NewzIntel.com

Category: Entertainment

  • MIL-OSI: Home BancShares, Inc. Announces First Quarter Earnings Release Date and Conference Call

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CONWAY, Ark., March 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Home BancShares, Inc. (NYSE: HOMB), parent company of Centennial Bank, today announced it expects to release First Quarter 2025 earnings after the market closes on April 16, 2025. Following this release, management will conduct a conference call to review these earnings at 1:00 p.m. CT (2:00 p.m. ET) on Thursday, April 17, 2025.

    We strongly encourage all participants to pre-register for the conference call webcast or the live call using one of the following links. First, participants can pre-register for the conference call webcast using the following link: https://events.q4inc.com/attendee/447517977. Participants who pre-register will be given a unique webcast link to gain immediate access to the conference call webcast. Second, participants can pre-register for the live call using the following link: https://www.netroadshow.com/events/login?show=a44e9900&confId=79637. Participants who pre-register will be given the phone number and unique access codes to gain immediate access to the live call. Participants may pre-register now, or at any time prior to the call, and will immediately receive simple instructions via email. The Home BancShares conference call will also be scheduled as an event in your Outlook calendar.

    Those without internet access or unable to pre-register may dial in and listen to the live call by calling 1-833-470-1428, Passcode: 947933. A replay of the call will be available by calling 1-866-813-9403, Passcode: 685290, which will be available until April 24, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. CT. Internet access to the call will be available live or in recorded version on the Company’s website at www.homebancshares.com.

    Home BancShares, Inc. is a bank holding company, headquartered in Conway, Arkansas. Its wholly-owned subsidiary, Centennial Bank, provides a broad range of commercial and retail banking plus related financial services to businesses, real estate developers, investors, individuals and municipalities. Centennial Bank has branch locations in Arkansas, Florida, South Alabama, Texas and New York City, with branches in Texas operating as Happy State Bank, a division of Centennial Bank. The Company’s common stock is traded through the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “HOMB.”

    FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
    Home BancShares, Inc.
    Donna Townsell
    Senior Executive Vice President &
    Director of Investor Relations
    (501) 328-4625
    Ticker symbol: HOMB

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Campaign exposes “Dirty Dems” who betray the people for corporate donors

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    SACRAMENTO, CA — (March 17, 2025) Greenpeace USA, in collaboration with the California Working Families Party and Courage California, is launching a new campaign to hold legislators accountable for their campaign donations and voting records. The campaign, titled “Dirty Dems,” will shine a spotlight on Democratic lawmakers who have taken the most money from the oil and gas industry and voted against critical climate, economic justice and other progressive priority legislation. 

    Amy Moas, Ph.D., Greenpeace USA Senior Climate Campaigner said: “The Dirty Dems are selling out our future. This campaign will expose the politicians who deserved to be called out – the Democratic lawmakers who have chosen corporate money over the health and safety of their communities. We will no longer stand by while these legislators block vital progress that our families and communities demand.”

    Jane Kim, State Director of the California Working Families Party, said: “The Working Families Party is shining a light on elected officials who put billionaire polluter profits ahead of the health and safety of California’s working families. Despite being a super blue state, it is alarming that the majority of our state legislature is supported by Bil Oil. Having a D next to your name isn’t enough- we need champions who will fight for our future.”

    Starting this week, “Dirty Dems” will reveal at least one legislator each week, detailing their harmful votes, connections to the fossil fuel industry, and the damage they have caused to local communities. The first “Dirty Dem” to be exposed today is Assembly Member Stephanie Nguyen, who represents South Sacramento’s Elk Grove area. Since entering the legislature in 2022, Nguyen has already taken over $31,000 in donations from Big Oil, including $20,000 during the last legislative session alone. She has also accepted gifts from the Western States Petroleum Association, the largest trade association representing oil and gas in California.

    Nguyen’s voting record paints a troubling picture. She has abstained from voting on a shocking number of critical climate and environmental protection bills, including those aimed at reducing toxic pollutants (AB 674), cleaning up idle oil wells (AB 1167 and AB 1866), and improving climate financial disclosure (SB 253 and SB 261). Nguyen also voted against protections for grocery workers (SB 725), against increasing the number of paid sick days (SB 616) and against strengthening labor law enforcement (AB594). These actions, or lack thereof, have directly harmed the very communities she was elected to serve.

    Moas Said: “Real leadership means answering to the people, not to corporate donors, Assemblymember Nguyen and others like her are on the wrong side of justice. Their actions are allowing the climate crisis’ devastating effects to run rampant, delaying protections essential workers desperately need, and exacerbating the economic inequality our families face. The time to act is now, and we won’t stop until we’ve held every one of these Dirty Dems accountable.”

    Contact: Gigi Singh, Communications Manager at Greenpeace USA
    (+1)  631-404-9977, [email protected]  Greenpeace USA is part of a global network of independent campaigning organizations that use peaceful protest and creative communication to expose global environmental problems and promote solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future. Greenpeace USA is committed to transforming the country’s unjust social, environmental, and economic systems from the ground up to address the climate crisis, advance racial justice, and build an economy that puts people first. Learn more at www.greenpeace.org/usa.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI: Global Star Acquisition Inc. Commences Trading on the OTC Markets

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK and SEOUL, South Korea, March 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Global Star Acquisition Inc. (OTC Markets: GLST) (“Global Star” or the “Company”), a special purpose acquisition company, received a notification letter from The Nasdaq Stock Market, LLC (“Nasdaq”) on March 7, 2025, notifying the Company that it no longer meets continued listing requirements. As a result, Nasdaq pursuant to its discretionary authority under Listing Rules 5101,1 and IM-5101-12 suspended trading of the Company’s securities on March 7, 2025. Following the suspension of trading on Nasdaq, the Company’s securities began trading on the OTC Markets as of March 14, 2025.

    On February 3, 2025, Global Star’s shareholders approved the previously announced business combination between Global Star and K Enter Holdings, Inc. (“K Enter”). Both Global Star and K Enter remain committed to consummating the business combination and plan to have the securities of the post-business combination entity, K Wave Media, Ltd., to be listed on The Nasdaq Stock Market.

    About Global Star Acquisition Inc.

    Global Star Acquisition Inc., a Delaware corporation, is a blank check company formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses.

    About K Enter Holdings Inc.

    K Enter Holdings Inc. is a Delaware corporation that operates an internal K drama production team and is the owner of the controlling equity interests in six diversified entertainment operating companies based in Korea, engaged in the entertainment content, IP creation, merchandising and entertainment investment businesses (the “Six Korean Entities”). The Six Korean Entities include Play Company Co., Ltd, a Korean IP merchandising company, and Solaire Partners Ltd., a Korean IP content-specialized private equity firm, Studio Anseilen Co., Ltd., a K drama production company, and The LAMP Co., Ltd., Bidangil Pictures Co., Ltd., and Apeitda Co., Ltd., each of which is a K movie production company.

    Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release is provided for informational purposes only and has been prepared to assist interested parties in making their own evaluation with respect to the Proposed Business Combination and for no other purpose. No representations or warranties, express or implied are given in, or in respect of, this press release. To the fullest extent permitted by law under no circumstances will Global Star, K Enter, or any of the Six Korean Entities, interest holders, affiliates, representatives, partners, directors, officers, employees, advisors or agents be responsible or liable for any direct, indirect or consequential loss or loss of profit arising from the use of this press release, its contents, its omissions, reliance on the information contained within it, or on opinions communicated in relation thereto or otherwise arising in connection therewith. Industry and market data used in this press release have been obtained from third-party industry publications and sources as well as from research reports prepared for other purposes. Neither Global Star nor K Enter has independently verified the data obtained from these sources and cannot assure you of the data’s accuracy or completeness. This data is subject to change. In addition, this press release does not purport to be all-inclusive or to contain all the information that may be required to make a full analysis of Global Star, K Enter or the Proposed Business Combination. Viewers of this press release should each make their own evaluation of Global Star and K Enter and of the relevance and adequacy of the information and should make such other investigations as they deem necessary. This press release contains certain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including statements regarding the benefits of the Proposed Business Combination, including K Enter’s ability to accelerate the development of its products and bring them to market, the anticipated timing for completion of the Proposed Business Combination, and Global Star’s and K Enter’s expectations, plans or forecasts of future events and views as of the date of this press release. Global Star and K Enter anticipate that subsequent events and developments will cause Global Star’s and K Enter’s assessments to change. These forward-looking statements, which may include, without limitation, words such as “expect,” “estimate,” “project,” “budget,” “forecast,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “may,” “will”, “could,” “should,” “believes,” “predicts,” “potential,” “might,” “continues,” “think,” “strategy,” “future,” and similar expressions, involve significant risks and uncertainties (most of which factors are outside of the control of Global Star or K Enter).

    In addition, this press release includes a summary set of risk factors that may have a material impact on Global Star, K Enter or the Proposed Business Combination, which are not intended to capture all the risks to which Global Star, K Enter or the Proposed Business Combination is subject or may be subject. Factors that may cause such differences include but are not limited to: (1) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that could give rise to the termination of the Merger Agreement; (2) the risk that the Proposed Business Combination may not be completed in a timely manner or at all, which may adversely affect the price of the securities; (3) the risk that the Proposed Business Combination may not be completed by Global Star’s business combination deadline; (4) the inability to complete the Proposed Business Combination, including but not limited to due to the failure to obtain approval of the stockholders of Global Star or K Enter for the Merger Agreement, to receive certain governmental, regulatory and third party approvals or to satisfy other conditions to closing in the Merger Agreement; (5) the failure to achieve the minimum amount of cash available following any redemptions by Global Star ‘s stockholders; (6) the inability to obtain or maintain the listing of Global Star’s common stock on Nasdaq following the Proposed Business Combination, including but not limited to redemptions exceeding anticipated levels or the failure to meet Nasdaq’s initial listing standards in connection with the consummation of the Proposed Business Combination; (7) the effect of the announcement or pendency of the Proposed Business Combination on K Enter’s business relationships, operating results, and business generally; (8) risks that the Proposed Business Combination disrupts current plans and operations of K Enter or the Six Korean Entities; (9) the inability to realize the anticipated benefits of the Proposed Business Combination and to realize estimated pro forma results and underlying assumptions, including but not limited to with respect to estimated stockholder redemptions and costs related to the Proposed Business Combination; (10) the possibility that Global Star or K Enter or the Six Korean Entities may be adversely affected by other economic or business factors; (11) changes in the markets in which K Enter and the Six Korean Entities compete, including but not limited to with respect to its competitive landscape, technology evolution, changes in entertainment choices or regulatory changes; (12) changes in domestic and global general economic conditions; (13) risk that K Enter may not be able to execute its growth strategies; (14) the risk that K Enter experiences difficulties in managing its growth and expanding operations after the Proposed Business Combination; (15) the risk that the parties will need to raise additional capital to execute the business plan, which may not be available on acceptable terms or at all; (16) the ability to recognize the anticipated benefits of the Proposed Business Combination to achieve its commercialization and development plans, and identify and realize additional opportunities, which may be affected by, among other things, competition, the ability of K Enter to grow and manage growth economically and hire and retain key employees; (17) risk that K Enter may not be able to develop and maintain effective internal controls; (18) the risk that K Enter may fail to keep pace with rapid technological developments or changes in entertainment tastes to provide new and innovative products and services, or may make substantial investments in unsuccessful new products and services; (19) the ability to develop, license or acquire new content, products and services; (20) the risk that K Enter is unable to secure or protect its intellectual property; (21) the risk of product liability or regulatory lawsuits or proceedings relating to K Enter’s business; (22) the risk of cyber security or foreign exchange losses; (23) changes in applicable laws or regulations; (24) the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against the parties related to the Merger Agreement or the Proposed Business Combination; (25) the impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic and response on any of the foregoing risks, including but not limited to supply chain disruptions; (26) the risk that K Enter fails to successfully and timely consummate its acquisition of one or more of the Six Korean Entities`; and (27) other risks and uncertainties identified in the registration statement on Form F-4, which included a proxy statement/prospectus filed in connection with the Proposed Business Combination (the “Registration Statement”), including those under “Risk Factors” therein, and in other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) made by Global Star. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties described in the “Risk Factors” section of Global Star’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and the Registration Statement filed with the SEC with respect to the Proposed Business Combination, and other documents filed by Global Star from time to time with the SEC. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive, are provided for illustrative purposes only, and are not intended to serve as, and must not be relied on as, a guarantee, an assurance, a prediction or a definitive statement of fact or probability. Actual events and circumstances are difficult or impossible to predict and will differ from assumptions. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. If any of these risks materialize or our assumptions prove incorrect, actual results could differ materially from the results implied by these forward-looking statements. There may be additional risks that neither Global Star nor K Enter presently know or that Global Star and K Enter currently believe are immaterial that could also cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Global Star and K Enter anticipate that subsequent events and developments will cause Global Star’s and K Enter’s assessments to change. However, while Global Star and K Enter may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, Global Star and K Enter specifically disclaim any obligation to do so. Neither Global Star nor K Enter gives any assurance that Global Star or K Enter, or the combined company, will achieve its expectations. Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed upon the forward-looking statements, and they should not be relied upon as representing Global Star’s and K Enter’s assessments as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.

    Contact

    Global Star Acquisition, Inc.
    Investor Contact
    MZ Group
    Shannon Devine/Rory Rumore
    +1 (203) 741-8811
    GLST@mzgroup.us

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Hallador Energy Company Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2024 Financial and Operating Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    – Q4 2024 Total Revenue of $94.2 Million; FY’24 Total Revenue of $404.4 Million –
    – Q4 2024 Operating Cash Flow up Materially to $32.5 Million; FY’24 Operating Cash Flow of $65.9 Million –
    – Q4 2024 Adjusted EBITDA up ~3x YoY to $6.2 Million; FY’24 Adjusted EBITDA of $16.8 Million –

    TERRE HAUTE, Ind., March 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Hallador Energy Company (Nasdaq: HNRG) (“Hallador” or the “Company”) today reported its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2024.

    “2024 was a transformative year for Hallador as we continued our evolution from a bituminous coal producer to a vertically integrated independent power producer (“IPP”), while also advancing our products and services up the energy value chain,” said Brent Bilsland, President and Chief Executive Officer. “This deliberate transition aligns with market trends and reflects our conviction in the superior economics of the IPP business model. In fall 2024, we reached an important milestone in our transformation by signing a non-binding term sheet with a leading global data center developer on a transaction that would, if completed, sell a majority of our power production and accredited capacity at enhanced margins for more than a decade to come. We are making meaningful progress toward finalizing definitive agreements for this transaction within the exclusivity period that runs from January through early June 2025, further strengthened by our partner’s commitment to pay up to $5 million during this period. While navigating these complex transactions requires coordination across multiple stakeholders and while there can be no assurance that definitive agreements will be entered into, we remain encouraged by our partner’s commitment and believe this strategic partnership will drive long-term value for our shareholders.”

    “The ongoing industry shift from dispatchable generators, such as coal and natural gas, to non-dispatchable resources like wind and solar, has increased the value of our Hallador Power subsidiary due to the enhanced reliability, resilience and consistency that we provide over the less predictable non-dispatchables. At the same time, the retirement of coal-based generation has reduced demand for coal supply, impacting the value of our Sunrise Coal subsidiary. In anticipation of these market dynamics, we proactively reduced production volume and shifted our focus away from the higher cost coal reserves, which lowered our operational cash costs in the fourth quarter. These strategic actions along with lower long-term coal price projections resulted in a fourth-quarter non-cash write-down of Sunrise Coal’s carrying value by approximately $215 million, which underscores the foresight of our transition to power generation in the coming years.”

    Bilsland continued, “Looking ahead, our focus remains on maximizing the value of our Merom Power Plant while actively pursuing opportunities to acquire additional dispatchable generators that can add durability, scale, and geographic expansion to our electric operations. Additionally, we are forging strong relationships with sophisticated counterparties to secure favorable collateral terms and effectively manage our forward power sales in 2025 and 2026, which we believe will enhance our financial flexibility in the short to medium term. During 2024, we also reduced our bank debt by more than 50% to $44 million at year-end. We are excited about our continued transformation from a commodity-focused coal producer to an IPP with a secure fuel supply, a strategy we believe will unlock expanding energy market margins, drive sustainable growth, and enhance cash flow generation for our shareholders.”

    Fourth Quarter 2024 Highlights

    • Hallador advanced its restructuring efforts for its subsidiary Sunrise Coal, focusing on production optimization and cost reductions to strengthen its operations.
      • During 2024, the Company reduced its coal production volume by approximately 40% and shifted its focus away from the higher cost portions of its coal reserves. This optimization of coal production reduced Hallador’s operational cash cost structure to better align its coal strategy to support its internal electric generation.
      • As a result of reducing coal production, optimizing its reserve base, and the declining price of contracted coal sales, Hallador realized an approximate $215 million non-cash write down in the fourth quarter associated with the carrying value of its Sunrise Coal subsidiary.
    • The Company continues to shift its revenue mix to prioritize electric sales as an independent power producer.
      • Fourth quarter electric sales were $69.7 million or 74% of total Q4 revenue, compared to $37.1 million or 31% of total Q4 revenue in the year-ago period.
      • Fourth quarter Coal sales were $23.4 million or 25% of total revenue, compared to $81.3 million or 68% of total revenue in the year-ago period.
    • Hallador continues to focus on forward sales to secure its energy position.
      • At year-end, Hallador had total forward energy, capacity and coal sales to 3rd party customers of $1.1 billion through 2029, up from $937.2 million at the end of the third quarter.
      • Subsequent to year end, Hallador signed an exclusive commitment agreement with a leading global data center developer, effective January 2, 2025. This agreement is in furtherance of the previously announced non-binding term sheet signed during the third quarter of 2024, reflecting an important milestone as both the Company and the developer seek to finalize a definitive transaction agreement to support the delivery of energy and capacity (through a utility partner) to a potential data center development within the State of Indiana. The completion of this proposed transaction is subject to, among other matters, the negotiation and execution of definitive agreements and there can be no assurance that definitive agreements will be entered into or that the proposed transaction will be consummated on the terms or timeframe currently contemplated, or at all.
    • The Company continues to strengthen its balance sheet.
      • Total bank debt was $44.0 million at December 31, 2024, compared to $70.0 million at September 30, 2024 and $91.5 million at December 31, 2023.
      • Total liquidity was $37.8 million at December 31, 2024 compared to $34.9 million at September 30, 2024 and $26.2 million at December 31, 2023.
     
    Financial Summary ($ in Millions and Unaudited)
                             
        Q1 2024   Q2 2024   Q3 2024   Q4 2024
    Electric Sales   $ 60.7     $ 59.4     $ 71.7     $ 69.7  
    Coal Sales– 3rd Party   $ 49.6     $ 32.8     $ 31.7     $ 23.3  
    Other Revenue   $ 1.3     $ 1.0     $ 1.4     $ 1.8  
    Total Operating Revenue   $ 111.6     $ 93.2     $ 104.8     $ 94.8  
    Net Income (Loss)   $ (1.7 )   $ (10.2 )   $ 1.6     $ (215.8 )
    Operating Cash Flow   $ 18.5     $ 26.1     $ (11.2 )   $ 32.5  
    Adjusted EBITDA*   $ 6.8     $ (5.8 )   $ 9.6     $ 6.2  

    _________________________________

    *   Non-GAAP financial measure, defined as operating cash flows less effects of certain subsidiary and equity method investment activity, plus bank interest, less effects of working capital period changes, plus other amortization

    Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered an alternative to net income, income from operations, cash flows from operating activities or any other measure of financial performance presented in accordance with GAAP. Our method of computing Adjusted EBITDA may not be the same method used to compute similar measures reported by other companies.

    Management believes the non-GAAP financial measure, Adjusted EBITDA, is an important measure in analyzing our liquidity and is a key component of certain material covenants contained within our Credit Agreement, specifically the minimum quarterly EBITDA. Noncompliance with the covenants could result in our lenders requiring the Company to immediately repay all amounts borrowed. If we cannot satisfy these financial covenants, we would be prohibited under our Credit Agreement from engaging in certain activities, such as incurring additional indebtedness, making certain payments, and acquiring and disposing of assets. Consequently, Adjusted EBITDA is critical to the assessment of our liquidity. The required amount of Adjusted EBITDA is a variable based on our debt outstanding and/or required debt payments at the time of the quarterly calculation based on a rolling prior 12-month period.

    Reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measure, Adjusted EBITDA, to Income (Loss) before Income taxes, the most comparable GAAP measure, is as follows (in thousands) for the twelve months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.

     
    Reconciliation of GAAP “Income (Loss) before Income Taxes” to non-GAAP “Adjusted EBITDA”
    (In $ Thousands and Unaudited)
                 
           Year Ended
           December 31, 
           2024       2023 
    NET INCOME (LOSS)   $ (226,138 )   $ 44,793  
    Interest expense     13,850       13,711  
    Income tax expense (benefit)     (9,404 )     4,465  
    Depreciation, depletion and amortization     65,626       67,211  
    EBITDA     (156,066 )     130,180  
    Other operating revenue     (275 )     10  
    Stock-based compensation     4,454       3,554  
    Asset impairment     215,136       —  
    Asset retirement obligations accretion     1,628       1,804  
    Other amortization     (46,310 )     (30,613 )
    (Gain) loss on disposal or abandonment of assets, net     (50 )     398  
    Loss on extinguishment of debt     2,790       1,491  
    Equity method investment (loss)     746       552  
    Settlement of litigation     2,750       —  
    Other reclassifications     (8,043 )     —  
    Adjusted EBITDA   $ 16,760     $ 107,376  
                     
     
    Solid Forward Sales Position – Segment Basis, Before Intercompany Eliminations (unaudited):
                                                     
        2025   2026   2027   2028   2029   Total
    Power                                                
    Energy                                                
    Contracted MWh (in millions)     4.25       3.36       1.78       1.09       0.27       10.75  
    Average contracted price per MWh   $ 37.24     $ 44.43     $ 54.66     $ 52.94     $ 51.33          
    Contracted revenue (in millions)   $ 158.27     $ 149.28     $ 97.29     $ 57.70     $ 13.86     $ 476.40  
                                                     
    Capacity                                                
    Average daily contracted capacity MWh     773       727       623       454       100          
    Average contracted capacity price per MWd   $ 201     $ 230     $ 226     $ 225     $ 230          
    Contracted capacity revenue (in millions)   $ 55.95     $ 61.12     $ 51.40     $ 37.33     $ 3.47     $ 209.27  
                                                     
    Total Energy & Capacity Revenue                                                
                                                     
    Contracted Power revenue (in millions)   $ 214.22     $ 210.40     $ 148.69     $ 95.03     $ 17.33     $ 685.67  
                                                     
    Coal                                                
    Priced tons – 3rd party (in millions)     2.95       2.50       2.50       0.50       —       8.45  
    Avg price per ton – 3rd party   $ 51.04     $ 55.49     $ 56.74     $ 59.00     $ —          
    Contracted coal revenue – 3rd party (in millions)   $ 150.57     $ 138.73     $ 141.85     $ 29.50     $ —     $ 460.65  
                                                     
    TOTAL CONTRACTED REVENUE (IN MILLIONS) – CONSOLIDATED   $ 364.79     $ 349.13     $ 290.54     $ 124.53     $ 17.33     $ 1,146.32  
                                                     
    Priced tons – Intercompany (in millions)     2.30       2.30       2.30       2.30       —       9.20  
    Avg price per ton – Intercompany   $ 51.00     $ 51.00     $ 51.00     $ 51.00     $ —          
    Contracted coal revenue – Intercompany (in millions)   $ 117.30     $ 117.30     $ 117.30     $ 117.30     $ —     $ 469.20  
                                                     
    TOTAL CONTRACTED REVENUE (IN MILLIONS) – SEGMENT   $ 482.09     $ 466.43     $ 407.84     $ 241.83     $ 17.33     $ 1,615.52  
                                                     

    Forward-Looking Statements
    This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act“), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act“). Statements that are not strictly historical statements constitute forward-looking statements and may often, but not always, be identified by the use of such words such as “expects,” “believes,” “intends,” “anticipates,” “plans,” “estimates,” “guidance,” “target,” “potential,” “possible,” or “probable” or statements that certain actions, events or results “may,” “will,” “should,” or “could” be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, those relating to our ability to execute definitive agreements with respect to the non-binding term sheet with a leading global data center developer.   Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and assumptions and analyses made by Hallador and its management in light of experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors appropriate under the circumstances that involve various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in the statements. These risks include, but are not limited to, those set forth in Hallador’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, and other Securities and Exchange Commission filings. Hallador undertakes no obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statements except as required by law.

    Conference Call and Webcast

    Hallador management will host a conference call on Monday, March 17, 2025 at 5:30 p.m. Eastern time to discuss its financial and operational results, followed by a question-and-answer period.

    Date: Monday, March 17, 2025
    Time: 5:30 p.m. Eastern time
    Dial-in registration link: here
    Live webcast registration link: here

    The conference call will also be broadcast live and available for replay in the investor relations section of the Company’s website at www.halladorenergy.com.

     
    Hallador Energy Company
    Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
    As of December 31,
    (in thousands)
    (unaudited)
                 
        2024   2023
    ASSETS            
    Current assets:            
    Cash and cash equivalents   $ 7,232     $ 2,842  
    Restricted cash     4,921       4,281  
    Accounts receivable     15,438       19,937  
    Inventory     36,685       23,075  
    Parts and supplies     39,104       38,877  
    Prepaid expenses     1,478       2,262  
    Assets held-for-sale     —       1,540  
    Total current assets     104,858       92,814  
    Property, plant and equipment:            
    Land and mineral rights     70,307       115,486  
    Buildings and equipment     429,857       537,131  
    Mine development     92,458       158,642  
    Finance lease right-of-use assets     13,034       12,346  
    Total property, plant and equipment     605,656       823,605  
    Less – accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization     (347,952 )     (334,971 )
    Total property, plant and equipment, net     257,704       488,634  
    Equity method investments     2,607       2,811  
    Other assets     3,951       5,521  
    Total assets   $ 369,120     $ 589,780  
                 
    LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY            
    Current liabilities:            
    Current portion of bank debt, net   $ 4,095     $ 24,438  
    Accounts payable and accrued liabilities     44,298       62,908  
    Current portion of lease financing     6,912       3,933  
    Contract liabilities – current     97,598       66,316  
    Total current liabilities     152,903       157,595  
    Long-term liabilities:            
    Bank debt, net     37,394       63,453  
    Convertible notes payable     —       10,000  
    Convertible notes payable – related party     —       9,000  
    Long-term lease financing     8,749       8,157  
    Deferred income taxes     —       9,235  
    Asset retirement obligations     14,957       14,538  
    Contract liabilities – long-term     49,121       47,425  
    Other     1,711       1,789  
    Total long-term liabilities     111,932       163,597  
    Total liabilities     264,835       321,192  
    Commitments and contingencies (Note 22)            
    Stockholders’ equity:            
    Preferred stock, $.10 par value, 10,000 shares authorized; none issued     —       —  
    Common stock, $.01 par value, 100,000 shares authorized; 42,621 and 34,052 issued and outstanding, as of December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively     426       341  
    Additional paid-in capital     189,298       127,548  
    Retained earnings (deficit)     (85,439 )     140,699  
    Total stockholders’ equity     104,285       268,588  
    Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity   $ 369,120     $ 589,780  
                     
     
    Hallador Energy Company
    Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations
    For the years ended December 31,
    (in thousands, except per share data)
    (unaudited)
                 
        2024   2023
    SALES AND OPERATING REVENUES:            
    Electric sales   $ 261,527     $ 267,927  
    Coal sales     137,448       361,926  
    Other revenues     5,419       5,025  
    Total sales and operating revenues     404,394       634,878  
    EXPENSES:            
    Fuel     49,343       103,388  
    Other operating and maintenance costs     118,364       199,855  
    Cost of purchased power     10,888       —  
    Utilities     15,914       17,730  
    Labor     116,164       152,417  
    Depreciation, depletion and amortization     65,626       67,211  
    Asset retirement obligations accretion     1,628       1,804  
    Exploration costs     260       904  
    General and administrative     26,527       26,159  
    Asset impairment     215,136       —  
    (Gain) loss on disposal or abandonment of assets, net     (50 )     398  
    Settlement of litigation     2,750       —  
    Total operating expenses     622,550       569,866  
                 
    INCOME (LOSS) FROM OPERATIONS     (218,156 )     65,012  
                 
    Interest expense (1)     (13,850 )     (13,711 )
    Loss on extinguishment of debt     (2,790 )     (1,491 )
    Equity method investment (loss)     (746 )     (552 )
    NET INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE INCOME TAXES     (235,542 )     49,258  
                 
    INCOME TAX EXPENSE (BENEFIT):            
    Current     (169 )     (164 )
    Deferred     (9,235 )     4,629  
    Total income tax expense (benefit)     (9,404 )     4,465  
                 
    NET INCOME (LOSS)   $ (226,138 )   $ 44,793  
                 
    NET INCOME (LOSS) PER SHARE:            
    Basic   $ (5.72 )   $ 1.35  
    Diluted   $ (5.72 )   $ 1.25  
                 
    WEIGHTED AVERAGE SHARES OUTSTANDING            
    Basic     39,504       33,133  
    Diluted     39,504       36,827  
                     
     
    Hallador Energy Company
    Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
    For the years ended December 31,
    (in thousands)
    (unaudited)
                 
        2024   2023
    CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:            
    Net income (loss)   $ (226,138 )   $ 44,793  
    Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:            
    Deferred income tax (benefit)     (9,235 )     4,629  
    Equity method investment (loss)     746       552  
    Cash distribution – equity method investment     —       625  
    Depreciation, depletion and amortization     65,626       67,211  
    Asset impairment     215,136       —  
    Loss on extinguishment of debt     2,790       1,491  
    (Gain) loss on disposal or abandonment of assets, net     (50 )     398  
    Amortization of debt issuance costs     1,747       3,233  
    Asset retirement obligations accretion     1,628       1,804  
    Cash paid on asset retirement obligation reclamation     (1,407 )     (3,384 )
    Stock-based compensation     4,454       3,554  
    Amortization of contract asset and contract liabilities     (70,203 )     (97,018 )
    Director fees paid in stock     150       —  
    Change in current assets and liabilities:            
    Accounts receivable     4,499       9,952  
    Inventory     (13,610 )     15,548  
    Parts and supplies     (227 )     (10,582 )
    Prepaid expenses     784       1,186  
    Accounts payable and accrued liabilities     (14,580 )     (18,992 )
    Contract liabilities     103,181       33,804  
    Other     643       610  
    Net cash provided by operating activities   $ 65,934     $ 59,414  
                     
     
    Hallador Energy Company
    Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
    For the years ended December 31,
    (in thousands)
    (continued)
    (unaudited)
                 
        2024   2023
    CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:            
    Capital expenditures   $ (53,367 )   $ (75,352 )
    Proceeds from sale of equipment     4,239       62  
    Proceeds from held-for-sale assets     3,200       —  
    Investment in equity method investments     (542 )     —  
    Net cash used in investing activities     (46,470 )     (75,290 )
                 
    CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:            
    Payments on bank debt     (147,000 )     (59,713 )
    Borrowings of bank debt     99,500       66,000  
    Payments on lease financing     (5,633 )     —  
    Proceeds from sale and leaseback arrangement     5,134       11,082  
    Issuance of related party notes payable     5,000       —  
    Payments on related party notes payable     (5,000 )     —  
    Debt issuance costs     (673 )     (6,013 )
    ATM offering     34,515       7,318  
    Taxes paid on vesting of RSUs     (277 )     (2,101 )
    Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities     (14,434 )     16,573  
    Increase in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash     5,030       697  
    Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash, beginning of year     7,123       6,426  
    Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash, end of year   $ 12,153     $ 7,123  
                 
    CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS, AND RESTRICTED CASH:            
    Cash and cash equivalents   $ 7,232     $ 2,842  
    Restricted cash     4,921       4,281  
        $ 12,153     $ 7,123  
                 
    SUPPLEMENTAL CASH FLOW INFORMATION:            
    Cash paid for interest   $ 10,511     $ 9,966  
                 
    SUPPLEMENTAL NON-CASH FLOW INFORMATION:            
    Change in capital expenditures included in accounts payable and prepaid expense   $ 356     $ 1,882  
                     

    About Hallador Energy Company

    Hallador Energy Company (Nasdaq: HNRG) is a vertically-integrated Independent Power Producer (IPP) based in Terre Haute, Indiana. The Company has two core businesses: Hallador Power Company, LLC, which produces electricity and capacity at its one Gigawatt (GW) Merom Generating Station, and Sunrise Coal, LLC, which produces and supplies fuel to the Merom Generating Station and other companies. To learn more about Hallador, visit the Company’s website at http://www.halladorenergy.com/.

    Company Contact

    Marjorie Hargrave
    Chief Financial Officer
    (303) 917-0777
    MHargrave@halladorenergy.com

    Investor Relations Contact

    Sean Mansouri, CFA
    Elevate IR
    (720) 330-2829
    HNRG@elevate-ir.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: CCI approves the acquisition of certain additional shareholding in Tata Play Limited (Tata Play) by Tata Sons Private Limited (Tata Sons) from Baytree Investments (Mauritius) Pte Ltd.

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 17 MAR 2025 8:32PM by PIB Delhi

    The Competition Commission of India has approved the acquisition of certain additional shareholding in Tata Play Limited (Tata Play) by Tata Sons Private Limited (Tata Sons) from Baytree Investments (Mauritius) Pte Ltd.

    The Proposed Combination involves the acquisition of 10% shareholding in Tata Play by Tata Sons.

    Tata Sons is an investment holding company, which is registered as a core investment company with the Reserve Bank of India and classified as a “Systemically Important Non-Deposit Taking Core Investment Company”.

    Tata Play, formerly known as Tata Sky, is one of India’s leading content distribution platforms providing Pay TV and Over-the-top (OTT) services. It provides Direct-to-Home (DTH) television, offering broadcaster’s satellite television channels and platform services across genres and languages. Tata Play also provides Tata Play Binge, an OTT platform that brings diverse and popular OTT apps on a single user interface.

    Detailed order of the Commission will follow.

    *****

    NB/AD

     

    (Release ID: 2112017) Visitor Counter : 35

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Indian Railways’ financial condition is good, providing more subsidy to passengers: Union Railway Minister

    Source: Government of India

    Indian Railways’ financial condition is good, providing more subsidy to passengers: Union Railway Minister

    The cost of travel per kilometer by train is ₹1.38, but passengers are charged only 73 paise.

    This year, 1,400 locomotives have been produced, which is more than the combined production of America and Europe.

    By March 31, Indian Railways, with 1.6 billion tons of cargo carriage, will be among the world’s top 3 countries.

    Important steps have been taken to prevent incidents like the New Delhi Railway Station accident in the future: Union Railway Minister

    Posted On: 17 MAR 2025 8:28PM by PIB Delhi

    Union Minister of Railways, Information & Broadcasting, and Electronics & Information Technology, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, today, during the discussion on the working of the Ministry of Railways in the Rajya Sabha, highlighted the achievements of Indian Railways and its future plans. He said that Indian Railways is not only providing safe and quality services to passengers at affordable fares but is also making a distinct identity at the global level. He also mentioned that in India, railway fares are lower compared to neighboring countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, whereas in Western countries, they are 10 to 20 times higher than in India.

    Regarding the subsidy being given to rail passengers, the Railway Minister said that currently, the cost of travel per kilometer by train is ₹1.38, but passengers are charged only 73 paise, meaning 47% subsidy is provided. In the financial year 2022-23, passengers were given a subsidy of ₹57,000 crore, which increased to approximately ₹60,000 crore in 2023-24 (provisional figure). Our goal is to provide safe and better services at minimal fares.

    Highlighting the benefits of railway electrification, the Union Minister said that despite the increasing number of passengers and freight transport, energy costs have remained stable. Indian Railways is working on the target of achieving ‘Scope 1 Net Zero’ by 2025 and ‘Scope 2 Net Zero’ by 2030. He informed that the export of locomotives manufactured at the Madhepura factory in Bihar will soon begin. Currently, Indian Railways’ passenger coaches are being exported to Mozambique, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, while locomotives are being sent to Mozambique, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Bangladesh. Apart from this, bogie underframes are being exported to the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, France, and Australia, while propulsion parts are being sent to France, Mexico, Germany, Spain, Romania, and Italy.

    This year, 1,400 locomotives have been produced in India, which is more than the combined production of America and Europe. Along with this, 2 lakh new wagons have been added to the fleet. The Minister stated that in the financial year ending March 31, Indian Railways will transport 1.6 billion tons of cargo, making India one of the top three countries in the world, including China and America. This reflects the increasing capacity of the railway and its significant role in the logistics sector.

    Talking about railway safety, Union Minister Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw said that 41,000 LHB coaches have been prepared, and all ICF coaches will be converted into LHB coaches. Long rails, electronic interlocking, fog safety devices, and the ‘Kavach’ system are being implemented rapidly. Thanking Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, Shri Vaishnaw stated that earlier, the railway used to receive ₹25,000 crore in support, which has now increased to more than ₹2.5 lakh crore, leading to significant infrastructure improvements. Meanwhile, 50 Namo Bharat trains are being manufactured, offering both AC and non-AC options for short-distance travel.

    Regarding the recent accident at New Delhi Railway Station, the Union Railway Minister informed the House that a high-level committee is investigating this tragic incident. CCTV footage and all data have been secured, and facts are being examined by talking to about 300 people. Important steps have been taken to prevent such incidents in the future.

    The Minister said that our government is committed to the poorest of the poor. That is why the number of general coaches is being increased by 2.5 times compared to AC coaches. According to the current production plan, there is a program for the manufacturing of 17,000 non-AC coaches. Along with this, he stated that the financial condition of Indian Railways is good, and continuous efforts for improvement are ongoing. The railway has successfully overcome the challenges related to the COVID pandemic. The number of passengers is increasing, and freight transport is also rising. Now, railway revenue is about ₹2.78 lakh crore, and expenses are ₹2.75 lakh crore. Indian Railways is covering all major expenses from its own income, which has been made possible due to the better performance of the railway.

    In his concluding remarks in the Rajya Sabha, Shri Vaishnaw assured that the railway would emerge as a more modern, safe, and environmentally friendly transportation system in the future.

    ****

    Dharamendra Tewari/Shatrunjay Kumar

    (Release ID: 2112013) Visitor Counter : 60

    Read this release in: Hindi

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Researchers created sound that can bend itself through space, reaching only your ear in a crowd

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Jiaxin Zhong, Postdoctoral Researcher in Acoustics, Penn State

    For your ears only. Cinefootage Visuals/iStock via Getty Images Plus

    What if you could listen to music or a podcast without headphones or earbuds and without disturbing anyone around you? Or have a private conversation in public without other people hearing you?

    Our newly published research introduces a way to create audible enclaves – localized pockets of sound that are isolated from their surroundings. In other words, we’ve developed a technology that could create sound exactly where it needs to be.

    The ability to send sound that becomes audible only at a specific location could transform entertainment, communication and spatial audio experiences.

    What is sound?

    Sound is a vibration that travels through air as a wave. These waves are created when an object moves back and forth, compressing and decompressing air molecules.

    The frequency of these vibrations is what determines pitch. Low frequencies correspond to deep sounds, like a bass drum; high frequencies correspond to sharp sounds, like a whistle.

    Sound is composed of particles moving in a continuous wave.
    Daniel A. Russell, CC BY-NC-ND

    Controlling where sound goes is difficult because of a phenomenon called diffraction – the tendency of sound waves to spread out as they travel. This effect is particularly strong for low-frequency sounds because of their longer wavelengths, making it nearly impossible to keep sound confined to a specific area.

    Certain audio technologies, such as parametric array loudspeakers, can create focused sound beams aimed in a specific direction. However, these technologies will still emit sound that is audible along its entire path as it travels through space.

    The science of audible enclaves

    We found a new way to send sound to one specific listener: through self-bending ultrasound beams and a concept called nonlinear acoustics.

    Ultrasound refers to sound waves with frequencies above the human hearing range, or above 20 kHz. These waves travel through the air like normal sound waves but are inaudible to people. Because ultrasound can penetrate through many materials and interact with objects in unique ways, it’s widely used for medical imaging and many industrial applications.

    In our work, we used ultrasound as a carrier for audible sound. It can transport sound through space silently – becoming audible only when desired. How did we do this?

    Normally, sound waves combine linearly, meaning they just proportionally add up into a bigger wave. However, when sound waves are intense enough, they can interact nonlinearly, generating new frequencies that were not present before.

    This is the key to our technique: We use two ultrasound beams at different frequencies that are completely silent on their own. But when they intersect in space, nonlinear effects cause them to generate a new sound wave at an audible frequency that would be heard only in that specific region.

    Audible enclaves are created at the intersection of two ultrasound beams.
    Jiaxin Zhong et al./PNAS, CC BY-NC-ND

    Crucially, we designed ultrasonic beams that can bend on their own. Normally, sound waves travel in straight lines unless something blocks or reflects them. However, by using acoustic metasurfaces – specialized materials that manipulate sound waves – we can shape ultrasound beams to bend as they travel. Similar to how an optical lens bends light, acoustic metasurfaces change the shape of the path of sound waves. By precisely controlling the phase of the ultrasound waves, we create curved sound paths that can navigate around obstacles and meet at a specific target location.

    The key phenomenon at play is what’s called difference frequency generation. When two ultrasonic beams of slightly different frequencies, such as 40 kHz and 39.5 kHz, overlap, they create a new sound wave at the difference between their frequencies – in this case 0.5 kHz, or 500 Hz, which is well within the human hearing range. Sound can be heard only where the beams cross. Outside of that intersection, the ultrasound waves remain silent.

    This means you can deliver audio to a specific location or person without disturbing other people as the sound travels.

    Advancing sound control

    The ability to create audio enclaves has many potential applications.

    Audio enclaves could enable personalized audio in public spaces. For example, museums could provide different audio guides to visitors without headphones, and libraries could allow students to study with audio lessons without disturbing others.

    In a car, passengers could listen to music without distracting the driver from hearing navigation instructions. Offices and military settings could also benefit from localized speech zones for confidential conversations. Audio enclaves could also be adapted to cancel out noise in designated areas, creating quiet zones to improve focus in workplaces or reduce noise pollution in cities.

    A sound only you can hear.
    Daly and Newton/The Image Bank via Getty Images

    This isn’t something that’s going to be on the shelf in the immediate future. For instance, challenges remain for our technology. Nonlinear distortion can affect sound quality. And power efficiency is another issue – converting ultrasound to audible sound requires high-intensity fields that can be energy intensive to generate.

    Despite these hurdles, audio enclaves present a fundamental shift in sound control. By redefining how sound interacts with space, we open up new possibilities for immersive, efficient and personalized audio experiences.

    Yun Jing receives funding from NSF.

    Jiaxin Zhong 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. Researchers created sound that can bend itself through space, reaching only your ear in a crowd – https://theconversation.com/researchers-created-sound-that-can-bend-itself-through-space-reaching-only-your-ear-in-a-crowd-252266

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: BBC Gaza documentary: how an editorial blame game overshadowed an important film and destroyed trust

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Dorothy Byrne, President of Murray Edwards College, University of Cambridge

    The war in Gaza has been a notoriously controversial and difficult story to cover as a journalist. The Israeli government banned international journalists from the territory. At least 171 journalists and media workers in Gaza, Lebanon and the West Bank have been killed since the war began.

    The BBC has faced relentless accusations of bias from all sides. You would think, then, that when it commissioned the film Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone, billed as a “vivid and unflinching view of life” in Gaza seen through the eyes of children, it would have been meticulous in its commissioning and oversight.

    Yet almost as soon as the programme was broadcast on February 17, a journalist outside the BBC revealed that one of the children featured in the film, 13-year-old Abdullah, who also acted as its narrator, was the son of a Hamas official. His father, Ayman Al-Yazouri, is a deputy minister of agriculture and therefore, as Hamas runs the government of Gaza, a Hamas official.

    No major investigation was required to find out who this man was – an expert on wastewater treatment, in particular on the removal of heavy metals from industrial wastewater, who received degrees from UK universities. No evidence has emerged that he is linked to Hamas’s militant operations. But getting someone with any link to what is classified as a terrorist organisation by western governments to narrate the film was inevitably going to be criticised – especially because the link wasn’t explained to viewers.

    The BBC pulled the film four days after its premiere and said it would investigate the matter. Where it really went wrong was that, for 12 days, the BBC tried to pin the blame elsewhere. It dumped on the production company, Hoyo Films, stating: “The production team had full editorial control of filming with Abdullah.” T

    I argue this is a weak defence. A broadcaster can’t blame someone else when a mistake appears in a film.

    Under Ofcom regulations, the broadcaster has full editorial responsibility, regardless of whether a freelance or independent crew carried out filming. Any mistake is the BBC’s mistake.

    I was head of news and current affairs at Channel 4 for 17 years. We sometimes made mistakes. It happens. But the key is not to make things worse by trying to wriggle out of blame.

    As it happens, Channel 4 also featured this child in some of its news coverage without initially disclosing his father’s role. “As international media access is restricted, Abdullah was sourced through an established journalist who has also worked for other major global media outlets,” Channel 4 News said in a statement.

    Ofcom regulations

    The BBC’s second excuse was even weaker. It said that filmmakers were asked in writing a number of times whether this child had any connection with Hamas.

    Here is a journalistic tip for the BBC’s news bosses: if you ask someone a question and they don’t answer, you don’t just keep asking. You demand answers or you go and get the answer yourself. As a former news boss myself, I would have demanded to see the boy’s entire family tree.

    Finally, after 12 days, the BBC took responsibility and issued an apology.
    BBC chair Samir Shah told MPs that people “weren’t doing their job” when it came to oversight of the production. Shah described it as “a dagger to the heart of the BBC claim to be impartial and to be trustworthy”.

    A child of 13 should arguably not have narrated the film at all. He was not narrating his own words but a script written by the programme makers, which included facts about the history and geopolitics of Gaza. I would point the BBC to Ofcom guidance that children under 16 should not be asked for views on matters likely to be beyond their capacity to answer properly without the consent of a responsible adult.

    On a subject like this, I would not have had a child narrate a film – especially not when one of the responsible adults in his life was a Hamas official.

    This was a powerful and beautifully shot film. It’s hard to see how any of its content could be described as pro-Hamas propaganda. The strongest moment was when a child said he hated Hamas because they had caused the war and all the misery being suffered now. But it’s almost certainly politically impossible for an amended version of the documentary to now be shown, which is a great loss.

    This debacle even resulted in a bizarre decision by the Royal Television Society to drop an award recognising the brave and brilliant work of journalists in Gaza (it has since reversed this after backlash from journalists). We have relied on journalists in Gaza to show us what is happening.

    They have continued filming when their own families have been killed. Their reports have been powerful and moving and true. Why should they be punished for a BBC cock-up?

    Falling trust

    I have never worked for the BBC, but I have always admired it for two things. First, for the brilliance of its journalists. Second, for its ability to turn a mistake into a PR catastrophe.

    The film contained editorial errors, but in my view the outrage built over days, resulting in calls not just for a public inquiry, but even a police inquiry, because the BBC wouldn’t take the rap. My journalistic heart went out to the great people who work at the BBC.

    This ghastly incident sits alongside other (quite different) recent scandals about the BBC: the bad behaviour (whether alleged or proven) of powerful presenters and figures Huw Edwards, Russell Brand, Tim Westwood and Gregg Wallace. In each case, it turned out that BBC bigwigs had received complaints over long periods of time before the stories went public.

    For many reasons beyond the BBC’s control, trust in the broadcaster is falling. It is constantly being attacked by the right-wing press, and undermined by conspiracy theorists who say you can’t trust the so-called mainstream media and that there is no such thing as truth.

    In a 2023 YouGov survey on trust in media, only 44% of Britons said they trust BBC journalists to tell the truth. That was nearly half the level of trust in the BBC 20 years earlier, yet it still made the BBC the most trusted media outlet in the UK. Other surveys by Ofcom of people who actually watch TV news put trust in its accuracy much higher – something like 70%.

    There is a general fall in trust in all institutions in the UK. The politicians and tabloids who attack the BBC are trusted far less than BBC journalists. But their unfair assaults make it all the more essential that the BBC avoids errors like this, and is transparent when those errors are revealed.

    Dorothy Byrne was formerly Head of News and Current Affairs at Channel Four, and Editor at Large at Channel Four.

    – ref. BBC Gaza documentary: how an editorial blame game overshadowed an important film and destroyed trust – https://theconversation.com/bbc-gaza-documentary-how-an-editorial-blame-game-overshadowed-an-important-film-and-destroyed-trust-251760

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Hochul Marches in NYC St. Patrick’s Parade

    Source: US State of New York

    arlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul marched in New York City’s St. Patrick’s Day parade.

    B-ROLL of the Governor during the parade can be found on YouTube here and in TV quality (h.264, mp4) format

    VIDEO: The event is available to stream on YouTube here and TV quality video is available here (h.264, mp4).

    AUDIO: The Governor’s remarks are available in audio form here.

    PHOTOS: The Governor’s Flickr page will post photos of the event here.

    A rush transcript of the Governor’s remarks is available below:

    Top of the morning to you. Kathleen Mary Courtney Hochul from County Kerry. Very proud to be the first Irish Governor in over 40 years. It’s a great tradition. The Irish are known to be fighters. It suits me well in this job. It’s a strength I draw upon all the time. My Irish ancestors were potato farmers and fishermen who struggled greatly. And I live the American dream because my Irish immigrant grandparents came to this country as teenagers. My grandfather found work as a migrant farm worker in South Dakota, in the wheat fields.

    They became domestic servants. He later found a way to a place called Buffalo where grandpa could work at the steel plant. As a result, two generations later we have an individual, their granddaughter, who was able to rise up to the highest position as the first female governor. I’m humbled by that story. That is the story of so many New Yorkers, and that is why we welcome our immigrant community with pride and say, “You’re part of the family.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Bitget Wallet Expands Multi-Chain MEV Protection for Safer Transactions and Stable Pricing

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador, March 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitget Wallet, a leading Web3 non-custodial wallet, has upgraded its multi-chain MEV Protection, now enabled by default across Solana, BNB Chain, Ethereum, Base, Polygon, Arbitrum, and other mainstream blockchains. This enhancement safeguards users from transaction manipulation, including front-running, sandwich attacks, and excessive gas fees, ensuring a more secure and equitable trading experience.

    Integrated directly into Bitget Wallet’s Swap feature, MEV Protection requires no additional setup, allowing users to trade seamlessly with built-in security. Users can confirm that MEV Protection is active by checking for the “MEV” logo on the Swap page or within the transaction signature page. With this upgrade, every transaction executed through Bitget Wallet benefits from automated safeguards, reducing the risk of exploitative tactics used by MEV bots.

    Bitget Wallet’s enhanced MEV Protection introduces several advanced mechanisms to prevent unfair trading practices. MEV bots frequently manipulate liquidity pool prices, creating toxic spreads that impact trade execution. Bitget Wallet’s system blocks these false price fluctuations, ensuring users receive fair market prices. Additionally, gas price manipulation is a common MEV tactic, where bots inflate gas fees during high-demand trades. By intelligently predicting reasonable gas ranges and preventing artificial bidding wars, Bitget Wallet helps users avoid excessive transaction costs while ensuring trade stability.

    Looking ahead, Bitget Wallet plans to further enhance its security features and expand its services to support more blockchain networks. Alvin Kan, COO of Bitget Wallet, stated, “As MEV threats evolve, strengthening protection mechanisms remains essential for ensuring a stable and reliable trading environment. By continuously improving our platform, we aim to contribute to a more transparent and efficient DeFi ecosystem.”

    MEV has become a growing challenge in DeFi, as validators and bots exploit transaction ordering for profit at the expense of regular traders. Recently, users have reported major losses due to unchecked MEV manipulation, underscoring the urgency for effective countermeasures. These tactics not only distort market fairness but also contribute to failed transactions and increased costs. With the latest MEV Protection upgrade, Bitget Wallet aims to eliminate these vulnerabilities and create a more equitable trading ecosystem.

    For more details, please visit Bitget Wallet blog.

    About Bitget Wallet
    Bitget Wallet is the home of Web3, uniting endless possibilities in one non-custodial wallet. With over 60 million users, it offers comprehensive onchain services, including asset management, instant swaps, rewards, staking, trading tools, live market data, a DApp browser, an NFT marketplace and crypto payment. Supporting over 100 blockchains, 20,000+ DApps, and 500,000+ tokens, Bitget Wallet enables seamless multi-chain trading across hundreds of DEXs and cross-chain bridges, along with a $300+ million protection fund to ensure safety of users’ assets. Experience Bitget Wallet Lite to start a Web3 journey.
    For more information, visit: X | Telegram | Instagram | YouTube | LinkedIn | TikTok | Discord | Facebook
    For media inquiries, please contact media.web3@bitget.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/bce84f28-d7c0-415e-829e-6d6c52890df7

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Streaming, surveillance and the power of suggestion: the hidden cost of 10 years of Netflix

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marc C-Scott, Associate Professor of Screen Media | Deputy Associate Dean of Learning & Teaching, Victoria University

    Shutterstock

    This month marks a decade since Netflix – the world’s most influential and widely subscribed streaming service – launched in Australia.

    Since then the media landscape has undergone significant transformation, particularly in terms of how we consume content. According to a 2024 Deloitte report, Australians aged 16–38 spent twice as much time watching subscription streaming services as free-to-air TV (both live and on-demand).

    Part of the success of streaming services lies in their ability to provide content that feels handpicked. And this is made possible through the use of sophisticated recommender systems fuelled by vast amounts of user data.

    As streaming viewership continues to rise, so too do the risks associated with how these platforms collect and handle user data.

    Changing methods of data collection

    Subscription streaming platforms aren’t the first to collect user data. They just do it differently.

    Broadcasters have always been invested in collecting viewers’ information (via TV ratings) to inform promotional schedules and attract potential advertisers. These data are publicly available.

    In Australia, TV data are collected anonymously via the OzTam TV ratings system, based on the viewing habits of more than 12,000 individuals.

    Each television in a recruited household is connected to a metering box. Members of the household select a letter that corresponds to them, after which the box records their viewing data, including the program, channel and viewing time. But this system doesn’t include broadcasters’ video-on-demand services, which have been around since the late 2000s (with ABC iView being the first).

    In 2016 a new system was launched to measure broadcast video-on-demand data separately from OzTam ratings.

    However, it collected data in a rolling seven-day report, in the form of total minutes a particular program had been watched online (rather than the number of individuals watching, as was the measurement for TV). This meant the two data sources couldn’t be combined.

    In 2018, OzTAM and Nielsen announced the Virtual Australia (VoZ) database which would integrate both broadcast TV and video-on-demand data. It took six years following the announcement for the VoZ system to become the industry’s official trading currency.

    Streamers’ approach

    Streaming platforms such as Netflix have a markedly different approach to acquiring data, as they can source it directly from users. These data are therefore much more granular, larger in volume, and far less publicly accessible due to commercial confidence.

    In recent years, Netflix has shared some of its viewing data through a half-yearly report titled What We Watched. It offers macro-level details such as total hours watched that year, as well as information about specific content, including how many times a particular show was viewed.

    Netflix also supplies information to its shareholders, although much of this focuses on subscriber numbers rather than specific user details.

    The best publicly accessible Netflix data we have is presented on its Tudum website, which includes global Top 10 lists that can be filtered by country.

    The main data Netflix doesn’t share are related to viewer demographics: who is watching what programs.

    Why does it matter?

    Ratings and user data offer valuable insights to both broadcasters and streaming services, and can influence decisions regarding what content is produced.

    User data would presumably have been a significant factor in Netflix‘s decision to move into live content such as stand-up comedy, the US National Football League (NFL) and an exclusive US$5 billion deal with World Wrestling Entertainment.

    Streaming companies also use personal data to provide users with targeted viewing suggestions, with an aim to reduce the time users spend browsing catalogues.

    Netflix has an entire research department dedicated to enhancing user experience. According to Justin Basilico, Netflix’s Director of Machine Learning and Recommender Systems, more than 80% of what Netflix users watch is driven by its recommender system.

    As noted in its privacy statement, Netflix draws on a range of information to provide recommendations, including:

    • the user’s interactions with the service, such as their viewing history and title ratings
    • other users with similar tastes and preferences
    • information about the titles, such as genre, categories, actors and release year
    • the time of day the user is watching
    • the language/s the user prefers
    • the device/s they are watching on
    • how long they watch a particular Netflix title.

    If a user isn’t happy with their recommendations, they can try to change them by editing their viewing and ratings history.

    Personalised or predetermined?

    The rise of streaming hasn’t only transformed how we watch TV, but also how our viewing habits are tracked and how this information informs future decisions.

    While traditional broadcasters have long relied on sample anonymised data to measure engagement, streaming platforms operate in a landscape in which detailed user data can be used to shape content, recommendations and business decisions.

    While personalisation makes streaming more appealing, it also raises important questions about privacy, transparency and control. How much do streaming platforms really know about us? And are they catering to our preferences – or shaping them?

    Marc C-Scott 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. Streaming, surveillance and the power of suggestion: the hidden cost of 10 years of Netflix – https://theconversation.com/streaming-surveillance-and-the-power-of-suggestion-the-hidden-cost-of-10-years-of-netflix-244921

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: I’m avoiding a hearing test because I don’t want chunky hearing aids. What are my options?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katie Ekberg, Senior Lecturer, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University

    Ksenia Shestakova/Shutterstock

    One in six Australians have hearing loss and, for most adults, hearing starts to decline from middle age onwards.

    Many of us, however, hesitate to seek help or testing for our hearing. Perhaps you’re afraid you’ll be told to wear hearing aids, and envision the large and bulky hearing aids you might have seen on your grandparents decades ago.

    In fact, hearing aids have changed a lot since then. They’re often now very small; some are barely noticeable. And hearing aids aren’t the only option available for people experiencing hearing loss.

    The earlier you do something about your hearing, the greater the likelihood that you can prevent further hearing decline.
    PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock

    Why you shouldn’t ignore hearing loss

    Acquired hearing loss can have a serious impact on our life. It is associated with or can contribute to:

    • social isolation
    • loneliness
    • not being able to work as much, or at all
    • memory problems
    • trouble thinking clearly
    • conditions such as dementia.

    Hearing loss has also been associated with depression, anxiety and stress. A systematic review and meta-analysis found adults with hearing loss are 1.5 times more likely to experience depression than those without hearing loss.

    A large population study in the US found self-reported hearing loss was associated with:

    • higher levels of psychological distress
    • increased use of antidepressant and anti-anxiety medications, and
    • greater utilisation of mental health services.

    The good news is that doing something about your hearing loss can help you live a happier and longer life.

    So why don’t people get their hearing checked?

    Research has found adults with hearing loss typically wait ten years to seek help for their hearing.

    Less than a quarter of those who need hearing aids actually go ahead with them.

    Hearing declines slowly, so people may perceive their hearing difficulties aren’t concerning. They may feel they’re now used to not being able to hear properly, without fully appreciating the impact it’s having on their life.

    Some people harbour negative attitudes to hearing aids or don’t think they’ll actually help.

    Others may have overheard their partner, family or friends say negative things or make jokes about hearing aids, which can put people off getting their hearing checked.

    Stigma can play a big part.

    People often associate hearing loss with negative stereotypes such as ageing, weakness and “being different”.

    Our recent research found that around one in four people never tell anyone about their hearing loss because of experiences of stigma.

    Adults with hearing loss who experience stigma and choose not to disclose their hearing loss were also likely not to go ahead with hearing aids, we found.

    Modern hearing aids may be a lot smaller than you realise.
    Daisy Daisy/Shutterstock

    What are my options for helping my hearing?

    The first step in helping your hearing is to have a hearing check with a hearing care professional such as an an audiologist. You can also speak to your GP.

    If you’ve got hearing loss, hearing aids aren’t the only option.

    Others include:

    • other assistive listening devices (such as amplified phones, personal amplifiers and TV headphones)
    • doing a short course or program (such as the Active Communication Education program developed via University of Queensland researchers) aimed at giving you strategies to manage your hearing, for instance, in noisy environments
    • monitoring your hearing with regular checkups
    • strategies for protecting your hearing in future (such as wearing earplugs or earmuffs in loud environments, and not having headphone speakers too loud)
    • a cochlear implant (if hearing loss is severe)

    Hearing care professionals should take a holistic approach to hearing rehabilitation.

    That means coming up with individualised solutions based on your preferences and circumstances.

    What are modern hearing aids like?

    If you do need hearing aids, it’s worth knowing there are several different types. All modern hearing aids are extremely small and discrete.

    Some sit behind your ear, while others sit within your ear. Some look the same as air pods.

    Some are even completely invisible. These hearing aids are custom fitted to sit deep within your ear canal and contain no external tubes and wires.

    Some types of hearing aids are more expensive than others, but even the basic styles are discrete.

    In Australia, children and many adults are eligible for free or subsidised hearing services and many health funds offer hearing aid rebates as part of their extras cover.

    Despite being small, modern hearing aids have advanced technology including the ability to:

    • reduce background noise
    • direct microphones to where sound is coming from (directional microphones)
    • use Bluetooth so you can hear audio from your phone, TV and other devices directly in your hearing aids.

    When used with a smartphone, some hearing aids can even track your health, detect if you have fallen, and translate languages in real time.

    Modern hearing aids use Bluetooth so you can hear audio from your phone.
    Daisy Daisy/Shutterstock

    What should I do next?

    If you think you might be having hearing difficulties or are curious about the status of your hearing, then it’s a good idea to get a hearing check.

    The earlier you do something about your hearing, the greater the likelihood that you can prevent further hearing decline and reduce other health risks.

    And rest assured, there’s a suitable option for everyone.

    Katie Ekberg has previously received funding from the Hearing Industry Research Consortium, which funded research into stigma associated with hearing loss and hearing aids.

    Barbra Timmer is a part-time employee of Sonova AG, a global hearing care company. She was a Chief Investigator on a Hearing Industry Research Consortium grant that investigated the experiences of stigma for adults with hearing loss. She is the president of Audiology Australia.

    – ref. I’m avoiding a hearing test because I don’t want chunky hearing aids. What are my options? – https://theconversation.com/im-avoiding-a-hearing-test-because-i-dont-want-chunky-hearing-aids-what-are-my-options-250925

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Security: John A. Sarcone III’s Remarks Upon his Swearing-In as United States Attorney

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBANY, NEW YORK – United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III made these remarks today upon his swearing-in at the James T. Foley U.S. Courthouse:

    Thank you, Chief Judge Sannes. Thank you to the Judges of the Northern District of New York, to Clerk of the Court John Domurad, and to First Assistant U.S. Attorney Dan Hanlon, who has ably assisted me with the onboarding process.

    I would like to first thank my family for the support and love throughout my life and career, My Wife Cecilia and Children who could not join us today, John Anthony (a Junior at Penn State) and Francesca (a freshman at the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina) and Juliet, a sophomore at Croton Harmon High School who is missing school to be here.

    Also present are my Mom Deann, my sister Jennifer Genes, Aunt Jane Fiorito and cousins Bill and Janet Tuttle, Cousin Bruce Fiorito and his wife Lorraine, thank you for your steadfast support.

    To my brothers Michael and Raymond and their families who could not join us today and extended Sarcone, Fiorito and Hickey families and my wife Cecilia’s family, thank you for your love and support.

    Thanks, and a big shout out to my close confidante and friend Ola Hawatmeh.

    My dear friends Father Douglas Crawford and Rabbi Abraham Klein. Thank you for joining me today.

    Thank you, Governor George Pataki, for all your support throughout the years.

    I would like to recognize Senate Leader Rob Ortt, Senator Bill Weber, Assembly Leader Will Barclay, Assemblyman Robert Smullen, my dear friends Chairman Douglas Colety and Chairman Don Minichino, who took time out of their busy schedules to join me today.

    Thank you, Ambassador Elise Stefanik, for your support of my appointment.

    Also joining me are my Dear friend, mentor and former law partner, NYS Appellate Division 2nd Department Justice Mark Dillon and his wife Michelle, my longtime friend and colleague Maury Heller, Al Buonamici, and mentor in everything election law John Ciampoli.

    Thanks to some very special friends who believed in me and fought with me in the political trenches for the past 10 years, Former Congressman John Sweeney, White House Counsel David Warrington, First Deputy White House Counsel Gineen Bresso, Deputy White House Counsel Stuart McCommas.

    And to all friends and colleagues who traveled to Albany today to witness my swearing-in on this most sacred and blessed day, THANK YOU.

    Incidentally, the family bible that I swore my oath on was passed down from my great grandmother Jennie Curtis Hickey to my grandmother Dorothy “Dot” Hickey Fiorito and to my mom Deann Sarcone. I chose today to be sworn in to honor my late grandmother Dot! I was also spiritually moved when my brother Raymond pointed out the date Attorney General Bondi signed the Order appointing me to this most prestigious position, February 28. That day would have been my father’s 87th birthday, whom we lost 35 years ago.

    During the first Trump Administration, I had the privilege and honor of serving as the 14th Regional Administrator for the United States General Services Administration, Northeast Caribbean Region. My jurisdiction included the Northern District of New York and this historic courthouse.

    These federal courthouses mean something – they project the majesty and authority of our government. Everyone knows that important work is going on inside.

    I am honored to be welcomed again into this building, this time as U.S. Attorney, to lead the men and women of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York, who are doing the important work of representing the United States in enforcing its laws both civil and criminal.

    Since I was appointed U.S. Attorney two weeks ago, here are just some of the great results this office has achieved:

    • A Nigerian citizen, who has been illegally present in this country for decades and living under stolen identities, pled guilty to bank fraud and money laundering conspiracies that caused $1.7 million in losses;
    • A North Country woman pled guilty to her role in an alien smuggling conspiracy that left a Romanian family of four dead in the St. Lawrence River; and
    • A former music teacher was convicted after trial of transporting students across state lines, and raping and sexually abusing them.

    These cases are each the result of close collaboration between AUSAs and our law enforcement partners. My goal is to continue this great work, and to implement the mandate by President Trump and task of Attorney General Pam Bondi to restore public confidence in our justice system. I am humbled and honored that President Trump and Attorney General Bondi have placed their faith and trust in me to carry forth that mandate as the chief federal law enforcement officer in this district.

    Which leads me to this subject – what makes a good prosecutor? It’s not what college or law school you went to, or whether you have been a career prosecutor, as recent events show. What matters is judgment.

    A good prosecutor has wisdom, common sense, a strong moral and ethical compass, a sense of fairness and empathy, coupled with legal skills and acumen honed over time and from a diversity of representations and matters. As recent events have also shown, there’s just no substitute for common sense. For instance, we recently witnessed the heads of Ivy League institutions equivocate on whether calling for the genocide of Jews by a minority of its students and others violates their own rules.

    I believe the prosecutorial power, and discretion, is best entrusted to those with the full breath of professional and life experiences, from which common sense, wisdom and informed judgment emerge. With these values in mind, I look forward to working together with everyone at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, in collaboration with our dedicated Federal, State and Local law enforcement agencies, in pursuit of honest, transparent, non-political enforcement of federal laws and to restore public confidence in our federal government and our Justice Department.

    As United States Attorney leading this office, I will prioritize our resources to keep our northern border secure; to work with federal, state and local authorities to maintain safe communities; root out public corruption; protect our seniors from being victimized by endless scams and consumer fraud; to end lawlessness and willful disregard for Federal laws; keep our kids safe from illegal drugs; and combat human trafficking.

    I pledge to dedicate steadfast resources to root out hate crimes of all kinds and will not tolerate violations of college students’ rights to be free from harassment or threats because of their religious beliefs and I give fair warning to university leaders that our reach will not stop at prosecuting those who choose to violate our laws but also those who knowingly support any violations in any way, shape or form.

    In conclusion, I am honored and humbled to be standing here before you, my family, friends, colleagues, distinguished guests and our amazing Judges of the Northern District of New York. Thank you all for honoring me with your presence.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Gander — Gander RCMP investigates fatal ATV crash, one youth deceased

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Gander RCMP is investigating an off-road vehicle crash that occurred on the Newfoundland T’Railway on March 10, 2025. A youth is deceased.

    At approximately 5:30 p.m. on Monday, police received the report of the crash involving two youth under the age of 16. A side-by-side all-terrain vehicle (ATV) was traveling on the trail near Joe Batts Pond, approximately 15 kilometers west of Gander. The ATV lost control, departed the trail and came to rest on its side. The operator died at the scene and a second youth was transported to the James Paton Memorial Regional Health Centre in Gander for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.

    The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner was engaged. The investigation is continuing.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: United Nations Outreach Programme on Transatlantic Slave Trade, Slavery Hosts Sculpture Exhibition by African Diaspora Artists

    Source: United Nations General Assembly and Security Council

    A new sculpture exhibition featuring artists from across the African diaspora is now open at United Nations Headquarters in New York and will run until 25 April, honouring the resistance of enslaved Africans and the powerful voices of their descendants, whose leadership and cultural innovations enrich our societies today.

    The exhibition The Stories of Us features five large-scale “talking drums” by the artists Alanis Forde, Francks Deceus, Láolú, Leasho Johnson and Marryam Moma.  It will run in the United Nations Visitors’ Lobby through 11 April, alongside explanatory wall panels that delve into the artists’ motivation and process.  It will then move outside to the United Nations Visitors’ Plaza, where it will serve as the backdrop for the many dynamic music, dance and high-level events scheduled for the annual Permanent Forum for People of African Descent (14-17 April).

    The exhibit is open to all public visitors to the United Nations, including during the annual observance of the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, on 25 March.

    For a short video promo, please see: https://youtube.com/watch?v=RYL8mfXDcnM.

    Press and Photo Call — 24 March

    Members of the press are invited to view the exhibition and interact with artists and curators on Monday, 24 March, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

    For members of the press without media accreditation visit the media accreditation website for more information on accessing the United Nations.

    Curated by The Stories of Us and organized in collaboration with the United Nations Outreach Programme on the Transatlantic Slave Trade and Slavery, The Stories of Us exhibition explores the universal ideals of equality and solidarity — which are at the heart of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Charter of the United Nations — through the lens of Afro-descendant artists.

    The sculptures focus on the theme of resistance, spanning Afro-descendant communities’ roots in the rich cultural soil of the African continent, to the period of emancipation, to the tradition of “good trouble” that has inspired activists across the globe for generations.  The exhibition serves as an invitation to reimagine who we want to be, and to act in the spirit of unity, envisioning a more inclusive and just world for all.

    The United Nations Outreach Programme on the Transatlantic Slave Trade and Slavery was established in 2007 by the United Nations General Assembly.  It educates the public about the history of the transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans and its legacies, including racism and discrimination, through activities including online discussions, film screenings and exhibits.

    The Stories of Us is a non-profit organization that curates exhibitions created by a diverse collective of artists.  Its makers bring their own stories, insights and genius to invite the public to explore humanity’s shared past and present, and to reimagine a future for all.

    For more information, and to schedule a press viewing, please contact Melissa Summers at email:  melissa.summers@un.org.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: This is why physical affection can boost your health

    Source: Anglia Ruskin University

    By Viren Swami, Anglia Ruskin University

    In the opening scene of Love, Actually, Hugh Grant’s character says how, whenever he gets gloomy with the state of the world, he thinks about the arrivals gate at Heathrow airport. The reason is on screen: we see couples kissing, old friends embracing, children smiling and laughing as they jump into the arms of their parents.

    Airports are great places to really understand the importance of physical affection – hugging, kissing, cuddling, holding hands, or even just touching. But physical affection is ubiquitous in everyday life, too – and with good reason. Science shows that non-sexual physical affection produces more than just moments of joy – it also benefits our mental and physical health.

    Physical affection is one of the most direct and important ways that people communicate intimacy in their romantic relationships. And it seems to occur in romantic relationships all over the world, despite cross-cultural differences in ideas of love and romance.

    People in romantic relationships report more intimate physical affection than singletons. They’re also more comfortable allowing their partners to touch more of their bodies than strangers or friends. For example, most people are comfortable being touched on their thighs and abdomen by their partner, but not by other people.

    Even how we touch our partners is different to how we touch other people. When participants in one study were asked to stroke their partner, a friend, a stranger, or an artificial arm, they did so more slowly with their partner. Slower strokes may be experienced as more pleasant and erotic than quicker strokes. Even just thinking about physical affection from a partner evokes pleasant and erotic sensations.

    There is now strong evidence showing that physical contact is associated with better physical and mental health. One review of “touch interventions” – think massage – in 212 studies involving more than 13,000 participants found that physical touch benefited everything from sleep patterns to blood pressure to fatigue. Touch interventions were especially helpful in reducing pain, depression and anxiety.

    Couple’s therapy

    Before you rush off to book yourself a massage, you should know that much of the evidence suggests the strongest benefits come from physical affection with romantic partners. Several studies have found that, in couples, physical affection is associated with a range of physiological effects, including lower blood pressure and better immune responses.

    In couples, physical affection is also associated with better psychological wellbeing. One study found that couples who sleep-touched – cuddling shortly before or after sleep – felt happier and calmer in the morning, which meant they were more likely to enjoy the company of their partners.

    Physical affection – including kissing and affection after sex – is also associated with greater relationship and sexual satisfaction, and better ratings of one’s relationship overall, which in turn contribute to better psychological wellbeing. And even when conflicts do occur, hugging seems to reduce levels of negative mood in couples.

    Cuddle up, because there’s more. Receiving physical affection from a partner makes us feel psychologically stronger. One study found that women showed less activation in parts of the brain that respond to threat when holding their husband’s hand. Even just imagining touch from a partner can increase one’s willingness to take on challenging tasks.

    Another way to look at this is to examine what happens when we lose physical affection. Studies have shown that “touch deprivation” – the absence of touch – is associated with greater symptoms of depression and anxiety. Indeed, the loss of affection from others during the pandemic hit many people hard. Among couples, a lack of physical affection is associated with lower relationship satisfaction, stress, and feelings of loneliness.

    There are several ways in which physical affection provides these benefits. Affectionate touch is known to activate reward centres of the brain, which boosts our mood and promotes feelings of wellbeing. Touch also stimulates the release of oxytocin, which can strengthen social bonds and increase feelings of trust between individuals. It’s for these reasons that oxytocin is sometimes called the “cuddle chemical”.

    Physical affection also reduces levels of the stress hormone cortisol and reduces perceived pain, which suppress physiological stress systems. One study found that a 10-minute neck-and-shoulder massage from one’s partner helped lower cortisol responses, helping to regulate levels of stress.

    Psychologically, physical affection in romantic relationships is an important way to keep our emotions under control. Touching one’s partner in a caring manner helps to improve their mood and makes them feel loved, secure, and safe. As feelings of connection, trust, and belonging are strengthened through non-sexual physical signs of affection, negative effect is reduced and psychological well-being is improved.

    However, not everyone likes to be touched, even if it is by their romantic partners. Some people are “touch avoidant” – and some people may actually be apprehensive about being touched. For instance, people with avoidant attachment styles – characterised by a discomfort with emotional closeness – often have very negative views about cuddling and are more hesitant to touch their partners. Conversely, people with anxious attachment styles – characterised by a fear of abandonment – may desire more touch than they receive.

    But when couples have similar touch preferences, it can lead to greater attraction, closeness, and commitment to one another. And if you’re looking for a fun way to incorporate non-sexual physical affection into your relationships, consider home massage. One study found that couples who took turns massaging each other at home felt a deeper connection with each other, and felt more relaxed and less stressed.

    Viren Swami, Professor of Social Psychology, Anglia Ruskin University

    This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

    The opinions expressed in VIEWPOINT articles are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of ARU.

    If you wish to republish this article, please follow these guidelines: https://theconversation.com/uk/republishing-guidelines

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Samsung Reveals World’s First 25-hour Skatepark, Powered by the Galaxy S25 series

    Source: Samsung

     
    London, UK – 17th March 2025 – Building off the success of the ‘Drop in with Samsung’ Flip Park, Samsung, in collaboration with Skateboard GB and supported by EE, launches the groundbreaking ‘Drop in with Samsung 25-hour Skate Park’ Supported by EE. This unique immersive event, taking place at London’s iconic BAYSIXTY6 Skatepark in West London, celebrates skate culture while showcasing the revolutionary capabilities of the new Galaxy S25 series.
     
    This pop-up celebrates Samsung and EE’s commitment to facilitating enhanced accessibility and connectivity within UK skateparks, empowering more individuals to embrace the sport.
     
    Event Details:
    Dates: Wednesday 19th – Thursday 20th March, 2025
    Location: BAYSIXTY6 Skate Park, 66 Acklam Road, London, W10 5YU
    Opening Hours: 6PM on 19th March – 7PM on 20th March
     
    The world’s first 25-hour skatepark is a vibrant homage to all elements of skateboarding culture, featuring 25 hours of music performances, entertainment and content creation experiences, all powered by the Galaxy S25 series. Samsung invites everyone to ‘Drop in with Samsung’ Supported by EE and participate in a dynamic range of activities on offer, all whilst experiencing the exceptional camera capabilities of the latest Galaxy S25 series.
     
    BAYSIXTY6 will undergo a dramatic transformation, with enhanced lighting and design, creating the ultimate backdrop for capturing stunning content with the Galaxy S25’s advanced features, including Nightography Video and Ultra-Wide camera. Whether day or night, attendees can witness firsthand how the device delivers stunning shots in any lighting condition.
     
    Experience the 25-hour immersion:
     
    The 25-Hour Street: A free skate zone for all skill levels, with Samsung product experts on hand to assist with capturing incredible content on the Galaxy S25 series.
    The Ultra-Wide Bowl: A dedicated drop-in area for skaters to showcase their skills, utilising the Ultra-Wide camera to capture expansive angles during the day and stunning night shots with Night mode, or video content with Nightography Video.
    The 25-Hour Zone: Home of the ‘Now Bar’ – a space to learn about Samsung’s latest Galaxy AI innovations and why the Galaxy S25 series is the ultimate true AI companion. The Now Bar is a space to break for some food, grab a drink, and learn how the latest tech can offer ‘New ways to get things done’, with updates on the 25-hour Skatepark schedule and some exclusive product giveaways for most impressive Galaxy S25 skate footage.
    The 25-Hour Shop: Celebrity meet-and-greets with Team Galaxy Skate ambassadors, an immersive mobile gaming station, offering visitors the chance to beat the top score on mobile skateboarding game True Skate, and opportunities to try out the wider Samsung Galaxy product ecosystem.
     
    Event highlights:
    A launch moment to remember with Sky Brown and Team Galaxy Skate talent dropping in, and James Threlfall DJing to set the vibe.
    An exclusive sunrise skate session and shoot curated in partnership with Dazed Media
    Invigorating skate yoga session led by Shankos Skate School
    Design your own board with Big Aye Skateboards – a closed session for under 18s
    Exclusive meet-and-greets with professional skaters, including Olympic medalist Sky Brown
    Social media workshop with skate influencer Stef Nurding and Samsung UK, giving insights on maximising skate content for visibility
    Dedicated skate photography sessions with renowned photographer Garry Jones
    Perfect your trick with pro-skaters in Team Galaxy Skate offering one-on-one lessons
    A panel discussion with leaders from Skateboard GB, who will be talking about what a career in skate looks like and how to get more skateparks in your local community.
     
    Driven by the shared belief to ‘Never Stop Growing,’ Samsung, Skateboard GB and EE are also investing in extended opening hours at ten skateparks across the UK. This initiative, which includes funding for events, product experiences, and skate jams, will empower the personal growth of the next generation of skaters with greater park access, enhanced connectivity, and the tools to capture and share their progress.
     
    Join the ‘Drop in with Samsung 25-hour Skate Park’ Supported by EE. experience from 19th to 20th March, located at BAYSIXTY6. Drop in be part of this interactive experience – check out the full schedule here:
     
    Full 25-hour Skatepark event schedule:
     
    Time:
    Activity:
    Attendance:
    18:00 – 20:00
    Opening skate jam:
    Featuring demos from Team Galaxy Skate, hosted by Marc Churchill and accompanied by tunes from DJ James Threlfall, plus exclusive meet and greet with two-times Olympic Medallist Sky Brown
    Sign-up needed
    (Via Dazed website here)
    20:00 – 22:00
    Skate with Team Galaxy Skate:
    Skate drop-ins accompanied by DJ James Threlfall on the decks
    Drop in on the day
    22:00 – 00:00
    Skate film session:
    Hosted in partnership with City Mill Skate
    Sign-up needed
    (Via Skateboard GB website here)
    00:00 – 04:00
    Artist creation session:
    Hosted by artist Billy Colours – mural creation at BAYSIXTY6, with time-lapse capture
    Invite only
    04:00 – 06:30
    Sunrise skate session and shoot:
    Hosted in partnership with Dazed Club
    Sign-up needed (via Dazed here)
    06:30 – 07:30
    Skate yoga session:
    Hosted in partnership with Shankos Skate School
    Sign-up needed
    (Via Skateboard GB website here)
    07:30 – 10:00
    Pre-school skate breakfast club
    Invite only
    10:00 – 11:00
    Skate Photography Session:
    Hosted by photographer Garry Jones
    Sign-up needed
    (Via Skateboard GB website here)
    11:00 – 12:00
    Social media workshop:
    Hosted by Team Galaxy Skate’s Stef Nurding, Samsung UK and creative agency Iris
    Drop in on the day
    12:00 – 14:00
    Skate activators:
    Hosted in partnership with Skateboard GB and Team Galaxy Skate
    Drop in on the day
    14:00 – 16:00
    How to get skateparks built in your local community:
    Led by Skateboard GB
    Drop in on the day
    16:00 – 17:30
    Lessons with a pro:
    Hosted by Team Galaxy Skate’s Jordan Thackeray and Alex DeCunha
    Sign up needed
    (Via Skateboard GB website here)
    17:30 – 19:00
    Game of S.K.A.T.E
    Hosted by Team Galaxy Skate’s Ashley Mercer
    Drop in on the day
     
    About Skateboard GB
    Skateboard GB is the National Governing Body for skateboarding in England and the home of Olympic skateboarding in Great Britain. The organisation exists to give skateboarders the opportunity to “Skate More, Skate Better” ensuring they are skater-focused in everything that they do; aiming to lead, support, empower and facilitate.
     
    Skateboard GB celebrate and champion everything that is positive about skateboarding’s heritage and culture and work with the skateboarding community to develop more opportunities and better environments to skate, inspiring future generations of skateboarders as a result of success on the world stage.
     

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: EPA aligns with corporate polluters in devastating public betrayal

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    WASHINGTON, DC – (March 17, 2025) In response to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) plan to abandon critical regulations and climate rules, John Noel, Greenpeace USA Deputy Climate Director, said: 

    “We are deeply disturbed by this calculated betrayal of public health and the environment by EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, who seems to believe his job is to serve corporate polluters rather than the American people. This decision isn’t just a setback—it’s an all-out assault on communities nationwide, opening the floodgates to more pollution, more harm, and a worsening climate crisis.

    “For decades, these EPA regulations have been a critical line of defense against harmful pollution, protecting public health and tackling the climate crisis. Yet even these safeguards have never been enough. This year alone, our country has been ravaged by extreme hurricanes, devastating wildfires, and record-breaking heat—in large part, consequences of pollution. Instead of holding these industries accountable, the EPA is giving them a free pass. 

    “EPA exists to protect our health and environment—not to gut the very safeguards that protect us. As the climate crisis grows, the agency must reverse this reckless course and recommit to its core mission: protecting people and, not the economic interests of polluting corporations.”

    Contact: Gigi Singh, Communications Manager at Greenpeace USA
    (+1)  631-404-9977, [email protected]  Greenpeace USA is part of a global network of independent campaigning organizations that use peaceful protest and creative communication to expose global environmental problems and promote solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future. Greenpeace USA is committed to transforming the country’s unjust social, environmental, and economic systems from the ground up to address the climate crisis, advance racial justice, and build an economy that puts people first. Learn more at www.greenpeace.org/usa.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Kabaddi World Cup: City hosts opening of international spectacle

    Source: City of Wolverhampton

    WV Active Aldersley staged the opening ceremony and first games of the tournament today (Monday 17 March, 2025).

    The opening ceremony featured live music by students from Wolverhampton Music Service, local dance acts and a parade of athlete from across the world who are taking part.

    The host nation England men’s team then got the live action underway with the first group stage game against Hungary. A number of other men’s and women’s games then took place featuring teams including India, Poland, China and the USA.

    It’s the first time that the Kabaddi World Cup has been hosted outside of Asia and Councillor Bhupinder Gakhal, the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet Member for Resident Services, said it was a very proud moment for the city of Wolverhampton to host the festivities.

    He said: “The ceremony and opening games were spectacular to witness. It’s a real honour to have the Kabaddi World Cup taking place on our doorstep and we can’t wait to host the semi-finals and finals this weekend.

    “It’s exciting to welcome fans not just from Wolverhampton but from far and wide to our city, as well as the millions tuning in online to watch the action. This is a global celebration of sport and cultures and we’re proud to be the home for it.”

    Wolverhampton is also hosting day two of the tournament tomorrow (Tuesday) before the action takes to the road with games being hosted in Coventry, Birmingham and Walsall. The tournament then returns to Wolverhampton on Saturday for the semi-finals and Sunday for the finals, third place play-off and closing ceremony.

    Councillor Gakhal added: “Events of this scale help support the local economy and help put the city on the map, so I encourage everyone to snap up the final remaining tickets while they can.”

    Tickets are still available for this week and information on how to purchase can be found at Kabaddi World Cup England 2025. 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Kuaishou Kling AI Integrates DeepSeek, Lowering the Entry Barrier for AI-Powered Creative Content

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    HONG KONG, March 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Kuaishou Technology (“Kuaishou” or the “Company”; HKD Counter Stock Code: 01024 / RMB Counter Stock Code: 81024), a leading content community and social platform, recently announced the full integration of DeepSeek-R1 into its large video generation model, Kling AI. This integration enables users to effortlessly transform their creative ideas into professional prompts for video and image generation with DeepSeek’s assistance in generating or optimizing prompts, facilitating the creation of high-quality creative videos. In text-to-video scenarios, Kling AI DeepSeek Inspiration Version works seamlessly with the “Inspiration Word Bank” feature, providing users with granular control over scenes, lenses, shots, lighting, and atmosphere and thereby enhancing expressiveness.

    As a next-generation AI creative studio developed by Kuaishou, Kuaishou Kling AI has been continuously iterated and upgraded since its launch last year. While maintaining its lead in model capabilities and generation effects, Kuaishou Kling AI has unveiled an array of rich creation features and creative activities. The integration of DeepSeek will further lower the entry barrier for AI creative content and enhance creation efficiency.

    In December 2024, Kuaishou Kling AI officially launched the Kling AI 1.6 model, featuring upgraded video generation capabilities and significantly enhanced effects. Users can access the new features via the web portal (Chinese version: https://klingai.kuaishou.com; English version: https://klingai.com) or by searching for and downloading KLINGAI from the app store.

    About Kuaishou

    Kuaishou is a leading content community and social platform in China and globally, committed to becoming the most customer-obsessed company in the world. Kuaishou uses its technological backbone, powered by cutting-edge AI technology, to continuously drive innovation and product enhancements that enrich its service offerings and application scenarios, creating exceptional customer value. Through short videos and live streams on Kuaishou’s platform, users can share their lives, discover goods and services they need and showcase their talent. By partnering closely with content creators and businesses, Kuaishou provides technologies, products, and services that cater to diverse user needs across a broad spectrum of entertainment, online marketing services, e-commerce, local services, gaming, and much more.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    Certain statements included in this press release, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “may”, “might”, “can”, “could”, “will”, “would”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “continue”, “estimate”, “expect”, “forecast”, “intend”, “plan”, “seek”, or “timetable”. These forward-looking statements, which are subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions, may include our business outlook, estimates of financial performance, forecast business plans, growth strategies and projections of anticipated trends in our industry. These forward-looking statements are based on information currently available to the Group and are stated herein on the basis of the outlook at the time of this press release. They are based on certain expectations, assumptions and premises, many of which are subjective or beyond our control. These forward-looking statements may prove to be incorrect and may not be realized in the future. Underlying these forward-looking statements are a large number of risks and uncertainties. In light of the risks and uncertainties, the inclusion of forward-looking statements in this press release should not be regarded as representations by the Board or the Company that the plans and objectives will be achieved, and investors should not place undue reliance on such statements. Except as required by law, we are not obligated, and we undertake no obligation, to release publicly any revisions to these forward-looking statements that might reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this press release or those that might reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

    For investor and media inquiries, please contact:
    Kuaishou Technology
    Investor Relations
    Email: ir@kuaishou.com

    Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/67878873-5371-4b09-b951-63f292978c1b

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/bbd00047-a6cb-4395-b015-4e93b651da10

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Baltic Horizon Fund publishes its NAV for February 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    The net asset value (NAV) per unit of the Baltic Horizon Fund (the Fund) remained at a similar level and was EUR 0.6826 at the end of February 2025 (0.6834 as of 31 January 2025). The month-end total net asset value of the Fund was EUR 98.0 million (EUR 98.1 million as of 31 January 2025). The EPRA NRV as of 28 February 2025 stood at EUR 0.7266 per unit.

    In February 2025, the consolidated net rental income of the Fund remained at EUR 1.0 million (EUR 1.0 million in January 2025). In February the Fund signed an agreement with IWG to open a co-working concept SPACES in the area of 1,800 sq. m. on the third floor of Europa shopping center. Opening is planned in the beginning of 2026.

    At the end of February 2025, the Fund’s consolidated cash and cash equivalents amounted to EUR 8.3 million (31 January 2025: EUR 8.8 million).

    As of 28 February 2025, the total consolidated assets of the Fund were EUR 255.0 million (31 January 2025: EUR 255.4 million).

    For additional information, please contact:

    Tarmo Karotam
    Baltic Horizon Fund manager
    E-mail tarmo.karotam@nh-cap.com
    www.baltichorizon.com

    The Fund is a registered contractual public closed-end real estate fund that is managed by Alternative Investment Fund Manager license holder Northern Horizon Capital AS. 

    Distribution: GlobeNewswire, Nasdaq Tallinn, Nasdaq Stockholm, www.baltichorizon.com

    To receive Nasdaq announcements and news from Baltic Horizon Fund about its projects, plans and more, register on www.baltichorizon.com. You can also follow Baltic Horizon Fund on www.baltichorizon.com and on LinkedIn, Facebook, X and YouTube.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: HTXMining Introduces Next-Generation Staking and Liquidity Mining Solutions

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, March 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — HTXMining, a leader in cryptocurrency staking and liquidity mining, is redefining decentralized finance by offering a secure, user-friendly, and rewarding platform. With a strong emphasis on security, ease of use, and reliable daily returns, HTXMining establishes a new standard for crypto staking.

    Unlocking Passive Income Through Crypto Staking

    HTXMining enables investors to earn rewards without requiring expensive mining hardware or technical expertise. Featuring instant staking, flexible withdrawal options, and advanced security protocols, the platform provides both novice and experienced investors with opportunities to optimize earnings while retaining control over their assets.

    HTX capital LLC Photo

    Liquidity Mining Plans and Potential Returns

    HTXMining offers structured liquidity mining plans with varying potential returns based on investment levels:

    • Level 1: $5 – $1,050: Up to 1.5% return on investment
    • Level 2: $1,051 – $3,050: Up to 2% potential return
    • Level 3: $3,051 – $5,050: Up to 2.5% potential return
    • Level 4: $5,051 – $10,050: Up to 2.8% potential return
    • Level 5: $10,051 – $15,050: Up to 3.1% potential return
    • Level 6: $15,051 – $20,050: Up to 3.5% return on investment
    • Level 7: $20,051 – $50,050: Up to 3.8% return on investment
    • Level 8: $50,051 – $80,050: Up to 4.1% return on investment

    Generating Passive Income Through Referral Programs

    HTXMining’s Affiliate Program provides an additional revenue stream for content creators, influencers, and investors. By referring new users to the platform, affiliates receive a 4.5% commission on qualified purchases made through their referral links.

    Affiliate Program Process:

    1. Registration – Sign up on HTXMining and generate a referral link.
    2. Invitation – Share the referral link via social media, blogs, or websites.
    3. Earnings – Earn a percentage from referred users’ staking and mining activities.

    HTXMining’s Million Bounty Program

    HTXMining’s Million Bounty Program rewards active users for participation in mining, staking, content creation, and community engagement. The program extends across multiple platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, encouraging broader user involvement.

    Key Features of HTXMining

    • Full Asset Control – Investors maintain complete control over their assets while earning rewards.
    • Daily Payouts – Rewards are distributed every 24 hours.
    • Competitive APY – Staking and liquidity mining offer returns of up to 5.5% daily.
    • Liquidity Staking – Provides earnings while ensuring asset liquidity.
    • Secure Transactions – Advanced encryption and low transaction fees enhance security.
    • Fast Withdrawals – Earnings can be withdrawn within 24 hours.
    • 24/7 Customer Support – Dedicated assistance ensures a seamless user experience.
    • Multi-Currency Support – Enables staking across various digital assets.
    • User-Friendly Interface – Designed for both beginners and experienced investors.

    Getting Started with HTXMining

    HTXMining simplifies the onboarding process with a few easy steps:

    1. Wallet Integration – Supports over 400 wallet types, including WalletConnect, Trust Wallet, and OKX Wallet.
    2. Free Trial Bonus – New users receive a $100 bonus for a risk-free staking experience.
    3. Staking Plan Selection – Options include locked staking and liquidity mining, catering to various financial goals.
    4. Earnings and Withdrawals – A real-time dashboard allows investors to monitor earnings and withdraw profits anytime.

    About HTXMining

    HTXMining is recognized for its security-driven approach, transparent operations, and seamless staking experience. By leveraging optimized algorithms, real-time monitoring, and flexible financial plans, the platform empowers investors to maximize cryptocurrency earnings within a secure and efficient ecosystem.

    For more information, visit www.htxmining.com.

    Disclaimer: The information provided in this press release is not a solicitation for investment, nor does it constitute financial, investment, or trading advice. Cryptocurrency mining and staking involve risks, and potential financial losses may occur. It is strongly recommended to conduct thorough research and consult a professional financial advisor before engaging in cryptocurrency investments.

    Media Contact:
    Paul Winterowd, HTXMining
    +15757887086
    info@htxmining.com
    https://htxmining.com/

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/064fa080-a0bf-4da9-b509-ee1d0c20cf0a

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: BexBack Launches No KYC Crypto Trading, 100x Leverage, Double Deposit Bonus, and $50 Welcome Bonus

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SINGAPORE, March 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — With Bitcoin’s price fluctuating below $100,000, many analysts predict a prolonged period of high volatility in the crypto market. Holding spot positions may struggle to generate short-term profits in such conditions. As a result, 100x leverage futures trading has become the preferred tool for seasoned investors looking to maximize potential gains in this volatile market. BexBack Exchange is ramping up its efforts to offer traders unmatched promotional packages. The platform now features a 100% deposit bonus, a $50 welcome bonus for new users, and 100x leverage on cryptocurrency trading, providing exceptional opportunities for investors.

    What Is 100x Leverage and How Does It Work?

    Simply put, 100x leverage allows you to open larger trading positions with less capital. For example:

    Suppose the Bitcoin price is $100,000 that day, and you open a long contract with 1 BTC. After using 100x leverage, the transaction amount is equivalent to 100 BTC.

    One day later, if the price rises to $105,000, your profit will be (105,000 – 100,000) * 100 BTC / 100,000 = 5 BTC, a yield of up to 500%.

    With BexBack’s deposit bonus

    BexBack offers a 100% deposit bonus. If the initial investment is 2 BTC, the profit will increase to 10 BTC, and the return on investment will double to 1000%.

    Note: Although leveraged trading can magnify profits, you also need to be wary of liquidation risks.

    How Does the 100% Deposit Bonus Work?
    The deposit bonus from BexBack cannot be directly withdrawn but can be used to open larger positions and increase potential profits. Additionally, during significant market fluctuations, the bonus can serve as extra margin, effectively reducing the risk of liquidation.

    About BexBack?

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

    Why recommend BexBack?

    No KYC Required: Start trading immediately without complex identity verification.

    100% Deposit Bonus: Double your funds, double your profits.

    High-Leverage Trading: Offers up to 100x leverage, maximizing investors’ capital efficiency.

    Demo Account: Comes with 10 BTC in virtual funds, ideal for beginners to practice risk-free trading.

    Comprehensive Trading Options: Feature-rich trading available via Web and mobile applications.

    Convenient Operation: No slippage, no spread, and fast, precise trade execution.

    Global User Support: Enjoy 24/7 customer service, no matter where you are.

    Lucrative Affiliate Rewards: Earn up to 50% commission, perfect for promoters.

    Take Action Now—Don’t Miss Another Opportunity!

    If you missed the previous crypto bull run, this could be your chance. With BexBack’s 100x leverage and 100% deposit bonus and $50 bonus for new users (complete one trade within one week of registration), you can be a winner in the new bull run.

    Sign up on BexBack now, claim your exclusive bonus and start accumulating more BTC today!

    Website: www.bexback.com

    Contact: business@bexback.com

    Contact:
    Amanda
    business@bexback.com

    Disclaimer: This content is provided by BexBack. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice. Investing in crypto and mining related opportunities involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital. Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. However, due to the inherently speculative nature of the blockchain sector–including cryptocurrency, NFTs, and mining–complete accuracy cannot always be guaranteed. Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release.

    Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/10236152-e825-4140-a50e-905d3662534c

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b9cae213-db9e-4c95-8002-7097dcd1482f

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e70bf520-5a33-4d9f-a206-a74f16ca7796

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d93f5293-fead-4a7c-ae3e-7d16e5ee083d

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man sentenced to life in jail for murder of Sean O’Neill

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    A 23-year-old man responsible for the brutal murder of Sean O’Neill has been jailed for life.

    Dellan Charles (08.01.2001), of no fixed address, appeared at Kingston Crown Court on Monday, 17 March where he was told he will serve a minimum of 23 years behind bars. He was convicted of murder on Tuesday, 17 December.

    On the evening of Thursday, 18 May 2023, following an altercation between two rival groups in Reynolds Road, Hayes, Charles chased and killed Sean in a quiet residential street in broad daylight.

    After cornering him, Charles used two knives to stab Sean multiple times. During the trial, the court heard how Charles shouted “die, die, die” during the attack.

    In CCTV footage, Charles was pictured calmly leaving the scene after delivering the fatal blows, before making his escape by trespassing through nearby leafy suburban gardens. The jury heard how Charles disposed of a knife at a nearby address, before concocting a calculated plan to flee the area. He then went to ground for just shy of a year.

    Over the course of the next ten months, detectives pieced together the course of events alongside an extensive manhunt.

    The specialist team of officers then used this evidence and intelligence to capture Charles in Coventry on Wednesday, 27 March 2024, helping secure justice for Sean and his family.

    The jury heard how Sean was a funny, kind and sociable person and many people have been deeply affected by his tragic death.

    Detective Inspector Kevin Martin, who led the investigation for Specialist Crime South, said:
     “Myself and the team once again pay tribute to Sean’s family who, throughout this distressing time, have shown real strength and togetherness.

    “Heartbreakingly, nothing will ever bring Sean back, but today, the man responsible for taking him away from his much-loved family has been forced to face the reality of his malicious actions.”

    In a statement previously provided by Sean’s family, they added:

    “We really appreciate the efforts of the Metropolitan Police and the Crown Prosecution Service in bringing about justice, as well as the support we have received throughout this difficult process.

    “Sean will be remembered for his big heart, charming smile and fun-loving personality. He is incredibly loved by us all and we miss him every day.”

    ENDS

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: HSE student wins gold medal at All-Russian karate competition

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: State University Higher School of Economics – State University Higher School of Economics –

    The All-Russian Karate Competition was held in Odintsovo, Moscow Region, bringing together more than 2,000 participants from 42 regions of the country. A second-year student of the OP “Business management” Higher School of Business HSE Dmitry Konyaev became the winner in the category 18-20 years old, weight up to 65 kg. He managed to get ahead of several dozen athletes representing leading clubs from different regions.

    The tournament in Odintsovo is considered one of the most prestigious in karate and attracts the strongest athletes from all over Russia. For many participants, this is an important moment in their sports career, which opens the door to new opportunities and achievements.

    “The tournament was quite difficult, especially in comparison with last year,” comments Dmitry Konyaev. “There were no easy opponents at all, I had to get to work from the first fight. The goal was achieved – I met the standard for the title of candidate for master of sports, now we are collecting documents and will wait for the order to assign it.”

    The HSE student has been practicing karate since he was six years old: his parents took him to the section closest to his home, and soon he began winning competitions.

    “I am very grateful to fate for such a long and interesting path with such plot twists that you can make a movie. I got 90% of the people in my circle thanks to this sport,” the winner shared.

    Dmitry noted that he strives to win gold in any competition he participates in. The most successful seasons for the athlete so far were 2018 and 2019, when he managed to win three World Cups – in Croatia, Italy and Cyprus. “Before the pandemic, we traveled very often: Germany, Mexico, Estonia, Latvia. On the domestic stage, I once came in fifth at the Russian Championship and won more than a dozen All-Russian competitions, I lost count a couple of years ago. When I lived in St. Petersburg, I was a member of the city team and was a leader in all age and weight categories in which I participated,” said Dmitry Konyaev.

    When choosing a university to enroll in, he immediately decided to move: “The goal was to try myself in another city. I understood that if I moved to the capital, it would be hard without work, and so I looked for a program at a top university, studying in which would allow me to work at the same time. Actually, the choice fell on the educational program “Business Management” at the National Research University Higher School of Economics,” the student explained. He says that preparing for admission was typical for a person who wants to enroll in a prestigious university: “I am generally satisfied with my studies, I have found wonderful people, which I am very happy about. It is known that the best rest is a change of activity, so work, study and sports do not interfere with each other in my life. The main thing is to know why you are doing all this – and to enjoy it.”

    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: Rapid7 Announces Global Capability Center in India

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BOSTON, March 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Rapid7, Inc., Inc. (NASDAQ: RPD), a leader in extended risk and threat detection, today announced plans for expansion in India, including the opening of a new Global Capability Center (GCC) in Pune to serve as an innovation hub and Security Operations Center (SOC). In addition, the company announced a series of in-region events to engage with government, education, and talent stakeholders on Rapid7’s commitment to enable customers to simplify security, take control of their attack surface, and confidently navigate a dynamic threat landscape.

    The GCC will open in April 2025 with a focus on expanding Rapid7’s ability to provide seamless, 24×7 security operations coverage to their growing global customers worldwide. Hiring for the new office will prioritize building a team that drives product and service innovation in cyber operations, in addition to building the cybersecurity talent pipeline in the local market and fostering AI collaborations with corporations and academic institutions.

    “Expanding into India is a critical step in accelerating Rapid7’s investments in security operations leadership and customer-centric innovation,” said Corey Thomas, chairman and CEO of Rapid7. “Innovation thrives when multi-dimensional teams come together to solve complex challenges, and this new hub strengthens our ability to deliver the most adaptive, predictive, and responsive cybersecurity solutions to customers worldwide. Establishing a Security Operations Center in Pune also enhances our ability to scale threat detection and response globally while connecting the exceptional technical talent in the region to impactful career opportunities. We are excited to grow a world-class team in India that will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of cybersecurity.”

    “Rapid7 is known for its high-performing teams that challenge boundaries and embrace rapid technological change, from generative AI and machine learning to cutting-edge security solutions,” said Swami Nathan, Rapid7 country manager, India. “I’m excited to lead this transformational journey in Pune, where every team member will have the opportunity to grow, drive meaningful impact for our customers, and help shape a more secure digital future.”

    Rapid7 is at the forefront of global conversations on cyber and AI security policy and development of those business ecosystems and, following that tradition, Sabeen Malik, Rapid7’s vice president of global government affairs and public policy, will attend and participate on a panel at the Raisina Dialogue entitled “Concert of Oceans: Towards A Digital Indo-Pacific,” alongside Amit Shukla, Joint Secretary, Cyber Diplomacy Division, Ministry of External Affairs, India.

    In May, Rapid7 will host three in-region Security Day events in Mumbai (May 8), Delhi (May 13), and Bangalore (May 15). These events will bring together leaders from top corporations, academic institutions, and government to explore the evolving cyber threat landscape, share insights from their cybersecurity journeys, and discover the latest advancements in Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM), Cyber Asset Attack Surface Management (CAASM), Attack Surface Management (ASM), and Managed Extended Detection and Response (MXDR). These events are open to Rapid7 customers, potential clients, and partners.

    To learn more about Security Days visit https://www.rapid7.com/lp/2025-global-security-days/.

    To learn more about joining the Rapid7 team in India visit https://careers.rapid7.com/rapid7-pune.

    About Rapid7
    Rapid7, Inc. (NASDAQ: RPD) is on a mission to create a safer digital world by making cybersecurity simpler and more accessible. We empower security professionals to manage a modern attack surface through our best-in-class technology, leading-edge research, and broad, strategic expertise. Rapid7’s comprehensive security solutions help more than 11,000 global customers unite cloud risk management with threat detection and response to reduce attack surfaces and eliminate threats with speed and precision. For more information, visit our website, check out our blog, or follow us on LinkedIn or X.

    Rapid7 Media Relations
    Alice Randall
    Director, Global Corporate Communications
    press@rapid7.com
    (857) 216-7804

    Rapid7 Investor Contact
    Elizabeth Chwalk
    Vice President, Investor Relations
    investors@rapid7.com
    (617) 865-4277

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The US military has cared about climate change since the dawn of the Cold War – for good reason

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Paul Bierman, Fellow of the Gund Institute for Environment, Professor of Natural Resources and Environmental Science, University of Vermont

    Military engineers managing supply routes in Greenland in the 1950s paid attention to the weather and climate.
     US Army/Pictorial Parade/Archive Photos/Getty Images

    In 1957, Hollywood released “The Deadly Mantis,” a B-grade monster movie starring a praying mantis of nightmare proportions. Its premise: Melting Arctic ice has released a very hungry, million-year-old megabug, and scientists and the U.S. military will have to stop it.

    The rampaging insect menaces America’s Arctic military outposts, part of a critical line of national defense, before heading south and meeting its end in New York City.

    Yes, it’s over-the-top fiction, but the movie holds some truth about the U.S. military’s concerns then and now about the Arctic’s stability and its role in national security.

    A poster advertises ‘The Deadly Mantis,’ a movie released in 1957, a time when Americans worried about a Russian invasion. The film used military footage to promote the nation’s radar defenses along the Distant Early Warning line in the Arctic.
    LMPC via Getty Images

    In the late 1940s, Arctic temperatures were warming and the Cold War was heating up. The U.S. military had grown increasingly nervous about a Soviet invasion across the Arctic. It built bases and a line of radar stations. The movie used actual military footage of these polar outposts.

    But officials wondered: What if sodden snow and vanishing ice stalled American men and machines and weakened these northern defenses?

    In response to those concerns, the military created the Snow, Ice and Permafrost Research Establishment, a research center dedicated to the science and engineering of all things frozen: glacier runways, the behavior of ice, the physics of snow and the climates of the past.

    It was the beginning of the military’s understanding that climate change couldn’t be ignored.

    Army engineers test the properties of snow on Greenland’s ice sheet in 1955, a critical determinant of mobility on the ice and one that changes rapidly with temperature and climate.
    U.S. Army

    As I was writing “When the Ice is Gone,” my recent book about Greenland, climate science and the U.S. military, I read government documents from the 1950s and 1960s showing how the Pentagon poured support into climate and cold-region research to boost the national defense.

    Initially, military planners recognized threats to their own ability to protect the nation. Over time, the U.S. military would come to see climate change as both a threat in itself and a threat multiplier for national security.

    Ice roads, ice cores and bases inside the ice sheet

    The military’s snow and ice engineering in the 1950s made it possible for convoys of tracked vehicles to routinely cross Greenland’s ice sheet, while planes landed and took off from ice and snow runways.

    In 1953, the Army even built a pair of secret surveillance sites inside the ice sheet, both equipped with Air Force radar units looking 24/7 for Soviet missiles and aircraft, but also with weather stations to understand the Arctic climate system.

    The public reveal of U.S. military bases somewhere – that remained classified – inside Greenland’s ice sheet, in the February 1955 edition of REAL.
    Paul Bierman collection.

    The Army drilled the world’s first deep ice core from a base it built within the Greenland ice sheet, Camp Century. Its goal: to understand how climate had changed in the past so they would know how it might change in the future.

    The military wasn’t shy about its climate change research successes. The Army’s chief ice scientist, Dr. Henri Bader, spoke on the Voice of America. He promoted ice coring as a way to investigate climates of the past, provide a new understanding of weather, and understand past climatic patterns to gauge and predict the one we are living in today – all strategically important.

    Henri Bader describes drilling high on Greenland’s ice sheet in 1956 or 1957 in a Voice of America recording (National Archives), “The Snows of Yesteryear,” and a movie (U.S. Army). Created by Quincy Massey-Bierman.

    In the 1970s, painstaking laboratory work on the Camp Century ice core extracted minuscule amounts of ancient air trapped in tiny bubbles in the ice. Analyses of that gas revealed that levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere were lower for tens of thousands of years before the industrial revolution. After 1850, carbon dioxide levels crept up slowly at first and then rapidly accelerated. It was direct evidence that people’s actions, including burning coal and oil, were changing the composition of the atmosphere.

    Since 1850, carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere have spiked and global temperatures have warmed by more than 2.5 degrees Fahrenheit (1.3 Celsius). The past 10 years have been the hottest since recordkeeping began, with 2024 now holding the record. Climate change is now affecting the entire Earth – but most especially the Arctic, which is warming several times faster than the rest of the planet.

    Since 1850, global average temperature and carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere have risen together, reflecting human emissions of greenhouse gases. Red bars indicate warmer years; blue bars indicate colder years.
    NOAA

    Seeing climate change as a threat multiplier

    For decades, military leaders have been discussing climate change as a threat and a threat multiplier that could worsen instability and mass migration in already fragile regions of the world.

    Climate change can fuel storms, wildfires and rising seas that threaten important military bases. It puts personnel at risk in rising heat and melts sea ice, creating new national security concerns in the Arctic. Climate change can also contribute to instability and conflict when water and food shortages trigger increasing competition for resources, internal and cross-border tensions, or mass migrations.

    The military understands that these threats can’t be ignored. As Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro told a conference in September 2024: “Climate resilience is force resilience.”

    A view of aircraft carriers docked at the sprawling Naval Station Norfolk show how much of the region is within a few feet of sea level.
    Stocktrek Images via Getty Images

    Consider Naval Station Norfolk. It’s the largest military port facility in the world and sits just above sea level on Virginia’s Atlantic coast. Sea level there rose more than 1.5 feet in the last century, and it’s on track to rise that much again by 2050 as glaciers around the world melt and warming ocean water expands.

    High tides already cause delays in repair work, and major storms and their storm surges have damaged expensive equipment. The Navy has built sea walls and worked to restore coastal dunes and marshlands to protect its Virginia properties, but the risks continue to increase.

    Planning for the future, the Navy incorporates scientists’ projections of sea level rise and increasing hurricane strength to design more resilient facilities. By adapting to climate change, the U.S. Navy will avoid the fate of another famous marine power: the Norse, forced to abandon their flooded Greenland settlements when sea level there rose about 600 years ago.

    Norse ruins in Igaliku in southern Greenland, illustrated in the late 1800s while flooded at spring tide by sea level, which had risen since the settlement was abandoned around 1400.
    Steenstrup, K.J.V., and A. Kornerup. 1881. Expeditionen til Julianehaabs distrikt i 1876. MeddelelseromGrønland

    Climate change is costly to ignore

    As the impacts of climate change grow in both frequency and magnitude, the costs of inaction are increasing. Most economists agree that it’s cheaper to act now than deal with the consequences. Yet, in the past 20 years, the political discourse around addressing the cause and effects of climate change has become increasingly politicized and partisan, stymieing effective action.

    In my view, the military’s approach to problem-solving and threat reduction provides a model for civil society to address climate change in two ways: reducing carbon emissions and adapting to inevitable climate change impacts.

    The U.S. military emits more planet warming carbon than Sweden and spent more than US$2 billion on energy in 2021. It accounts for more than 70% of energy used by the federal government.

    In that context, its embrace of alternative energy, including solar generation, microgrids and wind power, makes economic and environmental sense. The U.S. military is moving away from fossil fuels, not because of any political agenda, but because of the cost-savings, increased reliability and energy independence the alternatives provide.

    Solar panels generate power on many U.S. military bases. This array at Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos, Calif., generates enough power for more than 15,000 homes and has a backup battery system to provide power when the sun isn’t shining.
    Frederic J . Brown/AFP via Getty Images

    As sea ice melts and Arctic temperatures rise, the polar region has again become a strategic priority. Russia and China are expanding Arctic shipping routes and eyeing critical mineral deposits as they become accessible. The military knows climate change affects national security, which is why it continues to take steps to address the threats a changing climate presents.

    Paul Bierman receives funding from the US National Science Foundation, this work in part supported by grant EAR-2114629.

    – ref. The US military has cared about climate change since the dawn of the Cold War – for good reason – https://theconversation.com/the-us-military-has-cared-about-climate-change-since-the-dawn-of-the-cold-war-for-good-reason-246333

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Remembering China’s Empress Dowager Ling, a Buddhist who paved the way for future female rulers

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Stephanie Balkwill, Associate Professor of Asian Languages and Cultures, University of California, Los Angeles

    In sixth-century China, a woman known to history as Empress Dowager Ling ruled over an empire called the Northern Wei. Historians do not know her birth name or in what year she was born, but they do know that she served as empress dowager between 515 and 528. As the spouse of a ruling emperor prior to his death, she retained the title of empress dowager in her widowhood.

    She ruled on behalf of her young son, the heir to the throne; however, her regency was interrupted by a coup d’etat from 520 to 525. Although the empress dowager was expected to rule only as a regent, historical records indicate that she administered court in her own name. These same records also reveal that she adopted a personal pronoun – “zhen 朕,” otherwise known as the Chinese “royal we” – that was reserved for the exclusive use of the emperor.

    In my recent book, “The Women Who Ruled China,” I offer an overview of these historical sources and records that document her life, including a translation of her biography retained in the official chronicle of the Northern Wei. Using these sources, I argue that even though the Empress Dowager’s rule was problematic and short – resulting in her assassination – she laid the foundation for other, more successful female rulers across medieval East Asia.

    Capitalizing on different cultural traditions

    In the late fifth century, the capital city of the Northern Wei was moved from its northern location in modern-day Datong, China, to its southern location in Luoyang, a city at the very heart of Han Chinese culture and history; however, the people who ruled the empire were not ethnically Han Chinese.

    Known as the Taghbach, this group migrated south from the Mongolian steppe and ruled a multiethnic and multicultural empire from Luoyang, the world’s largest city and the former capital of the Eastern Han dynasty. The Northern Wei empire adopted laws, institutions and policies from both Taghbach and Han Chinese traditions.

    This cultural hybridity enabled the empress dowager to rule directly: On one hand, the Chinese court system rooted in the Han dynasty had long included the position of empress dowager, even though none of the women who held it had ruled directly. On the other, Taghbach culture had no formal position of empress dowager prior to its adoption of court ranks in the Northern Wei, but it did have a long tradition of women in public life. These women served in the military and advised on political matters.

    Multiple sources of evidence indicate that Taghbach women had a high degree of personal autonomy and political power, with no source suggesting otherwise.

    A well-known story about Taghbach woman appears in the legend of Mulan, who is said to have dressed as a man so that she could serve in the military in place of her father. The Mulan legend is widely recounted in Chinese literature and inspired a fictional character in two Walt Disney movies based on the Chinese fable.

    As a historian of gender in this period, I believe that the Mulan legend does not accurately depict Taghbach women. Instead, it is a Chinese story that emphasizes a form of gender transgression that makes sense only within Chinese and Confucian culture. Unlike Chinese culture, Taghbach culture had long known women warriors who could ride horses and shoot arrows without concealing their gender.

    Empress Dowager Ling was not a warrior, but she embraced martial symbols of her own power that were available to women in Taghbach culture but not in Chinese culture. For example, she was an accomplished archer and famously drove her own horse cart, which was just as splendid and imposing as was the emperor’s cart.

    In the Confucian culture of Han China, such actions were considered highly inappropriate for women, but Empress Dowager Ling carried them out while holding the Chinese title of empress dowager. Her rule, like her empire, was culturally hybrid. That blend of cultural traditions enabled her to take power in a way that neither Chinese nor Taghbach women had done before.

    A Buddhist ruler

    By the time of the reign of the Northern Wei empire, both Taghbah and Chinese cultures had become deeply familiar with Buddhism, a religion that they had inherited from India in a long process of cultural exchange along the Silk Road. The empire had integrated methods of Buddhist statecraft into its own forms of governance.

    Simply put, what this meant was that the ruler of the empire legitimized his reign through Buddhism, portraying himself either as a Buddha or as a patron of Buddhists – their texts and institutions. This was a type of governance that was widely practiced in premodern East Asia.

    The bodhisattva Maitreya, considered to be the Buddha of the future.
    Rogers Fund, 1982/The Metropolitan Museum, New York

    Even though Buddhist statecraft was widespread in the empress dowager’s time, she was the first woman to directly legitimate her independent rule through Buddhism. As a patron of Buddhism, she commissioned majestic Buddhist architecture. Perhaps seen by her populace as a Buddhist figure herself, she symbolized her co-rule with her son by using a Buddhist visual motif of two Buddhas sitting side by side, a representation that came to be known as the rule by “Two Sages,” meaning tandem rulers depicted in the guise of buddhas. The source for the image was the popular Buddhist text, the “Lotus Sūtra.”

    She also attempted to put her own granddaughter on the throne after the death of her son. As I argue in my book, she did so by capitalizing on the idea that first her son, and then her granddaughter, were thought of as the bodhisattva Maitreya, a being of infinite compassion who is believed to be the future Buddha.

    The empress dowager’s legacy

    Empress Dowager Ling was largely unsuccessful in her bid for power. Her rule was short and contested. She was murdered, and her empire was toppled within 13 years of her rule. For five of those years, she was not in power because of a coup d’etat.

    However, about 150 years after the assassination of the empress dowager, another woman would rise to rule China independently, this time taking the title of “emperor.” That woman is known as Empress Wu, or Emperor Wu Zhao, and she is undoubtedly the most famous woman in all of Chinese history. Numerous historical sources attest to her life, work and rule.

    What those sources tell us, however, is that she ruled using the very same strategies as Empress Dowager Ling. Investing her own family heritage in distant links to the Taghbach, she also positioned herself as a “Two Sage” ruler alongside the emperor in precisely the same way that Empress Dowager Ling did. She was also able to successfully establish herself as the bodhisattva Maitreya by using Buddhist texts known to Empress Dowager Ling and her court.

    She patronized the very same Buddhist structures as did Empress Dowager Ling, including the Buddhist caves at Longmen, just outside of Luoyang. However, she accomplished what Empress Dowager Ling could not – holding onto power successfully. I argue her success was possible because Empress Dowager Ling had paved the way.

    Stephanie Balkwill 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. Remembering China’s Empress Dowager Ling, a Buddhist who paved the way for future female rulers – https://theconversation.com/remembering-chinas-empress-dowager-ling-a-buddhist-who-paved-the-way-for-future-female-rulers-251132

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI: General Laura J. Richardson Joins Siebert Financial Corp. Advisory Board

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK and MIAMI and LOS ANGELES, March 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — General (Ret.) Laura J. Richardson, former Commander of U.S. Southern Command, has joined the Siebert Financial Corp. (“Siebert”) (Nasdaq: SIEB) Advisory Board, the company announced today. A distinguished leader with nearly four decades of military service, General Richardson brings strategic expertise, operational leadership, and a deep understanding of global affairs, reinforcing Siebert’s commitment to expanding financial services for veterans, military personnel, and underserved communities.

    “General Richardson’s leadership and global experience will be a tremendous asset to Siebert,” said John J. Gebbia, CEO of Siebert. “Her distinguished national security and diplomacy career aligns with our mission to deliver innovative financial solutions that empower individuals and communities. We are honored to welcome her to our Advisory Board, as we continue expanding our services across key sectors, including military and veteran affairs, international markets, and women’s financial initiatives.”

    Most recently, General Richardson served as the 32nd Commander of U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), overseeing military operations across Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. She previously led U.S. Army North (Fifth Army) and held multiple high-ranking positions, including Deputy Commanding General of U.S. Army Forces Command, Chief of Army Legislative Liaison to Congress, and Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications for Operation Enduring Freedom.

    As a trailblazer in the U.S. Army, General Richardson has commanded at every level, including leading an Assault Helicopter Battalion in combat during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

    “Muriel Siebert was a pioneer, and I am honored to join an organization that carries forward her legacy of leadership and innovation,” said General Richardson. “Financial security is a critical pillar of long-term stability for individuals, families, and communities. I look forward to working with Siebert to expand opportunities—especially for veterans, women, and those seeking financial independence in an evolving global economy. I am grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with the Gebbia family on this exciting new chapter for Siebert, and I admire their vision for growing the firm’s impact.”

    General Richardson joins a prestigious Siebert Advisory Board that includes influential figures from finance, sports, and entertainment, such as international recording artist Akon, NFL Pro Brandon Marshall, Wall Street executives Mick Solimene and Steven Geskos.

    Her addition underscores Siebert’s commitment to leveraging world-class expertise to drive financial growth, foster strategic partnerships, and create meaningful solutions for its diverse client base.

    Strengthening Siebert’s Commitment to the Military and Veteran Community

    Kaj Larsen, Head of Military Investment at Siebert, emphasized the significance of General Richardson’s appointment:
    “Welcoming General Richardson to Siebert is a powerful statement about our commitment to those who have served. Her leadership and firsthand understanding of the military community will help us expand financial solutions tailored for veterans, active-duty personnel, and their families. At Siebert, we recognize the unique financial needs of those who have dedicated their lives to service, and this partnership strengthens our mission to support them with the best resources available.”

    About Siebert Financial Corp.
    Siebert is a diversified financial services company and has been a member of the NYSE since 1967 when Muriel Siebert became the first woman to own a seat on the NYSE and the first to head one of its member firms.

    Siebert operates through its subsidiaries Muriel Siebert & Co., LLC, Siebert AdvisorNXT, LLC, Park Wilshire Companies, Inc., RISE Financial Services, LLC, Siebert Technologies, LLC, and StockCross Digital Solutions, Ltd, and Gebbia Media LLC. Through these entities, Siebert provides a full range of brokerage and financial advisory services, including securities brokerage, investment advisory and insurance offerings, securities lending, and corporate stock plan administration solutions, in addition to entertainment and media productions. For over 55 years, Siebert has been a company that values its clients, shareholders, and employees. More information is available at www.siebert.com.

    Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
    The statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts, including statements about our beliefs and expectations, are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include statements preceded by, followed by, or that include the words “may,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “estimate,” “target,” “project,” “intend” and similar words or expressions. In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, projections, or other characterizations of future events or circumstances are forward-looking statements.

    These forward-looking statements, which reflect beliefs, objectives, and expectations as of the date hereof, are based on the best judgment of the management of Siebert. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made. Such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in such statements, including, without limitation, the following: economic, social and political conditions, global economic downturns resulting from extraordinary events; securities industry risks; interest rate risks; liquidity risks; credit risk with clients and counterparties; risk of liability for errors in clearing functions; systemic risk; systems failures, delays and capacity constraints; network security risks; competition; reliance on external service providers; new laws and regulations affecting Siebert’s business; net capital requirements; extensive regulation, regulatory uncertainties and legal matters; failure to maintain relationships with employees, customers, business partners or governmental entities; the inability to achieve synergies or to implement integration plans; and other consequences associated with risks and uncertainties detailed in Part I, Item 1A – Risk Factors of Siebert’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, and Siebert’s filings with the SEC.

    Siebert cautions that the foregoing list of factors is not exclusive, and new factors may emerge, or changes to the foregoing factors may occur that could impact its business. Siebert undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise these statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except to the extent required by the federal securities laws.

    Media Contact
    Deborah Kostroun, Zito Partners
    deborah@zitopartners.com
    +1 (201) 403-8185

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/041ca78e-63d1-4c62-a534-e0c9a1fa3b51

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Samsung’s SmartThings Flex Connect Expands Reach to Maximize Energy Savings and Rewards

    Source: Samsung

    SmartThings, Samsung’s global connected living platform, today announces the expansion of its Flex Connect program with Leap into PJM Interconnection LLC (PJM). Originally launched to California and New York in July 2024, the program saw rapid success, prompting Samsung to expand access to Texas in December 2024, and now to PJM in early March. This expansion to the largest wholesale electricity market in the U.S. enables more consumers to access energy-saving opportunities, reinforcing SmartThings’ commitment to providing user choice and sustainable solutions.
    With the expanded reach of Flex Connect, SmartThings users across the Mid-Atlantic and greater Chicago now have greater access to participate in demand response (DR) events that help stabilize the energy grid while lowering their energy costs. Consumers can automate their smart home devices—including thermostats, plugs, air conditioners, lights, TVs, and appliances—to participate in energy-saving initiatives effortlessly, maximizing their savings without sacrificing comfort.

    Enhancing Consumer Choice with the Largest Smart Home Ecosystem
    SmartThings offers the largest ecosystem of connected devices, giving consumers unparalleled flexibility in how they can engage with DR programs. Unlike traditional DR initiatives with limited device compatibility, Flex Connect allows a broad range of smart devices to integrate seamlessly, ensuring users can participate in a way that best suits their home setup.
    Eligible users can enroll supported devices through SmartThings Energy, a service within the SmartThings app, and select their preferred automation settings. When the grid is under stress, enrolled devices will automatically adjust energy consumption, helping consumers reduce their usage while maintaining comfort. Users who do not own supported devices can still participate by receiving energy-saving tips and taking manual actions to conserve energy.

    Transforming the Demand Response Experience
    Historically, DR programs required significant manual intervention and offered limited device compatibility. With SmartThings Energy, Samsung has unlocked whole-home DR participation by providing seamless automation, energy usage insights, and AI-powered energy management.
    Flex Connect allows users to:
    Earn Rewards – Enrolled users receive $50 in Samsung Rewards Points for participating in energy-saving events, making sustainability financially beneficial to users.
    Automate Energy Savings – SmartThings devices intelligently adjust energy use based on grid demand, efficiently saving users energy without compromising convenience.
    Customize Their Experience – Consumers have full control over which devices participate and how they respond to DR events, reinforcing SmartThings’ core mission of user empowerment.

    Empowering Consumers and Strengthening the Grid
    Grid pressures are projected to continue to intensify across the U.S., with the North American Electric Reliability Corporation projecting a 15% increase in summer peak demand and an 18% increase in winter peak demand over the next decade. With the Flex Connect program now supporting 32% of the U.S. population, according to U.S. Census data, Samsung is now a vital player in managing the increased energy demand–and at a crucial time, when energy demand is rising, supply is constrained, electricity prices are increasing for customers, and grid stability is threatened.
    “With SmartThings, we’re giving consumers the power to choose how they engage with their energy use while contributing to a more sustainable future,” said Chanwoo Park, Executive Vice President of B2B Integrated Offering Center at Samsung Electronics. “Expanding Flex Connect with Leap in the Mid-Atlantic and Chicago regions means more users can experience the benefits of automation, energy savings, and financial incentives—all while supporting a more resilient grid.”

    SmartThings remains at the forefront of innovation, creating new opportunities for consumers to participate in demand response programs effortlessly. Programs like Flex Connect are vital in managing the increased energy demand while providing financial and environmental benefits. The Flex Connect expansion marks a significant step toward a smarter, more efficient, and consumer-driven energy future.
    For more information, please visit www.smartthings.com.

    MIL OSI Economics –