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  • MIL-OSI: Form 8.3 – [MARLOWE PLC – 23 06 2025] – (CGWL) ** CORRECTION **

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    This disclosure supersedes the previous one submitted for 23/06/2025, which omitted a required explanatory note in Section 2(a).

    FORM 8.3

    PUBLIC OPENING POSITION DISCLOSURE/DEALING DISCLOSURE BY
    A PERSON WITH INTERESTS IN RELEVANT SECURITIES REPRESENTING 1% OR MORE
    Rule 8.3 of the Takeover Code (the “Code”)

    1.        KEY INFORMATION

    (a)   Full name of discloser: CANACCORD GENUITY WEALTH LIMITED (for Discretionary clients)
    (b)   Owner or controller of interests and short positions disclosed, if different from 1(a):
            The naming of nominee or vehicle companies is insufficient. For a trust, the trustee(s), settlor and beneficiaries must be named.    		 N/A
    (c)   Name of offeror/offeree in relation to whose relevant securities this form relates:
            Use a separate form for each offeror/offeree    		 MARLOWE PLC
    (d)   If an exempt fund manager connected with an offeror/offeree, state this and specify identity of offeror/offeree: N/A
    (e)   Date position held/dealing undertaken:
            For an opening position disclosure, state the latest practicable date prior to the disclosure    		 23 JUNE 2025
    (f)   In addition to the company in 1(c) above, is the discloser making disclosures in respect of any other party to the offer?
            If it is a cash offer or possible cash offer, state “N/A”    		 NO

    2.        POSITIONS OF THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE

    If there are positions or rights to subscribe to disclose in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 2(a) or (b) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security.

    (a)      Interests and short positions in the relevant securities of the offeror or offeree to which the disclosure relates following the dealing (if any)

    Class of relevant security: 50p ORDINARY
      Interests Short positions
    Number % Number %
    (1)   Relevant securities owned and/or controlled: 3,086,014 3.9301    
    (2)   Cash-settled derivatives:        
    (3)   Stock-settled derivatives (including options) and agreements to purchase/sell:        
    TOTAL: 3,086,014 3.9301    

    NOTE: On 20/06/2025, a client mandate was changed from Discretionary to Non-Discretionary, which reduced the total reportable holding by 960 shares.

    All interests and all short positions should be disclosed.

    Details of any open stock-settled derivative positions (including traded options), or agreements to purchase or sell relevant securities, should be given on a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions).

    (b)      Rights to subscribe for new securities (including directors’ and other employee options)

    Class of relevant security in relation to which subscription right exists:  
    Details, including nature of the rights concerned and relevant percentages:  

    3.        DEALINGS (IF ANY) BY THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE

    Where there have been dealings in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 3(a), (b), (c) or (d) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security dealt in.

    The currency of all prices and other monetary amounts should be stated.

    (a)        Purchases and sales

    Class of relevant security Purchase/sale Number of securities Price per unit
    50p ORDINARY SALE 520 440.3p
    50p ORDINARY SALE 3,030 440.8p

    (b)        Cash-settled derivative transactions

    Class of relevant security Product description
    e.g. CFD    		 Nature of dealing
    e.g. opening/closing a long/short position, increasing/reducing a long/short position    		 Number of reference securities Price per unit
    NONE        

    (c)        Stock-settled derivative transactions (including options)

    (i)        Writing, selling, purchasing or varying

    Class of relevant security Product description e.g. call option Writing, purchasing, selling, varying etc. Number of securities to which option relates Exercise price per unit Type
    e.g. American, European etc.    		 Expiry date Option money paid/ received per unit
    NONE              

    (ii)        Exercise

    Class of relevant security Product description
    e.g. call option    		 Exercising/ exercised against Number of securities Exercise price per unit

    (d)        Other dealings (including subscribing for new securities)

    Class of relevant security Nature of dealing
    e.g. subscription, conversion    		 Details Price per unit (if applicable)
    NONE      

    4.        OTHER INFORMATION

    (a)        Indemnity and other dealing arrangements

    Details of any indemnity or option arrangement, or any agreement or understanding, formal or informal, relating to relevant securities which may be an inducement to deal or refrain from dealing entered into by the person making the disclosure and any party to the offer or any person acting in concert with a party to the offer:
    Irrevocable commitments and letters of intent should not be included. If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”

    NONE

    (b)        Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to options or derivatives

    Details of any agreement, arrangement or understanding, formal or informal, between the person making the disclosure and any other person relating to:
    (i)   the voting rights of any relevant securities under any option; or
    (ii)   the voting rights or future acquisition or disposal of any relevant securities to which any derivative is referenced:
    If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”

    NONE

    (c)        Attachments

    Is a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions) attached? NO
    Date of disclosure: 25 JUNE 2025
    Contact name: MARK ELLIOTT
    Telephone number: 01253 376539

    Public disclosures under Rule 8 of the Code must be made to a Regulatory Information Service.

    The Panel’s Market Surveillance Unit is available for consultation in relation to the Code’s disclosure requirements on +44 (0)20 7638 0129.

    The Code can be viewed on the Panel’s website at www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Form 8.3 – [MARLOWE PLC – 23 06 2025] – (CGWL) ** CORRECTION **

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    This disclosure supersedes the previous one submitted for 23/06/2025, which omitted a required explanatory note in Section 2(a).

    FORM 8.3

    PUBLIC OPENING POSITION DISCLOSURE/DEALING DISCLOSURE BY
    A PERSON WITH INTERESTS IN RELEVANT SECURITIES REPRESENTING 1% OR MORE
    Rule 8.3 of the Takeover Code (the “Code”)

    1.        KEY INFORMATION

    (a)   Full name of discloser: CANACCORD GENUITY WEALTH LIMITED (for Discretionary clients)
    (b)   Owner or controller of interests and short positions disclosed, if different from 1(a):
            The naming of nominee or vehicle companies is insufficient. For a trust, the trustee(s), settlor and beneficiaries must be named.    		 N/A
    (c)   Name of offeror/offeree in relation to whose relevant securities this form relates:
            Use a separate form for each offeror/offeree    		 MARLOWE PLC
    (d)   If an exempt fund manager connected with an offeror/offeree, state this and specify identity of offeror/offeree: N/A
    (e)   Date position held/dealing undertaken:
            For an opening position disclosure, state the latest practicable date prior to the disclosure    		 23 JUNE 2025
    (f)   In addition to the company in 1(c) above, is the discloser making disclosures in respect of any other party to the offer?
            If it is a cash offer or possible cash offer, state “N/A”    		 NO

    2.        POSITIONS OF THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE

    If there are positions or rights to subscribe to disclose in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 2(a) or (b) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security.

    (a)      Interests and short positions in the relevant securities of the offeror or offeree to which the disclosure relates following the dealing (if any)

    Class of relevant security: 50p ORDINARY
      Interests Short positions
    Number % Number %
    (1)   Relevant securities owned and/or controlled: 3,086,014 3.9301    
    (2)   Cash-settled derivatives:        
    (3)   Stock-settled derivatives (including options) and agreements to purchase/sell:        
    TOTAL: 3,086,014 3.9301    

    NOTE: On 20/06/2025, a client mandate was changed from Discretionary to Non-Discretionary, which reduced the total reportable holding by 960 shares.

    All interests and all short positions should be disclosed.

    Details of any open stock-settled derivative positions (including traded options), or agreements to purchase or sell relevant securities, should be given on a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions).

    (b)      Rights to subscribe for new securities (including directors’ and other employee options)

    Class of relevant security in relation to which subscription right exists:  
    Details, including nature of the rights concerned and relevant percentages:  

    3.        DEALINGS (IF ANY) BY THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE

    Where there have been dealings in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 3(a), (b), (c) or (d) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security dealt in.

    The currency of all prices and other monetary amounts should be stated.

    (a)        Purchases and sales

    Class of relevant security Purchase/sale Number of securities Price per unit
    50p ORDINARY SALE 520 440.3p
    50p ORDINARY SALE 3,030 440.8p

    (b)        Cash-settled derivative transactions

    Class of relevant security Product description
    e.g. CFD    		 Nature of dealing
    e.g. opening/closing a long/short position, increasing/reducing a long/short position    		 Number of reference securities Price per unit
    NONE        

    (c)        Stock-settled derivative transactions (including options)

    (i)        Writing, selling, purchasing or varying

    Class of relevant security Product description e.g. call option Writing, purchasing, selling, varying etc. Number of securities to which option relates Exercise price per unit Type
    e.g. American, European etc.    		 Expiry date Option money paid/ received per unit
    NONE              

    (ii)        Exercise

    Class of relevant security Product description
    e.g. call option    		 Exercising/ exercised against Number of securities Exercise price per unit

    (d)        Other dealings (including subscribing for new securities)

    Class of relevant security Nature of dealing
    e.g. subscription, conversion    		 Details Price per unit (if applicable)
    NONE      

    4.        OTHER INFORMATION

    (a)        Indemnity and other dealing arrangements

    Details of any indemnity or option arrangement, or any agreement or understanding, formal or informal, relating to relevant securities which may be an inducement to deal or refrain from dealing entered into by the person making the disclosure and any party to the offer or any person acting in concert with a party to the offer:
    Irrevocable commitments and letters of intent should not be included. If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”

    NONE

    (b)        Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to options or derivatives

    Details of any agreement, arrangement or understanding, formal or informal, between the person making the disclosure and any other person relating to:
    (i)   the voting rights of any relevant securities under any option; or
    (ii)   the voting rights or future acquisition or disposal of any relevant securities to which any derivative is referenced:
    If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”

    NONE

    (c)        Attachments

    Is a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions) attached? NO
    Date of disclosure: 25 JUNE 2025
    Contact name: MARK ELLIOTT
    Telephone number: 01253 376539

    Public disclosures under Rule 8 of the Code must be made to a Regulatory Information Service.

    The Panel’s Market Surveillance Unit is available for consultation in relation to the Code’s disclosure requirements on +44 (0)20 7638 0129.

    The Code can be viewed on the Panel’s website at www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Minovia Therapeutics Ltd. and Launch One Acquisition Corp. Announce Proposed Business Combination to Create Nasdaq-Listed Mitochondrial Therapy Company in $1 Trillion+ Mitochondrial and Longevity Markets

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    HAIFA, Israel, and GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands, June 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Minovia Therapeutics Ltd. (“Minovia” or the “Company”), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing what it believes to be first-in-class therapies to treat mitochondrial diseases and combat age-related decline, and Launch One Acquisition Corp. (Nasdaq: LPAA, “Launch One”), a special purpose acquisition company focused on healthcare innovation, announce entering into a definitive business combination agreement (the “Business Combination Agreement”).   

    Transaction highlights:

    • The proposed business combination (the “Business Combination”) will create a publicly traded, clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing and commercializing Mitochondrial Augmentation Technology (MAT) – a proprietary platform designed to address a broad spectrum of diseases driven by mitochondrial dysfunction, from rare pediatric disorders to common adult conditions.
    • Upon closing of the transaction, the combined entity will operate under the name Mito US One Ltd. and is expected to be listed on Nasdaq.
    • The transaction is expected to provide Minovia with additional capital to facilitate accelerating its growth and development pipeline. This includes potentially reaching clinical and regulatory milestones, technology transfer, and the eventual commercial launch of the Company’s longevity-focused offerings from its MAT platform.
    • The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2025, subject to customary closing conditions and shareholder approvals.
    • Launch One’s trust account currently holds approximately $239.7 million in cash, a portion of which may be available to the combined company following the transaction, depending on the extent of redemptions by public shareholders.

    Natalie Yivgi-Ohana, Ph.D., Minovia Co-Founder and CEO commented, “Minovia is pioneering a new category of mitochondrial therapy that targets the root cause of disease and aging — mitochondrial failure. Our research has already demonstrated durable safety and life-changing impact in patients, including children with genetic mitochondrial disease and older adults with hematologic and kidney dysfunction. Supported by clinical data, FDA Fast Track Designation, and a clear path to pivotal trial, we believe our MAT platform is uniquely positioned to drive value across both rare disease and the fast-growing longevity market.”

    Unlocking a New Category in Regenerative and Longevity Medicine

    Mitochondria are the tiny powerplants inside human cells, generating the energy needed for everything from muscle movement and kidney function to immune defense and brain activity. When mitochondria break down, energy production collapses — contributing to a wide range of diseases, including neurodegenerative, metabolic, and kidney disease, as well as muscle weakness, anemia, and immune system decline. Minovia’s MAT platform is designed to enrich diseased cells with healthy and functional mitochondria, effectively recharging the body’s cellular batteries and restoring the energy essential for healing, resilience, and long-term health. This approach is backed by a deep patent portfolio, scalable manufacturing, a decade of research and development, and supported by clinical data.

    To date, Minovia has treated 23 patients for a combination of Pearson Syndrome, low-risk Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS), and neurological conditions such as Kearns-Sayre and Leigh syndromes. Patients have experienced significant outcomes — including increased body weight and growth, restored mobility, kidney function, and hematologic stability. The treatment demonstrated to be safe with no drug-product related adverse response. The Company believes these results differentiate Minovia from others in the field and support its regulatory strategy across multiple indications.

    Minovia’s lead product, MNV-201, supported by FDA Fast Track and Rare Pediatric Designations, is being developed under a Phase 2 trial for Pearson Syndrome, an ultra-rare pediatric disorder. In parallel, Minovia is also conducting a Phase 1b study of MNV-201 in low-risk MDS, a chronic blood disorder linked to aging and has launched compassionate use programs in neurological mitochondrial conditions. Across its pipeline, MAT has shown a preliminary consistent safety profile, multi-system benefit, and biomarker-driven evidence of mitochondrial restoration — supporting both accelerated regulatory pathways and broad clinical potential.

    Looking ahead, Minovia believes it is poised to become a leader in the $1+ trillion longevity and regenerative medicine market with the first clinical-stage mitochondrial cell therapy for aging-related dysfunction. Minovia plans to launch MAT-based offerings through global longevity clinic partnerships beginning in 2026. Minovia believes that the accumulated clinical data, as well as preclinical data showing that MAT reverses biological aging markers and improves cognition and mobility in aged mice, lay the foundation for a scalable mitochondrial regenerative medicine franchise.

    Chris Ehrlich, Launch One Acquisition Corp. CEO, added, “Minovia provides a clinical-stage platform with the potential to lead an entirely new category of cell therapy. FDA Fast Track designation, patient responses across multiple diseases, and a robust pipeline positions Minovia as a first mover in advanced mitochondrial medicine. The company is advancing toward pivotal trials and we expect it will be bringing U.S.-based GMP manufacturing online by the end of 2025, allowing it to scale both its rare disease and longevity programs globally.”

    Transaction Overview and Next Steps

    The Business Combination Agreement assigns Minovia a pre-money equity valuation of $180 million, which will be increased by additional proceeds into Minovia expected from a bridge financing of at least $5 million to be completed within 30 days of signing, payable to Minovia equity holders in newly issued shares of the combined company, and with the Minovia equity holders being eligible to potentially receive additional shares worth $57.5 million in the aggregate as an earnout after the closing of the Business Combination. In addition, the parties are currently anticipating at least $18 million in PIPE investments at closing of the Business Combination, in addition to remaining cash held in Launch One’s trust account after shareholder redemptions. The net proceeds will fund Minovia’s clinical milestones, regulatory approvals, and the commercial launch of longevity-focused offerings.

    The boards of directors of both Minovia and Launch One have unanimously approved the transaction, which is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2025, subject to customary closing conditions and shareholder approvals.

    Additional information about the transaction will be provided in a Current Report on Form 8-K to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and will be available at www.sec.gov. In addition, Launch One and Minovia intend to file relevant materials with the SEC, including a registration statement on Form F-4 (the ”Registration Statement“), which will include a proxy statement/prospectus of Launch One. This communication is not intended to be, and is not, a substitute for the proxy statement/prospectus or any other document that Launch One and/or Minovia have filed or may file with the SEC in connection with the Business Combination.

    Advisors and Legal Counsel

    Locus Walk is serving as lead placement agent on the transaction. Bevilacqua PLLC is acting as U.S. legal counsel to Minovia. Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP is U.S. legal counsel to Launch One.

    About Minovia Therapeutics Ltd.

    Minovia, chaired by John Cox, is a company working on treatments to augment defective mitochondria with new healthy mitochondria, helping people with mitochondrial diseases and fighting aging. Its lead product, MNV-201, is already being tested in clinical trials for Pearson Syndrome and Myelodysplastic Syndrome. Minovia is also developing ways to potentially help people live longer, healthier lives. Based in Haifa, Israel, with a factory for its therapy, Minovia is expanding to the U.S. For more information, visit www.minoviatx.com.

    About Launch One Acquisition Corp.

    Launch One Acquisition Corp. is a company set up to merge with and take public an exciting business in healthcare or technology. Listed on Nasdaq under the ticker LPAA, Launch One is led by experienced leaders who want to support game-changing solutions. For more information, contact Jurgen van de Vyver at jurgen@launchpad.vc.

    Participants In the Solicitation

    Launch One, Minovia, and their respective directors, executive officers, other members of management and employees may be deemed participants in the solicitation of proxies from Launch One’s stockholders with respect to the Business Combination. Investors and security holders may obtain more detailed information regarding the names and interests in the Business Combination of Launch One’s directors and officers in Launch One’s filings with the SEC, including, when filed with the SEC, the preliminary proxy statement/prospectus, the definitive proxy statement/prospectus, amendments and supplements thereto, and other documents filed with the SEC. Such information with respect to Minovia’s directors and executive officers will also be included in the proxy statement/prospectus. You may obtain free copies of these documents as described below under the heading “Additional Information and Where to Find It.”

    Non-Solicitation

    This press release is not a proxy statement or solicitation of a proxy, consent or authorization with respect to any securities or in respect of the potential transaction and shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the securities of Launch One or Minovia, nor shall there be any sale of any such 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 such state or jurisdiction. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release includes certain statements that may be considered forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements about future events or Launch One’s or Minovia’s future financial or operating performance. For example, statements regarding the development and therapeutic benefits of MAT, the Business Combination and the anticipated timing of the completion of the Business Combination are forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may,” “should,” “could,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “project,” “strive,” “budget,” “forecast,” “expect,” “intend,” “will,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “predict,” “potential” or “continue,” or the negatives of these terms or variations of them or similar terminology.

    These forward-looking statements regarding future events and the future results of Launch One and Minovia are based on current expectations, estimates, forecasts, and projections about the development of MAT, the industry in which Minovia operates, as well as the beliefs and assumptions of Launch One’s management and Minovia’s management. These forward-looking statements are only predictions and are subject to, without limitation, (i) known and unknown risks, including the risks and uncertainties indicated from time to time in the final prospectus of Launch One relating to its initial public offering filed with the SEC, including those under “Risk Factors” therein, and other documents filed or to be filed with the SEC by Launch One; (ii) uncertainties; (iii) assumptions; and (v) other factors beyond Launch One’s or Minovia’s control that are difficult to predict because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will occur in the future. They are neither statements of historical fact nor promises or guarantees of future performance. Therefore, Minovia’s actual results may differ materially and adversely from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements and Launch One and Minovia therefore caution against relying on any of these forward-looking statements.

    These forward-looking statements are based upon estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by Launch One and its management and Minovia and its management, as the case may be, are inherently uncertain and are inherently subject to risks, variability and contingencies, many of which are beyond Launch One’s or Minovia’s control. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, but are not limited to: (i) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the Business Combination Agreement and any subsequent definitive agreements with respect to the Business Combination; (ii) the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against Launch One, Minovia, or others following the announcement of the Business Combination and any definitive agreements with respect thereto; (iii) the inability to complete the Business Combination due to the failure to obtain consents and approvals of the shareholders of Launch One and Minovia, to obtain financing to complete the Business Combination or to satisfy other conditions to closing, or delays in obtaining, adverse conditions contained in, or the inability to obtain necessary regulatory approvals required to complete the transactions contemplated by the Business Combination Agreement; (iv) changes to the proposed structure of the Business Combination that may be required or appropriate as a result of applicable laws or regulations or as a condition to obtaining regulatory approval of the Business Combination; (v) projections, estimates and forecasts of revenue and other financial and performance metrics, projections of market opportunity and expectations, and the estimated implied enterprise value of Minovia; (vi) Minovia’s ability to scale and grow its business, and the advantages and expected growth of Minovia; (vii) Minovia’s ability to source and retain talent, and the cash position of Minovia following closing of the Business Combination; (viii) the ability to meet stock exchange listing standards in connection with, and following, the consummation of the Business Combination; (ix) the risk that the Business Combination disrupts current plans and operations of Minovia as a result of the announcement and consummation of the Business Combination; (x) the ability to recognize the anticipated benefits of the Business Combination, which may be affected by, among other things, competition, the ability of Minovia to grow and manage growth profitably, maintain key relationships and retain its management and key employees; (xi) costs related to the Business Combination; (xii) changes in applicable laws, regulations, political and economic developments; (xiii) the possibility that Minovia may be adversely affected by other economic, business and/or competitive factors; (xiv) Minovia’s estimates of expenses and profitability; (xv) the failure to realize estimated shareholder redemptions, purchase price and other adjustments; and (xvi) other risks and uncertainties set forth in the filings by Launch One and Minovia with the SEC. There may be additional risks that neither Launch One nor Minovia presently know or that Launch One and Minovia currently believe are immaterial that could also cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statements made by or on behalf of Launch One or Minovia speak only as of the date they are made. Neither Launch One nor Minovia undertakes any obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect any changes in their respective expectations with regard thereto or any changes in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements are based.

    Additional Information and Where to Find It

    In connection with the Business Combination, Launch One and/or Minovia intend to file relevant materials with the SEC, including the Registration Statement, which will include a proxy statement/prospectus of Launch One, and will file other documents regarding the proposed transaction with the SEC. This communication is not intended to be, and is not, a substitute for the proxy statement/prospectus or any other document that Launch One has filed or may file with the SEC in connection with the proposed transaction. When available, the definitive proxy statement/prospectus and other relevant materials for the proposed transaction will be mailed or made available to stockholders of Launch One as of a record date to be established for voting on the proposed transaction.

    Before making any voting or investment decision, investors and stockholders of Launch One are urged to carefully read, when they become available, the entire Registration Statement, the proxy statement/prospectus, and any other relevant documents filed with the SEC, as well as any amendments or supplements to these documents, and the documents incorporated by reference therein, because they will contain important information about Launch One, Minovia, and the proposed transaction. Launch One’s investors and stockholders and other interested persons will also be able to obtain copies of the Registration Statement, the preliminary proxy statement/prospectus, the definitive proxy statement/prospectus, other documents filed with the SEC that will be incorporated by reference therein, and all other relevant documents filed with the SEC by Launch One and/or Minovia in connection with the Business Combination, without charge, once available, at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov, or by directing a request to Launch One or Minovia at the addresses set forth below.

    Contact

    Minovia Therapeutics Ltd.
    Natalie Yivgi Ohana, Co-Founder and CEO
    +972-74-7039954
    info@minoviatx.com 

    Launch One Acquisition Corp.
    Jurgen van de Vyver
    jurgen@launchpad.vc
    +1-510-692-9600

    Investor Relations
    Dave Gentry, CEO
    RedChip Companies
    +1-407-644-4256
    LPAA@redchip.com

    Investor Relations
    Jules Abraham
    Managing Director, Communications
    CORE IR
    1-917-885-7378
    Julesa@coreir.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Anthony Pompliano’s ProCap BTC, LLC Buys Another 1,208 Bitcoin and Now Holds A Total of 4,932 Bitcoin

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    New York, NY, June 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — American investor and entrepreneur, Anthony Pompliano, today announced that ProCap BTC, LLC, a bitcoin-native financial services firm (the “Company”), has purchased 1,208 bitcoin at a time weighted average price (“TWAP”) of $105,977 per bitcoin, following the Company’s June 23, 2025 announcement of a proposed $1 billion business combination with Columbus Circle Capital Corp. I (NASDAQ: CCCM) to take the Company public as ProCap Financial, Inc. The Company now holds 4,932 bitcoin on its balance sheet. 

    The bitcoin was acquired as part of the Company’s on-going bitcoin purchase program. The Company has wasted no time delivering for its investors by deploying the funds raised at signing to accumulate bitcoin. As a result, equity investors received immediate bitcoin exposure from the equity raise.

    The Company plans to continue buying bitcoin for its balance sheet as part of its ongoing business strategy. At the closing of the proposed business combination, ProCap Financial is expected to hold up to $1 billion in bitcoin on its balance sheet. The TWAP for the Day 2 purchases may be different from the “Signing Bitcoin Price” for purposes of Business Combination Agreement signed by CCCM and the Company on June 23, 2025.

    ProCap BTC, LLC, believes bitcoin is the new hurdle rate.

    If you can’t beat it, you have to buy it.

    About ProCap BTC, LLC and ProCap Financial, Inc.

    ProCap BTC, LLC is a bitcoin-native financial services firm founded by Anthony Pompliano. Pompliano has invested in more than 300 private companies and is one of the leading voices on bitcoin globally. ProCap Financial, Inc., the company resulting from the proposed Business Combination, will focus on implementing various profit-generating products and services to support the unique financial needs of large financial institutions and institutional investors.

    About Columbus Circle Capital I

    Columbus Circle Capital Corp. I (NASDAQ: CCCM) is a Cayman Islands–incorporated blank check company formed to effect a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. The company is led by Chairman and CEO Gary Quin, a veteran investment banker with over 25 years of experience in cross-border M&A, private equity, and capital markets; COO Dan Nash, a skilled investment banker, with a strong track record in SPAC execution and building high-growth advisory platforms; and CFO Joseph W. Pooler, Jr., who brings decades of public company financial leadership. The board of directors includes Garrett Curran, Alberto Alsina Gonzalez, Dr. Adam Back, and Matthew Murphy.

    Additional Information and where to Find it

    ProCap Financial, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“ProCap Financial”) and Columbus Circle Capital Corp I, a Cayman Islands exempt company (“CCCM”) intend to file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) a Registration Statement on Form S-4 (as may be amended, the “Registration Statement”), which will include a preliminary proxy statement of CCCM and a prospectus (the “Proxy Statement/Prospectus”) in connection with (i) a proposed business combination, to be effected subject to and in accordance with the terms of certain business combination agreement dated as of June 23, 2025 (as may be modified, amended or supplemented from time to time, the “Business Combination Agreement”), by and among ProCap Financial, CCCM, Crius SPAC Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation, Crius Merger Sub, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, ProCap BTC, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“ProCap BTC”), and Inflection Points Inc, d/b/a Professional Capital Management, a Delaware corporation (collectively with all of the related actions and transactions contemplated by such agreement, the “Business Combination”), (ii) a private placement of non-voting preferred units (“ProCap BTC Preferred Units”) of ProCap BTC to certain “qualified institutional buyers” as defined in Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), or institutional “accredited investors” (as defined in Rule 506 of Regulation D)(such investors, “qualifying institutional investors”)(the “Preferred Equity Investment”) pursuant to preferred equity subscription agreements, and (iii) commitments by qualifying institutional investors to purchase convertible notes (“Convertible Notes”) issuable in connection with the Closing by ProCap Financial (the “Convertible Note Offering” and, together with the Preferred Equity Investment and the Business Combination, the “Proposed Transactions”) pursuant to convertible notes subscription agreements. The definitive proxy statement and other relevant documents will be mailed to shareholders of CCCM as of a record date to be established for voting on the Proposed Transactions and other matters as described in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus. CCCM and/or ProCap Financial will also file other documents regarding the Proposed Transactions with the SEC. This communication does not contain all of the information that should be considered concerning the Proposed Transactions and is not intended to form the basis of any investment decision or any other decision in respect of the Proposed Transactions. BEFORE MAKING ANY VOTING OR INVESTMENT DECISION, SHAREHOLDERS OF CCCM AND OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES ARE URGED TO READ, WHEN AVAILABLE, THE PRELIMINARY PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS, AND AMENDMENTS THERETO, AND THE DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS AND ALL OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED OR THAT WILL BE FILED WITH THE SEC IN CONNECTION WITH CCCM’S SOLICITATION OF PROXIES FOR THE EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING OF ITS SHAREHOLDERS TO BE HELD TO APPROVE THE PROPOSED TRANSACTIONS AND OTHER MATTERS AS DESCRIBED IN THE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS BECAUSE THESE DOCUMENTS WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT CCCM, PROCAP BTC, PROCAP FINANCIAL AND THE PROPOSED TRANSACTIONS. Investors and security holders will also be able to obtain copies of the Registration Statement and the Proxy Statement/Prospectus and all other documents filed or that will be filed with the SEC by CCCM and ProCap Financial, without charge, once available, on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov, or by directing a request to: Columbus Circle Capital Corp. I, 3 Columbus Circle, 24th Floor, New York, NY 10019; e-mail: IR@ColumbusCircleCap.com, or upon written request to ProCap Financial Inc. at 600 Lexington Ave., Floor 2, New York, NY 10022, respectively.

    NEITHER THE SEC NOR ANY STATE SECURITIES REGULATORY AGENCY HAS APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED THE PROPOSED TRANSACTIONS DESCRIBED HEREIN, PASSED UPON THE MERITS OR FAIRNESS OF THE PROPOSED TRANSACTIONS OR ANY RELATED TRANSACTIONS OR PASSED UPON THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THE DISCLOSURE IN THIS COMMUNICATION. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY CONSTITUTES A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.

    The offer and sale of the Convertible Notes to be issued by ProCap Financial pursuant to the Convertible Note Offering and the offer and sale of the ProCap BTC Preferred Units in the Preferred Equity Investment, in connection with the Proposed Transactions, has not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and such securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act.

    Participants in Solicitation

    CCCM, ProCap BTC, ProCap Financial and their respective directors, executive officers, certain of their shareholders and other members of management and employees may be deemed under SEC rules to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from CCCM’s shareholders in connection with the Proposed Transactions. A list of the names of such persons, and information regarding their interests in the Proposed Transactions and their ownership of CCCM’s securities are, or will be, contained in CCCM’s filings with the SEC, including the final prospectus for CCCM’s initial public offering filed with the SEC on May 19, 2025 (the “IPO Prospectus”). Additional information regarding the interests of the persons who may, under SEC rules, be deemed participants in the solicitation of proxies of CCCM’s shareholders in connection with the Proposed Transactions, including the names and interests of ProCap BTC’s and ProCap Financial’s respective directors or managers and executive officers, will be set forth in the Registration Statement and Proxy Statement/Prospectus, which is expected to be filed by ProCap Financial and CCCM with the SEC. Investors and security holders may obtain free copies of these documents as described above.

    No Offer or Solicitation

    This communication and the information contained herein is for informational purposes only and is not a proxy statement or solicitation of a proxy, consent or authorization with respect to any securities or in respect of the potential transactions and shall not constitute an offer to sell or exchange, or a solicitation of an offer to buy or exchange the securities of CCCM, ProCap BTC or ProCap Financial, or any commodity or instrument or related derivative, nor shall there be any sale of any such securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, sale or exchange would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such state or jurisdiction. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of the Securities Act or an exemption therefrom. Investors should consult with their counsel as to the applicable requirements for a purchaser to avail itself of any exemption under the Securities Act.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This communication contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. federal securities laws with respect to the Proposed Transactions involving ProCap Financial, ProCap BTC, and CCCM, including expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions, plans , prospects, financial results or strategies regarding ProCap BTC, ProCap Financial, CCCM and the Proposed Transactions, statements regarding the anticipated benefits and timing of the completion of the Proposed Transactions, the assets that may be held by ProCap BTC and ProCap Financial and the value thereof, the price and volatility of bitcoin, bitcoin’s growing prominence as a digital asset and as the foundation of a new financial system, ProCap Financial’s listing on any securities exchange, the macro and political conditions surrounding bitcoin, the planned business strategy including ProCap Financial’s ability to develop a corporate architecture capable of supporting financial products built with and on bitcoin including native lending models, capital market instruments, and future innovations that will replace legacy financial tools with bitcoin-aligned alternatives, plans and use of proceeds, objectives of management for future operations of ProCap Financial, the upside potential and opportunity for investors, ProCap Financial’s plan for value creation and strategic advantages, market size and growth opportunities, regulatory conditions, technological and market trends, future financial condition and performance and expected financial impacts of the Proposed Transactions, the satisfaction of closing conditions to the Proposed Transactions and the level of redemptions of CCCM’s public shareholders, and ProCap Financial’s expectations, intentions, strategies, assumptions or beliefs about future events, results of operations or performance or that do not solely relate to historical or current facts. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “believe,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “strategy,” “future,” “opportunity,” “potential,” “plan,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result,” and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events or conditions that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this communication, including, but not limited to: the risk that the Proposed Transactions may not be completed in a timely manner or at all, which may adversely affect the price of CCCM’s securities; the risk that the Proposed Transactions may not be completed by CCCM’s business combination deadline; the failure by the parties to satisfy the conditions to the consummation of the Proposed Transactions, including the approval of CCCM’s shareholders; failure to realize the anticipated benefits of the Proposed Transactions; the level of redemptions of the CCCM’s public shareholders which may reduce the public float of, reduce the liquidity of the trading market of, and/or maintain the quotation, listing, or trading of the Class A ordinary shares of CCCM or the shares of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of ProCap Financial (“Pubco Common Stock”) to be listed in connection with the Proposed Transactions; the insufficiency of the third-party fairness opinion for the board of directors of CCCM in determining whether or not to pursue the Proposed Transactions; the failure of ProCap Financial to obtain or maintain the listing of its securities on any securities exchange after closing of the Proposed Transactions; risks associated with CCCM, ProCap BTC and ProCap Financial’s ability to consummate the Proposed Transactions timely or at all, including in connection with potential regulatory delays or impediments, changes in bitcoin prices or for other reasons; costs related to the Proposed Transactions and as a result of becoming a public company; changes in business, market, financial, political and regulatory conditions; risks relating to ProCap Financial’s anticipated operations and business, including the highly volatile nature of the price of bitcoin; the risk that ProCap Financial’s stock price will be highly correlated to the price of bitcoin and the price of bitcoin may decrease between the signing of the definitive documents for the Proposed Transactions and the closing of the Proposed Transactions or at any time after the closing of the Proposed Transactions; asset security and risks associated with CCCM, ProCap BTC and ProCap Financial’s ability to consummate the Proposed Transactions timely or at all, including in connection with potential regulatory delays or impediments, changes in bitcoin prices or for other reasons; risks related to increased competition in the industries in which ProCap Financial will operate; risks relating to significant legal, commercial, regulatory and technical uncertainty regarding bitcoin; risks relating to the treatment of crypto assets for U.S. and foreign tax purposes; risks related to the ability of ProCap BTC and ProCap Financial to execute their business plans; the risks that launching and growing ProCap Financial’s bitcoin treasury advisory and services in digital marketing and strategy could be difficult; challenges in implementing ProCap Financial’s business plan, due to operational challenges, significant competition and regulation; risks associated with the possibility of ProCap Financial being considered to be a “shell company” by any stock exchange on which ProCap Financial’s common stock will be listed or by the SEC, which may impact ProCap Financial’s ability to list Pubco Common Stock and restrict reliance on certain rules or forms in connection with the offering, sale or resale of securities, which could impact materially the time, cost and ability of ProCap Financial to raise capital after the closing; the outcome of any potential legal proceedings that may be instituted against ProCap Financial, ProCap BTC, CCCM or others in connection with or following announcement of the Proposed Transactions, and those risk factors discussed in documents that ProCap Financial and/or CCCM filed, or that will be filed, with the SEC, including as will be set forth in the Registration Statement to be filed with the SEC in connection with the Proposed Transactions.

    The foregoing list of risk factors is not exhaustive. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties described in the “Risk Factors” section of the IPO Prospectus, CCCM’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and CCCM’s Annual Reports on Form 10-K that will be filed by CCCM from time to time, the Registration Statement that will be filed by ProCap Financial and CCCM and the Proxy Statement/Prospectus contained therein, and other documents that have been or will be filed by CCCM and ProCap Financial from time to time with the SEC. These filings do or will identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. There may be additional risks that neither CCCM nor ProCap Financial presently know or that CCCM and ProCap Financial currently believe are immaterial that could also cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements.

    Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and each of CCCM, ProCap BTC, and ProCap Financial assume no obligation and do not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Neither CCCM, ProCap BTC, nor ProCap Financial gives any assurance that any of CCCM, ProCap BTC or ProCap Financial will achieve their respective expectations. The inclusion of any statement in this communication does not constitute an admission by CCCM, ProCap BTC or ProCap Financial or any other person that the events or circumstances described in such statement are material.

    Media Contacts

    Ebony Lewkovitz

    ebony@edencommunications.com

    Larissa Bundziak

    larissa@edencommunications.com

    Dan Nash

    IR@ColumbusCircleCap.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: SAIC Awarded $928 Million Prototype Engineering and Mission Integration Contract

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    RESTON, Va., June 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — America’s leading mission integrator, Science Applications International Corp. (NASDAQ: SAIC), has been awarded the Hyper-Innovative Operational Prototype Engineering (HOPE) 2.0 contract in support of the U.S. Air Force Tactical Exploitation of National Capabilities (AF TENCAP). This $928 million contract spans a five-year performance period and is set for a July 2025 program start.

    A congressionally-mandated rapid-acquisition organization, AF TENCAP exploits existing air, space, cyber, national, and global Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) systems to accelerate delivery of innovative and secure warfighting capabilities across Air Force and Joint military missions for the Department of Defense (DoD).

    The HOPE 2.0 contract integrates Intelligence Community capabilities with urgent DoD operational needs. SAIC will provide comprehensive Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDT&E) mission engineering services to help AF TENCAP create near program of record ready prototypes that lead to improved warfighting superiority and decision dominance in all domains.

    “To deter conflict and win wars in today’s data-centric battlefield, warfighters must have integrated actionable data including the full power of Intelligence Community capabilities,” said Vincent DiFronzo, SAIC Executive Vice President of Air Force and Combatant Commands Business Group. “Using our proven expertise in rapid mission integration, SAIC leverages advanced commercial technologies to keep the DoD on the cutting edge of all-domain warfighting capabilities.”

    SAIC’s efforts will include: 

    • Utilizing sensor and data fusion to maintain decision dominance
    • Improving command and control (C2) decisions in complex environments
    • Integrating new materials and manufacturing processes
    • Fusing data to ensure accurate status of threat and friendly forces
    • Supporting unique requirements of Special Operations Forces
    • Enhancing battlespace awareness
    • Increasing air superiority and interoperability
    • Developing innovative cyberspace capabilities

    Incorporating warfighter feedback, SAIC will support rapid prototype development and mission integration for AF TENCAP and its 65 agencies and commands across the DoD and Intelligence Community. This includes partnering with more than a dozen traditional and non-traditional defense companies to deliver the nation’s most advanced technology to DoD Combatant Commands.

    “SAIC is proud to be a partner of choice to accelerate next-gen warfighting concepts into operational reality,” said DiFronzo. “We’re excited to help Air Force TENCAP achieve evolutionary and revolutionary warfighting improvements in capability, performance, and cost savings. In a larger strategic sense, HOPE 2.0 shows the urgent need of a data-centric mission integration approach for the military, intelligence, and space communities. TENCAP’s rapid development approach is fully aligned with DoD’s Software Acquisition Pathway and will be essential to contribute to national priorities such as deterrence in the Pacific and Golden Dome for America, keeping our military the best in the world.”

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

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

    Media Contact: 
    Darryn C. James
    Darryn.C.James@saic.com

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

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Aterian Expands Presence on Mercado Libre into Chile, Colombia, and Argentina

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SUMMIT, N.J., June 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Aterian, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATER), a consumer products company, today announced the expansion of its presence on Mercado Libre, Latin America’s leading e-commerce platform. Building on its 2024 launch on Mercado Libre’s Mexico marketplace, Aterian began offering select products from its PurSteam, Mueller, and Squatty Potty brands on Mercado Libre’s platforms in Chile, Colombia, and Argentina during the second quarter of 2025 reflecting a continued focus on categories such as home, kitchen, and wellness.

    “The expansion of our partnership with Mercado Libre advances Aterian’s long-term vision to scale our e-commerce presence beyond the U.S. to access new customers and positions us to capitalize on increasing demand in emerging e-commerce markets,” said Arturo Rodriguez, Chief Executive Officer. “While this program is still in its early stages, entering these new markets marks an important step toward building a long-term, durable brand ecosystem in Latin America. As with all our strategic expansions, we are approaching this opportunity with focus, discipline, and a long-term commitment to value creation.”

    Founded in 1999, MercadoLibre, Inc. is the leading company in e-commerce and financial technology in Latin America, with operations in 18 countries. Learn more at https://mercadolibre.com/.

    About Aterian, Inc.
    Aterian, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATER) a consumer products company that builds and acquires leading e-commerce brands across multiple categories, including home and kitchen appliances, health and wellness, and air quality devices. The Company sells across the world’s largest online marketplaces, including Amazon, Walmart, and Target as well as its own direct-to-consumer websites. Aterian’s brands include Mueller Living, PurSteam, hOmeLabs, Squatty Potty, Healing Solutions, and Photo Paper Direct. To learn more, visit www.aterian.io.

    Forward Looking Statements
    All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this press release that address activities, events or developments that we expect, believe or anticipate will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements including, in particular, our ability to expand our operations internationally and access new customers. These forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties and other factors, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our control and could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those described in the forward-looking statements. These risks include, but are not limited to, those related to our ability to continue as a going concern, the effect of tariffs and other costs on our results, our ability to continue to operate following our reduction in workforce, our ability to meet financial covenants with our lenders, our ability to maintain and to grow market share in existing and new product categories; our ability to continue to profitably sell the SKUs we operate; our ability to maintain Amazon’s Prime badge on our seller accounts or reinstate the Prime badge in the event of any removal of such badge by Amazon; our ability to create operating leverage and efficiency when integrating companies that we acquire, including through the use of our team’s expertise, the economies of scale of our supply chain and automation driven by our platform; those related to our ability to grow internationally and through the launch of products under our brands and the acquisition of additional brands; those related to consumer demand, our cash flows, financial condition, forecasting and revenue growth rate; our supply chain including sourcing, manufacturing, warehousing and fulfillment; our ability to manage expenses, working capital and capital expenditures efficiently; our business model and our technology platform; our ability to disrupt the consumer products industry; our ability to generate profitability and stockholder value; international tariffs and trade measures; inventory management, product liability claims, recalls or other safety and regulatory concerns; reliance on third party online marketplaces; seasonal and quarterly variations in our revenue; acquisitions of other companies and technologies and our ability to integrate such companies and technologies with our business; our ability to continue to access debt and equity capital (including on terms advantageous to the Company) and the extent of our leverage; and other factors discussed in the “Risk Factors” section of our most recent periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), all of which you may obtain for free on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

    Although we believe that the expectations reflected in our forward-looking statements are reasonable, we do not know whether our expectations will prove correct. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof, even if subsequently made available by us on our website or otherwise. We do not undertake any obligation to update, amend or clarify these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.

    Investor Contact:

    The Equity Group
    Devin Sullivan, Managing Director
    dsullivan@theequitygroup.com

    Conor Rodriguez, Associate
    crodriguez@theequitygroup.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Synchronoss Achieves EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework Certification

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BRIDGEWATER, N.J., June 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Synchronoss Technologies, Inc. (“Synchronoss”) (NASDAQ: SNCR), a global leader and innovator in personal cloud platforms for telecoms, today announced that it has achieved certification under the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework (DPF), administered by the U.S. Department of Commerce.

    The DPF is a transatlantic data transfer mechanism that enables U.S.-based organizations to receive and process personal data from the European Union in compliance with European privacy laws, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The framework provides robust safeguards, enforcement mechanisms, and redress options to ensure personal data remains protected when transferred outside the EU.

    The DPF certification reinforces Synchronoss’s longstanding commitment to international privacy standards and strengthens its position as a trusted partner to Tier 1 telecom operators around the world.

    “Privacy and data protection are foundational to our mission as a white label cloud provider,” said Jeff Miller, President and CEO of Synchronoss. “Achieving DPF certification builds on our global compliance framework and reinforces our promise to deliver secure, scalable, and consumer friendly cloud solutions that meet the highest standards of trust.”

    “Our DPF certification reflects more than regulatory alignment, it demonstrates our steadfast dedication to responsible data governance,” added Mark Denihan, Chief Privacy Officer at Synchronoss. “For our European partners, the Data Privacy Framework provides assurance that cross-border transfers of personal data are conducted with the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and accountability, values that are a hallmark of Synchronoss’s global commitment to trusted data practices.”

    A Foundation of Trust

    The EU-U.S. DPF establishes legally enforceable safeguards for the transfer of personal data of EU individuals to certified U.S. organizations. This is particularly vital in the European landscape, where digital sovereignty and ethical data stewardship are paramount. Synchronoss’s successful certification affirms its ability to manage both HR and non-HR data responsibly in cross-border contexts, supporting the data privacy expectations of global partners.

    With the addition of the DPF certification, Synchronoss further strengthens its comprehensive compliance framework. This achievement adds to Synchronoss’s established suite of global credentials, including SOC 2 Type II for data security and integrity, ISO 27001 for information security management, and independent privacy validation through TRUST/e. Collectively, these certifications reflect a proactive and sustained investment in data protection and a robust global privacy infrastructure.

    To view Synchronoss’s DPF certification, visit the U.S. Department of Commerce registry:
    https://www.dataprivacyframework.gov

    For more information about Synchronoss and its global privacy and compliance commitments, visit: www.synchronoss.com/cloud-security/

    About Synchronoss
    Synchronoss Technologies (Nasdaq: SNCR), a global leader in personal Cloud solutions, empowers service providers to establish secure and meaningful connections with their subscribers. Our SaaS Cloud platform simplifies onboarding processes and fosters subscriber engagement using artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and other advanced features, resulting in enhanced revenue streams, reduced expenses, and faster time-to-market. Millions of subscribers trust Synchronoss to safeguard their most cherished memories and important digital content. Explore how our Cloud-focused solutions redefine the way you connect with your digital world at www.synchronoss.com.

    Media Relations Contact:
    Domenick Cilea
    Springboard
    dcilea@springboardpr.com

    Investor Relations Contact:
    Ryan Gardella
    ICR INC.
    ryan.gardella@icrinc.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Fairmint Joins Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan and BNY Mellon in Canton Network’s Institutional Blockchain Ecosystem

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, June 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Fairmint, the leader in onchain equity infrastructure and registered SEC Transfer Agent, today announces it has joined the Global Synchronizer Foundation (GSF) as an active member and become a validator on the Canton Network. This strategic move positions Fairmint to port the Open Captable Protocol (OCP) to Canton’s privacy-enabled institutional blockchain, opening new possibilities for participants. Now, all within Canton’s framework, investment funds can programmatically rebalance portfolios, broker-dealers can create equity-linked structured products and private companies can offer real-time liquidity to investors, employees – scenarios that were extremely frictionful before onchain cap tables.

    “We’re not just joining Canton, we’re bringing an entirely new asset class to institutional blockchain infrastructure,” said Joris Delanoue, Co-founder and CEO of Fairmint. “While others tokenize bonds and real estate, we’re solving the fundamental problem of equity ownership. Cap tables are the DNA of every company, and Canton’s privacy-first architecture finally makes it possible to bring this critical infrastructure onchain without compromising regulatory compliance or institutional control.”

    Fairmint joins an elite ecosystem of over 30 major financial institutions, including Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, BNY Mellon, Deutsche Börse Group, BNP Paribas, DRW, Cumberland, Circle and Digital Asset, who have embraced Canton Network as the industry standard for institutional blockchain applications, with participants processing billions in tokenized assets across regulated financial markets.

    Traditional cap tables remain fragmented across isolated databases, creating friction, compliance gaps and settlement delays that can span weeks. Fairmint’s OCP, built on the industry-standard Open CapTable Format (OCF), already manages billions in equity value onchain. The protocol embeds transfer agent oversight directly into smart contracts, creating programmable compliance that strengthens rather than bypasses regulatory oversight.

    By porting OCP to Canton Network, Fairmint will deliver:

    • Instant Settlement: Reduce equity transfer times from weeks to seconds while maintaining full regulatory compliance
    • Sub-Transaction Privacy: Enable institutions to see only relevant portions of cap table data, protecting sensitive ownership information
    • Interoperable Equity: Allow cap tables to interact seamlessly with other institutional applications on Canton Network
    • Regulatory Certainty: Maintain compliance with existing securities regulations through Canton’s purpose-built architecture

    “Canton’s privacy-enabled infrastructure solves the core challenge that has kept cap tables offline, the need to protect sensitive private companies’ data while enabling institutional interoperability,” explained Thibauld Favre, Co-founder and CTO of Fairmint. “Our validator status ensures we can provide direct, reliable access to this critical equity infrastructure for the entire Canton ecosystem.”

    This partnership unlocks the promise of regulated DeFi for equity markets. The timing aligns with accelerating regulatory clarity, including SEC Chairman Atkins’ recent commitment to “work with market participants interested in tokenizing securities” and the Commission’s focus on modernizing traditional financial infrastructure through blockchain technology.

    “Fairmint is opening an entirely new frontier for institutional blockchain applications, blurring the lines between private and public markets,” said Melvis Langyintuo, Executive Director of the Global Synchronizer Foundation. “By bringing cap table infrastructure to Canton Network, they’re unlocking the equity markets for programmable finance, creating possibilities that will expand the overall Network. This is the missing piece that enables investors and institutions to truly leverage their equity holdings in ways that were previously impossible.”

    Fairmint brings $1B+ onchain equity to Canton, and will start implementing new smart contracts for select institutional clients, scaling to broader availability as the regulated DeFi infrastructure matures. Companies interested in turning their cap tables into smart contracts to leverage the opportunities offered by regulated DeFi can contact Fairmint directly.

    For more information about Fairmint, visit: https://www.fairmint.com/.

    About Fairmint
    Fairmint pioneers regulated DeFi infrastructure, bringing equity securities onchain. Fairmint makes it easy to issue, manage, and transfer equity while maintaining full regulatory compliance. Founded in 2019 by Joris Delanoue and Thibauld Favre, Fairmint operates as an SEC-registered Transfer Agent and created the Open Cap Table Protocol (OCP), enabling programmable equity and the foundation for compliant DeFi in equity markets.

    About the Global Synchronizer Foundation
    The Global Synchronizer Foundation is an independent U.S. -based entity operating with the support of the Linux Foundation. Established in July 2024, the GSF fosters transparency, neutrality and open development and operational governance across the Canton Network and the Global Synchronizer. The Global Synchronizer, is the decentralized interoperability backbone that enables Canton Network’s unique capabilities. With over 30 participating organizations, GSF ensures no single entity controls this critical infrastructure.
    Learn more at https://sync.global/

    About Canton Network
    Canton Network is the first public, permissionless blockchain purpose-built for institutional finance, uniquely combining privacy, compliance, and scalability. Canton enables major financial institutions to participate in blockchain applications while maintaining regulatory compliance, data sovereignty, and institutional controls.
    Learn more at https://www.canton.network/

    Media Contact:
    Matthew Greenfield
    Uproar by Moburst for Fairmint
    press@fairmint.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Beeline Title Closes its First Crypto Real Estate Transaction – Building a Title Platform for Lenders leveraging Stable Coins looking to infuse liquidity in Residential Real Estate

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Providence, RI, June 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Beeline Holdings, Inc., (Nasdaq: BLNE) the fast-growing digital mortgage platform that shortens the path to homeownership, is pleased to announce that its subsidiary, Beeline Title holdings, Inc. (“Beeline Title”), has successfully closed what it believes to  be one of the first-ever residential real estate transactions funded through the sale of a cryptocurrency token which is backed by real property. The transaction marks a major milestone in the evolution of blockchain-driven real estate finance, bridging decentralized finance with traditional title and escrow services.

    “Several mortgage lenders are already developing funding models that involve the conversion of cryptocurrencies to U.S. dollars at closing,” said Nick Liuzza, CEO of Beeline Holdings. “But for these models to function at scale, you need a title company that not only understands blockchain transactions—but has the infrastructure to disburse and reconcile them in compliance with federal and state regulations.”

    Beeline’s first cryptocurrency-enabled transaction is the beginning of a broader rollout. Beeline Loans, Inc., another subsidiary, is set to launch its full cryptocurrency token funding platform nationally in early August 2025, with Beeline Title providing the title and closing services for each transaction—unless borrowers elect to use an outside title company.

    Importantly, Beeline Title will open this platform to all mortgage lenders, giving them access to a proven solution for cryptocurrency token transaction reconciliation, compliance, and disbursement.

    Liuzza continued, “Our team built Linear Title, one of the largest privately held title agencies in the U.S., prior to merging with Real Matters and going public on the TSX. Through 2019, they closed over one million title transactions across all 50 states, and this new platform is an extension of that expertise—tailored to the next generation of mortgage transactions.”

    As cryptocurrency adoption accelerates and becomes regulated by federal and state governments, Beeline is positioning itself as a leader in this fast-moving ecosystem, offering trusted infrastructure to help lenders scale into a future where crypto and compliance go hand-in-hand.

    About Beeline

    Beeline Financial Holdings, Inc. is a trailblazing mortgage fintech transforming the way people access property financing. Through its fully digital, AI-powered platform, Beeline delivers a faster, smarter path to home loans—whether for primary residences or investment properties. Headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, Beeline is reshaping mortgage origination with speed, simplicity, and transparency at its core. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Beeline Holdings and also operates Beeline Labs, its innovation arm focused on next-generation lending solutions. For more information please visit: https://makeabeeline.com/

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding the company’s prospective new home equity access product, the potential market for, timing, features, and demand for such product, and the benefits thereof. Forward-looking statements are prefaced by words such as “anticipate,” “expect,” “plan,” “could,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “would,” “intend,” “seem,” “potential,” “appear,” “continue,” “future,” believe,” “estimate,” “forecast,” “project,” and similar words. Forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations and assumptions regarding our business, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. We caution you, therefore, against relying on any of these forward-looking statements. Our actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements for a variety of reasons, including, without limitation, the possibility that estimates, projections and assumptions on which the forward-looking statements are based prove to be incorrect, the ultimate interest of homeowners in unlocking liquidity and Beeline’s ability to attract homeowners, its reliance on a related party to raise capital to fund the real estate transactions and the Risk Factors contained in our Form 10-K filed April 15, 2025. Any forward-looking statement made by us in this presentation speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

    Contact:
    ir@makeabeeline.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Beeline Title Closes its First Crypto Real Estate Transaction – Building a Title Platform for Lenders leveraging Stable Coins looking to infuse liquidity in Residential Real Estate

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Providence, RI, June 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Beeline Holdings, Inc., (Nasdaq: BLNE) the fast-growing digital mortgage platform that shortens the path to homeownership, is pleased to announce that its subsidiary, Beeline Title holdings, Inc. (“Beeline Title”), has successfully closed what it believes to  be one of the first-ever residential real estate transactions funded through the sale of a cryptocurrency token which is backed by real property. The transaction marks a major milestone in the evolution of blockchain-driven real estate finance, bridging decentralized finance with traditional title and escrow services.

    “Several mortgage lenders are already developing funding models that involve the conversion of cryptocurrencies to U.S. dollars at closing,” said Nick Liuzza, CEO of Beeline Holdings. “But for these models to function at scale, you need a title company that not only understands blockchain transactions—but has the infrastructure to disburse and reconcile them in compliance with federal and state regulations.”

    Beeline’s first cryptocurrency-enabled transaction is the beginning of a broader rollout. Beeline Loans, Inc., another subsidiary, is set to launch its full cryptocurrency token funding platform nationally in early August 2025, with Beeline Title providing the title and closing services for each transaction—unless borrowers elect to use an outside title company.

    Importantly, Beeline Title will open this platform to all mortgage lenders, giving them access to a proven solution for cryptocurrency token transaction reconciliation, compliance, and disbursement.

    Liuzza continued, “Our team built Linear Title, one of the largest privately held title agencies in the U.S., prior to merging with Real Matters and going public on the TSX. Through 2019, they closed over one million title transactions across all 50 states, and this new platform is an extension of that expertise—tailored to the next generation of mortgage transactions.”

    As cryptocurrency adoption accelerates and becomes regulated by federal and state governments, Beeline is positioning itself as a leader in this fast-moving ecosystem, offering trusted infrastructure to help lenders scale into a future where crypto and compliance go hand-in-hand.

    About Beeline

    Beeline Financial Holdings, Inc. is a trailblazing mortgage fintech transforming the way people access property financing. Through its fully digital, AI-powered platform, Beeline delivers a faster, smarter path to home loans—whether for primary residences or investment properties. Headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, Beeline is reshaping mortgage origination with speed, simplicity, and transparency at its core. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Beeline Holdings and also operates Beeline Labs, its innovation arm focused on next-generation lending solutions. For more information please visit: https://makeabeeline.com/

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding the company’s prospective new home equity access product, the potential market for, timing, features, and demand for such product, and the benefits thereof. Forward-looking statements are prefaced by words such as “anticipate,” “expect,” “plan,” “could,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “would,” “intend,” “seem,” “potential,” “appear,” “continue,” “future,” believe,” “estimate,” “forecast,” “project,” and similar words. Forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations and assumptions regarding our business, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. We caution you, therefore, against relying on any of these forward-looking statements. Our actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements for a variety of reasons, including, without limitation, the possibility that estimates, projections and assumptions on which the forward-looking statements are based prove to be incorrect, the ultimate interest of homeowners in unlocking liquidity and Beeline’s ability to attract homeowners, its reliance on a related party to raise capital to fund the real estate transactions and the Risk Factors contained in our Form 10-K filed April 15, 2025. Any forward-looking statement made by us in this presentation speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

    Contact:
    ir@makeabeeline.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Form 8.3 – [MARLOWE PLC – 24 06 2025] – (CGWL)

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    FORM 8.3

    PUBLIC OPENING POSITION DISCLOSURE/DEALING DISCLOSURE BY
    A PERSON WITH INTERESTS IN RELEVANT SECURITIES REPRESENTING 1% OR MORE
    Rule 8.3 of the Takeover Code (the “Code”)

    1.        KEY INFORMATION

    (a)   Full name of discloser: CANACCORD GENUITY WEALTH LIMITED (for Discretionary clients)
    (b)   Owner or controller of interests and short positions disclosed, if different from 1(a):
            The naming of nominee or vehicle companies is insufficient. For a trust, the trustee(s), settlor and beneficiaries must be named.    		 N/A
    (c)   Name of offeror/offeree in relation to whose relevant securities this form relates:
            Use a separate form for each offeror/offeree    		 MARLOWE PLC
    (d)   If an exempt fund manager connected with an offeror/offeree, state this and specify identity of offeror/offeree: N/A
    (e)   Date position held/dealing undertaken:
            For an opening position disclosure, state the latest practicable date prior to the disclosure    		 24 JUNE 2025
    (f)   In addition to the company in 1(c) above, is the discloser making disclosures in respect of any other party to the offer?
            If it is a cash offer or possible cash offer, state “N/A”    		 NO

    2.        POSITIONS OF THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE

    If there are positions or rights to subscribe to disclose in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 2(a) or (b) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security.

    (a)      Interests and short positions in the relevant securities of the offeror or offeree to which the disclosure relates following the dealing (if any)

    Class of relevant security: 50p ORDINARY
      Interests Short positions
    Number % Number %
    (1)   Relevant securities owned and/or controlled: 3,075,719 3.9170    
    (2)   Cash-settled derivatives:        
    (3)   Stock-settled derivatives (including options) and agreements to purchase/sell:        
    TOTAL: 3,075,719 3.9170    

    All interests and all short positions should be disclosed.

    Details of any open stock-settled derivative positions (including traded options), or agreements to purchase or sell relevant securities, should be given on a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions).

    (b)      Rights to subscribe for new securities (including directors’ and other employee options)

    Class of relevant security in relation to which subscription right exists:  
    Details, including nature of the rights concerned and relevant percentages:  

    3.        DEALINGS (IF ANY) BY THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE

    Where there have been dealings in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 3(a), (b), (c) or (d) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security dealt in.

    The currency of all prices and other monetary amounts should be stated.

    (a)        Purchases and sales

    Class of relevant security Purchase/sale Number of securities Price per unit
    50p ORDINARY SALE 2,785 441.25p
    50p ORDINARY SALE 7,510 441.4p

    (b)        Cash-settled derivative transactions

    Class of relevant security Product description
    e.g. CFD    		 Nature of dealing
    e.g. opening/closing a long/short position, increasing/reducing a long/short position    		 Number of reference securities Price per unit
    NONE        

    (c)        Stock-settled derivative transactions (including options)

    (i)        Writing, selling, purchasing or varying

    Class of relevant security Product description e.g. call option Writing, purchasing, selling, varying etc. Number of securities to which option relates Exercise price per unit Type
    e.g. American, European etc.    		 Expiry date Option money paid/ received per unit
    NONE              

    (ii)        Exercise

    Class of relevant security Product description
    e.g. call option    		 Exercising/ exercised against Number of securities Exercise price per unit

    (d)        Other dealings (including subscribing for new securities)

    Class of relevant security Nature of dealing
    e.g. subscription, conversion    		 Details Price per unit (if applicable)
    NONE      

    4.        OTHER INFORMATION

    (a)        Indemnity and other dealing arrangements

    Details of any indemnity or option arrangement, or any agreement or understanding, formal or informal, relating to relevant securities which may be an inducement to deal or refrain from dealing entered into by the person making the disclosure and any party to the offer or any person acting in concert with a party to the offer:
    Irrevocable commitments and letters of intent should not be included. If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”

    NONE

    (b)        Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to options or derivatives

    Details of any agreement, arrangement or understanding, formal or informal, between the person making the disclosure and any other person relating to:
    (i)   the voting rights of any relevant securities under any option; or
    (ii)   the voting rights or future acquisition or disposal of any relevant securities to which any derivative is referenced:
    If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”

    NONE

    (c)        Attachments

    Is a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions) attached? NO
    Date of disclosure: 25 JUNE 2025
    Contact name: MARK ELLIOTT
    Telephone number: 01253 376539

    Public disclosures under Rule 8 of the Code must be made to a Regulatory Information Service.

    The Panel’s Market Surveillance Unit is available for consultation in relation to the Code’s disclosure requirements on +44 (0)20 7638 0129.

    The Code can be viewed on the Panel’s website at www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Trump’s f-bomb: a psychologist explains why the president makes fast and furious statements

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Geoff Beattie, Professor of Psychology, Edge Hill University

    Donald Trump’s latest forthright outburst was made as part of his attempts to create a peace deal with Iran and Israel. “I’m not happy with Israel,” he told reporters on June 24. “We basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don’t know what the fuck they’re doing.”

    This came a day after Trump had announced a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. By the next day, the ceasefire had been violated by both Iran and Israel. Trump was clearly furious, and his language showed it.

    This was not a verbal slip – there was no immediate correction, no apology, no nonverbal indication of embarrassment. He just stormed off, clearly angry.

    This is not the kind of language that is normally associated with a president. Some have been reported to use the f-word before, but usually behind closed doors.

    Donald Trump uses the f-word in a press conference.

    We expect presidents to be calm, measured, thoughtful, considered. Trump’s comment was none of these things. Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th US president, once recommended a foreign policy strategy that was based on: “Speak softly and carry a big stick.” He was suggesting quiet menace, but Trump showed frustration, barely contained. His furious, aggressive response was like something straight out of an old psychology textbook.

    In the 1930s, psychologists developed the frustration-aggression hypothesis to explain how aggressive behaviour can arise. The hypothesis suggested that when a person’s goal is blocked in some way, it leads to frustration, which then results in aggression. Aggression was considered a “natural” way of releasing this unpleasant state of frustration. They were clearly different times.

    Over the next few decades, this hypothesis was thought by most psychologists to be a gross oversimplification of complex human behaviour. It assumed a direct causal relationship between frustration and aggression, ignoring all the other situational and cognitive factors that can intervene.

    Human beings are more complex than that, psychologists argued — they find other ways of dealing with their frustrations. They use their rational system of thought to find solutions. They don’t have to lash out when they’re frustrated in this seemingly primitive way.

    Perhaps, that’s why many people feel shocked when they watch this US president in certain situations. To many of us, it all seems so basic, so unsophisticated, so frightening.

    Fast v slow thinking

    The Nobel laureate and psychologist Daniel Kahneman, in his book Thinking Fast and Slow (2011), characterised the two systems that underpin everyday decision-making. His work may help with understanding of what’s going on here.

    He describes system one as the evolutionary, basic system. It operates unconsciously, automatically and very quickly, handling everyday tasks like reading other people’s emotions, without any effort. It is an intuitive system designed to work in a world full of approach and avoidance, scary animals and friendly animals. It is heavily reliant on affect to guide decision-making.

    In contrast, system two is slower, more deliberative. It requires conscious effort and is used for complex thinking, solving difficult problems, or making careful decisions.

    The relationship between the two systems is critical, and that may get us thinking about Trump in more detail.

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

    Kahneman says that system one is a bit of a “workaholic”, beavering away all the time, making “suggestions” for system two to endorse. Good decisions – depend upon system two checking the suggestions of system one. But system one often jumps quickly and unconsciously to certain conclusions. System two should check them, but often doesn’t, even when it would be easy.

    Here is a well-known example. Answer the following question: “A bat and ball cost one pound ten pence, the bat costs one pound more than the ball. How much does the ball cost?”

    One answer looks blatantly obvious – but it isn’t correct. The correct answer (after a bit of thought) is five pence.

    About 80% of university students give the very quick and incorrect answer of ten pence because it “looks” right. Their system two never checked.

    In many people, it seems system two is not used nearly enough. There are striking individual differences in the way that people rely on emotion and gut instinct versus the rational system in making decisions.

    Emotional decisions?

    It appears that Trump makes decisions very quickly (classic system one), often without extensive deliberation or consultation with advisers. Both in his presidency and in his business career, he seemed to prioritise immediate action over any sort of prolonged and thoughtful analysis. That’s why he changes his mind so often.

    His decisions seem to be driven by strong emotions. His response to events, opponents and issues are often passionate and visceral. This could lead to to decisions being unduly influenced by personal feelings, first impressions based on arbitrary cues, and interpersonal perceptions, rather than anything more substantial.

    Trump’s style of decision-making emphasises immediacy and emotional conviction, which can be effective in rallying supporters and creating a sense of decisiveness. However, it also can lead to unpredictable outcomes and, as has been seen again and again, somewhat controversial, impulsive actions.

    Many suggest that Trump’s decision-making style reflects his background in the high-pressure and high-stakes world of business, where quick judgements and gut instinct can be advantageous in these sorts of competitive winner-takes-all environments

    But the world at war is a more precarious place, where system one needs to be kept more firmly in check. Gut instincts may have a role to play, but that old lazy system two needs to be more vigilant. Especially, it would seem, in Trump’s case.

    This article features references to books that have been included for editorial reasons, and may contain links to bookshop.org. If you click on one of the links and go on to buy something from bookshop.org The Conversation UK may earn a commission.

    Geoff Beattie 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. Trump’s f-bomb: a psychologist explains why the president makes fast and furious statements – https://theconversation.com/trumps-f-bomb-a-psychologist-explains-why-the-president-makes-fast-and-furious-statements-259735

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Trump’s f-bomb: a psychologist explains why the president makes fast and furious statements

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Geoff Beattie, Professor of Psychology, Edge Hill University

    Donald Trump’s latest forthright outburst was made as part of his attempts to create a peace deal with Iran and Israel. “I’m not happy with Israel,” he told reporters on June 24. “We basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don’t know what the fuck they’re doing.”

    This came a day after Trump had announced a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. By the next day, the ceasefire had been violated by both Iran and Israel. Trump was clearly furious, and his language showed it.

    This was not a verbal slip – there was no immediate correction, no apology, no nonverbal indication of embarrassment. He just stormed off, clearly angry.

    This is not the kind of language that is normally associated with a president. Some have been reported to use the f-word before, but usually behind closed doors.

    Donald Trump uses the f-word in a press conference.

    We expect presidents to be calm, measured, thoughtful, considered. Trump’s comment was none of these things. Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th US president, once recommended a foreign policy strategy that was based on: “Speak softly and carry a big stick.” He was suggesting quiet menace, but Trump showed frustration, barely contained. His furious, aggressive response was like something straight out of an old psychology textbook.

    In the 1930s, psychologists developed the frustration-aggression hypothesis to explain how aggressive behaviour can arise. The hypothesis suggested that when a person’s goal is blocked in some way, it leads to frustration, which then results in aggression. Aggression was considered a “natural” way of releasing this unpleasant state of frustration. They were clearly different times.

    Over the next few decades, this hypothesis was thought by most psychologists to be a gross oversimplification of complex human behaviour. It assumed a direct causal relationship between frustration and aggression, ignoring all the other situational and cognitive factors that can intervene.

    Human beings are more complex than that, psychologists argued — they find other ways of dealing with their frustrations. They use their rational system of thought to find solutions. They don’t have to lash out when they’re frustrated in this seemingly primitive way.

    Perhaps, that’s why many people feel shocked when they watch this US president in certain situations. To many of us, it all seems so basic, so unsophisticated, so frightening.

    Fast v slow thinking

    The Nobel laureate and psychologist Daniel Kahneman, in his book Thinking Fast and Slow (2011), characterised the two systems that underpin everyday decision-making. His work may help with understanding of what’s going on here.

    He describes system one as the evolutionary, basic system. It operates unconsciously, automatically and very quickly, handling everyday tasks like reading other people’s emotions, without any effort. It is an intuitive system designed to work in a world full of approach and avoidance, scary animals and friendly animals. It is heavily reliant on affect to guide decision-making.

    In contrast, system two is slower, more deliberative. It requires conscious effort and is used for complex thinking, solving difficult problems, or making careful decisions.

    The relationship between the two systems is critical, and that may get us thinking about Trump in more detail.

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

    Kahneman says that system one is a bit of a “workaholic”, beavering away all the time, making “suggestions” for system two to endorse. Good decisions – depend upon system two checking the suggestions of system one. But system one often jumps quickly and unconsciously to certain conclusions. System two should check them, but often doesn’t, even when it would be easy.

    Here is a well-known example. Answer the following question: “A bat and ball cost one pound ten pence, the bat costs one pound more than the ball. How much does the ball cost?”

    One answer looks blatantly obvious – but it isn’t correct. The correct answer (after a bit of thought) is five pence.

    About 80% of university students give the very quick and incorrect answer of ten pence because it “looks” right. Their system two never checked.

    In many people, it seems system two is not used nearly enough. There are striking individual differences in the way that people rely on emotion and gut instinct versus the rational system in making decisions.

    Emotional decisions?

    It appears that Trump makes decisions very quickly (classic system one), often without extensive deliberation or consultation with advisers. Both in his presidency and in his business career, he seemed to prioritise immediate action over any sort of prolonged and thoughtful analysis. That’s why he changes his mind so often.

    His decisions seem to be driven by strong emotions. His response to events, opponents and issues are often passionate and visceral. This could lead to to decisions being unduly influenced by personal feelings, first impressions based on arbitrary cues, and interpersonal perceptions, rather than anything more substantial.

    Trump’s style of decision-making emphasises immediacy and emotional conviction, which can be effective in rallying supporters and creating a sense of decisiveness. However, it also can lead to unpredictable outcomes and, as has been seen again and again, somewhat controversial, impulsive actions.

    Many suggest that Trump’s decision-making style reflects his background in the high-pressure and high-stakes world of business, where quick judgements and gut instinct can be advantageous in these sorts of competitive winner-takes-all environments

    But the world at war is a more precarious place, where system one needs to be kept more firmly in check. Gut instincts may have a role to play, but that old lazy system two needs to be more vigilant. Especially, it would seem, in Trump’s case.

    This article features references to books that have been included for editorial reasons, and may contain links to bookshop.org. If you click on one of the links and go on to buy something from bookshop.org The Conversation UK may earn a commission.

    Geoff Beattie 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. Trump’s f-bomb: a psychologist explains why the president makes fast and furious statements – https://theconversation.com/trumps-f-bomb-a-psychologist-explains-why-the-president-makes-fast-and-furious-statements-259735

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The Ballad of Wallis Island is a masterpiece of the extraordinary made ordinary

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Nicola Bishop, Academic Enhancement Lead, De Montfort University

    With The Ballad of Wallis Island, Tom Basden and Tim Key have written a poignant and comical exploration of music, loss, nostalgia and hope.

    The film has been compared to Once (2007) and Local Hero (1983), similarly low-key films that put music at the heart of quiet personal transformations. It also shares common ground with movingly situated, deliberately gently paced and panoramically shot films like The Dig (2021).

    It was made in just 18 days on a tight budget in a typical Welsh summer. A doctor was on hand to stop the actors getting hypothermia when they filmed shots in the sea. Filmed in an eclectic mausoleum of an old manor house, with a charmingly decorated coat of arms in the hallway, leaky taps and socially awkward characters, it is easy to see why romcom giant Richard Curtis called it “one of the great British films of all time”.

    The film takes place on the fictional Wallis Island, home to millionaire Charles (Tim Key), an eccentric and almost obsessive fan of former folk-rock duo McGwyer Mortimer (Herb and Nell, played by Basden and Carey Mulligan). Invited to the island to play a private gig, Herb and Nell face their musical and romantic past, all under the gaze of an ecstatic Charles.

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

    Pared back and slow paced, the film downplays the complex emotions at its core and leaves the audience to connect their own dots. Instead of verbose dialogue or emotional clashes it uses everyday details to encourage the audience to be observant – a two-second shot that picks out a framed picture on a sideboard, the shadow that passes over a face, a simple gesture.

    Sitting comfortably alongside these big feelings – love, loss, grief, change, nostalgia – are all of the hallmarks of a British comedy classic. Victoria Wood-esque puns (watch out for Dame Judi “Drenched”), slapstick physical gags and pop culture references keep the audience laughing without unbalancing the pathos. It is reminiscent of Wood’s sitcom Dinnerladies (1998-2000), in the breadcrumb trail of slipped in details that provide laughter in the moment but which return to make the audience think twice.

    Basden’s brilliance

    Writer and star Tom Basden has form in the sitcom world. As well as his sitcom Plebs (2013), his most recent television project, Here We Go (2022), shares many of the subtle emotional touches and casually observed titbits of everyday life.

    Here We Go is a wonderful blend of quirky British antics and emotional depth, equally aided by a stellar script and cast. Purportedly filmed as part of a media project by the youngest member of the Jessop family, and sequenced into flashbacks and forwards across several days or weeks, the episodes drip-feed humdrum details that later gain significance. And like Dinnerladies, the funniest observations are those that the audience earn, not those that are given away, by rewatching again and again.

    The trailer for The Ballad of Wallis Island.

    While Here We Go uses disordered sequencing to reveal the meaning behind tiny details, The Ballad of Wallis Island uses objects that give hints about the past. Pictures of Charles and Marie at gigs, fridge magnets of the places they visited, the ticket stumps and magazine interviews of a super-fan collector. The extraordinariness of now is rooted in the everyday of Charles’s past. Even the source of his wealth rests on a single ordinary moment that has the potential to change all of their lives.

    Key and Basden turn the complex emotions of minutia into a powerful narrative. A bar of well-used soap on the side of the bathtub, a plastic bag of 20-pence pieces, and a bowl of homemade soup become symbols of emotional connection to the story, while their everydayness stops them from feeling saccharine or soppy.

    This is, as others have called it, a nostalgic film, about loss and moving on. But it also records a present that is made up of tiny glimpses of everyday life, captured like Here We Go, against a backdrop of the familiar and the ordinary. The quietly hopeful takeaway from the film is that small gestures are as memorable as any stadium finale.

    Nicola Bishop 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. The Ballad of Wallis Island is a masterpiece of the extraordinary made ordinary – https://theconversation.com/the-ballad-of-wallis-island-is-a-masterpiece-of-the-extraordinary-made-ordinary-259635

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The Ballad of Wallis Island is a masterpiece of the extraordinary made ordinary

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Nicola Bishop, Academic Enhancement Lead, De Montfort University

    With The Ballad of Wallis Island, Tom Basden and Tim Key have written a poignant and comical exploration of music, loss, nostalgia and hope.

    The film has been compared to Once (2007) and Local Hero (1983), similarly low-key films that put music at the heart of quiet personal transformations. It also shares common ground with movingly situated, deliberately gently paced and panoramically shot films like The Dig (2021).

    It was made in just 18 days on a tight budget in a typical Welsh summer. A doctor was on hand to stop the actors getting hypothermia when they filmed shots in the sea. Filmed in an eclectic mausoleum of an old manor house, with a charmingly decorated coat of arms in the hallway, leaky taps and socially awkward characters, it is easy to see why romcom giant Richard Curtis called it “one of the great British films of all time”.

    The film takes place on the fictional Wallis Island, home to millionaire Charles (Tim Key), an eccentric and almost obsessive fan of former folk-rock duo McGwyer Mortimer (Herb and Nell, played by Basden and Carey Mulligan). Invited to the island to play a private gig, Herb and Nell face their musical and romantic past, all under the gaze of an ecstatic Charles.

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    Pared back and slow paced, the film downplays the complex emotions at its core and leaves the audience to connect their own dots. Instead of verbose dialogue or emotional clashes it uses everyday details to encourage the audience to be observant – a two-second shot that picks out a framed picture on a sideboard, the shadow that passes over a face, a simple gesture.

    Sitting comfortably alongside these big feelings – love, loss, grief, change, nostalgia – are all of the hallmarks of a British comedy classic. Victoria Wood-esque puns (watch out for Dame Judi “Drenched”), slapstick physical gags and pop culture references keep the audience laughing without unbalancing the pathos. It is reminiscent of Wood’s sitcom Dinnerladies (1998-2000), in the breadcrumb trail of slipped in details that provide laughter in the moment but which return to make the audience think twice.

    Basden’s brilliance

    Writer and star Tom Basden has form in the sitcom world. As well as his sitcom Plebs (2013), his most recent television project, Here We Go (2022), shares many of the subtle emotional touches and casually observed titbits of everyday life.

    Here We Go is a wonderful blend of quirky British antics and emotional depth, equally aided by a stellar script and cast. Purportedly filmed as part of a media project by the youngest member of the Jessop family, and sequenced into flashbacks and forwards across several days or weeks, the episodes drip-feed humdrum details that later gain significance. And like Dinnerladies, the funniest observations are those that the audience earn, not those that are given away, by rewatching again and again.

    The trailer for The Ballad of Wallis Island.

    While Here We Go uses disordered sequencing to reveal the meaning behind tiny details, The Ballad of Wallis Island uses objects that give hints about the past. Pictures of Charles and Marie at gigs, fridge magnets of the places they visited, the ticket stumps and magazine interviews of a super-fan collector. The extraordinariness of now is rooted in the everyday of Charles’s past. Even the source of his wealth rests on a single ordinary moment that has the potential to change all of their lives.

    Key and Basden turn the complex emotions of minutia into a powerful narrative. A bar of well-used soap on the side of the bathtub, a plastic bag of 20-pence pieces, and a bowl of homemade soup become symbols of emotional connection to the story, while their everydayness stops them from feeling saccharine or soppy.

    This is, as others have called it, a nostalgic film, about loss and moving on. But it also records a present that is made up of tiny glimpses of everyday life, captured like Here We Go, against a backdrop of the familiar and the ordinary. The quietly hopeful takeaway from the film is that small gestures are as memorable as any stadium finale.

    Nicola Bishop 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. The Ballad of Wallis Island is a masterpiece of the extraordinary made ordinary – https://theconversation.com/the-ballad-of-wallis-island-is-a-masterpiece-of-the-extraordinary-made-ordinary-259635

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How your gut bacteria could help detect pancreatic cancer early

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Falk Hildebrand, Researcher in Bioinformatician, Quadram Institute

    SewCreamStudio/Shutterstock

    Whether you had breakfast this morning or not, your pancreas is working quietly behind the scenes. This vital organ produces the enzymes that help digest your food and the hormones that regulate your metabolism. But when something goes wrong with your pancreas, the consequences can be devastating.

    Pancreatic cancer has earned the grim nickname “the silent killer” for good reason. By the time most patients experience symptoms, the disease has often progressed to an advanced stage where treatment options become severely limited. In the UK alone, over 10,700 new cases and 9,500 deaths from pancreatic cancer were recorded between 2017 and 2019, with incidence rates continuing to rise.

    The most common form, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), develops in the pancreatic duct – a tube connecting the pancreas to the small intestine. When tumours form here, they can block the flow of digestive enzymes, causing energy metabolism problems that leave patients feeling chronically tired and unwell. Yet these symptoms are often so subtle that they’re easily dismissed or attributed to other causes.

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    Now researchers are turning to an unexpected source for early PDAC detection: faecal samples. While analysing poo might seem an unlikely approach to cancer diagnosis, scientists are discovering that our waste contains a treasure trove of information about our health.

    This is because your gut is home to trillions of bacteria – in fact, bacterial cells in your body outnumber human cells by roughly 40 trillion to 30 trillion. These microscopic residents form complex communities that can reflect the state of your health, including the presence of disease.

    Since PDAC typically develops in the part of the pancreas that connects to the gut, and most people have regular bowel movements, stool samples provide a practical, non-invasive window into what is happening inside the body.

    Pancreatic cancer explained,

    Global evidence builds

    This innovative approach has been validated in studies across several countries, including Japan, China and Spain. The latest breakthrough comes from a 2025 international study involving researchers in Finland and Iran, which set out to examine the relationship between gut bacteria and pancreatic cancer onset across different populations.

    The researchers collected stool samples and analysed bacterial DNA using a technique called 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Despite the complex name, the principle is straightforward: scientists sequence and compare a genetic region found in every bacterium’s genome, allowing them to both identify and count different bacterial species simultaneously.

    The findings from the Finnish-Iranian study were striking. Patients with PDAC exhibited reduced bacterial diversity in their gut, with certain species either enriched or depleted compared with healthy people. More importantly, the team developed an artificial intelligence model that could accurately distinguish between cancer patients and healthy people based solely on their gut bacterial profiles.

    The field of microbiome research is evolving rapidly. While this study used amplicon sequencing, newer methods like “shotgun metagenomic sequencing” are providing even more detailed insights. This advanced technique captures the entire bacterial genome content rather than focusing on a single gene, offering an unprecedented resolution that can even detect whether bacteria have recently transferred between individuals.

    These technological advances are driving a fundamental shift in how we think about health and disease. We’re moving from a purely human-centred view to understanding ourselves as “human plus microbiome” – complex ecosystems where our bacterial partners play crucial roles in our wellbeing.

    Beyond pancreatic cancer

    The possibilities go well beyond pancreatic cancer. At Quadram, we’re applying similar methods to study colorectal cancer. We’ve already analysed over a thousand stool samples using advanced computational tools that piece together bacterial genomes and their functions from fragmented DNA. This ongoing work aims to reveal how gut microbes behave in colorectal cancer, much like other scientists have done for PDAC.

    The bidirectional interactions between cancer and bacteria are particularly fascinating – not only can certain bacterial profiles indicate disease presence, but the disease itself can alter the gut microbiome, as we previously showed in Parkinson’s disease, creating a complex web of cause and effect that researchers are still unravelling.

    Nonetheless, by understanding how our microbial partners respond to and influence disease, we’re gaining insights that could revolutionise both diagnosis and treatment. Our past research has shown this to be incredibly complex and sometimes difficult to understand, but developments in biotechnology and artificial intelligence are increasingly helping us to make sense of this microscopic world.

    For cancer patients and their families, this and other advancements in microbiome research offer hope for earlier detection. While we’re still in the early stages of translating these findings into clinical practice, the potential to catch this silent killer before it becomes deadly could transform outcomes for thousands of patients, but will require more careful and fundamental research.

    The microbial perspective on health is no longer a distant scientific curiosity – it’s rapidly becoming a practical reality that could save lives. As researchers continue to explore this inner frontier, we’re learning that the answer to some of our most challenging medical questions might be hiding in plain sight – in the waste we flush away each day.

    Falk Hildebrand receives funding from the UKRI, BBSRC, NERC and ERC.

    Daisuke Suzuki receives funding from Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.

    – ref. How your gut bacteria could help detect pancreatic cancer early – https://theconversation.com/how-your-gut-bacteria-could-help-detect-pancreatic-cancer-early-259220

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Some people are turning to nicotine gum and patches to treat long COVID brain fog

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Dipa Kamdar, Senior Lecturer in Pharmacy Practice, Kingston University

    Andrey Popov/Shutterstock.com

    Some people with long COVID are turning to an unlikely remedy: nicotine gum and patches. Though typically used to quit smoking, nicotine is now being explored as a possible way to ease symptoms such as brain fog and fatigue.

    One such case, detailed in a recent article in Slate, describes a woman who found significant relief from debilitating brain fog after trying low-dose nicotine gum. Her experience, while anecdotal, aligns with findings from a small but interesting study from Germany.

    The study involved four participants suffering from symptoms related to long COVID. The researcher administered low-dose nicotine patches once daily and noticed marked improvements in the participants’ symptoms. Tiredness, weakness, shortness of breath and trouble with exercise rapidly improved – by day six at the latest.

    For those who had lost their sense of taste or smell, it took longer, but these senses came back fully within 16 days. Although it’s not possible to draw definitive conclusions on cause and effect from such a small study, the results could pave the way for larger studies.

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    While some people slowly recover from COVID, others remain unwell for years, especially those who became sick before vaccines were available. Between 3% and 5% of people continue to experience symptoms months, and sometimes even years, after the initial infection. In the UK, long COVID affects around 2.8% of the population.

    Brain fog and other neurological symptoms of long COVID are thought to result from a combination of factors – including inflammation, reduced oxygen to the brain, vascular damage and disruption to the blood-brain barrier. Research continues as there is still a lot we don’t know about this condition.

    The researcher in the German study thinks that long COVID symptoms, such as fatigue, brain fog and mood changes, might partly be due to problems with a brain chemical called acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter. This chemical is important for many functions in the body, including memory, attention and regulating mood.

    Normally, acetylcholine works by attaching to special “docking sites” on cells called nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, which help send signals in the brain and nervous system. But the COVID virus may interfere with these receptors, either by blocking them or disrupting how they work. When this happens, the brain may not be able to send signals properly, which could contribute to the mental and physical symptoms seen in long COVID.

    So why would nicotine potentially be useful? Nicotine binds to the same receptors and might help restore normal signalling, but the idea that it displaces the virus directly is still speculative.

    Nicotine is available in different forms, such as patches, gum, lozenges and sprays. Using nicotine through the skin, for example, with a patch, keeps the amount in the blood steady without big spikes. Because of this, people in the study didn’t seem to develop a dependence on it.

    Chewing nicotine gum or using a lozenge can cause spikes in nicotine levels, since the nicotine is absorbed gradually through the lining of the mouth. But unlike a patch, which delivers a steady dose, the user has more control over how much nicotine they take in when using gum or lozenges.

    There are mixed results on the effectiveness of nicotine on cognitive functions such as memory and concentration. But most studies agree that it can enhance attention. Larger studies are needed to gauge the effectiveness of nicotine specifically for long COVID symptoms.

    An estimated 2.8% of people in the UK have long COVID.
    Chaz Bharj/Shutterstock.com

    Not without risks

    Despite its benefits, nicotine is not without risks. Even in gum or patch form, it can cause side-effects like nausea, dizziness, increased heart rate and higher blood pressure.

    Some of these stimulant effects on heart rate may be useful for people with long COVID symptoms such as exercise intolerance. But this needs to be closely monitored. Long-term use may also affect heart health. For non-smokers, the risk of developing a nicotine dependency is a serious concern.

    So are there any options to treat long COVID symptoms?

    There are some studies looking at guanfacine in combination with N-acetylcysteine, which have shown improvement in brain fog in small groups of people. There has been at least one clinical trial exploring nicotine for mild cognitive impairment in older adults, though not in the context of long COVID. Given that anecdotal reports and small studies continue to draw attention, it is likely that targeted trials are in development.

    The main recommendations by experts are to implement lifestyle measures. Slowly increasing exercise, having a healthy diet, avoiding alcohol, drugs and smoking, sleeping enough, practising mindfulness and doing things that stimulate the brain are all thought to help brain fog.

    For those grappling with long COVID or persistent brain fog, the idea of using nicotine patches or gum might be tempting. But experts caution against self-medicating with nicotine. The lack of standardised dosing and the potential for addiction and unknown long-term effects make it a risky experiment.

    While nicotine isn’t a cure and may carry real risks, its potential to ease long COVID symptoms warrants careful study. For now, those battling brain fog should approach it with caution – and always under medical supervision. What’s clear, though, is the urgent need for more research into safe, effective treatments for the lingering effects of COVID.

    Dipa Kamdar 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. Some people are turning to nicotine gum and patches to treat long COVID brain fog – https://theconversation.com/some-people-are-turning-to-nicotine-gum-and-patches-to-treat-long-covid-brain-fog-259093

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Iran’s history has been blighted by interference from foreign powers

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Simin Fadaee, Senior Lecturer in Sociology, University of Manchester

    Iranians commemorate the 1979 revolution in Qom, central Iran. Mostafameraji via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-NC-SA

    Israel’s recent surprise attack on Iran was ostensibly aimed at neutralising Iran’s nuclear programme, but it didn’t just damage nuclear installations. It killed scientists, engineers and senior military personnel.

    Meanwhile, citizens with no ties to the government or military, became “collateral damage”. For 11 days, Israel’s attacks intensified across Tehran and other major cities.

    When the US joined the attack, dropping its bunker-buster bombs on sites in central Iran on June 21, it threatened to push the region closer to large-scale conflict. Israel’s calls for regime change in Iran were joined by the US president, Donald Trump, who took to social media on June 22 with the message: “if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn’t there be a Regime change??? MIGA!!!”

    Trump’s remarks are reminders of past US interventions. The threat of regime change by the most powerful state in the world carries particular weight in Iran, where memories of foreign-imposed coups and covert operations remain vivid and painful.

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    In the early 1890s, Iran was rocked by a popular uprising after the shah granted a British company exclusive rights to the country’s tobacco industry. The decision was greeted with anger and in 1891 the country’s senior cleric, Grand Ayatollah Mirza Shirazi, issued a fatwa against tobacco use.

    A mass boycott ensued – even the shah’s wives reportedly gave up the habit. When it became clear that the boycott was going to hold, the shah cancelled the concession in January 1892. It was a clear demonstration of people power.

    This event is thought to have played a significant role in the development of the revolutionary movement that led to the Constitutional Revolution that took place between 1905 and 1911 and the establishment of a constitution and parliament in Iran.

    Rise of the Pahlavis

    Reza Shah, who founded the Pahlavi dynasty – which would be overthrown in the 1979 revolution and replaced by the Islamic Republic – rose to power following a British-supported coup in 1921.

    Autocrat: Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

    During the first world war, foreign interference weakened Iran and the ruling Qajar dynasty. In 1921, with British support, army officer Reza Khan and politician Seyyed Ziaeddin Tabatabaee led a coup in Tehran. Claiming to be acting to save the monarchy, they arrested key opponents. By 1923, Reza Khan had become prime minister.

    In 1925, Reza Khan unseated the Qajars and founded the Pahlavi dynasty, becoming Reza Shah Pahlavi. This was a turning point in Iran’s history, marking the start of British dominance. The shah’s authoritarian rule focused on centralisation, modernisation and secularisation. It set the stage for the factors that would that eventually lead to the 1979 Revolution.

    In 1941, concerned at the close relationship Pahlavi had developed with Nazi Germany, Britain and its allies once again intervened in Iranian politics, forcing Pahlavi to abdicate. He was exiled to South Africa and his 22-year-old son, Mohammad Reza, was named shah in his place.

    The 1953 coup

    Mohammad Mosaddegh became Iran’s first democratically elected prime minister in 1951. He quickly began to introduce reforms and challenge the authority of the shah. Despite a sustained campaign of destabilisation, Mossadegh retained a high level of popular support, which he used to push through his radical programme. This included the nationalisation of Iran’s oil industry, which was effectively controlled by the Anglo-Persian Oil Company – later British Petroleum (BP).

    Mohammad Mosaddegh in court martial by Ebrahim Golestan.
    Ebrahim Golestan via Wikimedia Commons

    In 1953, he was ousted in a CIA and MI6-backed coup and placed under house arrest. The shah, who had fled to Italy during the unrest, returned to power with western support.

    Within a short time, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi established an authoritarian regime that governed through repression and intimidation. He outlawed all opposition parties, and numerous activists involved in the oil nationalisation movement were either imprisoned or forced into exile.



    Read more:
    Iran’s long history of revolution, defiance and outside interference – and why its future is so uncertain

    The 1979 revolution: the oppression continues

    The shah’s rule became increasingly authoritarian and was also marked by the lavish lifestyles of the ruling elite and increasing poverty of the mass of the Iranian people. Pahlavi increasingly relied on his secret police, the Bureau for Intelligence and Security of the State.

    Meanwhile, a scholar and Islamic cleric named Ruhollah Khomeini, had been rising in prominence especially after 1963, when Pahlavi’s unpopular land reforms mobilised a large section of society against his rule. His growing prominence brought him into confrontation with the government and in 1964 he was sent into exile. He remained abroad, living in Turkey, Iraq and France.

    By 1964 cleric Ruhollah Khomeini had become the focus for some anti-government protests in Iran.
    emam.com via Wikimedia Commons

    By 1978 a diverse alliance primarily made up of urban working and middle-class citizens had paralysed the country. While united in their resistance to the monarchy, participants were driven by a variety of ideological beliefs, including socialism, communism, liberalism, secularism, Islamism and nationalism. The shah fled into exile on January 16 1979 and Khomeini returned to Iran, which in March became an Islamic Republic with Khomeini at its head.

    But the US was not finished in its attempts to destabilise Iran. In 1980, Washington backed Saddam Hussein in initiating a brutal eight-year war, which claimed hundreds of thousands of Iranian lives and severely disrupted the country’s efforts at political and economic reconstruction.

    Iran and the US have remained bitter foes. Over the years ordinary Iranians have suffered tremendously under rounds of US-imposed sanctions, which have all but destroyed the economy in recent years.

    This new wave of foreign aggression has arrived at a time of significant domestic unrest within Iran. Since the Woman, Life, Freedom protests, which began in September 2022 after the death of Mahsa Amini at the hands of the morality police, there has been a general groundswell of demand for social justice and democracy.

    But the convergence of external aggression and internal demands has brought national sovereignty and self-determination to the forefront, as it did during previous major struggles. While world powers gamble with Iran’s future, it is the Iranian people through their struggles and unwavering push for justice and democracy who must determine the country’s future.

    Simin Fadaee 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. Iran’s history has been blighted by interference from foreign powers – https://theconversation.com/irans-history-has-been-blighted-by-interference-from-foreign-powers-259700

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why there’s a growing backlash against plant-based diets

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jonathan Beacham, Research Fellow, University of Bristol Business School, University of Bristol

    Geinz Angelina/Shutterstock

    People in the UK are eating too much meat – especially processed meat – according to a recent report from the Food Foundation, a UK charity.

    The report recommends revisiting school food standards, which advises schools to serve meat three times a week. The consequence? Children often eat a higher proportion of processed meat than adults.

    The effects of meat-heavy diets are well documented. Some analyses estimate that overconsumption of meat, especially processed red meat, costs the global economy around £219 billion annually, in terms of harms to human health and the environment. At the same time, a growing body of evidence shows that a transition toward more plant-based diets is not just beneficial, but essential.

    And yet efforts to reduce meat consumption haven’t always been well received. In Paris, for instance, the mayor’s initiative to remove meat from municipal canteen menus twice a week triggered an angry backlash from unions and workers who called for the return of steak frites.

    A few years ago, meat consumption in the UK was falling, and interest in initiatives like Veganuary was surging. Venture capital flooded into plant-based startups, from cricket burgers to hemp milk.

    But enthusiasm, and investment, has since declined. Meanwhile, populism and “culture war” narratives have fuelled social media misinformation about food, diet and sustainability, hampering progress. So what has changed? And why is meat once again a flashpoint in the food debate?

    Working with the H3 Consortium, which explores pathways to food system transformation in the UK, our research has focused on why the backlash against plant-based diets is growing and what it means for people, animals and the planet.

    Part of the answer lies in coordinated messaging campaigns that frame meat and dairy not just as “normal” but as “natural” and essential to a balanced diet. One example is the Let’s Eat Balanced campaign, run by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board since 2021. It promotes meat and dairy as key sources of micronutrients such as Vitamin B12 and implicitly positions plant-based diets as nutritionally inadequate.

    But here’s the irony: many intensively farmed animals don’t get B12 from their diet naturally. Their feed is supplemented with vitamins and minerals, just as vegan diets are supplemented. So is meat really a more “natural” source of B12 than a pill?

    That raises a broader question: what could a fair and sustainable transition to plant-based protein look like – not just for consumers, but for farmers and rural communities? Some analyses warn that rapid shifts in land use toward arable farming could have serious unintended consequences, such as disrupting rural economies and threatening livelihoods.

    There are also legitimate questions about the healthiness of meat and dairy alternatives. Despite the early hype around alternative proteins, many products fall under the category of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) – a red flag for consumers wary of additives and artificial ingredients.

    The popularity of books like Chris van Tulleken’s Ultra-Processed People has stoked concerns about emulsifiers, ingredients used to bind veggie burgers or prevent vegan milk from curdling, and some headlines have asked whether they “destroy” our gut health.

    Still, it’s a leap to suggest that conventional red meat is the healthier alternative. The health risks of processed meat are well established, especially the carcinogenic effects of nitrites used to keep meat looking fresh in packaging.

    Some people suggest eating chicken instead of read meat because it produces less greenhouse gas. But raising chickens also causes problems, like pollution from chicken manure that harms rivers, and it depends a lot on soy feed, which can be affected by political and trade issues.

    There’s a strong case for reducing meat consumption, and the scientific evidence to support it is robust. But understanding the backlash against plant-based eating is essential if we want to make meaningful progress. For now, meat is not disappearing from our diets. In fact, the food fight may be just getting started.

    Jonathan Beacham receives funding from the UKRI Strategic Priorities Fund (grant ref: BB/V004719/1).

    David M. Evans receives funding from the UKRI Strategic Priorities Fund (grant ref: BB/V004719/1). He is affiliated with Defra (the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) as a member of their Social Science Expert Group.

    – ref. Why there’s a growing backlash against plant-based diets – https://theconversation.com/why-theres-a-growing-backlash-against-plant-based-diets-259455

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI China: Xinhua Commentary: Taiwan leader’s distorted view of history destined for dustbin

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

    Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te has once again exposed his separatist intentions — this time by twisting history to fit a narrative divorced from fact and steeped in distortion and deceit.

    In the first of a planned series of speeches, Lai delivered not a reflection of historical truth but a calculated mix of falsehoods and misinterpretations crafted to advance his political agenda to seek “Taiwan independence.”

    The historical record is clear: the island’s bond with the Chinese mainland are deeply rooted and amply evidenced. Most of the island’s population, including its ethnic minorities, are descendants of migrants from the Chinese mainland over successive periods.

    Numerous historical records and documents have chronicled the development of Taiwan by the Chinese people, with the earliest accounts tracing back to the Three Kingdoms period (220-280). Starting from the Song and Yuan dynasties (960-1368), the central governments of China all set up administrative bodies to exercise jurisdiction over Taiwan.

    In 1624, Dutch colonialists invaded and occupied the southern part of Taiwan. In 1662, Zheng Chenggong, a general of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), led an expedition and expelled the Dutch colonizers from Taiwan.

    The subsequent Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) also set up administrative bodies in Taiwan. In 1684, a Taiwan prefecture administration was set up under the jurisdiction of Fujian Province. In 1885, Taiwan’s status was upgraded to a province of China.

    While Taiwan has its own historical trajectory, it has never existed as a country separate from China. Lai, however, went so far as to claim that China only began its relationship with Taiwan in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, falsely equating Zheng Chenggong’s reclaiming of Taiwan and the Qing Dynasty’s governance with foreign occupations by the Dutch and Spanish colonists.

    One must not forget that people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait have long stood shoulder to shoulder in the face of foreign aggression. For instance, after the outbreak of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression in the 1930s, at least 50,000 people from Taiwan joined their mainland compatriots in fighting the Japanese invasion, driven by the belief that “to save Taiwan, one must first save the motherland.”

    The courage and sacrifices of the people in Taiwan in resisting foreign aggression are part of the shared memory of the Chinese nation. Yet Lai has sought to reframe this legacy as “Taiwanese defending their own country,” distorting historical truth to advance his “Taiwan independence” narrative.

    As many in Taiwan have noted, Lai’s remarks were riddled with hollow slogans, fragmented history, and a worldview increasingly detached from reality. By distorting historical truth and repackaging it into a fabricated narrative, Lai sought to stir confrontation, deepen social rifts, and deploy historical distortion as political propaganda to mobilize public sentiment and tighten his grip on power.

    But fabricated claims that run counter to history, reality and legal principles will never stand the test of time. Lai’s separatist remarks are destined to be swept into the dustbin of history.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Shenzhou-20 crew set for second extravehicular activities

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

    The Shenzhou-20 crew members, who are currently on board China’s space station, will conduct a second round of extravehicular activities within the next few days, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) announced on Wednesday.

    Since completing their first spacewalk on May 22, the crew has undertaken a series of tasks, including monitoring the station environment, conducting inspections and maintenance of the space station’s equipment, and managing inventory and transfers.

    The CMSA noted that the crew has made steady progress in experiments in fields such as space life sciences and human research, microgravity physics, and new space technology.

    It also confirmed that after two months in orbit, the three crew members are in good health and the space station is operating smoothly, fully prepared for the upcoming spacewalk.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China ready to work with other BRICS countries for peace, stability in Middle East: FM spokesperson

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

    China is ready to join hands with other BRICS countries to continue working for a peaceful and stable Middle East, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday.

    Brazil, the BRICS chair, released the BRICS Joint Statement on the Escalation of the Security Situation in the Middle East Following Military Strikes on the Territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

    In response to a related query, spokesperson Guo Jiakun said at a daily news briefing that BRICS is a force for progress that champions global peace and stability and defends international fairness and justice.

    Following the escalation of the situation in the Middle East, BRICS released a joint statement calling for ceasefire, dialogue and consultation, which played a constructive role for deescalation of tensions in the region, Guo said.

    At last year’s BRICS Summit in Kazan, Chinese President Xi Jinping noted that BRICS should be “committed to peace” and “act as defenders of common security,” Guo said, adding China stands ready to work with other BRICS countries to continue working for a peaceful and stable Middle East. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: SpaceX launches Axiom-4 astronaut mission to Int’l Space Station

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

    A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 2:31 a.m. local time (0631 GMT) Wednesday, beginning Axiom Mission 4, the fourth private astronaut flight to the International Space Station (ISS).

    About eight minutes later, the reusable first-stage booster touched down at Landing Zone 1 on Cape Canaveral, completing its descent at 200 meters per second in a pinpoint landing, according to SpaceX.

    The Dragon spacecraft is scheduled to dock with the ISS around 7 a.m. EDT (1100 GMT) Thursday after a 30-hour orbital chase. The four-person crew will spend up to 14 days in orbit conducting science, outreach and commercial demonstrations, NASA said.

    Former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, who has spent 675 days in space, commands the mission. She is joined by pilot Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), European Space Agency project astronaut Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland, and Hungarian to Orbit (HUNOR) astronaut Tibor Kapu of Hungary.

    “With a culturally diverse crew, we are not only advancing scientific knowledge but also fostering international collaboration,” Whitson said in a statement released by Houston-based Axiom Space.

    The flight marks the first government-backed orbital mission for India, Poland and Hungary in more than four decades. NASA Acting Administrator Janet Petro said the launch underscored the “long history of cooperation” between NASA and Russia’s Roscosmos on the ISS, following recent repairs to the station’s Russian segment, according to a NASA media advisory.

    Axiom Space said the astronauts will conduct about 60 experiments representing 31 countries — the most attempted on any Axiom mission. Projects include radiation-tolerant electronics and student-designed physics demonstrations streamed live to classrooms worldwide.

    After the mission, the Dragon spacecraft will undock and aim for a splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean off the Florida coast, returning scientific samples to Earth.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Feature: Chinese lychee, a sweet story in Mexico

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

    While China is going deep into summer, Mexico enters the rainy season of the year. In breaks of showery days, crowds hit the streets for sunshine and a sweet fruit from China — lychee.

    For many visitors to Mexico, lychee is something they don’t expect to see here. Meanwhile, the sweet, fleshy fruit has become a popular item on Mexican households’ seasonal grocery lists.

    Few know that lychee trees have grown in Mexico for over a century. In the late 19th century, hundreds of Chinese workers migrated to Mexico, and many settled in Sinaloa. Local legend says the first of the lychee trees the migrants cultivated with seeds taken from their homeland was gifted to Sinaloa’s governor.

    In an evolution journey starting from the Chinese lychee seeds, commercial farming didn’t take off until the 1970s in Mexico. After that, the seasonal fruit took no long time to find its way into the daily life of Mexicans. Liliana, a 37-year-old Mexican engineer, said: “They’ve always been a special treat in our home” every year since her childhood.

    The lychee plantation industry in Mexico now spans 13 states, including Veracruz, Puebla and Oaxaca. In 2023, official data showed Mexico produced more than 26,000 tons of lychee fruits, largely going for the North American market.

    On U.S. grocery platforms, lychee fruits command a premium price but continue to gain popularity. “Not as sweet as last year’s, but still the best I can find in the U.S. market,” one online reviewer wrote. “The season is short, just a few weeks. Worth savoring while it lasts.”

    The Mexican story of the lychee mirrors the story of migration — of roots transplanted; of tastes carried across oceans. In markets from Los Angeles to Merida, the lychee is both about exotic appeal and homesick comfort.

    “I was born and raised in Guangzhou, capital of China’s Guangdong Province,” said Zhang Tieliu from the Chinese American Business Association. “I later moved across the ocean for work. The U.S. doesn’t grow lychees, but for us Chinese living in North America, that taste of home is something we truly miss.”

    And the modern lychee story overseas involves more.

    “Over the years, I dreamed of bringing this jewel of South China’s fruits to the American market,” Zhang said.

    “Thanks to breakthroughs in preservation and logistics by Chinese companies and universities, we’ve finally made that dream a reality — Guangdong lychees now carry their fragrance all the way to North America.”

    Cold-chain technology is accelerating the lychee’s global reach. Pre-cooling and freshness-locking methods have helped overcome previous barriers in its trade, facilitating its rise in sales in recent years in the international fresh fruit market. From the plantations of Maoming City, Guangdong Province, lychee fruits can now reach destinations in the Middle East and Europe within three days.

    Even today, lychees in Mexican supermarkets aren’t quite what a southern Chinese native remembers. They vary in size, sweetness and fleshiness. Yet spotting them on shelves is still a moment of recognition, a thread between homes, while the fruit continues to bear sweetness for generations to come.

    And so, the lychee continues to bloom far from its native soil, as a living bridge between continents, past and present.

    In Latin America, lychee is seen as a luxury fruit outside Mexico. In Panama, it is called “chirimoya china” to indicate its origin and exotic flavor. Brazil has thousands of hectares of lychee orchards and is still expanding its cultivation area. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Internet access in Iran returns to pre-war levels: minister

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

    Iran’s Internet access has returned to pre-war levels, the country’s communications minister said Wednesday, following a temporary shutdown during the recent conflict with Israel.

    Sattar Hashemi, Iran’s minister of Information and Communications Technology, made the announcement in a post on the social platform X, a day after a ceasefire was declared between Iran and Israel, ending 12 days of fighting.

    Iran imposed restrictions on Internet access shortly after Israel launched a series of airstrikes across the country on June 13, targeting nuclear and military sites. The strikes killed several senior commanders, nuclear scientists, and hundreds of civilians, according to Iranian officials.

    In the wake of the attacks, pro-Israeli hackers also claimed that they launched cyberattacks on Iran’s banking system, disrupting services at several banks. Enditem

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Sri Lanka to enforce strict ban on child begging

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

    The Sri Lankan government announced Wednesday that it will begin strictly enforcing laws prohibiting the use of children under 16 for begging and street vending, and will also crack down on the employment of children aged 16 to 18 in hazardous jobs and as domestic workers, starting July 1, 2025.

    According to a statement from the Department of Government Information, under the Children’s Rights Ordinance, anyone under 18 years old is considered a child, and children make up about 30 percent of Sri Lanka’s total population.

    Recent statistics indicate that some children are forced into various forms of labor, becoming street children due to human trafficking, the statement said.

    In response, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved measures to strictly enforce existing laws against child labor and begging. The government also plans to raise public awareness about these issues through a public education campaign, the statement said. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Bangladesh reaffirms commitment to reducing plastic pollution

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

    The World Environment Day was observed on Wednesday in Bangladesh with a fresh vow to reducing plastic pollution, protecting nature, promoting biodiversity and safeguarding the environment.

    Various public, private organizations and political parties hosted conferences, seminars, marches and walks to mark the day in Dhaka and elsewhere in the country.

    National newspapers in Bangladesh published special supplements marking the day.

    This year, the theme of the day is “Ending Plastic Pollution,” which emphasizes the urgent need to address the pervasive problem of plastic pollution.

    The main program of the day was held at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Center in Dhaka, with the Bangladeshi interim government’s Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus inaugurating the event.

    Yunus also inaugurated the Environment Fair 2025 and the National Tree Plantation Campaign and Tree Fair 2025 at the function.

    Speaking at the day’s main event, Yunus urged all to avoid the use of plastic items to protect the environment and planet.

    “If we do not change our lifestyle, our defeat to plastic is obvious,” he said, adding that humans are destroying nature, but they could not realize that nature also has a destructive mode.

    Highlighting the adverse impacts of plastic on the planet, he said the plastic is accelerating climate crises, natural disasters and biodiversity destruction.

    Issuing an appeal to the countrymen to stop one-time plastic use, he said they should make the decision to gradually prevent plastic use.

    Terming the plastic a poison to the world and all living things, the chief adviser said the use of this poison is increasing gradually with the rise of population.

    In addition to carrying out the tree plantation campaign, the chief adviser suggested launching a Stop Tree Felling Campaign aiming to protect the environment and nature in the country. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NEWS: Sanders Releases New Report Detailing Devastating Impact of Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” on Health Care in America

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Vermont – Bernie Sanders
    WASHINGTON, June 25 – As Senate Republicans attempt to ram through legislation to cut health care for 16 million Americans in order to give tax breaks to billionaires without a single hearing or substantive debate, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, today released a new report detailing how Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” would create a national health care emergency, drawing on responses from more than 750 health care providers across 47 states and the District of Columbia.
    Specifically, the report finds that the bill would increase the number of uninsured Americans in every state in the country and nearly double the uninsured rate in some states — including Florida, Louisiana, Massachusetts and Washington. The legislation would kick 19 people off their health insurance for every millionaire household that receives a tax cut. The full state-by-state analysis of how uninsured rates will skyrocket available here.
    “This report makes it abundantly clear that the reconciliation bill that Republicans are attempting to ram through the Senate this week would be a death sentence for working-class and low-income Americans throughout the country,” Sanders said. “Not only would this disastrous and deeply immoral bill throw 16 million people off of their health care and lead to over 50,000 unnecessary deaths every year, it would create a national health care emergency in America. It would devastate rural hospitals, community health centers and nursing homes throughout in our country and cause a massive spike in uninsured rates in red states and blue states alike. That’s not Bernie Sanders talking. That is precisely what doctors, health care providers and hospitals have told us.”
    Earlier this month, Sanders, alongside every Democratic member of the HELP Committee, sent a letter to committee Chairman Bill Cassidy (R-La.) urging him to schedule hearings with patients and health care providers to hear about the legislation’s disastrous impact on the health and well-being of the American people and markup this bill before it reaches the Senate floor for consideration. Cassidy declined.
    In today’s report, Sanders asked health care providers across the country to share what the bill would mean for their patients. Here are some of the responses from health care providers:
    A doctor in Texas — where the uninsured rate will reach 20%, the highest in the U.S. — said, “These cuts will cause rural hospitals in Texas to close entirely. As a neurologist, I am terrified that the closest hospital for many rural folks may then be hours away. During an ischemic stroke, there is only 3 hours of precious time . . . the increased travel time may cause unnecessary cases of paralysis and death.”
    A doctor from Florida — where the uninsured rate will surge to almost 19% — said, “Plainly said, children will die as a result of these cuts. Hospitals will cut back on ICU doctors, doctors will leave because of salary cuts, critical ancillary services will be reduced, more medical students will avoid going into pediatric residencies.”
    A rural health group from Louisiana — where the uninsured rate will nearly double to over 12% — said, “Louisiana’s rural hospitals and healthcare providers are already operating on razor-thin margins, struggling to keep their doors open while serving some of our most medically vulnerable communities. In Louisiana, 38% of hospitals operate on negative margins and 27% are currently vulnerable to closure. Medicaid cuts would worsen these losses, putting more hospitals at risk of shutting down entirely.” Another doctor from Louisiana added: “If Medicaid is cut, my patients will die. I realize I am being dramatic. It is a dramatic situation.”
    A social worker from South Carolina — where the uninsured rate will reach over 13% — said, “These changes would dramatically increase the administrative burden on our care team. We would likely need to hire at least 1–2 full-time administrative staff just to track patient eligibility, navigate complex documentation requirements, and assist families with enrollment or appeals. This would divert already limited funding away from clinical care and impose new costs on our department.”
    A doctor working at a community health center in Missouri – where the uninsured rate will increase to over 10% — said, “We may not be able to keep the doors open. We would potentially have to stop caring for many of our patients.”
    A doctor from Ohio — where the uninsured rate will rise to over 9% — said, “If the proposed bill is passed and [my patients’] Medicaid insurance is cut, it doesn’t mean their asthma will go away. It will mean that in most cases they will not receive preventative care, and as a result, their asthma will worsen . . . . Worse yet, they would be seen in the emergency room more often and admitted to the hospital. This care is more expensive, and less effective, than preventative care, and some children will die of their asthma.”
    The CEO of a hospital in Idaho — where the uninsured rate will rise to over 10% — said, “Our margin last year was -31%, burning through cash to see patients, the majority of whom are on Medicare or Medicaid. If they lose Medicaid, we’ll still take care of them because that’s what we do, but the bills won’t get paid.”
    “We cannot allow Republicans to take health care away from 16 million Americans in order to pay for more tax breaks to billionaires,” Sanders concluded. “As the Ranking Member of the HELP Committee, I will do everything that I can to see that it is defeated. Health care must be a human right for all, not a privilege for the wealthy few.”
    Read the report here.
    Read estimates of the increase in uninsured rates by state here and below.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: AFRICA/ANGOLA – “They are destroying our communities”: Catholic Archbishop in Angola calls for criminalization of diviners

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Wednesday, 25 June 2025

    Internet

    Saurimo (Agenzia Fides) – “They are destroying communities, dividing families, and hindering development,” said José Manuel Imbamba, Archbishop of Saurimo, speaking to a group of journalists at the end of a pastoral visit to the parishes of Our Lady of Fatima in Muconda and Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus in Dala.He was referring to the strong influence and impact that “diviners, fortune tellers, and clairvoyants” have on the population. The Archbishop has called for the criminalization of diviners in Angola. “We found people whose honor and dignity have been destroyed. I ask the authorities and jurists of this country to urgently criminalize diviners in our land,” he stated.The Archbishop lamented that the diviners “are destroying communities, dividing and impoverishing families, killing development. For me, this must be confronted now. To passively witness this spectacle of theft and lies is to allow society itself to collapse.”The Archbishop, who started his Episcopal Ministry in December 2008 as Bishop of Angola’s Dundo Diocese expressed concern about the prevalence of superstition in Angola. “We must break free from the myths and falsehoods that make us believe death is always caused by someone else. Ours must become a society of knowledge, science, and reason,” the Angolan Catholic Bishop, who serves as the President of the Bishops’ Conference of Angola and São Tomé and Príncipe (CEAST) said.Denouncing the belief in mystical objects and rituals as sources of power, he said, “We can no longer fall into the trap of thinking some doll or object gives us life, wealth, or fame. This outdated mentality must be broken.” Archbishop Imbamba faulted educated individuals, who participate in or tolerate such practices, saying, “Those so-called doctors and graduates who still cling to these superstitions are not yet free from the darkness of ignorance. They remain culturally enslaved.”Last year, one of these individuals was going house to house, demanding payment for entering homes uninvited, claiming to be searching for witchcraft. Often, it’s their accomplices who plant suspicious items in homes to validate their false claims,” he recounted the incident in Angola’s Monoco Province.“It is unacceptable for the authorities to stand by while these people disturb peaceful citizens, entering private property under the guise of fetishism. This must end.”Archbishop Imbamba, who has been at the helm of Saurimo Archdiocese since his installation in July 2011 called for a legal intervention, and added, “This issue is often brushed aside as part of customary law, but we must reform these customs. Culture should liberate, not oppress.”“Authorities must sit down and say: our jurists must criminalize this. Because the violations being committed are unspeakable.” (AP)(Agenzia Fides, 25/6/2025)
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  • MIL-OSI Europe: AFRICA/KENYA – Tensions rise during the protest march in memory of the victims of last year’s clashes

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Nairobi (Agenzia Fides) – “The situation in Nairobi is tense. There are roadblocks everywhere and shops are closed. Young protesters have taken to the streets, while the police have erected barricades along the roads leading to the center of Nairobi,” Fr. Bonaventura Luchidio told Fides. The National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Kenya is referring to today’s demonstration in memory of the victims of last year’s demonstrations against the finance law (see Fides, 21/6/2024, 25/6/2025, and 26/6/2024), which left more than 60 dead and 300 injured.On the eve of the demonstration, the Kenyan bishops issued a joint appeal to the authorities and the demonstrators, calling for peace and the protection of life (see Fides, 24/6/2025).This appeal, according to Father Luchidio, is all the more necessary given that, as emphasized, “there have been some serious incidents recently that are further worsening the mood among young people. In particular, the death of blogger Albert Ojwang in a security cell at the Nairobi police station and the close-range shooting at a previous demonstration of young Boniface Kariuki, who is still fighting for his life in the hospital.” “Added to this is the death of two Catholic priests under unclear circumstances,” says the National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies, citing the murder of Father Alloyce Cheruiyot Bett, who was shot dead on May 22 in the Tot (Elgeyo Marakwet) area of the Kerio Valley in the western highlands of Kenya (see Fides, 23/05/2025), and Father John Ndegwa Maina, parish priest of St. Louis Church in Igwamiti, who died in hospital on May 15 after being found seriously injured on the side of the Nakuru-Nairobi highway, several kilometers from his parish (see Fides, 21/5/2025). “The bishops have called for a rapid investigation to bring those responsible for the deaths of the two priests to justice, but at the moment there is no further information on the two cases,” Father Luchidio concludes.In addition to the capital Nairobi, clashes have also been reported in other Kenyan cities. Police are using tear gas canisters to disperse the demonstrators. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 25/6/2025)
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