assets. Lower borrowing costs and disciplined expense management contributed to bottom-line growth.

    “Standard Premium is positioned to lead with innovation, operational discipline and proven ability to scale profitably,” Koppelmann adds. “We remain committed to delivering long-term value by expanding our footprint, investing in technology and pursuing growth opportunities that align with our strengths.”

    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. 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 –

    May 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Economics: NEW REPORT: Clean Energy Manufacturing Driving Next Chapter of U.S. Economic Prosperity

    Source: American Clean Power Association (ACP)

    Headline: NEW REPORT: Clean Energy Manufacturing Driving Next Chapter of U.S. Economic Prosperity

    Clean power manufacturing contributes $18 billion to GDP annually and supports 122,000 American jobs
    Projected to contribute $86 billion to GDP annually and support over 575,000 jobs by 2030
    Investments are concentrated in rural communities and 73% of active facilities are in Republican states

    PHOENIX, AZ, May 20, 2025 – Today at CLEANPOWER 2025, the American Clean Power Association (ACP) released its State of Clean Energy Manufacturing in America report, showing a significant and sustainable ripple effect across states and economic sectors. The clean power manufacturing sector currently contributes $18 billion to U.S. GDP annually, spurs $33 billion in domestic spending annually, and supports 122,000 American jobs across the country.
    If all announced manufacturing facilities become operational, clean power manufacturing is projected to support over 575,000 jobs and contribute $86 billion annually to GDP by 2030.
    “Surging clean energy deployment is creating new manufacturing facilities across the country. This success will create hundreds of thousands of jobs and revitalize American communities if policy leaders place economic progress over partisan division,” said Jason Grumet, CEO of ACP. “Today’s report shows that the manufacturing activities across the clean energy sector drive a ripple effect of economic growth that extends far beyond factory walls, reaching every corner of the country. Reshoring this critical supply chain requires a shared commitment by both industry and policymakers to prioritize domestic economic growth and global competitiveness.”
    Clean Power Manufacturing Driving U.S. Economic Boom
    The report illustrates how the industry has laid the groundwork for a secure domestic supply chain, revitalizing manufacturing communities and driving American competition on the global stage.

    Over 800 manufacturing plants currently contributing to the U.S. clean energy supply chain, with at least one in every state.
    200 existing manufacturing facilities are actively building primary clean power components across 38 states to supply the booming demand for new energy in America.

    Creating Generational Opportunities for Local Communities
    New data highlights how clean power manufacturing is creating generational opportunities at the local level, providing opportunities across skillsets, industries, and generating wages well above the national average.

    Clean energy manufacturing is booming in regions across the country, such as the Southeast, Midwest, and in states like Texas.
    The clean energy manufacturing workforce made on average $42,000 more than the average worker in the U.S. economy in 2024.

    These manufacturing jobs also generate additional employment across the economy: Upstream supply chain jobs paid an average of $75,000, while downstream jobs supported by household spending—such as those in retail, food service, and hospitality—averaged about $52,000.

    Driving US Competitiveness and Global Leadership
    The industry’s investments are critical to international competitiveness and innovation, positioning the U.S. as a global leader and strengthening our energy security.

    America’s power needs are growing fast—projected to rise 35–50% by 2040—as data centers expand, domestic manufacturing rebounds, and our transportation and buildings electrify.
    Energy manufacturing processes are considerably complex and capital intensive, often requiring multiple intricate steps, specialized equipment, and expertise. This intricacy often comes with trade exposure or a series of imports and exports before the final energy component is ready for installation.
    A resilient, American-made supply chain for clean energy technologies makes the economy stronger, the country’s energy more secure, and serves as the foundation for innovation and growth.

    The Path Forward
    There are 200 manufacturing facilities in the pipeline representing over $150 billion of investment. If all announced facilities become operational by 2030, the impact could be transformative.

    Clean power manufacturing could support over 575,000 jobs
    Generate over $40 billion in earnings
    Contribute $86 billion to the GDP
    Add $164 billion in output to the economy annually

    Employment from existing and planned facilities by 2030 by region is projected to be:

    Northeast: 4,300+
    Mid-Atlantic: 123,000+
    South: 172,000+
    Midwest: 86,000+
    West: 173,000+

    Policy and Business Certainty Critical to American Manufacturing Leadership
    The report details how these economic and job benefits have largely been made possible because of federal clean energy tax credits enacted in 2022. The report calls on policymakers to build on this historic American manufacturing legacy with a suite of targeted policy tools to continue the momentum. They include:

    Preserving energy tax credits (45X, 45Y, 48C, 48E)
    Creating a stable and strategic trade environment
    Facilitating a true all-of-the above energy strategy
    Streamlining permitting to benefit American manufacturers and their customers
    Ensuring critical minerals policy appropriately leverages demand from downstream domestic clean energy manufacturers.

    To read the full report, click here.

    MIL OSI Economics –

    May 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Labour governments have always struggled with immigration – here’s what Keir Starmer could learn from them

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Erica Consterdine, Senior Lecturer in Public Policy, Lancaster University

    The government has outlined its plans to reduce net migration to the UK. The proposals are generally restrictive: scrapping social care visas, tightening work visas, longer residency requirements, tougher English tests and restructuring student visas.

    While Reform’s recent success at the local elections hardened Keir Starmer’s rhetoric in announcing the changes, the thrust of this policy was to be expected. But will the political calculation pay off?

    Immigration has long been a headache for Labour. It is a topic that cuts across the party’s ideological factions – its protectionist roots, its universalist values, and its market-friendly third way leanings. Each of these calls for a different approach on immigration.

    Labour’s record on immigration is historically patchy. Previous Labour governments have been responsible for some of the most deplorable immigration acts, including the racially discriminatory 1968 act, which restricted non-white immigration in a betrayal of Kenyan Asians fleeing persecution.

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

    The British public then was far more illiberal on immigration than it is today. Trade unions were historically anti-immigrant, perceiving foreign labour as a threat to wages and job displacement. Labour, like their Tory counterparts, mostly operated on a bipartisan consensus of limiting immigration, on the idea that this was better for cohesion.

    This is exemplified in the Hattersley equation (named for former MP Roy Hattersley), a bipartisan political consensus that lasted from the postwar years up until Thatcher’s government. The compromise was between restrictive immigration policy and liberal integration measures (the Race Relations Act) to appease Labour’s liberal base.

    New Labour embraced the Thatcherite, neoliberal agenda, with Tony Blair declaring that there is no alternative to globalisation and therefore immigration. Framing immigration as an economic good, and humanitarian mobility as the bogeyman, Labour’s regime radically transformed the immigration system from one of the most restrictive in Europe to one of the most liberal labour regimes. But this was never for the benefit of migrants – it was simply economic calculation.

    We know what happened next: the political battleground, the cursed net migration target, Brexit and the lurches to the right ever since. In opposition, Labour has never been able to resolve this.

    Starmer’s approach

    A sticking point since 2010 has been traditionally working-class Labour constituents, viewed as “left behind” due to globalisation, and who now make up the red wall. The narrative goes that these voters have drifted rightwards due to dissatisfaction with immigration.

    But overall, Labour voters are still more positive than Conservatives towards immigration. A regressive policy on migrant rights could lose Labour some of its voter base.

    What’s more, net migration is likely to decrease over Labour’s term anyway, due to changes made by the last government and the tailing off of unprecedented migration from bespoke humanitarian schemes, like the one for Ukrainians. Arguably, Starmer’s reforms weren’t strictly necessary.

    Starmer could have framed the same policies around a softer rhetoric, one that embraces multicultural Britain while making the case for reforming the labour market. The enemy could have easily been cast as the Conservative government that neglected investment in the people at the expense of global corporations.

    Data from the Institute of Public Policy Research suggests that the UK public has become softer on immigration, but they want fairness. The easy way out here was to praise the benefits that immigration can bring while emphasising the need for control to maximise those benefits.

    Denigrating the current system as a “squalid chapter” of history is playing to Reform voters – arguably a foolish move, given that evidence shows you can’t beat the far right at its own game.

    Will the proposals work?

    If these proposals do reduce migration, it will come at a high cost for the country, not least in the consequences for the higher education and social care sectors. It may even increase irregular migration, as more people go underground in their attempts to reach Britain.

    The crux of the government’s problem is promising to reduce immigration in a system dependent on labour market flexibility. The proposals would make the UK extortionately expensive for both applicants and the employers who sponsor them, and make it economically unviable for the sectors that rely on foreign labour to recruit.

    A more social democratic immigration policy would invest in training, skills and wages of domestic workforces, while providing rights to the migrants who already reside here.

    Labour’s policy does not do this. It curtails rights significantly, for example in the doubling of the waiting period to apply for the right to stay indefinitely, and the plans to review how the right to family life is applied. Both of these are arguably counterproductive to the aims of integration and out of step with other countries.

    The theory behind the government reforms is that migrant workers will be replaced by the economically inactive domestic labour force – a win-win. Aside from the suspect simplicity of this equation, it will require more than sticks on employers and migrants. It necessitates a radical overhaul of the system, the economic model and a more interventionist state to move towards a coordinated market economy, one with more organisation and regulation on the labour market.

    Despite the government’s significant majority, a disciplined cabinet and an infighting opposition, the government appears reluctant to make such dramatic change, wedded to the existing paradigms of neoliberal free markets in a quest for growth in stagnating economies. If it wants its plans to work, Labour will have to be bolder and provide carrots to go with the sticks.

    Erica Consterdine 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. Labour governments have always struggled with immigration – here’s what Keir Starmer could learn from them – https://theconversation.com/labour-governments-have-always-struggled-with-immigration-heres-what-keir-starmer-could-learn-from-them-256737

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    May 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why do protestors use disruptive, confrontational tactics? New research shows they’re not just a last resort

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Mete Sefa Uysal, Lecturer in Social & Political Psychology, University of Exeter

    HJBC/Shutterstock

    Public protests are on the rise globally, from climate marches and university occupations to roadblocks and mass political demonstrations. These actions may sometimes include confrontational tactics such as civil disobedience, disruption and, at times, violent resistance.

    At Columbia University in the US, for instance, pro-Palestine student protests recently captured global attention for their tactics. They ranged from non-confrontational actions such as gatherings and sit-ins to campus encampments and occupations aimed at disrupting daily activities, which eventually led to confrontations with police.

    Actions like these often spark debate. Are activists acting strategically, or simply reacting out of desperation and rage? Our new research sheds light on this question. Contrary to popular belief, people do not only turn to confrontational protest because they are desperate or lack political alternatives.

    Confrontational protests are frequently portrayed negatively. They are often associated with extremism, disorder, or desperation. So it’s long been a mystery why people choose such confrontational forms of protest, especially given more conventional options like petitions or authorised rallies offer broader public support and visibility.

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

    In our surveys of 3,833 people across three countries – Germany, Turkey and the UK – we found that people choose confrontational action when they believe it is effective and legitimate for achieving their group’s political goals.

    That said, in some protests, confrontational tactics may emerge spontaneously as a self-defence, driven by immediate threats. But it is not simply an emotional outburst or a last resort: it can be a strategic choice.

    This challenges a widely discussed idea in social and political psychology called the “nothing-to-lose” hypothesis. According to this view, people are driven to confrontational protest when they see non-confrontational action (such as voting, petitioning, or authorised marches) as ineffective. This is often because they have little political trust or are oppressed. Our studies ultimately tested this hypothesis.

    We found that most people rated non-confrontational actions as more effective than confrontational ones. But they still saw confrontational tactics as worthwhile if they also seemed effective and justifiable.

    Interestingly, we discovered that low political trust – a lack of belief that the political system works fairly – did not predict confrontational protest. In fact, it was only weakly linked to perceived effectiveness and legitimacy of such tactics.

    While previous theories suggested that people with nothing to lose would be the ones most drawn to radical action, our findings paint a more complex picture. People don’t necessarily need to lose all faith in the political system before considering disruptive protest. Rather, they judge whether a specific tactic will advance their cause and align with their collective moral values.

    Just Stop Oil protestors with hands glued to the frame of da Vinci’s The Last Supper.
    wikipedia, CC BY-SA

    We also found that when people think that protests are more likely to be met with state violence, they are more likely to view confrontational tactics as legitimate and effective. In other words, when crowds foresee push-back, they recalibrate their strategies rather than withdrawing altogether from activism.

    Constructive disruption

    This research matters now more than ever. From climate movement and pro-Palestine rallies in many countries to anti-government and pro-democracy protests in the US, Turkey, Serbia and Argentina, we are witnessing a global wave of protest crowds.

    Understanding what drives people to disruptive and confrontational actions can help both policymakers and the public make sense of protest in today’s divided world. This may be a better option than moralising about good versus bad forms of protests, which serves to silence and criminalise disruptive and confrontational actions.

    The former UK home secretary Suella Braverman labelled climate protesters “extremists” and pro-Palestinian protests “hate marches”. She also proposed harsher crackdowns. But such an approach is only likely to make the protests more disruptive.

    Similarly, several government responses to UK parliamentary reports on protest policing distinguish “right to peaceful protest” from any kind of disruptive and confrontational activism. They also highlight that the legal definition of “serious disruption” has been widened.

    But viewing all disruptive protests as being outside of legal boundaries is likely to create pushback among activists and limit the potential constructive social influence of such protests.

    We argue that it’s time to rethink how we talk about confrontational and disruptive protests. Rather than viewing them as irrational, extreme or born of despair, we should understand it as part of a wider repertoire of political action.

    Here, labelling a set of protests through binary, moralised terms can lead to overlooking and silencing a crucial and effective protest strategy: constructive disruption. Constructive disruption relies on carefully balancing non-violent but disruptive actions. This can apply pressure for change while signalling positive intent that encourages a conciliatory response to protest.

    As a group of social psychologists recently showed, constructive disruption could generate support even among those who are most resistant.

    If we recognise that such tactics are often grounded in a sense of justice and strategic reasoning, we can move away from moralistic judgements and toward democratic dialogue by better engaging with the underlying demands that drive them.

    As protest movements continue to shape political life around the world, we believe it’s time to take their strategies seriously – not just their slogans.

    Mete Sefa Uysal received funding from the International Society of Political Psychology Scholar Under Threat Fund for a part of this study.

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

    – ref. Why do protestors use disruptive, confrontational tactics? New research shows they’re not just a last resort – https://theconversation.com/why-do-protestors-use-disruptive-confrontational-tactics-new-research-shows-theyre-not-just-a-last-resort-256716

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    May 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: 20 Reasons Why Congress Must Unite Behind the One, Big, Beautiful Bill

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    Congressional Republicans MUST unite to pass President Donald J. Trump’s One, Big, Beautiful Bill and take advantage of the once-in-a-generation opportunity they were given by voters.
    Here are 20 reasons why Congress must unite behind the One, Big, Beautiful Bill:
    It delivers the largest tax cut in American history. This means an extra $5,000 in Americans’ pockets with a DOUBLE-DIGIT percent DECREASE to their tax bills. Americans earning between $30,000 and $80,000 will pay around 15% less in taxes.
    It includes NO TAX ON TIPS and NO TAX ON OVERTIME. This makes good on two of President Trump’s cornerstone campaign promises and will benefit hardworking Americans where they need it the most — their paychecks.
    It delivers Big, Beautiful Deportations. The bill permanently secures our borders by making the largest border security investment in history, funding at least one million annual removals of illegal immigrants and ramping up “mass deportation operations to a level never before seen in American history.”
    It finishes President Trump’s border wall. As a result, 701 miles of primary wall, 900 miles of river barriers, 629 miles of secondary barriers, and 141 miles of vehicle and pedestrian barriers will be constructed — stopping deadly fentanyl from flowing into our communities and securing the border from dangerous illegal immigrant murderers and rapists.
    It boosts Border Patrol and ICE agents on the frontlines. It empowers immigration authorities to carry out their mission by hiring 10,000 new ICE personnel, 5,000 new customs officers, and 3,000 new Border Patrol agents — and gives $10,000 bonuses in each of the next four years to agents on the frontlines.
    It protects Medicaid for Americans by kicking 1.4 million illegals off the benefits. This bill eliminates waste, fraud, and abuse by ending benefits for at least 1.4 million illegal immigrants who are gaming the system.
    It requires able-bodied Americans to work if they receive benefits. With 4.8 million able-bodied adults choosing not to work, The One, Big, Beautiful Bill puts work requirements in place and supports them as they find dignity through employment.
    It reverses the spending curse plaguing Washington, D.C. The legislation delivers the largest deficit reduction in nearly 30 years, with $1.6 trillion in mandatory savings.
    It ends taxpayer-funded sex change for minors. It reverses the Biden-era mandate that Medicaid cover so-called “gender transition” procedures for minors — ending the taxpayer-funded chemical castration and mutilation of American children.
    It provides historic tax relief to Social Security recipients. It slashes taxes on seniors’ Social Security benefits.
    It will give Americans PERMANENT tax relief through the Trump Tax Cuts. If the bill doesn’t pass, Americans will see the largest tax increase in history.
    It finally modernizes air traffic control, fulfilling President Trump’s plan to completely overhaul the systems that keep Americans flying safely and efficiently. This will allow President Trump to update our air traffic control systems and act where the Biden Administration failed (despite repeated warnings).
    It ends the taxpayer-funded Green New Scam. The legislation repeals or phases out every “green” corporate welfare subsidy in Democrats’ so-called “Inflation Reduction Act,” immediately stops credits from flowing to China and saves taxpayers $500+ billion every year, and reverses electric vehicle mandates that let radical climate activists set the standards for American energy.
    It incentivizes MADE IN AMERICA. It rewards companies that build their products in America with lower taxes — and allows Americans who buy an American-made vehicle to fully deduct their auto loan interest.
    It is pro-family. The One, Big, Beautiful Bill increases the child tax credit, establishes MAGA Accounts for newborns to start saving, and strengthens paid family leave.
    It repeals Democrats’ insane attack on the gig economy. It repeals the requirement that Venmo, PayPal, and other gig transactions over $600 be reported to the IRS.
    It protects family farmers. The bill prevents the greedy death tax from hitting two million family-owned farms who would otherwise see their exemptions cut in half and cuts taxes on farmers by over $10 billion.
    It’s a once-in-a-generation chance to revolutionize our nation’s defense capabilities and protect the homeland against new threats. It funds President Trump’s Golden Dome, invests in American shipbuilding, and modernizes our military.
    It unleashes American energy dominance. The legislation increases onshore and offshore oil and gas leases, which provides certainty for energy producers, spurs job growth, and makes energy more affordable for American consumers.
    It boosts American mineral development. This bill increases mining of domestic minerals and makes America less dependent on foreign adversaries for critical minerals.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    May 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Mayor welcomes EY new office at Ebrington

    Source: Northern Ireland – City of Derry

    Mayor welcomes EY new office at Ebrington

    20 May 2025

    Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Cllr Lilian Seenoi Barr has warmly welcomed the official opening of EY’s new office in the Ebrington Plaza. Mayor Barr said it was a significant business investment and highlighted the growing appeal of Derry and the wider North West region as a vibrant business hub.

    She acknowledged that this investment also marks a crucial step in EY’s ambitious expansion plans across Northern Ireland.

    EY, a leading global professional services organisation, supports businesses across a diverse range of industries and sectors, offering expertise in areas such as Audit, Corporate Finance, Tax and Law, Consulting, AI, and Data Analytics. The establishment of this new location will accommodate up to 120 professionals, a blend of newly recruited talent and existing EY Northern Ireland staff.

    Mayor Barr said:  “This is a truly significant day for our city. The arrival of a globally recognised firm like EY to Ebrington Plaza is a powerful vote of confidence in the talent and potential that Derry Strabane and the wider North West region has to offer. This investment will not only create valuable, high-quality jobs but will also enrich our local business ecosystem by bringing in a wealth of expertise and opportunities.”

    “The new office in Derry will play a vital role in EY’s broader strategy to strengthen its regional presence within Northern Ireland. Furthermore, it reinforces EY Northern Ireland’s commitment made at the Northern Ireland Investment Summit in September 2023 to generate 1,000 new jobs across the region over the next five years.

    “Derry City and Strabane District Council is delighted that EY has chosen Derry as a key location for their expansion. Their commitment to creating new jobs and delivering market-leading services from this base aligns perfectly with our city’s ambitions for economic growth and prosperity set out in our Strategic Growth Plan. We look forward to a strong and collaborative partnership with EY as they embed themselves in our community.”

    The Mayor added: “This significant investment by EY in our city is fantastic news for the people of the North West. It will deliver a wide range of exciting job opportunities right here in Derry, whether you’re just starting your career or looking to take the next step. This commitment truly highlights the immense talent we have coming through our local schools, the North West Regional College, and Ulster University, ensuring a bright future for our community.”

    The Mayor concluded by wishing EY every success in their new venture at Ebrington Plaza and reiterated the city’s commitment to supporting their growth and integration into the local business landscape.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    May 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: AI is a Ticking Time Bomb for Your Data, Reveals New Report From Varonis

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MIAMI, May 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — A new report from Varonis reveals 99% of organizations have sensitive data exposed to AI. The State of Data Security Report: Quantifying AI’s Impact on Data Risk examines how much sensitive information is exposed and vulnerable to AI tools due to misconfigurations, overly permissive access, and other data security gaps.

    “The productivity gains of AI are real — and so is the data security risk,” said Varonis CEO, President, and Co-Founder Yaki Faitelson. “CIOs and CISOs face enormous pressure to adopt AI at warp speed, which is driving the adoption of data security platforms. AI runs on data, and taking a data-centric approach to security is critical to avoid an AI-related data breach.”

    Varonis analyzed data risk assessments from 1,000 organizations — providing empirical evidence of risk, not conclusions based on AI readiness surveys and polls. The dataset included nearly 10 billion cloud resources — over 20 petabytes of data — within popular IaaS and SaaS applications and services, including AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, Box, Salesforce, Microsoft 365, Okta, Databricks, Slack, Snowflake, Zoom, and many others.

    In the organizations examined, Varonis found:

    • 99% have sensitive data unnecessarily exposed to AI tools.
    • 90% of sensitive cloud data, including AI training data, is open and accessible to AI tools.
    • 98% have unverified apps, including shadow AI, within their environments.
    • 1 in 7 do not enforce MFA across SaaS and multi-cloud environments.
    • 88% have ghost users lurking in their environments.

    Get the State of Data Security Report: Exposing Data at Risk in the Age of AI.

    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

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0989355e-d00a-4995-af49-2693bb46ad1b

    The MIL Network –

    May 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Helix and Avalanche Announce $100M Commitment to Support Fusion, A New Framework for Blockchain Economies Focused on Real-World Outcomes

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    The initiative supports new Layer 1 networks and on-chain services designed for practical applications across sectors such as AI, healthcare, and decentralized infrastructure

    LONDON, May 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Helix and Avalanche, with support from Faculty Group, today announced the launch of Fusion, a community-led initiative built to accelerate the creation of outcome-driven, domain-specific blockchain economies. Leveraging an innovative economic model to drive ecosystem coordination, Fusion enables developers, businesses, and protocols to access modular, programmable networks that deliver measurable real-world value.

    “Fusion is about unlocking the next chapter of blockchain adoption,” said Fusion Core Contributor David Post. “We’re building a framework that goes beyond experimentation – enabling scalable, sector-specific solutions with real-world impact and value. By combining Avalanche’s performance with a powerful suite of modular services, Fusion gives builders the tools they need to deploy meaningful applications and connect them to a thriving, interoperable ecosystem.”

    Fusion features a two-layer architecture: Composers, independent Layer 1 blockchains tailored for specific sectors like AI, decentralized science (DeSci), and decentralized physical infrastructure networks (DePIN), and Modules, plug-and-play services like compute, stablecoins, and biometric data that support Composers. Each Composer offers accessible SDKs and APIs, allowing developers to integrate services, deploy applications, and execute tasks.

    Modules are an interoperable set of building blocks that can be combined through composers to create value for end users. This includes oracles for real-world data (e.g., weather, sports, commodities), financial services like asset swap platforms and treasury tools, identity verification, decentralized data storage, and reputation systems that offer users loyalty benefits or exclusive access via NFTs.

    Fusion’s architecture is built on Avalanche’s high-performance stack, leveraging the C-Chain for fast, EVM-compatible smart contract execution and Interchain Messaging (ICM) for secure, efficient communication between composers and other Layer 1s. This ensures seamless interoperability and scalability across the ecosystem.

    “Fusion equips developers with the tools they need to build impactful, real-world applications on live blockchain networks,” said Nicholas Mussallem, CEO of AvaCloud. “While AvaCloud streamlines Layer 1 network creation, Fusion enhances these networks once they’re operational. This initiative combines the best tools for scaling blockchain technology, creating tangible value, and driving widespread adoption across industries.”

    Fusion is supported by $100 million in resources allocated to existing Avalanche programs – including Multiverse, Retro9000, InfraBUIDL and InfraBUIDL AI – to catalyze a new wave of ecosystem development. These funds will accelerate the launch of Composers in real-world verticals, support foundational Modules that provide critical infrastructure and services, and incentivize developers and builders to integrate Composer APIs and SDKs into practical, outcome-driven applications.

    The initial Fusion ecosystem includes composers like Life Network, which helps healthcare institutions deploy AI-driven solutions for disease-specific use cases, such as stroke prevention. Other Composers include Kite AI, a decentralized AI model platform, and Tayga, focusing on DePIN resources. Fusion plans to launch additional composers in areas such as RWAs, Identity, and Defi in the near future along with convening best in class Modules through partners like QuickNode and Space and Time.

    About Helix

    Helix is a thesis driven advisory and incubation platform whose principals serve as fractional founders for the companies they partner with, helping drive all aspects of the business. Helix collaborates with Web 3’s top venture funds, projects, and blockchains to build industry leading ecosystems and scale category defining projects.

    About Avalanche

    Avalanche is an ultra-fast, low-latency blockchain platform designed for builders who need high performance at scale. The network’s architecture allows for the creation of sovereign, efficient and fully interoperable public and private layer 1 (L1) blockchains which leverage the Avalanche Consensus Mechanism to achieve high throughput and near-instant transaction finality. The ease and speed of launching an L1, and the breadth of architectural customization choices, make Avalanche the perfect environment for a composable multi-chain future.

    Supported by a global community of developers and validators, Avalanche offers a fast, low-cost environment for building decentralized applications (dApps). With its combination of speed, flexibility, and scalability, Avalanche is the platform of choice for innovators pushing the boundaries of blockchain technology.

    About Fusion

    Fusion is a community-led initiative supported by Ava Labs and led by a consortium of leading VCs, builders, and innovators from Avalanche Ecosystem that transforms how value is created and distributed. Through its innovative architecture of Composers (purpose-built Layer 1s) and Modules (plug-in services), Fusion enables developers to compose vertical-specific economies that reward measurable impact rather than just activity.

    Fusion is already powering breakthrough applications across AI, physical infrastructure, and healthcare, creating productive economies that deliver genuine utility while ensuring all participants benefit from aligned economic incentives. Fusion does more than settle transactions, it coordinates outcomes.

    Contact:
    David@helix3.xyz
    Founder of Helix
    David Post

    Avalanche
    PR lead:
    Kaitlin.starcher@avalabs.org
    Kaitlin Starcher

    Disclaimer: This is a paid post and is provided by Helix. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented. We do not guarantee any claims, statements, or promises made in this article. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice. Investing in crypto and mining-related opportunities involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital. It is possible to lose all your capital. These products may not be suitable for everyone, and you should ensure that you understand the risks involved. Seek independent advice if necessary. Speculate only with funds that you can afford to lose. Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. However, due to the inherently speculative nature of the blockchain sector—including cryptocurrency, NFTs, and mining—complete accuracy cannot always be guaranteed.

    Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release. In the event of any legal claims or charges against this article, we accept no liability or responsibility. GlobeNewswire does not endorse any content on this page.

    Legal Disclaimer: This media platform provides the content of this article on an “as-is” basis, without any warranties or representations of any kind, express or implied. We assume no responsibility for any inaccuracies, errors, or omissions. We do not assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information presented herein. Any concerns, complaints, or copyright issues related to this article should be directed to the content provider mentioned above.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8aac7e54-401a-4a9c-bbc7-171d3fef0400

    The MIL Network –

    May 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Easy Metrics and Connors Group Announce Strategic Partnership to Drive Enhanced Warehouse Performance Management for 3PLs and Retail

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BELLEVUE, Wash., May 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Easy Metrics, a leader in warehouse performance management, has announced a strategic partnership with Connors Group, a leading management consulting and industrial engineering firm specializing in operational strategies for manufacturing and retail supply chains. The collaboration brings together advanced technology and proven consulting expertise to help companies improve productivity, streamline warehouse workflows, and boost profitability.

    The partnership pairs Connors Group’s strengths in continuous improvement, systems implementation, and workforce management with Easy Metrics’ cloud-based labor management and warehouse performance management platform. Connors Group will act as a strategic partner, implementing Easy Metrics and integrating it with their LaborPro™ solution to enhance labor planning and execution.

    With deep roots in retail and manufacturing, Connors Group expands Easy Metrics’ reach into new markets, while Easy Metrics provides a modern, scalable alternative to legacy labor management systems. Together, the companies will help customers uncover inefficiencies, optimize labor spend, and accelerate performance across their networks.

    “The partnership between Easy Metrics and Connors Group brings world-class technology and operational expertise to our customers,” said Steve Cascio, Chief Revenue Officer of Easy Metrics. “Connors Group’s years of experience, with a focus on improving operational efficiencies and reducing costs, complements our goal of helping customers identify and define quantifiable metrics to measure ongoing success.”

    Together, Connors Group and Easy Metrics help clients align workforce strategies with real-time performance data—accelerating time-to-value and delivering practical, on-the-floor impact for 3PL and retail environments.

    Shawn Roche, Vice President of Connors Group’s Supply Chain Practice shared, “This partnership bridges the gap between insights and outcomes. With Easy Metrics’ platform and our deep operational and engineering expertise, we can strategically work together to optimize performance for large organizations across their operational network.”

    About Connors Group

    Connors Group helps organizations align people, processes, and technology to achieve maximum performance. By combining strategic management consulting, extensive field experience, and industrial engineering with their proprietary labor planning platform, LaborPro™, they provide practical solutions that enhance productivity, reduce costs, and improve workforce agility. Since 2008, Connors Group has partnered with leading companies across retail, supply chain, manufacturing, QSR, healthcare, and the public sector to drive lasting operational improvements and a 7.25x ROI on over 1,000 projects.

    About Easy Metrics

    Operations and finance leaders use Easy Metrics’ cloud platform to analyze, forecast, and manage the cost and performance of their warehouse operations. Easy Metrics empowers leaders to drive operational speed and efficiency, cut waste, prioritize investments, and adopt labor and automation strategies that fuel their business growth. Easy Metrics is based in Bellevue, Washington, and is backed by Nexa Equity, a private equity firm based in San Francisco, CA. For more information, please visit https://easymetrics.com. 

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0bf55119-5681-42c7-aa7a-e308fb84da96

    The MIL Network –

    May 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: PenderFund Capital Management Welcomes Greg Taylor as Chief Investment Officer

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — PenderFund Capital Management Ltd. (“Pender”) is pleased to announce that Greg Taylor, CFA, has joined Pender as our Chief Investment Officer effective today.

    Greg brings over two decades of investment experience to Pender. Since 2017, he has served as CIO and Portfolio Manager at a Toronto-based asset management firm. Prior to that Greg was a Senior Portfolio Manager at LOGiQ Asset Management, a position he also held at Front Street Capital. He started his career at Aurion Capital in 1999 where he managed pension and mutual fund assets. During his tenure at his previous firm, Greg played a key role in growing assets under management from $3 billion to over $24 billion.

    Greg was drawn to Pender’s investment-led culture and looks forward to collaborating with our growing investment team across our multi-asset class platform to drive better-than-beta returns for clients. Greg’s primary responsibilities will include leading the investment team, managing portfolios, and overseeing investment risk management.

    David Barr, CEO and Portfolio Manager at Pender said, “We are excited to welcome Greg to the team. His deep investment expertise and leadership will enhance our investment capabilities as we continue to grow. His passion for investing aligns perfectly with our firm’s philosophy and long-term vision.”

    Greg commented, “I am delighted to be joining Pender at such a dynamic point in its evolution. The next few years are going to be an exciting time for active management, and I think Pender is very well positioned to thrive in this environment.”

    In conjunction with Greg’s appointment, Pender will become the sub-advisor of the Purpose Select Equity Fund (the “Fund”), which Greg has managed since its inception in February 2006. This change will take effect on or about May 20, 2025. There will be no changes to the Fund’s investment objectives or strategies.

    Felix Narhi was Pender’s CIO from April 2016 (as Co-CIO until April 2017) for over eight years during which time Pender grew assets from approximately $400 million to $3 billion and was recognised with multiple industry awards. In June 2024 he stepped back from the position to return to focusing on his favourite pastime, investing. This dedication to deep research and uncovering new “best ideas” will benefit Pender’s equity portfolios in the years to come.

    About PenderFund Capital Management Ltd.
    Pender was founded in 2003 and is an independent, employee-owned investment firm located in Vancouver, British Columbia. Our goal is to protect and grow wealth for our investors over time. We have a talented investment team of expert analysts, security selectors and independent thinkers who actively manage a suite of differentiated investment funds, exploiting inefficient parts of the investing universe to achieve our goal.

    Please visit www.penderfund.com.

    Please read important disclosures at www.penderfund.com/disclaimer.

    For further information, please contact:
    Melanie Moore
    Vice President of Marketing, PenderFund Capital Management Ltd.
    mmoore@penderfund.com
    (604) 688-1511
    Toll Free: (866) 377-4743

    Forward-Looking Information

    This news release contains certain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of such statements under applicable securities law. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as “expect” or “proposed” and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions “may” or “will” occur. These statements are only predictions. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of the manager at the date the statements are made, and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements.

    The MIL Network –

    May 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Organizations race to embed AI into enterprise workflows, EXL study finds

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, May 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Organizations are changing the ways they work, sometimes radically, to embed AI throughout their workflows and to scale and maximize ROI, according to new research by EXL [NASDAQ: EXLS], a global data and AI company. A 90% majority of organizations have significantly changed their operating model to accommodate AI, with 39% having completely redesigned how they work. Over the next year, companies expect over half of their processes will include AI.

    The second annual EXL Enterprise AI Study: Driving Execution at Scale is based on a survey of 290 C-suite and other senior decision makers across the banking and finance, insurance, retail, utilities, and healthcare payer industries. Its findings shine a spotlight on the massive growth of enterprise GenAI implementations to date but also warn of data quality issues, talent shortages, and other roadblocks that could curtail some of the early progress companies have made as they move deeper into company-wide enterprise AI initiatives.

    The following are some of the report’s key findings:

    • Confident AI Leaders Emerge: Respondents in this year’s survey are feeling confident in how they’re faring on AI adoption. More than half (54%) believe they are “a little ahead” of their competitors in AI implementation and 22% believe they are “far ahead.” Leaders in the field have been able to create a new operating model by embedding AI into their business workflows. These organizations are capitalizing on AI and are able to effectively manage and make available the data AI needs to excel at scale.
    • New Customers, Improved Margins Among Top AI Priorities: Half (50%) of business leaders say that improving ways to target and attract new customers are their top priority for AI technology. Executives also say they hope AI can help them improve margins and profitability (47%) and reduce operating costs (47%). 
    • Some AI Integrations Stuck in Neutral: While many organizations have quickly adopted GenAI, companies reported AI initiatives across roughly 60% of their enterprise remain stuck in pilot mode. What’s more, some executives fear the speed of these adoptions may soon be interrupted due to talent, user adoption, and data quality obstacles, with 73% of organizations of the belief that improving their data capabilities will present a moderate or significant challenge. Just 30% of respondents said their company’s data is accessible on an enterprise-wide basis.
    • Talent Tops Cost as Biggest Barrier to AI Adoption: The biggest single barrier to AI adoption is shortage of talent or skills for AI use (31%), followed by concerns about data privacy and security (30%) and cost or budget constraints (30%).

    “The true power of AI can only truly be unlocked when it is seamlessly embedded into workflows—fueled by data that is AI ready, enabled by the right technology and infrastructure and powered by skilled talent,” said Anand “Andy” Logani, chief data and AI officer at EXL. “When executed effectively, it delivers meaningful business value without disruption.”

    The full report, 2025 EXL Enterprise AI Study: Bridging Strategy and Operations, can be accessed here.

    About EXL

    EXL (NASDAQ: EXLS) is a global data and AI company that offers services and solutions to reinvent client business models, drive better outcomes and unlock growth with speed. EXL harnesses the power of data, AI, and deep industry knowledge to transform businesses, including the world’s leading corporations in industries including insurance, healthcare, banking and capital markets, retail, communications and media, and energy and infrastructure, among others. EXL was founded in 1999 with the core values of innovation, collaboration, excellence, integrity and respect. We are headquartered in New York and have approximately 60,000 employees spanning six continents. For more information, visit www.exlservice.com.

    Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You should not place undue reliance on those statements because they are subject to numerous uncertainties and factors relating to EXL’s operations and business environment, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond EXL’s control. Forward-looking statements include information concerning EXL’s possible or assumed future results of operations, including descriptions of its business strategy. These statements may include words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “estimate” or similar expressions. These statements are based on assumptions that we have made in light of management’s experience in the industry as well as its perceptions of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors it believes are appropriate under the circumstances. You should understand that these statements are not guarantees of performance or results. They involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Although EXL believes that these forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, you should be aware that many factors could affect EXL’s actual financial results or results of operations and could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. These factors, which include our ability to maintain and grow client demand, our ability to hire and retain sufficiently trained employees, and our ability to accurately estimate and/or manage costs, rising interest rates, rising inflation and recessionary economic trends, are discussed in more detail in EXL’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including EXL’s Annual Report on Form 10-K. You should keep in mind that any forward-looking statement made herein, or elsewhere, speaks only as of the date on which it is made. New risks and uncertainties come up from time to time, and it is impossible to predict these events or how they may affect EXL. EXL has no obligation to update any forward-looking statements after the date hereof, except as required by federal securities laws.

    Contacts
    Media
    Keith Little
    +1 703-598-0980
    media.relations@exlservice.com

    Investor Relations
    John Kristoff
    +1 212 209 4613
    IR@exlservice.com

    PDF available: http://ml.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/4e977a3b-6c39-4444-a5ef-b4859e3e2a1e

    The MIL Network –

    May 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Imperial Petroleum Inc. Announces the Date for the Release of First Quarter 2025 Financial and Operating Results, Conference Call and Webcast

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ATHENS, Greece, May 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Imperial Petroleum Inc. is a ship-owning company providing petroleum products, crude oil and drybulk seaborne transportation services, announced today that it will release its first quarter financial results for the period ended March 31, 2025 before the market opens in New York on May 23, 2025.

    On May 23, 2025 at 10:00 am ET, the company’s management will host a conference call to discuss the results and the company’s operations and outlook.

    Conference Call details:

    Conference call participants should pre-register using the below link to receive the dial-in numbers and a personal PIN, which are required to access the conference call.

    Online Registration:

    https://register-conf.media-server.com/register/BIaef045aa9f5b46a7b5e8eb48c2e56115

    Slides and audio webcast:

    There will also be a live and then archived webcast of the conference call, through the IMPERIAL PETROLEUM INC. website (www.imperialpetro.com). Participants to the live webcast should register on the website approximately 10 minutes prior to the start of the webcast.

    ABOUT IMPERIAL PETROLEUM INC.

    IMPERIAL PETROLEUM INC. is a ship-owning company providing petroleum products, crude oil and drybulk seaborne transportation services. The Company owns a total of thirteen vessels on the water – seven M.R. product tankers, two suezmax tankers, three handysize drybulk carriers and one panamax drybulk carrier – with a total capacity of 807,000 deadweight tons (dwt), and has contracted to acquire an additional six drybulk carriers of 387,000 dwt aggregate capacity. Following these deliveries, the Company’s fleet will count a total of 19 vessels. IMPERIAL PETROLEUM INC.’s shares of common stock and 8.75% Series A Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Stock are listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market and trade under the symbols “IMPP” and “IMPPP,” respectively.

    Company Contact:
    Fenia Sakellaris
    IMPERIAL PETROLEUM INC.
    info@imperialpetro.com

    The MIL Network –

    May 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: TopLine Financial Credit Union Receives Statewide Recognition for Member Service Initiatives

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MAPLE GROVE, Minn., May 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — TopLine Financial Credit Union, a Twin Cities-based member-owned financial services cooperative, was named winner of the Louise Herring Philosophy-in-Action Member Service Award, sponsored by the Minnesota Credit Union Network (MnCUN). The Louise Herring award recognizes credit unions that demonstrate in an extraordinary way the practical application of the movement’s principles in serving their members.

    Topline was awarded in the Louise Herring Category for the credit union’s partnership with Rondo Community Land Trust (RCLT), a non-profit in St. Paul, to help make homeownership more affordable for individuals and families earning low-to-moderate incomes, and to preserve affordability for small businesses operated by people of color and non-profits at risk of displacement from rising rents.

    TopLine joined forces with Rondo Community Land Trust as the first credit union to be one of their approved mortgage lenders for their Homebuyer Initiated Program (HIP). This program assists home buyers at or below 80% area median income (AMI) to purchase and make repairs on a single-family home (including duplexes) in St. Paul or Suburban Ramsey County.

    “We are honored to be recognized for our partnership with Rondo Community Land Trust,” said Mick Olson, TopLine Financial Credit Union President and CEO. “We are committed to building strong connections with nonprofit community partners such as RCLT. By working together, we can drive economic growth and diversity, promote financial inclusion and access, and help more individuals achieve their financial dream of homeownership.”

    The Minnesota Credit Union Network is the statewide trade association that works to ensure the success, growth and vitality of Minnesota credit unions. For more information, visit www.mncun.org.

    Rondo Community Land Trust (CLT) is a community based affordable housing and commercial land trust operating in St. Paul and Suburban Ramsey County. For more information, visit www.rondoclt.org.

    TopLine Financial Credit Union, a Twin Cities-based credit union, is Minnesota’s 9th largest credit union, with assets of over $1.1 billion and serves over 70,000 members. Established in 1935, the not-for-profit financial cooperative offers a complete line of financial services from its ten branch locations — in Bloomington, Brooklyn Park, Champlin, Circle Pines, Coon Rapids, Forest Lake, Maple Grove, Plymouth, St. Francis and in St. Paul’s Como Park — as well as by phone and online at www.TopLinecu.com or www.ahcu.coop. Membership is available to anyone who lives, works, worships, attends school or volunteers in Anoka, Benton, Carver, Chisago, Dakota, Hennepin, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, Pine, Ramsey, Scott, Sherburne, Washington and Wright counties in Minnesota and their immediate family members, as well as employees and retirees of Anoka Hennepin School District #11, Anoka Technical College, Federal Premium Ammunition, Hoffman Enclosures, Inc., GRACO, Inc., and their subsidiaries. Visit us on our Facebook or Instagram. To learn more about the credit union’s foundation, visit www.TopLinecu.com/Foundation.

    CONTACT:
    Vicki Roscoe Erickson
    Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer
    TopLine Financial Credit Union
    verickson@toplinecu.com | 763.391.0872

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/52c4da82-782a-4a8f-9324-2650a4257373

    The MIL Network –

    May 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Creatd, Inc. to Acquire Strategic Stakes in PCG Advisory Inc., and Related Affiliates in $2.3 Million All-Stock Transaction

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    • Creatd to acquire 25% of PCG Advisory and two closely aligned companies, as well as a 20% stake in a related technology start-up in a $2.3M all-stock deal, expanding its investor advocacy and communications platform by integrating PCG’s products to its peer community.
    • Acquisition adds $2.3 million in net equity to Creatd’s balance sheet, and builds on Creatd’s strategy of buying synergistic, scalable assets, where operationally Creatd can help expand technology applications.
    • Advances Creatd’s partner CEOBLOC, and its mission to level the playing field for retail investors and small-cap companies.

    NEW YORK, May 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Creatd, Inc. (OTC: CRTD) has executed a binding Letter of Intent (“LOI”) to acquire 25% of PCG Advisory, Inc., 25% of its two related companies, PRISM Media Holdings and PRISM MediaWire, and 20% of an affiliated technology start-up AIRHub, (collectively, the “PCG Companies”), in a collective $2.3 million all-stock transaction. PCG Companies is a leading investor relations and strategic communications firm, utilizing advancements in technology and digital marketing services to enhance its offerings.

    Founded by Wall Street veteran Jeff Ramson, PCG Companies have built a reputation for helping microcap and small-cap companies navigate the complex landscape of investor relations, social media, regulatory compliance, and corporate positioning. With a stable, long-standing client base, PCG has consistently generated revenue and expanded its network, resulting in an EBITDA-positive business model. Creatd expects to enhance PCG’s offerings and drive further growth across its client portfolio.

    Strategic Rationale

    The purchase supports Creatd’s broader strategy of utilizing technology to unify data, governance, and investor engagement into a single platform for public companies. PCG’s integration fits naturally with CEOBLOC, an affiliate of Creatd and a media and community platform for vetted microcap companies that drives awareness and distinguishes quality stakeholders in the space.

    “With the purchase of a 25% interest in PCG Advisory & its two related companies, as well as a 20% stake a related technology start-up, we continue to execute on our vision of providing best-in-class investor engagement tools and services that empower small-cap companies and their investors,” said Jeremy Frommer, Chairman & CEO of Creatd. “PCG’s deep expertise in investor relations and social media, combined with Creatd’s AI-powered capabilities, creates an ecosystem that bridges the gap between companies, particularly in the microcap space, and retail investor awareness.”

    “I’ve known Creatd’s CEO, Jeremy, and his team for nearly a decade, and have long respected their relentless drive and vision,” said Jeff Ramson, Founder and CEO of PCG Advisory. “Partnering with Creatd presents an incredible opportunity to enhance the value we provide to our clients and expand our reach. Creatd’s AI-driven, tech-first approach to investor engagement, combined with PCG’s capital markets expertise and digital marketing focus, aims to redefine how companies connect with investors in a digital-first world.

    The transaction is expected to close in Q2 2025, subject to customary closing conditions.

    About Creatd, Inc.

    Creatd, Inc. is a publicly traded holding company that focuses on investments and operations across technology, media, advertising, and consumer sectors. By leveraging its expertise in structured finance and acquisitions, Creatd identifies and nurtures opportunities within small-cap companies, driving growth and innovation across its diverse portfolio. For more information, visit https://www.creatd.com/

    For investor relations, contact ir@creatd.com

    About PCG Advisory, Inc.

    PCG Advisory is a leading investor relations and strategic communications firm focused on providing high-impact services to innovative and emerging companies worldwide. The firm specializes in investor relations, capital markets strategy, digital media, and corporate communications, with deep expertise across life sciences, technology, and other emerging growth sectors.

    With a proven track record of helping clients effectively engage with the investment community, PCG Advisory, along with its related companies PRISM Media Holdings and PRISM MediaWire delivers tailored solutions designed to enhance visibility, build credibility, and support long-term value creation. For more information, please visit www.pcgadvisory.com.

    Forward-Looking Statements: This statement includes forward-looking statements, which are based on current expectations, beliefs, and assumptions about future events and are subject to uncertainties and risks that could cause actual results to differ materially. These statements often contain terms like “expected,” “anticipated,” and “estimated.” Factors influencing future outcomes are unpredictable and may emerge over time. We do not commit to updating any forward-looking statement post its publication date. Our SEC filings provide further details and risk disclosures.

    The MIL Network –

    May 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Invitation: Boralex to hold Investor Day and present its 2030 Strategy on June 17, 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MONTREAL, May 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Boralex inc. (“Boralex” or the “Company”) (TSX: BLX) announces that its 2030 Strategy will be presented at an Investor Day on June 17, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., in Toronto.

    Financial analysts, investors and the media are invited to attend the conference in person in Toronto or via a live video webcast during which members of Boralex’s senior management will present the various aspects of the 2030 Strategy and financial targets.

    Date and time

            Tuesday, June 17, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (ET)

    To attend the live conference

    Webcast link: https://meetings.lumiconnect.com/400-747-683-475

    In person in Toronto (analysts, investors and media): please contact Dominique Hamelin (dominique.hamelin@boralex.com) to reserve your place.

    Anyone interested in this conference are invited to attend the webcast, which will be broadcast live and available for replay on Boralex’s website at www.boralex.com until July 17, 2026.

    Media availability

    Members of Boralex’s Executive Committee will be available for media interviews on the afternoon of June 17, 2025, either by telephone or videoconference, to discuss the company’s 2030 Strategy. For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact Camille Laventure, Senior Advisor, Public Affairs and Communications. Her contact details are provided at the end of this press release.

    About Boralex

    At Boralex, we have been providing affordable renewable energy accessible to everyone for over 30 years. As a leader in the Canadian market and France’s largest independent producer of onshore wind power, we also have facilities in the United States and development projects in the United Kingdom. Over the past five years, our installed capacity has increased by more than 50% to 3.2 GW. We are developing a portfolio of projects in development and construction of more than 8 GW in wind, solar and storage projects, guided by our values and our corporate social responsibility (CSR) approach. Through profitable and sustainable growth, Boralex is actively participating in the fight against global warming. Thanks to our fearlessness, discipline, expertise and diversity, we continue to be an industry leader. Boralex’s shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol BLX.

    For more information, visit boralex.com or sedarplus.com. Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.

    For more information

    MEDIA INVESTOR RELATIONS
    Camille Laventure
    Senior Advisor, Public Affairs and External Communications
    Boralex Inc.
    438 883-8580
    camille.laventure@boralex.com    		 Stéphane Milot
    Vice President, Investor Relations and Financial Planning and Analysis
    Boralex Inc.
    514 213-1045
    stephane.milot@boralex.com
       

    Source: Boralex inc.        

    The MIL Network –

    May 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: To stay within the 20% threshold, Invalda INVL Group sold some of its shares in Artea bank

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Invalda INVL, the leading Baltic asset management group, has sold 2 million shares, representing 0,3% of the authorized capital, of Artea Bank at EUR 0.88 per share to remain within the 20% shareholding limit set by the European Central bank.

    “Artea Bank decided to annul its previously acquired own shares and to reduce its authorized capital. As a result, Invalda INVL Group had to sell some of its shares to remain within the permitted limit of the bank’s authorized capital, As the transaction was made over-the-counter (OTC), it did not affect the market price of the bank’s shares,” says Darius Šulnis, the CEO of Invalda INVL.

    According to the shareholders’ meeting decision of Artea Bank (previously Šiaulių Bankas) on 31 March 2025, the bank will annul 10,597,749 of its shares, reducing its authorized capital to EUR 189,195,680. Without this sale, Invalda INVL Group’s stake would have increased to 20.25% of the shares after the reduction of the bank’s authorized capital, exceeding the regulatory threshold.

    Invalda INVL group currently holds 19.93% of the shares in Artea Bank.

    The person authorized to provide additional information is:
    Darius Šulnis, CEO of Invalda INVL
    Darius.Sulnis@invl.com

    The MIL Network –

    May 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Notification on the transaction concluded by manager in issuer’s securities

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Artea Bankas AB, company code 112025254, address of the head office Tilžės str. 149, Šiauliai, Lithuania.

    Artea bankas AB has received the notification of the person, closely associated with the manager, on transaction in securities issued by the bank (attached). 

     

    Additional information: 
    Tomas Varenbergas 
    Head of Investment Management Division
    tomas.varenbergas@artea.lt, +370 610 44447

    Attachment

    • INVL AM_ROE1L_20250519_ENG

    The MIL Network –

    May 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Invalda INVL sells part of Artea Bank shares to long-term shareholder

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    On 19 May 2025, Invalda INVL, the asset management group and the largest shareholder of Artea Bank, sold small part of its stake (2 million or 0.3% of the authorized capital) to remain compliant with the 20% ownership threshold set by the European Central Bank (ECB). Shares were acquired by Algirdas Butkus, the founder and one of the main shareholders of the bank.

    “With the ECB’s permission, Artea Bank has bought back its own shares and will cancel them by a resolution of the general meeting of shareholders. Bank’s authorized capital will be reduced accordingly. This could result in our largest shareholder’s stake exceeding the limit set by the ECB. It is important that the shareholding remains among the bank’s core and long-term shareholders, whose confidence inspires us to pursuit results with the new brand,” said Vytautas Sinius, CEO of Artea Bank.

    According to the shareholders’ meeting decision of Artea Bank (previously Šiaulių Bankas) on 31 March 2025, the bank will annul 10,597,749 of its shares, reducing its authorized capital to EUR 189,195,680.  

    After the settlement, the shareholding of Invalda INVL in Artea Bank is 19.9%, the shareholding of Willgrow, the manager of Girteka Logistics is 8.9%, EBRD owns 7.2%, Tesonet Global owns 5.3%, A. Butkus and related parties own 5.4%, G. Kateiva and related parties own 5.0%. The rest of Artea Bank shares is held by institutional and retail investors. 

    Additional information:
    Tomas Varenbergas
    Head of Investment Management Division
    tomas.varenbergas@artea.lt, +370 610 44447

    The MIL Network –

    May 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: BTCC Exchange Celebrates Bitcoin Pizza Day with 52,000 USDT Campaign, Social Giveaway, and Monaco Beach Party

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    A Media Snippet accompanying this announcement is available in this link.

    VILNIUS, Lithuania, May 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — BTCC, the world’s most established cryptocurrency exchange, announces its comprehensive Bitcoin Pizza Day celebration featuring a 52,000 USDT prize pool challenge, exclusive giveaway on X, and official partnership of PizzaDAO’s 5th Annual Global Pizza Party in Monaco.

    This lineup of celebrations honors the legendary May 22, 2010 transaction when programmer Laszlo Hanyecz purchased two Domino’s pizzas for 10,000 BTC, a purchase now worth hundreds of millions of dollars and widely recognized as Bitcoin’s first commercial use case.

    52,000 USDT Bitcoin Pizza Day Challenge

    Running from May 19 to May 31, 2025, BTCC’s Bitcoin Pizza Day Challenge rewards users with virtual pizza slices worth 1 USDT each when they complete tasks on the platform:

    • New User Incentives: Earn 5 pizza slices for making a first deposit of 200 USDT or more, plus another 5 slices for completing a first futures trade of at least 100 USDT.
    • Deposit Rewards: Users who deposit 5,000 USDT or more during the campaign period receive 30 pizza slices, while those depositing 20,000 USDT or more earn a substantial 200 pizza slices.
    • Trading Streak Challenge: Users trading futures daily with volumes of 2,000 USDT or more per day can earn additional rewards for consecutive trading days, ranging from 5 slices for a 3-day streak to 20 slices for maintaining a 10-day streak.

    Exclusive Bitcoin Pizza Day Events

    Aside from platform initiatives, BTCC also proudly partners with PizzaDAO for its 5th annual Global Pizza Party at Neptune Monaco Beach on May 22, 2025. The beachfront event brings together cryptocurrency enthusiasts and industry leaders for networking, pizza, and celebration of Bitcoin’s milestone moment.

    Additionally, the exchange is also hosting a special Bitcoin Pizza Day giveaway on its official X account. Users are encouraged to follow @BTCCExchange for details on how to participate in this exclusive opportunity.

    About BTCC

    Founded in 2011, BTCC is one of the world’s longest-serving cryptocurrency exchanges, offering secure and user-friendly trading services to millions of users globally. With a commitment to security, innovation, and community building, BTCC continues to be a trusted platform in the evolving cryptocurrency landscape.

    Website: https://www.btcc.com/en-US

    X: https://x.com/BTCCexchange

    Contact: press@btcc.com

    The MIL Network –

    May 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Bitcoin Pizza Day Meets Trump Dinner: HTX Unveils One Million USDT in Rewards!

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SINGAPORE, May 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — HTX, a leading global cryptocurrency exchange, is leading the charge in a unique dual celebration on May 22, as Bitcoin Pizza Day coincides with the Trump Dinner. This moment, where history meets the present, is drawing global attention. In celebration of this special occasion, HTX has proudly partnered with diamond sponsors JUST Protocol, SunPump, APENFT, BitTorrent, and WINkLink, alongside platinum sponsors Levva and ChainGPT, to launch a series of Pizza Day-themed promotions across multiple business lines, including Spot, Futures, Earn, and Community, boasting a total prize pool of nearly 1 million USDT. Whether you’re a new or existing HTX user, you’ll discover exclusive opportunities and exciting benefits throughout these events.

    Event 1: HTX Pizza Day Celebration: 200,000 USDT in Surprise Gifts with Seven Project Partners

    Get ready for Pizza Fest! From May 13 to May 26, HTX is joining forces with seven esteemed partner projects—SunPump, APENFT, JUST Protocol, WINkLink, BitTorrent, Steem, and MEVerse—to deliver a 14-day Pizza Day Celebration packed with over 200,000 USDT in Surprise Gifts. During the event, users can claim daily gifts on the HTX App, distributed at 02:00 (UTC) daily. On May 22 at 12:00 (UTC), Bitcoin Pizza Day, HTX will drop even more Surprise Gifts featuring bigger rewards, distributed in the form of tokens, Cashback Vouchers, Futures Trial Bonuses, Margin Interest Vouchers, and APY Booster Coupons.

    * View details: https://www.htx.com/support/105001328825783?invite_code=rdmu6223&inviter_id=11353960

    Event 2: Join the Pizza Day Celebration to Discover Four Amazing Benefits and Grab Your Share of $200,000

    From May 20 at 10:00 (UTC) to May 25 at 10:00 (UTC), HTX invites both new and existing users to join the four-tiered rewards event and share a total prize pool of up to $200,000. See below for details:

    1. New users who sign up and complete any spot, futures, or margin trade during the event will receive a welcome package that includes a 20 DOGE airdrop, APY Booster Coupons for SmartEarn, and Margin Interest Vouchers.

    2. Users will receive 15 USDT for their first successful referral. By inviting more friends, they’ll unlock Mystery Boxes worth up to 1,500 USDT each, containing popular cryptos like $BTC, $TRUMP, and $HTX. Additionally, they can earn up to another 1,500 USDT when their invitees reach the trading volume target.

    3. Eligible returning users who complete spot trading on HTX will have a chance to win BTC in a lucky draw. Additionally, after funding their USDT-M Futures account, they can earn APY Booster Coupons for SmartEarn.

    4. Users who trade designated cryptos in spot or futures, or create spot grid trading strategies, will have a chance to share $30,000 in $HTX.

    * View details: https://www.htx.com.co/en-us/mars/activity-center?callId=174728142724462

    Event 3: Take the BTC Pizza Day Quiz at HTX Square and Win Your Share of 200 USDT

    From May 16 at 02:00 (UTC) to May 23 at 15:59 (UTC), HTX Square is launching a quiz challenge where users can win rewards. Participants who follow HTX Square in the HTX Community and answer all the quiz questions correctly will have the opportunity to share the 200 USDT prize pool.

    * View details: https://square.htx.com/btc-pizza-day-celebration-take-the-quiz-win-rewards-2/

    Event 4: HTX Earn Bonanza for BTC Pizza Day: Enjoy Up to 10% APY on Popular Assets

    Celebrate Bitcoin Pizza Day with the HTX Earn Bonanza from 16:00:00 (UTC) on May 19 to 16:00:00 (UTC) on May 25. HTX is launching this special campaign featuring Earn products for both new and existing users. First-time subscribers at HTX Earn can enjoy New User Exclusive products with 100% APY. All users can subscribe to Fixed, Flexible, and Shark Fin products with 14 designated cryptocurrencies, including USDT, and earn up to 10% APY on HTX Earn. Additionally, participants who meet the net subscription increase requirement will each receive a 5% APY Booster Coupon for the USDT Flexible product.

    * View details: https://www.htx.com.ec/en-us/support/95001601423089

    Event 5: HTX Affiliates Pizza Day Special: Team Up & Trade with Your Invitees to Win a Full Case of Kweichow Moutai

    Celebrate Bitcoin Pizza Day with the limited-time HTX Affiliates Special Event, running from 10:00 (UTC) on May 20 to 10:00 (UTC) on May 25. HTX Affiliates can refer friends to sign up using an exclusive invitation link or code and form a trading team with invitees. Once the team reaches the required trading volume, rewards will be unlocked. The top prize is a 6-bottle case of Kweichow Moutai Flying Fairy.

    * View details: https://www.htx.com.de/en-us/support/35001621553884

    Event 6: HTX Convert Contest Now Live with 10,000 USDT Up for Grabs

    Don’t miss the HTX Convert Contest! It runs from 16:00:00 (UTC) on May 14 to 15:59:59 (UTC) on May 31. Trade designated cryptos on HTX Convert and reach a total trading volume of ≥500 USDT during the event to qualify for a share of the 5,000 USDT prize pool, with the top individual reward of up to 1,000 USDT. Complete 10 or more trades to unlock an additional prize pool — the more trades made, the bigger the share. Additionally, first-time converters on HTX Convert can also join an exclusive 2,000 USDT prize pool for new users, with up to 20 USDT per person available.

    * View details: https://www.htx.com.ec/en-us/support/25001446791888

    May 22 isn’t just about commemorating Bitcoin’s first “real-world transaction”; it is also a day for the global crypto community to celebrate the growth of the crypto industry and to share in its rewards. To honor this special day, HTX is launching a multifaceted celebration featuring diverse events that boost user engagement, elevate the festive atmosphere, and fully showcase the platform’s dynamic ecosystem.

    Pizza’s on the table and the party’s heating up. Join HTX today and experience the biggest crypto event of the year!

    About HTX

    Founded in 2013, HTX has evolved from a virtual asset exchange into a comprehensive ecosystem of blockchain businesses that span digital asset trading, financial derivatives, research, investments, incubation, and other businesses.

    As a world-leading gateway to Web3, HTX harbors global capabilities that enable it to provide users with safe and reliable services. Adhering to the growth strategy of “Global Expansion, Thriving Ecosystem, Wealth Effect, Security & Compliance,” HTX is dedicated to providing quality services and values to virtual asset enthusiasts worldwide.

    To learn more about HTX, please visit HTX Square or https://www.htx.com/, and follow HTX on X, Telegram, and Discord.

    For further inquiries, please contact Ruder Finn Asia, glo-media@htx-inc.com.

    Disclaimer: This is a paid post and is provided by HTX. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented. We do not guarantee any claims, statements, or promises made in this article. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice. Investing in crypto and mining-related opportunities involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital. It is possible to lose all your capital. These products may not be suitable for everyone, and you should ensure that you understand the risks involved. Seek independent advice if necessary. Speculate only with funds that you can afford to lose. Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. However, due to the inherently speculative nature of the blockchain sector—including cryptocurrency, NFTs, and mining—complete accuracy cannot always be guaranteed.
    Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release. In the event of any legal claims or charges against this article, we accept no liability or responsibility. Globenewswire does not endorse any content on this page.

    Legal Disclaimer: This media platform provides the content of this article on an “as-is” basis, without any warranties or representations of any kind, express or implied. We assume no responsibility for any inaccuracies, errors, or omissions. We do not assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information presented herein. Any concerns, complaints, or copyright issues related to this article should be directed to the content provider mentioned above.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0fc6cf35-38b5-4b16-8b54-5298d501bfe3

    The MIL Network –

    May 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Incorta Announces “Incorta Connect,” Expanding Access to Live Data Integration with Modular Scalability

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    FOSTER CITY, Calif., May 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Incorta, the most efficient data integration platform, today introduced Incorta Connect, a new offering that provides a more accessible way for organizations to deliver live, harmonized data for analytics and AI. Built on a modular foundation, Incorta Connect offers a simple and fast entry point into powerful data integration capabilities, with the flexibility to scale and unlock advanced features over time. This new solution empowers teams to start with what they need today and expand as their data and analytics requirements evolve.

    Built on the same engine trusted by global enterprises like Broadcom, Sketchers, and Shutterfly, Incorta Connect enables rapid and low-code data integration from any source system, including Oracle, SAP and other ERP, CRM, legacy, and cloud platforms, directly into modern destinations such as Snowflake, Google BigQuery, Power BI, and Tableau.

    “Incorta Connect brings our signature innovation–live, detailed data delivery from complex systems like Oracle and SAP–and makes it available to a broader market,” said Ashwin Warrier, VP and Head of Product at Incorta. “It’s a faster entry point that lets teams solve their most pressing data challenges now, while giving them a clear and scalable path forward.”

    Live Data from Any Source, to Any Destination—In Days, Not Months

    Incorta Connect is purpose-built for companies that want fast, reliable access to source-level business data without the time, cost, and complexity of traditional ETL pipelines.

    With Direct Data Mapping®, schema-aware automation, and hundreds of native connectors, Incorta Connect enables:

    • 3–5 day implementation (vs. 4–10 weeks for traditional platforms)
    • Live data updates in minutes, not hours or days
    • Full support for multi-source data harmonization across ERP, CRM, and legacy systems
    • Low-code, no-code experience that reduces IT burden
    • Destination-agnostic delivery to cloud warehouses, lakehouses, and BI tools
    • Transparent pricing model designed to deliver the best total cost of ownership (TCO) and fastest time to value, at any scale

    Incorta Connect is not a limited or stripped-down version. It’s the same high-performance platform offered, with modular flexibility to support a broader range of use cases and teams.

    “Operational excellence depends on fast, reliable access to high-quality data,” said Andy Nallappan, President and Chief Operating Officer at Cloud Software Group. “Incorta Connect eliminates latency, reduces pipeline complexity, and gives us the agility to make smarter decisions with less overhead.”

    Use Case Spotlight: Oracle to BigQuery

    A Fortune 500 global CPG company faced mounting complexity in extracting Oracle Fusion data into Google BigQuery. Legacy ETL tools required heavy coding, constant maintenance, and a large data team, yet still failed to meet the business need for fast, reliable access to financial and supply chain data.

    Incorta Connect changed that, fast.

    Using Incorta’s Direct Data Mapping technology, the company went from proof of concept to production in weeks, delivering analytics-ready Oracle data to BigQuery in just 10 weeks with a lean team. Incorta handled schema changes automatically, tracked deletions, maintained referential integrity, and enabled incremental refreshes every five minutes, something legacy tools couldn’t do without significant custom effort.

    This level of automation, scale, and speed in Oracle-to-BigQuery delivery is rare, unlocking real-time insight without the overhead of traditional ETL.

    Built for Modular Growth

    Incorta Connect supports a modular growth model, making it easy to start with live data delivery and expand into analytics, visualization, or AI-powered use cases over time. This approach helps organizations realize faster time to value while significantly reducing the total cost of ownership compared to traditional ETL and data pipeline solutions. Use cases include:

    • ERP modernization: Streamline Oracle or SAP data migration to the cloud
    • Analytics-ready pipelines: Feed Power BI, Tableau, and Looker with real-time, governed data
    • AI & machine learning: Deliver high-fidelity training data for forecasting and predictive models
    • Financial operations: Enable faster close, improved compliance, and more accurate reporting

    With its low-code approach and end-to-end observability, Incorta Connect gives users full control over their data journey—from ingestion to insight. Learn more about Incorta Connect’s pricing, capabilities, and deployment options at incorta.com/incorta-connect or reach out to the Incorta team at incorta.com/demo.

    About Incorta

    Incorta is the first and only open data delivery platform that enables real-time analysis of live, detailed data across all systems of record—without the need for complex ETL processes. By enabling direct analysis on raw, source-identical data, Incorta provides faster, more accurate insights while removing barriers to exploration. With intuitive low-code/no-code tools, AI-powered querying through Nexus, and prebuilt business data applications, enterprise teams can quickly surface insights, break down technical roadblocks, and make smarter decisions without heavy engineering effort. Incorta’s unmatched efficiency shortens time to value and lowers total cost of ownership, helping data teams move at the speed of business. For more information, please visit www.incorta.com.

    Media Relations Contact:

    Elizabeth Byington

    incorta@sparkpr.com

    The MIL Network –

    May 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Armed groups are invading Benin’s forest reserves. Why and what to do about it

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Papa Sow, Senior Researcher, The Nordic Africa Institute

    Benin’s Pendjari Biosphere Reserve, also called Pendjari National Park, and its surroundings have been targeted by non-state armed groups since 2019.

    Pendjari National Park, which covers approximately 4,800km², is one of five protected areas in Benin and is one of the main biodiversity conservation areas in west Africa. It has been a World Heritage Site since 2017.

    It is an integral part of the W-Arly-Pendjari complex, a transboundary biosphere reserve. The W Park is shared by Niger, Benin and Burkina Faso. Arly is located in Burkina Faso and Pendjari in Benin.

    The geographical configuration of the park facilitates all kinds of movements. Non-state armed groups attempt to exploit the porous borders to hide, stock up on natural resources — including gold and poached wildlife — or turn them into rear bases. Non-state armed groups take advantage of the park’s inaccessibility and its dense, wild forests to turn them into refuges.

    Bloody battles are underway to conquer special forest territories, which I call “protected jihadism areas” because of their use by armed movements claiming to be jihadists.

    As part of a study on the causes of migration in and from the northern parts of Benin Republic, close to Burkina Faso, Niger, Togo and Nigeria, I analysed the impact that these non-state armed groups were having on local populations and protected areas.

    I have been working on migration issues for about 25 years, and most of my observations in west Africa show that armed groups cause displacements in the sub-region. They contribute to a land and pastoral crisis, inconsistency in the distribution of forest resources, and a poorly integrated approach to the management of protected areas.

    I interviewed experts, local journalists, research assistants who I worked with during several years and displaced people in Benin and the west African sub-region about the direct impacts of smuggling, the depletion of natural resources, threats, and the use of violence in forest reserves.

    My observations are that the spiral of violence by non-state armed groups is dangerously disrupting the conservation and protection of the environment, increasing fear and insecurity among communities, and ruining the local economy, especially activities that revolve around the tourism sector.

    The violence

    On 8 January 2025, close to 30 soldiers were killed in the north of Benin, in Karimama near the “Triple Point” – an extensive area in the W-Arly-Pendjari complex where Benin, Niger and Burkina Faso meet.

    More than 120 soldiers were killed in the area between 2021 and 2024. There has also been carnage of the animals and plants.

    Since 2018, the Katiba Ansar-ul Islam, Serma, Sekou Muslimou and Abou Hanifa have been operating in Burkina Faso. They are considered jihadists – mostly under the aegis of Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM), the Al Qaeda branch in the Sahel.

    Reasons for the proliferation of non-state armed groups in the park are multiple. It’s difficult for the state authorities to reach them there. There is the battle among non-state armed groups over the control of pastures and water bodies in the area. The park is also a place where non-state armed groups work with traffickers of adulterated gasoline from Nigeria, called Kpayo in Benin. They buy thousands of litres of gasoline from them every week at exorbitant prices.

    The Beninese state is is not very visible in some places despite the anti-terrorist Operation Mirador launched in 2021 with more than 3,000 soldiers. Since the first attack in 2019, more than US$120 million has been spent on security by Benin. But the number of attacks and kidnappings has multiplied.

    The main reason is the fragility of the security of the three state border areas.

    The non-State armed groups have their own crossing points that they control. Sub-regional collaboration between states is almost non-existent. The 2017 Accra Initiative, composed of five countries – Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire and Togo – seems to have stagnated since some member states pulled out of the regional grouping Ecowas. A genuine regional force capable of countering the activities of these non-state armed groups is necessary.

    Benin is developing a military partnership with France. But the already tense diplomatic relationship between Benin and its neighbours – Niger and Burkina Faso – and the ambivalent policy of Togo, which “threatens” to join the Alliance of Sahel States – are not factors conducive to effective regional military cooperation.

    How people are being affected

    The park depends, in part, on funding generated by tourism and external partners. Conservation has been managed, since 2020, by the APN – Rangers African Parks Network. In 2024, it employed 337 eco-guards, including six expatriates. These eco-guards, on the front lines against non-state armed groups, are also being killed. Their work in gathering threat-related information is important to the Beninese Armed Forces.

    The activities of residents living near the park, transport networks and systems, and trekking services are the hardest hit. The work of NGOs that supported local populations has been reduced. Many NGOs have withdrawn from their activities. Small businesses are under threat.

    But the hardest-hit sector is tourism, which has affected the livelihoods of people. There has been a significant decline in the number of tourists. This directly affects local communities for whom tourism activities remain an important source of income.

    Tanguiéta, a town 70km from the border with Burkina Faso and not far from Pendjari Park, has been the worst affected due to a decline in income from accommodation and catering activities. Jobs have been lost.

    Migrants from the sub-region who had specialised in tourism entrepreneurship, including tour guides and artisans, have turned to other activities or left the town.

    What needs to be done

    The following measures could help protect the park and local people:

    • strengthen communication and surveillance capabilities

    • increase surveillance aircraft, helicopters and drones with the support of international donors and the Ecowas

    • train Beninese Armed Forces in conservation practices

    • increase support for community development projects

    • diversify activities to reduce dependence on tourism.

    Papa Sow 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. Armed groups are invading Benin’s forest reserves. Why and what to do about it – https://theconversation.com/armed-groups-are-invading-benins-forest-reserves-why-and-what-to-do-about-it-256136

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    May 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: The DIY guide to checking how well you’re ageing

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Marco Arkesteijn, Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Biomechanics, Aberystwyth University

    Ground Picture/Shutterstock

    A few years ago, a social media trend challenged people to see if they could stand up from the floor without using their hands. Now, it’s all about how long you can balance on one leg while brushing your teeth. These quirky “tests” promise to tell us how well we’re ageing – but do they really?

    When we talk about “ageing well”, we’re usually referring to both physical and psychological wellbeing. That includes feeling good (hedonic wellbeing) and finding meaning and purpose (eudaimonic wellbeing). Engaging in activities and monitoring ourselves plays a role in both.

    But ageing isn’t just about how strong your grip is or how fast you can walk. It’s a complex mix of physical, cognitive, emotional and social changes – and no single test captures the whole picture.

    Physically, one simple measure that gets a lot of attention is walking speed. According to one famous study, people who walk faster than 1.32 metres per second were less likely to die in the next three years – jokingly framed as “too fast for the Grim Reaper to catch”.

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

    On the flip side, a slower walking speed – below 0.8 metres per second – can be a sign of sarcopenia, a condition involving reduced muscle mass, muscle strength and physical function. These are all important indicators of age-related decline.

    But while these markers are useful, they’re not easy to measure at home. Most research relies on specialist equipment and your local GP probably doesn’t have a grip-strength dynamometer sitting in a drawer. But they could time how long it takes you to stand up and sit down five times from a chair.

    How to do a DIY MOT

    So, what can you realistically do to track your own ageing?

    To truly understand how you’re ageing, it helps to think beyond physical health. Mental sharpness, emotional resilience and social connection matter just as much. One helpful idea is to assess your cognitive fitness, which includes skills like attention, memory and flexibility.

    Here are some cognitive tests you can try at home:

    Trail making test: connect numbers and letters in sequence (1, A, 2, B, etc.) and time how long it takes. This measures your ability to switch between tasks.

    Stroop task: challenges your ability to ignore competing information. Try saying the colour of a word, not the word itself – like saying “red” when you see the word “blue” printed in red ink. It’s harder than it sounds!

    Dual-task challenge: walk at your normal speed while counting backwards from 100 in threes. If your walking speed changes significantly, it could indicate cognitive strain.

    These kinds of tasks test how well your brain handles competing demands – a key ability that becomes even more important as we age. This skill is known as cognitive flexibility, and it helps you adapt to changing situations, switch between tasks and manage distractions.

    Trying out these tests is great, but how do you know if you’re improving? After all, when you have spent time trying to improve your walking speed, or Stroop ability – or even rubbing your head, patting your belly while saying the Finnish alphabet out loud – it’s important to know if you are seeing benefits.

    Some measures, like single-leg stance, can vary wildly from day to day – or even hour to hour. You might get better just from repeating it, which doesn’t necessarily mean you’re ageing better, just that you’ve practised.

    Others, like grip strength, change very slowly even with regular strength training. And some improvements are task-specific: getting better at the trail making test doesn’t necessarily make you sharper at doing Wordle.

    That’s why it helps to complete the test a few times at the start, then retest yourself once a month or so – again, doing it a couple of times – to track any improvements. Cognitive changes may be slower to notice than physical ones, so regular checks can help reveal progress over time.

    More of a puzzle than a test

    There’s no single test or score that can capture how well you’re ageing. Think of it more like a jigsaw puzzle. Physical health, mental agility, emotional balance, social connection – they all matter, and they all interact. And, of course, even if you perform well now, some changes in the future may be beyond your control. No test can fully predict what lies ahead.

    At the end of the day, maybe the best sign of ageing well isn’t how fast you walk or how long you can stand on one leg – it’s how you feel about your life. Are you feeling engaged, content, connected?

    Tools like the Scale of Positive and Negative Experience can help you take stock of your emotional wellbeing. This short, 12-question survey asks about your everyday feelings – from joy and calm to sadness and frustration – offering insight into both the pleasurable (hedonic) and meaningful (eudaimonic) sides of wellbeing.

    Ageing well isn’t about beating a stopwatch or acing a memory test. It’s about knowing yourself – your body, your mind and your values – and making small, meaningful changes that help you feel more you.

    So, go ahead, stand on one leg if you like. But don’t forget to check in with your brain, body, emotions and your sense of purpose too.

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

    – ref. The DIY guide to checking how well you’re ageing – https://theconversation.com/the-diy-guide-to-checking-how-well-youre-ageing-256297

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    May 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: International Booker prize 2025: six experts review the shortlisted novels

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Helen Vassallo, Associate Professor of French and Translation, University of Exeter

    From a longlist of 13, six novels have been shortlisted for the 2025 International Booker prize. Our academics review the finalists ahead of the announcement of the winner on May 20.

    Under the Eye of the Big Bird by Hiromi Kawakami, translated by Asa Yoneda

    Hiromi Kawakami’s Under the Eye of the Big Bird offers us glimpses of one imagined future for earth and humanity.

    Its vision could be described as post-apocalyptic. After unspecified cataclysmic events, humans exist only in tiny, scattered communities and extinction seems imminent. But this is also a beautiful, if dreamlike, world and one in which humanity still has the potential for astonishing growth and change.

    Each chapter introduces something new and startling to the reader. Many of the tropes are familiar – cloning, superpowers, mutation, AI. Yet they are configured in unfamiliar ways and prompt reflections on the nature of humanity and our relationship with the rest of creation – as well as on time, religion and the possibility of an afterlife.

    Despite grappling with so many huge questions, Under the Eye of the Big Bird is an accessible and absorbing novel. And, although tragedy is never far away, there remains humour – and hope.

    Sarah Annes Brown, Professor of English Literature

    Heart Lamp by Banu Mushtaq, translated by Deepa Bhasthi

    Banu Mushtaq’s Heart Lamp shines a light on the lives of Muslim women in rural India. In a bold and memorable translation from Kannada by Deepa Bhasthi, this quietly powerful collection of short stories opens up the intimate space of domestic rituals and family tensions.

    Mushtaq’s fervent advocacy of women’s rights is evident in the compassion with which she brings to life the women in the stories: from the lack of autonomy suffered by young girls forced into wedlock to the indignity of an older woman obliged to accept her husband taking a second wife or a widow whose son arranges a new marriage for her, the women’s lives are dictated by men.

    Heart Lamp is perhaps best summed up in the final story, “Be a Woman Once, O Lord!” Throughout these stories, Mushtaq invites us – and whichever male deity might be listening – to walk in the shoes of women overlooked by an unquestioned patriarchal hierarchy.

    Helen Vassallo, Associate Professor of French and Translation

    A Leopard-Skin Hat by Anne Serre, translated by Mark Hutchinson

    Published in France in 2008 as Un chapeau léopard, A Leopard-Skin Hat is a novel about a friendship spanning 20 years between a woman called Fanny and a man known throughout only as “the Narrator”. He is not, though, the narrator of the novel. Rather, an unknown storyteller tells us how the Narrator sees Fanny gradually lose the fight against madness (the novel’s word) and, in the end, death.

    This is a novel about the mystery of other people, about how unknowable others are to us. It explores how we narrate to try to understand people who are not us, but whom we love. What is most extraordinary about Serre’s novel is the way it shows us two friends doing very ordinary things – going out for dinner, going on holiday, walking in the countryside and swimming in lakes – but shows us through this the strangeness and complexity of friendship, love and life.

    Leigh Wilson, Professor of English Literature

    Perfection by Vincenzo Latronico, translated by Sophie Hughes

    Perfection is a slim account of the way that time “disappears” for Anna and Tom, an expat couple living in Berlin as creative freelancers in the 2010s.

    Written in homage to Georges Perec’s Things: The Story of the Sixties (1965), the novel opens with an overbearing description of the items in their apartment, moving in and out of the characters’ dissatisfaction with the aesthetic, social, creative, economic and political routes open to them in 120 pages spanning a little over 10 years.

    As international elections, the European refugee crises and climate catastrophe dance in and out of their peripheral vision, Anna and Tom find neither satisfaction with their current moment nor successfully imagine a better one. As such, Latronico gently, but with an increasing sense of fatalism, considers the stagnation of a millennial creative class whose views on influence, status, power and happiness remain deeply linked to the “new emotions” of digital mediation.

    By Rachel Sykes, Associate Professor in Contemporary Literature and Culture

    On The Calculation of Volume I by Solvej Balle, translated by Barbara Haveland

    In On The Calculation of Volume, a woman, Tara Selter, finds herself trapped in an endlessly repeating day, November 18. Volume I, the first of seven books, recounts the first 365 days of this time loop, with Tara attempting to make sense of her predicament, to explain it to her husband – who is still bound by the normal rules of time – and to try to fix whatever has initiated this situation.

    As the novel continues, it becomes less focused on the novelty of the situation and more on the philosophical questions it raises: the alternate claustrophobia and liberation of replaying the same day; how our friends and partners sometimes feel like they inhabit a different reality; the way in which time pulls things and people apart; of the importance we place in the idea of “tomorrow”.

    What’s remarkable about Balle’s novel is how compulsive it is – even though we know time is standing still, we still want to know what will happen next.

    David Hering, Senior Lecturer in English Literature

    Small Boat by Vincent Delecroix, translated by Helen Stevenson

    Vincent Delecroix’s Small Boat is a slim, bruising novel that centres on a real horror: the drowning of 27 migrants in the English Channel in November 2021. In a small, inflatable craft, they reached out over crackling radio lines, asking for help that never came.

    Small Boat focuses not on the migrants themselves, but on a French coastguard operator who spent that night on the radio, fielding their calls for rescue. Delecroix’s brilliance lies in showing how violence at the border is carried out not by villains, but by workers. It was not evil that allowed those people to die in the water, it was a string of decisions made by people in warm rooms who believed they were doing their jobs.

    In a world ever more brutal towards those who flee war, hunger and despair, Delecroix’s novel is a necessary – and merciless – indictment. It reminds us that the shipwreck is not theirs alone. It is ours too.

    Fiona Murphy, Assistant Professor in Refugee and Intercultural Studies

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

    – ref. International Booker prize 2025: six experts review the shortlisted novels – https://theconversation.com/international-booker-prize-2025-six-experts-review-the-shortlisted-novels-255464

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    May 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: In ‘Paying For It,’ ex-lovers reimagine friendship, family and the meaning of sex work

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Ummni Khan, Associate Professor, Department of Law and Legal Studies, Carleton University

    Emily Lê and Daniel Beirne star in the film that sees director and multidisciplinary artist Sook-Lin Yee adapt the graphic memoir of her ex-lover, Chester Brown, for the screen. (Wilding Pictures & Hawkeye Pictures)

    The film Paying For It, Sook-Yin Lee’s live-action adaptation of cartoonist Chester Brown’s 2011 graphic memoir, reveals unexpected overlaps between paid sexual encounters and romantic relationships.

    Lee, a boundary-shattering artist working across film, music, acting and broadcast, has never shied away from taboo. With Paying For It, she takes on sex work, romance and the messy labour of chosen family by adapting her ex-lover’s memoir for the screen.

    ‘Paying For It,’ graphic memoir by Chester Brown.
    (Drawn & Quarterly)

    In my 2019 article “Chester Brown and the Queerness of Johns,” I analyze Brown’s original book, which traces his pivot from monogamy with Lee to regularly seeing sex workers in the late 1990s.

    Both a memoir and a manifesto, the book pairs accounts of paid sex with arguments for decriminalizing sex work, voiced through debates with friends and a detailed appendix. In my analysis, I frame Brown’s memoir as a queer intervention, one that disrupts heteronormative ideals of romantic relations, intimate exchanges and sexual propriety.

    Lee’s cinematic version of Paying For It affirms Brown’s stance, but filters the story through her own perceptions and snapshots of her love life. In doing so, she traces how she and Brown reinvented their relationship, while portraying his encounters with sex workers with nuance and care.

    Drawing on my research in sexuality — including scholarship on sex work, client surveillance and client regulation — I see the film as a defiant celebration of unconventional bonds between exes who remain best friends, and between clients and sex workers, where even purchased orgasms can carry moments of tenderness and mutual respect.

    Radical relationship honesty

    The film opens with Sonny (Lee’s fictional persona, played by Emily Lê) confessing to live-in boyfriend Chester (Daniel Beirne) that she’s falling in love with someone else.

    Rather than erupting in rage or jealousy, Chester remains composed. Together, they choose to see what might come next. As Sonny begins seeing other people, Chester continues living in the house and becomes privy to her romantic sagas, from the steamy beginnings to the bitter blowouts. To the bewilderment of his friends, he remains content with the arrangement.

    Eventually, Chester decides to pay for sex, a decision he shares with Sonny.
    What emerges is a portrait of creative kinship where two people refuse the usual scripts and choose radical openness instead.

    Unconventional bond

    Decades after the events depicted in the film, Lee has described Brown as her “best friend” and “as family.”

    Lee and Brown shape personal histories into overlapping narratives. That they’ve promoted the film together, and appeared in joint interviews and public discussions, suggests a sense of mutual trust at the heart of their collaboration.

    Probing the meanings of sex and intimacy

    Chester moves — and sometimes stumbles — through criminalized terrain, figuring out how to find sex workers, engage respectfully and follow the unspoken rules of the exchange. The film suggests sometimes it’s just sex for Chester, and at other times, the exchange carries an emotional connection for him.

    With one sex worker, Chester shares his real name and gifts a book he wrote about Louis Riel.

    Sociologist Elizabeth Bernstein has analyzed how sex workers are sometimes paid to offer their clients an erotic experience “premised upon the performance of authentic interpersonal connection.”

    In the film, a potential for emotional reciprocity between Chester and a sex worker becomes evident. Without giving too much away, by the film’s end we see how a casual and transactional beginning transforms into something more enduring for both parties.

    ‘Paying For It,’ trailer.

    Risks in both romance and sex work

    The film also highlights the risks running through both sex work and romance.

    Sex workers face threats of abuse, arrest, disrespect and boundary violations. The film gestures to these realities in a scene following a police raid on a sex work venue.

    But the film also shows Sonny’s relationships aren’t immune to danger either. One boyfriend’s rage nearly results in harm to her pet.

    Just as navigating risk is part of both romance and sex work, so too is grappling with the social forces that shape desire. In one pointed exchange, Sonny calls out Chester for only paying young, conventionally attractive women. He counters by asking why she doesn’t date Asian men, forcing them both to confront their own biases.

    Sex worker rights

    While Paying For It is deeply personal, it is also unmistakably political, especially in its implicit advocacy for sex worker rights.

    To navigate the ethical complexities of depicting sex work, Lee consulted with performer, activist and author Andrea Werhurn, who wrote a memoir about being a former escort; Werhurn stars in the film as the sex worker Denise.

    Lee also interviewed Valerie Scott — one of the applicants who challenged Canada’s prostitution laws in the Bedford case.

    The film presents sex work as legitimate labour, highlighting the skills and emotional intelligence it demands. At the same time, it underscores how sex workers remain vulnerable to police harassment, violence and social stigma.

    Canada’s perverse laws on sex work

    The marginalized status of sex work, as dramatized in the film, is shaped by a legal system structured by moralism and hypocrisy.

    Set in the 1990s, Paying For It takes place at a time when Canada didn’t criminalize the sale of sex directly but prohibited nearly everything around it, including soliciting, working indoors and operating brothels.

    These contradictions pushed the industry underground, exposing sex workers to abuse, police harassment, sting operations and heightened health risks, while often branding them with criminal records.

    Sex work kept in the shadows

    In 2013, the Supreme Court’s Bedford decision struck down these provisions, ruling that they violated sex workers’ constitutional rights, most importantly, the right to security of the person.

    But the legal victory was short-lived. In 2014, the Conservative government introduced the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act, which criminalized the purchase of sexual services while ostensibly decriminalizing its sale.

    In practice, the model keeps paid sex in the shadows, where workers face ongoing risks, limited negotiating power and barriers to reporting abuse or working in safer indoor settings. What’s being protected isn’t sex workers, but a puritanical social order.



    Read more:
    Sex workers are left out in the cold by Ottawa’s unjust conviction amendments

    This puritanical approach also underpins the newly criminalized status of clients. In my chapter “From Average Joe to Deviant John,” I trace how western attitudes toward men who pay for sex evolved from a “boys will be boys” tolerance to a framework that pathologizes and vilifies them.

    Paying For It resists this framing. The film presents Chester as awkward but principled: a considerate client navigating desire in a criminalized and judgmental culture.

    The price of choosing love freely

    Paying For It offers an alternative kind of love story. It spotlights a relationship where former lovers honour the heart (their continued commitment to one another), the body (respecting each other’s sexual autonomy) and the mind (their willingness to question social norms).

    In this way, the film redefines “paying for it” not as a burden but as a conscious and liberating investment in diverse forms of love and intimacy.

    Ummni Khan 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. In ‘Paying For It,’ ex-lovers reimagine friendship, family and the meaning of sex work – https://theconversation.com/in-paying-for-it-ex-lovers-reimagine-friendship-family-and-the-meaning-of-sex-work-255294

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    May 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Meta’s Community Notes program is promising, but needs to prioritize transparency

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Sameer Borwankar, Assistant Professor of Information Systems, McGill University

    Meta has changed its approach to fact-checking, moving away from platform-controlled moderation. (Shutterstock)

    Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, has more than 3.35 billion combined monthly active users. Recently, Meta has changed its approach to fact-checking in response to criticisms of its role in circulating fake news and disinformation. The company frames its Community Notes program as a way to uphold free expression.

    Although Meta has not officially announced a launch date for Community Notes in Canada, interested users can join the waitlist via Meta’s Community Notes page.



    Read more:
    Meta shift from fact-checking to crowdsourcing spotlights competing approaches in fight against misinformation and hate speech

    The initiative was first launched in the United States, and will be expanding globally. Meanwhile, X (formerly Twitter) has already experimented with a similar program, with mixed results. The experience of X’s Community Notes (previously known as Birdwatch) underscores that both platforms and regulators must take an active role in refining these programs.

    Meta has the opportunity to learn from four years of Community Notes evolution at X and improve upon its shortcomings. This involves adjusting features, addressing algorithmic biases and ensuring that they function as effective tools rather than mere symbolic gestures.

    CBC reports on Meta ending its fact-checking program.

    Community-driven moderation

    X launched Birdwatch in January 2021 when it was known as Twitter. Marketed as a way to broaden the range of voices beyond platform-based and centralized fact-checking efforts, the program aimed to curb the spread of misinformation through community-driven moderation.

    Over time, the team refined many of its features based on feedback from pilot participants and internal research. When Elon Musk acquired Twitter in 2022, he implemented major changes, including a rebranding of the program’s name.

    Community Notes operates on the principles of crowdsourcing, a method proven effective in various domains. Research has shown that groups of users can collectively identify low-quality news sources and misleading content.

    On X, users participating in the Community Notes program contribute additional context to posts in the form of notes. They can also rate others’ contributions. Notes that receive supportive ratings from a diverse group of users become publicly visible. Once approved, they appear directly beneath the original post, providing added context for the broader audience.

    However, even if a post is widely deemed misleading by Community Notes contributors, the platform does not take action against the post itself or the individuals who spread misinformation. Instead, the program relies solely on surfacing user-generated context rather than the company moderating content.

    Positive impact?

    Preliminary research suggests that the Community Notes program has had a positive impact on curbing the spread of misinformation on the platform. Recent work shows that when a note is attached to a post, authors often voluntarily retract their posts by deleting them.

    On the content creation aspect, participation in the program appears to influence user behaviour: contributors tend to adopt a more measured tone, reducing extreme sentiment in their writing after engaging with the system.

    One of the most notable strengths of X’s Community Notes is its transparency. Since the program’s inception, X has provided public access to both the data and the algorithms that determine which fact-checks are displayed.

    This open-source approach has allowed researchers — both within and outside the company — to study the program and propose improvements. This stands in contrast to the recent trend of social media platforms rolling back data-sharing partnerships.

    Prior to Musk’s acquisition, X also had a dedicated team researching the impact of the program. Early changes to the program were shaped by feedback from participants and internal research.

    For example, in November 2021, X introduced anonymity for fact-checkers to prevent trolling and harassment. This decoupling of roles between content creators and fact-checkers has had a positive effect, reducing the risk of retaliation and fostering a more positive content creation by the participants of the program.

    Groups of users can collectively identify low-quality news sources and misleading content.
    (Shutterstock)

    Challenges and limitations

    Despite its potential, X’s Community Notes program faces several significant challenges, including its low popularity among users. Meta now has an opportunity to address these shortcomings from the outset.

    One of the biggest concerns is manipulation by co-ordination. Given the presence of organized troll networks on social media, there is a high risk that co-ordinated groups could misuse the program to flag legitimate content as misinformation.

    To counteract this, X implemented a consensus-based approach, where a note is only made visible if users with diverse viewpoints agree on its accuracy.

    While this system appears sound in theory, in practice it has led to a severe lack of approved notes as less than nine per cent of submitted notes reach the general audience. Many contributions never gain visibility, often due to insufficient ratings from diverse users.

    Another limitation of the consensus approach is that the algorithm must first recognize diverse viewpoints, which are not always straightforward. Social media platforms operate across hundreds of countries, where political, cultural and social divisions can be complex and nuanced. In such cases, enforcing consensus among a diverse audience may be highly unreliable and require reassessment.

    Shifting responsibility

    There is also the risk that Community Notes serve as a smokescreen, allowing platforms to shift responsibility away from active misinformation management. Since taking over X, Musk has laid off more than 80 per cent of the company’s Trust and Safety team.

    This included members of the Community Notes team, leaving critical gaps in oversight and research. Meta’s recent move to distance itself from third-party fact-checkers suggests a similar retreat from proactive intervention.

    Legal frameworks across different countries add further complications. Although Community Notes contributors remain anonymous to the public, it is unclear how platforms will respond if governments demand access to contributor identities.

    The Wikipedia legal case in India serves as a cautionary example of how platforms may be pressured into compliance. In September 2024, the Delhi High Court issued a contempt-of-court notice to Wikipedia over the site’s delay in providing identifying information about edits.

    No real consequences

    Finally, these programs are further weakened by the platforms’ explicit assurance that they will not take enforcement action based on Community Notes outcomes. Without real consequences for those spreading misinformation, the program risks being a symbolic effort rather than an effective tool for content moderation.

    Overall, there is hope that Meta’s Community Notes program can be effective, but its success will depend on continuous experimentation and improvement. The company must prioritize transparency to rebuild public trust and ensure the program does not become another performative gesture.

    Regulators also have a crucial role in holding platforms accountable, ensuring that data from these programs remains accessible to independent researchers and that the algorithms determining which notes are displayed are fair and unbiased.

    Without these safeguards, Community Notes risks becoming yet another tool that platforms use to shift responsibility rather than a meaningful solution to misinformation.

    Sameer Borwankar receives funding from SSHRC.

    – ref. Meta’s Community Notes program is promising, but needs to prioritize transparency – https://theconversation.com/metas-community-notes-program-is-promising-but-needs-to-prioritize-transparency-248324

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    May 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Grassley, Banks Renew Call for Investigation into Milley’s Chain of Command Interference, Efforts to Undermine Civilian Control of the Military

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
    WASHINGTON – Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Jim Banks (R-Ind.) are renewing calls for the Department of Defense (DOD) to finally address alleged misconduct by former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) General Mark Milley.
    In a letter to the DOD’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG), the senators cite reports Milley tampered with the statutory chain of command, undermined civilian control of the military, violated military code through making derogatory and political public statements and provided inaccurate sworn testimony.
    “The nation’s highest-ranking military officer has a solemn responsibility to set an example of excellence and to model good conduct for all American service members. The record suggests that General Milley failed to meet those standards,” the senators wrote.
    Grassley and Banks are following up on their 2022 request for an independent review of Milley’s actions. Former DOD Inspector General Robert Storch closed the review without providing answers.
    “[Milley’s] conduct and willful undermining of his Commander-in-Chief posed a grave threat to civilian control of the military. The issues raised by Milley’s alleged misconduct are too important to be swept under the rug. They must be examined, and if substantiated, General Milley should be held accountable,” the senators continued.
    In January, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth directed OIG to conduct a review of Milley’s misconduct and determine whether enough evidence exists for Milley to be stripped of a star in retirement.
    The full text of the letter is available HERE.
    Background:Milley – who, per the Constitution and law, does not have command authority as JCS chairman – reportedly ordered senior officers to check with him before executing orders from President Trump during his first term.
    Milley also has made partisan statements to the press, admissions in the book Peril and derogatory comments about Trump, including those in his now-public draft resignation letter. Milley also reportedly promised a Chinese military official he would alert them ahead of time if the United States was about to attack China.
    In April 2022, Grassley and Banks wrote to Milley regarding their concerns. After months without answers, they sought an inspector general review of Milley’s actions.
    After nearly nine months, the OIG claimed to have conducted a thorough review, but offered no material or details to support its finding to halt its investigation.
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

    May 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK sanctions hit West Bank violence network

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    UK sanctions hit West Bank violence network

    UK sanctions individuals, illegal settler outposts and organisations supporting violence against Palestinian communities in the West Bank, as Foreign Secretary pauses Free Trade Agreement negotiations with Israel

    • New sanctions target 3 individuals, 2 illegal settler outposts and 2 organisations supporting violence against Palestinian communities in the West Bank. 
    • Today’s measures include financial restrictions and travel bans, including on high-profile extremist settler leader Daniella Weiss
    • In a statement to the House, the Foreign Secretary is set to announce a formal pause of Free Trade Agreement negotiations with Israel, effective immediately.
    • He will make clear the UK’s complete opposition to the IDF’s new, extensive ground operation through Gaza, repeat UK demands that Hamas release all the hostages immediately and unconditionally, and reiterate that Hamas cannot continue to run Gaza.

    In response to the persistent cycle of serious violence undertaken by extremist Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, the Foreign Secretary has announced new sanctions today.

    Today’s measures target 3 individuals, including prominent settler leader Daniella Weiss, as well as 2 illegal outposts and 2 organisations that have supported, incited and promoted violence against Palestinian communities in the West Bank.

    These individuals and entities are now subject to measures including financial restrictions, travel bans, and director disqualifications, and will follow 18 other individuals, entities, and companies already sanctioned relating to serious violence against communities in the West Bank.

    The measures follow a dramatic surge in settler violence in the West Bank, with the UN recording over 1,800 attacks by settlers against Palestinian communities since 1 January 2024.

    In a statement to Parliament, the Foreign Secretary is also set to announce the formal pause of Free Trade Agreement negotiations with Israel, effective immediately. While the UK government remains committed to the existing trade agreement in force, it is not possible to advance discussions on a new, upgraded FTA with a Netanyahu government that is pursuing egregious policies in the West Bank and Gaza.

    His statement will address latest developments on the ground in Gaza, making clear the UK’s complete opposition to the IDF’s new, extensive ground operation through Gaza, the threat of starvation for the Gazan population, and the UK’s condemnation of the Israeli government’s plans to drive Gazans from their homes into a corner of the Strip. The Foreign Secretary will also repeat UK demands that Hamas release all the hostages immediately and unconditionally and reiterate that Hamas cannot continue to run Gaza.

    The new steps follow a joint statement issued by the Prime Minister along with the leaders of France and Canada, setting out their strong opposition to the expansion of Israel’s military operations in Gaza and to illegal settlements in the West Bank. They also made clear that if Israel does not cease this action, further action will be taken in response.

    Foreign Secretary David Lammy said:

    I have seen for myself the consequences of settler violence. The fear of its victims. The impunity of its perpetrators.

    The sanctioning of Daniella Weiss and others today demonstrates our determination to hold extremist settlers to account as Palestinian communities suffer violence and intimidation at the hands of extremist settlers.

    The Israeli government has a responsibility to intervene and halt these aggressive actions. Their consistent failure to act is putting Palestinian communities and the two-state solution in peril.

    The announcement comes as Minister for the Middle East Hamish Falconer summons Israel’s Ambassador Tzipi Hotovely to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office over the expansion of military operations in Gaza.

    Minister for the Middle East Hamish Falconer said:

    Today I will set out to Ambassador Hotovely the government’s opposition to the wholly disproportionate escalation of military activity in Gaza and emphasise that the 11-week block on aid to Gaza has been cruel and indefensible. I will urge Israel to halt settlement expansion and settler violence in the West Bank.

    Israel must abide by its obligations under International Humanitarian Law and ensure full, rapid, safe and unhindered provision of humanitarian assistance to the population in Gaza. The limited amount of aid entering is simply not enough.

    We must get an immediate ceasefire and the release of all hostages and a path to a two-state solution is the only way to ensure the long-term peace and security of both Palestinians and Israelis.

    Background

    Individuals and entities sanctioned today:

    • Daniella Weiss – has been involved in threatening, perpetrating, promoting and supporting, acts of aggression and violence against Palestinian individuals. Weiss is now subject to an asset freeze, travel ban, and director disqualification.

    • Harel Libi – Owner of Libi Construction and Infrastructure. Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinian individuals. Libi is now subject to an asset freeze, travel ban, and director disqualification.

    • Zohar Sabah – has been involved in threatening, perpetrating, promoting and supporting, acts of aggression and violence against Palestinian individuals. Sabah is now subject to an asset freeze, travel ban, and director disqualification.

    • Coco’s Farm – is associated with a person who is or has been involved in activity which amounts to facilitating, inciting, promoting or providing support for activity which amounts to a serious abuse of the right of individuals not to be subjected to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.  Coco’s Farm is now subject to an asset freeze.

    • Libi Construction and Infrastructure –has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts resulting in the forced displacement of Palestinians in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, activities which cause the psychological suffering of Palestinians, and activities which often leads to violence perpetrated against Palestinians. Libi Construction and Infrastructure is now subject to an asset freeze and director disqualification.

    • Nachala – has been involved in facilitating, inciting, promoting and providing logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts and forced displacement of Palestinians in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, activities which cause the psychological suffering of Palestinians, and which often lead to violence perpetrated against Palestinians. Nachala is now subject to an asset freeze.

    • Neria’s Farm – is associated with a person who is or has been involved in activity which amounts to facilitating, inciting, promoting or providing support for activity which amounts to a serious abuse of the right of individuals not to be subjected to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Neria’s Farm is now subject to an asset freeze.

    Definitions

    • Asset freeze: where an asset freeze applies, in summary, it is generally prohibited within the UK, and for UK persons outside the UK, to: (1) deal with funds or economic resources, owned, held or controlled by a designated person; (2) make funds or economic resources available, directly or indirectly, to, or for the benefit of, a designated person; and (3) engage in actions that, directly or indirectly, circumvent the financial sanctions prohibitions. 
    • Director Disqualification Sanctions: Where director disqualification sanctions apply, it will be an offence for a person designated for the purpose of those sanctions to act as a director of a company or to take part in the management, formation or promotion of a UK company. 
    • Travel ban: an individual subject to a travel ban will be an excluded person under section 8B of the Immigration Act 1971, meaning that they must be refused leave to enter or to remain in the United Kingdom.

    Media enquiries

    Email newsdesk@fcdo.gov.uk

    Telephone 020 7008 3100

    Email the FCDO Newsdesk (monitored 24 hours a day) in the first instance, and we will respond as soon as possible.

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    Updates to this page

    Published 20 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    May 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: ZeroFox Partners With GASA and GSE to Fight Fraud With Enhanced Threat Detection Capabilities

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    WASHINGTON, May 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ZeroFox, the leader in external cybersecurity, has entered into a collaborative partnership with the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA) and the Global Signal Exchange (GSE) to bolster joint measures to prevent online scams and fraud.

    GASA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing scams by bringing together law enforcement, cybersecurity companies and governments to fight fraud. GSE is a global clearinghouse for real-time sharing of scam and fraud signals. This alliance gives GASA and GSE access to ZeroFox’s threat intelligence on scams and fraudulent and malicious sites, and other threat data, empowering the larger security community with more visibility into online impersonation and related threats in order to defend against them more effectively.

    Every day, ZeroFox leverages its global intelligence collection and analysis to process tens of thousands of malicious URLs, IPs, and phishing domains. Access to this critical data is granted to select partners – now including GASA and GSE – through integrations to ZeroFox’s Global Disruption Network (GDN), which publishes information on newly-found threats like malicious content for the threat intelligence community.

    This new partnership will arm GASA and GSE with a comprehensive view of the cyber threat landscape, and will display any malicious URL, IP or domain received from ZeroFox’s GDN on their platform, alerting other GSE partners of potential digital risks.

    “ZeroFox’s Global Disruption Network is a powerful tool providing fresh, high-fidelity phishing, fraud and malware insights for rapid knowledge sharing. We enable GDN partners to protect their users quickly and reduce the likelihood of success for malicious actors,” said Russ Bentley, Executive VP of Product Management, ZeroFox. “We’re proud to partner with GASA and GSE, two organizations dedicated to protecting consumers worldwide from online scams and fraud. Collaborating with them aligns with our mission of making the internet safer for everyone.”

    Jorij Abraham, Managing Director of GASA, shared: “ZeroFox has been in the business of fighting cybercrime since 2013. In this time, they developed deep expertise in domain monitoring, managed threat intelligence services, and domain takedown services. Their know-how and cybercrime knowledge will be of tremendous value to the Global Signal Exchange.”

    “We’re really pleased to be partnering with ZeroFox. Their data that GSE is consuming, including URLs that might contain malware, phishing domains, IP addresses identified as hosting fraudulent sites, or even social media sites potentially impersonating a brand or person, is already making a significant contribution to the volumes of open signals we are providing via the GSE,” states Mark Robertshaw, COO of Oxford Information Labs, creator of the GSE.

    To learn more about ZeroFox’s Global Disruption Network or join our list of partners, visit https://www.zerofox.com/products/global-disruption-network/.

    About ZeroFox
    ZeroFox, an enterprise software-as-a-service leader in external cybersecurity, has redefined security outside the corporate perimeter on the internet, where businesses operate, and threat actors thrive. The ZeroFox platform combines advanced AI analytics, digital risk and privacy protection, full-spectrum threat intelligence, and a robust portfolio of breach, incident and takedown response capabilities to expose and disrupt phishing and fraud campaigns, botnet exposures, credential theft, impersonations, data breaches, and physical threats that target your brands, domains, people, and assets. Join thousands of customers, including some of the largest public sector organizations as well as finance, media, technology and retail companies to stay ahead of adversaries and address the entire lifecycle of external cyber risks. ZeroFox and the ZeroFox logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of ZeroFox, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. Visit www.zerofox.com for more information.

    About GASA
    GASA brings together governments, law enforcement, consumer protection organizations, financial authorities and providers, brand protection agencies, social media, Internet service providers and cybersecurity companies to share knowledge and define joint actions to protect consumers from getting scammed.

    About GSE
    The GSE platform provides tools for trusted parties to share threat intelligence. Currently processing more than 130 million threat signals, plus hundreds of millions of data points for enrichment, the GSE enables multi-directional signal sharing.

    Media Inquiries
    Sara Jacono
    LaunchTech Communications for ZeroFox
    press@zerofox.com

    The MIL Network –

    May 21, 2025
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