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Category: Entertainment

  • MIL-OSI USA: Career Day Inspires Connecticut Youth

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    UConn School of Medicine’s Chief of the Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery Dr. Kwame Amankwah volunteered for the first ever Career Day at Horizons at Westminster School.

    And you can see the joy and impact his time had on the middle schoolers from Hartford.

    “It was truly a rewarding experience to be part of such an amazing event. Having the opportunity to introduce these young individuals to careers they might not have known about was very meaningful,” shared Amankwah of UConn Health who taught the summer program students more about their health, how to do health screenings like taking their own pulse, and even showed vascular surgery tools he uses in the operating room.

    Dr. Amankwah teaching students of Horizons at Westminster School how to take their own pulse. (Photo by Westminster School).

    Horizons at Westminster provides a free academic and enrichment program each summer to close opportunity gaps for students from Hartford. Participating Hartford Public School students attend for a six-week summer program—starting in kindergarten and returning every summer through 12th grade.

    Horizon students can’t stop talking about the conversations they had with the Career Day participants like vascular surgeon Amankwah from UConn. Other successful Connecticut professionals they also had the opportunity to meet and learn from included a video game engineer, TV news anchor, sports news producer, former NFL player, real estate agent, insurance expert, state legislator, forensic scientist, podcaster, police officer, lawyer, biomedical engineer, and business developer.

    The experts volunteering at the first Career Day of Horizons at Westminster School including UConn vascular surgeon chief Dr. Kwame Amankwah (fourth from left). (Photo by Westminster School).

    Amankwah added, “Even more inspiring was seeing the students realize that all of these career paths are within their reach—that there is nothing they cannot achieve.”

    Dr. Kwame Amankwah at Horizons at Westminster School (Photo by Westminster School).

    “It was very clear to us how much the students enjoyed this and how important it is, particularly as Horizons at Westminster will continue to grow and support our students throughout high school,” shared Katie McKinney, development director for Horizons at Westminster School.

    “It was definitely fun and educational,” concluded Amankwah about the special Career Day.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: XRP Tanks on $175M Transfer, But LF Labs (LF Coin) Becomes Safe Haven

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PANAMA CITY, July 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The cryptocurrency market faced heavy volatility as XRP dropped sharply, while LF Labs (LF Coin) attracted attention as a potential safe haven. XRP’s decline followed large wallet transfers, yet LF Labs showed resilience and gained support from a growing investor base. As panic hit XRP, LF Coin’s tokenomics and ecosystem strength helped it stand out during the correction.

    XRP Faces Sharp Drop Amid Co-Founder Transfers

    XRP’s price fell over 10% within 24 hours, breaking below the critical $3.27 pivot level. The drop followed a $175 million transfer of 50 million XRP from a wallet linked to co-founder Chris Larsen. As sell-off fears spread, XRP futures recorded $81.7 million in liquidations, and trading volume rose 149.8%.

    The heavy volume confirmed intense selling pressure as market participants rushed to exit positions. South Korea’s Upbit exchange reportedly accelerated the decline by selling more than 75 million XRP. Meanwhile, the MACD histogram signaled weakening bullish momentum, falling from +0.06 to +0.041.

    Source: X

    Despite speculation of a long-term decline, some analysts maintained a bullish view, citing technical setups. A potential XRP recovery hinges on the outcome of the ongoing lawsuit with the U.S. SEC. Legal experts believe a settlement before the August 15 status deadline may limit penalties and boost sentiment.

    LF Labs (LF Coin) Attracts Positive Momentum

    While XRP struggled, LF Coin gained traction due to strong fundamentals and community-focused tokenomics. Despite market pressure, LF Coin fell only 10.19%, supported by its expanding ecosystem and clear use cases. Unlike XRP, LF Coin benefits from active market-making, strategic exchange support, and real-world utilities.

    LF Labs celebrated its fourth anniversary with an announcement of 20 upcoming exchange listings scheduled for July 30. These listings are expected to bring greater visibility and liquidity to the LF Coin. The project’s focus on building a robust token economy also enhances investor confidence during broader market pullbacks.

    LF Coin operates a crypto-to-fiat PoS system, LF Wallet, and supports Web3 startups through its accelerator. This approach creates sustained value and drives long-term growth for LF Coin holders. LF Labs’ commitment to both capital and infrastructure differentiates it from other projects.

    LF Coin Tokenomics Highlight Community Commitment

    LF Coin’s tokenomics allocate 60% of the supply to the community, encouraging widespread participation and fair distribution. The team and contributors each receive 15%, and 10% is reserved for public sale. This structure reinforces decentralization and ensures strong grassroots engagement within the ecosystem.

    The maximum supply of LF Coin is capped at 10 billion, with nearly 3 billion already in circulation. The project’s utility-based model supports consistent usage and strengthens price stability over time.

    Website: www.lflabs.fund
    X: x.com/LFLabsToken
    Telegram: t.me/LF_Labs

    Contact:
    John Ellen
    support@lflabs.fund

    Disclaimer: This content is provided by LF Coin. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented. We do not guarantee any claims, statements, or promises made in this article. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice. Investing in crypto and mining-related opportunities involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital. It is possible to lose all your capital. These products may not be suitable for everyone, and you should ensure that you understand the risks involved. Seek independent advice if necessary. Speculate only with funds that you can afford to lose. Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release. In the event of any legal claims or charges against this article, we accept no liability or responsibility. Globenewswire does not endorse any content on this page.

    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 assume no responsibility for any inaccuracies, errors, or omissions. 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/f634ba87-348a-4782-ae9f-1e989ef8c422

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7c865648-a709-4090-bfb4-6e2d318b2608

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Manchester Guest City programme announced for iconic Barcelona La Mercè 2025 festival

    Source: City of Manchester

    The programme has been announced for Manchester’s role as Guest City at this year’s iconic La Mercè festival in Barcelona – which each year attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors into the city for a 6-day cultural festival that sets the very highest of bars for festivals everywhere, showcasing the very best of traditional Catalan culture, outdoor arts, and music.

    Manchester was chosen last year by its Catalan counterparts to be the first-ever English guest city at this year’s event which takes place from 23 – 28 September.

    A Memorandum of Understanding signed between Manchester and Barcelona last year, noted that the two cities share both a very similar industrial past with histories that are linked to workers’ movements, as well as a present and future with great cultural wealth linked to the creative industries. 

    The Memorandum kicked off a cultural collaboration between the two cities, providing a working framework for artists, organisations, and other partners, focusing initially on music and street arts events for this year’s La Mercè festival.

    Since then the two cities have been working closely to put together a spectacular programme of Mancunian grown talent in outdoor arts and music for audiences in Barcelona to enjoy.

    Councillor Garry Bridges, Deputy Leader, Manchester City Council, said:  “Guest City status for Manchester at this year’s La Mercè festival is a huge honour for us and we’re enormously grateful to our partners, colleagues and friends in Barcelona for the opportunity to collaborate and play a part in their iconic festival.

    “Culture and diversity are big deals for us in Manchester and play a vital part in helping strengthen and shape our communities, pride and prosperity. Thanks to our wonderfully diverse artists, venues, festivals, and creative workforce, culture has had a transformative effect on our city.

    “The Manchester programme for La Mercè showcases the very best of our fantastically diverse cultural scene and our hugely talented artists and creators.

    “We hope it gives a flavour of the vibrant and thriving cultural scene we have here in Manchester and look forward to further strengthening our ties with the great city of Barcelona and welcoming new visitors and audiences to our city off the back of this.”

    The resulting programme is a celebration of fantastic outdoor work created by Manchester artists and organisations. 

    Highlights in the special cultural exchange include two unique new commissions from Manchester-based creators working with Barcelona-based performers, alongside new work created to celebrate Manchester and its people at La Mercè.

    The programme for Manchester as Guest City has been led by XTRAX and Without Walls. It showcases the diverse cultural communities of Manchester and the rich diversity of the UK outdoor arts scene – including parades, dance, music, poetry, fire and installations.

    Maggie Clarke, Director at XTRAX, said: “I’m delighted that Manchester will be Guest City at La Mercè 2025, which is the result of many years of collaboration between XTRAX and colleagues in Barcelona City Council and the Catalan arts scene. La Mercè is recognised as one of the greatest festivals of outdoor arts in the world, and it is an honour to present some of the fantastic work from Manchester at this prestigious event.

    “XTRAX firmly believes in the importance of outdoor festivals, and their valuable role in bringing people and communities together. Our programme at La Mercè celebrates the diversity and quality of work from our region and we hope will inspire other global cities to seek collaborations with Manchester and the great artists from our city.

    “I’m thrilled to have secured a great opportunity for UK artists in Barcelona and we look forward to continuing this exchange by hosting Barcelona artists in Manchester in 2026, and ongoing collaboration in years to come.”

    Manchester at La Mercè has been produced by XTRAX, and co-curated by Without Walls.

    Ralph Kennedy, Chief Executive at Without Walls, said: “We’re honoured to have collaborated with XTRAX as a strategic partner for Mercè Arts de Carrer (MAC), the La Mercè outdoor programme.  Without Walls has been proudly based in Manchester since its founding, and we’re absolutely thrilled to be part of this exciting city to city partnership.

    “Manchester is a vibrant hub for some of the best outdoor art being created in the UK today.  The programme of shows curated by XTRAX and Without Walls for Barcelona, in partnership with the artistic director of MAC, stands as a testament to the city’s incredible creative energy.”

    The Manchester at La Mercè programme features several major collaboration projects between Manchester and Barcelona artists, as well as new work created especially for this unique event.

    Here are some of the highlights:

    Bee for Barcelona

    Carnival arts specialists Global Grooves (Manchester) team up with renowned Catalan artists Pau Reig and Dolors Sans (Barcelona) to create Bee for Barcelona – a striking new collaboration to create two Giant Bees, celebrating shared industrial heritage, cultural pride, and artistic exchange. These Giants will perform in front of thousands of people as part of La Mercè world famous Parades of Giants and Beasts.

    Queen Bee Gigante, wears a costume reflecting Greater Manchester’s communities and cotton legacy. She transforms into a maypole, surrounded by 30 community dancers and musicians in a fusion of Morris and Classical Indian dance—re-imagining May Day and Carnival traditions.

    Alongside her, Worker Bee, a 4-metre kinetic sculpture, shimmers with hand-painted silks encased in fibreglass, evoking stained glass. Copper legs and cog motifs nod to the textile mills and industrial histories of Manchester and Barcelona and the birth of the Industrial Revolution.

    Blending Mancunian, Catalan, Pan-African, and South Asian influences, the project features 30 diverse performers from groups including Saddleworth Women’s Morris and Clog, and The Indian Association Oldham’s Dancing Diyas.

    Leon Patel, CEO, Carnival arts organisation Global Grooves, said: “Queen Bee and Worker Bee tell a powerful story of how they earned their stripes.

    “Queen Bee represents the evolution of that labour into opportunity, progress, culture, and celebration.  She is not born of royal blood, but is Queen for a day, like the Cotton Queens of Greater Manchester’s mill towns, the Carnival Queens of the Afro-Brazilian tradition, and the flower-crowned May Queen.  Work Bee honours the sweat and toil of workers wo build Manchester’s global industrial might.

    “Both bees will be animated in parades and performances at La Mercè accompanied by an original musical score blending Mancunian, Catalan, Pan-African, and South Asian sounds.”

    Both bees will be brought to life in parades and performances with an original multicultural musical score.

    Global Grooves producers visited Barcelona in March 2025, with Pau Reig and Dolors Sans joining a Manchester residency from 21–27 July 2025.

    Bee for Barcelona is commissioned by XTRAX for MCRxLaMerce2025. Supported by Manchester City Council, Arts Council England and XTRAX. Funded by Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), GM Arts, Oldham Council, and Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council.

    Following its premiere at La Mercè 2025, Queen Bee Gigante and Worker Bee will return for Manchester Day in July 2026.
                                                                                                       

    The Ultimate Player’s Handbook

    Manchester’s leading contemporary dance company Company Chameleon has been commissioned to create a new dance performance, The Ultimate Player’s Handbook, for La Mercè with Barcelona dance duo Clémentine & Lisard

    In the heart of a town’s square, a living handbook unfolds — one written not on paper, but in movement, strategy, and play.

    The Ultimate Player’s Handbook is a vibrant street performance that explores the games we play every day – where rules are made and broken, roles shift between winner and loser, and cooperation is as vital as competition.

    Co-directed by Company Chameleon (UK) and Clémentine & Lisard (CAT), the piece transforms public space into a playground where teams form, alliances shift, and every move asks us to reflect on the parts we play.

    With music, dance, and celebration, this handbook in motion invites us to question: how do we navigate rules – and how do we bring a sense of playfulness in our everyday lives?

    Barcelona-based Clémentine & Lisard have spent the last two weeks in Manchester (14-25 July) to create this new choreographed performance with two of Company Chameleon’s dancers and Artistic Director Kevin Turner, MBE, at Company Chameleon’s studios in Gorton.

    Kevin Turner, MBE, Artistic Director of Company Chameleon said: “International collaboration has always been at the heart of Chameleon’s work, and we’re delighted to be working with Clémentine & Lisard. The commission allows us to work with a really exciting and innovative Barcelona based dance company and create something new and interesting.  The collaboration gives us the chance to learn from each other, explore commonalities in our practice, and share and benefit from each other’s touring networks.”

    Blending the athletic and emotionally rich movement styles of both groups, the work will debut at La Mercè in Barcelona on 24, 27, and 28 September 2025 and return for Manchester Day 2026.

    The Ultimate Players’ Handbook is commissioned by XTRAX and the Institut de Cultura de Barcelona and funded by Arts Council England and Manchester City Council.

    Barcelona Bee Hive

    Another World Premiere, Barcelona Bee Hive will also be created especially for Manchester at La Mercè.

    Artizani is a UK-based arts company specialising in spectacular theatre performed in unconventional spaces. One of Europe’s most stylish and striking street theatre acts, their work is accessible and thought-provoking, featuring high production values and a surreal twist.

    The bee is the symbol of Manchester – historically representing its hard-working, unified community, and more recently serving as a powerful emblem of unity and resilience.

    Audiences are invited to wander among the honey-perfumed colony, tended by ethereal beekeepers, and peer into surreal miniature worlds of ‘working’ wonder.  In a specially commissioned new bee hive, created to celebrate Manchester at La Mercè, visitors can see Mancunian bees enjoying scenes from traditional Catalan festivities.

    Barcelona Bee Hive is commissioned by XTRAX and funded by Arts Council England and Manchester City Council. 

    OUR CITY SPEAKS – poetry films from Manchester                                                                                    

    Another unique project developed especially for Manchester’s programme at La Mercè that celebrates Manchester’s wealth of poets and spoken word artists working in a wide range of diverse styles and languages.

    A captivating curated selection of short films featuring some of the city’s current leading poetry performers will take viewers on a journey through poetry that talks about identity, unity, resistance, and resilience.

    Jo Flynn, Director of External Affairs, Manchester City of Literature said: “Barcelona and Manchester already share cultural ties as sister UNESCO Cities of Literature, and in many ways their dynamic cultural identity and literary boldness align too. We’re thrilled at Manchester City of Literature to be part of La Mercè programme celebrating this partnership with Manchester poetry films on stage for the festival in September. We can’t wait to see where the partnership between the cities will take us next, across all artforms.”

    Manchester UNESCO City of Literature has curated this collection to share with Catalan audiences in Manchester’s sister UNESCO City of Literature during La Mercè.

    The project builds on Manchester City of Literature’s strong relationship with Barcelona City of Literature which has seen a number of artistic exchanges. The partnership between the two UNESCO Cities of Literature has seen Manchester novelists, poets and performers featured at Barcelona Literary festivals throughout 2025, in celebration of La Mercè. Barcelona poets will be commissioned to help translate the work of the Manchester poets into Catalan, so the works can be understood by local audiences and a number of Catalan poets will be invited to share work about Barcelona in Manchester in 2026.

    The project has been commissioned by XTRAX, funded by Manchester City Council and Arts Council England, and is delivered in partnership with Manchester City of Literature and Barcelona City of Literature.

    Fire Garden by Walk The Plank

    Walk the Plank, one of the UK’s leading outdoor arts specialists, will bring their acclaimed Fire Garden installation to Trinitat Park for La Mercè 2025. Known for creating ambitious public celebrations and immersive outdoor spectacles for over thirty years, the company will transform the park into a glowing landscape of metal, fire and music created by local musicians in Barcelona.

    Liz Pugh, Creative Producer for the Fire Garden, said: “We’re delighted to be bringing some Mancunian magic to La Mercè, and particularly excited to see how our installation of kinetic fire sculptures animate Parc de la Trinitat in a new and different way.  To be invited to bring UK work to the heart of the Catalan cultural festival is an honour indeed.”

    Walk the Plank will be working with students recruited from local colleges, offering the opportunity for young people from Barcelona and elsewhere to work alongside the company’s professional fire technicians.

    Liz added: “Investing in the talent of the next generation is important to us, and we seek to provide opportunities for young people to gain experience. The chance to work alongside international artists is valuable for young people: they can gain new skills and expand their ideas of what is possible through culture. We look forward to welcoming some of the Catalan artists, the musicians and the students to Manchester next year too – let’s find a way to repay the warm invitation which the city of Barcelona and MAC festival are offering to us.”

     

    Other dynamic performances from Manchester outdoor arts companies featuring at La Mercè festival in Barcelona in September 2025 will include: Company Chameleon – Umbra; DamaeDance – IRMÃ-sister; Ghetto Fabulous – Family Catwalk Extravaganza; Joseph Toonga, Just Us Dance Theatre – Born to Protest; Mark Anderson in collaboration with Liam Walsh – Warning Notes; Motionhouse – WILD; Mr Wilson’s Second Liners; Stopgap Dance Company – RO-TES រទេះ

    Music programme

    The Manchester Guest City music programme at La Mercè is presented by Manchester Music City, led by Brighter Sound.

    Kate Lowes, Director, Brighter Sound (sector lead Manchester Music City) said: “We’re thrilled to announce such an exciting group of artists representing Manchester at La Mercè 2025 – Children of Zeus, Chloe Slater, Clara la San, Porij, Ríoghnach Connolly and Honeyfeet, and Space Afrika – a powerful showcase of the city’s rich and genre-defying music scene. We’re also proud to be supporting a brand-new musical collaboration between Manchester’s Werkha and Catalan artist Queralt Lahoz, which will premiere at the festival. As a member of the Music Cities Network, Manchester is proudly international in its musical outlook. This is a fantastic opportunity to deepen creative exchange between Manchester and Barcelona, and to celebrate our shared love of music on an international stage.”

    International Speakers Panel Discussions and Professional Networking Events                               

    Alongside the outdoor performance programme at La Mercè there will also be a number of panel discussions and networking events exploring the importance of outdoor festivals in giving visibility to cultural communities and bringing people together.

    These discussions will include international speakers and policy makers and will be attended by festival organisers, local authorities, artists and producers from across Europe. These events are a prelude to Mondiacult, the world’s biggest cultural policy conference for the member states of UNESCO taking place in Barcelona from 29 September – 1 October 2025.

    This programme has been organised by XTRAX, Without Walls, La Mercè, ICEC Catalan Arts and Unlimited, with support from British Council and the British Embassy in Spain.

    The Manchester guest city programme at La Mercè  is being supported by Arts Council England through a grant to producers XTRAX.

    Jen Cleary, Director North West, Arts Council England said: “We’re proud to be supporting Manchester’s Guest City programme at La Mercè in Barcelona this September. Not only will it create opportunities for talented Mancunian artists to showcase their work on an international stage, but it is a shining example of how arts and culture can support greater connections and dialogue between cities and communities across the world. La Mercè is a major event in the European outdoor arts calendar and we can’t wait to see Manchester take pride of place as the Festival’s Guest City.” 

    Find out full details about the Manchester programme at La Mercè  

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Mark Cuban Foundation Launches 2025 AI Bootcamps

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    DALLAS, July 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Mark Cuban Foundation today announced significant updates and a nationwide expansion of its free AI Bootcamps, designed to bring advanced artificial intelligence education to underserved high school students and educators. The program will operate in 29 cities across the U.S. this fall, reinforcing the foundation’s commitment to closing the digital divide and nurturing future innovators.

    Applications are now open for high school students (grades 9–12) and educators interested in the Teacher Bootcamp, a year-long, free professional development initiative. The AI Bootcamps are open to all high school students, and prioritize accepting girls, students of color, first-generation college-goers, and students from low-income backgrounds. Applications will be accepted through September 30, 2025.

    “As AI becomes an integral part of daily life, it’s essential that all young people have access to this powerful technology,” said Mark Cuban, Founder of the Mark Cuban Foundation. “Our goal is to ensure that every interested student, regardless of background or resources, can explore AI and its limitless possibilities.”

    The updated curriculum includes hands-on experience with generative AI tools, modules on ethical AI, and specialized tracks covering healthcare, arts and entertainment, business and entrepreneurship, computer science, sports science, and future readiness. Participants will complete capstone projects under mentorship from industry professionals. Additionally, each location will now have a dedicated Teacher Fellow to further enhance educational outcomes and community involvement. Applications for the Teacher Fellowship program open in January.

    All student bootcamps will take place over three Saturdays (November 1, 8, and 15, 2025, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.), with meals, transportation assistance, and technology provided at no cost.

    Charlotte Dungan, Chief Learning Officer at the Mark Cuban Foundation, emphasized, “By equipping underserved students and educators with practical AI skills and ethical insights, we’re actively working toward equity in education and preparing young people for the future.”

    Confirmed 2025 Bootcamp Locations:

    • Arizona: Tempe
    • California: Mountain View
    • Colorado: Denver
    • Connecticut: Hartford
    • Florida: Melbourne, Miami
    • Georgia: Atlanta
    • Illinois: Chicago
    • Indiana: Fort Wayne, Indianapolis
    • Iowa: Johnston (Des Moines area)
    • Kansas: Hutchinson
    • Michigan: Pontiac
    • Minnesota: Minneapolis
    • Missouri: St. Louis
    • Nebraska: Omaha
    • New York: New York City
    • North Carolina: Charlotte, Raleigh
    • Ohio: Cleveland
    • Pennsylvania: Philadelphia, Pittsburgh
    • Rhode Island: Providence
    • Texas: Houston, Richardson, San Antonio, Plano
    • Utah: Salt Lake City
    • Virginia: Richmond

    Key local partnerships include Girls Inc. in San Antonio, Miami Dade College in Florida, Electric Works in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and Perficient in St. Louis, Minneapolis, and Plano, TX.

    Since 2019, the Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamp has successfully provided AI education to thousands of students in over 30 cities nationwide. The Teacher Fellowship, which began in March 2025 and runs through May 2026, supports 30 selected educators with stipends, mentorship, and national opportunities to showcase their achievements. Teacher Bootcamps have participants in 48 states and impact over 100,000 students.

    Interested students and educators can apply for bootcamps now at markcubanai.org. 

    Companies interested in hosting a future bootcamp can complete our interest form.

    Watch Mark Cuban’s message about Mark Cuban Foundation’s AI bootcamps and access the full media kit here.

    This bootcamp is facilitated with support from Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamp Program’s media partner, Notified, a globally trusted technology partner for investor relations, public relations and marketing professionals.

    About Mark Cuban Foundation’s AI Bootcamp Initiative
    The Mark Cuban Foundation is a 501(c)(3) private non-profit led by entrepreneur and investor Mark Cuban. The AI Bootcamps Program at MCF seeks to inspire young people with emerging technology so that they can create more equitable futures for themselves and their communities. Over 3 consecutive Saturdays, underserved 9th – 12th grade students learn what AI is and isn’t, where they already interact with AI in their own lives, the ethical implications of AI systems, and much more. Learn more about the no-cost AI Bootcamp program at markcubanai.org.

    Media Contact:
    bishop.wash@markcubanai.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: HJT Crypto leads the Ripple revolution: Use XRP to remotely launch Bitcoin for free, with a surge of 35,000 users in a single day

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    New York City, NY, July 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —  For investors who hold a large amount of XRP, HJTCrypto provides a safe, compliant and scalable way to convert their assets into a high-yield passive income source. Users do not need to sell their positions or bear the risk of currency price fluctuations. They only need to top up and purchase computing power contracts to automatically obtain stable income every day.
    Traditional cryptocurrency acquisition requires high hardware investment, complex technical configuration and continuous power consumption, but now, HJTCrypto has completely changed all of this. Users only need to rent remote computing power through the online platform to get XRP rewards.

    XRP Contracts Now Live — Simple, Highly Profitable
    XRP has long been recognized for its role in cross-border payments and institutional financing, and now HJTCrypto’s latest innovation – a user-friendly platform, takes XRP to the next level.
    Users can acquire XRP directly or take advantage of HJTCrypto’s intelligent AI engine, which automatically transfers cryptocurrency computing power to the highest-yielding assets, including XRP, BTC, ETH, DOGE, SOL, USDC, and more. Earnings will be paid daily in the cryptocurrency of your choice, providing a reliable source of income regardless of market fluctuations.
    HJTCrypto platform unique advantages
    – Available to Everyone: No technical skills, no hardware, no complications — just click to earn money.
    – XRP Native: Handle XRP from deposits to withdrawals in one ecosystem.
    – Global Instant Access: Start securely from anywhere in the world via a browser or app.
    Start earning income in just three easy steps:
    1.Register – Create an account and receive a $12 welcome bonus.
    2. Choose a plan – Select a short-term or long-term contract (1-50 days available).
    3. Start earning – Track your daily rewards and withdraw them in your preferred token.

    Flexible contracts to suit both beginners and experienced traders
    HJTCrypto offers a variety of XRP-based contracts designed to enable flexibility, predictable income, and effective risk management:
    $10 contract – 1 day – $0.60 profit per day;
    $100 contract – 2 days – $3.5 profit per day;
    $500 contract – 5 days – $6.25 profit per day;
    $1000 contract – 10 days – $13 profit per day;
    $5000 contract – 30 days – $75 profit per day;
    Click here to learn more about the contract.

    About HJTCrypto
    Representing a new kind of digital asset platform – data-driven, results-oriented, and globally trusted. Since its founding in 2020, the UK-based company has become one of the most promising cryptocurrency platforms for investors seeking consistent, real returns.
    HJTCrypto makes it easier than ever to earn daily rewards, making financial freedom a dream. With premium applications, green cloud infrastructure, and global support, HJTCrypto is accessible to everyone, not just the tech elite, and is especially suitable for investors who seek sustainable long-term returns rather than speculative gains.
    For full details and participation options please visit: https://hjtcrypto.com
    Disclaimer: The information provided in this press release does not constitute an investment solicitation, nor does it constitute investment advice, financial advice, or a trading recommendation. Cryptocurrencies involve risks and may result in the loss of funds. You are strongly advised to perform due diligence before investing or trading in cryptocurrencies and securities, including consulting a professional financial advisor.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: HJT Crypto leads the Ripple revolution: Use XRP to remotely launch Bitcoin for free, with a surge of 35,000 users in a single day

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    New York City, NY, July 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —  For investors who hold a large amount of XRP, HJTCrypto provides a safe, compliant and scalable way to convert their assets into a high-yield passive income source. Users do not need to sell their positions or bear the risk of currency price fluctuations. They only need to top up and purchase computing power contracts to automatically obtain stable income every day.
    Traditional cryptocurrency acquisition requires high hardware investment, complex technical configuration and continuous power consumption, but now, HJTCrypto has completely changed all of this. Users only need to rent remote computing power through the online platform to get XRP rewards.

    XRP Contracts Now Live — Simple, Highly Profitable
    XRP has long been recognized for its role in cross-border payments and institutional financing, and now HJTCrypto’s latest innovation – a user-friendly platform, takes XRP to the next level.
    Users can acquire XRP directly or take advantage of HJTCrypto’s intelligent AI engine, which automatically transfers cryptocurrency computing power to the highest-yielding assets, including XRP, BTC, ETH, DOGE, SOL, USDC, and more. Earnings will be paid daily in the cryptocurrency of your choice, providing a reliable source of income regardless of market fluctuations.
    HJTCrypto platform unique advantages
    – Available to Everyone: No technical skills, no hardware, no complications — just click to earn money.
    – XRP Native: Handle XRP from deposits to withdrawals in one ecosystem.
    – Global Instant Access: Start securely from anywhere in the world via a browser or app.
    Start earning income in just three easy steps:
    1.Register – Create an account and receive a $12 welcome bonus.
    2. Choose a plan – Select a short-term or long-term contract (1-50 days available).
    3. Start earning – Track your daily rewards and withdraw them in your preferred token.

    Flexible contracts to suit both beginners and experienced traders
    HJTCrypto offers a variety of XRP-based contracts designed to enable flexibility, predictable income, and effective risk management:
    $10 contract – 1 day – $0.60 profit per day;
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    About HJTCrypto
    Representing a new kind of digital asset platform – data-driven, results-oriented, and globally trusted. Since its founding in 2020, the UK-based company has become one of the most promising cryptocurrency platforms for investors seeking consistent, real returns.
    HJTCrypto makes it easier than ever to earn daily rewards, making financial freedom a dream. With premium applications, green cloud infrastructure, and global support, HJTCrypto is accessible to everyone, not just the tech elite, and is especially suitable for investors who seek sustainable long-term returns rather than speculative gains.
    For full details and participation options please visit: https://hjtcrypto.com
    Disclaimer: The information provided in this press release does not constitute an investment solicitation, nor does it constitute investment advice, financial advice, or a trading recommendation. Cryptocurrencies involve risks and may result in the loss of funds. You are strongly advised to perform due diligence before investing or trading in cryptocurrencies and securities, including consulting a professional financial advisor.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: ‘Plan ahead’ message as city gears up for IRONMAN Leeds triathlon

    Source: City of Leeds

    People in Leeds are being asked to take note of the traffic and travel arrangements that have formed a key part of the planning for a major new sporting event.

    The inaugural IRONMAN Leeds triathlon is being held this Sunday, July 27, with around 2,500 athletes set to push themselves to the limit as they tackle a 2.4-mile swim in Roundhay Park’s Waterloo Lake followed by a 112-mile bike ride and a 26-mile run.

    A wide-ranging programme of temporary road closures will be in place in and around north Leeds to ensure that the event – which is being organised by the IRONMAN Group with support from Leeds City Council – passes off safely and smoothly.

    And, with the final countdown to the big day now under way, residents are being encouraged to take a few minutes to acquaint themselves with the closure timings and locations.

    Significant traffic disruption is expected, with the epic nature of the event – and the lengthy race times that come with it – meaning restrictions will be in force for much of Sunday.

    The IRONMAN team has been working hard to publicise the plans for the day, with a total of 60,000 information leaflets being distributed to local properties.

    More than 100 businesses in affected areas have also received direct e-mails with details about the event that they can share with their staff and customers.

    Vehicle crossing locations will be dotted along the cycling and running routes, while full emergency service road access will be maintained throughout. Pedestrians will be able to cross the routes at any point, provided it is safe to do so.

    People with enquiries regarding road access – including carers who need to carry out home visits – are asked to contact the IRONMAN team via leeds@ironmanroadaccess.com or 03330 116600.

    Enquiries about other IRONMAN-related matters should be e-mailed to leeds@ironman.com.

    Leeds is one of only two places in the UK hosting a full IRONMAN challenge in 2025, with previous events in locations such as Bolton and Pembrokeshire generating millions of pounds for their local economies.

    Councillor Jonathan Pryor, Leeds City Council’s deputy leader and executive member for economy, transport and sustainable development, said:

    “IRONMAN Leeds promises to be a fantastic occasion, and one that will further strengthen our city’s reputation as a respected host of high-profile sporting events.

    “The exploits of local triathletes such as the Brownlee brothers have given Leeds a real interest in this sport, so hopefully people will be turning out in numbers on Sunday to support the competitors in Roundhay Park and along the rest of the course.

    “The road closures that are needed for the safe operation of the event will inevitably cause some disruption and we thank the public in advance for their patience and understanding.

    “Please do take the time, if you haven’t already, to familiarise yourself with all the relevant traffic and travel arrangements and how they might affect your plans.”

    IRONMAN Leeds will have a staggered start, with the first swimmers venturing into Waterloo Lake from 6am on Sunday.

    The event’s second discipline, the bike race, begins and ends in Roundhay Park and will cover three loops of a circular route that runs through or near communities such as Shadwell, Thorner, Bardsey, Wike, Harewood, Eccup, Arthington, Adel and Alwoodley.

    Roads that will be affected by the closure programme needed for this part of the day include:

    • Carr Lane between Shadwell and Thorner (closed 6am to 3.30pm)
    • Bramham Road and part of Thorner Road, both to the east of Thorner (closed 6am to 3.30pm)
    • The A61 Harrogate Road between the A659 at Harewood and Wike Lane (closed 7am to 4.30pm)
    • The A61 Harrogate Road between Wike Lane and Wigton Approach, near the Grammar School at Leeds (closed 7am to 5.30pm)
    • Alwoodley Lane between its junctions with King Lane and the A61 Harrogate Road (closed eastbound 7.30am to 5.30pm)

    IRONMAN Leeds’s third and final discipline, the run, will follow a looped course that takes in the western side of Roundhay Park and a host of residential streets in the wider Roundhay area.

    Athletes are expected to start crossing the finishing line – which will be located near the park’s cricket pavilion – from around 2pm.

    Spectators heading to this area to cheer the runners home can look forward to a party atmosphere as well as food stalls, music and other attractions.

    Roads in Roundhay that will be closed for much of Sunday to facilitate both the run and general event access include North Park Grove, Gledhow Avenue, Jackson Avenue, Old Park Road and the stretch of Street Lane between Devonshire Avenue and Princes Avenue. Park Avenue will be closed near the Lakeside Cafe from 6am on Saturday until 5pm on Monday (July 28).

    Tropical World will be open as normal throughout the event.

    Lewis Peacock, race director for IRONMAN Leeds, said:

    “We can’t wait to welcome thousands of athletes to the home of triathlon as the very first IRONMAN Leeds heads to town.

    “It’s set to be an incredible day of racing and a great moment to have a full distance IRONMAN race return to England for the first time since 2023.

    “The spectator support in Roundhay Park is expected to be massive, so make sure you head down to soak up the atmosphere!”  

    Further information about road closures along the cycling and running routes – together with suggested diversions for people wanting to drive to Harewood House on Sunday – can be found here.

    ENDS

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Volta Finance Limited – Net Asset Value(s) as at 30 June 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Volta Finance Limited (VTA / VTAS)
    June 2025 monthly report

    NOT FOR RELEASE, DISTRIBUTION, OR PUBLICATION, IN WHOLE OR PART, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES

    Guernsey, July 24, 2025

    AXA IM has published the Volta Finance Limited (the “Company” or “Volta Finance” or “Volta”) monthly report for June 2025. The full report is attached to this release and will be available on Volta’s website shortly (www.voltafinance.com).

    Performance and Portfolio Activity

    Dear Investors,

    In June, Volta Finance achieved a net performance of +0.4% bringing the cumulative performance from August 2024 to date to +11.2%. Both the CLO Debt and CLO Equity assets of the Volta Finance portfolio delivered positive returns, in the context of a positive momentum across credit markets after the volatility induced by tariffs.

    June marked a return to a “risk on” environment, with strong gains in U.S. equity markets amid significant weakening of the US Dollar. This shift was fuelled by easing trade tensions and moderating inflation. Despite inflation levels being close to target, the Fed decided to keep interest rates unchanged at 4.25%-4.50% during their June meeting while elaborating on the unpredictable effects of Trump’s tariffs. In Europe, sentiment was mixed, with major indices ending the month flat. The ECB cut rates by 25 basis points while Christine Lagarde signalled a likely pause in future rate cuts. This easing comes as the eurozone inflation has returned to the central bank’s target of 2%.

    However, significant uncertainties still loom as we enter summer. Only a handful of countries reached agreements with their U.S. counterparts and the approaching deadline could trigger further disruptions notably in supply chains. The sudden escalation of the Iran/Israel situation, culminating in the U.S. bombings of Iranian nuclear facilities, also raised concerns regarding the stability of the region and added disruptions to oil supplies. This led to a spike in crude oil prices and increased interest in traditional safe-haven assets although they retraced by the end of the month due to a temporary resolution of the conflict.

    Credit markets shrugged those worries off and hedged close to the tightest levels experienced over the last year. For instance, the European High Yield index (Xover) settled at 283bps (from 300bps), close to the 280bps resistance level. On the Loan side, Euro Loans closed roughly unchanged at 97.70px (Morningstar European Leveraged Loan Index) while US Loans closed c. 40c up at 97.00px. Primary CLO levels moved sideways across all rated tranches, providing stability and the right environment for CLO formation. In terms of performance, US High Yield returned +1.9% over the month while Euro Loans were up +0.13% and US Loans +0.80%.

    The median CCC assets exposure in CLO portfolios remained stable at 4.5% in the US, slightly above the exposure of European CLOs to CCCs (4.1%). Loan maturity walls continued to transition towards 2030 and beyond, with the next significant refinancing deadlines in 2028 and 2031 in the US, while loan recoveries remained significantly higher than bonds at approximately 62% vs 48%.

    In terms of activity, the month was particularly busy as we faced some CLO debt redemptions (€4.8m) and actively replaced risk to maintain overall risk exposure unchanged. We purchased BB (600bps context), single-B (up to 900bps) and Equity risk from both the Primary and Secondary markets. Cash stood at 11% at the end of the month. Volta Finance’s cashflow generation was slightly up at €28.3m equivalent in interests and coupons over the last six months, representing close to 21% of June’s NAV on an annualized basis.

    Over the month, Volta’s CLO Equity tranches returned +1.6%** while CLO Debt tranches returned +1.0% performance**. The EUR/USD move to 1.18 had an impact on our long dollar exposure in terms of performance (0.4%).

    As of end of June 2025, Volta’s NAV was €273.0m, i.e. €7.46 per share.

    *It should be noted that approximately 0.14% of Volta’s GAV comprises investments for which the relevant NAVs as at the month-end date are normally available only after Volta’s NAV has already been published. Volta’s policy is to publish its NAV on as timely a basis as possible to provide shareholders with Volta’s appropriately up-to-date NAV information. Consequently, such investments are valued using the most recently available NAV for each fund or quoted price for such subordinated notes. The most recently available fund NAV or quoted price was 0.07% as at 30 May 2025, 0.07% as at 31 March 2025.

    ** “performances” of asset classes are calculated as the Dietz-performance of the assets in each bucket, taking into account the Mark-to-Market of the assets at period ends, payments received from the assets over the period, and ignoring changes in cross-currency rates. Nevertheless, some residual currency effects could impact the aggregate value of the portfolio when aggregating each bucket.

    CONTACTS

    For the Investment Manager
    AXA Investment Managers Paris
    François Touati
    francois.touati@axa-im.com        
    +33 (0) 1 44 45 80 22

    Olivier Pons
    Olivier.pons@axa-im.com
    +33 (0) 1 44 45 87 30        

    Company Secretary and Administrator
    BNP Paribas S.A, Guernsey Branch
    guernsey.bp2s.volta.cosec@bnpparibas.com 
    +44 (0) 1481 750 853

    Corporate Broker
    Cavendish Securities plc
    Andrew Worne
    Daniel Balabanoff
    +44 (0) 20 7397 8900

    *****
    ABOUT VOLTA FINANCE LIMITED

    Volta Finance Limited is incorporated in Guernsey under The Companies (Guernsey) Law, 2008 (as amended) and listed on Euronext Amsterdam and the London Stock Exchange’s Main Market for listed securities. Volta’s home member state for the purposes of the EU Transparency Directive is the Netherlands. As such, Volta is subject to regulation and supervision by the AFM, being the regulator for financial markets in the Netherlands.

    Volta’s Investment objectives are to preserve its capital across the credit cycle and to provide a stable stream of income to its Shareholders through dividends that it expects to distribute on a quarterly basis. The Company currently seeks to achieve its investment objectives by pursuing exposure predominantly to CLO’s and similar asset classes. A more diversified investment strategy across structured finance assets may be pursued opportunistically. The Company has appointed AXA Investment Managers Paris an investment management company with a division specialised in structured credit, for the investment management of all its assets.

    *****

    ABOUT AXA INVESTMENT MANAGERS
    AXA Investment Managers (AXA IM) is a multi-expert asset management company within the BNP Group, a global leader in financial protection and wealth management. AXA IM is one of the largest European-based asset managers with 2,800 professionals and €859 billion in assets under management as of the end of June 2024.  

    *****

    This press release is published by AXA Investment Managers Paris (“AXA IM”), in its capacity as alternative investment fund manager (within the meaning of Directive 2011/61/EU, the “AIFM Directive”) of Volta Finance Limited (the “Volta Finance”) whose portfolio is managed by AXA IM.

    This press release is for information only and does not constitute an invitation or inducement to acquire shares in Volta Finance. Its circulation may be prohibited in certain jurisdictions and no recipient may circulate copies of this document in breach of such limitations or restrictions. This document is not an offer for sale of the securities referred to herein in the United States or to persons who are “U.S. persons” for purposes of Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), or otherwise in circumstances where such offer would be restricted by applicable law. Such securities may not be sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration from the Securities Act. Volta Finance does not intend to register any portion of the offer of such securities in the United States or to conduct a public offering of such securities in the United States.

    *****

    This communication is only being distributed to and is only directed at (i) persons who are outside the United Kingdom or (ii) investment professionals falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the “Order”) or (iii) high net worth companies, and other persons to whom it may lawfully be communicated, falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order (all such persons together being referred to as “relevant persons”). The securities referred to herein are only available to, and any invitation, offer or agreement to subscribe, purchase or otherwise acquire such securities will be engaged in only with, relevant persons. Any person who is not a relevant person should not act or rely on this document or any of its contents. Past performance cannot be relied on as a guide to future performance.

    *****
    This press release contains statements that are, or may deemed to be, “forward-looking statements”. These forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, including the terms “believes”, “anticipated”, “expects”, “intends”, “is/are expected”, “may”, “will” or “should”. They include the statements regarding the level of the dividend, the current market context and its impact on the long-term return of Volta Finance’s investments. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and readers are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. Volta Finance’s actual results, portfolio composition and performance may differ materially from the impression created by the forward-looking statements. AXA IM does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking statements.

    Any target information is based on certain assumptions as to future events which may not prove to be realised. Due to the uncertainty surrounding these future events, the targets are not intended to be and should not be regarded as profits or earnings or any other type of forecasts. There can be no assurance that any of these targets will be achieved. In addition, no assurance can be given that the investment objective will be achieved.

    The figures provided that relate to past months or years and past performance cannot be relied on as a guide to future performance or construed as a reliable indicator as to future performance. Throughout this review, the citation of specific trades or strategies is intended to illustrate some of the investment methodologies and philosophies of Volta Finance, as implemented by AXA IM. The historical success or AXA IM’s belief in the future success, of any of these trades or strategies is not indicative of, and has no bearing on, future results.

    The valuation of financial assets can vary significantly from the prices that the AXA IM could obtain if it sought to liquidate the positions on behalf of the Volta Finance due to market conditions and general economic environment. Such valuations do not constitute a fairness or similar opinion and should not be regarded as such.

    Editor: AXA INVESTMENT MANAGERS PARIS, a company incorporated under the laws of France, having its registered office located at Tour Majunga, 6, Place de la Pyramide – 92800 Puteaux. AXA IMP is authorized by the Autorité des Marchés Financiers under registration number GP92008 as an alternative investment fund manager within the meaning of the AIFM Directive.

    *****

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Volta Finance Limited – Net Asset Value(s) as at 30 June 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Volta Finance Limited (VTA / VTAS)
    June 2025 monthly report

    NOT FOR RELEASE, DISTRIBUTION, OR PUBLICATION, IN WHOLE OR PART, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES

    Guernsey, July 24, 2025

    AXA IM has published the Volta Finance Limited (the “Company” or “Volta Finance” or “Volta”) monthly report for June 2025. The full report is attached to this release and will be available on Volta’s website shortly (www.voltafinance.com).

    Performance and Portfolio Activity

    Dear Investors,

    In June, Volta Finance achieved a net performance of +0.4% bringing the cumulative performance from August 2024 to date to +11.2%. Both the CLO Debt and CLO Equity assets of the Volta Finance portfolio delivered positive returns, in the context of a positive momentum across credit markets after the volatility induced by tariffs.

    June marked a return to a “risk on” environment, with strong gains in U.S. equity markets amid significant weakening of the US Dollar. This shift was fuelled by easing trade tensions and moderating inflation. Despite inflation levels being close to target, the Fed decided to keep interest rates unchanged at 4.25%-4.50% during their June meeting while elaborating on the unpredictable effects of Trump’s tariffs. In Europe, sentiment was mixed, with major indices ending the month flat. The ECB cut rates by 25 basis points while Christine Lagarde signalled a likely pause in future rate cuts. This easing comes as the eurozone inflation has returned to the central bank’s target of 2%.

    However, significant uncertainties still loom as we enter summer. Only a handful of countries reached agreements with their U.S. counterparts and the approaching deadline could trigger further disruptions notably in supply chains. The sudden escalation of the Iran/Israel situation, culminating in the U.S. bombings of Iranian nuclear facilities, also raised concerns regarding the stability of the region and added disruptions to oil supplies. This led to a spike in crude oil prices and increased interest in traditional safe-haven assets although they retraced by the end of the month due to a temporary resolution of the conflict.

    Credit markets shrugged those worries off and hedged close to the tightest levels experienced over the last year. For instance, the European High Yield index (Xover) settled at 283bps (from 300bps), close to the 280bps resistance level. On the Loan side, Euro Loans closed roughly unchanged at 97.70px (Morningstar European Leveraged Loan Index) while US Loans closed c. 40c up at 97.00px. Primary CLO levels moved sideways across all rated tranches, providing stability and the right environment for CLO formation. In terms of performance, US High Yield returned +1.9% over the month while Euro Loans were up +0.13% and US Loans +0.80%.

    The median CCC assets exposure in CLO portfolios remained stable at 4.5% in the US, slightly above the exposure of European CLOs to CCCs (4.1%). Loan maturity walls continued to transition towards 2030 and beyond, with the next significant refinancing deadlines in 2028 and 2031 in the US, while loan recoveries remained significantly higher than bonds at approximately 62% vs 48%.

    In terms of activity, the month was particularly busy as we faced some CLO debt redemptions (€4.8m) and actively replaced risk to maintain overall risk exposure unchanged. We purchased BB (600bps context), single-B (up to 900bps) and Equity risk from both the Primary and Secondary markets. Cash stood at 11% at the end of the month. Volta Finance’s cashflow generation was slightly up at €28.3m equivalent in interests and coupons over the last six months, representing close to 21% of June’s NAV on an annualized basis.

    Over the month, Volta’s CLO Equity tranches returned +1.6%** while CLO Debt tranches returned +1.0% performance**. The EUR/USD move to 1.18 had an impact on our long dollar exposure in terms of performance (0.4%).

    As of end of June 2025, Volta’s NAV was €273.0m, i.e. €7.46 per share.

    *It should be noted that approximately 0.14% of Volta’s GAV comprises investments for which the relevant NAVs as at the month-end date are normally available only after Volta’s NAV has already been published. Volta’s policy is to publish its NAV on as timely a basis as possible to provide shareholders with Volta’s appropriately up-to-date NAV information. Consequently, such investments are valued using the most recently available NAV for each fund or quoted price for such subordinated notes. The most recently available fund NAV or quoted price was 0.07% as at 30 May 2025, 0.07% as at 31 March 2025.

    ** “performances” of asset classes are calculated as the Dietz-performance of the assets in each bucket, taking into account the Mark-to-Market of the assets at period ends, payments received from the assets over the period, and ignoring changes in cross-currency rates. Nevertheless, some residual currency effects could impact the aggregate value of the portfolio when aggregating each bucket.

    CONTACTS

    For the Investment Manager
    AXA Investment Managers Paris
    François Touati
    francois.touati@axa-im.com        
    +33 (0) 1 44 45 80 22

    Olivier Pons
    Olivier.pons@axa-im.com
    +33 (0) 1 44 45 87 30        

    Company Secretary and Administrator
    BNP Paribas S.A, Guernsey Branch
    guernsey.bp2s.volta.cosec@bnpparibas.com 
    +44 (0) 1481 750 853

    Corporate Broker
    Cavendish Securities plc
    Andrew Worne
    Daniel Balabanoff
    +44 (0) 20 7397 8900

    *****
    ABOUT VOLTA FINANCE LIMITED

    Volta Finance Limited is incorporated in Guernsey under The Companies (Guernsey) Law, 2008 (as amended) and listed on Euronext Amsterdam and the London Stock Exchange’s Main Market for listed securities. Volta’s home member state for the purposes of the EU Transparency Directive is the Netherlands. As such, Volta is subject to regulation and supervision by the AFM, being the regulator for financial markets in the Netherlands.

    Volta’s Investment objectives are to preserve its capital across the credit cycle and to provide a stable stream of income to its Shareholders through dividends that it expects to distribute on a quarterly basis. The Company currently seeks to achieve its investment objectives by pursuing exposure predominantly to CLO’s and similar asset classes. A more diversified investment strategy across structured finance assets may be pursued opportunistically. The Company has appointed AXA Investment Managers Paris an investment management company with a division specialised in structured credit, for the investment management of all its assets.

    *****

    ABOUT AXA INVESTMENT MANAGERS
    AXA Investment Managers (AXA IM) is a multi-expert asset management company within the BNP Group, a global leader in financial protection and wealth management. AXA IM is one of the largest European-based asset managers with 2,800 professionals and €859 billion in assets under management as of the end of June 2024.  

    *****

    This press release is published by AXA Investment Managers Paris (“AXA IM”), in its capacity as alternative investment fund manager (within the meaning of Directive 2011/61/EU, the “AIFM Directive”) of Volta Finance Limited (the “Volta Finance”) whose portfolio is managed by AXA IM.

    This press release is for information only and does not constitute an invitation or inducement to acquire shares in Volta Finance. Its circulation may be prohibited in certain jurisdictions and no recipient may circulate copies of this document in breach of such limitations or restrictions. This document is not an offer for sale of the securities referred to herein in the United States or to persons who are “U.S. persons” for purposes of Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), or otherwise in circumstances where such offer would be restricted by applicable law. Such securities may not be sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration from the Securities Act. Volta Finance does not intend to register any portion of the offer of such securities in the United States or to conduct a public offering of such securities in the United States.

    *****

    This communication is only being distributed to and is only directed at (i) persons who are outside the United Kingdom or (ii) investment professionals falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the “Order”) or (iii) high net worth companies, and other persons to whom it may lawfully be communicated, falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order (all such persons together being referred to as “relevant persons”). The securities referred to herein are only available to, and any invitation, offer or agreement to subscribe, purchase or otherwise acquire such securities will be engaged in only with, relevant persons. Any person who is not a relevant person should not act or rely on this document or any of its contents. Past performance cannot be relied on as a guide to future performance.

    *****
    This press release contains statements that are, or may deemed to be, “forward-looking statements”. These forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, including the terms “believes”, “anticipated”, “expects”, “intends”, “is/are expected”, “may”, “will” or “should”. They include the statements regarding the level of the dividend, the current market context and its impact on the long-term return of Volta Finance’s investments. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and readers are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. Volta Finance’s actual results, portfolio composition and performance may differ materially from the impression created by the forward-looking statements. AXA IM does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking statements.

    Any target information is based on certain assumptions as to future events which may not prove to be realised. Due to the uncertainty surrounding these future events, the targets are not intended to be and should not be regarded as profits or earnings or any other type of forecasts. There can be no assurance that any of these targets will be achieved. In addition, no assurance can be given that the investment objective will be achieved.

    The figures provided that relate to past months or years and past performance cannot be relied on as a guide to future performance or construed as a reliable indicator as to future performance. Throughout this review, the citation of specific trades or strategies is intended to illustrate some of the investment methodologies and philosophies of Volta Finance, as implemented by AXA IM. The historical success or AXA IM’s belief in the future success, of any of these trades or strategies is not indicative of, and has no bearing on, future results.

    The valuation of financial assets can vary significantly from the prices that the AXA IM could obtain if it sought to liquidate the positions on behalf of the Volta Finance due to market conditions and general economic environment. Such valuations do not constitute a fairness or similar opinion and should not be regarded as such.

    Editor: AXA INVESTMENT MANAGERS PARIS, a company incorporated under the laws of France, having its registered office located at Tour Majunga, 6, Place de la Pyramide – 92800 Puteaux. AXA IMP is authorized by the Autorité des Marchés Financiers under registration number GP92008 as an alternative investment fund manager within the meaning of the AIFM Directive.

    *****

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Mintlify acquires Trieve to advance AI-powered knowledge retrieval

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN FRANCISCO, July 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Mintlify announced today the acquisition of Trieve, a provider of retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) infrastructure. The move reinforces Mintlify’s modernization of how product knowledge is accessed—particularly as AI changes user expectations around support and documentation.

    Historically, searching for help within software products required sifting through long-form documentation or relying on brittle search tools. But with the rise of generative AI, users now expect faster, conversational, contextual answers grounded in reliable sources.

    Mintlify has been pushing toward this future, powering documentation for companies like Anthropic, Cursor, and Zapier. Its AI assistant, released earlier this year, allows users to answer questions from docs with a conversational, agentic flow. Behind the scenes, Mintlify also pioneered llms-full.txt, a now-widely adopted format that makes documentation easier for LLMs to parse and index.

    Trieve’s infrastructure complements this strategy, giving Mintlify better scale and deeper control over how information is retrieved and ranked for users, whether by search or conversation.

    “This acquisition is an investment in our vision for transforming knowledge retrieval,” said Han Wang, CEO of Mintlify. “Our mission is to empower builders, which starts with providing knowledge at their fingertips. The Trieve team brings deep expertise and a shared belief in building tools that get people from question to answer faster.”

    “From the beginning, Trieve has been focused on helping developers go from zero to one with ease,” said Nick Khami, CEO and Co-founder of Trieve. “Mintlify’s commitment to developer experience and pushing the boundaries of AI-native workflows makes this a natural fit for our team.”

    The Trieve team will join Mintlify to continue building the infrastructure that powers fast, accurate, and context-rich answers across all types of documentation.

    For more information about the acquisition, learn more at Mintlify’s blog.

    About Mintlify

    Mintlify helps teams create and manage beautiful, AI-native documentation with minimal engineering effort. Built for developers and collaborators alike, it offers both a docs-as-code and visual editing workflow, AI-powered writing, and a conversational assistant grounded in your content. Trusted by leaders like Anthropic, Cursor, and Zapier.

    Contact:

    hi@mintlify.com

    (415) 528 – 7780

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: What makes a person cool? Global study has some answers

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Todd Pezzuti, Associate Professor, Business School, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez

    From Lagos to Cape Town, Santiago to Seoul, people want to be cool. “Cool” is a word we hear everywhere – in music, in fashion, on social media. We use it to describe certain types of people.

    But what exactly makes someone cool? Is it just about being popular or trendy? Or is there something deeper going on?

    In a recent study I conducted with other marketing professors, we set out to answer a simple but surprisingly unexplored question. What are the personality traits and values that make someone seem cool – and do they differ across cultures?

    We asked nearly 6,000 people from 12 countries to think of someone they personally knew who was “cool”, “not cool”, “good”, or “not good”. Then we asked them to describe that person’s traits and values using validated psychological measures. We used this data to examine how coolness differs from general likeability or morality.

    Read more: What makes a person seem wise? Global study finds that cultures do differ – but not as much as you’d think

    The countries ranged from Australia to Turkey, the US to Germany, India to China, Nigeria to South Africa.

    Our data showed that coolness is uniquely associated with the same six traits around the world: cool people tend to be extroverted, hedonistic, adventurous, open, powerful, and autonomous.

    These findings help settle a long debate about what it means to be cool today.

    A brief history of cool

    Early writing on coolness described it as emotional restraint: being calm, composed and unbothered. This view, rooted in the metaphor of temperature and emotion, saw coolness as a sign of self-control and mastery.

    Some of these scholars trace this form of cool to slavery and segregation, where emotional restraint was a survival strategy among enslaved Africans and their descendants, symbolising autonomy and dignity in the face of oppression. Others propose “cool” restraint existed long before slavery.

    Regardless, jazz musicians in the 1940s first helped popularise this cool persona – relaxed, emotionally contained, and stylish – an image later embraced by youth and various countercultures. Corporations like Nike, Apple and MTV commercialised cool, turning a countercultural attitude into a more commercially friendly global aesthetic.

    This is what makes someone cool

    Our findings suggest that the meaning of cool has changed. It’s a way to identify and label people with a specific psychological profile.

    Cool people are outgoing and social (extroverted). They seek pleasure and enjoyment (hedonistic). They take risks and try new things (adventurous). They are curious and open to new experiences (open). They have influence or charisma (powerful). And perhaps most of all, they do things their own way (autonomous).

    This finding held remarkably steady across countries. Whether you’re in the US, South Korea, Spain or South Africa, people tend to think that cool individuals have this same “cool profile”.

    We also found that even though coolness overlaps with being good or favourable, being cool and being good are not the same. Being kind, calm, traditional, secure and conscientious were more associated with being good than cool. Some “cool” traits were not necessarily good at all, like extroversion and hedonism.

    What about South Africa and Nigeria?

    One of the most fascinating aspects of our study was seeing how consistent the meaning of coolness was across cultures – even in countries with very different traditions and values.

    In South Africa, participants viewed cool people as extroverted, hedonistic, powerful, adventurous, open and autonomous – just like participants from Europe to Asia. In South Africa, however, coolness is especially distinct from being good. South Africa is one of the countries in which being hedonistic, powerful, adventurous and autonomous was much more cool than good.

    Read more: Which African countries are flourishing? Scientists have a new way of measuring well-being

    Nigeria was the only country in which cool and uncool people were equally autonomous. So basically, individuality wasn’t seen as cool. That difference might reflect cultural values that place a greater emphasis on community, respect for elders, or collective identity. In places where tradition and hierarchy matter, doing your own thing might not be cool.

    Social sciences, like all science, however, are not perfect. So, it’s reasonable to speculate that autonomy might still be cool in Nigeria, with the discrepancy resulting from methodological issues such as how the Nigerian participants interpreted and responded to the survey.

    Nigeria was also unique because the distinction between cool and good wasn’t as notable as in other countries. So coolness was seen more as goodness than in the other countries.

    Why does this matter?

    The fact that so many cultures agree on what makes someone cool suggests that “coolness” may serve a shared social function. The traits that make people cool may make them more likely to try new things, innovate new styles and fashions, and influence others. These individuals often push boundaries and introduce new ideas – in fashion, art, politics, or technology. They inspire others and help shape what’s seen as modern, desirable, or forward-thinking.

    Coolness, in this sense, might function as a kind of cultural status marker – a reward for being bold, open-minded and innovative. It’s not just about surface style. It’s about signalling that you’re ahead of the curve, and that others should pay attention.

    So what can we learn from this?

    For one, young people in South Africa, Nigeria, and around the world may have more in common than we often think. Despite vast cultural differences, they tend to admire the same traits. That opens up interesting possibilities for cross-cultural communication, collaboration and influence.

    Second, if we want to connect with or inspire others – whether through education, branding, or leadership – it helps to understand what people see as cool. Coolness may not be a universal virtue, but it is a universal currency.

    And finally, there’s something reassuring in all this: coolness is not about being famous or rich. It’s about how you live. Are you curious? Courageous? True to yourself? If so, chances are someone out there thinks you’re cool – no matter where you’re from.

    – What makes a person cool? Global study has some answers
    – https://theconversation.com/what-makes-a-person-cool-global-study-has-some-answers-261266

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Apple and MLB announce September “Friday Night Baseball” schedule

    Source: Apple

    Headline: Apple and MLB announce September “Friday Night Baseball” schedule

    Apple and Major League Baseball (MLB) today unveiled the September schedule for “Friday Night Baseball,” the weekly doubleheader streaming every Friday on Apple TV+ throughout the 2025 regular season. Available in 60 countries and regions, fans can enjoy two marquee matchups each week with enhanced production quality, expert commentary, and no local broadcast restrictions.

    September “Friday Night Baseball” Schedule on Apple TV+ 

    Friday, 9/5
     Washington Nationals at Chicago Cubs
    2:20 p.m. ET

    Milwaukee Brewers at Pittsburgh Pirates
    6:40 p.m. ET

    Friday, 9/12
     New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox
    7:10 p.m. ET

    Los Angeles Angels at Seattle Mariners
    10:10 p.m. ET

    Friday, 9/19
     Toronto Blue Jays at Kansas City Royals
    7:40 p.m. ET

    San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers
    10:10 p.m. ET

    Friday, 9/26
     Detroit Tigers at Boston Red Sox
    7:10 p.m. ET (makeup game)

    September highlights include late-season games with serious playoff implications, featuring baseball’s most historic rivalries. Reigning MVP Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees visit Fenway Park to take on the Boston Red Sox on September 12, and Shohei Ohtani and the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers face off with the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium on September 19.

    Presented by Chevrolet and Essilor, “Friday Night Baseball” is produced by MLB Network’s Emmy Award-winning production team in partnership with Apple’s live sports production team.

    Each week, coverage features distinguished broadcast teams, including Wayne Randazzo (play-by-play), Dontrelle Willis (analyst), Heidi Watney (sideline reporter), Alex Faust (play-by-play), Ryan Spilborghs (analyst), and Tricia Whitaker (sideline reporter). Game-by-game announcer assignments will be revealed weekly. Siera Santos, Russell Dorsey, and Xavier Scruggs return to host live pregame coverage from the studio and on the field throughout the month.

    Pricing and Availability

    Apple TV+ is available for $9.99 (U.S.) per month with a seven-day free trial for new subscribers. For a limited time, eligible customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, or Mac can enjoy three months of Apple TV+ for free.1

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: What makes a person cool? Global study has some answers

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Todd Pezzuti, Associate Professor, Business School, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez

    From Lagos to Cape Town, Santiago to Seoul, people want to be cool. “Cool” is a word we hear everywhere – in music, in fashion, on social media. We use it to describe certain types of people.

    But what exactly makes someone cool? Is it just about being popular or trendy? Or is there something deeper going on?

    In a recent study I conducted with other marketing professors, we set out to answer a simple but surprisingly unexplored question. What are the personality traits and values that make someone seem cool – and do they differ across cultures?

    We asked nearly 6,000 people from 12 countries to think of someone they personally knew who was “cool”, “not cool”, “good”, or “not good”. Then we asked them to describe that person’s traits and values using validated psychological measures. We used this data to examine how coolness differs from general likeability or morality.



    Read more:
    What makes a person seem wise? Global study finds that cultures do differ – but not as much as you’d think

    The countries ranged from Australia to Turkey, the US to Germany, India to China, Nigeria to South Africa.

    Our data showed that coolness is uniquely associated with the same six traits around the world: cool people tend to be extroverted, hedonistic, adventurous, open, powerful, and autonomous.

    These findings help settle a long debate about what it means to be cool today.

    A brief history of cool

    Early writing on coolness described it as emotional restraint: being calm, composed and unbothered. This view, rooted in the metaphor of temperature and emotion, saw coolness as a sign of self-control and mastery.

    Some of these scholars trace this form of cool to slavery and segregation, where emotional restraint was a survival strategy among enslaved Africans and their descendants, symbolising autonomy and dignity in the face of oppression. Others propose “cool” restraint existed long before slavery.

    Regardless, jazz musicians in the 1940s first helped popularise this cool persona – relaxed, emotionally contained, and stylish – an image later embraced by youth and various countercultures. Corporations like Nike, Apple and MTV commercialised cool, turning a countercultural attitude into a more commercially friendly global aesthetic.

    This is what makes someone cool

    Our findings suggest that the meaning of cool has changed. It’s a way to identify and label people with a specific psychological profile.

    Cool people are outgoing and social (extroverted). They seek pleasure and enjoyment (hedonistic). They take risks and try new things (adventurous). They are curious and open to new experiences (open). They have influence or charisma (powerful). And perhaps most of all, they do things their own way (autonomous).

    This finding held remarkably steady across countries. Whether you’re in the US, South Korea, Spain or South Africa, people tend to think that cool individuals have this same “cool profile”.

    We also found that even though coolness overlaps with being good or favourable, being cool and being good are not the same. Being kind, calm, traditional, secure and conscientious were more associated with being good than cool. Some “cool” traits were not necessarily good at all, like extroversion and hedonism.

    What about South Africa and Nigeria?

    One of the most fascinating aspects of our study was seeing how consistent the meaning of coolness was across cultures – even in countries with very different traditions and values.

    In South Africa, participants viewed cool people as extroverted, hedonistic, powerful, adventurous, open and autonomous – just like participants from Europe to Asia. In South Africa, however, coolness is especially distinct from being good. South Africa is one of the countries in which being hedonistic, powerful, adventurous and autonomous was much more cool than good.



    Read more:
    Which African countries are flourishing? Scientists have a new way of measuring well-being

    Nigeria was the only country in which cool and uncool people were equally autonomous. So basically, individuality wasn’t seen as cool. That difference might reflect cultural values that place a greater emphasis on community, respect for elders, or collective identity. In places where tradition and hierarchy matter, doing your own thing might not be cool.

    Social sciences, like all science, however, are not perfect. So, it’s reasonable to speculate that autonomy might still be cool in Nigeria, with the discrepancy resulting from methodological issues such as how the Nigerian participants interpreted and responded to the survey.

    Nigeria was also unique because the distinction between cool and good wasn’t as notable as in other countries. So coolness was seen more as goodness than in the other countries.

    Why does this matter?

    The fact that so many cultures agree on what makes someone cool suggests that “coolness” may serve a shared social function. The traits that make people cool may make them more likely to try new things, innovate new styles and fashions, and influence others. These individuals often push boundaries and introduce new ideas – in fashion, art, politics, or technology. They inspire others and help shape what’s seen as modern, desirable, or forward-thinking.

    Coolness, in this sense, might function as a kind of cultural status marker – a reward for being bold, open-minded and innovative. It’s not just about surface style. It’s about signalling that you’re ahead of the curve, and that others should pay attention.

    So what can we learn from this?

    For one, young people in South Africa, Nigeria, and around the world may have more in common than we often think. Despite vast cultural differences, they tend to admire the same traits. That opens up interesting possibilities for cross-cultural communication, collaboration and influence.

    Second, if we want to connect with or inspire others – whether through education, branding, or leadership – it helps to understand what people see as cool. Coolness may not be a universal virtue, but it is a universal currency.

    And finally, there’s something reassuring in all this: coolness is not about being famous or rich. It’s about how you live. Are you curious? Courageous? True to yourself? If so, chances are someone out there thinks you’re cool – no matter where you’re from.

    Todd Pezzuti received funding from ANID Chile to conduct this research.

    – ref. What makes a person cool? Global study has some answers – https://theconversation.com/what-makes-a-person-cool-global-study-has-some-answers-261266

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: What makes a person cool? Global study has some answers

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Todd Pezzuti, Associate Professor, Business School, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez

    From Lagos to Cape Town, Santiago to Seoul, people want to be cool. “Cool” is a word we hear everywhere – in music, in fashion, on social media. We use it to describe certain types of people.

    But what exactly makes someone cool? Is it just about being popular or trendy? Or is there something deeper going on?

    In a recent study I conducted with other marketing professors, we set out to answer a simple but surprisingly unexplored question. What are the personality traits and values that make someone seem cool – and do they differ across cultures?

    We asked nearly 6,000 people from 12 countries to think of someone they personally knew who was “cool”, “not cool”, “good”, or “not good”. Then we asked them to describe that person’s traits and values using validated psychological measures. We used this data to examine how coolness differs from general likeability or morality.



    Read more:
    What makes a person seem wise? Global study finds that cultures do differ – but not as much as you’d think

    The countries ranged from Australia to Turkey, the US to Germany, India to China, Nigeria to South Africa.

    Our data showed that coolness is uniquely associated with the same six traits around the world: cool people tend to be extroverted, hedonistic, adventurous, open, powerful, and autonomous.

    These findings help settle a long debate about what it means to be cool today.

    A brief history of cool

    Early writing on coolness described it as emotional restraint: being calm, composed and unbothered. This view, rooted in the metaphor of temperature and emotion, saw coolness as a sign of self-control and mastery.

    Some of these scholars trace this form of cool to slavery and segregation, where emotional restraint was a survival strategy among enslaved Africans and their descendants, symbolising autonomy and dignity in the face of oppression. Others propose “cool” restraint existed long before slavery.

    Regardless, jazz musicians in the 1940s first helped popularise this cool persona – relaxed, emotionally contained, and stylish – an image later embraced by youth and various countercultures. Corporations like Nike, Apple and MTV commercialised cool, turning a countercultural attitude into a more commercially friendly global aesthetic.

    This is what makes someone cool

    Our findings suggest that the meaning of cool has changed. It’s a way to identify and label people with a specific psychological profile.

    Cool people are outgoing and social (extroverted). They seek pleasure and enjoyment (hedonistic). They take risks and try new things (adventurous). They are curious and open to new experiences (open). They have influence or charisma (powerful). And perhaps most of all, they do things their own way (autonomous).

    This finding held remarkably steady across countries. Whether you’re in the US, South Korea, Spain or South Africa, people tend to think that cool individuals have this same “cool profile”.

    We also found that even though coolness overlaps with being good or favourable, being cool and being good are not the same. Being kind, calm, traditional, secure and conscientious were more associated with being good than cool. Some “cool” traits were not necessarily good at all, like extroversion and hedonism.

    What about South Africa and Nigeria?

    One of the most fascinating aspects of our study was seeing how consistent the meaning of coolness was across cultures – even in countries with very different traditions and values.

    In South Africa, participants viewed cool people as extroverted, hedonistic, powerful, adventurous, open and autonomous – just like participants from Europe to Asia. In South Africa, however, coolness is especially distinct from being good. South Africa is one of the countries in which being hedonistic, powerful, adventurous and autonomous was much more cool than good.



    Read more:
    Which African countries are flourishing? Scientists have a new way of measuring well-being

    Nigeria was the only country in which cool and uncool people were equally autonomous. So basically, individuality wasn’t seen as cool. That difference might reflect cultural values that place a greater emphasis on community, respect for elders, or collective identity. In places where tradition and hierarchy matter, doing your own thing might not be cool.

    Social sciences, like all science, however, are not perfect. So, it’s reasonable to speculate that autonomy might still be cool in Nigeria, with the discrepancy resulting from methodological issues such as how the Nigerian participants interpreted and responded to the survey.

    Nigeria was also unique because the distinction between cool and good wasn’t as notable as in other countries. So coolness was seen more as goodness than in the other countries.

    Why does this matter?

    The fact that so many cultures agree on what makes someone cool suggests that “coolness” may serve a shared social function. The traits that make people cool may make them more likely to try new things, innovate new styles and fashions, and influence others. These individuals often push boundaries and introduce new ideas – in fashion, art, politics, or technology. They inspire others and help shape what’s seen as modern, desirable, or forward-thinking.

    Coolness, in this sense, might function as a kind of cultural status marker – a reward for being bold, open-minded and innovative. It’s not just about surface style. It’s about signalling that you’re ahead of the curve, and that others should pay attention.

    So what can we learn from this?

    For one, young people in South Africa, Nigeria, and around the world may have more in common than we often think. Despite vast cultural differences, they tend to admire the same traits. That opens up interesting possibilities for cross-cultural communication, collaboration and influence.

    Second, if we want to connect with or inspire others – whether through education, branding, or leadership – it helps to understand what people see as cool. Coolness may not be a universal virtue, but it is a universal currency.

    And finally, there’s something reassuring in all this: coolness is not about being famous or rich. It’s about how you live. Are you curious? Courageous? True to yourself? If so, chances are someone out there thinks you’re cool – no matter where you’re from.

    Todd Pezzuti received funding from ANID Chile to conduct this research.

    – ref. What makes a person cool? Global study has some answers – https://theconversation.com/what-makes-a-person-cool-global-study-has-some-answers-261266

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Birmingham City Council Leaders pay moving tribute to music legend Ozzy Osbourne

    Source: City of Birmingham

    Civic Leaders have paid a heart-felt tribute to ‘Birmingham’s son’ following Ozzy Osbourne’s death on July 22nd.

    The Library of Birmingham lit up purple last night in honour of the music legend in a move designed to pay tribute to his extraordinary life and passion as the city mourns and comes to terms with this sad loss.

    A book of condolence has been set up in Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery (BMAG) where a Black Sabbath exhibition is currently open to the public. A digital book of condolence is also available to sign. Another book of condolence has opened up at Villa Park, the venue for his farewell concert earlier this month.

    Opened last month by Ozzy’s wife, Sharon, the BMAG exhibition has been attracting fans from all over the world to see photography and artefacts donated by the band.

    Only last month, and just a week before his sell-out concert at Villa Park on July 5, Ozzy, along with founding members of Black Sabbath, were awarded Freedom of the City Birmingham during a special civic reception at Birmingham City Council.

    This honour recognised Black Sabbath’s significance to the cultural and musical identity of Birmingham, their strong association with the city, and continued influence as pioneers of heavy metal in both Birmingham and beyond.

    City Leaders were first in line to sign the special book of condolence at BMAG to mark Ozzy’s incredible life.

    Lord Mayor of Birmingham City Council, Councillor Zafar Iqbal MBE, said:

    “On behalf of Birmingham City Council and all the people of our great city, we come together with deep sadness to remember his life and legacy.

    “Only last month Ozzy was here at the Council House to accept Freedom of the City Birmingham, and just before his sell-out concert at Villa Park, where he was performing his final show. He carried the spirit of our community wherever he went.

    “We extend our heartfelt and sincere condolences to his family and friends and everyone who loved him. Thank you Ozzy, you will always be honoured as a true legend of Birmingham.

    Council Leader, Councillor John Cotton, said:

    “Ozzy was a fantastic advocate for the city of Birmingham and we are so shocked and saddened to hear of his death.

    “Ozzy came from humble beginnings, in Aston, but that in no way deterred his passion and drive to break through the tough rock music scene of the 1970s and make it all the way to the top.

    “Birmingham is a better place for the sheer brilliance he brought to the city and now we honour his life and legacy.

    “Our sincere condolences go out to his wife, Sharon, and their children who will be heartened to see the outpour of love and respect for Ozzy across the city and indeed the whole globe.”

    Deputy Leader of Birmingham City Council, Councillor Sharon Thompson, said:

    “Ozzy was more than a musician, he was a proud son of Birmingham.

    “From very humble beginnings in Aston, he brought the world Black Sabbath and inspired generations to follow.

    “He put Birmingham firmly on the global map. He spoke to the whole world about his pride as a Brummie and we will never forget him.

    “He was a proud Brummie through and through. As he would always say, ‘Birmingham Forever’.

    Birmingham City Council’s Managing Director, Joanne Roney, added:

    “It was so important for me to come along and sign the book of condolence and mark the life of a truly inspirational Brummie.

    “Meeting Ozzy here at the Council last month to attend the Freedom of the City Birmingham civic reception was a true honour and will stay with me for the rest of my life.

    “He captured the essence of the Brummie spirit; kind, compassionate and caring with a deep sense of love for family and friends and with a wonderful sense of humour that lit up the room.

    “He was proud to be from Birmingham and mentioned us all the time and inspired a whole generation of creatives that will live on as part of his legacy.”

    The book of condolence is now open at BMAG’s Round Room for fans to pay tribute, and where fans can also visit Ozzy Osbourne: Working Class Hero exhibition.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Facts & Figures Behind Galaxy Z Fold7’s Ultra Camera

    Source: Samsung

    Galaxy Z Fold7 features the Z Fold series’ most advanced camera, delivering an Ultra experience that transforms the way you capture, edit and share content.
     
    For the first time in the series, the device offers a 200MP ultra-high-resolution main camera and the powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy processor.
     
    Also equipped with a ProVisual Engine boasting more than 160 AI-powered imaging technologies, Galaxy Z Fold7 seamlessly merges flagship camera performance and intelligent processing in a versatile foldable design.
     
    From filming vivid night videos to capturing more of the world with its ultra-wide lens, here’s how the thinnest and lightest Z Fold yet is built to keep up with your creative vision.
     
     
    200MP Sensor: Next-Level Clarity in Every Frame
    ▲ The upgraded camera system takes your photography to the next level.
     
    At the heart of Galaxy Z Fold7’s camera system lies its 200MP wide-angle camera, the same found in Galaxy S25 Ultra and the highest-ever resolution sensor in the Z Fold series. With it, you can now capture every nuance of a scene, from the rich textures and colors of clothes in your holiday photos to the delicate contours of the vast landscape behind you. Here are some of the key benefits of Galaxy Z Fold7’s wide-angle camera:
     

    Captures shots that are 44% brighter and 4 times more detailed than those taken with Galaxy Z Fold6, ensuring every image is vivid, textured and ready to share.
    Maintains image quality at 2x optical-grade zoom, delivering sharp, clear results even when digitally zooming in — so you can reframe or crop images without sacrificing detail.
    A shutter speed that is up to 7 times faster, enabling you to take crisp, detailed photos of important moments.

     
     
    ▲ The 200MP sensor ensures you can capture every detail.
     
    Looking to highlight the intricate details of your latest artwork or piece of jewelry? The enhanced 12MP ultra-wide lens on Galaxy Z Fold7 now supports auto focus, enabling macro photography, so you can take close-ups with exceptional sharpness and depth.
     
    To maintain precise focus at close range, the device leverages Dual Camera Depth Calibration — a system that intelligently gauges subject distance and seamlessly switches between the wide and ultra-wide cameras when needed. This allows you to achieve consistent sharpness without manually changing cameras. The addition of autofocus to the ultra-wide camera further enhances accuracy, making it easier than ever to shoot detailed close-ups with clarity.
     
     
    Fit the Whole Crew in Wide-Angle Selfies
    ▲ The 100-degree front camera on the main display allows you to take large group selfies with ease.
     
    Getting everyone in the frame no longer means stretching your arm to the limit or asking the group to back up. The enhanced 100-degree front camera on the main display captures more of the scene so you can easily fit everyone in the shot. Features and upgrades include:
     

    Front camera photos that are 25% wider and 5 times clearer compared to those taken with Galaxy Z Fold6.
    The camera uses Wide Distortion Correction, which automatically adjusts proportions and reduces distortion when faces are near the edges of frames, allowing everyone to look more natural in wide shots.
    More natural skin texture on photo subjects, thanks to AI-driven adjustments optimized for the selfie experience.
    Enhanced HDR processing for portraits that prioritizes the subject for more true-to-life rendering.
    AI-powered filters trained on over 5,000 real analog film images, letting you fine-tune your photos based on contrast, saturation and color temperature to achieve a look that blends natural aesthetics with artistic expression.

     
     
    Light Up Night Shoots With the ProVisual Engine
    
    ▲ Grainy and blurred night videos are a thing of the past with Galaxy Z Fold7.
     
    Galaxy Z Fold7 shines brightest after dark, thanks to its AI-powered ProVisual Engine that processes images faster1 and optimizes every scene.
     
    The energy of an evening concert or a night out with friends can be recorded in stunning clarity. By analyzing movement and light in real time, Galaxy Z Fold7 reduces noise effectively and delivers crystal-clear results — even in challenging low-light conditions:
     

    Enhanced Nightography leverages an advanced Spatio-Temporal Filter that analyzes pixel data both within each frame and between frames. When analyzing across multiple frames, it separates the subject from the background to reduce background noise. Footage quality is further refined as noise is removed based on continuous pixel patterns within individual frames. The result is sharper, clearer night footage with natural light and fine detail.

     
    Videos get a further boost from the introduction of advanced 10-bit HDR video recording:
     

    Overall color expression is enhanced with 4 times richer contrast and a wider dynamic range compared to standard 8-bit recordings.
    Galaxy Z Fold7 supports Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG2), ensuring broad compatibility with regular displays and TVs.

     
    LOG video recording is supported as well — particularly useful for creators who want more flexibility during post-production. Videos can be edited with greater ease, thanks to:
     

    The 10-bit High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC3) codec for advanced compression and editing freedom.
    The ability to fine-tune color grading using Samsung Look-Up Table (LUT4), right from the device.

     
     
    A Portable Editing Studio Right in Your Hands
    
    ▲ Remove unwanted objects in an instant with Generative Edit.
     
    With Galaxy Z Fold7, there’s no need to get back to your desk before editing content. The device itself is your own portable creative studio, with its large display allowing you to edit like a pro — anytime, anywhere with precision like never before:
     

    Generative Edit, enhanced with a refined AI model and more advanced prompt processing, now delivers an 18-fold reduction in the mis-generation rate and a 4-fold cut in texture distortion compared to Galaxy Z Fold6. The upgrade allows you to effortlessly remove unwanted objects — along with related elements such as shadows or reflections — adjust angles, and naturally fill in backgrounds, resulting in polished, professional-quality photos.
    Through Galaxy AI’s scene-understanding capabilities, Suggest Erases proactively suggests edits like removing passersby or other distractions in photos for flawless, clean shots.
    Side-by-Side Editing lets you compare original and edited versions of your photos in real time for quick editing on the go.
    Improved with advanced AI prompt engineering, Portrait Studio helps pet lovers and portrait enthusiasts alike refine images to capture vibrant expressions and striking profiles.

     
     
    Unfold Your Creativity
    Galaxy Z Fold7’s next-generation camera and editing tools make creating high-quality content simpler, faster and more intuitive than ever before. More than just a foldable, Galaxy Z Fold7 takes your craft to new heights as your personal creative assistant.
     
     
    1 Galaxy Z Fold7 processes images 27% faster than Galaxy Z Fold6.
    2 Hybrid Log-Gamma is an HDR standard that provides backwards compatibility with non-HDR monitors such as SDR, while also achieving a wider color range for HDR monitors.
    3 High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) is a video compression standard designed to offer improved video quality and a higher average bitrate reduction than its predecessor, Advanced Video Coding (AVC).
    4 Samsung Look-Up Table (LUT) is a pre-defined set of color adjustment values that can be applied to footage during post-production to achieve the desired visual style and color representation.

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI: Walrus and Veea Inc. Announce Strategic Partnership to Unlock High-Performance Edge Utility for Decentralized Data Storage

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PALO ALTO, Calif. and NEW YORK, July 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Walrus, the decentralized data storage protocol built by Mysten Labs, the original contributors to Sui, and Veea Inc. (Nasdaq:VEEA), a leader in intelligent edge infrastructure, today announced the adoption of Walrus as a VeeaHub STAX™ edge solution to provide high-performance data transport and storage capabilities for the decentralized network. The bundled solution is aimed at creating a highly secure, scalable, and low-latency data environment for Walrus’ decentralized storage solution, allowing the network to handle even the most data-intensive tasks for DApps and AI development.

    VeeaHub STAX is a highly integrated computing and connectivity platform that leverages Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVMe) architecture, designed to support various edge computing tasks over heterogeneous networks for decentralized applications. VeeaHub STAX, while powering a connectivity and computing mesh network with Walrus operating on its multi-Gbps NVMe clusters, ensures that data is reliably stored, instantly available, and secure.

    “Veea’s edge infrastructure paired with Walrus’s programmable, decentralized storage offers new capabilities for developers building secure and scalable applications,” said Kostas Chalkias, Co-Founder & Chief Cryptographer of Mysten Labs. “Veea’s NVMe-powered nodes enable low-latency access to data stored on Walrus, increasing data availability for builders and empowering new use cases for edge AI and decentralized applications, including innovations like communications even in the absence of direct internet access.” Mr. Chalkias recently demonstrated internetless transactions, a direct result of the collaboration between Veea and Mysten Labs, where Sui nodes can send and receive transactions with no internet connection.

    The integration will allow Walrus to scale seamlessly with thousands of STAX-NVMe storage nodes, maintaining the security and reliability of Walrus’ decentralized storage network while offering both costs and network speeds comparable to centralized data storage solutions of cloud services. Additional benefits from the integration include:

    • Access to tens of terabytes of storage for ultra-low latency, high-throughput, and decentralized applications over distributed hyperconverged networks with Edge AI.
    • Hybrid NVMe storage architecture designed for “hot content” delivery, unlocking applications for gaming, video streaming, and AI development.
    • Scalable, low-cost object storage to improve cost optimization for enterprise data.
    • Enhancements to both data availability and compliance, ensuring enterprises have access to scalable storage without compromising data sovereignty.
    • Improved data recovery capabilities, enabling enterprises to easily recover important files.

    “We are thrilled to be working with Mysten Labs to deliver a pioneering solution that unlocks new capabilities, with genuine trust in a high-performance edge data platform, for a broad range of use cases, including ever more demanding edge AI solutions and Web3 applications,” said Allen Salmasi, Chairman and CEO of Veea Inc. “With Walrus having the ability to directly store and serve media on STAX-NVMe, such as images, sounds, sprites, videos, or game assets, developers can leverage the Walrus Decentralized Store now to readily build applications that run on a Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Network (DePIN) with Veea’s STAX-5G/NVMe or STAX-NVMe nodes.”

    Developed by the original contributors to the leading smart contract platform and layer 1 blockchain Sui, Walrus builds on Mysten Labs’ extensive innovations in blockchain infrastructure. Walrus is the data layer for the decentralized internet, and delivers programmable, scalable, and cost-efficient storage designed for the needs of decentralized applications and AI systems.

    To learn more about Walrus, please visit: https://www.walrus.xyz/.

    About Mysten Labs

    Mysten Labs is a team of leading technological experts in distributed systems, programming languages and cryptography. Founded by the former senior executives of Meta’s Novi Research and the lead architects of the Diem blockchain, Mysten Labs is creating foundational infrastructure to reimagine the decentralized internet. Mysten Labs is the original contributor to Sui, the only blockchain built for mass adoption, and the original contributor to Walrus, the decentralized storage platform that allows any application to publish, read, and program any data type. Users can learn more at mystenlabs.com.

    About Veea

    Veea Inc. (NASDAQ: VEEA) formed in 2014 and headquartered in New York City, is a leader in smart edge connectivity, computing and Edge AI for enterprise and public infrastructure. Its flagship VeeaHub™ STAX platform delivers intelligent edge networking, security, and scalable NVMe storage for the future of digital business and connected communities. Its VeeaONE™ platform enables unified edge computing, multiaccess multiprotocol communications, edge storage, edge AI with AI-driven cybersecurity in multi-tenant fully integrated all-in-one VeeaHub® products. Similar to cloud-management of smartphones and similar user devices, VeeaHub products are cloud- and locally-managed with equivalent capabilities on VeeaCloud™. Applications and services delivered through VeeaHub devices benefit from cybersecure connections with Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), optionally, with a highly simplified, plug and play, 5G-based SecureConnect™ offering. Veea has received numerous recognitions by Gartner Group, Market Reports World’s and IoT Evolution for Edge Computing and Edge AI since 2021. For more information about Veea and its product offerings, visit veea.com and follow us on LinkedIn.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (“Securities Act”) as well as Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, that are intended to be covered by the safe harbor created by those sections. Forward-looking statements, which are based on certain assumptions and describe the Company’s future plans, strategies and expectations, can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terms such as “believe,” “expect,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “would,” “could,” “seek,” “intend,” “plan,” “goal,” “project,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “strategy,” “future,” “likely” or other comparable terms, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this press release regarding the Company’s strategies, prospects, financial condition, operations, costs, plans and objectives are forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause the Company’s actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties including those regarding: the Company’s business strategies, and the risk and uncertainties described in “Risk Factors,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” “Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Statements” and the additional risk described in Veea’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 and any subsequent filings which Veea makes with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. You should not rely upon forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. The forward-looking statements made in the press release relate only to events or information as of the date on which the statements are made in the press release. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date on which the statements are made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events except as required by law. You should read this press release with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from what we expect.

    For media inquiries, please contact:

    Walrus: press@walrus.xyz

    Veea Inc.:

    The Equity Group

    Devin Sullivan
    Managing Director
    dsullivan@equityny.com

    Conor Rodriguez
    Associate
    crodriguez@equityny.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Mark Cuban Foundation and Who We Play For Bring Free AI Bootcamp to Melbourne Teens

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MELBOURNE, Fla., July 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — High school students in Melbourne have the chance to get hands-on experience with artificial intelligence through a free AI Bootcamp launched by the Mark Cuban Foundation, in partnership with Who We Play For and Groundswell Startups. Applications close September 30.

    This event brings the only artificial intelligence (AI) camp of its kind, free of charge, to the Space Coast. With a custom and highly-relevant curriculum focused on teaching students about the latest developments in the world of AI and Generative AI, the camp will provide the tools to make these technologies work for them and promises to educate, inspire and fuel the next generation of AI professionals.

    The program aims to provide students with a foundational understanding of artificial intelligence and its applications to future careers. Students can select from six tracks: healthcare, arts and entertainment, business and entrepreneurship, computer science, sports science, or education and career readiness. Driven by the belief that fostering interest in AI at a young age is crucial for preparing the next generation for their future, the AI Bootcamps are introductory and accessible to students in 9-12 grade with an interest in technology. Students do not need any familiarity with computer science or programming to attend.

    This free AI Bootcamp is hosted for underserved high school students with a transparent focus on recruiting girls, students of color, first generation college students, and those from low to moderate income households. The AI Bootcamp Program provides students with lunch and a snack, transportation assistance, and technology equipment during bootcamp.

    “As AI continues to become an undeniable force in all of our lives, it’s crucial that we open the door to this knowledge, especially to young people who want to explore it,” said Mark Cuban, founder. “While technology expands and becomes more advanced, it becomes more critical that we ensure our students are prepared when they apply for schools or jobs in the future. Thanks to our work with Who We Play For and Groundswell Startups, the bootcamp will offer an avenue to explore this fascinating field of technology to any student, no matter their means.”

    This year’s bootcamp, taking place in Melbourne on November 1st, 8th, and 15th is hosted and staffed by Groundswell Startups and Who We Play For, two organizations dedicated to fostering innovation, growth, and opportunity on the Space Coast.

    Who We Play For, a nonprofit organization committed to preventing sudden cardiac death in young people by providing affordable and accessible heart screenings. Founded in memory of Rafe Maccarone, a local student-athlete who lost his life to sudden cardiac arrest in 2007, the organization works tirelessly to ensure that no family, team, or community has to experience a similar loss. Through partnerships with schools, sports clubs, and community organizations, Who We Play For brings non-invasive heart screenings to youth across the country while raising awareness about the importance of early detection and advocating for increased access to life-saving resources.

    Groundswell Startups, founded in 2016, is a non-profit incubator and coworking space bringing concepts to life and accelerating scalability for businesses ranging from tech to manufacturing in Florida’s Space Coast and around the Southeast region.

    “This partnership reflects what Groundswell was built to do,” said Groundswell Co-Founder Bud Deffebach. “Events like these empower the next generation of tech innovators to understand and utilize AI. We are proud to join with the Mark Cuban Foundation in providing this experience to local students.”

    This partnership is one of more than 25 selected to host camps across the U.S. and the only event hosted in Florida.

    “We are thrilled to partner with the Mark Cuban Foundation and Groundswell Startups to share insights on artificial intelligence and the importance of early exposure to emerging technologies. This partnership is a great opportunity to showcase how AI is driving meaningful impact in our work here at Who We Play For, and we are proud to bring the AI Bootcamp to our hometown,” said Who We Play For Technical Director, Klynton Holmes.

    There are just 9 weeks left until the September 30 deadline. Do not miss your chance—submit your application now, as spaces are limited.

    Apply for the bootcamp at: markcubanai.org.

    Watch Mark Cuban’s message about Mark Cuban Foundation’s AI bootcamps and access the full media kit here.

    To learn more, visit markcubanai.org.

    This bootcamp is facilitated with support from Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamp Program’s media partner, Notified, a globally trusted technology partner for investor relations, public relations and marketing professionals.

    About Mark Cuban Foundation’s AI Bootcamp Initiative
    The Mark Cuban Foundation is a 501(c)(3) private non-profit led by entrepreneur and investor Mark Cuban. The AI Bootcamps Program at MCF seeks to inspire young people with emerging technology so that they can create more equitable futures for themselves and their communities. Over 3 consecutive Saturdays underserved 9th – 12th grade students learn what AI is and isn’t, where they already interact with AI in their own lives, the ethical implications of AI systems, and much more. Learn more about the no-cost AI Bootcamp program at markcubanai.org.

    About Who We Play For

    WWPF represents every young person who lost their life to sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). Our fight is to ensure that other families, teams, and communities will never know that pain.

    On our mission to eliminate preventable sudden cardiac death in the young through affordable heart screenings, WWPF has screened over 450,000 youth across more than 500 communities throughout the United States. As a result of WWPF’s screening program, more than 450 youth with life threatening heart conditions have received immediate, life-saving medical intervention and thousands more are now aware of cardiac abnormalities that may increase their risk for SCA later in life.

    Alongside the world’s leaders in pediatric cardiology, our vision is to elevate the standard of care for ALL youth, no matter their level of athletics, socio-economic status or geographical location.

    About Groundswell Startups

    Groundswell, a nonprofit high-tech incubator in Florida’s Space Coast, serves as a hub that unites founders, mentors, investors, and trusted support services. Our mission is simple yet powerful: to envelop entrepreneurs in a supportive ecosystem abundant with resources. We pave the way for company building, industry disruption, and scalable growth. At Groundswell, we believe in empowering startups with the essential network and resources to thrive in the heart of the Space Coast’s innovation landscape. Learn more or find support for your startup idea at www.swellstartups.com.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Blockgraph Builds on OnDemand Platform Success with Launch of Collaborative Insights and Geo-Based Audiences

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, July 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Blockgraph, the privacy-first data collaboration platform for household-based advertising, today launched two powerful new features—Collaborative Insights and Geo-Based Audiences— designed to further fuel its transformation as an industry leading resource for data-driven local advertisers.

    Following strong adoption of the Blockgraph OnDemand platform, which debuted in late 2024, these new capabilities are purpose-built to simplify targeting, planning and measurement across Blockgraph’s media partner ecosystem, making sophisticated advertising tools more accessible for advertisers of all sizes. Blockgraph OnDemand is on track for over 200% year-over-year growth with adoption spanning local ad categories including automotive dealerships, retail, political, education, local events marketing and home services.

    “Local marketers are often underserved by enterprise-level solutions,” said Jason Manningham, CEO of Blockgraph. “With these new capabilities, we’re making it easier than ever for local advertisers to measure what matters and activate campaigns with precision—no data science team or complicated setup required.”

    Collaborative Insights: Simplifying Measurement for Local Advertisers

    Blockgraph’s Collaborative Insights is a turn-key, privacy-safe reporting solution that helps advertisers understand campaign impact in clear business metrics, like return on ad spend, sales lift and store visit lift. It allows local advertisers and media sellers to easily collaborate on campaign performance and sales data, unlocking fast, actionable insights tied to real business outcomes. Built with privacy-safe intelligence, Collaborative Insights drastically simplifies measurement data collaboration and reporting, without a need for expensive setup, custom technology or complex integrations.

    Key benefits include:

    • Outcomes-Based Reporting – Instantly measure campaign outcomes with scalable, automated reporting
    • Smarter Planning – Collaborate with sellers to benchmark and refine local campaigns.
    • Speed to Insight – Consistent reporting and automation designed for local marketing teams.
    • Privacy-Safe By Design – Built-in protections facilitate sharing outcome insights without compromising data security.

    “This levels the playing field for local advertisers” said Jason Manningham, CEO at Blockgraph. “Collaborative Insights offers plug-and-play access to always-on insights, helping smaller businesses move quicker and plan smarter so they can prove ROI.”

    Collaborative Insights is also available to Blockgraph enterprise customers seeking to standardize, simplify and scale their reporting operations.

    Geo-Based Audiences: Easier and Smarter Local Targeting

    Geo-Based Audiences gives advertisers a simple way to reach real households in specific ZIP codes, cities, or custom regions using deterministic household-level data—without requiring their own CRM list or reliance on imprecise IP signals.

    Marketers can define audiences by specific location and activate with confidence knowing the segments are built from verified data—not probabilistic guesswork.

    Key Benefits:

    • No Set Up Required – Go live without uploading first-party data or configuring segments.
    • Verified Audiences – Built from household deterministic data—not proxies.
    • Flexible Geography – Build audiences by DMA, ZIP, or hyperlocal zones.
    • Confidence without Complexity– Avoid the inaccuracies and complexities of IP-based targeting.

    “This is local targeting made simple,” Manningham added. “Marketers can finally activate with the precision of national tools—without the technical burden.”

    Fueling the Future of Local Advertising

    With these launches, Blockgraph OnDemand continues to deliver on its mission to make local advertising even easier and more effective–providing a one-stop solution to plan, activate, and measure campaigns with confidence–all backed by the same privacy-first infrastructure trusted by the nation’s largest media companies.

    “At Comcast Advertising, we’re committed to driving innovation that delivers real business outcomes for our clients,” says Dawn Williamson, Chief Revenue Officer at Comcast Advertising. “As an early adopter of Blockgraph OnDemand, we’re proud to lead solutions that make advanced measurement and precision targeting more accessible to advertisers of all sizes. These capabilities not only elevate our ability to serve local businesses—they also reflect our broader mission to lead with data, insights, and impact.”

    About Blockgraph

    Blockgraph is a leading privacy-centric identity and data collaboration platform designed to fuel the future of connected TV advertising. By enabling secure, privacy-focused household identity resolution, the world’s leading media, technology, and information services companies rely on Blockgraph to collaborate with trusted partners—allowing brands and agencies to connect with audiences more effectively, maximizing reach and performance while protecting consumer privacy. Blockgraph is owned by Charter Communications Inc., Comcast NBCUniversal, and Paramount. For more information, visit www.blockgraph.co.

    Contact:
    Alexandra Levy
    650-996-5758
    alex@siliconalley-media.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Drones Dominating the Skies with Increased Production Presenting a Rare Opportunity to Capitalize on Exponential Growth

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PALM BEACH, Fla., July 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FN Media Group News Commentary – A recent release from the Department of Defense (DOD) said that: “The Pentagon to Increase Low-Cost Drone Production in U.S. It said that the Defense Department, with help from industry, will ramp up production and fielding of drones to maintain battlefield superiority. Recently at the Pentagon, 18 American-made drone prototypes were on display. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who toured the displays, said the drones that are manufactured using off-the-shelf components for rapid production are examples of disruptive thinking. Emil Michael, undersecretary of defense for research and engineering, said the prototypes on display went from concept to development in just an average of 18 months, a process that normally takes up to six years. The department will continue to rapidly innovate and scale up production of drones and other systems using cost, resilience, firepower and range as driving factors, which are areas DOD wants to improve upon,” Michael said. Hegseth said in a July 10, 2025, memorandum that he’s rescinding restrictive policies that hindered drone production. “Drones are the biggest battlefield innovation in a generation, accounting for most of this year’s casualties in Ukraine. Our adversaries collectively produce millions of cheap drones each year,” he said, noting the U.S. military is lacking needed quantities of lethal small drones.  Active Companies in the drone industries include ZenaTech, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZENA), Mercury Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: MRCY), Safe Pro Group Inc. (NASDAQ: SPAI), RTX Corporation (NYSE: RTX), AIRO Group Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: AIRO).

    The DOD release added: “The secretary said there are three goals: Prioritizing the purchase of American-made drones and parts with help from industry’s private capital; Arming combat units with low-cost drones made by America’s world-leading engineers and artificial intelligence experts; and Training with drones in realistic battlefield scenarios, led by leaders who are not risk averse.” The report concluded: “President Donald J. Trump signed a June 6, 2025, executive order to speed up U.S. drone production using the latest innovative industry technologies. The president said he supports reducing regulatory uncertainty and streamlining approval and certification processes for safe and secure drone production. Also, the Federal Aviation Administration and DOD will coordinate to streamline the approval processes to expand access to airspace for conducting drone training, Trump said.”

    ZenaTech (NASDAQ:ZENA) ZenaDrone Partners with Eagle Point Funding to Win US Defense Customers – ZenaTech, Inc. (FSE: 49Q) (BMV: ZENA) (“ZenaTech”), a business technology solution provider specializing in AI (Artificial Intelligence) drones, Drone as a Service (DaaS), Enterprise SaaS, and Quantum Computing solutions, today announces that its subsidiary ZenaDrone has signed a strategic partnership agreement with Eagle Point Funding, a specialized consultancy for technology and defense-focused companies, to help win US defense contracts. By leveraging Eagle Point’s deep expertise in R&D grant program opportunities, the company will gain structured support in identifying and preparing competitive proposals, and in establishing and expanding relationships within key US defense and government agencies.

    “Our collaboration with Eagle Point Funding will accelerate testing, pilot deployments, and enable long-term procurement discussions—helping ZenaDrone to advance as a key provider of American-made drone solutions,” said Shaun Passley, Ph.D., ZenaTech CEO. “Their expertise in navigating federal R&D funding programs such as SBIR and Department of Defense solicitations (DoD BAA), gives us a powerful advantage as we develop next-generation drone technologies aligned with US defense priorities. This partnership enhances our ability to accelerate product development, expand defense agency relationships, and unlock new growth without equity dilution.”

    Eagle Point Funding helps technology companies secure non-dilutive federal R&D grants and contracts from agencies such as the DoD, Air Force, Navy, and others. They specialize in programs such as the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR), Air Force Works (AFWERX), and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), guiding clients through the application process to win contracts.

    ZenaDrone has previously completed paid trials with the US Air Force and Navy Reserve, demonstrating its ability to deliver solutions including delivery of critical supplies such as blood in the field. The companies’ suite of drones for military use includes the ZenaDrone 1000, the IQ Nano and the IQ Square drone that are designed for a variety of applications including inspections, surveillance, reconnaissance, and indoor inventory management for warehouses and armories. Continued… Read this full release by visiting: https://www.financialnewsmedia.com/news-zena/

    Other recent developments in the drone industries include:

    Mercury Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: MRCY), a technology company that delivers mission-critical processing to the edge, recently announced it signed two agreements with a European defense prime contractor to expand and accelerate production of processing subsystems and components for radar and electronic warfare missions.

    In June, Mercury extended this decades-long customer relationship with a five-year agreement that will enable faster, higher-volume production of sensor processing subsystems powered by Mercury’s HDS6605 6U OpenVPX multiprocessing boards for airborne, land-based, and sea-based radar systems.

    Safe Pro Group Inc. (NASDAQ: SPAI), a leader in artificial intelligence (AI)-powered defense and security solutions, recently announced the successful integration of its patented AI object detection models with drone platforms selected for the U.S. Army’s Short Range Reconnaissance (SRR) Program of Record. Safe Pro is seeking to provide the U.S. Army’s future fleet of drones with enhanced explosive threat detection, force protection and essential intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities utilizing the Company’s AI-powered computer vision technologies.

    This integration supports the U.S. Army’s evolving need for real-time threat detection and ISR capabilities across its next-generation drone fleet. Safe Pro’s proprietary computer vision technology enhances these drones with battlefield-proven AI models capable of rapidly identifying explosive threats and other hazards in complex environments.

    RTX Corporation (NYSE: RTX) recently reported second quarter 2025 results. “We continued our momentum in the second quarter with organic sales and profit growth* across all three segments, including 16 percent commercial aftermarket growth,” said RTX Chairman and CEO Chris Calio. “Our backlog grew to $236 billion, up 15 percent versus prior year, and we secured major awards for our geared turbofan engines and integrated air and missile defense capabilities in the quarter.”

    “Our updated outlook reflects strong operational performance in the first half and incorporates our current assessment of the impact of tariffs. We are focused on delivering on the strong growth in our commercial and defense end markets and remain well positioned to drive long term profitable growth.”

    AIRO Group Holdings, Inc (NASDAQ: AIRO), a global leader in advanced aerospace and defense technologies, recently announced at EAA AirVenture 2025 in Oshkosh, WI, the development of its new middle-mile, medium-lift cargo drone and the expansion of its operations into the YMX Innovation Zone in Mirabel, Quebec. The initiative is led by its Electric Air Mobility segment, Jaunt Air Mobility, and its Canadian subsidiary, Jaunt Air Mobility Canada.

    Jaunt’s presence in this hub for Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) innovation strengthens its collaboration with Vertiko Mobilité, a Canadian leader in AAM operations and ground infrastructure development, and benefits from the support of Aéroports de Montréal (ADM).

    The new cargo drone is designed to carry 250–500 lbs. over distances of 200+ miles, aiming to provide an efficient, low-emission alternative to traditional middle-mile freight solutions such as box trucks and tractor-trailers.

    About FN Media Group:

    At FN Media Group, via our top-rated online news portal at www.financialnewsmedia.com, we are one of the very few select firms providing top tier one syndicated news distribution, targeted ticker tag press releases and stock market news coverage for today’s emerging companies. #tickertagpressreleases #pressreleases

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    DISCLAIMER:  FN Media Group LLC (FNM), which owns and operates FinancialNewsMedia.com and MarketNewsUpdates.com, is a third party publisher and news dissemination service provider, which disseminates electronic information through multiple online media channels. FNM is NOT affiliated in any manner with any company mentioned herein.  FNM and its affiliated companies are a news dissemination solutions provider and are NOT a registered broker/dealer/analyst/adviser, holds no investment licenses and may NOT sell, offer to sell or offer to buy any security.  FNM’s market updates, news alerts and corporate profiles are NOT a solicitation or recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities.  The material in this release is intended to be strictly informational and is NEVER to be construed or interpreted as research material.  All readers are strongly urged to perform research and due diligence on their own and consult a licensed financial professional before considering any level of investing in stocks.  All material included herein is republished content and details which were previously disseminated by the companies mentioned in this release.  FNM is not liable for any investment decisions by its readers or subscribers.  Investors are cautioned that they may lose all or a portion of their investment when investing in stocks.  For current services performed FNM has been compensated fifty one hundred dollars for news coverage of the current press releases issued by ZenaTech, Inc. by the Company.  FNM HOLDS NO SHARES OF ANY COMPANY NAMED IN THIS RELEASE.

    This release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. “Forward-looking statements” describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as “may”, “future”, “plan” or “planned”, “will” or “should”, “expected,” “anticipates”, “draft”, “eventually” or “projected”. You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, and other risks identified in a company’s annual report on Form 10-K or 10-KSB and other filings made by such company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included herein, and not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and FNM undertakes no obligation to update such statements.

    Contact Information:

    Media Contact email: editor@financialnewsmedia.com – +1(561)486-1799

    SOURCE: FN Media Group

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Chicken Road Game India – Play and Win Real Money By Chicken Road

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Gurugram, Haryana, July 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —

    Chicken Road Game Introduced to Indian Market

    The Chicken Road Game, a mobile-based casual title, has officially entered the Indian gaming space. The game, designed around a simple premise of navigating a chicken across busy roads and obstacle-filled environments, is now accessible through select digital platforms catering to mobile-first audiences.

    >>> Learn More About Chicken Road Game >>>

    The release comes as India continues to experience rapid growth in mobile and casual gaming, with millions of new players engaging in quick-session titles that require minimal setup or technical expertise.

    >>> Learn More About Chicken Road Game >>>

    Contextualising the Launch Chicken Road Game

    The launch of Chicken Road Game in India coincides with a broader shift toward hyper-casual mobile games that cater to diverse user groups — from urban commuters to players in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. With smartphone penetration surpassing 750 million users and data costs remaining among the lowest globally, the Indian market is increasingly attractive for lightweight, instantly accessible gaming formats.

    >>> Learn More About Chicken Road Game >>>

    The game’s structure, based on a universally understandable “cross-the-road” mechanic, reflects the demand for entertainment that is simple to learn, playable in short intervals, and broadly accessible across demographics.

    Format and Accessibility

    Chicken Road Game has been released with a mobile-first approach, optimised for Android devices commonly used across India. The game’s technical requirements remain minimal, allowing smooth operation even on entry-level smartphones and in areas with limited bandwidth.

    Features include:

    • A tap-based control system designed for short bursts of gameplay.
    • Randomised obstacle patterns to ensure varied playthroughs.
    • Lightweight installation size for users with limited device storage.

    The game is accessible for free on supported platforms, with optional ad-supported modes and cosmetic enhancements offered through in-app systems.

    Alignment with Casual Gaming Trends

    India’s gaming landscape has shifted dramatically toward hyper-casual experiences over the last five years. Titles that can be played without prior experience or extended learning curves now represent a significant share of downloads across app marketplaces.

    Chicken Road Game joins this category, offering entertainment that appeals to a broad spectrum of players — including those who may not identify as traditional gamers but engage with digital content during commutes, work breaks, or leisure time.

    Industry analysts note that these formats also help introduce new players to interactive entertainment ecosystems, often serving as an entry point into mobile gaming.

    Regulatory and Market Considerations

    The Chicken Road Game is delivered through established digital platforms that operate within India’s existing guidelines for mobile applications. As a casual, non-real-money title, it falls outside the regulatory frameworks governing online betting and wagering, making it widely accessible across states.

    Platforms distributing the game have incorporated standard user protection measures, including parental control features, to ensure suitability for varied age groups.

    Industry Observations

    The introduction of Chicken Road Game in India highlights the continued growth of quick-session, low-complexity mobile titles. Industry experts view these releases as a key driver for audience engagement, particularly as the country’s gaming audience expands beyond metro hubs to semi-urban and rural markets.

    Developers and publishers are increasingly focused on titles that leverage simple mechanics, low data usage, and universal appeal to build sustainable player bases across diverse regions.

    Conclusion

    The arrival of Chicken Road Game in the Indian market reflects the ongoing evolution of digital entertainment consumption. By combining a straightforward concept with a mobile-first design, the game underscores the role of hyper-casual formats in attracting and retaining players in one of the world’s fastest-growing gaming markets.

    As casual gaming continues to gain momentum, titles like Chicken Road Game represent the type of accessible entertainment that resonates with India’s mobile-first audience.

    Company Name: Chicken Road

    Address: 673, JMD Building, Gurugram, Haryana

    Website: https://chicken-roadd.com

    Email: sumit@chicken-roadd.com

    Phone: +91-2049157035

    Media Contact: Sumit

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: MetaWin Named “Best Crypto Casino of 2025”

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LONDON, July 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — MetaWin, a leading crypto casino & prize site, proudly announces it has been awarded the Best Crypto Casino of 2025 by Casinos.org, a globally trusted online casino authority. This prestigious accolade recognizes MetaWin’s innovative, player-focused platform, cementing its leadership in the crypto gambling industry.

    Join MetaWin today & experience winning in Web3!

    MetaWin tops the list of the best crypto casinos with its seamless integration of blockchain technology, offering a secure and engaging gaming experience. With a diverse range of slots, live dealer games, and provably fair crypto titles, MetaWin delivers unmatched entertainment and winning opportunities. This award highlights MetaWin’s commitment to transparency, innovation, and player satisfaction, making it the top choice for crypto casino enthusiasts.

    Casinos.org, a premier casino review platform, is renowned for its rigorous evaluations and unbiased insights. Backed by a team with over 100 years of combined industry experience, Casinos.org provides trusted reviews and guides, empowering players worldwide. Their recognition of MetaWin as the Best Crypto Casino underscores the platform’s excellence and influence in the iGaming sector.

    “We’re delighted to be honored as the Best Crypto Casino by Casinos.org,” said a MetaWin spokesperson. “This award reflects our dedication to creating a transparent, exciting, and rewarding environment for our players. We’ll continue to innovate and elevate the crypto casino experience.”

    Join MetaWin today to discover the headline grabbing promotions, including cashback, free spins, and daily boosts, massively enhancing the player experience. By leveraging blockchain, MetaWin ensures fast, secure transactions and fair gameplay. Players can access exclusive offers via MetaWin’s Telegram channel or by visiting metawin.com.

    As the crypto casino industry grows, MetaWin leads the way with its cutting-edge Web3 platform. This award reaffirms MetaWin’s commitment to becoming the best crypto casino and redefining winning in Web3.

    About MetaWin  
    MetaWin is a leading Web3 casino and competitions platform, revolutionizing iGaming with blockchain-powered games, offering slots, live casino, and provably fair titles.

    Media Contact:
    MetaWin
    Email: press@metawin.com
    Website: metawin.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f4457226-5c75-4c66-84f7-8dd93166c8b3

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Tenable Unveils AI-Powered Breakthrough in Vulnerability Prioritization

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    COLUMBIA, Md., July 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Tenable®, the exposure management company, today announced the next evolution of its industry-leading Tenable Vulnerability Priority Rating (VPR) to sharpen precision and focus on risks that pose the greatest threat. Powered by generative AI, enriched threat intelligence and context-aware scoring, Tenable VPR enables organizations to quickly understand vulnerability impact, weaponization and precise remediation actions.

    While static Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) broadly flags 60% of vulnerabilities as high or critical, Tenable VPR narrowed this to a focused 3% at its launch in 2019. With these latest AI-driven enhancements, Tenable VPR delivers twice the clarity and precision by leveraging real-time data to pinpoint the critical 1.6% of vulnerabilities that represent actual business risk. These efficiency gains, combined with enhanced explainability and contextualization, translate to faster mean-time-to-remediation, optimized resources, and strategically aligned security efforts with organizational priorities.

    “Our biggest problem was noise. We had thousands of vulnerabilities, and no clear way to know which ones posed a genuine threat,” said Jorge Orchilles, senior director, Readiness and Proactive Security, Verizon. “Tenable VPR changed that by showing us what attackers are actually exploiting right now. It lets us focus our resources on the handful of issues that truly matter, which has made a real, measurable difference in how quickly we can get critical patches out.”

    “We’re taking our game-changing Tenable VPR to the next level with these AI-powered enhancements,” said Eric Doerr, chief product officer, Tenable. “Tenable VPR brings an unmatched precision and depth of threat intelligence, context and explainability to cyber operations. With these critical insights at their fingertips, organizations can clearly visualize why an exposure matters, where they are vulnerable and how to close their priority risks.”

    In addition to hyper-focused risk prioritization, key enhancements to Tenable VPR include:

    • AI-powered insights and explainability: VPR insights provide instant clarity, helping users quickly grasp why an exposure matters, how it’s been weaponized by threat actors, and receive clear, actionable mitigation guidance. AI-generated threat summaries and remediation insights help users quickly understand real-world risks and next steps.
    • Prioritization with industry and regional context: Enhanced filtering, querying and metadata help organizations understand and prioritize vulnerabilities based on real-world threats to their specific industry and region, ensuring critical exposures relevant to the business are addressed first.

    More information on Tenable Vulnerability Management is available at: https://www.tenable.com/products/vulnerability-management

    Join the upcoming Tenable webinar titled “Tenable Announces AI-Powered Breakthrough in Vulnerability Prioritization” on August 19, 2025 at 10 am BST and 11 am ET.

    About Tenable
    Tenable® is the exposure management company, exposing and closing the cybersecurity gaps that erode business value, reputation and trust. The company’s AI-powered exposure management platform radically unifies security visibility, insight and action across the attack surface, equipping modern organizations to protect against attacks from IT infrastructure to cloud environments to critical infrastructure and everywhere in between. By protecting enterprises from security exposure, Tenable reduces business risk for approximately 44,000 customers around the globe. Learn more at tenable.com.

    Media Contact:
    Tenable
    tenablepr@tenable.com

    A video accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a3e789b1-a864-4bdb-a433-774d1a296ef4

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Tenable Unveils AI-Powered Breakthrough in Vulnerability Prioritization

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    COLUMBIA, Md., July 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Tenable®, the exposure management company, today announced the next evolution of its industry-leading Tenable Vulnerability Priority Rating (VPR) to sharpen precision and focus on risks that pose the greatest threat. Powered by generative AI, enriched threat intelligence and context-aware scoring, Tenable VPR enables organizations to quickly understand vulnerability impact, weaponization and precise remediation actions.

    While static Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) broadly flags 60% of vulnerabilities as high or critical, Tenable VPR narrowed this to a focused 3% at its launch in 2019. With these latest AI-driven enhancements, Tenable VPR delivers twice the clarity and precision by leveraging real-time data to pinpoint the critical 1.6% of vulnerabilities that represent actual business risk. These efficiency gains, combined with enhanced explainability and contextualization, translate to faster mean-time-to-remediation, optimized resources, and strategically aligned security efforts with organizational priorities.

    “Our biggest problem was noise. We had thousands of vulnerabilities, and no clear way to know which ones posed a genuine threat,” said Jorge Orchilles, senior director, Readiness and Proactive Security, Verizon. “Tenable VPR changed that by showing us what attackers are actually exploiting right now. It lets us focus our resources on the handful of issues that truly matter, which has made a real, measurable difference in how quickly we can get critical patches out.”

    “We’re taking our game-changing Tenable VPR to the next level with these AI-powered enhancements,” said Eric Doerr, chief product officer, Tenable. “Tenable VPR brings an unmatched precision and depth of threat intelligence, context and explainability to cyber operations. With these critical insights at their fingertips, organizations can clearly visualize why an exposure matters, where they are vulnerable and how to close their priority risks.”

    In addition to hyper-focused risk prioritization, key enhancements to Tenable VPR include:

    • AI-powered insights and explainability: VPR insights provide instant clarity, helping users quickly grasp why an exposure matters, how it’s been weaponized by threat actors, and receive clear, actionable mitigation guidance. AI-generated threat summaries and remediation insights help users quickly understand real-world risks and next steps.
    • Prioritization with industry and regional context: Enhanced filtering, querying and metadata help organizations understand and prioritize vulnerabilities based on real-world threats to their specific industry and region, ensuring critical exposures relevant to the business are addressed first.

    More information on Tenable Vulnerability Management is available at: https://www.tenable.com/products/vulnerability-management

    Join the upcoming Tenable webinar titled “Tenable Announces AI-Powered Breakthrough in Vulnerability Prioritization” on August 19, 2025 at 10 am BST and 11 am ET.

    About Tenable
    Tenable® is the exposure management company, exposing and closing the cybersecurity gaps that erode business value, reputation and trust. The company’s AI-powered exposure management platform radically unifies security visibility, insight and action across the attack surface, equipping modern organizations to protect against attacks from IT infrastructure to cloud environments to critical infrastructure and everywhere in between. By protecting enterprises from security exposure, Tenable reduces business risk for approximately 44,000 customers around the globe. Learn more at tenable.com.

    Media Contact:
    Tenable
    tenablepr@tenable.com

    A video accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a3e789b1-a864-4bdb-a433-774d1a296ef4

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: PayPal and Wix Advance Strategic Relationship to Deliver Unified Payments Experience for Merchants

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PayPal integrates with Wix Payments, providing a consolidated view for merchants to streamline payment management, enhance conversions and meet growing demand for flexible payment options 

    NEW YORK – Wix.com Ltd. (NASDAQ: WIX), the leading SaaS website builder platform globally1, today announced an expansion of its partnership with PayPal Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: PYPL), bringing additional online payment options to merchants through Wix Payments. Now available as a built-in part of Wix Payments, this provides U.S.-based merchants a unified, seamless experience that simplifies backend operations and ultimately supports higher checkout conversion. 

    With this deeper integration, PayPal is now available directly in the Wix Payments platform. Merchants can connect their PayPal Business account and manage all transactions from a single dashboard alongside their Wix Payments activity. This setup consolidates reporting, chargebacks, and payouts, helping merchants streamline day-to-day operations and deliver more flexible payment options to customers. Merchants also gain access to PayPal’s broader suite of features, including PayPal Pay Later (BNPL) and Venmo, offering customers more flexible and convenient ways to pay.  

    Funds from PayPal wallet purchases flow directly into merchants’ Wix Payments accounts, simplifying reconciliation and improving visibility over cash flow. This seamless integration gives merchants greater operational efficiency and control, while offering consumers more flexible ways to pay. In addition, as part of this integration, PayPal will also serve as a Payment Service Provider (PSP), powering card processing capabilities within Wix Payments – further streamlining the merchant experience across channels. 

    “We’re always looking for ways to create more seamless experiences for our users and provide them with the best way to accept payments and manage funds online, in person, and on the go,” said Amit Sagiv and Volodymyr Tsukur, Co-Heads of Wix Payments. “By bringing PayPal under the Wix Payments umbrella, we gain significantly more control over the user experience and how PayPal’s products are delivered to our merchants. This deeper integration allows us to improve conversion, offer more value, and drive stronger profitability, while giving our users a faster, more unified checkout flow.” 

    “At PayPal, we share Wix’s commitment to helping businesses grow by giving them faster, more flexible access to the capital they need,” said Michelle Gill, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Small Business & Financial Services, PayPal. “By embedding PayPal’s most popular payment methods—like PayPal Wallet and PayPal Pay Later—directly into the Wix Payments experience, we’re not just enhancing checkout. We’re enabling merchants to get paid quickly, manage everything in one place, and unlock new ways to serve their customers and scale their business.”

    Wix Payments offers small businesses a more streamlined way to manage payments through its platform. Users can handle transactions online, in person, or on the go using a range of secure payment options, designed to accommodate different customer preferences at checkout. With a full suite of options, merchants can adjust preferences to improve conversion rates and simplify day-to-day operations, and manage everything from a single dashboard, making it easier to track and report payments. Learn more about Wix Payments here.

    This solution is available to U.S.-based Wix Payments users with plans to make this feature available in more regions over time.

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

    About PayPal 
    PayPal has been revolutionizing commerce globally for more than 25 years. Creating innovative experiences that make moving money, selling, and shopping simple, personalized, and secure, PayPal empowers consumers and businesses in approximately 200 markets to join and thrive in the global economy. For more information, visit https://www.paypal.com, 
    https://about.pypl.com/ and https://investor.pypl.com/.   

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

    1 Based on number of active live sites as reported by competitors’ figures, independent third-party data and internal data as of H2 2025.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Middlefield Global Dividend Growers ETF Distributions

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, July 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Middlefield Global Dividend Growers ETF (TSX: MDIV) (the “Fund”) is pleased to announce that distributions for the third quarter of 2025 will be payable to unitholders of Middlefield Global Dividend Growers ETF as follows:

    Record Date Payable Date Distribution Per
    Trust Unit
    July 31, 2025 August 15, 2025 $0.06
    August 31, 2025 September 15, 2025 $0.06
    September 30, 2025 October 15, 2025 $0.06
         

    The trust units trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol MDIV.

    The Fund offers a distribution reinvestment plan (“DRIP”) for unitholders which provides unitholders with the ability to automatically reinvest distributions, commission free, and realize the benefits of compound growth. Unitholders can enroll in the DRIP program by contacting their investment advisor.

    Middlefield

    Founded in 1979, Middlefield is a specialist equity income asset manager with offices in Toronto, Canada and London, England. Our investment team utilizes active management to select high-quality, global companies across a variety of sectors and themes. Our product offerings include proven dividend-focused strategies that span real estate, healthcare, innovation, infrastructure, energy, diversified income and more. We offer these solutions in a variety of product types including ETFs, Mutual Funds, Closed-End Funds, Split-Share Funds and Flow-through LPs.

    For further information, please visit our website at www.middlefield.com or contact Nancy Tham in our Sales and Marketing Department at 1.888.890.1868.

    This press release contains forward-looking information. The forward-looking information contained in this press release is based on historical information concerning distributions and dividends paid on the securities of issuers historically included in the portfolio of the Fund. Actual future results, including the amount of distributions paid by the Fund, may differ from the monthly distribution amount. Specifically, the income from which distributions are paid may vary significantly due to: changes in portfolio composition; changes in distributions and dividends paid by issuers of securities included in the Fund’s portfolio from time to time; there being no assurance that those issuers will pay distributions or dividends on their securities; the declaration of distributions and dividends by issuers of securities included in the portfolio will generally depend upon various factors, including the financial condition of each issuer and general economic and stock market conditions; the level of borrowing by the Fund; and the uncertainty of realizing capital gains. The risks, uncertainties and other factors that could influence actual results are described under “Risk Factors” in the Fund’s prospectus and other documents filed by the Fund with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities. The forward-looking information contained in this press release constitutes the Fund’s current estimate, as of the date of this press release, with respect to the matters covered hereby. Investors and others should not assume that any forward-looking statement contained in this press release represents the Fund’s estimate as of any date other than the date of this press release.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Tree-mendous news from Armada Way!

    Source: City of Plymouth

    We’re branching out again! Over the next few days over 40 new trees will be taking root in Armada Way, adding even more leafy loveliness to the city centre. Here’s the lowdown on our latest green arrivals:

    • Magnolia Kobus – These beauties are blooming marvellous!
    • Alders – Perfectly planted in rain gardens, because they absolutely love a good soak.
    • Himalayan Birch – Forming a stunning copse grove, surrounded by rain gardens for that extra splash of nature.
    • ‘New Horizon’ Elms – Specially bred to thrive in city settings and resistant to Dutch Elm disease, adding strength and structure to the landscape
    • Red Maple – a one-of-a-kind showstopper in the scheme marking the new mobility hub.
    • London Plane – the tallest and most majestic of them all, this striking specimen will be the crown jewel of Armada Way’s canopy.

    These trees have been specially chosen to thrive in a city centre setting, boosting biodiversity and bringing shade, shelter, and seasonal colour to Armada Way. All this in time for the countdown of the big reveal! The first section of the Armada Way regeneration scheme opens on Thursday 31 July! 

    The first zone around the Phoenix Fountain – which includes the brand-new amphitheatre and performance space – will be ready to welcome you. Expect pop-up events, live music, and plenty of reasons to stop and enjoy the space.

    It’s a tree-rific time to be in Plymouth!

    Planting trees in the summer

    We know that there are a lot of questions as to why we’re planting trees in Armada Way this summer.

    We know summer isn’t the ideal time to plant trees – normally, it’s better to do it in the cooler, dormant months. But because Armada Way is such a complex and busy part of the city, we’ve had to carefully plan the work to avoid too much disruption for residents, businesses and everyone who uses the city centre. That means some of the tree planting is happening now, during the growing season.

    We’re not taking any chances though. Our team has worked closely with tree experts, nurseries and contractors to make sure the trees have the best possible chance to thrive. Here’s what we’re doing:

    • Quick turnaround: Trees are being planted as soon as they arrive, so they’re not left out of the ground for long.
    • Top-quality trees: We’ve chosen strong, healthy trees from trusted nurseries that are used to growing for urban environments.
    • Specialist planting team: The people planting the trees are experienced and using the right tools and techniques.
    • Container-grown trees: Where we can, we’re using trees that have been grown in containers, which makes them more adaptable to being planted in summer.
    • Better soil: We’ve used specially engineered soil that holds moisture and nutrients, and we’ve made sure the roots have plenty of space to grow.
    • Boosting root health: We’ve added natural fungi to the soil to help the roots absorb water and nutrients more easily.
    • Smart watering: A built-in irrigation system is in place to keep the trees well-watered, and we’re also using misting during heatwaves.
    • Mulch magic: A layer of mulch around each tree helps keep the soil moist and stops weeds from taking over.
    • Regular checks: Our team is keeping a close eye on the planting to make sure everything’s done properly and the trees are settling in well.

    We’re also being realistic. Even with all these measures, planting trees in a city centre during summer is tough – especially with the kind of heatwaves we’ve had this year.

    That’s why we’ve got a two-year aftercare plan in place. If any trees don’t make it, they’ll be replaced.

    This is all part of making Armada Way greener, more welcoming and better for the future. Thanks for bearing with us while we get it done.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Explosion in northwest Syria, casualty toll under investigation

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    DAMASCUS, July 24 (Xinhua) — A powerful explosion rocked northwestern Syria’s Idlib province on Thursday, causing casualties and causing fires near the town of Maarat Misreen, Syrian state-run Al-Ikhbariya TV reported.

    Idlib’s Disaster Management Authority confirmed that the blast, whose cause has not yet been determined, killed and injured people. Private Syria TV reported that the blast likely occurred at an ammunition depot in the area.

    The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also reported an unidentified aircraft flying over the region at the time of the explosion, although no official statement has confirmed the airstrike.

    The number of victims and the cause of the explosion are being determined. –0–

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: As Mexico’s LGBTQ+ community battles for inclusion, two drag performers have become internet stars – with more than 2 million TikTok followers

    Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By Francisco Tijerina, PhD Candidate in Hispanic Studies, Washington University in St. Louis

    Turbulence Queen, left, and Burrita Burrona perform at the Mexico City Pride Parade in June 2024. Jaime Nogales/Medios y Media via Getty Images News

    In January 2022, Erick Martínez, also known as Turbulence Queen, introduced a guest on his YouTube channel: Ivan “Momo” Guzmán, with the stage name Burrita Burrona, a drag performer wearing a cartoonish donkey costume topped by a wig.

    During their interview, Turbulence and Burrita shared stories, gossiped and threw shade at Mexican actors, newscasters and performers. Soon after, their careers took off.

    Before Burrita’s first appearance, Turbulence’s YouTube channel had fewer than 5,000 subscribers. Now, after the rebranding of the show to include Burrita’s name, their channel has about 375,000. More than 2 million subscribe to them on TikTok – Turbulence, with 600,000 followers and 16 million likes; Burrita with 1.5 million followers and 28 million likes. Their “El Podcast del Momento” has more than 225,000 subscribers.

    The two proved so popular that corporate sponsors started getting in on the action. Soriana, a large supermarket chain in Mexico, splashed their images on a line of cakes. Netflix Latin America had them hosting a series of videos promoting its new South Korean dramas. The media giant Televisa included Turbulence and Burrita as part of their comedic coverage of the 2024 Paris Olympics.

    Over the past 3 ½ years, the YouTube show has added some new characters, including Burrita’s mom and an on-and-off love interest, a butch lesbian wolf. Along with the interviews, the characters do comedic cooking segments and sketches. Even in today’s fragmented and cluttered media environment, the program regularly gets around 250,000 views, with some episodes reaching more than 1 million.

    While drag performers are not new in Mexico, Burrita is something of a novelty: a drag mascot. Although long a part of Mexico’s commercial culture – mascots promote everything from soccer teams to pharmacies and are a staple at children’s birthday parties – Burrita is the first to do it in drag.

    A clip from an episode of ‘El Podcast del Momento.’

    Discrimination and violence

    As a Mexican scholar who specializes in the study of gender and sexuality, I’m struck by how these LGBTQ+ characters have become enormously popular in what I consider a relatively conservative and deeply religious country. However, that too is changing: Today’s Mexico is sometimes called a conservative country with liberal laws. Still, in a country where about 5% of the population self-identify as LGBTQ+, the battle for inclusion – and more diverse representation of gender and sexuality – is far from over.

    In 2023, conservative groups pressured the International Book Fair of Monterrey to cancel a public short-story reading by drag queens. In 2024, a social media influencer’s misogynistic, homophobic and transphobic remarks ran live on national television. Also in 2024, San Nicolás de los Garza, a city of more than 400,000 people, banned public performances by drag queens. Ironically, San Nicolás is in the state of Nuevo Leon, which has one of the largest LGBTQ+ populations in Mexico.

    Indeed, national policies protecting the LGBTQ+ community don’t always apply equally; some states are more restrictive than others. For example, although Mexico’s Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in 2015, three states have yet to ratify it in their state constitutions.

    Turbulence Queen is interviewed on local TV at a 2023 red carpet event in Mexico.
    Jaime Nogales/Medios y Media via Getty Images Entertainment

    In May 2025, Mexico’s National Institute of Statistics and Geography reported these findings: 60% of the LGBTQ+ community say they’ve been subjected to some form of violence. Nearly 30% have had suicidal thoughts or have attempted suicide. Just over 37% say they experienced some form of discrimination during the past year. From 2020 to 2025, 25% said they were denied access to health care, education or social support. Hate crimes are on the rise, with 672 reported over a five-year period, including 141 in 2024, a significant jump from the 92 reported in 2023. The 2024 statistic includes 55 murders of transgender women.

    Taking off the mask

    Turbulence and Burrita’s swift success is impressive, but not all LGBTQ+ citizens in Mexico enjoy the same level of recognition and privilege. And as the fight for equal treatment continues, the country’s politics over the past decade has shifted. In 2018, leftist Andrés Manuel López Obrador was elected president. His successor, Claudia Sheinbaum, a climate scientist and a close ally of López Obrador’s, was elected in 2024.

    But although both López Obrador and Sheinbaum are more progressive than previous administrations, neither has been particularly vocal about their support for the LGBTQ+ community. For instance: Although Sheinbaum, Mexico’s first female and Jewish president, mentioned her support for the LGBTQ+ community during her campaign, she has largely ignored LGBTQ+ issues since taking office.

    Until recently, there were few openly LGBTQ+ people pitching products or appearing on television. But Guzmán, who’s the first mascot to perform in drag, is not hiding his sexuality, despite the costume. Rather, he can be read as a symbol of Mexico’s ongoing pursuit of equality. And perhaps his character’s visibility will allow more in the community to be able to shed their masks and come out.

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

    – ref. As Mexico’s LGBTQ+ community battles for inclusion, two drag performers have become internet stars – with more than 2 million TikTok followers – https://theconversation.com/as-mexicos-lgbtq-community-battles-for-inclusion-two-drag-performers-have-become-internet-stars-with-more-than-2-million-tiktok-followers-241552

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Bread Financial Announces Modified Dutch Auction Cash Tender Offers for 9.750% Senior Notes Due 2029 and/or 8.375% Fixed-Rate Subordinated Notes due 2035

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    COLUMBUS, Ohio, July 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bread Financial Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: BFH) (“Bread Financial” or the “Company”) today announced it has commenced cash tender offers (the “Tender Offers” and each, a “Tender Offer”) to purchase up to $150.0 million (subject to increase, the “Aggregate Tender Cap”) aggregate principal amount of its 9.750% Senior Notes maturing March 2029 (the “2029 Notes”) and/or its 8.375% Fixed-Rate Reset Subordinated Notes due 2035, maturing June 2035 (the “2035 Notes” and, together with the 2029 Notes, the “Notes”) subject to (i) the aggregate principal amount of all 2029 Notes accepted for purchase not exceeding $100.0 million (the “2029 Notes Sublimit”) and (ii) the aggregate principal amount of all 2035 Notes accepted for purchase not exceeding $50.0 million (the “2035 Notes Sublimit” and, together with the 2029 Notes Sublimit, the “Sublimits” and each, respectively, a “Sublimit”). The Tender Offers are being made on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Offer to Purchase, dated July 24, 2025 (as it may be amended or supplemented, the “Offer to Purchase”).

    The Tender Offers will expire at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on August 21, 2025, unless extended or earlier terminated as described in the Offer to Purchase (such date and time, as they may be extended, the “Expiration Time”), with an early participation deadline of 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on August 6, 2025 (the “Early Participation Date”), unless extended or earlier terminated.

    The total consideration payable for each $1,000 principal amount of each series of Notes will be determined based on a modified “Dutch Auction” procedure for each series. Holders of the Notes (“Holders”) who validly tender (and do not validly withdraw) their Notes before 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on the Early Participation Date, and whose Notes are accepted for purchase by the Company, will be eligible to receive the “Total Consideration,” which includes an “Early Participation Amount” of $50.00 for each $1,000 principal amount of the Notes validly tendered. The Company may, but is not obligated to, following the Early Participation Date and prior to the Expiration Time, elect to accept the Notes validly tendered by Holders on or prior to the Early Participation Date, for settlement on such date or promptly thereafter (the “Early Payment Date”) in one or both Tender Offers. If the Company elects to have an Early Payment Date for one or both Tender Offers, it is currently expected to be August 11, 2025, though it will issue a press release announcing the date selected as such Early Payment Date. Holders who validly tender their Notes after the Early Participation Date and on or prior to the Expiration Time, and who have their Notes accepted for purchase by the Company, will not be eligible to receive the Early Participation Amount and will only receive the Total Consideration minus the Early Participation Amount (the “Tender Offer Consideration”) on the final payment date (the “Final Payment Date”). The Final Payment Date is currently expected to occur on August 26, 2025. Holders that hold both 2029 Notes and 2035 Notes may participate in one, both or neither of the Tender Offers.

    Holders electing to participate may specify the minimum applicable Total Consideration (the “Bid Price”) they would be willing to receive in exchange for each $1,000 principal amount of each series of Notes they choose to tender in the Tender Offers. The Bid Price that Holders specify for each $1,000 principal amount of each series of Notes must be within the applicable range set forth in the table below and must be in increments of $1.25. The following table sets forth certain terms of the Tender Offers:

        
    Series of Notes
    		   CUSIP / ISIN   Aggregate
    Principal Amount
    Outstanding    		   Sublimit (3)   Total Consideration
    (Acceptable Bid
    Range)(1)(2)    		   Early Participation
    Amount(1)
    9.750% Senior Notes maturing March 2029   144A: 018581AP3 / US018581AP34
    Reg S: U0179AK2 / USU01797AK20
    Reg S: U01797AL0 / USU01797AL03    		   $750,012,000   $100,000,000   $1,040 — $1,070   $50.00
    8.375% Fixed-Rate Reset Subordinated Notes maturing June 2035   144A: 018581AQ1 / US018581AQ17
    Reg S: U01797AM8 / USU01797AM85    		   $400,000,000   $50,000,000   $995 — $1,025   $50.00
         
    (1)    Per $1,000 principal amount of Notes that are accepted for purchase by the Company.
    (2)    Includes the $50.00 Early Participation Amount.
    (3)    Subject to Aggregate Tender Cap.
     

    As more fully described in the Offer to Purchase, the Total Consideration for each $1,000 principal amount of each series of Notes validly tendered by Holders (and not validly withdrawn) pursuant to the respective Tender Offer on or prior to the Early Participation Date and accepted for purchase by the Company (subject to proration, if applicable) will be equal to the sum of: (1) the “Base Price” for that series of Notes, which also is equal to the minimum Bid Price, and (2) the “Clearing Premium” for that series of Notes, which will be determined by consideration of the bid premiums of all validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) Notes of such series on or prior to the Early Participation Date, in order of lowest to highest bid premiums. If the aggregate amount of the Notes of a series validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) in a Tender Offer at or below the Clearing Premium for such series would cause the Company to accept an aggregate principal amount of Notes of such series in excess of the applicable Sublimit for such series under the applicable Tender Offer, then Holders of Notes of such series tendered at the applicable Clearing Premium will be subject to proration as described in the Offer to Purchase.

    Tendered Notes may be withdrawn any time on or prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on August 6, 2025, unless extended by the Company (such date and time, as the same may be extended or earlier terminated, the “Withdrawal Date”). Notes validly tendered after the Withdrawal Date may not be withdrawn or revoked, unless otherwise required by law. The Tender Offers are subject to the satisfaction or waiver of a number of conditions as set forth in the Offer to Purchase. The Company may amend, extend or terminate the Tender Offers in its sole discretion and subject to applicable law.

    The Company reserves the right, subject to applicable law, to (a) extend the Early Participation Date, the Withdrawal Date or the Expiration Time, in each case, to a later date and time; (b) increase the Aggregate Tender Cap, the 2029 Notes Sublimit and/or the 2035 Notes Sublimit; (c) waive in whole or in part any or all conditions to either Tender Offer; (d) delay the acceptance for purchase of any Notes or delay the purchase of any Notes; (e) increase the maximum bid price (as described in the Offer to Purchase) for one or both series of Notes; (f) decrease the minimum bid price or the maximum bid price (each as described in the Offer to Purchase), in each case, for one or both series of Notes; or (g) otherwise modify or terminate the Tender Offers. The Company does not intend to extend the Early Participation Date, the Withdrawal Date or the Expiration Time unless required by law or otherwise in its sole discretion.

    J.P. Morgan Securities LLC is acting as the sole lead dealer manager and BMO Capital Markets Corp., CIBC World Markets Corp., KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc., RBC Capital Markets, LLC, Scotia Capital (USA) Inc., Truist Securities, Inc., Fifth Third Securities, Inc., U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc. and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC are acting as co-dealer managers for the Tender Offers. D.F. King, Inc. is serving as the information agent and tender agent. Copies of the Offer to Purchase and related tender offering materials are available by contacting the information agent at (212) 448-4476 (banks and brokers) and at (866) 340-7108 or by email at bread@dfking.com. Questions regarding the Tender Offer should be directed to J.P. Morgan at (866) 834-4666 (toll free) or (212) 834-7489 (collect).

    None of the Company, the sole lead dealer manager, the co-dealer managers, the information agent and tender agent or the trustee for the Notes makes any recommendation as to whether Holders should tender any Notes in response to the Tender Offers. Holders must make their own decision as to whether to tender any of their Notes and, if so, the principal amount of Notes and the Bid Price or Bid Prices at which to tender. This press release is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any security and shall not constitute an offer, solicitation or sale in any jurisdiction in which such offering, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. The Tender Offers are being made solely by means of the Offer to Purchase. In those jurisdictions where the securities, blue sky or other laws require any tender offer to be made by a licensed broker or dealer, the Tender Offers will be deemed to be made on behalf of the Company by the dealer managers or one or more registered brokers or dealers licensed under the laws of such jurisdiction.

    Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Language
    This news release may contain forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, our financing plans and the details thereof, including the proposed tender offer of the Notes and the other expected effects of such transaction. Forward-looking statements may generally be identified by the use of the words such as “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “project,” “plan,” “likely,” “may,” “should” or other words or phrases of similar import. Similarly, statements that describe our business strategy, outlook, objectives, plans, intentions or goals also are forward-looking statements. Examples of forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements we make regarding, and the guidance we give with respect to, our anticipated operating or financial results, future financial performance and outlook, future dividend declarations, and future economic conditions.

    We believe that our expectations are based on reasonable assumptions. Forward-looking statements, however, are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict and, in many cases, beyond our control. Accordingly, our actual results could differ materially from the projections, anticipated results or other expectations expressed in this release, and no assurances can be given that our expectations will prove to have been correct. Factors that could cause the outcomes to differ materially include, but are not limited to, the following: macroeconomic conditions, including market conditions, inflation, interest rates, labor market conditions, recessionary pressures or concerns over a prolonged economic slowdown, and the related impact on consumer spending behavior, payments, debt levels, savings rates and other behaviors; global political and public health events and conditions, including significant shifts in trade policy, such as changes to, or the imposition of, tariffs and/or trade barriers and any economic impacts, volatility, uncertainty and geopolitical instability resulting therefrom, as well as ongoing wars and military conflicts and natural disasters; future credit performance of the Company’s customers, including the level of future delinquency and write-off rates; loss of, or reduction in demand for services from, significant brand partners or customers in the highly competitive markets in which the Company competes; the concentration of the Company’s business in U.S. consumer credit; increases or volatility in the Allowance for credit losses that may result from the application of the current expected credit loss (CECL) model; inaccuracies in the models and estimates on which the Company relies, including the amount of its Allowance for credit losses and our credit risk management models; increases in fraudulent activity; failure to identify, complete or successfully integrate or disaggregate business acquisitions, divestitures and other strategic initiatives, including, with respect to divested businesses, any associated guarantees, indemnities or other liabilities; the extent to which the Company’s results are dependent upon its brand partners, including its brand partners’ financial performance and reputation, as well as the effective promotion and support of the Company’s products by brand partners; increases in the cost of doing business, including market interest rates; the Company’s level of indebtedness and inability to access financial or capital markets, including asset-backed securitization funding or deposits markets; restrictions that limit the ability of Comenity Bank and Comenity Capital Bank (the “Banks”) to pay dividends to the Company; pending and future litigation; pending and future federal, state, local and foreign legislation, regulation, supervisory guidance and regulatory and legal actions including, but not limited to, those related to financial regulatory reform and consumer financial services practices, as well as any such actions with respect to late fees, interchange fees or other charges; increases in regulatory capital requirements or other support for the Banks; impacts arising from or relating to the transition of the Company’s credit card processing services to third party service providers that it completed in 2022; failures or breaches in the Company’s operational or security systems, including as a result of cyberattacks, unanticipated impacts from technology modernization projects, failure of its information security controls or otherwise; loss of consumer information or other data due to compromised physical or cyber security, including disruptive attacks from financially motivated bad actors and third party supply chain issues; and any tax or other liability or adverse impacts arising out of or related to the spinoff of the Company’s former LoyaltyOne segment or the bankruptcy filings of Loyalty Ventures Inc. and certain of its subsidiaries and subsequent litigation or other disputes. The foregoing factors, along with other risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in forward-looking statements, are described in greater detail under the headings “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most recently ended fiscal year, which may be updated in Item 1A of, or elsewhere in, our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed for periods subsequent to such Form 10-K. Our forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made, and the Company undertakes no obligation, other than as required by applicable law, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, subsequent events, anticipated or unanticipated circumstances or otherwise.

    About Bread Financial
    Bread Financial® (NYSE: BFH) is a tech-forward financial services company that provides simple, personalized payment, lending, and saving solutions to millions of U.S. consumers. Our payment solutions, including Bread Financial general purpose credit cards and savings products, empower our customers and their passions for a better life. Additionally, we deliver growth for some of the most recognized brands in travel & entertainment, health & beauty, jewelry and specialty apparel through our private label and co-brand credit cards and pay-over-time products providing choice and value to our shared customers.

    Contacts
    Brian Vereb – Investor Relations
    Brian.Vereb@BreadFinancial.com

    Susan Haugen – Investor Relations
    Susan.Haugen@BreadFinancial.com

    Rachel Stultz – Media
    Rachel.Stultz@BreadFinancial.com

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