NewzIntel.com

Category: Machine Learning

  • MIL-OSI Economics: NVIDIA and xAI join AI Infrastructure Partnership to drive investment in datacenters

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: NVIDIA and xAI join AI Infrastructure Partnership to drive investment in datacenters

    NEW YORK & REDMOND, Wash. & ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates & SANTA CLARA, Calif. & SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–BlackRock, Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), a part of BlackRock, Microsoft, and MGX today announced that NVIDIA and xAI will join the Global AI Infrastructure Investment Partnership, now named the AI Infrastructure Partnership (AIP), further strengthening the partnership’s technology leadership as the platform seeks to invest in new and expanded AI infrastructure. NVIDIA will also continue in its role as a technical advisor to AIP, leveraging its expertise in accelerated computing and AI factories to inform the deployment of next-generation AI data center infrastructure.

    Additionally, GE Vernova and NextEra Energy have agreed to collaborate with AIP to accelerate the scaling of critical and diverse energy solutions for AI data centers. GE Vernova will also work with AIP and its partners on supply chain planning and in delivering innovative and high efficiency energy solutions.

    AIP has attracted significant capital and partner interest since its inception in September 2024, highlighting the growing demand for AI-ready data centers and power solutions. The partnership will initially seek to unlock $30 billion in capital from investors, asset owners, and corporations, which in turn will mobilize up to $100 billion in total investment potential when including debt financing.

    By investing in next-generation AI data centers and energy infrastructure, AIP is not just expanding capacity—it is shaping the future of AI-driven economic growth. The addition of both NVIDIA and xAI, each a global AI technology leader, reinforces AIP’s commitment to scaling an open-architecture platform and fostering a broad ecosystem that supports a diverse range of partners on a non-exclusive basis. AIP’s investments will primarily focus on the U.S. as well as OECD and U.S. partner countries, driving AI innovation, economic expansion, and the advancement of critical digital and energy infrastructure.

    His Highness Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of MGX, said, “Artificial Intelligence is not just an industry of the future, it underpins the future. As we welcome new partners to the AI Infrastructure Partnership, we will accelerate innovation and technological breakthroughs to achieve transformational productivity gains across the global economy. Our singular focus is accelerating AI’s responsible and inclusive development for the benefit of humanity.”

    Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA, said, “The global buildout of AI infrastructure will benefit every company and country that wants to achieve economic growth and unlock solutions to the world’s greatest challenges. AI factories built on NVIDIA’s full-stack AI infrastructure will convert data into intelligence that will accelerate every industry and help society achieve unimaginable breakthroughs.”

    “AI infrastructure will play an increasingly critical role in driving economic growth across every industry and every region of the world,” said Satya Nadella, Chairman and CEO, Microsoft. “We’re thrilled to welcome these new companies to the AI Infrastructure Partnership as we invest together to build the infrastructure of the future.”

    Larry Fink, Chairman and CEO of BlackRock, said, “AI has the potential to transform the global economy if we can build the necessary infrastructure to support it. We believe this unparalleled partnership of leading global companies across the AI ecosystem brings technology expertise together with private capital to meet this demand and creates unique investment opportunities for our clients. This partnership also demonstrates the powerful combination of BlackRock’s global relationships with GIP’s infrastructure capabilities.”

    “Since we launched this partnership in September, the momentum we have achieved reinforces the need for significant private capital to fund investments in essential infrastructure, particularly to support the continued development of AI,” said Bayo Ogunlesi, Chairman and CEO of Global Infrastructure Partners. “With today’s announcement, we are proud to welcome our new partners to AIP. Together, we look forward to focusing on our joint ambition to enhance AI innovation and economic growth.”

    John Ketchum, Chairman and CEO of NextEra Energy, said, “In order to realize the full potential of Artificial Intelligence we must develop and support the energy infrastructure and data centers that will fuel this technology. Doing this will require an all forms of energy solution that leverages ready-now renewables and battery storage coupled with gas-fired and nuclear generation in the future. Our collaboration with GE Vernova and AIP is intended to get as many electrons onto the grid as quickly and most cost effectively as possible.”

    “The jobs and economies of tomorrow will be built on the infrastructure we develop today to support the rapid growth of AI,” said GE Vernova CEO Scott Strazik. “Our company is focused on an all-of-the-above approach with our customers to meet this unprecedented demand, utilizing gas, nuclear, wind and more, while continuing to drive innovation to reduce emissions. We look forward to working with AIP and its partners, a group that brings substantial capability and efficiency to this critical work.”

    About MGX

    MGX is a technology investment company focused on accelerating the development and adoption of AI and advanced technologies through world-leading partnerships in the United Arab Emirates and globally. MGX invests in sectors where AI can deliver value and economic impact at scale, including semiconductors, infrastructure, software, tech-enabled services, life sciences, and automation. For more information, visit www.mgx.ae.

    About BlackRock

    BlackRock’s purpose is to help more and more people experience financial well-being. As a fiduciary to investors and a leading provider of financial technology, we help millions of people build savings that serve them throughout their lives by making investing easier and more affordable. For additional information on BlackRock, please visit www.blackrock.com/corporate.

    About Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), a Part of BlackRock

    Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) is a leading infrastructure investor that specializes in investing in, owning and operating some of the largest and most complex assets across the energy, transport, digital infrastructure and water and waste management sectors. On October 1, 2024, BlackRock closed its acquisition of GIP. For more information, visit www.global-infra.com.

    About Microsoft

    Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) creates platforms and tools powered by AI to deliver innovative solutions that meet the evolving needs of our customers. The technology company is committed to making AI available broadly and doing so responsibly, with a mission to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release, and other statements that the parties may make, may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act, with respect to the parties’ or AIP’s future financial or business performance, strategies or expectations, including the anticipated timing, consummation and expected benefits of AIP. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words or phrases such as “trend,” “potential,” “opportunity,” “pipeline,” “believe,” “comfortable,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “current,” “intention,” “estimate,” “position,” “assume,” “outlook,” “continue,” “remain,” “maintain,” “sustain,” “seek,” “achieve,” and similar expressions, or future or conditional verbs such as “will,” “would,” “should,” “could,” “may” and similar expressions.

    The parties caution that forward-looking statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties, which change over time and may contain information that is not purely historical in nature. Such information may include, among other things, projections and forecasts. There is no guarantee that any projections or forecasts made will come to pass. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and the parties assume no duty to and do not undertake to update forward-looking statements. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in forward-looking statements and future results could differ materially from historical performance.

    Certain of the parties have previously disclosed risk factors in their respective United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) reports. These risk factors and those identified elsewhere in this release, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from forward-looking statements or historical performance. Such parties’ Annual Reports on Form 10–K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and subsequent filings with the SEC, accessible on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov and on the applicable party’s website, discuss certain of these factors in more detail and identify additional factors that can affect forward–looking statements. The information contained on each party’s website is not a part of this press release, and therefore, is not incorporated herein by reference.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Sanjay Malhotra: Transforming grievance redress – the AI advantage

    Source: Bank for International Settlements

    I am delighted to participate in this year’s Annual Conference of the RBI Ombudsmen. The Reserve Bank has been organising this conference on or around the World Consumer Rights Day, that is, 15th March. World Consumer Rights Day is celebrated every year with the aim of raising global awareness about consumer rights and needs. We organise this conference to reflect on our achievements with regard to consumer services and to deliberate on how to improve services and reduce grievances. We need to improve consumer services, not only because it is our duty to do so, but because it is in our selfish interest to do so. In this age of competition, we would not survive long if we do not provide quality service to our consumers.

    We have made tremendous strides in improving consumer services over the years. We have enabled internet banking and mobile banking. Most of the banking services, be it opening a deposit account, or taking a small loan have been digitised, adding to the convenience and speed. We are making record number of digital transactions through UPI and other means of digital payments. Many among the younger generation may have never visited a bank branch. We have even enabled opening of accounts using video KYC.

    While we have enhanced customer experience over the years, the high number of customer grievances continues to be a matter of serious concern. I am told that last year (2023-24), the 95 Scheduled Commercial Banks alone received over 10 million complaints from their customers. If we take into account the complaints received at other RBI-regulated entities (REs), the number would be even higher. One may argue that this amounts to only four complaints per thousand accounts per year as there are about 2.5 billion bank accounts. But, for us, even one complaint is a cause of concern. We have 10 million complaints and with the rapidly growing customer base and expanding suite of products, this may grow, if we do not get our act together.

    Customer satisfaction – a cornerstone for banking and other financial services

    Excellent customer service, in fact excellent customer experience is a sine qua non in any service industry. Our effort should be to enhance the total customer experience. The experience should be such that there is no cause for a grievance that requires a redress. Let me state a fundamental truth: every complaint is a test of trust. When a consumer files a grievance – whether for a disputed transaction, a lapse in service, inappropriate pricing or charges or an unfair practice – it is a signal that our system has fallen short. Left unresolved, such issues can erode consumer confidence and tarnish the entire ecosystem.

    I am reminded of a real story about customer service. Some of you, especially the management graduates, may have heard it but it is so appropriate for today’s theme that it is worth being retold. In the winter of 1975, in a town in Alaska, a man walked into a store and complained to the salesman present that the snow tyres that he bought some time ago were not holding. The salesman was a little puzzled. He said that he could not replace them but will check what he could do and went to the back of the store. Those of you, who have visited departmental stores in the USA, would know that refunds are processed at the back of the store. The salesman came back after some time and handed over some cash as refund and the customer left satisfied. Can anyone guess why this was unique, as no questions asked policy for refunds is fairly common in the USA? It is because the company in question is Nordstrom which does not even sell tyres. It sells apparel and shoes. But, for Nordstrom, customer comes first. Trusting him and winning his trust is more important than anything else.

    Some say that this is not a true story. How is this possible? How could a company offer refund for a product which it never sold? Nordstrom, however, insists that this incident did take place. Nordstrom had acquired three stores from another company that sold miscellaneous articles including tyres. The customer did not realise that the store had changed and walked in with his complaint. The key message is that Nordstrom saw itself being in the business of customer service, and not just selling goods. We too need to realise that we are in the business of providing unalloyed customer service and not just selling banking and other financial services.

    Top management to accord priority to customer service

    I am sure you will all agree that we are indeed in the business of customer service. However, I suspect that we are not spending enough time on customer service and grievance redressal as a result of which not only are there a large number of complaints being received by banks and NBFCs but in the absence of satisfactory resolution, a large number of them are getting escalated to RBI Ombudsmen.

    Let me give you some perspective. The number of complaints received under RBI’s Integrated Ombudsman Scheme increased at a compounded average growth rate of almost 50 per cent per year over last two years to 9.34 lakh in 2023-24. The number of complaints processed at the Office of RBI Ombudsman increased by 25 per cent from about 2,35,000 in 2022-23 to almost 2,94,000 in 2023-24. Not only are large number of complaints getting escalated, a large proportion of them – nearly 57 per cent of the maintainable complaints last year – required mediation or formal intervention by the RBI Ombudsmen. You would all agree that this is a highly unsatisfactory situation and needs our urgent attention.

    I would, therefore, strongly urge all the MD&CEOs, Zonal and Regional Managers and the Branch Managers to spend some time every week, if not every day on grievance redressal. This is a must. All great CEOs find time to do it. We too must keep some time in our diary for improving customer service and grievance redressal.

    Improving customer service systems

    Customer complaints aren’t a nuisance – they are in fact opportunities to improve, innovate, and build trust. Handling them well can define your success. Each unresolved grievance is a missed opportunity for regulated entities to reaffirm customer trust and loyalty. It is also a warning signal as repeat complaints are often signs of systemic flaws. Today, complaints often surface on social media even before reaching official channels, highlighting the need for proactive measures.

    The effort thus should be to not only resolve the complaints but also to ensure that the same type of complaint does not arise again. Many of the complaints like digital transaction disputes, unauthorized charges, or miscommunication frequently recur. These are clearcut symptoms of underlying issues in the overall customer service framework of the regulated entities. A thorough root cause analysis should be performed for each complaint so as to enable remedial action and avoid repetition of same type of complaint.

    In fact, I would go a step further. Best service is not one in which there is no occasion for grievance redressal but one in which there is no occasion for the customer service department to step in. Systems should work seamlessly and conveniently so that customers do not have to call the branch or the customer service centre or talk to anyone in the Bank or NBFC. Systems have to be so user-friendly that customers can rely on self-service rather than being dependent on anyone else.

    Improving internal grievance redressal systems

    While improving systems to reduce grievances is important, setting up a robust grievance redressal system is equally important for all regulated entities. I would urge you all to review the same. While the regulations do not make any prescription for the organisational structure for grievance redressal, my experience suggests that there should be at least two levels for grievance redressal in large REs, with unresolved grievances getting escalated from the lower to the higher level. The highest level should be at a fairly high rank. This to ensure that requests do not get rejected without having been examined by a senior functionary who is empowered to take decisions in consumer interest. This will help reduce grievances getting escalated to the Ombudsman. It must also be ensured that there are sufficient number of grievance redress officers at all levels including in the Internal Ombudsman office.

    I would also like to draw your attention to the misclassification of complaints as requests, queries, and disputes by the regulated entities. This results in the complainants’ grievances remaining unaddressed. Moreover, this is also a gross regulatory violation.

    Major areas of service improvement

    Let me now briefly allude to some of the major areas where we need to improve. These relate to KYC, digital frauds, mis-selling, and aggressive recovery practices.

    As for KYC, we need to ensure that once a customer has submitted documents to a financial institution, we do not insist on obtaining the same documents again. Once the customer has updated his details, for example, his residential address, with one regulated entity of any financial sector regulator, it gets updated in CKYCR and other REs are notified of the updation. PML Rules made by the Department of Revenue in the Ministry of Finance and RBI’s Master Directions on KYC mandate regulated entities to check the CKYCR system before seeking KYC documents for opening an account. However, most banks and NBFCs have not enabled the same in their branches/business outlets, causing avoidable inconvenience to customers. This may be facilitated early. This will be in the interest of all.

    Another important issue connected to customer protection is rising digital frauds. It is a matter of great concern that innocent customers continue to fall prey to scamsters. While this could be attributed to rise in digital transactions and innovative methods adopted by fraudsters, lack of customer awareness is also a major reason for the same. To mitigate this menace, REs not only need to put in place robust internal controls but also enhance digital financial literacy.

    The issues of mis-selling and aggressive recovery practices have been highlighted earlier too. In this context too, I would request you to keep consumer interest supreme.

    Embracing technology – the AI way

    Let me now come to the theme of this year’s conference: AI’s potential to revolutionize grievance redressal. We are entering an exciting era where technology, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), can drive remarkable improvements in speed, accuracy, and fairness of complaint resolution.

    AI can help categorize incoming complaints by urgency, complexity, or subject area, ensuring minimal delay in reaching the right people or the right team. AI can also help in optimising complaint routing. Further, it can assist in decision-making and reducing processing time.

    Secondly, AI can be used to pinpoint systemic gaps by analysing both structured and unstructured data such as emails, chat logs, and call transcripts. This will aid in identifying training needs and guiding necessary process reforms. Using data from millions of consumer branch visits, call centre logs, mobile apps, and social media, a unified, AI-driven view of all these interactions can help identify common pain points more efficiently. Leveraging data analytics, sentiment analysis, and predictive models, AI can be used to analyse large volumes of data to detect spikes in issues – such as ATM failures or erroneous charges – and alert REs pre-emptively.

    Lastly, in a linguistically diverse country like India, AI-driven chatbots and voice recognition tools can eliminate language barriers by operating in local languages. Moreover, the implementation of conversational AI in chatbots, voicebots, and advanced IVR systems can handle routine queries round the clock, thereby freeing people to focus on cases that require empathy and complex problem-solving.

    In short, integrating AI at every stage – from complaint lodging to closure – can result in a seamless, efficient, and data-driven grievance redressal system. Such a framework not only reduces processing times and addresses repetitive complaints but also fosters equitable outcomes by mitigating human biases. It is time that the banking industry explores and pioneers the integration of technology – including AI – to strengthen the grievance resolution mechanisms and make it best in class across the globe.

    Challenges and guardrails in AI driven grievance redressal system

    While AI presents unparalleled opportunities, we need to be cognizant of the challenges and risks that its adoption poses. There are concerns on data privacy, algorithmic bias and complexity in AI-driven models. As we embrace AI in grievance redressal or any other process, we must also remain mindful of ethical considerations. Human oversight, bias mitigation and data privacy must be integrated into the AI Systems to ensure transparent and consistent outcomes.

    Investing in human resources

    While technology in all its forms is a powerful enabler, I would like to emphasise that it is no substitute for integrity, empathy, and human judgment. In a world increasingly driven by data, algorithms, and automation, it is all too easy to lose sight of the human element. Every transaction represents not just a number in a ledger, but the hard-earned savings of a family, the dreams of a small entrepreneur, or the lifelong savings of a senior citizen. It is, therefore, critical that REs continue to invest in human resources dedicated for customer service and grievance redressal. It is essential to invest in training of staff, especially in behavioural aspects of customer service. Moreover, the staff needs to be empowered to take decisions based on their judgement to redress consumer grievances, enhance customer satisfaction and win consumer trust.

    RBI as a facilitator

    In the end, I would like to assure you that, while we exhort you to provide services efficiently to customers, we in the Reserve Bank shall also provide various services, approvals, clarifications, etc. to the regulated entities in a timely manner. We already have a citizen’s charter. We are in the process of reviewing the charter. We will make the charter comprehensive to include all services that we offer either to the REs or directly to citizens. Moreover, we are reviewing the timelines for each service. It will be our endeavour to provide all approvals, etc. within the timelines. We are also making mandatory the use of PRAVAAH, which is RBI’s secure and centralised web-based portal for any individual or entity to seek authorisation, license or regulatory approval on any reference made to the Reserve Bank in a timely manner. This will help us in expediting the disposal of applications received by the Reserve Bank.

    Conclusion

    We stand at a pivotal juncture as India looks to realise its dream of a more resilient and inclusive Viksit Bharat. With the financial sector touching the lives of almost the entire population, we have a critical role. To succeed in this role, we must continue to enhance customer service and customer protection.

    Thank you !

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: X5 Group and HSE Graduate School of Economics Launch Updated Master’s Program

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: State University Higher School of Economics – State University Higher School of Economics –

    X5 Group and the Higher School of Business of the National Research University Higher School of Economics are relaunching a joint master’s program. The name “Retail Management” was changed to “B2C Business Management: Technologies and Innovations”, completely revising the program’s content. Now students will focus on studying customer experience, new technologies and innovations in management – those competencies that are most in demand in modern business.

    B2C Business Management: Technologies and Innovations” will be the first specialized master’s program that trains leaders in retail and e-commerce. The training, taking into account all the latest trends, will be built around three main blocks – customer experience, new technologies, organizational and operational innovations. Among the disciplines offered to students: Data Science, Business Analytics, Digital Platforms, Digital Marketing, Customer Experience Management in an Omnichannel Environment.

    The program is built on the “experience first” principle. This approach combines academic depth and practical experience: the courses are taught by teachers from the Higher School of Business of the Higher School of Economics, as well as invited teachers-practitioners who hold senior positions in the retail sector. X5 Group top managers actively participate in the program, conducting special courses, lectures, master classes and organizing practice, which allows you to gain knowledge first-hand.

    The Master’s program is focused on solving real cases and business problems – during the training, students will master specific methods of working with the consumer sector, omnichannel business and modern retail, develop strategic thinking and leadership skills. Graduates are in demand in leading companies in the field of retail and e-commerce, in the financial services sector and FMCG companies, occupying leadership positions. The program is also suitable for those who run their own business, or have been working in retail for a long time, but want to master innovative approaches and grow in their career.

    “Modern retail is speed, adaptability, technology and innovative solutions. Russia has long been not just following trends here, we set them, creating unique digital services and the best customer experience in the world. Young professionals are increasingly choosing retail – last year, the number of employees aged 18 to 24 at X5 increased by 12% and amounted to more than 43 thousand people. Because here there is an opportunity to grow and develop your skills in many areas – from the use of machine learning and artificial intelligence tools to managing complex operational processes and systems. In a joint program with the HSE, we have combined all our experience, expertise and accumulated knowledge. Thus, students can adopt what the most advanced retailers, including, of course, X5 as a leader in this field, have been developing for years in different areas. And we, in turn, are very interested in young specialists, so we invest in their development from the very beginning,” said Vladimir Salakhutdinov, Chairman of the Academic Council of the program, First Deputy General Director of X5 Group.

    Starkov Andrey Gennadievich

    Academic Director of the Master’s Program, Associate Professor of Practice at the Higher School of Business, National Research University Higher School of Economics

    “We have updated the curriculum structure of the joint Master’s program with X5 Group, placing an emphasis on project-based learning. Consulting projects, group assignments, and internships will help students form an impressive portfolio in two years for successful career development or launching their own project. Modern teaching methods, elective courses, and extracurricular activities will help develop the necessary management competencies and skills. X5 Group’s participation in the program not only guarantees the relevance of the knowledge gained, but also the integration of students into the professional community through guest lectures, excursions, and round tables.”

    Reception of documents for applicants to the program in 2025 will be held from June 19 to August 15: this year, 63 places are open for students from Russia and one for students from foreign countries. X5 will provide grants for the best students to study.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Israel’s war on Gaza is deliberately targeting children – new UN report

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Rachel Rosen, Associate Professor of Childhood, UCL

    A fresh round of Israeli airstrikes on Gaza which has killed more than 400 Palestinians has destroyed any hope that the ceasefire negotiated in January would hold. A statement from the child rights group Defence for Children Palestine claimed that 174 children had been killed in the bombing, claiming: “Today is one of the deadliest days for Palestinian Children in history.”

    The renewed bombing follows repeated violations of the ceasefire terms by Israel and comes days after a report commissioned by the United Nations said Israel is “deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about the physical destruction of Palestinians as a group”. The March 13 report from the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory examines what it calls Israel’s “systematic use of
    sexual, reproductive and other forms of gender-based violence
    since 7 October 2023”.

    The report alleges deliberate acts have been aimed against mothers and children, including the destruction of Gaza’s main fertility clinic, Basma IVF clinic, which it said amounted to “a genocidal act under the Rome Statute and Genocide Convention”. It concluded that “this was done with the intent to destroy the Palestinians in Gaza as a group, in whole or in part, and that this is the only inference that could reasonably be drawn from the acts in question”.

    The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has yet to rule on a case brought by South Africa in December 2023 accusing Israel of committing genocide in Gaza. In January 2024 it issued a ruling saying that Palestinians in Gaza had “plausible rights to protection from genocide” and set out provisional measures that Israel should follow to prevent genocide. There is no evidence that Israel has heeded this advice.

    Addressing the UN human rights committee in October 2024, special rapporteur Francesca Albanese said she believed it is important to “call a genocide as a genocide”. While noting the legal position according to the ICJ, we agree with her on the grounds that a post-hoc judgement of genocide does nothing to prevent it from occurring.

    Francesca Albanese addresses the United Nations, October 2024.

    The commission’s report is not the first time that international organisations and lawmakers have called attention to Israel’s violence against Palestinian mothers and children. In March 2024, Philippe Lazzarini, the commissioner-general of the UN agency Unrwa, wrote on X: “This is a war on children. It is a war on their childhood and their future.” The numbers are “staggering” he said. More children had been killed in Gaza in four months than in all global conflicts in the previous four years.

    This has continued throughout Israel’s assault on Gaza. Between October 7 2023 and January 15 2025, children made up at least 18,000 of the 46,707 Palestinians killed in Gaza, according to data collected by the Gaza health ministry. Both figures are likely to be underestimates, as so many bodies remain buried under the rubble.

    Most children have been killed by direct military strikes. Israel has dropped an estimated 85,000 tonnes of explosives on Gaza, killing Palestinians through direct hits, biolding collapses, fires and inhalation of toxic substances. Doctors have also reported evidence of children being killed in drone attacks and by snipers, including by shots to the head and chest.

    On March 2 Israel blocked the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, using starvation and dehydration as military strategy. On March 15 a Unicef report claimed that 31% of children under two years of age in the north of the Strip were acutely malnourished. There has also been a “dramatic increase in child deaths due to acute malnutrition”.

    Israel’s destruction of medical and other infrastructure in the strip has resulted in “indirect deaths” by communicable illness and noncommunicable conditions. In April 2024, a report published in science journal Frontiers found that more than 90% of children in Gaza were affected by infectious diseases. There have also been multiple infant deaths from hypothermia as displaced families attempt to survive winter conditions.

    Killing the future

    The abnormally high child death rate is partly down to demographics. About 47% of Gaza’s population was under 18 years of age at the end of 2022. Children are generally more “susceptible to dehydration, diarrhoea, disease, and malnutrition” according to Unicef which says the nutritional needs for infants under 23 months “are greater per kilogram of bodyweight than at any other time of life”.

    But the problem with these arguments is that they make child mortality rates in Gaza appear as a simple reflection of natural factors. They are not. They are a direct consequence of Israel’s military aggression in Gaza.

    Israel has systematically used powerful explosives in densely populated areas and, through AI tracking systems such as “Where’s Daddy?”, deliberately targeted Palestinians in their family homes. Given the deep evidence base about childhood health, the logical outcome of using starvation as a method of war, actively denying aid, and destroying infrastructures that enable life is that children will die disproportionately.

    Palestinian children are being killed by design. This has been explicitly articulated by the Israeli state.

    Itamar Ben-Gvir, who was this week reappointed to the Netanyahu government as police minister, has publicly defended the army’s “open-fire” directive declaring: “We cannot have women and children getting close to the border … anyone who gets near must get a bullet in the head.” In January, MP and deputy speaker of the Knesset, Nissim Vaturi, said every child born in Gaza is “already a terrorist, from the moment of his birth”.

    But children represent their community’s dreams for their futures. Killing large number of children in Gaza is not simply forcible depopulation. It is an effort to destabilise communities and crush their hopes for liberation and the right of return as mandated by the UN.

    Palestinian children in Gaza have been telling their stories to a global audience. The killing, injury and starvation they are testifying to has proved a powerful counternarrative to the idea that Israel is simply “defending itself”. International humanitarian law states that: “Children affected by armed conflict are entitled to special respect and protection.”

    But in Gaza, children are being killed in their thousands.

    Rachel Rosen receives funding from Independent Social Research Foundation. She is affiliated with BDS @ UCL.

    Mai Abu Moghli is a policy member at Al- Shabaka: the Palestinian Policy Network.

    – ref. Israel’s war on Gaza is deliberately targeting children – new UN report – https://theconversation.com/israels-war-on-gaza-is-deliberately-targeting-children-new-un-report-252398

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI: EquityZen Named “Best Retail Investment Platform” in 2025 FinTech Breakthrough Awards Program

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, March 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — EquityZen, the leading pre-IPO marketplace for individual accredited investors, today announced that it has been selected as winner of the “Best Retail Investment Platform” award in the 9th annual FinTech Breakthrough Awards program conducted by FinTech Breakthrough, an independent market intelligence organization that recognizes the top companies, technologies and products in the global FinTech market today.

    EquityZen’s marketplace connects buyers and sellers of shares in pre-IPO companies, making the private market accessible to accredited individual investors with one of the category’s lowest investment minimums of $5,000. EquityZen leverages its established network and reputation to offer curated investment offerings in leading venture backed technology companies to investors across industries like artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and fintech. By providing exclusive private market data and insights, EquityZen empowers clients to make informed decisions. The comprehensive investment platform delivers secure, compliant, fully streamlined processes and an intuitive, personalized interface. Guidance from private market investment specialists is also available.

    As a private market leader, EquityZen has enabled over 44,000 company-approved private market investments in over 450 late-stage companies for their clients since 2013.

    “EquityZen is opening up the private markets to the widest possible audience of investors and shareholders, not just the institutions who have always been able to invest in them. Companies are staying private longer than ever, making private market investing an essential component of a diversified portfolio,” said Steve Johansson, Managing Director, FinTech Breakthrough. “Over the last decade, growth equity returns have moved to the private market, and EquityZen is answering the growing investor demand for private market access. By automating an antiquated offline process, EquityZen is leading the charge of building more efficient, cost-effective, and transparent private markets for investors of all sizes.”

    The FinTech Breakthrough Awards is the premier awards program founded to recognize the FinTech innovators, leaders, and visionaries from around the world in a range of categories, including Digital Banking, Personal Finance, Lending, Payments, Investments, RegTech, InsurTech, and many more.

    “Our 710,000+ clients are predominantly individual investors, many of whom we’ve enabled to invest in late stage private companies for the first time. We believe the private market is the home of innovation and want to open investment access to as many investors as possible,” said Atish Davda, CEO and co-founder of EquityZen. “It’s an honor to be named ‘Best Retail Investment Platform’ by FinTech Breakthrough. We’ll continue to innovate and build a platform that can enable private markets for the public.”

    EquityZen Inc. was awarded a 2024 Fintech Breakthrough Award by Tech Breakthrough LLC on March 19, 2025, based on the prior year and covering calendar year 2024, and has compensated FinTech Breakthrough LLC for use of its name and logo in connection with the award. FinTech Breakthrough LLC is a third party and has no affiliation with EquityZen.

    About EquityZen
    Since 2013, the EquityZen marketplace has enabled the buying and selling of shares in private companies. EquityZen brings together over 700,000 investors and shareholders, providing liquidity to early shareholders and private market access to accredited investors for as little as $5,000 up to well over $5 million. Having completed more than 45,000 private placements in more than 450 private companies, EquityZen leads the way in delivering “Private Markets for the Public”.

    Media Contact
    Deborah Kostroun, Zito Partners
    deborah@zitopartners.com
    +1 (201) 403-8185

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why a journalist could obtain a minister’s ChatGPT prompts – and what it means for transparency

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Tom Felle, Associate Professor of Journalism, University of Galway

    When the New Scientist revealed that it had obtained a UK government minister’s ChatGPT prompts through a freedom of information (FOI) request, many in journalism and politics did a double take. Science and technology minister Peter Kyle had apparently asked the AI chatbot to draft a speech, explain complex policy and – more memorably – tell him what podcasts to appear on.

    What once seemed like private musings or experimental use of AI is now firmly in the public domain – because it was done on a government device.

    It’s a striking example of how FOI laws are being stretched in the age of artificial intelligence. But it also raises a bigger, more uncomfortable question: what else in our digital lives counts as a public record? If AI prompts can be released, should Google searches be next?

    Britain’s Freedom of Information Act was passed in 2000 and came into force in 2005. Two distinct uses of FOI have since emerged. The first – and arguably the most successful – is FOI applied to personal records. This has given people the right to access information held about them, from housing files to social welfare records. It’s a quiet success story that has empowered citizens in their dealings with the state.

    The second is what journalists use to interrogate the workings of government. Here, the results have been patchy at best. While FOI has produced scoops and scandals, it’s also been undermined by sweeping exemptions, chronic delays and a Whitehall culture that sees transparency as optional rather than essential.

    Tony Blair, who introduced the Act as prime minister, famously described it as the biggest mistake of his time in government. He later argued that FOI turned politics into “a conversation conducted with the media”.

    Successive governments have chafed against FOI. Few cases illustrate this better than the battle over the black spider memos – letters written by the then Prince (now King) Charles to ministers, lobbying on issues from farming to architecture. The government fought for a decade to keep them secret, citing the prince’s right to confidential advice.



    Read more:
    Dull content, but the release of Prince Charles letters is a landmark moment

    When they were finally released in 2015 after a Supreme Court ruling, the result was mildly embarrassing but politically explosive. It proved that what ministers deem “private” correspondence can, and often should, be subject to public scrutiny.

    The ChatGPT case feels like a modern version of that debate. If a politician drafts ideas via AI, is that a private thought or a public record? If those prompts shape policy, surely the public has a right to know.

    Are Google searches next?

    FOI law is clear on paper: any information held by a public body is subject to release unless exempt. Over the years, courts have ruled that the platform is irrelevant. Email, WhatsApp or handwritten notes – if the content relates to official business and is held by a public body, it’s potentially disclosable.

    The precedent was set in Dublin in 2017 when the Irish prime minister’s office released WhatsApp messages to the public service broadcaster RTÉ. The UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office has also published detailed guidance confirming that official information held in non-corporate channels such as private email, WhatsApp or Signal is subject to FOI requests if it relates to public authority business.

    The ongoing COVID-19 inquiry has shown how WhatsApp groups – once considered informal backchannels – became key decision-making arenas in government, with messages from Boris Johnson, Matt Hancock and senior advisers like Dominic Cummings now disclosed as official records.

    In Australia, WhatsApp messages between ministers were scrutinised during the Robodebt scandal, an illegal welfare hunt that ran from 2016-19, while Canada’s inquiry into the “Freedom Convoy” protests in 2022 revealed texts and private chats between senior officials as crucial evidence of how decisions were made.

    The principle is simple: if government work is being done, the public has a right to see it.

    AI chat logs now fall into this same grey area. If an official or minister uses ChatGPT to explore policy options or draft a speech on a government device, that log may be a record — as Peter Kyle’s prompts proved.

    This opens a fascinating (and slightly unnerving) precedent. If AI prompts are FOI-able, what about Google searches? If a civil servant types “How to privatise the NHS” into Chrome on a government laptop, is that a private query or an official record?

    The honest answer is: we don’t know (yet). FOI hasn’t fully caught up with the digital age. Google searches are usually ephemeral and not routinely stored. But if searches are logged or screen-captured as part of official work, then they could be requested.

    Similarly, what about drafts written in AI writing assistant Grammarly or ideas brainstormed with Siri? If those tools are used on official devices, and the records exist, they could be disclosed.

    Of course, there’s nothing to stop this or any future government from changing the law or tightening FOI rules to exclude material like this.

    FOI, journalism and democracy

    While these kinds of disclosures are fascinating, they risk distracting from a deeper problem: FOI is increasingly politicised. Refusals are now often based on political considerations rather than the letter of the law, with requests routinely delayed or rejected to avoid embarrassment. In many cases, ministers’ use of WhatsApp groups was a deliberate attempt to avoid scrutiny in the first place.

    There is a growing culture of transparency avoidance across government and public services – one that extends beyond ministers. Private companies delivering public contracts are often shielded from FOI altogether. Meanwhile, some governments, including Ireland and Australia, have weakened the law itself.

    AI tools are no longer experiments, they are becoming part of how policy is developed and decisions are made. Without proper oversight, they risk becoming the next blind spot in democratic accountability.

    For journalists, this is a potential game changer. Systems like ChatGPT may soon be embedded in government workflows, drafting speeches, summarising reports and even brainstorming strategy. If decisions are increasingly shaped by algorithmic suggestions, the public deserves to know how and why.

    But it also revives an old dilemma. Democracy depends on transparency – yet officials must have space to think, experiment and explore ideas without fear that every AI query or draft ends up on the front page. Not every search or chatbot prompt is a final policy position.

    Blair may have called FOI a mistake, but in truth, it forced power to confront the reality of accountability. The real challenge now is updating FOI for the digital age.

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

    – ref. Why a journalist could obtain a minister’s ChatGPT prompts – and what it means for transparency – https://theconversation.com/why-a-journalist-could-obtain-a-ministers-chatgpt-prompts-and-what-it-means-for-transparency-252269

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI: authID Named “Best ID Management Platform” Award in 2025 FinTech Breakthrough Awards

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    The biometric verification and authentication leader was honored for setting a new standard in identity management with its advanced biometric solutions

    DENVER, Colorado, March 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — authID (Nasdaq: AUID), a leading provider of biometric identity verification and authentication solutions, today announced that it has once again been selected as the winner of the “Best ID Management Platform” award in the 2025 FinTech Breakthrough Awards.

    Presented by FinTech Breakthrough, a leading market intelligence organization that recognizes the top companies, technologies, and products in the global FinTech market, the 9th annual FinTech Breakthrough Awards recognize the most innovative companies in the financial technology industry, highlighting those that have demonstrated exceptional performance and growth. authID was recognized for its groundbreaking biometric identity verification technology, which has set a new standard for precision, speed, and data privacy in the fintech industry, as well as the verification landscape at large.

    This marks the third time in the past four years that authID has been recognized as the “Best ID Management Platform” by FinTech Breakthrough. The company previously received this recognition in 2022 and 2023.

    “We are honored to once again be recognized as the ‘Best ID Management Platform’ by FinTech Breakthrough,” said Rhon Daguro, CEO of authID. “At authID, we are committed to helping businesses navigate the ever-evolving challenges of digital identity security. Our platform offers biometric authentication and identity verification solutions that are not only sub-second fast and accurate but also designed with privacy and compliance in mind. This recognition is a testament to the dedication of our team in making the digital ecosystem safer, more secure, and more user-friendly for both businesses and consumers.”

    As consumer awareness of data privacy grows, authID addresses the need for secure digital identity management without compromising on compliance or ease of use. By leveraging public/private key encryption and key-rotation capabilities, as well as advanced deepfake detection, authID’s solutions enable companies to control who can access sensitive data and combat sophisticated fraud. Moreover, authID’s groundbreaking PrivacyKey™ solution stores zero biometric data while retaining one-in-one-billion false-match accuracy and 25ms authentication speed, and helping prevent identity fraud, account takeovers, and data breaches, ensuring clients stay ahead of emerging threats and regulatory changes.

    The FinTech Breakthrough Award nominations were evaluated by an independent panel of experts within the financial services and technology industries, with the winning products and companies selected based on a variety of criteria. For more about the 2025 Fintech Breakthrough Awards, click here. Learn more about authID and its suite of solutions here.

    About authID

    authID (Nasdaq: AUID) ensures enterprises “Know Who’s Behind the Device™” for every customer or employee login and transaction through its easy-to-integrate, patented biometric identity platform. authID quickly and accurately verifies a user’s identity and eliminates any assumption of ‘who’ is behind a device to prevent cybercriminals from compromising account openings or taking over accounts. Combining secure digital onboarding, biometric authentication, and account recovery with a fast, accurate, user-friendly experience, authID delivers biometric identity processing in 700ms. With our ground-breaking PrivacyKey Solution, authID delivers all the benefits of biometric identity verification, with a 1-to-1-billion false match rate, while storing no biometric data. Binding a biometric root of trust for each user to their account, authID stops fraud at onboarding, detects and stops deepfakes, prevents account takeover, eliminates password risks and costs, and provides the fastest, most frictionless, and most accurate user identity experience demanded by today’s digital ecosystem. Contact us to discover how authID can help your organization secure your workforce or consumer applications against identity fraud, cyberattacks, and account takeover.

    Media Contacts

    NextTech Communications
    Walter Fowler
    1-631-334-3864
    wfowler@nexttechcomms.com

    Investor Relations Contacts
    Investor-Relations@authid.ai

    Gateway Group, Inc.
    Cody Slach and Alex Thompson
    1-949-574-3860
    AUID@gateway-grp.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Order.co Achieves Effective Data Security Controls According to Recent SOC 2 Report

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, March 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Order.co, the world’s leading B2B Ecommerce Platform, announced that the company has undergone a System and Organization Controls (SOC) 2 examination resulting in a CPA’s report stating that management maintained effective controls over the security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy of its platform. This achievement reflects Order.co’s dedication to ensuring its customers’ data remains safe at every step of the ordering process.

    “We’re pleased that our SOC 2 report has shown we have the appropriate controls in place to mitigate security risks,” said Glenn Veil, Vice President of Engineering at Order.co. “We hope that achieving this milestone gives our customers and partners confidence that we view data security as a top priority.”

    A SOC 2 report is designed to meet the needs of existing or potential customers who need assurance about the effectiveness of controls used when processing their information. The engagement was performed by BARR Advisory, P.A., a global cybersecurity consulting and compliance attestation firm that has served as a trusted advisor to hundreds of cloud-based and hybrid organizations aiming to build trust and resilience through cybersecurity compliance.

    “This SOC 2 Type 1 report affirms that Order.co has successfully designed controls over the selected trust services criteria developed by the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) for effective data management,” said Sydney Buchel, manager of automation SOC services at BARR Advisory. “It’s a pleasure to work with a team that cares about data security and integrity as much as we do.”

    The following principles and related criteria have been developed by the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) for use by practitioners in the performance of trust services engagements:

    • Security: The system is protected against unauthorized access (both physical and logical).
    • Availability: The system is available for operation and use as committed or agreed.
    • Processing Integrity: System processing is complete, valid, accurate, timely, and authorized to meet the entity’s objectives.
    • Confidentiality: Information designated as confidential is protected as committed or agreed.
    • Privacy: Personal information is collected, used, retained, disclosed, and disposed of to meet the entity’s objectives.

    Based on one or more of these criteria, SOC 2 reports provide valuable information that existing and potential customers need when evaluating an outsourced service.

    Current and prospective customers interested in a copy of Order.co’s SOC 2 report can visit the company’s trust center: https://trust.order.co

    About Order.co

    Order.co simplifies business buying by combining the ease of online shopping with the sophistication of world-class purchase order and AP automation. The result? Businesses cut costs and complexity with every order.

    Hundreds of companies, like WeWork and Hugo Boss, leverage Order.co to centralize purchase-to-pay workflows, scale operations, and gain total control over spending – saving an average of 5% on products. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in New York City, Order.co has raised $50M in funding from industry-leading investors like MIT, Stage 2 Capital, Rally Ventures, 645 Ventures, and more.

    About BARR Advisory

    BARR Advisory is a cloud-based security and compliance solutions provider specializing in cybersecurity consulting and compliance for companies with high-value information in cloud environments like AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform. A trusted advisor to some of the fastest growing cloud-based organizations around the globe, BARR simplifies compliance across multiple regulatory and customer requirements in highly regulated industries including technology, financial services, healthcare, and government.

    Media Contact
    Allison Reich
    Senior Manager of Brand, Content & Enablement
    Allison.reich@order.co

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: As mountain glaciers melt, risk of catastrophic flash floods rises for millions − World Day for Glaciers carries a reminder

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Suzanne OConnell, Harold T. Stearns Professor of Earth Science, Wesleyan University

    Imja Lake, a glacial lake in the Mount Everest region of Nepal, began as meltwater ponds in 1962 and now contains 90 million cubic meters of water. Its water level was lowered to protect downstream communities. Alton Byers

    In mountain ranges around the world, glaciers are melting as global temperatures rise. Europe’s Alps and Pyrenees lost 40% of their glacier volume from 2000 to 2023. These and other icy regions have provided freshwater for people living downstream for centuries – almost 2 billion people rely on glaciers today. But as glaciers melt faster, they also pose potentially lethal risks.

    Water from the melting ice often drains into depressions once occupied by the glacier, creating large lakes. Many of these expanding lakes are held in place by precarious ice dams or rock moraines deposited by the glacier over centuries.

    Too much water behind these dams or a landslide into the lake can break the dam, sending huge volumes of water and debris sweeping down the mountain valleys, wiping out everything in the way.

    These risks and the loss of freshwater supplies are some of the reasons the United Nations declared 2025 the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation and March 21 the first World Day for Glaciers. As an Earth scientist and a mountain geographer, we study the impact that ice loss can have on the stability of the surrounding mountain slopes and glacial lakes. We see several reasons for increasing concern.

    Erupting ice dams and landslides

    Most glacial lakes began forming over a century ago as a result of warming trends since the 1860s, but their abundance and rates of growth have risen rapidly since the 1960s.

    Many people living in the Himalayas, Andes, Alps, Rocky Mountains, Iceland and Alaska have experienced glacial lake outburst floods of one type or another.

    A glacial lake outburst flood in the Himalayas in October 2023 damaged more than 30 bridges and destroyed a 200-foot-high (60-meter) hydropower plant. Residents had little warning. By the time the disaster was over, more than 50 people had died.

    Juneau, Alaska, has been hit by several flash floods in recent years from a glacial lake dammed by ice on an arm of Mendenhall Glacier. Those floods, including in 2024, were driven by a melting glacier that slowly filled a basin below it until the basin’s ice dam broke.

    Scientists investigate flooding from Mendenhall Glacier’s Suicide Basin.

    Avalanches, rockfalls and slope failures can also trigger glacial lake outburst floods. These are growing more common as frozen ground known as permafrost thaws, robbing mountain landscapes of the cryospheric glue that formerly held them together. These slides can create massive waves when they plummet into a lake. The waves can then rupture the ice dam or moraine, unleashing a flood of water, sediment and debris.

    That dangerous mix can rush downstream at speeds of 20-60 mph (30-100 kph), destroying homes and anything else in its path.

    The casualties of such an event can be staggering. In 1941, a huge wave caused by a snow and ice avalanche that fell into Laguna Palcacocha, a glacial lake in the Peruvian Andes, overtopped the moraine dam that had contained the lake for decades. The resulting flood destroyed one-third of the downstream city of Huaraz and killed between 1,800 and 5,000 people.

    Teardrop-shaped Lake Palcacocha, shown in this satellite view, has expanded in recent decades. The city of Huaraz, Peru, is just down the valley to the right of the lake.
    Google Earth, data from Airbus Data SIO, NOAA, U.S. Navy, NGA, GEBCO

    In the years since, the danger there has only increased. Laguna Palcacocha has grown to more than 14 times its size in 1941. At the same time, the population of Huaraz has risen to over 120,000 inhabitants. A glacial lake outburst flood today could threaten the lives of an estimated 35,000 people living in the water’s path.

    Governments have responded to this widespread and growing threat by developing early warning systems and programs to identify potentially dangerous glacial lakes. Some governments have taken steps to lower water levels in the lakes or built flood diversion structures, such as walls of rock-filled wire cages, known as gabions, that divert floodwaters from villages, infrastructure or agricultural fields.

    Where the risks can’t be managed, communities have been encouraged to use zoning that prohibits building in flood-prone areas. Public education has helped build awareness of the flood risk, but the disasters continue.

    Flooding from inside and thawing permafrost

    The dramatic nature of glacial lake outburst floods captures headlines, but those aren’t the only risks. As scientists expand their understanding of how the world’s icy regions interact with global warming, they are identifying a number of other phenomena that can lead to similarly disastrous events.

    Englacial conduit floods, for instance, originate inside of glaciers, commonly those on steep slopes. Meltwater can collect inside massive systems of ice caves, or conduits. A sudden surge of water from one cave to another, perhaps triggered by the rapid drainage of a surface pond, can set off a chain reaction that bursts out of the ice as a full-fledged flood.

    An englacial conduit flood begins in the Himalayas. Elizabeth Byers.

    Thawing mountain permafrost can also trigger floods. This permanently frozen mass of rock, ice and soil has been a fixture at altitudes above 19,685 feet (6,000 meters) for millennia.

    Freezing helps keep mountains together. But as permafrost thaws, even solid rock becomes less stable and is more prone to breaking, while ice and debris are more likely to become detached and turn into destructive and dangerous debris flows. Thawing permafrost has been increasingly implicated in glacial lake outburst floods because of these new sources of potential triggers.

    In 2017, nearly a third of the solid rock face of Nepal’s 29,935-foot (6,374-meter) Saldim Peak collapsed and fell onto the Langmale glacier below. Heat generated by the friction of rock falling through air melted ice, creating a slurry of rock, debris and sediment that plummeted into Langmale glacial lake below, resulting in a massive flood.

    A glacial outburst flood in Barun Valley started when nearly one-third of the face of Saldim Peak in Nepal fell onto Langmale Glacier and slid into a lake. The top image shows the mountain in 2016. The lower shows the same view in 2017.
    Elizabeth Byers (2016), Alton Byers (2017)

    These and other forms of glacier-related floods and hazards are being exacerbated by climate change.

    Flows of ice and debris from high altitudes and the sudden appearance of meltwater ponds on a glacier’s surface are two more examples. Earthquakes can also trigger glacial lake outburst floods. Not only have thousands of lives been lost, but billions of dollars in hydropower facilities and other structures have also been destroyed.

    Impermanent frost. Nepali Times.

    A reminder of what’s at risk

    The International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation and World Day for Glaciers are reminders of the risks and also of who is in harm’s way.

    The global population depends on the cryosphere – the 10% of the Earth’s land surface that’s covered in ice. But as more glacial lakes form and expand, floods and other risks are rising. A study published in 2024 counted more than 110,000 glacial lakes around the world and determined 10 million people’s lives and homes are at risk from glacial lake outburst floods.

    The U.N. is encouraging more research into these regions. It also declared 2025 to 2034 the “decade of action in cryospheric sciences.” Scientists on several continents will be working to understand the risks and find ways to help communities respond to and mitigate the dangers.

    Suzanne OConnell receives funding from The National Science Foundation

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

    – ref. As mountain glaciers melt, risk of catastrophic flash floods rises for millions − World Day for Glaciers carries a reminder – https://theconversation.com/as-mountain-glaciers-melt-risk-of-catastrophic-flash-floods-rises-for-millions-world-day-for-glaciers-carries-a-reminder-251707

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI: Regula Blog Wins 2025 Cybersecurity Excellence Awards

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    RESTON, Va., March 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Regula, a global developer of forensic devices and identity verification solutions, is proud to announce that its blog has been accoladed as the Best Cybersecurity Blog in the 2025 Cybersecurity Excellence Awards. Providing diverse expert content such as how-to guides, original analytics, and detailed visuals, the Regula Blog serves as a valuable resource for the general public and niche professionals.

    The Regula Blog has been named the Best Cybersecurity Blog by the 2025 Cybersecurity Excellence Awards

    For more than a decade, the Cybersecurity Excellence Awards have honored individuals, teams, and companies that demonstrate exceptional performance and innovation in cybersecurity.

    The Regula Blog received the award for its expert insights, authoritative opinions, real-world fraud case analyses, practical guides, and forward-looking discussions on evolving security challenges.

    With over 18,000 unique readers per month, the Regula Blog is a fast-growing knowledge hub for professionals in cybersecurity, forensic science, and identity verification. The blog provides in-depth content on deepfake detection, facial recognition, document authentication, forensic examination, and more, to ensure that businesses and professionals get the timely and relevant knowledge they need.

    “In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, trust and security are more critical than ever. Our blog is more than just industry news—it’s a true knowledge hub designed to educate and empower professionals tackling identity fraud, document forgery, and cybersecurity risks. Winning this award is an honor and a testament to our team’s effort in providing actionable content that helps businesses navigate today’s complex security challenges,” says Ihar Kliashchou, Chief Technology Officer at Regula.

    These are the current top 10 most-read Regula Blog articles:

    For more insights and expert analysis, visit the award-winning Regula Blog.

    About Regula

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

    Learn more at www.regulaforensics.com.

    Contact:
    Kristina – ks@regulaforensics.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b43b713b-6760-4e89-8a88-6a6561fad951

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: University of Pennsylvania Student Receives SBB Research Group Foundation STEM Scholarship

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CHICAGO, March 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The SBB Research Group Foundation named Eric Sun, a recipient of its STEM scholarship. The $2,500 award empowers students to create value for society by pursuing higher learning through interdisciplinary combinations of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).

    Eric Sun, a sophomore, is pursuing a dual BA/MS in Physics and a BSE in Computer Science at the University of Pennsylvania. Eric also conducted significant research at Yale, eventually publishing and presenting his work at MIT. He is the director of a coding nonprofit that serves over 2,000 students in rural areas and partners with organizations to teach skills like machine learning and programming.

    “Eric is dedicated not only to his studies but to the academic access of so many others. It’s exciting to support a student who will impact others in this way,” said Matt Aven, co-founder and board member of the SBB Research Group Foundation.

    For eligibility criteria and more information on the Foundation’s STEM scholarship, please visit http://www.sbbscholarship.org.

    About the SBB Research Group Foundation

    The SBB Research Group Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that furthers the philanthropic mission of SBB Research Group LLC (SBBRG), a Chicago-based investment management firm led by Sam Barnett, Ph.D., and Matt Aven. The Foundation sponsors the SBB Research Group Foundation STEM Scholarship, supporting students pursuing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) degrees. In addition to its scholarship program, the Foundation provides grants to support ambitious organizations solving unmet needs with thoughtful, long-term strategies.

    Contact: Erin Noonan
    Organization: SBB Research Group Foundation
    Email: scholarship@sbbrg.org
    Address: 450 Skokie Blvd, Building 600, Northbrook, IL 60062 United States
    Phone: 1-847-656-1111
    Website: https://www.sbbscholarship.com/

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/bf0fe208-3a88-41a5-be55-b6aa44163981

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Kingsoft Cloud Announces Unaudited Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2024 Financial Results; First Time Operating Margin Profitable with Accelerated Growing Revenue of AI Cloud

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BEIJING, March 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Kingsoft Cloud Holdings Limited (“Kingsoft Cloud” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: KC and HKEX: 3896), a leading cloud service provider in China, today announced its unaudited financial results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended December 31, 2024.

    Fourth Quarter Financial Highlights

    • Total Revenues reached RMB2,232.1 million (US$305.8 million)1, increased by 29.6% year-over-year from RMB1,722.5 million in the same quarter of 2023. Our business has experienced accelerated and high-quality growth and our revenue structure is well-balanced.
    • Gross profit was RMB426.0 million (US$58.4 million), representing a significant increase of 68.3% from RMB253.1 million in the same quarter of 2023. Our profitability has been fundamentally improved.
    • Non–GAAP EBITDA2 was RMB359.7 million (US$49.3 million), compared with RMB-27.7 million in the same quarter of 2023. Non–GAAP EBITDA margin was 16. 1%, compared with -1.6% in the same quarter of 2023.
    • Operating loss was RMB43.5 million (US$6.0 million), compared with operating loss of RMB342.7 million in the same quarter of 2023.
    • Non–GAAP Operating profit (loss) turned profit for the first time, achieving RMB24.4 million (US$3.3 million), compared with RMB-187.6 million in the same quarter of 2023. Non–GAAP Operating profit (loss) margin was 1. 1%, compare with -10.9% in the same quarter of 2023.

    Mr. Tao Zou, Chief Executive Officer of Kingsoft Cloud, commented, “We are very pleased to close Fiscal Year 2024 with historically strong financial performance. This quarter, we recorded positive non–GAAP operating profit (loss)for the first time, demonstrating our unwavering execution of the ‘High- quality, Sustainable Development Strategy’. Driven by the growing popularity of AI applications, we firmly believe that AI will continue to penetrate into various verticals, improving the efficiency of daily life. This quarter the gross billing of AI business increased by triple-digit year-over-year to RMB474 million. Both our public cloud and enterprise cloud businesses are harnessing the vast potential of AI cloud computing. Meanwhile, we have seen strong growth in demand from our ecosystem. Revenue from Xiaomi and Kingsoft Group increased by 76% year-over-year. We are well on track to build cutting- edge cloud infrastructure and technology to support our ecosystem and expand into the broader AI industry.”

    Mr. Henry He, Chief Financial Officer of Kingsoft Cloud, added, “We are very pleased to highlight several significant achievements. First, we achieved profitability in non-GAAP operating profit for the first time since our inception in 2012, demonstrating our strong execution of our high-quality and sustainable development strategy in the past two years. Second, our revenue has been growing for three consecutive quarters year-over-year, and this quarter we achieved a high-speed growth rate of 30% in total revenue, reaching RMB2,232.1 million. Third, gross billing of our Al cloud business increased by around 500% year-over-year to RMB474 million, accounting for as high as 34% of our public cloud revenue. This marks a three-digit year-on-year growth or six consecutive quarters. Fourth, last December, our shareholders approved revenue from connected-party of Xiaomi and Kingsoft Group for next three years of RMB11.3 billion, around 10 times over the revenue of 2023, providing solid support for Company’s revenue and profit growth. We believe we are well on track to meet the ecosystem’s fast-growing demands and build a solid cloud infrastructure to support its AI development. Notably, in this quarter, we are thrilled to report that revenue from Xiaomi and Kingsoft Group increased by 76% year-over-year, validating the effectiveness of our ecosystem strategy.”

    Fourth Quarter 2024 Financial Results

    Total Revenues reached RMB2,232.1 million (US$305.8 million), increased by 29.6% year-over-year from RMB1,722.5 million in the same quarter of 2023 and increased by 18.4% quarter-over-quarter from RMB1,885.6 million in the third quarter of 2024. The year-over-year increase was mainly due to the expanded revenue from Xiaomi and Kingsoft Ecosystem and AI related customers, incremental demands and more projects delivered from enterprise cloud approaching year-end.

    • Revenues from public cloud services were RMB1,409.8 million (US$193.1 million), increased by 34.0% from RMB1,052.0 million in the same quarter of 2023 and increased by 19.9% from RMB1, 175.5 million last quarter. The year-over-year increase was mainly due to the growth of AI demands.

    ______________________
    1 This announcement contains translations of certain Renminbi (RMB) amounts into U.S. dollars (US$) at a specified rate solely for the convenience of the reader. Unless otherwise noted, the translation of RMB into US$ has been made at RMB7.2993 to US$1.00, the noon buying rate in effect on December 31, 2024 as certified for customs purposes by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

    2 Non-GAAP EBITDA is defined as non-GAAP net loss excluding interest income, interest expense, income tax expense (benefit) and depreciation and amortization, and we define Non-GAAP EBITDA margin as Non-GAAP EBITDA as a percentage of revenues. See “Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” set forth at the end of this press release.

    • Revenues from enterprise cloud services were RMB822.3 million (US$112.7 million), representing an increase of 22.7% from RMB670.3 million in the same quarter of 2023 and an increase of 15.8% from RMB710.0 million last quarter. We keep focusing in selected verticals such as public services cloud, state-owned assets cloud, healthcare, financial services and private enterprise services, enhance our solutions with AI capabilities and take profitability and sustainability of the enterprise cloud projects as our priorities.
    • Other revenues were nil this quarter.

    Cost of revenues was RMB1,806.2 million (US$247.4 million), representing an increase of 22.9% from RMB1,469.3 million in the same quarter of 2023, which was in-line with our revenue expansion. IDC costs decreased by 2.6% year-over-year from RMB740.4 million to RMB721.5 million (US$98.8 million) this quarter. The decrease was in line with the scale down of our CDN services and our strict control over procurement costs. Depreciation and amortization costs increased from RMB146.9 million in the same quarter of 2023 to RMB343.1 million (US$47.0 million) this quarter. The increase was mainly due to the depreciation of newly acquired servers which were related to AI business. Solution development and services costs increased by 10.8% year-over-year from RMB502.9 million in the same quarter of 2023 to RMB557.0 million (US$76.3 million) this quarter. The increase was mainly due to the solution personnel expansion of Camelot. Fulfillment costs and other costs were RMB102.4 million (US$14.0 million) and RMB82.2 million (US$11.3 million) this quarter.

    Gross profit was RMB426.0 million (US$58.4 million), representing a significant increase of 68.3% from RMB253.1 million in the same quarter of 2023, demonstrating our improvements in revenue quality and structure, as well as strict cost control. Gross margin was 19. 1%, compared with 14.7% in the same period in 2023. Non–GAAP gross profit3 was RMB427.7 million (US$58.6 million), compared with RMB262.5 million in the same period in 2023. Non–GAAP gross margin3 was 19.2%, compared with 15.2% in the same period in 2023. The significant improvement of our gross profit and margin was mainly due to our strategic adjustment of revenue mix, expansion of AI revenues, optimized enterprise cloud project selection and efficient cost control measures.

    Total operating expenses were RMB469.5 million (US$64.3 million), decreased by 21.2% from RMB595.9 million in the same quarter last year and decreased by 67.6% from RBM1,447.1 million last quarter. Among which:

    Selling and marketing expenses were RMB115.8 million (US$15.9 million), decreased by 8.4% from RMB126.5 million in the same period in 2023 and decreased by 4.4% from RMB121.1 million last quarter, the decrease was due to the decrease of share-based compensation.

    General and administrative expenses were RMB179.5 million (US$24.6 million), decreased by 39.0% from RMB294.2 million in the same period in 2023 and slightly increased by 5.4% from RMB170.4 million last quarter. The year-over-year decrease was mainly due to the decrease of credit loss expense.

    Research and development expenses were RMB174.2 million (US$23.9 million), decreased by 0.6% from RMB175.2 million in the same period in 2023 and 26.2% from RMB235.9 million last quarter. The decrease was mainly due to the decrease of share-based compensation.

    Operating loss was RMB43.5 million (US$6.0 million), compared with operating loss of RMB342.7 million in the same quarter of 2023 and RMB1,143.8 million last quarter. The improvement was mainly due to the increase of gross profit and our strict expenses control. Non–GAAP operating profit (loss)4 was RMB24.4 million (US$3.3 million), compared with operating loss of RMB187.6 million in the same quarter last year and RMB140.2 million last quarter. Our non-GAAP operating profit (loss) turned breakeven for the first time and verified our high quality and sustainable development strategy.

    Net loss was RMB200.6 million (US$27.5 million), compared with net loss of RMB286.8 million in the same quarter of 2023 and RMB1,061.1 million last quarter. Non–GAAP net loss5 was RMB70.3 million (US$9.6 million), narrowed down compared with RMB250.4 million in the same quarter of 2023 and RMB236.7 million last quarter. The improvement was mainly due to the revenue quality increase, revenue mix adjustment, strict costs control and expenses control.
    ______________________
    3 Non-GAAP gross profit is defined as gross profit excluding share-based compensation allocated in the cost of revenues and we define Non-GAAP gross margin as Non-GAAP gross profit as a percentage of revenues. See “Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” set forth at the end of this press release.

    4 Non-GAAP operating loss is defined as operating loss excluding share-based compensation, impairment of long-lived assets and amortization of intangible assets and we define Non-GAAP operating loss margin as Non-GAAP operating loss as a percentage of revenues. See “Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” set forth at the end of this press release.

    5 Non-GAAP net loss is defined as net loss excluding share-based compensation, impairment of long-lived assets and foreign exchange (gain) loss, and we define Non-GAAP net loss margin as Non-GAAP net loss as a percentage of revenues. See “Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” set forth at the end of this press release.

    Non–GAAP EBITDA6 was RMB359.7 million (US$49.3 million), compared with RMB-27.7 million in the same quarter of 2023 and RMB185.4 million last quarter. Non–GAAP EBITDA margin was 16. 1%, compared with -1.6% in the same quarter of 2023 and 9.8% last quarter. The increase was mainly due to the expansion in gross profit and our strict control over costs and expenses.

    Basic and diluted net loss per share was RMB0.05 (US$0.01), compared with RMB0.08 in the same quarter of 2023 and RMB0.29 last quarter.

    Cash and cash equivalents were RMB2,648.8 million (US$362.9 million) as of December 31, 2024, compared with RMB1,617.9 million as of September 30, 2024. The increase was mainly due to the increased cash receipts from operating activities and the increase in bank loan drawdowns.

    Fiscal Year 2024 Financial Results

    Total Revenues reached RMB7,785.2 million (US$1,066.6 million), representing an increase of 10.5% from RMB7,047.5 million in 2023. The increase was due to the strong demands from AI business and enterprise cloud projects increase, while partially offset by our proactive scale-down of CDN services within public cloud services.

    • Revenues from public cloud services were RMB5,007.3 million (US$686.0 million), representing an increase of 14.3% from RMB4,381.7 million in 2023.
    • Revenues from enterprise cloud services were RMB2,777.8 million (US$380.6 million), representing an increase of 4.3% from RMB2,664.0 million in 2023.
    • Other revenues were RMB0.1 million (US$0.02 million).

    ______________________
    6     Non-GAAP EBITDA is defined as Non-GAAP net loss excluding interest income, interest expense, income tax expense (benefit) and depreciation and amortization, and we define Non-GAAP EBITDA margin as Non-GAAP EBITDA as a percentage of revenues. See “Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” set forth at the end of this press release.

    Cost of revenues was RMB6,444.3 million (US$882.9 million), representing a slight increase of 4.0% from RMB6, 197.3 million in 2023. Among which:

    IDC costs decreased by 9.9% to RMB2,892.1 million (US$396.2 million) from RMB3,211.2 million in 2023. The decrease was in line with our cost control measures adjustment of CDN services. Depreciation and amortization costs were RMB1,090.1 million (US$149.3 million), compared with RMB774.0 million in 2023, mainly due to the depreciation of new acquired servers related to AI business. Fulfillment costs were RMB235.7 million (US$32.3 million), representing an increase of 2.7% from RMB229.5 million in 2023. The increase was in line with enterprise cloud projects increase. Solution development and services costs were RMB1,993.1 million (US$273.1 million) in 2024, compared with RMB1,804.8 million in 2023. The increase was mainly due to the revenue expansion of Camelot business.

    Gross profit increased by 57.7% to RMB1,340.9 million (US$183.7 million) in 2024, from RMB850.2 million in 2023. Gross margin increased to 17.2%, from 12. 1% in 2023. Non–GAAP gross profit increased to RMB1,357.8 million (US$186.0 million) in 2024, from RMB859.9 million in 2023. Non–GAAP gross margin increased to 17.4% in 2024 from 12.2% in 2023. Such increases were primarily because of the optimization of revenue mix and our effective cost controls.

    Selling and marketing expenses were RMB479.4 million (US$65.7 million), compared with RMB460.2 million in 2023. The increase was mainly due to the increase of share-based compensation.

    General and administrative expenses were RMB834.9 million (US$114.4 million), compared with RMB1,060.0 million in 2023. The decrease was mainly due to the decrease of credit loss expense.

    Research and development expenses were RMB846.0 million (US$115.9 million), compared with RMB784.8 million in 2023. The increase was mainly due to the rise in personnel-related expenses.

    Impairment of long–lived assets was RMB919.7 million (US$126.0 million), mainly attributable to impairment of long-lived assets dedicated to assets of low-margin services.

    Operating loss was RMB1,739.0 million (US$238.2 million), compared with RMB2, 108.6 million in 2023. Non–GAAP operating loss was RMB431.3 million (US$59.1 million), significantly narrowed compared with RMB1,092.8 million in 2023. Non–GAAP operating loss margin was 5.5%, significantly improved from 15.5% in 2023.

    Net loss was RMB1,979.0 million (US$271.1 million), significantly narrowed from net loss of RMB2, 183.6 million in 2023.

    Non–GAAP net loss was RMB825.3 million (US$113.1 million), compared with Non-GAAP net loss of RMB1,291.1 million in 2023.

    Non–GAAP EBITDA was RMB638.9 million (US$87.5 million), compared with RMB-265.1 million in 2023. Non–GAAP EBITDA margin was 8.2%, compared with -3.8% in 2023.

    Basic and diluted net loss per share was RMB0.54 (US$0.07), compared with RMB0.61 in 2023.

    Outstanding ordinary shares were 3,687,690,772 as of December 31, 2024, equivalent to about 245,846,051 ADSs.

    Conference Call Information

    Kingsoft Cloud’s management will host an earnings conference call on Wednesday, March 19, 2025 at 8:15 am, U.S. Eastern Time (8:15 pm, Beijing/Hong Kong Time on the same day).

    Participants can register for the conference call by navigating to https://register-conf.media-server.com/register/BIc315136cafe94825b98dca6b37795790. Once preregistration has been completed, participants will receive dial-in numbers, direct event passcode, and a unique access PIN.

    To join the conference, simply dial the number in the calendar invite you receive after preregistering, enter the passcode followed by your PIN, and you will join the conference instantly.

    Additionally, a live and archived webcast of the conference call will also be available on the Company’s investor relations website at http://ir.ksyun.com.

    Use of Non–GAAP Financial Measures

    The unaudited condensed consolidated financial information is prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). In evaluating our business, we consider and use certain non-GAAP measures, Non-GAAP gross profit, Non-GAAP gross margin, Non-GAAP operating loss, Non-GAAP operating loss margin, Non-GAAP EBITDA, Non-GAAP EBITDA margin, Non-GAAP net loss and Non-GAAP net loss margin, as supplemental measures to review and assess our operating performance. The presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. We define Non- GAAP gross profit as gross profit excluding share-based compensation allocated in the cost of revenues, and we define Non-GAAP gross margin as Non-
    GAAP gross profit as a percentage of revenues. We define Non-GAAP operating loss as operating loss excluding share-based compensation, impairment of long-lived assets and amortization of intangible assets, and we define Non-GAAP operating loss margin as Non-GAAP operating loss as a percentage of revenues. We define Non-GAAP net loss as net loss excluding share-based compensation, foreign exchange (gain) loss and impairment of long-lived assets, and we define Non-GAAP net loss margin as Non-GAAP net loss as a percentage of revenues. We define Non-GAAP EBITDA as Non-GAAP net loss excluding interest income, interest expense, income tax expense (benefit) and depreciation and amortization, and we define Non-GAAP EBITDA margin as Non-GAAP EBITDA as a percentage of revenues. We present these non-GAAP financial measures because they are used by our management to evaluate our operating performance and formulate business plans. We also believe that the use of these non-GAAP measures facilitates investors’ assessment of our operating performance.

    These non-GAAP financial measures are not defined under U.S. GAAP and are not presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. These non-GAAP financial measures have limitations as analytical tools. One of the key limitations of using these non-GAAP financial measures is that they do not reflect all items of income and expense that affect our operations. Further, these non-GAAP measures may differ from the non-GAAP information used by other companies, including peer companies, and therefore their comparability may be limited.

    We compensate for these limitations by reconciling these non-GAAP financial measures to the nearest U.S. GAAP performance measure, all of which should be considered when evaluating our performance. We encourage you to review our financial information in its entirety and not rely on a single financial measure.

    Exchange Rate Information

    This press release contains translations of certain RMB amounts into U.S. dollars at specified rates solely for the convenience of readers. Unless otherwise noted, all translations from RMB to U.S. dollars, in this press release, were made at a rate ofRMB7.2993 to US$1.00, the noon buying rate in effect on December 31, 2024 as certified for customs purposes by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

    Safe Harbor Statement

    This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “will,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates” and similar statements. Among other things, the Business Outlook, and quotations from management in this announcement, as well as Kingsoft Cloud’s strategic and operational plans, contain forward-looking statements. Kingsoft Cloud may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including but not limited to statements about Kingsoft Cloud’s beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: Kingsoft Cloud’s goals and strategies; Kingsoft Cloud’s future business development, results of operations and financial condition; relevant government policies and regulations relating to Kingsoft Cloud’s business and industry; the expected growth of the cloud service market in China; the expectation regarding the rate at which to gain customers, especially Premium Customers; Kingsoft Cloud’s ability to monetize the customer base; fluctuations in general economic and business conditions in China; and the economy in China and elsewhere generally; China’s political or social conditions and assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in Kingsoft Cloud’s filings with the SEC. All information provided in this press release and in the attachments is as ofthe date of this press release, and Kingsoft Cloud does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

    About Kingsoft Cloud Holdings Limited

    Kingsoft Cloud Holdings Limited (NASDAQ: KC and HKEX:3896) is a leading cloud service provider in China. With extensive cloud infrastructure, cutting-edge cloud-native products based on vigorous cloud technology research and development capabilities, well-architected industry-specific solutions and end-to-end fulfillment and deployment, Kingsoft Cloud offers comprehensive, reliable and trusted cloud service to customers in strategically selected verticals.

    For more information, please visit: http://ir.ksyun.com.

    For investor and media inquiries, please contact:
    Kingsoft Cloud Holdings Limited
    Nicole Shan
    Tel: +86 (10) 6292-7777 Ext. 6300
    Email: ksc–ir@kingsoft.com

    KINGSOFT CLOUD HOLDINGS LIMITED
    UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
    (All amounts in thousands)
      Dec 31,
    2023    		 Dec 31,
    2024    		 Dec 31,
    2024
      RMB RMB US$
    ASSETS      
    Current assets:      
    Cash and cash equivalents 2,255,287   2,648,764   362,879  
    Restricted cash 234,194   81,337   11,143  
    Accounts receivable, net 1,529,915   1,468,663   201,206  
    Short-term investments —   90,422   12,388  
    Prepayments and other assets 1,812,692   2,233,074   305,930  
    Amounts due from related parties 266,036   318,526   43,638  
    Total current assets 6,098,124   6,840,786   937,184  
    Non-current assets:      
    Property and equipment, net 2,186,145   4,630,052   634,315  
    Intangible assets, net 834,478   694,880   95,198  
    Goodwill 4,605,724   4,605,724   630,982  
    Prepayments and other assets 870,781   449,983   61,647  
    Equity investments 259,930   234,182   32,083  
    Amounts due from related parties 56,264   —   —  
    Operating lease right-of-use assets 158,832   137,047   18,775  
    Total non-current assets 8,972,154   10,751,868   1,473,000  
    Total assets 15,070,278   17,592,654   2,410,184  
           
    LIABILITIES, NON-CONTROLLING INTERESTS AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY      
    Current liabilities:      
    Accounts payable 1,805,083   1,877,004   257,149  
    Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 2,838,085   3,341,990   457,851  
    Short-term borrowings 1,110,896   2,225,765   304,928  
    Income tax payable 63,961   69,219   9,483  
    Amounts due to related parties 931,906   1,584,199   217,034  
    Current operating lease liabilities 78,659   61,258   8,392  
    Total current liabilities 6,828,590   9,159,435   1,254,837  
    Non-current liabilities:      
    Long-term borrowings 100,000   1,660,584   227,499  
    Amounts due to related parties 40,069   309,612   42,417  
    Deferred tax liabilities 142,565   101,677   13,930  
    Other liabilities 634,803   790,271   108,267  
    Non-current operating lease liabilities 78,347   65,755   9,008  
    Total non-current liabilities 995,784   2,927,899   401,121  
    Total liabilities 7,824,374   12,087,334   1,655,958  
    Shareholders’ equity:      
    Ordinary shares 25,443   25,689   3,519  
    Treasury stock (208,385 ) (105,478 ) (14,450 )
    Additional paid-in capital 18,811,028   18,940,885   2,594,891  
    Statutory reserves funds 21,765   32,001   4,384  
    Accumulated deficit (12,315,041 ) (14,291,957 ) (1,957,990 )
    Accumulated other comprehensive income 555,342   566,900   77,665  
    Total Kingsoft Cloud Holdings Limited shareholders’ equity 6,890,152   5,168,040   708,019  
    Non-controlling interests 355,752   337,280   46,207  
    Total equity 7,245,904   5,505,320   754,226  
    Total liabilities, non-controlling interests and shareholders’ equity 15,070,278   17,592,654   2,410,184  
           
    KINGSOFT CLOUD HOLDINGS LIMITED
    UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE LOSS
    (All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)
      Three Months Ended Twelve Months Ended
      Dec 31,
    2023    		 Mar 31,
    2024    		 Jun 30,
    2024    		 Sep 30,
    2024    		 Dec 31,
    2024    		 Dec 31,
    2024    		 Dec 31,
    2023    		 Dec 31,
    2024    		 Dec 31,
    2024
      RMB RMB RMB RMB RMB US$ RMB RMB US$
    Revenues:                  
    Public cloud services 1,051,966   1,187,370   1,234,542   1,175,535   1,409,804   193,142   4,381,741   5,007,251   685,991  
    Enterprise cloud services 670,331   588,162   657,238   710,039   822,338   112,660   2,663,993   2,777,777   380,554  
    Others 153   152   –   –   –   –   1,727   152   21  
    Total revenues 1,722,450   1,775,684   1,891,780   1,885,574   2,232,142   305,802   7,047,461   7,785,180   1,066,566  
    Cost of revenues (1,469,312 ) (1,482,431 ) (1,573,433 ) (1,582,220 ) (1,806,170 ) (247,444 ) (6,197,292 ) (6,444,254 ) (882,859 )
    Gross profit 253,138   293,253   318,347   303,354   425,972   58,358   850,169   1,340,926   183,707  
    Operating expenses:                  
    Selling and marketing expenses (126,477 ) (116,752 ) (125,708 ) (121,117 ) (115,792 ) (15,863 ) (460,221 ) (479,369 ) (65,673 )
    General and administrative expenses (294,240 ) (218,695 ) (266,249 ) (170,374 ) (179,536 ) (24,596 ) (1,060,022 ) (834,854 ) (114,375 )
    Research and development expenses (175,155 ) (231,963 ) (203,959 ) (235,912 ) (174,155 ) (23,859 ) (784,807 ) (845,989 ) (115,900 )
    Impairment of long-lived assets –   –   –   (919,724 ) –   –   (653,670 ) (919,724 ) (126,002 )
    Total operating expenses (595,872 ) (567,410 ) (595,916 ) (1,447,127 ) (469,483 ) (64,318 ) (2,958,720 ) (3,079,936 ) (421,950 )
    Operating loss (342,734 ) (274,157 ) (277,569 ) (1,143,773 ) (43,511 ) (5,960 ) (2,108,551 ) (1,739,010 ) (238,243 )
    Interest income 12,442   8,370   9,945   4,517   4,176   572   78,410   27,008   3,700  
    Interest expense (46,992 ) (51,066 ) (59,414 ) (57,404 ) (61,821 ) (8,469 ) (146,026 ) (229,705 ) (31,469 )
    Foreign exchange gain (loss) 74,011   (42,737 ) (6,999 ) 135,777   (105,572 ) (14,463 ) (57,211 ) (19,531 ) (2,676 )
    Other (loss) gain, net (16,741 ) (8,207 ) (7,829 ) 6,046   (2,956 ) (405 ) (32,673 ) (12,946 ) (1,774 )
    Other income (expense), net 33,776   (11,190 ) (4,961 ) 4,433   5,336   731   100,363   (6,382 ) (874 )
    Loss before income taxes (286,238 ) (378,987 ) (346,827 ) (1,050,404 ) (204,348 ) (27,994 ) (2,165,688 ) (1,980,566 ) (271,336 )
    Income tax (expense) benefit (598 ) 15,371   (6,891 ) (10,662 ) 3,706   508   (17,959 ) 1,524   209  
    Net loss (286,836 ) (363,616 ) (353,718 ) (1,061,066 ) (200,642 ) (27,486 ) (2,183,647 ) (1,979,042 ) (271,127 )
    Less: net loss attributable to non-controlling interests (2,688 ) (4,206 ) (542 ) (3,931 ) (3,683 ) (505 ) (7,307 ) (12,362 ) (1,694 )
    Net loss attributable to Kingsoft Cloud Holdings Limited (284,148 ) (359,410 ) (353,176 ) (1,057,135 ) (196,959 ) (26,981 ) (2,176,340 ) (1,966,680 ) (269,433 )
                       
    Net loss per share:                  
    Basic and diluted (0.08 ) (0.10 ) (0.10 ) (0.29 ) (0.05 ) (0.01 ) (0.61 ) (0.54 ) (0.07 )
    Shares used in the net loss per share computation:                  
    Basic and diluted 3,570,915,939   3,614,662,846   3,649,307,331   3,655,882,906   3,710,632,202   3,710,632,202   3,558,354,940   3,658,088,876   3,658,088,876  
    Other comprehensive (loss) income, net of tax of nil:                  
    Foreign currency translation adjustments (67,636 ) 20,704   (530 ) (112,296 ) 103,658   14,201   102,241   11,536   1,580  
    Comprehensive loss (354,472 ) (342,912 ) (354,248 ) (1,173,362 ) (96,984 ) (13,285 ) (2,081,406 ) (1,967,506 ) (269,547 )
    Less: Comprehensive loss attributable to non-controlling interests (2,662 ) (4,247 ) (570 ) (3,900 ) (3,667 ) (502 ) (7,334 ) (12,384 ) (1,697 )
    Comprehensive loss attributable to Kingsoft Cloud Holdings Limited shareholders (351,810 ) (338,665 ) (353,678 ) (1,169,462 ) (93,317 ) (12,783 ) (2,074,072 ) (1,955,122 ) (267,850 )
                       
    KINGSOFT CLOUD HOLDINGS LIMITED
    RECONCILIATION OF GAAP AND NON-GAAP RESULTS
    (All amounts in thousands, except for percentage)
      Three Months Ended Twelve Months Ended
      Dec 31,
    2023    		 Mar 31,
    2024    		 Jun 30,
    2024    		 Sep 30,
    2024    		 Dec 31,
    2024    		 Dec 31,
    2024    		 Dec 31,
    2023    		 Dec 31,
    2024    		 Dec 31,
    2024
      RMB RMB RMB RMB RMB US$ RMB RMB US$
    Gross profit 253,138 293,253 318,347 303,354 425,972 58,358 850,169 1,340,926 183,707
    Adjustments:                  
    – Share-based compensation expenses (allocated in cost of revenues) 9,330 5,814 5,076 4,252 1,726 236 9,757 16,868 2,311
    Adjusted gross profit (Non-GAAP Financial Measure) 262,468 299,067 323,423 307,606 427,698 58,594 859,926 1,357,794 186,018
                       
    KINGSOFT CLOUD HOLDINGS LIMITED
    RECONCILIATION OF GAAP AND NON-GAAP RESULTS
    (All amounts in thousands, except for percentage)
      Three Months Ended Twelve Months Ended
      Dec 31,
    2023    		 Mar 31,
    2024    		 Jun 30,
    2024    		 Sep 30,
    2024    		 Dec 31,
    2024    		 Dec 31,
    2023    		 Dec 31,
    2024
    Gross margin 14.7 % 16.5 % 16.8 % 16.1 % 19.1 % 12.1 % 17.2 %
    Adjusted gross margin (Non-GAAP Financial Measure) 15.2 % 16.8 % 17.1 % 16.3 % 19.2 % 12.2 % 17.4 %
                   
    KINGSOFT CLOUD HOLDINGS LIMITED
    RECONCILIATION OF GAAP AND NON-GAAP RESULTS
    (All amounts in thousands, except for percentage)
      Three Months Ended Twelve Months Ended
      Dec 31,
    2023    		 Mar 31,
    2024    		 Jun 30,
    2024    		 Sep 30,
    2024    		 Dec 31,
    2024    		 Dec 31,
    2024    		 Dec 31,
    2023    		 Dec 31,
    2024    		 Dec 31,
    2024
      RMB RMB RMB RMB RMB US$ RMB RMB US$
    Net Loss (286,836 ) (363,616 ) (353,718 ) (1,061,066 ) (200,642 ) (27,486 ) (2,183,647 ) (1,979,042 ) (271,127 )
    Adjustments:                  
    – Share-based compensation expenses 110,437   103,595   45,649   40,423   24,774   3,394   181,645   214,441   29,378  
    – Foreign exchange (gain) loss (74,011 ) 42,737   6,999   (135,777 ) 105,572   14,463   57,211   19,531   2,676  
    – Impairment of long-lived assets –   –   –   919,724   –   –   653,670   919,724   126,002  
    Adjusted net loss (Non-GAAP Financial Measure) (250,410 ) (217,284 ) (301,070 ) (236,696 ) (70,296 ) (9,629 ) (1,291,121 ) (825,346 ) (113,071 )
    Adjustments:                  
    – Interest income (12,442 ) (8,370 ) (9,945 ) (4,517 ) (4,176 ) (572 ) (78,410 ) (27,008 ) (3,700 )
    – Interest expense 46,992   51,066   59,414   57,404   61,821   8,469   146,026   229,705   31,469  
    – Income tax expense (benefit) 598   (15,371 ) 6,891   10,662   (3,706 ) (508 ) 17,959   (1,524 ) (209 )
    – Depreciation and amortization 187,542   223,146   305,304   358,540   376,100   51,525   940,482   1,263,090   173,043  
    Adjusted EBITDA (Non-GAAP Financial Measure) (27,720 ) 33,187   60,594   185,393   359,743   49,285   (265,064 ) 638,917   87,532  
    – (Gain) loss on disposal of property and equipment –   (23,821 ) –   (10,667 ) (10,137 ) (1,389 ) 22,996   (44,625 ) (6,114 )
    Excluding loss or gain on disposal of property and equipment, normalized Adjusted EBITDA (27,720 ) 9,366   60,594   174,726   349,606   47,896   (242,068 ) 594,292   81,418  
                       
    KINGSOFT CLOUD HOLDINGS LIMITED
    RECONCILIATION OF GAAP AND NON-GAAP RESULTS
    (All amounts in thousands, except for percentage)
      Three Months Ended Twelve Months Ended
      Dec 31,
    2023    		 Mar 31,
    2024    		 Jun 30,
    2024    		 Sep 30,
    2024    		 Dec 31,
    2024    		 Dec 31,
    2024    		 Dec 31,
    2023    		 Dec 31,
    2024    		 Dec 31,
    2024
      RMB RMB RMB RMB RMB US$ RMB RMB US$
    Operating loss (342,734 ) (274,157 ) (277,569 ) (1,143,773 ) (43,511 ) (5,960 ) (2,108,551 ) (1,739,010 ) (238,243 )
    Adjustments:                  
    – Share-based compensation expenses 110,437   103,595   45,649   40,423   24,774   3,394   181,645   214,441   29,378  
    – Impairment of long-lived assets –   –   –   919,724   –   –   653,670   919,724   126,002  
    – Amortization of intangible assets 44,656   43,517   43,415   43,460   43,104   5,905   180,459   173,496   23,769  
    Adjusted operating (loss) profit (Non-GAAP Financial Measure) (187,641 ) (127,045 ) (188,505 ) (140,166 ) 24,367   3,339   (1,092,777 ) (431,349 ) (59,094 )
    – (Gain) loss on disposal of property and equipment –   (23,821 ) –   (10,667 ) (10,137 ) (1,389 ) 22,996   (44,625 ) (6,114 )
    Excluding loss or gain on disposal of property and equipment, normalized Adjusted operating (loss) profit (187,641 ) (150,866 ) (188,505 ) (150,833 ) 14,230   1,950   (1,069,781 ) (475,974 ) (65,208 )
                       
    KINGSOFT CLOUD HOLDINGS LIMITED
    RECONCILIATION OF GAAP AND NON-GAAP RESULTS
    (All amounts in thousands, except for percentage)
      Three Months Ended Twelve Months Ended
      Dec 31,
    2023    		 Mar 31,
    2024    		 Jun 30,
    2024    		 Sep 30,
    2024    		 Dec 31,
    2024    		 Dec 31,
    2023    		 Dec 31,
    2024
    Net loss margin -16.7 % -20.5 % -18.7 % -56.3 % -9.0 % -31.0 % -25.4 %
    Adjusted net loss margin (Non-GAAP Financial Measure) -14.5 % -12.2 % -15.9 % -12.6 % -3.1 % -18.3 % -10.6 %
    Adjusted EBITDA margin (Non-GAAP Financial Measure) -1.6 % 1.9 % 3.2 % 9.8 % 16.1 % -3.8 % 8.2 %
    Normalized Adjusted EBITDA margin -1.6 % 0.5 % 3.2 % 9.3 % 15.7 % -3.4 % 7.6 %
    Adjusted operating (loss) profit margin (Non-GAAP Financial Measure) -10.9 % -7.2 % -10.0 % -7.4 % 1.1 % -15.5 % -5.5 %
    Normalized Adjusted operating (loss) profit margin -10.9 % -8.5 % -10.0 % -8.0 % 0.6 % -15.2 % -6.1 %
                   
    KINGSOFT CLOUD HOLDINGS LIMITED
    UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
    (All amounts in thousands)
      Three Months Ended Twelve Months Ended
      Dec 31,
    2023    		 Dec 31,
    2024    		 Dec 31,
    2024    		 Dec 31,
    2023    		 Dec 31,
    2024    		 Dec 31,
    2024
      RMB RMB US$ RMB RMB US$
    Net cash generated from (used in) operating activities 16,787   570,222   78,120   (169,070 ) 628,419   86,093  
    Net cash used in investing activities (1,414,761 ) (1,337,978 ) (183,302 ) (673,186 ) (3,620,445 ) (495,999 )
    Net cash generated from (used in) financing activities 1,154,815   1,802,762   246,977   (227,852 ) 3,255,418   445,990  
    Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash 1,013   (15,294 ) (2,095 ) 25,863   (22,772 ) (3,119 )
    Net (decrease) increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash (242,146 ) 1,019,712   139,700   (1,044,245 ) 240,620   32,965  
    Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period 2,731,627   1,710,389   234,322   3,533,726   2,489,481   341,057  
    Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period 2,489,481   2,730,101   374,022   2,489,481   2,730,101   374,022  
                 

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Expansion in Nickel Mining Market Thriving from Heightened Demand Around the Globe

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PALM BEACH, Fla., March 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FN Media Group News Commentary – According to a report from Grand View Research, the nickel mining industry worldwide is expected to reach a projected revenue of US$83.813 Billion by 2030. A compound annual growth rate of 6.6% is expected of the worldwide nickel mining industry from 2023 to 2030.Growth in end-use industries such as construction, consumer durables, and machinery & equipment are propelling the growth of the stainless steel industry. Nickel is one of the key raw materials of stainless steel. Hence, development in the stainless steel industry is contributing to the growth of the market. According to the Nickel Institute, over two-thirds of the world’s nickel is utilized in the production of stainless steel. It acts as an alloying agent, enhancing essential properties such as formability, ductility, and weldability while also increasing corrosion resistance for specific applications. Another Grand View Research report said: “The nickel mining industry is highly competitive and to gain an edge, major players are acquiring their competitors. The batteries segment is anticipated to register the fastest CAGR of 7.2% in terms of revenue, over the forecast period (2030). Nickel batteries offer a cost-effective solution for achieving higher energy density and storage capabilities.” Active Companies in the market today include: First Atlantic Nickel Corp. (OTCQB: FANCF) (TSX-V: FAN), Ballard Power Systems (NASDAQ: BLDP), First Hydrogen Corp. (OTCPK: FHYDF) (TSX-V: FHYD), Bloom Energy Corporation (NYSE: BE), FuelCell Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ: FCEL).

    Grand View Research continued: “Based on region, Asia Pacific held the largest revenue share of over 57.0% in 2022. The growth in various industries, such as battery manufacturing, automotive & defense, and petrochemicals, is increasing the demand for nickel, which is positively influencing its mining activity. The Russia-Ukraine war has benefitted the Philippines’ nickel industry, as Russia’s output has been declining in the past few years coupled with the aversion it is receiving in trade. Europe is anticipated to register a CAGR of 7.8% in terms of revenue over the forecast period (2030). The EU has recognized the importance of nickel in the energy transition and has added it to the list of critical minerals. To ensure a diversified supply chain, the EU has set benchmarks for the extraction of at least 10% of the annual consumption of nickel within the boundary of Europe. This move is expected to have a positive impact on the mining activity in the region. North America is anticipated to register the fastest CAGR of 8.1% over the forecast period (2030). The increasing demand for nickel-based products in aerospace and defense industries has raised its significance as a critical mineral. In addition, the growing emphasis on accomplishing a domestic supply chain for the EV battery segment is anticipated to boost production in the region.”

    First Atlantic Nickel Corp. (OTCQB: FANCF) (TSX-V: FAN) AND COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES LAUNCH RESEARCH PARTNERSHIP TO EXPLORE GEOLOGIC HYDROGEN POTENTIAL IN NEWFOUNDLAND OPHIOLITES – First Atlantic Nickel Corp. (FSE: P21) (“First Atlantic” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce a strategic research partnership with Colorado School of Mines to explore geologic hydrogen as an energy source. This collaboration will focus on two significant ophiolite complexes in Newfoundland, Canada: the St. Anthony Ophiolite Complex (Atlantis Project, 103 km²) and the Pipestone Ophiolite Complex (Atlantic Nickel Project, 71 km²). Both projects are 100% owned by First Atlantic and encompass extensive ultramafic rock formations, characterized by awaruite-bearing serpentinized peridotites, which are key indicators of geologic hydrogen.

    First Atlantic Nickel is primarily focused on exploring awaruite nickel-iron alloy mineralization. Additionally, it is partnering with Colorado School of Mines to conduct secondary research on geological hydrogen produced during serpentinization. This collaborative research will leverage data collected by First Atlantic during its ongoing exploration for awaruite nickel deposits. Notably, awaruite serves as an indicator mineral of geologic hydrogen within serpentinized peridotites found in ophiolites. Colorado School of Mines will carry out this hydrogen research component, enhancing the overall exploration program while leveraging First Atlantic’s extensive geological assets and expertise.

    Geologic Hydrogen: Ophiolites and Peridotite

    Ophiolites—sections of oceanic crust and upper mantle thrust onto continental crust—are globally recognized as prime sources of geologic hydrogen, often referred to as “white hydrogen” or “gold hydrogen.” These formations are dominated by ultramafic rocks, notably peridotite, which consists primarily of olivine and pyroxene minerals rich in nickel, chromium, magnesium, and iron. When peridotite interacts with water, it triggers serpentinization—a hydrothermal reaction in which iron oxidizes and water is reduced, releasing molecular hydrogen gas (H₂). This natural process can be represented by the equation:

    3FeO (in olivine) + H₂O → Fe₃O₄ (magnetite) + H₂ – During serpentinization, awaruite (Ni₃Fe) forms as a secondary mineral when liberated nickel (Ni2+) and iron (Fe2+) from the olivine, pyroxene, and chromite minerals react with the abundant hydrogen (H2) present. This natural process can be represented by the equation:

    3(Ni²⁺) + (Fe²⁺) + 4(H₂) → (Ni₃Fe) + 8(H⁺) – The formation of awaruite could not happen without the presence of hydrogen. This process occurs readily in ophiolitic peridotites at depth, where water saturated rocks in oxygen-poor, reducing conditions produce this exothermic reaction, generating heat that sustains further reactions. According to the Geological Survey of Finland, “In Europe and in regions outside the crystal shield, only ophiolites are often referred to as a source of geological hydrogen.” Within these ophiolite settings, serpentinized peridotites are the most promising targets, with peridotites producing significantly more hydrogen than other rocks, up to 4 kg per cubic meter. Ophiolites represent large potential sources of geologic hydrogen, with some of the most significant global geologic hydrogen discoveries occurring in ophiolites.

    “Geologic hydrogen systems are a combination of mineral systems and natural gas systems. In our group, we have the unique combination of expertise from both the mining industry and oil and gas industry to advance geologic hydrogen exploration and stimulated hydrogen monitoring,” said Dr. Yaoguo Li from Colorado School of Mines. CONTINUED… Read this and more news for First Atlantic Nickel at: https://www.fanickel.com/archive

    In other market news of interest:

    Ballard Power Systems (NASDAQ: BLDP) recently announced a multi-year supply agreement from Manufacturing Commercial Vehicles (‘MCV’, www.mcv-eg.com), a leading commercial vehicle manufacturer based in Egypt, for fuel cell engines totaling approximately 5 MW.

    The supply agreement for 50 FCmove®-HD+ engines, and initial order of 35 units, represents the continued growth of the relationship with MCV which started in 2022 with fuel cell engine integration support and the first fuel cell engine order placed in 2023. Deliveries of the 50 engines are expected between 2025 and 2026 and will initially support projects in the EU.

    First Hydrogen Corp. (TSXV: FHYD) (OTCPK: FHYDF) recently announced the launch of its subsidiary, First Nuclear Corp., an initiative dedicated to advancing clean energy through the innovative use of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). First Nuclear Corp. (“First Nuclear”) aims to revolutionize green hydrogen production, supporting global decarbonization efforts and paving the way for a sustainable, zero-emission future.

    Harnessing the Power of SMRs for Green Hydrogen – First Nuclear seeks to integrate advanced nuclear technology with green hydrogen production. SMRs, known for their compact design, scalability, and ability to provide a continuous, weather-independent power supply, are the cornerstone of this initiative. By leveraging SMRs, First Nuclear ensures a stable, cost-effective, and efficient process for producing green hydrogen, addressing the growing demand for clean energy solutions worldwide. IDTechEx anticipates the installation rate of SMRs to grow significantly addressing the climate crisis. They project the global market for SMRs to reach US$72.4 billion by 2033 and US$295 billion by 2043, reflecting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 30%.

    Bloom Energy Corporation (NYSE: BE), a global leader in power solutions, announced recently an expansion of its longstanding relationship with Equinix, the world’s digital infrastructure company®. The collaboration now exceeds 100MW of electricity capacity to support Equinix’s International Business Exchange™ (IBX®) data centers across the United States.

    With approximately 75MW already operational and another 30MW under construction, this latest expansion marks a significant milestone in the companies’ decade-long collaboration. What began as a pilot program in 2015 with just 1MW of fuel cells at a single IBX data center in Silicon Valley has scaled one hundredfold, supporting the critical digital infrastructure needed to meet increasing energy needs of AI-driven computing.

    FuelCell Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ: FCEL) and Malaysia Marine and Heavy Engineering Sdn Bhd (MMHE), a wholly owned subsidiary of Malaysia Marine and Heavy Engineering Holdings Berhad (MHB), have announced the signing of a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) to co-develop large-scale hydrogen production systems and technologies across Asia, New Zealand, and Australia.

    Building on a memorandum of understanding signed in February 2023, the JDA represents a pivotal step for the two companies, driven by a shared vision to make clean hydrogen production easily accessible and viable. The collaboration underscores FuelCell Energy and MHB’s commitment to advancing green energy solutions and supporting global decarbonization and energy transition goals.

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    DISCLAIMER: FN Media Group LLC (FNM), which owns and operates FinancialNewsMedia.com and MarketNewsUpdates.com, is a third party publisher and news dissemination service provider, which disseminates electronic information through multiple online media channels. FNM is NOT affiliated in any manner with any company mentioned herein. FNM and its affiliated companies are a news dissemination solutions provider and are NOT a registered broker/dealer/analyst/adviser, holds no investment licenses and may NOT sell, offer to sell or offer to buy any security. FNM’s market updates, news alerts and corporate profiles are NOT a solicitation or recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities. The material in this release is intended to be strictly informational and is NEVER to be construed or interpreted as research material. All readers are strongly urged to perform research and due diligence on their own and consult a licensed financial professional before considering any level of investing in stocks. All material included herein is republished content and details which were previously disseminated by the companies mentioned in this release. FNM is not liable for any investment decisions by its readers or subscribers. Investors are cautioned that they may lose all or a portion of their investment when investing in stocks. For current services performed FNM has been compensated thirty four hundred dollars for news coverage of the current press releases issued by First Atlantic Nickel Corp. by a non-affiliated third party. FNM HOLDS NO SHARES OF ANY COMPANY NAMED IN THIS RELEASE.

    This release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. “Forward-looking statements” describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as “may”, “future”, “plan” or “planned”, “will” or “should”, “expected,” “anticipates”, “draft”, “eventually” or “projected”. You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, and other risks identified in a company’s annual report on Form 10-K or 10-KSB and other filings made by such company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included herein, and not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and FNM undertakes no obligation to update such statements.

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    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI China: AI innovates China’s education landscape

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

    BEIJING, March 19 — Picture this: the classroom blackboard is replaced with a big screen, and students click on learning tablets to answer questions instead of writing with pencils. AI makes it a reality, offering novel learning pathways for Chinese students and bridging the urban-rural digital divide.

    At a middle school in Guiyang, capital of southwest China’s Guizhou Province, English teacher Zeng Xing found AI had become a game changer during her 17 years of teaching, thanks to a smart classroom system developed by Chinese AI giant iFLYTEK.

    Zeng assigns exercises to her students via teaching tablets in the classroom, and students can instantly submit their answers on their personal learning tablets. Simultaneously, the big screen at the front of the classroom shows the detailed answers of every student.

    By analyzing results with AI and big data, the system enables Zeng to deliver tailored instructions that address the specific needs of each student. “We can now quickly identify students’ weaknesses and make teaching plans accordingly, which is far more efficient than before,” she said.

    The smart classroom system also enables students to improve their speaking skills through personalized, interactive dialogues sourced from a vast database of English movies, news and poetry. AI can evaluate students’ pronunciation and provide feedback, helping them speak more accurately and with greater confidence.

    “AI has created opportunities for basic education in remote areas like Guizhou,” said Huang Hui, head of the middle school in Guizhou Province, where complex terrain and challenging transportation systems limit educational resources.

    AI-powered tools play a very important role in helping bridge urban-rural education gaps through expanding teaching resources and improving accessibility, Huang added.

    Besides improving the effectiveness of classroom learning, AI also enriches students’ extracurricular experiences.

    At Tsinghua University Primary School, students participate in AI-assisted physical activities during break time. By simply waving their hands, they can activate smart sports equipment to track their exercise duration and frequency.

    In addition to basic education, AI also has a significant impact on higher education. As Chinese AI assistant DeepSeek gains popularity, many colleges and universities have announced its integration into their server systems.

    Colleges and universities, as innovation hubs and talent incubators, should actively embrace new technologies and take on a leading role, said Wang Lei, professor at Beijing Normal University’s School of Government.

    “When conducting scientific research, tasks like project design, mass data collection and literature collation are time-intensive,” said Qian Minghui, who works at the Renmin University of China. “Using DeepSeek with a dedicated document database can greatly improve efficiency. It acts as a research assistant and is even able to help provide research clues and identify suitable partners.”

    The AI-led technological revolution brings major opportunities for education, China’s Minister of Education Huai Jinpeng told Xinhua during an interview on the sidelines of the national legislature’s annual session.

    He revealed that China will release a white paper on AI education in 2025 to help equip students with enhanced literacy and skills for the digital and AI era.

    Starting from the upcoming fall semester, primary and secondary schools in Beijing will offer at least eight class hours of AI instruction per academic year to students to nurture future-oriented and innovative talent.

    Despite AI’s advantages in transforming education, it also raises concerns about data security, privacy and academic integrity.

    “It is crucial that we establish policies on AI usage, enhance technological oversight, and strengthen ethics education for teachers and students,” said Tang Liang, deputy director of the information center at the Beijing Academy of Educational Sciences.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Denis Beau: Regulation and innovation – mutual benefits

    Source: Bank for International Settlements

    Ladies and Gentlemen,

    The financial sector is engaged in an unprecedented dynamic of innovation. New technologies offer vast opportunities in the field of financial services but bring also a variety of risks. This ambivalent impact of innovation raises obvious questions for central banks and supervisors in charge of financial stability: how can we ensure that financial stability is maintained in such a changing environment, and that customers and all stakeholders have confidence in the financial system? In Europe, part of the answer to this question is provided by adapting our regulation tools to help harness benefits brought by innovation while controlling risks. However this approach raises questions: is there not a risk of hampering innovation and therefore competitiveness of the financial sector in the name of controlling risks?

    This morning I would like to share with you a strong conviction, which may seem iconoclastic in the current context, and perhaps even more so in this country: there is no point in opposing innovation and regulation. Jean Monnet, one of the fathers of European integration, famously said: ‘Nothing is possible without men, but nothing lasts without institutions’. In the same vein, I would say: ‘Nothing is possible without innovation, but nothing lasts without regulation’. 

    This is particularly true, I believe, for the financial system, and I would like to illustrate this in three critical areas for the prospective safety and efficiency of the financial sector – DLT-based finance, artificial intelligence (AI) and cyber risks.

    I/ Let me start with DLT-based finance.

    1/ Today, crypto-assets are back in the spotlight, particularly here in the US. However, we need to bear in mind that ‘first generation’ crypto-assets, such as bitcoin, represent only a small proportion of global financial assets (1.4% of the world market capitalisation at the end of 2024), and are not widely used in critical financial services, including payments, on which the real economy depends.

    In contrast, the sponsors of tokenization initiatives argue that DLT-based tokenization, while still in its infancy, offers wider opportunities and use cases notably in the field of investment, trading, clearing and settlement services. For example, in the short to medium term, the tokenisation of financial assets could lead to efficiency gains in post-trade activities, with blockchain technologies enabling greater automation, greater availability and transparency, and improved traceability. In the longer term, the tokenisation of non-financial assets – such as real estate – could increase the liquidity and accessibility of the underlying markets.

    However, the development of tokenised finance is notably handicapped by the absence of a fully secure settlement asset. Central bank money – the most secure form of money, and the reference settlement asset in traditional finance – is not currently available on blockchain. For this reason – in other words, by default – market participants may be tempted to use crypto-assets known as stablecoins. However, stablecoins, especially when they are not regulated, are subject to many risks, particularly liquidity risks. Market participants are well aware of these risks, and the resulting lack of confidence goes a long way to explaining the relatively slow pace at which the tokenisation of assets is developing.

    2/ Against this backdrop, our strategy in Europe has been to adapt our regulation tools in two main ways to support a sustainable and safe development of tokenised finance, and to also safeguards our monetary sovereignty on settlement solutions. First, we have developed an ad-hoc legislation for stablecoins issuers and digital assets service providers through the adoption of the MiCA Regulation and the so-called ‘DLT Pilot Regime’ Regulation. Second, central banks of the Eurosystem under the aegis of the ECB have been preparing an adaptation of the central bank money services they provide. To support the development of tokenized finance more specifically, the Governing Council of the ECB announced two weeks ago that the Eurosystem will develop and deploy solutions to settle in central bank money, including in digital form, namely in wholesale CBDC, transactions recorded on DLTs, following a two track approach. This initiative whose first track should become live by the end of next year should contribute to support the growth of an integrated and sound European market for digital assets.

    II/ I’d now like to turn to a second area of innovation that is absolutely crucial for the financial sector: artificial intelligence. 

    1/ The recent International AI Safety Report led by Professor Yoshua Bengio identifies three types of AI risk: risks associated with misuse, risks associated with malicious use, and systemic risks. This morning I would like to talk about the latter, and how they apply to the financial sector.

    First and foremost, the financial sector is vulnerable to risks originating in the real economy. AI could bring about incremental productivity gains but also more profound economic changes, with major sectoral restructuring, and major transfers of jobs from some economic sectors to others – with increased risks of bankruptcy in some sectors, speculative bubbles in others… These economic changes could in turn destabilise the financial sector.

    The financial sector is also largely concerned with environmental risks, which the development of AI tends to amplify. The prospect of regular, or even intensive, use of generative AI by billions of customers around the world obviously raises environmental questions and leads to advocacy for a reasoned use of AI.

    AI could also contribute to amplify financial sector vulnerabilities through a number of specific characteristics. For instance, concentration in the AI market, in terms of reliance on specialized hardware, cloud services and pre-trained models, may result in compounding a risk of dependence on third-party players, if the financial sector were to massively favour the purchase of ‘off-the-shelf’ AI systems – for example in the field of generative AI, where the main players are today the same as those who dominate the cloud market. This echoes the sovereignty issues I mentioned earlier.

    Other amplification impacts on financial system vulnerabilities could go through the use of the same types of trading tools and models, which could increase herding behaviour in the financial markets, resulting in greater volatility and procyclicality. The complexity and novelty of the new models could also increase the risk of error or misuse of AI by institutions. This could lead to significant financial losses, which, through financial interconnectedness, could quickly spread throughout the financial system.

    2/ To deal with these risks, we must lay the foundations for ‘trustworthy AI’, i.e. AI that is under control, which implies appropriate regulation.

    Europe has been a pioneer in this area: the AI Act, adopted in the summer of 2024, aims to protect citizens’ rights while promoting the development of a European market of trustworthy AI. In addition, financial supervisors will have to adapt their supervisory activities to ensure that financial institutions remain in control of the risks associated with their use of AI. 

    To that end, I would like to share two convictions with you this morning. Firstly, the principles we usually promote as supervisors of sound risk management and governance can provide an effective framework for most of the risks associated with AI, with a few adaptations. And the financial sector’s risk management culture and internal control systems provide solid safeguard. 

    However, and this is my second conviction, some issues are resolutely new. Thus, they require specific attention from supervisors and supervised entities alike. This is the case for the explainability and fairness of algorithms. To leave these questions unanswered would mean creating legal uncertainty for institutions, in other words slowing down operational decisions and ultimately innovation in the sector. So I believe that we need to provide the financial sector now with technological and regulatory support, to ensure the development of trustworthy AI. In particular, this means that supervisors need to upgrade their skills, adapt their tools and methods… in short, they need to innovate. Here again, innovation and regulation appear to be complementary rather than mutually exclusive imperatives.

    III/ Finally, let me now turn to a third area of critical importance to the financial sector: cyber risks.

    1/ The financial sector is one of the biggest users of data and IT resources in the world. This structural trend has been reinforced in recent years by the ever-increasing availability and openness of data. This openness is of great benefit to the financial sector, which can assess new risks or fine-tune pricing. At the same time, the multiplication of data sources and the strengthening of technical interconnections are creating new vulnerabilities. These vulnerabilities are exacerbated by the development of new technologies, most notably AI, which greatly increases the threat posed by cyber attackers, although it can also help to identify attack patterns.

    Another new technology could have an even more radical impact on cyber risks, with devastating consequences for the financial sector: quantum computing. It has already been proven that, thanks to their parallel computing capabilities, quantum computers will be able to break the most widely used encryption methods by ‘brute force’, particularly those that currently protect our communication channels. The advanced dematerialisation of exchanges means that our economy and financial system are highly dependent on the robustness of encryption techniques. As a result, this threat should prompt us to begin without delay a gradual transition to quantum-resistant cryptographic solutions. These solutions already exist and have recently been referenced by the American NIST, even if they still require a great deal of research. This is one of the reasons why we, at the Banque de France, have been conducting a number of experiments in this area on an international scale, notably through our involvement in the BIS Innovation Hub.

    2/ Furthermore, in order to reconcile open data and risk management, we need to organise the operational resilience of the financial sector. To that end, in Europe, the recently enacted DORA Regulation complements the sectoral regulations with specific rules on operational resilience and IT risk management. In particular, it introduces new risk prevention methods, such as threat-led penetration testing (TLPT) for systemic institutions. These enhanced security tests, involving ‘red’ teams that simulate the tactics of cyber attackers, allow institutions’ critical systems to be tested in a real-world environment.

    DORA also encourages financial institutions to cooperate with each other to share their knowledge of emerging threats. Supervisors will play a central role in facilitating and overseeing this exchange of information between stakeholders. In this way, regulation will act as a facilitator, to improve operational resilience and IT risk management.

    To conclude, let me say a few last words on the challenges those innovations raise for us central banks and supervisors if we want to contribute positively to harness their benefits and mitigate their risks on the functioning and stability of the financial system. 

    1/ First, we need to master new technologies ourselves to remain effective and efficient in the conduct of our supervisory activities. This means equipping ourselves with high-performance processing infrastructures, paying particular attention to the sensitive data at our disposal. When it comes to data, we need to make the most of the new data sources, by taking advantage of technological innovations: the open ledgers that blockchains constitute, for example, are a new data manna for central banks and supervisors. To make the most of this potential, however, we need to acquire specialised skills – which is not always easy in a highly competitive world – and develop our tools and methods. In this area, closer cooperation with the academic world could enable us to move forward more quickly.

    2/ This brings me to my second point: we also need to cooperate more and better. Each of the three subjects I mentioned earlier – DLT, AI, cyber and quantum – is by its very nature a cross-border issue. We therefore naturally need to develop synergies with peer financial authorities, in order to build coherent regulation on a global scale. We also need to go further and build cooperation with other sectoral authorities (competition, privacy, cyber-security, etc.), in order to take account of the many dimensions of these highly complex issues. Finally, it is also in our interest to cooperate more with the financial sector itself: public authorities and financial institutions share many challenges – think, for example, of quantum computing, which I mentioned earlier – and they will be able to tackle them all the more easily if they are able to move forward together.

    To sum up, I would say that central bankers and financial supervisors must not only contribute to regulate, but also innovate, in order to ensure the stability of the financial system while supporting its transformation through innovations. This requires from us to avoid the pitfall common to both regulation and innovation, which can be excessive sophistication or complexity.
    This is why in the debate which has started in Europe about how to foster the competitiveness of our financial sector, we advocate at the Banque de France for regulation as simple as possible, and for simplifying it and reducing the associated reporting burden when needed, without renouncing to set demanding requirements in terms of risk management.

    In other words, we are in favor of simplifying, not deregulating, which means regulating more effectively and efficiently.

    Thank you for your attention.

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI: ibex Kicks Off Global Employee-Driven Charitable Initiative for 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    WASHINGTON, March 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ibex (NASDAQ: IBEX), a leading global provider of business process outsourcing (BPO) and AI-powered customer engagement technology solutions, today announced the official launch of its 2025 ibex Cares™ campaign, which empowers employees to select and support local charities in their communities, fostering meaningful connections, and creating lasting positive impact where they live and work.

    In its eighth year, ibex Cares™ spans multiple countries and supports a diverse range of causes, from healthcare and environmental conservation to animal welfare and youth development.

    “Thanks to the exceptional generosity of our global workforce, ibex Cares™ has a meaningful impact in our communities and reflects our company’s unwavering commitment to social responsibility,” said Paul Inson, Chief People Officer at ibex. “What makes this program truly special is that it’s driven by our employees, who choose causes close to their hearts and actively work to improve the lives of their neighbors, colleagues, and communities. This grassroots approach to charitable giving has created a powerful ripple effect of positive change across our global footprint.”

    The 2025 ibex Cares™ campaign kicked off recently in the U.S. with a fundraiser that helped raise $25,000 for the Wounded Warrior Project®. ibex volunteer efforts to support veterans nationwide are ongoing.

    In Jamaica, more than 320 ibex employees came together on Sunday, February 16th, to participate in the Sigma Run 2025, organized by Sagicor Foundation. According to Sagicor, the Sigma Run had a record turnout of more than 30,000 registrants and raised more than JAM $128 million for the Kingston Public Hospital, Father Ho Lung and Friends Foundation, and Sir John Golding Rehabilitation Centre.  

    Other ibex Cares™ initiatives around the globe include:

    • Nicaragua: Establishing a merchandise program selling ibex-branded items to benefit MoviCancer, a non-governmental organization (NGO) fighting cancer in Central and Latin America.
    • Honduras: Coordinating in-kind donations for Asociación Rescate Animal Independiente, an animal rescue network that works to improve the lives of abused and abandoned animals.
    • Jamaica: Raising funds for the Jamaica Cancer Society through the sale of ibex Cares™ merchandise.
    • Philippines: Supporting numerous charitable organizations including the Philippines Eagle Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to saving the endangered Philippine Eagle and its rainforest habitat, as well as the Albert Schweitzer Familienwerk Foundation Philippines, which assists vulnerable populations including children, women, and disabled individuals.
    • Pakistan: Engaging in various charitable initiatives by providing volunteer hours, donating items like wheelchairs and organizing blood drives. The supported organizations include the Sundas Foundation, an NGO assisting patients with thalassemia and other blood disorders, and Dar-ul-Sukun, which works to empower abandoned children and marginalized individuals with disabilities.

    As ibex continues to grow, the company remains dedicated to expanding its charitable impact and fostering a culture of giving back across its global operations.

    About ibex
    ibex delivers innovative business process outsourcing (BPO), smart digital marketing, online acquisition technology, and end-to-end customer engagement solutions to help companies acquire, engage and retain valuable customers. Today, ibex operates a global CX delivery center model consisting of approximately 30 operations facilities around the world, while deploying next generation technology to drive superior customer experiences for many of the world’s leading companies across retail, e-commerce, healthcare, fintech, utilities and logistics.

    ibex leverages its diverse global team of over 30,000 employees together with industry-leading technology, including the AI-powered ibex Wave iX solutions suite, to manage nearly 175 million critical customer interactions, adding over $2.2B in lifetime customer revenue each year and driving a truly differentiated customer experience. To learn more, visit our website at ibex.co and connect with us on LinkedIn.

    Media Contact:
    Dan Burris
    Daniel.Burris@ibex.co

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/74f20cc6-52b6-42c8-a483-a7d1499bc0f3

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Global Interest in Nickel Mining Booming as Demand Skyrockets Around the World

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PALM BEACH, Fla., March 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FN Media Group News Commentary – According to a report from Grand View Research, the global nickel mining market size was estimated at USD 50.40 billion in 2022 and is estimated to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.6% from 2023 to 2030. Growth in end-use industries such as construction, consumer durables, and machinery & equipment are propelling the growth of the stainless steel industry. Nickel is one of the key raw materials of stainless steel. Hence, development in the stainless steel industry is contributing to the growth of the market. According to the Nickel Institute, over two-thirds of the world’s nickel is utilized in the production of stainless steel. It acts as an alloying agent, enhancing essential properties such as formability, ductility, and weldability while also increasing corrosion resistance for specific applications. The report said: “The nickel mining industry is highly competitive and to gain an edge, major players are acquiring their competitors.   The batteries segment is anticipated to register the fastest CAGR of 7.2% in terms of revenue, over the forecast period (2030). Nickel batteries offer a cost-effective solution for achieving higher energy density and storage capabilities.” Active Companies in the markets today include: First Atlantic Nickel Corp. (OTCQB: FANCF) (TSX-V: FAN), Vale S.A. (NYSE: VALE), Chevron Corporation (NYSE: CVX), Glencore plc (OTCPK: GLNCY) (OTCPK: GLCNF), Quebec Innovative Materials Corp. (OTCQB: QIMCF) (CSE: QIMC).

    Grand View Research continued: “Based on region, Asia Pacific held the largest revenue share of over 57.0% in 2022. The growth in various industries, such as battery manufacturing, automotive & defense, and petrochemicals, is increasing the demand for nickel, which is positively influencing its mining activity. The Russia-Ukraine war has benefitted the Philippines’ nickel industry, as Russia’s output has been declining in the past few years coupled with the aversion it is receiving in trade.   Europe is anticipated to register a CAGR of 7.8% in terms of revenue over the forecast period (2030). The EU has recognized the importance of nickel in the energy transition and has added it to the list of critical minerals. To ensure a diversified supply chain, the EU has set benchmarks for the extraction of at least 10% of the annual consumption of nickel within the boundary of Europe. This move is expected to have a positive impact on the mining activity in the region.   North America is anticipated to register the fastest CAGR of 8.1% over the forecast period (2030). The increasing demand for nickel-based products in aerospace and defense industries has raised its significance as a critical mineral.   In addition, the growing emphasis on accomplishing a domestic supply chain for the EV battery segment is anticipated to boost production in the region.”

    First Atlantic Nickel Corp. (OTCQB: FANCF) (TSX-V: FAN) AND COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES LAUNCH RESEARCH PARTNERSHIP TO EXPLORE GEOLOGIC HYDROGEN POTENTIAL IN NEWFOUNDLAND OPHIOLITES – First Atlantic Nickel Corp. (FSE: P21) (“First Atlantic” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce a strategic research partnership with Colorado School of Mines to explore geologic hydrogen as an energy source. This collaboration will focus on two significant ophiolite complexes in Newfoundland, Canada: the St. Anthony Ophiolite Complex (Atlantis Project, 103 km²) and the Pipestone Ophiolite Complex (Atlantic Nickel Project, 71 km²). Both projects are 100% owned by First Atlantic and encompass extensive ultramafic rock formations, characterized by awaruite-bearing serpentinized peridotites, which are key indicators of geologic hydrogen.

    First Atlantic Nickel is primarily focused on exploring awaruite nickel-iron alloy mineralization. Additionally, it is partnering with Colorado School of Mines to conduct secondary research on geological hydrogen produced during serpentinization. This collaborative research will leverage data collected by First Atlantic during its ongoing exploration for awaruite nickel deposits. Notably, awaruite serves as an indicator mineral of geologic hydrogen within serpentinized peridotites found in ophiolites. Colorado School of Mines will carry out this hydrogen research component, enhancing the overall exploration program while leveraging First Atlantic’s extensive geological assets and expertise.

    Geologic Hydrogen: Ophiolites and Peridotite

    Ophiolites—sections of oceanic crust and upper mantle thrust onto continental crust—are globally recognized as prime sources of geologic hydrogen, often referred to as “white hydrogen” or “gold hydrogen.” These formations are dominated by ultramafic rocks, notably peridotite, which consists primarily of olivine and pyroxene minerals rich in nickel, chromium, magnesium, and iron. When peridotite interacts with water, it triggers serpentinization—a hydrothermal reaction in which iron oxidizes and water is reduced, releasing molecular hydrogen gas (H₂). This natural process can be represented by the equation:

    3FeO (in olivine) + H₂O → Fe₃O₄ (magnetite) + H₂ – During serpentinization, awaruite (Ni₃Fe) forms as a secondary mineral when liberated nickel (Ni2+) and iron (Fe2+) from the olivine, pyroxene, and chromite minerals react with the abundant hydrogen (H2) present. This natural process can be represented by the equation:

    3(Ni²⁺) + (Fe²⁺) + 4(H₂) → (Ni₃Fe) + 8(H⁺) – The formation of awaruite could not happen without the presence of hydrogen. This process occurs readily in ophiolitic peridotites at depth, where water saturated rocks in oxygen-poor, reducing conditions produce this exothermic reaction, generating heat that sustains further reactions. According to the Geological Survey of Finland, “In Europe and in regions outside the crystal shield, only ophiolites are often referred to as a source of geological hydrogen.” Within these ophiolite settings, serpentinized peridotites are the most promising targets, with peridotites producing significantly more hydrogen than other rocks, up to 4 kg per cubic meter. Ophiolites represent large potential sources of geologic hydrogen, with some of the most significant global geologic hydrogen discoveries occurring in ophiolites.

    “Geologic hydrogen systems are a combination of mineral systems and natural gas systems. In our group, we have the unique combination of expertise from both the mining industry and oil and gas industry to advance geologic hydrogen exploration and stimulated hydrogen monitoring” said Dr. Yaoguo Li from Colorado School of Mines. CONTINUED… Read this and more news for First Atlantic Nickel at:   https://www.fanickel.com/archive

    In other market news of interest:

    Vale S.A. (NYSE: VALE) noted the Company leads the production of nickel metal that is considered one of the most versatile. Hard but also malleable, it is corrosion resistant and retains its properties even when subjected to extreme temperatures. It is part of everyday life: it is used in the production of batteries and items ranging from coins to cars.

    Highlights: The ore obtained from our mines contains more than just nickel. Therefore, by extracting and processing it, we also produce cobalt, copper and precious metals. Where we operate: Brazil, Canada and Indonesia.

    Chevron Corporation (NYSE: CVX) recently announced senior leadership changes as part of the company’s efforts to simplify its organizational structure, execute faster and more effectively, and be positioned for stronger long-term competitiveness.   The company’s Oil, Products & Gas organization will be consolidated into two segments: Upstream and Downstream, Midstream & Chemicals. Mark Nelson will continue to lead this organization as vice chairman and executive vice president, Oil, Products & Gas.

    The Upstream organizational model will drive value through greater standardization across Shale & Tight, Base Assets & Emerging Countries, Offshore, Eurasia and Australia.

    Ceibo, a clean copper extraction technology company, and Glencore plc‘s (OTCPK: GLNCY) (OTCPK: GLCNF) Lomas Bayas Mining Company have recently entered into a partnership to deploy Ceibo’s proprietary leaching technologies that enable a more effective extraction of copper from low-grade sulfides at one of Chile’s leading mines. Lomas Bayas has validated Ceibo’s technology and is moving toward scaling up to assess this as an alternative to extend the life of their mining operations. This partnership follows two years of testing by Glencore, an important contributor to Chile’s position as the world’s largest copper producer.

    Under the terms of the memorandum of understanding, Ceibo’s technology will scale up with on-site testing through the Lomas Lab, a Glencore world-scale test site, and the company’s research and development branch. This agreement opens a significant commercial avenue for Ceibo, demonstrating its unique approach with a major mining company and affirming the value that Ceibo’s advanced leaching technologies bring to copper assets globally.

    Quebec Innovative Materials Corp. (OTCQB: QIMCF) (CSE: QIMC) recently announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Black Tree Energy Group Sàrl (BTEG), a Swiss-based energy infrastructure and project development firm. This partnership reinforces QIMC’s strategic expansion into the U.S., a key market for accelerating the commercialization of natural hydrogen. Together, QIMC and BTEG will drive large-scale hydrogen projects by integrating technical expertise with financial strategy, project development, and execution capabilities.

    With strong support for clean natural hydrogen initiatives, the United States presents a substantial opportunity for natural hydrogen development. Through this Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), QIMC intends to capitalize on its established expertise in natural renewable hydrogen—encompassing geological and geophysical analyses, project evaluation, and hydrogen fieldwork and drilling—to identify high-potential U.S. sites and accelerate the path to commercial production.

    About FN Media Group:

    At FN Media Group, via our top-rated online news portal at www.financialnewsmedia.com, we are one of the very few select firms providing top tier one syndicated news distribution, targeted ticker tag press releases and stock market news coverage for today’s emerging companies. #tickertagpressreleases #pressreleases

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    DISCLAIMER:  FN Media Group LLC (FNM), which owns and operates FinancialNewsMedia.com and MarketNewsUpdates.com, is a third party publisher and news dissemination service provider, which disseminates electronic information through multiple online media channels.  FNM is NOT affiliated in any manner with any company mentioned herein.  FNM and its affiliated companies are a news dissemination solutions provider and are NOT a registered broker/dealer/analyst/adviser, holds no investment licenses and may NOT sell, offer to sell or offer to buy any security.  FNM’s market updates, news alerts and corporate profiles are NOT a solicitation or recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities.  The material in this release is intended to be strictly informational and is NEVER to be construed or interpreted as research material.  All readers are strongly urged to perform research and due diligence on their own and consult a licensed financial professional before considering any level of investing in stocks.  All material included herein is republished content and details which were previously disseminated by the companies mentioned in this release.  FNM is not liable for any investment decisions by its readers or subscribers.  Investors are cautioned that they may lose all or a portion of their investment when investing in stocks.  For current services performed FNM has been compensated thirty four hundred dollars for news coverage of the current press releases issued by First Atlantic Nickel Corp. by a non-affiliated third party.  FNM HOLDS NO SHARES OF ANY COMPANY NAMED IN THIS RELEASE.

    This release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. “Forward-looking statements” describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as “may”, “future”, “plan” or “planned”, “will” or “should”, “expected,” “anticipates”, “draft”, “eventually” or “projected”. You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, and other risks identified in a company’s annual report on Form 10-K or 10-KSB and other filings made by such company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included herein, and not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and FNM undertakes no obligation to update such statements.

    Contact Information:

    Media Contact email: editor@financialnewsmedia.com – +1(561)325-8757

    SOURCE: FN Media Group

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Update: Coop Pank 2024 audited Annual Report

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    The file “Coop Pank_aastaaruanne_konsolideeritud 2024_est.pdf“ has been attached to the Estonian version of the notice.

    Management Board of Coop Pank has compiled 2024 audited Annual Report. There are no differences in the audited accounts as regards the financial results, compared to the unaudited financial results published on 13 February 2025.

    The consolidated annual report 2024 of Coop Pank AS has been enclosed to the announcement and will be made available on the bank’s homepage https://www.cooppank.ee/en/financial-reports

    Annual report will be presented for approval to general meeting of shareholders.

    Coop Pank’s business results for 2024 were positively impacted by solid business volume growth – both the number of customers and the loan portfolio showed strong growth. The overall economic and interest rate environment had a negative impact on business results.

    • By the end of 2024, the number of Coop Pank customers reached 208,000, of which 99,400 were active customers. Over the year, the number of Coop Pank customers increased by 26,000 (+14%) and the number of active customers increased by 17,400 (+21%).
    • By the end of 2024, deposits of Coop Pank reached 1.89 billion euros, increased by 164 million euros (+10%) over the year. The market share of the bank’s deposits increased from 6.0% to 6.1% over the year.
    • By the end of 2024, loan portfolio of Coop Pank reached 1.77 billion euros, increased by 283 million euros (+19%) over the year. The market share of the bank’s loans increased from 6.0% to 6.3% over the year.
    • Net profit of Coop Pank in 2024 was 32.2 million euros, decreased by 18% over the year.
    • Over the year the bank’s cost / income ratio increased from 41% to 50% and the return on equity decreased from the level from 23.5% to 16.2%.

    Coop Pank, based on Estonian capital, is one of the five universal banks operating in Estonia. The number of clients using Coop Pank for their daily banking reached 211,000. Coop Pank aims to put the synergy generated by the interaction of retail business and banking to good use and to bring everyday banking services closer to people’s homes. The strategic shareholder of the bank is the domestic retail chain Coop Eesti, comprising of 320 stores.

    Additional information:
    Paavo Truu
    CFO
    Phone: +372 5160 231
    E-mail: paavo.truu@cooppank.ee

    Attachments

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Wix Launches Wix Functions to Customize Business Logic Without Code

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Wix Functions empowers users to create customized business flows, automate pricing and checkout rules, and tailor app behavior

    NEW YORK – Wix.com Ltd. (NASDAQ: WIX), the leading SaaS website builder platform globally1, today launched Wix Functions, a no-code interface that allows users to customize outcomes for various business scenarios, enabling businesses to operate more smoothly and effectively. With an intuitive visual function builder, businesses can define custom business logic, such as adding dynamic pricing rules, enforce checkout conditions, and tailor loyalty rewards, ensuring their operations adapt to their specific business needs.

    With Wix Functions, users can define custom outcomes using conditions, variables, formulas, and dynamic values. Users can start from scratch or customize a template designed for a specific Wix app. By selecting input data from an app, such as cart and checkout details in Wix Stores, users can then apply the  logic to create conditions. The builder visually represents the logic, helping users understand how different criteria affect the function’s output. For example, users can apply location-based fees, trigger a discount for returning customers in the checkout based on purchase history and implement custom form validations. The function then outputs the desired action, which the Wix app executes in real-time. This enhanced customizability of business flows is particularly beneficial as it allows users to implement more custom steps when rendering checkout or validating forms.

    Wix Functions ensures that checkout, rewards, and other workflows wait for the function’s output before proceeding. Users can choose from pre-built function templates or create custom rules from scratch. Functions are triggered by app activity, process the required logic, and return a result that immediately impacts the business flow—whether it’s adjusting a fee, displaying a discount, or restricting a purchase.

    “Wix Functions lets businesses extend and customize Wix apps to fit their unique needs—without writing a single line of code,” said Tomas Petras Rupšys, Head of Wix Functions at Wix. “Building on top of our new Automation builder, Wix Functions gives businesses even more control over their operations, enabling them to customize more workflows, further automate processes and implement advanced business rules. The function’s output directly influences how the Wix app behaves in real-time, ensuring that businesses can seamlessly adapt their operations to meet unique needs, further empowering business owners to operate more efficiently and scale with ease.”

    Wix Functions complements Wix Automations by enabling real-time customization, while automations manage ongoing tasks. Together, they provide a comprehensive suite of tools to help businesses automate and optimize their operations effortlessly.

    Wix Functions is now available on Wix and Wix Studio for Wix Stores, Wix Bookings, Wix Restaurants, Wix Donations, Wix Forms, and Wix Loyalty Program, with free access and optional premium upgrades to access business solutions such as checkout and payments. Users can unlock unlimited actions through premium upgrades. 

    About Wix.com Ltd.

    Wix is the leading SaaS website builder platform1 to create, manage and grow a digital presence. Founded  in 2006, Wix is a comprehensive platform providing users – self-creators, agencies, enterprises, and more – with industry-leading performance, security, AI capabilities and a reliable infrastructure. Offering a wide range of commerce and business solutions, advanced SEO and marketing tools, the platform enables users to take full ownership of their brand, their data and their relationships with their customers. With a focus on continuous innovation and delivery of new features and products, users can seamlessly build a powerful and high-end digital presence for themselves or their clients. 

    For more about Wix, please visit our Press Room
    Media Relations Contact:  PR@wix.com  

    1 Based on number of active live sites as reported by competitors’ figures, independent third-party data and internal data as of H1 2024.

    Attachments

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: FloQast Named “Best Finance Automation Platform” in 2025 FinTech Breakthrough Awards

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LOS ANGELES, March 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FloQast, an Accounting Transformation Platform created by accountants for accountants, is proud to announce it has been selected as the winner of the “Best Finance Automation Platform” award in the 2025 FinTech Breakthrough Awards. The prestigious awards program recognizes outstanding financial technology companies and products from around the world.

    In its ninth year, the FinTech Breakthrough Awards received over 4,500 nominations globally, with winners selected through a rigorous evaluation process. The program celebrates innovation and excellence across various financial services categories, including Digital Banking, Personal Finance, Lending, Payments, Investments, RegTech, and InsurTech.

    “We’re excited to be recognized for our work in transforming accounting workflows with AI and automation,” said Mike Whitmire, CEO and co-founder of FloQast, CPA. “Our goal has always been to help accountants work more efficiently and strategically, and this award reinforces that mission. By bringing innovative technology to everyday accounting tasks, we’re giving accounting and finance teams the tools to move faster, stay on top of their numbers, and tackle audits with confidence.”

    FloQast’s accounting platform was purpose-built by accountants for accountants, focusing on enhancing team collaboration, efficiency, and accuracy in financial processes. The platform’s AI-driven capabilities enable accounting professionals to streamline their workflows while maintaining the highest standards of accuracy and control.

    “The 2025 FinTech Breakthrough Awards celebrate the most innovative companies and technologies shaping the future of financial services. FloQast stands out in the FinTech universe for its deep understanding of accountants’ needs and its innovative approach to solving real-world challenges in financial operations,” said Steve Johansson, Managing Director at FinTech Breakthrough. “Their platform demonstrates how thoughtfully applied automation and AI can transform accounting processes, enabling finance teams to focus on higher-value strategic activities.”

    For more information about FloQast and its award-winning platform, visit www.floqast.com.

    About FloQast

    FloQast, an Accounting Transformation Platform created by accountants for accountants, enables organizations to automate a variety of accounting operations. Trusted by more than 3,000 global accounting teams – including Twilio, Los Angeles Lakers, and Zoom – FloQast enhances the way accounting teams work, enabling customers to automate close management, account reconciliations, accounting operations, and compliance activities. With FloQast, teams can utilize the latest advancements in AI technology to manage aspects of the close, reduce their compliance burden, stay audit-ready, and improve accuracy, visibility, and collaboration overall. FloQast is consistently rated #1 across all user review sites. Learn more at FloQast.com.

    Contact:
    Kyle Cabodi
    FloQast Director of Corporate Communications
    kyle.cabodi@floqast.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Rhizome Announces Agreement with Vermont Electric Co-Op for Climate Vulnerability Tool Built Specifically for Muni/Co-Op Utilities

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    WASHINGTON, March 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Rhizome today announced an agreement with Vermont Electric Cooperative (VEC) to help fortify and modernize the regional utility network through a specifically built climate risk product for municipal and cooperative utilities, gridCAVA. The software tool will provide Vermont Electric Cooperative insights into potential future climate vulnerabilities, ultimately preventing failures against extreme weather-caused power outages through prioritizing grid resilience investments.

    Since 1938, the non-profit Vermont Electric Cooperative has been a member-owned electric distribution utility that provides safe, affordable, and reliable electric service to approximately 33,000 members in 75 communities in northern Vermont. Spanning over 2,500 miles of rural, legacy, and primarily off-road overhead distribution lines, VEC has observed a rapid increase in outages due to ice and wind events over the past five years. Due to limited financial investment capabilities and resources, prioritizing resilience efforts is crucial for VEC. It is the largest locally-owned electric distribution utility in Vermont and is nationally recognized for its innovation and advanced use of technology.

    “VEC is eager to partner with Rhizome to pinpoint where future hazards will impact our grid. As a non-profit, member-owned cooperative with an expansive distribution system, we can’t afford to be anything less than targeted with our investments and upgrades,” said Cyril Brunner, Innovation and Technology Leader at VEC. “That’s what led us to Rhizome, and we’re excited to use their invaluable expertise. This is an important tool and partnership in our mission to provide safe, affordable, and reliable energy throughout Vermont.”

    Rhizome, launched in 2023, supports utilities and grid stakeholders helping to model the impacts of increasingly severe extreme weather events against their system. By leveraging machine learning and artificial intelligence, Rhizome’s platform guides and pinpoints resilience investments and upgrades. As a part of this agreement, Rhizome debuts gridCAVA, a tool designed to bring down the cost of climate vulnerability assessments for municipal and cooperative utilities who typically have fewer resources to perform these activities relative to large investor-owned utilities.

    “Vermont Electric Co-Op’s proactive approach to resilience is leading the way for their municipality and cooperative utility peers,” said Mishal Thadani, Co-founder and CEO of Rhizome. “Our platform has brought down the cost of running climate models for predictive utility planning, making it easier for smaller utilities such as VEC to prepare ahead of growing extreme weather events. All power providers across the utility landscape deserve tools crafted for their existing resources and expertise to meet and overcome their unique, climate-related challenges.”

    The partnership and gridCAVA announcement unveiled today marks the latest advancement in Rhizome’s expanding portfolio of climate risk solutions. This development builds upon the successful July 2024 launch of gridFIRM, the company’s comprehensive wildfire risk planning system that provides critical tracking of asset failures, fire ignition events, and detailed spread and damage assessments.

    These sophisticated, data-driven modeling tools empower utilities and stakeholders to gain deeper insights into their risk exposure and strategically prioritize resilience investments and infrastructure upgrades. Both gridCAVA and gridFIRM were built upon Rhizome’s foundational technology platform, Aspen—a scalable, cloud-based platform that delivers systems-level modeling of current and future climate risks.

    About Rhizome
    Rhizome is an AI-powered software platform that helps utilities identify vulnerabilities from climate threats, quantify risk at high resolutions, and measure the economic and social benefits of grid-enhancing investments. Rhizome provides the highest standard of equitable climate risk mitigation to ensure that communities and businesses are protected against intensifying extreme weather events. Rhizome supports numerous utilities across North America and Europe in their mission to build a more resilient grid. For more information, please visit rhizomedata.com.

    About Vermont Electric Co-Op
    Vermont Electric Cooperative (VEC) is a member-owned electric utility distribution system that provides safe, affordable, and reliable energy services to its members. VEC serves over 33,000 members in 75 communities across eight counties in Vermont.

    Media Contact:
    FischTank PR
    rhizome@fischtankpr.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Apollo Funds to Acquire OEG, a Leading Provider of Core Services to the Offshore Energy Industry

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LONDON and NEW YORK, March 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Apollo (NYSE: APO) today announced that funds managed by Apollo affiliates (the “Apollo funds”) have agreed to acquire a majority stake in OEG Energy Group (“OEG” or the “Company”), a leading offshore energy solutions business, from funds managed by the Power Opportunities strategy of Oaktree Capital Management, LP (“Oaktree”) and other investors. The transaction implies a headline valuation of more than $1 billion for OEG, and Oaktree and others will retain a minority equity interest in the Company.

    OEG is a scaled provider of core services across the offshore energy ecosystem, delivering development and operations solutions to oil & gas (O&G) and wind end markets for more than 50 years. The Company owns and operates one of the world’s largest fleets of cargo carrying units (CCUs), with 75,000+ units, enabling the safe transportation of essential cargo to and from offshore energy installations. OEG’s Renewables segment is a global, integrated provider of key technical solutions and services to the offshore wind sector.

    John Heiton, CEO of OEG, said: “Since our company’s founding, we have worked hard to establish OEG as a global leader in delivering core services throughout the offshore energy value chain. As energy producers across Europe and around the globe continue to invest in energy transition, we are committed to expanding and enhancing our capabilities as a key partner. We look forward to working with Apollo as we enter this new and exciting chapter for our business and remain focused on supporting our customers with the same quality service they have come to expect.”

    Wilson Handler, Partner at Apollo, said: “John and team have built OEG into a global leader and trusted provider of offshore equipment and services, with an integrated business model that has scaled across cycles. We see a tremendous opportunity to invest in the Company’s future growth as secular tailwinds drive demand for services enabling efficient energy production and renewable power. Bringing to bear the scale of Apollo’s integrated platform and deep expertise in energy services, we look forward to working with the talented team at OEG to unlock value for its various stakeholders and loyal customer base via organic and inorganic channels.”

    Francesco Giuliani, Managing Director and Assistant Portfolio Manager in Oaktree’s Power Opportunities strategy, said: “We are proud of our partnership with the management team at OEG and the success achieved during Oaktree’s period of ownership. During that time, increased focus on the energy transition and global supply dynamics has made investment for core energy infrastructure even more important. We continue to have strong conviction in OEG’s growth trajectory and are thrilled to maintain a minority interest alongside Apollo funds.”

    Over the past five years, Apollo-managed funds and affiliates have committed, deployed, or arranged approximately $58 billioni of climate and energy transition-related investments, supporting companies and projects across clean energy and infrastructure.

    The transaction is subject to satisfaction of certain closing conditions, including regulatory approvals, and is expected to close in Q2 2025.

    Banco Santander SA acted as financial advisor and Vinson & Elkins LLP served as legal counsel to the Apollo funds on the transaction.

    Goldman Sachs International acted as financial adviser to Oaktree, while Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP (corporate) and Latham & Watkins (financing & antitrust) served as legal advisers.

    White & Case LLP served as legal counsel to OEG management.

    ___________________

    i As of December 31, 2024. The firmwide targets (the “Targets”) to deploy, commit, or arrange capital commensurate with Apollo’s proprietary Climate and Transition Investment Framework (the “CTIF”), are (1) $50 billion by 2027 and (2) more than $100 billion by 2030. The CTIF, which is subject to change at any time without notice, sets forth certain activities classified by Apollo as sustainable economic activities (“SEAs”), and the methodologies used to calculate contribution towards the Targets. Only investments determined to be currently contributing to an SEA in accordance with the CTIF are counted toward the Targets. Under the CTIF, Apollo uses different calculation methodologies for different types of investments in equity, debt and real estate. For additional details on the CTIF, please refer to our website here: https://www.apollo.com/strategies/asset-management/real-assets/sustainable-investing-platform.

    About Apollo

    Apollo is a high-growth, global alternative asset manager. In our asset management business, we seek to provide our clients excess return at every point along the risk-reward spectrum from investment grade credit to private equity. For more than three decades, our investing expertise across our fully integrated platform has served the financial return needs of our clients and provided businesses with innovative capital solutions for growth. Through Athene, our retirement services business, we specialize in helping clients achieve financial security by providing a suite of retirement savings products and acting as a solutions provider to institutions. Our patient, creative, and knowledgeable approach to investing aligns our clients, businesses we invest in, our employees, and the communities we impact, to expand opportunity and achieve positive outcomes. As of December 31, 2024, Apollo had approximately $751 billion of assets under management. To learn more, please visit www.apollo.com.

    About OEG Energy Group

    OEG is a leading offshore energy solutions business providing infrastructure assets, technologies and services to the global energy industry. From the company’s beginning in 1973, OEG has evolved significantly, growing both organically and through strategic acquisitions, to become a pivotal link in the global energy supply chain.

    OEG delivers specialized and complementary solutions for above-water, on-water and below-water applications across the full energy lifecycle. From the provision of offshore logistics equipment and bespoke solutions, through to the delivery of integrated services for larger project work scopes, OEG plays an important role in supporting the production of the world’s energy needs whether that be electricity, gas or oil.

    Headquartered in Aberdeen, UK, OEG has over 1,300 employees and operates in more than 65 countries.

    About Oaktree

    Oaktree is a leader among global investment managers specializing in alternative investments, with $202 billion in assets under management as of December 31, 2024. The firm emphasizes an opportunistic, value-oriented, and risk-controlled approach to investments in credit, equity, and real estate. The firm has more than 1,200 employees and offices in 23 cities worldwide. For additional information, please visit Oaktree’s website at http://www.oaktreecapital.com/.

    Apollo Contacts

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

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

    Oaktree Press Contacts

    FGS Global
    Rory King / Hannah Ratcliff
    Rory.King@fgsglobal.com / Hannah.Ratcliff@fgsglobal.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Tenable Research Reveals Popular AI Tools Used in Cloud Environments are Highly Vulnerable

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    COLUMBIA, Md. , March 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Tenable®, the exposure management company, today announced the release of its Cloud AI Risk Report 2025, which found that cloud-based AI is prone to avoidable toxic combinations that leave sensitive AI data and models vulnerable to manipulation, data tampering and data leakage.

    Cloud and AI are undeniable game changers for businesses. However, both introduce complex cyber risks when combined. The Tenable Cloud AI Risk Report 2025 highlights the current state of security risks in cloud AI development tools and frameworks, and in AI services offered by the three major cloud providers—Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud Platform (GCP) and Microsoft Azure. The key findings from the report include:

    • Cloud AI workloads aren’t immune to vulnerabilities: Approximately 70% of cloud AI workloads contain at least one unremediated vulnerability. In particular, Tenable Research found CVE-2023-38545—a critical curl vulnerability—in 30% of cloud AI workloads.
    • Jenga®-style1cloud misconfigurations exist in managed AI services: 77% of organizations have the overprivileged default Compute Engine service account configured in Google Vertex AI Notebooks. This means all services built on this default Compute Engine are at risk.
    • AI training data is susceptible to data poisoning, threatening to skew model results: 14% of organizations using Amazon Bedrock do not explicitly block public access to at least one AI training bucket and 5% have at least one overly permissive bucket.
    • Amazon SageMaker notebook instances grant root access by default: As a result, 91% of Amazon SageMaker users have at least one notebook that, if compromised, could grant unauthorized access, which could result in the potential modification of all files on it.

    “When we talk about AI usage in the cloud, more than sensitive data is on the line. If a threat actor manipulates the data or AI model, there can be catastrophic long-term consequences, such as compromised data integrity, compromised security of critical systems and degradation of customer trust,” said Liat Hayun, VP of Research and Product Management, Cloud Security, Tenable. “Cloud security measures must evolve to meet the new challenges of AI and find the delicate balance between protecting against complex attacks on AI data and enabling organizations to achieve responsible AI innovation.”

    1 The Jenga®-style concept, coined by Tenable, identifies the tendency of cloud providers to build one service on top of the other, with “behind the scenes” building blocks inheriting risky defaults from one layer to the next. Such cloud misconfigurations, especially in AI environments, can have severe risk implications if exploited.

    About Tenable
    Tenable® is the exposure management company, exposing and closing the cybersecurity gaps that erode business value, reputation and trust. The company’s AI-powered exposure management platform radically unifies security visibility, insight and action across the attack surface, equipping modern organizations to protect against attacks from IT infrastructure to cloud environments to critical infrastructure and everywhere in between. By protecting enterprises from security exposure, Tenable reduces business risk for approximately 44,000 customers around the globe. Learn more at tenable.com.

    Media Contact:
    Tenable
    tenablepr@tenable.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Proscia Raises $50M To Advance AI-Driven Pathology And Deliver The Future Of Precision Medicine

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    • Proscia is rewiring pathology to speed up the development of targeted therapies, accelerate diagnosis, and match more patients with the best course of treatment
    • Funding led by global software investor Insight Partners comes as the surge in cancer cases compounds the impact of the shrinking pathologist workforce
    • The company will use the funds to grow its customer footprint and advance Concentriq, with focus on extending the platform’s core AI capabilities

    PHILADELPHIA, March 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Proscia®, a software company leading pathology’s transition to digital and AI, has secured $50M in funding, bringing its total raised to $130M. This investment follows Proscia’s record-breaking growth in 2024. Proscia now counts 16 of the top 20 pharmaceutical companies among its users and is on track for 22,000+ patients to be diagnosed on its Concentriq® software platform each day.

    Cancer patients often wait more than two months to receive a diagnosis and start treatment1 as the rest of medicine races ahead. Pathology—the bedrock of up to 70% of clinical decisions2 and a critical driver of every drug brought to market—is among the last fields of healthcare to modernize, despite mounting pressures from a workforce shortage and rising case volume. Proscia is rewiring pathology, shifting it from microscope to data-rich images, to overcome these challenges, unlock new insights, and shape the future of care.

    At the center of this transformation is Proscia’s Concentriq, the only AI-driven pathology platform underpinning the precision medicine value chain. In powering drug discovery to diagnostics, Concentriq is a foundation for fueling the next novel therapies, accelerating diagnosis, and connecting a network of life sciences organizations and laboratories to match more patients with targeted treatments.

    “We are living through an extraordinary moment in medicine,” said David West, Proscia’s CEO. “Demand for advanced diagnostics is surging, digital pathology is gaining global traction, and AI is moving faster than the boldest predictions made just a few years ago. Patients are waiting to realize the future of precision medicine. With this investment, we will ensure that more pathologists and scientists can deliver it.”

    The funding was led by global software investor Insight Partners along with AI Capital Partners (Alpha Intelligence Capital’s US fund) and Triangle Peak Partners. Other investors included Avenue Venture Opportunities Fund, Emerald Development Managers, GPG Healthcare, Fusion Fund, Interwoven Ventures, and Razor’s Edge.

    “Insight has had a long-standing thesis on digitization and AI in pathology, and we’ve been waiting for a winner to emerge,” said Scott Barclay, Managing Director at Insight Partners. “Proscia is poised to be that leader. With its fast-growing customer base and strong champions of its product, it will continue to solidify its position as digital pathology moves into the mainstream.”

    Proscia will use the capital to propel its commercial momentum, growing adoption of its platform. This includes leveraging its OEM partnerships with Agilent Technologies and Siemens Healthineers. The company will also continue to weave AI into the core of Concentriq and expand its lead in offering the industry’s most extensive collection of applications through its precision medicine AI portfolio. Building on the impact of Concentriq Embeddings, which brings foundation models to the platform and has been demonstrated to accelerate AI development by 13x, Proscia will further enable researchers and data scientists to develop and deploy algorithms for biomarker discovery, clinical trials, and companion diagnostics on its platform.

    “Adoption of digital pathology and AI is creating an opportunity for a more connected and data-driven healthcare ecosystem,” said Katie Maloney, Partner at industry-leading strategy consulting and market intelligence firm DeciBio. “This shift is enabling precision medicine by making breakthroughs more technologically achievable, commercially viable, and clinically impactful for patients.”

    Learn more:

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

    ________________________________

    1 Lowes, S., & Cropper De Andres, I. (2025, February 13). Cancer waiting times: Latest updates and analysis. Cancer Research UK. ​news.cancerresearchuk.org
    2 NHS England (2017). Digital First: Clinical Transformation Through Pathology Innovation. National Pathology Programme; doi: https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/pathol-dig-first.pdf

    For Proscia
    Sydney Fenkell
    VP, Marketing Communications
    sydney@proscia.com
    215.816.3436

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: How Artificial Intelligence (AI) is Undeniably Reshaping The Landscape of The Mortgage Industry

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PALM BEACH, Fla., March 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FN Media Group News Commentary – Industry insiders are saying that the mortgage industry is undergoing a transformative shift with the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI). This cutting-edge technology is revolutionizing various aspects of the mortgage process, from application to regulatory compliance. A recent article by one such insider focused on AI in the Mortgage Industry said: “In the contemporary landscape of the mortgage industry, the infusion of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has ushered in a paradigm shift, influencing various facets of the lending process. Embracing AI in mortgage services has become synonymous with innovation, offering a spectrum of benefits to both lenders and borrowers. AI in mortgage industry manifests through sophisticated algorithms and machine learning models that power automated decision-making processes, commonly known as AI mortgage services. These services streamline and optimize tasks such as underwriting and risk assessment, ensuring faster and more accurate lending decisions. The integration of AI in mortgage lending not only expedites processes but also enhances the overall efficiency of loan origination.” Active Companies in the markets today include: Beeline Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: BLNE), Rocket Companies (NYSE: RKT), Redfin Corporation (NASDAQ: RDFN), loanDepot, Inc. (NYSE: LDI), Better Home & Finance Holding Company (NASDAQ: BETR).

    The article continued: “One of the key advantages of AI in the mortgage industry lies in its ability to provide personalized experiences for borrowers. AI-driven virtual assistants navigate complex mortgage terms, address borrower queries, and facilitate smoother communication channels. This not only fosters customer satisfaction but also contributes to a more transparent and engaging lending experience. The role of AI in the mortgage industry goes beyond individual transactions; it extends to the broader scope of the industry itself. Artificial intelligence in mortgage lending is a proactive force in fraud detection and prevention. Through the analysis of intricate patterns in financial data, AI can identify anomalies and potential fraudulent activities, bolstering the security of mortgage transactions and safeguarding the interests of both lenders and borrowers.”

    Beeline Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: BLNE) AI Sales Agent ‘Bob 2.0’ Delivers 6X More Leads than Human Chat – Revolutionizing Mortgage Sales at Near Zero Cost – Beeline Holdings, Inc. (#BLNE), a leader in AI-driven mortgage technology, has launched Bob 2.0, the next evolution of its AI-powered sales agent, driving a 6X increase in qualified leads over human agents while running 24/7 at minimal cost.

    “Bob changes the game for scaling front-end mortgage operations,” said Nick Liuzza, CEO of Beeline. “With Bob we’re able to engage more prospects, generate more leads, and streamline sales, all while keeping our Loan Guides focused on closing deals.” Bob is among the 1st ever AI Mortgage sales bots and was released by Beeline in June 2023.

    AI That Delivers Real Results:

    Bob 2.0 doesn’t just respond to inquiries—it actively drives conversations toward a sales outcome:

    • Engages 3X more website visitors than standard chat solutions
    • Delivers 6X more leads from conversations—double the industry standard
    • Generates 8X more mortgage applications
    • Operates 24/7, handling lead generation tasks at a scale no human team could match

    Bob’s Adaptive AI—A Smarter Sales Agent

    What sets Bob apart is its ability to respond, adapt, and sell like a human—but without fatigue, missed opportunities, or salary and other overhead. Bob can:

    • Guide users through personalized sales journeys based on proven strategies
    • Maintain focus in conversations, handling interruptions with precision
    • Retain and apply user-provided details, ensuring seamless interactions
    • Recognize buyer motivations, responding in a way that builds trust and engagement
    • Support Spanish-language interactions, automatically adapting based on user preferences

    Beyond Chat: Bob Is Expanding Into SMS, Voice & Live Appointments

    Bob’s evolution is far from over. Over the next 90 days, Beeline will integrate Bob with:

    • Calendly-powered appointment booking and live handovers to Loan Guides
    • AI-driven SMS and voice channels to qualify leads and assist customers throughout the loan application process
    • Real-time loan approvals—turning mortgage origination into a 24/7 operation

    Future Expansion: AI-Powered Underwriting & Market Growth

    Bob’s success has spurred the launch of MagicBlocks, an AI startup seed-funded by Beeline, to bring its AI-powered sales technology to a broader market. Looking ahead, Bob is expected to begin underwriting by Q3 2025, adding a new level of efficiency and further streamlining Beeline’s mortgage process. “As the mortgage market normalizes, AI gives us the ability to scale operations dynamically without added costs,” said Liuzza. “Bob is just the beginning of how AI will redefine mortgage lending.” Continued… Read more about BLNE by going to: https://makeabeeline.com/investor-relations/

    Other recent developments in the markets include:

    Rocket Companies (NYSE: RKT), the Detroit-based fintech platform consisting of mortgage, real estate and personal finance businesses, recently announced it has entered into an agreement to purchase Redfin Corporation (NASDAQ: RDFN), a leading digital real estate brokerage, in an all-stock transaction for a value of $12.50 per Redfin share, or $1.75 billion of equity value.

    “Rocket and Redfin have a unified vision of a better way to buy and sell homes,” said Varun Krishna, CEO of Rocket Companies. “Together, we will improve the experience by connecting traditionally disparate steps of the search and financing process with leading technology that removes friction, reduces costs and increases value to American homebuyers.”

    For 40 years, Rocket’s digital platform has grown to provide home financing in all 50 states across 3,000+ counties and parishes. By combining Redfin’s home search and real estate agent network with Rocket’s mortgage origination and servicing capabilities, the company envisions a more seamless experience from search to close, to servicing and future transactions.

    “Rocket and Redfin’s approaches to lending and brokerage service have always been two halves of one vision to make the whole home-buying process magical,” said Glenn Kelman, CEO of Redfin. “We want a customer to be able to check her phone to find out what she can afford, see which homes are just right for her, schedule a tour with a local, expert Redfin agent, and get pre-qualified for a loan, all in a matter of minutes. Varun and I see how much better real estate could be when AI guides customers not just through that first step in their search, but all the way home, through the sale, the loan and then a lifetime of accumulating equity and wealth.”

    loanDepot, Inc. (NYSE: LDI), (together with its subsidiaries, “loanDepot” or the “Company”), a leading provider of products and services that power the homeownership journey, recently announced results for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2024.

    “2024 was a year of significant progress for loanDepot with the completion of our Vision 2025 strategic program,” said President and Chief Executive Officer Frank Martell. “The strategic imperatives of Vision 2025 served as our roadmap for successfully navigating the historical downturn in the housing and mortgage markets over the past three years. As the Company enters 2025, I believe team loanDepot is positioned to accelerate revenue growth and continue our progress towards sustainable profitability under the auspices of Project North Star that we announced in November 2024, and under Anthony Hsieh’s new leadership that was announced last week.

    Better Home & Finance Holding Company (NASDAQ: BETR), the leading digital homeownership company, recently announced record growth in its Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC) and Home Equity Loan (HELOAN) business, scaling loan volume 400% from $15 million per month in January 2024 to $60 million per month by October 2024. This acceleration establishes Better as the fastest-growing digital home equity lender in the market.

    As traditional mortgage demand fluctuates, Better’s suite of home equity products helps strategically diversify its lending volume segments and helps homeowners access fast and flexible home equity lending solutions across market cycles. Better’s implementation of Betsy™ — the Company’s voice-based AI loan assistant — into its product funnel has since facilitated its home equity lending growth, cutting response times from hours to seconds while operating 24/7, 365 days a year with greater speed and cost efficiency than traditional lenders or mortgage call centers. The Company’s lending volume is also fueled by strategic partnerships with mortgage brokers and lenders who leverage Better’s technology and capital to offer HELOCs and HELOANs under correspondent and white-label arrangements.

    About FN Media Group:
    At FN Media Group, via our top-rated online news portal at www.financialnewsmedia.com, we are one of the very few select firms providing top tier one syndicated news distribution, targeted ticker tag press releases and stock market news coverage for today’s emerging companies. #tickertagpressreleases #pressreleases

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    DISCLAIMER: FN Media Group LLC (FNM), which owns and operates FinancialNewsMedia.com and MarketNewsUpdates.com, is a third party publisher and news dissemination service provider, which disseminates electronic information through multiple online media channels. FNM is NOT affiliated in any manner with any company mentioned herein. FNM and its affiliated companies are a news dissemination solutions provider and are NOT a registered broker/dealer/analyst/adviser, holds no investment licenses and may NOT sell, offer to sell or offer to buy any security. FNM’s market updates, news alerts and corporate profiles are NOT a solicitation or recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities. The material in this release is intended to be strictly informational and is NEVER to be construed or interpreted as research material. All readers are strongly urged to perform research and due diligence on their own and consult a licensed financial professional before considering any level of investing in stocks. All material included herein is republished content and details which were previously disseminated by the companies mentioned in this release. FNM is not liable for any investment decisions by its readers or subscribers. Investors are cautioned that they may lose all or a portion of their investment when investing in stocks. For current services performed FNM has been compensated twenty five hundred dollars for news coverage of the current press releases issued by Beeline Holdings, Inc. by a non-affiliated third party. FNM HOLDS NO SHARES OF ANY COMPANY NAMED IN THIS RELEASE.

    This release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. “Forward-looking statements” describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as “may”, “future”, “plan” or “planned”, “will” or “should”, “expected,” “anticipates”, “draft”, “eventually” or “projected”. You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, and other risks identified in a company’s annual report on Form 10-K or 10-KSB and other filings made by such company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included herein, and not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and FNM undertakes no obligation to update such statements.

    Contact Information:
    Media Contact email: editor@financialnewsmedia.com – +1(561)325-8757

    SOURCE: FN Media Group

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Bullet Blockchain and Sailo Technologies Partner to Set a New Standard in Bitcoin ATM Security and Fraud Prevention

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LAS VEGAS, March 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bullet Blockchain, Inc. (“Bullet Blockchain” or the “Company”), (OTC: BULT), a pioneering BaaS company at the forefront of blockchain and Bitcoin ATM technologies, announced today the finalization of its exclusive partnership with Sailo Technologies CY Ltd. (“Sailo Technologies” or “SailoTech”). This collaboration designates Bullet as the exclusive provider of advanced cybersecurity solutions for the Bitcoin ATM industry across the United States.

    Initially announced December 2024, this exclusive strategic partnership introduces a first-of-its-kind, cutting-edge cybersecurity solution for crypto wallets—designed to combat the growing threat of crypto wallet fraud in the rapidly expanding Bitcoin ATM industry. Sailo Technologies, a leader in cryptographic security, has partnered with Bullet Blockchain to integrate next-generation security solutions into Bitcoin ATMs. This collaboration aims to enhance security, prevent fraud, and create a seamless transaction experience for cryptocurrency users worldwide.

    Enhancing Bitcoin ATM Security Through Innovation

    As Bitcoin ATMs grow in popularity, security vulnerabilities remain a critical concern. Attackers continue to exploit weaknesses in transaction protocols, increasing fraud-related incidents. Recognizing this, Bullet Blockchain and Sailo Technologies have joined forces to implement cutting-edge cryptographic protections designed to prevent fraud, secure transactions, and build trust in Bitcoin ATM usage.

    “Bitcoin ATMs are a crucial access point for the crypto economy, but security gaps put users at unnecessary risk,” said Ehud Tal, CEO and Co-founder of Sailo Technologies. “By integrating advanced cryptographic security into these machines, we are not just improving security—we are setting a new industry standard.”

    Through this partnership, Sailo Technologies’ next-generation security solutions will be integrated into Bullet Blockchain’s licensed Bitcoin ATM network, providing enhanced fraud prevention, transaction monitoring, and wallet security.

    “This partnership isn’t just about upgrading security—it’s about redefining the Bitcoin ATM experience,” said Simon Rubin, CEO of Bullet Blockchain. “By combining Bullet’s deep industry expertise with Sailo Technologies’ advanced cybersecurity solutions, we’re creating a safer, more seamless way for users to interact with cryptocurrency.”

    What This Means for Bitcoin ATM Users

    With this advanced security rollout, starting with Bullet’s ATMs, participating Bitcoin ATM operators and their users will benefit from:

    • Stronger Security – Transactions protected by next-gen cryptographic technology
    • Enhanced Fraud Prevention – Advanced security measures to block unauthorized access
    • Safer Bitcoin ATMs – Reduced risks of theft and fraudulent activity
    • Protection Against Crypto Wallet Exploits – Safeguarding personal and transactional data

    By proactively addressing security risks, Bullet Blockchain and Sailo Technologies are reinforcing trust in Bitcoin ATMs and ensuring safer, more reliable cryptocurrency transactions nationwide.

    Bullet Blockchain’s Intellectual Property

    Bullet Blockchain continues to advance its licensing initiatives, offering operators and manufacturers a variety of partnership models including transaction-based fees and revenue-sharing opportunities centered around its intellectual property. Now, with its exclusive partnership with SailoTech to provide advanced cybersecurity solutions for Bitcoin ATMs, the value proposition for operators and manufacturers partnering with Bullet has become even stronger—beyond just Bullet’s ownership of key Bitcoin ATM patents.

    As previously announced, Bullet Blockchain acquired First Bitcoin Capital LLC, gaining ownership of an intellectual property portfolio that includes two Bitcoin ATM patents. By virtue of its subsidiary, First Bitcoin Capital LLC, Bullet Blockchain holds the exclusive rights to U.S. Patent Nos. US9135787B1 (“Bitcoin kiosk/ATM device and system integrating enrollment protocol and method of using the same”) and US10332205B1 (“Bitcoin kiosk/ATM device and system and method of using the same”). These patents remain critical technologies for the operation and security of Bitcoin ATMs and their networks.

    About Sailo Technologies

    Based in Cyprus, Sailo Technologies is a leading cybersecurity firm dedicated to delivering cutting-edge solutions for the protection of digital assets. Their advanced offering focus on securing cryptocurrency transactions and ensuring the integrity and safety of users’ worldwide. Sailo Technologies is a leading cybersecurity company specializing in security-agnostic service solutions for financial blockchain transactions. Its technology is designed to make transactions transparent only between the participants, much like standard financial transactions. Our real-time algorithm works without any manipulation of private currencies or chains, and no off-chain/on-chain bridges. The Sailo Technologies protocol allows customers to prevent tracking, currency theft, hacking, and other cyber-attacks.

    About Bullet Blockchain 

    Headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, Bullet Blockchain Inc. – common stock is publicly traded on the OTC Markets under the symbol (BULT) – is a diversified software development and BaaS company, specializing in blockchain technologies and Web 3.0, and through its wholly owned subsidiary, First Bitcoin Capital LLC, the owner and licensor of two Bitcoin ATM patents. Bullet Blockchain’s Bitcoin ATMs are operated by licensed third-party operators within the jurisdictions in which they reside. Bullet Blockchain is committed to driving the innovations needed to shape the future of digital and blockchain-related platforms through digital technology and decentralized blockchain solutions. Management is dedicated to rapid growth and increasing the shareholders’ value. 

    Shareholders, potential investors, and others should note that we announce material events and material financial information to our shareholders and the public using our website and the social media addresses listed below, as well as in our OTC Markets’ disclosures, press releases, public conference calls, and webcasts. We also use social media to communicate with our email subscribers and the public about Bullet Blockchain, services, and other related information. It is possible that the information we post on social media could be deemed to be material information. Therefore, we encourage shareholders, the media, and others interested in Bullet Blockchain to review the information we post on Bullet Blockchain’s social media channels listed below. This list may be updated from time to time. 

    Follow us at: 

    Forward-Looking Statements: 

    Statements in this press release that are not statements of historical or current fact constitute “forward-looking statements.” Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other unknown factors that could cause the Company’s actual operating results to be materially different from any historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. In addition to these factors, actual future performance, outcomes, and results may differ materially because of more general factors, including (without limitation) general industry and market conditions and growth rates, economic conditions, and governmental and public policy changes. The forward-looking statements included in this press release represent the Company’s views as of the date of this press release, and these views could change at some point in the future. However, the Company specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the Company’s views as of any date subsequent to the date of the press release. In addition to statements that explicitly describe these risks and uncertainties, readers are urged to consider statements that contain terms such as “believes,” “belief,” “expects,” “expect,” “intends,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “anticipates,” “plans,” “plan,” to be uncertain and forward-looking. 

    Contact us: contact@BulletBlockchain.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Realty Executives See Opportunity to Drive Revenue with Lofty

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PHOENIX, March 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Award-winning technology innovator Lofty today announced that Realty Executives International has engaged with the company to offer to their extensive network of franchisees, teams, and agents the Lofty AI-powered platform. To learn more about how Lofty empowers everyone from the agent to the enterprise to make more money, visit https://lofty.com/.

    With over 150 brokerages across North America, Realty Executives is always looking for unique ways to help its franchisees accelerate profitable growth, support the unique needs of the brokerage business, and enable real estate professionals at all levels to increase production while maintaining the privacy of their leads and database. With Lofty, Realty Executives brokerages, agents, and teams can leverage a flexible org structure with needed permissions and controls, as well as innovative reporting capabilities to track agent performance and ROI from advertising spend. Coupled with the platform’s lead generation programs such as Lofty Blast, and empowered by innovative tools like Lofty Present and Social Studio, Realty Executives users will be able to increase their productivity while streamlining the home buying and selling experience for their clients, from search to settlement.

    “Real estate professionals at every level need to leverage technology, particularly a strong CRM, if they want to compete and grow in this market,” said Patrick van den Bossche, President of Realty Executives International. “Presenting Lofty as a tech option provides our network with an additional opportunity to drive revenue from their existing databases. Through our strategic relationship, those in our network who opt in to the Lofty service offerings can benefit from a competitive cost model.”

    “As a Realty Executives franchise owner, I am excited to offer our teams and agents easy-to-use technology that can help them start making money quickly,” said Mike Tezak, Broker/Owner of Realty Executives Premier in Valparaiso, Indiana. “Lofty’s practical applications are not just technology for technology’s sake but mapped to how our agents actually work. Plus, these proven innovations will help us to recruit and retain high producing agents and deliver a real return.”

    Unlike other technology applications that are too rigid and too cumbersome for brokerages and agents alike, Lofty’s AI-powered enterprise platform is custom-built for how real estate professionals operate – from the agent to the enterprise and everything in between. With proven innovations that are designed to close deals faster and generate revenue, Lofty enhances agent workflows and eliminates the need to toggle between multiple applications, saving everyone time and money. As an enterprise platform with enhanced reporting capabilities and extensive custom branding options, Lofty provides the technological foundation needed to gain a competitive edge in the real estate market.

    “Modern real estate brands like Realty Executives understand that technology can serve as a true catalyst for business growth. But to be effective, the applications must be seamlessly woven into the fabric of how real estate brokerages operate their firms and how their teams of agents execute day-to-day activities,” noted Brian Hoialmen, Chief Strategy Officer, Lofty. “With the comprehensive Lofty platform and our AI-powered tools, we can empower everyone at every level of real estate operations with the proven innovations needed to close more deals and make more money.”   

    To learn more about how Lofty can help your enterprise meet business growth goals, visit www.lofty.com.

    About Lofty Inc.
    Lofty Inc. (formerly Chime Technologies) provides an AI-powered platform that helps real estate professionals increase their productivity and accelerate business growth. Featuring award-winning technology, the Lofty platform is designed to optimize every step of the real estate journey, from search to settlement. By leveraging one unified hub, customers can automate marketing programs, streamline the sales process, and maximize collaboration between agents empowering them to spend more time building relationships and their business. Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, Lofty operates as a US subsidiary of Moatable, Inc. (OTCPK: MTBLY). For more information, visit lofty.com.

    About Realty Executives International
    Founded in 1965, Realty Executives is one of the largest and most established real estate systems with over 5,000 members working across the globe. As the only brand named after its people, their Executives, the company operates with the philosophy that the network and the people that represent it come first. Creator of the first ever 100% commission concept, Realty Executives attracts and retains the most productive, efficient, and successful real estate professionals in the industry through our unparalleled brand, technology, training, and concierge services. For more information, visit RealtyExecutives.com.

    For More Information:
    Julie Crotty
    Attune Communications
    julie@attunecommunications.com

     

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Toobit Obtains VASP License in Poland

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands, March 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Toobit, the award-winning cryptocurrency derivatives trading platform, has successfully secured the Poland VASP (Virtual Asset Service Provider) license from the Polish Financial Supervision Authority (KNF).

    As part of its registration, the leading global exchange was assessed on its anti-money laundering measures and know-your-customer processes, both which currently align with the EU’s latest financial standards.

    “Obtaining the Polish VASP license is a representation of our commitment to operating within a regulated framework,” said Mike Williams, Chief Communication Officer of Toobit, “With the European Union preparing to roll out MiCA, this milestone is especially significant as it puts us ahead in regulatory compliance.”

    With the license, the exchange expects continued growth in Poland, a growing crypto market with increasing adoption of digital assets. Statista indicates that the number of cryptocurrency users in the region is projected to reach 7.91m users by 2025. Projected revenue in the cryptocurrency markets in Poland is expected to reach US$514.2m as a result.

    The Polish VASP (Virtual Asset Service Provider) license is issued by the Ministry of Finance of Poland and regulated by the KNF. Licensed VASPs are required to comply with Poland’s AML (Anti-Money Laundering) and Counter-Terrorist Financing (CTF) regulations

    About Toobit

    Toobit is where the future of crypto trading unfolds—an award-winning cryptocurrency derivatives exchange built for those who thrive exploring new frontiers. With deep liquidity and cutting-edge technology, Toobit empowers traders worldwide to navigate the digital asset markets with confidence. We offer a fair, secure, seamless, and transparent trading experience, ensuring every trade is an opportunity to discover what’s next.

    For more information about Toobit, visit: Website | X | Telegram | LinkedIn | Discord | Instagram

    Contact: Davin C.

    Email: market@toobit.com

    Website: www.toobit.com

    Disclaimer: This press release is provided by Toobit. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice. Investing in crypto and mining related opportunities involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital. Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. However, due to the inherently speculative nature of the blockchain sector–including cryptocurrency, NFTs, and mining–complete accuracy cannot always be guaranteed. Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release.Speculate only with funds that you can afford to lose.

    Legal Disclaimer: This media platform provides the content of this article on an “as-is” basis, without any warranties or representations of any kind, express or implied. We do not assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information presented herein. Any concerns, complaints, or copyright issues related to this article should be directed to the content provider mentioned above.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/aac03e62-d5c8-4274-975d-812e0c9148c9

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Vocodia Holdings Corp. Announces Engagement of Alpine Securities Corporation as Investment Banker

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BOCA RATON, Fla., March 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Vocodia Holdings Corp. (OTC: VHAI) (“Vocodia”), a leader in AI software development focusing on practical AI applications, is pleased to announce the engagement of Alpine Securities Corporation (“Alpine”) as its new investment banker. This strategic partnership aims to enhance Vocodia’s financial strategies and support its continued growth in the AI industry.

    Alpine Securities Corporation is a broker-dealer and boutique investment firm known for its expertise in providing tailored financial solutions to emerging companies. Their commitment to understanding the unique needs of their clients aligns with Vocodia’s innovative approach to AI technology

    Brian Podolak, CEO of Vocodia, commented on the engagement: “​Partnering with Alpine Securities Corporation represents a significant step forward in our mission to revolutionize the AI landscape. Their deep industry knowledge and personalized approach to investment banking will be invaluable as we continue to expand our offerings and reach new markets.”

    This engagement underscores Vocodia’s commitment to leveraging strategic partnerships to drive growth and innovation in the AI sector. The company looks forward to a fruitful collaboration with Alpine Securities Corporation

    About Vocodia Holdings Corp.

    Vocodia is an AI software company that develops practical AI solutions, making them easily accessible for businesses through cloud-based platforms. These solutions are cost-effective and scalable to enterprise levels. Vocodia specializes in conversational AI, providing scalable enterprise-level AI sales and customer service solutions. Their Digital Intelligent Sales Agents (DISAs) are designed to sound and feel human, performing tasks that require human-like conversation, thereby reducing labor costs and enhancing communication effectiveness. For more information, please visit: http://www.vocodia.com

    About Alpine Securities Corporation

    Alpine Securities Corporation is a broker-dealer and boutique investment firm offering a range of financial services, including investment banking, brokerage, and advisory services. With a focus on personalized client solutions, Alpine is committed to supporting the growth and success of emerging companies across various industries.​ 

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as: “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “project,” “estimate,” “expect,” strategy,” “future,” “likely,” “may,”, “should,” “will” and similar references to future periods. 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 risks and uncertainties more fully in the section captioned “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 related to the public offering (SEC File No. File No. 333-269489) and other reports we file with the SEC. As a result of these matters, changes in facts, assumptions not being realized or other circumstances, our actual results may differ materially from the expected results discussed in the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Forward-looking statements contained in this announcement are made as of this date and undertake no duty to update such information except as required under applicable law.

    Investor Relations Contact: 
    650-789-6556
    ir@vocodia.com

    Investors can also call Vocodia’s Investor Relations (IR) line, DISA, 24×7 at 650-789-6556 for inquiries.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Reliance Global Group Launches RELI Auto Leasing—Delivering ANY Vehicle to ANY Location in the United States

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LAKEWOOD, NJ, March 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Reliance Global Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: RELI) (“Reliance”, “we” or the “Company”) today announced the launch of RELI Auto Leasing, a groundbreaking service that enables RELI Exchange Agency Partners to seamlessly offer vehicle leasing to their clients while earning commissions on both the lease and the residual insurance policy. This innovative initiative reinforces the Company’s commitment to expanding revenue opportunities for agency partners while maintaining a strong focus on insurance services.

    Home and auto policies are the core products of personal lines insurance. When clients seek a new vehicle, their insurance agent is often part of the discussion, advising on coverage options and facilitating policy transitions. After a vehicular accident, clients often look toward their insurance agent to discuss how to approach their replacement vehicle. Using our newly launched RELI Auto Leasing, insurance agents can now connect clients to vehicle leasing options without stepping outside their core business.

    “One of the most important aspects of RELI Auto Leasing, is that our agency partners can earn more commissions without becoming trained in auto leasing. Instead, the agency partner seamlessly connects their clients with our trusted leasing partners from within their agent dashboard,” said Ezra Beyman, Chairman and CEO of Reliance Global Group. “This initiative is a game-changer for independent agents, enabling them to offer an added service without losing focus on their core insurance business. By incorporating auto leasing into client conversations, agents not only enhance their value proposition but also unlock new revenue streams that complement their existing insurance offerings. The leasing pricing is both competitive and convenient, making it an attractive choice for clients exploring vehicle lease options. Our agency partners have provided outstanding feedback on our advanced Insurtech white-labelled quoting engine and CRM, positioning RELI Exchange as the obvious choice as an insurance partner. We believe this additional path of revenue for our agency partners furthers our positive differentiator in the insurance industry.”

    Clients benefit from a wide selection of vehicles, all available for delivery anywhere in the U.S., offering unmatched convenience. Whether seeking a new lease or upgrading a current vehicle, clients are now able to enjoy a streamlined process with guidance from a trusted insurance advisor. By bridging the gap between auto leasing and insurance, RELI Exchange empowers agency partners to deepen client relationships, foster long-term loyalty, and generate additional income—without added complexity.

    Moshe Fishman, Director of Insurtech and Operations said, “RELI Auto Leasing is another win for our RELI Exchange Agency Partners, enabling them to strengthen their client relationships while earning additional commissions. When consumers are in the market for a new car, they often overlook how the make and model of their new car can impact their auto insurance premium. When clients include their RELI Exchange agency partner in the car buying process, they can project the effect that each car will have to their insurance premium. This proactive approach eliminates the surprise that happens all too often in the industry when someone gets a new car, only to learn later that their insurance premium increased far more than anticipated. We are proud that RELI Exchange agency partners are adding even more peace of mind to their clients.”

    “Our vision for RELI Exchange has always been to maximize opportunities for our agency partners by providing a comprehensive suite of solutions aligned with their business model,” added Mr. Beyman. “RELI Auto Leasing is another step in our commitment to innovation—empowering independent agents to compete on a national scale through technology and strategic partnerships. As we continue expanding our ecosystem, we remain dedicated to delivering cutting-edge tools and services that drive success for our partners while enhancing the customer experience.”

    About Reliance Global Group, Inc.

    Reliance Global Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: RELI) is an InsurTech pioneer, leveraging artificial intelligence (AI), and cloud-based technologies, to transform and improve efficiencies in the insurance agency/brokerage industry. The Company’s business-to-business InsurTech platform, RELI Exchange, provides independent insurance agencies an entire suite of business development tools, enabling them to effectively compete with large-scale national insurance agencies, while reducing back-office cost and burden. The Company’s business-to-consumer platform, 5minuteinsure.com, utilizes AI and data mining, to provide competitive online insurance quotes within minutes to everyday consumers seeking to purchase auto, home, and life insurance. In addition, the Company operates its own portfolio of select retail “brick and mortar” insurance agencies which are leaders and pioneers in their respective regions throughout the United States, offering a wide variety of insurance products. Further information about the Company can be found at https://www.relianceglobalgroup.com.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements other than statements of historical facts included in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements and are not guarantees of future performance, condition or results and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “may,” “should,” “potential,” “continue,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates,” and similar expressions and include statements such as the Company having built a best-in-class InsurTech platform, making RELI Exchange an even more compelling value proposition and further accelerating growth of the platform, rolling out several other services in the near future to RELI Exchange agency partners, building RELI Exchange into the largest agency partner network in the U.S., the Company moving in the right direction and the Company’s highly scalable business model driving significant shareholder value. Actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of a number of factors, including those described from time to time in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and elsewhere ,and risks and uncertainties related to the Company’s ability to generate the revenue anticipated and the ability to build the RELI Exchange into the largest agency partner network in the U.S., and the other factors described in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, as the same may be updated from time to time. The foregoing review of important factors that could cause actual events to differ from expectations should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read in conjunction with statements that are included herein and elsewhere, including the risk factors included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, the Company’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, the Company’s Current Reports on Form 8-K and subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statement made herein. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release.

    Contact:
    Crescendo Communications, LLC
    Tel: +1 (212) 671-1020
    Email: RELI@crescendo-ir.com

    The MIL Network –