Category: Machine Learning

  • MIL-OSI China: US chipmaking drive at risk with Intel’s mounting financial woes

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    Intel, once the biggest chipmaker in the United States by revenue, is facing mounting financial troubles that threaten to derail the U.S. government’s ambitious strategy to revitalize domestic chip manufacturing.

    Intel shares have taken a hard hit in recent months after the company reported a staggering net loss of 1.61 billion U.S. dollars in the second quarter and announced cutting about 15,000 jobs to save costs. This is viewed as an especially troubling sign when the company is expected to bolster the U.S. semiconductor workforce.

    Intel’s stock has plummeted by about a third since the release of its latest earnings report in August and nearly two-thirds this year.

    This fall has pushed Intel’s market value below 100 billion dollars for the first time in three decades, as the company struggled to compete with artificial intelligence (AI) chip designers while missing the growth opportunities from the AI-driven boom.

    Intel was reportedly considering a range of options to cut costs, including separating or selling its foundry business or building chips based on designs from other companies.

    The U.S. government bet big on Intel to boost domestic chip manufacturing. The company’s foundry business was viewed as crucial to achieving that goal.

    In a show of support, the U.S. Commerce Department announced in March that it would award Intel a nearly 20-billion-dollar incentive package, including 8.5 billion dollars in grants and 11 billion dollars in loans. This represents the largest award under the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022.

    The CHIPS Act, which allocated 39 billion dollars in grants to incentivize chip companies to build factories in the United States, aimed to reverse the decades-long shift of semiconductor production to Asia.

    According to the Commerce Department’s announcement in March, the government’s incentive was designed to support Intel’s efforts to produce cutting-edge semiconductors at large-scale plants in Arizona and Ohio. The money was also reported to help pay for research and development and advanced packaging projects at facilities in Oregon and New Mexico.

    Intel is currently constructing four chip factories in the United States, with two facilities each in Ohio and Arizona. The two factories in Licking County, Ohio, are part of a 20-billion-dollar project that could eventually accommodate up to eight factories and are expected to be completed in 2025.

    In Arizona, Intel is investing over 32 billion dollars to build two new leading-edge chip factories and modernize an existing facility at its Ocotillo campus, according to the company.

    Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger said earlier that building chip factories in the United States is economically uncompetitive compared with Asia, and he expected the government’s incentives to help redress that imbalance.

    However, despite these ambitious plans and the promise of government support, Intel has yet to receive any funds from the announced incentive package. Growing questions surround the timeline for Intel to access the nearly 20 billion dollars in CHIPS Act incentives, which are contingent on the company meeting specific milestones and requirements.

    According to a Bloomberg report this month, the Department of Commerce declined Intel’s request for funds, instead insisting that the company meet key milestones and conduct significant due diligence before it would consider releasing the money.

    The implications of Intel’s financial woes extended beyond U.S. borders. The company paused plans for new chip factories in Germany and Poland and delayed the opening of a new chip packaging plant in Malaysia following its dismal second-quarter financial results.

    Media reports suggest that Qualcomm had approached Intel to acquire parts of its business, though both companies declined to comment on the deal. Industry analysts, however, remained skeptical about the potential for such a deal to address the challenges facing U.S. chip manufacturing.

    Qualcomm, having never operated a chip factory before, may not be interested in buying Intel’s loss-making chip manufacturing unit, as it would be challenging to turn around or sell the unit, according to a Monday report by Reuters, citing industry analysts.

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI China: Digital trade a new engine for growth

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    People visit the Silk Road E-commerce Zone during the third Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, Sept. 25, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    While China’s digital trade sector made significant progress in 2023, it is fast becoming a new engine in the country’s drive to strengthen its position as a strong trading nation and injecting new momentum into global economic growth, officials and experts said.

    China’s import and export of digitally-delivered services trade rose 8.5 percent year-on-year to 2.72 trillion yuan ($387.5 billion) in 2023, a record high, the Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday.

    The import and export scale of the country’s cross-border e-commerce reached 2.37 trillion yuan last year, up 15.3 percent year-on-year, according to a report on China’s development of digital trade released by the ministry during the ongoing third Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province.

    Zhu Guangyao, an official with the ministry, said digital technologies such as big data, cloud computing, artificial intelligence and blockchain are increasingly integrating with various fields of social and economic development, and the booming digital trade sector has shown strong resilience and profoundly impacted the models, structure and rules of global trade.

    China boasts abundant data resources, a huge domestic market and rich application scenarios for digital technologies, all of which have laid a solid foundation for the development of digital trade, Zhu said.

    The scale of digital trade of all countries worldwide rose from $6.02 trillion in 2021 to $7.13 trillion in 2023, with an average annual growth rate of 8.8 percent, said a report on global digital trade development.

    The European Union, the United States and China ranked as the top three in regard to digital trade volume, maintaining a steady growth trend. The report was jointly released by the organizing committee of the Global Digital Trade Expo and the International Trade Center during the expo.

    The report also noted that the digital transformation of international trade continued to accelerate between 2021 and 2023, with the proportion of digital trade in the overall scale of international trade increasing from 19.6 percent to 22.5 percent, with an average annual growth rate of 6.2 percent.

    The scale of global digitally ordered trade exports also experienced steady growth, reaching $2.88 trillion in 2023, with the largest numbers recorded by China, the EU and the US.

    In addition, the report highlighted that China is committed to building an open, innovative and shared digital economy ecosystem and providing basic institutional guarantees for cybersecurity, data security and personal information protection rights in the digital era.

    Digital trade has become a transformative force that is reshaping the global economy, connecting the entire world and encompassing the seamless movement of goods, services and data across borders, driven by technological advancements, said Ashish Shah, director of country programs at the International Trade Center.

    Shah highlighted that AI is quickly improving all parts of digital trade from supply chains to how businesses interact with customers, while the shift toward digital platforms, e-commerce, fintech, AI and data-driven trade opens new frontiers for businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises, which now have the tools to engage with international markets.

    “Governments, businesses, and international organizations must work together to create systems that encourage innovation, protect data privacy, and make sure the digital economy benefits everyone, especially SMEs in developing countries,” he added.

    It is noteworthy that Chinese cross-border e-commerce platforms are ratcheting up resources to develop digital trade and help Chinese manufacturers and brands expand their presence in overseas markets. The move is expected to give a strong boost to the transformation of traditional industries by making use of digital and flexible supply chains.

    For instance, fast-fashion online retailer Shein last year announced plans to extend its outreach to industrial belts in 500 cities in China. It hopes to facilitate the digital upgrade of more industrial chains, thereby helping them achieve on-demand supply in terms of production.

    The company is accelerating steps to build a supply chain project in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, covering operations, warehousing, stocking, order-picking, distribution, logistics and delivery.

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI Security: AUKUS Collaboration Advancing Capabilities in Indo-Pacific Region, Austin Says

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    The trilateral security partnership among the U.S., United Kingdom and Australia, also known as AUKUS, offers a unique opportunity for these nations to enhance their military capabilities, deepen interoperability and strengthen deterrence in the Indo-Pacific, said Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III. 

    Austin met in London today with his AUKUS counterparts: British Defense Secretary John Healey and Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles, who also serves as his country’s deputy prime minister.  

    Progress has been made toward providing Australia with a conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarine, Austin said, noting that over the past year, the number of Australian sailors attending U.S. and U.K. nuclear reactor schools has increased and a U.S. nuclear-powered submarine visited an Australian port. 

    “This was just the first step toward ensuring that Australia has a sovereign nuclear-powered submarine capability. We’re also making progress toward having a rotational presence of U.S. submarines by as early as 2027,” Austin said.

    The United States also remains committed to supporting Australia’s efforts to recruit and train the skilled workforce needed to build, maintain, sustain and operate a nuclear-powered submarine, Austin said. 

    The AUKUS partnership has two pillars. The first is to enable Australia’s acquisition of conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarine capability as rapidly as possible, most likely in the early 2030s, the senior defense official said. 

    The second pillar is to accelerate emerging capabilities, the official said. 

    Areas of focus within the Pillar II include uncrewed maritime systems, artificial intelligence, autonomy, electronic warfare, quantum, cyber and hypersonics, the official said.

    Japan will be working on the maritime autonomy aspect. Conversations with Canada, South Korea and New Zealand are underway on how each can contribute to Pillar II, the official said. 

    Also, as part of Pillar II, Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States have committed to reducing export control restrictions to facilitate secure trade among AUKUS partners, including the sale of U.S. Virginia-class submarines to Australia, the official said. 

    Congress amended the International Traffic in Arms Regulations as part of the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act and implemented an export licensing exemption for Australia and the United Kingdom, the official said. 

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Africa: National Basketball Association (NBA) Africa Announces Four Prize-Winning Companies at First Startup Accelerator Demo Day

    Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:

    NEW YORK, United States of America, September 26, 2024/APO Group/ —

    Festival Coins (Nigeria), Salubata (Nigeria), HustleSasa (Kenya) and UBR VR (Egypt) Win Top Prizes, including Financial Support and Mentorship; Paystack Payments Ltd., Kuramo Capital Management and Nigerian University of Technology and Management Join Demo Day as NBA Africa Triple-Double Accelerator’s First Official Partners (www.NBA.com).

    NBA Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer Mark Tatum today announced the four prize-winning startup businesses from “NBA Africa Triple-Double Accelerator” (http://apo-opa.co/3ZLmNoC), which NBA Africa launched in April 2024 to support the continent’s technology ecosystem and the next generation of African entrepreneurs.  The four winning businesses – Festival Coins (Nigeria), Salubata (Nigeria), HustleSasa (Kenya) and UBR VR (Egypt) – will be awarded financial support and mentorship, including an opportunity to participate in workshops and development programs facilitated by NBA Africa or its partners. 

    The 10 finalists, shortlisted from more than 700 early-stage African startup businesses that applied to participate, pitched their products to a panel of international industry leaders at a Demo Day at the NBA headquarters in New York City yesterday. The judges included Accelerate Africa Co-Founder and CEO Iyinoluwa Aboyeji; NBA Assistant General Counsel, Technology, Software Licensing and Digital Platforms Franciscus Diaba; Managing Director, Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Rwanda Crystal Rugege; Chegg Inc. Executive Chairman Dan Rosensweig; and Partner at Development Partners International Joanne Yoo.  NBA Commissioner Adam Silver also delivered opening remarks and met the 10 finalists.

    Below are the four winning businesses:

    1. Festival Coins (Nigeria), an event technology company that offers a customizable, no-code event registration and ticketing platform called Tix Africa for events in Nigeria and Ghana, won the first-place prize and $50,000. 
    2. Salubata (Nigeria), a company that creates modular shoes repurposed from plastic waste to reduce the global carbon footprint through its environmentally friendly products, won the second-place prize and $40,000. 
    3. HustleSasa (Kenya), which provides live event services that support payment processing, attendee check-in, merchandise sales, customer data management, influencer tracking, and more, won the third-place prize and $30,000.
    4. UBR VR (Egypt), which delivers state-of-the-art, fully immersive, in-person virtual reality (VR) experiences across Egypt, won the fourth-place prize and $20,000.

    The six other finalists each received a $10,000 prize. 

    The Demo Day was supported by three official partners: Paystack Payment Ltd. (http://apo-opa.co/3XHn75j), Kuramo Capital Management (http://apo-opa.co/3ZGroJ2) and Nigerian University of Technology and Management (NUTM) (http://apo-opa.co/3XHn1dX).  

    “Congratulations to all of the incredibly talented entrepreneurs who participated in this year’s program, with special recognition to the 10 finalists and four distinguished winners,” said NBA Africa CEO Clare Akamanzi.  “These outstanding companies have demonstrated the creativity, drive and determination to shape the future of sport in Africa and will help the continent take its rightful place on the world stage.  We look forward to following their successes for many years to come.”

    “NBA Africa Triple-Double Accelerator” is open to early-stage startups in Africa that develop solutions in event management and ticketing, youth development, AI, and digital marketing. 

    MIL OSI Africa

  • MIL-OSI: EXL launches specialized Insurance Large Language Model (LLM) leveraging NVIDIA AI Enterprise

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, Sept. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — EXL [NASDAQ: EXLS], a leading data analytics and digital operations and solutions company, announced the launch of the EXL Insurance LLM, an industry-specific LLM. Building on EXL’s recently announced initiative with NVIDIA AI Enterprise, the EXL Insurance LLM is the first industry-specific LLM created to support critical claims and underwriting-related tasks, such as claims reconciliation, data extraction and interpretation, question-answering, anomaly detection and chronology summarization.

    The EXL Insurance LLM was developed to address the highly specialized needs of the insurance industry, which has struggled to leverage off-the-shelf, general LLMs that lack fine-tuning of private insurance data and domain-specific understanding of business process operations. Generic LLMs also fail to address the nuanced challenges faced by insurance companies during claim adjudication, leading to inefficiencies, high indemnity costs, claims leakage, longer settlement timelines, and increased compliance risks. By focusing exclusively on insurance-related tasks, EXL has incorporated its deep knowledge of the insurance industry and highly tailored proprietary data to create the industry’s most accurate LLM.

    This level of specialization has become critical for ensuring accuracy, reducing cost and improving consistency in industry-specific AI applications. According to Gartner, more than 50% of the GenAI models that enterprises use will be specific to either an industry or business function by 2027 — up from approximately 1% in 2023. In internal studies, the EXL Insurance LLM achieved a 30% improvement in accuracy on insurance tasks, surpassing top pre-trained models, such as OpenAI GPT4, Claude and Gemini. It was built by EXL AI Labs using the full-stack NVIDIA AI platform.

    EXL customized the LLM using the NVIDIA NeMo™ end-to-end platform, part of the NVIDIA AI Enterprise Software Platform, for training, customization, and deployment, and to handle question-and-answer tasks and summarization. The training process involved special adapters and was done through low-rank adaptation (LoRA) and supervised fine-tuning (SFT). It was tested on single and multi-node setups to optimize performance, utilizing advanced parallel processing methods using the NeMo framework on H100 GPUs. This approach was crucial for handling this extensive dataset.

    EXL used NVIDIA Triton Inference Server™ to maximize GPU power for single and multi-node setups. The system also includes retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) with NIVDIA NeMo Retriever microservices to handle long documents for questions and answers. The EXL Insurance LLM utilizes NVIDIA Nemo Guardrails to better manage input and output, creating a smoother user experience.

    “With 25 years of expertise in processing medical records data for bodily injury, workers’ compensation, and general liability claims, EXL has developed curated data sets with domain-specific tagging, labeling, and question and answer pair creation for claims adjudication to fine-tune our models,” said Anand “Andy” Logani, EXL’s executive vice president and chief digital officer. “The EXL Insurance LLM offers 30% greater accuracy and 30% lower costs than generic LLMs while ensuring full regulatory compliance.”

    Specific tasks supported by the EXL Insurance LLM include the following:

    • Structured and Unstructured Data Ingestion: EXL Insurance LLM is able to aggregate and reconcile hundreds of thousands of de-identified medical records, claims histories, hand-written notes, call logs, and other claims and underwriting-related information.
    • Contextual Classification and Triaging: Data and insights extracted using the LLM are automatically categorized and fed into a wide range of core functions, ranging from claims adjudication to provider engagement to payment integrity to customer service functions.
    • Conversations and Insights from Data: Insights, question-answering and summary data drawn from the LLM empower faster, more accurate negotiations with providers, more robust assessment of anomalies and inaccurate payments and more personalized, real-time conversations with customers.

    The EXL Insurance LLM was developed by the EXL AI Labs, a dedicated team of AI and engineering specialists working across EXL’s Analytics and Digital and industry business units to accelerate the development of enterprise AI solutions. The EXL Insurance LLM will continue to evolve, expanding use cases across the insurance value chain, including underwriting, premium audit, subrogation, and finance. The comprehensive domain expertise within the LLM will integrate insights from all value chain components, further enhancing its precision and applicability.

    For more information about the EXL LLM for Insurance, please visit here. To learn more about EXL’s NVIDIA partnership, please visit here.

    About EXL

    EXL (Nasdaq: EXLS) is a leading data analytics and digital operations and solutions company. We partner with clients using a data and AI-led approach to reinvent business models, drive better business outcomes and unlock growth with speed. EXL harnesses the power of data, analytics, AI, and deep industry knowledge to transform operations for the world’s leading corporations in industries including insurance, healthcare, banking and financial services, media and retail, among others. EXL was founded in 1999 with the core values of innovation, collaboration, excellence, integrity and respect. We are headquartered in New York and have more than 55,000 employees spanning six continents. For more information, visit  http://www.exlservice.com.

    Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You should not place undue reliance on those statements because they are subject to numerous uncertainties and factors relating to EXL’s operations and business environment, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond EXL’s control. Forward-looking statements include information concerning EXL’s possible or assumed future results of operations, including descriptions of its business strategy. These statements may include words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “estimate” or similar expressions. These statements are based on assumptions that we have made in light of management’s experience in the industry as well as its perceptions of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors it believes are appropriate under the circumstances. You should understand that these statements are not guarantees of performance or results. They involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Although EXL believes that these forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, you should be aware that many factors could affect EXL’s actual financial results or results of operations and could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. These factors, which include our ability to maintain and grow client demand, our ability to hire and retain sufficiently trained employees, and our ability to accurately estimate and/or manage costs, rising interest rates, rising inflation and recessionary economic trends, are discussed in more detail in EXL’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including EXL’s Annual Report on Form 10-K. You should keep in mind that any forward-looking statement made herein, or elsewhere, speaks only as of the date on which it is made. New risks and uncertainties come up from time to time, and it is impossible to predict these events or how they may affect EXL. EXL has no obligation to update any forward-looking statements after the date hereof, except as required by federal securities laws.

    © 2024 ExlService Holdings, Inc.  All rights reserved. For more information go to http://www.exlservice.com/legal-disclaimer

    Contacts
    Media
    Keith Little
    +1 703-598-0980
    media.relations@exlservice.com

    Investor Relations
    John Kristoff
    +1 212 209 4613
    IR@exlservice.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Serabi Gold Plc to Present at the Battery and Precious Metals Virtual Investor Conference October 1st

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LONDON, Sept. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Serabi Gold Plc (AIM: SRB, TSX:SBI, OTCQX:SRBIF), based in London with Brazilian operations, focused on gold mining and development, today announced that Mike Hodgson, Chief Executive Officer, will present live at the Battery and Precious Metals Virtual Investor Conference, hosted by VirtualInvestorConferences.com, on October 1st 2024.

    DATE: October 1st
    TIME: 12:00 PM ET
    LINK: https://bit.ly/3z584tW
    Available for 1×1 meetings: October 1, 2, 3

    This will be a live, interactive online event where investors are invited to ask the company questions in real-time. If attendees are not able to join the event live on the day of the conference, an archived webcast will also be made available after the event.

    It is recommended that online investors pre-register and run the online system check to expedite participation and receive event updates.

    Learn more about the event at http://www.virtualinvestorconferences.com.

    About Serabi Gold Plc

    Serabi Gold plc is a gold exploration and production company involved in the evaluation and development of gold deposits in Brazil. The company’s primary interests are its 100% owned Palito Mining Complex and the Coringa Gold Project, both located in the Tapajos region of northern Brazil. The Company has been producing gold since continuously since 2013 and planned production of 38,000-40,000 ounces for 2024 is projected to be expanded to an annual rate of over 60,000 ounces over the coming two years. The Tapajos region, which encompasses an area of about 100,000 square kilometres (350 km by 300 km) in southwest Para State, Brazil, is located approximately 1,300 km southwest from the state capital, Belem. Artisanal miners (“garimpeiros”) are understood to have extracted up to 30 million ounces of gold there since the 1970s, mostly from alluvial and surface weathered bedrock deposits representing generally only the top 20 to 30 metres. It is reported to be the world’s third largest alluvial gold field and the Company believes that the region, with significant mineral potential below the artisanal operation, is a major, under-explored mineral province.

    About Virtual Investor Conferences®
    Virtual Investor Conferences (VIC) is the leading proprietary investor conference series that provides an interactive forum for publicly traded companies to seamlessly present directly to investors.

    Providing a real-time investor engagement solution, VIC is specifically designed to offer companies more efficient investor access. Replicating the components of an on-site investor conference, VIC offers companies enhanced capabilities to connect with investors, schedule targeted one-on-one meetings and enhance their presentations with dynamic video content. Accelerating the next level of investor engagement, Virtual Investor Conferences delivers leading investor communications to a global network of retail and institutional investors.

    CONTACTS:
    Serabi Gold
    Jonathan Paterson
    IR
    +1 475 477 9401
    Jonathan.Paterson@Harbor-Access.com

    Virtual Investor Conferences
    John M. Viglotti
    SVP Corporate Services, Investor Access
    OTC Markets Group
    (212) 220-2221
    johnv@otcmarkets.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: ConnectM Eliminates $13.7 Million Debt

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ~ Completed Conversions of $6.2 Million Debt-to-Equity in Second Tranche ~

    MARLBOROUGH, Mass., Sept. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ConnectM Technology Solutions, Inc. (Nasdaq: CNTM) (“ConnectM” or the “Company”), a technology company focused on the electrification economy, today announced the Company has completed its second tranche of a debt-to-equity swap by converting an additional $6.2 million of the Company’s outstanding debt to common equity at $2.00 per share, bringing the current total to $13.7 million. This debt-to-equity swap is part of a series of actions to deleverage the balance sheet.

    With the total conversions the Company has:

    • achieved 90% of $15 million target within 30 days of the Board approved plan;
    • prioritized balance sheet optimization in immediate action following public listing;
    • deleveraged its balance sheet, removing $13.7 million in debt;
    • reduced annual interest expense by more than $2 million, thereby increasing Free Cash Flow to invest in operations to grow revenue and profitability; and
    • improved its credit profile.

    Today’s announcement follows the previously announced approval from the Company’s Board of Directors and follows the previously announced initial tranche of $7.5 million debt-to-equity conversion.

    About ConnectM Technology Solutions, Inc.

    ConnectM is at the forefront of advancing the electrification economy, integrating electrified energy assets with its AI-driven technology solutions platform. Serving residential and light commercial buildings, as well as all-electric original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), ConnectM’s proprietary platform accelerates the transition to solar and all-electric heating, cooling, and transportation. By leveraging technology, data, artificial intelligence, contemporary design, and behavioral economics, ConnectM aims to make electrification more user-friendly, affordable, precise, and socially impactful. The company’s vertically integrated approach includes wholly-owned service networks and a comprehensive technology stack, enabling customers to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels, lower energy costs, and minimize their carbon footprint. ConnectM is headquartered in Marlborough, Massachusetts.

    For more information, please visit: https://www.connectm.com/

    Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). We have based these forward-looking statements on our current expectations and projections about future events. All statements, other than statements of present or historical fact included in this press release, regarding our future financial performance and our strategy, expansion plans, future operations, future operating results, estimated revenues, losses, projected costs, prospects, plans and objectives of management are forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may,” “should,” “could,” “would,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “believe,” “estimate,” “continue,” “project” or the negative of such terms or other similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions about us that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Except as otherwise required by applicable law, we disclaim any duty to update any forward-looking statements, all of which are expressly qualified by the statements in this section, to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release. We caution you that the forward-looking statements contained herein are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our control.

    In addition, we caution you that the forward-looking statements regarding the Company contained in this press release are subject to the risks and uncertainties described in the “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” section of the Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 18, 2024. Such filing identifies and addresses other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and ConnectM is under no obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

    Contact:

    MZ North America

    (203) 741-8811

    ConnectM@mzgroup.us

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Top Electrical Distributor Expands License with Bridgeline’s AI-Powered HawkSearch

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    WOBURN, Mass., Sept. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bridgeline Digital, Inc. (NASDAQ: BLIN), a leader in AI-powered marketing technology, today announced that a top 10 U.S. electrical distributor has expanded its license with Bridgeline’s HawkSearch to enhance its Salesforce B2B Commerce experience.

    HawkSearch will support over 740 profit centers, improving the distributor’s product discovery with the Unit of Measure Conversion feature, while providing additional hosting services to address growing traffic demands. With Unit of Measure Conversion, a customer searching for cable sold in feet or meters will receive consistent results no matter which unit is used, streamlining the product search and purchase process. In addition, due to the rapid growth the distributor has experienced, they have invested in additional hosting services to handle the increased traffic demand. With our innovative solutions, the distributor can manage its expanding network of profit centers and increased traffic.

    HawkSearch has developed these Unit of Measure features, along with other B2B-focused solutions, to specifically meet the complex needs of industries like manufacturing and distribution, demonstrating its commitment to driving growth for customers such as Trident Enterprises, Filters Fast, and Grizzly Industrial.

    “Our solutions help businesses overcome challenges like managing dimensional products and scaling infrastructure for growth,” said Ari Kahn, CEO of Bridgeline. “With HawkSearch’s advanced features and scalable hosting, this distributor is positioned for continued operational efficiency and sales growth.”

    About Bridgeline Digital

    Bridgeline helps companies grow revenue by increasing traffic, conversion rates, and average order value through AI-powered solutions. To learn more, visit http://www.bridgeline.com.

    Contact:

    Danielle Colvin

    SVP of Marketing

    Bridgeline Digital

    press@bridgeline.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Africa: SA’s G20 Presidency to focus more on Global South and African issues, says Lamola

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    South Africa’s G20 Presidency will be centred more on the interests of the Global South agenda, especially Africa, says International Relations and Cooperation Minister, Ronald Lamola. 

    Preparations are underway for South Africa’s G20 Presidency and hosting the G20 Summit in 2025. South Africa is expected to take over Chair of the G20 from December 1 this year, from Brazil. 

    Lamola announced that South Africa’s theme will focus on solidarity, equality and sustainable development. 

    “This theme speaks to the developmental priorities of the Global South, particularly, the African continent, which is now fully represented with the admission of the African Union (AU) in the G20,” he told delegates during the Troika high-level address at the United Nations (UN). 

    The G20 (or the Group 20) comprises 19 States, plus the European Union and the AU as of this year – bringing together the world’s major and systemically important economies. 

    The G20 operates a Troika system of hosting, where the Troika consists of the past, present, and next Presidencies. 

    Brazil’s Presidency is also in a Global South Troika – India-Brazil-South Africa. 

    Lamola stressed that South Africa will ensure that the G20 provides strategic direction towards establishing a “more equitable, representative and fit-for-purpose international order”.

    According to the Minister, the theme will also confirm South Africa’s intention to build on the efforts and successes of the G20 Presidencies of Indonesia, India and Brazil. 

    He believes this will ensure that the needs, interests and aspirations of the developing economies of the Global South, and Africa especially, drive the overall G20 agenda going forward.

    According to the Minister, South Africa’s overarching theme will also zoom in on the country’s priorities. These include accelerating efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the objectives of Agenda 2063 of the AU and addressing the critical issue of debt vulnerability of many countries of the global South. 

    The country will also focus on creating consensus around reform of the International Financial Architecture (IFA) and the Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs). 

    “This is critical to ensure that they become fit for purpose to adequately address sustainable development and transboundary challenges,” Lamola explained. 

    In addition, the emphasis will also be on combating climate change, which has devastating consequences for food security in developing countries.

    South Africa also hopes to address issues of predatory mining by some countries and corporations, in the quest for Africa’s raw materials and critical minerals. 

    “South Africa will take forward the outcomes of the report of the UN Secretary’s Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals,” Lamola said, adding that strengthening the Multilateral Trading System was also key.

    The other key issues the nation will advance include industrialisation, employment and inequality, food security, the blue economy and artificial intelligence. 

    Lamola took the time to commend Brazil President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s call, as the G20 President, for the reinvigoration of multilateralism, and the reform of global governance institutions to make it more representative and inclusive.

    “We further thank Brazil for its innovative leadership in calling for this G20 meeting and inviting all UN Members.

    “This meeting today and its call to action further demonstrates the collective global solidarity in addressing current and future global challenges. South Africa will carry forward the momentum laid by Brazil on the reform of the multilateral institutions,” Lamola said. 

    Meanwhile, he said that South Africa’s G20 Presidency will mark the end of the first cycle of G20 Presidencies. 

    “We intend to undertake a review of the first cycle of G20 Presidencies. This is critical to ensure implementation. Brazil can count on us to maintain the momentum they’ve started I thank you for your attention,” he added. 

    President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed his appreciation to Brazil as the current President of the G20 for convening this meeting.

    The President also commended the excellent way Brazil has been steering the work of the G20 during its Presidency.  – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa

  • MIL-OSI Russia: New directions, “Longevity exercises” and star guests: how the summer season of the “Moscow Longevity” project went

    MIL OSI Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    Every senior Muscovite can fill their lives with bright events. This summer, participants in the Moscow Longevity project attended training sessions with famous athletes, met with actors and writers, went kayaking and SUP boarding, went Nordic walking, opened an exclusive route along Arbat, and participated in many other events.

    In 2024, the project’s summer season lasted four months, thanks to September being one of the warmest in the history of the capital.

    Training with celebrity guests and outdoor activities

    One of the most striking events of the summer season was the “Longevity Exercises”. For 17 weeks, senior citizens participated in morning warm-ups at sites organized in all districts, including in iconic places of the capital – for example, on Sparrow Hills, near the Bolshoi Theater and at the Northern River Terminal. During this time, 87 training sessions were held, which were attended by more than 14 thousand people.

    Once a week, the “Longevity Exercises” were held by invited guests, including Roman Kostomarov, Evgenia Medvedeva, Tatyana Totmianina, Ilya Averbukh, Alexey Nemov, Alexey Yagudin, Artur Dalaloyan, Irina Slutskaya, Nikita Nagorny, Daria Dontsova, Anna Semenovich, Elizaveta Tuktamysheva, Elena Vorobey, Yulia Mikhalkova.

    Participants of the “Longevity Exercises” mastered qigong, attended dance training, classes with gymnastic ribbons, and even warm-ups with drums.

    Throughout the summer, outdoor activities were held for senior citizens in more than 1,500 groups at 800 outdoor venues throughout the city – at the Moscow Zoo, the equestrian club, parks, the City Farm at VDNKh, and other places.

    New water directions

    In July, the Moscow Longevity project opened classes in SUP surfing and kayaking for the first time. About 1,500 senior Muscovites learned the history of these sports and learned how to operate watercraft.

    The classes took place in the waters of the Moscow River at the Academy Rowing Club under the guidance of experienced coaches. Despite the fact that SUPs and kayaks are considered popular among young people, the groups in these areas already broke the record for the number of older participants in the first days.

    SUP and kayak rowing classes will be held for the first time as part of the Moscow Longevity project

    Unique route

    In August, a new exclusive excursion route, “Not Old Arbat”, was opened for participants of “Moscow Longevity”. It was created especially for the project by writer and Moscow expert Alexander Vaskin and is dedicated to long-livers whose fate was connected with the most famous pedestrian street of the city.

    Philosopher, polar hero and Russian Rodin: what participants of the excursion “Not Old Arbat” can learn

    The walk includes nine thematic points, each of them is connected with the biographies of famous long-livers: writers, actors, sculptors and composers. For example, the excursionists learned about the philosopher Alexey Losev, who continued to pass on knowledge to his students until his last days, and the writer Marietta Shaginyan, who never abandoned her favorite work.

    The guides were the participants of Moscow Longevity themselves, who had completed training at the Silver University in the field of Excursion Guidance. 11 graduates mastered a new profession, were employed in the project and regularly conduct excursions for groups.

    Fashion collections about family, city and future

    This summer, the project held its fourth season of creative laboratories “Designers’ Workshop”, dedicated to the Year of the Family. The final show, held at the forum-festival “Territory of the Future. Moscow 2030” in Gostiny Dvor, was attended by more than 600 people, another 135 thousand watched the live broadcast of the show.

    Participants of “Moscow Longevity” under the mentorship of five famous fashion designers – Leonid Alekseev, Igor Gulyaev, Denis Eremkin, Ksenia Novikova and Vadim Merlis – created five clothing collections. They were demonstrated on the podium by “silver” age models from the beauty and style school “Royal Posture”.

    The Family Albums line is based on the 1970s style, with prints on clothes that bring to life photographs of the designers’ grandparents, fathers and mothers. The creators of the feminine and elegant Mom collection were inspired by touching memories. Each participant imagined her mother, images from her youth. The Bright Age, Urban Romance and We Are 2030 collections are dedicated to the future, the city and longevity. Bright textured fabrics and artificial intelligence capabilities were used in their creation.

    New spaces for healthy living and socializing

    The network of Moscow longevity centers continues to expand: 14 spaces opened this summer, now there are 134. Older city residents can do their favorite things in a circle of like-minded people, communicate and lead a healthy lifestyle. Since September 1, the centers have switched to a new, convenient work schedule.

    Along with the expansion of the network of centers, new services are also appearing in them. Thus, since this summer, they have been providing consultations on obtaining electronic government services. In each center, city residents can find out how to apply for 71 government services, including obtaining a Muscovite social card, a spa voucher, or housing subsidies.

    Bright events of the summer season

    Muscovites of the “silver” age celebrated the middle of summer at the festival “Long-lasting Moscow”, which took place on Vorobyovy Gory and brought together more than three thousand guests.

    The most popular outdoor classes of Moscow Longevity were held on one site – dancing, Nordic walking, drawing, as well as Longevity Exercises, educational lectures and much more.

    One of the central events was a mass gathering of Nordic walking enthusiasts, in which even city residents over 90 years old took part. A choreography master class for guests was conducted by dancer Evgeny Papunaishvili, and in the open air one could compete in drawing caricatures of singer Anna Semenovich and writer Daria Dontsova.

    The combined choir of the Moscow Longevity project performed at the Spasskaya Tower International Military Music Festival on Red Square. A program of 13 songs was presented by 350 people. The choir was accompanied by the Central Military Orchestra of the Russian Ministry of Defense under the direction of Honored Artist of Russia Colonel Sergei Durygin.

    The combined choir of the Moscow Longevity project performed at the Spasskaya Tower festival

    In addition, this summer the group gave five master classes. Choirmasters held open vocal lessons, where they introduced guests to the techniques and methods of choral singing.

    In July, the Sokolniki Park hosted the “Dance Stories of Moscow Longevity” festival. One of the main events was the “Purple Waltz” flash mob, which brought together 500 senior citizens. On this day, people of different ages took to the dance floor – from 55 to 90 years old, and the oldest was 90-year-old project participant Valentina Semenova. A competition was also held: 18 couples and 10 groups competed for the title of the best dancers of the project.

    “Boulevard of Moscow Longevity”

    One of the most striking expositions of the forum-festival “Territory of the Future. Moscow 2030” in Gostiny Dvor was “Boulevard of Moscow Longevity”. Guests immersed themselves in a multimedia space dedicated to a healthy lifestyle and learned how to maintain activity, stay young and happy for many years. During the days of the forum-festival, over 50 thousand people looked into the future, making a “Portrait of Longevity” with the help of neural networks. Guests also walked about seven thousand virtual kilometers on the excursion “Not Old Arbat”, almost 15 thousand visitors participated in a sociological survey, which helped to find out how different generations of Muscovites relate to longevity.

    Ahead of the city residents there is an equally busy autumn-winter season. All Muscovites of the “silver” age – women from 55 years old and men from 60 years old – can join the “Moscow Longevity” project. You can sign up at any Moscow Longevity Center or the “My Documents” government services center, as well as online on the mos.ru portal.

    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.

    Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    http://vvv.mos.ru/nevs/item/144450073/

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Economics: China to Host 10th AIIB Annual Meeting in 2025

    Source: Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank

    The Board of Governors of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) announced that the Bank’s 10th Annual Meeting will be held in Beijing in June 2025.

    A ceremony took place in Samarkand, Uzbekistan to mark the end of the 2024 AIIB Annual Meeting and the handover to the host country of the 2025 AIIB Annual Meeting.

    Lan Foan, AIIB Governor for China, Chair of the AIIB Board of Governors for 2025 and host of the 2025 AIIB Annual Meeting, received the gavel in a ceremonial transfer from Laziz Kudratov, AIIB Governor for Uzbekistan and Chair of the AIIB Board of Governors for 2024 and host of the 2024 AIIB Annual Meeting.

    “We are grateful for the continued support from both the Governments of China and Uzbekistan,” said Jin Liqun, AIIB President and Chair of the Board of Directors. “The AIIB Annual Meetings are an important opportunity to seek invaluable insights and guidance from our shareholders on our Bank’s strategic direction and initiatives. Active engagement with our shareholders has been essential for promoting transparency and cooperation, which underpins AIIB’s growth and impact.”

    “Since its establishment, with the joint support of all Members and the joint efforts of the Management and staff led by President Jin Liqun, AIIB has achieved remarkable results in its business operations and has been fully recognized by the international community,” said Minister Lan Foan. “AIIB has become a new and important member of the multilateral development bank family and has made positive contributions to promoting global economic governance reform and achieving common global development. 2025 marks the 10th anniversary of AIIB, and we look forward to reflecting on the Bank’s achievements over the past decade and collaborating to shape the development blueprint of the Bank for the next 10 years.”

    The dignitaries also expressed their appreciation to the people and government of Uzbekistan for hosting the 2024 AIIB Annual Meeting.

    About AIIB

    The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is a multilateral development bank whose mission is Financing Infrastructure for Tomorrow in Asia and beyond—infrastructure with sustainability at its core. We began operations in Beijing in 2016 and have since grown to 110 approved Members worldwide. We are capitalized at USD100 billion and AAA-rated by the major international credit rating agencies. Collaborating with partners, AIIB meets clients’ needs by unlocking new capital and investing in infrastructure that is green, technology-enabled and promotes regional connectivity.

    MIL OSI Economics

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: ARU collaborates on new childhood cancer project

    Source: Anglia Ruskin University

    Published: 26 September 2024 at 12:28

    Scientists will work with Medannex to help accelerate treatment for bone cancer

    Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) is collaborating with Scottish biopharmaceutical company Medannex on a £313,000 project to develop a new treatment for a childhood bone cancer.

    Thanks to funding from Innovate UK’s Cancer Therapeutics programme, Medannex will work with senior scientists at ARU’s School of Life Sciences and world-leading paediatric oncologists to prepare its first-in-class therapy MDX-124 for a clinical study focusing on paediatric osteosarcoma.

    MDX-124 is the first clinic-ready agent to target annexin-A1, a protein known to drive numerous cancers and other diseases. In preclinical tests, MDX-124 has been shown to stop the growth and spread of certain cancers, as well as harnessing the immune system to attack tumours. MDX-124 is currently being evaluated in a first-in-human Phase 1b oncology study in adults (‘ATTAINMENT’).

    Recent data mining of a paediatric genomics database and staining of tumour tissue has revealed that annexin-A1 is highly expressed in osteosarcoma, making MDX-124 a strong candidate to treat this form of cancer.

    Osteosarcoma is a rare primary cancer of the bone characterised by a high degree of malignancy, strong invasiveness, rapid disease progression and a high mortality rate. Approximately 50% of cases are in children and young adults, representing about 2% of all paediatric cancers.

    In the UK, around 65% of children with osteosarcoma survive for five years after diagnosis, however this drops to only 24% for those with metastatic disease. Therefore, there remains a significant unmet clinical need for novel therapies like MDX-124.

    Professor Chris Parris, Head of the School of Life Sciences at ARU, said:

    “We’re delighted to be collaborating with Medannex to explore this innovative approach to childhood cancer treatment and we look forward to generating key data in the coming months.”

    The project’s Clinical Advisory Board is led by Professor Pamela Kearns, Chair of Clinical Paediatric Oncology at the University of Birmingham, who said:

    “This grant award will allow Medannex to tackle the critical unmet need for new treatments in osteosarcoma. I look forward to helping guide the company’s development in this area and exploring the potential of MDX-124 to radically improve patient outcomes.”

    Medannex CEO, Ian Abercrombie, said:

    “We’re grateful to Innovate UK for this resounding endorsement of the potential of our first-in-class therapy to make a real difference to osteosarcoma patients and their families. Our team is excited to drive the project forward with the support of our scientific collaborators and specialist clinical advisors.”

    Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency, will fund £231,000 of the project costs, with the remainder financed by Medannex.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI: Teledyne introduces next generation AI-powered smart camera for industrial automation and inspection

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BOSTON, Sept. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Teledyne DALSA, a Teledyne Technologies [NYSE:TDY] company and global leader in machine vision technology, is pleased to announce its next generation AI-powered BOA™3 smart camera for industrial automation and inspection.

    The new BOA3 smart camera is designed to leverage the best features from previous BOA generations and combine them with new sensor and AI (Artificial Intelligence) inspection technologies developed by Teledyne. BOA3 is a highly integrated vision system in a compact, rugged smart camera format designed to meet the needs of the most complex, demanding machine vision applications.

    “The new BOA3 is an exciting next step in our smart camera development,” said Szymon Chawarski, Product Line Manager, Vision Systems. “Its modular and flexible architecture will allow us to offer new and powerful solutions for embedded machine vision inspections.”

    BOA3 offers sensor resolutions from 1.2 to 12MP, integrated or C-mount lens options, onboard I/O, and includes easy-to-use machine vision software, all in one common platform. BOA3 smart cameras deliver the flexibility and uncompromised functionality to enable quick, cost-effective embedded machine vision deployments.

    BOA3 comes with iNspect™, an easy-to-use, no-code inspection development software with tools for positioning, part locating, pattern matching, measuring, barcode reading, feature or defect detection, including automatic reading of characters (OCR) based on a pre-trained AI inference network. Combine the broad range of traditional vision tools with powerful AI Classification or Object Detection models created in Astrocyte™, Teledyne DALSA’s GUI-based AI Trainer software.

    Camera Details and Availability

    BOA3 models with 1.2, 5MP, and 12MP monochrome sensors are available immediately. Color versions are planned for release at the end of 2024. New sensor and lens options will be added to the platform in 2025.

    Find out more about BOA3 smart cameras at VISION in Stuttgart, Germany from October 8-10 at Teledyne booth 8 B10. Please visit the BOA3 product page for more information. For sales enquiries, visit our contact page.

    Teledyne DALSA is part of the Teledyne Vision Solutions group and a leader in the design, manufacture, and deployment of digital imaging components for machine vision. Teledyne DALSA image sensors, cameras, smart cameras, frame grabbers, software, and vision solutions are used in thousands of automated inspection systems around the world and across multiple industries. For more information, visit http://www.teledynedalsa.com/imaging.

    Media Contact
    Brooks Riendeau
    brooks.riendeau@teledyne.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/06fd6d5a-7e0f-48e2-ae35-cdf77c31b8a2

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Bishop Street Underwriters Makes Strategic Equity Investment into Verve Services

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK and WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., Sept. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bishop Street Underwriters (“Bishop Street”), a multi-boutique insurance platform owned by RedBird Capital Partners (“RedBird”), today announced it has made a strategic equity investment in Verve Services, LLC (“Verve”), a leading, full-service auto insurance managing general agency (“MGA”). This partnership marks Bishop Street’s entry into Specialty Private Passenger Auto. Through this equity investment, Verve is positioned for continued innovation and accelerated growth in the auto insurance industry.

    “Dan and his team have built Verve into a differentiated passenger auto insurance MGA. They have an exceptional platform that combines advanced analytics with a deep understanding of the market, which drives superior outcomes and has supported their position as a leader in the specialty auto insurance space,” said Chad Levine, Chief Executive Officer of Bishop Street.

    “Verve’s focus and commitment to utilizing data and analytics to deliver industry-leading loss ratios that significantly outperform industry results for its insurance and reinsurance partners is perfectly aligned with our strategic vision at Bishop Street. We are excited to build on this momentum and drive value creation for all of Verve’s partners,” said Chad Weber, President of Bishop Street.

    “While Bishop Street is predominantly focused on building a diversified platform of commercial-lines MGAs, we will be opportunistic as it relates to differentiated personal-lines MGA businesses, like Verve. Dan and the rest of the Verve team have built a great business, and we look forward to partnering with them for their next stage of growth,” said Mike Zabik, Partner of RedBird Capital.

    “We are thrilled to welcome Bishop Street as a key strategic partner. They are the ideal fit for the next stage of Verve’s growth,” said Dan Lazarek, Chief Executive Officer of Verve Services, LLC. “This partnership brings invaluable expertise from a company with a proven track record in both insurance infrastructure and data-driven AI. We look forward to revolutionizing the auto insurance industry together.”

    About Bishop Street
    Bishop Street Underwriters, a RedBird Capital portfolio company, seeks to partner with Managing General Agents (“MGAs”) as well as niche underwriting teams. Bishop Street aims to combine their best-in-class (re)insurance executive team’s vision with RedBird’s strong track record, expertise, and network in the financial services sector to build a differentiated platform that is uniquely positioned to capitalize on secular growth tailwinds in the industry. For more information, please go to http://www.bishopstreetuw.com.

    About RedBird Capital Partners
    RedBird Capital Partners is a private investment firm that builds high-growth companies with strategic capital solutions for founders and entrepreneurs. The firm currently manages $10 billion in assets on behalf of a global group of blue chip institutional and family office investors. Founded in 2014 by Gerry Cardinale, RedBird integrates sophisticated private equity investing with a hands-on business building mandate that focuses on three core industry verticals – Financial Services, Sports and Media & Entertainment. Over his 30-year investment career, Cardinale has partnered with founders and entrepreneurs to build some of the most iconic growth companies in their respective industries. For more information, please go to http://www.redbirdcap.com.

    About Verve Services, LLC
    Verve is a full-service auto insurance managing general agency (MGA) built on a culture of transparency, trust and faith. The company has developed a unique platform that identifies, filters, underwrites, acquires, and services profitable, low-frequency private passenger auto customers. By utilizing a scalable technology and distribution platform, Verve is transforming the auto insurance industry. The company analyzes both internal and external data, using advanced predictive analytics to uncover profitable niches within the $316 billion private passenger auto insurance market. Through its data-driven approach, Verve consistently exceeds industry benchmarks, delivering superior underwriting profits while providing exceptional value and significant returns to its insurance and reinsurance partners. This has established Verve as a trusted leader in the evolving auto insurance landscape.   For more information, please go to http://www.goverve.com.

    Media Contacts

    Bishop Street
    Dan Gagnier
    Gagnier Communications
    redbird@gagnierfc.com
    646.569.5897

    Verve
    Kimberly Hampton
    Verve Communications
    kimberly.hampton@verveinsurance.com
    404-291-9632

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Personal AI Brings AI Workforce Platform to Google Cloud Marketplace

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN DIEGO, Sept. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Personal AI, the leading platform for building AI workforces in regulated industries, today announced that its proprietary Small Language Model (SLM) technology and AI Training Platform are now available on Google Cloud Marketplace. This move allows customers to quickly purchase and deploy Personal AI, streamlining the procurement process for enterprises looking to leverage SLMs.

    Personal AI’s platform enables organizations to create networks of AI Personas, each representing key roles and expertise within the company. These AI Personas are exclusively trained on proprietary data, ensuring high accuracy, transparency, and privacy – crucial factors for regulated industries such as legal, financial services, consulting, and government.

    “Our mission at Personal AI is to redefine how the modern workforce creates AI Personas and collaborates with them in professional environments,” said Suman Kanuganti, CEO and Co-founder of Personal AI. “By joining Google Cloud Marketplace, we’re making it easier than ever for organizations to access our cutting-edge AI Training Studio. This collaboration will accelerate the adoption of AI workforces, allowing businesses to scale their expertise, streamline workflows, and make more informed decisions while maintaining the highest standards of data privacy and security.”

    Personal AI’s availability on Google Cloud Marketplace offers several benefits to customers, including simplified billing and reduced procurement cycles. This aligns with Personal AI’s commitment to providing flexible, scalable solutions that cater to businesses of all sizes.

    “Bringing Personal AI to Google Cloud Marketplace will help customers quickly deploy, manage, and grow the AI Training Platform on Google Cloud’s trusted, global infrastructure,” said Dai Vu, Managing Director, Marketplace & ISV GTM Programs at Google Cloud. “Personal AI can now securely scale and support customers on their digital transformation journeys.”

    About Personal AI
    Personal AI develops a horizontal AI training and collaboration platform, focused on private, Small Language Models (SLMs) that multiply the capabilities of enterprise teams. Their technology enables organizations to build networks of AI Personas, each representing key roles within companies. These AI Personas are exclusively trained on proprietary data, ensuring unparalleled accuracy, transparency, and privacy. For more information, please visit https://personal.ai

    Media Contact
    Jonathan Bikoff
    jonathan@personal.ai

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: NANO Nuclear Energy Inc. Executives to Present at the ArcStone – Kingswood Growth Summit 2024

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Senior Company leaders will participate in a panel discussion highlighting the energy transition on September 26th, 2024.

    New York, N.Y., Sept. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NANO Nuclear Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: NNE) (“NANO Nuclear” of “the Company”), a leading advanced nuclear energy and technology company focused on developing portable, clean energy solutions, today announced that several senior executives will participate in a panel discussion at the ArcStone-Kingswood Growth Summit 2024, taking place in Toronto Canada on September 26, 2024.

    The ArcStone-Kingswood Growth Summit 2024 will offer exclusive access to insightful sessions and expert-led panels on listing and cross-listing companies. Investors will have the opportunity to engage with executive management from both private and public companies across a range of high-growth sectors, including Technology, Artificial Intelligence, Energy, and more.

    NANO Nuclear will take part in a panel discussion titled “Traditional Energy & Energy Transition” on September 26th. This session will be moderated by Jack Bensimon, Managing Partner, ArcStone Securities and Investments Corp.

    “It is a pleasure for us to participate in this cross border growth summit,” said Jay Yu, Founder and Chairman of NANO Nuclear Energy. “We are passionate in our mission to revolutionize the way industries around the world utilize nuclear energy. The Growth Summit in Toronto will continue our international reach, as well as discuss how advanced nuclear solutions can reshape the energy landscape in Canada. I am delighted to attend and look forward to our panel discussion, which will be an informative and exciting feature of the day.”

    Figure 1 – NANO Nuclear Energy Inc. to Participate in an ArcStone-Kingswood Growth Summit 2024 Panel Discussion Titled “Traditional Energy & Energy Transition.”

    The event will showcase over 30 public and private companies from around the world, with more than 400 institutional investors, family offices, retail wealth advisors, high net worth individuals, and industry professionals expected to attend. The conference will include corporate presentations, panel discussions, one-on-one investor meetings, cocktail receptions, and an invitation-only VIP dinner, bridging the gap between Canadian and U.S. capital markets, and offering a platform for companies to highlight their growth potential and connect with key investors.

    “I am delighted to see NANO Nuclear take part in this year’s ArcStone – Kingswood Growth Summit,” said James Walker, Chief Executive Officer and Head of Reactor Development of NANO Nuclear Energy. “NANO Nuclear is dedicated to innovation, like our proprietary microreactors and ancillary business lines, for the wider nuclear energy industry. Events like this are essential, as they provide a platform for business leaders and stakeholders to collaborate on addressing the challenges of today and planning for tomorrow.”

    About NANO Nuclear Energy, Inc.

    NANO Nuclear Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: NNE) is an advanced technology-driven nuclear energy company seeking to become a commercially focused, diversified, and vertically integrated company across four business lines: (i) cutting edge portable microreactor technology, (ii) nuclear fuel fabrication, (iii) nuclear fuel transportation and (iv) nuclear industry consulting services. NANO Nuclear believes it is the first portable nuclear microreactor company to be listed publicly in the U.S.

    Led by a world-class nuclear engineering team, NANO Nuclear’s products in technical development are “ZEUS”, a solid core battery reactor, and “ODIN”, a low-pressure coolant reactor, each representing advanced developments in clean energy solutions that are portable, on-demand capable, advanced nuclear microreactors.

    Advanced Fuel Transportation Inc. (AFT), a NANO Nuclear subsidiary, is led by former executives from the largest transportation company in the world aiming to build a North American transportation company that will provide commercial quantities of HALEU fuel to small modular reactors, microreactor companies, national laboratories, military, and DOE programs. Through NANO Nuclear, AFT is the exclusive licensee of a patented high-capacity HALEU fuel transportation basket developed by three major U.S. national nuclear laboratories and funded by the Department of Energy. Assuming development and commercialization, AFT is expected to form part of the only vertically integrated nuclear fuel business of its kind in North America.

    HALEU Energy Fuel Inc. (HEF), a NANO Nuclear subsidiary, is focusing on the future development of a domestic source for a High-Assay, Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) fuel fabrication pipeline for NANO Nuclear’s own microreactors as well as the broader advanced nuclear reactor industry.

    For more corporate information please visit: https://NanoNuclearEnergy.com/

    For further information, please contact:

    Email: IR@NANONuclearEnergy.com
    Business Tel: (212) 634-9206
    PLEASE FOLLOW OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES HERE:
    NANO Nuclear Energy LINKEDIN
    NANO Nuclear Energy YOUTUBE
    NANO Nuclear Energy TWITTER

    Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements

    This news release and statements of NANO Nuclear’s management in connection with this news release or related events contain or may contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In this context, forward-looking statements mean statements related to future events, which may impact our expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as “expects”, “anticipates”, “intends”, “plans”, “believes”, “potential”, “will”, “should”, “could”, “would” or “may” and other words of similar meaning. These forward-looking statements are based on information available to us as of the date of this news release and represent management’s current views and assumptions. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, events or results and involve significant known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may be beyond our control. For NANO Nuclear, particular risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in our forward-looking statements include but are not limited to the following: (i) risks related to our U.S. Department of Energy (“DOE”) nuclear fuel manufacturing submission and the development of new or advanced technology, including difficulties with design and testing, cost overruns, development of competitive technology, (ii) our ability to obtain contracts and funding to be able to continue operations, (iii) risks related to uncertainty regarding our ability to technologically develop and commercially deploy a competitive advanced nuclear reactor technology, (iv) risks related to the impact of government regulation and policies including by the DOE and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, including those associated with the recently enacted ADVANCE Act, and (v) similar risks and uncertainties associated with the business of a start-up business operating a highly regulated industry. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which apply only as of the date of this news release. These factors may not constitute all factors that could cause actual results to differ from those discussed in any forward-looking statement, and the NANO Nuclear therefore encourages investors to review other factors that may affect future results in its filings with the SEC, which are available for review at http://www.sec.gov and at https://ir.nanonuclearenergy.com/financial-information/sec-filings. Accordingly, forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as a predictor of actual results. We do not undertake to update our forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this news release, except as required by law.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Bitdeer Completes Testing of its Latest SEAL02 Bitcoin Mining Chip

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SINGAPORE, Sept. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitdeer Technologies Group (NASDAQ: BTDR) (“Bitdeer” or the “Company”), a world-leading technology company for blockchain and high-performance computing, today announced the successful testing of its latest Bitcoin mining chip, SEAL02, following tape-out.

    SEAL02 uses one of the most advanced process nodes in partnership with TSMC, a world-leading semiconductor foundry. An exceptional power efficiency ratio of 13.5 J/TH – while running at low voltage, ultra power-saving mode – was indicated in SEAL02 chip’s verification and prototype tests, achieving the power efficiency milestone outlined in the SEALMINER technology roadmap announced in June 2024.

    Linghui Kong, Chief Business Officer of Bitdeer, commented, “We are thrilled about achieving SEALMINER’s power efficiency target as reflected in our roadmap. Our ongoing commitment to R&D is making possible innovative and superior solutions that will set new benchmarks for efficiency and transparency to benefit the wider mining ecosystem.”

    SEAL02 will be integrated into the Company’s upcoming SEALMINER A2 mining machines, with mass production scheduled to commence in November 2024.

    Additionally, R&D work on the Company’s upcoming chip, SEAL03, is ongoing and the Company’s product release milestone is on track.

    Bitdeer has a full-fledged team of professional engineers dedicated to R&D across key domains, including ASIC design, algorithm development, platform architecture, software and hardware. The Company will continue to work alongside its customers in contributing to the security of the Bitcoin decentralized network.

    About Bitdeer Technologies Group

    Bitdeer is a world-leading technology company for blockchain and high-performance computing. Bitdeer is committed to providing comprehensive computing solutions for its customers. The Company handles complex processes involved in computing such as equipment procurement, transport logistics, datacenter design and construction, equipment management, and daily operations. The Company also offers advanced cloud capabilities to customers with high demand for artificial intelligence. Headquartered in Singapore, Bitdeer has deployed datacenters in the United States, Norway, and Bhutan. To learn more, visit https://www.bitdeer.com/ or follow Bitdeer on X @ BitdeerOfficial and LinkedIn @ Bitdeer Group.

    Investors and others should note that Bitdeer may announce material information using its website and/or on its accounts on social media platforms, including X, formerly known as Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Therefore, Bitdeer encourages investors and others to review the information it posts on the social media and other communication channels listed on its website.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    Statements in this press release about future expectations, plans, and prospects, as well as any other statements regarding matters that are not historical facts, may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words “anticipate,” “look forward to,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including factors discussed in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in Bitdeer’s annual report on Form 20-F, as well as discussions of potential risks, uncertainties, and other important factors in Bitdeer’s subsequent filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof. Bitdeer specifically disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether due to new information, future events, or otherwise. Readers should not rely upon the information on this page as current or accurate after its publication date.

    Contact:

    Public Relations
    Wachsman
    Bee Shin
    bitdeer@wachsman.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Bitget Hosts the Inaugural Blockchain4Her Awards at SheFi Summit

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VICTORIA, Seychelles, Sept. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitget, the leading crypto exchange and web3 company, hosted its inaugural Blockchain4Her Awards at the SheFi Summit in Singapore on September 17, 2024, with five winners announced across two categories. The event saw over 1,000 participants from around the world, with 100+ nominations received for the Awards. The event was supported by 12 major partners, including tier-1 media BeInCrypto, Crypto.News, The Coin Republic, Input Communications, Genzio, as well as leading community bodies like the Women in Web3 Switzerland.

    The Blockchain4Her Awards is an initiative that celebrates and promotes women in the blockchain industry. Launched as part of Bitget’s broader Blockchain4Her program, it addresses the gender disparity in the blockchain space, where female-led startups receive only a small fraction of total funding. The awards feature two main categories – the Rising Female in Blockchain Award and the Innovative Web3 Female Entrepreneur Award.

    ​​Gracy Chen, CEO at Bitget, delivered a keynote at the SheFi summit where she exclaimed Bitget’s commitment to supporting women in blockchain. With the $10 million Blockchain4Her initiative, Bitget is taking steps towards empowerment by providing “role models, mentorship, networking, and targeted support, we’re ensuring that more women can step into leadership roles in the blockchain space,” said Chen. 

    Bitget announced three winners for the ‘Rising Female in Blockchain Award’ category – Alexandra Nicorici, Gesa Schneider, and Rebecca Matsumura.

    Alexandra Nicorici is the founder and host of the OOO podcast, a popular Web3 marketing podcast that connects marketing professionals to leading founders who are building transformative communities and products in the industry. 

    “Two years ago, if someone had told me I would receive a Rising Woman in Web3 Award, I wouldn’t have believed them. I was struggling a lot, in an industry that is not only a boys club, but not very mature yet,“ said Alexandra. “Today, I am more proud of myself and all the amazing women in Web3 who are rising, being present and contributing to this amazing industry.” Through her influence, Alexandra has helped several Web3 and crypto startups grow and drive valuable partnerships over the years. 

    Gesa Schneider is a renowned Devcon Scholar at the Ethereum Foundation and an active advocate at The Female Factor – one of the largest global communities for female leaders. “To be recognized as a Rising Female in Blockchain is such a great honor,” said Gesa during the Blockchain4Her Awards. “It validates my work to pioneer Web3 innovations for a sustainable future.”

    The third winner is Rebecca Matsumura, an Associate Attorney at Fenwick & West. For almost a decade, Rebecca has provided legal guidance to blockchain and fintech firms, helping them manage compliance in the complex regulatory landscape. She is pioneering a new generation of women in law who want to step into the dynamic legal space of Web3 and crypto. Through this award, Bitget celebrates her transformative contribution to increasing inclusivity and openness in this niche sector. 

    The award for Innovative Web3 Female Entrepreneur went to Maika Isogawa, the co-founder and CEO of Webacy – one of the fastest-growing blockchain security suites. Tech and security have been historically quite underrepresented sectors for women, and the gap is more concerning in the Web3 industry. However, leaders like Maika have been actively inspiring change in this sector. Maika was also listed among the Forbes 30 under 30

    The winners were decided by a panel of four judges, including the CEO of Bitget Gracy Chen, the co-founder of Hacken Yevheniia Broshevan, leading venture capitalist Tess Hau, and the founder of SheFi Maggie Love Wu. 

    The awards are supported by a $10 million commitment from Bitget to promote diversity and inclusivity in the sector. The support loop for Blockchain4Her focuses on Elevating, Empowering, Educating, and Embracing women in blockchain. Bitget aims to ensure that women in Web3 have the appropriate resources, opportunities, and representation needed to succeed in their role.

    The Blockchain4Her campaign provided scholarships for educational programs like SheFi’s 8-week blockchain course, mentorship opportunities, and participation in major industry events. The overall aim is to build a gender-diverse ecosystem where women play a significant role in driving technological advancements and leadership in blockchain​. As a part of the campaign, Bitget is also establishing an alumni group, where female entrepreneurs and leaders can exchange ideas and build networks to grow their careers.  

    After the success of the campaign at SheFi, Bitget is set to host various Blockchain4Her events in different regions. 

    About Bitget

    Established in 2018, Bitget is the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company. Serving over 45 million users in 150+ countries and regions, the Bitget exchange is committed to helping users trade smarter with its pioneering copy trading, AI bot and other trading solutions. Bitget Wallet is a world-class multi-chain crypto wallet that offers an array of comprehensive Web3 solutions and features including wallet functionality, swap, NFT Marketplace, DApp browser, and more. Bitget inspires individuals to embrace crypto through collaborations with credible partners, including being the Official Crypto Partner of the World’s Top Professional Football League, LALIGA, in EASTERN, SEA and LATAM, as well as a global partner of Olympic Athletes Buse Tosun Çavuşoğlu (Wrestling world champion), Samet Gümüş (Boxing gold medalist) and İlkin Aydın (Volleyball national team).

    For more information, visit: Website | Twitter | Telegram | LinkedIn | Discord | Bitget Wallet

    For media inquiries, please contact: media@bitget.com

    Risk Warning: Digital asset prices may fluctuate and experience price volatility. Only invest what you can afford to lose. The value of your investment may be impacted and it is possible that you may not achieve your financial goals or be able to recover your principal investment. You should always seek independent financial advice and consider your own financial experience and financial standing. Past performance is not a reliable measure of future performance. Bitget shall not be liable for any losses you may incur. Nothing here shall be construed as financial advice. For more information, see our Terms of Use.

    Contact

    PR team
    media@bitget.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Ministerial event Feminist Foreign Policy Plus (FFP+) group Address by Jean-Noël Barrot Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs (25.09.24)

    Source: Republic of France in English
    The Republic of France has issued the following statement:

    Ministers,

    Representatives of the United Nations agencies, international organizations and civil society organizations,

    Executive Director of UN Women,

    Ladies and gentlemen,

    Our countries have chosen to officially adopt feminist foreign policy.

    By doing so, they pledged to make the rights of women and gender equality a priority.

    Because feminist foreign policy is a political commitment: to combat violence against women and girls all over the world; to defend and, as decided in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, make gender equality effective; and to reaffirm and promote the universality of the rights of women and girls everywhere that they are under threat.

    And it is on the basis of these principles that I will have the honour and pleasure of welcoming you to France in 2025 as agreed for the next Feminist Foreign Policy Conference.

    2025 will also mark the 30th anniversary of two key documents in the advancement of the rights of women and girls around the world: the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. We must continue to enforce this reference framework and go even further.

    That is why France enshrined the freedom to choose an abortion in its Constitution on 8 March 2024. Guaranteeing sexual and reproductive health and rights means respecting women’s right to control over their own bodies. We must protect that right from any regression, and it must remain an absolute priority for our group. We invite all States to give the right to abortion the highest level of legal protection.

    Going further also means taking into account the challenges presented by the rapid development of new digital technologies, particularly artificial intelligence.

    In 2023, France launched the Laboratory for Women’s Rights Online, an international platform created to fight online violence against women and girls. By doing so, we are building the first forum of this kind, which will be both a space for dialogue and an incubator for projects.

    The upcoming AI Action Summit, set to take place in Paris in February 2025, will also be an opportunity to address gender bias and barriers to the rights of women and girls online.

    This autumn, France – with the Netherlands – will present a draft resolution to combat online violence against women and girls to the General Assembly. They are the primary victims, and it is time that the international community tackles this issue.

    Ladies and gentlemen,

    Violence is also perpetrated against women and girls in the context of war. We cannot resign ourselves to what is happening in Afghanistan, where the Taliban’s policy of segregation is erasing women from society. We have made respect for the rights of women a clear condition for political dialogue to resume. That condition must be met. We should not, cannot, abandon Afghan women and girls. It would be a moral failure.

    Nor can we omit to condemn in the strongest terms the barbaric sexual violence committed by Hamas and other terrorist groups on 7 October last year.

    And we cannot forget the lives of Yazidi women, shattered by the genocidal terrorism of Daesh.

    Relentlessly fighting sexual and gender-based violence and impunity will remain central to our work. France was the first to support the fund launched by Nadia Murad and Doctor Mukwege, and supported the first International Conference of Prosecutors on Accountability for Conflict-Related Sexual Violence at The Hague in March. We will continue to work to support female victims of sexual violence, as we are doing in Ukraine for the victims of Russian atrocities, and in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Central African Republic.

    Ladies and gentlemen,

    The international community should not limit its understanding of feminism to the protection of victims. I mentioned the upcoming anniversary of the Beijing Declaration next year; I now want to highlight the role of women as drivers of change for peace, sustainable development and prosperity. Involving women and girls in decision-making processes is both a moral imperative and a condition for our prosperity.

    We therefore support the draft general recommendation No. 4 of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) on the equal and inclusive representation of women in decision-making systems. It is a major step forward. I also commend the work of the Committee and thank Minister Nicole Ameline for her enlightening presentation.

    As we know, women play a crucial role in responding to crises and, together, ensuring peace and security. With this in mind, I hope to one day address a female Secretary-General of the United Nations, as well as her envoy for the political participation of women and the Women, Peace and Security Agenda.

    I would like to reiterate that France supports the voices of those who defend these rights, often risking their lives, all over the world. The Support Fund for Feminist Organizations, a French initiative, is the world’s leading fund in terms of financing and geographic scope. I am committed to enshrining it in the long term.

    Ladies and gentlemen,

    In conclusion, I would like to express France’s support for all women and girls whose voices have been stifled and silenced, and whose freedoms and rights have been denied and trampled. France stands with you, and with them.

    Thank you.

    MIL OSI Europe News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Department of Defense Awards $12.9 Million to Increase Production of Active Materials for Lithium Iron Phosphate Cathodes

    Source: United States Department of Defense

    The Department of Defense (DoD) announced today a $12.9 million award via the Defense Production Act Investments (DPAI) program to Nano One Materials Corp. (Nano One). The award will help optimize and increase Nano One’s production of active materials for lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cathodes at its Candiac, Québec and Burnaby, British Columbia facilities.

    The effort, which uses funds appropriated by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), directly bolsters the National Defense Industrial Strategy’s objective to expand support for domestic production of critical materials in key supply chains, as well as the IRA’s goals of increasing domestic energy production and promoting clean energy. Canada has been considered a “domestic source” for DPA funds since 1992.

    “Shoring up domestic production capabilities across key nodes of the large-capacity battery supply chain is essential for meeting growing battery demands,” said Dr. Laura Taylor-Kale, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy (ASD(IBP)). “This award is another important advance towards increasing the availability of safer, lower-cost, and longer-lasting battery materials, which will strengthen U.S. national security.”

    “Canadian businesses are seizing job-creating opportunities delivering secure and reliable supplies of critical minerals to our allies, while building up the North American battery supply chain,” said Honorable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Canada. “Today’s announcement at the Nano One facility in Candiac, Quebec, further cements Canada’s place as a reliable global supplier in sustainable battery production with our American partners while complementing over CAD $20 million in investments and support by the Government of Canada. We will continue to advance collaboration with the United States, including through the Energy Transformation Task Force and the Joint Action Plan on Critical Minerals Collaboration.”

    With these funds, Nano One will demonstrate commercial-scale production of LFP cathode active materials, critical precursors in the large-capacity battery supply chain. LFP has considerable advantages for military applications, including high-power, advantageous safety characteristics, and a high cycle life. Additionally, all LFP inputs can eventually be sourced in North America, further reducing reliance on foreign sources.

    This is the latest of 60 awards made by the DPAI program across multiple areas, totaling $602 million since the beginning of Fiscal Year 2024. DPAI is overseen by the OASD(IBP)’s Manufacturing Capability Expansion, and Investment Prioritization (MCEIP) directorate.

    For more information on MCEIP, please visit: https://www.businessdefense.gov/ibr/mceip/index.html

    About the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy (OASD(IBP))

    The OASD(IBP) works with domestic and international partners to forge and sustain a robust, secure, and resilient industrial base enabling the warfighter, now and in the future.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI: Publicly Traded Tritent International Corp. and Burst Technologies, Inc. Sign MOU to Outline Strategic Merger Plans

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LAS VEGAS, Sept. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Tritent International Corp. (“Tritent”), a US public company (US OTC: TICJ), and Burst Technologies, Inc. (“Burst Technologies”), a Delaware corporation, are pleased to announce the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) that outlines the key terms and conditions for a proposed strategic merger. The MOU was officially executed on September 24, 2024.

    In a groundbreaking move to enhance healthcare billing efficiency, Burst Technologies and Tritent are excited to announce their potential merger, which introduces the build out of an AI-accelerated billing solution designed to recover Medicare Part B costs for nursing homes across the United States where in most cases currently goes unrecovered. This innovative technology aims to streamline billing processes, reduce administrative burdens, and ensure that nursing homes receive maximum reimbursement for these products and services.

    Key Benefits of Burst’s AI-Accelerated Healthcare Solution

    Maximized Reimbursement: Nursing homes can achieve direct recovery of Medicare Part B costs, significantly improving their bottom line.

    Efficiency Boost: Automated processes reduce the time and effort required for billing, freeing up staff and resources to focus more on patient care.

    Enhanced Accuracy: Technology and AI-driven algorithms minimize errors and optimize claim submissions and help ensure compliance with Medicare and insurance regulations.

    Key Points of the MOU

    This proposed merger is designed to enhance the capabilities and market presence of both organizations by integrating Burst Technologies as a wholly owned subsidiary of Tritent.

    Merger Structure: Under the proposed terms, Tritent will become the primary entity, and Burst Technologies will be integrated as a wholly owned subsidiary, ensuring operational continuity and strategic alignment between the companies.

    Governance and Management: Post-merger, key management and operational roles within Tritent will be filled by executives from Burst Technologies. Additionally, Burst Technologies will appoint a majority of the Board of Directors of the merged entity, ensuring a cohesive leadership team.

    Share Exchange: As part of the merger, Tritent will issue common restricted shares in accordance with the Definitive Share Exchange Agreement, facilitating the acquisition of Burst Technologies.

    Good Standing and Compliance: Both companies have committed to maintaining good standing with relevant regulatory bodies and ensuring compliance with all applicable laws, including those set forth by the OTC Markets, FINRA, and the State.

    Mutual Responsibilities: The MOU emphasizes the spirit of cooperation, transparency, and mutual respect between the parties. Both Tritent and Burst Technologies will work together diligently to finalize the Definitive Share Exchange Agreement and ensure the success of the merger.

    Market Size: Burst Technologies has developed a multi-year financial plan, focusing on expanding its client base and boosting revenue inside the Nursing Care Facilities and Continuing Care Retirement Communities representing 4%, or $180 billion, of the $4.5 trillion National Healthcare Expenditure (NHE) marketplace1.

    “This MOU represents an exciting opportunity for both companies to leverage each other’s strengths and drive growth in our respective markets,” said Reno J. Calabrigo, CEO of Tritent International Corp. “We are confident that this merger will create significant value for our shareholders and position us for long-term success.”

    Eric Hansen, CEO of Burst Technologies, added, “This partnership marks the first step toward making the nursing home industry a leader in technology. We’ll start by building the first AI-driven billing solution specifically for nursing homes. From there, we’ll continue pushing boundaries to bring fresh innovation to an industry ready for transformation. Our goal is not just to modernize long-term care, but to set a new tech standard for the entire sector, and we’re confident this merger offers an exciting path for our shareholders.”

    The MOU sets the framework for the negotiation and execution of a Definitive Share Exchange Agreement, which both parties expect to finalize in the coming weeks.

    About Burst Technologies, Inc.

    Burst is building out an AI-accelerated healthcare billing solution designed for America’s nursing homes, addressing a critical gap where many Medicare Part B supply costs currently go unrecovered. Currently, Burst supports 30 nursing homes and over 3,000 residents, ensuring they receive the healthcare returns they deserve. With a market size serving 1.6 million elderly residents across 16,700 facilities, Burst can ensure that essential Medicare reimbursements are accessible, transforming the way nursing homes manage healthcare billing. With a focus on healthcare inclusion, Burst’s success-based model allows any nursing home to sign up at no upfront cost, delivering reimbursements directly to their bank accounts. For more information please visit, http://www.burstmedicalbilling.com.

    About Tritent International Corp.

    Tritent International Corp. (US OTC: TICJ) is focused on the acquisition of controlling equity interests in disruptive companies by taking an active role to improve their growth, provide capital and management expertise.

    For more information, please contact:

    Tritent International Corp.
    Reno Calabrigo, Director
    Email: info@tritentintlcorp.com

    Burst Technologies, Inc.
    Eric Hansen, Director
    Email: Eric@Burstbilling.com

    Safe Harbor Statement

    This Press Release may contain certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The Company has tried, whenever possible, to identify these forward-looking statements using words such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “plans,” “intends,” “potential” and similar expressions. These statements reflect the Company’s current beliefs and are based upon information currently available to it. Accordingly, such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which could cause the Company’s actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by such statements, as well as other risks discussed from time to time in our filings with OTC Markets, including, without limitation, our latest Quarterly Report filed on August 13th, 2024. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or advise in the event of any change, addition or alteration to the information catered in this Press Release, including such forward-looking statements.

    Footnote

    1: references Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Office of the Actuary, “National Health Expenditures 2022 Highlights” https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/national-health-expenditures-2022-highlights

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/65b45d29-324a-4e7c-8687-64bd4f854a51

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI USA: DLNR News Release – NEW TECHNOLOGY TO CURB INVASIVE COQUI ON OʻAHU

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    DLNR News Release – NEW TECHNOLOGY TO CURB INVASIVE COQUI ON OʻAHU

    Posted on Sep 25, 2024 in Latest Department News, Newsroom

     

    DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES

     

    JOSH GREEN, M.D.
    GOVERNOR

     

    DAWN CHANG
    CHAIRPERSON

     

     

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    September 25, 2024

     

    NEW TECHNOLOGY TO CURB INVASIVE COQUI ON OʻAHU

    Drones will control frogs found at higher elevations in the Koʻolau Mountains

      

    (HONOLULU) – Invasive coqui frogs have been found at higher elevations than previous infestations on Oʻahu. The Department of Agriculture confirmed in June, following a report from a citizen, the distinctive chirp of the coqui roughly 200 meters below the summit of Kuliʻouʻou Ridge Trail on the leeward side of the mountains. Surveys were subsequently performed by the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW), and the Oʻahu Invasive Species Committee (OISC).

     

    It is estimated that 13 acres of forest are infested below the Kuliʻouʻou summit on the leeward side. The new infestation site presents several logistical challenges for response efforts. The remote location, steep slopes inaccessible by foot and highly variable weather, prevent crews from using a traditional hose-based spray system to deliver a non-toxic citric food additive mixed with water used to control the frogs.

     

    DOFAW field staffers are planning to use drone technology to apply the citric treatment at these higher elevations. Aloha ʻĀina Drones, a Hilo-based operation specializing in agricultural and conservation drone applications, is contracted to do the work.

     

    In Hawaiʻi, coqui reach densities much higher than in their native Puerto Rico. Their loud calls disturb residents and the invasive frogs have large impacts on local insect communities. Coqui are now widespread on Hawaiʻi Island and are targets of control efforts on Kauaʻi, Oʻahu and Maui.

     

    To date, the frogs have not been detected at lower elevations on the leeward side of the Koʻolau Mountains. Kuliʻouʻou residents and hikers on the Kuliʻouʻou Ridge Trail and Kuliʻouʻou Valley Trail are encouraged to listen for frog calls. Pest reports can be submitted online at 643pest.org or by calling the 643-PEST telephone hotline. Staff from DOFAW and OISC will be present at the October 2, 2024 meeting of the Kuliʻouʻou Neighborhood Board to share information and answer questions about this project.

     

    # # #

     

    RESOURCES 

    (All images/video courtesy: DLNR) 

     

    HD Video – Waimānalo Coqui Frog Eradication (May 16, 2022):

    [embedded content]

     

    Photographs – Coqui Frog Eradication Oʻahu (May 2022):

    https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/0fcd8b4vp1ef9xppjpupn/APqEluEA1r1n21JX5Lg7XhY?rlkey=iqz60cfjk726dcvn0x4tn36dc&st=4mj0y3cp&dl=0

     

    643pest.org Online pest reporting: https://www.643pest.org/

     

    Hawaiʻi Invasive Species Council – Coqui Frogs: https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/hisc/coqui-frog/

     

     

     

    Media Contact: 

    Ryan Aguilar

    Communications Specialist

    Hawaiʻi Dept. of Land and Natural Resources

    808-587-0396

    [email protected]

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: 2024-41 ATTORNEY GENERAL LOPEZ APPLAUDS HAWAIʻI SUPREME COURT DECISION UPHOLDING PROHIBITION OF SHORT-TERM VACATION RENTALS ON AGRICULTURAL LANDS

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    2024-41 ATTORNEY GENERAL LOPEZ APPLAUDS HAWAIʻI SUPREME COURT DECISION UPHOLDING PROHIBITION OF SHORT-TERM VACATION RENTALS ON AGRICULTURAL LANDS

    Posted on Sep 25, 2024 in Latest Department News, Newsroom

    DEPARTMENT OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL

    KA ʻOIHANA O KA LOIO KUHINA

    JOSH GREEN, M.D.

    GOVERNOR

    KE KIAʻĀINA

    ANNE LOPEZ

    ATTORNEY GENERAL

    LOIO KUHINA

    News Release 2024-41

     

    ATTORNEY GENERAL LOPEZ APPLAUDS HAWAIʻI SUPREME COURT DECISION UPHOLDING PROHIBITION OF SHORT-TERM VACATION RENTALS ON AGRICULTURAL LANDS

     

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    September 25, 2024

     

    HONOLULU – Attorney General Anne Lopez applauds the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court’s unanimous decision of Rosehill v. State of Hawaiʻi, Land Use Commission, where the court held that farm dwellings in the agricultural district cannot be used as short-term vacation rentals under Hawaiʻi law. In making its decision, the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court further held that courts must generally defer to agencies when interpreting ambiguous laws, expressly disagreeing with a controversial 2024 U.S. Supreme Court case that overruled the 40-year-old case of Chevron U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc.

     

    The County of Hawaiʻi has an ordinance that generally prohibits short-term vacation rentals in the agricultural district. In 2020, both the County of Hawaiʻi and certain owners of land in the agricultural district of the County of Hawaiʻi petitioned the state Land Use Commission (LUC) for declaratory orders regarding the legality of this prohibition under state law. The LUC held that a short-term vacation rental is not a permitted use of a farm dwelling in the agricultural district.

     

    On appeal, the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court agreed with the LUC, holding that a farm dwelling may not be used as short-term vacation rentals because “short-term vacation rentals undermine” agricultural purposes.

     

    In making this decision, the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court expressly deferred to the LUC’s interpretation of ambiguous Hawaiʻi law, stating: “In Hawaiʻi, we defer to those agencies with the naʻauao (knowledge/wisdom) on particular subject matters to get complex issues right.” In making this decision, the court expressly disagreed with the reasoning of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2024 decision of Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, which overruled longstanding principles of federal judicial deference to agency interpretation of statutes.

     

    State leaders praised the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court’s decision.

     

    “Using agricultural lands for genuine agricultural purposes and ensuring that housing is allocated for our residents are two of the most crucial issues facing our state today,” said Governor Josh Green, M.D. “I commend that Hawaiʻi Supreme Court for making the right decision for the people of Hawaiʻi.”

     

    “Today’s decision makes clear that deference to administrative agencies is a principle with continued vitality in Hawaiʻi,” said Attorney General Lopez. “This decision reaffirms the importance of agency expertise under Hawaiʻi law.”

     

    “This was a win for preserving agricultural lands in Hawaiʻi. Short-term vacation rentals are transient accommodations effectively for vacation or tourist use and do not belong in the agricultural district. That was the LUC’s finding when a dozen Hawaiʻi island landowners applied to rent out their farm dwellings as short-term vacation rentals,” said Special Deputy Attorney General Doug Chin, a former Attorney General of Hawaiʻi and current partner at Starn O’Toole Marcus & Fisher who argued the case before the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court. “The Hawaiʻi Supreme Court unanimously upheld the LUC’s thoughtful and well-reasoned decision.”

     

    ###

     

    Media Contacts:

    Dave Day

    Special Assistant to the Attorney General

    Office: 808-586-1284                                                  

    Email: [email protected]        

    Web: http://ag.hawaii.gov

     

    Toni Schwartz
    Public Information Officer
    Hawai‘i Department of the Attorney General
    Office: 808-586-1252
    Cell: 808-379-9249
    Email:
    [email protected] 

    Web: http://ag.hawaii.gov

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: DCR News Release – Dedication ceremony for the Women’s Community Correctional Center Expansion Project

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    DCR News Release – Dedication ceremony for the Women’s Community Correctional Center Expansion Project

    Posted on Sep 25, 2024 in Latest Department News, Newsroom

    DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS AND REHABILITATION

    KA ‘OIHANA HOʻOMALU KALAIMA A HOʻOPONOPONO OLA

     

    JOSH GREEN, M.D.

    GOVERNOR

    KE KIAʻĀINA

     

     

    TOMMY JOHNSON

    DIRECTOR

    KA LUNA HO‘OKELE

     

     

     

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    Sept. 25, 2024

     

    Dedication ceremony for the Women’s Community Correctional Center Expansion Project

     

    HONOLULU — Dozens of guests attended a dedication ceremony at the Women’s Community Correctional Center (WCCC) Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024, to commemorate the facility’s expansion project.

     

    The $63 million project that broke ground in July 2021, comprises three new buildings —Administration, Housing and Intake/Visitation — and is the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s (DCR) largest capital improvement project to date.

     

    WCCC also hosted the ceremony to celebrate the newly renovated Ho‘okipa Cottage, a $6 million project that include a new multi-purpose building and a renovated structure with a bed capacity of 58 beds for work furlough inmates.

     

    All three new structures and Hoʻokipa are slated to be operational by the end of the year.

     

    Distinguished guests that attended the event include Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke, Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (DCR) Director Tommy Johnson, Deputy Director Pamela Sturz of the Correctional Institutions Division, Deputy Director Sanna Muñoz of the Rehabilitation Services and Programs Division and Deputy Director Melanie Martin of the Administration Division.

     

    Wardens, administrators, lawmakers, stakeholders, community organizations and more also attended.

     

    Contractors, architects and consultants involved in the expansion project were recognized for their dedication and hard work.

     

    Lt. Gov. Luke, ceremony guest speaker and staunch supporter of criminal justice reform for female inmates, said, “It takes a commitment from the individuals here and it also takes a commitment from the outside community, the community as a whole, to support these women who have gone through many troubles in their lives.”

     

    DCR Director Tommy Johnson, who also addressed attendees at the ceremony, said the changes to WCCC represent “our sincere efforts to provide a positive rehabilitative environment, hope and return dignity to the women housed here while simultaneously improving the working conditions of our staff.”

     

    Johnson also thanked the Women’s Prison Project and many community groups for their unwavering support to better the lives of inmates and prepare them for reentry into the community.

     

    Kahu Pohālelo Loko‘olu Quintero and ‘Ihilani Chu of the Hawaiian Church of Hawaiʻi Nei and Chaplain Tammy Turcios conducted the blessing. Seven inmates of the facility’s hula halau, Halau Hulu Kamaluokukui, also performed.

     

    Providing space for programs and easing overcrowding at the Oʻahu Community Correctional Center (OCCC) were among DCR’s goals for this expansion project. WCCC, the only correctional facility for women in Hawaiʻi, will serve as a hybrid prison and jail facility for female inmates on Oʻahu.

     

    The prison population will be in the new Housing building which has a 176-bed capacity — 64 in each of the two dorm units and 48 in the restrictive housing unit. Pre-trial detainees, sentenced misdemeanants, sentenced felons, sentenced felony probationers and parole violators will be housed at other existing buildings at WCCC.

     

    WCCC Warden Ione “Noni” Guillonta said, “Our aim is not merely to house individuals but to offer them an opportunity for transformation. The facility will be a place where the focus extends beyond punishment to encompass education vocational training, mental health support and reentry preparation.”

     

    “We are dedicated to addressing the unique needs of women who face different challenges and required tailored support to rebuild their lives and reintegrate into society successfully,” Guillonta added.

     

    The ceremony itself served as training for seven inmates who have been training with staff from ‘Ōlelo Community Media and given the opportunity to film and conduct interviews at the event under the guidance of ‘Ōlelo.

     

    WCCC is preparing to transfer approximately 120 female inmates from the Oʻahu Community Correctional Center (OCCC) in Kalihi to the women’s facility in Kailua. The transfer is expected to take up to eight weeks to complete with approximately 10 to 15 inmates to be transferred at a time. The current population at WCCC is nearly 200 as of Sept. 16, 2024.

     

    The newly renovated Ho‘okipa Cottage and construction of an adjacent multi-purpose building will provide a new living environment that will emphasize rehabilitation and provide life skills for a successful transition into the community. Work furlough inmates eligible to be released within one to two years will be housed at Hoʻokipa.

     

    A fact sheet on the WCCC expansion project is attached. Ceremony photos are also available at the following link: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1R7wqRNMByyAAfKbjmT8i-v9k7rhWPFb1?usp=sharing.

     

     

    ###

     

     

    Media Contact:

    Rosemarie Bernardo

    Public Information Officer

    Hawai‘i Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation

    Office: 808-587-1358

    Cell: 808-683-5507

    Email: [email protected]

    Website: https://dcr.hawaii.gov

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: DLNR News Release – ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT MEASURES FOR HUNTING ON HAWAIʻI ISLAND, Sept. 25, 2024

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    DLNR News Release – ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT MEASURES FOR HUNTING ON HAWAIʻI ISLAND, Sept. 25, 2024

    Posted on Sep 25, 2024 in Latest Department News, Newsroom

     

    DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES

     

    JOSH GREEN, M.D.
    GOVERNOR

     

    DAWN CHANG
    CHAIRPERSON

     

     

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    September 25, 2024

     

    ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT MEASURES IN EFFECT FOR HUNTING ON

    HAWAIʻI ISLAND

      

    (HILO, HAWAIʻI) – A temporary rule change will go into effect this Saturday, Sept. 27, 2024 for hunting at Puʻu Waʻawaʻa Forest Reserve (Unit F) and Puʻu Anahulu Game Management Area (Unit E) on Hawaiʻi Island. The rule change coincides with the opening of the hunting season for muzzleloaders and shotguns (with slug) and pertains to the makai areas of these hunting units.

    The temporary rules were approved by the Board of Land and Natural Resources in March 2024. Per the new rules, the daily bag limits for goats will be three, with no requirement for tags. Open hunting days will be Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays throughout the season. Vehicular access to the two hunting areas may change each week, according to management actions in the area.

    Details on updated seasons and bag limits can be found in the Adaptive Rules Management summary on the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) website.

     

    For more information, contact DOFAW’s Hilo office at: 808-974-4221.

     

    # # #

     

    RESOURCES 

    (All images/video courtesy: DLNR) 

     

    HD Video – Puʻuwaʻawaʻa Forest Reserve (Dec. 2021):

    [embedded content]

     

    Photographs – Puʻu Anahulu aerials (March 2016):

    https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/zrvmbefvqsk3gyjz6l83c/ALthM0XKozQ1buq1XC4iPx0?rlkey=apj4wnwdeh2r8eu6p7db11zcu&st=hqmaa75o&dl=0

     

     

    Media Contact: 

    Ryan Aguilar

    Communications Specialist

    Hawaiʻi Dept. of Land and Natural Resources

    808-587-0396

    [email protected]

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: 2024-42 AG NEWS RELEASE – STATE OF HAWAIʻI FILES LEGAL ACTION AGAINST NORTH SHORE HOMEOWNER AFTER PART OF HOME COLLAPSES INTO THE OCEAN

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    2024-42 AG NEWS RELEASE – STATE OF HAWAIʻI FILES LEGAL ACTION AGAINST NORTH SHORE HOMEOWNER AFTER PART OF HOME COLLAPSES INTO THE OCEAN

    Posted on Sep 25, 2024 in Latest Department News, Newsroom

    DEPARTMENT OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL

    KA ʻOIHANA O KA LOIO KUHINA

     

    JOSH GREEN, M.D.

    GOVERNOR

    KE KIAʻĀINA

     

    ANNE LOPEZ

    ATTORNEY GENERAL

    LOIO KUHINA

    News Release 2024-42

    STATE OF HAWAIʻI FILES LEGAL ACTION AGAINST NORTH SHORE HOMEOWNER AFTER PART OF HOME COLLAPSES INTO THE OCEAN

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    September 25, 2024

     

    HONOLULU The state of Hawaiʻi filed a complaint for declaratory and injunctive relief in the Circuit Court of the First Circuit on O‘ahu and is pursuing a temporary restraining order against a North Shore property owner after part of a beachfront home collapsed onto state land and into the ocean.

     

    According to the complaint, on or about September 24, 2024, the Department of Land and Natural Resources’ (DLNR) Office of Conservation and Coastal Lands (OCCL) received reports that a dwelling located in Hale‘iwa was being destroyed by the ocean swell and solid material fell from the property onto the state land. DLNR’s Division of Conservation and Resource Enforcement officers responded and observed large parts of the structure on state land, as well as debris washing into the ocean.

    The DLNR has jurisdiction over land makai of the shoreline. The subject property is located in the state conservation district. The state owns the land up to the highest wash of the waves.

     

    The complaint details the state’s request for injunctive relief to have all unauthorized solid materials including unauthorized erosion control devices and debris removed from the state land. It also requests an order from the Court that provides the state owns the land clear of interest or claim by the defendant and requests a permanent injunction preventing the defendant from allowing any structures, solid materials, or debris of any kind on state property. The complaint also asks that the Court award damages to the state for repairing the natural resources affected by the defendants’ illegal actions.

     

    “The state has a duty to protect the environment, prevent further degradation of state conservation land, and ensure shoreline and beach preservation for future generations,” said Attorney General Anne Lopez.

     

    “Private landowners take a risk when they allow structures to be so close to the shoreline,” said Deputy Attorney General Danica Swenson, who is the lead attorney for the state on the case. “The people of Hawai‘i are now confronted with the consequences of property owners’ failures to take heed of the ocean’s warning signs of erosion.”

     

    DLNR’s OCCL Administrator Michael Cain says, “The Office of Conservation and Coastal Lands is coordinating with the City and County Department of Parks and Recreation to remove the debris from the shoreline.”

     

    A copy of Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief can be found here.

     

    ###

     

    Media Contacts:

    Dave Day

    Special Assistant to the Attorney General

    Office: 808-586-1284                                                  

    Email: [email protected]        

    Web: http://ag.hawaii.gov

     

    Toni Schwartz
    Public Information Officer
    Hawai‘i Department of the Attorney General
    Office:
    808-586-1252
    Cell:
    808-379-9249
    Email: [email protected] 

    Web: http://ag.hawaii.gov

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: The United States and Partners Mobilize $517 Million to Support Democratic Openings Around the World

    Source: USAID

    Today, USAID Administrator Samantha Power, in partnership with the Ford Foundation, convened bilateral partners, democratic reformist government leaders, philanthropic partners, and civil society to collectively announce over $517 million to support countries experiencing democratic openings globally.

    On the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, the U.S. government deepened its commitment to supporting democratic “bright spots” by working with Congress to announce over $73 million towards USAID’s Democracy Delivers Initiative. Administrator Power also announced that Guatemala will join the Initiative, following Fiji’s entry in June, as both countries experience historic windows of democratic opportunity. With this announcement, the Democracy Delivers Initiative now supports Armenia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Fiji, Guatemala, Malawi, Maldives, Moldova, Nepal, Tanzania, and Zambia. Leaders from these countries joined the event to highlight their countries’ democratic progress and to welcome new investments and collaborations furthering democratic resilience.

    As part of the U.S. commitment, the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) announced over $348 million in newly committed transactions in Moldova, Tanzania, and Zambia, bringing their total investment to over $2.38 billion for projects in Democracy Delivers countries since 2022. The Inter-American Foundation also announced $3.3 million in new investments in the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, and Guatemala.

    Administrator Power announced that like-minded partners – including Australia, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom – jointly committed to supporting democratic openings throughout their development and diplomatic agendas and to bolstering information resilience. 

    Expanding the Democracy Delivers Commitment to Action launched at UNGA in 2023, philanthropic partners announced new commitments totaling up to $92.4 million to support Democracy Delivers countries and objectives. As an anchor partner and host for the 2024 event, Ford Foundation announced $8 million to support democratic opportunity, including in Guatemala. The following foundations also made commitments: The Rockefeller Foundation, Chandler Foundation, Focus Central America, Hilton Foundation, Luis von Ahn Foundation, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Skoll Foundation, Tinker Foundation, Vodafone Foundation, and WINGS.

    Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Administrator Power launched the Democracy Delivers Initiative in 2022 to bring together a multi-stakeholder coalition of partners and surge resources to countries undergoing moments of democratic renewal to help deliver tangible, lasting progress for citizens. By prioritizing responsiveness to citizen needs and enhancing transparency and accountability, these commitments will strengthen government reform efforts and facilitate improvements to public services. 

    Continuing the momentum of the Summit for Democracy process and building upon previous Democracy Delivers events, the gathering underscored the United States’ continued commitment to convening the world’s democracies in order to galvanize sustained collective action and ensure that democracy delivers opportunity and dignity for all.

    We encourage all organizations to join us.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: DLNR News Release – KAULUNANI PARTNERS CELEBRATE COMMUNITY FORESTRY, Sept. 24, 2024

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    DLNR News Release – KAULUNANI PARTNERS CELEBRATE COMMUNITY FORESTRY, Sept. 24, 2024

    Posted on Sep 25, 2024 in Latest Department News, Newsroom

     

    DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES

     

     

    JOSH GREEN, M.D.
    GOVERNOR

    DAWN CHANG
    CHAIRPERSON

    NEWS RELEASE

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    Sept. 24, 2024

    KAULUNANI PARTNERS GATHER TO CELEBRATE COMMUNITY FORESTRY

     

    (HONOLULU) – Community forestry efforts brought the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) Kaulunani program together with partnering educators, nonprofits, agency representatives, cultural practitioners and students at the UH West Oʻahu campus for an empowering, role-celebrating event.

     

    The September 20 occasion started with gentle and cooling nāulu rains and an ānuenue (rainbow) that arched over the space just as people were arriving, setting the stage for a special time. The multi-generational group representing multifaceted programs across the state were in attendance to strengthen each other’s roles in this space, learn from each other, deepen their relationship to ‘āina, and have fun. Participants shared their passion for trees, communities and the environment through art, culture, sustainable practices, and lessons learned in their work. 

     

    “Today is about celebrating our partners and the amazing work that they’re doing around growing trees, growing canopy, but also growing the wellbeing of our communities together,” said Heather McMillen, Kaulunani’s program coordinator. 

     

    Topics covered at the event included project purpose and evaluation, nurturing partnerships, ritualizing tree planting and care and preventing the spread of invasive species. Artists and cultural practitioners included Nalu Andrade, Emma Broderick and Jesse Mikasobe-Kealiinohomoku, who shared their skills with bamboo stamping (ʻOhe kāpala), weaving (Ulana), and coconut shell cup (ʻApu) making. 

     

    “This gathering of many different folks with plenty mana (power) and responsibility is really special,” said Mikasobe-Kealiinohomoku. He explained that this ʻaha (meeting) is not a conference but more a place to come together and be present. “It’s a time to be vulnerable, a time to share your work. It’s a time to also learn and listen.” 

     

    Kaulunani’s purpose is to support community collaboration in efforts to establish, manage and protect trees, forests and green spaces across Hawaiʻi. This event was an example of how it’s about much more. McMillen added, “This work is not only about trees. We think about trees as an entry point, not an end point. It’s an entry point to be able to engage aroundissues of community well-being, education, transportation, health and culture.” 

    # # #

     

    RESOURCES

    HD Video – Kaulunani Celebration – media clips (Sept. 20, 2024):

    https://vimeo.com/1011514371

    Photographs – Kaulunani Celebration (Sept. 20, 2024):

    https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/i40tii8a18suq688p9gyw/ACEOJlvIfADtlJbDLQzJoQM?rlkey=sco2eyxd20x724q9ndc6noxr2&st=831b9hl4&dl=0

    Kaulunani website:

    https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/forestry/lap/kaulunani/

     

     

    Media Contacts:

    Ryan Aguilar

    Communications Specialist

    Hawai‘i Dept. of Land and Natural Resources

    [email protected]

    808-587-0396

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Administrator Samantha Power at the Democracy Delivers Event

    Source: USAID

    ADMINISTRATOR SAMANTHA POWER: Thank you. It is wonderful to be here with so many friends and co-conspirators and people who stand for dignity and democracy every day. I feel incredibly privileged, honestly, to be a part of this initiative. 

    I could have no better partner in Darren Walker, our incomparable anchor partner in the Democracy Delivers Initiative – the co-host for the second year in a row. Some of you know that Darren will be departing from his leadership role at Ford [Foundation]. None of us can imagine the thought of him not performing this role. He is such a giant in supporting civil society, in supporting human dignity, individual dignity around the world. But, we were thrilled, Darren, to think of what you will do next and the difference you will make in whatever walk of life you pursue. You are a walking catalyst for change, and we feel incredibly grateful to you and to the Ford Foundation for all that you do everyday. So, thank you. 

    Thanks to everybody here who’s joining, as well as all of those online. This is a club that we wish more people wanted to be a member of – a gathering of nations who are pursuing really tough political reforms and who are doing so in the face of even tougher economic headwinds often.

    Two years ago, we first brought this group together amidst a wave of very familiar pessimism, talk of authoritarians emboldened, and democracies under attack. And, honestly, in looking back, too often this pessimism over recent years has overshadowed the bright spots of democratic progress springing up in many places around the world. And, they will always spring up because citizens will never relent when their dignity is denied and when they lack agency over their futures. So, we have seen it: citizens standing up, demanding change, and electing leaders who they were trusting to deliver on that promise. 

    Of course, if we did not focus on these movements – as I think traditionally, we really had not sufficiently – we weren’t focusing on them as movements and as reform engines. Then, it was also very unlikely we were going to focus our support on them in an intentional way. And, that, as we have seen, is a critical mistake. Because often democratic reformers come into office facing really, really significant challenges: entrenched corruption, weak institutions, often debt burdens that prevent them from making the investments that their people need and that their people expect. For reformers to have a fighting chance of delivering on the change that their people demand, they need allies. And, that is fundamentally what this network is about. 

    So, Secretary [Antony] Blinken and I, on behalf of President [Joe] Biden, launched the Democracy Delivers Initiative to help provide the support these reformers need. Secretary Blinken today, unfortunately, just got pulled into an urgent obligation with President Biden and is sorry to be missing us today. But, he – and we – take note of the fact that since 2022, in the short time this Democracy Delivers Initiative has been underway, USAID alone has increased our funding for the original cohort of nine Democracy Delivers countries by over $300 million. That is an increase of over 38 percent.

    At the same time, we knew all along that the true power of this initiative would be bringing others on board to surge support to these democratic bright spots as well. Because the beauty of democratic progress is that it creates opportunity for all. So, at this event, back in 2022, we rallied companies to invest in countries experiencing democratic openings, knowing that improvements in the rule of law, increased transparency, and unleashed innovation make democracies ideal places for private investment.  

    At this event, then a year later and a year ago, in 2023, we rallied philanthropies, many represented here today, to focus their giving, their investments in these places as well, knowing that democratic openings create opportunities to drive change that endures – in partnership with leaders who are not standing in the way of progress they see as somehow threatening, but instead championing and seeking to scale good ideas. 

    This year, the third of these meetings, we are pleased to be joined by other bilateral government partners who, like us, see the opportunity that democratic openings create and are committed to supporting them in their own foreign policy and in their own assistance. I am pleased to announce that today we are releasing a joint statement endorsed by 12 countries so far: Australia, Estonia, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Finland, New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain, and the United Kingdom. Most of these partners are here with us today, committing all of us in this statement to elevating attention to democratic renewal around the world, and committing to look at the ways in which they can increase support across sectors as we work together to make these openings not just moments but movements. 

    This approach is particularly important now as we continue to see new, promising democratic bright spots emerge. 

    And so, just this past June, we welcomed Fiji to the Democracy Delivers Initiative, following on the heels of the first peaceful transfer of power in Fiji’s history which occurred nearly two years ago. And, today, I’m thrilled as well now to announce that Guatemala will be the newest country joining the cohort. 

    Earlier this year, I traveled to Guatemala for the inauguration of President [Bernardo] Arévalo who’s joining us here today. The anti-democratic forces who had been working for months to prevent the president-elect from taking power tried every procedural maneuver that they could to deny the will of the Guatemalan people, delaying the inauguration for nearly ten hours – was it ten hours? But who was counting? And casting into doubt – genuinely casting into doubt – the peaceful transfer of power. But, the people of Guatemala insisted that their will be respected, and they prevailed. After midnight, technically, the day after the inauguration was supposed to occur, President Arévalo finally took the oath of office to an electric crowd chanting, “sí se pudo” – yes, we did.

    Now, as president Arévalo attempts to overcome those same undemocratic forces to deliver on the change that he promised, many of our partners are already surging support. Just to name a few – and you’ll get to hear from others later on – the Inter-American Foundation is helping Guatemala invest in providing the economic opportunities and security that citizens need to build their futures at home. The Tinker Foundation is investing in Guatemala’s education system. The Rockefeller Brothers Fund and Focus Central America are each investing in Guatemalan civil society organizations advancing democracy and justice. 

    Today, we are going to hear from President Arévalo and other leaders who are taking on extraordinary odds to deliver change for their people. And, we are going to hear commitments that partners around the world are making to support this progress. We have many partners with us. So, to make sure we stay on time and can hear from everyone, our timekeeper, Jacob, will help us stay on track – including helping me stay on track. 

    And, to kick us off, I am pleased to announce that USAID will commit an additional $73 million to support democratic development in Democracy Delivers partner countries. This is on top of our programming that we are doing across sectors that many of you are familiar with. But, this new funding is going to support priorities like energy security in Armenia; job growth in Guatemala and Tanzania; public service delivery in Ecuador, Malawi, and Zambia; and democratic governance and anti-corruption efforts in the Dominican Republic, the Maldives, Moldova, and Nepal. And, in recent months, we’ve announced nearly $6 million to support inclusive democratic systems, sustainable local food production, and climate adaptation in Fiji.

    And now, I would like to introduce the President of Fiji, President [Wiliame] Katonivere. Last year, I had the chance, sir, to visit Fiji and to officially establish USAID’s Mission there on the ground. Next week, USAID Deputy Administrator Isabel Coleman, will be leading an interagency delegation to Fiji and other Pacific Islands to continue strengthening our collaboration.

    Let me officially welcome you and the people of Fiji to this Democracy Delivers Initiative. The floor is yours.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI: Xtract One Technologies Teams Up with UBS Arena, Home of the NHL’s New York Islanders

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, Sept. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Xtract One Technologies (TSX: XTRA)(OTCQX: XTRAF)(FRA: 0PL) (“Xtract One” or the “Company”), a leading technology-driven threat detection and security solution that prioritizes the patron access experience by leveraging AI, today announced that its SmartGateway screening solution was selected to secure UBS Arena in New York. This contract is enabled through the Company’s partnership with Oak View Group (OVG), a global sports and entertainment company. UBS Arena, an 18,000-seat capacity venue located in New York’s historic Belmont Park, is home to the National Hockey League’s (NHL) New York Islanders.

    Xtract One will provide fast and frictionless fan screening to optimize UBS Arena’s patron experience while bolstering safety and security. The SmartGateway will secure key entrances for sports games, concerts, family shows and other live events held at UBS Arena. Together with Oak View Group, Xtract One is working towards providing high-quality experiences for customers while enhancing the comfortability and safety they feel when attending high capacity events.

    “We are pleased to have been selected by UBS Arena and the New York Islanders to secure their premises, another noteworthy accomplishment after recently achieving DHS certification,” said Peter Evans, CEO of Xtract One. “We are in active communication with many NHL teams and are excited by the rapid increase in interest that the DHS award has helped facilitate. This latest deployment, expected to be completed in the current quarter, perfectly blends the historic backdrop of the venue with our next-generation SmartGateway AI technology. Xtract One’s advanced systems will enhance and strengthen UBS Arena’s mission to provide safe, entertaining events for millions – giving patrons the best time possible. We’re excited to have them as a client and look forward to continue revolutionizing the customer experience.”

    Xtract One’s SmartGateway system leverages AI-powered sensors to detect threats without invading guest privacy and comfort, making the screening process for high throughput venues more efficient without compromising accuracy. The SmartGateway scans patrons for weapons and other prohibited items as they enter the space in a discreet manner, enhancing patron experience by reducing security line wait times while still prioritizing their safety.

    “At UBS Arena, guest experience is always paramount. We want our guests to have a best in class experience every time they walk through our doors,” said Mike Sciortino, General Manager of UBS Arena. “For your safety and the safety of others, our screening process is now frictionless using Xtract One technology. There is no need to remove any items, including small bags and coats. Guests will be able to walk directly through the screening system for an expedited security process.”

    To learn more, visit http://www.xtractone.com.

    About Xtract One
    Xtract One Technologies is a leading technology-driven threat detection and security solution leveraging AI to provide seamless and secure patron access control experiences. The Company makes unobtrusive threat detection systems that enable venue building operators to prioritize and deliver improved patron experiences while providing unprecedented safety. Xtract One’s innovative Gateway product enables companies to covertly screen for weapons at points of entry without disrupting the flow of traffic. Its AI-based software allows venue and building operators to identify weapons and other threats inside and outside of facilities, and receive valuable intelligence for optimizing operations. For more information, visit http://www.xtractone.com or connect on LinkedIn, X, and Facebook.

    About UBS Arena
    UBS Arena is made for music and built for hockey. New York’s newest premier entertainment and sports venue and proud home of the New York Islanders is developed in partnership with Oak View Group, the New York Islanders, and Jeff Wilpon. The state of the art arena has welcomed top artists from around the globe since opening in November 2021 including Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, Chris Stapleton, Dua Lipa, Drake, Harry Styles, Marc Anthony and Suga. The venue delivers an unmatched live entertainment experience for guests including clear sightlines and premier acoustics.

    UBS Arena is at the forefront of sustainability, recently achieving Zero Waste TRUE Silver certification in May 2024 in addition to its LEED Green Building Certification and carbon neutrality for operations.

    Located on the historic grounds of Belmont Park, UBS Arena is located just 30 minutes by LIRR from Grand Central or Penn Station and is easily accessible from across the region via mass transit or car. To plan your trip, please visit UBSArena.com/plan-your-trip.

    For additional information, please visit UBSArena.com or @UBSArena on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

    About Oak View Group
    Oak View Group (OVG) is a global sports and entertainment company founded by Tim Leiweke and Irving Azoff in 2015. OVG is focused on being a positive disruption to business as usual in the sports, live entertainment, and hospitality industries and currently has eight divisions across five global offices (Los Angeles, New York, London, Philadelphia, and Toronto). OVG oversees the operations of Climate Pledge Arena at Seattle Center, UBS Arena in Belmont Park, NY, and Moody Center in Austin, TX as well as arena development projects for Acrisure Arena in Palm Springs, CA; Co-op Live in Manchester, UK; and projects for Arena São Paulo in São Paulo, BZ; Baltimore Arena in Baltimore, MD; FirstOntario Centre Arena in Hamilton, ON; a New Arena and entertainment district in Las Vegas, NV; and a New Arena in Cardiff, Wales. More information at OakViewGroup.com, and follow OVG on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

    Forward Looking Statements
    This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements that are not historical facts, including without limitation, statements regarding future estimates, plans, programs, forecasts, projections, objectives, assumptions, expectations or beliefs of future performance, are “forward-looking statements”. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as “plans”, “expects” or “does not expect”, “is expected”, “estimates”, “intends”, “anticipates” or “does not anticipate”, or “believes”, or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might” or “will” be taken, occur or be achieved. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, events or developments to be materially different from any future results, events or developments expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the risks detailed from time to time in the continuous disclosure filings made by the Company with securities regulations. These factors should be considered carefully, and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. Although the Company has attempted to identify important risk factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other risk factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in forward-looking statements. The Company has no obligation to update any forward looking statement, even if new information becomes available as a result of future events, new information or for any other reason except as required by law.

    For further information, please contact:
    Xtract One Inquiries: info@xtractone.com, http://www.xtractone.com
    Investor Relations: Chris Witty, Darrow Associates, cwitty@darrowir.com, 646-438-9385
    Media Contact: Kristen Aikey, JMG Public Relations, kristen@jmgpr.com, 212-206-1645
    UBS Arena inquiries: press@ubsarena.com

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