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  • MIL-OSI: BNP PARIBAS CARDIF COMPLETES THE ACQUISITION OF AXA INVESTMENT MANAGERS

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

            

    BNP PARIBAS CARDIF COMPLETES THE ACQUISITION OF
    AXA INVESTMENT MANAGERS

    PRESS RELEASE

    Paris, 01 July 2025,

    BNP Paribas Cardif has finalised the acquisition of AXA Investment Managers (AXA IM) and signed a long-term partnership with the AXA Group to manage a large part of its assets.

    This operation, announced on 1st August 2024, will enable the BNP Paribas Group to create a leading European asset management platform with over EUR 1.5 trillion in assets under management entrusted by its clients. It allows the Group to become the European leader in long-term savings management for insurers and pension funds with around EUR 850 billion, with the ambition to become the European leader in fund collection for private asset investments and positioning itself among the main providers of ETFs in Europe. This operation is also part of the Group’s core mission to support the economy by mobilising savings to finance future-oriented projects in the best interests of its clients.

    By combining the expertise of AXA IM, BNP Paribas Asset Management, and BNP Paribas REIM, this new platform will have a wide range of traditional and alternative assets, an expanded global distribution network, enhanced innovation capabilities, and a more comprehensive offering in responsible investment. It will benefit from AXA IM Alts’ market position and expertise in private assets, which are key drivers of future growth for institutional and individual clients, as well as AXA IM’s know-how in long-term asset management for insurance and retirement. In this context, BNP Paribas Cardif will leverage the capabilities of this platform for the management of a large part of its assets, notably its general funds.

    The formation of this new platform marks a major milestone in the development and growth journey of the IPS division. It will fully benefit from BNP Paribas’ integrated model, in close collaboration with the CPBS and CIB businesses, particularly within the framework of the “originate to distribute” approach.

    “This acquisition is an important moment for the entire BNP Paribas Group. We are delighted to welcome the AXA IM teams, who will find within the BNP Paribas Group a strong culture of customer service as well as ambitious growth and innovation prospects. These are teams with recognised and complementary expertise that will build together a European industrial project to better serve our clients. I have every confidence in the ability of the management teams of our asset management activities to grow the business and create value for our clients and employees,” said Jean-Laurent Bonnafé, Director and Chief Executive Officer of BNP Paribas.

    Joint working groups with AXA IM teams are already in place to reflect on and develop a common roadmap, particularly with regard to offerings and services. This roadmap will be submitted to the appropriate employee representative bodies.

    The project to merge the legal entities of AXA IM, BNP Paribas AM and BNP Paribas REIM, which would create the new platform held by BNP Paribas Cardif, is currently the subject of consultation with employee representative bodies.

    Sandro Pierri, CEO of BNP Paribas AM, will lead the BNP Paribas Group’s asset management activities and Marco Morelli, the current Executive Chairman of AXA IM, will chair the BNP Paribas Group’s asset management activities.

    From a financial perspective:

    • The Group’s revenue growth by 2026, including the impact of the transaction, will be greater than +5% (CAGR 24-26), with an average annual jaws effect of +1.5 pts.
    • Return on Invested Capital (ROIC) will be more than 14% in year three (2028) and more than 20% in year four (2029).
    • From a prudential perspective, the impact of the operation on the Group’s CET1 ratio is estimated at approximately -35bp as of the 3rd quarter 2025 results, discussions with supervisory authorities are still on going.

    An update on the progress of the operation will be provided upon the release of the third-quarter 2025 results ahead of a Deep Dive, that will take place during the first quarter 2026, focused on the Group’s trajectory including this operation.

    About BNP Paribas
    Leader in banking and financial services in Europe, BNP Paribas operates in 64 countries and has nearly 178,000 employees, including more than 144,000 in Europe. The Group has key positions in its three main fields of activity: Commercial, Personal Banking & Services for the Group’s commercial & personal banking and several specialised businesses including BNP Paribas Personal Finance and Arval; Investment & Protection Services for savings, investment and protection solutions; and Corporate & Institutional Banking, focused on corporate and institutional clients. Based on its strong diversified and integrated model, the Group helps all its clients (individuals, community associations, entrepreneurs, SMEs, corporates and institutional clients) to realise their projects through solutions spanning financing, investment, savings and protection insurance. In Europe, BNP Paribas has four domestic markets: Belgium, France, Italy and Luxembourg. The Group is rolling out its integrated commercial & personal banking model across several Mediterranean countries, Türkiye, and Eastern Europe. As a key player in international banking, the Group has leading platforms and business lines in Europe, a strong presence in the Americas as well as a solid and fast-growing business in Asia-Pacific. BNP Paribas has implemented a Corporate Social Responsibility approach in all its activities, enabling it to contribute to the construction of a sustainable future, while ensuring the Group’s performance and stability.

    BNP Paribas Press Contacts
    Hacina Habchi: hacina.habchi@bnpparibas.com +33 7 61 97 65 20
    Sandrine Romano: sandrine.romano@bnpparibas.com +33 6 71 18 13 05

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: BNP PARIBAS CARDIF COMPLETES THE ACQUISITION OF AXA INVESTMENT MANAGERS

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

            

    BNP PARIBAS CARDIF COMPLETES THE ACQUISITION OF
    AXA INVESTMENT MANAGERS

    PRESS RELEASE

    Paris, 01 July 2025,

    BNP Paribas Cardif has finalised the acquisition of AXA Investment Managers (AXA IM) and signed a long-term partnership with the AXA Group to manage a large part of its assets.

    This operation, announced on 1st August 2024, will enable the BNP Paribas Group to create a leading European asset management platform with over EUR 1.5 trillion in assets under management entrusted by its clients. It allows the Group to become the European leader in long-term savings management for insurers and pension funds with around EUR 850 billion, with the ambition to become the European leader in fund collection for private asset investments and positioning itself among the main providers of ETFs in Europe. This operation is also part of the Group’s core mission to support the economy by mobilising savings to finance future-oriented projects in the best interests of its clients.

    By combining the expertise of AXA IM, BNP Paribas Asset Management, and BNP Paribas REIM, this new platform will have a wide range of traditional and alternative assets, an expanded global distribution network, enhanced innovation capabilities, and a more comprehensive offering in responsible investment. It will benefit from AXA IM Alts’ market position and expertise in private assets, which are key drivers of future growth for institutional and individual clients, as well as AXA IM’s know-how in long-term asset management for insurance and retirement. In this context, BNP Paribas Cardif will leverage the capabilities of this platform for the management of a large part of its assets, notably its general funds.

    The formation of this new platform marks a major milestone in the development and growth journey of the IPS division. It will fully benefit from BNP Paribas’ integrated model, in close collaboration with the CPBS and CIB businesses, particularly within the framework of the “originate to distribute” approach.

    “This acquisition is an important moment for the entire BNP Paribas Group. We are delighted to welcome the AXA IM teams, who will find within the BNP Paribas Group a strong culture of customer service as well as ambitious growth and innovation prospects. These are teams with recognised and complementary expertise that will build together a European industrial project to better serve our clients. I have every confidence in the ability of the management teams of our asset management activities to grow the business and create value for our clients and employees,” said Jean-Laurent Bonnafé, Director and Chief Executive Officer of BNP Paribas.

    Joint working groups with AXA IM teams are already in place to reflect on and develop a common roadmap, particularly with regard to offerings and services. This roadmap will be submitted to the appropriate employee representative bodies.

    The project to merge the legal entities of AXA IM, BNP Paribas AM and BNP Paribas REIM, which would create the new platform held by BNP Paribas Cardif, is currently the subject of consultation with employee representative bodies.

    Sandro Pierri, CEO of BNP Paribas AM, will lead the BNP Paribas Group’s asset management activities and Marco Morelli, the current Executive Chairman of AXA IM, will chair the BNP Paribas Group’s asset management activities.

    From a financial perspective:

    • The Group’s revenue growth by 2026, including the impact of the transaction, will be greater than +5% (CAGR 24-26), with an average annual jaws effect of +1.5 pts.
    • Return on Invested Capital (ROIC) will be more than 14% in year three (2028) and more than 20% in year four (2029).
    • From a prudential perspective, the impact of the operation on the Group’s CET1 ratio is estimated at approximately -35bp as of the 3rd quarter 2025 results, discussions with supervisory authorities are still on going.

    An update on the progress of the operation will be provided upon the release of the third-quarter 2025 results ahead of a Deep Dive, that will take place during the first quarter 2026, focused on the Group’s trajectory including this operation.

    About BNP Paribas
    Leader in banking and financial services in Europe, BNP Paribas operates in 64 countries and has nearly 178,000 employees, including more than 144,000 in Europe. The Group has key positions in its three main fields of activity: Commercial, Personal Banking & Services for the Group’s commercial & personal banking and several specialised businesses including BNP Paribas Personal Finance and Arval; Investment & Protection Services for savings, investment and protection solutions; and Corporate & Institutional Banking, focused on corporate and institutional clients. Based on its strong diversified and integrated model, the Group helps all its clients (individuals, community associations, entrepreneurs, SMEs, corporates and institutional clients) to realise their projects through solutions spanning financing, investment, savings and protection insurance. In Europe, BNP Paribas has four domestic markets: Belgium, France, Italy and Luxembourg. The Group is rolling out its integrated commercial & personal banking model across several Mediterranean countries, Türkiye, and Eastern Europe. As a key player in international banking, the Group has leading platforms and business lines in Europe, a strong presence in the Americas as well as a solid and fast-growing business in Asia-Pacific. BNP Paribas has implemented a Corporate Social Responsibility approach in all its activities, enabling it to contribute to the construction of a sustainable future, while ensuring the Group’s performance and stability.

    BNP Paribas Press Contacts
    Hacina Habchi: hacina.habchi@bnpparibas.com +33 7 61 97 65 20
    Sandrine Romano: sandrine.romano@bnpparibas.com +33 6 71 18 13 05

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI China: Symphony concert held to mark 104th founding anniversary of CPC

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

    Symphony concert held to mark 104th founding anniversary of CPC

    Xinhua | July 1, 2025

    A symphony concert was held at the Museum of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in Beijing on Monday night to celebrate the 104th anniversary of the founding of the CPC, which falls on Tuesday.

    Around 800 people attended the event, including recipients of major national honorary medals and titles, outstanding grassroots CPC members, and members of the public from all walks of life.

    It featured 17 musical works with themes of honoring history, remembering the martyrs, cherishing peace, striving for a better future, and celebrating ethnic solidarity and harmony.

    This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, and several selections were performed to commemorate the occasion.

    Multiple orchestras and institutions, such as the China National Symphony Orchestra, the China National Opera and Dance Drama Theater, the China National Opera House, and the National Ballet of China, participated in the performance.

    The concert was co-hosted by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the China Media Group (CMG), and will also be broadcast during prime time on CMG channels on Tuesday. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI: Completion of the combination between Netcompany Banking Services and SDC and update on financial guidance

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Company announcement
    No. 16/2025

    1 July 2025

    Completion of the combination between Netcompany Banking Services and SDC and update on financial guidance

    Today, Netcompany Group A/S (“Netcompany”) has completed the previously announced agreement of 10 February 2025, namely a transaction between Netcompany, SDC A/S (“SDC”), and a majority of SDC’s shareholders whereby a newly formed company of Netcompany and SDC would merge into a combined company fully owned by Netcompany. The transaction values SDC at DKK 1 billion and includes a cash payment of DKK 1 billion from Netcompany to SDC’s shareholders.

    The transaction with SDC provides a strong foothold for Netcompany in the financial services industry, which is the highest spending vertical within IT services in Europe. In 2025, the total addressable market in DK, NO, and SE is estimated to be more than DKK 44 billion and the market is expected to grow more than 10% annually towards 2028, supporting Netcompany’s ambition of delivering continued sustainable organic growth.

    André Rogaczewski, CEO Netcompany states:
    “As we conclude the transaction with SDC, I am excited to welcome our new colleagues to Netcompany. This transaction positions Netcompany at the forefront of digital innovation in the banking sector. Together, we are embarking on a journey to redefine banking services, making them smarter, more efficient, and more customer-centric.
    We are excited about the opportunities this transaction presents within the financial services industry and expect this transaction to create innovative and best-in-class services in Denmark, Scandinavia, and the rest of Europe”  

    Klaus Skjødt, CEO Sparekassen Kronjylland states:  
    “We are excited about the future and eager to realise the full potential of this transaction and to take all the knowledge that SDC has spent over 60 years building to the next level.
    Our combined expertise and resources will empower us to deliver cutting-edge solutions and drive transformative change across the industry. I am confident that our partnership will enhance the banking experience for all stakeholders and set new standards for what both banks and their customers can expect in the future.”

    Transaction details

    • Netcompany has acquired 100% of the shares in SDC for a cash consideration of DKK 1 billion. Netcompany has made the acquisition through the newly formed company – Netcompany Banking Services A/S – which has merged with SDC resulting in a fully owned subsidiary of Netcompany in which the activities of SDC are embedded.
    • The cash consideration is funded by way of utilising current credit facilities. The transaction is fully debt financed within the existing covenants.
    • Due to integration costs, the transaction is expected to have a dilutive impact on EPS for the financial year 2025.
    • The transaction is expected to be EPS accretive (diluted) to Netcompany from the financial year 2026 compared to the financial year 2024. Furthermore, the transaction is expected to be double-digit percentage EPS accretive (diluted) by the financial year 2028 – also compared to the financial year 2024.
    • Following the completion of the transaction, Netcompany Banking Services A/S intends to renounce the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the Financial Services Union for employees in Finance (in Danish: “Finansforbundet”) and Finance Denmark (in Danish: Finans Danmark), including associated protocols, local agreements, customs, etc. The reason for the intended renunciation of the Collective Bargaining Agreement is that Netcompany operates as a provider of IT services and not as a company within the financial sector.
    • To accelerate further collaboration and support integration, all employees in SDC, who are currently based in SDC’s headquarters in Ballerup, will move to Netcompany’s headquarters in Copenhagen as of the beginning of January 2026.  

    Financial guidance
    Financial guidance for 2025 for Netcompany on a stand-alone basis, as disclosed in the Annual Report 2024, is based on organic performance metrics and hence maintained. Organic revenue growth is expected between 5% and 10% and the adjusted EBITDA margin between 16% and 19%.

    In connection with the release of the Q2 Interim Report on 14 August 2025, Netcompany will disclose expected non-organic revenue and non-organic EBITDA for 2025 which accounts for the incorporation of SDC into Netcompany Banking Services for the full second half of 2025.

    In connection with the Q3 Interim Report on 30 October 2025, Netcompany will disclose expected annual synergies as well as transaction – and integration costs, including provision for restructuring costs associated with the realisation of future synergies. In addition, a full purchase price allocation will be included in the Q3 Interim Report.

    Netcompany expects to reinitiate its share buyback programmes in connection with the Q2 Interim Report on 14 August 2025. Leverage at the end of 2025 is expected to be around 1.5x.

    As a consequence of the completion of the transaction, Netcompany’s financial aspirations for 2026 and 2027 regarding margin and revenue targets will be revised to reflect the incorporation of SDC and for this reason, the previously communicated targets are no longer relevant. The ambition to buy back shares for a total of DKK 2bn in the period from 2024 until the end of 2026 persists. Revised long-term financial aspirations will be communicated in connection with a Capital Markets Day on 31 October 2025.

    Additional information
    For additional information, please contact:

    Netcompany Group A/S
    Media:
    Jacob Therkelsen, Head of PR and Public Affairs, +45 31 12 67 08

    Investors:
    Thomas Johansen, CFO, + 45 51 19 32 24
    Frederikke Linde, Head of IR, +45 60 62 60 87

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Completion of the combination between Netcompany Banking Services and SDC and update on financial guidance

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Company announcement
    No. 16/2025

    1 July 2025

    Completion of the combination between Netcompany Banking Services and SDC and update on financial guidance

    Today, Netcompany Group A/S (“Netcompany”) has completed the previously announced agreement of 10 February 2025, namely a transaction between Netcompany, SDC A/S (“SDC”), and a majority of SDC’s shareholders whereby a newly formed company of Netcompany and SDC would merge into a combined company fully owned by Netcompany. The transaction values SDC at DKK 1 billion and includes a cash payment of DKK 1 billion from Netcompany to SDC’s shareholders.

    The transaction with SDC provides a strong foothold for Netcompany in the financial services industry, which is the highest spending vertical within IT services in Europe. In 2025, the total addressable market in DK, NO, and SE is estimated to be more than DKK 44 billion and the market is expected to grow more than 10% annually towards 2028, supporting Netcompany’s ambition of delivering continued sustainable organic growth.

    André Rogaczewski, CEO Netcompany states:
    “As we conclude the transaction with SDC, I am excited to welcome our new colleagues to Netcompany. This transaction positions Netcompany at the forefront of digital innovation in the banking sector. Together, we are embarking on a journey to redefine banking services, making them smarter, more efficient, and more customer-centric.
    We are excited about the opportunities this transaction presents within the financial services industry and expect this transaction to create innovative and best-in-class services in Denmark, Scandinavia, and the rest of Europe”  

    Klaus Skjødt, CEO Sparekassen Kronjylland states:  
    “We are excited about the future and eager to realise the full potential of this transaction and to take all the knowledge that SDC has spent over 60 years building to the next level.
    Our combined expertise and resources will empower us to deliver cutting-edge solutions and drive transformative change across the industry. I am confident that our partnership will enhance the banking experience for all stakeholders and set new standards for what both banks and their customers can expect in the future.”

    Transaction details

    • Netcompany has acquired 100% of the shares in SDC for a cash consideration of DKK 1 billion. Netcompany has made the acquisition through the newly formed company – Netcompany Banking Services A/S – which has merged with SDC resulting in a fully owned subsidiary of Netcompany in which the activities of SDC are embedded.
    • The cash consideration is funded by way of utilising current credit facilities. The transaction is fully debt financed within the existing covenants.
    • Due to integration costs, the transaction is expected to have a dilutive impact on EPS for the financial year 2025.
    • The transaction is expected to be EPS accretive (diluted) to Netcompany from the financial year 2026 compared to the financial year 2024. Furthermore, the transaction is expected to be double-digit percentage EPS accretive (diluted) by the financial year 2028 – also compared to the financial year 2024.
    • Following the completion of the transaction, Netcompany Banking Services A/S intends to renounce the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the Financial Services Union for employees in Finance (in Danish: “Finansforbundet”) and Finance Denmark (in Danish: Finans Danmark), including associated protocols, local agreements, customs, etc. The reason for the intended renunciation of the Collective Bargaining Agreement is that Netcompany operates as a provider of IT services and not as a company within the financial sector.
    • To accelerate further collaboration and support integration, all employees in SDC, who are currently based in SDC’s headquarters in Ballerup, will move to Netcompany’s headquarters in Copenhagen as of the beginning of January 2026.  

    Financial guidance
    Financial guidance for 2025 for Netcompany on a stand-alone basis, as disclosed in the Annual Report 2024, is based on organic performance metrics and hence maintained. Organic revenue growth is expected between 5% and 10% and the adjusted EBITDA margin between 16% and 19%.

    In connection with the release of the Q2 Interim Report on 14 August 2025, Netcompany will disclose expected non-organic revenue and non-organic EBITDA for 2025 which accounts for the incorporation of SDC into Netcompany Banking Services for the full second half of 2025.

    In connection with the Q3 Interim Report on 30 October 2025, Netcompany will disclose expected annual synergies as well as transaction – and integration costs, including provision for restructuring costs associated with the realisation of future synergies. In addition, a full purchase price allocation will be included in the Q3 Interim Report.

    Netcompany expects to reinitiate its share buyback programmes in connection with the Q2 Interim Report on 14 August 2025. Leverage at the end of 2025 is expected to be around 1.5x.

    As a consequence of the completion of the transaction, Netcompany’s financial aspirations for 2026 and 2027 regarding margin and revenue targets will be revised to reflect the incorporation of SDC and for this reason, the previously communicated targets are no longer relevant. The ambition to buy back shares for a total of DKK 2bn in the period from 2024 until the end of 2026 persists. Revised long-term financial aspirations will be communicated in connection with a Capital Markets Day on 31 October 2025.

    Additional information
    For additional information, please contact:

    Netcompany Group A/S
    Media:
    Jacob Therkelsen, Head of PR and Public Affairs, +45 31 12 67 08

    Investors:
    Thomas Johansen, CFO, + 45 51 19 32 24
    Frederikke Linde, Head of IR, +45 60 62 60 87

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: CBHH’s Charles Cameron on Financing The Next Generation of Critical Infrastructure – On Navatar’s A-Game Podcast: Sector Focus, Growth Infra, Cross-Border M&A Execution and CRM Value

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LONDON and NEW YORK, July 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In the latest episode of Navatar’s A-Game podcast, Charles Cameron, Partner at CBHH (Cameron Barney Herbst Hilgenfeldt), shares the firm’s focused approach to sourcing and executing infrastructure financing and M&A opportunities across the UK and continental Europe. The conversation explores how CBHH is helping next-generation infrastructure businesses raise institutional capital and scale across borders

    CBHH is a boutique M&A and corporate finance advisory firm, operating at the intersection of infrastructure and technology—a space the firm refers to as “core+ or value-add infrastructure.” This includes data centres and fiber broadband roll-outs, EV and HGV charging infrastructure, energy generation and storage and smart city technologies—all sectors with proven unit economics, but where companies still face growth-stage operational risk and have considerable demands for capital.

    Core+ Infrastructure

    Cameron explains how CBHH’s business focuses on “next-generation infrastructure” assets—businesses that fall between venture and traditional infrastructure mandates. They’re too small for most large-cap investors, but too capital-intensive for early-stage funds. Yet, these firms are driving “mission critical” infrastructure for the future and therefore, it is important that their funding needs are solved.

    “These companies are capital hungry and operationally intense. But if you understand the unit economics—like take-up rates for fiber or utilization of EV charging—you can underwrite the growth just like with traditional infrastructure,” Cameron notes.

    European Market Dynamics & German Expansion

    Cameron Barney’s post-Brexit merger with German boutique Herbst Hilgenfeldt Partners has given the enlarged firm (“CBHH”) real-time coverage across two of Europe’s most active infrastructure markets.

    “In Europe, decarbonization and digital infra are public priorities. Governments and investors alike are aligned—and we’re specifically positioned as the ‘go to’ firm to advise technology-centric infrastructure scale-ups which are leading that transition,” he says.

    From Advisory to Execution to Capital

    Strong relationships are central to CBBH’s approach. It is notable that CBHH regularly works with companies from their earliest institutional round all the way to large-scale strategic exits. A particular feature is that the firm has also co-invested in past clients—blending traditional merchant banking principles and support for clients with modern M&A execution.

    “We’re not just dropping-in for a transaction. Some clients we’ve advised through 9 or 10 deals—and we have also invested alongside them from the outset. That level of commitment and continuity is rare (in our view), but it’s how we operate and how we have developed deep sector knowledge and relationships.”

    Competing with Bulge Bracket banks

    Despite its boutique size, CBHH punches well above its weight—often winning mandates over global investment banks. Cameron attributes this in part to the global banking heritage and transaction experience of the senior team. He also believes that the firm’s continued success if founded on deep sector knowledge, ongoing senior partner engagement, and agility in the midst of complex transactions.

    “We are the size of a bulge bracket’s sector team—but almost certainly more focused, more aligned, and closer to the client. Our clients always get the A-team, not the associate bench.”

    Scaling Institutional Knowledge with Navatar

    With a growing cross-border team, CBHH chose Navatar’s CRM platform to turn individual relationships into firmwide institutional knowledge.

    “With a growing team and across separate offices, Navatar gives us CRM tool of a bulge-bracket platform, but purpose-built for firms like ours,” observed Cameron.

    “CBHH represents exactly the kind of investment bank redefining sector leadership in today’s private markets,” said Alok Misra, CEO at Navatar. “Their deep expertise in infrastructure, enviable record in transaction execution and long-term client model set them apart. Navatar simply helps surface and scale their institutional knowledge—so every individual in the firm, on every deal can benefit from every insight from their colleagues – and bring the full value of the firm to its mandates.”

    Final Takeaways

    Cameron also shares perspectives on:

    • Why large infra investors may want to engage earlier in an infra lifecycle
    • How operational experience of its partners has made CBHH a stronger advisor
    • Why the firm is leaning into ‘smart city’ infra and exploring ‘natural capital’ opportunities alongside its more traditional sector focus of telecoms and renewable energy infrastructure.
    • How to balance the demands of ‘hands-on’ partner involvement whilst scaling an advisory firm.

    “This is a firm built by ex-Goldman, Morgan Stanley, and UBS bankers—all of whom chose to bring their A game to the next generation of entrepreneurs, facing the challenges of rapid growth and large-scale capital requirements. We bring a distinct discipline and empathy to every client relationship.”

    Listen to the full episode: https://youtu.be/wDJeyzySbTs?si=kG_2nkbM1dQaDmOw

    Learn more about CBHH: www.cbhh.com

    Learn more about on Navatar’s CRM for M&A Advisory & Investment Banking: https://www.navatargroup.com/mergers-and-acquisitions-crm-software/

    About Cameron Barney Herbst Hilgenfeldt

    Cameron Barney Herbst Hilgenfeldt (CBHH) is an independent European investment bank providing financing and M&A advice to fast-growing companies in the ‘infra-tech’ sector including energy transition infrastructure, digital infrastructure, social infrastructure, natural capital and technology.

    About Navatar

    Navatar (@navatargroup), the CRM platform for alternative assets and investment banking firms, is a low-touch, high-impact intelligence engine purpose-built for investment workflows across private markets. Our platform delivers seamless intelligence capture, unifies firmwide relationships, and orchestrates complex deal processes—without requiring high-touch input or behavioral change from investment professionals. Backed by over two decades of CRM expertise, Navatar is used by hundreds of global private markets firms to drive institutional knowledge, create early access to opportunities and streamline execution. For more information, visit www.navatargroup.com.

    Sales Team
    Navatar
    sales@navatargroup.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: CBHH’s Charles Cameron on Financing The Next Generation of Critical Infrastructure – On Navatar’s A-Game Podcast: Sector Focus, Growth Infra, Cross-Border M&A Execution and CRM Value

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LONDON and NEW YORK, July 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In the latest episode of Navatar’s A-Game podcast, Charles Cameron, Partner at CBHH (Cameron Barney Herbst Hilgenfeldt), shares the firm’s focused approach to sourcing and executing infrastructure financing and M&A opportunities across the UK and continental Europe. The conversation explores how CBHH is helping next-generation infrastructure businesses raise institutional capital and scale across borders

    CBHH is a boutique M&A and corporate finance advisory firm, operating at the intersection of infrastructure and technology—a space the firm refers to as “core+ or value-add infrastructure.” This includes data centres and fiber broadband roll-outs, EV and HGV charging infrastructure, energy generation and storage and smart city technologies—all sectors with proven unit economics, but where companies still face growth-stage operational risk and have considerable demands for capital.

    Core+ Infrastructure

    Cameron explains how CBHH’s business focuses on “next-generation infrastructure” assets—businesses that fall between venture and traditional infrastructure mandates. They’re too small for most large-cap investors, but too capital-intensive for early-stage funds. Yet, these firms are driving “mission critical” infrastructure for the future and therefore, it is important that their funding needs are solved.

    “These companies are capital hungry and operationally intense. But if you understand the unit economics—like take-up rates for fiber or utilization of EV charging—you can underwrite the growth just like with traditional infrastructure,” Cameron notes.

    European Market Dynamics & German Expansion

    Cameron Barney’s post-Brexit merger with German boutique Herbst Hilgenfeldt Partners has given the enlarged firm (“CBHH”) real-time coverage across two of Europe’s most active infrastructure markets.

    “In Europe, decarbonization and digital infra are public priorities. Governments and investors alike are aligned—and we’re specifically positioned as the ‘go to’ firm to advise technology-centric infrastructure scale-ups which are leading that transition,” he says.

    From Advisory to Execution to Capital

    Strong relationships are central to CBBH’s approach. It is notable that CBHH regularly works with companies from their earliest institutional round all the way to large-scale strategic exits. A particular feature is that the firm has also co-invested in past clients—blending traditional merchant banking principles and support for clients with modern M&A execution.

    “We’re not just dropping-in for a transaction. Some clients we’ve advised through 9 or 10 deals—and we have also invested alongside them from the outset. That level of commitment and continuity is rare (in our view), but it’s how we operate and how we have developed deep sector knowledge and relationships.”

    Competing with Bulge Bracket banks

    Despite its boutique size, CBHH punches well above its weight—often winning mandates over global investment banks. Cameron attributes this in part to the global banking heritage and transaction experience of the senior team. He also believes that the firm’s continued success if founded on deep sector knowledge, ongoing senior partner engagement, and agility in the midst of complex transactions.

    “We are the size of a bulge bracket’s sector team—but almost certainly more focused, more aligned, and closer to the client. Our clients always get the A-team, not the associate bench.”

    Scaling Institutional Knowledge with Navatar

    With a growing cross-border team, CBHH chose Navatar’s CRM platform to turn individual relationships into firmwide institutional knowledge.

    “With a growing team and across separate offices, Navatar gives us CRM tool of a bulge-bracket platform, but purpose-built for firms like ours,” observed Cameron.

    “CBHH represents exactly the kind of investment bank redefining sector leadership in today’s private markets,” said Alok Misra, CEO at Navatar. “Their deep expertise in infrastructure, enviable record in transaction execution and long-term client model set them apart. Navatar simply helps surface and scale their institutional knowledge—so every individual in the firm, on every deal can benefit from every insight from their colleagues – and bring the full value of the firm to its mandates.”

    Final Takeaways

    Cameron also shares perspectives on:

    • Why large infra investors may want to engage earlier in an infra lifecycle
    • How operational experience of its partners has made CBHH a stronger advisor
    • Why the firm is leaning into ‘smart city’ infra and exploring ‘natural capital’ opportunities alongside its more traditional sector focus of telecoms and renewable energy infrastructure.
    • How to balance the demands of ‘hands-on’ partner involvement whilst scaling an advisory firm.

    “This is a firm built by ex-Goldman, Morgan Stanley, and UBS bankers—all of whom chose to bring their A game to the next generation of entrepreneurs, facing the challenges of rapid growth and large-scale capital requirements. We bring a distinct discipline and empathy to every client relationship.”

    Listen to the full episode: https://youtu.be/wDJeyzySbTs?si=kG_2nkbM1dQaDmOw

    Learn more about CBHH: www.cbhh.com

    Learn more about on Navatar’s CRM for M&A Advisory & Investment Banking: https://www.navatargroup.com/mergers-and-acquisitions-crm-software/

    About Cameron Barney Herbst Hilgenfeldt

    Cameron Barney Herbst Hilgenfeldt (CBHH) is an independent European investment bank providing financing and M&A advice to fast-growing companies in the ‘infra-tech’ sector including energy transition infrastructure, digital infrastructure, social infrastructure, natural capital and technology.

    About Navatar

    Navatar (@navatargroup), the CRM platform for alternative assets and investment banking firms, is a low-touch, high-impact intelligence engine purpose-built for investment workflows across private markets. Our platform delivers seamless intelligence capture, unifies firmwide relationships, and orchestrates complex deal processes—without requiring high-touch input or behavioral change from investment professionals. Backed by over two decades of CRM expertise, Navatar is used by hundreds of global private markets firms to drive institutional knowledge, create early access to opportunities and streamline execution. For more information, visit www.navatargroup.com.

    Sales Team
    Navatar
    sales@navatargroup.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: CBHH’s Charles Cameron on Financing The Next Generation of Critical Infrastructure – On Navatar’s A-Game Podcast: Sector Focus, Growth Infra, Cross-Border M&A Execution and CRM Value

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LONDON and NEW YORK, July 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In the latest episode of Navatar’s A-Game podcast, Charles Cameron, Partner at CBHH (Cameron Barney Herbst Hilgenfeldt), shares the firm’s focused approach to sourcing and executing infrastructure financing and M&A opportunities across the UK and continental Europe. The conversation explores how CBHH is helping next-generation infrastructure businesses raise institutional capital and scale across borders

    CBHH is a boutique M&A and corporate finance advisory firm, operating at the intersection of infrastructure and technology—a space the firm refers to as “core+ or value-add infrastructure.” This includes data centres and fiber broadband roll-outs, EV and HGV charging infrastructure, energy generation and storage and smart city technologies—all sectors with proven unit economics, but where companies still face growth-stage operational risk and have considerable demands for capital.

    Core+ Infrastructure

    Cameron explains how CBHH’s business focuses on “next-generation infrastructure” assets—businesses that fall between venture and traditional infrastructure mandates. They’re too small for most large-cap investors, but too capital-intensive for early-stage funds. Yet, these firms are driving “mission critical” infrastructure for the future and therefore, it is important that their funding needs are solved.

    “These companies are capital hungry and operationally intense. But if you understand the unit economics—like take-up rates for fiber or utilization of EV charging—you can underwrite the growth just like with traditional infrastructure,” Cameron notes.

    European Market Dynamics & German Expansion

    Cameron Barney’s post-Brexit merger with German boutique Herbst Hilgenfeldt Partners has given the enlarged firm (“CBHH”) real-time coverage across two of Europe’s most active infrastructure markets.

    “In Europe, decarbonization and digital infra are public priorities. Governments and investors alike are aligned—and we’re specifically positioned as the ‘go to’ firm to advise technology-centric infrastructure scale-ups which are leading that transition,” he says.

    From Advisory to Execution to Capital

    Strong relationships are central to CBBH’s approach. It is notable that CBHH regularly works with companies from their earliest institutional round all the way to large-scale strategic exits. A particular feature is that the firm has also co-invested in past clients—blending traditional merchant banking principles and support for clients with modern M&A execution.

    “We’re not just dropping-in for a transaction. Some clients we’ve advised through 9 or 10 deals—and we have also invested alongside them from the outset. That level of commitment and continuity is rare (in our view), but it’s how we operate and how we have developed deep sector knowledge and relationships.”

    Competing with Bulge Bracket banks

    Despite its boutique size, CBHH punches well above its weight—often winning mandates over global investment banks. Cameron attributes this in part to the global banking heritage and transaction experience of the senior team. He also believes that the firm’s continued success if founded on deep sector knowledge, ongoing senior partner engagement, and agility in the midst of complex transactions.

    “We are the size of a bulge bracket’s sector team—but almost certainly more focused, more aligned, and closer to the client. Our clients always get the A-team, not the associate bench.”

    Scaling Institutional Knowledge with Navatar

    With a growing cross-border team, CBHH chose Navatar’s CRM platform to turn individual relationships into firmwide institutional knowledge.

    “With a growing team and across separate offices, Navatar gives us CRM tool of a bulge-bracket platform, but purpose-built for firms like ours,” observed Cameron.

    “CBHH represents exactly the kind of investment bank redefining sector leadership in today’s private markets,” said Alok Misra, CEO at Navatar. “Their deep expertise in infrastructure, enviable record in transaction execution and long-term client model set them apart. Navatar simply helps surface and scale their institutional knowledge—so every individual in the firm, on every deal can benefit from every insight from their colleagues – and bring the full value of the firm to its mandates.”

    Final Takeaways

    Cameron also shares perspectives on:

    • Why large infra investors may want to engage earlier in an infra lifecycle
    • How operational experience of its partners has made CBHH a stronger advisor
    • Why the firm is leaning into ‘smart city’ infra and exploring ‘natural capital’ opportunities alongside its more traditional sector focus of telecoms and renewable energy infrastructure.
    • How to balance the demands of ‘hands-on’ partner involvement whilst scaling an advisory firm.

    “This is a firm built by ex-Goldman, Morgan Stanley, and UBS bankers—all of whom chose to bring their A game to the next generation of entrepreneurs, facing the challenges of rapid growth and large-scale capital requirements. We bring a distinct discipline and empathy to every client relationship.”

    Listen to the full episode: https://youtu.be/wDJeyzySbTs?si=kG_2nkbM1dQaDmOw

    Learn more about CBHH: www.cbhh.com

    Learn more about on Navatar’s CRM for M&A Advisory & Investment Banking: https://www.navatargroup.com/mergers-and-acquisitions-crm-software/

    About Cameron Barney Herbst Hilgenfeldt

    Cameron Barney Herbst Hilgenfeldt (CBHH) is an independent European investment bank providing financing and M&A advice to fast-growing companies in the ‘infra-tech’ sector including energy transition infrastructure, digital infrastructure, social infrastructure, natural capital and technology.

    About Navatar

    Navatar (@navatargroup), the CRM platform for alternative assets and investment banking firms, is a low-touch, high-impact intelligence engine purpose-built for investment workflows across private markets. Our platform delivers seamless intelligence capture, unifies firmwide relationships, and orchestrates complex deal processes—without requiring high-touch input or behavioral change from investment professionals. Backed by over two decades of CRM expertise, Navatar is used by hundreds of global private markets firms to drive institutional knowledge, create early access to opportunities and streamline execution. For more information, visit www.navatargroup.com.

    Sales Team
    Navatar
    sales@navatargroup.com

    The MIL Network –

  • Centre launches BhashaSetu challenge to develop Real-Time Language Tech

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The centre on Monday launched the WAVEX Startup Challenge 2025, inviting startups from across the country to develop an AI-based real-time multilingual translation solution under its flagship accelerator programme, WaveX.

    The challenge, titled ‘BhashaSetu – Real-Time Language Tech for Bharat’, seeks to encourage the creation of innovative tools that can handle translation, transliteration, and voice localisation in real time across at least 12 major Indian languages. Officials said the initiative aims to foster inclusive and accessible communication technologies that are sensitive to India’s linguistic diversity.

    There is no minimum eligibility criterion for participation, allowing startups at any stage of development to apply. Startups have been encouraged to build scalable and cost-effective solutions, leveraging open-source or low-cost artificial intelligence models. Proprietary models may also be considered, provided they remain affordable for wide-scale deployment.

    The winning team will receive incubation support under the WaveX Accelerator, which will include mentorship, workspace, and development assistance until the solution is fully developed and deployed. Registrations opened on June 30 and will close on July 22. Interested startups may submit their proposals through the official WaveX portal.

    WaveX was launched under the Ministry’s WAVES initiative to promote innovation in the media, entertainment, and language technology sectors. At the WAVES Summit held in Mumbai this May, over 30 startups pitched their ideas directly to government representatives, investors, and industry leaders.

    Officials said that WaveX will continue to support promising startups through hackathons, incubation, mentorship, and opportunities for integration with national platforms.

    Startups can register for the challenge at: https://wavex.wavesbazaar.com

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Arrests – Dangerous driving – Alice Springs

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    The Northern Territory Police Force has arrested three male youths in relation to a dangerous driving incident that occurred this morning in Alice Springs.

    Around 1:40am, police received a report of two vehicles driving suspiciously in Alice Springs. One of the vehicles, a grey Subaru Outback, was identified as being reported stolen on 29 June. The second vehicle, a black Holden Commodore, was not reported as stolen. Both vehicles were sighted by police being driven by youths.

    Both vehicles failed to stop, and a resolution strategy was formulated involving members from Strike Force Viper, the Territory Safety Division, and general duties officers. A pursuit of the Holden Commodore was subsequently commenced after it began driving dangerously. The stolen Subaru drove from the area and remains outstanding, along with its unknown occupants.

    The Commodore subsequently clipped a kerb, resulting in damage to the vehicle. The three occupants, aged 13, 13, and 14, abandoned it in Araluen and attempted to flee on foot, but were apprehended and arrested by police.

    The two 13-year-olds were later released into the care of responsible adults pending further investigations. The 14-year-old has been charged and will appear in court this afternoon.

    Investigations are ongoing and anyone with information is urged to contact police on 131 444 and quote reference P25175514. Anonymous reports can be made through Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or via https://crimestoppersnt.com.au/.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Arts – Ringatoi Māori Lead the Way in New Match Funding Campaign

    Source: E Tū Toi

    Bold, diverse and unapologetically Māori kaupapa are being backed through E Tū Toi 2025 – a powerful new match funding campaign supporting ringatoi Māori across Toi Māori, film, music, theatre, literature, dance and digital innovation. Delivered in partnership with Boosted – Aotearoa’s dedicated arts crowdfunding platform run by The Arts Foundation Te Tumu Toi – and Creative New Zealand Māori Strategy & Partnerships team, the initiative puts mana motuhake into action.

    “E Tū Toi is a way for wider Aotearoa to directly support ngā toi Māori and ringatoi to be visible everywhere, and highly valuable as part of the distinct identity of Aotearoa. Boosted demonstrates the power of community, and the importance of collaboration through crowdfunding,” says Justine Pepene-Hohaia, Senior Adviser, Māori Strategy & Partnerships – Kaiwhakamāhere Matua, Rautaki Māori me ngā Rangapu. “This kaupapa increases the visibility of ngā toi Māori, and ensures that through visibility and strengthening the waka, ngā toi Māori is highly valued as a taonga woven into the fabric of New Zealand’s cultural identity, and admired by global audiences.”

    Running from 1 July to 1 August 2025, each artist has one month to raise pūtea from their communities, Creative New Zealand Māori Strategy and Partnerships team matching every donation with $3,000 or $5,000 to help unlock each project’s full potential.

    “These artists are visionaries. They are reclaiming space, uplifting whānau, and building a future where Māori stories are central to who we are as a nation,” says Chelsea Winstanley, Arts Foundation Te Tumu Toi Co-Chair. “Their courage, creativity and commitment deserve to be seen, celebrated, and supported.”

    Spanning the motu and the spectrum of Māori creative expression, E Tū Toi empowers artists to fund their kaupapa on their own terms – backed by their people and amplified by matched funding.

    “I’m really excited to be part of this new E Tū Toi initiative, which is all about amplifying Māori voices. As a mokopuna of Tūwharetoa, support like this means a lot. It’s not just about the pūtea – which goes straight back into our communities – it’s about knowing our stories are being heard, valued, and backed,” says Moss Patterson, 2020 Arts Foundation Te Tumu Toi Laureate and E Tū Toi project owner. “As a past Laureate, I understand the transformative impact recognition can have.

    The E Tū Toi 2025 Projects include:

    • Te Ana o Hine: A Wahine-led Studio (Ngaroma Riley, $10,000 target) – Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. A wāhine-led carving studio in Pakuranga reclaiming space in whakairo and supporting Māori women artists.
    • The Nephilim (Awa Puna, $18,000 target) – Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. A daring queer horror film exploring identity and transformation through satire, faith and movement.
    • Welcome to the After Party (Faith Henare-Stewart, $6,000 target) – Waikato. A live band theatre experience about community, bullying, and resilience, premiering at the 2026 Fringe Festival.
    • Tama and Mahuika (Corey Le Vaillant, $6,000 target) – Waikato. A trilingual short film told in NZSL, Te Reo Māori and English exploring grief and reconnection.
    • Te Whatakai (Troy Ruhe, $6,000 target) – Otākou Otago. A docuseries exploring the connection between kai, whenua and mātauranga from a Te Ao Māori lens.
    • Taupō Hau Rau Short Film, (Moss Patterson, $6,000 target) – Waikato. A cinematic dance film honouring Ngāti Tūwharetoa kaumātua through ancestral storytelling and movement.
    • Whakapapa Quilt Wānanga (Ron Te Kawa, $10,000 target) – Manawatū-Whanganui. Textile art wānanga where wāhine Māori create heirloom quilts as vessels of healing and whakapapa.
    • Hau Kainga 2.0 (Fiona Collis, $6,000 target) – Tairāwhiti Gisborne. A large-scale woven installation honouring Te Tairāwhiti’s land, sea, and whakapapa through sculptural fibre pods.
    • Māori Toi Akoranga (Anthony-Quinn Cowley, $6,000 target) – Te Moana-a-Toi Bay of Plenty. A school-based programme nurturing tamariki through traditional toi Māori practices.

    • The Butterfly Who Flew Into The Rave (Oli Mathiesen, $6,000 target) – Te Ao International. A high-octane endurance dance work exploring queer identity and rave culture, set for Edinburgh Fringe 2025.
    • PŪNGAO – ENERGY (Tiaki Kerei, $7,000 target) – Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. A powerful dance theatre project by Whakamana Creatives that channels Te Ao Māori perspectives to inspire positive change.

    Why crowdfunding?
    Crowdfunding offers a vibrant alternative to traditional funding – building engaged communities and empowering Māori artists to lead their own funding journeys. With an 94% success rate on Boosted, it’s proven to work.

    What you can do:
    Donate. Share. Tautoko. Every dollar counts – and every contribution helps unlock matched funding and bring these stories to life.

    To donate or learn more, visit: https://www.thearts.co.nz/boosted/projects?query=&location=&discipline=&topic=e-tu-toi&range=&page=1&sortBy=
    Campaign period: 1 July – 1 August 2025
    Follow along: @boostedNZ on Instagram and Facebook

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI—Hagerty Joins Balance of Power on BloombergTV to Discuss Senate Passage of “One, Big Beautiful Bill”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Tennessee Bill Hagerty

    WASHINGTON—Today, United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Appropriations, Banking, and Foreign Relations Committees and former U.S. Ambassador to Japan, joined Balance of Power on BloombergTV to discuss Senate passage of the budget reconciliation package.

    *Click the photo above or here to watch*

    Partial Transcript

    Hagerty on the economic growth that will result from passing the budget reconciliation package: “It’s going to be a very long night and could well go into tomorrow morning. But at the end of the day, what we’re going to do is prevent the largest tax increase that Americans have ever seen. This is a tax relief that Americans need. We’re talking about a four-plus trillion-dollar tax increase. That would be the case if it were allowed to not pass. If you think about it, it’s a generational investment in our national defense. It’s going to put us back on the path for energy independence as a nation. And most important, it’s going to stimulate longer-term capital investment, which will beget growth. That growth will beget more employment, more employment will beget more economic activity, which means we’re going to have higher tax revenues for the government as a result.”

    Hagerty on the inaccurate scoring of the budget reconciliation package: “I don’t agree with their willingness to rely on authorities. I’m putting air quotes around that, like the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). The CBO missed the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act revenue by more than a trillion dollars. As a businessperson—I’ve been a businessperson my entire life—the type of capital investment they’re going to stimulate over the long term is definitely going to generate much more economic activity. And I think the models are wrong. I do not agree with the approach that has been taken that suggests this is going to be a big deficit bomb. In fact, I think it’s going to be a growth generator that’s going to put our deficit back on the curve in the right direction to reduce the deficit […] It’s been quite frustrating to see numbers that just as a logical person, as a businessperson, clearly you say that there’s no way these calculations are right. What they leave out, what they don’t include, that the overreliance on tax revenue, so to speak, when you know that companies and individual behaviors will change if taxes go up. The model does not work.”

    Hagerty on future budget reconciliation packages: “I certainly support another one of these packages. We’ll have an opportunity to do it again and again. If you think about the work that was undertaken by Elon Musk and the team at DOGE that’s continuing, every department head, every agency head, has been charged with figuring out how to reduce the dramatic burden of regulations that was imposed just in the last administration. And to quantify that over the past four years of [former President] Joe Biden’s administration, that was an additional $1.4 trillion of compliance costs that were added to the U.S. economy. As that comes out, as these conflicting regulations, these burdensome sclerotic regulations come out of the system, I expect to see that those funds, instead of going toward a compliance, fall to the bottom line and get reinvested in the economy. Again, all very pro-growth.”

    Hagerty on the collaboration between House and Senate Leadership: “Leader [John] Thune is trying to thread a very difficult needle, in terms of navigating through the Senate, with fifty-plus-one votes and having something that will work in the House of Representatives. Make no mistake: the leadership at the House of Representatives and here in the Senate have been working very closely together to make certain that we do thread that needle, that we’re able to turn something over to the House of Representatives that convenes tomorrow at noon, to set up the [Rules Committee] so that they can move this through the House, we can get it to the President’s desk, and get it signed by the 4th of July.”

    Hagerty on potential late-night votes: “It easily could go that way. I’ve been here voting all the way through the night and into the next morning, but we will vote as long as it takes to get here. There’s no time limit on this. It really has to do with how long the Democrats want to continue to fight, to put up their resistance movement again. They keep offering the same type of challenge over and over and over again and certainly dragging out the clock. I think what they want to do is get to primetime tonight. I’ve got to believe that their interest will wane after primetime hours. So, we’ll see how long it goes.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: TODAY: Governor Newsom to sign historic bills to create more housing and infrastructure – faster than ever before

    Source: US State of California Governor

    Jun 30, 2025

    SACRAMENTO COUNTY — Governor Gavin Newsom will be joined by Senate President pro Tempore Mike McGuire, Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, other legislative leaders, and advocates to sign a landmark budget bill package that cuts red tape, fast-tracks housing and infrastructure, and improves affordability for all Californians.

    WHEN: Monday, June 30, at approximately 6:45 p.m.

    LIVESTREAM:  Governor’s Twitter page, Governor’s Facebook page, and the Governor’s YouTube page. This event will also be available to TV stations on the LiveU Matrix under “California Governor.”

    NOTE: This in-person press event will be open to credentialed media only. Media interested in attending must RSVP by clicking here no later than 6:35 p.m., June 30. Location information will be provided upon confirmation.

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    News What you need to know: Californians are urged to practice common sense and safety when using fireworks to celebrate this Fourth of July. People who resort to using illegal fireworks will be held accountable. SACRAMENTO – With Fourth of July celebrations set to go…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Aamir Khan’s big screen comeback, Sitaare Zameen Par, features an all-star neurodivergent cast – a Bollywood first

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yanyan Hong, PhD Candidate in Communication, Media and Film Studies, University of Adelaide

    Bharti Dubey/X

    Bollywood star Aamir Khan’s return to the big screen after a three-year hiatus has been far from ordinary. Sitaare Zameen Par (2025) which translates to “stars on Earth”, is the first major Bollywood production to feature a mostly neurodivergent cast.

    A remake of the 2018 Spanish film Campeones, the story follows a mouthy, knuckle-headed basketball coach, Gulshan (Aamir Khan), who is put in charge of a team of players with intellectual disabilities.

    The film slowly grows into itself, much like its characters, but ultimately delivers what the trailer promises: a heartwarming, humorous and uplifting celebration of our individual differences.

    In an era of blockbuster spectacles, Aamir Khan Productions brings back a kind of Bollywood storytelling we haven’t seen in a while – something sincere, gentle and quietly revolutionary.

    Who is Aamir Khan?

    Aamir Khan was born in Mumbai in 1965, and started his acting career as a child actor in his uncle’s film Yaadon Ki Baaraat (1973).

    Khan is now one of Bollywood’s most enduring and respected figures. He is one of the iconic “three Khans”, alongside Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan (the three are unrelated), who have dominated Indian cinema since the 1990s.

    But unlike his Khan counterparts, Aamir Khan has carved a unique career path built on both commercial success and socially-driven storytelling.

    He is known for championing social causes through cinema. In one 2015 article, media studies professor Vamsee Juluri referred to him as a “national conscience figure”.

    Khan’s films don’t just entertain; they challenge norms and often spark national conversations on important issues.

    From producing Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India (2001), India’s Oscar-nominated colonial-era sports epic, to his directorial debut Taare Zameen Par (2007), a moving portrait of a child with dyslexia, Khan’s work often brings underrepresented stories to the mainstream.

    Lagaan follows farmers from a small Indian village under British colonial rule. The British challenge the farmers to a game of cricket, in exchange for an exemption from paying the land tax (‘lagaan’).
    IMDb

    His film PK (2014) challenges religious dogma. Meanwhile, Dangal (2016) is a boundary-pushing film based on real-life female wrestlers from rural India, and is also Bollywood’s highest-grossing film of all time.

    Beyond the box office, Khan has hosted the TV show Satyamev Jayate (2012–14), which is also the national emblem of India, meaning “truth alone triumphs”.

    This show tackles various topics considered taboo in Indian societies, including female feticide, domestic violence and caste discrimination. It has reached millions of households, and even ignited parliamentary debates.

    Khan is also popular in other countries, including China, where his films 3 Idiots (2009), Dangal (2016) and Secret Superstar (2017) were massive hits that resonated with audiences for their universal themes.

    In Dangal (2016), Mahavir (Aamir Khan) trains his two daughters in wrestling.
    IMDb

    Sitaare Zameen Par marks his return following the commercial underperformance of Laal Singh Chaddha (2022), an Indian remake of Forrest Gump (1994).

    Sitaare (stars) who make the film shine

    Directed by R.S. Prasanna, Sitaare Zameen Par enjoyed a strong opening weekend at the box office.

    It stars ten individuals with special needs as they prepare for a basketball tournament under the direction of their coach (Khan). This plot alone makes the film a significant entry to Indian cinema, which often ignores or misrepresents disability.

    The neurodivergent stars of Sitaare Zameen Par are aged between 18 and 42.
    Aamir Khan Productions.

    Despite early online trolling and negativity, the film depicts its neurodivergent characters not as victims, or “inspirations”, but simply as people with dreams, struggles and joy.

    One line captures this beautifully: “Everyone sticks to their own normal. We each have our own normal.”

    Aamir Khan, now 60, plays a key role in the film, but doesn’t dominate it. Instead, his younger co-stars shine. The result is a healing film that celebrates inclusion, while being full of joy and humanity.

    Stories that matter

    No film is perfect. But it’s hard to dislike a film made with so much compassion.

    Bollywood as an industry has increasingly leaned into action-packed blockbusters, as well as nationalist and Hindu-centred narratives (such as in the 2022 film Brahmāstra).

    While many of these offer thrills, few deliver the kind of emotional and social depth that once defined Hindi cinema’s global appeal. Much like Taare Zameen Par – a spiritual prequel to the new release – did 18 years ago, Sitaare Zameen Par invites the audience to slow down and reflect.

    In Taare Zameen Par (2007), Khan plays a neurotypical teacher who helps a student with dyslexia.
    IMDb

    It prompts neurotypical viewers to see people with Down’s syndrome as part of the same emotional universe as them – and to laugh with, not at them.

    In an interview, Khan explains how the film goes further than just neurodivergent representation, to participation:

    In [Taare Zameen Par], it’s the teacher, Nikumbh, a supposedly neuro-typical person, who helps the child with dyslexia. In this film, ten neuro-atypical people are helping the coach, Gulshan. I feel Sitare takes the discourse of the first film ten steps ahead, especially in our country where people need to be sensitised to the topic of neurodivergence.

    Last week, India’s president, Droupadi Murmu, attended a special screening and met the cast. The visit sent a clear messsage: stories like this matter.

    With Sitaare Zameen Par, Aamir Khan returns to what he does best: using film as both a mirror and message for Indian society. While it won’t change the world overnight, it will make viewers see the world, and each other, a little differently.

    Yanyan Hong 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. Aamir Khan’s big screen comeback, Sitaare Zameen Par, features an all-star neurodivergent cast – a Bollywood first – https://theconversation.com/aamir-khans-big-screen-comeback-sitaare-zameen-par-features-an-all-star-neurodivergent-cast-a-bollywood-first-259673

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Universities must teach students what freedom is – a South African course is trying to do just that

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Pedro Tabensky, Director, Allan Gray Centre for Leadership Ethics, Rhodes University

    A typical student wants a university degree as a ticket to a salary. For this young person, education is a journey towards “having”. And the way to complete the journey is mainly to remember, repeat or reproduce what the teacher says and does.

    This having-orientation is understandable given the often precarious realities of life, particularly in the global south, including South Africa, where I am based as a university lecturer. It is understandable, yet it fosters apathy in the classroom, for the monetary aims of students are not typically aligned with the aims of learning.

    In response to this situation, for a decade Rhodes University’s Allan Gray Centre for Leadership Ethics has been developing a course called IiNtetho zoBomi, which translates from isiXhosa, one of South Africa’s languages, as “conversations about life”.

    IiNtetho zoBomi is a year-long course offered to all students at the university. Over 2,000 have completed it since its inception. It aims to bridge the gap between character education and vocational education. The course shows students how interrelated reading, writing, thinking and being are.

    It’s an opportunity for students to think about what matters to them and how to live accordingly. We hope they learn to have a say in how their lives will go. We want them to understand how education will equip them for life – not just work – and promote self-mastery. Ideally, students will realise along the way that self-mastery comes from learning with others in communities of inquiry.

    With my colleagues at the centre, I wrote about the course in a recent paper, explaining the thinking behind it and how it works. From initial reticence and outright suspicion, the course is starting to receive broad institutional support from academics and management. The idea has been mooted that it should become become a common course for all first-year students.

    The course has also received an endorsement from educational sociologist Kathy Luckett and feminist philosopher Ann Cahill. In their review of the course they commented that it had developed “a unique and powerful form of pedagogy that is clearly speaking to students’ interests and existential needs, and effectively providing students with capacities that allow them to author their own thoughts and lives”.

    Inquisitiveness versus apathy

    If a salary is the overriding motive for pursuing higher education, it helps to explain why so many students seem to lack inquisitiveness to seek knowledge, and hence are not in the correct frame of mind required for deep learning and the human growth that comes with the learning mindset.

    This lack of inquisitiveness is also encouraged by the fact that the global university has primarily become a market service provider. The market wants and needs professionals, and universities provide them. This may not be a problem, unless the professional aspect of human life is separated, as it often is, from the central goal of education: to form well-adjusted, autonomous human beings.



    Read more:
    It’s important to rethink the purpose of university education — a philosopher of education explains why

    This severance between learning for work and learning for life leaves human growth to chance. It fosters the passive absorption of whatever happens to be in the air of the times, instead of the formation of a capacity for critical thinking necessary for autonomy.

    Contemporary universities presume that if one looks after people’s career concerns, life will look after itself, which is a grave mistake.

    Conversations about life

    The course includes student-led lectures, peer dialogues and weekly service learning at local no-fee paying public primary schools. The students also keep journals in which they reflect on their lives in relation to the course’s material.

    We introduce students to ideas such as the existential psychologist Erich Fromm’s distinction between “being” and “having” orientations to education. In other words, a good education helps you to be a certain way, not just to have certain things.

    Students also learn that “to take freedom for granted is to extinguish the possibility of attaining it”, as expressed in the documentary Creating Freedom: The Lottery of Birth. This is the idea that people are shaped by circumstances, and understanding how these circumstances shape them is a first step in attaining real freedom. We show this documentary to our students in addition to other movies and documentaries about the weekly topics discussed in class.

    We encourage students to develop an inner dialogue and understand that they passively absorb much of what their thinking draws on. We challenge students to consider what they see, or fail to see, and how they see it. We invite students to reflect on how external forces like peer pressure and ideology act on them, as do internal forces like the confirmation bias (which motivates us to favour information that confirms what we already believe and to ignore information that doesn’t).

    The following idea frames the content of the course: barriers to acting ethically, indeed to autonomy, are produced by psychological, social and political forces.

    Then there is the service-learning aspect of Iintetho zoBomi.

    This is about the students getting involved in communities and learning through one-on-one interactions with children at no-fee primary schools, helping them with English literacy and life orientation-related schoolwork. Our students learn by teaching learners material that’s related to IiNtetho zoBomi. Service learning helps bring ideas and experiences together.

    Responses

    We are seeing encouraging results in the form of hundreds of unsolicited comments relating to how the course has transformed the lives of our students.

    Most of these comments come from student reflective journals. Lecturers read the journals as the main form of assessment of IiNtetho zoBomi. Some students even wrote articles in local media about what they had learned. In one of the articles, student Tanatswa Chivhere concludes that:

    Most of us who have done the course can testify to how it made us more aware of how our thoughts and actions impact the world as a whole. IiNtetho zoBomi has changed the way in which I view my place in the world and how to use that place to better not only my life, but those of others around me.

    Pedro Tabensky works for Rhodes University. He receives funding from the Allan & Gill Gray Philanthropies.

    – ref. Universities must teach students what freedom is – a South African course is trying to do just that – https://theconversation.com/universities-must-teach-students-what-freedom-is-a-south-african-course-is-trying-to-do-just-that-239332

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Sugary drinks, processed foods, alcohol and tobacco are big killers: why the G20 should add its weight to health taxes

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Karen Hofman, Professor and Programme Director, SA MRC Centre for Health Economics and Decision Science – PRICELESS SA (Priority Cost Effective Lessons in Systems Strengthening South Africa), University of the Witwatersrand

    By 2030, non-communicable diseases will account for 75% of all deaths annually. Eighty percent of these will be in the global south. Most of these diseases are what we call silent killers: type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease, as well as certain types of cancer at increasingly younger ages.

    The consumption of sugary drinks and processed foods high in sugar, salt and saturated fats is fuelling these pandemics. And increasingly advertising is being seen as the means by which the consumption of unhealthy products is promoted. This translates into the growth of non-communicable diseases in populations across the globe. This rising threat is driven largely by the way in which markets and industries are organised, which, in turn, shapes social norms towards consumption of tobacco, alcohol, food and sugary beverages.

    This process is what’s known as commercial determinants of health.

    Products that top the list in terms of their risk to health are tobacco, sugary beverages, ultra processed food and alcohol.

    These products are heavily advertised. For example, in South Africa from 2013 to 2019, sugary beverage manufacturers spent US$191 million (R3.7 billion) to advertise their products. Many of the TV advertisements for sugary drinks were placed during child and family viewing time, between 3pm and 7pm.

    Over the past decade a number of countries have introduced policies in a bid to limit the use and intake of harmful food and beverages. These have ranged from taxes on certain products, such as sugar, alcohol and tobacco, to bans on advertising. Many have proved effective. But there are still big gaps in policies to control these harmful products.

    As academics who have researched this field for three decades we believe that the G20 can play a significant role in plugging these gaps. The countries under the G20 umbrella, which represent two thirds of the world’s population, have reason to act: all are experiencing a mounting burden of obesity-related illness such as diabetes, high blood pressure and cancer at ever-younger ages.

    One of South Africa’s G20 presidency health priorities is “stemming the tide of non-communicable diseases”. In our view this is an invitation for the G20 to pledge to combat the drivers of non-communicable diseases.

    The G20 can acknowledge that these diseases are part of a pathological system in which commercial actors are causing ill health. And G20 leaders can acknowledge that progress enacting health taxes has stagnated in most countries.

    By galvanising attention in this way, the G20 can give impetus to a high level United Nations meeting in 2025 at which a new vision for the control and prevention of non-communicable diseases is due to be set. Health taxes and bans on marketing are focus areas.

    What stands in the way of progress

    Efforts by various countries to curb consumption of these harmful products have shown one thing clearly: there’s no silver bullet.

    Nevertheless, evidence shows that consumers are responsive to price. This points to the fact that taxes are a key tool for decreasing demand, especially for young consumers.



    Read more:
    Sugary drinks are a killer: a 20% tax would save lives and rands in South Africa

    There is also mounting evidence that health taxes are progressive for health at a population level – in other words they lead to better health outcomes. Research also shows that they scarcely affect overall employment, if at all.

    But advances on alcohol and tobacco taxes are slow. And there has been little progress on taxes on sugary beverages.

    These taxes remain far too low because health promotion taxes face tough resistance from industry. When any health promotion taxes are proposed, industries deny harms, promote doubt, divert attention, spread disinformation, create front organisations, and varnish their reputations through corporate social responsibility initiatives.

    When taxes do proceed through the legislative or regulatory process, industries influence proposals to make them less effective. They also offer to replace legislation with voluntary commitments. Evidence shows that voluntary commitments do not work.

    What would be gained

    In 2024, a report by a panel of experts showed that US$3.7 trillion in additional revenue could be generated over five years if all countries increased prices of tobacco, alcohol and sugary beverages by 50%.

    This money is sorely needed to boost healthcare. Non-communicable diseases disproportionately affect the most poor and vulnerable and healthcare systems are increasingly unable to cope. Screening, diagnosis, medications and treatment are very expensive for both ministries of finance and at the household level, where health needs can result in catastrophic expenditure.

    And taxes that generate a 50% increase in real prices of tobacco, alcohol and sugary beverages would save 50 million lives globally over 50 years.

    Where to begin

    We believe the G20 platform is a sound one on which to champion efforts to curb the consumption of harmful products. This is because half of the countries in the group have one or two policies for food such as taxes on sweetened beverages. Their experiences can therefore inform debates about how to protect the public from the fatal effects of diet-influenced diseases.

    But building a solid foundation won’t be easy. What’s needed is for the G20 to put its weight behind these key points:

    • Promoting good health before people get sick should be an imperative because the cost of inaction in financial and human terms is just too high.

    • Promoting the case for raising tobacco taxes, because tobacco continues to cause the most death and illness. But taxation has stalled. Approximately 90% of smokers live in countries where cigarettes were equally or more affordable in 2022 than they were five years earlier.

    • A renewed focus on alcohol taxes, which have shown little improvement in the last decade. Alcohol excise taxes are not being used effectively.

    • Fresh impetus behind increasing the level of taxes as a percentage of the cost of sugar sweetened beverages. Evidence suggests that to be effective, taxes on sugar sweetened beverages should increase product prices by at least 20%.

    • Champion nutrition regulation when navigating the trade and nutrition policy environment. Trade policies can be inconsistent with health policies.

    • Lastly, push for stronger global monitoring frameworks to track corporate accountability in health. This should include clear conflict of interest policies, information management, and exposing when corporations try to shape their own evidence-base or discredit research that would be supportive of public health policies.

    Susan Goldstein receives funding from the SAMRC, the NIHR and UNICEF. She is a Board Member of the Southern African Alcohol Policy Alliance: South Africa,

    Karen Hofman 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. Sugary drinks, processed foods, alcohol and tobacco are big killers: why the G20 should add its weight to health taxes – https://theconversation.com/sugary-drinks-processed-foods-alcohol-and-tobacco-are-big-killers-why-the-g20-should-add-its-weight-to-health-taxes-256024

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: With fresh songs and a spectacular set, Disney’s Hercules musical goes the distance

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Emma Stafford, Professor of Greek Culture, University of Leeds

    “Whose daring deeds are great theatre? Hercules!” So sing the Muses, as they close act one of Disney’s Hercules, which opened at London’s Theatre Royal, Drury Lane last week.

    The 1997 Disney animation this new show is based on is, of course, already a successful musical film. The hit song Go the Distance was nominated for a Golden Globe and an Academy Award. The new West End version includes all the film’s familiar musical numbers, notably The Gospel Truth (which is reprised as many as six times) but also I Won’t Say (I’m In Love), Zero to Hero and A Star is Born.

    There are plenty of new original songs, too, by the composer Alan Menken and lyricist David Zippel.

    Some of the changes to the film’s story, however, are puzzling. In place of adoptive mortal parents Amphitryon and Alcmene, Hercules is born to a single mother, who is given a new (modern Greek) name and her own song: Despina’s Lullaby.

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    More understandable is the skipping over of Hercules’ childhood, allowing Luke Brady’s engaging Hercules to emerge fully grown not too long into the show.

    Likewise, Meg (Mae Ann Jorolan) is made even feistier than her 1990s incarnation. Instead of being in the clutches of the centaur Nessus when Hercules first meets her, she has two Hydra-venom traders in a headlock, and she sings “let me tell you a little something about saving women who don’t need to be saved” in the great new duet Forget About It.

    Fans of the film may be disappointed that Pegasus – Hercules’s trusty flying steed – has been written out. Though he is nicely referenced through a topiary cameo. But there was effective use of puppetry for a suitably dramatic Hydra – the monster who grows two more heads for every one Hercules cuts off.

    Other highlights of stage-trickery include the contributions of air sculptor Daniel Wurtzel. The spirits of the dead are represented by light material floating in a stream of air, and statues of Zeus and Hera appeared to come to life – I really don’t know how they did it.

    In another controversial change, the shape-shifting comedy sidekicks Pain and Panic have been downgraded to the humans Bob (Craig Gallivan) and Charles (Lee Zarrett). They are an endearing pair nonetheless, who get their own new song Getting Even.

    Indeed, there’s more of an emphasis on both humanity and community throughout the show. In place of Danny de Vito’s satyr Philoctetes, with his hero-training facility based on a remote island, Phil (Trevor Dion Nicholas) operates out of his local pub – Medusa’s bar – with the help of a whole bunch of neighbours from Hercules’ hometown of Thebes.

    Also toned down is Hades, at least compared to James Wood’s flamboyant character in the animated film. Stephen Carlisle (previously seen as Scar in Lion King) plays Hades more in the tradition of the upper-class British villain we all love to boo. At the end of the show, however, he becomes literally larger-than-life as a giant puppet. The animation’s battle of the gods against the Titans is turned into a highly stylised confrontation between this turbo-charged Hades and everyone else.

    The trailer for Hercules.

    The show’s visuals, masterminded by Dane Laffrey, are undeniably impressive. Even before the curtain goes up, the theatre’s usual proscenium arch has been transformed into a monumental Greek temple facade. Thereafter the sets are dominated by four massive pairs of Doric columns, which glide smoothly into different formations. The backdrop to the gods’ home on Olympus is a giant gold sunburst motif, and everything to do with the gods is golden.

    Video-projected backgrounds (by George Reeve) feature further temples and a mosaic texture – really a Roman touch. But a more properly Greek element is the use of vases in the Attic black-figure style. These are seen especially in the early “young Hercules” scene in the market-place and again to go with the Zero to Hero line “they slapped his face on every vase”.

    And finally, the real stars of the show are the five Muses (played by Sharlene Hector, Brianna Ogunbawo, Robyn Rose-Li, Kamilla Fernandes and Kimmy Edwards the evening I attended).

    Their role – as a cross between the chorus of a Greek tragedy and a gospel choir – is even bigger here than in the animation, of which they were such an innovative feature. They must spend the whole evening on costume changes, appearing in a series of fabulous frocks (designed by Gregg Barnes and Sky Switser), each more spectacular than the last.

    Some early reviews have been critical of the show as lacking in emotional depth, and it’s true that the more serious theme of “finding where I belong” is subservient to the high-octane razzmatazz – but I suspect this won’t matter to the majority of West End audiences. Disney’s Hercules is indeed great (musical) theatre.

    Emma Stafford has received funding from the AHRC for the Hercules Project (https://herculesproject.leeds.ac.uk/).

    – ref. With fresh songs and a spectacular set, Disney’s Hercules musical goes the distance – https://theconversation.com/with-fresh-songs-and-a-spectacular-set-disneys-hercules-musical-goes-the-distance-260024

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Oasis are on the road again. But has the ticket scandal spelled the end of dynamic pricing?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jonathan Fry, Lecturer in Business and Management, Aberystwyth University

    When the Oasis reunion tour was announced last summer, there was a scramble to get hold of tickets. Very quickly, there followed another scramble – to understand a phenomenon known as “dynamic pricing”. This is the practice of pricing one product or service differently for different customers. Prices are adjusted according to supply and demand and can also be determined by things like the timing of the purchase.

    But last summer, this seemingly opaque pricing structure left many fans angry, confused and lashing out at the band themselves.

    Despite being generally accepted in other industries, for example, for airline and train tickets, the use of dynamic pricing in the events sector is contentious. It can also pose reputational risks to organisations – and even artists – within the industry. Advocates of dynamic pricing say that prices are fair as they are set by the market.

    Now that Oasis are on the road again, it’s a good time to reflect on how the issue has manifested since the tickets first went on sale back in August 2024. Some tickets increased by £200 above the original price advertised. That significant mark-up did not include any added VIP or hospitality benefits.

    My research focuses on VIP and hospitality event tickets, but also considers broader ticketing issues such as dynamic pricing.

    In 2022, I interviewed a freelance VIP package manager for a highly successful and famous musician. This gave an important insight into the potential for fans to be upset and frustrated on the day of the event if they had misunderstood what they could expect from “platinum” (dynamic) tickets.

    I’ve had instances where somebody turned up at check in and you know, they don’t know what they’ve bought and thought it was a VIP ticket: “How much did you pay for your ticket?”, “Oh, I paid US$1,500…”. So, I’m like: “Okay, well that sounds like it’s … a VIP ticket, the highest-level VIP ticket. But your name isn’t on my list and my list never really lies. But, you know, I’m going to figure it out with the box office. I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt. Go on through to the champagne reception.” So, they do that, and it’s very innocent. Nobody is trying to pull something over anybody.

    I’ve had people come to me. “Oh, the person next to me said that they’ve got a meet and greet after the show, they’ve got a goodie bag. Where’s my goodie bag? They’re literally sat next to me. We’ve compared ticket prices, what’s going on?” I say: “You’ve bought a platinum ticket.” They ask: “What does that mean? What do I get? Surely, I must get something?” I say:“No, you don’t.” It’s horrible.

    And in 2023, I surveyed 312 consumers, of whom only 17% said that they would purchase a dynamically priced ticket. It is likely that, compared to 2025, there was then a lower awareness of dynamic pricing of event tickets.

    Avoiding a backlash

    More recently, research discovered that out of more than 8,000 people surveyed 91% agreed that dynamic pricing should be banned in the UK for events tickets. Some 47% had experienced dynamic pricing when shopping for tickets for live music events – but only 11% felt the concept was communicated to them effectively before they purchased.

    Other research has sought to explain the consumer protection and competition laws that apply to dynamic pricing in the UK. It also provided the context of the Oasis reunion tour dates. The researchers propose recommendations for businesses to consider before adopting dynamic pricing strategies.

    The advice includes making sure that price ranges are clearly available to consumers, and recommends that businesses should be careful in imposing time limits on completing purchases to avoid creating panic in the buyer. Businesses should also make sure the terms of their contracts are easily understood.

    UK regulator, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), expressed concern that selling platform Ticketmaster may have breached consumer protection law. It said Ticketmaster had labelled certain seated tickets as “platinum” and sold them for nearly 2.5 times the price of equivalent standard tickets. The CMA also said that Ticketmaster did not properly explain that the tickets offered no additional benefits – and were often located in the same area of the stadium.

    Fans have not had the chance to see Oasis live since 2009.
    Amra Pasic/Shutterstock

    Ticketmaster did not inform consumers that there were two categories of standing tickets at different prices, the CMA said. All the cheaper standing tickets were sold first before the more expensive ones were released. The CMA said this resulted in many fans waiting in a queue without understanding what they would be paying. Then, when they finally had the opportunity to buy tickets, they had to decide on the spot whether to pay a much higher price than they had expected.

    Ticketmaster has since said in a statement: “We strive to provide the best ticketing platform through a simple, transparent and consumer-friendly experience. We welcome the CMA’s input in helping make the industry even better for fans.”

    So what now for dynamic pricing? As an events expert, I believe the industry will continue to use it. But in future, it is likely that consumers will be more savvy and aware of these practices. The industry will have to be led by ideas of best practice – and become much more transparent.

    Jonathan Fry 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. Oasis are on the road again. But has the ticket scandal spelled the end of dynamic pricing? – https://theconversation.com/oasis-are-on-the-road-again-but-has-the-ticket-scandal-spelled-the-end-of-dynamic-pricing-256533

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Films can change the world – why universities and film schools should teach impact strategies

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Liani Maasdorp, Senior lecturer in Screen Production and Film and Television Studies, University of Cape Town

    When was the last time a film changed the way you saw the world? Or the way you behaved?

    Miners Shot Down (2014) countered mainstream media narratives to reveal how striking mine workers were gunned down by police at Marikana in South Africa. Black Fish (2013) made US theme park SeaWorld’s stock prices plummet. And Virunga (2014) stopped the British oil company Soco International from mining in the Congolese national park from which the film takes its name.

    These films were all at the centre of impact campaigns designed to move people to act. In filmmaking, “impact” may involve bringing people together around important issues. It could also lead to people changing their minds or behaviour. It might change lives or policies.

    Impact is achieved not just by a film’s own power to make people aware of and care about an issue. It requires thinking strategically about how to channel that emotion into meaningful and measurable change.

    Although it is a growing field, for which there are numerous funding opportunities, impact producing is seldom taught at film schools or in university film programmes. Teaching tends to be ad hoc or superficial.

    As scholars who study and teach film, we wanted to know more about where and how people are learning about impact producing; the benefits of learning – and teaching – impact production; and the barriers that prevent emerging filmmakers and film students in Africa and the rest of the majority world from learning this discipline. (Also called the “global south” or the “developing world”, majority world is a term used to challenge the idea that the west is the centre of the world.)

    So, for a recent article in Film Education Journal, we conducted desk research, a survey shared with the members of the Global Impact Producers Alliance and interviews with a sample of stakeholders, selected based on their knowledge of teaching impact or experience of learning about it.

    We found that there are university and college courses that focus on social issue filmmaking, but hardly any that prioritise social impact distribution. Access to free in-person training is highly competitive, generally requiring a film in production. We also found that free online resources – though numerous – can be overwhelming to those new to the field. And the majority of the courses, labs and resources available have been created in the west.

    We believe it is important for film students and emerging filmmakers to know at least the basics of impact producing, for a range of reasons. Film is a powerful tool that can be used to influence audience beliefs and behaviour. Students need to know how they are being influenced by the media – and also how they can use it to advance causes that make the world more just and sustainable. The skills are transferable to other story forms, which empowers students to work in different contexts, in both the commercial and independent film sectors. It can benefit a student’s career progression and future job prospects.

    Existing opportunities

    We found that current impact learning opportunities range in depth and accessibility.

    Many webinars, masterclasses and short one-off training opportunities are freely available online. But some are not recorded: you have to be there in person. Many form part of film festivals and film market programmes, which charge registration fees.

    Impact “labs” are on offer around the world. They usually run for less than a week and are offered by different organisations, often in collaboration with Doc Society (the leading proponent of impact production worldwide). Although they are almost all free of charge, the barrier to entry is high: they are aimed at filmmakers with social impact films already in the making.

    We found that the postgraduate programmes (MA and PhD) most aligned with this field are offered by a health sciences university in the US, Saybrook Univerity, and are very expensive.

    African content, global reach

    In our journal article we presented two impact learning opportunities from the majority world as case studies. One, the Aflamuna Fellowship, is an eight-month in-person programme based in Beirut, Lebanon. It combines theoretical learning, “job shadowing” on existing impact campaigns, and in-service learning through designing and running impact campaigns for new films. This programme has proven very helpful to filmmakers approaching topics that are particularly sensitive within the Middle East and north Africa regions, such as LGBTQ+ rights.

    The other, the UCT/Sunshine Cinema Film Screening Impact Facilitator short course, is based in South Africa but is hosted entirely online. It was developed by the University of Cape Town Centre for Film and Media Studies and the mobile cinema distribution NGO Sunshine Cinema and launched in 2021. We are both connected to it – one as course convenor (Maasdorp) and the other (Loader) as one of the 2023 alumni.

    Self-directed learning (including learning videos, prescribed films, readings and case studies) is followed by discussions with peers in small groups and live online classes with filmmakers, movement builders and impact strategists. The final course assignment is to plan, market, host and report on a film screening and facilitate an issue-centred discussion with the audience. Topics addressed by students in these impact screenings are diverse, ranging from voter rights, to addiction, to climate change, to gender-based violence.

    Both case studies offer powerful good practice models in impact education. Projects developed as part of these programmes go on to be successful examples of impact productions within the industry. The documentary Lobola, A Bride’s True Price? (2022, directed by Sihle Hlophe), for instance, got wide reaching festival acclaim, walking away with several prizes across Africa. Both programmes combine theoretical learning; discussion of case studies relevant to the local context; engagements with experienced impact workers; and application of the learning in practice.

    It is clear from this study that there is a hunger for more structured impact learning opportunities globally, and for local, context specific case studies from around the world.

    Liani Maasdorp is the convenor of the UCT/Sunshine Cinema Impact Facilitator short course. She has in the past received funding from Doc Society and their affiliate projects.

    Reina-Marie Loader 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. Films can change the world – why universities and film schools should teach impact strategies – https://theconversation.com/films-can-change-the-world-why-universities-and-film-schools-should-teach-impact-strategies-242043

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Education in Zimbabwe has lost its value: study asks young people how they feel about that

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Kristina Pikovskaia, Leverhulme Early Career Research Fellow, University of Edinburgh

    Zimbabwean students and graduates are actively seeking change to the education system. AFP via Getty Images

    Education, especially higher education, is a step towards adulthood and a foundation for the future.

    But what happens when education loses its value as a way to climb the social ladder? What if a degree is no guarantee of getting stable work, being able to provide for one’s family, or owning a house or car?

    This devaluing of higher education as a path to social mobility is a grim reality for young Zimbabweans. Over the past two decades the southern African country has been beset by economic, financial, political and social challenges.

    These crises have severely undermined the premises and promises of education, especially at a tertiary level. A recent survey by independent research organisation Afrobarometer found that 90% of young Zimbabweans had secondary and post-secondary education compared to 83% of those aged between 36 and 55. But 41% of the youth were unemployed and looking for a job as opposed to 26% of the older generation.

    The situation is so dire that it’s become a recurring theme in Zimdancehall, a popular music genre produced and consumed by young Zimbabweans. “Hustling” (attempts to create income-generating opportunities), informal livelihoods and young people’s collapsed dreams are recurrent topics in songs like Winky D’s Twenty Five, Junior Tatenda’s Kusvikira Rinhi and She Calaz’s Kurarama.

    I study the way people experience the informal economy in Zimbabwe and Zambia. In a recent study I explored the loss of education’s value as a social mobility tool in the Zimbabwean context.

    My research revealed how recent school and university graduates think about the role of education in their lives. My respondents felt let down by the fact that education no longer provided social mobility. They were disappointed that there was no longer a direct association between education and employment.

    However, the graduates I interviewed were not giving up. Some were working towards new qualifications, hoping and preparing for economic improvements. They also thought deeply about how the educational system could be improved. Many young people got involved in protests. These included actions by the Coalition of Unemployed Graduates and the #ThisGown protests, which addressed graduate unemployment issues. Some also took part in #ThisFlag and #Tajamuka protests, which had wider socio-economic and political agendas.

    Understanding history

    To understand the current status and state of education in Zimbabwe it’s important to look to the country’s history.

    Zimbabwe was colonised by the British from the late 19th century. The colonial education system was racialised. Education for white students was academic. For Black students, it was mostly practice-oriented, to create a pool of semi-skilled workers.

    In the 1930s education was instrumental in the formation of Zimbabwe’s Black middle class. A small number of Black graduates entered white collar jobs, using education as a social mobility tool. The educational system also opened up somewhat for women.

    Despite some university reforms during the 1950s, the system remained deeply racialised until the 1980s. That’s when the post-colonial government democratised the education system. Primary school enrolment went up by 242%, and 915% more students entered secondary school. In the 1990s nine more state universities were opened.

    However, worsening economic conditions throughout the 1990s put pressure on the system. A presidential commission in 1999 noted that secondary schools were producing graduates with non-marketable skills – they were too academic and focused on examinations. Students’ experiences, including at the university level, have worsened since then.

    The decline has been driven by systemic and institutional problems in primary and secondary education, like reduced government spending, teachers’ poor working conditions, political interference and brain drain. This, coupled with the collapse of the formal economic sector and a sharp drop in formal employment opportunities, severely undermined education’s social mobility function.

    ‘A key, but no door to open’

    My recent article was based on my wider doctoral research. For this, I studied economic informalisation in Zimbabwe’s capital city, Harare. It involved more than 120 interviews during eight months of in-country research.

    This particular paper builds on seven core interviews with recent school and university graduates in the informal sector, as well as former student leaders.

    Winky D’s “Twenty Five” is about young Zimbabweans’ grievances.

    Some noted that education had lost part of its value as it related to one’s progression in society. As one of my respondents, Ashlegh Pfunye (former secretary-general of the Zimbabwe National Students Union), described it, young people were told that education was a key to success – but there was no door to open.

    Some of my respondents were working in the informal sector, as vendors and small-scale producers. Some could not use their degrees to secure jobs, while others gave up their dreams of obtaining a university degree. Lisa, for example, was very upset about giving up on her dream to pursue post-secondary education and tried to re-adjust to her current circumstances:

    I used to dream that I will have my own office, now I dream that one day I’ll have my own shop.

    Those who had university qualifications stressed that, despite being unable to apply their degrees in the current circumstances, they kept going to school and getting more certification. This prepared them for future opportunities in the event of what everyone hoped for: economic improvement.

    Historical tensions

    Some of my interviewees, especially recent university graduates and activists, were looking for possible solutions – like changing the curriculum and approach to education that trains workers rather than producers and entrepreneurs. As Makomborero Haruzivishe, former secretary-general of the Zimbabwe National Students’ Union, said: “Our educational system was created to train human robots who would follow the instructions.”

    Entrepreneurship education is a popular approach in many countries to changing the structure of classic education. In the absence of employment opportunities for skilled graduates, it is supposed to provide them with the tools to create such opportunities for themselves and others.



    Read more:
    Nigeria’s universities need to revamp their entrepreneurship courses — they’re not meeting student needs

    In 2018, the government introduced what it calls the education 5.0 framework. It has a strong entrepreneurship component. It’s too soon to say whether it will bear fruit. And it may be held back by history.

    For example, the introduction of the Education-with-Production model in the 1980s, which included practical subjects and vocational training, was met with resistance because it was seen as a return to the dual system.

    Because of Zimbabwe’s historically racialised education system, many students and parents favour the UK-designed Cambridge curriculum and traditional academic educational programmes. Zimbabwe has the highest number of entrants into the Cambridge International exam in Africa.

    Feeling let down

    The link between education and employment in Zimbabwe has many tensions: modernity and survival, academic pursuits and practicality, promises and reality. It’s clear from my study that graduates feel let down because the modernist promises of education have failed them.

    Parts of this research have been funded by the University of Oxford and the Leverhulme Trust (ECF-2022-055).

    – ref. Education in Zimbabwe has lost its value: study asks young people how they feel about that – https://theconversation.com/education-in-zimbabwe-has-lost-its-value-study-asks-young-people-how-they-feel-about-that-244661

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: If we don’t teach youth about sexual assault and consent, popular media will

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Shannon D. M. Moore, Assistant professor of social studies education, Department of Curriculum Teaching and Learning, Faculty of Education, University of Manitoba

    The sexual assault trial of five former World Juniors hockey players has spotlighted issues around sexual assault and consent.

    Sexual assault, intimate partner violence and other forms of gender-based violence aren’t inevitable. Kindergarten to Grade 12 public schools have an ethical obligation to enact sexuality education that is responsive to current contexts, respects human diversity, empowers young people and is rooted in human rights.

    We argue for harnessing popular media to advance sexuality education. Children and youth learn about a great deal about gender, relationships, sexuality and consent from popular media.

    Although there is strong theoretical rationale for using popular media to confront sexual assault, many teachers identify and experience barriers to putting this into practice in their classrooms.

    Let’s (not) talk about sex?

    Many factors shape the reality that comprehensive sex education remains wholly absent or inadequate in schools.

    Talking about sex in society and in schools is often taboo. Discussions of healthy relationships and consent are often highly controlled, minimized or relegated to a sexual education curriculum that is not universally taught. This is due to parental opt-outs/ins in many provinces.

    Some opponents of sexual education curriculum say parents should have full authority over the subject. Others exploit misunderstandings of age appropriateness and the presumed innocence of children and youth. Among the public at large, there is a lack of knowledge (or belief) about the high rates of sexual assault and other forms of gender-based violence experienced by youth within and beyond schools

    Not surprisingly, neglecting comprehensive sexuality education has many adverse consequences. Students learn that eliminating sexual violence is not a societal priority. Those who have experienced assault and other forms of violence learn that they are not important, as their stories are often silenced, ignored or distrusted.

    As a result, rape culture and gender-based violence remains unchallenged in schools, while it is normalized, legitimized and endorsed in popular media.



    Read more:
    ‘Adolescence’ on Netflix: A painful wake-up call about unregulated internet use for teens

    Meet your child’s other teacher

    In the absence or confines of comprehensive sex education in schools, youth identify popular media as their main source of information about sex and relationships.

    As professor of criminal justice, Nickie D. Phillips, writes, popular media is one of the “primary sites through which rape culture [is] understood, negotiated and contested.”

    What youth watch, play, listen to or create on social media has a significant role in teaching dominant understandings that normalize sexual violence, misogyny and the patriarchy.

    Critical media scholars Michael Hoechsmann and Stuart Poyntz emphasize that popular media “plays a central role in the socialization, acculturation and intellectual formation of young people. It is a … force to be reckoned with, and we ignore it at our peril.”

    As teacher educators and educational researchers, the teachers we have worked with across grades and subject areas recognize how popular media is always and already present in classrooms, and many embrace the opportunities it affords for necessary conversations that are relevant to students.

    Challenges with using popular media

    The teacher participants in our study revealed that classroom culture wars have had a chilling impact on their practice, making them feel more wary about tackling particular topics.

    We found that despite research-informed rationale for using popular media to ground sexuality education, teachers encounter several barriers and complications in doing so.

    Teachers’ discomfort was exacerbated when school leaders did not support their efforts to advance these lessons, even though they were anchored to the provincial curriculum. Teacher participants also spoke of a lack of professional development or preparation to talk about healthy relationships and consent in teacher education contexts.

    Finally, they also raised concerns about teaching with and through violent, sexually suggestive or explicit popular media in classrooms. This is the case even though young people are learning about sex through limitless access to digital pornography and R-rated popular media outside of classrooms.

    Influencing healthy relationships

    There is limited research about how popular media content could be used to teach about sexual violence prevention. Through our ongoing research, we have identified several starting points for using popular media content to ground conversations about healthy relationships, boundaries and consent.

    1. Start with media constructions of gender: As popular media contributes to societal expectations of gender, students should begin by interrogating how masculinities and femininities are constructed and mobilized in popular media.

    This can include examining how male, female and non-binary characters are constructed and presented to audiences, their position within the broader storyline and their level of dialogue and how varied intersections of identity impact these depictions.

    Discussions of gender based violence must begin with intersectional discussions of gender, as these constructions contribute to the issue (for example, the hypersexualization and subordination of females, the exoticization and dehumanization of racialized women or the portrayal of males as powerful, aggressive and preoccupied with sex).

    2. Begin with unfamiliar content: Students can initially become defensive when they are asked to critically engage with media content that deeply connect with their identity and give them a sense of joy.

    While the goal is to move to the interrogation of students’ own media diets, it can positively generate student participation when educators begin analytical and critical discussions about media with unfamiliar, or at least not cherished, material (like popular songs, video or social media).

    This means students learn how to analyze content before connecting this analysis with themes related to gender-based violence, like: how popular media normalizes sexual violence against women and promotes unhealthy representations of romance and relationships; how popular media contributes to victim blaming or siding with perpetrators and promotes “himpathy” for males who commit sexual assault.

    3. Offer a feminist lens: As teacher educators, we recognize that there is no single method or approach that tends to every aspect of sexual assault and other forms of gender-based violence. Yet, we also know that educators seek resources to engage more meaningfully with students.

    Cards to foster conversation

    We constructed a deck of educational playing cards that educators can use to foster conversations about media portrayals of gender, healthy relationships and consent (or lack thereof).

    These cards employ a feminist lens, based on Sarah Ahmed’s Living a Feminist Life. We advocate for teachers to have time in professional learning spaces to try out the cards with other educators before they facilitate complex conversations related to gender-based violence with students.

    If as a society we want to see fewer instances of gender-based violence, teachers need provincial curriculum documents that align with the research on comprehensive sex education. They also need school leaders who will support their work and model consent in the broader school culture, and more professional development and preparation in teacher education.

    Shannon D. M. Moore receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council

    Jennifer Watt receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council .

    – ref. If we don’t teach youth about sexual assault and consent, popular media will – https://theconversation.com/if-we-dont-teach-youth-about-sexual-assault-and-consent-popular-media-will-256741

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  • MIL-OSI Submissions: How old are you really? Are the latest ‘biological age’ tests all they’re cracked up to be?

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Hassan Vally, Associate Professor, Epidemiology, Deakin University

    We all like to imagine we’re ageing well. Now a simple blood or saliva test promises to tell us by measuring our “biological age”. And then, as many have done, we can share how “young” we really are on social media, along with our secrets to success.

    While chronological age is how long you have been alive, measures of biological age aim to indicate how old your body actually is, purporting to measure “wear and tear” at a molecular level.

    The appeal of these tests is undeniable. Health-conscious consumers may see their results as reinforcing their anti-ageing efforts, or a way to show their journey to better health is paying off.

    But how good are these tests? Do they actually offer useful insights? Or are they just clever marketing dressed up to look like science?

    How do these tests work?

    Over time, the chemical processes that allow our body to function, known as our “metabolic activity”, lead to damage and a decline in the activity of our cells, tissues and organs.

    Biological age tests aim to capture some of these changes, offering a snapshot of how well, or how poorly, we are ageing on a cellular level.

    Our DNA is also affected by the ageing process. In particular, chemical tags (methyl groups) attach to our DNA and affect gene expression. These changes occur in predictable ways with age and environmental exposures, in a process called methylation.

    Research studies have used “epigenetic clocks”, which measure the methylation of our genes, to estimate biological age. By analysing methylation levels at specific sites in the genome from participant samples, researchers apply predictive models to estimate the cumulative wear and tear on the body.

    What does the research say about their use?

    Although the science is rapidly evolving, the evidence underpinning the use of epigenetic clocks to measure biological ageing in research studies is strong.

    Studies have shown epigenetic biological age estimation is a better predictor of the risk of death and ageing-related diseases than chronological age.

    Epigenetic clocks also have been found to correlate strongly with lifestyle and environmental exposures, such as smoking status and diet quality.

    In addition, they have been found to be able to predict the risk of conditions such as cardiovascular disease, which can lead to heart attacks and strokes.

    Taken together, a growing body of research indicates that at a population level, epigenetic clocks are robust measures of biological ageing and are strongly linked to the risk of disease and death

    But how good are these tests for individuals?

    While these tests are valuable when studying populations in research settings, using epigenetic clocks to measure the biological age of individuals is a different matter and requires scrutiny.

    For testing at an individual level, perhaps the most important consideration is the “signal to noise ratio” (or precision) of these tests. This is the question of whether a single sample from an individual may yield widely differing results.

    A study from 2022 found samples deviated by up to nine years. So an identical sample from a 40-year-old may indicate a biological age of as low as 35 years (a cause for celebration) or as high as 44 years (a cause of anxiety).

    While there have been significant improvements in these tests over the years, there is considerable variability in the precision of these tests between commercial providers. So depending on who you send your sample to, your estimated biological age may vary considerably.

    Another limitation is there is currently no standardisation of methods for this testing. Commercial providers perform these tests in different ways and have different algorithms for estimating biological age from the data.

    As you would expect for commercial operators, providers don’t disclose their methods. So it’s difficult to compare companies and determine who provides the most accurate results – and what you’re getting for your money.

    A third limitation is that while epigenetic clocks correlate well with ageing, they are simply a “proxy” and are not a diagnostic tool.

    In other words, they may provide a general indication of ageing at a cellular level. But they don’t offer any specific insights about what the issue may be if someone is found to be “ageing faster” than they would like, or what they’re doing right if they are “ageing well”.

    So regardless of the result of your test, all you’re likely to get from the commercial provider of an epigenetic test is generic advice about what the science says is healthy behaviour.

    Are they worth it? Or what should I do instead?

    While companies offering these tests may have good intentions, remember their ultimate goal is to sell you these tests and make a profit. And at a cost of around A$500, they’re not cheap.

    While the idea of using these tests as a personalised health tool has potential, it is clear that we are not there yet.

    For this to become a reality, tests will need to become more reproducible, standardised across providers, and validated through long-term studies that link changes in biological age to specific behaviours.

    So while one-off tests of biological age make for impressive social media posts, for most people they represent a significant cost and offer limited real value.

    The good news is we already know what we need to do to increase our chances of living longer and healthier lives. These include:

    • improving our diet
    • increasing physical activity
    • getting enough sleep
    • quitting smoking
    • reducing stress
    • prioritising social connection.

    We don’t need to know our biological age in order to implement changes in our lives right now to improve our health.

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

    – ref. How old are you really? Are the latest ‘biological age’ tests all they’re cracked up to be? – https://theconversation.com/how-old-are-you-really-are-the-latest-biological-age-tests-all-theyre-cracked-up-to-be-257710

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  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Why the traditional college major may be holding students back in a rapidly changing job market

    Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By John Weigand, Professor Emeritus of Architecture and Interior Design, Miami University

    Rethinking the college major could help colleges better understand what employers and students need. Westend61/Getty Images

    Colleges and universities are struggling to stay afloat.

    The reasons are numerous: declining numbers of college-age students in much of the country, rising tuition at public institutions as state funding shrinks, and a growing skepticism about the value of a college degree.

    Pressure is mounting to cut costs by reducing the time it takes to earn a degree from four years to three.

    Students, parents and legislators increasingly prioritize return on investment and degrees that are more likely to lead to gainful employment. This has boosted enrollment in professional programs while reducing interest in traditional liberal arts and humanities majors, creating a supply-demand imbalance.

    The result has been increasing financial pressure and an unprecedented number of closures and mergers, to date mostly among smaller liberal arts colleges.

    To survive, institutions are scrambling to align curriculum with market demand. And they’re defaulting to the traditional college major to do so.

    The college major, developed and delivered by disciplinary experts within siloed departments, continues to be the primary benchmark for academic quality and institutional performance.

    This structure likely works well for professional majors governed by accreditation or licensure, or more tightly aligned with employment. But in today’s evolving landscape, reliance on the discipline-specific major may not always serve students or institutions well.

    As a professor emeritus and former college administrator and dean, I argue that the college major may no longer be able to keep up with the combinations of skills that cross multiple academic disciplines and career readiness skills demanded by employers, or the flexibility students need to best position themselves for the workplace.

    Students want flexibility

    The college curriculum may be less flexible now than ever.
    MoMo Productions/Digital Vision via Getty Images

    I see students arrive on campus each year with different interests, passions and talents – eager to stitch them into meaningful lives and careers.

    A more flexible curriculum is linked to student success, and students now consult AI tools such as ChatGPT to figure out course combinations that best position them for their future. They want flexibility, choice and time to redirect their studies if needed.

    And yet, the moment students arrive on campus – even before they apply – they’re asked to declare a major from a list of predetermined and prescribed choices. The major, coupled with general education and other college requirements, creates an academic track that is anything but flexible.

    Not surprisingly, around 80% of college students switch their majors at least once, suggesting that more flexible degree requirements would allow students to explore and combine diverse areas of interest. And the number of careers, let alone jobs, that college graduates are expected to have will only increase as technological change becomes more disruptive.

    As institutions face mounting pressures to attract students and balance budgets, and the college major remains the principal metric for doing so, the curriculum may be less flexible now than ever.

    How schools are responding

    The college major emerged as a response to an evolving workforce that prioritized specialized knowledge.
    Fuse/Corbia via Getty Images

    In response to market pressures, colleges are adding new high-demand majors at a record pace. Between 2002 and 2022, the number of degree programs nationwide increased by nearly 23,000, or 40%, while enrollment grew only 8%. Some of these majors, such as cybersecurity, fashion business or entertainment design, arguably connect disciplines rather than stand out as distinct. Thus, these new majors siphon enrollment from lower-demand programs within the institution and compete with similar new majors at competitor schools.

    At the same time, traditional arts and humanities majors are adding professional courses to attract students and improve employability. Yet, this adds credit hours to the degree while often duplicating content already available in other departments.

    Importantly, while new programs are added, few are removed. The challenge lies in faculty tenure and governance, along with a traditional understanding that faculty set the curriculum as disciplinary experts. This makes it difficult to close or revise low-demand majors and shift resources to growth areas.

    The result is a proliferation of under-enrolled programs, canceled courses and stretched resources – leading to reduced program quality and declining faculty morale.

    Ironically, under the pressure of declining demand, there can be perverse incentives to grow credit hours required in a major or in general education requirements as a way of garnering more resources or adding courses aligned with faculty interests. All of which continues to expand the curriculum and stress available resources.

    Universities are also wrestling with the idea of liberal education and how to package the general education requirement.

    Although liberal education is increasingly under fire, employers and students still value it.

    Students’ career readiness skills – their ability to think critically and creatively, to collaborate effectively and to communicate well – remain strong predictors of future success in the workplace and in life.

    Reenvisioning the college major

    Assuming the requirement for students to complete a major in order to earn a degree, colleges can also allow students to bundle smaller modules – such as variable-credit minors, certificates or course sequences – into a customizable, modular major.

    This lets students, guided by advisers, assemble a degree that fits their interests and goals while drawing from multiple disciplines. A few project-based courses can tie everything together and provide context.

    Such a model wouldn’t undermine existing majors where demand is strong. For others, where demand for the major is declining, a flexible structure would strengthen enrollment, preserve faculty expertise rather than eliminate it, attract a growing number of nontraditional students who bring to campus previously earned credentials, and address the financial bottom line by rightsizing curriculum in alignment with student demand.

    One critique of such a flexible major is that it lacks depth of study, but it is precisely the combination of curricular content that gives it depth. Another criticism is that it can’t be effectively marketed to an employer. But a customized major can be clearly named and explained to employers to highlight students’ unique skill sets.

    Further, as students increasingly try to fit cocurricular experiences – such as study abroad, internships, undergraduate research or organizational leadership – into their course of study, these can also be approved as modules in a flexible curriculum.

    It’s worth noting that while several schools offer interdisciplinary studies majors, these are often overprescribed or don’t grant students access to in-demand courses. For a flexible-degree model to succeed, course sections would need to be available and added or deleted in response to student demand.

    Several schools also now offer microcredentials– skill-based courses or course modules that increasingly include courses in the liberal arts. But these typically need to be completed in addition to requirements of the major.

    We take the college major for granted.

    Yet it’s worth noting that the major is a relatively recent invention.

    Before the 20th century, students followed a broad liberal arts curriculum designed to create well-rounded, globally minded citizens. The major emerged as a response to an evolving workforce that prioritized specialized knowledge. But times change – and so can the model.

    John Weigand 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. Why the traditional college major may be holding students back in a rapidly changing job market – https://theconversation.com/why-the-traditional-college-major-may-be-holding-students-back-in-a-rapidly-changing-job-market-258383

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  • MIL-OSI Submissions: The Learning Refuge: How women-led community efforts help refugees resettle in Cyprus

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Suzan Ilcan, Professor of Sociology & University Research Chair, University of Waterloo

    A grassroots organization in Paphos, Cyprus, is bringing women together to address the needs of refugees in the city. (Shutterstock)

    Since 2015, the Republic of Cyprus (ROC) has seen a steady rise in migrant arrivals and asylum applications, primarily from people from Middle Eastern and African countries like Syria, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Cameroon.

    But many asylum-seekers face significant challenges. Refugees formally in the asylum system are often denied residency permits, which means they face persistent insecurity, poverty and isolation

    These conditions are compounded by restrictive and limited services for asylum-seekers. This deepens the precarity and exclusion refugees face within a political and economic system that treats them more like economic burdens than as human beings with rights who need help.

    In response to these institutional failures, citizens, volunteers and refugees themselves have begun to build grassroots networks of care and solidarity in the ROC and beyond to support refugee communities.

    In 2022 and 2023, we conducted interviews with women volunteers and refugees affiliated with The Learning Refuge, a civil society organization in the city of Paphos in southwest Cyprus that cultivates dialogue and collaboration among these two diverse groups.

    Women-led initiatives

    Many displaced people first arrive on the island of Cyprus through the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). However, the absence of a functioning asylum system or international legal protections leaves them in limbo.

    With no viable path to status in the TRNC, most cross the Green Line that bifurcates Cyprus into the ROC, where European Union asylum frameworks exist but remain limited in practice.

    Women-led community-building is often a response to the negative effects of inadequate state support and humanitarian aid for refugees. In Cyprus, this situation leaves many refugees without access to sufficient food, satisfactory health care, accommodation, employment, clothing and language training. In this current environment, refugees are increasingly experiencing insecure and fragile situations, especially women.

    In Cyprus, as in many other countries, a variety of community-building efforts are important responses to limited or restricted state support and humanitarian aid for refugees.

    Women-led efforts offer opportunities to deliver educational activities and establish networks, and to help improve the welfare and social protection of refugee women, however imperfectly.

    These and other similar efforts highlight how women refugees and volunteers can mobilize to foster dialogue and collaboration.

    The Learning Refuge

    Founded in 2015, The Learning Refuge began as community meetings in a city park. The organization then used space from a nearby music venue to conduct support activities, and later, established itself in a dedicated building.

    Organizations like The Learning Refuge emerged to address the limited state support and humanitarian assistance services available to refugees.

    The Learning Refuge cultivates dialogue and collaboration among a diverse group of community volunteers.
    (Suzan Ilcan)

    As Syrian families began arriving in Paphos in 2015, local mothers started working with Syrian children, assisting them with homework, providing skills-training opportunities and language classes.

    The Learning Refuge cultivates dialogue and collaboration among a diverse group of community volunteers, including schoolteachers, artists, musicians, local residents, refugees and other migrants.

    With the aid of 20 volunteers, the loosely organized groups provide women refugees with material support and resources to enhance collective activities, including art and music projects, while also engaging in educational and friendship activities.

    While modest in scale, the organization has formed partnerships with local and international organizations, including Caritas Cyprus, UNHCR-Cyprus and the Cyprus Refugee Council to extend its outreach to various refugee groups.

    The organization has also launched creative initiatives aimed at cultivating additional inclusive civic spaces. One such effort, “Moms and Babies Day,” was developed in response to the rising number of single mothers from Africa arriving on the island. These women often face poverty and isolation, and struggle with language barriers.

    These efforts highlight how grassroots responses — especially those led by women — can offer partial but vital educational and emotional support to refugees struggling to find their footing in a new country.

    Negotiated belonging

    Through participation in The Learning Refuge, refugee women in Paphos engage in a dynamic process of negotiated belonging, navigating challenges like language barriers, gendered isolation, domestic violence and poverty while contributing to broader community-building efforts.

    For example, Maryam, a Syrian woman and mother of three, told us how The Learning Refuge helped her children establish friendships and learn Greek. She also highlighted that it helped her form close ties with volunteers and other Syrian women living in Cyprus, and find paid work in the city.

    The volunteers and women refugees participating in The Learning Refuge’s activities emphasized not only their capacity to develop new forms of belonging and solidarity; they also help reshape communal knowledge and generate supportive spaces for women from various backgrounds.

    Our research shows that women-led community-building is an effective, though short-term, response to insufficient state support and humanitarian aid systems that leave many refugees in precarious situations.

    In varying degrees, these efforts offer women and their families spaces to learn and cultivate new relationships, and foster collective projects and better visions of resettlement and refuge.

    Suzan Ilcan receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Council of Canada.

    Seçil Daǧtaș receives funding from Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

    – ref. The Learning Refuge: How women-led community efforts help refugees resettle in Cyprus – https://theconversation.com/the-learning-refuge-how-women-led-community-efforts-help-refugees-resettle-in-cyprus-252682

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  • MIL-Evening Report: Sexy K-pop demons, a human lie detector and shearers on strike: what to watch in July

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Mickel, Adjunct Associate Professor, School of Justice, Queensland University of Technology

    Tomorrow marks exactly halfway through 2025. Luckily there’s a suite of streaming options to help get you through the mid-year bump.

    We’ve got iconic classics celebrating major anniversaries, as well as an animated K-Pop spectacle, and a documentary trawling through the controversial tenure of former Queensland premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen.

    Joh: Last King of Queensland

    Stan

    The new documentary film Joh: Last King of Queensland offers a dramatised account of Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen’s premiership from 1968 to 1987.

    Directed by Kriv Stenders, using reenactments (Bjelke-Petersen is played by Richard Roxburgh), archival footage and contemporary interviews, the film portrays him as a complex and polarising figure. Roxburgh highlights Bjelke-Petersen’s rhetorical simplicity. He presented himself as an advocate for “ordinary” Queenslanders, especially in rural and conservative communities.

    We are given a man who is socially conservative, economically ambitious and politically divisive. A man who profoundly shaped Queensland’s governance and development. But while the film effectively captures his popular appeal and role in the state’s economic transformation, it simplifies key aspects of his political ascent.

    In particular, it doesn’t capture the complexities of electoral mechanics, internal party manoeuvring and the influence of the public service.

    Bjelke-Petersen’s legacy continues to polarise. To supporters, he remains a visionary who championed economic growth and conservative values. To critics, he presided over an era of democratic erosion, civil rights suppression and entrenched corruption.

    His story reflects the enduring tension between executive authority and democratic accountability in modern Australian political history.

    – John Mickel



    Read more:
    Joh: Last King of Queensland captures Bjelke-Petersen’s political persona – but omits key details of the story

    Jaws

    Various platforms

    Steven Spielberg’s Jaws, released 50 years ago, was the first summer blockbuster, received Academy Awards for sound, editing and music, and became the first film to earn US$100 million at the United States box office.

    Chief of Police Martin Brody has recently moved from New York City to Amity Island with his wife and two children. As the small town prepares for its crucial 4th of July celebrations, a series of shark attacks threatens the festivities – and the town’s summer economy.

    The mayor insists on keeping the beaches open for “summer dollars”. When the shark strikes again, local fisherman Quint is hired to hunt it down. Brody and visiting marine biologist Matt Hooper insist on joining the expedition to save the island.

    Apart from one scene using real underwater shark footage from Australians Ron and Valerie Taylor, the shark was mechanical. The mechanical shark sank … a lot. No wonder Spielberg named the temperamental and unreliable shark after his lawyer.

    With the lack of a functioning shark, Spielberg made the artistic decision – echoing Alfred Hitchcock – to suggest the shark’s presence rather than show it outright in the film’s first half. Even without appearing onscreen, the shark has an overwhelming presence and effect on the audience, thanks to John Williams’ music.

    Jaws is now a cinema classic.

    It launched Spielberg’s illustrious career, scared an entire generation from going into the water, and also inspired a new generation of marine activists – such as myself – who love sharks and the ocean.

    – Will Jeffery



    Read more:
    Jaws at 50: the first summer blockbuster is still a film that bites – even when the shark didn’t work

    KPop Demon Hunters

    Netflix

    KPop Demon Hunters is an animated movie that follows a Korean girl band, Huntrix, whose members happen to be covert demon hunters. Their songs and slays have the power to maintain the barrier between the human world and the underworld (called the “honmoon”).

    Annoyed demon overlord Gwi-ma (voiced by Lee Byong-Hun) greenlights a devilishly sexy boy band, Saja Boys, to steal the girls’ fans (and their souls). The attack proves to be more than a challenge for lead singer, Rumi (Arden Cho), who has a dark secret she’s keeping under wraps.

    For fans of the Spider-Verse films, the animation style will be familiar: a blend of 2D and 3D techniques, with a high-contrast colour palette. KPop Demon Hunters goes an aesthetic step further by adding some distinctive anime touches, such as by using the chibi style, when characters have intense reactions.

    The film also showcases several musical interludes voiced by actual K-pop stars such as EJAE, Kevin Woo, Andrew Choi and Rei Ami – as well as an anthem performed by members of TWICE, famous for their 2016 megahit Cheer Up.

    To older viewers, the success of this watchable yet somewhat predictable flick may be puzzling, but KPop Demon Hunters will resonate with any Gen Zs in the house. After all, it has catchy tunes, jokes that land, female empowerment, epic battle scenes, and a smidge of teen romance.

    There’s also a deeper thematic around the duality of identity, and a message about confronting one’s own demons.

    – Phoebe Hart

    Poker Face, season two

    Stan

    Charlie Cale (Natasha Lyonne) is back for season two of Poker Face. Creator Rian Johnson is clearly a lover of the whodunnit genre. Between Poker Face and the Knives Out films, Johnson continues to pay homage to the format while pushing it into new directions.

    Poker Face takes the format of the inverted detective story, made famous by popular series Columbo (1968–2003), where the episode opens with the killer committing the crime, only for the detective to arrive on the scene.

    The joy of Poker Face lies in the viewer trying to figure out how the detective will catch the killer, while also enjoying comedic allusions to several genres. Charlie Cale has a unique skill in that she can always tell when someone is lying: “bullshit”, she calmly says when someone doesn’t tell the truth.

    Season two continues the show’s all-star cameo lineup from different eras of popular culture. Standouts include Cynthia Erivo in the opening episode, Cheers star Rhea Perlman, Katie Holmes, and Awkwafina accusing Alia Shawkat of sleeping with her grandma to steal a rent-controlled apartment.

    The strongest episode of the season features John Cho and Melanie Lynskey, where Charlie meet a group of scammers at a hotel bar. Cho plays the scammer and Lynskey is his unwitting victim. When Lyonne’s Charlie becomes involved, it becomes a game of who is playing who.

    The episodic format never feels tired, as each mystery’s eccentricities and generic allusions shift in each episode. Natasha Lyonne’s performance anchors the show, allowing for the emotional beats to shift seamlessly, from the sadness of death, to the humour of each ridiculous situation.

    – Stuart Richards

    Sirens

    Netflix

    Much like The Perfect Couple (2024–), or Succession (2018–23), Sirens offers all the guilty pleasures of watching wealthy but dysfunctional families scheme and unravel inside their opulent homes. It contains the usual metamodern mix of irony, plot twists, clever dialogue and dark comedy (with hints of murder) we’ve come to expect from series that rank in Netflix’s top ten.

    However, it’s not quite as binge-worthy or provocative as other shows in this genre. It also drags in the middle. You could probably watch the first episode and the last chapter to follow the narrative and catch all the best scenes.

    Sirens tries to distinguish itself by foregrounding strong female leads, and leaning heavily into its postfeminist take on manipulative women of different ages competing against each other. They’re not fighting over the man (played by Kevin Bacon), so much as his estate and the social capital that comes with it.

    Unlike Poison Ivy and other 90s classics I have explored, Sirens presents a more sympathetic and nuanced portrayal of the sexy, younger class usurper. Simone DeWitt (played by Milly Alcock) is the working-class personal assistant determined to improve her social positioning by any means necessary.

    The series also attempts to elevate itself through images and sounds which reference Greek mythology, with lots of scenes of beautiful women perched precariously on cliff tops, while hapless men are lured in by their haunting high-pitched singing.

    The ambiguous politics of it all will leave you wondering if you, too, have been just as expertly manipulated.

    – Susan Hopkins

    Sunday Too Far Away

    Brollie and ABC iView

    Released 50 years ago, Sunday Too Far Away deals episodically with a group of shearers led by Foley (Jack Thompson), and the events leading up to the national shearers’ strike of 1956.

    The shearers are a ragtag group held together by rum, unionism and competitiveness – as Foley must deal with the camp cook from hell, as well as a threat to his “gun” status.

    Like its contemporary Wake in Fright (1971), Sunday also centres on rural male mateship. But while Wake in Fright is revolted by it, Sunday strives for an elegiac celebration that might have drawn from Henry Lawson, of union-based mateship as the only defence against the harshness of life.

    It is hard to overstate Sunday’s importance for the Australian film industry and for its producer, the South Australian Film Corporation (SAFC), founded in 1972 by the new Labor government. Sunday would be the organisation’s first film, budgeted at $231,000, with the commonwealth providing half this figure. It was a remarkable demonstration of maximum involvement by a state government body.

    Sunday was accepted into the Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes, the first Australian film bestowed the honour, and it went on to win eight of the 12 awards on offer at the Australian Film Institute Awards. The success of Sunday Too Far Away, followed closely by Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975) and Storm Boy (1976), succeeded in establishing the SAFC as a prime mover in Australian film.

    – Michael Walsh



    Read more:
    Sunday Too Far Away at 50: how a story about Aussie shearers launched a local film industry

    Michael Walsh is a consultant for the SAFC on its digitisation project. He has previously written a commissioned history for the organisation.

    John Mickel, Phoebe Hart, Stuart Richards, Susan Hopkins, and Will Jeffery do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Sexy K-pop demons, a human lie detector and shearers on strike: what to watch in July – https://theconversation.com/sexy-k-pop-demons-a-human-lie-detector-and-shearers-on-strike-what-to-watch-in-july-259907

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Sexy K-pop demons, a human lie detector and shearers on strike: what to watch in July

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Mickel, Adjunct Associate Professor, School of Justice, Queensland University of Technology

    Tomorrow marks exactly halfway through 2025. Luckily there’s a suite of streaming options to help get you through the mid-year bump.

    We’ve got iconic classics celebrating major anniversaries, as well as an animated K-Pop spectacle, and a documentary trawling through the controversial tenure of former Queensland premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen.

    Joh: Last King of Queensland

    Stan

    The new documentary film Joh: Last King of Queensland offers a dramatised account of Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen’s premiership from 1968 to 1987.

    Directed by Kriv Stenders, using reenactments (Bjelke-Petersen is played by Richard Roxburgh), archival footage and contemporary interviews, the film portrays him as a complex and polarising figure. Roxburgh highlights Bjelke-Petersen’s rhetorical simplicity. He presented himself as an advocate for “ordinary” Queenslanders, especially in rural and conservative communities.

    We are given a man who is socially conservative, economically ambitious and politically divisive. A man who profoundly shaped Queensland’s governance and development. But while the film effectively captures his popular appeal and role in the state’s economic transformation, it simplifies key aspects of his political ascent.

    In particular, it doesn’t capture the complexities of electoral mechanics, internal party manoeuvring and the influence of the public service.

    Bjelke-Petersen’s legacy continues to polarise. To supporters, he remains a visionary who championed economic growth and conservative values. To critics, he presided over an era of democratic erosion, civil rights suppression and entrenched corruption.

    His story reflects the enduring tension between executive authority and democratic accountability in modern Australian political history.

    – John Mickel



    Read more:
    Joh: Last King of Queensland captures Bjelke-Petersen’s political persona – but omits key details of the story

    Jaws

    Various platforms

    Steven Spielberg’s Jaws, released 50 years ago, was the first summer blockbuster, received Academy Awards for sound, editing and music, and became the first film to earn US$100 million at the United States box office.

    Chief of Police Martin Brody has recently moved from New York City to Amity Island with his wife and two children. As the small town prepares for its crucial 4th of July celebrations, a series of shark attacks threatens the festivities – and the town’s summer economy.

    The mayor insists on keeping the beaches open for “summer dollars”. When the shark strikes again, local fisherman Quint is hired to hunt it down. Brody and visiting marine biologist Matt Hooper insist on joining the expedition to save the island.

    Apart from one scene using real underwater shark footage from Australians Ron and Valerie Taylor, the shark was mechanical. The mechanical shark sank … a lot. No wonder Spielberg named the temperamental and unreliable shark after his lawyer.

    With the lack of a functioning shark, Spielberg made the artistic decision – echoing Alfred Hitchcock – to suggest the shark’s presence rather than show it outright in the film’s first half. Even without appearing onscreen, the shark has an overwhelming presence and effect on the audience, thanks to John Williams’ music.

    Jaws is now a cinema classic.

    It launched Spielberg’s illustrious career, scared an entire generation from going into the water, and also inspired a new generation of marine activists – such as myself – who love sharks and the ocean.

    – Will Jeffery



    Read more:
    Jaws at 50: the first summer blockbuster is still a film that bites – even when the shark didn’t work

    KPop Demon Hunters

    Netflix

    KPop Demon Hunters is an animated movie that follows a Korean girl band, Huntrix, whose members happen to be covert demon hunters. Their songs and slays have the power to maintain the barrier between the human world and the underworld (called the “honmoon”).

    Annoyed demon overlord Gwi-ma (voiced by Lee Byong-Hun) greenlights a devilishly sexy boy band, Saja Boys, to steal the girls’ fans (and their souls). The attack proves to be more than a challenge for lead singer, Rumi (Arden Cho), who has a dark secret she’s keeping under wraps.

    For fans of the Spider-Verse films, the animation style will be familiar: a blend of 2D and 3D techniques, with a high-contrast colour palette. KPop Demon Hunters goes an aesthetic step further by adding some distinctive anime touches, such as by using the chibi style, when characters have intense reactions.

    The film also showcases several musical interludes voiced by actual K-pop stars such as EJAE, Kevin Woo, Andrew Choi and Rei Ami – as well as an anthem performed by members of TWICE, famous for their 2016 megahit Cheer Up.

    To older viewers, the success of this watchable yet somewhat predictable flick may be puzzling, but KPop Demon Hunters will resonate with any Gen Zs in the house. After all, it has catchy tunes, jokes that land, female empowerment, epic battle scenes, and a smidge of teen romance.

    There’s also a deeper thematic around the duality of identity, and a message about confronting one’s own demons.

    – Phoebe Hart

    Poker Face, season two

    Stan

    Charlie Cale (Natasha Lyonne) is back for season two of Poker Face. Creator Rian Johnson is clearly a lover of the whodunnit genre. Between Poker Face and the Knives Out films, Johnson continues to pay homage to the format while pushing it into new directions.

    Poker Face takes the format of the inverted detective story, made famous by popular series Columbo (1968–2003), where the episode opens with the killer committing the crime, only for the detective to arrive on the scene.

    The joy of Poker Face lies in the viewer trying to figure out how the detective will catch the killer, while also enjoying comedic allusions to several genres. Charlie Cale has a unique skill in that she can always tell when someone is lying: “bullshit”, she calmly says when someone doesn’t tell the truth.

    Season two continues the show’s all-star cameo lineup from different eras of popular culture. Standouts include Cynthia Erivo in the opening episode, Cheers star Rhea Perlman, Katie Holmes, and Awkwafina accusing Alia Shawkat of sleeping with her grandma to steal a rent-controlled apartment.

    The strongest episode of the season features John Cho and Melanie Lynskey, where Charlie meet a group of scammers at a hotel bar. Cho plays the scammer and Lynskey is his unwitting victim. When Lyonne’s Charlie becomes involved, it becomes a game of who is playing who.

    The episodic format never feels tired, as each mystery’s eccentricities and generic allusions shift in each episode. Natasha Lyonne’s performance anchors the show, allowing for the emotional beats to shift seamlessly, from the sadness of death, to the humour of each ridiculous situation.

    – Stuart Richards

    Sirens

    Netflix

    Much like The Perfect Couple (2024–), or Succession (2018–23), Sirens offers all the guilty pleasures of watching wealthy but dysfunctional families scheme and unravel inside their opulent homes. It contains the usual metamodern mix of irony, plot twists, clever dialogue and dark comedy (with hints of murder) we’ve come to expect from series that rank in Netflix’s top ten.

    However, it’s not quite as binge-worthy or provocative as other shows in this genre. It also drags in the middle. You could probably watch the first episode and the last chapter to follow the narrative and catch all the best scenes.

    Sirens tries to distinguish itself by foregrounding strong female leads, and leaning heavily into its postfeminist take on manipulative women of different ages competing against each other. They’re not fighting over the man (played by Kevin Bacon), so much as his estate and the social capital that comes with it.

    Unlike Poison Ivy and other 90s classics I have explored, Sirens presents a more sympathetic and nuanced portrayal of the sexy, younger class usurper. Simone DeWitt (played by Milly Alcock) is the working-class personal assistant determined to improve her social positioning by any means necessary.

    The series also attempts to elevate itself through images and sounds which reference Greek mythology, with lots of scenes of beautiful women perched precariously on cliff tops, while hapless men are lured in by their haunting high-pitched singing.

    The ambiguous politics of it all will leave you wondering if you, too, have been just as expertly manipulated.

    – Susan Hopkins

    Sunday Too Far Away

    Brollie and ABC iView

    Released 50 years ago, Sunday Too Far Away deals episodically with a group of shearers led by Foley (Jack Thompson), and the events leading up to the national shearers’ strike of 1956.

    The shearers are a ragtag group held together by rum, unionism and competitiveness – as Foley must deal with the camp cook from hell, as well as a threat to his “gun” status.

    Like its contemporary Wake in Fright (1971), Sunday also centres on rural male mateship. But while Wake in Fright is revolted by it, Sunday strives for an elegiac celebration that might have drawn from Henry Lawson, of union-based mateship as the only defence against the harshness of life.

    It is hard to overstate Sunday’s importance for the Australian film industry and for its producer, the South Australian Film Corporation (SAFC), founded in 1972 by the new Labor government. Sunday would be the organisation’s first film, budgeted at $231,000, with the commonwealth providing half this figure. It was a remarkable demonstration of maximum involvement by a state government body.

    Sunday was accepted into the Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes, the first Australian film bestowed the honour, and it went on to win eight of the 12 awards on offer at the Australian Film Institute Awards. The success of Sunday Too Far Away, followed closely by Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975) and Storm Boy (1976), succeeded in establishing the SAFC as a prime mover in Australian film.

    – Michael Walsh



    Read more:
    Sunday Too Far Away at 50: how a story about Aussie shearers launched a local film industry

    Michael Walsh is a consultant for the SAFC on its digitisation project. He has previously written a commissioned history for the organisation.

    John Mickel, Phoebe Hart, Stuart Richards, Susan Hopkins, and Will Jeffery do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Sexy K-pop demons, a human lie detector and shearers on strike: what to watch in July – https://theconversation.com/sexy-k-pop-demons-a-human-lie-detector-and-shearers-on-strike-what-to-watch-in-july-259907

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI: $HAREHOLDER ALERT: Class Action Attorney Juan Monteverde Investigates the Merger of Carisma Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: CARM)

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, June 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Class Action Attorney Juan Monteverde with Monteverde & Associates PC (the “M&A Class Action Firm”), has recovered millions of dollars for shareholders and is recognized as a Top 50 Firm in the 2024 ISS Securities Class Action Services Report. The firm is headquartered at the Empire State Building in New York City and is investigating Carisma Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: CARM) related to its to OrthoCellix, Inc. Upon completion of the proposed transaction, existing Carisma shareholders are expected to own approximately 10% of the combined company. Is it a fair deal?

    Click here for more info https://monteverdelaw.com/case/carisma-therapeutics-inc. It is free and there is no cost or obligation to you.

    NOT ALL LAW FIRMS ARE EQUAL. Before you hire a law firm, you should talk to a lawyer and ask:

    1. Do you file class actions and go to Court?
    2. When was the last time you recovered money for shareholders?
    3. What cases did you recover money in and how much?

    About Monteverde & Associates PC

    Our firm litigates and has recovered money for shareholders…and we do it from our offices in the Empire State Building. We are a national class action securities firm with a successful track record in trial and appellate courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court. 

    No one is above the law. If you own common stock in the above listed company and have concerns or wish to obtain additional information free of charge, please visit our website or contact Juan Monteverde, Esq. either via e-mail at jmonteverde@monteverdelaw.com or by telephone at (212) 971-1341.

    Contact:
    Juan Monteverde, Esq.
    MONTEVERDE & ASSOCIATES PC
    The Empire State Building
    350 Fifth Ave. Suite 4740
    New York, NY 10118
    United States of America
    jmonteverde@monteverdelaw.com
    Tel: (212) 971-1341

    Attorney Advertising. (C) 2025 Monteverde & Associates PC. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Monteverde & Associates PC (www.monteverdelaw.com).  Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome with respect to any future matter.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Mensa IQ Test – Free International Mensa IQ Quiz with Instant Results Now Offered by QuickIQTest.org

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    New York City, June 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —  QuickIQTest.org, a trusted leader in online cognitive assessments, proudly announces the official launch of its Free Mensa IQ Test 2025. Designed to closely mirror the structure and rigor of a Mensa international IQ test, this new online Mensa IQ test offers individuals around the world an engaging and accessible way to evaluate their intelligence according to Mensa standards.

    ⇒ Reveal Your Cognitive Strengths with a Real Mensa IQ Test!

    As part of its 2025 initiative to expand cognitive assessment opportunities, QuickIQTest.org now provides a free Mensa practice test built to simulate an authentic Mensa intelligence test. Participants can measure essential cognitive abilities, including logical reasoning, pattern recognition, and problem-solving skills, while receiving instant results and a detailed breakdown of their cognitive strengths.

    “Our mission is to make high-quality intelligence testing available to everyone,” said a spokesperson for QuickIQTest.org. “With this online Mensa IQ test, global users can discover their potential, practice with realistic Mensa test questions, and prepare for future challenges.”

    ⇒ Take the Official Mensa IQ Test Free Today!

    The newly updated Mensa IQ practice test features advanced scoring algorithms, a user-friendly interface, and full compatibility across devices, allowing seamless access for all. Whether preparing for the Mensa Norway IQ test, exploring an interest in mental challenges, or simply curious about is Mensa IQ test accurate, this free Mensa IQ test online is the perfect solution.

    Users can instantly access the Mensa test free without any downloads or subscriptions required. From Mensa sample test exercises to complete Mensa practice test free offerings, QuickIQTest.org ensures a reliable and enriching online experience.

    ⇒ Examine Your Skills Through a Trusted Mensa IQ Assessment!

    For those interested in exploring more Mensa-style testing opportunities — including Mensa IQ test answers, Mensa online IQ test details, and the best online Mensa test options — visit QuickIQTest.org today.

    What Is a Mensa IQ Test?

    An IQ or intelligence quotient test is a standardized assessment designed to measure various aspects of human intelligence. The Mensa IQ test specifically evaluates individuals who score within the top 2% of the population, identifying those with advanced cognitive abilities. These tests are gateways to membership in Mensa International, the world’s largest and oldest high-IQ society.

    An IQ test, Mensa style, aims to measure intelligence objectively. It’s not about academic knowledge or memorization, but raw intellectual processing, how efficiently and accurately a person can solve unfamiliar problems.

    ⇒ Measure Your Intelligence with a Proven Mensa IQ Test!

    History and Evolution of IQ Testing

    IQ testing has evolved significantly since its origins in the early 20th century. French psychologist Alfred Binet developed the first modern intelligence test to assess children’s learning potential. Over time, these early models expanded into more sophisticated forms, such as the Stanford-Binet and Wechsler scales. Today, digital platforms like QuickIQTest.org carry forward this tradition, offering advanced, user-friendly tools that make high-quality testing widely available.

    As organizations like Mensa gained global recognition, specialized exams like the Mensa intelligence test emerged. These are designed to evaluate fluid intelligence—the innate ability to think logically, solve problems, and detect patterns rather than rely on learned knowledge.

    ⇒ Take the Official Mensa IQ Quiz Free at QuickIQTest.org

    Types of Intelligence Measured

    The Mensa IQ Quiz online offered by QuickIQTest.org is structured to assess multiple forms of cognitive functioning, including:

    • Logical reasoning – Ability to follow sequences, rules, and arguments
    • Pattern recognition – Identifying visual and numerical patterns
    • Spatial awareness – Understanding shapes and objects in space
    • Quantitative reasoning – Working with numbers and abstract concepts

    ⇒ Discover How You Score on the Mensa IQ Test!

    This multidimensional testing approach ensures that the online Mensa test remains balanced, challenging, and reflective of real-world problem-solving. Unlike knowledge-based exams, this test focuses on natural cognitive ability, providing meaningful insights across all backgrounds and education levels.

    QuickIQTest.org continues to innovate how users engage with intelligence testing. Through its Mensa IQ test free platform, it empowers individuals worldwide to explore their potential with professional-grade accuracy and instant feedback.

    ⇒ Challenge Your Mind with a Mensa IQ Test!

    How Do Online Mensa IQ Tests Work?

    The rise of digital testing platforms has made assessing intelligence from the comfort of home easier than ever. Services like QuickIQTest.org provide a seamless way to take an authentic Mensa IQ Quiz online, designed to replicate the structure and challenge level of official assessments used by Mensa International.

    ⇒ Find Out If You Qualify for Mensa Today!

    Structure and Typical Question Formats

    The Mensa IQ practice test on QuickIQTest.org typically consists of various non-verbal, logic-based questions that challenge different aspects of cognitive performance. Common formats include:

    • Visual analogies: Identify the missing piece in a visual pattern
    • Number series: Determine the following number in a logical sequence
    • Matrix reasoning: Choose the image that completes a matrix
    • Pattern recognition: Spot the rule that governs a set of symbols

    These questions are intentionally culture-free and language-neutral, ensuring fairness and accessibility. The Mensa IQ Quiz reflects the kinds of problems one might encounter on the Mensa intelligence test, giving users a realistic preview of the real experience.

    ⇒ Get Your Mensa IQ Test Results Instantly!

    Timed vs. Untimed Online IQ Tests

    Most Mensa online IQ tests, including the one provided by QuickIQTest.org, use a timed format to evaluate accuracy and speed of reasoning. Time constraints add a layer of difficulty, requiring users to think quickly and strategically under pressure.

    However, QuickIQTest.org also allows users to pause and return later if needed, providing flexibility while maintaining test integrity. This hybrid model makes the test more inclusive without sacrificing the quality of results.

    Whether preparing for the Mensa Norway IQ test, training for mental agility, or simply curious about how your brain works, the online Mensa test offers a structured yet user-friendly environment.

    ⇒ Try the Mensa IQ Test That Everyone’s Talking About!

    How Results Are Calculated

    After completing the test, users receive instant feedback with a detailed performance analysis. Scores are calculated using psychometric modeling based on standard deviation and population averages, which estimate where the individual ranks compared to the general population.

    The results from QuickIQTest.org are easy to understand and based on real scientific methods. The platform’s algorithm evaluates consistency, accuracy, and completion time to provide a precise cognitive profile. Many users report that their scores from the Mensa IQ test answers offered here closely match what they later receive from official testing centers.

    By taking the Mensa practice test free exams, users can gain valuable insight into their reasoning ability and better prepare for the official Mensa qualification.

    ⇒ Test Your Intelligence with a Trusted Mensa IQ Format

    Benefits of Taking a Mensa Practice Test Online

    Taking a Mensa practice test online is more than just an intellectual challenge. It’s an effective way to uncover personal strengths, enhance self-awareness, and evaluate readiness for official Mensa qualification. At QuickIQTest.org, users can experience a structured, intuitive version of the Mensa IQ test designed to match real-world testing standards closely.

    Whether you’re preparing for the Mensa Norway IQ test or simply want to know how your reasoning skills compare globally, here’s why millions are turning to QuickIQTest.org for a trusted experience.

    ⇒ See How You Rank with the Mensa IQ Challenge!

    1. Accessible from Anywhere, Anytime

    The digital nature of the online Mensa IQ test at QuickIQTest.org makes it available on demand, removing common barriers like testing centers, fees, and scheduling. This is especially valuable for international users who may not have access to local Mensa offices.

    You can begin the Mensa IQ test online from any device, desktop, tablet, or smartphone, making it ideal for busy professionals, students, and lifelong learners.

    2. Realistic Mensa Test Questions and Format

    The Mensa test questions included in the QuickIQTest.org version are modeled on the structure of official exams. These include questions that measure fluid intelligence, your ability to think abstractly and identify logical patterns.

    Using a Mensa sample test, users can familiarize themselves with the challenges they’ll face in real Mensa evaluations. This practice benefits individuals who plan to apply to Mensa International formally.

    ⇒ Take the Most Accurate Mensa IQ Quiz with QuickIQTest.org!

    3. Timed Assessment Simulates Real Testing Conditions

    One key benefit of using this platform is its timed testing format, which adds an authentic layer of difficulty to the assessment. Users must manage their time wisely and stay focused under mild pressure, just as they would during an official test.

    QuickIQTest.org also offers flexibility by allowing users to pause and resume if needed, ensuring accessibility without sacrificing accuracy.

    4. Detailed, Instant Results

    Upon completion, the Mensa IQ test answers are calculated and analyzed using a standardized scoring system based on IQ distribution. This ensures that the results are meaningful, not random or arbitrary.

    The free Mensa International IQ test gives users immediate feedback with a breakdown of performance areas useful for tracking improvement over time or comparing results with national and international averages.

    ⇒ Complete a Realistic Mensa IQ Test Online!

    5. Cost-Free Experience with Professional Quality

    QuickIQTest.org delivers a Mensa practice test free of charge, with no hidden fees or sign-up requirements. This no-strings-attached model has made the platform a most recommended choice for those interested in taking a Mensa IQ quiz online.

    Users receive a high-quality assessment built on real psychometric science even without payment. That’s part of why many regard it as one of the most accurate ways to test IQ digitally.

    6. Confidence Building for Future Testing

    Taking a Mensa practice test helps reduce test anxiety by familiarizing users with the format and expectations of intelligence testing. This confidence can be a game-changer during actual Mensa entrance exams.

    Users often report improved performance on later exams after using the Mensa test free platform as their preparation tool.

    ⇒ Take the Next Step: Mensa IQ Testing Starts Here!

    7. Useful for Educational and Professional Planning

    Understanding your cognitive strengths can offer value beyond the test itself. Many use their IQ test Mensa results for career planning, educational development, or personal insight.

    By identifying strong areas in logic, memory, or pattern recognition, individuals can better align their future goals with how their mind naturally operates.

    8. Legitimate and Trusted Platform

    QuickIQTest.org is a highly regarded service used by thousands seeking an accurate Mensa IQ test alternative online. The platform is recognized for its reliability, scientific structure, and commitment to user privacy.

    You can confidently take the Mensa online IQ test, knowing your experience is aligned with international testing practices.

    ⇒ Want to Join Mensa? Start with This IQ Test!

    Free vs. Paid Mensa IQ Test

    With growing interest in intelligence testing, people often wonder whether they should take a free Mensa IQ test or invest in a paid one. While many online platforms offer both, the real difference lies in the test’s design quality, scoring accuracy, and trustworthiness. QuickIQTest.org offers one of the most reliable solutions, delivering a Mensa IQ test online that’s accessible, professional, and based on genuine IQ testing principles.

    ⇒ Take the Free Mensa IQ Test Officially at QuickIQTest.org!

    What’s Included in a Free Mensa International IQ test?

    A Mensa practice test, free of charge, can still offer tremendous value if a scientifically grounded platform develops it. At QuickIQTest.org, users can take a free Mensa IQ test replicating the structure and challenge level of formal IQ assessments. It includes:

    • 20 to 40 timed logic-based questions
    • Instant scoring based on international IQ distribution
    • Cognitive performance breakdown
    • Familiarization with Mensa test questions and problem-solving formats

    The free online Mensa IQ test is a legitimate way to prepare for more formal assessments, especially if you’re considering applying to the Mensa International IQ test.

    Unlike many “free” quizzes online that are mostly entertainment-focused, this test is based on psychometric standards and cognitive science,  making it one of the most accurate free resources available.

    ⇒ Test Your Logical Skills with a Mensa IQ Format!

    Are Paid Tests More Accurate or Detailed?

    Sometimes, paid IQ tests offer additional features such as detailed analytics, personality insights, or official certification for academic or professional use. However, price does not always equal quality.

    QuickIQTest.org proves that an online, free Mensa IQ test can still deliver serious, research-backed results. Their algorithm calculates scores using valid statistical models that align with global IQ norms.

    For users asking, “Is Mensa IQ test accurate if it’s free?” — the answer depends on the source. In the case of QuickIQTest.org, the platform is structured to offer a highly reliable Mensa-style testing experience without hidden fees or subscriptions.

    Many users find that their IQ test Mensa scores from QuickIQTest.org are consistent with those they receive on formal Mensa evaluations.

    ⇒ Try the Most Popular Mensa IQ Test Online!

    Red Flags to Avoid in Online Testing Sites

    Not all online IQ tests are created equal. Here are some warning signs to avoid:

    • Vague or overly simplistic questions: Real Mensa sample test formats include complex reasoning challenges.
    • No scoring explanation: A legitimate platform should explain how your score is calculated.
    • Clickbait-style results: Avoid tests that give generic or overly flattering results without clear metrics.
    • Aggressive upselling or paywall traps: Some sites lure users with a “free” label only to demand payment after they complete the transaction.
    • No credibility or transparency: The platform should clarify its methodology and data use policy.

    QuickIQTest.org avoids all of these pitfalls. The Mensa test is structured, transparent, and built to replicate the experience of a Mensa-style intelligence test. It’s one of the most trusted options for users seeking clarity and confidence before pursuing formal membership with the Mensa International IQ test.

    ⇒ Take a Mensa IQ Test That Reflects Real Results!

    How to Prepare for a Mensa IQ Test

    Preparing for a Mensa IQ test is about more than just intelligence; it’s about readiness. Whether you aim to qualify for the Mensa International IQ test or simply want to measure your cognitive abilities with a high-standard Mensa IQ test online, preparation helps sharpen your edge.

    The Mensa IQ Quiz, available at QuickIQTest.org, can help you build the confidence and accuracy needed to succeed. This preparation process includes becoming familiar with question styles, reducing test-day anxiety, and boosting your ability to concentrate under time pressure.

    ⇒ Simulate a Real Mensa IQ Test Free at QuickIQTest.org!

    Practice Mensa-Style Question Types

    The official Mensa intelligence test isn’t based on rote knowledge; it assesses your ability to solve problems, think abstractly, and detect patterns. The most effective way to prepare is to consistently work through Mensa test questions in a format similar to the real test.

    Some of the major categories you’ll encounter include:

    • Raven’s matrix-style pattern recognition
    • Logical progressions in shapes and numbers
    • Odd-one-out visual discrimination
    • Verbal reasoning and analogies
    • Spatial rotations and transformations

    QuickIQTest.org is the most recommended source for a Mensa sample test that closely reflects these categories. Users can take the free Mensa practice test multiple times to build familiarity, speed, and confidence with each question type.

    ⇒ Start the Journey to Mensa Membership with This IQ Test!

    Managing Test Anxiety

    Nervousness is normal, but if unmanaged, it can disrupt your ability to think clearly and finish within the time limit. Since the Mensa online IQ test is typically timed, staying calm is essential for optimal performance.

    Here are effective ways to control anxiety before and during the test:

    • Create a calm environment: Choose a quiet, comfortable place to take the test.
    • Establish a pre-test routine: Drink water, stretch, and do a quick mental warm-up.
    • Practice breathing techniques: Slow breathing helps reduce cortisol levels.
    • Mentally rehearse success: Visualize yourself completing the test calmly and efficiently.
    • Use the platform repeatedly: The more you take the free Mensa IQ test at QuickIQTest.org, the less intimidating the process becomes.

    Knowing what to expect and rehearsing under real conditions—using the Mensa test, free format—can dramatically lower stress.

    ⇒ Take the Online Mensa IQ Quiz with Instant Results!

    Tips to Improve Focus and Performance

    Mental clarity plays a huge role in your outcome. To improve your focus and achieve an accurate score on your online Mensa test, consider these strategies:

    • Take practice tests when you’re mentally sharp, such as mid-morning.
    • Limit screen time beforehand to reduce eye strain and mental fatigue.
    • Eat a light, protein-rich snack before testing for sustained energy.
    • Use noise-canceling headphones or ambient sounds to eliminate distractions.
    • Practice skipping hard questions and circling back later.

    The IQ test, the Mensa model from QuickIQTest.org, allows you to engage with realistic time pressure and genuine question logic. Practicing under these conditions enhances both speed and precision.

    ⇒ Try Mensa IQ Test Free and Accurate at QuickIQTest.org!

    Use a Reliable Practice Source

    Above all, choose a platform that mirrors the integrity of official Mensa testing. Not all online IQ tests are credible. With QuickIQTest.org, you’re training with one of the most accurate and trusted online formats. Their Mensa IQ test free system aligns with psychometric best practices and gives instant, meaningful results.

    This test also benefits those preparing for region-specific exams like the Mensa Norway IQ test, offering a versatile preparation path for global candidates.

    By repeatedly using the Mensa practice test free provided by QuickIQTest.org, users set themselves up mentally, emotionally, and strategically for success.

    ⇒ Find Out Where You Stand with the Mensa IQ Exam!

    Most Accurate Online Mensa IQ Test in 2025

    As the demand for online intelligence testing continues to grow in 2025, finding a trusted and most accurate Mensa IQ test online has become more critical. While dozens of websites and apps claim to offer valid assessments, only a few provide the depth, credibility, and design quality needed to reflect an actual Mensa intelligence test experience. Among them, QuickIQTest.org stands out as a highly regarded platform offering a legitimate, science-backed way to measure your IQ.

    ⇒ Try the Official Free Mensa IQ Test with Fast Scoring!

    Trusted Platforms and Apps

    The internet is saturated with IQ tests, but very few are structured by actual psychometric testing principles. When evaluating platforms, it’s essential to look for those that:

    • Offer pattern-based logic questions similar to official Mensa test questions
    • Provide timed tests that simulate the real testing pressure..
    • Deliver scoring based on standard deviation from the IQ bell curve..
    • Offer a well-explained breakdown of performance.

    QuickIQTest.org ticks every one of these boxes. The platform’s online Mensa test is not a personality quiz or a gamified distraction. It is a research-based tool offering accurate feedback about fluid intelligence and reasoning capabilities.

    ⇒ Take the Most Accurate Mensa IQ Quiz with QuickIQTest.org!

    Certified vs. Unofficial Tests

    One common question from test takers is: Are certified tests better than unofficial ones?

    Certified Mensa admissions tests, typically taken under supervised conditions, are the gold standard for official membership. However, high-quality online IQ assessments can serve as a highly accurate predictor of whether someone might qualify for Mensa. The key is to choose a platform designed by experts in cognitive science and pattern recognition.

    QuickIQTest.org is not claiming to replace official testing but offers a Mensa IQ practice test that provides a strong, data-backed indication of your potential Mensa eligibility. It is one of the most reliable platforms for those who want to prepare, assess their standing, or challenge their intellect.

    Many users begin with the free Mensa IQ test and later, based on their results, take the official supervised exam. The scores align well with what people typically achieve in certified evaluations.

    ⇒ Explore Your IQ with an Accurate Mensa-Based Test

    User Reviews and Reliability

    Credibility is built over time,  and QuickIQTest.org has developed a growing user base of individuals who report high satisfaction with the platform’s structure, accuracy, and transparency.

    Standard user feedback highlights:

    • Realistic difficulty that matches the Mensa IQ test answers users encounter in formal tests
    • Clear explanations of score metrics and how IQ is calculated
    • No hidden fees or misleading claims
    • Seamless user experience and clean test design

    One user noted, “I took the Norway Mensa IQ test after using QuickIQTest.org and scored within the same range. It really helped me prepare.”

    Thousands of learners have used the platform’s Mensa practice test free to sharpen their cognitive skills and explore their intellectual strengths.

    When people ask, “Is the Mensa IQ test accurate if taken online?” the answer is yes,  when you choose a platform like QuickIQTest.org. Its consistency, logic-based framework, and precise scoring method make it one of the most trusted online tools available in 2025.

    ⇒ Take the Classic Mensa IQ Test Online Anytime!

    Understanding Your IQ Score

    After completing a Mensa IQ Quiz online, the next crucial step is interpreting your results. Your score is more than just a number—it reflects how your cognitive abilities compare with the general population. Whether you’re using a free Mensa IQ test or a more structured Mensa intelligence test, it’s essential to understand what the score represents, how it’s calculated, and what it doesn’t say about you.

    ⇒ Curious About Your IQ? Take the Mensa Test Now!

    What Your Score Means

    IQ scores are designed to follow a standard distribution, with the average set at 100. When you take a Mensa IQ practice test through a reliable source like QuickIQTest.org, your final score is calculated based on the number of correct answers, the difficulty of questions, and how your performance compares to others.

    Your result is often accompanied by a percentile rank, which shows how many people you outperformed. For example:

    • A score of 100 means your intelligence level is right in the middle of the population.
    • A score of 130 or above may indicate potential eligibility for Mensa.
    • A score below 85 is still within the standard curve but on the lower end of the distribution.

    QuickIQTest.org provides immediate, easy-to-read score explanations after each Mensa online IQ test, helping users see where they stand and what it might mean for their educational or professional development.

    ⇒ See If You Make the Cut with This Mensa IQ Test!

    Average, High, and Low IQ Ranges

    Most online tests use the Wechsler scale or similar bell curves. Here’s how typical IQ scores are categorized:

    • Below 70: Considered well below average; may indicate developmental challenges
    • 70–84: Below average range
    • 85–114: Average range (majority of the population)
    • 115–129: Above average
    • 130+: High IQ; potential Mensa qualification

    The Mensa practice test, free at QuickIQTest.org, aligns its scoring with these global standards, offering users an accurate assessment of where they fall.

    While scoring above 130 on the IQ test doesn’t automatically mean Mensa membership, it’s often a strong indicator that you might qualify if you pursue the official supervised exam.

    ⇒ Reveal Your Cognitive Strengths with a Mensa IQ Test!

    Limitations and Misconceptions

    IQ tests measure specific types of intelligence—remarkably fluid reasoning, pattern recognition, and logic. They do not assess:

    • Creativity
    • Emotional intelligence (EQ)
    • Social skills
    • Practical problem-solving
    • Wisdom or moral judgment

    A common misconception is that a high IQ automatically equates to success or genius. While many high-IQ individuals thrive academically or professionally, success is influenced by many other factors, including motivation, opportunity, and emotional resilience.

    Another myth is that taking the Mensa IQ test multiple times will significantly inflate your score. While practice improves familiarity, accurate intelligence scores remain relatively stable over time.

    That said, tools like QuickIQTest.org offer meaningful insights and preparation. They’re designed for those aiming to join Mensa and for anyone curious about their cognitive strengths.

    ⇒ Test Yourself Against Mensa Standards!

    8. Mensa IQ Test for Kids, Teens, and Adults

    Intelligence testing isn’t limited to adults. An adequately designed Mensa IQ test can help assess children, teenagers, and adults’ cognitive ability. However, it’s essential to recognize that age plays a critical role in measuring and interpreting IQ. Whether for educational placement, personal insight, or curiosity, the online Mensa IQ test at QuickIQTest.org adapts well across age groups by offering a flexible, pattern-based format appropriate for different developmental stages.

    Age-Appropriate IQ Assessments

    IQ testing must be aligned with age-related expectations to be accurate. The mental tasks a 10-year-old can solve differ significantly from those expected of a 30-year-old. Modern IQ tests adjust scoring to ensure fair comparisons across ages.

    QuickIQTest.org provides an IQ test and a Mensa platform suitable for teens and adults. It is typically recommended for ages 14 and up. For younger children, supervised testing with child-specific formats is more appropriate. However, for teens preparing for academic challenges or seeking Mensa eligibility, the Mensa practice test offers an excellent simulation of the logic-based reasoning questions used in official exams.

    Adults aged 20, 40, or 65 can use the Mensa online IQ test to evaluate cognitive agility. Unlike knowledge tests, these pattern-recognition exercises are designed to minimize age or cultural bias.

    ⇒ Start the Mensa IQ Test Online Free with QuickIQTest.org!

    Educational vs. General Intelligence Tests

    Educational IQ tests often assess verbal comprehension, arithmetic skills, and memory, traits aligned with classroom performance. In contrast, a Mensa intelligence test focuses on fluid intelligence: your ability to reason and think abstractly.

    The free Mensa IQ test from QuickIQTest.org is particularly well-suited for general intelligence evaluation. It doesn’t require prior academic knowledge. Instead, it asks questions based on logic, patterns, and spatial awareness—abilities that tend to be stable across diverse educational backgrounds.

    This makes the Mensa test a free experience appealing to students looking to challenge themselves and working professionals interested in their cognitive strengths.

    ⇒ Discover the IQ Test Modeled After Mensa Exams!

    How Schools or Employers May Use Results

    Schools may recommend IQ testing for gifted program eligibility or special education placement. An above-average score—particularly in problem-solving and pattern recognition—can support a child’s placement in accelerated academic tracks.

    Some employers also use intelligence testing in hiring processes, especially for roles requiring critical thinking, analysis, or technical decision-making. While many organizations don’t ask for an actual Mensa IQ test, scores from high-quality platforms like QuickIQTest.org can provide personal insight and potentially be included in a professional portfolio.

    It’s worth noting that many individuals voluntarily share their Mensa IQ test answers or scores with mentors, educators, and coaches to guide future development.

    The Mensa practice test is free, and it’s a low-pressure way to get started, whether you’re a student preparing for higher education or a professional seeking a mental challenge.

    ⇒ Unlock Your IQ Potential with This Mensa-Based Test!

    9. Is a Mensa IQ Test Legitimate?

    With the explosion of online testing platforms, it’s natural to question whether a Mensa IQ test taken online is accurate or valid. While not every internet quiz holds scientific value, well-structured assessments like those offered by QuickIQTest.org are developed to reflect genuine intelligence-testing principles. When done correctly, an online Mensa IQ test can provide results closely aligned with traditional, supervised testing used in clinical or academic settings.

    ⇒ Measure Your Intelligence with a Mensa-Style Quiz

    How Accurate Are Online IQ Tests Compared to Clinical Ones?

    Clinical IQ assessments, like the Stanford-Binet or WAIS-IV, are typically administered in controlled environments by certified professionals. They are used in education, employment, and mental health contexts and offer highly detailed insight into cognitive performance. They assess several forms of intelligence, including working memory, spatial reasoning, and processing speed.

    While online versions don’t provide the same depth, many use similar formats, particularly for fluid intelligence (the ability to identify patterns, solve problems, and reason abstractly). A properly designed Mensa practice test mimics these core aspects with visual pattern recognition, number series, and logic puzzles. QuickIQTest.org uses time-based challenges and varied question structures to replicate these elements, producing surprisingly consistent results with official Mensa entry exams.

    Many users of QuickIQTest.org report that their scores from this free Mensa IQ test fall within the same range as those received from in-person evaluations.

    ⇒ Start a Mensa IQ Assessment from Anywhere!

    How to Tell If a Test Is Scientifically Valid

    With so many tests online claiming to be “official” or “accurate,” how can you spot the real ones?

    Here are signs of scientific credibility in an online Mensa IQ test:

    • Timed sections: Intelligence isn’t just about getting the correct answer—it’s about speed and efficiency under time pressure.
    • Standardized scoring: Real IQ tests distribute results on a bell curve. Look for scores where 100 is average, with clear percentile rankings.
    • Diverse questions: A valid test includes spatial, numeric, and abstract reasoning,  each targeting different cognitive functions.
    • Adaptive difficulty: The test should gradually increase in complexity, which mirrors how official Mensa assessments are structured.
    • No personality quizzes or gimmicks: IQ tests aren’t mood surveys but analytical and performance-based.

    QuickIQTest.org delivers on all these fronts. Their online Mensa IQ test uses a scoring algorithm rooted in psychometric testing standards. The platform is built not to entertain, but to challenge users across different reasoning dimensions.

    ⇒ Take the IQ Test Designed for High Performers!

    Credentials to Look For in a Reliable IQ Test

    Even if a test is online, it should still meet standards that suggest professional input and real-world value. You don’t need a clinical psychologist to validate it, but some benchmarks help:

    • Developer transparency: Reputable IQ tests often mention who created the test, ideally, experts in cognitive science or psychometric testing.
    • Consistent user reviews: Real users should report that their scores feel realistic and reflect other intelligence evaluations they’ve taken.
    • No unrealistic promises: Beware of tests that guarantee Mensa admission or claim impossible accuracy. A legitimate Mensa intelligence test will acknowledge that only official, supervised tests can grant membership.

    At QuickIQTest.org, the goal is not to mislead users. Instead, they offer a highly regarded, free Mensa test alternative that enables individuals to evaluate their reasoning ability before deciding whether to apply for official Mensa testing.

    ⇒ Find Out If You Have a Mensa-Eligible Score!

    The Role of a Mensa Practice Test

    Think of a Mensa IQ test online like a practice run—it’s not a certification, but it’s the next best thing. It offers valuable preparation, helps reduce test anxiety, and gives you a clear picture of your strengths.

    Additionally, it is an excellent IQ screening tool because the Mensa sample test at QuickIQTest.org is patterned after real Mensa questions. It gives users honest feedback while preserving the integrity of what a real test should feel like.

    ⇒ Take the Mensa IQ Test Officially at QuickIQTest.org

    FAQS

    Can I take a free Mensa IQ test online?

    Taking a free Mensa IQ test online is possible, especially for practice and personal evaluation. While official Mensa tests must be supervised and often involve a fee, trusted platforms like QuickIQTest.org provide access to a Mensa IQ test online that mimics the structure and complexity of the real thing. This Mensa practice test free version includes timed questions and instant scoring, offering an effective way to understand how you might perform on a formal Mensa assessment. It benefits those interested in preparing before attempting an official supervised exam.

    How does the online Mensa IQ test work?

    An online Mensa IQ test generally presents a series of timed questions designed to test logic, spatial awareness, pattern recognition, and numerical reasoning. These tests are based on the same principles as formal IQ assessments used by Mensa International. At QuickIQTest.org, the structure includes:

    • Timed sections: Questions must be answered within a specific time limit to simulate real-world conditions.
    • Adaptive scoring: The test evaluates accuracy and the difficulty of questions answered correctly.
    • Instant results: Once completed, you receive a score range that corresponds with general IQ benchmarks, giving you an idea of where you stand compared to the population.

    This Mensa IQ practice test provides an accessible way to explore your intellectual strengths before considering official testing.

    How accurate is the online Mensa IQ test?

    The accuracy of an online Mensa IQ test depends on how well it follows accepted psychometric standards. While online versions do not replace supervised clinical assessments, services like QuickIQTest.org aim to provide a highly accurate and reliable evaluation. Their test uses cognitive science and logic-based structures similar to official IQ tests. It focuses on visual and numerical reasoning rather than learned knowledge, which makes it more reflective of your innate problem-solving abilities. While the score cannot be used for formal Mensa membership, it can indicate your potential and help guide whether you should pursue official testing.

    What does my IQ score mean?

    Your IQ score is a numerical expression of your cognitive performance relative to the general population. Most scoring systems are based on a bell curve, with 100 as the average IQ. Here’s a general breakdown:

    • 85–115: Average range (most people fall here)
    • 116–129: Above average
    • 130 and above: Gifted; potential Mensa qualification
    • Below 85: May indicate challenges in some areas of reasoning.

    When you take the IQ test, Mensa style, at QuickIQTest.org, your score will fall within a percentile rank, giving context to where you stand. However, it’s essential to understand that IQ is just one measure of cognitive potential and does not capture creativity, emotional intelligence, or other forms of intelligence.

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    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Yorkville Acquisition Corp. Announces Closing of $172,500,000 Initial Public Offering, Including Full Exercise of Underwriters’ Over-Allotment Option

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Mountainside, NJ, June 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Yorkville Acquisition Corp. (Nasdaq: YORKU) (the “Company”) today announced that it closed its initial public offering of 17,250,000 units, including the issuance of 2,250,000 units as result of the underwriters’ exercise of their over-allotment option in full, at $10.00 per unit. The gross proceeds from the offering were $172.5 million before deducting underwriting discounts and estimated offering expenses. The units began trading on The Nasdaq Global Market (“Nasdaq”) under the ticker symbol “YORKU” on June 27, 2025.

    Each unit consists of one Class A ordinary share and one-third of one redeemable warrant. Each whole warrant entitles the holder to purchase one Class A ordinary share of the Company at a price of $11.50 per share. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade. Once the securities comprising the units begin separate trading, the Class A ordinary shares and warrants are expected to be listed on Nasdaq under the symbols “YORK” and “YORKW”, respectively.

    The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the offering and the simultaneous private placement of units to pursue and consummate  a business combination with one or more businesses.

    Clear Street is acting as the sole book-running manager in the offering. D. Boral Capital LLC is acting as co-manager of the offering. DLA Piper LLP (US) is serving as legal counsel to the Company and Maples and Calder (Cayman LLP) is serving as Cayman Islands legal counsel to the Company. Loeb & Loeb LLP is serving as legal counsel to the underwriters.

    The offering was made only by means of a prospectus, copies of which may be obtained from Clear Street, Attn: Syndicate Department, 150 Greenwich Street, 45th floor, New York, NY 10007, by email at ecm@clearstreet.io, or from the SEC website at www.sec.gov.

    A registration statement relating to these securities sold in the initial public offering was declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on June 26, 2025.This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

    About Yorkville Acquisition Corp.

    The Company is a blank check company incorporated in the Cayman Islands as an exempted company incorporated for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization, or similar business combination with one or more businesses. The Company has not selected any specific business combination target and has not, nor has anyone on its behalf, engaged in any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any business combination target with respect to an initial business combination. While the Company may pursue a business combination target in any business or industry, it intends to focus its search for businesses at the intersection of media, technology, and entertainment.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release includes forward-looking statements, including with respect to the Company’s anticipated use of the net proceeds thereof and the Company’s search for an initial business combination. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from the forward-looking statements. The Company expressly disclaims any obligations or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in the Company’s expectations with respect thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any statement is based. No assurance can be given that the net proceeds of the offering will be used as indicated. Forward-looking statements are subject to numerous conditions, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, including those set forth in the Risk Factors section of the registration statement and related prospectus filed in connection with the initial public offering with the SEC. Copies are available on the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov.

    Contact Information

    Yorkville Acquisition Corp.
    1012 Springfield Avenue
    Mountainside, New Jersey 07092 

    Kevin McGurn
    Chief Executive Officer
    Email: kjmcgurn@gmail.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA+ is Coming to Netflix This Summer

    Source: NASA

    NASA announced Monday its latest plans to team up with a streaming service to bring space a little closer to home. Starting this summer, NASA+ live programming will be available on Netflix.
    Audiences now will have another option to stream rocket launches, astronaut spacewalks, mission coverage, and breathtaking live views of Earth from the International Space Station.
    “The National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 calls on us to share our story of space exploration with the broadest possible audience,” said Rebecca Sirmons, general manager of NASA+ at the agency’s headquarters in Washington. “Together, we’re committed to a Golden Age of Innovation and Exploration – inspiring new generations – right from the comfort of their couch or in the palm of their hand from their phone.”
    Through this partnership, NASA’s work in science and exploration will become even more accessible, allowing the agency to increase engagement with and inspire a global audience in a modern media landscape, where Netflix reaches a global audience of more than 700 million people.
    The agency’s broader efforts include connecting with as many people as possible through video, audio, social media, and live events. The goal is simple: to bring the excitement of the agency’s discoveries, inventions, and space exploration to people, wherever they are.
    NASA+ remains available for free, with no ads, through the NASA app and on the agency’s website.
    Additional programming details and schedules will be announced ahead of launch.
    For more about NASA’s missions, visit:

    Home Page

    -end-
    Cheryl WarnerHeadquarters, Washington202-358-1600cheryl.m.warner@nasa.gov

    MIL OSI USA News –