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Category: Canada

  • MIL-OSI: POET Technologies Provides Results of 2025 Annual General and Special Meeting

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, June 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — POET Technologies Inc. (“POET” or the “Company”) (TSX Venture: PTK; NASDAQ: POET), the designer and developer of Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs), light sources and optical modules for the AI and data center markets today reported the voting results of its Annual General and Special Meeting (the ”Meeting” or “AGSM”), which was held virtually on Friday, June 27, 2025.

    The Company’s VP Finance and Administration, Kevin Barnes, delivered customary introductions and the call to order, and POET’s Chairman of the Compensation Committee, Glen Riley, conducted the formal business of the Meeting, which included the approval of all proposals outlined in the Company’s management information circular and voting material as previously distributed to shareholders.

    Following the completion of the formal business portion of the Meeting, the Company presented a video highlighting the transformation of its operations—from product development through to manufacturing. This was followed by a presentation from Chief Executive Officer Dr. Suresh Venkatesan, who provided an overview of the Company’s 2024 activities and outlined near-term opportunities. A brief Q&A session concluded the presentations.

    The video presentation can be accessed from the Company’s website at: https://poet-technologies.com/videos.

    AGSM Voting Results Summary
    A detailed Report on Voting Results of the AGSM follows. In summary, the shareholders of the Company approved the following proposals:

    • Re-election of Suresh Venkatesan, Jean-Louis Malinge, Theresa Lan Ende, Glen Riley and Robert “Bob” Tirva as directors, with no director receiving less than 94% of the votes cast;
    • Appointment of Davidson & Company LLP as the Company’s auditors by 96% of the votes cast;
    • Approval of the Corporation’s Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan by 84% of the votes cast, which included an increase in the number of awards available to 17,007,771, representing 20% of the 85,022,787 common shares issued at the time of the meeting.

    Detailed Report of AGSM Voting Results
    In accordance with section 11.3 of National Instrument 51-102 – Continuous Disclosure Obligations, this report briefly describes the matters voted upon and the outcome of the votes at the annual general and special meeting of shareholders of POET Technologies Inc. (the “Company“) held virtually via the MEETNOW.GlOBAL platform on June 27, 2025 (the “Meeting“). Each of the matters is described in greater detail in the Company’s management information circular dated May 1, 2025 (the “Circular“)

    1.      Election of Directors.

    Each of the nominees set for in the Circular were elected as directors to serve until the next annual meeting of shareholders, or until their respective successors are elected or appointed. The following table sets forth the vote of the shareholders at the Meeting with respect to the election of directors:

    Nominee For Withheld
    Number of Votes Percentage of Votes Number of Votes Percentage of Votes
    Glen Riley 6,475,012 94.43% 382,060 5.57%
    Jean-Louis Malinge 6,573,485 95.86% 283,586 4.14%
    Robert “Bob” Tirva 6,557,820 95.64% 299,251 4.36%
    Suresh Venkatesan 6,645,609 96.92% 211,462 3.08%
    Theresa Lan Ende 6,541,010 95.39% 316,061 4.61%
             

    2.      Appointment of Davidson & Company LLP.

    The Company’s shareholders approved the appointment of Davidson & Company LLP as auditors of the Company to hold office until the close of the next annual meeting of shareholders of the Company at such remuneration as may be fixed by the directors of the Company. The following table sets forth the vote of the shareholders at the Meeting with respect to the appointment of Davidson & Company LLP:

    For Withheld
    Number of Votes Percentage of Votes Number of Votes Percentage of Votes
    20,178,708 95.67% 914,338 4.33%
           

    3.      Amendment to Omnibus Plan

    The Company’s shareholders approved by an ordinary resolution an amendment to the Company’s omnibus equity incentive plan (the “Omnibus Plan”). The following table sets forth the vote of the shareholders at the Meeting with respect to the Omnibus Plan:

    For Against
    Number of Votes Percentage of Votes Number of Votes Percentage of Votes
    5,786,541 84.39% 1,070,529 15.61%
           

    The Company had 85,022,787 issued and outstanding shares at the time of the meeting. The awards issuable under the Omnibus Plan has been amended to 17,007,771.

    Restricted Stock Units (“RSUs”)
    Following the AGSM, the POET Board of Directors met to elect officers and to determine RSU grants for directors. For their service on the Board of Directors until the next Annual General Meeting, the directors were granted a total of 72,340 RSUs which will vest on the first anniversary of the grant. Should a director resign prior to the first anniversary of the grant, the RSUs will be vested pro-rata based on the time served as a director from the date of grant to the date of resignation. The number of RSUs granted was based on the allocation of total compensation to equity, using a per share price of CAD$7.23, being the closing price of the Company’s shares on June 27, 2025. The cash portion of each director’s compensation is paid over four quarters. Both are paid in accordance with an established formula for director compensation. The RSUs were granted subject to provisions of the Company’s 2025 Omnibus Incentive Plan and are subject to the TSX Venture Exchange policies and applicable securities laws. For further details on the Company’s share capital, refer to the Company’s Financial Statements and MD&A for the three-months ended March 31, 2025, which may be found on SEDAR+ and EDGAR.

    About POET Technologies Inc.
    POET is a design and development company offering high-speed optical modules, optical engines and light source products to the artificial intelligence systems market and to hyperscale data centers.  POET’s photonic integration solutions are based on the POET Optical Interposer™, a novel, patented platform that allows the seamless integration of electronic and photonic devices into a single chip using advanced wafer-level semiconductor manufacturing techniques. POET’s Optical Interposer-based products are lower cost, consume less power than comparable products, are smaller in size and are readily scalable to high production volumes. In addition to providing high-speed (800G, 1.6T and above) optical engines and optical modules for AI clusters and hyperscale data centers, POET has designed and produced novel light source products for chip-to-chip data communication within and between AI servers, the next frontier for solving bandwidth and latency problems in AI systems.  POET’s Optical Interposer platform also solves device integration challenges in 5G networks, machine-to-machine communication, self-contained “Edge” computing applications and sensing applications, such as LIDAR systems for autonomous vehicles.  POET is headquartered in Toronto, Canada, with operations in Shenzhen, China, Penang, Malaysia and Singapore.  More information about POET is available on our website at www.poet-technologies.com.

    Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
    120 Eglinton Avenue, East, Suite 1107, Toronto, ON, M4P 1E2- Tel: 416-368-9411 – Fax: 416-322-5075

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Cielo Announces AGM Results and Extension of Unit Offering

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    THIS NEWS RELEASE IS NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO THE UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES.

    CALGARY, Alberta, June 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Cielo Waste Solutions Corp. (TSXV: CMC; OTC PINK: CWSFF) (“Cielo” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce the results of its annual general and special meeting of shareholders (the “Meeting”) held on June 24, 2025, as well as an extension to the Offering (as defined below).

    Shareholder Meeting

    All of the business items proposed by management were approved by the shareholders at the Meeting, as follows:

    • setting the size of the Board of Directors at four for the ensuing year;
    • electing each management-nominated director for the ensuing year;
    • appointing MNP LLP as the Company’s auditor; and
    • re-approving the Company’ rolling stock option plan.

    The directors of Cielo are: Sheila Leggett (who was re-appointed Chair following the Meeting), Ryan Jackson, Peter MacKay, and Larry Schafran.

    Private Placement Offering of Units

    The Company is also continuing to offer, on a private placement basis, the issuance of up to 60,000,000 units (each a “Unit”, collectively the “Units”) at a price of $0.05 per Unit (the “Offering”), for gross proceeds of up to C $3,000,000.

    The Company had initially announced the Offering in a news release on May 13, 2025. The TSX Venture Exchange has conditionally approved the Offering as well as an extension. The closing is anticipated to occur on or about July 18, 2025.

    This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “U.S. Securities Act”) or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons as defined under applicable United States securities laws unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available.

    ABOUT CIELO

    Cielo Waste Solutions Corp. is a publicly traded company focused on transforming waste materials into high-value products. Cielo seeks to address global waste challenges while contributing to the circular economy and reducing carbon emissions. Cielo is fueling environmental change with a mission to be a leader in the wood by-product-to-fuels industry by using environmentally friendly, economically sustainable and market-ready technologies. Cielo is committed to helping society by providing environmental waste solutions, which the Company believes will contribute to generating positive returns for shareholders. Cielo shares are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol “CMC,” as well as on the OTC Pink Market under the symbol “CWSFF.”

    For further information please contact:

    Cielo Investor Relations

    Ryan C. Jackson, CEO
    Phone: (403) 348-2972
    Email: investors@cielows.com

    CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

    This news release contains certain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively referred to herein as “forward-looking statements”) within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. All statements other than statements of present or historical fact are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as “anticipate”, “achieve”, “could”, “believe”, “plan”, “intend”, “objective”, “continuous”, “ongoing”, “estimate”, “outlook”, “expect”, “may”, “will”, “project”, “should” or similar words, including negatives thereof, suggesting future outcomes.

    Forward-looking statements are subject to both known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of Cielo, that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance, or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements and information are based on plans, expectations and estimates of management at the date the information is provided and are subject to certain factors and assumptions. The Company is making forward-looking statements, including but not limited to, with respect to: the Offering.

    Investors should continue to review and consider information disseminated through news releases and filed by Cielo on SEDAR+. Although the Company has attempted to identify crucial factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended.

    Forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance and involve a number of risks and uncertainties, some of which are described herein. Such forward-looking statements necessarily involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause Cielo’s actual performance and results to differ materially from any projections of future performance or results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and, except as required by law, the Company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise such statements to reflect new information, subsequent or otherwise.

    Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as such term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Hut 8 Energizes Vega Data Center

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    205 MW facility will support up to ~15 EH/s of next-generation rack-based ASIC compute with direct-to-chip liquid cooling

    Believed to be the largest single-building Bitcoin mining facility by nameplate hashrate

    MIAMI, June 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Hut 8 Corp. (Nasdaq | TSX: HUT) (“Hut 8” or the “Company”), an energy infrastructure platform integrating power, digital infrastructure, and compute at scale to fuel next-generation, energy-intensive use cases such as Bitcoin mining and high-performance computing, today announced the initial energization of Vega. Based on publicly available information, we believe Vega to be the largest single-building Bitcoin mining facility by nameplate hashrate. Spanning the equivalent of five football fields and covering 162,000 square feet, Vega is powered by 205 megawatts (“MW”) of nameplate energy capacity and at full energization will support up to ~15 exahash per second (“EH/s”) of BITMAIN U3S21EXPH servers for Bitcoin mining ASIC compute, or nearly 2.0% of current global Bitcoin network hashrate.

    Vega debuts a new Tier I data center form factor that narrows the gap between legacy air-cooled ASIC infrastructure and liquid-cooled GPU infrastructure. Unlike traditional mining facilities that rely on forced-air cooling and shelving systems that constrain compute density, Vega features a proprietary, rack-based, direct-to-chip liquid cooling system designed in-house by Hut 8. The architecture supports ASIC deployments at densities of up to 180 kilowatts (“kW”) per rack.

    The system’s modular architecture—including pump skids, fluid distribution networks, server racks, switchboards, and smart power distribution units—was designed by Hut 8’s in-house development organization to optimize thermal efficiency, miner stability, and operational reliability. The result is materially higher compute density, greater thermal control, and improved uptime in high-ambient environments like Texas. Initial customer discussions support the potential viability of this architecture for future iterations of high-density, direct-to-chip liquid cooled infrastructure to support emerging HPC workloads and customer needs.

    “Vega exemplifies our innovation-driven approach to digital infrastructure design,” said Asher Genoot, CEO of Hut 8. “We built it for where we believe the market is going, using modular architecture and adaptive thermal systems designed to scale and evolve as workload requirements grow more complex. Over the past several weeks, as we’ve brought the site online, it has become clear how well this architecture performs under real-world conditions.”

    “Vega’s design is particularly relevant for AI training and other non-customer-facing HPC workloads, where we believe speed, density, and cost efficiency will increasingly take precedence over traditional redundancy standards,” said Jake Palmer, Senior Vice President of Development at Hut 8. “The project represents a design philosophy we intend to scale, refine, and deploy as we continue to bridge the gap between high-cost, high-redundancy builds and lower-cost, application-optimized infrastructure.”

    BITMAIN is the client for the full ~15 EH/s deployment at Vega under an ASIC colocation agreement. Based on ERCOT forward energy prices, the agreement is expected to generate between $110 million and $120 million in annualized revenue upon full energization, subject to factors including ERCOT energy pricing and facility uptime. The agreement also includes a purchase option that allows Hut 8 to acquire all or part of the hosted fleet in up to three tranches at a fixed price, exercisable within six months of each tranche’s energization. This structure gives Hut 8 the ability to convert the deployment into self-mining capacity for its Bitcoin mining subsidiary, American Bitcoin Corp., supporting growth in its scale from 10 EH/s to 25 EH/s.

    “We are proud to have partnered with Hut 8 to successfully develop and commercialize the next generation of ASIC compute technology,” said Irene Gao, Vice President of Mining at BITMAIN. “Vega demonstrates what is possible when two industry leaders with deep technical expertise come together to push the boundaries of performance, efficiency, and design. We believe this collaboration has set a new benchmark for the industry, and we look forward to expanding on this success in the coming years.”

    Project Highlights

    • Industrial scale: 205 MW of nameplate capacity with a power usage effectiveness (“PUE”) of 1.06, powered behind-the-meter by a wind farm and front-of-the-meter by the ERCOT grid
    • Rack-based architecture: Proprietary rack-based architecture supports 180 kilowatts per rack, 50% higher than the 120-kW requirement of NVIDIA Blackwell HGX GPUs
    • Next-generation ASIC compute technology: Site will host up to 17,280 BITMAIN U3S21EXPH servers (at full energization), the first ASIC miner mass-commercialized by BITMAIN with direct liquid-to-chip cooling within a U form factor, each delivering up to 860 terahash per second (“TH/s”) at 13 joules per terahash (“J/TH”)
    • Direct-to-chip liquid cooling: 96 custom-designed cooling modules circulate 120,000 gallons of glycol-water solution through a closed-loop, reverse return system designed to reduce water consumption versus conventional high-density cooling systems
    • Capital efficiency: Estimated all-in cost of approximately $430,000 to $450,000 per MW of nameplate capacity
    • Time to market: From site acquisition in July 2024 to initial energization in June 2025, Vega was brought online in under a year, demonstrating Hut 8’s ability to use Bitcoin mining infrastructure development to rapidly monetize power assets
    • Commercialization through ASIC Colocation: BITMAIN will consume the full ~15 EH/s deployment at full energization pursuant to a colocation agreement that will generate revenue for Hut 8’s Digital Infrastructure segment and includes a purchase option that, if exercised, would enable American Bitcoin to scale its self-mining capacity from 10 to ~25 EH/s

    About Hut 8 

    Hut 8 Corp. is an energy infrastructure platform integrating power, digital infrastructure, and compute at scale to fuel next-generation, energy-intensive use cases such as Bitcoin mining and high-performance computing. We take a power-first, innovation-driven approach to developing, commercializing, and operating the critical infrastructure that underpins the breakthrough technologies of today and tomorrow. Our platform spans 1,020 megawatts of energy capacity under management across 15 sites in the United States and Canada: five Bitcoin mining, hosting, and Managed Services sites in Alberta, New York, and Texas, five high performance computing data centers in British Columbia and Ontario, four power generation assets in Ontario, and one non-operational site in Alberta. For more information, visit www.hut8.com and follow us on X at @Hut8Corp.

    Cautionary Note Regarding Forward–Looking Information

    This press release includes “forward-looking information” and “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Canadian securities laws and United States securities laws, respectively (collectively, “forward-looking information”). All information, other than statements of historical facts, included in this press release that address activities, events, or developments that Hut 8 expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, including statements relating to the ability of the Vega facility to support up to ~15 EH/s of next-generation rack-based ASIC compute with direct-to-chip liquid cooling, the ability of Vega’s new Tier I data center form factor to narrow the gap between legacy air-cooled ASIC infrastructure and liquid-cooled GPU infrastructure, the ability of the infrastructure at the Vega facility to support ASIC deployments at densities of up to 180 kW per rack, the ability of the facility’s modular infrastructure to scale and evolve as workload requirements grow more complex, the performance of the infrastructure deployed at the Vega facility under real-world conditions, the relevance of the Vega design to AI training and other non-customer-facing HPC workloads, Hut 8’s intention to scale, refine, and deploy its design philosophy to bridge the gap between high-cost, high-redundancy builds and lower-cost, application-optimized infrastructure, the estimated revenues from the Bitmain colocation agreement and the factors impacting such revenues, the potential exercise of the ASIC purchase option and the benefits thereof to Hut 8 and American Bitcoin Corp., the total all-in cost to develop the Vega facility, and other such matters is forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is often identified by the words “may”, “would”, “could”, “should”, “will”, “intend”, “plan”, “anticipate”, “allow”, “believe”, “estimate”, “expect”, “predict”, “can”, “might”, “potential”, “predict”, “is designed to”, “likely,” or similar expressions.

    Statements containing forward-looking information are not historical facts, but instead represent management’s expectations, estimates, and projections regarding future events based on certain material factors and assumptions at the time the statement was made. While considered reasonable by Hut 8 as of the date of this press release, such statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance, or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including, but not limited to, failure of critical systems; geopolitical, social, economic, and other events and circumstances; competition from current and future competitors; risks related to power requirements; cybersecurity threats and breaches; hazards and operational risks; changes in leasing arrangements; Internet-related disruptions; dependence on key personnel; having a limited operating history; attracting and retaining customers; entering into new offerings or lines of business; price fluctuations and rapidly changing technologies; construction of new data centers, data center expansions, or data center redevelopment; predicting facility requirements; strategic alliances or joint ventures; operating and expanding internationally; failing to grow hashrate; purchasing miners; relying on third-party mining pool service providers; uncertainty in the development and acceptance of the Bitcoin network; Bitcoin halving events; competition from other methods of investing in Bitcoin; concentration of Bitcoin holdings; hedging transactions; potential liquidity constraints; legal, regulatory, governmental, and technological uncertainties; physical risks related to climate change; involvement in legal proceedings; trading volatility; and other risks described from time to time in Company’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. In particular, see the Company’s recent and upcoming annual and quarterly reports and other continuous disclosure documents, which are available under the Company’s EDGAR profile at www.sec.gov and SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca.

    Hut 8 Corp. Investor Relations
    Sue Ennis
    ir@hut8.com

    Hut 8 Corp. Public Relations
    Gautier Lemyze-Young
    media@hut8.com

    Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/99a463ce-e274-4ee7-a8e4-e134abc19825

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/30d0ece1-8f33-4444-b754-a4c5f49538e5

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/33bbd349-a468-455f-b11a-8cbaaad40232

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Hut 8 Energizes Vega Data Center

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    205 MW facility will support up to ~15 EH/s of next-generation rack-based ASIC compute with direct-to-chip liquid cooling

    Believed to be the largest single-building Bitcoin mining facility by nameplate hashrate

    MIAMI, June 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Hut 8 Corp. (Nasdaq | TSX: HUT) (“Hut 8” or the “Company”), an energy infrastructure platform integrating power, digital infrastructure, and compute at scale to fuel next-generation, energy-intensive use cases such as Bitcoin mining and high-performance computing, today announced the initial energization of Vega. Based on publicly available information, we believe Vega to be the largest single-building Bitcoin mining facility by nameplate hashrate. Spanning the equivalent of five football fields and covering 162,000 square feet, Vega is powered by 205 megawatts (“MW”) of nameplate energy capacity and at full energization will support up to ~15 exahash per second (“EH/s”) of BITMAIN U3S21EXPH servers for Bitcoin mining ASIC compute, or nearly 2.0% of current global Bitcoin network hashrate.

    Vega debuts a new Tier I data center form factor that narrows the gap between legacy air-cooled ASIC infrastructure and liquid-cooled GPU infrastructure. Unlike traditional mining facilities that rely on forced-air cooling and shelving systems that constrain compute density, Vega features a proprietary, rack-based, direct-to-chip liquid cooling system designed in-house by Hut 8. The architecture supports ASIC deployments at densities of up to 180 kilowatts (“kW”) per rack.

    The system’s modular architecture—including pump skids, fluid distribution networks, server racks, switchboards, and smart power distribution units—was designed by Hut 8’s in-house development organization to optimize thermal efficiency, miner stability, and operational reliability. The result is materially higher compute density, greater thermal control, and improved uptime in high-ambient environments like Texas. Initial customer discussions support the potential viability of this architecture for future iterations of high-density, direct-to-chip liquid cooled infrastructure to support emerging HPC workloads and customer needs.

    “Vega exemplifies our innovation-driven approach to digital infrastructure design,” said Asher Genoot, CEO of Hut 8. “We built it for where we believe the market is going, using modular architecture and adaptive thermal systems designed to scale and evolve as workload requirements grow more complex. Over the past several weeks, as we’ve brought the site online, it has become clear how well this architecture performs under real-world conditions.”

    “Vega’s design is particularly relevant for AI training and other non-customer-facing HPC workloads, where we believe speed, density, and cost efficiency will increasingly take precedence over traditional redundancy standards,” said Jake Palmer, Senior Vice President of Development at Hut 8. “The project represents a design philosophy we intend to scale, refine, and deploy as we continue to bridge the gap between high-cost, high-redundancy builds and lower-cost, application-optimized infrastructure.”

    BITMAIN is the client for the full ~15 EH/s deployment at Vega under an ASIC colocation agreement. Based on ERCOT forward energy prices, the agreement is expected to generate between $110 million and $120 million in annualized revenue upon full energization, subject to factors including ERCOT energy pricing and facility uptime. The agreement also includes a purchase option that allows Hut 8 to acquire all or part of the hosted fleet in up to three tranches at a fixed price, exercisable within six months of each tranche’s energization. This structure gives Hut 8 the ability to convert the deployment into self-mining capacity for its Bitcoin mining subsidiary, American Bitcoin Corp., supporting growth in its scale from 10 EH/s to 25 EH/s.

    “We are proud to have partnered with Hut 8 to successfully develop and commercialize the next generation of ASIC compute technology,” said Irene Gao, Vice President of Mining at BITMAIN. “Vega demonstrates what is possible when two industry leaders with deep technical expertise come together to push the boundaries of performance, efficiency, and design. We believe this collaboration has set a new benchmark for the industry, and we look forward to expanding on this success in the coming years.”

    Project Highlights

    • Industrial scale: 205 MW of nameplate capacity with a power usage effectiveness (“PUE”) of 1.06, powered behind-the-meter by a wind farm and front-of-the-meter by the ERCOT grid
    • Rack-based architecture: Proprietary rack-based architecture supports 180 kilowatts per rack, 50% higher than the 120-kW requirement of NVIDIA Blackwell HGX GPUs
    • Next-generation ASIC compute technology: Site will host up to 17,280 BITMAIN U3S21EXPH servers (at full energization), the first ASIC miner mass-commercialized by BITMAIN with direct liquid-to-chip cooling within a U form factor, each delivering up to 860 terahash per second (“TH/s”) at 13 joules per terahash (“J/TH”)
    • Direct-to-chip liquid cooling: 96 custom-designed cooling modules circulate 120,000 gallons of glycol-water solution through a closed-loop, reverse return system designed to reduce water consumption versus conventional high-density cooling systems
    • Capital efficiency: Estimated all-in cost of approximately $430,000 to $450,000 per MW of nameplate capacity
    • Time to market: From site acquisition in July 2024 to initial energization in June 2025, Vega was brought online in under a year, demonstrating Hut 8’s ability to use Bitcoin mining infrastructure development to rapidly monetize power assets
    • Commercialization through ASIC Colocation: BITMAIN will consume the full ~15 EH/s deployment at full energization pursuant to a colocation agreement that will generate revenue for Hut 8’s Digital Infrastructure segment and includes a purchase option that, if exercised, would enable American Bitcoin to scale its self-mining capacity from 10 to ~25 EH/s

    About Hut 8 

    Hut 8 Corp. is an energy infrastructure platform integrating power, digital infrastructure, and compute at scale to fuel next-generation, energy-intensive use cases such as Bitcoin mining and high-performance computing. We take a power-first, innovation-driven approach to developing, commercializing, and operating the critical infrastructure that underpins the breakthrough technologies of today and tomorrow. Our platform spans 1,020 megawatts of energy capacity under management across 15 sites in the United States and Canada: five Bitcoin mining, hosting, and Managed Services sites in Alberta, New York, and Texas, five high performance computing data centers in British Columbia and Ontario, four power generation assets in Ontario, and one non-operational site in Alberta. For more information, visit www.hut8.com and follow us on X at @Hut8Corp.

    Cautionary Note Regarding Forward–Looking Information

    This press release includes “forward-looking information” and “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Canadian securities laws and United States securities laws, respectively (collectively, “forward-looking information”). All information, other than statements of historical facts, included in this press release that address activities, events, or developments that Hut 8 expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, including statements relating to the ability of the Vega facility to support up to ~15 EH/s of next-generation rack-based ASIC compute with direct-to-chip liquid cooling, the ability of Vega’s new Tier I data center form factor to narrow the gap between legacy air-cooled ASIC infrastructure and liquid-cooled GPU infrastructure, the ability of the infrastructure at the Vega facility to support ASIC deployments at densities of up to 180 kW per rack, the ability of the facility’s modular infrastructure to scale and evolve as workload requirements grow more complex, the performance of the infrastructure deployed at the Vega facility under real-world conditions, the relevance of the Vega design to AI training and other non-customer-facing HPC workloads, Hut 8’s intention to scale, refine, and deploy its design philosophy to bridge the gap between high-cost, high-redundancy builds and lower-cost, application-optimized infrastructure, the estimated revenues from the Bitmain colocation agreement and the factors impacting such revenues, the potential exercise of the ASIC purchase option and the benefits thereof to Hut 8 and American Bitcoin Corp., the total all-in cost to develop the Vega facility, and other such matters is forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is often identified by the words “may”, “would”, “could”, “should”, “will”, “intend”, “plan”, “anticipate”, “allow”, “believe”, “estimate”, “expect”, “predict”, “can”, “might”, “potential”, “predict”, “is designed to”, “likely,” or similar expressions.

    Statements containing forward-looking information are not historical facts, but instead represent management’s expectations, estimates, and projections regarding future events based on certain material factors and assumptions at the time the statement was made. While considered reasonable by Hut 8 as of the date of this press release, such statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance, or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including, but not limited to, failure of critical systems; geopolitical, social, economic, and other events and circumstances; competition from current and future competitors; risks related to power requirements; cybersecurity threats and breaches; hazards and operational risks; changes in leasing arrangements; Internet-related disruptions; dependence on key personnel; having a limited operating history; attracting and retaining customers; entering into new offerings or lines of business; price fluctuations and rapidly changing technologies; construction of new data centers, data center expansions, or data center redevelopment; predicting facility requirements; strategic alliances or joint ventures; operating and expanding internationally; failing to grow hashrate; purchasing miners; relying on third-party mining pool service providers; uncertainty in the development and acceptance of the Bitcoin network; Bitcoin halving events; competition from other methods of investing in Bitcoin; concentration of Bitcoin holdings; hedging transactions; potential liquidity constraints; legal, regulatory, governmental, and technological uncertainties; physical risks related to climate change; involvement in legal proceedings; trading volatility; and other risks described from time to time in Company’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. In particular, see the Company’s recent and upcoming annual and quarterly reports and other continuous disclosure documents, which are available under the Company’s EDGAR profile at www.sec.gov and SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca.

    Hut 8 Corp. Investor Relations
    Sue Ennis
    ir@hut8.com

    Hut 8 Corp. Public Relations
    Gautier Lemyze-Young
    media@hut8.com

    Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/99a463ce-e274-4ee7-a8e4-e134abc19825

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/30d0ece1-8f33-4444-b754-a4c5f49538e5

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/33bbd349-a468-455f-b11a-8cbaaad40232

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: South Sudan’s Minister of Mines to Showcase E&P Prospects at African Mining Week (AMW) 2025

    Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:

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    Martin Gama Abucha, Minister of Mines of South Sudan, has joined the upcoming African Mining Week (AMW) conference as a speaker. Minister Abucha will take part in the Ministerial Forum, where he will share insight into South Sudan’s policy frameworks, investment incentives and infrastructure plans aimed at unlocking the full potential of the country’s mining sector. 

    As South Sudan seeks to increase mining investments and drive projects forward, AMW provides an ideal platform for Minister Abucha to outline the country’s commitment to enhancing cooperation with global public and private stakeholders to build a robust and competitive mining value chain. As the premier gathering for mining stakeholders in Africa, the event connects global financiers and project developers with African mining opportunities, facilitating collaboration and deal-signing. Insights shared by Minister Abucha will support future deals. 

    African Mining Week serves as a premier platform for exploring the full spectrum of mining opportunities across Africa. The event is held alongside the African Energy Week: Invest in African Energies 2025 conference from October 1-3 in Cape Town. Sponsors, exhibitors and delegates can learn more by contacting sales@energycapitalpower.com.

    Under Minister Abucha’s leadership, South Sudan’s Ministry of Mines has been accelerating geological mapping to identify exploration hotspots and reduce investment risk. In April 2025, the Ministry hosted a delegation from Qatar, including government officials and mining investors, to discuss opportunities in seismic studies, gold refining and the extraction of lead and critical minerals. The meeting follows Qatari firms such as United Gold investing across South Sudan to establish gold marketing stations. The stations aim to formalize artisanal mining by integrating informal production into the formal economy. 

    Collaborations are also underway with South Africa to leverage the country’s mining expertise, investment portfolio and technology to better understand South Sudan’s mineral landscape. Other partnerships include with Russia’s ROSGEO, the U.S.-based REE-Magnesium and Canada’s CVMR to map the country’s mineral resources and better understand the geology. In November 2024, South Sudan’s national oil company Nilepet announced the discovery of critical minerals following a geological survey conducted in the first half of 2024 and revealed plans to establish a national mining company to support sector growth. 

    Amid these developments, AMW 2025 offers a timely opportunity for Minister Abucha to engage with global geoscience firms, mining investors and African stakeholders to forge new partnerships and strengthen existing collaborations. AMW 2025 panel discussions and project showcases will position South Sudan as an emerging mining destination on the continent. 

    – on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Air traffic controller shortages in Newark and other airports partly reflect long, intense training − but university-based training programs are becoming part of the solution

    Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By Melanie Dickman, Lecturer in Aviation Studies, The Ohio State University

    Air traffic controllers observe a plane taking off from San Francisco International Airport in 2017. AP Photo/Jeff Chiu

    Air traffic controllers have been in the news a lot lately.

    A spate of airplane crashes and near misses have highlighted the ongoing shortage of air traffic workers, leading more Americans to question the safety of air travel.

    The shortage, as well as aging computer systems, have also led to massive flight disruptions at airports across the country, particularly at Newark Liberty International Airport. The staffing shortage is also likely at the center of an investigation of a deadly crash between a commercial plane and an Army helicopter over Washington, D.C., in January 2025.

    One reason for the air traffic controller shortage relates to the demands of the job: The training to become a controller is extremely intense, and the Federal Aviation Administration wants only highly qualified personnel to fill those seats, which has made it difficult for what has been the sole training center in the U.S., located in Oklahoma City, to churn out enough qualified graduates each year.

    As scholars who study and teach tomorrow’s aviation professionals, we are working to be part of the solution. Our program at Ohio State University is applying to join over two dozen other schools in an effort to train air traffic controllers and help alleviate the shortage.

    Air traffic controller school

    Air traffic control training today – overseen by the Federal Aviation Administration – remains as intense as it’s ever been.

    In fact, about 30% of students fail to make it from their first day of training at the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City to the status of a certified professional air traffic controller. The academy currently trains the majority of the air traffic controllers in the U.S.

    Before someone is accepted into the training program, they must meet several qualifications. That includes being a U.S. citizen under the age of 31 and speaking English clearly enough to be understood over the radio. The low recruitment age is because controllers currently have a mandatory retirement age of 56 – with some exceptions – and the FAA wants them to work for at least 25 years in the job.

    They must also pass a medical exam and security investigation. And they must pass the air traffic controller specialists skills assessment battery, which measures an applicant’s spatial awareness and decision-making abilities.

    Candidates, additionally, must have three years of general work experience, or a combination of postsecondary education and work experience totaling at least three years.

    This alone is no easy feat. Fewer than 10% of applicants meet those initial requirements and are accepted into training.

    An air traffic controller monitors a runway in the tower at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.
    AP Photo/Seth Wenig

    Intense training

    Once applicants meet the initial qualifications, they begin a strenuous training process.

    This begins with several weeks of classroom instruction and several months of simulator training. There are several types of simulators, and a student is assigned to a simulator based on the type of facility for which they will be hired – which depends on a trainee’s preference and where controllers are needed.

    There are two main types of air traffic facilities: control towers and radar. Anyone who has flown on a plane has likely seen a control tower near the runways, with 360 degrees of tall glass windows to monitor the skies nearby. Controllers there mainly look outside to direct aircraft but also use radar to monitor the airspace and assist aircraft in taking off and landing safely.

    Radar facilities, on the other hand, monitor aircraft solely through the use of information depicted on a screen. This includes aircraft flying just outside the vicinity of a major airport or when they’re at higher altitudes and crisscrossing the skies above the U.S. The controllers ensure they don’t fly too close to one another as they follow their flight paths between airports.

    If the candidates make it through the first stage, which takes about six months and extensive testing to meet standards, they will be sent to their respective facilities.

    Once there, they again go to the classroom, learning the details of the airspace they will be working in. There are more assessments and chances to “wash out” and have to leave the program.

    Finally, the candidates are paired with an experienced controller who conducts on-the-job training to control real aircraft. This process may take an additional year or more. It depends on the complexity of the airspace and the amount of aircraft traffic at the site.

    Two control towers watch over Newark Liberty International Airport, where a shortage of air traffic controllers has led to blackouts and other problems lately.
    AP Photo/Seth Wenig

    Increasing the employment pipeline

    But no matter how good the training is, if there aren’t enough graduates, that’s a problem for managing the increasingly crowded skies.

    The FAA is currently facing a deficit of about 3,000 controllers and has unveiled a plan in May 2025 to increase hiring and boost retention. In addition, Congress is mulling spending billions of dollars to update the FAA’s aging systems and hire more air traffic controllers.

    Other plans include paying retention bonuses and allowing more controllers to work beyond the age of 56. That retirement age was put in place in the 1970s on the assumption that cognition for most people begins to decline around then, although research shows that age alone is not necessarily a predictor of cognitive abilities.

    But we believe that aviation programs and universities can play an important role fixing the shortage by providing FAA Academy-level training.

    Currently, 32 universities including the Florida Institute of Technology and Arizona State University partner with the FAA in its collegiate training initiative to provide basic air traffic control training, which gives graduates automatic entry into the FAA Academy and allows them to skip five weeks of coursework.

    The institution where we work, Ohio State University, is currently working on becoming the 33rd this summer and plans to offer an undergraduate major in aviation with specialization in air traffic control.

    This helps, but an enhanced version of this program, announced in October 2024, allows graduates of a select few of those universities to skip the FAA Academy altogether and go straight to a control tower or radar facility once they’ve passed all the extensive tests. These schools must match or exceed the level of rigor in their training with the FAA Academy itself.

    At the end of the program, students are required to pass an evaluation by an FAA-approved evaluator to ensure that the student graduating from the program meets the same standards as all FAA Academy graduates and is prepared to go to their assigned facility for further training. So far, five schools, such as the University of North Dakota, have joined this program and are currently training air traffic controllers. We intend to join this group in the near future.

    Allowing colleges and universities to start the training process while students are still in school should accelerate the pace at which new controllers enter the workforce, alleviate the shortage and make the skies over the U.S. as safe as they can be.

    Melanie Dickman is a member at large of the Air Traffic Controllers Association

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

    – ref. Air traffic controller shortages in Newark and other airports partly reflect long, intense training − but university-based training programs are becoming part of the solution – https://theconversation.com/air-traffic-controller-shortages-in-newark-and-other-airports-partly-reflect-long-intense-training-but-university-based-training-programs-are-becoming-part-of-the-solution-249715

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Texas’ annual reading test adjusted its difficulty every year, masking whether students are improving

    Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By Jeanne Sinclair, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Education, Memorial University of Newfoundland

    Millions of Americans take high-stakes exams every year. Caiaimage/Chris Ryan/iStock via Getty Images

    Texas children’s performance on an annual reading test was basically flat from 2012 to 2021, even as the state spent billions of additional dollars on K-12 education.

    I recently did a peer-reviewed deep dive into the test design documentation to figure out why the reported results weren’t showing improvement. I found the flat scores were at least in part by design. According to policies buried in the documentation, the agency administering the tests adjusted their difficulty level every year. As a result, roughly the same share of students failed the test over that decade regardless of how objectively better they performed relative to previous years.

    From 2008 to 2014, I was a bilingual teacher in Texas. Most of my students’ families hailed from Mexico and Central America and were learning English as a new language. I loved seeing my students’ progress.

    Yet, no matter how much they learned, many failed the end-of-year tests in reading, writing and math. My hunch was that these tests were unfair, but I could not explain why. This, among other things, prompted me to pursue a Ph.D. in education to better understand large-scale educational assessment.

    Ten years later, in 2024, I completed a detailed exploration of Texas’s exam, currently known as the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR. I found an unexpected trend: The share of students who correctly answered each test question was extraordinarily steady across years. Where we would expect to see fluctuation from year to year, performance instead appears artificially flat.

    The STAAR’s technical documents suggest that the test is designed much like a norm-referenced test – that is, assessing students relative to their peers, rather than if they meet a fixed standard. In other words, a norm-referenced test cannot tell us if students meet key, fixed criteria or grade-level standards set by the state.

    In addition, norm-referenced tests are designed so that a certain share of students always fail, because success is gauged by one’s position on the “bell curve” in relation to other students. Following this logic, STAAR developers use practices like omitting easier questions and adjusting scores to cancel out gains due to better teaching.

    Ultimately, the STAAR tests over this time frame – taken by students every year from grade 3 to grade 8 in language arts and math, and less frequently in science and social studies – were not designed to show improvement. Since the test seems designed to keep scores flat, it’s impossible to know for sure if a lack of expected learning gains following big increases in per-student spending was because the extra funds failed to improve teaching and learning, or simply because the test hid the improvements.

    Why it matters

    Ever since the federal education policy known as No Child Left Behind went into effect in 2002 and tied students’ test performance to rewards and sanctions for schools, achievement testing has been a primary driver of public education in the United States.

    Texas’ educational accountability system has been in place since 1980, and it is well known in the state that the stakes and difficulty of Texas’ academic readiness tests increase with each new version, which typically come out every five to 10 years. What the Texas public may not know is that the tests have been adjusted each and every year – at the expense of really knowing who should “pass” or “fail.”

    The test’s design affects not just students but also schools and communities. High-stakes test scores determine school resources, the state’s takeover of school districts and accreditation of teacher education programs. Home values are even driven by local schools’ performance on high-stakes tests.

    Students who are marginalized by racism, poverty or language have historically tended to underperform on standardized tests. I believe STAAR’s design makes this problem worse.

    On May 28, 2025, the Texas Senate passed a bill that would eliminate the STAAR test and replace it with a different, shorter test or a norm-referenced test. As best as I can tell, this wouldn’t address the problems I uncovered in my research.

    What still isn’t known

    I plan to investigate if other states or the federal government use similarly designed tests to evaluate students.

    My deep dive into Texas’ test focused on STAAR before its 2022 redevelopment. The latest iteration has changed the test format and question types, but there appears to be little change to the way the test is scored. Without substantive revisions to the scoring calculations “under the hood” of the STAAR test, it is likely Texas will continue to see flat performance.

    This article was updated on May 31, 2025, to clarify some language and the type of data used in the chart, replace a link and add a comment from the Texas Education Agency.

    The Texas Education Agency responded to a pre-publication request for comment after the piece was published. A spokesman refuted several of the scholar’s research conclusions, including that it behaved like a norm-referenced test. However, the scholar stands by them.

    The Research Brief is a short take on interesting academic work.

    Jeanne Sinclair receives funding from the Social Science and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) of Canada.

    – ref. Texas’ annual reading test adjusted its difficulty every year, masking whether students are improving – https://theconversation.com/texas-annual-reading-test-adjusted-its-difficulty-every-year-masking-whether-students-are-improving-244159

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: World Chambers Federation announces new leadership for 2025–2028

    Source: International Chamber of Commerce

    Headline: World Chambers Federation announces new leadership for 2025–2028

    Mr. Marcelo Elizondo Secretary and Member of the Board, Argentine Chamber of Commerce and Services (Argentina) Mr. Andrew McKellar CEO, Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Australia) Mr. Atef Al Khaja CEO, Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Bahrain)   Mr. Tom Laveren CEO, Voka Chamber of Commerce Mechelen-Kempen (Belgium)   Mr. Jean Pierre Antelo President, CAINCO (Bolivia) Ms. Maria Bustamante President, FIESC Chamber of Foreign Trade (Brazil)  Mr. Daniel Campos Caramori Vice-President, Canadian Chamber of Commerce (Canada)  Mr. José Ovidio Claros Polanco President, Bogota Chamber of Commerce (Colombia)  Ms. Rim Siam President of the Economic Business Women Council, Alexandria Chamber of Commerce (Egypt)   Ms. Leticia Escobar President, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of El Salvador (El Salvador)  Mr. Giorgi Pertaia President, Georgian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Georgia)  Mr. Volker Treier Chief Executive of Foreign Trade and Board Member, German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Germany)   Mr. Ashish Vaid Past President, IMC Chamber of Commerce and Industry (India)  Mr. Mohammad Khazaee Torshizi Senior Advisor to the President, Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (Iran) Ms. Gilit Rubinstein CEO, Federation of Israeli Chambers of Commerce (Israel)  Mr. Dario Gallina Past President, Torino Chamber of Commerce (Italy)  Mr. Aigars Rostovskis President, Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Latvia)   Mr. Katsuya Igarashi Executive Director, Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Japan)  Dr. Erick Rutto President, Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kenya)  Mr. Rabih Sabra Director General, Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture of Beirut and Mount Lebanon (Lebanon)   Ms. Charlotte Parkhill Chair, Auckland Business Chamber (New Zealand)   Mr. Gabriel Idahosa President, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Nigeria)  Mr. Trajan Angeloski President, Macedonian Chamber of Commerce (North Macedonia)  Ms. Tamader Al Thani Director of International Relations and Chamber Affairs, Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Qatar)  Mr. Ovidiu Ioan Silaghi Secretary General, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Romania (Romania)  Mr. Marko Cadez President, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia (Serbia)   Ms. Melanie Veness CEO and Chairperson, PMCB and Association of South African Chambers (South Africa)  Mr. Seong Woo Lee Vice-President, Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (South Korea)  Mr. Adolfo Díaz-Ambrona Secretary General, Spain Chamber of Commerce (Spain)  Mr. Izzet Volkan Chairman of the Board, Corlu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Türkiye)  Mr. Salem Al Shamsi Vice-President for International Relations, Dubai Chambers (United Arab Emirates)   Mr. Gennadiy Chyzhykov President, Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce (Ukraine)  Mr. Ahmed M. El Wakil President, Association of the Mediterranean Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ASCAME) (Transnational)  Mr. Yousef Khalawi Secretary General, Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Development (Transnational)  Mr. Natalio Mario Grinman President, Ibero-American Association of Chambers of Commerce (AICO) (Transnational)  Mr. Peter McMullin President, Confederation of Asia Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACCI) (Transnational)  Mr. Ben Butters CEO, Eurochambres (Transnational)  Dr. Khaled Hanafy Secretary General, Union of Arab Chambers (Transnational) 

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Canada to scrap digital services tax to advance broader US trade talks

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    OTTAWA, June 29 (Xinhua) — Canada will scrap its digital services tax pending a mutually beneficial comprehensive trade deal with the United States, Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said Sunday.

    Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and US President Donald Trump have agreed to resume talks with the goal of completing a deal by July 21, according to the Treasury Department.

    F-F. Champagne will soon introduce a bill to repeal the Digital Services Tax Act, the department said in a statement.

    M. Carney called the negotiations “difficult,” commenting on D. Trump’s statement about ending all trade negotiations with Canada and considering the possibility of introducing new tariffs.

    “We will continue to engage in these difficult negotiations in the best interests of Canadians,” Mr. Carney told local media.

    D. Trump said the United States is ending negotiations in response to Canada’s planned digital services tax on American tech companies.

    The American leader called the tax a “direct and blatant attack” on the United States.

    The tax, which was set to go into effect Monday, would have levied three percent of revenue from Canadian users on U.S. companies such as Amazon, Google and Meta. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI: CryptoMiningFirm Launches GreenMine 2.0: A Next-Generation, AI-Powered, Carbon-Neutral Cloud Mining Platform

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    London, UK, June 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — CryptoMiningFirm, a global innovator in green cloud mining solutions, today announced the official launch of its next-generation platform, GreenMine 2.0, a fully automated and carbon-neutral cloud mining ecosystem. With this release, CryptoMiningFirm aims to democratize cryptocurrency mining by eliminating traditional entry barriers such as hardware investment, technical expertise, and high electricity costs.

    Leveraging AI-driven automation, renewable energy, and a zero-threshold onboarding model, GreenMine 2.0 empowers users globally to generate passive income through the mining of Bitcoin, Litecoin, Dogecoin, and other top digital currencies — directly from their mobile devices.

    Bitcoin Nears All-Time Highs as Cloud Mining Demand Surges

    CryptoMiningFirm’s announcement comes amid a dramatic surge in Bitcoin prices, which recently rose to $107,340, edging closer to its historical high of $111,917. The rally has been fueled by strong inflows into spot ETFs — with BlackRock’s IBIT alone accounting for over $1.3 billion in net inflows in a single week — and growing expectations of U.S. Federal Reserve interest rate cuts.

    “With global interest in cryptocurrency reigniting, there’s no better time to introduce a smarter, cleaner way to mine digital assets,” said Jane Doe, CEO of CryptoMiningFirm. “We built GreenMine 2.0 so that anyone, anywhere — with no technical skills or capital investment — can tap into the world of crypto mining and start earning immediately.”

    Key Features of CryptoMiningFirm’s GreenMine 2.0

    1. Zero Entry Barrier:

    Users can register in under a minute and receive a free welcome bonus worth $10–$100, allowing them to mine without any upfront investment. The platform guarantees a minimum daily earning of $0.60 from this bonus alone.

    2. Smart Mining Automation:

    The platform’s AI intelligently selects the most profitable cryptocurrencies to mine in real time based on network difficulty, market volatility, and block rewards. Mining is completely automated — no hardware, no coding, and no daily intervention required.

    3. Carbon-Neutral Infrastructure:

    GreenMine 2.0 is powered entirely by 100% renewable energy, including solar and wind sources. The company has also implemented thermal recovery systems that redirect excess heat into local community heating projects, aligning with ESG best practices.

    4. Transparent & Flexible Plans:

    With more than 10 mining contracts available, users can choose between short-term high-yield plans or longer-term value accumulation. Contracts support a wide array of cryptocurrencies including BTC, ETH, DOGE, LTC, and XRP.

    5. App-Enabled Wealth Management:

    Available on both iOS and Android, the CryptoMiningFirm app allows users to monitor real-time earnings, manage contracts, and withdraw funds in just a few taps. Withdrawals are processed in under 60 seconds, with support for over 10 cryptocurrencies.

    A Sustainable Model for Global Crypto Adoption

    CryptoMiningFirm’s cloud-based model solves one of the most pressing challenges in traditional mining: environmental impact. By leveraging globally distributed data centers powered by clean energy, the company eliminates the massive carbon footprint typically associated with crypto mining.

    In addition to zero hardware requirements, the company operates with no hidden fees, offers round-the-clock support, and ensures 100% platform uptime — features that have quickly made it a top choice for both beginners and crypto veterans.

    “GreenMine 2.0 is more than a mining platform. It’s a financial empowerment tool,” said Jane Doe. “Whether you’re a student in India, a remote worker in Kenya, or a retiree in Canada — you can now participate in the crypto economy without risks or restrictions.”

    New Referral and Affiliate System

    To further expand its global user base, CryptoMiningFirm has introduced a referral program that offers up to 4.5% in commissions, capped at $10,000 per referral. This system enables users to monetize their networks while contributing to the adoption of decentralized finance (DeFi) tools worldwide.

    Upcoming Roadmap & Expansion

    The company plans to roll out several enhancements in the coming months, including:

    • Smart contract-based earnings verification for transparency and auditability
    •  Staking-as-a-Service modules to complement mining income
    •  AI portfolio rebalancing tools to help users maximize ROI across digital assets

    Localized data centers in Latin America and Southeast Asia to reduce latency and boost regional performance

    CryptoMiningFirm is also working on integrating Fiat-to-Crypto payment gateways, allowing users to fund accounts via credit cards or bank transfers and further easing access for first-time crypto users.

    Industry Recognition and Compliance

    With its focus on transparency, CryptoMiningFirm adheres to international KYC/AML standards and has undergone multiple third-party audits of its smart contract framework and platform code. The firm is registered in multiple jurisdictions and complies with local data privacy and digital asset laws.

    The company’s current user base spans over 80 countries, with the largest adoption seen in the U.S., Nigeria, India, and Brazil. More than 120,000 active users have joined the platform since its soft launch earlier this year.

    About CryptoMiningFirm

    Founded in 2020, CryptoMiningFirm is a leading provider of green cloud mining solutions that allow individuals and institutions to generate passive income from cryptocurrencies without the need for technical expertise or hardware investments. The company is committed to reshaping the crypto mining landscape through innovation, sustainability, and global accessibility.

    For more information, visit the official website: https://cryptominingfirm.com

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Bitcoin + Personal Loans: Why Ready Payday Loans Just Acquired Omega 88

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SILICON VALLEY, Calif., June 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ready Payday Loans, one of the most visited platforms in the U.S. for best personal loans, has finalized the acquisition of Omega 88, a Bitcoin blockchain start-up founded by Canadian tech entrepreneurs Chad Canuck and Roger Maple. The move, both surprising and disruptive, signals a dramatic intersection between the traditional lending space and the decentralized power of Bitcoin-based infrastructure.

    While the amount of the acquisition remains undisclosed, multiple sources close to the matter say the transaction was finalized earlier this month and marks a new era in consumer finance.

    Ready Payday Loans, long known for helping everyday Americans access fast personal loans online, now appears to be quietly reshaping how those loans are underwritten, approved, and distributed—through technology born out of Bitcoin’s cryptographic foundation.

    Ready Payday Loans connects borrowers with fast, secure options—often with same-day approval and no credit check required.

    Why a Best Personal Loans Marketplace Is Investing in Bitcoin Technology

    The announcement has sparked significant conversation among both traditional finance analysts and crypto-native experts. Why would a platform designed to help consumers find low-interest personal loans invest in a company known primarily for blockchain innovation?

    Vice President Randy Murrie didn’t offer much clarity when asked, saying only:
    “Ready Payday Loans has no official comment regarding this recent takeover. All I can tell you is that some big things are ready to happen on our end.”

    Yet behind the scenes, it’s clear this isn’t just an investment—it’s a signal. A shift in how Ready Payday Loans envisions the future of digital lending, particularly in high-volume search categories like best personal loans for bad credit, online personal loans with no credit check, and same-day loan approval.

    Omega 88: The Bitcoin Start-Up Rebuilding Financial Infrastructure

    Founded in the heart of Silicon Valley, Omega 88 was launched in stealth by Canuck and Maple—two Canadian expats known for their contrarian thinking and interest in decentralizing traditional financial processes.

    What makes Omega 88 unique is its Bitcoin-first philosophy. According to insiders, the platform uses a hybrid consensus mechanism blending proof-of-work (PoW) with delegated proof-of-stake (DPoS), offering both Bitcoin-grade security and enterprise-grade scalability.

    Omega 88’s infrastructure also reportedly supports:

    • Rust-based smart contracts
    • Zero-knowledge proof encryption (ZK proofs)
    • 3,000+ TPS processing speed
    • Cross-chain compatibility with Ethereum and Solana

    The company recently closed Phase 9 of its token presale, raising more than $7 million from early investors. Many of those investors are now speculating about how the technology might be used in real-world applications, particularly decentralized identity, credit scoring, and blockchain-based lending systems.

    When asked about the decision to sell, co-founder Roger Maple responded:
    “We didn’t go looking for this deal. But when Ready Payday Loans approached us with a long-term vision tied to financial inclusion, it just clicked.”

    Bitcoin’s Role in Delivering the Best Personal Loans Online

    The strategic implications of this acquisition are massive.

    On the surface, Ready Payday Loans is a consumer-facing marketplace helping Americans find:

    But under the hood, the company may now be building a blockchain-powered lending engine—one that uses Bitcoin as a technical foundation rather than a currency. By utilizing Omega 88’s infrastructure, Ready Payday Loans could soon offer a more secure, transparent, and efficient application experience backed by verifiable smart contracts and encrypted borrower identities.

    Take control of your financial future today.
    Visit Ready Payday Loans to compare loan options, get matched in minutes, and apply for the best personal loan offers available in 2025.

    Industry Reactions: From Lending to Ledger-Based Verification

    The broader financial industry is taking notice.

    “This is the first time we’ve seen a major U.S. personal loan platform directly acquire a Bitcoin-native infrastructure company,” said fintech strategist Angela Ruiz. “What’s exciting is the possibility of back-end transparency and real-time loan settlement using smart contracts. It’s the future of consumer lending.”

    Ruiz believes this move could also lead to the launch of tokenized credit systems, where borrower reputation is tracked securely on a blockchain—reducing fraud, improving approval times, and lowering overall loan risk.

    Other experts believe that integrating Bitcoin-backed verification tools into the loan matching process could dramatically shorten underwriting timelines, especially for borrowers with limited credit histories.

    Silicon Valley Expansion: More Than Just Code

    As part of the acquisition, Ready Payday Loans confirmed that Omega 88 will remain a standalone brand, continuing operations under its own name while benefiting from strategic alignment with its parent company.

    To support upcoming product rollouts, Ready Payday Loans will launch:

    • A new R&D center in San Jose
    • Strategic hiring of blockchain engineers, AI credit analysts, and UX designers
    • Early testing of blockchain-loan integration across its lender network

    Roger Maple described the integration strategy as “mutual autonomy,” with Omega 88 continuing to build core protocols while Ready Payday Loans applies them to consumer lending use cases.

    “We’re not here to add blockchain for buzzwords,” Maple said. “We’re here to use Bitcoin logic to solve real credit problems in real time.”

    What Borrowers Can Expect Today — and Tomorrow

    While blockchain-based features are still in development, U.S. consumers can continue to rely on Ready Payday Loans for:

    As Omega 88’s tools are integrated over time, borrowers may eventually benefit from:

    • Blockchain-verified credit assessments
    • Tamper-proof loan terms
    • Bitcoin-secured identity authentication
    • Faster, more accurate approvals

    “Even if users don’t realize it, they could soon be getting personal loans powered by Bitcoin protocols,” said one product lead. “That’s where the industry is going—and we’re getting there first.”

    Bitcoin as a Financial Backbone — Not Just an Asset

    The deeper message here is that Bitcoin is evolving.

    No longer just a speculative store of value, Bitcoin is increasingly being used as a foundation for broader financial systems. Through Omega 88, its cryptographic architecture could now power everything from loan verification and document handling, to borrower rewards and repayment automation.

    And in the hands of Ready Payday Loans, this evolution may be visible in ways most consumers never expected—from lower APRs to fewer application barriers and increased approval speed.

    Call to Action: Experience the Future of Lending Today

    Whether you’re a first-time borrower or a crypto-curious consumer, Ready Payday Loans is redefining what it means to apply for a loan in 2025.

    Get started now:

    Don’t wait for the future — borrow from it.
    Explore your options at Ready Payday Loans, where Bitcoin technology meets consumer-first lending.

    Disclaimer:

    This press release is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice, financial guidance, or an offer to buy or sell financial products. Always consult a licensed financial advisor before making credit or investment decisions. Bitcoin and blockchain assets involve volatility and may not be suitable for all borrowers. Use responsibly.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/96986fd3-3f07-47ed-828c-aa25b8c76169

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Bitcoin + Personal Loans: Why Ready Payday Loans Just Acquired Omega 88

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SILICON VALLEY, Calif., June 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ready Payday Loans, one of the most visited platforms in the U.S. for best personal loans, has finalized the acquisition of Omega 88, a Bitcoin blockchain start-up founded by Canadian tech entrepreneurs Chad Canuck and Roger Maple. The move, both surprising and disruptive, signals a dramatic intersection between the traditional lending space and the decentralized power of Bitcoin-based infrastructure.

    While the amount of the acquisition remains undisclosed, multiple sources close to the matter say the transaction was finalized earlier this month and marks a new era in consumer finance.

    Ready Payday Loans, long known for helping everyday Americans access fast personal loans online, now appears to be quietly reshaping how those loans are underwritten, approved, and distributed—through technology born out of Bitcoin’s cryptographic foundation.

    Ready Payday Loans connects borrowers with fast, secure options—often with same-day approval and no credit check required.

    Why a Best Personal Loans Marketplace Is Investing in Bitcoin Technology

    The announcement has sparked significant conversation among both traditional finance analysts and crypto-native experts. Why would a platform designed to help consumers find low-interest personal loans invest in a company known primarily for blockchain innovation?

    Vice President Randy Murrie didn’t offer much clarity when asked, saying only:
    “Ready Payday Loans has no official comment regarding this recent takeover. All I can tell you is that some big things are ready to happen on our end.”

    Yet behind the scenes, it’s clear this isn’t just an investment—it’s a signal. A shift in how Ready Payday Loans envisions the future of digital lending, particularly in high-volume search categories like best personal loans for bad credit, online personal loans with no credit check, and same-day loan approval.

    Omega 88: The Bitcoin Start-Up Rebuilding Financial Infrastructure

    Founded in the heart of Silicon Valley, Omega 88 was launched in stealth by Canuck and Maple—two Canadian expats known for their contrarian thinking and interest in decentralizing traditional financial processes.

    What makes Omega 88 unique is its Bitcoin-first philosophy. According to insiders, the platform uses a hybrid consensus mechanism blending proof-of-work (PoW) with delegated proof-of-stake (DPoS), offering both Bitcoin-grade security and enterprise-grade scalability.

    Omega 88’s infrastructure also reportedly supports:

    • Rust-based smart contracts
    • Zero-knowledge proof encryption (ZK proofs)
    • 3,000+ TPS processing speed
    • Cross-chain compatibility with Ethereum and Solana

    The company recently closed Phase 9 of its token presale, raising more than $7 million from early investors. Many of those investors are now speculating about how the technology might be used in real-world applications, particularly decentralized identity, credit scoring, and blockchain-based lending systems.

    When asked about the decision to sell, co-founder Roger Maple responded:
    “We didn’t go looking for this deal. But when Ready Payday Loans approached us with a long-term vision tied to financial inclusion, it just clicked.”

    Bitcoin’s Role in Delivering the Best Personal Loans Online

    The strategic implications of this acquisition are massive.

    On the surface, Ready Payday Loans is a consumer-facing marketplace helping Americans find:

    But under the hood, the company may now be building a blockchain-powered lending engine—one that uses Bitcoin as a technical foundation rather than a currency. By utilizing Omega 88’s infrastructure, Ready Payday Loans could soon offer a more secure, transparent, and efficient application experience backed by verifiable smart contracts and encrypted borrower identities.

    Take control of your financial future today.
    Visit Ready Payday Loans to compare loan options, get matched in minutes, and apply for the best personal loan offers available in 2025.

    Industry Reactions: From Lending to Ledger-Based Verification

    The broader financial industry is taking notice.

    “This is the first time we’ve seen a major U.S. personal loan platform directly acquire a Bitcoin-native infrastructure company,” said fintech strategist Angela Ruiz. “What’s exciting is the possibility of back-end transparency and real-time loan settlement using smart contracts. It’s the future of consumer lending.”

    Ruiz believes this move could also lead to the launch of tokenized credit systems, where borrower reputation is tracked securely on a blockchain—reducing fraud, improving approval times, and lowering overall loan risk.

    Other experts believe that integrating Bitcoin-backed verification tools into the loan matching process could dramatically shorten underwriting timelines, especially for borrowers with limited credit histories.

    Silicon Valley Expansion: More Than Just Code

    As part of the acquisition, Ready Payday Loans confirmed that Omega 88 will remain a standalone brand, continuing operations under its own name while benefiting from strategic alignment with its parent company.

    To support upcoming product rollouts, Ready Payday Loans will launch:

    • A new R&D center in San Jose
    • Strategic hiring of blockchain engineers, AI credit analysts, and UX designers
    • Early testing of blockchain-loan integration across its lender network

    Roger Maple described the integration strategy as “mutual autonomy,” with Omega 88 continuing to build core protocols while Ready Payday Loans applies them to consumer lending use cases.

    “We’re not here to add blockchain for buzzwords,” Maple said. “We’re here to use Bitcoin logic to solve real credit problems in real time.”

    What Borrowers Can Expect Today — and Tomorrow

    While blockchain-based features are still in development, U.S. consumers can continue to rely on Ready Payday Loans for:

    As Omega 88’s tools are integrated over time, borrowers may eventually benefit from:

    • Blockchain-verified credit assessments
    • Tamper-proof loan terms
    • Bitcoin-secured identity authentication
    • Faster, more accurate approvals

    “Even if users don’t realize it, they could soon be getting personal loans powered by Bitcoin protocols,” said one product lead. “That’s where the industry is going—and we’re getting there first.”

    Bitcoin as a Financial Backbone — Not Just an Asset

    The deeper message here is that Bitcoin is evolving.

    No longer just a speculative store of value, Bitcoin is increasingly being used as a foundation for broader financial systems. Through Omega 88, its cryptographic architecture could now power everything from loan verification and document handling, to borrower rewards and repayment automation.

    And in the hands of Ready Payday Loans, this evolution may be visible in ways most consumers never expected—from lower APRs to fewer application barriers and increased approval speed.

    Call to Action: Experience the Future of Lending Today

    Whether you’re a first-time borrower or a crypto-curious consumer, Ready Payday Loans is redefining what it means to apply for a loan in 2025.

    Get started now:

    Don’t wait for the future — borrow from it.
    Explore your options at Ready Payday Loans, where Bitcoin technology meets consumer-first lending.

    Disclaimer:

    This press release is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice, financial guidance, or an offer to buy or sell financial products. Always consult a licensed financial advisor before making credit or investment decisions. Bitcoin and blockchain assets involve volatility and may not be suitable for all borrowers. Use responsibly.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/96986fd3-3f07-47ed-828c-aa25b8c76169

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Digital Asset Technologies Portfolio Company, LiquidLink Launches Bitcoin Lightning and XRP ILP Nodes

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VANCOUVER, BC, June 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Digital Asset Technologies Inc. (CSE: DATT) (OTCPK: EATBF) (FSE: 988) (“DATT” or the “Company”), a technology focused investment issuer, is pleased to announce that its wholly owned portfolio company, LiquidLink AI Corp. (“LiquidLink”) has launched enterprise-grade infrastructure on the Bitcoin Lightning Network and Ripple’s Interledger Protocol (ILP). These deployments position LiquidLink as a foundational hub in the emerging Internet of Value, much like the backbone ISPs that interconnected global networks in the early 2000s.

    The Lightning Network, Bitcoin’s Layer 2 scaling solution, enables instant, low-cost payments. The Interledger Protocol (ILP) seamlessly routes payments across different ledgers. LiquidLink aims to build one of the most connected hubs, bridging fragmented liquidity pools and enabling reliable settlement between networks. The company focuses on being the infrastructure layer merchants and institutions depend on, rather than simply acquiring Bitcoin or XRP.

    “We see clear parallels between what we’re building and the early internet,” said Marcus Ingram, CEO of LiquidLink. “Wholesale ISPs created backbones that everyone relied on. LiquidLink is developing a payments backbone to deliver liquidity, reliability, and speed across Bitcoin, XRP, and dozens of other networks.”

    With the rise of stablecoins on Bitcoin (via RGB smart contracts and Taproot Assets) and expanding stablecoin support on the XRP Ledger, LiquidLink plans to support this wave of commerce. The recent Clarity for Payment Stablecoins Act (Genius Act) provides clear legal frameworks for regulated stablecoin issuance, further accelerating this momentum.

    LiquidLink’s next milestone with respect to its nodes is creating the first cross-chain liquidity bridge to connect Bitcoin-native assets (including RGB tokens, Taproot Assets, Liquid, and Rootstock) with the XRP Ledger. This bridge will facilitate seamless asset movement between Bitcoin and XRPL.

    LiquidLink’s node business operates independently but complements XRPFY, the company’s flagship platform for efficient payment routing and liquidity discovery. LiquidLink plans to use XRPFY for its own nodes to find cost-effective payment paths and exchange opportunities across networks.

    LiquidLink’s Lightning Network node public address can be tracked on any lightning network explorer; we recommend the following: https://mempool.space/lightning/node/039d3233722961a471d29b6fedf46d9f71585e29e13fe71dccd72c9b3b0668e188

    About Digital Asset Technologies Inc.

    Digital Asset Technologies (CSE: DATT) is a publicly traded investment issuer that identifies and makes equity investments in global companies that are developing and commercializing technology. Through its portfolio company, Liquidlink AI Corp., the Company has entered the blockchain technology sector with a focus on real-world asset tokenization, decentralized infrastructure, and advanced trading analytics.

    Email: info@datech.ca
    ‎Learn more: https://www.datech.ca

    About Liquidlink AI Corp. 
    ‎
    LiquidLink is a portfolio company of Digital Asset Technologies Inc., focused on building secure, interoperable infrastructure for the tokenized economy. Its flagship product, Xrpfy, provides self-custody discovery tools, trading intelligence, and RWA launchpad capabilities for the XRPL ecosystem and is expanding to support multiple blockchains.

    Media Contact:
    ‎    Marcus Ingram
    marcus@liquidlink.ai

    LiquidLink Website: https://liquidlink.ai
    LiquidLink X (Twitter): @LiquidLink_XRP

    The Canadian Securities Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release.

    For further information, please contact Marcus Ingram, CEO, marcus@liquidlink.ai.

    Cautionary Note regarding Forward Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as, “subject to”, or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results “may” or “will” be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the Company’s business strategy, current and future investments, and updated Investment Policy. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions, but the actual results may be materially different from any future expectations expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements can be affected by known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, including, but not limited to, the equity markets generally and a failure to obtain the necessary approvals from the Canadian Securities Exchange. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

    The MIL Network –

  • BWF US Open: Ayush Shetty clinches men’s singles title, Tanvi Sharma finishes as runner-up

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Ayush Shetty clinched his maiden title on the BWF World Tour after defeating Canada’s Brian Yang in the final of the US Open, a BWF Super 300 badminton tournament, held at the Mid-America Center on Monday (IST).

    The 2023 World Junior Championships bronze medallist Ayush registered a commanding 21-18, 21-13 victory over World No. 33 Yang in just 47 minutes, capping off a stellar week.

    “Ayush Shetty clinches maiden BWF Super 300 title, winning the US Open 2025! He dismantled Brian Yang in straight games — 21-13, 21-18 — with commanding flair right from start to finish. A breakthrough triumph that cements his arrival among badminton’s elite and marks the rise of a new Indian powerhouse,” the Badminton Association of India (BAI) said in a post on X.

    The fourth-seeded Ayush began his campaign with a 21-17, 21-19 win over Danish World No. 85 Magnus Johannesen, before defeating compatriot Tharun Mannepalli 21-12, 13-21, 21-15 in the round of 16. In the quarterfinals, he registered a 22-20, 21-9 win over World No. 70 Kuo Kuan Lin.

    His biggest win came in the semifinal, where he defeated World No. 6 Chou Tien Chen 21-23, 21-15, 21-14 — avenging his loss to Chou in the Taipei Open 2025 semifinal.

    Meanwhile, in the women’s singles, 16-year-old Tanvi Sharma’s dream run ended with a runner-up finish after a hard-fought final against 34-year-old veteran Beiwen Zhang, which ended 11-21, 21-16, 10-21.

    “What a run! 16-year-old Tanvi Sharma stuns the badminton world with a dream performance at the US Open 2025 finals! She defeated WR23, WR58, WR50 & WR40 before falling just short in a gripping final vs 34-year-old veteran Beiwen Zhang — 11-21, 21-16, 10-21. She may have missed the title, but Tanvi won hearts, turned heads, and sparked a new dawn for Indian women’s badminton,” the BAI said on X.

    On Saturday, Tanvi became the youngest Indian badminton player to reach a BWF World Tour final, having already defeated second seed Nguyễn Thùy Linh of Vietnam and former junior world champion Pitchamon Opatniputh of Thailand in earlier rounds.

    Tanvi has two international badminton titles to her name, both at the BWF International Challenge level — including a recent win in Denmark in May. She also reached the final of the Odisha Masters BWF Super 100 tournament last year.

    IANS

  • MIL-Evening Report: ‘I’m just exhausted’: sexual harassment at work is still rife. These new laws would help

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Ailwood, Associate Professor, School of Law, University of Wollongong

    FG Trade/Getty

    Last week, the Australian Human Rights Commission launched a new report on sexual harassment, called Speaking From Experience. It includes the voices of more than 300 victim-survivors of workplace sexual harassment from vulnerable communities.

    In it, the commission calls for a new wave of robust law reform measures to protect and support victim-survivors and hold employers accountable.

    This report comes five years after the 2020 Respect@Work report, which made 55 recommendations to address workplace sexual harassment. Yet, in 2022, a survey by the commission found one in three workers had experienced sexual harassment.

    This new report is a watershed one, building on the work already done since 2020. So how far have we come in dealing with workplace sexual harassment? And how would new laws help?

    What’s in the new report?

    The Australian Human Rights Commission’s new report, Speaking From Experience, emerges from the Respect@Work recommendations.

    Recommendation 27 of the Respect@Work report suggested the commission establish a way to hear historical disclosures of workplace sexual harassment. The commission then turned this recommendation into its latest release.

    This report was a listening process that put victim-survivors front and centre. First Nations, migrant, LGBTQIA+, disabled and young workers were the main contributors to the report.

    An example of the experiences of the contributors is a fast food worker, who said:

    I know personally for me, as a queer person, I’m just exhausted […] it’s
    just a lot of mental energy and for nothing to happen, or for it to cause
    more problems, it’s just like really a deterrent…

    The commission was particularly concerned with identifying what does – and what does not – help victim-survivors of workplace sexual harassment. The contributors shed light on what needs to change in the workplace and in the law.

    One major theme was about non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), which are commonly used to settle workplace sexual harassment claims.

    NDAs restrict who victim-survivors can speak to about their experience of workplace sexual harassment, including colleagues, friends, family and in public. Sometimes these agreements can hamper attempts to get support for the harassment.

    The commission found victim-survivors are often pressured to sign NDAs in circumstances where the employer has far more power.

    The commission recommended new legislation to restrict using agreements in this way.

    This recommendation extends well beyond Respect@Work, which only produced best-practice guidelines. Extending the regulation is an important step forward, as subsequent research has revealed how ineffective these guidelines have been in practice.

    Australia is now out of step with the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland and Canada, which have all regulated the use of NDAs after the #MeToo movement.

    Working Women’s Centres are currently leading a sector-wide campaign for change, and the regulation of NDAs is underway in Victoria.

    Improving the positive duty

    Respect@Work introduced a positive duty on people running a business or undertaking to take reasonable and proportionate measures to eliminate sexual harassment from the workplace.

    In Speaking From Experience, the commission is asking for enhanced regulatory powers to enforce the positive duty to make it more effective.



    Read more:
    Explainer: what is a ‘positive duty’ to prevent workplace sexual harassment and why is it so important?

    The commission is currently prevented from speaking publicly, or to other regulatory agencies, about its enforcement activities unless it has entered an “enforceable undertaking” with an organisation or applied for a Federal Court order.

    This means that, 18 months after being empowered to enforce the positive duty, the commission can’t speak publicly about how it is doing so.

    To be an effective regulator, it must be able to publicise its enforcement actions and share information with other agencies.

    The current law actually contributes to the culture of silencing and secrecy that continues to shroud workplace sexual harassment.

    Further, there are currently no civil penalties for breaching the positive duty. In Speaking From Experience, the commission found this limits the extent to which some workplace leaders will take the positive duty seriously. It found this risks turning the prevention of workplace sexual harassment into a box-ticking compliance process.

    The recommendations about penalties and transparency represent an acknowledgement that the commission’s powers to create systemic and structural change to target workplace sexual harassment are too limited.

    In the absence of penalties, risk to reputation – the fear that public exposure of inaction or permissive workplace cultures concerning sexual harassment – remains the greatest incentive for employers to comply with the positive duty.

    But workplace sexual harassment has been unlawful for more than 30 years. The current law does little more than continue to ask employers to do the right thing.

    If the commission is not given the powers it needs to effectively enforce the law, too much reliance is placed on individual complainants to take action. As the Speaking From Experience report reveals, that means victim-survivors would need to overcome massive social, economic, cultural and legal barriers.

    Over to the government

    Speaking From Experience is a significant moment for workplace sexual harassment law reform and policy in Australia. It continues the work that Respect@Work started and takes it in a new direction, focusing on protecting and supporting victim-survivors and accountability for employers.

    The Albanese government says it’s serious about addressing workplace gender equality and the prevention of violence against women. If that’s true, it should implement the commission’s recommendations in full, and quickly.

    Sarah Ailwood 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. ‘I’m just exhausted’: sexual harassment at work is still rife. These new laws would help – https://theconversation.com/im-just-exhausted-sexual-harassment-at-work-is-still-rife-these-new-laws-would-help-259884

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ‘I’m just exhausted’: sexual harassment at work is still rife. These new laws would help

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Ailwood, Associate Professor, School of Law, University of Wollongong

    FG Trade/Getty

    Last week, the Australian Human Rights Commission launched a new report on sexual harassment, called Speaking From Experience. It includes the voices of more than 300 victim-survivors of workplace sexual harassment from vulnerable communities.

    In it, the commission calls for a new wave of robust law reform measures to protect and support victim-survivors and hold employers accountable.

    This report comes five years after the 2020 Respect@Work report, which made 55 recommendations to address workplace sexual harassment. Yet, in 2022, a survey by the commission found one in three workers had experienced sexual harassment.

    This new report is a watershed one, building on the work already done since 2020. So how far have we come in dealing with workplace sexual harassment? And how would new laws help?

    What’s in the new report?

    The Australian Human Rights Commission’s new report, Speaking From Experience, emerges from the Respect@Work recommendations.

    Recommendation 27 of the Respect@Work report suggested the commission establish a way to hear historical disclosures of workplace sexual harassment. The commission then turned this recommendation into its latest release.

    This report was a listening process that put victim-survivors front and centre. First Nations, migrant, LGBTQIA+, disabled and young workers were the main contributors to the report.

    An example of the experiences of the contributors is a fast food worker, who said:

    I know personally for me, as a queer person, I’m just exhausted […] it’s
    just a lot of mental energy and for nothing to happen, or for it to cause
    more problems, it’s just like really a deterrent…

    The commission was particularly concerned with identifying what does – and what does not – help victim-survivors of workplace sexual harassment. The contributors shed light on what needs to change in the workplace and in the law.

    One major theme was about non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), which are commonly used to settle workplace sexual harassment claims.

    NDAs restrict who victim-survivors can speak to about their experience of workplace sexual harassment, including colleagues, friends, family and in public. Sometimes these agreements can hamper attempts to get support for the harassment.

    The commission found victim-survivors are often pressured to sign NDAs in circumstances where the employer has far more power.

    The commission recommended new legislation to restrict using agreements in this way.

    This recommendation extends well beyond Respect@Work, which only produced best-practice guidelines. Extending the regulation is an important step forward, as subsequent research has revealed how ineffective these guidelines have been in practice.

    Australia is now out of step with the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland and Canada, which have all regulated the use of NDAs after the #MeToo movement.

    Working Women’s Centres are currently leading a sector-wide campaign for change, and the regulation of NDAs is underway in Victoria.

    Improving the positive duty

    Respect@Work introduced a positive duty on people running a business or undertaking to take reasonable and proportionate measures to eliminate sexual harassment from the workplace.

    In Speaking From Experience, the commission is asking for enhanced regulatory powers to enforce the positive duty to make it more effective.



    Read more:
    Explainer: what is a ‘positive duty’ to prevent workplace sexual harassment and why is it so important?

    The commission is currently prevented from speaking publicly, or to other regulatory agencies, about its enforcement activities unless it has entered an “enforceable undertaking” with an organisation or applied for a Federal Court order.

    This means that, 18 months after being empowered to enforce the positive duty, the commission can’t speak publicly about how it is doing so.

    To be an effective regulator, it must be able to publicise its enforcement actions and share information with other agencies.

    The current law actually contributes to the culture of silencing and secrecy that continues to shroud workplace sexual harassment.

    Further, there are currently no civil penalties for breaching the positive duty. In Speaking From Experience, the commission found this limits the extent to which some workplace leaders will take the positive duty seriously. It found this risks turning the prevention of workplace sexual harassment into a box-ticking compliance process.

    The recommendations about penalties and transparency represent an acknowledgement that the commission’s powers to create systemic and structural change to target workplace sexual harassment are too limited.

    In the absence of penalties, risk to reputation – the fear that public exposure of inaction or permissive workplace cultures concerning sexual harassment – remains the greatest incentive for employers to comply with the positive duty.

    But workplace sexual harassment has been unlawful for more than 30 years. The current law does little more than continue to ask employers to do the right thing.

    If the commission is not given the powers it needs to effectively enforce the law, too much reliance is placed on individual complainants to take action. As the Speaking From Experience report reveals, that means victim-survivors would need to overcome massive social, economic, cultural and legal barriers.

    Over to the government

    Speaking From Experience is a significant moment for workplace sexual harassment law reform and policy in Australia. It continues the work that Respect@Work started and takes it in a new direction, focusing on protecting and supporting victim-survivors and accountability for employers.

    The Albanese government says it’s serious about addressing workplace gender equality and the prevention of violence against women. If that’s true, it should implement the commission’s recommendations in full, and quickly.

    Sarah Ailwood 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. ‘I’m just exhausted’: sexual harassment at work is still rife. These new laws would help – https://theconversation.com/im-just-exhausted-sexual-harassment-at-work-is-still-rife-these-new-laws-would-help-259884

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: Spain, Netherlands capture titles at FIBA 3×3 World Cup

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

    Spain and the Netherlands captured the men’s and women’s titles at the 2025 FIBA 3×3 World Cup in Ulan Bator, the capital of Mongolia, on Sunday.

    Spain’s men’s team defeated Switzerland 21-17 in the final, while the Netherlands edged host Mongolia 15-9 to claim the women’s crown, according to the Mongolian 3×3 Basketball Association.

    Serbia delivered a standout performance in the men’s bronze medal game, beating Germany 21-16. In the women’s third-place match, Canada overcame Poland 21-9.

    The ninth edition of this prestigious basketball tournament, held on June 23-29, featured 20 men’s and 20 women’s teams from various countries and regions. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Shandong Province’s Caoxian County: Hanfu Industry Becomes New Driver of Rural Revitalization

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    Caoxian County, Heze City, is located in the southwest of Shandong Province, bordering Henan Province. It is one of the production and sales bases of traditional Chinese costumes (hanfu) in China. Currently, there are more than 2,750 hanfu production enterprises, about 15,000 online stores, and about 100,000 workers in the county. The annual sales volume of hanfu is about 12 billion yuan, making this industry a new engine for local income growth and rural revival.

    Relying on hanfu production and e-commerce, Caoxian County has formed a complete industrial chain covering original R&D, design and production, copyright protection, cutting, embroidery and printing, show and exhibition, and online marketing. At present, the hanfu industry in Caoxian County is rapidly developing towards scale, branding, and high-quality production. Hanfu, mainly mamianqun skirts, are sold to more than 10 countries and regions around the world, including Australia, Canada, and the European Union.

    Photos by a Xinhua News Agency correspondent.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China lose to Canada at Men’s Volleyball Nations League

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

    The Chinese team lost 3-0 to Canada in the 2025 Men’s Volleyball Nations League (VNL) Chicago leg on Sunday.

    In the first set, the two teams were tied from 1-1 to 12-12 before Canada pulled away with five straight points to lead 17-12. China closed the gap to 20-21 with blocks from Zhang Zhejia and Li Yongzhen and powerful attacks by Jiang Chuan. However, Canada held on to take the set 25-23 with strong serving and offense.

    Jiang Chuan (R) of China spikes during the Pool 5 match between China and Canada at the Men’s Volleyball Nations League (VNL) 2025 in Chicago, the United States, June 29, 2025. (Photo by Joel Lerner/Xinhua)

    China fell behind 4-7 in the second set but responded with four straight points to lead 8-7. The teams stayed close until 16-16, when Canada pulled ahead to win 25-20. China committed more errors, saw a drop in offensive efficiency, and struggled to contain Canada’s momentum.

    In the third set, China trailed 6-1 early but narrowed the gap to 8-7 before losing steam. Led by captain Jiang Chuan, the team rallied to 19-17, but Canada held on to win the set 25-23 and seal the match.

    Zhang Jingyin missed the match due to a knee injury, while Jiang Chuan returned to the starting lineup. China had opportunities to tie or take the lead in both the first and third sets but fell short in key moments.

    The team continues to face challenges with first-pass stability, quick-attack execution from middle blockers, and setter variation.

    Ranked 11th in the world, Canada holds a clear advantage over 24th-ranked China. This latest defeat marks China’s fourth straight loss to Canada, compounding a psychological disadvantage.

    Jiang expressed his frustration. “Losing four matches in the Chicago leg is a wake-up call. We need to change some things in the next leg and strive for better performance,” he said.

    “We didn’t play our best match. One or two players did a good job, a lot of players could not bring what they can do,” said China’s Belgian head coach Vital Heynen. “But (for sports) sometimes you don’t play as good as you are. We have to accept.”

    “Seeing our whole situation, injuries, putting players coming back, some players have to take a lot of loads who are not used to do that, and cannot always bring that, that’s normal,” Heynen said. “I blame myself and the team, like we together are not good enough.”

    “I think every match is so difficult for us. So we will try next week to win at least one match, to have at least a good ending of this VNL.”

    Five national teams from China, the United States, Brazil, Italy and Canada competed in the Chicago leg of the 2025 VNL. China lost all four of its matches.

    The VNL group stage spans three weeks, with Chicago hosting the second week. The third week will take place in Gdansk, Poland; Ljubljana, Slovenia; and the Kanto region of Japan. The finals are scheduled for July 30 to August 3 in Ningbo Beilun, east China’s Zhejiang Province. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Canada rescinds digital services tax to advance broader trade negotiations with the United States

    Source: Government of Canada News

    June 29, 2025 – Ottawa, Ontario – Department of Finance Canada

    Canada’s new government is engaged in complex negotiations on a new economic and security partnership with the United States, focused on getting the best deal for Canadian workers and businesses. Prime Minister Carney has been clear that Canada will take as long as necessary, but no longer, to achieve that deal.

    To support those negotiations, the Minister of Finance and National Revenue, the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, announced today that Canada would rescind the Digital Services Tax (DST) in anticipation of a mutually beneficial comprehensive trade arrangement with the United States. Consistent with this action, Prime Minister Carney and President Trump have agreed that parties will resume negotiations with a view towards agreeing on a deal by July 21, 2025.  

    The DST was announced in 2020 to address the fact that many large technology companies operating in Canada may not otherwise pay tax on revenues generated from Canadians. Canada’s preference has always been a multilateral agreement related to digital services taxation. While Canada was working with international partners, including the United States, on a multilateral agreement that would replace national digital services taxes, the DST was enacted to address the aforementioned taxation gap.

    The June 30, 2025 collection will be halted, and Minister Champagne will soon bring forward legislation to rescind the Digital Services Tax Act.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: PREPARED REMARKS: Sanders on The Worst Bill in Modern U.S. History

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Vermont – Bernie Sanders

    WASHINGTON, June 29 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today gave remarks on the floor of the Senate opposing President Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” which is a gift to the billionaire class while causing massive pain for working families.

    Sanders remarks, as prepared for delivery, are below and can be watched HERE:

    M. President: President Trump’s so-called “Big, Beautiful Bill,” now on the floor of the Senate, is the most dangerous piece of legislation in the modern history of our country. It is a gift to the billionaire class, while causing massive pain for low income and working class Americans.

    Actually though, M. President, I’m wrong. This is not a gift to the billionaire class. They paid for it.

    This bill is an absolute reflection of a corrupt campaign finance system that allows billionaires to buy elections. And when billionaires spend hundreds of billions of dollars trying to elect a president, or a senator or a member of Congress, they’re not making that investment just for the fun of it. They want something in return. This legislation is what they are getting in return.

    So what is in this bill they invested in?

    Well, if you are in the top 1%, you and the class you represent will receive a $975 billion tax break – at a time when the richest people in this country have never had it so good.

    Further, if you are among the wealthiest 0.2%, you will be able to pay zero taxes on your $30 million inheritance. All of you folks out there who are waiting to inherit at least $30 million, today is a good day for you. Collectively, you will receive approximately $211 billion in tax breaks. For the top 0.2%, congratulations. You hit the jackpot.

    If you are a large corporation and you want to throw workers out on the street and replace them with artificial intelligence or you want to shift your profits to the Cayman Islands or other tax havens, you are going to get a $918 billion tax break. Congratulations to the CEOs of large, profitable corporations.

    But while the rich and large corporations make out like bandits in this bill, what does it do for low-income and working families? Let me say a few words on that.

    If you are concerned about health care, this bill throws over 16 million people off of the health insurance they have, according to the Congressional Budget Office, by cutting Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act by over $1.1 trillion.

    In other words, the top 1% are getting a $975 billion tax break, and that is coming directly from throwing 16 million people off of the health insurance they have.

    This bill, for the first time, forces millions of Medicaid recipients who make as little as $16,000 a year to pay a $35 co-payment each time they visit a doctor’s office.
    What is the impact of all of that?

    This is not my view — this is what the Yale School of Public Health and the University of Pennsylvania determined based on a study that they did. And this is the result. It is almost so horrific, so grotesque, that it is difficult to speak about. But they estimate that if this bill goes through with all of these cuts in health care — if 16 million people are thrown off the health care they have — over 50,000 Americans will die unnecessarily every year.

    Fifty thousand Americans will die unnecessarily in order to give tax breaks to billionaires who don’t need them. In other words, this bill is literally a death sentence for low-income and working-class Americans.

    Further, if this legislation is enacted, rural hospitals all over the country that are already struggling are going to shut down or aren’t going to be able to provide the level of services they do today. In other words, this bill would be a disaster for rural America.

    It would also make massive cuts to community health centers and nursing homes, who are very heavily dependent on Medicaid funding.

    The bottom line is that this legislation is the most significant attack on the health care needs of the American people in our country’s history. 

    We already have a health care system which is broken and dysfunctional, and instead of addressing it — instead of doing what every other major country on Earth does: guarantee health care to all people — we are throwing 16 million people off the health insurance they have. But it’s not just health care.

    The future of America rests with our children. And yet, in a nation which now has the highest rate of childhood poverty of almost any major country on Earth, this bill wipes out nutrition assistance for millions of hungry kids in America.

    We are literally taking food out of the mouths of hungry kids to give tax breaks to Mr. Bezos, Mr. Musk, Mr. Zuckerberg and the other multi-billionaires.

    If we understand that if we’re going to compete effectively in the global economy, we need to have the best education system in the world, this bill makes $350 billion in cuts in education with the result that working class kids will find it much harder to get the higher education they need to succeed in life.

    If you are concerned about the existential threat of climate change, this bill decimates investments in energy efficiency and sustainable energy like wind and solar and moves us in exactly the wrong direction when it comes to energy.

    If you are concerned about our role in never-ending wars, this bill makes a bad situation even worse by handing out another $150 billion to the Pentagon – a 15% increase in an already bloated Pentagon budget.

    We don’t have enough money to feed hungry children. We don’t have enough money to make sure that people continue to have the health care that they need. We don’t have enough money to make sure that kids can get a decent education. But somehow, the military industrial complex is going to get another $150 billion.

    M. President: In my view, nobody in the Senate or the House should vote for this legislation. And I applaud all of the Democrats for voting against it. And I want to congratulate two Republicans — Senator Paul and Senator Tillis for voting against it — for different reasons than I have.

    But I do find it interesting that when one of those senators, Senator Tillis, voted against it because he thought it was not a good bill for the people of his home state, North Carolina, suddenly the President of the United States went after him in a very vicious way. And today, he announced that he will not be seeking reelection.

    It appears now that the Republican Party has really become the party of the cult of the individual. The only thing you have to do now as a Republican is say, “I agree with President Trump,” “I love President Trump,” “President Trump is right all of the time.” Hey, that’s all you have to do now to be a good Republican.

    There was a day when Republicans and Democrats understood that they were elected by their constituents. There was an understanding that they were elected to represent their constituents and not simply to pay homage and bow down to every wish and whim of the president.

    M. President, during the vote-a-rama, I will be offering several amendments which I hope will win support.

    At a time when 22% of our nation’s seniors are trying to survive on less than $15,000 a year, my first amendment would fundamentally improve their lives in two significant ways:

    Number one, it would cut the price of prescription drugs under Medicare in half by making sure that our nation’s seniors don’t pay more than the Europeans or Canadians pay for the same exact drugs.

    And number two, with those savings, we’re going to expand Medicare to cover dental, vision and hearing. In other words, instead of throwing people off of health care, we’re going to expand Medicare to provide a number of services that seniors desperately need and want.

    Secondly, at a time of massive wealth and inequality, my second amendment would eliminate the $211 billion estate tax break for the top 0.2% that is included in this bill.

    And lastly, at a time when we spend more on the military than the next nine nations combined, at a time when the Pentagon cannot account for trillions of dollars in assets, we are going to end the provision that allows the Pentagon to receive another $150 billion.

    The bottom line, Mr. President, is this country faces many crises — a high rate of childhood poverty, kids going hungry, an education system in deep trouble and a health care system that is completely broken. And in virtually every single area, this bill takes us in precisely the wrong direction.

    When the wealthiest people in this country have never ever had it so good, it is totally insane to be offering them $1 trillion in tax breaks so that we can cut health care, education and nutrition.

    This bill is not what the American people want, and I hope very much we can defeat it.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: PREPARED REMARKS: Sanders on The Worst Bill in Modern U.S. History

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Vermont – Bernie Sanders

    WASHINGTON, June 29 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today gave remarks on the floor of the Senate opposing President Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” which is a gift to the billionaire class while causing massive pain for working families.

    Sanders remarks, as prepared for delivery, are below and can be watched HERE:

    M. President: President Trump’s so-called “Big, Beautiful Bill,” now on the floor of the Senate, is the most dangerous piece of legislation in the modern history of our country. It is a gift to the billionaire class, while causing massive pain for low income and working class Americans.

    Actually though, M. President, I’m wrong. This is not a gift to the billionaire class. They paid for it.

    This bill is an absolute reflection of a corrupt campaign finance system that allows billionaires to buy elections. And when billionaires spend hundreds of billions of dollars trying to elect a president, or a senator or a member of Congress, they’re not making that investment just for the fun of it. They want something in return. This legislation is what they are getting in return.

    So what is in this bill they invested in?

    Well, if you are in the top 1%, you and the class you represent will receive a $975 billion tax break – at a time when the richest people in this country have never had it so good.

    Further, if you are among the wealthiest 0.2%, you will be able to pay zero taxes on your $30 million inheritance. All of you folks out there who are waiting to inherit at least $30 million, today is a good day for you. Collectively, you will receive approximately $211 billion in tax breaks. For the top 0.2%, congratulations. You hit the jackpot.

    If you are a large corporation and you want to throw workers out on the street and replace them with artificial intelligence or you want to shift your profits to the Cayman Islands or other tax havens, you are going to get a $918 billion tax break. Congratulations to the CEOs of large, profitable corporations.

    But while the rich and large corporations make out like bandits in this bill, what does it do for low-income and working families? Let me say a few words on that.

    If you are concerned about health care, this bill throws over 16 million people off of the health insurance they have, according to the Congressional Budget Office, by cutting Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act by over $1.1 trillion.

    In other words, the top 1% are getting a $975 billion tax break, and that is coming directly from throwing 16 million people off of the health insurance they have.

    This bill, for the first time, forces millions of Medicaid recipients who make as little as $16,000 a year to pay a $35 co-payment each time they visit a doctor’s office.
    What is the impact of all of that?

    This is not my view — this is what the Yale School of Public Health and the University of Pennsylvania determined based on a study that they did. And this is the result. It is almost so horrific, so grotesque, that it is difficult to speak about. But they estimate that if this bill goes through with all of these cuts in health care — if 16 million people are thrown off the health care they have — over 50,000 Americans will die unnecessarily every year.

    Fifty thousand Americans will die unnecessarily in order to give tax breaks to billionaires who don’t need them. In other words, this bill is literally a death sentence for low-income and working-class Americans.

    Further, if this legislation is enacted, rural hospitals all over the country that are already struggling are going to shut down or aren’t going to be able to provide the level of services they do today. In other words, this bill would be a disaster for rural America.

    It would also make massive cuts to community health centers and nursing homes, who are very heavily dependent on Medicaid funding.

    The bottom line is that this legislation is the most significant attack on the health care needs of the American people in our country’s history. 

    We already have a health care system which is broken and dysfunctional, and instead of addressing it — instead of doing what every other major country on Earth does: guarantee health care to all people — we are throwing 16 million people off the health insurance they have. But it’s not just health care.

    The future of America rests with our children. And yet, in a nation which now has the highest rate of childhood poverty of almost any major country on Earth, this bill wipes out nutrition assistance for millions of hungry kids in America.

    We are literally taking food out of the mouths of hungry kids to give tax breaks to Mr. Bezos, Mr. Musk, Mr. Zuckerberg and the other multi-billionaires.

    If we understand that if we’re going to compete effectively in the global economy, we need to have the best education system in the world, this bill makes $350 billion in cuts in education with the result that working class kids will find it much harder to get the higher education they need to succeed in life.

    If you are concerned about the existential threat of climate change, this bill decimates investments in energy efficiency and sustainable energy like wind and solar and moves us in exactly the wrong direction when it comes to energy.

    If you are concerned about our role in never-ending wars, this bill makes a bad situation even worse by handing out another $150 billion to the Pentagon – a 15% increase in an already bloated Pentagon budget.

    We don’t have enough money to feed hungry children. We don’t have enough money to make sure that people continue to have the health care that they need. We don’t have enough money to make sure that kids can get a decent education. But somehow, the military industrial complex is going to get another $150 billion.

    M. President: In my view, nobody in the Senate or the House should vote for this legislation. And I applaud all of the Democrats for voting against it. And I want to congratulate two Republicans — Senator Paul and Senator Tillis for voting against it — for different reasons than I have.

    But I do find it interesting that when one of those senators, Senator Tillis, voted against it because he thought it was not a good bill for the people of his home state, North Carolina, suddenly the President of the United States went after him in a very vicious way. And today, he announced that he will not be seeking reelection.

    It appears now that the Republican Party has really become the party of the cult of the individual. The only thing you have to do now as a Republican is say, “I agree with President Trump,” “I love President Trump,” “President Trump is right all of the time.” Hey, that’s all you have to do now to be a good Republican.

    There was a day when Republicans and Democrats understood that they were elected by their constituents. There was an understanding that they were elected to represent their constituents and not simply to pay homage and bow down to every wish and whim of the president.

    M. President, during the vote-a-rama, I will be offering several amendments which I hope will win support.

    At a time when 22% of our nation’s seniors are trying to survive on less than $15,000 a year, my first amendment would fundamentally improve their lives in two significant ways:

    Number one, it would cut the price of prescription drugs under Medicare in half by making sure that our nation’s seniors don’t pay more than the Europeans or Canadians pay for the same exact drugs.

    And number two, with those savings, we’re going to expand Medicare to cover dental, vision and hearing. In other words, instead of throwing people off of health care, we’re going to expand Medicare to provide a number of services that seniors desperately need and want.

    Secondly, at a time of massive wealth and inequality, my second amendment would eliminate the $211 billion estate tax break for the top 0.2% that is included in this bill.

    And lastly, at a time when we spend more on the military than the next nine nations combined, at a time when the Pentagon cannot account for trillions of dollars in assets, we are going to end the provision that allows the Pentagon to receive another $150 billion.

    The bottom line, Mr. President, is this country faces many crises — a high rate of childhood poverty, kids going hungry, an education system in deep trouble and a health care system that is completely broken. And in virtually every single area, this bill takes us in precisely the wrong direction.

    When the wealthiest people in this country have never ever had it so good, it is totally insane to be offering them $1 trillion in tax breaks so that we can cut health care, education and nutrition.

    This bill is not what the American people want, and I hope very much we can defeat it.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chelsea’s Maresca slams ‘joke’ Club World Cup weather delays

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

    Despite Chelsea reached the FIFA Club World Cup quarterfinals on Saturday with a 4-1 win over Benfica in the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca insisted it was “not football.”

    Maresca was furious that the match lasted for four hours and 38 minutes after U.S. safety regulations saw the two teams taken off the pitch and the game suspended for almost two hours due to a thunderstorm in the region.

    Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca criticized the two-hour delay that punctuated his team’s 4-1 win over Benfica.[photo: xinhua]

    The United States safety regulations mean sporting events have to be suspended if there is a thunderstorm within 13 kilometers of the venue. Chelsea-Benfica was the sixth game at the FIFA Club World Cup to be suspended because of this rule, prompting Maresca to issue his displeasure.

    “It’s not normal to suspend a game. In a World Cup, how many games are suspended? Probably zero. In Europe, how many games? Zero,” complained the Italian.

    “For me personally, it’s not football. You cannot be inside for two hours. It is something completely new,” said Maresca, who questioned whether the U.S. – along with Mexico and Canada – would make a suitable host for next summer’s World Cup finals.

    “I can understand that for security reasons, you are to suspend the game. But if you suspend six, seven games that means that probably is not the right place to do this competition,” he said.

    Chelsea had controlled the game and led though Reece James’ 64th-minute strike when the match was stopped with five minutes left on the clock, but Benfica regrouped well in the stoppage, with Angel Di Maria netting an injury-time penalty to force an extra half-hour of play.

    “For 85 minutes we were in control of the game. We didn’t concede anything; we created chances enough to win the game. And then after the break the game changed completely,” complained the Chelsea boss.

    Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall scored the extra-time goals that saw Chelsea seal a quarterfinal place against Brazilian side Palmeiras.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Norris fends off Piastri for Austrian GP victory

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

    McLaren’s Lando Norris shrugged off the heartache of retirement last time out in Canada to beat teammate Oscar Piastri to victory in Sunday’s F1 Austrian Grand Prix, as Red Bull’s Max Verstappen failed to finish after being hit by Kimi Antonelli on lap 1.

    Starting from pole position in searing heat at the Red Bull Ring, Norris was made to work hard for the win. Piastri started third but immediately overtook Charles Leclerc at the first corner, and kept relentless pressure on the Briton throughout the race.

    The first potential flashpoint came on lap 11, when Piastri capitalized on a DRS opportunity to briefly snatch the lead into Turn 3. But Norris struck back almost immediately, reclaiming the position later in the lap.

    From there, Norris maintained a slender but crucial advantage, managing the gap while negotiating backmarkers and battling minor front wing damage in the closing stages. Despite Piastri’s pace and several moments where the Australian appeared poised to launch another attack, McLaren made clear over team radio that both drivers were free to race, but with the understanding that both cars needed to come home cleanly.

    Norris ultimately crossed the line 2.7 seconds ahead of Piastri to take his third victory of the season and reduce his points deficit to the Australian to just 15.

    The win marked an emphatic turnaround for Norris after his Canadian Grand Prix ended with him crashing into the back of Piastri during a late-race battle for fourth position. That incident, which Norris admitted was his fault, not only cost him a points finish but also handed Piastri momentum in their championship fight.

    Sunday’s victory allowed Norris to trim Piastri’s lead in the standings to 15 points, breathing new life into the title race ahead of Norris’s home Grand Prix at Silverstone next weekend.

    The Austrian race began in chaotic fashion. Carlos Sainz’s Williams stalled on the formation lap, forcing an aborted start and reducing the race distance from 71 to 70 laps.

    When the lights finally went out, Mercedes’ Antonelli misjudged his braking point and collided with Verstappen at Turn 3, taking both cars out of the race. The collision ended Verstappen’s 31-race points streak, disappointing the legions of fans who had thronged to support him at the Red Bull-owned circuit.

    Behind the dominant McLarens, Ferrari’s Leclerc emerged as best of the rest, finishing a distant third for his fourth podium finish of the season. Teammate Lewis Hamilton followed in a lonely fourth place, with Mercedes’ George Russell rounding out the top five.

    Further down the order, Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso both maximized one-stop strategies to score valuable points in sixth and seventh. Gabriel Bortoleto finished a strong weekend to score his first ever F1 points in eighth, ahead of Sauber teammate Nico Hulkenberg, while Esteban Ocon delivered the final point for Haas in tenth.

    In the updated Drivers’ championship standings, Piastri leads with 216 points, with Norris closing in on 201 and Verstappen remaining on 155.

    In the Constructors’ standings, McLaren’s total now stands at 417 points, with Ferrari moving up to second on 210, one point ahead of Mercedes.

    F1 now heads to Silverstone for next weekend’s British Grand Prix – a race that neither Norris nor Piastri has previously won.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Gen Z is struggling to find work: 4 strategies to move forward

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Leda Stawnychko, Associate Professor of Strategy and Organizational Theory, Mount Royal University

    As the school year comes to a close, young Canadians entering the job market are facing one of the toughest hiring seasons in years. Despite their drive to build careers and connections, many Gen Z are entering a stagnant job market.

    According to Statistics Canada, the unemployment rate for youth aged 15-24 is 12.2 per cent — over double that of the prime working-age population.

    The outlook is bleaker for students planning to return to full-time studies in the fall. Unemployment for this group has reached just over 20 per cent, the highest level since 2009, when the global economy was reeling from the Great Recession.

    Gen Zs without post-secondary credentials, people with disabilities and newcomers face steeper hurdles. They are competing in a labour market dominated by one of the world’s most highly educated generations.

    Today’s youth are navigating a perfect storm of persistent inflation, global trade tensions, a saturated labour market and restructuring driven by automation and AI.

    Unlike older workers, many young people lack the financial stability or support systems to pursue opportunities that require relocating.

    First jobs matter more than ever

    Early work experiences have long served as crucial stepping stones for young people entering the workforce. They offer new workers exposure to the habits, norms and expectations of the professional world.

    Roles in retail, hospitality and customer service often serve as a first taste of working life, helping young people build confidence, develop transferable skills and expand their professional networks. Without access to these opportunities, many young Canadians risk falling behind before their careers even begin.

    The long-term implications are serious. According to a 2024 report from consulting firm Deloitte, Canada stands to lose $18.5 billion in GDP over the next decade if youth unemployment remains high.

    Young Canadians are facing one of the toughest hiring seasons in years.
    (Shutterstock)

    More broadly, high unemployment among youth weakens social trust and undermines the foundations of social cohesion, long-term prosperity, democratic stability and leadership pipelines.

    Underemployment also takes a personal toll, contributing to poorer mental and physical health and delaying major life milestones like financial independence, homeownership and family formation.

    What Gen Z can do

    Many young job-seekers are understandably discouraged by today’s labour market. But as digital natives, Gen Z have advantages to bring to the table, including creativity, values-driven mindsets and fluency in technology.

    The key is to stay open, proactive and creative by pursuing non-linear experiences that can serve as legitimate entry points into the workforce. Here are four actionable strategies for Gen Z starting their careers:

    1. Think beyond traditional pathways.

    Unconventional roles and programs can offer valuable experience. For example, university students at Global Affairs Canada’s federal work experience program recently helped support the G7 Summit, gaining confidence and transferable skills.

    Side projects, such as building websites or freelancing, can also help people start their careers. These are increasingly recognized as valid ways to break into the job market.

    2. Build core skills that matter.

    The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report identifies analytical thinking, resilience, creativity, leadership and self-awareness as the most in-demand skills for the future. These can be developed through volunteer work, community leadership, mentorship or personal projects.

    Programs like International Experience Canada also help foster independence, global awareness and important skills.

    3. Invest in future-ready capabilities.

    As workplaces adopt AI and automation, tech literacy is becoming increasingly valuable. Microcredentials can help build specialized skills, while apprenticeships and other experiential learning opportunities offer experiences that employers value.



    Read more:
    Workplace besties: How to build relationships at work while staying professional

    4. Build meaningful connections.

    Networks are also a key part of job success. Relationships with peers, mentors and community members can provide support, broaden perspectives and lead to unexpected opportunities. Participating in interest groups or volunteering can help young workers feel more connected and confident while developing skills that matter.

    A new working generation

    While these steps won’t solve the systemic challenges facing the labour market, they can help young Canadians gain traction in a system that is still catching up to the needs of their generation.

    This will require the collaboration of government, employers, educational institutions and community service providers to innovatively reduce existing barriers. Importantly, these sectors are being asked to “walk the talk” when it comes to addressing youth unemployment.

    Gen Z is entering the workforce during a time of profound economic and social change. But they also have unparalleled access to information, supportive communities and platforms to share ideas and make a meaningful impact.

    By acting with intention, young Canadians can navigate this landscape with agency, laying the foundation not only for jobs but for careers that reflect their values and ambitions.

    Leda Stawnychko receives funding from SSHRC.

    Warren Boyd Ferguson 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. Gen Z is struggling to find work: 4 strategies to move forward – https://theconversation.com/gen-z-is-struggling-to-find-work-4-strategies-to-move-forward-259504

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why centuries-old astrology and tarot cards still appeal to us

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Hanna Tervanotko, Associate professor, Religious Studies, McMaster University

    The Sola Busca tarot deck from Italy, circa 15th century. (Artist unknown), CC BY

    More than 30 per cent of Americans believe in some sort of esoteric knowledge and regularly consult astrology, tarot readers or fortune tellers, according to a recent report by the Pew Research Centre.

    Even though the survey says these Americans are doing so “just for fun” and claim they rely on the information gained by divination “only a little,” the persistence — and apparent rise — of these practices suggests something deeper is at play.

    Tarot card: The High Priestess (Waite–Smith deck), c. 1909.
    (Pamela Colman Smith), CC BY

    People have always turned to divinatory methods to search for unanswered questions and to gain additional knowledge that could help them to prepare for the future, especially in times of uncertainty. For example, searches for “tarot cards” increased by more than 30 per cent during the pandemic.

    I study ancient divination, but to better understand how diviners work, I have observed contemporary diviners at work and talked with them about their practices. They say their clients request tarot consultations more frequently than they did in the past.

    What is divination?

    Anthropologists define “divination” methods as “practice(s) that seeks to foresee or foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge usually by the interpretation of omen or by the aid of supernatural powers.”

    Divination methods, including tarot and astrology, offer a way to ask questions when other systems fail to provide answers. These questions can be highly personal and difficult to address in a formal religious setting. The divinatory answers allow people to feel they’ve gained insight, which in turn gives a perception of control over an uncertain future.

    Apart from astrology and tarot, some of the best known divination methods include: the interpreting of dreams, reading coffee cups or tea leaves, observing animals and nature, reading palms and other body features such as nose shape and eye placement.

    When a diviner uses things, such as cards, tea leaves, dice or shells, the connecting thread to many of these methods is that people cannot control the signs they produce. For example, divination consultants typically mix the tarot card deck to make sure the result are randomized. People should not manipulate the results.

    Divination as alternative ways of knowing

    Pew Centre data reveals that young people, women and LGBTQ Americans are among the most likely to consult divinatory methods. Religious studies professor Marcelitte Failla has also written about contemporary Black women who have reclaimed the tarot deck to creatively address their spiritual needs.

    Many people turn to religion when they face the unknown in their lives. They address their insecurities in worship, asking for divine help.

    But there have always been people who did not have access to organized religion. Divinatory practices can be especially appealing to those who have been excluded from traditional religion and had to come up with alternative ways to address uncertainties.

    They perhaps lived in remote areas and could not attend worship sites such as temples. Or possibly, they were excluded from organized religion for identity reasons. For example, women regularly stayed home to care for children and sick. Sometimes, they were denied access because of their bodily “impurities,” menstruation or recent childbirth.

    LGBTQ+ individuals were also denied access. In the U.S., discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals remains one of the leading reasons for leaving traditional religious institutions. In Canada, the churches’ discriminatory treatment of different sexual minorities has been one of the top reasons people dissolve membership.

    Divination in times of uncertainty

    In an age marked by ongoing anxiety, political instability and waning trust in institutions, centuries-old divination rituals offer alternative ways for folks to seek entertainment but also to gain a sense of insight, agency and connection. What may seem like harmless fun can also serve as a serious response to a chaotic world. Divinatory practices can provide both spiritual exploration and emotional validation.

    It’s understandable that a new situation, like the COVID-19 pandemic, triggered anxiety and uncertainty for people.

    People continue to experience more anxiety than they did before the pandemic. Some of the main concerns include world politics, job security and personal finances.

    As we try to make sense of the new, confusing and constantly changing situations, many create different theories, some questionable. Some people turn to alternative approaches like divination to make sense of the world.

    Tarot: Thinking through emotions

    People are checking out tarot readings on online platforms. And many social media accounts feature tarot.

    Besides increasing political insecurity, another reason for the increased interest in tarot may be the visual aspect. Increased interest in the decorated cards may be a reflection of our highly visual culture. Interest in the cards with images may reflect interest in other images we watch. They are like photos with messages.

    The fascination with tarot may also speak about a need to control the consultation as a diviner and their client see exactly the same thing. The images in the cards are also symbolic, and they can be interpreted in different ways.

    That means rather than providing a straightforward answer to a question, the cards are tools that can help think through one’s emotions and feelings.

    Tarot is not a religion. The object that is consulted is paper is not an image of the divine or a symbol of transcendence. This lack of alignment with any particular religion allows different people to consult tarot as a spiritual practice.

    In principle, the cards can be consulted anywhere without particular preparations. The only material one needs is a deck of cards. The accessible materiality may be adding to their popularity.

    Playful aspects of divination

    Many divinatory methods include a playful aspect. For instance, the objects used for the lot oracle — pebbles, stones, four-sided knucklebones or dice — are the same ones people used for playing board games.

    Ancient images show people consulting the objects or playing, suggesting the boundaries of some of the divinatory methods were always fluid.

    As randomizing is an important element of divinatory consultation, the new insights various methods produce can be both surprising and entertaining.

    Hanna Tervanotko receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

    – ref. Why centuries-old astrology and tarot cards still appeal to us – https://theconversation.com/why-centuries-old-astrology-and-tarot-cards-still-appeal-to-us-258993

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why centuries-old astrology and tarot cards still appeal to us

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Hanna Tervanotko, Associate professor, Religious Studies, McMaster University

    The Sola Busca tarot deck from Italy, circa 15th century. (Artist unknown), CC BY

    More than 30 per cent of Americans believe in some sort of esoteric knowledge and regularly consult astrology, tarot readers or fortune tellers, according to a recent report by the Pew Research Centre.

    Even though the survey says these Americans are doing so “just for fun” and claim they rely on the information gained by divination “only a little,” the persistence — and apparent rise — of these practices suggests something deeper is at play.

    Tarot card: The High Priestess (Waite–Smith deck), c. 1909.
    (Pamela Colman Smith), CC BY

    People have always turned to divinatory methods to search for unanswered questions and to gain additional knowledge that could help them to prepare for the future, especially in times of uncertainty. For example, searches for “tarot cards” increased by more than 30 per cent during the pandemic.

    I study ancient divination, but to better understand how diviners work, I have observed contemporary diviners at work and talked with them about their practices. They say their clients request tarot consultations more frequently than they did in the past.

    What is divination?

    Anthropologists define “divination” methods as “practice(s) that seeks to foresee or foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge usually by the interpretation of omen or by the aid of supernatural powers.”

    Divination methods, including tarot and astrology, offer a way to ask questions when other systems fail to provide answers. These questions can be highly personal and difficult to address in a formal religious setting. The divinatory answers allow people to feel they’ve gained insight, which in turn gives a perception of control over an uncertain future.

    Apart from astrology and tarot, some of the best known divination methods include: the interpreting of dreams, reading coffee cups or tea leaves, observing animals and nature, reading palms and other body features such as nose shape and eye placement.

    When a diviner uses things, such as cards, tea leaves, dice or shells, the connecting thread to many of these methods is that people cannot control the signs they produce. For example, divination consultants typically mix the tarot card deck to make sure the result are randomized. People should not manipulate the results.

    Divination as alternative ways of knowing

    Pew Centre data reveals that young people, women and LGBTQ Americans are among the most likely to consult divinatory methods. Religious studies professor Marcelitte Failla has also written about contemporary Black women who have reclaimed the tarot deck to creatively address their spiritual needs.

    Many people turn to religion when they face the unknown in their lives. They address their insecurities in worship, asking for divine help.

    But there have always been people who did not have access to organized religion. Divinatory practices can be especially appealing to those who have been excluded from traditional religion and had to come up with alternative ways to address uncertainties.

    They perhaps lived in remote areas and could not attend worship sites such as temples. Or possibly, they were excluded from organized religion for identity reasons. For example, women regularly stayed home to care for children and sick. Sometimes, they were denied access because of their bodily “impurities,” menstruation or recent childbirth.

    LGBTQ+ individuals were also denied access. In the U.S., discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals remains one of the leading reasons for leaving traditional religious institutions. In Canada, the churches’ discriminatory treatment of different sexual minorities has been one of the top reasons people dissolve membership.

    Divination in times of uncertainty

    In an age marked by ongoing anxiety, political instability and waning trust in institutions, centuries-old divination rituals offer alternative ways for folks to seek entertainment but also to gain a sense of insight, agency and connection. What may seem like harmless fun can also serve as a serious response to a chaotic world. Divinatory practices can provide both spiritual exploration and emotional validation.

    It’s understandable that a new situation, like the COVID-19 pandemic, triggered anxiety and uncertainty for people.

    People continue to experience more anxiety than they did before the pandemic. Some of the main concerns include world politics, job security and personal finances.

    As we try to make sense of the new, confusing and constantly changing situations, many create different theories, some questionable. Some people turn to alternative approaches like divination to make sense of the world.

    Tarot: Thinking through emotions

    People are checking out tarot readings on online platforms. And many social media accounts feature tarot.

    Besides increasing political insecurity, another reason for the increased interest in tarot may be the visual aspect. Increased interest in the decorated cards may be a reflection of our highly visual culture. Interest in the cards with images may reflect interest in other images we watch. They are like photos with messages.

    The fascination with tarot may also speak about a need to control the consultation as a diviner and their client see exactly the same thing. The images in the cards are also symbolic, and they can be interpreted in different ways.

    That means rather than providing a straightforward answer to a question, the cards are tools that can help think through one’s emotions and feelings.

    Tarot is not a religion. The object that is consulted is paper is not an image of the divine or a symbol of transcendence. This lack of alignment with any particular religion allows different people to consult tarot as a spiritual practice.

    In principle, the cards can be consulted anywhere without particular preparations. The only material one needs is a deck of cards. The accessible materiality may be adding to their popularity.

    Playful aspects of divination

    Many divinatory methods include a playful aspect. For instance, the objects used for the lot oracle — pebbles, stones, four-sided knucklebones or dice — are the same ones people used for playing board games.

    Ancient images show people consulting the objects or playing, suggesting the boundaries of some of the divinatory methods were always fluid.

    As randomizing is an important element of divinatory consultation, the new insights various methods produce can be both surprising and entertaining.

    Hanna Tervanotko receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

    – ref. Why centuries-old astrology and tarot cards still appeal to us – https://theconversation.com/why-centuries-old-astrology-and-tarot-cards-still-appeal-to-us-258993

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Plankton can investigate crime, affect the climate and influence science

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Beatrix Beisner, Professor, Aquatic ecology; Groupe de recherche interuniversitaire en limnologie (GRIL), Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)

    Plankton have inspired and influenced art, science and architecture. (Shutterstock)

    Not much attention is paid to plankton because these creatures are usually hidden from sight. They are mostly microscopic in size and live in aquatic environments, but human lives are intricately connected with plankton.

    The etymology of “plankton” originates from the ancient Greek word for “drifter.” Plankton refers to all organisms suspended in all types of waters (oceans, lakes, rivers and even groundwaters), including viruses, bacteria, insects, larval fish and jellyfish. Plankton come in many shapes and sizes, but what unites all of them is a tendency to drift with currents.



    Read more:
    Small but mighty, plankton are some of the most powerful creatures on Earth

    There are both plant (phytoplankton) and animal (zooplankton) types, as well as organisms that blur the line by belonging to both. These include carnivorous plants or photosynthesizing animals (mixoplankton).

    Phytoplankton are an essential part of aquatic ecosystems.
    (Shutterstock)

    Understanding plankton

    We are an international group of researchers working on plankton that inhabit aquatic waters from high alpine lakes to the deep oceans. We represent a much larger consortium of researchers (the Plankton Passionates) who have recently considered all the ways in which plankton are crucial for human well-being, society, activity and life on our planet.

    In our work, we have identified six broad themes that allow us to classify the value of plankton.

    Plankton are integral to the ecological functioning of all aquatic environments. For example, phytoplankton use photosynthesis to create biomass that is transferred throughout the ecosystem, much as plants and trees do on land. Phytoplankton are mostly eaten by zooplankton, which are in turn prime food for fish like sardines and herring. These small fish are fed upon by larger fish and birds. That means healthy food-web functioning is critically sustained by plankton.

    Plankton play a critical role in other ways that affect the ecological functioning of aquatic environments. Specifically, plankton affect the cycles of matter and the bio-geochemistry of their ecosystems. While phytoplankton use sunlight to grow and reproduce, they also move nutrients, oxygen and carbon around.

    Phytoplankton are an essential climate variable — studying them provides key indicators for planetary health and climate change — because they capture carbon dioxide (CO2). When phytoplankton are eaten by zooplankton, and these animals die and sink to the bottom of water bodies, this stores carbon away from the atmosphere to where it can no longer contribute to climate change; this process is known as the biological carbon pump.

    However, other plankton, primarily bacteria and fungi, are involved in decomposition of dead material that remains in the water column and their activity recycles chemical elements essential for other organisms. Together with the biological carbon pump, this decomposition activity can have global consequences in climate regulation.

    Fascinating research

    Plankton have also played a role in several human endeavours, including the evolution of science itself advancing many theoretical developments in ecology, such as the study of biodiversity. This diversity of plankton forms — including organisms that look like crystals or jewelry — have fascinated researchers.

    Jellyfish are plankton because they are carried by currents through the water.
    (Shutterstock)

    Several theories or frameworks used throughout ecology have emerged from studying plankton, but their applications go further. For example, Russian biologist Georgy Gause observed competition among plankton, leading to his competitive exclusion principle that’s now commonly applied in socioeconomic contexts.

    Breakthroughs and even Nobel Prizes (medicine) have stemmed from the study of plankton (jellyfish stings, advancing allergy studies. Similarly, research on freshwater ciliate telomeres and the use of fluorescent jellyfish proteins have contributed to further understanding of ageing and cancer.

    Certain plankton species are used as diagnostic tools in forensic science. Others are often used as models in biomedical and ecotoxicological research.

    Because of their foundational role in aquatic food webs, plankton are critical to many human economies. Many planktonic organisms are cultured directly for human consumption including jellyfish, krill, shrimp and copepod zooplankton.

    Virtually all protein in aquatic ecosystems comes from plankton. Some are used as supplements, such as spirulina powder or omega-3 vitamins from krill or copepods.

    Several plankton-derived compounds are highly prized in medicine, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, including some plankton toxins used for their immune-stimulating effects. Luciferases are a group of enzymes produced by bioluminescent organisms, including many marine plankton, and are also important in biomedical research.

    On the other hand, plankton can also lead to high economic costs when harmful algal blooms, like toxic red tides, occur along coastlines or cyanobacterial blooms arise in lakes.

    Plankton benefits for humans

    Finally, our research considers the role of plankton in human culture, recreation and well-being. Beyond their use as a food source and in medicine, plankton can be culturally important.

    Bioluminescent marine dinoflagellates create incredibly powerful nighttime displays in coastal regions, forming the basis for cultural events and tourist attractions. Diatoms are a type of phytoplankton present in all aquatic ecosystems, and their silica-rich skeletons have been used for flint tools during the Stone Age and as opal in jewelry.

    An illustration from the 1887 book ‘Report on the Radiolaria collected by H.M.S. Challenger during the years 1873-76.’
    (Illus. by E. Haeckel/engraving by A. Giltsch)

    The often strange structural forms of plankton have inspired architects and engineers, including the designers of Milan’s Galleria Vittorio Emmanuele and the former Monumental Gate (Porte Binet) in Paris. Plankton have inspired many artists, the first being biologist Ernst Haeckel.

    The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services adopted the Life Framework of Values. This framework centres living from, with, in and as nature as a position from which to inform policies around biodiversity and ecosystem services.

    Plankton are critical to all of these components. We all benefit from plankton due to their essential role in regulating aquatic habitats, their long-term involvement in climate regulation and the vital resources they provide to humanity.

    Humanity lives with plankton as their incredible diversity connects life across land and water and is one of the driving forces behind Earth’s ecological stability and ecosystem services that we value. Plankton are part of humanity’s living in nature, which emphasizes their vital role in our identity, lifestyles and culture.

    Plankton profoundly affect communities bordering water, but also those further away through plankton-inspired art and design. Finally, living as nature highlights the physical, mental and spiritual interconnectedness with the natural world.

    We need to better recognize the value of plankton as a resource, and as an essential part of stabilizing Earth systems and maintaining them for human well-being.

    Beatrix Beisner receives funding from NSERC. She is Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Plankton Research (Oxford University Press) and a member of the Groupe de recherche interuniversitaire en limnologie (GRIL), an FRQNT-funded network.

    Maria Grigoratou receives funding from the NSF project WARMEM (OCE-1851866) and the EU-funded HORIZON Europe projects EU4OceanObs2.0 and BioEcoOcean (101136748) to Maria Grigoratou. Maria is now affiliated with the European Polar Board.

    Sakina-Dorothée Ayata receives funding from the European Commission (NECCTON, iMagine, Blue-Cloud2026 projects), the French National Research Agency (ANR, Traitzoo project), and the Institut Universitaire de France (IUF).

    Susanne Menden-Deuer receives funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation and NASA.

    – ref. Plankton can investigate crime, affect the climate and influence science – https://theconversation.com/plankton-can-investigate-crime-affect-the-climate-and-influence-science-252782

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Plankton can investigate crime, affect the climate and influence science

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Beatrix Beisner, Professor, Aquatic ecology; Groupe de recherche interuniversitaire en limnologie (GRIL), Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)

    Plankton have inspired and influenced art, science and architecture. (Shutterstock)

    Not much attention is paid to plankton because these creatures are usually hidden from sight. They are mostly microscopic in size and live in aquatic environments, but human lives are intricately connected with plankton.

    The etymology of “plankton” originates from the ancient Greek word for “drifter.” Plankton refers to all organisms suspended in all types of waters (oceans, lakes, rivers and even groundwaters), including viruses, bacteria, insects, larval fish and jellyfish. Plankton come in many shapes and sizes, but what unites all of them is a tendency to drift with currents.



    Read more:
    Small but mighty, plankton are some of the most powerful creatures on Earth

    There are both plant (phytoplankton) and animal (zooplankton) types, as well as organisms that blur the line by belonging to both. These include carnivorous plants or photosynthesizing animals (mixoplankton).

    Phytoplankton are an essential part of aquatic ecosystems.
    (Shutterstock)

    Understanding plankton

    We are an international group of researchers working on plankton that inhabit aquatic waters from high alpine lakes to the deep oceans. We represent a much larger consortium of researchers (the Plankton Passionates) who have recently considered all the ways in which plankton are crucial for human well-being, society, activity and life on our planet.

    In our work, we have identified six broad themes that allow us to classify the value of plankton.

    Plankton are integral to the ecological functioning of all aquatic environments. For example, phytoplankton use photosynthesis to create biomass that is transferred throughout the ecosystem, much as plants and trees do on land. Phytoplankton are mostly eaten by zooplankton, which are in turn prime food for fish like sardines and herring. These small fish are fed upon by larger fish and birds. That means healthy food-web functioning is critically sustained by plankton.

    Plankton play a critical role in other ways that affect the ecological functioning of aquatic environments. Specifically, plankton affect the cycles of matter and the bio-geochemistry of their ecosystems. While phytoplankton use sunlight to grow and reproduce, they also move nutrients, oxygen and carbon around.

    Phytoplankton are an essential climate variable — studying them provides key indicators for planetary health and climate change — because they capture carbon dioxide (CO2). When phytoplankton are eaten by zooplankton, and these animals die and sink to the bottom of water bodies, this stores carbon away from the atmosphere to where it can no longer contribute to climate change; this process is known as the biological carbon pump.

    However, other plankton, primarily bacteria and fungi, are involved in decomposition of dead material that remains in the water column and their activity recycles chemical elements essential for other organisms. Together with the biological carbon pump, this decomposition activity can have global consequences in climate regulation.

    Fascinating research

    Plankton have also played a role in several human endeavours, including the evolution of science itself advancing many theoretical developments in ecology, such as the study of biodiversity. This diversity of plankton forms — including organisms that look like crystals or jewelry — have fascinated researchers.

    Jellyfish are plankton because they are carried by currents through the water.
    (Shutterstock)

    Several theories or frameworks used throughout ecology have emerged from studying plankton, but their applications go further. For example, Russian biologist Georgy Gause observed competition among plankton, leading to his competitive exclusion principle that’s now commonly applied in socioeconomic contexts.

    Breakthroughs and even Nobel Prizes (medicine) have stemmed from the study of plankton (jellyfish stings, advancing allergy studies. Similarly, research on freshwater ciliate telomeres and the use of fluorescent jellyfish proteins have contributed to further understanding of ageing and cancer.

    Certain plankton species are used as diagnostic tools in forensic science. Others are often used as models in biomedical and ecotoxicological research.

    Because of their foundational role in aquatic food webs, plankton are critical to many human economies. Many planktonic organisms are cultured directly for human consumption including jellyfish, krill, shrimp and copepod zooplankton.

    Virtually all protein in aquatic ecosystems comes from plankton. Some are used as supplements, such as spirulina powder or omega-3 vitamins from krill or copepods.

    Several plankton-derived compounds are highly prized in medicine, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, including some plankton toxins used for their immune-stimulating effects. Luciferases are a group of enzymes produced by bioluminescent organisms, including many marine plankton, and are also important in biomedical research.

    On the other hand, plankton can also lead to high economic costs when harmful algal blooms, like toxic red tides, occur along coastlines or cyanobacterial blooms arise in lakes.

    Plankton benefits for humans

    Finally, our research considers the role of plankton in human culture, recreation and well-being. Beyond their use as a food source and in medicine, plankton can be culturally important.

    Bioluminescent marine dinoflagellates create incredibly powerful nighttime displays in coastal regions, forming the basis for cultural events and tourist attractions. Diatoms are a type of phytoplankton present in all aquatic ecosystems, and their silica-rich skeletons have been used for flint tools during the Stone Age and as opal in jewelry.

    An illustration from the 1887 book ‘Report on the Radiolaria collected by H.M.S. Challenger during the years 1873-76.’
    (Illus. by E. Haeckel/engraving by A. Giltsch)

    The often strange structural forms of plankton have inspired architects and engineers, including the designers of Milan’s Galleria Vittorio Emmanuele and the former Monumental Gate (Porte Binet) in Paris. Plankton have inspired many artists, the first being biologist Ernst Haeckel.

    The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services adopted the Life Framework of Values. This framework centres living from, with, in and as nature as a position from which to inform policies around biodiversity and ecosystem services.

    Plankton are critical to all of these components. We all benefit from plankton due to their essential role in regulating aquatic habitats, their long-term involvement in climate regulation and the vital resources they provide to humanity.

    Humanity lives with plankton as their incredible diversity connects life across land and water and is one of the driving forces behind Earth’s ecological stability and ecosystem services that we value. Plankton are part of humanity’s living in nature, which emphasizes their vital role in our identity, lifestyles and culture.

    Plankton profoundly affect communities bordering water, but also those further away through plankton-inspired art and design. Finally, living as nature highlights the physical, mental and spiritual interconnectedness with the natural world.

    We need to better recognize the value of plankton as a resource, and as an essential part of stabilizing Earth systems and maintaining them for human well-being.

    Beatrix Beisner receives funding from NSERC. She is Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Plankton Research (Oxford University Press) and a member of the Groupe de recherche interuniversitaire en limnologie (GRIL), an FRQNT-funded network.

    Maria Grigoratou receives funding from the NSF project WARMEM (OCE-1851866) and the EU-funded HORIZON Europe projects EU4OceanObs2.0 and BioEcoOcean (101136748) to Maria Grigoratou. Maria is now affiliated with the European Polar Board.

    Sakina-Dorothée Ayata receives funding from the European Commission (NECCTON, iMagine, Blue-Cloud2026 projects), the French National Research Agency (ANR, Traitzoo project), and the Institut Universitaire de France (IUF).

    Susanne Menden-Deuer receives funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation and NASA.

    – ref. Plankton can investigate crime, affect the climate and influence science – https://theconversation.com/plankton-can-investigate-crime-affect-the-climate-and-influence-science-252782

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Gen Z is struggling to find work: 4 stategies to move forward

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Leda Stawnychko, Assistant Professor of Strategy and Organizational Theory, Mount Royal University

    As the school year comes to a close, young Canadians entering the job market are facing one of the toughest hiring seasons in years. Despite their drive to build careers and connections, many Gen Z are entering a stagnant job market.

    According to Statistics Canada, the unemployment rate for youth aged 15-24 is 12.2 per cent — over double that of the prime working-age population.

    The outlook is bleaker for students planning to return to full-time studies in the fall. Unemployment for this group has reached just over 20 per cent, the highest level since 2009, when the global economy was reeling from the Great Recession.

    Gen Zs without post-secondary credentials, people with disabilities and newcomers face steeper hurdles. They are competing in a labour market dominated by one of the world’s most highly educated generations.

    Today’s youth are navigating a perfect storm of persistent inflation, global trade tensions, a saturated labour market and restructuring driven by automation and AI.

    Unlike older workers, many young people lack the financial stability or support systems to pursue opportunities that require relocating.

    First jobs matter more than ever

    Early work experiences have long served as crucial stepping stones for young people entering the workforce. They offer new workers exposure to the habits, norms and expectations of the professional world.

    Roles in retail, hospitality and customer service often serve as a first taste of working life, helping young people build confidence, develop transferable skills and expand their professional networks. Without access to these opportunities, many young Canadians risk falling behind before their careers even begin.

    The long-term implications are serious. According to a 2024 report from consulting firm Deloitte, Canada stands to lose $18.5 billion in GDP over the next decade if youth unemployment remains high.

    Young Canadians are facing one of the toughest hiring seasons in years.
    (Shutterstock)

    More broadly, high unemployment among youth weakens social trust and undermines the foundations of social cohesion, long-term prosperity, democratic stability and leadership pipelines.

    Underemployment also takes a personal toll, contributing to poorer mental and physical health and delaying major life milestones like financial independence, homeownership and family formation.

    What Gen Z can do

    Many young job-seekers are understandably discouraged by today’s labour market. But as digital natives, Gen Z have advantages to bring to the table, including creativity, values-driven mindsets and fluency in technology.

    The key is to stay open, proactive and creative by pursuing non-linear experiences that can serve as legitimate entry points into the workforce. Here are four actionable strategies for Gen Z starting their careers:

    1. Think beyond traditional pathways.

    Unconventional roles and programs can offer valuable experience. For example, university students at Global Affairs Canada’s federal work experience program recently helped support the G7 Summit, gaining confidence and transferable skills.

    Side projects, such as building websites or freelancing, can also help people start their careers. These are increasingly recognized as valid ways to break into the job market.

    2. Build core skills that matter.

    The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report identifies analytical thinking, resilience, creativity, leadership and self-awareness as the most in-demand skills for the future. These can be developed through volunteer work, community leadership, mentorship or personal projects.

    Programs like International Experience Canada also help foster independence, global awareness and important skills.

    3. Invest in future-ready capabilities.

    As workplaces adopt AI and automation, tech literacy is becoming increasingly valuable. Microcredentials can help build specialized skills, while apprenticeships and other experiential learning opportunities offer experiences that employers value.



    Read more:
    Workplace besties: How to build relationships at work while staying professional

    4. Build meaningful connections.

    Networks are also a key part of job success. Relationships with peers, mentors and community members can provide support, broaden perspectives and lead to unexpected opportunities. Participating in interest groups or volunteering can help young workers feel more connected and confident while developing skills that matter.

    A new working generation

    While these steps won’t solve the systemic challenges facing the labour market, they can help young Canadians gain traction in a system that is still catching up to the needs of their generation.

    This will require the collaboration of government, employers, educational institutions and community service providers to innovatively reduce existing barriers. Importantly, these sectors are being asked to “walk the talk” when it comes to addressing youth unemployment.

    Gen Z is entering the workforce during a time of profound economic and social change. But they also have unparalleled access to information, supportive communities and platforms to share ideas and make a meaningful impact.

    By acting with intention, young Canadians can navigate this landscape with agency, laying the foundation not only for jobs but for careers that reflect their values and ambitions.

    Leda Stawnychko receives funding from SSHRC.

    Warren Boyd Ferguson 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. Gen Z is struggling to find work: 4 stategies to move forward – https://theconversation.com/gen-z-is-struggling-to-find-work-4-stategies-to-move-forward-259504

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –