Category: Business

  • MIL-OSI: Dogecoin fans rejoice: Blockchain Cloud Mining launches, promises $5,700 daily returns

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    New York, NY, July 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In the wake of the recent crypto market rebound, a major shift is taking place across the Dogecoin (DOGE) community. The old mindset of “just hold and wait” is quickly giving way to a smarter, more profitable model: “hold and earn.”

    Today, we are excited to announce the official launch of a new series of high-yield cloud mining contracts on BlockchainCloudMining, a global leader in cloud mining services. These new contracts are specially designed to provide daily passive income opportunities for DOGE holders and crypto investors — with some users already reporting daily earnings of up to $5,700!

    Transformation moment for Dogecoin holders
    Since the advent of DOGE, this “joke coin” derived from Internet culture has had amazing vitality. Although its price has fluctuated greatly, its huge community base and expanding application scenarios have proved its durability in the crypto ecosystem.

    However, in the face of the ever-changing market environment, DOGE holders have gradually realized that relying solely on rising and falling profits is risky, and “activating” assets and generating stable cash flow may be the wise direction for future investment. It is in this context that BlockchainCloudMining has become the “star platform” in this asset reconfiguration revolution.

    The “low threshold and high return” logic of cloud mining platforms
    BlockchainCloudMining is a professional cloud mining platform headquartered in the UK. Since its launch in 2018, it has been committed to providing simple, safe and efficient mining solutions for global crypto users. Users do not need to build their own mines, purchase hardware, and maintain equipment. They only need to register an account and select a contract to start 24-hour automatic mining and obtain daily settled income.

    Security and Sustainability
    In the field of mining, trust and security are crucial. Blockchain Cloud Mining (BlockchainCloudMining) knows this well and puts user safety first. Blockchain Cloud Mining (BlockchainCloudMining) is committed to transparency and legality, ensuring that your investment is protected and allowing you to focus on profitability. All mines use clean energy, making cloud mining carbon neutral. Renewable energy protects the environment from pollution and brings rich returns, allowing every investor to enjoy opportunities and benefits.

    BlockchainCloudMining platform advantages:
    ⦁Get a $12 instant bonus upon registration.
    High profit level and daily dividends.
    No other service fees or management fees.
    The platform supports settlement of more than 9 cryptocurrencies, such as DOGE, BTC, ETH, SOL, USDC, USDT, XRP, LTC and BCH.
    ⦁The company’s affiliate program allows you to refer friends and get up to $50,000 in referral bonuses.
    McAfee® security. Cloudflare® security. 100% uptime guarantee and excellent 24/7 manual online technical support.

    Actual income performance is outstanding, and investors continue to increase their investment
    The latest data from the BlockchainCloudMining platform shows that the following contracts have become the first choice of users:
    ⦁【New User Experience Contract】: Investment amount: $100, contract period 2 days, total income: $100 + $6.
    ⦁【WhatsMiner M66S】: Investment amount: $500, contract period 7 days, total return: $500 + $45.5.
    ⦁【WhatsMiner M60】: Investment amount: $1000, contract period 14 days, total return: $1000 + $196.
    ⦁【Bitcoin Miner S21+】: Investment amount: $3000, contract period 20 days, total return: $3000 + $900.
    ⦁【ALPH Miner AL1】: Investment amount: $10000, contract period 35 days, total return: $10000 + $5950.
    ⦁【ANTSPACE HK3】: Investment amount: $33000, contract period 40 days, total return: $33000 + $26400.
    You can get income the next day after purchasing the contract, and you can also choose to withdraw to your crypto wallet or continue to purchase other contracts.
    (The platform has launched a number of stable income contracts. For more contract details, please log in to the official website of Blockchaincloudmining.com)

    Global deployment, stable output
    It is worth noting that the BlockchainCloudMining platform has multiple data centers around the world and deploys more than 500,000 high-performance mining machines. This distributed computing power network allows mining tasks to be unaffected by the power or network environment of a single region. Even in extreme market conditions or policy changes, it can still ensure the stable operation of contracts and the payment of daily income as scheduled.

    In short: a “static income revolution” for DOGE users
    In the past, DOGE was the “happy fruit” of the crypto world; now, with the BlockchainCloudMining platform, it is gradually becoming a “passive income engine.”
    If holding coins is a belief, then letting the assets you hold continue to work for you is a smarter continuation of belief. For more and more DOGE users, cloud mining is not only an investment option, but also a long-term asset management strategy.

    For more details, please visit the official website: https://blockchaincloudmining.com
    or contact the official email: info@blockchaincloudmining.com

    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.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: TRA publishes Annual Report and Accounts 2024-25

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    TRA publishes Annual Report and Accounts 2024-25

    TRA releases 2024-25 Annual Report and Accounts and outlines how it is building stronger trade defences.

    The Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) has today published its Annual Report and Accounts for 2024-25, highlighting its work protecting UK businesses from unfair trading practices.

    Trade remedies (also known as trade defence instruments), are measures put in place to help protect UK businesses from unfair imports. Trade remedies include anti-dumping, countervailing and safeguard measures.

    The report details how the organisation has continued to investigate and review cases involving imported goods being sold at unfair prices (dumping) or subsidised imports that could harm UK industry.

    During 2024-25, the TRA has:

    • initiated reviews on schedule for the last of the 43 trade remedy measures the UK transitioned from the EU system. So far, after carrying out its reviews, the TRA have retained 25 of 30 of those transitioned measures to protect UK businesses against unfair international trading practices.
    • successfully completed five new dumping and subsidy cases on behalf of UK industries which had approached them to make an investigation into possible unfair imports.
    • begun preparing industries for the expiry of current measures that will reach their final year in 2026, so that they can seek extensions if they believe the measures are still needed.

    Newly appointed Chief Executives Carmen Suarez and Jessica Blakely said:

    This year’s report demonstrates our ongoing commitment to supporting fair trade for UK businesses. By conducting thorough and impartial investigations, we are helping to create a level playing field in international trade and defend the UK’s economic interests.

    The report also outlines the TRA’s financial performance and governance arrangements for the year and how the TRA has adapted to new challenges and demands as a still young organisation. The TRA is exploring further improvements to its investigations processes which will bring efficiencies in the coming years and ensure the organisation continues to support a thriving UK economy.

    The full Annual Report and Accounts 2024-25 can be found here.

    Notes to editors

    • As an independent body operating at arm’s length from the Department for Business & Trade, the TRA is guided in its work by its principles of proportionality, impartiality, transparency, and efficiency.
    • The TRA welcomes applications for trade remedies investigations from any business operating in the UK. Read our online guidance to find out more about how to apply and what information to provide.
    • The TRA’s Trade Remedies Advisory Service can be contacted on: contact@traderemedies.gov.uk. Previously known as the Pre-Application Office, it will provide support not only at the pre-application stage, but throughout the life of the case to interested parties who have questions about our investigation process.

    Updates to this page

    Published 21 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI: BitMart Research—Pudgy Penguins Goes Viral on Twitter: From NFT Project to Multi-Dimensional Web3 Ecosystem IP

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Mahe, Seychelles, July 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — BitMart Research, the research arm of BitMart Exchange, has released a detailed report on Pudgy Penguins, highlighting its remarkable transformation from an NFT avatar project into a multi-dimensional Web3 ecosystem brand. As major players like Coinbase, VanEck, and OpenSea embrace Pudgy Penguins avatars across social media, the project’s token $PENGU has surged over 200% in the past month, signaling growing institutional and retail interest. With real-world toy sales surpassing $10 million, a thriving gaming segment, and its own zk-powered Layer 2 network Abstract, Pudgy Penguins is emerging as a leading example of IP-driven expansion in crypto—blending culture, consumer products, and blockchain infrastructure into a unified ecosystem.

    I. Pudgy Penguins Spark a Twitter Profile Picture Trend

    Recently, Pudgy Penguins has ignited a profile picture trend across the crypto community, with major industry players such as Coinbase, Binance.US, OpenSea, VanEck, OKX, and BitMart successively changing their official Twitter profile pictures to Pudgy Penguins derivative images. Among them, the endorsement from traditional financial giant VanEck is particularly significant. This asset management firm with a 70-year history not only changed its Twitter avatar to a Pudgy Penguin as early as 2024 but also brought physical Pudgy toys to ring the Nasdaq bell on June 23 this year, marking a milestone of bringing a Web3 IP into mainstream finance. The recent surge in attention has also significantly boosted the price performance of related Pudgy Penguins assets. As of July 17, the ecosystem token $PENGU has skyrocketed by over 216% in the past month, with its market capitalization briefly surpassing $2.8 billion. Meanwhile, Pudgy Penguins NFT trading volume reached $13.726 million, representing a 111% increase compared to the previous month.

    II. The Ecosystem Landscape of Pudgy Penguins

    Since the NFT bear market began in 2022, Pudgy Penguins has not been overwhelmed by negative market sentiment. Instead, it has leveraged its uniquely adorable penguin image to actively pursue IP licensing and commercial implementation, presenting a narrative centered around brand building and cultural operations. Today, Pudgy Penguins has grown into the core brand of a diversified ecosystem. Within this ecosystem, not only is there the Ethereum Layer 2 network Abstract built on ZK architecture, but also a wide range of applications including gaming, MEMEs, NFT lottery platforms, physical toys, and consumer products.
    According to official data as of July, Pudgy Penguins’ toy sales exceeded $10 million, the gaming segment reached 60,000 users, and Abstract accumulated approximately 2.5 million active users. These figures indicate that Pudgy Penguins is transforming into a true Web3 super IP with user scale effects, product commercialization capability, and on-chain infrastructure strength.

    1. Physical Ecosystem
    In terms of physical products, the Pudgy Toys line from Pudgy Penguins is undoubtedly the most successful commercial implementation case. Since its initial launch in May 2023, Pudgy Toys quickly climbed Amazon’s bestseller list with sales surpassing $10 million, and it later successfully entered over 10,000 Walmart stores across the United States. With a rich variety of plush toys, figurines, and igloos, combined with a revenue-sharing mechanism linking Pudgy NFTs to real-world merchandise, NFT holders are also able to earn passive income from product sales. This model offers a valuable reference point for commercialization across the entire NFT industry.

    2. Gaming Sector
    The gaming sector is also a key focus area for Pudgy Penguins. In May of this year, the 1v1 turn-based battle game Pengu Clash launched on the TON ecosystem and attracted over 60,000 players within its first week. In addition, the upcoming multiplayer survival mini-game Pudgy Party, scheduled for release in the summer of 2025, has already drawn significant community interest, with its official Twitter account nearing 100,000 followers. By continuously launching lightweight gaming experiences that align with users’ social habits and entertainment preferences, Pudgy Penguins is steadily expanding the reach of its IP and effectively attracting more users into its ecosystem.

    3. Abstract Ecosystem

    Abstract
    Abstract is an Ethereum Layer 2 network based on ZK-rollup technology, jointly launched by Igloo Inc., the parent company behind Pudgy Penguins, and Cube Labs. It adopts a wallet solution that does not require mnemonic phrases and follows a user-centric design philosophy, aiming to lower the barrier to entry and expand the adoption of consumer-level applications. As of July 18, Abstract’s network TVL reached $42.6M (a 533% increase compared to the beginning of the year), with active users ranging between 50K and 200K. The network hosts a diverse ecosystem that includes games and NFT applications related to Pudgy Penguins. Some of the more popular projects within the ecosystem include:

    • Abster: Abster is the official MEME mascot of Abstract. As of July 17, Abster’s market cap rose to $37.6M, making it the highest-valued MEME token within the Pudgy Penguins ecosystem.
    • Polly: Polly is the official token of the lottery project PollyPrize. Users can participate in the platform’s lottery events by purchasing Polly tokens. One ticket costs either 1 USD or 50 Polly points, and prizes consist of popular NFTs, such as Goblintown and Moonbirds.

    III.Future Development Potential

    In the short term, there are three key developments within the Pudgy Penguins ecosystem that warrant close attention. First, in March of this year, crypto asset management firm Canary Capital officially submitted an application to the SEC to launch a spot ETF product based on $PENGU. If approved, this ETF would become the world’s first to use a native asset from an NFT project as its underlying. This would not only represent a milestone in the integration of Web3 and traditional finance but also bring unprecedented institutional recognition to $PENGU. Achieving asset anchoring and compliant circulation within the traditional financial system would significantly enhance Pudgy Penguins’ liquidity, valuation foundation, and investability for institutions.

    In addition, infrastructure development is accelerating around Abstract. Pudgy Penguins CEO Luca Netz stated publicly during a livestream that Abstract is expected to launch its TGE by the end of this year. As the core infrastructure supporting Pudgy Penguins’ games, NFT interactions, and social applications, the establishment of Abstract’s token mechanism would provide stronger incentives and collaborative expectations for ecosystem participants, driving further attention and activity across native projects like PENGU, Abster, and PollyPrize.

    Finally, the multiplayer survival mini-game Pudgy Party is expected to launch this summer and has already attracted significant community interest. As the official release approaches, MEME characters within the ecosystem—such as Abster—are likely to be integrated into the game through content and gameplay collaboration, further strengthening brand stickiness and increasing ecosystem engagement.

    Pudgy Penguins has now evolved far beyond the scope of a traditional NFT project. It has developed into a composite Web3 brand encompassing IP, physical products, gaming, and infrastructure. Originating from a PFP IP, it has expanded into offline consumer goods, casual social games, ZK Layer2 infrastructure, and MEME tokens with lottery platforms—gradually building a comprehensive ecosystem that spans virtual and real-world experiences, multi-chain architecture, and diverse application scenarios. This multidimensional ecosystem is a key reason why Pudgy Penguins continues to maintain market vibrancy despite the broader NFT market downturn.

    About BitMart

    BitMart is a premier global digital asset trading platform with more than 10 million users worldwide. Consistently ranked among the top crypto exchanges on CoinGecko, BitMart offers over 1,700 trading pairs with competitive fees. Committed to continuous innovation and financial inclusivity, BitMart empowers users globally to trade seamlessly. Learn more about BitMart at Website, follow their X (Twitter), or join their Telegram for updates, news, and promotions. Download BitMart App to trade anytime, anywhere.

    Risk Warning:

    The information provided is for reference only and should not be considered a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any financial asset. All information is provided in good faith. However, we make no representations or warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability, availability or completeness of such information.

    All cryptocurrency investments (including returns) are highly speculative in nature and involve significant risk of loss. Past, hypothetical or simulated performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. The value of digital currencies may rise or fall, and there may be significant risks in buying, selling, holding or trading digital currencies. You should carefully consider whether trading or holding digital currencies is suitable for you based on your personal investment objectives, financial situation and risk tolerance. BitMart does not provide any investment, legal or tax advice.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: BitMart Brand Renewal: Officially Launched BrandName in Chinese “币市”, Deeply Cultivating Global Localization Strategy

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Mahe, Seychelles, July 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — On July 21, 2025, BitMart, the world’s leading digital asset trading platform, announced the official launch of its brand name in Chinese “币市”, and simultaneously released a new brand mascot. This milestone demonstrates BitMart’s long-term commitment to the Chinese-language market and its firm determination to deepen localized services and help the healthy development of the industry.

    Since its establishment in 2017, BitMart has served more than 10 million users in nearly 200 countries and regions around the world. The platform now has more than 1,700 crypto assets and more than 400 perpetual contracts online. With its efficient technical architecture, strict risk control system and continuous innovation, it has won the trust of global users and the industry.

    In the face of the booming digital economy, BitMart has always adhered to the concept of “user first” and continuously optimized its products and services. This brand upgrade and the launch of the Chinese name “币市” is not only a key step in BitMart’s globalization strategy, but also carries the core mission of “making crypto asset transactions simpler and more reliable.” In the future, BitMart will provide Chinese-speaking users with diversified asset trading, financial services, ecological benefits and growth empowerment experience with a new image, and strive to become the preferred platform for digital asset trading.

    BitMart Global CEO Nenter Chow said: “The launch of the brand ‘BitMart’ in Chinese is an important step for us to listen to Chinese-speaking users and deepen local services. We look forward to accompanying users to step into the new era of digital assets with a clearer, easier to understand and more friendly brand image, and continue to empower the development of the industry with professionalism and innovation.”

    To cooperate with the brand upgrade, BitMart will launch a series of exclusive activities and services for Chinese-speaking users in the near future, continue to increase investment in the Asia-Pacific region, provide a better localized experience, and convey the new concept of “BitMart, the first stop for digital asset trading” to the majority of users.

    Looking to the future, BitMart will continue to expand the boundaries of cooperation and work with global partners to jointly promote the healthy prosperity and innovative progress of the digital asset industry.

    About BitMart
    BitMart is a premier global digital asset trading platform with more than 10 million users worldwide. Consistently ranked among the top crypto exchanges on CoinGecko, BitMart offers over 1,700 trading pairs with competitive fees. Committed to continuous innovation and financial inclusivity, BitMart empowers users globally to trade seamlessly. Learn more about BitMart at Website, follow their X (Twitter), or join their Telegram for updates, news, and promotions. Download BitMart App to trade anytime, anywhere.

    Disclaimer:
    The information provided is for informational purposes only and should not be considered a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any financial assets. All information is provided in good faith. However, we make no representation or warranty of any kind, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability, availability or completeness of such information. All crypto investments, including earnings, are highly speculative in nature and involve substantial risk of loss. Past, hypothetical, or simulated performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. The value of digital currencies can go up or down and there can be a substantial risk in buying, selling, holding, or trading digital currencies. You should carefully consider whether trading or holding digital currencies is suitable for you based on your personal investment objectives, financial circumstances, and risk tolerance. BitMart does not provide any investment, legal or tax advice.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: From 401(k) to cloud mining: CryptoMiningFirm launches new APP, opening up a new strategy for stable value-added digital pension

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Seattle, Washington, July 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —  As the global economic structure transforms, traditional retirement plans such as 401(k)s face challenges such as sluggish growth and volatile returns. During “Crypto Week”, the U.S. Congress passed a number of bills to clarify the legal status of digital assets and provide a stable regulatory environment for digital pension investments.

    In this context, CryptoMiningFirm cloud mining platform recently announced the launch of a new version of its mobile APP. As a zero-threshold digital value-added method, it is becoming an ideal choice for retired investors and digital pension planning. Users can participate in the mining activities of mainstream currencies remotely without purchasing mining machines, obtain stable daily income, and help achieve steady value-added of assets.

    Cloud Mining: Building a Robust Digital Pension Path

    Cloud mining is known for its zero threshold and everyone can participate. After users register, they can participate in the mining of mainstream currencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin, etc. remotely for free, obtain stable income, and achieve long-term and stable asset appreciation.

    CryptoMiningFirm: A secure, compliant, and transparent cloud mining pioneer

    As the world’s leading compliant cloud mining platform, CryptoMiningFirm closely follows regulatory trends and relies on compliant computing resources in multiple locations around the world to provide users with:

    Multi-currency support: covers mainstream assets such as BTC, ETH, XRP, DOGE, etc.

    Enterprise-level security: uses military-grade data encryption and multiple identity authentication;

    Automatic income distribution system: mining pool income is settled daily and automatically credited;

    Global node deployment: computing power is distributed in North America, Iceland, Asia-Pacific and other regions, stable and efficient;

    Compliance and transparent operation: audit reports are open and operation data can be checked in real time.

    How to participate: Three easy steps to start your profit journey

    1: One-click registration – Create an account in 1 minute through the official website or official APP, and immediately receive a $10-100 reward for free.

    2: Choose a plan that matches your goals – short-term, long-term or high-yield plan – and watch your balance grow every day

    Popular contract examples: {Supports multiple mainstream currencies}

    Trial contract: Investment amount: $100, contract period: 2 days, daily income: $4, total income: $100 + $8 upon expiration

    BTC Classic computing power: Investment amount: $500, contract period: 7 days, daily income: $6.5, total income: $500 + $45.5 upon expiration

    BTC Classic computing power: Investment amount: $1,000, contract period 7 days, daily income: $13.5, total income: $1,000 + $94.5 upon expiration

    BTC advanced computing power: Investment amount: $5,000, contract period: 15 days, daily income: $72.5, total income: $5,000 + $1,087.5 upon expiration

    BTC advanced computing power: Investment amount: $10,000, contract period: 25 days, daily income: $160, total income: $10,000 + $4,000 upon expiration

    Click here to view more contract types

    3: Real-time income – income can be withdrawn to the bound wallet at any time or reinvested to accelerate income growth

    As traditional pensions face challenges, cryptocurrencies are becoming an innovative tool for wealth growth. CryptoMiningFirm injects new vitality into pension funds through safe and reliable cloud mining technology, achieving steady appreciation of digital assets. With strict security protection and transparent operations, investors can not only enjoy high returns in the crypto market, but also ensure the long-term security of retirement funds, providing solid protection for future retirement life.

    Join now and start a new chapter of digital retirement wealth!

    Official email: info@cryptominingfirm.com

    Official APP download: supports iOS and Android

    Official website: https://cryptominingfirm.com

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    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Africa’s minerals are being bartered for security: why it’s a bad idea

    Source: The Conversation – Africa (2) – By Hanri Mostert, SARChI Chair for Mineral Law in Africa, University of Cape Town

    A US-brokered peace deal between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda binds the two African nations to a worrying arrangement: one where a country signs away its mineral resources to a superpower in return for opaque assurances of security.

    The peace deal, signed in June 2025, aims to end three decades of conflict between the DRC and Rwanda.

    A key part of the agreement binds both nations to developing a regional economic integration framework. This arrangement would expand cooperation between the two states, the US government and American investors on “transparent, formalized end-to-end mineral chains”.

    Despite its immense mineral wealth, the DRC is among the five poorest countries in the world. It has been seeking US investment in its mineral sector.

    The US has in turn touted a potential multi-billion-dollar investment programme to anchor its mineral supply chains in the traumatised and poor territory.

    The peace that the June 2025 deal promises, therefore, hinges on chaining mineral supply to the US in exchange for Washington’s powerful – but vaguely formulated – military oversight.

    The peace agreement further establishes a joint oversight committee – with representatives from the African Union, Qatar and the US – to receive complaints and resolve disputes between the DRC and Rwanda.

    But beyond the joint oversight committee, the peace deal creates no specific security obligations for the US.

    The relationship between the DRC and Rwanda has been marred by war and tension since the bloody First (1996-1997) and Second (1998-2003) Congo wars. At the heart of much of this conflict is the DRC’s mineral wealth. It has fuelled competition, exploitation and armed violence.

    This latest peace deal introduces a resources-for-security arrangement. Such deals aren’t new in Africa. They first emerged in the early 2000s as resources-for-infrastructure transactions. Here, a foreign state would agree to build economic and social infrastructure (roads, ports, airports, hospitals) in an African state. In exchange, it would get a major stake in a government-owned mining company. Or gain preferential access to the host country’s minerals.

    We have studied mineral law and governance in Africa for more than 20 years. The question that emerges now is whether a US-brokered resources-for-security agreement will help the DRC benefit from its resources.

    Based on our research on mining, development and sustainability, we believe this is unlikely.

    This is because resources-for-security is the latest version of a resource-bartering approach that China and Russia pioneered in countries such as Angola, the Central African Republic and the DRC.

    Resource bartering in Africa has eroded the sovereignty and bargaining power of mineral-rich nations such as the DRC and Angola.

    Further, resources-for-security deals are less transparent and more complicated than prior resource bartering agreements.

    DRC’s security gaps

    The DRC is endowed with major deposits of critical minerals like cobalt, copper, lithium, manganese and tantalum. These are the building blocks for 21st century technologies: artificial intelligence, electric vehicles, wind energy and military security hardware. Rwanda has less mineral wealth than its neighbour, but is the world’s third-largest producer of tantalum, used in electronics, aerospace and medical devices.

    For almost 30 years, minerals have fuelled conflict and severe violence, especially in eastern DRC. Tungsten, tantalum and gold (referred to as 3TG) finance and drive conflict as government forces and an estimated 130 armed groups vie for control over lucrative mining sites. Several reports and studies have implicated the DRC’s neighbours – Rwanda and Uganda – in supporting the illegal extraction of 3TG in this region.

    The DRC government has failed to extend security over its vast (2.3 million square kilometres) and diverse territory (109 million people, representing 250 ethnic groups). Limited resources, logistical challenges and corruption have weakened its armed forces.

    This context makes the United States’ military backing enormously attractive. But our research shows there are traps.

    What states risk losing

    Resources-for-infrastructure and resources-for-security deals generally offer African nations short-term stability, financing or global goodwill. However, the costs are often long-term because of an erosion of sovereign control.

    Here’s how this happens:

    Examples of loss or near-loss of sovereignty from these sorts of deals abound in Africa.

    For instance, Angola’s US$2 billion oil-backed loan from China Eximbank in 2004. This was repayable in monthly deliveries of oil, with revenues directed to Chinese-controlled accounts. The loan’s design deprived Angolan authorities of decision-making power over that income stream even before the oil was extracted.

    These deals also fragment accountability. They often span multiple ministries (such as defence, mining and trade), avoiding robust oversight or accountability. Fragmentation makes resource sectors vulnerable to elite capture. Powerful insiders can manipulate agreements for private gain.

    In the DRC, this has created a violent kleptocracy, where resource wealth is systematically diverted away from popular benefit.

    Finally, there is the risk of re-entrenching extractive trauma. Communities displaced for mining and environmental degradation in many countries across Africa illustrate the long-standing harm to livelihoods, health and social cohesion.

    These are not new problems. But where extraction is tied to security or infrastructure, such damage risks becoming permanent features, not temporary costs.

    What needs to change

    Critical minerals are “critical” because they’re hard to mine or substitute. Additionally, their supply chains are strategically vulnerable and politically exposed. Whoever controls these minerals controls the future. Africa must make sure it doesn’t trade that future away.

    In a world being reshaped by global interests in critical minerals, African states must not underestimate the strategic value of their mineral resources. They hold considerable leverage.

    But leverage only works if it is wielded strategically. This means:

    • investing in institutional strength and legal capacity to negotiate better deals

    • demanding local value creation and addition

    • requiring transparency and parliamentary oversight for minerals-related agreements

    • refusing deals that bypass human rights, environmental or sovereignty standards.

    Africa has the resources. It must hold on to the power they wield.

    Hanri Mostert receives funding from the National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa. She is a member of the Expropriation Expert Group and a steering committee member of the International Bar Association’s (IBA) Academic Advisory Group (AAG) in the Sector for Energy, Environmental, Resources and Infrastructure Law (SEERIL).

    Tracy-Lynn Field receives funding from the Claude Leon Foundation. She is a non-executive director of the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa.

    ref. Africa’s minerals are being bartered for security: why it’s a bad idea – https://theconversation.com/africas-minerals-are-being-bartered-for-security-why-its-a-bad-idea-260594

    MIL OSI

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Ghana has a rare treasure, a crater made when a meteor hit Earth: why it needs to be protected

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Marian Selorm Sapah, Senior lecturer, University of Ghana

    Impact craters are formed when an object from space such as a meteoroid, asteroid or comet strikes the Earth at a very high velocity. This leaves an excavated circular hole on the Earth’s surface.

    It is a basic geological process that has shaped the planets from their formation to today. It creates landscapes and surface materials across our solar system. The moon is covered with them, as are planets like Mercury, Mars and Venus. On Earth, impacts have influenced the evolution of life and even provided valuable mineral and energy resources. However, very few of the impact craters on Earth are visible because of various processes that obscure or erase them.

    Most of the recognised impact craters on Earth are buried under sediments or have been deeply eroded. That means they no longer preserve their initial forms.

    The Bosumtwi impact crater in Ghana is different, however. It is well preserved (not deeply eroded or buried under sediments). Its well-defined, near-circular basin, filled by a lake, is surrounded by a prominent crater rim that rises above the surface of the lake and an outer circular plateau. This makes it a target for several research questions.

    As an Earth scientist, I joined a research team from 2019 to better understand the morphology of the crater. We carried out a morphological analysis of the crater (a study of its form, structure and geological features).

    This study concluded that the activities of illegal miners are a threat to the sustainability of the crater. We also discovered that the features of the Bosumtwi impact crater can be considered as a terrestrial representation for a special type of impact crater known as rampart craters. These are common on the planets Mars and Venus and are found on icy bodies of the outer solar system (like Ganymede, Europa, Dione, Tethys and Charon).

    For future studies, the Bosumtwi impact crater can be used to help understand how rampart craters form on Mars and Venus. So the Bosumtwi impact crater should be protected and preserved.




    Read more:
    Curious Kids: Why are there so few impact craters on Earth?


    The crater

    The Bosumtwi impact crater is in Ghana’s mineral-rich Ashanti gold belt. It is the location of the only natural inland lake in Ghana. As one of the world’s best-preserved young meteorite impact craters it is designated as an International Union of Geological Sciences geoheritage site.

    It is one of only 190 confirmed impact crater sites worldwide, one of only 20 on the African continent. Its lake is one of six meteoritic lakes in the world, recognised for their outstanding scientific value.

    At almost 1.07 million years old, the crater offers unparalleled opportunities for studying impact processes, climate history and planetary evolution. It’s an irreplaceable natural laboratory for researchers and educators.

    Beyond its scientific importance, the crater holds cultural significance for the Ashanti people of Ghana. The lake at its centre serves as a sacred site and spiritual landmark. The crater’s breathtaking landscape also supports eco-tourism and local livelihoods, contributing to Ghana’s economic development while maintaining exceptional aesthetic value.

    The research

    As part of further research work on the 2019 study, in 2025 we have discovered through field work and satellite data analysis that illegal artisanal mining is prevalent in the area and threatening the crater. This refers to informal, labour-intensive extraction of minerals, primarily gold. It is conducted by individuals or small groups using basic tools and rudimentary machinery. The use of toxic chemicals such as mercury and cyanide, and practices such as river dredging, cause severe environmental harm.

    Illegal miners are encroaching on and around the crater rim, posing severe threats to its environment and sustainability. Their activities have become more prevalent over the course of less than 10 years, indicating a growing problem. If unchecked, it could lead to irreversible damage to the crater.

    These mining operations risk contaminating the lake with toxic heavy metals. The consequences of these are grave. They include destroying critical geological evidence, accelerating deforestation, and degrading the land. All this damages the crater’s scientific, cultural and economic value.

    The International Union of Geological Sciences geoheritage designation of the crater underscores the urgent need for protection measures. The loss of this rare geological wonder would represent not just a national tragedy for Ghana, but a blow to global scientific heritage.

    Immediate action is required. This includes enhanced satellite monitoring (tracking illegal mining, deforestation and environmental changes) using optical imagery (such as Sentinel-2, Landsat, PlanetScope). These tools can detect forest loss, identify mining pits and sediment runoff, and analyse changes over time.

    Stricter enforcement of mining bans, and community engagement programmes, will help preserve the Bosumtwi impact crater’s unique attributes for future generations of scientists, students, tourists and local communities who depend on its resources.

    Marian Selorm Sapah 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. Ghana has a rare treasure, a crater made when a meteor hit Earth: why it needs to be protected – https://theconversation.com/ghana-has-a-rare-treasure-a-crater-made-when-a-meteor-hit-earth-why-it-needs-to-be-protected-260600

    MIL OSI

  • MIL-OSI Africa: G20: Startup20 priorities unveiled

    Source: Government of South Africa

    Small Business Development Minister Stella Ndabeni has unveiled South Africa’s priorities for the Startup20 Engagement Group – an official engagement group under the country’s G20 presidency.

    The Minister was delivering remarks at the midterm meeting held at Birchwood in Boksburg on Monday.

    Startup20 serves as a platform for startups and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to engage with G20 leaders on the challenges and opportunities they face.

    The five priorities are: 

    • Foundation and alliance – with the focus on enabling policies, and ways to build a more supportive and resourced eco-system for early-stage entrepreneurs and scale-ups.
    • Finance and investment – with the focus on addressing gaps in early-stage financing, cross-border financing, and ways to derisk investment, for underserved regions and groups like women and youth, including through pre-investment capital readiness support.
    • Inclusion and sustainability – with the focus on circular economy models, green innovation incentives, and pre-investment business support for youth and women led enterprises to improve capital readiness.
    • Market access – with the focus on facilitating international trade, enabling e-commerce, reforming public procurement systems and supporting regional integration
    • Township and rural entrepreneurship – with the focus on strengthening local value chains, improving infrastructure and connectivity, and improving access to finance and eco-system support for supporting co-operatives and micro enterprises.

    “Task teams made up of South African and international representatives have been established in these five priority areas.

    “This Midterm Engagement Group Session provides the opportunity for these task forces together with others in the broader eco-system to develop policy recommendations that culminate in a clear programme of action to be finalised in the Startup20 Summit on the 13th and 14th of November.

    “This summit in November will also include the inaugural Startup20 Awards, where the best startups and eco-system enablers from the G20 countries will be recognised. We will also, as DSBD, integrate our Presidential MSME Awards where we recognise and reward our best local talent,” Ndabeni said.

    She emphasised that South Africa would utilise its G20 presidency to champion “issues of the Global South and Africa in particular, including issues of public debt, food security, market access, and the availability and cost of capital”.    

    “With the African Union’s induction as a permanent G20 member in 2023, Africa’s voice is now more prominent in global policymaking. South Africa plays a dual role: both as a sovereign G20 member and as a strategic member of the AU. As such we are well positioned to support the continent’s startup and MSME agenda.

    “This alignment allows for greater policy coherence, enabling South Africa to serve as a bridge between global discourse and regional development aspirations, particularly in areas such as startup financing, regulatory reform, and digital transformation,” the Minister said. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Prolific week for entrepreneurs

    Source: Government of South Africa

    Small Business Development Minister Stella Ndabeni has declared this a “historic week” for entrepreneurs and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

    She was addressing the Startup20 Midterm Engagement Group Meeting held in Gauteng on Monday.

    The meeting kicks off a busy week, with Global Trade Promotion Organisations holding a parallel meeting hosted by the Department of Small Business Development (DSBD), together with the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition.

    “They will consider how the global trade system is being reconfigured, and how MSMEs can build resilience and pivot towards new markets,” Ndabeni said.

    Later this week, the department will host the Global SME ministerial meeting with the International Trade Centre.

    “This meeting will see Ministers, Deputy Ministers and officials from more than 60 countries, as well as various multilateral organisations, converge to discuss entrepreneurship and MSME policy, and look at ways to scale global support for MSMEs, especially in underserved countries,” Ndabeni explained.

    The Global SME ministerial meeting will take aim at:

    • How to bridge the digital divide to empower MSMEs and startups with the infrastructure, skills, and tools needed to compete globally;
    • How to unlock capital access, especially for women- and youth-led businesses, through inclusive financial ecosystems;
    • How to position MSMEs as key actors in the green economy, supporting sustainable practices and circular innovation, and
    • How to foster inclusive trade policies that ensure MSMEs have a seat at the global economic table.

    “The outcome will be a Call to Action, endorsed by the 60 plus countries, which will contain practical policy measures and reforms that will be championed in the UN system and which we can integrate with our G20 MSME agenda.

    “Building on the work started in Brazil, as South Africa we want a dedicated G20 MSME and Startup Working Group, and this week’s deliberations will greatly assist us craft clear terms of reference and agenda for this working group,” Ndabeni said.

    The ministerial meeting will also allow opportunities for inputs from the Startup20 Midterm engagement.

    “Some of you… will be given space to share your thinking with the delegates at the ministerial meeting.

    “Together, we will build a more equal and sustainable future led by MSMEs and startups,” Ndabeni said. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: African media are threatened by governments and big tech – book tracks the latest trends

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Hayes Mabweazara, Senior Lecturer in Sociological & Cultural Studies (Media, Culture & Society), University of Glasgow

    Media capture happens when media outlets lose their independence and fall under the influence of political or financial interests. This often leads to news content that favours power instead of public accountability.

    Media Capture in Africa and Latin America: Power and Resistance is a new book edited by news media scholars Hayes Mawindi Mabweazara and Bethia Pearson. It explores how this dynamic plays out in the global south and how journalists and citizens are resisting it. We asked them four questions.


    What is media capture and how has it reshaped itself in recent times?

    Media capture describes how media outlets are influenced, manipulated or controlled by powerful actors – often governments or large corporations – to serve their interests. It’s an idea that helps us understand how powerful groups in society can have a negative influence on news media. While this idea isn’t new, what has changed is how subtly and pervasively it now operates.

    These groups include big technology organisations that own digital media platforms – such as X, owned by xAI (Elon Musk), and Instagram and Facebook, owned by Meta. But it’s also important to consider Google as a large search engine that shapes the news content and audience of many other platforms.

    This matters because the media are important for the functioning of democratic societies. Ideally, they provide information, represent different groups and issues in society, and hold powerful actors to account.

    For example, one of the key roles of the media is to provide accurate information for citizens to be able to decide how to vote in elections. Or to decide what they think about important issues. One big concern, then, is the effect of inaccurate or biased information on democracy.

    Or it might be that accurate information is harder to access because algorithms and platforms make it easier to access inaccurate or biased information. These can be intended and unintended consequences of the technology itself, but algorithms can amplify misinformation and fake news – especially if this content has the potential to go viral.

    So, what’s particular about media capture in the global south?

    This is a really interesting question that is still being investigated, but we have some ideas.

    First of all, it’s useful to know that media capture scholarship from the global north emerged around the time of the 2008 financial crisis. The influence of financial institutions on business journalists was one of the first areas of study. Since then, research in the US has focused on the capture of government-funded media organisations like Voice of America. And on how digital platforms like Google and Facebook can lead to capture.

    In the global south, scholars have drawn attention to the importance of large media corporations in understanding media capture. For example, in Latin America, there’s a high level of what’s called “media concentration”. This is when many media outlets are owned by a few companies. These companies often own companies in other sectors, which means that critical reporting on business interests presents a conflict of interest.




    Read more:
    Public trust in the media is at a new low: a radical rethink of journalism is needed


    But to focus on Africa, scholars have drawn attention to governments as a source of pressure on journalists and editors. This can be through direct pressure or what we might call “covert” pressure. Withholding advertising that helps to fund media outlets is an example, or offering financial incentives to stop investigating certain topics.

    Researchers are also concerned about the influence of big tech in Africa. Digital platforms like Google and Facebook can shape the news and information that citizens have access to.

    Can you share some of the studies from the book?

    Our book includes many interesting studies – from Colombia, Brazil and Mexico in Latin America to Ethiopia and Morocco in Africa. We’ll share a few African cases here to give an overview of the issues.

    The book’s contribution on Ghana warns us that although more overt “old” types of media capture may have subsided, transitional democracies can feature messier, more nuanced forms of media control. This can be evident in government pressures and through capture of regulators.

    In the Morocco chapter, we see the threat to media freedom presented by digital platforms owned by global tech giants. This is known as “infrastructural capture”. It means news organisations become dependent on tech giants to set the rules of the game for democratic communication.

    Another compelling case is Nigeria, where researchers explore ties between media ownership and political patronage. The authors argue that the Nigerian press is failing in its democratic duty because of its reliance on advertising and sponsorship income from the state. Added to this are ineffective regulatory mechanisms and close relationships with some big businesses that own newspapers and printing presses.

    How can media capture be resisted in the global south?

    The studies in the book show some ways forward and we do think it’s important to be optimistic! Resistance takes many forms. Sometimes it comes through legal and policy reform aimed at increasing transparency and media diversity. In other cases, it’s driven by social movements, investigative journalists and independent media who continue to operate under pressure.

    The chapter on Uganda shows that journalist groups working with media advocacy organisations can strategically act to resist government media capture and harmful regulations. For example, to push back against one legislative change, several groups formed a temporary network called Article 29 (named after the article in the Ugandan constitution protecting free speech) and the African Centre for Media Excellence produced a report criticising the proposed changes.




    Read more:
    Western media outlets are trying to fix their racist, stereotypical coverage of Africa. Is it time African media did the same?


    One of the chapters on Ghana also shows how networks such as journalists, media associations, human rights groups and legal organisations can mobilise to push back against government influence. Organisations including the Ghana Journalists Association and Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association have played key roles in, for example, taking the media regulator to court to overturn laws that would have led to censorship. These findings are echoed in Latin America, where research on Mexico and Colombia also found professional journalism to be a strong source of resistance.

    The conversation must also include rethinking how we define capture itself. If we frame it only as total control, we risk missing the everyday ways influence operates – and the spaces where it can be resisted. We would also say it’s really important that citizens are aware and alert to the issues when they think about how they access news media and what platforms they use. This is sometimes called “media literacy” and is about people being more knowledgeable about where trustworthy news comes from.


    You can listen to a podcast about the book over here.

    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. African media are threatened by governments and big tech – book tracks the latest trends – https://theconversation.com/african-media-are-threatened-by-governments-and-big-tech-book-tracks-the-latest-trends-258017

    MIL OSI Analysis

  • MIL-OSI: ETHRANSACTION’s new Cloud Mining contracts makes it easier to yield stablecoins such as BTC, ETH, DOGE, XRP and LTC

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Kansas City, Missouri, July 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —  According to the current financial system of the crypto market, the turbulence continues, and the cloud mining industry is also becoming more and more fierce. Nowadays, using stablecoins to participate in cloud mining is the safest and wisest choice.

    ETHRANSACTION has become an industry leader with safe, reliable, legal, and advanced equipment and artificial intelligence management!

    Follow the ETHRANSACTION platform to help you achieve a daily income of $36,677 (risk-free)

    The ETHRANSACTION platform allows individuals to generate digital currencies remotely for operation and generate substantial and fixed daily income-simplifying cumbersome processes so that users can easily obtain cryptocurrencies without placing expensive equipment or dealing with complex technology.

    Founded in 2017, ETHRANSACTION has obtained all the necessary licenses issued by the British government and has now developed into one of the world’s top and most well-known cloud mining companies. With its advanced facilities, anyone can trade mainstream digital currencies such as Dogecoin, Litecoin, Ripple, and Bitcoin with just a laptop or mobile device.

    ETHRANSACTION prioritizes security and uses industry best practices, including SSL encryption, L&G insurance, and an effective risk prevention system. These security protocols ensure that user data and funds are always safe and confidential.

    Join Now and Enjoy the Welcome Bonus
    ETHRANSACTION offers opportunities for everyone who wants to make money with cryptocurrencies, regardless of their level of expertise. New users can get an instant $19 welcome bonus when they sign up and start mining immediately without any upfront costs or expensive equipment installation.

    High profit potential through first-class plans
    ETHRANSACTION offers contract plans tailored to meet the needs of small and large traders. Participants can start mining for free and get rewards by simply registering as one of ETHRANSACTION users. To make more profits, you need to choose the best contract plan for yourself:

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    All contract plans on the platform are transparent and open, and you can choose the one that suits you when investing.

    ETHRANSACTION has a simple interface and security protection.

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    Earn up to 6% permanent commission for each friend referral and exclusive access to a $370,000 reward pool.

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    ETHRANSACTION Generates Income Even When Traders Are on Vacation
    At a time when passive cash flow is more important than ever, ETHRANSACTION makes it easy and safe for individuals to join the cryptocurrency industry. The network’s legitimacy, security, convenience, and benefits make it an ideal solution for both new and professional investors.

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    Attachment

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: As XRP Crosses $200 Billion Market Cap – HASHJ Launches Expanded XRP Mining Tools

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    London, United Kingdom, July 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As XRP breaks past the $200 billion market cap milestone (as per CoinMarketCap), MGPD Finance Limited, doing business as HASHJ Cloud Mining, is expanding its XRP mining infrastructure with new tools, contracts, and DeFi utility—offering users a smarter, greener, and more liquid path to participate in the XRP ecosystem.

    With more than 9.3 million users across 96 countries, HASHJ continues to deliver institutional-grade mining services to everyday users. The newly enhanced XRP platform arrives just as XRP becomes one of the fastest-growing assets in the crypto space, used by over 50 global banks and backed by near-instant settlement and ultra-low transaction fees.

    Introducing the Turbo-Yield Dual-Engine™ for XRP

    HASHJ’s newly launched Turbo-Yield Dual-Engine Cloud Lane now supports high-frequency participation in XRP consensus operations, enabling:

    • Daily XRP payouts (T+0 settlements)
    • Real-time AI-based hash power routing to the highest-yielding nodes
    • Integration with DeFi tools for compounding or stablecoin conversion
    • Powered entirely by green energy (solar, wind, and hydro)

    This system dynamically shifts computing power across XRP and Solana nodes for optimal yield performance—delivering compounding rewards without user setup or hardware.

    Getting Started with XRP Mining on HASHJ

    New users receive a $118 starter pack ($18 cash + $100 hash power), activating XRP income within minutes. Simply:

    To begin:

    1. Register at www.hashj.com or download the HASHJ app.
    2. Claim Your $118 Bonus Now and $100 in trial hash power.
    3. Select a mining contract (2, 7, or 30 days).
    4. Start earning daily rewards on mined BTC, ETH, and more.

    No hardware or prior experience is required.

    XRP contracts include:

    Contract Tier Investment Duration Daily Yield Total Return
    Free Trial $0 1 day $1.00 Up to $365/year
    Starter $100 5 days $3.00 $115 total
    Advanced $500 10 days $12.00 $620 total
    Enterprise $12,000 32 days $204.00 $6,528 total

    Withdraw earnings once your balance hits $100, or reinvest with one tap to maximize compound gains.

    Security, Speed & Sustainability

    HASHJ’s infrastructure offers:

    • Cold wallet security and multi-signature protection
    • AI-optimized energy usage across 100+ green-powered data centers
    • Real-time earnings dashboard to track profits in XRP, BTC, ETH, DOGE, SOL, USDT, and more
    • 99.99% uptime across all global nodes

    With XRP surging in global adoption, HASHJ helps users turn price momentum into real-time cash flow.

    Market Context: Why XRP Now?

    Recent forecasts by CryptoVision and BlockSignals project XRP to reach $1.80+ by year-end. XRP-related searches are up 190% in the last 90 days, per Google Trends, reflecting growing global interest.

    HASHJ’s XRP cloud mining suite translates this demand into daily returns—letting users capitalize on XRP’s growth with ease, transparency, and zero hardware.

    About MGPD Finance Limited (doing business as HASHJ)

    Founded in 2018, HASHJ is a global leader in AI-powered, renewable-energy-backed cloud mining. With support for XRP, BTC, ETH, DOGE, SOL, LTC, and USDT, HASHJ provides a frictionless gateway into multi-chain mining and passive income. From mobile contracts to advanced yield tools, HASHJ transforms proof-of-work complexity into one-tap simplicity.

    For more information, visit: www.hashj.com
    App Download: Available on iOS and Android
    Business Inquiries: pr@hashj.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: As XRP Crosses $200 Billion Market Cap – HASHJ Launches Expanded XRP Mining Tools

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    London, United Kingdom, July 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As XRP breaks past the $200 billion market cap milestone (as per CoinMarketCap), MGPD Finance Limited, doing business as HASHJ Cloud Mining, is expanding its XRP mining infrastructure with new tools, contracts, and DeFi utility—offering users a smarter, greener, and more liquid path to participate in the XRP ecosystem.

    With more than 9.3 million users across 96 countries, HASHJ continues to deliver institutional-grade mining services to everyday users. The newly enhanced XRP platform arrives just as XRP becomes one of the fastest-growing assets in the crypto space, used by over 50 global banks and backed by near-instant settlement and ultra-low transaction fees.

    Introducing the Turbo-Yield Dual-Engine™ for XRP

    HASHJ’s newly launched Turbo-Yield Dual-Engine Cloud Lane now supports high-frequency participation in XRP consensus operations, enabling:

    • Daily XRP payouts (T+0 settlements)
    • Real-time AI-based hash power routing to the highest-yielding nodes
    • Integration with DeFi tools for compounding or stablecoin conversion
    • Powered entirely by green energy (solar, wind, and hydro)

    This system dynamically shifts computing power across XRP and Solana nodes for optimal yield performance—delivering compounding rewards without user setup or hardware.

    Getting Started with XRP Mining on HASHJ

    New users receive a $118 starter pack ($18 cash + $100 hash power), activating XRP income within minutes. Simply:

    To begin:

    1. Register at www.hashj.com or download the HASHJ app.
    2. Claim Your $118 Bonus Now and $100 in trial hash power.
    3. Select a mining contract (2, 7, or 30 days).
    4. Start earning daily rewards on mined BTC, ETH, and more.

    No hardware or prior experience is required.

    XRP contracts include:

    Contract Tier Investment Duration Daily Yield Total Return
    Free Trial $0 1 day $1.00 Up to $365/year
    Starter $100 5 days $3.00 $115 total
    Advanced $500 10 days $12.00 $620 total
    Enterprise $12,000 32 days $204.00 $6,528 total

    Withdraw earnings once your balance hits $100, or reinvest with one tap to maximize compound gains.

    Security, Speed & Sustainability

    HASHJ’s infrastructure offers:

    • Cold wallet security and multi-signature protection
    • AI-optimized energy usage across 100+ green-powered data centers
    • Real-time earnings dashboard to track profits in XRP, BTC, ETH, DOGE, SOL, USDT, and more
    • 99.99% uptime across all global nodes

    With XRP surging in global adoption, HASHJ helps users turn price momentum into real-time cash flow.

    Market Context: Why XRP Now?

    Recent forecasts by CryptoVision and BlockSignals project XRP to reach $1.80+ by year-end. XRP-related searches are up 190% in the last 90 days, per Google Trends, reflecting growing global interest.

    HASHJ’s XRP cloud mining suite translates this demand into daily returns—letting users capitalize on XRP’s growth with ease, transparency, and zero hardware.

    About MGPD Finance Limited (doing business as HASHJ)

    Founded in 2018, HASHJ is a global leader in AI-powered, renewable-energy-backed cloud mining. With support for XRP, BTC, ETH, DOGE, SOL, LTC, and USDT, HASHJ provides a frictionless gateway into multi-chain mining and passive income. From mobile contracts to advanced yield tools, HASHJ transforms proof-of-work complexity into one-tap simplicity.

    For more information, visit: www.hashj.com
    App Download: Available on iOS and Android
    Business Inquiries: pr@hashj.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Crypto Futures Made Simple: BexBack Offers No KYC, 100x Leverage and Double Deposit Bonus to All New Users

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SINGAPORE, July 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — With Bitcoin’s price fluctuating above $120,000, many analysts predict a prolonged period of high volatility in the crypto market. Holding spot positions may struggle to generate short-term profits in such conditions. As a result, 100x leverage futures trading has become the preferred tool for seasoned investors looking to maximize potential gains in this volatile market. BexBack Exchange is ramping up its efforts to offer traders unmatched promotional packages. The platform now features a 100% deposit bonus, a $50 welcome bonus for new users, and 100x leverage on cryptocurrency trading, providing exceptional opportunities for investors.

    What Is 100x Leverage and How Does It Work?

    Simply put, 100x leverage allows you to open larger trading positions with less capital. For example:

    Suppose the Bitcoin price is $100,000 that day, and you open a long contract with 1 BTC. After using 100x leverage, the transaction amount is equivalent to 100 BTC.

    One day later, if the price rises to $105,000, your profit will be (105,000 – 100,000) * 100 BTC / 100,000 = 5 BTC, a yield of up to 500%.

    With BexBack’s deposit bonus

    BexBack offers a 100% deposit bonus. If the initial investment is 2 BTC, the profit will increase to 10 BTC, and the return on investment will double to 1000%.

    Note: Although leveraged trading can magnify profits, you also need to be wary of liquidation risks.

    How Does the 100% Deposit Bonus Work?
    The deposit bonus from BexBack cannot be directly withdrawn but can be used to open larger positions and increase potential profits. Additionally, during significant market fluctuations, the bonus can serve as extra margin, effectively reducing the risk of liquidation.

    About BexBack?

    BexBack is a leading cryptocurrency derivatives platform that offers 100x leverage on BTC, ETH, ADA, SOL, and XRP futures contracts. It is headquartered in Singapore with offices in Hong Kong, Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Argentina. It holds a US MSB (Money Services Business) license and is trusted by more than 500,000 traders worldwide. Accepts users from the United States, Canada, and Europe. There are no deposit fees, and traders can get the most thoughtful service, including 24/7 customer support.

    Why recommend BexBack?

    No KYC Required: Start trading immediately without complex identity verification.

    100% Deposit Bonus: Double your funds, double your profits.

    High-Leverage Trading: Offers up to 100x leverage, maximizing investors’ capital efficiency.

    Demo Account: Comes with 10 BTC in virtual funds, ideal for beginners to practice risk-free trading.

    Comprehensive Trading Options: Feature-rich trading available via Web and mobile applications.

    Convenient Operation: No slippage, no spread, and fast, precise trade execution.

    Global User Support: Enjoy 24/7 customer service, no matter where you are.

    Lucrative Affiliate Rewards: Earn up to 50% commission, perfect for promoters.

    Take Action Now—Don’t Miss Another Opportunity!

    If you missed the previous crypto bull run, this could be your chance. With BexBack’s 100x leverage and 100% deposit bonus and $50 bonus for new users , you can be a winner in the new bull run.

    Sign up on BexBack now, claim your exclusive bonus and start accumulating more BTC today!

    Website: www.bexback.com

    Contact: business@bexback.com

    Contact:
    Amanda
    business@bexback.com

    Disclaimer: This content is provided by BexBack. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented. 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.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.

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    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Africa: African media are threatened by governments and big tech – book tracks the latest trends

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Hayes Mabweazara, Senior Lecturer in Sociological & Cultural Studies (Media, Culture & Society), University of Glasgow

    Media capture happens when media outlets lose their independence and fall under the influence of political or financial interests. This often leads to news content that favours power instead of public accountability.

    Media Capture in Africa and Latin America: Power and Resistance is a new book edited by news media scholars Hayes Mawindi Mabweazara and Bethia Pearson. It explores how this dynamic plays out in the global south and how journalists and citizens are resisting it. We asked them four questions.


    What is media capture and how has it reshaped itself in recent times?

    Media capture describes how media outlets are influenced, manipulated or controlled by powerful actors – often governments or large corporations – to serve their interests. It’s an idea that helps us understand how powerful groups in society can have a negative influence on news media. While this idea isn’t new, what has changed is how subtly and pervasively it now operates.

    These groups include big technology organisations that own digital media platforms – such as X, owned by xAI (Elon Musk), and Instagram and Facebook, owned by Meta. But it’s also important to consider Google as a large search engine that shapes the news content and audience of many other platforms.

    Palgrave Macmillan

    This matters because the media are important for the functioning of democratic societies. Ideally, they provide information, represent different groups and issues in society, and hold powerful actors to account.

    For example, one of the key roles of the media is to provide accurate information for citizens to be able to decide how to vote in elections. Or to decide what they think about important issues. One big concern, then, is the effect of inaccurate or biased information on democracy.

    Or it might be that accurate information is harder to access because algorithms and platforms make it easier to access inaccurate or biased information. These can be intended and unintended consequences of the technology itself, but algorithms can amplify misinformation and fake news – especially if this content has the potential to go viral.

    So, what’s particular about media capture in the global south?

    This is a really interesting question that is still being investigated, but we have some ideas.

    First of all, it’s useful to know that media capture scholarship from the global north emerged around the time of the 2008 financial crisis. The influence of financial institutions on business journalists was one of the first areas of study. Since then, research in the US has focused on the capture of government-funded media organisations like Voice of America. And on how digital platforms like Google and Facebook can lead to capture.

    In the global south, scholars have drawn attention to the importance of large media corporations in understanding media capture. For example, in Latin America, there’s a high level of what’s called “media concentration”. This is when many media outlets are owned by a few companies. These companies often own companies in other sectors, which means that critical reporting on business interests presents a conflict of interest.


    Read more: Public trust in the media is at a new low: a radical rethink of journalism is needed


    But to focus on Africa, scholars have drawn attention to governments as a source of pressure on journalists and editors. This can be through direct pressure or what we might call “covert” pressure. Withholding advertising that helps to fund media outlets is an example, or offering financial incentives to stop investigating certain topics.

    Researchers are also concerned about the influence of big tech in Africa. Digital platforms like Google and Facebook can shape the news and information that citizens have access to.

    Can you share some of the studies from the book?

    Our book includes many interesting studies – from Colombia, Brazil and Mexico in Latin America to Ethiopia and Morocco in Africa. We’ll share a few African cases here to give an overview of the issues.

    The book’s contribution on Ghana warns us that although more overt “old” types of media capture may have subsided, transitional democracies can feature messier, more nuanced forms of media control. This can be evident in government pressures and through capture of regulators.

    In the Morocco chapter, we see the threat to media freedom presented by digital platforms owned by global tech giants. This is known as “infrastructural capture”. It means news organisations become dependent on tech giants to set the rules of the game for democratic communication.

    Another compelling case is Nigeria, where researchers explore ties between media ownership and political patronage. The authors argue that the Nigerian press is failing in its democratic duty because of its reliance on advertising and sponsorship income from the state. Added to this are ineffective regulatory mechanisms and close relationships with some big businesses that own newspapers and printing presses.

    How can media capture be resisted in the global south?

    The studies in the book show some ways forward and we do think it’s important to be optimistic! Resistance takes many forms. Sometimes it comes through legal and policy reform aimed at increasing transparency and media diversity. In other cases, it’s driven by social movements, investigative journalists and independent media who continue to operate under pressure.

    The chapter on Uganda shows that journalist groups working with media advocacy organisations can strategically act to resist government media capture and harmful regulations. For example, to push back against one legislative change, several groups formed a temporary network called Article 29 (named after the article in the Ugandan constitution protecting free speech) and the African Centre for Media Excellence produced a report criticising the proposed changes.


    Read more: Western media outlets are trying to fix their racist, stereotypical coverage of Africa. Is it time African media did the same?


    One of the chapters on Ghana also shows how networks such as journalists, media associations, human rights groups and legal organisations can mobilise to push back against government influence. Organisations including the Ghana Journalists Association and Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association have played key roles in, for example, taking the media regulator to court to overturn laws that would have led to censorship. These findings are echoed in Latin America, where research on Mexico and Colombia also found professional journalism to be a strong source of resistance.

    The conversation must also include rethinking how we define capture itself. If we frame it only as total control, we risk missing the everyday ways influence operates – and the spaces where it can be resisted. We would also say it’s really important that citizens are aware and alert to the issues when they think about how they access news media and what platforms they use. This is sometimes called “media literacy” and is about people being more knowledgeable about where trustworthy news comes from.


    You can listen to a podcast about the book over here.

    – African media are threatened by governments and big tech – book tracks the latest trends
    – https://theconversation.com/african-media-are-threatened-by-governments-and-big-tech-book-tracks-the-latest-trends-258017

    MIL OSI Africa

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Africa’s minerals are being bartered for security: why it’s a bad idea

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Hanri Mostert, SARChI Chair for Mineral Law in Africa, University of Cape Town

    A US-brokered peace deal between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda binds the two African nations to a worrying arrangement: one where a country signs away its mineral resources to a superpower in return for opaque assurances of security.

    The peace deal, signed in June 2025, aims to end three decades of conflict between the DRC and Rwanda.

    A key part of the agreement binds both nations to developing a regional economic integration framework. This arrangement would expand cooperation between the two states, the US government and American investors on “transparent, formalized end-to-end mineral chains”.

    Despite its immense mineral wealth, the DRC is among the five poorest countries in the world. It has been seeking US investment in its mineral sector.

    The US has in turn touted a potential multi-billion-dollar investment programme to anchor its mineral supply chains in the traumatised and poor territory.

    The peace that the June 2025 deal promises, therefore, hinges on chaining mineral supply to the US in exchange for Washington’s powerful – but vaguely formulated – military oversight.

    The peace agreement further establishes a joint oversight committee – with representatives from the African Union, Qatar and the US – to receive complaints and resolve disputes between the DRC and Rwanda.

    But beyond the joint oversight committee, the peace deal creates no specific security obligations for the US.

    The relationship between the DRC and Rwanda has been marred by war and tension since the bloody First (1996-1997) and Second (1998-2003) Congo wars. At the heart of much of this conflict is the DRC’s mineral wealth. It has fuelled competition, exploitation and armed violence.

    This latest peace deal introduces a resources-for-security arrangement. Such deals aren’t new in Africa. They first emerged in the early 2000s as resources-for-infrastructure transactions. Here, a foreign state would agree to build economic and social infrastructure (roads, ports, airports, hospitals) in an African state. In exchange, it would get a major stake in a government-owned mining company. Or gain preferential access to the host country’s minerals.

    We have studied mineral law and governance in Africa for more than 20 years. The question that emerges now is whether a US-brokered resources-for-security agreement will help the DRC benefit from its resources.

    Based on our research on mining, development and sustainability, we believe this is unlikely.

    This is because resources-for-security is the latest version of a resource-bartering approach that China and Russia pioneered in countries such as Angola, the Central African Republic and the DRC.

    Resource bartering in Africa has eroded the sovereignty and bargaining power of mineral-rich nations such as the DRC and Angola.

    Further, resources-for-security deals are less transparent and more complicated than prior resource bartering agreements.

    DRC’s security gaps

    The DRC is endowed with major deposits of critical minerals like cobalt, copper, lithium, manganese and tantalum. These are the building blocks for 21st century technologies: artificial intelligence, electric vehicles, wind energy and military security hardware. Rwanda has less mineral wealth than its neighbour, but is the world’s third-largest producer of tantalum, used in electronics, aerospace and medical devices.

    For almost 30 years, minerals have fuelled conflict and severe violence, especially in eastern DRC. Tungsten, tantalum and gold (referred to as 3TG) finance and drive conflict as government forces and an estimated 130 armed groups vie for control over lucrative mining sites. Several reports and studies have implicated the DRC’s neighbours – Rwanda and Uganda – in supporting the illegal extraction of 3TG in this region.

    The DRC government has failed to extend security over its vast (2.3 million square kilometres) and diverse territory (109 million people, representing 250 ethnic groups). Limited resources, logistical challenges and corruption have weakened its armed forces.

    This context makes the United States’ military backing enormously attractive. But our research shows there are traps.

    What states risk losing

    Resources-for-infrastructure and resources-for-security deals generally offer African nations short-term stability, financing or global goodwill. However, the costs are often long-term because of an erosion of sovereign control.

    Here’s how this happens:

    Examples of loss or near-loss of sovereignty from these sorts of deals abound in Africa.

    For instance, Angola’s US$2 billion oil-backed loan from China Eximbank in 2004. This was repayable in monthly deliveries of oil, with revenues directed to Chinese-controlled accounts. The loan’s design deprived Angolan authorities of decision-making power over that income stream even before the oil was extracted.

    These deals also fragment accountability. They often span multiple ministries (such as defence, mining and trade), avoiding robust oversight or accountability. Fragmentation makes resource sectors vulnerable to elite capture. Powerful insiders can manipulate agreements for private gain.

    In the DRC, this has created a violent kleptocracy, where resource wealth is systematically diverted away from popular benefit.

    Finally, there is the risk of re-entrenching extractive trauma. Communities displaced for mining and environmental degradation in many countries across Africa illustrate the long-standing harm to livelihoods, health and social cohesion.

    These are not new problems. But where extraction is tied to security or infrastructure, such damage risks becoming permanent features, not temporary costs.

    What needs to change

    Critical minerals are “critical” because they’re hard to mine or substitute. Additionally, their supply chains are strategically vulnerable and politically exposed. Whoever controls these minerals controls the future. Africa must make sure it doesn’t trade that future away.

    In a world being reshaped by global interests in critical minerals, African states must not underestimate the strategic value of their mineral resources. They hold considerable leverage.

    But leverage only works if it is wielded strategically. This means:

    • investing in institutional strength and legal capacity to negotiate better deals

    • demanding local value creation and addition

    • requiring transparency and parliamentary oversight for minerals-related agreements

    • refusing deals that bypass human rights, environmental or sovereignty standards.

    Africa has the resources. It must hold on to the power they wield.

    – Africa’s minerals are being bartered for security: why it’s a bad idea
    – https://theconversation.com/africas-minerals-are-being-bartered-for-security-why-its-a-bad-idea-260594

    MIL OSI Africa

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Kaspersky: Advanced Persistent Threat (APT41) targets Southern African organisation in espionage attack

    Source: APO

    Kaspersky Managed Detection and Response experts (www.Kaspersky.co.za) have observed a cyber espionage attack on an organisation in Southern African and have linked it to the Chinese-speaking  APT41 group. Although the threat actor has shown limited activity in Southern Africa, this incident reveals that the cyber attackers have targeted government IT services in one of the countries in the region, attempting to steal sensitive corporate data — including credentials, internal documents, source code, and communications.

    APT (Advanced Persistent Threat) is a category of threat actors known for carrying out concerted, stealthy, and ongoing attacks against specific organisations, as opposed to opportunistic, isolated incidents that account for most cybercriminal activity. The adversaries’ techniques observed during the attack in Southern Africa allowed Kaspersky to attribute it to the Chinese-speaking APT41 group with a high confidence. The primary goal of the attack was cyber espionage, which is typical for this threat actor. The attackers attempted to collect sensitive data from the machines they compromised within the organisation’s network.

    It is noteworthy that APT41 typically has been showing quite limited activity in the Southern African region. APT41 specialises in cyber espionage and targets organisations across various industries, including telecommunications providers, educational and healthcare institutions, IT, energy, and other sectors, with known activity in at least 42 countries.

    Based on Kaspersky experts’ analysis, the attackers may have gained access to the organisation’s network through a web server exposed to the Internet. Using a credential harvesting technique – known in professional terms as registry dumping – the attackers obtained two corporate domain accounts: one with local administrator rights on all workstations and another belonging to a backup solution, which had domain administrator privileges. These accounts allowed the attackers to compromise additional systems within the organisation.

    One of the stealers used for data collection was a modified Pillager utility, designed for exporting and decrypting data. The attackers compiled its code from an executable file into a Dynamic Link Library (DLL). With it, they aimed to gather saved credentials from browsers, databases, administrative tools, as well as project source code, screenshots, active chat sessions and their data, email correspondence, lists of installed software, operating system credentials, Wi-Fi credentials, and other information.

    The second stealer used during the attack was Checkout. In addition to saved credentials and browser history, it was also capable of collecting information on downloaded files and browser-stored credit card data. The attackers also used the RawCopy utility and a version of Mimikatz compiled as a Dynamic Link Library (DLL) to dump registry files and credentials, as well as Cobalt Strike for Command and Control (C2) communication on compromised hosts.

    “Interestingly, as one of their C2 communication channels besides Cobalt Strike, the attackers chose the SharePoint server within the victim’s infrastructure. They communicated with it using custom C2 agents connected with a web-shell. They may have chosen SharePoint because it was an internal service already present in the infrastructure and unlikely to raise suspicion. Moreover, in that case, it probably offered the most convenient way to exfiltrate data and control compromised hosts through a legitimate communication channel,” explains Denis Kulik, Lead SOC Analyst at Kaspersky Managed Detection and Response service.

    “In general, defending against such sophisticated attacks is impossible without comprehensive expertise and continuous monitoring of the entire infrastructure. It is essential to maintain full security coverage across all systems with solutions capable of automatically blocking malicious activity at an early stage — and to avoid granting user accounts excessive privileges,” comments Denis Kulik.

    To mitigate or prevent similar attacks, organisations are advised to follow these best practices:

    • Ensure that security agents are deployed on all workstations within the organisation without exception, to enable timely incident detection and minimise potential damage.
    • Review and control service and user account privileges, avoiding excessive rights assignments – especially for accounts used across multiple hosts within the infrastructure.
    • To protect the company against a wide range of threats, use solutions from the Kaspersky Next (https://apo-opa.co/44EI2e3) product line that provide real-time protection, threat visibility, investigation and the response capabilities of EDR and XDR for organisations of any size and industry. Depending on your current needs and available resources, you can choose the most relevant product tier and easily migrate to another one if your cybersecurity requirements are changing.
    • Adopt managed security services by Kaspersky such as Compromise Assessment (https://apo-opa.co/4m8aElL), Managed Detection and Response (MDR) (https://apo-opa.co/4m6do37) and / or Incident Response (https://apo-opa.co/44VsAsP), covering the entire incident management cycle – from threat identification to continuous protection and remediation.  They help to protect against evasive cyberattacks, investigate incidents and get additional expertise even if a company lacks cybersecurity workers.
    • Provide your InfoSec professionals with an in-depth visibility into cyberthreats targeting your organisation. The latest Kaspersky Threat Intelligence (https://apo-opa.co/3TQbRlK) will provide them with rich and meaningful context across the entire incident management cycle and helps them identify cyber risks in a timely manner.

    A detailed analysis of the incident is available on Securelist (https://apo-opa.co/46mfGGS).

    Kaspersky Managed Detection and Response service monitors suspicious activity and helps organisations respond swiftly to minimise impact. This is a part of Kaspersky Security Services, a team delivering hundreds of information security projects every year for Fortune Global 500 organisations: incident response, managed detection, SOC consulting, red teaming, penetration testing, application security, digital risks protection. 

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Kaspersky.

    For further information please contact:
    Nicole Allman
    nicole@inkandco.co.za

    Social Media:
    Facebook: https://apo-opa.co/414B7bE
    X: https://apo-opa.co/4lYjIJQ
    YouTube: https://apo-opa.co/452Opa9
    Instagram: https://apo-opa.co/4lGn6JK
    Blog: https://apo-opa.co/4l8kweB

    About Kaspersky:
    Kaspersky is a global cybersecurity and digital privacy company founded in 1997. With over a billion devices protected to date from emerging cyberthreats and targeted attacks, Kaspersky’s deep threat intelligence and security expertise is constantly transforming into innovative solutions and services to protect individuals, businesses, critical infrastructure, and governments around the globe. The company’s comprehensive security portfolio includes leading digital life protection for personal devices, specialized security products and services for companies, as well as Cyber Immune solutions to fight sophisticated and evolving digital threats. We help millions of individuals and over 200,000 corporate clients protect what matters most to them. Learn more at www.Kaspersky.co.za

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    MIL OSI Africa

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Morocco: African Development Bank approves €100 Million to empower women and youth entrepreneurs in building inclusive and sustainable agriculture

    Source: APO

    The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org) has approved a €100 million loan to support Morocco’s inclusive solidarity-based agriculture program, focused on empowering women and young people.

    The project aims to generate sustainable economic opportunities for women and youth, boost food security, and strengthen the resilience of small-scale farming against climate change. It will stimulate entrepreneurship through tailored financing and incentive mechanisms and by bolstering technical and financial support systems.

    The program will also facilitate the deployment of new agricultural production and service infrastructure, helping to anchor women in local value chains, strengthen their skills, and boost their productivity. These actions will encourage the emergence of women entrepreneurs across agriculture, agro-processing and digital technologies. It will support the new roadmap for employment by promoting rural entrepreneurship.

    “Women who have the ambition to undertake and succeed in agriculture are our priority,” said Achraf Tarsim, head of the African Development Bank country office in Morocco. “Through this new operation, we will support them step by step to build a modern, inclusive and resilient agriculture, capable of revealing the full potential of those who aspire to innovate and create value and employment in their territories.”

    Aligned with Morocco’s priorities, the program will support the implementation of the Green Generation 2020-2030 Strategy, Morocco’s plan for transforming agriculture into a more inclusive, sustainable and efficient sector; the National Solidarity Agriculture Program, and the National Youth Entrepreneurship Program.

    For more than 50 years, the African Development Bank Group has supported the Kingdom in a partnership based on a shared and integrated vision of development. Over the period, the Bank invested nearly €15 billion in more than 150 high-impact projects in strategic sectors such as transport, water, energy, agriculture, social protection, governance and finance.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

    Media contact:
    Fahd Belbachir
    Principal Communication and External Relations Officer
    media@afdb.org

    About the African Development Bank Group:
    The African Development Bank Group is Africa’s premier development finance institution. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). On the ground in 41 African countries with an external office in Japan, the Bank contributes to the economic development and the social progress of its 54 regional member states. For more information: www.AfDB.org

    Media files

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    MIL OSI Africa

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Integrating youth in agrifood systems transformation in Zimbabwe

    Source: APO


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    The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in collaboration with the Government of Zimbabwe launched a technical cooperation programme to enhance national capacity to support meaningful youth engagement in agrifood systems through policy support, leadership development and institutional strengthening.

    FAO provides technical support to the Government of Zimbabwe to ensure that youth are meaningfully integrated into agrifood systems as key actors in productivity, innovation, and food security. This project builds upon the experiences of the FAO in Zimbabwe including the Green Jobs for Rural Youth Employment. It represents a crucial step in addressing the youth-related knowledge and skills and policy gaps identified in previous initiatives.

    FAO highlights the urgency of creating 10–12 million new jobs annually in Africa and positions agrifood systems especially given their rapid growth and high potential for value addition as key to unlocking youth employment. Drawing on FAO Investment Guidelines for Youth in Agrifood Systems, the approach emphasizes integrating youth perspectives throughout the project cycle. The approach encourages recognizing youth as a diverse group with varied needs, capacities, and aspirations, and calls for collaboration among public, private, and civil society actors to create enabling environments.

    “This project is set to inform and shape future priorities for collaboration between the Government of Zimbabwe and FAO on youth-related matters. By fostering this collaboration, the project aims to create an enabling environment that supports more effective interventions for youth engagement in agrifood systems, ultimately empowering young people to take a leading role in transforming these systems for the better,” said Patrice Talla, FAO Subregional Coordinator for Southern Africa and Representative to Zimbabwe.

    This milestone comes at an opportune time when the country is starting to operationalize the second phase of the Agriculture and Food Systems and Rural Transformation Strategy (AFSRTS 2.0) with a particular focus on mainstreaming and integrating youth in agrifood systems.

    “Mainstreaming youth is not an optional add-on; it is the fundamental strategy for achieving resilient, productive, and transformed agrifood systems and rural communities. The Government of Zimbabwe will provide visionary leadership, enact enabling policies, prioritize budget allocation for youth mainstreaming initiatives within Strategy 2.0, and ensure coordination across ministries,” said Mr. Jairos Mandizadza, Director – Gender Mainstreaming, Inclusivity and Wellness in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development in his keynote address.

    As part of its commitment to enhancing youth participation in Zimbabwe’s agrifood systems, the FAO-led project will initiate a consultative and participatory process to support the development of a comprehensive national strategy that integrate youth issues. The approach is designed to engage a wide spectrum of stakeholders, from primary producers to tertiary institutions and development partners while ensuring that the strategy is grounded in local realities and informed by diverse perspectives.

    As the project gains momentum, young people across Zimbabwe are expressing optimism and a renewed sense of purpose.

    “With this project we are energised, motivated, by being heard, valued, seen and more importantly included, we are no longer participants but change makers and this proves that there is nothing for us which can be done without us,” said Getrude Chambati, Secretary for the World Food Forum Zimbabwe Chapter.

    The process of project implementation will include a combination of face-to-face stakeholder consultations, strategic planning meetings, and a desk review of existing work by other partners in the sector. This blended methodology will ensure that the strategy builds on past efforts while introducing fresh, youth-centred insights. The project ultimately aims to support Zimbabwe in formulating a National Youth Investment Plan and a Youth-inclusive Agrifood Systems Strategy, laying the groundwork for sustainable and inclusive agricultural transformation.

    The inception meeting provided the platform to key stakeholders, including youths to review and provide input on how the draft AFSRTS 2 can integrate more youths issues. This was achieved through breakout sessions where participants were put into groups to review and update pillars of the AFSRTS 2. During the launch key stakeholders had the opportunity to appreciate the current youth in agrifood systems frameworks and policies at national, regional and international levels.

    Going forward, the project is poised to play a transformative role in shaping Zimbabwe’s agrifood landscape by supporting the development of a robust national strategy and targeted investment plans for youth. By enhancing the capacity and skills of both young people and agriculture ministry personnel, FAO is committed to strengthening governance and leadership frameworks that support youth inclusion. This marks a pivotal step toward building a more resilient, inclusive, and future-ready agrifood system, driven by the energy, innovation, and potential of Zimbabwe’s youth.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO): Regional Office for Africa.

    MIL OSI Africa

  • MIL-OSI Russia: SPbPU representatives took part in the cross-university examination of the Priority-2030 program

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    The Sociocenter, with the support of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia, has completed the selection of experts to conduct a cross-university examination of the implementation of the Priority-2030 program. Among them are the head of the SPbPU Office of Technological Leadership Oleg Rozhdestvensky, Vice-Rector for Continuing and Pre-University Education Dmitry Tikhonov and Director of the Department of Economics and Finance Elena Vinogradova.

    In total, 156 representatives of universities participating in the Priority 2030 program and scientific organizations will be involved in the cross-university examination of the Priority 2030 program.

    The selection of experts was a multi-stage process. At the correspondence stage, the selection committee assessed the professional experience and motivation of candidates based on their resumes and essays. As a result, 225 people received an invitation to an educational intensive course at Bauman Moscow State Technical University. There, the candidates’ leadership qualities, teamwork skills, ability to analyze information and formulate constructive proposals were assessed. The final stage was an online meeting with the participation of expert candidates, representatives of the Sociocenter and the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia, at which five strategically important areas of modern higher education were formulated:

    target model and strategic positioning; university development management; strategic technology projects and change projects; knowledge production, transfer and application system for technological leadership; leadership and development team.

    After the final list of experts was approved, the Sociocenter team began the final preparation of a large-scale expert work that will cover 113 universities participating in the Priority 2030 program. From September, experts will begin visiting universities across the country to assess their condition and develop recommendations for further development.

    Cross-university assessment is an innovative format for assessing the activities of universities, in which the assessment is carried out by representatives of the professional community of university specialists themselves. This mechanism allows combining the principles of objective assessment with the possibility of mutual learning and dissemination of best practices.

    “This is an excellent expert tool that has not only proven its effectiveness over the past couple of years, but has also ensured the formation of a community of qualified specialists in the field of university development,” commented Oleg Rozhdestvensky, Head of the SPbPU Office of Technological Leadership. “And the main difference this year is that such expert work is becoming systemic — more and more people and universities are getting involved. This is extremely important given the focus of most universities on the federal agenda of achieving technological leadership and the upcoming changes in the higher education system in the country.”

    The Russian Ministry of Education and Science has been implementing the Priority 2030 program since 2021. Since 2025, the program has become part of the federal project Universities for a Generation of Leaders of the national project Youth and Children.

    Based on materials from the Federal State Autonomous Institution “Sociocenter”

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Rosneft held a corporate festival “Energy of Talents” in Moscow

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Rosneft – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    The final of Rosneft’s corporate creative festival “Energy of Talents” was held in Moscow at the Mosproducer conference center, in which employees of 44 of the Company’s enterprises from all over the country took part.

    Rosneft has been holding annual creative festivals for its employees since 2011. In 2025, more than 7,000 people from 59 Group Companies applied to participate in the Energy of Talents selection round, which was held online. The jury members viewed hundreds of creative numbers in various nominations.

    Participants who qualified for the final competed over two days in dancing, singing, playing musical instruments, original genre, fine art and photography. Winners in six nominations were selected by a professional jury, with voting in two nominations taking place online.

    Between performances, participants and spectators had the opportunity to take master classes under the guidance of professional teachers in choreography, vocals, acting, public speaking and instrumental genres.

    The company supports significant projects in Russian cultural life that are aimed at reviving and preserving spiritual and national values. With the support of the Company, the State Hermitage Museum has been holding various exhibitions and expositions since 2018. Thus, in 2024, the museum opened an updated permanent exhibition “Culture and Art of China”.

    With the Company’s support, the Mariinsky Theatre artists under the direction of Valery Gergiev performed in Qatar with the production of “A Thousand and One Nights”; a concert dedicated to the 95th anniversary of Alexandra Pakhmutova was held in Volgograd; a number of exhibitions were organized at the Jewish Museum and Tolerance Center in Moscow. In 2023-2024, Tatyana Navka’s ice shows “Evenings on a Farm” and “The Nutcracker” were held in Moscow, and the show “The Love Story of Scheherazade” toured in the Indian city of Ahmedabad.

    Department of Information and AdvertisingPJSC NK RosneftJuly 21, 2025

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office Filed 84 Border-Related Cases This Week

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 84 border-related cases this week, including charges of assault on a federal officer, bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to a high volume of border-related crimes. This district, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego (America’s eighth largest city) and Tijuana (Mexico’s second largest city).

    In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also prosecutes a significant number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and national security. Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here.

    A sample of border-related arrests this week:

    • On July 11, Nicolas Duarte-Moreno, a Mexican citizen, was arrested and charged with Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain. According to a complaint, Duarte-Moreno was arrested by Customs and Border Protection officers after he attempted to enter the U.S. in a Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder through a Sentri lane at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry with an undocumented immigrant hiding in the vehicle. Officers found the immigrant from Guatemala concealed in the cargo area where the convertible top retracts. While CBP officials dismantled the cargo area by removing bolts and speakers to find and extricate the immigrant, he complained that he could not breathe. He was immediately taken to a hospital.
    • On July 15, Luis Angel Galvez Alvarez, Julio Cesar Oros Castro and Francisco Javier Castro Acosta, all Mexican citizens, were arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, the trio attempted to enter the U.S. about the same time, each driving a Freightliner tractor through the Otay Mesa Commercial Facility. Customs and Border Protection officers stopped each vehicle; they found about 29 pounds of cocaine concealed in the walls behind the beds of each tractor. The complaint said all three drivers admitted they were employed by the same trucking company.
    • On July 16, Jorge Ismael Valencia-Julian, a Mexican citizen, was arrested and charged with Deported Alien Found in the United States. According to a complaint, Valencia-Julian was arrested by a Border Patrol agent who tracked his footprints for five hours as the defendant tried to escape in rough terrain. Valencia-Julian was previously deported in March 2024 at the San Ysidro Port of Entry.

    Also recently, a number of defendants with criminal records were convicted by a jury or sentenced for border-related crimes such as illegally re-entering the U.S. after previous deportation. Here are a few of those cases:

    • On July 11, 2025, Ricardo Velez-Torres, a Mexican National who was previously convicted of Burglary in the First Degree in 2006 and Illegal Reentry in 2002, was sentenced in federal court to 21 months in custody for again entering the U.S. illegally.
    • On July 18, Julio Leyva-Solis, a Mexican national who was previously convicted of the felony facilitation of human smuggling, felony theft of property on three occasions, and felony possession of methamphetamine, was sentenced in federal court to 12 months plus one day in custody for again entering the U.S illegally.

    Pursuant to the Department’s Operation Take Back America priorities, federal law enforcement has focused immigration prosecutions on undocumented aliens who are engaged in criminal activity in the U.S., including those who commit drug and firearms crimes, who have serious criminal records, or who have active warrants for their arrest. Federal authorities have also been prioritizing investigations and prosecutions against drug, firearm, and human smugglers and those who endanger and threaten the safety of our communities and the law enforcement officers who protect the community.

    The immigration cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with the support and assistance of state and local law enforcement partners.

    Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI: ETHRANSACTION reveals mining contracts using BTC, XRP, USDC and other mainstream currencies for cloud mining

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, July 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ETHRANSACTION, a leading cloud mining platform has a high number of mining contracts that suits every level of investors. It supports BTC< XRP < USDC and many other crypto currencies to start the cloud mining and generate crypto rewards.

    So ETHRANSACTION has launched a plan contract suitable for people in all fields to allow retail investors to have their own crypto savings in advance in the next decade; so that retail investors can get a stable passive income from cloud mining.

    ETHRANSACTION is driven by clean energy: it not only saves a lot of energy consumption, but also generates high profits, allowing investors to see the potential of new energy. ETHRANSACTION
    Has advanced cryptocurrency mining equipment, sites, maintenance facilities, and cheap clean electricity. If you want to participate in mining, ETHRANSACTION is the perfect choice for cryptocurrency enthusiasts.
    You can participate in mining without any equipment and easily earn $9,075 a day.

    How to mine in the ETHRANSACTION cloud:

    1: Sign up now to get a $19 reward (can be used to earn $0.9 for daily sign-in)

    2: Choose a contract: After successfully registering, the next step is to choose a mining contract that meets your goals and budget. ETHRANSACTION offers a variety of contracts to meet different needs, whether you are a beginner or an experienced miner. Take a close look at the available options and consider factors such as contract duration, potential returns, and associated costs.

    3: Unprecedented profit potential
    What makes ETHRANSACTION different is its high profit potential. Users can earn up to more than $9,075 per day, making it one of the most profitable cloud mining platforms. This passive income model allows investors to earn substantial income without a lot of knowledge or involvement in the mining process.

    ETHRANSACTION has 8.73 million users worldwide. Sign up now to join the cloud mining contract for free. Give yourself a chance, which is equivalent to giving yourself a future.

    Click to download the official App and control your financial freedom anytime, anywhere!

    Security and Sustainability: Trustworthy Investments

    Security and transparency are at the core of ETHRANSACTION operations. The platform ensures that user funds are protected while complying with industry regulations. By utilizing clean energy, ETHRANSACTION not only maximizes profits but also minimizes environmental impact, making it a truly sustainable investment opportunity.

    Daily Passive Income Potential for ETHRANSACTION Miners

    Are you tired of the limitations of traditional repetitive work? Are you looking for a way to make money even while you sleep? ETHRANSACTION’s passive income opportunity is not to be missed. With a potential income of $7.5-9075 per day, it is not to be missed. ETHRANSACTION operates using solar energy and cryptocurrency mining. Individuals do not need to actively participate, just invest in purchasing a plan contract to make a huge profit. It’s like having your own money-making machine!

    Choose a contract that suits your investment strategy:

    For more information on the new contracts, visit the official ETHRANSACTION platform website: https://ethransaction.vip

    4: Start earning: Once you have selected and activated your mining contract, you can sit back and wait for the system to work for you. ETHRANSACTION’s advanced technology ensures that your mining operation runs efficiently, maximizing your potential earnings.

    Affiliate Program: Earn money without investing

    For users looking to earn extra income, ETHRANSACTION offers an exclusive affiliate program where users can refer others and earn up to $99,000 in commissions. Unlimited referrals, unlimited profit potential.

    Start earning money today!

    If you are looking for passive income opportunities, ETHRANSACTION is your gateway to financial growth. With a seamless platform, secure infrastructure, and unparalleled profitability, ETHRANSACTION is reinventing the future of cloud mining.

    As your mining activities progress, you will begin to see profits accumulating in your account. Track your performance through the platform’s dashboard and withdraw your earnings when you are ready. ETHRANSACTION Platform Advantages:

    1: Intuitive Interface: The platform’s user-friendly interface ensures that even cryptocurrency novices can easily navigate.

    2: Legitimacy and Global Audience: The platform was legally established in the UK in 2017, protected and issued by the UK government, and has attracted more than 8.73 million real users worldwide with cutting-edge technology.

    3: Cutting-edge equipment: Using mining equipment provided by top mining machine manufacturers such as Bitmain, Shenma Miner and Canaan Creative to ensure the stable operation and efficient production capacity of Bitcoin miners.

    4: Support a variety of popular cryptocurrencies: such as USDT-TRC20, BTC, ETH, LTC, USDC, BNB, BCH, DOGE, XRP, etc. for settlement.

    5: Stable income: The contracts launched by the platform have income every 24 hours, and the principal is automatically returned after the contract expires.

    6: Affiliate Program: You can recommend friends and get a referral bonus of up to $99,000.

    7: Professional team: The platform has an experienced IT team and 24/7 real-time customer service team support to ensure that users can solve problems in a timely manner.

    Summary:

    ETHRANSACTION service platform is a legal, compliant, safe, reliable company that abides by local laws and regulations. The mission is to enable everyone to conduct cloud mining, and any region can remotely monitor their income in real time. Click here to start learning about the ETHRANSACTION platform and start your cloud mining journey.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Occupied Palestinian Territories: joint statement, 21 July 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

    News story

    Occupied Palestinian Territories: joint statement, 21 July 2025

    The UK and 25 international partners gave a joint statement on the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

    Joint statement by:

    • foreign ministers of Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK
    • EU Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management

    We, the signatories listed below, come together with a simple, urgent message: the war in Gaza must end now.

    The suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths. The Israeli government’s aid delivery model is dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity. We condemn the drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians, including children, seeking to meet their most basic needs of water and food. It is horrifying that over 800 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid. The Israeli Government’s denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable. Israel must comply with its obligations under international humanitarian law.

    The hostages cruelly held captive by Hamas since 7 October 2023 continue to suffer terribly. We condemn their continued detention and call for their immediate and unconditional release. A negotiated ceasefire offers the best hope of bringing them home and ending the agony of their families.

    We call on the Israeli government to immediately lift restrictions on the flow of aid and to urgently enable the UN and humanitarian NGOs to do their life saving work safely and effectively.

    We call on all parties to protect civilians and uphold the obligations of international humanitarian law. Proposals to remove the Palestinian population into a “humanitarian city” are completely unacceptable. Permanent forced displacement is a violation of international humanitarian law.

    We strongly oppose any steps towards territorial or demographic change in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The E1 settlement plan announced by Israel’s Civil Administration, if implemented, would divide a Palestinian state in two, marking a flagrant breach of international law and critically undermine the two-state solution. Meanwhile, settlement building across the West Bank including East Jerusalem has accelerated while settler violence against Palestinians has soared. This must stop.

    We urge the parties and the international community to unite in a common effort to bring this terrible conflict to an end, through an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire. Further bloodshed serves no purpose.  We reaffirm our complete support to the efforts of the US, Qatar and Egypt to achieve this.

    We are prepared to take further action to support an immediate ceasefire and a political pathway to security and peace for Israelis, Palestinians and the entire region.

    This statement has been signed by: 

    • The Foreign Ministers of Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK 

    • The EU Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management

    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.

    Updates to this page

    Published 21 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI: TLGY Acquisition Corp. Announces Business Combination and Approximately $360 Million PIPE Financing to Form StablecoinX, an Ethena Stablecoin-Focused Treasury Company

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Combined Business Expected to be the First Pure-Play Treasury Company in the Ethena Stablecoin Vertical and Will Seek to have its Shares Listed on Nasdaq under Ticker “USDE” at Closing

    Ethena Foundation to Immediately Initiate $260M Token Buyback Program  

    New York , July 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — TLGY Acquisition Corp. (OTC: TLGYF) (“TLGY”), a special purpose acquisition company, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement for a business combination with StablecoinX Assets Inc. (“SC Assets”), a newly-formed validator and infrastructure business supporting the Ethena ecosystem (the definitive agreement, the “Business Combination Agreement” and the transactions contemplated thereby, the “Transaction”). The combined company will be named StablecoinX Inc. (“StablecoinX” or the “Company”) and the parties will seek to have StablecoinX’s Class A common shares listed on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol “USDE.”

    Approximately $360 Million in New Capital Anchors ENA Treasury Strategy

    To support the Transaction, TLGY and SC Assets have also entered into binding agreements for approximately $360 million private investment in public equity (“PIPE”), including a $60 million contribution from the Ethena Foundation and additional capital commitments from leading investors Dragonfly, Ribbit Capital, Blockchain.com, Pantera Capital, ParaFi Capital, Haun Ventures, Polychain Capital, Galaxy Digital, Wintermute, and others.

    The proceeds from the PIPE are expected to anchor a multi-year treasury strategy to build a reserve of ENA, the Ethena protocol’s native token. Ethena is the third-largest issuer of digital dollars on-chain, after Tether and Circle. This treasury initiative supports StablecoinX’s objective of generating shareholder value by securing a strategic stake in a protocol at the forefront of the accelerating global demand for digital dollars. StablecoinX believes large-scale ENA accumulation will enable the Company’s shareholders to secure early exposure to the secular stablecoin supercycle. 

    “As a top issuer of digital dollars alongside Tether and Circle, Ethena is a direct beneficiary of the growth in stablecoin adoption,” said Young Cho, CEO of TLGY and CEO of SC Assets. “But, it is currently difficult for investors to capitalize on its strong position since the native token ENA is difficult to access in traditional capital markets. This transaction gives public market investors transparent, well‑governed access to the Ethena ecosystem. Deploying capital to accumulate ENA at scale is a deliberate, multi‑year capital allocation strategy that will enable StablecoinX to capture the value driven by the secular surge in demand for digital dollars while compounding intrinsic value per share.”

    To support StablecoinX’s operations and facilitate its accumulation of ENA after the closing of the Transactions, StablecoinX and the Ethena Foundation have entered into a multi-year collaboration agreement (the “Collaboration Agreement”) governing the continued partnership between the two parties. In addition, to help support the PIPE, a subsidiary of the Ethena Foundation and  SC Assets, solely in its capacity as agent for certain of the PIPE investors, have entered into a token purchase agreement (the “Token Purchase Agreement”), pursuant to which SC Assets will use the cash proceeds from the PIPE to make an initial purchase of discounted locked ENA from the Ethena Foundation subsidiary.

    “The Ethena Foundation’s mandate is to safeguard Ethena’s longevity and decentralisation,” said Marc Piano, Director at the Ethena Foundation. “Partnering with StablecoinX under a disciplined, locked‑token framework ensures that capital entering the ecosystem is long-term and value‑accretive while enhancing ecosystem capital efficiency. The built‑in lockups, investment‑committee oversight and permanent‑capital mandate create strong incentives for sustained contribution to the protocol.”

    The Ethena Foundation subsidiary, via intermediary market makers, plans to use the proceeds from the token sale under the Token Purchase Agreement to strategically purchase ENA across publicly traded venues starting today, further aligning the Foundation’s incentives with those of StablecoinX shareholders.

    “StablecoinX’s treasury program is a milestone for broadening institutional access to the Ethena ecosystem,” said Guy Young, founder of Ethena Labs and advisor to StablecoinX. “By systematically accumulating ENA through a transparent, permanent‑capital vehicle, StablecoinX will give public market investors a clear, accessible way to gain exposure to one of the most compelling growth stories in all of finance – digital dollars upgrading money to the internet era. We’re excited to support a strategy that deepens ENA liquidity, bolsters Ethena’s ecosystem, and aligns shareholder value with the long‑term success of USDe, USDtb, and other upcoming Ethena products.”

    Following the business combination, StablecoinX will operate infrastructure and staking services, running validators and related technical services for the Ethena protocol. StablecoinX’s management is committed to maximizing ENA per share, directing excess capital and ecosystem earnings into strategic ENA accumulation so that each outstanding share steadily increases its backing over time.

    Key Terms of the Token Purchase Agreement and the Collaboration Agreement between StableXoinX and Ethena Foundation

    • SC Assets will direct the purchase of locked ENA tokens equal in value to its cash PIPE proceeds (less certain fees and expenses).
    • StablecoinX will retain the right to join future ENA token offerings by the Ethena Foundation (directly or via subsidiaries) after the closing of the Transactions on mutually agreed terms.
    • The Collaboration Agreement has a five‑year initial term with automatic one‑year renewals, aligning both parties on long‑term network development and advocacy.
    • Capital allocation decisions, including ENA purchases, treasury operations and equity issuances of StablecoinX, to require majority approval of a three‑member Investment Committee to be comprised of representatives of StablecoinX, the Ethena Foundation and an independent member.

    As part of the Collaboration Agreement, StablecoinX will adopt a long-term permanent capital treasury mandate dictating that every ENA token the Company acquires will be held permanently and unencumbered on its balance sheet, with no sale, lending, pledging or other disposition permitted without the Ethena Foundation’s approval.

    Transaction Overview

    • Shares, warrants and units of TLGY will continue to trade under the symbol “TLGYF”, “TLGWF” and “TLGUF”, respectively, until the closing of the proposed Transaction. Following the closing of the proposed Transaction, StablecoinX’s Class A shares and warrants are expected to trade on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol “USDE” and “USDEW”, respectively.
    • TLGY and SC Assets have entered into binding agreements for approximately $360 million in PIPE financing, of which approximately $260 million is being funded in cash and $100 million is being funded in discounted ENA. The cash proceeds from the PIPE will be used to purchase discounted locked ENA from the Ethena Foundation subsidiary in conjunction with the transaction announcement, which will be held in a custody account for the benefit of such investors through the closing of the Transaction. At the closing of the PIPE, investors will receive shares of StablecoinX Class A stock, which will be non-voting. In addition to the StablecoinX Class A shares, the Ethena Foundation will also receive shares of StablecoinX Class B stock, which will have 1 vote per share, resulting in the Ethena Foundation holding a majority of the voting power of StablecoinX after the closing. The shares to be issued to the PIPE investors will be valued at $10.00 per share and the number of which will fluctuate based on the price performance of ENA from announcement to closing.
    • The board of directors of SC Assets, the board of directors of TLGY, and a special committee of disinterested and independent directors of TLGY, have unanimously approved the proposed business combination.
    • The transactions are expected to close in Q4 2025, subject to shareholder approval, StablecoinX’s successful listing on the Nasdaq, and other customary closing conditions.

    For additional information regarding the transaction, see TLGY’s related Form 8-K, which will be filed promptly, and which can be obtained, without charge, at the Securities and Exchange Commission’s internet site (http://www.sec.gov).

    Conference Call

    TLGY will discuss its proposed business combination with StablecoinX with securities analysts in a call today, Monday, July 21, 2025, at 4:30 p.m. ET. A webcast of the meeting will be available in a listen-only mode to individual investors, media, and other interested parties on TLGY’s website at www.tlgyacquisition.com under the “Events” section.

    Advisors

    Perkins Coie LLP is acting as legal advisor to TLGY. Ropes & Gray LLP is acting as legal advisor to the Ethena Foundation. Edelman Legal Advisory PLLC is acting as legal advisor to SC Assets.

    About TLGY Acquisition Corporation

    TLGY Acquisition Corporation is a blank-check company sponsored by Carnegie Park Capital LLC, whose business purpose is to effect a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization, or similar business combination with one or more businesses. TLGY was formed to focus on growth companies through long-term, private equity-style value creation.
     
    About StablecoinX Assets Inc.

    StablecoinX is a newly-formed validator and infrastructure business expected to operate infrastructure and staking services, running validators and related technical services for the Ethena protocol. StablecoinX is expected to adopt a multi-year treasury strategy to build a reserve of ENA, the Ethena protocol’s native token.

    About the Ethena Foundation

    The Ethena Foundation serves as an independent steward of the Ethena protocol – the network behind the USDe and USDtb digital dollars – with a focus on the protocol’s long-term success and integrity. The Ethena Foundation is responsible for the protocol’s governance framework, oversight of key protocol assets, and facilitating essential operations. The foundation’s commitment is to ensure the sustainable development and stability of the Ethena ecosystem for all its participants.

    Important Information and Where to Find It

    In connection with the Transaction, StablecoinX intends to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) a registration statement on Form S-4 (the “Registration Statement”), which will include a preliminary proxy statement of TLGY and a preliminary prospectus of StablecoinX, and after the Registration Statement is declared effective, TLGY will mail the definitive proxy statement/prospectus relating to the Transaction to its shareholders as of the record date to be established for voting at the Extraordinary General Meeting. The Registration Statement, including the proxy statement/prospectus contained therein, will contain important information about the Transaction and the other matters to be voted upon at the Extraordinary General Meeting. This press release does not contain all the information that should be considered concerning the Transaction and other matters and is not intended to provide the basis for any investment decision or any other decision in respect of such matters. TLGY and StablecoinX may also file other documents with the SEC regarding the Transaction. TLGY’s shareholders and other interested persons are advised to read, when available, the Registration Statement, including the preliminary proxy statement/prospectus contained therein, the amendments thereto and the definitive proxy statement/prospectus and other documents filed in connection with the Transaction, as these materials will contain important information about TLGY, SC Assets, StablecoinX and the Transaction.

    TLGY’s shareholders and other interested persons will be able to obtain copies of the Registration Statement, including the preliminary proxy statement/prospectus contained therein, the definitive proxy statement/prospectus and other documents filed or that will be filed by TLGY and StablecoinX with the SEC, free of charge, through the website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release includes certain statements that may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act, and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements that refer to projections, forecasts or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intends,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “target,” “would” and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Such forward-looking statements with respect to the proposed Transaction include expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions, plans, prospects, financial results or strategies regarding SC Assets, StablecoinX, TLGY and the proposed Transaction, statements regarding the anticipated benefits and timing of the completion of the proposed Transaction, the assets held by SC Assets and StablecoinX, the price and volatility of ENA, ENA’s growing prominence as an issuer of digital dollars on-chain, StablecoinX’s listing on any securities exchange, the macro, political and regulatory conditions surrounding ENA, the planned business strategy including StablecoinX’s ability to develop a corporate architecture capable of supporting its treasury initiatives and strategic stake in the Ethena Protocol, plans and use of proceeds, objectives of management for future operations of StablecoinX, the upside potential and opportunity for investors, StablecoinX’s plan for value creation and strategic advantages, market size and growth opportunities, regulatory conditions, technological and market trends, future financial condition and performance and expected financial impacts of the proposed Transaction, the satisfaction of closing conditions to the proposed Transaction and the level of redemptions of TLGY’s public shareholders, and StablecoinX’s expectations, intentions, strategies, assumptions or beliefs about future events, results of operations or performance or that do not solely relate to historical or current facts. Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this press release, including, but not limited to: the risk that the proposed Transaction may not be completed in a timely manner or at all, which may adversely affect the price of TLGY’s securities; the risk that the proposed Transaction may not be completed by TLGY’s business combination deadline; the failure by the parties to satisfy the conditions to the consummation of the proposed Transaction, including the approval of TLGY’s shareholders and the listing of StablecoinX’s securities on a national securities exchange at closing; failure to realize the anticipated benefits of the proposed Transaction; the level of redemptions by TLGY’s public shareholders, which may reduce the public float of, reduce the liquidity of the trading market of, and/or impact the ability of, the shares of Class A common stock of StablecoinX to be listed in connection with the proposed Transaction; the insufficiency of the third-party fairness opinion for the board of directors of TLGY in determining whether or not to pursue the proposed Transaction; the failure of StablecoinX to obtain or maintain the listing of its securities on any securities exchange after closing of the proposed Transaction; risks associated with TLGY, SC Assets and StablecoinX’s ability to consummate the proposed Transaction timely or at all, including in connection with potential regulatory delays or impediments, changes in ENA prices or for other reasons; costs related to the proposed Transaction and as a result of becoming a public company; changes in business, market, financial, political and regulatory conditions; risks relating to StablecoinX’s anticipated operations and business, including the volatile nature of the price of ENA; the risk that StablecoinX’s stock price will be highly correlated to the price of ENA and the price of ENA may decrease between the signing of the definitive documents for the proposed Transaction and the closing of the proposed Transaction or at any time after the closing of the proposed Transaction; risks associated with TLGY, SC Assets and StablecoinX’s ability to consummate the proposed Transaction timely or at all, including in connection with potential regulatory delays or impediments, changes in ENA prices or for other reasons; risks related to increased competition in the industries in which StablecoinX will operate; risks relating to significant legal, commercial, regulatory and technical uncertainty regarding ENA; risks relating to the treatment of crypto assets for U.S. and foreign tax purposes; risks that after consummation of the proposed Transaction, StablecoinX experiences difficulties managing its growth and expanding operations; the risks that launching and growing StablecoinX’s ENA treasury advisory and services in digital marketing and strategy could be difficult; challenges in implementing StablecoinX’s business plan, due to operational challenges, significant competition and regulation; being considered to be a “shell company” by any stock exchange on which StablecoinX’s Class A Common Stock will be listed or by the SEC, which may impact StablecoinX’s ability to list its securities and restrict reliance on certain rules or forms in connection with the offering, sale or resale of securities; the outcome of any potential legal proceedings that may be instituted against StablecoinX, SC Assets, TLGY or others following announcement of the proposed Transaction, and those risk factors discussed in documents that StablecoinX and/or TLGY has filed, or will file, with the SEC. The foregoing list of risk factors is not exhaustive. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties described in the “Risk Factors” section of The Annual Reports on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q that have been and/or will be filed by TLGY with the SEC from time to time, the Registration Statement that will be filed by StablecoinX and TLGY and the proxy statement/prospectus contained therein, and other documents that have been or will be filed by TLGY and StablecoinX from time to time with the SEC. These filings do or will identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. There may be additional risks that neither TLGY, SC Assets nor StablecoinX presently know or that TLGY, SC Assets and StablecoinX currently believe are immaterial that could also cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements.

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

    The terms of the proposed Transaction described in this press release, including any dollar-denominated figures or implied valuations, are based on information as of the date of the signing of the definitive Business Combination Agreement and assume no redemptions from the TLGY trust account. These terms are subject to change, including as a result of fluctuations in the price of ENA prior to closing of the proposed Transaction. There can be no assurance that the final terms at the closing of the Transaction will reflect the figures referenced herein.

    No Offer or Solicitation

    This press release does not constitute (i) a solicitation of a proxy, consent or authorization with respect to any securities or in respect of the Transaction or (ii) an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation to purchase, any securities of TLGY, SC Assets, the combined company or any of their respective affiliates. No offering of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act, or an exemption therefrom, nor shall any sale of securities in any states or jurisdictions in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction be affected. No securities commission or securities regulatory authority in the United States or any other jurisdiction has in any way passed upon the merits of the Transaction or the accuracy or adequacy of this communication.

    Participants in the Solicitation

    TLGY, SC Assets, StablecoinX and their respective directors and officers may be deemed participants in the solicitation of proxies of TLGY’s shareholders in connection with the Transaction. More detailed information regarding the directors and officers of TLGY, and a description of their interests in TLGY, is contained in TLGY’s filings with the SEC, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, which was filed with the SEC on March 5, 2025, and is available free of charge at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Information regarding the persons who may, under SEC rules, be deemed participants in the solicitation of proxies of TLGY’s shareholders in connection with the Transaction and other matters to be voted upon at the Extraordinary General Meeting will be set forth in the Registration Statement for the Transaction when available.

    Media Contacts

    StablecoinX
    press@stablecoinx.com

    TLGY Acquisition Corp.
    media@tlgycpc.com

    Ethena Foundation
    nate.johnson@augustco.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Foresight Reports Second Quarter 2025 Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    WINNEBAGO, Ill., July 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Foresight Financial Group, Inc. (OTCQX: FGFH) reported net income of $2.99 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2025, an 8% decrease compared to the $3.27 million reported for the second quarter of 2024, and a 307% increase compared to the $734 thousand reported for the first quarter of 2025. Diluted Earnings per Share for the second quarter was $0.82 compared to $0.94 for the second quarter of 2024 and $0.20 for the quarter ended March 31, 2025. The second quarter of 2025 results include $1.56 million of charter consolidation expenses, which were partially offset by nonrecurring revenue of $1.20 million related to a debit card branding agreement. The second quarter results produced a Return on Average Equity of 7.60% and Return on Average Assets of 0.75%.

    Net income for the six months ended June 30, 2025 decreased 45% to $3.72 million compared to $6.77 million for the first half of 2024. The decrease in net income reflects a $1.33 million increase in provision for loan losses, a $1.96 million impairment charge related to other investments and $1.88 million of charter consolidation expenses. Diluted Earnings per share for the first six months of 2025 was $1.03 compared to $1.94 for the half of 2024.

    Foresight CEO Peter Q. Morrison stated, “The legal consolidation of our Company’s six banking charters occurred on May 1, 2025, and the conversions of operating systems to a single platform is on track to be completed in the third and fourth quarters of this year. The charter consolidation is expected to provide significant savings via the elimination of duplicative expenses and efficiencies gained by operating under one banking platform. These efficiencies combined with more consistent credit administration practices gained through the charter consolidation will improve credit quality, earnings, and shareholder value.”  

    Net interest income for the second quarter of 2025 increased by $588 thousand, or 5%, to $12.95 million as compared to $12.36 million for the second quarter of 2024; and increased by $685 thousand, or 6%, compared to the quarter ended March 31, 2025. The net interest margin on a fully taxable equivalent basis increased to 3.40% compared to 3.24% in the second quarter of 2024; and 3.25% for the quarter ended March 31, 2025.

    Net interest income for the six months ended June 30, 2025, increased $740 thousand, or 3%, to $25.21 million compared to $24.47 million in the first six months of 2024. The net interest margin on a fully taxable equivalent basis was 3.29% for the first six months of 2025.

    Total loans increased by $29.27 million during the quarter to $1.13 billion as of June 30, 2025 compared to $1.10 billion as of March 31, 2025; and increased $8.3 million as compared to total loans as of June 30, 2024. Total deposits decreased by $8.8 million during the second quarter to $1.38 billion as of June 30, 2025; and increased by $11.5 million as compared to total deposits as of June 30, 2024.

    The provision for loan losses for the quarter ended June 30, 2025 increased by $100 thousand to $238 thousand as compared to $138 thousand in the second quarter of the prior year; and decreased by $1.06 million compared to the first quarter of 2025. During the second quarter of 2025 loan net charge-offs totaled $2.93 million. The provision for loan losses for the six months ended June 30, 2025 was $1.54 million, a $1.33 million increase over the provision expense for the first half of 2024.

    Total non-performing assets of the Company as of June 30, 2025 were $28.29 million compared to $29.71 million the previous quarter, and $21.40 million as of June 30, 2024. The ratio of non-performing assets to total assets equaled 1.76% as of June 30, 2025 compared to 1.83% as of March 31, 2025 and 1.34% as of June 30, 2024.

    Noninterest income for the quarter ended June 30, 2025 increased $1.35 million to $3.0 million compared to $1.66 million in the second quarter of the prior year. The increase is primarily attributable to $1.2 million of non-recurring revenue received under a debit card branding agreement.

    Noninterest income for the six months ended June 30, 2025 increased by $1.61 million to $4.95 million compared to $3.33 million the first half of 2024. This increase includes the $1.2 million non-recurring revenue received under the debit card branding agreement.

    Noninterest expenses for the quarter ended June 30, 2025 totaled $11.95 million, a $2.31 million increase over $9.64 million in the second quarter of 2024; and a $234 thousand decrease from the quarter ended March 31, 2025. The increase in operating expenses over the second quarter of 2024 includes $1.56 million in charter consolidation expenses, including $57 thousand in salary and benefits, $143 thousand in outside services and $1.36 million in other expenses, which is primarily related to data system conversions.

    Noninterest expense for the six months ended June 30, 2025 increased by $5.34 million to $24.13 million compared to $18.79 million the first half of 2024. This increase in noninterest expense includes $1.88 million in charter consolidation expenses and a $1.96 million impairment charge related to a nonmarketable equity investment.

    The closing price for the Company’s stock was $31.50, as of the close of business April 16, 2025. Tangible book value per share of the Company’s common stock increased by $1.78 and $2.82 to $44.37 as of June 30, 2025, compared to $42.59 and $41.55 as of December 31, 2024 and June 30, 2024, respectively. The tangible book value per share of the Company’s common stock, excluding Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income was $52.43 as of June 30, 2025, compared to $51.79 at the end of 2024 and $51.36 as of June 30, 2024.

    About Foresight Financial Group, Inc.

    Foresight Financial Group, Inc. is a bank holding company headquartered in Winnebago County, Illinois and is the parent company of Foresight Bank, which operates in Northern Illinois under its divisional names Northwest Bank of Rockford, State Bank in Freeport, State Bank of Davis, German American State Bank in German Valley, Winnebago and Pecatonica, Lena State Bank, and the State Bank of Herscher. Foresight’s common stock is listed on the “OTCQX” market under the trading symbol FGFH.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    When used in this communication, the words “believes,” “expects,” “likely”, “would”, and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. The Company’s actual results may differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. Factors which could cause such a variance to occur include, but are not limited to: heightened competition; adverse state and federal regulation; failure to obtain new or retain existing customers; ability to attract and retain key executives and personnel; changes in interest rates; unanticipated changes in industry trends; unanticipated changes in credit quality and risk factors, including general economic conditions particularly in the Company’s markets; potential deterioration in real estate values, success in gaining regulatory approvals when required; changes in the Federal Reserve Board monetary policies; unexpected outcomes of new and existing litigation in which the Company, or its subsidiaries, officers, directors or employees is named defendants; technological changes; changes in accounting principles generally accepted in the United States; changes in assumptions or conditions affecting the application of “critical accounting policies”; inability to recover previously recorded losses as anticipated, and the inability of third party vendors to perform critical services for the Company or its customers. The inclusion of forward-looking information should not be construed as a representation by the Company or any person that future events or plans contemplated by the Company will be achieved. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information or otherwise.

    Peter Morrison  Todd James
    Chief Executive Officer Chief Financial Officer
    (815) 847-7500 (815) 847-7500
           
    Foresight Financial Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries
    Consolidated Balance Sheets
    June 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024
    (Unaudited)      
      June 30,   December 31,
    Assets   2025       2024  
      (in thousands, except per share data)
    Cash and due from banks $ 28,002     $ 16,905  
    Interest-bearing deposits in banks   13,025       45,357  
    Federal funds sold   787       1,738  
    Total cash and cash equivalents   41,814       64,000  
           
    Interest-bearing deposits in banks – term deposits   2,259       4,434  
    Debt securities:      
    Debt securities available-for-sale (AFS)   361,146       369,945  
    Debt securities held-to-maturity (HTM)   3,263       3,263  
    Marketable equity securities and other investments   5,446       7,592  
    Loans held for sale   480       852  
    Loans, net of allowance for credit losses   1,116,498       1,100,657  
    Foreclosed assets and other real estate owned, net   703        
    Premises and equipment, net   16,889       17,125  
    Bank owned life insurance   24,646       24,459  
    Other assets   37,870       40,892  
    Total assets $ 1,611,014     $ 1,633,219  
           
    Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity      
           
    Liabilities:      
    Deposits:      
    Noninterest-bearing $ 247,002     $ 249,076  
    Interest-bearing   1,136,961       1,151,627  
    Total deposits   1,383,963       1,400,703  
    Federal funds purchased         5,804  
    Securities sold under agreements to repurchase   12,466       15,017  
    Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) and other borrowings   39,889       40,911  
    Accrued interest payable and other liabilities   14,737       17,386  
    Total liabilities   1,451,055       1,479,821  
           
    Stockholders’ equity:      
    Preferred stock          
    Common stock   1,062       1,060  
    Additional paid-in capital   16,704       16,482  
    Retained earnings   187,237       184,961  
    Treasury stock, at cost   (16,013 )     (16,008 )
    Accumulated other comprehensive loss   (29,031 )     (33,097 )
    Total stockholders’ equity   159,959       153,398  
    Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity $ 1,611,014     $ 1,633,219  
           
    Foresight Financial Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries   
    Consolidated Statements of Income   
    (Unaudited)      
           
      Six Months Ended June 30,
        2025       2024  
      (in thousands, except per share data)
    Interest and dividend income:      
    Loans, including fees $ 34,657     $ 34,092  
    Debt securities:      
    Taxable   4,059       3,578  
    Tax-exempt   802       831  
    Interest-bearing deposits in banks and other   933       1,099  
    Federal funds sold   8       69  
    Total interest income   40,459       39,669  
    Interest expense:      
    Deposits   14,464       14,329  
    Federal funds purchased   2       28  
    Securities sold under agreements to repurchase   111       218  
    FHLB and other borrowings   669       621  
    Total interest expense   15,246       15,196  
    Net interest income   25,213       24,473  
    Provision for credit losses   1,536       202  
    Net interest and dividend income,      
    after provision for credit losses   23,677       24,271  
           
    Noninterest income:      
    Customer service fees   893       684  
    Loss on sales and calls of AFS securities, net   0       -111  
    Gain on sale of loans, net   163       287  
    Loan servicing fees, net   535       155  
    Bank owned life insurance   334       379  
    ATM / interchange fees   1,049       1,057  
    Other   1,971       882  
    Total noninterest income   4,945       3,333  
           
    Noninterest expenses:      
    Salaries and employee benefits   12,610       11,985  
    Occupancy expense of premises, net   1,398       1,225  
    Outside services   1,088       765  
    Data processing   1,936       1,432  
    Foreclosed assets and other real estate owned, net   0       6  
    Other   7,096       3,372  
    Total noninterest expenses   24,128       18,785  
           
    Income before income taxes   4,494       8,819  
    Income tax expense   772       2,045  
           
    Net income $ 3,722     $ 6,774  
           
    Earnings per common share:      
    Basic $ 1.03     $ 1.95  
    Diluted $ 1.03     $ 1.94  
    Foresight Financial Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries
    Consolidated Condensed Statements of Income
    (Unaudited)                  
                       
      For the Quarter Ended
      June 30,   March 31,   December 31,   September 30,   June 30,
        2025       2025       2024       2024       2024  
    Interest and dividend income:                  
    Loans, including fees $ 17,739     $ 16,918     $ 17,249     $ 17,943     $ 17,394  
    Interest on investment securities   2,394       2,467       2,269       2,183       2,236  
    Interest on fed funds sold and other deposits   285       656       818       573       625  
    Total interest income   20,418       20,041       20,336       20,699       20,255  
    Interest expense:                  
    Deposits   7,099       7,365       7,641       7,885       7,448  
    Federal funds purchased         5       7       29       8  
    Securities sold under agreements to repurchase   39       72       132       134       103  
    FHLB and other borrowings   331       335       328       365       335  
    Total interest expense   7,469       7,777       8,108       8,413       7,894  
    Net interest income   12,949       12,264       12,228       12,286       12,361  
    Provision for credit losses   238       1,298       665       185       138  
    Net interest income after provision for loan losses   12,711       10,966       11,563       12,101       12,223  
                       
    Noninterest income:                  
    Customer service fees   551       342       371       366       342  
    Net securities gains (losses)                            
    Gain on sale of loans, net   26       137       182       303       183  
    Loan servicing fees, net   226       309       192       (98 )     86  
    Bank owned life insurance   177       157       160       571       163  
    ATM / debit card revenue   555       494       539       547       550  
    Other   1,468       503       429       298       334  
    Total noninterest income   3,003       1,942       1,873       1,987       1,658  
                       
    Noninterest expenses:                  
    Salaries and employee benefits   6,408       6,202       6,383       6,302       6,230  
    Occupancy expense of premises, net   796       602       587       592       587  
    Outside services   422       666       435       411       391  
    Data processing   1,205       731       968       788       716  
    Foreclosed assets and other real estate owned, net                     6       6  
    Other   3,116       3,980       1,878       1,759       1,709  
    Total noninterest expenses   11,947       12,181       10,251       9,858       9,639  
    Income before income taxes   3,767       727       3,185       4,230       4,240  
    Income tax expense   779       (7 )     692       833       975  
    Net income $ 2,988     $ 734     $ 2,493     $ 3,397     $ 3,265  
                       
    Foresight Financial Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries         
    Consolidated Balance Sheets         
    (Unaudited)                  
      As of
      June 30,   March 31,   December 31,   September 30,   June 30,
        2025       2025       2024       2024       2024  
    Assets                  
    Cash and due from banks $ 28,002     $ 19,996     $ 16,905     $ 30,162     $ 21,290  
    Interest-bearing deposits in banks   13,025       46,118       45,357       20,040       11,196  
    Federal funds sold   787       452       1,738       2,183       3,433  
    Total cash and cash equivalents   41,814       66,566       64,000       52,385       35,919  
                       
    Interest-bearing deposits in banks – term deposits   2,259       2,466       4,434       5,169       4,983  
    Debt securities:                  
    Debt securities available-for-sale (AFS)   361,146       380,667       369,945       368,386       359,762  
    Debt securities held-to-maturity (HTM)   3,263       3,263       3,263       3,616       3,609  
    Marketable equity securities and other investments   5,446       5,671       7,592       6,738       6,215  
    Loans held for sale   480       573       852       794       480  
    Loans, net of allowance for credit losses   1,116,498       1,084,761       1,100,657       1,102,342       1,107,199  
    Foreclosed assets and other real estate owned, net   703                         68  
    Premises and equipment, net   16,889       16,978       17,125       17,125       17,234  
    Bank owned life insurance   24,646       24,615       24,459       24,300       24,653  
    Other assets   37,870       40,519       40,892       39,350       39,550  
    Total assets $ 1,611,014     $ 1,626,079     $ 1,633,219     $ 1,620,205     $ 1,599,672  
                       
    Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity                  
    Liabilities:                  
    Deposits:                  
    Noninterest-bearing $ 247,002     $ 250,709     $ 249,076     $ 237,685     $ 244,414  
    Interest-bearing   1,136,961       1,142,009       1,151,627       1,138,578       1,128,081  
    Total deposits   1,383,963       1,392,718       1,400,703       1,376,263       1,372,495  
    Federal funds purchased         55       5,804       4,764       6,053  
    Securities sold under agreements to repurchase   12,466       21,095       15,017       23,381       21,930  
    Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) and other borrowings   39,889       37,810       40,911       39,174       39,293  
    Accrued interest payable and other liabilities   14,737       16,670       17,386       16,970       16,674  
    Total liabilities   1,451,055       1,468,348       1,479,821       1,460,552       1,456,445  
    Stockholders’ equity:                  
    Preferred stock                            
    Common stock   1,062       1,060       1,060       1,060       1,022  
    Additional paid-in capital   16,704       16,482       16,482       16,445       11,660  
    Retained earnings   187,237       184,972       184,961       183,118       180,346  
    Treasury stock, at cost   (16,013 )     (16,008 )     (16,008 )     (16,008 )     (16,008 )
    Accumulated other comprehensive loss   (29,031 )     (28,775 )     (33,097 )     (24,963 )     (33,793 )
    Total stockholders’ equity   159,959       157,731       153,398       159,653       143,227  
    Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity $ 1,611,014     $ 1,626,079     $ 1,633,219     $ 1,620,205     $ 1,599,672  
                       
    KEY FINANCIAL RATIOS         
    (Unaudited)                  
      As of and for the Quarter Ended
      June 30,   March 31,   December 31,   September 30,   June 30,
        2025       2025       2024       2024       2024  
                       
    Basic earnings per common share $ 0.83     $ 0.20     $ 0.69     $ 0.97     $ 0.95  
    Diluted earnings per common share   0.82       0.20       0.69       0.97       0.94  
    Dividends per common share       0.20       0.18       0.18       0.18  
                       
    Book value per common share   44.41       43.84       42.63       44.38       41.59  
    Tangible book value per common share   44.37       43.80       42.59       44.34       41.55  
    Tangible book value, excluding AOCI, per share   52.43       51.80       51.79       51.28       51.36  
    End of period shares outstanding   3,606,087       3,598,042       3,598,042       3,597,418       3,443,937  
    Average number of shares outstanding   3,606,137       3,598,042       3,597,478       3,494,270       3,450,527  
                       
    Return on average assets   0.75%       0.21%       0.58%       0.82%       0.82%  
    Return on average equity   7.60%       2.18%       6.08%       8.83%       9.40%  
    Net interest margin, tax equivalent   3.40%       3.25%       3.14%       3.21%       3.24%  
    Efficiency ratio, tax equivalent   73.61%       83.72%       72.58       68.97       68.13  
    ASSET QUALITY DATA         
    (Unaudited) As of
    (Amounts in thousands) June 30,   March 31,   December 31,   September 30,   June 30,
        2025       2025       2024       2024       2024  
                       
    Nonaccrual Loans   25,939       28,564       28,175       23,653       21,366  
    Accruing loans past due 90 days or more   688       185       230       680       32  
    Total non-performing loans   26,627       28,749       28,405       24,333       21,398  
    Other real estate owned and other assets   703       6       13       7        
    Impaired other investments   961       961                    
    Total non-performing Assets   28,291       29,716       28,418       24,340       21,398  
                       
    Total Loans   1,130,124       1,100,853       1,115,351       1,117,022       1,121,742  
    Allowance for credit losses   13,626       16,092       14,694       14,678       14,543  
    Loans, net of allowance for credit losses   1,116,498       1,084,761       1,100,657       1,102,344       1,107,199  
                       
    Nonperforming assets tototal assets   1.76%       1.83%       1.74%       1.50%       1.34%  
    Nonperforming loans to total loans   2.36%       2.61%       2.55%       2.18%       1.91%  
    Allowance for credit losses to total loans   1.21%       1.46%       1.32%       1.31%       1.30%  
    Allowance for credit losses to noperforming loans   51.17%       55.97%       51.73%       60.32%       67.96%  
                       

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Foresight Reports Second Quarter 2025 Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    WINNEBAGO, Ill., July 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Foresight Financial Group, Inc. (OTCQX: FGFH) reported net income of $2.99 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2025, an 8% decrease compared to the $3.27 million reported for the second quarter of 2024, and a 307% increase compared to the $734 thousand reported for the first quarter of 2025. Diluted Earnings per Share for the second quarter was $0.82 compared to $0.94 for the second quarter of 2024 and $0.20 for the quarter ended March 31, 2025. The second quarter of 2025 results include $1.56 million of charter consolidation expenses, which were partially offset by nonrecurring revenue of $1.20 million related to a debit card branding agreement. The second quarter results produced a Return on Average Equity of 7.60% and Return on Average Assets of 0.75%.

    Net income for the six months ended June 30, 2025 decreased 45% to $3.72 million compared to $6.77 million for the first half of 2024. The decrease in net income reflects a $1.33 million increase in provision for loan losses, a $1.96 million impairment charge related to other investments and $1.88 million of charter consolidation expenses. Diluted Earnings per share for the first six months of 2025 was $1.03 compared to $1.94 for the half of 2024.

    Foresight CEO Peter Q. Morrison stated, “The legal consolidation of our Company’s six banking charters occurred on May 1, 2025, and the conversions of operating systems to a single platform is on track to be completed in the third and fourth quarters of this year. The charter consolidation is expected to provide significant savings via the elimination of duplicative expenses and efficiencies gained by operating under one banking platform. These efficiencies combined with more consistent credit administration practices gained through the charter consolidation will improve credit quality, earnings, and shareholder value.”  

    Net interest income for the second quarter of 2025 increased by $588 thousand, or 5%, to $12.95 million as compared to $12.36 million for the second quarter of 2024; and increased by $685 thousand, or 6%, compared to the quarter ended March 31, 2025. The net interest margin on a fully taxable equivalent basis increased to 3.40% compared to 3.24% in the second quarter of 2024; and 3.25% for the quarter ended March 31, 2025.

    Net interest income for the six months ended June 30, 2025, increased $740 thousand, or 3%, to $25.21 million compared to $24.47 million in the first six months of 2024. The net interest margin on a fully taxable equivalent basis was 3.29% for the first six months of 2025.

    Total loans increased by $29.27 million during the quarter to $1.13 billion as of June 30, 2025 compared to $1.10 billion as of March 31, 2025; and increased $8.3 million as compared to total loans as of June 30, 2024. Total deposits decreased by $8.8 million during the second quarter to $1.38 billion as of June 30, 2025; and increased by $11.5 million as compared to total deposits as of June 30, 2024.

    The provision for loan losses for the quarter ended June 30, 2025 increased by $100 thousand to $238 thousand as compared to $138 thousand in the second quarter of the prior year; and decreased by $1.06 million compared to the first quarter of 2025. During the second quarter of 2025 loan net charge-offs totaled $2.93 million. The provision for loan losses for the six months ended June 30, 2025 was $1.54 million, a $1.33 million increase over the provision expense for the first half of 2024.

    Total non-performing assets of the Company as of June 30, 2025 were $28.29 million compared to $29.71 million the previous quarter, and $21.40 million as of June 30, 2024. The ratio of non-performing assets to total assets equaled 1.76% as of June 30, 2025 compared to 1.83% as of March 31, 2025 and 1.34% as of June 30, 2024.

    Noninterest income for the quarter ended June 30, 2025 increased $1.35 million to $3.0 million compared to $1.66 million in the second quarter of the prior year. The increase is primarily attributable to $1.2 million of non-recurring revenue received under a debit card branding agreement.

    Noninterest income for the six months ended June 30, 2025 increased by $1.61 million to $4.95 million compared to $3.33 million the first half of 2024. This increase includes the $1.2 million non-recurring revenue received under the debit card branding agreement.

    Noninterest expenses for the quarter ended June 30, 2025 totaled $11.95 million, a $2.31 million increase over $9.64 million in the second quarter of 2024; and a $234 thousand decrease from the quarter ended March 31, 2025. The increase in operating expenses over the second quarter of 2024 includes $1.56 million in charter consolidation expenses, including $57 thousand in salary and benefits, $143 thousand in outside services and $1.36 million in other expenses, which is primarily related to data system conversions.

    Noninterest expense for the six months ended June 30, 2025 increased by $5.34 million to $24.13 million compared to $18.79 million the first half of 2024. This increase in noninterest expense includes $1.88 million in charter consolidation expenses and a $1.96 million impairment charge related to a nonmarketable equity investment.

    The closing price for the Company’s stock was $31.50, as of the close of business April 16, 2025. Tangible book value per share of the Company’s common stock increased by $1.78 and $2.82 to $44.37 as of June 30, 2025, compared to $42.59 and $41.55 as of December 31, 2024 and June 30, 2024, respectively. The tangible book value per share of the Company’s common stock, excluding Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income was $52.43 as of June 30, 2025, compared to $51.79 at the end of 2024 and $51.36 as of June 30, 2024.

    About Foresight Financial Group, Inc.

    Foresight Financial Group, Inc. is a bank holding company headquartered in Winnebago County, Illinois and is the parent company of Foresight Bank, which operates in Northern Illinois under its divisional names Northwest Bank of Rockford, State Bank in Freeport, State Bank of Davis, German American State Bank in German Valley, Winnebago and Pecatonica, Lena State Bank, and the State Bank of Herscher. Foresight’s common stock is listed on the “OTCQX” market under the trading symbol FGFH.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    When used in this communication, the words “believes,” “expects,” “likely”, “would”, and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. The Company’s actual results may differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. Factors which could cause such a variance to occur include, but are not limited to: heightened competition; adverse state and federal regulation; failure to obtain new or retain existing customers; ability to attract and retain key executives and personnel; changes in interest rates; unanticipated changes in industry trends; unanticipated changes in credit quality and risk factors, including general economic conditions particularly in the Company’s markets; potential deterioration in real estate values, success in gaining regulatory approvals when required; changes in the Federal Reserve Board monetary policies; unexpected outcomes of new and existing litigation in which the Company, or its subsidiaries, officers, directors or employees is named defendants; technological changes; changes in accounting principles generally accepted in the United States; changes in assumptions or conditions affecting the application of “critical accounting policies”; inability to recover previously recorded losses as anticipated, and the inability of third party vendors to perform critical services for the Company or its customers. The inclusion of forward-looking information should not be construed as a representation by the Company or any person that future events or plans contemplated by the Company will be achieved. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information or otherwise.

    Peter Morrison  Todd James
    Chief Executive Officer Chief Financial Officer
    (815) 847-7500 (815) 847-7500
           
    Foresight Financial Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries
    Consolidated Balance Sheets
    June 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024
    (Unaudited)      
      June 30,   December 31,
    Assets   2025       2024  
      (in thousands, except per share data)
    Cash and due from banks $ 28,002     $ 16,905  
    Interest-bearing deposits in banks   13,025       45,357  
    Federal funds sold   787       1,738  
    Total cash and cash equivalents   41,814       64,000  
           
    Interest-bearing deposits in banks – term deposits   2,259       4,434  
    Debt securities:      
    Debt securities available-for-sale (AFS)   361,146       369,945  
    Debt securities held-to-maturity (HTM)   3,263       3,263  
    Marketable equity securities and other investments   5,446       7,592  
    Loans held for sale   480       852  
    Loans, net of allowance for credit losses   1,116,498       1,100,657  
    Foreclosed assets and other real estate owned, net   703        
    Premises and equipment, net   16,889       17,125  
    Bank owned life insurance   24,646       24,459  
    Other assets   37,870       40,892  
    Total assets $ 1,611,014     $ 1,633,219  
           
    Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity      
           
    Liabilities:      
    Deposits:      
    Noninterest-bearing $ 247,002     $ 249,076  
    Interest-bearing   1,136,961       1,151,627  
    Total deposits   1,383,963       1,400,703  
    Federal funds purchased         5,804  
    Securities sold under agreements to repurchase   12,466       15,017  
    Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) and other borrowings   39,889       40,911  
    Accrued interest payable and other liabilities   14,737       17,386  
    Total liabilities   1,451,055       1,479,821  
           
    Stockholders’ equity:      
    Preferred stock          
    Common stock   1,062       1,060  
    Additional paid-in capital   16,704       16,482  
    Retained earnings   187,237       184,961  
    Treasury stock, at cost   (16,013 )     (16,008 )
    Accumulated other comprehensive loss   (29,031 )     (33,097 )
    Total stockholders’ equity   159,959       153,398  
    Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity $ 1,611,014     $ 1,633,219  
           
    Foresight Financial Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries   
    Consolidated Statements of Income   
    (Unaudited)      
           
      Six Months Ended June 30,
        2025       2024  
      (in thousands, except per share data)
    Interest and dividend income:      
    Loans, including fees $ 34,657     $ 34,092  
    Debt securities:      
    Taxable   4,059       3,578  
    Tax-exempt   802       831  
    Interest-bearing deposits in banks and other   933       1,099  
    Federal funds sold   8       69  
    Total interest income   40,459       39,669  
    Interest expense:      
    Deposits   14,464       14,329  
    Federal funds purchased   2       28  
    Securities sold under agreements to repurchase   111       218  
    FHLB and other borrowings   669       621  
    Total interest expense   15,246       15,196  
    Net interest income   25,213       24,473  
    Provision for credit losses   1,536       202  
    Net interest and dividend income,      
    after provision for credit losses   23,677       24,271  
           
    Noninterest income:      
    Customer service fees   893       684  
    Loss on sales and calls of AFS securities, net   0       -111  
    Gain on sale of loans, net   163       287  
    Loan servicing fees, net   535       155  
    Bank owned life insurance   334       379  
    ATM / interchange fees   1,049       1,057  
    Other   1,971       882  
    Total noninterest income   4,945       3,333  
           
    Noninterest expenses:      
    Salaries and employee benefits   12,610       11,985  
    Occupancy expense of premises, net   1,398       1,225  
    Outside services   1,088       765  
    Data processing   1,936       1,432  
    Foreclosed assets and other real estate owned, net   0       6  
    Other   7,096       3,372  
    Total noninterest expenses   24,128       18,785  
           
    Income before income taxes   4,494       8,819  
    Income tax expense   772       2,045  
           
    Net income $ 3,722     $ 6,774  
           
    Earnings per common share:      
    Basic $ 1.03     $ 1.95  
    Diluted $ 1.03     $ 1.94  
    Foresight Financial Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries
    Consolidated Condensed Statements of Income
    (Unaudited)                  
                       
      For the Quarter Ended
      June 30,   March 31,   December 31,   September 30,   June 30,
        2025       2025       2024       2024       2024  
    Interest and dividend income:                  
    Loans, including fees $ 17,739     $ 16,918     $ 17,249     $ 17,943     $ 17,394  
    Interest on investment securities   2,394       2,467       2,269       2,183       2,236  
    Interest on fed funds sold and other deposits   285       656       818       573       625  
    Total interest income   20,418       20,041       20,336       20,699       20,255  
    Interest expense:                  
    Deposits   7,099       7,365       7,641       7,885       7,448  
    Federal funds purchased         5       7       29       8  
    Securities sold under agreements to repurchase   39       72       132       134       103  
    FHLB and other borrowings   331       335       328       365       335  
    Total interest expense   7,469       7,777       8,108       8,413       7,894  
    Net interest income   12,949       12,264       12,228       12,286       12,361  
    Provision for credit losses   238       1,298       665       185       138  
    Net interest income after provision for loan losses   12,711       10,966       11,563       12,101       12,223  
                       
    Noninterest income:                  
    Customer service fees   551       342       371       366       342  
    Net securities gains (losses)                            
    Gain on sale of loans, net   26       137       182       303       183  
    Loan servicing fees, net   226       309       192       (98 )     86  
    Bank owned life insurance   177       157       160       571       163  
    ATM / debit card revenue   555       494       539       547       550  
    Other   1,468       503       429       298       334  
    Total noninterest income   3,003       1,942       1,873       1,987       1,658  
                       
    Noninterest expenses:                  
    Salaries and employee benefits   6,408       6,202       6,383       6,302       6,230  
    Occupancy expense of premises, net   796       602       587       592       587  
    Outside services   422       666       435       411       391  
    Data processing   1,205       731       968       788       716  
    Foreclosed assets and other real estate owned, net                     6       6  
    Other   3,116       3,980       1,878       1,759       1,709  
    Total noninterest expenses   11,947       12,181       10,251       9,858       9,639  
    Income before income taxes   3,767       727       3,185       4,230       4,240  
    Income tax expense   779       (7 )     692       833       975  
    Net income $ 2,988     $ 734     $ 2,493     $ 3,397     $ 3,265  
                       
    Foresight Financial Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries         
    Consolidated Balance Sheets         
    (Unaudited)                  
      As of
      June 30,   March 31,   December 31,   September 30,   June 30,
        2025       2025       2024       2024       2024  
    Assets                  
    Cash and due from banks $ 28,002     $ 19,996     $ 16,905     $ 30,162     $ 21,290  
    Interest-bearing deposits in banks   13,025       46,118       45,357       20,040       11,196  
    Federal funds sold   787       452       1,738       2,183       3,433  
    Total cash and cash equivalents   41,814       66,566       64,000       52,385       35,919  
                       
    Interest-bearing deposits in banks – term deposits   2,259       2,466       4,434       5,169       4,983  
    Debt securities:                  
    Debt securities available-for-sale (AFS)   361,146       380,667       369,945       368,386       359,762  
    Debt securities held-to-maturity (HTM)   3,263       3,263       3,263       3,616       3,609  
    Marketable equity securities and other investments   5,446       5,671       7,592       6,738       6,215  
    Loans held for sale   480       573       852       794       480  
    Loans, net of allowance for credit losses   1,116,498       1,084,761       1,100,657       1,102,342       1,107,199  
    Foreclosed assets and other real estate owned, net   703                         68  
    Premises and equipment, net   16,889       16,978       17,125       17,125       17,234  
    Bank owned life insurance   24,646       24,615       24,459       24,300       24,653  
    Other assets   37,870       40,519       40,892       39,350       39,550  
    Total assets $ 1,611,014     $ 1,626,079     $ 1,633,219     $ 1,620,205     $ 1,599,672  
                       
    Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity                  
    Liabilities:                  
    Deposits:                  
    Noninterest-bearing $ 247,002     $ 250,709     $ 249,076     $ 237,685     $ 244,414  
    Interest-bearing   1,136,961       1,142,009       1,151,627       1,138,578       1,128,081  
    Total deposits   1,383,963       1,392,718       1,400,703       1,376,263       1,372,495  
    Federal funds purchased         55       5,804       4,764       6,053  
    Securities sold under agreements to repurchase   12,466       21,095       15,017       23,381       21,930  
    Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) and other borrowings   39,889       37,810       40,911       39,174       39,293  
    Accrued interest payable and other liabilities   14,737       16,670       17,386       16,970       16,674  
    Total liabilities   1,451,055       1,468,348       1,479,821       1,460,552       1,456,445  
    Stockholders’ equity:                  
    Preferred stock                            
    Common stock   1,062       1,060       1,060       1,060       1,022  
    Additional paid-in capital   16,704       16,482       16,482       16,445       11,660  
    Retained earnings   187,237       184,972       184,961       183,118       180,346  
    Treasury stock, at cost   (16,013 )     (16,008 )     (16,008 )     (16,008 )     (16,008 )
    Accumulated other comprehensive loss   (29,031 )     (28,775 )     (33,097 )     (24,963 )     (33,793 )
    Total stockholders’ equity   159,959       157,731       153,398       159,653       143,227  
    Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity $ 1,611,014     $ 1,626,079     $ 1,633,219     $ 1,620,205     $ 1,599,672  
                       
    KEY FINANCIAL RATIOS         
    (Unaudited)                  
      As of and for the Quarter Ended
      June 30,   March 31,   December 31,   September 30,   June 30,
        2025       2025       2024       2024       2024  
                       
    Basic earnings per common share $ 0.83     $ 0.20     $ 0.69     $ 0.97     $ 0.95  
    Diluted earnings per common share   0.82       0.20       0.69       0.97       0.94  
    Dividends per common share       0.20       0.18       0.18       0.18  
                       
    Book value per common share   44.41       43.84       42.63       44.38       41.59  
    Tangible book value per common share   44.37       43.80       42.59       44.34       41.55  
    Tangible book value, excluding AOCI, per share   52.43       51.80       51.79       51.28       51.36  
    End of period shares outstanding   3,606,087       3,598,042       3,598,042       3,597,418       3,443,937  
    Average number of shares outstanding   3,606,137       3,598,042       3,597,478       3,494,270       3,450,527  
                       
    Return on average assets   0.75%       0.21%       0.58%       0.82%       0.82%  
    Return on average equity   7.60%       2.18%       6.08%       8.83%       9.40%  
    Net interest margin, tax equivalent   3.40%       3.25%       3.14%       3.21%       3.24%  
    Efficiency ratio, tax equivalent   73.61%       83.72%       72.58       68.97       68.13  
    ASSET QUALITY DATA         
    (Unaudited) As of
    (Amounts in thousands) June 30,   March 31,   December 31,   September 30,   June 30,
        2025       2025       2024       2024       2024  
                       
    Nonaccrual Loans   25,939       28,564       28,175       23,653       21,366  
    Accruing loans past due 90 days or more   688       185       230       680       32  
    Total non-performing loans   26,627       28,749       28,405       24,333       21,398  
    Other real estate owned and other assets   703       6       13       7        
    Impaired other investments   961       961                    
    Total non-performing Assets   28,291       29,716       28,418       24,340       21,398  
                       
    Total Loans   1,130,124       1,100,853       1,115,351       1,117,022       1,121,742  
    Allowance for credit losses   13,626       16,092       14,694       14,678       14,543  
    Loans, net of allowance for credit losses   1,116,498       1,084,761       1,100,657       1,102,344       1,107,199  
                       
    Nonperforming assets tototal assets   1.76%       1.83%       1.74%       1.50%       1.34%  
    Nonperforming loans to total loans   2.36%       2.61%       2.55%       2.18%       1.91%  
    Allowance for credit losses to total loans   1.21%       1.46%       1.32%       1.31%       1.30%  
    Allowance for credit losses to noperforming loans   51.17%       55.97%       51.73%       60.32%       67.96%  
                       

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: AIXA Miner Launches XRP-Based Daily Income Model through One-Click BTC Cloud Mining Access

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Denver, Colorado, July 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — AIXA Miner, a next-generation cloud mining platform, has announced a strategic upgrade that enables XRP holders to generate daily income by participating in Bitcoin (BTC) cloud mining, with zero need for hardware, technical setup, or manual execution. This innovation is built upon the company’s high-performance computing infrastructure, automated reward engine, and fully compliant operational model.

    The new feature allows users to recharge their XRP directly into the AIXA Miner platform, select a cloud mining contract, and activate it with a single click. Earnings are calculated and distributed automatically via smart contract, providing a frictionless, secure, and transparent income stream that settles in real time.

    “Our vision has always been to remove complexity from the mining process while expanding access to sustainable crypto income,” said a spokesperson from AIXA Miner’s Engineering and Innovation Division. “This XRP-to-BTC model represents a major step in that direction—offering ease of use, consistent rewards, and global scalability.”

    The platform’s remote start, real-time settlement system bridges the gap between utility tokens and traditional mining assets, unlocking new value for XRP holders who may not have previously engaged in mining due to technical or financial barriers. AIXA Miner’s automated backend handles all aspects of the mining lifecycle: resource allocation, reward calculation, transaction processing, and energy load balancing.

    At the heart of this offering is a scalable AI-driven infrastructure designed to maximize mining output while minimizing downtime and operational waste. Users can begin participating by simply selecting their XRP deposit amount and preferred contract duration. Once activated, the smart contract immediately begins routing power toward BTC mining, and users receive daily payouts without further input.

    The ability to leverage XRP for BTC mining is particularly relevant in today’s dynamic crypto landscape. XRP’s fast transaction speed and low fees make it an ideal vehicle for initiating on-chain actions, while BTC continues to serve as the leading proof-of-work asset with consistent block rewards and market stability.

    This convergence is managed entirely through AIXA Miner’s platform, which serves as an intelligent orchestration layer. All contracts are executed under a compliant framework, with built-in safeguards for reward delivery, user data protection, and asset traceability. The company operates under strict protocols for transparency, offering users real-time access to performance metrics and income histories via its dashboard.

    AIXA Miner’s global data centers are powered primarily by clean energy sources, including hydroelectric, solar, and wind. These facilities—located strategically in the U.S., Southeast Asia, and South America—form the backbone of the company’s sustainable cloud mining architecture. As the energy demands of BTC mining continue to rise, AIXA Miner’s use of renewable resources ensures that scalability does not come at the expense of environmental integrity.

    In line with the platform’s commitment to green blockchain innovation, users participating in XRP-initiated contracts will also have access to insights about energy sourcing and sustainability data linked to each mining location. This transparency supports a growing demand from environmentally conscious participants who value ethical practices in digital finance.

    The new XRP-based mining plans come with varied durations, allowing users to select short, medium, or longer-term commitments based on their liquidity and earnings preferences. The flexibility of these contracts reflects AIXA Miner’s mission to serve a broad spectrum of users—from first-time participants to seasoned crypto investors seeking high profit platforms that are automated, secure, and optimized.

    By removing the need to invest in expensive hardware, configure mining pools, or maintain physical equipment, AIXA Miner simplifies the entry point to passive income generation. The only requirement is an XRP balance and a few minutes to complete the contract initiation process. From there, daily rewards begin accumulating immediately and are delivered automatically, 24/7.

    “This integration makes it possible for users to transform their XRP holdings into a reliable income channel without selling their assets or engaging in high-risk market behavior,” the spokesperson added. “It’s a utility upgrade, a compliance upgrade, and a user experience upgrade—wrapped into one.”

    With this feature now live, AIXA Miner continues to lead the evolution of intelligent, accessible crypto infrastructure, designed to support long-term growth through automation, sustainability, and global interoperability.

    Media Contact:
    PR Division
    info@aixaminer.com
    https://aixaminer.com

    Attachment

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Creatd’s Flyte Introduces Jet Card Membership Program, Featuring Cryptocurrency Payment Option

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    • Flyte Jet Card launches as a premium loyalty program offering guaranteed jet access, fixed hourly rates, and no hidden fees across a curated fleet of private aircraft.
    • Program introduces Bitcoin as a payment option, reflecting Flyte’s commitment to financial flexibility and innovation.
    • Launch supports Creatd, Inc.’s broader strategy to expand digital asset infrastructure among its portfolio.

    NEW YORK, July 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —  Creatd, Inc. (OTC: CRTD) today announced that its aviation subsidiary, Flyte, Inc., has officially launched the Flyte Jet Card, a premium members loyalty program. The program is designed to provide frequent flyers with a streamlined, predictable, and elevated private aviation experience.

    The Flyte Jet Card gives members access to a curated fleet of luxury aircraft, with benefits including guaranteed aircraft availability, fixed hourly pricing, and complementary services. Membership is structured to meet the needs of high-frequency travelers seeking consistency, simplicity, and premium service.

    In line with Flyte’s customer-centric approach, the program will also accept Bitcoin as a payment method, providing clients with additional flexibility. This feature places Flyte as one of the only private aviation providers that accept cryptocurrency, and supports Creatd’s broader strategy to build a long-term Bitcoin treasury position.

    “The launch of the Flyte Jet Card represents the next evolution in our aviation business,” said Jeremy Frommer, CEO of Creatd, Inc. “This program is designed for clients who demand reliability, efficiency, and luxury. By accepting Bitcoin, we’re giving our members another layer of choice while aligning with the way high-net-worth individuals are managing their assets today.”

    “As we continue building infrastructure across our portfolio, we are prioritizing services that match the pace and preferences of today’s most discerning travelers,” Frommer added. “Flyte sits at the intersection of convenience, technology, and financial innovation.”

    About Creatd, Inc.
    Creatd, Inc. focuses on investments and operations across technology, media, aviation, 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.

    About Flyte, Inc.
    Flyte is an air mobility company redefining private air travel through AI-powered infrastructure and user-centered design. Flyte operates Flyte Hops, a regional air taxi service, as well as Flyte Luxe, a premium global charter service.

    For investor inquiries, contact:
    ir@creatd.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: ‘Democratizing space’ is more than just adding new players – it comes with questions around sustainability and sovereignty

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Timiebi Aganaba, Assistant Professor of Space and Society, Arizona State University

    A group of people gaze up at the Moon in Germany. AP Photo/Markus Schreiber

    India is on the Moon,” S. Somanath, chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization, announced in August 2023. The announcement meant India had joined the short list of countries to have visited the Moon, and the applause and shouts of joy that followed signified that this achievement wasn’t just a scientific one, but a cultural one.

    India’s successful lunar landing prompted celebrations across the country, like this one in Mumbai.
    AP Photo/Rajanish Kakade

    Over the past decade, many countries have established new space programs, including multiple African nations. India and Israel – nations that were not technical contributors to the space race in the 1960s and ‘70s – have attempted landings on the lunar surface.

    With more countries joining the evolving space economy, many of our colleagues in space strategy, policy ethics and law have celebrated the democratization of space: the hope that space is now more accessible for diverse participants.

    We are a team of researchers based across four countries with expertise in space policy and law, ethics, geography and anthropology who have written about the difficulties and importance of inclusion in space.

    Major players like the U.S., the European Union and China may once have dominated space and seen it as a place to try out new commercial and military ventures. Emerging new players in space, like other countries, commercial interests and nongovernmental organizations, may have other goals and rationales. Unexpected new initiatives from these newcomers could shift perceptions of space from something to dominate and possess to something more inclusive, equitable and democratic.

    We address these emerging and historical tensions in a paper published in May 2025 in the journal Nature, in which we describe the difficulties and importance of including nontraditional actors and Indigenous peoples in the space industry.

    Continuing inequalities among space players

    Not all countries’ space agencies are equal. Newer agencies often don’t have the same resources behind them that large, established players do.

    The U.S. and Chinese programs receive much more funding than those of any other country. Because they are most frequently sending up satellites and proposing new ideas puts them in the position to establish conventions for satellite systems, landing sites and resource extraction that everyone else may have to follow.

    Sometimes, countries may have operated on the assumption that owning a satellite would give them the appearance of soft or hard geopolitical power as a space nation – and ultimately gain relevance.

    Small satellites, called CubeSats, are becoming relatively affordable and easy to develop, allowing more players, from countries and companies to universities and student groups, to have a satellite in space.
    NASA/Butch Wilmore, CC BY-NC

    In reality, student groups of today can develop small satellites, called CubeSats, autonomously, and recent scholarship has concluded that even successful space missions may negatively affect the international relationships between some countries and their partners. The respect a country expects to receive may not materialize, and the costs to keep up can outstrip gains in potential prestige.

    Environmental protection and Indigenous perspectives

    Usually, building the infrastructure necessary to test and launch rockets requires a remote area with established roads. In many cases, companies and space agencies have placed these facilities on lands where Indigenous peoples have strong claims, which can lead to land disputes, like in western Australia.

    Many of these sites have already been subject to human-made changes, through mining and resource extraction in the past. Many sites have been ground zero for tensions with Indigenous peoples over land use. Within these contested spaces, disputes are rife.

    Because of these tensions around land use, it is important to include Indigenous claims and perspectives. Doing so can help make sure that the goal of protecting the environments of outer space and Earth are not cast aside while building space infrastructure here on Earth.

    Some efforts are driving this more inclusive approach to engagement in space, including initiatives like “Dark and Quiet Skies”, a movement that works to ensure that people can stargaze and engage with the stars without noise or sound pollution. This movement and other inclusive approaches operate on the principle of reciprocity: that more players getting involved with space can benefit all.

    Researchers have recognized similar dynamics within the larger space industry. Some scholars have come to the conclusion that even though the space industry is “pay to play,” commitments to reciprocity can help ensure that players in space exploration who may not have the financial or infrastructural means to support individual efforts can still access broader structures of support.

    The downside of more players entering space is that this expansion can make protecting the environment – both on Earth and beyond – even harder.

    The more players there are, at both private and international levels, the more difficult sustainable space exploration could become. Even with good will and the best of intentions, it would be difficult to enforce uniform standards for the exploration and use of space resources that would protect the lunar surface, Mars and beyond.

    It may also grow harder to police the launch of satellites and dedicated constellations. Limiting the number of satellites could prevent space junk, protect the satellites already in orbit and allow everyone to have a clear view of the night sky. However, this would have to compete with efforts to expand internet access to all.

    The amount of space junk in orbit has increased dramatically since the 1960s.

    What is space exploration for?

    Before tackling these issues, we find it useful to think about the larger goal of space exploration, and what the different approaches are. One approach would be the fast and inclusive democratization of space – making it easier for more players to join in. Another would be a more conservative and slower “big player” approach, which would restrict who can go to space.

    The conservative approach is liable to leave developing nations and Indigenous peoples firmly on the outside of a key process shaping humanity’s shared future.

    But a faster and more inclusive approach to space would not be easy to run. More serious players means it would be harder to come to an agreement about regulations, as well as the larger goals for human expansion into space.

    Narratives around emerging technologies, such as those required for space exploration, can change over time, as people begin to see them in action.

    Technology that we take for granted today was once viewed as futuristic or fantastical, and sometimes with suspicion. For example, at the end of the 1940s, George Orwell imagined a world in which totalitarian systems used tele-screens and videoconferencing to control the masses.

    Earlier in the same decade, Thomas J. Watson, then president of IBM, notoriously predicted that there would be a global market for about five computers. We as humans often fear or mistrust future technologies.

    However, not all technological shifts are detrimental, and some technological changes can have clear benefits. In the future, robots may perform tasks too dangerous, too difficult or too dull and repetitive for humans. Biotechnology may make life healthier. Artificial intelligence can sift through vast amounts of data and turn it into reliable guesswork. Researchers can also see genuine downsides to each of these technologies.

    Space exploration is harder to squeeze into one streamlined narrative about the anticipated benefits. The process is just too big and too transformative.

    To return to the question if we should go to space, our team argues that it is not a question of whether or not we should go, but rather a question of why we do it, who benefits from space exploration and how we can democratize access to broader segments of society. Including a diversity of opinions and viewpoints can help find productive ways forward.

    Ultimately, it is not necessary for everyone to land on one single narrative about the value of space exploration. Even our team of four researchers doesn’t share a single set of beliefs about its value. But bringing more nations, tribes and companies into discussions around its potential value can help create collaborative and worthwhile goals at an international scale.

    Tony Milligan receives funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (Grant agreement No. 856543).

    Adam Fish, Deondre Smiles, and Timiebi Aganaba do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    ref. ‘Democratizing space’ is more than just adding new players – it comes with questions around sustainability and sovereignty – https://theconversation.com/democratizing-space-is-more-than-just-adding-new-players-it-comes-with-questions-around-sustainability-and-sovereignty-257306

    MIL OSI