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Category: Entertainment

  • MIL-OSI: ACM Research Announces Qualification of High-Temperature SPM Tool for Customer in China

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    FREMONT, Calif., March 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ACM Research, Inc. (“ACM”) (NASDAQ: ACMR), a leading supplier of wafer processing solutions for semiconductor and advanced packaging applications, today announced its Single-Wafer High-Temperature Sulfuric Peroxide Mixture (SPM) tool has been qualified by a key logic device manufacturer in mainland China. To date, ACM has delivered its SPM tools to thirteen customers. The system features ACM’s proprietary nozzle design, which prevents acid mist splatter during the SPM process, improving particle performance, reducing chamber preventive maintenance cleaning frequency, and enhancing system uptime. It supports wet etching and wafer cleaning for both front- and back-end processes at 28-nanometer (nm) and below technology nodes.

    “The Single-Wafer Moderate/High-Temperature SPM tool is a prime example of ACM’s commitment to innovation in solving customers’ challenges in high-volume 300mm semiconductor manufacturing. We’re already seeing great interest across our global customer base in this tool,” said Dr. David Wang, ACM’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “The Moderate/High-Temperature SPM represents a growing portion of the wafer-cleaning equipment market, especially High-Temperature SPM tool, which plays a critical role in manufacturing next-generation semiconductor devices.”

    ACM’s Single-Wafer Moderate/High-Temperature SPM tool is suitable for a variety of front- and back-end wet etching and cleaning processes, including low-to-medium temperature sulfuric acid cleaning at 90 degrees Celsius (°C), high-temperature sulfuric acid photoresist stripping at 170°C, and ultra-high temperature sulfuric acid metal lift-off at 190°C. As semiconductor process nodes advance, the demand for single-wafer high-temperature sulfuric acid processing is increasing significantly. This trend brings increasingly stringent requirements for particle control, chamber environment management, and sulfuric acid temperature stability. In response to these challenges, ACM has introduced an innovative design for its Single-Wafer Moderate/High-Temperature SPM tool, positioning it as a ready-to-deploy solution to meet the evolving needs of the industry. ACM’s proprietary technologies integrated into the tool include:

    • A multi-level heating method that ensures the highest mixed temperature exceeds 230℃ and is steadily controlled.
    • An SPM nozzle design that prevents high-temperature SPM from splashing outside the chamber; it achieves better particle control with an average particle count of fewer than 10 at 26nm.

    The Single-Wafer Moderate/High-Temperature SPM tool is equipped with an inline chemical mixing system and a configurable process chamber that accommodates various chemical solutions. It can also be seamlessly integrated with ACM’s patented SAPS and TEBO megasonic technologies to enhance organic contaminant removal and improve wafer surface preparation.

    About the ACM Single-Wafer Moderate/ High-Temperature SPM Tool
    ACM’s Single-Wafer Moderate/High-Temperature SPM tool is designed for various wet-etching processes and both single- and double-sided cleaning. It is compatible with a wide range of chemicals and cleaning processes. By effectively removing organic defects while minimizing film loss, it outperforms most post-cleaning and photoresist wet stripping processes. Supporting wafer sizes from 150mm to 300mm, the system features four load ports, a configurable setup of 8 to 12 chambers, a multifunctional chemical distribution system, and a self-cleaning chamber.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    Certain statements contained in this press release are not historical facts and may be forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “plans,” “expects,” “believes,” “anticipates,” “designed,” and similar words are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on ACM management’s current expectations and beliefs and involve a number of risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict and that could cause actual results to differ materially from those stated or implied by the forward-looking statements. A description of certain of these risks, uncertainties and other matters can be found in filings ACM makes with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, all of which are available at www.sec.gov. Because forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, actual results and events may differ materially from results and events currently expected by ACM. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. ACM undertakes no obligation to publicly update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that occur after the date hereof or to reflect any change in its expectations with regard to these forward-looking statements or the occurrence of unanticipated events.

    About ACM Research, Inc.
    ACM develops, manufactures and sells semiconductor process equipment spanning cleaning, electroplating, stress-free polishing, vertical furnace processes, track, PECVD, and wafer- and panel-level packaging tools, enabling advanced and semi-critical semiconductor device manufacturing. ACM is committed to delivering customized, high-performance, cost-effective process solutions that semiconductor manufacturers can use in numerous manufacturing steps to improve productivity and product yield. For more information, visit www.acmr.com.

    © ACM Research, Inc. ULTRA C, SAPS, TEBO and the ACM Research logo are trademarks of ACM Research, Inc. For convenience, these trademarks appear in this press release without ™ symbols, but that practice does not mean ACM will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, its rights to such trademarks. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

    Media Contact: Company Contacts:
    Alyssa Lundeen USA
    Kiterocket Robert Metter
    +1 218.398.0776 +1 503.367.9753
    alundeen@kiterocket.com  
      China
      Xi Wang
      ACM Research (Shanghai), Inc.
      +86 21 50808868
       
      Korea
      David Kim
      ACM Research (Korea), Inc.
      +82 1041415171
       
      Taiwan
      David Chang
      +886 921999884
       
      Singapore
      Adrian Ong
      +65 8813-1107

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Human Right Committee Opens One Hundred and Forty-Third Session

    Source: United Nations – Geneva

    Committee Elects New Chairperson and Bureau, Five New Members Make Solemn Declaration

    The Human Right Committee this morning opened its one hundred and forty-third session, during which it will examine the reports of Albania, Burkina Faso, Haiti, Mongolia, Montenegro and Zimbabwe on their implementation of the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.  The Committee elected a new Chairperson and Bureau, and five new members made their solemn declaration. 

    In her opening remarks, Wan-Hea Lee, Chief of the Civil, Political, Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Section, Human Rights Council and Treaty Mechanisms Division, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and Representative of the Secretary-General, said despite the liquidity situation currently facing the United Nations, the first sessions of all the treaty bodies this year had or were going to take place, thereby allowing the important work undertaken by Committees, including this one, to proceed. 

    The Office of the High Commissioner and the United Nations had and would continue to do their utmost to ensure that the Committee’s work could proceed to the maximum extent possible.

    Ms. Lee said they were living in exceptional times, marked by profound global challenges that tested the resilience of the international legal order.  The international system was going through a tectonic shift, and the human rights edifice that had been built up so painstakingly over decades had never been under so much strain.  The United Nations system, including the Committee, bore a shared responsibility to safeguard and reinforce these hard-fought achievements. Now, more than ever, collective action was necessary to defend the universality of human rights, preserve the integrity of international law, and ensure that it remained a robust shield against further regression.

    In its current session, Ms. Lee said, the Human Rights Council would hold interactive dialogues with the Special Rapporteurs on freedom of religion or belief, on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, and on the situation of human rights defenders. Last Tuesday, the Council held its biannual high-level panel discussion on the question of the death penalty, which focused on the contribution of the judiciary towards the abolition of the death penalty.  As of today, 113 countries had abolished the death penalty completely, and the global South was now leading the abolition movement. 

    Next Wednesday morning, 5 March, the Council would hold a panel discussion on early warning and genocide prevention.  The Council encouraged States to intensify conflict risk analysis to assess the risks of the perpetration of genocide and to identify situations where preventive measures might be necessary.  Ms. Lee said the work of the Committee needed to be considered a vital component of such risk assessment.

    Last year was particularly challenging, Ms. Lee stated.  In addition to chronic resource constraints, the liquidity crisis continued to hamper the planning and implementation of the Committee’s work – a point that the Chairs communicated forcefully during their meetings with Member States and other interlocutors in New York.  The Office of the High Commissioner was doing its utmost to ensure that the treaty bodies could implement their mandates, including by highlighting the direct impact that resource limitations had on human rights protection on the ground.  Nevertheless, all indications pointed to a continuation of the difficult liquidity situation for the foreseeable future.

    Ms. Lee said the treaty body strengthening process remained active.  It reached a key moment with the adoption last December of the biennial resolution on the treaty body system by the General Assembly. The resolution invited the treaty bodies and the Office of the High Commissioner to continue to work on coordination and predictability in the reporting process with the aim of achieving a regularised schedule for reporting, and to increase efforts to further use digital technologies.  However, the biennial resolution did not endorse certain detailed proposals, such as the one for an eight-year predictable schedule of reviews.

    On Human Rights Day last year, Ms. Lee said, the Geneva Human Rights Platform organised an informal meeting of the Chairs and focal points on working methods, which explored the latest developments in the treaty body system and sought to improve the harmonisation of procedures.  The Chairs and focal points also had the opportunity to interact with the Coordination Committee of Special Procedures Mandate Holders, discussing independence and actual or potential conflict of interest of experts, and an “all mechanisms” approach to the many challenges the human rights mechanisms were facing.  The High Commissioner’s Office would continue to work alongside the Chairs and all treaty body experts to strengthen the system.

    Ms. Lee said that the Committee had a busy agenda ahead of it, including six States party reviews, the consideration and adoption of eight lists of issues and lists of issues prior to reporting, as well as several individual communications under the Optional Protocol.  It would also hold briefings with various stakeholders.  She closed by wishing the Committee a successful and productive session.

    During the meeting, Changrok Soh (Republic of Korea) was elected as Chair of the Committee, and Wafaa Ashraf Moharram Bassim (Egypt), Hernán Quezada Cabrera (Chile), and Hélène Tigroudja (France) were elected as Vice-Chairs.  The election of a Committee Rapporteur was deferred.  Committee members expressed their support for the newly elected Chair and Bureau members and to the outgoing members.

    Mr. Soh expressed thanks for the Committee’s support and commended the work of former Chair Tania María Abdo Rocholl (Paraguay).  He said human rights were at the heart of his work, and he took on his duties with a strong sense of dedication.  The evolving global landscape and increasing financial pressures on the treaty body system called for increased collaboration.  The treaty bodies needed to leverage new methodologies and technologies to address their challenges.  Mr. Soh said he would do his utmost to deliver on the Committee’s mandate. Through collaboration with various stakeholders, he would work to ensure that the Committee could uphold the civil and political rights of persons worldwide.

    Ms. Abdo Rocholl took the floor to congratulate Mr. Soh and all elected bureau measures, who she expected would take the Committee far in difficult times.  During her tenure, she said, the Committee had held 41 dialogues with States parties, issued 12 lists of issues and 19 lists of issues prior to reporting, analysed five reports on implementation of concluding observations, adopted 610 decisions on individual communications, and delivered three follow-up reports on communications.  It had also implemented changes to finalise lists of issues at an earlier stage and improve the communications review procedure, time management in State party reviews, and document production.  The Committee had worked in a collaborative, harmonious environment, which allowed for the improvement of its work.  Ms. Abdo Rocholl expressed thanks to all who supported her throughout her two-year tenure as Chair.

    The Committee then adopted its agenda and programme of work for the session.

    Laurence R. Helfer, Committee Expert and Chair of the Working Group on individual communications, presented the report on the Working Group’s activities for the one hundred and forty-third session.  He said the Working Group had a very busy session and had extremely rich and interesting discussions.  The cases examined were submitted between 2016 and 2023 and covered 13 States parties from different regions, as well as different themes ranging from arbitrary deprivation of the right to life to forced pregnancy and forced maternity, non-refoulement, voting rights, forced displacement of indigenous communities, arbitrary detention, right to freedom of religion and belief, and right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.  Regarding the 20 drafts examined and 44 communications covered, the Working Group submitted to the plenary for its consideration four inadmissibility proposals, one proposal of no violation; 36 proposals of violations; and two proposals with two options.  The report was adopted.

    New members elected to the Committee made their solemn declaration.  They are Carlos Ramón Fernández Liesa (Spain), Konstantin Korkelia (Georgia), Dalia Leinarte (Lithuania), Akmal Kholmatovich Saidov (Uzbekistan), and Ivan Šimonovic (Croatia).  Ms. Abdo Rocholl, Mr. Soh and Ms. Bassim, as well as Mahjoub El Haiba (Morocco) and Imeru Tamerat Yigezu (Ethiopia), were re-elected to the Committee.

    The Human Rights Committee’s one hundred and forty-third session is being held from 3 to 28 March 2025.  All the documents relating to the Committee’s work, including reports submitted by States parties, can be found on the session’s webpage.  Meeting summary releases can be found here.  The webcast of the Committee’s public meetings can be accessed via the UN Web TV webpage.

    The Committee will next meet in public at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, 4 March, to begin its consideration of the second periodic report of Montenegro (CCPR/C/MNE/2).

     

    Produced by the United Nations Information Service in Geneva for use of the media; 
    not an official record. English and French versions of our releases are different as they are the product of two separate coverage teams that work independently.

     

    CCPR25.001E

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: WAVES Bazaar: The Ultimate Business Collaboration Hub for Media & Entertainment

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 03 MAR 2025 4:56PM by PIB Mumbai

    Mumbai : 3 March 2025

    The media and entertainment industry is witnessing an unprecedented digital transformation, and at the heart of this evolution is the WAVES Bazaar—a revolutionary online marketplace designed to connect professionals, businesses, and creators across the global entertainment ecosystem. With its mission to foster seamless collaboration, WAVES Bazaar serves as the ultimate business hub for the Media & Entertainment industry, enabling professionals to expand their reach, discover new opportunities and engage in high-value partnerships.

    Launch of WAVES Bazaar

    WAVES Bazaar was officially launched on January 27, 2025, at the National Media Centre, New Delhi, by Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister of Information & Broadcasting, Railways and Electronics & Information Technology, and Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Union Minister of Culture & Tourism. The launch event was graced by the presence of Shri Sanjay Jaju, Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting; Shri Arunish Chawla, Secretary, Ministry of Culture; renowned Indian filmmaker Shri Shekhar Kapur; and Shri Gaurav Dwivedi, CEO, Prasar Bharati.

    What is WAVES Bazaar?

    WAVES Bazaar is a one-of-a-kind e-marketplace that brings together stakeholders from across the Media & Entertainment spectrum—including film, television, animation, gaming, advertising, XR, music, sound design, radio, and more. The platform acts as a bridge between buyers and sellers, ensuring that industry professionals can easily showcase their expertise, connect with potential clients, and secure meaningful collaborations.

    Whether you’re a filmmaker searching for a production partner, an advertiser seeking the right platform, a game developer looking for investors, or an artist wanting to showcase your work to global audiences, WAVES Bazaar provides a dynamic space for industry professionals to network, collaborate and grow their businesses.

    Key Features & Benefits of WAVES Bazaar

    • Comprehensive Industry Integration – A unified space for film, television, music, gaming, animation, advertising, and emerging tech sectors like XR, AR, and VR.
    • Global Reach & Visibility – Expand your business beyond borders and connect with international stakeholders in the entertainment industry.
    • Seamless Networking & Collaboration – Meet, interact, and collaborate with like-minded professionals, service providers, buyers, and investors.
    • Streamlined Buyer-Seller Transactions – A structured, easy-to-use platform that enables smooth business interactions between service providers and potential clients.
    • Diverse Listing Opportunities – Sellers can showcase their offerings in categories such as film production services, VFX, advertising, sound design, music production, gaming, animation, and more.
    • Access to Exclusive Industry Events & Marketplaces – Get access to industry-specific events, investor meet-ups, and exclusive marketplaces under the WAVES platform.

    Verticals of WAVES Bazaar

    WAVES Bazaar is structured into multiple verticals, each tailored to cater to a specific segment of the media and entertainment industry. These include:

    1. WAVES Bazaar: The Global e-Marketplace for Advertising Services

    A dedicated space for advertisers, marketers, and media buyers to explore and acquire advertising solutions. From print to digital to out-of-home (OOH) advertising, this vertical connects brands with the right media partners to maximize their campaign reach.

    2. WAVES Bazaar: The Ultimate Marketplace for Live Events

    Bringing together event organizers, vendors, and service providers in the live entertainment sector. Whether it’s music festivals, conferences, or corporate events, this vertical helps professionals find collaborators for seamless execution.

    3. WAVES Bazaar: The Global Marketplace for Animation & VFX Services

    A hub for animation studios, visual effects artists, and post-production houses to showcase their expertise. Filmmakers, game developers, and brands can find the right talent for their animation and VFX needs.

    4. WAVES Bazaar: The Global Marketplace for XR, VR & AR Services

    Designed for extended reality (XR) professionals, this segment connects innovators in virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR) with businesses looking to enhance their content through immersive experiences.

    5. WAVES Bazaar: The Global Marketplace for Films

    A one-stop destination for filmmakers, distributors, and investors. This vertical provides opportunities to showcase, acquire, and collaborate on film projects, bridging the gap between creators and financiers.

    6. WAVES Bazaar: The Grand Marketplace for Game Makers

    For gaming developers, studios, and publishers, this space facilitates connections with investors, voice artists, composers, and marketing experts to help bring interactive entertainment to the next level.

    7. WAVES Bazaar: The Global Marketplace for Radio & Podcast

    A dedicated space for radio stations, podcasters, and audio content creators to list their services, find sponsors, and collaborate on projects within the ever-growing digital audio landscape.

    8. WAVES Bazaar: The Global Marketplace for Comics & E-Books

    Authors, illustrators, and publishers can connect with distributors and content platforms to bring their stories to global audiences. This vertical ensures the creative industry thrives in both digital and physical formats.

    9. WAVES Bazaar: The Global Marketplace for Web-Series

    OTT platforms, independent creators, and digital studios can discover new talent, pitch projects, and collaborate on episodic content for streaming audiences worldwide.

    10. WAVES Bazaar: The Global Marketplace for Music & Sound

    A dedicated ecosystem for music composers, sound designers, and production houses to engage with filmmakers, advertisers, and gaming companies looking for original compositions and audio solutions.

    Who Should Join WAVES Bazaar?

    WAVES Bazaar is open to all professionals in the media, entertainment, and creative sectors, including but not limited to:

    For Sellers:

    • Film Producers & Studios – List your film projects and connect with distributors, investors, and sales agents.
    • Animation & VFX Studios – Showcase your expertise to filmmakers and gaming developers.
    • Gaming & XR Developers – Find investors, partners, and clients for your game projects.
    • Music & Sound Professionals – Promote your composition, scoring, and sound design services.
    • Advertising & Marketing Agencies – Connect with brands and businesses looking for media campaigns.
    • Radio & Podcast Creators – Gain exposure and monetization opportunities.
    • Writers & E-Book Publishers – Reach out to production houses, platforms, and content buyers.

    For Buyers:

    • Film production houses and OTT platforms looking for content acquisitions
    • Media agencies and brands searching for advertising partners
    • Game developers seeking animation and sound services
    • Event organizers in need of promotional collaborations
    • Public sector organizations looking for creative content solutions

    How WAVES Bazaar Works

    • Visit the WAVES Bazaar Website – Navigate to wavesbazaar.com and explore the platform.
    • Sign Up & Create Your Profile – Register as a buyer, seller, or investor to access the full range of opportunities.
    • List Your Services or Project Needs – Showcase your work or explore available listings tailored to your business interests.
    • Connect & Collaborate – Network with industry professionals, schedule meetings, and initiate successful collaborations.
    • Grow Your Business – Expand your market, find new revenue streams and establish long-term partnerships.

    Why WAVES Bazaar is a Game-Changer for the Industry

    In a rapidly evolving digital landscape, WAVES Bazaar is revolutionizing the way entertainment professionals connect and do business. By eliminating geographical barriers and offering a structured, category-specific marketplace, the platform ensures that industry players find the right partners faster, negotiate better deals, and maximize their business potential.

    Join WAVES Bazaar today and unlock endless opportunities in the global entertainment industry!

    Register now at: wavesbazaar.com

    Follow us on social media for updates and industry insights.

    About WAVES 2025

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

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

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

    Have questions? Find answers here

    Come, Sail with us! Register for WAVES now (Coming soon!)

     

    WAVES 2025/ Sayyid Rabeehashmi/ Nikita Joshi/ Preeti Malandkar

     

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

     

    (Release ID: 2107781) Visitor Counter : 34

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Film Archive’s “Laughter Double Bill: Hong Kong Comedy Film Spectacular” to showcase film classics of generations of great comedians (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Film Archive’s “Laughter Double Bill: Hong Kong Comedy Film Spectacular” to showcase film classics of generations of great comedians (with photos)
    Film Archive’s “Laughter Double Bill: Hong Kong Comedy Film Spectacular” to showcase film classics of generations of great comedians (with photos)
    ******************************************************************************************

         In support of the theme “More Than Joy” of the Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival 2025, the Hong Kong Film Archive (HKFA) of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) will present a thematic screening programme, “Laughter Double Bill: Hong Kong Comedy Film Spectacular”, from April 4 to May 11. The programme features 16 classic films spanning the 1940s to 2000s, showcasing the comedic sparks of master comedians from different eras while illustrating the evolution of Hong Kong comedy films.      The opening programme, “Silhouette Resonance x The Banquet (1991)”, will be held on April 4 (Friday) at 3pm at the Grand Theatre of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre (HKCC), which also marks the grand opening of the Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival 2025. Renowned musician Ng Cheuk-yin will reimagine beloved songs from classic comedy films with fresh arrangements to be performed live by pop singer Alfred Hui, a cappella choral theatre company Yat Po Singers, and beatboxer Heartgrey (Eric So) with a live band. Following the performance, the 4K digitally restored version of “The Banquet” (1991) will be screened, blending entertainment with cultural artistry to showcase the vibrancy of Hong Kong’s pop culture.      The screening programme presents classic films alongside more contemporary works, reflecting the changes in Hong Kong’s social and cultural landscapes as well as human relationships. “The Banquet” (1991) is adapted from the film “Feast of a Rich Family” (1959), with a star-studded cast coming together to raise funds for flood relief. The story revolves around a couple, played by Eric Tsang and Dodo Cheng, who host a grand banquet in the name of the husband’s father, played by Richard Ng, to please a wealthy man. The performances of the trio are brilliant, and the numerous star cameos, including those of comedic giants Michael Hui and Stephen Chow, legendary artists Anita Mui, Leslie Cheung, Wong Ka-kui, and internationally renowned Gong Li, add to the dazzling spectacle.      The 4K digitally restored version of “Feast of a Rich Family” (1959) will be screened at the HKCC Grand Theatre on April 4 at 7.30pm. The film, starring the era’s most popular actors and actresses including Ng Cho-fan, Mui Yee, Cheung Ying, Pak Yin, and Cheung Wood-yau, depicts a series of absurd farces stemming from a nouveau riche ostentatious display of wealth, satirising the ridiculousness of people vying to curry favour with the wealthy. The HKFA has specially conducted a 4K digital restoration of this classic, complete with subtitles. Both the sound and image qualities have been significantly improved, making it highly anticipated.      The film “Black Rose” (1965) (2K Digital Version) pioneered the trend of Cantonese cinema featuring female superheroes. The story revolves around two sisters of a wealthy family, played by Nam Hung and Connie Chan Po-chu, who are masked vigilantes that steal from the rich and give to the poor, with a group of unsuspecting wealthy men falling for the heroines, adding to the comedic effects. In “92 The Legendary la Rose Noire” (1992), a series of chaotic and bizarre adventures are triggered by a note undersigned “Black Rose”. Director Jeff Lau blends classic elements of Cantonese films with unexpected humour, and the hilarious performances by Fung Bo-bo, Wong Wan-sze, Teresa Mo, and Tony Leung Ka-fai make this tribute to Cantonese films a classic of Hong Kong comedy films.      In “The Judge Goes to Pieces” (1948), lawyer Sung Sai-kit, played by renowned Cantonese opera performer Ma Si-tsang, seeks justice for a wronged widow with his wife, who is played by Hung Sin Nui. The humorous and loving interactions of husband and wife are portrayed with impeccable comedic timing. In “Justice, My Foot!” (1992), Stephen Chow and Anita Mui portray the legendary couple. Under Johnnie To’s masterful direction, both stars show off their comedic prowess while Mui displays her stunning talent in martial arts.            “My Intimate Partners” (1960) (2K Digital Version) focuses on friendship, with Patrick Tse Yin and Woo Fung playing characters with contrasting personalities but a deep camaraderie. This humorous and touching story also captures the spirit of Hong Kong’s transitioning society in the 1960s. In “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Father” (1993) (2K Digital Version), Tony Leung Chiu-wai’s character travels through time to meet and befriend his young father, played by Tony Leung Ka-fai, resulting in a heartwarming and laughter-filled tale.      In the 1960s, the trend of young couple comedies emerged in Cantonese films. “The Diary of a Husband” (1964) (2K Digital Version) directed by Chor Yuen is one of the masterpieces, portraying the aspiration of a middle-class lifestyle in the 1960s with witty and humorous dialogue. “The Diary of a Big Man” (1988), also directed by Chor Yuen, has a completely different storyline. Movie superstar Chow Yun-fat plays a stockbroker and philanderer, navigating relationships between characters played by Joey Wang and Sally Yeh. A series of amusing incidents, along with attractive characters and scenic backdrops, reflect Hong Kong’s then socio-economic conditions, showcasing the era’s affluence through glamorous lifestyles.      Chor Yuen’s diverse works include the romantic comedy “The Pregnant Maiden” (1968) (2K Digital Version), in which Connie Chan Po-chu’s character pretends to be pregnant, leading to a series of hilarious situations as she becomes a sparring partner with Lui Kay’s character. “Dummy Mommy, Without a Baby” (2001) is directed by Joe Ma and Mak Kai-kwong, starring Miriam Yeung. While also centering on the theme of a fake pregnancy, this latter work takes a fresh approach with a contemporary twist as well as featuring Chor Yuen’s last big-screen appearance.      “The Private Eyes” (1976), a classic comedy by the Hui brothers, was written and directed by Michael Hui, who also co-starred with his brothers Sam and Ricky. Their series of humorous mishaps and misunderstandings have already become part of the collective memory. “Fantasia” (2004) pays homage to the Hui brothers’ comedy films by recreating many classic scenes, and the performances of Sean Lau and Francis Ng are particularly amazing.      “Wheels on Meals” (1984) (2K Restored Version), starring Sammo Hung, Jackie Chan, and Yuen Biao, features the trio creating humorous performances with their agile bodies, perfectly blending action and comedy elements. “Rob-B-Hood” (2006) is also an action comedy, where Jackie Chan, Louis Koo, and Michael Hui play thieves who get entangled in a wealthy family’s feud during a mission. Jackie Chan’s signature spectacular fight scenes, combined with the touching moments of redemption for the three leads, make the film both entertaining and heartwarming.      All films are in Cantonese while some of them are recently digitised. Post-screening talks will be accompanied for designated screening sessions, hosted by Sunny Chan, Mak Kai-kwong, Thomas Shin, Dr Charles Cheung, Grace Ng, Eric Tsang Siu-wang, Shu Kei, Sam Ho and Joyce Yang.      Tickets for the opening programme “Silhouette Resonance x The Banquet (1991)” are priced at $100.     “Feast of a Rich Family”, “Black Rose” and “92 The Legendary la Rose Noire” will be screened at the HKCC, with tickets priced at $70 and a 20 per cent discount for LCSD Museum Pass holders purchasing regular-priced tickets for the films at URBTIX outlets. Other films will be screened at the HKFA, with tickets priced at $60. A 20 per cent discount is also available for every purchase of regular-priced tickets of two or more screenings of this programme.      Tickets will be available from March 7 (Friday) at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For telephone bookings, please call 3166 1288. For programme details, please visit the HKFA website (www.filmarchive.gov.hk/en/web/hkfa/2025/comedy-s/pe-event-2025-comedy-s.html) or call 2739 2139.      This year, the LCSD presents the third Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival, themed “More Than Joy”. Humour has been a trend-setter of Hong Kong’s pop culture scene. The Festival features a diverse range of formats including stage performances, film screenings, thematic exhibitions, library and outreach activities. Offering an insight into the multifaceted development of Hong Kong’s pop culture along the line of “happiness”, the Festival brings audiences not only joy and laughter, but also an opportunity to appreciate how pop culture can be transmitted and transformed, and how integration and breakthroughs are possible. For more information, please visit www.pcf.gov.hk/en.

     
    Ends/Monday, March 3, 2025Issued at HKT 18:48

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Lamont To Present Legendary Rolling Stones Guitarist Keith Richards With the Inaugural Connecticut Governor’s Award of Excellence

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    (HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that legendary guitarist, longtime Connecticut resident, founding member of the world-renowned rock band the Rolling Stones, and community philanthropist Keith Richards will be the first recipient of the Connecticut Governor’s Award of Excellence – a prestigious new honor celebrating Connecticut residents who epitomize the state’s core values of creativity, resourcefulness, passion, dynamism, and generosity.

    Established in 2025, the Governor’s Award of Excellence celebrates individuals whose contributions enrich Connecticut’s cultural and civic life. The award consists of a custom-designed medallion — crafted by Connecticut State Trooper Danny Carvalho and manufactured by the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology (CCAT) — along with a ribbon designed and sewn by Enfield-based fashion designer Justin Haynes. In addition to the award, Governor Lamont will present Richards with a proclamation offering him the “Key to the State.”

     

    The Governor’s Awards of Excellence celebrates individuals whose contributions enrich Connecticut’s cultural and civic life. The award was custom designed by Connecticut State Trooper Danny Carvalho and manufactured by the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology, and the ribbon was designed by Enfield-based fashion designer Justin Haynes.

    [Download image in high quality] 

     
    The honor will be presented to Richards during a ceremony that will be held at The Westport Library on Wednesday, March 5, 2025, at 4:00 p.m. Due to the space limitations of the intimate venue and anticipated interest, this event is open to invited guests and media only. The library will be closed from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. to accommodate the ceremony.

    “Connecticut has long been home to some of the world’s most innovative minds, boldest artists, and most generous hearts,” Governor Lamont said. “This award was created to honor those whose creativity, resourcefulness, and passion have made a lasting impact on our state and beyond. Keith Richards is the epitome of these values — not only as one of the most influential musicians of all time but as a dedicated supporter of the arts, education, and community causes right here in Connecticut.”

    A Connecticut resident since 1985, Richards is being honored for his deep commitment to supporting the local community. Through his generosity and dedication to organizations like SPHERE, which enhances the lives of adults with disabilities, and The Prospector Theater, which provides meaningful employment through the magic of film, Richards has used his influence to uplift and empower others. Richards has also been an advocate for arts, education, and accessibility initiatives throughout the state, further exemplifying his dedication to making a lasting impact.

    “When you are growing up there are two institutional places that affect you most powerfully: the church, which belongs to God, and the public library, which belongs to you,” Richards said. “The public library is the great equalizer.”

    “The Westport Library is beyond thrilled to host this momentous occasion honoring Keith Richards, a true cultural icon whose influence transcends generations,” Bill Harmer, executive director of The Westport Library, said. “As a library that celebrates creativity, storytelling, and the transformative power of the arts, we couldn’t imagine a more fitting place for this historic event. Keith’s legacy is woven into the fabric of music history, and we are honored to provide the stage where Connecticut will recognize his immeasurable contributions. This is not just a celebration of an artist, but of a life lived boldly, authentically, and with an undeniable passion for inspiring others.”

    Richards is regarded as one of the greatest guitarists in the history of music. His career with the Rolling Stones dates back over seven decades, to the early 1960s, and his songwriting partnership with Stones frontman Mick Jagger is heralded as one of the most successful and prolific in rock history. Among his signature songs are “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” “Satisfaction,” “Ruby Tuesday,” “Start Me Up,” “Happy,” “Miss You,” “Brown Sugar,” “Gimme Shelter,” “Wild Horses,” “It’s Only Rock n’ Roll (But I Like it),” and “As Tears Go By,” to name a few.

    Richards has also scored great success as a solo artist, with albums including “Talk Is Cheap,” “Live at the Hollywood Palladium,” “Main Offender,” and “Crosseyed Heart,” and hits such as “Take It So Hard,” “You Don’t Move Me,” “Wicked as It Seems,” and “Eileen.”

    Onscreen, Richards played a solider in the 1969 film “Man on Horseback,” himself on “The Simpsons” in 2002, and appeared in two “Pirates of the Caribbean” films as Captain Teague, the father of main character Jack Sparrow, who was notably loosely based off Richards. In 2015, he released his Netflix documentary, “Keith Richards: Under The Influence,” which was partially filmed in Connecticut.

    Richards has also penned two books. He released his memoir “Life” to critical acclaim in 2010, and later released a children’s book, “Gus & Me: The Story of My Granddad and My First Guitar,” in 2014.

    Richards was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989, the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1993, and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2004, among his many honors.

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: We looked at what supermarkets in 97 countries are doing to our waistlines. Here’s what we found

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tailane Scapin, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Deakin University

    World Obesity Federation

    In many countries, buying food at supermarkets, convenience stores and online has become the norm. But what’s the convenience of modern food shopping doing to our health?

    Our study, published today with colleagues from UNICEF, looked at how people in 97 countries shopped for groceries over 15 years.

    Globally, we found a huge increase in the number of supermarkets and convenience stores (which we’ll shorten to chain grocery stores in this article). We also found people are spending more money in these stores and on their online platforms.

    But this has come at a cost to our health. People in countries with the most chain grocery stores per person buy more unhealthy food and are more likely to be obese.

    Here’s why we’re so concerned about this public health disaster.

    The rise of chain grocery stores

    Our study analysed food industry data from a business database to understand how the food retail sector has changed worldwide over time. We looked at the kinds of stores, how much people spend there, and how much unhealthy processed food is sold. We linked these trends with changes in obesity rates using data from a large global initiative.

    We found the density of chain grocery stores (number of stores per 10,000 people) has increased globally by 23.6% over 15 years (from 2009 to 2023).

    We found far more of these stores per person in high-income countries, as you may expect. However, it’s in low- and middle-income countries where numbers are increasing the fastest.

    Rapid urbanisation, rising incomes and customer demand mean large retail companies see these countries as new potential markets.

    For example, the density of chain grocery stores increased by about 21% a year in Myanmar, about 18% a year in Vietnam and about 12% a year in Cambodia.

    In Vietnam, the number of chain grocery stores increased by about 18% a year.
    Nature-Andy/Shutterstock

    We’re shopping online too

    The data in our study also covers the rise of online food shopping. For instance, the worldwide spend on online grocery shopping was 325% more in 2023 compared with 2014.

    Out of the 27 countries we looked at for online food shopping, people in the United Arab Emirates and the United States were the top spenders. In 2023, the average person in the United Arab Emirates spent about US$617 that year, 570% more than in 2014. In the US, the average person spent US$387 in 2023. That’s about 125% more than in 2014.

    It seems many of us took to online shopping during the early days of the COVID pandemic, a habit that appears to have stuck.

    More chain stores, more junk food, more obesity

    The rise of chain grocery stores, including their online platforms, is also changing what we eat.

    Over the 15 years of our study, there has been a 10.9% increase in the sales of unhealthy processed food from those chain grocery stores.

    In South Asia, the increase has been particularly rapid. People in Pakistan have been buying 5% more unhealthy processed foods from chain grocery stores every year for the past 15 years. In India, it’s 4% more and in Bangladesh 3% more.

    Over 15 years, our study also showed the percentage of people with obesity across all countries rose from 18.2% to 23.7%. It was the countries with the biggest increases in chain grocery stores where we saw the sharpest increases in obesity.

    Laos is a good example. The number of chain grocery stores per person in the country has been increasing by 15% each year since 2009, while the percentage of people with obesity has doubled from 2009 to 2023.

    In almost all countries, obesity is on the rise. In Australia, overweight and obesity have recently officially overtaken tobacco as the biggest burden on our health.

    Over 15 years, there has been a 10.9% increase in the sales of unhealthy processed food globally.
    Pratiwi Ambarwati/Shutterstock

    Why do we think supermarkets are to blame?

    Supermarkets and hypermarkets sell healthy foods, such as fruit and vegetables. Yet, there are good reasons to think our retail environment might be to blame for the rise in obesity.

    Highly processed foods

    Chain grocery stores typically sell an enormous array of highly processed packaged foods high in sugar, fat and salt that can harm our health. One study of the food and drinks available in supermarkets from 12 countries showed the majority are classified as unhealthy. Given our findings of rapid increases in chain grocery in low- and middle-income countries, it was alarming in this study that the least healthy products were typically seen in supermarkets from countries like India, China and Chile.

    Heavy promotion

    Chain grocery stores often aggressively promote unhealthy foods. This includes through price discounting; advertising in circulars, on TV and social media; and by being placed in prominent displays at checkouts and the ends of aisles. Studies have shown this to be true in Belgium, Ireland and another 12 countries.

    Online, we see unhealthy foods promoted more often (with discounts and displayed more prominently) than healthy options. For instance, on average at least one-third of products prominently displayed on Australian supermarket websites are unhealthy.

    More buying power

    Compared to small independent grocers, large chain grocery stores globally have a far larger influence on decisions around product assortment and price. Because of this, they can control supply chains, often in partnership with national and multi-national food manufacturers of ultra processed, unhealthy packaged foods.

    What can we do about it?

    There are many social, political, cultural and economic factors that contribute to the rise in obesity globally. Many of these relate to the price, availability and promotion of food in retail settings and the way the retail industry is structured.

    Because of this, we think it’s time for governments and retailers to step up and start making changes to where and how we shop for food.

    Some countries are already beginning to act. In the United Kingdom for example, government legislation now prevents placing unhealthy foods in prominent places such as the checkout counter and at the ends of aisles close to checkouts. From October this year, further restrictions on the price promotion of unhealthy foods (such as “buy one, get one free”) will also come into force in the UK.

    There is also plenty that retailers can do. In Norway, for example, one major grocery chain launched a comprehensive healthy eating campaign several years ago, including by increasing the size and prominence of healthy food displays and offering discounts on fruits and vegetables. This led to a 42% increase in vegetable sales and a 25% rise in fruit sales from 2012 until 2020.

    But most grocery chains are still not doing enough to prioritise their customers’ health and nutrition. In the US, we see this in particular for supermarkets catering to people on low-incomes. And in the UK, although there has been some promising progress by some supermarket retailers, all those assessed have considerable scope for improvement.

    Now more than ever, it is time to create healthier retail food environments that support nutritious diets and help reverse the rising rates of obesity.

    Tailane Scapin receives funding from UNICEF.

    Adrian Cameron receives funding from the National Heart Foundation of Australia, the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and UNICEF. He is affiliated with INFORMAS (International Network for Food and Obesity / Non-communicable Diseases Research, Monitoring and Action Support) and is the Director of the RE-FRESH: Next Generation NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Food Retail Environments for Health.

    – ref. We looked at what supermarkets in 97 countries are doing to our waistlines. Here’s what we found – https://theconversation.com/we-looked-at-what-supermarkets-in-97-countries-are-doing-to-our-waistlines-heres-what-we-found-246412

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Digital Luddites are rising. They want to democratise tech, not destroy it

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Raffaele F Ciriello, Senior Lecturer in Business Information Systems, University of Sydney

    Have you ever been called a Luddite? We have – usually as an insult, rooted in a popular misconception that Luddites are anti-progress fanatics.

    Nothing could be further from the truth. The original 19th century Luddites weren’t against technology. Rather, they resisted its oppressive use.

    Their rebellion was violently suppressed. But their core critique lives on: technology should benefit all of humanity, not a privileged few.

    Today, as Silicon Valley billionaires and United States president Donald Trump turbocharge corporate control of public digital infrastructure, this critique rings truer than ever.

    In response, we are a seeing a growing surge of attempts to wrest back control of technology for democratic ends. This is a kind of “digital Luddism” which echoes past struggles against high-tech injustice.

    The original Luddites

    The Luddites were 19th century English textile workers who destroyed machinery threatening their craft and livelihoods. Historians call their tactics “collective bargaining by riot”. They were fighting against technologies that centralised power and stripped workers of dignity.

    Luddite resistance was part of broader struggles for labour rights and socioeconomic justice.

    For example, in 18th century France, silk weavers similarly revolted against mechanisation that devalued their craft.

    Earlier, England’s Diggers and Levellers resisted the privatisation of communal lands. This foreshadowed today’s battles over corporate control of digital infrastructure.

    The Luddites faced severe punishment, including imprisonment and even execution. Despite this, their legacy endures. Today, dismissing critics of Big Tech as “Luddites” repeats the mistake of conflating resistance to exploitation with fear of progress.

    The Luddite resistance in the 19th century was part of broader struggles for labour rights and socioeconomic justice.
    Working Class Movement Library catalogue

    In the most extreme scenario, unchecked corporate power allied with monstrous government polices can lead to atrocities. In Nazi Germany, for example, Dehomag, a former subsidiary of computer giant IBM, provided data systems to the Nazis to track victims. Chemical company IG Farben also supplied Zyklon B gas for extermination camps. Many other companies profited from forced labour and funded the regime. This shows how complicity can make oppression more efficient.

    Today, digital technologies are deepening inequality, eroding democracy, undermining privacy, and concentrating power.

    Digital technologies are also fuelling surveillance capitalism, the displacement of human workers by AI algorithms and the growth of monopolistic platforms.

    Platforms and AI systems governed by “broligarchs” such as Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg are also shaping politics, culture, and beliefs globally.

    Digital Luddism, also known as neo-Luddism, tackles these issues through three strategies: resistance, removal and replacement.

    Resistance: blocking harmful systems

    Technology is not inevitable — it’s a choice. Sustained collective action can counter corporate dominance and align tech with democratic values.

    In 2018, more than 3,000 Google workers protested the company’s military AI contract, forcing it to adopt ethical guidelines. However, in February this year, Google expanded defence deals, showing how resistance must be sustained.

    Three years later, Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen exposed the harmful algorithms at the heart of the social media platform.

    Then, in 2024, Amazon and Google staff also staged walkouts over a US$1.2 billion AI contract linked to Israeli military operations.

    Creative industries are also fighting back. For example, in 2023 screenwriters and actors in Hollywood protested against AI replacing their roles. Similarly, Australia’s “right to disconnect” law reflects Luddite principles of reclaiming autonomy.

    Non-profit organisations such as the Algorithmic Justice League and the Electronic Frontier Foundation empower digital rights advocates to take back control over digital spaces by exposing AI bias and through legal litigation.

    Digital Luddism doesn’t reject innovation. It demands technology serve stakeholders, not shareholders.

    Removal: dismantling entrenched power

    Some systems are beyond reform, requiring direct intervention. Removal involves political action and legal regulation. It also involves public pressure to break monopolies or impose penalties on unethical corporations.

    For example, the TraffickingHub petition has garnered more than two million signatories to hold adult website PornHub accountable for unethical or unlawful content. This has led financial institutions, such as Visa and Mastercard, to cut ties to the website. For more than 20 years, hacker collective Anonymous has carried out cyber-attacks on authoritarian regimes, extremists and corporations.

    Digital Luddites can also lend a hand to the long arm of the law.

    The European Union’s 2023 Digital Markets Act broke Apple’s app store monopoly. This sparked a surge in small EU developers.

    Big Tech has also repeatedly faced huge fines and antitrust lawsuits. However, breaking up or nationalising these corporations remains rhetoric for now.

    Replacement: building ethical alternatives

    Proprietary corporate systems have long been challenged by free, open-source alternatives.

    But digital Luddism isn’t just about using different tools. It’s about systemic change towards sustainable, transparent and user-controlled infrastructure.

    After Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover, decentralised alternatives that let users control content flourished. For example, Bluesky grew from 1 million to more than 27 million users in one year.

    The Australian government is also responding to a broader public demand for platform independence. For example, it has introduced policies aimed at enhancing people’s data rights. Its Digital Transformation Agency is also advocating for improved open data standards.

    Open-source AI projects such as China’s DeepSeek and HuggingFace’s Deep Research now rival corporate models, proving open tech is a force to reckon with.

    The original Luddites smashed machines. But the global nature of today’s digital infrastructure makes physical sabotage impractical. That’s why digital Luddism isn’t about smashing screens. Instead, it’s about smashing oppressive systems.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Digital Luddites are rising. They want to democratise tech, not destroy it – https://theconversation.com/digital-luddites-are-rising-they-want-to-democratise-tech-not-destroy-it-251155

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI: NewHold Investment Corp III Announces Closing of $201,250,000 Initial Public Offering, Including Full Exercise of Underwriters’ Over-Allotment Option

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    New York, New York, March 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NewHold Investment Corp III (the “Company”), a newly organized special purpose acquisition company formed as a Cayman Islands exempted company, today announced the closing of its initial public offering of 20,125,000 units at an offering price of $10.00 per unit. This includes the exercise in full by the underwriters of their over-allotment option to purchase up to an additional 2,625,000 units. Each unit consists of one Class A ordinary share and one-half of one redeemable warrant. Each whole warrant, which becomes exercisable 30 days after the completion of the Company’s initial business combination, will entitle the holder thereof to purchase one Class A ordinary share at $11.50 per share. The units are listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”) under the ticker symbol “NHICU”. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade. Once the securities comprising the units begin separate trading, the Class A ordinary shares and the warrants are expected to be traded on Nasdaq under the symbols “NHIC” and “NHICW,” respectively. 

    The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the offering, and the simultaneous private placement of units, to consummate the Company’s initial business combination.

    BTIG, LLC acted as sole book-running manager for the offering.

    The offering was made only by means of a prospectus. Copies of the prospectus may be obtained from: BTIG, LLC, 65 East 55th Street New York, New York 10022, or by email at ProspectusDelivery@btig.com, or by accessing the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

    A registration statement relating to the securities has been filed with, and declared effective by, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

    About NewHold Investment Corp III

    NewHold Investment Corp III is a blank check company, also commonly referred to as a special purpose acquisition company, or SPAC, formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. While the Company may pursue a business combination in any sector, the Company will primarily focus on growing industrial and business services companies. The Company is led by an experienced management team with Kevin Charlton as Chief Executive Officer, Samy Hammad as President and Chief Operating Officer and Polly Schneck as Chief Financial Officer. For more information visit https://nhicspac.com.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains statements that constitute “forward-looking statements,” including with respect to the Company’s initial public offering (“IPO”), the anticipated use of the net proceeds thereof and the Company’s search for an initial business combination. No assurance can be given that the net proceeds of the offering will be used as indicated. Forward-looking statements are subject to numerous conditions, many of which are beyond the control of NewHold Investment Corp III, including those set forth in the Risk Factors section of NewHold Investment Corp III’s registration statement and prospectus for the IPO filed with the SEC. Copies are available on the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov. NewHold Investment Corp III undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this release, except as required by law.

    Contacts:

    Polly Schneck
    Chief Financial Officer
    pschneck@newholdllc.com

    Investor & Media Contact:

    Amanda Tarplin
    amanda@tarplinconsulting.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why you should check for ‘Irish pinky toe’ – and what to do if you have one

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Lauren Connell, Podiatrist & Doctoral Researcher, University of Galway

    staras/Shutterstock

    Does your small toe hide beneath the next its next-door neighbour? Although there isn’t scientific evidence this condition known as “Irish pinky toe” is more common in Ireland, it’s a popular idea that it’s a genetic trait among some people with Celtic heritage. And as podiatrists in Ireland, it is certainly something we see every day.

    An Irish pinky toe may look unusual, cause pain or increase your chances of losing it altogether. Added pressure on the toe or toenail can also cause corns, calluses, thickened toenails and even ulcers that may lead to amputation.

    If you’ve ever thought, “What is wrong with that little toe?” or “Why don’t I have a nail on that toe?” then here’s why you might need to take extra care to avoid potential wounds – and even amputation – in future. Fortunately, toe amputations are a relatively rare occurrence but can be offered if the toe continues to cause pain after all other treatments have been tried or if there is infection or gangrene.

    Because an Irish pinky toe sits under the one beside it and often rotates, this can cause pressure on the neighbouring toe. If two bones or joints are pressed close together, this may cause the skin to thicken and result in a corn.

    This might also happen if the little toenail irritates the skin and, if the nail is long or sharp, this might pierce the skin and cause a wound or an infection.

    The little toe and toenail may also rub up against the lining of your shoes, leading to painful friction blisters or shoes that wear out quickly. Wellington boots may be ideal for music festivals and the rainy Irish weather but don’t tend to fit very well, causing the foot to slide about inside.

    Repeated friction or trauma may even damage the nail matrix, the part that makes nail, attached to the bone. This could lead to permanent thickening of the nail, that may become unsightly and cause pain.

    The “Irish pinky toenail” is similar. This is when the toenail may split in two or an extra nail-like skin lesion develops. Sometimes, it may look like you have two nails, a condition described by podiatrists as a petaloid nail or a Lister’s or Durlacher corn. It’s difficult to determine how common petaloid nails are because they’re underdiagnosed and rarely reported.

    What can I do?

    Whatever your heritage, show your pinky toes some love and avoid future problems by trying to avoid tight footwear, especially boots with a firm toe, such as steel toe caps, court shoes, or any shoe with an unforgiving fabric such as a patent finish.

    Some people might throw on any old socks in the morning but ill-fitting socks can contribute to problem foot health – socks that do not stretch, or have heavy seams, may increase the pressure on your pinky toes. Pain or problems may be caused by the toe itself or, perhaps, a sock seam, rigid fabric or the style of shoe. It’s worth investing in high quality, breathable fabrics for socks, such as cotton or bamboo.

    If you have to wear specific safety footwear for your job, such as in farming and construction, you may find higher quality, thicker socks are better than boots with thick fabrics in the toe, that will wear down over time. Perhaps also consider investing in a silicone-lined toe sleeve, which acts like a hat for your toes and protects them from the pressure of footwear.

    Alternatively, it’s possible “prop the toe” by making custom supports. We do this by creating a silicone device which lifts the toe off the ground, separates tight toes or improves the toes position, to avoid future problems. For existing corns, callus or wounds, it’s best to get a trained specialist who can remove excess nail or skin painlessly with a blade to reduce discomfort.

    Irish pinky toes don’t always always cause pain, but if they do, there are ways to reduce it, one step at a time.

    Lauren Connell is the owner of L.A Podiatry.

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

    – ref. Why you should check for ‘Irish pinky toe’ – and what to do if you have one – https://theconversation.com/why-you-should-check-for-irish-pinky-toe-and-what-to-do-if-you-have-one-250800

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How Trump’s spat with Zelensky threatens the security of the world – including the US

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Natasha Lindstaedt, Professor in the Department of Government, University of Essex

    After the catastrophic press conference on February 28 between Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and US president Donald Trump, it is clear that there has been a global realignment.

    What the press conference revealed was that Trump’s position is a lot closer to Russian president Vladmir Putin than long-time US ally Ukraine, and also that other US allies cannot count on Washington to promote the global world order.

    The extraordinary spectacle ended with Trump and vice-president J.D. Vance shouting at Zelensky, telling him he wasn’t thankful for US aid. Since then, the expected mineral deal between Ukraine and the US has been called off – at least for now.

    There was already a wake-up call for European allies about how reliable the US might be during Trump’s first term when he launched his “American first” policy. This included chastising Nato member countries for not paying enough, and characterising Europe as free-riding on US security guarantees.

    While this sparked alarm among some European leaders over how to ensure that the continent becomes less dependent on the US, Europeans are now scrambling to respond to Trump 2.0’s much more extreme version of America first. After the press conference, European Union foreign minister Kaja Kallas declared: “Today it became clear that the free world needs a new leader. It’s up to us, Europeans, to take this challenge.”

    Trump’s relationship with Russia

    To some extent Europe was caught off guard because it was hard to imagine that a US president would swing US support behind Russia, especially after Russia’s unlawful invasion of Ukraine in 2022. But Trump has turned the page on challenging Russian aggression, and does not seem to see Putin’s ambitions as a threat to global security.

    Instead in the press conference – as in previous statements – Trump has echoed some of Putin’s talking points, such as Ukraine not having any cards to play, being unwilling to do a peace deal, and having to give up land to Russia.

    Trump also refused to say that Putin started the war, and even claimed that peace could have been possible early on in the war had Zelensky wanted peace. Trump even repeatedly opined that both Putin and Trump were brothers of sorts — victims of the same investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 US election.

    The press conference also revealed that the security guarantees that Zelensky pushed Trump to confirm were secondary at best. Trump remained vague and offered no details, possibly because he has no intention of the US providing any security to Ukraine.

    The aim may have been to goad Zelensky – just weeks ago on Fox News Trump stated that he did not know if Ukrainians would one day become Russian. Meanwhile, Trump’s claim that Ukraine did not have any cards to play is unhelpful to highlight if you are trying to negotiate a great deal for one of your allies.

    What Trump seemed to forget is that Ukraine once had a lot of cards — holding the third largest nuclear arsenal in the world with 1,900 strategic warheads, 176 intercontinental ballistic missiles and 44 strategic bombers. Ukraine was coaxed into returning all of its nuclear warheads in exchange for security assurances from Russia and the west, in a 1994 agreement known as the Budapest Memorandum.

    But while this memorandum might mean little to the current US president, allies around the world can see how quickly a US leader can forget their country’s commitments. The message that Trump is sending now is that every country must fight for themselves. All interactions are transactional, and economic interests trump the genuine security needs of allies.



    Read more:
    Raised voices and angry scenes at the White House as Trump clashes with Zelensky over the ‘minerals deal’

    This plays perfectly into China’s hands. To China, Trump has signalled that he primarily cares about the tariff issue. In addition, he could implement higher tariffs on the US’s biggest trading partners (and allies), Canada, the EU and Mexico, than on China.

    The symbolism of the unsigned mineral deal with Ukraine and the capitulation to Russia’s territorial interests in Ukraine should be music to the ears of China’s president, Xi Jinping.

    What it means for China

    China has inundated Taiwan with a propaganda campaign that says the self-governing island is part of China. Part of the campaign focuses on the notion that if China were to invade, the US would abandon Taiwan, citing the withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 as evidence of this.

    The US’s abrupt abandonment of Ukraine adds fuel to this fire. Xi could be emboldened to execute his plan of uniting Taiwan by 2049, if not earlier, which could have disastrous consequences for the global economy.

    European leaders met with President Zelensky after the Trump press conference.

    Taiwan produces 90% of the world’s most advanced semiconductors needed for artificial intelligence and quantum computing, and has a market share of 68%.

    An invasion could lead to a block on global access to semiconductors, causing shortages of all sorts of tech, a possible stock market crash and a fall in trade between Taiwan and western economies. This could cost around US$10 trillion (£7.9 trillion), equal to 10% of global GDP.

    Additionally, for countries such as South Korea and Japan that have been persuaded to not embark on nuclear programmes, the US U-turn sows doubt about its commitment to provide a nuclear shield to its Pacific allies. This could prompt these countries to reverse policies of nonproliferation.

    What happens to Nato?

    Nato has been traditionally led by a US general, but it’s not even clear that the US will remain in the alliance. In the past few weeks Europe has been forced to hold a series of emergency meetings to try to rise to the various global challenges – with or without the US as a key partner.

    All of this makes the US more vulnerable as well. The US is more secure and prosperous when it is part of a long-term alliance, working in partnership with its allies to ensure security, stability, free trade and investment. If the US were to even reduce its security commitments to Nato by 50%, estimates suggest trade with members would fall by US$450 billion.

    The alliance system has been a backbone of US security since 1949. The cost to Nato’s credibility and to defending its borders if Ukraine loses the war would be trillions, not billions, of dollars.

    With Trump appearing desperate to do a deal on Putin’s terms with no concessions, Russia will become much stronger as a result. In spite of the fact that more than 95,000 Russians have died, it’s likely that Russia will act even more boldly, becoming a more attractive ally to US adversaries.

    Trump’s support for Putin not only encourages a hostile nuclear power on the doorstep of the US’s top Nato allies, but also suggests that the US cannot be counted on in future.

    Natasha Lindstaedt 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. How Trump’s spat with Zelensky threatens the security of the world – including the US – https://theconversation.com/how-trumps-spat-with-zelensky-threatens-the-security-of-the-world-including-the-us-251229

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: “Friday Night Baseball” returns to Apple TV+ on March 28

    Source: Apple

    Headline: “Friday Night Baseball” returns to Apple TV+ on March 28

    March 3, 2025

    UPDATE

    “Friday Night Baseball” returns to Apple TV+ on March 28

    Exclusive weekly doubleheaders return for a fourth season, with New York Mets at Houston Astros and Baltimore Orioles at Toronto Blue Jays

    “Fight for Glory: 2024 World Series,” the new docuseries on Apple TV+, premieres later this month, and a new Apple Immersive baseball film “VIP: Yankee Stadium” to debut next month

    Apple and Major League Baseball (MLB) announced that “Friday Night Baseball,” a weekly doubleheader available on Apple TV+, is set to return for the 2025 regular season. Fans across 60 countries and regions can enjoy two marquee matchups over 25 weeks, featuring enhanced production quality, expert commentary, and no local broadcast restrictions.

    The 2025 season of “Friday Night Baseball” kicks off on Friday, March 28, with some of the game’s biggest stars taking center stage for opening weekend. Coverage begins at 6:30 p.m. ET as All-Star Adley Rutschman and the Baltimore Orioles host Silver Slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and division rivals the Toronto Blue Jays. In the second game of the opening doubleheader, superstar Juan Soto and the New York Mets will take on Jose Altuve and the Houston Astros, with coverage beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET.

    Apple and MLB also announced the “Friday Night Baseball” game schedule for the first half of the season through June 27. Notable matchups include a Yankees-Dodgers World Series rematch in Los Angeles, a Texas showdown between the Rangers and Astros, and additional appearances by MVP Shohei Ohtani and the star-studded Dodgers who travel east to face off against Bryce Harper’s Philadelphia Phillies and Juan Soto’s New York Mets. See below for the full schedule.

    “We’re thrilled to bring another season of ‘Friday Night Baseball’ to Apple TV+, with top-tier production quality that baseball fans love,” said Oliver Schusser, Apple’s vice president of Apple Music, Apple TV+, Sports, and Beats. “This season, we’re excited to offer an amazing lineup of games with no blackouts, available across more devices than ever before.”

    For the third straight season, “Friday Night Baseball” games will be called by broadcast teams Wayne Randazzo (play-by-play), Dontrelle Willis (analyst), and Heidi Watney (sideline reporter), and Alex Faust (play-by-play), Ryan Spilborghs (analyst), and Tricia Whitaker (sideline reporter). Lauren Gardner, Russell Dorsey, and Xavier Scruggs return to host live pre- and postgame coverage both in-studio and on the field. Additionally, Siera Santos will host select pregame shows and Rich Waltz will call select games.

    “Friday Night Baseball” is produced by MLB Network’s Emmy Award-winning production team in partnership with Apple’s live sports production team. Each game will feature state-of-the-art cameras and immersive sound in 5.1 with Spatial Audio enabled, including player and field-level mics to immerse fans in the stadium atmosphere. Fans in the U.S. and Canada will also have the option to listen to home and away local radio broadcasts during “Friday Night Baseball” games.1

    Beginning opening day on March 27, fans in the U.S. can enjoy the MLB Big Inning whip-around show featuring live look-ins and in-game highlights every weeknight, and a full slate of MLB-related content on Apple TV+, including Countdown to First Pitch, MLB Daily Recap, and MLB This Week. Fans can also access MLB programming free in the Apple TV app, including game recaps, classic games, highlights, interviews, and more.

    With the multiview feature on Apple TV 4K devices and iPad, fans can watch up to four simultaneous streams, including “Friday Night Baseball” games, Major League Soccer matches, and select MLS and MLB live shows.2 With Post Play, viewers can seamlessly transition into other live games at the conclusion of the studio show or match they’re currently watching.

    Apple today also announced VIP: Yankee Stadium, a new Apple Immersive Video for Apple Vision Pro that gives viewers an all-access pass to one of the world’s most iconic sports venues. In the film, available for free next month, broadcasting legend Joe Buck welcomes viewers to Yankee Stadium for a June 2024 “Friday Night Baseball” matchup between the Yankees and their longtime rivals: the Los Angeles Dodgers. From early morning prep scenes to a tense nighttime finale, viewers will go far beyond the front row — with an all-encompassing look at how elite athletes, die-hard fans, dedicated staff, and epic moments make the Bronx ballpark legendary.

    The forthcoming season will also be accompanied by Fight For Glory: 2024 World Series on Apple TV+ — the first all-access docuseries exploring the dramatic, high-stakes world of the World Series where the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers battle to capture the most storied trophy in American sports. The new three-part documentary offers a never-before-seen view of each team’s journey through the postseason, with exclusive access to behind-the-scenes coverage and interviews with players, coaches, fans, journalists, and family members. The project is produced in partnership with MLB and Imagine Documentaries; R.J. Cutler’s This Machine, a part of Sony Pictures Television; and five-time World Series Champion, executive producer Derek Jeter, alongside his production company, Cap 2 Productions.

    The free Apple Sports app for iPhone is the best way for fans to stay up to date on scores, stats, standings, and their favorite clubs throughout the MLB season, and allows users to navigate between scores and upcoming games, explore play-by-play information, stats, live betting odds, and more.3 Apple Sports also seamlessly syncs with favorites selected within the My Sports experience, including in the Apple TV app and Apple News. With iOS 18 and watchOS 11, the Apple Sports app offers Live Activities for all MLB games, delivering live scores and play-by-play info at a quick glance to a user’s iPhone Lock Screen and Apple Watch.

    In Apple News, fans can easily follow the league and their favorite teams in the MLB feed, and watch personalized MLB highlights. Each Friday, fans can also access a curated group of the most exciting stories from around the league. In Apple Music, fans can find exclusive official playlists featuring the walk-up songs from each week’s teams, as well as a collection of classic songs celebrating baseball.

    How to Watch “Friday Night Baseball”

    Apple TV+ subscribers can watch “Friday Night Baseball” on the Apple TV app, which comes preinstalled on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac, and Apple Vision Pro, as well as online at tv.apple.com. New for this season, Android users can download the Apple TV app from Google Play on Android mobile devices to subscribe to Apple TV+ and enjoy “Friday Night Baseball,” and Prime Video customers in the U.S., UK, and Canada can subscribe to Apple TV+ via Prime Video as an add-on subscription. The Apple TV app is also available on select smart TVs, including Samsung, LG, Panasonic, Sony, TCL, VIZIO, and others; Amazon Fire TV and Roku devices; PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles; Chromecast with Google TV; and set-top boxes, including Sky Q, SK Broadband, and Comcast Xfinity. More information is available at apple.com/apple-tv-app.

    DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS is the national home of “Friday Night Baseball” for commercial establishments in the U.S., delivering all the action to its network of more than 300,000 restaurants, bars, hotel lounges, retail shops, and other venues in the U.S.

    2025 “Friday Night Baseball” Schedule on Apple TV+

    Friday, March 28
     Baltimore Orioles at Toronto Blue Jays
    7:00 p.m. ET

    New York Mets at Houston Astros
    8:00 p.m. ET

    Friday, April 4
     Los Angeles Dodgers at Philadelphia Phillies
    6:30 p.m. ET

    Tampa Bay Rays at Texas Rangers
    8:00 p.m. ET

    Friday, April 11
     Pittsburgh Pirates at Cincinnati Reds
    6:30 p.m. ET

    Detroit Tigers at Minnesota Twins
    8:00 p.m. ET

    Friday, April 18
     Minnesota Twins at Atlanta Braves
    7:00 p.m. ET

    Seattle Mariners at Toronto Blue Jays
    7:00 p.m. ET

    Friday, April 25
     Boston Red Sox at Cleveland Guardians
    7:00 p.m. ET

    Texas Rangers at San Francisco Giants
    10:00 p.m. ET

    Friday, May 2
     San Diego Padres at Pittsburgh Pirates
    6:30 p.m. ET

    Chicago Cubs at Milwaukee Brewers
    8:00 p.m. ET

    Friday, May 9
     St. Louis Cardinals at Washington Nationals
    6:30 p.m. ET

    San Francisco Giants at Minnesota Twins
    8:00 p.m. ET

    Friday, May 16
     Houston Astros at Texas Rangers
    8:00 p.m. ET

    Seattle Mariners at San Diego Padres
    9:30 p.m. ET

    Friday, May 23
     Los Angeles Dodgers at New York Mets
    7:00 p.m. ET

    Arizona Diamondbacks at St. Louis Cardinals
    8:00 p.m. ET

    Friday, May 30
     Boston Red Sox at Atlanta Braves
    7:00 p.m. ET

    New York Yankees at Los Angeles Dodgers
    10:00 p.m. ET

    Friday, June 6
     Arizona Diamondbacks at Cincinnati Reds
    7:00 p.m. ET

    Chicago Cubs at Detroit Tigers
    7:00 p.m. ET

    Friday, June 13
     Los Angeles Angels at Baltimore Orioles
    7:00 p.m. ET

    San Diego Padres at Arizona Diamondbacks
    9:30 p.m. ET

    Friday, June 20
     New York Mets at Philadelphia Phillies
    7:00 p.m. ET

    Kansas City Royals at San Diego Padres
    9:30 pm. ET

    Friday, June 27
     Tampa Bay Rays at Baltimore Orioles
    7:00 p.m. ET

    St. Louis Cardinals at Cleveland Guardians
    7:00 p.m. ET

    Pricing and Availability

    Apple TV+ is available for $9.99 (U.S.) per month with a seven-day free trial for new subscribers. For a limited time, eligible customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, or Mac can enjoy three months of Apple TV+ for free.4

    1. Radio broadcasts for the Los Angeles Angels are available only for the team’s home games. In Canada, radio broadcasts are available only for Toronto Blue Jays home games.
    2. Multiview is supported on iPad (7th generation) or later.
    3. Available in the U.S., the UK, and Canada.
    4. Special offer is good for three months after the first activation of the eligible device. One offer per Family Sharing group. Plans automatically renew until cancelled. Other restrictions and terms apply; visit apple.com/promo for more information.

    Press Contacts

    Sam Citron

    Apple

    citron@apple.com

    Hayden Zelson

    Apple

    h_zelson@apple.com

    Apple Media Helpline

    media.help@apple.com

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: First Person: Voices of the forgotten in Haiti, ‘crying out in the silence of distress’

    Source: United Nations 2-b

    Humanitarian Aid

    Gang violence, political instability and economic turmoil have displaced over 700,000 people in Haiti, forcing families from their homes with nothing but what they can carry; some 5.5 million people – half of Haiti’s population – rely on humanitarian aid to survive.

    Armed groups now control much of the capital, Port-au-Prince, including key roads leading in and out of the city, making it nearly impossible for people to find safety.

    For the past 14 years, Rose, a humanitarian worker with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), has been on the ground, helping the most vulnerable and has witnessed the toll of the crisis firsthand.

    “Whenever I think back to a workday in the field, the first image that comes to mind is the suffering of families, the degree of vulnerability of these disadvantaged people living in inhumane conditions.

    © IOM/Antoine Lemonnier

    An IOM staff member greets displaced people at an aid distribution site.

    It breaks my heart to see children, infants, mothers and elderly fathers arriving at displacement sites after fleeing different places due to gang conflicts. Their struggle to feed their families and the precarious conditions in which they sleep deeply affect me.

    What pains me most as a humanitarian worker is sometimes realising that we are unable to fully meet the needs of these vulnerable people who rely entirely on humanitarian aid. Unfortunately, funding and resources are limited.

    As a humanitarian worker I’m looking for a balance between the amount I invest emotionally in my work and the need to step back to protect my mental health.

    I take care of myself by engaging in activities like music, sports, meditation, or any other pastime that relaxes me.

    One smile at a time

    Since my teenage years, I have always had a passion for working in the humanitarian field.

    © UNOCHA/Giles Clarke

    A displaced mother tends for her baby in a former school in downtown Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

    IOM has helped many displaced children and youth gain access to education, giving them learning opportunities and supporting their personal development.

    I firmly believe in the possibility of positive change, even in the most desperate situations.

    Every small improvement in people’s situation, every smile I see reinforces my conviction that what I do is meaningful.

    For example, many people have been able to access safe and secure housing through IOM’s assistance, improving their living conditions and providing a more stable environment for their families.

    I met a mother who told me that leaving the displacement site brought her immense joy.

    For her, it was not just about having a roof over her head – it was about reclaiming her dignity.

    © UNOCHA/Giles Clarke

    Cité Soleil in downtown Port-au-Prince is one of the most dangerous places in the Haitian capital.

    Raising her children, especially her young daughters, who had almost no privacy when they were sleeping and showering had been her biggest daily struggle.

    Her story deeply moved me and reinforced my commitment to working tirelessly to support these families who are in such great need of our assistance.

    ‘Listen to the voices of the forgotten’

    Haiti, this land of resilience and courage, is today facing overwhelming challenges and unimaginable suffering. Our children cry, families struggle and I see the broken hearts of people who face the indifference of the world around them.

    I implore you, the world, to open your eyes to Haiti’s reality. Look beyond the numbers and statistics. Listen to the voices of the forgotten, crying out in the silence of distress. Haiti needs your solidarity, your compassion.

    Together, let us make the echo of hope resonate across Haiti’s valleys and mountains.”

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Come Experience the Most Natural and Personalised Mobile AI at Galaxy Studio, Gateway

    Source: Samsung

    Get ready to immerse yourself in the future of mobile AI! Samsung is bringing an electrifying and interactive experience to Gateway, Umhlanga with Galaxy Studio, from 28 February – 16 March 2025. This is your exclusive chance to explore the new, ground-breaking Galaxy S25 Series and step into the world of next-generation mobile AI.
    At Galaxy Studio, you’ll be among the first to experience the Galaxy S25 Series – a revolutionary AI-powered mobile companion designed to adapt seamlessly to your life. As per tradition, following the unveiling of a flagship series, Samsung always opens it up at studio for consumers to see it for themselves. Launched on 22 January 2025, the Galaxy S25 Series isn’t just another phone, it is like your personal assistant that learns your habits and routines, making every moment smarter, smoother, and more extraordinary.
    With the all-new One UI 7.0, the Galaxy S25 Series redefines the mobile experience. From personalised interactions to effortless task management, this phone empowers you to elevate your everyday routine. At Galaxy Studio, you’ll witness live demos showcasing how Samsung’s cutting-edge AI technology can transform your life. Watch in awe as the Galaxy S25 Series simplifies tasks, amplifies creativity, and takes your mobile experience to dazzling new heights.
    But that’s not all – Galaxy Studio is packed with exclusive hands-on opportunities. Explore the AI-powered camera features and instantly enhance your photos, capturing moments that are social media-ready. Plus, get ready for an unforgettable experience in the Nightography Booth, where you’ll feel like a DJ at your very own concert or live event, thanks to the Galaxy S25’s incredible camera capabilities.
     

    Galaxy Studio isn’t just about seeing the Galaxy S25 Series in action – it’s about feeling its transformative power. Whether you’re capturing stunning photos, organising your schedule, or discovering how AI can revolutionise your daily life, Galaxy Studio is a space where technology meets imagination.
    Don’t miss out on this one-of-a-kind experience! Avoid FOMO! Visit Galaxy Studio and witness the future of mobile technology.
    Dates: 28 February – 16 March 2025
    Location: Galaxy Studio, Gateway Theatre of Shopping, Umhlanga
    Admission: Free
    Reality TV star, businesswoman and media personality, Jojo Robison, will be making an appearance at the Galaxy Studio on Saturday, 8 March.
    For more information and updates, follow Samsung South Africa on social media – @SamsungmobileSA (X, Instagram), Samsung South Africa (Facebook).

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Global: A Palestinian-Israeli film just won an Oscar − so why is it so hard to see?

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Drew Paul, Associate Professor of Arabic, University of Tennessee

    Left to right: Basel Adra, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal and Yuval Abraham pose with their Oscars for ‘No Other Land’ at the 2025 Academy Awards. Maya Dehlin Spach/Getty Images

    For many low-budget, independent films, an Oscar win is a golden ticket.

    The publicity can translate into theatrical releases or rereleases, along with more on-demand rentals and sales.

    However, for “No Other Land,” a Palestinian-Israeli film that just won best documentary feature at the 2025 Academy Awards, this exposure may not translate into commercial success in the U.S. That’s because the film has been unable to find a company to distribute it in America.

    “No Other Land” chronicles the efforts of Palestinian townspeople to combat an Israeli plan to demolish their villages in the West Bank and use the area as a military training ground. It was directed by four Palestinian and Israeli activists and journalists: Basel Adra, who is a resident of the area facing demolition, Yuval Abraham, Hamdan Ballal and Rachel Szor. While the filmmakers have organized screenings in a number of U.S. cities, the lack of a national distributor makes a broader release unlikely.

    Film distributors are a crucial but often unseen link in the chain that allows a film to reach cinemas and people’s living rooms. In recent years it has become more common for controversial award-winning films to run into issues finding a distributor. Palestinian films have encountered additional barriers.

    As a scholar of Arabic who has written about Palestinian cinema, I’m disheartened by the difficulties “No Other Land” has faced. But I’m not surprised.

    The role of film distributors

    Distributors are often invisible to moviegoers. But without one, it can be difficult for a film to find an audience.

    Distributors typically acquire rights to a film for a specific country or set of countries. They then market films to movie theaters, cinema chains and streaming platforms. As compensation, distributors receive a percentage of the revenue generated by theatrical and home releases.

    The film “Soundtrack to a Coup D’Etat,” another finalist for best documentary, shows how this process typically works. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2024 and was acquired for distribution just a few months later by Kino Lorber, a major U.S.-based distributor of independent films.

    The inability to find a distributor is not itself noteworthy. No film is entitled to distribution, and most films by newer or unknown directors face long odds.

    However, it is unusual for a film like “No Other Land,” which has garnered critical acclaim and has been recognized at various film festivals and award shows. Some have pegged it as a favorite to win best documentary at the Academy Awards. And “No Other Land” has been able to find distributors in Europe, where it’s easily accessible on multiple streaming platforms.

    So why can’t “No Other Land” find a distributor in the U.S.?

    There are a couple of factors at play.

    Shying away from controversy

    In recent years, film critics have noticed a trend: Documentaries on controversial topics have faced distribution difficulties. These include a film about a campaign by Amazon workers to unionize and a documentary about Adam Kinzinger, one of the few Republican congresspeople to vote to impeach Donald Trump in 2021.

    The Israeli-Palestinian conflict, of course, has long stirred controversy. But the release of “No Other Land” comes at a time when the issue is particularly salient. The Hamas attacks of Oct. 7, 2023, and the ensuing Israeli bombardment and invasion of the Gaza Strip have become a polarizing issue in U.S. domestic politics, reflected in the campus protests and crackdowns in 2024. The filmmakers’ critical comments about the Israeli occupation of Palestine have also garnered backlash in Germany.

    Locals attend a screening of ‘No Other Land’ in the village of A-Tuwani in the West Bank on March 14, 2024.
    Yahel Gazit/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

    Yet the fact that this conflict has been in the news since October 2023 should also heighten audience interest in a film such as “No Other Land” – and, therefore, lead to increased sales, the metric that distributors care about the most.

    Indeed, an earlier film that also documents Palestinian protests against Israeli land expropriation, “5 Broken Cameras,” was a finalist for best documentary at the 2013 Academy Awards. It was able to find a U.S. distributor. However, it had the support of a major European Union documentary development program called Greenhouse. The support of an organization like Greenhouse, which had ties to numerous production and distribution companies in Europe and the U.S., can facilitate the process of finding a distributor.

    By contrast, “No Other Land,” although it has a Norwegian co-producer and received some funding from organizations in Europe and the U.S., was made primarily by a grassroots filmmaking collective.

    Stages for protest

    While distribution challenges may be recent, controversies surrounding Palestinian films are nothing new.

    Many of them stem from the fact that the system of film festivals, awards and distribution is primarily based on a movie’s nation of origin. Since there is no sovereign Palestinian state – and many countries and organizations have not recognized the state of Palestine – the question of how to categorize Palestinian films has been hard to resolve.

    In 2002, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences rejected the first ever Palestinian film submitted to the best foreign language film category – Elia Suleiman’s “Divine Intervention” – because Palestine was not recognized as a country by the United Nations. The rules were changed for the following year’s awards ceremony.

    In 2021, the cast of the film “Let It Be Morning,” which had an Israeli director but primarily Palestinian actors, boycotted the Cannes Film Festival in protest of the film’s categorization as an Israeli film rather than a Palestinian one.

    Film festivals and other cultural venues have also become places to make statements about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and engage in protest. For example, at the Cannes Film Festival in 2017, the right-wing Israeli culture minister wore a controversial – and meme-worthy – dress that featured the Jerusalem skyline in support of Israeli claims of sovereignty over the holy city, despite the unresolved status of Jerusalem under international law.

    Israeli Culture Minister Miri Regev wears a dress featuring the old city of Jerusalem during the Cannes Film Festival in 2017.
    Antonin Thuillier/AFP via Getty Images

    At the 2024 Academy Awards, a number of attendees, including Billie Eilish, Mark Ruffalo and Mahershala Ali, wore red pins in support of a ceasefire in Gaza, and pro-Palestine protesters delayed the start of the ceremonies.

    As he accepted his award, “No Other Land” director Yuval Abraham called out “the foreign policy” of the U.S. for “helping to block” a path to peace.

    Even though a film like “No Other Land” addresses a topic of clear interest to many Americans, I wonder if the quest to find a U.S. distributor just got even harder.

    This article has been updated to clarify that the film was a collaborative effort between Palestinian and Israeli filmmakers. It has also been updated to reflect the film’s win at the 2025 Academy Awards.

    Drew Paul 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. A Palestinian-Israeli film just won an Oscar − so why is it so hard to see? – https://theconversation.com/a-palestinian-israeli-film-just-won-an-oscar-so-why-is-it-so-hard-to-see-249233

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Young people invited to apply for Mayor’s Bursary

    Source: Northern Ireland – City of Derry

    Young people invited to apply for Mayor’s Bursary

    3 March 2025

    The Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Councillor Lilian Seenoi Barr, has announced the launch of a Young Person’s Bursary – a £500 contribution aimed at supporting the growth and development of one young person with a talent or skill they wish to nurture but who may lack the financial means to do so.

    The bursary is open to young people across the entire Derry City and Strabane District Council area and is designed to offer a helping hand to someone from a low-income, socially disadvantaged, or vulnerable background.
    It could support the development of artistic abilities such as music or drama or help a young person build employability skills that will benefit their future.

    Speaking at the launch, Mayor Barr expressed her enthusiasm for providing meaningful support to a young person with ambitions to grow and thrive.
    “The Young Person’s Bursary is a small but important contribution, a hand up to help a young person in our community develop their potential. Whether it’s a creative talent like music or drama or an employability skill they wish to strengthen, this bursary is about allowing them to build their confidence, enhance their abilities, and pursue their dreams.
    “Engaging with young people and giving them a voice has been a key focus of my Mayoral year, and I’m delighted to offer this support. While applications must come from organisations that support children and young people aged 0-18 years from disadvantaged backgrounds within the Derry City and Strabane District Council area, they must specifically nominate the individual young person who will benefit from the bursary.
    “Individual young people cannot apply directly but are encouraged to reach out to the organisations they are involved with to express their interest in being considered. Schools can also apply. I hope this bursary will empower the successful candidate to overcome challenges, build their skills, and become more actively involved in their local community.”

    The Mayor has recorded a video message to invite young people to apply that can be viewed on her social media pages.
    For more information on the criteria and details on how to apply visit here
    The deadline for applications is Friday March 28th 2025.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Risk Strategies Appoints Melissa Lewis as Chief Operating Officer, Commercial Lines

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BOSTON, March 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Risk Strategies, a leading national specialty insurance brokerage and risk management and consulting firm, today announced Melissa Lewis has been appointed to succeed Drew Carnase as Chief Operating Officer, Commercial Lines. Carnase is retiring after over 30 years in the industry.

    Lewis came to Risk Strategies in 2023, developing a unification strategy for assimilating acquisitions and spearheading the creation of the firm’s Integration Management Office. She then built a Business Operations team designed to help leaders implement corporate initiatives, maximize time spent supporting teams and clients, and drive growth.

    “Melissa is a transformational leader who has made us better with everything she’s touched,” said John Scroope, National Director of Retail Operations, Risk Strategies. “She is absolutely the right person to succeed Drew and push the Commercial Lines operations to the next level in terms of innovation, support, and growth.”

    In her new role as Chief Operating officer, Commercial Lines, Lewis will focus on:

    • Generating profitable growth while expanding market share for the firm
    • Building out effective support systems for sales and service teams
    • Ensuring consistent delivery of a market-leading client experience
    • Inspiring an energized commitment to focus, ownership, and accountability

    “I am excited to take on this new challenge,” said Lewis. “I feel confident that my industry experience, the groundwork Drew has laid, and the firm’s culture of collaboration and entrepreneurship will ensure success in both the near and long term.”

    Prior to Risk Strategies, Lewis held increasingly responsible positions over the course of more than 30 years, including serving as Regional Operating Officer and Head of Client Service, North America for a top five broker. Based in Overland Park, Kansas, she is a native of the state and holds an associate degree in paralegal studies from Brown Mackie College.

    To learn more about Risk Strategies, please visit www.riskstrategies.com.

    About Risk Strategies

    Risk Strategies, part of Accession Risk Management Group, is a North American specialty brokerage firm offering comprehensive risk management services, property and casualty insurance and reinsurance placement, employee benefits, private client services, consulting services, and financial & wealth solutions. The 9th largest U.S. privately held broker, we advise businesses and personal clients, have access to all major insurance markets, and 30+ specialty industry and product line practices and experts in 200+ offices – Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Grand Cayman, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, Montreal, Nashville, New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Toronto, and Washington, DC. RiskStrategies.com

    Media Contact

    Alana Bannan

    Senior Account Executive

    (720) 400-8025

    Rsc@matternow.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: BCMI More Than Doubles Cloud-based Dispatch Footprint

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    REDMOND, Wash., March 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In 2024, BCMI Corp. celebrated 10 years in business, and another significant milestone. The technology leader and provider of cloud-based mobile software for concrete and bulk materials producers more than doubled its cloud-based ready-mix dispatch footprint across the U.S.

    Industry-leading companies, beginning with Smith Ready Mix in Valparaiso, Indiana, have adopted BCMI’s cloud-based system, including Miles Sand & Gravel, Geneva Rock and Sunroc (both Clyde Companies subsidiaries), BARD Materials and GCC. These producers have added BCMI’s dispatch as part of the end-to-end software platform that includes extensive operational and customer KPIs, quoting and sales tools, and customer invoicing.

    This year, large vertical materials producers imi and Titan America will implement BCMI’s cloud-based concrete dispatch system, as well as regional leaders Consumers Concrete and Zignego, to further accelerate its expansion.

    “One of the great advantages of BCMI Dispatch is that any change or update from our dispatchers and drivers is instantly shared across our company—and with our customers—through the BCMI mobile apps,” BARD Materials Vice President of Operations Chad Thier says. “BCMI truly partners with producers to shape a concrete dispatch system that leverages the best technology available, ensuring it meets the needs of the industry.”

    The BCMI Dispatch system has the advantage of being cloud-native, meaning it is developed using the most current technology rather than retrofitting older dispatch systems with hardware that must be maintained by producers. BCMI integrates with related systems, such as truck GPS and accounting programs, through API (Application Programming Interface) connections entirely in the cloud. This allows materials producers to choose their own best-in-class solution set to meet their business needs.

    “After an extensive, six-month evaluation, we concluded that BCMI’s combination of current product offerings, plus the opportunity to take part in the continued development of the product, was the best fit for what imi needs to service our customers and our internal teams,” imi President and CEO Pete Lyons says.

    BCMI’s leadership draws on more than 100 years of collective experience in serving the concrete and bulk materials market, making the team uniquely qualified to understand and address the needs of the industry. “We have all experienced the pain of struggling with outdated technology, and it makes us even more passionate about creating better tools for producers and contractors,” BCMI Vice President of Customer Success Janeen O’Dell says. “Things like mobile apps and eTicketing are old news in other industries, and there’s no reason our industry shouldn’t use them to make our day-to-day jobs easier.”

    According to BCMI Co-founder and President Craig Yeack and author of the “Tech Trends” column for Concrete Products magazine, “Our product team is laser focused on innovation, including aggressive research and development of AI tools for materials producers. In the next few years, we’ll see accelerated growth in technology, faster than we’ve seen in decades. We look forward to being the industry’s trusted partner as we navigate these changes together.”

    About BCMI

    BCMI Corp.’s mobile software empowers bulk construction material producers to improve business processes. BCMI’s performance analytics, interactive communication tools and AI-assisted dispatch keep materials producers and contractors aligned with real-time business solutions. For more on our cloud-based BCMI Dispatch, Material Pro and Material Now apps, visit www.bcmicorp.com.

    Media Contact

    Jennifer Jensen, BCMI Media and PR Specialist: Jennifer.jensen@bcmicorp.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Cyabra to Participate in the 37th Annual ROTH Conference on March 17-18

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    New York, NY, March 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Cyabra Ltd. (Nasdaq: TBMC) a leading AI platform for real-time disinformation detection, today announced its participation in the 37th Annual ROTH Conference on March 17-18, 2025, in Dana Point, CA.

    During the conference, Dan Brahmy, Cyabra’s Chief Executive Officer and co-founder, will be available for one-on-one investor meetings on both days. To schedule a meeting, please contact your Roth representative.

    Cyabra has entered into a business combination agreement with Trailblazer Merger Corporation I (NASDAQ: TBMC), a blank-check special-purpose acquisition company.

    About the 37thAnnual Roth Conference

    This year’s event will consist of 1-on-1 / small group meetings, analyst-selected fireside chats, industry keynotes and panels with executive management attending from approximately 450 private and public companies in a variety of growth sectors including: Business Services, Consumer, Healthcare, Industrial Growth, Insurance, Resources, Sustainability and Technology, Media & Entertainment.

    About Cyabra

    Cyabra Strategy Ltd. is a real-time AI-powered platform that uncovers and analyzes online disinformation and misinformation by uncovering fake profiles, harmful narratives, and GenAI content across social media and digital news channels. Cyabra’s AI protects corporations and governments against brand reputation risks, election manipulation, foreign interference, and other online threats. Cyabra’s platform leverages proprietary algorithms and NLP solutions, gathering and analyzing publicly available data to provide clear, actionable insights and real-time alerts that inform critical decision-making. Cyabra uncovers the good, bad, and fake online.

    For more information, visit www.cyabra.com.

    Media Contact:

    Jill Burkes
    Jill@cyabra.com

    Investor Relations Contact:

    Miri Segal
    MS-IR
    msegal@ms-ir.com

    About Trailblazer

    Trailblazer is a blank check company formed for the purpose of entering into a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, recapitalization, reorganization, or other similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities. For more information, visit: www.trailblazermergercorp.com

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws with respect to certain products and services that are the subject of a proposed transaction (the “Business Combination”) between Trailblazer and Cyabra. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this press release, including statements regarding Cyabra’s business strategy, products and services, research and development costs, plans and objectives of management for future operations, and future results of current and anticipated product offerings, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “believe,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “strategy,” “future,” “opportunity,” “plan,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result,” and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including, but not limited to, the following risks relating to the proposed transaction: the ability to complete the Business Combination or, if Trailblazer does not consummate such Business Combination, any other initial business combination; expectations regarding Cyabra’s strategies and future financial performance, including its future business plans or objectives, prospective performance and opportunities and competitors, revenues, products and services, pricing, operating expenses, market trends, liquidity, cash flows and uses of cash, capital expenditures, and Cyabra’s ability to invest in growth initiatives and pursue acquisition opportunities; the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the Business Combination Agreement; the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against Trailblazer or Cyabra following announcement of the Business Combination Agreement and the transactions contemplated therein; the inability to complete the proposed Business Combination due to, among other things, the failure to obtain Trailblazer stockholder approval; the risk that the announcement and consummation of the proposed Business Combination disrupts Cyabra’s current operations and future plans; the ability to recognize the anticipated benefits of the proposed Business Combination; unexpected costs related to the proposed Business Combination; the amount of any redemptions by existing holders of Trailblazer’s common stock being greater than expected; limited liquidity and trading of Trailblazer’s securities; geopolitical risk and changes in applicable laws or regulations; the size of the addressable markets for Cyabra’s products and services; the possibility that Trailblazer and/or Cyabra may be adversely affected by other economic, business, and/or competitive factors; the ability to obtain and/or maintain the listing of the combined company’s common stock on Nasdaq following the Business Combination; operational risk; and the risks that the consummation of the proposed Business Combination is substantially delayed or does not occur.

    Important Information for Investors and Stockholders

    In connection with the Business Combination, Trailblazer Holdings, Inc., a subsidiary of Trailblazer (“Holdings”) has filed a registration statement on Form S-4 (the “Registration Statement”) with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), which includes a preliminary proxy statement/prospectus, and certain other related documents, which will be both the proxy statement to be distributed to holders of shares of Trailblazer’s common stock in connection with its solicitation of proxies for the vote by its stockholders with respect to the Business Combination and other matters as may be described in the Registration Statement, as well as the prospectus of Holdings relating to the offer and sale of its securities to be issued in the Business Combination. . After the Registration Statement is declared effective, the proxy statement/prospectus will be sent to all Trailblazer stockholders so that they may vote on the Business Combination.

    INVESTORS AND STOCKHOLDERS OF TRAILBLAZER ARE URGED TO READ CAREFULLY THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT, PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS, AND OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED OR TO BE FILED WITH THE SEC WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE, AS THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE BUSINESS COMBINATION AND THE PARTIES INVOLVED.

    Trailblazer stockholders are currently able to obtain copies of the preliminary proxy statement/prospectus and other documents filed with the SEC that are incorporated by reference therein, and will be able to obtain the definitive proxy statement/prospectus and other documents filed with the SEC that will be incorporated by reference therein, once available, in all cases without charge, at the SEC’s web site at www.sec.gov, or by directing a request to: Trailblazer at 510 Madison Avenue, Suite 1401, New York, NY 10022, Telephone: 646-747-9618.

    Participants in the Solicitation

    Cyabra, Trailblazer, and their respective directors and executive officers may be deemed participants in the solicitation of proxies from Trailblazer stockholders regarding the proposed Business Combination. Information about Trailblazer’s directors and executive officers and their ownership of Trailblazer’s securities is set forth in the proxy statement/prospectus pertaining to the proposed Business Combination.

    No Offer or Solicitation

    This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, or a solicitation of any vote or approval. No sale of securities shall occur in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful before registration or qualification under applicable

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: ServiceTrade Sponsors the Heavy Metal Summer Experience Program in Support of its Mission to Inspire Students to Pursue Rewarding Trade Careers

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    DURHAM, N.C. and AUSTIN, Texas, March 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — MCAA—ServiceTrade, an innovative software platform designed to optimize commercial service business operations for growth and profit, announced its silver-level sponsorship of the career workshop series called The Heavy Metal Summer Experience. The program is supported by a dedicated group of trade industry associations, vendors, educators, and individuals. In its fifth year, the non-profit program aims to introduce students across the U.S. and Canada to mechanical, electrical, and plumbing careers.   

    “The growth of the mechanical construction and service industry relies on the next generation of workers,” said Angie Simon, president and co-founder of The Heavy Metal Summer Experience. “In 2024, the program held camps at 36 locations across the United States and Canada, a 71% increase in participation over previous years, with approximately 500 students enrolled. The 2025 program will hold sessions in 54 camp locations and reach almost 900 students in the season.”

    The Heavy Metal Summer Experience attracts students from all backgrounds and ethnicities, including 18.7% female students. It introduces students to all aspects of working in the trades, including hands-on learning and working with industrial materials. Students are provided with information on apprenticeship programs, trade specialties, local opportunities for further education, and information about careers in the industrial trades. 

    Careers in the trades are gaining popularity among young people. According to the Associated General Contractors of America, enrollment in focused commercial manufacturing and repair trade programs grew by 11% between 2021 and 2023. Undergraduate college enrollment dropped by 8% in the same period, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Trade school programs are also faster and less expensive than alternatives, with students finishing programs within two years and quickly finding employment after graduation. 

    “A career in the trades is a terrific path to high job satisfaction, rapid career advancement, and great pay,” said Billy Marshall, Founder and Special Advisor at ServiceTrade.  “The demand for these young skilled workers is extraordinarily high with an estimated current labor shortfall of 14 – 20% in the commercial fire and mechanical service markets.  The Heavy Metal Summer Experience is the right solution at the right time, and we look forward to working alongside its founders to ensure its success.”

    To learn more about ServiceTrade and The Heavy Metal Summer Experience:

    About ServiceTrade  

    ServiceTrade, Inc. is a software platform for commercial mechanical, fire, and life safety contractors. During a chronic skilled labor shortage, ServiceTrade helps commercial contractors increase profit by improving service and project operations, increasing technician productivity, selling more service agreements, and growing customer loyalty. Located in Durham, North Carolina, ServiceTrade was founded in 2012 to automate and streamline the commercial mechanical and fire protection industry and has grown to have more than 1,300 customers. More than 10% of the commercial or industrial buildings in the United States are serviced by contractors using ServiceTrade. Learn more at www.servicetrade.com.

    Media contact:

    Media@KTCMarketingandPR.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Alation Announces Agentic Data Quality Solution to Close Data Trust Gap

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    REDWOOD CITY, Calif., March 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Alation Inc., the data intelligence company, today introduced Alation Data Quality (DQ), an AI-native solution that restores trust in data by identifying and proactively monitoring critical data assets, and automatically applying relevant quality rules.

    Organizations struggle with unreliable data, leading to a trust gap between data producers and data consumers, operational risks, and flawed AI models. Moreover, with data volumes exponentially increasing, when data quality issues are flagged, data teams struggle to decide which data assets to monitor due to the overwhelming volume of data. This forces teams to conduct lengthy research and requirement gathering, or worse, they must resort to monitoring all data assets. Even after identifying critical data, applying and maintaining quality rules remains a tedious, labor-intensive task.

    Extending the Alation Platform, Alation DQ is powered by an AI agent that analyzes usage patterns to determine the most critical data assets. Once identified, the Alation Data Quality (DQ) Agent leverages the business and semantic context in the Alation Data Intelligence Platform to automatically generate and apply tailored data quality rules, removing the traditional dependence on IT teams to help support. For example, in the context of a retail client, the DQ Agent can automatically detect which columns relate to order information and apply rules to flag missing or incomplete fields. When issues arise, the DQ Agent provides root cause analysis and remediation recommendations by leveraging the full breadth of the Alation Data Intelligence Platform, such as end-to-end data lineage, to ensure teams can swiftly address data quality gaps.

    “Trust is the foundation of data-driven decision-making, yet many organizations struggle with fragmented, unreliable data,” said GT Volpe, Senior Director of Product Management at Alation. “Alation DQ delivers an intelligent, scalable, and open solution that ensures data quality while maximizing the value of enterprise data.”

    Key Capabilities of Alation Data Quality:

    • Measure what matters: Alation DQ prioritizes the most business-critical data assets using real consumption patterns, eliminating guesswork and reducing costs.
    • Automatically generate data quality rules: AI-powered automation detects data types, usage contexts, and governance policies, and applies relevant quality rules, ensuring proactive monitoring without manual effort.
    • Integrated data quality and data governance reporting: Access a holistic view of the entire data landscape with the ability to zoom in to table- and column-level views of data quality health and data governance policy status in a single interface.
    • Unified user experience: Seamlessly integrated with the Alation Data Intelligence Platform, Alation DQ leverages rich metadata and business lineage for a streamlined, intuitive experience.

    Alation Data Quality extends the company’s commitment to providing an open and extensible data intelligence platform. Alation DQ provides integrated, context-driven data quality capabilities and is designed to complement best-of-breed data quality solutions. Organizations can integrate their preferred data quality tools through the Alation Open Data Quality Framework while leveraging Alation’s governance, lineage, and metadata to deliver a unified view of data health.

    Alation Data Quality (DQ) will be generally available in Q3 2025. For more information, read the blog: “Announcing Alation Data Quality: Restoring Trust in Your Data.”

    About Alation
    Alation is the data intelligence company. More than 600 global enterprises — including 40% of the Fortune 100 — rely on Alation to realize value from their data and AI initiatives. Customers such as Cisco, DocuSign, Nasdaq, Pfizer, and Samsung trust Alation’s platform for self-service analytics, cloud transformation, data governance, and AI-ready data, fostering data-driven innovation at scale. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, Alation has been recognized five times by Inc. Magazine as one of the Best Workplaces. To learn more, visit www.alation.com.

    Media Contact
    Ashley Womack
    Sr. Director, Corporate Marketing
    650-504-2647
    ashley.womack@alation.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Alation Announces Data Products Marketplace and Expert Services Offering to Operationalize Data Across the Enterprise

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    REDWOOD CITY, Calif., March 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Alation Inc., the data intelligence company, today introduced Alation Data Products Marketplace and a new Data Products Expert Services offering to ensure all organizations can easily operationalize their data assets to effectively deliver business impact. The Data Products Marketplace serves as a centralized exchange where business users and data teams can quickly find, understand, and access trusted data products. Complementing this product launch, Alation’s Expert Services offering helps organizations adopt the modern data operating model necessary to quickly operationalize data products at scale.

    Many data teams struggle with fragmented data management approaches that hinder agility, trust, and scalability. Data products address these challenges by standardizing how data is packaged, governed, and consumed—ensuring consistency, compliance, and reusability while enabling faster access to trusted insights. According to the Harvard Business Review, A Better Way to Put Your Data to Work, companies that treat data like a product can reduce the time it takes to implement new use cases by as much as 90%, decrease their total ownership costs by up to 30%, and reduce their risk and data governance burden.

    Alation’s new offerings enable businesses to efficiently operationalize data products at scale, changing data management from a fragmented and ad hoc process into a systematic and repeatable model. The Data Products Marketplace addresses the conflict between speed and trust, a common challenge for organizations striving to deliver data quickly while maintaining data governance and quality. It offers a centralized, governed platform where business users, applications, and AI systems can easily discover and utilize reliable, high-value data products, which speeds up business insights.

    For a data product approach to be successful, organizations must also align people, processes, and culture. Alation’s new Data Products Expert Services helps organizations transition to a new data operating model by providing hands-on guidance and best practices for defining, managing, and delivering data products that align with business goals.

    “Making reusable Data Products easily accessible through the Alation Marketplace gives us the power to operationalize our data faster – connecting our business users and applications with actionable and trusted data, enabling better decision-making,” said Paul Wingrove, Head of Data Enablement at Jupiter Asset Management.

    “With AI adoption accelerating and creating even more strain on over-burdened data teams, organizations need a scalable, governed approach to data products to keep up with the demands of the business,” said Jake Magner, Senior Director, Product Management at Alation. “Our Data Products Marketplace and Expert Services provide a complete solution that enables businesses to balance speed with trust—delivering high-quality, reusable data products quickly that drive smarter AI and impactful business insights.”

    Key Benefits of Alation Data Products Marketplace include:

    • Deliver data products efficiently: Data teams can publish and manage reusable data products, analyzing usage across business teams to identify ways to optimize and reuse data effectively.
    • Discover insights faster: Business users can easily find and access ready-to-use, trusted data products to make quick, confident decisions driving business impact.
    • Reinforce data governance: The marketplace enforces governance policies by ensuring that data access, usage, and sharing align with predefined compliance and security standards, providing a controlled yet agile environment for data consumption.
    • Power AI and automation: The marketplace provides the foundation for trusted data-driven AI and business applications while ensuring quality and compliance.

    Key Benefits of Alation Data Products Expert Services include:

    • Align people, processes, and technology to maximize data product effectiveness.
    • Implement a producer/consumer model that fosters collaboration and accountability.
    • Launch pilot initiatives to prove value and establish repeatable success.
    • Scale data products strategically to drive long-term business impact.

    The Alation Data Product Marketplace will be generally available in Q3 2025. The Data Products Expert Services are available immediately.

    To learn about the Modern Data Operating Model, download the latest whitepaper: The Data Product Blueprint: 10 Key Attributes for Faster Business Impact. Read the blog: “Introducing the Alation Data Products Marketplace: Trusted, High-Impact Data at Speed.”

    About Alation
    Alation is the data intelligence company. More than 600 global enterprises — including 40% of the Fortune 100 — rely on Alation to realize value from their data and AI initiatives. Customers such as Cisco, DocuSign, Nasdaq, Pfizer, and Samsung trust Alation’s platform for self-service analytics, cloud transformation, data governance, and AI-ready data, fostering data-driven innovation at scale. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, Alation has been recognized five times by Inc. Magazine as one of the Best Workplaces. To learn more, visit www.alation.com.

    Media Contact
    Ashley Womack
    Sr. Director, Corporate Marketing
    650-504-2647
    ashley.womack@alation.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Westhaven Announces Updated Preliminary Economic Assessment for the Shovelnose Gold Project, British Columbia

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    After-Tax NPV Doubled to $454 Million

    After-Tax IRR of 43.2%

    Payback of Initial Capital Costs of 2.1 Years

    All amounts are in Canadian Dollars unless otherwise noted

    VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Westhaven Gold Corp. (TSX-V:WHN) is pleased to report the completion of an Updated Preliminary Economic Assessment (“PEA”) at its 100% owned 41,634-hectare Shovelnose Gold Property (the “Property”) located within the prospective Spences Bridge Gold Belt (“SBGB”), which borders the Coquihalla Highway 30 kilometres south of Merritt, British Columbia. The PEA outlines a robust, low-cost, rapid pay-back, high margin, 11.1 year underground gold mining opportunity and is based on updated mineral resources that include contributions from the South, Franz and FMN zones.

    At a gold price of US$2,400/oz and an exchange rate of C$1.00 to US$0.72, the Shovelnose base case estimate (the “Base Case”) generates an after-tax net present value (NPV) at a 6% discount rate of $454 million and an internal rate of return (IRR) of 43.2%. The proposed mine will operate over an initial 11.1 year mine-life with average annual life-of-mine gold production of 56,000 ounces. Initial capital expenditure to fund construction and commissioning is estimated at $184 million, with a life-of-mine capital cost of $379 million and a payback period of 2.1 years. The all-in sustaining costs (as defined per World Gold Council guidelines, less corporate G&A) are estimated to be US$836 per ounce of gold produced.

    Summary Table – Economic Sensitivity to Long Term Gold Price

    Long Term Metal Price Variability Corresponding Gold Price After Tax NPV (at 6%) After Tax IRR
    (percentage change) US$/ounce CDN $ millions (%)
    – 20% 1,920 284.3 30.4
    – 10% 2,160 369.1 36.9
    base case 2,400 453.7 43.2
    + 10% 2,640 538.3 49.5
    + 20% 2,880 622.8 55.7

    Gareth Thomas, President & CEO, comments: “Westhaven’s flagship Shovelnose Gold Property is ideally situated, in close proximity to roads, power and infrastructure in a tier 1 mining jurisdiction. Production contribution from both Franz and FMN provide valuable ounces that bring gold production forward in the schedule resulting in payback of initial capital costs in just 2.1 years. Our intention is to continue to advance this cornerstone project in parallel with our ongoing exploration efforts to further expand the gold-silver mineral inventory on this highly prospective land package. The next steps towards rapidly advancing development include further de-risking initiatives such as continued environmental baseline studies, permitting requirements, along with other cost and technical requirements.”

    The Company cautions that the results of the PEA are preliminary in nature and include Inferred Mineral Resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have economic consideration applied to them to be classified as Mineral Reserves. There is no certainty that the results of the PEA will be realized. Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability.

    Preliminary Economic Assessment Highlights:

    *Base case parameters of US$2,400 per ounce gold, US$28 per ounce silver and CDN$/US$ exchange rate of $0.72.
    *All costs are in Canadian dollars unless otherwise specified.

    • Robust financial metrics.
      • Pre-tax Internal Rate of Return (“IRR”) of 56.3%; After-tax IRR of 43.2%.
      • Low All-In Sustaining Cost (“AISC”) of $1,161/ounce (“oz”) (US$836/oz) gold equivalent (“AuEq”).
      • Low Cash Cost of $872 oz/AuEq (US$ 628/oz AuEq).
      • Pre-tax Net Present Value (“NPV”6%) of $730 million (M) and After-tax NPV of $454M.
      • Payback period from start of production year at 1.7 years pre-tax and 2.1 years after-tax.
      • After-tax (NPV 6%) increases to $634M and After-tax IRR increases to 56.6% using spot prices of US$2,900 gold and US$30 silver.
    • Low capital-intensive development and operating costs.
      • Total Preproduction Capital of $184M.
      • Total Life of Mine (“LOM”) Capital Costs of $379M.
      • Average operating cost of $142/ tonne processed.
      • 92% of total stope mining is cost effective longitudinal and traverse longhole stoping, with only 8% of total mining requiring cut and fill stoping.
    • 11.1-year mine life and ability to expand processing to accommodate satellite discoveries.
      • 718,600 total Indicated ounces gold equivalent (“AuEq”) underground Mineral Resource Estimate.

           292,000 total Inferred ounces AuEq underground Mineral Resource Estimate.

    • Production rate of 1,000 tonnes per day (“tpd”).
    • Total payable metals of 637,000 oz gold (“Au”) and 3,562,000 oz silver (“Ag”).
    • Average annual production of 56,000 oz Au peaking in year 7 at 68,000 oz Au.

                            Total mineralized rock production of 4,159,000 tonnes at 5.26 g/t Au and 32 g/t Ag.

    • Metallurgical recoveries of 91.5% Au and 92.9% Ag.
    • Community/stakeholder benefits.
      • Total projected income taxes paid of $284M.
      • Total projected British Columbia mineral taxes paid of $163M.
      • More than 130 well-paying local full time jobs created during life of mine.
      • Additional employment during construction phase.
      • Indirect spin-off benefits during both construction and mine operations.

    Mineral Resources, Updated PEA Preparation and Results

    The previous public Mineral Resource Estimate (“MRE”) for the South Zone was carried out by P&E Mining Consultants Inc. (“P&E”) with an effective date July 18, 2023. The current underground MRE is reported herein. All drilling and assay data were provided by Westhaven, in the form of Excel data files. The GEOVIA GEMS™ V6.8.4 database compiled by P&E for the February 28, 2025 MRE consisted of 355 surface drill holes, totalling 121,971 metres. A total of 145 drill holes (50,714 metres) were intersected by the Mineral Resource wireframes used in this PEA.

    P&E validated the Mineral Resource database in GEMS™ by checking for inconsistencies in analytical units, duplicate entries, interval, length or distance values less than or equal to zero, blank or zero-value assay results, out-of-sequence intervals, intervals or distances greater than the reported drill hole length, inappropriate collar locations, survey and missing interval and coordinate fields. Some minor errors were identified and corrected in the database. The QPs are of the opinion that the supplied database is suitable for Mineral Resource estimation.

    Block models were constructed using GEOVIA GEMS™ V6.8.4 modelling software and consist of separate model attributes for estimated Au, Ag and AuEq grade, rock type (mineralization domains), volume percent, bulk density, and classification. The Mineral Resource was classified as Indicated and Inferred based on the geological interpretation, variogram performance and drill hole spacing. The QPs also consider mineralization at the South, Franz and FMN Zones to be potentially amenable to underground mining methods. The revised MRE used for this Updated PEA is reported with an effective date of February 28, 2025 and is tabulated in Table 1.

    Table 1
    Shovelnose Underground Mineral Resource Estimate @ 1.3 g/t AuEq Cut-off (1-7)
    Classification Zone  Tonnes
    (k)    		 Au
    (g/t)    		 Contained Au
    (k oz)    		 Ag
    (g/t)    		 Contained Ag
    (k oz)    		 AuEq
    (g/t)    		 Contained AuEq
    (k oz)
    Indicated South 3,107 6.18 616.8 33.1 3,302.8 6.56 655.2
    Franz 89 7.44 21.2 30.9 88.0 7.80 22.2
    FMN 241 5.07 39.2 22.5 173.7 5.33 41.2
    Total 3,437 6.13 677.2 32.3 3,564.5 6.50 718.6
    Inferred South 1,386 3.79 168.6 16.5 736.8 3.98 177.2
    Franz 63 3.48 7.1 51.9 105.4 4.09 8.3
    FMN 843 3.49 94.6 37.5 1,017.3 3.93 106.5
    Total 2,292 3.67 270.3 25.2 1,859.5 3.96 292.0
    1.   Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability.
    2.   The estimate of Mineral Resources may be materially affected by environmental, permitting, legal, title, taxation, socio-political, marketing, or other relevant issues.
    3.   The Inferred Mineral Resource in this estimate has a lower level of confidence than that applied to an Indicated Mineral Resource and must not be converted to a Mineral Reserve. It is reasonably expected that the majority of the Inferred Mineral Resource could potentially be upgraded to an Indicated Mineral Resource with continued exploration.
    4.   The Mineral Resources were estimated in accordance with the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM), CIM Standards on Mineral Resources and Reserves, Definitions (2014) and Best Practices Guidelines (2019) prepared by the CIM Standing Committee on Reserve Definitions and adopted by the CIM Council.
    5.   PEA is preliminary in nature and includes Inferred Mineral Resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be classified as Mineral Reserves, and there is no certainty that the PEA will be realized.
    6.   The AuEq cut-off of 1.3 g/t was derived from costs of C$82/t mining, C$42/t processing and $18/t G&A. A USD:CDN exchange rate of 0.72 along with US$2,400/oz Au and US$28/oz Ag with respective process recoveries of 91.5% and 92.9%.
    7.   The Au/Ag ratio used was 86:1.
         

    A financial model was developed to estimate the Life of Mine (“LOM”) plan and considered only underground mining of Mineral Resources at the South, Franz and FMN Zones. Other known gold-silver mineralization at the Shovelnose Gold Property, currently being evaluated by Westhaven, are not included.

    The LOM plan covers a 13.1-year period (2 years pre-production and 11.1 years of production). Currency is in Q1 2025 Canadian dollars unless otherwise stated. Inflation has not been considered in the financial analysis.

    The Updated PEA outlines a production mine life of 11.1 years with average annual production of 56,000 ounces gold and 312,000 ounces silver at average respective cash costs and all-in sustaining costs (“AISC”) per ounce gold equivalent of $1,161(US$836). The PEA considers the payable recovery of 637,000 oz gold and 3,562,000 oz silver from an underground operation, at average respective mine production grades of 5.26 g/t and 32 g/t.

    Revenue

    The commercially saleable product generated by the Project is a gold/silver doré. Westhaven would be paid once the doré has been delivered to a smelter and refinery, off-site.

    The NSR payables were based on the following parameters:
    Dore Payable (Includes refining and smelting)
    Au 99%
    Ag 90%

    The CDN$/US$ exchange rate used in the PEA is 0.72.

    Subtotal Revenue        
    Au (US$) $1,529M
    Ag (US$) $100M
    Net revenue                
    CDN$ $2,201M

    The revenue generation by the Shovelnose Project, on a yearly basis, is presented in Table 2.

    Table 2
    Summary of Base Case Total Revenue Generation
    Item / Year Yr -1 Yr 1 Yr 2 Yr 3 Yr 4 Yr 5 Yr 6 Yr 7 Yr 8 Yr 9 Yr 10 Yr 11 Yr 12 Total
    Tonnes (k) 133.7 330.4 367.5 365.3 365.3 365.3 365.3 365.3 365.3 365.3 365.3 365.3 40.0 4,158.8
    Grade (g/t) – Au 3.98 5.43 4.94 5.52 5.16 5.55 5.59 6.35 5.24 5.05 5.42 4.26 3.93 5.26
    – Ag 27 26 73 32 25 29 36 32 23 25 29 23 25 32
    Au koz  Payable 15.5 52.2 52.8 58.7 54.8 59.0 59.4 67.6 55.8 53.8 57.6 45.3 4.6 637.2
    Ag koz Payable 98.1 232.9 722.4 310.0 242.0 282.3 352.4 316.4 222.8 244.8 287.4 223.6 26.6 3,561.8
    Subtotal Rev.-Au (US$)M 37.2 125.4 126.8 140.8 131.6 141.7 142.6 162.2 133.9 129.0 138.3 108.8 11.0 1,529.3
    -Ag (US$)M 2.7 6.5 20.2 8.7 6.8 7.9 9.9 8.9 6.2 6.9 8.0 6.3 0.7 99.7
    Subtotal Rev. (Cdn$) M 55.4 183.2 204.3 207.6 192.2 207.8 211.8 237.6 194.6 188.8 203.2 159.8 16.3 2,262.5
    Net Royalty (Cdn$) M 5.9 4.6 5.1 5.2 4.8 5.2 5.3 5.9 4.9 4.7 5.1 4.0 0.4 61.1
    Net Revenue (Cdn$) M 49.5 178.6 199.1 202.4 187.4 202.6 206.5 231.7 189.7 184.0 198.2 155.8 15.9 2,201.4


    Note Yr = Year

    The QPs have estimated the net revenues assuming Westhaven has taken advantage of available royalty buy-outs. There is a 2% Net Smelter Return (“NSR”) royalty on the Shovelnose Gold Property held by Franco-Nevada Corp. which Westhaven has the option to buy down to a 1.5% NSR for US$3M. There is a 2% NSR held by Osisko Gold Royalties Ltd. which Westhaven has the option to buy down to a 1% NSR for $500,000.

    Costs

    Operating costs:    
    Total average cost   $142/t processed
    Cash Cost / AuEq oz (Cdn$/oz AuEq)   $872/oz AuEq (US$628/oz)
    All-in sustaining cost (“AISC”)(Cdn$/oz AuEq)   $1,161/oz AuEq (US$836/oz)
         
    Capital costs:    
    LOM   $379M
    Sustaining CAPEX   $195M
         

    LOM capital costs include the cost of all mine development; process plant, mine equipment; surface infrastructure; underground infrastructure; a closure cost; a salvage credit; and a 20% contingency.

    Stoping methods utilized are transverse longhole, longitudinal longhole and cut & fill. The average vein widths to be mined are 16.2m, 6.6m and 3.0m respectively.

    Mining unit costs by method are $143.81/t for transverse, $144.94 for longitudinal long hole, and $142.82/t for cut & fill stoping.

    The proportion of mining method during the life of mine is 65% longitudinal longhole, 27% for transverse longhole mining and 8% cut and fill.

    Table 3
    Base Case Cash Flow Summary
    ITEM DESCRIPTION / YEAR UNITS YR
    – 2    		 YR
    – 1    		 YR
    1    		 YR
    2    		 YR
    3    		 YR
    4    		 YR
    5    		 YR
    6    		 YR
    7    		 YR
    8    		 YR
    9    		 YR
    10    		 YR
    11    		 YR
    12    		 TTL
    Production kt   134 330 368 365 365 365 365 365 365 365 365 365 40 4,159
    Au (g/t)   3.9 5.4 4.9 5.5 5.2 5.6 5.6 6.4 5.2 5.1 5.4 4.3 3.9 5.3
    Ag (g/t)   27 26 73 32 25 29 36 32 23 25 29 23 25 32
     
    Revenue M$   50 179 199 202 187 203 206 232 190 184 198 156 16 2,201
     
    Opex Expensed Stope Development (Contractor) M$   11 6 11 13 9 2 6 2 9 3 9 5 1 88
    Longitudinal LH Stoping M$   1 3 3 2 3 3 2 2 2 3 3 4 0.4 30
    Transverse LH Stoping M$       1 2 1 1 2 2 2 1       12
    Cut and Fill Stoping M$   1 2 0.2 1 0.1 1     1   1 1 0.1 7
    Mine G&A M$   3 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 1 62
    Paste Backfill M$   1 1 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 1 34
    Process Plant M$   6 14 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 2 173
    Transport and Place Tailings M$   1 12 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0.1 12
    U/G Ore Haulage M$   1 4 6 8 8 8 8 9 8 7 8 8 1 84
    Surface Ore Haulage M$   1 1 1                     3
    Backhaul Paste Backfilll to FMN M$   0.1 0.4 0.2                     1
    Stopckpile Rehandling M$   1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0.1 14
    G&A M$     6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 1 71
    Total Opex with Contingency M$   25 45 55 58 53 47 50 47 4 47 53 50 6 589
     
    Capex Mine Development (Contractor) Waste M$   19 21 38 16 9   6 1 6 1 8 3   126
    Process Plant M$ 50 25   4   4   4   4   3     94
    Owner’s Cost M$ 3 5                         8
    Mining Equipment M$   11 7 7   2 2 12 1 5 2 3 4   54
    U/G Infrastructure M$   1 2 1 1   1 1 1 1 1 1 1   13
    Surface Infrastructure M$   48 5 2     2 5   2   5 2   72
    EPCM M$ 9 10                         19
    Closure & Salvage M$   5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 -16 -6
    Total Capex with Contingency M$ 62 122 35 52 18 15 4 28 4 18 4 21 10 -16 379
     
    Taxes Income Tax M$     11 25 24 23 30 31 38 27 28 30 21 -4 284
    Mineral Tax M$   0 3 3 12 16 20 17 24 16 18 17 13 3 163
    Total Taxes M$   0 14 28 37 39 50 48 62 43 46 47 34 0 447
     
    After-Tax Cash Flow M$ -62 -97 85 63 90 80 102 80 118 75 87 77 62 26 785
    After-Tax Cumulative Cash Flow M$ -62 -160 -75 -11 78 158 260 340 458 533 620 697 759 785  
     
    After-tax IRR %   43.2
    After-tax NPV @ 6% M$   454


    Cash Flow Sensitivity Analysis

    The following after-tax cash flow analysis was completed:

    Net Present Value (“NPV”) (at 5%, 6%, 7%, 8%, 9% and 10% discount rates).
    Internal Rate of Return (“IRR”).
    Payback period.

    The summary of the results of the cash flow sensitivity analysis is presented in Table 4

    Table 4
    Base Case Cash Flow Sensitivity Analysis
    Description Discount Rate Units Value
    Undiscounted After-Tax CF 0% (M$) 785
    Internal Rate of Return % 43.2
    After-Tax NPV at 5% (M$) 496
    Base Case 6% (M$) 454
    7% (M$) 415
    8% (M$) 380
    9% (M$) 348
    10% (M$) 319
    After-Tax Total Project Payback (including pre-production) Years 4.1

    The Project was evaluated on an after-tax cash flow basis which generates a net undiscounted cash flow estimated at $785M. This results in an after-tax IRR of 43.2% and an after-tax NPV of $454 M when using a 6% discount rate. In the base case scenario, the Project has a payback period of 4.1 years from the start of the Project. The average life-of-mine cash cost is $872/oz AuEq (US$628/oz AuEq), at an average operating cost of $142/t processed. The average life-of-mine all-in sustaining cost (“AISC”) is estimated at $1,161/oz AuEq (US$836/oz AuEq).

    Sensitivity Analysis

    Project risks can be identified in both economic and non-economic terms. Key economic risks were examined by running cash flow sensitivities to: gold metal price; silver metal price; gold process plant head grade; gold metallurgical recovery; operating costs; and capital costs.

    Each of the sensitivity items were varied up and down by 10% and 20% to assess the effect they would have on the NPV at a 6% discount rate. The value of each parameter, at 80%, 90%, 100% base case, 110% and 120%, is presented in Table 5.

    Table 5
    NPV Sensitivity Parameter Values
    Parameter 80% 90% 100% 110% 120%
    Au Metal Price US$/oz 1,920 2,160 2,400 2,640 2,880
    Ag Metal Price US$/oz 22.40 25.20 28.00 30.80 33.60
    Au Head Grade g/t 4.21 4.73 5.26 5.79 6.31
    Au Met Recovery % N/A 82.4% 91.5% N/A N/A
    Capex $M 304 342 379 417 455
    Opex $M 471 530 589 648 707

    The resultant after-tax NPV @ 6% values of each of the sensitivity parameters at 80% to 120% are presented in Table 6.

    Table 6
    After-Tax NPV Sensitivity to Base Case at 6% Discount Rate (M$)
    Parameter 80% 90% 100% 110% 120%
    Au Metal Price 284 369 454 538 623
    Ag Metal Price 442 448 454 459 465
    Au Head Grade 284 369 454 538 623
    Au Met Recovery N/A 369 454 N/A N/A
    Capex 515 484 454 423 392
    Opex 502 478 454 429 405


    Cautionary Statement

    The Updated PEA is considered by P&E Mining Consultants Inc. (“P&E”) to meet the requirements as defined in Canadian National Instrument (“NI”) 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. This PEA is preliminary in nature and includes Inferred Mineral Resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be classified as Mineral Reserves, and there is no certainty that the PEA will be realized. Mineral Resources are not Mineral Reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. There is no guarantee that Westhaven Gold Corp. will be successful in obtaining any or all of the requisite consents, permits or approvals, regulatory or otherwise for the Project to be placed into production. The PEA was prepared in accordance with the requirements of NI 43-101 and has an effective date of February 28, 2025. A technical report relating to the PEA, prepared in accordance with NI 43-101, will be filed on SEDAR and posted on the company’s website within 45 days of this news release.

    On behalf of the Board of Directors
    WESTHAVEN GOLD CORP.

    “Gareth Thomas”

    Gareth Thomas, President, CEO & Director

    Qualified Person Statement

    The Preliminary Economic Assessment for the Shovelnose Gold Property – South Zone was prepared by James L. Pearson, P.Eng., D. Grant Feasby, P.Eng., Yungang Wu, P.Geo., Antoine Yassa, P.Geo., Brian Ray, P.Geo. and Eugene Puritch, P.Eng., FEC, CET of P&E Mining Consultants Inc., Brampton, Ontario, all Independent Qualified Persons as defined by National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. The PEA results are based on important assumptions made by the Qualified Persons who prepared the PEA. These assumptions, and the justifications for them, will be described in the PEA Technical Report that the Company will file on SEDAR and post on the Company’s website within 45 days of this news release. Mr. Puritch has reviewed and approved the technical contents of this news release.

    Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

    About Westhaven Gold Corp.

    Westhaven is a gold-focused exploration company advancing the high-grade discovery on the Shovelnose project in Canada’s newest gold district, the Spences Bridge Gold Belt. Westhaven controls ~61,512 hectares (~615 square kilometres) with four gold properties spread along this underexplored belt. The Shovelnose property is situated off a major highway, near power, rail, large producing mines, and within commuting distance from the city of Merritt, which translates into low-cost exploration. Westhaven trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the ticker symbol WHN. For further information, please call 604-681-5558 or visit Westhaven’s website at www.westhavengold.com

    Forward-Looking Statements

    The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed this press release and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. 

    Certain information contained herein constitutes “forward-looking information” under Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the results of the Preliminary Economic Assessment, the Mineral Resource Estimate future planned activities, future mineral production and future growth potential for the Company and its projects.  Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “will” or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results “will” occur.  Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made, and they are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things, the price of gold and other precious metals; costs of exploration and development; the estimated costs of development of exploration projects; the Company’s ability to operate in a safe and effective manner and its ability to obtain financing on reasonable terms. Although management of Westhaven Gold Corp. have attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended.  Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward‐looking statements or forward-looking information. Such factors include, without limitation: the Company’s dependence on one group of mineral projects; precious metals price volatility; regulatory, consent or permitting delays; risks relating to reliance on the Company’s management team and outside contractors; risks regarding mineral resources and reserves; the Company’s inability to obtain insurance to cover all risks, on a commercially reasonable basis or at all; currency fluctuations; risks regarding the failure to generate sufficient cash flow from operations; risks relating to project financing and equity issuances; risks and unknowns inherent in all mining projects, including the inaccuracy of reserves and resources, metallurgical recoveries and capital and operating costs of such projects; laws and regulations governing the environment, health and safety; operating or technical difficulties in connection with mining or development activities; employee relations, labour unrest or unavailability; the Company’s interactions with surrounding communities; the speculative nature of exploration and development, including the risks of diminishing quantities or grades of reserves; stock market volatility; conflicts of interest among certain directors and officers; and the factors identified under the caption “Risk Factors” in the Company’s management discussion and analysis. There can be no assurance that such forward-looking statements or information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements.  Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information.  The Company will not update any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information that are incorporated by reference herein, except as required by applicable securities laws.

    Westhaven’s Properties across the Spences Bridge Gold Belt

    2025 PEA Proposed Development Zones

    Shovelnose Proposed Mine Site Development & Infrastructure Layout

    Maps accompanying this announcement are available at: 

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ed38b683-123a-44cf-86f5-1c63049a9351

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b5ea66ea-6e4d-49c3-b1ae-78624a357568

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2652ea09-9d55-45a5-b6e2-346b3e1ddea5

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Varonis at the 2025 Gartner® Security & Risk Management Summit: AI Innovation and Data Security

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MUMBAI, India, March 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Gartner Security & Risk Management Summit — Varonis Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: VRNS), a leader in data security, today announced its full schedule at the Gartner Security & Risk Management Summit, March 10 – 11 in Mumbai, India.

    Varonis Activities at the Gartner Security & Risk Management Summit:

    Meet Varonis: Visit Varonis at booth #210 to discover our latest cloud security offerings, see our unified approach to data security, and catch 1:1 demos with our team. Learn how Varonis helps organizations adopt gen AI copilots safely and confidently by putting data first.

    Expert Session: “AI Innovation and Security: Insights from a CISO and CFO” — In this panel discussion, Concentrix Global Vice President, Global Security Rishi Rajpal and Varonis CFO and COO Guy Melamed explore the importance of implementing proactive data security for AI and discuss practical strategies for effective risk management to prevent security breaches, legal penalties, and loss of customer trust. 

    Date: Monday, March 10 at 4:35 p.m.

    Location: TH5, Exhibit Showcase Theater, Showroom, Ground Level

    Additional Resources

    GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and is used herein with permission. All rights reserved.

    About the Gartner Security & Risk Management Summit
    Gartner analysts will present the latest research and advice for security and risk management leaders at the Gartner Security & Risk Management Summits, taking place March 3-4, 2025 in Sydney, March 10- 11, 2025 in India, April 7-8 in Dubai, June 9-11 in National Harbor, MD, July 23-25 in Tokyo, August 5-6 in Sao Paulo and September 22-24 in London. Follow news and updates from the conferences on X using #GartnerSEC.

    About Varonis
    Varonis (Nasdaq: VRNS) is a leader in data security, fighting a different battle than conventional cybersecurity companies. Our cloud-native Data Security Platform continuously discovers and classifies critical data, removes exposures, and detects advanced threats with AI-powered automation.

    Thousands of organizations worldwide trust Varonis to defend their data wherever it lives — across SaaS, IaaS, and hybrid cloud environments. Customers use Varonis to automate a wide range of security outcomes, including data security posture management (DSPM), data classification, data access governance (DAG), data detection and response (DDR), data loss prevention (DLP), and insider risk management.

    Varonis protects data first, not last. Learn more at www.varonis.com.

    Investor Relations Contact:
    Tim Perz
    Varonis Systems, Inc.
    646-640-2112
    investors@varonis.com 

    News Media Contact:
    Rachel Hunt
    Varonis Systems, Inc.
    877-292-8767 (ext. 1598)
    pr@varonis.com

    Public Relations Contact
    Sonika Choubey
    Manager, Public Relations
    + 91 8691974117
    sonika.choubey@gartner.com

    Exhibitor Contact(s)
    Gunjan Kotwal
    Conference Manager, Exhibit Operations
    gunjan.kotwal@gartner.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Vimeo Launches Inaugural Short Film Grant in Partnership with Nikon and RED

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Program provides up to $150,000 to support up-and-coming filmmakers and drive a new generation of talent

    Submissions open March 10, Five winners selected by award-winning creators David Lowery, Charlotte Wells, Sean Wang, Savanah Leaf and Adam Bricker, ASC.

    NEW YORK, March 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Vimeo, the world’s most innovative video experience platform for creators and enterprises, today announced the launch of the first-ever “Vimeo Short Film Grant presented by Nikon | RED.” This initiative will empower emerging filmmakers to bring their creative visions to life with the support and mentorship of industry visionaries, class-leading equipment, and distribution to Vimeo’s vast global audience.

    The grant will award five filmmakers with $30,000 each in funding to produce a short film, along with one-on-one mentorship opportunities with the selection jury and the Vimeo Curation Team. Additionally, recipients will gain access to:

    • The latest Z CINEMA line of professional video equipment, including the V-RAPTOR [X] and KOMODO-X cinema cameras, which feature all-new Z mount options, as well as Nikon’s collection of award winning mirrorless cameras including the Z9, Z8 and Z6III – all powered by the innovative technology from Nikon and RED to ensure films are produced to the highest technical standards.1
    • A Vimeo Standard subscription, and distribution support on Vimeo.com –including dedicated promotion of their work at in-person screenings in NYC and LA hosted by Vimeo.

    Winning projects will be selected by a prestigious jury of filmmakers, industry professionals, and Vimeo executives based on originality, artistic merit, and feasibility of project execution. The jury will be composed of celebrated Vimeo Staff Picks alumni, including filmmakers David Lowery, Charlotte Wells, Sean Wang, Savanah Leaf and cinematographer Adam Bricker, ASC.

    “For two decades, Vimeo has served and inspired millions of filmmakers and film enthusiasts around the world,” said Philip Moyer, CEO of Vimeo. “We are incredibly proud to partner with industry leaders, Nikon and RED, on this new grant program to accelerate the future of storytelling and launch a new generation of filmmakers. Together we will provide filmmakers with resources, mentorship, and a trusted platform to create exceptional short films and connect with a global audience.”

    “Short films are a form of their own, but they’re also an essential entryway into the feature film industry — a way many filmmakers begin to figure out what they’re doing and who they’re doing it with,” says filmmaker Charlotte Wells. “For years, Vimeo has given an impressive platform to short form work, supporting emerging filmmakers (including me), and in turn, I’m grateful to be able to support their inaugural short film grant — broadening access to this undeniably expensive art form.”

    Filmmaker and grant program mentor Savannah Leaf added, “As a writer and director, the journey can often feel lonely and nerve-wracking. Mentorship is a powerful way to navigate those challenges, offering the support and confidence to create. From the start of my career, Vimeo has helped me build a community of peers and mentors. I’m excited to collaborate with Vimeo and emerging filmmakers to continue fostering the community that first gave me the courage to direct.”

    “Nikon and RED are thrilled to partner with Vimeo on this important initiative, which recognizes the visions and talent of emerging filmmakers, while enabling them to create with the best tools available and expand to a broader audience than ever before,” said Naoki Onozato, President and CEO, of Nikon Inc. “We’re excited to see the incredible films that will be created through this grant.”

    Keiji Oishi, CEO of RED Digital Cinema added, “Independent filmmaking is a vibrant community that amplifies fresh voices and unique stories, igniting creativity and innovation from emerging filmmakers. RED is excited to partner with Vimeo and Nikon in supporting these promising artists at the beginning of their cinematic journey, and we can’t wait to see what they create.”

    Submissions for the “Vimeo Short Film Grant presented by Nikon | RED” will open on March 10, 2025. Winners will be notified by July 7, with projects to begin by July 2025. Filmmakers are encouraged to visit www.vimeo.com/shortfilmgrant for official rules, including eligibility, conditions, prize descriptions, and complete details.

    About Vimeo:

    Vimeo (NASDAQ: VMEO) is the world’s most innovative video experience platform. We enable anyone to create high-quality video experiences to better connect and bring ideas to life. We proudly serve our community of millions of users – from creative storytellers to globally distributed teams at the world’s largest companies – whose videos receive billions of views each month. Learn more at www.vimeo.com.

    About Nikon:

    Nikon Inc. is a world leader in digital imaging, precision optics and technologies for photo and video capture; globally recognized for setting new standards in product design and performance for an award-winning array of equipment that enables visual storytelling and content creation. Nikon Inc. distributes consumer and professional Z series mirrorless cameras, digital SLR cameras, a vast array of NIKKOR and NIKKOR Z lenses, Speedlights and system accessories, Nikon COOLPIX® compact digital cameras and Nikon software products. For more information, dial (800) NIKON-US or visit www.nikonusa.com, which links all levels of photographers and visual storytellers to the Web’s most comprehensive learning and sharing communities. Connect with Nikon on Facebook, X, YouTube, Instagram, Threads, and TikTok.

    About RED:

    RED Digital Cinema is a leading manufacturer of professional digital cameras and accessories. In 2006, RED began a revolution with the 4K RED ONE digital cinema camera. By 2008, RED had released the DSMC (Digital Stills and Motion Camera) system that allowed the same camera to be used on award-winning features, television, commercials, music videos and magazine covers like “Vogue” and “Harper’s Bazaar.” Today, RED cameras are being used on some of the most lauded movies and episodics, including award winners “Mank,” “Squid Game,” “Hacks,” “Navalny,” “The Queen’s Gambit,” and “The Deepest Breath.” RED’s latest technology includes the highly advanced V-RAPTOR [X] and V-RAPTOR XL [X] systems, the flagship DSMC3 generation systems and the first available large format global shutter cinema cameras. The RED lineup also includes KOMODO-X and KOMODO, which features a global shutter sensor in a shockingly small and versatile form factor. Also available is RED Connect, a license-enabled feature that unlocks up to 8K 120FPS live cinematic streaming from the V-RAPTOR line of cameras. Find additional information at www.RED.com.

    1 Equipment will be provided on a temporary loan basis, subject to availability and the final discretion of Nikon and RED.

    Frank Filiatrault
    Frank.filiatrault@vimeo.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Odysight.ai to Participate at the 37th Annual ROTH Conference on March 17-18, 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Omer, Israel, March 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Odysight.ai Inc. (Nasdaq: ODYS), a pioneering developer of AI systems for Predictive Maintenance (PdM) and Condition-Based Monitoring (CBM), today announced its participation at the 37th Annual ROTH Conference on March 17-18, 2025, in Dana Point, CA.

    Yehu Ofer, Chief Executive Officer, and Einav Brenner, Chief Financial Officer, will be available for one-on-one investor meetings on both days. To schedule a meeting, please contact your Roth representative.

    About the 37th Annual ROTH Conference

    This year’s event will consist of 1-on-1 / small group meetings, analyst-selected fireside chats, industry keynotes and panels with executive management attending from approximately 450 private and public companies in a variety of growth sectors including: Business Services, Consumer, Healthcare, Industrial Growth, Insurance, Resources, Sustainability and Technology, Media & Entertainment.

    About Odysight.ai

    Odysight.ai is pioneering the Predictive Maintenance (PdM) and Condition Based Monitoring (CBM) markets with its visualization and AI platform. Providing video sensor-based solutions for critical systems in the aviation, transportation, and energy industries, Odysight.ai leverages proven visual technologies and products from the medical industry. Odysight.ai’s unique video-based sensors, embedded software, and AI algorithms are being deployed in hard-to-reach locations and harsh environments across a variety of PdM and CBM use cases. Odysight.ai’s platform allows maintenance and operations teams visibility into areas which are inaccessible under normal operation, or where the operating ambience is not suitable for continuous real-time monitoring.

    We routinely post information that may be important to investors in the Investors section of our website. For more information, please visit: https://www.odysight.ai or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    Information set forth in this news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 relating to future events or our future performance. All statements contained in this press release that do not relate to matters of historical fact should be considered forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, statements regarding the Company’s intention to participate in the 37th Annual ROTH Conference. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may,” “should,” “expects,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “potential” or “continue” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. Those statements are based on information we have when those statements are made or our management’s current expectation and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual performance or results to differ materially from those expressed in or suggested by the forward- looking statements. Factors that may affect our results, performance, circumstances or achievements include, but are not limited to the following: (i) market acceptance of our existing and new products, including those that utilize our micro Odysight.ai technology or offer Predictive Maintenance and Condition Based Monitoring applications, (ii) lengthy product delays in key markets, (iii) an inability to secure regulatory approvals for the sale of our products, (iv) intense competition in the medical device and related industries from much larger, multinational companies, (v) product liability claims, product malfunctions and the functionality of Odysight.ai’s solutions under all environmental conditions, (vi) our limited manufacturing capabilities and reliance on third-parties for assistance, (vii) an inability to establish sales, marketing and distribution capabilities to commercialize our products, (viii) an inability to attract and retain qualified personnel, (ix) our efforts to obtain and maintain intellectual property protection covering our products, which may not be successful, (x) our reliance on a single customer that accounts for a substantial portion of our revenues, (xi) our reliance on single suppliers for certain product components, including for miniature video sensors which are suitable for our Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor technology products, (xii) the fact that we will need to raise additional capital to meet our business requirements in the future and that such capital raising may be costly, dilutive or difficult to obtain, (xiii) the impact of computer system failures, cyberattacks or deficiencies in our cybersecurity, (xiv) the fact that we conduct business in multiple foreign jurisdictions, exposing us to foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations, logistical, global supply chain and communications challenges, burdens and costs of compliance with foreign laws and political and economic instability in each jurisdiction and (xv) political, economic and military instability in Israel, including the impact of Israel’s war against Hamas and Hezbollah. These and other important factors discussed in Odysight.ai’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on March 26, 2024 and our other reports filed with the SEC could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements made in this press release. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, Odysight.ai undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking information.

    Investor Relations Contact:
    Miri Segal
    MS-IR LLC
    msegal@ms-ir.com

    Company Contact:
    Einav Brenner, CFO
    info@odysight.ai

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: NANO Nuclear Energy to Support Advanced Engineering Solutions and City University of New York on DOE SBIR Phase I Project Application for Microreactor Cooling and Smart Monitoring Technologies

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Project Would Investigate Advanced Decay Heat Removal Methods and a Smart Alarming System for Microreactor Transportation

    New York, N.Y., March 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NANO Nuclear Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: NNE) (“NANO Nuclear” or “the Company”), a leading advanced nuclear energy and technology company focused on developing clean energy solutions, today announced its support of a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I application for a project in collaboration with the City University of New York – City College (CCNY) and Advanced Engineering Solutions LLC of Jersey City, New Jersey (AES). AES is headed by Dinesh Kalaga, Ph.D., a chemical engineer with experience on DOE funded projects, who would serve as the principal investigator of the project.

    The project, titled “Investigation of Microreactor Cooling and Development of a Smart Alarming System for Reactor Pressure Vessel Surface Temperature Monitoring,” is part of DOE’s Funding Opportunity Announcement and aims to develop advanced cooling techniques and monitoring systems for microreactor transport safety.

    Assuming SBIR Phase I approval and funding, the project will evaluate advanced Heat Pipes (HPs), Thermoelectric Cooling Modules, and Smart Alarming Systems as innovative solutions for managing decay heat during nuclear microreactor transportation. These technologies have the potential to evolve into a Type B-certified transport container with an integrated cooling system, ensuring the safe and efficient transportation of nuclear microreactors (including NANO Nuclear’s ZEUS microreactor in development) in compliance with U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations.

    Figure 1 – NANO Nuclear Energy Inc. supports City University of New York and Advanced Engineering Solutions on for Microreactor Cooling and Smart Monitoring Technologies Supports For DOE SBIR Phase I Project

    “Our support of AES and CCNY represents an important step forward in addressing one of the most significant challenges facing microreactor deployment—the safe and efficient removal of decay heat during transport,” said James Walker, Chief Executive Officer and Head of Reactor Development of NANO Nuclear Energy. “By leveraging advanced heat pipe technologies and smart monitoring systems, we aim to develop a first-of-its-kind transport system that will significantly enhance microreactor safety and regulatory compliance. As the microreactor industry continues to grow, solving transportation challenges is crucial to ensuring ultimate widespread deployment. NANO Nuclear’s involvement in this potential DOE-funded initiative reflects our dedication to advancing safe, efficient, and scalable microreactor technologies.”

    If funding from DOE is approved, the SBIR Phase I project will focus on:

    • Developing a Thermal Management System for microreactor transport containers using advanced Heat Pipes (HPs) and Thermoelectric Cooling Modules to remove decay heat passively and actively.
    • Creating a Smart Alarming System utilizing real-time monitoring sensors and computer vision technology to detect anomalies in temperature and pressure, enabling operators to take immediate corrective action.
    • Designing and testing a scaled-down prototype system at CCNY’s Thermal-Hydraulics Laboratory to validate performance and regulatory compliance.

    “This project aligns perfectly with our mission to pioneer the next generation of nuclear energy solutions, including those related to reactor transportation,” said Jay Yu, Founder and Chairman of NANO Nuclear Energy. “A robust and regulatory-compliant transport system is essential for unlocking the full potential of microreactors. By working with AES and CCNY, we are taking proactive steps to ensure microreactors can be safely delivered to locations where they are needed most.”

    Microreactors are represent the cutting edge of innovation in nuclear energy, designed to provide clean, resilient power in remote locations, military bases, disaster relief operations, data centers and other industrial applications. However, once shut down, microreactors continue to generate decay heat, necessitating an advanced cooling system to prevent overheating during transport. By advancing the thermal management and monitoring technologies needed for microreactor transportation, the project will contribute to overcoming key deployment barriers, helping to accelerate the commercialization of microreactors. The successful completion of Phase I will pave the way for a Phase II expansion, where NANO Nuclear may actively collaborate with AES and CCNY in further development, including a full-scale prototype and real-world testing.

    “This collaboration with NANO Nuclear, CCNY and AES brings together leading research and industry expertise to tackle one of the most pressing issues in microreactor deployment,” said Dr. Carlos O. Maidana, Ph.D., NANO Nuclear’s Head of Thermal Hydraulics and Space Program. “Our approach integrates passive and active cooling technologies, ensuring that microreactors meet strict transportation safety requirements while maintaining operational reliability.”

    NANO Nuclear Energy’s suite of energy systems includes several next-generation microreactors in development. To support these technologies, NANO Nuclear is also leading efforts in domestic HALEU (High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium) fuel development through its subsidiary, HALEU Energy Fuel Inc., ensuring a secure and sustainable fuel supply for microreactors. NANO Nuclear will continue to engage with government agencies, national laboratories, and industry leaders to drive innovation in nuclear energy solutions and is committed to developing innovative reactor technologies and infrastructure that support the necessary transition to clean nuclear energy solutions.

    About NANO Nuclear Energy, Inc.

    NANO Nuclear Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: NNE) is an advanced technology-driven nuclear energy company seeking to become a commercially focused, diversified, and vertically integrated company across five business lines: (i) cutting edge portable and other microreactor technologies, (ii) nuclear fuel fabrication, (iii) nuclear fuel transportation, (iv) nuclear applications for space and (v) nuclear industry consulting services. NANO Nuclear believes it is the first portable nuclear microreactor company to be listed publicly in the U.S.

    Led by a world-class nuclear engineering team, NANO Nuclear’s reactor products in development include “ZEUS”, a solid core battery reactor, and “ODIN”, a low-pressure coolant reactor, each representing advanced developments in clean energy solutions that are portable, on-demand capable, advanced nuclear microreactors. NANO Nuclear is also developing patented stationary KRONOS MMR™ Energy System and space focused, portable LOKI MMR™.

    Advanced Fuel Transportation Inc. (AFT), a NANO Nuclear subsidiary, is led by former executives from the largest transportation company in the world aiming to build a North American transportation company that will provide commercial quantities of HALEU fuel to small modular reactors, microreactor companies, national laboratories, military, and DOE programs. Through NANO Nuclear, AFT is the exclusive licensee of a patented high-capacity HALEU fuel transportation basket developed by three major U.S. national nuclear laboratories and funded by the Department of Energy. Assuming development and commercialization, AFT is expected to form part of the only vertically integrated nuclear fuel business of its kind in North America.

    HALEU Energy Fuel Inc. (HEF), a NANO Nuclear subsidiary, is focusing on the future development of a domestic source for a High-Assay, Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) fuel fabrication pipeline for NANO Nuclear’s own microreactors as well as the broader advanced nuclear reactor industry.

    NANO Nuclear Space Inc. (NNS), a NANO Nuclear subsidiary, is exploring the potential commercial applications of NANO Nuclear’s developing micronuclear reactor technology in space. NNS is focusing on applications such as the LOKI MMR™ system and other power systems for extraterrestrial projects and human sustaining environments, and potentially propulsion technology for long haul space missions. NNS’ initial focus will be on cis-lunar applications, referring to uses in the space region extending from Earth to the area surrounding the Moon’s surface.

    For more corporate information please visit: https://NanoNuclearEnergy.com/

    For further NANO Nuclear information, please contact:

    Email: IR@NANONuclearEnergy.com
    Business Tel: (212) 634-9206

    PLEASE FOLLOW OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES HERE:

    NANO Nuclear Energy LINKEDIN
    NANO Nuclear Energy YOUTUBE
    NANO Nuclear Energy X PLATFORM

    Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements

    This news release and statements of NANO Nuclear’s management in connection with this news release contain or may contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In this context, forward-looking statements mean statements related to future events, which may impact our expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as “expects”, “anticipates”, “intends”, “plans”, “believes”, “potential”, “will”, “should”, “could”, “would” or “may” and other words of similar meaning. In this press release, forward-looking statements include those related to the SBIR application addressed herein and the anticipated benefits to NANO Nuclear of the research project described herein. These and other forward-looking statements are based on information available to us as of the date of this news release and represent management’s current views and assumptions. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, events or results and involve significant known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may be beyond our control. For NANO Nuclear, particular risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in our forward-looking statements include but are not limited to the following: (i) risks related to our U.S. Department of Energy (“DOE”) or related state or non-U.S. nuclear fuel licensing submissions, (ii) risks related the development of new or advanced technology and the acquisition of complimentary technology or businesses, including difficulties with design and testing, cost overruns, regulatory delays, integration issues and the development of competitive technology, (iii) our ability to obtain contracts and funding to be able to continue operations or fund research (including SBIR applications and other government funding, which might not receive DOE approval), (iv) risks related to uncertainty regarding our ability to technologically develop and commercially deploy a competitive advanced nuclear reactor or other technology in the timelines we anticipate, if ever, (v) risks related to the impact of U.S. and non-U.S. government regulation, policies and licensing requirements, including by the DOE and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, including those associated with the recently enacted ADVANCE Act, and (vi) similar risks and uncertainties associated with the operating an early stage business a highly regulated and rapidly evolving industry. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which apply only as of the date of this news release. These factors may not constitute all factors that could cause actual results to differ from those discussed in any forward-looking statement, and NANO Nuclear therefore encourages investors to review other factors that may affect future results in its filings with the SEC, which are available for review at www.sec.gov and at https://ir.nanonuclearenergy.com/financial-information/sec-filings. Accordingly, forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as a predictor of actual results. We do not undertake to update our forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this news release, except as required by law.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: The Now Corporation (OTC: NWPN) Pioneers EV Transformation with Strategic Redevelopment of Closed Gas Stations

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PASADENA, Calif., March 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Now Corporation (OTC: NWPN) is proud to announce an innovative new initiative, transforming dormant gas station sites into dynamic electric vehicle (EV) hubs. In a bold move that underscores our commitment to sustainable development and urban revitalization, The Now Corporation, through its forward-thinking subsidiaries Green Rain Solar Inc. and M Love Vintage Holdings Inc., will convert closed-down gas stations into modern EV charging locations while infusing each site with a unique vintage flair.

    Reinventing the Past, Powering the Future
    The initiative involves leasing underutilized, shuttered gas stations and reimagining them for a greener, more efficient tomorrow. M Love Vintage Holdings Inc. will add its distinctive style by repurposing former gas pump sites with innovative, artful design elements that pay homage to the past, while Green Rain Solar Inc. will ensure these hubs harness renewable energy for powering EVs.

    Strategic Rollout Across Key U.S. Locations
    This visionary project will debut in strategic urban centers, including:

    • New York, NY: Transforming a historic location into a state-of-the-art EV charging station with a blend of modern technology and vintage charm.
    • Los Angeles, CA: Setting the stage for sustainable mobility in one of America’s most vibrant cities.
    • Santa Fe, NM: Merging cultural heritage with modern sustainability initiatives.
    • Scottsdale, AZ: Creating a sleek, contemporary charging hub in a region renowned for innovation.
    • Miami, FL: Establishing a vibrant EV station that reflects the city’s dynamic energy and commitment to environmental progress.

    A Commitment to Sustainability and Community Revitalization
    “We are excited to lead the charge toward a cleaner, greener future by repurposing existing urban infrastructure,” said Alfredo Papadakis, CEO of The Now Corporation. “By transforming closed gas stations into EV hubs, we not only contribute to reducing carbon emissions but also breathe new life into communities with rich historical narratives. This project is a testament to our commitment to innovation, sustainability, and community engagement.”

    The Now Corporation’s initiative marks a significant step in redefining urban spaces for the modern era. By merging cutting-edge renewable energy solutions with the timeless charm of vintage design, we are paving the way for a future where sustainability and heritage coexist seamlessly.

    About The Now Corporation:
    The Now Corporation (OTC: NWPN) is committed to advancing clean energy solutions through its subsidiary, Green Rain Solar Inc. Green Rain Solar focuses on urban rooftop solar installations and grid-connected power solutions, targeting markets with high energy costs. By combining state-of-the-art solar and battery technologies, The Now Corporation is dedicated to driving innovation and sustainability in renewable energy sector.

    About Green Rain Solar Inc.:
    Green Rain Solar Inc., a subsidiary of The Now Corporation (OTC: NWPN), is a solar energy utility company specializing in urban solar energy and grid integration. The company develops innovative rooftop solar projects to transform sunlight into grid-connected power, promoting sustainable energy solutions for high-cost urban areas. https://greenrainenergy.com/

    About M Love Vintage Holdings Inc.:
    M Love Vintage Holdings Inc. offers clients exclusive access to an unparalleled collection of vintage fashion. From rare accessories to complete ensembles, the company curates garments from past eras, celebrating the beauty and craftsmanship of bygone times.

    Legal Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements:
    This press release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and is subject to the safe harbor created by those sections. This material contains statements about expected future events and/or financial results that are forward-looking in nature and subject to risks and uncertainties. This includes the possibility that the business outlined in this press release may not be concluded due to unforeseen technical, installation, permitting, or other challenges. Such forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of The Now Corporation to differ materially from those expressed herein. Except as required under U.S. federal securities laws, The Now Corporation undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

    For press inquiries, please contact:
    Michael Cimino
    Michael@pubcopr.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: LIS Technologies Inc. (“LIST”) Awarded AFWERX SBIR Phase I

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LIST wins contract to conduct feasibility study on enriching uranium to empower Department of the Air Force’s global operations 

    Oak Ridge, Tennessee, March 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — LIS Technologies Inc. (“LIST”) announces it has been selected by AFWERX for a SBIR Phase I contract focused on enhancing our Chemical Reaction by Isotope Selective Laser Activation (C.R.I.S.L.A) technology to address the most pressing challenges in the Department of the Air Force (DAF). The Air Force Research Laboratory and AFWERX have partnered to streamline the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) process by accelerating the small business experience through faster proposal to award timelines, changing the pool of potential applicants by expanding opportunities to small business and eliminating bureaucratic overhead by continually implementing process improvement changes in contract execution. The DAF began offering the Open Topic SBIR/STTR program in 2018 which expanded the range of innovations the DAF funded and now as of January 15th, 2025, LIST will start its journey to create and provide innovative capabilities that will strengthen the national defense of the United States of America.

    Quote From Company Leadership

    “LIS Technologies is proud to support the Air Force with transformative solutions that enhance Uranium supply chain resilience and maintain America’s technological and strategic superiority.” – Chairman, Jay Yu.

    “This AFWERX Phase I award validates LIS Technologies’ CRISLA innovation as a critical tool for strengthening the U.S. industrial base and advancing national security through cutting-edge isotope separation technology to secure America’s Uranium supply chain.” -C.E.O., Christo Liebenberg.

    “The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Air Force, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. government.”

    About LIS Technologies Inc.

    LIS Technologies Inc. (LIST) is a USA based, proprietary developer of a patented advanced laser technology, making use of infrared lasers to selectively excite the molecules of desired isotopes to separate them from other isotopes. The Laser Isotope Separation Technology (L.I.S.T) has a huge range of applications, including being the only USA-origin (and patented) laser uranium enrichment company, and several major advantages over traditional methods such as gas diffusion, centrifuges, and prior art laser enrichment. The LIST proprietary laser-based process is more energy-efficient and has the potential to be deployed with highly competitive capital and operational costs. L.I.S.T is optimized for LEU (Low Enriched Uranium) for existing civilian nuclear power plants, High-Assay LEU (HALEU) for the next generation of Small Modular Reactors (SMR) and Microreactors, the production of stable isotopes for medical and scientific research, and applications in quantum computing manufacturing for semiconductor technologies. The Company employs a world class nuclear technical team working alongside leading nuclear entrepreneurs and industry professionals, possessing strong relationships with government and private nuclear industries.

    In 2024, LIS Technologies Inc. was selected as one of six domestic companies to participate in the Low-Enriched Uranium (LEU) Enrichment Acquisition Program. This initiative allocates up to $3.4 billion overall, with contracts lasting for up to 10 years. Each awardee is slated to receive a minimum contract of $2 million.

    Forward Looking Statements

    This news release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In this context, forward-looking statements mean statements related to future events, which may impact our expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as “expects”, “anticipates”, “intends”, “plans”, “believes”, “will”, “should”, “could”, “would” or “may” and other words of similar meaning. These forward-looking statements are based on information available to us as of the date of this news release and represent management’s current views and assumptions. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, events or results and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may be beyond our control. For LIS Technologies Inc., particular risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in our forward-looking statements include but are not limited to the following which are, and will be, exacerbated by any worsening of global business and economic environment: (i) risks related to the development of new or advanced technology, including difficulties with design and testing, cost overruns, development of competitive technology, loss of key individuals and uncertainty of success of patent filing, (ii) our ability to obtain contracts and funding to be able to continue operations and (iii) risks related to uncertainty regarding our ability to commercially deploy a competitive laser enrichment technology, (iv) risks related to the impact of government regulation and policies including by the DOE and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission; and other risks and uncertainties discussed in this and our other filings with the SEC. Only after successful completion of our Phase 2 Pilot Plant demonstration will LIS Technologies be able to make realistic economic predictions for a Commercial Facility. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which apply only as of the date of this news release. These factors may not constitute all factors that could cause actual results to differ from those discussed in any forward-looking statement. Accordingly, forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as a predictor of actual results. We do not undertake to update our forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this news release, except as required by law.

    About AFRL

    The Air Force Research Laboratory is the primary scientific research and development center for the Department of the Air Force. AFRL plays an integral role in leading the discovery, development, and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our air, space and cyberspace force. With a workforce of more than 12,500 across nine technology areas and 40 other operations across the globe, AFRL provides a diverse portfolio of science and technology ranging from fundamental to advanced research and technology development. For more information, visit afresearchlab.com.

    About AFWERX

    As the innovation arm of the DAF and a directorate within the Air Force Research Laboratory, AFWERX brings cutting-edge American ingenuity from small businesses and start-ups to address the most pressing challenges of the DAF. AFWERX employs approximately 370 military, civilian and contractor personnel at five hubs and sites executing an annual $1.4 billion budget. Since 2019, AFWERX has executed over 6,200 new contracts worth more than $4.7 billion to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and drive faster technology transition to operational capability. For more information, visit afwerx.com.

    Company Press Contact:
    For more information please visit: LaserIsTech.com
    For further information, please contact:
    Email: info@laseristech.com
    Telephone: 800-388-5492
    Follow us on X Platform
    Follow us on LinkedIn

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Kish Bancorp, Inc. to Present at Banking Virtual Investor Conference on March 6

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    STATE COLLEGE, Pa., March 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Kish Bancorp, Inc. (KISB), based in State College, Pennsylvania, focused on banking, insurance, and financial services, today announced that Gregory T. Hayes, President and Chief Executive Officer, and Mark J. Cvrkel, Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, will present live at the Banking Virtual Investor Conference hosted by VirtualInvestorConferences.com on March 6.

    DATE: March 6, 2025
    TIME: 2:00 p.m. ET
    LINK: https://bit.ly/41vwVT3
    Available for 1×1 meetings: March 7, 10, and 11, 2025

    This will be a live, interactive online event where investors are invited to ask the company questions in real-time. If attendees are not able to join the event live on the day of the conference, an archived webcast will also be made available after the event.

    It is recommended that online investors pre-register and run the online system check to expedite participation and receive event updates.

    Learn more about the event at www.virtualinvestorconferences.com.

    Recent Company Highlights

    • Total assets increased $149.8 million, or 9.7%, to $1.7 billion at December 31, 2024, compared to $1.5 billion a year ago.
    • Total loans grew by $191.1 million, or 15.5%, year over year to $1.4 billion, compared to $1.2 billion a year ago.
    • Total deposits increased $119.0 million year over year, or 10.1%, as Kish Bank continued to attract new client relationships.
    • Fourth quarter net interest income, before provision, increased $1.5 million, or 13.3%, compared to the fourth quarter a year ago.
    • Noninterest income increased $416 thousand, or 14.4%, compared to the year ago quarter.
    • Fourth quarter net interest margin contracted 14 basis points from the fourth quarter a year ago to 3.23%.
    • Continued strong fourth quarter ROE of 13.56% and ROA of 0.97%.
    • Tangible book value per share increased 2.1% to $34.58, compared to $33.86 a year ago.
    • Paid a $0.39 per share quarterly cash dividend on October 31, 2024, to shareholders of record as of October 15, 2024, which was a $0.02 per share increase over the prior quarter.
    • At December 31, 2024, Kish Bank continued to exceed regulatory well-capitalized requirements with a Tier 1 leverage ratio of 9.02%, a Tier 1 capital ratio of 9.92% and a Total risk-based capital ratio of 10.62%.

    About Kish Bancorp, Inc.
    Kish Bancorp, Inc. is a diversified financial services corporation headquartered in Belleville, PA with executive offices in State College and an Innovation Center in Reedsville. Kish Bank, a subsidiary of Kish Bancorp, Inc., operates 19 locations serving Centre, Mifflin, Huntingdon, Blair, and Juniata counties, and northeastern Ohio. In addition to Kish Bank, other business units include: Kish Insurance, an independent property and casualty insurance agency; Kish Financial Solutions, which offers trust, fiduciary, and wealth management advisory services; Kish Benefits Consulting, which provides employee benefits consulting services; and Kish Travel, a full-service travel agency. KISB is the OTCQX stock ticker symbol for Kish Bancorp, Inc. For additional information, please visit ir.kishbancorp.com or otcmarkets.com/stock/KISB.

    In June of 2024, Kish Bancorp, Inc. was ranked 38thon American Banker Magazine’s list of Top 100 Publicly Traded Community Banks and Thrifts based on three-year average return on equity as of December 31, 2023. The rankings are derived from all publicly traded banks and thrifts in the U.S. with less than $2 billion in assets.

    About Virtual Investor Conferences®
    Virtual Investor Conferences (VIC) is the leading proprietary investor conference series that provides an interactive forum for publicly traded companies to seamlessly present directly to investors.

    Providing a real-time investor engagement solution, VIC is specifically designed to offer companies more efficient investor access. Replicating the components of an on-site investor conference, VIC offers companies enhanced capabilities to connect with investors, schedule targeted one-on-one meetings and enhance their presentations with dynamic video content. Accelerating the next level of investor engagement, Virtual Investor Conferences delivers leading investor communications to a global network of retail and institutional investors.

    CONTACTS:
    Kish Bancorp, Inc.
    Mark J. Cvrkel
    EVP, Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer 814-325-7346
    mark.cvrkel@kishbank.com

    Virtual Investor Conferences
    John M. Viglotti
    SVP Corporate Services, Investor Access OTC Markets Group
    212-220-2221
    johnv@otcmarkets.com

    Kish Bancorp, Inc. | 2610 Green Tech Drive, State College, PA 16803 | 1-800-981-5474 | MyKish.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Kaltura Launches AI-Powered ‘TV Genie’, Powering Hyper-Personalized Entertainment Experiences and Streamlining Content Enrichment and Curation

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    New York, March 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —

    Kaltura (Nasdaq: KLTR), the Video Experience Cloud, today announced the launch of the Kaltura TV Genie which powers AI-infused entertainment experiences for live and on-demand streaming.   

      

    TV Genie enables media and telecommunication companies to offer hyper-personalized lean-forward viewing experiences for audiences, as well as streamline their operations through enhancement and automation of content enrichment and curation.   

      

    Kaltura’s TV Genie transforms endless content searches into instant engaging discovery by offering hyper-personalized viewing recommendations based on an unlimited array of parameters and preferences as well as real-time viewer feedback and mood. Audiences also benefit from real-time accessibility and localization for varying backgrounds and regions through automatic translation capabilities and improved navigation through advanced content chaptering, allowing users to easily skip to their desired viewing moments.    

      

    Alongside Kaltura’s recently launched AI Content Lab, TV Genie enables content editors and curators to instantly create short-form videos and textual summaries from long-form content, optimizing it for viewers with varying tastes. TV Genie also automatically curates and recommends content in real-time for editors based on their catalog and current trends to simplify their work and boost creativity, and allows editors to seamlessly generate thematic content rails, such as a collection of romantic films with happy endings, by simply requesting them.   

      

    “AI is collapsing the narrowing divide between content production, curation, distribution, and consumption, further boosting viewer engagement and monetization, while also reducing operational complexities and costs,” said Ron Yekutiel, Co-Founder, Chairman, President and CEO of Kaltura. “We are very excited about the launch of our TV Genie, which comes on the heels of our other AI agents, the Class and Work Genies. AI-infused video production and viewing experiences are set to massively increase the amount and impact of videos created and consumed at home, work, and school – further turning every company into a media company. We are thrilled to be enabling this transformative revolution.”   

      

    There are currently over 50 organizations participating in the Genie Series’ beta program, including large enterprises, education institutions, and media and telecom companies. One of the beta program participants, for example, is Reshet 13, one of Israel’s largest broadcasters, who uses TV Genie and Content Lab to produce concise, impactful news segments from its flagship hour-long evening news program. The network, which sees 3.5 million unique visitors on its digital platform every month, employs TV Genie’s AI-powered content indexing to create thematic video reels, such as compiling all Crème Pâtissière recipes featured in its highly popular cooking show Game of Chefs.   

      

    “Having worked with Kaltura for years to power our digital transformation, starting with the TV Genie was an obvious yes for us,” said Nir Cohen, VP of Digital and Current Affairs at Reshet 13. “We wanted to be able to rapidly transform our content into other formats, to increase its reach, and with TV Genie we believe our repurposed content will be exponentially improved, along with viewership and engagement rates.”    

    Kaltura’s Class, Work, and TV Genies are AI-powered Agents that create hyper-personalized video experiences across institutions, enterprises and media and telecoms companies. They harness the power of AI to increase the impact of videos for users while improving efficiency through automation and streamlined operations for the organization.   

      

    Learn more about Kaltura AI-infused video solutions, here   

    About Kaltura    

    Kaltura’s mission is to create and power AI-infused hyper-personalized video experiences that boost customer and employee engagement and success. Kaltura’s Video Experience Cloud includes a platform for enterprise and TV content management and a wide array of Gen AI-infused video-first products, including Video Portals, LMS and CMS Video Extensions, Virtual Events and Webinars, Virtual Classrooms, and TV Streaming Applications. Kaltura engages millions of end-users at home, at work, and at school, boosting both customer and employee experiences, including marketing, sales, and customer success; teaching, learning, training and certification; communication and collaboration; and entertainment and monetization. For more information, visit www.corp.kaltura.com.

      

    The MIL Network –