Category: Economy

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New business venture benefits from HOIL support – Remotely Operated Vehicles –The Future Of Underwater Operations?

    Source: Scotland – Highland Council

    Highland Opportunity (Investments) Limited, HOIL has recently provided Sgùrr Access and Marine Services Limited with loan assistance towards their start-up costs for a new business venture based in Kyle of Lochalsh.   HOIL, The Highland Council’s business loan company offers loan support to Highland based businesses and community organisations, who can benefit from straightforward loan conditions and a tailored offer to support their project. 

    Sgùrr Access and Marine Services Limited approached HOIL for a loan to support initial investment start-up costs for a new business venture.The loan funds provided were used to purchase specialised equipment to carry out Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) inspection services for the aquaculture and marine leisure sectors across Scotland, but particularly on the West Highland coast.

    Sgùrr Access and Marine Services Limited is a newly established company  which is based in Kyle of Lochalsh.  They provide ROV mooring and marine infrastructure inspection services as an alternative to commercial divers.  The use of ROV technology delivers cost-effective, enhanced safety and accurate inspection services, which are essential for aquaculture companies, mooring associations and local authorities managing marine infrastructure.

    Chair of HOIL, Councillor Paul Oldham, said: “I welcome this opportunity to help Sgùrr Access and Marine Services Limited get their business underway as it seems like they have found a good market to be able to service in a new way. I wish Lewis every success.

    “The Opportunity Fund from HOIL provides accessible and affordable finance for start-ups and growing businesses across the Highlands and is one of several funds we can use to help projects across the area.”

    Lewis MacLeod, Director of Sgurr Access and Marine Services Limited added: “The loan I received from HOIL was instrumental in helping me launch my ROV inspection business in the Highlands. I have  been able to invest in high-quality equipment and cover initial setup costs, which would have been difficult to fund on my own. Thanks to their early backing, I was able to get the business off the ground quickly and start delivering cost-effective, high-resolution inspection services to clients across Scotland.”

    To find out more about the support HOIL can provide businesses with visit here or email 

    11 Jun 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI USA: Scott Statement on Trump Effectively Closing All Job Corps Centers

    Source: {United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bobby Scott (3rd District of Virginia)

    Headline: Scott Statement on Trump Effectively Closing All Job Corps Centers

    As originally released by the Committee on Education and Workforce, Democrats

    WASHINGTON – Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), House Committee on Education and Workforce, released the following statement after the Trump Administration ordered the effective closure of all Job Corps centers across the United States.

    “Once again, the Trump Administration is harming those most in need.  The Department of Labor sent notices to all 99 Job Corps centers with which it directly contracts, stating they are going to ‘pause’ operations.  Let’s be clear:  these are not pauses.  The Department is effectively closing all Job Corps centers.  Without new contracts, these centers will cease to operate and will have to kick at-risk youth off their campuses, many of whom are homeless or in foster care and have nowhere else to go.

    “Since its creation in 1964, Job Corps has trained over three million young Americans in trades such as welding, carpentry, and medical assistant training.  Job Corps trains young, low-income people, helps them find good-paying jobs, and provides housing for a population that would otherwise be without a home.  

    “The Administration should be working with Congress to advance a bipartisan reauthorization of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and improve Job Corps, not end the program altogether.  I urge the Trump Administration to reverse this decision and give at-risk youth the support they need to access well-paying, stable jobs that will strengthen our communities and the economy.”

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    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ15: Development of pet-related industries

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    LCQ15: Development of pet-related industries 
    Question:
     
    It has been reported that the number of households keeping pets has increased in recent years, with pet-related industries developing rapidly. However, there are views pointing out that Hong Kong still has room for improvement in veterinary medical care and pet-friendly public facilities, as well as in data management and policies regarding the pet industry. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
     
    (1) as it is learnt that a number of private shopping centres have introduced pet-inclusive facilities, such as pet accesses and pet rest areas, to attract spending from pet owners and thereby further unleash the potential of the pet economy, whether the Hong Kong Housing Authority will consider drawing on the relevant experience to implement pet-friendly measures in the shopping centres of the public housing estates under its purview; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
     
    (2) as it has been reported that public or charity-run veterinary organisations have been established one after another in Taiwan, such as in Taoyuan City and New Taipei City, to provide basic veterinary medical services at transparent charges, which not only enhance pet health protection but also boost the pet economy, whether the HKSAR Government has conducted studies or policy planning regarding the establishment of public or semi-public veterinary medical facilities; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
     
    (3) as there are views that maintaining pet-related data can help understand the risks of pet epidemics and diseases, as well as the market structure and potential of the pet industry, whether the Government will establish a territory-wide pet data management platform to systematically collect relevant data, including the number of pets, breed distribution, keeping and vaccination records, and pet disease trends, so as to provide a scientific basis for the formulation of policies on pet-friendliness and developing the pet economy policies; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
     
    Reply:
     
    President,
     
    Having consulted the Housing Bureau, the reply to the question from the Hon Rock Chen is as follows:
     
    (1) As pet keeping has become increasingly common in Hong Kong, there has been more attention in society to bringing animals to enter different premises and use public facilities. In general, the Government needs to take into account different factors when considering whether to further relax existing arrangements, including the nature of individual facilities, whether ancillary facilities are in place and the degree of social acceptance, in order to achieve the policy objective of facilitating people and animals to co-exist harmoniously.
     
    The shopping centres under the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) are mainly “neighbourhood shopping centres” located in public housing estates/courts. These shopping centres provide local residents with shopping convenience, with the aim of catering for their basic needs in daily life. All along, guide dogs accompanying the visually impaired have been allowed to enter the HA’s shopping centres. The HA has further implemented some pet-friendly policies, such as allowing pets to enter shopping centres if they are placed in pet carrier bags or pet strollers and that no hygiene and environmental nuisance will be caused. The HA will keep in view the development and needs of the community for pet-friendly spaces and facilities, and design “neighbourhood shopping centres” that are in line with the actual situation.
     
    On the other hand, the Domain located in Yau Tong is a large-scale regional shopping centre under the HA. Coupled with spacious indoor space, outdoor activity areas, wide passageways and multiple entrances at different locations, it is more equipped with the requisites for development into a pet-friendly mall than typical “neighbourhood shopping centres” located in housing estates. The HA will review whether it is appropriate to further provide pet-friendly measures in the Domain, such as installing relevant human-pet friendly facilities to appeal to pet owners for boosting consumption and visitor flow.
     
    (2) The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) has been carrying out publicity and public education to remind the public to consider carefully before deciding to keep pets, to assess whether one could fulfil the duties of pet ownership in meeting the pets’ basic needs in diet, environment, daily care, healthcare, etc.
     
    On veterinary services, the Veterinary Surgeons Board of Hong Kong (VSB) established under the Veterinary Surgeons Registration Ordinance (Cap. 529), is currently responsible for the regulation, registration and disciplinary control of veterinary surgeons, so as to ensure a high standard of veterinary services in Hong Kong. The VSB learns about the overall veterinary services through data gathered in the regulation of the veterinary profession. The number of registered veterinary surgeons (RVS) has been consistently on the rise since 2015, from 823 in 2015 to 1 364 in April this year, representing an increase of 65 per cent. RVS comprises many specialties, such as small animal internal medicine and surgery, dermatology, cardiology, neurology and veterinary pathology, and therefore animal owners should be able to find appropriate veterinary services for their pets. To meet unexpected medical expenses, members of the public may also purchase pet insurance products available in the market as appropriate.
     
    Apart from private veterinarians, the City University of Hong Kong and some animal welfare organisations (such as the Hong Kong Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) also provide veterinary services and hence the Government currently has no plan to separately establish public medical facilities for pets.
     
    (3) To safeguard public health and prevent the spread of animal diseases, the AFCD monitors and regulates animal activities in accordance with the law, and assesses the risk of pet animal diseases. The AFCD regulates the import of live animals through a permit system under the Public Health (Animals and Birds) Regulations (Cap. 139A) and the Rabies Regulation (Cap. 421A), so as to prevent the introduction of animal diseases into Hong Kong. Furthermore, the AFCD regulates the local animal activities through various licences, for example, regulating the animal trading and dog breeding activities through the Animal Trader Licence and Dog Breeder Licence respectively under the Public Health (Animals and Birds) (Trading and Breeding) Regulations (Cap. 139B), and to require dog keepers to have their dogs vaccinated against rabies, implanted with a microchip, and to apply for a dog licence under the Rabies Regulation, for the prevention of rabies.
     
    The Government last conducted a Thematic Household Survey on pet ownership among households across Hong Kong in 2018. The AFCD and the Census and Statistics Department will conduct another survey later this year to gather the latest data on trends and preferences in pet ownership of Hong Kong families. These findings will assist the trade to learn about the latest trend of pet ownership, for their provision of products and services according to market demand.
    Issued at HKT 12:15

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: OFFICIAL STATEMENT FROM DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER, HON.TUALA TEVAGA IOSEFO PONIFASIO – CABINET APPROVES DISBURSEMENT OF THIRD MILLION TO DISTRICT COUNCILS (Tuesday, 10th June 2025)

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    Good evening Samoa,

    Following an announcement yesterday on the suspension of the disbursement of funds from the third million Tala, Cabinet met this afternoon to consider this matter.

    Funds for the third million Tala were appropriated and approved by Parliament in June last year for disbursement within this current financial year. We are aware that a few constituencies have received the full allocation of their third million Tala, following satisfaction of financial requirements for the project. Other constituencies have received their first payment installment and are waiting for the second and final installment. However, other constituencies have not yet received a payment from the third million Tala.

    The deadline set for disbursement of funds from the million Tala project is the 30th of June 2025. District Offices are urged to comply with requirements and conditions for the release of these funds, so they can receive payments before the 30th of June.

    There shall be no further disbursement of funds from the million Tala project, after the 30th of June.

    The Honourable Prime Minister is away this week on duty travel.

    Cabinet continues to work closely with Ministries and Corporations to ensure the machinery of government continues to deliver its regulatory functions and service delivery for our people.

    The Electoral Commissioner and his Office continue to conduct voters registration to date. It is important for all eligible voters to register within the prescribed timeframes as the country heads into election in August this year.

    God bless Samoa, Soifua.

    SAUNOAGA A LE AFIOGA I LE SUI PALEMIA – TUALA TEVAGA IOSEFO PONIFASIO MATAUPU MAI LE KAPENETA (Aso Lua, 10 Iuni 2025)

    O lea ua lalafo i atutia ma si’ufanua, malama na ta’i ao i faiva ma faatufugaga o lenei aso. Ua mapu foi le fetu o le tapuitea i lona itulagi, ma ua lōgona taifa’ilagi i le fofotu mai o le taulaumea, le aso ua mapu i lona to’o.

    Le Atua e, o Oe na e muāau ma tūtaumua i si o matou atunu’u i galuega o lenei aso. Faafetai alofa, malo pule agalelei. Faafetai, auā e lē o mavae ou fofoga matagofie i si o matou atunuu ma ou tagata.

    Ou te faatulou atu i le afio o lau afioga i le Ao Mamalu o le Malo ma lau Masiofo;

    Afifio Sui o le Fono a Sui Tofia;

    Le paia o le Tafatolu o le Faigamalo a Samoa

    Sui o Malo mai Fafo;

    Faauluuluga o Matagaluega ma Faalapotopotoga Tumaoti a le Malo, Vaega Maoti ma Pisinisi i le atunuu;

    Le paia i le aufaigaluega totofi a le Atua i Samoa nei ma atunuu e mamao;

    Le paia o Samoa i ona tulaga faalupe mai Saua seia paia Fili ma Puletu’u;

    Ou te faapai atu ma le agaga faaaloalo

    O loo faaauau galuega a le Malo Tausi i le maea ai o le faataapeina o le Palemene i le Aso Lua, 3 Iuni 2025. O galuega o loo faaauau o loo galulue soosootauau ai le Malo Tausi ma Faauluuluga o Matagaluega ma Faalapotopotoga a le Malo, e faapea foi ma Ofisa Faafaavae. I le agaga maualuga, ina ia faaauau pea le tuuina atu o auaunaga a le Malo mo si o tatou atunuu.

    E manatu ua faafofoga le paia o le atunuu i se faasalalauga na tuuina atu e se itutino o le Malo i le aso ananafi, e uiga i le taofia ai o le faamatuuina atu o le miliona tala lona tolu i Ofisa o Fnofaavae o Itumalo uma.

    O le feiloaiga i le asō a le Kapeneta, sa laolao ai lenei mataupu, ma faaiugafonoina ai le faaauauina pea, o le faamatuuina atu o vaegatupe o le miliona tala lona tolu, e pei ona muai pasia ai e le Palemene mo le tausaga faaletupe o loo faagasolo nei. O aiaiga ma tuutuuga o le faamatuuina atu o nei vaegatupe, o loo malu, ma e galulue faatasi ai le Matagaluega o Tina ma Tamaitai, ma le Matagaluega o Tupe, atoa ai ma le Pule ma Su’etusi Sili.

    Peitai o le a faamuta le faamatuuina atu o vaegatupe o le miliona Tala lona tolu i le aso 30 Iuni 2025. O lona uiga e taua tele mo Fono Faavae a Itumalo ona taunapa i le faamalieina o aiaiga ma tuutuuga, o le faamatuuina atu o nei vaegatupe e pei ona sau a’i i le miliona Tala muamua ma le lua.

    O loo toesea le afioga i le Palemia i lenei vaiaso ona o fonotaga faalemalo i atunuu i fafo.

    A o loo mapo pea le tuuina atu o auaunaga a le Malo Tausi i si o tatou atunuu. E faapea foi i le galulue faatasi o itutino uma o le Malo e tauala atu i Faauluuluga ma le aufaigaluega galulue i so’o se matātā auā le tautuaina o Samoa.

    O loo solosolo lelei le galuega a le afioga i le Komesina ma le Ofisa o Faigapalota, i le faatinoina o lesitala mo le atunuu. Ma ua vaaia le taupati mai o le paia o le atunuu mo a latou lesitala. Faafetai tele i le atunuu le onosai, ma le vilivilita’i ina ia faamaea le lesitalaina mo le faiga palota a le atunuu i le masina o Aokuso.

    E lē mavae le agalelei o le Atua i le aumaia pea o lona filemu, ma lona alofa e lautua ai so’o se faiva ma so’o se auaunaga mo le atunuu. Ma e taunapa pea le Malo Tausi i le tausisia o Tulafono ma Faiga Faavae, o loo faafoe ai ana galuega a o tapena atu le atunuu mo ana faiga filifiliga.

    Ia manuia tele le faasausauga a le atunuu i lenei afiafi. Ia tumau pea le alofa tunoa ma le filemu o le Atua, na te apepeleina ai si o tatou atunuu.

    Soifua ma ia Manuia.

    Ata Pu’eina: Jasmine Netzler – Iose [Government of Samoa]

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: S.A.M.E. EXPORT AWARDS GRANT- – 6th June 2025.

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    Keynote Remarks: Hon. Leatinuu Wayne Sooialo Minister of Commerce, Industry and Labour

    Representatives from the Samoa Association of Manufacturers and Exporters, Representatives of the Media,

    Talofa Lava,

    It is an honor and a privilege to welcome our members from the Samoa Association of Manufacturers and Exporters (SAME) to witness the continuous commitment of our Government to Private Sector Development through the annual disbursement of the SAME Export Awards Grant.

    The main purpose of this grant and export awards initiative is to recognise the achievements and contributions of the manufacturing and export sector in Samoa’s economy, driving economic growth, employment creation, and international trade. In recent years, this special program was put on hold due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the establishment of SAME’s Buy Samoa Made initiative in the past fiscal year 2023/24.

    However, the Export Awards remain an important initiative for the acknowledgement of local manufacturers and exporters. Therefore, the continuation of this initiative is a testament of the Government’s commitment to supporting and encouraging the development of the Manufacturing and Export Sector as reflected in its National Industry Development Policy & Strategy 2024/25 – 2034/35, and also aligned to the Key Priority Areas 8, 9 and 10 of the Pathway for the Development of Samoa 2021/2022 – 2025/2026.

    We hope that this Grant will encourage manufacturers and exporters to strive for excellence, and reach new heights for Samoa in terms of productivity, trade and competitiveness in the global market. Your hard work and significant contribution to the development of Samoa’s economy

    does not go unnoticed. Therefore, I would like to take this opportunity to extend my deep appreciation to all our local manufacturers and exporters for all that you have done and continue to do for Samoa.

    I would also like to express my utmost gratitude to SAME for their continued support and dedication in strengthening the manufacturing and export sectors as vital engines of Samoa’s economic prosperity.

    Your devotion is seen through your endeavours to develop robust networks for members, advocacy work, as well as your efforts in facilitating this award. Without your collaboration and partnership, this initiative would not be possible.

    It is through such meaningful alliances that the Government is able to drive progress, empower local industries, and create lasting opportunities for our people. So let us continue to foster strong partnerships, celebrate excellence, and work together toward a thriving and resilient future for Samoa.

    Fa’afetai tele lava, and may we all be inspired to keep striving for excellence, and wishing our SAME all the best with preparations for the Exports Awards

    SOIFUA MA IA MANUIA!

    FESOASOANI MO LE FAALAPOTOPOTOGA A PISINISI GAOSI OLOA MA OLOA AUINA ATU I FAFO MO LE POLOKALAME O FAAILOGA MO OLOA AUINA ATU I FAFO (EXPORT AWARDS) 2025

    SAUNOAGA AUTU: Afioga Leatinuu Wayne Sooialo Minisita o Pisinisi, Alamanuia ma Leipa – 6 Iuni 2025

    Sui Peresitene – Faalapotopotoga a Pisinisi Gaosi Oloa ma Oloa Auina atu i Fafo Sui o Ofisa Faasalalau,

    Talofa Lava,

    Ua tatou potopoto mai i lenei aso, tatou te molimauina le fesoasoani faaauau a le tatou Malo mo Pisinisi Gaosi Oloa ma Oloa auina atu i fafo e tauala atu i le Polokalame Faailogaina mo Oloa auina atu i Fafo a le Faalapotopotoga o Pisinisi Gaosi Oloa ma Oloa auina atu i Fafo (SAME Export Awards).

    O le sini autu o lenei polokalame ina ia amanaia aloaia ma faailogaina le sao taua o Vaega ma Pisinisi Gaosi Oloa ma Oloa auina atu i Fafo i le tamaoaiga o Samoa, e ala atu i se fesoasoani tau tupe mai i le tatou Malo mo le tatou fa’alapotopotoga nei .

    O lenei fesoasoani e le i mafai ona faataunuuina i tausaga ua mavae ona o le faamai o le Koviti19, fa’apea tapenaga o le Polokalame a le SAME ua taua o le ‘Faatau Oloa Samoa’ mo le tausaga faaletupe ua mavae, 2023/24.

    O le naunautaiga a le Malo ina ia faamalosi’au ma lagolago le atina’eina o Pisinisi Maoti tau Gaosi Oloa ma le Auina atu i Fafo ina ia ausia ni isi tulaga maualuga ma lelei mo Samoa e ala lea i le fa’aauau pea o lenei Fesoasoani.

    E o gatasi lenei fesoasoani ma le Faiga Faavae mo le Atina’eina o Alamanuia i Samoa 2024/25-2033/34 o lo o fa’atautaia e le Matagaluega, ma o lo o feso’ota’i uma i lalo o Vaega Fa’amuamua 8, 9 ma le 10 o le Ta’iala mo le Lumana’i Manuia o Samoa 2021/2022 – 2025/2026.

    A o le’i fa’ai’u se fa’amatalaga, e momoli atu le faamalō ma le faafetai i a tatou Pisinisi gaosi oloa ma pisinisi o loo auina atu i fafo a latou oloa mo lo outou sao tāua i le atina’eina o le Vaega Maoti faapea

    foi le tamāoā’iga o Samoa, e ala i le faatupulaia ai pea o avanoa mo le fa’afaigaluegaina o tatou tagata, le faatupulaia o a tatou fefaatauaiga ma isi atunuu o le lalolagi ma le manuia lautele o si o tatou atunuu.

    E le tau fesiligia le tele o lo outou tautigā ma lo outou sao mo Samoa, o lea e momoli atu ai le agaga faafetai tele mo a outou taumafaiga mo se lumanai manuia o lo tatou atunuu.

    E momoli atu foi le faafetai tele i le Faalapotopotoga o Pisinisi Gaosi Oloa ma Oloa Auina atu i Fafo.

    O lo outou ta’imua i le lagolagoina ma le una’ia o Pisinisi taitasi Gaosi Oloa ma le Auina atu i Fafo mo le atina’eina o Samoa, o lo o molimauina i a outou taumafaiga ma galuega fa’afaufautua, faatasi ai ma le fa’afoeina o le polokalame mo le amanaia o nei Pisinisi e tauala atu i lalo o lenei Fesoasoani.

    O la outou lagolagosua ma le faigapa’aga ua mafai ai ona fa’ataunu’uina lenei fa’amoemoe.

    E talitonu o le a fa’aauau pea le tatou faiga faapa’aga ma tatou galulue soosoo tauau mo le agai i luma o le atina’eina o le tamaoaiga ma se lumanai manuia o Samoa ma ona tagata lautele.

    Ia manuia a outou tapenaga mo lenei faamoemoe.

    SOIFUA MA IA MANUIA!

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ17: Combat fraudulent calls and SMS messages

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    LCQ17: Combat fraudulent calls and SMS messages 
    Question:
     
         Many members of the public have relayed to me about the increasing number of fraudulent calls, as well as fraudulent SMS messages sent via instant messaging applications (e.g. WhatsApp) and phones in recent years. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
     
    (1) as it is learnt that many members of the public have been repeatedly added to suspected fraudulent groups on instant messaging applications by unknown accounts, many of which are registered with overseas phone numbers, and that these groups use “like-and-earn-rewards” and “stock investments”, etc as bait, of the number of reports received by the Police from members of the public in the past year, the total amount of money defrauded, and the number of arrests made; what targeted measures are in place by the authorities to combat fraud by such groups;
     
    (2) as it is learnt that many fraudsters have hacked into the instant messaging application accounts of members of the public to request money and virtual point card top-ups from their contacts, of the number of reports received by the Police from members of the public in the past year, the total amount of money defrauded, and the number of arrests made; whether the authorities have analysed which insecure practices when using such applications increase the risk of account hacking, and what targeted measures are in place to combat such account hacking by fraudsters;
     
    (3) as it is learnt that fraudsters falsely pretending to be the official platforms of government departments and organisations, banks, telecommunications service providers or neighbours via mobile phone SMS messages to commit fraud has become increasingly prevalent, of the number of reports received by the Police from members of the public in the past year, the total amount of money defrauded, and the number of arrests made; what respective follow-up actions the authorities have taken regarding fraudulent SMS messages sent from local and overseas sources; the average time required for the authorities to block the phone numbers concerned after such phone numbers are confirmed to be involved in fraud; and
     
    (4) as many members of the public have relayed that they have frequently received repeated promotional calls containing fraudulent content, causing them nuisance and indicating a worsening trend, whether the authorities will review if the existing legislation governing such calls is inadequate; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
     
    Reply:
     
    President,
     
         Deception is a serious crime. Any person who commits the offence of “fraud” under section 16A of the Theft Ordinance (Cap. 210) is liable to imprisonment for up to 14 years, while any person charged with “obtaining property by deception” under section 17 of the same Ordinance is liable to imprisonment for up to 10 years. In addition, any person charged with “dealing with property known or believed to represent proceeds of indictable offence” under section 25 of the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance (Cap. 455) for proceeds of deception is liable to maximum penalties of 14 years’ imprisonment and a fine of $5 million. Regardless of whether it is committed through telephone, messaging applications or other methods, the Government of the Special Administrative Region will take stern enforcement actions as long as there are illegal activities involved. With the global trend of Internet proliferation, many countries and regions have seen a significant increase in fraud cases in recent years. The Police will continue to combat all types of frauds and to enhance public awareness in full force through enhanced law enforcement measures, publicity and education, multi-agency co-operation, intelligence analysis as well as cross-boundary collaboration.
     
         In consultation with the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau and the Police, the reply to the Member’s question is as follows:
     
    (1)  “Stock investment” scams mentioned in the question involve fraudsters using online social media platforms, discussion forums, or instant messaging apps to lure victims into participating in fake investment schemes by promising “low risk, high returns”. The Police classify such scams as “online investment fraud”. In 2024, there were a total of 3 930 cases, involving approximately $2.26 billion in losses; in the first four months of 2025, there were 1 534 cases, involving approximately $1.02 billion.
     
         As for “like-and-earn-rewards” scams mentioned in the question, they involve fraudsters using online social media platforms to recruit victims to register as “like clickers”. The scammers claim that victims can earn rewards by paying a “deposit” and then clicking “like” on a designated social media platform; the more deposit paid, the higher the reward per “like”. However, this is in fact a scheme to defraud victims of their deposits. The Police classify such scams as “online employment fraud”. In 2024, there were 3 853 reported cases, with total losses amounting to approximately $800 million; in the first four months of 2025, there were 1 515 cases, involving approximately $340 million.
     
         The Police do not maintain any breakdown of arrested person by types of deception.
     
         In combatting such fraudulent activities, the Police have taken measures in law enforcement, cross-border collaboration, and public education. Since most fraud cases in Hong Kong currently use stooge accounts to receive payments, cracking down on stooge accounts is an effective method to combat the fraud industry chain. In 2024, the Police arrested a total of 10 496 individuals involved in various types of fraud and money laundering offences; in the first four months of 2025, a total of 2 532 individuals were arrested, approximately 70 per cent of which were holders of stooge accounts. Since the end of 2023, the Police have also applied to the court to invoke Section 27 of the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance to impose heavier penalties in cases involving stooge accounts, thereby enhancing deterrence.
     
         In terms of cross-border collaboration, the Hong Kong Police Force recently joined hands with the Police forces of the Macao Special Administrative Region, Malaysia, Maldives, Singapore, Korea, and Thailand, conducted the first joint operation of the Cross-border Anti-Scam Collaboration Platform “FRONTIER+”, working together to combat cross-border fraud crimes. They successfully identified and dismantled multiple cross-border fraud networks, arresting a total of 1 858 individuals involved in 9 268 fraud cases, including investment fraud.
     
         In terms of publicity, given the increase in the two aforementioned types of fraud at the beginning of 2025, the Police have held press conferences on multiple occasions over the past few months and utilised various channels, namely the CyberDefender website and Facebook, to enhance publicity efforts and remind the public to remain vigilant (including explaining the latest deception tactics employed by fraudsters and outlining how the public can protect themselves), such as making use of WhatsApp’s privacy settings to allow only contacts from one’s address book to add the user to groups, thereby preventing being added to fraudulent groups by strangers.
     
    (2)  Scammers often use various methods to steal social media accounts, including fake customer service and fake websites. A common tactic is to send phishing messages claiming that the account has encountered security risks, luring users to click on links, enter account login information on fake websites or scan QR codes, thereby hijacking the account and sending messages to the user’s friends and family to request loans or the purchase of game point cards.
     
         Such scams are categorised as “online account hijacking” cases, with 2 989 cases reported in 2024, involving approximately $91 million. The Police do not maintain any breakdown of arrested person by types of deception.
     
         The Police have strengthened efforts to combat such scams from multiple angles, including requesting telecommunication service providers (TSPs) to block websites containing false WhatsApp advertisements by the end of 2023, and submitting requests to relevant search engines and overseas authorities to remove the fake websites. They also continue to promote anti-deception information through various channels to enhance public awareness of fraud prevention, and promoting the use of the Scameter and Scameter+. Among these measures, the Police urge the public to enable two-factor authentication; regularly review the devices linked to their accounts and log out of any unknown connected devices; not to blindly trust search engine results, and instead bookmark frequently used websites; and avoid connecting to public Wi-Fi or logging into online accounts on public computers.
     
         Following the Police’s series of educational campaigns, the number of “online account hijacking” cases last year decreased by 13 per cent compared to 2023, and in the first four months of 2025, the figure further dropped by 63 per cent compared to the same period last year. The Police will continue to closely monitor deception trends, regularly review measures and strategies to combat fraud and strengthen protection for the public.
     
    (3)  Depending on the method used, fraud cases involving identity theft can be classified as phishing scams, online investment frauds, or even online romance scams. The Police do not maintain breakdown of fraud cases involving identity theft.
     
         In response to scammers sending text messages by impersonating as government departments, official institutions, and banks, the Office of the Communications Authority (OFCA) launched the SMS Sender Registration Scheme (the Scheme) on December 28, 2023, and fully opened it to all industries to join in February 2024. As at end May 2025, over 540 public and private organisations (including the Immigration Department, the Department of Health, the Police, the Consumer Council, major banks and TSPs) have participated in the Scheme. Under the Scheme, only those companies or organisations qualified as Registered Senders are able to send SMS messages using their Registered SMS Sender IDs with the prefix “#”. TSPs will block fraudulent SMS messages sent by non-Registered Senders via the Internet.
     
         In February 2023, the Police launched the mobile application “Scameter+” to help members of the public distinguish suspicious online platform accounts, payment accounts, phone numbers, email addresses, websites, etc, and to provide the public with anti-fraud tips. “Scameter+” has now been upgraded and is equipped with automatic detection functions. The Call Alert function and the Website Detection function will automatically identify scam calls and fraudulent websites. If potential fraud or cyber security risk is detected, “Scameter+” will issue a real-time notification, reminding users not to answer the call or browse the website.
     
         Moreover, under the co-ordination of the OFCA, the Police and major TSPs have established a mechanism where TSPs will, based on the fraud records provided by the Police, block the telephone numbers suspected to be involved in deception cases and intercept suspicious website links as soon as possible. The OFCA does not maintain any record of the average time required for relevant actions by TSPs.
     
    (4)  The Government understands that members of the public are concerned about marketing calls. However, the nature of marketing calls is fundamentally different from scam calls. Marketing calls do not necessarily involve fraud or illegal activities, and hence, the two should not be conflated. Some businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises, still rely on voice marketing calls for promotional activities and service follow-ups. Therefore, it is essential to strike a balance between regulating marketing calls and maintaining normal business activities. In fact, other regions around the world also face similar challenges in managing marketing calls. Practical difficulties remain in operation and enforcement (for example, distinction between marketing calls from nuisance calls or scam calls, evidence collection, cross-border enforcement, etc). As such, the Government believes that regulation by legislation may not be the most effective approach for managing marketing calls.
     
         To mitigate the possible nuisance caused by marketing calls to the public, the OFCA has enhanced the Industry Regulatory Scheme for Marketing Calls in 2024 to introduce industry-specific regulation to limit the number of calls made by telemarketers to the same telephone number within a specific time frame, as well as requiring telemarketers to provide their names and contact numbers upon recipients’ requests, and to honour any unsubscribe requests from the called party. At present, 12 trade associations from seven industries (including finance, insurance, telecommunications, call centres, beauty, estate agencies and money lenders) have joined the scheme.
     
         In addition, the OFCA has requested TSPs to provide their users with call-filtering services, and actively encourage the use of call-filtering apps by the public, while also promoting relevant information on their websites. The number of enquiries and complaints related to marketing calls received by the Government has drastically reduced from 2 060 cases in 2011 to 93 cases in the first five months of 2025, reflecting the effectiveness of the above measures.
     
         On combating fraudulent calls, the OFCA will continue to collaborate with the telecommunications industry and the Police to mitigate the risk of phone deception on various fronts, including requiring TSPs to block/suspend suspected fraudulent phone numbers and websites, intercept suspicious calls starting with “+852”, send voice alerts or text messages to all mobile users for overseas calls prefixed with “+852”, and play voice alerts for newly activated prepaid SIM cards, so as to assist the public in guarding against suspicious calls and messages.
    Issued at HKT 14:53

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ20: Developing panda tourism

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    ​Following is a question by the Hon Chan Yung and a written reply by the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law, in the Legislative Council today (June 11):
     
    Question:
     
    There are views that the official public debut of Hong Kong’s first pair of locally born giant panda twins, elder sister Jia Jia and little brother De De, has sparked a new wave of “panda fever” in the city, which is currently home to six giant pandas, and the authorities should seize this opportunity to develop the panda tourism industrial chain, promote the growth of the panda tourism and related industries in Hong Kong. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
     
    (1) since Hong Kong became home to six giant pandas, whether the authorities have compiled statistics on the direct economic benefits they have brought to Ocean Park; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
     
    (2) whether the authorities have compiled statistics on the direct and indirect economic benefits brought to Hong Kong as a whole by the six giant pandas respectively (including the sales of panda merchandise and revenue growth across various trades and industries); if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
     
    (3) whether the Government has further plans for the future to promote the healthy and sustainable development of the panda tourism and related industries in Hong Kong, e.g. Ocean Park’s subsequent plans to optimize facilities and services, as well as budget arrangements, or plans to develop the panda tourism industrial chain in collaboration with various trades and industries; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
     
    Reply:
     
    President,
     
    The reply to the questions raised by the Hon Chan Yung is as follows:

    The giant pandas An An and Ke Ke made their debut on December 8, 2024 at the Hong Kong Jockey Club Sichuan Treasures at Ocean Park, followed by the debut of the pigeon pair of giant panda twin cubs Jia Jia and De De on February 16, 2025 at the “Giant Panda Adventure” of the park. They have been well received by both locals and visitors, and Ocean Park’s attendance has since then increased by around 19 per cent over the same period last year. Together with giant pandas Ying Ying and Le Le, the Hong Kong giant panda family has brought additional revenue to Ocean Park by way of admission tickets, merchandise, etc. The Ocean Park Corporation’s overall financial performance for its Financial Year (FY) 2024-25, including the revenues on admission, food and beverages as well as merchandise in the same FY, will be reported in its 2024-25 Annual Report.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI Europe: EIB triples financing for banks to provide liquidity to SMEs in the supply chain of Europe’s defence industry, signs first deal with Deutsche Bank

    Source: European Investment Bank

    • EIB increases intermediated loans and guarantees available for key defence-industry segment to €3 billion from €1 billion.
    • Move to support small and medium-sized businesses that serve major European defence manufacturers in partnership with commercial banks across EU.
    • First agreement with Deutsche Bank to enable €1 billion financing for defence research, as well as military and police infrastructure.

    The European Investment Bank (EIB) is tripling to €3 billion the intermediated financing available to Europe’s defence-industry suppliers in a fresh move to bolster security on the continent. The EIB is also triggering the new facility through an inaugural agreement with Deutsche Bank, providing long-term liquidity earmarked for security and defence investment projects.

    The EIB’s increase in intermediated financing targets small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that are a pillar of Europe’s defence industrial base. The EIB is providing a €500 million loan to Deutsche Bank, in a partnership that will enable €1 billion in financing and working capital for SMEs throughout the European Union security and defence supply chain, as well as military and police infrastructure such as training facilities for military personnel.

    The new partnership was unveiled at the European Defence and Security Summit in Brussels today by EIB Group President Nadia Calviño. It will support improved access to finance for security and defence projects, addressing the urgent need for investment in innovation, supply chain resilience, and strategic autonomy amid increased geopolitical uncertainty. 

    “Strengthening Europe’s security and defence is central to our mission,” said President Nadia Calviño. “We’re scaling up financing to record levels, and through intermediated lending and partnerships with banks across the EU, we ensure that SMEs in the defence supply chain have access to the financing they need.”

    “With this framework loan, Deutsche Bank will be able to deploy capital to clients at all stages of the supply chain throughout Europe, where it is most needed,” said Fabrizio Campelli, Deutsche Bank’s Head of Corporate Bank and Investment Bank and Member of the Management Board of Deutsche Bank AG. “It will support the comprehensive efforts our bank is deploying to advise and finance the sector at this crucial moment for Europe. Deutsche Bank is honoured to be the first European bank to partner with the EIB under its Pan-EU Security & Defence Lending scheme. The message is clear: we stand ready to reinforce the resilience of Europe’s security and defence.”

    The threefold increase in the EIB’s  €1 billion “Pan-European Security and Defence Lending Envelope” approved in December 2024 reflects exceptionally strong interest by commercial banks across Europe in leveraging the EIB’s resources, freeing up liquidity to support investments in the sector. The defence financing cooperation with Deutsche Bank is the first with a commercial bank under the EIB’s expanded lending scheme, with further partnerships currently due to follow shortly.

    It follows the agreement announced last week between the EIB and the national promotional institutions of France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain on a pan-European approach to strengthening European security and defence. Ther EIB and the five long term investors – Caisse des Depôts, Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW), Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP), Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego (BGK) and Instituto de Crédito Oficial (ICO) – agreed to work together on areas of investment and on potential joint financing in sectors such as research and development, industrial capacity, and infrastructure.

    The EU has more than 2,500 SMEs that are essential suppliers for major defence manufacturers such as Airbus, Thales, Rheinmetall and Leonardo. The SMEs provide key components, technologies and services, underpinning jobs, innovation and growth in the sector.

    The boost in potential EIB lending to defence SMEs is meant to help them counter traditional funding obstacles that larger companies in Europe are generally spared. The move also covers Mid-Caps, another segment of the EU defence industry that has faced financing hurdles on the market.  

    Background information

    About the EIB   

    The European Investment Bank (ElB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. The EIB finances investments in eight core priorities that support EU policy objectives: climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, cohesion, agriculture and the bioeconomy, social infrastructure, the capital markets union and a stronger Europe in a more peaceful and prosperous world.  

    The EIB Group, which also includes the European Investment Fund (EIF), signed nearly €89 billion in new financing for over 900 high-impact projects in 2024, boosting Europe’s competitiveness and security.    The EIB Group stepped up its support to Europe’s security and defence industry in 2024 by enlarging the scope of projects eligible for financing and setting up a one-stop shop to streamline processes, doubling investment to €1 billion. The EIB Group expects to multiply this amount in 2025 to new record.

    The Board of Directors in March approved a series of additional measures to further contribute to European peace and included peace and security as a cross-cutting Public Policy Goal to finance large-scale strategic projects in areas such as land-border protection, military mobility, critical infrastructure, military transport, space, cybersecurity, anti-jamming technologies, radar systems, military equipment and facilities, drones, bio-hazard and seabed infrastructure protection, critical raw materials and research. 

    In addition to financing, the EIB offers advisory services that help public and private partners develop and implement high-quality, investment-ready projects. In 2024 alone, EIB advisory teams helped mobilise over €200 billion of investment across Europe and beyond.

    High-quality, up-to-date photos of the organisation’s headquarters for media use are available here

    About Deutsche Bank

    Deutsche Bank provides retail and private banking, corporate and transaction banking, lending, asset and wealth management products and services as well as focused investment banking to private individuals, small and medium-sized companies, corporations, governments and institutional investors. Deutsche Bank is the leading bank in Germany with strong European roots and a global network.

    MIL OSI Europe News

  • MIL-OSI Europe: At a Glance – Strengthening rural areas in the EU through cohesion policy – 11-06-2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Rural areas are home to 25 % of people in Europe and occupy 83 % of the EU’s territory. They face a number of economic, social, demographic and structural challenges that hinder their economic growth and development. With the appropriate policy and financial tools, rural areas will be able to explore their full potential and move to a situation of sustainable long-term growth. In June, Parliament is due to consider an own-initiative report on strengthening rural areas through cohesion policy.

    MIL OSI Europe News

  • MIL-OSI: Vietnam Enterprise Investments Limited (VEIL) – Vietnam Forum & Annual General Meeting 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LONDON, June 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — We are pleased to invite you to the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Vietnam Enterprise Investments Limited (VEIL), taking place at 12:00 PM (UK time) on 18 June 2025 at The Stationers’ Hall, Ave Maria Lane, London EC4M 7DD, United Kingdom.

    The meeting will be chaired by Sarah Arkle, Chair of VEIL, and will include a presentation on Vietnam’s dynamic economic landscape by Dominic Scriven, Chair of Dragon Capital Group. Following this, Tuan Le, VEIL’s Lead Portfolio Manager, will provide an update on the fund’s performance and the outlook for Vietnam’s stock market.

    After the formal proceedings and Q&A session, we warmly invite you to join us for a Vietnamese buffet lunch at 1:15 PM, offering a wonderful opportunity to connect with fellow investors and industry experts.

    A Key Vote on VEIL’s Future
    This year’s AGM includes a vote on the Trust’s continuation. Given Vietnam’s strong domestic growth, ongoing government reforms, and compelling long-term potential, the Board believes VEIL is well-positioned for the future and recommends shareholders vote against discontinuation. We encourage all shareholders to participate in this important decision.

    Who Should Attend?
    The event is open to existing VEIL shareholders as well as those interested in learning more about investment opportunities in Vietnam. If you have colleagues who may wish to attend, please feel free to share this invitation and direct them to register via the link below.

    Register Here: https://www.veil.uk/2025-annual-general-meeting/

    We look forward to welcoming you for an engaging and informative afternoon.

    For further information or interview requests, please contact:

    Rachel Hill
    +44 (0) 797 121 4852
    rachelhill@dragoncapital.com 

    Thuy Anh Nguyen
    +44 (0) 788 588 6492
    thuyanhnguyen@dragoncapital.com 

    Steven Mantle
    +44 (0) 755 370 1237
    stevenmantle@dragoncapital.com 

    Jefferies International Limited
    Stuart Klein
    +44 (0) 20 7029 8703
    stuart.klein@jefferies.com 

    h2Radnor
    Iain Daly
    +44 (0) 20 3897 1830
    idaly@h2radnor.com 

    About VEIL

    Vietnam Enterprise Investments Limited (VEIL) is a closed-end fund listed on the London Stock Exchange and one of the longest-running and largest funds focused on Vietnam. Since its launch in 1995, VEIL has invested in high-growth, well-governed Vietnamese companies, offering investors exposure to the country’s vibrant economy.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/60b54085-a65b-405e-9930-6457c4e0e889

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: NextNRG to Be Added to Russell 2000® and Russell 3000® Indexes

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MIAMI, June 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NextNRG, Inc. (NASDAQ: NXXT), a pioneer in AI-powered energy innovation, today announced its inclusion in the Russell 2000® and Russell 3000® Indexes, according to a list of additions published by FTSE Russell. The Company leverages advanced technologies—including its Next Utility Operating System®, smart microgrid infrastructure, wireless EV charging, and on-demand mobile fuel delivery—to transform how energy is produced, managed, and delivered.

    The official reconstitution will take effect after market close on Friday, June 27, 2025. Trading in the reconstituted indexes will begin on Monday, June 30, 2025.

    The Russell indexes are widely used by investment managers and institutional investors for index-based funds and benchmarking. FTSE Russell estimates that approximately $10.6 trillion in assets are benchmarked to the Russell U.S. indexes.

    “This recognition marks an important milestone in our continued growth,” said Michael D. Farkas, Founder and CEO of NextNRG. “We believe that inclusion in the Russell indexes reflects our disciplined execution and growing investor recognition of NextNRG’s unique position at the convergence of efficient energy, intelligent mobility, and AI-powered infrastructure. As we scale transformative projects across the country, this expanded visibility will support deeper institutional engagement and long-term value creation.”

    The Russell index reconstitution ranks the 3,000 largest U.S. stocks by total market capitalization. Companies included in the all-cap Russell 3000® Index are automatically assigned to the large-cap Russell 1000® or small-cap Russell 2000® Index, as well as relevant growth and value indexes.

    NextNRG’s addition to the Russell indexes follows strong quarterly growth and strategic progress across key markets, including new state expansion, enterprise partnerships, and continued advancement of its proprietary energy infrastructure platform.

    About NextNRG, Inc.
    NextNRG Inc. (NextNRG) is Powering What’s Next by implementing artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) into renewable energy, next-generation energy infrastructure, battery storage, wireless electric vehicle (EV) charging and on-demand mobile fuel delivery to create an integrated ecosystem.

    At the core of NextNRG’s strategy is its Next Utility Operating System®, which leverages AI and ML to help make existing utilities’ energy management as efficient as possible; and the deployment of NextNRG smart microgrids, which utilize AI-driven energy management alongside solar power and battery storage to enhance energy efficiency, reduce costs and improve grid resiliency. These microgrids are designed to serve commercial properties, healthcare campuses, universities, parking garages, rural and tribal lands, recreational facilities, and government properties, expanding energy accessibility while supporting decarbonization initiatives.

    NextNRG continues to expand its growing fleet of fuel delivery trucks and national footprint, including the acquisition of Yoshi Mobility’s fuel division and Shell Oil’s trucks, further solidifying its position as a leader in the on-demand fueling industry. NextNRG is also integrating sustainable energy solutions into its mobile fueling operations. The company hopes to be an integral part of assisting its fleet customers in their transition to EV, providing fuel delivery while advancing efficient energy adoption. The transition process is expected to include the deployment of NextNRG’s innovative wireless EV charging solutions.

    To find out more visit: www.nextnrg.com

    Forward-Looking Statements
    This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statement describing NextNRG’s goals, expectations, financial or other projections, intentions, or beliefs is a forward-looking statement and should be considered an at-risk statement. Words such as “expect,” “intends,” “will,” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, those related to NextNRG’s business and macroeconomic and geopolitical events. These and other risks are described in NextNRG’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. NextNRG’s forward-looking statements involve assumptions that, if they never materialize or prove correct, could cause its results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Although NextNRG’s forward-looking statements reflect the good faith judgment of its management, these statements are based only on facts and factors currently known by NextNRG. Except as required by law, NextNRG undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements for any reason. As a result, you are cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements.

    Investor Relations Contact
    NextNRG, Inc.
    Sharon Cohen
    SCohen@nextnrg.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Founder Group Secures Additional Contracts with Solar Installation Companies in Malaysia of US$ 1.5 Million

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, June 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Founder Group Limited (NASDAQ: FGL) (“Founder Group” or the “Company”), a leading engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning (EPCC) solutions provider for solar photovoltaic (PV) systems in Malaysia, is pleased to announce that it has secured additional contracts with prominent solar installation companies in Malaysia.

    The Company secured a contract totaling RM3.4 million (approximately US$806,193) engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning contract for the development of a 29.99 megawatt (MWac) large-scale solar (LSS) photovoltaic plant in Bukit Badong, Selangor. The Founder Group will be responsible for the mechanical and wiring of the facility.

    Further, the Company secured an additional contract valued at RM2.8 million (approximately US$662,452) from the same business that Founder Group contracted with on a previous solar PV project deal which was announced earlier in the year. The business that the Company contracted with has a solid track record in the industry focusing in investment of renewable energy assets throughout Malaysia.

    This partnership with two prominent industry players will be a construction contract that is expected to be completed this year. Founder Group has secured contracts with this solar installation company for similar types of facilities and expects additional contracts from them over the next few years.

    For one of the projects, Founder Group will serve as a contractor, responsible for the design, engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning of a roof-top solar PV generating facility with nominal capacity.

    “We are excited about the continued momentum in securing additional contracts which have been a combination of brand-new partnerships and additional contract wins from our current collaborative business customers. Our latest contracts will be instrumental in enhancing Founder Group’s revenue growth, operational capabilities, and ability to expand our footprint in the Malaysian market. Additionally, we look forward to building solid relationships with premiere companies in the industry that are growing in the region and share the same vision of working together to support the country’s renewable energy goals and focused on promoting a greener, more sustainable future,” said Lee Seng Chi, Chief Executive Officer of Founder Group Limited.

    About Founder Group Limited

    Founder Group Limited is a pure-play, end-to-end EPCC solutions provider for solar PV facilities in Malaysia. The company’s primary focus is on two key segments: large-scale solar projects and commercial and industrial (C&I) solar projects. The company’s mission is to provide customers with innovative solar installation services, promote eco-friendly resources and achieve carbon-neutrality.

    For more information on the Company, please visit https://www.founderenergy.com.my/.

    Safe Harbor Statement

    This press release contains forward-looking statements that reflect our current expectations and views of future events. Known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, including those listed under “Risk Factors” in the Company’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. You can identify some of these forward-looking statements by words or phrases such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “aim,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “is/are likely to,” “potential,” “continue” or other similar expressions. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. These forward-looking statements involve various risks and uncertainties. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date on which the statements are made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. We qualify all of our forward-looking statements by these cautionary statements.

    CONTACT INFORMATION:

    For media queries, please contact:
    Founder Group Limited info@founderenergy.com.my

    Investor Relations Inquiries:

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

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Mercurity Fintech Announces $800 Million Financing Plan for Bitcoin Treasury; Achieves Preliminary Inclusion in the U.S. Russell 2000 Index

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    New York, NY, June 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Mercurity Fintech Holding Inc. (the “Company,” “we,” “us,” “our company,” or “MFH”) (Nasdaq: MFH), a digital fintech group, today announced its plans to raise $800 million to establish a long-term Bitcoin treasury reserve. Through this fundraising effort, MFH aims to leverage its established expertise in blockchain-driven financial infrastructure to strategically acquire and manage Bitcoin assets. The Company also plans to integrate these holdings into its digital reserve framework through blockchain-native custody, staking integration, and tokenized treasury management services.

    Additionally, through this fundraising effort, the Company intends to systematically build a Bitcoin reserve position and implement an integrated digital asset treasury framework. This will involve deploying institutional-grade custodial infrastructure, blockchain-native liquidity protocols, and staking-enabled capital efficiency tools. The objective is to transition a portion of the Company’s treasury into a yield-generating, blockchain-aligned reserve structure that reinforces long-duration asset exposure and balance sheet resilience.

    “We’re building this Bitcoin treasury reserve based on our belief that Bitcoin will become an essential component of the future financial infrastructure,” said Shi Qiu, CEO of the Company. “We are positioning our company to be a key player in the evolving digital financial ecosystem.”

    Concurrently, according to FTSE Russell’s preliminary 2025 annual reconstitution list, the Company is poised to be included in the broad-market Russell 3000® and Russell 2000® Index, representing an upgrade from its prior classification within the Russell Microcap Index. The index reclassification and upgrade could broaden the Company’s exposure to institutional investors, including those managing index-linked and actively managed funds. Furthermore, the Company believes that such inclusion signals to the market that MFH is demonstrating consistent execution capability and growing relevance of its blockchain-based infrastructure strategy within the public markets.

    “Moving from the Russell Microcap to the Russell 2000 shows that investors recognize the value we are creating in blockchain finance,” Qiu added. “Our Bitcoin treasury reserve initiative is the next logical step in this evolution.”

    About Mercurity Fintech Holding Inc.
    Mercurity Fintech Holding Inc. (NASDAQ: MFH) is a fintech group powered by blockchain infrastructure, offering technology and financial services. Through its subsidiaries including Chaince Securities, LLC, MFH aims to bridge traditional finance and digital innovation, offering services spanning digital assets, financial advisory, and capital markets solutions.

    Forward-Looking Statements
    This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical fact in this announcement are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that the Company believes may affect its financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. Investors can identify these forward-looking statements by words or phrases such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “aim,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “potential,” “continue,” “is/are likely to” or other similar expressions. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances, or changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that such expectations will turn out to be correct, and the Company cautions investors that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results.

    Contacts:
    International Elite Capital Inc.
    Annabelle Zhang
    Tel: +1(646) 866-7928
    Email: mfhfintech@iecapitalusa.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Bitcoin Depot Acquires the Assets of Regional Bitcoin ATM Operator Pelicoin, Expanding U.S. Presence

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ATLANTA, June 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitcoin Depot (NASDAQ: BTM), a U.S.-based Bitcoin ATM (“BTM”) operator and leading fintech company, announced it has acquired the assets of Pelicoin, LLC, a crypto ATM operator based in New Orleans, Louisiana. The deal will add kiosk locations across Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, and Texas, strengthening Bitcoin Depot’s presence in the Gulf South.

    “Pelicoin is a strategic addition to our footprint in a region where we see real opportunity,” said Brandon Mintz, CEO and founder of Bitcoin Depot. “Pelicoin’s locations give us a stronger presence in the Gulf South, and we can immediately apply our scale and experience to operate their machines more efficiently. This acquisition is part of our broader effort to consolidate a fragmented market and extend our leadership in cash-to-crypto access nationwide. As the industry matures, we believe our ability to integrate and optimize smaller networks is a key advantage.”

    Pelicoin’s ATM network will be fully integrated into Bitcoin Depot’s platform in the coming weeks, with all locations transitioning to Bitcoin Depot branding.

    “I’m extremely proud of what we built at Pelicoin,” said Will Haynie, Founder and CEO of Pelicoin. “What started as a small regional effort became a trusted brand throughout the Gulf South. Bitcoin Depot is one of the most respected names in the industry, and their ability to execute on this transaction quickly made them the obvious choice for us. Our network and loyal customers will add value to their growing operation, and those customers will now benefit from the advantages only a large-scale operator can provide, like 24/7 customer support, a strong compliance program, and continued investment in technology and service.”

    For Pelicoin customers, there will be no disruptions. ATMs currently branded as Pelicoin will soon transition to Bitcoin Depot branding, with the same functionality, now backed by 24/7 customer support, a robust compliance team, and the advantages that come from working with an industry leader.

    The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. For more information, visit www.bitcoindepot.com.

    About Bitcoin Depot 
    Bitcoin Depot Inc. (Nasdaq: BTM) was founded in 2016 with the mission to connect those who prefer to use cash to the broader, digital financial system. Bitcoin Depot provides its users with simple, efficient and intuitive means of converting cash into Bitcoin, which users can deploy in the payments, spending and investing space. Users can convert cash to bitcoin at Bitcoin Depot kiosks in 47 states and at thousands of name-brand retail locations in 31 states through its BDCheckout product. The Company has the largest market share in North America with over 8,500 kiosk locations as of June 2025. Learn more at www.bitcoindepot.com

    Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
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    Gateway Group, Inc.  
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    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Sunrun’s Distributed Power Plant Capacity Surpasses 650 Megawatts, Ready to Support Grid Reliability Ahead of Summer Heat and Hurricanes

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN FRANCISCO, June 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Sunrun (Nasdaq: RUN), the nation’s leading provider of clean energy as a subscription service, today announced that it is activating more than 130,000 home batteries, representing over two-thirds of Sunrun’s total battery fleet, to support America’s power grid this summer. In its grid service programs, Sunrun has the capability of dispatching 650 megawatts of peak power—enough to power 480,000 homes, or a city the size of Austin, Texas—at critical times every day to help meet America’s skyrocketing demand for electricity.

    “America is entering a period of insatiable, hockey-stick energy demand driven by manufacturing, data centers, and AI,” said Sunrun CEO Mary Powell. “Sunrun’s laser focus on pairing storage with solar puts us in a position to rapidly bring new generating capacity online to stabilize the grid and help lead the nation toward energy independence.”

    Sunrun’s storage-first strategy has placed the company among the top five energy storage operators nationwide, with nearly a gigawatt of total battery capacity installed—the equivalent of a nuclear power plant’s worth of peak power. Sunrun is the largest distributed battery power plant provider and operator in the world. In the first quarter of this year, Sunrun’s storage attachment rate surged to nearly 70% of new solar customers. The company accounts for roughly half of all new home battery installations in the country.

    Sunrun’s dispatchable power plants recently provided hundreds of megawatts of peak power to the grid in several states:

    • Texas: Sunrun dispatched essential energy during unseasonably hot temperatures, providing cost control to all customers of two retail electricity providers.
    • Arizona: Arizona Public Service called on Sunrun for three consecutive days to dispatch essential energy during unseasonably hot temperatures.
    • California: Sunrun’s statewide residential battery power plant dispatched an average of more than 300 megawatts during a recent two-hour peak load window.
    • New York: Orange and Rockland Utilities activated Sunrun’s residential battery power plant—the largest in the state—several times so far this year to relieve grid stress.
    • Puerto Rico: In response to capacity shortfalls from centralized power plants, the island’s utility provider, LUMA, asked Sunrun to dispatch stored solar energy during 26 emergency power events since January.

    As the U.S. prepares for energy demand spikes and rising temperatures, utilities and grid operators are actively planning future battery dispatches to help stabilize the grid and improve reliability. Notably, Orange and Rockland and LUMA have already asked Sunrun to prepare emergency dispatches as both service areas brace for unusually high temperatures.

    In partnership with electric utilities across the country, Sunrun operates 17 dispatchable power plant programs that improve reliability and help prevent blackouts. With the unique ability to deploy utility-scale battery capacity within months, Sunrun delivers critical grid services with unmatched speed. These programs also help utilities avoid or defer transmission and distribution investments, saving money for all families connected to the grid.

    Sunrun’s subscription model is key to its ability to aggregate, manage, and dispatch hundreds of thousands of home batteries to improve grid reliability. The 48E investment tax credit enables the construction of this grid infrastructure to quickly address America’s looming electricity supply crisis.

    About Sunrun
    Sunrun Inc. (Nasdaq: RUN) revolutionized the solar industry in 2007 by removing financial barriers and democratizing access to locally-generated, renewable energy. Today, Sunrun is the nation’s leading provider of clean energy as a subscription service, offering residential solar and storage with no upfront costs. Sunrun’s innovative products and solutions can connect homes to the cleanest energy on earth, providing them with energy security, predictability, and peace of mind. Sunrun also manages energy services that benefit communities, utilities, and the electric grid while enhancing customer value. Discover more at www.sunrun.com

    Media Contact
    Wyatt Semanek
    Director, Corporate Communications
    press@sunrun.com

    Investor & Analyst Contact
    Patrick Jobin
    SVP, Deputy CFO & Investor Relations Officer
    investors@sunrun.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: South Korea is finally reckoning with its decades-long foreign adoption scandal

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Youngeun Koo, Assistant Professor, Centre for East and South-East Asian Studies, Lund University

    Kim Tak-un was four years old when he was adopted by a Swedish family in 1974. Originally from South Korea, Tak-un had lived with his single father, a labourer who moved frequently for work. One day in the summer of 1974, while staying with his aunt, Tak-un wandered outside and disappeared.

    Local police considered him abandoned and referred him to an adoption agency, which arranged his adoption to Sweden within five months. When his father realised his son was missing, he searched everywhere, only to discover – too late – that Tak-un had already been sent overseas. Devastated, he demanded Tak-un’s return. When the adoption agency failed to respond, he went public with the story.

    In March 2025, South Korea’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission released initial findings from its investigation into the country’s 72-year-old international adoption programme. The full report is expected in the next few weeks as the investigation is now completed.

    Based on more than 360 cases submitted by Korean adoptees from 11 countries, the commission uncovered widespread human rights violations, including falsified documents, lack of parental consent, and cases of child switching – shaking up adoptees and their families.


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    Since the end of the Korean War (1950–1953), South Korea has sent over 200,000 children abroad, becoming the world’s largest country for adoption, even as it grew into an advanced economy.

    Existing studies have shown that international adoption from South Korea began as a response to the large number of mixed-heritage children born to Korean mothers and US soldiers during the war.

    It is estimated that thousands of such children were born, and South Korea’s first president, Syngman Rhee, ordered their overseas placement on the grounds that they were “unfit” for a nation imagined as ethnically homogeneous.

    However, international adoption did not end once this perceived “emergency” was over. From the mid-1960s onward, it expanded to include children from other vulnerable backgrounds, including those affected by poverty, family breakdown, and out-of-wedlock births. This, and the role of international adoption, is explored in my upcoming book.

    This was closely tied to the policies pursued by South Korea’s military regimes. The most important figure was Park Chung Hee, a military general who came to power through a 1961 coup and ruled until his assassination in 1979.

    His regime prioritised rapid economic growth, relegating social welfare to the lowest priority. Childcare was treated as an individual, not a state, responsibility. As I point out in my earlier research, public systems to categorise and care for children – whether abandoned, lost, or runaway – were extremely limited, and authorities largely placed the burden on parents to retrieve their separated children. This is probably why, after only cursory checks, authorities referred Tak-un to an adoption agency.

    Tak-un’s case attracted media attention in Sweden as well. However, in an interview with Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter, the Swedish national board of health and welfare – which oversaw the Korean adoption programme – dismissed the claims, stating they were “99 percent certain” the story was false and insisting that Korean social workers had followed proper procedures.

    The trust that Swedish authorities placed in South Korean adoption procedures may have been because of the way the Korean social workers presented their work. As the first generation of Koreans trained in US-style professional social work, they framed international adoption as being about the child, the importance of a family, and emotional wellbeing.

    The research for my upcoming book shows that while they may have genuinely believed in international adoption as a valid form of child welfare, there were also practical reasons why this happened. With virtually no public funding for child welfare, many saw international adoption – where adoptive parents covered the costs of care – as an ideal way to apply their training.

    In interviews with me, now-retired social workers acknowledged flaws in South Korea’s broader child welfare system, such as the inability to verify a child’s true status. Yet, without public resources to build a reliable system or prioritise family reunification, they often treated international adoption as a first, rather than a last, resort.

    Moreover, the prevailing belief at the time that “normal” middle-class families offered the most stable environment for a child’s development provided further moral justification for sending children abroad.

    Western authorities often interpreted Korean social workers’ professionalism as evidence of shared liberal child welfare values and placed strong trust in their procedures. When serious flaws surfaced – as in Tak-un’s case – they were frequently dismissed as exceptions rather than signs of deeper systemic problems.

    Even when the facts were confirmed in 1975, Swedish authorities still refused to return the child. The Swedish consul-general in Seoul at the time, Lars Berg, argued that it was in Tak-un’s “best interest” to remain in Sweden, rather than be sent back to “an uncertain fate of the father without work and residence”.

    This reflected, in part, Sweden’s domestic realities: like many western societies at the time, Sweden faced a shortage of adoptable children, and international adoption had become an important way to meet the wishes of prospective parents.

    In the early 1970s, nearly half of all internationally adopted children arriving in Sweden came from South Korea. Which meant that when issues like Tak-un’s emerged, Swedish authorities prioritised the rights of adoptive parents, framing their defence in the language of child welfare.

    Sweden’s Adoption Commission has just released its own report on June 2, examining the country’s international adoption practices, including those involving South Korea. Echoing my research findings, it recommended an end to allowing Swedes to adopt children from abroad.

    So, what became of Tak-un? Ultimately, South Korean officials acquiesced to the Swedish authorities, and the Korean adoption agency was cleared of any wrongdoing. Tak-un never returned. The last trace in the archives is his birth father’s plea to hear from him.

    I located Tak-un, who now goes by his Swedish name and lives in a small town in Sweden. Despite attempts to reach him, he didn’t respond. It remains uncertain whether his father’s message ever reached him or if he knows anything about his early life in Korea.

    This silence is not merely personal. A system that claimed to act for the child’s welfare instead routinely erased adopted children’s pasts, ignored their birth families and decided their futures for them. Tak-un’s story isn’t just a painful exception – it is a haunting reminder of what was lost in the name of care.

    This project has been supported by funding from the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service), the Korea Foundation, the Academy of Korean Studies, the Kyujanggak Institute for Korean Studies at Seoul National University, the Clarke Chambers Travel Fellowship at the University of Minnesota, and the Presbyterian Historical Society Research Fellowship.

    ref. South Korea is finally reckoning with its decades-long foreign adoption scandal – https://theconversation.com/south-korea-is-finally-reckoning-with-its-decades-long-foreign-adoption-scandal-255135

    MIL OSI Analysis

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: How I uncovered a potential ancient Rome wine scam

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Conor Trainor, Ad Astra Research Fellow / Assistant Professor, University College Dublin

    Dan Henson/Shutterstock

    Before artificial sweeteners, people satisfied their cravings for sweetness with natural products, including honey or dried fruit. Raisin wines, made by drying grapes before fermentation, were particularly popular. Historical records show these wines, some known as passum, were enjoyed in the Roman Empire and throughout medieval Europe. The most famous of raisin wine of the period was Malmsey, with varities of this type produced across the Mediterranean.

    Today, the popularity of raisin wines has declined, although some still are held in very high esteem. The best-known of these are Italy’s appassimento (literally “withering”) wines, such as Amarone. High-quality modern raisin wines from the Veneto region of Italy are left to dry for three months before being pressed and undergoing fermentation, a time-consuming process.

    Ancient sources describe similar techniques for producing raisin wines. Columella, a Roman agricultural writer, noted that drying and fermentation together took at least a month. The Roman author, Pliny the Elder, mentioned a process in which grapes were partially dried on the vine, then further dried on racks before being pressed eight days later.

    For the past ten years, I have been studying the process of how this wine was created at the archaeological site of Knossos in Crete. While famous for its earlier, Minoan, remains, Crete was renowned throughout the Roman empire for producing high-end sweet raisin wine, which was traded far and wide.


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    High-quality raisin wines required patience and time but it seems as if Knossos’s wine producers might not have been following these traditional methods.

    What my archaeological investigations of a wine production site, as well as at wine shipping container (amphora) production sites at Knossos, is that Cretan wine-producers may have been deceiving their Roman-era customers with a knock-off version of passum.

    Crete’s winemaking legacy

    Remains of a wine production facility in Knossos present a picture of winemaking practices a generation or so before the Romans conquered Crete. More intriguingly, ongoing studies of excavated Roman-era pottery kilns revealed a repeated pattern of four key artefacts being produced in one region of Knossos: amphorae for transporting wine, amphora stands for filling them, large ceramic mixing bowls, and ceramic beehives.

    Crete, the largest Greek island, has been producing wine for thousands of years. Archaeological evidence from Myrtos suggests winemaking as early as 2170 BCE. Its strategic location between Greece and North Africa made it a valuable asset and in 67 BCE, after a brutal three-year campaign, the Romans conquered the island.

    Following the conquest, Crete’s economy underwent major changes. The Romans established a colony at Knossos, transformed the governance system, and significantly expanded wine production. Rural activity surged, and archaeologists have found large numbers of amphorae (clay jars used for transporting wine) suggesting that Cretan wine was exported in huge quantities.

    Romans bought so much Cretan wine partly because of shipping routes. Grain shipments that helped feed the people of Rome frequently stopped at Crete en route from Alexandria to Italy, allowing merchants to load additional cargo. But demand was also driven by the reputation of Cretan raisin wine, which was considered a luxury product, much like Italy’s appassimento wines today. Beyond taste, it was also valued for supposed medicinal properties. The Roman army physician Pedanius Dioscorides wrote in his famous five-volume medical work Materia Medica that the wine cured headaches, expelled worms and even promoted fertility.

    The sudden rise in demand for sweet Cretan wine in Rome and on the Bay of Naples in the early days of empire may have encouraged winemakers to speed up production.

    Pliny the Elder described one shortcut for making raisin wine – boiling grape juice in large pots. However, the mixing basins found at Knossos show no evidence of heating. This suggests another possibility: adding honey to wine before packaging. The beehives, excavated from Roman-era pottery kilns and identifiable by their rough interior surfaces designed for honeycomb attachment, hint at a connection between winemaking and honey. Similar discoveries at other Greek sites suggest that honey and wine may have been mixed before shipping.

    This method would have been quicker and cheaper than drying grapes for weeks. But if Cretan producers were substituting honey for traditional drying techniques, was this truly raisin wine? And, were Roman consumers aware? The vast quantities of Cretan wine imported into Rome suggest that buyers weren’t too concerned either way. Based on the sheer volume of now-empty wine amphoras from Crete that have been found in archaeological sites in Rome, I suspect that the populous of Rome likely cared less about authenticity than we do today.

    Conor Trainor receives funding from University College Dublin, the British School at Athens, and previously for this research, the University of Warwick.

    ref. How I uncovered a potential ancient Rome wine scam – https://theconversation.com/how-i-uncovered-a-potential-ancient-rome-wine-scam-258215

    MIL OSI Analysis

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: No packaging, no problem? The potential drawbacks of bulk groceries

    Source: The Conversation – France – By Fanny Reniou, Maître de conférences HDR, Université de Rennes 1 – Université de Rennes

    High-income professionals over the age of 50 make up 70% of all consumers of bulk products.
    DCStudio/Shutterstock

    The bulk distribution model has been in the news again lately, with well-known brands such as The Laughing Cow making their way into French supermarkets. Stakeholders in the bulk sector are seeking to introduce innovations in order to expand and democratise the concept. But is the bulk model such a clear-cut approach to consuming in a sustainable way?

    Bulk can be described as a consumer practice with a lower impact on the environment, since it involves the sale of products with no packaging, plastic or unnecessary waste and the use of reusable containers by consumers. In this type of distribution, predetermined manufacturer packaging becomes a thing of the past.

    In this model, distributors and consumers take on the task of packaging the product themselves to ensure the continuity of the multiple logistical and marketing functions that packaging usually fulfils. Unaccustomed to this new role, stakeholders in the bulk sector may make mistakes or act in ways that run counter to the environmental benefits that are generally expected to result from this practice.

    Contrary to the usually positive discourse on bulk products, our research points to the perverse and harmful effects of bulk distribution. When bulk stakeholders are left to “cope with” this new task of packaging products, can bulk still be described as ecologically sound?

    A new approach to packaging

    Packaging has always played a key role. It performs multiple functions that are essential for product distribution and consumption:

    • Logistical functions to preserve, protect and store the product: packaging helps to limit damage and loss, particularly during transport.

    • Marketing functions for product or brand recognition, which is achieved by distinctive colours or shapes to create on-shelf appeal. Packaging also has a positioning function, visually conveying a particular range level, as well as an informative function, serving as a medium for communicating a number of key elements such as composition, best-before date, etc.

    • Environmental functions, such as limiting the size of packaging and promoting certain types of materials – in particular recycled and recyclable materials.

    In the bulk market, it is up to consumers and distributors to fulfil these various functions in their own way: they may give them greater or lesser importance, giving priority to some over others. Insofar as manufacturers no longer offer predetermined packaging for their products, consumers and distributors have to take on this task jointly.

    Assimilation or accommodation

    Our study of how consumers and retailers appropriate these packaging functions used a variety of data: 54 interviews with bulk aisle and store managers and consumers of bulk products, as well as 190 Instagram posts and 428 photos taken in people’s homes and in stores.

    The study shows that there are two modes of appropriating packaging functions:

    • by assimilation – when individuals find ways to imitate typical packaging and its attributes

    • by accommodation – when they imagine new packaging and new ways of working with it

    Bulk packaging can lead to hygiene problems if consumers reuse packaging for a new purpose.
    GaldricPS/Shutterstock

    Some consumers reuse industrial packaging, such as egg cartons and detergent cans, because of their proven practicality. But packaging may also mirror its owners’ identity. Some packaging is cobbled together, while other packaging is carefully chosen with an emphasis on certain materials like wax, a fabric popular in West Africa and used for reusable bags.



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    Once packaging disappears, so does relevant information

    Appropriating the functions of packaging is not always easy. There is a “dark side” to bulk, with possible harmful effects on health or the environment, and social exclusion. Bulk can lead, for example, to hygiene-related problems or misinformation when consumers fail to label their jars correctly, or use packaging for another purpose. For example, using a glass juice bottle to store detergent can be hazardous if a household member is unaware of its contents.

    Bulk shopping can also appear exclusive for people with less culinary education. (High-income professionals over the age of 50 make up 70% of all consumers of bulk products.) Once the packaging disappears, so does the relevant information. Some consumers actually do need packaging to recognize, store and know how to cook a product. Without this information, products may end up in the garbage can!

    Our study also shows the ambivalence of the so-called “environmental function” of bulk shopping – the initial idea being that bulk should reduce the amount of waste generated by packaging. In fact, this function is not always fulfilled, as many consumers tend to buy a great deal of containers along with other items, such as labels, pens and so on, to customise them.

    Some consumers’ priority is not so much to reuse old packaging, but to buy new storage containers, which are often manufactured in faraway lands! The result is the production of massive amounts of waste – the exact opposite of the original purpose of the bulk trade.

    Lack of consumer guidance

    After a period of strong growth, the bulk sector went through a difficult period during the Covid-19 pandemic, leading to closures for many specialist stores in France, according to a first survey on bulk and on reuse. In supermarkets though, some retailers invested to make their bulk aisles more attractive – though in the absence of any effective guidance, consumers failed to make them their own. Bulk aisles have become just one among a host of other aisles.

    Things seem to be improving however, and innovation is on the rise. In France, 58% of the members of the “Bulk and Reuse Network” (réseau Vrac et réemploi) reported an increase in daily traffic between January and May 2023 compared with 2022.

    Distributors need to adapt to changing regulations. These stipulate that, by 2030, stores of over 400 m2 will have to devote 20% of their FMCG (Fast-Moving Consumer Goods) sales areas to bulk sales. Moreover, bulk sales made their official entry into French legislation with the law on the fight against waste and the circular economy (loi relative à la lutte contre le gaspillage et à l’économie circulaire) published in the French official gazette on February 11, 2020.

    In this context, it is all the more necessary and urgent to support bulk stakeholders, so that they can successfully adopt the practice and develop it further.

    Fanny Reniou has received funding from Biocoop as part of a research partnership.

    Elisa Robert-Monnot has received funding from Biocoop as part of a research partnership and collaboration.

    Sarah Lasri ne travaille pas, ne conseille pas, ne possède pas de parts, ne reçoit pas de fonds d’une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n’a déclaré aucune autre affiliation que son organisme de recherche.

    ref. No packaging, no problem? The potential drawbacks of bulk groceries – https://theconversation.com/no-packaging-no-problem-the-potential-drawbacks-of-bulk-groceries-258305

    MIL OSI Analysis

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Carers portal launched offering around the clock instant online support

    Source: City of Stoke-on-Trent

    Published: Wednesday, 11th June 2025

    A new 24/7 online portal is launched today to provide the city’s valued community of carers a range of instant support, information and advice.

    The portal, which is being launched during National Carers Week, can be reached at www.stoke.gov.uk/helpforcarers.

    It includes:

    • News and events for carers
    • Help with carer assessments
    • Advice on supporting clients to access financial support
    • A community directory of useful local organisations
    • Equipment and adaptations
    • Information on health from autism and learning disabilities through to mental health support, local facilities
    • Housing advice: private rents, councils and social housing
    • Out and about: public transport, accessible toilets and changing, sports and activities.
    • Money and legal: paying for care and support, benefits, power of attorney.

    This is the third portal launched by the council’s Adult Social Care team in the last few months – both the Bettercare Support portal and Professional Portal are also available 24/7 to make accessing services, support and signposting better than ever before.

    The aim of all three is to help people lead the most independent lives they possibly can by tapping into the right amount of support, whatever their circumstances.

    In addition, a new Finance Portal that will enable people to quickly see if they are likely to be eligible to have support funded, will also be available in the next few weeks.

    Councillor Duncan Walker, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and All-Age Commissioning at Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: “Our carers are often unsung heroes, of all ages, many unpaid looking after relatives or other loved ones, and deserve all the support we can offer.

    “The services available at the click of a button through this new portal are aimed at just that – helping them to access all the advice they need along with a range of organisations who can support them.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Chancellor announces record investment to rebuild National Health Service

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

    News story

    Chancellor announces record investment to rebuild National Health Service

    The Chancellor has today (Wednesday 11 June) announced a record £29 billion investment to get the NHS back on its feet and fit for the future.

    • Rachel Reeves announces record £29 billion funding boost to get the NHS back on its feet and fit for the future.
    • New investment includes up to £10 billion on technology and digital transformation, GP training to deliver millions more appointments and rolling out mental health support to all schools.
    • Reeves tells the House of Commons: “There’s no strong economy without a strong NHS.”

    New investment announced at the Spending Review will enable the NHS to deliver on the government’s Plan for Change to cut waiting lists, improve patient care and modernise services.

    Up to £10 billion allocated towards technology and digital transformation, thousands more GPs to be trained and funding allocated to deliver an additional 700,000 urgent NHS dentist appointments a year.

    The funding boost came as the Chancellor unveiled a Spending Review to deliver Britain’s renewal, with record investment in the country’s security, health and economy.

    Security

    The Chancellor confirmed a £11 billion real-terms increase in defence spending over the spending review period, backing our Armed Forces, creating British jobs in British industries, and prioritising the security of Britain when it is most needed.

    Today’s funding will provide the Ministry of Defence with the resources and capital necessary to start delivering the Strategic Defence Review, rebuilding the armed forces and investing heavily in UK intelligence capabilities. This includes £15 billion for a nuclear sovereign warhead programme, supporting over 9,000 jobs in the UK, £7 billion of infrastructure funding for a once-in-a-generation renewal of military accommodation, and £6 billion for munitions, investing in supply chains and factories in the UK and generating over 1,000 jobs and export potential. 

    At least £280 million a year will also be invested into border security by 2028-29, including into the Border Security Command, to tackle people-smuggling gangs running small boats. Funding of at least £400 million a year by 2028-29 will speed up the process of asylum processing, increase appeals capacity and continue asylum returns alongside ending the costly use of hotels for accommodation.

    Police spending power will see an average 2.3% real terms increase over the Spending Review period as the government puts police back on the beat in communities across England and Wales, supporting the government’s Plan for Change commitment to put an additional 13,000 police officers, PCSOs and special constables into neighbourhood roles.

    Growth

    Roads, infrastructure and towns outside of London and the South East will receive investment to ensure Britain’s renewal is one that is truly national. Revisions to the Treasury’s Green Book announced by the Chancellor mark a new approach to appraisal in the public sector, one which will enable the more effective assessment of place-based interventions. 

    The Chancellor announced £15.6 billion funding in total by 2031-32 for local transport projects in England’s city regions and £2.3 billion from 2026-27 to 2029-30 for local transport improvements outside of these nine regions, improving everyday journeys for all. The Chancellor announced a further £2.5 billion to connect Oxford and Cambridge through the continued delivery of East-West Rail and confirmed she will set out plans to take forward work on Northern Powerhouse Rail in the coming weeks.

    Funding announced today will deliver upgrades to Cardiff Central station, reduce journey times between Manchester and Leeds through continued investment in the TransPennine Route Upgrade, and progress the delivery of Midlands Rail Hub, enhancing connections from Birmingham across the West Midlands and to other regions.

    The Chancellor also confirmed the biggest boost to social and affordable housing in a generation, confirming £39 billion of investment over ten years through a new Affordable Homes Programme, turbocharging the Plan for Change commitment to get the country building and deliver the 1.5 million homes Britain needs.

    This significant settlement represents the first time in living memory that the government has set out a programme that provides ten years of certainty – giving the sector the confidence to deliver for now and for the future of housing in Britain and turning the tide on the housing crisis in this country.

    Today’s Spending Review also supports the development of home-grown, clean power to deliver energy security by committing £14.2 billion for Britain’s first state-funded nuclear power station since 1988 in Sizewell C, providing over £2.5 billion for one of Europe’s first Small Modular Reactor programmes and allocating £9.4 billion to UK carbon capture and storage over the Spending Review period – all while supporting Britain’s acceleration to net zero and driving growth.

    The Chancellor also confirmed additional funding for up to 350 communities, especially those in deprived areas, through Plans for Neighbourhoods – giving new long-term regeneration funding and supporting councils in their fightback against graffiti and fly-tipping across Britain.

    The government will also establish a Growth Mission Fund to expedite local projects that are important for growth but have been forgotten, such as Southport Pier, Kirkcaldy’s seafront and High Street, and a new sports quarter in Peterborough.

    In the coming weeks, the government will release its Infrastructure and Industrial Strategies – providing the certainty and stability sectors need to invest and work to drive our growth mission.

    Devolved nations

    The devolved administrations will receive their largest real terms settlements since devolution began in 1998, enabling them to deliver on local priorities that matter most to communities.

    The Scottish Government will receive an average extra £2.9 billion across the duration of this Spending Review through the operation of the Barnett formula. In recognition of Scotland’s unique needs, they will have 20% more to spend per individual than comparable UK Government spending for people in the rest of the UK.

    The Welsh Government will benefit from an average extra £1.6 billion over the Spending Review period through the Barnett formula to deliver against the priorities of working people in Wales, and 20% more to spend per individual than comparable UK Government does for people in the rest of the UK.

    The Northern Ireland Executive will receive an average extra £1.2 billion through the Barnett formula, 24% more to spend per person than the comparable UK Government spending in the rest of the UK, reflecting Northern Ireland’s unique circumstances.

    These record settlements are made possible by the tough but necessary decisions taken in the October Budget.

    Updates to this page

    Published 11 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese vice premier urges US to resolve trade disputes with China through dialogue, cooperation

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

    The United States should resolve trade disputes with China through equal dialogue and mutually beneficial cooperation, Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng has said.

    China reiterates that the United States should work with China to honor their words with actions, and demonstrate sincerity in keeping commitments and concrete efforts to implement consensus, so as to jointly safeguard the hard-won outcomes of dialogue, He said.

    He made the remarks during the first meeting of the China-U.S. economic and trade consultation mechanism held in London from Monday to Tuesday with U.S. lead person Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.

    During the talks, the two sides held candid and in-depth talks, and thoroughly exchanged views on economic and trade issues of mutual concern.

    The two sides reached principled agreement on implementing the important consensus reached by the two heads of state during their phone call on June 5 and the framework of measures to consolidate the outcomes of the economic and trade talks in Geneva, and made new progress in addressing each other’s economic and trade concerns.

    Calling the meeting an important consultation held under the guidance of the strategic consensus reached by the two heads of state on June 5, He said that China’s position on China-U.S. economic and trade issues is clear and consistent.

    Noting that the essence of China-U.S. economic and trade relations lies in mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, the vice premier said cooperation between China and the United States in the economic and trade field benefits both sides, while confrontation harms both.

    There are no winners in trade wars, He said, adding that China does not seek conflict but will not be intimidated by one.

    He urged the United States to resolve trade disputes with China through equal dialogue and mutually beneficial cooperation, adding that while China is sincere in pursuing economic and trade consultations, it also has its principles.

    Next, the two sides should, in accordance with the important consensus and requirements reached by the two heads of state during their phone call, make better use of the China-U.S. economic and trade consultation mechanism, and work to enhance consensus, reduce misunderstanding and strengthen cooperation, He said.

    The two sides should maintain communication and consultation, and promote the steady and sustained growth of China-U.S. economic and trade relations, so as to inject more certainty and stability into the world economy, He added.

    The U.S. side said that the meeting had achieved positive outcomes and further stabilized bilateral economic and trade relations, adding that the U.S. side would walk in the same direction as China in accordance with the requirements of the phone call between the two heads of state to jointly implement the consensus reached at this meeting. Enditem

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Management consultant who ‘wanted to get as much money as he could’ banned as a director for 11 years after securing two Covid loans

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Management consultant who ‘wanted to get as much money as he could’ banned as a director for 11 years after securing two Covid loans

    Romain McLean, from Brent, exaggerated the turnover of RMC Associates Limited to secure two Bounce Back loans.

    • Romain McLean was the director of RMC Associates Limited, a management consultancy company registered in Wimbledon.  

    • He overstated his company’s turnover twice to secure two loans.  

    • McLean is now disqualified from being a director until 2036. 

    A Brent director who secured two Covid Bounce Back Loans – totalling £80,000 – having twice significantly overstated his company’s turnover has been disqualified for 11 years.  

    Romain McLean was the sole director of RMC Associates Limited, registered at Kingston Road in Wimbledon.  

    The 41-year-old of Pember Road, Brent, applied for a £30,000 Covid Bounce Back loan for his business in May 2020, when it was only entitled to around £12,000. 

    An Insolvency Service investigation found that he had overstated the turnover of his company by more than £100,000 to secure the initial loan. 

    In an interview during the investigation, Mr McLean admitted exaggerating his turnover to secure the loan, stating that he ‘just wanted to get as much money as he could’.     

    He also applied for a second loan at the maximum of £50,000, in July 2020, having falsely stated it was his first and only application and again overstating the turnover of his business by thousands of pounds. 

    Following the Insolvency Service investigation, he signed an undertaking disqualifying him from being a director for 11 years and offered a settlement repayment of £60,000. 

    Insolvency Service Chief Investigator Ann Oliver said:  

    Romain McLean overstated his company’s turnover to claim not one but two Covid Bounce Back loans.  

    He secured money for his company it was not wholly entitled to not once but twice. 

    This lengthy director disqualification demonstrates the seriousness of his actions and serves as a warning to others who seek to wrongfully claim taxpayers’ money.

    McLean did not dispute the undertaking, agreeing to an 11-year director disqualification which began on 30 May 2025. 

    RMC Associates Limited was incorporated in 2008 and was subject to a winding up petition in 2023. 

    The Bounce Back loan scheme helped small and medium-sized businesses to borrow between £2,000 and £50,000, at a low interest rate, guaranteed by the Government.   

    The loans were made on the condition that they were not to be used for personal purposes, but could be used, for example, to purchase a company asset such as a vehicle, if it would provide an economic benefit to the business. 

    The money lent to a company had to be paid back, over six or 10 years, with payments starting 12 months after the company received the loan. 

    Further information:  

    Updates to this page

    Published 11 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Fun for Just £1 This Summer at Derry and Strabane Leisure Centres

    Source: Northern Ireland – City of Derry

    Fun for Just £1 This Summer at Derry and Strabane Leisure Centres

    6 June 2025

    Families across Derry and Strabane can look forward to an action-packed summer as the Council launches its exciting seasonal programme of activities – all at unbeatable value.

    Returning again this year is the hugely popular £1 Summer Offer, running from 1st July to 31st August. This initiative gives young people under 18 access to a wide range of daytime activities – all for just £1 – at Council leisure centres across the city and district.

    Available from Monday to Friday until 5pm, the offer includes swimming and a variety of court and pitch-based activities such as:

    • Tennis
    • Badminton
    • 5-a-side football
    • Table tennis
    • Basketball
    • Squash
    • Selected pitch activities (T&Cs apply)

    The initiative is part of Council’s wider sports development programme, aimed at encouraging children and young people to stay active, try new sports, and enjoy healthy fun throughout the summer – without breaking the bank.

    Karen McFarland, Director of Health and Community at Derry City and Strabane District Council, said:

    “The £1 Summer Scheme offers a fantastic variety of activities to keep children and young people engaged, active, and entertained throughout the holidays. It’s a great way for them to discover new interests while staying healthy and having fun.

    Importantly, the affordable £1 price point helps ease the financial pressure on families looking to keep their kids busy over the summer break.”

    The scheme will be available at the following Council leisure centres:

    • Bishops Field
    • City Baths
    • Foyle Arena
    • Brooke Park Leisure Centre
    • Derg Valley Leisure Centre
    • Melvin Sports Complex
    • Riversdale Leisure Centre
    • Templemore Sports Complex

    Please note: Activities must be booked on the day of play. Advance bookings are not available.

    Separate from the £1 Summer Scheme offer, children and young people can also avail of the Council’s Intensive Swim Lessons over the summer months. Online and in-house enrolment will be available from the following times next week:

    Monday 9th June

    Foyle Arena – Online from 9am, inhouse from 10am

    City Baths – Online and inhouse from 11am

    Tuesday 10th June

    Templemore Sports Complex – Online from 9am, inhouse from 10am

    Riversdale Leisure Centre – Online from 9am, inhouse from 10am

    For full details on the summer programme and to stay up to date with all the latest offers, visit:
     www.derrystrabane.com/services/leisure

    You can also follow your local leisure centre on Facebook for regular updates.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI USA: One Big, Beautiful Bill

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bruce Westerman (AR-04)

    Across the nation, conversations this week likely revolved around the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” that passed out of the House, delivering on the mandate handed down by over 77 million Americans to address concerns like border security, increasing costs, healthcare, and more. It was especially exciting to be a part of this process, not only as Chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, but also in my capacity as a member of the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee. Through each of these committees, we were able to find a combined total of over $55 billion in savings – putting more money back into taxpayers’ pockets.

    Hearing directly from my constituents is an important aspect of my role, as it provides me with better insight, enabling me to serve and represent the folks of the Fourth District of Arkansas as best as possible in Washington. It was a great privilege to host a telephone town hall earlier this week where I was able to do just that – listen to the questions and concerns my friends and neighbors back home have regarding this significant piece of legislation. I was encouraged by the number of callers who expressed a deep desire to learn and understand what House Republicans are doing to craft legislation that puts Americans first.

    Most notably, there is evident concern around Medicaid and tax breaks for hard working Americans. In recent years, we’ve seen incredible abuse and wasteful spending through programs like Medicaid. This vital program that millions of Americans depend on for healthcare has been abused and mismanaged, endangering access for countless of Americans who rightfully need help. This piece of legislation rights these wrongs and protects vulnerable Americans – pregnant women, single mothers, low-income seniors, and disabled individuals – just as the program was designed.

    It certainly does not go unnoticed by me how many working families, small business owners, and hourly workers reside right here in the Fourth District. These hardworking Americans are the backbone of our economy, and as such, are in need of a tax break that allows them to retain their hard-earned money. Taxpayers’ money doesn’t belong to the federal government, it belongs in their pockets, allowing them to spend and save that money as they choose. 

    Under this big, beautiful bill, working American families will see the largest tax break in our nation’s history. Under the 2017 Trump Tax Cuts, which this bill extends, Americans earning under $100,000 received an average tax cut of 16 percent, while the taxes paid by the top 1 percent were found to increase. Moreover, earners in the bottom 20 percent who make up to $26,000, saw their federal tax rate fall to its lowest level in 40 years. With no tax on tips or overtime pay, expanding and making permanent the 199A small business deduction, and providing additional tax relief for seniors, there is no question that this bill champions the hardworking Americans who provide the greatest, most integral support to our nation’s economy. 

    No matter how you slice it, this bill works for all Americans – not just one small sect or tax bracket, but every single hardworking American who pours their heart and soul into providing for their families, contributing to their communities, and holding the aspiration of achieving the time-honored goal of “The American Dream.” It is an honor to work alongside House Republicans as we continue to deliver on our mandate and put Americans first.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Christopher Hui concludes UK visit

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    Secretary for Financial Services & the Treasury Christopher Hui today proceeded to Oslo, Norway, after concluding a visit to the UK, where he showcased Hong Kong’s determination to expand international financial co-operation.

    Addressing a lunch event hosted by the UK’s Hong Kong Association yesterday, Mr Hui said Hong Kong’s vibrant capital markets offer global investors, including those from the UK, a gateway and access to invest in Asia’s burgeoning tech sector.

    He highlighted that the strengths of Hong Kong’s capital markets are supported by geopolitical developments and the Mainland’s technological advancements, and urged global investors to leverage the city’s deep market liquidity and robust regulatory framework.

    Mr Hui also remarked that Hong Kong’s integration into the London Metal Exchange’s global warehouse network in January this year not only enhances Hong Kong’s commodities infrastructure but also creates significant opportunities for UK firms.

    Riding on its proximity to Asia’s industrial markets, Hong Kong can partner with the UK to jointly tap growing demand for new-energy metals and support global industrial transformation and sustainable development, he added.

    Mr Hui also held a roundtable meeting yesterday with members of TheCityUK, a body representing the UK’s financial and related professional services industries, and witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on establishing a partnership between it and the Financial Services Development Council (FSDC).

    He was joined in doing so by TheCityUK’s Leadership Council Chair Bruce Carnegie-Brown.

    The MOU was signed by FSDC Executive Director King Au and TheCityUK’s Managing Director of Public Affairs, Policy & Research John Godfrey. 

    Mr Hui said the MOU reflects a shared vision to harness the strengths of Hong Kong and the UK, creating opportunities that benefit both places and the global financial ecosystem.

    Earlier in the day, Mr Hui held a bilateral meeting with City of London Lord Mayor Alderman Alastair King, and briefed him on developments in Hong Kong’s financial services sector.

    Mr Hui also met PwC UK Chief Markets Officer Carl Sizer to discuss the role the auditing and accounting profession can play in helping Mainland enterprises go global.

    On Monday morning, Mr Hui attended a briefing session hosted by British independent think-tank Asia House, and spoke to its members about the latest financial developments in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area at large.

    He also responded to questions about Hong Kong’s financial outlook in a Q&A session moderated by Asia House Chief Executive Michael Lawrence.

    His other engagements on Monday included a meeting with senior management from ICBC Standard Bank, and another with Economic Secretary to the UK Treasury Emma Reynolds and other financial officials.

    He briefed the bank’s Chief Executive Officer Wang Wenbin and other senior executives about the international gold trading market and commodity trading ecosystem that Hong Kong is developing.

    At the meeting with the UK officials, Mr Hui reaffirmed the financial partnership between the Hong Kong and London, as two leading international financial centres, and gave an update on the situation in Hong Kong’s capital markets.

    In addition, Mr Hui paid a courtesy call on Minister of the Chinese Embassy in the UK Wang Qi.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI Security: Steal, Deal, Repeat: Cybercriminals cash in on your data

    Source: Europol

    Europol’s 2025 Internet Organised Crime Threat Assessment (IOCTA), published today, reveals how stolen data fuels the digital underworld, powering a criminal ecosystem that spans from online fraud and ransomware to child exploitation and extortion. The report paints a stark picture of a cybercrime economy built on access—access to your systems, your identity, and your most sensitive information.The Head of Europol’s…

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI: EBC Financial Group Launches over a 100 U.S. ETF CFDs, Strengthening Diversification for Global Clients

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LONDON, June 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — EBC Financial Group (EBC) has announced the launch of over 100 new U.S.-listed Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) CFDs, expanding its multi-asset product suite and offering global client’s deeper access to diversified, thematic trading opportunities. The rollout highlights EBC’s ongoing commitment to delivering institutional-grade tools across asset classes, underpinned by flexibility, transparency, and efficiency.

    The new offering includes ETFs listed on the NYSE and NASDAQ, issued by leading asset managers such as Vanguard, iShares (BlackRock), and State Street Global Advisors. Thematic coverage spans a wide range of global macro and sectoral narratives.

    “This expansion reflects our vision to bridge intelligent product design with market relevance,” said David Barrett, CEO of EBC Financial Group (UK) Ltd. “The new products are a natural evolution for traders seeking targeted exposure with greater strategic flexibility. At EBC, we’re building an ecosystem that empowers both precision and performance.”

    Thematic Access Meets Tactical Flexibility

    The additional ETF-linked instruments cover a variety of market exposures, including geographic allocations like the iShares MSCI Brazil ETF; fixed income-focused strategies such as the iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond Fund; and sector- or commodity-based indices including the United States Oil Fund LP and the Vanguard Health Care ETF. Other themes include dividend-related baskets, mid-cap equities, and style-based index tracking.

    These developments reflect wider industry interest in instruments that mirror trends in asset allocation without direct ownership of the underlying securities. Across many markets, sector-tilted and style-based index products are gaining relevance as participants seek flexible ways to align with global narratives.

    Historically, ETFs tracking specific economic cycles—such as commodity recoveries or emerging market rebounds—have demonstrated performance differentiation. The iShares MSCI Brazil ETF, for example, notably outperformed the S&P 500 during the post-pandemic recovery period in 2021, highlighting how thematic instruments can diverge from broad indices depending on market cycles.

    These additions serve as both stand-alone trade ideas and complementary instruments alongside EBC’s existing product lineup, enabling advanced portfolio structuring and thematic trading.

    Smarter Exposure: Leverage, Shorting, and Cost Efficiency in One Product

    Compared to direct ETF investments, it presents several key advantages as traders benefit from a simplified cost structure, with no traditional fund management fees or broker commissions. The flexibility to take both long and short positions allows for strategic trading regardless of market direction, while the use of leverage enhances capital efficiency and return potential. These trades are executed in real time via EBC’s recognised platforms, providing seamless access to market opportunities.

    During key market cycles, for example the post-pandemic V-shaped recovery of 2021—certain thematic ETFs, like the iShares MSCI Brazil ETF, significantly outperformed broader indices such as the S&P 500. Our portfolio enables traders to participate in similar trends, adapting quickly to shifting market dynamics with precision and speed.

    Getting Started

    These products can be accessed by registering on www.ebc.com to begin simulated or live trading.

    About EBC Financial Group  
    Founded in London’s esteemed financial district, EBC Financial Group (EBC) is a global brand known for its expertise in financial brokerage and asset management. Through its regulated entities operating across major financial jurisdictions—including the UK, Australia, the Cayman Islands, Mauritius, and others—EBC enables retail, professional, and institutional investors to access a wide range of global markets and trading opportunities, including currencies, commodities, shares, and indices.

    Recognised with multiple awards, EBC is committed to upholding ethical standards and is licensed and regulated within the respective jurisdictions. EBC Financial Group (UK) Limited is regulated by the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA); EBC Financial Group (Cayman) Limited is regulated by the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (CIMA); EBC Financial Group (Australia) Pty Ltd, and EBC Asset Management Pty Ltd are regulated by Australia’s Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC);  EBC Financial (MU) Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Commission Mauritius (FSC).  

    At the core of EBC are a team of industry veterans with over 40 years of experience in major financial institutions. Having navigated key economic cycles from the Plaza Accord and 2015 Swiss franc crisis to the market upheavals of the COVID-19 pandemic. We foster a culture where integrity, respect, and client asset security are paramount, ensuring that every investor relationship is handled with the utmost seriousness it deserves.   

    As the Official Foreign Exchange Partner of FC Barcelona, EBC provides specialised services across Asia, LATAM, the Middle East, Africa, and Oceania. Through its partnership with United to Beat Malaria, the company contributes to global health initiatives. EBC also supports the ‘What Economists Really Do’ public engagement series by Oxford University’s Department of Economics, helping to demystify economics and its application to major societal challenges, fostering greater public understanding and dialogue.  

    https://www.ebc.com/ 

    Media Contact:
    Savitha Ravindran
    Global Public Relations Manager
    savitha.ravindran@ebc.com

    Michelle Siow
    Brand & Communications Director
    michelle.siow@ebc.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ21: Safeguarding mental health of academic staff members and students

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    LCQ21: Safeguarding mental health of academic staff members and students 
    Question:
     
         The mental health of academic staff members and students in Hong Kong draws societal concern. There are views that the Government should strengthen the protection of their physical and mental health as well as to provide appropriate support services to the families of suicide victims concerned. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
     
    (1) of the respective numbers of academic staff members and students committing suicide and attempting to commit suicide in each of the past five years and, among them, the numbers of cases in which death inquests were held, together with a breakdown by types of school (i.e. (i) primary school, (ii) secondary school and (iii) university);
     
    (2) of the Government’s follow-up and support procedures in respect of cases of suicide attempts among academic staff members and students, including the policy bureaux involved, the category of professionals providing support services in those cases and the areas and extent of intervention, as well as details of the support services provided by them; and
     
    (3) in respect of the suicide cases mentioned in (1), whether the Government has provided support services (e.g. professional emotional counselling services) to the families, relatives and friends of the suicide victims; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; primarily which government departments’ staff members to provide assistance to the families of suicide victims and inform them of their rights under the law (including the rights of the families to request for holding a death inquest)?
     
    Reply:
     
    President,
     
         The Education Bureau (EDB) attaches great importance to the mental health of teachers and students, and has all along been encouraging schools to adopt the Whole School Approach. Through cross-departmental, cross-disciplinary and cross-sector collaboration, the EDB enhances the mental health of teachers and students and provides enhanced support for students with mental health needs (including those with suicidal risk) via various measures and activities directed at three levels, namely Universal, Selective and Indicated. In recent years, the EDB has implemented a number of measures to support students’ mental health. This includes implementing the “4Rs Mental Health Charter” in the 2024/25 school year, with a view to helping students develop healthy living habits and positive interpersonal relationships, and enhancing their resilience. In addition, starting from the 2023/24 school year, the EDB has launched the Mental Health Literacy Resource Packages suitable for students at different learning stages. In consultation with the Social Welfare Department (SWD), our reply to the question raised by the Hon Lillian Kwok is as follows:
     
    (1) and (2) The EDB has all along required primary and secondary schools to report fatal suspected student suicide cases. The numbers of relevant cases in primary and secondary schools in the past five years (2020 to 2024) are tabulated as follows. Of the cases reported, secondary students accounted for about 91 per cent of the total cases, while primary students accounted for about 9 per cent. 
     

    Year     The EDB does not collect data on fatal suspected suicide cases of school personnel, attempted suicides of students, relevant cases of university students and number of death inquests held.
     
         We continue to strengthen the identification of and support for students with mental health risks. For example, the EDB organises about 40 additional thematic teacher training workshops in the 2024/25 school year to introduce the practical skills, counselling techniques and intervention strategies in supporting students with mental health needs, as well as organises parent education talk series for parents of primary and secondary school students that cover topics related to the mental health of children.
     
         Regarding support measures, if schools suspect the students having suicidal risk, schools will arrange school guidance personnel (for example, student guidance teacher/student guidance personnel or school social worker) for early support. If necessary, schools will solicit professional support from the school-based educational psychologists, clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, medical, or police officers to ensure that appropriate intervention measures will be taken. To enhance cross-sector collaboration, starting from December 2023, the Government has implemented the Three-tier School-based Emergency Mechanism in all secondary schools in Hong Kong by pooling together the schools’ multi-disciplinary teams, the off-campus support network and medical services. The implementation of the Mechanism has been extended till the end of 2025 and related arrangements were enhanced.
     
         Furthermore, the Government established a cross-departmental referral and collaboration mechanism in April 2024. For instance, when police officers handle attempted suicide cases concerning primary and secondary students that happen outside schools, the Police will, upon obtaining the consent from the student concerned and the parent/guardian, refer the case to the school the student is attending, via the EDB, for support services. If the student and parent/guardian wish to receive support services from other organisation(s), the SWD will refer the case for services provided by other social services units, such as Integrated Family Service Centres (IFSCs), Integrated Community Centres for Mental Wellness, and Integrated Children and Youth Services Centres. Schools or relevant social welfare organisations will provide students with emergency intervention services, such as assessments, support and counselling through individual, group or online mode.
     
         Regarding support for teachers’ physical and psychological well-being, the EDB has set up the Teachers’ Helpline since 2006 to support teachers in coping with stress at work and mental health problems. Apart from this, professional counselling services and face-to-face counselling will be provided as and when necessary, and professionals will be arranged to follow up relevant cases. Meanwhile, the service providers will organise talks on how to relieve stress for teachers. In addition, starting from the 2023/24 school year, the EDB has commissioned non-governmental organisations (NGOs) or tertiary institutions to organise courses on physical and mental health for teachers every year, covering topics on mental health, expressive arts, mindfulness and physical health, to enhance teachers’ capacity at work.
     
    (3) The SWD subvents The Samaritan Befrienders Hong Kong to operate the Suicide Crisis Intervention Centre (SCIC), which offers immediate crisis intervention and in-depth counselling services for persons in need. The SCIC also renders support services to persons affected by suicidal behaviours (including familes and friends), including consultation hotline, groups, talks and workshops. Moreover, 67 territory-wide IFSCs (including two Integrated Service Centres), operated by the SWD or subvented NGOs also provide appropriate service and assistance for the families and relatives of suicide victims, including financial assistance, counselling service, and connection with community resources.
    Issued at HKT 18:56

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI: YieldMax® ETFs Announces Distributions on SNOY, ULTY, TSMY, CRSH, YMAX and Others

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CHICAGO and MILWAUKEE and NEW YORK, June 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — YieldMax® today announced distributions for the YieldMax®Weekly Payers and Group A ETFs listed in the table below.

    ETF Ticker1 ETF Name Distribution Frequency Distribution per Share Distribution Rate2,4 30-Day
    SEC Yield3
    ROC5 Ex-Date & Record Date Payment Date
    CHPY YieldMax® Semiconductor Portfolio Option Income ETF Weekly $0.4031 39.14% 0.38% 100.00% 6/12/25 6/13/25
    GPTY YieldMax® AI & Tech Portfolio Option Income ETF Weekly $0.3070 34.41% 0.00% 100.00% 6/12/25 6/13/25
    LFGY YieldMax® Crypto Industry & Tech Portfolio Option Income ETF Weekly $0.4724 60.93% 0.00% 100.00% 6/12/25 6/13/25
    QDTY YieldMax® Nasdaq 100 0DTE Covered Call ETF Weekly $0.2572 31.02% 0.00% 100.00% 6/12/25 6/13/25
    RDTY YieldMax® R2000 0DTE Covered Call ETF Weekly $0.3038 34.15% 0.89% 96.74% 6/12/25 6/13/25
    SDTY YieldMax® S&P 500 0DTE Covered Call ETF Weekly $0.2258 26.59% 0.00% 100.00% 6/12/25 6/13/25
    ULTY YieldMax® Ultra Option Income Strategy ETF Weekly $0.0950 79.31% 0.00% 100.00% 6/12/25 6/13/25
    YMAG YieldMax® Magnificent 7 Fund of Option Income ETFs Weekly $0.1709 57.55% 66.50% 94.20% 6/12/25 6/13/25
    YMAX YieldMax® Universe Fund of Option Income ETFs Weekly $0.1803 68.10% 88.53% 96.28% 6/12/25 6/13/25
    BRKC* YieldMax® BRK.B Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks
    CRSH YieldMax® Short TSLA Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.2534 68.77% 3.08% 95.13% 6/12/25 6/13/25
    FEAT YieldMax® Dorsey Wright Featured 5 Income ETF Every 4 weeks $1.1206 39.67% 52.99% 0.00% 6/12/25 6/13/25
    FIVY YieldMax® Dorsey Wright Hybrid 5 Income ETF Every 4 weeks $1.0634 35.12% 35.26% 0.00% 6/12/25 6/13/25
    GOOY YieldMax® GOOGL Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.3978 40.78% 3.29% 87.70% 6/12/25 6/13/25
    OARK YieldMax® Innovation Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.3947 60.87% 2.88% 95.83% 6/12/25 6/13/25
    SNOY YieldMax® SNOW Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $1.2757 95.23% 2.27% 97.79% 6/12/25 6/13/25
    TSLY YieldMax® TSLA Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.4028 60.47% 2.76% 95.33% 6/12/25 6/13/25
    TSMY YieldMax® TSM Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.8958 70.48% 2.87% 96.58% 6/12/25 6/13/25
    XOMO YieldMax® XOM Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.2498 25.49% 3.62% 80.62% 6/12/25 6/13/25
    YBIT YieldMax® Bitcoin Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.3314 39.49% 1.54% 97.41% 6/12/25 6/13/25
    Weekly Payers & Group B ETFs scheduled for next week: CHPY GPTY LFGY QDTY RDTY SDTY UTLY YMAG YMAX BABO DIPS FBY GDXY JPMO MARO MRNY NVDY PLTY
     

    Standardized Performance and Fund details can be obtained by clicking the ETF Ticker in the table above or by visiting us at www.yieldmaxetfs.com

    Performance data quoted represents past performance and is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when sold or redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost and current performance may be lower or higher than the performance quoted above. Performance current to the most recent month-end can be obtained by calling (833) 378-0717.

    Note: DIPS, FIAT, CRSH, YQQQ and WNTR are hereinafter referred to as the “Short ETFs.”

    Distributions are not guaranteed. The Distribution Rate and 30-Day SEC Yield are not indicative of future distributions, if any, on the ETFs. In particular, future distributions on any ETF may differ significantly from its Distribution Rate or 30-Day SEC Yield. You are not guaranteed a distribution under the ETFs. Distributions for the ETFs (if any) are variable and may vary significantly from period to period and may be zero. Accordingly, the Distribution Rate and 30-Day SEC Yield will change over time, and such change may be significant.

    Investors in the Funds will not have rights to receive dividends or other distributions with respect to the underlying reference asset(s).

    *The inception date for BRKC is June 4, 2025.

    1. All YieldMax®ETFs shown in the table above (except YMAX, YMAG, FEAT, FIVY and ULTY) have a gross expense ratio of 0.99%. YMAX, FEAT have a Management Fee of 0.29% and Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses of 0.99% for a gross expense ratio of 1.28%. YMAG has a management fee of 0.29% and Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses of 0.83% for a gross expense ratio of 1.12%. FIVY has a Management Fee of 0.29% and Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses of 0.59% for a gross expense ratio of 0.88%. “Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses” are on fees and expenses that the Fund incurs from investing in the shares of other investment companies, namely other YieldMax®ETFs. ULTY has a gross expense ratio of 1.40%, and a net expense ratio after the fee waiver of 1.30%. The Advisor has agreed to a fee waiver of 0.10% through at least February 28, 2026.
    2. The Distribution Rate shown is as of close on June 10, 2025. The Distribution Rate is the annual distribution rate an investor would receive if the most recent distribution, which includes option income, remained the same going forward. The Distribution Rate is calculated by annualizing an ETF’s Distribution per Share and dividing such annualized amount by the ETF’s most recent NAV. The Distribution Rate represents a single distribution from the ETF and does not represent its total return. Distributions may also include a combination of ordinary dividends, capital gain, and return of investor capital, which may decrease an ETF’s NAV and trading price over time. As a result, an investor may suffer significant losses to their investment. These Distribution Rates may be caused by unusually favorable market conditions and may not be sustainable. Such conditions may not continue to exist and there should be no expectation that this performance may be repeated in the future.
    3. The 30-Day SEC Yield represents net investment income, which excludes option income, earned by such ETF over the 30-Day period ended May 31, 2025, expressed as an annual percentage rate based on such ETF’s share price at the end of the 30-Day period.
    4. Each ETF’s strategy (except those of the Short ETFs) will cap potential gains if its reference asset’s shares increase in value, yet subjects an investor to all potential losses if the reference asset’s shares decrease in value. Such potential losses may not be offset by income received by the ETF. Each Short ETF’s strategy will cap potential gains if its reference asset decreases in value, yet subjects an investor to all potential losses if the reference asset increases in value. Such potential losses may not be offset by income received by the ETF.
    5. ROC refers to Return of Capital. The ROC percentage indicates how much the distribution reflects an investor’s initial investment. The figures shown for each Fund in the table above are estimates and may later be determined to be taxable net investment income, short-term gains, long-term gains (to the extent permitted by law), or return of capital. Actual amounts and sources for tax reporting will depend upon the Fund’s investment activities during the remainder of the fiscal year and may be subject to changes based on tax regulations. Your broker will send you a Form 1099-DIV for the calendar year to tell you how to report these distributions for federal income tax purposes

    Each Fund has a limited operating history and while each Fund’s objective is to provide current income, there is no guarantee the Fund will make a distribution. Distributions are likely to vary greatly in amount.

    Important Information

    This material must be preceded or accompanied by the prospectus. For all prospectuses, click here.

    Contact Vince DiLullo at vdilullo@tidalfg.com for more information.

    Tidal Financial Group is the adviser for all YieldMax® ETFs.

    THE FUND, TRUST, AND ADVISER ARE NOT AFFILIATED WITH ANY UNDERLYING REFERENCE ASSET.

    Risk Disclosures (applicable to all YieldMax ETFs referenced above, except the Short ETFs)

    YMAX, YMAG, FEAT and FIVY generally invest in other YieldMax® ETFs. As such, these Funds are subject to the risks listed in this section, which apply to all the YieldMax® ETFs they may hold from time to time.

    Investing involves risk. Principal loss is possible.

    Referenced Index Risk. The Fund invests in options contracts that are based on the value of the Index (or the Index ETFs). This subjects the Fund to certain of the same risks as if it owned shares of companies that comprised the Index or an ETF that tracks the Index, even though it does not.

    Indirect Investment Risk. The Index is not affiliated with the Trust, the Fund, the Adviser, or their respective affiliates and is not involved with this offering in any way. Investors in the Fund will not have the right to receive dividends or other distributions or any other rights with respect to the companies that comprise the Index but will be subject to declines in the performance of the Index.

    Russell 2000 Index Risks. The Index, which consists of small-cap U.S. companies, is particularly susceptible to economic changes, as these firms often have less financial resilience than larger companies. Market volatility can disproportionately affect these smaller businesses, leading to significant price swings. Additionally, these companies are often more exposed to specific industry risks and have less diverse revenue streams. They can also be more vulnerable to changes in domestic regulatory or policy environments.

    Call Writing Strategy Risk. The path dependency (i.e., the continued use) of the Fund’s call writing strategy will impact the extent that the Fund participates in the positive price returns of the underlying reference asset and, in turn, the Fund’s returns, both during the term of the sold call options and over longer periods.

    Counterparty Risk. The Fund is subject to counterparty risk by virtue of its investments in options contracts. Transactions in some types of derivatives, including options, are required to be centrally cleared (“cleared derivatives”). In a transaction involving cleared derivatives, the Fund’s counterparty is a clearing house rather than a bank or broker. Since the Fund is not a member of clearing houses and only members of a clearing house (“clearing members”) can participate directly in the clearing house, the Fund will hold cleared derivatives through accounts at clearing members.

    Derivatives Risk. Derivatives are financial instruments that derive value from the underlying reference asset or assets, such as stocks, bonds, or funds (including ETFs), interest rates or indexes. The Fund’s investments in derivatives may pose risks in addition to, and greater than, those associated with directly investing in securities or other ordinary investments, including risk related to the market, imperfect correlation with underlying investments or the Fund’s other portfolio holdings, higher price volatility, lack of availability, counterparty risk, liquidity, valuation and legal restrictions.

    Options Contracts. The use of options contracts involves investment strategies and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. The prices of options are volatile and are influenced by, among other things, actual and anticipated changes in the value of the underlying instrument, including the anticipated volatility, which are affected by fiscal and monetary policies and by national and international political, changes in the actual or implied volatility or the reference asset, the time remaining until the expiration of the option contract and economic events.

    Distribution Risk. As part of the Fund’s investment objective, the Fund seeks to provide current income. There is no assurance that the Fund will make a distribution in any given period. If the Fund does make distributions, the amounts of such distributions will likely vary greatly from one distribution to the next.

    High Portfolio Turnover Risk. The Fund may actively and frequently trade all or a significant portion of the Fund’s holdings. A high portfolio turnover rate increases transaction costs, which may increase the Fund’s expenses.

    Liquidity Risk. Some securities held by the Fund, including options contracts, may be difficult to sell or be illiquid, particularly during times of market turmoil.

    Non-Diversification Risk. Because the Fund is “non-diversified,” it may invest a greater percentage of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it was a diversified fund.

    New Fund Risk. The Fund is a recently organized management investment company with no operating history. As a result, prospective investors do not have a track record or history on which to base their investment decisions.

    Price Participation Risk. The Fund employs an investment strategy that includes the sale of call option contracts, which limits the degree to which the Fund will participate in increases in value experienced by the underlying reference asset over the Call Period.

    Single Issuer Risk. Issuer-specific attributes may cause an investment in the Fund to be more volatile than a traditional pooled investment which diversifies risk or the market generally. The value of the Fund, which focuses on an individual security (ARKK, TSLA, AAPL, NVDA, AMZN, META, GOOGL, NFLX, COIN, MSFT, DIS, XOM, JPM, AMD, PYPL, SQ, MRNA, AI, MSTR, Bitcoin ETP, GDX®, SNOW, ABNB, BABA, TSM, SMCI, PLTR, MARA, CVNA, HOOD, BRK.B), may be more volatile than a traditional pooled investment or the market as a whole and may perform differently from the value of a traditional pooled investment or the market as a whole.

    Inflation Risk. Inflation risk is the risk that the value of assets or income from investments will be less in the future as inflation decreases the value of money. As inflation increases, the present value of the Fund’s assets and distributions, if any, may decline.

    Indirect Investment Risk. The Index is not affiliated with the Trust, the Fund, the Adviser, or their respective affiliates and is not involved with this offering in any way.

    Risk Disclosures (applicable only to GPTY)

    Artificial Intelligence Risk. Issuers engaged in artificial intelligence typically have high research and capital expenditures and, as a result, their profitability can vary widely, if they are profitable at all. The space in which they are engaged is highly competitive and issuers’ products and services may become obsolete very quickly. These companies are heavily dependent on intellectual property rights and may be adversely affected by loss or impairment of those rights. The issuers are also subject to legal, regulatory, and political changes that may have a large impact on their profitability. A failure in an issuer’s product or even questions about the safety of the product could be devastating to the issuer, especially if it is the marquee product of the issuer. It can be difficult to accurately capture what qualifies as an artificial intelligence company.

    Technology Sector Risk. The Fund will invest substantially in companies in the information technology sector, and therefore the performance of the Fund could be negatively impacted by events affecting this sector. Market or economic factors impacting technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technological advances could have a significant effect on the value of the Fund’s investments. The value of stocks of information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology is particularly vulnerable to rapid changes in technology product cycles, rapid product obsolescence, government regulation and competition, both domestically and internationally, including competition from foreign competitors with lower production costs. Stocks of information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology, especially those of smaller, less-seasoned companies, tend to be more volatile than the overall market. Information technology companies are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights, the loss or impairment of which may adversely affect profitability.

    Risk Disclosure (applicable only to MARO)

    Digital Assets Risk: The Fund does not invest directly in Bitcoin or any other digital assets. The Fund does not invest directly in derivatives that track the performance of Bitcoin or any other digital assets. The Fund does not invest in or seek direct exposure to the current “spot” or cash price of Bitcoin. Investors seeking direct exposure to the price of Bitcoin should consider an investment other than the Fund. Digital assets like Bitcoin, designed as mediums of exchange, are still an emerging asset class. They operate independently of any central authority or government backing and are subject to regulatory changes and extreme price volatility.

    Risk Disclosures (applicable only to BABO and TSMY)

    Currency Risk: Indirect exposure to foreign currencies subjects the Fund to the risk that currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates and the imposition of currency controls or other political developments in the U.S. or abroad.

    Depositary Receipts Risk: The securities underlying BABO and TSMY are American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”). Investment in ADRs may be less liquid than the underlying shares in their primary trading market.

    Foreign Market and Trading Risk: The trading markets for many foreign securities are not as active as U.S. markets and may have less governmental regulation and oversight.

    Foreign Securities Risk: Investments in securities of non-U.S. issuers involve certain risks that may not be present with investments in securities of U.S. issuers, such as risk of loss due to foreign currency fluctuations or to political or economic instability, as well as varying regulatory requirements applicable to investments in non-U.S. issuers. There may be less information publicly available about a non-U.S. issuer than a U.S. issuer. Non-U.S. issuers may also be subject to different regulatory, accounting, auditing, financial reporting, and investor protection standards than U.S. issuers.

    Risk Disclosures (applicable only to GDXY)

    Risk of Investing in Foreign Securities. The Fund is exposed indirectly to the securities of foreign issuers selected by GDX®’s investment adviser, which subjects the Fund to the risks associated with such companies. Investments in the securities of foreign issuers involve risks beyond those associated with investments in U.S. securities.

    Risk of Investing in Gold and Silver Mining Companies. The Fund is exposed indirectly to gold and silver mining companies selected by GDX®’s investment adviser, which subjects the Fund to the risks associated with such companies.

    The Fund invests in options contracts based on the value of the VanEck Gold Miners ETF (GDX®), which subjects the Fund to some of the same risks as if it owned GDX®, as well as the risks associated with Canadian, Australian and Emerging Market Issuers, and Small-and Medium-Capitalization companies.

    Risk Disclosures (applicable only to YBIT)

    YBIT does not invest directly in Bitcoin or any other digital assets. YBIT does not invest directly in derivatives that track the performance of Bitcoin or any other digital assets. YBIT does not invest in or seek direct exposure to the current “spot” or cash price of Bitcoin. Investors seeking direct exposure to the price of Bitcoin should consider an investment other than YBIT.

    Bitcoin Investment Risk: The Fund’s indirect investment in Bitcoin, through holdings in one or more Underlying ETPs, exposes it to the unique risks of this emerging innovation. Bitcoin’s price is highly volatile, and its market is influenced by the changing Bitcoin network, fluctuating acceptance levels, and unpredictable usage trends.

    Digital Assets Risk: Digital assets like Bitcoin, designed as mediums of exchange, are still an emerging asset class. They operate independently of any central authority or government backing and are subject to regulatory changes and extreme price volatility. Potentially No 1940 Act Protections. As of the date of this Prospectus, there is only a single eligible Underlying ETP, and it is an investment company subject to the 1940 Act.

    Bitcoin ETP Risk: The Fund invests in options contracts that are based on the value of the Bitcoin ETP. This subjects the Fund to certain of the same risks as if it owned shares of the Bitcoin ETP, even though it does not. Bitcoin ETPs are subject, but not limited, to significant risk and heightened volatility. An investor in a Bitcoin ETP may lose their entire investment. Bitcoin ETPs are not suitable for all investors. In addition, not all Bitcoin ETPs are registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940. Those Bitcoin ETPs that are not registered under such statute are therefore not subject to the same regulations as exchange traded products that are so registered.

    Risk Disclosures (applicable only to the Short ETFs)

    Investing involves risk. Principal loss is possible.

    Price Appreciation Risk. As part of the Fund’s synthetic covered put strategy, the Fund purchases and sells call and put option contracts that are based on the value of the underlying reference asset. This strategy subjects the Fund to certain of the same risks as if it shorted the underlying reference asset, even though it does not. By virtue of the Fund’s indirect inverse exposure to changes in the value of the underlying reference asset, the Fund is subject to the risk that the value of the underlying reference asset increases. If the value of the underlying reference asset increases, the Fund will likely lose value and, as a result, the Fund may suffer significant losses.

    Put Writing Strategy Risk. The path dependency (i.e., the continued use) of the Fund’s put writing (selling) strategy will impact the extent that the Fund participates in decreases in the value of the underlying reference asset and, in turn, the Fund’s returns, both during the term of the sold put options and over longer periods.

    Purchased OTM Call Options Risk. The Fund’s strategy is subject to potential losses if the underlying reference asset increases in value, which may not be offset by the purchase of out-of-the-money (OTM) call options. The Fund purchases OTM calls to seek to manage (cap) the Fund’s potential losses from the Fund’s short exposure to the underlying reference asset if it appreciates significantly in value. However, the OTM call options will cap the Fund’s losses only to the extent that the value of the underlying reference asset increases to a level that is at or above the strike level of the purchased OTM call options. Any increase in the value of the underlying reference asset to a level that is below the strike level of the purchased OTM call options will result in a corresponding loss for the Fund. For example, if the OTM call options have a strike level that is approximately 100% above the then-current value of the underlying reference asset at the time of the call option purchase, and the value of the underlying reference asset increases by at least 100% during the term of the purchased OTM call options, the Fund will lose all its value. Since the Fund bears the costs of purchasing the OTM calls, such costs will decrease the Fund’s value and/or any income otherwise generated by the Fund’s investment strategy.

    Counterparty Risk. The Fund is subject to counterparty risk by virtue of its investments in options contracts. Transactions in some types of derivatives, including options, are required to be centrally cleared (“cleared derivatives”). In a transaction involving cleared derivatives, the Fund’s counterparty is a clearing house rather than a bank or broker. Since the Fund is not a member of clearing houses and only members of a clearing house (“clearing members”) can participate directly in the clearing house, the Fund will hold cleared derivatives through accounts at clearing members.

    Derivatives Risk. Derivatives are financial instruments that derive value from the underlying reference asset or assets, such as stocks, bonds, or funds (including ETFs), interest rates or indexes. The Fund’s investments in derivatives may pose risks in addition to, and greater than, those associated with directly investing in securities or other ordinary investments, including risk related to the market, imperfect correlation with underlying investments or the Fund’s other portfolio holdings, higher price volatility, lack of availability, counterparty risk, liquidity, valuation and legal restrictions.

    Options Contracts. The use of options contracts involves investment strategies and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. The prices of options are volatile and are influenced by, among other things, actual and anticipated changes in the value of the underlying reference asset, including the anticipated volatility, which are affected by fiscal and monetary policies and by national and international political, changes in the actual or implied volatility or the reference asset, the time remaining until the expiration of the option contract and economic events.

    Distribution Risk. As part of the Fund’s investment objective, the Fund seeks to provide current income. There is no assurance that the Fund will make a distribution in any given period. If the Fund does make distributions, the amounts of such distributions will likely vary greatly from one distribution to the next.

    High Portfolio Turnover Risk. The Fund may actively and frequently trade all or a significant portion of the Fund’s holdings.

    Liquidity Risk. Some securities held by the Fund, including options contracts, may be difficult to sell or be illiquid, particularly during times of market turmoil.

    Non-Diversification Risk. Because the Fund is “non-diversified,” it may invest a greater percentage of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it was a diversified fund.

    New Fund Risk. The Fund is a recently organized management investment company with no operating history. As a result, prospective investors do not have a track record or history on which to base their investment decisions.

    Price Participation Risk. The Fund employs an investment strategy that includes the sale of put option contracts, which limits the degree to which the Fund will participate in decreases in value experienced by the underlying reference asset over the Put Period.

    Single Issuer Risk. Issuer-specific attributes may cause an investment in the Fund to be more volatile than a traditional pooled investment which diversifies risk or the market generally. The value of the Fund, for any Fund that focuses on an individual security (e.g., TSLA, COIN, NVDA, MSTR), may be more volatile than a traditional pooled investment or the market as a whole and may perform differently from the value of a traditional pooled investment or the market as a whole.

    Inflation Risk. Inflation risk is the risk that the value of assets or income from investments will be less in the future as inflation decreases the value of money. As inflation increases, the present value of the Fund’s assets and distributions, if any, may decline.

    Risk Disclosures (applicable only to CHPY)

    Semiconductor Industry Risk. Semiconductor companies may face intense competition, both domestically and internationally, and such competition may have an adverse effect on their profit margins. Semiconductor companies may have limited product lines, markets, financial resources or personnel. Semiconductor companies’ supply chain and operations are dependent on the availability of materials that meet exacting standards and the use of third parties to provide components and services.

    The products of semiconductor companies may face obsolescence due to rapid technological developments and frequent new product introduction, unpredictable changes in growth rates and competition for the services of qualified personnel. Capital equipment expenditures could be substantial, and equipment generally suffers from rapid obsolescence. Companies in the semiconductor industry are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights. The loss or impairment of these rights would adversely affect the profitability of these companies.

    Risk Disclosures (applicable only to YQQQ)

    Index Overview. The Nasdaq 100 Index is a benchmark index that includes 100 of the largest non-financial companies listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market, based on market capitalization.

    Index Level Appreciation Risk. As part of the Fund’s synthetic covered put strategy, the Fund purchases and sells call and put option contracts that are based on the Index level. This strategy subjects the Fund to certain of the same risks as if it shorted the Index, even though it does not. By virtue of the Fund’s indirect inverse exposure to changes in the Index level, the Fund is subject to the risk that the Index level increases. If the Index level increases, the Fund will likely lose value and, as a result, the Fund may suffer significant losses. The Fund may also be subject to the following risks: innovation and technological advancement; strong market presence of Index constituent companies; adaptability to global market trends; and resilience and recovery potential.

    Index Level Participation Risk. The Fund employs an investment strategy that includes the sale of put option contracts, which limits the degree to which the Fund will benefit from decreases in the Index level experienced over the Put Period. This means that if the Index level experiences a decrease in value below the strike level of the sold put options during a Put Period, the Fund will likely not experience that increase to the same extent and any Fund gains may significantly differ from the level of the Index losses over the Put Period. Additionally, because the Fund is limited in the degree to which it will participate in decreases in value experienced by the Index level over each Put Period, but has significant negative exposure to any increases in value experienced by the Index level over the Put Period, the NAV of the Fund may decrease over any given period. The Fund’s NAV is dependent on the value of each options portfolio, which is based principally upon the inverse of the performance of the Index level. The Fund’s ability to benefit from the Index level decreases will depend on prevailing market conditions, especially market volatility, at the time the Fund enters into the sold put option contracts and will vary from Put Period to Put Period. The value of the options contracts is affected by changes in the value and dividend rates of component companies that comprise the Index, changes in interest rates, changes in the actual or perceived volatility of the Index and the remaining time to the options’ expiration, as well as trading conditions in the options market. As the Index level changes and time moves towards the expiration of each Put Period, the value of the options contracts, and therefore the Fund’s NAV, will change. However, it is not expected for the Fund’s NAV to directly inversely correlate on a day-to-day basis with the returns of the Index level. The amount of time remaining until the options contract’s expiration date affects the impact that the value of the options contracts has on the Fund’s NAV, which may not be in full effect until the expiration date of the Fund’s options contracts. Therefore, while changes in the Index level will result in changes to the Fund’s NAV, the Fund generally anticipates that the rate of change in the Fund’s NAV will be different than the inverse of the changes experienced by the Index level.

    YieldMax® ETFs are distributed by Foreside Fund Services, LLC. Foreside is not affiliated with Tidal Financial Group, or YieldMax® ETFs.

    © 2025 YieldMax® ETFs

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Danforth Advisors Establishes Danforth Market Access Division, Appoints Scotty Bowman as Managing Director

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    WALTHAM, Mass., June 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Danforth Advisors, LLC today announced the launch of Danforth Market Access & Value, a dedicated U.S. practice that deepens the firm’s ability to help life-science innovators secure timely, sustainable patient access to their therapies. In conjunction with the launch, veteran market-access executive Scotty Bowman has joined the company as Managing Director to lead the new division.

    Danforth Market Access & Value delivers end-to-end market-access and payer consulting services—from patient-support programs and journey mapping to strategic payer engagement, pricing, reimbursement and launch planning—removing access barriers and aligning stakeholders so that breakthrough therapies reach patients faster and more efficiently.​​ The practice combines more than 40 years of collective pharmaceutical and biotech market-access expertise, including proven payer strategies, pricing excellence and successful product launches across multiple therapeutic categories.​​

    “With capital constraints heightening the need for flawless market-access execution, launching Danforth Market Access & Value was a natural next step for us. Scotty’s track record of translating complex payer dynamics into clear paths to coverage makes him the ideal leader for this practice,” said Chris Connors, CEO of Danforth Advisors. “By integrating payer strategy alongside our existing finance, clinical-operations and communications offerings, we can now support clients from discovery through full commercial value realization.”

    “I’ve long admired Danforth’s mission-critical role in helping emerging biotechs scale,” said Scotty Bowman. “I’m excited to build a best-in-class market access team that secures optimal coverage and reimbursement while reducing the operational burden on growing companies.”

    Bowman brings more than two decades of experience in U.S. and global market access, most recently serving as President and Founder of Market Access GTN, LLC. He has led pricing, contracting and payer-strategy functions for multiple successful product launches and holds an MSJ from Seton Hall Law School. Additional team hires for Danforth Market Access & Value will be announced in the coming weeks.

    About Danforth Advisors

    Danforth is the life science industry’s trusted partner for strategic and operational support across business, clinical, and commercial functions. The company advises and executes in the areas of finance and accounting, strategic communications, human resources, risk management, clinical and regulatory, market research, and commercial readiness and launch. Founded in 2011, Danforth has partnered with more than 1,500 life science companies, private and public, across all stages of the corporate lifecycle. The company serves clients around the globe from its base in Waltham, Massachusetts and regional operations in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, California, and London. Additional information is available at www.danforthadvisors.com

    Media contact:
    Argot Partners
    (212) 600-1902

    The MIL Network