Despite progress made in the fight against tuberculosis (TB), Deputy President Paul Mashatile has expressed concern that South Africa still has one of the highest TB burdens globally.
He noted that South Africa is among the 30 countries accounting for 87% of the global TB burden, highlighting that TB is preventable and curable, even for those living with HIV.
The Deputy President has since called for urgent action to combat this infectious disease, which claims the lives of thousands of citizens each year.
South Africa commemorated World TB Day on Monday, focusing on the critical need to end TB in the country and across the globe.
“Today, we join the global community to commemorate World TB Day. We unite as a nation with a shared purpose to end tuberculosis,” said the Deputy President.
The Deputy President was speaking as the Chairperson of the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC) while addressing attendees at the national World TB Day event in Gamalakhe Township, Ugu District in KwaZulu-Natal.
In 2023 alone, around 270 000 South Africans were diagnosed with TB, with 56 000 deaths, equating to 153 deaths every day.
The Deputy President told the attendees that this day should serve as a reminder of the ongoing stigma and discrimination faced by those living with HIV and TB.
Two years ago, he said, SANAC initiated the development of Human Rights Charters aimed at protecting the rights of key populations affected by TB and HIV.
While progress has been made, Deputy President Mashatile noted that some provinces are still yet to launch their charters, emphasising the need to address stigma actively.
“TB is not merely a medical issue; it is a human rights issue. Every person, regardless of their background, deserves access to life-saving treatment,” the Deputy President stressed.
Meanwhile, he said about 58 000 people with TB in South Africa remain undiagnosed.
“These are our mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters – people who deserve care and dignity. We must reach them.”
He told the community that government was committed to maximising efforts to combat TB through four key objectives. These include raising awareness, promoting access to care, advocating for research and innovation and strengthening partnerships.
Through these initiatives, the Deputy President said government hopes to foster improved treatment success, link diagnosed patients to necessary care and reduce stigma and discrimination within communities.
The Deputy President believes that collective action and commitment are imperative in the fight against this preventable and treatable disease.
Government also launched the End TB campaign, which aims to test five million people by the end of March next year and annually thereafter.
“This will, in turn, result in a 29% reduction in TB incidence and a 41% reduction in TB mortality by 2035,” he said.
Under SANAC coordination, the Deputy President said they will embark on a mass mobilisation drive to rally all South Africans behind the End TB initiative.
“We will work with community leaders, traditional healers, and media platforms to spread the message that TB is preventable, treatable, and curable,” he added. – SAnews.gov.za
Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:
CAIRO, Egypt, March 24, 2025/APO Group/ —
African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) (www.Afreximbank.com) has successfully acted as Joint Global Coordinator and Joint Lead Manager on second EUR 750 million RegS-only senior Eurobond issuance by the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (“BADEA”) due March 2028 under its existing Euro Medium-Term Note (EMTN) programme listed on London Stock Exchange.
The bond proceeds will fund general corporate purposes including loan book growth in Sub-Saharan Africa under BADEA’s 9th Strategic Plan 2025-2029.
BADEA is a multilateral development lending institution established in 1974 and headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It is owned by 18 League of Arab States (LAS) to channel development finance to 44 non-Arab Sub-Saharan African countries.
The bond issuance was 3.0x oversubscribed by more than 60 high-quality institutional investors comprising central banks, asset managers, development finance institutions, pension funds and commercial banks from Europe, UK, Middle East, Africa and Asia. Proactive investor engagement by BADEA since debut issuance as well as market momentum enabled the issuer to upsize transaction by 50% versus original target as well as tighten credit spread by 15bps over 4-day marketing roadshow. The transaction eventually priced at 75bps over EUR mid-swaps rate with annual coupon 3.000%, thus achieving material enhancements versus debut 2024 bond issuance in terms of issuance size, credit spread and final coupon respectively.
Afreximbank, through its Advisory and Capital Markets (ACMA) department, acted as Joint Global Coordinator and Joint Lead Manager to BADEA on this bond transaction for the second consecutive time alongside international banking partners.
Cyabra has entered into a business combination agreement with Trailblazer Merger Corp. (TBMC)
New York, NY, March 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Cyabra Ltd., a leading AI platform for real-time disinformation detection, has released a new report uncovering how fake social media profiles fueled widespread disinformation about Pope Francis’ health. Conducted in early March, the investigation found that 31% of the profiles discussing the Pope on X were inauthentic, amplifying false rumors of his death. The report has been featured in The New York Times and The Mail Online, highlighting the urgent need to counter influence operations online.
“Our research underscores the alarming scale at which fake accounts are influencing public narratives,” said Dan Brahmy, CEO & Co-founder of Cyabra. “The dis and misinformation surrounding Pope Francis’ health is just one example of how AI-generated fake profiles are being weaponized to spread fear, confusion, and distrust.”
The full report, “Pope Francis’ Health Misinformation Fueled by Fake Profiles,” is available here.
Cyabra’s findings come at a critical time as online threats to public trust grow more sophisticated. As the digital landscape continues to evolve, Cyabra remains at the forefront of detecting and neutralizing harmful narratives and inauthentic online behavior.
Cyabra has entered into a business combination agreement with Trailblazer Merger Corporation I (NASDAQ: TBMC), a blank-check special-purpose acquisition company.
About Cyabra
Cyabra is a real-time AI-powered platform that uncovers and analyzes online disinformation and misinformation by uncovering fake profiles, harmful narratives, and GenAI content across social media and digital news channels. Cyabra’s AI protects corporations and governments against brand reputation risks, election manipulation, foreign interference, and other online threats. Cyabra’s platform leverages proprietary algorithms and NLP solutions, gathering and analyzing publicly available data to provide clear, actionable insights and real-time alerts that inform critical decision-making. Cyabra uncovers the good, bad, and fake online.
Trailblazer is a blank check company formed for the purpose of entering into a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, recapitalization, reorganization, or other similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities. For more information, visit: www.trailblazermergercorp.com
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws with respect to certain products and services that are the subject of a proposed transaction (the “Business Combination”) between Trailblazer and Cyabra. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this press release, including statements regarding Cyabra’s business strategy, products and services, research and development costs, plans and objectives of management for future operations, and future results of current and anticipated product offerings, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “believe,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “strategy,” “future,” “opportunity,” “plan,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result,” and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including, but not limited to, the following risks relating to the proposed transaction: the ability to complete the Business Combination or, if Trailblazer does not consummate such Business Combination, any other
initial business combination; expectations regarding Cyabra’s strategies and future financial performance, including its future business plans or objectives, prospective performance and opportunities and competitors, revenues, products and services, pricing, operating expenses, market trends, liquidity, cash flows and uses of cash, capital expenditures, and Cyabra’s ability to invest in growth initiatives and pursue acquisition opportunities; the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the Business Combination Agreement; the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against Trailblazer or Cyabra following announcement of the Business Combination Agreement and the transactions contemplated therein; the inability to complete the proposed Business Combination due to, among other things, the failure to obtain Trailblazer stockholder approval; the risk that the announcement and consummation of the proposed Business Combination disrupts Cyabra’s current operations and future plans; the ability to recognize the anticipated benefits of the proposed Business Combination; unexpected costs related to the proposed Business Combination; the amount of any redemptions by existing holders of Trailblazer’s common stock being greater than expected; limited liquidity and trading of Trailblazer’s securities; geopolitical risk and changes in applicable laws or regulations; the size of the addressable markets for Cyabra’s products and services; the possibility that Trailblazer and/or Cyabra may be adversely affected by other economic, business, and/or competitive factors; the ability to obtain and/or maintain the listing of the combined company’s common stock on Nasdaq following the Business Combination; operational risk; and the risks that the consummation of the proposed Business Combination is substantially delayed or does not occur.
Important Information for Investors and Stockholders
In connection with the Business Combination, Trailblazer Holdings, Inc., a subsidiary of Trailblazer (“Holdings”) has filed a registration statement on Form S-4 (the “Registration Statement”) with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), which includes a preliminary proxy statement/prospectus, and certain other related documents, which will be both the proxy statement to be distributed to holders of shares of Trailblazer’s common stock in connection with its solicitation of proxies for the vote by its stockholders with respect to the Business Combination and other matters as may be described in the Registration Statement, as well as the prospectus of Holdings relating to the offer and sale of its securities to be issued in the Business Combination. . After the Registration Statement is declared effective, the proxy statement/prospectus will be sent to all Trailblazer stockholders so that they may vote on the Business Combination.
INVESTORS AND STOCKHOLDERS OF TRAILBLAZER ARE URGED TO READ CAREFULLY THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT, PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS, AND OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED OR TO BE FILED WITH THE SEC WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE, AS THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE BUSINESS COMBINATION AND THE PARTIES INVOLVED.
Trailblazer stockholders are currently able to obtain copies of the preliminary proxy statement/prospectus and other documents filed with the SEC that are incorporated by reference therein, and will be able to obtain the definitive proxy statement/prospectus and other documents filed with the SEC that will be incorporated by reference therein, once available, in all cases without charge, at the SEC’s web site at www.sec.gov, or by directing a request to: Trailblazer at 510 Madison Avenue, Suite 1401, New York, NY 10022, Telephone: 646-747-9618.
Participants in the Solicitation
Cyabra, Trailblazer, and their respective directors and executive officers may be deemed participants in the solicitation of proxies from Trailblazer stockholders regarding the proposed Business Combination. Information about Trailblazer’s directors and executive officers and their ownership of Trailblazer’s securities is set forth in the proxy statement/prospectus pertaining to the proposed Business Combination.
No Offer or Solicitation
This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, or a solicitation of any vote or approval. No sale of securities shall occur in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful before registration or qualification under applicable laws.
CHICAGO, March 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — iManage, the company dedicated to Making Knowledge Work™, today unveiled further developments to its advanced AI strategy—an embedded, comprehensive approach that helps knowledge workers leverage data more effectively, enhance search, and unlock institutional knowledge to drive smarter work and deliver value to their stakeholders in an efficient and safe way.
This strategic direction incorporates the application of AI across the platform to enable customers to be better prepared to use AI technologies with their proprietary data. It also alleviates repetitive and mundane tasks, be that email filing or automatic creation of signature packets enabling users to focus on more productive, high value tasks. Supporting these advancements iManage announced new releases of Ask iManage and Insight+, including the introduction of additional Gen AI capabilities.
Your AI-Powered Legal Assistant: Ask iManage Launched in 2024, Ask iManage is an AI-powered assistant native to iManage Work, built to enhance how professionals work with documents, emails, and content. The latest release of Ask iManage introduces a guided actions interface making it easy for users to leverage the benefits of generative AI without the need to be experts in crafting prompts. Guided actions available today include:
Overview, to quickly see the main points of content
Extract, to grab exact text and data points from documents
Summarize, to generate summaries for specific topics within content
Analyze, to check if content meets certain requirements
Ask iManage already offers multi-document processing—the ability to run guided actions on multiple documents simultaneously. This capability is beneficial for tasks such as due diligence, compliance reviews, or remediation projects.
A newly introduced question library lets users browse a curated set of prompts and save, customize, and reuse prompts for personal or team use. Dynamic question suggestions provide real-time, context-aware examples tailored specifically to a user’s document.
Ask iManage is gaining momentum by delivering new value aligned with evolving user needs. It incorporates AI skills that can be seamlessly applied to documents and includes guardrails that enable users to easily verify the AI model’s output as necessary. For example, a key feature is the ability to provide evidence and help users navigate to the precise location within a source document to verify a response. Users also benefit from greater flexibility in how answers are formatted, such as tables or lists, and in exporting those answers to familiar formats like Word or Excel, reducing friction and saving valuable time.
Recognizing that training and adoption can be challenging, iManage developed the Wayfinder program. A consultative and high-touch customer engagement program to enable strong user adoption, the Wayfinder program supports customers in meeting their desired outcomes. Participation in the program continues to grow within the iManage customer base.
The next evolution of Knowledge Search built on a Strong Data Foundation
iManage is leading the way in Knowledge Search with semantic and generative search experiences built on trusted grounding data in their knowledge base. Insight+, based on a hybrid search index with security policy at its core, enables innovative AI-powered search to support lawyers in the ways they want to work. Using natural language, it searches for generative responses to questions grounded in managed collections of the organization’s data, providing authoritative links to the underlying source content and document links.
Insight+ has continued to gain significant traction in the market, in part due to the features and enhancements that have been realized in the last year and now has more than 25,000 active users globally across law firms, tax and accounting practices, and corporate legal departments.
“AI is never about ‘AI for AI sake’—it’s about getting to better outcomes,” said Shawn Misquitta, EVP of Product Management at iManage. “Our continued investments in the platform – iManage Insight+ and Ask iManage – play a crucial role in helping customers realize value, while leveraging AI in a secure and responsible way. The market response and adoption globally validate our approach. We are committed to helping customers achieve pragmatic, pervasive, and responsible use of AI technologies, and we’re excited about the tremendous interest from our legal and corporate legal customers.”
iManage is at Legalweek 2025 in New York City, March 24–27. Visit us at Booth #2010 to explore how our latest innovations in AI-powered knowledge work are helping legal teams work smarter, more securely, and deliver greater client value. In addition to visiting the booth, join us for our iManage Roundtables in Concourse F:
The Role of KM in Advancing Knowledge Maturity on Tuesday, March 25, from 12:30 – 1:45 p.m. ET
Experience Insight+ Knowledge Search Firsthand on Wednesday, March 26, from 12:30 – 1:45 p.m. ET
We’re also hosting Meet the Experts drop-in sessions in Concourse F on both Tuesday and Wednesday from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. ET. Stop by for one-on-one conversations with our team, get personalized guidance on Ask iManage and Insight+, and enjoy a coffee while you chat.
Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with our experts, experience the power of iManage AI solutions in action, and see how we’re shaping the future of AI-powered knowledge work.
About iManage iManage is dedicated to Making Knowledge Work™. Our cloud-native platform is at the center of the knowledge economy, enabling every organization to work more productively, collaboratively, and securely. Built on more than 20 years of industry experience, iManage helps leading organizations manage documents and emails more efficiently, protect vital information assets, and leverage knowledge to drive better business outcomes. As your strategic business partner, we employ our award-winning AI-enabled technology, an extensive partner ecosystem, and a customer-centric approach to provide support and guidance you can trust to make knowledge work for you. iManage is relied on by more than one million professionals at 4,000 organizations around the world. Visit www.imanage.com to learn more.
Despite pay transparency laws, wage equity progress continues to stall nationwide, with systemic barriers still limiting women’s earning potential.
The “childbearing penalty” remains highly evident, as women with children continue to earn just 75 cents for every dollar fathers make, while fathers make 2% more than childless men.
While the gender pay gap showed gradual improvement from 2018 to 2022, progress has remained stagnant since the Great Resignation, with declines especially evident among older women.
SEATTLE, March 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, Payscale Inc., the leading provider of compensation data, software and services, released its 2025 Gender Pay Gap Report (GPGR), revealing that despite pay transparency laws, the closing of the gender pay gap has stalled nationwide, with systemic barriers still limiting women’s earning potential.
Payscale’s analysis found that in 2025 women still earn just 83 cents for every dollar men make. While this is unchanged from last year, according to AAUW, Equal Pay Day shifted back more than two weeks this year, meaning that women must work that much longer to achieve the same earnings as men in 2025, compared to 2024. The controlled gender pay gap also remains the same as last year, at 99 cents. The controlled gender pay gap is the amount that women earn for every dollar that a man earns when accounting for job title and compensable factors, while the uncontrolled gender pay gap is the difference in median pay for men and women overall.
“Even though our 2025 Compensation Best Practices Report showed a minor decrease in support for pay equity (57%), and there has been a recent weakening of public support around Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) of late, some states have shown promising progress towards closing the gender pay gap,” said Ruth Thomas, pay equity strategist at Payscale. “While not every state has enacted pay transparency laws, which are shown to support pay equity efforts, many organizations are still staunchly committed to the cause. In fact, compared to 2020, there has been a 19% increase in corporate commitment to these efforts.”
Key takeaways from GPGR:
Working Parents— Motherhood continues to hurt pay equity, while fathers get a raise as a result of the childbearing penalty.
Women with children face a significantly wider gender pay gap, earning just 75 cents for every dollar fathers make—unchanged from last year.
This gap is even wider for women of color, with American Indian and Alaska Native mothers experiencing the largest disparity, earning just 64 cents for every dollar fathers earn.
When controlling for job roles and experience, mothers earn 98 cents for every dollar earned by fathers with similar characteristics, a figure that has remained steady.
Meanwhile, fatherhood financially benefits men, who earn 2% more than childless men, while mothers face stagnant or reduced pay compared to childless women.
Job Seeking— Women seeking new jobs are closing the pay gap, but parenting responsibilities and workplace flexibility keep many stuck with lower wages.
The gender pay gap is narrower for women actively seeking a new job in the next six months compared to those not looking, suggesting that a willingness to leave positions may lead to higher pay.
Yet, this uncontrolled gender pay gap slightly widened this year to $0.83 from $0.84 last year, indicating slower progress overall.
Women who stay in their current job may do so due to benefits they can’t afford to lose, such as flexible work schedules, which can result in tolerating lower pay.
Workplace culture, flexibility, and work-life balance may be more important to women than men when deciding whether to stay with an employer, potentially influencing their pay trajectory.
Higher Education— Despite earning advanced degrees like MBAs, law degrees, and health professional doctorates, women still face a significant pay gap, highlighting that education alone doesn’t guarantee pay equity.
Women with MBAs face the largest uncontrolled pay gap, earning just 77 cents for every dollar earned by men with the same degree.
Health professional doctorates have the smallest uncontrolled pay gap at 89 cents, while women with law degrees earn 87 cents for every dollar men with the same degree make, marking a slight decrease from last year.
Leadership and Career Progress— Not only do women earn less as their career progresses, they’re also less likely to reach leadership roles.
White men are the most likely to hold leadership positions, with 45% serving as managers or in higher roles. Women are underrepresented in leadership roles, with only 5% of white women becoming executives compared to 7% of white men. The numbers are even lower for women of color: 3% for Hispanic women, 4% for Black or African American women, and 3% for Asian women.
Women who do ascend the corporate ladder earn less than their male counterparts, with the gap widening at higher levels. Women at the executive level earn 93 cents for every dollar men make, even when controlling for job characteristics, and just 72 cents when not controlling for these factors.
The gender pay gap is widest for Hispanic women and American Indian and Native Alaskan women at the executive level when data are controlled, currently standing at 91 cents, which is two points narrower than 2024.
Gender Norms— While STEM industries show progress toward pay equity, traditional gender norms continue to widen the gap in other sectors.
The biggest pay gaps appear in occupations with deep-rooted gender norms, including Legal (63 cents), Farming & Fishing (77 cents), and Management (79 cents), where men dominate top-paying positions.
The gender pay gap is also widest in Finance & Insurance (78 cents) and Agencies & Consultancies (84 cents) industries, despite women making up 53% and 59% of the workforce in these industries, respectively.
Even in female-dominated industries like Healthcare (89 cents), Education (91 cents), and Nonprofits (88 cents), pay disparities persist.
Some STEM-heavy industries show pay equity when controlled, but women remain underrepresented in higher-paying roles within these industries.
Location– States with and without salary transparency laws have seen improvements in the controlled gender pay gap, likely due in part to increased awareness from transparency efforts in other regions or companies adopting national pay transparency practices.
In 2025, Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey, Vermont and Massachusetts will enact pay transparency legislation.
The controlled pay gap remained closed in 2025 for California, Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, and Washington, D.C. – all showed closed pay gaps last year, and, except for New Jersey and Oregon, have active pay transparency laws.
While other states continue to show improvement, Massachusetts, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, New Mexico, Vermont, and Washington state have seen their gaps widen.
New gains are emerging in Alabama, Delaware, Nebraska, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, and West Virginia, where the controlled pay gap has recently closed.
“It’s disappointing to still see a lack of progress towards closing the gender pay gap. Beyond being the right thing to do, ensuring fair pay without discrimination is required by law. This fact alone should support closing the gender pay gap. Even more, it’s a critical retention tool for businesses, which is why, unsurprisingly, women employees frequently leave organizations because they don’t think they are being paid fairly,” said Lulu Seikaly, senior corporate employment attorney at Payscale. “Pay transparency has an important role to play here, because when an employee has an understanding of their compensation trajectory it increases trust and loyalty. Our 2025 Compensation Best Practices Report revealed that over half (56%) of companies are sharing pay ranges in their job postings regardless of whether or not it’s required by law — a promising nod to the future of fair pay.”
According to Payscale’s 2025 Compensation Best Practices Report, 72% of HR and compensation professionals believe that gender pay gap research is meaningful. Paired with Payscale’s compensation management software and services enable organizations to easily evaluate their current compensation strategies and standardize their internal pay practices to increase transparency and ensure fair pay.
The 2025 Gender Pay Gap Report analyzes crowdsourced data from over 369,000 people in the U.S. who took Payscale’s free online salary survey between January 2024 and January 2025. The full report and its methodology, including analysis by race, job level, age, education, industry, occupation, and location, can be accessed in its entirety at Payscale.com/research-and-insights/gender-pay-gap.
About Payscale As the industry leader in compensation management, Payscale is on a mission to help job seekers, employees, and businesses make sustainable fair pay a reality. Empowering 65% of the Fortune 500, Payscale provides a combination of diverse and dynamic data sources, experienced compensation services, and scalable software to enable organizations such as Panasonic, ZoomInfo, Chipotle, AccentCare, University of Washington, American Airlines, and PetSmart to make fair and appropriate pay decisions.
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., March 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — StarTree, the cloud-based real-time analytics company, today announced it has been named the 2025 Confluent Data Flow ISV Partner of the Year – APAC. The award recognizes StarTree’s exceptional commitment to driving customer value through Confluent’s data streaming platform, alongside other global Confluent partners.
“We’re incredibly honored to be named the 2025 Confluent Data Flow ISV Platform Partner of the Year for APAC. This recognition highlights the powerful synergy between StarTree and Confluent—bringing together best-in-class data streaming and real-time analytics platforms to help businesses unlock the full potential of their data,” said Jen Murphy, VP, Channels & Alliances, StarTree. “Confluent provides the foundation for streaming data at scale, while StarTree ensures that data is instantly analyzed and actionable. Together, we enable organizations to make faster, smarter decisions, and we’re excited to keep pushing the boundaries of real-time analytics with Confluent.”
The Confluent Partner Awards for APAC recognizes regional partners that go above and beyond to deliver transformative customer value with data streaming–whether that’s through real-time business solutions or implementing cutting-edge technologies. The 10 regional award categories reflect the many ways partners across system integrations, cloud service providers, and technology partners leverage Confluent’s complete data streaming platform to connect, stream, govern, and process data as it happens.
StarTree provided outstanding services and solutions as the Data Flow ISV Partner of the Year – APAC. This award recognizes a partner that leveraged Confluent to create and deliver a comprehensive and compelling solution that made a significant impact across an industry and/or region.
“The Asia Pacific market thrives on the power of interconnected ecosystems, where success is achieved through strong regional collaboration,” said Sandeep Shirodkar, Director of Partner Success APAC, Confluent. “Our 2025 Confluent Partner Awards in Asia Pacific demonstrate the exceptional impact local partnerships have in transforming how businesses operate with data streaming across diverse economies. Together, we are accelerating results for real-time outcomes.”
StarTree and Confluent are a natural fit, seamlessly combining the strengths of real-time streaming and real-time analytics into a unified data platform. Both Apache Kafka® and Apache Pinot®, the open-source technologies respectively behind Confluent and StarTree, originated at LinkedIn to address the challenges of traditional batch-based data systems—enabling businesses to move from delayed insights to instant intelligence. Today, this partnership continues to redefine what’s possible with real-time data. With Confluent providing a best-in-class data streaming platform and StarTree delivering sub-second analytics at scale, organizations can unlock the full value of their data as it flows.
In 2024, StarTree consumed more data than any other real-time database natively integrated with Confluent Cloud. StarTree was also recognized as Confluent’s 2023 Integration ISV Partner of the Year, highlighting our sustained commitment to each other and the immense value we jointly bring to the market.
StarTree continues to thrive as a trusted and strategic partner in the channel, driving growth and innovation with its real-time analytics solutions. By offering seamless integrations with leading platforms such as Confluent, Tableau, AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure, StarTree empowers its channel partners to deliver scalable and reliable insights that simplify complex business challenges. With a strong focus on collaboration, StarTree provides its ecosystem of hyperscalers, technology providers, and system integrators with the tools, resources, and expertise necessary to succeed in the rapidly evolving data landscape. Through flexible purchasing options in top cloud marketplaces and a commitment to building long-term relationships, StarTree ensures that its partners have everything they need to meet the dynamic needs of modern enterprises, ultimately delivering transformative value to customers worldwide.
At StarTree, we understand the urgency of the on-demand economy and help businesses like Citi, Stripe, DoorDash, Nubank, Zomato, and Dialpad deliver real-time analytics into their user-facing applications. StarTree Cloud, powered by Apache Pinot™, is a fully-managed real-time analytics Database-as-a-Service (DBaaS). StarTree’s platform is built to power insights for millions of users at massive speed and scale, and a fraction of the cost of alternatives. Whether user-facing apps, or backend APIs and microservices, real-time analytics are now a required component powering internal and customer-facing dashboards. With StarTree, customers unlock the full potential of their data while exceeding millions of user expectations. StarTree is closely partnered with analytics leaders such as AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft, Confluent, Databricks and others to help customers achieve their real-time analytics goals.
The Company will host a webinar with investors on Wednesday, April 2, 2025, at 9:00 a.m., Eastern Time
Rehovot, Israel, March 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Maris-Tech Ltd. (Nasdaq: MTEK, MTEKW) (“Maris-Tech” or the “Company”), a global leader in video and artificial intelligence (“AI”) based edge computing technology, today announced that it will host a webinar on Wednesday, April 2, 2025, at 9:00 a.m., Eastern Time, to discuss the Company’s 2024 financial results and provide an update on its business operations and annual highlights, following the expected release of the Company’s financial results for the year ended December 31, 2024 and the filing of the related Annual Report on Form 20-F with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on March 28, 2025.
Webinar Information: Date: Wednesday, April 2, 2025 Time: 9:00 a.m., Eastern Time
To participate in the webinar, please register in advance via the link below.
To ensure you are connected prior to the beginning of the webinar, the Company encourages participants to log-in at least 5 minutes before the start of the webinar.
About Maris-Tech Ltd.
Maris-Tech is a global leader in video and AI-based edge computing technology, pioneering intelligent video transmission solutions that conquer complex encoding-decoding challenges. Our miniature, lightweight, and low-power products deliver high-performance capabilities, including raw data processing, seamless transfer, advanced image processing, and AI-driven analytics. Founded by Israeli technology sector veterans, Maris-Tech serves leading manufacturers worldwide in defense, aerospace, Intelligence gathering, homeland security (HLS), and communication industries. We’re pushing the boundaries of video transmission and edge computing, driving innovation in mission-critical applications across commercial and defense sectors.
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, that are intended to be covered by the “safe harbor” created by those sections. Forward-looking statements, which are based on certain assumptions and describe the Company’s future plans, strategies and expectations, can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terms such as “believe,” “expect”,” “may”, “should,” “could,” “seek,” “intend,” “plan,” “goal,” “estimate,” “anticipate” or other comparable terms. For example, the Company is using forward-looking statements when it is discussing: the timeline for the release of the Company’s financial results for the year ended December 31, 2024 and the filing of the Annual Report on Form 20-F and the date of the investor webinar. 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 the Company’s control. The Company’s 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 the Company’s actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements include, among others, the following: its ability to successfully market its products and services, including in the United States; the acceptance of its products and services by customers; its continued ability to pay operating costs and ability to meet demand for its products and services; the amount and nature of competition from other security and telecom products and services; the effects of changes in the cybersecurity and telecom markets; its ability to successfully develop new products and services; its success establishing and maintaining collaborative, strategic alliance agreements, licensing and supplier arrangements; its ability to comply with applicable regulations; and the other risks and uncertainties described in the Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed with the SEC on March 21, 2024, and its other filings with the SEC. The Company undertakes 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.
SAN FRANCISCO, March 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — A late-year acceleration in branded switch sales helped propel the total data center Ethernet switch market to beyond $20 billion and 100 million port shipments in 2024, according to the latest report from Crehan Research. The increase resulted in a record-high year for revenue and shipments, with annual growth in both branded and ODM-direct data center Ethernet switching. Key drivers were 400 gigabit Ethernet (GbE) and 800GbE, with these two technologies increasing 50% year-on-year to comprise a third of total annual market revenues (see accompanying chart).
“The data center Ethernet switch market growth was the result of a number of factors,” said Seamus Crehan, president of Crehan Research. “There was a return to buying new switches by customers who had overbought as a result of the market’s earlier supply constraints. And in addition to that, we had cloud service providers buying switches to network generative AI clusters.”
Crehan’s report notes that while the adoption of 400GbE data center switching has been broad-based across applications and customer segments, the strong adoption of 800GbE has so far been primarily driven by generative AI. “The strong early 800GbE adoption is in line with our expectation that this technology will likely see the fastest ever data center Ethernet switch speed ramp,” Crehan said.
About Crehan Research Inc. Crehan Research Inc. produces reports with very detailed statistics and information on the data center switch and server-class adapter & LOM/controller (NIC) markets. The company’s reports are supported with rich insights and context to deliver increased value. For more information visit www.CrehanResearch.com.
Yokneam Illit, Israel, March 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Wearable Devices Ltd. (the “Company” or “Wearable Devices”) (Nasdaq: WLDS, WLDSW), a technology growth company specializing in artificial intelligence (“AI”)-powered touchless sensing wearables, today announced the expansion of its Large Motor Unit Action Potential Model (“LMM”) into new potential markets, such as predictive health monitoring and cognitive state analytics. This development will enable the broadening of bio-signal intelligence applications beyond wearables and will offer businesses and healthcare providers access to real-time physiological insights for monitoring health and wellness conditions.
This announcement follows Wearable Devices’ recent introduction of LMM as a groundbreaking AI-driven bio-signal platform focused on gesture-based control in extended reality (“XR”) and neural interaction with digital devices. The Company’s LMM approach to analyzing muscle activity signals will support the expansion into the field of health monitoring, enabling users to enhance their performance across various domains.
From Passive Monitoring to Proactive Intelligence
Unlike traditional bio-sensors that collect data passively, LMM continuously learns and adapts, turning muscle activity signals from the wrist into actionable insights. The technology is now being evaluated in controlled environments for real-world applications, including:
Predictive Health Monitoring – Detecting hidden patterns in muscle activity that may indicate early signs of health conditions before symptoms appear, revolutionizing preventive diagnostics and digital health tracking.
Cognitive State & Performance Analytics – Monitoring focus, fatigue, and stress levels through muscle tone and micro-movements, optimizing work productivity and mental well-being.
Exploring Predictive Analytics – Assessing whether continuous monitoring of neural data can improve AI-driven user behavior predictions.
A Platform for Innovation: Opening LMM to Business Partners
Recognizing the transformative potential of bio-signal intelligence, Wearable Devices is intending to make LMM available to enterprises, researchers, and developers. The Company’s AI-powered bio-signal data platform is expected to enable businesses to:
Develop custom applications tailored to healthcare and sports for athletic performance optimization.
Integrate real-time physiological insights into enterprise solutions to enhance safety, performance, and productivity.
Leverage LMM’s AI engine to continuously refine predictive health and interaction models.
Following the initial evaluation phase, Wearable Devices aims to accelerate commercialization and strategic partnerships across the health sector, reinforcing its position as a pioneer in bio-signal intelligence and neural interface technology.
“We believe LMM represents the next leap in bio-signal intelligence,” said Guy Wagner, President and Chief Scientific Officer of Wearable Devices. “Beyond XR and wearable computing, LMMs will allow us to enter markets that need real-time physiological insights – helping businesses, AI based health platforms, and healthcare providers to gain insights that will transform and personalize their services at scale.”
About Wearable Devices Ltd.
Wearable Devices Ltd. is a pioneering growth company revolutionizing human-computer interaction through its AI-powered neural input technology for both consumer and business markets. Leveraging proprietary sensors, software, and advanced AI algorithms, the Company’s innovative products, including the Mudra Band for iOS and Mudra Link for Android, enable seamless, touch-free interaction by transforming subtle finger and wrist movements into intuitive controls. These groundbreaking solutions enhance gaming, and the rapidly expanding AR/VR/XR landscapes. The Company offers a dual-channel business model: direct-to-consumer sales and enterprise licensing. Its flagship Mudra Band integrates functional and stylish design with cutting-edge AI to empower consumers, while its enterprise solutions provide businesses with the tools to deliver immersive and interactive experiences. By setting the input standard for the XR market, Wearable Devices is redefining user experiences and driving innovation in one of the fastest-growing tech sectors. Wearable Devices’ ordinary shares and warrants trade on the Nasdaq under the symbols “WLDS” and “WLDSW,” respectively.
Forward-Looking Statements Disclaimer
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, that are intended to be covered by the “safe harbor” created by those sections. Forward-looking statements, which are based on certain assumptions and describe our future plans, strategies and expectations, can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terms such as “believe,” “expect,” “may,” “should,” “could,” “seek,” “intend,” “plan,” “goal,” “estimate,” “anticipate” or other comparable terms. For example, we are using forward-looking statements when we discuss the benefits and advantages of our devices and technology, including the potential of LMMs, the potential to accelerate commercialization and strategic partnerships across the health sector, and entering markets that need real-time physiological insights. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this press release regarding our strategies, prospects, financial condition, operations, costs, plans and objectives are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on our current beliefs, expectations and assumptions regarding the future of our business, future plans and strategies, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of our control. Our actual results and financial condition may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause our actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements include, among others, the following: the trading of our ordinary shares or warrants and the development of a liquid trading market; our ability to successfully market our products and services; the acceptance of our products and services by customers; our continued ability to pay operating costs and ability to meet demand for our products and services; the amount and nature of competition from other security and telecom products and services; the effects of changes in the cybersecurity and telecom markets; our ability to successfully develop new products and services; our success establishing and maintaining collaborative, strategic alliance agreements, licensing and supplier arrangements; our ability to comply with applicable regulations; and the other risks and uncertainties described in our annual report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2024, filed on March 20, 2025 and our other filings with the SEC. 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.
Warsaw, Poland, March 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — March 24, 2025 — HES FinTech has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Scoreplex to integrate alternative data into credit scoring processes, enhancing financial inclusion for underserved populations worldwide.
This partnership combines HES FinTech’s AI-powered lending solutions with Scoreplex’s alternative data analytics from over 140 sources, including digital footprints, telecom data, and behavioral insights. The collaboration aims to help lenders assess creditworthiness beyond traditional metrics, particularly benefiting individuals and small businesses in emerging markets without formal financial histories.
“Traditional credit scoring models are no longer enough to serve today’s diverse financial landscape,” said Dmitry Dolgorukov, Co-founder and CRO at HES FinTech. “This partnership integrates next-generation insights into our lending solutions, helping financial institutions make more accurate and inclusive credit decisions.”
Denis Khromov, CEO of Scoreplex, added: “Our goal is to redefine how creditworthiness is measured in the modern world. Traditional financial data is only part of the story.”
The integration will enable more comprehensive risk assessment, smarter credit decisions, enhanced fraud prevention, and greater financial inclusion, particularly for MSMEs, gig economy workers, and first-time borrowers.
Both companies will explore deeper technological integration to allow seamless access to alternative data within the HES FinTech lending ecosystem.
About HES FinTech
HES FinTech provides innovative lending software solutions with AI-powered automation and advanced risk assessment tools, serving financial institutions globally.
About Scoreplex
Scoreplex offers alternative data solutions for credit scoring and fraud prevention, helping lenders evaluate creditworthiness beyond traditional metrics.
The Directors of Octopus AIM VCT 2 plc and Octopus AIM VCT plc (the ‘Companies’) confirm that the Companies’ offers for subscription, as set out in the prospectus issued by the Boards of the Companies on 23 September 2024, are now closed to further applications.
NEW YORK, March 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Fluent, Inc. (NASDAQ: FLNT), a commerce media solutions company, today announced that it will issue unregistered pre-funded warrants to purchase up to 2,332,104 shares of its common stock at a purchase price of $2.174 in a private offering. The exercisability of the pre-funded warrants will be subject to stockholder approval, which the Company shall seek at its next annual meeting of stockholders. If such stockholder approval is obtained, the pre-funded warrants may be exercised at any time at an exercise price of $0.0005 per share until all of the pre-funded warrants are exercised in full. The closing of the private placement occurred on March 20, 2025, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.
The aggregate net gross proceeds to Fluent from the offering were approximately $5.0 million. Fluent intends to use the proceeds for general corporate purposes.
“We’re thrilled to have the continued support of our insider shareholders as we drive forward with our strategic shift to Commerce Media Solutions—our fastest-growing business, scaling at triple digit year-over-year growth since its launch in early 2023,” commented Don Patrick, Fluent’s Chief Executive Officer. “This financing, along with our lender’s ongoing support, reinforces our financial strength and fuels our momentum as we capture market share in this rapidly expanding sector.”
The pre-funded warrants described above are being issued in a private placement under Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and, along with the shares of common stock underlying such pre-funded warrants, have not been registered under the Securities Act, or applicable state securities laws. Accordingly, the pre-funded warrants and underlying shares of common stock may not be offered or sold in the United States except pursuant to an effective registration statement or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and such applicable state securities laws.
About Fluent, Inc.
Fluent, Inc. (NASDAQ: FLNT) is a commerce media solutions provider connecting top-tier brands with highly engaged consumers. Leveraging exclusive ad inventory, robust first-party data, and proprietary machine learning, Fluent unlocks additional revenue streams for partners and empowers advertisers to acquire their most valuable customers at scale. Founded in 2010, Fluent uses its deep expertise in performance marketing to drive monetization and increase engagement at key touchpoints across the customer journey. For more insights visit http://www.fluentco.com/.
SARASOTA, Fla., March 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Roper Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: ROP) today announced that it has reached a definitive agreement to acquire CentralReach from Insight Partners for a net purchase price of approximately $1.65 billion, including a $200 million tax benefit resulting from the transaction. Roper expects CentralReach to deliver sustainable 20%+ organic revenue and EBITDA growth.
CentralReach is a leading provider of cloud-native software enabling the workflow and administration of Applied Behavior Analysis (“ABA”) therapy. Over 200,000 professionals utilize CentralReach’s purpose-built solutions to help provide care for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (“ASD”) and related intellectual and developmental disabilities (“IDD”). ABA therapy providers rely on CentralReach’s comprehensive electronic medical records platform as their mission critical operating system, which includes highly specialized tools for client set-up, practice management, claims processing, care scheduling, clinical data collection, and service delivery, along with several AI-powered add-on modules.
“CentralReach is a fantastic business with clear niche market leadership, mission critical and high ROI solutions, a high recurring revenue mix, and outstanding customer retention, which leads to strong organic revenue growth and excellent cash conversion,” said Neil Hunn, Roper’s President and CEO. “This acquisition is another example of Roper identifying a business that provides greater value creation for our shareholders. CentralReach meets each of our long-standing acquisition criteria, while also having a structurally faster organic growth profile and the ability to expand margins under Roper’s long-term ownership. We are excited to welcome the CentralReach team to the Roper family and look forward to partnering with the team to execute their strategy.”
Acquisition financial outlook and financing
CentralReach is expected to contribute approximately $175 million of revenue and $75 million of EBITDA for the twelve months ending June 30, 2026, and will be reported in Roper’s Application Software segment. Roper expects CentralReach to deliver sustainable 20%+ organic revenue and EBITDA growth.
The transaction is expected to close in April/May 2025, subject to regulatory approval and customary closing conditions, and will be funded using Roper’s revolving credit facility. Additional information about CentralReach is available in the Investors section of Roper’s website (www.ropertech.com).
Use of non-GAAP financial information
Roper supplements its consolidated financial statements presented on a GAAP basis with certain non-GAAP financial information, including EBITDA, to provide investors with greater insight, increase transparency and allow for a more comprehensive understanding of the information used by management in its financial and operational decision-making. Roper defines EBITDA as earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization. Roper has not provided a reconciliation of the expected EBITDA contribution by CentralReach to the expected net income contribution by CentralReach for the twelve months ending June 30, 2026 because we are unable to quantify certain amounts that would be required to be included in CentralReach’s contribution to net income without unreasonable efforts. In addition, Roper believes such reconciliation would imply a degree of precision that would be confusing or misleading to investors. The non-GAAP financial measure disclosed by Roper in this press release should not be considered a substitute for, or superior to, financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP, and the financial results prepared in accordance with GAAP and reconciliations from these results should be carefully evaluated.
About Roper Technologies
Roper Technologies is a constituent of the Nasdaq 100, S&P 500, and Fortune 1000. Roper has a proven, long-term track record of compounding cash flow and shareholder value. The Company operates market leading businesses that design and develop vertical software and technology enabled products for a variety of defensible niche markets. Roper utilizes a disciplined, analytical, and process-driven approach to redeploy its excess capital toward high-quality acquisitions. Additional information about Roper is available on the Company’s website at www.ropertech.com.
About CentralReach
CentralReach is a leading provider of Autism and IDD Care Software, providing a complete, end-to-end software and services platform that helps therapists who serve children and adults diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and related intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). With its roots in Applied Behavior Analysis, the company is revolutionizing how the lifelong journey of autism and IDD care is enabled at home, school, and work with powerful and intuitive solutions purpose-built for each care setting.
Trusted by more than 200,000 professionals globally, CentralReach is committed to ongoing product advancement, market-leading industry expertise, world-class client satisfaction, and support of the autism and IDD community to propel autism and IDD care into a new era of excellence. For more information, please visit www.CentralReach.com.
The information provided in this press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. These forward-looking statements may include, among others, statements regarding operating results, the success of our internal operating plans, and the prospects for newly acquired businesses to be integrated and contribute to future growth, profit and cash flow expectations. Forward-looking statements may be indicated by words or phrases such as “anticipate,” “estimate,” “plans,” “expects,” “projects,” “should,” “will,” “believes,” “intends” and similar words and phrases. These statements reflect management’s current beliefs and are not guarantees of future performance. They involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. Such risks and uncertainties include our ability to identify and complete acquisitions consistent with our business strategies, integrate acquisitions that have been completed, realize expected benefits and synergies from, and manage other risks associated with, acquired businesses, including obtaining any required regulatory approvals with respect thereto. We also face other general risks, including our ability to realize cost savings from our operating initiatives, general economic conditions and the conditions of the specific markets in which we operate, including risks related to labor shortages and rising interest rates, changes in foreign exchange rates, risks related to changing U.S. and foreign trade policies, including increased trade restrictions or tariffs, risks associated with our international operations, cybersecurity and data privacy risks, including litigation resulting therefrom, risks related to political instability, armed hostilities, incidents of terrorism, public health crises (such as the COVID-19 pandemic) or natural disasters, increased product liability and insurance costs, increased warranty exposure, future competition, changes in the supply of, or price for, parts and components, including as a result of inflation and potential supply chain constraints, environmental compliance costs and liabilities, risks and cost associated with litigation, potential write-offs of our substantial intangible assets, and risks associated with obtaining governmental approvals and maintaining regulatory compliance for new and existing products. Important risks may be discussed in current and subsequent filings with the SEC. You should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. These statements speak only as of the date they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update publicly any of them in light of new information or future events.
U.S. Soldiers assigned to Chosen Company, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade; join 1st Battalion, 182nd Infantry Regiment, 51st Troop Command, 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Massachusetts National Guard; the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF); Somalia Danab; Tanzania People’s Defence Forces; and 3rd Rifles, 11th Infantry Brigade, 1st (United Kingdom) Division, pose for a group photo while a KDF F5, assigned to the 15th Fighter Wing flies over at the Counter Insurgency Terrorism and Stability Operations center during Justified Accord 2025 (JA25) in Nanyuki, Kenya, Feb. 20, 2025. JA25 is the premier U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM) exercise in East Africa, designed to enhance multinational combat readiness, strengthen crisis response capabilities and empower allies and partners in the region. Led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) and hosted by Kenya, Djibouti and Tanzania, JA25 integrates high-intensity training scenarios that sharpen warfighting skills, increase operational reach and enhance the ability to execute complex joint and multinational operations. The exercise runs from Feb. 10–21, 2025. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Kylejian Francia) (Photo Credit: Sgt. Kylejian Francia) VIEW ORIGINAL
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U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa
NAIROBI, Kenya – 2025 marks the 10th anniversary of the enduring partnership between the Massachusetts Army National Guard (MANG) and the Kenyan Defence Forces (KDF) under the auspices of the State Partnership Program (SPP). Established in 2015, this collaboration exemplifies the power of sustained military-to-military engagement in fostering global security, stability and combined warfighting capacity.
The SPP, overseen by the National Guard Bureau, strategically pairs American states with partner nations worldwide, facilitating a tailored approach to capacity building and strengthened lethality. For Massachusetts and Kenya, this has translated into a dynamic exchange of knowledge, skills and experience across a diverse range of military and civilian domains. These include, but are not limited to, cybersecurity, aviation, disaster response, medical readiness and counterterrorism strategies.
Kenya Defence Force (KDF) medics joined the medics with 8th Medical Brigade and 1st Battalion 182nd Infantry Regiment, Massachusetts National Guard, to conduct a casualty evacuation rehearsal during exercise Justified Accord 2025 (JA25) at the Counter Insurgency Terrorism and Stability Operations Center in Nanyuki, Kenya, Feb. 12, 2025. JA25 is the premier U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM) exercise in East Africa, designed to enhance multinational combat readiness, strengthen crisis response capabilities and empower allies and partners in the region. Led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) and hosted by Kenya, Djibouti and Tanzania, JA25 integrates high-intensity training scenarios that sharpen warfighting skills, increase operational reach and enhance the ability to execute complex joint and multinational operations. The exercise runs from Feb. 10–21, 2025. (Photo Credit: Sgt. 1st Class Jeremy Brown) VIEW ORIGINAL
“Anytime you can create relationships with other countries, you are making integration easier when you need to deploy together,” said U.S. Army Sgt. Eamon Beach, a squad leader assigned to Bravo Company, 1st. Battalion, 182nd Infantry Regiment (Americal), MANG.
This was Beach’s first time in Kenya, taking part in Justified Accord 2025 (JA25).
The cornerstone of this partnership lies in its collaborative training exercises, often conducted within the framework of larger multinational initiatives like JA25, a U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM)-directed, U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF)-managed exercise.
These exercises provide invaluable opportunities for both MANG and KDF Soldiers to enhance interoperability, refine tactical skills and build camaraderie in simulated scenarios.
Beach also noted that training side-by-side in Kenya allowed both MANG and KDF Soldiers to learn several similarities in the way they train on specific tasks. From urban operations training and room clearance procedures, tactics were shared and honed together throughout the exercise.
U.S. Army Spc. Sonny Farfan, an infantryman assigned to 1st Battalion, 182nd Infantry Regiment, 51st Troop Command, 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Massachusetts National Guard, fires an M4 carbine behind a barrier at the Counter Insurgency Terrorism and Stability Operations center during exercise Justified Accord 2025 (JA25) in Nanyuki, Kenya, Feb. 18, 2025. JA25 is the premier U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM) exercise in East Africa, designed to enhance multinational combat readiness, strengthen crisis response capabilities and empower allies and partners in the region. Led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) and hosted by Kenya, Djibouti and Tanzania, JA25 integrates high-intensity training scenarios that sharpen warfighting skills, increase operational reach and enhance the ability to execute complex joint and multinational operations. The exercise runs from Feb. 10–21, 2025. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Kylejian Francia) (Photo Credit: Sgt. Kylejian Francia) VIEW ORIGINAL
Along with JA25, the SPP fosters enduring personal relationships between Soldiers, transcending cultural differences, building mutual understanding and trust. These personal connections prove critical to facilitating seamless communication and cooperation, highlighting the adaptability and agility of both forces.
The impact of the Massachusetts-Kenya partnership extends beyond the military sphere. Collaborative efforts in disaster preparedness and response have been particularly noteworthy. In previous exchanges, MANG provided much-needed assistance to Kenya in the wake of natural disasters, leveraging its experience and resources to support relief efforts and strengthen resilience.
1 / 2Show Caption +Hide Caption –U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Franklin Tejada, an infantryman assigned to 1st Battalion, 182nd Infantry Regiment, 51st Troop Command, 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Massachusetts National Guard, fires an M4 carbine at the Counter Insurgency Terrorism and Stability Operations center during Justified Accord 2025 (JA25) in Nanyuki, Kenya, Feb. 18, 2025. JA25 is the premier U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM) exercise in East Africa, designed to enhance multinational combat readiness, strengthen crisis response capabilities and empower allies and partners in the region. Led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) and hosted by Kenya, Djibouti and Tanzania, JA25 integrates high-intensity training scenarios that sharpen warfighting skills, increase operational reach and enhance the ability to execute complex joint and multinational operations. The exercise runs from Feb. 10–21, 2025. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Kylejian Francia) (Photo Credit: Sgt. Kylejian Francia) VIEW ORIGINAL2 / 2Show Caption +Hide Caption –U.S. Army Spc. Sonny Farfan, an infantryman assigned to 1st Battalion, 182nd Infantry Regiment, 51st Troop Command, 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Massachusetts National Guard, fires an M4 carbine at the Counter Insurgency Terrorism and Stability Operations center during Justified Accord 2025 (JA25) in Nanyuki, Kenya, Feb. 18, 2025. JA25 is the premier U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM) exercise in East Africa, designed to enhance multinational combat readiness, strengthen crisis response capabilities and empower allies and partners in the region. Led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) and hosted by Kenya, Djibouti and Tanzania, JA25 integrates high-intensity training scenarios that sharpen warfighting skills, increase operational reach and enhance the ability to execute complex joint and multinational operations. The exercise runs from Feb. 10–21, 2025. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Kylejian Francia) (Photo Credit: Sgt. Kylejian Francia) VIEW ORIGINAL
As the Massachusetts-Kenya partnership celebrates its 10th anniversary, it stands as a testament to the enduring power of collaboration and shared commitment to a safer and more secure world. The conclusion of the exercise highlighted this fact.
JA25’s culminating event saw combined forces working together to defeat a violent extremist organization (VEO) which had taken over a simulated village. The multinational contingent put their newly refined urban tactics and lethality on full display.
“The Massachusetts-Kenya partnership builds capacity, strengthens the alliance, supports regional stability and exercises our expeditionary capabilities,” said U.S. Army Lt. Col. David Dicrescenzo, commander of Task Force Minuteman and senior responsible officer for MANG forces in Kenya at JA25. “That’s the significance of this exercise and partnership.”
As the global security landscape continues to evolve, multinational partnerships will likely become even more important. The enduring bond between the MANG and KDF, forged over a decade of collaboration and shared experiences, serves as an example of what partnership can mean for shared lethality, strength and stability.
About SETAF-AF
SETAF-AF provides U.S. Africa Command and U.S. Army Europe and Africa a dedicated headquarters to synchronize Army activities in Africa and scalable crisis-response options in Africa and Europe.
TORONTO, March 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NowVertical Group Inc. (TSXV: NOW) (“NowVertical” or the “Company”), a leading data and AI solutions provider, today announced that it has retained Bristol Capital Ltd. (“Bristol”), a leading investor relations firm specializing in Canadian and U.S. micro- and small-cap companies globally, to provide investor relations and communication services.
Bristol has been engaged by the Company for an initial period of 12 months (the “Initial Term”), which will be automatically renewed for successive one-year periods unless terminated in accordance with the agreement. Bristol will be paid a monthly fee of up to CAD$14,000, plus applicable taxes, based on the services provided during the applicable month.
Additionally, the Company has agreed to grant Bristol an aggregate of 200,000 incentive stock options, each entitling Bristol to acquire one Class A subordinate voting share of the Company (each, a “Share”) at an exercise price of CAD$0.50 per Share, for a period of 36 months from the date of grant (the “Options”). The Options will vest in quarterly installments over the course of the Initial Term until fully vested. All Options granted to Bristol will be subject to the terms of the Company’s omnibus long term incentive plan, the terms of any stock option agreement entered into between Bristol and the Company and the rules and policies of the TSX Venture Exchange.
“As NowVertical continues to accelerate its growth in the data and AI sector, ensuring clear and effective communication with domestic and international investors is a top priority. Partnering with Bristol Capital strengthens our ability to engage the market, expand our investor base, and articulate our long-term value proposition. We look forward to working closely with the Bristol team to enhance our visibility and investor engagement,” stated Sandeep Mendiratta, CEO of NowVertical.
To the knowledge of the Company, other than the Options, Bristol has not acquired and has no plans to acquire any securities in the Company. Neither the Company nor any of its directors, officers or employees have any interest, directly or indirectly, in Bristol, or their securities, or any right or intent to acquire such an interest.
About NowVertical Group Inc.
The Company is a global data and analytics company which helps clients transform data into tangible business value with AI, fast. Offering a comprehensive suite of solutions and services the Company enables clients to quickly harness the full potential of their data, driving measurable outcomes and accelerating potential return on investment. Enterprises optimize decision-making, improve operational efficiency, and unlock long-term value from their data using the Company’s AI-Infused first party and third-party technologies. NowVertical is growing organically and through strategic acquisitions. For further details about NowVertical, please visit www.nowvertical.com.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
This news release contains forward-looking information and forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws (together “forward-looking statements“), including, the alignment of the Company’s leadership and shareholders, and the associated results of the transactions contemplated in this press release on NowVertical’s business, finances and operations. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by management, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties, and contingencies, certain of which are unknown. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as “may”, “should”, “will”, “could”, “intend”, “estimate”, “plan”, “anticipate”, “expect”, “believe” or “continue”, or the negative thereof or similar variations. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause future results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from the estimated future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements and the forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. Forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by inherent risks and uncertainties, including: adverse market conditions; risks inherent in the data analytics and artificial intelligence sectors in general; regulatory and legislative changes; that future results may vary from historical results; inability to obtain any requisite future financing on suitable terms; any inability to realize the expected benefits and synergies of acquisitions or dispositions; that market competition may affect the business, results and financial condition of the Company and other risk factors identified in documents filed by the Company under its profile at www.sedarplus.com, including the Company’s management’s discussion and analysis for the year ended December 31, 2023. Further, these forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and, except as expressly required by applicable law, the Company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
SAN FRANCISCO, March 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Sunrun (Nasdaq: RUN), the nation’s leading provider of clean energy as a subscription service, today announced a new innovative partnership with Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E). The collaboration will utilize hundreds of Sunrun solar-plus-storage customer homes to deliver targeted load relief to neighborhoods identified with highly constrained electric grids. The goal of this approach is to help avoid or defer growth-related distribution investments, reducing costs for ratepayers.
The Sunrun-operated program will be activated for up to 100 hours from June through October and include approximately 600 Sunrun customers residing in sections of PG&E’s service area that are experiencing distribution circuit constraints.
“Customers with home batteries are a solution to alleviating strain on our electric grid,” said Sunrun CEO Mary Powell. “We’re experiencing a fundamental shift as homes are no longer just energy consumers. With storage and solar, they become powerful grid assets, delivering affordable, reliable power exactly when and where it’s needed for communities and across the grid.”
Sunrun’s Local PeakShift Power program is part of PG&E’s 2025 Seasonal Aggregation of Versatile Energy (SAVE) virtual power plant. In this demonstration, Sunrun will receive information from PG&E on distribution grid needs and, in turn, help PG&E analyze the contributions of distributed energy resources. This collaboration will support the development of new long-term programs to meet the California Energy Commission’s load-shifting goals while also enhancing local reliability.
“Virtual power plants play a significant role in California’s clean energy future and we’re proud of our customers who are leading the charge with their clean energy adoption. Every day, we’re looking at new and better ways to deliver for our hometowns while ensuring safety, reliability and resiliency for our customers,” said Patti Poppe, CEO of PG&E Corporation.
The delivery of targeted power to local PG&E circuits will leverage Sunrun’s deep existing partnerships with leading companies Tesla and Lunar Energy. Sunrun will use an advanced application of Tesla’s grid services platform to optimize Powerwall batteries to provide an exact amount of power at specific times to different locations. Similarly, Sunrun will leverage Lunar Energy’s AI-enabled forecasting through its Gridshare software platform to precisely dispatch various non-Tesla battery types to meet local grid needs.
This collaboration marks the second time Sunrun and PG&E have partnered to create a virtual power plant to support California’s power grid. Both partnerships highlight Sunrun’s ability to design and rapidly deploy virtual power plants that meet the specific needs of grid operators. Local PeakShift Power will be operationalized in just months, demonstrating the speed and efficiency of Sunrun’s virtual power plant capabilities.
Sunrun customers enrolled in Local PeakShift Power will receive a one-time payment of $150 per battery for sharing their stored solar energy with their communities, while Sunrun will be compensated for managing battery dispatches. Enrolled batteries will always retain at least a 20% backup reserve to ensure power availability at customers’ homes in the event of a power outage.
With 156,000 residential battery systems across the country, Sunrun can support targeted utility initiatives and statewide virtual power plant programs. Sunrun’s grid services platform and subscription model allow for flexibility when it comes to enrolling customers in different programs in order to achieve the highest value for the company, its customers, and the grid.
About Sunrun Sunrun Inc. (Nasdaq: RUN) revolutionized the solar industry in 2007 by removing financial barriers and democratizing access to locally-generated, renewable energy. Today, Sunrun is the nation’s leading provider of clean energy as a subscription service, offering residential solar and storage with no upfront costs. Sunrun’s innovative products and solutions can connect homes to the cleanest energy on earth, providing them with energy security, predictability, and peace of mind. Sunrun also manages energy services that benefit communities, utilities, and the electric grid while enhancing customer value. Discover more at www.sunrun.com.
About PG&E Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE: PCG), is a combined natural gas and electric utility serving more than sixteen million people across 70,000 square miles in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit pge.com and pge.com/news
Media Contact Wyatt Semanek Director, Corporate Communications press@sunrun.com
JACKSONVILLE, Fla., March 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Duos Technologies Group, Inc. (“Duos” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: DUOT) will hold a conference call on Monday, March 31, 2025 at 4:30 p.m. Eastern time to discuss its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2024. Financial results will be issued via press release prior to the call.
Duos management will host the conference call, followed by a question-and-answer period.
Date:
Monday, March 31, 2025
Time:
4:30 p.m. Eastern time (1:30 p.m. Pacific time)
U.S. dial-in:
877-407-3088
International dial-in:
201-389-0927
Confirmation:
13751912
Please call the conference telephone number 5-10 minutes prior to the start time of the conference call. An operator will register your name and organization.
If you have any difficulty connecting with the conference call, please contact DUOT@duostech.com.
The conference call will be broadcast live via telephone and available for online replay via the investor section of the Company’s website here.
About Duos Technologies Group, Inc. Duos Technologies Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: DUOT), based in Jacksonville, Florida, through its wholly owned subsidiaries, Duos Technologies, Inc., Duos Edge AI, Inc., and Duos Energy Corporation, designs, develops, deploys and operates intelligent technology solutions for Machine Vision and Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) applications including real-time analysis of fast-moving vehicles, Edge Data Centers and power consulting. For more information, visit www.duostech.com , www.duosedge.ai and www.duosenergycorp.com.
Forward- Looking Statements
This news release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, regarding, among other things our plans, strategies and prospects — both business and financial. Although we believe that our plans, intentions and expectations reflected in or suggested by these forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot assure you that we will achieve or realize these plans, intentions or expectations. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Many of the forward-looking statements contained in this news release may be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “should,” “planned,” “will,” “may,” “intend,” “estimated,” and “potential,” among others. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements we make in this news release include market conditions and those set forth in reports or documents that we file from time to time with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. We do not undertake or accept any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in our expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based, except as required by law. All forward-looking statements attributable to Duos Technologies Group, Inc. or a person acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary language.
GRAND CAYMAN, Cayman Islands, March 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —Oxbridge Re Holdings Limited(Nasdaq:OXBR) (“Oxbridge Re”), together with its subsidiary SurancePlus, is engaged in the tokenization of Real-World Assets (“RWAs”), initially with tokenized reinsurance securities and in providing reinsurance solutions to property and casualty insurers in the Gulf Coast region of the United States. The company today announced that its CEO and Chairman, Jay Madhu, will participate as a panelist at the Uncorrelated Puerto Rico summit, taking place March 30th – April 1st at the Condado Vanderbilt Hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Panel: Sustainable Profits: Impact Investing in the Caribbean Date: Tuesday, April 1, 2025 Time: 11:55 AM (CDT) Location: Condado Vanderbilt Hotel, San Juan, PR
Uncorrelated Puerto Rico
Uncorrelated Puerto Rico is expected to host over 300 LPs, fund managers, allocators and startup leaders, and will feature deep-dive sessions on emerging markets and direct investment opportunities. Oxbridge / SurancePlus CEO Jay Madhu will join global and regional leaders to explore how private capital is being deployed into high-return, alternative strategies. The discussion will include SurancePlus’ innovative approach to tokenizing reinsurance contracts – offering uncorrelated, high-yield investment opportunities.
For the first time, investors can gain access to the SurancePlus offering by choosing their preferred risk-return profile with two distinct tokenized reinsurance offerings:
EtaCat Re – 20% Annual Targeted Return (Balanced Yield)
ZetaCat Re – 42% Annual Targeted Return (High Yield)
Jay Madhu, CEO of Oxbridge, commented, “Uncorrelated Puerto Rico is a valuable platform to connect with allocators, family offices and investors seeking differentiated opportunities. Through tokenized reinsurance, we have opened access to a traditionally exclusive asset class – offering global investors exposure to high-yield opportunities backed by blockchain infrastructure, regulatory compliance and real-world utility.”
Meet Oxbridge / SurancePlus at Uncorrelated Puerto Rico
Investors and potential partners interested in Oxbridge and SurancePlus’ tokenized reinsurance offerings are encouraged to connect with the team during the event. Contact details are provided below.
Disclaimer: This press release does not constitute an offer to sell nor a solicitation of an offer to buy the EtaCat Re or ZetaCat Re tokenenized reinsurance securities (the “Securities”). The Securities are not required to be, and have not been, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, in reliance on the exemptions provided by Regulation S and SEC Rule 506(c) thereunder. Offers and sales of the Securities are made only by, and pursuant to, the terms set forth in the Confidential Private Placement Memorandum relating to the Securities. The offering of the Securities is not being made to persons in any jurisdiction in which the making or acceptance thereof would not be in compliance with the securities, blue sky, or other laws of such jurisdiction.
About Oxbridge Re Holdings Limited
Oxbridge Re Holdings Limited (NASDAQ: OXBR, OXBRW) (“Oxbridge”) is headquartered in the Cayman Islands. The company offers tokenized Real-World Assets (“RWAs”) as tokenized reinsurance securities and reinsurance business solutions to property and casualty insurers, through its wholly owned subsidiaries SurancePlus Inc., Oxbridge Re NS, and Oxbridge Reinsurance Limited.
Insurance businesses in the Gulf Coast region of the United States purchase property and casualty reinsurance through our licensed reinsurers Oxbridge Reinsurance Limited and Oxbridge Re NS.
Our Web3-focused subsidiary, SurancePlus Inc. (“SurancePlus”), has developed the first “on-chain” reinsurance RWA of its kind to be sponsored by a subsidiary of a publicly traded company. By digitizing interests in reinsurance contracts as on-chain RWAs, SurancePlus has democratized the availability of reinsurance as an alternative investment to both U.S. and non-U.S. investors.
Company Contact: Oxbridge Re Holdings Limited Jay Madhu, CEO +1 345-749-7570 jmadhu@oxbridgere.com
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release may contain forward-looking statements made pursuant to the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “project” and other similar words and expressions are intended to signify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future results and conditions but rather are subject to various risks and uncertainties. A detailed discussion of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and events to differ materially from such forward-looking statements is included in the section entitled “Risk Factors” contained in our Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on 26th March 2024. The occurrence of any of these risks and uncertainties could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations. Any forward-looking statements made in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release and, except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement contained in this press release, even if the Company’s expectations or any related events, conditions or circumstances change.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Scientists comment on the first case of Avian Flu (H5N1) confirmed in a sheep in Yorkshire.
Prof Ed Hutchinson, Professor of Molecular and Cellular Virology, MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research (MRC CVR), said:
“Influenza viruses are common in wild birds. Over the last five years, a particularly aggressive strain of the H5N1 avian influenza virus has spread through bird populations across the world. On the way, it has caused repeated ‘spillover’ infections of mammals: mammals that wouldn’t normally get avian influenza have caught the disease from birds. Usually these are one-off infections that don’t go any further, although last year the virus began to spread widely among dairy cattle in the USA, demonstrating the potential influenza viruses have for adapting to new species.
“The emergence of avian influenza in cattle last year was surprising, as normally cattle don’t catch this type of influenza (influenza A virus). Another animal we hadn’t previously thought of as a host for influenza A viruses is sheep, which makes this announcement of H5N1 influenza in a single sheep in Yorkshire startling. Sheep haven’t previously been thought of as hosts for influenza A viruses, although last year in the USA young goats did get infected with H5N1 at a farm in Minnesota – in this case, this was a one-off infection that didn’t go any further.
“The sheep was on a farm where avian influenza was present in captive birds, suggesting an obvious route of transmission from wild birds to captive birds to the sheep.
“The fact that the virus was detected in the sheep’s milk is also surprising. It suggests parallels to the ongoing H5N1 outbreak in dairy cattle in the USA, where the virus is spreading through cow’s milk. At the moment there is no evidence of any ongoing transmission from the sheep, and the case appears to have been contained.
“More work will be needed to understand what’s going on here – in particular to understand if this is a very rare or one-off event which happened because there was a lot of H5N1 around and this was just the wrong sheep in the wrong place, or whether sheep infections with H5N1 might become more common in the future. Ongoing surveillance will be needed to understand the risk this virus poses to the welfare of sheep as well as to food security.
“In terms of direct risk to humans, we know from the dairy outbreak in the USA that H5N1 in milk is a possible source of human infection. H5N1 can cause severe illness in humans and it is important to minimise the risk of farmed animals infecting them, although so far in the USA human cases of H5N1 contracted from cows in dairies have typically been quite mild. There is also a risk of H5N1 ‘breeding’ with human strains of influenza to produce a new human influenza virus. There is no evidence that this has happened anywhere with an H5N1 virus, but it is important that we work hard to keep that risk as low as possible.
“A single infected sheep does not pose a significant risk to humans, particularly because it looks as if the farmer, DEFRA and the APHA have worked together effectively to contain and monitor the situation. However, H5N1 is globally distributed in birds, and if it did become clear that this was not a one-off and that sheep are at risk of infection then this would have implications for surveillance and farm biosecurity in any country with sheep farming. For the time being, this is one to keep an eye on, but not to get too alarmed about.”
Professor Ian Brown, Group Leader at the Pirbright Institute, said:
“The detection of H5 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in the mammary gland of sheep which has had close contact with infected birds is not an unexpected finding. Proactivity in looking for spillover to domestic mammals has been strengthened in the UK subsequent to the spread of infection amongst USA dairy cattle. The threat to animals and humans remains unchanged since such spillover we have learnt is possible when close contact occurs between multiple infected species. It is too early to consider whether such virus is capable of onward spread within sheep but this was an isolated small holding with a small number of birds and sheep. The pathways of spread of these viruses in the USA has been shown to be by movement of dairy cattle in commercial milking herds which appears not applicable in this single case of one animal becoming infected. It does emphasise the importance of separating species and maintaining good farm hygiene.”
Prof Ed Hutchinson: I have received honoraria for work in a steering group of the Centre for Open Science (Open Practices in Influenza Research; 2021-2022) and on an advisory board for Seqirus (2022). I have unpaid positions on the board of the European Scientific Working group on Influenza and other respiratory viruses (ESWI) and as a scientific adviser to PinPoint Medical. I am part of FluTrailMAP(OneHealth), a UKRI-funded research consortium aiming to respond to H5N1.
Prof Ian Brown: IB receives research funding to study avian influenza in multiple hosts. IB is a member of the UK scientific committee ‘New and Emerging Respiratory Threats Assessment Group’. IB participates in UKHSA led fora that assess the risk to human health from avian influenza viruses.
Source: Republic of France in English The Republic of France has issued the following statement:
To mark Francophonie Month, the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot, and the Minister Delegate for Francophonie and International Partnerships, Thani Mohamed-Soilihi, welcome the progress in implementing the 16 commitments made by President Macron, the leaders of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, and civil society stakeholders during the 19th Francophonie summit, held in Villers-Cotterêts and Paris on 3 and 4 October 2024.
At the first meeting of the Villers-Cotterêts commitments monitoring committee, at the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs on 6 March, the main project leaders – from the ministries, the operators and the Cité internationale de la langue française – highlighted the vitality of the projects launched at the 19th Francophonie summit in support of a practical, open, dynamic French language.
The Villers-Cotterêts commitments are directly connected to the challenges of our time, in the current international context: young people’s employability, artificial intelligence, women’s rights, the resilience of the information space, and media education.
Since the 19th Francophonie summit, the road map has been set in motion: the launch of the Francophone alliance for intellectual property; the signature on 8 March, with Quebec’s Minister of Francophonie and Equality , of agreements on the Francophone network for women’s equality and rights and on the Francophone feminist alliance; and the announcement of France’s contribution to the international Francophone mobility and employability programme (PIMEF), promoted by the Francophone University Agency.
In the coming weeks, active efforts by all the stakeholders involved will continue to make several major projects launched at the Villers-Cotterêts summit operational, such as:
The inauguration of the ALT-EDIC / LANGU:IA language technology centre in Villers-Cotterêts on 20 March and the launch of four projects led by the European consortium (data, language models etc.);
The creation of the France-Quebec committee for the discoverability of French-language scientific content on 9 April;
The development of programmes on the TiVi5 youth channel in the Maghreb in the spring;
The official creation of the Collège international de Villers-Cotterêts for teacher training on 4 June;
The signature of the tripartite agreement between the National Institute of Industrial Property, the World Intellectual Property Organization, and the Permanent Conference of African and Francophone Consular Chambers and Intermediary Organizations, in the framework of the Francophone alliance for intellectual property, at VivaTech on 11 June;
Map showing training opportunities in the cultural and creative industries to be launched in Rabat in June;
Launch of the Volunteers united for La Francophonie programme (1) between now and the summer.
With the power of the Francophone players taking them up – as at the trade fair for innovation in French, FrancoTech, which has been placed on a long-term footing and made an annual event in conjunction with the OIF and the Alliance of French-speaking Employers –, the wide-ranging Villers-Cotterêts commitments are directing energies towards a multilateralism that is more necessary than ever.
For M. Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, “The Villers-Cotterêts commitments show that the OIF is at the service of citizens, especially young people, when it comes to building the tools, networks and levers appropriate to a changing world.”
For M. Thani Mohamed-Soilihi, Minister Delegate for Francophonie and International Partnerships, “We’re continuing to focus our efforts also on diversifying our partners, in order to ensure the long-term nature of the Villers-Cotterêts summit initiatives, stepping up communication efforts to highlight more effectively to our fellow citizens the impact of these projects.”
(1) Volontaires unis pour la Francophonie – a programme enabling 100 young nationals from OIF member States to travel to other OIF countries to take part in missions in civil-society organizations, local authorities and public bodies, working in the areas of educational cooperation, social entrepreneurship and promoting the values of Francophonie.
The countdown to the North Regional Durban Business Fair has begun, which will see 150 businesses showcasing their products and services.
The eThekwini Municipality is gearing up to host the North Regional Durban Business Fair from 28 – 30 March 2025 at the Bridge City Shopping Centre in KwaMashu, north of Durban.
The third Regional Fair for the 2024/25 financial year, will provide businesses a platform for networking, business growth, empowerment and collaboration.
The exhibitors will also have opportunities to engage with potential customers, including government and municipal entities, financial institutions and fellow entrepreneurs.
The attendees will have the opportunity to participate in business seminars, where they will gain first-hand insights from industry leaders, as well as representatives from both private and public agencies.
In a recent statement, the municipality said the exhibition will run simultaneously with the two-day Business Indaba, which will explore key industry trends and provide valuable business information and opportunities.
“The Construction Development Indaba segment will kick off the exhibition on 28 March, bringing together established companies, agencies and entrepreneurs to present opportunities for emerging businesses. Topics will include how small, medium and micro enterprises can leverage artificial intelligence.
“Businesses will also be capacitated on how to engage in the Inner-City Regeneration and property development processes. This will offer valuable guidance for growth within the construction and development sectors,” the municipality said.
The focus will then shift to the Women’s Economic Empowerment Engagement on 29 March, with discussions centred on how women can empower each other through mentorship, networking, and collaboration.
Leading South African business figures are expected to drive the discussions during the Women’s Economic Empowerment Engagement.
“eThekwini Municipality, which established the Women’s Economic Empowerment Programme, 19 years ago, will also highlight the achievements and present success stories of the programme, while outlining opportunities available for women entrepreneurs,” the municipality said.
The fair will also serve as an important hub for presenting international opportunities, including imports and exports. The Junior International Chamber will be exhibiting at the fairat the International Pavilion.
Additional highlights include access to government and municipal services, exhibitions by tertiary institutions, a tech zone, live cooking demonstrations, and the “kiddiepreneur” garden, amongst others.
The municipality has encouraged the public to support locally manufactured products, such as furniture, fashion, home essentials, agricultural products, health products, detergents and many more.
To reserve a spot at the Construction Development Business Indaba or the Women’s Economic Empowerment Engagement, please email: zamani.shezi@durban.gov.za, or call 031 311 4500. – SAnews.gov.za
BOSTON, March 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Rapid7, Inc. (NASDAQ: RPD), a leader in extended risk and threat detection, today announced that it will appoint three new members to its Board of Directors: Wael Mohamed, Mike Burns and Kevin Galligan. These appointments will expand Rapid7’s Board to comprise 11 directors. In addition, Rapid7 and JANA Partners Management, LP have entered into a cooperation agreement, which, among other things, provides that JANA Partners will support all of Rapid7’s director nominees at its upcoming annual shareholder meeting.
Corey Thomas, Chairman and CEO of Rapid7, stated: “Rapid7 is entering an exciting new chapter of growth, and we are confident that adding Wael, Mike and Kevin to our Board will accelerate our ability to execute with greater speed, focus and impact. Each brings a wealth of expertise that will help us sharpen our strategy, strengthen execution and drive greater value creation for our shareholders.”
Thomas continued, “With a differentiated security data platform and an expanding security operations ecosystem, we are delivering cutting-edge solutions in AI-driven threat detection and response, cloud security and exposure management — empowering organizations to secure their environments more effectively and efficiently. We are well-positioned within these markets to drive sustainable, profitable growth, and these strategic Board appointments reinforce our commitment to scaling our business, enhancing operational efficiency, and driving long-term shareholder returns.”
Scott Ostfeld, Managing Partner of JANA Partners, added: “We are encouraged by the steps Rapid7 is taking to enhance its leadership and execution capabilities. We have appreciated our highly constructive dialogue with Rapid7 and look forward to working with management and the Board to capitalize on the significant opportunities ahead and to maximize value for shareholders.”
A copy of the cooperation agreement will be included as an exhibit to the company’s Current Report on Form 8-K to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Advisors
J.P. Morgan is serving as financial advisor, and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP is serving as legal advisor, to Rapid7 in connection with the cooperation agreement.
About Wael Mohamed
Wael Mohamed has a unique combination of cybersecurity, digital transformation, and executive leadership expertise, which has enabled him to be a go-to advisor for boards and executives for more than 30 years. Mr. Mohamed is the co-founder and Managing General Partner of Global Forward Capital. Prior to that, Mr. Mohamed was an Operating Partner at Advent International and became the CEO of Forescout, an Advent International portfolio company. He previously served as President & COO and board member of Trend Micro Group. Mr. Mohamed received a Bachelor of Computer Science from Dalhousie University and the Executive Corporate Director Certificate from Harvard Business School.
About Mike Burns
Mike Burns has more than 25 years of senior leadership experience in finance and operations with high-growth public technology companies. Most recently, Mr. Burns served as Chief Financial Officer of Imperva, Inc. Previously he served as CFO of Gigamon as well as CFO of Volterra Semiconductor. Earlier in his career, Mr. Burns held senior finance roles at Intel Corporation. He earned his A.B. in Economics and M.S. in Industrial Engineering from Stanford University, and his MBA from the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business.
About Kevin Galligan
Kevin Galligan has 18 years of experience investing in companies and driving shareholder value. He is a Partner and Director of Research at JANA Partners, an investment firm specializing in enhancing shareholder value. Mr. Galligan joined JANA Partners in 2011 from Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Company where he was a Principal in the North American Private Equity Group. Prior to that, he worked in the Mergers & Acquisitions Advisory Division of The Blackstone Group. Mr. Galligan holds a B.A. in Economics from Columbia University.
About Rapid7
Rapid7 (Nasdaq: RPD) is on a mission to create a safer digital world by making cybersecurity simpler and more accessible. We empower security professionals to manage a modern attack surface through our best-in-class technology, leading-edge research, and broad, strategic expertise. Rapid7’s comprehensive security solutions help more than 11,000 global customers unite cloud risk management and threat detection to reduce attack surfaces and eliminate threats with speed and precision. For more information, visit our website, check out our blog, or follow us on LinkedIn or X.
Cautionary Language Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the statements regarding the appointment of Wael Mohamed, Michael Burns, and Kevin Galligan, and the experiences and value that they will bring to the Board and Rapid7, Inc. (“Rapid7”). Our use of the words “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “will” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. The events described in our forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that could cause actual results and the timing of certain events to differ materially from future results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Risks that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, growing macroeconomic uncertainty, unstable market and economic conditions, fluctuations in our quarterly results, our ability to successfully grow our sales of our cloud-based solutions, including through the shift to a consolidated platform sales approach, effectiveness of our restructuring plan that was completed during fiscal year 2024, failure to meet our publicly announced guidance or other expectations about our business, our ability to sustain our revenue growth rate, the ability of our products and professional services to correctly detect vulnerabilities, renewal of our customer’s subscriptions, competition in the markets in which we operate, market growth, our ability to innovate and manage our growth, our sales cycles, our ability to integrate acquired companies, exposure to greater than anticipated tax liabilities, and our ability to operate in compliance with applicable laws as well as other risks and uncertainties that could affect our business and results described in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, filed with the SEC on February 28, 2025, particularly in the section entitled “Item 1.A Risk Factors,” and in the subsequent reports that we file with the SEC. Moreover, we operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks emerge from time to time. It is not possible for our management to predict all risks, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements we may make. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of such statements. You should, therefore, not rely on these forward-looking statements as representing our views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.
Additional Information
Rapid7 intends to file a proxy statement, together with a proxy card, with the SEC in connection with its solicitation of proxies for its 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “2025 Annual Meeting”). Rapid7 stockholders are urged to read the proxy statement, together with the proxy card, and other relevant documents filed or to be filed with the SEC when they become available because they contain or will contain important information. Investors will be able to get copies of the proxy statement and other documents (including the proxy card) filled with the SEC by Rapid7 for free at the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov. Copies of those documents will also be available free of charge through the “Investors” section of Rapid7’s website, under Financials/SEC Filings, at www.rapid7.com.
Participants in the Solicitation
Rapid7, members of our Board of Directors and certain of our executive officers are “participants” in the solicitation of proxies from the Company’s stockholders in connection with the 2025 Annual Meeting. Information regarding the Company’s Board of Directors and executive officers and their respective interests in the Company, by security holdings or otherwise, is set forth in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, filed with the SEC on February 28, 2025. To the extent such ownership interests have changed since such filings, such changes have been reflected on Statements of Change in Ownership on Form 4 filed with the SEC, and will be reflected in the Proxy Statement for the 2025 Annual Meeting when filed with the SEC. Security holders may obtain free copies of these documents as described above.
PARIS, March 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Arsen, a leading cybersecurity company specializing in social engineering defense, today announced the full release of Conversational Phishing, a groundbreaking feature embedded in its phishing simulation platform. This AI-powered tool introduces dynamic, adaptive phishing conversations to train employees against evolving threats more effectively than ever before.
Raising the Bar for Phishing Simulations Traditional phishing simulations often rely on static, pre-defined email templates that fail to reflect the real-world tactics of sophisticated attackers. As cybercriminals increasingly shift towards interactive, text-based manipulation tactics, Arsen’s Conversational Phishing feature enables businesses to stay ahead.
This generative AI-powered system mimics advanced adversaries by dynamically generating and adapting phishing conversations in real time. Instead of a single deceptive email, targets engage in a back-and-forth interaction, simulating the way real attackers manipulate victims over time.
“Threats evolve. As we train people to identify and mitigate those, we need to evolve as well and provide realistic conditions for testing and training,” said Thomas Le Coz, CEO of Arsen.
Addressing the Evolving Threat Landscape With the rise of AI-driven phishing attacks, security awareness training needs to go beyond traditional models. Conversational Phishing enhances training by:
Simulating real-world attacker tactics – Phishing is no longer a single email; attackers engage in ongoing conversations to gain trust and manipulate victims.
Generating unique, personalized scenarios – Each simulation is tailored to the target, making training more diverse and less predictable than static phishing templates.
Providing scalable, high-quality security awareness – This feature ensures large-scale, adaptable phishing simulations to help employees detect and respond to emerging threats.
Seamless Integration and Availability Conversational Phishing is fully integrated into Arsen’s phishing simulation module and has been accessible to all clients for the past six months. Existing customers can access it immediately at no additional cost, directly within the phishing scenario editor.
Strengthening Cyber Resilience for All Industries Arsen’s solution is designed for businesses across all industries, helping them build stronger defenses against the most sophisticated phishing threats. With generative AI and LLMs specifically trained for social engineering, organizations can now simulate more realistic phishing threats and train employees in a highly engaging, interactive manner.
To learn more about Conversational Phishing, users can visit https://arsen.co/en.
About Arsen Arsen is a cybersecurity company specializing in social engineering attack defense. Best known for its SaaS platform that enables organizations to conduct phishing simulations for audits and awareness training, Arsen empowers businesses to stay ahead of evolving threats with cutting-edge AI-driven security solutions.
The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has released the results of Annual Survey of Industries (ASI) for the reference period April 2022 to March 2023 (i.e. financial year 2022-23) referred to as ASI 2022-23 in October 2024.
National Industrial Classification (NIC) 2-digit wise estimated total persons engaged based on ASI 2022-23 and ASI 2021-22 along with its growth rate are given in Table at Annexure.
The survey is related to the reference period April 2022 to March 2023 i.e. financial year 2022-23.
The reference period (year) for ASI is the financial year and the actual survey period for ASI is in the subsequent year following the reference period. In this sequence, the field work of ASI 2023-24 has commenced from September 2024.
The estimated number of factories based on ASI 2013-14 and ASI 2022-23 and its growth rate are given below:
Parameter
ASI 2013-14
ASI 2022-23
Growth Rate (%)
Estimated Number of Factories
2,24,576
2,53,334
12.81
*****
Annexure
NIC 2-digit wise Estimated Total Persons Engaged (no.) based on ASI 2021-22 and ASI 2022-23 and Percentage Growth Rate (%)
NIC-
2008
Description
ASI 2021-22
ASI 2022-23
Growth
Rate (%)
1
2
3
4
5
01
COTTON GINNING, CLEANING AND BAILING (01632); SEED PROCESSING FOR PROPAGATION (01640)
77,167
83,315
7.97
08
SALT PRODUCTION BY EVAPORATION OF SEA WATER OR OTHER SALINE WATERS (08932)
6,561
7,928
20.84
10
FOOD PRODUCTS
19,02,472
21,16,320
11.24
11
BEVERAGES
1,65,576
1,80,334
8.91
12
TOBACCO PRODUCTS
4,18,575
4,35,988
4.16
13
TEXTILES
16,59,772
17,22,672
3.79
14
WEARING APPAREL
11,80,573
13,20,172
11.82
15
LEATHER AND RELATED PRODUCTS
3,84,646
4,07,753
6.01
16
WOOD AND PRODUCTS OF WOOD AND CORK, EXCEPT FURNITURE
95,424
1,05,575
10.64
17
PAPER AND PAPER PRODUCTS
3,24,657
3,50,482
7.95
18
PRINTING AND REPRODUCTION OF RECORDED MEDIA
1,37,026
1,55,178
13.25
19
COKE AND REFINED PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
1,59,001
1,68,852
6.20
20
CHEMICALS AND CHEMICAL PRODUCTS
10,26,380
10,58,217
3.10
21
PHARMACEUTICALS, MEDICINAL CHEMICAL AND BOTANICAL PRODUCTS
8,92,308
9,25,811
3.75
22
RUBBER AND PLASTICS PRODUCTS
9,53,779
9,48,210
-0.58
23
OTHER NON-METALLIC MINERAL PRODUCTS
10,37,141
10,49,399
1.18
24
BASIC METALS
12,71,623
14,11,577
11.01
25
FABRICATED METAL PRODUCTS, EXCEPT MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT
7,05,612
7,77,563
10.20
26
COMPUTER, ELECTRONIC AND OPTICAL PRODUCTS
3,84,733
4,25,174
10.51
27
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
6,65,596
7,70,531
15.77
28
MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT N.E.C.
10,25,773
11,09,876
8.20
29
MOTOR VEHICLES, TRAILERS AND SEMI-TRAILERS
11,75,314
12,64,272
7.57
30
OTHER TRANSPORT EQUIPMENT
3,61,877
3,95,069
9.17
31
MANUFACTURE OF FURNITURE
1,10,881
1,29,801
17.06
32
OTHER MANUFACTURING
5,04,669
5,54,033
9.78
33
REPAIR AND INSTALLATION OF MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT
This information was given by the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Minister of State (Independent Charge) Ministry of Planning and Minister of State in the Ministry of Culture, Rao Inderjit Singh in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.
The Statistical Training Needs Assessment (STA) Survey Report systematically evaluates the existing training ecosystem and strategic planning for capacity building. The report highlights not only the existing strengths but also the areas where there are critical skill gaps, particularly in emerging areas. It prioritizes the required skills, examines learning styles and cultural contexts. The findings help to bridge skill gaps and align learning interventions with national priorities.
The National Statistical Systems Training Academy (NSSTA) organizes training programmes in the field of Official Statistics and related disciplines covering the topics inter alia advanced technologies like AI, Big data analytics and machine learning. NSSTA also leverages the integrated Government Online Training (iGOT) Karmayogi platform for enhancing the competencies including those in advance technologies.
The NSSTA also organizes talks, webinars, seminars, workshops and training programmes to share knowledge and global best practices in the field of Official Statistics and related disciplines.
In the recent National Sample Survey (NSS) rounds, for selected surveys, provision has been made in the sampling design by considering district as ‘Basic Stratum’, so that district level estimates can be generated by the States participating in the surveys.
This information was given by the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Minister of State (Independent Charge) Ministry of Planning and Minister of State in the Ministry of Culture, Rao Inderjit Singh in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.
The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) in collaboration with MyGov is organising a data visualization hackathon titled ‘Innovate with GoIStats’ during the period 25.2.2025 to 31.03.2025.
The hackathon is organised aiming to create awareness about the data being generated by the Ministry and encourage students and researchers to utilize the data for analysis to create any data visualization by using technology which may include AI/ML. The visualizations would aid dissemination of insights derived from the data for further use by researchers and policy makers.
MoSPI has taken the following measures to promote data literacy and statistical analysis among students and researchers in India:
The official statistics being generated by the Ministry are published on the website of the Ministry and also disseminated through social media handles of the Ministry for use by students and researchers.
MoSPI provides internship opportunities to students pursuing or completed graduate/post-graduate or research scholars in recognized institutes / universities / research institutes under the ‘National Internship in Official Statistics’ programme.
MoSPI promotes research in official statistics by way of providing financial assistance under the Grant-in-Aid component of the Capacity Development scheme of the Ministry.
The National Statistical Systems Training Academy (NSSTA) organizes one-week awareness programme on official statistics for Heads of the Departments and UG/PG Students of Departments of Statistics / Economics / Social Science of Central and State Universities.
NSSTA also organises one-day awareness workshop on official statistics for UG/PG students of Departments of Statistics/ Economics/Social Science at the campuses of the Universities/ Colleges.
This information was given by the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Minister of State (Independent Charge) Ministry of Planning and Minister of State in the Ministry of Culture, Rao Inderjit Singh in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.
MeitY to host ‘Nano Electronics Roadshow and Conference on Semiconductor Ecosystem in India’ at Bengaluru on March 27, 2025 Grand roadshow to showcase breakthroughs in quantum technology, neuromorphic computing, AI, IT, electronics and indigenous nanoelectronics advancements
The roadshow to bring together key stakeholders, showcase innovation and drive investments for Atmanirbhar Bharat
Posted On: 24 MAR 2025 2:56PM by PIB Delhi
The Nanotechnology Initiatives Division of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, in partnership with IISc Bengaluru, IIT Bombay, IIT Madras, IIT Delhi, IIT Kharagpur, and IIT Guwahati, will be organizing the Nano Electronics Roadshow and Conference on Semiconductor Ecosystem in India. The event is scheduled for March 27, 2025, starting from 9:00 AM onwards at the National Science Seminar Complex, IISc Bengaluru.
This initiative aims to bring together key stakeholders from government, industry, academia, strategic sectors, startups, and the VC ecosystem to drive innovation and collaboration in the segment.
Shri S. Krishnan, Secretary, MeitY, will grace the event as the Chief Guest in the august presence of our Guests of Honour— Abhishek Singh, Additional Secretary, MeitY; Dr. Shivkumar Kalyanaraman, CEO, Anusandhan National Research Foundation; Utpal Shah, Senior VP, Strategy and Business Development, Tata Electronics; Anand Ramamoorthy, Managing Director, Micron; V. Narayanan, Chair, ISRO.
Roadshow on tech innovations The roadshow will encompass a diverse range of topics, including quantum technology, neuromorphic computing, opportunities in AI, IT, and electronics, as well as a showcase of indigenous advancements in nanoelectronics technology. Speaking about the conference, Shri S. Krishnan, Secretary, MeitY, said, “The Nanotechnology Roadshow is a very critical part of India’s pathway towards semiconductor self-sufficiency in the years to come. MeitY had promoted Nano science centres in 6 IITs and the Indian Institute of Science across the country in order to ensure that we have a dedicated team of scientists, technologists, and professionals in the semiconductor space built up over a period of time. Today we have an occasion to actually have many of the deep tech startups, many technology demonstrations, industries who have benefited from this programme coming together. Almost 50 technology demonstrations are being held, 25 deep-tech startups are participating who are specifically involved in the Nano Electronic space, 25 Venture Capitals will be participating alongside 25 more industries. We expect that this event will be the first of many more which will lead India in its part towards semiconductor self sufficiency and in line with the Prime Minister’s vision of a self-sufficient, self-reliant India under the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM).”
The roadshow will also serve as a platform for India’s vibrant electronics startup ecosystem to showcase their innovations and pitch to an extensive network of Venture Capital firms, aiming to secure investment and accelerate growth.
With India’s increasing focus on Atmanirbhar Bharat, this initiative underscores the Government’s commitment to achieving self-reliance in electronics innovation and manufacturing. By fostering collaboration between industry and academia, the Ministry aims to cultivate a thriving ecosystem that encourages innovation and sustainable growth in the nanoelectronics sector.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Speech by FS at Milken Institute Global Investors’ Symposium Hong Kong (English only) Laura (Executive Vice President of Milken Institute International, Ms Laura Deal Lacey), Robin (Chair of Asia, Milken Institute, Mr Robin Hu), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Good afternoon. I am delighted to join you once again for the Milken Institute Global Investors’ Symposium. Allow me first to express my sincere appreciation to the Milken Institute for bringing this exceptional platform back to Hong Kong for its second edition.
Today, we welcome over 400 senior executives from a diverse array of industries and markets worldwide. The theme for the Symposium this year, “Connecting Global Markets: Partnerships for Resilience”, is particularly timely. In today’s complex global landscape, brimming with challenges and uncertainties, it is clear that we can build resilience and achieve mutual growth only by strengthening connections, forming partnerships and enhancing collaboration. And Hong Kong, as an international financial centre, is uniquely positioned to catalyse this endeavour.
Hong Kong: a resilient city
To begin with, allow me to share with you the remarkable resilience of Hong Kong’s economy and financial markets.
Over the past year, despite external headwinds, Hong Kong’s economy continued to grow steadily, expanding by 2.5 per cent. Inflation remained low at 1.1 per cent. The latest unemployment rate is at 3.2 per cent.
International confidence in our financial markets has evidently strengthened. Last year, bank deposits in Hong Kong rose by 7 per cent, i.e. about US$140 billion. Driven by investments by institutional investors seeking to rebalance their investment portfolio, as well as market enthusiasm ignited by recent tech breakthroughs led by DeepSeek and others, the Hang Seng Index has surged some 20 per cent within a span of three months. This was on top of the increase of 18 per cent in 2024. The average daily turnover of our stock market rose to over US$28 billion in the first two months of this year, a remarkable 70 per cent increase from that of last year.
Our IPO (initial public offerings) market also made a comeback, raising some US$11 billion last year and ranking fourth globally. Now, more than 100 companies are in the pipeline for listing. This year, we are expecting to raise some US$17 to $20 billion.
Just last week, Hong Kong again ranked third in the Global Financial Centres Index, with overall scores catching up to that of the champion New York. In particular, we ranked first globally in “investment management”, “insurance” and “finance”. In fintech, we leapt by five places to fourth in the world.
Besides, Hong Kong was once again ranked as the freest economy in the world, and the fifth most competitive economy. We stay firm as a free port, open to business, and committed to supporting the rules-based multilateral trading system.
Last year, the number of regional headquarters, regional offices and local offices operated by Mainland and overseas companies rose by nearly 10 per cent, reaching an all-time high to around 10 000.
2024 was also a great year for inbound tourism, with visitor arrivals rebounded to 45 million, rising by 30 per cent year-on-year. The surge of visitors highlighted Hong Kong’s charm as a top-notch business and tourism destination.
Beyond numbers, Hong Kong remains an open, vibrant and diverse city. This month marks our “Super March” – with an impressive array of world-class events: from the artistic vibrancy of Art Basel and the spectacular LIV Golf, to the electrifying Hong Kong Sevens and the innovation-driven ComplexCon. Alongside these events, we have global business gatherings such as the Wealth for Good Summit and, of course, this Symposium. These events celebrate and showcase Hong Kong as an international meeting point for finance, culture, sports, creativity and fun! I hope you all can stay a bit longer – until this Sunday – to enjoy these happenings.
Overall, the Hong Kong economy is marching forward steadily with renewed momentum. Let me tell you why.
New Frontiers in Finance
First, we are implementing reforms to strengthen the vitality and competitiveness of our financial markets. Fund-raising is an important function of any IFC (international financial centre), and Hong Kong offers a full range of funding options, from angel investment to private equity to IPOs. We continue to review our listing regime, enhance product offerings and attract more quality issuers and new capital. The goal is clear: to create a more dynamic and attractive capital market that provides diversified opportunities for investors.
Another key area is asset and wealth management. Hong Kong remains one of the world’s prime wealth management centres, managing approximately US$4 trillion in assets. The number of family offices in our city has gone beyond 2 700, with half of them managing assets exceeding US$50 million. By 2028, Hong Kong is anticipated to become the world’s largest cross-boundary wealth management centre. This year, we seek to further enhance the tax concessions for funds and single family offices.
And insurance, too. Hong Kong has the highest insurance density in Asia. The gross premiums of insurers continue to grow, rising by 12 per cent and reaching US$62 billion in the first three quarters last year. What’s more, the Greater Bay Area offers tremendous business opportunities for insurers operating in Hong Kong.
New Markets and New Capital
Second, we are also opening up new markets and new capital channels. Many economies in the Global South have young populations, expanding middle classes and growing investment needs for ambitious infrastructure projects, digitalisation and green transition plans. While Hong Kong continues to treasure and reinforce the relationship with traditional partners in Europe and the Americas, we are forging closer partnerships with emerging economies.
For example, last October we listed two ETFs (exchange-traded funds) tracking Hong Kong stocks on the Saudi Arabia Stock Exchange. We are collaborating with stock exchanges across ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and the Gulf Region to encourage more quality companies to pursue dual primary or secondary listing in this city.
We believe there is also room to work with emerging economies on more cross-boundary, market connectivity arrangements akin to the Connect Schemes that we have established with the Mainland.
The collaboration between Hong Kong and new markets extends well beyond finance. The tech prowess of Hong Kong and the GBA (Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area) as a whole as well as startups are highly valued around the world. We endeavour to connect them with partners in the emerging economies to foster industry partnership.
To support the matching of capital and projects, we will host the inaugural Hong Kong Global Financial and Industry Summit in June. The event will bring together hundreds of global enterprises, tech firms and funds to drive industrial collaboration through financial empowerment.
And we are strategically placed to help Mainland companies go global. Many Mainland enterprises are realigning their industrial and supply chains across the Global South. They need project and trade financing, corporate treasury services as well as professional consultancy. Hong Kong is ready to offer all that – from global capital and talent, world-class professional services to extensive international connections.
Tech innovation driven by AI (artificial intelligence)
The third of our new economic impetus is innovation and technology, driven by AI in particular.
The rapid development of AI is reshaping the global economic landscape. AI+, which emphasises the deep integration of AI across different industries, is transforming traditional production, businesses and consumption models, very much redefining the core competitiveness of economies worldwide.
In the Government’s Budget delivered a few weeks ago, I outlined the vision for Hong Kong to establish AI as a core industry and to empower the transformation of traditional sectors. Hong Kong has all it takes to thrive on this front.
A unique advantage of Hong Kong is that we serve as a convergence point of both Mainland and international data and talent. Coupled with strong research capabilities of five of our world’s leading universities, we have a strong foundation for cutting-edge AI research and applications. A case in point is the area of life science, where the integration of AI is particularly promising, as it enhances drug design, accelerates clinical trials, and improves patient outcomes through personalised medicine.
Hong Kong’s ambitions for innovation and technology are more hopeful with our deepening collaboration with the sister’s cities in the GBA, one of the world’s leading innovation ecosystems. The Northern Metropolis, bordering Shenzhen, will serve as the bridgehead for this collaboration. Home to a 300-hectare I&T cluster, it covers the “Loop”, or “Hetao”, where we will experiment with innovative policies that facilitate the safe and orderly flow of people, capital, goods, data and even bio samples with Shenzhen.
To realise these ambitions, we are actively attracting strategic enterprises in four industries to set foot in Hong Kong. They are AI and data science, life and health technology, fintech, advanced manufacturing and new energy. So far we have attracted more than 80 such enterprises, and together they would invest some US$60 billion in our city, creating some 20 000 jobs.
We also recognise the importance of patient capital. That is why we have established the Hong Kong Investment Corporation (HKIC), which actively guides strategic investments into companies in key sectors at their nascent stage. The HKIC has already invested in more than 90 projects and formed a number of strategic partnerships. For every dollar it invested, it has mobilised four dollars of private capital. Riding on this positive momentum, we are optimistic that Hong Kong will be able to achieve more advancements in the realms of innovation and technology.
Concluding remarks
Ladies and gentlemen, Hong Kong remains one of the world’s most open, dynamic and globally connected financial centres. Our strong fundamentals, resilient economy, unique role as a gateway to the Chinese Mainland and Asia, as well as our great stride to develop financial services and the tech sector, continue to provide unparalleled opportunities for global investors.
May I wish you all the best of business and health in the years to come. Thank you. Issued at HKT 14:16
DCR News Release – Work Furlough Inmate Missing from OCCC
Posted on Mar 21, 2025 in Latest Department News, Newsroom
DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS AND REHABILITATION
KA ‘OIHANA HOʻOMALU KALAIMA A HOʻOPONOPONO OLA
JOSH GREEN, M.D.
GOVERNOR
KE KIAʻĀINA
TOMMY JOHNSON
DIRECTOR
KA LUNA HO‘OKELE
WORK FURLOUGH INMATE MISSING FROM OCCC
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 21, 2025
HONOLULU — O‘ahu Community Correctional Center (OCCC) work furlough inmate Jason S. Takaki failed to return to Module 20 Friday, March 21, 2025.
Takaki, 45, left Module 20 on a job-seeking pass this morning and was supposed to return by 2 p.m. today. State Sheriffs and the Honolulu Police Department were notified.
Takaki is 5 feet, 5 inches tall, and weighs approximately 158 pounds with brown eyes and black hair. He is serving time for unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle, forgery and theft.
He now faces a second-degree escape charge, a Class B felony that is punishable by up to five years in prison, if convicted.
Takaki is a community custody inmate in the work furlough program with pass privileges. Community custody is the lowest classification status.
Anyone with information on Takaki’s whereabouts is asked to call 911 or the Sheriffs at 808-586-1352.
# # #
Media Contact:
Rosemarie Bernardo
Public Information Officer
Hawai‘i Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
Lt. Gov. Luke – RELEASE – Lt. Governor Luke Travels to D.C. with Hawaiʻi Agriculture Leaders
Posted on Mar 21, 2025 in Latest Department News, Newsroom
STATE OF HAWAIʻI KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI
SYLVIA LUKE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR KE KEʻENA O KA HOPE KIAʻĀINA
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 21, 2025
LT. GOVERNOR LUKE TRAVELS TO D.C. WITH HAWAIʻI AGRICULTURE LEADERS
Delegation to Host the 2nd Annual Hawaiʻi-USDA Policy Summit
HONOLULU — To strengthen Hawaiʻi’s agricultural industry and expand opportunities for local farmers and ranchers, Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke will lead a delegation of agriculture leaders to Washington, D.C., from March 24-26. This marks the 2nd Annual Hawaiʻi-USDA Policy Summit, bringing together Hawaiʻi’s farming, ranching, and commerce leaders to meet with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and address the state’s most pressing agricultural issues.
Key priorities for the summit include labeling and export regulations, biosecurity protections, increasing agricultural production, strengthening rural infrastructure, and the Farm Bill.
In 2024, Lt. Gov. Luke led the first-ever Hawaiʻi delegation to the USDA, identifying federal opportunities and resources for farmers. This year’s summit builds on that foundation, ensuring Hawaiʻi’s agricultural industry remains a strong and sustainable part of the state’s economy.