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Category: Entertainment

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reps. Carter, Harshbarger Are Holding Ticket Scalpers Accountable

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Troy A. Carter Sr. (LA-02)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-LA) and Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger (R-TN) introduced the bipartisan Mitigating Automated Internet Networks (MAIN) Event Ticketing Act, which will protect consumers from online scammers and bots in the online ticket marketplace. The MAIN Event Ticketing Act boosts enforcement of the Better Online Ticket Sales (BOTS) Act of 2016, a law prohibiting ticket scalpers from using software to purchase high volumes of tickets.

     

    “I am proud to lead this bill, which is a crucial step toward restoring fairness and transparency in the online ticket marketplace,” said Rep. Carter. “In Louisiana, the birthplace of American Music, this is especially important. By cracking down on bots and improving the enforcement of existing laws, this bipartisan legislation prioritizes fans, ensuring they have a fair chance to experience the live events they love without being priced out or misled by deceitful actors. I am honored to stand with Rep. Harshbarger, along with many artists, venues, and industry leaders, to protect consumers and uphold the integrity of live entertainment.”

     

    “If there’s one thing that can bring us all together, it’s music and entertainment,” said Rep. Harshbarger.“This is especially true for East Tennessee, as we’re home to music legends like Dolly Parton and Morgan Wallen. Whether it’s attending a concert or a stand-up show, we all love spending time with friends and family to enjoy live entertainment. What no one loves is trying to buy a ticket to see your favorite performer—only to find that scalpers have scooped up most of the tickets and are reselling them at exorbitant prices.”

     

    The companion MAIN Event Ticketing Act was introduced by Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) in February 2025.

     

    Background

     

    The MAIN Event Ticketing Act:

     

    • Establishes reporting requirements for online ticket sellers to notify of successful bot attacks to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC);
    • Creates a complaint database so consumers can share their experiences with the FTC, which must then share that information with state attorneys general;
    • Enacts data security requirements for online ticket sellers and mandates information sharing between the FTC and law enforcement; and
    • Requires a report to Congress on BOTs enforcement.

     

    This legislation is endorsed by the Recording Academy, Recording Industry Association of America, Live Nation Entertainment, and the National Independent Venue Association.

     

    Full bill text can be found here.

     

    ###

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 2025 Congressional Art Competition Winner

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Diana Harshbarger (R-TN)

    BLOUNTVILLE, TN — Today, Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger joined students, teachers, and community members in Blountville to announce the winners of the 2025 Congressional Art Competition, celebrating the exceptional talent of young artists across Tennessee’s First District. 

    Taking home first place was William McNeill of Providence Academy, whose stunning piece, “Great Dhalia,” captured the top honor and will be proudly displayed in the U.S. Capitol.

    Additional award recipients include:

    • Second Place: Laurel Pearson, Providence Academy
    • Third Place: Frances Stewart, University School
    • Honorable Mention: Annalise Burns, Providence Academy
    • Honorable Mention: Aleecia Rema Davis, Morristown East High
    • Art Teacher of the Year: Sharon Squibb, University School

    Congresswoman Harshbarger shared her admiration and appreciation for the students and educators who participated:

    “It always amazes me to see how much talent the young people of Tennessee’s First District have. It’s one of the reasons this is one of my favorite events of the year, and I’m thankful for the nearly one hundred students who submitted their art. I’m also extremely thankful to the teachers who helped make this competition possible through their guidance and leadership.”

    The Congressional Art Competition is held annually to showcase the artistic achievements of high school students from across the nation.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 11 April 2025 Departmental update Malaria progress in jeopardy amid foreign aid cuts

    Source: World Health Organisation

    Since 2000, investments in the global malaria response have prevented more than 2 billion cases and nearly 13 million deaths. Yet efforts to control and eliminate malaria are in jeopardy as communities and programmes face the fallout of recent funding cuts.

    Malaria is preventable and curable – but without prompt diagnosis and treatment, it can rapidly escalate to severe illness and death, particularly among young children and pregnant women. In 2023 alone, malaria claimed nearly 600 000 lives, with an estimated 95% of these deaths occurring in the WHO African Region.[1]

    The 2025 funding cuts to malaria programmes put millions of additional lives at risk and could reverse decades of progress earned, in part, through longstanding investments from the United States of America and other global partners. ​ Between 2010 and 2023, the USA contributed an average of 37% of global malaria financing through both bilateral and multilateral channels.[2]  

    The recent experience of the COVID-19 pandemic showed that sudden interruptions to malaria service delivery can be deadly. In 2020, COVID-related disruptions to the provision of malaria prevention, diagnosis and treatment led to an estimated 14 million more malaria cases and an additional 47 000 deaths.[3]  

    “History has shown us what happens if we let down our guard against malaria,” cautions Dr Daniel Ngamije, Director of the WHO Global Malaria Programme. “In 1969, the global eradication effort was abandoned, triggering a resurgence in cases and deaths. It took nearly 30 years for world leaders to come together and restore momentum.”

    Although funding for some USA-supported malaria programmes has been reinstated, the disruptions have left critical gaps. Without the rapid delivery of prevention and treatment services to at-risk populations, the consequences could be fatal.  

    Findings of rapid WHO survey

    The impact is being felt across the health sector. Of the 108 WHO country offices that took part in a recent WHO survey, nearly three quarters reported severe disruptions to health services following the pause in overseas development assistance (ODA).

    Responses from country offices suggest that budget cuts are already translating into increased out-of-pocket payments for patients, with the poor and vulnerable likely to carry the heaviest financial burden. The survey highlighted job losses for health and care workers as well as disruptions to information systems and to the supply of medicines and health products.

    Reponses to malaria have been particularly affected. Of the 64 malaria-endemic countries surveyed, more than half reported moderate or severe disruptions to malaria services.

    Impact of funding shortfall highlighted at WHO advisory committee meeting

    Further information was shared in this week’s WHO Malaria Policy Advisory Group (MPAG) meeting, held from 8–10 April. MPAG members heard updates on current challenges and priority actions taken by countries and their global partners to respond to immediate funding shortfalls.

    Insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) have been a cornerstone of malaria prevention efforts in Africa over the past 2 decades. By early April 2025, more than 40% of planned ITN distribution campaigns designed to reach 425 million people were either delayed or at risk of being derailed, according to data provided by national malaria programmes.

    Nearly 30% of seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) campaigns to protect 58 million children were also off track. In many African countries, stocks of rapid diagnostic tests and medicines have reached critically low levels.

    Reductions in funding also threaten to undermine critical investments in scientific innovation, including in new and improved preventive, diagnostic and treatment interventions as well as in new tools to address drug and insecticide resistance.

    “We must not allow funding setbacks to derail the global malaria agenda,” noted Dr Jérôme Salomon, WHO Assistant Director-General, in his opening remarks at MPAG. “We urge all stakeholders to sustain their commitments, safeguard national plans, and coordinate adaptation strategies in response to the shifting funding landscape.”

    Country leadership and partner support critical to response

    In Nigeria, lawmakers have approved an additional US$ 200 million for the health sector as part of a 2025 spending plan – an effort to mitigate the impact of the recent suspension of USA foreign aid.[4]  Across Africa, other countries are strengthening coordination mechanisms and taking steps to close critical gaps through the use of domestic resources.

    WHO and partners remain committed to supporting national governments and civil society in securing sustained funding and delivering integrated solutions to protect those most at risk. Achieving resilient and self-financed health systems will require increased domestic investment in health and a strategic use of available resources to maximize impact.

    “This is the moment for data-driven decision making – for ensuring every dollar is used wisely,” said Dr Dyann Wirth, MPAG Chair. “People and communities already facing poverty and vulnerability will bear the brunt of these funding cuts.  We must embrace equity-focused action and stand up for sustainable solutions that leave no one behind.”

    In March 2025, WHO and the RBM Partnership to End Malaria launched a cross-partner working group of technical experts and donor agencies to ensure rapid, aligned support for countries where it is most needed.

    “It is critical, now more than ever, to ensure that our malaria interventions are fully integrated within broader health systems,” noted Dr Michael Charles, CEO of the RBM Partnership to End Malaria. “Our collective efforts must continue to focus on streamlining, on coordination and on sustainable financing. And, at the end of the day, we must ensure that we are putting countries first.”

    Sustained investment in primary health care and delivering integrated, life-saving services – particularly for vulnerable populations – must remain a priority.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI: OceanFirst Financial Corp. Announces Redemption of all Outstanding 57,370 shares of 7.00% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock of OceanFirst Financial Corporation

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    RED BANK, N.J., April 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — OceanFirst Financial Corp. (NASDAQ: OCFC) (the “Company”), the holding company for OceanFirst Bank N.A. (the “Bank” or “OceanFirst”), announced today that it will redeem 57,370 shares of its 7.00% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series A (the “Series A Preferred Stock”), constituting all of the outstanding shares of the Series A Preferred Stock, on May 15, 2025, the next dividend payment date for the Series A Preferred Stock (the “Redemption Date”). Payment of the cash redemption price equal to $1,000 per share of Series A Preferred Stock (the “Redemption Price”) (equivalent to $25 per Depositary Share) will be made on the Redemption Date. The Redemption Price does not include the previously declared dividend payment that is due on the Redemption Date and that will be paid immediately prior to the redemption of the Series A Preferred Stock on the Redemption Date to holders of record on the record date for such dividend payment. On the Redemption Date, simultaneous with the redemption of the Series A Preferred Stock, the depositary for the Series A Preferred Stock will redeem 2,294,800 depositary shares (the “Depositary Shares”), each representing a 1/40th interest in a share of the Series A Preferred Stock, for an amount per Depositary Share equal to 1/40th of the Redemption Price per share of Series A Preferred Stock.

    The Depositary Shares are held only in book-entry form through The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) and shall be redeemed in accordance with the applicable procedures of DTC.

    On the Redemption Date, the Redemption Price will become due and payable. On and after the Redemption Date, dividends in respect of the Series A Preferred Stock represented by the Depositary Shares shall cease to accrue, the Series A Preferred Stock and the Depositary Shares shall no longer be deemed outstanding and all rights of the holders of the Series A Preferred Stock and holders of receipts evidencing the Depositary Shares shall cease and terminate, except only the right of the holders of the Series A Preferred Stock to receive the Redemption Price and the right of the holders of receipts evidencing the Depositary Shares to receive 1/40th of the Redemption Price, in each case, without interest.

    “We are pleased to announce our payoff of the Preferred Stock,” said Patrick Barrett, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. “Our strong capital and liquidity levels have positioned us well to pay off liabilities with higher funding costs. The redemption of our preferred stock is consistent with our balance sheet strategy of optimizing debt and capital.”

    About OceanFirst Financial Corporation

    OceanFirst Financial Corp.’s subsidiary, OceanFirst Bank N.A., founded in 1902, is a $13.3 billion regional bank providing financial services throughout New Jersey and in the major metropolitan areas between Massachusetts and Virginia. OceanFirst Bank delivers commercial and residential financing, treasury management, trust and asset management, and deposit services and is one of the largest and oldest community-based financial institutions headquartered in New Jersey. To learn more about OceanFirst, go to www.oceanfirst.com.

    Company Contact:
    Alfred Goon
    SVP Corporate Development and Investor Relations
    OceanFirst Financial Corp.
    Tel: 1.888.623.2633 ext. 27423
    Email: agoon@oceanfirst.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Beam Global Reports Full Year 2024 Operating Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN DIEGO, April 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Beam Global, (Nasdaq: BEEM), (the “Company”), a leading provider of innovative and sustainable infrastructure solutions for the electrification of transportation, smart cities, and energy security, today announced its operating results for the year ended December 31, 2024.

    2024 and Recent Company Highlights:

    Financial:

    • Revenues of $49.3 million, more than double any previous year’s revenue in the Company’s history excluding 2023
    • Five-year Revenue CAGR 68%
    • Revenues from non-government commercial entities increased by 229% from 2023 to 2024
    • Positive full year gross margins of 15% – an improvement of 13 percentage points over 2023
    • Adjusted non-GAAP gross margins, net of non-cash costs were 21%
    • Net cash used in Operations for 2024 was $2.2 million vs. 2023 at $13.3 million
    • Backlog of $5.6 million on December 31, 2024
    • Debt free and $100 million line of credit available and unused

    Operational:

    • Acquisition of Serbia-based Telcom – provides Beam with in-house production capabilities for power electronics
    • Received $7.4 million order from the U.S. Army for 88 off-grid EV ARCTM systems
    • Received $4.8 million order from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for EV ARCTM systems
    • Achieved CE (Conformité Européenne) certification on EV ARCTM
    • Achieved Build America, Buy America (BABA) Act Compliance for EV ARC™
    • Launched four new products BeamSpot™, BeamBike™, BeamPatrol™, BeamWell™
    • Received first orders for BeamSpot™ and BeamWell™
    • Closed and deployed first “Driving on Sunshine” sponsorship deal with Globos Osiguranje
    • Introduced the Beam Global Reseller Program – expanding outside sales resources
    • Delivered UK Ministry of Defence EV ARC™ systems to Cyprus
    • Entered Middle Eastern and African markets through reselling partnerships
    • Added new police and international airport fleet customers, further expanding our customer base in critical sectors
    • Enhanced Beam Global leadership team:
      • COO – Mark Myers, former Nuclear Navy Officer
      • VP of Sales – Andy Lovsted joined Beam Global in the U.S.
      • Director of Channel Partnerships – Igor Labovic joined Beam Global in Europe
    • Announced partnership with Benzina Zero, an innovative provider of electric mopeds, scooters, electric bicycles and micro-mobility solutions
    • Announced partnership with Zero Motorcycles, an innovative provider of electric motorcycles
    • Expanded global patent portfolio:
      • Awarded European Patent for Thermal Management Technology that Makes Lithium-ion Batteries Safer
      • Awarded U.S. Patent for Wireless / Inductive Electric Vehicle Charging Powered by Renewable Energy
      • Granted U.S. Patent for High-Volume Battery Assembly and Safety Technology

    “2024 was a year of tremendous expansion for Beam Global,” said Desmond Wheatley, CEO of Beam Global. “It was a year in which we introduced more new e-mobility and energy security products in the last quarter of the year than we have done in the last decade. It was also a year in which we expanded geographically into markets with billions of potential new customers for Beam. We completed another acquisition in Serbia, which will make our products less expensive, more effective, and harder to compete with. We won new patents as we continued to build our intellectual property portfolio. Using our technological differentiation, we won new customers with unique requirements that we believe only we can fulfill. With these strategic moves and others, we created a platform for growth, which is unlike anything that we’ve had in the Company’s history. We have made dramatic improvements to our gross profitability and set the Company on a clear path to being cash-flow positive. We have sufficient cash and other working capital resources to allow us to continue to execute on our plans and we remain debt free while still having access to our $100 million line of credit which remains untapped. We believe that the Company retains excellent opportunities for growth in 2025 as a result of our geographic and product portfolio expansions, and in spite of political and economic uncertainty in the United States.”

    2024 Financial Summary

    Revenues
    Beam Global’s revenues as of December 31, 2024, was $49.3 million compared to $67.4 million in 2023. Although there was a decrease year over year, this was a 124% increase over 2022 revenue of $22.0 million and twice any full year’s revenue in our history except 2023. Additionally, revenues derived from non-government commercial entities increased by 229% for the twelve months from 2023 to 2024 and were 38% of total revenues in 2024.   We believe that the decrease in revenue is a result of order timing, uncertainty in the U.S. government’s zero emission vehicle strategy related to the presidential election. These matters have mainly impacted our larger federal customers, and we do not believe that they signify any fundamental reduction in global demand for our products. We have continued to invest in our sales resources with new hires in both the U.S. and Europe and we have further expanded our selling resources without costs through adding external resources who are paid only when they make sales.     

    Gross Profit
    The Company reported a positive gross profit of $7.3 million, or 15% gross margin, for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to a gross profit of $1.2 million, or 2% gross margin in 2023. As a percentage of revenue, the full year margin improved by thirteen percentage points primarily because we have implemented cost improvements in late 2023 as a result of design changes to the EV ARCTM as well as operational improvements and positive margins generated from the acquisitions in Europe. The gross profit includes a non-cash negative impact of $2.4 million for depreciation and $0.7 million for amortization of intangible assets resulting from the AllCell acquisition. Without this non-cash expense, our gross profit for 2024 was $10.5 million, a 21% gross margin. The Company’s engineering teams have continued to implement design changes during 2024 which further reduce costs of the bill of materials and improve the product margins. We expect the Company’s revenue to grow in the future and our fixed overhead absorption to continue to improve.

    Operating Expenses
    Total operating expenses were $19.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to $17.5 million in the prior year.   The operating expenses in 2024 includes an increase of $3.8 million due to having a full year of operating expenses for the Serbian acquisitions and a non-cash positive impact of $0.4 million, without these, adjusted operating expenses increase for the year ended December 31, 2024 would be $1.6 million compared to the same period in 2023. The increase is mostly attributable to salaries and benefits of $0.7 million related to new hires in 2024, $0.4 million related to outside services, partially related to acquisitions, and $0.4 million related to marketing expenses.

    Loss from Operations
    Loss from operations was $11.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to $16.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. Backing out the non-cash items that included $3.7 million for depreciation and amortization, $3.3 million for stock-based compensation and $0.4 million for allowance for credit losses, offset by $4.7 million for change in fair value of contingent consideration liabilities pertaining to the true-up of the earnout payment for the Amiga acquisition, the non-cash loss from operations was $8.9 million for 2024, compared to loss from operations of $11.8 million for 2023. The Non-GAAP loss from operations decreased 24% year over year due to increased gross profit of 13 percentage points in 2024 and management of operating expenses.

    Cash
    On December 31, 2024, we had cash of $4.6 million, compared to cash of $10.4 million at December 31, 2023. The cash decrease between December 31, 2023 and 2024 included cash payments for our acquisitions of $3.2 million.  Net cash used for operating activities was $2.2 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2024 compared to $13.3 million for the same period in 2023.

    We have historically met our cash needs through a combination of debt and equity financing and more recently through increasing gross profit contributions. Our cash requirements are generally for operating activities and acquisitions.

    Non-GAAP Financial Measures

    To supplement our condensed consolidated financial statements, which are prepared in accordance with GAAP, we present Non-GAAP Loss from Operations which is non-GAAP financial measures, in this press release. We use Non-GAAP Loss from Operations in conjunction with GAAP measures as part of our overall assessment of our performance to evaluate the effectiveness of our business strategies and to communicate with our board of directors concerning our financial performance. We believe Non-GAAP Loss from Operations is also helpful to investors, analysts and other interested parties because it can assist in providing a more consistent and comparable overview of our operations across our historical financial periods. Non-GAAP Loss from Operations has limitations as an analytical tool. Therefore, you should not consider it in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of our results as reported under GAAP. Because of these limitations, you should consider Non-GAAP Loss from Operations alongside other financial performance measures, including net loss attributable to other GAAP measures. In evaluating Non-GAAP Loss from Operations you should be aware that in the future we may incur expenses that are the same as, or similar to, some of the adjustments reflected in this press release. Our presentation of Non-GAAP Loss from Operations should not be construed to imply that our future results will be unaffected by the types of items excluded from the calculations of Non-GAAP Loss from Operations. Non-GAAP Loss from Operations is not presented in accordance with GAAP and the use of these terms vary from others in our industry. Reconciliation of this non-GAAP measure has been provided in the financial statement tables included within this press release, and investors are encouraged to review this reconciliation.

    Conference Call April 11, 2025 at 4:30 p.m. ET

    Management will host a conference call on Friday, April 11, 2025 at 4:30 p.m. ET to review financial results and provide an update on corporate developments. Following management’s formal remarks, there will be a question-and-answer session.

    Participants can register for the conference through the following link:   

    https://dpregister.com/sreg/10198405/fed880d536

    PARTICIPANT CALL IN (TOLL FREE): 1-844-739-3880

    PARTICIPANT INTERNATIONAL CALL IN: 1-412-317-5716

    Please ask to join the Beam Global call.

    A webcast archive will be available on our website (www.BeamForAll.com) following the call.

    About Beam Global
    Beam Global is a clean technology innovator which develops and manufactures sustainable infrastructure products and technologies. We operate at the nexus of clean energy and transportation with a focus on sustainable energy infrastructure, rapidly deployed and scalable EV charging solutions, safe energy storage and vital energy security. With operations in the U.S. and Europe, Beam Global develops, patents, designs, engineers and manufactures unique and advanced clean technology solutions that power transportation, provide secure sources of electricity, save time and money and protect the environment. Beam Global is headquartered in San Diego, CA with facilities in Chicago, IL and Belgrade and Kraljevo, Serbia. Beam Global is listed on Nasdaq under the symbol BEEM. For more information visit BeamForAll.com, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).

    Forward-Looking Statements
    This Beam Global Press Release may contain forward-looking statements. All statements in this Press Release other than statements of historical facts are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are generally accompanied by terms or phrases such as “estimate,” “project,” “predict,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “target,” “plan,” “intend,” “seek,” “goal,” “will,” “should,” “may,” or other words and similar expressions that convey the uncertainty of future events or results. These statements relate to future events or future results of operations. These statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause Beam Global’s actual results to be materially different from these forward-looking statements. Except to the extent required by law, Beam Global expressly disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements.

    Media Contact
    Andy Lovsted
    +1-858-335-8465
    Press@BeamForAll.com

    Investor Relations
    Luke Higgins
    +1-858-799-4583
    IR@BeamForAll.com

           
    Beam Global      
    Consolidated Balance Sheets      
    (In thousands)      
                     
          December 31,       December 31,  
          2024       2023  
                     
    Assets                
    Current assets                
    Cash   $ 4,572     $ 10,393  
    Accounts receivable, net of allowance for credit losses of $259 and $448     8,027       15,943  
    Prepaid expenses and other current assets     2,243       2,453  
    Inventory, net     12,284       11,933  
    Total current assets     27,126       40,722  
                     
    Property and equipment, net     13,704       16,513  
    Operating lease right of use assets     1,893       1,026  
    Goodwill     10,580       10,270  
    Intangible assets, net     8,037       9,050  
    Deposits     119       62  
    Total assets   $ 61,459     $ 77,643  
                     
    Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity                
    Current liabilities                
    Accounts payable   $ 8,959     $ 9,732  
    Accrued expenses     2,462       2,737  
    Sales tax payable     195       209  
    Deferred revenue, current     847       828  
    Note payable, current     63       40  
    Deferred consideration     –       2,713  
    Contingent consideration, current     93       –  
    Operating lease liabilities, current     696       615  
    Total current liabilities     13,315       16,874  
    Commitments and contingencies (F-14)                
    Deferred revenue, noncurrent     800       402  
    Note payable, noncurrent     199       160  
    Contingent consideration, noncurrent     216       4,725  
    Other liabilities, noncurrent     3,380       3,787  
    Deferred tax liabilities, noncurrent     1,290       1,698  
    Operating lease liabilities, noncurrent     971       455  
    Total liabilities     20,171       28,101  
                     
    Commitments and contingencies (Note 9)                
                     
    Stockholders’ equity                
    Preferred stock, $0.001 par value, 10,000,000 authorized, none outstanding as of December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023.     –       –  
    Common stock, $0.001 par value, 350,000,000 shares authorized, 14,835,630 and 14,398,243 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively.     15       14  
    Additional paid-in-capital     147,072       142,265  
    Accumulated deficit     (104,643 )     (93,361 )
    Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (AOCI)     (1,156 )     624  
                     
    Total stockholders’ equity     41,288       49,542  
                     
    Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity   $ 61,459     $ 77,643  
                     
    Beam Global
    Consolidated Statements of Operations
    ( In thousands, except per share amounts)
                   
      Year Ended
      December 31,
        2024       2023  
                   
    Revenues $ 49,336     $ 67,353  
                   
    Cost of revenues   42,040       66,149  
                   
    Gross profit   7,296       1,204  
                   
                   
    Operating expenses   18,953       17,465  
                   
    Loss from operations   (11,657 )     (16,261 )
                   
    Other income (expense)              
    Interest income   205       261  
    Other income (expense)   110       (36 )
    Interest expense   (34 )     (12 )
    Other income   281       213  
                   
    Loss before income tax expense   (11,376 )     (16,048 )
                   
    Income tax (benefit) expense   (94 )     12  
                   
    Net Loss $ (11,282 )   $ (16,060 )
                   
    Net foreign currency translation adjustments   (1,781 )     624  
    Total Comprehensive Loss $ (13,063 )   $ (15,436 )
                   
    Net Income (loss) per share – basic/diluted $ (0.77 )   $ (1.30 )
                   
    Weighted average shares outstanding – basic/diluted   14,621       12,345  
                   
    Beam Global
    Reconciliation of Loss from Operations to Non-GAAP Loss from Operations
    (Unaudited, In thousands)
                        
           Year Ended
           December 31,
             2024       2023  
                        
    GAAP Total Revenue     $ 49,336     $ 67,353  
                        
    GAAP Total COGS   42,040       66,149  
    Adjusted to exclude the following:                 
    Depreciation and amortization      3,155       970  
    Non-GAAP Total COGS    $ 38,885     $ 65,179  
                        
    Non-GAAP Gross Profit    $ 10,451     $ 2,174  
    Gross Margin %       21 %     3 %
                        
    GAAP Total Operating Expenses      18,953       17,465  
                   
    Adjusted to exclude the following:                 
    Depreciation and amortization      558       581  
    Non-cash compensation      3,322       2,675  
    Allowance for credit losses      392       0  
    Fair value of contingent consideration (1)     (4,675 )     260  
    Non-GAAP Total adjustments    $ (403 )   $ 3,516  
                   
    Non-GAAP Total Operating Expenses   $ 19,356     $ 13,949  
                        
    GAAP Loss from Operations    $ (11,657 )   $ (16,261 )
    Non-GAAP total adjustments      2,752       4,486  
    Non-GAAP Loss from Operations    $ (8,905 )   $ (11,775 )
                        

    (1)   Fair value of contingent consideration is non-cash. The Earnout Consideration is paid in the Company’s stock. See the financial statement notes included in prior quarterly and annual filings.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Bel Fuse Schedules First Quarter 2025 Financial Results Conference Call

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    WEST ORANGE, N.J., April 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bel Fuse Inc. (Nasdaq: BELFA and BELFB), a designer, manufacturer, and provider of products that power, protect and connect electronic circuits, today announced plans to release preliminary financial results for the first quarter after market close on Thursday, April 24, 2025. An earnings conference call has been scheduled as follows:

    When: Friday, April 25, 2025 at 8:30 a.m. ET
    Dial in: 877.407.0784, or international: 201.689.8560
    Online: https://ir.belfuse.com/events-and-presentations
    How: Live over the internet – Simply log on to the web at the address above
    Replay: 844.512.2921, or international: 412.317.6671
      Conference ID: 13753007
       

    A replay will be available after 12:30 p.m. ET for 30 days following the call.

    About Bel
    Bel (www.belfuse.com) designs, manufactures and markets a broad array of products that power, protect and connect electronic circuits. These products are primarily used in the defense, commercial aerospace, networking, telecommunications, computing, general industrial, high-speed data transmission, transportation and eMobility industries. Bel’s product groups include Power Solutions and Protection (front-end, board-mount and industrial power products, module products and circuit protection), Connectivity Solutions (expanded beam fiber optic, copper-based, RF and RJ connectors and cable assemblies), and Magnetic Solutions (integrated connector modules, power transformers, power inductors and discrete components). The Company operates facilities around the world.

    Contacts:

    Bel Fuse Inc.

    Lynn Hutkin, VP Financial Reporting & Investor Relations
    ir@belf.com

    Three Part Advisors
    Jean Marie Young, Managing Director
    Steven Hooser, Partner
    jyoung@threepa.com
    shooser@threepa.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congresswoman Salazar Introduces the NO FAKES Act

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar’s (FL-27)

    strong>WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, Rep. Maria Salazar (FL-27) introduced the Nurture Originals, Foster Art, and Keep Entertainment Safe (NO FAKES) Act along with Reps. Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Nathaniel Moran (TX-01), Becca Balint (VT-At Large), and Joe Morelle (NY-25). The legislation protects the voice and likeness of all individuals from unauthorized, computer-generated recreations from generative artificial intelligence (AI) and other technologies.

    The Senate version of the bill is being introduced by Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Chris Coons (D-DE), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.).

    “In this new era of AI, we need real laws to protect real people,” said Rep. Salazar. “The NO FAKES Act is simple and sacred: you own your identity—not Big Tech, not scammers, not algorithms. Deepfakes are digital lies that ruin real lives, and it’s time to fight back.”

    “The NO FAKES Act works to tackle the risk that AI poses to artists, content creators, and the victims of deep fakes. The realities of new AI technology breakthroughs mean we must establish a clear right to control digital replicas of one’s own voice and image. And this is a common sense, bipartisan proposal. I’m grateful to work with Representatives Dean and Salazar to safeguard America’s artists and creators, ensuring that AI’s potential is harnessed for good,” saidRep. Balint.

    “A.I. deepfakes are a serious threat to privacy and intellectual property—and if we don’t act, the damage will only grow,” said Rep. Morelle. “That’s why I’m backing the bipartisan NO FAKES Act to modernize our laws, promote innovation, and keep people safe.”

    From the biggest entertainers to everyday Americans, non-consensual voice and image clones can ruin careers, deceive families and friends, and traumatize victims. The American people need clear rules that empower individuals to control their own faces and voices while encouraging innovation and ensuring that the United States remains the world leader on artificial intelligence.

    “While AI has opened the door to countless innovations, it has also exposed creators and other vulnerable individuals to online harms,” said Senator Blackburn. “Tennessee’s creative community is recognized around the globe, and the NO FAKES Act would help protect these individuals from the misuse and abuse of generative AI by holding those responsible for deepfake content to account.”

    “Nobody—whether they’re Tom Hanks or an 8th grader just trying to be a kid—should worry about someone stealing their voice and likeness,” said Senator Coons. “Incredible technology like AI can help us push the limits of human creativity, but only if we protect Americans from those who would use it to harm our communities. I am grateful for the bipartisan partnership of Senators Blackburn, Klobuchar, and Tillis, the support of colleagues in the House, and the endorsements of leaders in the entertainment industry, the labor community, and firms at the cutting edge of AI technology.”

    “While AI presents extraordinary opportunities for technological advancement, it also poses some new problems, including the unauthorized replication of the voice and visual likeness of individuals, such as artists,” said Senator Tillis. “We must protect against such misuse, and I’m proud to co-introduce this bipartisan legislation to create safeguards from AI, which will result in greater protections for individuals and that which defines them.”

    “Americans from all walks of life are increasingly seeing AI being used to create deepfakes in ads, images, music, and videos without their consent,” said Senator Klobuchar. “We need our laws to be as sophisticated as this quickly advancing technology. The bipartisan NO FAKES Act will establish rules of the road to protect people from having their voice and likeness replicated through AI without their permission.”

    “As AI’s prevalence grows, federal law must catch up—we must support technological innovation while preserving the privacy, safety, and dignity of all Americans,” said Representative Dean. “By granting everyone a clear, federal right to control digital replicas of their own voice and likeness, the NO FAKES Act will empower victims of deep fakes; safeguard human creativity and artistic expression; and defend against sexually explicit deepfakes. I’m grateful to work with a bipartisan group of colleagues on common sense, common ground regulations of this new frontier of AI.”

    The NO FAKES Act will:

    • Recognize that every individual has a federal intellectual property right to their own voice and likeness—including an extension of that right for the families of individuals after they pass away;

    • Empower individuals to take action against bad actors who knowingly create, post, or profit from unauthorized digital copies of them;

    • Protect responsible media platforms from liability if they take down offending materials when they discover them;

    • Ensure innovation and free speech are protected; and

    • Provide a nationwide solution to a patchwork of state laws and regulations by January 2, 2025.

     

    ENDORSEMENTS

    This legislation is endorsed by the Recording Industry Association of America; Motion Picture Association; SAG-AFTRA; YouTube; Recording Academy; OpenAI; Warner Music Group; Universal Music Group; Sony Music; The Walt Disney Company; IBM; Vermillio; Hive; Independent Film & Television Alliance; WME; Creative Artists Agency; Human Artistry Campaign; National Association of Broadcasters; the Model Alliance; ASCAP; Nashville Songwriters Association International; the Authors Guild; the National Center on Sexual Exploitation; Television Academy; Enough is Enough; American Association of Independent Music; and more.

    “This bill proves that we can prioritize the growth of AI and protecting American creativity at the same time. We applaud the Senate and House sponsors driving this legislation that provides balanced and effective protections for all individuals against exploitative uses of their voice and likeness while supporting free speech, reducing litigation and achieving the promise of AI technology,” said Mitch Glazier, Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) Chairman & CEO.

    “The NO FAKES Act thoughtfully establishes federal protections for performers from generative AI abuse while also respecting creators’ First Amendment rights and freedoms,” said Charles Rivkin, Chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association (MPA). “The MPA thanks Senators Blackburn, Coons, Klobuchar, and Tillis for re-introducing this bill. Specifically, we appreciate the inclusion of safeguards intended to prevent the chilling of constitutionally protected speech such as biopics, docudramas, parody, and satire. This is necessary for any new law to be durable. The MPA will continue to work closely with the bill’s sponsors as the NO FAKES Act makes its way into law.”

    “In the age of digital clones, deepfakes can be devastating,” said Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator, SAG-AFTRA. “We all deserve the right to demand platforms remove illegal voice and image clones, and to seek damages from those who intentionally cause harm. Thank you Senators Blackburn, Coons, Klobuchar, and Tillis for reintroducing the NO FAKES Act. As innovation continues to rapidly evolve, it’s time for commonsense legislation that defends individual rights.”

    “For nearly two decades, YouTube has been at the forefront of handling rights management at scale, and we understand the importance of collaborating with partners to tackle these issues proactively. Now, we’re applying that expertise and dedication to partnership to ensure the responsible deployment of innovative AI tools. We thank Senators Coons and Blackburn, and Representatives Salazar and Dean, for their leadership on the NO FAKES Act, which is consistent with our ongoing efforts to protect creators and viewers, and reflects our commitment to shaping a future where AI is used responsibly,” said Leslie Miller, VP of Public Policy, YouTube. 

    “The Academy is proud to represent and serve creators, and for decades, GRAMMYs on the Hill has brought music makers to our nation’s capital to elevate the policy issues affecting our industry. Today’s reintroduction of the NO FAKES Act underscores our members’ commitment to advocating for the music community, and as we enter a new era of technology, we must create guardrails around AI and ensure it enhances – not replaces – human creativity. We thank Senators Blackburn and Coons, and Representatives Dean and Salazar for their unwavering support on this issue, and we look forward to working alongside them to pass the NO FAKES Act this Congress,” said Harvey Mason jr., CEO, Recording Academy. 

    “OpenAI is happy to once again support the NO FAKES Act, which supports creators and artists. We applaud Senators Coons, Blackburn, Klobuchar, and Tillis for their leadership, and we look forward to working with the sponsors and fellow supporters as this legislation moves forward,” said OpenAI Chief Global Affairs Officer Chris Lehane.  

    “I applaud Senators Blackburn and Coons and Representatives Salazar and Dean for their leadership in introducing the NO FAKES Act. This bill reflects what can happen when tech and creative industries come together – foster cutting edge innovation while protecting human identity and artistry. We look forward to working with key members of the US Senate and House to help pass the NO FAKES Act this year,” said Robert Kyncl, Warner Music Group CEO.

    “Universal Music Group applauds the reintroduction of the NO FAKES Act – landmark, bipartisan, bicameral legislation to address ‘deepfakes’ and other threats to individuals’ rights to control their own voice and visual likeness,” said Universal Music Group. “At once, this legislation secures First Amendment protections and takes a critical step to ensure all Americans can protect and control their own persona. We are grateful to the bill’s sponsors for their thoughtful leadership on this important issue.”

    “Sony Music is proud to support the No FAKES Act to promote the ethical use of AI and give artists more control over their identity and creative expression,” said Sony Music. “Thank you to the Senate and House sponsors for continuing to champion this bipartisan legislation, which will provide meaningful protections against the unauthorized use of an artist’s voice and image. We look forward to working towards passage of this legislation allowing AI innovation and creativity to flourish.” 

    “Disney is pleased to support the reintroduction of the NO FAKES Act. We look forward to working with the sponsors to see this legislation enacted to ensure important and meaningful protections for individuals against misuse of their image and voice through AI while maintaining critical speech protections for legitimate storytelling rooted in the First Amendment,” said the Walt Disney Company.

    “AI is now widely used across sectors, and as advancements continue, it’s vital to protect creators and individuals from potential deepfake risks,” said Mike Harney, Vice President, Government & Regulatory Affairs, IBM. “IBM supports the NO FAKES Act, which safeguards individuals from unauthorized AI replication of their images, voices, or likenesses. We thank Senators Coons, Blackburn, Klobuchar, and Tillis for their leadership on this important bipartisan legislation.”

    “The NO FAKES Act makes a critical stride towards establishing NIL protections that deliver consent, credit, compensation, and control to all Americans,” said Dan Neely, Co-Founder and CEO, Vermillio. “With deepfakes representing only one piece of a much larger battle against unauthorized content, the entertainment industry must implement robust AI safeguards to protect American creativity, one of our most valuable assets. We appreciate the leadership Senators Coons, Blackburn, Tillis, and Klobuchar, who recognize the essential role of cutting-edge technologies in delivering national security, protecting all citizens, and closing vulnerabilities that allow bad actors to misuse AI.”

    “The development of AI-generated media and AI detection technologies must evolve in parallel,” said Kevin Guo, CEO and cofounder of Hive. “We envision a future where AI-generated media is created with permission, clearly identified, and appropriately credited. We stand firmly behind the NO FAKES Act as a fundamental step in establishing oversight while keeping pace with advancements in artificial intelligence to protect public trust and creative industries alike.”

    “The Independent Film & Television Alliance® supports the NO FAKES Act and thanks lead sponsors Senators Coons and Blackburn, and sponsors Senators Klobuchar and Tillis, for their ongoing efforts to enact this bill,” said Jean Prewitt, President and CEO, IFTA. “This essential legislation establishes a standardized federal solution to prevent the unauthorized exploitation of an individual’s voice, image and likeness, upholds crucial First Amendment safeguards to protect free speech, and includes an important preemption clause.”

    “We view technology as a complement, not a substitute, for human artistry,” said Christian Muirhead, Co-Chairman, WME. “Guardrails must be put into place that ensure continued innovation while protecting our clients’ name, image, likeness, and voice. We thank Senators Coons, Blackburn, Tillis, and Klobuchar for recognizing the urgency of this issue, and will continue to work with them to ensure all artists and our clients remain at the center of this vital legislation.”

    “As advancements in AI continue to move at an unprecedented pace, so too must our legal frameworks. We thank Senators Coons, Blackburn, Klobuchar, and Tillis for creating this legislation that ensures artists maintain control over how their name, image, likenesses, voice, and IP are used. These forward-thinking policies are an essential first step to navigating this new digital era, striking a critical balance between innovation and strong protections,” said Bryan Lourd, CEO and Co-Chairman, Creative Artists Agency (CAA).

    “The Human Artistry Campaign stands for preserving essential qualities of all individuals – beginning with a right to your own voice and image. The NO FAKES Act is an important step towards necessary protections that also support free speech and AI development. The Human Artistry Campaign commends Senators Blackburn and Coons and Representatives Salazar, Dean, Moran, and Balint for shepherding bipartisan support for this landmark legislation, a necessity for every American to have a right to their own identity as highly realistic voice clones and deepfakes become more pervasive,” said Dr. Moiya McTier, Human Artistry Campaign Senior Advisor.

    “NAB applauds Senators Blackburn and Coons for reintroducing the NO FAKES Act, which takes an important step toward protecting trusted broadcast journalists, local radio hosts and other on-air personalities from the unauthorized use of their voice, image or likeness. Broadcasters play a vital role in keeping communities informed, and the spread of deceptive deepfakes undermines both individual rights and public trust. This bipartisan bill offers meaningful safeguards while respecting First Amendment protections, and we look forward to working with Congress to advance it,” said the National Association of Broadcasters. 

    “As AI adoption grows, workers whose livelihoods depend on their image face a new frontier of exploitation: their digital replica being used without consent. That’s why the Model Alliance is proud to endorse the NO FAKES Act, which will empower individuals to control their digital likeness,” said Sara Ziff, Founding Director of Model Alliance. “As image-based workers who lack union protection, models are the canary in the coal mine. Federal standards for AI use are urgently needed to protect all individuals, particularly those whose image is their livelihood.”

    “American songwriters and other music creators need Congress to put human beings first and pass laws that ensure transparency, consent, compensation, credit, and global consistency when it comes to generative AI. ASCAP commends this bipartisan group of leaders for introducing legislation that recognizes the value of human creativity to AI development,” said Elizabeth Matthews, CEO of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers.

    “NMPA is proud to support the reintroduction of the No Fakes Act. In an era where artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping the creative landscape, it is critical that we protect the rights of creators from exploitation, fraud, and misuse. We commend Senators Coons, Blackburn, Klobuchar, and Tillis for their leadership in protecting songwriters and artists from illicit theft of their work. By establishing new protections against the harmful use of digital replicas, the No Fakes Act will provide the necessary framework to ensure that AI serves as a tool to enhance creativity rather than undermine the rights of those who create it. We urge the Senate to move swiftly in passing this critical legislation and securing the protections the creative community deserves,” said David Israelite, President and CEO, The National Music Publishers Association. 

    “The NO FAKES Act is an extremely important part of the puzzle in protecting human creators in the age of generative Artificial Intelligence. We applaud Senators Blackburn and Coons for introducing this bill in recognition that it should be a person’s right to protect their own voice and likeness and use it in only the ways they see fit. The Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) strongly supports the NO FAKES Act and urges Congress to pass and enact this legislation expeditiously in the interest of protecting our creators,” said Jennifer Purdon Turnbow, COO of Nashville Songwriters Association International. 

    “The Authors Guild thanks Senators Chris Coons, Marsha Blackburn, Thom Tillis, and Amy Klobuchar for introducing the NO FAKES Act,” said Mary Rasenberger, CEO, Authors Guild. “It marks a significant step in protecting creators’ rights to their own persona. By prohibiting the unauthorized use of AI-generated replicas in audiovisual and sound recordings and establishing clear legal guidelines and liability for misuse, this bill helps safeguard creators from unauthorized and unpaid uses of their images and voices.”

    “Imagine waking up one morning to find your face or the face of someone you love manipulated into sexually explicit imagery—distributed online for the world to see. This is now the reality we face. The proliferation of nonconsensual digital depictions has exploded online: 98% of deepfake videos online today are pornographic, and 99% of these deepfakes explicitly target women. The NO FAKES Act offers vital relief for victims by providing a path to seek justice through civil remedies,” said Haley McNamara, Senior Vice President of Strategic Initiatives and Programs, National Center on Sexual Exploitation.

    “Representing nearly 30,000 members across all disciplines of the television industry, the Television Academy supports the NO FAKES Act and applauds Senators Coons and Blackburn for working on this important bill. Television is built on the talent, creativity, and hard work of real people – writers, producers, and TV executives to camera operators and cinematographers who bring stories to life. As artificial intelligence and digital replication technologies evolve, it is essential to put in place meaningful protections that prevent the unauthorized and exploitative use of performers’ voices, likenesses, and creative expressions. The Television Academy supports the NO FAKES Act to establish clear federal protections that uphold the rights of television professionals and the creative foundation of the television industry,” said the Television Academy.

    “Senator Blackburn (R) has long been a champion of protecting children and families from the harms of online exploitation and abuse and we proudly support her efforts, as well as her co-sponsor Senator Coons (D) in introducing the bi-partisan NO FAKES Act. As technology evolves exponentially, so do those who exploit these technologies at the expense of others. While artificial intelligence is increasingly relied upon to educate, inform, and create, it can also be used by bad actors to harm through the growing problem of ‘deepfakes’ and fraudulent unauthorized computer generated recreations of an individual’s voice or visual likeness. The NO FAKES Act would protect against such nonconsensual digital replications by providing harmed individuals with the ability to hold civilly liable those responsible for producing and distributing such content as well as the platforms who knowingly host such unauthorized content. AI can be a wonderful tool with vast benefits, but we must guard against its misuse to produce nonconsensual voice or visual replicas! No one is immune and we encourage Congress to move thoughtfully and aggressively forward to pass bi-partisan laws that prioritize the safety of both children and adults in the digital world,” said Donna Rice Hughes, CEO/President of Enough Is Enough.

    “GenerativeAI development is moving at lightning speed, without the guardrails needed to make sure that artists who spend lifetimes developing their art don’t see their livelihoods eaten along with untold harm to America’s creative culture. The NO FAKES Act would arm our community of over 550 independent labels with a new tool to combat the egregious theft of artists’ professional identities by big tech behemoths intent on winning at all costs. We are so thankful to our champions in the House and Senate for introducing the NO FAKES Act today,” said Dr. Richard James Burgess, President and CEO of the American Association of Independent Music. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Ministry of Information & Broadcasting signs a MoU with Government of Maharashtra to establish Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT) in Mumbai

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 11 APR 2025 6:08PM by PIB Mumbai

     

     Mumbai, April 11, 2025

    The Union Ministry of Information & Broadcasting today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Maharashtra, Maharashtra Film, Stage & Cultural Development Corporation Ltd. (MFSCDCL) and the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT) for the establishment of a world-class institute dedicated to the Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics, and Extended Reality (AVGC-XR) sector i.e. Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT) in Mumbai.

    The MoU was signed between Chief Secretary of Government of Maharashtra Ms. Sujata Saunik and Secretary, Information and Broadcasting Sh. Sanjay Jaju and was exchanged in the presence of the Chief Minister of Maharashtra Sh. Devendra Fadnavis and Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting   Sh. Ashwini Vaishnaw today.

    Chief Minister Shri Devendra Fadnavis stated that Indian Institute of Creative Technology (IICT) in Mumbai — a first-of-its-kind institute will focus on nurturing talent and innovation in creative industries.

    IICT will be located at the Dadasaheb Phalke Film City, Goregaon, and shall serve as a centre of excellence for education, research, innovation, and skill development in the AVGC-XR domain recognizing the importance of fostering the growth and development of this sector in the country and envisioning India to become one of the top global players in this field. Union Minister Shri Vaishnaw stated that the first Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT), established in Mumbai—the capital of the creative economy and entertainment sector—will serve as a catalyst for the city’s entertainment industry, facilitating its global expansion.

    The IICT has already been set up as a not-for-profit Section 8 company with equity participation from Government of India (48%), Government of Maharashtra (through MFSCDCL) (14%), and leading industry bodies – Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), holding 26% each.

    Government of India has already provided an initial one-time budgetary grant of ₹391.15 crore for infrastructure development and initial operations. The IICT shall operate in a self-sustaining mode thereafter. The institute shall also benefit from a 10-acre land parcel leased by MFSCDCL for 30 years at Dadasaheb Phalke Film City, symbolizing a significant step forward in building a digital media and creative technology ecosystem.

    Key highlights of the MoU include:

    1. Establishment of an AVGC-XR centre with a strategic focus on education, skilling, industry development, and research & innovation.
    2. Formation of a Governing Council and Board of Directors with representatives from Government and Industry.
    3. Development of specialized councils on Academia, Skilling, Industry Development, and R&D to ensure sectoral alignment and global competitiveness.
    4. Commitment to fostering public-private collaboration and attracting international partnerships.

     

    IICT will be a world-class premium institute for the media and entertainment sector similar to the IITs and IIMs for technology and management. A temporary campus of IICT is being set up at the NFDC premises in Mumbai and will start operation soon. By producing a consistent flow of highly skilled content creators, the IICT will firmly establish India’s standing as a leading global centre for the creative economy

    The MoU marks a significant milestone under the Government’s efforts to boost the digital economy, empower creative professionals, and generate high-value employment in emerging sectors.

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Winners of WAVES 2025 – Theme Music Competition, Create in India Challenge announced

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 11 APR 2025 6:34PM by PIB Mumbai

     

    Mumbai, 11th April 2025
     

    The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, in collaboration with the Indian Music Industry, today announced the winners of the Theme Music Competition, one of the 32 WAVES – Create in India Challenge series. The debut World Audio and Video Entertainment Summit (WAVES 2025) is scheduled to be held in Mumbai from 01st to 04th May 2025.

     

    The competition, designed to spotlight India’s diverse musical talent, received hundreds of entries from across the country. A distinguished jury selected six winners after a rigorous evaluation of their originality, musicality, and alignment with the WAVES theme.

    The jury for the competition included celebrated names from the Indian music industry: Somesh Kumar Mathur – Hindustani classical vocalist and mentor; Saandip Bakchu – Playback singer and Tollywood actor; Gulraj Singh – Composer and music producer in Bollywood.

     

    Winners of the Theme Music Competition

    Position

    Name(s)

    City

    State

    Winner

    Kunal Kundu & Allapp Sardarh

    Kolkata

    West Bengal

    1st Runner-Up

    Vivek Dubey

    Mumbai

    Maharashtra

    2nd Runner-Up

    Bhavaganesh Thambiran

    Coimbatore

    Tamil Nadu

    3rd Runner-Up

    Jayananthan R

    Chennai

    Tamil Nadu

    4th Runner-Up

    Jayananthan R

     
    (Second Composition)

    Chennai

    Tamil Nadu

    5th Runner-Up

    Deep Rajesh Dabare

    Pune

    Maharashtra

    About WAVES

    The first World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit (WAVES), a milestone event for the Media & Entertainment (M&E) sector, will be hosted by the Government of India in Mumbai, Maharashtra, from May 1 to 4, 2025.

    Whether you’re an industry professional, investor, creator, or innovator, the Summit offers the ultimate global platform to connect, collaborate, innovate and contribute to the M&E landscape.

    WAVES is set to magnify India’s creative strength, amplifying its position as a hub for content creation, intellectual property, and technological innovation. Industries and sectors in focus include Broadcasting, Print Media, Television, Radio, Films, Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics, Sound and Music, Advertising, Digital Media, Social Media Platforms, Generative AI, Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Extended Reality (XR).

    Have questions? Find answers here  

    Stay updated with the latest announcements from PIB Team WAVES

    Come, Sail with us! Register for WAVES now

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Better Infrastructure, Better Technology, Better Trains– Indian Railways Set to boost better services in Mumbai suburban network

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 11 APR 2025 6:18PM by PIB Mumbai

     

    : Mumbai, April 11, 2025

     In a media interaction on the theme Themed “Better Infrastructure, Better Technology, Better Trains” held today in Mumbai, Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shri Devendra Fadnavis and the Union Minister of Railways, Information & Broadcasting and Electronics and IT, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw jointly addressed the press to highlight the transformative progress in railway infrastructure across Maharashtra. Indian Railways’ commitment to modernization, improved commuter experience, and enhanced regional connectivity, with a special focus on the Mumbai Suburban Railway Network.

    Better Infrastructure:

    Union Minister Shri Vaishnaw emphasized that infrastructure development is the cornerstone for increasing suburban services. Projects worth nearly ₹17,000 crore, covering more than 300 kilometers of new lines, are currently underway at a rapid pace. These initiatives aim to decongest existing lines, improve service frequency, and cater to the ever-growing demand of Mumbai’s suburban commuters.

    Better Technology:

    Shri Vaishnaw announced the upcoming launch of Kavach 5.0, a state-of-the-art safety and signaling system tailored for the suburban section. Kavach 5.0 is expected to significantly reduce the inter-train headway, enabling more trains to run safely and efficiently.

    Better Trains:

    In a major upgrade to passenger comfort, the Union Minister revealed that 238 new Air-Conditioned suburban rakes will soon be introduced. These rakes have been uniquely designed keeping in mind the needs of Mumbai’s commuters, promising a more comfortable and reliable travel experience.

    Maharashtra CM Shri Fadnavis also elaborated that Mumbai One Card, will soon be launched, which is a single and all integrated card set to transform public transport across MMR region for passengers traveling in suburban trains, metro rails, mono-rail, BEST buses, etc.

    Together this infrastructure, technology, and rolling stock advancements are expected to increase the number of suburban services, dramatically improving daily transit for millions of Mumbaikars.

    First Indian Institute of Creative Technology, an institute of National Importance in creative sphere will come up at Mumbai and this will be transformative for Indian Creative industry to make it a world class infrastructure hub.

    Strategic Rail Projects in Maharashtra:

    A major announcement during the interaction was the doubling of the Gondia–Ballarshah railway line, a 240 km strategic corridor with an investment of ₹4,819 crore. This key project connects Vidarbha and Marathwada, easing congestion and enabling faster passenger and freight movement. It will also strengthen Maharashtra’s rail links with Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, boosting regional trade and integration.
    This major infrastructure push was announced on April 7, 2025, when the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, had approved four projects of Ministry of Railways with total cost of Rs. 18,658 crore (approx.).

    Shri Vaishnaw stated today that this transformative project is set to play a pivotal role in enhancing passenger and freight connectivity between northern and southern India. The approved project encompasses comprehensive upgrades along the 240 km of existing track, including modernization of 29 railway stations, construction of 36 major bridges, 338 minor bridges, and 67 Road under-bridges (RUBs) to streamline operations and enhance safety.  

    “With this doubling, connectivity between North and South India will be vastly improved. Aspirational districts in the region will witness rapid development”, stated Shri Vaishnaw. The Union Minister further stated that this will be a game-changer for both passenger commuters and industries dependent on rail logistics. He also said that this upgradation will boost regional economy and tourism.-

    Other notable railway projects include:

    In addition, 132 stations across Maharashtra are being redeveloped under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme. Of the 1,300 stations nationwide under this initiative, many are nearing completion, with significant progress reported at many others.

    A Vision for the Future:

    These ambitious undertakings—alongside the Mumbai–Ahmedabad Bullet Train, Dedicated Freight Corridors, and large-scale station redevelopment works—are set to revolutionize transportation in Maharashtra.

    The Indian Railways has committed an unprecedented ₹1,73,804 crore of investment in the state, underscoring Maharashtra’s strategic importance in the national rail network and its future growth trajectory.

    Maharashtra CM underlined the importance of WAVES (World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) preparations in view of inauguration by Hon’ble PM in the month of May this year, importance of a record budget allocation by Indian Railways to Maharashtra, benefits to the region by doubling of railway line between Gondia – Ballarshah stations. He also announced running of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and the Glorious Maratha Tour train by IRCTC soon. A special curated tour to showcase the glorious history and the grand heritage of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj along with other cultural and pilgrimage destinations of Maharashtra in 10 days journey by Bharat Gaurav Tourist train was also stated by the Maharashtra CM.

    ***

    SR/SC/PK

     

    Follow us on social media:  @PIBMumbai    /PIBMumbai     /pibmumbai   pibmumbai[at]gmail[dot]com

    (Release ID: 2121019) Visitor Counter : 111

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Concerns about market concentration moves by market leader in the music market – E-001387/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-001387/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Aurore Lalucq (S&D)

    The music market is a vital sector for the EU. More than 80 % of all new music is released by micro, small and medium-sized businesses who need an open and thriving market to innovate and make European artists strong and visible. This is threatened by juggernaut-style consolidation and mass demonetisation of certain music on streaming services. Universal Music Group’s acquisition of Downtown Music has been referred to the Commission by the Dutch national competition authority.

    • 1.Does the Commission agree that there are concerns when the market leader acquires some of the world’s biggest distribution companies and other essential services through roll-up merger, giving it unprecedented control over routes to market and access to data, as well as control over how digital services pay out?
    • 2.Does the Commission agree that this hampers the EU’s ability to grow European champions in the music sector?
    • 3.Does the Commission agree that the following responses are urgent and essential:

    – a detailed Commission investigation into this transaction;

    – new Commission powers to call in key mergers that are below merger control thresholds;

    – investigation of streaming reforms for undue influence by the market leader;

    – assessment of whether competition rules are fit for purpose in priority ecosystems such as the cultural ecosystem?

    Submitted: 4.4.2025

    Last updated: 11 April 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Squeaky Clean puts community first

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    The gritty laneway location was the perfect spot for a bar that embraces the alternative.

    In brief

    • Local bar Squeaky Clean was a recipient of the ACT Government’s Tourism Product Development Fund.
    • Applications for the Fund are now open.
    • Squeaky Clean is one of many Canberra businesses benefitting from new nightlife reforms.

    Jon Murphy opened his bar Squeaky Clean just last year with support from the ACT Government’s Tourism Product Development Fund.

    And new government reforms are now providing an atmosphere in which the business can thrive.

    The idea for the bar came from a desire to fill what Jon saw as a gap in the market.

    “I was in my thirties when I got to Canberra. I don’t wear suits or RM Williams, I don’t fit into the mould of the APS person. I tried so many places but I just couldn’t find my people,” he said.

    Jon set out to create a place where he could be his genuine self. The first step was to find the right space. A gritty laneway location in Verity Lane ticked many of Jon’s boxes.

    “I saw potential. The timber floors, high ceilings, the location, and the fact that it had character already.”

    The Tourism Product Development Fund

    A grant from the Tourism Product Development Fund allowed Jon to engage local builders.

    “We used the money to stay local and keep the money in town. That was part of our agreement with the builder that we went with, that they weren’t going to subcontract out of town,” he said.

    The principle of supporting local has stuck with Jon. It extends to the Squeaky Clean menu, which showcases local suppliers and producers. The burgers have quickly become a favourite among regulars. They feature beef from Southland’s Quality Meats and buns from Three Mills.

    “They’re local and they look after us. It’s that relationship thing – building relationships with people where we both keep the money in town,” Jon said.

    How to apply

    The Tourism Product Development Fund supports local businesses to provide better visitor experiences. This helps:

    • boost the local economy
    • create jobs
    • enhance Canberra’s reputation as a tourism destination.

    Applications for the Tourism Product Development Fund are now open.

    Find out more.

    New nightlife reforms

    Squeaky Clean is one of many Canberra businesses that will benefit from a range of reforms designed to boost the city’s nighttime economy.

    This includes the passage of the Liquor (Night-Time Economy) Amendment Bill 2024, providing eligible businesses with:

    • more flexibility around their trading hours
    • a reduction in annual liquor licencing fees for supporting live music and the arts
    • new provisions around celebrations of special events such as the Olympics and Floriade.

    The ACT Government has also introduced new fit-for-purpose Noise Standards in the City Centre Entertainment Precinct. The standards aim to:

    • boost the city’s entertainment and cultural scene
    • support local businesses
    • boost artistic growth
    • elevate the visitor experience
    • consider community wellbeing.

    In a further boost to musicians and the nighttime economy, free parking permits will be available for musicians to access loading zones for 30 minutes to unload their musical equipment. Musicians will be able to apply for a permit via the Access Canberra website.

    Read more like this:

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    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Keeping Canberra’s hospital wards safe

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    Laura, a registered nurse at North Canberra Hospital says the Safewards model has allowed her team to develop stronger therapeutic relationships with their patients.

    Safewards is a program that supports staff and consumers to make hospital wards a more positive place to be.

    The Nurses and Midwives Towards a Safer Culture ‘The Next Steps’ Strategy has supported four wards to implement Safewards across Canberra Hospital and North Canberra Hospital, where a range of tools are used to reduce the occurrence of occupational violence and restrictive practice.  Another four wards at University of Canberra Hospital will be commence implementation of Safewards in September 2024.

    Safewards includes evidenced based activities like:

    • staff and consumers agreeing on their expectations of each other
    • finding more positive ways to support consumers when they are in distress
    • supporting consumers when they receive bad or surprising news to limit the distress the person or their families may experience.

    Laura is a registered nurse with Canberra Health Services, who works in a ward that has implemented Safewards at North Canberra Hospital. Her team have introduced a new ‘know each other’ initiative. People in the ward also call it the ‘sunflower tool’.

    Using the tool, staff, visitors and consumers in the ward can share details about themselves. This includes their hobbies, favourite TV shows or pets. Sharing information like this helps to build stronger relationships between people in the ward. This creates a better sense of understanding, safety and connection.

    “After introducing the tool, we had a patient’s family fill out some of their information,” Laura said.

    “Later, we were able to use the information provided as a prompt to help them during episodes of agitation and distress due to their advanced dementia and post traumatic stress disorder.”

    “Being able to use some familiar nicknames used by family, friends and colleagues in the military, we were able to help them calm down.”

    Laura says the tool has allowed her team to develop stronger therapeutic relationships with their consumers.

    “By displaying our own staff sunflower, it’s allowed us to learn more about each other and to connect both staff and patients in a really special way.”

    The initiative promotes care that is:

    • person-centred
    • trauma-informed
    • recovery orientated.

    Research shows that Safewards interventions ensure staff, consumers, and carers are supported. This helps to reduce potential conflict, rates of occupational violence and restrictive practices.

    By the end of June 2026, the program will be in place at 12 wards across Canberra Health Services.

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    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Solutions for Wireless Mobile Coverage in New York State

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul today announced the launch of the Connectivity Innovation – Mobile Service Request for Applications (RFA) to identify new ways of expanding reliable cell phone service in New York State. The RFA is a key component of the Mobile Service Connectivity Initiative announced by the Governor in her State of the State message, which also includes regional planning and investments in new fiber optic infrastructure to support expanded cellular coverage. ConnectALL, through this RFA, will provide up to a total of $5 million in state funding to deploy innovative, scalable solutions that can address gaps in wireless cellular coverage. The application portal opens on April 11, 2025 and must be submitted by June 17, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. ET through New York State’s Consolidated Funding Application portal. Complete program details and application materials are available at the ConnectALL website.

    “In today’s digital world, reliable cellular service isn’t a luxury – it’s a necessity for public safety, economic opportunity, and quality of life,” Governor Hochul said. “This $5 million investment through our ConnectALL initiative will help develop innovative solutions to ensure all New Yorkers have access to reliable wireless coverage, no matter where they live or work in our state. By empowering our local governments and other stakeholders to implement their own connectivity solutions, we’re taking a creative approach to closing the digital divide.”

    Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said,“The digital divide takes many forms across our state, and cellular coverage gaps continue to present both economic and safety challenges for many communities. This program will empower eligible entities with the resources they need to implement creative solutions that bring reliable cellular service to areas traditionally underserved by the current connectivity marketplace.”

    ConnectALL anticipates awarding a total of $5 million through this RFA, with approximately three grant awards of $1-2 million each. Projects must provide an open environment capable of accommodating connectivity to multiple mobile network service providers and demonstrate new technologies or existing technology used in innovative ways.

    ConnectALL will hold an information session via webinar in coming weeks to provide details about the program and application requirements. To receive an email alert when webinar registration opens or to submit questions regarding the RFA, email[email protected].

    Governor Hochul’s ConnectALL Initiative

    Governor Hochul has made expanding broadband access a cornerstone of her administration’s efforts to create a more equitable New York. Through the ConnectALL initiative, New York State is investing $1 billion to transform the state’s digital infrastructure, enhance competition among providers, and ensure that every New Yorker has access to reliable, affordable high-speed internet. To date, ConnectALL has overseen the successful launch and implementation of several programs to advance broadband access, including:

    • The Digital Equity Program will invest $50 million, including a federal allocation of at least $37 million, to implement the New York State Digital Equity Plan to close the digital divide. On March 24, ConnectALL closed the Digital Equity Program Capacity Grant Request for Applications through which ConnectALL expects to award approximately $15.5 Million of the federal allocation.
    • The Affordable Housing Connectivity Program will provide up to $100 million in grants to bring new broadband infrastructure to homes in affordable and public housing leveraging funds from the U.S. Treasury Department’s Capital Projects Fund. The first awards under this program are securing $10 a month broadband service and $30 a month Gigabit service for over 14,000 low-income households in Buffalo, New York City and Rochester. The program continues to accept applications from internet service providers and expressions of interest from housing owners and public housing authorities.
    • The Municipal Infrastructure Program will fund broadband expansion projects owned by a public utility or publicly controlled. ConnectALL is accepting applications to Phase 4 through April 25, 2025. To date, ConnectALL has awarded over $240 million through the program, funding construction of nearly 2,400 miles of broadband infrastructure that will reach 98,000 locations across New York State. Visit the ConnectALL Projects Dashboard for more information on Municipal Infrastructure Program projects.
    • The Connectivity Innovation Program advances innovation and new broadband solutions, business models, and technologies in order to increase private sector investment and entrepreneurship; drive equity and innovation in the broadband marketplace; and reinforce a thriving research, development, and manufacturing ecosystem to support connectivity innovation in New York.

    State Senator Kristen Gonzalez said, “All New Yorkers, regardless of location, deserve access to reliable cell phone service and a connection to the digital world. I want to thank the Governor for opening this RFA and for investing in digital infrastructure and connectivity access in communities that need it most.”

    Assemblymember Steve Otis said, “Gaps in wireless cellular coverage present challenges to public health, emergency response, economic growth, education, and equity for individuals and businesses in areas without service. New York State has made a priority of filling these gaps throughout the state. This Connectivity Innovation grant opportunity is another creative way the ConnectALL office is seeking to encourage new approaches to close the remaining gap areas. Congratulations to Governor Hochul, Empire State Development, and the ConnectALL team for another innovative program to solve these broadband coverage challenges.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: White Lotus: ‘the show’s depiction of sibling sexual behaviour is incredibly harmful’ – expert opinion

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Sophie King-Hill, Associate Professor at the Health Services Management Centre, University of Birmingham

    This article contains spoilers for season three of The White Lotus

    The White Lotus is a show where a lot of sex happens and many taboos are explored. For instance, in episode seven the impact on one character of watching his parents having sex as a child and how that affected his sexuality is talked about. Given all of this, it might seem like no big deal to feature an incest storyline, which this series did. But, as researchers of sibling sexual behaviour-abuse, we were particularly perturbed by the show’s take on this issue.

    In episode five, we see holidaying brothers Lochlan and Saxon Ratliff kiss after a night of partying with drugs and alcohol. This quickly escalates in the next episode where Saxon learns through flashbacks and conversations that Lochlan “jerked [him] off.”

    Child sexual abuse, harmful sexual behaviour among children and young people and intra-familial sexual abuse are not new topics. It’s only recently, however, that sibling sexual behaviour-abuse has garnered similar levels of attention.

    While this topic does come under the definition of intra-familial sexual abuse, conversations about this have tended to focus on intergenerational cases. For instance, parent or step-parent and child.

    However, sibling sexual behaviour-abuse is thought to be one of the most prolific forms of intrafamilial sexual abuse. Research estimates that it may be five times more prevalent than parent-child sexual abuse, yet is rarely spoken about due to the taboos that exist around children and sex – but also the shame that many families feel when experiencing this issue.

    Mainstream explorations on shows such as White Lotus could be incredibly helpful in spreading awareness about sibling sexual behaviour-abuse. As experts in sexual behaviours and sexual abuse, we believe the show’s handling of an incredibly complex and traumatic issue is insensitive and sensational. Far from spreading awareness, this storyline is simply shocking and inaccurate. We would argue that it actively harms the important research that is only just beginning in helping those who experience this sort of abuse and those who work with them.

    Take the way Saxon finds out. It’s the next morning. He had blacked out the night before and fragments of what happened are slowly coming back to him. He suspects something bad happened but confirmation is delivered in a matter-of-fact way by the two young women who were with him that night.

    Rather than expressing horror or concern, both young women are very calm about what happened, letting him know his brother “jerked him off”. They then laugh and are dismissive of Saxon’s horror. In this way, the abuse is normalised as one of them says: “Everyone has their thing – it’s fine.” This would seem to imply that sexual behaviour between siblings is a sexual preference rather than a traumatic situation that needs specific support and intervention.

    While Saxon and Lochlan express disgust when they remember what has happened, this is not portrayed in any great depth. Instead, it is framed in a way that is not too dissimilar to how someone may respond to a consensual sexual encounter they may regret after a night out – rather than a serious sexual experience with a sibling.

    In our research, we found a key reason why people don’t report instances is that the behaviour may sit within a context of family dysfunction, so it is difficult for those victims to recognise it. This is why early developmentally appropriate relationships and sex education is important.

    Serious family dysfunction is evident within the programme with the mother showing disconnection and the father exhibiting signs of depression, suicide ideation and fantasies of killing members of his family. The children also have unusual relationships with each other where boundaries of sexuality are blurred.

    In episode one, Saxon states: “Brother and sisters don’t sleep together when they have fully formed genitals.” Later, he calls his sister “pretty hot” and muses about her virginity. He also asks Lochlan, “What kind of porn do you like?” and says, “How am I going to jerk off with you in here all week?” before walking naked to the bathroom to masturbate.

    The deep shame that is strongly linked to families that experience such abuse is also was not explored in any depth. After the initial act and flashbacks the sibling sexual behaviour is not mentioned in any great depth again.

    The only real acknowledgement we get is in the final episode when Saxon rebuffs Lochlan’s wishes to spend time together. Noticing Saxon is not OK, Lochlan says: “All you care about is getting off and I saw you lying there and I thought you looked a little left out … and you know, I’m a pleaser. I just want to give everyone what they want and I’m in a family full of narcissists.”

    This complicated family dynamic is not explored and the abusive behaviour isn’t even properly condemned. “Dude, let’s just drop this forever, please,” Saxon simply retorts – and the series does, as the incident is swept away as a small sub-plot, and lost in rising tide of drama in the rest of the finale.

    TV shows can be incredibly powerful tools in spreading awareness and increasing public knowledge about how to spot, respond to and prevent issues such as sibling sexual behaviour-abuse. It could have explored the nature of the behaviour, the links to family factors and the interventions that are needed to support disclosures and recovery from this type of sexual abuse and behaviour-based family issue.

    The White Lotus, however, did not take this opportunity. Instead we are left guessing, as the Ratliffs sail back to their lives, how this complex and traumatic incident in the brothers’ lives came to pass and how it will affect them in the future.

    Looking for something good to watch? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. Sign up here.

    Sophie King-Hill receives funding from ESRC.

    Kieran McCartan receives funding from the European Union (Horizon 2020) and the Bristol City Council.

    – ref. White Lotus: ‘the show’s depiction of sibling sexual behaviour is incredibly harmful’ – expert opinion – https://theconversation.com/white-lotus-the-shows-depiction-of-sibling-sexual-behaviour-is-incredibly-harmful-expert-opinion-253972

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Cosponsors Bipartisan Recreational Trails Program (RTP) Full Funding Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Committee on Rural Development, Energy, and Credit, this week joined Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), James Risch (R-Idaho), and Ted Budd (R-N.C.) to introduce the Recreational Trails Program Full Funding Act, bipartisan legislation to improve the Recreational Trails Program (RTP) by increasing the transparency accountability of its funding program. Since 1991, the Recreational Trails Program has provided funding to states to develop and maintain outdoor recreational trails, allowing millions of Americans and their families to enjoy activities such as hiking, bicycling, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling and 4-wheel driving. 
    “From Vermont’s Green Mountains to Utah’s ‘Mighty Five’ National Parks, America is home to unmatched natural beauty. The Recreational Trails Program plays a vital role in helping build and maintain hiking trails across the country so folks can enjoy and explore our great outdoors,” said Senator Welch. “Our bipartisan bill will support this crucial program to ensure that future generations can experience the joy of hiking our nation’s scenic trails for many years to come.” 
    “Minnesota snowmobilers, hikers, ATV users, cyclists, and countless others who enjoy the outdoors rely on the Recreational Trails Program to explore our state’s natural wonders and support our local businesses,” said Senator Klobuchar. “Our bipartisan legislation will ensure states receive the resources they deserve to protect and improve these trails for generations to come.” 
    “The Recreational Trails Program provides Idahoans and visitors to our state with access to our public lands,” said Senator Risch. “This legislation ensures trail maintenance projects can continue and future generations can enjoy Idaho’s great outdoors for years to come.” 
    “From Murphy to Manteo, North Carolina’s network of recreational trails not only attracts tourism to our state, but also allows North Carolinians to enjoy the natural beauty our state has to offer. I am proud to join Senator Klobuchar in introducing this bipartisan legislation to help maintain, improve, and expand upon the natural infrastructure of our public lands,” said Senator Budd. 
    The RTP Full Funding Act—which is supported by recreational groups from snowmobilers to cyclists and hikers to off-highway power sport vehicle users—will ensure that federal funds collected for this program are maximized to support more trail projects in the future. The bipartisan bill signals strong support for bringing the Recreational Trail Program funding in line with the revenue collected from the federal gas tax already paid by off-road recreational vehicle users without impacting funding for other federal transportation programs, including the Transportation Alternatives Program.  
    The RTP Full Funding Act will increase the accuracy and transparency of RTP funding by: 

    Requiring a study to determine the total amount of funds collected; 
    Improving reporting on expenditures from the RTP to improve accountability and oversight; and 
    Streamlining RTP funding distribution to the states by reducing unnecessary paperwork. 

    In addition to Sens. Welch, Klobuchar, Risch, and Budd, the legislation is cosponsored by Senators John Curtis (R-Utah), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.). 
    The bill is supported by the National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council (NOHVCC), Coalition for Recreational Trails (CRT), Motorcycle Industry Council,  Safe & Responsible Use at the Specialty Vehicle Institute of America, Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association, American Trails, International Mountain Bicycling Association, The Corps Network, International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association, American Council of Snowmobile Associations, American Horse Council & American Horse Council Foundation, American Hiking Society, Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), PeopleForBikes, Back Country Horsemen of America, Outdoor Recreation Roundtable Association, and Rails to Trails Conservancy. 
    “The Recreational Trails Program has produced tens of thousands of successes across the nation, benefiting the health, safety and enjoyment of millions of hikers and bicyclists and ATVers and snowmobilers and equestrians and more.  It has forged national and regional partnerships among those who use trails – overcoming potential competition with plans that deliver great opportunities for all.  RTP projects benefit from the sharing of best practices and from widespread volunteerism and Public-Private-Partnerships.  Because RTP offers flexibility in uses including maintenance and education, the program can improve other trail projects.  Best of all, RTP unifies the nation across our diversity – north and south, urban and rural, young and old, Red and Blue and more, and connects more Americans to their shared legacy of public lands and waters.  We thank our wonderful Congressional Champions for making this possible!” said Marianne Fowler and Derrick Crandall, Co-Chairs of the Coalition for Recreational Trails. 
    “The RTP is vitally important to trail users everywhere.  The program funds trail construction, maintenance, safety, interpretation, and other important projects. The funding for this program has remained flat for too long.  We would like to thank the bill sponsors for taking action to ensure that these important priorities will be fully funded,” said Duane Taylor, Director of Safe & Responsible Use,  Specialty Vehicle Institute of America. 
    “The International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association and the American Council of Snowmobile Associations applaud the continued leadership of Senators Klobuchar and Risch and the active support of Senators Welch, Budd, Tillis, Merkley and Curtis to return to outdoor recreation the resources required to build and maintain our recreational trail infrastructure. Their persistence in pushing for this funding partially addresses the greatest inequity contained in our federal aid highway program…This legislation is a step in the right direction for the continued support of the trails system – and the rural communities across the United States! Thank you for your support and leadership!” said Jaret Smith, President of the International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association, and Christine Jourdain, Executive Director of the American Council of Snowmobile Associations. 
    “The Recreational Trails Program is vital for building and maintaining trails for cyclists across the country.  At PeopleForBikes, we strongly support more funding for all bicycle infrastructure programs and applaud the bipartisan leadership of this legislation for their support of recreational trails,” said Jenn Dice, CEO of PeopleForBikes. 
    “American Hiking Society and the 59 million strong hiking community praises the bipartisan leadership of Senators Klobuchar and Risch in support of the Recreational Trails Program! The RTP Full Funding Act of 2024 will ensure that the over three decades long impact of RTP can continue to provide the tens of millions of non-motorized and motorized trail users in urban and rural areas the benefits of trails including health and wellness, connectivity, and economic growth. Hikers and trail users across the country thank Senators Klobuchar, Risch, Budd, Welch, Tillis, Curtis, and Merkley for their support of our nation’s trails!” said Tyler Ray, Senior Director for Programs and Advocacy, American Hiking Society. 
    Read the full text of the bill. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Inside the Vault: First look at Preston’s new Youth Zone

    Source: City of Preston

    Young people and supporters got their first glimpse of the new state-of-the-art Vault Youth Zone, as construction reached its latest major milestone.

    The new multi-million pound building, located on the corner of Tithebarn Street and Crooked Lane, is now water-tight, meaning the roof is in place.

    The Young People’s Development Group (YPDG), which has been helping to shape the development of Vault Youth Zone, joined supporters for their first guided tour of the building, getting a sneak peek of how their new facilities might look.

    The YPDG is a key part of bringing Vault Youth Zone to life for Preston’s young people. The group has helped design and develop the Youth Zone, including creating Vault’s brand, hoardings and interviewing staff. Their next challenge will be to help develop the look and feel of the Youth Zone’s interiors.

    The group said:

    “Finally getting to see the Youth Zone was amazing. From the outside it looks incredible but inside it’s mind-blowing. It’s coming together and we can’t wait to see it filled with young people, enjoying having someone amazing to go to.

    The project’s development has been made possible through partnerships with Preston City Council, the Department for Culture, Media & Sport’s Youth Investment Fund, and Preston’s Towns Fund Investment Programme, along with support from private sector contributions.

    Vault Youth Zone’s CEO, Tim Jacques, said:

    “To watch the building take shape since the completion of the steel frame at the end of 2024 has been incredibly exciting.

    “It’s fantastic to welcome our supporters to site so they can see their investment in the city’s young people first-hand and, of course, our remarkable YPDG. Together they have turned Vault Youth Zone from a dream to a reality!”

    Set to open in late 2025, the Youth Zone will feature state-of-the-art facilities, including a climbing wall, music room with built in recording studio, performing arts space, arts and crafts, a maker zone with 3D printing facilities and sports amenities, including an inside football pitch, boxing gym, sports hall and fitness suite, ensuring a diverse array of activities for young people aged eight to 19 (or up to 25 for those with additional needs).

    The Youth Zone will also provide hot meals for just £1, fostering a safe, inclusive, and affordable environment.

    The Youth Zone expects to welcome over 4,000 young people within its first year of opening.

    Chris Hayward, Director of Development and Housing, at Preston City Council, said:

    “We’re incredibly delighted to see Vault Youth Zone take shape—there’s no doubt this will be an impressive building supporting young people in Preston for years to come.

    “It’s a fantastic achievement by all involved to reach this stage so quickly. Opening in 2025, Vault is another exciting addition to the Harris Quarter, complementing Animate, which has already opened its doors, and the nearby Harris Museum.”

    Chair of Preston’s Towns Fund Strategic Board and deputy vice chairman of the Vault, John Chesworth, said:

    “Vault Youth Zone has been a long time in the making, but it will make a huge social and economic impact in the city by providing a safe place for young people to come and shape their future. The building also adds to Preston’s ongoing regeneration and contributes to making the Harris Quarter a vibrant place to come to.”

    This milestone highlights the charity’s commitment to supporting Preston’s youth and fostering a vibrant, engaged community. As the building progresses, Vault Youth Zone continues to seek support for its annual running costs and build momentum towards its opening.

    To find out more, contact enquiries@vaultyouthzone.org.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: SECU Foundation Awards $500,000 to Helpmate for Domestic Violence Shelter in Buncombe County

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ASHEVILLE, N.C., April 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — A $500,000 grant awarded by SECU Foundation will contribute toward the construction of a new shelter for Western North Carolina’s largest service provider for domestic violence survivors, Helpmate, increasing the current space to support 475 adults and children annually.

    Helpmate is the only organization in Buncombe County devoted solely to providing shelter and a full range of survivor services, including a 24-hour crisis hotline, case management, court and child advocacy, counseling, and education. In 2023 the non-profit fielded over 3,500 crisis hotline calls and provided shelter to 246 children and adults.

    “The Foundation is eager to support the important work that Helpmate has been doing in Buncombe County for over 45 years to assist domestic violence survivors,” said SECU Foundation Executive Director Jama Campbell. “This grant will enable them to greatly expand services to the community and provide a safe place for healing and hope for many more who are in need.”

    “Helpmate is grateful for the support of SECU Foundation to enable us to continue to offer safety, shelter, and support to survivors of domestic violence,” said Helpmate Executive Director April Burgess-Johnson. “This award will provide a challenge opportunity to help the organization raise the last $1 million needed to construct a new 43-bed shelter, which will be a safe haven for adults and children who are fleeing abusive homes and creating new and violence-free lives. We invite the community to join SECU Foundation in supporting this important and life-saving endeavor.”

    About SECU and SECU Foundation
    A not-for-profit financial cooperative owned by its members, and federally insured by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), SECU has been providing employees of the state of North Carolina and their families with consumer financial services for 87 years. SECU is the second largest credit union in the United States with $53 billion in assets. It serves more than 2.8 million members through 275 branch offices, 1,100 ATMs, Member Services Support via phone, www.ncsecu.org, and the SECU Mobile App. The SECU Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization funded by the contributions of SECU members, promotes local community development in North Carolina primarily through high-impact projects in the areas of housing, education, healthcare, and human services. Since 2004, SECU Foundation has made a collective financial commitment of over $300 million for initiatives to benefit North Carolinians statewide.

    Contact: Jama Campbell, Executive Director, secufoundation@ncsecu.org

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b66cda08-bf3b-4f75-811c-39ab3335b662

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Bird and poultry keepers urged to do their bit to help control the spread of bird flu

    Source: City of Sunderland

    Bird and poultry keepers in Sunderland are being urged to do their bit to help control the spread of bird flu.

    This follows the recent decision by the UK’s Chief Veterinary Officer to extend mandatory housing measures already covering a large part of the country, to the whole of Tyne and Wear including Sunderland.

    The measures legally require all bird keepers to keep their birds indoors, and continue following stringent biosecurity measures first introduced in February to help protect their flocks from the disease, regardless of type or size.

    DEFRA has published guidance and a self-assessment checklist to help all bird keepers to instigate and maintain good biosecurity.

    While the risk to public health is low, following the guidance helps minimise the risks.

    Anyone who comes across dead wild birds should not touch them, but instead contact: https://www.sunderland.gov.uk/dead-animals

    The guidance can be found, together with further updates on the latest avian influenza situation, at: Bird flu (avian influenza): how to prevent it and stop it spreading – GOV.UK.

    The addition of housing measures to the Avian Influenza Prevention Zone which is already in force across England, means that all bird keepers across Tyne and Wear must: 

    • House or net all poultry and captive birds
    • Keep your birds away from other captive and wild birds & Prevent contact with wild birds including making sure all feed and water is not accessible to wild birds
    • Maintain bird houses and sheds
    • Clean and disinfect housing and clothing, footwear, equipment and vehicles before and after contact with poultry and captive birds – if practical, use disposable protective clothing
    • Reduce the movement of people, vehicles or equipment to and from areas where poultry and captive birds are kept, to minimise contamination from manure, slurry and other products, and use effective vermin control
    • Keep records of mortality, movement of poultry and poultry products and any changes in production
    • Prevent access by poultry to ponds and watercourses and ensure that birds are kept in fenced or enclosed areas
    • If you buy new birds, always check their health before you bring them to your property.

    Councillor Lindsey Leonard Cabinet member for Environment, Transport and Net Zero at Sunderland City Council, said:  “Although the risk to public health is low and we haven’t had have any confirmed cases in Sunderland, we would ask bird keepers to do their bit to help control the spread of bird flu by following the DEFRA advice and guidance.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Global: From brain Bluetooth to ‘full RoboCop’: where chip implants will be heading soon

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Amin Al-Habaibeh, Professor of Intelligent Engineering Systems, Nottingham Trent University

    In the 1987 classic film RoboCop, the deceased Detroit cop Alex Murphy is reborn as a cyborg. He has a robotic body and a full brain-computer interface that allows him to control his movements with his mind. He can access online information such as suspects’ faces, uses artificial intelligence (AI) to help detect threats, and his human memories have been integrated with those from a machine.

    It is remarkable to think that the movie’s key mechanical robotic technologies have almost now been accomplished by the likes of Boston Dynamics’ running, jumping Atlas and Kawasaki’s new four-legged Corleo. Similarly we are seeing robotic exoskeletons that enable paralysed patients to do things like walking and climbing stairs by responding to their gestures.

    Developers have lagged behind when it comes to building an interface in which the brain’s electrical pulses can communicate with an external device. This too is changing, however.

    In the latest breakthrough, a research team based at the University of California has unveiled a brain implant that enabled a woman with paralysis to livestream her thoughts via AI into a synthetic voice with just a three-second delay.

    The interface fr-OG.
    Zmrzlnr

    The concept of an interface between neurons and machines goes back much further than RoboCop. In the 18th century, an Italian physician named Luigi Galvani discovered that when electricity is passed through certain nerves in a frog’s leg, it would twitch. This paved the way for the whole study of electrophysiology, which looks at how electrical signals affect organisms.

    The initial modern research on brain-computer interfaces started in the late 1960s, with the American neuroscientist Eberhard Fetz hooking up monkeys’ brains to electrodes and showing that they could move a meter needle. Yet if this demonstrated some exciting potential, the human brain proved too complex for this field to advance quickly.

    The brain is continually thinking, learning, memorising, recognising patterns and decoding sensory signals – not to mention coordinating and moving our bodies. It runs on about 86 billion neurons with trillions of connections which process, adapt and evolve continuously in what is called neuroplasticity. In other words, there’s a great deal to figure out.

    A tough nut to crack.
    Jolygon

    Much of the recent progress has been based on advances in our ability to map the brain, identifying the various regions and their activities. A range of technologies can produce insightful images of the brain (including functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and positron emission tomography (PET)), while others monitor certain kinds of activity (including electroencephalography (EEG) and the more invasive electrocortigraphy (ECoG)).

    These techniques have helped researchers to build some incredible devices, including wheelchairs and prosthetics that can be controlled by the mind.

    But whereas these are typically controlled with an external interface like an EEG headset, chip implants are very much the new frontier. They have been enabled by advances in AI chips and micro electrodes, as well as the deep learning neural networks that power today’s AI technology. This allows for faster data analysis and pattern recognition, which together with the more precise brain signals that can be acquired using implants, have made it possible to create applications that run virtually in real time.

    For instance, the new University of California implant relies on ECoG, a technique developed in the early 2000s that captures patterns directly from a thin sheet of electrodes placed directly on the cortical surface of someone’s brain.

    In their case, the complex patterns picked up by the implant of 253 high-density electrodes are processed using deep learning to produce a matrix of data from which it’s possible to decode whatever words the user is thinking. This improves on previous models that could only create synthetic speech after the user had finished a sentence.

    Elon Musk’s Neuralink has been able to get patients to control a computer cursor using similar techniques. However, it’s also worth emphasising that deep learning neural networks are enabling more sophisticated devices that rely on other forms of brain monitoring.

    Our research team at Nottingham Trent University has developed an affordable brainwave reader using off-the-shelf parts that enables patients who are suffering from conditions like completely locked-in syndrome (CLIS) or motor neurone disease (MND) to be able to answer “yes” or “no” to questions. There’s also the potential to control a computer mouse using the same technology.

    The future

    The progress in AI, chip fabrication and biomedical tech that enabled these developments is expected to continue in the coming years, which should mean that brain-computer interfaces keep improving.

    In the next ten years, we can expect more technologies that provide disabled people with independence by helping them to move and communicate more easily. This entails improved versions of the technologies that are already emerging, including exoskeletons, mind-controlled prosthetics and implants that move from controlling cursors to fully controlling computers or other machines. In all cases, it will be a question of balancing our increasing ability to interpret high-quality brain data with invasiveness, safety and costs.

    It is still more in the medium to long term that I would expect to see many of the capabilities of a RoboCop, including planted memories and built-in trained skills supported with internet connectivity. We can also expect to see high-speed communication between people via “brain Bluetooth”.

    It should be similarly possible to create a Six Million Dollar Man, with enhanced vision, hearing and strength, by implanting the right sensors and linking the right components to convert neuron signals into action (actuators). No doubt applications will also emerge as our understanding of brain functionality increases that haven’t been thought of yet.

    Clearly, it will soon become impossible to keep deferring ethical considerations. Could our brains be hacked, and memories be planted or deleted? Could our emotions be controlled? Will the day come where we need to update our brain software and press restart?

    With every step forward, questions like these become ever more pressing. The major technological obstacles have essentially been cleared out of the way. It’s time to start thinking about to what extent we want to integrate these technologies into society, the sooner the better.

    Amin Al-Habaibeh receives funding Innovate UK, The British Council, The Royal academy of Engineering, EPSRC, AHRC, and the European Commission.

    – ref. From brain Bluetooth to ‘full RoboCop’: where chip implants will be heading soon – https://theconversation.com/from-brain-bluetooth-to-full-robocop-where-chip-implants-will-be-heading-soon-254376

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Good Night, and Good Luck: why AP’s battle for press freedom echoes the theme of George Clooney’s new play

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Colleen Murrell, Chair of the Editorial Board, and Full Professor in Journalism, Dublin City University

    George Clooney’s role as a veteran TV reporter in the play Good Night, and Good Luck has received general acclaim after the play opened on Broadway last week. A New York Times review proclaimed that it “makes Edward Murrow a saint of sane journalism for a world that still needs one”.

    This theatre production is an adaptation of Clooney and Grant Heslov’s 2005 film of the same name, and it takes the audience back to the 1950s when CBS News journalist Edward Murrow took on populist and high-profile senator, Joseph McCarthy.

    McCarthy had become an influential and feared figure after holding a series of public hearings where people were charged, often on very little evidence, of being communists and infiltrating government departments.

    Many people lost their jobs, and journalists and academics were often targeted. Murrow’s programmes showcased spurious cases of overreach, which earned him McCarthy’s wrath. This courageous TV journalism exposed McCarthy’s methods and helped bring about the senator’s eventual downfall.

    It is impossible not to see the parallels with the current parlous state of press freedom in the US. A week before the play opened, Clooney was interviewed on CBS News and said: “When the other three estates fail, when the judiciary and the executive and the legislative branches fail us, the fourth estate has to succeed.”

    And this feels highly significant as earlier this week a federal judge issued an injunction against a decision by Donald Trump’s government which effectively restricted a news organisation’s ability to operate. Judge Trevor McFadden, a Trump appointee, said that a news organisation (Associated Press) could not be punished for its editorial decisions.

    He declared: “Under the First Amendment, if the Government opens its doors to some journalists – be it the Oval Office, the East Room or elsewhere – it cannot then shut those doors to other journalists because of their viewpoints.” However, the government has already announced it is appealing McFadden’s ruling.

    Ed Murrow’s famous newscast on Joseph McCarthy.

    AP has been barred from the Oval Office and the presidential aircraft Air Force One since February 11, after it said it would continue to use the geographical locator the “Gulf of Mexico” rather than accede to Trump’s executive order that it be renamed the “Gulf of America”. But this was always about more than the Gulf of Mexico, it was about the right for media organisations to choose their own words and content.

    AP then attempted to overturn the exclusion order through an injunction. McFadden initially held off granting this injunction, and a further hearing on March 27 resulted in lengthy testimony from AP staff about the financial and editorial costs caused by its lack of access to the White House.

    Some newspaper coverage is hailing the granting of this injunction as a major victory for media freedom, with the Guardian, in words that echo Edward Murrow, proposing that “standing up for one’s principles may not be just a gesture made in vain”.

    And yet this remains just a temporary injunction and the full court case in which AP is suing three senior members of the White House: press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, chief of staff Susie Wiles and deputy chief of staff Taylor Budowich has yet to play out.

    Judge McFadden even sounded a note of caution regarding his ruling: “It does not bestow special treatment upon the AP. Indeed the AP is not necessarily entitled to the ‘first in line every time’ permanent press pool access it enjoyed under the White House Correspondents’ Association. But it cannot be treated worse than its peer wire services either.”

    Rising challenge for journalism

    Pressures on journalists have definitely ramped up in the past few months. During the hearing on March 27, AP’s White House correspondent Zeke Miller claimed that he had noticed a new “softening of tone and tenor” of the questions posed to the president and was surprised by the increase in off-topic questions at the expense of topical “news of the day” questions.

    George Clooney at the launch of the new Broadway play Good Night, and Good Luck.

    There certainly appears to be an increased number of what Australians call “Dorothy Dixer” questions, where friendly politicians or journalists ask soft questions of the government or questions designed to distract from the difficult news of the day.

    And it is clear that journalists who are considered friendly are getting priority treatment. When Brian Glenn, chief White House correspondent for the cable network Real America’s Voice, was chosen to ask a question of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky in the now-infamous White House conference on February 28, he served up a question about why the Ukrainian leader was not wearing a suit.

    A query that just happened to be very helpful to the tone that Trump wanted to create in that meeting. A seasoned AP journalist would never have asked such a bizarre and unnecessary question.

    Questions about press freedom will be tackled next at a forum organised by the Columbia Journalism School and the New York Times later this month. The forum, The Fight for Global Press Freedom, proposes that “press freedom stands at a historic crossroads”.

    Holding this forum shows courage in the wake of Columbia University potentially losing federal funding to the tune of US$400 million dollars (£305 milllion). Federal government administrators claim this was in response to pro-Palestinian protests and “the school’s failure to protect Jewish students from discrimination”. Negotiations between the university and funders are ongoing.

    As the world’s trade negotiators, university administrators and journalists decide whether or not to hold the line and stand up to a bullying president, perhaps the words of Edward Murrow might hold the key. In 1954 McCarthy attacked Murrow, accusing him incorrectly of communist sympathies.

    In his reply, Murrow argued that in so doing McCarthy had “proved again that anyone who exposes him, anyone who does not share his historical disregard for decency and human dignity and the rights guaranteed by the constitution must be either a communist or a fellow traveller”.

    AP’s fight back against its White House ban and its consequent chilling effect on media freedom could be the start of a new era of standing up to Trump, and damn the consequences. Let’s hope it’s not just the dying refrain of a once powerful not-for-profit legacy media organisation.

    Colleen Murrell received funding from Irish regulator Coimisiún na Meán (2021-4) for research for the annual Reuters Digital News Report Ireland.

    – ref. Good Night, and Good Luck: why AP’s battle for press freedom echoes the theme of George Clooney’s new play – https://theconversation.com/good-night-and-good-luck-why-aps-battle-for-press-freedom-echoes-the-theme-of-george-clooneys-new-play-254136

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI: MYT Netherlands Parent B.V. (“Mytheresa”) receives final regulatory clearance to acquire YOOX NET-A-PORTER (“YNAP”) from Richemont, with closing planned for 23 April 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MYT Netherlands Parent B.V. (“Mytheresa”) receives final regulatory clearance
    to acquire YOOX NET-A-PORTER (“YNAP”) from Richemont, with closing planned for 23 April 2025 

    11 April 2025 – Today, Mytheresa (NYSE:MYTE) received the unconditional merger control clearance from the European Commission for the acquisition of YNAP from Richemont (SWX:CFR), through its subsidiary Richemont Italia Holding S.P.A.. Mytheresa and Richemont have now received all other necessary approvals from regulatory authorities and plan to close the transaction on 23 April 2025.

    On 7 October 2024, Mytheresa and Richemont signed binding agreements for the acquisition by Mytheresa of 100% of the share capital of YNAP from Richemont, aiming to build a leading global multi-brand digital luxury group. The receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals is the final step for the completion of the transaction. Under the umbrella of “LuxExperience B.V.”, which the combined company will be named following the acquisition, the brands Mytheresa, NET-A-PORTER, MR PORTER, YOOX and THE OUTNET will offer highly curated and strongly differentiated selections of the most prestigious brands for luxury customers with unprecedented reach and relevance.

    Michael Kliger, Chief Executive Officer of Mytheresa, said, “We are truly excited to have received all required regulatory clearances to finalize the acquisition of YOOX NET-A-PORTER. We will become one of the leading global, digital luxury platforms for true luxury enthusiasts through having multiple, highly distinguished storefronts, all under the umbrella of LuxExperience. We will generate significant synergies by using a joint back-of-house platform, but most importantly because we will have one of the most relevant overall value propositions for global luxury shoppers and brands. Today marks a significant milestone in our success story as we enter a new and exciting phase for both Mytheresa and all YNAP brands, which is expected to create significant value for our customers, brand partners and shareholders.”

    Martin Beer, Chief Financial Officer of Mytheresa, added: “The acquisition of YNAP fulfills Mytheresa´s ambition to build a leading online luxury group worth around 3 billion Euros GMV per annum. In the medium term, our goal for LuxExperience will be to grow to a 4 billion Euros GMV per annum business with >8% Adj. EBITDA margin. While the consolidation of YNAP will initially dilute our EBITDA margin at group level we are uniquely prepared to achieve a fundamental transformation and return the YNAP businesses to profitability. The restructuring is expected to take 24 to 36 months and is well funded with a net cash position of 555 million Euros at closing. We will fully leverage Mytheresa’s operational excellence, proprietary technology and proven ability to execute large-scale projects.”

    Johann Rupert, Chairman of Richemont, said: “We look forward to LuxExperience’s future success, as the receipt of this clearance paves the way for both the Mytheresa and YNAP teams, their brand partners and customers alike to fully benefit from the enhanced value propositions and expanded global reach offered by the combined businesses.”

    At transaction closing, Mytheresa will issue new shares to Richemont representing 33% of Mytheresa’s fully diluted share capital after issuance of the consideration shares. At the same time, Richemont will sell YNAP with a cash position of €555m and no financial debt to Mytheresa, which will become YNAP’s sole shareholder. Richemont will also provide a 6-year €100m revolving credit facility to YNAP. Upon transaction closing, Burkhart Grund, Chief Financial Officer of Richemont, will join Mytheresa Supervisory Board as new Board member.

    Mytheresa, NET-A-PORTER and MR PORTER will continue to offer differentiated, but complementary, multi-brand offering for luxury customers. The three individual store brands will maintain their own brand’s identities while sharing central infrastructure resources jointly. At the same time, the off-price division, consisting of YOOX and THE OUTNET, will be separated from the luxury division for a much simpler and more efficient operating model.

    With regulatory clearance received, Mytheresa and Richemont will now move forward with the final steps required to complete the transaction. A further announcement will be made at transaction closing. Further details on integration plans will be shared in due course. 

    Forward-looking statements

    This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements other than statements of historical fact or relating to present facts or current conditions included in this press release are forward- looking statements. Forward-looking statements give Mytheresa’s current expectations and projections relating to the proposed transaction and the operation of the combined companies; its financial condition, results of operations, plans, objectives, future performance and business, including statements relating to financing activities, future sales, expenses, and profitability; future development and expected growth of our business and industry; our ability to execute our business model and our business strategy; having available sufficient cash and borrowing capacity to meet working capital, debt service and capital expenditure requirements for the next twelve months; and projected capital spending. You can identify forward-looking statements by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. These statements may include words such “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “ongoing,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “will,” “would,” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based on assumptions that Mytheresa has made in light of its industry experience and perceptions of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors it believes are appropriate under the circumstances. As you read and consider this press release, you should understand that these statements are not guarantees of performance or results. They involve risks, uncertainties (many of which are beyond Mytheresa’s control) and assumptions. Although Mytheresa believes that these forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, you should be aware that many factors could affect its actual operating and financial performance and cause its performance to differ materially from the performance anticipated in the forward-looking statements. Mytheresa believes these factors include, but are not limited to: the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination or abandonment of the proposed transaction; the expected timing and likelihood of completion of the proposed transaction with Richemont; the risk that the remaining conditions to closing the proposed transaction may not be satisfied in a timely manner or at all; the risk that the proposed transaction and its announcement could have an adverse effect on the ability of YNAP to retain customers and retain and hire key personnel and maintain relationships with their brand partners and customers and on their operating results and businesses generally; the risk that problems may arise in successfully integrating the businesses of YNAP and Mytheresa, which may result in the combined company not operating as effectively and efficiently as expected; the risk that the combined company may be unable to achieve cost-cutting synergies or that it may take longer than expected to achieve those synergies; Mytheresa’s ability to effectively compete in a highly competitive industry; Mytheresa’s ability to respond to consumer demands, spending and tastes; general economic conditions, including economic conditions resulting from deteriorating geopolitical and macroeconomic conditions, such as the recent global trade war that escalated after the U.S. imposed tariffs on countries across the globe, and the adoption of retaliatory tariffs by those countries, that may adversely impact consumer demand; Mytheresa’s ability to acquire new customers and retain existing customers; consumers of luxury products may not choose to shop online in sufficient numbers; the volatility and difficulty in predicting the luxury fashion industry; Mytheresa’s reliance on consumer discretionary spending; and Mytheresa’s ability to maintain average order levels and other factors. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of these assumptions prove incorrect, Mytheresa’s actual operating and financial performance may vary in material respects from the performance projected in these forward-looking statements.

    Mytheresa undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements made in this press release to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release or to reflect new information or the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law.

    The achievement or success of the matters covered by such forward-looking statements involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions. If any such risks or uncertainties materialize or if any of the assumptions prove incorrect, Mytheresa’s results could differ materially from the results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements it makes.

    You should not rely upon forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. Forward-looking statements represent Mytheresa’s management’s beliefs and assumptions only as of the date such statements are made.

    Further information on these and other factors that could affect Mytheresa’s financial results is included in filings it makes with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) from time to time, including the section titled “Risk Factors” in its annual report on Form 20-F and on Form 6-K (reporting its quarterly results). These documents are available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov and on the SEC Filings section of the Investor Relations section of our website at: https://investors.mytheresa.com.

      
    About non-IFRS financial measures and operating metrics

    Adjusted EBITDA margin is a non-IFRS financial measure that we calculate as net income before finance expense (net), taxes, and depreciation and amortization, adjusted to exclude Other transaction-related, certain legal and other expenses and Share-based compensation expense. Adjusted EBITDA Margin is a non-IFRS financial measure which is calculated in relation to net sales.

    We are not able to forecast net income (loss) on a forward-looking basis without unreasonable efforts due to the high variability and difficulty in predicting certain items that affect net income (loss), including, but not limited to, Income taxes and Interest expense and, as a result, are unable to provide a reconciliation to forecasted Adjusted EBITDA.

    Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) is an operative measure and means the total Euro value of orders processed, either as principal or as agent. GMV is inclusive of merchandise value, shipping and duty. It is net of returns, value added taxes, applicable sales taxes and cancellations. GMV does not represent revenue earned by us. We use GMV as an indicator for the usage of our platform that is not influenced by the mix of direct sales and commission sales. The indicators we use to monitor usage of our platform include, among others, active customers, total orders shipped and GMV.

    About Mytheresa

    Mytheresa is one of the leading luxury multi-brand digital platforms shipping to over 130 countries. Founded as a boutique in 1987, Mytheresa launched online in 2006 and offers ready-to-wear, shoes, bags and accessories for womenswear, menswear, kidswear as well as lifestyle products and fine jewelry. The highly curated edit of up to 250 brands focuses on true luxury brands such as Bottega Veneta, Brunello Cucinelli, Dolce&Gabbana, Gucci, Loewe, Loro Piana, Moncler, Prada, Saint Laurent, The Row, Valentino, and many more. Mytheresa’s unique digital experience is based on a sharp focus on high-end luxury shoppers, exclusive product and content offerings, leading technology and analytical platforms as well as high quality service operations. The NYSE listed company reported € 913.6 million GMV in fiscal year 2024 (+7% vs. FY23). For more information, please visit https://investors.mytheresa.com/.

    “LuxExperience” will be the trade name for LuxExperience B.V. a Dutch company with limited liability, upon completion of the renaming of MYT Netherlands Parent B.V.

    About Richemont

    At Richemont, we craft the future. Our unique portfolio includes prestigious Maisons distinguished by their craftsmanship and creativity. Richemont’s ambition is to nurture its Maisons and businesses and enable them to grow and prosper in a responsible, sustainable manner over the long term.

    Richemont operates in three business areas: Jewellery Maisons with Buccellati, Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels and Vhernier; Specialist Watchmakers with A. Lange & Söhne, Baume & Mercier, IWC Schaffhausen, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Panerai, Piaget, Roger Dubuis and Vacheron Constantin; and Other, primarily Fashion & Accessories Maisons with Alaïa, Chloé, Delvaux, dunhill, G/FORE, Gianvito Rossi, Montblanc, Peter Millar, Purdey, Serapian as well as Watchfinder & Co. In addition, Richemont operates NET-A-PORTER, MR PORTER, THE OUTNET, YOOX and the OFS division. Find out more at https://www.richemont.com/.

    Richemont ‘A’ shares are listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange, Richemont’s primary listing, and are included in the Swiss Market Index (‘SMI’) of leading stocks. The ‘A’ shares are also traded on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), Richemont’s secondary listing.

    About YOOX NET-A-PORTER (YNAP)

    YNAP is a world leading online luxury and fashion retailer, with a distinctive offering including multi-brand in-season online stores NET-A-PORTER and MR PORTER, and multi-brand off-season online stores YOOX and THE OUTNET.

    Uniquely positioned in the high growth online luxury sector, YNAP has a client base of c.4 million high-spending customers and over 900 million visitors worldwide. The Group has offices and operations in the United States, Europe, Middle East, Japan, mainland China and Hong Kong SAR, China. It delivers to over 170 countries around the world. 

    Investor Relations Contacts
    Mytheresa.com GmbH
    Stefanie Muenz
    phone: +49 89 127695-1919
    email: investors@mytheresa.com

    Media Contacts for public relations
    Mytheresa.com GmbH
    Sandra Romano
    mobile: +49 152 54725178
    email: sandra.romano@mytheresa.com

    Media Contacts for business press
    Mytheresa.com GmbH
    Lisa Schulz
    mobile: +49 151 11216490
    email: lisa.schulz@mytheresa.com

    Media Contacts for business press
    BOC Consult GmbH
    Ruediger Assion
    mobile: +49 176 2424 7691
    email: ruediger.assion@boc-consult.com

    Richemont Contacts
    Investor / analyst enquiries: +41 22 721 30 03; investor.relations@cfrinfo.net
    Media enquiries: +41 22 721 35 07; pressoffice@cfrinfo.net; richemont@teneo.com

    Source: MYT Netherlands Parent B.V.

    Click here for a printer-friendly version in English (PDF)

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Westminster Council teams up with English National Opera to bring joy to care home residents | Westminster City Council

    Source: City of Westminster

    Westminster City Council is ensuring everyone has access to the city’s remarkable culture on offer by teaming up with English National Opera (ENO) who have been performing in care homes across the city. 

    The project, funded by the council, was aimed at bringing high-quality music and art to residents who encounter physical, social and economic barriers to participation or access to culture.

    Across the month of March, ENO’s musicians and singers have entertained residents in eight care settings in Westminster. They put on activities including singalong workshops using familiar and beloved opera repertoire, a craft activity for people to make their own flower brooch, as well as the opportunity to try on costumes and hats from recent ENO productions.

    Classical music is known to improve people’s mental health, their breathing and boosts their mood.

    One resident, Deborah, from Beachcroft Care Home said:

    “It was so nice to hear such beautiful voices, the singing was superb.

    “It was really nice for some of the elderly people here that have got Alzheimer’s and that sort of thing, it was nice to see them actively being involved and to have a chilled afternoon where we were entertained was absolutely lovely.”

    Westminster City Council Cabinet Member for Ecology and Culture, Cllr Ryan Jude, said: 

    “It’s so touching to see English National Opera bring such light and joy to the residents of our care settings in Westminster.

    “Our city is brimming with culture, and it’s important there are no barriers to people enjoying what’s on offer on their doorstep. Through our culture fund, we’re ensuring that every person in Westminster, irrespective of age and ability, has the chance to explore the rich culture all around us.”

    Annilese Miskimmon, ENO’s Artistic Director, said:

    “We are delighted to be working with Westminster City Council to deliver our new ENO in the Community programme.

    “Key funding from the council has allowed ENO to bring live music into the community and to people who otherwise may be unable to access it through ENO Engage – our learning and participation department, opera singers and the Chorus and Orchestra of ENO.

    “Classical music brings human connection, mental health and wellbeing benefits and we are excited to see the impact the programme has across the borough.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Kids cheering ‘chicken jockey!’ at A Minecraft Movie isn’t antisocial – it creates a chance for us to connect

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Sophia Staite, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania

    Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

    Social media is ablaze with reports of kids going wild at screenings of A Minecraft Movie.

    Some cinemas are cracking down. There are reports of cinemas calling in police to deal with rowdy theatregoers and making special announcements before the film, warning of consequences for “anti-social behaviour” including “clapping and shouting”.

    But these kids are engaging in a kind of communal experience. Rather than being antisocial behaviour – couldn’t we label it as prosocial?

    The global fandom of Minecraft

    Minecraft was first released in 2011 and has sold over 350 million copies, making it the best-selling video game of all time.

    Minecraft is an unstructured game that provides mineable resources and leaves players to create whatever they want with them. Creations can be as basic as stacking blocks of wood to make a wall, or as complex as a working computer.

    It has become the nexus of a vast online community of people with an interest in the game.

    Players connect to one-another digitally and share certain social norms and knowledge, including a memeified vernacular. Minecraft-playing Youtubers have also become popular, and are the source of many memes.

    The community is dominated by children and young adults and the incomprehensibility of their vernacular for other generations is possibly part of its appeal.

    Within child and youth fan communities the usual hierarchies of communication are reversed. Instead of kids having to learn to speak according to adults’ rules, in this community the kids maintain a knowledge system that excludes a lot of adults.

    Enter A Minecraft Movie

    A Minecraft Movie opened last weekend to enormous box office success, bringing in US$313.2 million globally. The film follows four humans who stumble through a portal into the Overworld (Minecraft). Their only way home involves teaming up with fellow human Steve (Jack Black) to save the Overworld from the creativity-hating Piglins.

    Almost immediately, social media conversations sprang up about the behaviour of audiences. One bemused parent described the atmosphere of the cinema as “like [when] The Beatles came to America”.

    Many of the videos shared of audiences during screenings show joyful scenes of communal pleasure, similar to other responses to highly anticipated films such as Avengers: Endgame.

    But while the response to Avengers: Endgame was celebrated, the behaviour of children and teens at A Minecraft Movie has been framed by news outlets in negative terms.

    Journalist Keith Stuart suggests the different responses are a result of parents feeling excluded by A Minecraft Movie’s frequent references to memes.

    Negative news reports link audience behaviour to existing moral panics about social media challenges and are particularly focused on popcorn being thrown.

    The use of the same two or three videos of popcorn throwing to illustrate multiple news articles highlights how relatively few reports of popcorn throwing there currently are.

    Instead, most of the debate on social media has been about the etiquette of noisiness during screenings, including cheering and clapping.

    Finding community

    A Minecraft Movie speaks the memeified vernacular of its online community.

    The film incorporates references to longstanding memes, popular Minecraft YouTubers (and some cameos) and, of course, to the game itself.

    The film is speaking directly to Minecraft fans, and audiences are responding by displaying their mastery of this vernacular and strengthening their sense of belonging.

    By clapping and cheering when they recognise a meme, or saying lines of dialogue in sync with the actors, kids are identifying themselves as members of a community.

    When a whole cinema full of young people does this simultaneously, they are identifying themselves to and with one another.

    This is prosocial, strategic communication – not the antisocial pandemonium and chaos some reports would have us believe. Instead, fans are reporting the cheering and clapping happens at specific moments: they are enjoying both the film, and reacting to it.

    During the brief (but meaningful for knowledgeable audience members) tribute to beloved YouTuber Technoblade, who died of cancer in 2022, there have been reports of whole theatres falling silent as a mark of respect.

    An online community of kids and teens has suddenly become hyper visible to adults because it has intersected with the traditional media space of the cinema.

    Online games such as Minecraft are a crucial part of kids’ social lives and play.

    Perhaps adults can seize this moment as an opportunity to learn more about something that clearly matters deeply to a lot of kids.

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

    – ref. Kids cheering ‘chicken jockey!’ at A Minecraft Movie isn’t antisocial – it creates a chance for us to connect – https://theconversation.com/kids-cheering-chicken-jockey-at-a-minecraft-movie-isnt-antisocial-it-creates-a-chance-for-us-to-connect-254287

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Pikachu protesters, Studio Ghibli memes and the subversive power of cuteness

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Yii-Jan Lin, Associate Professor of New Testament, Yale University

    The Pokémon character Pikachu has become the unofficial symbol of the opposition to Turkish President Recep Erdogan. Pat Batard/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images

    In Antalya, Turkey, in the early hours of March 27, 2025, Pikachu was spotted fleeing the police, making a getaway as fast as his short yellow legs could waddle.

    The person dressed as the popular Pokémon character had been objecting to the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, whose political party later posted on X, “Pepper spray, which even affects Pikachu, won’t do anything to you or me! #ResistPikachu.”

    At the same time, the internet was having a field day with another stalwart of Japanese anime, deploying generative AI to infuse famous memes, family portraits and movie scenes with a patina of cuteness by recasting them in the style of the Japanese animation company Studio Ghibli.

    Never mind that Studio Ghibli director and founder Hayao Miyazaki famously denounced AI-generated art as “an insult to life itself.” Both the Pikachu protester and the viral Studio Ghibli-esque animations demonstrate the global appeal of cuteness.

    But to me, there’s more to cute than its ability to go viral.

    Cuteness can be used politically. It can highlight injustices against the vulnerable, and it can boost support of the underdog.

    It’s a form of soft power in the truest sense of the term.

    Asia embraces the cute

    As a Taiwanese American, I’ve been a lifelong fan of the cuteness that’s part of East Asian cultures: cute cartoon characters, cute stationery and even cute-looking food.

    Now I study cuteness: what makes something “cute,” and how it operates in culture and politics.

    Many well-known, cute, pop culture characters and products can be traced to Japan, particularly after World War II, when Japanese animation – known as anime – and a style of Japanese comics called manga became popular.

    Their narratives and aesthetics spoke to a country still reeling from devastation wrought by the atomic bombs and the humiliation of U.S. occupation.

    Anime and manga imagined both dystopian and utopian futures, using stories that were nostalgic, upsetting, or a blend of both to process collective trauma.

    In many cases, cute characters guided viewers and readers through grief, guilt and loss. For example, the manga “Barefoot Gen” details the adventures of 6-year-old Gen after he survives the bombing of Hiroshima. Likewise, Studio Ghibli’s “Grave of the Fireflies” tells the story of two young siblings, Seita and Setsuko, who face starvation after the bombing of Kobe in the waning days of World War II. They’re drawn with large eyes and expressive faces, evoking innocence and powerlessness.

    The trailer for Studio Ghibli’s ‘Grave of the Fireflies.’

    Both Studio Ghibli and the Pokémon franchise emerged in the latter half of the 20th century, along with other titans of cuteness, such as Hello Kitty – she just celebrated her 50th birthday – Doraemon, and popular Nintendo characters Kirby and Yoshi.

    Cuteness now dominates East Asian cultures.

    Cute mascots such as Tencent’s QQ Penguin hawk products in China; popular cartoon characters plaster the sides of Japanese trains; and Taipei’s subway cards come in the shape of pink bunnies and miniature rice cookers.

    In Japan, the term “kawaii” refers to the lovable and cute. This includes not only cartoon characters and plush dolls, but also clothing and even speech, such as talking with a pout or in a childlike voice.

    Across Asia, you can see cuteness celebrated in the way people flash heart symbols with their fingers – a gesture originating in South Korea – and you can hear it in the way celebrities sometimes speak with a baby voice, puff out their cheeks or bat their eyelashes.

    Characters often express themselves in cute ways on television shows in Korea, where it’s called ‘aegyo.’

    Softening the blows

    Cuteness has a place in American culture. But it has nowhere near the cultural cachet that it has in Asia.

    Yet to me, the Studio Ghibli memes that swept American social media platforms revealed a widespread longing for tenderness at a time when the world seems particularly harsh, violent and unpredictable.

    Theorist Sianne Ngai has argued that cuteness is usually based on the power differential between the observer and the cute object: A small kitten, a stuffed animal or a cooing baby are cute, in part, because they’re so vulnerable.

    I think that’s why the White House’s efforts to join in on the Ghibli memes fell flat. Its X account posted a Ghibli-esque image of a Dominican woman crying while being handcuffed by an ICE agent. The depiction generated outrage.

    The cartoon imagines that the audience would revel in punching down. It’s a perversion of how cuteness works, celebrating the powerful – the ICE agent and the U.S. government – and not the powerless. Contrast the White House’s image with the “Grave of the Fireflies,” which highlighted the vulnerability of children during war.

    Rallying around cuteness

    Yet the powerlessness of cute characters can also, paradoxically, be powerful: Most onlookers can’t help but cheer for a furry, yellow cartoon animal fleeing from riot police. A cute character can look helpless, but it can rally support for the underdog.

    Perhaps that’s why Pikachu again popped up at two other protests: at an anti-Netanyahu demonstration in Israel on April 5, 2025, and at an anti-Trump rally in Washington, D.C. that same day.

    Cuteness, perhaps not surprisingly, has been used as a political tool in Asia. The Milk Tea Alliance, which formed in 2020, is a pan-Asian, pro-democracy movement that unites communities in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, Myanmar and beyond.

    The origins of the Milk Tea Alliance.

    Organizers pointedly emphasize the effectiveness of cuteness and humor as a tool to condemn violence and denounce authoritarianism. Online images shared by the movement include anime-style drawings of young student protestors and cartoons of anthropomorphized cups of Taiwan bubble tea, Thai cha and Hong Kong milk tea holding hands.

    Comedy can be subversive. Political cartoons and comedians, of course, have long tapped into this dynamic.

    But cuteness adds a touch of whimsical absurdity that further defangs the power hungry. Is it any wonder Chinese officials banned the release of a Winnie-the-Pooh movie after memes comparing Xi Jinping to the beloved stuffed bear went viral?

    Despite its cuddly, quaint and charming exterior, cuteness contains hidden superpowers: It celebrates the vulnerable, while sapping authoritarians of gravitas they seek to project.

    Yii-Jan Lin 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. Pikachu protesters, Studio Ghibli memes and the subversive power of cuteness – https://theconversation.com/pikachu-protesters-studio-ghibli-memes-and-the-subversive-power-of-cuteness-253909

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: AI-generated images can exploit how your mind works − here’s why they fool you and how to spot them

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Arryn Robbins, Assistant Professor of Psychology, University of Richmond

    A beautiful kitchen to scroll past – but check out the clock. Tiny Homes via Facebook

    I’m more of a scroller than a poster on social media. Like many people, I wind down at the end of the day with a scroll binge, taking in videos of Italian grandmothers making pasta or baby pygmy hippos frolicking.

    For a while, my feed was filled with immaculately designed tiny homes, fueling my desire for minimalist paradise. Then, I started seeing AI-generated images; many contained obvious errors such as staircases to nowhere or sinks within sinks. Yet, commenters rarely pointed them out, instead admiring the aesthetic.

    These images were clearly AI-generated and didn’t depict reality. Did people just not notice? Not care?

    As a cognitive psychologist, I’d guess “yes” and “yes.” My expertise is in how people process and use visual information. I primarily investigate how people look for objects and information visually, from the mundane searches of daily life, such as trying to find a dropped earring, to more critical searches, like those conducted by radiologists or search-and-rescue teams.

    With my understanding of how people process images and notice − or don’t notice − detail, it’s not surprising to me that people aren’t tuning in to the fact that many images are AI-generated.

    We’ve been here before

    The struggle to detect AI-generated images mirrors past detection challenges such as spotting photoshopped images or computer-generated images in movies.

    But there’s a key difference: Photo editing and CGI require intentional design by artists, while AI images are generated by algorithms trained on datasets, often without human oversight. The lack of oversight can lead to imperfections or inconsistencies that can feel unnatural, such as the unrealistic physics or lack of consistency between frames that characterize what’s sometimes called “AI slop.”

    Despite these differences, studies show people struggle to distinguish real images from synthetic ones, regardless of origin. Even when explicitly asked to identify images as real, synthetic or AI-generated, accuracy hovers near the level of chance, meaning people did only a little better than if they’d just guessed.

    In everyday interactions, where you aren’t actively scrutinizing images, your ability to detect synthetic content might even be weaker.

    Attention shapes what you see, what you miss

    Spotting errors in AI images requires noticing small details, but the human visual system isn’t wired for that when you’re casually scrolling. Instead, while online, people take in the gist of what they’re viewing and can overlook subtle inconsistencies.

    Visual attention operates like a zoom lens: You scan broadly to get an overview of your environment or phone screen, but fine details require focused effort. Human perceptual systems evolved to quickly assess environments for any threats to survival, with sensitivity to sudden changes − such as a quick-moving predator − sacrificing precision for speed of detection.

    This speed-accuracy trade-off allows for rapid, efficient processing, which helped early humans survive in natural settings. But it’s a mismatch with modern tasks such as scrolling through devices, where small mistakes or unusual details in AI-generated images can easily go unnoticed.

    People also miss things they aren’t actively paying attention to or looking for. Psychologists call this inattentional blindness: Focusing on one task causes you to overlook other details, even obvious ones. In the famous invisible gorilla study, participants asked to count basketball passes in a video failed to notice someone in a gorilla suit walking through the middle of the scene.

    If you’re counting how many passes the people in white make, do you even notice someone walk through in a gorilla suit?

    Similarly, when your focus is on the broader content of an AI image, such as a cozy tiny home, you’re less likely to notice subtle distortions. In a way, the sixth finger in an AI image is today’s invisible gorilla − hiding in plain sight because you’re not looking for it.

    Efficiency over accuracy in thinking

    Our cognitive limitations go beyond visual perception. Human thinking uses two types of processing: fast, intuitive thinking based on mental shortcuts, and slower, analytical thinking that requires effort. When scrolling, our fast system likely dominates, leading us to accept images at face value.

    Adding to this issue is the tendency to seek information that confirms your beliefs or reject information that goes against them. This means AI-generated images are more likely to slip by you when they align with your expectations or worldviews. If an AI-generated image of a basketball player making an impossible shot jibes with a fan’s excitement, they might accept it, even if something feels exaggerated.

    While not a big deal for tiny home aesthetics, these issues become concerning when AI-generated images may be used to influence public opinion. For example, research shows that people tend to assume images are relevant to accompanying text. Even when the images provide no actual evidence, they make people more likely to accept the text’s claims as true.

    Misleading real or generated images can make false claims seem more believable and even cause people to misremember real events. AI-generated images have the power to shape opinions and spread misinformation in ways that are difficult to counter.

    Beating the machine

    While AI gets better at detecting AI, humans need tools to do the same. Here’s how:

    1. Trust your gut. If something feels off, it probably is. Your brain expertly recognizes objects and faces, even under varying conditions. Perhaps you’ve experienced what psychologists call the uncanny valley and felt unease with certain humanoid faces. This experience shows people can detect anomalies, even when they can’t fully explain what’s wrong.
    2. Scan for clues. AI struggles with certain elements: hands, text, reflections, lighting inconsistencies and unnatural textures. If an image seems suspicious, take a closer look.
    3. Think critically. Sometimes, AI generates photorealistic images with impossible scenarios. If you see a political figure casually surprising baristas or a celebrity eating concrete, ask yourself: Does this make sense? If not, it’s probably fake.
    4. Check the source. Is the poster a real person? Reverse image search can help trace a picture’s origin. If the metadata is missing, it might be generated by AI.

    AI-generated images are becoming harder to spot. During scrolling, the brain processes visuals quickly, not critically, making it easy to miss details that reveal a fake. As technology advances, slow down, look closer and think critically.

    Arryn Robbins 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. AI-generated images can exploit how your mind works − here’s why they fool you and how to spot them – https://theconversation.com/ai-generated-images-can-exploit-how-your-mind-works-heres-why-they-fool-you-and-how-to-spot-them-246867

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Two men convicted following fatal stabbing

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    Two men have been convicted of the fatal stabbing of 38-year-old Jack Hague in Tower Hamlets last year.

    Umair Rafiq, 36 (21.12.88) of no fixed address was found guilty of murder at Inner London Crown on Thursday, 10 April.

    Mohammed Ikram Uddin, 24 (27.08.99), of no fixed address was also found guilty of manslaughter at the same court on Thursday, 10 April.

    In a trial which started on Monday, 17 March, the court heard that police were called at around 20:20hrs on Sunday, 5 May 2024 to reports of a fight on Corfield Street, E2. The jury were told that this followed an initial exchange of words between the three men which quickly escalated and led to Jack’s fatal stabbing.

    Despite the best efforts of emergency services, Jack died at the scene as a result of multiple stab wounds across his body.

    A manhunt began immediately, with officers painstakingly combing through hours of CCTV footage to understand what took place, identify the attackers and track their movements after they fled the scene. Uddin was arrested on Thursday, 9 May 2024 and charged the following day. Rafiq was arrested on Sunday, 12 May 2024 and charged the following day.

    A knife and Rafiq’s glasses were both discarded at the scene and were sent for forensic testing. DNA found on the items provided a match to Rafiq – further proof that he had been at the scene.

    Jack’s mother Lesley said:

    “Last year our lives changed forever. Ever since, I do not feel like I used to. I am not living, just existing, with no joy, life appears to be an act. I think I am truly only happy when my grandkids are around, they help me forget about things for a little while, and I enjoy them. Jack was my blue eyed boy and called me “mummsy”. His loss has caused an emptiness and void nothing can fill. I feel like I am at the edge of it looking in but noting can fill it.

    “I miss him so much. A mother should not have to bury her son. We are in mourning at the loss of my precious child but also because of the loss of so many hopes, dreams and expectations.

    “Today’s result will not bring back my son but I hope that it will keep those responsible from committing such a monstrous crime again.”

    Detective Sergeant Brian Jones who led the investigation said:

    “There is nothing that can be done to bring back Jack, but I hope today’s result brings some closure at this terrible time.

    “By carrying and using a knife, Rafiq’s callous act demonstrates once again the devastating and far-reaching effects of knife crime.

    “I therefore commend the officers who worked incredibly hard to build evidence against Rafiq and Uddin in order to prove that there could be no doubt as to their guilt. London will be a safer place with them taken off the streets”.

    Umair Rafiq and Mohammed Uddin will be sentenced on Friday, 6 June at Inner London Crown Court.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Companies will still face pressure to manage for climate change, even as government rolls back US climate policy

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Ethan I. Thorpe, Fellow at Private Climate Governance Lab, Vanderbilt University

    Amazon partnered with Dominion Energy to build solar farms in Virginia to power its cloud-computing service. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

    As the federal government moves to eliminate U.S. climate rules, companies still face pressure to be better stewards of the planet from their customers, investors, employees, local communities, lenders, insurers, global trading partners and many states.

    Each of those groups knows it will face increasing costs from rising temperatures and extreme weather if corporations don’t rein in their greenhouse gas emissions.

    Many companies will find that returning to past polluting ways isn’t in their best interest. Over 60% of chief financial officers surveyed by global management firm Kearney in December 2024 signaled that they intended to invest at least 2% of their revenue in sustainability in 2025.

    These companies may maintain a low profile about climate change while the Trump administration is in power, but they have strong financial incentives to continue to reduce their emissions and their own climate risks.

    We study private environmental governance – the ways companies and organizations work outside government to improve the nation’s sustainability and reduce environmental damage. Our work finds that, in this polarized era, addressing climate and sustainability challenges is not just a matter of government action. That’s because a lot of climate and sustainability progress is underway in the private sector.

    Sustainability matters to companies’ bottom lines

    Businesses have used climate and sustainability initiatives for years to make their operations and supply chains more efficient and to reduce their long-term costs.

    When McDonald’s faced public pressure to reduce waste in the late 1980s, the company teamed up with the Environmental Defense Fund to analyze the problem. It was able to reduce its waste by 30% over the following decade, saving the company US$6 million a year. This early risk-taking by McDonald’s opened the door for other environmental groups to help businesses understand how to reduce their environmental impact, including emissions, while boosting the companies’ profitability.

    The shipping company Maersk expects to cut emissions and boost productivity at the same time with better logistics and low-emissions ships like this one, which runs on methanol.
    Axel Heimken/picture alliance via Getty Images

    Maersk, the logistics giant responsible for nearly a quarter of global shipping, has responded to pressure from its corporate customers with a plan to reduce carbon emissions by one-third from 2022 to 2030 and reach net-zero emissions by 2045. It expects the combination of low-emissions vessels and a more efficient delivery network with hubs and shuttles to help meet its climate goals while increasing productivity.

    Companies have also helped drive the expansion of renewable energy, motivated by the competitive economics of renewables and business opportunities. Facebook’s parent company Meta and Google invested nearly $2 billion in projects to provide renewable energy in the Tennessee Valley Authority service area, even though no government required them to do so. And major companies continued
    signing renewable energy power purchase agreements in 2025.

    Microsoft and Amazon are responding to massive new power demand by trying to locate data centers near existing nuclear power plants for cleaner energy supplies.

    Thousands of companies report emissions via private systems

    Another sign of companies’ continuing commitment to sustainability is how many of them measure and report their greenhouse gas emissions even when governments do not require them to do so.

    Nearly 25,000 companies representing two-thirds of total global market capitalization and 85% of the S&P 500 report their emissions to the nonprofit CDP. Disclosing emissions is like keeping a fitness journal with a personal trainer. It helps a company track its progress and plan for future financial and environmental risks. More than 12,500 small- and medium-size companies also disclosed emissions to CDP in 2024.

    Many of these companies were initially motivated by pressure from environmental groups or corporate customers. Today, they have more reason to continue paying attention to emissions.

    California has its own formal reporting requirements designed to encourage companies to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. And other states are considering setting climate disclosure rules. The Trump administration has promised to challenge them, and announced that it also plans to cut federal greenhouse gas reporting standards, but companies will likely still face reporting rules in the future.

    The European Union also approved reporting requirements. It delayed their start date in April 2025 to give companies more time to comply.

    Cleaner supply chains can also be more efficient

    Managing supply chains with climate and environmental risks in mind can also help businesses increase their efficiency and reduce the risk that climate change will disrupt their operations.

    The supply chain is the largest source of the average company’s emissions and may be particularly vulnerable to climate shocks. A storm can easily disrupt vital production or shipping, and droughts or heat waves can damage crops, stop work and increase costs. Companies estimate climate-related supply chain risks at $162 billion, nearly three times the cost of mitigating those risks. Many companies therefore have incentives to reduce emissions and their exposure to related hazards.

    Nearly 80% of the largest companies across seven global economic sectors had set environmental requirements for suppliers within their value chains as of 2023. These requirements include reporting carbon emissions, reducing emissions and using sustainable forestry practices.

    Walmart eliminated 1 billion tons of carbon emissions from its supply chain in less than seven years by sharing its expertise with suppliers and working with them to reduce their emissions. Walmart’s global director of sustainable retail noted in 2024 that the effort made its suppliers more efficient, too.

    Keeping employees and customers happy

    Companies also face pressure from average people − both employees and customers.

    More than two-thirds of Americans support action to address climate change. Even companies that are not consumer-facing need retail customer and employee support. Pro-climate actions have been found to improve employee and customer loyalty.

    The outdoor clothing company Patagonia ranked third out of over 300 brands in a 2024 customer experience survey, in part because of its reputation for sustainable practices. Many of the over 10,000 respondents cited the company’s sustainable practices as the leading reason for their support.

    Many companies also face pressure from lenders and insurers who want to reduce climate risks to their own bottom lines. Dozens of insurers have committed to ending or restricting underwriting for new fossil fuel projects. Others use incentives, such as lower premiums for companies that reduce emissions or invest in climate adaptation.

    Climate change may accelerate the current 5% to 7% annual increase in insured losses, according to estimates from insurer Swiss Re. That has led some insurance leaders to recommend insurance companies take bigger steps to reduce emissions through their investments and policy underwriting.

    Private climate governance can help buy time

    Media attention and interest group advocacy is often focused on government actions, but decisions made in boardrooms and through initiatives with nonprofits have created an important kind of private climate governance.

    As companies respond to their own economic risks and incentives, they help buy time to avoid the worst impacts of climate change until the political system recognizes the financial risks posed to the entire country.

    Zdravka Tzankova receives funding from the National Science Foundation.

    Ethan I. Thorpe and Michael Vandenbergh do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Companies will still face pressure to manage for climate change, even as government rolls back US climate policy – https://theconversation.com/companies-will-still-face-pressure-to-manage-for-climate-change-even-as-government-rolls-back-us-climate-policy-251580

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: You have the floor, Eduard Tiktinsky: Polytechnic graduate wishes students to surpass themselves

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

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

    Over the year and a half of the existence of the discussion club “You have the floor!” many interesting people have become its guests. But it is especially pleasant when such a guest is not just a successful and bright person, but also a graduate of the Polytechnic University. So, the eleventh hero of the project was the founder and chairman of the board of directors of the RBI Group Eduard Tiktinsky.

    Eduard Saulevich graduated from the economics department of the Leningrad Polytechnic Institute and the advanced courses in economics and privatization of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. His company is engaged in development activities in the field of residential and commercial construction. More than 80 projects have been implemented.

    Eduard Tiktinsky is an honorary builder of Russia, recipient of the Order of Merit in Construction, member of the Board of Trustees of the World Club of Petersburgers, initiator and ideological inspirer of the social project for talented youth “School of Leaders of the Future”, holder of the title “Expert of the Year” in the nominations “Expert in Business and Innovation” (2017) and “Expert in Education” (2021). In 2024, he entered the top 50 most famous people in St. Petersburg according to Sobaka.ru magazine. According to the Person 2024 rating from RQ Index and Urban, he is the first in management efficiency among CEOs of development companies in Russia.

    At the meeting at the Polytechnic, Eduard Tiktinsky thanked the organizers for the opportunity to speak to students and emphasized that his goal was not to limit himself to a simple dialogue, but to convey to the audience truly valuable knowledge that could help them in the future.

    This is what Eduard Tiktinsky said.

    On the influence of parents

    — My parents gave me a lot of freedom of choice and independence. From an early age I understood that I had to rely on myself, and I started earning money at 19. My parents also gave me a good education: I studied at an English school, then, until the 8th grade, at an English boarding school in Pushkin, and the 9th and 10th grades — at a good physics and mathematics school. As a child, I didn’t say that I would be an entrepreneur, because there was no such profession in the USSR, but I dreamed of becoming a lawyer, it seemed to me that it was such a competitive independent profession.

    About student life at the Polytechnic

    — When I was studying, it was a completely different era. Interesting, with a lot of challenges. It implied a lot of opportunities and an empty market that was slowly filling up, and the window of opportunity was slowly closing. So I will honestly say that I spent little time at the Polytechnic. Only in the first year, and then I came to take exams. And at the same time I studied at advanced training courses held by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, it was a high level and a powerful impetus.

    And now times have changed, and the university years seem extremely important to me. For you, student years are a period of establishing social connections, refining some hypotheses, an opportunity to try and figure out what you want. Plus an element of a carefree life.

    About starting a business in the 90s

    — The vast majority of entrepreneurs who started their activities in the late 80s — early 90s will not tell you that it was a difficult period. It was a romantic period, a time of a free market, weak competition, where many things had to be built from scratch: inventing new schemes, literally creating industries — it was an interesting challenge. And the most difficult thing — and nothing has changed here today — is to go through your own crises. Everyone faces them, but if you are an entrepreneur, then your crises, as a rule, concern not only you, but also your business and the people you are responsible for. My crises were difficult, but useful, they gave the greatest impetus for further development. When you cope with this, you seem to be renewed, you become a little — or not a little — a different person.

    On how to choose your path

    — I am often asked: how to determine what to do in the future? I used to answer that you need to get to know yourself as early as possible, understand how you are structured, where your strengths are, where your weaknesses are — developmental books, various courses, psychology can help with this. And once we answered this question together with the outstanding world entrepreneur Len Blavatnik, and he said: you need to try a lot. He spoke about his experience, and he is also right. I had no forks or doubts about which path to choose, but if they are, then you need to try a lot.

    On the difficulties of development activities in a museum city

    — Now that we have dozens of cultural heritage sites behind us, there are no such difficulties. In our work, we need to be open, tell people about our completed projects — this creates trust and the opportunity to have a constructive dialogue with urban conservationists. I think that “urban conservationist” is a good word, for example, Mikhail Borisovich Piotrovsky is an urban conservationist, he and the “World Club of Petersburgers” helped us a lot when we were restoring the Levashovsky Bakery and building our Futurist facility on Barochnaya Street and Levashovsky Prospekt. But it can be difficult to negotiate with those people who only call themselves urban conservationists: they often do not accept any arguments, they simply implement their request for aimless social activity. But we love our city, what we do is our life’s work, this is why we came to this world.

    About digital products and artificial intelligence

    — For the development business, AI projects are still secondary things. But we don’t realize how quickly the world will change. As a physicist friend of mine used to say: At bifurcation points, all events happen much faster. We are at such a point now, and if we talk about key industries, then in the “robotics and artificial intelligence” bundle, the world will change very soon and very much. We still need to “pump up the muscle”, track everything that appears, and teach people to use these tools.

    About a place of power and living life to the fullest

    — My place of power now is the Central Park of Culture and Leisure. I hold meetings with colleagues and friends there, we walk and discuss things. Another place of power is the dacha. Whatever you do, it is important to live a full life: diverse, complex, multi-component. A person can achieve unrealistically great success by doing only one thing. But will such a person be happy? I have big doubts. It is very important to devote time to loved ones, communicate with friends, attend cultural events, play sports — this is what I call living to the fullest.

    About sources of inspiration and energy

    — I get my inspiration from the fact that I love my job very much. I try to do only what I like, what gives me strength and energy. And I am proud of what we do, although we are far from perfect. We measure customer loyalty, the willingness to recommend us, at six stages: buying an apartment, waiting, moving in, renovation, living up to five years, and living after five years. And at the living stage, the loyalty index drops because various everyday difficulties arise. And we get upset if something is not good enough, we try to improve: in the Futurist house, some residents are unhappy with the size of the gym, in our next house “MIR” the gym will be twice as big.

    On the solution to the problem of the “gray belt” of St. Petersburg

    — The “Grey Belt” is a serious conceptual project. There should be an understanding of how much the enterprises there can be modernized, how environmentally neutral they are, whether they can be left in a residential area. And if so, then that’s great, because we need short “transport shoulders”, we don’t need people to go one way in the morning, and then drive kilometers in the other direction in the evening, get stuck in traffic jams. Housing, production, and recreation areas need to be connected.

    On the “excellent strategy” of real estate sales, or how the company plans to stand out from other developers

    — I like your expression “excellent strategy”. Our strategy as premium developers is an outstanding product and outstanding service. When you come to us to buy an apartment, in our sales department you find yourself in an atmosphere of beauty, exquisite aromas, jazz music. You are treated to craft coffee and an exclusive dessert. One of our regular customers recently came to us again to buy an apartment, and he was offered a cheesecake, and he remembered that a year ago he was treated to some unforgettable golden eclairs. And he was a little upset that they were not available today. Then colleagues contacted the manufacturer of these eclairs, found out that they were no longer making them, but somehow agreed to make us a few as an exception. And they delivered a box of golden eclairs to the client in the evening. This is what I call outstanding service. Doing everything for the client and a little more, exceeding expectations.

    At the end of the meeting, Eduard Tiktinsky was traditionally presented with a branded Lepota project T-shirt with number 11. Now we have a full football team, joked the host of the meeting, the head of the news portal department, Evgeny Gusev. And on the second T-shirt, which remained at the Polytechnic, the hero of the evening left an autograph and, apparently inspired by the last question, the following wish: “Become better than yesterday.”

    Photo archive

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI: MEXC Among Top 3 CEXs with $1.79B Monthly Inflows, Driven by Innovative Strategies

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VICTORIA, Seychelles, April 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — MEXC has achieved a net inflow of $77.5 million over the past 7 days, positioning itself as one of the few major centralized exchanges (CEXs) to demonstrate positive momentum during a widespread market decline, according to DeFiLlama. The exchange’s total monthly net inflow reached $1.79 billion, a 12.4% rise from the previous month, highlighting its resilience and consistent growth amid cautious user behavior across the broader market.

    DeFiLlama data also ranks MEXC among the top 3 exchanges for monthly inflows, with $84.25 million recorded in April alone and a total value locked (TVL) of $2.8 billion as of April 9, 2025. This performance reflects MEXC’s growing credibility and ability to attract liquidity despite ongoing market volatility.

    Exchange 7-Day Net Inflow 30-Day Net Inflow
    Binance +$888 million +$3.7 billion
    Bybit +$564.9 million +$3.2 billion
    MEXC +$77.5 million +$1.79 billion
    Kucoin −$40 million −$893.5 million
    HTX +$402.1 million +$464.9 million

    Net Inflow Trends Across Major CEXs (Source: https://defillama.com/cexs)
    MEXC’s standout performance over the past month can be attributed to its strategic focus on trading initiatives and ecosystem development. The key drivers behind this success include the following:

    1. Strategic Initiatives: Through its “Zero Trading Fee” campaign, MEXC significantly boosted trading volume and user engagement.
    2. BNB Chain Ecosystem Focus: MEXC’s targeted approach to CZ/BNB-Chain concept tokens, coupled with high returns and trading volumes of popular tokens, further drove user fund inflows.
    3. Capturing High-Potential Tokens: As the first platform to list CZ/BNB-Chain concept tokens like MUBARAK, MEXC created opportunities for low-cost entry and high returns, drawing significant user capital.
    4. Launch of DEX+: The launch of DEX+, a hybrid centralized-decentralized trading platform, lowered the barriers to on-chain trading, enhancing MEXC’s appeal to users and boosting fund inflows.

    1. Zero Trading Fee Strategy Significantly Boosts Trading Activity

    During its March Zero Trading Fee campaign, MEXC introduced trading pairs such as SOL/USDT, HYPE/USDT, and S/USDT, resulting in a 17.8% month-over-month increase in the number of traders and a remarkable 170.2% surge in trading volume. Notably, SOL/USDT saw a 185.62% increase in trading volume, with its average daily trading volume accounting for 19.0% of MEXC’s total futures trading volume – a growth rate of 189.69%—making it the standout pair of the quarter. ADA/USDT recorded the highest growth, with a 369.44% increase in trading volume and a 393.05% rise in its share of MEXC’s daily futures trading volume. Additionally, DOGE/USDT and SUI/USDT saw trading volume increases of 82.87% and 70.84%, respectively.

    0 Trading Fee strategy also significantly enhanced MEXC’s market share. Trading pairs such as AIXBT/USDT, DOGE/USDT, and SOL/USDT led market share growth with increases of 331%, 283%, and 209%, respectively. DOGE/USDT and SOL/USDT achieved market shares of 30.5% and 30.3%, respectively, ranking first among the same pairs on CoinMarketCap (CMC), while ADA/USDT secured the second spot with a 20.6% market share. These figures demonstrate that the 0 Trading Fee campaign effectively ignited user trading enthusiasm, driving substantial fund inflows to the platform.

    2. Strategic Focus on BNB Chain Ecosystem Fuels Hot Token Trading

    The BNB Chain ecosystem has emerged as a new hotspot for on-chain assets over the past month, and MEXC’s strategic focus on this ecosystem has paid off. In March, BNB Chain ecosystem tokens accounted for 50.8% of new token spot trading users, a 30.1% month-over-month increase, while their trading volume share soared to 56.6%, reflecting a 63.5% month-over-month growth. This made the BNB Chain ecosystem a core driver of March’s trading surge.

    The top five BNB Chain ecosystem tokens delivered an average return of 3,760%, creating significant profit opportunities for users while fueling a trading frenzy. Star tokens like MUBARAK, BUBB, and TUT led the charge with gains of 10,900%, 4,168%, and 2,000%, respectively, contributing 17%, 4%, and 7% to new token trading volume. MUBARAKAH and BMT also performed strongly, contributing 4% and 3% to trading volume, respectively. The robust trading activity of BNB Chain ecosystem tokens further attracted user fund inflows, injecting fresh momentum into MEXC’s growth.

    3. First-Mover Advantage in Token Launches Makes MEXC a Go-To Platform for Low-Cost Entry

    MEXC demonstrated industry-leading prowess in launching CZ-concept tokens. On March 14, 2025, at 12:35:00 (UTC+8), MEXC became the first exchange to list MUBARAK, outpacing all other platforms. Within 24 hours of its launch, MUBARAK surged by 1,377.5%, reaching a peak price of $0.22—a staggering 10,900% increase from its listing price. By the close of March 18, MUBARAK’s average daily trading volume had grown by 197% compared to March 15–16, with the number of traders rising by 76% month-over-month, reflecting sustained user enthusiasm.

    4. DEX+ Launch Enhances User Experience and Fund Attraction Through Innovation

    In March, MEXC introduced DEX+, a hybrid centralized-decentralized trading platform that allows users to engage in decentralized trading without leaving the MEXC app or website, providing access to a wide range of on-chain assets. Currently, DEX+ supports over 15,000 tokens across the Solana and BNB Chain ecosystems, covering a broad spectrum of on-chain assets. This innovative model not only enhances trading convenience but also strengthens MEXC’s appeal to on-chain trading users, further driving fund inflows.

    Conclusion

    With $1.79 billion in fund inflows over the past month and a 63.9% fund inflow efficiency, MEXC has demonstrated its competitive strength among global cryptocurrency exchanges. Whether through its 0 Trading Fee campaign to boost trading activity, its strategic focus on the BNB Chain ecosystem, its first-mover advantage in launching high-potential tokens, or the innovative launch of DEX+, MEXC has leveraged innovation to drive rapid fund inflows. Looking ahead, as the crypto market continues to evolve, MEXC is well-positioned to attract more global users and solidify its market standing by further enhancing user experience and expanding its market presence.

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

    Source

    Contact:
    Lucia Hu
    lucia.hu@mexc.com

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

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

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4d12447d-9018-4bc9-93c6-970fbbc000fc

    The MIL Network –