Category: Technology

MIL-OSI: Majority of Diagnostic Laboratory Leaders Bet Big on Digital Pathology and AI

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

PHILADELPHIA, June 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Diagnostic laboratory leaders view digital pathology and artificial intelligence (AI) as pivotal to advancing precision medicine. This perspective comes as organizations across the sector prioritize modernization and seek trusted partners to support their transformation, according to research released today.

The 2025 Laboratory Leadership Report, based on a survey conducted by The Dark Intelligence Group on behalf of Proscia®, captures insights from 360 senior professionals representing independent, hospital, and academic laboratories.

Nathan Buchbinder, Chief Strategy Officer at Proscia, said: “We’re seeing a clear signal from the market. Laboratory leaders believe that AI-driven pathology is not only ready, but essential to meeting the demands of modern healthcare. They’re now focused on getting adoption right— especially as strain from persistent industry challenges continues to intensify.”

Staffing Shortages and Financial Pressures Fuel Modernization
According to The 2025 Laboratory Leadership Report, 38% of laboratory leaders cite staffing shortages as their most significant challenge, and 31% highlight declining reimbursements as their top concern. These issues outweigh other pain points, including regulatory compliance and keeping pace with emerging tests and technologies.

To address these challenges, laboratory leaders are increasingly turning to technology. Their top-ranked opportunities are automation to drive efficiency (30%), molecular and genetic testing (29%), and AI to enable precise, accurate diagnoses (25%). These findings reflect a shift away from short-term fixes and toward longer-term transformation powered by solutions including digital pathology and AI.

AI-Driven Pathology Advances Precision Medicine
As laboratories modernize to overcome mounting pressures, many are simultaneously laying the foundation for precision medicine. According to the report, 86% of senior professionals believe that precision medicine has moved beyond the hype.

Leaders most often associate it with measurable benefits: more effective therapies (80%), more accurate diagnoses (75%), and improved patient outcomes (61%). Some also point to increased collaboration with pharmaceutical companies (23%), reflecting growing recognition of new revenue opportunities in the precision medicine era.

A majority (59%) say that digital pathology and AI will be highly or extremely impactful in realizing precision medicine, reinforcing their central role in the laboratory’s long-term transformation.

Trusted Partnerships Are Key to Digital Pathology and AI Adoption
The strategic importance of AI-driven pathology is also reflected in what laboratory leaders value most when selecting a technology vendor. According to the report, 64% cite reputation, 54% name customer references, and 46% identify future vision as one of their top vendor criteria, underscoring the need for trusted, long-term relationships to support lasting change.

This mindset extends to technology selection as well. Laboratory leaders express a clear preference for solutions that are both comprehensive and intuitive, with 47% prioritizing breadth of functionality and 45% valuing user experience as key product attributes.

Explore the Full Report
Access The 2025 Laboratory Leadership Report to explore the complete survey findings.

Today’s Clinical Lab will also host a webinar featuring Proscia’s Nathan Buchbinder and Dr. Bilal R. Ahmad, Hematopathologist at Spectrum Healthcare Partners. Register to attend “Survey Insights on Pathology’s Transformation to AI and Precision Medicine from Laboratory Leadership” on July 16.

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

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

The MIL Network –

June 12, 2025
MIL-OSI: CleanChoice Energy Expands Footprint with its First Two Solar Projects in New York State

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

WASHINGTON, June 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — CleanChoice Energy (“CleanChoice”), the first 100% green company in the U.S. to provide ‘farm-to-table’ renewable energy by owning solar generation assets and supplying only clean energy to consumers, announced the acquisition of two solar projects in New York State, located in Washington and Rensselaer Counties. When completed, the solar projects will generate a combined 54.2 MW of clean electricity — effectively doubling CleanChoice’s generation capacity in the Mid-Atlantic region. This news comes six months after CleanChoice unveiled its first solar project, located in Franklin County, Penn.; the company is also continuing construction on a second solar project, located in Kylertown, Penn.

The Dolan project in Washington County and Hawthorn project in Rensselaer County were selected by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) as part of its latest round of large-scale renewable energy contract awards. Dolan and Hawthorn are two of only 26 projects selected statewide, highlighting their strategic importance to achieving New York’s 70% clean electricity by 2030 goal.

The new projects significantly expand CleanChoice’s generation portfolio and represent a major step in the company’s long-term strategy to own and operate solar farms that give communities a direct connection to locally-generated solar. Construction of both solar projects is expected to begin during Fall 2025, with a planned interconnection date of Q4 2026. The 133-acre Dolan project and 117-acre Hawthorn project will each have a capacity of 27.1 MW. When completed, both solar farms will interconnect to National Grid.

“CleanChoice Energy is committed to making renewable energy more accessible, and our two solar projects in New York will soon double the amount of clean energy that we deliver to the Mid-Atlantic region,” said Zoë Gamble, President of CleanChoice. “With electric grids struggling to keep up with ever-increasing demand, along with growing consumer demand for more sustainable energy options, investing in solar generation is a win-win solution for everyone.”

Reinforcing CleanChoice’s commitment to sustainability, both solar projects will include features that support the local ecosystem. The company’s investment extends beyond the environment as well. CleanChoice recently donated $70,000 to the Hoosick Fire District in Rensselaer County and will launch annual scholarships for graduating seniors in the local counties pursuing sustainability-related fields.

Gamble continued, “Bringing a solar project to completion is more than just putting clean energy on the grid. It’s important that we are good stewards of the land by incorporating practices that support the local ecosystem and benefit the surrounding community.”

CleanChoice is acquiring the projects from CS Energy, who originated these projects and led the development of them for the past five years.

“We’re proud to contribute to New York’s clean energy future through the development of these two utility-scale solar projects,” said Eric Millard, Chief Commercial Officer of CS Energy. “They represent our continued commitment to developing and building high-quality, energy projects while cultivating the strong partnerships needed to help achieve the state’s ambitious climate and clean energy goals.”

For more information, visit www.cleanchoiceenergy.com.

ABOUT CLEANCHOICE ENERGY
CleanChoice Energy is one of the leading 100% renewable energy suppliers in the U.S. providing ‘farm-to-table’ clean energy by building solar farms and providing consumers with alternative ways to access clean energy. CleanChoice has redefined cleantech, making it easy for people to live cleaner lives with pollution-free, renewable energy for their homes and businesses. With CleanChoice, every kilowatt of electricity used is replenished onto the grid with 100% clean energy from regional wind and solar projects. Founded in 2012, CleanChoice has become one of the fastest-growing businesses in America, as ranked on the Inc 5000 and Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500™. CleanChoice Energy is majority-owned by Funds managed by True Green Capital Management LLC. For more information or to become a clean energy customer, visit CleanChoiceEnergy.com.

ABOUT CS ENERGY
CS Energy is an industry-leading engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) renewable energy company that develops, designs and builds optimized solar, energy storage, and emerging energy projects. CS Energy has successfully designed and installed over 2 GW of solar and 650 MWh of energy storage projects across the United States. Owned by American Securities, a leading US private equity firm, CS Energy leverages strong relationships with solar developers, IPPs, utilities, off-takers, suppliers, and landowners to help our customers streamline the project development process, lower project costs, and create value for all stakeholders as a trusted and long-term partner.

Media Contact:

Debbie Ehrman
FINN Partners
CleanChoiceEnergy@finnpartners.com

Kate Colarulli
Chief Strategy Officer
Mobile: +1 202 380 8936
kate.colarulli@cleanchoice.com

The MIL Network –

June 12, 2025
MIL-OSI: Ataccama establishes Partner Advisory Board to shape the future of data trust and enterprise AI

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

BOSTON, June 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ataccama, the data trust company, today announced its inaugural Partner Advisory Board, a global cohort of data management leaders convening this week in Boston. The board deepens alignment across Ataccama’s technology and services ecosystem and gives market-leading partners a formal seat at the table to shape product direction and platform strategy. It marks a new phase in the company’s evolution, where the ecosystem amplifies how Ataccama builds, sells, and scales.

The board marks the next phase in Ataccama’s partner ecosystem evolution. Over the past year, the company has helped solution partners grow their Ataccama-related services revenue by 10x, co-developed accelerators to shorten time-to-value, and expanded integrations with technology partners, including Snowflake and Atlan. Its partner-sourced pipeline has climbed 67% year-over-year, culminating in one of the largest deals in company history. These partnerships have helped customers accelerate cloud migrations, improve data quality at scale, and deploy AI-ready data architectures faster than ever.

“This board connects us with the people delivering outcomes in the field,” said Jessica Goulart, Global Vice President of Partnerships at Ataccama. “Each leader was selected for their strategic perspective across industries like financial services, manufacturing, and insurance. They bring insight into what customers need, where the gaps are, and how the market is shifting. That input directly shapes how we evolve our platform to meet the real demands of modern enterprises.”

“Ataccama isn’t just building tools. The focus on cloud and AI shows real foresight in how they are advancing the platform to drive value for businesses,” said Bill Romenesko, Principal, MDM/Data Governance at Capgemini. “Being part of the Partner Advisory Board gives us a meaningful opportunity to help shape where the platform is headed to ensure the technology continues to align with how our customers evolve their business strategies.”

The group includes leaders who have built and delivered enterprise-grade data programs across highly regulated industries, such as finance and insurance. Each has directly influenced Ataccama’s partner-led success, advising clients, expanding adoption, and opening new market opportunities. This board operates as a working body that creates a direct feedback loop between Ataccama’s leadership and the experts driving outcomes in the field.

“It’s a real engine for growth, collaboration, and leadership,” explained Goulart. “Our partners now have a seat at the table to influence go-to-market strategy, drive scale, and help shape how data trust is delivered across the ecosystem. This board turns momentum into long-term advantage, powered by the people building real outcomes every day.”

The Partner Advisory Board complements Ataccama’s Customer Advisory Board and Strategic Advisory Board, which include leaders from Truist, MetLife, M&T Bank, Stanley Black & Decker, Allianz, and Thermo Fisher Scientific. These boards provide Ataccama with a 360-degree view of the market, shaping product direction, customer experience, and long-term strategy across the ecosystem.

Learn more about Ataccama’s Partner Program: https://www.ataccama.com/partners

About Ataccama
Ataccama is the data trust company. Organizations worldwide rely on Ataccama ONE, the unified data trust platform, to ensure data is accurate, accessible, and actionable. By integrating data quality, lineage, observability, governance, and master data management into a single solution, Ataccama enables businesses to unlock value from their data for AI, analytics, and operations. Trusted by hundreds of global enterprises, Ataccama helps organizations drive innovation, reduce costs, and mitigate risk. Recognized as a Leader in the 2025 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Augmented Data Quality and the 2025 Magic Quadrant for Data and Analytics Governance, Ataccama continues to set the standard for trusted data at scale. Learn more at www.ataccama.com.

Media contact
press@ataccama.com

The MIL Network –

June 12, 2025
MIL-OSI: BlackLine’s Signature Finance Transformation Event Returns to London and Debuts in Paris
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

LONDON, June 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — BlackLine is expanding the reach of its flagship finance transformation event, BeyondTheBlack, with two key events in Europe this June. BeyondTheBlack will return to London on June 17, followed by its debut in Paris on June 19, marking the first time the event has been held in France.

Each event brings together finance and accounting leaders across industries to explore how world-class companies are achieving smarter, faster, and more scalable financial operations through BlackLine’s AI-powered automation and platform innovation.

Event Details:

BEYONDTHEBLACK LONDON
Date: June 17, 2025
Location: De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms, London
Details & Registration: beyondtheblack.com/london

The London event will feature executive keynotes, live demos, and customer transformation stories from:
- AstraZeneca
- Hitachi
- Kier Group
- The LEGO Group
BEYONDTHEBLACK PARIS
Date: June 19, 2025
Location: Cloud Business Center, Paris
Details & Registration: beyondtheblack.com/paris

Marking its debut in France, the Paris conference will be conducted in French and feature customer sessions from:
- Hilti
- Renault
- Savencia
Why Attend:
- Explore BlackLine’s latest innovations, including the Studio360 platform
- Hear directly from customers achieving meaningful business outcomes
- Participate in deep-dive sessions led by BlackLine experts and partners
- Connect with a community of finance leaders shaping the future of the Office of the CFO
About BlackLine

Companies come to BlackLine (Nasdaq: BL) because their traditional manual accounting processes are not sustainable. BlackLine’s cloud-based financial operations management platform and market-leading customer experience help companies move to modern accounting by unifying data, automating repetitive work, and driving accountability through visibility. BlackLine provides solutions to manage and automate financial close, intercompany accounting, invoice-to-cash, and consolidation processes—trusted by more than 4,400 customers worldwide, including 50% of the Fortune 500.

For more information, visit www.blackline.com.

Media Contact:

Samantha Darilek
VP, Corporate Communications
samantha.darilek@blackline.com

The MIL Network –
June 12, 2025
MIL-OSI: BTCC Exchange Releases May 2025 Proof of Reserves Report: User Assets Secured at 152% Total Reserve Ratio
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

VILNIUS, Lithuania, June 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — BTCC, the world’s longest-serving cryptocurrency exchange, has published its monthly Proof of Reserves (PoR) report for May 2025, demonstrating a robust 152% total reserve ratio and reinforcing its commitment to transparency and user asset security across all major asset holdings.

The comprehensive audit, conducted on May 15, 2025, reveals that BTCC maintains substantial over-collateralization across all major crypto assets:
- Bitcoin (BTC): 140%
- Ethereum (ETH): 146%
- Ripple (XRP): 165%
- Tether (USDT): 150%
- USD Coin (USDC): 164%
- Cardano (ADA): 152%
“Proof of Reserves is essential for building trust with our users and the broader market,” said Alex, Head of Operations at BTCC. “Our monthly report demonstrates that we maintain sufficient assets to fully cover all user deposits, reinforcing our commitment to fund security.”

The May audit, conducted using Merkle Tree cryptography, enables users to independently verify their funds anytime on BTCC’s website using the latest Merkle root hash, with detailed verification instructions available.

With reserve ratios exceeding 100% across all major cryptocurrencies, user assets are fully backed and over-collateralized, providing an additional security buffer that demonstrates BTCC’s commitment to fund protection.

Since 2011, BTCC has maintained an impeccable security record throughout 14 years of operation. The regular monthly Proof of Reserves reporting demonstrates BTCC’s continued commitment to user fund security and transparency, setting a benchmark for responsible exchange operation in today’s rapidly changing crypto landscape.

About BTCC Exchange

Founded in 2011, BTCC is one of the world’s longest-serving cryptocurrency exchanges, offering secure and user-friendly trading services to millions of users globally. With a commitment to security, innovation, and community building, BTCC continues to be a trusted platform in the evolving cryptocurrency landscape.

Website: https://www.btcc.com/en-US

X: https://x.com/BTCCexchange

Contact: press@btcc.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/88449014-8876-4578-acad-3252d6b91386

The MIL Network –
June 12, 2025
MIL-OSI Economics: Your Smartphone Camera Now Gets What You’re Looking At — and Responds

Source: Samsung

Today’s mobile imaging goes beyond just a high-quality lens or advanced sensor — it demands seamless integration of hardware, software and AI. That’s why Samsung Electronics approaches camera innovation as a holistic system, where each advancement is supported by tightly integrated technologies. This unified vision allows Galaxy devices to continuously redefine mobile photography, empowering users to capture, create and communicate more meaningfully.
As AI evolves from text-based prompts to multimodal understanding, Galaxy devices are becoming smarter — able to get what you’re looking at and respond to situations. The camera is at the heart of this transformation. More than just a tool for capturing images, coupled with enhanced AI-powered features, the Galaxy camera is now part of the intuitive interface that turns what users see into understanding and action.

When paired with the flexible, expansive screen of a foldable, this experience becomes even more powerful, dynamic and immersive. Because innovation means nothing without trust, privacy is built into every layer helping to ensure that data is protected at all times.
Stay tuned. The camera will only get smarter — helping users capture life’s moments more vividly and make everyday experiences more seamless, personal and impactful.
The Ultra experience is ready to unfold.

MIL OSI Economics –

June 12, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Channel Five won the competition to organize and broadcast the Scarlet Sails 2025 graduation celebration.

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Channel Five will once again act as the organizer of the Scarlet Sails holiday, and will also conduct a live broadcast of the legendary graduation on June 28, 2025. The customer is the Committee for Printing and Interaction with the Mass Media. The results of the competitive selection are published on the official website of the Government of St. Petersburg.

Channel Five was at the origins of the revival of the Scarlet Sails. The Leningrad graduation ball was first held in 1968, but eleven years later the beautiful annual tradition was interrupted. 20 years ago, on the initiative of Joint-Stock Bank “ROSSIYA”, the Government of St. Petersburg and Channel Five, the ship with scarlet sails reappeared in the waters of the Neva. Channel Five has been the organizer of the water-pyrotechnic show for several years in a row. Also, since 2005, it has been providing a live television broadcast of the legendary graduation.

Mikhail Kolpakhchiev, chief director of the water-pyrotechnic show “Scarlet Sails-2025”:

– Every time we come up with new solutions, not only ideological and semantic, but also visual. We try ideas that perhaps no one has ever implemented. We work in a complex genre, where there is an eclecticism of stage art, cinema, choreographic types of creativity. There are definitely many implemented ideas in this direction, so we always have a super task – to implement something new, fresh, mix or cross something with something and get an original effect. I hope we will manage to surprise the audience.

Now the legendary graduation is a calling card not only for St. Petersburg, but for all of Russia, a multiple winner of prestigious world competitions and awards in the event industry. In April of this year, the holiday received a prestigious award at the XIII annual national award “Event of the Year” in the nomination “Best Direction and Production of the Event” in the category “Innovative Solution of the Year”.

Roman Butovsky, director of the television broadcast of the Scarlet Sails 2025 festival:

– “Scarlet Sails” is a landmark event for all television people, in which a huge number of people are involved. A large territory that needs to be covered by cameras. And for us, the broadcast is a kind of creative report.

In 2024, Scarlet Sails was seen by a record number of viewers – almost 37 million. The television audience of the festival in Russia and the CIS countries was 25.5 million people. The number of views of the online broadcast on the Internet was 11.3 million.

The share of the entire celebration on Channel Five in the key audience for the channel “All 25-59” reached 7.7%. This is a record figure for the entire history of the graduation.

The broadcast of the water-pyrotechnic show on Channel Five took first place in the federal broadcast in the same audience “All 25-59” with a share of 11.4%.

Since 2020, the water-pyrotechnic show has been broadcast by other federal channels. A year ago, the combined share of the colorful extravaganza on the air of four broadcasters was 26.6% among viewers over 18 years old.

The material was prepared by the press service of Channel Five

MIL OSI Russia News –

June 12, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: Deputy Secretary-General’s remarks to the Opening of the Eighteenth Session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities [as delivered]

Source: United Nations secretary general

Welcome to the 18th session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

On behalf of the Secretary-General, I extend my deepest gratitude to all of you for all you do to advance the rights of persons with disabilities around the world.

A special welcome to civil society, and in particular, to the organizations led by persons with disabilities.

Your presence fills this Hall with purpose.

Advancing equality and expanding opportunities for people with disabilities is not only close to my heart – it is central to the vision of the Secretary-General and the UN Disability Inclusion Strategy.

It is a test of our common values. Inclusion of persons with disabilities is also a testament to common sense.

When persons with disabilities can fully participate in society, communities and economies are stronger.

We know this. And so do all those who realize the Convention.

In an often-divided world, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities stands as a powerful declaration:

Disability inclusion is fundamental to human rights — and essential to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Yet today, we face a sobering truth.

Progress is not just slow – in some cases, it is reversing.

The UN Disability and Development Report found that nearly all SDG indicators for persons with disabilities are off track.

The message is stark:

Persons with disabilities face higher poverty, greater unemployment, deeper food and health insecurity, and more limited access to education, jobs and digital technologies.

And as this session reminds us, indigenous persons with disabilities face even greater exclusion.

This must change.

The Pact for the Future, adopted last year, reinforces the call for a more peaceful, inclusive, accessible and equitable world – one in which persons with disabilities play a full and equal role in advancing sustainable development, climate action and digital transformation.

We meet today on the threshold of two vital gatherings: the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development, and the Second World Summit for Social Development.

Your deliberations will help shape those events.

This session focuses on three critical themes.

How we finance change.

How we harness technology.

And how we honour those most often left behind: Indigenous persons with disabilities.

Let me offer a few reflections.

First, on funding change.

Progress requires investment.

Yet today, global support for disability inclusion has been cut in half – falling from $500 million to $250 million in just two years.

Behind these figures are real lives.

Children with disabilities shut out of classrooms.

Adults with disabilities who cannot get to work, if they have work at all.

Families of persons with disabilities denied essential services.

Women and girls with disabilities are denied sexual and reproductive health and rights.

We need targeted investments and tailored solutions – such as microfinance, social impact bonds and public-private alliances – that address gaps in realizing the rights of persons with disabilities.

And we must unlock capital to fund inclusion today, and build sustainable, inclusive systems for tomorrow.

This requires advancing the Pact for the Future’s calls to recapitalize Multilateral Development Banks, provide debt relief, and reform the international financial architecture – so that developing countries can invest in systems that are inclusive and accessible to persons with disabilities.

Second, we must continue to harness the transformative power of technologies.

Artificial intelligence is the latest frontier – and it holds immense potential to advance inclusion.

AI can be the difference between isolation and participation.

And help individuals navigate the world through tools such as speech recognition, sign language interpretation, real-time captioning, screen readers, accessible navigation assistance and personalized support for daily tasks.

But this promise comes with a warning.

Biases are being hardwired into algorithms.

And regulations on accessibility of emerging technologies are sorely lacking.

Developed countries, in particular, have a responsibility to step up support.

Today about 70% of AI-powered assistive technologies are concentrated in developed economies.

Without global cooperation and fair technology transfer agreements, people in the poorest countries risk being excluded – again.

We must ensure that AI becomes a tool for humanity, not a mirror of entrenched inequalities.

Through the Global Digital Compact, countries have made their expectations clear:

AI technologies must empower all people, including persons with disabilities, and ensure that no one is left behind in the digital age.

Third, we must do more to uphold the rights of Indigenous persons with disabilities.

Persistent barriers in intersecting forms of discrimination are limiting their rights, and the disparities are stark.

In Latin America, for example, indigenous persons with disabilities attend fewer years of school, earn half as much income, and hold fewer leadership roles.

Indigenous women and girls with disabilities face greater rates of violence, isolation and lack of support services.

Legal services are not accessible or are not culturally adequate for equal access to justice.

This is not just neglect – it is erasure.

Realizing the rights of Indigenous Persons with Disabilities requires culturally appropriate approaches – and meaningful inclusion in decision-making.

The rallying cry has never been more fitting: Nothing about us without us.

Dear friends,

We’ve come a long way in 19 years.

Laws have changed.

Attitudes have shifted.

And political realities have shifted, too.

Armed conflict in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan and elsewhere is leaving countless civilians with sustained permanent injuries and deep psychological trauma.

Children with disabilities are especially vulnerable – Gaza alone has the highest number of child amputees in modern history.

Families are bearing the brunt of conflicts, and communities will require inclusive and accessible rebuilding.

Wars are draining budgets. And the foundations of multilateralism are being chiseled away by division and mistrust.

Yet this session is proof that the world can still come together – with purpose and resolve.

It is a reminder that we must make sure promises made are promises kept.

Let’s make the most of this conference – and the historic opportunities ahead – to drive action for persons with disabilities.

To build a world that is inclusive, accessible, and sustainable.

And to say in one voice:

Rights are not optional.

They are universal.

They are non-negotiable.

And they belong to all.

Thank you.

MIL OSI United Nations News –

June 12, 2025
MIL-OSI: Zoom completes rollout of Zoom Phone in six telecom circles, with plans for further expansion in India

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

SAN JOSE, Calif., June 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Zoom Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZM) today announced the further expansion of its industry-leading Zoom Phone service to four major metro telecom circles in India — Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Karnataka (Bengaluru), and Andhra Pradesh & Telangana (Hyderabad). The Delhi NCR Telecom Circle includes the Union Territory of Delhi, Ghaziabad, Faridabad, NOIDA, and Gurgaon. Licensed by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) India, Zoom Phone is now available in six telecom circles in India, including Maharashtra (October 2024) and Tamil Nadu (Chennai) Telecom Circles (February 2025), thereby covering key business and technology hubs in the country. Zoom also plans to bring Zoom Phone to additional telecom circles across India, accelerating its commitment to make AI-first modern telephony available to more organizations across key states in India.

“Zoom Phone addresses the growing demand for cloud telephony by offering simplicity and modern functionality for distributed workforces. India is an important market for us, and our expansion plans beyond the six key telecom circles demonstrate our commitment to providing customers with a unified work platform. This expansion also reflects the growing traction Zoom Phone is receiving, especially from multinational companies, as businesses in India move away from legacy PBX systems toward more flexible, AI-first collaboration solutions that enhance employee productivity,” said Velchamy Sankarlingam, president of Product and Engineering, Zoom.

Zoom Phone offers businesses simplicity and modern functionality, empowering dynamic workstyles and hybrid teams. Available as an add-on for existing paid Zoom customers, it supports inbound and outbound calling through the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), enabling enterprises to replace legacy private branch exchange (PBX) systems and consolidate communication needs onto a single AI-first platform in Zoom Workplace.

Zoom Phone also integrates seamlessly with Zoom Contact Center to offer a unified experience with features like call transfer, call forwarding, and call recording accessible within the Zoom Contact Center environment. Zoom Contact Center can access Zoom Phone user details like extensions, Direct Inward Dialing (DID) numbers, and usernames, enabling caller identification and routing.

In addition to services in the six active telecom circles, Zoom Phone enables businesses to maintain seamless collaboration across India, even in regions where Zoom Phone service is not yet available. Through Zoom’s self-service web portal, customers can acquire native phone numbers based on specific telecom circles, such as Karnataka, Delhi NCR, and Mumbai, enabling them to establish a local presence in those regions. These native numbers operate over the PSTN, allowing customers to place outbound calls and receive inbound calls nationwide, regardless of their physical location. This allows organizations to maintain continuity and flexibility in their collaboration strategy, even in telecom circles where Zoom Phone is not directly available.

Enhanced by Zoom AI Companion, which is included at no additional cost with eligible Zoom paid accounts, Zoom Phone offers powerful AI features to boost productivity. These include post-call summaries so users can focus on conversations instead of taking notes, voicemail task extraction to easily identify next steps, and voicemail prioritization to better manage time and attention. Zoom Phone also integrates seamlessly with Zoom Workplace, leading business applications, and hardware providers, offering robust security, scalability, and an intuitive user interface.

“We are thrilled that Zoom Phone is now available in six of India’s most prominent business and technology hubs. Each of these cities is home to thriving ecosystems of local enterprises and multinational corporations that will benefit from Zoom Phone’s flexibility and seamless integration into their existing workflows. Bringing Zoom Phone to additional telecom circles is a natural next step in our commitment to empower more organizations with access to reliable, modern AI-first telephony,” said Sameer Raje, general manager and head of India & SAARC region at Zoom. “Zoom Phone and Zoom Contact Center are purpose-built to work seamlessly together to empower organizations to deliver unified communications and superior customer and employee engagement. With this launch, we are excited to help businesses streamline collaboration, support flexible workforces, and enhance employee and customer experiences.”

To learn more about Zoom Phone, please visit the Zoom Phone page.

About Zoom
Zoom’s mission is to provide an AI-first work platform for human connection. Reimagine teamwork with Zoom Workplace — Zoom’s open collaboration platform with AI Companion that empowers teams to be more productive. Together with Zoom Workplace, Zoom’s Business Services for sales, marketing, and customer experience teams, including Zoom Contact Center, strengthen customer relationships throughout the customer lifecycle. Founded in 2011, Zoom is publicly traded (NASDAQ:ZM) and headquartered in San Jose, California. Get more information at zoom.com.

Zoom Press Contact
Hayley Yap
APAC Communications Lead
press@zoom.us

The MIL Network –

June 12, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Family homesteads with tangled titles are contributing to rural America’s housing crisis

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Jennifer Pindyck, Assistant Professor of Architecture, Auburn University

Rural Studio helps families build new housing on land with tangled titles, meaning there’s no clear owner. Auburn University Rural Studio. Photo by Timothy Hursley, CC BY-SA

Imagine your parents leave you and your siblings a share of land that’s been in your family for generations. Several of your relatives already live on the land, and you’d like to do the same; but you can’t get a loan to build or renovate a home without permission from all the relatives who also share ownership. And at any moment, another heir could sell their share, triggering a court-ordered sale that could force you off the land – and lose everything you’ve invested in.

This is the reality of what’s known as heirs’ property: land passed down informally, without clear wills or deeds, which results in a “tangled” or “clouded” title.

It’s more common than you might think in the U.S., especially in rural areas, and it presents significant challenges to long-term housing stability.

Research shows that within 44 states and the District of Columbia, there are an estimated 508,371
heirs’ properties, with an assessed value of US$32 billion. (There wasn’t reliable enough data in six states.)

It’s more of an issue in some states, such as Alabama. But it’s also a problem in cities such as New York City and Philadelphia.

Because it’s so difficult to finance home construction on this land, sell it or leverage it, heirs’ property can leave families vulnerable to exploitation and perpetuate cycles of poverty. Despite these challenges, many families have nonetheless lived together and supported one another on shared land for generations.

As faculty and collaborators with Auburn University’s Rural Studio, we study heirs’ property and its role in shaping housing access. Based in Hale County, Alabama, Rural Studio has completed over 200 projects – many of them homes built on heirs’ property – providing critical housing for families facing complex land ownership challenges.

Land with no clear owner

The lack of a clear will or deed often happens due to inadequate access to – and distrust of – the legal system.

Once the land is passed down to the next generation, the heirs are known as “tenants in common,” meaning they own an undivided interest in the entire property. As the property continues to pass down from generation to generation, the number of tenants in common increases exponentially.

When a couple passes down land to their children – and then those kids pass it down to their kids – the number of heirs dramatically increases.
Auburn University Rural Studio, CC BY-SA

Without clear title, no single person or group can make decisions about the property. Every heir must legally sign off on any action, which makes it nearly impossible to secure traditional forms of financing, obtain insurance, access disaster relief, or use the land as collateral.

Those living on the land often pay their share of property taxes, but distant or unaware heirs might not, which puts the entire property at risk of being lost through a tax lien sale. This leaves families with property in “tangled” status exposed to predatory land acquisition practices that often lead to land loss.

Any tenant in common can sell their share to an outside party. These outside parties – either individuals or companies – can then request a court to order what’s called a partition by sale, which can push every other owner off the land.

Imagine three siblings inherit a piece of land from their parents and are now tenants in common. One sibling sells their share to a real estate investor. That investor then goes to court and requests a partition by sale. The court then orders the entire property sold and the proceeds split among the owners, effectively forcing the other two siblings off the land, even if they wanted to keep it.

Such tactics are especially common in the Black Belt region of the U.S., which covers Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina; as such, they disproportionately affect Black Americans.

Why family-owned land matters

Our research in Hale County, Alabama, finds that Black families in particular have supported one another for generations while living on heirs’ property.

These multigenerational kinship networks rely on one another for child care, elder care, food, transportation and shared utility costs. But the value of this sort of living situation goes beyond social and economic benefits. The land can be woven into family lore or be steeped in the history of the surrounding area.

So, despite the legal and financial challenges, many extended families will do whatever they can to continue living together on their land. Even a small stake in heirs’ property offers connection to the past and a place to return home in the future.

Family members often live in different homes spread across heirs’ property, which often exists in a legal gray area.
Auburn University Rural Studio, CC BY-SA

These informal kinship networks can provide support and resilience in ways that traditional forms of land and homeownership do not. Putting all of the people who own the land on the title – what’s known as “clearing title” – is not only costly and time-consuming, but it also often requires dividing up the property into smaller parcels, which can prevent some family members from living on the land altogether.

Meanwhile, traditional legal and financial products – think mortgages and land-use agreements with farmers – tend to be structured with sole ownership in mind. Most banks and institutions simply won’t lend to heirs’ property with tangled titles.

There have been recent efforts to protect these informal arrangements. The Uniform Partition of Heirs Property Act, which has been enacted in 25 states, ensures due process and sets up safeguards against immediate partition by sale actions.

For example, if a suit is brought by a co-owner, a fair market value appraisal – or an agreed-upon value by all parties – must be conducted. The other shareholders of the land also have the option to buy out the shareholder bringing the suit. Under the statute, additional partition methods may be considered. And if a sale is required, it’s done on the open market.

Many organizations are working to address issues related to heirs’ property and tangled titles. Most of the work centers on clearing title, establishing shared land agreements and teaching landowners how to avoid having their property fall into a tangled title situation. For example, the Florida Housing Coalition, Housing Assistance Council and the Alabama Heirs Property Alliance are actively engaged in community education, legal support, data mapping and policy advocacy.

Build first, ask permission later

Many rural families on heirs’ property have limited pathways to homeownership. Financial constraints, limited access to quality housing options and lot restrictions have often forced residents to settle for older, substandard, manufactured homes. Small utility sheds have even begun to replace broken-down trailer homes in many rural areas.

Utility sheds are increasingly being used as homes across the U.S. South.
Auburn University Rural Studio, CC BY-SA

There’s clearly a need for safe, durable housing that enables these families to build generational wealth. And that’s where Rural Studio comes in.

Building new housing or renovating existing structures means dealing with a web of zoning laws, building codes and land development ordinances, which are all tied to financing and lending systems. While many efforts to address heirs’ property aim to change legal policies, we approach this issue through housing.

We use what we call a “build first” strategy. Using funds from research grants and donations, we simply start building on heirs’ properties with the permission of families. In the process, we show that if tangled titles were no longer an obstacle, much more housing could be built.

One of our recent Rural Studio projects is the 18×18 House, a compact, multistory home built for a young man living on heirs’ property in Alabama.

The 18X18 House is a multistory home that was on heirs’ property in Alabama.
Auburn University Rural Studio. Photo by Timothy Hursley, CC BY-SA

The home is nestled between several other family members’ homes. We had to work around existing electrical lines, a septic field, roads and steep topography. Despite these site constraints, the house is an ideal starter home: big enough for the young man and a future partner to live comfortably on the family plot. If he ever decides to leave, other family members can move in.

Rather than focusing on one-off products, our goal with the 18×18 House is to develop replicable housing prototypes that respond to the realities of intergenerational living on family land. We also hope that tangible housing will help policymakers understand the value of reform.

The question isn’t whether design can respond to these challenges, but how it can lead by pushing antiquated regulatory and legal frameworks to evolve.

Jennifer Pindyck receives funding from Fannie Mae, Wells Fargo and the Center for Architecture, in partnership with AIA New York. She is affiliated with the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture and is a registered architect in the state of Georgia.

Christian Ayala Lopez work is funded through a diverse range of organizations such as Fannie Mae, USDA, and Center for Architecture NY. He is affiliated to Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture, National Council of Architectural Registration Boards, and member of Florida Housing Coalition.

Rusty Smith receives funding from Fannie Mae, USDA, Wells Fargo and Regions Bank. He is affiliated with the Housing Assistance Council, the American Institute of Architects, the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation Incubator, the EPA Collegiate/Underserved Community Partnership and the Bipartisan Policy Center.

– ref. Family homesteads with tangled titles are contributing to rural America’s housing crisis – https://theconversation.com/family-homesteads-with-tangled-titles-are-contributing-to-rural-americas-housing-crisis-254679

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

June 12, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: How your air conditioner can help the power grid, rather than overloading it

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Johanna Mathieu, Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, University of Michigan

Could this common home machinery help usher in more renewable energy? Holden Henry/iStock / Getty Images Plus

As summer arrives, people are turning on air conditioners in most of the U.S. But if you’re like me, you always feel a little guilty about that. Past generations managed without air conditioning – do I really need it? And how bad is it to use all this electricity for cooling in a warming world?

If I leave my air conditioner off, I get too hot. But if everyone turns on their air conditioner at the same time, electricity demand spikes, which can force power grid operators to activate some of the most expensive, and dirtiest, power plants. Sometimes those spikes can ask too much of the grid and lead to brownouts or blackouts.

Research I recently published with a team of scholars makes me feel a little better, though. We have found that it is possible to coordinate the operation of large numbers of home air-conditioning units, balancing supply and demand on the power grid – and without making people endure high temperatures inside their homes.

Studies along these lines, using remote control of air conditioners to support the grid, have for many years explored theoretical possibilities like this. However, few approaches have been demonstrated in practice and never for such a high-value application and at this scale. The system we developed not only demonstrated the ability to balance the grid on timescales of seconds, but also proved it was possible to do so without affecting residents’ comfort.

The benefits include increasing the reliability of the power grid, which makes it easier for the grid to accept more renewable energy. Our goal is to turn air conditioners from a challenge for the power grid into an asset, supporting a shift away from fossil fuels toward cleaner energy.

Adjustable equipment

My research focuses on batteries, solar panels and electric equipment – such as electric vehicles, water heaters, air conditioners and heat pumps – that can adjust itself to consume different amounts of energy at different times.

Originally, the U.S. electric grid was built to transport electricity from large power plants to customers’ homes and businesses. And originally, power plants were large, centralized operations that burned coal or natural gas, or harvested energy from nuclear reactions. These plants were typically always available and could adjust how much power they generated in response to customer demand, so the grid would be balanced between power coming in from producers and being used by consumers.

But the grid has changed. There are more renewable energy sources, from which power isn’t always available – like solar panels at night or wind turbines on calm days. And there are the devices and equipment I study. These newer options, called “distributed energy resources,” generate or store energy near where consumers need it – or adjust how much energy they’re using in real time.

One aspect of the grid hasn’t changed, though: There’s not much storage built into the system. So every time you turn on a light, for a moment there’s not enough electricity to supply everything that wants it right then: The grid needs a power producer to generate a little more power. And when you turn off a light, there’s a little too much: A power producer needs to ramp down.

The way power plants know what real-time power adjustments are needed is by closely monitoring the grid frequency. The goal is to provide electricity at a constant frequency – 60 hertz – at all times. If more power is needed than is being produced, the frequency drops and a power plant boosts output. If there’s too much power being produced, the frequency rises and a power plant slows production a little. These actions, a process called “frequency regulation,” happen in a matter of seconds to keep the grid balanced.

This output flexibility, primarily from power plants, is key to keeping the lights on for everyone.

Power plants, like this one in Utah, adjust their output to match demand from electricity customers.
Jason Finn/iStock / Getty Images Plus

Finding new options

I’m interested in how distributed energy resources can improve flexibility in the grid. They can release more energy, or consume less, to respond to the changing supply or demand, and help balance the grid, ensuring the frequency remains near 60 hertz.

Some people fear that doing so might be invasive, giving someone outside your home the ability to control your battery or air conditioner. Therefore, we wanted to see if we could help balance the grid with frequency regulation using home air-conditioning units rather than power plants – without affecting how residents use their appliances or how comfortable they are in their homes.

From 2019 to 2023, my group at the University of Michigan tried this approach, in collaboration with researchers at Pecan Street Inc., Los Alamos National Laboratory and the University of California, Berkeley, with funding from the U.S. Department of Energy Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy.

We recruited 100 homeowners in Austin, Texas, to do a real-world test of our system. All the homes had whole-house forced-air cooling systems, which we connected to custom control boards and sensors the owners allowed us to install in their homes. This equipment let us send instructions to the air-conditioning units based on the frequency of the grid.

Before I explain how the system worked, I first need to explain how thermostats work. When people set thermostats, they pick a temperature, and the thermostat switches the air-conditioning compressor on and off to maintain the air temperature within a small range around that set point. If the temperature is set at 68 degrees, the thermostat turns the AC on when the temperature is, say, 70, and turns it off when it’s cooled down to, say, 66.

Every few seconds, our system slightly changed the timing of air-conditioning compressor switching for some of the 100 air conditioners, causing the units’ aggregate power consumption to change. In this way, our small group of home air conditioners reacted to grid changes the way a power plant would – using more or less energy to balance the grid and keep the frequency near 60 hertz.

Moreover, our system was designed to kept home temperatures within the same small temperature range around the set point.

Smart thermostats could have frequency regulation capabilities available to interested consumers, to help balance the electricity grid.
Danielle Mead/iStock/Getty Images Plus

Testing the approach

We ran our system in four tests, each lasting one hour. We found two encouraging results.

First, the air conditioners were able to provide frequency regulation at least as accurately as a traditional power plant. Therefore, we showed that air conditioners could play a significant role in increasing grid flexibility. But perhaps more importantly – at least in terms of encouraging people to participate in these types of systems – we found that we were able to do so without affecting people’s comfort in their homes.

We found that home temperatures did not deviate more than 1.6 Fahrenheit from their set point. Homeowners were allowed to override the controls if they got uncomfortable, but most didn’t. For most tests, we received zero override requests. In the worst case, we received override requests from two of the 100 homes in our test.

In practice, this sort of technology could be added to commercially available internet-connected thermostats. In exchange for credits on their energy bills, users could choose to join a service run by the thermostat company, their utility provider or some other third party.

Then people could turn on the air conditioning in the summer heat without that pang of guilt, knowing they were helping to make the grid more reliable and more capable of accommodating renewable energy sources – without sacrificing their own comfort in the process.

Johanna Mathieu works for the University of Michigan. She has received funding from the National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, ARPA-E, and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. She is affiliated with the IEEE.

– ref. How your air conditioner can help the power grid, rather than overloading it – https://theconversation.com/how-your-air-conditioner-can-help-the-power-grid-rather-than-overloading-it-256858

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

June 12, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: How was the wheel invented? Computer simulations reveal the unlikely birth of a world-changing technology nearly 6,000 years ago

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Kai James, Professor of Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology

The assumption was that the wheel evolved from wooden rollers. Tetra Images via Getty Images

Imagine you’re a copper miner in southeastern Europe in the year 3900 B.C.E. Day after day you haul copper ore through the mine’s sweltering tunnels.

You’ve resigned yourself to the grueling monotony of mining life. Then one afternoon, you witness a fellow worker doing something remarkable.

With an odd-looking contraption, he casually transports the equivalent of three times his body weight on a single trip. As he returns to the mine to fetch another load, it suddenly dawns on you that your chosen profession is about to get far less taxing and much more lucrative.

What you don’t realize: You’re witnessing something that will change the course of history – not just for your tiny mining community, but for all of humanity.

An illustration of what the original mine carts used in the Carpathian mountains may have looked like in 3900 B.C.E.
Kai James via DALL·E

Despite the wheel’s immeasurable impact, no one is certain as to who invented it, or when and where it was first conceived. The hypothetical scenario described above is based on a 2015 theory that miners in the Carpathian Mountains – now Hungary – first invented the wheel nearly 6,000 years ago as a means to transport copper ore.

The theory is supported by the discovery of more than 150 miniaturized wagons by archaeologists working in the region. These pint-sized, four-wheeled models were made from clay, and their outer surfaces were engraved with a wickerwork pattern reminiscent of the basketry used by mining communities at the time. Carbon dating later revealed that these wagons are the earliest known depictions of wheeled transport to date.

This theory also raises a question of particular interest to me, an aerospace engineer who studies the science of engineering design. How did an obscure, scientifically naive mining society discover the wheel, when highly advanced civilizations, such as the ancient Egyptians, did not?

A controversial idea

It has long been assumed that wheels evolved from simple wooden rollers. But until recently no one could explain how or why this transformation took place. What’s more, beginning in the 1960s, some researchers started to express strong doubts about the roller-to-wheel theory.

After all, for rollers to be useful, they require flat, firm terrain and a path free of inclines and sharp curves. Furthermore, once the cart passes them, used rollers need to be continually brought around to the front of the line to keep the cargo moving. For all these reasons, the ancient world used rollers sparingly. According to the skeptics, rollers were too rare and too impractical to have been the starting point for the evolution of the wheel.

But a mine – with its enclosed, human-made passageways – would have provided favorable conditions for rollers. This factor, among others, compelled my team to revisit the roller hypothesis.

A turning point

The transition from rollers to wheels requires two key innovations. The first is a modification of the cart that carries the cargo. The cart’s base must be outfitted with semicircular sockets, which hold the rollers in place. This way, as the operator pulls the cart, the rollers are pulled along with it.

This innovation may have been motivated by the confined nature of the mine environment, where having to periodically carry used rollers back around to the front of the cart would have been especially onerous.

The discovery of socketed rollers represented a turning point in the evolution of the wheel and paved the way for the second and most important innovation. This next step involved a change to the rollers themselves. To understand how and why this change occurred, we turned to physics and computer-aided engineering.

Simulating the wheel’s evolution

To begin our investigation, we created a computer program designed to simulate the evolution from a roller to a wheel. Our hypothesis was that this transformation was driven by a phenomenon called “mechanical advantage.” This same principle allows pliers to amplify a user’s grip strength by providing added leverage. Similarly, if we could modify the shape of the roller to generate mechanical advantage, this would amplify the user’s pushing force, making it easier to advance the cart.

Our algorithm worked by modeling hundreds of potential roller shapes and evaluating how each one performed, both in terms of mechanical advantage and structural strength. The latter was used to determine whether a given roller would break under the weight of the cargo. As predicted, the algorithm ultimately converged upon the familiar wheel-and-axle shape, which it determined to be optimal.

A computer simulation of the evolution from a roller to a wheel-and-axle structure. Each image represents a design evaluated by the algorithm. The search ultimately converges upon the familiar wheel-and-axle design.
Kai James

During the execution of the algorithm, each new design performed slightly better than its predecessor. We believe a similar evolutionary process played out with the miners 6,000 years ago.

It is unclear what initially prompted the miners to explore alternative roller shapes. One possibility is that friction at the roller-socket interface caused the surrounding wood to wear away, leading to a slight narrowing of the roller at the point of contact. Another theory is that the miners began thinning out the rollers so that their carts could pass over small obstructions on the ground.

Either way, thanks to mechanical advantage, this narrowing of the axle region made the carts easier to push. As time passed, better-performing designs were repeatedly favored over the others, and new rollers were crafted to mimic these top performers.

Consequently, the rollers became more and more narrow, until all that remained was a slender bar capped on both ends by large discs. This rudimentary structure marks the birth of what we now refer to as “the wheel.”

According to our theory, there was no precise moment at which the wheel was invented. Rather, just like the evolution of species, the wheel emerged gradually from an accumulation of small improvements.

This is just one of the many chapters in the wheel’s long and ongoing evolution. More than 5,000 years after the contributions of the Carpathian miners, a Parisian bicycle mechanic invented radial ball bearings, which once again revolutionized wheeled transportation.

Ironically, ball bearings are conceptually identical to rollers, the wheel’s evolutionary precursor. Ball bearings form a ring around the axle, creating a rolling interface between the axle and the wheel hub, thereby circumventing friction. With this innovation, the evolution of the wheel came full circle.

This example also shows how the wheel’s evolution, much like its iconic shape, traces a circuitous path – one with no clear beginning, no end, and countless quiet revolutions along the way.

Kai James receives funding from The National Science Foundation.

– ref. How was the wheel invented? Computer simulations reveal the unlikely birth of a world-changing technology nearly 6,000 years ago – https://theconversation.com/how-was-the-wheel-invented-computer-simulations-reveal-the-unlikely-birth-of-a-world-changing-technology-nearly-6-000-years-ago-244038

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

June 12, 2025
Om Birla to inspire future IAS officers at Mussoorie Training Program

Source: Government of India

Source: Government of India (4)

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will visit Mussoorie, Uttarakhand on Thursday to address the valedictory ceremony of the 127th Induction Training Program at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration. He is scheduled to arrive at Jolly Grant Airport at 9:45 AM and reach Mussoorie by 11:30 AM, returning to Delhi the same day.

The training program, tailored for officers promoted from State Civil Services to the Indian Administrative Service, hosts 97 participants from 19 states, including 73 male and 24 female officers. Aligned with the national vision of “Viksit Bharat @2047” and “Mission Karmayogi,” the program aims to prepare ethical and capable civil servants for national-level leadership roles.

Built on seven thematic pillars—Good Governance, Personality Development, Collaborative Learning, Technology, Leadership Insights, Entrepreneurship, and Regional Understanding—the initiative equips officers for policy-making, inter-regional coordination, and institutional leadership.

June 12, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Ten British AI breakthroughs set to cut bills and heat homes more efficiently
Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

Press release

Ten British AI breakthroughs set to cut bills and heat homes more efficiently

Millions of families could see warmer homes and lower energy bills, as ministers back ten new AI innovations which will help make the UK a clean energy superpower through the government’s Plan for Change.
Manchester Prize finalists announced.

Ten AI pioneers are being supported to develop AI solutions which slash energy bills and accelerate the UK’s clean energy superpower ambitions.

Technologies include AI-powered heat mapping drones and smart panels that warm homes from the outside.

Winners will compete for £1 million Manchester Prize, helping to unlock AI innovation and growth to deliver the government’s Plan for Change.

Millions of families could see warmer homes and lower energy bills, as ministers back ten new AI innovations which will help make the UK a clean energy superpower through the government’s Plan for Change.

The ten finalists for the second round of the Manchester Prize include revolutionary technologies that could transform how Britain tackles climate change, while cutting costs for working families.

Among them is a system using AI to design bespoke panels, turning bricks into radiators to warm homes from the outside in, keeping a comfortable inside temperature all year round and simplifying the installation of heat pumps in older homes while reducing costs.

Another team uses AI-enabled drones to map heat loss across entire neighbourhoods, helping councils identify exactly which homes need urgent insulation upgrades – which could save households hundreds on their annual energy bill.

The Manchester Prize, funded by the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology and delivered by Challenge Works (part of the Nesta group), is rewarding UK-led AI breakthroughs that support the public good, including growing the economy, improving public services and helping to create a just transition to Net Zero for everyone.

Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, Peter Kyle said:

AI is opening up transformative new ways to tackle climate change and support the UK’s ambition to become a clean energy superpower.

That includes using the technology to keep our homes warm, while also supporting projects which will use AI to slash carbon emissions in our cement and steel industries – sectors which account for 16% of global emissions.

This is how we deliver our Plan for Change – harnessing innovation to solve major challenges, cut energy bills, and improve lives across Britain.

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said:

Clean power is the economic opportunity of the 21st century and these projects will help households and businesses take advantage of lower bills, in a smarter and faster way than ever before.

From specially designed radiator walls to a smart power grid that flicks on and off as we need, AI has the potential to help every home in Britain to feel the benefits of warmer homes and homegrown clean energy.

Julia King, Baroness Brown of Cambridge, chair of the Manchester Prize judging panel said:

We are at a critical juncture in the journey to net zero, the next decade is make or break if the world is to keep global temperatures from exceeding 1.5C by 2050. Global emissions need to halve by 2030 compared to 1990 levels if we are to stay on track, while electricity production will need to double by 2050 to meet the demands of an electrified economy – clean energy innovation is essential.

The rapid advancement of AI means we have tools like never before to achieve the goal of decarbonising the economy while supporting individuals, communities and businesses to thrive.

Other finalists include AI technologies to help the logistics industry cut its emissions, and AI being used to ensure the energy grid remains balanced at all times – as more and more of our energy supplies comes from wind and solar.

The ten teams behind the advanced AI solutions have each received £100,000 in seed funding, plus £60,000 worth of compute credits to help train and scale their models. They will also benefit from non-financial support including investor readiness guidance and access to a network of experts, positioning them for success in the pursuit of the £1 million grand prize in spring 2026. The winning solution will demonstrate not only technical innovation, but also an evidenced road map to near-term (2030) adoption, scale and impact.

These shortlisted finalists will now follow in the footsteps of Polaron – the inaugural winners of the Manchester Prize which speeds up the development of advanced materials used in all walks of life – from wind turbines to electric batteries.

The winning innovation will be announced early next year, taking home the grand prize of £1 million to bring their cutting-edge ideas to life.

It builds on the AI Opportunities Action Plan, the UK government’s blueprint to accelerate the use of AI across the economy. By harnessing cutting-edge solutions like these, AI is driving breakthroughs in industry, transforming public services, and improving the lives of citizens across the country.

Notes to Editors

About the first Manchester Prize

The Manchester Prize is a multi-million-pound challenge prize from the UK’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to reward UK-led breakthroughs in artificial intelligence for public good. It is rewarding innovations that will help to transform the lives of the people across the UK and continue to secure the UK’s place as a global leader in cutting edge innovation.

In its second year, the Manchester Prize will reward UK-led breakthroughs in artificial intelligence that will accelerate action towards the UK’s ambitious clean energy and net zero goals – manchesterprize.org.

About Challenge Works

Challenge Works is a global leader in designing and delivering high-impact challenge prizes that incentivise cutting-edge innovation for social good. It is part of UK innovation foundation agency Nesta. For more than a decade, it has run more than 97 prizes, distributed more than £210 million in funding and engaged with 16,000 innovators.

Manchester Prize (year 2) finalists

Agent Net Zero

Agent Net Zero by University of Sheffield and AMRC. Agent Net Zero is an innovative AI system that helps industrial companies become more sustainable by analysing their environmental impact in real-time. The system continuously monitors energy usage and emissions by connecting to various data sources across operations. Using advanced AI techniques, Agent Net Zero identifies environmental hotspots and automatically suggests practical improvements. This gives businesses clear, actionable insights to reduce their carbon footprint while maintaining productivity and competitiveness, essentially providing a “sustainability assistant” that works 24/7 to help companies achieve their net-zero goals.

BiofuelAi

BiofuelAi by University of Surrey. BiofuelAi brings cutting-edge AI and machine learning to the biofuel industry, optimising complex, variable processes in real time. Traditional biogas production often relies on operator intuition due to unpredictable biological systems because biofuels are made from multiple material inputs. BiofuelAi solves this with advanced predictive models that create a digital twin of each site, enabling whole-system optimisation – from daily feedstock recipes to long-term acquisition strategies. Developed by AI and sustainability experts, the platform boosts efficiency, profitability, and environmental impact, offering a scalable solution for cleaner, data-driven energy production worldwide.

Carbon Re

Carbon Re by Carbon Re. Cement forms the foundation of our modern world but it has a sustainability problem – it is responsible for around 8% of global CO₂ emissions. Carbon Re is tackling this challenge by building AI process control software to cut emissions in cement production. Acting like self-driving for industrial plants, Carbon Re optimises industrial processes in real-time, helping manufacturers cut both costs and carbon while transitioning to low-carbon operations. A joint spin out of University College London and the University of Cambridge, Carbon Re was founded to deliver immediate climate impact for heavy industry.

Cavolo

Cavolo by Kale AI. Cavolo uses advanced AI to make city deliveries more efficient and eco-friendly. The system helps businesses switch from traditional delivery vans to Light Electric Vehicles (LEVs), which are more efficient in busy cities. By using AI, Cavolo optimises delivery routes in real-time, reducing traffic, energy use, and emissions. The technology helps make urban logistics faster and greener, allowing businesses to deliver goods quickly while saving time and reducing their environmental impact.

Deep.Optimiser-PhyX

Deep.Optimiser-PhyX by Deep.Meta. Deep.Meta is tackling carbon emissions in the steel industry with an AI-powered Digital Twin – a smart digital replica of the production process that combines physics and machine learning to optimise furnace operations. By using real-time sensor data and material science, Deep.Meta more accurately predicts steel slab temperatures and improves scheduling, boosting energy efficiency and significantly cutting emissions. Unlike black-box AI, which can discourage adoption, Deep.Meta’s explainable, physics-based models offer clear reasoning, building trust with users. Founded by experts in metallurgy and machine learning, Deep.Meta is already partnering with global steelmakers and aims to scale through broader industry collaboration.

DRIVE

DRIVE (Deep Re-enforcement learning for Intelligent Vehicle and Energy optimisation) by Flexible Power Systems. Flexible Power Systems (FPS) helps big fleets like vans, trucks, and buses switch to electric by managing vehicles, chargers, and schedules with smart software. FPS uses advanced AI called Deep Reinforcement Learning to solve complex, fast-changing problems – like where and when to charge – more quickly and efficiently. After training in a virtual world, the AI can make smart decisions in real time. First used in EV fleets, this technology could also help with bigger energy challenges in the future.

EnergyWall

EnergyWall by Underheat, in partnership with University of Salford. EnergyWall upgrades a building’s walls, gently warming or cooling homes from the outside, turning bricks into radiators that maintain a comfortable internal temperature all year round. Using AI to analyse a building and off-site manufacturing, it designs and installs pipe systems into insulation panels for the walls of a building, making retrofitting buildings with heat pumps faster, cheaper, and less disruptive. This approach is ideal for social housing, helping reduce carbon emissions, cut energy bills, and tackle condensation that causes mould. It’s a smarter, scalable way to decarbonise heating and fight fuel poverty across the UK.

Green Loops

Green Loops by University of Wolverhampton, in partnership with ABCircular GmbH Berlin. Green Loops tackles the challenge of recycling end-of-life photovoltaic (PV) cells by creating high-efficiency solar panels from recycled materials. It uses machine learning to analyse the optical properties of materials and structures of solar cells. Using highly conductive artificially engineered MXene-based metamaterials, Green Loops optimises the design of solar cells to enhance energy performance while reducing manufacturing costs. With the growing e-waste problem from old solar panels, the technology helps reduce waste, supports a circular economy, and makes solar energy more sustainable and accessible.

Grid Stability

Grid Stability by University of Manchester. For electricity grids to function, there must be balance between the electricity going into the grid and the electricity leaving it. Grid Stability Monitor uses AI and machine learning to quickly analyse power grid stability as more low-carbon technologies like wind, solar, EVs and heat pumps connect. It replaces slow, complex simulations with rapid, AI-driven assessments, enabling real-time monitoring, faster decision-making, and more confident planning. This helps grid operators maintain reliability while scaling up clean energy solutions and cutting emissions.

Rapid Thermal Performance Assessment algorithms (RaThPAs)

Rapid Thermal Performance Assessment algorithms (RaThPAs) by Kestrix. Kestrix uses AI and thermal drones to map heat loss across entire neighbourhoods, acting as fast, 3D energy surveys from the sky. This helps stakeholders like utilities, councils and housing providers plan energy upgrades with fewer costly, time-consuming site visits. Like a “Google Maps of heat loss,” the system shows where buildings are leaking heat and recommends fixes. With a team of experts in computer vision and physics, Kestrix aims to speed up home retrofits, in turn cutting emissions, saving households money, and making homes warmer and healthier at scale.

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Published 11 June 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
June 12, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Upcoming US Law Webinars – July 2025

Source: US Global Legal Monitor

We hope you will join us in July for the next offering of our Orientation to Legal Research webinars, focusing on U.S. federal legislative history, followed by the next entry into the Orientation to Law Library Collections webinars. The Orientation to Law Library Collections Webinar is designed for patrons who are familiar with legal research and would instead prefer an introduction to the collections and services specific to the Law Library of Congress. It will cover digital resources available through the Law Library’s website as well as those available on-site. Within this webinar, there will be a guest presentation as part of the 50 State Outreach Project by staff from the Connecticut State Library. Deborah Schander, state librarian, and Lindsay Cawley, reference services unit head, will present from the Connecticut State Library during the webinar. The Connecticut State Library presenters note that

“[t]he Connecticut State Library is an independent and non-partisan Executive Branch agency of the State of Connecticut. Founded in 1854, the State Library is home to the State Archives, Office of the Public Records Administrator, Museum of Connecticut History, the Division of Library Development and the Connecticut Library for Accessible Books, and Reference Services, which is comprised of three specific subject areas: History & Genealogy, Law & Legislation, and Government Information. Since its founding, the Connecticut State Library has served as the principal law library for the State of Connecticut. Today, the agency’s Law & Legislation unit continues to serve as the permanent home of Connecticut General Assembly official transcripts and legislative bill files and a repository of statutes, laws, and court opinions from all 50 states and federal jurisdictions. Open to both residents and users beyond state borders, the State Library serves the employees and officials of all three branches of state government, students, teachers, researchers, town governments, and anyone seeking information within its collections.”

We hope you will join us for these informative and interesting webinars!

Orientation to Legal Research: Federal Legislative History

Date: Thursday, July 10, 2025, 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. EDT

Content: This webinar is designed to give a basic introduction to legal sources and research techniques. This entry in the series provides an overview of U.S. federal legislative history resources, including information about the methods of identifying and locating them. In tackling this area of research, the focus will largely be on finding these documents online.

Instructor: Sarah Friedman. Sarah Friedman is a legal reference librarian at the Law Library of Congress. Sarah holds a B.A. in English literature and criticism from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and a J.D. from Roger Williams University School of Law.

Register here.

Orientation to Law Library Collections Webinar Featuring the Connecticut State Library

Date: Thursday, July 24, 2025, 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. EDT

Content: This webinar is designed for patrons who are familiar with legal research and would instead prefer an introduction to the collections and services specific to the Law Library of Congress. Some of the resources attendees will learn about include the Law Library’s research guides, digital collections, and the Guide to Law Online, among others.

Instructor: Sarah Friedman. Sarah Friedman is a legal reference librarian at the Law Library of Congress. Sarah holds a B.A. in English literature and criticism from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and a J.D. from Roger Williams University School of Law.

Register here.

To learn about other upcoming classes on domestic and foreign law topics, visit the Legal Research Institute. Please request ADA accommodations at least five business days in advance by contacting (202) 707-6362 or [email protected].

Subscribe to In Custodia Legis – it’s free! – to receive interesting posts drawn from the Law Library of Congress’s vast collections and our staff’s expertise in U.S., foreign, and international law.

MIL OSI USA News –

June 12, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Financial news: RUONIA rate

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Central Bank of Russia (2) –

All information on the RUONIA interest rate published by the Bank of Russia on the official website is public and generally accessible, therefore it can be reproduced in any media, on Internet servers or on any other media. The terms of use and reproduction of this information are presented in the section “About the site”. When reproducing information about the RUONIA rate, a link to the original source (the official website of the Bank of Russia) is required. The Bank of Russia is not responsible for information about the RUONIA interest rate published in sources other than its official website.

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

MIL OSI Russia News –

June 12, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Thompson, Mannion Introduce EMS Counts Act

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Glenn Thompson (5th District Pennsylvania)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representatives Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA) and John Mannion (D-NY) today introduced the EMS Counts Act to address the chronic miscounting of emergency personnel.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Statistics (BLS) current occupational classification system does not properly account for firefighters who are cross-trained as a paramedic or EMT. This oversight results in recognizing cross-training results in a significant and chronic undercount of emergency personnel nationwide, making it challenging to track gaps in emergency services and meet the needs of first responders.

The EMS Counts Act would require the BLS to revise the Standard Occupational Classification System to accurately reflect the number of paramedics, EMTs, and other first responders throughout communities nationwide.

“Prior to serving in Congress, I spent decades as a volunteer firefighter and EMT. I recognize and value to the commitment these individuals have to their communities,” Rep. Thompsonsaid. “Correcting outdated classifications is important, because without a accurate count of the number of EMTs, paramedics, and other emergency service providers, it creates a challenge to adequately meet the health and safety needs of our communities.”

“The bipartisan EMS Counts Act supports our first responders by ensuring they are properly recognized in national workforce data,” Rep. Mannion said. “Firefighters and EMS personnel are often the first on the scene during emergencies, and the current data gap has real consequences for emergency planning, resource allocation, and workplace protections. By fixing this, we’re helping communities become safer, better prepared, and more resilient. I’m grateful to partner with Rep. GT Thompson and for his leadership on this commonsense legislation that honors the dedication of so many in Central New York, the Mohawk Valley, and across the country who put their lives on the line every day.”

“Fire fighters are proud to serve as the first medical professional to treat many critically ill or injured patients. Medical emergencies are one of fire fighters’ most common types of calls. The BLS’ failure to recognize that EMS is a core component of the fire service has led to incorrect data being used in emergency planning, labor surveys, and health protections for fire-based EMS professionals. The IAFF is proud to support this legislation from Reps. Thompson and Mannion which recognizes that EMS is an intrinsic part of the firefighting profession,” said Edward A. Kelly, International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) General President.

“The bipartisan EMS Counts Act is foundational legislation for the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) community. EMS consists of a diverse group of first responders, including health care practitioners such as Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) and paramedics who often serve in dual roles as Firefighter/EMTs and Firefighter/Paramedics. NAEMT applauds Representative Thompson and Representative Mannion’s introduction of the EMS Counts Act that will finally accurately represent the current structure of the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC), the system used by the Department of Labor BLS, which has led to a severe undercounting of EMS personnel across the nation. This data is the basis for funding and policy decisions, so to undercount EMS personnel is to undercut our nation’s ability to provide life-saving and preventive community care. NAEMT urges for passage of the EMS Counts Act,” said Chris Way, National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT) President.

MIL OSI USA News –

June 12, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: DCCA NEWS RELEASE: DCCA DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS (THROUGH MAY 2025)

Source: US State of Hawaii

DCCA NEWS RELEASE: DCCA DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS (THROUGH MAY 2025)

Posted on Jun 10, 2025 in Latest Department News, Newsroom

STATE OF HAWAIʻI

KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI

JOSH GREEN, M.D.

GOVERNOR

KE KIAʻĀINA

KA ʻOIHANA PILI KĀLEPA

NADINE Y. ANDO

DIRECTOR

KA LUNA HOʻOKELE

DENISE P. BALANAY

SENIOR HEARINGS OFFICER

DCCA DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS

(Through May 2025)

June 10, 2025

HONOLULU – The state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA) and its respective state Boards and Commissions released a summary of disciplinary actions through the month of May 2025, taken on individuals and entities with professional and vocational licenses in Hawai‘i. These disciplinary actions include dispositions based upon either the results of contested case hearings or settlement agreements submitted by the parties. Respondents enter into settlement agreements as a compromise to claims and to conserve on the expenses of proceeding with an administrative hearing.

The DCCA and the Boards and Commissions are responsible for ensuring those with professional and vocational licenses areperforming up to the standards prescribed by state law.

Respondent:     Tricia Ann K.C. Mangubat fka Tricia Ann K. Castro

Case Number:   ACC 2022-22-L

Sanction:          Voluntary license surrender

Effective Date: 3-14-25

RICO alleges that Respondent plead guilty in the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii to Conspiracy to defraud the United States and Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud, in potential violation of HRS §§ 436B-19(7), 436B-19(8), 436B-19(9), 436B-19(14), 466-9(b)(5), and 466-9(b)(8). (Board approved Settlement Agreement.)

Respondent:     Mali Bella Company, LLC dba Mali Bella Construction

Case Number: CLB 2024-195-L Sanction:          License revocation

Effective Date: 5-23-25

RICO alleges that Respondent entered into a written contract to renovate and construct a home addition, failed to provide required disclosures, and failed to complete the project as agreed, in potential violation of HRS §§ 444-17(11) and 444-25.5.(Board approved Settlement Agreement.)

Respondent:     Mali Bella Company, LLC dba Mali Bella Construction

Case Number: CLB 2024-381-L Sanction:          License revocation

Effective Date: 5-23-25

RICO alleges that Respondent entered into a written contract to renovate a home and failed to provide required disclosures, in potential violation of HRS §§ 444-17(12) and 444-25.5(b)(1), and HAR §§ 16-77-80(a)(3), 16-77-80(a)(5), 16-77-80(a)(6), and 16-77-80(a)(7). (Board approved Settlement Agreement.)

Respondent:     David P. Luedtke

Case Number: CLB 2024-195-L Sanction:          License revocation

Effective Date: 5-23-25

RICO alleges that Respondent was the principal RME of Mali Bella Construction (MBC), that MBC entered into a written contract to renovate and construct a home addition, and that MBC failed to provide required disclosures, in potential violation of HRS §§ 444-17(12) and 444-25.5, and HAR § 16-77-71(a). (Board approved Settlement Agreement.)

Respondent:     David P. Luedtke

Case Number: CLB 2024-381-L Sanction:          License revocation

Effective Date: 5-23-25

RICO alleges that Respondent was the principal RME of Mali Bella Construction (MBC), that MBC entered into a written contract to renovate a home, and that MBC failed to provide required disclosures, in potential violation of HRS §§ 444-17(12) and 444-25.5, and HAR § 16-77-71(a). (Board approved Settlement Agreement.)

REAL ESTATE COMMISSION

Respondent:    Leeann Starinieri

Case Number:   REC 2023-461-L

Sanction:          $1,500 fine, comply with ADLR terms, continue counseling, substance abuse assessment

Effective Date: 5-30-25

RICO alleges that on November 7, 2023, Respondent pled no contest to Reckless Driving in the District Court of the Fifth Circuit, Respondent’s driver’s license was administratively forfeited for four years, and that Respondent wrote a letter to RICO stating she quit drinking alcohol and was in counseling, in potential violation of HRS § 436B-19(12). (Commission approved Settlement Agreement.)

Respondent:    Stephen T. Wells

Case Number:   REC 2025-115-L

Sanction:          1-year license suspension, 2-year license probation, education course

Effective Date: 5-30-25

RICO alleges that on February 27, 2025, Respondent was sentenced in the U.S. District Court for the State of Hawaii for Health Care Fraud, in potential violation of HRS §§ 436B-19(6) and 436B-19(12). (Commission approved Settlement Agreement.)

Respondents: Hale Nani Realty LLC and Mon-Jiuan Ide

Case Number:   REC 2024-503-L

Sanction:          $15,000 fine

Effective Date: 5-30-25

RICO alleges that it received a referral alleging Respondents’ licenses were inactive since January 1, 2023, due to Respondent Ide, principal broker for Hale Nani Realty LLC, having insufficient continuing education credits, that Respondent Hale Nani Realty LLC’s license was inactive from January 1, 2023 through December 2, 2024, and that Respondent Ide’s license was inactive from January 1, 2023 through November 8, 2024, in potential violation of HRS § 467-7. (Commission approved Settlement Agreement.)

Respondents: Iridescent Productions LLC dba Turquoise Hawaii Real Estate and Rebecca Brooke Corby dba Rebecca Corby

Case Number:   REC 2022-410-L

Sanction:          $400 fine

Effective Date: 5-30-25

The Commission adopted the Hearings Officer’s recommended decision and found and concluded that Respondent violated HRS §§ 436B-19(16) and 436B-19(17). (Commission’s Final Order after contested case hearing.)

BusinessCheck is an online platform designed to serve as a comprehensive resource for researching licensed professionals. This tool empowers users to verify licenses, review complaint histories and discover when a business was established, all in one place. Please visit businesscheck.hawaii.gov to verify a professional’s license status, confirming their qualifications, compliance with regulations and accountability to a governing body.

# # #

Media Contact:

Communications Office

Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs

Phone: 808-586-2760

Email: [email protected]

MIL OSI USA News –

June 12, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: DLNR News Release-Dredging Begins of Lava Inundated Pohoiki Boat Ramp, June 10, 2025

Source: US State of Hawaii

DLNR News Release-Dredging Begins of Lava Inundated Pohoiki Boat Ramp, June 10, 2025

Posted on Jun 10, 2025 in Latest Department News, Newsroom

STATE OF HAWAIʻI

KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI

DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES

KA ‘OIHANA KUMUWAIWAI ‘ĀINA

JOSH GREEN, M.D.
GOVERNOR

DAWN CHANG
CHAIRPERSON

DREDGING BEGINS OF LAVA INUNDATED POHOIKI BOAT RAMP

Blessing Highlights Community Involvement

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 10, 2025

PUNA DISTRICT, Hawai‘i Island – Dredging work began today to restore access to the lava-barricaded Pohoiki Boat Ramp, eight years after lava from an eruption of Kīlauea rendered it unusable.

On Monday, hundreds of people gathered for a community celebration and blessing at the top of the ramp, which by November is expected to be clear of an estimated 42,000 cubic yards of black sand and boulders. That’s about 22,000 full-sized pickup truck beds.

DLNR Chair Dawn Chang, speaking before the blessing, commented, “This is a day of celebration to recognize the collaboration of the community, elected officials and DLNR working together to support this project. The Pohoiki Boat Ramp is a piko, or focal point for this community. Fishing is a huge part of the greater Puna community and commercial, recreational and subsistence fishers have been waiting patiently for this work to begin. The million-dollar question is what took so long?”

Even before the eruption, Finn McCall, the head engineer with the DLNR Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation (DOBOR), made multiple visits to Pohoiki. Immediately after the eruption stopped, McCall continued making further visits to Pohoiki to shift the strategy in addressing ramp needs. “Boy, this has been a long journey,” he remarked. We tried looking at sites from Kapoho all the way to Kalapana. Sand and boulders continued to fill the entire bay, but once that stopped, we began focusing on restoring the Pohoiki ramp.”

The state had hoped for more federal support to approve removal of most of the volcanic debris in Pohoiki Bay, but FEMA was only able to approve restoration of the boat ramp entrance channel. Then it took dogged efforts by state lawmakers from the district to convince the rest of the legislature that opening the Pohoiki boat ramp was the top priority for people in the district.

Chang singled out the efforts of state Senator Joy San Buenaventura and state Representative Greggor Ilagan in getting $5.4 million of state funding for the dredging. The total project cost came in at $9.28 million, which means the $2.9 million shortfall is being covered by DOBOR’s Boating Special Fund, which derives its revenues almost entirely from boating user fees.

In remarks during the blessing ceremony, Sen. San Buenaventura said, “We needed people to understand how much it cost in fuel just to bring all our boats from the Wailoa Small Boat Harbor in Hilo, the nearest boating facility, out to Puna to they could fish to feed and support their families.”

She and Rep. Ilagan often pointed out it was akin to only having one small boat ramp for all of O‘ahu. “In 2021, I was also advocating for the alternate highway route, as that was the number-one issue that people voted on during town hall meetings. In 2022 the community reprioritized my priorities and made the Pohoiki Boat Ramp number one.”

Chang fielded letter after letter, comment after comment from upset and frustrated fishers, some of whom had to give up their generational livelihoods of fishing because it became too expensive. Family members with lineal connections to the coastline were not able to fish, either. She and every single speaker singled out the community for not giving up and pushing to have Pohoiki restored.

As did the consulting company and contractor hired to do the work. Kyle Kaneshiro of Limtiaco Consulting commented, “This has been one of the most eye-opening, humbling projects I’ve ever worked on. The community made everything so easy. This is not an easy project, but the community got everyone together.”

Guy DiBartolo from Goodfellows Bros. Inc., added, “I’ve been to many ground blessings and ceremonies. This one for me, stands out as something unique and special, seeing the community’s involvement over many months and years.”

For many people, like DLNR First Deputy Ryan Kanaka‘ole, Pohoiki stirs up fond childhood memories. “Summertime for me was coming down here, making the two-hour drive each way from Kaʻū with my father to dive, surf, or just relax. This day makes me remember my dad. He didn’t have a house, but he had a car and I’ll never forget those days spent at Pohoiki.”

The contractor has nine months to complete the project but expects to be finished in November.

# # #

RESOURCES

(All images/video Courtesy: DLNR)

HD video – Pohoiki Boat Ramp Dredging Blessing (June 9, 2025):

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/kw102jfqjg9w20upm9bsr/Pohoiki-Dredging-Project-Blessing-June-9-2025.mp4?rlkey=p3dz85napmmocpeivp0c45zj0&st=g7w1fs9s&dl=0

HD video – Pohoiki dredging project blessing media clips (June 9, 2025):

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/hzi3qkgl7t3gkaaisinb6/Pohoiki-dredging-project-blessing-media-clips-June-9-2025.mp4?rlkey=jca3f5ys756051odrc32vzuw4&st=fmke94pp&dl=0

(Shot sheet/transcriptions attached)

Photographs – Pohoiki dredging project blessing (June 9, 2025):

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/kedkashm6iqvkt9q7l7v6/AD3MEi0Yyw70FEu516nwrQ0?rlkey=c4c37j39ftlugmkq0hzh8cws6&st=n4fne779&dl=0

Media Contact:

Dan Dennison

Communications Director

Hawai‘i Dept. of Land and Natural Resources

808-587-0396

[email protected]

MIL OSI USA News –

June 12, 2025

MIL-OSI: Apollo Capital Releases Investor Presentation Highlighting Plan to Make MediPharm Labs the World’s Leading International Medical Cannabis Company

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

TORONTO, June 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Apollo Technology Capital Corporation (“Apollo Capital”), which together with its affiliates and associates collectively is one of the largest shareholders of MediPharm Labs Corp. (TSX: LABS) (OTCQB: MEDIF) (FSE: MLZ) (“MediPharm”, “MediPharm Labs”, or the “Company”), owning approximately 3% of the Company’s common stock, today issued a presentation to set forth their ambitious plan to grow your investment and help turn MediPharm around.


Outlines Commitment to Immediately and Aggressively Execute on Action Plan to 10X+ Share Price and Create Value for All Shareholders Details Specific and Measurable Initiatives to Save MediPharm Labs from Insolvency at the Hands of Greedy, Reckless, and Maligned Leaders Sets Forth Plan to Stop Exorbitant Executive Compensation Pay-for-Failure and End 3 Years of Value Destructive Actions

THE TIME TO ACT IS NOW. VOTE THE GOLD CARD TODAY.

SHAREHOLDERS ARE URGED TO PROTECT THEIR INVESTMENT BY VOTING THE GOLD PROXY CARD “FOR” APOLLO CAPITAL’S SIX HIGHLY-QUALIFIED DIRECTOR NOMINEES AND DISREGARD MEDIPHARM LABS’ GREEN PROXY CARD.

TOGETHER LET’S SAVE MEDIPHARM AND DELIVER THE VALUE THAT SHAREHOLDERS DESERVE.

View the Presentation at https://www.curemedipharm.com/historical-filing/investor-presentation.

For more information on our detailed value creation plan and instructions on how to vote, please see our website www.curemedipharm.com.

Contacts

For Shareholders:
Carson Proxy
North American Toll-Free Phone: 1-800-530-5189
Local or Text Message: 416-751-2066 (collect calls accepted)
E: info@carsonproxy.com

For Media:
media@curemedipharm.com

This solicitation is being made by and on behalf of Apollo Capital, who, as of the date of this Circular, beneficially owns or controls, directly and indirectly through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Nobul Technologies Inc., 12,491,500 common shares of the Company (“Common Shares”), representing approximately 3% of the total Common Shares issued and outstanding, and not by the management of the Company.

Legal Disclosures

Information in Support of Public Broadcast Exemption under Canadian Law

In connection with the annual general and special meeting (the “Annual Meeting”) of shareholders of MediPharm, Apollo Capital has filed an amended and restated dissident information circular dated May 15, 2025 (the “Circular”), as amended and supplemented by an addendum to the Circular subsequently filed by Apollo Capital and Patrick McCutcheon (together, the “Concerned Stakeholder”) dated June 4, 2025 (the “Addendum” and together with the Circular, the “Amended Circular”), each in compliance with applicable corporate and securities laws. The Concerned Stakeholder has provided in, or incorporated by reference into, this press release the disclosure required under section 9.2(4) of NI 51-102 – Continuous Disclosure Obligations (“NI 51-102”) and the corresponding exemption under the Business Corporations Act (Ontario), and has filed the Amended Circular, available under MediPharm’s profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. The Amended Circular contains disclosure prescribed by applicable corporate law and disclosure required under section 9.2(6) of NI 51-102 in respect of the Concerned Stakeholder’s director nominees, in accordance with corporate and securities laws applicable to public broadcast solicitations. The Amended Circular is hereby incorporated by reference into this press release and is available under MediPharm’s profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. The registered office of the Company is 151 John Street, Barrie, Ontario, Canada L4N 2L1.

SHAREHOLDERS OF MEDIPHARM ARE URGED TO READ THE AMENDED CIRCULAR CAREFULLY BECAUSE IT CONTAINS IMPORTANT INFORMATION. Investors and shareholders are able to obtain free copies of the Amended Circular and any amendments or supplements thereto and further proxy circulars at no charge under MediPharm’s profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. In addition, shareholders are also able to obtain free copies of the Amended Circular and other relevant documents by contacting the Concerned Stakeholder’s proxy solicitor, Carson Proxy Advisors Ltd. (“Carson Proxy”) at 1-800-530-5189, local (collect outside North America): 416-751-2066 or by email at info@carsonproxy.com. Finally, the Amended Circular is available on this website https://www.curemedipharm.com/historical-filing/investor-flyer.

Proxies may be revoked in accordance with subsection 110(4) of the Business Corporations Act (Ontario) by a registered shareholder of Company shares: (a) by completing and signing a valid proxy bearing a later date and returning it in accordance with the instructions contained in the accompanying form of proxy; (b) by depositing an instrument in writing executed by the shareholder or by the shareholder’s attorney authorized in writing; (c) by transmitting by telephonic or electronic means a revocation that is signed by electronic signature in accordance with applicable law, as the case may be: (i) at the registered office of the Company at any time up to and including the last business day preceding the day the Annual Meeting or any adjournment or postponement of the Annual Meeting is to be held, or (ii) with the chair of the Annual Meeting on the day of the Annual Meeting or any adjournment or postponement of the Annual Meeting; or (d) in any other manner permitted by law. In addition, proxies may be revoked by a non-registered holder of Company shares at any time by written notice to the intermediary in accordance with the instructions given to the non-registered holder by its intermediary. It should be noted that revocation of proxies or voting instructions by a non-registered holder can take several days or even longer to complete and, accordingly, any such revocation should be completed well in advance of the deadline prescribed in the form of proxy or voting instruction form to ensure it is given effect in respect of the Annual Meeting.

The costs incurred in the preparation and mailing of any circular or proxy solicitation by the Concerned Stakeholder and any other participants named herein will be borne directly and indirectly by Apollo Capital. However, to the extent permitted under applicable law, Apollo Capital intends to seek reimbursement from the Company of all expenses incurred in connection with the solicitation of proxies for the election of its director nominees at the Annual Meeting.

This press release and any solicitation made by the Concerned Stakeholder is, or will be, as applicable, made by such parties, and not by or on behalf of the management of the Company. Proxies may be solicited by proxy circular, mail, telephone, email or other electronic means, as well as by newspaper or other media advertising and in person by managers, directors, officers and employees of the Concerned Stakeholder who will not be specifically remunerated therefor. In addition, the Concerned Stakeholder may solicit proxies by way of public broadcast, including press release, speech or publication and any other manner permitted under applicable Canadian laws, and may engage the services of one or more agents and authorize other persons to assist it in soliciting proxies on their behalf.

Apollo Capital has entered into an agreement with Carson Proxy for solicitation and advisory services in connection with the solicitation of proxies by the Concerned Stakeholder for the Annual Meeting, for which Carson Proxy will receive a fee from Apollo Capital not to exceed $250,000, together with reimbursement for reasonable and out-of-pocket expenses. Apollo Capital has also engaged Gasthalter & Co. LP (“G&Co”) to act as communications consultant to provide the Concerned Stakeholder with certain communications, public relations and related services, for which G&Co will receive, from Apollo Capital, a minimum fee of US$75,000 in addition to a performance fee of US$250,000 in the event that the Concerned Stakeholder’s nominees make up a majority of the board of directors of MediPharm (the “Board”) following the Annual Meeting, plus excess fees, related costs and expenses.

No member of the Concerned Stakeholder nor any of their respective associates or affiliates has or has had any material interest, direct or indirect, in any transaction since the beginning of the Company’s last completed financial year or in any proposed transaction that has materially affected or will or would materially affect the Company or any of the Company’s affiliates. No member of the Concerned Stakeholder nor any of their respective associates or affiliates has any material interest, direct or indirect, by way of beneficial ownership of securities or otherwise, in any matter to be acted upon at the Annual Meeting, other than setting the number of directors and the election of directors to the Board.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward‐looking statements. All statements contained in this filing that are not clearly historical in nature or that necessarily depend on future events are forward‐looking, and the words “anticipate,” “believe,” “expect,” “estimate,” “plan,” and similar expressions are generally intended to identify forward‐looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations of the Concerned Stakeholder and currently available information. They are not guarantees of future performance, involve certain risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict, and are based upon assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be accurate. All forward-looking statements contained herein are made only as of the date hereof and the Concerned Stakeholder disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any such forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that subsequently occur, or of which the Concerned Stakeholder hereafter becomes aware, except as required by applicable law.

Hashtags: #ShareholderActivism #CorporateGovernance #InvestorProtection #Investor Alert #Investor Fraud #FinancialRegulation #CorporateCrime #FinancialCrime #HomelandSecurity #DHS #OpioidCrisis #OpioidEpidemic #OpioidLitigation #OpioidVictims #BMO #DEA #ONDCP

The MIL Network –

June 12, 2025

MIL-OSI: TruGolf Announces Acquisition of mlSpatial

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Salt Lake City, Utah, June 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — TruGolf Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRUG), a leading golf technology company, has announced that it has executed a definitive agreement to acquire mlSpatial, a renowned AI and machine learning engineering firm. This strategic acquisition aims to advance the integration of artificial intelligence within TruGolf’s industry-leading products, including the Apogee Launch Monitor, Launchbox, Multisport Arcade, and E6 Apex.

The collaboration between TruGolf and mlSpatial began in March 2024 with a licensing agreement to co-develop an AI engine enhancing the 9-axis spin accuracy of TruGolf’s Apogee Launch Monitor. Building upon this successful partnership, the full acquisition of mlSpatial will enable TruGolf to seamlessly incorporate advanced AI technologies across its entire product suite, delivering unparalleled user experiences, training suggestions, and player insights.

“We are very excited to bring mlSpatial and its AI and machine learning technology into the TruGolf family,” said Chris Jones, TruGolf CEO. He continued, “Acquiring mlSpatial marks a significant milestone in our commitment to revolutionize golf simulation through cutting-edge AI integration. This acquisition empowers us to explore innovative applications of AI across our ecosystem, enhancing realism and interactivity for our users while lowering development costs.”

Josh Pomazal, founder of mlSpatial, expressed enthusiasm about the acquisition: “We’re excited to leverage TruGolf’s extensive real-time data, collected daily, to continually refine our products with the advanced machine learning and AI models we’ve developed over the years.”

This acquisition solidifies our deep commitment to innovation and aligns with the broader industry trend of significant investments in AI infrastructure. Notably, in January 2025, President Donald Trump announced a private-sector initiative, the Stargate Project, aiming to invest up to $500 billion in AI infrastructure within the United States. This substantial investment underscores the rapid progress and importance of AI technologies across various sectors.

reuters.com

TruGolf’s acquisition of mlSpatial positions the company at the forefront of AI-driven innovation in golf simulation, promising enhanced performance and immersive experiences for enthusiasts worldwide.

For more information, please visit www.trugolf.com.

About TruGolf Holdings

TruGolf is a golf technology company, committed to making golf, easy. From innovative uses for AI to build content and enhance its image and spatial analysis, to gamified golf improvement plans, TruGolf is an industry leader in the growing technological revolution in the sport of golf. Since its founding, TruGolf has redefined what is possible in golf through technology. TruGolf’s suite of Hardware, Software, and Web Products make it easier to Play, Improve, and Enjoy the game of golf.

Forward-Looking Statements

Some of the statements in this release are forward-looking statements, which involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, whether the Company’s compliance plan will be accepted by Nasdaq and the Company’s expected future cash needs. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable as of the date made, expectations may prove to have been materially different from the results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The Company has attempted to identify forward-looking statements by terminology including ”believes,” ”estimates,” ”anticipates,” ”expects,” ”plans,” ”projects,” ”intends,” ”potential,” ”may,” ”could,” ”might,” ”will,” ”should,” ”approximately” or other words that convey uncertainty of future events or outcomes to identify these forward-looking statements. These statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors. Any forward-looking statements contained in this release speak only as of its date. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this release to reflect events or circumstances occurring after its date or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. More detailed information about the risks and uncertainties affecting the Company is contained under the heading “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequently filed Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the SEC, which are available on the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov.

Media Contacts:

TruGolf: Michael Bacal: Phone: 917-886-9071; mbacal@darrowir.com Web: TruGolf.com LinkedIn: @TruGolf

The MIL Network –

June 12, 2025
MIL-OSI: Siebert Financial Deepens Tech Strategy with FusionIQ Investment

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

NEW YORK, June 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Siebert Financial Corp. (NASDAQ: SIEB) today announced a meaningful investment and strategic partnership with FusionIQ, a leading cloud-native digital wealth management platform. Under the agreement, Siebert will deploy FusionIQ’s technology to enhance its digital offerings and streamline end-to-end investment workflows across its growing client base.

This move aligns with Siebert’s broader strategy to prioritize technology investment and forge strategic alliances to better serve its clients. The partnership enables Siebert to offer modular digital solutions that include hybrid advice, self-directed investing, and multi-custodian integration.

“This partnership marks a pivotal step in reshaping our digital footprint,” said John J. Gebbia, Chief Executive Officer of Siebert Financial Corp. “It’s an investment that is positioning Siebert as a digital-first partner for the next generation of investors.”

“We’re thrilled to integrate FusionIQ’s leading digital wealth management solutions with Siebert’s client offerings,” said John Kimbro, CTO of FusionIQ. “This partnership supports our shared mission to deliver financial freedom to everyone—through intuitive, scalable tools that meet each investor’s unique needs.”

“Our partnership with Siebert Financial Corp. reflects a shared vision for the future of wealth management and investing tools—one that is inclusive, digital, and built for the next generation of investors,” said Eric Noll, CEO of FusionIQ. “With their forward-looking leadership and deep client relationships, Siebert is uniquely positioned to help us expand access to modern investing solutions. This is just the beginning—together, we’ll continue to broaden our reach, enhance our offerings, and redefine how wealth is built and managed in a digital-first world.”

John M. Gebbia, Co-CEO of Muriel Siebert & Co. LLC, added, “We’re thrilled to integrate FusionIQ’s award-winning platform with Siebert. This collaboration accelerates our commitment to delivering personalized, tech-driven experiences to our client base. Our goal is clear: empower clients with tools that reflect today’s expectations and tomorrow’s ambitions.”

About Siebert Financial Corp.
Siebert is a diversified financial services company and has been a member of the NYSE since 1967, when Muriel Siebert became the first woman to own a seat on the NYSE and the first to head one of its member firms.

Siebert operates through its subsidiaries Muriel Siebert & Co., LLC, Siebert AdvisorNXT, LLC, Park Wilshire Companies, Inc., RISE Financial Services, LLC, Siebert Technologies, LLC, and StockCross Digital Solutions, Ltd, and Gebbia Media LLC. Through these entities, Siebert provides a full range of brokerage and financial advisory services, including securities brokerage, investment advisory and insurance offerings, securities lending, and corporate stock plan administration solutions, in addition to entertainment and media productions. For over 55 years, Siebert has been a company that values its clients, shareholders, and employees. More information is available at www.siebert.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
The statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts, including statements about our beliefs and expectations, are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include statements preceded by, followed by, or that include the words “may,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “estimate,” “target,” “project,” “intend” and similar words or expressions. In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, projections, or other characterizations of future events or circumstances are forward-looking statements.

These forward-looking statements, which reflect beliefs, objectives, and expectations as of the date hereof, are based on the best judgment of the management of Siebert. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made. Such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in such statements, including, without limitation, the following: economic, social and political conditions, global economic downturns resulting from extraordinary events; securities industry risks; interest rate risks; liquidity risks; credit risk with clients and counterparties; risk of liability for errors in clearing functions; systemic risk; systems failures, delays and capacity constraints; network security risks; competition; reliance on external service providers; new laws and regulations affecting Siebert’s business; net capital requirements; extensive regulation, regulatory uncertainties and legal matters; failure to maintain relationships with employees, customers, business partners or governmental entities; the inability to achieve synergies or to implement integration plans; and other consequences associated with risks and uncertainties detailed in Part I, Item 1A – Risk Factors of Siebert’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, and Siebert’s filings with the SEC.

Siebert cautions that the foregoing list of factors is not exclusive, and new factors may emerge, or changes to the foregoing factors may occur that could impact its business. Siebert undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise these statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except to the extent required by the federal securities laws.

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

The MIL Network –

June 12, 2025
MIL-OSI: Global Billion Dollar Oncology Industry Experiencing Substantial Growth Driven by Increasing Cancer Incidences

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

PALM BEACH, Fla., June 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FN Media Group News Commentary – The global oncology market is undergoing rapid growth, mainly due to the increasing number of cancer cases around the world. The World Health Organization estimates there will be over 35 million new cancer cases by 2050, a massive 77% increase from the estimated 20 million cases in 2022. This rising occurrence of cancer has been attributed to lifestyle changes in an increasingly geriatric population in both developed countries and emerging economies. Environmental factors such as pollution and the high penetration of microplastics, a potential carcinogen, are also contributing to the growing number of cancer cases. As the global burden of cancer continues to go up, government and private organizations are increasing funding in both healthcare infrastructure and investment into research and development of therapeutics and potential cures for various kinds of cancers. Many federal early detection programs have been launched with large players in the pharmaceutical sector looking to increase the number of clinical trials and drug discovery studies undertaken. These innovations are propelling market expansion, with the sector expected to witness significant growth in the coming years as new technologies and therapies continue to emerge. A new research report from BioSpace, said the global oncology market size was USD 321.19 billion in 2024, and calculated at USD 356.20 billion in 2025 is expected to reach around USD 903.81 billion by 2034, growing at a CAGR of 10.9% for the forecasted period. the development of the global healthcare infrastructure and cancer continuing to be one of the leading causes of death worldwide drives growth in the global oncology market. Active oncology biotech and pharma companies in the markets this week include Oncolytics Biotech^®Inc. (NASDAQ: ONCY) (TSX: ONC), Novartis AG (NYSE: NVS), BioNTech SE (NASDAQ: BNTX), Arvinas, Inc. (NASDAQ: ARVN), Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE).

The report said: “Innovations in cancer treatments include advancements in immunotherapy and precision medicine (which include targeted therapies), and the various applications of artificial intelligence. Some examples of novel oncological treatments include kinase and checkpoint inhibitors, monoclonal antibodies, and CAR-T cell therapy. These therapeutics mobilize the body’s immune system in new ways to fight cancer. As early diagnostic techniques improve, certain kinds of cancers, such as breast cancer, melanoma, and thyroid cancer, can be cured more frequently. Techniques such as liquid biopsy, biomarker-based testing and breakthroughs such as next-generation sequencing (NGS) are enhancing the ability to diagnose cancer at an early stage. As investment continues to grow in the oncology sector, new treatments are expected to improve the remission and survival rates of patients battling this disease and provide a boost to growth in the global oncology market.”

Oncolytics Biotech^®Inc. (NASDAQ: ONCY) (TSX: ONC) Names New CEO to Accelerate Momentum in Immunotherapy Programs — Oncolytics Biotech ^® Inc., ($ONCY $ONC), a leading clinical-stage company specializing in immunotherapy for oncology, today announced the appointment of Jared Kelly as Chief Executive Officer and a member of its Board of Directors.

Mr. Kelly is a successful biotech executive who has proven expertise in transformative deals and corporate strategy. Most recently, he played a central role in orchestrating the sale of Ambrx Biopharma to Johnson & Johnson for $2 billion. Prior to Ambrx, he advised multiple leading-edge biotech companies on M&A and licensing transactions at highly respected law firms, including Lowenstein Sandler LLP and Kirkland & Ellis LLP. He is a JD and LLM graduate of Georgetown Law.

“Mr. Kelly’s vision and track record is an extraordinary fit with the standout clinical data pelareorep has generated to date,” said Wayne Pisano, Chair of Oncolytics’ Board of Directors and outgoing Interim CEO. “We believe Mr. Kelly’s well-documented ability to prioritize clinical program development, execute successful financings, and attract the attention of large industry peers will help maximize Oncolytics’ potential to deliver transformative outcomes for patients and exceptional value for investors.”

Mr. Kelly added, “Pelareorep’s clinical data across multiple tumors is striking and represents the potential for a true backbone immunotherapy to address many in-need indications. Importantly, the data show that pelareorep creates a robust immunologic response in difficult tumors and increases survival in a patient population where survival has historically evaded most patients. With a renewed focus and sharpened clinical development plan, we believe we will move pelareorep forward effectively and efficiently to a place where potential partners will see the value of a de-risked immunotherapy. I am excited to get to work accelerating development and unlocking significant value for stakeholders.”

Pelareorep, an intravenously-administered immunotherapeutic agent, has been granted FDA Fast Track designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (mPDAC) and HR+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer (mBC). It has delivered compelling results in mPDAC, a high-value indication with significant unmet need. In Phase 1 and 2 trials involving more than 140 mPDAC patients, pelareorep has delivered a >60% objective response rate in tumor evaluable patients in the most recent study, which is more than double the benefit observed in historical control trials, and, separately, two-year survival rates 4-6 times those observed in control patients or against the benchmark in prior studies.

In mBC, pelareorep recorded a meaningful survival benefit in two randomized Phase 2 studies of over 100 combined mBC patients, IND-213 and BRACELET-1. Phase 2 objective response rate data in second-line or later unresectable squamous cell carcinoma of the anal canal (SCCA) patients continue to exceed historical data for treatment with a checkpoint inhibitor alone. These consistent efficacy signals, in combination with multiple chemotherapies and checkpoint inhibitors, uniquely position pelareorep as a high-potential asset for further development in-house and/or through strategic partnerships. Pelareorep also has a well-defined and favorable safety profile based on data from >1,100 patients across multiple tumor types.

As a material inducement to Mr. Kelly’s appointment as Chief Executive Officer, and in accordance with NASDAQ Listing Rule 5635(c)(4), Mr. Kelly has been awarded an initial stock option grant exercisable for 2,850,000 shares with an exercise price of CAD$0.57, vesting equally over three years. He also received a performance-based stock option grant exercisable for 1,900,000 shares with an exercise price of CAD$0.57, which will vest upon the achievement of certain financing objectives. All stock option grants have a term of 5 years from the date of grant. The Company also granted Mr. Kelly restricted stock units, which will entitle him to receive that number of Common Shares equal to 2% of the Company’s then outstanding common shares upon the Company entering into a definitive agreement for certain transactions providing for the acquisition of the Company or the exclusive license of pelareorep. Each of these awards is intended to align Mr. Kelly’s long-term incentives with the creation of shareholder value. CONTINUED… Read these full press releases and more news for ONCY at: https://www.financialnewsmedia.com/news-oncy/

Other recent oncology developments in the biotech industry of note include:

Novartis AG (NYSE: NVS) recently announced topline results from a pre-specified interim analysis of the Phase III PSMAddition trial. The trial met its primary endpoint with a statistically significant and clinically meaningful benefit in radiographic progression-free survival (rPFS) with a positive trend in overall survival (OS) in patients with prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-positive metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC) treated with radioligand therapy (RLT), Pluvicto™ (lutetium (177Lu) vipivotide tetraxetan), in combination with standard of care (SoC) versus SoC alone1. In PSMAddition, the SoC is a combination of androgen receptor pathway inhibitor (ARPI) therapy and androgen deprivation therapy (ADT)3.

Almost all mHSPC patients ultimately progress to metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC)4. There is a need for additional treatment options with novel mechanisms of action that further delay progression, prolong OS and improve disease control compared to the current SoC, while showing a favorable safety and tolerability profile.

BioNTech SE (NASDAQ: BNTX) and Bristol Myers Squibb (BMY, “BMS”) recently announced that the companies have entered into an agreement for the global co-development and co-commercialization of BioNTech’s investigational bispecific antibody BNT327 across numerous solid tumor types. Under the agreement, BioNTech and BMS will work jointly to broaden and accelerate the development of this clinical candidate.

BioNTech’s BNT327, a next-generation bispecific antibody candidate targeting PD-L1 and VEGF-A, is currently being evaluated in multiple ongoing trials with more than 1,000 patients treated to date, including global Phase 3 trials with registrational potential evaluating BNT327 as first-line treatment in extensive stage small cell lung cancer (“ES-SCLC”) and non-small cell lung cancer (“NSCLC”). A global Phase 3 trial evaluating the candidate in triple negative breast cancer (“TNBC”) is planned to start by the end of 2025. Preliminary data from ongoing trials underscore the potential for combining anti-PD-L1 and anti-VEGF-A – two well-established therapeutic targets – into a single molecule to deliver synergistic clinical benefits for patients across multiple tumor types.

Arvinas, Inc. (NASDAQ: ARVN) and Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) recently announced detailed results from the Phase 3 VERITAC-2 clinical trial (NCT05654623) evaluating vepdegestrant monotherapy versus fulvestrant in adults with estrogen receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (ER+/HER2-) advanced or metastatic breast cancer (MBC) whose disease progressed following prior treatment with cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 4/6 inhibitors and endocrine therapy. These data, which were highlighted in the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO^®) press briefing and selected for Best of ASCO, will be presented today in a late-breaking oral presentation (Abstract LBA1000) and have been simultaneously published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

In the trial, vepdegestrant demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in progression-free survival (PFS) among patients with an estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1) mutation, reducing the risk of disease progression or death by 43% compared to fulvestrant [Hazard Ratio (HR)=0.57 (95% CI 0.42–0.77); 2-sided P<0.001]. The median PFS, as assessed by blinded independent central review (BICR), was 5.0 months with vepdegestrant versus 2.1 months with fulvestrant. Investigator-assessed PFS was consistent with the BICR-assessed PFS. In patients with ESR1 mutations, vepdegestrant demonstrated a consistent PFS benefit over fulvestrant across all pre-specified subgroups. The trial did not reach statistical significance in improvement in PFS in the intent-to-treat (ITT) population, with a median PFS of 3.7 months for vepdegestrant versus 3.6 for fulvestrant [HR=0.83 (95% CI 0.68–1.02); 2-sided P=0.07].

About FN Media Group:

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

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

Contact Information:

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

SOURCE: FN Media Group

The MIL Network –

June 12, 2025
MIL-OSI: Draganfly Announces Pricing of US$13.75 Million Public Offering

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Saskatoon, SK., June 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Draganfly Inc. (NASDAQ: DPRO) (CSE: DPRO) (FSE: 3U8A) (“Draganfly” or the “Company”), a drone solutions, and systems developer, today announced the pricing of its public offering (the “Offering”) of 5,500,000 units, with each unit consisting of one common share and one warrant to purchase one common share. Each unit is to be sold at a public offering price of US$2.50, for gross proceeds of approximately US$13.75 million, before deducting placement agent discounts and offering expenses. The warrants will have an exercise price of CA$5.0768 (or US$3.71) per share, are exercisable immediately and will expire five years following the date of issuance.

Maxim Group LLC is acting as sole placement agent for the Offering.

Draganfly currently intends to use the net proceeds from the Offering for general corporate purposes, including to fund its capabilities to meet demand for its new products including growth initiatives and/or for working capital requirements including the continuing development and marketing of the Company’s core products, potential acquisitions and research and development. The Offering is expected to close on or about June 12, 2025, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

The Offering is subject to customary closing conditions including receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals, including approval of the Canadian Securities Exchange and notification to the Nasdaq Stock Market.

The Offering is being made pursuant to an effective shelf registration statement on Form F-10, as amended, (File No. 333-271498) previously filed with and subsequently declared effective by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on July 5, 2023 and the Company’s Canadian short form base shelf prospectus dated June 30, 2023 (the “Base Shelf Prospectus”). Draganfly will offer and sell the securities in the United States only. No securities will be offered or sold to Canadian purchasers.

A preliminary prospectus supplement and accompanying Base Shelf Prospectus relating to the Offering and describing the terms thereof has been filed with the applicable securities commissions in Canada and with the SEC in the United States and is available for free by visiting the Company’s profiles on the SEDAR+ website maintained by the Canadian Securities Administrators at www.sedarplus.ca or the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov, as applicable. A final prospectus supplement with the final terms will be filed with the securities regulatory authorities in the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Ontario and the SEC. Copies of the preliminary prospectus supplements, accompanying Base Shelf Prospectus, and final prospectus supplement, when available, relating to the Offering may be obtained by contacting Maxim Group LLC, at 300 Park Avenue, 16th Floor, New York, NY 10022, Attention: Syndicate Department, or by telephone at (212) 895-3745 or by email at syndicate@maximgrp.com.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or other jurisdiction.

About Draganfly

Draganfly Inc. (NASDAQ: DPRO; CSE: DPRO; FSE: 3U8A) is a pioneer in drone solutions, AI-driven software, and robotics. With over 25 years of innovation, Draganfly has been at the forefront of drone technology, providing solutions for public safety, agriculture, industrial inspections, security, mapping, and surveying. The Company is committed to delivering efficient, reliable, and industry-leading technology that helps organizations save time, money, and lives.

Media Contact
media@draganfly.com

Company Contact
Email: info@draganfly.com

Forward Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this news release may constitute “forward-looking statements” or “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Such statements, based as they are on the current expectations of management, inherently involve numerous important risks, uncertainties and assumptions, known and unknown. In this news release, such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the timing, size and expected gross proceeds of the Offering, the satisfaction of customary closing conditions related to the Offering and sale of securities, the intended use of proceeds, and Draganfly’s ability to complete the Offering. Closing of the Offering is subject to numerous factors, many of which are beyond Draganfly’s control, including but not limited to, the failure of the parties to satisfy certain closing conditions, and other important factors disclosed previously and from time to time in Draganfly’s filings with the securities regulatory authorities in the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Ontario and Saskatchewan and with the SEC. Actual future events may differ from the anticipated events expressed in such forward-looking statements. Draganfly believes that expectations represented by forward-looking statements are reasonable, yet there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. The reader should not place undue reliance, if any, on any forward-looking statements included in this news release. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made, and Draganfly is under no obligation and disavows any intention to update publicly or revise such statements as a result of any new information, future event, circumstances or otherwise, unless required by applicable securities laws.‎ Investors are cautioned not to unduly rely on these forward-looking statements and are encouraged to read the Offering documents, as well as Draganfly’s continuous disclosure documents, including its current annual information form, as well as its audited annual consolidated financial statements which are available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov/edgar.

The MIL Network –

June 12, 2025
MIL-OSI: Envoy Medical to Present at the Life Sciences Virtual Investor Forum June 12th
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

WHITE BEAR LAKE, Minn., June 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Envoy Medical^®, Inc. (NASDAQ: COCH) (“Envoy Medical”), a revolutionary hearing health company focused on fully implanted hearing devices that leverage the ear’s natural anatomy, today announced that Brent Lucas, CEO of Envoy Medical, will present live at the Life Sciences Virtual Investor Frum hosted by VirtualInvestorConferences.com, on June 12^th, 2025.

DATE: June 12^th
TIME: 3pm Eastern
LINK: REGISTER HERE
Available for 1×1 meetings: June 12^th through the 17^th

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

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

Learn more about the event at www.virtualinvestorconferences.com.

Recent Company Highlights
- June 10, 2025 – Envoy Medical’s Pivotal Clinical Trial for Fully-Implanted Acclaim^® Cochlear Implant On Track After First Month Follow Up
- May 13, 2025 – Envoy Medical Achieves Clinical Trial Milestone and is Optimistic About Expansion into Final Stage of Trial
About Virtual Investor Conferences^®

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

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

About Envoy Medical, Inc.

Envoy Medical (NASDAQ: COCH) is a hearing health company focused on providing innovative technologies across the hearing loss spectrum. Envoy Medical has pioneered one-of-a-kind, fully implanted devices for hearing loss, including its fully implanted Esteem^® active middle ear implant, commercially available in the U.S. since 2010, and the fully implanted Acclaim^® cochlear implant, an investigational device. Envoy Medical is dedicated to pushing hearing technology beyond the status quo to improve access, usability, compliance, and ultimately quality of life.

About the Fully Implanted Acclaim^® Cochlear Implant

We believe the fully implanted Acclaim Cochlear Implant (“Acclaim CI”) is a first-of-its-kind hearing device. Envoy Medical’s fully implanted technology includes a sensor designed to leverage the natural anatomy of the ear instead of a microphone to capture sound. The device is powered by a rechargeable battery and has an external charger to charge the internal device when necessary. In addition, patients are given an external remote or programmer to adjust settings or turn the device on or off.

The Acclaim CI is designed to address severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss that is not adequately addressed by hearing aids. The Acclaim CI is expected to be indicated for adults who have been deemed adequate candidates by a qualified physician.

The Acclaim Cochlear Implant received the Breakthrough Device Designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2019.

For more information on the trial, investors can visit clinicaltrials.gov or www.envoymedical.com/acclaim-pivotal.

CAUTION The fully implanted Acclaim Cochlear Implant is an investigational device. Limited by Federal (or United States) law to investigational use.

About the Esteem^® Fully Implanted Active Middle Ear Implant (FI-AMEI)

The Esteem fully implanted active middle ear implant (FI-AMEI) is the only FDA-approved, fully implanted hearing device for adults diagnosed with moderate to severe sensorineural hearing loss allowing for 24/7 hearing capability using the ear’s natural anatomy. The Esteem FI-AMEI hearing implant is invisible and requires no externally worn components and nothing is placed in the ear canal for it to function. Unlike hearing aids, you never put it on or take it off. You can’t lose it. You don’t clean it. The Esteem FI-AMEI hearing implant offers true 24/7 hearing. Patients are given an external remote or “personal programmer” to adjust volume, switch between hearing profiles, or turn the device on or off.

Important safety information for the Esteem FI-AMEI can be found at: https://www.envoymedical.com/safety-information.

Additional Information and Where to Find It

Copies of the documents filed by Envoy Medical with the SEC may be obtained free of charge at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-Looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as “estimate,” “plan,” “project,” “forecast,” “intend,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “seek,” “target” or other similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Such statements may include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the expectations of Envoy Medical concerning the outlook for its business, productivity, plans and goals for future operational improvements and capital investments; the timing and results of IRB approvals, site documents, logistics or activations, enrollments, follow-up visits, data, and clinical trials of the Acclaim CI, and the participation or any changes in participation of any subjects, institutions or healthcare professionals in such trials; the Acclaim CI being the first to market fully implanted cochlear implant; the safety, performance, and market acceptance of the Acclaim CI; and any information concerning possible or assumed future operations of Envoy Medical. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release reflect Envoy Medical’s current views about future events and are subject to numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and changes in circumstances that may cause its actual results to differ significantly from those expressed in any forward-looking statement. Envoy Medical does not guarantee that the events described will happen as described (or that they will happen at all). These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to changes in the market price of shares of Envoy Medical’s Class A Common Stock; changes in or removal of Envoy Medical’s shares inclusion in any index; Envoy Medical’s success in retaining or recruiting, or changes required in, its officers, key employees or directors; unpredictability in the medical device industry, the regulatory process to approve medical devices, and the clinical development process of Envoy Medical products; competition in the medical device industry, and the failure to introduce new products and services in a timely manner or at competitive prices to compete successfully against competitors; disruptions in relationships with Envoy Medical’s suppliers, or disruptions in Envoy Medical’s own production capabilities for some of the key components and materials of its products; changes in the need for capital and the availability of financing and capital to fund these needs; changes in interest rates or rates of inflation; legal, regulatory and other proceedings could be costly and time-consuming to defend; changes in applicable laws or regulations, or the application thereof on Envoy Medical; a loss of any of Envoy Medical’s key intellectual property rights or failure to adequately protect intellectual property rights; the effects of catastrophic events, including war, terrorism and other international conflicts; and other risks and uncertainties set forth in the section entitled “Risk Factors” and “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements” in the Annual Report on Form 10-K filed by Envoy Medical on March 31, 2025, and in other reports Envoy Medical files, with the SEC. If any of these risks materialize or Envoy Medical’s assumptions prove incorrect, actual results could differ materially from the results implied by these forward-looking statements. While forward-looking statements reflect Envoy Medical’s good faith beliefs, they are not guarantees of future performance. Envoy Medical disclaims any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement to reflect changes in underlying assumptions or factors, new information, data or methods, future events or other changes after the date of this press release, except as required by applicable law. You should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which are based only on information currently available to Envoy Medical.

About Virtual Investor Conferences^®

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

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

CONTACTS:
Envoy Medical Investor Contact
Phil Carlson
KCSA Strategic Communications
212.896.1233
Envoy@kcsa.com

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

The MIL Network –
June 12, 2025

MIL-OSI: Robinhood Markets, Inc. Reports May 2025 Operating Data

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

MENLO PARK, Calif., June 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Robinhood Markets, Inc. (“Robinhood”) (NASDAQ: HOOD) today reported select monthly operating data for May 2025.

Funded Customers at the end of May were 25.9 million (up about 5 thousand from April 2025, up 1.8 million year-over-year). In May, Funded Customers grew by approximately 5 thousand after the impact of required escheatment of approximately 100 thousand low-balance accounts.
Total Platform Assets at the end of May were $255 billion (up 10% from April 2025, up 89% year-over-year). Net Deposits were $3.5 billion in May, or a 18% annualized growth rate relative to April 2025 Total Platform Assets. Over the last twelve months, Net Deposits were $59.1 billion, or an annual growth rate of 44% relative to May 2024 Total Platform Assets.
Equity Notional Trading Volumes were $180.5 billion (up 14% from April 2025, up 108% year-over-year). Options Contracts Traded were 179.8 million (up 7% from April 2025, up 36% year-over-year). Crypto Notional Trading Volumes were $11.7 billion (up 36% from April 2025, up 65% year-over-year).
Margin balances at the end of May were $9.0 billion (up 7% from the end of April 2025, up 100% year-over-year).
Total Cash Sweep balances at the end of May were $30.8 billion (up 7% from the end of April 2025, up 52% year-over-year).
Total Securities Lending Revenue in May was $33 million (up 32% from April 2025, up 43% year-over-year).
May 2025 results do not include the benefit of the Bitstamp acquisition which closed on June 2, 2025, including its approximately 500 thousand funded customers.

	May 2025	April 2025	M/M Change	May 2024	Y/Y Change
(M – in millions, B – in billions)
Funded Customer Growth (M)
Funded Customers	25.9	25.9	–	24.1	+7%

Asset Growth ($B)
Total Platform Assets	$255.3	$232.3	+10%	$135.0	+89%
Net Deposits¹	$3.5	$6.8	NM	$3.6	NM

Trading
Trading Days (Equities and Options)	21	21	–	22	(5%)
Total Trading Volumes
Equity ($B)	$180.5	$157.8	+14%	$86.8	+108%
Options Contracts (M)	179.8	167.5	+7%	131.9	+36%
Crypto ($B)	$11.7	$8.6	+36%	$7.1	+65%

Daily Average Revenue Trades (DARTs) (M)
Equity	2.3	2.3	–	2.0	+15%
Options	1.2	1.2	–	0.8	+50%
Crypto	0.5	0.5	–	0.3	+67%

Customer Margin and Cash Sweep ($B)
Margin Book	$9.0	$8.4	+7%	$4.5	+100%
Total Cash Sweep	$30.8	$28.9	+7%	$20.3	+52%
Gold Cash Sweep	$28.8	$26.9	+7%	$19.6	+47%
Non-Gold Cash Sweep	$2.0	$2.0	–	$0.7	186%

Total Securities Lending Revenue ($M)	$33	$25	+32%	$23	+43%

Note: Does not reflect the acquisition of Bitstamp, which closed on June 2, 2025.

1. Net Deposits do not include results from TradePMR.

For definitions and additional information regarding these metrics, please refer to Robinhood’s full monthly metrics release, which is available on investors.robinhood.com.

The information in this release is unaudited and the information for the months in the most recent fiscal quarter is preliminary, based on Robinhood’s estimates, and subject to completion of financial closing procedures. Final results for the most recent fiscal quarter, as reported in Robinhood’s quarterly and annual filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), might vary from the information in this release.

About Robinhood

Robinhood Markets, Inc. (NASDAQ: HOOD) transformed financial services by introducing commission-free stock trading and democratizing access to the markets for millions of investors. Today, Robinhood lets you trade stocks, options, futures (which includes options on futures, swaps, and event contracts), and crypto, invest for retirement, and earn with Robinhood Gold. Headquartered in Menlo Park, California, Robinhood puts customers in the driver’s seat, delivering unprecedented value and products intentionally designed for a new generation of investors. Additional information about Robinhood can be found at www.robinhood.com.

Robinhood uses the “Overview” tab of its Investor Relations website (accessible at investors.robinhood.com/overview) and its Newsroom (accessible at newsroom.aboutrobinhood.com), as means of disclosing information to the public in a broad, non-exclusionary manner for purposes of the SEC Regulation Fair Disclosure (Reg. FD). Investors should routinely monitor those web pages, in addition to Robinhood’s press releases, SEC filings, and public conference calls and webcasts, as information posted on them could be deemed to be material information.

“Robinhood” and the Robinhood feather logo are registered trademarks of Robinhood Markets, Inc. All other names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

Contacts

Investor Relations
ir@robinhood.com

Media
press@robinhood.com

The MIL Network –

June 12, 2025

MIL-OSI Russia: Arab League Secretary General welcomes Western sanctions against Israeli ministers

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

CAIRO, June 11 (Xinhua) — Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Abu al-Gheit on Wednesday welcomed the joint decision of five Western countries to impose sanctions on two Israeli ministers.

Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich have been banned from entering Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom for repeatedly inciting violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, the five countries’ foreign ministers announced Tuesday.

In a statement issued by the Arab League on Wednesday, Abu al-Gheit called the ban “important” because it holds officials in the occupying government accountable for engaging in “clear incitement to violence” and condoning Israeli settlers who attack Palestinians in the West Bank with impunity.

According to the Secretary-General, the sanctions expose the criminal actions of far-right government officials who have committed war crimes and large-scale violations of international humanitarian law in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

The move is an important step towards changing the international position on war crimes against Palestinians and taking practical steps to hold those responsible accountable, the statement said. –0–

MIL OSI Russia News –

June 12, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Hongkong Post to issue “Intangible Cultural Heritage – Paper Crafting Technique” special stamps (with photos)

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Hongkong Post to issue “Intangible Cultural Heritage – Paper Crafting Technique” special stamps
Inscribed onto the first Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Hong Kong in 2017, the paper crafting technique is a folk art with a long history. Utilising materials such as bamboo, bamboo splints, iron wires, rice paper strips and fabric, paper craft masters create a variety of products through four major steps, namely frame creation, paper mounting, painting decorative patterns and decorating. These paper craft products are used for folk festivals, as decorations, or as offerings in religious ceremonies.

To promote this intangible cultural heritage of Hong Kong, Hongkong Post will issue a set of four stamps, two stamp sheetlets and associated philatelic products on the theme of “Intangible Cultural Heritage – Paper Crafting Technique” to enhance public knowledge of this traditional craftsmanship.

Official first day covers for “Intangible Cultural Heritage – Paper Crafting Technique” will be on sale at all post offices and Hongkong Post’s online shopping mall ShopThruPost (shopthrupost.hongkongpost.hk
A hand-back date-stamping service will be provided on June 26 at all post offices for official first day covers/souvenir covers/privately made covers bearing the first day of issue indication and a local address.

Information about this set of special stamps and associated philatelic products is available on the Hongkong Post Stamps website (stamps.hongkongpost.hkIssued at HKT 11:07

NNNN

CategoriesMIL-OSI

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

June 12, 2025

MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ19: Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Following is a question by Dr the Hon Dennis Lam and a written reply by the Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, in the Legislative Council today (June 11):

Question:

At present, the Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates (IANG) adopt a “2+3+3” year mode of stay. It is learnt that earlier this year, some of those who were admitted to Hong Kong for employment through IANG (e.g. those whose employment contracts were about to expire) were unable to obtain three-year visa renewals smoothly when extending their stay. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the respective numbers of first applications for IANG and applications for extension of stay under IANG received, approved and rejected by the Immigration Department (ImmD), as well as the number of persons who were admitted to Hong Kong as dependants under IANG in the past three years;

(2) of the following information on the full-time employment of the persons who have been granted IANG visas and their dependants mentioned in (1): (i) the major industries and job types in which they are engaged, and (ii) the highest, lowest and median amounts of monthly salaries;

(3) whether it has assessed the long-term effectiveness of IANG in attracting and retaining talent; if it has assessed, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(4) whether ImmD has made any adjustment to the vetting and approval of applications for extension of stay by IANG visa holders at present; if so, of the details; if not, why some IANG visa holders have relayed that their applications for extension of stay have only been granted for a few months; and

(5) whether it has considered providing transitional support (e.g. arranging short-term accommodation and setting up a dedicated recruitment website, etc) for persons who have just been granted IANG visas in the future, so as to assist them in adapting the live in Hong Kong; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

Applicants who are/were non-local students and have obtained an undergraduate or higher qualification in a full-time and locally-accredited programme in Hong Kong may apply to stay/return and work in Hong Kong under the Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates (IANG). The Government has extended the IANG on a pilot basis to cover graduates with a bachelor’s degree or higher qualification from Hong Kong universities’ campuses in Mainland cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).

After consultation with the Immigration Department and the Labour and Welfare Bureau, our consolidated replies to Dr the Hon Dennis Lam’s questions are as follows:

(1) The numbers of applications received, approved and refused under the IANG in the past three years are tabulated below:

Type of Applications		2022	2023	2024
New applications	Number of applications received	10 936	27 295	26 973
	Number of applications approved	10 391	26 089	25 475
	Number of applications refused	21	16	24
Extension of stay applications	Number of applications received	11 032	11 637	6 985
	Number of applications approved	10 619	11 189	6 592
	Number of applications refused	6	20	53
Dependant application	Number of applications approved	1 851	4 702	6 600

Note: Applications approved/refused in a year may not all be received in the same year.

(2) At present, over 90 per cent of those coming to or staying in Hong Kong under the IANG are fresh graduates. They are not required to have secured offers of employment in Hong Kong upon application. However, when applying for an extension of stay, they are required to have taken up employment in Hong Kong that are at the levels commonly taken up by degree holders and the remuneration packages are on par with the market level. For those who have established or joined in business in Hong Kong, they are required to produce proof of their business upon application for an extension of stay.

The breakdown of the numbers of approved applications for an extension of stay under the IANG by industry/sector is tabulated below:

Industry/sector	2022	2023	2024
Financial services	4 298	4 338	2 834
Academic research and education	1 407	1 873	863
Commerce and trade	1 611	1 312	818
Information technology	495	477	241
Telecommunications	209	351	194
Engineering and construction	211	264	173
Legal services	164	196	111
Medical and healthcare services	124	136	104
Architecture/Surveying	97	112	60
Manufacturing industries	29	70	52
Tourism	25	47	39
Catering services	34	41	24
Arts/Culture	46	49	20
Recreation and sports	26	21	14
Traditional Chinese medicine	8	16	10
Biotechnology	32	40	8
Others	1 803	1 846	1 027
Total	10 619	11 189	6 592

The Immigration Department does not maintain other breakdowns of statistics mentioned in the question.

(3) Since its launch in 2008, the IANG has received positive response and helped Hong Kong attract and retain talent as well as expanding the talent pool. As at the end of April 2025, a total of 177 567 applications have been received. Among them, 172 043 applications have been approved, with over 90 per cent being recent non-local graduates and 2 825 applications coming from the graduates of the GBA campuses of Hong Kong universities. The statistics on entrants admitted to Hong Kong under the IANG who eventually acquired the right of abode in the past five years are tabulated as follows:

Admission policy/scheme	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024
IANG	3 117	3 449	3 495	4 441	4 128

Note: The figures are based on the applicants’ status in Hong Kong at the time of application for the right of abode.

With the development of the GBA, it has become a trend for Hong Kong universities to set up campuses in Mainland cities of the GBA through joint ventures, and their graduates will become an important source of talent in the GBA. Starting from the end of 2022, the Government has extended the IANG on a pilot basis to cover graduates with a bachelor’s degree or higher qualification from Hong Kong universities’ campuses in Mainland cities of the GBA, so as to attract outstanding talent from these institutions to come to Hong Kong for employment and further boost Hong Kong’s human resources and competitiveness. The Chief Executive announced in his Policy Address 2024 to extend the pilot arrangement for two years. This measure not only fosters the exchange of talents in the GBA, but also meets the needs of economic development in the GBA. We will continue to monitor the implementation of the IANG, particularly the response to the inclusion of graduates of Hong Kong universities’ GBA campuses under the IANG, and review its effectiveness in due course.

(4) Upon applying for an extension of stay by persons admitted under the IANG, non-local graduates/GBA campus graduates are required to have taken up employment in Hong Kong which is at a level commonly taken up by degree holders and the remuneration package is at the market level. For those who have established or joined in a business in Hong Kong, they are required to produce proof of their business. When assessing an application for an extension of stay, various factors related to the applicant’s employment or business conditions will be considered, including but not limited to the remuneration package or the operation and development of the business, the economic benefits brought by the employment or business, and the duration of stay in Hong Kong, etc. Successful applicants will normally be granted an extension of stay on time limitation only without other conditions of stay for not more than three years, or until the expiry of their employment contract in Hong Kong, whichever is the shorter. For those who have established or joined in a business in Hong Kong, the length of their extension of stay to be granted will be determined based on the comprehensive consideration of the operating conditions of the relevant business.

(5) Since its establishment on October 30, 2023, the Hong Kong Talent Engage (HKTE) has been providing comprehensive one-stop support to talents coming to or staying in Hong Kong under various talent admission schemes (including the IANG) through both online and offline means. Apart from providing comprehensive information on living and working in Hong Kong as well as handling enquiries from outside talent through its online platform (www.hkengage.gov.hk), the HKTE organises with working partners a variety of online and offline activities such as job fairs, themed seminars, workshops (including Cantonese learning classes) and social integration activities (including the Talent+ Volunteer Programme) to share information on entrepreneurship, employment as well as other living tips and to facilitate the incoming talent to settle in Hong Kong and integrate into the city as soon as possible. The online platform features about 5 000 real-time quality job opportunities daily for which talent can apply directly through the platform. Moreover, the online platform is connected to about 90 designated working partners of the HKTE to provide recommendations and services in areas such as job seeking, accommodation, education, integrated settlement, banking and insurance, business and corporate as well as networking and community, etc through online matching tools.

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

June 12, 2025

MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ11: Academic staff members of universities funded by University Grants Committee

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Following is a question by Professor the Hon Chow Man-kong and a written reply by the Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, in the Legislative Council today (June 11):

Question:

Regarding the academic staff members of universities funded by the University Grants Committee, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) whether it knows the numbers of newly-joined academic staff members (including but not limited to (i) senior academic staff, (ii) junior academic staff, (iii) academic supporting staff, (iv) administrative, technical and other staff, and (v) technical research staff) of the eight universities funded by the University Grants Committee (the eight universities) in each of the past three academic years, as well as their respective percentages in the academic staff members of the respective ranks, together with a breakdown by (A) university, (B) academic programme/department (including but not limited to (I) Medicine, Dentistry and Health, (II) Sciences and (III) Education and Continuing Education), and (C) background of relevant academic staff members (i.e. (a) holders of Hong Kong Permanent Identity Cards, and (b) holders of visas granted by the Immigration Department under the Top Talent Pass Scheme, General Employment Policy and Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates, etc);

(2) whether it knows the numbers of academic staff members of the eight universities who left the service (including but not limited to those mentioned in (i) to (v) in (1)) in each of the past three academic years, as well as their respective percentages in the academic staff members of the respective ranks, together with a breakdown by (A) to (C) mentioned in (1));

(3) regarding the departure situation mentioned in (2), whether it knows the reasons for departure of the academic staff members of the eight universities in each of the past three academic years (e.g. retirement, transfer to another local university, change of profession and other reasons), and whether it has analysed their departure trends, together with a breakdown by university; and

(4) as there are views that as the United States (US) has further tightened its visa policy on non-US academics as well as research and development (R&D) personnel, and the relevant countries in the European Union have also introduced measures one after another to “trawl talent”, whether the authorities will introduce stronger and more effective measures to attract such people to engage in R&D work in Hong Kong, so as to develop Hong Kong into an international hub for high-calibre talent; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

Our reply to Professor the Hon Chow Man-kong’s question is as follows:

Hong Kong’s overall competitiveness in education ranks among the top five in the world, and our post-secondary education is highly internationalised and diversified. To date, five University Grants Committee (UGC)-funded universities have been ranked among the top 100 in the world, six are ranked among the top 50 in Asia, a number of them have been ranked among the top universities in the world’s most international universities ranking, and they have excellent research talent, which make them attractive to students and scholars from all over the world. The universities are recruiting globally following their institutional development strategies and their teaching and research needs, so as to continuously enhance their global competitiveness. Under the leadership of the Committee on Education, Technology and Talents led by the Chief Secretary for Administration, the Government will continue to promote Hong Kong as an international hub for high-calibre talent, co-ordinate and drive the integrated development of education, technology and talent, expand connections, formulate policies to attract and cultivate talent, and foster the co-ordinated development of technologies, so as to strengthen Hong Kong’s position as an international post-secondary education hub and an international innovation and technology centre.

Over the past years, with the Government’s increased investment in higher education and the introduction of various support measures, the staff number in academic departments of the UGC-funded universities has increased by 4.5 per cent from 13 548 in the 2021/22 academic year (AY) to 14 161 in the 2023/24 AY, with an increase of 8.5 per cent in the number of senior and junior academic staff from 4 974 to 5 398. The number of leaving academic staff has also dropped from 399 to 378. Overall, Hong Kong’s higher education institutions are proactively pursuing the goal of capacity expansion and quality enhancement, and have achieved certain success in recruiting and retaining talent.

The actual numbers of staff in the academic departments of universities by staff grade, university and departmental cost centre group are at Annex I. The numbers of senior/junior academic staff joining and leaving are at Annex II and Annex III respectively. We do not have a breakdown of the number of intake and departure of academic supporting staff, administrative, technical, and other staff and technical research staff, as well as a breakdown of the background of the staff or the reasons for departure, such as retirement, completion of contract, transfer to other local universities, etc.

In the light of the changes in the global higher education landscape, the Education Bureau (EDB) has promptly called on all universities in Hong Kong to introduce facilitation measures for affected students and scholars with a view to safeguarding their legitimate rights and interests, while attracting top talent in accordance with their diversified admissions and talent policies. The EDB is pleased to see that local universities are responding proactively and closely monitoring the situation, fully utilising the Government’s facilitation initiatives that support the capacity expansion and quality enhancement of post-secondary institutions in Hong Kong.

We will continue to keep a close eye on the development and accordingly consider support measures for them in a holistic approach so as to give full play to Hong Kong’s role as an international post-secondary education hub. Apart from the recruitment measures of the institutions, the Government attracts more top talent to pursue their studies in Hong Kong through a range of initiatives, including doubling the cap on non-local students in publicly funded post-secondary institutions to 40 per cent, increasing scholarship quotas, and gradually increasing the number of places under the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme. We remain committed to pursuing various policies and initiatives, fostering networks and partnerships at the national, regional, and; international levels, and will continue to work collaboratively with stakeholders to promote the “Study in Hong Kong” brand. These efforts align with the national strategies to invigorate the country through science and education, cultivate high-calibre talent, and advance innovation and development, thereby contributing to meeting the needs of our nation.

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

June 12, 2025

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