LONDON, UK, June 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — AAS Miner, a prominent cloud mining platform, today announced the extension of its services, providing a seamless and safe gateway for people to invest in cryptocurrency mining and receive passive income. As a user-friendly and efficient solution, AAS Miner looks to set the standard for the international cloud mining sector with their accessible solutions for established investors and novice digital asset investors alike.
AAS Miner vows to provide an unrivalled mining experience through the integration of innovative ASIC and GPU mining hardware with a friendly user interface. The platform eliminates the complexities associated with traditional cryptocurrency mining, such as hardware procurement, maintenance, and high energy costs, making it easier for users to begin their wealth appreciation journey.
“At AAS Miner, our core mission is to empower individuals to participate in the burgeoning digital economy with confidence and ease,” said a spokesperson for AAS Miner. “We believe that generating passive income from cryptocurrencies should be straightforward and accessible. Our platform, backed by advanced technology and a dedicated expert team, ensures a reliable and efficient mining environment for all our users.”
Key Advantages of Choosing AAS Miner:
Effortless Start: Users can begin mining in a few simple steps: register an account, select a preferred mining contract, and start receiving stable daily income directly to their account. New users are welcomed with a $10 registration bonus, and daily sign-in rewards of $0.8 are available.
State-of-the-Art Hardware: AAS Miner utilizes the latest ASIC and GPU mining equipment, ensuring high efficiency and optimal performance for digital asset production.
No Hidden Fees: The platform transparently covers all hardware, installation, maintenance, and electricity costs, providing a clear and predictable earning model for users.
Stable and Predictable Earnings: Once a contract is purchased, the system automatically processes and updates earnings every 24 hours, offering a consistent income stream.
Robust Fund Security: A significant portion of user funds is secured in offline cold wallets. Enhanced security protocols, including McAfee® Security and Cloudflare® Security, are implemented to ensure maximum asset protection.
Expert Support and Eco-Friendly Operations: An expert team of blockchain professionals and IT engineers provides 24/7 online customer service. Furthermore, AAS Miner is dedicated to environmentally friendly mining, powering its operations with clean energy sources like monocrystalline solar panels and large-scale wind energy to ensure profitability while minimizing ecological impact.
Lucrative Referral Program: Users can earn a permanent 5% referral bonus (Level 1) and 2.5% (Level 2) by inviting friends, providing an additional avenue for wealth accumulation.
AAS Miner offers a variety of popular mining contracts tailored to different investment capacities and durations, including options for Bitcoin (BTC), Litecoin (LTC), and Dogecoin (DOGE) cloud computing power.
As the cryptocurrency market continues its appreciation, cloud mining with AAS Miner presents an opportunity to participate in the digital economy’s growth, aligning technological advancement with sustainable development.
About AAS Miner: AAS Miner is a leading cloud mining platform established with the goal of providing a simple, secure, and efficient way for individuals worldwide to earn cryptocurrency. Leveraging advanced mining hardware and an expert team, AAS Miner is committed to transparent operations, robust security, and environmentally responsible practices, empowering users to achieve passive income in the digital asset space.
Media Contact: Full Name: DOLAN Peter James Position: Advertising Manager Email: Miner@aas8.com Website: https://aas8.com Address: 5 Egerton Drive, Hale, Altrincham, United Kingdom, WA15 8EF
Headline: Building security that lasts: Microsoft’s journey towards durability at scale
In this blog you will hear directly from Microsoft’s Deputy Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for Azure and operating systems, Mark Russinovich, about how Microsoft operationalized security durability at scale. This blog is part of an ongoing series where our Deputy CISOs share their thoughts on what is most important in their respective domains. In this series you will get practical advice and forward-looking commentary on where the industry is going, as well as tactics you should start (and stop) deploying, and more.
In late 2023, Microsoft launched its most ambitious security transformation to date, the Microsoft Secure Future Initiative (SFI). An initiative with the equivalent of 34,000 engineers working across 14 product divisions, supporting more than 20,000 cloud services on 1.2 million Azure subscriptions, the scope is massive. These services operate on 21 million compute nodes, protected by 46.7 million certificates, and developed across 134,000 code repositories.
At Microsoft’s scale, the real challenge isn’t just shipping security fixes—it’s ensuring they’re automatically enforced by the platform, with no extra lift from engineers. This work aligns directly to our Secure by Default principle. Durable security is about building systems that apply fixes proactively, uphold standards over time, and engineering teams can focus on innovation rather than rework. This is the next frontier in security resilience.
Learn more about the Secure Future Initiative
Why “staying secure” is harder than getting there
SFI April 2025 report blog
Read the blog ›
When SFI began, Microsoft made rapid progress: teams addressed vulnerabilities, met key performance indicators (KPIs), and turned dashboards green. Over time, sustaining these gains proved challenging, as some fixes required reinforcement and recurring patterns like misconfigurations and legacy issues began to re-emerge in new projects—highlighting the need for durable, long-term security practices.
The pattern was clear: security improvements weren’t durable.
While key milestones were successfully achieved, there were instances where we did not have a clearly defined ownership or built-in features to automatically sustain security baselines. Enforcement mechanisms varied, leading to inconsistencies in how security standards were upheld. As resources shifted post-delivery, this created a risk of baseline drift over time.
Moving forward, we realized that our teams need to establish explicit ownership, standardize enforcement design, and embed automation at the platform level because it is essential to ensure long-term resilience, reduce operational burden, and prevent regression.
Read the latest SFI report
Engineering for endurance: The making of Microsoft’s durability strategy
To transform security from a reactive effort into an enduring capability, Microsoft launched a company-wide initiative to operationalize security durability at scale. The result was the creation of the Security Durability Model, anchored in the principle to “Start Green, Get Green, Stay Green, and Validate Green.” This framework is not a slogan—it is a foundational shift in how Microsoft engineers build, enforce, and sustain secure systems across the enterprise.
At the core of this effort are Durability Architects—dedicated Architects embedded within each division who act as stewards of persistent security. These individuals champion a “fix-once, fix-forever” mindset by enforcing ownership and driving accountability across teams. One example that catalyzed this effort involved cross-tenant access risks through Passthrough Authentication. In this case, users without presence in a target tenant could authenticate through passthrough mechanisms, unintentionally breaching tenant boundaries. The mitigation initially lacked durability and resurfaced until ownership and enforcement were systemically addressed.
Microsoft also applies a lifecycle framework they call “Start Green, Get Green, Stay Green, Validated Green.” New features are developed in a secure-by-default posture using hardened templates, ensuring they “Start Green.” Legacy systems or existing features are brought into compliance through targeted remediation efforts—this is “Get Green.” To “Stay Green,” ongoing monitoring and guardrails prevent regression. Finally, security is verified through automated reviews, and executive reporting—ensuring enduring resilience.
Automating for scale and embedding security into engineering culture
What is Azure Policy?
Learn more
Recognizing that manual security checks cannot scale across an enterprise of this size, Microsoft has heavily invested in automation to prevent regressions. Tools such as Azure Policy automatically enforce best practices like encryption-at-rest or multifactor authentication across cloud resources. Continuous scanners detect expired certificates or known vulnerable packages. Self-healing scripts autocorrect deviations, closing the loop between detection and remediation.
To embed durability into the operational fabric, review cadences and executive oversight play a critical role. Security KPIs are reviewed at weekly or biweekly engineering operations meetings, with Microsoft’s top leadership, including the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Executive Vice Presidents (EVPs), and engineering leaders receiving regular updates. Notably, executive compensation is now directly tied to security performance metrics—an accountability mechanism that has driven measurable improvements in areas such as secret hygiene across code repositories.
Rather than building fragmented solutions, Microsoft focuses on shared, scalable security capabilities. For example, to maintain a clean build environment, all new build queues will now default to a virtualized setup. Customers will not have the option to revert to the classic Artifact Processor (AP) on their own. Once a build is executed in the virtualized CloudBuild environment, any previously allocated resources in the classic CloudBuild will be either decommissioned or reassigned.
Finally, durability is now a built-in requirement at development gates. Security fixes must not only remediate current issues but be designed to endure. Teams must assign owners, undergo gated reviews or durability, and build enforcement mechanisms. This philosophy has shifted the mindset from one-time patching to long-term resilience.
The path to durable security: A maturity framework
Durable security isn’t just about fixing vulnerabilities—it’s about ensuring security holds over time. As Microsoft learned during the early days of its Secure Future Initiative, lasting protection requires organizations to mature operationally, culturally, and technically. The following framework outlines how to evolve toward security durability at scale:
1. Stages of security durability maturity: Security durability evolves through distinct operational phases that reflect an organization’s ability to sustain and scale secure outcomes, not just achieve them temporarily.
Reactive: Durable outcomes are rare. Fixes are implemented manually and inconsistently. Drift and regressions are common due to a lack of enforcement or oversight.
Define: Security fixes are codified in basic processes. Teams may implement fixes, but durability is still dependent on individual vigilance rather than systemic support.
Managed: Security controls are embedded in standardized workflows. Durable design patterns are introduced. Baseline drift is measured, and early automation begins to prevent regression.
Optimized: Durability becomes part of engineering culture. Secure-by-default templates, guardrails, and metrics reduce variance. Real-time enforcement prevents security drift.
Autonomous and predictive: Systems proactively enforce durability. AI-assisted controls detect and self-remediate regressions. Durable security becomes self-sustaining and adaptive to change.
2. Dimensions of security durability: To embed durability across the enterprise, organizations must mature along five integrated dimensions:
Resilience to change: Security controls must remain stable even as infrastructure, tools, and organizational structures evolve. This requires decoupling controls from fragile, manual systems.
Scalability: Durable security must scale effortlessly across expanding environments, including new regions, services, and team structures—without introducing regressions.
Automation and AI readiness: Durability depends on machine-powered enforcement. Manual reviews alone cannot guarantee persistence. AI and automation provide speed, consistency, and fail-safes.
Governance integration: Durability must be wired into governance platforms to provide traceability, accountability, and risk closure across the control lifecycle.
Sustainability: Durable security solutions must be lightweight and operationally viable. If controls are too burdensome, teams will circumvent them, undermining long-term resilience.
3. Key milestones in security durability evolution: Microsoft’s implementation of durable security revealed critical transformation points that signal organizational maturity:
Enforce controls through automated policy and self-healing.
Build durability-aware platforms like Govern Risk Intelligent Platform (GRIP) to track regressions and closure loops.
Embed durability reviews into engineering checkpoints and risk ownership cycles.
Drive a durability mindset across teams—from development to operations.
Create feedback loops to evaluate what holds and what regresses over time.
Deploy AI-powered agents to detect drift and initiate remediation.
Each milestone builds a stronger foundation for durability and aligns incentives with sustained security excellence.
4. Measuring security durability: Tracking the stickiness of security work requires a shift from traditional risk metrics to durability-focused indicators. Microsoft uses the following to monitor progress:
Percentage of controls enforced automatically versus manually
Baseline drift rate (how often known-good states erode)
Mean time to regress (how quickly fixes unravel)
Volume of self-healing actions triggered and resolved
Percentage of fixes that meet “never regress” criteria
Durability metadata coverage in systems like GRIP (ownership, status, and closure)
Percentage of engineering teams integrated into durability reporting cadences
Results: From short-term wins to sustained gains
By February 2025, the durability push resulted in:
100% multi-factor authentication (MFA) enforcement or legacy protocol removal remained stable for months.
Teams use real-time dashboards to catch any KPI dips—addressing them before they spiral.
Where previous improvements faded, new ones held firm—validating the durability model.
Get the latest Secure Future Initiative updates
Lessons for any enterprise
Microsoft’s journey offers valuable takeaways for organizations of all sizes.
Durability requires programmatic support
Security doesn’t persist by accident. It needs:
Roles for durability and accountability.
Durable design patterns.
Empowering technologies (automation and policy enforcement).
Regular leadership and architect reviews.
Standardized workflows.
Teams across security, development, and operations must be aligned and coordinated—using the same metrics, tools, and gates.
Culture and leadership matter
Security must be everyone’s job—and leadership must reinforce that relentlessly. At Microsoft, security became part of performance reviews, executive dashboards, and everyday conversation.
As EVP Charlie Bell put it: “Security is not just a feature, it’s the foundation.”
That mindset—combined with consistent leadership pressure—is what transforms short-lived security into long-term resilience.
Security that endures
The Secure Future Initiative proves that durable security is achievable—even at hyperscale.
Microsoft is showing that lasting security can be achieved by investing in:
People (clear ownership and champions).
Processes (repeatable metrics and reviews).
Platforms (shared tooling and automation).
The playbook isn’t just for tech giants. Any organization—whether you’re securing 20 cloud services or 20,000—can adopt the principles of security durability
Because in today’s cyberthreat landscape, fixing isn’t enough.
Secure Future Initiative
A new world of security.
Learn more with Microsoft Security
To see an example of the Microsoft Durability Strategy in action, read this case study in the appendix below. Learn more about the Microsoft Security Future Initiative and our Secure by Default principle.
To learn more about Microsoft Security solutions, visit our website. Bookmark the Security blog to keep up with our expert coverage on security matters. Also, follow us on LinkedIn (Microsoft Security) and X (@MSFTSecurity) for the latest news and updates on cybersecurity.
Appendix:
Security Durability Case Study
Eliminating pinned certificates: A durable fix for secret hygiene in MSA apps
SFI Reference: [SFI-ID4.1.3] Initiative Owner: Microsoft Account (MSA) Engineering Team
Overview
As part of the Secure Future Initiative (SFI), the Microsoft Account (MSA) team addressed a critical weakness identified through Software Security Incident Response Plans (SSIRPs): the unsafe use of pinned certificates. By eliminating this legacy pattern and embedding preventive guardrails, the MSA team set a new bar for durable secrets management and secure partner onboarding.
The challenge: Pinned certificates and hidden fragility
Pinned certificates were once seen as a strong trust enforcement mechanism, ensuring that only specific certificates could be used to establish connections. However, they became a security and operational liability:
Difficult to rotate: If a pinned certificate expired or was compromised, coordinating a fast and seamless replacement across services was challenging.
Onboarding risk: New services had no safe, scalable path to onboard without replicating this fragile pattern.
Lack of durability: Without controls, the risk of regression and repeated misuse remained high.
The durable fix: Secure by default and enforced by design
The MSA team implemented a durability-first solution grounded in engineering enforcement and operational pragmatism:
Strategy
Action
Code-Level Blocking
All code paths accepting pinned certificates were hardened to prevent adoption.
Temporary Allow Lists
Existing apps using pinned certificates were allow-listed to prevent immediate outages.
Default Deny Posture
New apps are automatically blocked from using pinned certificates, enforcing secure defaults.
This “fix-once, fix-forever” approach ensures the issue doesn’t resurface—even as new partners onboard or systems evolve.
Sustained impact and lifecycle integration
To maintain progress and ensure no regression, the MSA team aligned remediation with each partner’s SFI KPI milestones. Services were removed from the allow list only after completing their transition, closing the loop with full compliance and operational readiness.
This work reinforced several Security Durability pillars:
Preventive guardrails
Owner-enforced controls
Security built into the engineering lifecycle
Lessons and model for the future
This case is a model for how Microsoft is shifting from reactive security work to systemic, enforceable, and scalable durability models. Rather than patching the same issue repeatedly, the MSA team eliminated the root cause, protected the ecosystem, and created a repeatable blueprint for other risky cryptographic practices.
Key takeaways
Eliminating pinned certificates reduced fragility and boosted long-term resilience.
Durable controls were enforced via code, not just process.
Gradual deprecation through partner alignment ensured no disruption.
This sets a precedent for eliminating insecure patterns across Microsoft platforms.
LARAMIE, Wyo., June 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Airloom Energy, the company pioneering low-cost and resilient U.S. energy generation and backed by Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Ventures, today announced its pilot site groundbreaking near Rock River, Wyoming. At this research and development site, Airloom Energy will build out its first utility-scale turbine, designed to generate more energy at lower cost and increased efficiency amid the U.S.’s prevailing need for energy security and independence.
According to a report from the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), approximately half of the United States is at risk of energy shortfalls that could cause outages and reduced power supplies by 2035. Combined with surging demand from the increased use of AI and reliance on data centers, global research and advisory firm Gartner predicts 40% of existing facilities around the world will be constrained by access to sufficient power by as soon as 2027. Low-cost, high-efficiency energy is critical for the grid—requiring bold innovation and long-overdue improvements to power system design and deployment.
“Current energy technologies can’t meet the growing complexity and demand of the next decade,” said Neal Rickner, CEO of Airloom Energy. “With growing electricity needs, we need more flexible systems that can be built quickly, and deployed anywhere at large scale. That’s the only way we’re going to achieve and maintain energy security and independence. Airloom’s proprietary, U.S.-manufactured turbines do just that—replacing bulky, costly models with low-cost compact designs that generate more energy in less space. This groundbreaking marks a key milestone in validating our power curve and achieving essential cost efficiencies for wind energy.”
Traditional horizontal-axis wind turbines (HAWTs), are increasingly less cost-competitive and difficult to construct. Made in low volumes and at massive scale, this approach has resulted in restricted innovation, limited sites for deployment, and a stagnation in levelized-cost of energy (LCOE).
Comparatively, Airloom Energy designs a next-generation of turbines that add to the energy mix while yielding substantial cost savings and boosts in efficiency, even without subsidies.
High-density architecture at utility scale: Airloom Energy’s modular turbines feature rectangular swept areas instead of traditional circular ones, increasing wind capture and improving energy conversion efficiency—meeting the growing need to generate more power in less space as land use and regulations evolve.
Faster deployment at lower cost: Unlike traditional turbines that can take up to five years to deploy, Airloom Energy’s 30-year turbines—built with low-cost, mass-manufacturable components and minimal infrastructure needs—can be installed in under a year, supporting more reliable energy generation through simplified supply chains.
Universal deployability, close to home: By using smaller, mass manufacturable parts made in the U.S. to simplify transportation, installation and maintenance, Airloom Energy can deploy its wind turbines at low-wind sites, those with height or viewability restrictions such as airports or military stations, or even in difficult to access mountainous areas or islands that have minimal infrastructure.
“Breaking ground on a first pilot site is a major inflection point for any wind technology product — Airloom has reached this point with remarkable speed and clarity of purpose,” said Paul Judge, former head of Product Management at GE Onshore Wind and advisory board member for Airloom Energy. “What sets Airloom apart is not only its innovative architecture, but the caliber of the team behind it who understand how to move from concept to scale with tenacity and rigor. This pilot is more than a test site; it’s the beginning of a fundamentally new approach to resilient renewable energy generation: wind energy that’s faster to deploy, land-efficient, and built for the energy challenges ahead.”
The groundbreaking keeps Airloom on track to complete its pilot site build out ahead of commercial demos beginning in 2027. At this site, Airloom will be installing and testing its proprietary turbine designs to validate its power curve, ensure efficiency of production, refine cost of deployment, and expand maintenance documentation. Beyond standard onshore integration, Airloom Energy will also evaluate future use cases such as defense, disaster relief, and offshore wind energy generation.
In October 2024, Airloom Energy raised $7.5 million in a seed financing round with participation from Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Lowercarbon Capital, WYVC, Crosscut Ventures, WovenEarth Ventures, and others. An additional $5 million in Energy Matching Funds was secured in September 2024 from the State of Wyoming, and a $1.25-million non-dilutive contract from the U.S. Department of Defense in August 2024.
For more information about Airloom Energy’s wind turbine designs, technical roadmap, or investment opportunities, reach out to info@airloom.energy.
About Airloom Energy Airloom Energy is on a mission to create low-cost, utility-scale, resilient energy generation technology that is simple to manufacture and transport, and can be installed anywhere. Founded and headquartered in Laramie, Wyoming, USA, and led by a world-class team of experts from Boeing, General Electric, Google X, and Deloitte, Airloom is backed by leading investors such as Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Lowercarbon Capital, WYVC, Crosscut Ventures, WovenEarth Ventures, and others. For more information, visit the Airloom Energy website at https://www.airloom.energy/, and follow us on LinkedIn.
Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)
June 26, 2025
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and U.S. Representatives Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., and Representative Zach Nunn, R-Iowa, today reintroduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to help prevent domestic abusers from using technology to stalk, harass or control survivors.
With today’s rapidly growing digital environment, technology-enabled abuse has taken many forms, including social media platforms, phone-based apps, and specialty spyware programs. Because of the diversity of platforms in today’s growing digital environment, it’s clear that abuse does not require huge financial resources or sophisticated understanding of technology, and survivors rarely have the tools they need to recognize and prevent abuse.
The Tech Safety for Victims of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault and Stalking Act would provide new grant funding to clinics and other partnerships focused on domestic violence and technology-enabled abuse prevention. It would also support new training that would give organizations the specialized services necessary to help survivors with a range of experiences.
“As technology continues to evolve, so do the tactics of abusers who are grossly leveraging many different platforms to stalk, harass and control survivors of domestic violence – from tracking them on social media to hacking into their email,” Wyden said. “Survivors deserve support and the tools to protect against abuse in any shape or form. More education, training, and health care clinics are needed.”
“It’s critical that we recognize domestic abuse and sexual harassment often extend beyond physical violence,” Dingell said. “To fully protect survivors, we must keep up with the many ways that abusers can use technology to stalk, harass, control, or otherwise endanger their victims. This legislation will support specialized education and resources for advocates and victim service providers to recognize, prevent, and combat tech-enabled abuse.”
“In the Iowa statehouse, I led efforts to protect survivors from the growing threat of digital abuse. Now, we’re taking that work nationwide,” Nunn said. “This bill strengthens community-based networks that are on the frontlines, giving them the tools to recognize and address tech-enabled abuse and help victims secure their devices. Survivors deserve both safety and support, and this legislation delivers both.”
The legislation would take two steps in combating technology-enabled domestic abuse:
It would authorize a pilot project run by the Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women to establish more tech-enabled abuse clinics. The program would provide $2 million grants for up to 15 clinics and other organizations that support survivors of sexual and domestic violence who are experiencing technology-enabled abuse.
It would establish another grant program, which is also under the DOJ’s Office on Violence Against Women, to ensure nonprofit organizations and higher education institutions develop and implement training and technical assistance for groups working to prevent tech-enabled abuse.
The text of the bill is here.
The Tech Safety for Victims of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault and Stalking Act is endorsed by National Domestic Violence Hotline, National Network to End Domestic Violence, Legal Momentum, Clinic to End Tech Abuse, EndTAB, New Beginnings, Natalie Dolci of the Technology-Enabled Coercive Control Initiative (endorsed in her personal capacity), Oregon Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, Sexual Assault Support Services of Oregon, Center for Hope and Safety of Oregon, and the Oregon Attorney General’s Sexual Assault Task Force.
“Technology facilitated abuse is one of the fastest growing threats victims and survivors face today. The reintroduction of the Tech Safety for Victims of Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Act is a vital step toward ensuring survivors have the expert support they need to stay safe in an increasingly digital world. We’re deeply grateful to Rep. Dingell, Rep. Nunn, and Senator Wyden for their leadership in advancing meaningful, survivor-centered solutions to this urgent issue,” said Marium Durrani, Vice President of Policy for the National Domestic Violence Hotline.
“Legal Momentum is proud to endorse the Tech Safety for Victims Act to help ensure that survivors of technology facilitated abuse receive the support and services they need and deserve. As technology makes it easier than ever to upend people’s lives, it’s crucial that survivors are protected not just in their homes and communities, but also in the digital spaces where abuse occurs more and more frequently. This legislation would provide critical resources to help survivors reclaim and rebuild their lives after the trauma of cyber abuse,” said Azaleea Carlea, Legal Director at Legal Momentum.
“People experiencing tech-enabled abuse often don’t know where to turn. Our clinic has helped hundreds of New Yorkers over the last few years, but survivors around the country urgently need assistance. This Act could expand access to similar support services and develop knowledge about evolving forms of tech-enabled abuse,” said Thomas E. Kadri, Legislative & Policy Director of the Clinic to End Tech Abuse.
“Programs that serve survivors of gender-based violence need additional support and technical assistance to keep up with increasingly pervasive tech abuse. Failure to provide this enhancement to victim services infrastructure will compromise the safety of survivors of domestic violence, stalking, and sexual assault,” said Natalie Dolci, of the Technology-Enabled Coercive Control Initiative (endorsed in her personal capacity).
“Technology can be weaponized to cause harm or by victims seeking safety. I have heard countless stories about various forms of tech being used to harass, stalk and control someone by abusive partners. This bill is needed to further address all forms of technology and the intersection with violence. It will provide anti-domestic violence organizations with needed funding to further develop Safety planning resources technology and be able to respond effectively to the ever changing tech landscape,” said Keri Moran-Kuhn, Executive Director of the Oregon Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence.
Headline: Building security that lasts: Microsoft’s journey towards durability at scale
In this blog you will hear directly from Microsoft’s Deputy Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for Azure and operating systems, Mark Russinovich, about how Microsoft operationalized security durability at scale. This blog is part of an ongoing series where our Deputy CISOs share their thoughts on what is most important in their respective domains. In this series you will get practical advice and forward-looking commentary on where the industry is going, as well as tactics you should start (and stop) deploying, and more.
In late 2023, Microsoft launched its most ambitious security transformation to date, the Microsoft Secure Future Initiative (SFI). An initiative with the equivalent of 34,000 engineers working across 14 product divisions, supporting more than 20,000 cloud services on 1.2 million Azure subscriptions, the scope is massive. These services operate on 21 million compute nodes, protected by 46.7 million certificates, and developed across 134,000 code repositories.
At Microsoft’s scale, the real challenge isn’t just shipping security fixes—it’s ensuring they’re automatically enforced by the platform, with no extra lift from engineers. This work aligns directly to our Secure by Default principle. Durable security is about building systems that apply fixes proactively, uphold standards over time, and engineering teams can focus on innovation rather than rework. This is the next frontier in security resilience.
Learn more about the Secure Future Initiative
Why “staying secure” is harder than getting there
SFI April 2025 report blog
Read the blog ›
When SFI began, Microsoft made rapid progress: teams addressed vulnerabilities, met key performance indicators (KPIs), and turned dashboards green. Over time, sustaining these gains proved challenging, as some fixes required reinforcement and recurring patterns like misconfigurations and legacy issues began to re-emerge in new projects—highlighting the need for durable, long-term security practices.
The pattern was clear: security improvements weren’t durable.
While key milestones were successfully achieved, there were instances where we did not have a clearly defined ownership or built-in features to automatically sustain security baselines. Enforcement mechanisms varied, leading to inconsistencies in how security standards were upheld. As resources shifted post-delivery, this created a risk of baseline drift over time.
Moving forward, we realized that our teams need to establish explicit ownership, standardize enforcement design, and embed automation at the platform level because it is essential to ensure long-term resilience, reduce operational burden, and prevent regression.
Read the latest SFI report
Engineering for endurance: The making of Microsoft’s durability strategy
To transform security from a reactive effort into an enduring capability, Microsoft launched a company-wide initiative to operationalize security durability at scale. The result was the creation of the Security Durability Model, anchored in the principle to “Start Green, Get Green, Stay Green, and Validate Green.” This framework is not a slogan—it is a foundational shift in how Microsoft engineers build, enforce, and sustain secure systems across the enterprise.
At the core of this effort are Durability Architects—dedicated Architects embedded within each division who act as stewards of persistent security. These individuals champion a “fix-once, fix-forever” mindset by enforcing ownership and driving accountability across teams. One example that catalyzed this effort involved cross-tenant access risks through Passthrough Authentication. In this case, users without presence in a target tenant could authenticate through passthrough mechanisms, unintentionally breaching tenant boundaries. The mitigation initially lacked durability and resurfaced until ownership and enforcement were systemically addressed.
Microsoft also applies a lifecycle framework they call “Start Green, Get Green, Stay Green, Validated Green.” New features are developed in a secure-by-default posture using hardened templates, ensuring they “Start Green.” Legacy systems or existing features are brought into compliance through targeted remediation efforts—this is “Get Green.” To “Stay Green,” ongoing monitoring and guardrails prevent regression. Finally, security is verified through automated reviews, and executive reporting—ensuring enduring resilience.
Automating for scale and embedding security into engineering culture
What is Azure Policy?
Learn more
Recognizing that manual security checks cannot scale across an enterprise of this size, Microsoft has heavily invested in automation to prevent regressions. Tools such as Azure Policy automatically enforce best practices like encryption-at-rest or multifactor authentication across cloud resources. Continuous scanners detect expired certificates or known vulnerable packages. Self-healing scripts autocorrect deviations, closing the loop between detection and remediation.
To embed durability into the operational fabric, review cadences and executive oversight play a critical role. Security KPIs are reviewed at weekly or biweekly engineering operations meetings, with Microsoft’s top leadership, including the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Executive Vice Presidents (EVPs), and engineering leaders receiving regular updates. Notably, executive compensation is now directly tied to security performance metrics—an accountability mechanism that has driven measurable improvements in areas such as secret hygiene across code repositories.
Rather than building fragmented solutions, Microsoft focuses on shared, scalable security capabilities. For example, to maintain a clean build environment, all new build queues will now default to a virtualized setup. Customers will not have the option to revert to the classic Artifact Processor (AP) on their own. Once a build is executed in the virtualized CloudBuild environment, any previously allocated resources in the classic CloudBuild will be either decommissioned or reassigned.
Finally, durability is now a built-in requirement at development gates. Security fixes must not only remediate current issues but be designed to endure. Teams must assign owners, undergo gated reviews or durability, and build enforcement mechanisms. This philosophy has shifted the mindset from one-time patching to long-term resilience.
The path to durable security: A maturity framework
Durable security isn’t just about fixing vulnerabilities—it’s about ensuring security holds over time. As Microsoft learned during the early days of its Secure Future Initiative, lasting protection requires organizations to mature operationally, culturally, and technically. The following framework outlines how to evolve toward security durability at scale:
1. Stages of security durability maturity: Security durability evolves through distinct operational phases that reflect an organization’s ability to sustain and scale secure outcomes, not just achieve them temporarily.
Reactive: Durable outcomes are rare. Fixes are implemented manually and inconsistently. Drift and regressions are common due to a lack of enforcement or oversight.
Define: Security fixes are codified in basic processes. Teams may implement fixes, but durability is still dependent on individual vigilance rather than systemic support.
Managed: Security controls are embedded in standardized workflows. Durable design patterns are introduced. Baseline drift is measured, and early automation begins to prevent regression.
Optimized: Durability becomes part of engineering culture. Secure-by-default templates, guardrails, and metrics reduce variance. Real-time enforcement prevents security drift.
Autonomous and predictive: Systems proactively enforce durability. AI-assisted controls detect and self-remediate regressions. Durable security becomes self-sustaining and adaptive to change.
2. Dimensions of security durability: To embed durability across the enterprise, organizations must mature along five integrated dimensions:
Resilience to change: Security controls must remain stable even as infrastructure, tools, and organizational structures evolve. This requires decoupling controls from fragile, manual systems.
Scalability: Durable security must scale effortlessly across expanding environments, including new regions, services, and team structures—without introducing regressions.
Automation and AI readiness: Durability depends on machine-powered enforcement. Manual reviews alone cannot guarantee persistence. AI and automation provide speed, consistency, and fail-safes.
Governance integration: Durability must be wired into governance platforms to provide traceability, accountability, and risk closure across the control lifecycle.
Sustainability: Durable security solutions must be lightweight and operationally viable. If controls are too burdensome, teams will circumvent them, undermining long-term resilience.
3. Key milestones in security durability evolution: Microsoft’s implementation of durable security revealed critical transformation points that signal organizational maturity:
Enforce controls through automated policy and self-healing.
Build durability-aware platforms like Govern Risk Intelligent Platform (GRIP) to track regressions and closure loops.
Embed durability reviews into engineering checkpoints and risk ownership cycles.
Drive a durability mindset across teams—from development to operations.
Create feedback loops to evaluate what holds and what regresses over time.
Deploy AI-powered agents to detect drift and initiate remediation.
Each milestone builds a stronger foundation for durability and aligns incentives with sustained security excellence.
4. Measuring security durability: Tracking the stickiness of security work requires a shift from traditional risk metrics to durability-focused indicators. Microsoft uses the following to monitor progress:
Percentage of controls enforced automatically versus manually
Baseline drift rate (how often known-good states erode)
Mean time to regress (how quickly fixes unravel)
Volume of self-healing actions triggered and resolved
Percentage of fixes that meet “never regress” criteria
Durability metadata coverage in systems like GRIP (ownership, status, and closure)
Percentage of engineering teams integrated into durability reporting cadences
Results: From short-term wins to sustained gains
By February 2025, the durability push resulted in:
100% multi-factor authentication (MFA) enforcement or legacy protocol removal remained stable for months.
Teams use real-time dashboards to catch any KPI dips—addressing them before they spiral.
Where previous improvements faded, new ones held firm—validating the durability model.
Get the latest Secure Future Initiative updates
Lessons for any enterprise
Microsoft’s journey offers valuable takeaways for organizations of all sizes.
Durability requires programmatic support
Security doesn’t persist by accident. It needs:
Roles for durability and accountability.
Durable design patterns.
Empowering technologies (automation and policy enforcement).
Regular leadership and architect reviews.
Standardized workflows.
Teams across security, development, and operations must be aligned and coordinated—using the same metrics, tools, and gates.
Culture and leadership matter
Security must be everyone’s job—and leadership must reinforce that relentlessly. At Microsoft, security became part of performance reviews, executive dashboards, and everyday conversation.
As EVP Charlie Bell put it: “Security is not just a feature, it’s the foundation.”
That mindset—combined with consistent leadership pressure—is what transforms short-lived security into long-term resilience.
Security that endures
The Secure Future Initiative proves that durable security is achievable—even at hyperscale.
Microsoft is showing that lasting security can be achieved by investing in:
People (clear ownership and champions).
Processes (repeatable metrics and reviews).
Platforms (shared tooling and automation).
The playbook isn’t just for tech giants. Any organization—whether you’re securing 20 cloud services or 20,000—can adopt the principles of security durability
Because in today’s cyberthreat landscape, fixing isn’t enough.
Secure Future Initiative
A new world of security.
Learn more with Microsoft Security
To see an example of the Microsoft Durability Strategy in action, read this case study in the appendix below. Learn more about the Microsoft Security Future Initiative and our Secure by Default principle.
To learn more about Microsoft Security solutions, visit our website. Bookmark the Security blog to keep up with our expert coverage on security matters. Also, follow us on LinkedIn (Microsoft Security) and X (@MSFTSecurity) for the latest news and updates on cybersecurity.
Appendix:
Security Durability Case Study
Eliminating pinned certificates: A durable fix for secret hygiene in MSA apps
SFI Reference: [SFI-ID4.1.3] Initiative Owner: Microsoft Account (MSA) Engineering Team
Overview
As part of the Secure Future Initiative (SFI), the Microsoft Account (MSA) team addressed a critical weakness identified through Software Security Incident Response Plans (SSIRPs): the unsafe use of pinned certificates. By eliminating this legacy pattern and embedding preventive guardrails, the MSA team set a new bar for durable secrets management and secure partner onboarding.
The challenge: Pinned certificates and hidden fragility
Pinned certificates were once seen as a strong trust enforcement mechanism, ensuring that only specific certificates could be used to establish connections. However, they became a security and operational liability:
Difficult to rotate: If a pinned certificate expired or was compromised, coordinating a fast and seamless replacement across services was challenging.
Onboarding risk: New services had no safe, scalable path to onboard without replicating this fragile pattern.
Lack of durability: Without controls, the risk of regression and repeated misuse remained high.
The durable fix: Secure by default and enforced by design
The MSA team implemented a durability-first solution grounded in engineering enforcement and operational pragmatism:
Strategy
Action
Code-Level Blocking
All code paths accepting pinned certificates were hardened to prevent adoption.
Temporary Allow Lists
Existing apps using pinned certificates were allow-listed to prevent immediate outages.
Default Deny Posture
New apps are automatically blocked from using pinned certificates, enforcing secure defaults.
This “fix-once, fix-forever” approach ensures the issue doesn’t resurface—even as new partners onboard or systems evolve.
Sustained impact and lifecycle integration
To maintain progress and ensure no regression, the MSA team aligned remediation with each partner’s SFI KPI milestones. Services were removed from the allow list only after completing their transition, closing the loop with full compliance and operational readiness.
This work reinforced several Security Durability pillars:
Preventive guardrails
Owner-enforced controls
Security built into the engineering lifecycle
Lessons and model for the future
This case is a model for how Microsoft is shifting from reactive security work to systemic, enforceable, and scalable durability models. Rather than patching the same issue repeatedly, the MSA team eliminated the root cause, protected the ecosystem, and created a repeatable blueprint for other risky cryptographic practices.
Key takeaways
Eliminating pinned certificates reduced fragility and boosted long-term resilience.
Durable controls were enforced via code, not just process.
Gradual deprecation through partner alignment ensured no disruption.
This sets a precedent for eliminating insecure patterns across Microsoft platforms.
(June 26, 2025) LEBANON BOROUGH, N.J. – Today, Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. announced the opening of the 2025 Congressional App Challenge, one of the most prestigious app competitions for middle and high school students across the country.
The Congressional App Challenge is designed to engage student creativity and encourage participation in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education fields. This nationwide event allows middle and high school students from across the country to compete against their peers by creating and exhibiting their software application, or “app.” Students can use any programming language (such as Python, JavaScript, C++, Ruby, or block code) and any platform (including PC, web, tablet, robot, mobile).
The submission portal is now open, and students may register and submit their apps through October 30, 2025, at 12:00 PM ET. Students can compete individually or in teams of up to four. All eligible students are encouraged to participate, regardless of prior coding experience.
“The Congressional App Challenge is an incredible opportunity for the next generation of innovators to showcase their creativity and technical talent,” said Rep. Tom Kean, Jr. “Every year, I am inspired by the students of our district, and I look forward to seeing the innovative and impactful apps they create this year. Their work has the potential to give back to our communities, solve real-world problems, and inspire even more young people across New Jersey to pursue careers in STEM.”
The winning app from New Jersey’s 7th District will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol and featured on the official House of Representatives website. Winning students will also be invited to the #HouseofCode Capitol Hill Reception in Washington, D.C. Runners-up will also be selected for recognition.
Learn more and register for the Congressional App Challenge by visiting kean.house.gov/services/congressional-app-challenge-2025.
overnor Kathy Hochul today announced that the Empire State Development (ESD) Board approved $40 million to launch Empire AI Beta, the second phase of the supercomputer powering New York’s nation-leading Empire AI initiative. Empire AI Beta will be 11 times more powerful than current capacity, allowing hundreds of researchers from the now 10 member institutions to continue to advance AI research for public good. Empire AI is now backed by over $500 million in public and private funding, including up to $340 million in state capital funding secured by Governor Hochul.
“With Empire AI, New York is leading in emerging technology and ensuring the power of AI is harnessed for public good and developed right here in this great state,” Governor Hochul said. “The launch of Beta will supercharge our efforts to advance responsible AI development by some of our brightest minds at research institutions focused on purpose, not profit.”
The funding approved today by ESD will allow the Empire AI consortium to purchase the equipment needed to power the second-phase supercomputer, housed at the University of Buffalo. Empire AI Beta will use NVIDIA’s state-of-the-art Blackwell AI supercomputing platform. The new Beta system will dramatically accelerate Empire AI’s computing performance from the current Alpha system: 11-fold in AI training, 40-fold in AI inference, and an 8-fold increase in data storage. Empire AI Beta also is expected to be among the first academic deployments of NVIDIA DGX SuperPOD with DGX GB200 systems. While both the Alpha and Beta systems are running only fractions of Empire AI’s eventual computing power, the new Beta system will propel Empire AI to become one of the most advanced academic computers in the world.
Empire AI is now backed by over $500 million in public and private funding, and made up of 10 member universities and research institutions. As part of Governor Hochul’s FY26 Budget, the Governor secured $90 million in new capital funding to substantially increase the computing power of Empire AI, expand access for SUNY researchers, and support the addition of new members including the University of Rochester, the Rochester Institute of Technology, and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. They join the seven founding members of Empire AI, SUNY, CUNY, Columbia University, Cornell University, NYU, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and the Flatiron Institute.
The new Beta system builds on the successful 2024 launch of Alpha, which was made possible by philanthropic support from the Simons Foundation. Planning and development of the full-scale Empire AI computing center is underway. Empire AI Alpha and Empire AI Beta allow member institutions to conduct critical AI research as soon as possible until the full-scale system is complete.
Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, “As AI research, development and usage grows, New York tech leaders are exploring new ways to utilize these advancements in ways that will generate solutions to complex issues and support positive growth. The $40 million in funding approved today by ESD’s Board of Directors represents a significant step forward that will increase the capacity of Empire AI and further enhance the AI research happening throughout our state.”
Empire AI Interim Executive Director Robert Harrison said, “With the launch of Beta, Empire AI is unleashing a game-changing level of computational power to serve researchers across New York. From cancer diagnostics to climate modeling, this system will accelerate innovation across fields — while putting New York at the forefront of responsible AI development. Thanks to the vision of Governor Hochul and our expanding roster of top-tier academic partners, we are building something truly unprecedented: a public AI research powerhouse designed to benefit everyone.”
NVIDIA Head of AI State Initiatives Michael Isadore said, “Democratizing access to accelerated computing for academic research creates economic growth and scientific discovery across industries. The team at Empire AI aims to empower researchers across New York State with leading-edge NVIDIA infrastructure, enabling groundbreaking advancements in artificial intelligence and high-performance computing.”
Assemblymember Steve Otis said, “Governor Hochul’s nation leading Empire AI Consortium depends upon increased computing power to serve the academic institutions and researchers that are part of this initiative. Today’s announcement delivers on that promise with funding supported by the Governor and the Legislature in this year’s budget. Our Assembly Science and Technology committee has visited the AI team in Buffalo and was very impressed with the public purpose, focus of the AI initiatives already undertaken. There is no doubt that new advances are on the horizon thanks to the work of the Empire AI Consortium.”
Expanding Artificial Intelligence Across New York State Access to the computing resources that power AI systems requires significant investment, making it difficult to obtain. As a result, researchers, public interest organizations, and small companies are being left behind, which has enormous implications for AI safety and society at large. Empire AI is bridging this gap and accelerating the development of AI centered in the public interest for New York State. Enabling this pioneering AI research and development is also helping educational institutions nurture the next generation of talent that will create AI-focused technology startups, driving job growth.
By increasing collaboration between New York State’s world-class research institutions, Empire AI is creating efficiencies of scale not achievable by any single university, empowering and attracting top notch faculty, expanding educational opportunity, and enabling responsible innovation that will significantly strengthen our state’s economy and our national security.
The initiative is currently funded by over $500 million in public and private investment, including up to $340 million in State capital grant investment and $25 million over ten years in SUNY operating funding. The project will also receive more than $200 million from the founding institutions as well as philanthropic backers such as Tom Secunda and the Simons Foundation. Empire AI has positioned New York as the national model in responsible AI innovation, with its leading research institutions pioneering safe, equitable, and accessible AI research and development that is benefiting every corner of New York. For more information about Empire AI, visit empireai.edu.
HOUSTON, June 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ignis H2 Energy Inc. (“Ignis Energy”), a geothermal exploration and development company, announced the final close of its Series A funding round, securing $13.6 million from a global consortium of investors. This milestone builds on the initial close announced in February, which was led by sustainable energy investor alfa8 and included drilling contractor Nabors Industries, climate technology investor The Twynam Group, GEOLOG, and several private investors and family offices.
Ignis Energy is building a globally diversified, risk-balanced geothermal portfolio focused on near-term viability and long-term growth. The company specializes in locating, de-risking, and delivering commercially viable geothermal power. The capital secured in this round enables key projects to reach technical maturity and prepare for capital-intensive development phases.
“In a market chasing breakthrough headlines, Ignis Energy brings the spotlight back to the geology,” said Richard Calleri, CEO, Ignis Energy. “Without proven heat in the ground, there’s nothing to scale. Ignis finds it, proves it, and produces it.”
“Ignis has demonstrated strong execution on its strategy and is already moving rapidly onto the next milestones,” said Guillermo Sierra, VP, Strategic Initiatives, Nabors Industries. “Their commercial focus and speed stand out, and we look forward to continued collaboration on near-term projects and beyond.”
Building a Global, Fit-for-Resource Geothermal Platform
Leveraging decades of oil and gas expertise, Ignis applies proven technologies and exploration workflows to de-risk geothermal projects across high-enthalpy regions. Rather than betting on a single breakthrough, Ignis uses a ‘fit-for-resource’ strategy—tailoring each project to the best commercial technology for its reservoir and market. This includes conventional hydrothermal systems as well as emerging approaches like Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) and Advanced Geothermal Systems (AGS), where appropriate.
Platform Momentum & Outlook
Ignis is rapidly advancing high-priority assets in Türkiye and the U.S.:
Türkiye: In Eastern Anatolia, Ignis drilled its first temperature gradient well in Q4 2024, confirming reservoir temperatures and artesian flow. Two deep wells will follow this summer to fully de-risk the Kaynarpınar field and position it as Ignis’ first commercial project—and a model for underexplored geothermal basins.
Western U.S.: Ignis is advancing surface exploration across five Nevada and one Utah lease, supported by its proprietary AI targeting engine. Drilling in Nevada is expected in 2026, with development of a data center-aligned power plant targeted for 2027.
Alaska: The Alaska Railbelt grid—supplying two-thirds of the state’s population—faces urgent pressure to replace aging gas-fired capacity and reduce high electricity prices. GeoAlaska, Ignis’ regional partner, plans to drill its first well by mid-2026, backed by three Letters of Intent from major offtakers in the utility, mining, and data center sectors.
“Our vision is pragmatic and region-first,” said Marcus Oesterberg, COO, Ignis Energy. “We don’t chase speculative breakthroughs—we match the right technology to the right resource and build local momentum. Ignis is a geothermal opportunity engine, unlocking real heat under real projects.”
AI-Driven Exploration for a Cleaner Future
Ignis applies AI not as a gimmick, but as a precision tool. Its hybrid system—combining machine learning and computer vision—has already improved lease targeting and accelerated early-stage decision-making. This allows Ignis to move confidently and cost-effectively into underexplored geothermal basins.
About Ignis Energy
Ignis Energy develops commercially viable geothermal projects in the U.S., Türkiye, Indonesia, and Italy. Its region-first, technology-flexible model enables early de-risking and smarter development. The company is targeting 1 GW of producible geothermal reserves by 2030. https://ignisenergy.com/
About alfa8 alfa8 is an entrepreneurial family office that backs builders and technologies driving the energy transition, with a passion for geothermal energy. https://alfa8.co/
About Nabors Industries Nabors Industries is a global drilling and energy technology leader advancing low-carbon solutions, including geothermal. https://www.nabors.com/
About Twynam Twynam is a climate-focused investment firm supporting bold, scalable technologies for deep decarbonization. https://www.twynam.com/
About GEOLOG GEOLOG delivers advanced formation evaluation and real-time geoscience services for energy operators worldwide.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, June 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As excitement builds around the Ethereum ETF buzz, smart money is pouring into promising altcoins—and Little Pepe (LILPEPE) is catching the attention of whale wallets. With Stage 3 of its presale nearly 93% complete and over $2.33 million raised, LILPEPE is quickly emerging as a top contender in the meme coin space. Backed by an Ethereum-compatible Layer 2 blockchain, the project offers real utility beyond the hype, positioning itself for a strong price surge as it heads into Stage 4.
While most meme tokens are still chasing whatever’s trending, LILPEPE is putting down real roots. It’s creating the kind of infrastructure that could actually shift the direction of the space, and somehow, it’s still trading for less than $0.002 in its presale.
A Meme Coin That’s Actually Building Something
What sets LILPEPE apart is that it’s not just living on someone else’s chain. It’s gone a step further and built its own custom Layer-2 blockchain—something rarely seen in the meme coin scene. Most projects just stick their token on Solana or BNB Chain and call it a day. But LILPEPE actually went for the tough stuff—like fixing insane gas fees, slow transactions, and the fact that a lot of communities have zero real protection.
A Meme Coin with Real Tech
The Little Pepe chain’s fully EVM-compatible, so it works straight out of the box with usual wallets, dApps, and tools. No weird steps, no messing around—just a meme coin that actually took the time to build something smoother and way more user-friendly.
The chain’s actually built with meme projects in mind—it’s not just some repurposed tech. It comes with zero trading taxes, sniper bot protection, and lightning-fast transactions, which is a huge deal if ever been rugged or stuck waiting forever on a slow chain. This isn’t just some surface-level hype or flashy graphics—it’s actual tech built with meme culture at the core.
One of the best parts is a launchpad made to give new meme tokens a safe space to launch—just a cleaner way to get started. And they’re just getting started—staking, community voting through a DAO, and even NFT integration are all lined up next. It’s turning into a full ecosystem, not just another hype token.
Presale Picking Up Serious Steam
LILPEPE’s presale is heating up fast. The early stages have sold out rapidly, raising $500,000 in Stage 1 (at $0.001 per token) and $1.325 million in Stage 2 (at $0.0011). Now in Stage 3, tokens are priced at $0.0012, and over $2.33 million has already been raised, with more than 93% of this stage completed. The presale follows a tiered pricing model meaning early buyers lock in lower prices while supporting the ongoing development of LILPEPE’s Ethereum-compatible Layer-2 network. The next stage will increase the token price to $0.0013, continuing the momentum ahead of its public launch.
Getting in on the presale is super simple. LILPEPE tokens can be purchased using ETH or USDT (ERC-20) directly from supported wallets such as MetaMask or Trust Wallet. For those new to crypto, there’s also an option to buy using a credit or debit card. It’s important to note that USDT transactions still require a small amount of ETH in the wallet to cover gas fees.
A Token Setup Built to Last
LILPEPE’s token supply is actually thought out, not just thrown together. There’s a hard cap of 100 billion tokens, with 26.5 billion set aside for the presale. The rest is split across different parts of the project—13.5 billion for staking rewards, 10 billion for liquidity, 30 billion held in reserve for the chain, and 20 billion saved for marketing and future listings on decentralized exchanges. And here’s a big plus—there are zero buy or sell taxes, so it’s clean and fair whether holding or trading.
The tokenomics are crafted not only to reward early holders but also to ensure sustainable growth through community incentives, ecosystem scaling, and utility integrations planned on the roadmap.
What makes it even better is that Little Pepe’s chain is fully EVM-compatible. That means it works seamlessly with popular wallets, dApps, and crypto tools—no complicated setups or extra steps. It’s designed specifically for meme projects and the roadmap includes upcoming features like DAO governance, an NFT marketplace and creator tools that support community-driven development.
About Little Pepe:
Little Pepe ($LILPEPE) is a next-generation meme coin built for the community, by the community. Inspired by crypto culture’s favorite frog, Little Pepe combines viral meme energy with real utility, launching on a fast, secure Layer 2 blockchain to ensure low fees and high scalability. With over $2.3 million raised in its presale, a growing army of holders, and a transparent roadmap, Little Pepe is more than just a meme—it’s a movement.
For more information about Little Pepe, visit the links below:
Disclaimer:This content is provided byLittle Pepe. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented.We do not guarantee any claims, statements, or promises made in this article.This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice. Investing in crypto and mining-related opportunities involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital.It is possible to lose all your capital. These products may not be suitable for everyone, and you should ensure that you understand the risks involved. Seek independent advice if necessary. Speculate only with funds that you can afford to lose.Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. However, due to the inherently speculative nature of the blockchain sector—including cryptocurrency, NFTs, and mining—complete accuracy cannot always be guaranteed. Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release.In the event of any legal claims or charges against this article, we accept no liability or responsibility. Globenewswire does not endorse any content on this page.
Legal Disclaimer: This media platform provides the content of this article on an “as-is” basis, without any warranties or representations of any kind, express or implied. We assume no responsibility for any inaccuracies, errors, or omissions. We do not assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information presented herein. Any concerns, complaints, or copyright issues related to this article should be directed to the content provider mentioned above.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, June 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As excitement builds around the Ethereum ETF buzz, smart money is pouring into promising altcoins—and Little Pepe (LILPEPE) is catching the attention of whale wallets. With Stage 3 of its presale nearly 93% complete and over $2.33 million raised, LILPEPE is quickly emerging as a top contender in the meme coin space. Backed by an Ethereum-compatible Layer 2 blockchain, the project offers real utility beyond the hype, positioning itself for a strong price surge as it heads into Stage 4.
While most meme tokens are still chasing whatever’s trending, LILPEPE is putting down real roots. It’s creating the kind of infrastructure that could actually shift the direction of the space, and somehow, it’s still trading for less than $0.002 in its presale.
A Meme Coin That’s Actually Building Something
What sets LILPEPE apart is that it’s not just living on someone else’s chain. It’s gone a step further and built its own custom Layer-2 blockchain—something rarely seen in the meme coin scene. Most projects just stick their token on Solana or BNB Chain and call it a day. But LILPEPE actually went for the tough stuff—like fixing insane gas fees, slow transactions, and the fact that a lot of communities have zero real protection.
A Meme Coin with Real Tech
The Little Pepe chain’s fully EVM-compatible, so it works straight out of the box with usual wallets, dApps, and tools. No weird steps, no messing around—just a meme coin that actually took the time to build something smoother and way more user-friendly.
The chain’s actually built with meme projects in mind—it’s not just some repurposed tech. It comes with zero trading taxes, sniper bot protection, and lightning-fast transactions, which is a huge deal if ever been rugged or stuck waiting forever on a slow chain. This isn’t just some surface-level hype or flashy graphics—it’s actual tech built with meme culture at the core.
One of the best parts is a launchpad made to give new meme tokens a safe space to launch—just a cleaner way to get started. And they’re just getting started—staking, community voting through a DAO, and even NFT integration are all lined up next. It’s turning into a full ecosystem, not just another hype token.
Presale Picking Up Serious Steam
LILPEPE’s presale is heating up fast. The early stages have sold out rapidly, raising $500,000 in Stage 1 (at $0.001 per token) and $1.325 million in Stage 2 (at $0.0011). Now in Stage 3, tokens are priced at $0.0012, and over $2.33 million has already been raised, with more than 93% of this stage completed. The presale follows a tiered pricing model meaning early buyers lock in lower prices while supporting the ongoing development of LILPEPE’s Ethereum-compatible Layer-2 network. The next stage will increase the token price to $0.0013, continuing the momentum ahead of its public launch.
Getting in on the presale is super simple. LILPEPE tokens can be purchased using ETH or USDT (ERC-20) directly from supported wallets such as MetaMask or Trust Wallet. For those new to crypto, there’s also an option to buy using a credit or debit card. It’s important to note that USDT transactions still require a small amount of ETH in the wallet to cover gas fees.
A Token Setup Built to Last
LILPEPE’s token supply is actually thought out, not just thrown together. There’s a hard cap of 100 billion tokens, with 26.5 billion set aside for the presale. The rest is split across different parts of the project—13.5 billion for staking rewards, 10 billion for liquidity, 30 billion held in reserve for the chain, and 20 billion saved for marketing and future listings on decentralized exchanges. And here’s a big plus—there are zero buy or sell taxes, so it’s clean and fair whether holding or trading.
The tokenomics are crafted not only to reward early holders but also to ensure sustainable growth through community incentives, ecosystem scaling, and utility integrations planned on the roadmap.
What makes it even better is that Little Pepe’s chain is fully EVM-compatible. That means it works seamlessly with popular wallets, dApps, and crypto tools—no complicated setups or extra steps. It’s designed specifically for meme projects and the roadmap includes upcoming features like DAO governance, an NFT marketplace and creator tools that support community-driven development.
About Little Pepe:
Little Pepe ($LILPEPE) is a next-generation meme coin built for the community, by the community. Inspired by crypto culture’s favorite frog, Little Pepe combines viral meme energy with real utility, launching on a fast, secure Layer 2 blockchain to ensure low fees and high scalability. With over $2.3 million raised in its presale, a growing army of holders, and a transparent roadmap, Little Pepe is more than just a meme—it’s a movement.
For more information about Little Pepe, visit the links below:
Disclaimer:This content is provided byLittle Pepe. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented.We do not guarantee any claims, statements, or promises made in this article.This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice. Investing in crypto and mining-related opportunities involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital.It is possible to lose all your capital. These products may not be suitable for everyone, and you should ensure that you understand the risks involved. Seek independent advice if necessary. Speculate only with funds that you can afford to lose.Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. However, due to the inherently speculative nature of the blockchain sector—including cryptocurrency, NFTs, and mining—complete accuracy cannot always be guaranteed. Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release.In the event of any legal claims or charges against this article, we accept no liability or responsibility. Globenewswire does not endorse any content on this page.
Legal Disclaimer: This media platform provides the content of this article on an “as-is” basis, without any warranties or representations of any kind, express or implied. We assume no responsibility for any inaccuracies, errors, or omissions. We do not assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information presented herein. Any concerns, complaints, or copyright issues related to this article should be directed to the content provider mentioned above.
TORONTO, June 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ninepoint Partners LP (“Ninepoint”), one of Canada’s leading independent investment management firms, today released its 2025 Midyear Market Outlook, offering insights across key asset classes including fixed income, private equity, energy, gold, crypto and infrastructure.
The report reflects on a volatile first half of the year, marked by macroeconomic uncertainty and the impact of U.S. tariffs, and looks ahead to what investors can expect in the second half of 2025 and beyond.
“With growing trade tensions and so much uncertainty, investors are trying to make sense of a quickly changing world,” said James Fox, co-CEO and Managing Partner at Ninepoint Partners. “In this kind of environment, active portfolio management is critical. It helps investors understand where stability will come from, which sectors will benefit and how to position portfolios for both protection and growth in the second half of the year.”
Key highlights from the report include:
Fixed Income: High-quality, short-duration bonds offer investors an attractive combination of yields and lower risk amid continued macroeconomic uncertainty.
Energy: The increased global demand for liquefied natural gas (LNG) poses a big opportunity for Canadian producers as the country builds out its LNG capacity and export infrastructure.
Gold: A sustained gold bull market, driven by central bank purchases and safe-haven demand, is expected to create significant investment opportunities in both major producers and exploration companies.
Infrastructure: As GDP growth picks up and monetary policies ease, infrastructure assets should benefit from higher utilization, stronger cash flow and improved performance in rate-sensitive sub-sectors.
Digital Assets: Demand for cryptoassets is expected to grow through the back half of the year driven by regulatory tailwinds, large-scale adoption by institutional players and the ongoing convergence of crypto and AI.
Based in Toronto, Ninepoint Partners LP is one of Canada’s leading independent investment management firms overseeing approximately $7 billion in assets under management and institutional contracts. Committed to helping investors explore innovative investment solutions that have the potential to enhance returns and manage portfolio risk, Ninepoint offers a diverse set of alternative strategies spanning Equities, Fixed Income, Alternative Income, Real Assets, F/X and Digital Assets.
For more information on Ninepoint Partners LP, please visit www.ninepoint.com or for inquiries regarding the offering, please contact us at (416) 943-6707 or (866) 299-9906 or invest@ninepoint.com.
TORONTO, June 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ninepoint Partners LP (“Ninepoint”), one of Canada’s leading independent investment management firms, today released its 2025 Midyear Market Outlook, offering insights across key asset classes including fixed income, private equity, energy, gold, crypto and infrastructure.
The report reflects on a volatile first half of the year, marked by macroeconomic uncertainty and the impact of U.S. tariffs, and looks ahead to what investors can expect in the second half of 2025 and beyond.
“With growing trade tensions and so much uncertainty, investors are trying to make sense of a quickly changing world,” said James Fox, co-CEO and Managing Partner at Ninepoint Partners. “In this kind of environment, active portfolio management is critical. It helps investors understand where stability will come from, which sectors will benefit and how to position portfolios for both protection and growth in the second half of the year.”
Key highlights from the report include:
Fixed Income: High-quality, short-duration bonds offer investors an attractive combination of yields and lower risk amid continued macroeconomic uncertainty.
Energy: The increased global demand for liquefied natural gas (LNG) poses a big opportunity for Canadian producers as the country builds out its LNG capacity and export infrastructure.
Gold: A sustained gold bull market, driven by central bank purchases and safe-haven demand, is expected to create significant investment opportunities in both major producers and exploration companies.
Infrastructure: As GDP growth picks up and monetary policies ease, infrastructure assets should benefit from higher utilization, stronger cash flow and improved performance in rate-sensitive sub-sectors.
Digital Assets: Demand for cryptoassets is expected to grow through the back half of the year driven by regulatory tailwinds, large-scale adoption by institutional players and the ongoing convergence of crypto and AI.
Based in Toronto, Ninepoint Partners LP is one of Canada’s leading independent investment management firms overseeing approximately $7 billion in assets under management and institutional contracts. Committed to helping investors explore innovative investment solutions that have the potential to enhance returns and manage portfolio risk, Ninepoint offers a diverse set of alternative strategies spanning Equities, Fixed Income, Alternative Income, Real Assets, F/X and Digital Assets.
For more information on Ninepoint Partners LP, please visit www.ninepoint.com or for inquiries regarding the offering, please contact us at (416) 943-6707 or (866) 299-9906 or invest@ninepoint.com.
PHOENIX, June 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Kinematics, a leading provider of critical motion control systems that optimize, simplify, and secure energy production with leading bankability, today announced the appointment of Ross Rosenberg to its Board of Directors. Rosenberg is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Magic Leap, a leader in augmented reality (AR) optics, display systems, device services and scalable manufacturing, and he brings extensive experience leading strategic transformations in energy, industrial automation, and enterprise technology companies.
Rosenberg brings over two decades of executive leadership experience across multiple technology sectors. As CEO of Magic Leap, he has led the company’s strategic transformation, expanding its AR device and services business into new markets via technology partnerships. Previously, he served as Chief Strategy Officer at Belden Inc., where he helped transform the $2.5 billion company from a commodity supplier to a global leader in industrial networking and cybersecurity solutions, resulting in 70% revenue growth and significant margin expansion. Rosenberg also served as an operating executive in Bain Capital’s software portfolio and held senior roles at Danaher in industrial automation and motion control.
“Ross’s track record of scaling technology businesses and driving innovation in the energy sector makes him an invaluable addition to our Board,” said John Payne, CEO of Kinematics. “His deep understanding of mission-critical applications and experience transforming industrial companies aligns perfectly with our vision of advancing intelligent motion control solutions for the global solar, mobile industrial, and satellite industries. As we continue expanding our capabilities following the successful P4Q acquisition, Ross’s strategic insights will be instrumental in guiding our next phase of growth.”
Notably, Rosenberg spent six years at First Solar as VP of Global Marketing, Strategy & Corporate Development, where he helped scale the utility-scale solar solutions provider from $500 million to $4 billion in revenue and built a $7 billion contracted backlog in North America. His experience spans the entire solar value chain, from manufacturing and project development to software-based maintenance and predictive analytics.
Rosenberg started his career in M&A advisory, investment banking and corporate roles at PWC, Merrill Lynch and Zebra Technologies. He holds an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
“I’m excited to join Kinematics’ Board at such a pivotal time for both the company and the solar industry,” said Ross Rosenberg. “Having worked extensively in utility-scale solar, I understand the critical role that reliable, intelligent motion control plays in maximizing energy production and project economics. Kinematics’ combined portfolio of actuators, motors, controllers, and global support capabilities positions the company uniquely to serve the rapidly growing solar market. I look forward to working with John and the team to capitalize on the tremendous opportunities ahead.”
About Kinematics
Founded in 1996, Kinematics is the leading provider of critical motion control solutions. From actuation technology to advanced algorithms, controls, and global support, the company provides a total solution that maximizes power production for the solar industry and improves reliability and safety for industrial and satellite applications. Kinematics supplies engineered systems, sensors, software, and services to move mission-critical equipment into precise position. The company is headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, and operates globally with facilities in Asia, Europe, and the Americas.
Stockholm / Milan, June 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — iGrant.io, a Swedish provider of EU Digital Identity Wallet infrastructure, and Intesi Group S.p.A., a European Qualified Trust Service Provider (QTSP), have entered into a strategic partnership to enable document signing and the issuance and management of Qualified Electronic Attribute Attestations (QEAAs) using EU Digital Identity Wallets (EUDI Wallets).
Intesi Group and iGrant.io partnership
This collaboration delivers the first fully integrated solution combining qualified electronic signature and legally recognised issuance of QEAAs within the iGrant.io Organisation Wallet Suite, also referred to by the European Commission as the European Business Wallet.
Two Game-Changing Capabilities, One Seamless Offering
1. Effortless Document Signing via EUDI Wallets
By integrating Intesi Group’s Qualified Electronic Signature and Seal services into iGrant.io’s Organisation Wallet Suite, organisations can enable users to sign documents using their EUDI Wallets with a one-click experience. This ensures legally valid, cross-border transactions across all sectors, including public administration.
2. Issuance of Qualified Electronic Attribute Attestations (QEAAs)
QEAAs represent verifiable credentials that establish legal roles, mandates, or affiliations. These are issued to EUDI Wallets through iGrant.io’s Organisation Wallet Suite, which provides the credential issuance and delivery framework. The underlying qualified infrastructure, including certificate lifecycle management and Hardware Security Modules (HSMs), is provided by Intesi Group..
The result? A future-proof solution that:
● Delivers high assurance identity and credential services fully compliant to the European Digital Identity Framework.
● Leverages EU Trust List mechanisms to validate QTSP status and ensure legal recognition
“This partnership enables a production-ready, one-stop-shop solution for signing and credential issuance within the EUDI Wallet ecosystem,” said Lotta Lundin, CEO of iGrant.io. “By embedding Intesi Group’s capabilities into the Organisation Wallet Suite, we accelerate real-world adoption of what the EU refers to as the European Business Wallet”.
“The EUDI Wallet represents a landmark opportunity for Europe to lead the world in digital identity. Intesi Group is excited to join forces with iGrant.io to provide a practical, legally sound, and easy-to-implement solution that empowers businesses and citizens to thrive in this new era. Together, we’re making the vision of a truly interconnected European digital economy a reality. ” said Paolo Sironi, CEO of Intesi Group.
This cutting-edge solution is already making waves in key European programmes like the European Digital Identity Wallet Consortium (EWC) andCRANE PCP, revolutionizing use cases including:
Legal Person Identification (LPID) and business registry onboarding: Streamlining and securing the verification process.
Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) and payment verification: Reducing fraud and boosting consumer trust.
Remote patient monitoring and consent-based data exchange under the European Health Data Space (EHDS): Protecting patient privacy while enabling seamless access to vital medical information.
About iGrant.io:
iGrant.io is a Swedish provider of EU Digital Identity Wallet infrastructure, empowering individuals and organizations to manage and share their digital identities securely and seamlessly.
About Intesi Group:
Intesi Group is a leading European Qualified Trust Service Provider (QTSP), offering a wide range of digital trust services to ensure secure and legally compliant electronic transactions.
For more information, contact:
iGrant.io Lotta Lundin – CEO lotta@igrant.io www.igrant.io
Intesi Group Paola Monti – Head of Marketing and Communication marketing@intesigroup.com intesigroup.com
Stockholm / Milan, June 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — iGrant.io, a Swedish provider of EU Digital Identity Wallet infrastructure, and Intesi Group S.p.A., a European Qualified Trust Service Provider (QTSP), have entered into a strategic partnership to enable document signing and the issuance and management of Qualified Electronic Attribute Attestations (QEAAs) using EU Digital Identity Wallets (EUDI Wallets).
This collaboration delivers the first fully integrated solution combining Qualified Electronic Signature (QES) and legally recognised issuance of QEAAs within the iGrant.io Organisation Wallet Suite, also referred to by the European Commission as the European Business Wallet.
Two Game-Changing Capabilities, One Seamless Offering
1. Effortless Document Signing via EUDI Wallets
By integrating Intesi Group’s Qualified Electronic Signature and Seal services into iGrant.io’s Organisation Wallet Suite, organisations can enable users to sign documents using their EUDI Wallets with a one-click experience. This ensures legally valid, cross-border transactions across all sectors, including public administration.
2. Issuance of Qualified Electronic Attribute Attestations (QEAAs)
QEAAs represent verifiable credentials that establish legal roles, mandates, or affiliations. These are issued to EUDI Wallets through iGrant.io’s Organisation Wallet Suite, which provides the credential issuance and delivery framework. The underlying qualified infrastructure, including certificate lifecycle management and Hardware Security Modules (HSMs), is provided by Intesi Group..
The result? A future-proof solution that:
● Delivers high assurance identity and credential services fully compliant to the European Digital Identity Framework.
● Leverages EU Trust List mechanisms to validate QTSP status and ensure legal recognition
“This partnership enables a production-ready, one-stop-shop solution for signing and credential issuance within the EUDI Wallet ecosystem,” said Lotta Lundin, CEO of iGrant.io. “By embedding Intesi Group’s capabilities into the Organisation Wallet Suite, we accelerate real-world adoption of what the EU refers to as the European Business Wallet”.
“The EUDI Wallet represents a landmark opportunity for Europe to lead the world in digital identity. Intesi Group is excited to join forces with iGrant.io to provide a practical, legally sound, and easy-to-implement solution that empowers businesses and citizens to thrive in this new era. Together, we’re making the vision of a truly interconnected European digital economy a reality. ” said Paolo Sironi, CEO of Intesi Group S.p.A.
This cutting-edge solution is already making waves in key European programmes like the European Digital Identity Wallet Consortium (EWC) and CRANE PCP, revolutionising use cases including:
About iGrant.io:
iGrant.io is a Swedish provider of EU Digital Identity Wallet infrastructure, empowering individuals and organisations to manage and share their digital identities securely and seamlessly.
About Intesi Group S.p.A.:
Intesi Group is a leading European Qualified Trust Service Provider (QTSP), offering a wide range of digital trust services to ensure secure and legally compliant electronic transactions.
Gurugram, Haryana, June 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —
In response to the surging demand for accessible and engaging mobile games across India, the widely played Chicken Road Game has formally announced its expansion within the country. This move comes as the developers aim to reach the core of India’s fast-evolving mobile gaming community by offering a lightweight, intuitive, and entertaining game that is already resonating with casual gamers nationwide.
As one of the fastest-growing entertainment sectors, India’s mobile gaming market is forecasted to exceed USD 8.6 billion in value by 2027. With over 600 million mobile users, the country offers a fertile ground for innovative digital games that combine fun with engagement. Chicken Road Game aims to meet this opportunity by providing short, skill-based sessions suitable for on-the-go play, whether users are commuting, taking breaks at work, or simply relaxing at home.
“Our mission has always been to deliver gaming experiences that are not only fun but fair and accessible to all. India’s diversity and digital enthusiasm make it an ideal home for Chicken Road’s next phase of growth,” said a spokesperson from the Chicken Road development team.
A Game that Blends Simplicity with Strategy
At its core, Chicken Road is a fast-paced arcade-style mobile game where players guide a cartoon chicken across an obstacle-filled road. The challenge lies in avoiding hazards such as fire traps and navigating shifting paths, all while collecting points. The longer a player survives, the higher the score.
The gameplay may appear simple on the surface, but as the game progresses, players require quick reflexes and strategic thinking to avoid pitfalls. There’s no need for tutorials or lengthy onboarding — the game’s minimalist controls and clean interface allow players to dive straight into the action.
Developers emphasize that Chicken Road’s model is skill-based rather than chance-based, aligning with responsible gaming practices that prioritize player choice and interaction.
Tailored for the Indian Audience
To better serve the Indian market, the Chicken Road team has introduced several localized features and updates, such as:
Multi-language support in Hindi, Tamil, Bengali, and more.
Low-data mode for users on limited mobile internet.
Compatibility with budget smartphones, ensuring gameplay remains smooth across devices.
In-game notifications aligned with Indian festivals and regional events, creating a culturally relevant experience.
User data from early testing in Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities such as Delhi, Jaipur, Lucknow, and Bengaluru reveals high session engagement and return play, especially among users aged 18–35. Notably, the game has attracted users beyond traditional metro hubs, showing strong performance in semi-urban regions.
Commitment to Fair Play and User Trust
As digital games face increasing scrutiny over user data, security, and play ethics, the Chicken Road Game platform has proactively taken steps to ensure transparency and user safety. These include:
No in-game gambling or betting mechanics
No forced ads between sessions
Optional session time reminders to promote mindful play
In-app reporting and support for technical issues or feedback
“We believe gaming should be a safe space for everyone,” said the developer’s representative. “That’s why we’ve made it a priority to provide clean, ad-minimized gameplay while putting the player in control.”
Encouraging Skill, Not Spending
Unlike many modern mobile games that rely on in-app purchases or randomized rewards, Chicken Road allows players to progress based on gameplay performance. Its non-pay-to-win design ensures that users who build skill over time see greater progression and results.
This approach also aligns with the increasing call across India for transparent, ethical gaming practices, especially in a mobile ecosystem where young users make up a significant share of players.
Global Roadmap and Future Outlook
The development team behind Chicken Road Game has indicated that its expansion into India is part of a broader push across Asia and other emerging digital economies. Plans for future updates include:
Leaderboards and friendly competitions
Collaborations with local content creators
Limited-time seasonal maps inspired by Indian festivals
Beta versions of these features are currently under testing, and official announcements are expected later this year.
About Chicken Road Game
Chicken Road Game is a casual skill-based mobile game developed by a global team of gaming professionals. With a focus on fast gameplay, player-first design, and mobile optimization, the game has gained popularity across multiple countries for its accessible and rewarding user experience. The game does not involve chance mechanics or wagering, making it suitable for a wide audience of casual players.
Media Contact
Company Name: Chicken Road Address: 673, JMD Building, Gurugram, Haryana Website:https://chicken-roadd.com Email: sumit@chicken-roadd.com Phone: +91-2049157035 Media Contact: Sumit
Editorial Disclaimer
This press release is intended solely for informational purposes and does not serve as a solicitation, financial advice, or commercial endorsement. The features and availability of Chicken Road Game may change over time and vary by region. All user experiences mentioned are based on publicly available feedback and internal performance metrics.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Press release
Appointment of the Chancellor of the High Court: June 2025
His Majesty The King has been pleased to approve the appointment of The Rt Hon Lord Justice Colin Birss as the Chancellor of the High Court with effect from 1 November 2025.
His Majesty The King has been pleased to approve the appointment of The Rt Hon Lord Justice Colin Birss as the Chancellor of the High Court with effect from 1 November 2025. This appointment follows the retirement of Sir Julian Flaux.
Background
Biography of candidate
The Rt Hon Lord Justice Colin Birss was called to the Bar in 1990 and took Silk in 2008. He started his judicial career as a Deputy Chairman of the Copyright Tribunal in 2009. He was appointed as a Senior Circuit Judge in 2010, as a High Court Judge assigned to the Chancery Division in 2013 and as a Judge of the Court of Appeal in 2021. He is currently the Deputy Head of Civil Justice and Lead Judge for Artificial Intelligence.
The Appointment
The appointment of the Chancellor of the High Court is made by His Majesty The King on the advice of the Prime Minister and the Lord Chancellor following the recommendation of an independent selection panel chaired by Baroness Carr of Walton-on-the-Hill, the Lady Chief Justice. The other panel members were Lady Rose (Justice of the Supreme Court), Helen Pitcher OBE (Chair of the Judicial Appointments Commission), The Rt. Rev. Dr. Barry Morgan (Lay JAC Commissioner) and Mr Tom Cross KC (Professional JAC Commissioner).
The Chancellor of the High Court (CHC) is one of the most senior judges in England and Wales and holds day-to-day responsibility for the operation of the Business & Property Courts (B&PCs) in London and seven city centres across the country, in consultation with the President of the King’s Bench Division. The B&PCs are a global centre of excellence for the resolution of business disputes and hear some of the most complex and high-profile domestic and international specialist civil claims in the world.
The CHC has full responsibility for the Chancery lists of the B&PCs, which includes the Business List, the Insolvency and Companies List, the Intellectual Property List (including IPEC), the Property Trusts and Probate List, the Competition List, the Financial List (jointly with the Commercial Court) and the Revenue List. Those responsibilities include the deployment of the specialist judges who conduct the hearings and the allocation of cases.
Originally created as the office of Vice-Chancellor in 1813 and having undergone a number of changes in role since then, the CHC also presides in the Court of Appeal (Civil Division) and sits at first instance in the B&PCs.
ATLANTA – Health Wealth Safe, Inc. and Dr. Subodh Agrawal have paid $1.29 million to settle allegations that they knowingly caused false claims to be presented to Medicare.
“Knowingly billing Medicare for services that do not meet Medicare’s requirements is a fraud against taxpayers,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Our office will continue to enforce the False Claims Act to recover government payments that result from such misconduct.”
“Healthcare professionals have a sworn duty to prioritize patient health and to ensure all services billed to the federal government are fully compliant with program requirements,” said Kelly Blackmon, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG will continue to collaborate with our law enforcement partners to safeguard the integrity of the Medicare program.”
The investigation began when former employees of Health Wealth Safe, Inc. (“Health Wealth”) filed a whistleblower lawsuit under the False Claims Act referred to as a qui tam suit. The False Claims Act is a federal law that imposes civil liability on any person who submits false claims to the federal government or its contractors. The law imposes treble damages and civil penalties on those who submit false claims. Under the law, whistleblowers (also called “relators”) who bring fraud to the government’s attention share in any recovery obtained by the government.
The United States alleged that, at the direction of owner Dr. Subodh Agrawal, Health Wealth caused claims to be presented to Medicare for remote physiologic monitoring (RPM) services that were not reimbursable. RPM involves the use of non-face-to-face technology to monitor and analyze a patient’s physiological metrics, such as oxygen saturation, blood pressure, weight, and blood-sugar or blood-oxygen levels. For monitoring services to be covered by Medicare, the monitoring devices must automatically report readings to the monitoring company without further human intervention. The United States alleged that Health Wealth knowingly billed for RPM services even though it failed to provide patients with devices that met these requirements between September 2019 and January 2021.
The settlement resolved the underlying lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, United States ex rel. Chavous v. Health Wealth Safe, Inc., No. 1:22-cv-02553. The relator will receive $238,650 from the settlement in this matter, plus attorney’s fees.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General.
The civil settlement was reached by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony DeCinque.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:
Merck Foundation (www.Merck-Foundation.com), the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, marks ‘World Art Day 2025’ through their Pan African ‘Art and Fashion with Purpose’ Community, established by Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation. Through this dynamic community, Dr. Kelej continues to raise awareness on critical health and social issues while empowering artists across Africa and beyond to use their creativity as a powerful tool for advocacy, education, and fostering a cultural shift within their communities.
Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation and One of 100 Most Influential Africans 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 emphasized, “I am delighted to mark ‘World Art Day 2025’ as I strongly believe that art, fashion, and media hold immense power in raising awareness and addressing critical social and health issues—ultimately creating a culture shift in the communities. Art and fashion, to me, go far beyond aesthetics or entertainment, they serve as meaningful tools for education and advocacy. With this vision, we have launched many initiatives including our first-ever pan-African TV program, Our Africa by Merck Foundation, which uniquely highlights pressing issues across the continent through the voices of our ‘Fashion and Art with Purpose’ community. Through this one-of-a-kind show and our other unique initiatives, we continue to raise awareness about critical social issues such as Breaking Infertility Stigma, Supporting Girl Education, Ending Child Marriage and Female Genital Mutilation, Stopping Gender-Based Violence, Women’s Empowerment, and also about health issues like diabetes, hypertension, and much more.”
‘Our Africa by Merck Foundation’ is a pan African TV program that is conceptualized, produced, directed, and co-hosted by Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation to feature African Fashion Designers, Singers, and prominent experts from various domains with the aim to raise awareness and create a culture shift across Africa. The program has captured the attention and hearts of millions of viewers across Africa.
The TV program has been broadcasted on prime TV stations of many countries like KTN HOME (Kenya), GH One & TV3 (Ghana), NTV (Uganda), BTV (Botswana) Mashariki TV (Burundi), QTV (The Gambia), KTN (Kenya), LNTV (Liberia), Mibawa TV (Malawi), Deffi Media (Mauritius), AYV (Sierra Leone), NTV (Uganda), ZNBC (Zambia), ZTN (Zimbabwe), NTV (Namibia) and more.
“Our Africa” TV Program is currently on social media handles of Social Media handles of Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej [Facebook (https://apo-opa.co/4nrxZR4), Instagram (https://apo-opa.co/442bj1X), Twitter (https://apo-opa.co/44gZvb0) and YouTube (https://apo-opa.co/4nlbzkj)] and Merck Foundation [Facebook (https://apo-opa.co/4nqM01i), Instagram (https://apo-opa.co/4nmuA5Q), Twitter (https://apo-opa.co/4l1yUGc) and YouTube(https://apo-opa.co/3ZLK35q)].
Watch the Promo of the Program here:https://apo-opa.co/4l0Kdy8
Beyond Our Africa TV Program, Merck Foundation in partnership with The First Ladies of Africa announces annually 8 important Awards, under two themes, for Media, Fashion Designers, Filmmakers and Musicians/ Singers, and potential young African talents in these fields. The themes of the two categories of awards are: 1) Breaking Infertility Stigma, Support Girls’ Education, End Child Marriage, End FGM, Stopping GBV and/ or Women Empowerment at all levels and 2) promote a healthy lifestyle and raise awareness about prevention and early detection of Diabetes and Hypertension. The 2025 editions were announced during the 11th edition of Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary held in Tanzania in October 2024.
Dr. Kelej emphasized, “It is very well known that Africa’s creativity reflects its rich heritage, expressed in the form of art, fabrics, music, and storytelling and is carried forward through generations. Hence, we launch these awards annually, with my dear sisters, the African First Ladies who are also the Ambassadors of Merck Foundation “More Than a Mother”. Through our Awards, we aim to inspire the continent’s youth to use their innate talents to address our important and critical social and health issues, by raising awareness through their creative work at all levels.”
Entries for the Awards can be sent to: submit@merck-foundation.com
Also, as a part of the Community Awareness Programs, Merck Foundation has created over 30 songs with many African Artists, in English, French, Portuguese and also local African languages to address critical issues like breaking infertility stigma, empowering women, supporting girl education, ending child marriage, diabetes awareness, promoting a healthy lifestyle, and more.
Merck Foundation in partnership with The First Ladies of Africa has also launched 8 Children’s Storybooks in three languages: English, French and Portuguese. Additionally, Merck Foundation has adapted these storybooks to create interesting animation films with the purpose of reaching out to the communities to raise awareness on the important issues with an aim of instilling change at grassroot levels.
To listen to the Merck Foundation songs, read Merck Foundation storybooks and watch Merck Foundation animation films, click on the below links:
https://apo-opa.co/4nmObCP
https://apo-opa.co/4nlbGwf
– on behalf of Merck Foundation.
Contact: Mehak Handa Community Awareness Program Manager Phone: +91 9310087613/ +91 9319606669 Email: mehak.handa@external.merckgroup.com
Join the conversation on our social media platforms below and let your voice be heard: Facebook: https://apo-opa.co/4nqM01i X: https://apo-opa.co/4l1yUGc YouTube: https://apo-opa.co/3ZLK35q Instagram: https://apo-opa.co/4nmuA5Q Threads: https://apo-opa.co/4l3YFFR Flickr: https://apo-opa.co/3TbLkyP Website: www.Merck-Foundation.com Download Merck Foundation App: https://apo-opa.co/3GeJnPl
About Merck Foundation: The Merck Foundation, established in 2017, is the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, aims to improve the health and wellbeing of people and advance their lives through science and technology. Our efforts are primarily focused on improving access to quality & equitable healthcare solutions in underserved communities, building healthcare & scientific research capacity, empowering girls in education and empowering people in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) with a special focus on women and youth. All Merck Foundation press releases are distributed by e-mail at the same time they become available on the Merck Foundation Website. Please visit www.Merck-Foundation.com to read more. Follow the social media of Merck Foundation: Facebook (https://apo-opa.co/4nqM01i), X (https://apo-opa.co/4l1yUGc), Instagram (https://apo-opa.co/4nmuA5Q), YouTube (https://apo-opa.co/3ZLK35q), Threads (https://apo-opa.co/4l3YFFR) and Flickr (https://apo-opa.co/3TbLkyP).
The Merck Foundation is dedicated to improving social and health outcomes for communities in need. While it collaborates with various partners, including governments to achieve its humanitarian goals, the foundation remains strictly neutral in political matters. It does not engage in or support any political activities, elections, or regimes, focusing solely on its mission to elevate humanity and enhance well-being while maintaining a strict non-political stance in all of its endeavors.
Headline: PadChest-GR: A bilingual grounded radiology reporting benchmark for chest X-rays
In our ever-evolving journey to enhance healthcare through technology, we’re announcing a unique new benchmark for grounded radiology report generation—PadChest-GR (opens in new tab). The world’s first multimodal, bilingual sentence-level radiology report dataset, developed by the University of Alicante with Microsoft Research, University Hospital Sant Joan d’Alacant and MedBravo, is set to redefine how AI and radiologists interpret radiological images. Our work demonstrates how collaboration between humans and AI can create powerful feedback loops—where new datasets drive better AI models, and those models, in turn, inspire richer datasets. We’re excited to share this progress in NEJM AI, highlighting both the clinical relevance and research excellence of this initiative.
A new frontier in radiology report generation
It is estimated that over half of people visiting hospitals have radiology scans that must be interpreted by a clinical professional. Traditional radiology reports often condense multiple findings into unstructured narratives. In contrast, grounded radiology reporting demands that each finding be described and localized individually.
This can mitigate the risk of AI fabrications and enable new interactive capabilities that enhance clinical and patient interpretability. PadChest-GR is the first bilingual dataset to address this need with 4,555 chest X-ray studies complete with Spanish and English sentence-level descriptions and precise spatial (bounding box) annotations for both positive and negative findings. It is the first public benchmark that enables us to evaluate generation of fully grounded radiology reports in chest X-rays.
Figure 1. Example of a grounded report from PadChest-GR. The original free-text report in Spanish was ”Motivo de consulta: Preoperatorio. Rx PA tórax: Impresión diagnóstica: Ateromatosis aórtica calcificada. Engrosamiento pleural biapical. Atelectasia laminar basal izquierda. Elongación aórtica. Sin otros hallazgos radiológicos significativos.”
Spotlight: Blog post
Eureka: Evaluating and understanding progress in AI
How can we rigorously evaluate and understand state-of-the-art progress in AI? Eureka is an open-source framework for standardizing evaluations of large foundation models, beyond single-score reporting and rankings. Learn more about the extended findings.
Opens in a new tab
This benchmark isn’t standing alone—it plays a critical role in powering our state-of-the-art multimodal report generation model, MAIRA-2. Leveraging the detailed annotations of PadChest-GR, MAIRA-2 represents our commitment to building more interpretable and clinically useful AI systems. You can explore our work on MAIRA-2 on our project web page, including recent user research conducted with clinicians in healthcare settings.
PadChest-GR is a testament to the power of collaboration. Aurelia Bustos at MedBravo and Antonio Pertusa at the University of Alicante published the original PadChest dataset (opens in new tab) in 2020, with the help of Jose María Salinas from Hospital San Juan de Alicante and María de la Iglesia Vayá from the Center of Excellence in Biomedical Imaging at the Ministry of Health in Valencia, Spain. We started to look at PadChest and were deeply impressed by the scale, depth, and diversity of the data.
As we worked more closely with the dataset, we realized the opportunity to develop this for grounded radiology reporting research and worked with the team at the University of Alicante to determine how to approach this together. Our complementary expertise was a nice fit. At Microsoft Research, our mission is to push the boundaries of medical AI through innovative, data-driven solutions. The University of Alicante, with its deep clinical expertise, provided critical insights that greatly enriched the dataset’s relevance and utility. The result of this collaboration is the PadChest-GR dataset.
A significant enabler of our annotation process was Centaur Labs. The team of senior and junior radiologists from the University Hospital Sant Joan d’Alacant, coordinated by Joaquin Galant, used this HIPAA-compliant labeling platform to perform rigorous study-level quality control and bounding box annotations. The annotation protocol implemented ensured that each annotation was accurate and consistent, forming the backbone of a dataset designed for the next generation of grounded radiology report generation models.
Accelerating PadChest-GR dataset annotation with AI
Our approach integrates advanced large language models with comprehensive manual annotation:
Data Selection & Processing: Leveraging Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service (opens in new tab) with GPT-4, we extracted sentences describing individual positive and negative findings from raw radiology reports, translated them from Spanish to English, and linked each sentence to the existing expert labels from PadChest. This was done for a selected subset of the full PadChest dataset, carefully curated to reflect a realistic distribution of clinically relevant findings.
Manual Quality Control & Annotation: The processed studies underwent meticulous quality checks on the Centaur Labs platform by radiologist from Hospital San Juan de Alicante. Each positive finding was then annotated with bounding boxes to capture critical spatial information.
Standardization & Integration: All annotations were harmonized into coherent grounded reports, preserving the structure and context of the original findings while enhancing interpretability.
Figure 2. Overview of the data curation pipeline.
Impact and future directions
PadChest-GR not only sets a new benchmark for grounded radiology reporting, but also serves as the foundation for our MAIRA-2 model, which already showcases the potential of highly interpretable AI in clinical settings. While we developed PadChest-GR to help train and validate our own models, we believe the research community will greatly benefit from this dataset for many years to come. We look forward to seeing the broader research community build on this—improving grounded reporting AI models and using PadChest-GR as a standard for evaluation. We believe that by fostering open collaboration and sharing our resources, we can accelerate progress in medical imaging AI and ultimately improve patient care together with the community.
The collaboration between Microsoft Research and the University of Alicante highlights the transformative power of working together across disciplines. With our publication in NEJM-AI and the integral role of PadChest-GR in the development of MAIRA-2 (opens in new tab) and RadFact (opens in new tab), we are excited about the future of AI-empowered radiology. We invite researchers and industry experts to explore PadChest-GR and MAIRA-2, contribute innovative ideas, and join us in advancing the field of grounded radiology reporting.
Papers already using PadChest-GR:
For further details or to download PadChest-GR, please visit the BIMCV PadChest-GR Project (opens in new tab).
Models in the Azure Foundry that can do Grounded Reporting:
Acknowledgement
Authors: Daniel C. Castro (opens in new tab), Aurelia Bustos (opens in new tab), Shruthi Bannur (opens in new tab), Stephanie L. Hyland (opens in new tab), Kenza Bouzid (opens in new tab), Maria Teodora Wetscherek (opens in new tab), Maria Dolores Sánchez-Valverde (opens in new tab), Lara Jaques-Pérez (opens in new tab), Lourdes Pérez-Rodríguez (opens in new tab), Kenji Takeda (opens in new tab), José María Salinas (opens in new tab), Javier Alvarez-Valle (opens in new tab), Joaquín Galant Herrero (opens in new tab), Antonio Pertusa (opens in new tab)
Headline: PadChest-GR: A bilingual grounded radiology reporting benchmark for chest X-rays
In our ever-evolving journey to enhance healthcare through technology, we’re announcing a unique new benchmark for grounded radiology report generation—PadChest-GR (opens in new tab). The world’s first multimodal, bilingual sentence-level radiology report dataset, developed by the University of Alicante with Microsoft Research, University Hospital Sant Joan d’Alacant and MedBravo, is set to redefine how AI and radiologists interpret radiological images. Our work demonstrates how collaboration between humans and AI can create powerful feedback loops—where new datasets drive better AI models, and those models, in turn, inspire richer datasets. We’re excited to share this progress in NEJM AI, highlighting both the clinical relevance and research excellence of this initiative.
A new frontier in radiology report generation
It is estimated that over half of people visiting hospitals have radiology scans that must be interpreted by a clinical professional. Traditional radiology reports often condense multiple findings into unstructured narratives. In contrast, grounded radiology reporting demands that each finding be described and localized individually.
This can mitigate the risk of AI fabrications and enable new interactive capabilities that enhance clinical and patient interpretability. PadChest-GR is the first bilingual dataset to address this need with 4,555 chest X-ray studies complete with Spanish and English sentence-level descriptions and precise spatial (bounding box) annotations for both positive and negative findings. It is the first public benchmark that enables us to evaluate generation of fully grounded radiology reports in chest X-rays.
Figure 1. Example of a grounded report from PadChest-GR. The original free-text report in Spanish was ”Motivo de consulta: Preoperatorio. Rx PA tórax: Impresión diagnóstica: Ateromatosis aórtica calcificada. Engrosamiento pleural biapical. Atelectasia laminar basal izquierda. Elongación aórtica. Sin otros hallazgos radiológicos significativos.”
Spotlight: Blog post
Eureka: Evaluating and understanding progress in AI
How can we rigorously evaluate and understand state-of-the-art progress in AI? Eureka is an open-source framework for standardizing evaluations of large foundation models, beyond single-score reporting and rankings. Learn more about the extended findings.
Opens in a new tab
This benchmark isn’t standing alone—it plays a critical role in powering our state-of-the-art multimodal report generation model, MAIRA-2. Leveraging the detailed annotations of PadChest-GR, MAIRA-2 represents our commitment to building more interpretable and clinically useful AI systems. You can explore our work on MAIRA-2 on our project web page, including recent user research conducted with clinicians in healthcare settings.
PadChest-GR is a testament to the power of collaboration. Aurelia Bustos at MedBravo and Antonio Pertusa at the University of Alicante published the original PadChest dataset (opens in new tab) in 2020, with the help of Jose María Salinas from Hospital San Juan de Alicante and María de la Iglesia Vayá from the Center of Excellence in Biomedical Imaging at the Ministry of Health in Valencia, Spain. We started to look at PadChest and were deeply impressed by the scale, depth, and diversity of the data.
As we worked more closely with the dataset, we realized the opportunity to develop this for grounded radiology reporting research and worked with the team at the University of Alicante to determine how to approach this together. Our complementary expertise was a nice fit. At Microsoft Research, our mission is to push the boundaries of medical AI through innovative, data-driven solutions. The University of Alicante, with its deep clinical expertise, provided critical insights that greatly enriched the dataset’s relevance and utility. The result of this collaboration is the PadChest-GR dataset.
A significant enabler of our annotation process was Centaur Labs. The team of senior and junior radiologists from the University Hospital Sant Joan d’Alacant, coordinated by Joaquin Galant, used this HIPAA-compliant labeling platform to perform rigorous study-level quality control and bounding box annotations. The annotation protocol implemented ensured that each annotation was accurate and consistent, forming the backbone of a dataset designed for the next generation of grounded radiology report generation models.
Accelerating PadChest-GR dataset annotation with AI
Our approach integrates advanced large language models with comprehensive manual annotation:
Data Selection & Processing: Leveraging Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service (opens in new tab) with GPT-4, we extracted sentences describing individual positive and negative findings from raw radiology reports, translated them from Spanish to English, and linked each sentence to the existing expert labels from PadChest. This was done for a selected subset of the full PadChest dataset, carefully curated to reflect a realistic distribution of clinically relevant findings.
Manual Quality Control & Annotation: The processed studies underwent meticulous quality checks on the Centaur Labs platform by radiologist from Hospital San Juan de Alicante. Each positive finding was then annotated with bounding boxes to capture critical spatial information.
Standardization & Integration: All annotations were harmonized into coherent grounded reports, preserving the structure and context of the original findings while enhancing interpretability.
Figure 2. Overview of the data curation pipeline.
Impact and future directions
PadChest-GR not only sets a new benchmark for grounded radiology reporting, but also serves as the foundation for our MAIRA-2 model, which already showcases the potential of highly interpretable AI in clinical settings. While we developed PadChest-GR to help train and validate our own models, we believe the research community will greatly benefit from this dataset for many years to come. We look forward to seeing the broader research community build on this—improving grounded reporting AI models and using PadChest-GR as a standard for evaluation. We believe that by fostering open collaboration and sharing our resources, we can accelerate progress in medical imaging AI and ultimately improve patient care together with the community.
The collaboration between Microsoft Research and the University of Alicante highlights the transformative power of working together across disciplines. With our publication in NEJM-AI and the integral role of PadChest-GR in the development of MAIRA-2 (opens in new tab) and RadFact (opens in new tab), we are excited about the future of AI-empowered radiology. We invite researchers and industry experts to explore PadChest-GR and MAIRA-2, contribute innovative ideas, and join us in advancing the field of grounded radiology reporting.
Papers already using PadChest-GR:
For further details or to download PadChest-GR, please visit the BIMCV PadChest-GR Project (opens in new tab).
Models in the Azure Foundry that can do Grounded Reporting:
Acknowledgement
Authors: Daniel C. Castro (opens in new tab), Aurelia Bustos (opens in new tab), Shruthi Bannur (opens in new tab), Stephanie L. Hyland (opens in new tab), Kenza Bouzid (opens in new tab), Maria Teodora Wetscherek (opens in new tab), Maria Dolores Sánchez-Valverde (opens in new tab), Lara Jaques-Pérez (opens in new tab), Lourdes Pérez-Rodríguez (opens in new tab), Kenji Takeda (opens in new tab), José María Salinas (opens in new tab), Javier Alvarez-Valle (opens in new tab), Joaquín Galant Herrero (opens in new tab), Antonio Pertusa (opens in new tab)
Headline: Microsoft is committed to the European Accessibility Act
On June 28, 2025, the European Accessibility Act (EAA) becomes enforceable—–an important stepforward for accessibility in the EU and around the world.It sets a new bar for digital accessibility and disability rights, enabling disabled people to fully participate in society and the economy. Accelerating technology and innovation will make it easier for everyone, including 110+ million disabled people across the EU. Microsoft has supported the EAA since its introduction in December 2015.
The EAA is a catalyst for advancing the accessibility of digital products and services throughout the European Single Market. It harmonizes accessibility requirements across Member States and establishes a strong framework for future policies, including AI and accessibility. It requires digital products and services, from banking apps to e-readers, to be accessible and it brings clarity and consistency of experience across the EU market.
Our approach to the EAA
Accessibility is a journey that we have been committed to for over 30 years. We view accessibility as a fundamental right, core to Microsoft’s mission to empower every person. It serves a crucially important function, making technology accessible, and easier to use for everyone.
We are committed to making sure that our products and services comply with the European Accessibility Act and are grateful to the hundreds of engineers across the company who have prioritized this work over the last three years. We invested in accessibility in some of our leading products, including Windows, Teams, and Outlook, collaborating with policymakers, accessibility professionals, and community members to deliver on EAA requirements.
The EAA is a new, complex regulatory framework that is still evolving. The ongoing transposition and harmonization of related standards will determine the steps we all need to take. We will constantly evaluate our products, services, and data uses as understanding and regulatory interpretation of the EAA evolve.
Regulation driving innovation
Our work on the EAA has yielded new features, which we’re proudto announce today:
Real-time text (RTT) in Teamsprovides a new way for people, including individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing, to participate in meetings, directly addressing both EAA requirements and the needs of our customers.
We made it easier to find, learn, and use accessibility features with broadened and standardized support documentation on www.microsoft.com/accessibility.
Unboxing products is easier, more welcoming for all, and better for the planet. Our approach is detailed in the ‘creating accessible packaging’ toolkit.
We are excited to launch enhanced support for developers to upload closed captions and audio descriptions for app and game trailers, making content available to everyone.
The EAA has evolved and has also shaped implementation of AI–driven accessibility in many of our features, including Copilot and Immersive Reader. The EAA’s requirements will continue to be a guidepost for the accessibility of future AI innovation.
Helping customersprepare forthe EAA
We are committed to helping organizations succeed by providing the technology and tools they need to thrive in the AI economy. We start with Microsoft as Customer Zero, then we share our learnings with others. We are launching this today on a new site: aka.ms/EAAOverview. It includes:
1. Getting Started with the EAA If you’re wondering where to begin, start with ourOverview of the EAA. It breaks down which products and services are in scope and how to prepare. Today, we’re launching industry guides for retail, transport, finance, media & telco, and government, packed with practical tips to help you turn accessibility into a business advantage.
2. Microsoft’s Approach We’ve learned a lot on our journey. Some of the tools and frameworks that helped us include:
Inclusive Design: Start early. Our Inclusive Design Framework helps you reduce rework, improve usability, and build products that work for everyone.
Horizon Model: Helps you plan for long-term growth by investing in people, accessible tech, and innovation.
Accessibility Insights: Our free, open-source tool, Accessibility Insights, helps teams find and fix accessibility issues fast. It integrates with GitHub and Azure Boards and supports three flexible testing modes.
Ready to take the next step? You can build your own Copilot agent, designed inclusively from the start, and use Accessibility Insights to catch issues early. And if you or your customers need support, our Disability Answer Desk is here to help with accessibility questions, troubleshooting, and product guidance.
Looking forward
June 28 is a starting line, not the finish line. This foundational legislation is an important step for compliance and a catalyst for the next generation of accessible technology innovation. We look forward to learning and partnering with you on the journey. We are proud to host an event with our partner, the European Disability Forum, in Brussels for the European Accessibility Summit 2025 14 October 2025 (in person and virtual). Join us and register now.
We are committed to continuing to drive conversations on accessibility and disability rights with policy makers, regulators, industry peers, and the disability community throughout the year, viewing the EAA as a vital step toward reimagining how technology can serve everyone, everywhere.
Paris, France, June 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — SWIA, a global leader in intelligent investment solutions, officially unveiled IAFI4.0, its next-generation AI investment system. Designed under the leadership of renowned financial strategist and SWIA founder François Delacroix, the system aims to redefine how investors approach market complexity through automation, precision, and adaptive intelligence.
A Strategic Leap in Financial Technology
IAFI4.0 combines real-time market analytics, multi-factor modeling, and AI-driven decision support to deliver investment strategies that are both responsive and replicable. It is engineered to assist investors in identifying opportunities, managing risk exposure, and optimizing portfolio allocations across various asset classes.
“Modern markets demand modern thinking,” said François Delacroix at the launch event in Paris. “IAFI4.0 is not just a system—it’s a transformation in how we understand and act on financial data. It empowers investors to navigate uncertainty with confidence, speed, and structure.”
Practical Tools for a Global Investor Base
IAFI4.0 has already been tested across multiple real-market environments, delivering strong results in performance stability and strategy adaptability. SWIA plans to expand global access to the system through phased onboarding, localized support tools, and educational programs aligned with the platform’s strategic intelligence model.
Beyond Technology: An Educational Vision
SWIA integrates its technological advances with a deep commitment to investor education. With a community of over 30,000 learners worldwide, the institution supports clients not only with intelligent systems but also with the training necessary to use them effectively. IAFI4.0 reflects this synergy—where technology meets practical skill.
Looking Forward
Following the launch of IAFI4.0, SWIA will focus on scaling its intelligent investment ecosystem across Europe, Asia, and beyond. By enhancing the system with new modules and collaborative research, SWIA reaffirms its mission: to make intelligent investing the global standard.
About SWIA
SWIA is a leading international firm specializing in intelligent finance and AI-powered investment systems. Founded by François Delacroix, SWIA is known for its integration of advanced technology with hands-on investor education. The IAFI4.0 system represents its latest milestone in reshaping the future of financial decision-making.
Disclaimer: This press release is for informational purposes only. It does not constitute financial advice or an investment recommendation. Past performance is not indicative of future results. All investment decisions should be made based on personal evaluation or professional counsel.
NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION IN OR INTO OR TO ANY JURISDICTION WHERE IT IS UNLAWFUL TO RELEASE, PUBLISH OR DISTRIBUTE THIS ANNOUNCEMENT (SEE “DISCLAIMER” BELOW).
Paris, June 26th 2025
Notice of Early Redemption (amended)
To :
(i) The Noteholders of the below mentioned Notes; (ii) Euronext Paris; (iii) Fiscal Agent.
Dear Sirs,
Crédit Industriel et Commercial S.A., Issuance of F 500 000 000 (€76 224 508), Undated Subordinatede Notes With the Isin code: FR0000584377 (the ‘’Notes’’)
Crédit Industriel et Commercial S.A., (formerly “Compagnie Financière de Crédit Industriel et Commercial’’) is the issuer (the “Issuer’’) of the Notes.
In accordance with the terms and conditions of the Notes (the ‘’Conditions’’), the Issuer hereby gives notice that it is exercising in whole its right to redeem the Notes pursuant to the provision Redemption (‘’Remboursement’’) of the Listing Particulars (“Issuer Call Option”) of the Notes.
The Issuer instructs the Fiscal Agent to authorise the French Central Securities Depository to cancel the Notes redeemed on 21 July, 2025 (“Early Redemption Date”).
For the purposes of the Issuer Call:
(i) the Issuer Call Date will be 21 July, 2025; and
(ii) the Optional Redemption Amount(s) or Early Redemption Amount excluding accrued interest is: 1.01 euros per Denomination.
Notwithstanding the information provided in the Conditions of the Notes, Law No. 98-546 of July 2, 1998, implementing various economic and financial provisions, provided for the conversion of negotiable securities denominated in Francs into securities with a nominal value of one euro. Therefore, the Early Redemption amount is carried out based on a nominal value of one euro per Notes, and the accrued interest will be adjusted accordingly.
Unless otherwise defined in this notice, capitalised terms used in this notice shall have the meaning given to them in the Listing Particulars (‘’Note d’Information’’) dated June, 1987, as applicable, relating to the Notes.
Yours faithfully,
For and on behalf of
Crédit Industriel et Commercial S.A.,
By Eric CUZZUCOLI
Duly authorized
DISCLAIMER This press release does not constitute an offer to purchase, or the solicitation of an offer to sell, the Instruments in the United States, Canada, Australia, or Japan or in any other jurisdiction, including France. The distribution of this press release in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law. Persons into whose possession this press release comes are required to inform themselves and observe any such restrictions. No communication may be distributed to the public in any jurisdiction in which registration or approval is required. No action has been or will be taken in any jurisdiction where such action would be required; CIC disclaims any liability for any violation by any person of such restrictions.
About CIC CIC is a leading bank in France and internationally, and the bank of one in three businesses in France. It provides nearly 5.5 million customers with a French network of nearly 1,800 branches and 20,000 employees, as well as international branches in 37 countries. In order to meet the needs of all economic players and to build up a constantly efficient offer on a daily basis, it combines financial, insurance, telephony and cutting-edge technological services with a high level of financial solidity backed by that of its parent company, Crédit Mutuel Alliance Fédérale. For more information, visit cic.fr
NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION IN OR INTO OR TO ANY JURISDICTION WHERE IT IS UNLAWFUL TO RELEASE, PUBLISH OR DISTRIBUTE THIS ANNOUNCEMENT (SEE “DISCLAIMER” BELOW).
Paris, June 26th 2025
Notice of Early Redemption (amended)
To :
(i) The Noteholders of the below mentioned Notes; (ii) Euronext Paris; (iii) Fiscal Agent.
Dear Sirs,
Crédit Industriel et Commercial S.A., Issuance of F 500 000 000 (€76 224 508), Undated Subordinatede Notes With the Isin code: FR0000584377 (the ‘’Notes’’)
Crédit Industriel et Commercial S.A., (formerly “Compagnie Financière de Crédit Industriel et Commercial’’) is the issuer (the “Issuer’’) of the Notes.
In accordance with the terms and conditions of the Notes (the ‘’Conditions’’), the Issuer hereby gives notice that it is exercising in whole its right to redeem the Notes pursuant to the provision Redemption (‘’Remboursement’’) of the Listing Particulars (“Issuer Call Option”) of the Notes.
The Issuer instructs the Fiscal Agent to authorise the French Central Securities Depository to cancel the Notes redeemed on 21 July, 2025 (“Early Redemption Date”).
For the purposes of the Issuer Call:
(i) the Issuer Call Date will be 21 July, 2025; and
(ii) the Optional Redemption Amount(s) or Early Redemption Amount excluding accrued interest is: 1.01 euros per Denomination.
Notwithstanding the information provided in the Conditions of the Notes, Law No. 98-546 of July 2, 1998, implementing various economic and financial provisions, provided for the conversion of negotiable securities denominated in Francs into securities with a nominal value of one euro. Therefore, the Early Redemption amount is carried out based on a nominal value of one euro per Notes, and the accrued interest will be adjusted accordingly.
Unless otherwise defined in this notice, capitalised terms used in this notice shall have the meaning given to them in the Listing Particulars (‘’Note d’Information’’) dated June, 1987, as applicable, relating to the Notes.
Yours faithfully,
For and on behalf of
Crédit Industriel et Commercial S.A.,
By Eric CUZZUCOLI
Duly authorized
DISCLAIMER This press release does not constitute an offer to purchase, or the solicitation of an offer to sell, the Instruments in the United States, Canada, Australia, or Japan or in any other jurisdiction, including France. The distribution of this press release in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law. Persons into whose possession this press release comes are required to inform themselves and observe any such restrictions. No communication may be distributed to the public in any jurisdiction in which registration or approval is required. No action has been or will be taken in any jurisdiction where such action would be required; CIC disclaims any liability for any violation by any person of such restrictions.
About CIC CIC is a leading bank in France and internationally, and the bank of one in three businesses in France. It provides nearly 5.5 million customers with a French network of nearly 1,800 branches and 20,000 employees, as well as international branches in 37 countries. In order to meet the needs of all economic players and to build up a constantly efficient offer on a daily basis, it combines financial, insurance, telephony and cutting-edge technological services with a high level of financial solidity backed by that of its parent company, Crédit Mutuel Alliance Fédérale. For more information, visit cic.fr
LEEDS, United Kingdom, June 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The highly anticipated Nimanode (NMA) Presale has so far surpassed expectations, rapidly filling its presale allocation with 28% already scooped so far from its softcap which has fuelled intense investor FOMO.
Nimanode, is drawing serious attention from early adopters seeking exposure to the next phase of Web3 automation.
Analysts have predicted $NMA could deliver high returns with anticipation of a major breakout post-launch, early participants are moving quickly to secure $NMA tokens at presale pricing.
Presale Participation Surges as Investor Demands Intensifies
FOMO is already set in place as the Nimanode Presale momentum already indicates strong confidence from early investors citing a belief in the project.
Demand for the NMA token has also surged as tokens are set to be listed at an upward 25% price from presale prices at top XRPL exchanges like Magnetic, so instant returns for early investors are expected.
The platform’s unique value lies in its accessibility. Anyone regardless of coding ability can create and monetize autonomous AI agents, all powered by the speed and cost-efficiency of the XRPL.
Unlike static automation or off-chain bots, Nimanode agents operate on-chain, interact with smart contracts, and generate on-chain earnings; creating a new form of programmable, decentralized labor.
Pioneering the AI x Blockchain Wave on XRP Ledger
Nimanode is capturing attention for good reason: it’s pioneering zero-code, on-chain AI agents that can automate complex blockchain tasks from deploying smart contracts and managing DeFi strategies to running real-time compliance checks and providing intelligent customer support.
Though independent from Ripple’s official roadmap, Nimanode leverages XRP Ledger’s speed, low fees, and increasing developer adoption to help reignite the bullish energy seen in previous cycles.
To put it in perspective, XRP once saw an explosive 137,000% surge during the 2017–2018 bull market. Now, as the XRP ecosystem rebounds with the token retracing back to $2.20
Nimanode’s emergence offers a timely opportunity to capture investor interest around intelligent automation, agent-powered DeFi, and tokenized real-world utilities built directly on XRPL.
Don’t Miss Out Nimanode Presale
With early interest accelerating and a powerful utility-driven token model, investor excitement around Nimanode is building fast. As more participants secure their share of $NMA, the window for getting in at the most favorable entry point is narrowing quickly.
Joining in the NimaNode Presale is quite straightforward
Purchase XRP: Acquire XRP from reputable exchanges like Binance, Coinbase, or Bybit
Send to an XRP-Compatible Wallet: Ensure you have a non-custodial wallet capable of receiving XRP native tokens Xaman recommended.
Participate in the Presale: Visit the NimaNode presale page (https://nimanode.com/presale), send your XRP to the provided presale address, and secure your $NMA tokens.
As Nimanode Presale gains momentum, now is a perfect opportunity to position at the next wave of Blockchain innovation poised for massive gains through the integration of Web3 and AI.
Disclaimer: This is a paid post and is provided by Nimanode. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented. We do not guarantee any claims, statements, or promises made in this article. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice.Investing in crypto and mining-related opportunities involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital. It is possible to lose all your capital. These products may not be suitable for everyone, and you should ensure that you understand the risks involved. Seek independent advice if necessary. Speculate only with funds that you can afford to lose. Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. However, due to the inherently speculative nature of the blockchain sector—including cryptocurrency, NFTs, and mining—complete accuracy cannot always be guaranteed. Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release. In the event of any legal claims or charges against this article, we accept no liability or responsibility.Globenewswire does not endorse any content on this page.
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Zurich, June 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — While global attention has often centered on innovation hubs such as Silicon Valley, Berlin, or Paris, today, fresh data from Dealroom.co and Startupticker in a new report spotlights how Switzerland has quietly become one of the world’s most advanced and efficient Deep Tech ecosystems.
The Swiss Deep Tech Report 2025, a Deep Tech Nation Switzerland initiative, offers a comprehensive new dataset and analysis on the Swiss Deep Tech ecosystem. It was curated in close collaboration with Dealroom.co, Startupticker and venture capital firms Founderful and Kickfund. The report is the first of its kind to map the full scope of Switzerland’s Deep Tech performance – from research institutions and patents to venture activity and late-stage outcomes.
The report’s findings are striking:
Swiss Deep Tech companies have created more than $100 billion in combined enterprise value.
From 2019 to 2025, Switzerland allocated 60% of its total venture capital into Deep Tech – more than any other country globally.
Over the same period, Switzerland ranked first in Europe and third worldwide for Deep Tech VC funding per capita, backed by both a strong domestic research base and increasing levels of international capital.
Nearly 96% of late-stage Deep Tech rounds in Switzerland were led by global investors, with US and EU firms now accounting for the majority of capital inflow.
Behind Oxford and Cambridge, 2 of the top 4 universities creating Deep Tech spinouts in Europe are Swiss: ETH Zurich and EPFL
The report establishes a definitive benchmark for the ecosystem’s strength and signals its global potential. With over 1500 Swiss Deep Tech startups analyzed and data spanning more than five years, the report positions Switzerland not just as a center of academic excellence, but as a global-scale producer of science-based innovation and venture outcomes.
“Switzerland has long excelled in fundamental research, but we believe the next decade belongs to the scientists and engineers who turn that research into global companies,” said Alex Stöckl, Founding Partner at Founderful. “This report is about making that transformation visible – about telling the story of Swiss Deep Tech in hard data and positioning it clearly on the world stage. Founderful is proud to lead that effort.”
The report also highlights a new generation of Swiss startups driving that shift. AI/ML already accounts for 23 percent of companies founded since 2021, almost double its previous share. Climate & Energy, Robotics and TechBio have each expanded at speed.. The strength of this cohort reflects a deeper pipeline forming at the intersection of academic excellence, local entrepreneurial talent, and increasing support from sector-focused investors. The international visibility of these startups is growing rapidly, but local capital – particularly at the later stages – remains limited, creating both a challenge and an investment opportunity.
Geraldine Naja, Director for Commercialisation, Industry and Competitiveness at the European Space Agency, commented: ‘‘With the launch of the European Space Deep Tech Innovation Centre in Villigen, Switzerland is proving how precision science, agile industry and open collaboration can propel space technologies from lab to orbit. This new hub is more than a facility—it’s a testbed where European autonomy meets global opportunity. At ESA, we see Switzerland’s deep tech strengths as a catalyst for advancing Europe’s technological sovereignty, commercial competitiveness and innovation resilience.’’ While, Severin Schwan, Chairman of Roche, added: “Switzerland has long been a global hotspot for biotech innovation. The exceptional concentration of pharma expertise around Basel, combined with academic excellence and access to capital, continues to make it one of the world’s most fertile grounds for breakthrough biomedical innovation.”
Investors are reallocating capital toward the next wave of AI-powered verticals. In 2024 almost one-third of all Swiss deep-tech funding went to AI-first startups, from generative protein design and industrial autonomy to foundation-model safety, tripling the share recorded in 2020. This funding surge is matched by a rising cohort of growth-stage companies such as Scandit, Distalmotion and Climeworks, underscoring Switzerland’s ability to turn lab breakthroughs into mission-critical products for Fortune 500 customers.
Chris Keller, Managing Director Central Europe at AWS, added: “Switzerland stands at the forefront of global AI innovation, leading with the highest AI patents per capita and one of the most dynamic startup ecosystems.”
As Switzerland’s Deep Tech ecosystem matures, the report authors plan to deepen the dataset and track sector performance across key hubs including Zurich, Lausanne, Geneva, and Basel. As more Swiss Deep Tech startups reach scale, the goal is to give founders, investors, and policymakers a reliable view of progress – and a strong case for the country’s leadership in Deep Tech.
About Deep Tech Nation Switzerland Deep Tech Nation Switzerland Foundation is a private, not-for-profit initiative backed by leading companies, foundations, associations, and universities. Our mission is to position Switzerland as the world’s leading deep tech nation. We work independently and systemically to strengthen the Swiss innovation ecosystem for the long term. Acting as a neutral catalyst, we shape the future for Switzerland – so that others can invest, create, and scale.
About Dealroom.co Dealroom.co is is the source of record on startups, innovation, high-growth companies, venture capital and tech ecosystems globally. Its European Deep Tech Report is the reference study for investors and policymakers.
About Startupticker Deeply rooted in the Swiss start-up ecosystem and supported by leading initiatives, organisations and companies, Startupticker.ch is the trusted provider of daily news and analysis including the annual Swiss Venture Capital Report.
About Kickfund Kickfund is a Swiss venture capital fund investing at the earliest stages in high-tech startups emerging from Switzerland’s top academic institutions. Kickfund systematically backs winners of Venture Kick, Switzerland’s leading accelerator, which has supported over 1,000 startups to date – including many of the globally leading deep tech companies that have come out of Switzerland, such as Climeworks, Scandit, and Kandou.
About Founderful Founderful is Switzerland’s leading pre-seed fund, backing founder teams building tech companies with the potential to become global market leaders. Founderful has a track record of supporting exceptional founders in creating breakthrough companies and has the passionate conviction that the Swiss startup ecosystem is just starting to write its best success stories.
Macau’s giant casinos and malls have earned the territory its nickname: the ‘Las Vegas of the east’.Sanga Park / Shutterstock
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of the second world war, a conflict that left few corners of the globe untouched. In east Asia, the small Portuguese-administrated territory of Macau in southern China stood out as a rare neutral territory. But, despite its neutrality, Macau could not escape the war’s far-reaching impact.
In fact, Macau saw its population treble in the period between 1937 and the end of the second world war, reaching around half a million people. The newcomers, most of whom had fled the Japanese occupation of China, exceeded the existing residents and influenced all facets of life in Macau.
Some went on to shape the territory well beyond the end of the second world war, helping Macau earn its later status as one of the leading gambling hubs in the world. These people included the late Stanley Ho, the “casino tycoon” in Macau and one of the key architects of its post-war economy.
In his testimony for the 1999 book, Macao Remembers, Ho noted how Macau’s wartime atmosphere had inspired him. “Macao was tiny, and yet a bit like Casablanca – all the secret intelligence, the murders, the gambling – it was a very exciting place”, he said.
Ho was referring to the fictional version of the French-controlled wartime city of Casablanca in the 1942 Hollywood film, also called Casablanca. As a neutral enclave, Macau was a site of multinational refuge, smuggling of goods and people, espionage, danger and opportunities.
Japan’s invasion of China began in the 1930s. As Japanese forces took control of most of the eastern coast from 1937 onward, the Chinese nationalist government moved inland to resist from its relocated capitals, first Wuhan and then Chongqing. By the end of 1940, the most important political, economic, educational and cultural urban centres in China had been occupied.
Surrounded by occupied areas, territories under foreign rule in China such as the Shanghai foreign concessions, Macau and Hong Kong became “lone islands”. Their neutral status attracted many thousands of refugees, resistance activists and relocated businesses. Lone islands became supply lifelines for the Chinese resistance and propaganda battlegrounds for opposing sides.
They experienced periods of economic boom fuelled by the influx of refugees. And they were prime locations for the transfer of information and funds, as well as intelligence collection. Lone islands were also sites of humanitarian relief, connected to diaspora networks and organisations designed to support the Chinese war effort.
By the end of 1941, these spaces of neutrality were disappearing. The Shanghai foreign concessions were taken over by Japan and later handed over to a Chinese collaborationist administration, and the British colony of Hong Kong was occupied and placed under Japanese military rule. French-ruled Guangzhouwan, also in south China, was under de facto Japanese control by 1943.
Macau, which remained neutral throughout the war, stood as the last lone island – if always subject to Japanese influence. Macau’s neutrality drew many from opposing camps.
In the late 1930s, most refugees to Macau had come from Shanghai and Guangdong province. The occupation of Hong Kong in late 1941 then brought another wave of displaced persons to Macau.
Stanley Ho was among the refugees who arrived in Macau from the neighbouring British colony. He joined his uncle Robert Ho Tung, a renowned businessman who also relocated to Macau during the occupation of Hong Kong.
According to Ho’s own accounts, his wartime activities were the foundation of a fortune. Several other figures who would become important economic players in Macau’s post-war economy, such as businessman Ho Yin, also cut their teeth during the second world war’s climate of contingency and opportunity.
Working for the Macau Co-operative Company, established by the Japanese to manage trade between Japan and the government in Macau, Ho was involved in bartering materials in exchange for food supplies with Japanese interlocutors. He also had an English-Japanese language exchange with the Japanese intelligence chief in Macau, Colonel Sawa.
Through these activities, Ho made important contacts among the different communities who found themselves in Macau during the war. This included powerful intermediaries such as Pedro José Lobo, the head of the economic services in Macau. These connections exposed Ho to the popularity of gambling in Macau and the potential to take it to a different level.
Gambling had been legal in Macau since the mid-19th century. But it was during the war that we would see the origins of the casino-hotel model that is now prevalent in the territory.
The leading hotels of 1940s Macau, such as Hotel Central and Grande Hotel Kuoc Chai, offered employment to refugee musicians and dancers and were sites of entertainment for those with funds to spend.
After the end of the second world war, Ho set up a company called Sociedade de Turismo e Diversões de Macau (STDM) with partners including Henry Fok, Teddy Yip and Yip Hon. These were businessmen with links to Hong Kong, mainland China and Indonesia.
In 1962, the same year STDM was founded, it earned the exclusive licence to run casinos in Macau, replacing pre-existing magnates who were more prominent during the second world war.
One of the key innovations brought by their company’s casinos was the popularisation of western-style games. They were also involved in philanthropic activities, much like the wartime gambling tycoons had been, with Macau again seeing the arrival of many destitute displaced persons during the cold war.
Gambling has been liberalised in Macau since the early 2000s, and the territory has now surpassed Las Vegas to become the largest casino market in the world.
Helena F. S. Lopes received doctoral and postdoctoral research funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council, the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology and the Leverhulme Trust for projects relating to Macau during the Second World War and the post-war period.
Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Mohammed Estaiteyeh, Assistant Professor of Digital Pedagogies and Technology Literacies, Faculty of Education, Brock University
AI literacy equips learners to understand and navigate the pervasive influence of AI in their daily lives.(Shutterstock)
With students’ use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools on the rise in Canada and globally, reports of cheating and unethical behaviors are making headlines.
One recent study indicates that 78 per cent of Canadian students have used generative AI to help with assignments or study tasks. In China, authorities have even shut down AI apps during nationwide exams to prevent cheating.
Students seem unprepared to navigate this new world and educators are unsure how to handle it. This is a problem Canada and other countries can’t afford to ignore.
The support structures and policies to guide students’ and educators’ responsible use of AI are often insufficient in Canadian schools. In a recent study, Canada ranked 44th in AI training and literacy out of 47 countries, and 28th among 30 advanced economies. Despite growing reliance on these technologies at homes and in the classrooms, Canada lacks a unified AI literacy strategy in K-12 education.
Without co-ordinated action, this gap threatens to widen existing inequalities and leave both learners and educators vulnerable. Canadian schools need a national AI literacy strategy that provides a framework for teaching students about AI tools and how to use them responsibly.
“An individual’s ability to clearly explain how AI technologies work and impact society, as well as to use them in an ethical and responsible manner and to effectively communicate and collaborate with them in any setting.”
Acknowledging its importance, scholars and international organizations have been developing AI literacy frameworks. UNESCO has developed AI competency frameworks for students and teachers, highlighting key capabilities they should acquire to navigate AI implications.
More recently, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the European Commission released their joint draft AI Literacy Framework for primary and secondary education. This framework defines AI literacy as the technical knowledge, durable skills and future-ready attitudes required to thrive in a world influenced by AI.
The framework aims to empower learners to engage with, create with, manage and design AI, while critically evaluating its benefits, risks and ethical implications.
AI-literate students are better able to develop an ethical and human-centred mindset as they learn to consider AI’s social and environmental impacts. (Shutterstock)
Why does AI literacy matter?
AI literacy equips learners to understand and navigate the pervasive influence of AI in their daily lives. It fosters critical thinking skills to assess AI outputs for misinformation and bias.
AI literacy also enables students to make safe and informed decisions about when and how to use AI, preventing habits that compromise academic integrity. In addition, student knowledge of AI’s technical foundations demystifies AI, dispelling misconceptions that it is all-knowing, and highlights its capabilities and limitations.
Furthermore, AI-literate students are better able to develop an ethical and human-centred mindset as they learn to consider AI’s social and environmental impacts, including issues of transparency, accountability, privacy and the environmental cost of AI systems.
AI literacy prepares students to collaborate effectively and ethically with AI tools (for example, with writing) and helps them understand how to delegate only certain tasks to AI without cognitive offloading that may be detrimental at various developmental stages.
Finally, AI literacy aims to ensure inclusive access to AI learning environments for all students, regardless of background, status or ability.
Canadian and international landscape
In Canada, some provinces and school boards are moving ahead with AI integration, while others offer very little teacher training and resources to do so.
Some universities and community organizations are also taking the lead in building AI literacy by providing curricula, resources and training to teachers and students.
These scattered efforts, while appreciated, lead to AI learning opportunities that are often ad-hoc or extracurricular. Without national or province-wide requirements, many students — especially in marginalized communities and under-resourced schools — may graduate high school with no exposure to AI concepts at all, worsening the digital divide.
To put Canada’s situation in context, it is useful to compare with other countries that are implementing or proposing national AI education initiatives. As part of its National AI Strategy, Singapore launched a partnership to strengthen students’ AI literacy, building on earlier initiatives that focused on teacher training.
A meaningful AI literacy strategy must begin in the classroom with age-appropriate content. (Shutterstock)
More recently, the United States established an AI framework and a task force aimed at “building essential AI literacy from an early age to maintain a competitive edge in global technology development and prepare students for an AI-driven economy.”
Canada, in comparison to these examples, has strengths in its bottom-up innovation but lacks a guiding vision. Canada needs a co-ordinated strategy that leverages federal-provincial collaboration through a unifying framework, shared resources and a common baseline of AI knowledge that every Canadian student should acquire.
What should this strategy include?
A meaningful AI literacy strategy must begin in the classroom with age-appropriate content. Students can start with the technical foundations and advance to think critically about AI’s limitations, ethical issues and social implications.
It’s important that this content is woven across subjects and presented in ways that reflect the cultural and social contexts of learners.
Equally essential is supporting educators. Teachers need practical, research-informed professional development and teaching toolkits that equip them to guide students through both the opportunities and risks of AI.
To make these efforts sustainable and equitable, a national strategy must also include policy directions, regulations for the tech industry, community outreach programs and intentional opportunities for collaboration between various stakeholders (researchers, policymakers, school boards, teacher education programs and so on).
Whether you think AI is a good or bad thing, the fact is it’s here. This is not a call to incorporate AI tools in schools. It is a call to make Canadian students aware of its abilities and implications. Our kids need to learn about this technology and how to use it responsibly.
Mohammed Estaiteyeh does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Mohammed Estaiteyeh, Assistant Professor of Digital Pedagogies and Technology Literacies, Faculty of Education, Brock University
AI literacy equips learners to understand and navigate the pervasive influence of AI in their daily lives.(Shutterstock)
With students’ use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools on the rise in Canada and globally, reports of cheating and unethical behaviors are making headlines.
One recent study indicates that 78 per cent of Canadian students have used generative AI to help with assignments or study tasks. In China, authorities have even shut down AI apps during nationwide exams to prevent cheating.
Students seem unprepared to navigate this new world and educators are unsure how to handle it. This is a problem Canada and other countries can’t afford to ignore.
The support structures and policies to guide students’ and educators’ responsible use of AI are often insufficient in Canadian schools. In a recent study, Canada ranked 44th in AI training and literacy out of 47 countries, and 28th among 30 advanced economies. Despite growing reliance on these technologies at homes and in the classrooms, Canada lacks a unified AI literacy strategy in K-12 education.
Without co-ordinated action, this gap threatens to widen existing inequalities and leave both learners and educators vulnerable. Canadian schools need a national AI literacy strategy that provides a framework for teaching students about AI tools and how to use them responsibly.
“An individual’s ability to clearly explain how AI technologies work and impact society, as well as to use them in an ethical and responsible manner and to effectively communicate and collaborate with them in any setting.”
Acknowledging its importance, scholars and international organizations have been developing AI literacy frameworks. UNESCO has developed AI competency frameworks for students and teachers, highlighting key capabilities they should acquire to navigate AI implications.
More recently, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the European Commission released their joint draft AI Literacy Framework for primary and secondary education. This framework defines AI literacy as the technical knowledge, durable skills and future-ready attitudes required to thrive in a world influenced by AI.
The framework aims to empower learners to engage with, create with, manage and design AI, while critically evaluating its benefits, risks and ethical implications.
AI-literate students are better able to develop an ethical and human-centred mindset as they learn to consider AI’s social and environmental impacts. (Shutterstock)
Why does AI literacy matter?
AI literacy equips learners to understand and navigate the pervasive influence of AI in their daily lives. It fosters critical thinking skills to assess AI outputs for misinformation and bias.
AI literacy also enables students to make safe and informed decisions about when and how to use AI, preventing habits that compromise academic integrity. In addition, student knowledge of AI’s technical foundations demystifies AI, dispelling misconceptions that it is all-knowing, and highlights its capabilities and limitations.
Furthermore, AI-literate students are better able to develop an ethical and human-centred mindset as they learn to consider AI’s social and environmental impacts, including issues of transparency, accountability, privacy and the environmental cost of AI systems.
AI literacy prepares students to collaborate effectively and ethically with AI tools (for example, with writing) and helps them understand how to delegate only certain tasks to AI without cognitive offloading that may be detrimental at various developmental stages.
Finally, AI literacy aims to ensure inclusive access to AI learning environments for all students, regardless of background, status or ability.
Canadian and international landscape
In Canada, some provinces and school boards are moving ahead with AI integration, while others offer very little teacher training and resources to do so.
Some universities and community organizations are also taking the lead in building AI literacy by providing curricula, resources and training to teachers and students.
These scattered efforts, while appreciated, lead to AI learning opportunities that are often ad-hoc or extracurricular. Without national or province-wide requirements, many students — especially in marginalized communities and under-resourced schools — may graduate high school with no exposure to AI concepts at all, worsening the digital divide.
To put Canada’s situation in context, it is useful to compare with other countries that are implementing or proposing national AI education initiatives. As part of its National AI Strategy, Singapore launched a partnership to strengthen students’ AI literacy, building on earlier initiatives that focused on teacher training.
A meaningful AI literacy strategy must begin in the classroom with age-appropriate content. (Shutterstock)
More recently, the United States established an AI framework and a task force aimed at “building essential AI literacy from an early age to maintain a competitive edge in global technology development and prepare students for an AI-driven economy.”
Canada, in comparison to these examples, has strengths in its bottom-up innovation but lacks a guiding vision. Canada needs a co-ordinated strategy that leverages federal-provincial collaboration through a unifying framework, shared resources and a common baseline of AI knowledge that every Canadian student should acquire.
What should this strategy include?
A meaningful AI literacy strategy must begin in the classroom with age-appropriate content. Students can start with the technical foundations and advance to think critically about AI’s limitations, ethical issues and social implications.
It’s important that this content is woven across subjects and presented in ways that reflect the cultural and social contexts of learners.
Equally essential is supporting educators. Teachers need practical, research-informed professional development and teaching toolkits that equip them to guide students through both the opportunities and risks of AI.
To make these efforts sustainable and equitable, a national strategy must also include policy directions, regulations for the tech industry, community outreach programs and intentional opportunities for collaboration between various stakeholders (researchers, policymakers, school boards, teacher education programs and so on).
Whether you think AI is a good or bad thing, the fact is it’s here. This is not a call to incorporate AI tools in schools. It is a call to make Canadian students aware of its abilities and implications. Our kids need to learn about this technology and how to use it responsibly.
Mohammed Estaiteyeh does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
