Category: Trade

MIL-OSI Global: How our bodies react when we use social media – and when we stop

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Niklas Ihssen, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Durham University

shutterstock rawpixel.com/Shutterstock

The typical adult in the UK spends nearly two hours on social media per day. And for younger users, this can easily be up to five hours. The likes of Instagram or TikTok seem to draw us into their ever-changing feeds and it’s difficult to tear ourselves away from these platforms.

Now our latest study shows that even our body reflects a state of being glued to the screen when we are on social media.

We asked 54 young adults to browse their Instagram on their phone for 15 minutes as they would normally do in their daily life. However, in our study we had attached electrodes to their chest and fingers that allowed us to record their heart rate and “skin conductance”, which is an indicator of sweating. Psychologists can use these physiological markers to infer subtle mental states and emotions. We also added a control condition where our participants read a news article on their phone, just before they logged onto Instagram.

What we found was that, relative to the news reading condition, scrolling away on Instagram led to a marked slowing of participants’ heart rate while, at the same time, increasing their sweating response.

From other research we know that such a pattern of bodily responses shows that someone’s attention is fully absorbed by a highly significant or emotional stimulus in their environment – it’s a state of simultaneous excitement and deep immersion into something very meaningful to us.

Importantly, from the control condition we knew that it was not just being on the phone or reading that caused this bodily response. So there seems to be something special about social media that can easily engross us.

The most intriguing effect in our study happened when we interrupted participants at the end of their Instagram stint and asked them to go back to reading another news article. Rather than snapping out of the excitement and returning to a calmer state, participants’ sweating response increased further, while heart rate also increased rather than slowed down further.

Is it addiction?

What was going on? What helped us interpret these effects were participants’ ratings of their emotions. We collected these before their social media bout and at the time we asked them to log off.

Participants reported being stressed and anxious when they had to disconnect from their feed. They even reported having social media cravings at that moment. So it looked like the physiological response that we observed when participants had to log off reflected another form of arousal – but this time it was more negative and stress-related.

Such bodily and psychological stress responses also occur when people with a substance addiction go through withdrawal during abstinence or after quitting “cold turkey”. So were these signs that we observed “withdrawal” from Instagram?

The answer to this question is not straightforward. However, our study may give us some clues. After the experiment, we asked all participants to fill in a questionnaire assessing symptoms of “social media addiction”.

While this concept is controversial and currently not recognised as a mental health disorder, the questionnaire told us something about how social media use can negatively affect someone’s daily life. This can even include their work or school results, or lead to conflict with their partners.

Notably, we did not see any heart rate and sweating differences between participants who scored high or low on these addiction measures. That means, that all our participants showed a pattern of excited immersion during use and stress-related arousal when use was interrupted.

We don’t think that this finding means that we are all addicted to social media though. Instead, we believe that social media offers very powerful rewards. And some of its features may indeed have an addictive dimension, such as the personalised short-video streams that trap us in an endless loop of entertaining content.

Critically however, our previous study shows that it is primarily the social aspect of social media that drives most people to use it so intensively. This also means that – in contrast to drugs – social media taps into basic human needs: we all want to belong and to be liked.

So if we recognise the existence of “social media addiction”, we might also need to recognise a “friendship addiction”. We should therefore exert caution with the term addiction in the context of social media – the risk is that normal behaviour could become “pathologised” and lead to stigma.

And, as our previous research indicates, we may be just fine abstaining or cutting down from social media for a while without experiencing dramatic changes to our wellbeing (either positive or negative). The reason for this is that in contrast to drugs, we can satisfy our needs through other means – for instance, by talking to people.

Niklas Ihssen 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. How our bodies react when we use social media – and when we stop – https://theconversation.com/how-our-bodies-react-when-we-use-social-media-and-when-we-stop-251291

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

March 5, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Senators Markey and Cassidy Reintroduce Children and Teen’s Online Privacy Protection Legislation

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey
Bill Text (PDF)
Washington (March 4, 2025) – Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) today reintroduced the bipartisan Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0), which would update online data privacy rules for the 21st century and ensure children and teenagers are protected online. Senator Markey first introduced this legislation to update his original COPPA law in 2011 as a member of the House of Representatives and has introduced the bipartisan legislation in every Congress since.
“We need strong modern legislation that keeps pace with the ever-evolving digital landscape and creates a safer online environment by addressing the youth mental health crisis and protecting the personal information of our kids,” said Senator Markey. “Congress must finally pass my Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act to extend these protections to teenagers, block targeted advertising to kids and teens, and give parents of young people an eraser button to protect them from predatory data collection practices.”
“Every kid has an iPad or smartphone. They’re going to use the internet. Parents should be confident they can do it safely,” said Dr. Cassidy. “COPPA 2.0 is the tool that will give parents the peace of mind they need and keep their children’s personal information secure.”
The legislation is also cosponsored by Senate Commerce Committee Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Shelly-Moore Capito (R-W.V.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Angus King (I-Maine), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.).
Specifically, the Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act would:
Ban targeted advertising to children and teens;
Create an “Eraser Button” by requiring companies to permit users to delete personal information collected from a child or teen;
Establish data minimization rules to prohibit the excessive collection of children and teens’ data;
Revise COPPA’s “actual knowledge” standard to close the loophole that allows platforms to ignore kids and teens on their site; and
Build on COPPA by prohibiting internet companies from collecting personal information from users who are 13 to 16 years old without their consent.
The legislation is endorsed by AASA – the School Superintendents Association, ACCESS Lab – Washington University in St. Louis, Alaska Eating Disorders Alliance, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Association for Psychoanalysis in Clinical Social Work, American Federation of Teachers, American Psychological Association, Association of Educational Service Agencies, Bilateral Safety Corridor Coalition, Carolina Resource Center for Eating Disorders, Center for Change, Center for Digital Democracy, Center for Humane Technology, Centerstone, CHILD USA, Children’s Justice Fund, Common Sense Media, Consumer Action, Consumer Federation of America, Consumer Watchdog, Defending the Early Years, Design It For Us, Early Childhood Work Group, Screen Time Action Network, Eating Disorder Foundation, Eating Disorders Coalition, Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), Fairplay, Farrington Specialty Centers, Foolproof, IFEDD – The International Federation of Eating Disorder Dietitians, Inseparable, International Society for Psychiatric Mental Health Nurses, Issue One, Lines for Life, Marsh Law Firm PPLC, Mentari, MO Eating Disorders Council, Multi-Service Eating Disorders Association, Inc. (MEDA), National Association for Pupil Transportation, National Association of School Nurses, National Federation of Families, National Parent Teacher Association (PTA), National Rural Education Association, Network for Public Education, P.E.A.C.E (Peace Educators Allied for Children Everywhere), Parents Who Fight, Phone Free Schools Movement, Public Interest Privacy Center (PIPC), Postpartum Support International, Prosperity Eating Disorders and Wellness, Psychotherapy Action Network (PsiAN), Public Citizen, PEDC, REGO Payment Architectures, Sandy Hook Promise, Strategic Training Initiative for the Prevention of Eating Disorders, Student Data Privacy Project, University of Connecticut Rudd Center for Food Policy & Health, Western Youth Services, Yellowstone Human Trafficking Task Force, and Young People’s Alliance.
“The Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act, reintroduced by Senators Markey and Cassidy and other Senate co-sponsors, is more urgent than ever. Children’s surveillance has only intensified across social media, gaming, and virtual spaces, where companies harvest data to track, profile, and manipulate young users. COPPA 2.0 will ban targeted ads to those under 16, curbing the exploitation, manipulation, and discrimination of children for profit. By extending protections to teens and requiring a simple ‘eraser button’ to delete personal data, this legislation takes a critical step in restoring privacy rights in an increasingly invasive digital world,” said Katharina Kopp, Deputy Director of the Center for Digital Democracy.
“Common Sense Media believes Congress must update the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act to strengthen safeguards for young children and extend vital protections to teenagers. Common Sense applauds Senators Markey and Cassidy for their unwavering commitment to this critical cause. With strong bi-partisan support having carried this legislation through the Senate last year, we are optimistic about securing passage in both chambers this year – America’s families deserve no less. This bill would take decisive action by prohibiting targeted advertising to young users, requiring platforms to acknowledge and protect children on their sites, and prevent companies from exploiting youth vulnerabilities for profit. This time has come for Congress to finally pass this essential legislation,” said James P. Steyer, Founder and CEO of Common Sense Media.
“The Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act is an essential step toward addressing youth mental health and online safety. By expanding critical privacy protections to teens for the first time, banning targeted advertising, and closing loopholes that allow platforms to ignore the presence of underage users, COPPA 2.0 will disrupt the business model that capitalizes on our kids’ attention at the expense of their physical and mental wellbeing. Last year, the Senate demonstrated the importance of this landmark legislation by passing it in a historic 91-3 vote. We applaud Senators Markey and Cassidy for reintroducing it so that Congress can finish the job and pass privacy protections for all youth in the 119th Congress,” said Haley Hinkle, Policy Counsel at Fairplay.
“National PTA is committed to making sure that safeguards are in place to ensure the safety and well-being of children and youth online,” said Yvonne Johnson, President of the National Parent Teacher Association, the nation’s oldest and largest child advocacy association. “That’s why we’ve strongly advocated for COPPA 2.0, which would provide a long-overdue and desperately needed update of federal law to better protect the personal information of children online and ban targeted advertising toward children and teens. Our association applauds Senators Markey and Cassidy for reintroducing this critical legislation.”
“Design It For Us strongly supports Senators Markey and Cassidy reintroducing COPPA 2.0 to better protect the privacy of young people online. As a coalition of young advocates, we are all too familiar with Big Tech’s toxic business model that collects massive amounts of data on young people and uses it to target them with ads and content. Young people deserve the critical protections COPPA 2.0 has to offer, including privacy tools and an eraser button to delete personal information,” said Zamaan Qureshi, Co-Chair of Design It For Us.
“Social media companies generate astronomical profits off our nation’s young people by turning platforms into a playground for advertisers. They are literally selling access to our children with targeted ads designed to prey on kids’ vulnerabilities. A child as young as 13 struggling with an eating disorder will be targeted with a constant stream of deceptive ads for the next miracle diet pill. In what other setting would we ever allow that? Parents across the country are calling for common-sense age restrictions on targeted ads on social media. COPPA 2.0 is a much-needed answer to their call,” said Dr. S. Bryn Austin, Board Member at Eating Disorders Coalition and Director of the Strategic Training Initiative for the Prevention of Eating Disorders.
“The Public Interest Privacy Center (PIPC) is proud to support the re-introduction of COPPA 2.0. COPPA 2.0 increases the age of individuals entitled to foundational privacy protections online from children under 13 to teens under 17. In today’s digital world, prioritizing the privacy and safety of children and teens online should no longer be optional. COPPA 2.0 will help to make this a reality,” said Amelia Vance, President of Public Interest Privacy Center.
“AASA is proud to support the re-introduction of COPPA 2.0. This legislation is more important than ever, as it will fill the gap left by the Federal Trade Commission declining to codify long-standing guidance allowing schools to consent to edtech in their recent update to the COPPA Rule. COPPA 2.0 finds the right balance between increasing protections for children and teen privacy online while still allowing schools to provide appropriate, technology-enhanced educational opportunities for all students,” said Dr. David R. Schuler, Executive Director of AASA, The School Superintendents Association.
“Public school educators and parents want kids to learn and thrive in safe, engaging and welcoming schools. However, Big Tech’s dismal failure to erect basic safeguards around its predatory social media products has resulted in a growing plague of loneliness, anxiety and depression. We must pass commonsense regulations and laws to protect children from these dangers, just as we did with lead paint and seatbelts, and as Congress almost did last year before Meta’s last minute opposition lobbying. Sen. Ed Markey’s bill, COPPA 2.0, would protect our kids by modernizing and strengthening privacy laws to reflect the online world they live in now. And it would stop Big Tech’s invasive data practices that track and traumatize kids for profit,” said Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT).
“For too long, Big Tech has evaded accountability by exploiting young users with manipulative design features and harvesting their data to fuel addictive algorithms. As long as these companies profit from hooking children and exploiting their sensitive data, they will continue to prioritize profits at-all-cost over democracy. The Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act 2.0 shifts this paradigm by introducing critical protections, including data minimization requirements, a ban on targeted advertising to children and teens, and the closure of loopholes that allow platforms to ignore young users on their sites. Congress now has a crucial opportunity to stand with millions of Americans — parents, young people, and advocates — demanding common-sense safeguards for kids online,” said Alix Fraser, Vice President of Technology Reform at Issue One.
“In the absence of a strong federal comprehensive privacy law, it’s critical that we at least protect the most vulnerable people online — kids and teens. Senator Markey and Cassidy’s Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0) does this by placing critical limits on the amount of data that can be collected from young users online to what is necessary for the product or service requested by the child or teen. EPIC is proud to support COPPA 2.0,” said Caitriona Fitzgerald, Deputy Director at the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC).
“The Young People’s Alliance supports Senator Markey and Senator Cassidy as they reintroduce COPPA 2.0, a critical step in curbing Big Tech’s exploitative revenue model. Data privacy cuts predatory platforms off at the source, limiting their ability to track, manipulate, and profit off kids. This, alongside banning targeted ads and allowing minors to delete their data will give young people more control over their online experiences, which we are extremely grateful to see,” said Ava Smithing, Advocacy Director at the Young People’s Alliance.
“The Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0) is an important piece of legislation to protect young people from harmful and exploitative advertising online. We strongly support this bipartisan bill and applaud the legislators who are working to see that it passes. Kids are not just tiny adults – their young minds are incredibly vulnerable to the content they’re exposed to on social media. This can lead to terrible and tragic outcomes like violence, self-harm, and suicide. As trusted adults, we must do all we can to protect our youth from these kinds of dangerous marketing practices and online materials,” said Mark Barden, Co-Founder and CEO of the Sandy Hook Promise Action Fund and father of Daniel, who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting.
In December 2024, Senator Markey blasted the decision not to include COPPA 2.0 in the continuing resolution to fund the government through March 14, 2025. In September 2024, the House Energy and Commerce Committee passed COPPA 2.0 by a voice vote. In July 2024, the U.S. Senate passed the Kids Online Safety and Privacy Act, which included COPPA 2.0, by a 91-3 vote. In July 2023, the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee unanimously passed COPPA 2.0.

MIL OSI USA News –

March 5, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Touchstone 2024 award winners announced
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

News story

Touchstone 2024 award winners announced

Winners demonstrate an ongoing commitment to hallmarking activities and to developing new external partnerships.
The British Hallmarking Council (BHC) is delighted to announce that Hull City Trading Standards have won the prestigious Touchstone Award for 2024.

The UK has one of the most rigorous and long-established hallmarking regimes in the world, which delivers significant benefits to UK consumers and legitimate businesses.

Each year the Council invites applications to be submitted for the Touchstone Award from Trading Standards professionals across the UK. The award, sponsored by the four UK Assay Offices and the National Association of Jewellers, is presented for the most innovative activity related to hallmarking enforcement and education.

Hull City Trading Standards were judged to be highly worthy winners due to:

the demonstration of their consistent, ongoing commitment to hallmarking activities

their commitment to developing new external partnerships

the wide breadth of audiences engaged across both physical and online retail domains

the positive outcomes of inspections (including one ongoing case of fraud)

The judging panel welcomed the quality of applications overall and the ongoing commitment of Trading Standards to this valuable work.

The solid silver Touchstone Award was formally awarded at the Chartered Trading Standards Institute annual conference dinner in June. A presentation, luncheon and hallmarking training event was also held at The Goldsmiths’ Company Assay Office in London in November.

Applications for the 2025 Touchstone Award will re-open in January 2025.

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Published 4 March 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
March 5, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Luján: Trump’s Trade War Will Increase Costs for New Mexicans, Have Devastating Consequences for American Industries and Jobs

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-New Mexico)
WSJ: “Economists say American importers and businesses will likely pass along the cost of tariffs to consumers, meaning individuals are likely to see higher prices at grocery stores and car dealerships.”
POLITICO: “The agriculture industry will take a major hit from the new 25 percent duties on Mexico and Canada that went into effect at midnight.”
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Committee on Finance, issued the following statement on President Trump imposing sweeping tariffs against Canada, Mexico, and China:
“President Trump’s reckless Trade War will lead to higher prices for New Mexicans on groceries, energy, cars, electronics, and more. Instead of strengthening our economy, he’s putting American jobs and businesses at risk while pushing the Tax Scam 2.0 for the wealthy and gutting essential programs. These tariffs could cost American families up to $2,000 a year in higher prices.
“We’ve seen this before. During his first term, President Trump’s tariffs cost the agriculture industry billions of dollars. Now, our farmers and ranchers are once again paying the price. Despite President Trump’s claims, it’s American families and businesses who will bear the brunt of these tariffs.
“President Trump is doing nothing to lower costs for hardworking Americans.”
Fact sheets on New Mexico trade with Canada, Mexico, and China are available HERE.

MIL OSI USA News –

March 5, 2025

MIL-OSI: Coface SA: Disclosure of trading in own shares (excluding the liquidity agreement) made on February 24, 2025 to February 28, 2025

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

COFACE SA: Disclosure of trading in own shares (excluding the liquidity agreement) made on February 24, 2025 to February 28, 2025

Paris, 4 March 2025 – 17.45

Pursuant to Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 of 16 April 2014 on market abuse¹

The main features of the 2024-2025 Share Buyback Program have been published on the Company’s website (http://www.coface.com/Investors/Disclosure-requirements, under “Own share transactions”) and are also described in the 2023 Universal Registration Document.

Trading session of (Date)	Number of shares	Weighted average price	Gross amount	MIC Code	Purpose of buyback
24/02/2025	10,000	15.8885 €	158,885 €	XPAR	LTIP
25/02/2025	10,000	16.0764 €	160,764 €	XPAR	LTIP
26/02/2025	10,000	16.0722 €	160,722 €	XPAR	LTIP
27/02/2025	10,000	16.2278 €	162,278 €	XPAR	LTIP
28/02/2025	10,000	16.3557 €	163,557 €	XPAR	LTIP
Total 24/02/2025 – 28/02/2025	50,000	16.1241 €	806,206 €		LTIP

CONTACTS

ANALYSTS / INVESTORS
Thomas JACQUET: +33 1 49 02 12 58 – thomas.jacquet@coface.com
Rina ANDRIAMIADANTSOA: +33 1 49 02 15 85 – rina.andriamiadantsoa@coface.com

FINANCIAL CALENDAR 2025
(subject to change)

Q1-2025 results: 5 May 2025 (after market close)
Annual General Shareholders’ Meeting: 14 May 2025
H1-2025 results: 31 July 2025 (after market close)
9M-2025 results: 3 November 2025 (after market close)

FINANCIAL INFORMATION
This press release, as well as COFACE SA’s integral regulatory information, can be found on the Group’s website: http://www.coface.com/Investors

For regulated information on Alternative Performance Measures (APM), please refer to our Interim Financial Report for H1-2024 and our 2023 Universal Registration Document (see part 3.7 “Key financial performance indicators”).

Regulated documents posted by COFACE SA have been secured and authenticated with the blockchain technology by Wiztrust.
You can check the authenticity on the website www.wiztrust.com.

COFACE: FOR TRADE
As a global leading player in trade credit risk management for more than 75 years, Coface helps companies grow and navigate in an uncertain and volatile environment.
Whatever their size, location or sector, Coface provides 100,000 clients across some 200 markets. with a full range of solutions: Trade Credit Insurance, Business Information, Debt Collection, Single Risk insurance, Surety Bonds, Factoring.
Every day, Coface leverages its unique expertise and cutting-edge technology to make trade happen, in both domestic and export markets.
In 2024, Coface employed ~5,236 people and registered a turnover of €1.84 billion.

www.coface.com

COFACE SA is listed in Compartment A of Euronext Paris
ISIN: FR0010667147 / Ticker: COFA

1 Also in pursuant to Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1052 of 8 March 2016 (and updates); Article L.225-209 and seq. of the French Commercial Code; Article L.221-3, Article L.241-1 and seq. of the General Regulation of the French Market Authority (AMF); AMF Recommendation DOC-2017-04 Guide for issuers on their own shares transactions and for stabilization measures.

Attachment

2025 03 04 – Declaration – Own shares transaction

The MIL Network –

March 5, 2025

MIL-OSI: Coface SA: Disclosure of total number of voting rights and number of shares in the capital as at 28 February 2025

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

COFACE SA: Disclosure of total number of voting rights and number of shares in the capital as at 28 February 2025

Paris, 4 March 2025 – 17.45

Total Number of Shares Capital	Theoretical Number of Voting Rights¹	Number of Real Voting Rights²
150,179,792	150,179,792	149,677,830

⁽¹⁾including own shares
⁽²⁾excluding own shares

Regulated documents posted by COFACE SA have been secured and authenticated with the blockchain technology by Wiztrust. You can check the authenticity on the website www.wiztrust.com.

About Coface

COFACE SA is a société anonyme (joint-stock corporation), with a Board of Directors (Conseil d’Administration) incorporated under the laws of France, and is governed by the provisions of the French Commercial Code. The Company is registered with the Nanterre Trade and Companies Register (Registre du Commerce et des Sociétés) under the number 432 413 599. The Company’s registered office is at 1 Place Costes et Bellonte, 92270 Bois Colombes, France.

At the date of 31 December 2024, the Company’s share capital amounts to €300,359,584, divided into 150,179,792 shares, all of the same class, and all of which are fully paid up and subscribed.

All regulated information is available on the company’s website (http://www.coface.com/Investors).

Coface SA. is listed on Euronext Paris – Compartment A
ISIN: FR0010667147 / Ticker: COFA

Attachment

2025 02 28 Declaration SharesVoting Rights

The MIL Network –

March 5, 2025

MIL-OSI: PU Prime Launches The Ultimate Lucky Draw Promotion
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

SINGAPORE, March 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — To mark Saint Patrick’s season, PU Prime is launching PU Prime’s Ultimate Lucky Draw promotion, giving traders the opportunity to win exclusive prizes, including an iPhone 16 Pro Max, iPad Pro, AirPods Max, and bi-weekly cash rewards. The promotion runs from 1 March to 30 April 2025.

How to Participate

Eligible participants can enter the Ultimate Lucky Draw by completing the following steps:
1. Deposit and Trade – A minimum deposit of $500 USD is required.
2. Earn Lucky Draw Tickets – One ticket is awarded for every $100,000 in Notional Volume traded.
3. Prize Draws – Accumulated tickets increase the likelihood of selection in bi-weekly cash draws and the grand prize draw on May 5, 2025.
Prize Structure

Traders who meet the eligibility criteria and accumulate tickets will have the chance to win the following:
- 1st Prize: iPhone 16 Pro Max (256GB)
- 2nd Prize: iPad Pro 11″ (256GB, WiFi)
- 3rd Prize: AirPods Max
In addition to the grand prizes mentioned above, PU Prime will also be holding bi-weekly cash draws that offer a total of $600 in cash rewards. The bi-weekly cash draws will span across four draw dates: 17 March, 31 March, 14 April, as well as 28 April 2025. In each draw, there will be 3 winners, each rewarded with an amount of $50. There will be no limit on the number of tickets a participant can accumulate and this promotion is open to holders of Standard and Islamic Standard Accounts.

For more information on PU Prime’s promotions, users can visit www.puprime.com/promotions/

For media inquiries, users can contact the PR team via media@puprime.com.

About PU Prime

Founded in 2015, PU Prime is a leading global fintech company providing innovative online trading solutions. Today, we offer regulated financial products across various asset classes, including forex, commodities, indices, and gold. Committed to providing advanced technology and educational resources, PU Prime supports traders and investors at every stage, from beginner to professional. With a presence in over 120 countries and exceeding 40 million app downloads, PU Prime is dedicated to enabling financial success and fostering a global community of empowered traders.

Contact

Arielle Hong
PU Prime
media@puprime.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1d822a19-1837-422b-9a90-e93b85ba78f0

The MIL Network –
March 5, 2025
MIL-OSI Video: Young Trade Leaders: Phoebe, Australia

Source: World Trade Organization – WTO (video statements)

The Young Trade Leaders Programme was established to connect young people with the work of the WTO. Phoebe Britten, from Australia, is the Founder and CEO of Inspire Tomorrow Education, a nonprofit that provides tutoring and scholarships.

Phoebe talks about the importance of adding voices to global trade discussions.

Download this video from the WTO website:
https://www.wto.org/english/res_e/webcas_e/webcas_e.htm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKVNOMaOFP8

MIL OSI Video –

March 5, 2025
MIL-OSI: Skyward Unveils New Turnkey Data Visualization Tool During 2025 International Conference, iCon

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

STEVENS POINT, Wis., March 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Skyward, a school administration software provider committed to helping K-12 leaders spend less time on tasks and more time with students, held their international conference, iCon, February 26-28 in St. Pete Beach, Florida. The event featured over 80 sessions and various networking opportunities, with the highlight being the unveiling of Skyward’s DistrictPulse, a new analytics reporting tool designed to quickly connect data to capture strategic insights, integrated seamlessly with Skyward’s Qmlativ Education Management System.

Developed in partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS), Skyward’s DistrictPulse is designed to pull data directly from Qmlativ and deliver actionable insights to key district personnel. Unlike many existing solutions, DistrictPulse ensures that data remains secure and accessible only to authorized users, reflecting the security established in Qmlativ. To learn more about Skyward’s DistrictPulse, go to skyward.com/districtpulse.

“The launch of DistrictPulse emphasizes our commitment to providing powerful analytics that empower district leaders with the insights needed to improve performance and achieve their goals,” said Tom King, chief marketing officer at Skyward. “iCon 2025 was a fantastic opportunity to connect with edtech leaders and showcase how Skyward continues to innovate.”

“AWS was thrilled be a part of iCon 2025 to show Skyward users how DistrictPulse is a game-changer for them,” said Adam Leahy, senior enterprise account executive at AWS. “We’ve worked closely with Skyward over the past year to ensure this tool saves customers time and delivers data in an entirely new way to analyze and visualize trends, which district leaders can then act on.”

The unveiling of DistrictPulse sparked immediate excitement among iCon attendees, with many eager to explore how the new tool will transform their reporting capabilities and data analytics.

“I’m excited about the potential of DistrictPulse,” said Liz Boyles, iCon 2025 attendee and director of information services at Troy CCSD 30C in IL. “This tool will significantly reduce concerns regarding data accuracy, and at-a-glance visuals will provide opportunities for continuous growth at our district and play a significant role in our strategic plan.”

iCon provided attendees with hands-on learning about how Skyward can help streamline district operations. Attendees also participated in leadership-focused presentations, had the opportunity to connect with other like-minded professionals, heard from keynote Thomas C. Murray, and recognized this year’s Leader in Excellence winners. Find the full list of winners at skyward.com/leaders.

Next year’s international conference will take place February 25-27, 2026 at TradeWinds Island Resort in St. Pete Beach, Florida. For more information, visit skyward.com/icon.

About Skyward

Since 1980, Skyward’s SIS and ERP solutions have helped more than 2,500 school districts save time, connect with families, and empower success. By blending advanced technology guided by actual users with world-class support delivered with a personal touch, Skyward is the clear choice for K-12 leaders who want to spend less time on tasks and more time with students. To learn more about the next generation of K-12 administration software, visit www.skyward.com.

About Amazon Web Services

Since 2006, Amazon Web Services has been the world’s most comprehensive and broadly adopted cloud. AWS has been continually expanding its services to support virtually any workload, and it now has more than 240 fully featured services for compute, storage, databases, networking, analytics, machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), mobile, security, hybrid, media, and application development, deployment, and management from 114 Availability Zones within 36 geographic regions, with announced plans for 12 more Availability Zones and four more AWS Regions in New Zealand, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, and the AWS European Sovereign Cloud. Millions of customers—including the fastest-growing startups, largest enterprises, and leading government agencies—trust AWS to power their infrastructure, become more agile, and lower costs. To learn more about AWS, visit aws.amazon.com.

Media Contact:
Alexis Bushman
Skyward, Inc.
(715) 972-4397
alexis.bushman@skyward.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f8793ef1-0539-432e-8679-c077243f1f26

The MIL Network –

March 5, 2025
MIL-OSI: STMicroelectronics reveals STM32U3 microcontrollers extending ultra-low power innovation for remote, smart and sustainable applications
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

STMicroelectronics reveals STM32U3 microcontrollers extending ultra-low power innovation for remote, smart and sustainable applications
- Latest MCUs leverage cutting-edge near-threshold chip design to set record performance-per-watt efficiency benchmark
- Secret-key protection and in-factory provisioning boost cyber security
- Typical applications include utility meters, healthcare devices, and industrial sensors
Geneva, Switzerland, March 4, 2025 – STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM), a global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications, has introduced new STM32U3 microcontrollers (MCUs) with cutting-edge power-saving innovations that ease deployment of smart connected tech, especially in remote locations.

The latest MCUs are aimed at IoT devices, which must typically operate for extended periods without maintenance and with limited energy from a coin cell or ambient solar or thermoelectric source. Typical applications that depend on the lowest possible power consumption include utility meters, healthcare devices such as glucose meters and insulin pumps, animal care monitors, forest-fire sensors, and industrial sensors including thermostats and smoke detectors. STM32U3 MCUs are also used in consumer products such as smart watches, wearables, and hearables.

“The STM32U3 series builds on the heritage of ST-established ultra-low-power general-purpose microcontroller class as it is known today, which opened the door to widespread diffusion of smart technology in diverse environments,” commented Patrick Aidoune, General-Purpose MCU Division General Manager, STMicroelectronics. “Leveraging innovative techniques such as recent advancements in near-threshold design, the new devices cut dynamic power consumption to the bone, boosting efficiency by a factor of two compared to our previous generation, hence contributing to companies’ sustainability goals.”

In addition to its extreme energy efficiency, the STM32U3 series meets the needs of IoT devices by providing robust cyber protection using the latest hardware security techniques. The MCUs are designed to confine secret keys permanently in secure memory, eliminating vulnerable CPU fetches. In addition, attestation credentials for each device are provisioned by ST at manufacture before leaving the factory, which strengthens security and simplifies provisioning. All those security mechanisms, in addition to the SESIP3 and PSA Level3 certifiable security assets, such as cryptographic accelerators, TrustZone® isolation, random generator, and product lifecycle will contribute and enable ST customers to reach compliancy towards the upcoming RED and CRA regulations.

Customer testimonials:

“STM32U3 enables us [smaXtec] to bring our hardware for animal health monitors to the next level. The consumption in active mode is extremely low, only a few µA/MHz, which enables us to reduce the energy needed for current data processing algorithms while at the same time adding new features to our products. In addition, its advanced range of low-power modes lets us put the device into deep sleep if no data is processed. The newly implemented STOP3 mode, including its wakeup capabilities, is a neat way to keep power consumption low,” said Manuel Frech, Product Development Engineer, smaXtec.

Technical Notes for Editors

ST has set the pace in ultra-low-power (ULP) MCUs with previous STM32 variants and is now taking ULP performance to a new level with the new STM32U3 series. Leveraging advanced power-saving chip design, fine-tuned with AI-enhanced tools, and the latest Arm® Cortex®-M33 core running at up to 96MHz, the new MCUs achieve the market-leading Coremark-per-milliwatt score of 117. This is almost twice the efficiency of ST’s preceding STM32U5 series, and five times that of the STM32L4 series.
- STM32U3 MCUs set new standards in dynamic performance by taking advantage of near-threshold technology that operates IC transistors at extremely low voltage, saving energy proportionately according to a square law
- ST’s innovative near-threshold implementation uses AI-driven adaptive voltage scaling at wafer level to compensate for process variations in the foundry
- In addition to dynamic power savings (down to 10µA/MHz), the STM32U3 series achieve extremely low stop current, at 1.6µA
- STM32U3 embeds up to 1MB of Flash memory dual-bank and 256kB of SRAM
- In terms of security, STM32U3 MCUs embed all successful security features of the STM32U5, with additional keystore capabilities. Newly, secret keys are loaded in-factory by ST on the STM32U3 MCUs and are protected by a coupling and chaining bridge (CCB), representing the first use of this technology in the STM32 MCU family
- Two product lines are available, presenting a choice of MCUs either with or without a hardware cryptographic accelerator
- Combined with their low power, the devices integrate efficient and high-performing peripherals including the latest I3C digital connectivity
- MCUs are available in commercial (-40°C to 85°C) and extended industrial
  (-40°C to 105°C) temperature ranges
The STM32U3 series is in production now and available from $1.93 for orders of 10,000 pieces. For more information, please go to www.st.com/stm32u3

STM32 is a registered and/or unregistered trademark of STMicroelectronics International NV or its affiliates in the EU and/or elsewhere. In particular, STM32 is registered in the US Patent and Trademark Office.

About STMicroelectronics
At ST, we are 50,000 creators and makers of semiconductor technologies mastering the semiconductor supply chain with state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities. An integrated device manufacturer, we work with more than 200,000 customers and thousands of partners to design and build products, solutions, and ecosystems that address their challenges and opportunities, and the need to support a more sustainable world. Our technologies enable smarter mobility, more efficient power and energy management, and the wide-scale deployment of cloud-connected autonomous things. We are on track to be carbon neutral in all direct and indirect emissions (scopes 1 and 2), product transportation, business travel, and employee commuting emissions (our scope 3 focus), and to achieve our 100% renewable electricity sourcing goal by the end of 2027.

Further information can be found at www.st.com.

INVESTOR RELATIONS
Jérôme Ramel
EVP Corporate Development & Integrated External Communication
Tel: +41.22.929.59.20
jerome.ramel@st.com

MEDIA RELATIONS
Alexis Breton
Corporate External Communications
Tel: +33.6.59.16.79.08
alexis.breton@st.com

Attachments
- P4678S — Mar 4 2025 — STM32U3 MCU series_FINAL FOR PUBLICATION
- P4678S — Mar 4 2025 — STM32U3 MCU series_IMAGE
The MIL Network –
March 5, 2025
MIL-OSI: STMicroelectronics’ new integrated STM32WBA6 wireless microcontrollers combine extra features and performance with power efficiency
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

STMicroelectronics’ new integrated STM32WBA6 wireless microcontrollers combine extra features and performance with power efficiency

Cost-efficient and highly integrated embedded devices for emerging 2.4GHz wireless applications in smart home, health, factory, and agriculture

Geneva, Switzerland, March 4, 2025 – STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM), a global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications, has announced the next generation of its STM32 power-efficient short-range wireless microcontrollers (MCUs) that simplify connecting consumer and industrial devices to the IoT.

The new STM32WBA6 series is used in connected, smart devices like wearable healthcare and wellness monitors, animal collars, electronic locks, remote weather sensors, and more. Packing extra memory and digital system interfaces, while preserving energy efficiency the new MCUs can handle richer functionality in emerging new product designs.

The STM32WBA6 MCUs also embed SESIP3 and PSA Level3 certifiable security assets, such as cryptographic accelerators, TrustZone® isolation, random generator, and product lifecycle that will contribute and enable ST customers to reach compliancy towards the upcoming RED and CRA regulations.

“Robust and standardized wireless connectivity is central to the IoT’s success. Our new STM32WBA6 MCUs bring richer features and larger memory to address high-end applications in smart home, health, factory, and agriculture,” said Patrick Aidoune, General-Purpose MCU Division General Manager, STMicroelectronics. “Our customers can now increase the pace of development to meet demands from consumer and industrial markets for new products that deliver more features and increased capabilities within reduced size and power constraints.”

The wireless subsystem in the new STM32WBA6 microcontrollers supports Bluetooth, Zigbee, Thread, Matter, and other protocols operating in the 2.4GHz frequency band, and allows communication using multiple protocols concurrently. It’s how a system like a smart-home bridge can communicate with the homeowner’s mobile app over Bluetooth and simultaneously manage lights or thermostats through mesh networking such as Zigbee. The STM32WBA6 series also contains single-protocol variants for simpler and more cost-conscious applications.

Customer testimonials:

“The extensive hardware feature set, low power consumption, advanced cyber security, and excellent price/performance make the STM32WBA6 devices perfect for our advanced in-car driver monitoring, incident tracking, and emergency calling solution. Aided by the extensive ecosystem and ST’s strong technical support, we were able to quickly start prototype development and achieve qualification in accordance with all applicable industry requirements. We are on track to begin production in Q2 2025,” said Vittorio Ferrari, CTO, Meta System.

Technical notes for editors:
- By integrating the processing core, peripherals, and wireless subsystem, STM32WBA6 MCUs help product developers meet demands to simplify new designs, miniaturize assembly size, and save the electronic bill-of-materials. With up to double the Flash and RAM on-chip, compared to the previous STM32WBA5 series, the new MCUs provide generous storage for application code and data.
- With up to 2MB of Flash and 512KB RAM on-chip, the new STM32WBA6 MCUs contain larger memory to support more sophisticated applications.
- The richer digital peripherals add USB High Speed as well as extra digital interfaces including three SPI ports, four I2C ports, three USARTs, and one LPUART.
- Concurrent multiprotocol wireless makes the STM32WBA6 series ideal for applications that leverage Matter, which is designed to run on top of other protocols. The X-CUBE-MATTER software package, part of the extensive STM32Cube ecosystem, integrates the Matter SDK and comes with application examples to ease development.
- The wireless subsystem improves performance, with sensitivity increased to -100dBm for more reliable connectivity up to the maximum specified range.
- The STM32WBA6 series is powered by the energy-efficient Arm® Cortex®-M33 core, with floating-point unit and DSP extensions, running at up to 100MHz.
- The STM32WBA5 and STM32WBA6 support the latest EU Radio Equipment Directive (RED) cyber-security requirements. Their SESIP3 certification target will greatly ease the customer device conformance.
- Package options cover a wide range from a 7mm x 7mm UFQFPN48 to a 6mm x 6mm UFBGA121 with 121 pins.
- There is also a thin wafer-level chip-scale package, WLCSP88, that measures only 3.78mm x 3.46mm.
The STM32WBA6 MCUs are in production and available now, priced from $2.50 for orders of 10,000 pieces. For more information, please go to www.st.com/stm32wba.

STM32 is a registered and/or unregistered trademark of STMicroelectronics International NV or its affiliates in the EU and/or elsewhere. In particular, STM32 is registered in the US Patent and Trademark Office.

About STMicroelectronics
At ST, we are 50,000 creators and makers of semiconductor technologies mastering the semiconductor supply chain with state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities. An integrated device manufacturer, we work with more than 200,000 customers and thousands of partners to design and build products, solutions, and ecosystems that address their challenges and opportunities, and the need to support a more sustainable world. Our technologies enable smarter mobility, more efficient power and energy management, and the wide-scale deployment of cloud-connected autonomous things. We are on track to be carbon neutral in all direct and indirect emissions (scopes 1 and 2), product transportation, business travel, and employee commuting emissions (our scope 3 focus), and to achieve our 100% renewable electricity sourcing goal by the end of 2027.

Further information can be found at www.st.com.

INVESTOR RELATIONS
Jérôme Ramel
EVP Corporate Development & Integrated External Communication
Tel: +41.22.929.59.20
jerome.ramel@st.com

MEDIA RELATIONS
Alexis Breton
Corporate External Communications
Tel: +33.6.59.16.79.08
alexis.breton@st.com

Attachments
- P4679S — Mar 4 2025 — STM32WBA6 wireless MCUs_FINAL FOR PUBLICATION
- P4679S — Mar 4 2025 — STM32WBA6 wireless MCUs_IMAGE
The MIL Network –
March 5, 2025
MIL-OSI: Verb to Acquire AI Social Selling Startup LyveCom
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

LOS ALAMITOS, Calif., March 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Verb Technology Company, Inc. (Nasdaq: VERB) (“VERB” or the “Company”), the technology company behind MARKET.live, a leading livestream social shopping platform, and GO FUND YOURSELF!, a TV show and innovative new platform disrupting the crowd funding industry, today announces that it has executed a binding term sheet to acquire LyveCom, a cutting-edge AI-driven video commerce platform. The transaction is subject to certain terms and conditions, including completion of an audit of Lyvecom’s financial statements, which terms and conditions are set forth in detail in the Form 8-K filed by the Company today.

While the transaction is expected to close within the next 60 days, if not sooner, Phase 1 of the integration of Lyvecom’s technology is complete and the new MARKET.live officially launches TODAY.

Management contends that this transaction should not be underestimated. The integration of LyveCom’s AI-driven technology into VERB’s MARKET.live now allows brands and merchants to deliver an omnichannel livestream shopping experience to their customers. Brands and merchants will not only engage their client and customers on the newly updated and refreshed MARKET.live site, but also seamlessly across their own websites, mobile apps, and social platforms, all while leveraging AI-powered video content automation and personalized shopping experiences.

This proprietary technology embeds livestreams and shoppable videos directly onto merchant websites without impact on site speed, while simultaneously aggregating and repurposing content from TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube into interactive shopping experiences, allowing brands to engage customers without constant content production.

A Transformative Step for MARKET.live and the Livestream Shopping Industry
The new MARKET.live will introduce game-changing innovations, including:
- One-Click Simulcasting: Instantly scale the broadcast of live shopping events across MARKET.live, TikTok Shop, Shopify’s Shop App, and other social sites, including the merchant’s own e-commerce sites, maximizing audience reach and engagement, while maintaining checkout and unified inventory management and control across all of the merchant’s social sites and platforms.
- AI-Driven Video Commerce: Advanced AI capabilities will power real-time user-generated-content creation, automated video content repurposing, and AI-powered virtual live shopping hosts.
- Frictionless Merchant Integration: Frictionless, self-serve onboarding for merchants, enabling millions of Shopify merchants to adopt live and shoppable video with a simple 3-click integration, making livestream shopping capabilities more accessible and useable than ever.
- New Strategic Partnerships: New and expanded strategic partnerships with Tapcart, Shopify Shop App, Klaviyo, Recharge, and agency networks will expand MARKET.live’s footprint into mobile commerce and high-growth DTC brands.
- Real-Time Data & Analytics: An intelligent analytics hub will provide in-depth insights into shopper behavior, enabling merchants to refine strategies and boost conversions.
“The future of commerce is video-first, and this acquisition accelerates that future,” said Maxwell Drut, Co-Founder and CEO of LyveCom and incoming Chief Technology Officer at MARKET.live. “By combining LyveCom’s cutting-edge AI-powered video commerce technology with VERB’s expansive market reach, we are creating one of the most advanced, omnichannel video shopping ecosystems in the U.S. Together, we’re not just enabling brands to sell through video — we’re redefining how consumers discover, engage, and shop in a content-driven world.”

“Unlike closed marketplaces like Amazon Live and TikTok Shop, MARKET.live + LyveCom offers brands full control over their audience, content, and conversions while leveraging AI to automate and optimize video commerce. This is a paradigm shift in digital retail, empowering brands to sell smarter, faster, and more profitably than ever before. And with over 4 million Shopify merchants actively seeking AI-driven solutions, we believe that the addition of LyveCom’s AI technology, VERB’s MARKET.live is positioned for explosive growth and recurring revenue expansion.”

“This deal brings together LyveCom’s innovative AI driven video commerce solutions with VERB’s resources and expertise,” said Kevin Gould, founder and CEO of Kombo Ventures and early Lyvecom investor. “I’m incredibly proud that Kombo Ventures helped incubate Lyvecom, and I’m energized by the shared vision to rapidly create the market leader in AI-driven social shopping.”

Experience the New MARKET.live Interface
Customers, brands, and retailers can now explore the fully modernized MARKET.live interface at www.MARKET.live. The revamped platform not only aligns seamlessly with the latest trends in social selling, video commerce, and livestream shopping, providing an immersive and interactive shopping experience unlike any other, but also establishes the new paradigm we believe other ecommerce platforms will strive to emulate.

Comprehensive Go-To-Market Strategy & Client Onboarding
With a well-defined and proven go-to-market strategy, as will be evidenced in VERB’s forthcoming Form 10-K filing, VERB’s MARKET.live is set to onboard an additional extensive list of clients, including top agency partners and direct-to-consumer brands. The acquisition strengthens MARKET.live’s ability to cater to a diverse range of businesses, from independent Shopify sellers to enterprise-level brands, ensuring a seamless and scalable transition into AI-powered social commerce.

Positioning VERB’ MARKET.live as an Industry Leader
The completion of this acquisition will establish VERB’s MARKET.live as a definitive leader in livestream and AI-powered social commerce. Unlike competitors that operate within closed marketplaces, MARKET.live will offer a truly integrated, multi-platform solution that:
- Expands e-commerce opportunities beyond a single channel, increasing brand exposure and sales potential.
- Unlocks access to Shopify’s vast network of over 4 million merchants looking for AI-powered video commerce solutions.
- Automates video content production and personalization at scale, driving efficiency and engagement for brands of all sizes.
Additional features include:
- AI-Generated Video UGC: A proprietary AI model trained on tens of thousands of video commerce interactions that will automate content creation for brands.
- AI-Powered: Blending AI-driven personalization, automation, and omnichannel reach, bringing massive 24/7 global scalability to live shopping experiences, MARKET.live will turn video engagement into revenue.
- AI-Powered Predictive Analytics and Automated Shoppable Content: Intelligent tools designed to optimize merchandising strategies and increase conversion rates.
“This strategic acquisition underscores VERB’s commitment to constant and continuing innovation, as we seek to shape the future of social commerce and ultimately dominate the landscape,” said Rory J. Cutaia, CEO of VERB. “The addition of LyveCom’s AI-driven video commerce capabilities to the new MARKET.live will offer an unparalleled shopping experience that bridges brands, marketplaces, and social platforms — ensuring that consumers can engage and shop wherever they are.”

The Future of AI-Powered Livestream Shopping – Here’s What’s Coming
This transaction and the work our combined teams have undertaken over the past 9 months has paved the way for our upcoming launch of yet more next generation social commerce capabilities, including:
- AI Avatar Live Shopping Hosts: This new proprietary technology, already trained on tens of thousands of video commerce videos, has paved the way for the launch of real time AI Avatar hosts, virtually indistinguishable from human hosts, capable of real-time audience engagement.
According to an October 2024 report published by The Business Research Company, the global social commerce industry is anticipated to experience rapid growth and is projected to surpass $1.29 trillion by 2028 at a CAGR of 13.7%.¹ The Company believes that AI-powered social selling is among the fastest-growing segments in e-commerce today.

With this acquisition, VERB is setting a new industry standard for interactive video-based social commerce, with the goal of ensuring that MARKET.live is the dominant force in this space and the go-to platform for brands looking to future-proof their business with AI-powered video commerce.

About VERB Technology Company
Verb Technology Company, Inc. (NASDAQ: VERB), is the innovative force behind interactive video-based social commerce. The Company’s MARKET.live platform is a multi-vendor, livestream social shopping destination at the forefront of the convergence of ecommerce and entertainment, where brands, retailers, creators, and influencers engage their customers, clients, fans, and followers across multiple social media channels simultaneously. GO FUND YOURSELF!, is a revolutionary interactive social crowd funding platform for public and private companies seeking broad-based exposure across social media channels for their crowd-funded Regulation CF and Regulation A offerings. The platform combines a ground-breaking interactive TV show with MARKET.live’s back-end capabilities allowing viewers to tap, scan or click on their screen to facilitate an investment, in real time, as they watch companies presenting before the show’s panel of “Titans”. Presenting companies that sell consumer products are able to offer their products directly to viewers during the show in real time through shoppable onscreen icons. The Company is headquartered in Las Vegas, NV and operates full-service production and creator studios in Los Alamitos, California.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This communication contains “forward-looking statements” as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and include, without limitation, any statement that may predict, forecast, indicate or imply future results, performance, or achievements including the following statements; the transaction closing within the next 60 days, if not sooner; the integration of LyveCom’s AI-driven technology into VERB’s MARKET.live allowing brands and merchants to deliver an omnichannel livestream shopping experience to their customers; the new MARKET.live introducing game-changing innovations; the combination of LyveCom’s cutting-edge AI-powered video commerce technology with Verb’s expansive market reach, creating one of the most advanced, omnichannel video shopping ecosystem in the U.S., redefining how consumers discover, engage, and shop in a content-driven world; the revamped platform establishing the new paradigm other ecommerce platforms will strive to emulate; the completion of the acquisition establishing VERB’s MARKET.live as a definitive leader in livestream and AI-powered social commerce; MARKET.live will offering a truly integrated, multi-platform solution; the addition of LyveCom’s AI-driven video commerce capabilities to the new MARKET.live offering an unparalleled shopping experience that bridges brands, marketplaces, and social platforms — ensuring that consumers can engage and shop wherever they are and ensuring MARKET.live remains the go-to platform for brands looking to future-proof their business with AI-powered video commerce. 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 ability to satisfy the closing conditions and consummate the acquisition; the ability of VERB to derive the benefits anticipated from the acquisition including becoming a leader in livestream and AI-powered social commerce and those identified in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including our annual, quarterly and current reports filed with the SEC and the risk factors included in our annual report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on April 1, 2024. Any forward-looking statement made by us herein 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 as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

Investor Relations:
investors@verb.tech

¹https://www.einpresswire.com/article/754813834/social-commerce-global-market-2024-to-reach-1291-47-billion-by-2028-at-rate-of-13-7

The MIL Network –
March 5, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Parliamentary delegation from Indonesia to HSE: new prospects for cooperation

Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

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

© Higher School of Economics

On February 24, a meeting with a delegation of the Committee on Interparliamentary Cooperation of the Council of People’s Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia was held at the HSE on Pokrovsky Boulevard. The event was attended by the Vice-Rector of the University, the Head of the BRICS Expert Council – Russia Victoria Panova and representatives of the university’s scientific departments and centers. During the meeting, the parties discussed key areas for strengthening scientific and expert cooperation, and joint initiatives in the field of science and technology, including through BRICS.

A delegation from the People’s Representative Council (PRC) Committee on Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation visited the university for the first time. Earlier in the day, a meeting of the Chairman of the Committee of the Council of the Federation of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation on International Affairs with the head of the Committee of the People’s Commissars of the Republic of Indonesia, Mr. Mardani Ali Sera.

HSE Vice-Rector Victoria Panova welcomed the guests and said that the university is actively developing international cooperation and highly values the opportunities for interaction with Indonesia. She emphasized that HSE is not only one of the leading educational and research centers in Russia, but also a key participant in the work of BRICS: “The Higher School of Economics was chosen as an expert center for analytical and scientific work on BRICS, as it is a modern and young university that is actively developing in such key areas as IT, neuroscience, fundamental physics, and STEM in general. The BRICS Expert Council (BRICS EC) is not just a division created to support the Russian Federation’s chairmanship of BRICS in 2024. We work in long-term areas of political, socio-economic and humanitarian cooperation, conduct research and create platforms for knowledge exchange between the countries of the association.”

Victoria Panova expressed hope for further strengthening of relations between Russia and Indonesia. “Our task is to offer Indonesia not only educational opportunities, but also expert support in various fields. We are ready for active cooperation and hope that Indonesia will take an active part in the work of the BRICS expert track,” Victoria Panova said.

Mr. Mardani Ali Sera, in turn, noted that Indonesia is deeply interested in strengthening ties with Russia through multilateral formats, in particular BRICS, and expressed a desire to also develop bilateral relations at all levels. “We are pleased that cooperation between Russia and Indonesia has intensified in recent years. Our country is interested in interacting, including with the BRICS-Russia Expert Council based at the Higher School of Economics. We see what a significant contribution the BRICS ES makes to achieving the common goals of the association: national strategies, economic and scientific and technological development. We are confident that joint work will open up new opportunities for us, especially in the field of using technology and innovation,” Mr. Mardani Ali Sera emphasized.

Deputy Chairman of the Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Committee Mr. Fadlullah Muhammad Hussein said that Indonesia sees many prospects in cooperation with BRICS: “BRICS offers us great opportunities for cooperation. All member countries communicate on an equal basis and can freely choose which line to work on. BRICS is about all aspects of building a fair world order,” he added.

Representatives of the National Research University Higher School of Economics emphasized the importance of constant interaction in the scientific research sphere. Alexander Sokolov, Deputy Director Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge, National Research University Higher School of Economics, director Foresight Center spoke about the development of new technologies that could be useful for Indonesia: “Our institute is actively developing the foresight direction, creating innovative methodologies and tools for forecasting and modeling future trends in various fields of science and technology. We conduct research aimed at building long-term trends in areas such as space, medicine, energy and IT, and are ready to offer our expertise and resources for work with Indonesia. Joint efforts will allow us to better understand how new technologies can shape the future of economies and societies.”

Director Institute of Trade Policy, National Research University Higher School of Economics, BRICS ES expert Alexander Daniltsev noted the importance of trade relations for BRICS member countries. He expressed confidence that Indonesia will become a reliable partner not only for Russia. “International trade and economic cooperation issues occupy a key place within BRICS, and we are confident that Indonesia can become an important partner for all countries of the association. We are actively exploring the possibilities of developing trade relations in such strategically important areas as energy, agriculture and high technology. It is important that our joint projects contribute to stable growth and deepening of mutually beneficial cooperation, as well as open up new prospects for all BRICS members,” he said.

Ekaterina Shamina, Deputy Director for Scientific Projects Directorate for Scientific Projects of the National Research University Higher School of Economics, drew attention to the possibility of joint work with Indonesia in the field of artificial intelligence regulation: “We are developing standards for regulating artificial intelligence in Russia, and this is one of the key areas for BRICS in the coming years. We would like to offer our Indonesian colleagues cooperation in developing a common AI testing system that could be implemented in the BRICS countries. This will allow us to work on the safe and ethical use of new technologies,” she said.

Alexander Larichev, Deputy Dean for Research Faculty of Law informed Indonesian parliamentarians that the HSE has launched an initiative – the BRICS Law School Consortium, within the framework of which exchanges between players in the field of law are planned, and scientific publications are already being prepared: “We are implementing a lot. Many universities in the BRICS countries have already joined us. The subjects that we are developing are digital law, international commercial law and business law, etc. We will be glad to see Indonesian universities in our Consortium.”

Natalia Zholnerovich, Deputy Dean Faculty of Geography and Geoinformation Technologies HSE noted that the faculty was founded in partnership with the Russian Academy of Sciences and its areas of activity are much broader than just geography. “We are developing specific areas of geography: climate change and adaptation to it; climate risk assessment at different levels; migration and urban systems; strategy and territorial planning based on technological solutions; the relationship between people’s potential and the resilience of territories to various risk factors,” she explained.

The parties discussed the prospects for joint research and analytical reports, agreed on further interaction and planning of joint events aimed at strengthening the partnership within the framework of the HSE and BRICS.

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

MIL OSI Russia News –

March 5, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: UConn School of Business to Induct Five Distinguished Business Executives into ‘Hall of Fame’

Source: US State of Connecticut

The School of Business will induct five alumni business leaders into its ‘Hall of Fame’ during a dinner and ceremony on Friday, April 11 at the Hartford Marriott Downtown.

The School’s signature event typically draws hundreds for a night of celebration.

“This year, we proudly induct five exceptional alumni into the UConn School of Business Hall of Fame. Their remarkable achievements, leadership, and dedication to service place them among the most distinguished executives in their fields,’’ says Professor Greg Reilly, interim dean of the School of Business.

“A highlight of the evening is hearing their reflections on their time at UConn and the invaluable advice they offer to students and young alumni,’’ he says. “The Hall of Fame celebration stands as one of the most inspiring and anticipated events of the year.”

Tickets to the event, which is black-tie optional, are $175 each. There is still time to become an event sponsor as well. For reservations or additional information, please visit: alumni.business.uconn.edu.

This year’s inductees include:

Entrepreneur Trisha Bailey Believes in Exceptional Service

Trisha Bailey, ’99 (CLAS) ’23 (HON) is an entrepreneur, and the founder and CEO of Bailey’s Pharmacy & Medical Equipment & Supplies, a company built on a culture of exceptional service. She oversees her flagship company, as well as other successful enterprises, employing more than 500 people and generating revenue in the hundreds of millions annually. She is also the mother of five.

Tricia Bailey (contributed photo)

Bailey graduated with a bachelor’s degree from UConn in 1999, majoring in human development and family relations, and received an honorary degree from the School of Pharmacy in 2023.

A track standout at Weaver High School in Hartford, Bailey has been a generous donor to UConn Athletics and became the first woman to have a building named in her honor on campus. She is also involved in real estate development and housing; is a minority owner of NBA teams; and is the owner of the largest equestrian farm in Florida.

A native of Jamaica, she is deeply committed to community impact, supporting underserved communities in her native land and in the U.S., supporting nursing programs, and food and toy drives.

Her autobiography “UNBROKEN’’ addresses her complex life journey and shares her deeply held values of compassion, excellence, and empowerment.

Laurie Havanec Led 300,000 Employees at CVS Health

Laurie Havanec ’82 (BUS), ’94 JD recently retired from CVS Health, where she served as Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer. In that role, she was responsible for 300,000 employees. Prior to joining CVS, Havanec served as Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer at Otis Worldwide Corporation, including during its transition from United Technologies Corporation to an independent, publicly traded company.

Laurie Havanec (contributed photo)

Havanec earned her bachelor’s degree, with a marketing major, from the School of Business in 1982. Six weeks after the birth of her second child, she returned to UConn to fill her longtime desire to study law at the UConn Law School. She completed her degree with honors.

In 2019, Havanec endowed a need-based scholarship, through UConn Women and Philanthropy, to help women in their path to law school. She has served on the Board of Directors of American Water, as a member of the Board of Trustees for both the Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame and the Connecticut Governor’s Committee on Workforce and Education. A two-time cancer survivor, Havanec has told her story many times to help educate women about the importance of breast-cancer detection and prevention.

Inclusivity Always Important to John Hodson

John Hodson ’85 (BUS), is the Founder and President of True Benefit, a division of AmWINS, a company that goes beyond traditional employee benefits to foster a culture of inclusivity, ethical practices, and community engagement. The company’s mission is to serve both business and the broader community and he has championed diversity, equity, and belonging throughout his career.

John Hodson (contributed photo)

Hodson earned his bachelor’s degree, with a marketing major, in 1985 and worked at The Travelers and ConnectiCare. He then became an insurance broker and eventually founded True Benefit. Since its inception, the company has grown to become the exclusive program and risk manager for ADP Total Source, the largest professional employer organization in the nation. True Benefit now serves more than 750,000 employees nationwide, overseeing more than $4 billion in healthcare premiums and delivering healthcare savings and solutions for small- to mid- sized businesses.

A dedicated advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and racial equity, Hodson has worked to improve insurance policies for the transgender community, addressing gaps in coverage and access to mental health care. He is also a proud supporter of UConn’s Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) initiatives, with a focus on promoting mental health and the wellbeing of students. He is actively involved with several professional organizations and serves on the Board of Trustees at Sarah Lawrence College, which two of his children attended.

Greg Lewis Served as SVP and CFO of Honeywell

Greg Lewis ’91 (BUS) is the former Senior Vice President and CFO of Honeywell, a Fortune 100 company. This month, he will be stepping down from those roles and is serving as a special advisor to the CEO of the company, where he has worked since 2006.

Greg Lewis (contributed photo)

During his time at Honeywell, he served as a catalyst for digital transformation, launched the company’s Enterprise Information Management Strategy and made significant changes for greater operational excellence. He built a culture with data at the forefront of strategic decision making and provided critical leadership in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the dynamic economic and geopolitical environment during the last five years.

Lewis earned his bachelor’s degree from the School of Business in 1991, with a major in finance, and four years later earned an MBA from Fordham University.

Over the last three years, Lewis has been involved with the School of Business, engaging with faculty and students, and mentoring teams. Lewis is a champion of diversity and inclusion and is the executive sponsor of the All-Abilities Employee Network at Honeywell with over 2,500 associates. He chairs the Charlotte (NC) Small Business Innovation Fund and is a board member for Roof Above, a Charlotte-based organization fighting homelessness. He is also an independent director on the board of Medtronic.

Lewis’ wife, Barbara, is a 1989 graduate of the School of Business. They have established a scholarship here, providing opportunities based on academic achievement and need.

Rob Skinner Named a Top Financial Advisor

Rob Skinner ’93 (CLAS) is a Founder and Managing Partner of IEQ Capital, an independent wealth management advisory firm which integrates investing and intellectual and emotional decisions.

Robert Skinner (contributed photo)

Skinner began his career at Fidelity Investments in 1995 and later joined Merrill Lynch as First Vice President of Investments. In 2008, he co-founded Luminous Capital, where he served as Chief Investment Officer, Co-Head of Investment Research, and Co-Manager of Portfolio Construction. Luminous Capital managed $5.5 billion of assets when it was acquired by First Republic Bank in 2012. At First Republic, Skinner served as Senior Managing Director and Wealth Manager.

Skinner has been lauded for his expertise, including being named as one of America’s Top Wealth Advisors by Forbes and as one of America’s Top 100 Financial Advisors by Barron’s.

Skinner earned a bachelor’s degree from UConn in 1993, with a major in political science. He is active in a host of community programs, serving on the board of directors for The First Tee of Monterey County and also the Pebble Beach Company Foundation. He is a trustee of PGA REACH, the charitable arm of the PGA of America, as well as the Naval Postgraduate School Foundation, and serves on multiple investment advisory boards.

MIL OSI USA News –

March 5, 2025
MIL-OSI: Beamr Issues Annual CEO Letter to Shareholders: Highlighting 2024 Achievements and 2025 Strategy – Capitalizing on Market Validation
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

In 2025, Beamr plans to leverage the strong market validation it has gained in numerous meetings with prospective customers across key target markets, as well as participation in major events with industry leaders

Herzliya, Israel, March 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Beamr Imaging Ltd. (NASDAQ: BMR), a leader in video optimization technology and solutions, today issued a Letter to Shareholders from Sharon Carmel, Chief Executive Officer.

Dear Shareholders:

As we look toward a promising and exciting year ahead, I am proud to reflect on Beamr’s achievements throughout 2024, including our financial results and strong cash position for 2024, our recent accomplishments so far in Q1 2025, and look forward to our plans for Q2 2025. We believe that during 2025, Beamr will capitalize on the significant validation it has created in 2024 and convert prospects in the sales funnel into significant revenue growth in the next quarters.

2024 Highlights

Beamr Cloud and AI workflows

On February 20, 2024, we launched the Beamr Cloud SaaS solution, which enables high-efficiency, high-quality and scalable video processing at attractive pricing. Our new video cloud service, accelerated by GPUs, offers more capabilities than we initially expected, which include easy and cost-effective video standards modernization from AVC to HEVC and AV1.

Following the launch of Beamr Cloud, throughout the year, we continued to strengthen our relationships with industry leaders, such as NVIDIA, to highlight the benefits and features of using our technology in real time with AI video workflows.

In Q2 2024, we successfully executed on our product development plan, and the first AI video capabilities were integrated into Beamr Cloud. The AI video enhancements allow automatic caption and transcription generation for videos in multiple languages. Incorporating these AI features was a first step in augmenting Beamr Cloud with cutting-edge services.

We incorporated customer feedback by enhancing Beamr Cloud’s core functionality, making it ready for adoption at scale, which includes:
- Giving users more control over the compression process using custom presets; and
- Adding packaging for streaming.
Furthermore, we plan to continue introducing improvements to Beamr Cloud, making it easier to use and allow customers higher configurability and flexibly using the service.

Collaborations with Industry Giants

In 2024, Beamr highlighted its market presence by participating in eight leading trade shows and conferences, including ACM Mile High Video, GTC, NAB, SIGGRAPH, Oracle CloudWorld, IBC ,Demuxed and AWS re:Invent.

In IBC, Beamr showcased a demo of live video optimization at 4K and up to 60 frames per second (4Kp60). In SIGGRAPH, we presented with Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) an optimized production of large, high-quality, high-resolution videos rendered from 3D design.

During these events, Beamr executives delivered high-impact presentations to hundreds of industry professionals, showcasing our innovative technology and expanding SaaS solutions. Furthermore, we held over 100 face-to-face meetings with existing and prospective customers. These efforts focused on differentiating Beamr in the video market and highlighting the value of our high-quality, high-efficiency, GPU-accelerated SaaS offerings to key and prospective customers in emerging markets, such as Media & Entertainment, User-Generated content and Internet-of-Things.

Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI)

Beamr Cloud was launched on OCI in June 2024. OCI is the second cloud service that provides to its customers Beamr’s GPU-based video optimization services, following AWS.

David Hicks, Oracle’s group vice president, Worldwide ISV Cloud Business Development commented: “Beamr’s commitment to innovation with the Oracle Cloud and quality execution helps our mutual customers receive cloud-enabled, automated, and scalable video processing solutions ready to meet critical business needs.”.

The collaboration with OCI has opened up access to customers of both companies to the newest generation of GPUs, and preliminary testing showed the potential for increased video processing speed by up to 30%. Alongside the enhanced service on a second cloud platform, Beamr has achieved “Powered by Oracle Cloud Expertise” status and was chosen as one of OCI’s AI innovators.

Fundraising Activities

Following our initial public offering on Nasdaq in March 2023, in February 2024, we raised gross proceeds of $13.8 million in an underwritten offering. At the end of 2024, we had $16.4 million in cash and cash equivalents.

2025: Capitalizing on Market Validation and Materializing the Sales Funnel into Significant Revenues

Market Validation: Amazon Web Services – ISV Accelerate

In Q1 2025, Beamr joined the AWS ISV Accelerate program, a global co-sell initiative for Amazon Web Services (AWS) partners. As an Independent Software Vendor (ISV) in the program, Beamr demonstrates strong alignment with AWS’s go-to-market strategies and initiatives. Beamr had progressed from listing on AWS Marketplace to becoming an ISV Accelerate Member in just three months.

In order to achieve the high bar to ISV Accelerate program, Beamr was required to have 10 opportunities with AWS and go through a Foundational Technology Review (FTR), which validates that our solution is well-architected and using best practices specific to our SaaS.

The AWS ISV program offers key benefits to drive visibility and co-selling opportunities. By joining, Beamr can expand sales operations through the AWS sales organization and the AWS Marketplace, driving increased growth for Beamr Cloud – the video optimization service that is seamlessly connected with AWS S3 cloud storage service. For example, AWS Account Managers are eligible for incentives when selling Beamr Cloud through AWS Marketplace. They also gain exposure to ISVs through solution partner recommendation engines.

AI Video Webinar

In January 2025, Beamr hosted a webinar titled: “The Future of AI Video – From Infrastructure to Experience”. The webinar featured Richard Kerris, VP of Media & Entertainment at NVIDIA, Jeffrey Schick, VP Strategic Client Engagement Media & Entertainment at Oracle and myself. The webinar discussed the platforms and technologies that drive the AI video revolution, and explored the opportunities and challenges of AI -powered media content.

Webinar hosted by Beamr about AI video

Keynote to Industry Leaders

In February 2025, Beamr participated in the ACM Mile-High-Video, and I presented a keynote titled: “Is the Future of Video Processing Destined for GPU?”. The ACM Mile-High-Video conference is a flagship video formats and streaming event, held annually in Denver, and organized by engineers and researchers from both industry and academia.

This month, Beamr will participate in NVIDIA GTC 2025, with my session discussing the evolution of video compression and the ability to efficiently enhance videos with AI-driven capabilities in real-time during video transcoding, utilizing GPU acceleration.

CEO Sharon Carmel presenting keynote at ACM Mile-High Video 2025

SaaS planning for 2025 – from Capabilities to Solutions

In 2025, we plan to introduce more solutions, as part of our evolving strategy – to further develop our technology, enhance Beamr Cloud’s video workflows and introduce more AI-driven capabilities. This is all based on the numerous meetings we have conducted with prospective customers, as well as on the events we held and attended by industry leaders providing valuable feedback.

The key target markets we are focused on include:
- Media & entertainment
- User-generated content
- Internet of things – autonomous vehicles, and other machine learning-driven industries; and
All identified markets that rely on video as a core component of their business operations can benefit from our offering of GPU-accelerated, high-quality and AI-driven video pipelines, whether deployed via cloud platforms, such as AWS and OCI, private cloud environments for enterprises, or on-premises infrastructure.

In addition, we plan to continue to advancing our core capabilities and maintain leadership in AI video. Some of the planned core capabilities include:
- Increasing subjective and objective video quality, and
- Turning lower resolution videos to high resolution videos using super resolution.
We anticipate a strong year ahead, with expanded participation in top industry events, increased customer and partner collaborations, and a deeper commitment to strategic partnerships.

In just the first two months of 2025, Beamr has taken its partnership with AWS to the next level, to a co-sale level, has hosted industry leading companies in its own event and has been chosen to present its technology and achievements at leading industry conferences. We believe this validation shows the recognition that Beamr has achieved in the market.

The plan for the upcoming quarters and the rest of 2025 is to capitalize on the strong industry recognition and sales pipeline that we have been developing, and we are expecting significant growth in our revenues in 2025 from our existing sales funnel.

2024 Financial Results

Regarding our financial results for 2024:
- Revenues increased by $0.15 million or 5% to $3.06 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, from $2.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The increase was primarily due to transactions with new customers versus other transactions that were terminated.
- Cost of revenues increased by $0.14 million to $0.24 million the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to $0.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The increase was primarily due to the amortization of internal-used software costs.
- Research and development expenses increased by $1.06 million, or 58% to $2.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, from $1.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The increase was primarily due to an increase of $0.4 million in salaries, due to increased personnel and an increase of $0.48 million in professional fees due to additional sub-contractors and cloud costs.
- Selling and marketing expenses increased by $0.31 million, or 88% to $0.67 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, from $0.36 million in 2023. The increase was primarily due to an increase in personnel and an increase in conference costs.
- General and administrative expenses increased by $0.96 million, or 64% to $2.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, from $1.5 million in 2023. The increase was primarily due to increased personnel, increase in professional fees related to public company requirements and increased travel expenses to conferences.
- Financing expenses, net decreased by $0.3 million, or 141% to ($0.09) million for the year ended December 31, 2024, from $(0.2) million in 2023. The decrease was primarily due to changes in fair value of liabilities offset by interest income on bank deposits.
- Net loss for the year ended December 31, 2024 was $3.3 million or $0.22 basic net loss per ordinary share, compared to a net loss of $0.7 million, or $0.06 basic net loss per ordinary share, in the year ended December 31, 2023.
- Beamr ended 2024 with $16.4 million in cash and cash equivalents, compared to $6.1 million as of December 31, 2023.
In closing, 2024 represented a year of significant progress for Beamr as we executed on our plan by releasing and upgrading Beamr Cloud with AI video processes and workflows, participating in top industry events and increasing our customer and partner collaborations. Importantly, with our cash position at the end of 2024, we continue to have the financial flexibility to both accelerate the growth of our existing business and pursue compelling business development opportunities, a process we are actively engaged in.

Respectfully,

Sharon Carmel
Chief Executive Officer, Beamr Imaging Ltd.

A copy of Beamr’s annual report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2024 has been filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at https://www.sec.gov/ and posted on Beamr’s investor relations website at https://www.investors.beamr.com/. Beamr will deliver a hard copy of its annual report, including its complete audited consolidated financial statements, free of charge, to its shareholders upon request at investorrelations@beamr.com.

About Beamr

Beamr (Nasdaq: BMR) is a world leader in content-adaptive video optimization and modernization. The company serves top media companies like Netflix and Paramount. Beamr’s inventive perceptual optimization technology (CABR) is backed by 53 patents and won the Emmy® award for Technology and Engineering. The innovative technology reduces video file size by up to 50% while guaranteeing quality.

Beamr Cloud is a high-performance, GPU-based video optimization and modernization service designed for businesses and video professionals across diverse industries. It is conveniently available to Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) customers. Beamr Cloud enables video modernization to advanced formats such as AV1 and HEVC, and is ready for video AI workflows. For more details, please visit www.beamr.com

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” that are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements in this communication may include, among other things, statements about Beamr’s strategic and business plans, technology, relationships, objectives and expectations for its business, the impact of trends on and interest in its business, intellectual property or product and its future results, operations and financial performance and condition, including its expectations for significant revenue growth in 2025. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, contained in this press release are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release may be identified by the use of words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “contemplate,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “seek,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “target,” “aim,” “should,” “will” “would,” or the negative of these words or other similar expressions, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. Forward-looking statements are based on the Company’s current expectations and are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Further, certain forward-looking statements are based on assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be accurate. For a more detailed description of the risks and uncertainties affecting the Company, reference is made to the Company’s reports filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including, but not limited to, the risks detailed in the Company’s annual report filed with the SEC on March 4, 2025 and in subsequent filings with the SEC. Forward-looking statements contained in this announcement are made as of the date hereof and the Company undertakes no duty to update such information except as required under applicable law. investorrelations@beamr.com

Investor Contact:

investorrelations@beamr.com

The MIL Network –
March 5, 2025
MIL-OSI: Municipality Finance Group’s Annual Report for 2024 published
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Municipality Finance Plc
Stock exchange release
4 March 2025 at 2:00 pm (EET)

Municipality Finance Group’s Annual Report for 2024 published

Municipality Finance Group’s Annual Report and Corporate Governance Statement for the year 2024 have been published in English and Finnish.

MuniFin Group’s Annual Report fulfills the reporting requirements of European Single Electronic Format (ESEF). In accordance with these requirements, Report of the Board of Directors and the Consolidated Financial Statements are published not only in the Annual Report file but additionally in a separate zip file in which Report of the Board and the Financial Statements are marked up with XBRL tags. These ESEF Financial Statements have been subject to an independent auditor’s assurance.

MuniFin Group has also published Pillar 3 Disclosure document in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 and Directive 2013/36/EU. The document is available in English. The remuneration aspects of Pillar 3 reporting are also available separately in Finnish in MuniFin Group’s Remuneration Report 2024.

MuniFin Group has also published its Green Impact Report and Social Impact Report for 2024 in English.

All of the above-mentioned reports are available on MuniFin’s website at www.munifin.fi.

MUNICIPALITY FINANCE PLC

Further information:

Esa Kallio
President and CEO
tel. +358 50 337 7953

MuniFin (Municipality Finance Plc) is one of Finland’s largest credit institutions. The company is owned by Finnish municipalities, the public sector pension fund Keva and the Republic of Finland. The Group’s balance sheet totals over EUR 53 billion.

MuniFin builds a better and more sustainable future with its customers. MuniFin’s customers include municipalities, joint municipal authorities, wellbeing services counties, corporate entities under their control, and non-profit organisations nominated by the Housing Finance and Development Centre of Finland (ARA). Lending is used for environmentally and socially responsible investment targets such as public transportation, sustainable buildings, hospitals and healthcare centres, schools and day care centres, and homes for people with special needs.

MuniFin’s customers are domestic, but the company operates in a completely global business environment. The company is an active Finnish bond issuer in international capital markets and the first Finnish green and social bond issuer. The funding is exclusively guaranteed by the Municipal Guarantee Board.

Read more: www.munifin.fi

Important Information

The information contained herein is not for release, publication or distribution, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, in or into any such country or jurisdiction or otherwise in such circumstances in which the release, publication or distribution would be unlawful. The information contained herein does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of, any securities or other financial instruments in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration, exemption from registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.

This communication does not constitute an offer of securities for sale in the United States. The notes have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) or under the applicable securities laws of any state of the United States and may not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons except pursuant to an applicable exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act.

Attachments
- MuniFin_Annual_Report_2024
- 529900HEKOENJHPNN480-2024-12-31-en
The MIL Network –
March 5, 2025
MIL-OSI: Michelle Meehan Joins Vetty as Chief Marketing Officer

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

NEW YORK, March 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Vetty, the one-stop shop hiring acceleration platform, today announced Michelle Meehan as Chief Marketing Officer. Reporting to CEO Jason Putnam, Meehan will be responsible for overseeing Vetty’s marketing and communications efforts and shaping the future of the brand.

“Having had the opportunity to work with Michelle, not once, but twice, I’ve seen her strategic vision, creativity and leadership in action,” said Putnam. “Her expertise will be instrumental in driving the Vetty brand forward and connecting with our customers in new and meaningful ways. Exciting times ahead.”

Recently named one of Chief Marketer’s Top Women in Marketing, Meehan’s 20 years of experience includes founding The Silver Thread, a brand consultancy that serves the HR technology space, amongst others. Meehan’s expertise in HR tech comes from her time as Vice President of Marketing at Plum, Head of Brand Marketing at PandoLogic and Product Marketing Manager at iCIMS. Before this, Meehan spent over a decade in media, where she held strategic marketing and advertising roles at Bloomberg, Rodale and Condé Nast. Over the course of her career, Meehan has been recognized with WIRED’s Marketer of the Year, Media Industry News’ Integrated Marketing Team of the Year and Media Industry News’ Best Marketing Team designations.

Meehan commented, “I’m excited to step into the role of Chief Marketing Officer at Vetty and reunite with Jason, a leader I greatly admire. Our previous collaboration has demonstrated what we’re able to accomplish together, and I’m eager to bring that energy to Vetty, build on the company’s current momentum and drive impactful growth into new markets. The future here is bright, and I can’t wait to get started.”

ABOUT VETTY
Vetty is a one-stop shop hiring acceleration platform where companies can expeditiously complete their screening, credentialing, hiring and onboarding of prospective candidates. Companies count on Vetty to accelerate the time from offer to active and deliver hard ROI. Learn more at https://vetty.co.

Note to editors: Trademarks and registered trademarks referenced herein remain the property of their respective owners.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/34199e1c-813a-49ae-8835-c521856a8e99

The MIL Network –

March 5, 2025
MIL-OSI: Bitget Lists Roam (ROAM) with Rewards Worth 1,675,000 ROAM

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

VICTORIA, Seychelles, March 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitget, the leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company, has announced the listing of Roam (ROAM) on its platform. Trading for ROAM/USDT will commence on 6 March 2025, 10:00 (UTC).

Roam is the largest decentralized wireless network worldwide. Roam’s vision is to create a decentralized future where users are rewarded for sharing network data, thus encouraging a more collaborative and privacy-conscious online environment. Roam ensures automated wireless connections, seamless switching between different networks, and secure connectivity for individuals, smart devices, and AI agents. By leveraging a blockchain-based credential infrastructure, Roam has facilitated the widespread adoption of WiFi OpenRoaming, offered global smart eSIM services, and enabled a privacy-protected data layer for AI applications.

To celebrate this listing, Bitget launches an exclusive promotion, Candybomb.
The CandyBomb promotional event offers Bitget users the chance to earn ROAM through deposits and trading activity. A total of 1,675,000 ROAM tokens have been allocated for this campaign, which runs from 6 March 2025, 10:00 to 13 March 2025, 10:00 (UTC). The ROAM airdrop is divided into spot trading pools and futures trading pools. New spot traders and new futures traders can join the campaign via the CandyBomb page. The first 5,560 new users to complete the spot trading task will evenly share 1,390,000 ROAM, with each receiving 250 ROAM.

This listing positions ROAM within Bitget’s expanding portfolio of assets available in the Innovation, WEB3, and Depin Zone, underlining the platform’s commitment to offering users access to promising projects that align with the broader principles of blockchain technology, emphasizing transparency, security, and decentralization.

Bitget has consistently expanded its market share in both spot and derivatives trading among centralized exchanges. With an extensive selection of over 800 cryptocurrency pairs and a commitment to broaden its offerings to more than 900 trading pairs, Bitget connects users to various ecosystems, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, Base, and TON.

For more information on Roam (ROAM), users can visit here.

About Bitget
Established in 2018, Bitget is the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company. Serving over 100 million users in 150+ countries and regions, the Bitget exchange is committed to helping users trade smarter with its pioneering copy trading feature and other trading solutions, while offering real-time access to Bitcoin price, Ethereum price, and other cryptocurrency prices. Formerly known as BitKeep, Bitget Wallet is a world-class multi-chain crypto wallet that offers an array of comprehensive Web3 solutions and features including wallet functionality, token swap, NFT Marketplace, DApp browser, and more.

Bitget is at the forefront of driving crypto adoption through strategic partnerships, such as its role as the Official Crypto Partner of the World’s Top Football League, LALIGA, in EASTERN, SEA and LATAM markets, as well as a global partner of Turkish National athletes Buse Tosun Çavuşoğlu (Wrestling world champion), Samet Gümüş (Boxing gold medalist) and İlkin Aydın (Volleyball national team), to inspire the global community to embrace the future of cryptocurrency.

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

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

Risk Warning: Digital asset prices are subject to fluctuation and may experience significant volatility. Investors are advised to only allocate funds they can afford to lose. The value of any investment may be impacted, and there is a possibility that financial objectives may not be met, nor the principal investment recovered. Independent financial advice should always be sought, and personal financial experience and standing carefully considered. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Bitget accepts no liability for any potential losses incurred. Nothing contained herein should be construed as financial advice. For further information, please refer to our Terms of Use.

Contact

Simran Alphonso
media@bitget.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/cd3056f2-53ec-42d1-83b9-e74a1e179337

The MIL Network –

March 5, 2025
MIL-OSI: Virturo on the Future of Crypto Investing: Why Digital Assets Are Becoming Portfolio Essentials in 2025
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

LONDON, March 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Virturo has announced the latest expansion of its AI-powered risk management tools, designed to help traders navigate the ongoing volatility in cryptocurrency markets. With market fluctuations persisting in early 2025, the company has enhanced its automated analysis features to provide real-time insights and customizable trading strategies for digital asset CFDs.

“With advanced AI-driven analysis and human supervision, Virturo enables traders to take advantage of market opportunities, ensuring a robust investment strategy,” says Alex Melnyk, Senior Investment Specialist at Virturo.

Why Cryptocurrencies Are an Investment Essential in 2025

Cryptocurrencies are reshaping financial markets, offering investors new opportunities for diversification, inflation hedging, and high-growth potential. As the digital economy expands, assets like Bitcoin and Ethereum are becoming crucial in long-term portfolio strategies.
- Hedge Against Inflation – Digital currencies like Bitcoin, often referred to as “digital gold,” provide protection against currency devaluation and economic uncertainty.
- Diversification Benefits – With markets shifting, cryptocurrencies reduce reliance on traditional assets like stocks and bonds, offering alternative growth avenues.
- High Growth Potential – As blockchain technology advances, digital assets continue to show strong potential for long-term value appreciation.
Navigating Volatility: Risk Management with Virturo

Cryptocurrency markets are known for their volatility, requiring traders to employ risk management tools to safeguard positions. Virturo’s AI-powered platform offers traders real-time data tracking, predictive market analysis, and automated risk management tools to help safeguard investments.

“Our AI tools, combined with expert oversight, provide personalized trading strategies to ensure crypto investments align with long-term financial goals,” adds Melnyk. From stop-loss orders to take-profit mechanisms, Virturo equips traders with the risk management solutions needed for stability in a fluctuating market.

The Virturo Edge: AI-Powered Crypto Investing

Virturo is redefining CFD crypto trading with a powerful blend of AI-driven insights and expert supervision. The platform equips traders with cutting-edge tools that analyze market trends, automate risk management, and optimize trade execution, all in real time.
- Smart trading signals for optimal entry and exit points
- Custom risk controls to protect against market swings
- Seamless execution across diverse crypto assets
From first-time investors to experienced traders, Virturo delivers the insights and technology needed to trade digital markets with confidence.

Users can discover the future of crypto investing and visit Virturo | Virtue in Every Trade to explore AI-powered trading solutions and take control of the portfolio.

About Virturo

Virturo, a leading broker in CFD trading and financial technology, is redefining investment strategies with its AI-driven automated trading and advanced risk management solutions.

Website | LinkedIn | Twitter | YouTube | Facebook

Contact
Virturo
support@virturo.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at:
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/eae62249-c964-4504-95e5-2e15461d946b

The MIL Network –
March 5, 2025
MIL-OSI: Radware to Host its Hackers Challenge in Peru

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

MAHWAH, N.J., March 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Radware^® (NASDAQ: RDWR), a global leader in application security and delivery solutions for multi-cloud environments, announced it is holding its Hackers Challenge on March 13, 2025, in Lima, Peru at the Westin Lima Hotel and Convention Center. The flagship event, which brings together global security and technology experts from the private and public sector, will combine learning, collaboration and innovation to help companies solve their most pressing cybersecurity issues.

According to Piero Garmendia, Radware’s regional manager for the South of Latin America region, “Radware’s Hackers Challenge offers organizations a unique opportunity to watch hackers in live action and then apply that learning in strengthening their own cyber defense strategies. We are convinced the simulation will serve as a key platform to inspire ideas and prepare security professionals for the cyber challenges of the future.”

During the event, hackers will go head-to-head with Radware’s security experts and web application and API protection defenses, trying to breach protected web applications by circumventing tools designed to block their malicious attempts. While witnessing the hackers’ techniques, the live audience will learn corresponding protection strategies.

In addition, participants will learn how artificial intelligence can be used to manage security vulnerabilities across corporate networks. They also will get firsthand insights from a panel of cybersecurity and digital transformation experts representing government offices and leading financial institutions from Peru as well as an international embassy.

“In a world that is becoming more inter-connected, cybersecurity is a fundamental pillar for progress,” said Arie Simchis, Radware’s regional director in Latin America. “Our event reflects Radware’s leadership and ongoing commitment to cybersecurity innovation in the region. Operating for nearly 20 years in Latin America, we intend to continue to play a major role in strengthening cybersecurity capabilities and increasing technological resilience across the region.”

Radware’s Latin American presence spans Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Columbia, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, and Peru. In addition, the company has cloud security service centers in Chile and Brazil. The Latin American facilities are part of Radware’s worldwide network of over 50 cloud security service centers, which offer a combined mitigation capacity of 15Tbps. The company plans to continue to grow its global footprint, opening more cloud security service centers in 2025.

Visit Radware’s Hackers Challenge website for more information.

About Radware
Radware^® (NASDAQ: RDWR) is a global leader in application security and delivery solutions for multi-cloud environments. The company’s cloud application, infrastructure, and API security solutions use AI-driven algorithms for precise, hands-free, real-time protection from the most sophisticated web, application, and DDoS attacks, API abuse, and bad bots. Enterprises and carriers worldwide rely on Radware’s solutions to address evolving cybersecurity challenges and protect their brands and business operations while reducing costs. For more information, please visit the Radware website.

Radware encourages you to join our community and follow us on: Facebook, LinkedIn, Radware Blog, X, YouTube, and Radware Mobile for iOS.

©2025 Radware Ltd. All rights reserved. Any Radware products and solutions mentioned in this press release are protected by trademarks, patents, and pending patent applications of Radware in the U.S. and other countries. For more details, please see: https://www.radware.com/LegalNotice/. All other trademarks and names are property of their respective owners.

Radware believes the information in this document is accurate in all material respects as of its publication date. However, the information is provided without any express, statutory, or implied warranties and is subject to change without notice.

The contents of any website or hyperlinks mentioned in this press release are for informational purposes and the contents thereof are not part of this press release.

Safe Harbor Statement
This press release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statements made herein that are not statements of historical fact, including statements about Radware’s plans, outlook, beliefs, or opinions, are forward-looking statements. Generally, forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as “believes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “estimates,” “plans,” and similar expressions or future or conditional verbs such as “will,” “should,” “would,” “may,” and “could.” For example, when we say in this press release that we intend to continue to play a major role in strengthening cybersecurity capabilities and increasing technological resilience across the region, we are using forward-looking statements. Because such statements deal with future events, they are subject to various risks and uncertainties, and actual results, expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, could differ materially from Radware’s current forecasts and estimates. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to: the impact of global economic conditions, including as a result of the state of war declared in Israel in October 2023 and instability in the Middle East, the war in Ukraine, and the tensions between China and Taiwan; our dependence on independent distributors to sell our products; our ability to manage our anticipated growth effectively; a shortage of components or manufacturing capacity could cause a delay in our ability to fulfill orders or increase our manufacturing costs; our business may be affected by sanctions, export controls, and similar measures, targeting Russia and other countries and territories, as well as other responses to Russia’s military conflict in Ukraine, including indefinite suspension of operations in Russia and dealings with Russian entities by many multi-national businesses across a variety of industries; the ability of vendors to provide our hardware platforms and components for the manufacture of our products; our ability to attract, train, and retain highly qualified personnel; intense competition in the market for cyber security and application delivery solutions and in our industry in general, and changes in the competitive landscape; our ability to develop new solutions and enhance existing solutions; the impact to our reputation and business in the event of real or perceived shortcomings, defects, or vulnerabilities in our solutions, if our end-users experience security breaches, if our information technology systems and data, or those of our service providers and other contractors, are compromised by cyber-attackers or other malicious actors or by a critical system failure; outages, interruptions, or delays in hosting services; the risks associated with our global operations, such as difficulties and costs of staffing and managing foreign operations, compliance costs arising from host country laws or regulations, partial or total expropriation, export duties and quotas, local tax exposure, economic or political instability, including as a result of insurrection, war, natural disasters, and major environmental, climate, or public health concerns, such as the COVID-19 pandemic; our net losses in the past two years and possibility we may incur losses in the future; a slowdown in the growth of the cyber security and application delivery solutions market or in the development of the market for our cloud-based solutions; long sales cycles for our solutions; risks and uncertainties relating to acquisitions or other investments; risks associated with doing business in countries with a history of corruption or with foreign governments; changes in foreign currency exchange rates; risks associated with undetected defects or errors in our products; our ability to protect our proprietary technology; intellectual property infringement claims made by third parties; laws, regulations, and industry standards affecting our business; compliance with open source and third-party licenses; and other factors and risks over which we may have little or no control. This list is intended to identify only certain of the principal factors that could cause actual results to differ. For a more detailed description of the risks and uncertainties affecting Radware, refer to Radware’s Annual Report on Form 20-F, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and the other risk factors discussed from time to time by Radware in reports filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and, except as required by applicable law, Radware undertakes no commitment to revise or update any forward-looking statement in order to reflect events or circumstances after the date any such statement is made. Radware’s public filings are available from the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov or may be obtained on Radware’s website at www.radware.com.

Media Contacts:
Gerri Dyrek
Radware
Gerri.Dyrek@radware.com

The MIL Network –

March 5, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Additional US tarriff condemned

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government today expressed strong disapproval of the imposition by the US of a further 10% duty, resulting in a cumulative 20% duty, on products from Hong Kong.

Stressing that it strongly opposes any actions that disregard the order of international, the Hong Kong SAR Government said the measure is grossly inconsistent with the World Trade Organization’s rules, undermines the rules-based multilateral trading system, and harms the interests of both Hong Kong and the US.

The Hong Kong SAR Government once again urged the US to immediately withdraw its unilateral tariff measures. It said it will also file a complaint with the World Trade Organization to defend Hong Kong’s legitimate rights.

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

March 4, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: FDA 101: Dietary Supplements

Source: US Food and Drug Administration

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Multivitamins, vitamin D, echinacea, and fish oil are among the many dietary supplements lining store shelves or available online. Perhaps you already take a supplement or are thinking about using one. Dietary supplements can be beneficial to your health, but they can also involve health risks. So, it’s important that you talk with a health care professional to help you decide if a supplement is right for you.
Read on to learn what dietary supplements are, are not, what role the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has in regulating them, and how to make sure you and your family use supplements safely.
What Are Dietary Supplements?
Dietary supplements are intended to add to or supplement the diet and are different from conventional food. Generally, to the extent a product is intended to treat, diagnose, cure, or prevent diseases, it is a drug, even if it is labeled as a dietary supplement. Supplements are ingested and come in many forms, including tablets, capsules, soft gels, gel caps, powders, bars, gummies, and liquids.
Common supplements include:

Vitamins: such as multivitamins or individual vitamins like vitamin D and biotin
Minerals: such as calcium, magnesium, and iron
Botanicals or herbs: such as echinacea and ginger
Botanical compounds: such as caffeine and curcumin
Amino acids: such as tryptophan and glutamine
Live microbials: commonly referred to as “probiotics”

What Are the Benefits of Dietary Supplements?
Dietary supplements can help you improve or maintain your overall health, and supplements can also help you meet your daily requirements of essential nutrients.
For example, calcium and vitamin D can help build strong bones, and fiber can help to maintain bowel regularity. While the benefits of some supplements are well established, other supplements need more study. Also, keep in mind that supplements should not take the place of the variety of foods that are important for a healthy diet.
What Are the Risks of Dietary Supplements?
Before buying or taking a dietary supplement, talk with a health care professional—such as your doctor, nurse, registered dietician, or pharmacist—about the benefits and risks.
Many supplements contain ingredients that can have strong effects in the body. Additionally, some supplements can interact with medications, interfere with lab tests, or have dangerous effects during surgery. Your health care professional can help you decide what supplement, if any, is right for you.
When taking dietary supplements, be alert to the possibility of a bad reaction or side effect, also known as an adverse event.
Problems can occur especially if you:

If you experience an adverse event while taking a dietary supplement, immediately stop using the supplement, seek medical care or advice, and report the adverse event to the FDA.
How Are Dietary Supplements Regulated?
The Law
The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act was amended in 1994 by the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act, often referred to as DSHEA, which defined “dietary supplement” and set out the FDA’s authority regarding such products. Under existing law:

The FDA does NOT have the authority to approve dietary supplements for safety and effectiveness, or to approve their labeling, before the supplements are sold to the public.
Under the FD&C Act, it is the responsibility of dietary supplement companies to ensure their products meet the safety standards for dietary supplements and are not otherwise in violation of the law.
Dietary supplement labels are required to have nutrition information in the form of a Supplement Facts label that includes the serving size, the number of servings per container, a listing of all dietary ingredients in the product, and the amount per serving of those ingredients. They also must have a statement on the front of the product identifying it as a “dietary supplement” or similar descriptive term, e.g., “herbal supplement” or “calcium supplement”.

In general, even if a product is labeled as a dietary supplement, a product intended to treat, prevent, cure, or alleviate the symptoms of a disease is a drug, and subject to all requirements that apply to drugs.
The FDA’s Role and Actions to Help Keep You Safe
Even though the FDA does not approve dietary supplements, there are roles for the agency in regulating them.

Since companies can often introduce a dietary supplement to the market without notifying the FDA, the agency’s role in regulating supplements primarily begins after the product enters the marketplace.
The FDA periodically inspects dietary supplement manufacturing facilities to verify companies are meeting applicable manufacturing and labeling requirements.
The FDA also reviews product labels and other labeling information, including websites, to ensure products are appropriately labeled and that they do not include claims that may render the products drugs, e.g., claims to treat, diagnose, cure, or prevent diseases.
The FDA monitors adverse event reports submitted by dietary supplement companies, health care professionals, and consumers as well as other product complaints for valuable information about the safety of products once they are on the market.
If a product is found to be unsafe or doesn’t otherwise comply with the law, the FDA can:

Work with the company to bring the product into compliance.
Ask the company to voluntarily recall the product.
Take action to remove a dangerous product from the market.

Tips to Be a Safe and Informed Consumer
Before taking a dietary supplement, talk with your health care professional. They can help you decide which supplements, if any, are right for you. You can also contact the manufacturer for information about the product.

Take only as described on the label. Some ingredients and products can be harmful when consumed in high amounts, when taken for a long time, or when used in combination with certain drugs or foods.
Do not substitute a dietary supplement for a prescription medicine or for the variety of foods important to a healthy diet.
Do not assume that the term “natural” to describe a product ensures that it is safe.
Be wary of hype. Sound health advice is generally based upon research over time, not a single study.
Learn to spot false claims. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Why Is It Important to Report an Adverse Event?
If you experience adverse event, also known as a side effect or bad reaction, the FDA encourages both you and your health care professional to report the adverse event to the FDA.
You can help the FDA, yourself, and other consumers by reporting an adverse event. A single adverse event report can help us identify a potentially dangerous product and possibly remove it from the market.
For a list of potential serious reactions to watch for, and to learn how to report an adverse event, please see the FDA’s webpage, How to Report a Problem with Dietary Supplements.
Adverse events can also be reported to the product’s manufacturer or distributor through the address or phone number listed on the product’s label. Dietary supplement firms are required to report serious adverse events they receive about their dietary supplements to the FDA within 15 days.
As a part of FDA modernization efforts for field operations, all of our Centers now directly receive reports of problems or adverse reactions with FDA-regulated products. Please direct concerns to the appropriate FDA center by visiting our SmartHub webpage, which will guide you to the appropriate webform or phone number.
If you are not able to use the SmartHub, you may also call 1-888-INFO-FDA and follow the prompts to report a problem. If you require the use of a Relay Service, please call the Federal Relay Services at 800-877-8339. This is a toll-free relay service to call federal agencies from TTY devices.
NOTE: The ORA consumer complaint coordinator telephone numbers previously available are no longer in use.
Additional Resources:

MIL OSI USA News –

March 4, 2025
MIL-OSI: Saras Micro Devices Announces Participation in CHIPS National Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program Initiatives

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

CHANDLER, Ariz., March 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Saras Micro Devices (Saras), an emerging leader in cutting-edge system power performance solutions leveraging integrated packaging design, today announced its participation in two significant projects funded by the U.S. Department of Commerce CHIPS National Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program (NAPMP). Each project was awarded $100 million in government funding.

The first initiative is the Substrate-based Heterogeneous Integration Enabling Leadership Demonstration for the USA (SHIELD USA) project, led by Arizona State University (ASU) and Deca Technologies, Inc. The second is the Substrate and Materials Advanced Research and Technology (SMART) Packaging Program, led by Absolics, Inc. Saras will contribute its STILE™ product technology to both projects to enhance device package integration of advanced power delivery solutions for high-performance computing (HPC) and artificial intelligence (AI) applications.

“Saras’ STILE technology enhances our substrate efforts,” said Jason Conrad, chief operating officer of ASU’s Southwest Advanced Prototyping (SWAP) Hub and site lead for MacroTechnology Works. “It adds functionality that complements our core development goals, helping to further elevate the capabilities of the advanced packaging solutions we’re developing.”

Over the past year, Saras has secured seven foundational patents for its capacitor and STILE technologies from the United States Patent Trademark Office. This achievement underscores the company’s commitment to innovating critical solutions in power delivery for next-generation AI and HPC devices.

“The power delivery challenges posed by AI require innovative solutions,” said Ron Huemoeller, CEO of Saras. “Our STILE technology addresses these challenges by enabling in-package power delivery close to the source, improving both efficiency and performance while opening up package real estate for higher levels of chiplet integration. By collaborating on the SHIELD USA and SMART projects, we’re able to contribute critical AI power delivery elements and, consequently, significantly advance U.S. semiconductor manufacturing capabilities.”

STILE introduces a multi-domain, integrated passive module that embeds directly into the substrate core of device packages. This approach reduces the need for multiple function-specific devices, maximizes packaging real estate by optimizing space, and supports higher levels of chiplet integration—essential for the demands of AI workloads. The technology aligns with the goals of the NAPMP projects and will extend the advanced substrate technology solutions that the SHIELD USA project and SMART Packaging Program are focused on delivering.

“This joint effort exemplifies how integrating complementary innovations can drive advancements in semiconductor packaging and address the performance demands of AI and HPC applications,” stated Craig Bishop, CTO of Deca Technologies. “SHIELD is truly a collaborative effort, combining Saras’ embedded passive technology with Deca’s novel interconnects at ASU’s research fab to demonstrate leap-ahead organic substrates.”

The collaborations under the NAPMP advanced substrate and material projects highlight the importance of innovative power delivery solutions in maintaining U.S. leadership in semiconductor technology. By developing and scaling advanced packaging processes, materials, and equipment, these initiatives aim to create a robust foundation for high-volume semiconductor packaging production in the United States, enhancing national security and economic resilience.

About Saras Micro Devices

Established in 2021, Saras Micro Devices is revolutionizing the way power is delivered to advanced semiconductor devices. The company is developing custom and standard integrated passive modules that will significantly improve power performance and efficiency, addressing the challenges faced by the high-performance computing devices serving the growing demand for AI, ML, AR/VR, 5G/6G, and more. Instituted by an impressive team of advanced packaging experts with a combined 150+ years of experience in the microelectronics industry, Saras introduces an innovative embedded, 3D-integrated, vertical power delivery solution that enables higher per-watt performance, minimized routing losses, and greater overall efficiency while reducing the power management impact on the package footprint. Saras Micro Devices has simplified a currently complex solution for managing and optimizing power delivery. Uncover and explore further insights at sarasmicro.com.

Media Contact:

Mindy Lok, Kiterocket

Phone: 480.240.8874

Email: mlok@kiterocket.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/92979eb5-3ef8-458e-b3ac-501ec720a75b

The MIL Network –

March 4, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: HKSAR Government expresses strong disapproval of US’s imposition of additional duty on products of Hong Kong

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

HKSAR Government expresses strong disapproval of US’s imposition of additional duty on products of Hong Kong
HKSAR Government expresses strong disapproval of US’s imposition of additional duty on products of Hong Kong
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The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) today (March 4) expressed strong disapproval of the US’s imposition of a further 10 per cent duty on products of Hong Kong (i.e. a cumulative 20 per cent duty). A spokesman for the HKSAR Government said, “The US’s measure is grossly inconsistent with the relevant World Trade Organization (WTO) rules, undermines the rules-based multilateral trading system and harms the interest of both parties. The HKSAR Government once again urges the US to take immediate actions to rectify its wrongdoing and withdraw the unilateral tariff measures. “The HKSAR Government strongly opposes any unreasonable behaviour that disregards the international trade order. As announced earlier, the HKSAR Government will file a complaint regarding the matter with the WTO to defend our legitimate rights,” the spokesman reiterated.

Ends/Tuesday, March 4, 2025Issued at HKT 17:30

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MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

March 4, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Statistics on vessels, port cargo and containers for the fourth quarter of 2024

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Statistics on vessels, port cargo and containers for the fourth quarter of 2024
Statistics on vessels, port cargo and containers for the fourth quarter of 2024
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The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) today (March 4) released the statistics on vessels, port cargo and containers for the fourth quarter of 2024. In the fourth quarter of 2024, total port cargo throughput increased by 1.1% to 44.3 million tonnes over a year earlier. Within this total, inward port cargo decreased by 3.5% to 27.3 million tonnes, while outward port cargo increased by 9.6% to 17.1 million tonnes. For 2024 as a whole, total port cargo throughput increased by 1.0% to 176.7 million tonnes over a year earlier. Within this total, inward port cargo decreased by 0.5% to 111.1 million tonnes, while outward port cargo increased by 3.9% to 65.6 million tonnes. On a seasonally adjusted quarter-to-quarter comparison, total port cargo throughput increased by 2.4% in the fourth quarter of 2024. Within this total, inward port cargo decreased by 1.4% compared with the preceding quarter, while outward port cargo increased by 8.9% compared with the preceding quarter. The seasonally adjusted series enables more meaningful shorter-term comparison to be made for discerning possible variations in trends. Port cargo In the fourth quarter of 2024, within port cargo, seaborne cargo decreased by 1.8% to 27.8 million tonnes over a year earlier, while river cargo increased by 6.5% to 16.5 million tonnes over a year earlier. In the whole year of 2024, within port cargo, seaborne cargo decreased by 4.1% to 110.5 million tonnes over a year earlier, while river cargo increased by 10.9% to 66.2 million tonnes over a year earlier. Comparing the fourth quarter of 2024 with a year earlier, double-digit increases were recorded in the tonnage of inward port cargo loaded in Korea (+43.4%) and Singapore (+18.3%). On the other hand, double-digit decreases were recorded in the tonnage of inward port cargo loaded in Indonesia (-42.5%), the United States of America (-31.5%), Malaysia (-24.1%), Thailand (-20.6%), Vietnam (-17.7%) and Japan (-13.1%). For outward port cargo, double-digit increases were recorded in the tonnage of outward port cargo discharged in Taiwan (+29.9%), Vietnam (+21.6%), the mainland of China (+21.4%) and Korea (+20.3%). On the other hand, double-digit decreases were recorded in the tonnage of outward port cargo discharged in the Philippines (-49.0%), Malaysia (-21.9%), Japan (-17.6%) and the United States of America (-12.1%). Comparing the whole year of 2024 with a year earlier, double-digit increases were recorded in the tonnage of inward port cargo loaded in Korea (+29.4%) and Singapore (+21.4%). On the other hand, double-digit decreases were recorded in the tonnage of inward port cargo loaded in the United States of America (-27.5%), Indonesia (-26.9%), Malaysia (-21.0%), Vietnam (-18.3%), Thailand (-16.0%) and Japan (-15.8%). For outward port cargo, double-digit increases were recorded in the tonnage of outward port cargo discharged in Vietnam (+15.3%), the mainland of China (+12.6%) and Taiwan (+11.5%). On the other hand, double-digit decreases were recorded in the tonnage of outward port cargo discharged in the Philippines (-32.2%), Japan (-19.2%), Malaysia (-16.0%), Thailand (-13.4%) and the United States of America (-10.9%). Comparing the fourth quarter of 2024 with a year earlier, double-digit changes were recorded in the tonnage of inward port cargo of “metalliferous ores and metal scrap” (+26.3%), “petroleum, petroleum products and related materials” (+22.8%), “artificial resins and plastic materials” (-10.1%), “stone, sand and gravel” (-13.2%) and “coal, coke and briquettes” (-48.2%). As for outward port cargo, triple-digit or double-digit increases were recorded in the tonnage of “stone, sand and gravel” (+169.0%), “metalliferous ores and metal scrap” (+30.1%) and “live animals chiefly for food and edible animal products” (+11.8%). Comparing the whole year of 2024 with a year earlier, double-digit changes were recorded in the tonnage of inward port cargo of “petroleum, petroleum products and related materials” (+17.5%), “metalliferous ores and metal scrap” (+12.2%) and “coal, coke and briquettes” (-15.3%). As for outward port cargo, triple-digit or double-digit changes were recorded in the tonnage of “stone, sand and gravel” (+142.8%), “metalliferous ores and metal scrap” (+13.7%) and “live animals chiefly for food and edible animal products” (-11.2%). Containers In the fourth quarter of 2024, the port of Hong Kong handled 3.51 million TEUs of containers, representing a decrease of 2.8% over a year earlier. Within this total, laden and empty containers decreased by 0.2% and 11.7% to 2.79 million TEUs and 0.72 million TEUs respectively. Among laden containers, inward containers remained virtually unchanged, at 1.48 million TEUs, while outward containers decreased by 0.4% to 1.31 million TEUs. For 2024 as a whole, the port of Hong Kong handled 13.69 million TEUs of containers, representing a decrease of 5.0% over a year earlier. Within this total, laden and empty containers decreased by 3.4% and 10.6% to 10.93 million TEUs and 2.76 million TEUs respectively. Among laden containers, inward and outward containers decreased by 3.3% and 3.5% to 5.85 million TEUs and 5.08 million TEUs respectively. On a seasonally adjusted quarter-to-quarter comparison, laden container throughput increased by 2.7% in the fourth quarter of 2024. Within this total, inward and outward laden containers increased by 1.5% and 4.1% respectively. In the fourth quarter of 2024, seaborne laden containers decreased by 1.4% to 1.93 million TEUs over a year earlier, while river laden containers increased by 2.6% to 0.86 million TEUs. In the whole year of 2024, seaborne laden containers decreased by 5.0% to 7.63 million TEUs over a year earlier, while river laden containers increased by 0.6% to 3.30 million TEUs. Vessel arrivals Comparing the fourth quarter of 2024 with a year earlier, the number of ocean vessel arrivals decreased by 1.4% to 4 772, with the total capacity also decreasing by 1.1% to 76.4 million net tons. Meanwhile, the number of river vessel arrivals increased by 1.0% to 20 685, with the total capacity also increasing by 16.7% to 23.4 million net tons. Comparing the whole year of 2024 with a year earlier, the number of ocean vessel arrivals decreased by 2.5% to 18 395, with the total capacity also decreasing by 3.2% to 291.9 million net tons. Meanwhile, the number of river vessel arrivals increased by 12.1% to 82 194, with the total capacity also increasing by 13.5% to 84.8 million net tons. Further information Port cargo and laden container statistics are compiled from a sample of consignments listed in the cargo manifests supplied by shipping companies and agents to the C&SD. Vessel statistics are compiled by the Marine Department primarily from general declarations submitted by ship masters and authorised shipping agents. Pleasure vessels and fishing vessels plying exclusively within the river trade limits are excluded. Table 1 presents the detailed port cargo statistics. Table 2 and Table 3 respectively present the inward and outward port cargo statistics by main countries/territories of loading and discharge. Table 4 and Table 5 respectively present the inward and outward port cargo statistics by principal commodities. Table 6 presents the detailed container statistics. Table 7 presents the statistics on vessel arrivals in Hong Kong. More detailed statistics on port cargo, containers and vessels are published in the report “Hong Kong Shipping Statistics, Fourth Quarter 2024”. Users can browse and download this publication at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1020008&scode=230). For enquiries about port cargo and container statistics, please contact the Electronic Trading Services and Cargo Statistics Section of the C&SD (Tel: 2582 2126 or email: shipping@censtatd.gov.hk). For enquiries about vessel statistics, readers may contact the Statistics Section under the Planning, Development and Port Security Branch of the Marine Department (Tel: 2852 3662 or email: st-sec@mardep.gov.hk).

Ends/Tuesday, March 4, 2025Issued at HKT 16:30

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MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

March 4, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi addresses the post-budget webinars

Source: Government of India

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi addresses the post-budget webinars

MSMEs play a transformative role in the economic growth of our country, We are committed to nurturing and strengthening this sector: PM

In the last 10 years, India has consistently shown its commitment towards reforms, financial discipline, transparency and inclusive growth: PM

Consistency and assurance of reforms, is such a change, that has brought new confidence in our industry: PM

Today every country in the world wants to strengthen its economic partnership with India: PM

Our manufacturing sector should come forward to take maximum advantage of this partnership: PM

We took forward the vision of self-reliant India and further accelerated our pace of reforms: PM

Our efforts reduced the impact of COVID on the economy, helping India become a fast-growing economy: PM

R&D has played an important role in India’s manufacturing journey ,it needs to be taken forward and accelerated: PM

Through R&D we can focus on innovative products, as well as add value to the products: PM

MSME sector is the backbone of India’s manufacturing and industrial growth: PM

Posted On: 04 MAR 2025 1:36PM by PIB Delhi

The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today addressed the Post- Budget webinars via video conferencing. The webinars were held on MSME as an Engine of Growth; Manufacturing, Exports and Nuclear Energy Missions; Regulatory, Investment and Ease of doing business Reforms. Addressing the gathering on the occasion, he remarked that the post-budget webinars on manufacturing and export are of great importance. Mentioning that this budget is the first full budget of the Government’s third term, he emphasised that the most notable aspect of this budget is its delivery, which exceeded expectations. Shri Modi pointed out that in several sectors, the Government has taken steps beyond what experts had anticipated. He also highlighted that significant decisions have been made regarding manufacturing and export in this budget.

Pointing out that the country has witnessed consistent Government policies for over a decade, the Prime Minister highlighted that in the past 10 years, India had shown a commitment to reforms, financial discipline, transparency, and inclusive growth. He emphasized that the assurance of consistency and reforms has brought new confidence within the industry. He assured every stakeholder in manufacturing and export that this consistency will continue in the coming years. Encouraging stakeholders to take bold steps and open new avenues for manufacturing and export for the country, Shri Modi highlighted that every country in the world wants to strengthen its economic partnership with India. He urged the manufacturing sector to take full advantage of this partnership.

“Stable policy and a better business environment are crucial for the development of any country”, said the Prime Minister, highlighting that a few years ago, the Government introduced the Jan Vishwas Act and made efforts to reduce compliances. Over 40,000 compliances were eliminated at both central and state levels, promoting ease of doing business, he noted. Emphasizing that this exercise should continue, Shri Modi mentioned that the Government had introduced simplified income tax provisions and is working on the Jan Vishwas 2.0 Bill. A committee has been formed to review regulations in the non-financial sector, aiming to make them modern, flexible, people-friendly, and trust-based, he added further and highlighted the significant role of the industry in this exercise. He encouraged stakeholders to identify problems that take longer to resolve, suggest ways to simplify processes, and guide where technology can be used to achieve quicker and better results.

“The world is currently experiencing political uncertainty, and the entire world views India as a growth center”, said Shri Modi, highlighting that during the COVID crisis, when the global economy slowed down, India accelerated global growth. He added that this was achieved by advancing the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat and accelerating reforms. He emphasized that these efforts minimized the impact of COVID on the economy, helping India become one of the fastest-growing economies. He said, “India remains a growth engine for the global economy and has proven its resilience in challenging situations”. Pointing out that disruptions in the supply chain affect the global economy, and the world needs reliable partners that produce high-quality products and ensure reliable supply, Shri Modi emphasized that India was capable of fulfilling this need, presenting a significant opportunity for the country. He urged the industry not to be mere spectators but to actively seek their role and carve out opportunities. He pointed out that it is easier today compared to the past, as the country has friendly policies and the Government stands shoulder to shoulder with the industry. The Prime Minister called for a strong resolve, objectivity in seeking opportunities in the global supply chain, and accepting challenges. He emphasized that if every industry takes one step forward, collectively, they can achieve significant progress.

Highlighting that 14 sectors were currently benefiting from the PLI scheme, the Prime Minister said that under the scheme, more than 750 units have been approved, resulting in an investment of over ₹1.5 lakh crore, production worth over ₹13 lakh crore, and exports exceeding ₹5 lakh crore. He emphasized that this demonstrates how entrepreneurs can advance in new areas when given opportunities. Shri Modi announced the decision to launch two missions to promote manufacturing and export. He highlighted the focus on better technology and quality products, as well as the emphasis on skilling to reduce costs. He urged all stakeholders to identify new products in demand globally that can be manufactured in India and encouraged them to approach countries with export potential strategically.

“R&D has played a crucial role in India’s manufacturing journey and needs further advancement and acceleration”, remarked the Prime Minister. He highlighted that through R&D, the focus can be on innovative products and value addition to existing products. He emphasized that the world recognizes the potential of India’s toy, footwear, and leather industries and by combining traditional crafts with modern technologies, significant success can be achieved. He noted that India can become global champion in these sectors, leading to a substantial increase in exports. Shri Modi highlighted that this growth will create lakhs of job opportunities in labor-intensive sectors and promote entrepreneurship. Mentioning that the PM Vishwakarma Yojana provides end-to-end support to traditional artisans, he urged efforts to connect these artisans with new opportunities and called on all stakeholders to come forward to expand the hidden potential in these sectors.

“MSME sector is the backbone of India’s manufacturing and industrial growth”, said the Prime Minister. He highlighted that in 2020, the Government made a significant decision to revise the definition of MSMEs after 14 years, which eliminated the fear among MSMEs that they would lose government benefits if they grew. He noted that the number of MSMEs in the country has increased to over 6 crore, providing employment opportunities to crores. Shri Modi emphasized that in this budget, the definition of MSMEs has been further expanded to instill confidence in their continuous growth. This will create more employment opportunities for the youth, he said, highlighting that the biggest problem faced by MSMEs was the difficulty in obtaining loans. He added that ten years ago, MSMEs received loans worth approximately ₹12 lakh crore, which has now increased to around ₹30 lakh crore. The Prime Minister announced that in this budget, the guarantee cover for MSME loans has been doubled to ₹20 crore. Additionally, customized credit cards with a limit of ₹5 lakh will be provided to meet working capital needs.

Underlining that the Government had facilitated loan access and introduced a new type of loan, Shri Modi highlighted that people are now receiving loans without guarantees, something they never imagined before. Over the past 10 years, schemes like MUDRA, which provide loans without guarantees, have also supported small industries, he said, noting that the Trades portal is resolving many loan-related issues. The Prime Minister emphasized the need to develop new modes of credit delivery, ensuring that every MSME has access to low-cost and timely credit. He announced that five lakh first-time entrepreneurs from women, SC, and ST communities will receive loans of ₹2 crore. He highlighted that first-time entrepreneurs need not only credit support but also guidance and urged the industry to create a mentorship program to help these individuals.

Underscoring the role of states is crucial in boosting investment, Shri Modi emphasized that the more states promote ease of doing business, the more investors they will attract. He pointed out that this will benefit the respective states the most. He encouraged competition among states to see who can make the most of this budget. He noted that states with progressive policies will attract companies to invest in their regions.

Expressing confidence that all participants are seriously considering these topics, the Prime Minister emphasized that the webinar aims to determine actionable solutions. He highlighted the importance of participants’ cooperation in preparing policies, schemes, and guidelines. He noted that this will help in formulating implementation strategies post-budget. He concluded by expressing his belief that the participants’ contributions will prove to be very useful.

Several Union Ministers were present among other dignitaries over video conferencing on the occasion.

Background

The webinars will provide a collaborative platform for government officials, industry leaders, and trade experts to deliberate on India’s industrial, trade, and energy strategies. The discussions will focus on policy execution, investment facilitation, and technology adoption, ensuring seamless implementation of the Budget’s transformative measures. The webinars will engage private sector experts, industry representatives, and subject matter specialists to align efforts and drive impactful implementation of Budget announcements.

MSMEs play a transformative role in the economic growth of our country. We are committed to nurturing and strengthening this sector. Sharing my remarks during a webinar on the MSME sector. https://t.co/K93zTIcdVa

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 4, 2025

बीते 10 वर्षों में भारत ने लगातार Reforms, Financial Discipline, Transparency और Inclusive Growth को लेकर अपनी प्रतिबद्धता दिखाई है।

Consistency और reforms का assurance, ये एक ऐसा बदलाव है, जिसकी वजह से हमारी इंडस्ट्री के भीतर नया आत्मविश्वास आया है: PM @narendramodi

— PMO India (@PMOIndia) March 4, 2025

आज दुनिया का हर देश…भारत के साथ अपनी economic partnership को मजबूत करना चाहता है।

हमारे manufacturing sector को इस partnership का ज्यादा से ज्यादा लाभ उठाने के लिए आगे आना चाहिए: PM @narendramodi

— PMO India (@PMOIndia) March 4, 2025

हमने आत्मनिर्भर भारत के विजन को आगे बढ़ाया और reforms की अपनी गति को और तेज किया।

हमारे प्रयासों से economy पर COVID का प्रभाव कम हुआ, इससे भारत को तेज गति से बढ़ने वाली अर्थव्यवस्था बनाने में मदद मिली: PM @narendramodi

— PMO India (@PMOIndia) March 4, 2025

भारत की मैन्युफैक्चरिंग यात्रा में R&D का अहम योगदान है, इसे और आगे बढ़ाने और गति देने की आवश्यकता है।

R&D के द्वारा हम innovative products पर फोकस कर सकते हैं, साथ ही प्रॉडक्ट्स में वैल्यू एडिशन कर सकते हैं: PM @narendramodi

— PMO India (@PMOIndia) March 4, 2025

भारत के manufacturing की, हमारी industrial growth की backbone हमारा MSME सेक्टर है: PM @narendramodi

— PMO India (@PMOIndia) March 4, 2025

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MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

March 4, 2025
MIL-OSI China: US should work with China to resolve trade disputes through equal-footed consultation

Source: China State Council Information Office 2

The United States should work with China in the same direction to resolve trade disputes through equal-footed consultation, a Chinese spokesperson said Tuesday.
Lou Qinjian, spokesperson for the third session of the 14th National People’s Congress, China’s national legislature, made the remarks at a press conference.
Commenting on the U.S. decision to impose an additional 10-percent tariff on goods imported from China again, Lou said the U.S. unilateral tariff move violated the World Trade Organization rules, and disrupted the security and stability of global industrial and supply chains.
China stands ready to work with the United States to address each other’s concerns through dialogue and consultation on the basis of mutual respect, equality, reciprocity and mutual benefit, but “will never accept any act of pressuring or threatening,” Lou said.
“We will firmly defend our national sovereignty, security and development interests,” he said.
China hopes the U.S. side can return to the path of resolving problems through dialogue and consultation, he said.
China-U.S. economic and trade ties are mutually beneficial, and bilateral trade and investment have brought tangible benefits to both peoples and greatly promoted the development of the global economy, Lou said.
A stable, sound and sustainable China-U.S. relationship is in the interests of both countries and meets the expectations of the international community, he said.
China is also willing to enhance cooperation with other countries to safeguard the multilateral trading system, oppose unilateralism and protectionism, and promote universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, Lou said.

MIL OSI China News –

March 4, 2025
MIL-OSI China: CPPCC spokesperson: China will open wider to world

Source: China State Council Information Office 2

A spokesperson for the upcoming 2025 session of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee reaffirmed China’s commitment to open wider to the world at a press conference Monday.

Liu Jieyi, spokesperson for the third session of the 14th CPPCC National Committee, speaks at a press conference at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, March 3, 2025. [Photo by Zheng Liang/China.org.cn]
“Economic globalization is an objective requirement for the development of social productive forces, a natural outcome of technological progress and a crucial path for the advancement of human society,” spokesperson Liu Jieyi told reporters. “It is an irreversible trend of our times. China firmly stands on the right side of history, and its doors will only open wider to the world.”
According to Liu, over the past year, China has continued to serve as the largest engine of global economic growth, accelerating the development of a new system for a higher-level open economy. It has maintained its position as the world’s largest trader in goods and second-largest import market. Significant progress has been made in the high-quality joint development of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), while international events such as the China International Import Expo have provided a broad platform for promoting global economic cooperation.
“We have focused on advancing inclusive and equitable economic globalization, championing the spirit of ‘shared responsibility and mutual benefit’ and ‘harmonious coexistence,’ actively participated in global economic governance, and demonstrated the responsibility of a major country in driving global development,” he said.
Liu stressed that China will continue to improve high-level opening up mechanisms, expand institutional openness, deepen reforms in foreign investment and outbound investment systems, optimize regional opening up layouts, refine BRI joint development mechanisms, and implement broader, wider and deeper opening up. He also stated that China will promote implementation of the Global Development Initiative and advance economic globalization toward a more open, inclusive, balanced and universally beneficial direction.
The spokesperson then introduced the CPPCC’s work over the past year, including a focus on expanding institutional openness, optimizing regional opening up layouts, and promoting high-quality BRI development through extensive consultations. It organized thematic and biweekly forums on high-level opening up and free trade zone upgrades, conducted BRI core area inspections, and provided insights to advance opening up. The CPPCC also oversaw the implementation of key opening up measures in the 14th Five-Year Plan, offering targeted recommendations.
Members proposed valuable suggestions on improving free trade zone business environments, risk control, leveraging the role of Hong Kong and Macao in building a new system for a higher-level open economy, and advancing service trade innovation and cross-border data flows. Recommendations such as easing foreign investment restrictions in medical institutions and expanding pilot programs for opening up value-added telecommunications services were adopted by relevant government departments and translated into specific policies and measures, he revealed.
“We will, as always, firmly support and participate in economic globalization, unwaveringly expand opening up, and work with countries around the world to share opportunities, create prosperity and jointly promote the building of an open world economy,” Liu said.
The spokesperson also hailed China’s cultural charm, which attracted global audiences and tourists during the recent Spring Festival. He noted examples such as record-breaking box office earnings and movie attendance, the cross-border integration of traditional culture and high-tech leading to a series of hit products, and the visa-free transit policy fueling a surge in travel to China, with inbound tourists increasing by 150% year on year and reaching a historic high.
“Following the Spring Festival’s inclusion on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list, China now has 44 UNESCO-listed heritage projects, the most globally, showcasing the immense charm of its outstanding traditional culture,” he said, adding that this culture embodies the deepest spiritual pursuits and unique identity of the Chinese nation, serving as invaluable nourishment for its continuous growth and development.
He added that the CPPCC, deeply focused on China’s outstanding traditional culture, has promoted its creative transformation and innovative development. Last year, CPPCC members visited Shandong, Shanxi, Henan and other provinces, conducting research at museums, heritage sites and institutions, engaging with cultural workers, and proposing suggestions to revitalize cultural heritage. They also held consultations on cultural heritage protection and modern cultural industry development, with proposals adopted by relevant departments.
The annual session of China’s top political advisory body opened on March 4 in Beijing and will run until March 10. During the session, national political advisors will hear and deliberate reports, sit in on the third session of the 14th National People’s Congress, discuss key documents including the government work report, and participate in plenary meetings and group consultations.

MIL OSI China News –

March 4, 2025
MIL-OSI Economics: Trump’s policies to hinder economic growth prospects of Mexico, foresees GlobalData

Source: GlobalData

Mexico is grappling with rising risks stemming from strained relations with the US during President Donald Trump’s second term. Trump’s “America First” policies, including a proposed 25% tariff on Mexican goods, pose a significant threat to Mexico’s export sector and could disrupt North American supply chains. Weak domestic demand is also expected to further hinder Mexico’s economic growth. Against this backdrop, Mexico’s GDP growth is forecast to slow to 1.1% in 2025, down from 1.5% in 2024 and 3.2% in 2023, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

GlobalData’s latest report, “Macroeconomic Outlook Report: Mexico”, reveals that domestic demand in Mexico is expected to remain subdued due to a rising unemployment rate. Real household consumption expenditure growth is projected to decline to 1.8% in 2025, down from 2.0% in 2024 and 4.3% in 2023. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate is forecast to increase to 3% in 2025, compared to 2.7% in 2024 and 2.8% in 2023.

Mexico’s central bank, Banco de México, reduced the key policy rate six times since March 2024. The most recent cut occurred in February 2025, when the Governing Board lowered the overnight interbank interest rate by 50 basis points to 9.5%, driven by easing inflationary pressures. Inflation in January 2025 dropped to a four-year low of 3.6%.

Gayatri Ganpule, Economic Research Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Mexico’s economic growth in 2025 is likely to encounter significant challenges, including uncertainty under a new US presidency and evolving global geopolitical dynamics. The US policy shifts, such as tariffs and immigration reforms, are expected to adversely impact trade and remittances. Investor sentiment may be further weakened by controversial judicial reforms, while Pemex’s financial struggles under revised energy policies could add to the economic strain. Additionally, rising public debt poses a risk of losing the nation’s investment-grade rating. As such, strategic actions will be essential to ensure stability.”

In terms of sectors, mining, manufacturing, and utility activities contributed 26.2% to Mexico’s gross value added (GVA) in 2024, followed by wholesale, retail, and hotels business activities (23.9%), and financial intermediation, real estate, and business activities (16.2%). In nominal terms, the three sectors are forecast to grow by 6.5%, 7.6%, and 7.4%, respectively, in 2025, compared to an estimated 6.8%, 8%, and 7.8% growth in 2024.

Ganpule adds: “The external sector is expected to face challenges as proposed tariff measures could sharply increase costs, disrupt the automotive and agriculture industries, and threaten millions of jobs across North America. Additionally, potential retaliatory actions from Mexico, as warned by President Claudia Sheinbaum, could further strain trade relations.”

According to GlobalData analysis using data from ITC Trade Map, vehicles and auto parts accounted for 27.6% of Mexico’s total exports to the US in 2023, followed by 19.5% for electrical machinery and 17.4% for nuclear reactors, boilers, and mechanical appliances. Trump’s proposed tariff could severely impact these sectors, disrupting trade and supply chains.

Ganpule continues: “The automotive industry, Mexico’s largest exporter, faces significant risks. Major automakers like Ford, Volkswagen, Toyota, Honda, General Motors, and Stellantis operate large manufacturing plants in Mexico, and tariffs could threaten exports, production, and investment stability.”

Beyond autos, Mexico’s state-owned oil company, Pemex, relies heavily on the US for its sales and could see revenue declines. In consumer goods, companies like Controladora Mabe (home appliances) and Becle (tequila producer) are particularly vulnerable, with a hefty share of their revenues coming from US sales. The agribusiness sector could also feel the impact, affecting firms such as Grupo Bimbo, Sigma Alimentos, Gruma, and Arca Continental, though their US operations may provide some buffer.

Mexico’s 2025 budget prioritizes fiscal discipline, aiming to reduce the budget deficit to 3.9% of GDP from 5.9% in 2024. The government plans significant spending cuts across sectors like defense, security, and the environment while focusing on achieving a primary budget surplus to ensure fiscal sustainability alongside economic growth and social development.

Mexico ranked 82^nd out of 153 nations in the GCRI Q4 2024 update, with an overall risk score of 57.8, placing it in the medium-risk category (scores between 40 and 60). This indicates a higher risk than the North American average of 43.8 and the global average of 55.0.

Ganpule concludes: “Mexico’s economic trajectory depends on proactive fiscal policies, investment climate improvements, and strategic international negotiations. Strengthening trade alliances with other global partners and fostering domestic innovation will be crucial in mitigating external risks and ensuring long-term growth.”

MIL OSI Economics –

March 4, 2025
MIL-OSI Economics: Advancing AI Standards to Support Innovation and Trade Gyeongju, Republic of Korea | 04 March 2025 Issued by the APEC Sub-Committee on Standards and Conformance Regulators and trade officials from APEC member economies are working to advance cooperation on artificial intelligence (AI) standards to support interoperability, regulatory alignment and responsible development across the region.

Source: APEC – Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation

Regulators and trade officials from APEC member economies are working to advance cooperation on artificial intelligence (AI) standards to support interoperability, regulatory alignment and responsible development across the region.

As AI technologies continue to transform industries and societies, discussions at the APEC Sub-Committee on Standards and Conformance meeting in Gyeongju last week focused on promoting recognition of AI-related standards to facilitate trade and ensure transparency in the digital economy.

Dr Byung Goo Kang, Chair of the APEC Sub-Committee on Standards and Conformance, emphasized the importance of international collaboration in AI standardization, noting that technical alignment can enhance trust in AI systems while reducing regulatory complexity for businesses.

The meeting laid the groundwork for the APEC AI Standards Forum Conference, to be held in August this year, aimed at strengthening mutual cooperation among APEC economies to share information on international standardization, regulatory frameworks and certification systems in AI.

“AI is revolutionizing industries around the world, and with the accelerating development of the technology, standards and conformance assessments to ensure reliability and interoperability are becoming increasingly important,” said Dr Kang.

“At the APEC AI Standards Forum Conference, we will exchange knowledge and best practices on AI standardization, discuss ways to improve interoperability, and build a network of AI-related experts to promote the safe and responsible development of AI,” Dr Kang added.

Members are also strengthening cooperation to develop the next generation of experts in standards and conformance, recognizing the critical role of technical expertise in facilitating trade and regulatory alignment.

A panel discussion at the meeting explored strategies to enhance training programs, institutional support, and international collaboration on capacity-building initiatives. Member economies shared approaches to integrating standardization education into professional development programs.

“As standardization is key to international trade, training and empowering the next generation of professionals is critical to the continued development of standards and conformity assessment. Therefore, enhanced cooperation among APEC economies is essential,” Dr Kang explained.

With businesses and regulators facing evolving market demands, members discussed the importance of harmonizing digital conformity assessment procedures and expanding e-certification to reduce administrative burdens. Strengthening cooperation on digital standards certification among APEC economies will enhance interoperability, improve efficiency, and support trade facilitation.

Discussions at the meeting also emphasized the need to expand Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs) and explore the impact of digital transformation on standards development. Efforts will focus on enhancing cross-border recognition of conformity assessment systems and aligning digital standards with global frameworks.

Members reaffirmed the importance of ensuring that digital certification systems are consistent with WTO Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) and Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreements to promote regulatory coherence.

Members also intensified cooperation on sustainable energy standards to facilitate the transition to low-carbon technologies and renewable energy adoption. They explored ways to align renewable energy standards, expand carbon reduction initiatives, and enhance certification frameworks for clean energy technologies.

Additionally, members highlighted opportunities for greater collaboration with international standardization organizations, such as ISO and IEC, to support the development of global best practices for energy efficiency and sustainability.

“The APEC Sub-Committee on Standards and Conformance’s efforts have been instrumental in driving domestic regulatory development. It has played an important role in promoting economic growth and alignment with international standards,” Dr Kang said.

“Now, we need to continue working together to advance AI standardization, digital certification, and sustainable energy standards so that we can build a more resilient and innovative APEC region that supports businesses, consumers, and economies alike,” Dr Kang concluded.

For further details and media inquiries, please contact:
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MIL OSI Economics –

March 4, 2025

Category: Trade

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Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi addresses the post-budget webinarsMSMEs play a transformative role in the economic growth of our country, We are committed to nurturing and strengthening this sector: PM

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi addresses the post-budget webinars

MSMEs play a transformative role in the economic growth of our country, We are committed to nurturing and strengthening this sector: PM