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Category: Entertainment

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Secretary-General’s video message to the High-level Conference commemorating the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act

    Source: United Nations secretary general

    Download the video:
    https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/downloads2.unmultimedia.org/public/video/evergreen/MSG+SG+/SG+26+Jun+25/3418332_MSG+SG+HELSINKI+FINAL+ACT+50TH+26+JUN+25.mp4

    Excellencies, Dear Friends,

    I am pleased to send my warm greetings as you gather to mark the 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act.

    I commend OSCE Chair, Finland, for its leadership in convening this anniversary event.

    Half a century ago, the Helsinki Final Act charted a bold and visionary course for peace – rooted in dialogue, grounded in international law, and anchored in the fundamental rights and freedoms of all people. 

    This year also marks the 80th anniversary of the UN Charter.  The principles of our Charter and the OSCE are a shared foundation for peace and cooperation. 

    But today those principles are under grave strain.

    War continues to rage in the European continent. 

    Trust between states is fraying. 

    Human rights are under assault. 

    Democratic space is shrinking. 

    And disinformation is fueling division and fear.   

    We are witnessing a dangerous drift away from commitments that have safeguarded peace for generations.

    Yet, in this moment of peril, the values enshrined in the UN Charter and echoed in the Helsinki Final Act – sovereignty, territorial integrity and peaceful coexistence – remain our moral and strategic compass.

    The role of the OSCE as a platform for dialogue and a guardian of these principles is more vital than ever. 

    The United Nations stands firmly with the OSCE in defending shared values: dialogue over division, cooperation over confrontation, and dignity for all.

    Let us recommit to the spirit of Helsinki.

    By strengthening regional partnerships to renew multilateralism.

    By principled leadership to uphold international law.

    And by forging unity of purpose to build a future of mutual respect, resilience, and shared prosperity.

    Let us honour this milestone by renewing our commitment to a world anchored in peace, justice, and human rights.

    Thank you — and my very best wishes for a successful meeting.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Appeal to trace woman and newborn baby missing from Walthamstow

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    Police are appealing for information after a woman is reported to have given birth to a baby before going missing.

    Shortly before 16:45hrs on Wednesday, 30 July a report was made to the police that a woman had given birth that same day at about 08:00hrs at the Billet Road underpass, Walthamstow.

    A witnesses was alerted when she heard sounds of distress in the underpass. She aided with the birth and stayed with the woman until about 16:00hrs when the mother and the newborn were picked-up by two people in a blue transit van.

    The woman is believed to be rough sleeping, white, in her mid-30s, with long blonde hair. She was wearing a black dress and heavy jumper and is believed to go by the name Anne Marie.

    Officers are extremely concerned for the welfare of her and her baby.

    PC Dan Cooper, from the North East area’s Local Missing Hub, said: “Our top priority is to establish that the woman and her baby are safe and well and have access to any medical treatment they may need. I would like to stress that the woman is not in any trouble, our only concern is the wellbeing of her and her newborn child.

    “We are carrying out fast-paced enquiries, including trawling CCTV, speaking to people in the area and visiting nearby hospitals.

    “I’d also like to appeal to anyone who was in the area at the time and may have seen or heard something to come forward. Were you walking or cycling through the underpass or at the nearby Kwik Fit garage? If so, please get in touch with us.

    “If the woman does not feel comfortable speaking to us, she can go directly to a medical centre or a charity.”

    Anyone with information is asked to call the North East area’s Local Missing Hub on 07881 330 956 or 101 quoting CAD 5617/30JUL.

    Alternatively, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or visit crimestoppers-uk.org.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Yellow Network Launches $YELLOW Token Sale on Republic to Power Universal Web3 Infrastructure

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    San Francisco, USA, July 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — – Yellow Network, the universal infrastructure layer for real-time, cross-chain settlement and high-performance Web3 applications, has announced the launch of its token sale on Republic’s OpenDeal Broker LLC, dba THE CAPITAL R*Member FINRA & SiPC. This milestone marks a major step in Yellow’s mission to redefine how digital assets are traded, cleared, and settled across blockchains.

    The $YELLOW token powers the network and unlocks access to its core features, including: 

    • Real-time settlement and asset routing across chains
    • Staking incentives and ecosystem rewards for developers, validators, and contributors. 
    • Governance rights for protocol upgrades and roadmap priorities
    • Security and dispute resolution via the Reserve Vault framework

    “Launching the $YELLOW token on Republic marks a significant step in making foundational Web3 infrastructure accessible to a wider audience,” said Alexis Sirkia, Chairman of Yellow Network. “This sale helps us grow a global community of developers, builders, and users who believe in faster, more scalable blockchain experiences.”

    Yellow Network’s infrastructure stack uses advanced state channel technology to deliver lightning-fast, cross-chain settlement without the need for bridges or centralized intermediaries. Backed by Ripple co-founder Chris Larsen, who led Yellow’s $10 million seed round, the project is becoming the go-to foundation for scalable, secure blockchain applications across finance, gaming, and beyond. 

    Yellow is setting a new standard for compliant, transparent access to blockchain innovation. This collaboration with Republic enables accredited investors in the United States via Reg D to participate in Yellow’s foundational infrastructure layer, supporting the adoption of scalable, chain-agnostic solutions that power decentralized applications.

    About Yellow Network
    [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoMkn5l4rVE]
    Yellow Network is the universal infrastructure layer powering real-time, cross-chain settlement and high-performance Web3 applications. Built on advanced state channel technology, Yellow enables developers to integrate scalable, low-latency blockchain functionality into any application without sacrificing speed, security, or user experience.

    With a modular SDK, universal API, and support for the ERC-7824 standard, Yellow empowers builders across DeFi, gaming, enterprise, and beyond to deliver Web2-quality experiences with Web3-native infrastructure. By eliminating the friction of traditional blockchain development, Yellow is accelerating the adoption of decentralized technologies and laying the foundation to onboard the next billion users. To learn more, visit yellow.org. 

    About Republic
    Republic is a leading on-chain investment ecosystem, leveraging its cutting-edge financial infrastructure to redefine global accessibility and optimize capital efficiency.

    Form CRS: Client Relationship Summary
    This offering is in tokens issued by Yellow Network and not equity in the company.

    This offering is facilitated by OpenDeal Broker LLC, dba THE CAPITAL R, Member FINRA & SiPC (BrokerCheck).

    Affiliates of the parent company to OpenDeal Broker LLC (OpenDeal Inc.) have financial interests in this offering, or in the offering’s sponsors, and may have invested at more favorable terms including the price and lock-up terms.

    Recipients of this message are not obligated to invest.

    *Please note, only US Accredited Investors will be able to participate in this offering.

    This is a speculative, risky investment and may be illiquid or pricing may substantially fluctuate in value. You may lose money. Carefully seek the advice of professionals to understand the risks associated. Not FDIC or SiPC insured.

    This is not an offer to buy or sell securities. Read the detailed disclaimer: https://republic.com/yellow-disclosure

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: SHARC Energy Ships SHARC WET Systems to US Government-Affiliated Project

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — SHARC International Systems Inc. (CSE: SHRC) (FSE: IWIA) (OTCQB: INTWF) (“SHARC Energy” or the “Company”), a world leader in wastewater energy transfer (“WET”), is proud to announce the shipment of two SHARC 880 WET Systems to a U.S. government-affiliated project. Further information about the project will be released at a later stage.

    SHARC Energy’s Wastewater Energy Transfer technology continues to gain momentum in the United States and beyond. Most recently, SHARC Energy’s innovative systems were featured in a Wall Street Journal article spotlighting the emerging role of WET in sustainable infrastructure.

    This milestone shipment underscores the Company’s expanding influence and highlights the increasing adoption of WET solutions as cities and governments seek scalable, low-carbon alternatives for heating, cooling and potable hot water.

    For more information regarding SHARC Energy and its projects, please visit www.sharcenergy.com.

    About SHARC Energy
      
    SHARC International Systems Inc. is a world leader in energy recovery from the wastewater we send down the drain every day. SHARC Energy’s systems recycle thermal energy from wastewater, generating one of the most energy-efficient and economical systems for heating, cooling & hot water production for commercial, residential, and industrial buildings along with thermal energy networks, commonly referred to as “District Energy”.

    SHARC Energy is publicly traded in Canada (CSE: SHRC), the United States (OTCQB: INTWF) and Germany (Frankfurt: IWIA) and you can find out more on our SEDAR profile.

    Learn more about SHARC Energy: Website | Investor Page | LinkedIn | YouTube | PIRANHA | SHARC

    ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

    Fred Andriano
    Chairman

    The Canadian Securities Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

    Forward-Looking Statements 

    Certain statements contained in this news release may constitute forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is often, but not always, identified using words such as “anticipate”, “plan”, “estimate”, “expect”, “may”, “will”, “intend”, “should”, and similar expressions. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. SHARC Energy’s actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in this forward-looking information because of regulatory decisions, competitive factors in the industries in which the Company operates, prevailing economic conditions, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. SHARC Energy believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking information should not be unduly relied upon. Any forward-looking information contained in this news release represents the Company’s expectations as of the date hereof and is subject to change after such date. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information whether because of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities legislation. 

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: New TransUnion Analysis Finds 18 Million Auto Loan Borrowers Could Save Substantial Money by Refinancing Their Loans

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CHICAGO, July 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As inflation remains persistent and interest rates stay elevated, many consumers continue to face pressure on their household budgets—prompting a growing search for ways to improve monthly cash flow. New research from TransUnion (NYSE: TRU) reveals that auto loan refinancing may offer a meaningful path to savings for millions of consumers, while also presenting a valuable opportunity for lenders.

    Of the nearly 80 million open auto loans in the U.S., approximately 18 million are considered “in-the-money” for refinancing. This term refers to borrowers whose current loan rates exceed the prevailing average APR, making them strong candidates to benefit financially from a refinance.

    TransUnion’s analysis found that while rising interest rates have reduced the average monthly savings from auto loan refinancing—from $1071 in 2021 to $90 in 2024—these savings remain meaningful for many consumers. More than half of consumers surveyed indicated they would be motivated to refinance if they could save between $50 and $149 per month.

    “At a time when we are still feeling the effects of inflation on budgets and spending, consumers are exploring every opportunity to save money,” said Jason Laky, executive vice president and head of financial services at TransUnion. “Refinancing an auto loan can reduce monthly payments substantially and bring much needed financial relief to millions of Americans.”

    The number of consumers who are “in-the-money” for an auto loan refinance is poised to grow substantially if the Federal Reserve lowers interest rates. Currently, approximately 18 million consumers meet the criteria and can lower their APR. However, even a modest 25-basis point rate cut would increase that number to nearly 20 million. A whole percentage point (100 basis points) reduction could expand the pool by an additional 6.5 million borrowers.

    More than half of the 18 million consumers “in-the-money” for a refinance have an estimated APR of greater than 10% on their existing auto loan

    Estimated APR on outstanding auto loan < 7.0% 7.0-7.99% 8.0-8.99% 9.0-9.99% 10.0-13.99% 14.0-19.99% >=20.0%
    Percent of consumers 7 % 15 % 16 % 10 % 17 % 20 % 15 %

    Source: TransUnion U.S. Consumer Credit Database

    Refinanced Auto Loans Continue to Outperform Purchase Loans Across Credit Tiers

    A consistent trend has emerged: auto refinance loans are demonstrating stronger performance compared to original purchase loans originated during the same period. This pattern holds true across all credit tiers, with particularly notable results among near prime borrowers.

    An analysis of Q4 2023 vintage loans reveals that consumers who refinanced their auto loans were significantly less likely to be 60 or more days past due (DPD) at the 12-month mark—by a margin of 170 basis points. The performance gap was even more pronounced within the near prime segment, where refinance borrowers outperformed purchase loan borrowers by 320 basis points.

    “Many auto loan borrowers may not realize that refinancing is an option,” said Satyan Merchant, senior vice president and auto and mortgage business leader at TransUnion. “As a result, those who do refinance tend to be more financially savvy and proactive about managing their credit. At a time when other segments of the auto loan market are facing performance challenges, lenders should consider targeting qualified borrowers for refinance opportunities, which have historically shown stronger repayment behavior.”

    In addition to using traditional credit for prescreening purposes, lenders should employ tools to ensure that offers are made in accordance with their current underwriting strategies. For example, leveraging TransUnion TruVision LTV prescreens as part of the prescreen process would help find consumers who are in a specific equity position for a refinance offer. TruAudience Consumer Insights can help refine marketing content for prescreen campaigns or identify new audiences and channels for invitation-to-apply campaigns.

    1 Adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars.

    About TransUnion (NYSE: TRU)
    TransUnion is a global information and insights company with over 13,000 associates operating in more than 30 countries. We make trust possible by ensuring each person is reliably represented in the marketplace. We do this with a Tru™ picture of each person: an actionable view of consumers, stewarded with care. Through our acquisitions and technology investments we have developed innovative solutions that extend beyond our strong foundation in core credit into areas such as marketing, fraud, risk and advanced analytics. As a result, consumers and businesses can transact with confidence and achieve great things. We call this Information for Good® — and it leads to economic opportunity, great experiences and personal empowerment for millions of people around the world. http://www.transunion.com/business

    Contact Dave Blumberg
      TransUnion
       
    E-mail david.blumberg@transunion.com
       
    Telephone 312-972-6646

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: UPDATE – Captivision, Inc. Announces Extension Granted by Nasdaq to Regain Compliance with Periodic Filing Requirement

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MIAMI, July 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Captivision Inc. (“Captivision” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: CAPT), a pioneering manufacturer and global LED solution provider, announced that it has been informed that the Nasdaq Hearings Panel (the “Panel”) has granted the Company’s request for continued listing on The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”), subject to certain conditions related to the Company’s ongoing efforts to regain compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5250(c)(1) (the “Periodic Filing Rule”).

    The Company is working diligently with its independent auditor, UHY, LLP (“UHY”), and KPMG Samjong Accounting Corp. (“KPMG”), which provides accounting services to Captivision, to complete the restatement and re-audit of its financial statements. Captivision expects to file its Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, on or before September 30, 2025.

    Pursuant to the Panel’s decision, Captivision must provide a status update to the Panel regarding audit testing procedures by August 29, 2025, and demonstrate full compliance with the Periodic Filing Rule by October 15, 2025 (the “extension period”).

    The Company previously successfully addressed other Nasdaq listing requirements, as disclosed on July 15, 2025. However, there can be no assurance that the Company will be able to regain compliance by the end of the extension period.

    About Captivision

    Captivision is a pioneering manufacturer and global LED solution provider, a leading innovator in digital display technology and immersive media. At the forefront of media architecture, Captivision has developed breakthrough media glass technology, fusing IT building materials with architectural glass to create transparent, high-performance digital canvases. This cutting-edge product enables real-time streaming and content delivery on any glass façade, transforming ordinary surfaces into dynamic storytelling platforms. Captivision is fast becoming a solution provider across the LED product spectrum. Captivision’s media glass and solutions have been implemented in hundreds of locations globally across sports stadiums, entertainment venues, casinos and hotels, convention centers, office and retail properties and airports. Learn more at http://www.captivision.com/.

    Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements relating to expectations for future financial performance, business strategies, or expectations for the Company’s respective businesses. These statements are based on the beliefs and assumptions of the management of the Company. Although the Company believes that its plans, intentions and expectations reflected in or suggested by these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure that it will achieve or realize these plans, intentions or expectations. These statements constitute projections, forecasts, and forward-looking statements, and are not guarantees of performance. Such statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. When used in this press release, words such as “believe”, “can”, “continue”, “expect”, “forecast”, “may”, “plan”, “project”, “should”, “will” or the negative of such terms, and similar expressions, may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking.

    The risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: (1) the ability to raise financing in the future and to comply with restrictive covenants related to indebtedness; (2) the ability to realize the benefits expected from the business combination and the Company’s strategic direction; (3) the significant market adoption, demand and opportunities in the construction and digital out of home media industries for the Company’s products; (4) the ability to maintain the listing of the Company’s ordinary shares and warrants on Nasdaq; (5) the ability of the Company to remain competitive in the fourth generation architectural media glass industry in the face of future technological innovations; (6) the ability of the Company to execute its international expansion strategy; (7) the ability of the Company to protect its intellectual property rights; (8) the profitability of the Company’s larger projects, which are subject to protracted sales cycles; (9) whether the raw materials, components, finished goods, and services used by the Company to manufacture its products will continue to be available and will not be subject to significant price increases; (10) the IT, vertical real estate, and large format wallscape modified regulatory restrictions or building codes; (11) the ability of the Company’s manufacturing facilities to meet their projected manufacturing costs and production capacity; (12) the future financial performance of the Company; (13) the emergence of new technologies and the response of the Company’s customer base to those technologies; (14) the ability of the Company to retain or recruit, or to effect changes required in, its officers, key employees, or directors; (15) the ability of the Company to comply with laws and regulations applicable to its business; and (16) other risks and uncertainties set forth under the section of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 20-F entitled “Risk Factors.”

    These forward-looking statements are based on information available as of the date of this press release and the Company’s management team’s current expectations, forecasts, and assumptions, and involve a number of judgments, known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside the control of the Company and its directors, officers, and affiliates. Accordingly, forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the Company management team’s views as of any subsequent date. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update, add or to otherwise correct any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect events or circumstances after the date they were made, whether as a result of new information, future events, inaccuracies that become apparent after the date hereof or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.

    Investor Contact:
    Gateway Group
    Ralf Esper
    +1 949-574-3860
    CAPT@gateway-grp.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: GigaCloud Technology Inc to Announce 2025 Second Quarter and Six Month Financial Results and Host Conference Call on August 7, 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    EL MONTE, Calif., July 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — GigaCloud Technology Inc (Nasdaq: GCT) (“GigaCloud” or the “Company”), a pioneer of global end-to-end B2B ecommerce technology solutions for large parcel merchandise, today announced that it will report its financial results for the second quarter and six months ended June 30, 2025 after the market closes on Thursday, August 7, 2025. The Company will host a conference call to discuss its financial results on the same day at 6:30 PM Eastern Time.

    To access the conference call, participants should pre-register here to receive the dial-in information and a unique PIN. All participants are encouraged to dial-in 15 minutes prior to the conference call’s start time.

    A live and archived webcast of the conference call will be accessible on the Company’s investor relations website at https://investors.gigacloudtech.com/news-events/events.

    About GigaCloud Technology Inc
    GigaCloud Technology Inc is a pioneer of global end-to-end B2B ecommerce technology solutions for large parcel merchandise. The Company’s B2B ecommerce platform, the “GigaCloud Marketplace,” integrates everything from discovery, payments and logistics tools into one easy-to-use platform. The Company’s global marketplace seamlessly connects manufacturers, primarily in Asia, with resellers, primarily in the U.S., Asia and Europe, to execute cross-border transactions with confidence, speed and efficiency. GigaCloud offers a comprehensive solution that transports products from the manufacturer’s warehouse to the end customer’s doorstep, all at one fixed price. The Company first launched its marketplace in January 2019 by focusing on the global furniture market and has since expanded into additional categories, including home appliances and fitness equipment. For more information, please visit the Company’s website: https://investors.gigacloudtech.com/

    For investor and media inquiries, please contact:

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Samsung TV Plus partners with LADbible Group to launch LADbible FAST Channel

    Source: Samsung

    London, U.K. – 31 July, 2025 – Leading social entertainment business LADbible Group makes its debut on television screens with the launch of the LADbible Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV (FAST) channel.
     
    Now available in the UK on Samsung TV Plus, Samsung’s FAST platform, LADbible FAST Channel will showcase the Group’s most loved original programming 24/7, including hit series such as Minutes With, Snack Wars, Agree to Disagree and Would You Rather.
     
    As viewing habits shift, LADbible Group is expanding its reach to meet audiences exactly where they are. Insights from Samsung’s 2024 Anatomy of a Streamer research report show that Gen Z Samsung Smart TV viewers are embracing streaming TV, watching an average of 1 hour and 38 minutes of streamed content per day, compared to just over 49 minutes for Boomers.
     
    The channel offers a bold mix of entertaining, unfiltered moments with household celebrities and untold stories from around the world, all delivered straight into viewers’ homes. Whether it’s Minutes With, spotlighting powerful, personal stories from mental health advocates to reformed gangsters, or Snack Wars featuring stars like Sabrina Carpenter, Ryan Gosling or Paul Mescal, each show is designed to entertain, spark conversation, and put viewers into the heart of culture.
     
    To mark the launch, LADbible Group will also premiere its new format ‘Jury Room’, a debate show that takes on issues the public can not agree on, hosted by ‘Juries’ – from barristers, business owners, gangsters, to Gen Z influencers. The six-part series will see the first episode questioning, “Should we bring back military conscription in the event of war?”. It will be available on CTV and YouTube.
     
    LADbible’s original programming has seen notable growth and success. Its audience has grown to over 280 million views on YouTube alone with a YOY increase of 20%, averaging a staggering 100 million minutes per month.
     
    Becky Gardner, Head of Originals said, ‘LADbible on TV presents an exciting new opportunity to expand our reach and connect with even more viewers of our shows. This launch reflects our dedication to being where our audience is, delivering always-on entertainment that they love – anytime, anywhere, on any screen. We’re thrilled to bring LADbible directly into people’s homes”
     
    Gus Grimaldi, Head of Samsung TV Plus EMEA, added: “LADbible is a global powerhouse of entertainment, and we’re thrilled to bring their first-ever TV channel to Samsung TV Plus users for free in the UK. With young viewers rapidly turning to CTV and watching from the comfort of their own homes, Samsung TV Plus is at the forefront of connecting audiences with high quality entertainment.  LADbible is the ideal content partner to reach the ever-growing number of FAST TV viewers.”
     
    Availability:
    LADbible is now live on Samsung TV Plus, available pre-installed on 2016+ Samsung Smart TVs and on Samsung Galaxy smartphones and tablets. Channel number: 4093
     
    About LADbible Group
    LADbible Group is a leading social entertainment business, reaching a global audience of 520 million followers. In the UK alone, it reaches two‑thirds of 18‑ to 34‑year‑olds and ranks as the fifth largest social and digital business. The Group operates a diverse portfolio of brands and platforms, including LADbible, SPORTbible, UNILAD and Betches, and operates over seven websites. Every month, it generates 13.9 billion views on social and 2,700 views per second. Its purpose is to give young adults a voice by building communities that laugh, think and act, with content that spans entertainment, celebrity interviews, news, live documentary and factual programming. LADbible Group has an international presence spanning all corners of the globe, with physical offices across APAC, US, the UK and Ireland. The Group has been widely recognised across the industry for its impactful social good campaigns, brand partnerships and original programming. This includes Media Brand of the Year at the Media Week Awards, Commercial Team of the Year at the Campaign Media Awards and Web Channel of the Year at the Broadcast Digital Awards.
     
    About Samsung TV Plus
    Samsung TV Plus is free streaming, TV with no subscription and no additional device or credit card needed. The service is pre-installed on all 2016+ Samsung Smart TVs, and on Samsung Galaxy smartphones and tablets in select territories. Samsung TV Plus instantly delivers a vast and growing library across multiple genres including news, sports, entertainment, as well as a video on demand catalogue of your favourite movies and popular shows. The free, ad-supported streaming video service is available globally in 30 territories, all you need is an internet connection. For the latest on Samsung TV Plus, please visit www.samsungtvplus.com.

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Building Connecticut’s Shellfish Workforce and Industry Resilience

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    In the coastal waters of Long Island Sound, Connecticut’s shellfish industry is quietly thriving and evolving. A statewide effort led by Connecticut Sea Grant and UConn Extension professionals is helping prospective farmers, agriscience teachers, and environmental professionals dive into the world of aquaculture with the Foundations of Shellfish Farming course.

    Now entering its fourth year, the course has become a vital entry point for people launching or expanding their careers in the shellfish industry, and the results are rippling across the state.

    A Deep Dive into Aquaculture

    “In this business, you need to get up early and go to work even when it’s not always fun. But we try to prepare people for that reality, and for the opportunities that come with it,” says Mike Gilman, an assistant extension educator and co-instructor of the course.

    A former high school science teacher, Gilman co-owns an oyster business and has experienced firsthand the long, uncertain path from lease applications to harvesting a market-ready crop.

    Tessa Getchis, senior extension educator and aquaculture specialist, co-teaches the course with Gilman.

    “We’ve created a program that combines science, policy, and lived experience. Students walk away with a binder full of resources, a support network, and a deeper understanding of the industry,” Getchis says.

    The course was launched through a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration grant. Foundations of Shellfish Farming offers 12 weeks of intensive, in-person instruction each winter. Classes are held at UConn Avery Point, and the curriculum includes biology lessons, business planning, regulatory guidance, and mental and emotional preparedness for the unpredictable world of shellfish farming.

    The course enrolls around 15 participants annually, with a cap of 20 to ensure knowledge sharing and individualized attention. Students range from new farmers to conservation professionals, and entrepreneurs.

    From Classroom to Coast

    The course’s hands-on emphasis extends beyond the classroom. Each year, students have an opportunity for real-world experience through the Sharing Hands-On Understanding and Cultivating Knowledge on Shellfish (SHUCKS) internship program, a partnership with Sixpenny Oyster Farm in Noank.

    Last year’s interns were funded by the Small Business Development Fund, with preference given to Foundations students. One of the interns, Sam Tucker of Clinton, was already a seasoned shellfish worker. A music teacher by trade, Tucker recently planted his first crop of oysters after navigating a complex, years-long permitting process.

    This season, two new interns are back on the water with funding from Connecticut Sea Grant. Sixpenny co-owners Will Ceddia and Jason Hamilton oversee the interviews and day-to-day management of interns. Gilman and Getchis facilitate the program, provide orientation, and collect feedback.

    Opening the Industry Door

    The Foundations course addresses a significant barrier in the shellfish industry: access.

    “Shellfishing has traditionally been a hard industry to enter,” Gilman says. “One of our goals is to make the path clearer and more inclusive.”

    The start-up requirements and expenses involved can also be a disincentive. In some cases, the Foundations course has helped students decide a large investment in shellfish farming isn’t the right choice for them.

    “If this class helps a student realize that aquaculture isn’t for them, before they spend years in the permitting process and potentially thousands of dollars in equipment, that’s actually a win for the industry,” says Gilman.

    But for many, the course is the launchpad they need to start or expand their businesses.

    Four new farms have launched directly from the program with multiple others currently in the process of becoming established operations. Also, some former students now hire interns or share equipment.

    Participants report increased confidence with permitting, inspections, and gear management. A six-month follow-up survey shows that more than 60% of graduates are actively engaged in industry work, environmental stewardship, or continued aquaculture training.

    The course is a requirement for new licensees through the Connecticut Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Aquaculture. Gilman and Getchis also consult regularly with the Bureau and other subject matter experts to adapt content to emerging issues, such as pests, predators, diseases, impaired water quality and climate (for example, the growing threat of rainfall-related closures).

    Sustaining the Future

    The Foundations course goes beyond shellfish biology and gear types. It includes sessions on physical and mental health, business planning, and managing risks. “Farming shellfish is isolating and physically demanding,” says Gilman. “We don’t shy away from that. We talk about how to stay safe, how to deal with closures, and how to make it through when things get tough.”

    Another recent innovation honors the legacy of former Guilford Shellfish Commissioner, Peter Charland, who passed away in 2024. In partnership with the Guilford Shellfish Commission, the team created aquaculture worker starter packs with boots, sun gear, and other essentials which were distributed during a ceremony this spring. A larger grant seeks to continue this initiative and help reduce startup costs for new entrants.

    Extreme weather and regulatory hurdles challenge the industry, making sustainable shellfish aquaculture more important than ever. Connecticut remains one of the top six shellfish-producing states, with over 50 businesses supported by its oyster and clam operations.

    The next steps for Gilman and Getchis include facilitating more pathways from coursework to water-based experience.

    “You don’t need an advanced degree to grow oysters,” says Gilman. “We need plumbers, electricians, and mechanics, people with complementary skills who can fix a pump or a boat engine and aren’t afraid to get dirty.”

    For now, the Foundations course is cultivating more than oysters; it’s growing a community.

    “Our students stay in touch. They ask questions, they call us for help, and they show up at industry meetings,” Getchis says. “It’s been incredible to watch this bubble of new energy form around Connecticut aquaculture. That’s the kind of impact you hope for in Extension.”

    The Connecticut Sea Grant College Program (CTSG) is part of the National Sea Grant College Program network, administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). CTSG is based at UConn Avery Point in Groton. Several staff members have academic appointments in the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources, including UConn Extension. For more than 30 years, CTSG has worked to foster the wise use and conservation of coastal and marine resources of Long Island Sound and beyond through research, outreach and education. It is science serving the coast! 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: U.S. Navy Awards $202 Million Contract to SAIC to Continue Advancing Fleet Deployment Training Program

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    RESTON, Va., July 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Science Applications International Corp. (NASDAQ: SAIC) has been awarded a $202 million contract to provide an extensive range of training solutions for the U.S. Navy, including modernized virtual and synthetic training environments, as part of the Fleet Deployment Training Program. This initiative is crucial to supporting U.S. Fleet Forces (USFF) and associated Fleet commands and activities, significantly enhancing the Navy’s readiness to operate and fight effectively across the globe.

    The renewed prime contract includes a 10-month base period of performance, four one-year options and one six-month extension option – ensuring a sustained and robust partnership to fortify the Navy’s training programs.

    “Our team is extremely proud to continue this decades-long, dedicated support for the U.S. Navy to advance their operational readiness,” said Barbara Supplee, SAIC executive vice president of Navy Business Group. “This program is integral to ensuring the Navy is thoroughly prepared to execute any mission assigned by Geographic Combatant and Forward Fleet Commanders. It directly enhances the Navy’s ability to deploy and employ all facets of the naval force on a global scale – making a critical difference in combat situations and supporting the Chief of Naval Operation’s priority of developing highly capable warfighting teams equipped for the complexities of modern combat environments.”

    Under this contract, SAIC will provide the Navy with extensive training and readiness support capabilities across 19 different headquarters and training commands. This encompasses academic instruction, live exercises, synthetic training events and policy support to ensure comprehensive pre-deployment training and certification, as well as post-deployment sustainment for fleet units and staffs.

    SAIC’s support extends to delivering advanced training scenarios through Fleet Synthetic Training and Live, Virtual, and Constructive (LVC) environments. These training methods cover the Fleet Training Continuum from Basic Phase unit-level activities to Advanced Phase certifications, culminating in high-end Integrated Phase major exercises for deployment readiness. Additionally, SAIC will provide reach-back training support to strike groups and amphibious ready groups during deployments, adapting to the evolving operational environments and emerging threats.

    This contract underscores SAIC’s long-standing commitment to enhancing the Navy’s global readiness and combat capabilities, playing a pivotal role in improving operational effectiveness and preparedness across the Navy. Our innovative training solutions have been instrumental in ensuring the Navy’s ability to swiftly adapt to evolving threats and operational environments. By equipping naval forces to face challenges and secure strategic interests worldwide, SAIC is playing a critical role in ensuring the Navy’s ability to maintain operational superiority across the globe.

    About SAIC 
    SAIC® is a premier Fortune 500 mission integrator focused on advancing the power of technology and innovation to serve and protect our world. Our robust portfolio of offerings across the defense, space, civilian and intelligence markets includes secure high-end solutions in mission IT, enterprise IT, engineering services and professional services. We integrate emerging technology, rapidly and securely, into mission critical operations that modernize and enable critical national imperatives.

    We are approximately 24,000 strong; driven by mission, united by purpose, and inspired by opportunities. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, SAIC has annual revenues of approximately $7.5 billion. For more information, visit saic.com. For ongoing news, please visit our newsroom.

    Forward-Looking Statements 
    Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this release contain or are based on “forward-looking” information within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by words such as “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “guidance,” and similar words or phrases. Forward-looking statements in this release may include, among others, estimates of future revenues, operating income, earnings, earnings per share, charges, total contract value, backlog, outstanding shares and cash flows, as well as statements about future dividends, share repurchases and other capital deployment plans. Such statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risk, uncertainties and assumptions, and actual results may differ materially from the guidance and other forward-looking statements made in this release as a result of various factors. Risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause or contribute to these material differences include those discussed in the “Risk Factors,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Legal Proceedings” sections of our Annual Report on Form 10-K, as updated in any subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other filings with the SEC, which may be viewed or obtained through the Investor Relations section of our website at saic.com or on the SEC’s website at sec.gov. Due to such risks, uncertainties and assumptions you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. SAIC expressly disclaims any duty to update any forward-looking statement provided in this release to reflect subsequent events, actual results or changes in SAIC’s expectations. SAIC also disclaims any duty to comment upon or correct information that may be contained in reports published by investment analysts or others. 

    Media Contact: 
    Greg Hicks 
    619.961.0075 | Gregory.L.Hicks@saic.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Yuenglings Ice Cream Corp (OTC YCRM) Is Now Frequency Holdings Inc (OTC FRQN) as Strategic Evolution Takes Hold

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CHICAGO, July 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Frequency Holdings Inc (OTC: FRQN) today announced it has officially completed its corporate name and symbol change from Yuenglings Ice Cream Corp (OTC: YCRM) following final approval by FINRA. This milestone marks the formal transition into a modern holding company structure with a portfolio that includes cybersecurity-first IT services through ReachOut and upcoming ventures in decentralized identity and artificial intelligence.

    The new name and symbol hit the market this morning.

    Frequency Holdings is building a multi-brand platform modeled after Berkshire Hathaway and Alphabet with each subsidiary operating independently while benefiting from shared strategic leadership. The flagship operating company ReachOut is actively acquiring and scaling cybersecurity-focused MSPs across the US while new brands like TRUSTLESS aim to bring privacy and authentication innovation into new digital verticals.

    “This is more than a name change” said Rick Jordan CEO of Frequency Holdings. “This is about building something bigger than one brand. We are creating a structure that can hold multiple companies each with their own identity and velocity while sharing the same DNA of performance protection and technology that works. The market has asked what we’re building. This is it. A public platform with room for massive upside and real-world relevance.”

    Kevin Harrington, original Shark from ABC’s Shark Tank and longtime board member of the company added, “I joined the board because Rick’s vision was bold, and both the industry and timing are right. ReachOut was just the beginning, and now Frequency is turning the vision into a machine with the team we have in place.”

    David Meltzer, global entrepreneur, Chairman of the Napoleon Hill Institute and the newest addition to the board commented, “Your frequency is your neighborhood, and Frequency Holdings is about raising the signal in every sense. This is a company tuned into innovation, tuned into value, and tuned into service. I’m honored to be part of this next chapter and proud to support the expansion of its platform and purpose.”

    The Company previously operated under the name Yuenglings Ice Cream Corp and traded under the symbol YCRM. The new name and symbol are effective immediately with full updates in place across OTC Markets and all investor communications. Frequency Holdings will continue to execute on its rollup strategy through ReachOut and plans to unveil additional ventures in the coming quarters.

    ABOUT FREQUENCY HOLDINGS INC. (OTC: FRQN)

    Frequency Holdings is a modern holding company focused on high-growth ventures in cybersecurity, AI, digital identity, and IT infrastructure. Through its lead operating brand, ReachOut, Frequency is building the first nationally recognized name in cybersecurity-first IT services for SMBs. Additional holdings, including TRUSTLESS, are structured to contribute long-term equity value via independent growth and strategic alignment.

    ABOUT RICK JORDAN

    Rick Jordan is a resilient entrepreneur, cybersecurity expert, and media personality known for leading companies through high-growth transformations. He founded ReachOut Technology and is the architect of Frequency Holdings Inc., a multi-brand technology holding company focused on scaling ventures in cybersecurity, digital identity, and AI. Rick has advised in the White House on national cyber policy, appeared on major networks including Bloomberg and NewsNation, and hosts the globally ranked podcast ALL IN with Rick Jordan, soon to be renamed FREQUENCY. His leadership bridges bold vision with operational precision, in addition to bringing clear signal and communication to the public markets.

    ABOUT KEVIN HARRINGTON

    Kevin Harrington is a globally recognized entrepreneur, original Shark on ABC’s Shark Tank, and a pioneer of the infomercial industry. Over his career, he has launched more than 20 companies to over $100 million in sales and helped generate over $15 billion in market value–including his early leadership in Celsius Holdings, Inc. As a board member of Frequency Holdings Inc., Kevin brings deep strategic insight, brand-building expertise, and decades of experience scaling disruptive ventures into household names.

    ABOUT DAVID MELTZER

    David Meltzer is Chairman of the Napoleon Hill Institute and former CEO of Leigh Steinberg Sports & Entertainment, the inspiration for Jerry Maguire. A globally recognized entrepreneur, investor, and business coach, he’s been named Variety’s Sports Humanitarian of the Year and is a recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor. As Executive Producer of Apple TV’s 2 Minute Drill and Office Hours, and Entrepreneur’s top digital show Elevator Pitch, David brings media fluency and business expertise to global audiences. His mission—to empower more than 1 billion people to be happy–drives his work across coaching, content, and leadership.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding future events, performance, and financial expectations. These statements are based on current beliefs and assumptions, and are subject to risks and uncertainties–many of which are beyond the Company’s control–that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Factors that may affect results include the Company’s need for capital, changes in regulatory environments, market competition, demand for services, and other risks detailed in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update them except as required by law.

    PR and Investor Relations Contacts

    For press inquiries or to book media interviews, TV appearances, and speaking engagements for CEO Rick Jordan:

    Email: pr@frequencyhold.com — pr@reachoutit.com
    Phone: 312-288-8008

    Rick Jordan on Social Media–
    Instagram: @mrrickjordan
    X: @mrrickjordan

    Kevin Harrington on Social Media–
    Instagram: @realkevinharrington
    X: @harringtonkevin

    David Meltzer on Social Media–
    Instagram: @davidmeltzer
    X: @davidmeltzer

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Live Ventures to Issue Fiscal Third Quarter 2025 Financial Results and Hold Earnings Conference Call on August 7, 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LAS VEGAS, July 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Live Ventures Incorporated (NASDAQ: LIVE) (“Live Ventures” or the “Company”), a diversified holding company, will issue its financial results for its fiscal third quarter ended June 30, 2025, before the market opens on Thursday, August 7, 2025. The Company will hold a conference call to discuss the results on Thursday, August 7, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time (5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time).

    The dial-in numbers are as follows:

    • 800.231.0316 (U.S.)
    • +1.314.696.0504 (International/caller-paid)
    • Conference Title: Live Ventures FY 2025 Third Quarter Earnings Conference Call

    Please dial in at least 15 minutes in advance, but no sooner than 30 minutes, to ensure you are connected. To listen to the discussion after the call, please visit the “Investor Relations” page of the Live Ventures website (https://ir.liveventures.com/) for a recording.

    About Live Ventures Incorporated
    Live Ventures is a diversified holding company with a strategic focus on value-oriented acquisitions of domestic middle-market companies. Live Ventures’ acquisition strategy is sector agnostic and focuses on well-run, closely held businesses with a demonstrated track record of earnings growth and cash flow generation. The Company seeks opportunities to partner with management teams of its acquired businesses to build increased stockholder value through a disciplined buy-build-hold long-term focused strategy. Live Ventures was founded in 1968. In late 2011, Jon Isaac, CEO and strategic investor, joined the Board of Directors of the Company and later refocused it into a diversified holding company. The Company’s current portfolio of diversified operating subsidiaries includes companies in the textile, flooring, tools, steel, and entertainment industries.

    Contact:
    Live Ventures Incorporated
    Greg Powell, Director of Investor Relations
    725.500.5597
    gpowell@liveventures.com
    www.liveventures.com

    Source: Live Ventures Incorporated

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Yosemite embodies the long war over US national park privatization

    Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By Michael Childers, Associate Professor of History, Colorado State University

    The Ahwahnee is a privately run hotel inside Yosemite National Park. George Rose/Getty Images

    The Trump administration’s cuts to the National Park Service’s budget and staffing have raised concerns among park advocates and the public that the administration is aiming to further privatize the national parks.

    The nation has a long history of similar efforts, including a wildly unpopular 1980 attempt by Reagan administration Interior Secretary James Watt to promote development and expand private concessions in the parks. But debate over using public national park land for private profit dates back more than a century before that.

    As I explain in my forthcoming book, no park has played a more central role in that debate than Yosemite, in California.

    Early concerns

    In early 1864, Central American Steamship Transit Company representative Israel Ward Raymond wrote a letter to John Conness, a U.S. senator from California, urging the government to move swiftly to preserve the Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove of giant sequoia trees to prevent them from falling into private hands. Five months later, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Yosemite Grant Act, ceding the valley and the grove to the state of California, “upon the express conditions that the premises shall be held for public use, resort, and recreation.” This was years before Yellowstone became the first federal land designated a national park in 1872.

    For centuries, the natural beauty of the Yosemite Valley has impressed visitors.
    Sepia Times/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

    Controversy arose quickly at Yosemite. Two men – James Lamon and James Hutchings – had claimed land in the valley before the federal government gave it to California. Both began commercial operations, Lamon growing cash crops and Hutchings operating a hotel.

    California said their businesses threatened the state’s ability to develop roads and trails in Yosemite by competing for tourist dollars. A legal battle ensued and was not resolved until an 1872 U.S. Supreme Court ruling found that the men’s land claims had not been fully validated according to the procedures of the time. The California legislature paid both men compensation for their land, and both left the park.

    In 1890, neighboring parts of the Yosemite area became America’s third national park – and in 1906, the federal government again took possession of the Yosemite Valley itself and the Mariposa Grove, specifically to incorporate them into an expansion of the national park.

    Development rights

    Yet, as my research has found, the role of private interests in the park remained unsolved. Private companies under contract to the National Park Service have long provided needed amenities such as lodging and food within the national parks. But questions over what is acceptable in national parks in the pursuit of profit have shaped Yosemite’s history for generations.

    In 1925, I found, the question centered on the right to build the first gas station inside the park, in Yosemite Valley. Two private businesses, the Curry Camping Company and the Yosemite National Park Company, had long competed for tourist dollars within the park. Each wanted to build a gas station to boost profits.

    Frustrated over the need to decide, National Park Service Director Horace Albright ordered the rival firms to simplify management of the park’s concessions. The companies merged, and the newly formed Yosemite Park and Curry Company was granted the exclusive rights to run lodges, restaurants and other facilities within the park, including the new gas station.

    But as I found in my research, the park service and the concessions company did not always see eye to eye on the purpose of the park. The conflict between profit and preservation is perhaps most clearly illustrated by the construction of a ski area within the park in the early 1930s. The park service initially opposed the development of Badger Pass Ski Area as not conducive to the national park ideal, but the Yosemite Park and Curry Company insisted it was key to boosting winter use of the park.

    In 1973, the Music Corporation of America, an entertainment conglomerate, bought the Yosemite Park and Curry Company. The company already had a tourist attraction operating near Hollywood, where visitors could pay to tour movie sets, but had not yet changed its name to Universal Studios or launched major theme parks in Florida and California. Its purchase of the park’s concessions set off a firestorm of controversy over fears of turning Yosemite into a theme park.

    That didn’t happen, but annual park visitor numbers climbed from 2.5 million to 3.8 million over the 20 years MCA ran the concessions, which sparked concerns about development and overcrowding in the park. Conservationists argued the park service had allowed the corporate giant to promote and develop the park in ways that threatened the very aspects of the park most people came to enjoy.

    With three restaurants, two service stations with a total of 15 gas pumps, two cafeterias, two grocery stores, seven souvenir shops, a delicatessen, a bank, a skating rink, three swimming pools, a golf course, two tennis courts, kennels, a barbershop, a beauty shop, Badger Pass Ski Area and three lodges, the Yosemite Valley was a busy commercial district. Critics argued that such development contradicted the park service’s mandate to leave national parks unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.

    Crowds gather at some of Yosemite’s most popular sites, such as the California Tunnel Tree.
    David McNew/AFP via Getty Images

    Who owns the names?

    Falling profits and consolidation within the music industry led MCA to sell its concessions rights in Yosemite in 1993. The Delaware North Companies, a global hospitality corporation, took over and ran the park’s concessions until 2016, when it sold the rights to Aramark.

    But in that sale, the question of public resources and private profits arose again. Delaware North demanded $51 million in compensation for Aramark continuing to use the names of several historic properties within the park, such as the Ahwahnee, a hotel, and Curry Village, another group of visitor accommodations. The company claimed those names were a part of its assets under its contract with the park service.

    The park service rejected the claim, saying the names, which dated back more than a century, belonged to the American people. But to avoid legal problems during the transition, the agency temporarily renamed several sites, including calling the Ahwahnee the Majestic Yosemite Hotel and changing Curry Village to Half Dome Village. Public outrage erupted, denouncing the claim by Delaware North as commercial overreach that threatened to distort Yosemite’s heritage. In 2019, the park service and Aramark agreed to pay Delaware North a total of $12 million to settle the dispute, and the original names were restored.

    Protesters unfurl an upside-down U.S. flag from the top of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park in February 2025, protesting Trump administration changes to the National Park Service.

    Renewed interest in commercial efforts

    In June 2025, Yosemite again took center stage in the dispute over the role of federal funding versus private interests at the start of the second Trump administration when a group of climbers unfurled an American flag upside down off El Capitan in protest of the administration’s cuts in personnel and slashing of the park service’s budget.

    Conservationists, including former National Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis, argued that by defunding the park service and laying off as much as a quarter of its workforce, the Trump administration was “laying the groundwork to privatize” the national parks by allowing corporate interests more access to public lands. Those concerns echo ones raised during the first Trump administration, when the White House argued privatization would better serve the American public by improving visitor experiences and saving federal dollars.

    Whichever side prevails in the short term, the debate over the role of private interests within national parks like Yosemite will undoubtedly continue.

    Michael Childers 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. Yosemite embodies the long war over US national park privatization – https://theconversation.com/yosemite-embodies-the-long-war-over-us-national-park-privatization-261133

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: 2X acquires Outbound Funnel, expanding comprehensive RevOps and AI-powered go-to-market technology services leadership

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MALVERN, Pa., July 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — 2X, the leader in subscription-based go-to-market services, today announced the acquisition of Outbound Funnel, a premier revenue operations consultancy specializing in AI-powered sales engagement and revenue intelligence platforms across the modern GTM technology stack. As the longest-standing partner for leading platforms including Gong, Outreach, SalesLoft, and 6sense, Outbound Funnel brings unparalleled expertise in implementation, optimization, and managed services. This strategic acquisition significantly expands 2X’s revenue operations capabilities and reinforces its position as the definitive subscription-based services partner for comprehensive GTM transformation.

    The acquisition brings together complementary expertise spanning the entire GTM technology ecosystem. Outbound Funnel has established itself as the first and longest-standing implementation partner across multiple sales engagement platforms, with over 800 Outreach implementations, 600+ Gong deployments, and hundreds of SalesLoft implementations. The company’s deep cross-platform expertise enables complex migrations and integrations, including transformative projects like consolidating eight separate instances into a unified system for enterprise clients like Intercom, Siemens, Affirm, Asana, and Expensify.

    Expanding Revenue Operations Excellence

    This acquisition builds on 2X’s strategic investments in revenue operations, including the recent acquisition of Intelligent Demand, which brought best-in-class RevOps capabilities to the 2X portfolio. Together, these acquisitions position 2X as the definitive partner for organizations seeking comprehensive revenue operations advisory and managed services.

    “Revenue operations has become the strategic backbone of modern GTM organizations, and AI-powered sales engagement platforms are transforming how these teams operate,” said Dom Colasante, CEO of 2X. “Outbound Funnel’s position as the first and longest-standing partner across leading sales engagement platforms, combined with their expertise in AI-driven revenue intelligence and complex platform migrations, makes them the ideal addition to our comprehensive GTM services portfolio. Together, we’re delivering the full spectrum of technology implementation and managed services that revenue leaders need.”

    AI-Powered GTM Technology Leadership

    Outbound Funnel operates at the center of the AI-powered sales engagement ecosystem, with deep expertise across platforms leveraging conversation intelligence, predictive analytics, and automated workflows. The company’s comprehensive partner network includes AI-driven platforms like Gong for revenue intelligence, MadKudu’s AI prospecting tools, ChiliPiper’s AI-powered demand conversion, and other next-generation technologies. This acquisition positions 2X as the definitive partner for organizations seeking to implement and optimize AI-powered GTM technology stacks with ongoing managed services support.

    Strengthening GTM Technology Services

    The addition of Outbound Funnel positions 2X as the premier subscription-based partner for GTM technology implementation and ongoing managed services. With Outbound Funnel’s specialized expertise in revenue technology consulting, implementation, integration, project services, training, custom solutions, and managed services, 2X can now offer comprehensive subscription-based solutions that extend GTM technology vendors’ capabilities with ongoing operational support and strategic advisory.

    “We’re thrilled to welcome the exceptional Outbound Funnel team to 2X,” said Colasante. “Their deep technical expertise and proven success in transforming revenue operations through technology value realization perfectly complements our scalable managed services model. This acquisition brings top-tier talent from expert implementation consultants to revenue operations specialists who will help us deliver even greater value to our clients.”

    Validation from Technology Partners

    The acquisition has garnered support from leading GTM technology companies, reflecting the strong partnerships Outbound Funnel has built across the ecosystem.

    “We’re excited about 2X’s investment in the revenue intelligence ecosystem through this acquisition,” said Rob Moyer, Global Head of Partnerships of Gong. “Outbound Funnel has been an exceptional implementation partner, and their expertise combined with 2X’s comprehensive managed services model creates exceptional value for organizations looking to maximize their GTM technology investments.”

    Proven Success with Leading Organizations

    Outbound Funnel’s track record speaks to the quality of their team and approach across the entire GTM technology landscape. Their clients consistently report exceptional results, including 98% adoption rates across sales engagement platforms, 10% increases in win rates through AI-powered conversation intelligence, and significantly accelerated deployment timelines. The company’s expertise spans from complex multi-year migration projects to ongoing optimization of AI-driven revenue operations.

    “Outbound Funnel was instrumental in helping us maximize our AI-powered platform investments,” said a Head of Enablement & Product Marketing at a leading technology company. “Their cross-platform expertise and deep understanding of AI-driven sales engagement tools enabled us to achieve incredible results with 98% adoption across our GTM teams and a 10% increase in win rate.”

    What’s Next

    “We’re incredibly excited to join the 2X family and bring our comprehensive GTM technology expertise to their world-class managed services platform,” said Curtis Ropp, Founder and CEO of Outbound Funnel. “From day one, we’ve been committed to helping organizations maximize the value of their entire sales engagement and revenue intelligence technology stack. As the first implementation partner across multiple leading platforms, we’ve built deep expertise in AI-powered conversation intelligence, sales automation, and complex migrations. Partnering with 2X allows us to scale this impact and deliver even greater value to clients who need both strategic implementation and ongoing operational support across their entire GTM technology ecosystem.”

    Curtis Ropp will join the 2X management team and continue to operate and grow Outbound Funnel, now a 2X company.

    About 2X

    2X is the global leader in subscription-based go-to-market services, helping GTM leaders achieve greater impact while lowering costs through its comprehensive managed services delivery model. Building on its foundation as the leader in B2B marketing as a service (MaaS), 2X now provides end-to-end go-to-market solutions including marketing operations and MarTech management, campaign build and optimization, content and creative production, revenue operations, sales technology implementation, and strategic consulting services. 2X is a services partner of 6sense, Salesforce, Adobe Marketo Engage, HubSpot, Gong, Bombora, Drift, WordPress, Google, Meta, and many other leading revenue platforms.

    With more than 1,000 team members globally, 2X is backed by private-equity firms Recognize Partners and Insight Partners. 2X has been recognized as one of the fastest-growing companies in the US by Inc. and the Financial Times. For more information, visit 2X.marketing or our LinkedIn.

    About Outbound Funnel

    Outbound Funnel is a premier revenue operations consultancy specializing in AI-powered sales engagement and revenue intelligence technology implementation and optimization. As the first and longest-standing implementation partner across leading platforms including Outreach (800+ implementations), Gong (600+ deployments), and SalesLoft (hundreds of implementations), Outbound Funnel has helped thousands of organizations transform their revenue operations through expert deployment of AI-driven platforms and strategic advisory services. With a team of seasoned RevOps experts, Outbound Funnel empowers GTM teams to maximize their technology investments and drive measurable business outcomes. With a team of seasoned RevOps experts, Outbound Funnel empowers GTM teams to maximize their technology investments and drive measurable business outcomes.

    About Recognize

    Recognize is a distinguished investor and business builder focused on next-generation Digital Services companies. Headquartered in New York, the firm seeks to back visionary founders, entrepreneurs, and management teams who are building innovative businesses that leverage AI, software, and digital platforms to deliver transformative outcomes to enterprises. Recognize provides deep operational expertise, industry relationships, and strategic capital to drive accelerated growth of these specialized businesses. To learn more, visit www.recognize.com.

    About Insight Partners

    Insight Partners is a global software investor partnering with high-growth technology, software, and Internet startup and ScaleUp companies that are driving transformative change in their industries. As of December 31, 2024, the firm has over $90B in regulatory assets under management. Insight Partners has invested in more than 800 companies worldwide and has seen over 55 portfolio companies achieve an IPO. Headquartered in New York City, Insight has offices in London, Tel Aviv, and the Bay Area. Insight’s mission is to find, fund, and work successfully with visionary executives, providing them with tailored, hands-on software expertise along their growth journey, from their first investment to IPO. For more information on Insight and all its investments, visit insightpartners.com or follow us on X @insightpartners.

    Media Contact
    Audree Hernandez
    JMAC PR for 2X
    2X@jmacpr.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Grayscale® Launches Grayscale® Story Trust

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    STAMFORD, Conn., July 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Grayscale®, the world’s largest digital asset-focused investment platform, today announced the creation and launch of Grayscale® Story Trust (the “Trust”). The Trust provides investors with exposure to $IP, the native token of the Story network.

    Story is a blockchain network that powers programmable intellectual property, making real-world data a licensable, attributable subset of intellectual property for the artificial intelligence (AI) era. Designed to support the growing needs of AI, the creator economy, and digital rights management, Story enables ownership that is secure, scalable, and easily integrated across blockchain applications. Specifically, Story is designed to make intellectual property, including music, media, personal likeness, and real-world data like video and speech, traceable, enforceable, and monetizable on-chain. By transforming intellectual property and real-world data into fully programmable on-chain assets, Story is laying the foundational infrastructure for the global intellectual property economy, which has been reported to be worth as much as $80 trillion.1

    Although traditional intellectual property systems have served important roles, they can be fragmented, intermediary-dependent, and sometimes struggle to keep pace with the rapid evolution of digital content and AI. Story offers a new perspective designed to meet these emerging challenges. At the core of its architecture is a framework for representing intellectual property as smart contract-enabled non-fungible tokens, embedding licensing logic, attribution rules, and royalty flows, informed by intellectual property law, directly into the assets themselves. This aims to allow creators, companies, and even AI agents to register, remix, and monetize intellectual property compliantly.

    Today, adoption of Story is accelerating, driven by real-world use cases across cultural and technical ecosystems, from major artists and global brands to next-generation AI platforms. With over 1.7 million intellectual property transactions and more than 200,000 monthly users,2 Story is demonstrating growing demand for infrastructure that treats intellectual property as a programmable, on-chain primitive.3 Story also develops original initiatives like Poseidon, which brings real-world data to AI systems, including robots, surgical assistants, and autonomous vehicles. These partnerships and projects reflect the protocol’s broad and transformative potential.

    “Grayscale Story Trust gives investors exposure to a protocol shaping the foundational intellectual property layer for the information and AI era,” said Rayhaneh Sharif-Askary, Head of Product & Research at Grayscale. “That includes not just creative content, but real-world data — the force powering one of today’s most advanced intelligent systems.”

    “This launch marks a significant milestone in bringing programmable intellectual property to institutional markets. Story was designed to support the full lifecycle of intellectual property; from music and media to the real-world datasets that power intelligent systems. The launch of Grayscale Story Trust reflects growing recognition that intellectual property, in all forms, has the potential to become one of the most important assets of the AI era. With $IP now available via a Grayscale Trust, investors can gain exposure to the infrastructure layer that enables programmable licensing and attribution across AI and creative applications,” said SY Lee, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of PIP Labs, an initial core contributor to Story.

    The Trust is now open for daily subscription by eligible individual and institutional accredited investors.* The Trust functions like Grayscale’s other single-asset investment trusts and is solely invested in the $IP token underpinning the Story protocol. For additional information regarding the seeding of the Trust and other ways in which an investment in the Trust might differ from an investment in Grayscale’s other single-asset investment trusts, please refer to the Private Placement Memorandum relating to the Trust.

    This press release is not an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any security in any jurisdiction where such an offer or solicitation would be illegal, nor shall there be any sale of any security in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of that jurisdiction.

    *An accredited investor, as defined in Rule 501(a) of Regulation D under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, is an individual with income over $200,000 ($300,000 with spouse) in each of the past two years, an individual with net worth over $1 million, excluding primary residence, an individual holding certain financial licenses (e.g., Series 7, 65, or 82), or an entity with over $5 million in assets or all equity owners who are accredited.

    Grayscale may attempt to have shares of new products quoted on a secondary market. However, there is no guarantee that Grayscale will be successful. Although the shares of certain products have been approved for trading on a secondary market, investors in the new products should not assume that the shares will ever obtain such an approval due to a variety of factors, including questions regulators, such as the SEC, FINRA, or other regulatory bodies may have regarding such products. As a result, shareholders of such products should be prepared to bear the risk of investment in the shares indefinitely. To date, certain products have not met their investment objective, and the shares of such products quoted on OTC Markets have not reflected the value of the digital assets held by such products, less such products’ expenses and other liabilities, but have instead traded at a premium over such value, which at times has been substantial. There have also been instances where the shares of certain products have traded at a discount.

    Private placement securities are speculative, illiquid, and entail a high level of risk, including the risk that an investor could lose their entire investment. The Story protocol was relatively recently conceived and its particular underlying technological mechanisms may not function as intended, which could have an adverse impact on the value of IP and an investment in the Shares.

    Extreme volatility of trading prices that many digital assets have experienced in recent periods and may continue to experience, could have a material adverse effect on the value of the Trust and the shares could lose all or substantially all of their value.

    [1] According to the World Intellectual Property Organization’s 2025 Global Innovation Index, the estimated value of intangible assets — including intellectual property, data, software, brands, and human capital — held by publicly listed companies worldwide exceeds $80 trillion. Source: WIPO, The Value of Intangible Assets of Corporations (2025).

    [2]Story Blockchain Explorer, as of July 7, 2025

    [3] “On-chain primitive” refers to a foundational building block of blockchain-based systems, like a token or NFT, that is natively programmable and usable within blockchain applications.

    About Grayscale
    Grayscale enables investors to access the digital economy through a family of future-forward investment products. Founded in 2013, Grayscale has a decade-long track record and deep expertise as a digital asset-focused investment platform. Investors, advisors, and allocators turn to Grayscale for single asset, diversified, and thematic exposure. For more information, please follow @Grayscale or visit grayscale.com.

    Media Contact
    press@grayscale.com

    Client Contact
    866-775-0313
    info@grayscale.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Epiq Billing Services Transforms Legal Billing Process at Am Law 100 Firm

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, July 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Epiq announced today a new partnership with an Am Law 100 firm to provide Epiq Billing Solutions — the premier, reliable, secure solution to stabilize cash flow, reduce costs, and improve overall efficiency.

    Epiq delivers end-to-end billing solutions designed specifically for the complex needs of law firms to enhance financial operations and accelerate cash flow. By leveraging deep expertise across major billing platforms, such as 3E/Elite, Aderant, BillBlast, LawPay, InTapp Billstream, Collaborati, eBilllingHub, CounselLink, and Tymetrix, Epiq is able to proactively resolve invoice rejections, streamline workflows, and deliver measurable results.

    “Partnering with Epiq underscores our dedication to legal innovation so that we can elevate efficiency and output while maintaining the high standards our clients expect,” said the firm’s Chief Financial Officer. “Epiq has a proven track record in driving process improvement in the legal billing space. The support provided by Epiq is strengthening our ability to overcome challenges in tracking billable hours while boosting productivity and ensuring compliance with complex billing guidelines.”

    Leveraging Epiq subject matter experts well-versed in common law firm applications and supported technological processes, including AI, law firms are now able to realize faster turnaround times, quicker invoice generation, reduced invoice errors, and improved cash flow. Epiq Billing Solutions is a proprietary billing solution where Epiq clients can expect to expedite:

    • AP/AR tasks
    • Time entry
    • Invoicing 
    • Expense reporting 
    • Pre-billing
    • Rejected invoice management 
    • Outside Counsel Guidelines (OCG) billing process 

    Services are provided by talented billing experts in Epiq Global Resource Centers, which provide 24/7/365 administrative and middle office support to some of the largest global organizations across the legal, financial, and corporate sectors.

    “Our highly skilled billing specialists don’t just respond to errors, they proactively identify patterns and streamline processes across all major legal billing systems,” said Michelle Connolly, Senior Vice President of the Global Business Transformation Solutions business at Epiq. “Firms can now maximize realization rates, invoice faster, and reduce errors and lengthy appeals, ultimately leading to improved efficiency and profitability.”

    Epiq uncovered that the average law firm experiences an 18 percent realization loss due to billing challenges. “This means that nearly one-fifth of billable work is not converted into revenue, negatively impacting a firm’s profitability,” Connolly said. “Even more, 81 percent of firms report having issues with a significant portion of invoices remaining unpaid or delayed, creating real cash flow challenges. These problems – coupled with resource constraints and the need for continuous training – highlight the importance of streamlining billing operations.”

    Epiq routinely works with the top law firms in the world to provide technical expertise and best practices so they can focus on core competencies and more strategic activities. By outsourcing business transformation services, such as billing, marketing and creative services, administrative support, office services, and records and information governance, law firms are able to increase efficiency, improve cost-effectiveness, centralize processes, add scalability, and standardize outputs. 

    About Epiq  
    Epiq, a technology and services leader, takes on large-scale and complex tasks for corporate legal departments, law firms, and business professionals by integrating people, process, technology, and data. Clients rely on Epiq to streamline legal and compliance, settlement, and business administration workflows to drive efficiency, minimize risk, and improve cost savings. With a presence in 18 countries, our values define who we are and how we partner with clients and communities. Learn how the approximately 6,100 Epiq people worldwide create meaningful change at www.epiqglobal.com.    

    Press Contact  
    Carrie Trent  
    Epiq, Senior Director of Corporate Communications and Public Relations  
    Carrie.Trent@epiqglobal.com 

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Two Senior Executives from S&P and the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) join the Diginex team

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LONDON, July 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Diginex Limited (“Diginex” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: DGNX), a leading provider of Sustainability RegTech solutions, is delighted to announce the appointments of Andrew Harling as Chief Commercial Officer and Matthew Rusk as Vice President of Strategic Relationships, Americas, effective immediately. These key additions to the senior team reinforce Diginex’s commitment to accelerating growth and advancing innovation in sustainability worldwide.

    Andrew Harling joins Diginex’s executive team with over 20 years of experience in commercial leadership within the credit, technology, and sustainability sectors. Most recently, he served as Global Head of Sustainability Sales at S&P, where he drove significant revenue growth by delivering tailored ESG solutions to global enterprises. Prior to that, Harling was Chief Revenue Officer at Sustainable Fitch, where he spearheaded strategic initiatives to expand market share in sustainable finance. As Chief Commercial Officer, Harling will lead Diginex’s global commercial strategy, focusing on scaling client acquisition and driving adoption of the company’s cutting-edge sustainability platforms & solutions.

    Matthew Rusk brings extensive expertise in strategic relationship development and sustainability to his role as Vice President of Partnerships in the U.S. Rusk has over 15 years of experience progressing corporate sustainability, most recently as Head of Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) North America, where he built strong relationships with corporations, financial institutions, service providers, NGOs, and policy makers to advance standardized sustainability reporting. In his new role, Rusk will focus on cultivating strategic alliances with key stakeholders to expand Diginex’s ecosystem and enhance its impact in the US market. Matthew’s experience, connections, and expertise make him an invaluable addition to Diginex’s U.S. leadership.

    “Andrew and Matthew bring exceptional expertise and a shared passion for sustainability that align perfectly with Diginex’s mission to empower organizations with transparent, AI-driven ESG solutions,” said Mark Blick, CEO of Diginex. “Their leadership will be instrumental in strengthening our market position and fostering partnerships that drive meaningful change.”

    About Diginex

    Diginex Limited (Nasdaq: DGNX; ISIN KYG286871044), headquartered in London, is a sustainable RegTech business that empowers businesses and governments to streamline ESG, climate, and supply chain data collection and reporting. The Company utilizes blockchain, AI, machine learning and data analysis technology to lead change and increase transparency in corporate regulatory reporting and sustainable finance. Diginex’s products and services solutions enable companies to collect, evaluate and share sustainability data through easy-to-use software. 

    The award-winning diginexESG platform supports 19 global frameworks, including GRI (the “Global Reporting Initiative”), SASB (the “Sustainability Accounting Standards Board”), and TCFD (the “Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures”). Clients benefit from end-to-end support, ranging from materiality assessments and data management to stakeholder engagement, report generation and an ESG Ratings Support Service.

    For more information, please visit the Company’s website:

    https://www.diginex.com/.

    Forward-Looking Statements
    Certain statements in this announcement are forward-looking statements. 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. Investors can identify these forward-looking statements by words or phrases such as “approximates,” “believes,” “hopes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “projects,” “intends,” “plans,” “will,” “would,” “should,” “could,” “may” 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 you that such expectations will turn out to be correct, and 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 disclosed in the Company’s filings with the SEC.

    Diginex
    Investor Relations
    Email: ir@diginex.com

    IR Contact – Europe
    Anna Höffken
    Phone: +49.40.609186.0
    Email: diginex@kirchhoff.de

    IR Contact – US
    Jackson Lin
    Lambert by LLYC
    Phone: +1 (646) 717-4593
    Email: jian.lin@llyc.global

    IR Contact – Asia
    Shelly Cheng
    Strategic Financial Relations Ltd.
    Phone: +852 2864 4857
    Email: sprg_diginex@sprg.com.hk

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: PREPARED REMARKS: Sanders Forces Vote to Stop Arms Sales to Israel Amid Starvation in Gaza

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Vermont – Bernie Sanders

    WASHINGTON, July 30 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today rose to force a vote on two Joint Resolutions of Disapproval (JRDs) to block offensive arms sales to Israel in light of the daily civilian massacres and unfolding famine created by the Netanyahu government’s policies. The JRD is the only formal mechanism available to Congress to prevent an arms sale noticed by the administration from advancing.

    Sanders’ remarks introducing the vote today, as prepared for delivery, are below and can be watched live HERE:

    M. President, let me begin by stating what this debate is about, and what it is not about. It is not about whether anyone in the Senate disagrees that Hamas is a terrorist organization, which began this war with a brutal terrorist attack on October 7, 2023, that killed 1,200 innocent people and took 250 hostages. Everyone agrees with that.

    The International Criminal Court was right to indict the leaders of Hamas as war criminals for those atrocities. There is also, I believe, no disagreement as to whether or not Israel had a right to defend itself, like any other country suffering an attack like that. Clearly, it did.

    And, in a certain sense, this debate is not really about Israel. It is about the United States of America, and whether we will abide by U.S. and international law, or whether we will continue to contribute billions of dollars to an extremist government in Israel, which has caused an unprecedented humanitarian disaster in Gaza. This debate is over whether or not the United States of America will have any moral credibility on the international scene. Whether or not we will be able, with a straight face, to condemn other countries who commit barbaric acts if we don’t stand up tonight. That is what we are debating.

    M. President, the vast majority of the American people and the world community understand that the Netanyahu government in Israel has gone well beyond defending itself from Hamas. Over the last 21 months, it has waged an all-out, illegal, immoral and horrific war of annihilation against the Palestinian people. 

    This war has already killed some 60,000 Palestinians and wounded more than 143,000 — most of whom are women, children and the elderly. In a population of just over two million, more than 200,000 people have been killed or wounded since this war began. That, M. President, is 10% of the population of Gaza. 

    M. President, to put that into scale so we as Americans can understand the enormity of what is happening there, if that kind of destruction happened in the United States — if 10% of our population were killed or wounded in war, it would mean that 34 million of us would have been killed or wounded.

    The toll on Gaza’s children is unspeakable, and it is literally hard to imagine. The United Nations reports that more than 18,000 children have been killed since this war began. Just this morning, the Washington Post published a list of all these children’s names, and I ask that these names be entered into the Congressional Record.

    I should mention that more than 12,000 of these children were under the age of 12, and more than 3,000 children in Gaza have had one or more limbs amputated. That is how this war has impacted the children in Gaza. But it’s not just the horrific loss of life that we are seeing.

    New satellite imagery shows that Israel’s indiscriminate bombardment has destroyed 70% of all structures in Gaza. The UN estimates that 92% of the housing units have been damaged or destroyed. Most of the population is now living in tents or other makeshift structures.

    And let us not forget, over the last 21 months, these people, most of whom are poor, have been displaced time and time again — told to go here, told to go there, moved around with often no possessions other than the clothing on their backs.

    M. President, the health care system in Gaza has been destroyed. Most of the territory’s hospitals and primary health care facilities have been bombed. More than 1,500 health care workers have been killed, as well as 336 UN staff.

    Gaza’s civilian infrastructure has been totally devastated, including almost 90% of water and sanitation facilities. Raw sewage now runs all over Gaza. Most of the roads have been destroyed. Gaza’s educational system has been obliterated. Hundreds of schools have been bombed, as has every single one of Gaza’s 12 universities. And there has been no electricity in Gaza for 21 months. 

    M. President, all of this is a horror unto itself. But in recent months, the Netanyahu government’s extermination of Gaza has made an unspeakable and horrible situation even worse. 

    From March 2 to May 19, Israel did not allow a single shipment of humanitarian aid into Gaza — no food, no water, no fuel and no medical supplies for a distressed population of two million people over a period of 11 weeks. Since then, Israel has allowed a trickle of aid to get into Gaza, but nowhere near enough to meet the enormous needs of a population besieged for so long. 

    M. President, when you cut off all food to a population, what happens is not surprising. People starve to death. And that is exactly what Israeli policy has deliberately done — it is causing mass starvation and famine.

    Children and other vulnerable people are dying in increasing numbers. In the last two weeks, dozens of young children have died from starvation. Starving mothers cannot breastfeed their infants, and no formula is available, and certainly no clean water to make it, in any case. Hospitals have run out of nutritional treatments, and doctors and nurses who are already treating the desperate, they themselves are going hungry and are fainting from hunger. 

    The World Food Programme says that the food crisis has reached “new and astonishing levels of desperation, with a third of the population not eating for multiple days in a row.” 

    Just yesterday, the gold-standard UN-backed food monitoring group, the IPC, issued a new report saying: “The worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out in the Gaza Strip.”  

    When mass death from starvation begins, it is difficult to reverse. Aid groups say it will soon be too late to stop a wave of preventable deaths in Gaza, all of which is the direct result of the Israeli government’s policies. 

    M. President, what I’m going to describe now is gruesome, but I think it is important for us to understand what is happening to the children in Gaza.

    Mark Brauner, an American doctor who spent in two weeks in Gaza in June described the situation: “a lot of the children have already passed the point of no return where their physiology has eroded to the point where even refeeding could potentially cause death itself. The gut lining has started to auto-digest and it will no longer have adequate absorptive capacity for water or for nutrition. Death is unfortunately imminent for probably thousands of children.”

    That’s an American physician who was in Gaza in June.

    M. President, what the extremist Netanyahu government is doing now is not an effort to win a war. There is no military purpose in starving thousands and thousands of children. Let us be clear: This is not an effort to win a war, this is an effort to destroy a people.

    Having already killed or wounded more than 200,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, the extremist Israeli government is using mass starvation to engineer the ethnic cleansing of Gaza. They are trying to drive a desperate people out of their homeland, to God knows where. 

    This is not my speculation; this what Israeli ministers and officials are saying themselves.

    A few months ago, the Finance Minister vowed that “Gaza will be entirely destroyed.” Just last week, another current Israeli minister said: “All Gaza will be Jewish… the government is pushing for Gaza being wiped out. Thank God, we are wiping out this evil.” Another Likud member of the Knesset and former minister called for “Erasing all of Gaza from the face of the earth.”

    And in the West Bank, we see this agenda being carried out clearly and methodically, with more than 500,000 Israeli settlers now illegally occupying land integral to any future Palestinian state. Earlier this month, the Knesset even approved a non-binding motion in favor of formally annexing the West Bank.

    This slow-motion annexation is backed by violence: Israeli security forces and settler extremists have killed thousands of Palestinians in recent years. Israeli settlers brutally beat a young American to death earlier this month, the seventh American killed in the West Bank since 2022. Despite a demand from President Trump’s ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, no one has been held accountable for these deaths.

    M. President, people around the world are outraged by what is going on in Gaza right now, and countries are increasingly demanding that Netanyahu’s government stop what they are doing.

    France and Canada have said they will recognize a Palestinian state. The United Kingdom has said it will do so, as well, if Israel does not immediately end this war and surge humanitarian aid. And at the UN last month, 149 countries voted for a ceasefire resolution condemning the use of starvation as a weapon of war and demanding an end to Israel’s blockade on humanitarian aid. But it is not just the international community. 

    Just yesterday, Gallup, one of the best polling organizations in our country, released a new poll that shows that just 32% of Americans support Israel’s military action in Gaza, while 60% oppose it. To my Democratic colleagues here in the Senate, I would point out that only 8% of Democrats support this war, and just 25% of independents. And to my Republican colleagues, I would point out that more and more Republicans are beginning to speak out against the atrocities of this war and the fact that billions of billions of taxpayer dollars are going to a government in Israel waging an illegal war. 

    Further, M. President, a recent Economist/YouGov poll shows that just 15% of the American people support increasing military aid to Israel, while 35% support decreasing military aid to Israel or stopping it entirely. Just 8% of Democrats support increasing military aid to Israel. 

    M. President, the American people are haunted by the images coming out of Gaza.

    These are desperate children with pots in their hands, crying, begging for food in order to stay alive. That’s what the American people are seeing every night on TV, on the internet and in the newspapers. These are emaciated children, their bodies, in some cases, barely more than skeletons. The American people are seeing miles and miles of rubble where cities and towns once stood. They are seeing innocent people shot down while they wait on line to get food while they are starving.

    M. President, despite these war crimes, carried out daily in plain view, the United States has provided more than $22 billion for Israel’s military operations since this war began. One estimate, based on Brown University research, calculates that the United States has paid for 70% of the Gaza war. In other words, American taxpayer dollars are being used to starve children, bomb schools, kill civilians and support the cruelty of Netanyahu and his criminal ministers. And that, M. President, is why I have brought these two resolutions of disapproval to block offensive arms sales to Israel. 

    S.J.Res.34 would prohibit the U.S.-taxpayer financed $675.7 million sale of thousands of 1,000-pound bombs and many thousands of JDAM guidance kits.

    And S.J.Res.41 would prohibit the sale of tens of thousands of fully automatic assault rifles.

    These arms sales clearly violate the Foreign Assistance Act and the Arms Export Control Act, which prohibit sending arms to countries that violate international law by killing civilians and blocking humanitarian aid — and very few people doubt that that is exactly what Israel is doing. If you want to obey the law, vote for these resolutions. 

    The rifles in question will go to arm a police force overseen by far-right, extremist minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who has long advocated for the forcible expulsion of Palestinians from the region, who was convicted of support for terrorism by an Israeli court, and who has distributed weapons to violent settlers in the West Bank. Ben-Gvir has formed new police units comprised of extremist settlers and has boasted about how many weapons he has distributed to vigilante settlers in the West Bank. And you want to give him more rifles? That’s what one of these resolutions is about.

    These are rifles the Biden administration held back over fears they would be used by extremist Israeli settlers in the West Bank to terrorize Palestinians and push them from their homes and villages.

    M. President, U.S. taxpayers have spent many, many billions of dollars in support of the racist, extremist Netanyahu government. Enough is enough. 

    Americans want this to end. They do not want to be complicit in an unfolding famine and daily civilian massacres. And we here in Congress tonight have the power to act. No more talks, no more great speeches. But tonight, we have the power to act — the power to force Netanyahu and his extremist government to end this slaughter.

    The time is long overdue for Congress to use the leverage we have — tens of billions in arms and military aid — to demand that Israel end these atrocities.

    At a time when Israeli soldiers are shooting civilians trying to get food aid on a near-daily basis, when extremist settlers are pushing Palestinians from their homes in the West Bank, and when Gaza is witnessing mass starvation as a result of Israeli government policy, the United States should not and must not be providing more weapons to enable these atrocities. 

    M. President, whatever happens tonight, history will condemn those who fail to act in the face of these horrors.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Study tour boom fuels China’s countryside revival

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

    Children draw pictures beside the fields at Yuxin Town of Nanhu District in Jiaxing City, east China’s Zhejiang Province, April 27, 2024. (Xinhua/Lan Hongguang)

    “Traveling thousands of miles is better than reading thousands of books” is a proverb many Chinese parents have faith in, and its sentiment is fueling the rise of study tours, particularly during the ongoing summer vacation in China.

    Integrating educational content with holiday vibes, these tours typically involve visits to prestigious universities, museums and cultural heritage sites.

    And now a shift is underway — parents, schools and travel agencies are turning away from bustling cities and opting for the tranquil countryside when making holiday arrangements for children and teens, aiming to help them broaden their horizons and get close to nature.

    In northeast China, where cornfields stretch far and wide, Ma Zhihai demonstrated how to use stone axes and iron sickles, both traditional farming tools that are unfamiliar to many urbanites, to an attentive study tour group.

    The 62-year-old farmer from Changchun, Jilin Province, works as a part-time guide at a corn museum in his village. With a collection of nearly 10,000 items, the museum often caters to groups of local students.

    “The oldest exhibits date back to dynasties 1,000 years ago,” Ma said, viewing the collections as a living textbook preserving China’s farming culture.

    Ma’s village is among China’s many rural areas that are tapping into the potential of educational tours and opening a new gateway to rural revitalization. Data shows that this booming market neared a scale of 147 billion yuan (20.6 billion U.S. dollars) in 2023 and is projected to hit 242 billion yuan by 2026.

    Featuring wild landscapes, rich histories and folk cultures, China’s rural areas have natural advantages for study field trips.

    “Look, I caught a crab!” a girl exclaimed in a paddy field that is also used for crab breeding. Mud spots on her face marked her triumph and also her study results.

    The field in Zhoujiazhuang, a village in north China’s Hebei Province, allows rice and crabs to coexist, while also serving as a dedicated base for educational tours. Students on the tour were seen planting rice seedlings and taking notes on the ideal water temperature for crab cultivation.

    “It’s so fun. I’m even thinking about raising a crab myself now,” one boy said.

    Attracted by such niche experiences, many of the tourists visiting Zhoujiazhuang are now willing to remain there longer, with overnight stays increasing notably. Ranging from brief snapshot visits to deeper immersion in a slow-paced way of life, rural tourism is gaining new vitality.

    This positive trend is also a result of the progress China’s rural areas have made in their development of infrastructure and living environments. Today, over 90 percent of administrative villages across the country are covered by the 5G network, and more than 300,000 village-level logistics facilities have been put into use.

    Thanks to a government push to stimulate consumption and the country’s efforts to promote comprehensive rural revitalization, a multitude of study tour campsites have sprouted across rural China. By giving full play to local tourism resources, they are emerging as a new form and key driver of rural revitalization.

    In southwest China’s Yunnan Province, a popular tourist destination, travelers are attracted by the opportunity to learn about ceramics, bamboo weaving and ethnic-minority embroidery handicrafts. Meanwhile, in Yudong Village in east China’s Zhejiang Province, which is known for its folk arts, the likes of travelers, artists and farmers sit down together to paint picturesque scenery.

    Rural residents are deeply involved in this wave — and their incomes have increased markedly via sales of specialty foods and the running of guesthouses.

    In a village of Zhongyi Township, southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality, workshops on local dances, tea and desserts have created more than 200 jobs and spawned over 20 derivative products, like noodles and honey beverages, achieving a remarkable 43-percent repurchase rate on multiple e-commerce platforms.

    Zhongyi was once among the poorest towns in Chongqing — its local average annual income was less than 10,000 yuan in 2019.

    Capitalizing on the “tourism-plus-educational-tour” model, Zhongyi recorded 189,000 tourist trips in 2024, generating 9.88 million yuan in revenue — with the average income of locals increasing by 32 percent compared with 2020.

    “We have designed 10 tours involving different routes, transforming Zhongyi into a live-scenario classroom that teaches about bees while representing traditional farming and folk customs,” said Liu Chengyong, an educational tour guide.

    Liu is a native of Zhongyi. In 2020, he returned to his hometown and joined a collective that organizes study tours. He led other young entrepreneurs to tap into the market and design compelling educational programs. Now, the company can handle 1,300 visits each day.

    The transformation of Zhongyi has convinced more young people like Liu to return home and pitch in. Over the past three years, the town has attracted over 100 young entrepreneurs, giving rise to new jobs like “countryside CEO” and study tour guide.

    Young returnees in rural areas also help address the lack of guides and breathe new life into rural revitalization with fresh eyes and business philosophies.

    Ni Shuna, who was born in the 1990s, operates an ecological agricultural company based in a town under the administration of Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang. Seeing the potential of educational tours, Ni’s team designed activities such as fruit picking, orchard tours and starry-night camping, making her company a multi-functional leisure business that integrates catering, entertainment and education.

    “Kids come here to increase their knowledge and broaden their horizons. It’s worthwhile to see their eyes gleam with curiosity and gratification,” Ni said.  

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI: Caliber Sets Date for Second Quarter 2025 Earnings Announcement & Investor Conference Call

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., July 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Caliber (NASDAQ: CWD), a real estate investor, developer, and manager, today announced that it will release its second quarter 2025 financial results after the close of the stock market on Wednesday, August 13, 2025. Management invites all interested parties to its webcast/conference call the same day at 5:00 pm ET to discuss the results.

    Investors and interested parties can access the live earnings call by dialing (800) 715-9871 (domestic) or (646) 307-1963 (international) and ask to join the Caliber call or use conference ID 7312901.

    To listen to the call online, investors can visit the investor relations page of Caliber’s website at https://ir.caliberco.com/. The webcast replay of the conference call will be available on Caliber’s website shortly after the call concludes.

    Additional details:
    The news release and presentation materials will also be available on the Investor Relations site under “Financial Results”.

    About Caliber (CaliberCos Inc.)
    With over $2.9 billion in Managed Assets, Caliber’s 16-year track record of managing and developing real estate is built on a singular goal: to make money in all market conditions, specializing in hospitality, multi-family residential, and multi-tenant industrial. Our growth is fueled by performance and a key competitive advantage: we invest in projects, strategies, and geographies that global real estate institutions often overlook. Integral to this advantage is our in-house shared services group, which gives Caliber greater control over our real estate and enhanced visibility into future investment opportunities. There are multiple ways to participate in Caliber’s success: invest in Nasdaq-listed CaliberCos Inc. and/or invest directly in our Private Funds.

    Forward-Looking Statements
    This press release contains “forward-looking statements” that are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, contained in this press release are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release may be identified by the use of words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “contemplate,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “seek,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “target,” “aim,” “should,” “will” “would,” or the negative of these words or other similar expressions, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. Forward-looking statements are based on the Company’s current expectations and are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Further, certain forward-looking statements are based on assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be accurate. These and other risks and uncertainties are described more fully in the section titled “Risk Factors” in the final prospectus related to the Company’s public offering filed with the SEC and other reports filed with the SEC thereafter. Forward-looking statements contained in this announcement are made as of this date, and the Company undertakes no duty to update such information except as required under applicable law.

    CONTACTS:
    Caliber Investor Relations:
    Ilya Grozovsky
    +1 480-214-1915
    Ilya@CaliberCo.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Grief is the Thing with Feathers comes to the stage with a glorious intensity of purpose

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Huw Griffiths, Associate Professor of English Literature, University of Sydney

    Brett Boardman/Belvoir

    The idea of the titular Crow in Ted Hughes’ poems is wild, untameable and irreducible to words. In an early poem in the sequence, words come at Crow from all angles but he just ignores them. Finally, “Words retreated, suddenly afraid / Into the skull of a dead jester / Taking the whole world with them”.

    Crow just yawns: “long ago / He had picked that skull empty”. A figure that is ancient and beyond the reach of gods or human belief systems, Hughes’ Crow resists ever being pinned down or fully understood.

    In Max Porter’s 2015 novella, Grief is the Thing with Feathers, a version of Hughes’ Crow enters the life of a bereaved Dad, newly left to look after his two sons after the death of his wife.

    Dad is a literary scholar, writing a book about Ted Hughes, and Crow is a metaphor come to life, some version of the endless grief through which he is living.

    But Porter’s Crow is not quite the same thing as Hughes’ irredeemable half-myth/half-beast. This crow cares: “I do eat baby rabbits, plunder nests, swallow filth, cheat death […] But I care, deeply. I find humans dull except in grief”. And he is self-aware, too – aware that Hughes’ mythical beast image can also just be a performance, a piece of schtick: “I do this, perform some unbound crow stuff, for him”.

    Now, a new adaptation of the novella brings the story to the Belvoir stage.

    Devastation and renewal

    Toby Schmitz as both Dad and Crow is just brilliant. He exactly captures the messy contradictions of this situation, shifting between the quiet melancholy and stifled rage of the widower and the restless, contradictory energies of Crow.

    The latter he performs in recognisable Schmitz fashion: a leery and mischievous outsider, challenging the audience and holding their attention just as much as he teases, taunts and cajoles both Dad and his two sons.

    His performance brings out the humour of Porter’s book, the sense of its own absurdity that shadows his story of devastation and tentative renewal.

    Toby Schmitz as both Dad and Crow is just brilliant.
    Brett Boardman/Belvoir

    Also on stage are Philip Lynch and Fraser Morrison as the two boys, doing a great job (as the characters do in Porter’s book) of providing an emotional antidote to the wheeling terror that sometimes spins off Dad’s encounter with Crow.

    Schmitz adapted the book with director, Simon Phillips, and designer, Nick Schlieper. They have only very subtly altered the text in ways that enable a dynamic live performance, conversations between Dad, Crow and Boys.

    Tying the piece together are compelling video direction and live music. The former is genuinely exciting, as it etches the presence of Crow’s mythology across the stage, aided by Craig Wilkinson’s work as illustrator, clearly taking inspiration from Hughes’ original illustrator, Leonard Baskin. Composer and cellist, Freya Schack-Arnott provides a stunning and emotional soundtrack throughout, at times improvising to the action.

    An intensity of purpose

    Porter’s novel is ten years old this year. It has been ridiculously successful for a slender (114 pages) and apparently unconventional book.

    Seeming to imitate some of the conventions of 20th century modernism (non-linear narratives; stream-of-consciousness; an interplay of myth and reality; shifting perspectives from miniscule detail to grand narrative), it should not have been destined to occupy the best-seller list.

    And, yet, multiple awards later, it remains in regular rotation on the central displays of high street bookstores around the world. It has been adapted for the stage before, in a successful production in London starring Cillian Murphy in 2019, and in a less well-received 2025 film starrring Benedict Cumberbatch.

    Philip Lynch and Fraser Morrison as the two boys provide an emotional antidote.
    Brett Boardman/Belvoir

    It would be easy to dismiss this success as something to do with the aesthetic world within which it situates itself. Careful to use Faber and Faber’s classic font, Albertus (something it shares with the Belvoir production when passages are projected above the stage), the book is an elegant product that advertises its own self-conscious literariness.

    But this assessment would miss the brilliance, the sophistication and the tender power of Porter’s writing, as well as the way that the book has already got there before you.

    Porter plays with his own contemporary taming of older and wilder literary traditions. If Hughes’ Crow has been domesticated in Porter’s use of him (I can’t imagine Hughes’ Crow leaving us with the line, “Just be kind and look out for your brother”), he knows that this sentimentality is now hard-earned and not to be ignored.

    What this production adds to Porter’s beautiful book is an intensity of purpose. This is a gloriously collaborative effort, from theatre makers at the height of their powers, to communicate the beauty that persists through the pain and degradation that life throws at us.

    Grief is the Thing with Feathers is at Belvoir St Theatre, Sydney, until August 24.

    Huw Griffiths 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. Grief is the Thing with Feathers comes to the stage with a glorious intensity of purpose – https://theconversation.com/grief-is-the-thing-with-feathers-comes-to-the-stage-with-a-glorious-intensity-of-purpose-260414

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: On the 60th Anniversary of Medicaid and Medicare, Cortez Masto Blasts Republicans for Gutting the Essential Health Care Programs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto

    FTP for TV stations of her remarks is available here.

    Cortez Masto told the story of a constituent named Hannah whose Type 1 diabetes makes her dependent on Medicaid coverage she may now lose

    Washington, D.C. – To mark the 60th anniversary of Medicaid and Medicare, U.S. Senator Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) took to the Senate floor to call out President Trump and Congressional Republicans for gutting Medicaid in order to pay for a tax giveaway for billionaires.

    Below are her remarks as prepared for delivery:

    Mr. President, as my colleagues have mentioned, today marks 60 years since Medicare and Medicaid were signed into law.

    Democrats and Republicans alike should be celebrating the lives that have been saved as a result of these critical programs. Members of both parties should be sharing stories about Americans who have benefitted from the health care they’ve received thanks to Medicare and Medicaid.

    Unfortunately, today, my Democratic colleagues and I are not celebrating.

    We are angry.

    We’re angry that President Trump lied when he said he would “cherish Medicaid” and that his allies in Congress wouldn’t touch this essential program.

    We’re angry that President Trump and Congressional Republicans slashed nearly $1 trillion from Medicaid so they could hand billionaires a tax cut – and add $4 trillion to our national deficit.

    And, we’re angry that their new law is about to kick 17 million Americans off their health insurance.

    In my home state of Nevada, that means up to 120,000 people will lose their health care.

    100,000 of those Nevadans will lose their access to Medicaid. And another 20,000 Nevadans will lose their affordable health coverage if Republicans continue to refuse to work with Democrats to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits.

    There are a million reasons why this new law gutting Medicaid is terrible for Nevadans and for our country as a whole. But today, I just want to focus on one: Hannah.

    Hannah is a young girl who lives in Nevada, and her parents shared her story with me. Now, I want to share it with you.

    Hannah was diagnosed with a congenital kidney disease while still in utero. The first few years of her life were full of hospital rooms, doctors, and machines trying to keep her alive.

    At just two and a half years old, Hannah underwent a major surgery that finally gave her the opportunity to live like a normal kid. And she did, for a few years.

    But then, at age nine, Hannah fell into a coma. Imagine being her parents, watching completely helpless as your daughter fights something you can’t protect her from.

    Hannah did eventually wake up, but with a new diagnosis: diabetes, a condition nearly 270,000 Nevadans manage every day – not just the disease itself, but the crushing weight of the costs associated with it.

    Over the next two years, Hannah’s parents spent more than $5,000 out-of-pocket because their insurance refused to cover all the costs. Hannah and her family sacrificed so much just to be able to afford medication that would allow Hannah to lead a normal life.

    But just when they thought they would never be able to financially recover, they were able to enroll in Medicaid and receive the support they need to care for Hannah at home.

    Now, Hannah is able to live the life she wants to lead, without the fear of medical debt pulling her family back underwater. I want to read to you what Hannah’s parents wrote me next:

    “But without Medicaid, her insulin would cost more than our mortgage. Let that sink in. The price of the medication keeping my child alive is higher than the roof over her head – even after insurance. How does that make sense? America should be about neighbors caring for neighbors. But instead, we are pushing people with disabilities to the back of the line, treating their lives as less valuable, their futures as an afterthought. I beg you – I beg you – to save Medicaid. Not just for my Hannah, but for every child like her.”

    My Democratic colleagues and I worked hard to save Medicaid. And we tried to reach across the aisle to protect the 17 million Americans just like Hannah who could lose their health insurance because of this bill.

    But President Trump insisted Congressional Republicans pass his tax cut for billionaires, and they did what they were told.

    So now, Hannah and her family, and millions more like them, may be forced back into medical debt.

    And to the proponents of this new law who insist kids like Hannah aren’t the ones they’re targeting to kick off coverage, I’d say they’re either being dishonest, or they simply don’t understand how Medicaid actually works.

    These cuts shrink the entire pot of money states rely on to fund Medicaid. Nevada, and every state in the country, will be forced to stretch fewer dollars to cover everyone. That almost always means tightening eligibility or cutting services, so kids like Hannah end up losing coverage – even if they weren’t the “type” of person Republicans singled out for cuts.

    This is shameful. It’s un-American. We are better than this as a country.

    My Democratic colleagues and I will do everything in our power to restore the health care funding Republicans have gutted.

    And we won’t let them forget what they did.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Defiance Launches DKNX: 2X Leveraged ETF on DraftKings (DKNG)

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MIAMI, July 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Defiance ETFs, a leader in thematic and leveraged exchange-traded funds, today announced the launch of an innovative ETF: The Defiance Daily Target 2X Long DKNG ETF (Ticker: DKNX). This fund provides investors with amplified 2X daily exposure to the performance of DraftKings Inc. (DKNG), empowering retail investors to capitalize on high-growth opportunities in the sports betting and gaming industry without the need for a margin account.

    DKNX seeks to deliver daily investment results, before fees and expenses, of 200% of the daily performance of DraftKings Inc. Through the use of derivatives, including swaps and options, DKNX aims to achieve precise 2X daily leveraged exposure to the underlying stock.

    “DKNX represents Defiance’s continued commitment to pioneering leveraged ETFs that give investors amplified access to high-growth, innovative companies,” said Sylvia Jablonski, CEO of Defiance ETFs. “DraftKings’ leadership in digital sports betting and entertainment makes DKNX a timely addition to our lineup, allowing active investors to pursue targeted growth strategies.”

    Why DraftKings Inc. (DKNG)?

    DraftKings Inc. is a leading digital sports entertainment and gaming company, offering sports betting, daily fantasy sports, and online gaming across regulated markets in the U.S. and beyond. As legalized sports betting expands and consumer engagement accelerates, DraftKings continues to innovate with technology-driven platforms, data analytics, and strategic partnerships.

    An investment in DKNX is not an investment in DraftKings Inc.

    The Fund is not suitable for all investors. The Fund is designed to be utilized only by knowledgeable investors who understand the potential consequences of seeking daily leveraged (2X) investment results, understand the risks associated with the use of leverage, and are willing to monitor their portfolios frequently. The Fund is not intended to be used by, and is not appropriate for, investors who do not intend to actively monitor and manage their portfolios. For periods longer than a single day, the Fund will lose money if the Underlying Security’s performance is flat, and it is possible that the Fund will lose money even if the Underlying Security’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.

    About Defiance
    Founded in 2018, Defiance is at the forefront of ETF innovation. Defiance is a leading ETF issuer specializing in thematic, income, and leveraged ETFs. Our first-mover leveraged single-stock ETFs empower investors to take amplified positions in high-growth companies, providing precise leverage exposure without the need to open a margin account.

    IMPORTANT DISCLOSURES

    The Fund’s investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses must be considered carefully before investing. The prospectus and summary prospectus contain this and other important information about the investment company. Please read carefully before investing. A hard copy of the prospectuses can be requested by calling 833.333.9383.

    Defiance ETFs LLC is the ETF sponsor. The Fund’s investment adviser is Tidal Investments, LLC (“Tidal” or the “Adviser”).

    Investing involves risk. Principal loss is possible. As an ETF, the funds may trade at a premium or discount to NAV. Shares of any ETF are bought and sold at market price (not NAV) and are not individually redeemed from the Fund. A portfolio concentrated in a single industry or country, may be subject to a higher degree of risk.

    There is no guarantee that the Fund’s investment strategy will be properly implemented, and an investor may lose some or all of its investment.

    DKNG Risks. The Funds invest in swap contracts and options that are based on the share prices of DKNG. This subjects the Funds to the risk that the respective share prices decrease. If the share price of DKNG decreases, the Funds will likely lose value and, as a result, the Funds may suffer significant losses. Therefore, as a result of the Funds’ exposure to the values of DKNG, the Funds may also be subject to the following risks:

    Underlying Securities Trading Risk. The trading prices of DKNG may be highly volatile and could continue to be subject to wide fluctuations in response to various factors.

    Underlying Securities Performance Risk. DKNG may fail to meet publicly announced guidelines or other expectations about its business, which could cause its share price to decline.

    Sports Betting and Gaming Industry Risk (DKNX). The sports betting and gaming industry can be significantly affected by regulatory changes, legal developments, taxation, competitive pressures, and consumer behavior shifts.

    Derivatives Risks. The Funds’ derivative investments carry risks such as an imperfect match between the derivative’s performance and its underlying assets, and the potential for loss of principal, which can exceed the initial investment.

    Swap Agreements. The use of swap transactions is a highly specialized activity, which involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions.

    Options Contracts. The use of options contracts involves investment strategies and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions.

    Leverage Risk. As part of the Funds’ principal investment strategy, the Funds will make investments in swap contracts and options. These derivative instruments provide the economic effect of financial leverage by creating additional investment exposure to the Underlying Securities, as well as the potential for greater loss.

    Compounding Risk. The Funds have a single day investment objective, and performance for any other period is the result of compounding daily returns for each trading day. The effects of compounding will likely cause the performance of a Fund to be either greater than or less than the Underlying Security’s performance times the stated multiple in the Fund’s investment objective, before accounting for fees and fund expenses.

    High Portfolio Turnover Risk. A high portfolio turnover rate increases transaction costs, which may increase the Funds’ expenses and reduce performance. Frequent trading may also cause adverse tax consequences for investors in the Funds due to an increase in short-term capital gains.

    Non-Diversification Risk. Because the Funds are non-diversified, they may invest a greater percentage of their assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if they were diversified funds.

    Single Issuer Risk. Issuer-specific attributes may cause an investment in the Fund to be more volatile than a traditional pooled investment which diversifies risk of the market generally. The value of the Fund, which focuses on an individual security, may be more volatile than a traditional pooled investment or the market as a whole and may perform differently from the value of a traditional pooled investment or the market as a whole. Additionally, the Fund will seek to employ its investment strategy as it relates to the underlying issuer regardless of whether there are significant corporate actions such as restructurings, enforcement activity, or acquisitions or periods of adverse market, economic, or other conditions and will not seek to take temporary defensive positions during such periods.

    New Fund Risk. As newly formed funds, they have no operating history, providing a limited basis for investors to assess performance or management.

    Brokerage commissions may be charged on trades.

    Distributed by Foreside Fund Services, LLC.

    David Hanono, info@defianceetfs.com, 833.333.9383

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7fb250b6-cfe3-4d2b-9e44-2ad670c59bb4

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: ING posts 2Q2025 net result of €1,675 million, with strong growth in lending volumes and fee income

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ING posts 2Q2025 net result of €1,675 million, with strong growth in lending volumes and fee income

     
    2Q2025 profit before tax of €2,369 million with a CET1 ratio of 13.3%
    • Well on track to reach our targets, one year into our ‘Growing the difference’ strategy
    • Continued strong increase in mobile primary customers of over 300,000 to 14.9 million
    • Resilient total income, supported by higher customer balances, with particularly strong growth of our mortgage portfolio
    • Further growth in fee income in both Retail and Wholesale Banking, up 12% year-on-year
    • ING will pay an interim cash dividend of €0.35 per ordinary share
     

    CEO statement
    “During the second quarter of 2025, we have continued to successfully execute our strategy, which we set out one year ago, by accelerating growth, increasing impact and delivering value,” said Steven van Rijswijk, CEO of ING. “The quarter started with heightened market volatility, as well as macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainty, which still continue to this day. In that context, we are pleased that our customer base has shown significant growth and that our volumes have increased as we further diversified our income streams, with fees now making up almost 20% of our total income. We are well on track to reach our financial targets for 2027.

    “We have seen continued commercial momentum, with significant core lending growth, continued strong deposit gathering and a double-digit increase in fee income. Commercial NII declined year-on-year due to margin pressure and currency fluctuations, leaving total income stable.

    “In Retail Banking, we have gained over 300,000 mobile primary customers during the quarter, and 1.1 million, or 8% growth, year-on-year, with Germany, Spain, Italy, and Romania leading this growth. Net core lending growth has reached a quarterly record of €11.3 billion, including €7.2 billion in mortgages, mainly in the Netherlands, Australia and Germany, and €3.2 billion in Business Banking, driven by higher loan demand from our SME clients. We have attracted €8.9 billion in net customer deposits, partly from seasonal holiday allowances, and achieved a 12% increase year-on-year in retail fee income, primarily from higher investment activity.

    “In Wholesale Banking, net core lending growth was €4.1 billion, driven by strong momentum in Working Capital Solutions and in short-term trade-related financing. Demand for long-term corporate loans has remained subdued due to economic uncertainty, which impacted total income. Fee income has risen 12% year-on-year, driven by Lending, Global Capital Markets and Payments & Cash Management.

    “Costs have developed as expected, increasing moderately year-on-year. Prudent expense management remains a priority and the impact of inflation and investments was partly offset by efficiency measures. As part of this, we are making ongoing improvements to our KYC processes and we have announced the restructuring of our Wholesale Banking workforce, while continuing to invest in our commercial and product capabilities in both Retail and Wholesale Banking.

    “Risk costs were below our through-the-cycle average, reflecting the quality of our loan portfolio. Our CET1 ratio was 13.3%, including the impact of the share buyback programme, which was announced in May 2025 and is well underway. Our 4-quarter rolling average return on equity came out at 12.7%.

    “We continue to find ways to support our customers on their journeys to net zero. We have increased our sustainable volume mobilised to €67.8 billion for the first half of 2025, a 19% increase compared to the first half of 2024. In the Netherlands, we have introduced a new mortgage pricing model tied to energy labels that offers lower interest rates when eligible customers improve the energy label for their homes.

    “We are pleased with our results during a volatile first half of 2025. Although macroeconomic conditions remain challenging we are confident that our strategy sets us on course to become the best European bank and deliver on our targets. I want to thank our customers and clients for their continued trust in us and our employees for their continued dedication.”
     
    Further information
    All publications related to ING’s 2Q 2025 results can be found at the quarterly results page on ING.com.
    For more on investor information, go to www.ing.com/investors.

    A short ING ON AIR video with CEO Steven van Rijswijk discussing our 2Q 2025 results is available on Youtube.
    For further information on ING, please visit www.ing.com. Frequent news updates can be found in the Newsroom or via the @ING_news feed on X. Photos of ING operations, buildings and our executives are available for download at Flickr.
     
    Investor conference call and webcast
    Steven van Rijswijk, Tanate Phutrakul and Ljiljana Čortan will discuss the results in an Investor conference call on 31 July 2025 at 9:00 a.m. CET. Members of the investment community can join the conference call at +31 20 708 5074 (NL), or +44 330 551 0202 (UK) (registration required via invitation) and via live audio webcast at www.ing.com.
     
    Investor enquiries
    E: investor.relations@ing.com

    Press enquiries
    T: +31 20 576 5000
    E: media.relations@ing.com
     
     

    ING PROFILE 
    ING is a global financial institution with a strong European base, offering banking services through its operating company ING Bank. The purpose of ING Bank is: empowering people to stay a step ahead in life and in business. ING Bank’s more than 60,000 employees offer retail and wholesale banking services to customers in over 100 countries. 

    ING Group shares are listed on the exchanges of Amsterdam (INGA NA, INGA.AS), Brussels and on the New York Stock Exchange (ADRs: ING US, ING.N). 

    ING aims to put sustainability at the heart of what we do. Our policies and actions are assessed by independent research and ratings providers, which give updates on them annually. ING’s ESG rating by MSCI was reconfirmed by MSCI as ‘AA’ in August 2024 for the fifth year. As of June 2025, in Sustainalytics’ view, ING’s management of ESG material risk is ‘Strong’ with an ESG risk rating of 18.0 (low risk). ING Group shares are also included in major sustainability and ESG index products of leading providers. Here are some examples: Euronext, STOXX, Morningstar and FTSE Russell. Society is transitioning to a low-carbon economy. So are our clients, and so is ING. We finance a lot of sustainable activities, but we still finance more that’s not. Follow our progress on ing.com/climate.

    IMPORTANT LEGAL INFORMATION
    Elements of this press release contain or may contain information about ING Groep N.V. and/ or ING Bank N.V. within the meaning of Article 7(1) to (4) of EU Regulation No 596/2014 (‘Market Abuse Regulation’). 

    ING Group’s annual accounts are prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards as adopted by the European Union (‘IFRS- EU’). In preparing the financial information in this document, except as described otherwise, the same accounting principles are applied as in the 2024 ING Group consolidated annual accounts. All figures in this document are unaudited. Small differences are possible in the tables due to rounding. 

    Certain of the statements contained herein are not historical facts, including, without limitation, certain statements made of future expectations and other forward-looking statements that are based on management’s current views and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. Actual results, performance or events may differ materially from those in such statements due to a number of factors, including, without limitation: (1) changes in general economic conditions and customer behaviour, in particular economic conditions in ING’s core markets, including changes affecting currency exchange rates and the regional and global economic impact of the invasion of Russia into Ukraine and related international response measures (2) changes affecting interest rate levels (3) any default of a major market participant and related market disruption (4) changes in performance of financial markets, including in Europe and developing markets (5) fiscal uncertainty in Europe and the United States (6) discontinuation of or changes in ‘benchmark’ indices (7) inflation and deflation in our principal markets (8) changes in conditions in the credit and capital markets generally, including changes in borrower and counterparty creditworthiness (9) failures of banks falling under the scope of state compensation schemes (10) non-compliance with or changes in laws and regulations, including those concerning financial services, financial economic crimes and tax laws, and the interpretation and application thereof (11) geopolitical risks, political instabilities and policies and actions of governmental and regulatory authorities, including in connection with the invasion of Russia into Ukraine and the related international response measures (12) legal and regulatory risks in certain countries with less developed legal and regulatory frameworks (13) prudential supervision and regulations, including in relation to stress tests and regulatory restrictions on dividends and distributions (also among members of the group) (14) ING’s ability to meet minimum capital and other prudential regulatory requirements (15) changes in regulation of US commodities and derivatives businesses of ING and its customers (16) application of bank recovery and resolution regimes, including write down and conversion powers in relation to our securities (17) outcome of current and future litigation, enforcement proceedings, investigations or other regulatory actions, including claims by customers or stakeholders who feel misled or treated unfairly, and other conduct issues (18) changes in tax laws and regulations and risks of non-compliance or investigation in connection with tax laws, including FATCA (19) operational and IT risks, such as system disruptions or failures, breaches of security, cyber-attacks, human error, changes in operational practices or inadequate controls including in respect of third parties with which we do business and including any risks as a result of incomplete, inaccurate, or otherwise flawed outputs from the algorithms and data sets utilized in artificial intelligence (20) risks and challenges related to cybercrime including the effects of cyberattacks and changes in legislation and regulation related to cybersecurity and data privacy, including such risks and challenges as a consequence of the use of emerging technologies, such as advanced forms of artificial intelligence and quantum computing (21) changes in general competitive factors, including ability to increase or maintain market share (22) inability to protect our intellectual property and infringement claims by third parties (23) inability of counterparties to meet financial obligations or ability to enforce rights against such counterparties (24) changes in credit ratings (25) business, operational, regulatory, reputation, transition and other risks and challenges in connection with climate change, diversity, equity and inclusion and other ESG-related matters, including data gathering and reporting and also including managing the conflicting laws and requirements of governments, regulators and authorities with respect to these topics (26) inability to attract and retain key personnel (27) future liabilities under defined benefit retirement plans (28) failure to manage business risks, including in connection with use of models, use of derivatives, or maintaining appropriate policies and guidelines (29) changes in capital and credit markets, including interbank funding, as well as customer deposits, which provide the liquidity and capital required to fund our operations, and (30) the other risks and uncertainties detailed in the most recent annual report of ING Groep N.V. (including the Risk Factors contained therein) and ING’s more recent disclosures, including press releases, which are available on www.ING.com. 

    This document may contain ESG-related material that has been prepared by ING on the basis of publicly available information, internally developed data and other third-party sources believed to be reliable. ING has not sought to independently verify information obtained from public and third-party sources and makes no representations or warranties as to accuracy, completeness, reasonableness or reliability of such information. 

    Materiality, as used in the context of ESG, is distinct from, and should not be confused with, such term as defined in the Market Abuse Regulation or as defined for Securities and Exchange Commission (‘SEC’) reporting purposes. Any issues identified as material for purposes of ESG in this document are therefore not necessarily material as defined in the Market Abuse Regulation or for SEC reporting purposes. In addition, there is currently no single, globally recognized set of accepted definitions in assessing whether activities are “green” or “sustainable.” Without limiting any of the statements contained herein, we make no representation or warranty as to whether any of our securities constitutes a green or sustainable security or conforms to present or future investor expectations or objectives for green or sustainable investing. For information on characteristics of a security, use of proceeds, a description of applicable project(s) and/or any other relevant information, please reference the offering documents for such security. 

    This document may contain inactive textual addresses to internet websites operated by us and third parties. Reference to such websites is made for information purposes only, and information found at such websites is not incorporated by reference into this document. ING does not make any representation or warranty with respect to the accuracy or completeness of, or take any responsibility for, any information found at any websites operated by third parties. ING specifically disclaims any liability with respect to any information found at websites operated by third parties. ING cannot guarantee that websites operated by third parties remain available following the publication of this document, or that any information found at such websites will not change following the filing of this document. Many of those factors are beyond ING’s control. 

    Any forward-looking statements made by or on behalf of ING speak only as of the date they are made, and ING assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information or for any other reason. 

    This document does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to purchase, any securities in the United States or any other jurisdiction.

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    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: EfTEN Real Estate Fund AS unaudited results for 2nd quarter and 1st half-year 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Fund Manager’s Commentary

    In Q2 2025, the Baltic commercial real estate market continued to reflect similar trends as in previous quarters. Transaction activity remained very low, primarily due to a lack of equity capital, and modest economic growth did not bring new major tenants to the market. On a positive side, the decline in EURIBOR continued, resulting in reduced borrowing costs.

    Despite intense competition in the tenant market, EfTEN Real Estate Fund AS managed to decrease portfolio’s vacancy by 0.7 percentage points during the quarter, down to 3.7%. New tenants were added in the retail segment, and after a long pause, the first faintly positive signs were also observed in the Estonian office segment. On the other hand, the high volume of new developments in recent years continues to pressure the Vilnius office market. In Q2, the Paemurru logistics center within the fund’s portfolio was completed, and construction of Block C at the Valkla elderly home was finalized. As a result, the fund’s sales revenue increased by 4.5% compared to Q1 and by 3.1% year-on-year.

    The fund’s subsidiaries have floating interest rate bank loans. With the rapid decline in EURIBOR, interest expenses have decreased significantly. However, euro interest rates have now reached a level where further substantial decrease is unlikely. In this context, the fund has started fixing interest rates—one subsidiary entered into an interest rate swap agreement in June with a nominal value of €11.6 million at a rate of 1.995%. Given favourable swap terms, the fund plans to continue fixing interest rates for up to half of its loan portfolio.

    Financial Performance Overview

    EfTEN Real Estate Fund AS earned consolidated sales revenue of €8.210 million for Q2 2025 (Q2 2024: €7.957 million), and consolidated revenue for H1 2025 was €16.068 million (H1 2024: €15.918 million). This represents a 3.1% year-on-year increase for Q2 and a 1.0% increase for H1. Revenue increase was primarily driven by new investments in the logistics and elderly care sectors.

    The fund’s consolidated net operating income (NOI) for H1 2025 was €14.845 million (H1 2024: €14.781 million), reflecting a 0.4% increase. The NOI margin was 92% in H1 (2024: 93%), indicating that direct property-related costs (including land tax, insurance, maintenance and improvement works), along with marketing expenses, accounted for 8% of the fund’s revenue (2024: 7%).

    In Q2 2025, the fund earned a consolidated net profit of €4.025 million (Q2 2024: €2.442 million). The increase in net profit was primarily due to the positive change in the fair value of investment properties, which amounted to €546 thousand in June 2025, compared to a revaluation loss of €1.454 million in the same period in 2024. Additionally, the decrease in interest expenses resulting from the decline in EURIBOR had a positive impact on quarterly net profit—interest costs totalled €1.697 million in Q2 2025, down from €2.237 million a year earlier.

    The consolidated net profit for H1 2025 was €8.192 million (H1 2024: €6.250 million). Interest expenses decreased by €973 thousand, or 22%, year-on-year.

    As of 30 June 2025, the Group’s total assets amounted to €399.517 million (31 December 2024: €398.763 million), of which the fair value of investment properties accounted for 95.6% (31 December 2024: 93.7%).
     

    Real estate portfolio

    As of 30 June 2025, the Group held 37 (31 December 2024: 36) commercial real estate investments with a fair value of €382.018 million (31 December 2024: €373.815 million) and an acquisition cost of €378.218 million (31 December 2024: €370.561 million). In addition to the investment properties owned by the fund’s subsidiaries, the Group also holds a 50% interest in a joint venture that owns the Palace Hotel in Tallinn, with a fair value of €8.630 million as of 30 June 2025 (31 December 2024: €8.630 million).

    In the first half of 2025, the Group invested a total of €7.657 million in both new properties and the development of the existing real estate portfolio.

    In March, the Group’s subsidiary EfTEN Hiiu OÜ acquired a property located at Hiiu 42 in Tallinn for €4 million. Under an existing lease agreement, the North Estonia Medical Centre Foundation continues to occupy part of the property, while a long-term (10 + 10 years) lease was signed for the remaining space with Hiiu Südamekodu OÜ, a company within the Südamekodud AS group. In cooperation with the tenant and Südamekodud AS, the building will be partially redeveloped into a general elderly home called “Nõmme Südamekodu,” which will eventually accommodate up to 170 residents.

    In H1 2025, construction of Block C at the Valkla care home was completed, and phase II construction began at the Ermi elderly home in Tartu.

    In April 2025, the Paemurru logistics center—acquired in autumn of the previous year—was completed, with an additional €1.743 million invested in the property during the first half of the year.

    In the first six months of 2025, the Group earned a total of €15.571 million in rental income, representing a 1% increase compared to the same period in 2024.

    As of 30 June 2025, the vacancy rate for the Group’s investment properties stood at 3.7% (31 December 2024: 2.6%). The highest vacancy was in the office segment at 16.2%, where leasing of vacant space has taken longer than in previous periods. Compared to the end of last year, the most notable increase in vacancy occurred in the office building at Pärnu mnt 102 in Tallinn, where an additional 2.2 thousand sqm of space became vacant.

    EfTEN Real Estate Fund AS conducts regular valuations of its investment properties twice a year—as of 30 June and 31 December. Based on the valuations carried out by Colliers International in June 2025, the fair value of the investment properties increased by 0.1%, resulting in a revaluation gain of €0.5 million for the fund.

    Financing

    In April 2025, subsidiaries of EfTEN Real Estate Fund AS increased their total bank loan commitments by €7.32 million, reflecting improved financial capacity. Additionally, bank financing totalling €2.67 million was used in the first half of the year for the construction of the Valkla elderly home and the Paemurru logistics center. In April, the fund’s subsidiary EfTEN Hiiu OÜ entered into a loan agreement of €3.25 million to finance the redevelopment of the building at Hiiu 42. As of the end of June, this loan had not yet been drawn down.

    Over the next 12 months, loan agreements of eleven subsidiaries will mature, with a total outstanding balance of €40.641 million as of 30 June 2025. The LTV (Loan-to-Value) ratios of these maturing loans range from 37% to 46%, and the related investment properties generate stable rental cash flows. Therefore, management of the Fund does not foresee any obstacles to refinancing.

    As of 30 June 2025, the Group’s weighted average interest rate on loan agreements was 3.95% (31 December 2024: 4.89%), and the overall LTV stood at 41% (31 December 2024: 40%). All loan agreements of the fund’s subsidiaries are based on floating interest rates. To mitigate interest rate risk, one of the Group’s subsidiaries entered into an interest rate swap agreement in June 2025 with a notional amount of €11.6 million, fixing the 1-month EURIBOR at 1.995%.

    As of 30 June 2025, the fund’s interest coverage ratio (ICR) was 3.7 (30 June 2024: 2.9), with the improvement primarily driven by the decrease in EURIBOR.


    Share information

    As of 30 June 2025, the registered share capital of EfTEN Real Estate Fund AS was €114,403 thousand (31 December 2024: unchanged). The share capital consisted of 11,440,340 shares (31 December 2024: unchanged), each with a nominal value of €10 (31 December 2024: unchanged).

    The net asset value (NAV) per share of EfTEN Real Estate Fund AS was €19.98 as of 30 June 2025 (31 December 2024: €20.37), reflecting a 1.9% decrease during the first half of 2025. Excluding dividend distributions, the fund’s NAV would have increased by 4.1% over the same period.

    As of 30 June 2025, 32.18% of the shares belonged to the fund’s board and management members and persons associated with them.

    CONSOLIDATED STATEMEMT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME 

        2nd quarter 6 months
        2025 2024 2025 2024
    € thousands          
    Sales revenue   8 210 7 957 16 068 15 918
    Cost of services sold   -389 -341 -895 -759
    Gross profit   7 821 7 616 15 173 15 159
               
    Marketing costs   -187 -178 -328 -378
    General and administrative expenses   -941 -880 -1 947 -1 819
    Profit / loss from investment properties fair value changes   546 -1 454 546 -1 454
    Other operating income and expense   15 44 -22 86
    Operating profit   7 254 5 148 13 422 11 594
               
    Profit/-loss from joint ventures   87 -204 29 -254
    Interest income   35 64 118 165
    Other finance income and expense   -1 739 -2 238 -3 542 -4 473
    Profit before income tax   5 637 2 770 10 027 7 032
               
    Income tax expense   -1 612 -328 -1 835 -782
    Net profit of the financial year   4025 2442 8 192 6 250
    Total comprehensive income for the period   4 025 2 442 8 192 6 250
    Earnings per share          
    – basic   0,35 0,23 0,72 0,58
    – diluted   0,35 0,23 0,72 0,58

    CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION 
                    

        30.06.2025 31.12.2024
    € thousands      
    ASSETS      
    Cash and cash equivalents   13 449 18 415
    Short-term deposits   0 2 092
    Receivables and accrued income   1 671 2 055
    Prepaid expenses   137 138
    Total current assets   15 257 22 700
           
    Long-term receivables   133 154
    Shares in joint ventures   1 989 1 960
    Investment property   382 018 373 815
    Property, plant and equipment   120 134
    Total non-current assets   384 260 376 063
    TOTAL ASSETS   399 517 398 763
           
    LIABILITIES AND EQUITY      
    Borrowings   45 418 30 300
    Derivatives   42 0
    Liabilities and prepayments   2 705 3 245
    Total current liabilities   48 165 33 545
           
    Borrowings   110 688 119 120
    Other long-term liabilities   2 090 1 928
    Deferred income tax liability   10 008 11 097
    Total non-current liabilities   122 786 132 145
    TOTAL LIABILITIES   170 951 165 690
           
    Share capital   114 403 114 403
    Share premium   90 306 90 306
    Statutory reserve capital   4 156 2 799
    Retained earnings   19 701 25 565
    TOTAL EQUITY   228 566 233 073
    TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY   399 517 398 763

    Marilin Hein
    CFO
    Phone +372 6559 515
    E-mail: marilin.hein@eften.ee

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    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Cultural programme announced for Japan Week in Manchester this September

    Source: City of Manchester

    The programme has been announced for a fantastic free cultural festival this September that will see a six-day Japanese culture takeover of Manchester as part of Japan Week 2025.

    The festival is being held in Manchester from 4 – 9 September after the city was chosen by the International Friendship Foundation as host city for the prestigious annual Japan Week event, that takes place each year in a different world city. 
    First held in Florence and after that in other major cities around the globe including Seville, Boston, and Athens, this year’s festival in Manchester promises to be extra special as 2025 marks the 50th anniversary of the event that first took place in 1975.

    The annual festival showcases traditional and contemporary Japanese culture through arts, music, fashion and sports, and will see a whole host of activities taking place at venues right across the city – all of them free to attend on a first come, first served basis, although some activities will require free-of-charge tickets to be booked in advance.

    Through a diverse range of events, workshops, exhibitions and interactive experiences, hosted at iconic venues across the city, the festival promises a glimpse into the beauty and uniqueness of Japanese arts, traditions and more.

    From traditional tea ceremonies and calligraphy, to music, arts and grass roots cultural exchange, there will be something for people of all ages to enjoy and appreciate.

    The programme includes theatre and stage performances at HOME, traditional tea ceremonies at Manchester Museum, workshops, exhibitions and demonstrations at Aviva Studios and Manchester Central Library, plus a full day of activity with the Hallé showcasing the Hallé Youth Orchestra, Japan Archives, and Japanese instruments.

    The week also includes the first UK performance of BLOOM – a brand-new production that fuses music, fashion and dance in a unique celebration of Greater Manchester’s contemporary creative scene.  It has been created by composer and DJ Afrodeutsche, dance company Company Chameleon, and queer-led fashion brand Belladonis.  The live performance will also feature a string ensemble from the world-renowned Hallé orchestra, including virtuosa violinist Roberto Ruisi.

    Centred on the theme of metamorphosis and change, BLOOM was created as a unique gift from Greater Manchester to Japan, marking a landmark year of cultural exchange between the two regions – with its debut performance taking place at EXPO Osaka back in June, ahead of performances in Manchester during Japan Week.

    Away from central Manchester local community venues in the north and south of the city will also be hosting Japan Week activity with plans currently being finalised for activity to take place at Gorton Hub, Wythenshawe Forum, and Abraham Moss Library and Leisure Centre.

    Mr Hiroyuki Ishizaki of the International Friendship Federation, Japan said: “It is a great pleasure to bring artists and performers from across Japan to the wonderful city of Manchester for an extra special programme celebrating the 50th anniversary.” 

    Manchester and the wider city region has a longstanding relationship with Japan, dating back to the 1800s and the industrial revolution, with Japan Week 2025 set to showcase this 200-year history and friendship.

    The city’s bid to host Japan Week came off the back of a successful Greater Manchester trade mission to Osaka and Tokyo in December 2023, led by GMCA Mayor Andy Burnham and Leader of Manchester City Council, Bev Craig.

    The city region’s relationship with Japan has continued to go from strength to strength since then, with a further delegation from Greater Manchester having recently undertaken a follow-up trade mission with partners in Tokyo and Osaka.

    Councillor Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council, said: “Manchester and Japan have historic links, going all the way back to the 1800s, when Japanese students came to Greater Manchester to take home the lessons of industry and our connections have been forged ever since. As a proudly international city, our city has always been shaped by people and businesses who have chosen Manchester to live, to work and to invest in.

    “Culture has an important part to play in this, helping forge a mutual understanding between cities and countries that in turn helps create the right foundations for joint working and for successfully doing business with each other.

    “It is particularly special that Manchester has been chosen to host the landmark 50th celebration of International Japan Week.  

    “The programme of free cultural activity for September will allow people from across the city come and experience these unique events and gain insights into Japanese culture for the week. We are looking forward to hosting an important delegation of Japanese dignitaries, businesses and cultural institutions in our city.”

    The festival is being delivered in partnership with HOME, Aviva Studios, Manchester Central Library, First Street, and Manchester Museum, with activities also taking place at Hallé St Peter’s and esea contemporary in the Northern Quarter.

    Partner quotes:

    Karen O’Neil, CEO of HOME, said: “HOME is honoured to be part of welcoming so many amazing artists from Japan to Manchester for what we are sure will be an exciting week of events and shared experiences. Japan Week clearly shows Manchester’s commitment to being an international city with a thriving cultural sector.”

    John McGrath, Artistic Director and Chief Executive of Factory International, said: “It’s a pleasure to be part of Japan Week as the annual celebration of culture comes to Manchester. Having welcomed the great Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama as the very first person to exhibit in Factory International’s new home at Aviva Studios with You, Me and the Balloons in 2023, we look forward to welcoming more great artists from Japan to the city this September and building cultural ties alongside our partners. Visitors to Aviva Studios will have the opportunity to experience exhibitions, food and drink samplings and workshops showcasing Japanese art, innovation, and tradition.”

    Ciaron Wilkinson, Head of External Relations at Manchester Museum said: “Manchester Museum has a long history of celebrating Japanese cultural heritage so we’re excited to continue building on that tradition and the cherished relationships that come with it. Our own mission is to build understanding between cultures and Japan Week has incredible potential to do just that.”

    Thomas Ingham, Director of Place and Marketing, First Street and Ask Real Estate, said: “First Street and Ask Real Estate have a strong track record of supporting and enabling cultural activations in Manchester. And as First Street marks its 10th birthday this year, we look forward to welcoming guests from all around the world for the 50th anniversary of Japan Week.” 

    David Butcher, Chief Executive, The Hallé, said: “Japan Week is such an exciting opportunity to explore and enjoy cultural exchange in Manchester, and the Hallé is thrilled to be joining partners to deliver something special for the city. As Manchester’s cultural ambassador, international engagement is deeply rooted in our work, and we are looking forward to sharing the results of our most recent collaboration, BLOOM, which premiered at EXPO 2025 in Osaka, marking a new city partnership between Manchester and Osaka. Alongside this performance and much more at Hallé St Peter’s in Ancoats, audiences are in for a treat with such an incredible range of events across the city and we look forward to joining in the celebrations.”

    Xiaowen Zhu, Director of esea contemporary, said: ” ‘From Tokyo to Manchester: Weekend Festival’ reflects our commitment to fostering meaningful cultural dialogue across geographies. As a proud venue partner for the 50th anniversary of Japan Week—supported by Manchester City Council—we are honoured to contribute to this landmark citywide celebration. Through boundary-pushing music, experimental moving image, and shared creative experience, the festival captures the vitality of Japan’s contemporary arts and culture while resonating with Manchester’s spirit of openness, innovation, and inclusivity. It is a joyful invitation to connect—across disciplines, communities, and generations.” 

    Japan Week in Manchester is proudly sponsored by Calbee, Mizkan, Manchester Airport, KAJI, and First Street and Ask Real Estate who have together made the exciting free programme of cultural events possible. 

    Find out more information about what’s on during Japan Week in Manchester and get tickets  

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man who threatened to stab father in rap video sentenced to jail

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    A man has been sentenced to jail for murdering a father in front of his young child in a barbershop in Leyton.

    Josh McKay, 33, was stabbed in the neck by Renai Belle in a targeted attack and died from his injuries at the scene. During the Metropolitan Police investigation, officers discovered a rap video showing Belle threaten Josh before the attack.

    Belle, 30 (20.02.95), of Swaythling Close, Edmonton was sentenced to 26 years and 12 months in prison on Wednesday, 30 July at the Old Bailey. He was previously convicted for Josh’s murder and possession of a knife on Wednesday, 4 June.

    A man and woman were also convicted and sentenced for separate offences.

    Josh’s mother, Bash Kehinde said: “Today’s sentencing changes nothing for me and my family. I will never see my beautiful son. And his two children will now face life without their hero.

    “To all of the mothers of murdered children, I understand your pain, the sadness and sense of loss that is unbearable. It is made worse because it was all so senseless.

    “Josh was a beautiful happy kind man and an active and loving father. The world is less kind, less bright and less funny without him here.”

    Detective Inspector Chris Griffith, from Specialist Crime North, who led the investigation, said: “This was a savage and pre-planned attack, committed in broad daylight and with scant regard for passers-by. What took place left the local community reeling, and two young children without their father.

    “My heart goes out to Josh’s family and friends. He was a loving parent, whose life was ended in the most horrendous way.

    “I hope that today’s result provides Josh’s family with some closure, and allows the community to feel safer knowing that Belle is no longer free to commit such heinous crimes.”

    The court heard that Josh was at a barbershop on Lea Bridge Road with his son on Saturday, 6 July. Around 15:00hrs, as shown on CCTV seized by the investigation team, Belle entered the shop wearing a balaclava where he stabbed Josh in the neck in a pre-meditated attack following a long-standing dispute. Belle was then chased away by Josh.

    Members of the public rushed to Josh’s aid and attempted to provide medical treatment until the arrival of officers and paramedics. Despite their best efforts, Josh died from his injuries.

    A determined investigation began immediately in which officers painstakingly combed through more than 100 hours of CCTV footage to track Belle’s movements and understand what took place.

    Officers discovered that Belle was the passenger in a car being driven by his partner, Tenika Parker. Having seen Josh enter the barbershop, the pair drove to the address of man called Daniel Cooper. In doorbell footage later seized, Cooper was seen providing Belle with the balaclava and knife that would be used minutes later to murder Josh. Belle was then driven back to the barbers nearby before stabbing Josh. He was helped to escape by Parker in the waiting car.

    A manhunt led to the arrest of Belle at an address in Pincott Road, SW19 on Monday 8 July, 2024.

    As part of officers’ determination to further establish a watertight case against Belle, further enquiries led them to discover a rap video on YouTube showing Belle threaten Josh in advance of the attack, more proof that it was pre-planned.

    Parker was initially arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender on Sunday, 7 July in India Dock Road, Poplar. She was stopped by police while driving the car that had been identified as involved in the murder. During a search of Parker’s vehicle, officers found distinct black sliders Belle was seen wearing in CCTV footage, as well as traces of blood that officers sent for forensic testing. This provided a DNA match to Josh. Parker was rearrested on Wednesday, 2 October, and charged with perverting the course of justice after CCTV footage showed her attempting to clean her car after the attack to remove any evidence.

    Cooper was arrested after handing himself in to police on Thursday, 11 July. During a search at Cooper’s property, officers discovered two knives matching the branding of the weapon that was left at the scene of Josh’s murder. Forensic testing on the balaclava and knife discarded by Belle at the scene of Josh’s murder found DNA that matched with Cooper.

    On Wednesday, 4 June, Tenika Parker, 39 (21.02.86), of Canterbury Road, Leytonstone and Daniel Cooper, 22 (20.02.03) of Gosport Road, Leytonstone stood trial alongside Belle.

    Parker was convicted of possession of a knife and perverting the course of justice. On Wednesday, 30 July, she was sentenced at the Old Bailey to 2 years and 3 months years in prison.

    Cooper had previously pleaded guilty to possession of a knife but was acquitted of other offences. He was sentenced on Friday, 6 June for 7.5 months. He has since been released due to time already served.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: WENDEL: 2025 Half-Year Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    2025 Half-Year Results:

    Continued strategic deployment with the

    Asset Management Platform ramp up:

    Wendel Group now manages €45 billion+,
    of which €39 billion of Private Assets under Management
    for third parties

    NAV per share at €167.7 as of June 30, 2025

    Implementation of a semi-annual interim dividend starting in November 2025, with an interim dividend of €1.50

    Taking into account the dividend payment of €4.7, the fully diluted net asset value1per share as of June 30, 2025 is down 2.4% compared to the end of March 2025, and stable at constant exchange rates.

    The strengthening of euro vs US dollar, generated a -€4.7 per share FX effect in Q2. At constant exchange rate, NAV main components evolved as follows:

    • Principal Investments:
      • Listed assets (38% of Gross Asset Value excluding cash): +5.0% vs Q1 2025 thanks to Bureau Veritas, IHS and Tarkett share prices increase
      • Unlisted assets (38% of GAV excl. cash): total value down 4.8% vs Q1 2025, reflecting mainly multiples and aggregates evolution
    • Asset Management activities (22% of GAV excl. cash): total valuation up +9.0% vs Q1 2025, induced by multiples and aggregates evolution

    Principal investments: H1 2025 performance supported by listed companies

    • Positive contribution from the Group’s listed companies, driven by higher share prices over the period
    • Total sales of Group companies up 3.9% organically
    • New CEOs at Crisis Prevention Institute and Scalian

    Asset management: strong momentum in fundraising and revenue growth

    • Wendel Asset Management platform AuM reach close to €39 billion, focused on midmarket. Altogether IK Partners and Monroe Capital have raised c.€4.3 billion of new funds on various strategies over H1 2025, without any sponsor money from Wendel in H1. IK Partners reached its hard caps on its Midcap and Small Cap funds in the first half of 2025, and Monroe Capital raised $4 billion.
    • Management fees totalled €152 million and Fee Related Earnings totalled €59 million, growing more than threefold vs last year, thanks to organic growth and strong scope effects

    Dynamic implementation of new strategic directions

    • Principal Investments: successful Forward Sale of 6.7% of Bureau Veritas’ share capital, at a price of €27.25 per share on March 12, 2025
      • Wendel entered into a call spread transaction to benefit from up to c.15% of the stock price appreciation over the next three years on the equivalent number of shares underlying the Forward Sale Transaction
      • Total net proceeds for Wendel of €750 million
      • Wendel has retained 26.5% of the share capital and 41.2% of the voting rights of Bureau Veritas
    • Asset Management: With Monroe Capital acquisition, Wendel’s third party asset management platform reached €39 billion in AUM2
      • On March 31, 2025, Wendel has invested $1.133 billion to acquire 72% of Monroe Capital’s shares together with rights to c.20% of the carried interest generated on past and future funds

    A more attractive dividend policy for shareholders: introduction of semi-annual interim dividend payments starting in 2025

    • Ordinary dividend of €4.70 per share for 2024, up 17.5% compared to 2023, paid in May 2025, representing a distribution to shareholders of €200 million
    • €1.50 interim dividend to be paid in November 2025
      • In order to reflect the recurring cash flow generated by its dual business model, Wendel has decided to pay an interim dividend of €1.50 in November 2025 for the 2025 financial year corresponding to about one third of the total dividend paid for the previous financial year
      • The balance of the 2025 dividend, will be paid in May 2026, in line with Wendel dividend policy
      • This new interim dividend policy will be recurring

    Strong financial structure and committed to remaining Investment Grade

    • Average debt maturity of 3.1 years with an average cost of 2.4%
    • LTV ratio at 18.5%4 on a pro forma basis
    • On March 31, 2025, S&P revised Wendel outlook to ‘Stable’ from ‘Negative’ on debt reduction and reaffirmed its ‘BBB’ rating

    Consolidated net sales for H1 2025 €4,177.6 million, up +7.2% overall and up +3.9% organically year-to-date

    • Net income from operations, group share down 17.9% at €86.0 million
    • H1 2025 net income (Group share) at €4.3 million impacted by a negative scope effect due to the disposal of Constantia Flexibles (€419m capital gain, group share) in the first half of 2024, while the capital gain related to the forward sale of 6.7% of Bureau Veritas share capital in March 2025 is not accounted in the P&L
    Laurent Mignon, Wendel Group CEO, commented:

    “ With the successful closing of Monroe Capital’s acquisition, Wendel materializes its strategy to grow third-party asset management alongside our principal investment activity.

    With Monroe Capital and IK Partners representing €39 billion of assets under management and €4.3 billion raised in H1 2025, we are building a strong and significant Asset management player generating recurring and predictable income, enhancing significantly Wendel’s value creation profile. IK Partners has closed its Midcap and Small Cap strategies at their hardcaps, finalizing its 2024/2025 fundraising at €6 billion, in line with the ambition announced when it was acquired by Wendel in October 2023. We are actively building a diversified pipeline of high-quality acquisition opportunities to expand our third-party asset management business.

    We actively support the development of our permanent capital portfolio companies in navigating a persistently complex macroeconomic environment.

    Our teams remain fully mobilized to generate value through the current portfolio and further develop our asset management platform while maintaining a solid financial profile. Our strategic transformation has also gone hand in hand with a reinforced cash return to shareholders, reflected in the €4.7 dividend per share paid in May, growing 17.5% vs 2024. Given the stronger recurring and predictable cash flow generation of Wendel, we have decided to implement a semi-annual interim dividend payment policy starting in 2025. ”

    Wendel’s net asset value as of June 30, 2025: €167.7 per share on a fully diluted basis

    Wendel’s Net Asset Value (NAV) as of June 30, 2025, was prepared by Wendel to the best of its knowledge and on the basis of market data available at this date and in compliance with its methodology.

    Fully diluted Net Asset Value was €167.7 per share as of June 30, 2025 (see details in the table below), as compared to €176.7 on March 31, 2025, representing a decrease of -5.1% over the quarter and stable restated from the dividend paid in May 2025 and at constant exchange rate. Compared to the last 20-day average share price as of June 30, the discount to the fully diluted NAV per share was -48.4% as of June 30, 2025,.

    FX had a negative impact of -4.7€ per share over the second quarter due to the dollar evolution vs. euro.

    Bureau Veritas is slightly up over the quarter (+1.2% on a 20-day average). IHS Towers (+29.5%) and Tarkett (+3%) 20-day average share prices also contributed positively to the NAV. Total value creation per share of listed assets was therefore positive (+€3.5) at constant exchange rate on a fully diluted basis over the second quarter 2025.

    Unlisted asset contribution to NAV was negative over the second quarter with a total change per share of – €5.0 at a constant exchange rate reflecting selected assets operational performance and multiples evolution.

    Asset management activities contribution to NAV was positive, +€3.8 at a constant exchange rate, due to IK Partners and Monroe Capital blended multiples’ evolution and good FRE generation. A total of €49M of sponsor money is included in the NAV as of end of June, both for IK Partners and Monroe Capital.

    Cash operating costs, Net Financing Results and Other items impacted NAV by -€1.9 at constant exchange rate, as Wendel benefits from a positive carry and maintains a good cost control.

    Over the first half of the year, total Net Asset Value evolution per share amounted to -€13.2, restated from the €4.7 of dividend returned to shareholders in May 2025, i.e. -€6.2 at a constant exchange rate.

    Fully diluted NAV per share of €167.7 as of June 30, 2025

    (in millions of euros)     06/30/2025 03/31/2025
    Listed investments Number of shares Share price (1) 3,088 2,965
    Bureau Veritas 89.9m(2)/120.3m €29.2/€28.5 2,630 2,565
    IHS 63.0m/63.0m $5.7/$4.4 307 254
    Tarkett   €16.9/€16.4 151 146
    Investment in unlisted assets (3) 3,071 3,346
    Asset Management Activities (4) 1,824 1,778
    Asset Managers (IK Partners & Monroe Capital) 1,775 1,749
    Sponsor Money 49 29
    Other assets and liabilities of Wendel & holding companies (5) 150 161
    Net cash position & financial assets (6) 1,770 2,058
    Gross asset value     9,903 10,308
    Wendel bond debt & accrued interests     -2,373 -2,378
    IK Partners transaction deferred payment and Monroe Capital earnout -235 -244
    Net Asset Value     7,295 7,686
    Of which net debt     -838 -564
    Number of shares     44,461,997 44,461,997
    Net Asset Value per share €164.1 €172.9
    Wendel’s 20 days share price average   €86.6 €92.0
    Premium (discount) on NAV -47.2% -46.8%
    Number of shares – fully diluted 42,457,994 42,456,176
    Fully diluted Net Asset Value, per share €167.7 €176.7
    Premium (discount) on fully diluted NAV -48.4% -47.9%

    (1)  Last 20 trading days average as of June 30, 2025, and March 31, 2025.
    (2)  Number of shares adjusted from the Forward Sale Transaction of 30,357,140 shares of Bureau Veritas. The value of the call spread transaction to benefit from up to c.15% of the stock price appreciation on the equivalent number of shares is taken into account in Other assets & liabilities of Wendel & holding companies.
    (3)  Investments in unlisted companies (Stahl, Crisis Prevention Institute, ACAMS, Scalian, Globeducate, Wendel Growth). Aggregates retained for the calculation exclude the impact of IFRS16.
    (4)  Investments in IK Partners and Monroe Capital (excl. Cash to be distributed to shareholders). Valued as a platform based on Net Income / Distributable earnings multiples.
    (5)  Of which 2,004,003 treasury shares as of June 30, 2025, and 2,005,821 as of March 31, 2025.
    (6)  Cash position and short-term financial assets of Wendel & holdings.
    Assets and liabilities denominated in currencies other than the euro have been converted at exchange rates prevailing on the date of the NAV calculation.
    If co-investment and managements LTIP conditions are realized, subsequent dilutive effects on Wendel’s economic ownership are accounted for in NAV calculations. See page 285 of the 2024 Registration Document.

    Wendel’s Principal Investments’ portfolio rotation

    On March 12, 2025, Wendel realized a successful placement of Bureau Veritas shares as part of a prepaid 3-year forward sale representing approximately 6.7% of Bureau Veritas share capital and increased its financial flexibility by reducing the pro forma loan-to-value ratio to approximately 17%. The transaction immediately generated net cash proceeds of approximately €750M to Wendel.

    Wendel invested €41.5M in Scalian in H1 2025 to support its external growth and to strengthen its balance sheet.

    Wendel’s Asset Management platform evolution

    Acquisition of a controlling stake in Monroe Capital LLC closed, a transformational transaction in line with the strategic roadmap

    Wendel completed on March 31, 2025 the definitive partnership agreement including the acquisition, together with AXA IM Prime, of 75% of Monroe Capital LLC (“Monroe Capital” or “the Company”), and a sponsoring program of $800 million to accelerate Monroe Capital’s growth, together with an investment of up to $200 million in GP commitment.

    With IK Partners and Monroe Capital, Wendel’s third party asset management platform reached €39 billion in AUM5, and should generate, on a full-year basis, c.€ 455 million revenues6, c.€160 million pre-tax FRE (c.€100 million in pre-tax FRE (Wendel share) in 2025. Wendel’s ambition is to reach €150 million (Wendel share) in pre-tax FRE in 2027.

    Third-Party Asset Management Platform: 22% of Gross Asset Value excluding cash

    Over the first half of 2025, the Wendel Asset Management platform (IK Partners and Monroe Capital), focused on the midmarket private markets, registered particularly strong levels of activity, generating a total of €152.0 million in Management fees and others, up 355 % vs. H1 2024, thanks to good organic growth and strong scope effects: Only IK Partners was consolidated over 2 months in H1 2024, to be compared in H1 2025 with a 6 months consolidation for IK and 3 months consolidation for Monroe Capital in H1 2025.

    As a consequence, the consolidated Fee Related Earnings of the platform amounted to €59.9 million in H1 2025, up 318% vs last year, and Profit Before Tax was €60.2 million, up 303% vs. last year.

    The Wendel Asset Management Platform has known a Strong Momentum in terms of fund raising with €4.3 billion raised over the semester, without any sponsor money committed by Wendel.

    IK Partners has closed its Midcap and its Small Cap strategy at the hard cap. This completes IK fund raising cycle (2024/2025) at €6 billion, in line with the announced target at acquisition in October 2023. Monroe Capital has also maintained its strong dynamic with $4 billion of asset raised in 6 months with a good diversification in terms of strategies and geographies.

    As of June 30, 2025 Wendel’s third-party asset management platform7 represented total assets under management of €39.1 billion (of which €10.1 billion of Dry Powder8), and FPAuM9 of €29.0 billion, FX adjusted, up +187% year-to-date. Over the period, €5.0 billion of new Fee Paying AuM were generated and about €3 billion of exits and payoffs have been realized.

    Sponsor money invested by Wendel

    Wendel committed in 2024 €434 million in IK Partners funds (of which €300 million in IK X). As of June 30, 2025, a value of €49 million of sponsor money have been called in IK Partners and Monroe Capital funds.

    Principal Investment companies’ sales

    Figures post IFRS 16 unless otherwise specified.

    Listed Assets: 38% of Gross Asset Value excluding cash

    Bureau Veritas: Robust organic revenue growth and strong margin increase in H1 2025 as the LEAP | 28 strategy execution accelerates; Confirmed 2025 outlook

    (full consolidation)

    Revenue in the first half of 2025 amounted to €3,192.5 million, a 5.7% increase compared to H1 2024. The organic increase was 6.7% compared to H1 2024 (including 6.2% in the second quarter of 2025) and a broad organic growth across most businesses and geographies.

    First half adjusted operating profit increased by 8.8% to €491.5 million. This represents an adjusted operating margin of 15.4%, up 44bps year-on-year and up 55bps at constant currency.

    As of June 30, 2025, adjusted net financial debt was €1,254.7 million and the adjusted net financial debt/EBITDA ratio was maintained at a low level of 1.11x (vs. 1.06x as of December 31, 2024).

    2025 share buyback program

    Bureau Veritas executed the €200 million share buyback program announced on April 24, 2025, thus

    acquiring c.1.5% of the outstanding share capital (6.7 million shares) through the market during the

    months of May and June 2025. The purchase was completed at an average price of €29.77 per share.

    2025 outlook confirmed

    Based on a robust first half performance, a solid backlog, and strong underlying market fundamentals, and in line with the LEAP | 28 financial ambitions, Bureau Veritas still expects to deliver for the full year 2025:

    • Mid-to-high single-digit organic revenue growth,
    • Improvement in adjusted operating margin at constant exchange rates,
    • Strong cash flow, with a cash conversion10 above 90%.

    For further details: group.bureauveritas.com

    IHS Towers – IHS Towers will report its H1 2025 results in August 2025

    Tarkett reported its H1 on July 29, 2025

    For more information: https://www.tarkett-group.com/en/investors/

    Unlisted Assets: 38% of Gross Asset Value excluding cash

    (in millions) Sales EBITDA Net debt
      H1 2024 H1 2025 H1 2024 including IFRS 16 H1 2025 including IFRS 16 Δ end of June including IFRS 16
    Stahl €464.7 €462.9 €106.7 €90.8 -14.9% €357.8
    CPI $66.9 $69.5 $28.4 $29.9 +5.3% $370.8
    ACAMS $48.7 $53.4 $8.9 $13.7 +53.9% $161.2
    Scalian €271.8 €257.6 €30.3 €28.9 -4.6% €354.8
    Globeducate(1) €202.6 €224.7 na €77.7 na €739.6

    (1)   Globeducate acquisition was completed on October 16th, 2024. Globeducate fiscal year ends in August, and figures shown are last six months at the end of May 2025. Indian operations are deconsolidated and accounted for by the equity method.

    Stahl – Total sales slightly down -0.4% in H1 2025 in a context of challenging market conditions in the automotive and luxury goods end-markets. Strong EBITDA margin of 19.6%.

    (Full consolidation) 

    Stahl, the world leader in specialty coatings for flexible materials, posted total sales of €462.9 million in the first half of 2025, representing a total decrease of -0.4% versus H1 2024.

    Organically, sales were down -5.9%, in a context of lower demand across end-markets due to very high levels of uncertainty around changing tariffs and destocking in the supply chains served by Stahl, while FX contributed -2.0%. Acquisitions contributed positively (+7.6%) to total sales variation, thanks to the acquisition of Weilburger Graphics GmbH completed in September 2024.

    Half Year 2025 EBITDA11 amounted to €90.8 million (-14.9% vs. H1 2024), translating into a strong EBITDA margin of 19.6%, thanks to a disciplined margin and fixed costs management, as well as a good diversification across geographies and segments.

    Net debt as of June 30th, 2025, was €357.8 million12, versus €383.8 million at the end of 2024 and leverage stood at 1.9x13.

    Crisis Prevention Institute reports +4.0% in revenue and +5.3% EBITDA growth. Andee Harris will become the new CEO of CPI on August 20, 2025.

    (full consolidation)

    Crisis Prevention Institute recorded first half 2025 revenue of $69.5 million, up +4% compared to H1 2024. Of this increase, +3.2% was organic growth, -0.2% came from FX movements and +1.1% from scope effect related to the Verge acquisition in Norway in January 2025. Despite ongoing federal oversight and funding uncertainty for some of CPI’s US customers that may have led to deferred spending on expanded training, CPI’s installed base of certified instructors continued to renew and maintain their certification and train their colleagues. Growth in the first half therefore increased revenues from renewals and learning materials in North America, as well as double digit growth in markets outside North America.

    H1 2025 EBITDA was $29.9 million14, reflecting a margin of 43.0%. EBITDA was up +5.3% vs. H1 2024 while margins are slightly up due to tight cost policy and in spite of lower-than-expected top line growth.

    As of June 30, 2025, net debt totaled $370.8 million15, or 4.7x EBITDA as defined in CPI’s credit agreement. In early July, CPI raised $60 million through an incremental term loan to fund c. $33 million dividend payment to Wendel by year end and a partial repurchase of management’s shares. Both the dividend and the share repurchases are expected to occur in September.

    On August 20, 2025, Andee Harris will become CEO of CPI and a member of the company’s board of directors.

    Andee Harris will take over from Tony Jace, CPI’s current CEO, who is retiring after leading CPI’s significant expansion over the past 16 years. Tony will remain on CPI’s Board of Directors through the end of 2025.

    Andee Harris was the CEO of Challenger, a global leader in training, technology and consulting. Harris will bring more than two decades of experience in growing and scaling service and technology businesses. She has previously led multiple companies, both as CEO and Senior Vice President, through periods of rapid revenue growth, digital transformation, critical fundraising and successful acquisition.

    ACAMS – Total sales up +9.6% in H1, reflecting double-digit growth in the core Americas and APAC segments, generating very strong EBITDA growth.
    (full consolidation)  

    ACAMS, the global leader in training and certifications for anti-money laundering and financial-crime prevention professionals, generated total revenue of $53.4 million, up +9.6% compared to the first half of 2024. First-half results were driven by double-digit growth in Americas and APAC segments, with both bank and non-bank customers, as well as improved conference sponsorship & exhibition sales. 

    H1 growth reflects momentum from recent strategic and organizational changes including the senior leadership additions in 2024, a shift in focus to selling solutions for large enterprise customers, market expansion with the introduction of the Certified Anti-Fraud Specialist certification (CAFS), and investments in the technology platform.

    EBITDA16 for the first half was c.$13.7 million, up 53.9% vs. H1 2024 and reflecting a 25.7% margin, up 740 bps year-over-year. The strong increase in first half profitability largely reflects the aforementioned revenue growth as well as strong cost control by the Company’s management.

    As of June 30, 2025, net debt totaled $161.2 million17, down from $165.0 million at the end of 2024, which represents 4.8x EBITDA as defined in ACAMS’ credit agreement, with ample room relative to the 9.5x covenant level.

    ACAMS anticipates continued mid-to-high single digit growth in revenues for 2025. To support its long-term development, which is expected to produce accelerated levels of growth and profitability over the next several years, additional investments and hirings will be made in H2 2025, leading to more normalized c.25% margin for the full year.

    Scalian – Total sales down 5.2% in first-half 2025, reflecting persistently tough market conditions for engineering services and digital services companies. Equity contributions by Wendel since the beginning of the year totalling €41.5 million to support Scalian’s acquisition-led growth and strengthen its balance sheet.

    Changes in governance with the appointment of a new Chief Executive Officer.

    Scalian, a leader in digital transformation and operational performance consulting, reported total sales of €257.6 million as of June 30, 2025, down 5.2% year on year. The downturn in sales continues to take hold in several sectors and geographies, particularly in France and in automotive in Germany. Sales were down 11.1% on a like-for-like basis (including a negative currency impact), and benefited from a positive scope effect of 5.9% driven by acquisitions that were accretive in terms of growth and margins.

    Other European countries and North America reported further robust growth, buoyed by the acquisition of Mannarino, which made a significant contribution to half-year earnings thanks to strong business momentum.

    Scalian generated €28.9 million in EBITDA18 over first-half 2025. The EBITDA margin stood at 11.2% of sales, in line with the level recorded for full-year 2024, reflecting a tight rein on costs. As of June 30, 2025, net debt19 stood at €354.8 million (leverage of 6.7x20 EBITDA).

    Over the past 24 months, Scalian has undertaken bold transformation initiatives, which are being accelerated in 2025 in response to the worsening market environment:

    • Creation of a team focusing on key strategic clients and sectors with high growth potential
    • Expansion of the bestshoring platform
    • Launch of the “One Motion” plan, a transformation designed to improve the efficiency of the Scalian business model in three areas (sales and staffing, automation for productivity, and finance and operations)
    • Dynamic management of utilization rates
    • Accelerated integration of acquisitions and generation of related synergies
    • Targeted indirect cost reduction actions
    • More disciplined management of working capital

    These initiatives, aimed at strengthening Scalian’s business model and attractiveness, have already had a positive impact, and have led to significant commercial successes in recent months, including major agreements in the aerospace and defense sectors.

    Since the beginning of the year, Wendel has injected an additional €41.5 million in equity to support Scalian’s acquisition-led growth and strengthen its balance sheet.

    Wendel is also announcing today a major change in Scalian’s governance, with the appointment of a new Chief Executive Officer effective October 1 at the latest, the date on which Yvan Chabanne will step down following a decade of intensive development. The aim is to launch Scalian into the next cycle of growth and transformation with a new Chief Executive Officer, who has already been identified, also a highly experienced executive from the engineering industry, whose name will be announced shortly.

    David Darmon, Chairman of Scalian’s Supervisory Board:

    “On behalf of the Wendel Group, I would like to extend my warmest thanks to Yvan Chabanne for his remarkable achievements and unfailing commitment at the helm of Scalian, the brand he founded. Under his leadership, the Group has undergone an exceptional transformation: it has expanded strongly on an international level, become a leader in engineering, digital transformation and operational performance consulting, strengthened its positions with major customers and multiplied its sales almost ten-fold – half of which through a dozen acquisitions. Today, consolidated sales stand at around €530 million.

    We are delighted to welcome on board a new Chief Executive Officer whose international background, in-depth knowledge of our businesses and unifying leadership skills will be key assets in supporting the Group’s development going forward. We look forward to working alongside the future Chief Executive Officer on an ambitious value creation plan, which will unleash the full potential of this magnificent company, driven by the expertise, dedication and talent of its teams.” 

    Globeducate – Total sales up +10.9%21over 6-month period ending May 31, 2025. Annualized EBITDA margin c.25%22in line with expectations.

    (Accounted for by the equity method. Globeducate acquisition was completed on October 16th, 2024. Indian operations are deconsolidated and accounted for by the equity method due to the absence of audited figures. 6-month revenue and EBITDA from December 1, 2024 to May 31, 2025).

    Globeducate, one of the world’s leading bilingual K-12 education groups, posted total sales of €224.7 million1 for the 6-month period ending May 31, 2025, representing a total increase of +10.9% over last year. Of this increase, +3.3% came from accretive M&A transactions.

    EBITDA2 for the same period stood at €77.7 million. EBITDA is always particularly high at this time of year driven by the seasonality of the business (revenues are recognized over the academic year while costs are spread out across the entire fiscal year) and will smooth out over the next quarter. EBITDA was in line with expectations and ensures an annualized EBITDA margin at c.25%. This solid financial performance was fueled by a combination of organic and external growth as well as strict cost control.

    Since the beginning of Globeducate’s fiscal year (September 1, 2024 – August 31, 2025), the Group has completed 3 acquisitions: Olympion School and the International School of Paphos in Cyprus, and l’Ecole des Petits in the UK.

    Net debt as of May 31, 2025, was €739.6 million23 and leverage stood at 6.3x4.

    Consolidated Accounts

    The Supervisory Board met on July 30, 2025, under the chairmanship of Nicolas ver Hulst, to review Wendel’s condensed consolidated financial statements, as approved by the Executive Board on July 25, 2025. The interim financial statements were subject to a limited review by the Statutory Auditors prior to publication.

    Wendel Group’s consolidated net sales totaled €4,177.6 million, up +7.2% overall and up +3.9% organically. FX contribution is -2.1% and scope effect is +5.4%.

    The net income from operations of Group companies, Group share amounted to €86.0 million, down -17.9%.

    Financial expenses, operating expenses and taxes recorded by Wendel represented €46.0 million, up €13.2 million from the €32.9 million reported in H1 2024, mainly due to lower returns from cash. Operating expenses were down 15.6% due to good cost control.

    H1 2025 net income Group share €4.3 million vs. €388.2 million in the first half of 2024, reflecting a €418.6 million capital gain group share from the disposal of Constantia Flexibles in H1 2024. In H1 2025, The impact (group share) of impairment on investments was limited over the period, as the reversal of the impairment on Tarkett Participation was offset by the impairment recognized on Scalian, as a result of the slowdown in its markets. The gain on the forward sale of Bureau Veritas in 2025 and the positive change in the fair value of IHS are not recognized in the income statement but in shareholder equity.

    Estimated impact of new tariffs on Wendel’s businesses 

    Wendel Group’s companies are mainly business services, and are therefore only slightly directly impacted by conflicts over tariffs. For industrial companies (Stahl and Tarkett), these two companies have production units generally located in the countries in which they generate their revenues. According to the information available, the direct impact for these two companies is limited. The lack of visibility on the evolution of tariffs, as well as their real impact on global economic growth and USD exchange rates, constitute the main risk on the value creation potential of our assets. In the second quarter of 2025, the main indirect impact of trade tariffs was on the euro-dollar exchange rate, which impacted the valuation of some of our assets, mainly US companies or listed in the US. The impacts of trade tariffs specific to each company are described in the relevant sections of this press release.

    Agenda

    Thursday, October 23, 2025

    Q3 2025 Trading update – Publication of NAV as of September 30, 2025 (post-market release)

    Friday, December 12, 2025,

    2025 Investor Day.

    Wednesday, February 25, 2026

    Full-Year 2025 Results – Publication of NAV as of December 31, 2025, and Full-Year consolidated financial statements (post-market release)

    Wednesday, April 22, 2026

    Q1 2026 Trading update – Publication of NAV as of March 31, 2026 (post-market release)

    Thursday, May 21, 2026

    Annual General Meeting

    Wednesday, July 29, 2026

    H1 2026 results – Publication of NAV as of June 30, 2026, and condensed Half-Year consolidated financial statements (post-market release)

    About Wendel

    Wendel is one of Europe’s leading listed investment firms. Regarding its principal investment strategy, the Group invests in companies which are leaders in their field, such as ACAMS, Bureau Veritas, Crisis Prevention Institute, Globeducate, IHS Towers, Scalian, Stahl and Tarkett. In 2023, Wendel initiated a strategic shift into third-party asset management of private assets, alongside its historical principal investment activities. In May 2024, Wendel completed the acquisition of a 51% stake in IK Partners, a major step in the deployment of its strategic expansion in third-party private asset management and also completed in March 2025 the acquisition of 72% of Monroe Capital. As of June 30, 2025, Wendel manages 39 billion euros on behalf of third-party investors, and c.6.2 billion euros invested in its principal investments activity.

    Wendel is listed on Eurolist by Euronext Paris.

    Standard & Poor’s ratings: Long-term: BBB, stable outlook – Short-term: A-2 

    Wendel is the Founding Sponsor of Centre Pompidou-Metz. In recognition of its long-term patronage of the arts, Wendel received the distinction of “Grand Mécène de la Culture” in 2012.For more information: wendelgroup.com

    Follow us on LinkedIn @Wendel 

    Appendix 1: H1 2025 Consolidated sales and results

    H1 2025 consolidated net sales

    (in millions of euros) H1 2024 H1 2025 Δ Organic Δ
    Bureau Veritas 3,021.7 3,192.5 +5.7% +6.7%
    Stahl 464.7 462.9 -0.4% -5.9%
    Scalian (1) 271.8 257.6 -5.2% -11.1%
    CPI 61.9 63.7 +3.0% +3.2%
    ACAMS 44.5 48.8 +9.6% +9.8%
    IK Partners (2) 33.4 91.2 n.a. n.a.
    Monroe Capital (3) n.a. 60.8 n.a. n.a.
    Consolidated sales 3,897.9 4,177.6 +7.2% +3.9%

    (1) Scalian, which had a different reporting date to Wendel (refer to 2023 consolidated financial statements – Note 2 – 1.” Changes in scope of consolidation in 2023″), realigns its closing date with Wendel group. Consequently, sale’s contribution corresponds to 6 months’ sales between January 1st 2025 and June 30 2025. The contribution published last year (€278.2M) corresponded to 6 months’ sales between October 1st 2024 and March 31st 2025.

    (2) Acquisition d’IK Partners in May 2024. Contribution of sales for 2 months in 2024 versus 6 months in 2025.

    (3) Contribution of 3 months’ sales from April 1st, 2025 to June 30, 2025. Including PRE.

    H1 2025 net sales of equity-accounted companies

    (in millions of euros) H1 2024 H1 2025 Δ Organic Δ
    Tarkett (4) 1,558.7 1,573.5 +0.9% -0.2%
    Globeducate (5) n.a. 224.7 n.a. n.a.

    (4) Selling price adjustments in the CIS countries are historically intended to offset currency movements and are therefore excluded from the “organic growth” indicator.

    (5) Contribution of 6 months of sales from December 1st, 2024 to May 31st, 2025 excluding India.

    H1 2025 consolidated results

    (in millions of euros) H1 2024 H1 2025
    Contribution from asset management 11.6 49.0
    Consolidated subsidiaries 364.6 353.8
    Financing, operating expenses and taxes -32.9 -46.0
    Net income from operations(1) 343.4 356.8
    Net income from operations, Group share 104.8 86.0
    Non-recurring income/loss 643.4 15.7
    Impact of goodwill allocation -50.4 -65.1
    Impairment -90.6 -39.4
    Total net income (2) 845.8 268.0
    Net income, Group share 388.2 4.3

    (1)        Net income before goodwill allocation entries and non-recurring items.

    (2)        IHS is accounted for as financial assets through OCI

    H1 2025 net income from operations

    (in millions of euros) H1 2024 H1 2025 Change
    IK Partners 11.6 30.3 +161.8%
    Monroe Capital n.a. 18.7 n.a.
    Total contribution from asset management 11.6 49.0 n.a.
    Total contribution from AM Group share 5.9 29.3 +153.2%
    Bureau Veritas 302.5 307.9 +1.8%
    Stahl 52.6 36.0 -31.6%
    Scalian 0.3 -6.5 n.a.
    CPI 4.8 6.0 +23.7%
    ACAMS -3.0 -1.3 n.a.
    Tarkett (equity accounted) 7.4 3.7 -50.4%
    Globeducate (equity accounted) n.a. 8.0 n.a;
    Total contribution from Group companies 364.6 353.8 -3.0%
    of which Group share 131.6 102.5 -22.1%
    Operating expenses net of management fees -38.2 -32.2 -15.6%
    Taxes -1.7 -2.1 +21.3%
    Financial expenses 19.0 -1.0 -105.3%
    Non-cash operating expenses -11.9 -10.5 -11.2%
    Net income from operations 343.4 356.8 +3.9%
    of which Group share 104.8 86.0 -17.9%

    Appendix 2: Conversion from accounting presentation to economic presentation

    Please refer to table 5.1 of the consolidated statements.

    Appendix 3: Glossary

    • AUM (Assets under Management): Corresponding – for a given fund – to total investors’ commitment (during the fund’s investment period) or total invested amount (post investment period)
    • FRE (Fee-Related Earnings): Earnings generated by recurring fee revenues (mainly management fees). It excludes earnings generated by more volatile performance-related revenues.
    • GP (General Partner): Entity in charge of the overall management, administration and investment of the funds. The GP is paid by management fees charged on assets under management (AuM)

    1 Fully diluted of share buybacks and treasury shares. Net Asset Value non fully diluted stands at €164.1.
    2 As of end of June 2025, AuM of IK Partners and Monroe Capital

    3 This amount includes usual closing adjustments

    4 Including sponsor money commitment in IK (-€434m partly called as of 06.30.2025) & expected commitments in Monroe Capital (-$200m partly called as of 06.30.2025), IK Partners transaction deferred payment (-€131m), Monroe Capital 100% acquisition (including estimated earnout and puts on residual capital, i.e -$527M), and pro forma of Bureau Veritas dividend payment in July (€80.9 million).

    5 As of end of June 2025

    6 Based on USD/EUR exchange rate of 1.08

    7 IK Partners and Monroe Capital

    8 Commitments not yet invested

    9 Fee Paying AuM

    10 (Net cash generated from operating activities – lease payments + corporate tax)/adjusted operating profit

    11 EBITDA including IFRS 16 impacts, EBITDA excluding IFRS 16 stands at €87.6m.

    12 Including IFRS 16 impacts. Net debt excluding the impact of IFRS 16 was €341.8m.

    13 Leverage as per credit documentation definition.

    14 Recurring EBITDA post IFRS 16. Recurring EBITDA pre IFRS 16 was $29.3m

    15 Post IFRS 16 impact. Net debt pre IFRS 16 impact was $367.9m.

    16 EBITDA including IFRS 16. EBITDA excluding IFRS16 stands at $13.1m

    17 Including IFRS 16 impacts. Net debt excluding the impact of IFRS 16 was $159.5 million.

    18 EBITDA including IFRS 16 impact. Excluding IFRS 16, EBITDA stands at €24.2 million.

    19 Net debt including IFRS 16 impact. Excluding IFRS 16, net debt stands at €324.0 million.

    20 As per credit documentation (pre IFRS 16).

    21 6-month revenue from December 1, 2024, to May 31, 2025. Indian operations are deconsolidated and accounted for by the equity method due to the absence of audited figures. These figures are compared with the same period last year and are estimated and non-audited.

    22 EBITDA including IFRS 16 impacts and excluding Indian activities.

    23 Including IFRS 16 impacts; excluding IFRS 16, net debt stood at €572.1 million.

    4 Leverage as per credit documentation definition.

    Attachment

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  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Ancient India, Living Traditions: an earnest effort to show how the art of Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism is sacred and personal

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Ram Prasad, Fellow of the British Academy and Distinguished Professor in the Department Politics, Philosophy and Religion, University of Leicester

    The British Museum’s Ancient India, Living Traditions exhibition brings together exhibits on the sacred art of Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. It also encompasses the spread of the devotional art of these traditions to other parts of Asia.

    The exhibition speaks to religious identity and relationships. Buddhism and Jainism distinguish themselves from the vast surrounding traditions that together we call Hinduism; but they have close kinship with it in practices, beliefs and iconography. Museums that have presented sculptures in isolation have usually not attempted to narrate this complex history.

    Not all the items displayed, some going back 2,000 years, are of purely historical interest. There are representations of traditions that are continuously living in a way the gods of ancient Egypt or classical Europe are not.

    The most instantly recognisable example for visitors of such living ancient tradition is likely to be statues of the elephant-headed deity Ganesha. Visitors can see a rare and valuable 4th century sandstone Ganesha on show. They can also see a small bronze version of that ancient Ganesha that is like the kind you would find in people’s home and to which a quick prayer would be addressed every morning.

    The question of how to respect that sense of the sacred while still mounting an exhibition is a moral and aesthetic challenge that few museums (including in India) have started to address. It’s not uncommon to see such pieces wrenched from the reality of their continued practice and presented in secular art displays. Here, however, the curators have tried to make connections between “statues” on display and “icons” in temples and homes.

    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.

    Finally, there’s the problematic history of the imperial museum and its need to reckon with its past. Most objects on display in this exhibition, and The British Museum more widely, have been presented with scarcely any acknowledgement of how they came to be acquired.

    The exhibition makes an earnest effort to tackle most of these issues.

    Ancient but not dead

    The spaces of the exhibition are structured to be respectful of the historical and contemporary sensitivities of Buddhism and Jainism. This is signalled through subtle changes of colour and the placement of translucent drapery, allowing for transitions between distinct Jain, Buddhist and Hindu displays.

    At the same time, conceptual and sensory commonalities are powerfully conveyed. The first space focuses on nature spirits and demi-deities that are shared across all the ancient traditions. The air is filled with the sound of south Asian birds and musical instruments. The explanatory labels draw attention to the percolation of iconographic features between traditions, for instance, those between the Buddha and the Jaina teachers, or the direct inclusion of the deity of learning (Sarasvati) in both Hindu and Jain worship.

    Also well presented is a final space on the spread of south Asian iconography to central, east and southeast Asia. This is a long story that needs its own telling, but can only be hinted at through some beautifully chosen figures.

    It’s the curators’ use of a community advisory panel of people who practice such traditions today that gives the information its sensitivity. Their inclusion in the exhibition’s production can be seen in a marked mindfulness that the content and symbols of these inert objects are alive and sacred to hundreds of millions.

    For example, one Ganesha from Java in Indonesia draws attention to different elements of his iconography. There is the trans-continentally stable depiction of his having a broken tusk (which, as Hindus will know, he is said to have broken off to write down the epic Mahabharata). But this Ganesha also holds a skull, which is unique to the Javanese version. The label gently points out that “various communities understood and worshipped him differently”.

    The combination of community engagement and creative presentation not only conveys a sense of respect for the traditions, but also elicits a respectful response from visitors. Those from within the tradition will note with satisfaction the description of a symbol or icon. Those from outside the traditions are invited to look at the exhibits with attention and care as they might in a cathedral.

    I saw a pair of young Indian Americans looking at a fossilised ammonite from Nepal that is taken as a symbolic representation of god for worshippers of Vishnu. They animatedly compared it to the one in their own diasporic home.

    Elsewhere in the exhibition, I caught an elderly English couple stood in wondering silence in front of a drum slab from the famous 1st century BC Amaravathi Buddhist site in south India. This slab was carved just before figural representations of the Buddha rapidly gained in popularity. Here, there are symbols associated with him, but the Buddha himself is represented by the empty seat from whence he has gone.

    How did it all get here?

    One potential interpretive danger lies in the emphasis on continuity between past objects and present realities. Hindus today from social backgrounds that did not have the privilege of reaching back to high sacred art might ask where they sit in the smoothed out historical narrative. More broadly, there is no acknowledgement of the complexity of Hindu identity and its formation across centuries, regions, social strata, languages and theologies.

    The weakest part of this exhibition’s generally innovative retelling is the faint-hearted way in which it obliquely acknowledges the dubious acquisition process of the British Museum. To say something was “collected” by a major general “while serving in the East India Company army” is hardly facing up to the question with which the exhibition boldly begins: “How did it get here?”

    This exhibition offers a powerful visual narrative of the multi-spiritual traditions of ancient India, mounted with sensitivity to their living communities today. Its immersive presentation is appealing, and the story it tells is respectful and innovative.

    The task of honest self-representation and difficult conversations on reparation remain. Within that larger imperative, Ancient India, Living Traditions is a step in the right direction. It is a direction towards addressing context, responsiveness and engagement that museums can no longer ignore.

    Ancient India, Living Traditions in on at The British Museum, London until October 19 2025

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

    Ram Prasad 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. Ancient India, Living Traditions: an earnest effort to show how the art of Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism is sacred and personal – https://theconversation.com/ancient-india-living-traditions-an-earnest-effort-to-show-how-the-art-of-hinduism-buddhism-and-jainism-is-sacred-and-personal-262163

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  • MIL-OSI Europe: ASIA/SOUTH KOREA – The adventure “accompanied by small prayers” of Junho Cho, “digital missionary”

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

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    by Pascale RizkSeoul (Agenzia Fides) – “Now I know. After all, even the Fathers of the Church, Saint Augustine and Saint Thomas Aquinas, repeated this simple phrase: to be happy, I need God, and if God is present, I am happy when I am close to him, and I am not happy when I am far away.” Thus, Korean singer and “Catholic influencer” Junho Chu describes the beating heart that now animates his life. And he reveals what every authentic Christian witness suggests: the source of salvation brought by Christ is mysterious, but accessing it is simple and within everyone’s reach.Junho shared his story and experience with the Jubilee of Catholic digital missionaries and influencers celebrated in Rome these past few days.The Happy Face of GodGrowing up until the age of 22 with no particular interest in religious doctrines and practices, he says that as a teenager he longed for happiness that could last “more than three days or two weeks.” Something that isn’t found in training courses or school curricula, in a competitive society where one’s worth and “is worth” only what one accomplishes. He believed he could achieve that happiness through success at work. But that wasn’t the case.At that time, two years before beginning his military service, Junho heard Cardinal Stephen Kim Sou-hwan speak on television, an imposing figure in Korea also for his passion for social justice (see Fides, 11/4/2025). “I was struck by his humility and the witness of the people who mourned his death in 2009.” Without believing in God, Junho saw God’s happy face reflected in those people. They had no personal successes to show off. They were grateful for the free love they had received. “So I started going to church and asked to be baptized. To be close to God, to go to Mass, to take Communion, and to pray. Junho says that a priest once told him: “Do you want something special? Then you must be sincere. If you live with perseverance and sincerity, every day of your life can be special.”Thanking the Lord (also) for TteokbokkiKorean society is based on respect for others, following a social stratification that dates back to the Cheoson Dynasty. Hierarchical respect is an integral part of everyday language and behavior. So when Junho saw a high-ranking Catholic soldier come to church and eat with the others, he was impressed by his humility. “He came to wash dishes with me in the kitchen. It seemed inconceivable to me that someone like him would do that. One day, I was eating tteokbokki (Korean rice dumplings) and I invited him. He sat with me and, clasping his hands, began to pray. I was deeply moved by this gesture. I had no idea that Catholics would stop to thank God for something as small as tteokbokki. I think my life, accompanied by small prayers, began there,” he says.”Sometimes they asked me to sing, I did it a few times, and a bishop told me I should keep singing, and this was like a blessing for the rest of my life,” adds Chu, who, along with other singers, enlivened the Digital Missionaries Jubilee Festival in Piazza Risorgimento on the evening of Tuesday, July 29, singing in his native language.Talent is from God and for GodDuring his military service, Chu embarked on a path that would lead him to his baptism in 2011. He also began participating in parish life, catechism, and choir. It was thanks to a contest on CPBC (Catholic Peace Broadcasting Corporation) that he was able to begin composing music and songs, and singing in Catholic churches. It had been his passion since childhood. The stories of missionaries such as Father Giovanni Lee Tae-seok, a Salesian missionary in South Sudan, and Bishop René Dupont, a MEP missionary who arrived in Korea in 1954 (see Fides, 11/4/2025) led him to imitate them, he shared with others the love of God he had received as a gift, even through his own talents. “That’s why I’m always happy to live as a Catholic on Instagram and YouTube.” His Christian journey, intertwined with music and singing, led Junho to accompany priests and nuns on missions in Cambodia, Zambia, and Mongolia. “The love you receive is incredibly greater than the love you give. It’s an absolute miracle and cannot be understood through the eyes of the world,” says Chu, who today continues his mission singing in Brazil.“The digital mission should not be about self-exaltation. The encounter with Jesus remains the starting point, but also the point of arrival. Our faith can also find comfort in the use of digital media, but it does not depend on them. The Mystery of Jesus’s predilection, savored in the everyday life, is far greater than the captivating power of a voice behind the screen or special effects. And it promises enjoyment and happiness incomparable to the excitement of having 100 followers or 500,000,” he concludes. (Agenzia Fides, 30/7/2025)Share:

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