NewzIntel.com

Category: Entertainment

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom proposes historic expansion of film & TV tax credit program

    Source: US State of California 2

    Oct 27, 2024

    What you need to know: California’s Film & Television Tax Credit Program has generated tens of billions of dollars in investments while creating nearly 200,000 jobs, and Governor Newsom is proposing to expand it to outpace other states and bring more business back to California.

    Hollywood, California – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced a proposal to expand California’s Film & Television Tax Credit Program to $750 million annually, a massive increase from the current $330 million annual allocation. This ambitious expansion would position California as the top state for capped film incentive programs, surpassing other states like New York.

    California is the entertainment capital of the world, rooted in decades of creativity, innovation, and unparalleled talent. Expanding this program will help keep production here at home, generate thousands of good-paying jobs, and strengthen the vital link between our communities and the state’s iconic film and TV industry.

    Governor Gavin Newsom

    Generating investments & creating jobs

    A study of the program found that, for every tax credit dollar approved, it generated at least $24.40 in output, $16.14 in GDP, $8.60 in wages, and $1.07 in initial state and local tax revenue from production in the state.

    Since its inception in 2009, California’s Film & Television Tax Credit Program has generated over $26 billion in economic activity and supported more than 197,000 cast and crew jobs across the state. 

    California previously updated the program to include new workforce diversity provisions, more funding for the Career Pathways Training Program, and the nation’s first Safety on Production Pilot Program.

    Tax credits will become refundable for the first time since the program’s inception in 2009, beginning with Program 4.0 set to commence on July 1, 2025.

    Why expansion is needed

    This program has been oversubscribed year after year, with more productions applying than can be accommodated under the current cap.

    Between 2020 and 2024, data shows California lost production spending due to limited tax credit funding and increased competition in other states and countries, directly impacting state jobs and local economies​​.

    In recent years, projects that were unable to secure California’s tax credits and moved to other locations as a result contributed to significant economic losses, with an estimated 71% of rejected projects subsequently filming out-of-state.

    “Hollywood is the cornerstone of this city and our economy and our message to the industry today is clear – we have your back,” said Mayor Karen Bass. “When I was Speaker of the California State Assembly, I worked to support leaders like now-Councilman Paul Krekorian to create the film tax credit. Despite the economy being in a difficult spot, we knew that the industry needed support, and if we could at least start the program, then we could grow it. Today I’m proud to stand with Governor Newsom and industry leaders to continue this important work supporting this legacy industry.”

    Film & TV tax credit recipients in California

    • September 2024: Indie films and “Suits LA.” $51.6 million to support 19 projects, including 15 independent films. Expected to generate $284.4 million in spending, with $112.1 million allocated to wages, and over 3,800 jobs.
    • July 2024: Five new TV projects, including HBO’s “Latitude” and 20th Television’s “All’s Fair.”​ $58 million in tax credits went to five television projects, which was expected to generate $386 million across 438 filming days. Estimated to support 15,869 background performers, 1,196 crew members, and 685 cast members.
    • March 2024: Amazon’s Fallout relocated to California. $152 million in tax credits went to 12 projects, including Fallout’s second season relocating from New York. Projected to bring in over $1.1 billion in spending across the state and support 4,500 cast and crew members, plus 50,000 background performer days.
    • December 2023: The Mandalorian & Grogu to film in California. With a total of $400 million allocated to 15 projects, including Lucasfilm’s The Mandalorian & Grogu alone that was set to inject $166 million into California’s economy. Nearly 20,000 jobs created, including 2,252 crew and 598 cast. Other productions included “The Accountant 2” by Amazon Studios, “Untitled 20th Film,” Disney’s untitled live-action feature​.

    Press Releases, Recent News

    Recent news

    Oct 26, 2024

    News Welcome to The California Weekly, your Saturday morning recap of top stories and announcements you might have missed. News you might have missed 1. KEEPING CALIFORNIANS SAFE Since Governor Newsom launched the CHP operation in partnership with the City of Oakland,…

    Oct 25, 2024

    News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom issued the following statement regarding the loss of Lt. Cmdr. Lyndsay P. Evans and Lt. Serena N. Wileman, naval aviators from California who perished in an aircraft crash near Mount…

    Oct 25, 2024

    News The bet: When the Dodgers win, Governor Hochul will display Dodgers memorabilia in her office for one day; if the Yankees should win, Governor Newsom will display Yankees memorabilia in his office for one day. SACRAMENTO — Today, Governor Newsom accepted a…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Šiaulių Bankas invitation to Q3 2024 Financial Results webinar

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Šiaulių Bankas (SAB1L) invites shareholders, investors, analysts and other stakeholders to join its Investors Webinar for Q3 2024 Financial Results and highlights scheduled on 31 October, 2024 at 8:30 am (EET). The presentation will be held online in English.

    The webinar will be hosted by Vytautas Sinius, CEO, Tomas Varenbergas, Head of Investment Management Division and Tautvydas Mėdžius, Strategy Partner, who will discuss the bank’s financial results for the third quarter of 2024, recent developments, and will take questions from participants.

    Please send your questions in advance to investors@sb.lt   

    How to join the webinar?

    To join the webinar, please register via following link https://sb.zoomtv.lt. After successful registration You will be provided with the webinar link. The webinar will be recorded and available online for everyone at Šiaulių Bankas website www.sb.lt/en/investors 

    Additional information:
    Tomas Varenbergas
    Head of Investment Management Division
    tomas.varenbergas@sb.lt

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Legible Releases FrankensteinAI with Spellbinding AI Chat Feature Just in Time for Halloween

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 28, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Legible (CSE: READ) (OTCQB: LEBGF) (FSE: D0T) (“Legible or “the Company”), a pioneer in mobile-centric eBook and audiobook entertainment, is thrilled to announce the release of FrankensteinAI, the third in its groundbreaking AI Classics series. This innovative “Living Book” seamlessly blends Mary Shelley’s iconic novel with state-of-the-art technology, offering readers an unparalleled interactive experience. The classic horror tale releases in three volumes beginning October 28th.

    FrankensteinAI breathes new life into Shelley’s masterpiece through stunning interactive artwork by renowned digital artist Mr. Remo Camerota. Each animated illustration is a dynamic fusion of Camerota’s vivid imagination and advanced AI technology, capturing the eerie atmosphere of Victor Frankenstein’s creation and enhancing the storytelling in a visually captivating manner. Mr. Camerota’s collaboration with AI technology results in visuals that not only complement but also elevate the storytelling, making every image an integral part of the narrative journey.

    FrankensteinAI also introduces a revolutionary AI chat feature that allows readers to engage in real-time conversations with the novel’s characters. Victor Frankenstein and his Creature serve as AI-driven guides, enabling readers to delve deeper into their fears, desires, and motivations as they explore the narrative. This unique interactive feature allows readers to ask questions, unravel plot intricacies, and explore themes in a way that traditional reading cannot, blending classic literature with modern technology for a uniquely immersive experience.

    “Legible has meticulously preserved the essence of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, ensuring that the original text remains intact and true to Shelley’s intentions. Our goal with FrankensteinAI is to honor the original narrative while enhancing the reader’s experience through technology,” stated Kaleeg Hainsworth, CEO of Legible. “By integrating interactive AI features and Remo Camerota’s mesmeric artwork, we’ve created a Living Book that remains true to Shelley’s vision while offering a fresh, immersive way to engage with this classic tale.”

    Remo Camerota commented, “My vision for FrankensteinAI was to complement Mary Shelley’s original narrative with artwork that feels alive, echoing the Creature’s journey of discovery and isolation. Through the power of AI, these illustrations become part of the reader’s journey, evolving alongside their experience with the text.” Camerota further commented, “I am looking forward to further collaborations with Legible on bringing literature to life with my art.”

    In addition to FrankensteinAI, Legible’s other AI Classics and groundbreaking original publications, such as the My Model Kitchen Living Cookbooks by former supermodel and NYT-bestselling author Ms. Cristina Ferrare, with their embedded Sous Chef AI, are exclusively available to Legible Unbound members. Join now and gain access to these innovations plus millions of eBooks and audiobooks for only US$9.99 per month, unlocking a new world of enriched reading experiences.

    About Legible
    Legible is a trailblazing, mobile-centric global company specializing in eBook and audiobook entertainment. Through extensive partnerships with four of the Big 5 Publishers, the world’s largest eBook distributors, and outstanding publishers of all sizes, Legible delivers millions of eBooks and audiobooks, transforming any smart device into a source of cutting-edge infotainment.

    Recent releases include My Model Kitchen – Vol. 2: Vegetables – The Garden of Earthly Delights, the second of 15 video-enriched Living Cookbooks by former supermodel, bestselling author, TV host, and celebrity chef Cristina Ferrare, featuring an AI Sous Chef for each recipe. The Living Cookbooks and Ms. Ferrare have been featured in various major media outlets including twice on the very popular Drew Barrymore Show, where she dazzles viewers with her culinary expertise while utilizing the AI Sous Chef interactive component.

    As a first mover in the rapidly expanding automotive infotainment market, Legible has partnered with media providers Faurecia Aptoide, Harman Ignite, LiveOne, and Visteon. Legible boasts the only Android Automotive app that can deliver both audiobooks and eBooks to drivers and passengers in tens of millions of vehicles worldwide, positioning the Company at the forefront of in-car infotainment experiences.

    Legible won the 2024 EdTech Breakthrough Award for eLearning Innovation of the Year. Committed to reshaping the digital publishing landscape, Legible is poised to gain significant market share through its innovative 21st-century publishing solutions and enriched reading experiences. Visit www.legible.com to explore how eBooks come to life.

    About Remo Camerota
    Remo Camerota is a world-renowned multidisciplinary artist blending art, pop culture, and technology through a unique visual style. Recognized as one of the top 200 digital artists globally by Lürzer’s Archive Magazine (2020-2023) and with works exhibited alongside icons like Banksy, he’s earned acclaim as a leading NFT artist, generating over $6 million in revenue in 2021-2022. Over 30 years, he’s worked across various media, winning hundreds of awards for campaigns with brands like MTV, Nikon, and Toyota and collaborating with notable figures, including Val Kilmer and Scott Page. His company, Npact, has also supported charitable projects, such as raising funds for 2,000 computers for children in need. With exhibitions in renowned venues like the Louvre and Tate, his passion for boundless creativity and storytelling continues to impact global audiences.

    Contacts

    Legible Inc.
    Ms. Deborah Harford, EVP, Global Strategic Partnerships
    Tel.: +1-604-283-2028
    Email: invest@legible.com
    Website: https://invest.legible.com

    Krupp Kommunications, Inc.
    Ms. Kathy Giaconia, VP Media Relations
    Tel.: +1-213-324-5665
    Email: kgiaconia@kruppagency.com
    Website: www.KruppAgency.com

    Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Information

    This Press Release contains certain statements which constitute forward-looking statements or information (“forward-looking statements”), including statements regarding Legible’s business. Such forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, some of which are beyond Legible’s control, including the impact of general economic conditions, industry conditions, currency fluctuations, the lack of availability of qualified personnel or management, stock market volatility and the ability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources. Although Legible believes that the expectations in its forward-looking statements are reasonable, they are based on factors and assumptions concerning future events which may prove to be inaccurate. Those factors and assumptions are based upon currently available information. Such statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could influence actual results or events and cause actual results or events to differ materially from those stated, anticipated or implied in the forward- looking information. As such, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward- looking information, as no assurance can be provided as to future results, levels of activity or achievements. The forward-looking statements contained in this document are made as of the date of this document and, except as required by applicable law, Legible does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The forward-looking statements contained in this document are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/98d32341-a97e-4b8c-b43a-c970ae023d46

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: International Petroleum Corporation Announces Results of Normal Course Issuer Bid

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    International Petroleum Corporation (IPC or the Corporation) (TSX, Nasdaq Stockholm: IPCO) is pleased to announce that IPC repurchased a total of 111,400 IPC common shares (ISIN: CA46016U1084) during the period of October 21 to 25, 2024 under IPC’s normal course issuer bid / share repurchase program (NCIB).

    IPC’s NCIB, announced on December 1, 2023, is being implemented in accordance with the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 (MAR) and Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 2016/1052 (Safe Harbour Regulation) and the applicable rules and policies of the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) and Nasdaq Stockholm and applicable Canadian and Swedish securities laws.

    During the period of October 21 to 25, 2024, IPC repurchased a total of 87,500 IPC common shares on Nasdaq Stockholm. All of these share repurchases were carried out by Pareto Securities AB on behalf of IPC.

    For more information regarding transactions under the NCIB in Sweden, including aggregated volume, weighted average price per share and total transaction value for each trading day during the period of October 21 to 25, 2024, see the following link to Nasdaq Stockholm’s website:

    www.nasdaqomx.com/transactions/markets/nordic/corporate-actions/stockholm/repurchases-of-own-shares

    A detailed breakdown of the transactions conducted on Nasdaq Stockholm during the period of October 21 to 25, 2024 according to article 5.3 of MAR and article 2.3 of the Safe Harbour Regulation is available with this press release on IPC’s website: www.international-petroleum.com/news-and-media/press-releases.

    During the same period, IPC purchased a total of 23,900 IPC common shares on the TSX. All of these share repurchases were carried out by ATB Capital Markets Inc. on behalf of IPC.

    All common shares repurchased by IPC under the NCIB will be cancelled. As at October 25, 2024, the total number of issued and outstanding IPC common shares is 120,751,038 with voting rights and IPC holds 484,000 common shares in treasury.

    Since December 5, 2023 up to and including October 25, 2024, a total of 7,957,782 IPC common shares have been repurchased under the NCIB through the facilities of the TSX and Nasdaq Stockholm. A maximum of 8,342,119 IPC common shares may be repurchased over the period of twelve months commencing December 5, 2023 and ending December 4, 2024, or until such earlier date as the NCIB is completed or terminated by IPC.

    International Petroleum Corp. (IPC) is an international oil and gas exploration and production company with a high quality portfolio of assets located in Canada, Malaysia and France, providing a solid foundation for organic and inorganic growth. IPC is a member of the Lundin Group of Companies. IPC is incorporated in Canada and IPC’s shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) and the Nasdaq Stockholm exchange under the symbol “IPCO”.

    For further information, please contact:

    Rebecca Gordon
    SVP Corporate Planning and Investor Relations
    rebecca.gordon@international-petroleum.com
    Tel: +41 22 595 10 50    		  

    Or

    		 Robert Eriksson
    Media Manager
    reriksson@rive6.ch
    Tel: +46 701 11 26 15

    This information is information that International Petroleum Corporation is required to make public pursuant to the Swedish Financial Instruments Trading Act. The information was submitted for publication, through the contact persons set out above, at 12:15 CET on October 28, 2024.

    Forward-Looking Statements
    This press release contains statements and information which constitute “forward-looking statements” or “forward-looking information” (within the meaning of applicable securities legislation). Such statements and information (together, “forward-looking statements”) relate to future events, including the Corporation’s future performance, business prospects or opportunities. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release, unless otherwise indicated. IPC does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable laws.

    All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking statements. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, forecasts, guidance, budgets, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as “seek”, “anticipate”, “plan”, “continue”, “estimate”, “expect”, “may”, “will”, “project”, “forecast”, “predict”, “potential”, “targeting”, “intend”, “could”, “might”, “should”, “believe”, “budget” and similar expressions) are not statements of historical fact and may be “forward-looking statements”. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to: the ability and willingness of IPC to continue the NCIB, including the number of common shares to be acquired and cancelled and the timing of such purchases and cancellations; and the return of value to IPC’s shareholders as a result of any common share repurchases.

    The forward-looking statements are based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by IPC, including expectations and assumptions concerning: prevailing commodity prices and currency exchange rates; applicable royalty rates and tax laws; interest rates; future well production rates and reserve and contingent resource volumes; operating costs; our ability to maintain our existing credit ratings; our ability to achieve our performance targets; the timing of receipt of regulatory approvals; the performance of existing wells; the success obtained in drilling new wells; anticipated timing and results of capital expenditures; the sufficiency of budgeted capital expenditures in carrying out planned activities; the timing, location and extent of future drilling operations; the successful completion of acquisitions and dispositions and that we will be able to implement our standards, controls, procedures and policies in respect of any acquisitions and realize the expected synergies on the anticipated timeline or at all; the benefits of acquisitions; the state of the economy and the exploration and production business in the jurisdictions in which IPC operates and globally; the availability and cost of financing, labour and services; our intention to complete share repurchases under our normal course issuer bid program, including the funding of such share repurchases, existing and future market conditions, including with respect to the price of our common shares, and compliance with respect to applicable limitations under securities laws and regulations and stock exchange policies; and the ability to market crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids successfully.

    Although IPC believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because IPC can give no assurances that they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks. These include, but are not limited to: general global economic, market and business conditions; the risks associated with the oil and gas industry in general such as operational risks in development, exploration and production; delays or changes in plans with respect to exploration or development projects or capital expenditures; the uncertainty of estimates and projections relating to reserves, resources, production, revenues, costs and expenses; health, safety and environmental risks; commodity price fluctuations; interest rate and exchange rate fluctuations; marketing and transportation; loss of markets; environmental and climate-related risks; competition; innovation and cybersecurity risks related to our systems, including our costs of addressing or mitigating such risks; the ability to attract, engage and retain skilled employees; incorrect assessment of the value of acquisitions; failure to complete or realize the anticipated benefits of acquisitions or dispositions; the ability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources; failure to obtain required regulatory and other approvals; geopolitical conflicts, including the war between Ukraine and Russia and the conflict in the Middle East, and their potential impact on, among other things, global market conditions; and changes in legislation, including but not limited to tax laws, royalties and environmental regulations. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive.

    Additional information on these and other factors that could affect IPC, or its operations or financial results, are included in IPC’s annual information form for the year ended December 31, 2023 (See “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information”, “Risks Factors” and “Reserves and Resources Advisory” therein), in the management’s discussion and analysis (MD&A) for the three and six months ended June 30, 2024 (See “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information”, “Risks Factors” and “Reserves and Resources Advisory” therein) and other reports on file with applicable securities regulatory authorities, including previous financial reports, management’s discussion and analysis and material change reports, which may be accessed through the SEDAR+ website (www.sedarplus.ca) or IPC’s website (www.international-petroleum.com).

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Five-year plan commits to Sheffield being a proud dementia-friendly city Sheffield has a new citywide dementia plan to provide people with dementia and their families with the right support and care. 28 October 2024

    Source: City of Sheffield

    Sheffield’s skyline

    Sheffield has a new citywide dementia plan to provide people with dementia and their families with the right support and care.

    The Council, key partners across the city, people living with dementia and their families have all worked together to inform the plan, which aims for Sheffield to become a proud dementia-friendly city.

    It will be discussed next week by members of the Adult Health and Social Care Policy Committee who will be asked to approve the plan, which will run from 2025-2030.

    Councillor Angela Argenzio, Chair of Adult Health and Social Care Policy Committee at Sheffield City Council, said: “Our vision is to make sure people with dementia are supported by being in the right environment, with the right support around them. At committee today, the Council and its key partner organisations signed up to a five-year plan, designed as a result of research and conversations with providers and people and families with lived experience of dementia. It focuses on what they have said is important to them.

    Nine commitments make up the plan:

    • Sheffield will become a Dementia friendly city
    • More will be done to prevent, reduce, and delay, the risk of developing dementia
    • Improved access to dementia diagnosis at the earliest possible stage for the people of Sheffield.
    • Support will be personalised, local and accessible, to help people with dementia to remain independent for as long as possible
    • High quality support to families and carers of people living with dementia in Sheffield will be provided
    • People living with dementia and their carers will receive care and support that recognises and works with them as individuals
    • Families and staff will be supported to plan ahead to reduce the likelihood of dementia related crisis
    • Improved care for people with dementia attending hospital
    • Personalised, good quality palliative and end of life care when needed

    Councillor Angela Argenzio added: “We’re driving this work forward with the NHS South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board, all of our partners from both the statutory, voluntary sector and working with communities because we need to be better at supporting the diverse needs of this group of people.

    “In Sheffield, we know that our success will be because we have adopted a multi-agency approach in supporting people across the city. It’s the working together that will be key. Supporting people with dementia and their families and those who work with dementia effectively will only be possible by having a focus on doing the things that we know have been agreed as a result of what people living with dementia have told us is important. Working in partnership is key to us all making progress together.

    “One of the biggest highlights from the results showed how difficult lives can become for those living with dementia if there isn’t consistency. Consistency makes a world of difference. Our job is to make sure they are fully supported, and we want to achieve this through these commitments.”

    Grace Stead from ‘Enrichment for the Elderly’ delivers Dementia Stars training in the city funded by Sheffield City Council through Dementia Advice Sheffield. This training helps professionals and volunteers understand dementia better and the training is designed to meet the diverse needs of Sheffield’s communities.

    Grace said: “When supporting my nan with dementia people just didn’t understand how best to support her. The negative impact on her, me and those around her was huge. These dementia commitments will help us to put people with dementia at the centre of what we do, working together to support the person with dementia and the people around them with better understanding at the heart of it.” 

    People in the city who have done Dementia Stars training speak highly of the difference it has made to them: 

    “I wish I would have had this training years ago; it would have helped me support my mum better who had dementia, but it will now support my practice.”

    “This has been the best learning experience I have ever had! Inspiring, it makes you want to make a difference to people’s lives.”

    More information about dementia training is available here: https://www.ageuk.org.uk/sheffield/our-services/dementia-services-professionals/das-training/

    It’s estimated that there are over 6,000 and up to around 7,300 people aged over 65 currently living with dementia in Sheffield, which is between 6.7% and 7.7% of the 94,840 people aged 65 years and over in the city. Approximately 140 people under 65 in Sheffield live with young onset dementia. Dementia support and awareness in Sheffield has increased over the last 5 years, however, the growing impact of an aging population on dementia prevalence means the number of people living with dementia is predicted to keep increasing.

    The Council is committed to helping to prevent and reduce the risk of developing dementia right across a person’s life through the many programmes for which it holds responsibility to deliver. There are ways that some types of dementia can be prevented, or the risk of dementia reduced. Dementia risk includes factors starting at early years and education; and includes environmental factors such as exposure to air pollution. 

    Some risk factors that can be changed to reduce the risk of dementia are similar to those recommended to people to keep their heart and circulation healthy such as increasing physical activity, reducing alcohol consumption, and reducing smoking. Social contact is really important for everyone, and this is the case for people at risk of developing dementia or who already have dementia. Research has also found that using aids for hearing and visual problems can also reduce the risk.

    Sheffield Dementia Action Alliance (SDAA) is a network of organisations who want to help communities, organisations and businesses do more for people affected by dementia: reducing stigma, increasing understanding, and making small but significant changes to buildings and environments to make them more accessible for people with dementia. Over the past 5 years SDAA has recruited and supported over 80 members who have made over 200 pledges to make their organisations more dementia friendly. This has included community centres, train operators, places of worship, theatres, libraries, charity shops and pubs.

    Work on the strategy and what it aims to achieve will be formally launched on the morning of Wednesday 27th November at an event for people with dementia and their families, providers, and partners. Taking place at Niagara Conference and Leisure Centre, Niagara Road, Sheffield, S6 1LU, resources, advice, information and more on the city’s dementia plan will be available.

    There are limited spaces so early booking is advised at Dementia Strategy Launch Event Tickets, Wed, Nov 27, 2024 at 9:30 AM | Eventbrite

    The new citywide Dementia Strategy 2025- 20230is here and there is a range of resources and information on www.sheffielddirectory.org.uk

    More information about risk and prevention is here: Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2024 report of the Lancet standing Commission – The Lancet

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Unregistered boats on River Thames: fines and costs total £18,000

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Clear warning to unregistered boat owners on the Thames as owners failed to register their boats despite warnings. More to face court in coming months

    Lindum, owned by Battersea boater Drystan Brod

    Staines magistrates’ court had a busy day on 22 October as 14 owners were sentenced to pay more than £18,000 for failing to register their boats for use on the River Thames.

    Environment Agency enforcement officers discovered these vessels during spot checks in December 2023 at Penton Hook Marina in Surrey. The inspection showed unacceptably high levels of registration evasion with a quarter of the boats in the marina, around 125 vessels, failing to have been registered. Every boat-owner was traced and given ample warning and opportunity to register their boats correctly.

    The court was told that all owners had skipped the annual registration fee, determined by the length and width of the boat. A couple of them had skipped it twice. Duncan Heyward and Tony Davies, both of Chertsey, were found guilty of owning two unregistered vessels and had to pay compensation accordingly.

    The highest charges were issued to Drystan Brod of Battersea for his boat, Lindum – more than £2300 including costs, fines, compensation and victim surcharge. Full details of all fines below.

    Colin Chiverton, environment manager for Surrey at the Environment Agency, said:

    This was a great day for the majority of Thames boat-owners who register their vessel with us every year. Just like us, they’re fed up with seeing this unlawful behaviour take place on the river every year. We’re pleased with this outcome, and it sends a clear warning to all unregistered boat owners – it’s just not worth the risk.

    At the end of November, we have another day in court with a further 14 owners facing the music. So, if you have an unregistered boat on the Thames, you should know that our enforcement teams are still out in October, patrolling the river and checking for valid registrations.

    Renewal invitation letters for 2025 registrations on the River Thames are to be sent in November to everyone that registered their boat this year and owners are encouraged to register early to ensure their boats are compliant by 1 January, when the new season starts. The Environment Agency’s approach to non-registration on the Thames has changed – boat-owners are given ample opportunity to register their boat. However, once a summons has been issued, it won’t stop court proceedings, even if the boat owner subsequently pays their registration fee.

    Similar to excise duty for road vehicles, boat registration fees allow the Environment Agency to manage and maintain more than 600 miles of inland waterways across England, keeping them open and safe for thousands of boaters to enjoy.

    Background:

    Owners of powered or non-powered boats, including paddleboards, must register their boats annually with the Environment Agency for use on the non-tidal River Thames.

    Boat registration on the Thames starts on 1 January every year. Any boats found on the water after that date, without having registered, may be liable to a fine.

    In mid-September 2024 during a river wide census, Environment Agency officers recorded the locations of 10,890 boats on the river.

    Boats can be registered by calling 03708 506 506 or going to River Thames: boat registration and application forms – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

    Offender/age/address/boat[s]/pleas/compensation order/costs/victim surcharge/fine

    Des Higgins, 64, of Graham Court, Northolt, Middlesex, PRINCESS BURFORD. Pleaded not guilty then changed plea at court to guilty. £803.60. £250. £80. £120.

    Stephen Hale, 54, of Bridge Court, Chertsey, Surrey. LADY RUTH. Found guilty in absence. £994.14. £275. £88. £220.

    Drystan Brod, 50, of Birley Street, Battersea, London. LINDUM. Found guilty in absence. £1724.00. £275. £88. £220.

    Duncan Hayward, 40, of Hill Rise, Richmond, Surrey. MAVERICK III/TT MAVERICK III. Found guilty in absence – 2 offences. £1065.15/£23.20. £275/nil. £24/nil. £60/NSP

    Mark Geeson, 53, of Gaston Way, Shepperton, Middlesex. PORTIA. Found guilty in absence. £970.47. £275. £88. £220

    Tony Davies, 70, of St Annes Road, Chertsey, Surrey. BULTRUG/REDWATCH. Pleaded guilty at court – 2 offences. £923.13/£887.64. £250/nil. Nil/nil. No separate penalty/NSP.

    Andrew Graham, 53,  of Wellington Terrace, Basingstoke, Hampshire. BUSTAROON. Found guilty in absence. £757.44. £275. £88. £220.

    Hugo Handford, of Chichester Road, West Wittering, West Sussex. DAJA. Found guilty in absence. £331.00. £275. £88. £220.

    Tim Cartwright, 64, of Elder Road, Bisley, Surrey. CHARLIE BEN. Found guilty in absence. £678.44. £275. £88. £220.

    Brian Harvey, 60, of Queens Road, Hersham, Surrey. SEA DANCER. Found guilty in absence. £520.74. £275. £88. £220.

    Scott Cole, 52, of Grafton Road, Acton, London. ALKYON. Found guilty in absence. £284.04. £275. £88. £220.

    Lee Davis, 49, of Meadow View, Chertsey, Surrey. TUBS. Found guilty in absence. £473.40. £275. £88. £220.

    Maciej Firla-Cuchra, 49, of The Broadway, Laleham, Surrey. JEWNA. Found guilty in absence. £426.06. £275. £88. £220.

    David Harding, 73, of Easton, Wells, Somerset. Le BATEAU DE BOIS. Pleaded not guilty, then changed plea at court to guilty. £736.02. £275. Nil. NSP.

    Contact us:

    Journalists only: 0800 141 2743 or communications_se@environment-agency.gov.uk.

    Updates to this page

    Published 28 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Primech AI, a Subsidiary of Primech Holdings, Launches AI-Powered Automated Toilet Cleaning Robot, Hytron

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

                                                                                       

    Hytron Enhances Hygiene Standards at Temasek Polytechnic, Marks a Monumental Leap in Cleaning Technology

    SINGAPORE, Oct. 28, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Primech AI Pte. Ltd., a subsidiary of Primech Holdings Limited (Nasdaq: PMEC), announces the launch of Hytron, a cutting-edge AI-powered automated toilet cleaning robot, now operational and enhancing hygiene standards at Temasek Polytechnic. This innovative technology introduces unprecedented levels of cleaning efficiency, setting new benchmarks in the industry.

    (Primech AI’s COO, Charles Ng, and CTO, Richard Zhang, proudly commemorate the successful deployment of the Hytron robot at Temasek Polytechnic. Image: Primech AI)

    Hytron is engineered to address the high demands for cleanliness in high-traffic areas such as offices, malls, and hospitals. Equipped with advanced AI, Hytron autonomously navigates and cleans toilet fixtures with a precision down to less than one millimeter, surpassing conventional cleaning methods. Its ability to navigate in three-dimensional spaces and perform touch-based cleaning allows it to remove stubborn stains effectively, ensuring a thorough and consistent clean every time.

    The technical superiority of Hytron lies in its integration of force-sensitive sensors and 3D recognition technologies, enabling it to adapt and respond to the nuances of different cleaning environments. This level of precision and adaptability sets Hytron apart from competitors, highlighting its unique position in the market.

    “The launch of Hytron at Temasek Polytechnic has already shown fantastic results, with significant improvements in restroom cleanliness and overall hygiene,” said Charles Ng, Vice President of Innovation and Technology at Primech Holdings and Co-Founder COO of Primech AI. “Hytron not only elevates the standard of cleanliness but also enhances the operational efficiency for facilities managers, offering a scalable solution that meets the growing global demands for hygiene.”

    The market potential for restroom-cleaning robots like Hytron is vast. With the global commercial cleaning products market projected to reach USD 121.29 billion by 2023, according to data from market research and consulting firm Grand View Research, growing at a CAGR of 7.91% from 2024 to 2030, the introduction of automated solutions like Hytron is timely. This growth is driven by increasing hygiene awareness and the need for more efficient cleaning solutions in public and private spaces worldwide.

    Primech AI, in collaboration with Temasek Polytechnic, plans to expand this cleaning initiative by introducing more robots to clean more toilets on campus, modernizing, streamlining, and humanizing toilet cleaning processes. Hytron’s successful deployment marks the beginning of its potential expansion into other cleaning applications, reinforcing Primech AI’s position as a leader in the field of robotic cleaning solutions. This technology not only promises to revolutionize the way cleaning tasks are approached but also offers substantial cost savings and health benefits, making it a game-changer in the cleaning industry.

    Additional images of Hytron in operation can be found at https://primech.ai/

    See Hytron in action at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBFBTs5vRjs

    (Hytron being deployed at Temasek Polytechnic, autonomously executing a restroom cleaning cycle, leveraging advanced AI algorithms for precise positioning and optimal task completion.Image:Primech AI)

    About Primech Holdings Limited
    Headquartered in Singapore, Primech Holdings Limited is a leading provider of comprehensive technology-driven facilities services, predominantly serving both public and private sectors throughout Singapore, with expanding operations in Malaysia. With a legacy of excellence and innovation in the facility services industry, Primech’s operating subsidiary, Primech A & P, offers an extensive range of services tailored to meet the complex demands of its diverse clientele. Services include advanced general facility maintenance services, specialized cleaning solutions such as marble polishing and facade cleaning, meticulous stewarding services, and targeted cleaning services for offices and homes. Additionally, CSG Industries Pte Ltd, a subsidiary of Primech Holdings, manufactures and supplies various high-quality cleaning products under its brand, extending its reach and capabilities within the industry. Known for its commitment to sustainability and cutting-edge technology, Primech integrates eco-friendly practices and smart technology solutions to enhance operational efficiency and client satisfaction. This strategic approach positions Primech Holdings as a leader in the industry and a proactive contributor to advancing industry standards and practices in Singapore and beyond. For more information, visit www.primechholdings.com.   

    About Primech AI
    Primech AI is a leading robotics company dedicated to pushing the boundaries of innovation in technology. With a team of passionate individuals and a commitment to collaboration, Primech AI is poised to revolutionize the robotics industry with groundbreaking solutions that make a meaningful impact on society. For more information, visit www.primech.ai.

    Forward-Looking Statements
    Certain statements in this announcement are forward-looking statements, including, for example, statements about completing the acquisition, anticipated revenues, growth, and expansion. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on the Company’s current expectations and projections about future events that the Company believes may affect its financial condition, results of operations, business strategy, and financial needs. These forward-looking statements are also based on assumptions regarding the Company’s present and future business strategies and the environment in which the Company will operate in the future. Investors can find many (but not all) of these statements by the use of words such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “aim,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “likely to” or other similar expressions. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances or changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure that such expectations will be correct. The Company cautions investors that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results and encourages investors to review other factors that may affect its future results in the Company’s registration statement and other filings with the SEC.

    Company Contact:
    Email: ir@primech.com.sg

    Investor Relations Contact:        
    Matthew Abenante, IRC
    President                                        
    Strategic Investor Relations, LLC                                         
    Tel: 347-947-2093
    Email: matthew@strategic-ir.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: NEWTON GOLF Company Provides Preliminary Financial Results for Third Quarter of 2024

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CAMARILLO, CA, Oct. 28, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NEWTON GOLF Company (Nasdaq: SPGC) (“NEWTON GOLF” or the “Company”), a technology-forward golf company with a growing portfolio of golf products, including putters, golf shafts, golf grips, and other golf-related accessories, reports preliminary financial results for the third quarter of 2024 (three months ended September 30, 2024) ahead of its quarterly filing.

    Financial Highlights for Third Quarter 2024

    • Revenue of $1,150,000 – $1,250,000 in 3Q24, an increase of 1,163% at the midpoint of the range over $95,000 in 3Q23 and a sequential increase of 48% at the midpoint of the range over $813,000 in 2Q24.
    • Gross margin of 63-67% in 3Q24 was driven by increased volume in manufacturing and compares to 41% in 3Q23.
    • Announced a complete rebranding of the Company.
    • Launched the new Gravity Premium putter line with the introduction of five models.
    • Expanded the Company’s global presence with the launch of the Newton Motion shafts in Japan in 50 of its largest golf retail locations.
    • Closed on $732,000 of underwritten public offering of shares of common stock.
    • Increased the number of professionals using the Newton Motion Shafts on the PGA TOUR Champions to 34, generating greater exposure.
    • Executed successful digital campaigns.
    • Introduced the new advanced performance shafts for higher swing speeds.

    NEWTON GOLF Company Executive Chairman Greg Campbell commented, “Our third quarter was marked by continued momentum in the sales of our Newton Motion replacement driver shafts and the first full quarter of revenue from our fairway woods replacement shafts. The continued traction we are seeing from professional golfers, highlighted by 34 Champions TOUR players now using the Newton Motion shafts, gives us confidence that our technology-forward approach to design is the proper cornerstone of our product development strategy. Additionally, a recent launch of our putter line that now carries the NEWTON GOLF Gravity brand can potentially add to our growth trajectory.”

    This press release contains preliminary estimated financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, and may change as a result of management’s continued review. The preliminary financial information included in this press release reflects the Company’s current estimates based on information available as of the date of this press release and has been prepared by Company management. This preliminary financial and operational information should not be viewed as a substitute for full financial statements and is not necessarily indicative of the results to be achieved for any future periods. This preliminary financial and operational information could be impacted by the effects of financial closing procedures, final adjustments, and other developments.

    About NEWTON GOLF: A Sacks Parente Company

    NEWTON GOLF: A Sacks Parente Company, is a technology-forward golf company that help golfers elevate their game. With a growing portfolio of golf products, including putters, golf shafts, golf grips, and other golf-related accessories, the Company’s innovative accomplishments include: the First Vernier Acuity putter, patented Ultra-Low Balance Point (ULBP) putter technology, weight-forward Center-of-Gravity (CG) design, and pioneering ultra-light carbon fiber putter shafts.

    In consideration of its growth opportunities in golf shaft technologies, the Company expanded its manufacturing business in April of 2022 to develop the advanced Newton brand of premium golf shafts by opening a new shaft manufacturing facility in St. Joseph, MO. It is the Company’s intent to manufacture and assemble substantially all products in the United States, while also expanding into golf apparel and other golf-related product lines to enhance its growth.

    The Company’s future expansions may include broadening its offerings through mergers, acquisitions or internal developments of product lines that are complementary to its premium brand. The Company currently sells its products through resellers, the Company’s websites, Club Champion retail stores, and distributors in the United States, Japan, and South Korea.

    For more information, please visit the Company’s website at www.newtongolfco.com or on social media at @newtongolfco.com, @newtonshafts, or @gravityputters.

    Investor Contact for NEWTON GOLF
    CORE IR
    516-222-2560
    investors@sacksparente.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: VERB Regains Nasdaq Listing Compliance

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. and LAS VEGAS, Oct. 28, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Verb Technology Company, Inc. (Nasdaq: VERB) (“VERB” or the “Company”), the company behind MARKET.live, a leading livestream social shopping platform, and GO FUND YOURSELF!, a TV show and innovative new platform disrupting the crowd funding industry, today announced that on October 23, 2024, the Company received a letter from the Nasdaq Stock Market stating that the Company had regained compliance with the minimum bid price requirement of $1.00 per share for continued listing on the Nasdaq Stock Market, as set forth in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2).

    Separately, the Company today announces that it has begun an investigation of apparent price manipulation in the trading of its shares following the Company’s announcement of a stockholder approved reverse stock split.

    On October 4, 2024, the Company announced that its stockholders had voted to authorize its Board to implement a 1-for-200 reverse stock split in order to retain the Company’s Nasdaq listing and that the shares would begin trading on a split-adjusted basis on October 9, 2024.

    Prior to the foregoing announcement, the Company estimates that there were approximately 40,000 beneficial owners of the Company’s stock. Assuming every single shareholder was entitled to a round-up share, which is highly unlikely, that would mean the Company would issue 40,000 shares to address any stockholders left with a fractional share following the reverse split. However, post-split, certain recently identified brokerage firms and clearing houses have requested roundup shares totaling more than 260,000 shares of the Company’s common stock – notwithstanding the fact that the Company’s total public float immediately post-split was less than 800,000.

    Not coincidentally, the Company became aware of a significant increase in short positions in its stock at or around the same time – and around the same number of round-up shares as those requested by these brokerages and clearing houses.

    And VERB is not the only company who has been subject to this same apparent manipulation. The Company knows of at least two other companies who are experiencing the same thing. The Company’s management is in communication with leadership at other affected companies and is seeking to coordinate efforts while actively pursuing the engagement of securities fraud counsel to investigate the facts, determine if there has been illicit activity affecting the Company, and if so, moving aggressively to hold those responsible accountable through swift private legal action as well as through the intervention of securities regulators.

    “Do not underestimate our resolve to protect our company and our stockholders,” stated Rory J. Cutaia, VERB Chairman & CEO. “For those of you waiting to receive your 260,000 round-up shares, here’s some advice, don’t hold your breath.”

    About VERB Technology Company 
    Verb Technology Company, Inc. (NASDAQ: VERB), is the innovative force behind interactive video-based social commerce. The Company’s MARKET.live platform is a multi-vendor, livestream social shopping destination at the forefront of the convergence of ecommerce and entertainment, where brands, retailers, creators, and influencers engage their customers, clients, fans, and followers across multiple social media channels simultaneously. GO FUND YOURSELF!, is a revolutionary interactive social crowd funding platform for public and private companies seeking broad-based exposure across social media channels for their crowd-funded Regulation CF and Regulation A offerings. The platform combines a ground-breaking interactive TV show with MARKET.live’s back-end capabilities allowing viewers to tap on their screen to facilitate an investment, in real time, as they watch companies presenting before the show’s panel of “Titans”. Presenting companies that sell consumer products are able to offer their products directly to viewers during the show in real time through shoppable onscreen icons. The Company is headquartered in Las Vegas, NV and operates full-service production and creator studios in Los Alamitos, California and Philadelphia, PA. 

    FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS  
    This communication contains “forward-looking statements” as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and include, without limitation, any statement that may predict, forecast, indicate or imply future results, performance, or achievements. Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on our current beliefs, expectations and assumptions regarding the future of our business, future plans and strategies, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of our control. Our actual results and financial condition may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause our actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements include, among others, those identified in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including our annual, quarterly and current reports filed with the SEC and the risk factors included in our annual report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on April 1, 2024. Any forward-looking statement made by us herein is based only on information currently available to us and speaks only as of the date on which it is made. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

    Investor Relations:
    investors@verb.tech

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Ozop Capital Partners, Inc. Enters Agreement with Empire Auto Protect

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Empire Auto Protect to White Label the Fully Charged VSC as EMPIRE PLUS

    Warwick, NY, Oct. 28, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — OZOP Capital Partners, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Ozop Energy Solutions, Inc. (OZSC or the “Company”), announces the execution of a White Label Agreement with Empire Auto Protect, a leading provider of comprehensive protection and aftermarket products to the automotive industry.

    Under the agreement, Empire will white label the Royal Administration’s Fully Charged Vehicle Service Contract, incorporating their own branding as Empire Plus. OZOP Plus will be providing battery protection and will be ceded the battery portion of all premiums sold through Empire. Empire’s version of the Fully Charged VSC will offer the same enhanced features and benefits of the Fully Charged VSC to their extensive customer base through their well-established marketing programs.

    The benefits of this white-label agreement are that Empire can immediately go to market with their branded version of the Fully Charged VSC and will also use Royal Administration as the Third-Party Administrator (the “TPA”) for any claims. Royal provides their TPA services for processing claims through their claims center. This seamless integration of services ensures that consumers and dealerships will experience a smooth and efficient claims process, further enhancing their overall experience.

    Brian Conway, CEO of Ozop Plus stated, “This agreement opens new revenue opportunities for OZOP Plus, from Empire’s comprehensive national marketing network which sees a monthly average of 5,000 + vehicle service policies written nationwide. This expansion allows the Fully Charged VSC to be accessible to new and current EV owners in addition to our total of 7,000+ dealerships, consolidating the strengths of both Royal Administration, Ozop Plus, and Empire within the automotive industry.”

    Empire Auto Protect, a trusted name in the automotive market, boasts a remarkable 17-year track record of offering a wide variety of top-rated vehicle service protection plans. As they launch a new Electric Vehicle product, the company is equally enthusiastic about integrating the Fully Charged VSC into their existing portfolio. This move aims to fortify their position in the market and provide their customers with a comprehensive suite of offerings to protect and enhance their electric vehicles.

    Robin and Michael Isaac Kassin, CEO & CFO of Empire Auto Protect talked about the partnership with Ozop Plus: “With this collaboration, we’re leveraging Empire Auto Protect’s cutting-edge digital technology to meet the evolving needs of today’s drivers. We’re excited to lead the warranty sector into a new era of efficiency and accessibility. Through our partnership with OZOP Plus, we will become the leading provider for EV and hybrid vehicles for all automotive warranty needs. This partnership will give customers access to a large network of fully charged Vehicle Service Contracts, offering the best warranty options tailored to each consumer, giving all drivers the peace of mind they deserve.”

    About Ozop Energy Solutions.

    Ozop Energy Solutions (Ozop Energy Solutions (http://ozopenergy.com/) is the flagship company that oversees a wide variety of products in various stages of development in the renewable energy sector. Our strategy focuses on capturing a significant share of the rapidly growing renewable energy market as a provider of assets and infrastructure needed to store energy.

    About Empire Auto Protect

    Empire Auto Protect is at the forefront of transforming the auto warranty landscape by integrating cutting-edge technology into every aspect of our services. Much like how Apple revolutionized consumer electronics and Tesla redefined automotive innovation, we are setting new standards in the warranty sector.

    Our advanced digital platforms streamline the warranty process, making it more efficient and user-friendly for customers. By harnessing data analytics and seamless online tools, we empower consumers with tailored warranty solutions that meet their unique needs. This commitment to innovation not only enhances customer experience but also positions Empire Auto Protect as the leading technology provider in the automotive warranty industry, driving it into a new digital age.

    https://empireautoprotect.com/

    About Automated Room Controls, Inc.

    Also known as ARC, Inc. its mission is to deliver cutting-edge technology that simplifies complex control needs, ensuring seamless integration and exceptional performance. We aim to lead the industry by continuously innovating and providing solutions that meet the evolving demands of our customers. Our vision is to make control systems smarter, more efficient, and more accessible to everyone.

    www.ARControl.com

    About Ozop Energy Systems, Inc.

    Ozop Energy Systems is a manufacturer and distributor of Renewable Energy products in the Energy Storage, Solar, Microgrids, and EV charging Station space. We offer a broad portfolio of Renewable Energy products at competitive prices with a commitment to customer satisfaction from selection, to ordering, shipping, and delivery.

    About Ozop Engineering and Design

    Ozop Engineering and Design engineers’ energy efficient, easy to install and use, digital lighting controls solutions for commercial buildings, campuses, and sports complexes throughout North America. Products include relays panels, controllers, occupancy/vacancy sensors, daylight sensors and wall switch stations. Ozop has a dedicated design team that produces system drawings and a technical support group for product questions and onsite system commissioning. Our mission is to be recognized for our deep understanding of power management systems and ability to provide the right solution for each facility.

    www.ozopengineering.com

    About Ozop Capital Partners

    Ozop Capital Partners, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, and wholly owns EV Insurance Company, Inc. (“EVIC”). EVIC, DBA Ozop Plus is licensed as a captive insurer that reinsures. www.OzopPlus.com

    https://twitter.com/OzopEnergy

    https://www.facebook.com/OzopEnergy/

    Safe Harbor Statement

    “This press release contains or may contain, among other things, certain forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties. Such statements may include, without limitation, statements with respect to the company’s plans, objectives, projections, expectations and intentions and other statements identified by words such as “projects,” “may,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “believes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “intends,” “plans,” “potential” or similar expressions. These statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the company’s management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties, including those detailed in the company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results may differ significantly from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve certain risks and uncertainties that are subject to change based on various factors (many of which are beyond the company’s control). The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.”

    Investor Relations Contact – Ozop
    The Waypoint Refinery, LLC
    845-397-2956
    Visit our Discord:
    https://discord.gg/waypoint

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Michiganders or Michiganians? A linguist explains why the answer is clear

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Robin Queen, Professor of Linguistics, English Language and Literatures and Germanic Languages and Literatures, University of Michigan

    Beloved Michigander Aidan Hutchinson is no silly goose. Nic Antaya/Getty Images

    Growing up in the late 1970s, my best friend was from Michigan. Early in our friendship I asked her what someone from Michigan is called. “Michigander,” she replied. I laughed and said, “You mean like a goose?” Her older sister then chimed in that it was being changed to Michiganian. Michigander is sexist, she said, since gander refers only to a male goose.

    I spent the next two decades never questioning, or particularly thinking about, Michiganian.

    Then, I moved to Michigan. In over 20 years living here, I’ve never heard anyone say Michiganian. People from Michigan call themselves Michiganders.

    Even though it may seem rather trivial, there is endless interest in the Michigander-Michiganian question. News articles about this topic pop up fairly regularly, inevitably stating that:

    1. Both terms are recognized.

    2. Abraham Lincoln coined “Michigander” in 1848 to insult Michigan Gov. Lewis Cass, implying he was silly, weak and unserious.

    3. Govs. James Blanchard, John Engler and Jennifer Granholm used “Michiganian,” while Govs. Rick Snyder and Gretchen Whitmer prefer “Michigander.”

    4. The debate about which term is correct is ongoing.

    For the most part, though, the debate seems long over. Many Michiganders haven’t heard of Michiganian, as a recent text thread with my 19-year-old neighbor illustrates:

    ‘It’s just Michigander.’
    Robin Queen, CC BY-SA

    Regardless of whether there is – or ever really has been – a debate, the pas de deux between Michigander and Michiganian has an unusual history and peculiar twists and turns.

    As a linguist who works on issues related to authority in language and linguistic justice, I like to investigate how terms come to be understood as correct, and on whose authority those determinations are made.

    In the case of Michiganian and Michigander, Michiganian appears in style guides, and Michigander is the term most frequently used by people from Michigan.

    Rooted in an insult

    While it’s true that Lincoln called Cass “the great Michigander” as an unambiguous insult, the term Michigander appeared in print as early as 1838.

    Despite not having coined the term, however, Lincoln did likely play a part in its popularization by using it to malign Cass.

    Google’s NGram, which tracks how often terms appear in a large collection of print sources, shows Michigander has been used more frequently in print than Michiganian since around 1845.

    Michigander has outperformed Michiganian in print for over 175 years.
    Google NGram

    No specific law designates the use of one term or the other, but the terms do appear in two Michigan laws.

    The first is in the Older Michiganians Act, which was passed in 1981.

    The second is tied to the Historical Markers Act. The original act, established in 1955, used the term Michigander, but an amendment to it in 2002 changed the term to Michiganian. In 2017, the act was updated and the moniker was changed back to Michigander.

    Interestingly, the federal government, in the form of the U.S. Government Publishing Office’s Style Manual, specifies Michiganian as the correct term. This represents a change from Michiganite, which was the term specified in the Style Manual from 1945 to 2000, likely as a match to terms such as Wisconsinite.

    It’s difficult to know the origins of Michigander prior to 1848, but Lincoln did likely coin the term Michigander as a blend of Michigan and gander, leading to the possibility for goose jokes and humor. While other states have unusual monikers – such as Hoosiers for Indiana – none involves an animal pun like gander.

    The humorous aspect of Michigander is what likely keeps the articles, Reddit threads and friendly banter going.

    In 1947, the American journalist and essayist H.L. Mencken wrote, “The chief objection to Michigander is that it inspires idiots to call a Michigan woman a Michigoose and a child a Michigosling, but the people of the State have got used to this …”

    Funny or sexist?

    Gander humor reigns when it comes to Michigander. But perhaps more importantly, Michigander provides a greater sense of belonging and identity than Michiganian, despite the fact that there are those who find Michiganian has more finesse.

    That sense of identity is evident in the many pairings of Michigander with other charming things that are a part of living in Michigan, such as using your hand to show where in the mitten-shaped state you are from.

    How Michiganders explain where they’re from.
    (WT-en) TVerBeek at English Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA

    Given that gander designates a male goose, Michigander does raise questions about sexism.

    The rise in the use of Michiganian along with the fall of Michigander from the late 1970s to the early 2000s occurred alongside broader recognition of sexism in different realms of social life. It corresponds with a variety of changes to the terms people had been using, such as chairman, waitress and fireman. In 2024, it is unremarkable to refer instead to a chair or chairperson, a server, or a firefighter.

    So, why hang on to Michigander?

    Given that Whitmer is a proud and consistent user of Michigander, the most likely answer is that people from Michigan don’t feel the term is exclusionary. As a colleague of mine, a Michigan-raised feminist activist in her 60s, told me, “Do we not have real issues of sexism in the vernacular? I never heard anyone use any other term growing up.”

    Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has no qualms with Michigander.
    GIPHY News

    Over the past several days, I’ve asked over two dozen people who were born and raised in Michigan what they call someone from Michigan. To a person, they have said Michigander. They range in age from 19-89, have different gender identities and racial affiliations, and have a wide range of professions and political orientations.

    Only one had ever heard anyone referred to as a Michiganian, while a third had never heard the term Michiganian at all.

    My results reflect other poll results about these terms. A clear majority choose Michigander.

    When the people of Michigan say they are Michiganders, it’s odd to insist that they are Michiganians. And even those few, such as The Detroit News, who prefer Michiganian acknowledge that Michigander is more broadly preferred.

    Ultimately the debate rests on whether it’s the people from Michigan or some other entity, such as the Government Publishing Office, that decides which term should be used. If we grant the people of Michigan the right to name themselves, the verdict is clear.

    Robin Queen 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. Michiganders or Michiganians? A linguist explains why the answer is clear – https://theconversation.com/michiganders-or-michiganians-a-linguist-explains-why-the-answer-is-clear-241664

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Samsung TV Plus Hits 88 Million Monthly Active Users

    Source: Samsung

    As streaming expands consumer options and access to premium content, Samsung TV Plus, Samsung’s free ad-supported TV (FAST) and on-demand (AVOD) service, has seen remarkable growth. Now with 88 million monthly active users and an over 50% increase in global viewership YoY, Samsung TV Plus’ audience scale and engagement make it the #1 app in the U.S. on the #1 TV brand.
    The service’s rapid expansion has been fueled by its core U.S. user base of Gen Zers, Millennials, and Gen Xers, who over-index in the key advertising 18-49 demographic. Samsung TV Plus continues to strengthen its global presence with recent launches in Singapore and the Philippines, and is soon to launch in Thailand, expanding its availability to 30 territories worldwide.
    As viewers grow wary of rising subscription prices and continue to pour into free alternatives, major publishers and content owners have embraced the opportunities in FAST and AVOD. Samsung TV Plus has become a key pillar in the distribution strategies of many of the world’s most established media companies, sports leagues, independent studios, and creators.

    With a wealth of free premium content, Samsung TV Plus has carved out a unique offering across a wide array of genres with more than 3,000 channels and tens of thousands of on-demand options that keep audiences coming back. The service’s viewership growth is propelled by increased consumption across both linear and AVOD, with on-demand viewing surging more than 400% YoY globally, and making it an even more powerful engine for audience engagement.
    “The success of Samsung TV Plus reflects our commitment to delivering a superior user experience with high-quality content that resonates with consumers. When we embarked on this ambitious journey, our vision was to offer a premium streaming alternative that was both simple to use and free. The strategic bets we made nearly a decade ago have established a strong foundation for a service now enjoyed by 88 million streamers each month, and the path ahead is bright and promises continued growth well into the future,” said Salek Brodsky, Senior Vice President & General Manager at Samsung TV Plus.

    For advertisers, Samsung TV Plus brings together curated fan-favorite content with the sophisticated audience targeting and full-funnel performance marketing and measurement capabilities of digital. In addition to over-indexing in the 18-49 demographic, Samsung TV Plus also over-indexes on primetime and late-night viewing in the U.S. Samsung Ads offers several innovative ad solutions on Samsung TV Plus, ranging from Contextual Audience Collectives around top-performing content genres to interactive shoppable ad and gaming experiences designed to drive outcomes.
    “As the ad-supported streaming ecosystem continues to surge in popularity, Samsung TV Plus has emerged as a clear favorite among viewers across key demographics, with advertisers in prime verticals already leveraging its immense opportunity,” said Michael Scott, Vice President, Head of Ad Sales & Operations, Samsung Ads. “With today’s announcement, it’s evident that our viewers continue to be super leaned in and engaged, choosing to return time and time again. For advertisers looking to drive outcomes and prove results, Samsung TV Plus brings together the best of TV and streaming to offer an effective and measurable performance-driven solution.”

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Vampire bats – look beyond the fangs and blood to see animal friendships and unique adaptations

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Sebastian Stockmaier, Assistant Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee

    Vampire bats have complex social relationships. Samuel Betkowski/Moment via Getty Images

    You can probably picture a vampire: Pale, sharply fanged undead sucker of blood, deterred only by sunlight, religious paraphernalia and garlic. They’re gnarly creatures, often favorite subjects for movies or books. Luckily, they’re only imaginary … or are they?

    There are real vampires in the world of bats. Out of over 1,400 currently described bat species, three are known to feed on blood exclusively.

    The common vampire bat, Desmodus rotundus, is the most abundant. At home in the tropical forests of Central and South America, these bats feed on various animals, including tapirs, mountain lions, penguins and, most often nowadays, livestock.

    A vampire bat enjoys a blood meal at the expense of a domestic goat.
    Nicolas Reusens/Moment via Getty Images

    Feeding on a blood diet is unusual for a mammal and has led to many unique adaptations that facilitate their uncommon lifestyle. Unlike other bats, vampires are mobile on the ground, toggling between two distinct gaits to circle their sleeping prey. Heat-sensing receptors on their noses help them find warm blood under their prey’s skin. Finally, the combination of a small incision, made by potentially self-sharpening fangs, and an anticoagulant in their saliva allows these bats to feed on unsuspecting prey.

    To me, as a behavioral ecologist, who is interested in how pathogens affect social behaviors and vice versa, the most fascinating adaptations to a blood-feeding lifestyle are observable in vampire bats’ social lives.

    Vampire bats build reciprocal relationships

    Blood is not very nutritious, and vampire bats that fail to feed will starve relatively quickly. If a bat returns to the roost hungry, others may regurgitate a blood meal to get them through the night.

    Vampire bats will share their blood meal with a hungry friend.
    Gerry Carter

    Such food sharing happens between bats who are related – such as mothers and their offspring – but also unrelated individuals. This observation has puzzled evolutionary biologists for quite a while. Why help someone who is not closely related to you?

    It turns out that vampire bats keep track of who feeds them and reciprocate – or not, if the other bat has not been helpful in the past. In doing so, they form complex social relationships maintained by low-cost social investments, such as cleaning and maintaining the fur of another animal, called allogrooming, and higher-cost social investments, such as sharing food.

    These relationships are on par with what you would see in primates, and some people compare them to human friendships. Indeed, there are some parallels.

    For instance, humans will raise the stakes when forming new relationships with others. You start with social investments that don’t cost much – think sharing some of your lunch – and wait for the other person’s response. If they don’t reciprocate, the relationship may be doomed. But if the other person does reciprocate by sharing a bit of their dessert, for instance, your next investment might be larger. You gradually increase the stakes in a game of back-and-forth until the friendship eventually warrants larger social investments like going out of your way to give them a ride to work when their car breaks down.

    Vampire bats do the same. When strangers are introduced, they will start with small fur-cleaning interactions to test the waters. If both partners keep reciprocating and raising the stakes, the relationship will eventually escalate to food sharing, which is a bigger commitment.

    Relationships, in sickness and in health

    My lab studies how infections affect social behaviors and relationships. Given their vast array of social behaviors and the complexity of their social relationships, vampire bats are the ideal study system for me and my colleagues.

    How does being ill affect how vampire bats behave? How do other bats behave toward one that is sick? How does sickness affect the formation and maintenance of their social relationships?

    We simulate infections in bats in our lab by using molecules derived from pathogens to stimulate an immune response. We’ve repeatedly found a form of passive social distancing where sick individuals reduce their interaction with others, whether it’s allogrooming, social calling or just spending time near others.

    Researchers attach proximity sensors to bats. The sensors communicate with each other and exchange information about meeting time, duration and signal strength, which is a proxy for distance between two bats.
    Sherri and Brock Fenton

    Importantly, these behavioral changes haven’t necessarily evolved to minimize spreading disease to others. Rather, they are parts of the complex immune response that biologists call sickness behaviors. It’s comparable to someone infected with the flu staying at home simply because they don’t feel up to venturing out. Even if such passive social distancing may have not evolved to prevent transmission to others, simply being too sick to interact with others will still reduce the spread of germs.

    Interestingly, sickness behaviors can be suppressed. People do this all the time. So-called presenteeism is showing up at work despite illness due to various pressures. Similarly, many people have suppressed symptoms of an infection to engage in some sort of social obligation. If you have little kids, you know that when everyone in your household is coming down with something, there’s no way you can just sit back and not take care of the little ones, even if you feel quite bad yourself.

    Animals are no different. They can suppress sickness behaviors when competing needs arise, such as caring for young or defending territory. Despite their tendency to reduce social interactions with others when sick, in vampire bats, sick mothers will continue to groom their offspring and vice versa, probably because mother-daughter relationships are extra important. Mothers and daughters are often each other’s primary social relationships within groups of vampire bats.

    Despite vampire bats’ elaborate social relationships, farmers often consider them pests.
    Sherri and Brock Fenton

    Human-bat conflict centers on livestock

    Despite their many fascinating adaptations and complex social lives, vampire bats are not universally admired. In fact, in many areas in South and Central America, they are considered pests because they can transmit the deadly rabies virus to livestock, which can cause quite significant economic losses.

    Before people introduced livestock into their habitat, vampire bats probably had a harder time finding food in the form of native prey species such as tapirs. Now, livestock has become their primary food source. After all, why not feed on something that is reliably at the same place every night and quite abundant? Increases in livestock abundance come with increases in vampire bat populations, probably perpetuating the problem of rabies transmission.

    The farmers’ quarrels with vampires make sense, especially in smaller cattle herds, where losing even one cow can significantly hurt a farmer’s livelihood. Culling campaigns have used topically applied poisons called vampiricide, basically a mix of petroleum jelly and rat poison. Bats are caught, the paste is applied to the fur, and they carry it back to the roost, where others ingest the poison during social interactions. Interestingly, large-scale culling may not be very effective in reducing rabies spillover.

    Vampire bat colonies live in places like hollow trees.
    May Dixon

    Now, the focus has started to shift toward large-scale cattle vaccinations or vaccinating the vampire bats themselves. Researchers are even considering transmissible vaccines: They could genetically modify herpes viruses, which are quite common in vampire bats, to carry rabies genes and vaccinate large swaths of vampire bat populations.

    Whichever method is used to mitigate vampire bat-human conflicts, more empathy for these misunderstood animals could only help. After all, if you stick your head into a hollow tree full of vampire bats – assuming you can brave the smell of digested blood – remember: You’re looking at a complex network of individual friendships between animals that care deeply for each other.

    Some of the cited work in the article is from long-term collaborators (such as Dr. Gerald Carter at Princeton University) with whom I frequently interact and work together.

    – ref. Vampire bats – look beyond the fangs and blood to see animal friendships and unique adaptations – https://theconversation.com/vampire-bats-look-beyond-the-fangs-and-blood-to-see-animal-friendships-and-unique-adaptations-239980

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: What you need to know about clonazepam, the drug found in Liam Payne’s hotel room

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Michael Cole, Professor of Forensic Science, Anglia Ruskin University

    Early toxicology reports suggest that former One Direction singer Liam Payne had several drugs in his system when he fell to his death from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina. These include pink cocaine (which comprises several drugs), cocaine, benzodiazepine and crack.

    While the type of benzodiazepine wasn’t mentioned in the toxicology report, it is known that the police found a blister pack of clonazepam in the singer’s hotel room.

    Although there has been a general fall in the use of benzodiazepines, clonazepam has bucked that trend. The reason for this is unclear, but it could be the drug’s potency. It is not without reason that on the street it is sometimes referred to as “super Valium”.

    Clonazepam was first approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in 1975. It is used to treat a range of conditions, including epileptic seizures, muscle spasms, anxiety and panic disorders. Doses range from 0.5mg to 2mg in tablet or liquid forms. (By comparison, a teaspoon of sugar weighs about 5,000mg.) It is also 20 times more potent than diazepam (Valium), with 0.5mg of clonazepam being equivalent to 10mg diazepam.

    The onset time for clonazepam – that is, the time to have an effect – is an hour or more. Xanax, also a benzodiazepine, starts to act within ten minutes, while Valium takes between 15 and 60 minutes.

    Although slower to start acting, the effects of clonazepam are longer lasting than many benzodiazepines. For example, the half-life (the time taken for the body to reduce the amount of drug in the body by 50%) of Xanax is six to 25 hours, of Valium 48 hours and clonazepam up to 54 hours.

    In recreational use, tablets are powdered and then snorted. The drug enters the bloodstream through the membranes in the nose. Taken this way the drug is faster to act and more is available in the bloodstream to have an effect.

    The drug is thought to work by enhancing the activity of a brain chemical (neurotransmitter) called Gaba. It dampens brain activity by blocking the signals between neurons. Boosting Gaba is known to reduce anxiety, promote relaxation and help with sleep.

    Steady rise

    Recently there has been a rise in the use and misuse of clonazepam in the UK. Prescriptions for the drug increased by 12% in 2023. The UK Rehab website states: “The rise in clonazepam addiction reflects a larger trend in the misuse of prescription medications, a public health crisis that has escalated into epidemic proportions in some regions.”

    Google searches for clonazepam have increased, with a particular interest in the drug in parts of the US. There are also reports of new polydrug mixtures containing clonazepam, such as karkoubi, which has been reported in Algeria and Morocco, mixing clonazepam with cannabis and tobacco.

    Taking clonazepam is not without dangers. Even under medical supervision, people can develop tolerance to it and become dependent.

    Doctors tend to prescribe low doses and then gradually increase the dose until the desired therapeutic effect is achieved. However, if the drug is taken over long periods (four weeks is often cited) people can become dependent. Withdrawal symptoms – such as tremors, sweating and nausea – are then experienced when the patient stops taking the drug.

    Clonazepam also causes side-effects that can include trouble speaking, feeling sleepy, a slower heartbeat and excitability. Although rarer, some people hallucinate.

    When mixed with other drugs or alcohol, the problems are compounded. For example, mixing with opiates and opioids (for example, codeine, methadone, morphine, oxycodone and tramadol) or alcohol can lead to sedation, slower breathing and heart rate, coma and even death.

    Taking drugs in combination is known to be extremely dangerous. More than 93% of drug deaths in Scotland in 2021 involved more than one drug.

    With these potential dangers, clonazepam is tightly controlled internationally. In the UK, it is a class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act. Other class C drugs include GHB, tramadol, cathinone and anabolic steroids.

    But tough laws alone will not stop drugs from being misused. So when people choose to take drugs, including clonazepam, it is important that they understand what the drug might do and what the risks might be.

    Michael Cole receives funding and “in kind” support from the European Union and a number police forces and forensic science organisations around the world to carry out research.

    – ref. What you need to know about clonazepam, the drug found in Liam Payne’s hotel room – https://theconversation.com/what-you-need-to-know-about-clonazepam-the-drug-found-in-liam-paynes-hotel-room-241853

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Kamala Harris is being called ‘Jezebel’ – a Biblical expert explains why it’s a menacing slur

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By M.J.C. Warren, Senior Lecturer in Biblical and Religious Studies, University of Sheffield

    lev radin/Shutterstock

    Jezebel has long been used as a slur against women who are considered too self-confident, too independent or too close to power – particularly when they happen to be Black. From Beyonce to Nikki Minaj, US vice-president and Democratic Presidential candidate Kamala Harris is only the latest in a long line of women of colour to be on the receiving end of the slur.

    But beneath the use of Jezebel’s name as a way to paint powerful women as promiscuous lies something even more sinister: the threat of sexual violence for those who will not submit to white patriarchal control.

    An increasing number of Christian nationalist personalities have taken to claiming that the vice-president is a Jezebel spirit. Notably, televangelist Lance Wallnau appears in multiple videos on X (formerly Twitter) claiming that: “with Kamala you have a Jezebel spirit, a characteristic in the Bible, that is a Jezebel spirit. The personification of intimidation, seduction, domination and manipulation”.

    Nor is Wallnau shy about connecting his use of Jezebel to Harris’s race: according to his video, the fact that Harris is Black makes her even more of a seductive Jezebel than Hillary Clinton: “the spirit of Jezebel in a way that will be even more ominous than Hillary [Clinton] because she’ll bring a racial component, and she’s younger”.

    Jezebels old and new

    Different versions of Jezebel are found in the Old and New Testaments, but both are associated with power, independence and sexuality. In 1 Kings, Jezebel is a queen from Sidon (present-day Lebanon). She ruled along with her husband Ahab and refuses to worship the biblical God; she continued her traditional worship of Ba’al.

    Her authority in her marriage and in politics attracted the prophet Elijah’s negative attention. Elijah utters a prophecy that: “The dogs shall eat Jezebel” (1 Kings 21:23), and indeed, 2 Kings 9:32-37 says that the prophecy is fulfilled.

    Knowing her life is in danger, Jezebel puts on her make up and does her hair to prepare to meet her enemy.

    As religious studies academic Jennifer L. Koosed writes, while her self-beautification is used to sexualise Jezebel, “these acts are those of a proud and powerful queen” who boldly meets the man who is about to have her thrown from a window. Jezebel’s bloodied body is trampled by horses and her corpse utterly destroyed.

    Her violent death and the desecration of her body, which is consumed by dogs, dehumanises Jezebel. The Bible presents this as apt punishment for a woman who was so bold as to defy her husband’s traditions and maintain her independence.

    When we meet another Jezebel in the New Testament, the process begins again. In Revelation 2, Jezebel is a prophet, a rival of John the Seer, who travels to different early Christian communities and teaches them. John, the author of the Book of Revelation, imagines Jesus writing to the community who allow themselves to be taught by her. In that letter, the voice of Jesus declares that the punishment for this woman, who dares to be a leader, is rape. John uses vitriolic language to paint Jezebel as sexually immoral, but his complaint is with her authority.

    Long and damaging history

    The Bible frequently paints female characters as unacceptably sexual, or threatens them with sexual violence, in order to maintain its patriarchal hierarchy.

    Definition of the word Jezebel in a religious dictionary.
    Shutterstock

    For example, as biblical scholars such as Renita J. Weems have pointed out, Hosea 1-3 uses the metaphor of God as (abusive) husband and the people of Israel as their (abused) adulterous wife in order to convince the Israelites to worship God again.

    The infamous figure of the “Whore of Babylon” in Revelation 17-18 echoes that divine threat: her control over the kings of the world, her opulence and her sexuality all make her God’s enemy – and her punishment is sexual humiliation and violence.

    Kamala Harris has been labelled Jezebel since at least as early as 2021 when pastor Steve Swofford as “Jezebel Harris” and pastor Tom Buck tweeted: “I can’t imagine any truly God-fearing Israelite who would’ve wanted their daughters to view Jezebel as an inspirational role model because she was a woman in power.”

    Buck doubled down on his comments the next day, saying, “For those torn up over my tweet, I stand by it 100%. My problem is her godless character. She not only is the most radical pro-abortion VP ever, but also most radical LGBT advocate. She performed one of the first Lesbian ‘marriages.’ Pray for her, but don’t praise her!”

    Understood in the context of the attack on women’s rights by Christian nationalists and their allies, giving Harris the name Jezebel connects the biblical threats with the move to criminalise abortion access and even divorce – to take power away from women and restore it to the patriarchal Christian structure.

    While Jezebel is a clearly misogynist term, it has long been used in particular to dehumanise Black women. Racist stereotypes about Black women as hypersexual Jezebels were used by slavers to justify their rape of enslaved women. Even after the end of slavery, this use of the name persisted, as did the racist stereotype about Black women’s sexual availability to justify sexual violence. And Black women continue to experience sexual harassment and abuse at much higher levels than white women.

    So, when Christian nationalists urge their followers to “confront this Jezebel spirit” we can’t forget that confronting Jezebel is violent – in the Bible confronting Jezebel means her death or her rape. These veiled threats should not be taken lightly.

    Femicide is an ongoing crisis. A woman is killed by a man every three days in the UK and three women are killed by men every day in North America. Sexual violence against women is also rampant and is a weapon in the patriarchal arsenal for subduing independent women.

    Calling a powerful woman like Harris a Jezebel, then, isn’t just an offensive slur – it carries with it the persistent threat of racist violence and sexual assault.

    M.J.C. Warren 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. Kamala Harris is being called ‘Jezebel’ – a Biblical expert explains why it’s a menacing slur – https://theconversation.com/kamala-harris-is-being-called-jezebel-a-biblical-expert-explains-why-its-a-menacing-slur-241746

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Is Tim Burton an outsider auteur or a global megastar? The Design Museum thinks it has the answer

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Catherine Spooner, Professor of Literature and Culture, Lancaster University

    “Like walking around in a weird, beautiful funhouse.” That’s how Tim Burton described his private viewing of The World of Tim Burton at the exhibition’s opening at London’s Design Museum.

    A travelling circus that initially took shape at New York’s Museum of Modern Art in 2009 and has since visited 14 cities in 11 countries, the exhibition now reaches its grand finale in expanded, remixed form in Burton’s adopted hometown. At the press conference, he admitted to feeling somewhat anxious about it. This points to one of the underlying tensions of the exhibition itself – the contrast between laying bare an intensely personal creative process, and Burton’s global megastar status.

    The exhibition’s collaboration with the Design Museum has enabled its re-framing as an exploration of Burton’s “design practice” (in curator Maria McClintock’s words). It traces the complex path from Burton’s initial sketches to their realisation on screen.

    In this respect, the exhibition is successful. Visitors get a sense of the holistic development of Burton’s ideas from preliminary drawings to their realisation by puppet-makers and set and costume designers. Unrealised film projects and personal artworks are also included. This provides a unique insight into the director’s creative process.

    The work itself, moreover, is joyous – a riot of colour and fizzing line. The Burton that emerges is restlessly inventive. We see not only his prolific sketches in pen and ink and watercolour but also his experiments across media with collage, pastels, oils, acrylics on velvet, home movies, photography, children’s picture books and comic verse.

    Some of the most thrilling items are the most personal – teen fan art, scribbles on table napkins, university lecture notes. These offer an impression of intimacy, of unadulterated creativity bubbling up from some hidden wellspring of the subconscious. The staging of the exhibition enhances this impression. Skewed doorways and chequerboard floors suggest that the art is spilling out of the frame into the space of the gallery, evoking the “funhouse” feel that Burton commented on.

    The exhibition is invested in the notion of Burton as auteur, supported by a loyal team of creatives, many of whom are showcased here. One highlight is rows of Jack Skellington heads with different facial expressions, devised by stop-motion animators Mackinnon and Saunders for The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993). Elsewhere, there is a genuine frisson in seeing Bob Ringwood and Mary Vogt’s iconic costume for Catwoman in Batman Returns (1992), now so fragile that it can only be laid flat, and looking uncannily like shed skin.

    The indisputable star among Burton’s collaborators, however, is costume designer Colleen Atwood. Her spectacular ensembles for Edward Scissorhands (1990), Mars Attacks! (1996), Sleepy Hollow (1999), Alice in Wonderland (2010) and Wednesday (2022) dominate the central room of the exhibition. Someone please give her a show of her own.

    Missed opportunities

    Where the exhibition is less successful is in its attempts to place Burton in a wider cultural framework. Burton’s influences are covered patchily and explained poorly. Vincent Price is conflated with Hammer Horror (he never made a film with Hammer Studios) and the theoretical concept of the carnivalesque is misunderstood.

    A more thorough exploration of the horror traditions on which Burton draws – particularly German expressionism and Roger Corman’s Edgar Allan Poe adaptations – would have been welcome. The focus on Burton’s drawings also begs closer attention to the illustrative traditions he is indebted to, from Ralph Steadman to Charles Addams and Edward Gorey. To neglect this is to diminish Burton’s skill as an artist who consciously reworks the American gothic tradition into a distinctive new form.

    The final room, “Burtonesque”, has the potential to be the most interesting. It explores the way that Burton’s aesthetic has become distinctive enough to be recognisable in the work of other artists.

    Ultimately, however, it shies away from asking searching questions about stylistic transferability and influence. Rather, it looks at Burton’s collaborations with artists in other media, whether fashion designer Alexander McQueen, photographer Tim Walker, or rock band The Killers.

    These are interesting in their own right but crucially, Burton is still involved in this process. The traditional exit through the gift shop reveals another side to Burton, in which his highly recognisable aesthetic has lent itself to merchandise with varying degrees of connection to the original source. The director has been vocal about the exploitation of his work by AI. But is this, in today’s culture, the logical end-point of the “Burtonesque”?

    The exhibition avoids any kind of investigation of the Burton brand, or even of Burton’s influence on a new generation of creators. In doing so, it misses what is one of the most fascinating paradoxes about Burton: that an artist who is so preoccupied with the figure of the outsider has been so widely embraced, with such immense commercial success.

    Burton’s work raises serious questions about the role and popularity of gothic imagery in 21st-century culture, but this exhibition is content to stick with the funhouse thrills.

    The World of Tim Burton is on at the Design Museum, London, until April 21 2025.


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

    Catherine Spooner has previously received funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council for a related project.

    – ref. Is Tim Burton an outsider auteur or a global megastar? The Design Museum thinks it has the answer – https://theconversation.com/is-tim-burton-an-outsider-auteur-or-a-global-megastar-the-design-museum-thinks-it-has-the-answer-242172

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: I’m Not Okay: emo is alive and kicking at Barbican retrospective

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Francesca Sobande, Senior Lecturer in Digital Media Studies, Cardiff University

    An emo music retrospective has been a long time coming. There has been extensive work before now to archive and celebrate the cultural memory of this 2004-09 scene, whose name is short for emotional hardcore, but rarely has it been the sole focus of a public exhibition in the UK.

    Located at the Barbican Music Library in London, I’m Not Okay: An Emo Retrospective by the Museum of Youth Culture offers an inviting mix of nostalgia and dynamic documentation.

    The exhibition claims to focus on “a pivotal era when [US] bands like My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy and Finch sparked a transatlantic exchange, fuelling a distinct UK movement led by acts such as Funeral for a Friend”. Indeed the exhibition’s title is borrowed from a My Chemical Romance song of the same name. These are all bands that, to my delight as an emo fan, toured the UK in recent years, reflecting the ongoing appreciation and demand for such music.

    Much more than just spotlighting bands and musicians, the Museum of Youth Culture’s exhibition takes visitors on a trip down memory lane. It allows you to revisit digital culture from the days of file-sharing software like Limewire and the blogging and social media sites Myspace, LiveJournal and Xanga.

    The retrospective is a snapshot of the world of emo around 20 years ago, shaped by people’s recollections of their bedrooms, youth and digital culture, in addition to depictions of emo gigs and gatherings.

    I’m Not Okay, the 2004 song by My Chemical Romance that the exhibition is named for.

    The exhibition charts key points in emo’s 2000s era, from its origins in Washington DC’s post-hardcore scene in the mid-1980s. By bringing together people’s memories of emo from various parts of the world, the exhibition also tracks the ways that the internet, fandom and globalisation were experienced then.

    This is captured by the opening line of text displayed at the beginning of the retrospective: “I’m Not Okay is a rallying cry from a generation whose identity was spread across virtual infinities against the uncertain futures of a new millennium.”

    No one’s 20s and 30s look the same. You might be saving for a mortgage or just struggling to pay rent. You could be swiping dating apps, or trying to understand childcare. No matter your current challenges, our Quarter Life series has articles to share in the group chat, or just to remind you that you’re not alone.

    Read more from Quarter Life:

    In the exhibition, excerpts from people who embraced emo in the 2000s (and beyond) paint a picture of digital culture as being key to the genre’s beating heart. The importance of early social media sites such as MySpace and Bebo is mentioned several times.

    Despite its relatively small scale, the Barbican show covers lots of different dimensions of emo between 2004 and 2009. It touches on matters as diverse as the rise of smartphones, the messiness of MSN messenger and online forums, and the specifics of being Black and emo.

    Emo at home and abroad

    Many of the memories documented in the exhibition point to the way that music and popular culture from North America had, and continues to have, a significant impact on youth culture and music in the UK. But the retrospective also makes clear that there was and is no absence of homegrown talent, spirit and scenes. These subcultures are firmly rooted in the realities of local life in the UK.

    In the 2000s, emo emerged and developed in distinctly regional as well as national ways. Stories about its uniqueness in certain towns, cities and states, sit alongside memories of learning about and yearning to experience its idiosyncrasies in different countries.

    Paramore were one of the few female-fronted emo bands of the 2000s.

    Statements adorning the exhibition walls include people’s recollections of growing up in rural areas, where they were one of few emo kids. Again, what ties those thoughts together is the role of the internet in connecting people to and through emo, as well as the meaningfulness of trips to nearby bigger places with more of an underground scene.

    Within such retrospective reflections are memories of young people’s experiences of a third place. Places that are not home and not a place of study or work, such as public squares, skate parks and club nights, that have increasingly diminished, been unfunded, or become more policed since the 2000s. Through these reflections, the show examines how places and spaces – both online and offline – have changed since the 2000s, in ways that impact young people and music today.

    I’m Not Okay: An Emo Retrospective takes seriously the significance and brilliance of emo. Illuminating elements of youth culture, digital culture and the layered history of emo music and subcultures, this retrospective is a reminder that while the internet of the past is long gone, emo remains alive and kicking.

    I’m Not Okay: An Emo Retrospective is on at the Barbican Music Library until January 15 2025.


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

    Francesca Sobande received Impact Acceleration funding from UKRI in 2024, towards a project that involves collaborating with the Museum of Youth Culture.

    – ref. I’m Not Okay: emo is alive and kicking at Barbican retrospective – https://theconversation.com/im-not-okay-emo-is-alive-and-kicking-at-barbican-retrospective-241870

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA Provides Update on Artemis III Moon Landing Regions

    Source: NASA

    As NASA prepares for the first crewed Moon landing in more than five decades, the agency has identified an updated set of nine potential landing regions near the lunar South Pole for its Artemis III mission. These areas will be further investigated through scientific and engineering study. NASA will continue to survey potential areas for missions following Artemis III, including areas beyond these nine regions.
    “Artemis will return humanity to the Moon and visit unexplored areas. NASA’s selection of these regions shows our commitment to landing crew safely near the lunar South Pole, where they will help uncover new scientific discoveries and learn to live on the lunar surface,” said Lakiesha Hawkins, assistant deputy associate administrator, Moon to Mars Program Office.
    NASA’s Cross Agency Site Selection Analysis team, working closely with science and industry partners, added, and excluded potential landing regions, which were assessed for their science value and mission availability.
    The refined candidate Artemis III lunar landing regions are, in no priority order:

    Peak near Cabeus B
    Haworth
    Malapert Massif
    Mons Mouton Plateau
    Mons Mouton
    Nobile Rim 1
    Nobile Rim 2
    de Gerlache Rim 2
    Slater Plain

    These regions contain diverse geological characteristics and offer flexibility for mission availability. The lunar South Pole has never been explored by a crewed mission and contains permanently shadowed areas that can preserve resources, including water.
    “The Moon’s South Pole is a completely different environment than where we landed during the Apollo missions,” said Sarah Noble, Artemis lunar science lead at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “It offers access to some of the Moon’s oldest terrain, as well as cold, shadowed regions that may contain water and other compounds. Any of these landing regions will enable us to do amazing science and make new discoveries.”
    To select these landing regions, a multidisciplinary team of scientists and engineers analyzed the lunar South Pole region using data from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and a vast body of lunar science research. Factors in the selection process included science potential, launch window availability, terrain suitability, communication capabilities with Earth, and lighting conditions. Additionally, the team assessed the combined trajectory capabilities of NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket, the Orion spacecraft, and Starship HLS (Human Landing System) to ensure safe and accessible landing sites.
    The Artemis III geology team evaluated the landing regions for their scientific promise. Sites within each of the nine identified regions have the potential to provide key new insights into our understanding of rocky planets, lunar resources, and the history of our solar system.
    “Artemis III will be the first time that astronauts will land in the south polar region of the Moon. They will be flying on a new lander into a terrain that is unique from our past Apollo experience,” said Jacob Bleacher, NASA’s chief exploration scientist. “Finding the right locations for this historic moment begins with identifying safe places for this first landing, and then trying to match that with opportunities for science from this new place on the Moon.”
    NASA’s site assessment team will engage the lunar science community through conferences and workshops to gather data, build geologic maps, and assess the regional geology of eventual landing sites. The team also will continue surveying the entire lunar South Pole region for science value and mission availability for future Artemis missions. This will include planning for expanded science opportunities during Artemis IV, and suitability for the LTV (Lunar Terrain Vehicle) as part of Artemis V.
    The agency will select sites within regions for Artemis III after it identifies the mission’s target launch dates, which dictate transfer trajectories, or orbital paths, and surface environment conditions.
    Under NASA’s Artemis campaign, the agency will establish the foundation for long-term scientific exploration at the Moon, land the first woman, first person of color, and its first international partner astronaut on the lunar surface, and prepare for human expeditions to Mars for the benefit of all.
    For more information on Artemis, visit:
    https://www.nasa.gov/specials/artemis
    -end-
    James Gannon / Molly WasserHeadquarters, Washington202-358-1600james.h.gannon@nasa.gov / molly.l.wasser@nasa.gov

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Alliance Memory to Showcase Expanded Portfolio at electronica 2024

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    KIRKLAND, Wash., Oct. 28, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Alliance Memory will showcase its expanded product portfolio at electronica 2024 from November 12 to 15 in Hall B5, Stand 300 at the Trade Fair Centre Messe München in Munich, Germany. The company will highlight its new DDR4 and LPDDR4X SDRAMs, as well as high-density Serial NOR Flash devices, providing higher density, low power consumption, and fast data transfer rates for a wide range of applications.

    “We’re excited to introduce our latest memory solutions that cater to growing market demands,” said David Bagby, President and CEO of Alliance Memory. “Our new DDR4 SDRAMs, LPDDR4X devices, and Serial NOR Flash products offer the performance, reliability, and flexibility our customers require in today’s evolving technology landscape.”

    FEATURED PRODUCTS

    DDR4 SDRAMs: Alliance Memory has expanded its CMOS DDR4 SDRAM offerings with new 8Gb, 16Gb, and 32Gb devices. These products combine low power consumption with fast clock speeds of up to 1600 MHz and transfer rates up to 3200 MT/s. They are available in 78-ball FBGA and 96-ball FBGA packages, offering enhanced performance for a variety of applications.

    LPDDR4X SDRAM: The company’s 16Gb and 32Gb LPDDR4X devices deliver increased clock speeds of up to 2133 MHz and data rates of up to 4266 Mbps, designed for mobile and high-speed applications. Available in the 200-ball FBGA package, the LPDDR4X SDRAMs feature low power ratings, ideal for battery-operated systems.

    High-Density Serial NOR Flash Devices: Alliance Memory has introduced new 3.3 V Serial NOR Flash families with densities of 128Mb, 256Mb, and 512Mb. These devices are suited for use in mobile PCs, servers, laptops, digital TVs, printers, and connectivity modules, offering high performance and flexible I/O options.

    To schedule an appointment at electronica 2024 or for more information about the new products, please contact Bob Decker at bob.decker@redpinesgroup.com.

    About Alliance Memory

    Alliance Memory is a worldwide provider of critical and hard-to-find memory ICs for the communications, computing, consumer electronics, medical, automotive, and industrial markets. The company’s product range includes flash, DRAM, and SRAM memory ICs with commercial, industrial, and automotive operating temperature ranges and densities from 64Kb to 128GB. Privately held, Alliance Memory maintains headquarters in Kirkland, Washington, and regional offices in Europe, Asia, Canada, and South America. More information about Alliance Memory is available online at www.alliancememory.com.

    Agency Contact:
    Bob Decker
    Redpines
    +1 415 409 0233
    bob.decker@redpinesgroup.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: PR – Bitget Reports Strong Q3 2024 Performance, Strengthening Its Position as the 4th Largest Crypto Exchange

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VICTORIA, Seychelles, Oct. 28, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitget, a leading global cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company, has released its Q3 2024 Transparency Report, showcasing significant advancements in user growth, token offerings, and strategic initiatives. With a strong focus on enhancing financial accessibility and advancing blockchain technology, Bitget has reinforced its position as one of the top global players in the crypto industry.

    Key Q3 2024 Highlights:

    1. Surpassing 45 Million Users and Strengthening Market Position In Q3 2024, Bitget achieved a milestone by surpassing 45 million registered users globally, placing it as the 4th largest crypto exchange by trading volume. The platform’s user base growth, up by 400% since last year, was fueled by innovative product offerings and expansion into new regions, including Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. The company’s focus on accessibility and user-centric design aligns with its mission of enabling financial freedom for all.
    2. Expanding Token Offerings and Staking Opportunities Bitget added 72 new token listings in Q3, bringing its lineup to over 800 tokens and 900+ spot trading pairs. Among the new listings, POL, DRIFT, WUSD, REEF, and MOTHER stood out with the highest Total Value Locked (TVL) growth. Bitget’s Pre-market platform continued to attract early traders, featuring 12 tokens like CATI, MOCA, HMSTR, DOGS, and ZKL in Q3, with 53,800 traders participating and a cumulative transaction volume of $23 million.
    3. Additionally, Bitget’s PoolX staking platform, launched in April, has become a popular choice among users, offering high-yield staking options. In Q3, PoolX recorded over 94,805 participants, with the total staked amount doubling from Q2 to reach $2.3 billion USD. Popular pools include BGB, BTC, ETH, and USDT, providing users with new avenues to earn rewards on the platform.
    4. Commitment to the TON Ecosystem and Strategic Investments As part of its $30 million joint investment with Foresight Ventures into The Open Network (TON) ecosystem, Bitget has supported the rapid expansion of Telegram-based projects, including DOGS, Hamster Kombat, and Notcoin. With nearly 1 billion Telegram users worldwide, TON’s ecosystem has seen exponential growth, making Bitget a vital entry point for users interested in TON-based projects and decentralized applications.
    5. Strategic Partnership with LALIGA to Drive Web3 Adoption Bitget expanded its footprint in sports by forming a multi-million dollar partnership with LALIGA. This collaboration aims to increase crypto awareness and Web3 adoption across Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia, and LATAM, leveraging LALIGA’s massive global audience to attract a new wave of crypto enthusiasts. This partnership aligns with Bitget’s mission to bring blockchain technology to mainstream audiences.
    6. Enhanced Token-Discovery Through Nansen Collaboration Bitget collaborated with Nansen to refine its token-discovery strategies. By leveraging on-chain data and community insights, Bitget offers traders an advanced toolkit for identifying promising tokens. The strategic approach, combined with Nansen’s analytical tools, led to 240 new token listings since April, making it one of the most active exchanges in early-stage token offerings.

    Gracy Chen, CEO of Bitget, commented on the report: “Our growth in Q3 2024 reflects our commitment to creating an accessible, secure, and innovative trading platform for users worldwide. By continuously expanding our offerings, supporting impactful projects, and forming strategic partnerships, Bitget is helping shape the future of blockchain and finance. We remain focused on our mission to drive financial freedom and to empower the next billion users through accessible and user-friendly digital solutions.”

    Bitget’s success in Q3 2024 shows its growing influence in the crypto industry, marked by strategic initiatives, innovative products, and a commitment to user engagement. Looking ahead, Bitget is bound to continue its mission of bridging the gap between centralized and decentralized finance while expanding its global reach.

    For more information, visit Bitget Blog.

    About Bitget

    Established in 2018, Bitget is the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company. Serving over 45 million users in 150+ countries and regions, the Bitget exchange is committed to helping users trade smarter with its pioneering copy trading feature and other trading solutions, while offering real-time access to Bitcoin price, Ethereum price, and other cryptocurrency prices. Formerly known as BitKeep, Bitget Wallet is a world-class multi-chain crypto wallet that offers an array of comprehensive Web3 solutions and features including wallet functionality, token swap, NFT Marketplace, DApp browser, and more.

    Bitget is at the forefront of driving crypto adoption through strategic partnerships, such as its role as the Official Crypto Partner of the World’s Top Football League, LALIGA, in EASTERN, SEA and LATAM market, as well as a global partner of Turkish National athletes Buse Tosun Çavuşoğlu (Wrestling world champion), Samet Gümüş (Boxing gold medalist) and İlkin Aydın (Volleyball national team), to inspire the global community to embrace the future of cryptocurrency.

    For more information, visit: Website | Twitter | Telegram | LinkedIn | Discord | Bitget Wallet

    Risk Warning: Digital asset prices are subject to fluctuation and may experience significant volatility. Investors are advised to only allocate funds they can afford to lose. The value of any investment may be impacted, and there is a possibility that financial objectives may not be met, nor the principal investment recovered. Independent financial advice should always be sought, and personal financial experience and standing carefully considered. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Bitget accepts no liability for any potential losses incurred. Nothing contained herein should be construed as financial advice. For further information, please refer to our Terms of Use.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/661a75c4-26df-4658-b301-5c44925c9290

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Samsung Music Frame WICKED Edition is Now Available

    Source: Samsung

    Samsung today announced availability for Music Frame WICKED Edition, a customizable wireless speaker designed to seamlessly blend into any environment and enhance the home entertainment experience. This new edition, created in partnership with Universal Pictures’ spectacular film adaptation of the iconic stage musical (in cinemas November 22), brings a unique combination of art and technology to offer consumers a personalized and immersive audio experience. It’s available for purchase starting today on Samsung.com and at the Samsung 837 retail experience store in New York City.
    “Music Frame represents an entirely new category of audio – a customizable speaker that doubles as a picture frame. Not only can you display your favorite print photos – you can also create an orchestra of sound with your favorite playlist,” said James Fishler, Senior Vice President, Home Entertainment & Display Division at Samsung Electronics America. “Music and art evoke such strong memories, and Music Frame offers a seamless way to capture both in one innovative device. This limited-time Music Frame WICKED Edition beautifully brings this concept to life, helping you unlock the music within.”

    Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Jon M. Chu (“Crazy Rich Asians,” “In the Heights”), Wicked is the untold story of the witches of Oz, starring Emmy-, Grammy- and Tony-winning powerhouse Cynthia Erivo (“Harriet,” Broadway’s “The Color Purple”) as Elphaba, a young woman misunderstood because of her unusual green skin, who has yet to discover her true power, and Grammy-winning, multi-platinum recording artist and global superstar Ariana Grande as Glinda, a popular young woman gilded by privilege and ambition, who has yet to discover her true heart.
    Unlocking the Music Within Homes With “Wicked”
    In collaboration with Wicked, Music Frame WICKED Edition offers a unique combination of functionality and aesthetic appeal. It includes a Wicked edition Photo Frame with three photo cards featuring autographs and images of the film’s beloved characters, including one exclusive picture only available with Music Frame WICKED Edition.
    Further enhancing the experience, Music Frame WICKED Edition comes with a specially designed limited edition Wicked-themed bezel and customized Wicked-themed packaging, adding an extra touch of excitement and making the unboxing experience truly enchanting.

    Music Frame is also fully customizable, allowing users to effortlessly match their home decor with photo frames and optional art panels. The sleek and slim design, combined with a discreet wall-mount bracket and slim power cable, ensures the Music Frame blends seamlessly into any environment.
    Elevating Homes With Immersive Sound and Smart Features
    With its rich, immersive sound, Music Frame WICKED Edition enables users to transform their living space into a surround sound haven. Equipped with Dolby Atmos1 technology, it creates a multidimensional audio experience that brings every note and sound to life. Music Frame can also work closely with other compatible Samsung screens and soundbars using Q-Symphony2, which offers a more immersive, three-dimensional sound experience.
    Boasting two-channel 120W sound quality, Music Frame WICKED Edition incorporates clear and powerful sound via SpaceFit Sound Pro for optimized audio based on the acoustics of a given room, as well as Adaptive Sound that adjusts audio settings based on content to deliver premium audio performance. These features ensure that Music Frame WICKED Edition offers exceptional sound quality and versatility, making it a perfect addition to any home.
    The built-in Alexa3 and Chromecast offer easy smart home integration with supported devices, while Airplay and Tap Sound4 provide seamless connectivity with Android and iOS devices. Versatile connectivity options — including Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Optical — ensure the device meets all audio needs.
    Music Frame WICKED Edition is available now on Samsung.com, as well as at the Samsung 837 retail experience store in New York City. For more information, please visit Samsung.com.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Enes Yilmazer Features Samsung’s IAC as the Ultimate in Home Luxury

    Source: Samsung

    Samsung announced its collaboration with luxury lifestyle content creator Enes Yilmazer to illustrate the transformative impact of the All-in-One LED IAC in high-end homes. Known for his expertise in showcasing the world’s most exclusive properties on his eponymous YouTube channel, Yilmazer recently hosted a tour of a $30-million home in Los Angeles, where he demonstrated how the 130-inch direct-view LED (dvLED) display can serve as a centerpiece for all luxury residences, elevating home entertainment capabilities and interior design elements.

    Elevated home viewing
    Drawing on Samsung’s industry leadership and years of innovation with the world’s first modular 146-inch microLED The Wall, Samsung’s All-in-One IAC offers best-in-class visual displays capable of producing images with vivid color expression, reduced noise and a full range of grays and blacks. Built-in LED HDR technology turns any content into HDR-level, lifelike quality, transforming movies, television shows, live events, photography or digital art into stunning spectacles.

    A powerful 500-nit display provides incredible visibility in any light conditions. In the Los Angeles home, where the huge floor-to-ceiling window design incorporates extensive natural light, the the All-in-One LED IAC allows high-networth homeowners and their guests to enjoy high-quality content even in the daytime.
    “When I first saw Samsung’s All-in-One IAC, I was captivated by its vibrant picture quality and how it seamlessly blends into any space and design, whether it’s a spacious living room or a state-of-the-art home theater,” Yilmazer said. “More than just a screen, the IAC allows high-networth homeowners to make a grand visual statement with an immersive viewing experience.”

    Effortless installation and integration
    Time is the ultimate luxury, and the All-in-One IAC delivers with its Quick Build structure and built-in control box, which streamline the installation and configuration process to allow set-up in as little as two hours. Installation only requires mounting the wall brackets, docking two backplates and hanging four preset modules. Samsung also works with homeowners to develop a bespoke installation beyond traditional shapes and sizes to integrate the display into their desired space. No matter the room configuration or style, the screen’s thin, minimalist and bezel-less design embodies sophistication with an edge-to-edge picture for immersive viewing.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Coloured South Africans are all but erased from history textbooks – I asked learners how that makes them feel

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Natasha Robinson, PhD Candidate and research consultant, University of Oxford

    South African Grammy winner Tyla is proud of her Coloured identity. Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

    South African singer-songwriter Tyla made history in February 2024 when she won the inaugural Grammy for Best African Music Performance.

    Her win was celebrated at home. But the 22-year-old sparked controversy in the US by referring to herself as “Coloured”. There, the word is a slur dating back to the Jim Crow era, when state and local laws enforced racial discrimination against African Americans. In South Africa it has a very different meaning – and, by claiming her Coloured identity, Tyla has become an inspiration for many Coloured people who have long felt underrepresented in public life.

    In South Africa, Coloured people are typically understood to be a group that encompasses geographically diverse ancestries. The Coloured community was positioned between white and Black in apartheid’s racial hierarchy of privilege.

    During the 1970s and onwards, in an effort to unify anti-apartheid resistance, activists like Steve Biko sought to collapse any distinctions between oppressed groups. They encouraged anyone who was not white to identify as “Black”.

    In recent years many people have reclaimed the term “Coloured” to discuss their identity and culture. The latest South African census indicated that there are more than 5 million people across the country who identify as Coloured.

    Tyla’s comments are just one example of how “Colouredness” has, in the past few years, found a new voice in South African society. The electoral success of the Patriotic Alliance, which claims to be “born in the heart of the Coloured community”, is another. The highly acclaimed 2023 book Coloured by Lynsey Ebony Chutel and Tessa Dooms also brought conversations about Coloured identity to the fore.

    I research the relationship between history and identity in societies that have experienced conflict. I wanted to know how society’s increasingly positive perceptions of the term “Coloured” are playing out in South Africa’s school history curriculum.

    My resulting research presents a worrying picture. The way that Coloured identity is discussed in textbooks and curricula is leading young self-described Coloured people to believe that their history – and therefore their identity – is shameful.

    The research

    My research involved 10 months of ethnographic observation in two predominantly Coloured schools in Cape Town. I also analysed the history curricula and textbooks used in these schools, as well as repeatedly interviewing five grade 9 students, aged 14 and 15, and their history teachers from each school to understand their views on apartheid history and racial identity.

    There is no mention of the word “Coloured” in the grade 9 South African curriculum assessment policy statements for History. In contrast, the racial terms “white”, “Black” and “Indian” are mentioned 11, 44, and nine times respectively. In my analysis of the four most commonly used grade 9 history textbooks, Coloured identity is referred to, but infrequently. The Pearson textbook, for example, explains that “when we refer to ‘black’ South Africans in this topic [apartheid], it refers to African people, ‘Coloured’ people and Indian people”. It continues:

    The apartheid government found it hard to define race, especially when it came to what they called ‘Coloured’ people. The word ‘Coloured’ is controversial and possibly insulting, so here we have used it in inverted commas. (2013, p. 175)

    Subsuming Coloured identity into Black identity, and referring to the term “Coloured” as “insulting”, makes it difficult to learn about the lives and contributions of those who identified as Coloured.

    For example, all four textbooks contain photographs of Sophia Williams (later Sophia Williams-De Bruyn) and list her as one of the organisers of the 1956 Women’s March, during which 20,000 women marched to the government buildings to protest against racist laws.

    But all four textbooks fail to mention that Williams was classified in terms of apartheid laws as Coloured, identified as Coloured, was a full-time organiser for the Coloured People’s Congress in Johannesburg, and was assigned by the Coloured People’s Congress to work on issues relating to the 1950 Population Registration Act.

    So a student using these textbooks might learn about Williams – but still believe that Coloured people made no contribution to ending apartheid.

    Shame and lack of interest

    This denial of Coloured identity continued in the schools where I conducted ethnographic fieldwork. Teachers in a school on the Cape Flats – with a student population that overwhelmingly identified as Coloured – still referred to the school as a “Black school” by virtue of its involvement in the anti-apartheid struggle.

    The grade 9 history teacher, for example, taught that “the apartheid government gave us labels”, and that “if we didn’t cooperate [by uniting under a Black identity] then South Africa would be a failure”. This statement positioned the students’ distinct Coloured identity as being in opposition to South Africa’s success.

    When the teacher spoke about anti-apartheid struggle heroes, his students frequently complained that life was better under apartheid, and when he espoused ideas of non-racialism, they shook their heads. All of this suggested that the students were actively resisting South Africa’s founding narrative: that brave South Africans united to overcome the darkness of apartheid, and to found a democratic rainbow nation.

    My interviews with students from this school suggested that they felt no connection to South Africa’s history. When I asked about his family’s experiences during apartheid, Lester (aged 14) replied that “they were just a normal Coloured family. Nothing interesting.”

    In another school, a slim majority of students identified as Coloured. Again, Coloured history was not explicitly taught. Students felt alienated from Coloured history in different ways. Bahir (aged 15), for example, felt shame and discomfort about his Coloured identity. When I asked him whether he wished he could study more Coloured history, he declined:

    I actually wouldn’t want to like hear such a thing as slavery … I don’t actually like to hear that my family was put into that like category or something.

    The only Coloured history Bahir could consider was one of enslavement.

    Deborah (aged 14), meanwhile, suspected that there might be a proud Coloured history of anti-apartheid resistance, but assumed it hadn’t been written yet. She attributed the lack of Coloured pride among her classmates to a lack of historical scholarship.

    If I had a reason for why people do not want to be Coloureds, it’s because they don’t have a status, and they don’t have history that’s jotted down also.

    Catching up

    One thing was clear from my research: the absence of Coloured identity in history curriculum, textbooks, or lesson plans did not stop students from identifying as Coloured. However, they felt confused, ashamed or alienated from their history and South Africa’s history.

    Tyla and others are proudly, loudly defending their right to identify as Coloured. It’s time for South Africa’s history curriculum to catch up.

    Natasha Robinson receives funding from the ESRC and the British Academy.

    – ref. Coloured South Africans are all but erased from history textbooks – I asked learners how that makes them feel – https://theconversation.com/coloured-south-africans-are-all-but-erased-from-history-textbooks-i-asked-learners-how-that-makes-them-feel-234832

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Coloured South Africans are all but erased from history textbooks – I asked learners how that makes them feel

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Natasha Robinson, PhD Candidate and research consultant, University of Oxford

    South African singer-songwriter Tyla made history in February 2024 when she won the inaugural Grammy for Best African Music Performance.

    Her win was celebrated at home. But the 22-year-old sparked controversy in the US by referring to herself as “Coloured”. There, the word is a slur dating back to the Jim Crow era, when state and local laws enforced racial discrimination against African Americans. In South Africa it has a very different meaning – and, by claiming her Coloured identity, Tyla has become an inspiration for many Coloured people who have long felt underrepresented in public life.

    In South Africa, Coloured people are typically understood to be a group that encompasses geographically diverse ancestries. The Coloured community was positioned between white and Black in apartheid’s racial hierarchy of privilege.

    During the 1970s and onwards, in an effort to unify anti-apartheid resistance, activists like Steve Biko sought to collapse any distinctions between oppressed groups. They encouraged anyone who was not white to identify as “Black”.

    In recent years many people have reclaimed the term “Coloured” to discuss their identity and culture. The latest South African census indicated that there are more than 5 million people across the country who identify as Coloured.

    Tyla’s comments are just one example of how “Colouredness” has, in the past few years, found a new voice in South African society. The electoral success of the Patriotic Alliance, which claims to be “born in the heart of the Coloured community”, is another. The highly acclaimed 2023 book Coloured by Lynsey Ebony Chutel and Tessa Dooms also brought conversations about Coloured identity to the fore.

    I research the relationship between history and identity in societies that have experienced conflict. I wanted to know how society’s increasingly positive perceptions of the term “Coloured” are playing out in South Africa’s school history curriculum.

    My resulting research presents a worrying picture. The way that Coloured identity is discussed in textbooks and curricula is leading young self-described Coloured people to believe that their history – and therefore their identity – is shameful.

    The research

    My research involved 10 months of ethnographic observation in two predominantly Coloured schools in Cape Town. I also analysed the history curricula and textbooks used in these schools, as well as repeatedly interviewing five grade 9 students, aged 14 and 15, and their history teachers from each school to understand their views on apartheid history and racial identity.

    There is no mention of the word “Coloured” in the grade 9 South African curriculum assessment policy statements for History. In contrast, the racial terms “white”, “Black” and “Indian” are mentioned 11, 44, and nine times respectively. In my analysis of the four most commonly used grade 9 history textbooks, Coloured identity is referred to, but infrequently. The Pearson textbook, for example, explains that “when we refer to ‘black’ South Africans in this topic [apartheid], it refers to African people, ‘Coloured’ people and Indian people”. It continues:

    The apartheid government found it hard to define race, especially when it came to what they called ‘Coloured’ people. The word ‘Coloured’ is controversial and possibly insulting, so here we have used it in inverted commas. (2013, p. 175)

    Subsuming Coloured identity into Black identity, and referring to the term “Coloured” as “insulting”, makes it difficult to learn about the lives and contributions of those who identified as Coloured.

    For example, all four textbooks contain photographs of Sophia Williams (later Sophia Williams-De Bruyn) and list her as one of the organisers of the 1956 Women’s March, during which 20,000 women marched to the government buildings to protest against racist laws.

    But all four textbooks fail to mention that Williams was classified in terms of apartheid laws as Coloured, identified as Coloured, was a full-time organiser for the Coloured People’s Congress in Johannesburg, and was assigned by the Coloured People’s Congress to work on issues relating to the 1950 Population Registration Act.

    So a student using these textbooks might learn about Williams – but still believe that Coloured people made no contribution to ending apartheid.

    Shame and lack of interest

    This denial of Coloured identity continued in the schools where I conducted ethnographic fieldwork. Teachers in a school on the Cape Flats – with a student population that overwhelmingly identified as Coloured – still referred to the school as a “Black school” by virtue of its involvement in the anti-apartheid struggle.

    The grade 9 history teacher, for example, taught that “the apartheid government gave us labels”, and that “if we didn’t cooperate [by uniting under a Black identity] then South Africa would be a failure”. This statement positioned the students’ distinct Coloured identity as being in opposition to South Africa’s success.

    When the teacher spoke about anti-apartheid struggle heroes, his students frequently complained that life was better under apartheid, and when he espoused ideas of non-racialism, they shook their heads. All of this suggested that the students were actively resisting South Africa’s founding narrative: that brave South Africans united to overcome the darkness of apartheid, and to found a democratic rainbow nation.

    My interviews with students from this school suggested that they felt no connection to South Africa’s history. When I asked about his family’s experiences during apartheid, Lester (aged 14) replied that “they were just a normal Coloured family. Nothing interesting.”

    In another school, a slim majority of students identified as Coloured. Again, Coloured history was not explicitly taught. Students felt alienated from Coloured history in different ways. Bahir (aged 15), for example, felt shame and discomfort about his Coloured identity. When I asked him whether he wished he could study more Coloured history, he declined:

    I actually wouldn’t want to like hear such a thing as slavery … I don’t actually like to hear that my family was put into that like category or something.

    The only Coloured history Bahir could consider was one of enslavement.

    Deborah (aged 14), meanwhile, suspected that there might be a proud Coloured history of anti-apartheid resistance, but assumed it hadn’t been written yet. She attributed the lack of Coloured pride among her classmates to a lack of historical scholarship.

    If I had a reason for why people do not want to be Coloureds, it’s because they don’t have a status, and they don’t have history that’s jotted down also.

    Catching up

    One thing was clear from my research: the absence of Coloured identity in history curriculum, textbooks, or lesson plans did not stop students from identifying as Coloured. However, they felt confused, ashamed or alienated from their history and South Africa’s history.

    Tyla and others are proudly, loudly defending their right to identify as Coloured. It’s time for South Africa’s history curriculum to catch up.

    – Coloured South Africans are all but erased from history textbooks – I asked learners how that makes them feel
    – https://theconversation.com/coloured-south-africans-are-all-but-erased-from-history-textbooks-i-asked-learners-how-that-makes-them-feel-234832

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI USA: TODAY: Governor Newsom to provide update on statewide effort to crack down on crime

    Source: US State of California Governor

    Oct 28, 2024

    SACRAMENTO – Today, Governor Gavin Newsom will host a virtual press conference to provide an update on the state’s efforts to crack down on crime.

    WHEN: Monday, October 28 at 1:30 PM

    LIVESTREAM: CA Governor Twitter page, CA Governor Facebook page, and the CA Governor YouTube page.

    **NOTE: This virtual press event will be open to credentialed media only. Media interested in attending must RSVP to govpressoffice@gov.ca.gov by no later than 11:30 a.m., October 28. Log-in information will be provided upon RSVP.

    Media Advisories

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Lord Mayor of Leeds to open major Commonwealth trade and investment conference

    Source: City of Leeds

    The Lord Mayor of Leeds, Councillor Abigail Marshall Katung, is set to welcome guests from across the Commonwealth to a major trade and Investment conference in Leeds tomorrow (Tuesday 29 October). 

    The Trade and Investment Opportunities in the Commonwealth conference has been organised by law firm, Womble Bond Dickinson, and is being jointly hosted by Leeds City Council and West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

    The conference will feature a range of speakers including; Megan Wood, Trade Commissioner at the Canadian High Commissioner in London, Dr Olushola Kolawole, lecturer at the University of Bradford’s School of Management, and the Pakistani Consul General in Bradford, Zahid Jatoi. Several influential British-based groups, such as the Ethnic Minority Business and Policy Forum and British Friends of Pakistan, will also attend along with Chief Executive of West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce James Mason.

    The event brings together experts from India, Canada, Pakistan, and Nigeria to reflect on the outcomes of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2024, held in Samoa last week, and will explore how the UK’s commercial links to the Commonwealth can be enhanced. 

    The 56 nations of the Commonwealth are among the UK’s largest and fastest-growing trading partners. The UK exports £83 billion to Commonwealth markets annually, which accounts for 10% of overall UK exports, with significant further trade and investment opportunities for companies in West Yorkshire.

    The event will be an opportunity to encourage further West Yorkshire-Commonwealth trade, upskill businesses on commercial opportunities in the Commonwealth, and highlight the synergies around culture, education, and diasporic communities. It supports our mission to create an economy that works for everyone as set out in the Leeds Inclusive Growth Strategy.

    The Lord Mayor of Leeds, Councillor Abigail Marshall Katung, said: “It gives me the greatest pleasure to welcome our distinguished Commonwealth guests and partners to Leeds.

    “I look forward to discussing furthering trade, culture, and education opportunities for our city, region and the Commonwealth markets. Leeds has a vibrant range of industries that would directly benefit from increasing opportunities with our Commonwealth partners, especially in our professional and financial services, advanced manufacturing, and digital and technology sectors, highlighted as growth-driving sectors in the UK’s recent Modern Industrial Strategy Green Paper.

    “The strength of our city and a driver of its success is its diversity, vibrancy, and people. Forging closer links with our Commonwealth partners is a great opportunity to build on that diversity, create new ideas and investment opportunities and succeed together.”

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

    “We are delighted that Leeds is hosting honoured guests from around the world to this trade and investment conference. As a city Leeds is very proud of the diverse make-up of our communities, and this is reflected in our commitment to welcome and support international trade and businesses to invest here.

    “As one of the leading UK cities for private-sector job creation, international investment and supporting business creation and growth across a wide-ranging economy, we very much look forward to this conference and the benefits it can help deliver through further strengthening international relationships and boosting the city and regional economy for all to benefit from.”

    Notes for editors:

    Leeds City Council Inclusive Growth Strategy: https://www.inclusivegrowthleeds.com/ 

    West Yorkshire Trade and Investment Statistics

    • India: 629 West Yorkshire businesses export goods to India at a total value of £126m, and 963 West Yorkshire businesses import goods from India at a total value of £356m. The value of services exported from West Yorkshire is £113m, and the total value of services imported from India to West Yorkshire is £134m. Total bilateral trade in goods and services between West Yorkshire and India is worth £729 million.
    • Indian Tech company Mastek delivers significant UK digital infrastructure projects (including the NHS Spine, and MOD contracts). Mastek has a substantial presence in Leeds including an ambitious new graduate programme. Mastek continues to strengthen its Leeds operation, recently creating an additional 200 new jobs.
    • In 2021 Mphasis launched a new UK Centre of Excellence in Leeds for their insurance clients. In 2022, Mphasis, announced plans to create an additional 1,000 new jobs in West Yorkshire. The investment will be worth tens of millions of pounds to the West Yorkshire economy.
    • Prime Focus Technologies create high-tech AI-enabled software for the media and entertainment industry.  Leeds is home to their UK headquarters and new state-of-the-art Media Centre which delivers Media and Online services for Channel 4 and other media companies.
    • The latest published figures are for the 2021/22 academic year and show the count of Indian students at West Yorkshire institutions to be 4,080. Indian visitors to Yorkshire as a whole spend £14 million annually. British Indian’s make up roughly 2.7% of the population in West Yorkshire which is higher than most groups except for British Pakistani’s (10.7%).
    • Pakistan: Pakistani’s make up the largest West Yorkshire Diaspora group, with 10.7% of the population.
    • Yorkshire and Humber accounted for over 5% of UK exports to Pakistan in 2023, with a value of £23 million and over 7% of imports from Pakistan, valued at £111 million.
    • Pakistan’s trade with the UK is covered by the Developing Countries Trading Scheme, which allows for preferential and tariff free trade on many products. 94% of goods exported from Pakistan to the UK are covered by the scheme, reducing tariffs by £120 million. Trade is expected to double between 2022-25.
    • The UK is Pakistan’s largest export destination in Europe and the third globally.
    • Canada: In 2023, the value of UK goods traded between Yorkshire and the Humber and Canada amounted to £442 million in exports (7.8% of total exports) and £0.3 billion in imports (5.1% of total imports).
    • With both Canada and the UK being signatories of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), 99% of goods traded between CPTPP member countries will be tariff-free. This is projected to diversify both countries’ supply chains within the broader Asia-Pacific region whilst boosting trade, investment and innovation in sectors such as automotive, pharmaceuticals, and machinery.
    • Leeds-based construction company Turner & Townsend have developed a strong presence in Canada with offices in Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver.
    • In the UK in 2020-21 the total number of Canadian students was 6615 while the amount of Canadian academic staff amounted to 1635. Academic partnership has seen 40,745 UK publications co-authored with Canadians, between 2018-2021.
    • Nigeria: In 2023, Yorkshire and Humber was the largest UK regional exporter to Nigeria, accounting for 45.5% of exports worth £661 million. In terms of imports, the region imported £29 million of goods from Nigeria during the same period.
    • The UK-Nigeria Enhanced Trade and Investment Partnership (ETIP) is the first the UK has signed with an African country and is designed to grow the UK and Nigeria’s already thriving trading relationship, which totalled £7 billion in the year to September 2023.
    • In 2022/23 Nigerian students were the third largest international group in Yorkshire. Council figures suggest that between 2018/19 and 2022/23 the number of students coming from Nigeria to Leeds Beckett rose from 17 to 677.

    ENDS

    For media enquiries please contact:

    Leeds City Council communications and marketing,

    Email: communicationsteam@leeds.gov.uk

    Tel: 0113 378 6007

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Apple Intelligence is available today on iPhone, iPad, and Mac

    Source: Apple

    Headline: Apple Intelligence is available today on iPhone, iPad, and Mac

    October 28, 2024

    PRESS RELEASE

    Apple Intelligence is available today on iPhone, iPad, and Mac

    Users can now tap into Apple Intelligence to refine their writing; summarize notifications, mail, and messages; experience a more natural and capable Siri; remove distracting objects from images with Clean Up; and more

    CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today announced the first set of Apple Intelligence features for iPhone, iPad, and Mac users is now available through a free software update with the release of iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1. Apple Intelligence is the personal intelligence system that harnesses the power of Apple silicon to understand and create language and images, take action across apps, and draw from personal context to simplify and accelerate everyday tasks while taking an extraordinary step forward for privacy in AI. Today marks the availability of the first set of features, with many more rolling out in the coming months.

    “Apple Intelligence introduces a new era for iPhone, iPad, and Mac, delivering brand-new experiences and tools that will transform what our users can accomplish,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “Apple Intelligence builds on years of innovation in AI and machine learning to put Apple’s generative models at the core of our devices, giving our users a personal intelligence system that is easy to use — all while protecting their privacy. Apple Intelligence is generative AI in a way that only Apple can deliver, and we’re incredibly excited about its ability to enrich our users’ lives.”

    “Apple Intelligence unlocks exciting new capabilities that make your iPhone, iPad, and Mac even more helpful and useful, from Writing Tools to help refine your writing, to summarized notifications that surface what’s most important, to the ability to search for almost anything in your photos and videos by simply describing it,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering. “And it’s all built on a foundation of privacy with on-device processing and Private Cloud Compute, a groundbreaking new approach that extends the privacy and security of iPhone into the cloud to protect users’ information. We are thrilled to bring the first set of Apple Intelligence features to users today, and this is just the beginning.”

    Systemwide Writing Tools

    Deeply integrated across iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, Writing Tools allow users to refine their language by rewriting, proofreading, and summarizing text virtually everywhere they write, including Mail, Messages, Notes, Pages, and third-party apps.

    With Rewrite, Apple Intelligence allows users to choose from different versions of what they have written, and adjust the tone — professional, concise, or friendly — to suit the audience and task at hand. Proofread checks grammar, word choice, and sentence structure while also suggesting edits — along with explanations of the edits — that users can review or quickly accept. Users can also select text and have it summarized in the form of a digestible paragraph, bulleted key points, a table, or a list.

    More Natural and Conversational Siri

    Siri becomes more natural, flexible, and deeply integrated into the system experience. It has a brand-new design with an elegant glowing light that wraps around the edge of the screen when active on iPhone, iPad, or CarPlay. On Mac, users can place Siri anywhere on their desktop to access it easily as they work. Users can type to Siri at any time on iPhone, iPad, and Mac, and can switch fluidly between text and voice as they use Siri to accelerate everyday tasks. With richer language-understanding capabilities, Siri can follow along when users stumble over their words and maintain context from one request to the next. In addition, with extensive product knowledge, Siri can now answer thousands of questions about the features and settings of Apple products. Users can learn everything from how to take a screen recording to how to easily share a Wi-Fi password.

    More Intelligent Photos App

    The Photos app is even more intelligent with many new capabilities. Natural language search gives users the ability to search for just about anything by simply describing what they are looking for, like “Maya skateboarding in a tie-dye shirt.” This works across videos, too, so users can search for something that happened in a specific segment of the video and go right to it. Search also offers smart completion suggestions to help users quickly complete a search.

    For those times when an unwanted object or person ends up in the frame of a photo, the Clean Up tool gives users a way to remove distracting elements while staying true to the moment as they intended to capture it.

    The Memories feature now gives users the ability to create the movies they want to see by simply typing a description.1 Using language and image understanding, Apple Intelligence will pick out the best photos and videos based on a user’s description, craft a storyline with chapters based on themes identified from the photos, and arrange them into a movie with its own narrative arc.

    New Ways to Prioritize and Stay Focused

    Staying on top of emails has never been easier. Priority Messages, a new section at the top of the inbox in Mail, shows the most urgent emails, like a same-day invitation to lunch or a boarding pass. Across their inbox, users can see summaries without needing to open a message, and for long threads, they can tap or click Summarize to view pertinent details. Additionally, Smart Reply provides suggestions for a quick response and will identify questions in an email to ensure everything is answered.

    Apple Intelligence helps users prioritize and stay in the moment with notification summaries that allow users to scan long or stacked notifications with key details right on the Lock Screen, such as when a group chat is particularly active. A new Focus, Reduce Interruptions, surfaces only the notifications that might need immediate attention.

    In the Notes and Phone apps, users can now record, transcribe, and summarize audio. When a recording is initiated while on a call in the Phone app, participants are automatically notified, and once the call ends, Apple Intelligence generates a summary to help recall key points.

    Many More Features to Come

    New Apple Intelligence features will be available in December, with additional capabilities rolling out in the coming months.

    Apple Intelligence will add new ways for users to express themselves visually. Emoji will be taken to an entirely new level with the ability to create original Genmoji by simply typing a description, and can also be personalized using a photo of a friend or family member. Image Playground will allow users to create playful images in moments. Image Wand will make notes more visually engaging by turning rough sketches into delightful images. When a user circles an empty space, Image Wand will create an image using context from the surrounding area.

    In December, Writing Tools will get even more powerful with the ability for users to describe a specific change they want to apply to their text, like making a dinner party invite read like a poem, or adding more dynamic action words to a résumé. And users will have the option to access ChatGPT’s broad world knowledge within Writing Tools and Siri, allowing them to benefit from its image- and document-understanding capabilities without needing to jump between tools.

    Also coming in December, a new visual intelligence experience will build on Apple Intelligence and help users learn about objects and places instantly, thanks to the new Camera Control on the iPhone 16 lineup.2 Users will be able to pull up details about a restaurant in front of them and interact with information — for example, translating text from one language to another.3 Camera Control will also serve as a gateway to third-party tools with specific domain expertise, like when users want to search Google for where they can buy an item, or benefit from ChatGPT’s problem-solving skills. Users are in control of when third-party tools are used and what information is shared.

    In the months to come, Priority Notifications will surface what’s most important, and Siri will become even more capable, with the ability to draw on a user’s personal context to deliver intelligence that’s tailored to them. Siri will also gain onscreen awareness, as well as be able to take hundreds of new actions in and across Apple and third-party apps.

    Breakthrough Privacy Protections

    Designed to protect users’ privacy at every step, Apple Intelligence uses on-device processing, meaning that many of the models that power it run entirely on device. For requests that require more processing power, Private Cloud Compute extends the privacy and security of Apple devices into the cloud to unlock even more intelligence. When using Private Cloud Compute, users’ data is never stored or shared with Apple; it is used only to fulfill their request. In a first for the industry, independent experts can inspect the code that runs on Apple silicon servers to continuously verify this privacy promise — an extraordinary step forward for privacy in AI.

    Users can choose whether or not to enable the ChatGPT integration, which is available as part of using Siri, Writing Tools, or visual intelligence with Camera Control. Users can access ChatGPT for free without creating an account, and privacy protections are built in — their IP addresses are obscured and OpenAI won’t store requests. For those who choose to connect their account, OpenAI’s data-use policies apply.

    Availability

    • The first set of Apple Intelligence features is available now as a free software update with iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1, and can be accessed in most regions around the world when the device and Siri language are set to U.S. English.
    • Apple Intelligence is quickly adding support for more languages. In December, Apple Intelligence will be available for localized English in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, and the U.K., and in April, a software update will deliver expanded language support, with more coming throughout the year. Chinese, English (India), English (Singapore), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Vietnamese, and other languages will be supported.
    • Apple Intelligence is available on iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPad with A17 Pro or M1 and later, and Mac with M1 and later.

    About Apple Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirPods, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro. Apple’s six software platforms — iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, visionOS, and tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, iCloud, and Apple TV+. Apple’s more than 150,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth and to leaving the world better than we found it.

    1. Create a Memory Movie is available on iPhone and iPad, and will be available on Mac in the coming months.
    2. Camera Control is available on iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max.
    3. Information about places of interest will be available in the U.S. to start, with support for additional regions in the months to come.

    Press Contacts

    Nadine Haija

    Apple

    nhaija@apple.com

    Jacqueline Roy

    Apple

    jacqueline_roy@apple.com

    Apple Media Helpline

    media.help@apple.com

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Apple introduces new iMac supercharged by M4 and Apple Intelligence

    Source: Apple

    Headline: Apple introduces new iMac supercharged by M4 and Apple Intelligence

    October 28, 2024

    PRESS RELEASE

    Apple unveils the new iMac with M4, supercharged by Apple Intelligence and available in fresh colors

    The world’s best all-in-one desktop features even more performance, a nano-texture display option, a 12MP Center Stage camera, and Thunderbolt 4 connectivity — all in a strikingly thin design

    CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today announced the new iMac, featuring the powerful M4 chip and Apple Intelligence, in its stunning, ultra-thin design. With M4, iMac is up to 1.7x faster for daily productivity, and up to 2.1x faster for demanding workflows like photo editing and gaming, compared to iMac with M1.1 With the Neural Engine in M4, iMac is the world’s best all-in-one for AI and is built for Apple Intelligence, the personal intelligence system that transforms how users work, communicate, and express themselves, while protecting their privacy. The new iMac is available in an array of beautiful new colors, and the 24-inch 4.5K Retina display offers a new nano-texture glass option.2 iMac features a new 12MP Center Stage camera with Desk View, up to four Thunderbolt 4 ports,3 and color-matched accessories that include USB-C. Starting at just $1,299, now with 16GB of unified memory, the new iMac is available to pre-order today, with availability beginning Friday, November 8.

    “iMac is beloved by millions of users, from families at home to entrepreneurs hard at work. With the incredible features of Apple Intelligence and the powerful performance of Apple silicon, the new iMac changes the game once again,” said John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering. “With M4 and Apple Intelligence, gorgeous new colors that pop in any space, an advanced 12MP Center Stage camera, and a new nano-texture glass display option, it’s a whole new era for iMac.”

    Supercharged by M4

    The M4 chip brings a boost in performance to iMac. Featuring a more capable CPU with the world’s fastest CPU core,4 the new iMac is up to 1.7x faster than iMac with M1. Users will feel this performance across everyday activities like multitasking between their favorite apps and browsing webpages in Safari. And with an immensely powerful GPU featuring Apple’s most advanced graphics architecture, iMac with M4 handles more intense workloads like photo editing and gaming up to 2.1x faster than iMac with M1. This also enables a smoother gameplay experience in titles like the upcoming Civilization VII. The new iMac comes standard with 16GB of faster unified memory — configurable up to 32GB. The Neural Engine in M4 is now over 3x faster than on iMac with M1, making it the world’s best all-in-one for AI, and accelerating the pace at which users can get things done.

    M4 takes iMac performance even further:

    • Families, small businesses, and entrepreneurs can fly through daily productivity tasks with up to 1.7x faster performance1 in apps like Microsoft Excel, and up to 1.5x faster browsing performance5 in Safari compared to iMac with M1.
    • Gamers can enjoy incredibly smooth gameplay, with up to 2x higher frame rates5 than on iMac with M1.
    • Content creators can edit like never before, with up to 2.1x faster photo and video editing performance when applying complex filters and effects in apps like Adobe Photoshop1 and Adobe Premiere Pro5 compared to iMac with M1.
    • Compared to the most popular 24-inch all-in-one PC with the latest Intel Core 7 processor, the new iMac is up to 4.5x faster.1
    • Compared to the most popular Intel-based iMac model, the new iMac is up to 6x faster.1

    A New Era with Apple Intelligence on the Mac

    Apple Intelligence ushers in a new era for the Mac, bringing personal intelligence to the personal computer. Combining powerful generative models with industry-first privacy protections, Apple Intelligence harnesses the power of Apple silicon and the Neural Engine to unlock new ways for users to work, communicate, and express themselves on Mac. It is available in U.S. English with macOS Sequoia 15.1. With systemwide Writing Tools, users can refine their words by rewriting, proofreading, and summarizing text nearly everywhere they write. With the newly redesigned Siri, users can move fluidly between spoken and typed requests to accelerate tasks throughout their day, and Siri can answer thousands of questions about Mac and other Apple products. New Apple Intelligence features will be available in December, with additional capabilities rolling out in the coming months. Image Playground gives users a new way to create fun original images, and Genmoji allows them to create custom emoji in seconds. Siri will become even more capable, with the ability to take actions across the system and draw on a user’s personal context to deliver intelligence that is tailored to them. In December, ChatGPT will be integrated into Siri and Writing Tools, allowing users to access its expertise without needing to jump between tools.

    Apple Intelligence does all this while protecting users’ privacy at every step. At its core is on-device processing, and for more complex tasks, Private Cloud Compute gives users access to Apple’s even larger, server-based models and offers groundbreaking protections for personal information. In addition, users can access ChatGPT for free without creating an account, and privacy protections are built in — their IP addresses are obscured and OpenAI won’t store requests. For those who choose to connect their account, OpenAI’s data-use policies apply.

    Array of Gorgeous New Colors

    The new iMac comes in seven vibrant colors, bringing fresh shades of green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, and blue, alongside silver. The back of iMac features bold colors designed to stand out, while the front expresses subtle shades of the new palette so users can focus on doing their best work. Every iMac comes with a color-matched Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse or optional Magic Trackpad, all of which now feature a USB-C port, so users can charge their favorite devices with a single cable.

    New Nano-Texture Display Option

    The expansive 24-inch 4.5K Retina display on iMac is its highest-rated feature, and for the first time, it’s available with a nano-texture glass option that drastically reduces reflections and glare, while maintaining outstanding image quality.2 With nano-texture glass, users can place iMac in even more spaces, such as a sun-drenched living room or bright storefront.

    Enhanced Video Calls with 12MP Center Stage Camera

    A new 12MP Center Stage camera with support for Desk View makes video calls even more engaging. Center Stage keeps everyone perfectly centered on a video call — great for families gathered on FaceTime. Desk View makes use of the wide-angle lens to simultaneously show the user and a top-down view of their desk, which is useful for educators presenting a lesson to students, or creators showing off their latest DIY project. Rounding out the unrivaled audio and video experience is the beloved studio-quality three-microphone array with beamforming and an immersive six-speaker sound system.

    Advanced Connectivity

    On the new iMac, all four USB-C ports support Thunderbolt 4 for superfast data transfers, so users can connect even more accessories like external storage, docks, and up to two 6K external displays, creating a massive canvas with more than 50M pixels for users to spread out their work.3 iMac also supports both Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. And with the advanced security of Touch ID, users can easily and securely unlock their computer, make online purchases with Apple Pay, and download apps.6 Additionally, Touch ID works with Fast User Switching, so customers can switch between different user profiles with just the press of a finger.

    An Unrivaled Experience with macOS Sequoia

    macOS Sequoia completes the new iMac experience with a host of exciting features, including iPhone Mirroring, allowing users to wirelessly interact with their iPhone, its apps, and its notifications directly from their Mac.7 Safari, the world’s fastest browser,8 now offers Highlights, which quickly pulls up relevant information from a site; a smarter, redesigned Reader with a table of contents and high-level summary; and a new Video Viewer to watch videos without distractions. With Distraction Control, users can hide items on a webpage that they may find disruptive to their browsing. Gaming gets even more immersive with features like Personalized Spatial Audio and improvements to Game Mode, along with a breadth of exciting titles, including the upcoming Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Easier window tiling means users can stay organized with a windows layout that works best for them. The all-new Passwords app gives convenient access to passwords, passkeys, and other credentials, all stored in one place. And users can apply beautiful new built-in backgrounds for video calls, including a variety of color gradients and system wallpapers, or upload their own photos.

    Better for the Environment

    The new iMac with M4 is designed with the environment in mind, with 100 percent recycled aluminum in the stand, and 100 percent recycled gold plating, tin soldering, and copper in multiple printed circuit boards. iMac meets Apple’s high standards for energy efficiency, and is free of mercury, brominated flame retardants, and PVC. New this year, the packaging of iMac is entirely fiber-based, bringing Apple closer to its goal to remove plastic from its packaging by 2025.

    Today, Apple is carbon neutral for global corporate operations and, as part of its ambitious Apple 2030 goal, plans to be carbon neutral across its entire carbon footprint by the end of this decade.

    Pricing and Availability

    • Customers can pre-order the new iMac with M4 starting today, October 28, on apple.com/store and in the Apple Store app in 28 countries and regions, including the U.S. It will begin arriving to customers, and will be in Apple Store locations and Apple Authorized Resellers, beginning Friday, November 8.
    • iMac starts at $1,299 (U.S.) and $1,249 (U.S.) for education, and is available in green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, blue, and silver. It features an 8-core CPU, an 8-core GPU, 16GB of unified memory configurable up to 24GB, 256GB SSD configurable up to 1TB, two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports, Magic Keyboard, and Magic Mouse or Magic Trackpad.
    • iMac with a 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU starts at $1,499 (U.S.) and $1,399 (U.S.) for education, and is available in green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, blue, and silver. It features 16GB of unified memory configurable up to 32GB, 256GB SSD configurable up to 2TB, four Thunderbolt 4 ports, Magic Keyboard with Touch ID, and Magic Mouse or Magic Trackpad.
    • Additional technical specifications — including the nano-texture display option, configure-to-order options, and accessories — are available at apple.com/mac.
    • With Apple Trade In, customers can trade in their current computer and get credit toward a new Mac. Customers can visit apple.com/shop/trade-in to see what their device is worth.
    • Apple Intelligence is available now as a free software update for Mac with M1 and later, and can be accessed in most regions around the world when the device and Siri language are set to U.S. English. The first set of features is in beta and available with macOS Sequoia 15.1, with more features rolling out in the months to come.
    • Apple Intelligence is quickly adding support for more languages. In December, Apple Intelligence will add support for localized English in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, and the U.K., and in April, a software update will deliver expanded language support, with more coming throughout the year. Chinese, English (India), English (Singapore), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Vietnamese, and other languages will be supported.
    • AppleCare+ for Mac provides unparalleled service and support. This includes unlimited incidents of accidental damage, battery service coverage, and 24/7 support from the people who know Mac best.
    • Every customer who buys directly from Apple Retail gets access to Personal Setup. In these guided online sessions, a Specialist can walk them through setup, or focus on features that help them make the most of their new device. Customers can also learn more about getting started with their new device with a Today at Apple session at their nearest Apple Store.

    About Apple Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirPods, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro. Apple’s six software platforms — iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, visionOS, and tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, iCloud, and Apple TV+. Apple’s more than 150,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth and to leaving the world better than we found it.

    1. Testing was conducted by Apple in September and October 2024. See apple.com/imac for more information.
    2. Actual diagonal screen measurement is 23.5 inches. Nano-texture display is an option on models with 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU.
    3. All four USB-C ports support Thunderbolt 4 on models with 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU.
    4. Testing was conducted by Apple in October 2024 using shipping competitive systems and select industry-standard benchmarks.
    5. Results are compared to previous-generation 24-inch iMac systems with Apple M1, 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 16GB of RAM, and 2TB SSD.
    6. iMac with 8-core CPU and 8-core GPU can configure to Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and Numeric Keypad, and iMac with 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU comes standard with Touch ID.
    7. Available on Mac computers with Apple silicon and Intel-based Mac computers with a T2 Security Chip. Requires that the user’s iPhone and Mac are signed in with the same Apple Account using two-factor authentication, their iPhone and Mac are near each other and have Bluetooth and Wi-Fi turned on, and their Mac is not using AirPlay or Sidecar. Some iPhone features (e.g., camera and microphone) are not compatible with iPhone Mirroring.
    8. Testing was conducted by Apple in August 2024. See apple.com/safari for more information.

    Press Contacts

    Michelle Del Rio

    Apple

    mr_delrio@apple.com

    Starlayne Meza

    Apple

    starlayne_meza@apple.com

    Apple Media Helpline

    media.help@apple.com

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI: GraniteShares Announces Reverse Split of NVD

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, Oct. 28, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — GraniteShares has announced it will execute a reverse share split for one of its ETFs. The total market value of the shares outstanding will not be affected as a result of the transaction.

    Reverse split will be executed on GraniteShares 2x Short NVDA Daily ETF.

    After the close of the markets on November 01, 2024 (the “Payable Date”), the Fund will effect a reverse split of its issued and outstanding shares as follows:

    Please note the CUSIP change, effective November 04, 2024:

    As a result of the reverse split, every twenty-five shares of the Fund will be exchanged for one share of the Fund. Accordingly, the total number of the issued and outstanding shares for the Fund will decrease by the approximate percentage indicated above. In addition, the per share net asset value (“NAV”) and next day’s opening market price will be approximately twenty-five-times higher for the Fund. Shares of the Fund will begin trading on the NASDAQ Stock Market. (the “NASDAQ”) on a split-adjusted basis on November 04, 2024.

    The next day’s opening market value of the Fund’s issued and outstanding shares, and thus a shareholder’s investment value, will not be affected by the reverse split. The table below illustrates the effect of a hypothetical one-for- twenty-five reverse split anticipated for the Fund:

    1-for-25 Reverse Split 

    Period # of Shares Owned Hypothetical NAV Total Market Value
    Pre-Reverse Split 1,000 $ 1 $ 1,000
    Post-Reverse Split 40 $ 25 $ 1,000

    Redemption of Fractional Shares and Tax Consequences of the Reverse Split

    As a result of the reverse split, a shareholder of the Fund’s shares potentially could hold a fractional share. However, fractional shares cannot trade on the NASDAQ. Thus, the Fund will redeem for cash a shareholder’s fractional shares at the Fund’s split-adjusted NAV as of the Effective Date. Such redemption may have tax implications for those shareholders and a shareholder could recognize a gain or loss in connection with the redemption of the shareholder’s fractional shares. Otherwise, the reverse split will not result in a taxable transaction for holders of Fund shares. No transaction fee will be imposed on shareholders for such redemption.

    The GraniteShares ETF Trust’s transfer agent will notify the Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) of the reverse split and instruct DTC to adjust each shareholder’s investment(s) accordingly. DTC is the registered owner of the Fund’s shares and maintains a record of the Fund’s record owners.

    All GraniteShares leveraged and inverse ETFs are intended only for investors with an in-depth understanding of the risks associated with seeking leveraged investment results, and who plan to actively monitor and manage their positions. There is no guarantee these ETFs will meet their objective.

    About GraniteShares

    GraniteShares is an independent ETF issuer headquartered in New York City.

    GraniteShares current ETF offering is presented below:

    ETF NAME   TICKER     UNDERLYING STOCK   MANAGEMENT FEE/TOTAL EXPENSES  
    GraniteShares 2x Long AAPL Daily ETF     AAPB     Apple Inc.     0.99%/1.15 %
    GraniteShares 2x Long AMD Daily ETF     AMDL     Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.     0.99%/1.15 %
    GraniteShares 1x Short AMD Daily ETF     AMDS     Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.     0.99%/1.15 %
    GraniteShares 2x Long AMZN Daily ETF     AMZZ     Amazon.com, Inc.     0.99%/1.15 %
    GraniteShares 2x Long BABA Daily ETF     BABX     Alibaba Group Holding Limited     0.99%/1.15 %
    GraniteShares 2x Long COIN Daily ETF     CONL     Coinbase Global Inc     0.99%/1.15 %
    GraniteShares 1x Short COIN Daily ETF     CONI     Coinbase Global Inc     1.30%/1.50 %
    GraniteShares 2x Long META Daily ETF     FBL     Meta Platforms Inc     0.99%/1.15 %
    GraniteShares 2x Long MSFT Daily ETF     MSFL     Microsoft Corp     0.99%/1.15 %
    GraniteShares 2x Long NVDA Daily ETF     NVDL     Nvidia Corporation     0.99%/1.15 %
    GraniteShares 2x Short NVDA Daily ETF     NVD     Nvidia Corporation     1.30%/1.50 %
    GraniteShares 2x Long PLTR Daily ETF     PTIR     Palantir technologies Inc     0.99%/1.15 %
    GraniteShares 1.25x Long TSLA Daily ETF     TSL     Tesla Inc     0.99%/1.15 %
    GraniteShares 2x Long TSLA Daily ETF     TSLR     Tesla Inc     0.95%/0.95 %
    GraniteShares 2x Short TSLA Daily ETF     TSDD     Tesla Inc     0.95%/0.95 %
    GraniteShares 2x Long UBER Daily ETF     UBRL     Uber Technologies Inc     0.99%/1.15 %
    ETF NAME   TICKER     EXPOSURE   MANAGEMENT FEE/TOTAL EXPENSES  
    GraniteShares Gold Trust     BAR     Gold     0.17 %
    GraniteShares Bloomberg Commodity Broad Strategy No K-1 ETF     COMB     Broad Commodities     0.25 %
    GraniteShares HIPS US High Income ETF     HIPS     High Income     0.70%/1.99 %
    GraniteShares Platinum Trust     PLTM     Platinum     0.50 %
    GraniteShares Nasdaq Select Disruptors ETF     DRUP     U.S. Large Cap     0.60 %

    Gregory FCA for GraniteShares
    Kathleen Elicker, 484-889-6597
    graniteshares@gregoryfca.com

    Important Information

    Investors should consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing. For a prospectus or summary prospectus with this and other information about the Funds, please call (844) 476 8747 or visit www.graniteshares.com. Read the prospectus or summary prospectus carefully before investing.

    The investment program of the funds is speculative, entails substantial risks and include asset classes and investment techniques not employed by more traditional mutual funds.

    PRINCIPAL FUND RISKS (see the Prospectus for more information)

    GraniteShares Leveraged Long and Inverse Daily ETFs are not suitable for all investors. The funds seek daily leveraged investment results and are intended to be used as short-term trading vehicles. The funds pursue daily leveraged investment objectives, which means that the funds are riskier than alternatives that do not use leverage because the fund magnifies the performance of the underlying security. The volatility of the underlying security may affect the fund return as much as, or more than, the return of the underlying security. Investors who do not understand the Funds, or do not intend to actively manage their funds and monitor their investments, should not buy the Funds. The Funds are designed to be utilized only by traders and sophisticated investors who understand the potential consequences of seeking daily inverse and/or leveraged investment results, understand the risks associated with the use of leverage and/or short sales and are willing to monitor their portfolios frequently. For periods longer than a single day, the Funds will lose money if the underlying stock’s performance is flat, and it is possible that the Funds will lose money even if the underlying stock’s performance increases over a period longer than a single day. An investor could lose the full principal value of his/her investment within a single day. The Funds track the price of a single stock rather than an index, eliminating the benefits of diversification that most mutual funds and exchange-traded funds offer. Although the Funds will be listed and traded on an exchange, an investment in a Fund may not be suitable for every investor. The Funds pose risks that are unique and complex.

    This information is not an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy shares of any Funds to any person in any jurisdiction in which an offer, solicitation, purchase or sale would be unlawful under the securities laws of such jurisdiction.

    THE FUNDS ARE DISTRIBUTED BY ALPS DISTRIBIUTORS, INC. GRANITESHRES IS NOT AFFILIATED WITH ALPS DISTRIBUTORS, INC

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Music students to get invaluable experience at the King’s Hall

    Source: City of Canterbury

    Home  »  Latest News   »   Music students to get invaluable experience at the King’s Hall

    An exciting new partnership between the King’s Hall in Herne Bay and EKC Canterbury College will see the college’s music students taking part in high quality work experience placements at the iconic seafront venue.

    The project will offer the students invaluable opportunities to learn a variety of skills, explore potential career paths, and develop attitudes and approaches that are highly sought after in the performing arts sector.

    They will develop their skills in organising, supporting and playing active roles in performances and events that take place at the King’s Hall, such as Battle of the Bands and open microphone nights, as well as at other music events organised and managed by the students themselves.

    As a concert, theatre and dance hall venue, the King’s Hall, which is owned and managed by Canterbury City Council, puts on a range of activities for local musicians, performers and community groups to get involved in.

    Cabinet member for culture, Cllr Charlotte Cornell, said: “Given its roots in the heart of the community, the King’s Hall is the perfect venue to back this initiative. We are delighted to be working with EKC Canterbury College to support their students as they develop their skills and learn about the music and entertainment industry.

    “In particular, it will be great to watch them go about organising their own events and I look forward to being in the audience to see the results of their hard work in due course.”

    EKC Canterbury College is part of the wider East Kent College Group. Victoria Copp-Crawley, Executive Principal for the Group, said: “High quality work experience is critical to ensuring the UK’s future workforce is adequately skilled to seamlessly integrate with existing employees, and for the country to remain competitive in the global labour market.

    “To be able to experience this sector first hand at a local venue such as the King’s Hall is a fantastic opportunity and we are sure our students will benefit hugely from all the time they spend there.”

    This is the latest tie in between EKC Canterbury College and the city council, following another project running at the Beaney House of Art and Knowledge in Canterbury.

    Cllr Cornell added: “We were very pleased to collaborate with the college at the Beaney through the launch of their Foundation Degree (FdA) in Creative Professional Business Practice, which started this autumn and gives students the opportunity to work on projects in the museum and galleries as part of their course.”

    Published: 28 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –