Category: Politics

  • MIL-OSI: 96% of Enterprises are Expanding Use of AI Agents, According to Latest Data from Cloudera

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SANTA CLARA, Calif., April 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Cloudera, the only true hybrid platform for data, analytics, and AI, released the findings of its latest survey report, “The Future of Enterprise AI Agents.” The survey polled nearly 1,500 enterprise IT leaders across 14 countries to understand their adoption patterns, use cases, and sentiments around AI agents. Results show an overwhelming 96% of respondents have plans to expand their use of AI agents in the next 12 months, with half aiming for significant, organization-wide expansion. The applications for this deployment include performance optimization bots (66%), security monitoring agents (63%), and development assistants (62%).

    For business and IT leaders alike, agentic AI marks a new frontier—moving beyond traditional automation to systems that can reason, act, and adapt in real-time. When implemented effectively, these intelligent agents unlock operational agility, drive cost savings, and dramatically improve customer engagement. As a result, AI agents are quickly becoming a key source of competitive advantage, with 83% of organizations stating that investing in them is crucial to maintaining their edge in the market.

    In addition to the benefits of the technology, Cloudera’s survey answered some of the biggest questions around agentic AI, including:

    • How widely is this being adopted? Adoption is already underway. A majority (57%) of enterprise IT leaders report they’ve implemented AI agents in the past two years—21% in just the last year—signaling rapid momentum that’s only expected to grow.
    • How are organizations deploying agents? Two-thirds (66%) are building agents on enterprise AI infrastructure platforms, while 60% are leveraging agentic capabilities embedded in existing core applications. This hybrid approach reflects a clear preference for scalable, secure, and close-to-data deployments.
    • What’s getting in the way? The top three barriers are data privacy (53%), integration with legacy systems (40%), and high implementation costs (39%). These pain points all stem from a common root: the need for robust, unified data management and governance.
    • Where should companies begin? Start with a contained, high-impact project—such as an internal IT support agent. These “fast-to-value” use cases help teams prove ROI, build internal confidence, and lay the foundation for broader, scaled deployments.

    “AI agents have moved beyond experimentation—they’re now delivering real automation, efficiency, and business results. We’re seeing enterprises run hundreds of models in production, all demanding high-fidelity, well-managed data to drive better outcomes,” said Abhas Ricky, Chief Strategy Officer, Cloudera. “In 2025, agentic AI is taking center stage, building on the momentum of generative AI but with even greater operational impact. Cloudera is enabling this transformation through a robust Enterprise AI Ecosystem, helping global organizations design secure, scalable, and integrated AI workflows that turn data into action.”

    Cloudera’s report also addresses what enterprises are actually doing with AI agents. The top use cases vary by industry, shaped by the specific needs and priorities of each sector:

    • Finance & Insurance: Fraud detection (56%), risk assessment (44%), and investment advisory (38%) are the leading use cases. AI agents are flagging suspicious transactions in real time, simulating market scenarios to evaluate risk, and supporting advisors with personalized investment suggestions.
    • Manufacturing: Top applications include process automation (49%), supply chain optimization (48%), and quality control (47%). Agents are monitoring production lines to catch defects early, rerouting logistics to avoid delays, and streamlining repetitive tasks to improve efficiency.
    • Healthcare: Appointment scheduling (51%), diagnostic assistance (50%), and medical records processing (47%) are the most common use cases. AI agents are reducing admin burden by coordinating schedules, surfacing relevant EMR data, and helping clinicians identify conditions in imaging data.
    • Telecommunications: The telecoms industry is seeing substantial innovation fueled by AI. Customer support bots (49%), customer experience agents (44%), and security monitoring agents (49%) are key deployments. Agents are resolving service issues instantly, flagging at-risk customers using behavior data, and protecting networks from emerging threats.

    To download the full report, click here.

    About Cloudera
    Cloudera is a hybrid platform for data, analytics, and AI. With 100x more data under management than other cloud-only vendors, Cloudera empowers global enterprises to transform data of all types, on any public or private cloud, into valuable, trusted insights. Our open data lakehouse delivers scalable and secure data management with portable cloud-native analytics, enabling customers to bring GenAI models to their data while maintaining privacy and ensuring responsible, reliable AI deployments. The world’s largest brands in financial services, insurance, media, manufacturing, and government rely on Cloudera to use their data to solve what once seemed impossible—today and in the future. 

    To learn more, visit Cloudera.com and follow us on LinkedIn and X. Cloudera and associated marks are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cloudera, Inc. All other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

    Contact
    Jess Hohn-Cabana
    cloudera@v2comms.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese economy firms up recovery in Q1, ready to navigate uncertainties

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    China’s economy started 2025 on solid footing, bolstered by a structural shift toward domestic demand and innovation, positioning the country to better weather global uncertainties.

    The country’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew 5.4% year on year to 31.8758 trillion yuan (about $4.42 trillion) in the first quarter of 2025, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed Wednesday.

    China’s GDP grew 5% year on year in 2024 and the country has targeted its full-year economic growth at around 5% for this year.

    The country’s economy delivered a strong start in the first quarter, ranking among the highest of the world’s major economies, Sheng Laiyun, deputy head of the NBS, told a press conference Wednesday.

    At the same time, Sheng cautioned that the external environment has become increasingly complex and challenging, with a rapid rise in global trade protectionism and growing strains on the international economic order.

    China has made thorough policy preparations to address external changes, Sheng said, noting that a series of targeted marco policies have already taken effects and that more incremental policies will be introduced as needed to mitigate external shocks.

    SOLID START

    Highlighting broad-based improvements across key indicators, Sheng pointed out that value-added industrial output expanded 6.5% year on year. In March alone, the industrial output grew 7.7% from one year earlier.

    During the period, fixed-asset investment went up 4.2% year on year, with investment in infrastructure construction rising 5.8%, and manufacturing investment increasing 9.1%, according to the NBS data.

    Retail sales of consumer goods, a major indicator of the country’s consumption strength, gained 4.6% year on year.

    Supported by targeted policies to boost consumption, service-related spending also picked up pace. In the first quarter, retail sales of services grew 5% year on year, outpacing goods retail by 0.4 percentage points.

    Wednesday’s data also showed that the country’s per capita disposable income increased by 5.5% year on year in nominal terms to 12,179 yuan in Q1, with the employment situation remaining stable.

    Sheng credited these improvements to decisive policy support, local-level responsiveness, and the rapid buildup of innovation-driven momentum.

    Noting that China’s massive market, backed by a population of 1.4 billion and a per capita GDP exceeding $13,000, offers substantial room for both consumption and investment, Sheng said this strong domestic demand potential will continue to support the country’s sustained economic growth.

    FASTER UPGRADE

    China has been steadily advancing structural upgrading and high-quality development, with its growth model shifting fundamentally from one driven by investment and exports to one increasingly powered by domestic demand and innovation, Sheng stressed.

    Over the past five years, domestic demand has contributed more than 80% of the country’s economic growth on average, he added.

    As part of its move to make domestic demand the main engine and anchor of economic growth, China unveiled a targeted consumption-boosting plan in March. The initiative reflects the policy direction outlined in this year’s government work report, which emphasizes improving living standards and boosting consumer spending.

    New consumption scenarios are rapidly emerging with the rise of big data and AI, Sheng said, citing movie “Ne Zha 2” as an example of booming cultural demand that reflects the country’s vibrant consumer innovation and growth potential.

    Emerging sectors such as the digital economy are playing an increasingly important role in China’s growth, with new drivers expanding steadily and contributing to greater economic resilience and long-term stability, Sheng said.

    Regarding foreign trade, Sheng noted that a more diversified export structure is emerging, lowering reliance on any single trading partner.

    When asked about the impact of U.S. tariff hikes, Sheng said they “may exert short-term pressure on China’s economy and foreign trade, but will not alter the country’s long-term positive outlook,” pointing to China’s firm fundamentals, diverse strengths, strong resilience, and substantial growth prospects.

    China is well prepared to address all uncertainties, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said when presiding over a symposium with economic experts and entrepreneurs on April 9.

    Li noted that it is particularly crucial to ensure effective economic work in the second quarter and beyond, stressing that it is necessary to implement more proactive macro policies and introduce new incremental policies in a timely manner in light of the needs of the situation. 

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Deepwater Horizon oil spill: 15 years of recovery, research, and restoration

    Source: US National Ocean Service News

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    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: UConn Journalism’s Smith Receives Carnegie Fellowship

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    Steven G. Smith, an award-winning multimedia storyteller and professor in the Department of Journalism, has been named an Andrew Carnegie Fellow for 2025, joining just 25 other scholars nationally in receiving the prestigious honor for researchers in the humanities and social sciences.

    Each fellow will receive $200,000 for research focusing on subjects related to political polarization, with the aim of eventually producing a book or other major study, the Carnegie Corporation of New York announced Wednesday.

    “Receiving the Carnegie Fellowship is an honor, and I’m excited to continue working on ‘These United States,’ my long-term documentary photo essay exploring American identity in the 21st century,” says Smith, who won a Pulitzer Prize for photography as part of the Rocky Mountain News photo essay team that was honored in 2003. “The fellowship will provide invaluable time and resources to develop the project further and share stories from across the country. I’m incredibly grateful for this opportunity and for the support provided by the Carnegie Foundation and the University of Connecticut.”

    (Courtesy of Steven G. Smith)

    Smith, whose previous work includes the award-winning documentary films “The Long Goodbye: A Caregiver’s Journey” and “One World, One People,” has already been working on his current project for a year and a half, traveling the U.S. and documenting its people in photography.

    “My perspective as a visual journalist is to see what our country looks like right now,” Smith says. “It’s a portrait of America at the time of its 250th birthday.”

    Visual media like photography and film offer a chance to examine complicated and emotionally charged subjects with unique nuance, Smith says, which is partly what drew him to the project.

    “I’m a big believer in a wide variety of approaches,” he says. “Human beings are complex, and photography and visual communication can bring these subtleties and details to the surface that might otherwise be overlooked.”

    Smith is just the second UConn faculty member to receive a Carnegie fellowship; Yonatan Morse, associate professor of political science, became the first in 2020.

    Under the leadership of Carnegie president Dame Louise Richardson, the 2025 class marks the second year of the Andrew Carnegie Fellows Program’s focus on building a body of research focused on political polarization. Carnegie will commit up to $18 million to this effort over the three-year period.

    The winning proposals approach polarization through a wide array of disciplines and methods. Projects include analyzing the causes of the increasing political divides between men and women; assessing where Americans find common ground when it comes to their health; and understanding how partisan media, consultants, and entertainment industries are driving polarization for short-term profits, among other areas of research.

    “Through these fellowships Carnegie is harnessing the unrivaled brainpower of our universities to help us to understand how our society has become so polarized,” says Richardson. “Our future grantmaking will be informed by what we learn from these scholars as we seek to mitigate the pernicious effects of political polarization.”

    The focus on political polarization attracted more than 300 applications for the fellowship. A panel of jurors, chaired by Richardson and comprised of current and former leaders from some of the nation’s preeminent institutions, made the final selections. They prioritized proposals based on the originality and promise of the research, its potential impact on the field, and the applicants’ plans for communicating the findings to a broad audience.

    Smith says the final shape of his project is still to be determined, but envisions possibilities like a book and exhibition of the work.

    “I’d like to see this project be less overtly political and more a celebration of who we are,” Smith says. “Sometimes, when you’re out taking the pulse of the country, it can be a little frightening. But as I get out and shake hands and meet people and learn about their lives, I see a lot of kindness. That’s been very healing, to meet all these wonderful people and try to get just a little bit of their story.”

    Founded in 2015, the Andrew Carnegie Fellows Program provides the most generous stipend of its kind for research in the humanities and social sciences. To date, Carnegie has named almost 300 fellows, representing a philanthropic investment of more than $59 million. Congressional testimony by past fellows has addressed topics such as social media and privacy protections, transnational crime, governmental responses to pandemics, and college affordability. Fellows have received honors including the Nobel Prize, Pulitzer Prize, and National Book Award.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI: NANO Nuclear Energy Launches Recruitment Drive to Build Full-Scale KRONOS MMR Reactors

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NANO Nuclear Aims to Expand Engineering and Project Development Team to Support U.S. and Canadian KRONOS MMR Energy System Reactor Construction and Licensing Efforts

    New York, N.Y., April 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Nano Nuclear Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: NNE) (“NANO Nuclear” or the “Company”) is launching a recruitment initiative focused on the Midwest region to support its ambitious plans to construct, demonstrate and gain regulatory approval for full-scale KRONOS MMR Energy Systems in both the United States and Canada.

    NANO Nuclear’s plans to extend its technical and project execution team are critical in the Company’s transition from design to ultimate commercial deployment of the proprietary, stationary KRONOS microreactor. In tandem with upcoming geological characterization work at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) site, this workforce build-out will consolidate the expertise and provide the personnel necessary to complete the construction permit application and begin construction of the first KRONOS prototype on the UIUC campus shortly thereafter.

    Rendering of the KRONOS MMRTMEnergy System

    “As we prepare to break ground on the KRONOS reactor prototype at UIUC, it’s time to scale our team to match our vision,” said James Walker, Chief Executive Officer of NANO Nuclear. “This is a call to the best and brightest in nuclear and energy innovation in the Midwest region—we’re building a reactor, and we need you on the team.”

    Now Hiring Across All Core Disciplines

    NANO Nuclear is actively recruiting top talent across a variety of critical disciplines for the KRONOS MMR project. Open positions include:

    • Nuclear Engineers – Fuel & materials, reactor physics, thermal hydraulics, safety, and licensing
    • Mechanical Engineers – design, structural, CAD, balance of plant
    • Electrical Engineers – Instrumentation & control (I&C), power electronics, transmission
    • Civil Engineers & Geotechnical Experts – Site layout, structural foundations, drilling operations
    • Project Managers & Construction Specialists – Full-cycle oversight from permitting through commissioning
    • QA/QC Professionals – Nuclear-grade standards, documentation, and supplier oversight
    • Licensing & Regulatory Affairs Experts – NRC and CNSC compliance and filings
    • Skilled Technicians – Fabrication, assembly, testing, and field support

    Applicants with previous experience in nuclear R&D, DOE national labs, SMR or MMR programs, or international reactor development are especially encouraged to apply.

    “Our collaboration with UIUC will be a critical operations hub for our KRONOS reactor development effort,” said Jay Yu, Founder, Chairman and President of NANO Nuclear. “It will house the growing team that’s building not only our U.S. research reactor, but also laying the foundation for our demonstration reactor deployment in Canada, which will open the path for eventual commercial rollout in both the U.S. and Canada.”

    Canadian Reactor Construction Also in Focus

    In parallel with the UIUC research reactor, Nano Nuclear is actively preparing to construct a KRONOS demonstration reactor in Canada, where it will enter the licensing process under Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) oversight. The effort will establish a second fully licensed KRONOS unit, positioning NANO Nuclear to efficiently move its microreactor technology through construction, demonstration, regulatory licensing and eventual commercialization across North America.

    “Canada represents an incredible opportunity for clean, reliable microreactor deployment,” added Florent Heidet, Chief Technology Officer and Head of Reactor Development of NANO Nuclear. “By expanding our team and bringing additional talents onboard, we ensure we have the capacity to deliver simultaneous full-scale projects in two countries, each with independent regulatory pathways and future market potential.”

    Join the Team Shaping the Future of Nuclear Energy

    NANO Nuclear is a company that doesn’t just imagine the future—it’s engineering it, constructing it and moving towards regulatory licensing for it. With multiple microreactor project in progress, fuel qualification methodology already accepted by the NRC, and strategic partnerships underway, NANO Nuclear is one of the most active and ambitious advanced nuclear developers in the world.

    “This recruitment drive is about finding those who want to be part of history,” said James Walker, Chief Executive Officer of NANO Nuclear. “If you want to help build the next generation of nuclear reactors from the ground up—this is your chance.”

    How to Apply

    Interested candidates can view open positions, including details regarding salary ranges and benefit offerings, and apply directly at:

    https://nanonuclearenergy.com/careers

    For inquiries, please contact:
    Email: careers@nanonuclearenergy.com
    Business Tel: (212) 634-9206

    About NANO Nuclear Energy, Inc.

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

    Led by a world-class nuclear engineering team, NANO Nuclear’s reactor products in development include patented KRONOS MMREnergy System, a stationary high-temperature gas-cooled reactor that is in construction permit pre-application engagement U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in collaboration with University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U. of I.), “ZEUS”, a solid core battery reactor, and “ODIN”, a low-pressure coolant reactor, and the space focused, portable LOKI MMR, each representing advanced developments in clean energy solutions that are portable, on-demand capable, advanced nuclear microreactors.

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

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

    NANO Nuclear Space Inc. (NNS), a NANO Nuclear subsidiary, is exploring the potential commercial applications of NANO Nuclear’s developing micronuclear reactor technology in space. NNS is focusing on applications such as the LOKI MMR system and other power systems for extraterrestrial projects and human sustaining environments, and potentially propulsion technology for long haul space missions. NNS’ initial focus will be on cis-lunar applications, referring to uses in the space region extending from Earth to the area surrounding the Moon’s surface.

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

    For further NANO Nuclear information, please contact:

    Email: IR@NANONuclearEnergy.com
    Business Tel: (212) 634-9206

    PLEASE FOLLOW OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES HERE:

    NANO Nuclear Energy LINKEDIN
    NANO Nuclear Energy YOUTUBE
    NANO Nuclear Energy X PLATFORM

    Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements

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

    Attachment

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Rocket Software Celebrates 35 Years of Innovation in IT Modernization

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    WALTHAM, Mass., April 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Rocket Software, a global technology leader in modernization software, is celebrating 35 years of innovation, growth, and excellence. Trusted by 43 of the Fortune 50, Rocket Software has grown from a start-up focused on enabling IBM solutions into a global enterprise driving the modernization efforts of over 12,500 customers and 750 partners. Founded in 1990 by Andy Youniss and Johan Magnusson Gedda, the company now proudly employs more than 3,200 employees worldwide. Over the decades, the company has modernized billions of lines of code, transformed countless databases, and helped organizations unlock the true potential of their IT infrastructure.

    “Rocket Software has been a catalyst for modernization—and we’re just getting started,” said Milan Shetti, president and CEO of Rocket Software. “We remain committed to bold innovation, empowering our global customers to solve complex IT challenges while modernizing without disruption. Our momentum is unstoppable, and we’re shaping the future of digital transformation. A heartfelt thank you to our incredible Rocketeers for their dedication over the past 35 years. Their hard work and passion are the foundation of our success, and together, we’ll continue to push the boundaries of innovation.”

    A Legacy of Innovation and Growth
    Over the last few years, the company has expanded its global partner program to include leading global system integrators, value-added resellers, and cloud service providers. While the company continues to grow its partner ecosystem, its relationship with IBM has deepened over 35 years. As a longtime IBM partner, the company has worked closely to enhance enterprise modernization solutions, helping businesses optimize their mission-critical IBM systems, ensuring seamless operations and future-ready innovation.

    “AI is fundamentally changing the mainframe experience, empowering developers, operations staff and business users,” said Skyla Loomis, General Manager, IBM Z Software. “IBM Z is built on a foundation of performance, resiliency and trust at the core to help clients create value from their mission-critical applications and data. Congratulations to Rocket Software on this anniversary. We look forward to innovating new AI use cases together that help our mutual clients take full advantage the newly released IBM z17.”

    Rocket Software has spent more than three decades modernizing IT infrastructure, applications, and data for some of the world’s most essential businesses. Building on this legacy, the company continues to drive innovation by helping organizations integrate with hybrid cloud environments, strengthen security, and unlock the power of metadata for AI and analytics-driven decision-making.

    Since its founding, the company has acquired many organizations, including Aldon, ASG Technologies, D3, Key Resources, Shadow, and Zephyr, strengthening its solutions and teams to better serve mission-critical industries such as banking, healthcare, manufacturing, and government. In 2024, the company completed the $2.275 billion acquisition of OpenText’s Application Modernization and Connectivity (AMC) business.

    A Culture of Excellence and Community Commitment
    The company’s success is driven by a strong culture, grounded in its core values of Empathy, Humanity, Trust, and Love. In line with its commitment to developing future software developers, the company established the NextGen Academy, a six-month program offering its employees the opportunity to take on full-time engineering roles. This program provides employees with valuable hands-on experience and mentorship from industry experts.

    To celebrate 35 years of growth, the company is hosting a Community Day on April 16. This initiative, which began over two decades ago, provides employees with dedicated time off to volunteer and create a positive impact in their communities. In recent years, its employees have donated thousands of hours to philanthropic projects around the world.

    Looking ahead, the company remains focused on its mission to help organizations modernize without disruption—today, tomorrow, and for many years to come.

    A Media Snippet accompanying this announcement is available by clicking on this link.

    About Rocket Software
    Rocket Software is a global technology leader in modernization and a partner of choice that empowers the world’s leading businesses on their modernization journeys, spanning core systems to the cloud. Trusted by over 12,500 customers and 750 partners, and with more than 3,200 global employees, Rocket Software enables customers to maximize their data, applications, and infrastructure to deliver critical services that power our modern world. Rocket Software is a privately held U.S. corporation headquartered in the Boston area with centers of excellence strategically located throughout North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Rocket Software is a portfolio company of Bain Capital Private Equity. Follow Rocket Software on LinkedIn and X or visit www.RocketSoftware.com.

    IBM is a trademark of International Business Machines Corporation.

    Media Contact
    Lacey Darrow
    ldarrow@rocketsoftware.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Questor Announces December 31, 2024 Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CALGARY, Alberta, April 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Questor Technology Inc. (“Questor” or the “Company”) (TSX-V: QST) announced today its financial and operating results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2024.  

    Questor’s audited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements and Management’s Discussion and Analysis for the year ended December 31, 2024 are available on the Company’s website at www.questortech.com/quarterly-reports and at www.sedarplus.ca.

    Unless otherwise noted, all financial figures are presented in Canadian dollars, prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards and are unaudited for the three months ended December 31, 2024.

    FOURTH QUARTER AND 2024 CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL RESULTS

      Three months ended December 31,   Twelve months ended December 31,  
    For the 2024   2023   2024   2023  
    (Stated in CDN $)        
    Revenue 1,775,892   1,445,128   4,520,580   7,190,871  
    Gross profit 595,405   738,031   1,233,410   2,730,907  
    Adjusted EBITA(1) 5,246   152,543   (1,450,452)   488,787  
    Loss for the period (1,041,393)   (891,982)   (3,233,997)   (4,806,412)  
    Loss per share – basic and diluted (0.04)   (0.03)   (0.12)   (0.17)  
             
    As at         December 31, 2024     December 31, 2023  
    (Stated in CDN $)        
    Working capital(2)     7,570,934   11,844,178  
    Total assets     24,090,332   27,125,820  
    Total equity     21,110,076   24,357,652  

    (1)Non-GAAP financial measure. Refer to “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” section at the end of this MD&A.
    (2)Working capital is defined as total current assets less total current liabilities.

    Revenue for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2024 was $1.8 million and $4.5 million compared to $1.4 million and $7.2 million for the same periods in 2023. The reduction was mainly attributed to a strategic shift in Questor’s business focus towards the international market. Questor’s USA sales team was hired in the second half of 2024 with a focus on rebuilding rental and sales revenue lost primarily due to merger and acquisition activity combined with regulatory changes in the space over the past few years. The revenue focus is primarily in the Permian basin, Colorado, North Dakota, New Mexico and Wyoming. The company is exploring potential rental opportunities in Mexico, with rental activities set to begin in Q1 2025. While short-term results were impacted by the change in our client base combined with regulatory changes, our refreshed focus on global markets with opportunities to eliminate methane and VOC emissions will position the Company for stronger, more diversified and ultimately more sustainable growth in the long term. As at the date of this press release, the Company has secured $4.5 million of committed equipment sales revenue, expected to be fulfilled in the first half of 2025.

    Gross profit as a percentage of revenue for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2024 was 34 percent and 27 percent compared to 51 percent and 38 percent for the same periods in 2023. The reduction for the twelve and three months ended December 31, 2024 compared to the prior periods is mainly due to a lower revenue, where the Company continues to incur fixed costs and due to the revenue and sales mix. Additionally, 2024 cost of sales expense benefited from the absence of a $0.2 million valuation allowance for slow-moving inventory, which was recognized in 2023.

    Adjusted EBITDA for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2024 was nil and negative $1.5 million, compared to positive $0.2 million and $0.5 million for the same periods in 2023. The reduction in Adjusted EBITDA is mainly due to lower revenue, where the Company continues to incur operational and administrative fixed costs.

    The Company continues to have a strong financial position at December 31, 2024 including cash and cash equivalents of $5.3 million, $1.7 million of highly liquid short-term investments, and working capital of $7.6 million.

    2024 HIGHLIGHTS AND SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

    In the fourth quarter of 2024, Questor received the final payment of $1,393,246 for the milestone one of the Waste Heat to Power project from Sustainable Development Technology Canada (“SDTC”).

    The construction of the 1500kW waste heat to power prototype neared completion in Q4, with final testing underway in Q1 2025. Commissioning is scheduled to begin in Q2 2025. Meanwhile, Questor has advanced negotiations and preparations for the prototype’s field demonstration, with the field deployment expected in the second half of 2025.

    On February 9, 2024, Questor commenced Normal Course Issuer Bid (“NCIB”) allowing Questor to purchase a maximum of 1,400,000 common shares over the 12-month period for cancellation. NCIB is effective until the earliest of (i) February 7, 2025, (ii) the Company purchasing the maximum of 1,400,000 Shares, and (iii) the Company terminating the NCIB. In connection with the current NCIB, Questor entered into an automatic share purchase plan (“ASPP”) with its designated broker to enable the purchase of shares during blackout periods during which the Company would not ordinarily be permitted to purchase shares. Purchases under the ASPP during those periods are determined by the designated broker in its sole discretion based on the purchasing parameters set by Questor in accordance with the rules of the TSX Venture Exchange, applicable securities laws and the terms of the ASPP. Outside of the periods noted above, purchases under the current NCIB are completed at Questor’s discretion. As of December 31, 2024 under the current NCIB and the instructions in place with the broker, Questor purchased for cancellation of 671,500 shares for the weighted average of $0.48. Subsequent to the year-end, the Company’s NCIB expired and was formally concluded on February 7, 2025. As a result of the NCIB, which was active from February 9, 2024 to February 7, 2025, the Company repurchased and cancelled a total of 731,500 shares at a weighted average price of $0.47 per share.

    In the first quarter of 2025, Questor announced a $0.9 million purchase order to supply clean combustion solutions for managing railcar vapours at Caltrax Inc.’s Calgary facility. During the same period, the company also secured a $2.4 million contract in Iraq, marking the second unit supplied in the MENA region for a leading global exploration and production company focused on reducing flaring and methane emissions.

    PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

    The global regulatory landscape for emissions is rapidly evolving, with increasing pressure from regulators, courts, investors, and the public to reduce flaring and venting in industrial operations. As a result, Questor is seeing significant global interest in our technology solutions to help address these critical challenges.

    Flaring and venting not only waste valuable resources but also contribute significantly to air pollution. This practice releases methane, hydrocarbons, fine particulates (PM2.5), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene, formaldehyde, and acetaldehyde into the atmosphere. These harmful pollutants have been directly linked to higher cancer rates, respiratory diseases, and other chronic health conditions. Methane, in particular, is a climate “super pollutant” with 86 times the warming potential of carbon dioxide over 20 years. It is responsible for 30% of observed global warming to date, making it a key target for climate change mitigation.

    At Questor, we offer proven solutions to combat these challenges. Our ISO 14034-certified thermal oxidizer achieves a 99.99% combustion efficiency, ensuring that our clients can demonstrate compliance with emissions standards and eliminate the release of harmful pollutants. This clean combustion technology significantly reduces health risks in surrounding communities, including respiratory illnesses and cancers. Additionally, our organic Rankine cycle (ORC) repurposes heat from methane combustion, creating a revenue stream that offsets the costs of achieving net-zero carbon dioxide equivalent emissions.

    Many major oil and gas producers have pledged to reduce flaring, venting, and methane emissions while working toward net-zero goals. Questor’s innovative combination of clean combustion and waste heat-to-power technology enables our clients to meet these all these commitments at a net-zero cost.

    Questor’s multi-year strategy to intentionally diversify revenue streams globally has focussed on those jurisdictions that have created favorable conditions that have considered the environmental and social impacts of energy production and want to grow their future production in a sustainable manner. As an example, the Iraq contract awarded early 2025 in partnership with OilSERV was for TotalEnergies EP Ratawi Hub, as a part of the multi-energy Gas Growth Integrated Project (GGIP) operated by TotalEnergies. The GGIP is designed to enhance the development of Iraq’s natural resources to improve the country’s electricity supply. This 4-in-1 project comprises the recovery of gas that is currently flared at three oil fields in southern Iraq to supply electric power plants, the redevelopment of the Ratawi oil field, the construction of a 1 GWac (1.25GWp) solar farm and of a seawater treatment plant. The Questor Q5000 Unit will initially treat 2.1 MMSCFD of associated gas during the pilot phase. Subsequently, the unit will treat an additional 1.2 to 2 MMSCFD of low-pressure gas, maximizing the Q5000’s potential and reducing site GHG emissions in the frame of AGUP Phase 1 development. This is the second unit that TotalEnergies has purchased in the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region. TotalEnergies exemplifies the ideal partner for Questor’s solutions, utilizing our thermal oxidizer to reduce methane and VOC emissions, and the future potential of utilizing waste-heat in the GGIP and converting it to power with our 1.5MW Organic Rankin Cycle (ORC) generator.

    To accelerate global adoption, we have partnered with key industry leaders. In Iraq, we collaborate with OilSERV, a top-tier integrated oilfield services provider in the Middle East. In Nigeria, we are represented by Ar-Rahman Technical Services Nig. Limited. In Latin America, our partnership with Hoerbiger, an established multinational company with over 120 locations in 50 countries, further expands our reach. In Mexico, we work with JHJ and GSM Carso, leading service providers supplying units to Pemex. Over the past three years, we have built strong relationships with these partners, educating them on our technology and supporting them in client engagements. With a 25-year track record of eliminating flaring and venting, we are confident that Questor can set the standard for best practices in these regions.

    As global incentives for methane and VOC reduction continue to grow, Questor is uniquely positioned to help clients improve environmental performance while strengthening their community relations. We anticipate that both new and existing clients will view Questor as the ideal partner to accelerate the attainment of their environmental pledges—reducing emissions while simultaneously cutting costs and generating revenue.

    Finally, we acknowledge the evolving political and economic landscape and its potential impact on our operations. We have assessed the risks associated with tariffs and remain confident in our ability to adapt. With strategically positioned inventory in Canada and the United States and established supply chains across North America, Questor is well-prepared to navigate uncertainties. Our global partnerships further diversify our revenue streams, ensuring continued resilience and growth.  

    As we move forward, Questor remains committed to driving innovation, sustainability, and global leadership in emissions reduction.

    FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

    Certain information in this news release constitutes forward-looking statements. When used in this news release, the words “may”, “would”, “could”, “will”, “intend”, “plan”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “seek”, “propose”, “estimate”, “expect”, and similar expressions, as they relate to the Company, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. This news release contains forward-looking statements with respect to, among other things, business objectives, expected growth, results of operations, performance, business projects and opportunities and financial results. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect the Company’s current views with respect to future events based on certain material factors and assumptions and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, including without limitation, changes in market, competition, governmental or regulatory developments, general economic conditions and other factors set out in the Company’s public disclosure documents. Many factors could cause the Company’s actual results, performance or achievements to vary from those described in this news release, including without limitation those listed above. These factors should not be construed as exhaustive. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in this news release and such forward-looking statements included in, or incorporated by reference in this news release, should not be unduly relied upon. Such statements speak only as of the date of this news release. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

    ABOUT QUESTOR TECHNOLOGY INC.

    Questor Technology Inc., incorporated in Canada under the Business Companies Act (Alberta) is an environmental emissions reduction technology company founded in 1994, with global operations. The Company is focused on clean air technologies that safely and cost effectively improve air quality, support energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emission reductions. The Company designs, manufactures and services high efficiency clean combustion systems that destroy harmful pollutants, including Methane, Hydrogen Sulfide gas, Volatile Organic Hydrocarbons, Hazardous Air Pollutants and BTEX (Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene and Xylene) gases within waste gas streams at >99.99 percent efficiency per its ISO 14034 Certification. This enables its clients to meet emission regulations, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, address community concerns and improve safety at industrial sites.

    The Company also has proprietary heat to power generation technology and is currently targeting new markets including landfill biogas, syngas, waste engine exhaust, geothermal and solar, cement plant waste heat in addition to a wide variety of oil and gas projects. The combination of Questor’s clean combustion and power generation technologies can help clients achieve net zero emission targets for minimal cost. The Company is also doing research and development on data solutions to deliver an integrated system that amalgamates all the emission detection data available to demonstrate a clear picture of the site’s emission profile.

    The Company’s common shares are traded on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol “QST”. The address of the Company’s corporate and registered office is 1920, 707 – 8th Avenue S.W. Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2P 1H5.

    QUESTOR TRADES ON THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE UNDER THE SYMBOL ‘QST’

    Investor Relations Contact

    Aly Sumar – Chief Financial Officer

    investor@questortech.com

    Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

    This document is not intended for dissemination or distribution in the United States.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Melissa Accelerates FedRAMP Momentum with Webinar for Government IT Resellers

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, Calif., April 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In response to a changing regulatory landscape, Melissa is building on its FedRAMP® Authorization with a webinar to support IT value-added resellers (VARs) and government consultants. A global leader in data quality and address management solutions, Melissa will host a live online event on Thursday, April 24, 2025, at 2pm Eastern/11am Pacific, offering expert technical guidance to standardize, validate, verify, and enhance the people data used in public sector operations. The session, “Ensure Accurate, Up-to-Date Address Data with Melissa’s GovCloud Address Suite,” is designed to arm IT partners with the know-how to deliver pre-authorized, compliant address verification services to federal and state clients—streamlining the next wave of secure cloud modernization.

    “Our FedRAMP status gives agencies and their IT partners a clear head start. We’ve already cleared the hurdles, making it easy for IT resellers to plug in and deliver immediate value to their government clients,” said Bud Walker, Chief Information Officer at Melissa.

    With recent FedRAMP updates reducing barriers to vendor entry, the public sector cloud marketplace is rapidly expanding. Melissa stands out as an early, proven player, giving IT VARs and consultants a low-friction way to add FedRAMP-approved data tools to their portfolio—and start selling today. Melissa’s GovCloud Address Suite offers:

    • Global address validation & geocoding
    • USPS® NCOALink® processing
    • Multisource reference data & address correction
    • Turnkey compliance with cloud, privacy, and postal standards

    These tools are now deployable via secure cloud infrastructure, backed by Melissa’s four decades of address intelligence and identity verification expertise.

    “With FedRAMP opening the door to more cloud innovation, we’re not just early—we’re trusted. Our tools are already in place, tested, and ready to serve agencies looking to streamline operations, reduce fraud, and improve service delivery,” said Walker. “This is also a game-changer for any VAR building long-term government relationships and recurring revenue streams.”

    Register here for the event spotlighting how Melissa, a USPS® Full-Service Provider Licensee for CASS, DPV® and NCOALink®, can help reduce undeliverable mail, improve data accuracy, and boost citizen engagement by using the Move Update service in its GovCloud Address Suite, available now at the FedRAMP® marketplace.

    To learn more about Melissa’s FedRAMP-authorized GovCloud solutions or to explore VAR partnership opportunities, visit www.melissa.com or call 1-800-MELISSA.

    About Melissa
    Powering clean customer data for 40 years, Melissa is the Address Expert. Providing address validation, address autocomplete, and geo-verified address data for 240+ countries, Melissa supports global businesses with its offices across five continents. Melissa’s suite of data quality, ID verification, and location data tools and services drives better decision-making, reduced costs, increased efficiency, and improved compliance. Our APIs, CRM and ecommerce integrations, and online tools help Melissa’s 10,000 customers worldwide process billions of addresses daily, fully capitalizing on the business value of customer data. For more information, visit www.Melissa.com or call 1-800-MELISSA (635-4772).

    Media contacts
    Greg Brown
    Vice President, Global Marketing, Melissa
    greg.brown@Melissa.com
    +1-800-635-4772 x1130

    MPoweredPR for Melissa
    pr@mpoweredpr.com
    +1-877-794-6777

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Western Union Media Network Taps Magnite to Expand Advertising Capabilities

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, April 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Magnite (NASDAQ: MGNI), the largest independent sell-side advertising company, today announced an agreement with Western Union to support growth of the financial services company’s new Media Network business. In doing so, Magnite will provide Western Union with technology to buy media as an advertiser and monetize its owned media.

    To further increase direct access to streaming inventory, Western Union Media Network is the first commerce media company to leverage Magnite’s ClearLine solution. ClearLine puts clients in control of the ad buying process by allowing them to purchase premium streaming inventory directly from publishers, maximizing Western Union’s working media budget. Magnite reaches 92 million CTV households in the US, accounting for 9 out of 10 ad-supported CTV households in the country.

    Magnite enables advertisers to tap into Western Union Media Network’s owned media properties and first-party insights. With Magnite’s technology, Western Union Media Network is monetizing its owned media properties spanning web, mobile, and in-app environments, including westernunion.com and its iOS and Android applications, which reach over 15 million US customers.

    Using Magnite’s Curator Marketplaces for self-serve audience extension, Western Union Media Network is providing its customers access to a multicultural audience leveraging anonymized transaction data against Magnite inventory. As a result, advertisers and agencies can access Western Union’s unique data and Magnite’s premium inventory, benefiting from precise targeting and streamlined programmatic workflows.

    Additionally, Western Union and Magnite have signed a supply-path optimization (SPO) agreement to streamline Western Union’s access to curated, premium omnichannel inventory.

    “Magnite’s expansive technology and service offerings make them a versatile partner that can help address our desire to grow our business,” said Chris Hammer, Senior Vice President, Western Union. “We are excited to see this collaboration continue to grow as we scale our Media Network business.”

    “We’re proud to support Western Union Media Network’s entry into advertising by helping them activate efficiently on all fronts,” said Stephanie Reustle, Head of Commerce Media at Magnite. “It’s great to see the advanced technology we’ve built for publishers and advertisers providing value to clients in new fields. We’ve seen the firsthand benefits of bringing sellers and buyers closer together and helping commerce media brands integrate into the landscape will bring additional advantages for all.”

    About Magnite
    We’re Magnite (NASDAQ: MGNI), the world’s largest independent sell-side advertising company. Publishers use our technology to monetize their content across all screens and formats including CTV, online video, display, and audio. The world’s leading agencies and brands trust our platform to access brand-safe, high-quality ad inventory and execute billions of advertising transactions each month. Anchored in bustling New York City, sunny Los Angeles, mile high Denver, historic London, colorful Singapore, and down under in Sydney, Magnite has offices across North America, EMEA, LATAM, and APAC.

    About Western Union
    The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU) is committed to helping people around the world who aspire to build financial futures for themselves, their loved ones, and their communities. Our leading cross-border, cross-currency money movement, payments, and digital financial services empower consumers, businesses, financial institutions, and governments—across more than 200 countries and territories and over 130 currencies—to connect with billions of bank accounts, millions of digital wallets and cards, and a global footprint of hundreds of thousands of retail locations. Our goal is to offer accessible financial services that help people and communities prosper. For more information, visit www.westernunion.com.

    Media Contact:

    Kar Yi Lim
    klim@magnite.com

    Investor Relations Contact:

    Nick Kormeluk
    nkormeluk@magnite.com
    949-500-0003

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Onfolio Holdings Inc. Announces Fourth Quarter and Year-End 2024 Financial Results and Provides Corporate Update

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    WILMINGTON, Del., April 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Onfolio Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: ONFO, ONFOW) (OTC: ONFOP) (“Onfolio” or the “Company”), a holding company that acquires and manages a diversified portfolio of online businesses across a broad range of verticals, announces financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2024. The Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 15, 2025 and is available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

    Recent Corporate Highlights

    • Recorded $136,000 net income for Q4 2024
    • Completed the acquisition of Eastern Standard, a digital web agency focused on branding, user experience, and optimization, in October 2024.

    Fourth Quarter and Year End 2024 Financial Highlights

    • Fourth quarter revenue grew 96% to $2.49M vs. $1.27M in the prior year period and vs. $2.01M in 3Q24
    • Fourth quarter gross profit grew 56% to $1.32M vs. $0.84M in the prior year period and vs. $1.20M in 3Q24
    • Fourth quarter total operating expenses increased 20% to $2.01M vs. $1.67M in the prior year period and vs. $1.69M in 3Q24
    • Fourth quarter net profit to common shareholders improved by over $1M to a $0.14M profit vs. a $0.9M loss in the prior year period and vs. a $0.57M loss in 3Q24
    • Four quarter EPS improved by 102% to $0.01 vs -$0.37 in the prior year.
    • Revenue grew 49% YOY to $7.82M in 2024 vs. $5.24M in 2023
    • Gross profit grew 39% to $4.5M vs $3.24M in 2023
    • Total operating expenses shrank 44% to $7.05M vs. $12.54M in 2023
    • Net loss to common shareholders improved 77% to $2.15M vs $9.43M in 2023
    • 2024 EPS grew 77% YOY to -$0.41 from -$1.84
    • Cash at 12/31/24 was $0.48M vs. $0.98M at 12/31/23

    The 4th Quarter 2024 saw us record a positive net income for the first time as a publicly traded company, even if it was small. Throughout 2024 we continued to make progress in all vital areas of our company. We grew our revenues, we acquired more companies, we reduced our expenses, and we strengthened our balance sheet with business divestments,” commented Onfolio CEO Dominic Wells.

    “We still have work to do, and believe 2025 will see us further build on the foundations we laid in 2024, particularly Q3 and Q4,” Wells continued.

    “Our goals for 2024 were to grow revenues, grow gross profits, reduce operating expenses, raise non-dilutive capital, regain Nasdaq compliance (ideally without a reverse stock-split), and reach profitability, or at least break-even.”

    “Those were no small goals, yet they were crucial to achieve, and the team worked hard throughout the year to significantly meet all of those goals.”

    “We are a growth-minded organization with long-term views, and at times feel frustrated with where we are at any given time. It is important we look back at how far we have come, compare ourselves to where we were a year ago, and take the wins that we have.”

    “As such, we consider 2024 to be a success, and we have not taken our foot off the pedal in 2025.”

    “We launched a new Reg D offering for our Series A Preferred Shares (OTC: ONFOP) in February 2025.”

    “As we continue to raise more capital, we will be in a better position to make accretive acquisitions and eventually sustain profitability,” concluded Wells.

    About Onfolio Holdings

    Onfolio Holdings acquires controlling interests in and actively manage small online businesses that we believe (i) operate in sectors with long-term growth opportunities, (ii) have positive and stable cash flows, (iii) face minimal threats of technological or competitive obsolescence and (iv) can be managed by our existing team or have strong management teams largely in place. Through the acquisition and growth of a diversified group of online businesses with these characteristics, we believe we offer investors in our shares an opportunity to diversify their own portfolio risk. Our company excels at finding acquisition opportunities where the seller has not fully optimized their business, and our experience and skillset allows us to add increased value to these existing businesses. Visit www.onfolio.com for more information.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    The information posted in this release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can identify these statements by use of the words “may” “will,” “should,” “plans,” “explores,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “continues,” “estimates,” “projects,” “intends,” and similar expressions. Examples of forward-looking statements include, among others, statements we make regarding expected operating results, such as revenue growth and earnings, and strategy for growth and financial results.

    Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on our current beliefs, expectations and assumptions regarding the future of our business, future plans and strategies, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of our control. Our actual results and financial condition may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause our actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements include, among others, the following: general economic and business conditions, effects of continued geopolitical unrest and regional conflicts, competition, changes in technology and methods of marketing, delays in completing new customer offerings, changes in customer order patterns, changes in customer offering mix, continued success in technological advances and delivering technological innovations, delays due to issues with outsourced service providers, those events and factors described by us in Item 1A “Risk Factors” in our most recent Form 10-K; other risks to which our company is subject; other factors beyond the company’s control. Any forward-looking statement made by us in this press release is based only on information currently available to us and speaks only as of the date on which it is made. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

    For investor inquiries:  
    investors@onfolio.com   

     
    Onfolio Holdings, Inc.
    Consolidated Balance Sheets
     
     
      December 31   December 31
      2024   2023
           
    Assets      
           
    Current Assets:      
    Cash $ 476,874     $ 982,261  
    Accounts receivable, net   755,804       90,070  
    Inventory   65,876       92,637  
    Prepaids and other current assets   138,007       111,097  
    Total Current Assets   1,436,561       1,276,065  
           
    Intangible assets   3,323,211       1,675,480  
    Goodwill   4,210,557       1,596,673  
    Fixed Assets   5,135        
    Due from related party   126,530       150,971  
    Investment in unconsolidated joint ventures, cost method   213,007       154,007  
    Investment in unconsolidated joint ventures, equity method   268,231       273,042  
    Other assets   9,465        
           
    Total Assets $ 9,592,697     $ 5,126,238  
    Liabilities and Stockholders Equity      
           
    Current Liabilities:      
    Accounts payable and other current liabilities $ 969,068     $ 493,816  
    Dividends payable   100,797       68,011  
    Notes payable, current   702,634       17,323  
    Notes Payable – Related Party, current   850,000        
    Contingent consideration   981,591       60,000  
    Deferred revenue   589,913       149,965  
    Total Current Liabilities   4,194,003       789,115  
           
    Notes payable   450,000        
    Notes payable – related parties   599,000        
    Due to joint ventures – long term          
    Total Liabilities   5,243,003       789,115  
           
    Commitments and Contingencies      
           
    Stockholders’ Equity:      
    Preferred stock, $0.001 per value, 5,000,000 shares authorized      
    Series A Preferred stock, $0.001 par value, 1,000,000 shares authorized, 134,460 and 92,260 issued and outstanding at December 31, 2024 and 2023   134       93  
    Common stock, $0.001 par value, 50,000,000 shares authorized, 5,127,395 and 5,107,395 issued and outstanding at December 31, 2024 and 2023   5,128       5,108  
    Additional paid-in capital   22,316,751       21,107,311  
    Accumulated other comprehensive income   68,105       182,465  
    Accumulated deficit   (19,078,287 )     (16,957,854 )
    Total Onfolio Inc. stockholders equity   3,311,831       4,337,123  
    Non-Controlling Interests   1,037,863        
    Total Stockholders’ Equity   4,349,694       4,337,123  
           
    Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity $ 9,592,697     $ 5,126,238  
           
    The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements
           
       
    Onfolio Holdings, Inc.  
    Consolidated Statements of Operations  
       
                       
        For the Three Months Ended Dec 31,   For the Years Ended Dec 31,  
        2024   2023   2024   2023  
                       
                       
    Revenue, services   $ 2,024,308     $ 374,397     $ 4,660,069     $ 1,496,038    
    Revenue, product sales     512,496       890,501       3,202,008       3,743,948    
    Total Revenue     2,536,804       1,264,898       7,862,077       5,239,986    
                       
    Cost of revenue, services     1,059,161       186,039       2,609,061       837,888    
    Cost of revenue, product sales     118,208       242,527       708,139       1,159,267    
    Total cost of revenue     1,177,369       428,566       3,317,200       1,997,155    
                       
    Gross profit     1,359,435       836,332       4,544,877       3,242,831    
                       
    Operating expenses                  
    Selling, general and administrative     1,402,154       1,257,244       5,718,243       5,981,601    
    Professional fees     353,695       316,500       948,751       1,160,410    
    Acquisition costs     142,465       41,367       264,731       326,899    
    Impairement of goodwill and intangible assets     116,322       1,064,249       121,000       5,016,765    
    Total operating expenses     2,014,636       2,679,360       7,052,725       12,485,675    
                       
    Loss from operations     (655,201 )     (1,843,028 )     (2,507,848 )     (9,242,844 )  
                       
    Other income (expense)                  
    Equity method income (loss)     748       (1,731 )     (4,812 )     13,190    
    Dividend income     6,313             12,157       1,610    
    Interest income (expense), net     (41,103 )     6,052       (101,667 )     75,041    
    Other income     3,249             6,183       2,937    
    Gain on change in fair value of contingent consideration     368,464             368,464          
    Impairment of investments                          
    Gain on sale of business     453,581             453,581          
    Total other income     791,252       4,321       733,906       92,778    
                       
    Loss before income taxes     136,051       (1,838,707 )     (1,773,942 )     (9,150,066 )  
                       
    Income tax (provision) benefit                          
                       
    Net loss     136,051       (1,838,707 )     (1,773,942 )     (9,150,066 )  
                       
    Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest     (2,224 )           7,737          
    Net loss attributable to Onfolio Holdings Inc.     133,827       (1,838,707 )     (1,766,205 )     (9,150,066 )  
                       
    Preferred Dividends     (100,395 )     (54,231 )     (354,228 )     (227,298 )  
    Net loss to common shareholders   $ 33,432     $ (1,892,938 )   $ (2,120,433 )   $ (9,377,364 )  
                       
    Net loss per common shareholder                  
    Basic and diluted   $ 0.01     $ (0.37 )   $ (0.41 )   $ (1.84 )  
                       
    Weighted average shares outstanding                  
    Basic and diluted     5,127,395       5,110,195       5,117,941       5,107,395    
                       
    The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements  
                       
     
    Onfolio Holdings, Inc.
    Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity
    For the Years Ended December 31, 2024 and 2023
     
      Preferred Stock, $0.001 Par value   Common Stock, $0.001 Par Value   Additional   Accumulated   Accumulated Other   Non   Stockholders’
      Shares   Amount   Shares   Amount   Paid-In Capital   Deficit   Comprehensive Income   Controlling Interest   Equity
                                       
    Balance, December 31, 2022 69,660   $ 70   5,107,395   $ 5,108   $ 19,950,776   $ (7,580,490 )   $ 96,971   $     $ 12,472,435  
                                           
    Sale of preferred stock for cash 22,600     23           564,977                     565,000  
    Stock-based compensation               591,558                     591,558  
    Preferred dividends                   (227,298 )               (227,298 )
    Foreign currency translation                         85,494           85,494  
    Net loss (restated)                   (9,150,066 )             (9,150,066 )
                                       
    Balance, December 31, 2023 (as restated) 92,260     93   5,107,395     5,108     21,107,311     (16,957,854 )     182,465           4,337,123  
                                           
    Acquisition of Business 41,400     41           1,094,959               1,066,000       2,161,000  
    Sale of preferred stock for cash 800               20,000                     20,000  
    Stock-based compensation               56,887                     56,887  
    Partner Contributions                   24,654                 24,654  
    Common stock issued for exercise of options       20,000     20     12,940                     12,960  
    Preferred dividends                   (354,228 )               (354,228 )
    Foreign currency translation                                  
    Distribution to non-controlling interest                               (20,400 )     (20,400 )
    Net loss                   (1,766,205 )         (7,737 )     (1,773,942 )
                                       
    Balance, December 31, 2024 134,460   $ 134   5,127,395   $ 5,128   $ 22,316,751   $ (19,078,287 )   $ 182,465   $ 1,037,863     $ 4,464,054  
                                       
    The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements
                                       
     
    Onfolio Holdings, Inc.
    Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
    For the Years Ended December 31, 2024 and 2023
     
           
      2024   2023
           
    Cash Flows from Operating Activities      
    Net loss $ (1,773,942 )   $ (9,150,066 )
    Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by operating activities:      
    Stock-based compensation expense   56,887       591,558  
    Equity method loss (income)   4,812       (13,190 )
    Dividends received from equity method investment         20,474  
    Amortization of intangible assets   906,737       680,693  
    Impairment of intangible assets   121,000       5,016,765  
    Gain on sale of subsidiary   (453,581 )      
    Change in FV of contingent consideration   (368,464 )      
    Net change in:      
    Accounts receivable   (282,002 )     47,528  
    Inventory   26,761       12,492  
    Prepaids and other current assets   4,891       101,083  
    Accounts payable and other current liabilities   477,247       (56,638 )
    Due to joint ventures   24,441       (39,251 )
    Deferred revenue   86,850       36,714  
    Due to related parties          
           
    Net cash used in operating activities   (1,168,363 )     (2,751,838 )
           
    Cash Flows from Investing Activities      
    Cash paid to acquire businesses   (255,000 )     (850,000 )
    Cash received for sale of subisiary   780,000        
    Investments in joint ventures   (59,000 )      
    Investment in cryptocurrency   (15,000 )      
    Net cash used in investing activities   451,000       (850,000 )
           
    Cash Flows from Financing Activities      
    Proceeds from sale of Series A preferred stock   20,000       565,000  
    Proceeds from exercise of stock options   12,960        
    Payments of preferred dividends   (321,442 )     (213,691 )
    Distributions to non-controlling interest holders   (20,400 )      
    Proceeds from notes payable   881,650        
    Payments on note payables   (386,339 )     (68,959 )
    Payments on acquisition note payables         (2,439,000 )
    Proceeds from notes payable – related parties   200,000        
    Payments on note payables – related parties   (1,000 )      
    Payments on contigent consideration   (59,093 )      
           
    Net cash provided by financing activities   326,336       (2,156,650 )
           
    Effect of foreign currency translation   (114,360 )     39,627  
           
    Net Change in Cash   (505,387 )     (5,718,861 )
    Cash, Beginning of Period   982,261       6,701,122  
           
    Cash, End of Period   476,874     $ 982,261  
           
    Cash Paid For:      
    Income Taxes $     $  
    Interest $ 101,667     $ 68,938  
           
    Non-cash transactions:      
    Notes payable issued for asset acquisitions $ 1,490,000     $  
    Preferred stock issued for acquisitions $ 1,035,000     $  
    Contingent consideration issued for acquisitions $ 986,000     $  
    Common stock options issued for acquisitions $ 60,000     $  
    Non-controlling interest issued for acquisitions $ 1,066,000     $  
           
           
           
           
    The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements
           

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Blue Foundry Bancorp Schedules First Quarter 2025 Earnings Conference Call

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    RUTHERFORD, N.J., April 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Blue Foundry Bancorp (NASDAQ: BLFY) (the “Company”), the holding company for Blue Foundry Bank, announced that on the morning of Wednesday, April 30, 2025 it will release financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2025. A copy of the earnings release will be available on the Company’s website, https://ir.bluefoundrybank.com/, in the “News” section and on the SEC’s website, https://www.sec.gov/.

    Representatives of the Company will hold a conference call for investors and analysts on Wednesday, April 30, 2025 at 11:00AM (ET) to discuss First Quarter 2025 Earnings. Blue Foundry Bancorp will address live questions from analysts. The conference call will be recorded and will be available on the Company’s website for one month.

    We encourage participants to pre-register to listen to the webcast call by using the link below. Upon registration, participants will immediately receive an online confirmation, an email, and a calendar invitation for the event.

    Webcast pre-registration link:  
    https://events.q4inc.com/attendee/645987984

    Participants who are unable to join via webcast may dial-in on the day of the call:

    Participants Dial-In Information:
    United States (Toll Free): 1-833-470-1428
    International: 1-404-975-4839
    Access code: 556514

    About Blue Foundry Bancorp and Blue Foundry Bank

    Blue Foundry Bancorp is the holding company for Blue Foundry Bank, a place where things are made, purpose is formed, and ideas are crafted. Headquartered in Rutherford NJ, with presence in Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Middlesex, Morris, Passaic, Somerset and Union counties, Blue Foundry Bank is a full-service, innovative bank serving the doers, movers, and shakers in our communities. We offer individuals and businesses alike the tailored products and services they need to build their futures. With a rich history dating back more than 145 years, Blue Foundry Bank has a longstanding commitment to its customers and communities.

    Forward-Looking Statements
    This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements about the Company. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding anticipated future events and can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. They may or may not include words such as “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” and “intend” or future or conditional verbs such as “will,” “would,” “should,” “could,” or “may.” Forward-looking statements, by their nature, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Certain factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expected results include but are not limited to conditions related to a global pandemic, geopolitical events, changes in the interest rate environment, changes in the rate of inflation, general economic conditions or conditions within the securities markets, changes in U.S. government monetary or fiscal policies, and legislative and regulatory changes that could adversely affect the business in which the Company and its subsidiaries are engaged. 

    Contact:
    James D. Nesci
    President and Chief Executive Officer bluefoundrybank.com jnesci@bluefoundrybank.com
    201-972-8900

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Global: Pope Francis and Laudato Si’: an ecological turning point for the Catholic Church

    Source: The Conversation – France – By Bernard Laurent, Professeur, EM Lyon Business School

    In Laudato Si’, Pope Francis called for a radical break with consumerist lifestyles. Ricardo Perna/Shutterstock

    On May 24, 2015, Pope Francis signed his encyclical Laudato Si’ – “Praise be to you” in medieval Italian. This letter to Roman Catholic bishops was no half measure: it took many Catholics by surprise with its uncompromising conclusions and call for an in-depth transformation of our lifestyles. In France, it managed to bring together both conservative currents – such as the Courant pour un écologie humaine (Movement for a Human Ecology), created in 2013 – and more open-minded Catholic intellectuals such as Gaël Giraud, a Jesuit and author of Produire plus, polluer moins: l’impossible découplage? (Produce more, Pollute Less: the Impossible Decoupling?).

    The Pope was taking a cue from his predecessors. Benedict XVI, John Paul II and Paul VI had also expressed concern about the dramatic effects of an abusive exploitation of nature on humanity:

    “Man is suddenly becoming aware that by an ill-considered exploitation of nature he risks destroying it and becoming in his turn the victim of this degradation.”

    What does Pope Francis’s encyclical teach us? And how does it reflect the Catholic Church’s vision, and his own?



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    The “green” pope

    In the text, Pope Francis describes a situation in which the environment is deteriorating rapidly:

    “There is […] pollution that affects everyone, caused by transport, industrial fumes, substances which contribute to the acidification of soil and water, fertilizers, insecticides, fungicides, herbicides and agrotoxins in general.” (§-20)

    The “green” pope published Laudato Si’ on June 18, 2015, a few months prior to the Paris climate conference. The aim was to raise public awareness around the challenges of global warming by creating a relational approach that included God, human beings and the Earth. It was the first time an encyclical had been devoted wholly to ecology.

    In it, the Pope voiced his concern about the effects of global warming:

    “Warming has effects on the carbon cycle. It creates a vicious circle which aggravates the situation even more, affecting the availability of essential resources like drinking water, energy and agricultural production in warmer regions, and leading to the extinction of part of the planet’s biodiversity.” (§-24)

    Criticizing a “technocratic paradigm”

    Since Pope Leo XIII’s Rerum Novarum, the various social encyclicals have consistently rejected the liberal idea of a society solely regulated by the smooth functioning of the market. The French sociologist of religion Émile Poulat summed up the Church’s position perfectly in 1977 in his book Église contre bourgeoisie. Introduction au devenir du catholicisme actuel, in which he writes that the Church “never agreed to abandon the running of the world to the blind laws of economics”.

    In 2015, Pope Francis rejected technical solutions that would not truly be useful, as well as the belief in the redeeming virtues of a self-regulating market. He accused “the technocratic paradigm” of dominating humankind by subordinating the economic and political spheres to its logic (§-101). His comments are reminiscent of the unjustly forgotten French Protestant philosopher Jacques Ellul and his idea of a limitless “self-propulsion” of technology, which has become the alpha and omega of our societies.

    For Jacques Ellul, technology is anything but neutral since it represents genuine power driven by its own movement.
    Wikimedia, CC BY-SA

    The pope’s charge against the supposed virtues of the market was spectacular. Among others, he criticized the following:

    • overconsumption in developed countries:

    “Since the market tends to promote extreme consumerism in an effort to sell its products, people can easily get caught up in a whirlwind of needless buying and spending.” (§-203);

    • the glorification of profit and a self-regulating market:

    “Some circles maintain that current economics and technology will solve all environmental problems.” (§-109);

    • the hypertrophy of speculative finance:

    “Politics must not be subject to the economy, nor should the economy be subject to the dictates of an efficiency-driven paradigm of technocracy.” (§-189);

    • the unequal distribution of wealth in the world:

    “In fact, the deterioration of the environment and of society affects the most vulnerable people on the planet: […] the gravest effects of all attacks on the environment are suffered by the poorest.” (§-48);

    • the unequal levels of development between countries, leading Francis to speak of an “ecological debt” owed by rich countries to the least developed ones. (§-51)

    Social justice and shrinking growth

    In Francis’s words, the goals of saving the planet and social justice go hand in hand. His approach is in keeping with the work of the [economist Louis-Joseph Lebret, a Dominican, who in 1941 founded the association Économie et humanisme. Father Lebret wanted to put the economy back at the service of humankind, and work with the least economically advanced countries by championing an approach based on the virtues of local communities and regional planning.

    Pope Francis, for his part, is calling for a radical break with the consumerist lifestyles of rich countries, while focusing on the development of the poorest nations. (§-93). In Laudato Si’, he also wrote that developed countries’ responses seemed insufficient because of the economic interests at stake (§-54).

    This brings us back to the principle of the universal destination of goods – the organizing principle of property defended by the Catholic Church’s social doctrine, which demands that goods be distributed in such a way as to enable every human being to live in dignity.

    In addition to encouraging the necessary technical adjustments and sober individual practices, Pope Francis is urging citizens in developed countries not to be content with half measures deemed largely insufficient. Instead, he is calling for people to make lifestyle changes in line with the logic of slowing growth. The aim is to enable developing countries to emerge from poverty, while sparing the environment.

    “Given the insatiable and irresponsible growth produced over many decades, we need also to think of containing growth by setting some reasonable limits and even retracing our steps before it is too late. […] That is why the time has come to accept decreased growth in some parts of the world, in order to provide resources for other places to experience healthy growth.” (§ -193)

    Nearly 10 years on, Laudato Si’ resonates fully with our concerns. In the United States, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who both identify as Catholic, would be well advised to read it anew.

    Bernard Laurent is a member of the CFTC and of the IRES Scientific Council

    ref. Pope Francis and Laudato Si’: an ecological turning point for the Catholic Church – https://theconversation.com/pope-francis-and-laudato-si-an-ecological-turning-point-for-the-catholic-church-253977

    MIL OSI – Global Reports

  • MIL-OSI Global: Donald Rodney: Visceral Canker – noteworthy retrospective of an artist as ambitious as he was audacious

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Richard Hylton, Lecturer in Contemporary Art, SOAS, University of London

    Donald Rodney’s art (1961-98) has been familiar to me for many years. But only rarely has it been possible to experience, at close quarters, anything approximating the sheer range and depth of his practice. In his first retrospective exhibition in over a decade and a half, Rodney’s remarkable work is given the platform it deserves.

    Spanning painting, drawing, oil pastels, photography, sculptural assemblages, installation and computer-generated art, Donald Rodney: Visceral Canker at London’s Whitechapel Gallery reveals an artist who was ambitious and prolific, audacious and innovative. An anathema to today’s market-driven art world.

    Invention was central to Rodney’s inimitable practice, but it was also integral to his life and upbringing. Growing up in what was often a racially and socially fractured Britain became central to his artistic concerns.

    Born in West Bromwich in 1961, Rodney was the youngest child of Harold and Iris, Jamaican immigrants, who settled in Britain in the late 1950s. They, like many postwar Caribbean arrivals, had to invent a new way of living and of surviving.


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    Rodney was brought up in Smethwick, a district on the outskirts of Birmingham. During the 1964 general election it became notorious for an anti-immigrant campaign led and won by Conservative MP Peter Griffiths. He helped set the stage for later, more extreme acts of racism – including new immigration laws meant to limit Black immigration, Enoch Powell’s Rivers of Blood speech, and the rise of the far-right National Front.

    However, by the 1970s and early 1980s, as Black children were becoming adults, new forms of British political and cultural identity were being fomented. This included an outpouring of artistic expression in Britain.

    With the likes of fellow art student Keith Piper, Rodney became part of the first generation of British-born Black students to attend art school in the UK, heralding a new chapter in British art.

    The painting How the West Was Won (1982) is named after John Ford’s epic western from 1962. It’s the earliest example of Rodney’s fledgling ability to sample and incorporate a wide variety of sources in his work – from Hollywood film and childhood memories of “cowboys and Indians”, to reimagining the cover of post-punk band Gang of Four’s influential debut album Entertainment (1979).

    Rodney’s composition used child-like mark-markings, vivid colours and crude portraiture, typifying a certain irreverence towards “proper” painting.

    While at Slade School of Fine Art between 1985-87, Rodney began making works using discarded X-rays.

    Visually alluring, these anonymous X-rays became his canvas. The House That Jack Built (1987), included in this exhibition, involved meticulous scalpel incisions of words and elaborate prose. X-ray was used as a metaphor for looking beneath the surface of images and society to better understand the workings of inequality and racism.

    The sculptural work Doublethink (1992), remade for this retrospective, comprises over 100 cheap sporting trophies, each emblazoned with shocking racial insults. These are intended to explore the paradoxes and pathologies of race-based discrimination.

    Rodney took his title from George Orwell’s dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, in which the language of Newspeak produces “doublethink”, a process in which two opposing ideas are truths, such as “ignorance is strength”. This, once again, demonstrates his capacity for invention.

    Self-portrait as social critique

    Nothing typified that capacity for invention more than Rodney’s approach to self-portraiture, which was often a conduit for wider social and political commentary.

    Rodney suffered from the hereditary blood disorder sickle cell anaemia. The relationship between his illness and art has routinely misunderstood to the detriment of his artistic ingenuity. Being X-rayed, having regular blood transfusions and invasive surgery were Rodney’s personal experiences. Transfigured into art, such medical predicaments became conduits for reinterpreting history and contemporary society.

    Visceral Canker (1990) is a circulatory blood pumping system overlaid on fabricated heraldic shields of Elizabeth I and slave trader Sir John Hawkins. It explored the intertwined relationships between Rodney’s Black British identity, slavery and British history.

    The photographic light-box Self Portrait: Black Men, Public Enemy (1990) and the analogue slide projection Cataract (1991) sought to question the perpetual representation of Black men in British society as criminal and deviant. Psalms (1997) is a poignant and affecting self-portrait in which an unoccupied and computer-powered wheelchair moves eerily in response to the gallery visitor.

    Rodney’s art-making process was resourceful. For example, the production of his important large oil pastel drawings on X-rays, including Britannia Hospital 2 (1988), were made in sections. This enabled Rodney to work at scale at a desk at home or in hospital.

    The photographic work In the House of My Father (1997), depicting a minuscule house made of the artist’s skin, was shot in King’s College hospital, London. Rodney was also a master at enlisting the active support from family, friends and associates to realise the production of entire exhibitions, including 9 Night in Eldorado (1997).

    The Whitechapel Gallery show is the final leg of a three-gallery tour which began in 2024. It was first presented at Spike Island, Bristol, the city in which Rodney first exhibited in 1982, followed by Nottingham Contemporary where he studied fine art as an undergraduate at Trent Polytechnic between 1981-85.

    London was where Rodney lived for most of his 16-year career. This retrospective brings together nearly all of the artist’s surviving works. However, about two-thirds of Rodney’s artistic output work has either been lost or destroyed. This does not diminish the retrospective but imbues archival material held by his estate and public collections with particular significance.

    The prominent role assigned to sketchbooks, working drawings and the screening of Three Songs on Pain, Light and Time (1995), directed by the Black Audio Film Collective, play an important supplementary role in narrating Rodney’s singular practice.

    Donald Rodney: Visceral Canker is at the Whitechapel Gallery until May 4.

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

    ref. Donald Rodney: Visceral Canker – noteworthy retrospective of an artist as ambitious as he was audacious – https://theconversation.com/donald-rodney-visceral-canker-noteworthy-retrospective-of-an-artist-as-ambitious-as-he-was-audacious-254535

    MIL OSI – Global Reports

  • MIL-OSI Global: One to One: John & Yoko – documentary shows how Lennon and Ono shaped protest music, pop culture and each other

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Stephanie Hernandez, PhD Candidate, Literature and Music, University of Liverpool

    The new documentary One to One: John & Yoko offers an illuminating look into John Lennon’s post-Beatles activism with his partner Yoko Ono. It captures an early 1970s climate that was charged with political unrest and media saturation.

    Rather than perpetuate the simplified myth of Lennon as a lone revolutionary figure, the film spotlights Ono’s equally influential role in their shared artistic and social endeavours. The film also highlights how Lennon and Ono aimed to galvanise a generation that had grown apathetic and disillusioned after the perceived failure of the 1960s “flower power” to deliver genuine social change.

    The film adopts a pop-art, “channel surfing” aesthetic that situates the viewer in a recreated version of Lennon and Ono’s Greenwich Village apartment. This form plays on Lennon’s own television addiction. The story unfolds amid rapid cuts between Richard Nixon reelection speeches, anti-war demonstrations and playful consumer ads for laundry soap or ground beef – as if the viewer is surfing television channels.

    These scenes coalesce into a surreal tapestry of commercialism and counterculture. The interplay echoes the way Lennon and Ono saw pop culture and radical activism as inescapably intertwined discourses. It underscores how even seemingly mundane aspects of consumer life impinged on their activism and vice versa.


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    Lennon’s politics had emerged during his time as a Beatle, as evidenced in the song Revolution (1968). But it was Ono’s avant-garde sensibility that nudged him into more radical territory – both musically and socially.

    I’ve researched Ono’s comedic artistry in her performance art. So I found the way One to One portrays Ono seamlessly blending her artistic principles with raw emotional outcries onstage especially compelling.

    Her presence surfaces most powerfully in her onstage performance of Don’t Worry Kyoko (Mummy’s Only Looking for Her Hand in the Snow). There, her raw, piercing screams function as a form of cathartic protest rather than mere provocation. Despite widespread media ridicule (such as the infamous Chuck Berry footage that resurfaces on the internet every now and then), One to One clarifies that Ono’s screams constitute a highly personal mode of expression and resistance.

    The trailer for One to One: John & Yoko.

    Later in the film, Lennon’s own raw performance of his song Mother (1970) reveals how much Ono’s techniques informed his own. The documentary explores the emotional origins behind Ono’s shrieks, situating them within the context of primal scream therapy. This provides an interesting background to Lennon’s own wailing on Mother, a song about the lingering feeling of abandonment he had experienced since childhood.

    The film highlights a mutual borrowing. Lennon was not only the rock artist providing Ono exposure on the world’s stage but also a beneficiary of her experimental practices. Throughout the film, the couple are shown workshopping protest songs, connecting with countercultural figureheads such as poet Allen Ginsberg and activist Jerry Rubin, and aiding in counter-cultural protest of the American prison system.

    This sense of reciprocity between the couple is at the core of One to One.

    Complementary forces

    The One to One Benefit Concerts in August of 1972 at Madison Square Garden are at the epicentre of this film. Far from a publicity stunt, the shows sought tangible outcomes. They ultimately raised over US$1.5 million (£1,149,000) for Willowbrook State School, a facility for children with disabilities. Coincidentally, Lennon and Ono learned about the school through watching TV.

    The film includes an emotional scene of the children from Willowbrook playing in a park while Lennon performs Imagine. It shows how the song was never intended to canonise Lennon as a saint, but was rather to encourage social change.

    Although their plans to bail out people in prison on a Free The People tour fell through, Lennon and Ono’s capacity for integrating live music with direct engagement resonates in the concert footage.

    The film devotes considerable screen time to the concerts and crowd reactions. This portrays the physical energy of Lennon’s brand of rock ‘n’ roll and Ono’s more avant-garde flair as complementary forces. What emerges is a dynamic synergy, both onstage and off, that positions them as co-leaders of their own brand of pop activism.

    Towards the end of the film is footage of Ono delivering a speech about the ridicule she has faced in society and performing the song Age 39 (Looking Over from My Hotel Window) at the First International Feminist Conference at Harvard University in 1973.

    This segment includes home video footage of Ono walking among the witch sites of Salem, Massachusetts, symbolising her shifting role in society. She explains that she was “upgraded” from a “bitch” to a “witch”. One to One’s portrayal of Ono as a collaborator of Lennon’s rather than a reduction of her to a romantic partner points to how the narrative tide is changing, and Ono is finally getting her due recognition.

    One to One captures a moment when their combined artistry, activism, and mutual exchange of vocal techniques converged – creating an indelible record of how two personalities shaped protest music, pop culture and each other.

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

    ref. One to One: John & Yoko – documentary shows how Lennon and Ono shaped protest music, pop culture and each other – https://theconversation.com/one-to-one-john-and-yoko-documentary-shows-how-lennon-and-ono-shaped-protest-music-pop-culture-and-each-other-254640

    MIL OSI – Global Reports

  • MIL-OSI China: Xi urges joint efforts to build high-level strategic China-Malaysia community with shared future

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Chinese President Xi Jinping attends a welcome ceremony held by Malaysian King Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, April 16, 2025. Xi met with Malaysian King Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar at the National Palace in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Chinese President Xi Jinping said Wednesday that China is ready to work with the Malaysian side to build a high-level strategic China-Malaysia community with a shared future, so as to usher in new “Golden 50 Years” for bilateral ties.

    Xi made the remarks when meeting with Malaysian King Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar during a state visit to the country. Prior to their meeting, Sultan Ibrahim held a grand welcome ceremony for Xi.

    During the meeting, Xi pointed out that China and Malaysia are good neighbors, good friends and good partners who visit each other as often as family. Bilateral relations have gone through a magnificent half-century and are embracing an even brighter future, he added.

    Xi said he is ready to work with Sultan Ibrahim, the Malaysian supreme head of state, to lead the long-term and stable development of China-Malaysia ties, and write a new chapter in good-neighborliness, friendship, solidarity and cooperation.

    China and Malaysia should continue to deepen political mutual trust and support each other on issues concerning their respective core interests and major concerns, Xi said.

    The two sides should deepen the synergy of development strategies, draw on each other’s strengths for mutual benefit and win-win results, and jointly pursue modernization, he said.

    He called on the two sides to ensure good implementation of major projects such as the “Two Countries, Twin Parks” program and the East Coast Rail Link, and to actively foster cooperation in future industries such as artificial intelligence, digital economy and green economy.

    China welcomes more high-quality Malaysian agricultural products to the Chinese market, and encourages Chinese enterprises to invest in Malaysia, he said.

    China stands ready to promote the Confucian-Islamic civilizational dialogue with Malaysia and to carry out further cooperation with Malaysia in culture, tourism and education to enhance people-to-people exchanges between the two countries, said the Chinese president.

    China supports Malaysia in its role as the ASEAN chair and stands ready to work with Malaysia to implement the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, Xi said.

    He also urged joint efforts to promote the Global South’s pursuit of solidarity-driven collective advancement and common development, so as to contribute more certainty and positive energy to the region and the world.

    For his part, Sultan Ibrahim said that President Xi’s state visit to Malaysia is a major event in bilateral relations, which fully demonstrates the high level of Malaysia-China relations, adding that his successful visit to China last September is still fresh in his memory.

    Sultan Ibrahim said he believes that Xi’s visit will comprehensively upgrade bilateral relations and promote vigorous development of cooperation in various fields, adding that China’s impressive development achievements are attributable to the foresight of President Xi and the hard work of the Chinese people.

    Malaysia attaches great importance to its relations with China and will join hands to forge ahead for win-win cooperation and promote the building of the high-level strategic China-Malaysia community with a shared future no matter how the international landscape evolves, he said.

    Malaysia attaches importance to regional economic integration, firmly supports the Belt and Road Initiative, and is ready to strengthen trade and investment cooperation with China, jointly stabilize industrial and supply chains, enhance connectivity and boost people-to-people and educational exchanges, said Sultan Ibrahim.

    The Malaysian side speaks highly of China’s central conference on work related to neighboring countries held recently and values China’s important role in addressing global and regional challenges, he said.

    As the rotating chair of ASEAN and country coordinator for ASEAN-China Dialogue Relations, Malaysia is committed to promoting greater development of ASEAN-China ties and jointly building a peaceful and prosperous future, he added.

    After the meeting, Xi attended the welcome banquet held by Sultan Ibrahim.

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    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI China: New global headquarters for int’l commercial dispute resolution body opens in Beijing

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    The International Commercial Dispute Prevention and Settlement Organization (ICDPASO) has inaugurated its new global headquarters in Beijing, marking a milestone in its expansion as a key player in resolving cross-border commercial disputes.

    Established in October 2020 under the initiative of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), the ICDPASO is the first non-governmental international body integrating dispute prevention and settlement services for international commercial entities.

    At a high-level dialogue coinciding with the launch on Tuesday, CCPIT Chairman Ren Hongbin emphasized the organization’s growing relevance amid rising unilateralism, protectionism, and uncertainties in global commerce.

    The ICDPASO’s focus on dialogue and mediation has effectively aided businesses in resolving disputes while fostering international cooperation, said Huang Wei, vice director of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, highlighting its contributions to trade facilitation.

    Jointly founded by the China Chamber of International Commerce and industrial, commercial and legal service institutions from more than 40 countries and regions, the ICDPASO currently boasts 51 member institutions involving over 100 countries and regions, with its case resolution volume increasing by about 60 percent annually since inception.

    It has also issued guidelines for commercial mediation, arbitration, and investment dispute practices.

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI: South Bow Safely Restarts Keystone Pipeline

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CALGARY, Alberta, April 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — South Bow Corp. (TSX & NYSE: SOBO) (South Bow or the Company) has safely restarted the Keystone Pipeline (Keystone) after receiving regulatory approval from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), following South Bow’s response to an oil release at Milepost 171 (MP-171) of Keystone on April 8, 2025, near Fort Ransom, North Dakota.

    South Bow is actively progressing its response and recovery efforts, having repaired and replaced the impacted pipe, and recovered substantially most of the estimated release volume of 3,500 barrels of oil, working now to remediate the impacted soil. South Bow’s primary focus remains the safety of onsite personnel and mitigating risks to the environment and the community surrounding Fort Ransom. South Bow will continue its clean-up activities until the site has been fully remediated, with continuous air quality monitoring steadily showing no indication of adverse health or public concerns. South Bow will continue working closely with regulators, local officials, landowners, and the community.

    Corrective Action Order

    On April 11, 2025, PHMSA issued a Corrective Action Order (CAO), requiring South Bow to undertake certain corrective actions in response to the MP-171 incident. As part of the CAO, South Bow developed a restart plan that was subsequently approved by PHMSA, authorizing Keystone’s return to service under certain operating pressure restrictions. South Bow is committed to the safe operation of Keystone and has notified the Canada Energy Regulator that the Company is also implementing certain operating pressure restrictions on the Canadian sections of the pipeline. The pipeline was operating within its design and regulatory approval requirements at the time of the incident. In addition to working closely with regulators, South Bow will work closely with customers during Keystone’s return to service.

    South Bow will continue providing timely updates as information becomes available on its website at www.southbow.com/incident-response.

    Forward-looking information and statements

    This news release contains certain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, forward-looking statements), including forward-looking statements within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of applicable securities legislation, that are based on South Bow’s current expectations, estimates, projections, and assumptions in light of its experience and its perception of historical trends. All statements other than statements of historical facts may constitute forward-looking statements. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as, “anticipate”, “will”, “expect”, “estimate”, “potential”, “future”, “outlook”, “strategy”, “maintain”, “ongoing”, “intend”, and similar expressions suggesting future events or future performance. In particular, this news release contains forward-looking statements, including with respect to response, recovery and clean-up efforts; notification and forthcoming updates regarding the oil release; and regulatory, landowner, community, and customer engagement.

    The forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions that South Bow has made in respect thereof as at the date of this news release regarding, among other things: oil and gas industry development activity levels and the geographic region of such activity; that favourable market conditions exist and that South Bow has and will have available capital to fund its capital expenditures and other planned spending; prevailing commodity prices, interest rates, inflation levels, carbon prices, tax rates, and exchange rates; the ability of South Bow to maintain current credit ratings; the availability of capital to fund future capital requirements; future operating costs; asset integrity costs; that all required regulatory and environmental approvals can be obtained on the necessary terms in a timely manner; and prevailing regulatory, tax, and environmental laws and regulations.

    Although South Bow believes the assumptions and other factors reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable as of the date hereof, there can be no assurance that these assumptions and factors will prove to be correct and, as such, forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events or results to differ materially, including, but not limited to: the regulatory environment and related decisions and requirements; the impact of competitive entities and pricing; reliance on third parties to successfully operate and maintain certain assets; the strength and operations of the energy industry; weakness or volatility in commodity prices; non-performance or default by counterparties; actions taken by governmental or regulatory authorities; the ability of South Bow to acquire or develop and maintain necessary infrastructure; fluctuations in operating results; adverse general economic and market conditions; the ability to access various sources of debt and equity capital on acceptable terms; and adverse changes in credit. The foregoing list of assumptions and risk factors should not be construed as exhaustive. For additional information on the assumptions made, and the risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ from the results implied by forward-looking statements, refer to South Bow’s annual information form dated March 5, 2025, available under South Bow’s SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca and, from time to time, in South Bow’s public disclosure documents, available at www.sedarplus.ca, www.sec.gov, and on South Bow’s website at www.southbow.com.

    The forward-looking statements contained in this news release speak only as of the date hereof. South Bow does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements or information contained herein, except as required by applicable laws. All forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

    Contact information

    Investor Relations
    Martha Wilmot
    investor.relations@southbow.com
    Media Relations & Community Enquiries
    Solomiya Lyaskovska
    communications@southbow.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Global: Pope Francis and Laudato Si’: looking back at an ecological turning point for the Catholic Church

    Source: The Conversation – France – By Bernard Laurent, Professeur, EM Lyon Business School

    In Laudato Si’, Pope Francis called for a radical break with consumerist lifestyles. Ricardo Perna/Shutterstock

    On May 24, 2015, Pope Francis signed his encyclical Laudato Si’ – “Praise be to you” in medieval Italian. This letter to Roman Catholic bishops was no half measure: it took many Catholics by surprise with its uncompromising conclusions and call for an in-depth transformation of our lifestyles. In France, it managed to bring together both conservative currents – such as the Courant pour un écologie humaine (Movement for a Human Ecology), created in 2013 – and more open-minded Catholic intellectuals such as Gaël Giraud, a Jesuit and author of Produire plus, polluer moins: l’impossible découplage? (Produce more, Pollute Less: the Impossible Decoupling?).

    The Pope was taking a cue from his predecessors. Benedict XVI, John Paul II and Paul VI had also expressed concern about the dramatic effects of an abusive exploitation of nature on humanity:

    “Man is suddenly becoming aware that by an ill-considered exploitation of nature he risks destroying it and becoming in his turn the victim of this degradation.”

    What does Pope Francis’s encyclical teach us? And how does it reflect the Catholic Church’s vision, and his own?



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    The “green” pope

    In the text, Pope Francis describes a situation in which the environment is deteriorating rapidly:

    “There is […] pollution that affects everyone, caused by transport, industrial fumes, substances which contribute to the acidification of soil and water, fertilizers, insecticides, fungicides, herbicides and agrotoxins in general.” (§-20)

    The “green” pope published Laudato Si’ on June 18, 2015, a few months prior to the Paris climate conference. The aim was to raise public awareness around the challenges of global warming by creating a relational approach that included God, human beings and the Earth. It was the first time an encyclical had been devoted wholly to ecology.

    In it, the Pope voiced his concern about the effects of global warming:

    “Warming has effects on the carbon cycle. It creates a vicious circle which aggravates the situation even more, affecting the availability of essential resources like drinking water, energy and agricultural production in warmer regions, and leading to the extinction of part of the planet’s biodiversity.” (§-24)

    Criticizing a “technocratic paradigm”

    Since Pope Leo XIII’s Rerum Novarum, the various social encyclicals have consistently rejected the liberal idea of a society solely regulated by the smooth functioning of the market. The French sociologist of religion Émile Poulat summed up the Church’s position perfectly in 1977 in his book Église contre bourgeoisie. Introduction au devenir du catholicisme actuel, in which he writes that the Church “never agreed to abandon the running of the world to the blind laws of economics”.

    In 2015, Pope Francis rejected technical solutions that would not truly be useful, as well as the belief in the redeeming virtues of a self-regulating market. He accused “the technocratic paradigm” of dominating humankind by subordinating the economic and political spheres to its logic (§-101). His comments are reminiscent of the unjustly forgotten French Protestant philosopher Jacques Ellul and his idea of a limitless “self-propulsion” of technology, which has become the alpha and omega of our societies.

    For Jacques Ellul, technology is anything but neutral since it represents genuine power driven by its own movement.
    Wikimedia, CC BY-SA

    The pope’s charge against the supposed virtues of the market was spectacular. Among others, he criticized the following:

    • overconsumption in developed countries:

    “Since the market tends to promote extreme consumerism in an effort to sell its products, people can easily get caught up in a whirlwind of needless buying and spending.” (§-203);

    • the glorification of profit and a self-regulating market:

    “Some circles maintain that current economics and technology will solve all environmental problems.” (§-109);

    • the hypertrophy of speculative finance:

    “Politics must not be subject to the economy, nor should the economy be subject to the dictates of an efficiency-driven paradigm of technocracy.” (§-189);

    • the unequal distribution of wealth in the world:

    “In fact, the deterioration of the environment and of society affects the most vulnerable people on the planet: […] the gravest effects of all attacks on the environment are suffered by the poorest.” (§-48);

    • the unequal levels of development between countries, leading Francis to speak of an “ecological debt” owed by rich countries to the least developed ones. (§-51)

    Social justice and shrinking growth

    In Francis’s words, the goals of saving the planet and social justice go hand in hand. His approach is in keeping with the work of the [economist Louis-Joseph Lebret, a Dominican, who in 1941 founded the association Économie et humanisme. Father Lebret wanted to put the economy back at the service of humankind, and work with the least economically advanced countries by championing an approach based on the virtues of local communities and regional planning.

    Pope Francis, for his part, is calling for a radical break with the consumerist lifestyles of rich countries, while focusing on the development of the poorest nations. (§-93). In Laudato Si’, he also wrote that developed countries’ responses seemed insufficient because of the economic interests at stake (§-54).

    This brings us back to the principle of the universal destination of goods – the organizing principle of property defended by the Catholic Church’s social doctrine, which demands that goods be distributed in such a way as to enable every human being to live in dignity.

    In addition to encouraging the necessary technical adjustments and sober individual practices, Pope Francis is urging citizens in developed countries not to be content with half measures deemed largely insufficient. Instead, he is calling for people to make lifestyle changes in line with the logic of slowing growth. The aim is to enable developing countries to emerge from poverty, while sparing the environment.

    “Given the insatiable and irresponsible growth produced over many decades, we need also to think of containing growth by setting some reasonable limits and even retracing our steps before it is too late. […] That is why the time has come to accept decreased growth in some parts of the world, in order to provide resources for other places to experience healthy growth.” (§ -193)

    Nearly 10 years on, Laudato Si’ resonates fully with our concerns. In the United States, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who both identify as Catholic, would be well advised to read it anew.

    Bernard Laurent is a member of the CFTC and of the IRES Scientific Council

    ref. Pope Francis and Laudato Si’: looking back at an ecological turning point for the Catholic Church – https://theconversation.com/pope-francis-and-laudato-si-looking-back-at-an-ecological-turning-point-for-the-catholic-church-253977

    MIL OSI – Global Reports

  • MIL-OSI China: MOFA expresses condolences over passing of former US Deputy Secretary of State Armitage

    Source: Republic of Taiwan – Ministry of Foreign Affairs

    MOFA expresses condolences over passing of former US Deputy Secretary of State Armitage

    • Date:2025-04-15
    • Data Source:Department of North American Affairs

    April 15, 2025

    The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) expresses its profound condolences over the passing of former US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage. It has instructed the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States to convey its sincere sympathies to his family on behalf of the people and government of the Republic of China (Taiwan).

    Mr. Armitage served as assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs from 1983 to 1989 under President Ronald Reagan and President George H. W. Bush and as deputy secretary of state under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2004. An important friend of Taiwan, he staunchly supported both the preservation of peace across the Taiwan Strait and Taiwan’s democracy, making outstanding contributions to Taiwan-US relations and security in the Indo-Pacific. 

    He also visited Taiwan on multiple occasions to convey his unwavering support. He was a member of a US delegation that visited Taiwan to meet and exchange opinions with President Tsai Ing-wen in 2021. In 2024, he joined former National Economic Council Director Brian Deese in leading a US delegation to the inauguration of the 16th-term president and vice president of the ROC (Taiwan), extending bipartisan felicitations from the United States to President Lai Ching-te and the people of democratic Taiwan. During that visit, he called Taiwan an important voice for democracy in the world and reaffirmed the United States’ firm commitment to ensuring peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. He also expressed steadfast concern regarding China’s military threats and coercion against Taiwan, stating that the more China bullied Taiwan, the more the international community would speak up for Taiwan.

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI China: MOFA response to display of Nazi symbol and salute at New Taipei District Prosecutors Office

    Source: Republic of Taiwan – Ministry of Foreign Affairs

    MOFA response to display of Nazi symbol and salute at New Taipei District Prosecutors Office

    • Date:2025-04-16
    • Data Source:Department of West Asian and African Affairs

    April 16, 2025  

     

    The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) has noted that a Taiwanese national wearing a swastika armband and holding a copy of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf made a Nazi salute at the New Taipei District Prosecutors Office on April 15. Like most other countries, Taiwan firmly rejects Nazi symbols, which represent an ideology of prejudice and hatred that led to the historic tragedy of the Holocaust. Many nations have also explicitly banned the use of such symbols. MOFA strongly condemns this highly inappropriate method of expressing personal opinion.

     

    MOFA reiterates that Taiwan is a country that respects freedom, democracy, and the rule of law. The constitution protects people’s right to express their opinions and exercise freedom of speech. MOFA urges the people of Taiwan to recognize the negative associations and historical trauma attached to Nazi symbols and gestures within the international community. It calls on the public not to bring distress to people of other countries, tarnish Taiwan’s international reputation, and engage in counterproductive forms of expression.

     

    MOFA sincerely hopes that the people and government of Taiwan will work together to actively demonstrate tolerance for different cultures, religions, and ethnic groups of the world. It looks forward to everyone jointly striving for a brighter and more inclusive future.

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: When ducks take to the potholes it’s long past time for action

    Source: Traditional Unionist Voice – Northern Ireland

    Statement by TUV party chairman and Cusher councillor Keith Ratcliffe:

    “I am frankly fed up with the lack of action from the Department of Infrastructure when it comes to potholes.

    “Back in November I raised particular issues in relation to Marlacoo Road. In spite of several reminders, there has been no action.

    “The result is that no longer have potholes. We have large craters which – after the heavy rain today – have literally turned into duck ponds in the middle of the road.

    “While the Minister seeks to abuse her office to impose Irish language street signs on Grand Central Station the basic infrastructure which we all rely on to go about our daily lives is falling apart.

    “A devolution which results in roads turning into duck ponds isn’t worth having.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI Europe: AFRICA/KENYA – Bishop of Eldoret: “We are completely destroying our country through corruption”

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Nairobi (Agenzia Fides) – “We are left wondering where will the poor go and who will stand for them. What we are doing is wrong and we are completely destroying our country through corruption”, Msgr. Dominic Kimengich, Bishop of Eldoret said after leading a Palm Sunday service on Sunday, April 13. “Corruption has reached saddening levels where Kenyans have to buy jobs and those in positions are using public offices to amass for themselves. If we continue going that way, we are just destroying our country”, the Bishop remarked.Msgr. Kimengich added that the taxes paid by Kenyans should be used to provide essential public services and generate jobs in the public sector.The Bishop of Eldoret regretted that insecurity is still a major problem in Kerio Valley with the re-emergence of banditry.”The government should not allow a few people to take us back with killing of innocent people in Kerio Valley,” he said. In the past two months, at least ten people—including two police officers – have been killed in attacks by bandits in that region. Insecurity has devastating economic and social consequences: pastures, livestock, and crops, particularly mangoes, the local main export, are affected. Furthermore, the poor condition of the roads discourages middlemen and transporters, who prefer to avoid the area. As a result, many farmers are unable to market their produce and are forced to let the fruit rot on the trees.Added to this is criminal activity, schools in the area were closed in December. To address the situation, President William Ruto announced in January the creation of a military training camp in the region, with the aim of strengthening security. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 16/4/2025)
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  • MIL-OSI Europe: ASIA/LEBANON – The mission of the Sisters of Our Lady of the Apostles and the new hopes of the Lebanese people

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Wednesday, 16 April 2025

    NDA

    Beirut (Agenzia Fides) – After five consecutive years of crises, many Lebanese are beginning to harbor hope for a new era for the Land of the Cedars, prompted by the election last January of a new President of the Republic: General Joseph Aoun, former army commander. This opens up an unprecedented scenario, still fraught with uncertainty but also with expectations, Sister Micheline Najjar, Provincial of the Sisters of Our Lady of the Apostles (Soeurs Missionnaires de Notre Dame des Apostles, NDA), told Fides. “The country has gone through a dark and painful period,” Sister Micheline recalls. “The deep economic crisis, the terrible consequences of the pandemic, the devastating explosion in the port of Beirut in 2020, armed conflicts, extreme poverty, mass migration, the destruction of homes and families, and the absence of a President for two and a half years have put to the test a people who, however, have proven accustomed to overcoming adversity.” The presidential election took place “just two weeks after the opening of the Catholic Church’s Jubilee Year of Hope 2025,” convened by Pope Francis, and coincided with the formation of a new government headed by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. It is a political turning point that, in the words of the nun, “has touched the aspirations of a people and a country that yearns to rise from its ashes like the phoenix.” However, she emphasizes, “this nascent hope is accompanied by prudent caution.” The challenges for the new leaders are enormous: regaining the trust of citizens and the international community, reviving a collapsed economy, restoring public institutions, and ensuring stability in a region marked by tension.In this context, the Sisters of Our Lady of the Apostles remain committed to families, young people, and children, especially in the field of education. “Despite the difficulties, we continue to draw strength from the Lord, convinced that He always triumphs over evil,” says Sister Micheline. In the midst of the reconstruction process, their mission continues to be guided by the certainty that “God never ceases to act, even in the midst of storms.” (AP) (Agenzia Fides, 16/4/2025)
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  • MIL-OSI Europe: ASIA/PAKISTAN – Easter in the Jubilee Year: a celebration of faith and hope

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Lahore (Agenzia Fides) – “The spirit of the Resurrection shines brightly despite the shadows of discrimination and marginalization affecting Christians in Pakistan. From the bustling cities of Lahore and Karachi to the most remote towns and rural villages, Christian communities gather in churches and homes to celebrate the central mystery of their faith: the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ,” Father Lazar Aslam, a Capuchin friar from Lahore, capital of the Punjab province, told Fides. “For Christians, Easter, the foundation of our faith, which proclaims Christ’s triumph over death and sin, brings hope especially to those who endure trials and suffering,” he emphasized.In the country’s predominantly Muslim context, the Christian festivity is welcomed with different perspectives: Many Muslims, who venerate Jesus as a prophet, show respect and convey their good wishes to Christians, turning the religious holiday into an opportunity for dialogue and fraternal encounter. However, other sectors of Pakistani society view Easter “with indifference or even hostility,” Father Aslam says, because they do not understand its deeper meaning.During Lent, the country’s Christians have prepared with fasting, prayer, and works of charity. The Holy Week liturgies, especially the celebrations of Good Friday and Easter Sunday, draw crowds. Churches are adorned with flowers, choirs sing the Alleluia with renewed faith and joy, and the faithful reaffirm their hope in the Risen Lord. “Even more so in this Jubilee Year, the word ‘hope’ resonates strongly in our communities,” the friar affirms.In the face of the security threats that have occurred in recent years, the government has deployed significant police presence outside churches, particularly in large cities. Checkpoints, the presence of armed personnel, and surveillance mark the Easter celebrations. “These measures offer a certain sense of protection, but they also remind us of the vulnerability we experience as a community,” explains Father Aslam.Catholic families celebrate Easter by sharing traditional meals, while children participate in school activities, and communities organize processions and prayer vigils. “The Easter of this Jubilee Year represents for us a profound renewal of faith, even in the midst of suffering, because darkness can never overcome the light of Christ. It is a testimony to the perseverance of a people who, despite their daily struggles, remain rooted in the hope of the Resurrection,” continues the friar. In the Sindh region, in the south of the country, the Easter celebration has brought a special message of hope and gratitude. On April 8, Father Prem Virshi was ordained as the first Catholic priest from the Kachhi Kohli ethnic community. The new priest will celebrate the Holy Week and Easter rites for the first time with the faithful of his home community, for the joy of all. It is worth remembering that in 2018, the Catholic Church in Pakistan welcomed the first religious sister from the Kachhi Kohli tribe, who joined the Congregation of the Sisters of the Presentation of the Lord, the fruit of 70 years of missionary presence among this tribal people in Sindh. The Kachhi Kohli, an ethno-linguistic minority composed of some 280,000 people, mostly Hindu. (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 16/4/2025)

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  • MIL-OSI Europe: AFRICA/SUDAN – The London conference ends without a final declaration; the RSF proclaim the formation of an alternative government

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Wednesday, 16 April 2025 war  

    Khartoum (Agenzia Fides) – The London conference organized exactly two years after the outbreak of the Sudanese civil war on 15 April 2023, to try to put an end to the conflict, ended without a final declaration.The conference was convened by the United Kingdom, the African Union (AU), the European Union (EU), France and Germany, and was attended by foreign ministers and high-level representatives of Canada, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, Norway, Qatar, South Sudan, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Uganda and the United States of America, together with high-level representatives of the League of Arab States (LAS) and the United Nations (UN). However, the absence of the two opposing forces—the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), commanded by Mohamed Hamdan “Hemeti” Dagalo—has severely limited the prospects for progress. The organizers of the conference said that this year’s participants pledged more than $1 billion to Sudan and its neighbors. This figure includes $590 million from the EU and its member states and $158 million from the United Kingdom.The final declaration that was supposed to address the formation of a contact group to mediate between the parties, fell through due to differences between Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, according to The Guardian. The first two support General al-Burhan, while the third are suspected of siding with Dagalo. The latter, coinciding with the London conference, proclaimed once again yesterday, April 15, the formation of an alternative government to the one led by General al-Burhan, calling it a “Government of Peace and Unity, the true face of Sudan.” Dagalo described the administration as “an alliance between the Sudanese Revolutionary Front, civil society, humanitarian organizations, and youth movements.” He also emphasized that the RSF government aims to unify Sudan by committing to providing education, healthcare, and essential services throughout the war-torn country, and not only in the territories they control. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 16/4/2025)
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  • MIL-OSI Europe: AMERICA/HAITI – “The State is collapsing, opening the door to criminal gangs”

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Port-au-Prince (Agenzia Fides) – “The Haitian people are a martyred people (…) and the Church that is in communion with this people lives this suffering in its flesh”, said Father Marc-Henry Siméon, spokesman for the Haitian Episcopal Conference, in a television debate broadcast by Radio Télé Métropole, on Sunday 13 April. Referring to the assassination of Sister Evanette Onezaire and Sister Jeanne Voltaire, of the Little Sisters of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus, killed on March 31 in Mirebalais about fifty kilometers north-east of the capital Port-au-Prince (see Fides, 3/4/2025), Father Siméon said that the security conditions in Mirebalais are so precarious that they have not yet made it possible to recover the bodies of the two nuns in order to offer them dignified funeral services.About a year after the installation of the Transitional Presidential Council (TPC), the priest draws a gloomy balance of the achievements of this body, which was supposed to bring the country out of the insecurity caused by the criminal gangs that have been raging in the country for years. “The state is progressively collapsing, leaving is gradually collapsing, leaving the door open to the gangs that are extending their grip, especially on the capital,” he said.Faced with what he calls a collective failure, Father Siméon calls for a moral revolution instead of a brutal revolt. He urges political leaders to conduct a sincere self-assessment and open an inclusive dialogue to find a credible solution to the crisis. “Those who have failed will never walk away from power alone.”According to the UN, there are more than a million displaced people in Haiti, a number that has tripled in the space of a year. Gang violence in the capital Port-au-Prince has forced thousands of families to flee several times. According to the United Nations, in the first three months of the year at least 1,518 people died and 572 were injured due to gang violence, law enforcement operations and self-defense militias. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 16/4/2025)
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  • MIL-OSI: YieldMax™ ETFs Announces Distributions on TSLY (101.76%), CRSH (100.89%), ULTY (76.45%), LFGY (65.07%), FEAT (61.22%), and Others

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CHICAGO, MILWAUKEE and NEW YORK, April 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — YieldMax™ today announced distributions for the YieldMax™ Weekly Payers and Group A ETFs listed in the table below.

    ETF
    Ticker1
    ETF Name Distribution Frequency Distribution
    per Share
    Distribution Rate2,4 30-Day
    SEC Yield3
    ROC5 Ex-Date & Record
    Date
    Payment
    Date
    CHPY YieldMax™ Semiconductor Portfolio Option Income ETF Weekly $0.3627 84.42% 4/17/25 4/21/25
    GPTY YieldMax™ AI & Tech Portfolio Option Income ETF Weekly $0.2545 34.59% 0.00% 63.04% 4/17/25 4/21/25
    LFGY YieldMax™ Crypto Industry & Tech Portfolio Option Income ETF Weekly $0.4307 65.07% 0.00% 35.49% 4/17/25 4/21/25
    QDTY YieldMax™ Nasdaq 100 0DTE Covered Call ETF Weekly $0.3320 43.93% 0.00% 100.00% 4/17/25 4/21/25
    RDTY YieldMax™ R2000 0DTE Covered Call ETF Weekly $0.3745 46.65% 0.00% 100.00% 4/17/25 4/21/25
    SDTY YieldMax™ S&P 500 0DTE Covered Call ETF Weekly $0.3085 38.91% 0.00% 100.00% 4/17/25 4/21/25
    ULTY YieldMax™ Ultra Option Income Strategy ETF Weekly $0.0852 76.45% 2.21% 99.18% 4/17/25 4/21/25
    YMAG YieldMax™ Magnificent 7 Fund of Option Income ETFs Weekly $0.0943 33.85% 69.89% 65.96% 4/17/25 4/21/25
    YMAX YieldMax™ Universe Fund
    of Option Income ETFs
    Weekly $0.1334 54.00% 96.57% 54.97% 4/17/25 4/21/25
    CRSH YieldMax™ Short TSLA Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.5616 100.89% 1.79% 0.00% 4/17/25 4/21/25
    FEAT YieldMax™ Dorsey Wright Featured 5 Income ETF Every 4 weeks $1.6435 61.22% 108.54% 0.00% 4/17/25 4/21/25
    FIVY YieldMax™ Dorsey Wright Hybrid 5 Income ETF Every 4 weeks $1.0283 37.65% 69.37% 0.00% 4/17/25 4/21/25
    GOOY YieldMax™ GOOGL Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.3729 40.07% 4.67% 90.74% 4/17/25 4/21/25
    OARK YieldMax™ Innovation Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.2923 51.17% 3.51% 93.61% 4/17/25 4/21/25
    SNOY YieldMax™ SNOW Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.6864 59.94% 3.01% 94.51% 4/17/25 4/21/25
    TSLY YieldMax™ TSLA Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.6598 101.76% 3.87% 96.85% 4/17/25 4/21/25
    TSMY YieldMax™ TSM Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.5635 51.83% 3.61% 16.38% 4/17/25 4/21/25
    XOMO YieldMax™ XOM Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.3500 34.91% 3.18% 90.74% 4/17/25 4/21/25
    YBIT YieldMax™ Bitcoin Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.4110 53.00% 1.52% 30.49% 4/17/25 4/21/25
    Weekly Payers & Group B ETFs scheduled for next week: CHPY GPTY LFGY QDTY RDTY SDTY UTLY YMAG YMAX BABO DIPS FBY GDXY JPMO MARO MRNY NVDY PLTY
     

    Performance data quoted represents past performance and is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when sold or redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost and current performance may be lower or higher than the performance quoted above. Performance current to the most recent month-end can be obtained by calling (833) 378-0717.

    Note: DIPS, FIAT, CRSH, YQQQ and WNTR are hereinafter referred to as the “Short ETFs.”

    Distributions are not guaranteed. The Distribution Rate and 30-Day SEC Yield are not indicative of future distributions, if any, on the ETFs. In particular, future distributions on any ETF may differ significantly from its Distribution Rate or 30-Day SEC Yield. You are not guaranteed a distribution under the ETFs. Distributions for the ETFs (if any) are variable and may vary significantly from period to period and may be zero. Accordingly, the Distribution Rate and 30-Day SEC Yield will change over time, and such change may be significant.

    Investors in the Funds will not have rights to receive dividends or other distributions with respect to the underlying reference asset(s).

    1 All YieldMax™ ETFs shown in the table above (except YMAX, YMAG, FEAT, FIVY and ULTY) have a gross expense ratio of 0.99%. YMAX, YMAG and FEAT have a Management Fee of 0.29% and Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses of 0.99% for a gross expense ratio of 1.28%. FIVY has a Management Fee of 0.29% and Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses of 0.59% for a gross expense ratio of 0.88%. “Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses” are indirect fees and expenses that the Fund incurs from investing in the shares of other investment companies, namely other YieldMax™ ETFs. ULTY has a gross expense ratio after the fee waiver of 1.30%. The Advisor has agreed to a fee waiver of 0.10% through at least February 28, 2026.

    2 The Distribution Rate shown is as of close on April 15, 2025. The Distribution Rate is the annual distribution rate an investor would receive if the most recent distribution, which includes option income, remained the same going forward. The Distribution Rate is calculated by annualizing an ETF’s Distribution per Share and dividing such annualized amount by the ETF’s most recent NAV. The Distribution Rate represents a single distribution from the ETF and does not represent its total return. Distributions may also include a combination of ordinary dividends, capital gain, and return of investor capital, which may decrease an ETF’s NAV and trading price over time. As a result, an investor may suffer significant losses to their investment. These Distribution Rates may be caused by unusually favorable market conditions and may not be sustainable. Such conditions may not continue to exist and there should be no expectation that this performance may be repeated in the future.

    3 The 30-Day SEC Yield represents net investment income, which excludes option income, earned by such ETF over the 30-Day period ended March 31, 2025, expressed as an annual percentage rate based on such ETF’s share price at the end of the 30-Day period.

    4 Each ETF’s strategy (except those of the Short ETFs) will cap potential gains if its reference asset’s shares increase in value, yet subjects an investor to all potential losses if the reference asset’s shares decrease in value. Such potential losses may not be offset by income received by the ETF. Each Short ETF’s strategy will cap potential gains if its reference asset decreases in value, yet subjects an investor to all potential losses if the reference asset increases in value. Such potential losses may not be offset by income received by the ETF.
    5  ROC refers to Return of Capital. The ROC percentage is the portion of the distribution that represents an investor’s original investment.

    Each Fund has a limited operating history and while each Fund’s objective is to provide current income, there is no guarantee the Fund will make a distribution. Distributions are likely to vary greatly in amount.

    Standardized Performance

    For YMAX, click here. For YMAG, click here. For TSLY, click here. For OARK, click here. For APLY, click here. For NVDY, click here. For AMZY, click here. For FBY, click here. For GOOY, click here. For NFLY, click here. For CONY, click here. For MSFO, click here. For DISO, click here. For XOMO, click here. For JPMO, click here. For AMDY, click here. For PYPY, click here. For XYZY, click here. For MRNY, click here. For AIYY, click here. For MSTY, click here. For ULTY, click here. For YBIT, click here. For CRSH, click here. For GDXY, click here. For SNOY, click here. For ABNY, click here. For FIAT, click here. For DIPS, click here. For BABO, click here. For YQQQ, click here. For TSMY, click here. For SMCY, click here. For PLTY, click here. For BIGY, click here. For SOXY, click here. For MARO, click here. For FEAT, click here. For FIVY, click here. For LFGY, click here. For GPTY, click here. For CVNY, click here. For SDTY, click here. For QDTY, click here. For WNTR, click here. For CHPY, click here.

    Important Information

    This material must be preceded or accompanied by the prospectus. For all prospectuses, click here.

    Tidal Financial Group is the adviser for all YieldMax™ ETFs.

    THE FUND, TRUST, AND ADVISER ARE NOT AFFILIATED WITH ANY UNDERLYING REFERENCE ASSET.

    Risk Disclosures (applicable to all YieldMax ETFs referenced above, except the Short ETFs)

    YMAX, YMAG, FEAT and FIVY generally invest in other YieldMax™ ETFs. As such, these two Funds are subject to the risks listed in this section, which apply to all the YieldMax™ ETFs they may hold from time to time.

    Investing involves risk. Principal loss is possible.

    Referenced Index Risk. The Fund invests in options contracts that are based on the value of the Index (or the Index ETFs). This subjects the Fund to certain of the same risks as if it owned shares of companies that comprised the Index or an ETF that tracks the Index, even though it does not.

    Indirect Investment Risk. The Index is not affiliated with the Trust, the Fund, the Adviser, or their respective affiliates and is not involved with this offering in any way. Investors in the Fund will not have the right to receive dividends or other distributions or any other rights with respect to the companies that comprise the Index but will be subject to declines in the performance of the Index.

    Russell 2000 Index Risks. The Index, which consists of small-cap U.S. companies, is particularly susceptible to economic changes, as these firms often have less financial resilience than larger companies. Market volatility can disproportionately affect these smaller businesses, leading to significant price swings. Additionally, these companies are often more exposed to specific industry risks and have less diverse revenue streams. They can also be more vulnerable to changes in domestic regulatory or policy environments.

    Call Writing Strategy Risk. The path dependency (i.e., the continued use) of the Fund’s call writing strategy will impact the extent that the Fund participates in the positive price returns of the underlying reference asset and, in turn, the Fund’s returns, both during the term of the sold call options and over longer periods.

    Counterparty Risk. The Fund is subject to counterparty risk by virtue of its investments in options contracts. Transactions in some types of derivatives, including options, are required to be centrally cleared (“cleared derivatives”). In a transaction involving cleared derivatives, the Fund’s counterparty is a clearing house rather than a bank or broker. Since the Fund is not a member of clearing houses and only members of a clearing house (“clearing members”) can participate directly in the clearing house, the Fund will hold cleared derivatives through accounts at clearing members.

    Derivatives Risk. Derivatives are financial instruments that derive value from the underlying reference asset or assets, such as stocks, bonds, or funds (including ETFs), interest rates or indexes. The Fund’s investments in derivatives may pose risks in addition to, and greater than, those associated with directly investing in securities or other ordinary investments, including risk related to the market, imperfect correlation with underlying investments or the Fund’s other portfolio holdings, higher price volatility, lack of availability, counterparty risk, liquidity, valuation and legal restrictions. 

    Options Contracts. The use of options contracts involves investment strategies and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. The prices of options are volatile and are influenced by, among other things, actual and anticipated changes in the value of the underlying instrument, including the anticipated volatility, which are affected by fiscal and monetary policies and by national and international political, changes in the actual or implied volatility or the reference asset, the time remaining until the expiration of the option contract and economic events.

    Distribution Risk. As part of the Fund’s investment objective, the Fund seeks to provide current income. There is no assurance that the Fund will make a distribution in any given period. If the Fund does make distributions, the amounts of such distributions will likely vary greatly from one distribution to the next.

    High Portfolio Turnover Risk. The Fund may actively and frequently trade all or a significant portion of the Fund’s holdings. A high portfolio turnover rate increases transaction costs, which may increase the Fund’s expenses.

    Liquidity Risk. Some securities held by the Fund, including options contracts, may be difficult to sell or be illiquid, particularly during times of market turmoil.

    Non-Diversification Risk. Because the Fund is “non-diversified,” it may invest a greater percentage of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it was a diversified fund.

    New Fund Risk. The Fund is a recently organized management investment company with no operating history. As a result, prospective investors do not have a track record or history on which to base their investment decisions.

    Price Participation Risk. The Fund employs an investment strategy that includes the sale of call option contracts, which limits the degree to which the Fund will participate in increases in value experienced by the underlying reference asset over the Call Period.

    Single Issuer Risk. Issuer-specific attributes may cause an investment in the Fund to be more volatile than a traditional pooled investment which diversifies risk or the market generally. The value of the Fund, which focuses on an individual security (ARKK, TSLA, AAPL, NVDA, AMZN, META, GOOGL, NFLX, COIN, MSFT, DIS, XOM, JPM, AMD, PYPL, SQ, MRNA, AI, MSTR, Bitcoin ETP, GDX®, SNOW, ABNB, BABA, TSM, SMCI, PLTR, MARA, CVNA), may be more volatile than a traditional pooled investment or the market as a whole and may perform differently from the value of a traditional pooled investment or the market as a whole.

    Inflation Risk. Inflation risk is the risk that the value of assets or income from investments will be less in the future as inflation decreases the value of money. As inflation increases, the present value of the Fund’s assets and distributions, if any, may decline.

    Indirect Investment Risk. The Index is not affiliated with the Trust, the Fund, the Adviser, or their respective affiliates and is not involved with this offering in any way.

    Risk Disclosures (applicable only to GPTY)

    Artificial Intelligence Risk. Issuers engaged in artificial intelligence typically have high research and capital expenditures and, as a result, their profitability can vary widely, if they are profitable at all. The space in which they are engaged is highly competitive and issuers’ products and services may become obsolete very quickly. These companies are heavily dependent on intellectual property rights and may be adversely affected by loss or impairment of those rights. The issuers are also subject to legal, regulatory, and political changes that may have a large impact on their profitability. A failure in an issuer’s product or even questions about the safety of the product could be devastating to the issuer, especially if it is the marquee product of the issuer. It can be difficult to accurately capture what qualifies as an artificial intelligence company.

    Technology Sector Risk. The Fund will invest substantially in companies in the information technology sector, and therefore the performance of the Fund could be negatively impacted by events affecting this sector. Market or economic factors impacting technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technological advances could have a significant effect on the value of the Fund’s investments. The value of stocks of information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology is particularly vulnerable to rapid changes in technology product cycles, rapid product obsolescence, government regulation and competition, both domestically and internationally, including competition from foreign competitors with lower production costs. Stocks of information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology, especially those of smaller, less-seasoned companies, tend to be more volatile than the overall market. Information technology companies are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights, the loss or impairment of which may adversely affect profitability.

    Risk Disclosure (applicable only to MARO)

    Digital Assets Risk: The Fund does not invest directly in Bitcoin or any other digital assets. The Fund does not invest directly in derivatives that track the performance of Bitcoin or any other digital assets. The Fund does not invest in or seek direct exposure to the current “spot” or cash price of Bitcoin. Investors seeking direct exposure to the price of Bitcoin should consider an investment other than the Fund. Digital assets like Bitcoin, designed as mediums of exchange, are still an emerging asset class. They operate independently of any central authority or government backing and are subject to regulatory changes and extreme price volatility.

    Risk Disclosures (applicable only to BABO and TSMY)

    Currency Risk: Indirect exposure to foreign currencies subjects the Fund to the risk that currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates and the imposition of currency controls or other political developments in the U.S. or abroad.

    Depositary Receipts Risk: The securities underlying BABO and TSMY are American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”). Investment in ADRs may be less liquid than the underlying shares in their primary trading market.

    Foreign Market and Trading Risk: The trading markets for many foreign securities are not as active as U.S. markets and may have less governmental regulation and oversight.

    Foreign Securities Risk: Investments in securities of non-U.S. issuers involve certain risks that may not be present with investments in securities of U.S. issuers, such as risk of loss due to foreign currency fluctuations or to political or economic instability, as well as varying regulatory requirements applicable to investments in non-U.S. issuers. There may be less information publicly available about a non-U.S. issuer than a U.S. issuer. Non-U.S. issuers may also be subject to different regulatory, accounting, auditing, financial reporting, and investor protection standards than U.S. issuers.

    Risk Disclosures (applicable only to GDXY)

    Risk of Investing in Foreign Securities. The Fund is exposed indirectly to the securities of foreign issuers selected by GDX®’s investment adviser, which subjects the Fund to the risks associated with such companies. Investments in the securities of foreign issuers involve risks beyond those associated with investments in U.S. securities.

    Risk of Investing in Gold and Silver Mining Companies. The Fund is exposed indirectly to gold and silver mining companies selected by GDX®’s investment adviser, which subjects the Fund to the risks associated with such companies.

    The Fund invests in options contracts based on the value of the VanEck Gold Miners ETF (GDX®), which subjects the Fund to some of the same risks as if it owned GDX®, as well as the risks associated with Canadian, Australian and Emerging Market Issuers, and Small-and Medium-Capitalization companies.

    Risk Disclosures (applicable only to YBIT)

    YBIT does not invest directly in Bitcoin or any other digital assets. YBIT does not invest directly in derivatives that track the performance of Bitcoin or any other digital assets. YBIT does not invest in or seek direct exposure to the current “spot” or cash price of Bitcoin. Investors seeking direct exposure to the price of Bitcoin should consider an investment other than YBIT.

    Bitcoin Investment Risk: The Fund’s indirect investment in Bitcoin, through holdings in one or more Underlying ETPs, exposes it to the unique risks of this emerging innovation. Bitcoin’s price is highly volatile, and its market is influenced by the changing Bitcoin network, fluctuating acceptance levels, and unpredictable usage trends.

    Digital Assets Risk: Digital assets like Bitcoin, designed as mediums of exchange, are still an emerging asset class. They operate independently of any central authority or government backing and are subject to regulatory changes and extreme price volatility. Potentially No 1940 Act Protections. As of the date of this Prospectus, there is only a single eligible Underlying ETP, and it is an investment company subject to the 1940 Act.

    Bitcoin ETP Risk: The Fund invests in options contracts that are based on the value of the Bitcoin ETP. This subjects the Fund to certain of the same risks as if it owned shares of the Bitcoin ETP, even though it does not. Bitcoin ETPs are subject, but not limited, to significant risk and heightened volatility. An investor in a Bitcoin ETP may lose their entire investment. Bitcoin ETPs are not suitable for all investors. In addition, not all Bitcoin ETPs are registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940. Those Bitcoin ETPs that are not registered under such statute are therefore not subject to the same regulations as exchange traded products that are so registered.

    Risk Disclosures (applicable only to the Short ETFs)

    Investing involves risk. Principal loss is possible.

    Price Appreciation Risk. As part of the Fund’s synthetic covered put strategy, the Fund purchases and sells call and put option contracts that are based on the value of the underlying reference asset. This strategy subjects the Fund to certain of the same risks as if it shorted the underlying reference asset, even though it does not. By virtue of the Fund’s indirect inverse exposure to changes in the value of the underlying reference asset, the Fund is subject to the risk that the value of the underlying reference asset increases. If the value of the underlying reference asset increases, the Fund will likely lose value and, as a result, the Fund may suffer significant losses.

    Put Writing Strategy Risk. The path dependency (i.e., the continued use) of the Fund’s put writing (selling) strategy will impact the extent that the Fund participates in decreases in the value of the underlying reference asset and, in turn, the Fund’s returns, both during the term of the sold put options and over longer periods.

    Purchased OTM Call Options Risk. The Fund’s strategy is subject to potential losses if the underlying reference asset increases in value, which may not be offset by the purchase of out-of-the-money (OTM) call options. The Fund purchases OTM calls to seek to manage (cap) the Fund’s potential losses from the Fund’s short exposure to the underlying reference asset if it appreciates significantly in value. However, the OTM call options will cap the Fund’s losses only to the extent that the value of the underlying reference asset increases to a level that is at or above the strike level of the purchased OTM call options. Any increase in the value of the underlying reference asset to a level that is below the strike level of the purchased OTM call options will result in a corresponding loss for the Fund. For example, if the OTM call options have a strike level that is approximately 100% above the then-current value of the underlying reference asset at the time of the call option purchase, and the value of the underlying reference asset increases by at least 100% during the term of the purchased OTM call options, the Fund will lose all its value. Since the Fund bears the costs of purchasing the OTM calls, such costs will decrease the Fund’s value and/or any income otherwise generated by the Fund’s investment strategy.

    Counterparty Risk. The Fund is subject to counterparty risk by virtue of its investments in options contracts. Transactions in some types of derivatives, including options, are required to be centrally cleared (“cleared derivatives”). In a transaction involving cleared derivatives, the Fund’s counterparty is a clearing house rather than a bank or broker. Since the Fund is not a member of clearing houses and only members of a clearing house (“clearing members”) can participate directly in the clearing house, the Fund will hold cleared derivatives through accounts at clearing members.

    Derivatives Risk. Derivatives are financial instruments that derive value from the underlying reference asset or assets, such as stocks, bonds, or funds (including ETFs), interest rates or indexes. The Fund’s investments in derivatives may pose risks in addition to, and greater than, those associated with directly investing in securities or other ordinary investments, including risk related to the market, imperfect correlation with underlying investments or the Fund’s other portfolio holdings, higher price volatility, lack of availability, counterparty risk, liquidity, valuation and legal restrictions. 

    Options Contracts. The use of options contracts involves investment strategies and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. The prices of options are volatile and are influenced by, among other things, actual and anticipated changes in the value of the underlying reference asset, including the anticipated volatility, which are affected by fiscal and monetary policies and by national and international political, changes in the actual or implied volatility or the reference asset, the time remaining until the expiration of the option contract and economic events.

    Distribution Risk. As part of the Fund’s investment objective, the Fund seeks to provide current income. There is no assurance that the Fund will make a distribution in any given period. If the Fund does make distributions, the amounts of such distributions will likely vary greatly from one distribution to the next.

    High Portfolio Turnover Risk. The Fund may actively and frequently trade all or a significant portion of the Fund’s holdings.

    Liquidity Risk. Some securities held by the Fund, including options contracts, may be difficult to sell or be illiquid, particularly during times of market turmoil.

    Non-Diversification Risk. Because the Fund is “non-diversified,” it may invest a greater percentage of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it was a diversified fund.

    New Fund Risk. The Fund is a recently organized management investment company with no operating history. As a result, prospective investors do not have a track record or history on which to base their investment decisions.

    Price Participation Risk. The Fund employs an investment strategy that includes the sale of put option contracts, which limits the degree to which the Fund will participate in decreases in value experienced by the underlying reference asset over the Put Period.

    Single Issuer Risk. Issuer-specific attributes may cause an investment in the Fund to be more volatile than a traditional pooled investment which diversifies risk or the market generally. The value of the Fund, for any Fund that focuses on an individual security (e.g., TSLA, COIN, NVDA, MSTR), may be more volatile than a traditional pooled investment or the market as a whole and may perform differently from the value of a traditional pooled investment or the market as a whole. 

    Inflation Risk. Inflation risk is the risk that the value of assets or income from investments will be less in the future as inflation decreases the value of money. As inflation increases, the present value of the Fund’s assets and distributions, if any, may decline.

    Risk Disclosures (applicable only to CHPY)

    Semiconductor Industry Risk. Semiconductor companies may face intense competition, both domestically and internationally, and such competition may have an adverse effect on their profit margins. Semiconductor companies may have limited product lines, markets, financial resources or personnel. Semiconductor companies’ supply chain and operations are dependent on the availability of materials that meet exacting standards and the use of third parties to provide components and services.

    The products of semiconductor companies may face obsolescence due to rapid technological developments and frequent new product introduction, unpredictable changes in growth rates and competition for the services of qualified personnel. Capital equipment expenditures could be substantial, and equipment generally suffers from rapid obsolescence. Companies in the semiconductor industry are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights. The loss or impairment of these rights would adversely affect the profitability of these companies.

    Risk Disclosures (applicable only to YQQQ)

    Index Overview. The Nasdaq 100 Index is a benchmark index that includes 100 of the largest non-financial companies listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market, based on market capitalization.

    Index Level Appreciation Risk. As part of the Fund’s synthetic covered put strategy, the Fund purchases and sells call and put option contracts that are based on the Index level. This strategy subjects the Fund to certain of the same risks as if it shorted the Index, even though it does not. By virtue of the Fund’s indirect inverse exposure to changes in the Index level, the Fund is subject to the risk that the Index level increases. If the Index level increases, the Fund will likely lose value and, as a result, the Fund may suffer significant losses. The Fund may also be subject to the following risks: innovation and technological advancement; strong market presence of Index constituent companies; adaptability to global market trends; and resilience and recovery potential.

    Index Level Participation Risk. The Fund employs an investment strategy that includes the sale of put option contracts, which limits the degree to which the Fund will benefit from decreases in the Index level experienced over the Put Period. This means that if the Index level experiences a decrease in value below the strike level of the sold put options during a Put Period, the Fund will likely not experience that increase to the same extent and any Fund gains may significantly differ from the level of the Index losses over the Put Period. Additionally, because the Fund is limited in the degree to which it will participate in decreases in value experienced by the Index level over each Put Period, but has significant negative exposure to any increases in value experienced by the Index level over the Put Period, the NAV of the Fund may decrease over any given period. The Fund’s NAV is dependent on the value of each options portfolio, which is based principally upon the inverse of the performance of the Index level. The Fund’s ability to benefit from the Index level decreases will depend on prevailing market conditions, especially market volatility, at the time the Fund enters into the sold put option contracts and will vary from Put Period to Put Period. The value of the options contracts is affected by changes in the value and dividend rates of component companies that comprise the Index, changes in interest rates, changes in the actual or perceived volatility of the Index and the remaining time to the options’ expiration, as well as trading conditions in the options market. As the Index level changes and time moves towards the expiration of each Put Period, the value of the options contracts, and therefore the Fund’s NAV, will change. However, it is not expected for the Fund’s NAV to directly inversely correlate on a day-to-day basis with the returns of the Index level. The amount of time remaining until the options contract’s expiration date affects the impact that the value of the options contracts has on the Fund’s NAV, which may not be in full effect until the expiration date of the Fund’s options contracts. Therefore, while changes in the Index level will result in changes to the Fund’s NAV, the Fund generally anticipates that the rate of change in the Fund’s NAV will be different than the inverse of the changes experienced by the Index level.

    YieldMax™ ETFs are distributed by Foreside Fund Services, LLC. Foreside is not affiliated with Tidal Financial Group, or YieldMax™ ETFs.

    © 2025 YieldMax™ ETFs

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Morning After Federal Election, Canada’s Top Innovation Leaders Converge at NACO Summit in Ottawa

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    OTTAWA, Ontario, April 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The National Angel Capital Organization (NACO) will host its flagship NACO Summit 2025 on April 29–30 at Ottawa’s iconic National Arts Centre, directly across from Parliament Hill. This sold-out event gathers 500 of Canada’s leading investors, entrepreneurs, and senior innovation leaders at a pivotal moment—as the country welcomes a newly elected federal government.

    Kicking off the morning immediately after the federal election, this symbolic setting underscores the Summit’s role in shaping a bold vision for Canada’s economic future. The event convenes leaders representing the full spectrum of the country’s innovation economy—from globally scaled entrepreneurs to founders of high-growth companies in strategic sectors.

    “At this moment of national reflection, a new economic story is being written—one shaped by Canada’s builders, innovators, and investors,” said Claudio Rojas, CEO of NACO. “These bold leaders and job creators are gathering to chart the path toward a resilient, self-reliant, and globally competitive Canadian economy.”

    “The Summit serves as a premier forum for innovators, entrepreneurs, investors, and thought leaders to convene, exchange ideas, and share insights,” said Mark Sutcliffe, Mayor of Ottawa. “It provides unparalleled networking opportunities, connecting global investors directly with Canada’s tech leaders and high-growth startups. Events like the NACO Summit significantly enhance Ottawa’s—and Canada’s—position as a leading innovation economy.”

    Honouring Canada’s Builders, Entrepreneurs, and Risk-takers

    At the heart of the Summit is a celebration of those whose leadership and vision are shaping Canada’s innovation landscape toward a more transformative and innovation-driven future.

    The 2025 NACO Awards recognize outstanding contributions in three categories:

    • Canada’s Angel of the Year – a national honour recognizing an outstanding angel investor who has made a meaningful and lasting impact on Canada’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
    • NACO Nation Builder Award – honouring leaders whose extraordinary contributions have significantly advanced Canada’s cultural, economic and innovation landscape.
    • Lifetime Achievement Award – recognizing decades-long commitment to mobilizing angel capital and strengthening Canada’s innovation infrastructure.

    Showcasing Canada’s Fastest Growing Companies

    NACO Summit will unveil the highly anticipated 2025 Moonshots Showcase, highlighting more than 20 of Canada’s most promising early-stage ventures, representing sectors that are essential to the economy of the future—including healthtech, artificial intelligence, cleantech, enterprise software, and frontier technologies. Collectively, these companies have raised over $122 million in early-stage funding with many actively pursuing Series A and B investment rounds.

    Interactive Roundtables with Canada’s Innovators and Entrepreneurs

    With Canada at an economic inflection point, interactive roundtables will tackle the country’s most urgent innovation challenges, including:

    • Resilience Through Risk Capital: Leveraging early-stage investment to build adaptive, resilient ventures that thrive amid market shifts.
    • Angel-to-VC Pipeline: Exploring how angel investment serves as a critical foundation for venture capital success and long-term innovation growth.
    • Regional Capital Gaps and Opportunities: Revealing new data and strategies to address funding disparities across Canadian regions.
    • Scaling Emerging Ecosystems: Actionable strategies for growing vibrant entrepreneurial communities beyond major urban centres.

    Fireside Interviews with Media Personalities and Thought Leaders

    Renowned media personalities Amanda Lang, Keshia Chanté, Takara Small, Douglas Soltys, Camila Gonzalez, Michael Curran, and others will moderate fireside chats and panel discussions, revealing bold ideas and fresh insights on innovation, economic resilience, and Canada’s evolving global role.

    Notable speakers at NACO Summit include:

    • Daniel Debow, angel investor, serial entrepreneur and founding member of Build Canada, an initiative committed to building a more prosperous nation.
    • Mike Serbinis, CEO and Co-Founder of League, a leading healthcare technology platform, and a serial entrepreneur with over $1 billion in successful exits.
    • Mark Miller, an angel investor and the Chief Operating Officer of Constellation Software, a TSX-listed company valued at CAD $96 billion.
    • Senia Rapisarda, Managing Director at HarbourVest, a global private-markets investment firm with USD $140 billion in assets.
    • Tabatha Bull, President and CEO of the Canadian Council for Indigenous Business.
    • Allen Lau, Operating Partner and Co-Founder of Two Small Fish Ventures, and Co-Founder of Wattpad, acquired in 2021 for USD $660 million.
    • Christiane Germain, Co-President and Co-Founder of Germain Hôtels, Canada’s pioneering boutique hotel company with 40 years of innovation leadership.
    • Geneviève Bouthillier, Executive Vice President at BDC Capital, Canada’s largest and most active venture investor, managing over CAD $6 billion.


    About National Angel Capital Organization (NACO)

    Established in 2002, NACO is Canada’s professional association representing over 4,000 angel investors, serving as the national umbrella for more than 100 member organizations—including angel groups, venture funds, incubators, and accelerators. Collectively, NACO members have invested more than CAD $1.66 billion into over 2,000 Canadian ventures.

    Angel investors are individuals or funds deploying capital at the earliest stages of growth. They include limited partners (LPs) investing in venture funds, family offices backing pre-seed and seed-stage ventures, and individuals investing directly or through angel groups.

    High-growth companies backed by angel investment that went on to achieve significant global scale include Slack (British Columbia), Verafin (Newfoundland and Labrador), Wealthsimple (Ontario), Hopper (Québec), and Jobber and Neo Financial (Alberta). Recent standouts include CoLab (NL) and 7shifts (Saskatchewan). These successes illustrate how angel investment drives Canada’s pipeline of innovative ventures, fueling future global success stories.

    Learn more at nacocanada.com

    For media inquiries, contact:
    Claudio Rojas, CEO, National Angel Capital Organization
    Email: media@nacocanada.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at: 
    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5b08d0f6-5bd3-4549-98bc-850c5518908f

    A video accompanying this announcement is available at: 
    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ca74a13c-cf87-46ce-9ca8-4108e44f6c5d

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Rivalry Reports Strong Q1 2025 KPI Growth, Validating Strategic Pivot Amid Temporary Margin Variance

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, April 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Rivalry Corp. (TSXV: RVLY) (OTCQB: RVLCF) (“Rivalry” or the “Company”), the leading sportsbook and iGaming operator for digital-first players, today shared preliminary key performance indicators (“KPIs”) and revenue figures for the three months ended March 31, 2025 (“Q1 2025”), underscoring the success of its strategic transformation and path toward sustainable, profitable growth. All dollar figures are quoted in Canadian dollars.

    Q1 2025 marks the first full quarter under Rivalry’s revamped operating model, following significant changes to product offerings, organizational structure, cost management, and user acquisition strategies. Underlying KPIs show improved unit economics, deeper engagement, and structural momentum toward long-term sustainability.

    Revenue in the quarter was lower than prior periods – a result of Rivalry’s deliberate shift to a leaner, more efficient model – creating a stronger foundation that the Company is now building on. The shortfall also reflected temporary variance in sportsbook hold, amplified by a strategic focus on high-value and VIP players. The Company believes that these segments drive significantly greater long-term value but can introduce short-term volatility as they scale.

    “Our Q1 KPIs are delivering tangible results that validate our strategic shift,” said Steven Salz, Co-Founder and CEO of Rivalry. “The structural changes we implemented over the past six months – from streamlining operations and refocusing the product, to modernizing our platform and concentrating on high-value players – are now clearly reflected in our KPIs. We’re operating more efficiently than ever, generating significantly more revenue per user, and moving closer to achieving sustainable profitability.”

    Q1 2025 Highlights1:

    • Operational Efficiency Up 400%: In Q1 2025, Rivalry generated over 400% more net revenue per user per dollar of operating expense as compared to its average before the strategic overhaul. This marks a significant leap in cost efficiency and operating leverage, validating the impact of recent changes.
    • Shift to High-Value Players Driving 175% Increase in Player Monthly Deposits: Total deposits rose 36% month over month in February 2025 and another 12% in March 2025, despite a smaller active user base than past peaks. In Q1 2025, average monthly deposits per player were just over 175% higher than the periods prior to Rivalry’s October 2024 strategic overhaul – a clear result of the Company’s focus on acquiring and retaining high-value players, while improving unit economics and lowering variable costs.
    • 115% Increase in Monthly Deposit Frequency: In Q1 2025, average monthly deposit frequency per player increased by 115% compared to the average prior to Rivalry’s October 2024 rebuild – signaling strong user re-engagement and validating the Company’s refined product experience and more targeted player strategy.
    • All-Time High in Monthly Betting Handle per User: Monthly betting handle per active user hit a new all-time high in March 2025, marking the fifth consecutive month of record-breaking engagement and deeper player value.
    • Record Revenue per User: In March 2025, monthly Gross and Net Revenue per active user reached all-time highs (normalized for margin variance), extending a four-month streak of consistent revenue per active user growth and player monetization strength.
    • Month over Month Active User Growth: Monthly active players grew by 9% in March 2025, following a similar increase in February 2025, despite a significantly reduced global marketing budget compared to the same period last year.
    • Ontario Regulated Market Showing Strong, Improving Unit Economics: Since the Company’s operational shift, Rivalry’s Average Revenue Per Playing Account (“ARPPA”) in Ontario – a monthly metric defined by and publicly reported by gaming regulator iGO – has generally trended in line with the market average, and in some months exceeded it by as much as 50%. ARPPA has also nearly doubled compared to pre-overhaul levels at Rivalry, reflecting strengthening unit economics supported by efficient customer acquisition, with customer acquisition cost paybacks consistently within single-digit weeks.

    Operational Momentum and Efficiency Gains Reflect Structural Progress

    The Company’s Q1 2025 performance reflects the first full quarter operating under a significantly leaner structure, with total monthly run rate operating expenses reduced by approximately 65% as compared to prior peak periods.

    Betting handle in Q1 2025 was $58.2 million, and net revenue $1.3 million1, for a net revenue margin of 2.3%. This compares to Rivalry’s full-year 2024 net revenue margin of 4.4%1, with the Q1 2025 margin variance largely attributable to short-term fluctuations in sportsbook hold. This was amplified by the Company’s strategic pivot toward high-value and VIP players – segments that offer significantly greater long-term value but naturally introduce more short-term variability in margin performance as they scale.

    On a normalized margin basis, Rivalry’s Q1 2025 net revenue would have covered approximately 75% of current run rate operating expenses, inclusive of additional cost reductions completed in early April that lowered monthly operating expenses by approximately $140,000. Growing user value, rising engagement, and stronger unit economics reflect encouraging momentum toward long-term financial sustainability.

    “The KPIs are telling the real story – user value is up, efficiency is up, and player engagement is the strongest we’ve seen in the Company’s history,” said Steven Salz, Co-Founder and CEO of Rivalry. “Even with soft margin outcomes in Q1 2025, the model is showing strong underlying signals. As sportsbook hold normalizes and our cost base becomes leaner, we believe we’re moving in the right direction.”

    Over the past six months, Rivalry has reduced monthly run rate operating expenses by approximately $1.7 million per month, inclusive of the recently completed April 2025 reductions. These reductions have been enabled by a fully modernized core product with improved site performance and ongoing development velocity across key revenue-driving features. The Company has also realized efficiencies through vendor rationalization and the rollout of AI-driven tools across departments.

    “We’ve built a stronger, leaner, and more focused Rivalry,” Salz added. “Our improved KPIs and disciplined cost management have created a healthier foundation. With continued operational momentum and a re-energized product, we believe we’re on a promising path forward.”

    Company Contact:

    Steven Salz, Co-founder & CEO

    ss@rivalry.com

    Investor Contact:

    investors@rivalry.com

    Financial Outlook

    This news release contains a financial outlook within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. The financial outlook has been prepared by management of the Company to provide an outlook for ​​net revenue and net revenue margin for the period ending March 31, 2025, and net revenue margin for the 12 months ended December 31, 2024 and may not be appropriate for any other purpose. Preliminary and unaudited financial results are subject to customary financial statement procedures. Actual results could be affected by subsequent events or determinations. The financial outlook has been prepared based on a number of assumptions including the assumptions discussed under the heading “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information and Statements”. The actual results of the Company’s operations for any period will likely vary from the amounts set forth in these projections and such variations may be material. The Company and its management believe that the financial outlook has been prepared on a reasonable basis. However, because this information is highly subjective and subject to numerous risks, including the risks discussed under the heading “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information and Statements”, it should not be relied on as necessarily indicative of future results.

    Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information and Statements

    This news release contains certain forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws (“forward-looking statements”). All statements other than statements of present or historical fact are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as “anticipate”, “achieve”, “could”, “believe”, “plan”, “intend”, “objective”, “continuous”, “ongoing”, “estimate”, “outlook”, “expect”, “project” and similar words, including negatives thereof, suggesting future outcomes or that certain events or conditions “may” or “will” occur. These statements are only predictions. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the Company’s financial performance, including net revenue and net revenue margin for the three months ended March 31, 2025, the anticipated results of the Company’s strategic shift and ongoing efforts to reduce operating expenses and achieving sustainable profitability. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management of the Company at the date the statements are made based on information then available to the Company. Various factors and assumptions are applied in drawing conclusions or making the forecasts or projections set out in forward-looking statements.

    Forward-looking statements are subject to and involve a number of known and unknown, variables, risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, which may cause the Company’s actual performance and results to differ materially from any projections of future performance or results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors, among other things, include regulatory or political change such as changes in applicable laws and regulations; the ability to obtain and maintain required licenses; the esports and sports betting industry being a heavily regulated industry; the complex and evolving regulatory environment for the online gaming and online gambling industry; the success of esports and other betting products are not guaranteed; changes in public perception of the esports and online gambling industry; negative cash flow from operations and the Company’s ability to operate as a going concern; the Company’s ability to repay amounts owing under its secured and unsecured indebtedness; failure to retain or add customers; the Company having a limited operating history; operational risks; cybersecurity risks; reliance on management; reliance on third parties and third-party networks; exchange rate risks; risks related to cryptocurrency transactions; risk of intellectual property infringement or invalid claims; the effect of capital market conditions and other factors on capital availability; competition, including from more established or better financed competitors; and general economic, market and business conditions. For additional risks, please see the Company’s management’s discussion and analysis for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 under the heading “Risk Factors”, and other disclosure documents available on the Company’s SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca.

    No assurance can be given that the expectations reflected in forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management of the Company believes, or believed at the time, to be reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure shareholders that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking statements, as there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. The forward-looking information and forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information and/or forward-looking statements that are contained or referenced herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.


    1 Preliminary and unaudited financial results are subject to customary financial statement procedures by the Company and its auditors. Actual results could be affected by subsequent events or determinations. These preliminary results represent forward-looking information. See “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information and Statements” and “Financial Outlook”.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: MEXC Announces Official Listing of PAWS (PAWS)

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VICTORIA, Seychelles, April 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — MEXC, a leading global cryptocurrency exchange, announced the listing of PAWS (PAWS) on April 16, 2025(UTC). This move underscores MEXC’s ongoing commitment to supporting diverse blockchain ecosystems and providing users with access to high-quality, emerging crypto assets.

    PAWS is a SocialFi project with over 85 million users. It began as the #1 mini-app on Telegram and later migrated to the Solana blockchain to achieve full decentralization. Users earn PAWS points by participating in group discussions, consuming content, completing tasks, and inviting friends. The project introduces a new attention economy, where meaningful engagement translates into tangible value.

    $PAWS is the native utility token of the PAWS ecosystem, forming the foundation for user participation and long-term growth. It enables holders to engage in platform governance, vote on key decisions, and shape the project’s direction. As a marker of social identity, $PAWS fosters stronger community interaction. It also bridges value across different blockchain ecosystems and anchors the SocialFi model by combining social engagement with financial incentives. Serving as both a medium of value and a core incentive, $PAWS drives user activity and ecosystem development.

    MEXC has established itself as a leading exchange by consistently offering users early access to high-potential crypto assets. In 2024 alone, the platform listed 2,376 new tokens, including 1,716 initial listings. According to the latest TokenInsight report, MEXC led the industry with 461 spot listings between November 1, 2024, and February 15, 2025. During this period, the exchange maintained a high listing frequency, consistently ranking among the top six platforms, demonstrating its agility in capturing emerging market trends.

    Looking ahead, MEXC remains focused on expanding its asset offerings and helping users seize timely opportunities in the fast-evolving crypto landscape.

    For more information about the listing, please refer to the official announcement.

    About MEXC
    Founded in 2018, MEXC is committed to being “Your Easiest Way to Crypto.” Serving over 36 million users across 170+ countries, MEXC is known for its broad selection of trending tokens, everyday airdrop opportunities, and low trading fees. Our user-friendly platform is designed to support both new traders and experienced investors, offering secure and efficient access to digital assets. MEXC prioritizes simplicity and innovation, making crypto trading more accessible and rewarding.
    MEXC Official WebsiteXTelegramHow to Sign Up on MEXC

    Risk Disclaimer:
    The information provided in this article regarding cryptocurrencies does not constitute investment advice. Given the highly volatile nature of the cryptocurrency market, investors are encouraged to carefully assess market fluctuations, the fundamentals of projects, and potential financial risks before making any trading decisions.

    Source

    Contact :
    Lucia Hu
    lucia.hu@mexc.com

    Disclaimer: This press release is provided by MEXC. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice. Investing in crypto and mining related opportunities involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital. Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. However, due to the inherently speculative nature of the blockchain sector–including cryptocurrency, NFTs, and mining–complete accuracy cannot always be guaranteed. Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release.Speculate only with funds that you can afford to lose.Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release. In the event of any legal claims or charges against this article, we accept no liability or responsibility.

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    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7359a522-3606-41d4-b67f-845dc57c99aa

    The MIL Network