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Category: Economy

  • MIL-OSI China: MOFA response to IPAC statement strongly condemning China’s military exercises around Taiwan

    Source: Republic of Taiwan – Ministry of Foreign Affairs

    MOFA response to IPAC statement strongly condemning China’s military exercises around Taiwan

    • Date：2025-04-05
    • Data Source：Department of European Affairs

    April 5, 2025

    The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) issued a statement on April 4 strongly condemning Beijing’s recent military exercises around Taiwan. It pointed out that the actions of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command were escalatory, provocative, and without justification. It also stated that Beijing’s calculated escalations around Taiwan had gone on for far too long and that the international community could not stand idly by as the cross-strait status quo was eroded, harming the people of Taiwan and global stability. It added that Taiwan’s security was inextricably linked to the security of the global economy. IPAC called on governments worldwide to condemn the PLA’s military activities and violent rhetoric and reiterated its appeal to the international community to develop a coordinated response plan to prevent the situation from further deteriorating.

    The IPAC statement has already been signed by 43 members of parliament as well as prominent political figures from 25 countries and the European Parliament, underscoring a high degree of international consensus on the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

    Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung welcomes the statement, thanks like-minded friends for supporting Taiwan through concrete action, and urges democratic countries to unite in the face of China’s military threats. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reaffirms that peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait are indispensable to global security and prosperity and that Taiwan will continue to work hand in hand with the international community to safeguard a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: APHA appoints new Chief Executive

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    News story

    APHA appoints new Chief Executive

    Richard Lewis will lead the Animal and Plant Health Agency in its drive to safeguard animal and plant health for the benefit of people, the environment and the economy

    Richard Lewis, newly appointed Chief Executive of the Animal and Plant Health Agency.

    Richard Lewis has been appointed as the new Chief Executive of the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA).

    His term will begin on 16 June 2025, following a competitive recruitment process. Richard will take on the role on a permanent basis, succeeding Dr Jenny Stewart, who has served as interim Chief Executive since 1 July 2024.

    Richard Lewis, newly appointed Chief Executive of APHA, said: 

    It’s a real honour to be appointed Chief Executive of APHA.

    Now more than ever, the UK needs a strong, science-led Animal and Plant Health Agency.

    From protecting our borders against animal and plant threats to unlocking opportunities for trade and growth, I’m excited to champion APHA’s vital work — and to lead alongside the world-class scientists and experts who make it possible.

    Richard Lewis biography

    • Richard has previously served as the Chief Constable for both Dyfed-Powys Police and Cleveland Police.   
    • Richard has held several national portfolios for the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and was awarded a NPCC commendation for distinguished service. 
    • In Wales, Richard has also led for the police service on rural affairs such as habitat protection, rural crime and mental health in the agricultural community.

    Notes for editors 

    Updates to this page

    Published 9 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Greens back nationalisation of steel to safeguard industry and support green transition

    Source: Green Party of England and Wales

    by Green Party

    Responding to news that the government is considering nationalising British Steel, the Green Party has thrown its support behind public ownership. Co-leader Adrian Ramsay said:

    “We cannot afford to let our steel industry in Scunthorpe go into smelt down. With Chinese owner Jingyehas prepared to walk away and the steel industry facing Trump’s outlandish 25% tariff, nationalisation looks like the only sure way to secure this strategically important sector so vital to national security and British jobs. The fact the government is considering this long-held policy of the Green Party is welcome.

    “Nationalisation of the steel industry could also prove to be a key driver of a green industrial revolution. From wind turbines to trains, steel will be needed for the transition to a green economy.

    “We must not leave the future of steel communities to the whims of multinational companies or unhinged American presidents. These communities deserve better and green steel in public ownership is the way to ensure these communities not only survive but thrive into the future.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: First place in cheerleading competitions at the Winter Spartakiad

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –

    The team of the NSU student pedagogical detachment “Sintez” took first place in the cheerleading competition within the framework of the Winter Spartakiad

    This Sunday, the final stage of the XV Winter Spartakiad of the Novosibirsk Regional Branch took place at NSTU – a cheerleading competition, where NSU students took first place with their performance.

    We talked to the squad members and found out how long it took to prepare the number, what was the most difficult and what their impressions of the victory were.

    Alevtina Sapozhnikova, candidate for the squad (has not yet worked the summer virgin lands) and a first-year student majoring in Fundamental and Applied Linguistics Humanitarian Institute of NSU: “The hardest thing was to keep training in the moments when it seemed that fatigue overpowered the desire to go to training”

    — How long did you prepare for the competition, what did the preparation consist of and what was the most difficult part?

    — We prepared for a little over a month — we met for training 3-4 times a week as a team, rehearsed the program we were performing, and also did exercises as a warm-up and cool-down to become stronger and more resilient. Perhaps the hardest thing was to continue training at times when it seemed that fatigue overpowered the desire to go to training. But not showing up means letting the team down, so we steadfastly went through all the difficulties, and it was not in vain!

    — Share your impressions of the victory in general: what did you like and remember most?

    — Of course, it was incredibly nice to receive the coveted winners’ cup and just compete. But “cheer” became something more than just training for all of us. We became attached to each other, experienced ups and downs together. I would like to express my gratitude to our coaches — they did a lot for us, and we owe our victory, which Sintez worked towards for 3 years, to them in many ways! I will definitely miss this time, which left only the warmest memories in my soul.

    Polina Lukina, detachment commissar and third-year student Faculty of Economics, NSU: “It was important to convey the emotions with which we trained and which overwhelmed us all this time”

    — This year the competitions were as captivating as ever! All the teams that took part showed themselves in all their glory: bright costumes, cool music, well-rehearsed routines and incredible energy!! We also tried to keep up with everyone and show our team in the best light. But in addition to the technical component of the performance, it was equally important for us to convey the emotions with which we trained and which overwhelmed us all this time!

    — Tell us about the significance of this victory for the squad, what are your plans for the future — will there be similar competitions in the near future or are you perhaps already preparing for virgin soil?

    — This victory means a lot to the squad. We have been striving for it for 3 years, and this year we have succeeded, which once again proved that the impossible is possible! In the future, we will direct our efforts to other equally important events, such as the All-Russian rally of counselors in Perm and the Starting rally of NRO squads, where we will again try to show ourselves from the best side!

    We congratulate the team on their victory and look forward to conquering new heights!

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI: YieldMax™ ETFs Announces Distributions on SMCY (102.27%), MSTY (101.29%), ULTY (78.88%), AIYY (70.96%), LFGY (69.83%), and Others

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CHICAGO and MILWAUKEE and NEW YORK, April 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — YieldMax™ today announced distributions for the YieldMax™ Weekly Payers and Group D ETFs listed in the table below.

    ETF
    Ticker    1    		 ETF Name Distribution
    Frequency    		 Distribution
    per Share    		 Distribution
    Rate    2,4    		 30-Day
    SEC Yield3    		 ROC5 Ex-Date &
    Record Date    		 Payment
    Date
    CHPY* YieldMax™ Semiconductor Portfolio Option Income ETF Weekly – – – – – –
    GPTY YieldMax™ AI & Tech Portfolio Option Income ETF Weekly $0.2360 35.40% 0.00% 0.00% 4/10/25 4/11/25
    LFGY YieldMax™ Crypto Industry & Tech Portfolio Option Income ETF Weekly $0.4170 69.83% 0.00% 0.00% 4/10/25 4/11/25
    QDTY YieldMax™ Nasdaq 100 0DTE Covered Call ETF Weekly $0.2199 29.87% 0.00% 100.00% 4/10/25 4/11/25
    RDTY YieldMax™ R2000 0DTE Covered Call ETF Weekly $0.3590 45.69% 0.00% 100.00% 4/10/25 4/11/25
    SDTY YieldMax™ S&P 500 0DTE Covered Call ETF Weekly $0.2270 29.60% 0.00% 100.00% 4/10/25 4/11/25
    ULTY YieldMax™ Ultra Option Income Strategy ETF Weekly $0.0822 78.88% 2.21% 0.00% 4/10/25 4/11/25
    YMAG YieldMax™ Magnificent 7 Fund of Option Income ETFs Weekly $0.0973 38.00% 69.89% 53.05% 4/10/25 4/11/25
    YMAX YieldMax™ Universe Fund of Option Income ETFs Weekly $0.1289 57.35% 96.57% 64.98% 4/10/25 4/11/25
    AIYY YieldMax™ AI Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.2301 70.96% 4.89% 93.15% 4/10/25 4/11/25
    AMZY YieldMax™ AMZN Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.4877 43.54% 4.40% 89.31% 4/10/25 4/11/25
    APLY YieldMax™ AAPL Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.3023 33.00% 3.44% 44.35% 4/10/25 4/11/25
    DISO YieldMax™ DIS Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.3254 35.32% 4.03% 0.00% 4/10/25 4/11/25
    MSTY YieldMax™ MSTR Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $1.3356 101.29% 0.50% 0.48% 4/10/25 4/11/25
    SMCY YieldMax™ SMCI Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $1.5012 102.27% 3.01% 67.02% 4/10/25 4/11/25
    WNTR** YieldMax™ Short MSTR Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks – – – – – –
    XYZY YieldMax™ XYZ Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.4412 59.61% 6.32% 89.82% 4/10/25 4/11/25
    YQQQ YieldMax™ Short N100 Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.4437 30.86% 3.08% 0.00% 4/10/25 4/11/25
    Weekly Payers & Group A ETFs scheduled for next week: CHPY GPTY LFGY QDTY RDTY SDTY UTLY YMAG YMAX CRSH FEAT FIVY GOOY OARK SNOY TSLY TSMY XOMO YBIT


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

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

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

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

    *The inception date for CHPY is April 2, 2025.

    **The inception date for WNTR is March 26, 2025.

    1 All YieldMax™ ETFs shown in the table above (except YMAX, YMAG, FEAT, FIVY and ULTY) have a gross expense ratio of 0.99%. YMAX, YMAG and FEAT have a Management Fee of 0.29% and Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses of 0.99% for a gross expense ratio of 1.28%. FIVY has a Management Fee of 0.29% and Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses of 0.59% for a gross expense ratio of 0.88%. “Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses” are indirect fees and expenses that the Fund incurs from investing in the shares of other investment companies, namely other YieldMax™ ETFs. ULTY has a gross expense ratio after the fee waiver of 1.30%. The Advisor has agreed to a fee waiver of 0.10% through at least February 28, 2026.
    2 The Distribution Rate shown is as of close on April 8, 2025. The Distribution Rate is the annual distribution rate an investor would receive if the most recent distribution, which includes option income, remained the same going forward. The Distribution Rate is calculated by annualizing an ETF’s Distribution per Share and dividing such annualized amount by the ETF’s most recent NAV. The Distribution Rate represents a single distribution from the ETF and does not represent its total return. Distributions may also include a combination of ordinary dividends, capital gain, and return of investor capital, which may decrease an ETF’s NAV and trading price over time. As a result, an investor may suffer significant losses to their investment. These Distribution Rates may be caused by unusually favorable market conditions and may not be sustainable. Such conditions may not continue to exist and there should be no expectation that this performance may be repeated in the future.
    3 The 30-Day SEC Yield represents net investment income, which excludes option income, earned by such ETF over the 30-Day period ended March 31, 2025, expressed as an annual percentage rate based on such ETF’s share price at the end of the 30-Day period.
    4 Each ETF’s strategy (except those of the Short ETFs) will cap potential gains if its reference asset’s shares increase in value, yet subjects an investor to all potential losses if the reference asset’s shares decrease in value. Such potential losses may not be offset by income received by the ETF. Each Short ETF’s strategy will cap potential gains if its reference asset decreases in value, yet subjects an investor to all potential losses if the reference asset increases in value. Such potential losses may not be offset by income received by the ETF.
    5 ROC refers to Return of Capital. The ROC percentage is the portion of the distribution that represents an investor’s original investment.


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

    Standardized Performance

    For YMAX, click here. For YMAG, click here. For TSLY, click here. For OARK, click here. For APLY, click here. For NVDY, click here. For AMZY, click here. For FBY, click here. For GOOY, click here. For NFLY, click here. For CONY, click here. For MSFO, click here. For DISO, click here. For XOMO, click here. For JPMO, click here. For AMDY, click here. For PYPY, click here. For XYZY, click here. For MRNY, click here. For AIYY, click here. For MSTY, click here. For ULTY, click here. For YBIT, click here. For CRSH, click here. For GDXY, click here. For SNOY, click here. For ABNY, click here. For FIAT, click here. For DIPS, click here. For BABO, click here. For YQQQ, click here. For TSMY, click here. For SMCY, click here. For PLTY, click here. For BIGY, click here. For SOXY, click here. For MARO, click here. For FEAT, click here. For FIVY, click here. For LFGY, click here. For GPTY, click here. For CVNY, click here. For SDTY, click here. For QDTY, click here. For WNTR, click here. For CHPY, click here

    Important Information

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

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

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

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

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

    Investing involves risk. Principal loss is possible.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Risk Disclosures (applicable only to GPTY)

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

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

    Risk Disclosure (applicable only to MARO)

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

    Risk Disclosures (applicable only to BABO and TSMY)

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

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

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

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

    Risk Disclosures (applicable only to GDXY)

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

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

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

    Risk Disclosures (applicable only to YBIT)

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

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

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

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

    Risk Disclosures (applicable only to the Short ETFs)

    Investing involves risk. Principal loss is possible.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Risk Disclosures (applicable only to CHPY)

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

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

    Risk Disclosures (applicable only to YQQQ)

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

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

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

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

    © 2025 YieldMax™ ETFs

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: APA Corporation Provides First-Quarter 2025 Supplemental Information and Schedules Results Conference Call for May 8 at 10 a.m. Central Time

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    HOUSTON, April 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — APA Corporation (Nasdaq: APA) today provided supplemental information regarding certain first-quarter 2025 financial and operational results. This information is intended only to provide additional information regarding current estimates management believes will affect results for the first-quarter 2025. It is provided to assist investors, analysts and others in formulating their own estimates, and is not intended to be a comprehensive presentation of all factors that will affect first-quarter 2025 results. Actual results and the impact of factors identified here may vary depending on the impact of other factors not identified here and are subject to finalization of the financial reporting process for first-quarter 2025.

    Estimated Average Realized Prices – 1Q25
      Oil (bbl) NGL (bbl) Natural Gas (Mcf)
    United States $72.40 $28.00 $2.00
    International $75.10 $51.00 $4.15
    Egypt tax barrels: 32 – 33 MBoe/d
    Realized gain on commodity derivatives (before tax): $0 million
    Dry hole costs (before tax): $12 million
    Net gain on oil and gas purchases and sales (before tax): $120 million
    General and administrative expense: $115 million


    Production update

    APA curtailed approximately 8 MMcf/d of U.S. natural gas production and 500 barrels per day of U.S. natural gas liquids production in the first quarter in response to weak or negative Waha hub prices. First-quarter 2025 guidance issued in February did not contemplate any curtailments.

    Weighted-average shares outstanding

    The estimated weighted-average basic common shares for the first quarter is 364 million, compared with a weighted average of 369 million shares in the fourth-quarter 2024. APA repurchased 4.4 million shares at an average price of $22.87 per share during the first quarter. 

    First-quarter 2025 earnings call

    APA will host a conference call to discuss its first-quarter 2025 results at 10 a.m. Central time, Thursday, May 8. The conference call will be webcast from APA’s website at www.apacorp.com and investor.apacorp.com. Following the conference call, a replay will be available for one year on the “Investors” page of the company’s website.

    About APA

    APA Corporation owns consolidated subsidiaries that explore for and produce oil and natural gas in the United States, Egypt and the United Kingdom and that explore for oil and natural gas offshore Suriname and elsewhere. APA posts announcements, operational updates, investor information and press releases on its website, www.apacorp.com.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as “anticipates,” “intends,” “plans,” “seeks,” “believes,” “continues,” “could,” “estimates,” “expects,” “goals,” “guidance,” “may,” “might,” “outlook,” “possibly,” “potential,” “projects,” “prospects,” “should,” “will,” “would,” and similar references to future periods, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements about future plans, expectations, and objectives for operations, including statements about our capital plans, drilling plans, production expectations, asset sales, and monetizations. While forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and analyses made by us that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances, whether actual results and developments will meet our expectations and predictions depend on a number of risks and uncertainties which could cause our actual results, performance, and financial condition to differ materially from our expectations. See “Risk Factors” in APA’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, and in our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission for a discussion of risk factors that affect our business. Any forward-looking statement made in this news release 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. APA and its subsidiaries undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future development or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

    Contacts

    Investor: (281) 302-2286        
    Media: (713) 296-7276        
    Website: www.apacorp.com

    APA-F

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Lantronix Ranks 8th on Orange County Business Journal’s List of Fastest-Growing Midsize Public Companies

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    IRVINE, Calif., April 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Lantronix Inc. (NASDAQ: LTRX), a global leader of compute and connectivity for IoT solutions enabling Edge AI Intelligence, today announced it has been named the 8th Fastest-Growing Midsize Public Company in Orange County, Calif., by the Orange County Business Journal. Rankings are based on each company’s two-year revenue growth from 2022 to 2024. Lantronix grew 22 percent during this period, reporting revenues of $160.3 million for the 12 months ended Dec. 30, 2024.

    “We are honored to be ranked 8th on the OCBJ’s annual ranking of the Fastest-Growing Midsize Public Companies,” said Saleel Awsare, chief executive officer and president at Lantronix. “This validation is a credit to the support of our dedicated team as well as our exceptional technology and channel partners that have enabled us to bring exceptional, breakthrough solutions to market, driving forward our presence in AI, Edge Computing, Industry 4.0, IIoT and Out-of-Band Management.”

    To fuel its strategic growth in 2025 and beyond, Lantronix’s has recently hired seasoned industry leaders to expand and scale its presence as a global leader in compute and connectivity. For details, visit the Lantronix press releases webpage.

    Lantronix is the winner of many corporate and industry awards, including the 2025 IoT Breakthrough Awards IoT CEO of the Year Award for its CEO, Saleel Awsare. Lantronix also ranked on the prestigious 2025 CRN® Internet of Things (IoT) 50 list and won industry awards including the 2024 IoT Evolution Asset Tracking Award, the 2024 IoT Evolution Business Impact Award and the 2024 IoT Evolution Product of the Year Award.

    About Lantronix

    Lantronix Inc. is a global leader of compute and connectivity IoT solutions that target high-growth markets, including Smart Cities, Enterprise and Transportation. Lantronix’s products and services empower companies to succeed in the growing IoT markets by delivering customizable solutions that enable AI Edge Intelligence. Lantronix’s advanced solutions include Intelligent Substations infrastructure, Infotainment systems and Video Surveillance, supplemented with advanced Out-of-Band Management (OOB) for Cloud and Edge Computing.

    For more information, visit the Lantronix website.

    “Safe Harbor” Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities laws, including, without limitation, statements related to Lantronix products or leadership team. These forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations and are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results, future business, financial condition, or performance to differ materially from our historical results or those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statement contained in this news release. The potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, such factors as the effects of negative or worsening regional and worldwide economic conditions or market instability on our business, including effects on purchasing decisions by our customers; our ability to mitigate any disruption in our and our suppliers’ and vendors’ supply chains due to the COVID-19 pandemic or other outbreaks, wars and recent tensions in Europe, Asia and the Middle East, or other factors; future responses to and effects of public health crises; cybersecurity risks; changes in applicable U.S. and foreign government laws, regulations, and tariffs; our ability to successfully implement our acquisitions strategy or integrate acquired companies; difficulties and costs of protecting patents and other proprietary rights; the level of our indebtedness, our ability to service our indebtedness and the restrictions in our debt agreements; and any additional factors included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on Sept. 9, 2024, including in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in Item 1A of Part I of that report, as well as in our other public filings with the SEC. Additional risk factors may be identified from time to time in our future filings. In addition, actual results may differ as a result of additional risks and uncertainties about which we are currently unaware or which we do not currently view as material to our business. For these reasons, investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements we make speak only as of the date on which they are made. We expressly disclaim any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statements after the date hereof to conform such statements to actual results or to changes in our opinions or expectations, except as required by applicable law or the rules of the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC. If we do update or correct any forward-looking statements, investors should not conclude that we will make additional updates or corrections.

    Lantronix Media Contact:        
    Gail Kathryn Miller
    Corporate Marketing &
    Communications Manager
    media@lantronix.com

    Lantronix Analyst and Investor Contact:        
    investors@lantronix.com

    ©2025 Lantronix, Inc. All rights reserved. Lantronix is a registered trademark. Other trademarks and trade names are those of their respective owners.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Prospect Capital Corporation Hosting Upcoming Webinar: “Medium Term Notes – Senior Position and Attractive Income”

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, April 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Prospect Capital Corporation (NASDAQ: PSEC) (“Prospect”, “our”, or “we”) is pleased to host an upcoming webinar for financial professionals titled “Medium Term Notes – Senior Position and Attractive Income”. The webinar will provide attendees an overview of senior unsecured bonds, medium term notes, and how a portfolio can benefit from programmatic bonds through attractive contractual cash income streams, optionality across sizes and maturities, and a laddered approach to building a bond portfolio. Please join us for the presentation on April 14, 2025 at 1:00pm ET. Registration is available here. This webinar is accepted for 1 CFP® / IWI / CFA CE Credit.

    Prospect and its affiliates are hosting the third webinar of its ongoing investor education series alongside RIA Channel, a provider of educational investment content and events for the largest financial advisor community in the industry. Please find additional information on RIA Channel at www.riachannel.com.

    About Prospect Capital Corporation
    Prospect is a business development company lending to and investing in private businesses. Prospect’s investment objective is to generate both current income and long-term capital appreciation through debt and equity investments.

    Prospect has elected to be treated as a business development company under the Investment Company Act of 1940. Prospect has elected to be treated as a regulated investment company under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.

    Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, whose safe harbor for forward-looking statements does not apply to business development companies. Any such statements, other than statements of historical fact, are highly likely to be affected by other unknowable future events and conditions, including elements of the future that are or are not under our control, and that we may or may not have considered; accordingly, such statements cannot be guarantees or assurances of any aspect of future performance. Actual developments and results are highly likely to vary materially from any forward-looking statements. Such statements speak only as of the time when made, and we undertake no obligation to update any such statement now or in the future.

    For further information, contact:
    Grier Eliasek, President and Chief Operating Officer
    grier@prospectcap.com
    Telephone (212) 448-0702

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: City Lions help design royal fashion exhibition | Westminster City Council

    Source: City of Westminster

    Paving the way for the next generation of creatives

    28 young people from Westminster’s City Lions have collaborated with Historic Royal Palaces to help design the Dress Codes exhibition at Kensington Palace – gaining relevant skills and experience for a career in the creative industries.

    Dress Codes explores how the dress codes of the royal family and royal court relate to the fashion rules and codes we all follow in our own lives, featuring iconic historical pieces worn by beloved royal figures including a young Queen Elizabeth II and Diana, Princess of Wales, as well as creative responses by the Young Producers inspired by the items in the exhibition, with a contemporary twist.

    Since 2019 the City Lions programme has helped over 5,600 13 to 16-year-olds (from underrepresented backgrounds) through workshops, mentoring, and work experience with creative professionals and organisations – working to break down barriers to the creative industry and provide young people with the experience and skills they need to succeed in their futures. Dress Codes is an example of one of many opportunities that young people can be connected to through the programme.

    During the year-long partnership, the City Lions worked alongside Historic Royal Palaces and other industry professionals to bring the exhibition to life – providing young people with the opportunity to learn real skills that will equip them for success within the creative industries in the future.

    The young people were given creative freedom and expert coaching to design fashion garments, produce original music compositions, short films, interactive quizzes and more, weaving their perspectives throughout to make fashion history relevant to a modern audience.  

    The partnership between City Lions and Historic Royal Palaces, an independent charity, has paved the way for a new generation of young creatives to contribute to the cultural and heritage industries, which can be tough to break into.

    Helene, a City Lions Young Producer said:

    I have been involved in quite a few programmes where young people are supposed to be in control of what’s going on, but this is the first one where I feel truly empowered”

    Sneha, a City Lions Young Producer said:

    What was great about this programme, was that while we studied the history of fashion and produced our work, not only were we able to retain our culture and identity, we were able to celebrate it in what we produced.”

    Caterina Berni, Senior Interpretation Manager at Historic Royal Palaces, said:

    It has been a privilege to work with the Young Producers from City Lions and other local youth organisations, who have helped to shape the Dress Codes exhibition during their year-long collaboration with us. The fashion, storytelling and musical creative responses they have designed offer a fresh perspective on the historic collection, helping to demonstrate its relevance to audiences today.

    Cabinet member for Culture, Cllr Ryan Jude said:

    It’s inspiring to see young people take the lead alongside industry experts to produce something that is historically iconic but still relevant to modern audiences.

    “This collaboration offers a way to break down barriers to employment in the creative industries – unlocking these doors is what the City Lions is all about.

    “By partnering with leading cultural organisations like Historic Royal Palaces, we’re creating new opportunities for young people to bring their perspectives, develop their talents and boost their employment prospects.”

    The exhibition will be open until November 2025. Tickets: Adult £24.70 / Concession £20 / Child £12.40 / Free for HRP members. £1 tickets are available for those in receipt of certain means-tested financial benefits. Head to the website. 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Video: AI: economic game changer or job taker?

    Source: European Central Bank (video statements)

    Will AI take our jobs? Does AI boost economic productivity? Is it a choice of going green or going digital?

    Our host Paul Gordon talks to ECB colleagues António Dias da Silva, Guzmán González-Torres Fernández and Miles Parker to find out what AI means for the economy, especially for productivity, job prospects and energy supply.
    The views expressed are those of the speakers and not necessarily those of the European Central Bank.

    Published on 9 April 2025 and recorded on 3 April 2025.

    In this episode:
    00:55 Is AI replacing jobs?
    Can AI ever replace jobs in journalism or film-making? Will AI be our next podcast host?

    02:14 Is AI a job changer?
    How are new technologies changing our jobs?

    04:00 Age, education and gender
    Who uses AI and how do people feel about it? Does AI usage differ based on age, education and gender?

    06:57 Sectors with the highest AI usage
    Which sectors use AI the most? What’s behind the different attitudes towards AI in different areas of the economy?

    09:00 Corporate usage of AI
    What do companies need to effectively use AI?

    11:02 How does AI affect productivity?
    How can AI be put to good use? To what extent can Europe’s economy grow with current AI usage? Is the world ready for AI?

    13:29 The role of policymakers
    How can policymakers make it easier for companies to use AI?

    15:10 AI and energy consumption
    How much energy does AI need? How much energy does ChatGPT use for one search? Will energy demand go up or down?

    17:15 Go green or go digital?
    Do we need to choose or does AI allow both? How could AI help the green transition?

    19:10 Obstacles
    What are the roadblocks to the green and digital transitions? What investment is needed to make these transitions a success? What else needs to be done?

    21:50 Our guests’ hot tips
    António, Guzmán and Miles share their hot tips with our listeners.

    Further reading:
    The ECB Blog: AI adoption and employment prospects
    https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/blog/date/2025/html/ecb.blog20250321~6af1337b6b.en.html

    The ECB Blog: AI versus green: clash of the transitions?
    https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/blog/date/2025/html/ecb.blog20250325~ed12b0ff35.en.html

    The ECB Blog: AI can boost productivity – if firms use it
    https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/blog/date/2025/html/ecb.blog20250328~60c0a587f7.en.html

    Hot tip from António: Tech-focused podcast Babbage by The Economist https://www.economist.com/audio/podcasts/babbage

    Hot tip from Guzmán: The ECB recent conference on “The transformative power of AI: economic implications and challenges”
    https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/conferences/html/20250401_transformative_power_of_ai.en.html

    Hot tip from Miles: International Energy Agency website
    https://www.iea.org/

    ECB Instagram
    https://www.instagram.com/europeancentralbank/

    European Central Bank
    www.ecb.europa.eu

    ECB Banking Supervision
    https://www.bankingsupervision.europa.eu/home/html/index.en.html

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hN2xAURtlw8

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Ghana’s Minister of Lands and Natural Resources to Speak at Mining in Motion Conference

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

    CAPE TOWN, South Africa, April 9, 2025/APO Group/ —

    The Mining in Motion 2025 Summit is pleased to announce the participation of Hon. Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Ghana as a keynote speaker.

    Held under the theme Sustainable Mining & Local Growth – Leveraging Resources for Global Impact, the summit brings together Ghana’s policymakers, gold mining stakeholders and international investors to explore strategies for unlocking Ghana’s full mining potential.

    Minister Buah’s participation will be instrumental in highlighting opportunities across Ghana’s gold mining value chain, discussing regulatory reforms designed to attract new investments and promoting local content development. The event will showcase Ghana’s initiatives to formalize and strengthen the artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) sector.

    Under the leadership of Hon. Bauh, Ghana’s Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has driven the growth of the ASGM sector and its contribution to economic growth and community development. The sector employs over one million people and has generated $5 billion in gold export revenue in 2024, strengthening the mining sector’s contribution to revenue generation.

    In partnership with the World Bank, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources is implementing the Ghana Landscape Restoration and Small-Scale Mining Project to empower District Mining Committees and formalize the ASGM sector. Additionally, Ghana is establishing a Gold Board to improve access to finance and markets for small-scale miners. The Cooperative Mining Policy of 2024 further strengthens the sector by fostering community mining cooperatives and enhancing their technical and financial capacity.

    Minister Buah will use the summit as a platform to position Ghana as a model for ASGM formalization and sustainable sector growth. Beyond panel discussions, he will also participate in exclusive networking sessions and high-level meetings with global investors, exploration and production firms, government representatives and key mining stakeholders. These engagements will facilitate deal signings and partnerships aimed at accelerating the expansion of Ghana’s mining sector.

    Stay informed about the latest advancements, network with industry leaders, and engage in critical discussions on key issues impacting ASGM and medium to large scale mining in Ghana. Secure your spot at the Mining in Motion 2025 Summit by visiting www.MiningInMotionSummit.com. For sponsorship opportunities or delegate participation, contact Sales@ashantigreeninitiative.org.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Namibia Strengthens Uranium Market with Exploration and Production (E&P) Expansion

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

    CAPE TOWN, South Africa, April 9, 2025/APO Group/ —

    Namibia is expanding its uranium industry through a combination of established operations and new Exploration and Production (E&P) initiatives. With an average production of 5,613 metric tons in recent years, Namibia has solidified its position as the world’s third-largest uranium producer.

    As global interest in uranium increases to meet growing demand for nuclear electricity, the country is intensifying cooperation with international E&P companies to unlock the full potential of its uranium market. The upcoming African Mining Week – taking place October 1-3 in Cape Town – will connect investors with lucrative prospects within Namibia.

    2025 Milestones

    Recent developments highlight Namibia’s growth trajectory in the uranium sector. In February 2025, Canada’s Snow Lake Resources launched Phase 2 drilling at its Engo Valley project, targeting up to 7,500 meters of reverse circulation and diamond drilling. A maiden resource estimate for the project is expected in the second half of the year. Pioneer Lithium also acquired Rodon Metals, operator of the Warmbad Project, committing A$1.675 million to geological surveys and exploration to expand the mine.

    Meanwhile, Connected Minerals commenced drilling at the highly prospective Swakopmund project in January 2025, after securing a prospecting license from the Namibian government. The company is also exploring the Etango North-East project, where high-grade uranium mineralization was confirmed in November 2024. Deep Yellow Limited is expected to make a final investment decision for its 79-million-pound Tumas Expansion Project in the first quarter of 2025. The project is projected to produce 6 million pounds per annum over 30 years as from 2026, increasing Namibia’s production capacity.

    2024 Achievements

    Namibia experienced several market growth milestones in 2024, with new discoveries made and new exploration and production campaigns launched. Australia’s Paladin Energy achieved a record production of 1.2 million pounds in the second half of 2024. The company aims to set a new record of 3.6 million pounds by June 2025.  Beyond large-scale operations, Namibia has seen a surge in new market entrants and partnerships. Madison Metals and Star Minerals partnered to accelerate the development of the Cobra Project. Australia’s Gibb River Diamonds secured three new licenses in the Erongo District, while Hertz Energy applied for two prospecting licenses. Oar Resources secured A$1 million in funding from shareholders to finance two greenfield uranium projects.

    Amidst these developments, African Mining Week will feature high-level panel discussions and exclusive networking sessions, connecting global investors with Namibia’s rapidly growing uranium sector. The event will foster collaboration between global mining firms and Namibian stakeholders, laying the foundation for accelerated growth across the country’s uranium market.

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

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Telephone scammers and online extremism: Polytechnic University held training for students

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    On April 8, a training session for students entitled “Counteracting telephone scammers, measures to prevent the spread of terrorist and extremist manifestations through telecommunications networks among university students” was held in the White Hall of SPbPU.

    Currently, telephone fraud is one of the most common forms of cybercrime in the modern world. Every year, the number of such scams increases, and the methods of attackers become more sophisticated. According to experts, the number of cybercrimes, as well as the number of fraudulent schemes, will grow. The training was dedicated to the methods and techniques of counteracting telephone scammers.

    We already held a similar event for the staff of our university a month ago. Today we appeal to young people. Our task is to know the tactics, methods and ways of action of fraudsters and intruders. This topic is very relevant, so we must be extremely attentive. Listen thoughtfully to our experts to help your friends and family, – said Vice-Rector for Security of SPbPU Alexander Airapetyan.

    The presentation was made by the Director of the Higher School of Jurisprudence and Forensic Science, Dmitry Mokhorov.

    Terrorism is a threat to the national security of the Russian state, and cyber fraud has become one of the tools used by criminals. Fraud is evolving along with technology, acquiring a transnational character. Digital scams and corruption crimes dominate, which have become more complex, larger-scale and more sophisticated. The fight against them requires not only tightening laws, but also increasing the financial and legal literacy of the population. Caution and critical thinking are the main methods of protection in the era of digital risks, – emphasized Dmitry Mokhorov.

    Tatyana Kalyamina, representative of the North-West Bank of Sberbank, shared the organization’s experience in the field of security. Lyudmila Tikhonova, head of the coordination center for issues of developing an active civic position among young people, preventing interethnic and interfaith conflicts, countering the ideology of terrorism and preventing extremism at the St. Petersburg State University of Industrial Technologies and Design, gave parting words.

    The event was also attended by representatives of the FSB of Russia, employees of the departments of the Center for Combating Extremism of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region, the Main Directorate of the Russian Guard for St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region, the UMVD of Russia for the Kalininsky District of St. Petersburg, and the chairman of the veteran organization OMON “Baltika” (on transport).

    The experts shared information about common telephone fraud schemes and methods of criminals, told how to act to prevent extremist activity, showed video materials. Particular emphasis was placed on the need to conduct educational and explanatory work among young people and the elderly. In conclusion, the polytechnicians asked questions.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: MOFA response to IPAC statement strongly condemning China’s military exercises around Taiwan

    Source: Republic of China Taiwan

    MOFA response to IPAC statement strongly condemning China’s military exercises around Taiwan

    Date：2025-04-05
    Data Source：Department of European Affairs

    April 5, 2025

    The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) issued a statement on April 4 strongly condemning Beijing’s recent military exercises around Taiwan. It pointed out that the actions of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command were escalatory, provocative, and without justification. It also stated that Beijing’s calculated escalations around Taiwan had gone on for far too long and that the international community could not stand idly by as the cross-strait status quo was eroded, harming the people of Taiwan and global stability. It added that Taiwan’s security was inextricably linked to the security of the global economy. IPAC called on governments worldwide to condemn the PLA’s military activities and violent rhetoric and reiterated its appeal to the international community to develop a coordinated response plan to prevent the situation from further deteriorating.

    The IPAC statement has already been signed by 43 members of parliament as well as prominent political figures from 25 countries and the European Parliament, underscoring a high degree of international consensus on the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

    Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung welcomes the statement, thanks like-minded friends for supporting Taiwan through concrete action, and urges democratic countries to unite in the face of China’s military threats. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reaffirms that peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait are indispensable to global security and prosperity and that Taiwan will continue to work hand in hand with the international community to safeguard a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI: Ellomay Capital Ltd. Announces the Execution of an Agreement to sell 49% of its Italian Solar Portfolio of 198 MW to Clal Insurance, a Leading Israeli Institutional Investor

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Tel-Aviv, Israel, April 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ellomay Capital Ltd. (NYSE American; TASE: ELLO) (“Ellomay” or the “Company”), a renewable energy and power generator and developer of renewable energy and power projects in Europe, USA and Israel, today announced that it entered into an investment agreement (the “Clal Agreement”) with Clal Insurance Ltd., a leading Israeli institutional investor, and several of its affiliates (together, “Clal”), for an aggregate investment by Clal of approximately €52 million.

    Pursuant to the Clal Agreement, Clal and Ellomay will set up a new Israeli limited partnership (the “Israeli LP”) in which an entity wholly-owned by Ellomay will be the general partner and Ellomay will hold 51% of the limited partner interests and Clal will hold the remaining 49%. The Israeli LP will wholly-own a newly founded Luxembourg entity, to which Ellomay’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Ellomay Luxembourg Holdings, S.à.r.l. (“Ellomay Luxembourg”), will transfer all of the issued and outstanding shares of seven Italian project companies, who hold a solar portfolio in an aggregate capacity of approximately 198 MW (the “Italian Solar Portfolio”). The Italian Solar Portfolio consists of (a) solar facilities with an aggregate capacity of 38 MW that are connected to the grid and operating and (b) additional solar facilities with an aggregate capacity of 160 MW that have reached Ready-to-Build status and with respect to which Engineering, Procurement and Construction agreements were executed. Project finance agreements were executed with respect to the Italian Solar Portfolio in March 2025.

    The Clal Agreement includes customary representations and warranties of Ellomay and Clal and an indemnification mechanism for breaches of representations, warranties and undertakings, subject to customary caps and limitations, as a sole remedy, subject to customary exceptions. The Clal Agreement provides Clal with a right of first look commencing with the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Clal Agreement with respect to investment in other solar projects currently developed or that will be developed by Ellomay and its subsidiaries in Italy for an investment under similar terms as the Clal Agreement, mutatis mutandis. Pursuant to the right of first look mechanism, Ellomay will provide Clal certain information with respect to each project that has reached Ready-to-Build status and Ellomay decided to advance its construction, and Clal will have a few months to notify Ellomay that it is interested in investing up to 49% in such projects or any portion thereof upon the terms set forth in the notice provided to Clal by Ellomay.

    The Clal Agreement provides that upon consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Clal Agreement, Ellomay and Clal will sign a partners agreement (the “Clal PA”) and Ellomay will issue Clal a warrant (the “Clal Warrant”).

    The Clal PA sets forth the relationship between the general partner and the limited partners, the governance and management of the Israeli LP, the funding and financing of the Israeli LP and the mechanism for future transfers of interests in the Israeli LP. Pursuant to the Clal PA, Clal undertakes to provide its pro rata portion of the amounts required for the development of the Italian Solar Portfolio to the Israeli LP, which in turn will fund the Luxembourg subsidiary and the Italian project companies. Ellomay’s aggregate funding commitment in the Italian Solar Portfolio has already been provided by Ellomay. The Clal PA also provides for the payment of annual management fees to Ellomay. The Clal PA provides each limited partner with customary rights, including a full tag-along right in the event of a change in control of Ellomay and includes customary veto rights. The Clal PA provides that following repayment of partners’ loans, the Israeli LP’s surpluses will be distributed to the limited partners, pro rata to their holdings, on a semi-annual basis, subject to maintaining the working capital required by the Israeli LP for the two following quarters.

    The Clal Warrant covers 416,000 ordinary shares of Ellomay, with an exercise price of NIS 69.7 (approximately $18.5) per share. The Clal Warrant is for a term of twenty-six months and may only be exercised on a cashless basis. In the event Ellomay’s shares are traded at a price higher than NIS 80 (approximately $21.2) per share when the Clal Warrant is exercised, Ellomay, at its discretion, may choose to issue shares on a cashless basis assuming a market price per share of NIS 80 and pay Clal the remainder in cash. 

    The consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Clal Agreement is subject to the fulfillment or waiver of several customary conditions to closing, including receipt of regulatory approvals, that are not entirely within the control of Ellomay, Ellomay Luxembourg, Clal or the Israeli LP. There can be no assurance as to whether or when the conditions to closing will be satisfied.

    Ran Fridrich, CEO and a board member of Ellomay, commented: “Ellomay is pleased to announce the establishment of a partnership with Clal Insurance, which will invest in a 198 MW solar portfolio in central and northern Italy. The Company sees great importance in the entry of a quality institutional investor as a partner to part of its Italian solar portfolio, and in Clal’s interest in examining participation in the future in building the remainder of the Company’s Italian portfolio and views this as a vote of confidence in the Company, its management and its operations. The Company thanks the investment team of Clal, led by Barak Bensky, for their professional work in a complex cross-border transaction.”

    About Ellomay Capital Ltd.

    Ellomay is an Israeli based company whose shares are registered with the NYSE American and with the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange under the trading symbol “ELLO”. Since 2009, Ellomay focuses its business in the renewable energy and power sectors in Europe, USA and Israel.

    To date, Ellomay has evaluated numerous opportunities and invested significant funds in the renewable, clean energy and natural resources industries in Israel, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and Texas, USA, including:

      ● Approximately 335.9 MW of operating solar power plants in Spain (including a 300 MW solar plant in owned by Talasol, which is 51% owned by the Company) and approximately 38 MW of operating solar power plants in Italy;
      ● 9.375% indirect interest in Dorad Energy Ltd., which owns and operates one of Israel’s largest private power plants with production capacity of approximately 850MW, representing about 6%-8% of Israel’s total current electricity consumption;
      ● Groen Gas Goor B.V., Groen Gas Oude-Tonge B.V. and Groen Gas Gelderland B.V., project companies operating anaerobic digestion plants in the Netherlands, with a green gas production capacity of approximately 3 million, 3.8 million and 9.5 million Nm3 per year, respectively;
      ● 83.333% of Ellomay Pumped Storage (2014) Ltd., which is involved in a project to construct a 156 MW pumped storage hydro power plant in the Manara Cliff, Israel;
      ● Solar projects in Italy with an aggregate capacity of 294 MW that have reached “ready to build” status; and
      ● Solar projects in the Dallas Metropolitan area, Texas, USA with an aggregate capacity of approximately 27 MW that are placed in service and in process of connection to the grid and additional 22 MW are under construction.

    For more information about Ellomay, visit http://www.ellomay.com.

    Information Relating to Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties, including statements that are based on the current expectations and assumptions of the Company’s management. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included in this press release regarding the Company’s plans and objectives, expectations and assumptions of management are forward-looking statements. The use of certain words, including the words “estimate,” “project,” “intend,” “expect,” “believe” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The Company may not actually achieve the plans, intentions or expectations disclosed in the forward-looking statements and you should not place undue reliance on the Company’s forward-looking statements. Various important factors could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those that may be expressed or implied by the Company’s forward-looking statements, including the inability to fulfill all of the conditions to closing set forth in the Clal Agreement, changes in the market price of the Company’s shares, changes in electricity prices and demand, regulatory changes increases in interest rates and inflation, changes in the supply and prices of resources required for the operation of the Company’s facilities (such as waste and natural gas) and in the price of oil, the impact of the war and hostilities in Israel and Gaza, the impact of the continued military conflict between Russia and Ukraine, technical and other disruptions in the operations or construction of the power plants owned by the Company and general market, political and economic conditions in the countries in which the Company operates, including Israel, Spain, Italy and the United States. These and other risks and uncertainties associated with the Company’s business are described in greater detail in the filings the Company makes from time to time with Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 20-F. The forward-looking statements are made as of this date and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

    Contact:
    Kalia Rubenbach (Weintraub)
    CFO
    Tel: +972 (3) 797-1111
    Email: hilai@ellomay.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Greens call on PM to “take tax cuts for billionaires” off the negotiating table

    Source: Green Party of England and Wales

    by Green Party

    Responding to reports that the Prime Minister is considering tax cuts for Musk, Bezos and other tech billionaires as part of his negotiations with President Trump, Green Party Co-Leader, Adrian Ramsay MP said,

    “I’m calling on the Prime Minister to take this morally reprehensible suggestion off the negotiating table. The very idea that he would cut tax obligations for some of the biggest companies in the world, controlled by some of the very richest people in the world, in an effort to appease President Trump is an insult to each and every person struggling to get by at the moment. The Prime Minister has made much of “the hard choices” he has had to make: cutting winter fuel allowance to our elderly, removing benefits from disabled people, capping child benefits, and taking huge chunks out of the international aid budget. These decisions, which are awful in isolation, are morally deplorable in the context of offering tax cuts to the likes of X, Amazon and other big tech companies. 

    He continued, “The crisis in our public finances is partly caused by corporations free riding on public services but avoiding paying their taxes. This is how the US tech billionaires have accumulated such excessive fortunes. The Digital Services Tax is a first step towards fair taxation of digital companies that dominate the global economy.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Milestone for Big Canberra Battery

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    The Williamsdale battery will deliver 250MW of storage.

    The ACT Government has reached a major milestone in its work to future-proof Canberra’s energy supply.

    The development application has been approved to deliver Stream 1 of the project – a grid-scale battery in Williamsdale.

    This ACT Government has partnered with Eku Energy on this project. Construction will begin later this year.

    The Big Canberra Battery will be capable of delivering 250 MW of power – more than a third of Canberra’s peak electricity demand. It will be able to deliver this power for two hours.

    The Big Canberra Battery will have 500 MWh of capacity, which on a single charge could supply 23,400 households with their daily energy use.

    Approximately 180–200 jobs will also be created through the project.

    More batteries for Canberra

    The Government has also finalised the installation of batteries at nine government sites in the ACT as part of its work on Stream 2 of the project.

    The sites include:

    • Belconnen Parks Depot
    • Gungahlin Family and Child Centre
    • Allara Depot
    • Kambah Depot
    • Ron Reynolds Centre
    • Chifley Community Hub
    • Ngunnawal Bush Healing Farm
    • Cotter Depot
    • Greenway Ambulance Station.

    The batteries capture energy generated from rooftop solar panels. This will help power the sites and will reduce government spend on electricity, benefitting the broader network during peak electricity consumption times.

    Two further batteries will be installed at Mount Stromlo High School and 255 Canberra Avenue, Fyshwick in early 2025.

    The ACT Government has also partnered with the Commonwealth Government and Evoenergy through the Community Batteries for Household Solar Program.

    Through this, three medium-sized neighbourhood-scale batteries will be installed in Casey, Dickson and Fadden.

    A battery operator will be selected in late 2024 following a procurement process.

    The Big Canberra Battery project will provide renewable energy security across the electricity grid.

    It will help grow the ACT’s renewable energy sector, provide more local employment opportunities, and deliver a positive financial return for the territory.

    Building a cleaner future

    Battery storage technology is a critical component of the ACT’s net-zero emissions future.

    The ACT has delivered 100 per cent renewable electricity since 2020.

    Initiatives like this build on that achievement and demonstrate the viability of renewable energy in supporting a robust, affordable and sustainable energy grid.

    Find out more about the Big Canberra Battery Project and other ways Canberra is leading the way on climate action by visiting climatechoices.act.gov.au

    Get ACT news and events delivered straight to your inbox, sign up to our email newsletter:


    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: US tariffs on Vietnamese imports trigger strategic pivot as growth forecast trimmed to 6.5% for 2025: GlobalData

    Source: GlobalData

    US tariffs on Vietnamese imports trigger strategic pivot as growth forecast trimmed to 6.5% for 2025: GlobalData

    Posted in Business Fundamentals

    Following the news that the 10% US import tariff, including a 46% hike specifically targeting Vietnamese goods, will take effect on 09 April 2025;

    Annapurna Pillutla, Analyst, Economic Research at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, offers her view:

    “In response to the US tariffs, Vietnam reaffirmed its commitment to fair trade and transparency. Diplomatic engagement has been stepped up, with efforts to negotiate exemptions and clarify Vietnam’s trade and monetary policies. Vietnam is eliminating tariffs on US imports following Trump’s announcement of a 46% levy. Vietnam also proposed zero tariffs on the US goods and requested a delay of 45 days in tariff implementation, aiming for a mutually beneficial agreement.

    “Vietnam’s economy is heavily dependent on the export of goods and services, which constitute nearly 100% of its GDP. In 2024, goods exports to the US amounted to $136.6 billion, representing 30.1% of Vietnam’s GDP. The sharp escalation in tariffs on Vietnamese imports signals a critical juncture in Vietnam-US trade dynamics. Given the US accounts for close to a third of Vietnam’s GDP through goods exports, the latest measures introduce significant downside risks, particularly to export-reliant industries such as textiles and footwear, where cost pressures and competitive positioning are already under strain. “Against this backdrop, GlobalData has revised the forecast of Vietnam’s GDP growth to 6.5% in 2025, down from 6.7%, as demand from one of its largest trading partners softens.

    “This development is expected to fast-track Vietnam’s strategic shift toward economic diversification. Beyond intensified trade negotiations, the government is now likely to double down on initiatives to attract high-value foreign investment, scale up digital capabilities in manufacturing, and strengthen bilateral trade ties with economies in the EU, India, and Latin America. Over time, such moves could reduce Vietnam’s exposure to single-market volatility and set the foundation for more resilient and balanced growth.”

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Top 25 global insurers market value up 17% YoY in Q1 2025, reveals GlobalData

    Source: GlobalData

    Top 25 global insurers market value up 17% YoY in Q1 2025, reveals GlobalData

    Posted in Business Fundamentals

    • PICC Property and Casualty and Assicurazioni Generali shares surge 40%
    • Elevance Health and Cigna Group lose over 15%
    • Berkshire Hathaway retains top spot

    The aggregate market capitalization (MCap) of the top 25 global insurers grew 17% to $3.5 trillion year-on-year (YoY) during the first quarter (Q1) ended on 31 March 2025. Most of the stocks recorded a sharp growth in Q1, benefiting from the higher premium pricing amid inflationary trends, improved investment income driven by elevated interest rates, and favorable underwriting performance due to fewer large-scale catastrophic events in the period, according to GlobalData, a leading data analytics and research company.

    Murthy Grandhi, Company Profiles Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “The global insurance industry showed signs of recovery in early 2024, with property and casualty insurers implementing premium increases to counter inflation and rising natural disaster claims, while life insurers continued adapting to shifting interest rate environments. The sector accelerated digital transformation efforts through AI and automation investments, expanded parametric insurance offerings for climate risks, and focused on customer experience improvements.”

    PICC Property and Casualty

    PICC P&C, the largest non-life insurance company in mainland China, shares registered a remarkable 40.5% growth in market value during the period, driven by strong FY2024 results on the back of strategic optimization of its motor vehicle insurance business structure with 38.8% market share in household motor vehicle insurance, coupled with accelerated growth in non-motor vehicle insurance segments and enhanced operational efficiency through technology-enabled expense management.

    Assicurazioni Generali

    Generali’s excellent 2024 results exceeded financial targets and completed the “Lifetime Partner 24” strategic plan through consistent organic growth and successful business integrations, positioning the company to pursue its new “Lifetime Partner 27” plan focusing on earnings growth, cash generation, and increased shareholder returns while leveraging AI capabilities to address evolving customer needs. Consequently, the company’s market valuation also rose by 39.5%, reaching $55.1 billion by the end of Q1 2025.

    Grandhi continues: “Berkshire Hathaway witnessed a 25.7% increase in market value attributed to its strong investment portfolio performance, particularly in energy and infrastructure assets, and resilient insurance underwriting results across GEICO and Berkshire Hathaway Reinsurance Group. Furthermore, strategic investment decisions by Warren Buffett, and investor confidence in the company’s substantial cash reserves perpetuated the stock’s upward trajectory, affirming Berkshire Hathaway’s status as a coveted asset.”

    Elevance Health and The Cigna Group saw sharp YoY declines of -18.6% and -17.0%, respectively. This downturn was largely influenced by declining enrolment in individual and group health plans, elevated medical loss ratios, and ongoing antitrust scrutiny affecting sentiment. Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) also fell 15.4% due to underwhelming policy growth, weak equity market returns in India and limited foreign institutional investment.

    Grandhi concludes: “Looking ahead to Q2 2025, the global insurance industry faces a nuanced outlook. The US Federal Reserve has signalled a potential pause in interest rate hikes, which could stabilize fixed-income yields and benefit life insurers’ investment portfolios. However, geopolitical developments—such as recent tariff escalations between the US and China—may pressure global trade insurance demand and raise claims risk, particularly in marine and credit insurance lines.

    “Moreover, inflationary pressures in Europe and selective tightening in Asian economies could compress margins, though they also prompt upward repricing, supporting premium growth. On the positive side, increased awareness of climate and cyber risks are expected to drive further growth in specialty insurance lines.”

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Domain of economic activities comprising Manufacturing and New Industrialisation-related Industries and corresponding economic performance announced

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Domain of economic activities comprising Manufacturing and New Industrialisation-related Industries and corresponding economic performance announced 
    The process of manufacturing and production involves a variety of other economic activities, such as product design, technological development, data services and software development, testing and certification, as well as professional and technical services etc, all of which qualify as important elements in the development of new industrialisation. To facilitate the growth of new businesses, new industries and new modes of production in Hong Kong brought about by the integrated development of innovation and technology (I&T) and emerging industries, and to more effectively drive the development of new industrialisation, having considered the characteristics of economic development in Hong Kong, the ITIB has, in collaboration with the C&SD, formulated a domain of economic activities that comprises Manufacturing and New Industrialisation-related Industries.  The C&SD has also defined the corresponding statistical coverage based on the existing framework of the Hong Kong Standard Industrial Classification Version 2.0, with a view to reflecting the economic performance of these new industries of importance more precisely through objective statistical figures. In 2023, the value added of Manufacturing and New Industrialisation-related Industries amounted to $76.8 billion, representing an increase of 7.6 per cent over the previous year, and accounted for around 2.6 per cent of Gross Domestic Product.
     
         The Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, said, “Hong Kong is in the midst of a key transitional period of its economic model, and the development of I&T and a new real economy has become a broadly accepted consensus in Hong Kong society. Furthering the development of innovation technology and the integrated development of emerging industries are crucial objectives of the country and Hong Kong as of present and in the future, and are altering the economic and industrial composition of Hong Kong. Driving new industrialisation is of paramount importance to Hong Kong’s high-quality development. To assist us in formulating various policies with more precision and to effectively guide social resources towards supporting and encouraging the upgrading and transformation of the traditional manufacturing industry, as well as the development of new industrialisation in Hong Kong to realise the developmental targets outlined in the Hong Kong I&T Development Blueprint, we must specifically identify a range of economic activities to be covered, and from time to time conduct reviews along with the ever-changing technological and innovative landscape and the development of emerging industries. At the same time, we need to compile relevant statistics to objectively measure the progress of the development of innovation and new industrialisation.”
     
    To realise high-quality economic growth, the Government has, through a multitude of means, furthered the development of manufacturing and new industrialisation-related industries in Hong Kong, such as by launching the Research, Academic and Industry Sectors One-plus Scheme, the New Industrialisation Funding Scheme, and the New Industrialisation Acceleration Scheme. The Government is also preparing to launch the Pilot Manufacturing and Production Line Upgrade Support Scheme, the Innovation and Technology Accelerator Pilot Scheme, the Innovation and Technology Venture Fund Enhanced Scheme, and the Innovation and Technology Industry‑Oriented Fund.
     
    A spokesperson for the C&SD said, “To couple with the work of the Government in driving the development of I&T and new industrialisation-related industries, it is necessary for the society to monitor relevant developments over time through objective and accurate statistical figures. The C&SD has made use of the existing framework of industry classification and further defined the statistical coverage that corresponds to the Manufacturing and New Industrialisation-related Industries, and compiled statistics as appropriate to reflect the economic performance of the relevant industries. We will continue to keep abreast of the latest developments and suitably review the relevant statistical framework from time to time with the ITIB and other stakeholders.”
     
         Manufacturing and New Industrialisation-related Industries in Hong Kong encompass manufacturing and economic activities relating to I&T and emerging industries:
     
    Manufacturing: For instance, the manufacturing of food products, pharmaceuticals, medicinal chemicals and botanical products, computer, electronic and optical products, and new energy equipment, etc;
     
    Science, product design and technology development: For instance, industrial and product design, chip design, new drug development, AI model development and application, and technical consulting services, etc;
     
    Data services and software development: Information technology activities such as data and computing centre services, data storage and processing, related cloud services, and software development, etc;
     
    Verification, testing and certification: For instance, functional testing and verification, technical and prototype testing, and compliance certification, etc;
     
    Professional technical services: For instance, system design, integrated delivery and maintenance services, etc; and
     
    Environmental engineering and green business: For instance, sewage treatment, waste recovery, sorting, and disposal, etc.
    Issued at HKT 14:00

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: SLW’s speaking notes on welfare, poverty alleviation and children policy areas tabled at LegCo Finance Committee special meeting

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Following are the speaking notes of the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, on welfare, poverty alleviation and children policy areas tabled at the special meeting of the Legislative Council (LegCo) Finance Committee today (April 9):

    Chairman and Honourable Members,

         In 2025-26, government recurrent spending on social welfare is estimated to be $130.4 billion, accounting for 22.2 per cent of the total recurrent government expenditure of the year, first amongst all policy area groups. Compared with the revised estimate for 2024-25 of $118.7 billion, there is an increase of about $11.7 billion in recurrent spending on social welfare. The increase is about 9.8 per cent. Now, let me highlight how the Labour and Welfare Bureau (LWB) will make use of these resources.

    Government Public Transport Fare Concession Scheme for the Elderly and Eligible Persons with Disabilities ($2 Scheme)

         The Financial Secretary has announced in the 2025-26 Budget the adjustments of the $2 Scheme. On the basis that the targeted beneficiaries remain unchanged, the Government will change the concessionary fare to “$2 flat rate cum 80 per cent discount”, which means that beneficiaries will continue to pay $2 for trips with full adult fare below or equal to $10. For trips with full adult fare above $10, the beneficiaries will have to pay the amount after 80 per cent discount of the full fare. Furthermore, the number of concessionary trips will also be limited to 240 per month. This fine-tuned proposal preserves our policy intent while striking a balance between enhancing the sustainability of the scheme and minimising the impacts to the beneficiaries. Our preliminary estimate at the time of the Budget announcement was that the “$2 flat rate cum 80 per cent discount” proposal would be implemented no later than September 2026. Upon liaison with the Octopus Cards Limited and public transport operators, the “$2 flat rate cum 80 per cent discount” proposal can be implemented in April 2026, which is around five months earlier than the original estimate. The amount of additional savings is about $260 million. As for the “concessionary trips limit” proposal, we expect that it will be implemented about one year after the implementation of the “$2 flat rate cum 80 per cent discount” proposal.

    Elderly services

         The recurrent government expenditure on elderly services this year is estimated to reach about $17 billion, representing an increase of about 50 per cent over about $11 billion five years ago (i.e. 2020-21).

         The Government will continue to strengthen residential and community care services for the elderly. We will add 1 000 Residential Care Service Vouchers for the Elderly (RCSV) and 1 000 Community Care Service Vouchers for the Elderly (CCSV) starting from the second quarter this year, so that the numbers of RCSV and CCSV will reach 6 000 and 12 000 respectively.  The annual expenditure involved is about $1,710 million and $900 million respectively.

    Cash assistance 

         This year’s Budget proposes to provide a one-off extra half-month allowance to eligible recipients of social security payments, which will incur an expenditure of about $2,988 million and is expected to benefit about 1.71 million persons. Similar arrangements will apply to recipients of the Working Family Allowance Scheme. It is expected that around 56 000 households will benefit from this initiative, incurring an expenditure of about $96 million.

    Enhance support for persons with disabilities

         Starting from the third quarter of this year, the Government will regularise the Pilot Project on Enhancing Vocational Rehabilitation Services to enhance services and training models in Sheltered Workshops and Integrated Vocational Rehabilitation Services Centres to build a better vocational rehabilitation and training ladder for persons with disabilities. This initiative involves an annual expenditure of about $100 million, and it is expected to benefit about 10 000 people.

         The Government will set up 14 Integrated Community Rehabilitation Centres across the territory in phases to provide persons with disabilities who require medium to high-level care with flexible and integrated community support services through a case management approach. Moreover, 1 280 additional day community rehabilitation and home care service places will be provided for persons with severe disabilities. Additional annual expenditure involved is around $160 million.

         In addition, in view of the remarkable effectiveness of peer support services for persons in mental recovery, the Chief Executive announced in the 2024 Policy Address that peer support services will be expanded to other types of disabilities, with 90 additional peer supporter posts added in District Support Centres for Persons with Disabilities and Parents/Relatives Resource Centres. Annual expenditure involved is around $21 million.

    Online youth emotional support platform

         The Government will enhance the services of the five existing Cyber Youth Support Teams in the second quarter of 2025 by providing an online youth emotional support platform. Total additional expenditure involved is around $150 million.

    District Services and Community Care Teams – Scheme on Supporting Elderly and Carers

         The Government launched the District Services and Community Care Teams – Pilot Scheme on Supporting for Elderly and Carers in Tsuen Wan and Southern Districts in March last year. Care Teams were engaged to help identify households of singleton/doubleton elderly persons and carers of elderly persons/persons with disabilities in need, providing them with caring and support services. In light of the satisfactory results of the Pilot Scheme, the Chief Executive announced in the 2024 Policy Address that the Scheme will be extended to across the territory in the second quarter of 2025, supporting elderly persons and carers in all 18 districts. This initiative involves an annual expenditure of about $111.9 million.

    Rehabilitation services places

         The Government is committed to building an inclusive society and supporting persons with disabilities in developing their physical, mental social capabilities to the fullest possible extent, and to promote their integration into the community. To this end, the Government is committed to increasing the number of rehabilitation (including day, residential and respite care) service places from about 37 300 in 2023-24 to about 39 900 by 2028-29 and providing about 1 040 additional day care, residential care and pre-school rehabilitation service places in 2025-26. These involve an annual expenditure of about $186 million.

    Assist working families in childbearing

         Over the three years starting from 2024, the Government is setting up 11 more aided standalone Child Care Centres (CCCs) in phases, increasing the number of CCCs from 15 to 26, and increasing the service places from about 1 000 to about 2 000. Four of the new CCCs have commenced service in 2024, providing a total of 344 service places. The Social Welfare Department (SWD) will also further enhance the Neighbourhood Support Child Care Project by further increasing the number of service places from 2 000 to 2 500, with the estimated number of beneficiaries to be increased from 20 000 to 25 000.  

    Child protection 

         The Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse Ordinance will come into effect on January 20, 2026, creating a wider and more effective protection web for children. In this connection, the Government will provide an additional annual provision of $186 million to increase the number of emergency places for residential childcare service and strengthen professional support for child abuse victims and their families.

         To strengthen the prevention of child abuse at its source, the Government will allocate an additional provision of $96.9 million from 2025-26 to 2029-30 for setting up four Community Parents and Children Centres on a pilot basis. The Centres will promote parent-child interaction through play-based services and instil positive parenting skills in parents, and render support for families with parenting needs. The four Community Parents and Children Centres will commence operation progressively starting from 2026.

    Implementation of Productivity Enhancement Programme (PEP) 
      
         The Financial Secretary has announced in the 2025-26 Budget that the Government would step up the PEP. On the premise that the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance and Social Security Allowance will not be affected, the rate of reduction of recurrent government expenditure will be increased from the original 1 per cent to 2 per cent in 2025-26. This arrangement will be extended for two more years to 2027-28. Taking into account the 1 per cent cut in 2024-25, the cumulative rate of reduction will be 7 per cent in total. After considering various factors and trying the best to redeploy internal resources, the LWB and the SWD rolled out four support measures to assist non-governmental organisations operating subvented welfare services (subvented NGOs) in implementing the PEP, including 
    (i) shouldering part of the financial impact on subvented NGOs and exempting multiple items that are subject to reduction in expenditure; 
    (ii) increasing subvented NGOs’ flexibility and certainty in utilising the reserves of Lump Sum Grant subvention; 
    (iii) reducing the workload of handling cost apportionment; and 
    (iv) enhancing Funding and Service Agreements.

         I have met with heads of subvented NGOs immediately after the announcement of the Budget to explain the support measures. I would like to thank the senior management of the subvented NGOs for leading their staff to rise to the challenges, and for working with the Government in a concerted manner to make the best use of public resources to implement the PEP together and continue to provide quality services to the needy.

         Chairman, this concludes my opening remarks. Members are welcome to raise questions.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welcome to the Mission Support Directorate (MSD)

    Source: NASA

    Have you ever wondered how NASA manages to achieve all the incredible missions it does, like probing the Sun and studying the history of our Universe? We do it through teamwork, one of our core values. And an essential part of NASA’s team is what we call Mission Support. Mission Support makes sure NASA’s missions, centers, and programs have the capabilities and services they need to explore the unknown, innovate for the future, and inspire the world.  
    To illustrate Mission Support at NASA, look at the example of the Roman Space Telescope. It’s not just scientists and engineers who are making the telescope happen. The program works with NASA’s financial office to plan the budget for the telescope. Engineers design the telescope with tools developed in coordination with NASA’s shared services and information technology offices. NASA’s engineering authority checks the design, and international relations manages NASA’s collaborations with other countries on the telescope. All of this is Mission Support. 
    Of course, there is much more to Mission Support, but I think you get the picture. MSD enables Mission Support by:  

    Planning and executing the Mission Support budgets for safety, security, and mission services as well as construction and environmental management.  

    Executing strategy and governance to ensure Mission Support is financially sound, aligned with the agency’s goals, and serving NASA’s missions. 

    Addressing Mission Support’s financial, operational, legal, and reputational risks to ensure resilience and mission success. 

    Working with mission directorates and centers to ensure NASA is prioritizing the Mission Support services they need most urgently to be successful. 

    Integrating Mission Support services across the agency to maximize efficiency and effectiveness. 

    Current and future missions require significant support to be successful. MSD is working today to ensure Mission Support is there for NASA to explore the unknown, innovate for the future, and inspire the world.  
    To learn more, visit MSD Organization.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: TransUnion Study Finds More than Half (56%) of Canadians Said They Were Targeted by Fraud in Second Half of 2024

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Almost One in Five (17%) Canadians Reported Losing Money Due to Fraud in Last Year with
    Median Loss of $2,013

    Gaming, Government and Communities were Most Targeted Sectors by Digital Fraudsters in Canada

    Key Study Findings:

    • 39% of Canadians surveyed said fraud concerns is the top reason why they abandon online shopping carts.
    • 46% prioritize security of personal data as the #1 quality (more than cost savings or quality of goods and services) when deciding what online company to do business with.
    • 13% report taking no action when discovering they became a victim of fraud.
    • 43% who said they were targeted by fraud involved phishing.
    • 11% of attempted digital gaming transactions (including online betting, poker, etc.) where consumer was in Canada were suspected of digital fraud in 2024.

    TORONTO, April 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — According to the newly-released TransUnion (NYSE: TRU) H1 2025 Update to the State of Omnichannel Fraud Report, more than half (56%) of 1,000 Canadians surveyed said they were targeted by fraudsters through email, online, phone call or text messaging channels from August to December 2024. Nearly one in 10 (9%) of those reporting being targeted said they fell victim to it. Furthermore, when surveyed from Nov. 21 to Dec. 6, 2024, nearly one-fifth of Canadians (17%) said they lost money due to email, online, phone call or text messaging in the past year. The number of Canadians targeted and who fell victim may be significantly higher, but people may be unaware they were targeted.

    “Our research indicates that many Canadians don’t take the proper steps if they have fallen victim to Digital Fraud,” said Patrick Boudreau, head of identity management and fraud solutions at TransUnion Canada. “These steps should include reporting the suspected fraud to your bank or credit card company to freeze accounts and changing all passwords. Consumers should also notify credit bureaus, including TransUnion, to place a fraud alert on their file, as well as report the incident to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. If personal information was compromised or large sums of money were involved, it should be reported to the local police as well.”

    Fraud concerns have major influence on who Canadians choose to do business with online.
    When engaging online, concerns around security and fraud has a significant impact on Canadians’ preferences and behaviours, including when making purchases or choosing who to do business with.

    According to the survey that was part of TransUnion’s State of Omnichannel Fraud Report:

    • 91% of Canadians said having confidence that their personal data will not be compromised is important when choosing who to transact with online.
    • 46% said security of personal data is the number one consideration when deciding what company to do business with online, significantly higher than prioritizing cost savings (25%) and quality of goods and services (19%).
    • 70% said fraud concerns would cause them not to return to a website.
    • 31% said they have switched doing online transaction to another website due to fraud or security concerns.
    • 39% said fraud and/or security concerns is a top reason to abandon their online shopping cart. Conversely, 16% said having too many security steps is a top reason to abandon their online cart.
    • 35% said they have abandoned an online application for a financial or insurance product before completing it.

    While many Canadians took various actions after discovering they had become a victim of fraud, more than 1 in 10 (13%) reported no action at all.
    Among Canadians who said they fell victim to email, online, phone call or text messaging fraud from August to December 2024, they reported taking the following actions:

    • 51% contacted relevant impacted companies such as credit card issuers, retailers, etc.
    • 48% placed a freeze on their credit.
    • 29% placed a fraud alert on their credit report.
    • 16% called the police.
    • 15% contacted a company that compiles and provides credit reports.
    • 13% said they took no action.

    While Canadians were targeted by a mix of fraud schemes, phishing was the most reported kind.
    Among those who said they were targeted by email, online, phone call or text messaging fraud in the second half of last year, the most common reported method by them was phishing (43%). Phishing is when a fraudster uses an email, website, social post or QR code that appears to legitimate meant to trick a consumer into sharing personal information. Other common fraud attempt methods reported by those who said they were targeted include:

    • Smishing (40%), where fraudulent text messages try to trick recipients into revealing data.
    • Vishing (35%), where fraudulent phone calls try to induce recipients into revealing personal information.
    • Third-party seller scams on legitimate online retail websites (19%).

    Gaming, Government and Communities Were the Top 3 Industries Targeted by Digital Fraudsters in Canada.
    Gaming (including online betting, poker, etc.) had the highest rate of suspected digital fraud1 attempts where the consumer or fraudster was in Canada when transacting. Over 11% of all attempted digital gaming-related transactions were suspected of fraud in 2024, an 80% increase from 2023. This was followed by government (9%), communities which includes online dating sites and forums (7%) and video gaming (6%).

    The logistics industry, which has seen growth in shipping fraud (often perpetrated by organized crime rings), saw the greatest suspected digital fraud attempt rate and volume growth among industries analyzed, up 203% and 180% respectively for transactions from Canada YoY compared to 2023. However, the suspected digital fraud attempt rate for that industry was a relatively modest 2% in 2024. Conversely, telecommunications saw the biggest YoY suspected digital fraud attempt rate and volume decrease from 2024 (-88% and -86%) from Canada in that time period.

    Canadian Sectors that Experienced Shifts in YoY Suspected Digital Fraud in Many Cases Differed from Global Changes:

    Industry Canada suspected digital fraud attempt rate 2024 Change from 2023 Global suspected digital fraud attempt rate 2024 Global change from 2023
    Gaming (online sports betting, poker, etc.) 11.1% +80% 7.8% +20%
    Government 8.5% +21% 1.7% +6%
    Communities (online dating, forums, etc.) 7.0% -19% 11.6% +9%
    Video gaming 6.4% +15% 10.8% -23%
    Financial services 4.7% +13% 4.9% +3%
    Retail 4.6% +9% 7.6% -45%
    Insurance 3.3% +54% 2.0% -29%
    Logistics 1.9% +203% 2.6% +101%
    Telecommunications 0.3% -88% 3.0% -79%
    Travel & leisure 0.2% -26% 0.9% -38%

    Source: TransUnion TruValidate™

    “While cybercriminals will attack at any time using any channel, they appear to focus on channels most popular in the regions they are targeting,” added Boudreau. “Emails are widely used in Canadians’ personal and business lives, while many use their mobile phones for everything from work calls to ordering groceries and organizing their families’ lives. Fraudsters view these channels as the most likely way that they’ll be able to trick people into sharing personal information, which is why all Canadians need to be vigilant about responding to messages of any kind on their digital platforms.”

    TransUnion came to its conclusions about digital fraud based on intelligence from TransUnion TruValidate.

    Specific country and regional data in the report includes Canada, Botswana, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Hong Kong, India, Kenya, Mexico, Namibia, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Rwanda, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom, the United States and Zambia. Download the TransUnion H1 2025 Update to the State of Omnichannel Fraud Report for more information and insights about the global fraud trends.

    About TransUnion® (NYSE: TRU)
    TransUnion is a global information and insights company with over 13,000 associates operating in more than 30 countries, including Canada, where we’re the credit bureau of choice for the financial services ecosystem and most of Canada’s largest banks. We make trust possible by ensuring each person is reliably represented in the marketplace. We do this by providing an actionable view of consumers, stewarded with care.

    Through our acquisitions and technology investments we have developed innovative solutions that extend beyond our strong foundation in core credit into areas such as marketing, fraud, risk and advanced analytics. As a result, consumers and businesses can transact with confidence and achieve great things. We call this Information for Good® — and it leads to economic opportunity, great experiences and personal empowerment for millions of people around the world.

    For more information visit: www.transunion.ca

    For more information or to request an interview, contact:
    Contact: Katie Duffy
    E-mail: katie.duffy@ketchum.com
    Telephone: +1 647-772-0969

    1 The rate or percentage of suspected digital fraud attempts reflects those which TransUnion customers determined met one of the following conditions: 1) denial in real time due to fraudulent indicators, 2) denial in real time for corporate policy violations, 3) fraudulent upon customer investigation, or 4) a corporate policy violation upon customer investigation — compared to all transactions assessed. The country and regional analyses examined transactions in which the consumer or suspected fraudster was located in a select country or region when conducting a transaction. Global statistics represents every country worldwide and not just the select countries and regions.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Eagle Bancorp Announces Earnings Call on April 24, 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BETHESDA, Md., April 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Eagle Bancorp, Inc. (the “Company”) (NASDAQ: EGBN), the Bethesda-based holding company for EagleBank, one of the largest community banks in the Washington D.C. area, today announced that it will host a teleconference call for the financial community on April 24, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. (EDT). On this call, Eagle Bancorp Inc.’s Chief Executive Officer Susan Riel and Chief Financial Officer Eric Newell will discuss earnings for the first quarter 2025 financial results. Those results will be released after the close of business on April 23, 2025.

    Interested parties will need to register at the below-noted URL in order to listen and participate in the call. Once a participant registers with a valid email, they will receive a dial-in phone number and unique PIN number which will be needed to access the call. The call will also be available live via webcast on the Company’s website, which is www.EagleBankCorp.com. A replay of the call will be available on the Company’s website through May 8, 2025.

    Participant Call Registration Link:
    Conference Registration

    Webcast Link:        
    Eagle Bancorp 1st Quarter 2025 Earnings Conference Call

    Caution About Forward-Looking Statements 
    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including statements of goals, intentions, and expectations as to future trends, plans, events or results of Company operations and policies and regarding general economic conditions. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations that involve risks, uncertainties, and assumptions. Because of these uncertainties and the assumptions on which the forward-looking statements are based, actual future operations and results in the future may differ materially from those indicated herein. Readers are cautioned against placing undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. For details on factors that could affect these expectations, see the risk factors and other cautionary language included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, and other filings with the SEC. Except as required by law, the Company does not undertake to update forward-looking statements contained in this release.

    About Eagle Bancorp, Inc. and EagleBank
    Eagle Bancorp, Inc. is the holding company for EagleBank, which commenced operations in 1998. EagleBank is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, and conducts full service commercial banking through 12 offices, located in Suburban, Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Northern Virginia. EagleBank focuses on building relationships with businesses, professionals and individuals in its marketplace.

    EagleBank Contact
    Eric Newell, Chief Financial Officer, Eagle Bancorp, Inc.
    240.497.1796

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: MEXC Launches Babylon (BABY) Exclusive BTC Fixed Saving Event with 99% APR

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VICTORIA, Seychelles, April 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — MEXC, a leading global cryptocurrency exchange, has launched an exclusive BTC Fixed Saving Event offering an Annual Percentage Rate (APR) of up to 99%, in anticipation of the upcoming Babylon (BABY) token listing. This event not only brings substantial rewards to users but also underscores MEXC’s commitment to supporting the development of diverse ecosystems and projects across the cryptocurrency space.

    High APR Opportunity Through BTC Fixed Saving Event

    The BTC Fixed Saving Event, running from April 8 – May 9, 2025 (UTC), offers new users the opportunity to earn up to 99% APR on their BTC deposits. Event features include:

    • High Earnings: New users can earn up to 99% APR on BTC deposits.
    • Low Minimum Entry: Start with as little as 0.0015 BTC.
    • Short-Term Commitment: Stake for just 3 days to enjoy high returns.

    Babylon Airdrop+ Event with a Total Prize Pool of 150,000 USDT

    In addition to the BTC Fixed Saving Event, MEXC is also hosting the Babylon (BABY) Airdrop+ Event, which runs from April 3 – April 24, 2025. Users can participate and share the prize pool in the following ways:
    Benefit 1: New users can deposit to share 80,000 USDT in Futures bonuses.
    Benefit 2: Trade in the Futures Challenge to share 50,000 USDT in Futures bonuses (open to all users).
    Benefit 3: Invite new users and share 20,000 USDT in Futures bonuses (open to all users).

    For full event details and participation rules, visit the BTC Fixed Saving Event page and Babylon Airdrop+ Eventpage.

    MEXC’s Commitment to User-Centric Innovation

    In addition to the BTC Fixed Saving Event and the Babylon Airdrop+ Event, MEXC continues to prioritize the interests of its users. By offering high APR opportunities, 0 Trading Fee, and other user-centric services, MEXC demonstrates its commitment to delivering value and supporting its global user base.

    Looking to the future, MEXC remains focused on upholding its mission of being the easiest way to crypto. The platform is committed to fostering industry development and reinforcing its advantages in fast token listings and a broad selection of trending tokens. According to the latest TokenInsight report, from November 1, 2024, to February 15, 2025, MEXC led the industry with an impressive 461 spot listings. Additionally, during the bi-weekly periods, MEXC maintained a high listing frequency, consistently ranking among the top six exchanges and demonstrating its ability to quickly capture market trends. Through these efforts, MEXC empowers global users to seize market opportunities and unlock greater investment potential.

    About MEXC

    Founded in 2018, MEXC is committed to being “Your Easiest Way to Crypto.” Serving over 36 million users across 170+ countries, MEXC is known for its broad selection of trending tokens, everyday airdrop opportunities, and low trading fees. Our user-friendly platform is designed to support both new traders and experienced investors, offering secure and efficient access to digital assets. MEXC prioritizes simplicity and innovation, making crypto trading more accessible and rewarding.
    MEXC Official Website｜ X ｜ Telegram ｜How to Sign Up on MEXC

    Risk Disclaimer:
    The information provided in this article regarding cryptocurrencies does not constitute investment advice. Given the highly volatile nature of the cryptocurrency market, investors are encouraged to carefully assess market fluctuations, the fundamentals of projects, and potential financial risks before making any trading decisions.

    Source

    Contact:
    Lucia Hu
    lucia.hu@mexc.com

    Disclaimer: This press release is provided by MEXC. 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.

    Legal Disclaimer: This media platform provides the content of this article on an “as-is” basis, without any warranties or representations of any kind, express or implied. We do not assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information presented herein. Any concerns, complaints, or copyright issues related to this article should be directed to the content provider mentioned above.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8de7599f-1ff8-4e2d-8072-b0f0ab3e549f

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: MEXC and BNB Chain Strengthen Ties to Empower Token Listings & Marketing

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VICTORIA, Seychelles, April 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — MEXC, a leading global cryptocurrency exchange, announced a collaboration with BNB Chain. Through this collaboration, BNB Chain projects will benefit from faster listing opportunities and enhanced market support, allowing them to expand on a global scale. Investors will also have the chance to access high-potential assets and support promising projects at an early stage.

    This collaboration will focus on two core areas, each designed to accelerate the success of BNB Chain ecosystem projects and provide them with the essential tools and support needed to thrive in the global market.

    1. Exclusive Listing Support & Priority Access to MEXC Alpha
    BNB Chain is recognized for its low gas fees, high transaction throughput, and rapid confirmation times, providing an optimized environment for decentralized applications. The recent rise of memecoins on BNB Chain has greatly boosted trading volumes, emphasizing the growth opportunities for early-stage alpha tokens.

    To empower this momentum, MEXC will strengthen its support for BNB Chain ecosystem projects by providing expedited listing channels and priority reviews for inclusion in the MEXC Alpha Ranking. It aims to identify early-stage, high-potential blockchain projects. This feature helps MEXC’s over 36 million global users stay ahead of market trends and easily capitalize on the next big wave in the crypto industry. Additionally, it simplifies the transition of these projects to MEXC’s spot and futures markets, further enhancing the exposure and liquidity of the entire ecosystem. Through these supports, MEXC aims to help BNB Chain high-quality projects enter the global market more efficiently.

    2. Ecosystem Collaboration & Strategic Market Empowerment
    MEXC is not just a cryptocurrency exchange but also a key driver of growth in the crypto market. Through this collaboration, MEXC will leverage its strengths to provide comprehensive market support for BNB Chain ecosystem projects. By integrating resources, both parties will work together to fuel the growth of various BNB Chain ecosystem projects while contributing to the sustainable development of the entire ecosystem.

    By addressing key aspects of listing opportunities, market exposure, and ecosystem growth, both parties aim to create a lasting impact and sustainable development within the blockchain space. Through exclusive listing support and the provision of robust market resources, MEXC enhances the market exposure and liquidity of BNB Chain ecosystem projects, positioning them for greater success and broader reach in the global marketplace. Leveraging the BNB Chain $100M Liquidity Incentive Program, BNB Chain will also offer up to $500,000 in rewards to projects through its collaboration with MEXC.

    “We are committed to providing our users with a diverse range of trading options by facilitating efficient token listings, ensuring rapid transaction processing, and implementing industry-leading security measures. This collaboration will also offer our users exclusive early access to high-potential investment opportunities within the BNB Chain ecosystem, as well as other emerging and promising ecosystems. By collaborating with innovative and high-growth ecosystems like BNB Chain, we aim to expand the horizons for our users and contribute to the broader blockchain industry’s evolution. We are excited about the transformative impact this strategic collaboration will bring, not only to our users but to the entire industry,” Tracy Jin, COO of MEXC, stated.

    “At BNB Chain, we empower early-stage developers to build from zero to one. Through our collaboration with MEXC on priority listing and market support, we’re enabling BNB Chain’s high-performance innovators to thrive—driving global blockchain innovation and transformation.” Sarah, Head of Business Development at BNB Chain, stated.

    Looking ahead, MEXC and BNB Chain will further strengthen their strategic partnership and explore new opportunities for collaborative innovation in emerging and cutting-edge sectors.

    About BNB Chain
    BNB Chain is a community-driven blockchain ecosystem that is removing barriers to Web3 adoption. It is composed of:

    • BNB Smart Chain (BSC): A secure DeFi hub with the lowest gas fees of any EVM-compatible L1; serves as the ecosystem’s governance chain.
    • opBNB: A scalability L2 that delivers some of the lowest gas fees of any L2 and rapid processing speeds.
    • BNB Greenfield: Meets decentralized storage needs for the ecosystem and lets users establish their own data marketplaces.

    Setting a high bar for security, the AvengerDAO community protects BNB Chain users while Red Alarm provides a real-time risk-scanner for Dapps. The ecosystem also offers a range of monetary and ecosystem rewards as part of its Builder Support Program. For more, follow BNB Chain on X or start exploring via our Dapp library.

    About MEXC
    Founded in 2018, MEXC is committed to being “Your Easiest Way to Crypto.” Serving over 36 million users across 170+ countries, MEXC is known for its broad selection of trending tokens, everyday airdrop opportunities, and low trading fees. Our user-friendly platform is designed to support both new traders and experienced investors, offering secure and efficient access to digital assets. MEXC prioritizes simplicity and innovation, making crypto trading more accessible and rewarding.
    MEXC Official Website｜ X ｜ Telegram ｜How to Sign Up on MEXC

    Source

    Contact:
    Lucia Hu
    lucia.hu@mexc.com

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

    Legal Disclaimer: This media platform provides the content of this article on an “as-is” basis, without any warranties or representations of any kind, express or implied. We do not assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information presented herein. Any concerns, complaints, or copyright issues related to this article should be directed to the content provider mentioned above.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3782a923-5137-4a75-90f2-e83404bc8c8b

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Radware Schedules Conference Call for Its First Quarter 2025 Earnings

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TEL AVIV, Israel, April 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Radware® (NASDAQ: RDWR), a global leader in application security and delivery solutions for multi-cloud environments, will announce its first quarter results on Wednesday, May 7, 2025.

    Conference Call Details
    Radware management will host a call on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, at 8:30 a.m. EDT to discuss its first quarter 2025 results and outlook for the second quarter of 2025. Participants are advised to join the call approximately 15 minutes before the start time.

    US: 1-877-704-4453 (toll free)
    International: 1-201-389-0920

    In addition, the call will be webcast live on the Company’s website at http://www.radware.com/ir/investor-events/.

    A replay of the call will be available for seven days, starting two hours after the end of the call, on telephone number 1-844-512-2921 (toll free) or 1-412-317-6671. Access ID: 13752770.

    About Radware
    Radware® (NASDAQ: RDWR) is a global leader in application security and delivery solutions for multi-cloud environments. The company’s cloud application, infrastructure, and API security solutions use AI-driven algorithms for precise, hands-free, real-time protection from the most sophisticated web, application, and DDoS attacks, API abuse, and bad bots. Enterprises and carriers worldwide rely on Radware’s solutions to address evolving cybersecurity challenges and protect their brands and business operations while reducing costs. For more information, please visit the Radware website.

    Radware encourages you to join our community and follow us on: Facebook, LinkedIn, Radware Blog, X, and YouTube.

    ©2025 Radware Ltd. All rights reserved. Any Radware products and solutions mentioned in this press release are protected by trademarks, patents, and pending patent applications of Radware in the U.S. and other countries. For more details, please see: https://www.radware.com/LegalNotice/. All other trademarks and names are property of their respective owners.

    Radware believes the information in this document is accurate in all material respects as of its publication date. However, the information is provided without any express, statutory, or implied warranties and is subject to change without notice.

    The contents of any website or hyperlinks mentioned in this press release are for informational purposes and the contents thereof are not part of this press release.

    Safe Harbor Statement
    This press release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statements made herein that are not statements of historical fact, including statements about Radware’s plans, outlook, beliefs, or opinions, are forward-looking statements. Generally, forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as “believes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “estimates,” “plans,” and similar expressions or future or conditional verbs such as “will,” “should,” “would,” “may,” and “could.” Because such statements deal with future events, they are subject to various risks and uncertainties, and actual results, expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, could differ materially from Radware’s current forecasts and estimates. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to: the impact of global economic conditions, including as a result of the state of war declared in Israel in October 2023 and instability in the Middle East, the war in Ukraine, tensions between China and Taiwan, financial and credit market fluctuations (including elevated interest rates), impacts from tariffs or other trade restrictions, inflation, and the potential for regional or global recessions; our dependence on independent distributors to sell our products; our ability to manage our anticipated growth effectively; our business may be affected by sanctions, export controls, and similar measures, targeting Russia and other countries and territories, as well as other responses to Russia’s military conflict in Ukraine, including indefinite suspension of operations in Russia and dealings with Russian entities by many multi-national businesses across a variety of industries; the ability of vendors to provide our hardware platforms and components for the manufacture of our products; our ability to attract, train, and retain highly qualified personnel; intense competition in the market for cybersecurity and application delivery solutions and in our industry in general, and changes in the competitive landscape; our ability to develop new solutions and enhance existing solutions; the impact to our reputation and business in the event of real or perceived shortcomings, defects, or vulnerabilities in our solutions, if our end-users experience security breaches, or if our information technology systems and data, or those of our service providers and other contractors, are compromised by cyber-attackers or other malicious actors or by a critical system failure; our use of AI technologies that present regulatory, litigation, and reputational risks; risks related to the fact that our products must interoperate with operating systems, software applications, and hardware that are developed by others; outages, interruptions, or delays in hosting services; the risks associated with our global operations, such as difficulties and costs of staffing and managing foreign operations, compliance costs arising from host country laws or regulations, partial or total expropriation, export duties and quotas, local tax exposure, economic or political instability, including as a result of insurrection, war, natural disasters, and major environmental, climate, or public health concerns; our net losses in the past and the possibility that we may incur losses in the future; a slowdown in the growth of the cybersecurity and application delivery solutions market or in the development of the market for our cloud-based solutions; long sales cycles for our solutions; risks and uncertainties relating to acquisitions or other investments; risks associated with doing business in countries with a history of corruption or with foreign governments; changes in foreign currency exchange rates; risks associated with undetected defects or errors in our products; our ability to protect our proprietary technology; intellectual property infringement claims made by third parties; laws, regulations, and industry standards affecting our business; compliance with open source and third-party licenses; complications with the design or implementation of our new enterprise resource planning (“ERP”) system; our reliance on information technology systems; our ESG disclosures and initiatives; and other factors and risks over which we may have little or no control. This list is intended to identify only certain of the principal factors that could cause actual results to differ. For a more detailed description of the risks and uncertainties affecting Radware, refer to Radware’s Annual Report on Form 20-F, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and the other risk factors discussed from time to time by Radware in reports filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and, except as required by applicable law, Radware undertakes no commitment to revise or update any forward-looking statement in order to reflect events or circumstances after the date any such statement is made. Radware’s public filings are available from the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov or may be obtained on Radware’s website at www.radware.com.

    CONTACTS
    Investor Relations:
    Yisca Erez, +972-72-3917211, ir@radware.com

    Media Contact:
    Gerri Dyrek, gerri.dyrek@radware.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: InitVerse Shines at Hong Kong Web3 Festival: Leading the Next Generation of Web3 Infrastructure with Privacy and Innovation

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORTOLA, British Virgin Islands, April 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — One of the world’s most influential events in the Web3 space, the 2025 Hong Kong Web3 Festival, concluded successfully at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre from April 6th to 9th. Co-hosted by Wanxiang Blockchain Labs and HashKey Group, the event attracted over 50,000 attendees, 300+ top industry leaders, and 150 cutting-edge projects. As a pioneering innovator in Web3 infrastructure, InitVerse stood out as one of the spotlight projects at the festival with its strong technical foundation and global strategy. Hakan Sezikli, Chief Business Officer of InitVerse, was invited to participate in several major panel discussions, sharing with global developers and investors how InitVerse is reshaping the future of Web3 through privacy protection and automation.

    Since its debut in 2023, the Hong Kong Web3 Festival has become a key bridge connecting blockchain ecosystems across Asia and Europe. This year’s theme, “Web3 Globalization: Technology, Compliance, and Innovation,” brought together notable guests such as Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin, Binance founder CZ, and Telegram CEO Pavel Durov. Covering hot topics like infrastructure, DeFi, and AI+Web3, the event once again positioned Hong Kong—Asia’s first Web3 event with full government support—as a magnet for global capital and innovation. InitVerse’s participation not only highlighted its globally competitive technical solution but also marked a strategic step forward in the Asia-Pacific region.

    On the main stage and across various sub-events, InitVerse showcased the core strengths of its next-generation Web3 infrastructure to developers worldwide. Built on the INIChain blockchain, InitVerse is an all-in-one platform committed to offering full-lifecycle solutions for DApps—from development to deployment and scaling. Thanks to its technological innovation, InitVerse has already garnered significant attention from industry media and top-tier investment institutions.

    During the panel discussion titled “AI + DePIN: New Possibilities for All Things,” InitVerse CBO Hakan Sezikli remarked:

    “The core contradiction facing current cloud and AI ecosystems lies in the imbalance between data utilization and privacy protection. InitVerse’s TfhEVM technology combines Fully Homomorphic Encryption (TFHE) with the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM), delivering a highly secure, private, and fully functional decentralized computing environment. This allows developers to run AI models directly on encrypted data—without needing to decrypt the original information. This breakthrough is crucial for fields like healthcare and finance, where compliance and trust are paramount.”

    InitVerse adopts a modular architecture, separating the INIChain base layer, privacy computing layer, and AI service layer. This ensures decentralization and security while allowing INICloud to dynamically scale computing resources. Developers can flexibly access computing power based on their needs, ensuring DApps maintain high performance even during traffic surges.

    In the forum, Hakan Sezikli further elaborated on InitVerse’s technical vision and community ecosystem. He emphasized that InitVerse’s tech roadmap always seeks a balance between decentralization, performance, and usability. He also revealed that InitVerse is collaborating with multiple institutions to build the next generation of encrypted applications.

    The Hong Kong Web3 Festival marks the third stop in InitVerse’s 2025 globalization strategy. With the unique value of its technology stack, InitVerse has drawn attention from top institutions including **HashKey Capital**, and plans to expand its global influence through the following events:

    • Jakarta, Indonesia (April 12): Community meetup with local leaders to explore the Southeast Asian market
    • Moscow (April 23): First appearance at the Eastern European Blockchain Forum, pushing for enterprise collaborations in Russian-speaking markets
    • Dubai (April 30): Participation in Token2049, expanding into regulated financial use cases in the Middle East
    • (More locations are being planned and will be announced soon)

    InitVerse’s globalization efforts are not only reflected in technology deployment but also in its ongoing efforts to build a decentralized community. Through incentive programs and outreach, the official community grew by over 2,000 new members during the event—demonstrating the market’s strong demand for privacy technology.

    The 2025 Hong Kong Web3 Festival once again proved that the future of Web3 belongs to projects that can balance technical innovation with real-world needs. With TFHE encryption, modular architecture, and AI empowerment, InitVerse is offering developers the ultimate toolkit for privacy and performance. As Hakan Sezikli aptly put it during the panel: “If the future of AI is private, encrypted, and decentralized—InitVerse is building it.”

    About InitVerse

    the next-generation platform designed to simplify the development, deployment, and scaling of decentralized applications (DApps). Powered by INIChain, an advanced blockchain infrastructure, InitVerse provides a secure, efficient, and scalable ecosystem for Web3 projects.By leveraging INIChain’s robust blockchain processing and dynamic scalability, InitVerse offers developers a complete solution for the entire DApp lifecycle. From secure deployment to seamless scaling, InitVerse makes Web3 development accessible and efficient for developers at all levels.

    Contact:
    Sami Yilmaz
    support@inichain.com

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

    Legal Disclaimer: This media platform provides the content of this article on an “as-is” basis, without any warranties or representations of any kind, express or implied. We do not assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information presented herein. Any concerns, complaints, or copyright issues related to this article should be directed to the content provider mentioned above.

    Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/cb84d6a8-b0fb-4af1-be8c-82286818edf9

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/19392f2e-a984-4521-a29c-5a106600fff9

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Find out about our financial support for SME Housebuilders

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    News story

    Find out about our financial support for SME Housebuilders

    Homes England is helping hundreds of small and medium sized housebuilders to kickstart projects by providing development loans from £250,000 to over £10 million.

    The Home Building Fund is designed for housebuilders based in England that are struggling to access finance from traditional lenders. Loans can be tailored to your individual circumstances and can be used to meet the development costs of building homes for sale or rent. Financing is also available to support community-led housing projects, serviced plots for custom and self-builders, off-site manufacturing, new entrants to the market and groups of small firms working in consortia to deliver larger sites.

    Our flexible approach, along with our in-depth knowledge of the housing sector, makes us uniquely placed to support businesses of all sizes to deliver new homes.

    The Home Building Fund can help if you:

    • are a UK-registered corporate entity or limited liability partnership
    • plan to build 5 or more homes on a site in England
    • have a controlling interest in the land, with outline planning permission in place

    More information about the fund can be found in our Home Building Fund guidance, and you can also arrange a call with one of our regional specialists by:

    Find out about some of the schemes we’ve supported by viewing our case studies

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Moldova encouraged to implement findings of Polish-funded critical infrastructure resilience project

    Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction

    The final meeting of UNDRR’s Polish Aid-funded “Strengthening Critical Infrastructure Resilience in the Republic of Moldova” project called on the government and development partners to take action to protect critical infrastructure from growing disaster risks.

    The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Regional Development (MIRD) hosted a meeting to present the final findings of the project, gathering key stakeholders, including Secretaries of State from MIRD and other government ministries, the Polish Ambassador, the UN Resident Coordinator, UN agencies, development partners, and international financial institutions.

    Launched in July 2024 with financial support from the Government of Poland, the project applied a global methodology developed by UNDRR and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure to assess the resilience of Moldova’s critical infrastructure, focusing on energy, ICT, transport, and water sectors. Moldova became the first country in Europe and Central Asia to adopt this approach, which has been implemented in Asia-Pacific, Africa, and Latin America.

    Moldova is highly vulnerable to natural hazards such as floods, storms, and droughts, as well as broader impacts of climate change. These risks pose significant threats to critical infrastructure, which is vital for providing essential services and supporting key economic sectors.

    The final meeting in Chisinau brought stakeholders together to advance the risk-informed recommendations from the project’s national roadmap report, aimed at strengthening Moldova’s resilience across sectors and governance levels.

    The roadmap report examines vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure systems against disaster risks, highlighting systemic and cascading impacts, as well as interdependencies during disruptions. It identifies gaps and proposes improvements in policies, regulations, and their implementation, along with areas for enhanced coordination across sectors and governance levels. The report outlines cross-sectoral and sector-specific Resilience Action Plans, balancing short-term preparedness with long-term strategies, aligning with Moldova’s National Disaster Risk Reduction Strategy and the EU National Accession Programme.

    Mr. Corneliu Cirimpei, the State Secretary of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Regional Development said that “effective disaster risk management in Moldova is currently focused more on response, rather than on proactive disaster risk reduction measures, and therefore there is a significant opportunity in updating and harmonizing the regulatory framework to strengthen preparedness and ensure the continuity of essential services in the face of disruptions.”

    H.E. Tomasz Kobzdej, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Poland, underlined the “importance of efforts to strengthen critical infrastructure resilience in the face of complex disaster risks and threats in Moldova”, emphasizing “the linkages of the project recommendations with Moldova’s EU accession process.”

    Ms. Yesim Oruc, UN Resident Coordinator in the Republic of Moldova, welcomed “the findings of this comprehensive initiative as a steppingstone for developing both sectoral and cross-sectoral plans to strengthen infrastructure resilience in Moldova”, underlining “the resilience of critical infrastructure systems and the key services as a prerequisite for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals”

    Ms. Natalia Alonso Cano, Chief of the UNDRR Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia, called for a “whole-of-government and multi-stakeholder approach to advance the priority actions identified in the roadmap report, ensuring continuity and coherence across partners in strengthening infrastructure resilience”, adding that “UNDRR remains committed to supporting Moldova in building its critical infrastructure resilience across sectors, in alignment with national priorities and global best practices.”

    The project was supported by a Technical Working Group co-chaired by UNDRR and MIRD, comprising representatives from six ministries, the State Chancellery, the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations, and the Agency for Geodesy, Cartography and Cadastre, along with UN agencies and civil society organizations. The initiative included consultations, webinars, and workshops, such as the Stress Test and Resilience Scorecard Workshop held in Chișinău in November 2024, with participation from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

    About the project

    Launched in July 2024 with financial support from the Government of Poland, the “Strengthening critical infrastructure resilience in the Republic of Moldova” employs a global methodology developed by UNDRR and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure to assess the level of critical infrastructure resilience, identify gaps, foster collaboration among key stakeholders, and to formulate an implementation plan to enhance governance and investments in infrastructure resilience, in line with government priorities.

    About UNDRR

    UNDRR is the lead agency in the United Nations on disaster risk reduction. It provides leadership, expertise, and tools to enable countries to understand and act on disaster risks before they become disasters. UNDRR’s work is guided by the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, which aims to achieve a substantial reduction in disaster risk and losses by the year 2030.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –