Category: KB

MIL-OSI Global: Five geoengineering trials the UK is funding to combat global warming

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Robert Chris, Honorary Associate, Geography, The Open University

graphicwithart / shutterstock

The UK government recently announced plans to fund five small-scale trials related to geoengineering. It’s the first time a state research funding body has put serious money into what’s known as solar radiation management, or SRM, which seeks to cool the planet by reflecting more of the Sun’s energy back into space.

It’s easy to see why countries have been so hesitant to proceed with projects of this nature: SRM is highly controversial, even among scientists.

Deliberately altering the atmosphere, a shared global resource, is fraught with ethical, geopolitical and practical problems. It is and always has been a crazy idea.

However, many consider the failure to control carbon emissions means not intervening in this way is an even crazier idea. They consider it necessary to avert the collapse of ecosystems and society. Perhaps solar geoengineering is the price we must pay for our wholly inadequate climate change response to date.

The good news is that SRM may be able to deliver some progress relatively quickly. Earth has become slightly less reflective over the past few decades. That’s mostly thanks to reduced cloud cover (warmer oceans cause clouds above them to evaporate), but also thanks to less snow and ice, and a significant reduction in nasty-but-reflective shipping fuel pollutants.

By my calculations (based on data from US climate scientist James Hansen), this reduction in the reflectivity of Earth has caused as much warming as the 750 gigatonnes of CO₂ emitted since 2005. And while it will take decades to achieve significant global cooling through decarbonisation, it can be achieved relatively quickly by small increases in reflectivity.

Of the 21 projects being funded by Aria, the UK government’s Advanced Research and Invention Agency, five are likely to involve small-scale outdoor experiments. They account for about half the £57 million programme.

Three of the projects concern brightening clouds over the ocean, one explores a method of refreezing the Arctic and the fifth looks at a specific detail of injecting reflective aerosols into the stratosphere.

The other projects concern how to govern these technologies and model and monitor their effects. They could also yield insights vital for securing the public and governmental support necessary if these technologies are ever to be deployed on a much larger scale.

Marine cloud brightening

Marine cloud brightening seeks to make clouds over the ocean more reflective. This is done by turning seawater into an aerosol spray and allowing air currents to loft salt crystals into the clouds, where they enhance the creation of reflective water droplets.

Clouds above the ocean could become a key battleground in the fight against climate change.
G_O_S / shutterstock

The greatest challenge with this method is making enough seawater mist in which the droplets are of a uniform size, about 1 micron in diameter. The Reflect project led by the University of Manchester has received £6.1 million to explore “the technical feasibility and optimal methods” for generating these droplets.

A team from the University of Reading has developed a process using drones to fire electric charges through fog to alter the size of its water droplets. Their Brightspark project has been awarded £2 million to determine whether this process would be viable and safe if applied to clouds. A second phase involving small-scale testing in the UK is contingent on further approval by Aria.

Daniel Harrison, an oceanographer at Southern Cross University in Australia, has been researching marine cloud brightening for several years for the limited purpose of protecting the corals of the Great Barrier Reef. Preliminary results are positive.

His previous work will be extended to assess if, and how, marine cloud brightening could work safely and effectively, but still only as a regional intermittent intervention to protect coral from marine heatwaves.

This will also be a two-phase project (£1 million and £5 million respectively) in which the research will initially deal with modelling and spray design. Subject to further approvals, it will then test the newfound knowledge over the Great Barrier Reef.

Read more:
Could ‘marine cloud brightening’ reduce coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef?

The remaining two projects are both from teams led by the Centre for Climate Repair at Cambridge University (I’m an associate researcher of the centre but I have no involvement in either of these projects).

Arctic refreezing

Engineer Shaun Fitzgerald has been awarded £9.9 million to extend an existing research project to examine the feasibility of thickening Arctic sea ice by pumping seawater from below the ice on to the surface, where it freezes. The idea is to increase the extent and thickness of sea ice in winter so that it endures longer through the summer.

Thicker, longer-lasting sea ice may help keep global warming in check.
Mozgova / shutterstock

Read more:
Arctic ice is vanishing – our bold experiment is trying to protect it

The project also includes modelling to assess the impact this would have on a range of climate phenomena. Most significantly, this includes the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation, an ocean current that some fear is in imminent danger of weakening sufficiently to bring Siberian winters to north-west Europe.

Stratospheric aerosol injection

The final project being funded looks at the injection of aerosols into the stratosphere – higher than clouds – where they would reflect a little of the Sun’s energy back to space.

Many regard this as the form of geoengineering most likely to happen. It is the most studied, as it replicates the natural cooling effect of certain big volcanic eruptions that put massive amounts of sulphate-based aerosols into the stratosphere. Scaling it to be climatically significant is thought to be relatively straightforward, and would probably be the cheapest cooling option.

One significant concern is the health and environmental impact of these aerosols as they fall back to the planet’s surface. Hugh Hunt, also an engineering professor at Cambridge, has been awarded £5.5 million to examine a range of alternative aerosol compounds. The plan is to send tiny samples into the stratosphere in specially designed gondolas attached to balloons. The gondolas will later be recovered, so that the effect of the stratosphere on the samples can be examined. Nothing will be released into the atmosphere.

A small step towards something much bigger

Aria is treading a fine line with this programme.

On the one hand, the organisation recognises that further interventions might be needed to mitigate the harm from the continuing failure to phase out fossil fuels. On the other, it recognises how controversial such interventions are. It is clearly anxious not to provoke a public furore that could undermine the research effort.

In isolation, it is unlikely that this programme will fill any knowledge gaps that might encourage policymakers to push climate intervention up the international agenda. What it could demonstrate, however, is that with appropriate controls in place, it is safe to test these options.

Perhaps the next funding round will support bigger outdoor experiments. These would help determine which technologies can eventually become the safe and effective climate interventions we desperately need.

Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?

Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 45,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

Robert Chris 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. Five geoengineering trials the UK is funding to combat global warming – https://theconversation.com/five-geoengineering-trials-the-uk-is-funding-to-combat-global-warming-256515

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

June 4, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Social media’s push for the perfect muscular body is fuelling a new form of disordered eating — and young men are most at risk

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Alison Fixsen, Senior Lecturer Psychology, University of Westminster

Young men are most likely to follow eating habits consistent with Mode. Elkhophoto/ Shutterstock

From celebrities and influencers to everyday people, social media is full of content that showcases perfectly toned, muscular bodies – and how to achieve them. Having a muscular physique is no longer confined to elite athletes and body builders – it has become a widely popular aspiration.

But alongside the rising popularity of this kind of content has been an increase in the pressure that both men and women are feeling to achieve a more athletic, muscular physique. This seemingly healthy trend has coincided with the detection of a new form of disordered eating.

Muscularity oriented disordered eating (Mode) refers to a set of disordered eating habits driven by an excessive focus on lean muscle gain. This includes excessive consumption of protein supplements and drinks, rigid diet patterns, meticulous tracking of macronutrients (protein, carbs and fat in food) and frequent muscle checking.

Unlike eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia, Mode is specifically related to muscularity and predominantly affects young men. But, as with other forms of disordered eating, Mode can disrupt daily life, harm social relationships and diminish emotional wellbeing.

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Social media plays a significant and multifaceted role in Mode. While social media can sometimes offer helpful health and fitness information, social media algorithms also amplify content of extreme or visually striking bodies that garner attention.

Platforms such as Instagram and TikTok are saturated with “fitspiration” content. Posed shots and before and after photos suggest that “fitspiration” content may be about appearance rather than health. These highly curated depictions of idealised, muscular bodies not only reinforce unrealistic body ideals, they can also foster dissatisfaction with body image, increase muscle fixation and lead to disordered forms of eating.

Read more:
Body dysmorphic disorder: what to know about this mental health condition

Many social media influencers also promote unattainable body standards, unsustainable lifestyles and extreme eating habits. These include the daily use of protein supplements, rigorous tracking of macronutrients, extreme workouts and the use of drugs (including anabolic steroids) to enhance performance.

Some influencers even partner with fitness supplement companies, becoming the image for a specific brand or food product. This can incentivise social media users to purchase those products and follow similar dietary habits without seeking professional advice or examining the risks.

While not every fitness enthusiast is at risk of developing Mode, this intense preoccupation with muscle growth is growing. According to one 2019 study, 22% of males and 5% of females aged 18–20 reported engaging in behaviour consistent with Mode.

College students may be particularly at risk of Mode due to their high use of social media and because they’re often in control of their diet for the first time.

Mode has been closely associated with preoccupation with body image, which is known to be linked with unhealthy, body-changing behaviours.

Obsessively tracking protein intake, consuming supplements and following a rigid diet are all associated with Mode.
George Rudy/ Shutterstock

Several other factors have also been associated with Mode. These include exercising specifically to gain weight, perceiving oneself as underweight, having a lower body mass index (BMI), practising weightlifting and using anabolic steroids. Among males, alcohol consumption is linked to Mode, while depressive symptoms were a notable factor for females.

Mode has also been reported at comparable rates in many countries around the world – including the United States, Canada and Iran.

Risk of harm

There are many physical and mental harms that may be associated with Mode.

For instance, the condition is associated with a variety of disordered eating patterns. Fixation on muscle development can trigger or exacerbate eating disorders, notably binge eating. Orthorexia nervosa – a pathological and potentially harmful focus on “healthy eating” – is also frequently recorded in fitness communities.

While women were once the main audience for the health food market, health supplements and protein products are increasingly targeted at men.

According to a US study, more than 80% of male college students reported using whey protein powders or shakes, and more than 50% used the supplement creatine monohydrate to increase muscle mass and strength. Alarmingly, 82% of anabolic-androgenic steroid users in the study were also from this demographic. Steroid use is associated with serious side effects, including mood swings and sexual dysfunction.

Over-consumption of protein products can be harmful to health. While it’s true your body needs more protein when you are more active, not all muscle-building products are necessarily healthy. Protein shakes, for example, can be highly processed.

Some products contain artificial sweeteners and thickeners. They may also contain potentially harmful chemicals such as heavy metals (including lead and aluminium).

Over-consumption of protein products has also been linked to gut and metabolic disturbances. It’s important that protein shakes and bars aren’t used as replacements for natural protein sources, such as pulses, meat, fish or dairy foods.

On a social and emotional level, Mode is associated with disruptions to daily life and social isolation, with the person prioritising diet and fitness plans over work, school and relationships. In one study, male bodybuilders who followed an extreme, muscle-focused diet reported they felt guilty and disappointed in themselves if they deviated from their lifestyle – with their dietary needs affecting their work.

Women with Mode have reported significant levels of depression and anxiety, and were more likely to feel socially isolated.

Read more:
Body image issues are rising in men – research suggests techniques to improve it

Recognising Mode as a legitimate public health concern is essential for cultivating a more inclusive and healthy fitness culture. While continuing to support efforts to exercise more and stay healthy, schools, colleges, gyms and fitness instructors should be mindful of the potential for Mode among people who are excessively focused on their physical appearance or over-frequenting the gym.

More work needs to be done to identify Mode risk factors and prevent further escalation. The fitness industry should also be held to greater account for the products and lifestyles they promote.

Alison Fixsen 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. Social media’s push for the perfect muscular body is fuelling a new form of disordered eating — and young men are most at risk – https://theconversation.com/social-medias-push-for-the-perfect-muscular-body-is-fuelling-a-new-form-of-disordered-eating-and-young-men-are-most-at-risk-254157

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

June 4, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Autocrats don’t act like Hitler or Stalin anymore − instead of governing with violence, they use manipulation

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Daniel Treisman, Professor of Political Science, University of California, Los Angeles

Autocrats today tend to govern by manipulation of the public, among other tactics, rather than solely using violence. Nanzeeba Ibnat/iStock/Getty Images Plus

President Donald Trump’s critics often accuse him of harboring authoritarian ambitions. Journalists and scholars have drawn parallels between his leadership style and that of strongmen abroad. Some Democrats warn that the U.S. is sliding toward autocracy – a system in which one leader holds unchecked power.

Others counter that labeling Trump an autocrat is alarmist. After all, he hasn’t suspended the Constitution, forced school children to memorize his sayings or executed his rivals, as dictators such as Augusto Pinochet, Mao Zedong and Saddam Hussein once did.

But modern autocrats don’t always resemble their 20th-century predecessors.

Instead, they project a polished image, avoid overt violence and speak the language of democracy. They wear suits, hold elections and talk about the will of the people. Rather than terrorizing citizens, many use media control and messaging to shape public opinion and promote nationalist narratives. Many gain power not through military coups but at the ballot box.

The softer power of today’s autocrats

In the early 2000s, political scientist Andreas Schedler coined the term “electoral authoritarianism” to describe regimes that hold elections without real competition. Scholars Steven Levitsky and Lucan Way use another phrase, “competitive authoritarianism,” for systems in which opposition parties exist but leaders undermine them through censorship, electoral fraud or legal manipulation.

In my own work with economist Sergei Guriev, we explore a broader strategy that modern autocrats use to gain and maintain power. We call this “informational autocracy” or “spin dictatorship.”

These leaders don’t rely on violent repression. Instead, they craft the illusion that they are competent, democratic defenders of the nation – protecting it from foreign threats or internal enemies who seek to undermine its culture or steal its wealth.

President Donald Trump appears at an Air Force base in Doha, Qatar, on May 15, 2025.
Win McNamee/Getty Images

Hungary’s democratic facade

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán exemplifies this approach. He first served from 1998 to 2002, returned to power in 2010 and has since won three more elections – in 2014, 2018 and 2022 – after campaigns that international observers criticized as “intimidating and xenophobic.”

Orbán has preserved the formal structures of democracy – courts, a parliament and regular elections – but has systematically hollowed them out.

In his first two years he packed Hungary’s constitutional court, which reviews laws for constitutionality, with loyalists, forced judges off the bench by mandating a lower retirement age and rewrote the constitution to limit judicial review of his actions. He also tightened government control over independent media.

To boost his image, Orbán funneled state advertising funds to friendly news outlets. In 2016, an ally bought Hungary’s largest opposition newspaper – then shut it down.

Orbán has also targeted advocacy groups and universities. The Central European University, which was registered in both Budapest and the U.S., was once a symbol of the new democratic Hungary. But a law penalizing foreign-accredited institutions forced it to relocate to Vienna in 2020.

Yet Orbán has mostly avoided violence. Journalists are harassed rather than jailed or killed. Critics are discredited for their beliefs but not abducted. His appeal rests on a narrative that Hungary is under siege – by immigrants, liberal elites and foreign influences – and that only he can defend its sovereignty and Christian identity. That message resonates with older, rural, conservative voters, even as it alienates younger, urban populations.

A global shift in autocrats

In recent decades, variants of spin dictatorship have appeared in Singapore, Malaysia, Kazakhstan, Russia, Ecuador and Venezuela. Leaders such as Hugo Chávez and the early Vladimir Putin consolidated power and marginalized opposition with minimal violence.

Data confirm this trend. Drawing from human rights reports, historical records and local media, my colleague Sergei Guriev and I found that the global incidence of political killings and imprisonments by autocrats dropped significantly from the 1980s to the 2010s.

Why? In an interconnected world, overt repression has costs. Attacking journalists and dissidents can prompt foreign governments to impose economic sanctions and discourage international companies from investing. Curbing free expression risks stifling scientific and technological innovation – something even autocrats need in modern, knowledge-based economies.

Still, when crises erupt, even spin dictators often revert to more traditional tactics. Russia’s Putin has cracked down violently on
protesters and jailed opposition leaders. Meanwhile, more brutal regimes such as those in North Korea and China continue to rule by spreading fear, combining mass incarceration with advanced surveillance technologies.

But overall, spin is replacing terror.

America too?

Most experts, myself included, agree that the U.S. remains a democracy.

Yet some of Trump’s tactics resemble those of informational autocrats. He has attacked the press, defied court rulings and pressured universities to curtail academic independence and limit international admissions. His admiration for strongmen such as Putin, China’s Xi Jinping and El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele alarms observers. At the same time, Trump routinely denigrates democratic allies and international institutions such as the United Nations and NATO.

Some experts say democracy depends on politicians’ self restraint. But a system that survives only if leaders choose to respect its limits is not much of a system at all.
What matters more is whether the press, judiciary, nonprofit organizations, professional associations, churches, unions, universities and citizens have the power – and the will – to hold leaders accountable.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán delivers a speech at a hotel in Madrid on Feb. 8, 2025.
Thomas Coex/AFP via Getty Images

Preserving democracy in the US

Wealthy democracies such as the U.S., Canada and many Western European countries benefit from robust institutions such as newspapers, universities, courts and advocacy groups that act as checks on government.

Such institutions help explain why populists such as Italy’s Silvio Berlusconi or Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu, although accused of bending electoral rules and threatening judicial independence, have not dismantled democracy outright in their countries.

In the U.S., the Constitution provides another layer of protection. Amending it requires a two-thirds majority in both houses of Congress and ratification by three-quarters of the states – a far steeper hurdle than in Hungary, where Orbán needed only a two-thirds parliamentary majority to rewrite the constitution.

Of course, even the U.S. Constitution can be undermined if a president defies the Supreme Court. But doing so risks igniting a constitutional crisis and alienating key supporters.

That doesn’t mean American democracy is safe from erosion. But its institutional foundations are older, deeper and more decentralized than those of many newer democracies. Its federal structure, with overlapping jurisdictions and multiple veto points, makes it harder for any one leader to dominate.

Still, the global rise of spin dictatorships should sharpen awareness of what is happening in the U.S. Around the world, autocrats have learned to control their citizens by faking democracy. Understanding their techniques may help Americans to preserve the real thing.

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

– ref. Autocrats don’t act like Hitler or Stalin anymore − instead of governing with violence, they use manipulation – https://theconversation.com/autocrats-dont-act-like-hitler-or-stalin-anymore-instead-of-governing-with-violence-they-use-manipulation-256665

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

June 4, 2025
MIL-OSI Video: UK The FCDO’s approach to displaced people – International Development Committee

Source: United Kingdom UK Parliament (video statements)

Ahead of the Spending Review and amid sharp aid cuts, how will the UK Government ensure its development spending delivers value for money, and how is it approaching the long-term needs of people displaced from their homes?

MPs will ask Development Minister Baroness Chapman to set out the Government’s position on these issues as she gives evidence to the International Development Committee on Tuesday 3 June. Defending the Government’s decision to cut aid to 0.3% of gross national income (GNI) the Minister previously told the Committee that the days of “viewing the UK Government as a global charity are over”, and said the UK would focus on “partnering, not paternalism,” helping other countries to build their own capacity for development.

MPs will likely ask the Minister how she and her department would define value for money in aid, what role philanthropic organisations and the private sector will play in development, and whether these partnerships can deliver the same value for money as direct UK aid spending.

Key witness: The Baroness Chapman of Darlington

Minister of State for International Development, Latin America and the Caribbean at Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWReGtoqBWM

MIL OSI Video –

June 4, 2025
MIL-OSI: Sagtec Unveils AI-Powered Robotics Platform to Redefine Front-of-House Dining Operations
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Sagtec Global Limited (NASDAQ: SAGT) (“Sagtec” or the “Company”), a technology innovator in customizable software and AI systems, today announced the commercial launch of its AI-powered robotics platform, engineered to transform front-of-house operations across the global hospitality sector.

Designed to address one of the industry’s most pressing challenges: labor-intensive service operations, the platform combines autonomous robotics, proprietary AI algorithms, and real-time software orchestration. With early traction from multinational restaurant groups and franchise chains, Sagtec is positioning this solution as a foundational pillar for intelligent automation in dining environments.

“This launch represents more than just a new product; it’s a leap forward in hospitality automation. Our AI-powered platform evolves with each deployment, enhancing user experience, brand personalization, and service efficiency. We are targeting over 500 new robotic kiosk subscriptions within the next 12 months, supported by growing demand across Southeast Asia and the Middle East,” said Kevin Ng, Chairman, Executive Director, and Chief Executive Officer of Sagtec.

Key features of the platform include:
- Autonomous robotic navigation and AI-driven spatial awareness for seamless, real-time delivery in dynamic restaurant environments
- Natural language ordering with multilingual voice engagement and facial recognition
- Precision robotic arm integration for hygienic, consistent delivery
- Full point-of-sale (POS) software integration enabling real-time syncing with ordering systems
- Customizable UI/UX for brand-specific voice design, themes, and ambient behaviour.
The platform is structured to generate high-margin, recurring revenue through multiple monetization streams:
- Hardware sales and robotic leasing subscriptions
- Licensing of Sagtec’s proprietary AI software layer, including conversational and behavioral intelligence
- Predictive diagnostics and tiered maintenance contracts for optimized uptime and support
- Customization and branding packages tailored to enterprise and franchise clients
This launch marks a significant expansion of Sagtec’s total addressable market (TAM) and strengthens the Company’s long-term earnings visibility. According to Fortune Business Insights, the global service robotics market is projected to exceed US$90.1 billion by 2032, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19.2% from 2025. Sagtec’s offering is strategically positioned to capitalize on this momentum, particularly as the hospitality sector faces a projected shortfall of 14 million workers by 2030, according to the World Economic Forum.

By entering the intelligent robotics space, Sagtec is establishing itself as a key AI systems provider within one of the fastest-growing automation segments. With a scalable SaaS-style licensing model, flexible hardware leasing, and enterprise-grade customization, the Company is building a defensible, multi-layered ecosystem designed to deliver predictable, repeatable revenue growth in the years ahead.

About Sagtec Global Limited

Sagtec is a leading provider of customizable software solutions, primarily serving the Food & Beverage (F&B) sector. The Company also offers software development, data management, and social media management to enhance operational efficiency across various industries. Additionally, Sagtec operates power-bank charging stations at 300 locations across Malaysia through its subsidiary, CL Technology (International) Sdn Bhd.

For more information on the Company, please log on to https://www.sagtec-global.com/.

Contact Information:

Sagtec Global Limited Contact:
Ng Chen Lok
Chairman, Executive Director & Chief Executive Officer
Phone: +6011-6217 3661
Email: info@sagtec-global.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a059645c-52b1-4fe2-8a27-333130176a29

The MIL Network –
June 4, 2025

MIL-OSI Banking: RBI imposes monetary penalty on Khush Housing Finance Private Limited, Mumbai, Maharashtra

Source: Reserve Bank of India

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, by an order dated May 19, 2025, imposed a monetary penalty of ₹16,000 (Rupees Sixteen Thousand only) on Khush Housing Finance Private Limited, Mumbai, Maharashtra (the company) for non-compliance with certain directions issued by RBI on ‘Know Your Customer (KYC)’. This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers conferred on RBI under the provisions of Section 52A of the National Housing Bank Act, 1987.

The statutory inspection of the company was conducted by the National Housing Bank with reference to its financial position as on March 31, 2022 and March 31, 2023. Based on supervisory findings of non-compliance with RBI directions and related correspondence in that regard, a notice was issued to the company advising it to show cause as to why penalty should not be imposed on it for its failure to comply with the said directions. After considering the company’s reply to the notice and oral submissions made during the personal hearing, RBI found, inter alia, that the following charge against the company was sustained, warranting imposition of monetary penalty:

The company had failed to carry out risk categorisation of its customers.

This action is based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the company with its customers. Further, imposition of monetary penalty is without prejudice to any other action that may be initiated by RBI against the company.

(Puneet Pancholy)
Chief General Manager

Press Release: 2025-2026/468

MIL OSI Global Banks –

June 4, 2025

MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Lisa Nandy speech at Media & Telecoms 2025 and Beyond Conference

Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

Speech

Lisa Nandy speech at Media & Telecoms 2025 and Beyond Conference

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy’s keynote speech at the Deloitte and Enders Analysis’ Media & Telecoms 2025 & Beyond Conference in London.

I said when I addressed the Royal Television Society at the end of last year that there is a choice ahead of us, whether we choose to be the last guardians of this chapter or the first pioneers of the next. And those of you in this room are those pioneers, public service broadcasters, providing an engine room of talent development and creativity, a strong independent sector producing and distributing British content seen at home and around the world on screens big and small, a rich and varied press holding the powerful to account, not always comfortably for us in government, but essential to the functioning of a healthy democracy, and an advertising ecosystem that underpins all of this and makes it possible.

You and your sectors are central to the cultural, democratic and economic life of this country and many other countries around the world. This government values what your sectors bring to the economy, to skills and good jobs, and as a symbol of that, we have chosen to back the creative industries as one of the eight highest growth industries in the UK in our forthcoming industrial strategy. Over the last decade, the creative industries have increased their output at more than one and a half times the rate of the rest of the economy. They, you, are a major UK employer. You drive growth at home and you project the UK overseas. Collectively, you underpin a hugely important industry for this country. And whilst we will have more to say on the sector plan shortly, that will put rocket boosters under the creative industries, I want to say now that this government recognises your value and we have your back.

But the media is, and always has been, about much more than that. And there’s one issue above many others that I want to talk with you about today. Trust. Last summer, when many of our towns and cities went up in flames, nobody could ignore the fractured nature of society. We have found multiple ways to divide ourselves from one another over recent decades, and it feels at times that we’ve lost the ability to understand one another. When people are working harder than ever before, but can’t make ends meet, when their contribution is not seen or valued, when politicians display a violent indifference to the things that matter, a decent high street, transport, a viable football club, it is no wonder that people lose trust, trust in our leaders, trust in our democratic institutions and trust in each other.

That’s when news and information becomes critical. Not the sort of news and information that helps to polarise and divide, but trust in news that builds a shared understanding of the world.

And we’re all of us in this room custodians, custodians of our institutions, but more than that, custodians of a cohesive, self confident country. And who of us can look at this country and the world right now and say that we’re succeeding?

We know that people rate traditional news sources high on trust, accuracy and impartiality. We also know that news sourced via social media is rated significantly lower, and I think we’re all aware of the darker side of social media, where facts are disputed and division is sown. Against that backdrop, your work is not just important, it is central to the future of this nation.

I’ve always believed in the power of media, because it is in my blood. My mum was one of the only female editors at Granada TV in 1989, running a busy newsroom on the day that Hillsborough happened. I remember vividly as a 10 year old sitting in the newsroom with my sister until late into the night as the horrific scenes unfolded, watching her make the agonising call for the cameramen on the ground to keep filming rather than aid the rescue effort. That footage would later become critical in achieving justice for the 97, revealing evidence of a cover up and improving safety in stands at football grounds.

I watched my stepdad make the call to commission ‘Who Bombed Birmingham?’ and persist with the program over several months despite intense opposition. That documentary didn’t just go on to ensure the release of the Birmingham Six. It exposed a miscarriage of justice that would send shockwaves through the country and lead to major reforms to the criminal justice system that persist to this day. It’s in these moments that great journalism shines a light into the darkest parts of our country, holds up a mirror to those in power, and reasserts the power of the people.

I can think of no better recent example of this than last summer, as our towns and cities were set ablaze by violent thugs. It was local media on the ground who countered mis- and disinformation in real time. And they told the real story, the story of our communities, who came together to defend all of us in all of our diversity and led the community fightback.

Our national and local media is, in short, too important to fail. But we appreciate as a government that you are businesses with a bottom line, and you have been operating in the toughest of environments for some time. You don’t need me to tell you that consumer habits are changing. Seventy one percent of UK adults consume online news in some capacity, twice as many as a decade ago, and that includes some eighty eight percent of 16 to 24 year olds. Just one in 10 pick up a print newspaper, compared to over half of over 75s. And for Gen Z, internet influencers are considered almost as trustworthy as traditional media. So I’m glad that the next session in this conference is focused on news and media in the AI age.

But these aren’t the only changes that we are collectively grappling with. When it comes to the media sector, there is enormous upheaval. Print advertising is down by a third, but online advertising has more than doubled. Broadcast viewing is down by a quarter, but on demand viewing is soaring, and the advent of AI, with its enormous potential to support creativity, comes with fresh challenges around copyright, authorship and fair compensation. The consequences of this can be stark and they can be uneven. Take, for example, the dramatic shift in TV commissioning patterns that have seen the UK become a world leader in high end, at the same time that smaller producers have seen the value of their commissions fall by a third and too many talented creatives left out of work.

We’re living through a revolution, but just as with the invention of the printing press and every revolution since, we don’t run from it, we adapt again, and we learn how to become stronger for it, in a new age. And at a crucial point in our history, governments have always proactively partnered with industry to forge a new path forward, like the Annan Committee in 1974, a landmark review into the future of broadcasting that my dad was a member of. It led to the creation of Channel Four, a recognition that the country had changed, with working classes, women and minority communities crying out to be heard in this new society and a nation that needed to define itself once again.

We’re in a similar period of transition now, and transitions need to be managed. Our job as a government is to create the framework so you can keep providing rigorous journalism in an evolving news landscape, among which the creative output that is only produced by people coming together across every part of the United Kingdom, that resonates with them and their lives. That’s why we’ve already acted in the last year to fix the foundations, implementing the Online Safety Act to keep users safe while protecting press and media freedom, recognising the value and importance of recognised news publisher content. Implementing the new digital markets regimes to allow you to challenge market dominance that negatively impacts your business, and convening the National Committee for the Safety of Journalists, to bring industry and government together to protect journalists and allow you to speak truth to power.

I’ve heard from you the need for fair competition and a government that supports you. That’s why we’ve already acted to protect the sustainability of the sector, implementing the Media Act, delivering a new, more sustainable settlement for our public service broadcasters, so they can continue to invest in high quality original UK content, as well as a level playing field for our radio stations. Hearing your concerns about less healthy food advertising restrictions and acting quickly to support clarity and common sense. Increasing funding for community radio stations this year to £1 million to help support hyper local stations that represent and unite their communities. Providing clarity on foreign state ownership of newspaper enterprises, a tough and crucially workable regime to protect our newspapers from foreign interference, while ensuring sustainable investment so that our papers can thrive, and making changes to the media ownership regime to protect news in all its forms from influences that could risk our plural and trusted media.

But I do want to pause for a moment on AI, which has been the subject rightly of so much debate, not just here, but across the world. We are determined to find a way forward that works for the creative industry and creators, as well as the tech industries. Creators are the innovators, fundamental to our economic success in the future. And with my colleague Peter Kyle, we’re working together to find a better solution. The issue of AI and copyright needs to be properly considered and enforceable legislation drafted with the inclusion, involvement and experience of both creatives and technologists. And so as soon as the Data Bill is passed by Parliament, Peter and I will begin a series of roundtables with representatives from across the creative industries to develop legislation, with both houses of Parliament given time to consider it before we proceed. We approach you with no preferred option in mind. During the consultation we have heard you loud and clear that what works for one part of the creative industries doesn’t work for another. Now you know as well as I do that in this international landscape, there are no easy solutions, but this government is determined to work with you to find a solution with transparency and trust as its foundation. We have heard you loud and clear.

I will never stop working for creatives to deliver solutions, transparency and the empowerment that you need in the digital age. We are a Labour government, and the principle of people must be paid for their work is foundational, and you have our word that if it doesn’t work for the creative industries, it will not work for us.

People are at the heart of this industry, and so we’ve also acted to support the people at the heart of this sector, supporting the launch of CIISA to tackle head on the issues of workplace culture that have plagued our creative industries for too long and denied us a chance to harness the full range of talent that exists in our country. I’ve been particularly pleased to see the BBC’s recent announcement that it will no longer commission companies who are not signed up to the CIISA standards. That is what leadership looks like. I’m publishing updated online safety guidance to support journalists to report in the public interest without fear. I’m proud of what we’ve been able to achieve together in just one year.

But as the sector evolves, so must we, and we want a vibrant and sustainable media ecosystem with PSBs, streamers, indies, radio, TV, press, thriving across the UK, and not just individually, but collaborating together to invest in the skills, infrastructure and co-productions that we need, and when you do well, we won’t penalise you through new taxes and levies, but ensure that we have a regulatory framework that incentivises inward investment that creates opportunities for businesses, both big and small, and the UK talent to be showcased across the world.

Take Bad Wolf as an example. First, a successful indie partnering with the BBC, then getting long term investment from Sky, HBO and most recently Sony, and now with the help of the Welsh Government, one of the anchor tenants of the Cardiff creative cluster. Or the growing cluster of audio producers in Manchester, such as Made in Manchester and Audio Always supported by the shift of BBC commissioning to the region.

I told you this government would have your back, and we will. Over the coming months, we will build on Ofcom’s Public Service Media Review during the summer by taking action to ensure our public service broadcasters can continue to do what they do best long into the future. We will publish a Local Media Strategy to ensure that people in every town, city and village can access trust in news that reflects their lives as reserves better, helping them to hold local public services to account. As a government, we are committed to the biggest devolution of power out of Westminster and Whitehall in a generation, which will make local news and local media the most important that it has ever been.

We will launch the BBC Charter Review later this year to support a BBC that is empowered to continue to deliver a vital public service funded in a sustainable way. A BBC that can maintain the trust and support of the public in difficult times, support the wider ecosystem, and that is set up to drive growth in every part of the United Kingdom.

Later this month, we’ll publish a Creative Industries Sector Plan to turbocharge the growth of creative industries right across the UK. To support film and TV clusters from Birmingham to Belfast. To tap into the huge potential for growth that exists across our country.

My commitment to you is an open and collaborative partnership with the government so that we can walk through this transition together. We will play our part, but we need you to play yours. We need more collaboration within your sector and especially between our public service broadcasters, to tackle these great social and economic challenges, working together in a number of areas, particularly tackling mis- and disinformation and promoting high quality news by investing in your journalism arms, partnering more rather than competing with or undercutting local news publishers, improving media literacy by helping consumers find and recognise accurate and impartial news reporting, supporting initiatives like BBC Verify and the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

We need you to work together to promote high quality children’s content. We all want our young people to grow up to see the high quality content that will educate and inform and equip them for the world. But also to inspire young people who see themselves and their opportunities in your content, bringing untold benefit to the industry in inspiring future generations of content makers. We make great children’s content in the United Kingdom, but we don’t collectively promote it enough.

And also to understand how you can lead on this great transformation, thinking creatively about alternative ways to monetise your content and assets, and crucially, working together to move to where people are building on and developing more shared platforms and operations, like freely at radio player to help manage costs that make it easier for audiences to access your content.

We need you to take seriously the need to shift resources, opportunities and commissioning power to every nation and region. There is a principle that will run through our industrial strategy like a thread: economic growth, good jobs, skills and opportunities. Not just in one part of the country, but in every single nation and region, across our towns, villages and cities. So we need you to step up and do more, not just paying lip service to the need for regional and national content, but really embedding yourselves in those communities to make sure that those voices are heard, those stories are told. Because talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not.

In a world where trust is at a premium, it’s easy to draw divisions: broadcasters versus streamers, online versus print, local versus national, big versus small. But we have to reject that way of thinking. Because despite all the talk of challenges, and there are many, the fundamentals of our media sectors are strong. They have great talent and infrastructure, and I hope that we can work together to create a great policy framework too, so that you can continue to be the custodians of our national life and usher this country into the coming decade.

It’s my firm belief that this country has been through difficult times, buffeted by global forces and decision-making at home, and we need to take this moment to recover our sense of self confidence. When it comes to the creative industries, whether it’s film, TV, fashion, music, arts, culture, we are really good at this stuff. We light up the world with the content that we’re able to make and produce and we change lives here, at home and overseas.

Recently, I was in India and then Japan, and I couldn’t fail to be impressed by the esteem in which British media and creatives are held. Millions of people around the world watch big budget dramas like ‘Doctor Who’ and ‘Bridgerton’, but they also watch a slew of other fantastic shows and formats from ‘Planet Earth’ to ‘Come Dine With Me’ and everything in between. They read our news, they watch our adverts, they listen to our podcasts.

What that does is not just project the UK to the rest of the world, but it connects people in an increasingly fragmented, divided and polarised world. So many of the people I spoke to wanted to come and make things in the UK with the UK, we are a cultural powerhouse. No one will be a more passionate advocate for our sectors than me or our ministerial colleagues at DCMS.

So know that you have our full support as we enter this new era. Know that I am confident that if we work together, we can face head-on these challenges and make the most of change as a country. We’ve been drifting too long, but now is the time to chart a new course, a media that is fiercely independent, that creates and produces some of the best content in the world. That draws on the talent that exists in every corner of our country to shape, define and give voice to our national story, and provide those moments that bring us together in shared experience at a time when so much of our consumption is fractured and polarising. As we look to this new era and a new country, let nobody say that it falls to anybody else. It falls to us.

Updates to this page

Published 3 June 2025

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

June 4, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: AFRICA/UGANDA – Failed attack near the Basilica of the Uganda Martyrs on their commemoration day; two suicide bombers killed

Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

Kampala (Agenzia Fides) – On the morning of June 3, an explosion occurred approximately 500 meters from the Uganda Martyrs Shrine in Munyonyo. According to the Ugandan Army (UPDF), the explosion occurred during an operation to thwart an attack. “This morning, a UPDF counter-terrorism unit intercepted and neutralized two armed terrorists in Munyonyo, an upscale city suburb. It was an intelligence-led operation, and the security services are on heightened alert to ensure the Martyrs Day celebrations proceed without disruption,” an army spokesperson said.June 3 marks the liturgical feast of the Holy Martyrs of Uganda: a group of 22 Catholic and 23 Anglican converts to Christianity in the kingdom of Buganda, now part of Uganda, who were executed between 31 January 1885 and 27 January 1887.During these days, the Munyonyo Shrine – erected as a Minor Basilica in 2019—welcomes nearly two and a half million pilgrims, from not only Uganda but also from neighboring countries and other regions of the world.According to preliminary reports, the two alleged attackers, who were wearing explosive vests and were allegedly trying to access the basilica, were intercepted by an anti-terrorist unit. “Our specialized counter terrorism combat unit opened fire at the terrorists, sparking an explosion that killed them,” a military source stated. The dismembered bodies of the terrorists were found at the scene, along with the remains of a motorcycle destroyed by the explosion. The area was cordoned off to allow the intervention of military bomb disposal units, who verified the absence of other explosive devices, and to facilitate the work of forensic investigation teams. Security authorities are now working to identify the suspects, determine their targets, and clarify whether they were acting on their own or as part of a broader terrorist network.Police Inspector General Abbas Byakagaba urged the public to remain calm and cooperate with the authorities by reporting any suspicious person, object, or activity. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 3/6/2025)
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June 4, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: ASIA/VIETNAM – Marian Jubilee Pilgrimage: places Mary at the center of the feast of Pentecost

Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

Diocese Da Nang

Da Nang (Agenzia Fides) – More than ten thousand faithful, from all the parishes and communities of the vast diocese of Da Nang – which covers more than 10,000 square kilometers in central Vietnam – participated in the Jubilee pilgrimage to the Marian Shrine of Our Lady of Tra Kieu, on the occasion of the Holy Year 2025. The Marian site, deeply rooted in popular devotion, commemorates an apparition of the Virgin Mary that occurred 140 years ago, when, according to local tradition, the Mother of God appeared to console, encourage, and help her children in times of difficulty. The pilgrimage – celebrated on the Solemnity of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary – has been defined as “an event of love, faith, commitment, and service, an opportunity to profess one’s faith in the face of the challenges of the present time,” explained to Archbishop Joseph Dang Duc, Coadjutor of the Archdiocese of Hue and, at the same time, Apostolic Administrator of Da Nang. The prelate presided over the solemn Eucharist, concelebrated by hundreds of priests, and attended by numerous men and women religious, and lay faithful.The pilgrimage had a double meaning: on the one hand, it concluded the traditional “month of flowers” – the month of May, dedicated in Vietnam to Marian devotion—and, on the other, it served as spiritual preparation for the Solemnity of Pentecost. The Vietnamese Catholic community, which represents approximately 7% of the country’s population (about seven million faithful), expresses a profound devotion to the Virgin Mary. Throughout the month, the faithful participated in celebrations, prayer vigils, open-air Masses, and community rosaries at Marian shrines, where fresh flowers were offered as a sign of love and gratitude to the Mother of God. The pilgrimage was also a celebration of Mary as the “Woman of Pentecost,” which falls on June 8. The faithful go to the places where the Virgin Mary appeared to save Catholics during the bloody persecutions in the history of the Vietnamese Church, such as Our Lady of La Vang in the Diocese of Hue, Our Lady of Nui Cui in the Diocese of Xuan Loc, or Our Lady of Tra Kieu in the Diocese of Da Nang, to ask for her protection. Mary, in fact, filled with the Holy Spirit, demonstrates in herself the work that the Spirit accomplishes in every believer. “Mary,” was the reflection proposed to the faithful by the Vicar General, Father Bonaventura Mai Thai, “is in the Cenacle as the first to receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Mary is a great connoisseur of the Spirit’s action. She lives in a profound relationship with God and the Holy Spirit, thus becoming a model for the apostles and for all of us. Mary is a model of openness and acceptance of the Spirit of God. Contemplating Mary at Pentecost, we have the opportunity to allow ourselves to be shaped by the Holy Spirit to transmit God’s love to the world.”The figure of Mary, who sets out to reach Elizabeth’s house, Archbishop Joseph Dang Duc noted, is “the image and model of a synodal Church, a Church that knows how to go out of herself to encounter, listen to, and serve her neighbor.” “Mission today means not remaining locked up at home or in church, but is an invitation for all to reach out to the poor, the suffering, and the marginalized who need support, comfort, and encouragement, starting with those at our side, in our families or in our communities.” Mary,” he added, “was filled with the Holy Spirit. This is an important reminder for all members of the People of God in our diocese. All activities, community gatherings, liturgies, and pilgrimages, without the grace of the Holy Spirit, will be purely social gatherings. With the presence of the Holy Spirit, they will be spiritual moments lived in the presence of God, and will bring renewal, true joy, and peace to hearts. Today, each of us, regardless of our status and mission, whether priest, religious, or lay person, is invited to live in a spirit of gratitude, humility, and dedication, like the Virgin Mary, to know how to trust, praise, and give thanks to God.”Thus, he concluded, “the pilgrimage to the Marian shrine of Tra Kieu is not only an individual act, but a communal act to renew our vocation and mission, since we are all the people of God and we are all walking together in faith, in love, toward evangelization.”The Diocese of Da Nang has been the cradle of Catholicism in southern Vietnam. The roots of Christian preaching date back to three Jesuit missionaries who landed in Hoi An in 1615 and began their work of evangelization. One of the fruits of their preaching was the first Vietnamese blessed and martyr, Blessed Andrew of Phu Yen, a catechist beatified in 2000 by Pope Saint John Paul II. In the 17th and 18th centuries, Da Nang was one of the main centers of the diocese of Cochinchina (in southern Vietnam), a place from where missionaries departed.The Marian shrine of Tra Kieu, located in Quang Nam province, is a well-known pilgrimage destination. In September 1885, the Blessed Virgin Mary is said to have appeared at the top of the church in the Catholic village of Tra Kieu to help parishioners defeat the royal soldiers who were trying to exterminate the village’s Christian inhabitants. John XXIII created the Diocese of Da Nang on January 18, 1963. The territory includes the city of Da Nang and the province of Quang Nam. Currently, the diocese has 73,000 Catholics out of a population of 2.7 million, and has 51 parishes. (PA/AD) (Agenzia Fides, 3/6/2025)

Diocese Da Nang

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June 4, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: AFRICA/KENYA – Father Bett buried in Eldoret: Senators call for a commission to investigate the murders of priests

Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

Tuesday, 3 June 2025

Upendo fm 89.4/Diocese of Eldoret

Eldoret (Agenzia Fides) – The Catholic community mourns the loss of Father Allois Cheruiyot Bett, the 33-year-old Catholic priest who was shot dead on May 22 (see Fides, 23/5/2025) in the Tot area of the Kerio Valley in Kenya after celebrating Mass in the village of Kabien. The priest’s funeral took place yesterday afternoon, Monday, June 2, at the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Eldoret.Hundreds of people attended the funeral mass, presided over by Bishop Dominic Kimengich, who had already gathered for a prayer vigil inside and outside the Cathedral since Sunday evening, June 1. In his homily, the bishop recalled the pastoral service Father Bett has provided in recent years in the Kerio Valley, an area of Kenya marked by instability, where constant violence has forced missionary sisters to close their facilities (see Fides, 2/6/2025). He “dedicated his life to the service of God and his people. It is a great loss for the Church and the community. We continue to ask for justice for him. His murderers must be brought to justice,” the bishop said, before asking for prayers for peace in the Kerio Valley.While Father Bett was being laid to rest in the Holy Family Parish cemetery, a group of senators in Nairobi urgently called for a government commission of inquiry to investigate the cases of murdered Catholic priests. A phenomenon, according to the senators, that “has been going on for decades and has several unsolved cases that fuel public concern.” The events in Kerio Valley, the senators continued, “are indicative of a pattern of targeted violence that has been largely ignored by the State.”These “constant killings can no longer be ignored,” said Boni Khalwale, a senator from Kakamega. Edwin Sifuna, a senator from Nairobi, shared the same opinion: “The Catholic Church has endured traumatic experiences for over 20 years, and the silence of the authorities following these attacks is deeply disturbing. Citizens are closely monitoring how the security forces are handling each case.” (F.B.) (Agenzia Fides, 3/6/2025)
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June 4, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: AFRICA/UGANDA – Munyonyo Explosion: Investigation into whether one of the deceased is the daughter of one of those responsible for the 2021 attacks

Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

Kampala (Agenzia Fides) – Ugandan authorities have identified one of the two people killed this morning, June 3, in the failed attack near the Basilica of the Uganda Martyrs in Munyonyo.Security forces have published a photograph of a young woman, without revealing her name, stating that she is one of the two suspected terrorists intercepted aboard a motorcycle by an anti-terrorist unit, who died in the explosion of the device they were transporting. According to Ugandan police, the young woman is believed to be the daughter of the suicide bomber who blew himself up at the Kampala Central Police Station (CPS) during the series of coordinated terrorist attacks in November 2021 (see Fides, 17/11/2021), also carried out by suicide bombers arriving on motorcycles.The attacks were later claimed by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a jihadist group affiliated with the Islamic State (ISIS). Intelligence officials claim that the young woman was wearing an explosive vest and was trying to access the basilica before being intercepted by UPDF anti-terrorism officers. “After being hit, the explosive vests detonated,” a security source reports. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 3/6/2025)
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June 4, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Action Film ‘Mission: Impossible – Final Payback’ Tops Chinese Box Office During Duanwu Festival

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

BEIJING, June 3 (Xinhua) — Tom Cruise’s “Mission: Impossible – Final Payback” topped China’s box office during the Duanwu holiday, with box office revenue of the American action film exceeding 190 million yuan (about $26.44 million) as of 9 p.m. Monday, June 2, accounting for a significant share of the 457 million yuan total domestic box office for the holiday, according to data from Maoyan.

From May 31 to June 2, China celebrated Duanwu, or the Dragon Boat Festival, which this year coincided with International Children’s Day /June 1/. The results of the film distribution for this period exceeded expectations – for comparison, last year’s figure was 383 million yuan. Analysts attributed the high figure to the combined effect of the double holiday and the appeal of familiar classics.

“Mission: Impossible – Final Payback” opened in Chinese theaters on May 30, the day before the Duanwu Festival, and quickly took first place. By the evening of June 2, the film had already grossed a total of 228 million yuan in China.

“The results of the film distribution during the past holidays this year exceeded expectations and were a pleasant surprise,” said Maoyan analyst Lai Li. “On June 1, Children’s Day, the total ticket sales in the country exceeded 200 million yuan – this is not only the maximum for this day in the last five years, but also the first time the 200 million mark has been surpassed in 84 days,” he said.

In turn, Beacon analyst Chen Jin cited classic works as the basis for this success. Along with the eighth installment of the Mission: Impossible film franchise, the Japanese anime Doraemon has also secured a major success at the Chinese box office: on the ticketing platform Taopiaopiao, the new installment of this series received the highest rating in the history of the franchise – 9.6 out of 10.

The favorable trend may continue into the summer, Lai Li believes. “The better-than-expected results of the Duanwu Festival helped revive the market and provide an early boost for the upcoming summer season,” he said. “We hope that the temperature will not drop and the box office will continue to deliver good results.”

The head of the China Film Critics Association, Zhao Shuguang, also praised the results of the film distribution, which, according to him, gives confidence to Chinese filmmakers. “Regardless of time and place, confidence is more valuable than gold,” he noted.

The impressive box office performance of “Final Payback” shows that Tom Cruise still has strong appeal and influence in China’s film industry, Zhao Shuguang said, calling international films, including Hollywood films, “an important and useful addition to the Chinese film market” and “an integral part of China’s deeper and higher opening up in the film field.” Competition with international films, he stressed, can help improve the quality of Chinese films and ensure their sustainable and long-term growth.

The Mission: Impossible franchise has always done well at the Chinese box office. The previous film, 2023’s Deadly Reckoning, grossed $48.75 million in China, or 8.5 percent of its global total. The first seven installments of the franchise have grossed $487 million in China, or about 11.6 percent of its $4.2 billion worldwide, according to data from the Mojo platform.

The top-grossing films during the Duanwu Festival, according to Maoyan data, also included Japan’s “Doraemon: Tales from Nobita’s Art World” (67 million yuan), China’s “Endless Journey of Love” (63 million yuan), Disney’s “Lilo & Stitch” (51 million yuan), and China’s crime thriller “Behind the Shadows” (38 million yuan). -0-

MIL OSI Russia News –

June 4, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: China has issued a stern warning over the US, Japan, Australia and the Philippines hyping up the so-called “China threat”

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

BEIJING, June 3 (Xinhua) — China has expressed strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition to the United States, Japan, Australia and the Philippines hyping up the so-called “China threat” and inciting regional confrontation over issues related to the East China Sea and South China Sea, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said on Tuesday.

Responding to questions about the negative remarks made by the four countries towards China at the Shangri-La Dialogue forum, Lin Jian told a daily press conference that China had given them a stern reprimand.

“The bloc policy and the clash of camps reflect the mentality of the Cold War era, which is at odds with the spirit of the times and is not welcomed by countries in the region,” Lin Jian said, adding that such actions do not solve the problem and cannot intimidate China.

China’s determination and will to safeguard its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests are unwavering, he said.

“We call on the United States and its allies to stop slandering and smearing China on maritime issues, distorting facts and shifting responsibility to others. They should stop forming exclusive ‘small groups’ and stop actions that undermine or disrupt regional countries’ efforts to resolve disputes through dialogue and maintain peace and stability,” Lin Jian said. -0-

MIL OSI Russia News –

June 4, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: More Foreign Delicacies Served to Chinese Wuhan Festive Tables

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

BEIJING, June 3 (Xinhua) — More foreign-made delicacies appeared on the tables of residents in the major Chinese city of Wuhan during the traditional Duanwu (Dragon Boat) Festival holiday, which ran from May 31 to June 2 this year, the Keji Ribao (science and technology daily) reported.

Eight trains recently arrived in the city, which is the capital of Hubei Province (Central China), as part of the international China-Europe (Central Asia) railway freight transport.

The trains reportedly carried various types of food products to Wuhan, including Kazakh flour, Russian sunflower oil, chocolate, honey, bread products, Danish cookies, French wines and Spanish olive oil.

Thanks to the development of the China-Europe/Central Asia international rail freight sector, more locally produced goods are being supplied to the international market, and more sought-after foreign goods are being supplied to Hubei Province, the newspaper writes.

Train X8183, loaded with photovoltaic products, equipment, auto parts and clothing, departed from Wuhan’s Wujiashan Station on Sunday for Germany, making it the 183rd China-Europe/China-Central Asia train departing from the station this year, up 9 percent year-on-year. -0-

MIL OSI Russia News –

June 4, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Flash: Lee Jae-myung, candidate of the Toburo Democratic Party, leads in the presidential election in the Republic of Korea according to exit polls – media

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

Xinhua | 03. 06. 2025

Keywords: Republic of Korea

Source: Xinhua

Flash: Lee Jae-myung, candidate of the Toburo Democratic Party, leads in the presidential election in the Republic of Korea according to exit polls – media Flash: Lee Jae-myung, candidate of the Toburo Democratic Party, leads in the presidential election in the Republic of Korea according to exit polls – media

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June 4, 2025
MIL-OSI: Employ Unveils Bold AI Companion Strategy—Responsible AI Built for Recruiters, Designed for Impact
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

DENVER, June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Employ Inc., the market-leading intelligent hiring suite, today announced the launch of its new AI Companion strategy. Leading the rollout is the AI Interview Companion, the first of many purpose-built AI Companions being added to the Employ suite of intelligent hiring solutions. With this launch, Employ is accelerating its innovation roadmap while keeping pace with the rapid evolution of AI.

Employ’s AI Companions are built to transform hiring by addressing the most critical choke points in the recruiting process, where AI can provide the most value. Embedded directly within an ATS, each Companion is purpose-built to optimize a specific stage, like sourcing, screening or interviewing. Driven by a bold AI strategy and a deep commitment to innovation, Employ is rapidly advancing its solution suite to supercharge recruiter productivity, delivering cutting-edge tools that redefine what’s possible in modern hiring.

Employ delivers tangible AI power directly into the hiring workflow via:
- Better interviews and better hires with AI Interview Companion: From auto-summarized intake meetings to AI-guided interviews, streamline every step and instantly provide feedback into the Lever or Jobvite ATS.
- Make faster, smarter hiring decisions with Talent Fit: This AI-powered capability instantly analyzes and ranks candidates against job requirements, providing clear, concise explanations for each match.
- Hire faster with pre-screened, top-ranked applicants while reducing screening burden by up to 40 percent and only paying for results: Smart Screening combined with our exclusive LinkedIn and VONQ CPA+ partnerships delivers pre-qualified, top-ranked applicants—complete with scores and transcripts—directly to the Lever or JazzHR ATS.
“A recent IDC Research Business Value Snapshot found that organizations using Employ’s products achieved an average of $959,000 in annual benefits—delivering a three-year ROI of 255 percent and payback period of just four months,” said Dara Brenner, Chief Product Officer at Employ. “Building on this proven impact, we’re introducing our new AI Companion strategy, designed to keep recruiters in the driver’s seat and help talent teams foster a more dynamic and human-centric workplace.”

“Today marks a significant milestone in our Employ innovation story,” said Steve Cox, Chief Executive Officer at Employ. “We recognize the importance of connecting with candidates on a deeper level, building out high-performing teams, and shaping workplaces with intention. That’s why our approach to AI Companions works alongside recruiters, not in place of them. Human oversight, transparency and trust remain at the center of everything we build as AI continues to become a strategic imperative in the recruitment journey.”

Founder and Chief Analyst at WorkTech, George LaRocque, said, “Employ’s AI Companion strategy is the most comprehensive that I’ve seen to date. It’s a bold, well-timed shift that positions the company at the forefront of talent acquisition innovation as we enter this agentic tech era. By tackling real hiring challenges with enterprise-grade solutions and leading on AI governance through its partnership with IBM, Employ is poised to move the conversation on AI from exciting use cases to real business impact.”

We’re Not Just Building AI for AI’s Sake—We’re Building It Responsibly

Every AI innovation Employ delivers is built with watsonx.governance and backed by IBM’s leadership in responsible technology. With always-on support, verification and transparency tools embedded from the start, Employ helps teams scale responsibly and stay in control. As generative and agentic AI adoption accelerates, governance isn’t optional—it’s essential. Without it, risks like data gaps, black-box outcomes and audit failures become everyday problems.

Brenner continued, “At the core of our AI development is a deep commitment to building technology responsibly and safely, all backed by a foundation of trusted AI you can count on. We believe that the future of AI must be shaped not just by innovation but by integrity, ensuring that every product we design reflects our values and prioritizes the well-being of users and society. From engineering to deployment, our efforts are grounded in a thoughtful approach to risk, transparency and ethical standards, because we understand that real progress can only be achieved when responsibility leads the way.”

For more from Employ’s Chief Product Officer, Dara Brenner, about this announcement and what’s ahead for Employ, read the company’s latest blog here. To learn more about Employ’s approach to innovation, visit here.

About Employ
Employ delivers people-first intelligent hiring solutions that empower companies to overcome their greatest hiring challenges. From startups to Fortune 100 organizations, Employ meets companies where they are—offering tailored solutions that support everything from foundational hiring to advanced talent acquisition strategies. Employ is the only organization to offer companies choice in their hiring technology, providing three unique ATS platforms (JazzHR, Lever, and Jobvite) and AI Companions that work alongside you in your hiring journey. Our intelligent hiring suite is trusted by more than 23,000 customers, including e.l.f. Beauty, Pure Barre, Shutterfly and Spotify. For more information, visit www.employinc.com.

The MIL Network –
June 4, 2025
MIL-OSI: Zscaler Launches New Solutions to Strengthen and Extend Zero Trust Everywhere
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

LAS VEGAS, June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Zenith Live Las Vegas — Zscaler, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZS), the leader in cloud security, today announced a new suite of solutions that enable customers to quickly adopt Zero Trust Everywhere. These innovations extend the reach of true Zero Trust and enable businesses to modernize and scale securely by providing end-to-end segmentation between and inside branches and enhance security across multi-cloud environments.

Organizations are increasingly distributed, rapidly adopting IoT, OT, and multi-cloud architectures and grappling with increasing digital complexity. Zscaler has unveiled innovative updates to the Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange™ platform, empowering businesses to extend Zero Trust Everywhere—across users, applications, devices, clouds, and branch locations. These enhancements make an organization’s branches and clouds invisible to bad actors, and eliminate the lateral movement of threats like ransomware within the organization’s network.

With its expanded capabilities to strengthen Zero Trust Everywhere, Zscaler is advancing its cybersecurity postures, simplifying security network infrastructure, and making it easier for businesses to scale securely in today’s rapidly changing threat landscape.

The following Zero Trust solutions—highlighted at Zenith Live 2025—are now generally available or accessible for select use cases by Zscaler customers.
- Unified Appliance for Zero Trust Branch: Zscaler’s Zero Trust Branch redefines enterprise security and networking with a unified appliance that secures communications between branches, campuses, and factories, and segments OT and IoT devices within them including legacy OT, with no downtime. The solution also provides newly introduced disposable jumpboxes that enables contractors secure, time-bound access to critical systems. By eliminating the need for firewalls, legacy NAC, cumbersome VLAN configurations and VDI for remote access, organizations can stop lateral threat movement with unparalleled efficacy. This approach not only elevates security, but also dramatically reduces complexity and costs, empowering businesses to modernize and scale faster without compromise. Unified Appliance for Zero Trust Branch is generally available.
- Zero Trust Gateway for Cloud Workloads: This cloud-native service on AWS enables organizations to secure communications from workload to the internet, and East-West traffic between workloads and VPCs/VNETs, in under 10 minutes without deploying agents or VMs with a Zscaler managed offering. This strengthens security in hybrid and multi-cloud environments, allowing organizations to reduce the attack surface associated with firewalls, and eliminate complexity and secure workload communications. Zero Trust Gateway is generally available.
- Zscaler Microsegmentation for Cloud Workloads: Zscaler further extends AI-driven segmentation to cloud workloads with newly introduced host-based Microsegmentation service that provides granular host and process level segmentation policies using its AI- powered Segmentation engine for Workloads in public clouds such as AWS and Azure as well as on-premise Data Center based workloads that run on bare metal. Zscaler Workload agent provides process and workload level metrics, traffic flows as well device context, that protects crown jewels against lateral threats and compromise. Zscaler Microsegmentation is generally available.
- Zero Trust Exchange for B2B: The introduction of B2B Exchange revolutionizes secure collaboration by providing a cutting-edge app-sharing platform for partner organizations, eliminating the need for outdated technologies like MPLS circuits or VPNs that come with complexity and the risk of oversharing. This solution accelerates seamless, secure connections between enterprises, empowering organizations to drive faster, more efficient mergers, acquisitions, and partnerships while safeguarding sensitive data. Zero Trust Exchange for B2B is available for select use cases, with extended capabilities coming soon.
“Zscaler’s latest innovations for the Zero Trust Exchange truly extends Zero Trust Everywhere beyond users and redefines the enterprise security and networking by seamlessly unifying operations, strengthening threat defenses, and enabling secure connectivity across users, devices, applications, branches, and clouds with better visibility and experience—no matter how complex or distributed the environment,” said Dhawal Sharma, EVP Product Strategy, Zscaler. “With this expanded Zero Trust Everywhere approach, organizations can accelerate security modernization, mitigate risks, and protect data everywhere business happens.”

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements that are based on our management’s beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to our management. These forward-looking statements include the expectations, beliefs, plans, and intentions relating to new innovations Zscaler is developing. Such statements include statements regarding future product capabilities and offerings and expected benefits to Zscaler and its customers. These forward-looking statements are subject to the safe harbor provisions created by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. A significant number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from statements made in this press release, including (i) delays and unexpected difficulties and expenses in executing the product capabilities and offerings and (ii) uncertainty as to whether future sales will justify the investments in the product capabilities and offerings. Additional risks and uncertainties are set forth in our most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on May 29, 2025, which is available on our website at ir.zscaler.com and on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Any forward-looking statements in this release are based on the limited information currently available to Zscaler as of the date hereof, which is subject to change, and Zscaler will not necessarily update the information, even if new information becomes available in the future.

About Zscaler
Zscaler (NASDAQ: ZS) accelerates digital transformation so customers can be more agile, efficient, resilient, and secure. The Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange™ platform protects thousands of customers from cyberattacks and data loss by securely connecting users, devices, and applications in any location. Distributed across more than 150 data centers globally, the SASE-based Zero Trust Exchange™ is the world’s largest in-line cloud security platform.

Media Contact
Nick Gonzalez
Sr. Manager, Media Relations
press@zscaler.com

The MIL Network –
June 4, 2025
MIL-OSI: Ehave Snaps Up AI Headhunter for $10M, Signaling Commitment to AI

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

MIAMI, June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ehave, Inc., (OTC Pink: EHVVF) (the “Company”) today announced the acquisition of AIHeadHunter, an artificial intelligence-powered recruitment platform, through an asset purchase agreement. The transaction marks a significant step in Ehave’s strategic shift toward becoming a developer and operator of applied AI solutions.

Under the terms of the agreement, Ehave acquired the assets of AIHeadHunter from Klizo Ventures Inc. The acquired assets include proprietary software, intellectual property, branding, domain names, and other related technologies and materials. The purchase price consists of $2.7 million in newly created Series A Convertible Preferred Stock and 100 million shares of common stock. The Preferred Stock is convertible into common shares at a rate determined by a volume-weighted average price formula and is subject to shareholder approval of an amendment to Ehave’s articles of incorporation. As a result of the transaction, Klizo Ventures Inc. will own more than 5% of Ehave’s outstanding shares and be considered an affiliate under applicable securities regulations.

The agreement also includes performance-based earnouts of up to $7 million in additional Preferred Stock, tied to specific revenue and customer milestones.

Ben Kaplan, CEO of Ehave, said, “This acquisition positions us to capitalize on the tremendous opportunity in workforce automation and AI-driven recruitment. Our long-term vision is to incubate and scale platforms like AIHeadHunter that solve real-world inefficiencies.”

Since its last public update on Dec. 31, 2024, Ehave has been operating intentionally under the radar while executing a strategic realignment. Behind the scenes, the company has been focused on structuring several game-changing transactions to accelerate its evolution into a data-driven technology platform. The acquisition of AIHeadHunter marks the first in a series of planned initiatives aimed at delivering intelligent, AI-powered solutions. As Ehave transitions into a company committed to transforming the way people live and work through artificial intelligence, it remains focused on developing practical, user-centric tools that turn raw data into meaningful insights.

“This is just the beginning,” Ben Kaplan continued. “We are rebuilding Ehave from the inside out and our process is driven by intelligent systems designed to solve real, large-scale problems.”

A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f88b0e8d-6997-4ac9-bfdc-da2cf6a61c2a

AIHeadHunter Targets Recruitment Inefficiencies

The global staffing and recruiting market, valued between $619 billion and $757 billion in 2024, is projected to exceed $2 trillion by 2033, growing at a compound annual rate of approximately 13%. Yet despite its size, the industry remains burdened by inefficiencies: the average time to fill a position is 44 days, often surpassing 60 days for high-skill roles, and the average cost per hire is $4,700, excluding onboarding and ramp-up costs. According to Klizo Solutions analysis, recruiters still spend up to 70% of their week on manual sourcing and resume screening, while 60% of job seekers abandon applications when the process is too long or complex. With Gartner forecasting that over 40% of enterprise recruiting tasks will be fully automated by 2026, platforms like AIHeadHunter are well positioned to shorten fill times, cut sourcing costs, and capture meaningful share in a rapidly growing, multibillion-dollar market.

AIHeadHunter is designed to streamline executive recruitment and talent sourcing through automation and advanced data analysis. The platform will be powered by technology licensed from Interview Screener, a backend AI interview and resume analysis platform built by Klizo Solutions founder Joey Ricard.

Ehave has established a wholly owned subsidiary to operate AIHeadHunter, with Ricard appointed as president. Ricard brings more than a decade of experience in building scalable AI infrastructure for Fortune 500 companies and public agencies.

Joey Ricard, founder of Klizo Solutions and President of Ehave’s new AI subsidiary, said, “The recruiting industry is overdue for intelligent automation. With AIHeadHunter, we’re not just digitizing old processes—we’re fundamentally rethinking how talent is discovered, qualified, and delivered. This platform is built to solve real bottlenecks for recruiters and hiring teams, and we’re excited to bring it to market with Ehave.”

“Joey is more than just a technologist—he’s a proven product visionary and operator,” Kaplan said. “He will lead roadmap development, integration and go-to-market strategy across our AI initiatives.”

Regulatory Progress and Market Expansion

Ehave is currently compliant with the OTC Markets’ new OTCID (OTC Issuer Data) requirements, ensuring enhanced transparency and reporting standards for investors. The company also plans to apply for uplisting to the OTCQB Venture Market, a designation that offers increased visibility and credibility with institutional and retail investors.

Funding and Go-to-Market Plans

Ehave intends to fund the new subsidiary using proceeds from a planned Regulation A offering, with an initial $1 million budget over 12 months. The company expects AIHeadHunter to launch its enterprise pilots and SaaS offering in the third quarter of 2025.

About Ehave Inc.

Ehave Inc. (OTC: EHVVF) is a data-focused technology company committed to transforming the way people live and work through artificial intelligence. With a mission to make data behave, Ehave develops practical, user-centric solutions that convert raw information into actionable insights. The company is focused on bridging the gap between cutting-edge AI advancements and their real-world applications, building tools that deliver tangible value for individuals and businesses alike. For more information, visit www.ehave.com. Follow Ehave, Inc. on X at https://x.com/Ehaveinc.

Forward-Looking Statement Disclaimer

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements may be preceded by the words “intends,” “may,” “will,” “plans,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “projects,” “predicts,” “estimates,” “aims,” “believes,” “hopes,” “potential” or similar words. Forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions and are subject to various known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company’s control, and cannot be predicted or quantified and consequently, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements: (i) the initiation, timing, progress and results of the Company’s research, manufacturing and other development efforts; (ii) the Company’s ability to advance its products to successfully complete development and commercialization; (iii) the manufacturing, development, commercialization, and market acceptance of the Company’s products; (iv) the lack of sufficient funding to finance the product development and business operations; (v) competitive companies and technologies within the Company’s industry and introduction of competing products; (vi) the Company’s ability to establish and maintain corporate collaborations; (vii) loss of key management personnel; (viii) the scope of protection the Company is able to establish and maintain for intellectual property rights covering its products and its ability to operate its business without infringing the intellectual property rights of others; (ix) potential failure to comply with applicable health information privacy and security laws and other state and federal privacy and security laws; and (x) the difficulty of predicting actions of the USA FDA and its regulations. All forward-looking statements included in this press release are made only as of the date of this press release. The Company assumes no obligation to update any written or oral forward-looking statement unless required by law. More detailed information about the Company and the risk factors that may affect the realization of forward-looking statements is contained under the heading “Risk Factors” in Ehave, Inc.’s Registration Statement on Form F-1 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on September 24, 2015, as amended, which is available on the SEC’s website, http://www.sec.gov.

For Media and Investor Relations, please contact:

David L. Kugelman
(866) 692-6847 Toll Free – U.S. & Canada
(404) 281-8556 Mobile and WhatsApp
Email: Ir@Ehave.com

The MIL Network –

June 4, 2025
MIL-OSI: Financial Health Network Launches First-Ever Financial Industry Standards at its Flagship EMERGE Conference

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

SAN DIEGO, June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Financial Health Network today unveiled at this year’s EMERGE conference the first-ever product design standards for the financial industry, an essential step toward integrating financial health into financial solutions. During her keynote, Financial Health Network CEO Jennifer Tescher announced the FinHealth Standards for Spending Management Products, an operational playbook for checking accounts and credit cards, designed to help financial services providers advance customer financial health amid rising economic pressure, a shifting consumer protection landscape, and eroding public trust. Future installments will introduce standards for a broader range of financial products.

Inspired by quality benchmarks in other sectors such as healthcare and digital privacy, the new standards provide banks, credit unions, and fintechs with clear, actionable guidance across three critical areas: account features, account policies, and customer onboarding and access. They provide a roadmap for excellence that helps institutions assess their impact, strengthen performance, and demonstrate leadership—delivering value to both businesses and the consumers they serve.

“With more than half of Americans spending as much or more than their income, and nearly a third falling behind on at least one bill payment, the stakes could not be higher,” said Tescher, citing data from the 2024 Financial Health Pulse ^® Trends Report. “In today’s relaxed regulatory environment, these standards give providers the clarity and confidence to act, turning good intentions into measurable outcomes that build consumer trust and strengthen institutional credibility. By deepening customer relationships and enhancing brand reputation, they drive growth, retention, and long-term profitability.”

Designed to be flexible and scalable across institutions of all sizes and technical capacities, the standards support a range of applications, including advanced balance forecasting tools and fee waivers tied to customer behaviors rather than minimum balances. The standards also include evaluation scorecards to help institutions assess current offerings and prioritize improvements.

“Consumer expectations are shifting, and leading institutions recognize that meeting financial health needs is no longer optional,” said Financial Health Network’s Vice President, Financial Services Solutions, Marisa Walster. “This initiative reflects where the industry is headed—toward greater accountability and deeper impact. These standards are intentionally designed to be adaptable, offering pathways for both steady progress and transformative change. This isn’t about compliance, it’s about building a system where financial health is the norm, rather than the exception.”

Developed through extensive research, behavioral science insights, and collaboration with financial institutions and policy advisors, the standards align with the Financial Health Network’s broader strategy to embed financial health across the financial ecosystem. They complement the Financial Health Pulse data, which continues to track financial health across the U.S., and highlight the urgent need for systemic innovation.

Today’s announcement marks the first in a series of FinHealth Standards that will be released, expanding across all pillars of financial health: saving, borrowing, and planning products. Future installments will cover a wide range of financial products, such as savings accounts, loans, and other money management tools. Later this year, the Financial Health Network will also publish an initial assessment evaluating how the industry aligns with the standards to help inspire action, foster innovation, and accelerate adoption. The Financial Health Network invites financial services providers to engage with the standards, assess their current practices, and help shape a future where financial health is a core measure of institutional performance.

About the Financial Health Network
The Financial Health Network is the leading authority on financial health. We are a trusted resource for business leaders, policymakers, and innovators united in a mission to improve the financial health of their customers, employees, and communities. Through research, advisory services, measurement tools, and opportunities for cross-sector collaboration, we advance awareness, understanding, and proven best practices in support of improved financial health for all. For more on the Financial Health Network, go to www.finhealthnetwork.org and follow us on Twitter at @FinHealthNet.

Contact:
Catherine New
Financial Health Network
cnew@finhealthnetwork.org

The MIL Network –

June 4, 2025
MIL-OSI: Skyward Specialty Launches Aviation Unit Following Acquisition of Acceleration Aviation Underwriters’ Assets

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

HOUSTON, June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Skyward Specialty Insurance Group, Inc.^TM(Nasdaq: SKWD) (“Skyward Specialty” or “the Company”) a leader in the specialty property and casualty (P&C) market, announced its entry into the specialized aviation market with the launch of a new Aviation underwriting unit. The expansion follows the Company’s acquisition of the assets of Acceleration Aviation Underwriters (“Acceleration”) and builds on a strategic partnership between the two companies initiated last year.

This move marks a bold step forward in the Company’s ongoing growth strategy, leveraging technology and data-driven underwriting to expand into highly specialized and underserved markets.

“For the Acceleration team, this is the culmination of our decades long career, and I am very proud to join Skyward Specialty to see our legacy continue,” said Chris Jones, founder of Acceleration Aviation Underwriters. “With Skyward Specialty’s growth-driven strategy and our deep underwriting knowledge, we have the backing and scale to realize the full potential of our business. I am very excited to be part of this next phase in Acceleration’s future and establish Skyward Specialty’s place in the aviation market.”

With the acquisition, Skyward Specialty gains a seasoned team of aviation experts with a proven track record of success in niche, underserved segments, which is an ideal complement to the Company’s focus on complex and hard-to-place risks.

“Over the past couple of years, we have built a terrific relationship with the Acceleration team including as a program manager writing on behalf of Skyward Specialty. They’ve carved out a smart, sustainable niche, particularly in smaller, overlooked risks within the aviation market and we find this is fits well within our strategy,” said Andrew Robinson, Chairman & CEO of Skyward Specialty. “By combining their deep expertise with our advanced analytics and tech-enabled underwriting capabilities, we are well positioned to scale this business and strengthen our position in the aviation market. This integration further reflects our commitment to our strategy to invest in specialty markets where insights, precision and innovation drive lasting value.”

About Skyward Specialty
Skyward Specialty (Nasdaq: SKWD) is a rapidly growing and innovative specialty insurance company, delivering commercial property and casualty products and solutions on a non-admitted and admitted basis. The Company operates through nine underwriting divisions — Accident & Health, Agriculture and Credit (Re)insurance, Captives, Construction & Energy Solutions, Global Property, Professional Lines, Specialty Programs, Surety and Transactional E&S.

Skyward Specialty’s subsidiary insurance companies consist of Great Midwest Insurance Company, Houston Specialty Insurance Company, Imperium Insurance Company, and Oklahoma Specialty Insurance Company. These insurance companies are rated A (Excellent) with a stable outlook by A.M. Best Company. For more information about Skyward Specialty, its people, and its products, please visit skywardinsurance.com.

Media Contact
Haley Doughty
Skyward Specialty Insurance Group
713-935-4944
hdoughty@skywardinsurance.com

Investor Contact
Natalie Schoolcraft
Skyward Specialty Insurance Group
614-494-4988
nschoolcraft@skywardinsurance.com

The MIL Network –

June 4, 2025
MIL-OSI: Apollo to Present at the Morgan Stanley 2025 US Financials Conference

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

NEW YORK, June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Apollo (NYSE: APO) today announced that Martin Kelly, Chief Financial Officer, will participate in a fireside chat at the Morgan Stanley 2025 US Financials Conference on Wednesday, June 11, 2025 at 7:30 am EDT.

A live webcast of the event will be available on Apollo’s Investor Relations website at ir.apollo.com. For those unable to join live, a replay will be available shortly after the event.

About Apollo

Apollo is a high-growth, global alternative asset manager. In our asset management business, we seek to provide our clients excess return at every point along the risk-reward spectrum from investment grade credit to private equity. For more than three decades, our investing expertise across our fully integrated platform has served the financial return needs of our clients and provided businesses with innovative capital solutions for growth. Through Athene, our retirement services business, we specialize in helping clients achieve financial security by providing a suite of retirement savings products and acting as a solutions provider to institutions. Our patient, creative, and knowledgeable approach to investing aligns our clients, businesses we invest in, our employees, and the communities we impact, to expand opportunity and achieve positive outcomes. As of March 31, 2025, Apollo had approximately $785 billion of assets under management. To learn more, please visit www.apollo.com.

Contacts

Noah Gunn
Global Head of Investor Relations
Apollo Global Management, Inc.
(212) 822-0540
IR@apollo.com

Joanna Rose
Global Head of Corporate Communications
Apollo Global Management, Inc.
(212) 822-0491
Communications@apollo.com

The MIL Network –

June 4, 2025
MIL-OSI: Keeping Pace with Evolving Security Features: Regula Upgrades the 4306 Comparator for Advanced Forensics
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

RESTON, Va., June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Regula’s top-selling video spectral comparator has undergone a major redesign to meet the growing complexity of modern-day document examination. The new modification Regula 4306M incorporates enhanced light sources and a high-resolution camera, ensuring forensic experts can detect even the most intricate protective elements. This upgrade strengthens document examination capabilities across forensic labs, border control points, and law enforcement agencies.

The upgraded video spectral comparator Regula 4306M

The Regula 4306M boasts a wide spectrum of different light sources, including ones new to this model. Among such light modes are:
- Newly developed multifunctional coaxial light that enables the visualization of embossing, retroreflective security features, and polycarbonate reliefs.
- Enhanced Anti-Stokes visualization with long exposure that helps forensic experts to detect previously invisible luminescence details, crucial for examining advanced security elements.
- Intensified diffused white light source to optimize the visualization of DID (diffractive identification) security elements and OVD (optical variable device) effects that change color or image depending on the angle of observation.
“Document examination heavily depends on the quality of visualization. The more accurately a forensic device captures fine details, the more effective the analysis becomes. Elements like microprinting, watermarks, and optically variable features are designed to be difficult to replicate, but nothing is impossible for fraudsters. Without the right visualization techniques, even the most experienced experts may miss critical signs of forgery. That is why we invest so much research and development into constantly upgrading our devices,” explains Alex Lewanowicz, Director of Hardware Engineering at Regula.

To maximize the examination capabilities, Regula 4306M provides:
- 60x magnification and up to 18,900 ppi for document images thanks to its custom-designed high-resolution built-in 8 MP camera.
- 40+ light sources covering even the rarest document examination scenarios.
- 100% LED-based illumination for precision lighting control.
- 3D visualization for analyzing surface relief, intersecting strokes, and printing techniques.
- Large-object examination capabilities, allowing experts to inspect not only identity documents and banknotes, but oversized objects as well.
The new Regula 4306M is controlled via Regula Forensic Studio operating software, an out-of-the-box cross-platform solution that facilitates document examination and creates a smooth user experience. Powered by Regula Document Reader SDK, this software makes it possible to fully automate ID authenticity verification: the device can recognize the document type and validate all its data from the MRZ, RFID chip, and barcodes in mere seconds with zero risk of human-related errors.

Most importantly, the upgraded Regula 4306M delivers versatile capabilities for in-depth document examination in a space-saving and cost-efficient form, which makes it an affordable solution for any forensic lab.

For more information about the capabilities of the redesigned Regula 4306M, visit Regula’s official website.

About Regula

Regula is a global developer of forensic devices and identity verification solutions. With our 30+ years of experience in forensic research and the most comprehensive library of document templates in the world, we create breakthrough technologies for document and biometric verification. Our hardware and software solutions allow over 1,000 organizations and 80 border control authorities globally to provide top-notch client service without compromising safety, security, or speed. Regula has been repeatedly named a Representative Vendor in the Gartner® Market Guide for Identity Verification.

Learn more at www.regulaforensics.com.

Contact:
Kristina – ks@regulaforensics.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/409ad273-8cca-41af-be70-21aa1516836f

The MIL Network –
June 4, 2025
MIL-OSI: Provident Bank Mid-Year Survey Shows Business Owners Balancing Tariff Concerns with Economic Optimism
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

ISELIN, N.J., June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Provident Bank, a leading New Jersey-based financial institution, has released the results of its Mid-Year Business Outlook Survey, taking stock of business owner sentiment as they navigate a nuanced macroeconomic environment dominated by looming tariffs. This year’s survey revealed positivity around the economy, with lingering concerns around the impact of tariffs and businesses making short-term decisions that reflect this uncertainty.

Business owners believe the economy will grow, yet there is mixed sentiment around tariffs.
Overall, business owners believe the economy will grow in the back half of 2025, yet their view of tariffs is less positive. While the full effect of tariffs has yet to be felt, general sentiment is that they aren’t good for the economy.
- Over 60% of businesses believe the economy will grow over the next six months. Yet, there is a clear level of dissatisfaction with the ongoing tariff policies, as over 55% of respondents believe they’re having a negative impact on the United States.
- Over 70% of respondents are “very” to “moderately” concerned about the impact of tariffs on their businesses. However, the impact to date has been minimal, with over 80% of businesses saying there has been “somewhat of an impact” or “none”.
- When looking at tariffs across the board, over 35% said to keep tariffs in some capacity, 45% said to eliminate them altogether, and just under 20% said to keep them as proposed. Over 50% of respondents said tariffs are making the United States weaker.
Businesses anticipate tariff consequences, though the full effect is yet to be seen.
Most business owners expect tariffs to affect their revenue, with many using careful inventory management and sales promotions to lessen the potential effect. Regarding future planning, respondents noted delaying capital expenditures, and most reported no change in hiring practices.
- Over half of respondents believe that tariffs will, in some capacity, decrease their business’ revenue.
- Responses to inventory adjustments were closely split. 32.55% noted that they have adjusted their inventory levels, and 31.69% are still evaluating.
- Regarding hiring, just under 30% are planning to halt hiring, while nearly 50% say that their hiring plans remain unchanged.
- Most business owners aren’t taking immediate action on sales promotions to account for weaker demand, with 34% taking no action and just over 30% still evaluating.
- The slight majority (41.68%) of respondents are planning to delay major capital expenditures. In addition, just over 37% of businesses expect to pass the cost of tariffs onto their customers, and just under 30% expect to absorb the cost.
“Despite business owners voicing concerns about tariffs, our survey demonstrates a positive growth outlook in the near future,” stated Bill Fink, Executive Vice President, Chief Lending Officer at Provident Bank. “We’re observing businesses strategically adapting to this environment by proactively managing inventory and planning capital expenditures. At Provident Bank, we deeply understand our clients’ businesses through close partnerships, which allows us to effectively address their unique challenges. We are dedicated to providing the financial support and resources they need to thrive in today’s dynamic lending landscape, leveraging our in-depth knowledge of their operations.”

The survey was conducted by Pollfish, a market research provider, on behalf of Provident Bank. The findings are based on responses from 1,000 business owners and senior executives in the U.S. working for companies with over $1M in annual revenue. To access the full findings, please contact Provident Bank’s Public Relations Agency, Vested, at providentbank@fullyvested.com.

About Provident Bank
Founded in Jersey City in 1839, Provident Bank is the oldest community-focused financial institution based in New Jersey and is the wholly owned subsidiary of Provident Financial Services, Inc. (NYSE:PFS). With assets of $24.22 billion as of March 31, 2025, Provident Bank offers a wide range of customized financial solutions for businesses and consumers with an exceptional customer experience delivered through its convenient network of more than 140 branches across New Jersey and parts of New York and Pennsylvania, via mobile and online banking, and from its customer contact center. The bank also provides fiduciary and wealth management services through its wholly owned subsidiary, Beacon Trust Company, and insurance services through its wholly owned subsidiary, Provident Protection Plus, Inc. To learn more about Provident Bank, go to www.provident.bank or call our customer contact center at 800.448.7768.

Media Contact:
Keith Buscio – Keith.Buscio@provident.bank
Vested – Providentbank@fullyvested.com

The MIL Network –
June 4, 2025
MIL-OSI: New Data Demonstrates Significant Clinical and Quality-of-Life Benefits of Flexitouch® Plus in Treating Lymphedema Among Head and Neck Cancer Survivors
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

MINNEAPOLIS, June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Tactile Systems Technology, Inc. (“Tactile Medical”; the “Company”) (Nasdaq: TCMD), a medical technology company providing therapies for people with chronic disorders, today announced the presentation of new clinical data at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2025 Annual Meeting that demonstrates significant clinical and quality-of-life benefits associated with use of the Company’s Flexitouch Plus versus usual care in treating patients with head and neck cancer-related lymphedema.

“Current modalities for managing head and neck cancer-related lymphedema include therapist guided lymphedema treatment and lifelong home-based self-care. However, data shows that patients face substantial barriers to accessing these modalities, which limits the number of patients receiving treatment and delaying therapy initiation for those who do,” said Principal Investigator, Barbara Murphy, MD, Professor of Medicine, Director, Head and Neck Research Program, and Director, Pain and Symptom Management Program at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center. “Our study found that advanced pneumatic pump technology provides a feasible alternative that reduces swelling, increases speed to initial therapy, and generates strong quality-of-life outcomes.”

The two-month analysis featured data from the Company’s six-month clinical trial, which examines the effectiveness of Flexitouch Plus, an advanced pneumatic compression device (APCD), versus usual care in treating lymphedema among head and neck cancer survivors. The study includes 236 subjects across 10 academic and community sites, representing the largest prospective, randomized controlled study on this patient group ever conducted in the United States. Outcome measures include changes in disease-specific patient-reported symptom survey scores and objective clinical assessments, including CT imaging.

Two-month data demonstrated that usual care and APCD are similarly effective treatment modalities for head and neck lymphedema. Specific areas of differentiation showed:
- Usual care participants took an average of 29.8 days to begin therapist guided lymphedema treatment (TGLT), while APCD participants received their device in 17.9 days;
- Of participants randomized to usual care, only 71% received TGLT compared to 94.9% of those in the APCD group;
- APCD participants had significant reduction in swelling via digital photography and total Head and Neck Cancer Related Lymphedema and Fibrosis Grading (HN-LEFG) scores while usual care participants exhibited marginal improvements; and
- Self-reported symptom improvement occurred in both groups, with APCD demonstrating significant improvement on three of the six health-related quality-of-life sub scales.
“Tactile is committed to elevating lymphedema therapy with meaningful evidence generation, and these early results validate Flexitouch Plus as an effective option in treating head and neck cancer-related lymphedema,” said Sheri Dodd, Chief Executive Officer of Tactile Medical. “90% of head and neck cancer survivors will develop lymphedema, and we are pleased to provide a solution that supports the patient’s needs and timeline for effective symptom management. We look forward to the six-month results from this significant trial later this year. We expect this to support more expansive reimbursement coverage by commercial payers, inform clinical guidelines, and drive broader patient and provider awareness, ultimately improving access to care.”

Flexitouch Plus is an FDA-cleared therapy designed for at-home treatment of lymphedema, chronic edema, chronic venous insufficiency (CVI), and chronic wounds.*

About Tactile Systems Technology, Inc. (DBA Tactile Medical)

Tactile Medical is a leader in developing and marketing at-home therapies for people suffering from underserved, chronic conditions including lymphedema, lipedema, chronic venous insufficiency and chronic pulmonary disease by helping them live better and care for themselves at home. Tactile Medical collaborates with clinicians to expand clinical evidence, raise awareness, increase access to care, reduce overall healthcare costs and improve the quality of life for tens of thousands of patients each year.

Investor Inquiries:
Sam Bentzinger
Gilmartin Group
investorrelations@tactilemedical.com

*Individual results may vary. For full prescribing information, including contraindications, warnings and instructions for use, please visit www.tactilemedical.com

The MIL Network –
June 4, 2025
MIL-OSI: Industry Heavyweights Join Orchid Security to Break the Bonds Holding Back IAM Innovation

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

NEW YORK, June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Orchid Security, the company bringing clarity to the complexity of enterprise identity security, today announced the addition of four renowned identity and access management (IAM) experts to its leadership and advisory board: Tal Herman, Darran Rolls, Karl McGuinness and Oliver Newbury. Together, they aim to help Orchid Security revolutionize the IAM landscape, an industry long constrained by the costly and time-consuming nature of manual implementation. With advances in AI, Orchid is fundamentally redesigning how enterprises consume identity – an imperative shift in today’s uncertain business environment.

An industry whose remarkable innovation has been held back by the manual process of implementation – a time-consuming, expensive and increasingly incomplete process spanning years for each new identity technology. This fundamental redesigned approach to the way organizations consume identity is not only possible now with advances, but also imperative, given the uncertain business environment and emphasis on sound financial management at most every enterprise.

Industry-Leading Experts Driving the Change

Tal Herman, Chief Product Officer, Orchid Security
With nearly two decades of experience in enterprise identity – at CA Technologies and later as a product manager at OneLogin, ForgeRock and most recently Okta – Tal Herman brings both end user and technology vendor experience to Orchid Security. At Okta, she led strategy for the Privilege Access Management (PAM) and Identity Governance and Administration (IGA) product lines, guiding strategic vision and direction for multiple product units. Across companies, Herman has brought innovative identity offerings from initial concept to reality to mainstream market adoption by millions of users.

“What I really love about Orchid is that we tackle the hard problems first,” said Herman. “We’re using modern advances like observability, prompt engineering and LLMs to automate what has historically been a manual grind. Orchid bridges that gap by automating what was once manual and unlocking innovation across the identity stack. I am excited that identity is where it belongs – at the center of everything. There is no place other than Orchid Security that I would rather be.”

Karl McGuinness, Orchid Advisor
Tal is joined by former Okta colleague, Karl McGuinness, who served as their SVP and Chief Product Architect, instrumental in building the core identity services and APIs that provide the foundation of Okta identity layer ー a key force that shaped Okta into the industry leader it is today. Karl has over 15 years of experience building and scaling mission critical identity infrastructure as a developer, software architect and product owner.

“Orchid is fundamentally changing the game,” said McGuinness. “By using AI to onboard applications with context and at scale, Orchid unlocks the massive value that’s currently unrealized in today’s IAM tools.”

Darran Rolls, Orchid Advisor
Former SailPoint CTO and CISO, Darran Rolls, also joins the advisory board. Rolls brings 25 years of leadership across Tivoli Systems-IBM, Waveset Technologies, Sun Microsystems and SailPoint. Darran brings unmatched depth in IAM architecture and innovation and his tenure in the IAM space has made him a fervent believer in the mantra that “you can’t manage what you don’t see.”

“Traditional IAM is great for managing the things you know about and have brought into your program scope, but it’s the unknown-unknowns that pose the greatest risk,” said Rolls. “Orchid brings a unique perspective to the process of application discovery, prioritization, integration and remediation. By leveraging their new approach and next-gen AI-enabled capabilities, Orchid has the potential to change the way we think about identity controls and lifecycle management.”

Oliver Newbury, Orchid Advisor
With over 15 years as CISO and CTO at Barclays and BT, Oliver Newbury brings deep enterprise executive experience to the group. Now a Senior Advisor with TPG Capital, Newbury knows firsthand the challenge of implementing identity tools in complex global environments.

“The great identity innovation has been held back by the greater challenge of identity implementation,” said Newbury. “Orchid is solving that challenge with automation, fully delivering on the promise of modern IAM.”

A New Chapter for Enterprise Identity

As enterprises face increasing pressure to do more with less, Orchid Security’s AI-driven approach to IAM offers a timely and transformative solution – one where enterprise identity can be discovered, onboarded and optimized autonomously. This shift not only streamlines operations but returns millions in prospective cost savings to the average enterprise while improving their identity security posture.

About Orchid
Orchid Security is an identity security orchestration platform—leveraging Open Telemetry, Prompt Engineering and Large Language Models (LLMs)—to unify and secure complex identity environments across enterprises. Founded by AI and cybersecurity experts Roy Katmor, Robert Weisman, and Ido Kelson, and backed by Intel Capital and Team8, Orchid enables large organizations to reduce the costs and effort of identity and access management (IAM), while maintaining compliance and security across their digital infrastructure. Its platform facilitates the continuous discovery of both self-hosted and SaaS applications, assessment of their native identity controls (and gaps), and remediation of compliance and cyber exposure from a single point of control—without extensive effort or application recoding.

Media Contact
Chloe Amante
Montner Tech PR
camante@montner.com

The MIL Network –

June 4, 2025
MIL-OSI: Intermex and Houston Dynamo FC Partner to Celebrate Latino Heritage and the Spirit of Fútbol

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

MIAMI, June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — International Money Express, Inc. (NASDAQ: IMXI) (“Intermex” or the “Company”, a leading money remittance provider to Latin America and the Caribbean, today announced a new official partnership with Houston Dynamo FC, one of Major League Soccer’s most community-driven teams. This collaboration unites two organizations deeply committed to uplifting and celebrating Latino culture through the unifying passion of soccer.

Soccer is the fastest-growing sport in the United States, with more than 85 million fans nationwide. In Houston, a city where over 45% of the population identifies as Latino, the connection runs even deeper. Latino fans make up nearly 70% of the MLS audience, making the city a natural home for this partnership. Together, Intermex and Houston Dynamo FC aim to champion cultural pride, family connection, and community empowerment.

“Intermex is the only remittance company built by Latinos for Latinos. Partnering with Houston Dynamo FC allows us to celebrate that shared heritage and connect with our customers beyond financial services, through a sport that speaks to identity, passion, and tradition,” said Marcelo Theodoro, Chief Product, Marketing & Digital Officer at Intermex.

“We are thrilled to welcome Intermex to the club, they are a cutting-edge organization that shares our commitment to elevating our community and fostering civic pride,” Dynamo Vice President of Corporate Partnerships, Ben Carruthers said. “Intermex’s dedication to serving diverse communities aligns perfectly with our mission both on and off the pitch. Together, we look forward to delivering exciting experiences to our fans and supporting the vibrant, diverse culture synonymous with our city.” Through this partnership, Intermex and Houston Dynamo FC will collaborate on in-stadium experiences, community events, and cultural celebrations that highlight and honor the vibrancy of the Latino community.

About Intermex
Founded in 1994, Intermex applies proprietary technology to enable consumers to send money from the United States, Canada, Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom, and Germany to more than 60 countries. The company facilitates digital money movement through its website and mobile app, as well as through a vast network of retail agents and company-operated stores. Headquartered in Miami, Florida, Intermex also operates international offices in Puebla, Mexico; Guatemala City, Guatemala; London, England; and Madrid, Spain. Learn more at www.intermexonline.com.

About Houston Dynamo FC
Houston Dynamo FC is a Major League Soccer team and part of the Houston Dynamo Football Club, a multi-faceted organization that includes the Dynamo, the Houston Dash and the Houston Dynamo Academy, and Dynamo and Dash Charities. Ted Segal acquired a majority ownership interest in HDFC in June 2021 and serves as the chairman of the Club. Under his leadership the organization completed a multi-million-dollar renovation of Shell Energy Stadium in March 2023 and the Club moved into a 27,000 square foot headquarters in East Downtown in July 2023. Houston Dynamo FC has won two MLS Cup championships, two Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cups and four conference championships in its first 19 seasons and has qualified to represent the United States in international competition eight times. The team trains at the Champions Field at Houston Sports Park (HSP), the premier training facility in Southeast Texas, and plays its home matches at Shell Energy Stadium in downtown Houston. For more information, log on to www.HoustonDynamoFC.com or call (713) 276-7500.    

Investor Relations Contact:
Alex Sadowski
Investor Relations Coordinator
ir@intermexusa.com
305-671-8000

The MIL Network –

June 4, 2025
MIL-OSI: Fierce Medtech Names AI Pathology Leader Proscia to 2025 Fierce 15

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

PHILADELPHIA, June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Proscia^®, a software company accelerating pathology’s transition to digital and AI, today announced its inclusion in Fierce Medtech’s “Fierce 15” of 2025. This annual list honors private companies making an outsized impact on healthcare. Proscia earned its spot for its AI pathology leadership across the precision medicine value chain.

Proscia’s Concentriq^® platform delivers a uniquely comprehensive approach to AI from drug discovery to diagnostics. It incorporates a portfolio of best-in-class applications, tools for building algorithms, and AI-native features into routine workflows, helping its user base of over 12,000 pathologists and scientists to drive efficiencies, identify novel biomarkers, and develop and deploy companion diagnostics. Concentriq is trusted by 16 of the top 20 pharmaceutical companies as well as major laboratories set to diagnose 32,000 patients per day on the platform this year.

“AI in pathology is about much more than use case-specific applications and individual foundation models,” said David West, Proscia’s CEO. “We’re equipping both life sciences organizations and diagnostic laboratories to fully harness AI’s potential to rewire pathology and drive precision medicine forward. Fierce Medtech’s recognition validates the impact of our broad approach for our users and patients.”

This honor builds on a series of high-impact milestones for Proscia. Last week, Labcorp announced it adopted Concentriq LS to accelerate clinical trials and companion diagnostic development as part of its expanded precision oncology portfolio. Proscia also recently launched Concentriq Embeddings to accelerate AI development with foundation models, demonstrating a 13x efficiency gain. Additionally, the company introduced a real-world data offering enabling data scientists to leverage over 10 million pathology images with associated clinical and genomic data to fuel their AI algorithms.

Proscia is continuing to accelerate its momentum. In March, the company announced $50M in funding led by Insight Partners to increasingly weave AI into Concentriq’s core and drive its commercial growth. The company is also adding to the 120+ research and diagnostic applications already available on the platform through its precision medicine AI portfolio.

Proscia will demonstrate the accessibility of its AI development tools at the Digital Pathology & AI Congress in its hometown of Philadelphia. On June 4, it will host a pre-conference workshop where participants can build functional AI applications in under two hours without programming experience. Learn more about ‘From Pixels to Insight’ and register to attend here.

View the full Fierce 15 list here.

About Proscia
Proscia is a software company accelerating pathology’s transition to a digital, data-driven discipline and enabling AI to advance precision medicine. Its Concentriq enterprise pathology platform, precision medicine AI portfolio, and real-world data fuel the development and use of novel therapies and diagnostics to drive the fight against humanity’s most challenging diseases, like cancer. 16 of the top 20 pharmaceutical companies and a global network of diagnostic laboratories rely on Proscia’s solutions each day. The company has FDA 510(k) clearance and CE-IVDR certification for its diagnostic software. For more information, visit proscia.com, and follow Proscia on LinkedIn and X.

Contact:
Sydney Fenkell
VP, Marketing Communications
sydney@proscia.com
215.816.3436

The MIL Network –

June 4, 2025
MIL-OSI: Genesis Brings Roadshow Tracking to Bond Deal Solution
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

LONDON and NEW YORK, June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Genesis Global, the AI-native application development platform purpose-built for financial markets organizations, added bond deal Roadshow tracking tools to its Primary Bond Issuance (PBI) solution.

According to Coalition Greenwich, 65% of institutional investors use roadshow data to evaluate deals before they formally enter the market, particularly for high-yield and emerging markets bond deals. With the new Roadshow functionality, PBI provides data management and workflow tools for the entire bond deal lifecycle.

“Bringing roadshow data into a collaborative, repeatable investment process enables asset managers to get ahead of the market,” said Mike Grogan, Buyside Business Development Director at Genesis Global. “Our solution reduces the pressure asset managers face on pricing days, because investment teams can do their analysis and prepare orders in advance and then simply amend them, if needed, when deals launch.”

PBI provides asset managers with a complete, real-time view of the market by aggregating users’ internal and external deal data sources. It automates investment workflow by integrating compliance, analytics, reference data and order systems into a deal-focused workspace. The solution also embeds collaboration tools to promote efficient, team-driven decision making.

The new Roadshow features in PBI enable asset managers to:
- Manage entire deal pipelines, from roadshow to pricing, with one platform
- Consolidate deal information, documents and other issuer data
- Alert investment team members about roadshow activity
- Bring unstructured data from emails and chats into the system with Genesis AI tools
- Facilitate internal book building for early interest communication to syndicates
“PBI gives asset managers an edge by presenting a complete, real-time view of the market, integrating the systems investment teams use and promoting efficient decision-making,” continued Mike Grogan. “Streamlining how firms operate in primary markets helps them maintain focus on their investment process and on assessing relative value, especially on busy deal days, which stretch the capacity of investment teams.”

About Genesis Global
Genesis Global enables financial markets organizations to innovate at speed through its AI-native software application development platform and deep expertise in capital markets and financial services. In supercharging developers and non-technical domain experts to rapidly deliver high-performance, resilient and secure applications, Genesis replaces the buy vs. build challenge with a buy-to-build solution.

The Genesis platform is designed with flexibility and performance at its core, providing the frameworks, integrations and components required to automate manual workflows, enhance legacy systems and build entirely new applications. Featuring a resilient, real-time service-oriented architecture, Genesis excels across the performance envelope of low-latency, high-throughput and high-scalability, powering mission-critical applications at the world’s leading financial institutions.

Strategically backed by Bank of America, BNY and Citi, Genesis Global has offices in London, New York, Miami, Charlotte, São Paulo, Dublin and Bengaluru.

Media contact:
Alex Paidas, Corporate Communications, Genesis Global
alex.paidas@genesis.global +1 646 246 4889

The MIL Network –
June 4, 2025
MIL-OSI: CMG and Baker Hughes Announce Agreement to Advance Digital Integration

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Delivering Enhanced Workflows for a Connected Customer Experience

CALGARY, Alberta, June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Computer Modelling Group Ltd. (“CMG” or the “Company”) (TSX: CMG) is pleased to announce an agreement with Baker Hughes to further the integration of its simulation and seismic technologies with Baker Hughes’ digital offerings, delivering comprehensive software and consulting solutions for upstream energy development.

As asset complexity increases, the accuracy and integrity of modelling and simulation are essential for building better understanding, mitigating operational risk, and optimizing recovery. Baker Hughes’ field proven JewelSuite™ subsurface and geomechanical modelling, combined with CMG’s powerful seismic interpretation and reservoir and production simulation tools, deliver a comprehensive workflow well-suited to maximize asset value in a full range of recovery processes.

Under the agreement, CMG and Baker Hughes will enhance integration across both companies’ solution sets, improving user experience and ease of use. This collaboration expands market reach and enables both companies to offer end-to-end workflows including seismic to geology, geology to reservoir, reservoir to production, and production to surveillance. In addition to JewelSuite^TM, the two companies will explore further opportunities to integrate CMG’s advanced technologies with Baker Hughes’ industry-leading Leucipa^TM automated field production solution and CarbonEdge^TM end-to-end digital solution for CCUS operations. While many industry software applications are connected, this agreement aims to take the next step in truly connecting the workflows.

In addition, experts from CMG and Baker Hughes’ GaffneyCline energy advisory group will collaborate to deliver superior expertise and insights to the industry for consulting projects in subsurface and surface oil and gas, geothermal, and CCUS systems. This team approach to consulting delivers true industry expertise in each unique discipline required on a project.

Commenting on the agreement, Pramod Jain, CEO of CMG said, “At CMG, we are dedicated to building an open ecosystem where leading-edge technologies can thrive. We are committed to ensuring that our customers are free to select best-in-class solutions that integrate effortlessly, empowering them to work with the technologies that best serve their needs. Collaborating with Baker Hughes to assure seamless integration of our respective solutions is a meaningful way for us to deliver on our mission to continue to help our clients solve their most complex problems.”

James P. Brady, Chief Digital Officer – Oilfield Services & Equipment, Baker Hughes added “Collaboration is at the heart of our digital strategy. By working closely with CMG, we can leverage our collective reservoir and software expertise to deliver a better, truly integrated customer experience — from exploration and resource development to sustainable production optimization.”

About CMG

CMG (TSX:CMG) is a global software and consulting company that combines science and technology with deep industry expertise to solve complex subsurface and surface challenges for the new energy industry around the world. CMG is headquartered in Calgary, AB, with offices in Houston, Oxford, Dubai, Bogota, Rio de Janeiro, Bengaluru, Kuala Lumpur, Oslo, Stavanger, and Kaiserslautern. For more information, please visit www.cmgl.ca.

This press release contains “forward-looking statements”. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as: “aims”, “intend”, “can”, “goal”, “seek”, “believe”, “estimate”, “expect”, “strategy”, “future”, “likely”, “may”, “should”, “will”, and similar references to future periods. Examples of forward-looking statements include, among others, statements we make regarding our ability to integrate digital solutions with Baker Hughes.

Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. They are based only on our current beliefs, expectations, and assumptions regarding the future of our business, future plans and strategies, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of our control. Our actual results and financial condition may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause our actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements are detailed in the companies’ public filings.

Any forward-looking statement made by us in this press release is based only on information currently available to us and speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Except as required by applicable securities laws, we undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

The MIL Network –

June 4, 2025
MIL-OSI: Zscaler Unveils Cutting-Edge AI Innovations to Stop Attacks, Protect Sensitive Data, and Enable Businesses to Embrace AI Securely
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

LAS VEGAS, June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Zenith Live Las Vegas — Zscaler, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZS), the leader in cloud security, today announced advanced artificial intelligence (AI) security capabilities and new AI-powered innovations to enhance data security and stop cyberattacks. These advancements address critical challenges for businesses adopting AI, including safeguarding proprietary information and maintaining regulatory compliance.

As organizations adapt to the era of artificial intelligence, Zscaler is enabling businesses to adopt advanced AI technologies securely and at scale. The Zscaler platform securely connects users, devices, and data across distributed environments, leveraging the world’s largest inline security cloud—processing over 500 trillion security signals every day. This unparalleled real-world telemetry powers Zscaler’s AI engines, delivering highly accurate threat detection and effective automated security.

Zscaler’s latest AI-focused solutions address the complexities associated with deploying advanced AI tools in large, distributed environments. The new capabilities drive precision, automate threat neutralization, and power frictionless collaboration by harnessing the power of AI to unify users, applications, devices, clouds, and branches.

The following solutions—showcased during Zenith Live 2025—are available for Zscaler customers to accelerate secure, AI-driven innovation:
- AI-powered Data Security Classification: Zscaler’s newest AI-powered data security classification brings human-like intuition to identifying sensitive content, now including more than 200 categories, allowing advanced classifications that find new and unexpected sensitive data beyond traditional regex-based signature detection. As a result, organizations can get very granular data security posture assessment in a fraction of the time.
- Enhanced Generative AI Protections with Expanded Prompt Visibility: Zscaler delivers greater visibility and control over GenAI applications, including Microsoft CoPilot, by enabling advanced prompt classification and inspection. Organizations can block prompts that violate policies and leverage existing DLP capabilities to safeguard sensitive data and ensure compliance across AI-powered workflows.
- AI-Powered Segmentation: Enhancements include the first purpose-built user-to-application segmentation AI automation engine to now simplify app management, app grouping and segmentation workflows with user identity built in. This capability significantly accelerates the segmentation workflow to rapidly improve an organization’s security posture.
- Zscaler Digital Experience (ZDX) Network Intelligence: Powered with AI, Network Operations can now instantly benchmark and visualize internet and regional ISP performance, correlating last-mile and intermediate ISP outages with multi-path flow analysis to optimize connections to Zscaler data centers and applications, ensuring greater reliability and improved performance. Additionally, network operations teams can also proactively detect, isolate, and analyze trends for disruptive ISP issues, such as packet loss impacting users, enabling faster remediation through rerouting, and cost savings via better ISP negotiations.
“Zscaler is redesigning the boundaries of enterprise security by advancing AI-driven innovations that address the complex challenges of today’s digital age,” said Adam Geller, Chief Product Officer, Zscaler. “With industry-first capabilities like AI-driven threat detection and automated segmentation, we empower organizations to adopt and scale AI responsibly and securely. These advancements not only neutralize emerging threats but accelerate collaboration and operational efficiency, allowing businesses to capitalize on the transformative power of AI with confidence and precision.”

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements that are based on our management’s beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to our management. These forward-looking statements include the expectations, beliefs, plans, and intentions relating to new innovations Zscaler is developing. Such statements include statements regarding future product capabilities and offerings and expected benefits to Zscaler and its customers. These forward-looking statements are subject to the safe harbor provisions created by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. A significant number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from statements made in this press release, including (i) delays and unexpected difficulties and expenses in executing the product capabilities and offerings, (ii) changes in the regulatory landscape related to AI and (iii) uncertainty as to whether future sales will justify the investments in the product capabilities and offerings. Additional risks and uncertainties are set forth in our most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on May 29, 2025, which is available on our website at ir.zscaler.com and on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Any forward-looking statements in this release are based on the limited information currently available to Zscaler as of the date hereof, which is subject to change, and Zscaler will not necessarily update the information, even if new information becomes available in the future.

About Zscaler
Zscaler (NASDAQ: ZS) accelerates digital transformation so customers can be more agile, efficient, resilient, and secure. The Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange™ platform protects thousands of customers from cyberattacks and data loss by securely connecting users, devices, and applications in any location. Distributed across more than 150 data centers globally, the SASE-based Zero Trust Exchange™ is the world’s largest in-line cloud security platform.

Media Contact
Nick Gonzalez
Sr. Manager, Media Relations
press@zscaler.com

The MIL Network –
June 4, 2025

Category: KB

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Lisa Nandy speech at Media & Telecoms 2025 and Beyond Conference

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