NewzIntel.com

Category: Economy

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New City Learning Quarter training facility shortlisted for regional award

    Source: City of Wolverhampton

    The £8.1 million Advanced Technology and Automotive Centre (ATAC) at City of Wolverhampton College’s Wellington Road campus in Bilston is in the running for the Building Project of the Year honour.

    Winners will be announced at an awards dinner on Thursday 1 May, at Edgbaston Cricket Ground.

    ATAC opened to students in September following an 11 month build by contractor Speller Metcalfe.

    It will secure hundreds of jobs in the local economy and create learning opportunities for thousands of students – specialising in engineering and automotive, including electric vehicles (EV).

    Only last month, luxury car manufacturer, Bentley, enrolled 18 of its manufacturing technicians on electrical apprenticeships at the centre.

    Construction of ATAC was funded by £7.7 million from the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), with the remainder from the Black Country LEP.

    It has been designed for engineering and automotive studies – with facilities for new electric, hybrid and traditional vehicles, as well fabrication, manufacturing, welding, CAD and robotics.

    The centre is delivering a multi skilled flexible workforce addressing skills shortages in the city. Almost 5,500 learners and 954 apprenticeships are forecast over the first 10 years of the centre.

    Phase 2 of the City Learning Quarter masterplan is in progress with McLaughlin & Harvey constructing a city centre campus that will pave the way for the college to move from its Paget Road site, while Speller Metcalfe is delivering transformational works on the neighbouring Adult Education Wolverhampton and Central Library facilities.

    The courses the purpose built Bilston centre host are not suitable for the city centre location.

    City of Wolverhampton Council Cabinet Member for City Development, Jobs and Skills, Councillor Chris Burden, said: “The Advanced Technology and Automotive Centre is a fantastic new facility and to be shortlisted for this award is testament to that.

    “It was built on time and on budget and is already delivering positive outcomes in terms of our education and skills offer in Wolverhampton.

    “Advanced technology and automotive is a rapidly growing economic sector, creating learning and jobs opportunities for people of all ages in our city and beyond.

    “It aligns with Wolverhampton’s strong credentials as a front runner in green industries, which will be further supported by the development of our Green Innovation Corridor as one of the 3 pillars in the West Midlands Investment Zone.”

    Peter Merry, Deputy Principal and Chief Executive of the College, said: “The Advanced Technology and Automotive Centre was designed with the requirement of students, apprentices, employers and the wider engineering and automotive sectors at its heart and enabled courses to be transferred from our Paget Road campus for the start of the academic year in September 2024.

    “Students are benefitting from learning in purpose built premises with industry standard equipment and facilities and, with so much construction taking place across the region, we are delighted that it has been shortlisted for the Building Project of the Year Award.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Update on Cabinet Office Audit and Risk Committee

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    Update on Cabinet Office Audit and Risk Committee

    A new chair has been appointed to the Cabinet Office Audit and Risk Committee

    Maura Sullivan has been appointed as Chair of the Cabinet Office Audit and Risk Committee for a term of three years. 

    The Cabinet Office Audit and Risk Committee offers an independent perspective on the department’s financial, risk, and control arrangements. It also reviews and recommends the approval of accounts for the Cabinet Office, Office of the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists, Civil Superannuation, and the Royal Mail Statutory Pension Scheme.

    The Committee supports the Cabinet Office Board, which provides strategic and operational leadership for the department. It comprises of Cabinet Office ministers, senior executives, and non-executives from outside government.

    Maura is a finance professional with an executive career spanning Board level CFO roles in Banking, Asset Management and Pensions. 

    She has worked in complex international organisations, managed large teams and led and supported large transformation programmes. 

    Her non executive portfolio currently includes Chair of Audit and Compliance Committee for Marsden Building Society and Chair of Audit & Risk for Gov Facilities Management Services Limited (GovFSL), an arms length body of the MoJ.

    Updates to this page

    Published 8 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Florida IAM Members Fight for Workers’ Rights

    Source: US GOIAM Union

    Florida State Council of Machinists President Mike Phillips recently addressed members in Tallahassee regarding anti-union and anti-worker legislation being considered during the state’s legislative session. He highlighted specific threats to teachers’ unions, minimum wage, and child labor laws, emphasizing the need for strong opposition. IAM General Secretary-Treasurer Dora Cervantes, IAM Southern Territory General Vice President Craig Martin and IAM Chief of Staff Vinny Addeo also had keynote speeches affirming the power of unions and their positive impact on the middle class and economy.

    Watch the video report here.

    The 50 members heard reports on organizing successes and the IAM Union securing firm contracts around the country. The Council listened to a detailed report from the IAM Political and Legislative Director Loren Almaroth on the IAM’s bipartisan work with legislators on various issues, including combating China’s trade practices. The council actively lobbied with the Florida AFL-CIO  and collaborated with other unions to advocate for labor-friendly laws and the well-being of working families in Florida.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why tax literacy should be a national priority in Canada

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Esteban Vallejo Toledo, PhD Student in Law and Society, University of Victoria

    The last time Canada’s political parties campaigned during a tax season was more than a decade ago. This year, taxes are a hot topic, and for good reason. Shortly after the federal election was called, the political parties began rolling out promises of tax cuts to win over voters.

    At the same time, although Canada’s consumer carbon tax was scapped last month, debates about the industrial carbon tax are likely to continue.

    As the election campaign continues and political parties make more tax-related promises, approximately 3,520 tax clinics and 18,090 volunteers are doing their best to help people file their taxes until April 30. Some of the volunteers are struggling to help as many people as possible.

    No candidate has talked about a tax issue that is essential for life in free and democratic societies: tax literacy. If Canada is to maintain an informed, financially responsible and democratic society, tax literacy must become part of the national conversation.

    A longstanding idea with modern relevance

    The notion of tax literacy has been gaining traction in recent years, but it’s far from a new idea.

    One of the earliest advocates for tax literacy and education was Charles Montesquieu, a French judge and political philosopher of the Enlightenment.

    Portrait of Charles Montesquieu by an anonymous artist.
    (Wikimedia Commons)

    In his 1748 book The Spirit of Laws, Montesquieu argued for tax literacy and education for two key reasons.

    First, he was convinced that knowledge about taxation was necessary to defend oneself against the corruption and abuse that characterized private tax collectors, known at the time as tax farmers.

    Second, he believed education in democratic societies could enhance people’s sense of responsibility for public affairs and help hold authorities accountable for their actions. In his view, tax literacy and education were instrumental in how societies organized themselves for the common good.

    More than 275 years later, Montesquieu’s argument remains just as relevant.

    Tax literacy is neglected in Canada

    In Canada, tax literacy continues to be neglected despite efforts by tax agencies like Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and Revenu Québec to promote it.

    There are important reasons to treat tax literacy as a national priority. It helps people understand and navigate federal, provincial and municipal taxes, recognize the social importance of taxation and responsibly exercise their rights. It also allows people to manage their financial affairs according to the law.

    Tax literacy is also instrumental in contesting economic populism, a political approach that claims to represent the interests of “ordinary people” against perceived elites, often by oversimplifying complex issues like taxation.

    It also helps counter the spread of of disinformation, misinformation and malinformation about taxes in the media, online and on social networks.



    Read more:
    The Canada Carbon Rebate is still widely misunderstood — here’s why

    In Canada, recent examples include misleading claims that Canada has the highest taxes in the world, mischaracterizations of climate tax policies, flawed analyses of the carbon rebate’s cost and other misconceptions about the carbon rebate.

    Tax literacy vs. financial literacy

    While Canada has done considerable work to further financial literacy since 2001, tax literacy has received far less attention from both authorities and scholars.

    In fact, only two peer-reviewed studies have examined tax literacy in Canada. Published in 2016 and 2020, these studies analyze tax literacy within the context of financial literacy and mostly in relation to the income tax.

    Similar to financial literacy, the authors of these studies define tax literacy as “having the knowledge, skills and confidence to make responsible tax decisions.”

    Canada’s federal and provincial governments, as well as non-profit organizations and tax preparers, tend to use a benefit-based narrative to promote tax literacy and encourage tax compliance.

    This narrative frames filing income taxes as positive because it allows people to receive direct payments from the government. In Canada, the income tax system is closely linked to the social support system that benefits everyone, particularly low-income people for whom filing taxes is the primary way to access benefits such as the Canada Child Benefit, the GST/HST Credit and the Canada Workers Benefit.

    The missing fiscal dimension

    While the benefit-based approach aligns with international standards and has clear advantages, it also has drawbacks.

    Most notably, it overlooks the fiscal dimension of tax literacy. This dimension highlights the role taxes play in raising revenue to support government programs, promoting collective well-being, regulating economic activity, addressing social inequalities, strengthening democratic institutions and advancing social goals like environmental protection.

    Taxes are far more than mandatory payments to government. Recognizing this enables citizens to actively participate in decision-making processes and hold governments accountable.



    Read more:
    10 things everyone should know about taxation

    The fiscal dimension also broadens public understanding beyond the income tax. On one hand, it helps people interact with tax authorities beyond the CRA, including those administered by provinces, municipalities and First Nations.

    On the other hand, it helps citizens better understand public budgets and recognize that while income tax is an important source of revenue, it is not the only one.

    The fiscal dimension also challenges harmful narratives that attempt to create social divisions by using the terms “taxpayer” and “taxpayer money.” It also counters the spread of wrongful stereotypes of Indigenous people. These narratives are often used in populist rhetoric to undermine democracy by excluding marginalized groups.

    What needs to happen now

    Tax literacy must become a national priority in Canada, and public institutions must lead this process. To move in this direction, Canada’s public institutions should:

    1) Adopt a holistic approach to tax literacy that includes both the fiscal and financial dimensions.

    2) Address misinformation and discrimination experienced by Indigenous people regarding tax exemptions. This is essential to honouring the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action.

    3) Offer long-term partnerships and support to teachers and educational institutions to integrate tax literacy into schools.

    4) Lead the production of education resources to ensure a holistic approach. Education resources produced or sponsored by the private sector tend to focus on individual responsibility and frame financial choices in moral terms without considering broader social contexts.

    5) Ensure tax literacy initiatives serve not only children and youth but adults as well, in line with UNESCO’s vision of education as a lifelong right.

    6) Ensure adult tax literacy resources follow the recommendations of the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development). They should be thorough but easy to understand, offered in multiple formats, concise and supplemented by additional resources. Public authorites should expand podcasts, learning platforms and tax initiatives.

    The history of taxes in Canada has been one of important developments but also of social and economic conflicts, wrongful discrimination and colonial racism. It must not also become a history of populism and missed opportunities.

    Now is the time for Canada to write a different chapter. By advancing tax literacy, both authorities and society as a whole can strengthen democracy and build a more informed public.

    Esteban Vallejo Toledo receives funding from the Law Commission of Canada Emerging Scholars Program. He has previously received funding from SSHRC, LFBC, and UVic.

    – ref. Why tax literacy should be a national priority in Canada – https://theconversation.com/why-tax-literacy-should-be-a-national-priority-in-canada-252722

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Canadians need to use the language of freedom in fighting American annexation

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Eric Van Rythoven, Instructor in Political Science, Carleton University

    Canadians looking for relief from the trade war launched by United States President Donald Trump are bound to be disappointed. The Trump administration has just announced it’s more than doubling Canadian softwood lumber duties, adding to an already punishing flurry of tariff actions.

    These tariffs are designed to squeeze Canada, pressuring us into giving up our sovereignty. And while Trump may have cooled his annexation talk lately — likely because of how it was resurrecting the Liberal Party’s fortunes in the ongoing federal election campaign — we cannot simply pretend this threat has gone away.



    Read more:
    Amid U.S. threats, Canada’s national security plans must include training in non-violent resistance

    In response, Canada must use every tool at its disposal. It should leverage retaliatory tariffs and target trade action at vulnerable Republican districts if Trump targets Canada with more tariffs.

    Canadian consumers need to continue boycotting American goods and Canada should ban American firms from bidding on public contracts. It also needs to revitalize trade and diplomatic relationships with reliable allies.

    But alone, even these measures will be insufficient.

    Public diplomacy like no other

    To succeed, Canada needs the most ambitious and energetic campaign of public diplomacy in its history. The target of this campaign should not be the Trump administration, but the ultimate voice of authority in U.S. politics — the American public. Canadian diplomacy should aim to convince
    American citizens that the idea of annexing Canada, already unpopular, is a toxic betrayal of U.S. values.

    Doing so, however, requires using the right language. Public diplomacy fails when it ignores the values of its audience, and especially when the audience has a strong emotional attachment to those values.

    This means that just because something sounds righteous to Canadian ears doesn’t mean it resonates with Americans. Protecting Canadian sovereignty certainly sounds good to Canadians, but this concept is too abstract and distant from Americans’ everyday lives.

    Likewise, Canadians are fiercely proud of our identity as “good neighbours,” but most Americans live far from us and do not know us. Nor can we invoke a shared history that the majority of Americans do not remember or have never learned.

    The value of freedom

    Instead, if Canadians are going to speak to Americans, then they must speak to their culture — and in U.S. culture, no value speaks more loudly than the value of freedom. As American historian Eric Foner writes: “No idea is more fundamental to Americans’ sense of themselves as individuals and as a nation than freedom.”

    For American cognitive psychologist George Lakoff, most of contemporary U.S. politics can be read as a struggle over different conceptions of freedom. From the Declaration of Independence launching a newborn United States into a war for its freedom to the bravery of the Freedom Riders during the Civil Rights Movement, there is no other American value that has the broad resonance and emotion appeal of freedom.

    If America has a civil religion, in fact, it is almost certainly a faith in freedom.

    Canadians need to embrace this language and speak it relentlessly at every opportunity. Americans need to know that Canadians want the freedom to choose their leaders and their laws. They want the freedom to trade without the interference of tariffs. They want the freedom to choose who enters our country.

    They want the freedom to speak different languages. The want the freedom to choose what is taught in Canadian schools, for women to choose, to criticize our government, to choose who we are and who we love. And if Canadians don’t have the freedom to say “no thank you” to becoming the 51st state, then they don’t really have any freedom at all.



    Read more:
    Canada a 51st state? Here’s how American annexation could actually favour Canada

    Putting Americans on the defensive

    Embracing this language does more than simply signal shared values, it puts advocates of annexation on the defensive. By claiming the mantle of freedom, Canadians can put pro-annexation voices on the back foot by forcing them into defending an unpopular position.

    Why should Canadians lose their freedom to elect their own leaders or make their own laws, lose their independence or bend the knee to an American president? Americans would never accept a similar choice.

    Advocates of annexation, including members of the Trump administration, need to be relentlessly challenged over why they think Canadians should be deprived of their freedoms and forced to become American subjects.

    The Trump administration has spent weeks suggesting Canadians have a stark choice: endure economic pain or submit to annexation. Fortunately, the American public knows that the choice between pain and submission is never a free choice, and that the denial of freedom is profoundly un-American.

    Canada needs to tell American citizens that is exactly what their government is doing.

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

    – ref. Canadians need to use the language of freedom in fighting American annexation – https://theconversation.com/canadians-need-to-use-the-language-of-freedom-in-fighting-american-annexation-252366

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: PHOTOS: Rep. Hinson Connects with Iowans Across Linn and Poweshiek Counties

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ashley Hinson (IA-01)

    Washington, D.C. — Over the past couple of weeks, Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA) attended and participated in numerous events with Iowans throughout Linn and Poweshiek Counties.

    On Rep. Hinson’s first stop in Linn County, she toured BAE Systems, Inc. The first ever GPS signal was received in 1977 in Cedar Rapids, and BAE continues that legacy by developing cutting-edge technology and helping our military preserve our highest national security interests.

    Rep. Hinson visited Kirkwood Community College’s Aviation Maintenance Technician Program. Less than two years after it began, this program is already preparing Cedar Rapids’ next generation for in-demand, high-skilled aviation careers. With the federal funding Rep. Hinson helped to secure in 2023, this program has taken off and is already making a lasting impact on Cedar Rapids and the surrounding communities.

    Rep. Hinson also met with Tim Kindl of the Fun Not Fancy Restaurant Group. They discussed the congresswoman’s support for ending tax on tips, the challenges that small businesses in Iowa regularly face, recovering from four years of rampant inflation, and the need to preserve tax cuts for hardworking Iowans.

    Rep. Hinson continued her 22 County Tour catching up with the Cedar Rapids business community at the Cedar Rapids Economic Alliance’s Policy on the Rocks event.

    Hearing directly from local business owners about their challenges and successes is always invaluable—these entrepreneurs are essential to Iowa’s economy, creating jobs and driving growth across the region.

    Rep. Hinson traveled to Poweshiek County to serve as a judge in the Brooklyn Ruritan Club Chili Cook Off. This event brought together community members from around Poweshiek County to show off their skills and support the Ruritan Club’s 175-year celebration taking place this summer.

    After the cook-off, Rep. Hinson had the honor of presenting ribbons and congratulating the first-place winners!

    1st Place in Traditional Chili, Terry Clayton

     

    1st Place in White Chili, Kim Bauman

    1st Place in Spicy Chili, Jody Clayton

     

    On Friday, Rep. Hinson visited Candice Luter Art + Interiors in Cedar Rapids. Candice turned her passion into a nationwide success story, selling her designs across the country where they continue flying off shelves. Rep. Hinson is always proud to advocate for her district’s small businesses and enjoys taking these stories back to Washington!

    Afterwards, Rep. Hinson attended the St. Patrick Catholic Church Fish Fry in Cedar Rapids. This tradition brings communities together during Lenten season for an evening of faith, fellowship, and fantastic food.

    On Saturday morning, Rep. Hinson traveled to Hiawatha to attend the USS Iowa Commissioning watch party. Rep. Hinson recently gave a speech on the House Floor to honor this significant moment for Iowa in American history! Watch Rep. Hinson’s full speech here.
     

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Sunlight Simplify Announces New Partnership with Optimalex

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ORLANDO, Fla., April 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Sunlight Simplify is excited to now be partnered with Optimalex, a predictive analytics and workflow automation insurtech.

    “Sunlight Simplify is committed to innovating on behalf of our clients’ most complex challenges,” said Bernadette Leh, President and Co-Founder at Sunlight Simplify. “Enriching our offering with Optimalex gives our clients access to the most recent claims predictive analytics techniques. This integration provides more options for our clients to increase efficiencies.”

    Optimalex’s award-winning predictive analytics and workflow automation solution offers Medical Professional Liability insurance carriers, self-insureds, and attorneys the means to reduce cycle time and optimize outcomes in a variety of claim types.

    “Optimalex is delighted to partner with Sunlight Simplify, a core systems reference in the Medical Professional Liability industry,” said Founder and CEO Frank Giaoui. “We believe this collaboration will be beneficial for Sunlight Simplify, Optimalex, and all future users.”

    About Sunlight Simplify
    Sunlight Simplify is a cloud based, no-code & low-code, Policy Administration software solution for Insurance Carriers and MGAs. The enterprise suite is tailored to support the specific requirements of the Medical Professional Liability Insurance line of business. The highly flexible, multi-language, multi-currency configurable solution allows for quick implementation across states, territories and countries.

    About Optimalex
    Optimalex’s team combines decades of practical business experience, academic law & economics research and data & software engineering development. Its suite of AI workflow assistance and predictive analytics solutions assists P&C insurance carriers, self-insureds and defense attorneys in enhancing efficiency, mitigating risk and achieving the best possible claims outcome. Optimalex’s flagship solution, Agatha, is fueled with millions of data covering the vast majority of the Medical Professional Liability market in all U.S. jurisdictions. It is available alongside other solutions such as data structuring, report generation, and nuclear loss detection.

    Contacts:
    Martin Kowal
    Sunlight Simplify
    mkowal@sunlightsolutions.com        
    708-668-3794

    Frank Giaoui
    Optimalex Solutions 
    contact@optimalexsolutions.com
    646-427-2737

    Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c56bc7f1-2ac1-4d76-907a-0a569012e2e8

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/611e7085-c4b9-45ef-9f8c-32be9b21129d

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Renasant Announces 2025 First Quarter Webcast and Conference Call Information

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TUPELO, Miss., April 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Renasant Corporation (NYSE: RNST) (the “Company”) will announce 2025 first quarter results following the NYSE’s closing on Tuesday, April 22, 2025. The Company will hold executive management’s quarterly webcast and conference call with analysts on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, at 10:00 AM Eastern Time (9:00 AM Central Time).

    The webcast is accessible through Renasant’s investor relations website at www.renasant.com or https://event.choruscall.com/mediaframe/webcast.html?webcastid=3wLevIin. To access the conference via telephone, dial 1-877-513-1143 in the United States and request the Renasant Corporation 2025 First Quarter Earnings Webcast and Conference Call. International participants should dial 1-412-902-4145 to access the conference call.

    The webcast will be archived on www.renasant.com and will remain accessible for one year. A replay can be accessed via telephone by dialing 1-877-344-7529 in the United States and entering conference number 6525571 or by dialing 1-412-317-0088 internationally and entering the same conference number. Telephone replay access is available until May 7, 2025.

    ABOUT RENASANT CORPORATION:

    Renasant Corporation is the parent of Renasant Bank, a 121-year-old financial services institution. Renasant has assets of approximately $26.0 billion and operates more than 280 banking, lending, mortgage, and wealth management offices throughout the Southeast as well as factoring and asset-based lending on a nationwide basis.

    NOTE TO INVESTORS:

    This news release may contain, or incorporate by reference, statements which may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Such forward-looking statements usually include words such as “expects,” “projects,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “intends,” “estimates,” “strategy,” “plan,” “potential,” “possible” and other similar expressions.

    Prospective investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees for future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, and that actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements. Important factors currently known to management that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include significant fluctuations in interest rates, inflation, economic recession, significant changes in the federal and state legal and regulatory environment, significant underperformance in our portfolio of outstanding loans, and competition in our markets. Management believes that the assumptions underlying the Company’s forward-looking statements are reasonable, but any of the assumptions could prove to be inaccurate. Investors are urged to carefully consider the risks described in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) from time to time, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, which are available at www.renasant.com and the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events or changes to future operating results over time.

    Contacts       For Media:
    John S. Oxford
    Senior Vice President
    Chief Marketing Officer
    (662) 680-1219
    joxford@renasant.com    		       For Financials:
    James C. Mabry IV
    Executive Vice President
    Chief Financial Officer
    (662) 680-1281
    jim.mabry@renasant.com
             

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Security: United States Attorney Bill Essayli Announces Criminal Task Force to Investigate Fraud and Corruption Involving Homelessness Funds

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LOS ANGELES – United States Attorney Bill Essayli today announced the formation of the Homelessness Fraud and Corruption Task Force, which will investigate fraud, waste, abuse, and corruption involving funds allocated toward the eradication of homelessness within the seven-county jurisdiction of the Central District of California.

    This task force will be comprised of federal prosecutors from the Major Frauds Section, the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section, and the Civil Division’s Civil Fraud Section of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California. Assisting the U.S. Attorney’s Office will be the FBI, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General (HUD-OIG), and IRS Criminal Investigation.       

    The Central District of California is comprised of approximately 20 million residents within the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura.

    Los Angeles County alone contains a homeless population of more than 75,000, of which more than 45,000 are within the city limits of Los Angeles. The total homeless population of the remaining six counties of the district exceeds 20,000.

    Despite voter-approved initiatives and billions of dollars spent on tackling this issue, homelessness remains a crisis, especially in Los Angeles County. Last month, a court-ordered audit found that homelessness services provided by the city and county of Los Angeles were “disjointed” and contained “poor data quality and integration” and lacked financial controls to monitor contracts for compliance and performance. 

    During the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government sent $100 million in emergency aid to Los Angeles County to address homelessness. Last month, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded more than $200 million to address homelessness in Los Angeles.

    “California has spent more than $24 billion over the past five years to address homelessness,” said United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “But officials have been unable to account for all the expenditures and outcomes, and the homeless crisis has only gotten worse. Taxpayers deserve answers for where and how their hard-earned money has been spent. If state and local officials cannot provide proper oversight and accountability, we will do it for them. If we discover any federal laws were violated, we will make arrests.”

    Partnering with federal law enforcement agencies, the Homelessness Fraud and Corruption Task Force will investigate crimes related to the misappropriation of federal tax dollars intended to alleviate homelessness in the Central District of California. The task force will prioritize a review of federal, state, and local programs receiving federal grants and funding. The task force will also investigate fraud schemes involving the theft of private donations intended to provide support and services for the homeless population.

    “Any exploitation of the homelessness crisis via the theft of funds intended to improve conditions cannot and will not be tolerated,” said Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “The FBI is proud to join the newly formed task force and will continue to investigate fraudulent schemes and corrupt officials who misappropriate government funding or private donations intended to aid those in need.”

    “The U.S. Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General is proud to join the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our federal law enforcement partners as part of the Homeless Fraud and Corruption Task Force,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Lawler with HUD-OIG. “This collaboration reflects our shared commitment to protecting vulnerable communities, ensuring accountability, and promoting integrity in programs intended to serve those most in need.”

    “IRS Criminal Investigation is uniquely poised to track any funds granted through various federal programs,” said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher of IRS Criminal Investigation in Los Angeles. “We look forward to working with our federal partners to ensure taxpayer and donor funds are spent in accordance with their original intended purposes.”  

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: US v them: Trump’s tariffs and his economic vision of dominance

    Source: The Conversation – France – By Jérôme Viala-Gaudefroy, Spécialiste de la politique américaine, Sciences Po

    US President Donald Trump’s April 2 announcement of sweeping new tariffs against numerous countries isn’t just driven by (already questionable) economic reasoning. It reflects the deeply adversarial worldview embraced by the current occupant of the White House.

    Since returning to the presidency, Trump has unleashed a new wave of tariffs unprecedented in scope. Traditional allies and strategic rivals are now under the same banner, marking a radical shift in Washington’s trade policy that hardens positions taken in Trump’s first term, amplifying them with an unbridled display of power.

    Just as in 2017, when he spoke of “American carnage”, Trump paints an apocalyptic picture of the US, a country he claims has been “looted, pillaged, raped and plundered by nations near and far, both friend and foe alike”. This dramatic narrative is met with a double promise of “liberation” and the restoration of a new “golden age”.


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    Tariffs thus become the weapons of a nationalist crusade, where every import is an attack on sovereignty, and every export a symbolic act of reconquest.

    An authoritarian vision of international trade

    Trump’s trade doctrine is part of a broader strategy defined by confrontation, centralised executive power and a neo-imperial view of the global economy. His tariff measures go far beyond protecting domestic industry: they aim to reshape the global order according to his own interpretation of national interest. This second act of the Trumpist revolution is not a rerun, but an escalation – one based on authoritarian ambitions, the rejection of multilateralism (as seen in the administration’s utter disdain for the World Trade Organization, and the glorification of raw sovereignty.

    The supposed economic logic behind these policies is as flimsy as it is revealing. The chosen calculation method – dividing the bilateral trade deficit by import volumes – is little more than a blunt instrument to go after countries the US runs a deficit with. Officially, it’s about cutting trade deficits, bringing jobs back and raising revenue. But the real agenda runs deeper: consolidating presidential power and replacing global cooperation with a doctrine of economic domination.

    Tariffs as tools of power and messaging

    Trump’s first term has shown the limits of this strategy. The trade war with China, in particular, triggered price hikes for consumers, disrupted supply chains and severely hurt US agricultural exporters. One study found that US consumers bore the brunt of these costs, with an average 1% increase in the prices of manufactured goods.

    Trump doesn’t behave like a traditional head of state operating within a multilateral framework. He acts more like a lone ruler, dispensing rewards and punishments to serve his political – or even personal – agenda. Tariffs, in this context, function as much as media stunts as they do economic instruments. Branded as “reciprocal tariffs”, they construct a simplified and powerful narrative: that of a crusader who corrects the wrongs inflicted on citizens betrayed by free trade.

    This message hits home with workers in industries like auto manufacturing. It offers up convenient villains – China, Europe, and the domestic elite who support free trade. Trade policy is no longer about negotiation; it’s about retribution. In this worldview, the spike in tariffs isn’t just an economic manoeuvre – it’s a statement of sovereignty, even of symbolic power.

    From personal obsession to state doctrine

    Trump’s protectionism is not an overnight development, but part of a long-standing obsession. As early as 1987, he railed against Japan’s trade surpluses with the US and called for steep tariffs on Tokyo. He spoke of the US being “ripped off” and showed a near-paranoid fear of national humiliation or betrayal. At its core, this reflects a deep-seated drive to reassert dominance – to “win” in a world he views as inherently hostile and conflictual. It’s one of the few constants in Trump’s worldview, given his lack of ideological consistency and frequent U-turns on other issues.

    Today, everything is reframed as a question of sovereignty: rare earths, strategic minerals, data flows, shipping lanes. This worldview echoes the imperialist pivot of the late 19th century, especially under US president William McKinley (1897–1901) – a figure Trump pointedly invoked in his second inaugural address.

    This logic also helps explain some of his most provocative gestures: stating he wants to buy Greenland, putting pressure on Canada in hopes of access to its natural resources, and eyeing Ukraine’s mining potential. The underlying idea is blunt and unmistakeable: resources are finite, and you’d better grab your share before someone else does. In this zero-sum game, where one country’s gain is another’s loss, cooperation gives way to conquest.

    The rise of techno-nationalist mercantilism?

    In this worldview, competition isn’t seen as a source of innovation – it’s a threat to be eliminated. The aim isn’t to make America more competitive, but to sabotage the competitiveness of others. The US no longer presents itself – even rhetorically – as a democratic nation playing by the rules of global markets. Instead, it acts like a corporation determined to secure monopoly power.

    This authoritarian shift resonates with key Trumpist thinkers. Peter Thiel, a mentor to US Vice President JD Vance, famously declared that “capitalism and competition are opposites”, championing monopoly as the ultimate goal. Cuts to the federal government and sweeping deregulation aren’t about unleashing free markets – they’re about consolidating control and asserting dominance.



    À lire aussi :
    Trump protectionism and tariffs: a threat to globalisation, or to democracy itself?

    The aim now is to sidestep global systems, not to integrate them – to build an imperial-style autarky where the US controls a closed sphere of influence, shielded from outside competition. This is mercantilism reimagined for the digital age: instead of gold and silver, the currency is data, infrastructure, dollars and crypto currency. Cooperation gives way to coercion.

    Toward an authoritarian international order – or a political disaster?

    The April 2 announcement is far more than an economic decision. It’s a bold political statement – a deliberate move toward a new world order rooted in strength and loyalty, rather than law and cooperation.

    There’s undeniable continuity with Trump’s first term. But this time, the scale, radicalism and concentration of power represent a decisive escalation. Trump increasingly treats the state as his personal property – or a private business – what some have aptly called “patrimonialism”. He is shaping an authoritarian model in which trade becomes a weapon in a new kind of global cold war, driven by fear of decline and an obsession with control. In this logic, prosperity is no longer a shared national goal – it’s a privilege reserved for those in power.

    This trajectory could become politically explosive, especially as Trump faces falling markets and looming inflation – both threatening a weakening of his presidency. If he doubles down despite sinking approval ratings, Republican lawmakers may be forced – under pressure from their voters and donors – to finally push back and reassert their constitutional role. Early signs of dissent within the Republican Party are already surfacing, alongside public anger that remains scattered – but is growing harder to ignore.

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

    – ref. US v them: Trump’s tariffs and his economic vision of dominance – https://theconversation.com/us-v-them-trumps-tariffs-and-his-economic-vision-of-dominance-254096

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Canada’s aging population: The unspoken ballot box issue

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Sunil Johal, Professor in Public Policy and Society, University of Toronto

    Canadians are voting in a federal election on April 28, and questions about how to deal with the United States and make Canada’s economy more resilient are dominating public discourse.

    The housing crisis, immigration policy and health-care system deficiencies are other top-of-mind concerns. But one issue we likely won’t hear much about from politicians is a trend that’s quietly shaping all of these issues: an aging population.

    Canada’s overall population is older than ever. Between 2016 and 2021, the portion of the population aged 65 and older grew to seven million people. By 2040, it’s projected that close to one-quarter of Canadians will be over the age of 65.

    That means policymakers need to think more proactively about how they can transform Canada’s existing policies to address the needs of an aging population.

    A new report we’ve published at the CSA Public Policy Centre outlines policy pathways for federal and provincial governments to consider as 2040 approaches.

    It’s time for Canadians to reimagine where we live as we grow older, transform our understanding of health and health-care services and take a whole-of-society approach to advance cultural change around the experience of aging.

    Precarious retirement

    As more baby boomers retire in the years ahead, labour productivity is expected to decline and the income tax base that supports core public services will shrink.

    At the same time, significant investments will be needed for our already strained health-care system to meet the needs of older adults living with more chronic conditions. The average cost of delivering health care is about $12,000 per person per year for those over 65, compared to only $2,700 for those under 65.

    Similarly, in the face of a years-long decline in the quality of Canada’s long-term care system and the preference of Canadians to age at home, a policy shift towards aging-in-place has become a priority.

    However, this raises important questions about social isolation, accessibility of Canada’s built environment, suitability of housing options on the market as well as the availability and affordability of necessary services.

    Recent polling shows that 95 per cent of Canadians over 45 believe that aging-in-place would maintain their independence, comfort and dignity. Yet only 12 per cent report having the funds available to receive adequate home care.

    In the absence of thoughtful policy reform, there is potential for significant disparities in health outcomes, financial security and social inclusion among older adults in the years to come.



    Read more:
    Wealthier Canadians live longer and are less likely to be dependent as they age, new research finds

    Ensuring intergenerational equity

    There is a perception that baby boomers are heading into a comfortable retirement with robust pensions and opportunities for leisure. While this may be the case for those who have accumulated or inherited wealth, others are facing the risk of poverty and homelessness.

    Data indicates that around 30 per cent of people using shelters across Canada are aged 50 or older, with many others unsheltered, living outdoors or experiencing hidden homelessness.

    With limited resources, governments will be challenged to meet the needs of older Canadians while ensuring younger Canadians can also thrive. Young Canadians are facing a housing market that feels out of reach and many are delaying the decision to start a family due to high costs of living.

    Fifty-five per cent of Canadians aged 25-44 report that rising prices are greatly affecting their ability to meet day-to-day expenses. Balancing the needs of different generations will require new ways of thinking, strategic investments and systemic cultural change.

    A path forward

    This means that, in the face of difficult decisions, resources should be allocated to those who need them most. For example, there have been calls to improve the equity of Old Age Security (OAS) — which is expected to cost $96 billion annually by 2027 — and lower income thresholds for eligibility.

    Unlike the Guaranteed Income Supplement, which is targeted to low-income Canadians over the age of 65, households with an annual income more than $300,000 may still be eligible for OAS payments.

    Similarly, vouchers could be made available to help Canadians pay for costs such as long-term care or home care services. Eligibility for programs like this should be tested against both income and wealth — access to home equity can be a significant factor in one’s ability to maintain their standard of living in retirement.

    To ensure equitable outcomes, these decisions should also be guided by meaningful engagement with diverse voices around the table, including those from older and younger generations and different lived experiences. Intergenerational dialogue can help different age groups understand each other’s challenges, collaborate on solutions and ultimately work towards solidarity and a much-needed reimagination of what it means to grow older.

    As Canadians prepare to head to the polls, we should all consider the future we want to see for ourselves and our communities as we age. Making strategic investments to improve the quality of life for older Canadians today will also lay the foundation for future generations.

    Sunil Johal is the Vice-President, Public Policy with the CSA Group and leads the CSA Public Policy Centre.

    – ref. Canada’s aging population: The unspoken ballot box issue – https://theconversation.com/canadas-aging-population-the-unspoken-ballot-box-issue-253300

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Wales well-placed to benefit from increased spending on defence

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Press release

    Wales well-placed to benefit from increased spending on defence

    Latest figures show the Ministry of Defence spends £290 for every person in Wales.

    Wales Office Minister Dame Nia Griffith at Teledyne Qioptiq.

    • Wales a key player in the defence industry providing critical technology and innovation
    • Latest figures show the Ministry of Defence spends £290 for every person in Wales and directly supports over 7,000 jobs
    • Increased spending on defence recently announced by the Prime Minister boosts national security and drives economic growth

    The cutting-edge work being carried out by defence sector firms in Wales has been highlighted on a visit by a UK Government Minister to North Wales.

    Wales Office Minister Dame Nia Griffith visited Teledyne Qioptiq Ltd in St Asaph today (Thursday 3rd April).

    The firm specialises in advanced electro-optic technology which is integral to a wide range of defence programmes including the Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft and Challenger 2 tanks. The firm also plays a key supporting role for the infantry through the STAS contract.

     Wales Office Minister Dame Nia Griffith said:

    The defence industry is a cornerstone of our national security and economic prosperity.

    All of the Ministry of Defence’s top five suppliers have a footprint in Wales and so we are well placed to benefit from an increase in defence spending.  

     > “Companies like Qioptic are not only driving innovation but also providing high-quality jobs and contributing significantly to our local and national economy.

    The UK Government’s number one mission is kickstarting economic growth. By investing in the defence sector we safeguard our national security, create new jobs and put more money in people’s pockets.

    Peter White, Managing Director of Qioptiq said:

    It is a privilege to continue to play our part in keeping our troops and society safe.

    Wales plays a key role in the UK’s defence industry with over 160 companies employing more than 20,000 people and is well placed to benefit from increased defence spending.

    Last month, the Prime Minister made a commitment to increase UK defence spending to 2.5% of GDP from April 2027.  

    According to the most recent figures the UK Government’s Ministry of Defence spent £914m in 2023-24 with industry and commerce in Wales, an increase from 2022-23 of £86m and directly supported 7,700 jobs in the country.

    In the Autumn Budget, the Chancellor committed £975 million over the next five years to the aerospace sector, with £49 million already confirmed for projects in Wales.    

    While in North Wales, Dame Nia also visited Wagtail UK in Mostyn.

    Wagtail is an award-winning company which provides detection dogs and dog trainer handling and supplies bodies including UK Border Force, HM Revenue & Customs, Police, Trading Standards and Armed Forces.

    Updates to this page

    Published 8 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Entitlement to statutory sick leave to remain unchanged at 5 days

    Source: Government of Ireland – Department of Jobs Enterprise and Innovation

    8th April 2025

    Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Peter Burke TD has today confirmed that entitlement to paid statutory sick leave will remain at five days per calendar year.  

    Statutory sick leave was introduced for the first time in 2023 when the entitlement was set at three days per calendar year, with this moving to five days from January 1st 2024.

    Minister Burke said:

    “As Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, I am committed to promoting working conditions in Ireland and boosting job creation.  I must also ensure that we create a regulatory environment that allows businesses to remain viable, and, indeed, to thrive.

    “Since the introduction of statutory sick leave in 2023, and subsequently the increase in the sick leave entitlement to 5 days in 2024, business owners and representative organisations, particularly in the retail and hospitality sectors, have consistently raised concerns about the cumulative impact of such regulatory measures in light of rising labour, input and energy costs. Five days’ sick leave strikes the right balance. It gives workers income protection for five days, after which Illness Benefit is there to support them.”

    Paid sick leave ensures that employees are entitled to a minimum level of financial compensation if they are unable to work due to illness or injury. Workers will be entitled to up to 5 days of sick leave in a calendar year, paid at 70% of gross earnings, up to a daily cap of €110. The goal of the legislation is to provide a level of financial protection to employees, often in low-paid, precarious roles, who are genuinely unfit to work due to illness or injury but who do not have access to a company sick leave scheme. The illness benefit scheme operated by the Department of Social Protection remains available to eligible employees once they have exhausted their entitlement to employer-paid sick leave.

    Research by the Irish Government Economic and Evaluation Service and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment on sick leave in Ireland found that firms in the retail, accommodation and food services sectors are likely to be more affected should the statutory sick leave entitlement increase from 5 days to 7 days.

    Separately, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment is currently working on an analysis of closures in the hospitality sector. This work is being completed as a matter of priority.

    ENDS

    Notes for Editors

    • The Sick Leave Act 2022 commenced on 1 January 2023. The entitlement was initially set at 3 days per year in 2023, which increased to 5 days on 1 January 2024.
    • The entitlement will remain unchanged at 5 days per calendar year.
    • Once an employee has exhausted their entitlement to employer-paid sick leave, they should move onto illness benefit, operated by the Department of Social Protection, if eligible.
    • Research by the Irish Government Economic Evaluation Service and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment on the impact of the introduction of statutory sick leave in Ireland found that firms in the retail, accommodation and food services sectors were likely to be more impacted should the statutory sick leave entitlement increase from 5 days to 7 days.

    Back to Department News

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    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI: JA Mining’s new cloud mining service is officially launched, helping investors seize the opportunity of low-priced Bitcoin market

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Warwick, April 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — JA Mining, the world’s leading cryptocurrency mining solution provider, has officially announced the launch of a newly upgraded cloud mining service, which aims to help investors seize the golden opportunity in the recent low Bitcoin price market environment and easily accumulate digital asset reserves. The new service not only lowers the participation threshold by simplifying the mining process, optimizing the distribution of income, and providing green mining technology, but also creates an efficient and safe asset appreciation experience for users.

    In response to market fluctuations, the mining industry has ushered in a golden opportunity

    The recent short-term decline in Bitcoin prices has attracted widespread attention in the market. Many investors regard it as a manifestation of market uncertainty, but for the mining industry, it is a rare opportunity. JA Mining encourages investors to accumulate more Bitcoin reserves through cloud mining during the low price period, creating higher returns when prices rebound in the future.

    Through global data center deployment and computing power leasing services, JA Mining allows users to easily participate in mining without purchasing mining machines. Combined with intelligent algorithm optimization strategies, regular distribution of income ensures that users can obtain safe and efficient digital asset value-added services. 

    Core highlights of the new service: Redefining the cloud mining experience

    JA Mining’s new service not only upgrades the mining process, but also redefines industry rules with innovative technology and unique models, providing users with the following core functions:

    • 1 Registration rewards, zero threshold to start

    New users can get a reward worth $100 after registration, without complicated procedures, and start the mining journey immediately.

    • 2 Legality and security guarantee

    JA Mining is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) of the United Kingdom, legal and compliant, and provides reliable protection for every investment of users.

    • 3 No equipment required, no worries

    Users do not need to buy mining machines or master complex technologies, just choose the right computing power contract to start mining.

    • 4 All-weather support, professional companionship

    The JA Mining team provides 24-hour online support, whether users are novice or senior investors, they can get professional answers and companionship.

    • 5 Daily income is credited to the account, and it can be realized quickly

    Users’ mining income will be credited to their accounts on time every day, without waiting, fully reflecting the value of time.

    • 6 Green mining technology, environmentally friendly and efficient

    JA Mining adopts low-energy consumption technology and abandons the traditional high-energy consumption mining model, which not only creates benefits for users, but also promotes environmental protection.

    • 7 Alliance plan, share wealth

    Users can get up to 7% referral bonus by inviting friends to join the platform, share value and get rich together.

    How to quickly start the JA Mining cloud mining journey?

    Want to make money easily? JA Mining provides you with a simple and fast cloud mining experience!

    1.  Register an account and receive exclusive rewards

    Users only need to visit the JA Mining official website (https://jamining.com/), complete the registration in a few minutes, and immediately receive a $100 reward to experience the convenience and efficiency of cloud mining.

    2. Choose a personalized computing power contract

    Whether you are a novice or an experienced investor, JA Mining provides a variety of computing power contracts. Choose the solution that suits you best based on your budget and profit goals to get the most value for every penny.For example:

    · Basic cloud computing plan: invest $200, contract period 2 days, potential profit $214

    · Classic cloud computing plan: invest $500, contract period 3 days, potential profit $527

    · Advanced cloud computing plan: invest $1000, contract period 5 days, potential profit $1095

    · Super cloud computing plan: invest $5800, contract period 14 days, potential profit $7424

    In short

    As a leading platform in the cloud mining industry, JA Mining provides users with efficient and safe mining services through technological innovation, green mining and global layout. With its commitment to sustainable development and exploration of the field of crypto finance, JA Mining not only creates long-term and stable returns for users, but also plays an important role in promoting the construction of the digital economic ecosystem, demonstrating its vision and potential in the industry.

    Official website: https://jamining.com/


    Contact email: info@jamining.com

    Disclaimer: The information provided in this press release is not a solicitation for investment, nor is it intended as investment advice, financial advice, or trading advice. Cryptocurrency mining and staking involve risk. There is potential for loss of funds. It is strongly recommended you practice due diligence, including consultation with a professional financial advisor, before investing in or trading cryptocurrency and securities.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Solomon Partners Hires Tannon Krumpelman as a Partner in its New Financial Institutions Group

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, April 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Solomon Partners, a leading financial advisory firm and independent affiliate of Natixis, today announced the appointment of Tannon Krumpelman as a new Partner in its Financial Institutions Group (FIG). FIG is the newest extension to the Solomon platform and the addition of Mr. Krumpelman further demonstrates Solomon’s commitment to this strategically important sector.

    “Tannon will be a tremendous asset to our firm,” said Solomon Partners CEO Marc Cooper. “His proven success advising clients across the financial services sector will be an excellent addition to our growing FIG team.”

    During his more than 25-year career, Mr. Krumpelman has advised on over $250 billion of mergers & acquisitions, strategic financing transactions and other corporate finance assignments for financial services companies and adjacent businesses.

    Before joining Solomon Partners, Mr. Krumpelman was a Senior Managing Director at Evercore, where he helped lead the firm’s financial services advisory practice. Previously, he was a Managing Director at UBS and Goldman Sachs. Mr. Krumpelman earned his ScB in Chemical Engineering from Brown University.

    “We are thrilled to welcome a banker of Tannon’s caliber and expertise to our team,” said Arik Rashkes, Partner and Head of the Financial Institutions Group. “Widely recognized as a preeminent advisor to the financial services sector, Tannon enhances our team’s capabilities and strengthens our commitment to delivering outstanding service to our clients.”

    Mr. Krumpelman commented, “Solomon has developed an incredibly attractive platform to serve clients founded upon straightforward cultural values that mirror my own. I am excited and highly motivated to further contribute to Solomon’s growth by helping to build a world-class financial services advisory franchise with my esteemed FIG partners.”

    About Solomon Partners

    Founded in 1989, Solomon Partners is a leading financial advisory firm with a legacy as one of the oldest independent investment banks. Our difference is unmatched industry knowledge in the sectors we cover, creating superior value with unrivaled wisdom for our clients. We advise clients on mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, restructurings, recapitalizations, capital markets solutions and activism defense across a range of verticals. These include Business Services; Consumer Retail; Distribution; Financial Institutions; Financial Sponsors; FinTech; Grocery, Pharmacy & Restaurants; Healthcare; Industrials; Infrastructure, Power & Renewables; Media; and Technology. Solomon Partners is an independently operated affiliate of Natixis, part of Groupe BPCE. For further information, visit solomonpartners.com.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8f0c33e8-9896-4252-95c6-59d69305b9db

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reps. Mike Collins, Brandon Gill Introduce the Staged Accident Fraud Prevention Act

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Collins (R-Georgia 10th District)

    Washington, D.C. – Today, Representatives Mike Collins (GA-10) and Brandon Gill (TX-26) introduced the Staged Accident Fraud Prevention Act to make intentionally staging a crash with a motor vehicle a federal crime. 

    “Criminal elements are launching an assault against America’s truckers, in the courtroom and on our roads. Staged accidents take advantage of truckers’ high insurance coverage and make them prime targets for criminals looking for a quick payday, saddling truckers with millions of dollars in inflated damages, increasing insurance premiums for all Americans, and driving up the costs for every transported good,” said Rep. Mike Collins. “The Staged Accident Fraud Prevention Act will hold these fraudsters and their co-conspirators accountable and stop the ‘nuclear verdicts’ that are bankrupting truckers across the country.”

    “I’m proud to co-lead the Staged Accident Fraud Prevention Act with Rep. Mike Collins, because protecting truck drivers from criminal fraud is essential to keeping our highways safe and our economy moving. With Texas being a critical freight corridor for our entire economy, we must send a clear message: staging a crash with a commercial vehicle isn’t a payday—it’s a federal crime,” said Rep. Brandon Gill.

    “When con artists seeking a big payday intentionally collide with commercial motor vehicles, their reckless disregard for safety puts innocent truck drivers and the motoring public at risk.  These unscrupulous individuals perpetuate their selfish actions by filing frivolous lawsuits against honest trucking companies, raising costs for consumer goods and contributing to soaring insurance premiums,” said American Trucking Associations Senior Vice President of Legislative Affairs Henry Hanscom. “ATA commends Congressmen Mike Collins and Brandon Gill for introducing the Staged Accident Fraud Prevention Act, which would close legal loopholes that criminals are exploiting to attack America’s hardworking truckers.  By establishing clear, enforceable criminal penalties that apply to all of the conspirators involved in staged collisions, we can finally put an end to this dangerous and costly practice.”

    “On behalf of the Georgia Motor Trucking Association, hundreds of family-owned trucking interests, and Georgia’s 74,000+ truckers, we stand in strong support of the Staged Accident Fraud Prevention Act sponsored by Georgia’s own Congressman Mike Collins. One in 12 Georgians work in the trucking industry spread across 95,000+ companies. 76% of Georgia communities are completely dependent on truckers to deliver the goods they need, and our industry moves over 363,000 tons of manufactured goods each day in Georgia – 96.9% of total manufactured tonnage. In today’s economy, truckers are recovering from a multi-year freight recession and facing higher insurance rates, rising operational costs, and depressed volumes. Additionally, our industry is facing new threats from highly sophisticated cargo theft and accident staging. The Staged Accident Fraud Prevention Act will provide desperately needed federal guardrails and accountability structures for these growing threats. The Georgia Motor Trucking Association has been the voice of Georgia’s trucking industry for over 90 years, and we are grateful to Congressman Collins and Congressman Gill for their steadfast leadership on behalf of our industry,” said Seth Millican, President & CEO of the Georgia Motor Trucking Association.

    “Staged accidents are not victimless crimes. These are calculated, premeditated assaults that endanger lives, destroy livelihoods, and compromise highway safety. To add insult to injury, criminals abuse the legal system for profit through false accusations and lawsuits, which contribute to skyrocketing insurance premiums for small trucking businesses,” said Lewie Pugh, Executive Vice President, Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association. “OOIDA and our 150,000 members support Representative Collins and his commonsense legislation to protect law-abiding truckers from sophisticated criminal fraud schemes that exploit the hardworking men and women behind the wheel.” 

    “The Texas Trucking Association strongly supports the Staged Accident Fraud Prevention Act of 2025. This critical legislation will protect hardworking truck drivers and companies from the growing threat of staged accidents, which jeopardizes road safety and imposes significant financial burdens on the trucking industry. By targeting these fraudulent schemes, this bill ensures fairness and promotes a safer transportation system for everyone,” said John D. Esparza, President & CEO of the Texas Trucking Association.

    Background

    Increasingly, con artists in passenger vehicles are intentionally colliding with commercial motor vehicles to file frivolous lawsuits, seeking damages that often exceed seven figures. These accidents endanger highway travelers, drive up the costs of insurance, and put small owner-operators out of business. Despite a rise in staged truck accidents, few states have taken action to crack down on this criminal activity. 

    The Staged Accident Fraud Prevention Act establishes clear, enforceable criminal penalties for those who stage these collisions, as well as the attorneys, physicians, and other co-conspirators who knowingly participate in this fraud. 

    The Staged Accident Fraud Prevention Act is supported by: 

    • The American Trucking Associations
    • Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association
    • Truckload Carriers Association
    • Georgia Motor Trucking Association
    • Texas Trucking Association

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Remarks by Acting Chairman Travis Hill – View from the FDIC: Update on Key Policy Issues

    Source: US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation FDIC

    CategoriesBusiness, Commerce, MIL-OSI, United States Federal Government, United States Government, United States of America, US Commerce, US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation FDIC, US Federal Government, US Insurance Sector, USA

    Introduction

    On my first day as Acting Chairman two and a half months ago, I outlined a list of issues on which the FDIC would focus. Today, I will provide an update on a few of those policy issues and describe the agency’s plans for future work in these areas.

    De Novo Bank Formation

    For many years, commentators have been discussing consolidation across the banking industry, as the total number of bank charters has declined from around 8,500 at the start of 2008 to approximately 4,500 today. While much of the focus has been on the role of bank mergers, statistically, the decline in banks since the start of the Great Financial Crisis is less a product of increased merger activity and much more a product of the steep decline in new bank formation. 

    Since 1980, the intercompany merger rate has been fairly consistent, generally moving within a range of 1% to 4% per year, depending on the year. The overall average rate since 1980 is approximately 2.5% per year, while the average rate per year since 2018 is 2.7%.  If we count all charter closings (which also includes failures and intracompany mergers), the average since 1980 is 4.2% per year, while the average since 2018 is 3.4%.  In other words, the decline in banks has been slowing in recent years.  And of course, in absolute terms the annual number of mergers and charter closings has declined dramatically. 

    Meanwhile, the de novo rate has fallen off a cliff.  From 1995 to 2007, the lowest number of new banks established in a year was 93.  Going back a little further, in 1984, 412 new banks formed.  Meanwhile, since the start of 2010, the total number of new banks formed over 15 years is 86, an average of less than 6 per year.  Forty-four of those 86 opened in the four years between 2019 and 2022, a modest but meaningful increase largely attributable to reforms to the process and mindset put in place by Chairman McWilliams. 

    While I do not expect we will get anywhere close to the 100-plus new banks per year of the pre-2008 era, in order to preserve the long-term viability of the community bank model, we need to find ways to encourage more new bank formation, and we are actively considering several ideas to achieve this objective.  One idea we are considering is identifying scenarios in which certain types of applicants may be subject to adjusted standards, including with respect to up-front and ongoing capital expectations. One such type of application might include proposals to open traditional, noncomplex community banks in parts of the country that lack local banks.  Currently, approximately 68 million Americans live in counties that do not have a community bank headquarters.  It might be the case that the benefit a new community bank provides to the “convenience and needs of the community to be served” in regions that lack a community bank presence justifies a more flexible approach to the other statutory factors the FDIC is required to consider.

    We are also reevaluating how we process deposit insurance applications from organizers proposing banks with new or innovative business models.  I recognize there are benefits to bringing some of these firms into the bank-regulated sphere.  For example, a fintech with a large number of deposit accounts may present less risk to the Deposit Insurance Fund (DIF) if it becomes a regulated bank, rather than placing deposits at multiple banks through complex partnership arrangements.  While applicants will still need to meet the full suite of regulatory obligations of being a bank, we will, in collaboration with the chartering authorities, approach these types of applications with an open mind.

    Among the types of deposit insurance applications the FDIC processes are applications from industrial loan companies (ILCs).  At an FDIC Board meeting last summer, I expressed my view that the FDIC should issue a request for information (RFI) or advance notice of proposed rulemaking to ask a comprehensive set of questions addressing issues related to ILC applications. I continue to believe this would be useful, and as a result the FDIC is now actively working on issuing such an RFI.  I recognize that a wide range of stakeholders across the financial services industry have expressed strong opinions on this issue over the years, and I encourage interested parties to provide input once the RFI is released. 

    Overall, deposit insurance remains a special government privilege, and we will maintain rigorous standards for approval in line with our statutory requirements.  But we will do so with an eye towards reestablishing a meaningful pipeline of new entrants into the banking sector.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Paris Blockchain Week 2025 Kicks Off with BYDFi and MoonX Stealing the Spotlight

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PARIS, April 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Paris Blockchain Week (PBW) 2025 officially opened today at the Carrousel du Louvre, drawing global attention as Europe’s most influential gathering for blockchain and Web3 innovation. As an official sponsor, BYDFi marked its fifth anniversary with a major reveal—debuting its brand-new on-chain trading platform, MoonX, for the first time on an international stage.

    With more than 10,000 attendees on site—including industry leaders, developers, and innovators—PBW’s opening day buzzed with energy. BYDFi’s booth (#44) quickly became one of the hottest spots, with a steady stream of visitors exploring the future of Web3 trading. The timing couldn’t have been more fitting: MoonX’s unveiling aligned perfectly with BYDFi’s five-year milestone, adding an extra layer of significance to the launch.

    “Our fifth anniversary marks a new beginning,” said Michael, CMO of BYDFi. “MoonX isn’t just a trading platform—it’s our statement of intent for the future of Web3. We’re excited to unveil it here in Paris and connect with pioneers from around the world shaping the crypto economy.”


    “Crypto Travel Challenge” Sparks Global Excitement

    To celebrate its anniversary and kick off PBW with energy, BYDFi launched its “Crypto Travel Challenge”—a hybrid online-offline campaign inspired by the brand’s five-year journey. On site, attendees scanned QR codes at the booth to complete missions and claim exclusive “Crypto Voyager Backpacks” and limited-edition BYDFi merch. The prize line stretched long, as excitement spread throughout the venue.

    Meanwhile, online participants joined from around the world by following BYDFi’s official X account (@BYDFi_Official), reposting the challenge, and tagging #BYDFiPBW2025 to enter giveaways. The global crypto community responded with enthusiasm.

    One lucky winner from France said, “I got the Crypto Voyager backpack and tested out MoonX—this trip to Paris was more than worth it!”

    The campaign brought the BYDFi community closer together and turned the booth into a vibrant hub where innovation and interaction met.

    PBW 2025: A Strong Start for BYDFi

    Throughout the day, BYDFi’s booth welcomed a steady stream of crypto professionals, investors, and curious newcomers. Visitors demoed MoonX, engaged in real-time conversations about the MemeCoin market, and explored the next phase of on-chain trading. Nearby, a crypto-themed coffee bar added a relaxed touch, reinforcing BYDFi’s mission to bring warmth and personality to the digital finance space.

    The Paris Blockchain Week journey has only just begun. With more surprises and sessions scheduled from April 9–10, BYDFi promises even more to come.

    About BYDFi

    Founded in 2020, BYDFi is one of Forbes’ Top 10 Global Crypto Exchanges, serving over 1,000,000 users worldwide. The platform holds multi-national MSB licenses, is a member of Korea’s CODE VASP Alliance, and leads the industry in compliance and transparency with a 1:1 asset reserve policy and regular Proof of Reserve reports.

    Twitter( X )| LinkedIn| Facebook | Telegram| YouTube

    Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/fb274331-74f0-470e-83de-a00ae15d0488

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/339d572a-89b7-427f-998d-fe3d71150781

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI China: China to work with EU to promote sound, steady development of relations — Premier Li

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

    China to work with EU to promote sound, steady development of relations — Premier Li

    BEIJING, April 8 — Chinese Premier Li Qiang said in a phone conversation with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday that China is ready to work with the European side to promote the sound and steady development of China-EU relations.

    Li said that China-EU relations are showing a momentum of steady growth. This year marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and the EU, and the development of bilateral relations faces important opportunities, he said.

    Li noted that Chinese President Xi Jinping had a telephone conversation with European Council President Antonio Costa at the beginning of this year, which sets the tone and charts the course for deepening China-EU relations.

    China and the EU are each other’s most important trading partners, he said, adding that their economies are highly complementary and interests are closely intertwined.

    Li pledged China’s willingness to work with the EU to maintain sound and smooth high-level exchanges, enhance political mutual trust, expand practical cooperation, and resolve each other’s concerns through dialogue and consultation.

    The two sides should promote the holding of new China-EU high-level dialogues in the strategic, economic and trade, green, and digital fields at an early date, he said.

    Li pointed out that the United States has recently announced indiscriminate tariffs on all its trading partners, including China and the EU, under various pretexts, which is a typical case of unilateralism, protectionism and economic bullying.

    The resolute measures taken by China are not only to safeguard its own sovereignty, security and development interests but also to defend international trade rules and international fairness and justice, Li said, noting that all human beings live in the same global village and no country can thrive in isolation.

    Protectionism leads nowhere, and only openness and cooperation represent the right path for mankind, Li added.

    China and the EU, as strong advocates of economic globalization and trade liberalization, as well as staunch defenders and supporters of the World Trade Organization (WTO), should enhance communication and coordination, expand mutual openness, jointly safeguard free and open trade and investment, and maintain the stable and smooth operation of global industrial and supply chains, so as to inject more stability and certainty into both sides and the world economy, Li said.

    China’s macro policy this year has taken full account of various uncertainties and has sufficient reserve of policy tools to hedge against adverse external impacts, Li said, adding that China is fully confident in maintaining sustained and healthy economic development.

    China will continue to unswervingly expand opening-up, strengthen cooperation and share development opportunities with the EU countries and other countries in the world, he said.

    Noting that the EU always attaches great importance to its relations with China, von der Leyen said it is crucial for EU-China relations to maintain continuity and stability under current circumstances.

    The European side looks forward to holding a new EU-China leaders’ meeting at an appropriate time to review the past, look into the future, and jointly celebrate the 50th anniversary of EU-China diplomatic relations, she said.

    The European side is willing to promote high-level dialogue with China in various fields and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in such fields as economy, trade, green economy and climate change, von der Leyen added.

    She noted that the tariffs imposed by the United States have severely impacted international trade, causing a serious impact on Europe, China and vulnerable countries.

    The EU and China are committed to upholding the fair and free multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core and safeguarding the sound and steady development of global economic and trade relations, which serves the common interests of both sides and the world at large, von der Leyen said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: RGA Right Direction PAC Launches Five-Figure Digital Campaign in Virginia Gubernatorial Race: The Truth About Abigail Spanberger

    Source: US Republican Governors Association

    The following text contains opinion that is not, or not necessarily, that of MIL-OSI –

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – RGA Right Direction PAC today launched a five-figure digital ad campaign and website in the Virginia gubernatorial race exposing the truth about Abigail Spanberger’s failed record in congress.

    “Abigail Spanberger spent the last six years in Washington, D.C. blindly following the party line regardless of the consequences and it resulted in years of failure that ruined the economy for hardworking American families,” said RGA Rapid Response Director Kollin Crompton. “Spanberger voted for higher costs, less parental involvement in schools, and less individual freedom at every opportunity she had. Now Spanberger wants to bring that failed agenda to Virginia.”

    View the site and video here.

    Read more about Spanberger’s failed agenda: 

    Opposes Securing the Border

    • Spanberger opposed commonsense immigration policies to keep drugs and criminals out of the United States, and opposes securing the border, and supports localities declaring themselves as sanctuary cities.
    • Spanberger voted against the Laken Riley Act.
    • Spanberger voted to allow federal funding for sanctuary cities and she voted to let schools turn their facilities into sanctuaries for illegal immigrants.

    Supporting Higher Taxes and Failed Policies that Drove Up the Cost of Living

    • Spanberger was in lockstep with Joe Biden’s reckless, failed spending agenda that caused the skyrocketing costs Virginia families are still recovering from today.
    • Even worse, Spanberger opposed the 2017 middle-class tax cuts that gave hardworking American families nearly an extra $2,000 a year. She even said putting money back in Americans’ pockets was “irresponsible.”

    Putting Politics Over Children and Parents

    • Spanberger voted AGAINST the Parents Bill of Rights Act, which empowered parents to have a voice in their kids’ education and provided necessary transparency within school districts.
    • Spanberger supports allowing dangerous, irreversible gender transition surgery for children.
    • Spanberger supports schools being able to hide a child’s gender identity from their parents.
    • Spanberger voted to allow biological men to compete in girls’ sports — putting girls’ safety and fairness at risk.
    • Abigail Spanberger twice voted against banning military-operated pre-K-12 schools from including pornographic and radical gender ideology books in their libraries.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressional Voting Rights Caucus Condemns Trump Executive Order on Elections as Unconstitutional and Illegal

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

    Headline: Congressional Voting Rights Caucus Condemns Trump Executive Order on Elections as Unconstitutional and Illegal

    WASHINGTON, D.C. –Congressional Voting Rights Caucus Co-Chairs Rep. Bobby Scott (VA-03), Rep. Nikema Williams (GA-05), Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) and Rep. Marc Veasey (TX-33) issued a forceful rebuke of President Donald Trump’s March 25, 2025, Executive Order entitled Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections. The letter, sent directly to Trump and signed by an additional 55 members of Congress, outlines the unconstitutional and illegal overreach of the order, which threatens to disenfranchise millions of American voters and undermine the integrity of our elections.

    The Executive Order directs the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to impose documentary proof of citizenship requirements for voter registration, withhold federal funding from states that do not comply, and override state laws on ballot counting deadlines—actions that directly contradict the Constitution’s guarantee of equal access to the ballot regardless of race, gender, or financial status.

    The members wrote:

    “In no uncertain terms, we believe this order is unconstitutional, illegal, and impractical, could result in millions of voters being disenfranchised, and opens the door for false and misleading accusations of impropriety from your Administration.”

    The lawmakers also raised alarm over the Executive Order’s disproportionate impact on vulnerable communities, including Native Americans, women who have changed their names, and voters who lack access to passports or other costly documentation. By imposing these requirements, the order effectively creates a modern-day poll tax, in clear violation of the 24th Amendment.

    “With election administration consistently underfunded around the country, your Executive Order imposes an unfunded mandate of the bedrock principle of our democracy,” the memberscontinued. “Absent efforts by your Administration to support local governments in implementing your Executive Order, there are strong signs that the intent of your Executive Order is to cause chaos in election administration, not to increase election security.” 

    The Congressional Voting Rights Caucus is demanding that Trump immediately rescind the Executive Order, warning that it opens the door for baseless accusations of voter fraud and a dangerous erosion of trust in the electoral process.

    The letter concludes:

    “Free, fair, open and accessible elections are the bedrock of American democracy–implementing this order would do unfathomable harm to our constituents’ right to vote, the freedoms of our democracy, and the integrity of our elections.” 

    Read the full letter here.

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Minnesota Man Pleads Guilty in ‘Cryptojacking’ Scheme

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

    ST. PAUL, Minn. – Joshua Paul Armbrust, currently of St. Paul, Minnesota, pleaded guilty for his role in an illegal “cryptojacking” scheme that caused significant financial losses, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.

    According to court documents, in February 2020, Joshua Paul Armbrust, 44, formerly of Orr, Minnesota, resigned from his employment at Digital River, a Minnetonka-based global e-commerce and payment processing company. After leaving his job, between December 2020 and May 2021, Armbrust engaged in a cryptojacking scheme using accounts belonging to his former employer. Cryptojacking is a form of cybercrime where an unauthorized party uses someone else’s computing resources to mine cryptocurrency, such as Bitcoin or Ethereum, by leveraging the victim’s hardware, which can lead to reduced system performance, increased energy consumption, and higher operating costs.

    As part of the scheme, Armbrust remotely accessed the company’s Amazon Web Services (AWS) account on multiple occasions without authorization and utilized AWS computers to mine Ethereum cryptocurrency. This unauthorized access resulted in substantial costs for the company, totaling over $45,000. The mined Ethereum was directed into a digital wallet and subsequently transferred to Armbrust’s Coinbase accounts. Armbrust then liquidated the mined Ethereum, totaling over $7,000, and transferred the proceeds to his Wells Fargo banking account.

    “Cryptojacking is simply high-tech thievery,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. “Cybercriminals like Armbrust—who use their technical skills to victimize others—will continue to see federal justice.”

    Armbrust pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court before Judge Jerry W. Blackwell to one count of computer fraud. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date.

    This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley M. Endicott is prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: BexBack Launches Three Exclusive Promotions and Two Innovative Tools to Revolutionize 100x Crypto Futures Trading

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SINGAPORE, April 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Amid heightened volatility in the global cryptocurrency market, BexBack, a rapidly growing crypto derivatives exchange, today announced the launch of three major promotional offers alongside two innovative trading tools. These initiatives are designed to empower traders with greater flexibility, enhanced capital efficiency, and a superior trading experience.

    Three Exclusive Promotions to Maximize Traders’ Potential

    • 100% Deposit Bonus
      Users who deposit more than 0.001 BTC or 100 USDT per transaction are eligible for a 100% deposit bonus, instantly doubling their trading margin.
      (Note: The bonus itself cannot be withdrawn directly, but profits earned using the bonus are fully withdrawable.)
    • $50 Welcome Bonus
      New users who complete their first trade (open and close a position) will receive a $50 USDT bonus credited to their USDT-M account. The bonus can be used for trading or withdrawal, providing new traders with extra flexibility at the start of their journey.
    • No KYC Requirement
      Upholding the spirit of decentralized finance, BexBack allows users to register and trade without any identity verification, offering a faster, more private onboarding experience for traders worldwide.

    Two New Trading Tools for a Smarter Crypto Trading Experience

    • 100x Leverage Crypto Futures
       Traders can now access up to 100x leverage on Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Ripple (XRP), Solana (SOL), Cardano (ADA), and over 50 additional major cryptocurrencies.
      Whether the market moves up or down, traders can open long or short positions to seize opportunities in any condition, with adjustable leverage settings to suit different risk appetites.
    • Free Real-Time BTC to USDT Conversion
      BexBack introduces a zero-fee BTC/USDT conversion feature, enabling users to switch between Bitcoin and USDT instantly at real-time prices, optimizing asset allocation without incurring extra costs.

    Why Choose BexBack

    • Headquartered in Singapore, Licensed Under U.S. MSB
    • Over 50 Major Crypto Futures Available
    • Cold Wallet Custody to Protect User Funds
    • Zero Deposit Fees and Fast Withdrawals
    • 10 BTC Demo Account for Strategy Testing
    • 24/7 Multilingual Customer Support

    About BexBack?

    BexBack is a leading cryptocurrency derivatives platform that offers 100x leverage on BTC, ETH, ADA, SOL, and XRP futures contracts. It is headquartered in Singapore with offices in Hong Kong, Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Argentina. It holds a US MSB (Money Services Business) license and is trusted by more than 500,000 traders worldwide. Accepts users from the United States, Canada, and Europe. There are no deposit fees, and traders can get the most thoughtful service, including 24/7 customer support.

    Start Trading Smarter Today

    Take advantage of the Double Deposit Bonus, the $50 Welcome Bonus, 100x flexible leverage, and start trading without any KYC requirements.
    Sign up now at www.bexback.com and unlock your full trading potential.

    Website: www.bexback.com

    Contact: business@bexback.com

    Contact:
    Amanda
    business@bexback.com

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

    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/1a4075b9-c14c-4bf3-96d7-48d29aba0a79
    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0e3c60ff-6424-4f29-b36f-853b5129c25f
    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0a7cdb68-cb0c-491b-9ba2-196ec702c477
    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/17e78985-c044-449f-ac67-b204c4ce2b26

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Convocation of the General Ordinary Shareholders Meeting of SUTNTIB AB “Tewox”

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Vilnius, Lithuania, April 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —

    On the initiative of the Management Company LORDS LB ASSET MANAGEMENT, UAB (the “Management Company”) and in accordance with the Management Company’s decision of 7 April 2025, Ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders (the Meeting) of the closed-end real estate investment company AB „Tewox“, the, company‘s code 305733600, registered office at Jogailos st. 4, 01116 Vilnius, Lithuania (the Company) is hereby convened to be held on 30 April 2024 at 13:00 p.m. at the registered office of the Company.

    Proposed agenda for the Meeting:

    1. Approval of the Company’s separate and consolidated management reports and audited consolidated and separate financial statements for 2024.
    2. Approval of the Company’s profit (loss) allocation for 2024.
    3. Formation of the Audit Committee and approval of its guidelines.
    4. Amendment of the Company’s Articles of Association and approval of a new version of the Company’s Articles of Association.

    Registration of the attendees shall start at 12:00 a.m.

    Persons who are shareholders of the Company on the date of the Meeting, either in person or by proxy, or persons with whom an agreement of transfer of the voting right has been concluded, shall be entitled to attend, and vote at the Meeting.

    Participants coming to the Meeting shall be required to bring a document of proof of identity. Persons authorised by shareholders must have a power of attorney or another document certified in accordance with the law.

    All material on the Agenda of the Meeting being convened, draft resolutions on each item on the Agenda, other documents and information related to the exercise of shareholder’s rights may be obtained at the registered office of the Company.

    Contact person for further information:

    Rūta Abromavičienė, Senior Legal Officer of UAB “LORDS LB ASSET MANAGEMENT”

    ruta.abromaviciene@lordslb.lt 

    https://lordslb.lt/tewox_bonds/

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Resolutions of Oma Savings Bank Plc’s Annual General Meeting

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    OMA SAVINGS BANK PLC STOCK EXCHANGE RELEASE, 8 APRIL 2025 AT 5:10 P.M. EET, DECISIONS OF GENERAL MEETING

    Resolutions of Oma Savings Bank Plc’s Annual General Meeting

    Oma Savings Bank Plc’s Annual General Meeting (the AGM) was held today on 8 April 2025. The AGM confirmed the Company’s Financial Statements and Consolidated Financial Statements for the 2024 financial year, decided to support the Company’s Remuneration Policy for governing bodies and approved the Remuneration Report for governing bodies through an advisory resolution. The AGM granted discharge from liability to the members of the Company’s Board of Directors and the interim CEO Sarianna Liiri, who served as CEO since 19 June 2024. However, the AGM did not grant discharge from liability to the Company’s CEO Pasi Sydänlammi, who served as CEO until 19 June 2024.
    In addition, the AGM decided on the following matters:

    Resolution on the use of the profit shown on balance sheet and the payment of dividend
    In accordance with the Board’s proposal, the AGM decided to pay dividend of EUR 0.36 per share based on the balance sheet adopted for the financial year 2024. The dividend will be paid to a shareholder who is registered in the Company’s shareholder register maintained by Euroclear Finland Ltd on the record date 10 April 2025. The dividend will be paid on 17 April 2025 in accordance with the rules of Euroclear Finland Ltd.

    Remuneration of the Board of Directors
    In accordance with the proposal of the Shareholders’ Nomination Committee, the AGM decided to pay the following annual remuneration to the members of the Board of Directors for the term ending at the AGM 2026: EUR 85,000 per year to the Chair, EUR 60,000 per year to the Vice Chair and for other members EUR 40,000 per year. The annual remuneration to the Chairs of the Board Committees are as follows: Chair of the Remuneration Committee EUR 6,000, Chair of the Risk Committee EUR 9 000 and Chair of the Audit Committee EUR 9,000. In addition, the meeting fees of EUR 1,000 for each Board and Committee meeting and EUR 500 for each email meeting will be paid.

    Twenty-five (25) percent of the annual remuneration of the Board of Directors will be paid in the form of Oma Savings Bank Plc’s shares acquired from the market on behalf of the members of the Board of Directors. The shares will be acquired at a price formed on the market in public trading following the publication of the interim report for the period 1 January to 31 March 2025. The Company is responsible for the costs of acquiring the shares and any transfer tax. The rest of the annual fee is paid in cash to cover the taxes arising from the fee.

    In addition, Oma Savings Bank Plc pays or reimburses travel expenses and other expenses related to board work to the members of the Board of Directors.

    Number and election of the Board of Directors
    The number of members of the Board of Directors was confirmed to be seven. Juhana Brotherus, Irma Gillberg-Hjelt, Aki Jaskari, Jaakko Ossa, Carl Pettersson, Kati Riikonen and Juha Volotinen were re-elected as Board members for a term ending at the end of the 2026 AGM.

    Election and remuneration of the auditor
    KPMG Oy Ab, a firm of authorised public accountants, was elected to continue as auditor for a term ending at the 2026 AGM. M.Sc (Econ.), APA Tuomas Ilveskoski will continue as responsible auditor. The auditor is paid based on reasonable invoicing approved by the Company.

    Election and remuneration of the sustainability reporting assurer
    KPMG Oy Ab, Authorized Sustainability Audit Firm, was elected as the Company’s sustainability reporting assurer for the term ending upon the conclusion of the 2026 AGM. APA, ASA Tuomas Ilveskoski will act as the principally responsible sustainability reporting assurer. The sustainability reporting assurer is paid based on reasonable invoicing approved by the Company.

    Amendment of the Articles of Association
    In accordance with the Board’s proposal, the AGM decided to amend the Company’s current Articles of Association as follows:

    • Amending Section 6 by removing the provision regarding the due date for the Nomination Committee’s proposals.
    • Supplementing Section 10 to enable remote general meetings. The Board can decide that general meetings are held without a physical meeting venue, allowing shareholders to exercise their decision-making rights in full and in real time through telecommunication and technical means (remote meeting).
    • Supplementing Section 12 to include provisions on deciding the remuneration of the sustainability reporting assurer and the appointment of the sustainability reporting assurer at general meetings.

    Resolution on the revised charter of the Shareholders’ Nomination Committee  
    The AGM decided on the revisions to the Shareholders’ Nomination Committee Charter. The Nomination Committee is to submit its proposals regarding the composition and remuneration of the Board of Directors to the Company’s Board no later than the end of the calendar month preceding the Board meeting that decides on convening the AGM.

    Additionally, the charter is amended to include a provision on the maximum continuous term of a Board member, ensuring alignment with the regulations, guidelines, and statements applicable to credit institutions, including the guidelines issued by the European Banking Authority (EBA). Certain technical revisions were also made.

    The Shareholders’ Nomination Committee charter is available on the Company’s website at https://www.omasp.fi/en/investors/management-and-corporate-governance/nomination-committee

    Authorisation of the Board of Directors to resolve on a share issue, the transfer of own shares and the issuance of special rights entitling to shares
    The AGM decided, in accordance with the Board of Directors’ proposal to authorise the Board of Directors to resolve on the issuance of shares or transfer of the Company’s shares and the issuance of special rights entitling to shares referred to in Chapter 10, Section 1 of the Finnish Companies Act, subject to the following conditions:

    Shares and special rights can be issued or disposed of in one or more instalments, either in return for payment or free of charge.

    The total number of shares to be issued under the authorisation, including shares acquired on the basis of special rights, cannot exceed 3,000,000 shares, which corresponds to approximately 9 percent of the Company’s total number of shares on the day of the AGM as at the notice of the meeting.

    The Board of Directors decides on all terms and conditions related to the issuance of shares. The authorisation concerns both the issuance of new shares and the transfer of own shares. A share issue and the issuance of special rights entitling to shares include the right to deviate from the pre-emptive right of shareholders if there is a weighty financial reason for the Company (special issue). A special share issue may be free of charge only if there is a particularly weighty financial reason from the point of view of the Company and in the interest of all its shareholders.

    The authorisation is valid until the end of the next AGM, but not later than 30 June 2026. The authorisation revokes previous authorisations given by the AGM to decide on a share issue, as well as the option rights and the issuance of special rights entitling to shares.

    Authorising the Board of Directors to decide on the repurchase of own shares
    The AGM decided, in accordance with the Board of Directors’ proposal, to authorise the Board of Directors to decide on the repurchase of the Company’s own shares with funds belonging to the Company’s free equity under the following conditions:

    Maximum number of 1,000,000 own shares may be repurchased, representing approximately 3 percent of the Company’s total shares according to the situation on the date of the notice of the meeting, however, in a manner that the number of own shares held by the Company does not exceed 10 percent of the Company’s total shares of the Company at any time. This amount includes the own shares held by the Company itself and its subsidiaries within the meaning of Chapter 15, Section 11 (1) of the Finnish Companies Act.

    The Board of Directors is authorised to decide how to acquire own shares. Shares purchased by the Company may be held by it, cancelled or transferred. The Board of Directors decides on other matters related to the repurchasing of own shares.

    The authorisation is valid until the closing of the next AGM, but not later than 30 June 2026.

    The minutes of the Annual General Meeting
    The minutes of the AGM will be available on the Company’s website latest 22 April 2025.

    Oma Savings Bank Plc

    Additional information:

    Karri Alameri, CEO, tel. +358 45 656 5250, karri.alameri@omasp.fi
    Sarianna Liiri, CFO, tel. +358 40 835 6712, sarianna.liiri@omasp.fi

    DISTRIBUTION: 
    Nasdaq Helsinki Ltd
    Major media
    www.omasp.fi

    OmaSp is a solvent and profitable Finnish bank. About 500 professionals provide nationwide services through OmaSp’s 48 branch offices and digital service channels to over 200,000 private and corporate customers. OmaSp focuses primarily on retail banking operations and provides its clients with a broad range of banking services both through its own balance sheet as well as by acting as an intermediary for its partners’ products. The intermediated products include credit, investment and loan insurance products. OmaSp is also engaged in mortgage banking operations.

    OmaSp core idea is to provide personal service and to be local and close to its customers, both in digital and traditional channels. OmaSp strives to offer premium level customer experience through personal service and easy accessibility. In addition, the development of the operations and services is customer-oriented. The personnel is committed and OmaSp seeks to support their career development with versatile tasks and continuous development. A substantial part of the personnel also own shares in OmaSp.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Bectran Advances Risk Analysis with IRS Based Tax ID Verification System

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    New Integration Provides Secure, Efficient Validation of Business Tax Identification Numbers

    CHICAGO, April 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bectran, Inc., the industry leader in credit, collections and accounts receivable management technology, today announced a powerful new integration with Cobalt for IRS database verification. This partnership allows businesses to validate Federal Tax Identification Numbers (TINs) directly within the Bectran platform – increasing speed, risk accuracy and fraud prevention in the credit approval and account review process.

    “Traditionally, verifying a Tax ID required manual lookups, or waiting on third-party systems that didn’t always return real-time data” said Louis Ifeguni, CEO of Bectran. “This new integration delivers instant, reliable verification at the source – directly from the IRS – helping our customers evaluate business risk with greater consistency and confidence.”

    Advanced Tax ID Verification and Automated Precision

    TIN and EIN verification is a common requirement in credit applications, but until now the process has often relied on manual checks that can’t confirm accuracy or authenticity. Credit managers frequently encounter risk and inconsistency in credit decisions, but with Bectran and Cobalt’s newest integration, users can leverage a secure and instant verification of tax ID data against official U.S. government records.

    Risk Evaluation and Faster Credit Reviews

    With this integration, credit managers gain access to comprehensive TIN reporting directly through Bectran’s platform. Each report outlines the specific IRS reason and code with clear explanations, helping managers quickly verify results without leaving their workflow. The system performs exact-match validation, comparing the provided TIN/FEIN and legal business name against IRS records. This approach ensures maximum security and accuracy, as attestation only succeeds when both elements perfectly match the official documentation. Verified TIN data feeds directly into the Bectran risk scoring engine, reducing time-to-decision and removing uncertainty from the approval process.

    To further enhance fraud protection, Bectran flags discrepancies between submitted tax information and official records, triggering real-time fraud alerts – all within the same platform.

    About Bectran

    Bectran is the premier SaaS platform for Finance Departments, akin to CRM for Sales. Trusted by diverse organizations, from SMEs to Fortune 500 companies, we streamline credit processing by over 98%, reducing credit defaults and collection costs. Many businesses rely on Bectran for efficient Accounts Receivable and Collections management, achieving up to 95% cost savings. With rapid onboarding in days, our platform is hailed by credit professionals as the future of credit management. Visit Bectran.com to learn more about financial solutions for your industry.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Peru’s ancient irrigation systems succeeded in turning deserts into farms because of the culture − without it, the systems failed

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Ari Caramanica, Assistant Professor of Archaeology, Vanderbilt University

    A pre-Hispanic canal funnels water from mountains to farm fields. Ari Caramanica

    Seeing the north coast of Peru for the first time, you would be hard-pressed to believe it’s one of the driest deserts in the world.

    Parts of the region receive less than an inch of rain in an entire year. Yet, water and greenery are everywhere. This is the nation’s agro-industrial heartland, and, thanks to irrigation canals, almost every inch of the floodplain is blanketed in lucrative export crops, such as sugarcane, asparagus and blueberries.

    However, the apparent success of this system masks an underlying fragility.

    Water shortages have plagued the region for centuries, and now modern climate change combined with agro-industrial practices have further intensified droughts. In response, the Peruvian government has invested billions of dollars in irrigation infrastructure in recent years designed to deliver more water from a resource more than 100 miles away: glaciers in the Andes.

    But the Andean glaciers are disappearing as global temperatures rise. Peru has lost over half its glacier surface area since 1962. At the same time, floods often connected to wet El Niño years are increasing in both frequency and intensity. These floods often destroy or obstruct critical irrigation infrastructure.

    Andean glaciers are disappearing as global temperatures rise. Peru lost over half its glacier surface area in the past half-century.
    mmphoto/DigitalVision via Getty Images

    As an archaeologist investigating societal responses to environmental and climate disaster in Peru, I’m interested in unraveling the histories of complex systems to understand how to improve similar systems today. To understand the Peruvian heartland’s vulnerabilities, it helps to look to the deep past.

    Most of the modern canal network originally dates to pre-Hispanic times, more than 1400 years ago. However, evidence suggests that while the canal systems of the past may have looked similar to those of the present, they functioned in more efficient, flexible ways. The key to adapting to our present and future climate may lie in comprehending the knowledge systems of the past – not just the equipment, technology or infrastructure, but how people used it.

    An environment of extremes

    The north coast of Peru is an environment of extremes.

    In this desert, thousands of years ago, societies encountered many of the same challenges posed by the modern climate crisis: expanding drylands, water scarcity, vulnerable food production systems, and frequent, intense natural disasters.

    Yet, people not only occupied this area for millennia, they thrived in it. Moche and Chimu societies created sophisticated, complex political and religious institutions, art and technology, and one of the largest pyramidal structures in the Americas.

    Relief of fish adorn an adobe wall in the historic Tschudi Complex archaeological site at Chan Chan, the former capital of the Chimu empire in Peru.
    FabulousFabs/Flickr, CC BY-NC

    When the Spanish arrived on the desert north coast of Peru shortly after 1532 C.E., early chroniclers remarked on the verdant, green valleys across the region.

    The Spanish immediately recognized the importance of the canal network. They had used similar canal technology in Spain for centuries. So, they set about conscripting Indigenous labor and adapting the irrigation system to their goals.

    Just a few decades later, however, historic records describe sand dunes and scrublands invading the green valleys, water shortages, and in 1578 a massive El Niño flood that nearly ended the young colony.

    So how did the Indigenous operation of this landscape succeed, where the Spanish and the modern-day agro-industrial complex have repeatedly failed?

    Culture was crucial for ancient canal systems

    Ancient beliefs, behaviors and norms – what archaeologists call culture – were fundamentally integrated into technological solutions in this part of Peru in ancient times. Isolating and removing the tools from that knowledge made them less effective.

    Scientists, policymakers and stakeholders searching for models of sustainable agriculture and climate adaptations can look to the archaeological record. Successfully applying past practices to today’s challenges requires learning about the cultures that put those tools to work effectively for so long, so long ago.

    The pre-Hispanic societies of Peru developed agricultural principles around the realities of the desert, which included both dry seasons and flash floods.

    Large-scale irrigation infrastructure was combined with low-cost, easily modified canals. Aqueducts doubled as sediment traps to capture nutrients. Canal branches channeled both river water and floodwater. Even check-dams – small dams used to control high-energy floods – worked in multiple ways. Usually made of mounded cobble and gravel, they reduced the energy of flash floods, captured rich sediments and recharged the water table.

    A drone’s view of sugarcane fields shows a pre-Hispanic adobe aqueduct on the right and small feeder canals in the modern fields.
    Ari Caramanica

    The initial failures of the Spanish on the north coast exemplify the problem of trying to adopt technology without understanding the cultural insights behind it: While they may be identical in form, a Spanish canal isn’t a Moche canal.

    Spanish canals operated in a temperate climate and were managed by individual farmers who could maintain or increase their water flow. The Moche and Chimu canal was tied to a complex labor system that synchronized cleaning and maintenance and prioritized the efficient use of water. What’s more, Moche canals functioned in tandem with floodwater diversion canals, which activated during El Niño events to create niches of agricultural productivity amid disasters.

    A handmade gate on a modern canal in northern Peru doesn’t seem that different from ancient canals, but the pre-Hispanic canal systems were generally more conceptually complex and interconnected.
    Ari Caramanica

    Desert farming required flexibility and multifunctionality from its infrastructure. Achieving that often meant forgoing impermeable materials and permanent designs, which stands in stark contrast to the way modern-day water management works are constructed.

    Copying ancient practices without the culture

    Today, the Peruvian government is pushing forward with a decades-old, multibillion-dollar project to deliver water to the north coast from a glacier-fed river.

    The Chavimochic project promises a grand transformation, turning desert into productive farmland. But it may be sacrificing long-term resilience for short-term prosperity.

    The project feeds on the temporary abundance of glacial meltwater. This is creating a water boom as the ice melts, but it will inevitably be followed by a devastating water bust as the glaciers all but disappear, which scientists estimate could happen by the end of the 21st century.

    Farmers sell locally grown corn and other crops at a street market in Piura, Peru.
    Christian Ender/Getty Images

    Meanwhile, sustainable land management practices of past Indigenous inhabitants continue to support ecosystems hundreds and even thousands of years later. Studies show higher levels of biodiversity, crucial to ecosystem health, near archaeological sites.

    On the Peruvian north coast, pre-Hispanic infrastructure continues to capture floodwater during El Niño events. When their modern-day fields are flooded or destroyed by these events, farmers will sometimes move their crops to areas surrounding archaeological remains where their corn, squash and bean plants can tap into the trapped water and sediments and safely grow without the need for further irrigation.

    Critics might point out the difficulty of scaling up ancient technologies for global applications, find them rudimentary, or would prefer to appropriate the design without bothering with understanding “the cultural stuff.”

    But this framing misses the bigger point: What made these technologies effective was the cultural stuff. Not just the tools but how they were used by the societies operating them. As long as modern engineering solutions try to update ancient technologies without considering the cultures that made them function, these projects will struggle.

    Understanding the past matters

    Archaeologists have an important role to play in building a climate-resilient future, but any meaningful progress would benefit from a historical approach that considers multiple ways of understanding the environment, of operating an irrigation canal and of organizing an agriculture-based economy.

    That approach, in my view, begins with saving indigenous languages, where cultural logic is deeply embedded, as well as preserving archaeological and sacred sites, and creating partnerships built on trust with the people who have worked with the land and whose cultures have adapted their practices to the changing climate for thousands of years.

    Ari Caramanica receives funding from The National Endowment for the Humanities.

    – ref. Peru’s ancient irrigation systems succeeded in turning deserts into farms because of the culture − without it, the systems failed – https://theconversation.com/perus-ancient-irrigation-systems-succeeded-in-turning-deserts-into-farms-because-of-the-culture-without-it-the-systems-failed-251199

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI: WEEX Lists AB (AB) under the RWA and Blockchain Infrastructure Category

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SINGAPORE, April 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — WEEX , a global digital asset trading platform, officially listed the AB/USDT trading pair on April 2, 2025.

    AB is a public blockchain infrastructure project committed to building a decentralized future. It provides efficient and secure foundational support for DApps and a wide range of digital assets. Its high-performance mainnet and cross-chain capabilities are key to enabling the tokenization of real-world assets (RWAs). The project currently focuses on practical scenarios including DeFi, IoT, and enterprise services. Originally launched as Newton, AB completed its rebranding in February 2025, marking a strategic shift from early community economy exploration toward a new phase of blockchain infrastructure evolution.

    Real-world assets are rapidly becoming a key narrative within the global on-chain ecosystem. In late 2024, BlackRock launched BUIDL, a tokenized U.S. Treasury product, which has since become the largest of its kind by market capitalization. In early 2025, Circle announced the acquisition of RWA platform Hashnote and integrated it with its USDC-linked fund products, further advancing the convergence between stablecoins and real-world financial instruments. These developments reflect the accelerating global interest in on-chain RWAs. According to data from RWA.xyz, as of March 2025, the total value of RWAs locked on-chain has surpassed $18.6 billion, up nearly 20% since the beginning of the year.

    The listing of AB represents another strategic step in WEEX’s commitment to blockchain infrastructure development. The platform continues to focus on supporting high-quality projects that facilitate the tokenization of real-world assets and enable cross-chain interoperability. AB’s long-term dedication to RWA use cases and its adoption of heterogeneous blockchain architecture align closely with WEEX’s mission to bridge real-world value and on-chain participation, offering users broader access to diversified digital assets.

    To mark the listing, WEEX has launched a limited-time deposit and spot trading promotion. Users who complete the designated tasks will be eligible to share in a total prize pool of 10,000 USDT.

    Event link: https://www.weex.ac/events/promo/spot-ab

    To learn more about AB and its listing details, please visit WEEX’s official announcement channels

    About WEEX
    Founded in 2018, WEEX Exchange has rapidly grown into a leading global cryptocurrency trading platform. With over 1,700 trading pairs covering major and emerging tokens, the platform also launched WE-Launch to help users access quality projects early. WEEX has partnered with international figures like football star Michael Owen to boost brand visibility, and recently established a new global headquarters in Dubai to accelerate international expansion. Today, WEEX serves over 6 million users worldwide and is widely recognized for its intuitive interface, smooth trading experience, and reliable performance.

    For more information, visit: X | YouTube | Telegram | Medium | Facebook｜LinkedIn｜Blog

    Email：
    Regina O’Keefe
    Media Inquiries: market@weexglobal.com
    Customer Support: support@weex.com

    Disclaimer: This press release is provided by WEEX. 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/31add9eb-2f5c-4852-89e6-9fabb561ecde

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Grant of warrants

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Announcement no. 07 2025

    Today, the Board of Directors of Agillic A/S (“Agillic” or the “Company”) has exercised its authority to issue a total of 473,859 warrants in accordance with section 3.10 and 3.12 of the articles of association. Out of the total number of issued warrants, 348,859 warrants are issued as part of a 1-year performance-based programme, and 125,000 warrants are issued as part of a 4-year programme.

    The warrant programmes are an essential part of creating incentives for the management of Agillic to reach the financial targets of the Company and to create value for the shareholders.

    1-year warrant-programme

    The 348,859 warrants issued under the 1-year warrant-programme are granted to CEO Christian Samsø, CFO Jack Sørensen and 4 other key employees of the Company.

    Each warrant entitles the holder to subscribe for one share of nominal DKK 0.10 in the Company at a strike price of DKK 9.40.

    The warrants will vest subject to the Company’s achievement of financial performance targets for the financial year 2025 and upon approval of the annual report for 2025 at the annual general meeting.

    The warrants include conditions on accelerated vesting in case of an exit event, e.g. a takeover, merger or sale of assets. The warrants can be exercised upon final vesting of all warrants on the date of the annual general meeting in 2026 and can take place in periods of 14 days starting the day after the publication of the Company’s financial reports. The warrants shall be exercised no later than 36 months after the final vesting.

    The theoretical market value of one warrant on a diluted basis is calculated to DKK 2.19 using the Black-Scholes model. The key assumptions for the calculation are a share price of DKK 9.40, volatility of 46.78%, and a risk-free interest rate of 2.13%.

    For detailed information, reference is made to section 4.12 and appendix 4.12 of the articles of association.

    4-year warrant-programme

    The 125,000 warrants issued under the 4-year warrant-programme are granted to CEO Christian Samsø and CFO Jack Sørensen

    Each warrant entitles the holder to subscribe for one share of nominal DKK 0.10 in the Company at a strike price of DKK 9.40.

    The warrants will vest over a 4-year period. The first part, equivalent to 10% of the total number of warrants, will vest 12 months following the of grant. Subsequently, the remaining part of the warrants will vest in three instalments as follows: 20% after 24 months, 30% after 36 months and 40% after 48 months.

    The warrants include conditions for the board of directors to decide on accelerated vesting, e.g. in connection with a takeover, merger or similar. The warrants can be exercised upon final vesting of all warrants on and can take place in periods of 14 days starting the day after the publication of the Company’s financial reports. The warrants shall be exercised no later than 12 months after the final vesting.

    The theoretical market value of one warrant on a diluted basis is calculated to DKK 4.06 using the Black-Scholes model. The key assumptions for the calculation are a share price of DKK 9.40, volatility of 47.45%, and a risk-free interest rate of 2.15%.

    For detailed information, reference is made to section 4.10 and appendix 4.10 (D) of the articles of association.

    For further information, please contact:
    Christian Samsø, CEO, Agillic A/S
    +45 24 88 24 24
    christian.samsoe@agillic.com

    Certified Adviser
    HC Andersen Capital
    Pernille Friis Andersen

    About Agillic A/S
    Agillic (Nasdaq First North Growth Market Denmark: AGILC) is a Danish software company offering brands a platform through which they can work with data-driven insights and content to create, automate and send personalised communication to millions. Agillic is headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark. For further information, please visit www.agillic.com.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why Nato is struggling to rebuild itself in an increasingly threatening world

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Amelia Hadfield, Head of Department of Politics, University of Surrey

    In the years after Nato was formed in 1949, its US and European members had a collective approach to defence with clear goals in common, largely built around the protection of western Europe against the Soviet Union. Throughout this era, the US and Europe both relied on the stability of the international system by creating international cooperation on shared dilemmas.

    Fast forward more than 70 years, and there is now a ticking clock on reinventing the transatlantic alliance.

    European security and US-led Nato security are no longer one and the same. Certainly, recent statements from US leaders that the US will prioritise empowering Europe to own responsibility for its own security has made for tough listening in Europe.

    For some, this may be an overdue opportunity to fundamentally rework the transatlantic security relationship. For others, such statements are worryingly set against the backdrop of Trump’s pro-Russia stance, with Trump’s demands sounding sinister at best.

    Nato secretary-general Mark Rutte recently outlined a need to “build a stronger, a fairer and more lethal NATO”. Global threats were creating a more dangerous world, he argued.

    Mark Rutte, Nato’s secretary-general, speaks at a 2025 meeting in Brussels,

    From its establishment by 12 states on April 4, 1949, until the end of the cold war era, Nato was focused on one big thing: deterring Soviet aggression. Ultimately, Nato had one job, one enemy, one threat, one theatre and one instrument of power.

    It was a partnership that enabled the US to build and maintain a more permanent role in European security. This collective security plan prevented the US from falling back into isolationist foreign policies that it had held before the second world war

    Arguably, US attitudes fluctuated throughout this era. Initially the country sought a temporary role in Nato, with limited military commitment. It also encouraged western European Nato members to take early and primary responsibility for defence.

    However, the huge Soviet nuclear threat hardened US attitudes. And Nato came to be seen as key to the US’s overall ability to prevent a Soviet invasion of western Europe. Equally important was the role of the Marshall Plan, a massive post-war reconstruction plan for Europe, which (in conjunction with Nato) represented the US’s desire to work with European partners to both stabilise the region, and ensure democracy.

    Through the decades that followed, the US saw Nato as a cornerstone of its foreign policy. It is important to remember that transactionality has always been an integral part of the transatlantic relationship, but it was never at the expense of the values that underpinned it, and indeed reinforced both US national and European regional interests in doing so.

    Throughout the 1990s, and well into the 2000s, Nato clearly represented the US’s preferred method of maintaining its military presence in Europe (including US bases, weapons and troops stationed in member countries). The US drove the redefinition of post-cold war Nato, to include former Warsaw Pact countries including Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic.



    Read more:
    US and Russia squabble over Arctic security as melting ice opens up shipping routes

    The question now is whether US leadership in Nato was focused so extensively on security of Europe and pushing back against the Soviets that for a long time the dilemma of who paid for what was essentially set aside.

    Long overdue problems?

    But two wake-up calls were to come. The first was the increasingly clear indications from US administrations from Barack Obama’s presidency onwards that the US was ill at ease with Nato as a whole, and it was unhappy with the lower financial commitment, than the US, coming from European members.

    The second was in 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea. Unfortunately, the first warning sign by Obama was largely ignored; and when Russia invaded Crimea, Nato did not step up to push back against Putin’s expansionism.

    Now, Nato finds itself once again in the crosshairs of US anger about funding, and with Trump furious at European defence spending levels, and determined to massively revise the transatlantic bargain.

    Trump’s first administration put spending from European Nato members firmly on the table. His recent position is merely a continuation of that theme.

    From the European perspective, the US was, and is, a key part of the collective security structure that has empowered European defence and deterrence, but possibly with an out-of-date funding model.

    Trump, meanwhile, appears to see the US’s involvement as politically naïve. He seems to view Nato as strategically futile and defence spending imbalances as an indication that Nato is nothing more than a giant security racket.

    What is stark is the reversal between the US having helped found Nato and as the leading nation backing of a rule-bound global system under international law and Trump’s preference to reject any responsibilities for global leadership and stability.

    What has come as a shock to European members is not perhaps the demands regarding improving defence funding, but the abdication of US leadership and the threat to leave Nato completely, with no ongoing US responsibility to defend the world order.

    The onus is now on European Nato members to make both serious and swift changes. Indications of far more serious financial commitments, including from Germany, are emerging. European defence spending overall increased by 11.7% over the last year to roughly €423.3 billion (£371 billion), representing ten years of consecutive regional growth.

    Next steps include focusing on AI-led technologies, cheap drones, digital tech and improved commitments to joint projects.

    But the hardest task is also the most urgent. Namely, to avoid the chaos of a unilateral US withdrawal from Nato.

    There’s a need to move the financial and military burden to Europe in a way agreeable to the US before the Nato summit in June. Discussions on how to achieve this need to cover everything from nuclear deterrence to challenges arising from the conflict in Ukraine.

    Whether Rutte and European states can indeed preserve and maintain the collective security foundations on which Nato was first built remains to be seen. But, certainly, the current world situation is no less dangerous that the world in which Nato itself was first built.

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

    – ref. Why Nato is struggling to rebuild itself in an increasingly threatening world – https://theconversation.com/why-nato-is-struggling-to-rebuild-itself-in-an-increasingly-threatening-world-253494

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –