Category: Commerce

MIL-OSI USA: SBA Relief Still Available to Montana Small Businesses and Private Nonprofits Affected by July Drought

Source: United States Small Business Administration

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is reminding eligible small businesses and private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in Montana of the May 9, deadline to apply for low interest federal disaster loans to offset economic losses caused by the drought beginning July 16, 2024.

The disaster declaration covers the counties of Broadwater, Flathead, Gallatin, Jefferson, Lewis and Clark, Lincoln, Meagher and Sanders in Montana, as well as Bonner and Boundary counties in Idaho.

Under this declaration, SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries, and PNPs with financial losses directly related to the disaster. The SBA is unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for small aquaculture enterprises.

EIDLs are available for working capital needs caused by the drought and are available even if the small business or PNP did not suffer any physical damage. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills not paid due to the disaster.

“Through a declaration by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, SBA provides critical financial assistance to help communities recover,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “We’re pleased to offer loans to small businesses and private nonprofits impacted by these disasters.”

The loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates as low as 4% for small businesses and 3.25% for PNPs, with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not accrue, and payments are not due, until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.

To apply online, visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

Submit completed loan applications to SBA no later than May 9.

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About the U.S. Small Business Administration

The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.

MIL OSI USA News –

April 10, 2025
MIL-OSI: Ageas publishes its 2024 reports
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Ageas publishes its 2024 reports

Ageas has today released its 2024 Annual Reporting, including the Report of the Board of Directors, the Ageas Consolidated Financial Statements, and the 2024 Statutory Accounts of ageas SA/NV. The reporting was prepared for the first time in accordance with the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive and the associated European Sustainability Reporting Standards.

The reports as well as additional information on the Group’s 2024 performance, highlighting the accomplishments of Ageas’s businesses and expanding on the conclusion of its strategic plan Impact24 are available on the Ageas website: ageas.com/en/annual-report-2024

The annual results for 2024 were published on February 27, 2025.

Ageas is a listed international insurance Group with a heritage spanning 200 years. It offers Retail and Business customers Life and Non-Life insurance products designed to suit their specific needs, today and tomorrow. As one of Europe’s larger insurance companies, Ageas concentrates its activities in Europe and Asia, which together make up the major part of the global insurance market. It operates successful insurance businesses in Belgium, the UK, Portugal, Türkiye, China, Malaysia, India, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Singapore, and the Philippines through a combination of wholly owned subsidiaries and long term partnerships with strong financial institutions and key distributors. Ageas ranks among the market leaders in the countries in which it operates. It represents a staff force of about 50,000 people and reported annual inflows of more than EUR 18.5 billion in 2024.

Attachment
- Pdf version of the press release
The MIL Network –
April 10, 2025

MIL-OSI: Coface SA: Combined Shareholders’ Meeting on Wednesday, May 14, 2025 at 02.00pm

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

COFACE SA: Combined Shareholders’ Meeting on Wednesday, May 14, 2025
at 02.00pm

Paris, April 9, 2025 – 17.45

COFACE SA’s shareholders are hereby informed that the Combined Shareholders’ Meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 14, 2025 at 02.00pm at the Group’s headquarters and registered office:

1 Place Costes et Bellonte

92270 Bois-Colombes – France

The notice of meeting containing the agenda and draft resolutions was published in the Bulletin des Annonces Légales Obligatoires (French Bulletin of Mandatory Legal Notices – BALO) No.42 on 7 April 2025 (announcement No. 2500820).

Shareholders may attend the meeting regardless of the number of shares they own, under the conditions described in the notice of meeting.

We advise the shareholders to:

To vote on the resolutions by post or online, using either the postal voting form or the Votaccess platform. They can also appoint the Chairman of the Shareholders’ Meeting to represent them.
To submit written questions by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt at: COFACE SA, for the attention of the Investors Relations department, 1 place Costes et Bellonte, 92270 Bois-Colombes, France or electronically to the following address: investors@coface.com on May 8, 2025, at the latest. To be taken into account, these questions must be accompanied by a book-entry certificate justifying the share ownership.

All documents that must be disclosed for this Shareholders’ Meeting will be available to the shareholders, within the legal deadlines, on COFACE SA institutional website (www.coface.com) and more precisely under “Investors/General Assembly” (https://www.coface.com/investors/regulated-information/documents-relating-to-the-general-assembly)

CONTACTS

ANALYSTS / INVESTORS
Thomas JACQUET: +33 1 49 02 12 58 – thomas.jacquet@coface.com
Rina ANDRIAMIADANTSOA: +33 1 49 02 15 85 – rina.andriamiadantsoa@coface.com

MEDIA RELATIONS
Saphia GAOUAOUI: +33 1 49 02 14 91 – saphia.gaouaoui@coface.com
Adrien BILLET: +33 1 49 02 23 63 – adrien.billet@coface.com

FINANCIAL CALENDAR 2025
(subject to change)

Q1-2025 results: 5 May 2025 (after market close)
Annual General Shareholders’ Meeting: 14 May 2025
H1-2025 results: 31 July 2025 (after market close)
9M-2025 results: 3 November 2025 (after market close)

FINANCIAL INFORMATION
This press release, as well as COFACE SA’s integral regulatory information, can be found on the Group’s website: http://www.coface.com/Investors

For regulated information on Alternative Performance Measures (APM), please refer to our Interim Financial Report for H1-2024 and our 2024 Universal Registration Document (see part 3.7 “Key financial performance indicators”).

Regulated documents posted by COFACE SA have been secured and authenticated with the blockchain technology by Wiztrust.
You can check the authenticity on the website www.wiztrust.com.

COFACE: FOR TRADE
As a global leading player in trade credit risk management for more than 75 years, Coface helps companies grow and navigate in an uncertain and volatile environment.
Whatever their size, location or sector, Coface provides 100,000 clients across some 200 markets. with a full range of solutions: Trade Credit Insurance, Business Information, Debt Collection, Single Risk insurance, Surety Bonds, Factoring.
Every day, Coface leverages its unique expertise and cutting-edge technology to make trade happen, in both domestic and export markets.
In 2024, Coface employed ~5,236 people and registered a turnover of €1.84 billion.

www.coface.com

COFACE SA is listed in Compartment A of Euronext Paris
ISIN: FR0010667147 / Ticker: COFA

DISCLAIMER – Certain declarations featured in this press release may contain forecasts that notably relate to future events, trends, projects or targets. By nature, these forecasts include identified or unidentified risks and uncertainties, and may be affected by many factors likely to give rise to a significant discrepancy between the real results and those stated in these declarations. Please refer to chapter 5 “Main risk factors and their management within the Group” of the Coface Group’s 2024 Universal Registration Document filed with AMF on 3 April 2025 under the number D.25-0227 in order to obtain a description of certain major factors, risks and uncertainties likely to influence the Coface Group’s businesses. The Coface Group disclaims any intention or obligation to publish an update of these forecasts, or provide new information on future events or any other circumstance.

Attachment

2025 04 09 Coface Combined GA from 14 May 2025

The MIL Network –

April 10, 2025

MIL-OSI: Capgemini expands strategic partnership with Google Cloud to revolutionize CX across industries with agentic AI
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Press contact:
Mollie Mellows
Tel.: + 44 (0) 7342 709384
E-mail: mollie.mellows@capgemini.com

Capgemini expands strategic partnership with Google Cloud to revolutionize CX across industries with agentic AI

Paris, April 9, 2025 – Capgemini today announced a strategic agentic AI initiative with Google Cloud to transform customer experience (CX) into a key value driver for clients. Building on its existing partnership, Capgemini will create industry-specific agentic AI solutions designed to handle customer requests across all communication channels (web, social, phone etc.) and improve employee productivity. Underpinned by Google Cloud’s AI technology, Capgemini will develop bespoke solutions designed to enhance customer services with intelligent automation and deep customer insights, enabling organizations to deliver more personalized, efficient, and effective CX to elevate brand perception, increase loyalty, and drive revenue growth.

A recent report by the Capgemini Research Institute found that although customer service is considered strategically important, less than half of organizations feel prepared to integrate AI and generative AI into the function.¹ Recognized as the Global Industry Solution Partner of the Year 2025 by Google Cloud, Capgemini will combine its deep industry expertise and technical capabilities to develop solutions powered by Google Agentspace and Customer Engagement Suite with Google AI. This will accelerate adoption of secure, trusted agentic AI capabilities that are interoperable with a client’s existing technology infrastructure and can support a variety of industry and regulatory needs. The agentic AI solutions will be designed to significantly optimize business processes and unlock commercial value by enhancing organizations’ own search capabilities, automating complex workflows, as well as understanding and proactively anticipating customer needs.

“Capgemini is entering the next phase of its strategic partnership with Google Cloud and this new collaboration focuses on driving revenue for our clients by elevating customer service to a strategic value driver in industries where CX is paramount,” said Fernando Alvarez, Chief Strategy and Development Officer and Group Executive Board Member at Capgemini. “The customer service function is undergoing a transformative shift as business leaders increasingly recognize its importance in unlocking commercial potential. Agentic systems can play a key role in this, and the future of customer service will require a strategic blend of human and virtual agents, enhanced by generative and agentic AI. By understanding the potential of agentic AI and the business realities of our clients, we’re expertly placed to maximize its value and deliver genuine impact.”

“Businesses require a combination of technical expertise and advanced technology to fully realize the benefits of agentic AI within their current IT infrastructure. Through Agentspace and our new Agent2Agent interoperability protocol, our partnership with Capgemini will provide clients with AI solutions that drive long-term value across industries,” said Kevin Ichhpurani, President, Global Partner Organization, Google Cloud.

Primarily focused on telco, retail, and financial services, the partnership is intended to expand into further industries such as life sciences and utilities, with a goal of accelerating business outcomes by enabling customer services transformation. This includes areas such as:
- Improving productivity in telco: New solutions to optimize call routing and resolution in contact centers by leveraging conversational AI to improve intent and understanding, increase call containment and assist agents. Organizations can benefit from reduced handling time and improved first-call resolution rates, while human agents are freed-up to focus on higher value tasks. Capgemini’s research finds that around 9 in 10 organizations using gen AI are already seeing improved first contact resolution rates or expecting to see this benefit in the future.¹
- Personalizing CX in retail: AI agents to help better personalize shopping experiences by using AI to analyze customer data and provide tailored product recommendations, promotions, and support interactions across all channels (online, in-store, mobile).
- Enhancing security in financial services Using Google Cloud’s AI, financial services clients can improve risk assessment and fraud detection with agents that analyze customer transactions and identify suspicious patterns, improving security and regulatory compliance.
Google Cloud’s new Agent2Agent interoperability protocol will enable AI agents to successfully communicate with one another, safely exchange information, and coordinate actions no matter which platform they are running on or built on top of. As agentic AI becomes more widely adopted, this protocol will ensure agent functionality across diverse and separate data sources and applications.

Google Cloud recognizes Capgemini as a trusted partner for driving clients’ large-scale transformation, with the company winning three Google Cloud Partner of the Year awards in 2025. The awards celebrate Capgemini’s expertise in creating compelling solutions that make an impact for joint clients worldwide:
- Global Industry Solutions Partner of the Year
- Global Industry Solutions Partner of the Year for Sustainability
- Country Partner of the Year in Denmark
About Capgemini
Capgemini is a global business and technology transformation partner, helping organizations to accelerate their dual transition to a digital and sustainable world, while creating tangible impact for enterprises and society. It is a responsible and diverse group of 340,000 team members in more than 50 countries. With its strong over 55-year heritage, Capgemini is trusted by its clients to unlock the value of technology to address the entire breadth of their business needs. It delivers end-to-end services and solutions leveraging strengths from strategy and design to engineering, all fueled by its market leading capabilities in AI, generative AI, cloud and data, combined with its deep industry expertise and partner ecosystem. The Group reported 2024 global revenues of €22.1 billion.
Get The Future You Want | www.capgemini.com

¹ “Unleashing the value of customer service: The transformative impact of Gen AI and Agentic AI”, Capgemini Research Institute, March 2025

Attachment
- 04_09_Capgemini News Alert_Google Cloud Agentic AI
The MIL Network –
April 10, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Valadao’s Legislation to Combat Romance Scams Passes Out of House Committee on Energy and Commerce

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman David G. Valadao (California)

WASHINGTON – Today, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce advanced H.R. 2481, the Romance Scam Prevention Act, out of a full committee markup. The Romance Scam Prevention Act is a bipartisan bill introduced by Congressman David Valadao (CA-22) and Reps. Brittany Petterson (CO-07), Tom Suozzi (NY-03), and Craig Goldman (TX-12). This legislation would require dating apps and services to issue fraud ban notifications to users who have interacted with a person removed from the app for fraudulent activity.

Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and John Hickenlooper (D-CO) introduced the companion bill in the Senate, which passed out of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on March 12, 2025.

“Millions of Americans use online dating services to make connections, making them the perfect platform for romance scammers to target their victims,” said Congressman Valadao. “Alerting users that they have been in contact with someone who has been banned for fraud is a basic security feature that will save Americans billions, and I’m proud to lead this effort alongside my Congressional colleagues. I want to thank Chairman Brett Guthrie and the House Committee on Energy and Commerce for their attention to this critical issue.”

Background:

Over 60 million Americans used an online dating service in 2023, and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reported that romance scams resulted in victims losing over $1.1 billion. Criminals use false names and stories to lure individuals into conversation before manipulating them to give up sensitive information. When an online dating service provider becomes aware of a user committing fraudulent activity, like illegally obtaining money, the online dating service provider immediately deactivates the fraudulent user’s account. However, individuals who meet online often take their conversations to other communication platforms, so even when a fraudulent account is removed, an individual might not know they are still communicating with someone who was banned from the platform.

If you or someone you know has seen a suspicious profile on an online dating service, please file a report with the FTC on their website.

Read a one-pager on the bill here.

Read the full bill here.

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MIL OSI USA News –

April 10, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Young Kim’s Bipartisan Uyghur Policy Act Passes Committee
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Young Kim (CA-39)

Washington, DC – Today, the House Foreign Affairs Committee passed the Uyghur Policy Act (H.R. 2635), led by Rep. Young Kim (CA-40), Rep. Ami Bera (CA- 06), chairwoman and ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs East Asia and Pacific Subcommittee, as well as Committee Ranking Member Rep. Gregory Meeks (NY-05), to help the United States take concrete steps to support Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities subject to unthinkable atrocities by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

Watch Rep. Kim speak in support of the bill in today’s markup HERE.

This bipartisan bill would create a comprehensive, multilateral strategy to raise international awareness of the persecution of Uyghurs at home and abroad, direct the State Department to effectively respond to human rights abuses in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, and push back on CCP efforts to silence Uyghur voices.

The Uyghur Policy Act would:
- Coordinate U.S. Efforts by designating the Secretary of State to oversee Uyghur human rights-related policies and programs that preserve Uyghurs’ ethnic, religious, cultural, and linguistic identities.
- Empower human rights advocates working on behalf of Uyghurs and minorities persecuted by the CCP.
- Force the CCP to End Crackdowns against Uyghurs by increasing accountability to human rights organizations and developing a strategy to close detention facilities and political reeducation camps.
- Support the Uyghur Diaspora by addressing transnational repression and creating reporting mechanisms for Uyghur victims.
The Uyghur Policy Act passed the House in an overwhelmingly bipartisan manner in the 117^th and 118^th Congresses.

“Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in Xinjiang are victims of the CCP’s genocidal campaign and subject to silencing, detention, torture, and brainwashing simply because of their identity. By staying silent, we become complicit,” said Rep. Young Kim, Chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on East Asia and the Pacific. “The Uyghur Policy Act provides the U.S. with the necessary tools to defend the basic human rights and unique identities of those facing inhumane treatment. I thank my House Foreign Affairs Committee for supporting this effort, and I will relentlessly stand against the CCP’s abuses and push for freedom and human rights around the world.”

“The PRC’s ongoing repression of Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in Xinjiang is a moral outrage that demands a clear and coordinated international response,” said Representative Ami Bera (CA-06). “The Uyghur Policy Act sends a strong, bipartisan message that the United States stands against genocide, forced labor and transnational repression. I am proud to support this legislation, which strengthens our ability to hold the PRC accountable and reaffirms our unwavering commitment to human rights. America must continue to lead with our values — standing up for religious freedom, cultural identity and the dignity of all people.”

“America must be vocal about human rights everywhere. This bill will help hold Beijing accountable for its genocide in Xinjiang and ensure that the United States is supporting Uyghurs and other minorities who face PRC atrocities at home and repression abroad,” said Ranking Member Meeks.

“The Uyghur Policy Act enhances the United States’ ability to confront the CCP’s genocide in the Uyghur region and address transnational repression beyond China’s borders. It is a strategic necessity that supports Uyghurs globally while challenging the international community to uphold the values it claims to defend. We are especially moved that the bill names Dr. Gulshan Abbas, my innocent sister, whose unjust imprisonment, along with that of countless others, exemplifies the repression this legislation seeks to end.” – Rushan Abbas, Founder and Executive Director, Campaign for Uyghurs.

“Congresswoman Young Kim’s bill is a beacon of hope for Uyghurs. Our people are suffering unbearable torments under a deliberate genocide,” said Omer Kanat, executive director of the Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP). “We urge the Congress to move quickly to pass the Uyghur Policy Act into law.”

“Now more than ever it is critical to provide tools and guidance for the United States government to take effective action in coordination with allies to address this ongoing genocide. The provisions of this legislation are a powerful framework to do just that and we are thankful for Congresswoman Kim’s dedicated leadership on these issues,” said Julie Millsap, Government Relations Manager, No Business With Genocide

“Without leadership from the United States on the Uyghur issue, and in particular on the issue of access to detention facilities and the release of prisoners, it is very difficult for the international community to make progress on a wide breadth of human rights-related concerns. We appreciate this legislation as a means of advancing efforts in support of a global rules-based order which respects the dignity of each and every person and thank Congresswoman Kim for her leadership. We encourage policymakers to move the bill through committee swiftly and hope to see it passed into law soon,” said Emily Upson, Program Coordinator, Wild Pigeon Collective

“This vital legislation ensures that the plight of the Uyghur people remains a priority in U.S. foreign policy. As American Muslims, we cannot turn a blind eye to such grave injustice. As President of the American Muslim and Multifaith Women’s Empowerment Council, I commend Congresswoman Young Kim for her steadfast leadership in reintroducing the Uyghur Policy Act. This is a meaningful step toward accountability and justice, and we strongly urge bipartisan support for its swift passage,” said Anila Ali, President, American Muslim and Multifaith Women’s Empowerment Council.

MIL OSI USA News –
April 10, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Cantwell, Moran Reintroduce Bill to Help U.S. Host Cities Bolster Local Infrastructure Ahead of 2026 World Cup, 2028 & 2034 Olympics
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell

04.09.25

Cantwell, Moran Reintroduce Bill to Help U.S. Host Cities Bolster Local Infrastructure Ahead of 2026 World Cup, 2028 & 2034 Olympics

Cantwell: “With less than 500 days until Seattle hosts its first 2026 World Cup game, we need the Department of Transportation to get in the game and support host cities”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Finance Committee, and Jerry Moran (R-KS), a member of the Commerce Committee, reintroduced the Transportation Assistance for Olympic and World Cup Cities Act to provide federal funding for local communities to prepare for transportation demands and ensure the successful movement of fans, workers, and goods during the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup, the 2028 Summer Olympics, and the 2034 Winter Olympics that will all be held in the United States.

“With less than 500 days until Seattle hosts its first 2026 World Cup game, we need the Department of Transportation to get in the game and support host cities as they work to showcase the best of American innovation and hospitality,” said Sen. Cantwell. “This bill will help ensure the hundreds of thousands of fans visiting Seattle can get to and from games safely and efficiently by improving coordinated transportation planning across the Pacific Northwest.”

“It was a tremendous feat to secure a spot as a host city during the 2026 World Cup, and I have no doubt that Kansas City will be a welcoming community for hundreds of thousands of soccer fans from around the world,” said Sen. Moran. “Preparations are already underway for the games, and this legislation will support local community and agency efforts to improve infrastructure to connect fans with businesses, hotels, the airport and other host cities during the World Cup.”

The United States, Canada, and Mexico were selected to host the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup, and 11 U.S. cities are preparing to host World Cup matches, including Kansas City, Seattle, Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, and the San Francisco Bay Area. Transportation demands will increase greatly as host cities and surrounding communities are expecting hundreds of thousands of additional visitors from across the globe during the games. Los Angeles will host the 2028 Olympics and Salt Lake City was selected to host the 2034 Winter Olympics.

This legislation would create a grant program administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to provide host cities with funding for projects that improve transportation in the region during World Cup or Olympic games. Grants would support permanent transportation projects – building new roads, expanding light rail, purchasing new buses, creating bike lanes, improving existing roads or highways, or making airport terminal improvements.

The Transportation Assistance for Olympic and World Cup Cities Act would:
- Provide resources to host cities through grant funding for projects that improve transportation in the region during World Cup or Olympic games, which could include acquiring buses, improving airports, or building roads.
- Allow DOT to provide technical and planning assistance to host cities, states, and tribes within 100 miles of a World Cup or Olympic event to help improve coordination and prepare regional transportation systems for the influx of fans.
- Allow DOT to facilitate sharing public transportation equipment, such as buses, between host cities and other cities, helping reduce costs while meeting transportation demand.
- Direct the Department of Commerce to study the economic impact hosting the World Cup and the Olympics has on travel and tourism in the United States
“The USOPC strongly supports the Transportation Assistance for Olympic and World Cup Host Cities Act, and we thank Senators Moran and Cantwell for their leadership on this issue. This legislation is crucial to ensuring the United States is prepared to host the decade of sport ahead, from the 2026 FIFA World Cup to the 2028 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles and the 2034 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in Salt Lake City. This bill will make it possible for cities to enhance their infrastructure and provide a seamless experience for athletes and fans alike. The essential transportation assistance set forward in this bill will help make these global events a success and demonstrate American excellence on the world stage.” – The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee.

“We are excited for the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup to take place in the United States,” said Cindy Parlow Cone, U.S. Soccer Federation President. “We appreciate Senators Moran and Cantwell for introducing legislation to provide the 11 U.S. cities hosting World Cup matches, and the dozens more cities hosting team base camps, fan fests and other events and activities, with the resources they will need to welcome the hundreds of thousands of people that will travel here from around the world.”

“From ferries to trains, buses to highways, the World Cup will undoubtedly put Washington state’s transportation system to the test,” said Peter Tomozawa, CEO, Seattle FIFA World Cup 26 Organizing Committee. “We appreciate Senator Cantwell’s leadership to provide transportation agencies the support they need so we’re ready to showcase Washington to the world in 2026.”

“We are pleased to see this important transportation assistance legislation introduced in support of Kansas City’s World Cup efforts,” said Pam Kramer, Chief Executive Officer of KC2026. “Senator Moran continues to be a leader in transportation, mobility, safety and security in the Kansas City region. This legislation will give much needed support to our efforts to ensure safe and efficient transportation of people and goods throughout the region during the World Cup. More importantly, these investments and support will help us create sustained and lasting impact beyond the World Cup, improving mobility in the region well beyond 2026.”

“On behalf of the KCATA, we are grateful that Senator Jerry Moran is demonstrating his foresight and leadership by introducing bipartisan legislation that will help us, and other host cities effectively host these games and move people to where they need to be,” said Frank White III, President and CEO of the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA). “The Senator’s outreach and understanding of our needs to serve both visitors and residents will help us with effective planning and preparation to host sizable crowds on our transit systems next summer.”
MIL OSI USA News –
April 10, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: RELEASE: Senator Mullin Welcomes Norman Chamber of Commerce to Washington, Holds Q&A

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator MarkWayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma)

RELEASE: Senator Mullin Welcomes Norman Chamber of Commerce to Washington, Holds Q&A

Washington, D.C. – On Tuesday, U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, spoke with the Norman Chamber of Commerce about DOGE cuts, returning power to the states, and the important roles he and Rep. Tom Cole (OK-04) have on their respective Committees, advocating for Oklahomans. The Chamber’s meeting with Senator Mullin was part of their annual Washington Fly-in event.

Highlights of the Senator’s remarks are below.

On getting the bureaucracy out of Washington, D.C., and returning power to the states:

“The President wants to get it closer to the communities and let you guys make decisions on what’s best for your community. You know, it’s very difficult for people up here in Washington, DC to know what’s going on in Norman. They don’t. It’s kind of like the Department of Ag… the Department of Ag covers two city blocks and most of those people have never been kicked by a horse, much less have crap on their boots, and they’re trying to tell us how to run our places. They’re too far removed.”

“We’re trying to push it closer to the states and allow the states to handle that, that’s the whole point of what we’re doing, and what DOGE is about.”

On the Senate and House Appropriations Committees:

“Tom and I will work closely together with it… I felt like we could be more helpful being on Approps… With Tom there, we have real opportunities to get this stuff funded… If we’re going to be in this spot, I want to be as effective as possible. And I felt like that was a positive move for us. So, all these infrastructure projects, I’m well aware of them, and we’ll continue to try carrying them, to fight for them, with you guys.”

On DOGE cuts rumors:

“Now talking about DOGE, here’s what I tell all the different chambers that’s coming up here… don’t chase a rumor… I’ve got a great relationship with the President. I’ve also got an outstanding relationship with Pete Hegseth, who I consider a friend. I consider the President a friend. In fact, just about any nominee that’s out there, I promise you, or a Secretary out there, I have their cell phone, and all of them I have great relationships with… I can find out the answer. So, before you go and chase a rumor, just have someone call me and let’s ask about it. Let’s find out.”

“With transportation, I can tell you, Sean Duffy, they’re shrinking the size of the Department of Transportation too, just like they’re doing this stuff with Department of Ed, and it’s not that the money is going to go away. It’s that we feel like if we can get it closer to the state with transportation working with ODOT, rather than having some person in Washington, D.C. decide where the grants are going to go based on how the state voted.”

“So, with all this, it’s about pushing it closer to the state. The President says over and over again, he wants the dollar to go further.”

MIL OSI USA News –

April 10, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Now is the time to generate growth together with India
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

Press release

Now is the time to generate growth together with India

£400m of trade and investment wins from UK-India Economic and Financial Dialogue set to boost the British economy.
£400m of trade and investment wins set to boost the British economy and deliver economic growth and security for working people.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announces joint statement unlocking cooperation across a range of business sectors.

Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds and Minister Sitharaman bring together key business leaders from both the UK and India to drive economic growth.

£400m of trade and investment wins are set to boost the British economy and deliver economic growth and security for working people as the government vows to back British business through uncertain global times.

Today (Wednesday 09 April), the Chancellor took part in the 13th UK-India Economic and Financial Dialogue (EFD), marking a significant moment in unlocking opportunities as the two countries look to strengthen economic ties and secure a Free Trade Agreement and Bilateral Investment Treaty.

Rachel Reeves, Chancellor of the Exchequer, said:

In a changing world, it is imperative we go further and faster to kickstart economic growth. We have listened to British businesses, which is why we’re negotiating trade deals with countries across the world, including India, so we can support them and put more money in people’s pockets as part of our Plan for Change.

Our relationship with India is longstanding and broad and I am delighted with the progress made throughout this dialogue to develop it further.

Today’s EFD was Chancellor Reeves’ first with India. It saw the signing of a joint statement unlocking cooperation across a range of business sectors, including defence, financial services, education and development, and strengthened governmental collaboration across growth, economic resilience and international financial issues.

The government is working to make Britain the best country in the world to do business, already bringing in more stability, offering an open trading economy and creating the right conditions for investment.

At the London Stock Exchange today, the Chancellor and her Indian counterpart set out plans to generate growth, improve our Financial Services ties and deepen policy cooperation on the UK Industrial Strategy, tax, sustainable finance and illicit finance.

The total commercial package from this dialogue is made up of new announcements worth £128m in export deals and investments, as well as recent deals worth £271m. This includes:

Paytm, India’s largest digital payment app, announced plans to invest in the UK to accelerate access to affordable digital payments and credit for small businesses.

Barclays Bank PLC India announced on 18 March a further capital injection of over £210M into its Indian operations, affirming its long-term commitment to India. This capital investment will grow its businesses across the Investment and Private Banking in India.

HSBC Bank will expand its presence from the current 14 cities to 34 cities in India. This significant expansion will enable the bank to cover approximately 95% of India’s wealth market, reinforcing their commitment to India. 

Standard Chartered Bank today announced that it has shifted to larger office premises at GIFT City, reinforcing its long-term commitment to India’s premier international financial services hub.

Mphasis, an Indian tech business, are setting up a quantum centre of excellence in London and exploring an office in Nottingham which will support 100 jobs.

British International Investment Plc (BII) is committing $10m to the agritech start up, Grow Indigo, to pilot an innovative carbon credit programme to promote regenerative agricultural practices in India. 

WNS, a global digital-led business transformation services company founded in India with a $2.7bn market cap, will expand their London HQ presence with a new office and open a state-of-the-art AI design hub to expand the UK’s AI and digital talent pool to drive growth and create jobs.

Revolut announced that they are gearing up for launch in India later this year, following authorisation this week from Reserve Bank of India.

UK firm Wise announces plans to open a new office in Hyderabad, India as part of broader mission to transform the trillion-pound international money movement market.

Prudential’s announcement of launching their first fully owned global services hub in Bengaluru and third joint venture in India establishing a standalone health insurance business.

British International Investment invest $15m investment in vehicle dedicated to investing in India based on inclusion-focused early-stage companies.

The UK welcomes India paving the way to allow Indian companies to list internationally and exploring listing at the London Stock Exchange. The India-UK Financial Partnership published its report ‘Catalysing Bilateral Growth: Connecting India and the UK’s Equity Capital Markets report’. The report aims to lay the foundation for advancing capital account connectivity and strengthening confidence in both markets and will be presented following the EFD.

Coventry University announced today that it is set to become the first English university to be granted a licence to open a campus in India, as UK universities are being granted licences to open a campus in India’s new GIFT city. And the London School of Economics announced that Tata Trusts is continuing its enduring partnership with LSE by awarding a Corpus Grant to support scholarships for Indian students at the School.

Agreement for both sides to continue excellent collaboration as co-chairs of the G20’s Framework Working Group and to work closely together to promote discussion and build consensus around responses to risks to the global macroeconomic outlook.

New ambitions set for joint investments in green enterprises, tech start-ups and climate adaptation building on the success of the UK-India Green Growth Equity Fund (GGEF).

Secretary of State for Business and Trade Jonathan Reynolds and Minister Sitharaman also today hosted a business roundtable, bringing together key leaders from the financial and professional business services sectors including Tide, HSBC, Aviva, Vodafone, WNS, and Mizuho International. Attendees recognised the strength of the economic relationship between the UK and India, as well as the opportunity for closer collaboration – including through an ambitious trade deal.

Areas for collaboration on defence were also identified, as both sides looked forward to the finalisation of the India-UK Defence Industrial Roadmap, set to strengthen ties between industrial sectors and integrate supply chains.

Secretary of State for Business and Trade Jonathan Reynolds said:

I was delighted to meet with Minister Sitharaman, hear from businesses, and discuss how we can strengthen the strong economic bonds between our two nations.

Both the UK and India are committed to delivering economic growth and giving businesses the confidence and stability they need to expand.

That is why we are continuing to negotiate towards an ambitious trade deal that unlocks opportunities both at home and abroad for British businesses and supports our Plan for Change.

The UK and India have strong economic, cultural, and education links, with India being a key trading partner for the UK with over £40bn worth of UK-India trade last year alone. The UK’s long-standing programme of EFDs with India is the critical forum to deliver continuous economic gains over time.

The EFD follows a recent visit to Delhi by Jonathan Reynolds, the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, which relaunched UK-India trade negotiations.

Keshav R. Murugesh, Group CEO, WNS said:

The UK and India stand as natural partners, and this re-energized trade and investment relationship marks a pivotal stride in our already strong alliance. The potential before us is immense. By formalizing our collaboration in pioneering fields like AI, we will not only fuel innovation and generate high-skilled jobs in both our nations, but also solidify our joint leadership in this transformative era. This is indeed a thrilling chapter for the UK-India partnership.

Bill Winters, Group Chief Executive, Standard Chartered said:

In the face of global developments, it is imperative that we think creatively and act in partnership. The UK and India’s focus on strengthening financial ties and deepening cooperation between our governments, regulators, industry leaders and experts, plays an important role in driving economic progress, setting global benchmarks for stability and innovation and paving the way for greater trade and investment in both countries.

The Rt Hon The Lord Mayor of London, Alderman Alastair King,

We had a highly constructive discussion with Hon. Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and The Rt. Hon. Jonathan Reynolds, joined by leaders from across the financial services sector. There is a strong, shared commitment to deepen our economic partnership and drive greater prosperity—particularly in key areas such as green finance, infrastructure investment, and fintech.

Global trade is entering a new era, where strategic alliances and trade agreements are more crucial than ever. As we look ahead to the UK-India Economic and Financial Dialogue and continue FTA negotiations, our focus remains on sustaining momentum and delivering tangible outcomes in the months to come.”

David Schwimmer, CEO, LSEG said:

LSEG is honoured to host the 13th UK-India Economic and Financial Dialogue at the London Stock Exchange as part of our continued support for initiatives that promote collaboration and connectivity between UK and Indian financial markets. Through deepened partnership, the governments and regulators from both countries can help to build an environment which delivers real benefits to their financial markets and economies.

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Published 9 April 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
April 10, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Pennsylvania Man Sentenced to Federal Prison in Large-Scale COVID-19 Pandemic Loan Scheme

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

A Pennsylvania man who organized a large scheme to defraud the federal government out of COVID-19 pandemic loan moneys in 2021 was sentenced today to more than six years in federal prison. Alhaji Kundu Aly, age 35, from Chester, Pennsylvania, formerly of Liberia, received the prison term after a June 14, 2024, guilty plea to one count of wire fraud.

In a plea agreement, and at the sentencing hearing, Aly admitted that, in 2021, he and others recruited and assisted various individuals in the Northern District of Iowa and elsewhere to apply for Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loans for which they did not actually qualify, in exchange for a fee. False, fraudulent, and fictitious documents and statements were submitted to various lending institutions in support of the PPP loans for the PPP applicants. After the PPP applicants received the fraudulent PPP loans, it was part of the scheme to demand a portion of the PPP moneys from the PPP applicants and, if necessary, Aly traveled to demand payment in person. Aly traveled to Iowa and demanded payment in person from a PPP applicant. Aly admitted at his sentencing hearing that he was responsible for approximately $3.5 million in loss based on more than 170 fraudulent PPP loans as a result of the scheme to defraud.

Aly was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Aly was sentenced to 78 months’ imprisonment. He was ordered to make $3,478,781 in restitution the Small Business Administration and two PPP lenders. Aly must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

Aly was released on a bond previously set and is to surrender to the United States Marshal on April 28, 2025, at 10 a.m., in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy L. Vavricek and was investigated by the Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations, and U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration assisted the investigation.

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

The case file number is 23-CR-9.

Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

MIL Security OSI –

April 10, 2025
MIL-OSI: BexBack: Double Your Deposit, Get $50 Bonus, and Trade with 100x Leverage – No KYC Required!

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

SINGAPORE, April 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As Bitcoin continues to trade below $85,000 and analysts predict that the crypto market will remain volatile, holding spot positions may not generate short-term profits. Recent economic shifts, including policy announcements such as President Trump’s tariff decisions, have brought some stabilization, but the volatility remains. For investors seeking to maximize returns in these uncertain times, BexBack Exchange offers a powerful solution. With 100x leverage, a 100% deposit bonus, and a $50 welcome bonus for new users, BexBack empowers traders to seize market opportunities. And with no KYC requirements, it provides a seamless and efficient way to trade.

What Is 100x Leverage and How Does It Work?

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

Suppose the Bitcoin price is $60,000 that day, and you open a long contract with 1 BTC. After using 100x leverage, the transaction amount is equivalent to 100 BTC.

One day later, if the price rises to $63,000, your profit will be (63,000 – 60,000) * 100 BTC / 60,000 = 5 BTC, a yield of up to 500%.

With BexBack’s deposit bonus

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

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

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

About BexBack?

BexBack is a leading cryptocurrency derivatives platform that offers 100x leverage on BTC, ETH, ADA, SOL, XRP, and more than 50 other major altcoins. Headquartered in Singapore, with offices in Hong Kong, Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Argentina, BexBack holds a US MSB (Money Services Business) license and is trusted by over 500,000 traders worldwide. The platform accepts users from the United States, Canada, and Europe, and offers no deposit fees, along with exceptional customer service, including 24/7 support.

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Take Action Now—Don’t Miss Another Opportunity!

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

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The MIL Network –

April 10, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Carter Introduces Bill to Cut through Red Tape to Fix Bus Driver Shortage

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative John R Carter (R-TX-31)

Representative John Carter (TX-31) introduced H.R. 2360, the Driving Forward Act, in the House this week. The bill aims to end a burdensome regulation that requires prospective bus drivers to pass an under-the-hood mechanics test to get behind the wheel.

Representative John Carter (TX-31) introduced H.R. 2360, the Driving Forward Act, in the House this week. The bill aims to end a burdensome regulation that requires prospective bus drivers to pass an under-the-hood mechanics test to get behind the wheel.

“When I was in law school, I was a school bus driver,” said Representative John Carter. “This profession is filled with people who understand what it means to show up early, work hard, and care for kids. Across the country, there are stories of students being unable to get to school because of bus driver shortages. The most basic requirement for a student to learn is simply being at school. Still, federal bureaucrats created a rule requiring a mechanics test that keeps otherwise qualified individuals out of the profession. We need to eliminate unnecessary bureaucratic regulations to fix the nationwide bus driver shortage. My bill makes the current exemption permanent to do just that.”

The bill is endorsed by the National School Transportation Association (NSTA), School Superintendent Association (AASA), National Rural Education Association (NREA), National Association for Pupil Transportation (NAPT), Association of School Business Officials (ASBO), and Association of Education Service Agencies (AESA).

“The National School Transportation Association (NSTA) strongly supports the Driving Forward Act as one method to help alleviate the school bus driver shortage. The existing temporary exemptions from the under-the-hood testing requirement have been proven to increase the number of newly licensed school bus drivers without compromising safety. NSTA believes making the exemption permanent will encourage more states to adopt it and lay the groundwork to license even more school bus drivers, which ultimately allows more children access to the safest way to and from school, the yellow school bus. NSTA thanks Representative John Carter for his leadership on the Driving Forward Act as well as Chairman Tom Cole, Chairman Jason Smith, Chairwoman Virginia Foxx, and Representatives David Valadao, Troy Nehls, and Keith Self for cosponsoring the bill and looks forward to seeing it get enacted into law,” said Curt Macysyn, Executive Director of the National School Transportation Association.

Original cosponsors of the legislation are Representatives Tom Cole (OK-04), Jason Smith (MO-08), Virginia Foxx (NC-05), David Valadao (CA-22), Troy Nehls (TX-22), and Keith Self (TX-03). Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) is expected to introduce the Senate companion bill soon.

MIL OSI USA News –

April 10, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Further Prosperity Funding to benefit Winchester district organisations

Source: City of Winchester

Winchester City Council has been awarded a further £327,000 under the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and £223,500 under the Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF) following the UK Government’s decision to extend both funds for an extra year.

Micheldever Village Store owner Rajeev Sangroula recently installed new solar panels on his shop with help from Prosperity funding

Businesses and not-for-profit organisations are being invited to apply for UKSPF grants between 10 April and 25 May, with the REPF opening a little later in April until early June.

Through the funds, organisations can apply for between £25,000 and £50,000, with commercial businesses required to match-fund their projects. Larger or smaller sums may be considered at the council’s discretion and projects must be completed before 28 February 2026.

Eligible projects must meet at least one of the government’s key themes of Community and Place, Local Business Support and People and Skills.

In the last three years, the city council has used the funding to support 60 projects that are helping to make a lasting impact on the health, wealth and look of the district.

Some of the projects that have already been supported include new exhibits at Marwell Wildlife and the Winchester Science Centre as well as equipment for a local stonemason and ceramicist and an extensive programme of solar panelling that is expected to save around 50 tonnes of CO2 per year

For more information about the funding, including priority areas for investment, timing and other considerations can be found on Winchester City Council’s website www.winchester.gov.uk/UKSPF-REPF.

New solar panels on Micheldever Village Store

Any business or organisation, including not-for-profit and community groups with a project they want to discuss, can contact prosperity@winchester.gov.uk for advice and information on how to apply.

Image captions: Rajeev Sangroula, owner of Micheldever Village Store, received a grant to install new solar panels on his shop.

More information about projects that have already been supported, including quotes from businesses and organisations that have received funding, can be found on the Winchester City Council website at www.winchester.gov.uk/UKSPF-REPF.

Last Updated: Wednesday 9 April 2025

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

April 10, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Trahan, Blumenthal Lead Bipartisan, Bicameral Legislation to Strengthen Research & Treatment Development for Brain Cancers

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Lori Trahan (D-MA-03)

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03), a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Health Subcommittee, and U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) reintroduced the Bolstering Research and Innovation Now (BRAIN) Act, bipartisan legislation to strengthen research and treatment development for brain tumors and to improve the accessibility of brain tumor health care. U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI), John Barrasso (R-WY) and Mike Rounds (R-SD), as well as Representatives Kim Schrier (D-WA-08), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-08) and John Joyce (R-PA-13) joined Trahan and Blumenthal in introducing the bicameral legislation.
“Too many families across our communities have faced the devastating reality of a brain tumor diagnosis. With more than a million Americans currently battling malignant brain tumors, we must act with urgency and purpose,” said Congresswoman Trahan. “The bipartisan BRAIN Act will accelerate life-saving research, drive innovation in treatment, and expand support for survivors – offering hope to patients and their loved ones.”
Today, more than one million people in the United States are living with a primary brain tumor. Another 94,000 more will likely be diagnosed in 2025, in addition to hundreds of thousands of Americans diagnosed with metastatic brain cancer. Despite major improvements made in the treatment of other cancers in recent years, incidence and survival rates for malignant brain tumors have remained stagnant for 45 years, with a five-year relative survival rate of only 35.7%.
“Our son Will was a remarkable and driven young man—accomplishing so much, including earning two master’s degrees while undergoing treatment for a brain tumor,” said Arlene Gluck, a Concord, Massachusetts resident. “Sadly, there is still no cure for brain tumors. That’s why we’re thankful to Representative Lori Trahan for sponsoring the BRAIN Act, which supports innovative, collaborative research and enhanced survivorship care among its key initiatives. We remain hopeful that our advocacy will help bring meaningful change for those who face this devastating disease in the future.”
“Our bipartisan, bicameral legislation promotes research and development for brain cancer treatment to help Americans suffering from this viscous form of cancer,” said Senator Blumenthal. “Stagnant incidence and survival rates that have persisted for decades make it all the more clear—we must redouble our efforts to defeat brain tumors once and for all.”
“A brain tumor diagnosis is devastating news for too many American families, and the federal government needs to step up to help find a cure and better diagnostics and treatment. The BRAIN Act is about saving lives, changing lives, and improving health outcomes. It would help fast-track scientific discovery and breakthroughs by improving access to clinical trials for patients and advancing innovative new treatments. It would also make it easier for researchers to access biospecimens for new research on brain tumors and fund more clinical trials for the most aggressive, hard-to-treat brain tumors,” said Senator Reed. “This bipartisan bill would also establish new programs and research for brain tumor survivors to improve quality of life and ensure appropriate follow up care over the long term.”
“After losing my wife, Bobbi, to glioblastoma, I know firsthand how tragic a brain tumor diagnosis can be for patients and their families. Raising awareness and supporting efforts to find a cure is a personal priority for me,” said Senator Barrasso. “I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing this bipartisan, bicameral legislation to advance treatments and support research to find a cure for these deadly diagnoses.”
“For me, the fight against cancer is personal. When my late wife Jean was courageously battling cancer a few years ago, we were already seeing encouraging progress in the development of new treatments for many cancers,” said Senator Rounds. “I firmly believe we are years, not decades, away from seeing cures to many of the most deadly cancers. The BRAIN Act will allow us to continue capitalizing on the progress we have made so far by implementing programs and funding that will advance research and treatments for brain tumors. I am glad to be joining a bipartisan group of my colleagues on this legislation.”
“As a pediatrician, I know brain tumors are the leading cause of cancer related deaths in children. That’s why we need the BRAIN Act signed into law – to invest in brain cancer research, provide new treatment options and hope for families, and ensure transparency in this public health investment.” said Congresswoman Schrier, M.D.
“The BRAIN Act marks a major leap forward in the fight against brain tumors and rare cancers,” said Congressman Fitzpatrick. “For too long, patients and families have faced these devastating diagnoses with limited options. This bipartisan bill drives innovation, strengthens collaboration, and ensures greater transparency and support for those affected. By investing in research and accelerating progress, the BRAIN Act brings us closer to breakthroughs—and ultimately, a cure.”
“Thousands of Americans are diagnosed with fatal brain tumors every year, yet there are very few treatments available,” said Congressman John Joyce, M.D. “Like so many throughout the country, I have experienced firsthand the pain these brain tumors can cause for families and patients alike, and as a physician, I understand how critical medical innovations are to give patients hope and to save American lives. I am proud to join the BRAIN Act, which will encourage further advancements in the treatment of cancerous brain tumors, giving hope to so many patients.”
In order to reduce mortality rates and make meaningful progress against brain tumors, better-funded and collaborative research is needed. The BRAIN Act takes a comprehensive, complementary approach to meet this need and further advance research for these aggressive, hard-to-treat cancers.
Specifically, the BRAIN Act:

Increases transparency of federally-funded biobank collections so that researchers are aware of others who possess samples that might be shared to enable important research.
Sufficiently resources the National Cancer Institute’s Glioblastoma Therapeutics Network, so that it can realize its promise of vetting treatments and completing innovative early-phase clinical trials.
Enables team science to advance immunotherapy research (CAR-T) engineered to attack brain cancer cells.
Directs the Centers for Disease Control to conduct a public education campaign around the importance of clinical trials and biomarker testing in cancer treatment.
Augments and expands funding to develop innovative systems of care models for brain tumor survivors.
Directs FDA to issue guidance to ensure brain tumor and other rare and recalcitrant cancer patient access to clinical trials evaluating treatments for other diseases.

“This is a landmark bill for the brain tumor community,” said David Arons, President & Chief Executive Officer of the National Brain Tumor Society. “As far as we know, the BRAIN Act represents the first piece of legislation introduced in Congress specifically designed to target policy solutions at the many barriers impeding progress for brain and other rare and difficult-to-treat cancers. We thank Senators Blumenthal, Barrasso, Reed, and Rounds, as well as Representatives Trahan, Fitzpatrick, Schrier, and Joyce, for realizing the major unmet needs of this community and championing policies that support brain tumor patients, survivors, families, and the research poised for breakthroughs ahead.”
“In my 12-year career as a practicing neuro-oncologist and clinical researcher, I’ve seen first-hand the devastating toll that brain tumors take on patients and families,” said Nicholas Blondin, MD, Associate Professor of Neurology at Yale School of Medicine. “I’ve also witnessed transformative changes in the way we treat other cancers, such as breast cancer, lung cancer and melanoma. Unfortunately, we have not experienced the same level of progress in the tools and treatment options for patients with malignant brain tumors. More concerted policies to adequately fund cutting-edge research, paired with initiatives to raise awareness about the advances that are currently happening in diagnostics and clinical trials, are essential. New models for addressing the challenges patients face in their brain tumor journey will greatly benefit efforts in the field of neuro-oncology to catch up to the progress we have seen in treating other cancers.”
A section by section for the BRAIN Act is available HERE and a one-page summary of the bill is available HERE.
###

MIL OSI USA News –

April 10, 2025
MIL-OSI: Building a Team for Growth: The Bank of Glen Burnie Promotes Jonathan Shearin to Chief Lending Officer and Names Jeff Welch Executive Vice President and Chief Credit Officer

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

GLEN BURNIE, Md., April 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Bank of Glen Burnie^®, a wholly owned subsidiary of Glen Burnie Bancorp (NASDAQ: GLBZ), announced today the expansion of its lending team to position the Bank to carry out its growth strategy focused on growing the commercial banking and lending portfolios. Jonathan Shearin, who previously served in the role of vice president and director of commercial banking, was promoted to the role of chief lending officer effective March 13, 2025. Jeff Welch was named executive vice president and chief credit officer effective March 31, 2025.

“Jonathan hit the ground running and has made a significant impact to our loan portfolio since joining the bank in 2024,” said Mark C. Hanna, President and CEO. “Jonathan is out in our community every day building relationships in Anne Arundel County and the surrounding areas while constantly looking for opportunities to help local businesses obtain the financial expertise and tools they need to grow their own businesses. His energy and leadership, combined with his early success, made him a natural fit to assume the role of chief lending officer. In his new role, Shearin will be focused on driving sales and revenue to maximize return on capital invested in loans and achieve profitability. He will be tasked with helping to develop the Bank’s lending strategy, building relationships, supervising our commercial lending team, and overseeing loan production and growth objectives.”

“I’m honored to step into this role and lead our lending team as we continue to support the businesses and communities we serve,” said Shearin. “Our focus remains on building strong client relationships, providing tailored financing strategies, and driving sustainable growth for the businesses and communities we serve. I look forward to working alongside our team to strengthen our market position and create new opportunities for long-term success.”

As the Bank builds out its leadership team tasked with growing commercial loans and deposits, Jeff Welch joins The Bank of Glen Burnie in the newly created role of chief credit officer and will also serve as executive vice president. A seasoned banking executive, Welch brings more than 40 years of progressive risk management, lending, and sales management experience to lead efforts to effectively manage credit risk and help ensure the soundness of the Bank’s loan portfolio. His responsibilities as chief credit officer will include evaluating loan applications, regulatory compliance related to credit risk, and overseeing credit administration.

Welch most recently served as executive vice president and chief credit officer at Burke & Herbert Bank, headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, where he was responsible for the Credit Risk Management and Loan Administration Divisions. Welch has spent the entirety of his banking career in progressive leadership roles at financial institutions located in the Baltimore and Washington D.C. corridor, bringing a wealth of expertise about the banking environment, the economy and the credit needs of the area.

Welch holds a Master of Business Administration in finance from Marymount University and is a graduate of The Pennsylvania State University where he earned a Bachelor of Science in operations management.

“We are thrilled to welcome Jeff to The Bank of Glen Burnie,” remarked Hanna. “His proven track record in developing and implementing strategic plans at all levels combined with his relationship building skills will prove invaluable to us as we look to grow and thrive as we set the pace for growth during our next 75 years of community banking in Anne Arundel County. Jeff’s recent retirement from Burke & Herbert Bank presented us with an opportunity to recruit a highly experienced chief credit officer with extensive experience in credit policy and risk management/portfolio oversight in addition to sales management, financial analysis, and project management expertise. Jeff is well suited to help shape The Bank of Glen Burnie’s strategic direction. We have built a stellar lending team, and I am confident that together Jonathan and Jeff will lead this team to new heights and help The Bank of Glen Burnie significantly expand our loan portfolio while successfully managing risk.”

“I am excited to join The Bank of Glen Burnie at a time when we are poised to execute our strategic planning lending objectives focused on growing our loan portfolio,” said Welch. “We have an outstanding lending team, and I look forward to working together to build new relationships in the community and to meet the credit needs of local business owners in our market.”

About Glen Burnie Bancorp

Glen Burnie Bancorp is a bank holding company headquartered in Glen Burnie, Maryland. Founded in 1949, The Bank of Glen Burnie^® is a locally owned community bank with seven Anne Arundel County branches. The Bank is engaged in commercial and retail banking, including accepting demand and time deposits and originating loans to individuals, associations, partnerships, and corporations. The Bank’s real estate financing consists of residential first and second mortgage loans, home equity lines of credit and commercial mortgage loans. The Bank also originates automobile loans through arrangements with local automobile dealers. Additional information is available at thebankofglenburnie.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

The statements contained herein that are not historical financial information may be deemed to constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, which could cause the company’s actual results in the future to differ materially from its historical results and those presently anticipated or projected. These statements are evidenced by terms such as “anticipate,” “estimate,” “should,” “expect,” “believe,” “intend,” and similar expressions. Although these statements reflect management’s good faith beliefs and projections, they are not guarantees of future performance and they may not prove true. For a more complete discussion of these and other risk factors, please see the Company’s reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The MIL Network –

April 10, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam to Speak at UConn Law 2025 Commencement

Source: US State of Connecticut

Arunan Arulampalam, mayor of the City of Hartford, will deliver the commencement address as the UConn School of Law celebrates the Class of 2025 on Sunday, May 18.

“It is an honor to have Mayor Arulampalam, a leader who has tirelessly worked to revitalize Hartford, as our commencement speaker,” Dean Eboni S. Nelson says. “Many of this year’s graduates have provided legal services to underserved individuals in Hartford through our clinics and pro bono programs, making them key partners in the vital work being done to strengthen our local community. Considering the mayor’s distinguished career of service and advancing justice, his personal and professional journeys will serve as tremendous inspiration for our graduates as they begin their legal careers.”

The son of Sri Lankan refugees, Arulampalam was born in Zimbabwe and made a home and a family in Hartford after graduate school. Prior to being elected mayor in November 2023, he served as CEO of the Hartford Land Bank, where he developed a first-in-the-nation program to train Hartford residents to become local developers and tackle blight in their city.

Arulampalam served in Governor Ned Lamont’s administration as Deputy Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection. Before that, he was a lawyer at the downtown firm Updike, Kelly & Spellacy, P.C. Arulampalam also served on the Board of the Hartford Public Library, the House of Bread, and on the Hartford Redevelopment Authority. He earned his BA in International Studies from Emory University and his JD from Quinnipiac University School of Law.

“It is an incredible honor to join the UConn School of Law community and celebrate the Class of 2025,” Arulampalam says. “These graduates represent the future of justice and advocacy, and their commitment to serving others, particularly through their work in Hartford, inspires hope for a stronger, more equitable society. As they embark on this next chapter, I am confident they will continue to make a profound impact on our city, our state, and beyond.”

The University of Connecticut School of Law will hold its 102nd commencement on Sunday, May 18, 2025, at 10 a.m. on the law school campus. The Class of 2025 includes nearly 200 graduates receiving JDs, LLMs, and SJD degrees. For more information, please visit our commencement site.

MIL OSI USA News –

April 10, 2025
MIL-OSI: LPL Financial Welcomes Trimp Wealth Management

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

SAN DIEGO, April 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — LPL Financial LLC announced today that father and son financial advisors Patrick Trimp, CFP®, and Jack Trimp, ChFC®, of Trimp Wealth Management have joined LPL Financial’s broker-dealer, Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) and custodial platforms. They reported serving approximately $220 million in advisory, brokerage and retirement plan assets* and join LPL from Nations Financial Group, Inc.

Based in Idaho Falls, Idaho, Patrick transitioned to the wealth management industry in 1999 after a decade of service in the U.S. Navy, during which he completed nuclear power training and was assigned to the USS Hammerhead, a fast-attack submarine. It was during his time in the Navy that Patrick was inspired to pivot his career, marrying his background in math with the intrigue of financial strategy.

In 2008, he launched Trimp Wealth Management with the goal of helping his clients achieve their financial objectives through education, strategic planning and a commitment to their success. Jack joined his father’s practice in 2019, and together, they take a client-centered approach to helping their clients build sound financial futures.

“Being able to add value for my clients’ financial wellness is the best part of the job,” Patrick said. “We’re here to guide our clients in making smart and strategic decisions about their finances and help them pursue their goals. We get to know our clients on a deeply personal level, and we are proud that most of our clients come to us through referrals.”

It was the pair’s desire to provide a more elevated and streamlined client experience that led them to LPL Financial.

“We spent more than three years looking for a new partner, so you could say we really did our due diligence. In the end, the decision to partner with LPL was the obvious choice,” Jack said. “What really stood out to us was LPL’s integrated and open architecture platform where we can access everything with a single sign-on as well as their ongoing commitment to meeting the evolving needs of advisors. We are confident that making the move to LPL is the right decision for our business and our clients.”

The Trimps are active in their community and believe strongly in the importance of volunteering. Patrick is an active member in his church and Jack served as a missionary to South Africa, Uganda and South Sudan, working in refugee camps with Youth With A Mission (YWAM), a non-profit Christian organization.

Scott Posner, LPL Executive Vice President, Business Development, said, “We welcome Patrick and Jack to the LPL community and wish them success with this next chapter of their business. As their partner, we are committed to delivering innovative technology, integrated platforms and strategic resources to help them seamlessly run their practice and provide an elevated client experience. We look forward to supporting Trimp Wealth Management for years to come.”

Related

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

About LPL Financial

LPL Financial Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: LPLA) is among the fastest growing wealth management firms in the U.S. As a leader in the financial advisor-mediated marketplace, LPL supports nearly 29,000 financial advisors and the wealth management practices of approximately 1,200 financial institutions, servicing and custodying approximately $1.7 trillion in brokerage and advisory assets on behalf of approximately 6 million Americans. The firm provides a wide range of advisor affiliation models, investment solutions, fintech tools and practice management services, ensuring that advisors and institutions have the flexibility to choose the business model, services, and technology resources they need to — run thriving businesses. For further information about LPL, please visit www.lpl.com.

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

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

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

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

Media Contact:
Media.relations@LPLFinancial.com

Tracking #714926

The MIL Network –

April 10, 2025
MIL-OSI: Viridien: Availability of the preparatory documents for the Combined General Meeting
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Viridien

Société anonyme with a share capital of € 7,161,465

Registered office : 27 avenue Carnot, 91300 Massy, France

Evry Trade and Company Register No. 969 202 241

AVAILABILITY AND CONSULTATION OF THE PREPARATORY DOCUMENTS FOR THE VIRIDIEN COMBINED GENERAL MEETING OF WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30, 2025

Paris, France – April 9, 2025

The Combined General Meeting of Viridien (the “Company”) will be held on

Wednesday, April 30, 2025 at 10.30 a.m.

at Cloud Business Center, 10 bis rue du Quatre Septembre, 75002 Paris, France.

The meeting notice published in the Bulletin des Annonces Légales Obligatoires (BALO) on Monday, March 24, 2025 (Bulletin n°36) contains the agenda, draft resolutions and main terms and conditions for taking part in and voting at the Meeting. The convening notice will be published on Friday, April 11, 2025 in the BALO (Bulletin n°44) as well as in Le Parisien.

The preparatory documents and information relating to the Combined General Meeting will be kept available for the Company’s shareholders in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. The documents and information listed under article R. 22-10-23 of the French Commercial Code are available on the Company’s website at the following address: https://www.viridiengroup.com/investors/shareholders/general-meetings.

In accordance with Article R. 22-10-29-1 of the French Commercial Code, the General Meeting will be broadcast live in its entirety in the 2025 Shareholders’ Meeting section of the Company’s website: htps://www.viridiengroup.com/investors/shareholders/general-meetings.

Contact Viridien : General Secretary, 27 avenue Carnot, 91300 Massy, France
general.secretary@viridiengroup.com

Attachment
- 2025.04.09 – Availability of the preparatory documents for the AGM – vF Notified
The MIL Network –
April 10, 2025
MIL-OSI: Community Bankshares Inc. Reports Over $69 Million in Government Guaranteed Lending in Q1 Across 14 States

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

LAGRANGE, Ga., April 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Community Bankshares, Inc., the holding company of Phoenix Lender Services, Thomas Financial Group, and Community Bank & Trust, announced today the successful deployment of over $69 million in Small Business Administration (SBA) and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) backed loans through the end of Q1 2025. The financing activity spans 14 states, reflecting the company’s growing national presence and commitment to delivering critical capital to underserved and rural communities.

Together, the loans will help create over 400 new jobs and retain more than 350 while enabling key infrastructure expansion, debt refinancing, and facility upgrades for small to mid-sized businesses.

The lending activity included 17 SBA loans totaling over $23 million, funded by Community Bank & Trust, with origination, underwriting, and closing assisted by Phoenix Lender Services and Thomas Financial Group through their Lender Service Provider (LSP) relationship. Furthermore, Phoenix Lender Services helped to originate, underwrite, and close another $46.7 million in USDA-backed loans.

“This is exactly the type of impact we built Phoenix Lender Services to deliver,” said Chris Hurn, President of Community Bankshares and President & CEO of Phoenix Lender Services. “We are proud to empower community banks with the tools and expertise they need to deliver transformative capital into rural, urban, and working-class communities — especially when it strengthens supply chains, creates jobs, and preserves family-run businesses.”

Phoenix Lender Services serves as the Lender Service Provider (LSP) on SBA, USDA, and commercial loans, overseeing eligibility, origination, underwriting, packaging, closing, compliance, and servicing to ensure a seamless borrower and lender experience.

“Phoenix Lender Services was instrumental in helping us deploy this capital efficiently and effectively,” said Steve Jefferies, President & CEO of Community Bank & Trust. “They bring unmatched knowledge of SBA and USDA lending, and our partnership allows us to expand our reach and serve more businesses across our communities nationwide.”

Their growing national presence included financing business owners in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, New York, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, South Carolina, and Wisconsin — and spans industries such as food logistics, manufacturing, healthcare, petroleum, distribution and specialty retail.

“Securing a loan through Community Bank & Trust, with the support of Phoenix Lender Services, made it possible for us to acquire Firm Foundations Framing—marking a pivotal moment in our journey,” said Ed Black, President of Firm Foundations Framing. “As a construction company building between 750 and 1,000 homes annually across Georgia, this acquisition enables us to retain and grow a business that directly impacts hundreds of lives. More importantly, it fulfills a lifelong dream of business ownership and lays the groundwork for continued growth and opportunity within our communities.”

“This isn’t our first time working with Thomas Financial Group—and for good reason. We wouldn’t be where we are today without their support,” said Kevin Durling, President of Petroleum Equipment & Services, Inc. “The company’s expertise and understanding of the USDA process are unmatched.”

About Community Bankshares, Inc. (CBI)
Community Bankshares, Inc., is a dynamic bank holding company revolutionizing the financial landscape through its support for America’s small and mid-sized businesses. As a mission-focused company, CBI is redefining how lending capital is provided across the nation and its territories in ways that promote business stability and encourage local area prosperity. In doing so, CBI fosters economic growth, job creation and retention, and community strength.

About Phoenix Lender Services (PHX)
Based in Georgia and serving clients nationwide, Phoenix Lender Services offers a comprehensive suite of commercial lending solutions, including loan originating, underwriting, closing, and servicing; participant lender matching (USDA); secondary market sales; portfolio management; risk analysis; and compliance reviews and regulatory support. PHX’s seasoned professionals combine extensive industry expertise in SBA and USDA government-guaranteed lending (over 700 combined years) with industry-leading technologies to deliver tailored solutions that align with each client’s unique strategic goals. PHX is a wholly owned subsidiary of CBI.

About Thomas Financial Group (TFG)
Thomas Financial Group, located in Atlanta, Georgia, is a nationally recognized leader in providing innovative and comprehensive commercial lending solutions tailored to meet the unique needs of rural and underserved communities across America. With over 40 years of experience in originating and packaging loans within the USDA and SBA government-guaranteed lending space, TFG’s highly capable team helps clients successfully navigate even the most complex financing scenarios to meet the needs of our nation’s businesses. TFG is a wholly owned subsidiary of CBI.

About Community Bank & Trust (CB&T)
Community Bank & Trust, a subsidiary of Community Bankshares Inc., is a trusted financial institution dedicated to serving individuals, families, and businesses across its service area and nationwide. Headquartered in LaGrange, GA, CB&T is committed to leveraging its rural roots to empower local consumers and commercial entities, as well as underserved groups and communities, with a broad slate of accessible, personalized banking solutions while also reaching a diverse and growing nationwide audience.

MEDIA CONTACT

Hannah Williams
Uproar PR by Moburst for Community Bank Shares, Inc.
hannah.williams@moburst.com

The MIL Network –

April 10, 2025
MIL-OSI: Wix Launches Astro, an AI-powered Assistant for Site and Business Management
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Astro transforms the Wix dashboard experience, simplifying site and business management and helping to improve efficiency

NEW YORK – Wix.com Ltd. (NASDAQ: WIX), the leading SaaS website builder platform globally¹, today announced the launch of Astro, its AI-powered business assistant. This innovative tool simplifies the user experience by allowing users to query and perform various business and back-office tasks directly from the chat interface. Astro marks the beginning of a series of agents that will be rolled out to Wix users, setting the stage for enhanced productivity and providing more opportunities to monetize and grow their businesses.

Astro provides users with seamless access to essential tools and insights, enhancing efficiency and simplifying site operations. Integrated throughout the dashboard, the assistant allows users to ask questions, optimize site settings, complete tasks, and discover useful features. By guiding users toward relevant tools and add-ons, Astro is expected to drive app installations, increase package upgrades, and encourage the adoption of premium features, ultimately improving collections and helping reduce churn.

“Astro seamlessly integrates powerful capabilities into a single interface, making it easier than ever for users to manage their businesses efficiently,” said Guy Sopher, Head of the AI Platform Group at Wix. “With this being the largest collection of skills we’ve ever incorporated into a single assistant at Wix, boasting hundreds of different skills and capabilities, with more added every day, Astro acts as a trusted guide, Astro provides real-time insights and personalized recommendations to help users optimize their sites. By streamlining workflows and simplifying access to essential tools, it empowers users to accomplish more in less time. As they engage more deeply with the platform’s features, they can ultimately unlock greater opportunities for growth, visibility, and business success.”

Capabilities of the business assistant include:
- Data-Driven Insights & Optimization: Users can track their site’s performance, analyze visitor behavior, and generate reports to gain valuable insights. Astro helps monitor website traffic, assess sales trends, and evaluate SEO performance to optimize growth strategies.
- Creative Content Creation: Astro enables users to create and manage blog posts, incorporate media, email marketing and marketing content for different social media platforms. It also supports setting up structured online programs for training or learning, ensuring content is well-organized and easily discoverable by search engines.
- Drive Business Expansion: Users can leverage Astro to expand business opportunities by adding new products, exploring dropshipping options, and customizing site services.
- Seamlessly Manage Subscriptions and Permissions: Users can manage their site’s premium plans, receive personalized plan recommendations, and access billing history, invoices, and transaction details. Additionally, users can easily manage roles and permissions and invite collaborators to the site.
Astro is for Wix and Wix Studio users in English, gradually rolling out in other languages. Learn more about Wix’s AI solutions here.

About Wix.com Ltd.

Wix is the leading SaaS website builder platform¹ to create, manage and grow a digital presence. Founded in 2006, Wix is a comprehensive platform providing users – self-creators, agencies, enterprises, and more – with industry-leading performance, security, AI capabilities and a reliable infrastructure. Offering a wide range of commerce and business solutions, advanced SEO and marketing tools, the platform enables users to take full ownership of their brand, their data and their relationships with their customers. With a focus on continuous innovation and delivery of new features and products, users can seamlessly build a powerful and high-end digital presence for themselves or their clients.

For more about Wix, please visit our Press Room
Media Relations Contact: PR@wix.com

¹ Based on number of active live sites as reported by competitors’ figures, independent third-party data and internal data as of H1 2024.

Attachments
- Wix Launches Astro, an AI-powered Assistant for Site and Business Management
- Astro provides users with seamless access to essential tools and insights, enhancing efficiency and simplifying site operations.
The MIL Network –
April 10, 2025
MIL-OSI: Spine Wave Announces the Commercial Launch of Tempest® DCF Demineralized Cortical Fibers

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

SHELTON, Conn., April 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Spine Wave is pleased to announce the successful completion of its limited market release of Tempest® DCF Demineralized Cortical Fibers and its entry into the cortical fiber segment of the spinal allograft market. This appealing new allograft broadens Spine Wave’s position in the large and growing spinal biologics market and well complements its established biologics and graft delivery portfolio. Tempest® DCF Demineralized Cortical Fibers is now fully launched and available from Spine Wave, effective immediately.

Tempest® DCF Demineralized Cortical Fibers is composed entirely of human allograft cortical bone with osteoconductive and osteoinductive potential. Because no carrier materials are included, surgeons are confident that they are getting the absolute most from each graft. The proprietary processing technology used to formulate Tempest® DCF Demineralized Cortical Fibers maintains tissue integrity and maximizes allograft surface area for cellular proliferation and fiber adhesion. Tempest® DCF Demineralized Cortical Fibers has ideal handling characteristics for fluid retention and expansion and is moldable and pliable to fit into any space. Tempest® DCF Demineralized Cortical Fibers rehydrate quickly with bone marrow aspirate, platelet rich plasma, antibiotics, whole blood, or saline and it resists irrigation after implantation.

Spine Wave’s GraftMag® Graft Delivery System, which is designed to safely and rapidly deliver large amounts of bone graft, can be used together with Tempest® DCF Demineralized Cortical Fibers. The GraftMag® Graft Delivery System can transform the tedious and sometimes frustrating graft delivery process into a more efficient part of spine fusion surgery. And using GraftMag® Graft Delivery System may reduce injury risk because it reduces instrument passes by sensitive patient anatomy.

The patented GraftMag® Graft Delivery System is comprised of two single use graft magazines that are loaded with bone graft on the back table. The magazines couple with the system’s specially designed funnels to rapidly deliver large amounts of graft into the graft site. This appealing grafting approach can reduce frustrating funnel jams and requires only one instrument pass into the graft site to complete the grafting procedure. The GraftMag® Graft Delivery System can be used in virtually any thoracolumbar spine fusion procedure and with any interbody device. However, it integrates particularly well with Spine Wave’s exciting line of titanium expandable interbody fusion products; the recently launched Exceed® Biplanar Expandable Interbody Device and the well-established Leva® Interbody Device, each of which uniquely accommodates large amounts of bone graft.

“Tempest® DCF Demineralized Cortical Fibers are my allograft choice for spine fusion surgery,” said Stuart D. Kinsella, MD, MSTR. “My procedures often require large amounts of allograft. I appreciate that Tempest® DCF Demineralized Cortical Fibers maximizes the amount of actual bone in each implanted graft because it is one hundred percent human cortical bone tissue. Also, Tempest® DCF Demineralized Cortical Fibers is versatile because it has great handling and is compatible with GraftMag® Graft Delivery System, which allows delivery of a lot of bone graft safely, quickly and easily.” Dr. Kinsella is a practicing orthopaedic surgeon at the Steadman Clinic and the Steadman Philippon Research Institute in Aspen, Colorado, USA.

“We are very excited to launch Tempest® DCF Demineralized Cortical Fibers as our newest biologic product. This new allograft performed well in its limited market release and is a great addition to our established line of biologics and graft delivery products,” said Laine Mashburn, Spine Wave’s Executive Vice President for Global Marketing and Business Development. He continued, “Spine Wave partnered with the respected LifeLink® Tissue Bank to bring Tempest® DCF Demineralized Cortical Fibers to market and our sales team has hit the ground running. We are making the most of this new opportunity, right now.”

About Spine Wave
Spine Wave is a leader in minimally invasive spine surgery and expandable interbody devices. The company is committed to offering differentiated product and procedure solutions for spine surgeons and their patients. Spine Wave offers a broad portfolio of advanced spine implant and biologic products. The company is always looking to expand and continues to recruit sales managers and independent distributors to fuel growth. For more information on Spine Wave and its products please visit www.spinewave.com.

Contact
Laine Mashburn, Executive Vice President, Global Marketing and Business Development
lmashburn@spinewave.com
(203) 712-1863

The MIL Network –

April 10, 2025
MIL-OSI: 5th Gen AMD EPYC Processors Deliver Leadership Performance for Google Cloud C4D and H4D Virtual Machines

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

— New instances provide enterprises with high-performance, scalable, and cost-effective cloud computing solutions —

SANTA CLARA, Calif., April 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, AMD (NASDAQ: AMD) announced the new Google Cloud C4D and H4D virtual machines (VMs) are powered by 5^th Gen AMD EPYC™ processors. The latest additions to Google Cloud’s general-purpose and HPC-optimized VMs deliver leadership performance, scalability, and efficiency for demanding cloud workloads; for everything from data analytics and web serving to high-performance computing (HPC) and AI.

Google Cloud C4D instances deliver impressive performance, efficiency, and consistency for general-purpose computing workloads and AI inference. Based on Google Cloud’s testing, leveraging the advancements of the AMD “Zen 5” architecture allowed C4D to deliver up to 80% higher throughput/vCPU compared to previous generations. H4D instances, optimized for HPC workloads, feature AMD EPYC CPUs with Cloud RDMA for efficient scaling of up to tens of thousands of cores.

“Since our launch, 5^th Gen AMD EPYC solutions have been widely adopted across our OEM partners, enterprise customers, and now we’re excited to bring it to the cloud,” said Dan McNamara, senior vice president and general manager, Server Business, AMD. “Our deep technology partnership with Google Cloud enabled them to rapidly adopt the latest AMD EPYC processors to deliver consistent high performance and cost-efficient instances for their most demanding customers.”

“Google Cloud is committed to delivering high-performance, secure, and scalable compute solutions to our customers,” said Mark Lohmeyer, vice president and general manager, Compute and Machine Learning Infrastructure, Google Cloud. “With the introduction of C4D and H4D instances powered by AMD EPYC processors, businesses can benefit from cutting-edge performance and efficiency, tailored to their cloud-native and enterprise applications.”

Both C4D and H4D virtual machines are available in preview now, with general availability planned for later in the year across multiple global regions.

Supporting Resources

About AMD
For more than 50 years AMD has driven innovation in high-performance computing, graphics, and visualization technologies. Billions of people, leading Fortune 500 businesses, and cutting-edge scientific research institutions around the world rely on AMD technology daily to improve how they live, work, and play. AMD employees are focused on building leadership high-performance and adaptive products that push the boundaries of what is possible. For more information about how AMD is enabling today and inspiring tomorrow, visit the AMD (NASDAQ: AMD) website, blog, LinkedIn, and Twitter pages.

AMD, the AMD Arrow logo, EPYC and combinations thereof are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. Other names are for informational purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners.

The MIL Network –

April 10, 2025
MIL-OSI: NANO Nuclear Announces Sponsorship and Executive Speaking Engagements at the Upcoming Innovation Zero World Congress 2025 on April 29-30th in London

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

New York, N.Y., April 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NANO Nuclear Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: NNE) (“NANO Nuclear” or “the Company”), a leading advanced nuclear energy and technology company focused on developing clean energy solutions, today announced its sponsorship of the Innovation Zero World Congress 2025, to be held on April 29^th and 30^th, 2025 at Olympia London, UK.

NANO Nuclear Chief Executive Officer, James Walker, will deliver a presentation titled “Finding Opportunities in the Resurgent Nuclear Energy Industry” on April 30th at 11:05 a.m., London time, followed by his participation in the panel discussion “Fixing Fission: Green Taxonomies and Red Tape in Nuclear” at 11:35 a.m., London time, the same day.

Supported by the U.K. Government, the Innovation Zero World Congress 2025 provides a space and opportunity for collaboration and overcoming obstacles to drive large-scale, impactful progress towards global emissions reduction. Approximately 10,000 attendees are expected to arrive at Olympia London, providing an excellent platform for networking, investment exploration, and knowledge sharing. With over 250 sessions taking place across 13 dedicated forums, Innovation Zero is an essential meeting place for anyone looking to keep up with the latest trends, investment opportunities, and announcements.

Figure 1 – NANO Nuclear Energy Inc. Sponsors Innovation Zero World Congress, held on April 29^th– 30^th, 2025 at Olympia London, UK.

“NANO Nuclear is off to a strong start to 2025, and this year’s Innovation Zero conference is an ideal platform to share our recent progress and upcoming plans with stakeholders and fellow clean-tech industry leaders,” said Jay Yu, Founder and Chairman of NANO Nuclear. “Our UK-based technical team, responsible for advancing our proprietary ODIN^™ microreactor technology, will also attend, and I anticipate this event will provide valuable insights and meaningful interactions for everyone involved.”

“We’re delighted to be heading back to London for this year’s Innovation Zero conference,” said James Walker, Chief Executive Officer of NANO Nuclear. “We view this event as a key part of our global growth conference schedule. It brings together many experts in carbon-neutral energy technologies and I’m looking forward to an insightful and productive gathering.”

About NANO Nuclear Energy, Inc.

NANO Nuclear Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: NNE) is an advanced technology-driven nuclear energy company seeking to become a commercially focused, diversified, and vertically integrated company across five business lines: (i) cutting edge portable and other microreactor technologies, (ii) nuclear fuel fabrication, (iii) nuclear fuel transportation, (iv) nuclear applications for space and (v) nuclear industry consulting services. NANO Nuclear believes it is the first portable nuclear microreactor company to be listed publicly in the U.S.

Led by a world-class nuclear engineering team, NANO Nuclear’s reactor products in development include patented KRONOS MMR^™Energy System, a stationary high-temperature gas-cooled reactor that is in construction permit pre-application engagement U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in collaboration with University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U. of I.), “ZEUS”, a solid core battery reactor, and “ODIN”, a low-pressure coolant reactor, and the space focused, portable LOKI MMR^™, each representing advanced developments in clean energy solutions that are portable, on-demand capable, advanced nuclear microreactors.

Advanced Fuel Transportation Inc. (AFT), a NANO Nuclear subsidiary, is led by former executives from the largest transportation company in the world aiming to build a North American transportation company that will provide commercial quantities of HALEU fuel to small modular reactors, microreactor companies, national laboratories, military, and DOE programs. Through NANO Nuclear, AFT is the exclusive licensee of a patented high-capacity HALEU fuel transportation basket developed by three major U.S. national nuclear laboratories and funded by the Department of Energy. Assuming development and commercialization, AFT is expected to form part of the only vertically integrated nuclear fuel business of its kind in North America.

HALEU Energy Fuel Inc. (HEF), a NANO Nuclear subsidiary, is focusing on the future development of a domestic source for a High-Assay, Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) fuel fabrication pipeline for NANO Nuclear’s own microreactors as well as the broader advanced nuclear reactor industry.

NANO Nuclear Space Inc. (NNS), a NANO Nuclear subsidiary, is exploring the potential commercial applications of NANO Nuclear’s developing micronuclear reactor technology in space. NNS is focusing on applications such as the LOKI MMR^™ system and other power systems for extraterrestrial projects and human sustaining environments, and potentially propulsion technology for long haul space missions. NNS’ initial focus will be on cis-lunar applications, referring to uses in the space region extending from Earth to the area surrounding the Moon’s surface.

For more corporate information please visit: https://NanoNuclearEnergy.com/

For further NANO Nuclear information, please contact:

Email: IR@NANONuclearEnergy.com
Business Tel: (212) 634-9206

PLEASE FOLLOW OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES HERE:

NANO Nuclear Energy LINKEDIN
NANO Nuclear Energy YOUTUBE
NANO Nuclear Energy X PLATFORM

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements

This news release and statements of NANO Nuclear’s management in connection with this news release contain or may contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In this context, forward-looking statements mean statements related to future events, which may impact our expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as “expects”, “anticipates”, “intends”, “plans”, “believes”, “potential”, “will”, “should”, “could”, “would” or “may” and other words of similar meaning. In this press release, forward-looking statement relate to the anticipated benefits to NANO Nuclear of its attendance at the Innovation Zero World Congress 2025. These and other forward-looking statements are based on information available to us as of the date of this news release and represent management’s current views and assumptions. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, events or results and involve significant known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may be beyond our control. For NANO Nuclear, particular risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in our forward-looking statements include but are not limited to the following: (i) risks related to our U.S. Department of Energy (“DOE”) or related state or non-U.S. nuclear fuel licensing submissions, (ii) risks related the development of new or advanced technology and the acquisition of complimentary technology or businesses, including difficulties with design and testing, cost overruns, regulatory delays, integration issues and the development of competitive technology, (iii) our ability to obtain contracts and funding to be able to continue operations, (iv) risks related to uncertainty regarding our ability to technologically develop and commercially deploy a competitive advanced nuclear reactor or other technology in the timelines we anticipate, if ever, (v) risks related to the impact of U.S. and non-U.S. government regulation, policies and licensing requirements, including by the DOE and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, including those associated with the recently enacted ADVANCE Act, and (vi) similar risks and uncertainties associated with the operating an early stage business a highly regulated and rapidly evolving industry. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which apply only as of the date of this news release. These factors may not constitute all factors that could cause actual results to differ from those discussed in any forward-looking statement, and NANO Nuclear therefore encourages investors to review other factors that may affect future results in its filings with the SEC, which are available for review at www.sec.gov and at https://ir.nanonuclearenergy.com/financial-information/sec-filings. Accordingly, forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as a predictor of actual results. We do not undertake to update our forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this news release, except as required by law.

Attachment

The MIL Network –

April 10, 2025
MIL-OSI: Cyabra Partners with Aquion to Strengthen Digital Security and Combat Disinformation Across Australia and New Zealand

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

New York, NY, April 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Cyabra Strategy Ltd. (“Cyabra”), a leading AI platform for real-time disinformation detection, has joined forces with Aquion Pty Ltd, a trusted value-added distributor of cybersecurity and digital transformation solutions. This partnership will bring Cyabra’s AI-driven platform to businesses, government agencies, and enterprises across Australia and New Zealand, helping them detect and monitor digital threats in real time.

With the rise of disinformation campaigns, bot-driven influence operations, and online manipulation, organizations are increasingly vulnerable to digital threats. Cyabra’s AI-powered platform analyzes millions of online conversations across social media platforms such as X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and TikTok. It detects inauthentic accounts, AI-generated content, and coordinated disinformation campaigns, mapping how false narratives spread and influence public opinion. By partnering with Aquion, Cyabra is expanding its reach, enabling organizations in Australia and New Zealand via its reseller partners access to the tools they need to safeguard their digital presence.

“Disinformation isn’t just about social media engagement—it’s a growing threat with real-world consequences, shaping public opinion, impacting businesses, and eroding trust. Organizations need to be proactive, not just reactive, in protecting their digital presence,” said Dan Brahmy, CEO and Co-founder of Cyabra. “Our partnership with Aquion ensures that businesses and governments across Australia and New Zealand have access to the real-time intelligence they need to spot false narratives, uncover manipulation, and stay ahead of digital threats.”

“We are excited to partner with Cyabra to bring their AI-powered social media intelligence platform to our customers,” said Stephen Balicki, CEO at Aquion. “Disinformation and online manipulation are growing threats to businesses and government agencies alike. With Cyabra’s unique capabilities, we can provide organizations with unparalleled insights to identify and respond to digital threats effectively.”

Aquion’s extensive network of reseller partners, combined with Cyabra’s AI-powered insights, will enable businesses, government agencies, and media organizations to detect and combat disinformation before it causes irreparable reputational or financial harm. Together, Cyabra and Aquion empower organizations to proactively detect false narratives, counter-influence operations, and protect digital trust in an era where AI-generated content and coordinated manipulation threaten businesses, governments, and public discourse.

For more information about Cyabra’s AI-driven disinformation detection capabilities and the partnership with Aquion, visit the Cyabra website or Aquion Website.

Cyabra has entered into a business combination agreement (the “Business Combination Agreement”) with Trailblazer Merger Corporation I (NASDAQ: TBMC) (“Trailblazer”), a blank-check special-purpose acquisition company.

About Cyabra

Cyabra Strategy Ltd. (“Cyabra”) is a real-time AI-powered platform that uncovers and analyzes online disinformation and misinformation by uncovering fake profiles, harmful narratives, and GenAI content across social media and digital news channels. Cyabra’s AI protects corporations and governments against brand reputation risks, election manipulation, foreign interference, and other online threats. Cyabra’s platform leverages proprietary algorithms and NLP solutions, gathering and analyzing publicly available data to provide clear, actionable insights and real-time alerts that inform critical decision-making. Cyabra uncovers the good, bad, and fake online.

For more information, visit www.cyabra.com.

Media Contact:
Jill Burkes
Jill@cyabra.com
Signal Contact: Jillabra.24

About Aquion
Aquion is a leading Australian software distributor, specialising in connecting world-class technology vendors with the largest resellers across Australia and the Asia-Pacific region. With a commitment to delivering value through the channel, Aquion offers a comprehensive portfolio of disruptive technologies with over 5000 existing software agreements, including business transformation, cybersecurity, DevOps, and infrastructure software solutions. Backed by a highly responsive sourcing team and a reputation for outstanding service, Aquion enables partners to drive growth and capitalise on new opportunities. Focused on collaboration, innovation, and customer success, Aquion remains a trusted partner for vendors and resellers alike in APAC.

https://www.aquion.com.au/

Investor Relations Contact:
Miri Segal
MS-IR
msegal@ms-ir.com

About Trailblazer

Trailblazer Merger Corporation I (Nasdaq: TBMC) is a blank check company formed and entered into a merger, shared exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, recapitalization, reorganization, or other similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities. For more information, visit: www.trailblazermergercorp.com

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws with respect to certain products that will be the subject of a proposed transaction between Trailblazer Merger Corporation I (“Trailblazer”) and Cyabra Strategy Ltd. (“Cyabra”). All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this press release, including statements regarding Cyabra’s business strategy, products, research and development costs, plans and objectives of management for future operations, and future results of current and anticipated product offerings, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “believe,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “strategy,” “future,” “opportunity,” “plan,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result,” and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including, but not limited to, the following risks relating to the proposed transaction: the ability to complete the Business Combination or, if Trailblazer does not consummate such Business Combination, any other initial business combination; expectations regarding Cyabra’s strategies and future financial performance, including its future business plans or objectives, prospective performance and opportunities and competitors, revenues, products and services, pricing, operating expenses, market trends, liquidity, cash flows and uses of cash, capital expenditures, and Cyabra’s ability to invest in growth initiatives and pursue acquisition opportunities; the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the Business Combination Agreement; the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against Trailblazer or Cyabra following announcement of the Business Combination Agreement and the transactions contemplated therein; the inability to complete the proposed Business Combination due to, among other things, the failure to obtain Trailblazer stockholder approval; the risk that the announcement and consummation of the proposed Business Combination disrupts Cyabra’s current operations and future plans; the ability to recognize the anticipated benefits of the proposed Business Combination; unexpected costs related to the proposed Business Combination; the amount of any redemptions by existing holders of Trailblazer’s common stock being greater than expected; limited liquidity and trading of Trailblazer’s securities; geopolitical risk and changes in applicable laws or regulations; the size of the addressable markets for Cyabra’s products and services; the possibility that Trailblazer and/or Cyabra may be adversely affected by other economic, business, and/or competitive factors; the ability to obtain and/or maintain the listing of Combined Company’s Common Stock on Nasdaq following the Business Combination; operational risk; and the risks that the consummation of the proposed Business Combination is substantially delayed or does not occur.

Important Information for Investors and Stockholders

Trailblazer will file a registration statement on Form S-4 with the SEC, which will include a proxy statement for Trailblazer’s stockholders and a prospectus related to the securities of the combined company. After the registration statement is declared effective, the proxy statement/prospectus will be sent to all Trailblazer stockholders.

INVESTORS AND STOCKHOLDERS OF TRAILBLAZER ARE URGED TO READ THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT, PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS, AND OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED OR TO BE FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE, AS THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE TRANSACTION AND THE PARTIES INVOLVED.

Once filed, free copies of these documents can be obtained from the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Additional information about Trailblazer can be found on its website at www.trailblazermergercorp.com or by contacting info@trailblazermergercorp.com.

Participants in the Solicitation

Cyabra, Trailblazer, and their respective directors and executive officers may be deemed participants in the solicitation of proxies from Trailblazer stockholders regarding the transaction. Information about Trailblazer’s directors and executive officers and their ownership of Trailblazer’s securities is set forth in Trailblazer’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC, as modified or supplemented by any Form 3 or Form 4 filed with the SEC since the date of such filing. Other information regarding the interests of the participants in the proxy solicitation will be included in the proxy statement/prospectus pertaining to the proposed Transactions when it becomes available.

No Offer or Solicitation

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, or a solicitation of any vote or approval. No sale of securities shall occur in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful before registration or qualification under applicable laws.

The MIL Network –

April 10, 2025
MIL-OSI: Diamond Equity Research Initiates Coverage on Brillia Inc. (NYSEAM: BRIA)
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

New York, NY, April 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Diamond Equity Research, a leading equity research firm with a focus on small capitalization public companies has initiated coverage of Brillia, Inc. (NYSEAM: BRIA). The in-depth 28-page initiation report includes detailed information on Brillia Inc’s business model, services, industry overview, financials, valuation, management profile, and risks.

The full research report is available below.

Brillia Initiation Report

Highlights from the report include:
- Stable, Cash Flow Positive, Asset-Light Business Model with Underappreciated Optionality and Upside from High-Margin Brand Expansion: BrilliA’s established business model, anchored by enduring partnerships with global industry leaders, delivers stable cash flow and reliable revenue streams. Its integrated operations provide room for expansion into higher-margin opportunities through the DIANA brand rollout. Further enhancing operational agility, BrilliA’s asset-light structure, maintained by minimizing physical assets, allows the company to channel resources more effectively into its core competencies. From our vantage point, this robust financial foundation enables BrilliA to respond to market shifts and invest strategically in long-term growth initiatives. Given the current valuation, the market may not yet fully appreciate BrilliA’s ability to leverage its asset-light model and established relationships to pursue profitable brand-driven expansion initiatives, providing meaningful upside potential.
- Strategic Market Positioning Enabled by Long-Standing Global Partnerships and Industry Expertise: Long-term relationships with over 20 major brands, including (but not limited to) Fruit of the Loom, Hanes Brands, Jockey International, Hennes & Mauritz, Canadelle, and Li & Fung, underscore BrilliA’s competitive advantage. These enduring partnerships not only secure a stable revenue base but also validate the company’s operational capabilities in the intimate apparel market. This strategic positioning strengthens its reputation and provides leverage for negotiating favorable terms in future contracts.
- Existing Business Supports Strategic Opportunity in the Rapidly Expanding Asian Lingerie Market: The global lingerie market is on a strong growth trajectory, expanding from $90 billion in 2024 to a projected $142 billion by 2030, driven by evolving consumer preferences, digital transformation, and increasing demand for comfort, inclusivity, and sustainability. While North America and Europe remain key markets, the Asia-Pacific dominates, contributing 40% of global lingerie revenues, with Southeast Asia emerging as a high-potential region led by Indonesia. Consumers are increasingly prioritizing comfort, inclusivity, and sustainability, fueling demand for innovative fabrics, diverse sizing, and ethical sourcing. Digital disruption is reshaping the competitive landscape, as traditional players like Victoria’s Secret, Hanesbrands, and Triumph International face mounting pressure from agile, direct-to-consumer brands. BrilliA’s DIANA brand is strategically positioned to tap into Southeast Asia’s growing demand by expanding product offerings, strengthening its digital presence, and integrating sustainability-focused initiatives, aiming to establish itself as a dominant player in the region’s evolving lingerie market. In our view, established businesses leveraging core competencies to enter new segments typically bear lower risk compared to startup enterprises lacking a proven operational track record.
- Vertically Integrated Supply Chain Model Efficiently Manages Lead Times, Reduces Production Risks, and Maintains Pricing Power, Representing a Significant Competitive Advantage : BrilliA’s end-to-end integration, from design & prototyping to production & quality control, promotes efficient operations and cost-effective manufacturing. This vertical integration supports competitive pricing, timely delivery, and consistent product quality, forming a robust foundation for scaling the business. By streamlining production processes and reducing lead times, the company is well-equipped to respond to market demands swiftly and efficiently. Additionally, BrilliA is finalizing a manufacturing agreement with Magic Link Garment Ltd in Cambodia to expand capacity and leverage trade benefits such as duty-free access to Canada and preferential treatment under the EU’s EBA program. This move is expected to enhance operational efficiency and support an internally projected revenue increase of up to $5 million in 2025, subject to market conditions.
- Analysis Indicates Meaningful Upside Potential from Geographical, Product, and Digital Expansion Initiatives: With plans to expand into key markets in Southeast Asia and Europe, along with diversifying into adjacent product categories such as sleepwear, activewear, baby wear, and period underwear, BrilliA is well-positioned to target new market segments. This strategy mitigates regional risks while driving long-term growth by broadening the customer base and enhancing cross-selling opportunities and revenue stability. We believe targeted investments in digital marketing can effectively drive online engagement and new customer acquisition, while the ongoing recruitment of design talent positions the company to sustain innovation and competitiveness. Additionally, based on preliminary analysis of reciprocal tariffs introduced by the Trump Administration on April 3, 2025, BrilliA’s production exposure in Indonesia (32% tarrif) could position it more favorably than peers with higher exposure to Vietnam (46%), Thailand (36%), or Cambodia (49%), potentially enabling the company to better manage cost volatility and trade disruptions. Collectively, our analysis suggests that BrilliA has multiple avenues available to expand beyond its existing business segments while being relatively insulated from near-term geopolitical trade risks.
- Valuation: BrilliA, Inc. is strategically positioned for growth, leveraging its established B2B operations to support the expansion of the high-margin D2C DIANA brand in the luxury intimate apparel market. With strong industry partnerships and a focus on quality, innovation, and digital transformation, BrilliA aims to capture significant opportunities in the multi-billion-dollar global lingerie market. Its dual business model balances the profitability and stability of its B2B segment with the high-growth potential of its D2C brand. We believe the market currently undervalues the embedded optionality associated with the successful expansion into the premium D2C segment, presenting additional upside potential. Using a valuation methodology weighted 80% toward a DCF analysis (WACC at 12.25%, terminal growth rate at 1.5%) and 20% toward a sum-of-the-parts approach, we model the company’s value at approximately $183.81 million, or $6.00 per share. Achieving this valuation hinges on successfully scaling DIANA, while preserving robust cash flows from its B2B operations and overall successful execution.
About Brillia, Inc.

Brillia Inc., established in 2023, specializes in the design, production, and distribution of women’s intimate apparel across global markets, including North America, the European Union, the Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East. Its product range encompasses bras, panties, bodysuits, swimwear, dresses, and related apparel.

About Diamond Equity Research

Diamond Equity Research is a leading equity research and corporate access firm focused on small capitalization companies. Diamond Equity Research is an approved sell-side provider on major institutional investor platforms.

For more information, visit https://www.diamondequityresearch.com.

Disclosures:

Diamond Equity Research LLC is being compensated by BrilliA, Inc. for producing research materials regarding BrilliA, Inc. and its securities, which is meant to subsidize the high cost of creating the report and monitoring the security, however the views in the report reflect that of Diamond Equity Research. All payments are received upfront and are billed for research engagement. As of 04/09/25 the issuer had paid us $30,000 for our company sponsored research services, which commenced 12/30/2024 and is billed annually. Diamond Equity Research LLC may be compensated for non-research related services, including presenting at Diamond Equity Research investment conferences, press releases and other additional services. The non-research related service cost is dependent on the company, but usually do not exceed $5,000. The issuer has not paid us for non-research related services as of 04/09/2025. Issuers are not required to engage us for these additional services. Additional fees may have accrued since then. Although Diamond Equity Research company sponsored reports are based on publicly available information and although no investment recommendations are made within our company sponsored research reports, given the small capitalization nature of the companies we cover we have adopted an internal trading procedure around the public companies by whom we are engaged, with investors able to find such policy on our website public disclosures page. This report and press release do not consider individual circumstances and does not take into consideration individual investor preferences. Statements within this report may constitute forward-looking statements, these statements involve many risk factors and general uncertainties around the business, industry, and macroeconomic environment. Investors need to be aware of the high degree of risk in small capitalization equities including the complete loss of their investment.This report does not explicitly or implicitly affirm that the information contained within this document is accurate and/or comprehensive, and as such should not be relied on in such a capacity. All information contained within this report is subject to change without any formal or other notice provided. Investors can find various risk factors in the initiation report and in the respective financial filings for Brillia, Inc. Please review initiation report attached for full disclosure page.

Contact:
Diamond Equity Research
research@diamondequityresearch.com

Attachment
- Brillia Initiation Report
The MIL Network –
April 10, 2025
MIL-OSI Economics: Jan Frait: Monetary policy analysis at the crossroads – insights from central banks’ reviews

Source: Bank for International Settlements

Introductory remarks for the Panel Discussion

It is a great honour for me to chair the second panel today, in which we move further towards research and academic thinking. In particular, we will focus on the analytical and modelling frameworks used by central banks to support monetary policy decision-making.

Before we do so, I’d like to start by introducing myself as a monetary policymaker with some personal statistics. I have attended more than 200 monetary policy meetings in one capacity or another. As a board member, I have voted 93 times – 31 times for a cut and only twice for a hike. That looks pretty dovish, for sure. On the other hand, for 87% of the time I’ve been voting on interest rates, the relevant monetary policy rate has been higher than headline inflation. This appears more hawkish. Well, things are really state-dependent.

No matter how long or how many times I’ve done this, I still consider myself a young apprentice, caught between Scylla and Charybdis – to borrow a lyric from one of my favourite bands, The Police. I approach decision-making with plenty of humility. In other words, even after all these years, much of what goes on in the economy remains to some extent a mystery to me. I don’t feel I understand macroeconomic dynamics much better than I did 20 years ago.

When I was a student, macroeconomics and monetary theory textbooks described monetary policy as more of an art than a science. By the time I joined the Czech National Bank at the beginning of the century, it was a different story. Monetary policy had been operating under the then-new inflation-targeting regime for two years. Decision-making was increasingly based on a modelling framework derived from New Keynesian macroeconomics, which had gained the status of a fully-fledged science. Whether or not it actually deserved it was never discussed at the time.

One of the key aspects of this new paradigm was the belief that vague monetary policy objectives such as “sound money”, “monetary stability”, and “macroeconomic stability” should be replaced by the more concrete objective of price stability – ideally in the form of a specific numerical inflation target expressed as growth in the consumer price index.

After more than a quarter of a century of experience with this approach, I’m inclined to think that, as usual, we romantically overestimated its capacity. The primary monetary policy objective started to be viewed too narrowly. The focus on a specific number was opportunistically misused to maintain extremely low interest rates and highly supportive monetary policy in times of positive supply shocks, even when there weren’t always strong macroeconomic grounds for doing so.

In many countries, monetary policy became rather asymmetric. A regime designed to prevent time inconsistency in monetary policy often ended up fostering it. I constantly heard the argument, “It doesn’t matter that inflation is currently above the target. It’ll soon return to it thanks to anchored expectations.” Yet as soon as inflation dropped below the target, the rhetoric changed to, “There’s a threat of deflation. We need to have extremely low rates or use other instruments to ease monetary and financial conditions.”

This was despite – or maybe even because of – the fact that monetary policy in developed countries had become a very powerful tool of economic policy. A tool on which hopes are pinned whenever sentiment worsens and economic activity slows. The models we use to assess and forecast macroeconomic developments undoubtedly encourage such hopes.

In the summer of 2002, the Czech National Bank introduced a small-scale, semi-structural, gap-based model called the Quarterly Projection Model (QPM) for forecasting and analysis. QPM was a big step forward. It taught experts and board members to apply a model-consistent approach to macroeconomic policy. In a converging economy with a nominally appreciating currency and a rapidly developing financial sector, it was, of course, difficult for the model to explain everything that was happening. Frustration with the model outcomes began to mount when global macroeconomic volatility surged in 2007 amid large financial imbalances.

I was no longer at the monetary policy coalface at that time, as between 2007 and 2022, I worked in financial stability and macroprudential policy. My only monetary policy-related legacy from this period can be seen on the webpage about “the mandate of the Czech National Bank”, which states: “Through the joint action of monetary policy and macroprudential policy, we contribute to maintaining confidence in the value of the Czech koruna and safeguarding the stability of the macroeconomic environment.” We keep doing so.

Frustration with predictions probably drove the decision to switch hastily to a New Keynesian DSGE model in the summer of 2008. Maybe there were other reasons, but the Czech National Bank’s representatives did not expand on them at the time. Then the Global Financial Crisis erupted, and there was no longer any time for such discussions.

It’s no secret that I never considered it beneficial to replace the semi-structural model with the DSGE model as the sole approach for macroeconomic forecasting. Not because I dislike one theory or model over another, but because theories and models are valuable to a central bank only to the extent that they facilitate an informed and sufficiently comprehensive debate – one that helps us understand the evolving economic story in the short, medium, and long run.

Basing monetary policy decision-making solely on the microeconomically consistent but economically limited New Keynesian DSGE model ultimately narrowed the debate. The process became more automatic, and the decision-making appeared easier. The dilemmas that board members typically face became less visible. They were obscured by the standard linearization around the inflation target, which is typical of New Keynesian models. We tended to overestimate the impact of short-term interest rate changes while underestimating the effects of our powerful communication on long-term interest rates and asset markets. Paradoxically, this more “scientific” approach resulted in greater discretion in decision-making – and in sizeable unintended effects.

Today, in 2025, we are a little more enlightened. The recent wave of inflation was a kind of blessing in disguise. It reminded us that monetary policy is still an art as well as a science. It taught us that the primary purpose of macroeconomic analysis is to distinguish fundamental trends from temporary fluctuations, local peculiarities from global phenomena, and supply shocks from demand shifts. It helps monetary policymakers be principled yet flexible in challenging times, especially during geopolitical and economic turbulence.

In this context, it’s only natural that many inflation-targeting central banks are considering changes to their monetary policy frameworks. More than a year ago, the CNB also decided to undertake an external review of its monetary policy analytical and modelling framework – the first such review in its history. We commissioned three independent reviews to gain a comprehensive perspective. And we got it. Two of the three reviewers accepted our invitation to join this panel.

Before I introduce the panellists, I’d like to make another musical analogy. I belong to a generation where many were briefly fascinated by jazz-rock – virtuoso musicians playing a lot of notes very fast. Amazing at first listen, still entertaining at the third, but for most of us, boring by the tenth – because the music lacked variation in mood, timbre, and rhythm. Then bands like The Police came along – jazz-trained musicians playing simple yet original songs in a technically brilliant yet energetic way, capturing the zeitgeist. With stops and double stops. Leaving plenty of space for the imagination.

I’d be glad if this approach became more widespread in the modelling we do to support monetary policy decision-making. We need analyses that are technically rigorous yet responsive to economic, social, and political dynamics – driven by emotion and belief, scepticism and conviction, avarice and altruism. To achieve this, we must diversify our thinking, remain open to adjusting our mindsets when major shifts occur, and invest in people who can develop alternative models and implement fresh ideas from academic research. We should be open to semi-structural, DSGE, agent-based, and other sorts of models, and use them in a way that improves our understanding of sometimes enigmatic developments in the economy.

Now I will truly hand over the mic to the power trio here today, who – except for one member – also happened to fly in from Britain. They all pay great attention to similar issues while differing in their methodological approaches.

John Muellbauer is a Senior Research Fellow at Nuffield College, Professor of Economics, and a Senior Fellow at the Institute for New Economic Thinking at the Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford.

He earned his undergraduate degree from Cambridge University and his doctorate from the University of California. John has collaborated with legendary macroeconomists and econometrists such as Charles Goodhart, David Hendry, Peter Sinclair, and Adrian Pagan. He has also served as a consultant for the Bank of England, HM Treasury, the South African Reserve Bank, and, more recently, the Czech National Bank. In 2024, he conducted a review of the Czech National Bank’s analytical framework for policy analysis and forecasting, assessing its core and satellite models as part of an integrated approach to monetary policymaking.

Roman Šustek is a Reader in Economics at Queen Mary University of London and a Research Associate at the Centre for Macroeconomics at the London School of Economics. His research focuses on housing, mortgage finance, monetary policy, and the term structure of interest rates. He transitioned to academia after five years as an economist in the Monetary Assessment and Strategy Division of the Bank of England. He earned his PhD from the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University, following an earlier role as an economist at the Czech National Bank in Prague. As part of the 2024 Czech National Bank monetary policy review, Roman contributed to the assessment of macroeconomic forecasting models and processes used in policy analysis. In his research and writings, Roman often focuses on the same topics as John, in particular on the links between household consumption, house prices, and mortgage regulation. These are ultimately the topics that were viewed as rather important by the BIS economists under our keynote speaker-Claudio Borio.

Jakub Matějů is the Deputy Executive Director of the Monetary Department at the Czech National Bank and the Acting Director of the department’s Macroeconomic Forecasting Division. He is also temporarily heading the Monetary Department. His research and policy work focuses on macroeconomic forecasting and monetary policy. Before his current role, he worked as an economist in the CNB’s Monetary Department. He later joined the European Central Bank and served as a senior economist in the analytical team of Komerční banka. In 2019, he returned to the CNB as an adviser to the Bank Board and has been the Deputy Executive Director of the Monetary Department since 2023. Jakub has received several Czech Economic Society Young Economist awards and the CNB’s Economic Research Award for his research. He earned his PhD in Economics from CERGE-EI, following his studies at the Institute of Economic Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University.

MIL OSI Economics –

April 10, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Election Diary: Chalmers and Taylor quizzed on personal flaws during animated treasurers’ debate

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

Perhaps the most compelling moment, at least for non-economists, in Wednesday night’s debate between Treasurer Jim Chalmers and his “shadow” Angus Taylor was when each man was forced to respond to what critics see as their personal flaws.

Moderator Ross Greenwood, Sky’s business editor, put to Chalmers that people say “you’ve got a bit of a glass jaw, that you don’t cop criticism well”.

“I think over time I’ve learned to understand that you take the good with the bad,” Chalmers responded, looking taken aback. “I think I’ve learnt over time to focus on the objective observers of the job that I’m doing and I think ultimately the Australian people will judge that rather than the kind of partisan commentators from time to time.”

Taylor was told that “some people suggest that maybe you don’t put the work in”.

“Well, you know, there’s lots of free advice in this game,” Taylor said. “You get it, Jim gets it, we all get it. But I tell you what, I work every single day for those hardworking Australians who work in Jim’s electorate, in my electorate, right around Australia […] I come from a hardworking family.”

In the debate – a livelier encounter than Tuesday’s one between the leaders – the weapons of past promises were liberally deployed. Taylor invoked Labor’s unrealised $275 cut in power bills. Chalmers reached back to Tony Abbott’s pledge of no cuts to health and education, alleging a secret plan for cuts to pay for the Coalition’s nuclear scheme.

The hour was filled with claims, counter claims, disputed figures, and accusations of lies.

In the judgement of University of Canberra economist John Hawkins, Chalmers performed the better of the two.

“He stayed on message, arguing the economy was improving, and the budget was in better shape than what he inherited. Given times of global uncertainty, he argued for a steady hand,” Hawkins said.

“Angus Taylor was critical of economic conditions over the past three years but weak on what needed to be done differently, other than a temporary cut to the fuel tax and lower immigration. He did not effectively rebut Chalmers’ repeated claim that the Coalition stood for higher income tax, lower wages and no ongoing cost of living relief.

“Taylor repeated [Opposition Leader Peter] Dutton’s unconvincing claim that under the Liberals, Australia would be virtually the only country in the world exempted from the Trump tariffs.

“Chalmers thought the global tariff war would reduce Australia’s economic growth but not push us into recession. I thought he may have pointed out that in the global financial crisis Australia was one of the few OECD countries to avoid recession – and he was one of [former treasurer] Wayne Swan’s key advisers at the time, giving him some very relevant experience.”

Business feels neglected

Business, especially big business, is feeling somewhat neglected in this election. On April 20, business groups are joining to call for a commitment to a pro-business agenda.

In letters to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Dutton and parliamentarians generally, the groups argue Australia has “one of the least competitive tax systems among comparable nations. We’ve burdened our economic engine room with countless new pieces of regulation and red tape. And the prosperity of all Australians suffers while our productivity lags.”

Who fired up US senator Mark Warner on Australia’s tariff woes?

Australia is bracing for a fresh tariff strike from US President Donald Trump, after he declared this week that “we’re going to be announcing a major tariff on pharmaceuticals”.

Australia exports about $2 billion in pharmaceuticals to the United States, including $1.8 billion of blood products. These exports make up less than 0.3% of our goods exports to the world.

Pharmaceuticals were set aside in last week’s tariff round for later consideration. In that round, Australia was only subject to the 10% general tariff.

The US pharmaceutical industry hates the Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, under which the government purchases drugs, leading to prices for Australians being cheaper than in the US. Both sides of politics say they wouldn’t compromise the PBS.

Meanwhile, in Washington, Australia’s cause for an exemption from the 10% tariff has found a friend in Democratic Senator Mark Warner.

In the Senate finance committee on Tuesday (Washington time) Warner quizzed US trade representative Jamieson Greer on why an ally had been badly treated.

Why did Australia get “whacked”, Warner wanted to know, given the US has a trade surplus with it, and a free trade agreement. Besides, “they are an incredibly important national security partner”.

Greer was unmoved. “Despite the agreement, they ban our beef, they ban our pork, they’re getting ready to impose measures on our digital companies.”

So who is Warner, and why is he standing up for us? Bruce Wolpe, senior fellow at the US Studies Centre at the University of Sydney and author of Trump’s Australia, says Warner, a long-time senator with a background in the tech industry, is a “low-key moderate”. He is a member of the Senate Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over trade, and the Select Committee on Intelligence. Warner is a supporter of AUKUS.

“Someone briefed his staff [on the treatment of Australia] and it paid off,” Wolpe speculates. “Someone saw this was a chance the confront the US trade representative about Australia. They did a great job. It was terrific. It was a direct hit.” No one knows whether the hand of Kevin Rudd might have been involved.

Industry Minister Ed Husic told the ABC: “I reckon I might see if I can get an honorary Order of Australia for senator Warner. Good on him. I like the cut of his jib. It was very defensive of Australia, but we heard the actual administration’s perspective running up the score against us.”

Michelle Grattan 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. Election Diary: Chalmers and Taylor quizzed on personal flaws during animated treasurers’ debate – https://theconversation.com/election-diary-chalmers-and-taylor-quizzed-on-personal-flaws-during-animated-treasurers-debate-253734

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

April 10, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Chairman Guthrie, First Lady Melania Trump, Chairman Bilirakis Join Advocates in Celebrating Committee Passage of TAKE IT DOWN Act

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Gus Bilirakis (FL-12)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, along with advocates for the TAKE IT DOWN Act, issued the following statements of support after the bill was reported out of Committee by a vote of 49 to 1.

“No man, woman, or child should be subjected to the spread of explicit AI images meant to target and harass innocent victims. I am so thankful for our outstanding advocates and legislators who have worked hard to raise awareness and build a strong coalition to support this bipartisan bill,”said Chairman Guthrie. “Today, the Committee on Energy and Commerce advanced the bill to the full House of Representatives, where I look forward to, once again, voting in favor of the TAKE IT DOWN Act, so that we can send it to the President’s desk for signature.”

“I remain dedicated to championing child well-being, ensuring that every young person can thrive and ‘Be Best.’ Thank you to the House Energy & Commerce Committee for advancing the TAKE IT DOWN Act. This marks a significant step in our bipartisan efforts to safeguard our children from online threats,” said First Lady Melania Trump. “I urge Congress to swiftly pass this important legislation. Together, we can create a safer, brighter future for all Americans!”

“I am glad we are one step closer to protecting victims of online sexual exploitation. Giving victims rights to flag non-consensual images and requiring social media companies to remove that content quickly is a pivotal and necessary change to the online landscape,” said Congressman Gus Bilirakis (FL-12), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade. “And by ensuring that AI-generated deep-fake content is included in these protections, Congress is showing its commitment to fighting 21st Century harms that are plaguing our children and grandchildren.”

“In February, our family mourned the loss of our loving son and brother, Elijah Heacock, after he fell victim to an extortion scheme on the internet,” said Shannon Cronister-Heacock, mother of Elijah Heacock. “We are grateful for the support of Chairman Guthrie and the House Committee on Energy and Commerce for passing the TAKE IT DOWN Act today to ensure that no parent, sibling, or loved one experiences a similar tragedy in the future. This bill honors Elijah’s life, and we are appreciative of Congress’ actions to protect children online and save lives.”

“I was only fourteen years old when one of my classmates created deepfake, AI nudes of me and distributed them on social media. I was shocked, violated, and felt unsafe going to school. Thankfully, I was able to work with Senator Ted Cruz’s office to write the TAKE IT DOWN Act — and today is an important milestone towards that bill becoming law, so that no other girl has to go through what I went through without legal protections in place,”said Elliston Berry, survivor and advocate. “Thank you to Chairman Guthrie for prioritizing the TAKE IT DOWN Act for committee passage.”

“At 14, for almost two years, I stood alone, advocating for AI deep fake laws to protect us after my school’s inaction and lack of accountability insulted my self-respect. This journey is dedicated to every woman and teenager who was told to stay silent and move on. It is also a testament to the courageous bipartisan leaders who stood beside me, proving that change is possible. Today, we celebrate a critical step towards the passage of the TAKE IT DOWN Act into federal law,”said Francesca Mani, AI victim turned advocate & TIME100 AI Most Influential Person.“A heartfelt thank you to Chairman Guthrie for standing with us and making swift committee passage possible. We are no longer alone.”

“Today, we celebrate an important victory with House committee passage of the TAKE IT DOWN Act, a federal safeguard against non-consensual AI-generated intimate images,”said Dorota Mani, an educator, advocate, and mother. “This important legislation, which is now well on its way to the President’s desk, staunchly defends our women and children while preserving every American’s dignity and rights.”

“Survivors—both minors and adults—deserve protection and justice. Every survivor should be able to report their abuse to law enforcement, have their abuse content removed fully and abusers should be found and held appropriately accountable. Image-based sexual abuse is sexual assault facilitated online. You cannot accidentally sexual assault someone offline and the same should be true for the online. The harms of all forms of image-based sexual abuse—including deepfake abuse—quickly follow that victim home, to school, to work and anywhere they try to exist after such a profound and public trauma,”said Andrea Powell, Co-Founder and Chief of Impact, Alecto AI. “Alecto AI supports the TAKE IT DOWN Act because we believe that in its passage, we will be getting closer to a world where young women and girls don’t have worry that being online means being targets of sexual violence. All survivors deserve protection and justice.”

MIL OSI USA News –

April 10, 2025

MIL-OSI: Bitdeer Announces March 2025 Production and Operations Update

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

— Completed mass production of SEALMINER A1s and 2.8 EH/s energized
— Regulatory approval for Tydal, Norway site finalized
— Retained Northland Capital Markets (“Northland”) to act as financial advisor for its HPC/AI data center development strategy

SINGAPORE, April 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitdeer Technologies Group (NASDAQ: BTDR) (“Bitdeer” or the “Company”), a world-leading technology company for blockchain and high-performance computing, today announced its unaudited mining and operations updates for March 2025.

Operational Update

Self-mined Bitcoin: 114 Bitcoins.
Mining Rig Manufacturing and R&D:
- SEALMINER A1:
  - Completed mass production of approximately 3.8 EH/s of mining rigs.
  - 2.8 EH/s are energized, 0.6 EH/s have been delivered for installation, 0.3 EH/s are in-transit to the Company’s datacenters, with remaining to be delivered in April.
- SEALMINER A2:
  - Wafer capacity disclosures will be paused temporarily. This decision was the result of a comprehensive consideration for maximizing the Company’s shareholders’ value. These disclosures were previously provided to assist potential mining rig buyers in making informed decisions. However, due to the current market uncertainty and the significant slowdown in mining rig demand, disclosure of total capacity is not currently useful. The Company’s self-mining hashrate forecast increased slightly this month and Bitdeer remains confident that the previously predicted hashrate targets in the second half of 2025 are achievable, on schedule, and can potentially exceed the Company’s expectations.
  - 0.8 EH/s of mining rigs have been shipped to customers and the Company’s own datacenters for self-mining, 0.4 EH/s have been manufactured and are ready for shipment and 1 EH/s are being assembled.
  - Sales of SEALMINER A2 are ongoing, ~0.3 EH/s of miners have been shipped to customers in March.
  - Launched SEALMINER A2 Pro series on March 17, 2025, featuring air-cooling (SEALMINER A2 Pro Air) and hydro-cooling (SEALMINER A2 Pro Hyd) models with a power efficiency ratio of 14.9 J/TH. The SEALMINER A2 Pro Air delivers up to 270 TH/s, while the SEALMINER A2 Pro Hyd reaches 530 TH/s, both with advanced efficiency, stability, and noise reduction. SEALMINER A2 Pro will be another commercialized product that is currently open for external sales.
- SEALMINER A3:
  - SEAL03 sample wafers achieved an energy efficiency of 9.7 J/TH at the chip level during chip verification and prototype testing while running at low voltage, ultra power-saving mode. More risk wafers will be delivered in April for further testing and mass production ready R&D.
- SEALMINER A4:
  - SEAL04 R&D remains on track to achieve an expected chip efficiency of approximately 5 J/TH with anticipated initial tape-out in Q4 2025.
HPC/AI:
- Bitdeer has now formalized an engagement with Northland Capital Markets (“Northland”) to act as financial advisor for its HPC/AI data center development strategy. Northland will assist Bitdeer with existing negotiations with potential development partners and provide guidance regarding capital providers.
- Discussions are ongoing with multiple development partners and potential end users for selected large scale sites in U.S. for HPC/AI clouding business.
- GB200 NVL72 reservations open – deployment is on schedule for 2025.
Hosting:
- Client-hosted mining rigs increased by 3,000 units or 0.6 EH/s in March 2025, due to existing customers increasing hosted mining rigs.
Infrastructure:
- Tydal, Norway: Regulatory approval has been obtained, with 70 MW set for energization and commissioning in early April and the remaining 105 MW scheduled for completion by mid-2025.
- Rockdale, Texas, USA: 1.4 EH/s of SEALMINER A1 hydro mining rigs have been energized into 100 MW hydro-cooling conversion.
- Clarington Phase 2, Ohio, USA: 304 MW land lease agreement signed and negotiating with regional utility.
- Jigmeling, Bhutan: All electrical equipment has been delivered and is being installed, with completion and energization in Q2 2025 on track (see Infrastructure Construction Update section below for further details).
- Oromia Region, Ethiopia: In early April, Bitdeer signed an SPA and a turnkey agreement for the acquisition and construction of a 50 MW mining datacenter in Ethiopia for US$7.5 million, including a local company with a mining permit, a 33kV substation connection, and a 4-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Ethiopian Electric Power Company. The Company is collaborating with an EPC contractor with specialized experience in Bitcoin mining and targeting energization by Q4 2025.

Management Commentary

“We achieved significant operational progress in March,” stated Matt Kong, Chief Business Officer at Bitdeer. “First, we completed mass production of 3.8 EH/s our SEALMINER A1 mining rigs and energized 2.8 EH/s, increasing our self-mining hashrate to 11.5 EH/s at the end of March with the remaining to be installed and turned on in April. Second, we launched the SEALMINER A2 Pro series Bitcoin mining rigs, delivering an efficiency of 14.9 J/TH. Finally, we obtained regulatory approval for Phase 1 and 2 of our Tydal, Norway site and we expect to energize more than 600 MW of power capacity over the next few months, including our Bhutan site.”

Production and Operations Summary

Metrics	Mar 2025	Feb 2025	Mar 2024
Total hash rate under management¹(EH/s)	24.2	20.9	22.5
– Proprietary hash rate	12.1	9.4	8.4
• Self-mining	11.5	9.0	6.7
• Cloud Hash Rate	–	–	1.7
• Delivered but not hashing	0.6	0.4	0.0
– Hosting	12.1	11.5	14.1
Mining rigs under management	175,000	163,000	226,000
– Self-owned²	97,000	88,000	86,000
– Hosted	78,000	75,000	140,000
Bitcoins mined (self-mining only)	114	110	294
Bitcoin held³	1,156	1,039	58

¹Total hash rate under management as of March 31, 2025 across the Company’s primary business lines: Self-mining, Cloud Hash Rate, and Hosting.

Self-mining refers to cryptocurrency mining for the Company’s own account, which allows it to directly capture the high appreciation potential of cryptocurrency.
Cloud Hash Rate offers hash rate subscription plans and shares mining income with customers under certain arrangements. The Cloud Hash Rate stated above reflects the contracted hash rate with customers at month-end.
Hosting encompasses a one-stop mining machine hosting solution including deployment, maintenance, and management services for efficient cryptocurrency mining.

²Self-owned mining machines are for the Company’s self-mining business and Cloud Hash Rate business.
³Bitcoins held do not include the Bitcoins from deposits of the customers.

Infrastructure Construction Update

Rockdale, Texas – 100 MW Hydro-cooling conversion energization commenced:

All cooling system delivered and installed.
Approximately 1.4 EH/s of SEALMINER A1 hydro mining rigs have been energized.
Energization in accordance with the phase of delivery of mining rigs.

Tydal, Norway – 175 MW site expansion anticipated to be fully energized by mid-2025:

Regulatory approval has been obtained.
70 MW will be ready for energization and commissioning in early April, with the remaining 105 MW to be commissioned by mid-2025.
Installation of the transformers has been completed, with the delivery and installation of electrical equipment currently in progress. Additionally, the procurement and delivery of containers and hydro-cooling systems are underway, and drainage systems construction is ongoing.

Massillon, Ohio – 221 MW site construction has begun ahead of schedule:

Substation construction is underway and is expected to be completed in Q3 2025.
Building design is completed and construction has begun earlier than expected, estimated to be completed in phases between Q3 and Q4 2025.
Estimated energization is expected to be completed in phases over Q3 and Q4 2025.

Clarington Phase 2, Ohio – 304 MW: Signed lease agreement with the landlord and negotiating with regional utility.

Jigmeling, Bhutan – 500 MW site is progressing well and is expected to be energized in phases beginning in April through June 2025:

All electrical equipment has been delivered and is currently being installed, with completion expected by Q2 2025.
The first main 132kV transformer has been powered on. The second main 132kV transformer is expected to be powered on in April 2025.
Construction of the 220kV substation is underway and is expected to be completed by Q2 2025.
Delivery of containers and hydro-cooling systems are in progress and is expected to be completed in phases by Q2 2025.

Fox Creek, Alberta – 101 MW site acquired in Alberta, sitting on 19 acres, is fully licensed and permitted:

Acquisition includes all permits and licenses to construct an on-site natural gas power plant, as well as approval for a 99 MW grid interconnection with Alberta Electric System Operator (“AESO”).
Bitdeer will develop and construct the power plant in partnership with a leading engineering, procurement and construction (“EPC”) company and is expected to be energized by Q4 2026.

Oromia Region, Ethiopia – Signed an SPA and a turnkey agreement for the acquisition and construction of a 50 MW Bitcoin mining project in Ethiopia for US$7.5 million:

Acquisition includes local Ethiopian company with a mining permit, connected to a neighboring transmission substation at 33kV interconnection.
This local Ethiopian company has signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Ethiopian Electric Power Company for a duration of 4 years at an electricity price of approximately US$0.036/ kWh.
Bitdeer is working closely with an EPC contractor with specialized experience in Bitcoin mining and this mining project is expected to be energized in Q4 2025.

Site / Location	Capacity (MW)	Status	Timing⁴
Electrical capacity
– Rockdale, Texas	563	Online	Completed
– Knoxville, Tennessee	86	Online	Completed
– Wenatchee, Washington	13	Online	Completed
– Molde, Norway	84	Online	Completed
– Tydal, Norway	50	Online	Completed
– Gedu, Bhutan	100	Online	Completed
Total electrical capacity	895⁵
Pipeline capacity
– Tydal, Norway Phase 1	70	In progress	April 2025
– Tydal, Norway Phase 2	105	In progress	Mid 2025
– Massillon, Ohio	221	In progress	Q3-Q4 2025
– Clarington, Ohio Phase 1	266	In progress	Q3 2025
– Clarington, Ohio Phase 2	304	Pending approval	Estimate 2026
– Jigmeling, Bhutan	500	In progress	Q2 2025
– Rockdale, Texas	179	In planning	Estimate 2026
– Alberta, Canada	99	In planning	Q4 2026
– Oromia Region, Ethiopia	50	In planning	Q4 2025
Total pipeline capacity	1,794
Total global electrical capacity	2,689

⁴ Indicative timing. All timing references are to calendar quarters and years.
⁵ Figures may not add up due to rounding.

Upcoming Conferences and Events

April 8 – 9, 2025: Jones Healthcare and Technology Innovation Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada
April 16, 2025: Jefferies Power x Coin Virtual Conference
May 14 – 15, 2025: Macquarie Asia Conference 2025 in Hong Kong
May 19 – 20, 2025: Barclay 15^th Annual Emerging Payments and Fintech Forum in New York City
May 20, 2025: Benchmark Virtual Digital Asset Seminar
May 21 – 22, 2025: B. Riley 25^th Annual Investor Conference in Marina Del Rey, California
May 28, 2025: Orange Group & Blockware Sell-side and Buy-side Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada

About Bitdeer Technologies Group

Bitdeer is a world-leading technology company for Bitcoin mining. Bitdeer is committed to providing comprehensive Bitcoin mining solutions for its customers. The Company handles complex processes involved in computing such as equipment procurement, transport logistics, datacenter design and construction, equipment management, and daily operations. The Company also offers advanced cloud capabilities to customers with high demand for artificial intelligence. Headquartered in Singapore, Bitdeer has deployed datacenters in the United States, Norway, and Bhutan. To learn more, visit https://ir.bitdeer.com/ or follow Bitdeer on X @ BitdeerOfficial and LinkedIn @ Bitdeer Group.

Investors and others should note that Bitdeer may announce material information using its website and/or on its accounts on social media platforms, including X, formerly known as Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Therefore, Bitdeer encourages investors and others to review the information it posts on the social media and other communication channels listed on its website.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this press release about future expectations, plans, and prospects, as well as any other statements regarding matters that are not historical facts, may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words “anticipate,” “look forward to,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including factors discussed in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in Bitdeer’s annual report on Form 20-F, as well as discussions of potential risks, uncertainties, and other important factors in Bitdeer’s subsequent filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof. Bitdeer specifically disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether due to new information, future events, or otherwise. Readers should not rely upon the information on this page as current or accurate after its publication date.

For investor and media inquiries, please contact:

Investor Relations
Orange Group
Yujia Zhai
bitdeerIR@orangegroupadvisors.com

Public Relations
BlocksBridge Consulting
Nishant Sharma
bitdeer@blocksbridge.com

The MIL Network –

April 10, 2025

MIL-OSI Economics: Samsung and Google Cloud Expand Partnership, Bring Gemini to Ballie, a Home AI Companion Robot by Samsung

Source: Samsung

Samsung and Google Cloud today announced an expanded partnership to bring Google Cloud’s generative AI technology to Ballie, a new home AI companion robot from Samsung. Available to consumers this summer, Ballie will be able to engage in natural, conversational interactions to help users manage home environments, including adjusting lighting, greeting people at the door, personalizing schedules, setting reminders, and more.1
“Through this partnership, Samsung and Google Cloud are redefining the role of AI in the home,” said Yongjae Kim, Executive Vice President of the Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “By pairing Gemini’s powerful multimodal reasoning with Samsung’s AI capabilities in Ballie, we’re leveraging the power of open collaboration to unlock a new era of personalized AI companion—one that moves with users, anticipates their needs, and interacts in more dynamic and meaningful ways than ever before.”

Ballie will use Gemini’s multimodal capabilities along with proprietary Samsung language models to process and understand a variety of inputs, including audio and voice, visual data from its camera, and sensor data from its environment. This will allow it to adapt its behaviors and responses in real-time. For instance, if you’re not sure what to wear to work in the morning, you can turn to Ballie for advice. Users could ask, “Hey Ballie, how do I look?” and Ballie can respond with styling recommendations, such as trying new accessories or adding a colorful shirt.
With enhanced reasoning enabled by Gemini, Ballie will be able to help users manage not only their home, but also their health and wellbeing. For example, a user could tell Ballie, “I feel tired today.” Ballie could then use Gemini’s grounding in Google Search to give tailored advice on how to improve their energy levels, including sharing recommendations from trusted sources on how to get more exercise, optimize their sleeping environment, or monitor their sleep patterns.

MIL OSI Economics –

April 10, 2025

Category: Commerce

Cantwell, Moran Reintroduce Bill to Help U.S. Host Cities Bolster Local Infrastructure Ahead of 2026 World Cup, 2028 & 2034 Olympics

Cantwell: “With less than 500 days until Seattle hosts its first 2026 World Cup game, we need the Department of Transportation to get in the game and support host cities”

RELEASE: Senator Mullin Welcomes Norman Chamber of Commerce to Washington, Holds Q&A

Now is the time to generate growth together with India

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