Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Richard Calland, Emeritus Associate Professor in Public Law, UCT. Visiting Adjunct Professor, WITS School of Governance; Director, Africa Programme, University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, University of Cambridge
But there is an opportunity to recast development finance as strategic investment: “country platforms”.
Country platforms are government-led, nationally owned mechanisms that bring together a country’s climate priorities, investment needs and reform agenda, and align them with the interests of development partners, private investors and implementing agencies. They function as a strategic hub: convening actors, coordinating funding, and curating pipelines of projects for investment.
Think of them as the opposite of donor-driven fragmentation. Instead of dozens of disconnected projects driven by external priorities, a country platform enables governments to set the agenda and direct finance to where it is needed most. That could be renewable energy, climate-smart agriculture, resilient infrastructure, or nature-based solutions.
The Independent High Level Expert Group on Climate Finance, on which I serve, is striving to find new ways to ramp up finance – both public and private – in quality and quantity. I agree with those who argue that country platforms could be the innovation that unlocks the capital urgently needed to tackle climate overshoot and buttress economic development.
The model is already being tested. More than ten countries have launched their platforms, and more are in the pipeline.
For African countries, the opportunity could not be more timely. African governments are racing to deliver their Nationally Determined Contributions. These are the commitments they’ve made to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions as part of climate change mitigation targets set out in the Paris Agreement. Implementing these plans is often being done under severe fiscal constraints.
At the same time global capital is looking for investment opportunities. But it needs to be convinced that the rewards will outweigh the risks.
Where it’s being tested
In Africa, South Africa’s Just Energy Transition Partnership has demonstrated both the potential and the complexity of a country platform. Egypt and Senegal also have country platforms at different stages of implementation. Kenya and Nigeria are exploring similar mechanisms. The African Union’s Climate Change and Resilient Development Strategy calls for country platforms across the continent.
New entrants can learn from countries that started first.
But country platforms come in different shapes and sizes according to the context.
Another promising example is emerging through Mission 300, an initiative of the World Bank and African Development Bank, working with partners like The Rockefeller Foundation, Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, and Sustainable Energy for All. It aims to connect 300 million people to clean electricity by 2030.
Central to this initiative are Compact Delivery and Monitoring Units. These are essentially country platforms anchored in electrification. They reflect how a well-structured country platform can make an impact. Twelve African countries are already moving in this direction. All announced their Mission 300 compacts at the Africa Heads of State Summit in Tanzania.
This growing cohort reflects a continental commitment to putting energy-driven country platforms at the heart of Africa’s development architecture.
Why now – and why Africa?
A well-functioning country platform can help in a number of ways.
Firstly, it can give the political and economic leadership a clear goal. The platform can survive elections and show stability, certainty and transparency to the investment world.
Secondly, national ownership and strategic alignment can reduce risk and build confidence. That would encourage investment.
Thirdly, it builds trust among development partners and investors through clear priorities, transparency, and national ownership.
Fourthly, it moves beyond isolated pilot projects to system-level transformation – meaning structural change. The transition in one sector, energy for example, creates new value chains that create more, better and safer jobs. Country platforms put African governments in charge of their own economic development, not as passive recipients of climate finance.
The country sets its investment priorities and then the match-making with international climate finance can begin.
Making it work: what’s needed
Developing the data on which a country bases its investment and development plans, and blending those with the fiscal, climate and nature data, is complex. For this reason country platforms require investment in institutional capacity, cross-ministerial collaboration, and strong coordination between finance ministries, environment agencies and economic planners. And especially, in leadership capability.
African countries must take charge of this capacity and capability acceleration.
Second, development partners can respond by providing money as well as supporting African leadership, aligning with national strategies, and being willing to co-design mechanisms that meet both investor expectations and local realities.
Capacity is especially crucial given the scale of Africa’s needs. According to the African Development Bank, Africa will require over US$200 billion annually by 2030 to meet its climate goals. Donor aid will provide only a fraction of this. It will require smart, coordinated investment and careful debt management. Country platforms provide the structure to govern the process.
Seizing the opportunity
Country platforms represent one of the most promising innovations in climate and development finance architecture. Properly designed and led, they offer African countries the opportunity to take ownership of their climate and development futures – on their own terms.
Country platforms could be the “buckle” that finally enables the supply and demand sides of climate finance to come together. It will require commitment, strategic and technical capability, and, above all, smart leadership.
Richard Calland works for the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership. He is also an Emeritus Associate Professor at the University of Cape Town and an Adjunct Visiting Professor at the University of Witwatersrand School of Governance. He serves on the Advisory Council of the Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution, Chairs of the Board of Sustainability Education and is a member of the Board of Chapter Zero Southern Africa.
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Richard Calland, Emeritus Associate Professor in Public Law, UCT. Visiting Adjunct Professor, WITS School of Governance; Director, Africa Programme, University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, University of Cambridge
But there is an opportunity to recast development finance as strategic investment: “country platforms”.
Country platforms are government-led, nationally owned mechanisms that bring together a country’s climate priorities, investment needs and reform agenda, and align them with the interests of development partners, private investors and implementing agencies. They function as a strategic hub: convening actors, coordinating funding, and curating pipelines of projects for investment.
Think of them as the opposite of donor-driven fragmentation. Instead of dozens of disconnected projects driven by external priorities, a country platform enables governments to set the agenda and direct finance to where it is needed most. That could be renewable energy, climate-smart agriculture, resilient infrastructure, or nature-based solutions.
The Independent High Level Expert Group on Climate Finance, on which I serve, is striving to find new ways to ramp up finance – both public and private – in quality and quantity. I agree with those who argue that country platforms could be the innovation that unlocks the capital urgently needed to tackle climate overshoot and buttress economic development.
The model is already being tested. More than ten countries have launched their platforms, and more are in the pipeline.
For African countries, the opportunity could not be more timely. African governments are racing to deliver their Nationally Determined Contributions. These are the commitments they’ve made to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions as part of climate change mitigation targets set out in the Paris Agreement. Implementing these plans is often being done under severe fiscal constraints.
At the same time global capital is looking for investment opportunities. But it needs to be convinced that the rewards will outweigh the risks.
Where it’s being tested
In Africa, South Africa’s Just Energy Transition Partnership has demonstrated both the potential and the complexity of a country platform. Egypt and Senegal also have country platforms at different stages of implementation. Kenya and Nigeria are exploring similar mechanisms. The African Union’s Climate Change and Resilient Development Strategy calls for country platforms across the continent.
New entrants can learn from countries that started first.
But country platforms come in different shapes and sizes according to the context.
Another promising example is emerging through Mission 300, an initiative of the World Bank and African Development Bank, working with partners like The Rockefeller Foundation, Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, and Sustainable Energy for All. It aims to connect 300 million people to clean electricity by 2030.
Central to this initiative are Compact Delivery and Monitoring Units. These are essentially country platforms anchored in electrification. They reflect how a well-structured country platform can make an impact. Twelve African countries are already moving in this direction. All announced their Mission 300 compacts at the Africa Heads of State Summit in Tanzania.
This growing cohort reflects a continental commitment to putting energy-driven country platforms at the heart of Africa’s development architecture.
Why now – and why Africa?
A well-functioning country platform can help in a number of ways.
Firstly, it can give the political and economic leadership a clear goal. The platform can survive elections and show stability, certainty and transparency to the investment world.
Secondly, national ownership and strategic alignment can reduce risk and build confidence. That would encourage investment.
Thirdly, it builds trust among development partners and investors through clear priorities, transparency, and national ownership.
Fourthly, it moves beyond isolated pilot projects to system-level transformation – meaning structural change. The transition in one sector, energy for example, creates new value chains that create more, better and safer jobs. Country platforms put African governments in charge of their own economic development, not as passive recipients of climate finance.
The country sets its investment priorities and then the match-making with international climate finance can begin.
Making it work: what’s needed
Developing the data on which a country bases its investment and development plans, and blending those with the fiscal, climate and nature data, is complex. For this reason country platforms require investment in institutional capacity, cross-ministerial collaboration, and strong coordination between finance ministries, environment agencies and economic planners. And especially, in leadership capability.
African countries must take charge of this capacity and capability acceleration.
Second, development partners can respond by providing money as well as supporting African leadership, aligning with national strategies, and being willing to co-design mechanisms that meet both investor expectations and local realities.
Capacity is especially crucial given the scale of Africa’s needs. According to the African Development Bank, Africa will require over US$200 billion annually by 2030 to meet its climate goals. Donor aid will provide only a fraction of this. It will require smart, coordinated investment and careful debt management. Country platforms provide the structure to govern the process.
Seizing the opportunity
Country platforms represent one of the most promising innovations in climate and development finance architecture. Properly designed and led, they offer African countries the opportunity to take ownership of their climate and development futures – on their own terms.
Country platforms could be the “buckle” that finally enables the supply and demand sides of climate finance to come together. It will require commitment, strategic and technical capability, and, above all, smart leadership.
– Development finance in a post-aid world: the case for country platforms – https://theconversation.com/development-finance-in-a-post-aid-world-the-case-for-country-platforms-257994
Gaza: Minister for the Middle East statement, 4 June 2025
Minister for the Middle East Hamish Falconer made a statement to the House of Commons on Gaza.
Madam Deputy Speaker,
We are appalled by repeated reports of mass casualty incidents, in which Palestinians have been killed when trying to access aid sites in Gaza.
Desperate civilians who have endured 20 months of war should never face the risk of death or injury to simply feed themselves and their families.
We call for an immediate and independent investigation into these events, and for the perpetrators to be held to account.
It is deeply disturbing that these incidents happened near the new Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) distribution sites.
They highlight the utterly desperate need to get aid in.
The Israeli Government says it has opened up aid access with its new system.
But the warnings raised by the United Kingdom, the United Nations, aid partners and the international community about these operations have materialised and the results are agonising.
Israel’s newly introduced measures for aid delivery are inhumane, foster desperation and endanger civilians.
Israel’s unjustified block on aid into Gaza needs to end. It is inhumane.
Israel must immediately allow the UN and aid partners to safely deliver all types of aid at scale to save lives, reduce suffering and maintain dignity. It must ensure food and other critical supplies can reach people safely where they are across the whole of the Gaza Strip. Civilians, medical and humanitarian workers and facilities must be protected.
We will continue to be steadfast in our support for the UN and other trusted INGOs as the most effective and principled partners for aid delivery.
Our support has meant over 465,000 people have received essential healthcare, 640,000 have received food, and 275,000 people have improved access to water, sanitation and hygiene services.
Just two weeks ago, my honourable friend, the Minister for Development, announced £4m additional funding to support the British Red Cross, enabling the delivery humanitarian relief in Gaza through their partner the Palestinian Red Crescent. Th was part of our wider £101m support package for this financial year. Aid must be allowed in so this support can continue.
Today, the UN Security Council is expected to consider a resolution for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all the hostages and the lifting of all Israeli restrictions on humanitarian aid, and supporting delivery by the UN.
And we will once again use our vote in support of these goals.
Following our leadership in coordinating dozens of countries to address the humanitarian situation, the joint statement from the UK, France and Canada, as well as the actions announced by my Right Honourable Friend the Foreign Secretary on 20 May, we will continue to convene international partners to increase the pressure and take further steps to address the catastrophic situation on the ground.
We will continue to strongly support the efforts led by the United States, Qatar and Egypt to secure an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. As the Prime Minister has said, a ceasefire is the best way to secure the release of all remaining hostages and achieve a long-term political solution.
This Israeli Government’s decision to expand its military operations in Gaza and severely restrict aid undermine all these goals.
Madam Deputy Speaker,
We repeat our utter condemnation of Hamas, our demand that it releases all the hostages immediately and unconditionally. They can have no role in the future governance of Gaza.
A two-state solution is the only way to bring the long-lasting peace, stability and security that both Israelis and Palestinians deserve. We welcome France and Saudi Arabia’s leadership in chairing an international conference later this month.
Some Edmonton Oilers fans are pinning their Stanley Cup hopes on captain Connor McDavid.AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell
Déjà vu is a common occurrence in the world of sports, and the Edmonton Oilers are no strangers to repeat matchups. The Canadian team faced off against the New York Islanders in both 1983 and ’84 for hockey’s biggest prize, the Stanley Cup. In this year’s National Hockey League finals, the Oilers will try to avenge their Game 7 loss to the Florida Panthers in 2024.
Edmontonians who have been “loyal to the oil,” as fans say, have been waiting for redemption ever since. The Trump administration’s threats toward its northern neighbor has fueled a wave of nationalism, making even more fans eager for a Canadian team to win the Stanley Cup – which has not happened since 1993. With hopes pinned to Edmonton, the finals also brings renewed attention to some of Canada’s biggest exports: hockey and oil.
The Oilers also evoke another aspect of Canadian society that, for some, has almost religious importance: resource extraction. In American and Canadian culture, oil has long been entangled with religion. It’s a national blessing from God, in some people’s eyes, and a means to the “good life” for those who persevere to find it. For many people in communities whose economies center around resource extraction, the possibility of success is valued above its environmental risks.
We are scholars of religion who study sports and how oil shapes society, or petro-cultures. The Edmonton Oilers showcase a worldview in which triumph, luck and rugged work pay off – beliefs at home on the ice or in the oil field. The Stanley Cup Final offers a glimpse into how the oil industry has helped shaped the religious fervor around Canada’s favorite sport.
Edmonton Oilers fan Dale Steil’s boots before the team’s playoff game against the Los Angeles Kings on April 26, 2024. AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez
Boomtown
Edmonton is the capital of Alberta, a province known for its massive oil, gas and oil sands reserves. With five refineries producing an average of 3.8 million barrels a day, oil and gas is Alberta’s biggest industry – and a way of life.
This is especially true in Edmonton, known as the “Oil Capital of Canada.” Here, oil not only structures the local economy, but it also shapes identities, architecture and everyday experiences.
Visit the West Edmonton Mall, for example, and you’ll see a statue of three oil workers drilling, reminding shoppers that petroleum is the bedrock of their commerce. Visit the Canadian Energy Museum to learn how oil and gas have remade the region since the late 1940s, and glimpse items such as engraved hard hats and the “Oil Patch Kid,” a spin on the iconic “Cabbage Patch Kids” toys. Tour the Greater Edmonton area and see how pump jacks dot the horizon. Oil is everywhere, shaping futures, fortunes and possibility.
Set against this backdrop, the Oilers’ name is unsurprising. It is not uncommon, after all, to name teams after local industries. Football’s Pittsburgh Steelers pay homage to the steel mills that once employed much of the team’s fan base. The Tennessee Oilers were originally the Houston Oilers, prompting other Texas teams such as the XFL’s Roughnecks to follow suit. Further north, the name of basketball’s Detroit Pistons references car manufacturing.
Teams with industry-inspired names play double duty, venerating both a place and a trade. Some fans are not only cheering for the home team, but also cheering for themselves – affirming that their industry and their labor matter.
Ales Hemsky of the Edmonton Oilers skates out from under the oil derrick for a game at Rexall Place in 2008 in Edmonton, Alberta. Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images
In a TikTok video from last year’s Stanley Cups playoffs, a man overcome with joy at the Oilers’ victory over the Dallas Stars claps his hands and hops around his living room. The caption reads, “My first-generation immigrant oil rig working Filipino father who has never played a second of hockey in his life … happily cheering for the Oilers advancing in the playoffs. Better Bring that cup home for him oily boys.” He appears to be cheering for the Oilers not because they are a hockey team, but because they are an oil team.
And indeed, the Oilers are an oily team. The Oilers’ Oilfield Network, for example, describes itself as “exclusively promot[ing] companies in the Oil and Gas industry,” allowing leaders to connect “through the power of Oilers hockey.”
The Oilers’ connection with industry is further underscored by their logos. The current one features a simple drop of oil, but past designs featured machinery gears and an oil worker pulling a lever shaped like a hockey stick.
Simply put, “Edmonton is all oil,” Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner shared after defeating the Dallas Stars to win the 2025 Western Conference Final.
After the British North America Act founded Canada in 1867, the new nation searched for a distinctive identity through sport and other cultural forms.
Enter hockey. The winter game evolved in Canada from the Gaelic game of “shinty” and the First Nations’ game of lacrosse and soon became part of the glue holding the nation together.
Ever since, media, politicians, sports groups and major industries have helped fuel fan fervor and promoted hockey as integral to Canada’s rugged frontiersman character.
In 1936, Imperial Oil, one of Canada’s largest petroleum companies, began sponsoring Hockey Night in Canada, a national radio show that reached millions each week. Several years later, Imperial Oil played a major role in bringing the show to television, where the Imperial Oil Choir sang the theme song. Imperial Oil and its gas stations, Esso, also sponsored youth hockey programs across the nation. In 2019, Imperial inked a deal to be the NHL’s “official retail fuel” in Canada.
Striking it rich
Connections between hockey and industry in Alberta’s oil country aren’t just about sponsorships. Central to both cultures is the idea of luck – historically, one of the many things it takes to extract fossil fuels. “Striking it rich” in the oil fields has become entangled with the idea of divine providence, especially among the many Christian laborers.
A Canadian oil worker kisses his wife and daughter goodbye as he sets off to work in northern Alberta in the 1950s. John Chillingworth/Getty Images
Oil represents fortune, and who wouldn’t want to borrow a bit of that for their team? Sports are thrilling because sometimes talent, team chemistry and the home-field advantage still lose to a stroke of good luck. Oil culture pairs the idea of divine favor with an insistence on rough-and-tumble endurance, similar to hockey.
Sometimes if you don’t strike it rich the first time, you have to keep on drilling. The next well may be the one to bring wealth. Oil prospectors know this, but so do sports fans who maintain hope season to season.
Soon fans from around the world will join Edmonton locals in rooting for the Oilers. They’ll throw their hands up in despair if captain Connor McDavid enters the “sin bin” – the penalty box – or dance in celebration to the Oilers’ theme, “La Bamba.” Some of them will be cheering, too, for oil.
This is an updated version of an article originally published on June 19, 2024.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:
ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, June 4, 2025/APO Group/ —
On the sidelines of the African Development Bank Annual Meetings (www.AfDB.org), founding partners of the Africa Investment Forum signed a Partnership Framework Agreement, reinforcing their collective commitment to mobilize transformative investments across the African continent.
The new framework creates a clearer partnership model that sets out the roles and benefits for the founding partners. It also opens the door for expansion to new partners, ensuring everyone benefits while increasing the Forum’s overall impact.
Launched in 2018, the Africa Investment Forum platform has solidified its standing as Africa’s premier investment marketplace for global investors and has garnered nearly $225 billion in investment interest to date.
Principals of the African Development Bank Group, Africa50, Africa Finance Corporation, Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) and Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) signed the agreement. The other partners are Trade and Development Bank, European Investment Bank, Islamic Development Bank and Afreximbank.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, President of the African Development Bank Group and chairperson of the Africa Investment Forum, Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina said:
“This agreement is a testament to our shared vision: that Africa will not be developed by aid, but by investment. The AIF has changed perceptions and proven that Africa is indeed a bankable destination.”
Dr Fahad Abdullah Aldossari, Chairman of BADEA’s Board of Directors said: “The signing of the AIF Framework Agreement marks a remarkable milestone to ascertain both effectiveness and efficiency as well as financial sustainability for AIF 2.0 in a bid to advance more projects to bankability and crowd-in transformative investments to the continent.”
Alain Ebobissé, CEO of Africa 50 said: “This signature marks our renewed commitment to support the objectives of the Africa Investment Forum, launched under the visionary leadership of President Adesina. It is a much-needed deal-making platform that helps strengthen collaborations and leverage innovative models to unlock private capital to accelerate the delivery of bankable projects on the continent. It is critical for African Institutions to support it”.
“As a Founding Partner, we are proud to see this initiative formally take shape. Through AIF, we’ve proven what Africa can achieve when we collaborate — building the continent’s first investment platform that truly mobilizes capital for bankable, high-impact projects,” said Samaila Zubairu, President and CEO of Africa Finance Corporation.
“We have to continue leveraging the AIF as a platform for capital mobilisation in Africa, to bridge the infrastructure funding gap in the continent,” said DBSA’s CEO Boitumelo Mosako.
The signing of the Partnership Framework Agreement takes place ahead of what is expected to be an expanded and impactful Market Days 2025, to be held from 26 to 28 November 2025 in Rabat, Morocco. Market Days, the centerpiece of the Africa Investment Forum platform, brings together investors, deal sponsors and heads of government to advance transformational African projects toward financial close.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
HKSAR Government’s Institutional Green Bonds and Infrastructure Bonds Offering The offering attracted participation from a wide spectrum of investors from more than 30 markets across Asia, Europe, Middle East, and the Americas, with total order amounting around HK$237 billion equivalent, representing a subscription ratio of around 3.3 to 12.5 times. In particular, the HKD 30-year bond was offered for the first time by the HKSAR Government, and is the longest tenor HKD bond issued by the HKSAR Government so far. The 20-year and 30-year RMB bonds, which were first introduced last year, also received overwhelming support, doubling in issuance size from last year.
The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, said, “The issuance of green bonds by the HKSAR Government aims to attract and channel market capital to support green projects, promoting the sustainable development in Hong Kong. The issuance of infrastructure bonds helps to accelerate the development of projects such as the Northern Metropolis and facilitate the early completion of projects for the good of the economy and people’s livelihood. Global institutional investors responded enthusiastically to the subscription, fully reflecting their confidence in Hong Kong’s sound public finance and long-term development. Among which the inaugural offering of the 30-year HKD government bonds helps to extend the HKD benchmark yield curve, further promoting the development of the local bond market.”
CategoryNote: The HKD, RMB, and EUR Bonds were offered in Reg S format, and the USD Bonds in 144A / Reg S format (Note).
DISCLAIMER:
NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, CANADA, AUSTRALIA OR JAPAN OR IN ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH DISTRIBUTION OR DISSEMINATION WOULD BE PROHIBITED BY APPLICABLE LAW.Issued at HKT 21:08
U.S. production of renewable diesel and biodiesel fell sharply in the first quarter of 2025 (1Q25) because of uncertainty related to federal biofuel tax credits and negative profit margins. We forecast production of both fuels to increase as the year progresses but biodiesel production to remain less than in 2024.
Renewable diesel and biodiesel are biomass-based diesel fuels that can replace petroleum-based distillate and be used to comply with renewable volume obligations in the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Renewable diesel can be used in diesel engines in any concentration because it is chemically equivalent to petroleum-based distillate fuel, and biodiesel is typically blended with petroleum distillate at concentrations of 20% or less for vehicle consumption because of some chemical differences.
In January 2025, U.S. production of biodiesel fell to 60,000 barrels per day (b/d), the least since January 2015, and about 40% less than in January 2024. U.S. biodiesel producers only partially ramped up production in February and March, bringing the quarterly production to about 70,000 b/d, a decrease of more than 30% from 1Q24.
U.S. renewable diesel production averaged about 170,000 b/d in 1Q25, down 12% from 1Q24. The decrease in renewable diesel production was not as large on a percentage basis as the decrease in biodiesel production, mostly because renewable diesel production increased at a greater rate than biodiesel production in 2024. Reduced output at renewable diesel plants was partially offset by the nearly 20% increase in renewable diesel production capacity since 1Q24. However, compared with 4Q24, when renewable diesel production capacity was comparable to current levels, 1Q25 production was down almost 25%.
Poor profitability in 1Q25 contributed to production declines. Diamond Green Diesel, Phillips 66, and Marathon all reported operating losses from renewable diesel in the quarter. In addition, trade press has suggested negative margins for biodiesel.
Another reason U.S. production of biomass-based diesels declined in 1Q25 was uncertainty about federal biofuel tax credits. Before 2025, producers and importers of biomass-based diesel received a $1 per gallon (gal) blender’s tax credit (BTC) for each gallon blended with petroleum diesel. Under the Inflation Reduction Act, the BTC was slated to be replaced with the Section 45Z Clean Fuel Production Credit in 2025. This new credit would change the flat $1/gal tax credit to a value based on the carbon intensity of the feedstocks used. However, delays in releasing final guidance for the tax credit has left biofuel producers unsure about their profitability, causing some producers to idle operations.
We forecast production of renewable diesel and biodiesel to increase as the year progresses to meet existing RFS mandates. In our May Short-Term Energy Outlook, we forecast 2025 annual renewable diesel production to increase about 5% from 2024 because of increased capacity. We forecast 2025 annual biodiesel production to be 15% lower than in 2024 because of low production early in the year and an assumption that some biodiesel plants with less favorable economics may close.
MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C., June 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Rate, a leader in fintech mortgage solutions, today announced that Chuck MacAnanny has joined the company as a loan officer in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina. With more than 20 years of mortgage lending experience, MacAnanny is accelerating his growth by aligning with a team of high-performing originators.
A top 1% loan originator nationally and a consistent Presidents Club and Chairman’s Club honoree, MacAnanny moved to Rate after more than a decade with his previous lender. The decision was fueled by a clear ambition to surround himself with top producers and take his business to the next level.
“My move to Rate was by desire for growth,” said MacAnanny. “I was at my previous company for 11 years, but knew something was missing and that I needed to make a change to uplevel my progress. I wanted to find a company with multiple top producers to surround myself with and learn from. At Rate, I have found a great new home where I will thrive. I set a goal of doubling my business each year over the next few years, and believe I now have the support I have always desired to accomplish this.”
With a long track record of excellence, including eight consecutive years as a President’s Club member and two years in the Chairman’s Club, MacAnanny brings proven production and leadership to the Rate team.
“We are thrilled to welcome Chuck to our team at Rate,” said Jeff Nelson, Chief Production Officer – East. “He brings over 20 years of expertise in mortgage lending. His extensive knowledge and experience will be a tremendous asset, propelling him to great success with us.”
This appointment underscores Rate’s continued focus on attracting experienced originators ready to grow their business and benefit from a high-performance, tech-enabled platform.
About Rate Rate Companies is a leader in mortgage lending and digital financial services. Headquartered in Chicago, Rate has over 850 branches across all 50 states and Washington D.C. Since its launch in 2000, Rate has helped more than 2 million homeowners with home purchase loans and refinances. The company has cemented itself as an industry leader by introducing innovative technology, offering low rates, and delivering unparalleled customer service. Honors and awards include: Top 5 Mortgage Lender by Inside Mortgage Finance for 2024; Best Mortgage Lender for First-Time Homebuyers by NerdWallet for 2023; HousingWire’s Tech100 award for the company’s industry-leading FlashClose℠ digital mortgage platform in 2020, MyAccount in 2022, and Language Access Program in 2023; the most Scotsman Guide Top Originators for 11 consecutive years; Chicago Agent Magazine’s Lender of the Year for seven consecutive years; and Chicago Tribune’s Top Workplaces list for seven straight years. Visit rate.com for more information.
NEW YORK, June 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Copyleaks, a pioneering AI content analysis and governance platform used by enterprises, educational institutions, and individual users across the globe, has been named No. 2 on the second edition of the World’s Top EdTech Rising Stars of 2025. This prestigious award is presented by TIME and Statista, the world-leading statistics portal and industry ranking provider. The ranking recognizes the fastest-growing education technology companies worldwide based on revenue growth and industry impact.
Chosen from a global pool of more than 7,000 edtech companies, Copyleaks was the only U.S.-based company to break into the top five. The company was recognized for its cutting-edge innovation in AI content detection and its pivotal role in helping educators and institutions uphold trust, transparency, and academic integrity in an increasingly digital world.
“As AI continues to shape the future of education, maintaining integrity and transparency is paramount,” said Alon Yamin, CEO and co-founder of Copyleaks. “Being recognized by TIME as a Rising Star in EdTech underscores our dedication to delivering trusted solutions that help institutions navigate this new era with confidence and clarity.”
The World’s Top EdTech Companies 2025 list recognizes companies primarily focused on developing and providing educational technologies, products, or services. Data was gathered from company applications, annual reports, media monitoring, and other public sources to support the research. Additionally, Statista worked with specialized data partners HolonIQ and LexisNexis PatentSight to further strengthen the data quality.
The ranking is built on the research and analysis of the companies across two dimensions:
Financial Strength: Revenue, funding data, and company disclosures were analyzed.
Industry impact: Analyzed quality and impact of product or service portfolio, and the quality and value of the company’s intellectual property.
Companies received scores in each of these dimensions, which are then combined into an overall score. The 350 companies with the highest scores, which have demonstrated an extraordinary impact on the industry and strong financial performance, were awarded.
Copyleaks’ leading platform leverages advanced, multi-layered AI to detect both AI-generated and plagiarized content with up to 99% accuracy. Built for transparency and trust, it delivers verifiable insights into content authorship. As educational institutions face growing challenges around AI misuse, Copyleaks empowers them with the tools to trace content origins and promote academic integrity and authentic student work.
Statista publishes hundreds of worldwide industry rankings and company listings with high-profile media partners. This research and analysis service is based on the success of statista.com, the leading data and business intelligence portal that provides statistics, relevant business data, and various market and consumer studies and surveys.
To learn more about Copyleaks and its solutions, visit www.copyleaks.com.
About Copyleaks Copyleaks is a leading AI text analysis platform empowering businesses and educational institutions to navigate the ever-evolving landscape of genAI confidently. With an award-winning suite of AI-powered tools trusted by millions, Copyleaks ensures AI governance, empowers responsible AI adoption, safeguards IP, protects intellectual property, and maintains academic integrity with comprehensive AI and plagiarism detection.
For additional information, visit our Website or follow us on LinkedIn.
For the second consecutive term, Flywire joins other leading organizations to help shape the future of security standards and protocols
David King, Flywire’s CTO, and Barbara Cousins, Flywire’s CIO & CISO, leverage their extensive security and payment experience to represent Flywire on the prestigious Board
BOSTON, June 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Flywire Corporation (NASDAQ: FLYW) (Flywire), a global payments enablement and software company, today announced that it has been named to the PCI Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) 2025-2027 Board of Advisors. Flywire’s Chief Technology Officer (CTO), David King, and Chief Information Officer / Chief Information Security Officer (CIO / CISO), Barbara Cousins, will represent Flywire on the PCI SSC Board of Advisors and provide their expertise to help shape the future of payment security.
Flywire’s second consecutive appointment to the PCI SSC Board of Advisors builds on the Company’s longstanding relationship with the PCI SSC. Flywire’s CTO David King has regularly been Flywire’s representative as a Participation Organization on the PCI SSC. Additionally, King was part of the original team in 2003-2004 that helped to draft the initial version of PCI DSS 1.0. King will now bring his technical insights, expertise, perspectives and ideas to help shape the development of forthcoming security standards and programs.
“We are incredibly proud to join the PCI SSC Board of Advisors and continue the important work designed to create more secure, compliant payment solutions across industries,” said David King, Flywire CTO. “It is a very dynamic landscape for payments security, and we are excited to apply our unique expertise working in highly regulated industries to help solve the most pressing payments challenges of our time.”
The appointment also validates Flywire’s commitment to maintaining the security and integrity of the payments it delivers across the industries it serves. Flywire prioritizes robust security and compliance, demonstrating this commitment through rigorous internal controls and adherence to the highest industry standards. Flywire is PCI DSS Level 1 certified, the most stringent level for credit card data security, and undergoes annual SOC II Type II audits, attesting to their strong information management processes. Beyond these foundational certifications, Flywire proactively manages global regulatory requirements, maintaining comprehensive Anti-Money Laundering (AML) / Counter-Terrorist Financing (CTF) programs and complying with various data protection laws like GDPR, CCPA, PIPEDA, HIPAA and FERPA.
Flywire’s security capabilities are a key differentiator for many of the company’s global clients. For Nordic Visitor, one of the largest tour operators in Scandinavia, Flywire’s robust security and compliance features were paramount in its decision to select Flywire to be its international payments provider:
“Flywire’s solutions are much more modernized and capable of handling new technology. Security was a main driver for choosing Flywire, along with the cost savings,” said Magnús Freyr Erlingsson, Chief Operating Officer at TravelConnect, which oversees operations of Nordic Visitor.
“At Flywire, being a leader in security and compliance isn’t just about meeting regulatory checkboxes; it’s about building and preserving the fundamental trust our clients and their customers place in us,” says Barbara Cousins, CISO of Flywire. “We have always maintained proactive and superior security protocols to protect sensitive data and ensure seamless, secure transactions. We are thrilled to help apply our knowledge and expertise to help contribute to a more secure and reliable financial future for everyone.”
“The Board of Advisors provides industry expertise and perspectives that influence and shape the development of PCI security standards and programs,” said PCI SSC Executive Director Gina Gobeyn. “We look forward to working with Flywire in our efforts to help organizations secure payment data globally.”
About the PCI Security Standards Council
The PCI Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) leads a global, cross-industry effort to increase payment security by providing industry-driven, flexible and effective data security standards and programs that help businesses detect, mitigate and prevent cyberattacks and breaches. Connect with PCI SSC on LinkedIn. Join the conversation on X (formerly Twitter) @PCISSC. Subscribe to the PCI Perspectives Blog. Listen to the Coffee with the Council podcast.
About Flywire
Flywire is a global payments enablement and software company. We combine our proprietary global payments network, next-gen payments platform and vertical-specific software to deliver the most important and complex payments for our clients and their customers.
Flywire leverages its vertical-specific software and payments technology to deeply embed within the existing A/R workflows for its clients across the education, healthcare and travel vertical markets, as well as in key B2B industries. Flywire also integrates with leading ERP systems, such as NetSuite, so organizations can optimize the payment experience for their customers while eliminating operational challenges.
Flywire supports more than 4,600 clients with diverse payment methods in more than 140 currencies across more than 240 countries and territories around the world. The company is headquartered in Boston, MA, USA with global offices. For more information, visit www.flywire.com. Follow Flywire on X, LinkedIn and Facebook.
Safe Harbor Statement
This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, but not limited to, statements regarding Flywire’s expectations of its security and data privacy policies. Flywire intends such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as, but not limited to, “believe,” “may,” “will,” “potentially,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “could,” “would,” “project,” “target,” “plan,” “expect,” or the negative of these terms, and similar expressions intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are based upon current expectations that involve risks, changes in circumstances, assumptions, and uncertainties. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in Flywire’s forward-looking statements include, among others, the factors that are described in the “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” sections of Flywire’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2025, which are on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and available on the SEC’s website athttps://www.sec.gov/. The information in this release is provided only as of the date of this release, and Flywire undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this release on account of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law.
WESTLAKE, Texas, June 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Goosehead Insurance, Inc., (NASDAQ: GSHD), a rapidly growing, independent personal lines insurance agency, today launched the Veteran Initiative Program (VIP), designed to support and recruit military veterans on their path to become business owners. The program empowers veterans to apply their unique skills from active duty through professional development, mentorship and real-world learning to build thriving Goosehead franchises and achieve lasting financial independence.
According to the International Franchise Association, 14% of franchisees are veterans and they are more likely to hire other veteran employees with similar backgrounds and work ethic. Goosehead Insurance’s VIP provides driven, former service members with a unique pathway to entrepreneurship in the growing and resilient insurance industry. Through the program, the company equips veterans, regardless of prior insurance experience, with the comprehensive support and training needed to operate a successful franchise:
Comprehensive Business Training and Ongoing Support: Mirroring the structured coaching and leadership veterans experienced during their service, ensuring they are set up for long-term success.
Access to Industry-Leading Technology: Simplifying sales and marketing efforts by identifying target markets and streamlining the process of matching clients with the best insurance products.
A Dedicated Veteran Development Team: Providing specialized guidance and mentorship throughout their journey as franchise owners.
Geographic Flexibility: Allowing veterans to establish their franchises in locations that suit their personal and professional goals, with opportunities available in up to 39 states.
A 20% Discount on the Initial Franchise Fee: Demonstrating Goosehead Insurance’s commitment to making franchise ownership more accessible to veterans.
“After 23 years in the military, I’ve seen that veterans bring a unique mindset and valuable skills honed in high pressure situations, such as leadership, discipline, grit and a strong work ethic – all critical to building a successful business,” said Ben Walker, Sr. Manager of the Veteran Initiative Program at Goosehead Insurance. “We have 40+ operating veteran-owned franchises nationwide, and the Veteran Initiative Program demonstrates Goosehead’s growing commitment to giving even more veterans a seat at the table.”
“The Veteran Initiative Program showcases our commitment to real-world learning, professional development and fostering success across our franchise network. We are excited to bring more veterans into our proven franchise model and give them a competitive edge toward financial independence,” added Walker.
The program was inspired by the success of veteran franchisees like Tim McMullin, whose agency in Pennsylvania recently achieved a $10 million book of business.
“At Goosehead Insurance, I’ve been able to achieve remarkable results by leaning into my strengths and channeling skillsets acquired during my military service,” said McMullin. “Now, as a successful franchise owner, I can also help others along their journey – something I’m both eager to do and proud to say I can, thanks to Goosehead.”
About Goosehead Insurance, Inc. Goosehead (NASDAQ: GSHD) is a rapidly growing and innovative independent personal lines insurance agency that distributes its products and services through corporate and franchise locations throughout the United States. Goosehead was founded on the premise that the consumer should be at the center of our universe and that everything we do should be directed at providing extraordinary value by offering broad product choice and a world-class service experience. Goosehead represents over 200 insurance companies that underwrite personal and commercial lines. For more information, please visit goosehead.com or goosehead.com/become-a-franchisee.
Contacts Mission North for Goosehead Insurance Email: goosehead@missionnorth.com; PR@goosehead.com
WILMINGTON, Del., June 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Onfolio Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: ONFO, ONFOW) (OTC: ONFOP) (“Onfolio” or the “Company”) today announced the launch of Pace Generative LLC, a dedicated Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) agency created to help brands appear in AI-generated answers – a rapidly emerging opportunity in digital discovery and trust-building.
As AI assistants start to replace traditional search engines as the primary way people discover and evaluate services, GEO has emerged as a mission-critical strategy. It ensures that a brand’s insights and authority are embedded in the answers delivered by AI tools – positioning businesses at the point of decision-making, not just after the fact.
Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) helps businesses become part of the answers AI platforms generate, by embedding their expertise directly in real-time, conversational responses.
When a user asks an AI assistant, “Who’s the top cosmetic surgeon near me?”, “What wealth management firm should I trust with my portfolio?”, or “Which estate planning attorney is most experienced in my area?”, GEO helps to determine which businesses are cited in the answer. These moments often shape high-value decisions, before a search engine is ever consulted. For example, a law firm that appears in ChatGPT’s response to “best estate attorney in Miami” could earn immediate trust and consideration well before a potential client sees competing websites.
AI-driven discovery is accelerating. A recent Elon University study found that 52% of U.S. adults already use AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Grok, and Copilot. ChatGPT alone now serves 400 million weekly active users globally, including nearly 68 million in the U.S. With platforms like Perplexity gaining traction, AI assistants are becoming the default source for trusted, real-time answers. According to McKinsey, generative AI could add as much as $4.4 trillion in annual economic value, with marketing and sales among the most directly impacted sectors.
This shift is transforming how brands are discovered, evaluated, and chosen.
As traditional search becomes a fallback rather than the starting point, GEO has emerged as a critical strategy for relevance. Unlike SEO, which helps websites rank in search results, GEO ensures a brand’s insights, authority, and offerings are embedded directly in AI-generated answers.
SEO earns clicks. GEO earns trust, by making brands part of the answer, not just part of the results. Today’s search engines send users to websites. AI platforms deliver the answer itself. If a brand isn’t cited, it may be invisible at the moment of decision.
Onfolio brings deep experience in SEO, having led successful campaigns across multiple agencies and industries. With a strong foundation in content strategy, technical optimization, and performance publishing, the Company is now applying that expertise to the next era of online visibility: GEO.
The launch of Pace Generative marks a strategic evolution. Purpose-built for the AI era, with proprietary frameworks, scalable systems, and specialized processes designed to help brands be recognized and cited by AI platforms.
Our core services are designed to help brands become part of the answers AI platforms deliver and not just compete for placement in crowded search results:
Question-Driven Content CreationWe craft authoritative content; articles, guides, FAQs, that mirrors how real people ask questions in tools like ChatGPT and Gemini.
AI-Optimized Site StructureWe organize websites so that AI models can easily understand, access, and reference key information – ensuring important expertise isn’t overlooked.
Language and Topic AlignmentWe align messaging with the terms and topics AI platforms associate with credibility – positioning content to be cited accurately and confidently.
Strategic Publishing and DistributionWe publish and distribute content in formats, channels, and timelines that signal trust- improving the likelihood of being included in AI-generated answers.
These services improve the chances that a brand will be surfaced in the moment a customer asks for a trusted recommendation and will help position that brand as part of the decision-making conversation.
“AI is where decisions are being made,” said Dominic Wells, CEO of Onfolio Holdings Inc. “If a brand isn’t part of the answers, it’s not in the market. GEO isn’t just the next evolution of search, it’s the new standard for being found.”
Pace Generative is built for businesses and professionals in industries where trust, expertise, and timing drive customer decisions – including healthcare, finance, law, education, consulting, B2B services, and high-end consumer markets.
Onfolio anticipates strong demand for Pace Generative’s GEO service as more organizations adapt their marketing strategies for AI-native visibility.
As artificial intelligence continues to reshape how the world seeks and selects solutions, Pace Generative is helping forward-thinking companies lead the AI-powered conversations that define tomorrow’s market leaders.
For more information, visit www.pacegenerative.com or contact Mike at mike@pacegenerative.com.
About Onfolio Holdings Inc.
Onfolio acquires, operates, and scales a diversified portfolio of digital companies. The Company focuses on businesses with strong cash flows, long-term growth potential, and experienced leadership—or those that can be effectively managed by Onfolio’s in-house team. By targeting under-optimized businesses with untapped potential, Onfolio adds value through operational expertise, strategic guidance, and advanced technologies. For more information, visit www.onfolio.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
The information posted in this release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can identify these statements by use of the words “may,” “will,” “should,” “plans,” “explores,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “continues,” “estimates,” “projects,” “intends,” and similar expressions. Examples of forward-looking statements include, among others, statements we make regarding expected operating results, such as revenue growth and earnings, and strategy for growth and financial results. Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on our current beliefs, expectations and assumptions regarding the future of our business, future plans and strategies, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of our control. Our actual results and financial condition may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause our actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements include, among others, the following: general economic and business conditions, effects of continued geopolitical unrest and regional conflicts, competition, changes in technology and methods of marketing, delays in completing new customer offerings, changes in customer order patterns, changes in customer offering mix, continued success in technological advances and delivering technological innovations, delays due to issues with outsourced service providers, those events and factors described by us in Item 1.A “Risk Factors” in our most recent Form 10-K and other risks to which our Company is subject, and various other factors beyond the Company’s control. Any forward-looking statement made by us in this press release is based only on information currently available to us and speaks only as of the date on which it is made. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.
Company Contact: Investor Communications Onfolio Holdings Inc. Investors@Onfolio.com
Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Alessandro Marcon, Senior Research Associate at the Health Law Institute, University of Alberta
Online searches for health information can pull up misleading ads.(S. Ghassimi), CC BY
More than 80 per cent of online searches are now performed with Google. But there’s an insidious element to the world’s most popular search engine. As companies compete for the advertising spaces that accompany search query results, users seeking critical health information can be exposed to dangerous and exploitative misinformation.
In 2024, North Americans overwhelmingly used Google for news and information on politics, celebrities, entertainment and topical events like natural disasters. Health-related queries are also popular: nearly 70 per cent of the Canadian public use online searches for health information.
Google is the world’s most popular search engine. (Shutterstock)
Online searches
The phrases or questions contained in online searches serve as valuable data. They can inform epidemiological surveillance and provide insight into popular global and regional trends.
These data also hold immense value for online marketing teams, tracking who is searching for what, where and when. In addition to search tracking, however, queries now are used for online advertising. It’s a reality that raises serious ethical, regulatory and public health issues.
Before the internet, key advertising spaces existed in magazines and newspapers, on highway billboards and time slots between radio and television programming. Advertising is so lucrative that a 30-second time slot during the Super Bowl now costs upwards of US$8 million.
Online, fixed slots have now been replaced by targeted advertisements to accompany search results, determined by search queries entered by users.
Highly coveted spots
Like a Super Bowl ad, advertising on Google’s first page results is highly coveted.
Obtaining the rights to these space requires companies to outbid one another to win the ads spaces determined by search terms — an advertiser can purchase ad space from Google associated with a specific phrase or keyword.
Companies with snack products, for example, may compete for their sponsored content to appear when individuals search for “Super Bowl party snacks,” “new chip flavours” or “chip and dip ideas.”
As harmless and obvious — and perhaps even inevitable — as this marketing approach may seem, the practice is problematic when industry targets personal, sensitive and critical health terms — which is exactly what our research uncovered.
Searches for cancer, exploitative ads
Using the AI-driven marketing platform SemRush, we analyzed the search terms purchased for advertising by notorious alternative cancer clinics in Tijuana, Mexico and Arizona. We determined what queries were targeted and how much was spent on acquiring the advertising space matching these queries.
We also assessed whether this spending increased traffic to their clinic websites. Our results showed that over roughly one decade, these clinics paid over an estimated US$15 million to purchase the ad spaces for thousands of search words and phrases.
These search queries related to cancer prognosis and diagnosis, treatment options including alternative treatments and cancer types including late-stage cancer. In sum, the advertising strategy generated more than 6.5 million website visits for alternative cancer clinics.
Alternative cancer treatments can interfere with the success of medical treatments. (Shutterstock)
Negative health impacts
Unfortunately, the success of these alternative clinics’ marketing strategies is nothing short of a disaster for the public’s health and well-being. Alternative cancer treatments are associated with an increased risk of death and offer false hope for those suffering from end-stage cancer.
Google is therefore enabling an advertising option that contributes to the harmful spread of inaccurate and damaging cancer misinformation that can directly lead to detrimental health-related actions.
Protection from deception
Our research focused entirely on the cancer context and analyzed the targeted search query approach of problematic clinics in two specific locations. It is imaginable — indeed very probable — that this approach is deployed in other health contexts and beyond.
Google does have and enforce policies to protect users from deceptive advertising content. But there is little oversight regarding how advertisers may exploit its keyword ad matching features.
It’s imperative that Google take action to restrict its ads mechanism from being used in this exploitative manner. Search results could give prominence only to websites supported by accurate scientific evidence. Google could prohibit the advertising purchase of ostensibly controversial search terms. This would include personal, sensitive queries from vulnerable groups, including patients suffering from cancer and other life-threatening ailments.
TORONTO, June 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Real Matters Inc. (“Real Matters” or the “Company”), a leading network management services provider for the mortgage lending and insurance industries, today announced the appointment of John Walsh to its Board of Directors, effective June 4, 2025. Mr. Walsh will serve on the Company’s Compensation, Nomination, Governance and Sustainability Committee. Following the appointment of Mr. Walsh, the Board will comprise seven directors, six of whom are independent.
“On behalf of the Board, I am delighted to welcome John as a new director,” said Real Matters Chairman Garry Foster. “With more than four decades of mortgage market experience, John is a seasoned industry veteran whose extensive background and expertise in financial services, data and technology will be an invaluable asset to our Board and to the Company as it continues to pursue its long-term growth strategy.”
John Walsh is a corporate director with more than four decades of experience in the mortgage, real estate and financial services industry, including leading technology and data firms. Mr. Walsh is currently a director and the former CEO of California-based LERETA LLC (2015 to 2025), a leading provider of real estate tax services. Prior to joining LERETA, Mr. Walsh was the CEO of DataQuick, a nationwide provider of real estate property information, analytics and mortgage settlement services from 2008 to 2015. Previously, he was president of Del Mar Database, a provider of technology solutions to residential lenders. He is also the former president of RF/Spectrum Decision Science Corp. and chairman and CEO at PureCarbon, Inc. (now Workstream, Inc.). Earlier in his career, Mr. Walsh held senior management positions at several mortgage companies and banks.
“I am truly excited to be joining the Real Matters Board and am eager to bring my experience to the table in support of the Company’s continued growth and innovation,” said John Walsh. “I look forward to contributing to the Company’s success as it strengthens its position as a leader in mortgage technology and drives forward-thinking solutions in an ever-evolving industry.”
Mr. Walsh was an independent director of DocuTech Inc. from 2013 to 2018, serving on its Compensation Committee. He holds a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School and a Bachelor of Science Degree from California Lutheran College. He is also a recipient of the PROGRESS in Lending Association Lending Luminary Award™.
About Real Matters Real Matters is a leading network management services provider for the mortgage lending and insurance industries. Real Matters’ platform combines its proprietary technology and network management capabilities with tens of thousands of independent qualified field professionals to create an efficient marketplace for the provision of mortgage lending and insurance industry services. Our clients include top 100 mortgage lenders in the U.S. and some of the largest banks and insurance companies in Canada. We are a leading independent provider of residential real estate appraisals to the mortgage market and a leading independent provider of title and mortgage closing services in the U.S. Headquartered in Markham (ON), Real Matters has principal offices in Buffalo (NY) and Middletown (RI). Real Matters is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol REAL. For more information, visit www.realmatters.com.
For more information: Lyne Beauregard Vice President, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications Real Matters lbeauregard@realmatters.com 416.994.5930
NEW YORK and MEXICO CITY, June 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Veea Inc. (NASDAQ: VEEA), a global innovator in edge computing and AI-driven platforms, and StarGroup, one of Mexico’s most dynamic and visionary telecommunications and entertainment providers, are proud to announce a strategic alliance to accelerate digital inclusion, connectivity and entertainment services across underserved rural communities in Mexico.
Empowering Communities Through Technology and Vision
As Mexico advances its national mission for universal internet access, Veea and StarGroup are combining their technological strengths and market leadership to deliver high-performance, cybersecure, and affordable digital services to remote areas that have historically been left behind. This transformative partnership reflects a bold step and an unwavering commitment to bridging the digital divide and true digital equity for millions of Mexicans. Moreover, from cloud-managed entertainment to intelligent edge networking, this partnership aims to fuel education, commerce, and innovation for communities that have long been digitally excluded.
With deep local expertise and a growing presence across the country, StarGroup is uniquely positioned to drive innovation at the edge of connectivity, leveraging Veea’s cutting-edge technology. StarGroup’s deployment of Veea’s virtual Trusted Broadband Access (vTBA) platform marks the beginning of a nationwide rollout that will provide intelligent internet access, IoT integration, and cloud-based applications directly to users’ Wi-Fi-enabled devices—including smartphones, tablets, and laptops. “At StarGroup, we believe technology should be a tool for empowerment, not exclusion,” said Monica Aguirre, CEO of StarGroup. “This partnership with Veea allows us to bring real solutions to real communities—solutions that go far beyond entertainment and connectivity. We are investing in a future where every Mexican family, regardless of geography, can participate in the digital economy.”
Deployed with satellite backhaul and powered by compact VeeaHub devices and VeeaWare software, the service supports not only seamless connectivity but also a wide range of local IoT applications—from precision agriculture and energy monitoring to public safety and asset tracking. StarGroup is not just deploying infrastructure; it is building the foundation for a smarter, more inclusive Mexico.
“StarGroup’s adoption of vTBA platform reinforces the growing demand for cost-effective, intelligent connectivity at the edge,” added Allen Salmasi, CEO of Veea. “This collaboration extends far beyond internet access—it empowers communities with real-time AI-driven applications, with the ability to cache content at the edge including for tele-education, tele-medicine, entertainment and precision agriculture, along with the tools that enable the end-users to easily develop applications serving their specific use cases and participate in the digital economy.”
About StarGroup
StarGroup is a forward-thinking Mexican telecommunications and entertainment company committed to redefining connectivity for families across the country. Through its STAR brands—including StarTV (pay television), StarGo (internet), StarLine (mobile services), and StarLink (telecommunications), etc.—the company delivers high-quality, reliable services powered by advanced satellite technology, reaching regions beyond the scope of traditional networks.
With a strong foundation in innovation, customer focus, and social responsibility, StarGroup leverages global partnerships and cutting-edge infrastructure to provide inclusive digital access, foster community development, and promote cultural enrichment. Its integrated approach to entertainment, media, tourism, and connectivity, positions StarGroup as a catalyst for digital transformation in Mexico’s most underserved regions.
Veea Inc. (NASDAQ: VEEA) was formed in 2014 and is headquartered in New York City with a rich history of major innovations in the development of advanced networking, wireless and computing technologies. Veea has unified multi-tenant computing, multiaccess multiprotocol communications, edge storage, edge AI with AI-driven cybersecurity in fully integrated all-in-one VeeaHub® products. Similar to cloud-management of smartphones and other user devices, VeeaHub products are cloud- and locally-managed with equivalent capabilities on VeeaCloud™. Applications and services running on VeeaHub devices benefit from cybersecure connections with Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), optionally, with a highly simplified, plug and play, 5G-based Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) offering.
Veea Edge Platform™ enables network slicing with direct connections from anywhere, through the wide area optical fiber, cellular and satellite networks, to network-managed Wi-Fi and IoT devices on the local area networks, which may be on a mesh cluster created by VeeaHub products. This unique capability enables service providers to offer subscription-based services for one or a group of devices, sensors, machines or other endpoints on the local area networks.
VeeaWare software stack provides for a virtualized software environment to run applications in Secured Docker™ containers on VeeaHub products and third-party APs and servers with orchestration. Veea Developer Portal and development tools provide for rapid development of edge applications with inferencing or federated learning to cost-effectively enable Edge AI for most enterprise use cases. Veea has received numerous recognitions by Gartner Group, Market Reports World’s and IoT Evolution for Edge Computing and Edge AI since 2021. For more information about Veea and its product offerings, visit veea.com and follow us on LinkedIn.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (“Securities Act”) as well as Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, that are intended to be covered by the safe harbor created by those sections. Forward-looking statements, which are based on certain assumptions and describe the Company’s future plans, strategies and expectations, can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terms such as “believe,” “expect,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “would,” “could,” “seek,” “intend,” “plan,” “goal,” “project,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “strategy,” “future,” “likely” or other comparable terms, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this press release regarding the Company’s strategies, prospects, financial condition, operations, costs, plans and objectives are forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause the Company’s actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties including those regarding: the Company’s business strategies, and the risk and uncertainties described in “Risk Factors,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” “Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Statements” and the additional risk described in Veea’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 and any subsequent filings which Veea makes with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. You should not rely upon forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. The forward-looking statements made in the press release relate only to events or information as of the date on which the statements are made in the press release. We undertake no obligation to update or revise 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 except as required by law. You should read this press release with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from what we expect.
Beta closings begin in June; full-scale launch hits late July
Homeowners unlock equity for cash—no debt, no interest, no monthly payments
PROVIDENCE, RI, June 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Beeline Holdings, Inc., (Nasdaq: BLNE) the fast-growing digital mortgage platform that shortens the path to homeownership, today announced the upcoming launch of a new home equity access product that allows homeowners to convert a portion of their home equity into immediate cash—without incurring debt or monthly payments.
Beeline has partnered with a company (“RealCo”), which is co-owned by Beeline’s principal shareholder and CEO. RealCo will issue stablecoins to access capital to purchase equity from homeowners seeking liquidity. RealCo is engaging with Beeline, which will source consumers and provide services. Beeline Title will provide title and escrow services.
This innovative product will be funded through a stablecoin-backed model, offering homeowners a fast and flexible alternative to traditional refinancing or HELOCs. The hard launch is scheduled for late July, with beta transactions beginning in June. The coins will be backed by ownership through a fractional deed on the property. RealCo will acquire a minority ownership in homes (up to 49%) as a nominee for the funders who will receive the stablecoins. Homeowners selling equity can opt to receive RealCo-issued stablecoins or US dollars.
Unlike conventional lending products, this is not a loan transaction, tied to interest rates, or a buy-back obligation, allowing Beeline to generate consistent revenue in any rate environment. The company expects this to drive faster percentage-based revenue growth than traditional mortgage lenders, and with the fees, it expects to be well-positioned to reach operational profitability beginning in Q4 2025. Early market feedback indicates strong demand from equity-rich homeowners seeking liquidity without selling their property or incurring additional monthly obligations. RealCo will initially launch in approximately ten thousand US zip codes and will only enter into equity purchases on homes with a value of $ 1 million or more.
“Provided there’s equity in the home, RealCo will mint coins at closing, which may then be converted into U.S. dollars,” said Nick Liuzza, CEO of Beeline Holdings. “This model enables us to provide homeowners with liquidity quickly, with an unprecedented model. The stablecoin mechanism becomes the catalyst for funding, and the stablecoin is secured by property recorded in 1:1 in the blockchain and in the public record.”
As the crypto ecosystem continues to gain mainstream adoption, with Bitcoin reaching new levels of institutional recognition, Beeline’s use of blockchain-native funding infrastructure represents a first-of-its-kind application in real estate finance. While Bitcoin itself is not used directly in these transactions, the overall architecture reflects the increasing integration of traditional asset classes with blockchain-backed liquidity models.
Participating homeowners will receive cash at closing and won’t be required to repay the funds until the property is sold. Upon sale, RealCo, as nominee for the token holders, will receive its pro rata percentage of the net proceeds. All ownership privileges remain intact, provided property taxes are kept current.
“As we enter discussions with new investors, it’s critical to provide transparency about this expansion,” added Liuzza. “This product represents a major opportunity.”
Beeline’s existing product suite includes both conventional mortgage offerings and a range of non-QM loan programs, many of which are optimized for 1099 earners, self-employed borrowers, and younger homeowners. The company emphasized that this new product is an addition, not a pivot, from its core model.
“We’re not shifting focus,” said Jess Kennedy, COO of Beeline. “We’re simply adding more firepower to our arsenal that meets the evolving needs of today’s homeowners.”
The product is expected to benefit individuals who don’t qualify for traditional cash-out refinancing or HELOCs but have meaningful equity. Beeline anticipates additional use cases to emerge as the product rolls out to a wider audience in the months ahead.
Beeline Financial Holdings, Inc. is a trailblazing mortgage fintech transforming the way people access property financing. Through its fully digital, AI-powered platform, Beeline delivers a faster, smarter path to home loans—whether for primary residences or investment properties. Headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, Beeline is reshaping mortgage origination with speed, simplicity, and transparency at its core. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Beeline Holdings and also operates Beeline Labs, its innovation arm focused on next-generation lending solutions.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding the company’s prospective new home equity access product, the timing, features, and demand for such product, and the benefits thereof including revenue growth and the potential to achieve profitability in Q4 2025. Forward-looking statements are prefaced by words such as “anticipate,” “expect,” “plan,” “could,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “would,” “intend,” “seem,” “potential,” “appear,” “continue,” “future,” believe,” “estimate,” “forecast,” “project,” and similar words. Forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations and assumptions regarding our business, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. We caution you, therefore, against relying on any of these forward-looking statements. Our actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements for a variety of reasons, including, without limitation, the ultimate interest of homeowners in unlocking liquidity and Beeline’s ability to attract homeowners, its reliance on RealCo to raise capital to fund the real estate transactions, and the Risk Factors contained in our Form 10-K filed April 15, 2025. Any forward-looking statement made by us in this presentation speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by law.
TERRE HAUTE, Ind., June 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Hallador Energy Company (Nasdaq: HNRG) (“Hallador” or the “Company”) today announced the appointment of Todd Telesz as Chief Financial Officer, effective June 23, 2025. Mr. Telesz will succeed Marjorie Hargrave, who has been with Hallador since April 2024 and is leaving the Company to pursue other opportunities. Ms. Hargrave was instrumental in reducing operating and overhead expenses, improving turn-around times for internal and external financial reporting and driving other efficiencies within the Company and will remain with the Company for a short period to ensure a seamless transition.
Mr. Telesz is an accomplished financial executive with extensive experience in the power sector. Since 2024, Mr. Telesz has served as Chief Financial Officer of Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, Inc., a non-profit generation and transmission cooperative owned by 40 cooperative systems across four states. Between 2021 and 2023, he served as Chief Executive Officer of Basin Electric, one of the nation’s largest cooperative associations, owned by 141 cooperative systems across nine states. Prior to Mr. Telesz’s role at Basin Electric, he served as Senior Vice President at CoBank, ACB, a provider of loans and financial services to cooperatives, agribusinesses, rural utilities and farm credit associations in its Power, Energy and Utilities division between 2007 and 2021.
“I would like to thank Marjie for her time with Hallador and for the meaningful contributions she made to the Company during the initial phases of our transition from a coal producer to an independent power producer (“IPP”),” said Brent Bilsland, President and Chief Executive Officer of Hallador. “I’m pleased to welcome Todd to the team and believe his experience in high-profile leadership roles as well as his extensive relationships within the power sector will help advance our efforts to acquire additional generation, specifically as energy cooperatives continue to retire or exit portfolios of fossil-based generation. We are excited for the expertise that Todd will bring to Hallador as we further penetrate the power market and seek to advance our acquisition strategy.”
Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act“), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act“).Statements that are not strictly historical statements constitute forward-looking statements and may often, but not always, be identified by the use of such words such as “expects,” “believes,” “intends,” “anticipates,” “plans,” “estimates,” “guidance,” “target,” “potential,” “possible,” or “probable” or statements that certain actions, events or results “may,” “will,” “should,” or “could” be taken, occur or be achieved.Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, those relating to our ability to execute definitive agreements with respect to the non-binding term sheet with a leading global data center developer, to execute a strategic transaction that delivers long-term value for our shareholders or to strengthen opportunities for growth and cash flow generation.Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and assumptions and analyses made by Hallador and its management in light of experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors appropriate under the circumstances that involve various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in the statements.These risks include, but are not limited to, those set forth in Hallador’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, and other Securities and Exchange Commission filings. Hallador undertakes no obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statements except as required by law.
About Hallador Energy Company
Hallador Energy Company (Nasdaq: HNRG) is a vertically-integrated Independent Power Producer (IPP) based in Terre Haute, Indiana. The Company has two core businesses: Hallador Power Company, LLC, which produces electricity and capacity at its one-Gigawatt (GW) Merom Generating Station, and Sunrise Coal, LLC, which produces and supplies fuel to the Merom Generating Station and other companies. To learn more about Hallador, visit the Company’s website at http://www.halladorenergy.com/.
NEW YORK, June 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Paul Bauccio has joined the Green Impact Exchange (GIX) as Chief Operating Officer, the company announced today. In this role, Bauccio will help bring GIX’s vision to life, overseeing the development of the trading platform and leading critical operational functions, including compliance, market operations, and member support. As a member of the GIX Leadership Team, he will also help shape the company’s culture by fostering a collaborative, results-oriented environment.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Paul to the leadership team,” said Dan Labovitz, CEO of GIX. “As we build a marketplace that rewards sustainability performance and long-term value creation, Paul’s experience and leadership will be essential to delivering on our mission.”
Bauccio brings more than 25 years of experience in technology, operations, and regulatory leadership within the exchange industry. Most recently, he served as Chief Risk Officer at IEX Group, where he oversaw information security, enterprise risk, and vendor management. Earlier in his career, Bauccio served as Senior Vice President of Market Operations for the New York Stock Exchange’s cash equities business, where he led key technology and market structure initiatives and managed the daily operations of the historic New York Stock Exchange trading floor.
During his tenure at IEX, Bauccio held increasingly senior leadership roles, including Head of Market Operations, Head of Listings and Issuer Services, and Advisor to IEX Digital Assets. His track record of building operational excellence and leading high-performance teams positions him well to guide GIX through its next phase of growth.
“I’m honored to be joining GIX at such a pivotal moment,” said Bauccio. “This is an exciting opportunity to help build a regulated exchange platform that serves the evolving needs of both issuers and investors in the sustainability economy.”
About The Green Impact Exchange:
The Green Impact Exchange (GIX) will be the first national securities exchange in the US dedicated to the emerging $35+ trillion sustainability economy. GIX will be a dual listing and trading venue for US registered securities and will seek to improve capital formation and the quality of disclosures around sustainability. GIX was founded by a team of financial services professionals with decades of deep experience in global exchanges, market & trade operations, corporate governance, and sustainability.
LOS ANGELES, June 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Wedbush Fund Advisers has launched the Dan IVES Wedbush AI Revolution ETF (Ticker: IVES). The ETF will provide investors with transparent, cost-effective access to 30 names at the heart of the AI Revolution.
Built around the proprietary research framework of Dan Ives, Wedbush Securities Managing Director and Global Head of Technology Research, the ETF targets companies driving AI’s infrastructure and deployment across semiconductors, hyperscalers, cybersecurity, consumer platforms, robotics, and cloud infrastructure. These companies form the backbone of a multi trillion-dollar investment cycle transforming global industries and accelerating enterprise and consumer adoption.
Key Features of IVES ETF:
Research-Driven Selection: Constituents are drawn directly from Dan Ives’ proprietary research behind “The AI Revolution Theme,” a multi-year analysis identifying 30 public companies at the core of the AI spending cycle;
Cross-Sector Exposure: Covers the full spectrum of industries powering the AI economy — from infrastructure to implementation;
Balanced Construction: Strategically weighted to reduce concentration risk while maintaining high-conviction thematic exposure;
Future-Focused Positioning: Targets companies with both established momentum and long-term potential to lead in enterprise and consumer AI adoption.
“We’re incredibly excited to bring Dan Ives’ research on the AI Revolution to life through this ETF,” said Cullen Rogers, Chief Investment Officer of Wedbush Fund Advisers. “It’s a response to what investors have been asking for—direct, meaningful exposure to the companies powering the next major economic transformation: artificial intelligence.”
Wedbush entered the rapidly growing ETF market earlier this year through its new Investment Management division, marking the firm’s commitment to cutting-edge investment solutions and highly curated product development for our Global Family Office, Wealth Management and RIA clients.
“AI is the most transformational force in the global economy in our lifetime,” said Gary Wedbush, President and Chief Executive Officer of Wedbush Securities. “Dan’s track record speaks for itself. He’s been identifying the drivers of tech disruption for years, and the IVES ETF gives investors a chance to follow that insight in a disciplined, transparent way. We are proud to offer investors exposure to the AI Revolution through the IVES ETF.”
About Wedbush Fund Advisers, LLC
Wedbush Fund Advisers launched in 2024 to build on Wedbush’s 70-year legacy of market insight, innovation, and client trust. Our mission is to design forward-thinking investment strategies that reflect the evolving nature of markets and investor priorities. Backed by a seasoned team with decades of asset management experience, we’re committed to building a trusted platform that expands Wedbush’s tradition of excellence into the next era of investment innovation.
Shares of ETFs are bought and sold at market price (not NAV) and are not individually redeemed from the Fund. Brokerage commissions will reduce returns.
Carefully consider the Fund’s investment objectives, risk factors, and charges and expenses before investing. This and other information can be found in the Funds’ prospectuses or, if available, the summary prospectuses which may be obtained by visiting www.wedbushfunds.com. Read the prospectus carefully before investing.
AI Technology Risk. AI technology is generally highly reliant on the collection and analysis of large amounts of data, and it is not possible or practicable to incorporate all relevant data into the model that such AI utilizes to operate. Certain data in such models will inevitably contain a degree of inaccuracy and error – potentially materially so – and could otherwise be inadequate or flawed, which would be likely to degrade the effectiveness of the AI technology. Companies involved in, or exposed to, artificial intelligence-related businesses may have limited product lines, markets, financial resources or personnel. These companies face intense competition and potentially rapid product obsolescence, and many depend significantly on retaining and growing the consumer base of their respective products and services. Many of these companies are also reliant on the end-user demand of products and services in various industries that may in part utilize artificial intelligence. Further, many companies involved in, or exposed to, artificial intelligence-related businesses may be substantially exposed to the market and business risks of other industries or sectors, and the Fund may be adversely affected by negative developments impacting those companies, industries or sectors.
Calculation Methodology Risk. The Index relies directly or indirectly on various sources of information to assess the criteria of issuers included in the Index, including information that may be based on assumptions and estimates. Neither the Fund nor the Adviser can offer assurances that the Index’s calculation methodology or sources of information will provide an accurate assessment of included issuers or a correct valuation of securities, nor can they guarantee the availability or timeliness of the production of the Index.
Concentration Risk. The Fund’s investments will be concentrated in an industry or group of industries to the extent that the Index is so concentrated. In such event, the value of the Shares may rise and fall more than the value of shares of a fund that invests in securities of companies in a broader range of industries.
Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal. Narrowly focused thematic investments will be more susceptible to factors affecting that sector and subject to more volatility.
The Wedbush Funds are distributed by Foreside Fund Services, LLC. Wedbush Fund Advisers, LLC and Foreside Fund Services, LLC, are not affiliated.
Investment products are not insured by the FDIC or any federal government agency, may lose value, and are not a deposit of or guaranteed by any bank or any bank affiliate.
DelNorte, a groundbreaking platform at the intersection of artificial intelligence and blockchain, has taken a major leap forward in transforming government data management. At the core of this innovation is DelNorte’s decentralized Municipal Property Management Standard, combined with a patent-pending CRM tailored to the public sector, setting a new standard in how governments manage, share, and monetize public data..
PANAMA CITY, Panama, June 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — DelNorte has officially launched its native token, marking a significant milestone in its mission to transform government data management using AI and blockchain. The token is now available on MEXC, a top leading exchange in web3 world, allowing investors and users to participate in the ecosystem that powers DelNorte’s groundbreaking solutions. By integrating AI with blockchain, DelNorte ensures a level of transparency, efficiency, and accountability never before seen in the public sector. Their cutting-edge solutions offer a robust, immutable infrastructure for government data management, providing citizens with better access to public information and streamlining processes for government officials.
DelNorte’s flagship product revolutionizes municipal property systems by tokenizing property deeds as ERC-721 NFTs, integrating real-world legal metadata and IPFS storage to ensure data integrity. This approach not only provides secure, decentralized property registries but also guarantees transparency and security in property transactions, with each update tracked and stored on-chain. Already trusted by governments across El Salvador, Brazil, Mexico, and Honduras, DelNorte has proven its value by delivering real-world solutions that are in use today. Unlike competitors still vying for government contracts, DelNorte has direct access to government clients, establishing a unique position within the blockchain and AI space.
DelNorte’s ecosystem is built on cutting-edge technologies like AI-driven analytics, blockchain integration, and decentralized storage, enabling governments to modernize their operations while safeguarding public data. Their patent-pending CRM, designed specifically for the public sector, allows for seamless workflows and data sharing, setting DelNorte apart as a key player in the evolving landscape of government technology.
Holding the DTVc token provides users and developers with a wide array of benefits, enabling deeper engagement within the DelNorte ecosystem. Token holders enjoy discounts on transaction fees for accessing government documents, participating in governance votes, and interacting with other applications within the platform. Additionally, DTVc token holders can stake their tokens either individually or in pools, earning automatic staking rewards that incentivize long-term participation. Special events with randomized rewards further encourage active engagement, fostering a dynamic and engaged community.
Beyond financial incentives, DTVc holders gain crucial governance participation rights, allowing them to vote on proposals that shape the future of the DelNorte ecosystem. This includes influencing platform features, rules, and community-driven initiatives. DTVc tokens also offer access to exclusive services, such as priority access to government documents and premium offerings for both public and private sector interactions. Furthermore, token holders can use DTVc as collateral for loans, participate in crowdfunding campaigns, and invest in projects within the platform, providing a comprehensive suite of financial services and investment opportunities.
As governments continue to embrace blockchain for data security and transparency, DelNorte is poised to lead the way in revolutionizing public sector operations. With an emphasis on decentralization, data ownership, and trust, DelNorte is reshaping the future of government data management. DelNorte’s mission goes beyond profitability; the company is committed to fostering financial inclusion, empowering public institutions, and developing tools that address global governance challenges. With a focus on transparency, innovation, and sustainability, DelNorte aims to create a long-lasting, positive impact across both emerging and developed markets, ensuring that its solutions benefit communities worldwide and drive meaningful change in government data management and public sector operations.
About DelNorte DelNorte is an AI and blockchain-driven platform revolutionizing government data management, focusing on transparency, efficiency, and decentralized systems. Their innovative solutions, including the Municipal Property Management Standard and patent-pending CRM, are already empowering governments and citizens alike with secure, transparent, and accessible public data.
Disclaimer: This is a paid post and is provided byDelNorte. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented. We do not guarantee any claims, statements, or promises made in this article. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice. Investing in crypto and mining-related opportunities involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital. It is possible to lose all your capital. These products may not be suitable for everyone, and you should ensure that you understand the risks involved. Seek independent advice if necessary. Speculate only with funds that you can afford to lose. Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. However, due to the inherently speculative nature of the blockchain sector—including cryptocurrency, NFTs, and mining—complete accuracy cannot always be guaranteed. Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release. In the event of any legal claims or charges against this article, we accept no liability or responsibility. Globenewswire does not endorse any content on this page.
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NEW YORK, June 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Stacks (STX), the leading Bitcoin Layer-2 (L2), which is dedicated to unlocking and scaling Bitcoin’s full potential, will be represented at the upcoming Blockchain and Digital Assets Virtual Investor Conference hosted by VirtualInvestorConferences.com on June 5th, 2025. Kyle Ellicott, Executive Director at the Stacks Asia Foundation, is scheduled to present live at the event. Stacks enables both retail and institutional users and investors to seamlessly participate in the Bitcoin economy.
Event Details
This will be a live, interactive online event where investors are invited to ask the company questions in real-time. If attendees are not able to join the event live on the day of the conference, an archived webcast will also be made available after the event. It is recommended that online investors pre-register and run the online system check to expedite participation and receive event updates.
Date: June 5, 2025 Time: 11:00 AM ET Link: REGISTER HERE
Kyle Ellicott will be available for 1×1 meetings with investors on June 5th & 10th. Learn more about the event at www.virtualinvestorconferences.com.
Recent Stacks Highlights
sBTC, the programmable Bitcoin asset built on Stacks, has seen three successful cap raises, each filling rapidly. The latest 5,000 BTC subscription cap was filled within hours after opening. An sBTC incentive program also allows investors to earn yield on their Bitcoin, which has drawn significant and increasing interest from investors and institutions.
Stacks is now recognized as the top Bitcoin Layer 2 according to bitcoinlayers.org, leading the sector in programmability and DeFi adoption.
Stacks’ TVL has surged recently, surpassing $113 million, with TVL tripling since the launch of key DeFi protocols, reflecting accelerated ecosystem growth and user engagement.
A new Stacks roadmap was released in May 2025, outlining upcoming technical upgrades, strategic developments, and a focused push toward $1B+ TVL.
Major new partnerships and integrations have been established with industry leaders such as BitGo, Asymmetric, Hex Trust, Bitfinex, and others.
About Stacks Stacks is the leading Bitcoin Layer 2 (L2) and the top L2 by developer traction, user activity, and market capitalization. Stacks is unlocking over $1 trillion in passive Bitcoin capital and making BTC a fully programmable, productive asset. Stacks enables smart contracts and decentralized applications to leverage Bitcoin as a secure, programmable foundation. With the Nakamoto upgrade activated in October 2024, Stacks achieved near-instant transactions, while retaining the security and irreversibility of Bitcoin L1. The launch of sBTC in December 2024 opened the door for developers and users to use native BTC in smart contracts, DeFi, and other Bitcoin-secured applications, including paying gas fees with BTC. The Stacks (STX) token was the first to undergo an SEC-qualified sale in the United States, and the project fully decentralized before the mainnet launch in 2021.
About Virtual Investor Conferences® Virtual Investor Conferences (VIC) is the leading proprietary investor conference series that provides an interactive forum for publicly traded companies to seamlessly present directly to investors. Providing a real-time investor engagement solution, VIC is specifically designed to offer companies more efficient investor access. Replicating the components of an on-site investor conference, VIC offers companies enhanced capabilities to connect with investors, schedule targeted one-on-one meetings and enhance their presentations with dynamic video content. Accelerating the next level of investor engagement, Virtual Investor Conferences delivers leading investor communications to a global network of retail and institutional investors.
CONTACTS:
Virtual Investor Conferences John M. Viglotti SVP Corporate Services, Investor Access OTC Markets Group (212) 220-2221 johnv@otcmarkets.com
PALM BEACH, Fla., June 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FN Media GroupNews Commentary – The Retinal and Fundis Camera market has shown growth in the recent years and is expected to continue for years to come. Fundus cameras are sophisticated instruments utilized in ophthalmology for capturing detailed images of the retina. They employ a specialized optical design akin to an indirect ophthalmoscope, with the angle of view being a key parameter defining their functionality… Fundus photography enables physicians to meticulously examine retinal changes over time, facilitating collaboration among colleagues and enhancing patient care. A recent report from Precedence Research said: “The fundus cameras market experiences growth driven by the evolving landscape of imaging technologies, particularly in diagnosing age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Traditionally, fundus photography with film-based cameras, preferably through pharmacologically dilated pupils, has been pivotal in documenting AMD severity. The emergence of high-resolution digital cameras presents new opportunities in the market. Comparisons among different imaging systems, including nonstereoscopic color retinal images taken with digital cameras through dark-adapted and dilated pupils, as well as stereoscopic images captured with standard film cameras, highlight the expanding applications of fundus cameras. Such comparisons underscore the need for versatile imaging solutions to accommodate diverse clinical scenarios, thus fueling the growth in the fundus cameras market.” Active healthcare/tech companies active in the markets include: Avant Technologies Inc. (OTCQB: AVAI), Outlook Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: OTLK), Eyenovia, Inc. (NASDAQ: EYEN), Bausch + Lomb Corporation (NYSE: BLCO), Biomea Fusion, Inc. (NASDAQ: BMEA).
Precedence Research continued: “The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into fundus cameras presents a significant opportunity for market growth. AI algorithms demonstrate high accuracy in detecting diseases like diabetic retinopathy (DR), offering improved diagnostic capabilities. Furthermore, machine learning algorithms utilizing preoperative fundus photography alongside other data parameters have shown promise in identifying at-risk eyes for postoperative complications after refractive surgery. Deep learning algorithms applied to fundus photographs have been successful in predicting cerebral white matter hyperintensity in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans and detecting DR with remarkable precision. Studies exploring AI’s role in correlating fundus photos, optical coherence tomography (OCT), and external eye photography with systemic diseases exhibit promising results. Particularly, AI-driven screening for DR holds significant potential. These advancements highlight the prospective role of AI-integrated fundus imaging in screening, diagnosing, and managing various retinal diseases, thus creating substantial opportunities for growth in the fundus cameras market.” The report added: “The global fundus cameras market size accounted for USD $676.46 Million in 2025 and is forecasted to hit around USD $943.12 Million by 2034, representing a CAGR of 3.80% from 2025 to 2034.”
Avant Technologies, Inc. (OTCQB: AVAI)and Partner, Ainnova, Finalizing Automated Retinal Camera Prototype Ahead of Full-Scale Development– Avant Technologies, Inc. (“Avant” or the “Company”) and its JV partner, Ainnova Tech, Inc., (Ainnova), a leading healthcare technology company focused on revolutionizing early disease detection using artificial intelligence (AI), today announced the Company is in the final stages of prototyping its proprietary automated retinal camera. Ainnova’s new device will offer users a low cost, easier to use camera that captures images automatically and then uploads those images to the Company’s Vision AI software platform, which then produces a “risk report” in mere seconds.
Vinicio Vargas, Chief Executive Officer at Ainnova and member of the Board of Directors of the joint venture company, Ai-nova Acquisition Corp., said, “The cost of a fundus camera has always been a barrier to entry into in this market, so our low-cost camera, which is a fraction of the cost of currently available cameras on the market, should allow us to not only enter the market, but to capture a large share of the market.
“Another significant advantage will be that our camera will be seamlessly packaged together with our Vision AI platform, allowing us to refer more patients in less time and accurately to medical specialists. Also, one of our objectives is to integrate other technologies to this preventive screening, expanding the scope from only diabetic patients to patients who have other risk factors and want to prevent other diseases from a more complete approach.”
Vision AI is a powerful cutting-edge, AI-driven platform that can quickly and accurately detect the early markers of a host of diseases by applying AI models to examine imaging data from the eye to expedite earlier detection and allow patients to better manage their disease. The diseases that Vision AI can detect, include diabetic retinopathy, other retinopathies, such as glaucoma, macular edema, age-related macular degeneration, and other anomalies, as well as other diseases that do not require retinal images, and instead, use other datapoints that Ainnova has integrated into the software like the detection of cardiovascular disease (CVD), type 2 diabetes, liver fibrosis, and chronic kidney disease (CKD).
Currently, Ainnova’s Vision AI software works well with any fundus camera on the market; however, Ainnova and Avant are aiming for exclusivity by developing a lower-cost, easier to use camera.
Ai-nova Acquisition Corp. (AAC), the company formed by the partnership between Avant and Ainnova, will develop the retinal cameras as part of the joint venture and licensing deal to facilitate the development of Ainnova’s technology portfolio. AAC owns the global licensing rights to develop, maintain, and market Ainnova’s technology portfolio. CONTINUED… Read this and more news for Avant Technologies at:https://www.financialnewsmedia.com/news-avai/
In other developments and happenings in the biotech market recently include:
Outlook Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: OTLK), a biopharmaceutical company focused on enhancing the standard of care for bevacizumab for the treatment of retina diseases, recently announced that LYTENAVA™ (bevacizumab gamma) is now commercially available in Germany and the UK for the treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD). LYTENAVA™ (bevacizumab gamma) is the first and only authorized ophthalmic formulation of bevacizumab for use in treating wet AMD in adults in the European Union and UK.
“We are excited to have launched LYTENAVA™ (bevacizumab gamma) for patients with wet AMD in Germany and the UK. I would like to extend sincere gratitude to the Outlook team and our partners for their commitment and dedication that helped to get us to this major milestone. Going forward, we remain laser focused on ensuring success in Germany and the UK as well as preparing for additional launches across the region later this year and throughout 2026,” commented Jedd Comiskey, Senior Vice President, Head of Europe at Outlook Therapeutics.
Eyenovia, Inc. (NASDAQ: EYEN), an ophthalmic technology company developing the proprietary Optejet® topical ophthalmic medication dispensing platform, recently provided updates on its potential merger with Betaliq and the ongoing development of its novel Optejet user filled device (UFD), and reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2025.
Negotiations continue towards a binding merger agreement with Betaliq, a clinical-stage private pharmaceutical company focused on glaucoma with access to Eyesol®, a non-aqueous technology that may address many of the needs of these patients. We have agreed to extend the binding exclusivity period set forth in the Letter of Intent until June 7, 2025, to allow more time to complete and execute the anticipated merger agreement.
Progress in the development of the Optejet user-filled device (UFD) continues and remains on track to file for U.S. regulatory approval in September of this year. An approval would provide for potential multiple commercial opportunities either directly with consumers or through eye care practitioner offices as well as potential and existing license partners, including Arctic Vision in China and Korea.
Bausch + Lomb Corporation (NYSE: BLCO), a leading global eye health company dedicated to helping people see better to live better, recently announced the U.S. launch of LUMIFY Preservative Free redness reliever eye drops, the first and only preservative-free over-the-counter eye drops with low-dose brimonidine tartrate 0.025% that relieve redness of the eye due to minor eye irritations.
“Consumers often say how amazed they are at the difference our original LUMIFY makes to their eyes, with over 50,000 five-star reviews as proof,” said John Ferris, president, Consumer, Bausch + Lomb. “LUMIFY Preservative Free brings that same fast-acting formula to those with sensitive eyes — delivering a visibly brighter, whiter look in just 60 seconds.”
Biomea Fusion, Inc. (NASDAQ: BMEA), recently announced that preliminary clinical data from the Phase I COVALENT-103 trial of BMF-500 in adults with acute leukemia (AL) were selected for a poster presentation at the European Hematology Association (EHA) 2025 Congress, taking place June 12–15 in Milan, Italy.
The presentation will highlight emerging safety, pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics (PK/PD), and clinical activity of BMF-500, a covalent FLT3 inhibitor, in patients with relapsed or refractory (R/R) AL, including those with FLT3 mutations (FLT3m) who have previously received FLT3 inhibitors such as gilteritinib (gilt).
About FN Media Group:
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Liberal candidate Lee Jae-myung has won South Korea’s snap presidential election with a clear lead. With all of the ballots counted, Lee won almost 50% of the vote, ahead of his conservative rival Kim Moon-soo on 41%. He takes over a country that is deeply divided along gender lines.
Lee’s campaign effectively channelled voter anger. He focused on resetting South Korea’s politics after impeached former president Yoon Suk Yeol, who was from the same party as Kim, unleashed chaos by declaring martial law in December 2024.
However, gender conflict has continued, subtly but powerfully, to shape voter behaviour, campaign strategies and the national debate about who is to blame for the lack of opportunities in South Korea for young men.
The election took place three years after Yoon pipped Lee to the presidency by just a quarter of a million votes – the closest margin in the country’s history. Yoon’s victory was, as has been noted by researcher Kyungja Jung, “the epitome of the utilisation of gender wars”.
A key part of Yoon’s strategy was fostering a sense among young Korean men that it was now them, rather than women, who were the victims of discrimination. He secured 59% of the vote from men in their 20s and 53% from men in their 30s. Just 34% of women in their 20s supported him.
In the latest election, gender was everywhere and nowhere all at once. On the one hand, not a single candidate put forward a meaningful policy to address structural gender discrimination in the workplace, domestic violence or public sexual harassment.
None even mentioned the gaping absence of women candidates, despite thousands of mostly young women having filled the streets demanding democracy after Yoon’s martial law declaration. It was the first time in nearly 20 years that not a single woman stood among the contenders for the highest role in the country.
Lee, positioning himself as the consensus candidate, attempted to neutralise gender as a campaign issue. When reporters asked him whether he would announce any women-related pledges, he said: “Why do you keep dividing men and women? They are all Koreans.”
His remark may sound inclusive. But it signals a strategy to declare the gender issue off-limits for the sake of the greater good, thus sidestepping the specific inequalities that continue to divide the country. It’s a form of unity by erasure.
Lee Jun-seok of the right-wing Reform party, on the other hand, tried to resurrect the same playbook that delivered Yoon to power in 2022. He attempted to provoke, polarise and win the loyalty of disaffected young men.
As Yoon had done three years ago, he called for the abolition of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. And during a televised debate, he asked: “If someone says they want to stick chopsticks into women’s genitals, would that count as misogyny?” The question was a nod to a controversial online remark Lee Jae-myung’s son had made years earlier.
Lee Jun-seok’s comment drew widespread condemnation and, ultimately, he only scraped about 7.7% of the total vote. This included over 37% of men in their 20s, while 58% of women in the same age group backed Lee Jae-myung. Gender is a highly political matter in South Korea whichever way you look at it.
Gender wars
This gender divide is now one of the most consistent features of South Korean politics. Women are vocal and visible in public to safeguard not just their own rights, but also South Korea’s democracy.
Yet populist politicians have cultivated a perception among young men – squeezed by stagnant wages, fierce competition over jobs and social expectations – that their diminishing opportunities are due to policies they see as favouring women.
This has resulted in many young South Korean men seeing feminism not as a movement for equality but as an obstacle to their own progress. In reality, their struggle has less to do with gender and more to do with structural inequalities in income and opportunity for all young Koreans.
As Kyungja Jung observed in a paper from 2024: “Misogyny becomes an outlet for their [South Korean men’s] frustration and masculinity crisis as they search for a scapegoat for their struggles in neoliberal society. They blame women rather than the neoliberal economy.”
Young people even from the best universities in Korea feel they cannot compete in the job market no matter what they do. South Korea now has one of the highest rates of young people not in education, employment or training among the OECD countries. This has given rise to the so-called “N-Po” generation, who feel so disadvantaged that they have given up on all future dreams of marriage, family and a career.
South Korea isn’t alone in mobilising backlash against feminism and gender equality. Around the globe, gender has become one of the major fault lines in politics. In the November 2024 US election, Donald Trump led among young men by 14 points, while Kamala Harris had an 18-point edge with young women.
Meanwhile, self-described misogynist Andrew Tate continues to shape young male attitudes online. And in Italy, Giorgia Meloni rose to power on a far-right platform that, despite being a woman herself, reduces women to their roles as mothers and homemakers.
Young women played a key role in the protests against Yoon’s martial law declaration. Icelander / Shutterstock
One model for change in South Korea could be to introduce quotas for women in politics to make their voices heard. Women only occupy around 20% of the 300 seats in South Korea’s National Assembly, trailing well behind the global (27.2%) and Asian (22.1%) averages. If women are not in politics making decisions about themselves, then their voices will not be heard beyond the streets.
Lee Jae-myung’s win has given South Korea a moment to breathe. But the fault lines remain. When an entire demographic, be it young men or women, feels systematically unheard or structurally discriminated against, opportunistic voices can move in to fill the void.
Gender is political. Ignoring it may be just as risky as confronting it head-on.
Ming Gao receives funding from the Swedish Research Council. This research was produced with support from the Swedish Research Council grant “Moved Apart” (nr. 2022-01864). Ming Gao is a member of Lund University Profile Area: Human Rights.
Joanna Elfving-Hwang receives funding from the Academy of Korean Studies. This research was supported by the Core University Program for Korean Studies through the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea and Korean Studies Promotion Service of the Academy of Korean Studies (AKS-2022-OLU-2250005).
Seoul (Agenzia Fides) – Lee Jae-myung, the candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, is the new President of the Republic of South Korea. His term will last five years. In the 21st presidential elections held on June 3, Lee received 49.42% of the votes cast, while his rival, Kim Moon-soo of the People Power Party, received 41.15%. Voter turnout was the highest in 28 years, with 79.4% of eligible voters, and more than 35.2 million people went to the polls. In his first address to the nation, Lee Jae-myung promised to lead the country out of the crisis it has been going through following the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk-yeol, who had illegally imposed martial law. The 61-year-old lawyer and human rights defender described the election as “judgment day” on the martial law imposed by Yoon and the People Power Party’s inability to prevent it. “The first task is to resolutely defeat the insurgency and ensure that there will never be another military coup against the people using guns and swords,” Lee said. This morning, June 4, Lee was officially confirmed as president by the National Election Commission, assuming presidential powers and command of the armed forces. The new political direction faces several economic and social challenges: In a highly polarized society, the largely export-based economy is exposed to unpredictable protectionist measures by the United States, which is both a major trading partner and the country’s most important security ally. Lee said he wants to increase investment in innovation and technology to boost economic growth, while also strengthening support for middle- and low-income families and combating inequality and corruption. In the area of foreign policy, the president, in presenting the main policy goals for his five-year term, announced his willingness to resume suspended talks with North Korea and to strengthen a trilateral partnership with the United States and Japan. In light of this new political phase, the Catholic Church in Korea has expressed its hopes. In a congratulatory message, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea recalled that “our people saw the roots of the Constitution shaken in the context of martial law and deeply felt the importance of the proper exercise of state power during the process of arresting and removing the president.” The message, signed by the chairman of the bishops’ conference, Bishop Matthias Iong-hoon Ri, further states: “At this time, we need reliable leadership who will uphold principles and walk the path of justice and true peace even amidst conflict and clashes.” The bishops ask that the new president lead the country “so that it becomes a place where all citizens… can enjoy dignity and respect, in accordance with the spirit of the Constitution.” In particular, the Bishops’ Conference requests: “Please examine the situation so that the South and the North can be reconciled, so that peace can be established on the Korean peninsula, and so that we can respond to the global situation with united forces.” Finally, it expresses the hope that “the Lord may grant wisdom and courage” so that “all the people of our country can become one and enjoy true happiness.” In an official statement, Archbishop Peter Chung Soon-taick, Archbishop of Seoul and Apostolic Administrator of Pyongyang, emphasizes: “President Lee Jae-myung, elected by the will of the people, will now stand by all, not just one side, and I believe that he will unite scattered hearts and demonstrate worthy leadership for all the people. Especially in these days when political conflicts and social tensions are increasing, I sincerely hope that the President will, above all, set an example of moderation and listening.” “I also hope,” the Archbishop continued, “that he will demonstrate a deep sense of responsibility and a strong spirit of solidarity” and that the President will be “a leader who builds bridges, not walls” and “goes beyond partisan interests to restore social trust and the common good.”Father Paul Seong Ki-heon of the Catholic University of Korea added: “Peace is a fundamental value not only for the Catholic Church, but for all humanity. We must think and act proactively for peace. I believe there is a genuine desire for peace in the hearts of our people, and I think the government must certainly commit itself to peace, especially in inter-Korean relations.” (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 4/6/2025)
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Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
SEOUL, June 4 (Xinhua) — Lee Jae-myung was sworn in as the new president of the Republic of Korea (ROK) on Wednesday after formally starting his five-year term earlier in the day.
The country’s 21st president took the oath of office in the National Assembly /parliament/ building, declaring in a televised inauguration speech that he would serve all people, regardless of who they supported in the presidential election.
Lee Jae-myung, the candidate of the country’s leading liberal Toburo Democratic Party, won 49.42 percent of the vote, defeating his main rival Kim Moon-soo, the candidate of the conservative Civil Power Party, by a wide margin of 8.27 percentage points.
He stressed that Kazakhstan is at a turning point of great transformations in the face of challenges such as competition for artificial intelligence, climate change and the expansion of protectionist measures.
Lee Jae-myung pledged to start with efforts to improve people’s living standards and revive the ailing economy, saying his government would create new engines of growth.
The Liberal leader said his administration would seek balanced regional development across the country to ensure sustainable growth while actively supporting the cultural industry.
He vowed to establish peace on the Korean Peninsula through dialogue and cooperation with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), protecting people from various accidents such as riots and plane crashes.
The president took office without a transition period after winning snap elections triggered by the removal of his predecessor from office due to the imposition of martial law in December last year.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by the heads of parliament, the Supreme Court, the Constitutional Court and the Electoral Supervisory Board, as well as legislators and cabinet members.
Before the event, Lee Jae-myung paid tribute to the fallen at the Seoul National Cemetery, where national heroes who gave their lives for the country are buried. –0–
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, June 4 — China will launch a pilot in some 30 cities to integrate human resources (HR) services with the manufacturing sector, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security said Wednesday.
The joint initiative, with three other government departments, aims to drive high-quality sufficient employment while accelerating the development of a modern industrial system, the ministry said.
In about three years, the pilot will focus on cultivating specialized manufacturing industry HR service providers, establishing cross-sector development platforms and fostering industrial alliances, pioneering innovative HR technologies, products and service models to support advanced manufacturing and developing policy frameworks that synchronize workforce development with technological innovation and real-economy needs.
Currently, China’s HR service providers cater to over 50 million employers annually, with about 40 percent being manufacturing enterprises, and the sector has developed service scenarios targeting the manufacturing sector, according to the ministry.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, June 4 — Member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) support the deepening of regional fiscal and financial cooperation, including working toward the establishment of an SCO development bank, China’s finance ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.
The statement follows a meeting of SCO member states’ finance ministers and central bank chiefs, which was held in online and offline forms on Tuesday. Chinese Finance Minister Lan Fo’an and Chinese central bank governor Pan Gongsheng jointly chaired the meeting in Beijing.
Participants discussed the global and regional economic and financial situations and challenges, and shared their practices in fiscal and monetary policies, green transition and financial sector development, the statement said.
SCO member states supported making substantive progress in promoting the establishment of an SCO development bank and agreed to establish an SCO financial and economic think tank network. They also held discussions on strengthening local currency settlement arrangements and deepening cooperation in digital inclusive finance, the statement said.
During the meeting, Lan called on SCO member states to firmly uphold multilateralism, enhance coordination of macroeconomic policies, and continuously deepen practical fiscal and financial cooperation.
Secretary for Transport & Logistics Mable Chan, leading a Hong Kong Logistics Development Council delegation, started a visit to Chengdu and Chongqing today.
The trip aims to promote Hong Kong’s strengths in logistics, foster industry exchanges, and explore collaboration opportunities in logistics and shipping.
Upon arrival in Chengdu, the delegation visited Chengdu Tianfu International Airport’s international cargo terminal to view the operations of an express cargo centre which commenced operation late last year, in order to understand its procedures for handling goods of cross-border e-commerce platforms.
The delegation later met Sichuan Port & Logistics Office Director Xie Wei to explore the potential in Hong Kong-Sichuan logistics collaboration.
The delegates were also briefed by representatives of the Sichuan Port & Shipping Investment Group on its work on constructing “logistics and trade ports”, “hub ports”, “industrial ports”, “digital intelligence ports” as well as “financial ports”.
In the evening, the delegation called on Sichuan’s Hong Kong & Macao Affairs Office Director Zhang Tao to exchange views on facilitating exchanges and collaborations between Hong Kong and Sichuan in logistics and transport.
Noting that Sichuan plays a leading role in the development of China’s western region, Ms Chan said: “Hong Kong has been attaching great importance to its economic and trade ties with Sichuan. I believe there is further room for more complementarity and collaboration in shipping and logistics between Hong Kong and Sichuan.”
The Chengdu-Shenzhen-Hong Kong scheduled rail-sea service was launched last week, enabling goods from Chengdu to reach Hong Kong via Shenzhen in as short as three days. Ms Chan said she believes Hong Kong and Sichuan can create an efficient and quality logistics corridor through strengthening logistics co-operation to facilitate the export of Sichuan’s goods to overseas markets.
The delegation departed for Chongqing this evening and will continue the visit tomorrow.
After majoring in political science and human rights, and then completing a fast-track master’s in public policy, UConn alum Sudiksha Mallick ’23 (CLAS) ’24 MPP – who has long been interested in education policy – knew that she wanted to work in state government.
“But I wasn’t sure exactly where,” she says, “and I was really looking for some sort of mentorship.”
Eniola Fasola ’20 MA ’24 Ph.D. earned her master’s in economics and her doctorate in agricultural and resource economics from UConn and knew that she ultimately wanted to use her analytical acumen to do work that would have impact.
“There’s something incredibly fulfilling about seeing your skills contribute to projects that can improve lives,” she says.
With a background in city planning and an interest in public finance, Kevin Fitzgerald ’18 (CLAS) ’21 MPA knew that he wanted to contribute to policy changes in a way that allowed him to leverage both of those interests.
“I was drawn to the opportunity to work on state projects,” he says. “I’d previously been in a few town halls, and had worked adjacent to the Department of Economic and Community Development, but really was drawn to the opportunity to contribute to new policy changes through DECD.”
Kevin Fitzgerald ’18 (CLAS) ’21 MPA (Contributed Photo)
Katarina Rodriguez ’16 (CLAS) ’21 MPA, who majored in human development and family sciences at UConn, is interested in data storytelling and the ways that it can be used to support public policies that affect individuals and communities.
“Data storytelling is essentially using data, whether it’s quantitative or qualitative, to broadcast a narrative to an audience that is supported by hard numbers or the accounts of actual constituents,” she explains.
Tazmaya Reid ’17 (CLAS) ’25 MBA has spent the years since she earned her undergraduate degree in political science and human rights working in the nonprofit sector on addressing health and educational disparities across the state.
“In my work at a nonprofit, I supported individuals facing the same challenges, no matter where they lived,” she says, and she was interested in finding ways to work on those issues on a broader scale.
With a background in communication, Carrie Titolo ’24 MPA was not new to the workforce – she’d already spent 15 years working in the nonprofit sector. But where she lacked experience after completing her Master of Public Administration at UConn was in government.
“As someone with no prior experience in state government, it sounded like the perfect opportunity to learn the landscape without the immediate pressure of committing to a permanent role,” she says.
That perfect opportunity for Titolo – and for each of these very different UConn alumni – is the Governor’s Fellowship Program, a unique public-private partnership that’s helping to cultivate cohorts of public service-minded professionals into the next generation of policymaking leaders in Connecticut.
Bright Minds
Launched in 2020, the Governor’s Fellowship Program – a joint effort supported by the Office of the Governor; the Connecticut Department of Administrative Services, or DAS; the Yale University Tobin Center for Economic Policy; and Social Impact Partners for Connecticut – recruits early-to-mid-career candidates twice per year for fellowship placements within state government agencies, with the goal of providing emerging leaders with an opportunity to be involved and make a positive impact on the state by offering innovative ideas and fresh perspectives.
“Fellows are selected and placed at state agencies based on skills and experience,” says Melissa Conway ’16 (CLAS), the chief administrative officer at DAS who coordinates the program. “The process is competitive, and as awareness of the program increases, so does the number of applicants. In recent recruitment cycles, we have received anywhere from 40 to 85 applications.”
After a scoring, evaluation, and interview process that considers professional experience, analytical skills, subject-matter expertise, and communication skills, among other factors, qualified fellows are matched with agency requests that best suit both the candidate’s skills and the agency’s priorities.
Eniola Fasola ’20 MA ’24 Ph.D. (Contributed Photo)
“The state chooses the projects and sets the policy priorities,” says David Wilkinson, the executive director of the Tobin Center at Yale who helped to establish the fellowship program, “and we help bring bright minds from universities in the state to help deliver on agency objectives.”
Fellowships are for one year, and are available to all applicants, not just those from UConn.
But UConn has been well-represented in the program’s cohorts, and recent fellows from UConn have been placed in agencies spanning the scope of state government, including the Departments of Transportation, Economic and Community Development, Aging and Disability Services, and Social Services.
And the work that they’re doing has both depth and reach. Previous governor’s fellows have written major legislation to remove lead from homes in Connecticut’s most vulnerable communities.
They developed plans for allocating billions in federal pandemic relief dollars.
They founded and chaired the Governor’s Afghan Evacuee Taskforce, an interagency-public-private-nonprofit working group focused on coordinated approaches to providing safe haven and resources for resettled evacuees in Connecticut.
And they created and managed the Connecticut Communities Challenge, a competitive grant program to spur investment in high-quality, transit-oriented development.
In addition to their individual projects, fellows in the program are given in-person and virtual group check-ins throughout the year as well as trainings, a speaker series, networking opportunities, and Fellows Days at the State Capitol in Hartford, where they have the opportunity to visit the Governor’s Office, tour the capitol, and meet the governor’s chief of staff.
“Fellows have a unique opportunity to work directly with and learn from leaders in government,” says Conway. “While the work can be challenging at times, it is always meaningful, and the connections that fellows make through the program are lifelong.”
Invited to the Table
For Rodriguez, who is serving her fellowship in the Department of Aging and Disability Services, a lot of her time right now is spent using data from various programs and bureaus within the agency to produce results-based accountability “report cards.”
“I’m answering three very basic questions: How much did we do, how well did we do it, and is anyone better off?” she says. “For example, how much did we do? You can answer that in terms of how much money was spent on a program, how many people were served, how many classes people attended of a specific program – how much work we did, how many service hours or how many caseload hours we provided.”
But in the midst of the 2025 legislative session, Rodriguez has also been called upon to supply data that can help inform proposed bills before the General Assembly that can affect the agency’s constituents and staff.
Katarina Rodriguez ’16 (CLAS) ’21 MPA (Contributed Photo
“I love being invited to the table when there’s something pressing happening at the state level,” says Rodriguez, who was among the fellows able to attend the governor’s State of the State address this year.
“We were up on the balcony, and we got to look down and see all the representatives,” she says. “And we were in a room where a lot of changes will be happening during a very crucial time in American politics.”
The legislative session has also played an important part in Mallick’s fellowship experience thus far. Working out of the Office of the Governor, and reporting to the governor’s senior advisor, she’s gotten a crash course in legislative processes while also working on strategic initiatives surrounding youth family policy.
“Being able to really implement the policies that we’re developing, and to actually be a part of their development, is really, really cool,” Mallick says. “But because I’m in the Capitol building every single day, I’ve been able to join the legislative team a little bit as well – really being able to understand the process better and being a part of bill tracking and coverage and all of that.”
Mallick continues, “I’ve never worked in a place like this. There’s always something happening. Just being able to be in that space and seeing everything that’s going on is a huge learning opportunity every day.”
For their fellowships, Fasola and Fitzgerald – both placed in the Department of Economic and Community Development – are working with the Institute of Data and Economic Analysis, or IDEA, on projects involving concentrated poverty in Connecticut, strengthening the bioscience industry, developing a recession response playbook, mitigating the economic impact of federal tariffs, streamlining efforts to clean up contaminated industrial properties, studying the state’s remote working needs, and exploring opportunities to address Connecticut’s need for housing.
“IDEA is a cross-agency effort focused on developing data-driven policy solutions, exploring opportunities to enhance the agency’s initiatives,” explains Fitzgerald. “It’s a little bit of comparing what other states are rolling out and seeing if we can implement that in Connecticut, testing how effective our initiatives are, and gathering data on the results from current initiatives and looking at opportunities to improve them.”
They’ve taken part in the agency’s work around this year’s legislative session as well.
“One of my goals before joining the program was to better understand how to analyze and interpret legislative proposals,” Fasola says. “This fellowship has helped me make substantial progress in that area. I have had the chance to review and assess the economic implications of legislative bills, which has deepened my understanding of the policymaking process.”
Within the Department of Social Services, Reid has served as a project manager and worked in the Opportunity Center initiative, which is aimed at streamlining access to services across multiple agencies.
“The experience was exciting and kept me on my toes,” Reid says. “I loved the opportunity to collaborate on a multi-agency initiative, which was both engaging and meaningful. I’ve always been passionate about integrating business practices with human services. This experience reaffirmed that path for me and opened my eyes to the wide range of roles and opportunities available in government.”
At the Department of Transportation, or DOT, Titolo reported to the agency’s deputy chief of staff, and she worked on a variety of workforce development programs, partnerships, and initiatives – especially those aimed addressing the agency’s need for engineers and highway and construction professionals.
Carrie Titolo ’24 MPA (Contributed Photo)
“Eric [Scoville, the deputy chief of staff] always made room for me to have a seat at the table and allowed me to take ownership of projects and run with my ideas,” Titolo says. “I loved working with people all across the agency in different roles, and building relationships with our education, nonprofit, and sister agency partners. I was able to apply my skills and talents in a new context, which was both interesting and challenging.”
Since completing her fellowship earlier this year, Titolo has been hired full-time by the DOT. She’s currently serving as a special advisor to the commissioner for strategic partnerships and projects.
And it’s that kind of success that’s part of the fellowship’s overall purpose, according to Wilkinson from the Tobin Center.
“To see some of UConn’s brightest graduates working in state government, serving the people of Connecticut, is a major win for the Governor’s Fellowship,” he says, “and just what we hoped to achieve when we established the program.”
Well-Positioned
The inclusion of so many UConn alumni in the fellowship program, particularly alumni from the UConn School of Public Policy, wasn’t something planned, according to Ryan Baldassario ’16 MA ’22 Cert., the school’s director of engagement.
“It naturally sort of occurred,” Baldassario says. “But I think that’s a testament to our alumni who are active in the public sector. They pursue career opportunities, whether we put it in front of them or not.”
Public Policy alum Fitzgerald learned about the fellowship program shortly after it launched.
Fasola, who studied in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources, found it through the Tobin Center on LinkedIn.
School of Business student Reid learned about the program from a community partner and close friend.
“It felt like a sign, an opportunity to contribute from the top down,” she says.
But for Titolo, Mallick, and Rodriguez, the School of Public Policy actually did put the opportunity in front of them – they all decided to apply after the school shared information about the fellowship through its alumni listerv.
“We do have different tools to get career opportunities out to our alumni and to some of our current students,” Baldassario says. “We have an active listserv where we send out opportunities on a weekly basis, if not more frequently. We do encourage students and alumni to come to events – we have networking workshops other alumni events and we have an alumni council where these type of opportunities are shared out as well. We also have a private LinkedIn group that is dedicated to our alumni.”
UConn’s MPA program, Baldassario explains, is also the only Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration, or NASPAA, accredited Master of Public Administration program in the state, something that helps to position UConn’s students well once they graduate. UConn is also pursuing formal accreditation for its MPP program this year.
“There’s other really quality programs at other institutions, but we do take that extra step to go to accreditation to make sure that we’re upholding those standards,” he says.
“Our students get really good training in their classes,” says Angela Eikenberry, a professor and director at the School of Public Policy, “ and the classes they take, and what we offer – and why we offer it – is driven by a process that we have where we continually try to stay on top of what our students need to be successful.”
That includes identifying needs within state government in Connecticut, and adjusting programs and training for students to help the state meet those needs, notes Eikenberry.
Opportunities like the Governor’s Fellowship Program, notes Baldassario, benefit both the state and UConn graduates.
“These opportunities are essentially allowing students to get more specific full-time experience in the public sector, and then it enables them to have a better idea of where they want to go after that,” Baldassario says. “Do they want to stay in that type of service? Do they want to stay in that type of public-sector work, or do they want to go somewhere different? Do they want to leave state service and go into the nonprofit space? And what skills transfer between those opportunities?”
Passionate and Driven
One of the Governor’s Fellowship Program’s greatest successes, according to Conway from DAS, has been the cultivation of leaders who are passionate about public service.
“After completing their fellowship, many fellows have supported the public sector, either in positions in state government, nonprofits, or organizations that work closely with government,” she says. “In addition, the program has fostered strong networks among the fellows and state professionals by creating a collaborative environment that supports ongoing learning and professional development.”
The six UConn fellows are now a part of that network, and when asked if they’d recommend the Governor’s Fellowship Program to another UConn alum, all six were emphatic with their endorsement.
“I would definitely recommend this program, and would advise anyone interested to pursue it,” says Titolo. “It is not always easy to enter state service without prior experience, and this program provides a truly valuable on ramp – pardon the transportation pun – for qualified candidates looking to make a positive impact on local communities and learn more about how state government works.”
For some, the opportunity to take charge of a project with the support of experienced and encouraging mentorship has proven to be one of the most invaluable parts of their experience.
“You really get to take the initiative and say, ‘This is a project that I’m going to take charge of and lead in my time here,’ and then have the mentorship of people who have been in that field for a long time, and who have had a lot of success in that field,” says Mallick.
“I’ve really appreciated the mentorship I’ve received from colleagues within DECD, like my chief of staff,” says Fitzgerald. “I really appreciate his guidance and introduction to state government, and his willingness to assign projects that are really tailored toward my interests.”
Tazmaya Reid ’17 (CLAS) ’25 MBA (Contributed photo)
But the fellows have also seen growth and changes in themselves through their fellowship experience.
“This experience has definitely increased my confidence, and I’m able to now see the impact of the work that I’m doing directly on Connecticut citizens,” says Rodriguez.
And they’ve found camaraderie amongst themselves as a cohort of like-minded professionals looking to play a role in the policies that impact Connecticut.
“One of the most valuable components of the program for me has been the Fellows Day,” says Fasola. “This event has been a great platform to connect with other fellows, gain insights into their projects, learn from fellowship alumni and engage with program coordinators. The event offers a sense of community, provides mentorship and has shown me how the coordinators are invested in the work we do across various executive agencies and in our professional development.”
“We’ve formed a really close cohort, and I think that being able to learn alongside them has been really valuable,” says Fitzgerald.
“We’re surrounded by other people in the cohort who also are very passionate and driven – who really have this drive for public service, you can tell that they’re all really good people who want to give back,” says Mallick. “Having these people to bounce ideas off of, and this built-in support system – which I don’t think always comes with a job or employment – I think is one of the benefits.”
“One of the most valuable parts was being part of a cohort of fellows, learning from one another, exploring different facets of government, and building lasting connections,” says Reid, who also noted that the format of the fellowship program, and the dedication of the support team, made all the difference.
“Their commitment to our growth and success truly stood out and made the experience even more impactful,” Reid says. “I am forever grateful and honored to have the opportunity to be a fellow.”
The next Governor’s Fellowship Program cohort will launch in late summer 2025; recruitment will reopen in fall 2025 for fellowships starting in January 2026.
More information about theGovernor’s Fellowship Program– including details on qualifications and application materials – is available online from the Connecticut Department of Administrative Services atportal.ct.gov/das.
DUBLIN, Ohio, June 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — reAlpha Tech Corp. (Nasdaq: AIRE) (“reAlpha” or the “Company”), an AI-powered real estate technology company, today announced a strategic leadership transition to support its next phase of growth. Effective June 3, 2025, Mike Logozzo, President and Chief Operating Officer, has been appointed Chief Executive Officer, and Giri Devanur, reAlpha’s founder, Chairman of the Board and former Chief Executive Officer, has assumed the role of Executive Chairman of the Board. As part of this transition, Mr. Logozzo will serve as Interim Chief Operating Officer until a successor is identified.
Since joining reAlpha, Mr. Logozzo has played a pivotal role in the company’s momentum, serving as Chief Financial Officer and later as President and Chief Operating Officer. Under his guidance, reAlpha has expanded its national presence, launched the proprietary AI platform Claire, and enhanced its real estate, mortgage, and title capabilities. His proven success across operations, financial services, and innovation has been critical to reAlpha’s ongoing advancement.
“With the foundation firmly in place, now is the right time to evolve our leadership,” said Mr. Devanur. “We’ve built a strong platform, assembled a world-class team, and defined a clear vision. Mike has consistently demonstrated the operational expertise and strategic insight needed to execute at scale,” added Mr. Devanur. “I have great confidence in his ability to lead reAlpha into its next chapter.”
“I am honored to lead reAlpha into its next phase of growth,” said Mr. Logozzo. “We are uniquely positioned to transform the homebuying journey through technology, data, and integrated services. In partnership with our executive team and Board, I am fully committed to our customers and shareholders. Together, we will expand our national footprint, scale our end-to-end platform, and deliver long-term results across all facets of the business.”
This transition marks a strategic inflection point, reinforcing reAlpha’s focus on operational excellence and setting the stage for accelerated growth and innovation.
About reAlpha Tech Corp. reAlpha Tech Corp. (Nasdaq: AIRE) is an AI-powered real estate technology company transforming the multi-trillion-dollar U.S. real estate services market. reAlpha is developing an end-to-end platform that streamlines the homebuying journey, including real estate brokerage, mortgage and title services. With a strategic, acquisition-driven growth model and a proprietary AI infrastructure, reAlpha is building a vertically integrated ecosystem designed to deliver a streamlined and more affordable path to homeownership. For more information, visit www.realpha.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
The information in this press release includes “forward-looking statements.” Any statements other than statements of historical fact contained herein, including statements about the appointment of Mr. Logozzo as Chief Executive Officer and Mr. Devanur as Executive Chairman of the Board and the anticipated benefits thereof, are forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may”, “should”, “could”, “might”, “plan”, “possible”, “project”, “strive”, “budget”, “forecast”, “expect”, “intend”, “will”, “estimate”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “predict”, “potential” or “continue”, or the negatives of these terms or variations of them or similar terminology. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, but are not limited to: reAlpha’s ability to pay contractual obligations; reAlpha’s liquidity, operating performance, cash flow and ability to secure adequate financing; reAlpha’s limited operating history and that reAlpha has not yet fully developed its AI-based technologies; whether reAlpha’s technology and products will be accepted and adopted by its customers and intended users; reAlpha’s ability to commercialize its developing AI-based technologies; reAlpha’s ability to successfully enter new geographic markets; reAlpha’s ability to integrate the business of its acquired companies into its existing business and the anticipated demand for such acquired companies’ services; reAlpha’s ability to scale its operational capabilities to expand into additional geographic markets and nationally; the potential loss of key employees of reAlpha and of its subsidiaries; the outcome of certain outstanding legal proceedings against reAlpha; reAlpha’s ability to obtain, and maintain, the required licenses to operate in the U.S. states in which it, or its subsidiaries, operate in, or intend to operate in; reAlpha’s ability to successfully identify and acquire companies that are complementary to its business model; reAlpha’s ability to commercialize its developing AI-based technologies; the inability to maintain and strengthen reAlpha’s brand and reputation; any accidents or incidents involving cybersecurity breaches and incidents; the inability to accurately forecast demand for short-term rentals and AI-based real estate-focused products; the inability to execute business objectives and growth strategies successfully or sustain reAlpha’s growth; the inability of reAlpha’s customers to pay for reAlpha’s services; the inability of reAlpha to obtain additional financing or access the capital markets to fund its ongoing operations on acceptable terms and conditions; the outcome of any legal proceedings that might be instituted against reAlpha; changes in applicable laws or regulations, and the impact of the regulatory environment and complexities with compliance related to such environment; and other risks and uncertainties indicated in reAlpha’s U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) filings. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements. Although reAlpha believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. reAlpha’s future results, level of activity, performance or achievements may differ materially from those contemplated, expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, and there is no representation that the actual results achieved will be the same, in whole or in part, as those set out in the forward-looking statements. For more information about the factors that could cause such differences, please refer to reAlpha’s filings with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and reAlpha does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
