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Category: Trade

  • MIL-OSI Economics: DG Okonjo-Iweala: Members need to “continue to be constructive” to achieve outcomes

    Source: World Trade Organization

    “We need to continue to be constructive and to keep in our sights that we are here to achieve outcomes,” DG Okonjo-Iweala told members, citing positive discussions on several issues under negotiation.

    On agriculture, the DG said she was grateful for the positive discussion that took place at the Trade Negotiations Committee meeting on 10 October, which focused on advancing the agriculture negotiations.

    The DG said she, the General Council chair — Ambassador Petter Ølberg (Norway) — and the chair of the agriculture negotiations — Ambassador Alparslan Acarsoy (Türkiye) — would be meeting with members shortly in order to respond to some of the questions posed during the meeting and find an agreement on a process for moving the negotiations forward.

    “We can’t accept this important negotiation to be stalemated,” the DG said. “It’s been so for two and a half decades … let’s try and take it very seriously and find a way through.”

    On fisheries subsidies, the DG welcomed progress on acceptances of the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies concluded in 2022 and noted that only 25 more acceptances are needed to ensure entry into force of the Agreement, with a number of additional acceptances expected in the days and weeks ahead. 

    She also underlined that members were “almost there” with regards to a deal on the second part of the Agreement, which aims to address subsidies contributing to overcapacity and overfishing.  “There are some issues, not many, and some members who need more work to be done so that we can push towards a conclusion,” she said.

    On development, the DG said she was happy that the work has resumed on special and differential treatment proposals at an 11 October meeting of the Committee on Trade and Development. To keep up the momentum and to work towards more concrete results, members should achieve as many results as possible in Geneva rather than waiting for the next Ministerial Conference, she told members.

    On dispute settlement reform, the DG noted that reform of the system was a “collective desire of every member in this room,” the importance of which was underlined at recent meetings of the Group of 20 foreign ministers and the UN General Assembly meeting in New York.

    She thanked the facilitator and co-coordinators of the reform talks for their efforts. “I hope we can continue to push along the work,” she said. “I know it’s not easy, and it requires a lot of listening, but slow and steady is what we need until we can get to where we want.”

    On investment facilitation for development (IFD), DG Okonjo-Iweala noted the continued discussions on the proponents’ request to incorporate the IFD Agreement into the WTO framework. The DG said she welcomed the tone of the exchanges at the General Council meeting and said she detected a “willingness to dialogue” and continue to find a solution among the membership.

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    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Kenya’s Menengai geothermal project to power half a million homes with clean energy

    Source: African Development Bank Group

    In the heart of the Rift Valley, near Nakuru, northwest of Nairobi, work on the 105-megawatt Menengai geothermal project is advancing rapidly. The project, which consists of three modular power plants, each with a capacity of 35 megawatts, is set to provide clean, affordable, and sustainable energy to half a million Kenyan households by 2025.

    The first plant, built by Nairobi-based Sosian Energy, is already operational. The second, currently under construction by Globeleq, one of Africa’s top independent power producers, is expected to come on stream by the end of 2025. Once the third plant Is added, the Menengai geothermal facility will boast a total installed capacity of 105 megawatts, generating 1,000 gigawatt hours of electricity annually. Beneficiaries of the power will include 70,000 in rural areas, as well as 300,000 small businesses and industries.

    Geothermal power harnesses heat from the earth’s crust to convert groundwater into steam, which then drives turbines to generate electricity. The project, which taps into Kenya’s vast geothermal reserves, will help reduce the country’s dependence on fossil fuels and combat climate change.

    African Development Bank Group spearheading collaborative support

    The Menengai project is backed by a $198.4 million investment from international partners, including the African Development Bank Group, which provided $120 million in financing through its concessional lending window. The Bank Group also mobilized additional funding from partners such as the Strategic Climate Fund, the Eastern and Southern African Trade & Development Bank, and the Finnish Fund for Industrial Cooperation.

    Kenya’s state-owned Geothermal Development Company is responsible for exploring and developing geothermal steam resources. Globeleq will develop and operate one of the plants at the Menengai fields. “Globeleq will begin receiving steam as soon as construction is completed,” explains Geothermal Development Company engineer Stephen Onyango.

    The electricity generated by the Menengai power plants will be fed into the national grid via the Kenya Electricity Transmission Company and distributed to consumers by the Kenya Power and Lighting Company.

    Gobeleq Managing Director Edouard Wenseleers is optimistic about the project’s future. “We are right at the heart of the Menengai Caldera. Once completed, the project will provide reliable and affordable baseload power to Kenya’s national grid,” he said.

    The Menengai geothermal project aligns with Kenya’s Vision 2030 development plan and aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 1.95 million tonnes of CO2 annually. It’s also part of Kenya’s broader commitment to renewable energy, with geothermal sources already accounting for 45 percent of the national energy supply.

    “The beauty of geothermal energy is that it is abundant in Kenya,” says Mr Wenseleers. “This abundant, clean resource is supporting the economic and social development of one of East Africa’s leading economies.”

    The project also brings significant social benefits. Caroline Mpaima, Head of Environment, Social and Governance at Globeleq, shared that the project employs 175 people from the local community. “The power plant not only generates electricity but also creates jobs and develops local skills,” she stated, noting that many local workers are learning skills like welding, which can provide them with new career opportunities.

    Additionally, the food consumed by the workforce comes directly from local farms, helping to boost the local economy. “We are providing jobs, boosting the local economy and creating business opportunities for local inhabitants,” Mpaima added.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Division of Clearing and Risk Announces Participants and Agenda for October 16 Staff Roundtable on Existing, New and Emerging Issues in Clearing

    Source: US Commodity Futures Trading Commission

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s Division of Clearing and Risk today released the participant list and agenda for its upcoming staff roundtable on existing, new, and emerging issues in clearing being held Oct. 16 at 9:00 a.m. EDT in the Conference Center at CFTC’s headquarters at Three Lafayette Centre, 1155 21st Street N.W., Washington, D.C.

    At the roundtable, participants will discuss the custody and delivery of digital assets; the use of digital assets as margin; 24/7 trading; non-intermediated clearing with margin; and conflicts of interest related to affiliations and vertically-integrated entities. The participants represent a wide variety of stakeholder groups in the derivatives industry. [See CFTC Press Release No. 8985-24]

    See the participant list here and agenda here.

    What:

    Staff Roundtable on Clearing

    Location:

    CFTC Headquarters Lobby-level Conference Room, 1155 21st Street, NW, Washington, DC 20581

    Date:

    Wednesday, October 16, 2024

    Time:

    9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. EDT

    Viewing/Listening Instructions:

    To access the live meeting feed, use the dial-in numbers below or stream at www.cftc.gov. A live feed can also be streamed through the CFTC’s YouTube channel. Call-in participants should be prepared to provide their first name, last name, and affiliation, if applicable. Materials presented at the meeting, if any, will be made available online.  Persons requiring special accommodations to attend the roundtable because of a disability should notify Eileen Donovan at (202) 418–5096.

    Participation Details 
    Domestic Toll-Free: 

    +1 833 568 8864 or +1 833 435 1820   

     

    +1 669 254 5252 or +1 646 828 7666 or +1 551 285 1373 or +1 669 216 1590 or (U.S. Spanish Lines) +1 415 449 4000 or +1 646 964 1167 
    Domestic Toll:  +1 669 254 5252 or +1 646 828 7666 or +1 551 285 1373 or +1 669 216 1590 or (U.S. Spanish Lines) +1 415 449 4000 or +1 646 964 1167 
    Webinar ID: 

    160 459 8990

    Passcode: 188961 
    International Numbers:  International Numbers 

    Members of the public may submit public comments in connection with the meeting, identified by “Staff Roundtable on Clearing,” by Oct. 23, 2024. Statements may be submitted online. If you are unable to submit comments online, contact Mr. Christopher Kirkpatrick, Secretary of the Commission, Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Three Lafayette Center, 1155 21st Street NW, Washington, DC 20581, to discuss alternate means of submitting your comments.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SBA Exhausts Funds for New Disaster Loans

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    WASHINGTON – Today, the SBA announced that it has exhausted funds for its disaster loan program after warnings that funding would soon run out following increased demand from Hurricane Helene. Until Congress appropriates additional funds, the SBA is pausing new loan offers for its direct, low-interest, long-term loans to disaster survivors. However, SBA is encouraging individuals and small businesses to continue to apply for loans given assurances from congressional leaders that additional funding will be provided upon Congress’s return in November.

    The SBA’s loan application portal remains open, SBA’s disaster centers and in-person staff remain deployed across the country, and the agency will continue to accept new applications and ready borrowers to get their disaster loan offers as soon as possible once Congress appropriates funds. Disaster survivors in need of an SBA loan for personal belongings, residential property damage, and business damage and disruption should not wait to apply. Disaster survivors should start the application process immediately, regardless of SBA funding availability, so that our disaster teams can take them through the application process and position eligible applicants to receive offers and funds.

    “We know that swift financial relief can help communities recover quickly to stabilize local economies,” said Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman. “While we await Congress to provide much-needed funding, we strongly encourage eligible businesses and households to apply for SBA disaster loans. SBA will continue to support homeowners, renters, businesses and nonprofits in processing their applications to ensure they receive assistance quickly once funds are replenished.”

    The SBA will continue loan processing operations including supporting current borrowers and new applicants.

    • The SBA will accept and process new applications from all 173 disaster declarations that it is supporting and queue eligible applicants. Applications in this queue can receive loan offers after additional funding from Congress becomes available and will be processed in the order in which they were received. The SBA will issue declines for new applicants who do not meet eligibility or underwriting criteria for a loan and provide information on additional resources for support.
    • SBA will also continue to support existing borrowers and applicants who have already received offers. So far, the SBA has seen around 37,000 applications for relief submitted from those impacted by Hurricane Helene alone. The SBA has already made over 700 Helene loan offers totaling about $48 million. For Hurricane Milton, SBA has already received over 12,000 applications. Importantly, despite this funding lapse, borrowers who already have a loan offer will continue to receive disbursements, and borrowers who already have existing loans may continue with servicing actions and loan modifications.
    • The SBA may continue to make a small number of new loan offers during this time, as funds may be made available through loan cancellations and similar actions.

    Following federally declared disasters, the SBA steps in immediately to provide financial relief to business owners, nonprofits, homeowners, and renters with long-term, low-interest loans. Studies have shown that the SBA’s loan program is a crucial resource for small businesses and households recovering from disaster – whether it’s used for debris removal, replacing a damaged car, or covering loss of revenue due to business disruption. SBA loans allow borrowers to avoid predatory bridge loans or using a credit card with high interest rates.

    Provided Congress makes funds available, SBA can make disaster loans up to $500,000 to homeowners to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed real estate. Homeowners and renters may be eligible for up to $100,000 to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed personal property. Businesses may be eligible for loans up to $2 million for both physical damage and economic injury from business disruption.

    Interest rates are as low as 4% for businesses, 3.25% for nonprofit organizations, and 2.813% for homeowners and renters, without credit elsewhere, and terms are up to 30 years. Interest does not begin to accrue until 12 months from the date of the first disaster loan disbursement, and monthly payments begin 12 months from the date of the initial disbursement.  Loan amounts and terms are set by the SBA and are based on each applicant’s financial condition.

    Applicants may apply online and receive additional disaster assistance information at sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services. Individual survivors are also encouraged to visit disasterassistance.gov for resources including assistance from FEMA.

    # # #

    About the U.S. Small Business Administration
    The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Overnight southbound closures of SH1 Western Hills Drive from Thursday

    Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

    NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) advises the southbound lane of State Highway 1 Western Hills Drive will be closed overnight between Kensington Ave and Central Ave for road resurfacing from this Thursday (17 October).

    Due to the narrow width of the road, we need to close the southbound lanes to ensure there is enough room for construction vehicles and large machinery.

    Works will take place overnight between 9pm and 5am on Thursday 17 October, Sunday 20 October and Monday 21 October. Outside work hours the road will be fully open with a 30km/h temporary speed limit in place. No works will take place on Friday (18 October) and Saturday (19 October) nights.

    There will be a signposted detour in place for southbound traffic via Kensington Ave, Kamo Road, Bank St, Water St and Central Ave. The detour is expected to add approximately five minutes to southbound journeys.

    Important note for Heavy Vehicles (HPMV)

    The detour route is not approved for HPMV. HPMV will be parked and grouped together, and escorted through the closure approximately every 20 minutes, as required.

    Emergency services and residents will be accommodated at all times. 

    Please take care when travelling through our work sites and watch out for our crews as they undertake important work to improve our roads. Reduce your speed, adhere to the temporary speed limits and follow the directions of traffic management staff and signs.

    NZTA thanks everyone for their patience while we complete these important works.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Africa – ATIDI and MIGA Partner to Streamline Investments in Africa

    Source: MediaFast

    ·       Organizations sign second three-year agreement to scale and replicate successful partnership models

    ·       Agreement will set up mechanism to measure progress and results as well as joint marketing initiatives to strengthen cooperation and explore new investment opportunities

    Washington, DC, USA – 15 October, 2024 – The African Trade & Investment Development Insurance (ATIDI), and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), part of World Bank Group Guarantees, have signed a three-year partnership to accelerate foreign direct investment across Africa. This is the second agreement between the two organizations aimed at maximising development impact.

    The organizations will collaborate by leveraging ATIDI’s expertise in insurance and guarantee products across the African continent and MIGA’s range of guarantee solutions and guarantee expertise through the World Bank Group guarantee platform. The partnership will also seek to improve efficiency in joint project due diligence, maximising cost savings and eliminating duplication.

     Quote from Manuel Moses, CEO, ATIDI

    “Enabling more investment to finance transformational projects is vital to Africa’s sustained development. MIGA and ATIDI’s de-risking solutions are essential to achieve this crucial agenda. Beyond signing of this agreement, we look forward to a dynamic collaboration with MIGA, to leverage our institutions’ respective assets for the benefit of our continent.”

    The agreement framework emphasizes mutual reliance, accountability, and comparability. Each party will regularly share operating standards and procedures to help identify comparable outcomes to further both organizations’ development mandates.

    Quote from Hiroshi Matano, MIGA Executive Vice President

    “Our partnership with ATIDI will enable us to support countries in Africa in scaling and replicating development projects, thereby accelerating prosperity. This agreement will play a significant role in helping the continent attract foreign investment for key development projects.”  

    Both organizations have agreed to set up mechanisms to measure progress and results, including reports on joint projects, new products, capital mobilized, and reduced project processing times. Moreover, both parties will carry out joint marketing efforts, training, and seminars to strengthen cooperation and explore new investment opportunities in Africa.

    The strategic agreement framework underscores the commitment of MIGA and ATIDI to create a world free of poverty on a livable planet. The two organizations aim to mitigate investment risks by pooling resources, thereby accelerating sustainable economic growth in Africa.

    About ATIDI

    ATIDI was founded in 2001 by African States to cover trade and investment risks of companies doing business in Africa. ATIDI predominantly provides Political Risk, Credit Insurance and Surety Insurance. Since inception, ATIDI has supported USD85 billion worth of investments and cross border trade into Africa. For over a decade, ATIDI has maintained an ‘A/Stable’ rating for Financial Strength and Counterparty Credit by Standard & Poor’s, and in 2019, ATIDI obtained an A3/Stable rating from Moody’s, which has now been upgraded to A2/Positive.

    For more on ATIDI, visit: http://www.atidi.africa

    Media registration link: https://www.atidi.africa/media-kit/

     About World Bank Group Guarantees  

    Initiated in 2024, World Bank Group Guarantees consolidates all guarantee products and experts from across the World Bank Group institutions at MIGA. It provides a simplified and comprehensive menu of guarantee solutions, enabling clients to select the instrument that best suits their needs. The platform streamlines processes, removes redundancies, and provides greater accessibility by de-risking investments in developing countries. Its goal is to boost the WBG’s annual guarantee issuance to USD20 billion by 2030.    

    For more information about the guarantee platform, visit: https://www.worldbank.org/wbgguarantees

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI: OTC Markets Group Welcomes Medicenna Therapeutics Corp. to OTCQX

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, Oct. 15, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM), operator of regulated markets for trading 12,000 U.S. and international securities, today announced Medicenna Therapeutics Corp. (TSX: MDNA; OTCQX: MDNAF), a clinical-stage immunotherapy company, has qualified to trade on the OTCQX® Best Market. Medicenna Therapeutics Corp. upgraded to OTCQX from the OTCQB® Venture Market.

    Medicenna Therapeutics Corp. begins trading today on OTCQX under the symbol “MDNAF.” U.S. investors can find current financial disclosure and Real-Time Level 2 quotes for the company on http://www.otcmarkets.com.

    The OTCQX Market is designed for established, investor-focused U.S. and international companies. To qualify for OTCQX, companies must meet high financial standards, follow best practice corporate governance, and demonstrate compliance with applicable securities laws. Graduating to the OTCQX Market marks an important milestone for companies, enabling them to demonstrate their qualifications and build visibility among U.S. investors.

    “We are thrilled to be moving up to the OTCQX Best Market,” said Fahar Merchant, Ph.D., President and CEO of Medicenna. “This step strengthens our capital markets strategy by highlighting our dedication to transparency, improving liquidity, and broadening access to our stock for both U.S. and international investors.”

    About Medicenna Therapeutics Corp.
    Medicenna is a clinical-stage immunotherapy company focused on developing novel, highly selective versions of IL-2, IL-4 and IL-13 Superkines and first-in-class Empowered Superkines. Medicenna’s long-acting IL-2 Superkine, MDNA11, is a next-generation IL-2 with superior affinity toward CD122 (IL-2 receptor beta) and no CD25 (IL-2 receptor alpha) binding, thereby preferentially stimulating cancer-killing effector T cells and NK cells. Medicenna’s IL-4 Empowered Superkine, bizaxofusp (formerly MDNA55), has been studied in 5 clinical trials enrolling over 130 patients, including a Phase 2b trial for recurrent GBM, the most common and uniformly fatal form of brain cancer. Bizaxofusp has obtained FastTrack and Orphan Drug status from the FDA and FDA/EMA, respectively. Medicenna’s early-stage high-affinity IL-2β biased IL-2/IL-15 Super-antagonists, from its MDNA209 platform, are being evaluated as potential therapies for autoimmune and graft-versus host diseases. Medicenna’s early-stage BiSKITs™ (Bifunctional SuperKine ImmunoTherapies) and the T-MASK™ (Targeted Metalloprotease Activated SuperKine) programs are designed to enhance the ability of Superkines to treat immunologically “cold” tumors.

    For more information, please visit http://www.medicenna.com, and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

    About OTC Markets Group Inc.
    OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM) operates regulated markets for trading 12,000 U.S. and international securities. Our data-driven disclosure standards form the foundation of our three public markets: OTCQX® Best Market, OTCQB® Venture Market and Pink® Open Market.

    Our OTC Link® Alternative Trading Systems (ATSs) provide critical market infrastructure that broker-dealers rely on to facilitate trading. Our innovative model offers companies more efficient access to the U.S. financial markets.

    OTC Link ATS, OTC Link ECN and OTC Link NQB are each an SEC regulated ATS, operated by OTC Link LLC, a FINRA and SEC registered broker-dealer, member SIPC.

    To learn more about how we create better informed and more efficient markets, visit http://www.otcmarkets.com.

    Subscribe to the OTC Markets RSS Feed

    Media Contact:
    OTC Markets Group Inc., +1 (212) 896-4428, media@otcmarkets.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: British Minister for the Caribbean underlines UK support for violence prevention and climate resilience on first visit to Jamaica

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

    Minister set to formally launch a joint programme for violence prevention, and visit UK-supported health centre that withstood Hurricane Beryl

    The UK Minister for Latin America and the Caribbean, Baroness Chapman, arrives in Jamaica today for a visit focused on violence prevention and climate resilience – her first trip to the Western Caribbean since being appointed.  

    During her two-day trip, Baroness Chapman will visit Edward Seaga Primary School, an early beneficiary of the UK-Jamaica Violence Prevention Programme (VPP) – one of the UK’s largest aid projects in the region. Her visit marks the start of the programme’s implementation, with plans for interventions across further Jamaican schools. 

    The VPP, which will provide £15m over six years, will support the Government of Jamaica to develop more effective responses to the underlying causes of violent crime, with the aim of eradicating violence through grassroots community activities and engagement with educational institutions. 

    UK Caribbean Minister, Baroness Chapman said: 

    Jamaica is a highly valued Commonwealth partner. My visit is an important opportunity to build on our two countries close collaboration.

    I am excited to see first-hand how our joint work on key challenges – from violent crime to climate resilience – is making a difference to Jamaicans.

    The Minister will also visit an upgraded healthcare centre in Mandeville, funded by the UK through the ‘SMART’ Hospital Programme and implemented by the Pan American Health Organisation. She will tour the facility, which was able to largely withstand the impacts of Hurricane Beryl, remaining in operation to provide critical care to residents.  

    The UK continues to invest in building climate resilient infrastructure, having provided £8m towards the ‘SMART’ hospital initiative in Jamaica, which has helped provide improvement to the facilities and a dedicated toolkit to staff. In July 2024, the UK also provided up to £500,000 to support Caribbean nations severely affected by Hurricane Beryl.  

    While in Jamaica, the Minister will meet Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Jamaica, Kamina Johnson Smith, where they will discuss the importance of the UK-Jamaica bilateral relationship and areas of cooperation. She will also meet with influential business figures and Chevening scholars.

    To conclude her visit, the Minister will unveil a UK-Jamaica mural in downtown Kingston, painted by local artist Michael Elliot. The mural reflects  the significant contribution of the Windrush Generation.

    Media enquiries

    Email newsdesk@fcdo.gov.uk

    Telephone 020 7008 3100

    Contact the FCDO Communication Team via email (monitored 24 hours a day) in the first instance, and we will respond as soon as possible.

    Updates to this page

    Published 15 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: NSU hosted a strategic session “Youth Laboratories: Uniting to Solve Regional and National Problems”

    MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –

    The event is part of a series of strategic sessions aimed at forming a community of youth laboratory leaders, developing horizontal connections, and identifying problems that arise during the creation and operation of such research centers.

    The creation of youth laboratories is one of the activities for the implementation of the national project “Science and Universities”. The main goal of the organized strategy sessions is to determine the role of youth laboratories in the Strategy for Scientific and Technological Development of the Russian Federation.

    The strategic session, which took place at NSU, brought together 115 heads of youth laboratories from different cities of the Siberian Federal District – Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk, Irkutsk and others.

    Deputy Governor of the Novosibirsk Region Irina Manuilova took part in the session; she spoke about the importance of supporting youth laboratories at the regional level to achieve technological sovereignty and solve the problems of the Decade of Science and Technology:

    — Youth laboratories are an opportunity for young people to find their place, find employment and come to science. Therefore, at the regional level, last year we created three youth laboratories at the expense of the regional budget, we support them and will continue to finance them. We will create another laboratory in 2025. The main thing is that these youth laboratories produce results – the development of the relevant topics that they have chosen and their promotion. This will make a real contribution to the economy and fundamental science. And those very young researchers, who we need like air now, play a huge role in this process in order to fulfill all the tasks that the time and our President set for us.

    The rector of NSU, academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Mikhail Fedoruk addressed the participants with a welcoming speech:

    — The university turned 65 this year. On September 28, 1959, the first 308 students began their studies. Since then, of course, the university has grown a lot: now NSU has more than 8,500 students in 6 faculties and 4 institutes. The university is a participant in all major federal development programs, including the national project “Science and Universities”, we have 7 youth laboratories. I wish you a successful strategic session, to get the most useful things out of it, to find new friends and get a lot of positive impressions.

    Speaking about the objectives of the session, Alina Pavlova, Head of Department at the Federal State Budgetary Institution “Directorate of Scientific and Technical Programs”, member of the Corresponding Council, PhD in Chemical Sciences, and moderator of the session, noted:

    — This strategic session is aimed at identifying the problems, raising the acute issues that you encountered during the implementation of this support measure. And identifying your proposals on how to improve the mechanisms for its implementation. It is important for us that this support measure is convenient, useful, and that it really works to attract young people to science.

    During discussions in interdisciplinary teams, participants identified the most pressing issues, the solution of which will allow them to draw up an effective plan for the development of youth laboratories. Important results included the preparation of proposals for improving work and the development of a comprehensive and systematic approach.

    The leaders of the youth laboratories met with each other, talked, exchanged experiences and proposed creating a platform for further ongoing interaction.

    Irina Chugueva, Deputy Director of the Department for Coordination of Activities of Scientific Organizations of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, summing up the session, noted:

    — Colleagues, I am really very glad that you have gathered here. It is very important that you have now communicated and seen each other. I hope that such horizontal connections will emerge that can have a very good effect in the future. Regarding the creation of a common platform for discussion — it is a very good idea. There really should be some kind of resource, an electronic platform where all the heads of youth laboratories can communicate.

    The series of events “Youth Laboratories: Uniting to Solve Regional and National Problems” started on October 8 in Vladivostok. The final strategic session aimed at summarizing the results will be held from November 12 to 14 in Moscow. In the future, a round table dedicated to the development of the youth laboratories project is planned to be held within the framework of the IV Congress of Young Scientists.

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

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

    http://vvv.nsu.ru/n/media/nevs/science/strategic-session-youth-laboratories-uniting-to-solve-problems-reg/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: GITEX Editions makes its debut to redefine global power tech domination

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

    DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, October 15, 2024/APO Group/ —

    The all-new GITEX Editions got underway on the opening day of GITEX GLOBAL (www.GITEX.com) as discussions focused on accelerating the growth of global late-stage advanced tech companies.

    The latest addition to the packed schedule comes at a vital time where statistics (https://apo-opa.co/3Ab4gaZ) showed there were more than 1,000 unicorns around the world in 2023. This week’s showcase will help support the next development while bringing together 59 top global unicorns with a combined valuation of $400 billion. The impressive list to have gathered includes Axelera, DeepL Synthesis AI, and Insilico Medicine.

    In one of the sessions, the Founder and CEO of digital health unicorn Insilico Medicine, Dr. Alex Zhavoronkov joined Tamer Elhamy, Chief Partner Officer of Microsoft Middle East to discuss the importance of Merger and Acquisitions (M&A) and how AI companies are making their foundational models work smarter for enterprises.

    The audience heard that the Middle East region is leading the way with digitalisation with more than 300 deals related to M&A completed in the first half of 2024 with half of those led by the UAE.

    Scaling GCC business globally

    The staging of GITEX Editions aligns with Dubai’s ambition to be the home of 30 startup unicorns by 2030 as the emirate continues to transform itself from a regional to a global entrepreneurship hub and support its digital ambitions. Today, Dubai is embarking on its journey with 40% of MENA’s scaleups already based in the emirate (https://apo-opa.co/3Y7Y3EF).

    To help nurture the growth of tomorrow’s giants in the GCC region, Harrison Lung, Group Chief Strategy Officer of e& was joined by Tanuja Randery, Managing Director, Europe, Middle East and Africa of Amazon Web Services (AWS) in an insightful session that focused on the importance of collaboration.

    Harrison Lung explained the importance of joining hands to forge stronger alliances. He said: “For us, it’s more about a transformation towards a global technology company. In the areas of partnering, the idea is to develop a win-win proposition and solving the needs of customers.”

    With the region growing rapidly, Tanuja Randery said there is no better time than now for companies to enter the market and agrees collaboration is crucial. She said: “This region is so attractive in terms of the growth potential. I read a stat that showed that almost 70 per cent of businesses in the Middle East want to move most of their operations to the Cloud in two years’ time and this could unlock USD $733 billion of economic value by 2033. To make Cloud make accessible, we need partners and alliances.”

    Driving investments for startups

    Funding is a key pillar to drive growth – both in the long and short-term but can be often challenging. Steven Hoffman, Venture Investor, Author; and Chairman & CEO of Founders Space, gave key advice on how startups should adopt a vertical growth strategy for the future.

    He said: “There is a lot of money going into AI but most of that is going into a handful of companies which are dominating the market and this is impacting the growth of startups. As such, a lot of money is now going into vertical AI where the specialist area is only on one focus such as healthcare or hospitality and this is centred around this business model and adding AI on top of this.”

    In another session, Kai Zenner, Head of Office & Digital Policy Advisor of EU Parliament and Dr. Agostino Ghiglia, Board Member of the Italian Data Protection Authority took part in a broader discussion on the AI EU Act and its global implications for the next generation of AI-driven unicorns.  

    Taking place at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) until 18 October, GITEX GLOBAL presents its biggest, most international edition in its 44th year, welcoming over 6,500 exhibitors, 1,800 startups, 1,200 investors alongside governments from more than 180 countries.

    GITEX GLOBAL is seamlessly connecting the world’s largest network of tech events. Today, major events such as GITEX EUROPE Berlin, GITEX ASIA Singapore, GITEX AFRICA Morocco, and GITEX NIGERIA are under its umbrella with all fostering collaboration and driving innovation to shape the tech landscape of tomorrow.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI: Apollo Launches Evergreen Secondaries Products for Global Wealth Investors

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, Oct. 15, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Apollo (NYSE: APO) today announced the launch of Apollo S3 Private Markets Fund (“ASPM US”) and Apollo S3 Private Markets Lux (“ASPM Lux,” together with ASPM US, “ASPM”), products designed to provide investors with turnkey solutions to access diversified portfolios of multi-asset secondary investments across private markets. 

    ASPM US is available through a semi-liquid, perpetual 1940 Act tender offer fund and is part of Apollo’s suite of products accessible to accredited U.S. investors. ASPM Lux is part of the Apollo Private Markets SICAV umbrella, a Luxembourg-based platform offering a holistic set of Apollo’s alternative solutions to wealth investors in EMEA, Asia and Latin America. ASPM Lux is accessible in multiple currencies to address local investor needs.

    ASPM offers a differentiated approach to secondaries through a flexible mandate to invest across the capital stack, execute a variety of transaction types and aim to offer diversification across vintages and managers. These new offerings seek to build a balanced and diversified portfolio with attractive growth potential and long-term capital appreciation.

    Apollo’s Stephanie Drescher, Partner and Chief Client and Product Development Officer, said, “The launch of ASPM underscores Apollo’s commitment to providing access to institutional quality alternative offerings tailored to individuals and wealth investors. We continue to make progress as global investors increasingly seek more diversification than what has historically been provided through traditional portfolio construction.”

    Steve Lessar, Partner and Co-Head of Apollo’s Sponsor & Secondary Solutions (S3) business, added, “We believe these new offerings will provide distinct access points to private market secondaries, leveraging the collective strengths of the Apollo Private Markets ecosystem and the Apollo S3 team, which has sourced over $160 billion in these types of transactions in the past year. It is our view that secondaries can provide a combination of attractive attributes not commonly found in other private market strategies, and we’re pleased to make that available to investors.”

    Apollo’s Jason Singer, Partner and Global Lead for Product Development and Veronique Fournier, Managing Director and Head of EMEA Global Wealth said, “Apollo is an innovator in bringing institutional quality products to individual investors in tailored formats. As investors look to supplement public markets holdings and diversify their overall portfolios, we believe that Apollo’s Global Wealth platform provides solutions that prioritize the needs of the end investor globally.”

    Important Information

    This material is neither an offer to sell nor a solicitation to purchase any security. Investors should carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, tax information, charges and expenses of ASPM US. This information and other important details about ASPM US are contained in the prospectus, which can be obtained by visiting http://www.apollo.com/aspm. Please read the prospectus carefully before investing. Prospective investors should be aware that an investment in ASPM US entails substantial risks. Prior to investing, prospective investors should consult with their own tax and legal advisors.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements can generally be identified by our use of forward-looking terminology such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “believe,” “continue,” or other similar words. Because such statements include risks, uncertainties and contingencies, actual results may differ materially from the expectations, intentions, beliefs, plans or predictions of the future expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. As a result, investors should not rely on such forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and contingencies include, but are not limited to: uncertainties relating to changes in general economic and real estate conditions; uncertainties relating to the implementation of our investment strategy; uncertainties relating to capital proceeds; and other risk factors as outlined in ASPM US’s prospectus, statement of additional information, annual report and semi-annual report filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

    This communication has been distributed for informational purposes only and should not be considered as investment advice or a recommendation of any particular security, strategy or investment product or be relied upon for any other purpose. The views expressed represent an assessment of market conditions at a specific point in time, are opinions only and should not be relied upon as investment advice regarding a particular investment or markets in general. Such information does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell specific securities or investment vehicles. It should not be assumed that any investment will be profitable or will equal the performance of ASPM US or any securities or any sectors mentioned herein. Information contained herein has been obtained from sources deemed to be reliable, but not guaranteed.

    About Apollo
    Apollo is a high-growth, global alternative asset manager. In our asset management business, we seek to provide our clients excess return at every point along the risk-reward spectrum from investment grade credit to private equity. For more than three decades, our investing expertise across our fully integrated platform has served the financial return needs of our clients and provided businesses with innovative capital solutions for growth. Through Athene, our retirement services business, we specialize in helping clients achieve financial security by providing a suite of retirement savings products and acting as a solutions provider to institutions. Our patient, creative, and knowledgeable approach to investing aligns our clients, businesses we invest in, our employees, and the communities we impact, to expand opportunity and achieve positive outcomes. As of June 30, 2024, Apollo had approximately $696 billion of assets under management. To learn more, please visit http://www.apollo.com.

    Apollo Contacts

    Noah Gunn
    Global Head of Investor Relations
    Apollo Global Management, Inc.
    (212) 822-0540
    IR@apollo.com

    Joanna Rose
    Global Head of Corporate Communications
    Apollo Global Management, Inc.
    (212) 822-0491
    Communications@apollo.com  

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: NEWTON GOLF Company Expands its Global Presence with the Launch of Newton Motion Shafts in Japan

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Newton Motion shafts now available in 50 of Japan’s largest golf retailers and through GDO, the country’s leading e-commerce platform

    CAMARILLO, CA, Oct. 15, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NEWTON GOLF Company (Nasdaq: SPGC) (“NEWTON GOLF” or the “Company”), a technology-forward golf company with a growing portfolio of golf products, including putters, golf shafts, golf grips, and other golf-related accessories, announces the launch of its Newton Motion shafts in Japan.

    Now available in 50 of the largest retail golf stores across Japan, golfers and golf enthusiasts in Japan have access to the Company’s proprietary Newton Motion shaft design and construction, including the four essential technologies embedded in each shaft: Elongated Bend Profile; Kinetic Storage Construction; Newton Symmetry360 Design; and a Variable Bend Profile.

    In addition to this new, extensive retail presence, NEWTON GOLF has partnered with GDO, Japan’s largest e-commerce company for distribution of the Newton Motion shafts, ensuring that golfers can conveniently purchase the new shafts online.

    “Newton Motion has had considerable success with the U.S. tour pros, consumers, and professional fitters,” said Shige Okabe, Newton Golf’s Sales Representative for Japan. “Our initial testing with Japanese buyers and tour professionals confirmed that Newton Motion shafts surpass anything that exists in the Japanese market today. We are confident it will make an immediate impact there.”

    Japan is the second largest golf market in the world, behind the U.S. According to the 2021 World Golf Report, these two countries are responsible for about two-thirds of the world’s golf equipment market.

    The Newton Motion shafts have quickly gained traction among top players on the PGA TOUR Champions, including Doug Barron, who won his first major championship with the Newton Motion Shaft in his driver, John Daly, Clark Dennis, Chris DiMarco, Ken Duke, Fred Funk, Colin Montgomerie, Mark O’Meara, Tim Petrovic, and Duffy Waldorf, among others.

    The shafts are sold “ready to play” and include the shaft adapter and grip. The grip is a Lamkin Crossline 360, and there are adapter options to choose from that fit most driver heads.

    The Newton Motion shafts are manufactured in the Company’s St. Joseph, Missouri manufacturing facility.

    All Newton Motion shafts, including the newly introduced 6.5-DOT and 7-DOT shafts, can be seen and are available for purchase at https://newtonshafts.com.

    About NEWTON GOLF: A Sacks Parente Company

    NEWTON GOLF: A Sacks Parente Company, is a technology-forward golf company that help golfers elevate their game. With a growing portfolio of golf products, including putters, golf shafts, golf grips, and other golf-related accessories, the Company’s innovative accomplishments include: the First Vernier Acuity putter, patented Ultra-Low Balance Point (ULBP) putter technology, weight-forward Center-of-Gravity (CG) design, and pioneering ultra-light carbon fiber putter shafts.

    In consideration of its growth opportunities in golf shaft technologies, the Company expanded its manufacturing business in April of 2022 to develop the advanced Newton brand of premium golf shafts by opening a new shaft manufacturing facility in St. Joseph, MO. It is the Company’s intent to manufacture and assemble substantially all products in the United States, while also expanding into golf apparel and other golf-related product lines to enhance its growth.

    The Company’s future expansions may include broadening its offerings through mergers, acquisitions or internal developments of product lines that are complementary to its premium brand. The Company currently sells its products through resellers, the Company’s websites, Club Champion retail stores, and distributors in the United States, Japan, and South Korea. For more information, please visit the Company’s website at http://www.newtongolfco.com or on social media at @newtongolfco.com, @newtonshafts, or @gravityputters.

    Media Contact for NEWTON GOLF

    Beth Gast
    BG Public Relations
    beth.gast@bgpublicrelations.com

    Investor Contact for NEWTON GOLF
    CORE IR
    516-222-2560
    investors@sacksparente.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Alizz Islamic Bank Partners with the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation to Support the Private sector in Oman

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

    MUSCAT, Oman, October 15, 2024/APO Group/ —

    Reinforcing its position as one of Oman’s most dynamic Islamic Wholesale Banking institutions, Alizz Islamic Bank has recently signed an agreement with the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) (www.ITFC-IDB.org). This partnership is set to provide Shari’a compliant financing solutions, further enhancing the bank’s commitment to offering innovative and ethical financial services in alignment with Islamic principles. 

    The agreement was officially signed by Mr. Ali Al Mani, CEO of Alizz Islamic Bank and Eng. Hani Salem Sonbol, CEO of ITFC in the presence of a number of senior officials from both organisations. 

    Speaking about the agreement, Mr. Ali Al Mani, CEO of Alizz Islamic Bank said: “We are delighted to be the first bank in Oman to partner with the ITFC. Partnering with innovative and leading organisations in their respective fields is an important part of our strategy and we are proud to be pioneers in providing innovative trade financing solutions. Our customers are at the forefront of everything we do and aligning with strategic partners enables Alizz Islamic Bank to enhance our trade solutions and correspondent network which in turn can enable us to offer competitive working capital financing pricing.” 

    Commenting on the  agreement, Eng. Hani Salem Sonbol, CEO of ITFC , and Acting CEO of  ICD stated “We are pleased with our partnership and strategic relationship with Alizz Islamic Bank. This is our first collaboration in Oman and is poised to play a pivotal role in advancing Shari’ah compliant financial services in the country.  Through this agreement, we aim to strengthen the private sector role in the economy, particularly by enhancing access to finance for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Supporting SMEs is a core pillar of the ITFC mission, and we are confident that this partnership will help drive economic growth, create job opportunities, and foster sustainable development in Oman”. 

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Hamburg Sustainability Platform – New alliances are needed to provide blended finance at scale (15 Oct. 2024)

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

    Public-private stakeholder coalition kicks-off joint work to scale up private SDG investment in emerging markets and developing economies: At the Hamburg Sustainability Conference, a coalition of private and public institutions announced to join forces to set up the Hamburg Sustainability Platform. This platform aims at scaling sustainable investments into emerging markets and developing economies through standardization.

    The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as well as the climate and biodiversity goals, cannot be achieved with public funds alone. More private investment is urgently needed, especially in emerging markets and development economies. To close this financing gap, it must become easier for private investors to invest. Blended finance provides efficient mechanisms to address this challenge. This is the aim of an alliance of public and private stakeholders, the Hamburg Sustainability Platform (HSP), announced at the Hamburg Sustainability Conference.

    The German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development, (BMZ); the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO); Global Affairs Canada; the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Treasury of the Republic of South Africa; the Secretary of State in charge of International partnerships of France; the German Development Bank KfW; British International Investment (BII); as well as Allianz and Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) are partnering to jointly develop the Hamburg Sustainability Platform. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) acts as an advisory body to the platform.

    Sustainable investments in emerging markets and developing economies have so far been for the pioneers in the private sector: while promising investment opportunities exist, large institutional investors such as pension funds or insurance companies rarely invest at scale. This is because implementation takes a long time, as preparations can take several years and financial products are often very complex. To make it easier for private investors to invest at scale, it would be necessary to pool the funds of public donors and standardize financial vehicles.

    As a solution, the HSP aims at better combining public and private investments through standardized financial products as well as harmonized public strategies. The initiative thereby aims to enhance simplicity, replicability and efficiency, thus enabling considerable additional investment volume.

    Standardization is a key enabler of operational efficiency. By delivering simplicity, efficiency and speed, volume becomes possible. Standardization acts like a common language, combatting fragmentation and accelerating procedures. It could therefore be an important step to help scaling private investment. This is recognized and demanded by different institutions and initiatives such as the UN-convened Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance (NZAOA), the OECD, as well as the B20 Finance & Infrastructure Working Group. Nevertheless, standardization is currently lacking in blended finance.

    The HSP was announced at the inaugural Hamburg Sustainability Conference, held on 7-8 October. Under the motto “together we co-create development”, the Hamburg Sustainability Conference challenges barriers to SDG implementation. It establishes a new global forum to speed up progress towards achieving the SDGs and deliver result-oriented solutions. The annual conference is a joint initiative of the United Nations (UNDP), the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the Michael Otto Foundation and the City of Hamburg.

    On their motivations for the HSP, the founding members have said:

    Anneliese Dodds, Minister for Development and Minister for Women and Equalities, United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office: “Meeting the Sustainable Development Goals will require trillions of dollars of additional public and private investment into emerging markets and developing economies. To get private capital moving quickly and at scale, investors need to be able to compare options and make decisions with confidence. That’s why the UK is pleased to support the Hamburg Sustainability Platform, which will focus on scaling up sustainable investment into the regions that need it most, by providing standardized investment products in a clear and simple format.”

    Jochen Flasbarth, State Secretary of the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development: ”The SDGs represent an unprecedented global consensus and as such, a joint mission of public and private stakeholders. We need to join forces to make this mission heard. Over the past years, numerous good examples of blended finance vehicles have been set up. It is now time to identify those success cases, standardize, and scale them. This is what the Hamburg Sustainability Platform stands for. It is a great example of how the German government enhances international partnerships and how development cooperation efficiently uses market mechanisms to co-create impact. “

    Thani Mohamed Soilihi, French Secretary of State for Francophonie and international partnerships: “We need to boost financing capacities if we collectively want to achieve United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and this requires far more private sector leveraging. This is a priority for France, that we are pursuing with 66 partners through the Paris Pact for People and Planet. In that perspective, the Hamburg Sustainability Platform plays an important role and we hope it will bolster current efforts to scale sustainable investments and deliver tangible results.”

    Lina Gandløse Hansen, State Secretary for Trade and Investments, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Denmark: “We need to bridge the financing gap to deliver on the SDGs and the Paris agreement. The numbers tell a clear story: We are far off track. We need all hands on deck and the private sector must play a key role. We need to deliver scale and replicable models. The Hamburg Sustainability Platform can play an important role. Denmark is looking forward to bringing our strong focus on innovative financing to the table and explore synergies, not least with the work in the Investment Mobilization Collaboration Alliance (IMCA) which aims at mobilizing billions of USD in private capital in support of climate action.”

    Mmakgoshi Lekhethe, Head of Asset and Liability Management at the National Treasury of the Republic of South Africa: “We need impactful solutions and investments on a global scale. And for investments to be impactful, private and public sector need to work together. Development efforts can only be sustainable in the long run if we succeed in mobilizing private markets for our goals. The Hamburg Sustainability Platform can become a key lever on this mission.”

    Patricia Peña, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Global Affairs Canada: “Setting up the Hamburg Sustainability Platform involves learning from and working with existing solutions, ensuring what we put forward and how we work together adds value and avoids duplication. Recognising the need to cooperate more efficiently with other donors and private investors from an early stage, the Hamburg Sustainability Platform could become a key tool to enhance donor cooperation and address existing challenges in blended finance.”

    Claus Stickler, Global Co-Lead at Allianz Investment Management: “Speed and scalability are key success factors in achieving sustainable change globally, including for example accelerating the deployment of renewable energy in emerging markets. The Hamburg Sustainability Platform can help simplify the creation and management of blended finance vehicles, thereby increasing their investability. Let’s work together to create this important platform for real action.”

    Vito Dellerba, Managing Director, Sustainable Investing at CDPQ: “Templates and standardized frameworks for financial returns and impact – initiatives highlighted by the Hamburg Sustainability Platform – facilitate timely and knowledgeable decisions by providing streamlined and consistent information. In addition, it has the potential to boost market efficiency by enhancing risk management practices, lowering transaction costs and increasing liquidity.“

    OECD Deputy Secretary-General Mary Beth Goodman: “The OECD supports the Hamburg Sustainability Platform in an advisory role. Promoting innovative approaches to scaling up private capital mobilization in Emerging Market and Developing Economies is core to the work of the OECD. As a convener, we will be a partner in driving this initiative forward. Based on the OECD’s work in harmonising blended finance approaches, and with standardization featuring prominently in the current update of the Blended Finance Principles Guidance, the OECD can be a key contributor of this initiative.”

    Christiane Laibach, Member of the Executive Board of KfW: “We have all learnt valuable lessons from the past twenty years of blended finance and impact investment. But to reach scale, we need to join forces, agree on common models based on these lessons and roll them out in a predictable and standardized manner. This is the objective of the Hamburg Sustainability Platform.”

    Liz Lloyd, Chief Investment Officer at BII: “Unlocking private capital is critical to meet the twin challenges of development and the climate emergency. One important way to do that is through innovative blended finance, using concessional public finance to encourage private investment to achieve the SDGs. We are pleased to collaborate with others to reach a common approach to blended finance, to help mobilize private capital into sustainable investments at scale.“

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Homes England invests in Schroders Capital’s Real Estate Impact Fund

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Schroders Capital’s Real Estate Impact Fund (SCREIF) has received a £50 million investment from Homes England, the government’s housing and regeneration agency, underlining the key role this market-leading investment strategy has in addressing social inequality in the UK

    The investment was today confirmed as part of a package of key measures announced by the UK’s Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (sponsor of Homes England) and HM Treasury, following a roundtable hosted by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, as part of the UK Government’s programme of activities to support its high-profile International Investment Summit.

    The Summit has been focused on driving investment and growth across the UK, with up to 300 industry leaders attending alongside the UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds.

    SCREIF is a real estate focused strategy with the dual aims of delivering a positive social and environmental impact in addition to securing appropriate risk adjusted returns for investors. Last month, the strategy became only the second real estate fund in the UK to receive approval from the Financial Conduct Authority to use the ‘Sustainability Impact’ label under SDR.

    With a residential-led approach, the fund is predominantly focused on addressing the UK’s housing crisis, specifically, the shortage of social and affordable accommodation and the regeneration of town centres. The fund aims to ensure that its investments are made in accessible and resilient locations, with access to green space, public transport, schools and GPs.

    The investment from Homes England will increase the ability of the fund to grow and invest more widely across the UK and secure further allocations from pension funds, insurers and foundations.

    Chris Santer, Schroders Impact Fund Manager, Schroders Capital’s Real Estate team, said:

    This investment by Homes England is a clear indication of the absolutely vital role this fund is looking to play in the UK by delivering real and tangible change. Our homes, and the built environment around us, impact our daily lives. We believe this allocation from the public sector will be catalytic in unlocking further institutional investments, boosting broader confidence and interest in this key sector meaning the fund can enable more communities to thrive across the UK.

    Peter Denton, Homes England Chief Executive, said:  

    This is a brilliant example of how public and private sector organisations can get behind a clear and common aim – namely supporting social justice and thriving communities. Our commitment aims to help spark deep and diverse market investment from a range of institutions. Fundamentally, this is about coming together to accelerate regeneration and the creation of affordable, high-quality homes within sustainable, thriving places that people, especially those in more deprived areas, want, need and deserve.

    For further information, please contact:

    Andy Pearce, Head of Media Relations +44 20 7658 2203 andy.pearce@Schroders.com
    Rachael Dowers, PR Manager +44 207 658 2086 rachael.dowers@schroders.com
    Justine Crestois, PR Executive +44 20 7658 5186 justine.crestois@schroders.com

    Note to Editors

    To view the latest press releases from Schroders visit: Media Centre | Schroders global

    Schroders Capital

    Schroders Capital provides investors with access to a broad range of private market investment opportunities, portfolio building blocks and customised private market strategies. Its team focuses on delivering best-in-class, risk-adjusted returns and executing investments through a combination of direct investment capabilities and broader solutions in all private market asset classes, through comingled funds and customised private market mandates.

    The team aims to achieve sustainable returns through a rigorous approach and in alignment with a culture characterised by performance, collaboration and integrity.  

    With $97.3 billion (£77.0 billion; €90.8 billion)* assets under management, Schroders Capital offers a diversified range of investment strategies, including real estate, private equity, secondaries, venture capital, infrastructure, securitised products and asset-based finance, private debt, insurance-linked securities and BlueOrchard (Impact Specialists). 

    *Assets under management as at 30 June 2024 (including non-fee earning dry powder and in-house cross holdings)

    Schroders plc

    Schroders is a global investment manager which provides active asset management, wealth management and investment solutions, with £773.7 billion (€912.6 billion; $978.1 billion) of assets under management at 30 June 2024. As a UK listed FTSE100 company, Schroders has a market capitalisation of circa £6 billion and over 6,000 employees across 38 locations. Established in 1804, Schroders remains true to its roots as a family-founded business. The Schroder family continues to be a significant shareholder, holding approximately 44% of the issued share capital.

    Schroders’ success can be attributed to its diversified business model, spanning different asset classes, client types and geographies. The company offers innovative products and solutions through four core business divisions: Public Markets, Solutions, Wealth Management, and Schroders Capital, which focuses on private markets, including private equity, renewable infrastructure investing, private debt & credit alternatives, and real estate.

    Schroders aims to provide excellent investment performance to clients through active management. This means directing capital towards resilient businesses with sustainable business models, consistently with the investment goals of its clients. Schroders serves a diverse client base that includes pension schemes, insurance companies, sovereign wealth funds, endowments, foundations, high net worth individuals, family offices, as well as end clients through partnerships with distributors, financial advisers, and online platforms.

    About Homes England

    Homes England is the government’s homes and regeneration agency.  It drives the creation of more high-quality homes and thriving places so that everyone has a place to live and thrive. The Agency’s team work in partnership with thousands of public and private bodies including local authorities, home builders, developers, affordable housing providers, commercial real estate companies and financial institutions to make this happen. For more information visit: Homes England – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

    Issued by Schroder Investment Management Limited. Registration No 1893220 England. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.  For regular updates by e-mail please register online at http://www.schroders.com for our alerting service.

    Updates to this page

    Published 15 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: GITEX GLOBAL 2024: Historic opening day marked by record international participation and capacity crowds at key events

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

    DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, October 15, 2024/APO Group/ —

    • Entire international tech ecosystem descended on Dubai to mark the start of GITEX GLOBAL 2024 (www.GITEX.com)  – the world’s largest and best-rated tech event
    • Innovative showcases and GITEX Editions & European Innovation Council pavilion launches also star on “Tech Investor Day”
    • “AI Super Tuesday” next up at GITEX GLOBAL 2024

    International audiences enjoyed a memorable first day at GITEX GLOBAL 2024 (http://apo-opa.co/4h8HyRu) on Monday as the world’s largest and best-rated tech event kicked off in sensational fashion – setting the stage for an unforgettable week of breakthrough tech showcases.

    Taking place at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) from 14-18 October, GITEX GLOBAL presents a record-breaking edition in its 44th year. It welcomes over 6,500 exhibitors, 1,800 startups, 1,200 investors alongside governments from more than 180 countries – the highest-ever international participation at GITEX GLOBAL – comprising enterprises, experts, investors, startups, academia, researchers, and the entire global tech ecosystem.

    Eagerly awaited exhibitions and events take centre stage

    Across a capacity-crowd venue, international audiences became acquainted with a wide variety of incredible innovations on Day 1 of GITEX GLOBAL 2024. UAE technology group G42 presented its Intelligence Grid immersive experience, enabling visitors to discover how AI can power every aspect of future life as a ‘super utility’. Lenovo showcased its new range of hardware and cloud solution equipped with transformative AI capabilities of the future, while e& showcased some the world’s most mindblowing protypes in all of tech. One of the highlights was the XPeng AeroHT eVTOL Flying Car – enabling audiences to discover how such innovations represent a historic opportunity to revolutionise aviation and personal transportation.

    With five incredible themes across five unmissable days this year, “Tech Investment Day” was first up with World Future Economy Digital Leaders Summit (http://apo-opa.co/4dLQ9qC) amongst the many shows that drew huge crowds and received widespread audience acclaim.

    In a special briefing, His Excellency (H.E.) Abdullah Bin Touq Al Marri, Cabinet Member & UAE Minister of Economy, addressed attendees during ‘Rise of the New Economy: AI & Emerging Industries’. This session delved into the UAE’s strategic initiatives fostering innovation, enhancing competitiveness, and positioning the country as a global leader in the new economy.

    With the UAE’s non-oil sector accounting for 74% of national gross domestic product (GDP) in 2024, H.E. Al Marri reaffirmed the Ministry of Economy’s ambitious plans for the years ahead, insisting: “We are in the business of breaking records. We’ve already achieved a non-oil sector that accounts for 74% of GDP – this record has never happened before in our country’s history. The UAE’s environment and ecosystem attracts people from around the globe – and the target now is to reach 80% by 2030 and become an R&D hub for the world.”

    With several leadership sessions held throughout the Monday schedule, H.E. Faisal Al Bannai, Advisor to the UAE President & Secretary General of the Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC), shared key insights and perspectives during ‘AI Leadership: Steering Societal Transformation’. AI socio-economic implications were discussed alongside global AI leadership, models, governance, and regulation.

    Elsewhere on a historic opening day to celebrate GITEX GLOBAL’s record-extending 44th edition, new industry-defining programmes were also launched – including GITEX Editions, an exclusive platform for late-stage advanced tech companies and a premier hub for unicorns, soonicorns and rhinos.

    GITEX Editions connects 59 top global unicorns and was attended by H.E. Omar Sultan Al Olama, UAE Minister of State for AI, Digital Economy & Remote Work Applications, also addressed attendees between another applauded leadership session – ‘The UAE As The Sandbox For Pragmatic Ai Regulation And Policy Development’.

    The year’s most impactful discussions surrounding AI’s future in society and industry were also attending by high numbers of visitors. While discussing the most transformative AI case studies across government, enterprise, and startups, the need to balance AI’s potential with creativity and human intuition was examined in various sessions, including ‘Regulating Tech: The Intersection of Tech, Crime and Law’.

    Didier Jacobs, Head of ICT & Chief AI Officer at Europol, stressed that heightened collaboration and cooperation are needed to overcome challenges and solve international crime, adding: “Cybercrime knows no borders. There are many technologies that can be misused for hacking, extortion, sabotage, illegal transactions, and so on. What’s needed are solutions – a blend of increased human collaboration and technology deployment is essential.”

    As this week marks the largest-ever European participation at GITEX GLOBAL with 38 European countries exhibiting alongside 1,000-plus SMEs and 450-plus startups, the European Innovation Council pavilion was officially launched to commemorate the milestone.

    With debuting exhibitors from countries including Austria, Portugal, Latvia, Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Switzerland in attendance, Trixie LohMirmand, Executive Vice President of DWTC, the organiser of GITEX GLOBAL, opened the brand-new site. This casts a unique spotlight on Europe’s AI, tech, and innovation advancements alongside the cross-continental collaboration efforts currently taking shape across the continent.

    What next at GITEX GLOBAL 2024?

    GITEX GLOBAL 2024 continues Tuesday as “Super AI Tuesday” showcases how AI is transforming business strategies, revolutionising industries, and creating new growth opportunities across the globe. Up until Friday (October 18), attendees can also explore the latest tech sector services and solutions being rolled out across Central Asia, Southeast Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East.

    GITEX GLOBAL is seamlessly connecting with world’s largest network of tech events with its stellar list including GITEX EUROPE Berlin, GITEX ASIA Singapore, GITEX AFRICA Morocco, and GITEX NIGERIA. These events are fostering collaboration and driving innovation to shape the tech landscape of tomorrow.

    More information on GITEX GLOBAL and to purchase passes, please visit http://www.GITEX.com

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI: FIPCOIN Sets New Standard in Cryptocurrency with Stable Value and Guaranteed Returns

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Oct. 15, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The cryptocurrency sector has witnessed a range of innovative products, but few have combined stability with predictable income like FIPCOIN does. Built on the robust Binance Smart Chain (BSC), FIPCOIN offers investors fixed returns independent of market volatility. This unique digital asset blends stability, security, and consistent income, reshaping how individuals and businesses interact with cryptocurrencies.

    FIPCOIN is the brainchild of Mr Piyush Krishna, CEO and Founder of FIP Trade Factory (Fixed Income Platforms), who has an extensive background in managing fintech companies, international banking, and blockchain innovation. With a firm belief in the transformative potential of cryptocurrency, FIPCOIN emerged as the solution to many of the hurdles that traditional finance and existing cryptocurrencies face, such as transaction delays, high fees, and market volatility. FIPCOIN’s operations are supported by Fixed Income Platforms LLC, Bridge Funding & Investments Private Limited and Bridge E-Commerce & Technocrats Private Limited & Wealthwise KB

    At its core, FIPCOIN is designed to maintain its initial buying value, regardless of the turbulent fluctuations that often characterise the cryptocurrency market. This guarantees investors peace of mind by ensuring that their investments retain value while also generating fixed monthly returns. This income is supported by FIPCOIN’s High-Frequency Trading (HFT) activities, which provide steady revenue streams. Such stability makes it an attractive proposition for risk-averse investors looking for a dependable store of value in the ever-changing digital economy.

    The currency also benefits from being backed by reputable fund management firms. FIPCOIN integrates the security of traditional finance with the decentralised power of blockchain technology, making it a unique asset within the cryptocurrency sector. “FIPCOIN is a response to the pressing need for a more stable and reliable investment option in the cryptocurrency sector,” says the CEO. “Our mission is to empower investors by providing them with a predictable income stream while maintaining the integrity of their capital.”

    Traditional fiat-based systems often struggle with slow transaction times, expensive fees, and regulatory inconsistencies. FIPCOIN, leveraging blockchain’s decentralised infrastructure, provides a solution that is faster, more cost-effective, and globally accessible. By bypassing intermediaries, FIPCOIN reduces the costs associated with cross-border payments, enabling seamless international transactions that enhance global commerce.

    Visionary CEO of FIPCOIN, emphasises the coin’s potential: “FIPCOIN represents more than just a cryptocurrency; it’s the future of global payments. We’ve designed it to integrate effortlessly into existing financial systems while also offering unmatched stability and income. It is a game-changer in the world of decentralised finance.”

    FIPCOIN’s most distinctive feature lies in its fixed-income model. While most cryptocurrencies are subject to wild price swings, FIPCOIN offers consistent monthly dividends to its holders. These payments are distributed via a smart contract on the Binance Smart Chain, ensuring transparency, efficiency, and security. This is made possible by the coin’s underlying asset reserve, which supports the dividend payouts.

    “In a world where volatility is commonplace, FIPCOIN’s promise of stable, predictable returns presents a unique advantage,” states the CEO. “Our holders can benefit from the possibility of capital appreciation and consistent income, which is nearly unheard of in today’s digital asset market. However, this is a tried-and-true model we’ve applied since 2018 in our Fixed Income Platforms, where we have consistently provided fixed returns to all our clients. The only change is our transition from traditional fiat currencies to digital currencies.”

    In addition to its innovative economic model, FIPCOIN prioritises security. The platform uses multi-layered encryption and undergoes regular security audits to ensure the safety of users’ assets. Built on Binance Smart Chain’s Proof-of-Staked Authority (PoSA) protocol, the network also benefits from reduced energy consumption and enhanced scalability, further securing its position as a forward-thinking cryptocurrency.

    FIPCOIN is committed to adhering to the regulatory frameworks of various jurisdictions, aiming to build trust and legitimacy in an increasingly scrutinised market. This transparency further bolsters investor confidence, particularly in a landscape often clouded by uncertainty and regulatory challenges.

    FIPCOIN’s ecosystem goes beyond simple payments, emphasising decentralised wallets with multichain functionality that enhances security and usability on both Polygon and Binance Smart Chain. In a bid to democratise film production, FIPCOIN is launching a crowdfunding platform for movies, empowering filmmakers to fund their projects independently.

    The universal blockchain explorer will also enable users to track transactions across multiple blockchains, promoting transparency and trust. Investors can engage in an opinion trading platform with AI-powered bots to share insights and earn rewards while incorporating AI tools for cybercrime prevention, underscoring FIPCOIN’s commitment to security and innovation.

    With a total supply of 1 billion tokens, FIPCOIN has a clear and strategic token distribution model. The initial token supply stands at 200 million, with pre-sale values ranging from $0.80 to $0.90. The team has also planned systematic token burning to reduce the overall supply and encourage scarcity, which should drive up the token’s value over time.

    Looking ahead, FIPCOIN has an ambitious roadmap that includes the development of a decentralised wallet, an opinion trading platform, and a crowdfunding platform for aspiring directors. By Q4 2025, it aims to have fully launched all of its promised use cases, firmly establishing itself as a leader in the cryptocurrency space.

    With an international presence spanning India, Hong Kong, Europe, and Dubai, FIPCOIN is well-positioned to cater to a global audience. The team’s deep understanding of intricate regulatory frameworks and financial systems positions FIPCOIN to lead the way in cryptocurrency innovation.

    “Join us as we pave the way for a new era in cryptocurrency,” urges the FIPCOIN team. “Together, we can redefine the financial sector for investors worldwide.”

    As FIPCOIN prepares for its public presale, scheduled for November 2024, there has never been a better time to get involved. The coin’s ability to provide fixed returns in a market notorious for volatility makes it an ideal choice for both seasoned investors and newcomers.

    To learn more and secure your place in the ecosystem, visit FIPCOIN Presale today and be part of this financial revolution.

    You can also follow us on X, Discord, and Telegram to stay updated.

    In case of any queries, please contact
    Contact Person’s Name: Siva
    Designation: Admin
    Contact Email: admin@fipcoin.ai

    About FIPCOIN:
    FIPCOIN presents a groundbreaking concept in the world of cryptocurrency by offering fixed returns regardless of market circumstances. FIPCOIN guarantees stability by utilising its clients’ extensive cross-border transactions and established High-Frequency Trading (HFT) activities to create steady revenue streams. This unique characteristic establishes FIPCOIN as a dependable digital asset that merges capital growth opportunities with regular monthly profits.

    Disclaimer: This content is provided by sponsor. The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the content provider. The information provided in this press release is not a solicitation for investment, nor is it intended as investment advice, financial advice, or trading advice. It is strongly recommended you practice due diligence, including consultation with a professional financial advisor, before investing in or trading cryptocurrency and securities. Please conduct your own research and invest at your own risk.

    Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d5ed90ec-8a23-4a15-b70c-aedea97e6a63

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9380015f-0999-454d-8660-7759c918d6db

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Wearable Devices and RayNeo Collaborate to Lead the Industry of Neural Control for AR Glasses

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    YOKNEAM ILLIT, ISRAEL, Oct. 15, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Wearable Devices Ltd. (the “Company” or “Wearable Devices”) (Nasdaq: WLDS, WLDSW), a technology growth company specializing in artificial intelligence (“AI”)-powered touchless sensing wearables, today announces the collaboration with RayNeo™ (“RayNeo”), a leader in augmented reality (AR) technology, to collaborate in delivering mass production level solution of next-generation neural interface AR glasses.

    Both parties will be showcasing how neural interface technology can be seamlessly integrated into AR devices, enhancing user experience by enabling hands-free, gesture-based interactions in augmented and mixed reality environments.

    RayNeo is known for its innovations in AR, developing cutting-edge AR glasses that enhance immersive experiences by overlaying digital content in the real world. By integrating RayNeo’s AR glasses with Wearable Devices’ neural gesture control technology, users can experience a truly hands-free interaction, elevating the immersive experience to new heights.

    “We are thrilled to collaborate with an innovative leader such as RayNeo,” said Asher Dahan,  Chief Executive Officer of Wearable Devices. “Our Mudra technology demonstrates the potential of neural gesture control to create immersive, intuitive, and natural interactions in mixed reality environments. This partnership reflects our mutual vision of redefining how people interact with technology in the rapidly evolving extended reality (XR) space.”

    “Collaborating with Wearable Devices represents a significant leap forward in the future of AR technology,” said Howie Li, CEO of RayNeo. “By combining RayNeo’s advanced AR glasses with the cutting-edge neural interface technology from Wearable Devices, we are committed to providing innovative solutions that empower users and transform everyday experiences. We believe this collaboration will lead to a new era of smart, intuitive, and immersive wearable experiences.”

    This collaboration highlights the potential for future innovations in the XR market. The combination of RayNeo’s advanced AR hardware and Wearable Devices’ neural input technology creates exciting possibilities for the next generation of smart wearables, offering seamless and touchless control across various applications. The details of the full terms of this collaboration are subject to negotiation and execution of definitive agreements.

    About Wearable Devices Ltd.

    Wearable Devices Ltd. is a growth company developing AI-based neural input interface technology for the B2C and B2B markets. The Company’s flagship product, the Mudra Band for Apple Watch, integrates innovative AI-based technology and algorithms into a functional, stylish wristband that utilizes proprietary sensors to identify subtle finger and wrist movements allowing the user to “touchlessly” interact with connected devices. The Company also markets a B2B product, which utilizes the same technology and functions as the Mudra Band and is available to businesses on a licensing basis. Wearable Devices Is committed to creating disruptive, industry leading technology that leverages AI and proprietary algorithms, software, and hardware to set the input standard for the Extended Reality, one of the most rapidly expanding landscapes in the tech industry. The Company’s ordinary shares and warrants trade on the Nasdaq market under the symbols “WLDS” and “WLDSW”, respectively.

    About RayNeo™

    RayNeo™, incubated by TCL Electronics (1070.HK), is an industry leader in consumer-grade AR innovation, developing some of the world’s most revolutionary AR consumer hardware, software and applications. RayNeo specializes in the research and development of AR technologies with industry-leading optics, display, algorithm and device manufacturing.

    Established in 2021, RayNeo has launched the world’s first full-color Micro-LED optical waveguide AR glasses, achieving several technology breakthroughs in the industry. Alongside winning the “Best Connected Consumer Device” at MWC’s Global Mobile Awards (GLOMO) 2023 with NXTWEAR S, RayNeo also developed the innovation consumer XR wearable glasses, RayNeo Air 2, featuring top-tier, cinematic audiovisual experiences with ultimate comfort. For more information, please visit: https://www.rayneo.com/

    Forward-Looking Statement Disclaimer

    This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, that are intended to be covered by the “safe harbor” created by those sections. Forward-looking statements, which are based on certain assumptions and describe our future plans, strategies and expectations, can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terms such as “believe,” “expect,” “may,” “should,” “could,” “seek,” “intend,” “plan,” “goal,” “estimate,” “anticipate” or other comparable terms. For example, we are using forward-looking statements when we discuss benefits and advantages of our technology and solutions and those of RayNeo and our expectation that this collaboration will lead to a new era of smart, intuitive, and immersive wearable experiences. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this press release regarding our strategies, prospects, financial condition, operations, costs, plans and objectives are forward-looking statements. 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. The Company may not enter into or complete any definitive agreement for the proposed collaboration or, even if it does, such collaboration may not achieve the intended benefits. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause our actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements include, among others, the following: the full terms of the contemplated collaboration which are subject to negotiation and execution of definitive agreements; the trading of our ordinary shares or warrants and the development of a liquid trading market; our ability to successfully market our products and services; the acceptance of our products and services by customers; our continued ability to pay operating costs and ability to meet demand for our products and services; the amount and nature of competition from other security and telecom products and services; the effects of changes in the cybersecurity and telecom markets; our ability to successfully develop new products and services; our success establishing and maintaining collaborative, strategic alliance agreements, licensing and supplier arrangements; our ability to comply with applicable regulations; and the other risks and uncertainties described in our annual report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed on March 15, 2024 and our other filings with the SEC. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

    Investor Relations Contact

    Walter Frank
    IMS Investor Relations
    203.972.9200
    wearabledevices@imsinvestorrelations.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Council pledges to plant 8,000 trees by 2028

    Source: City of Salford

    Salford City Council has pledged to support the planting of 8,000 trees by 2028, as part of their commitment to fighting climate change.

    The council will work with the Greater Manchester community forest and charity, City of Trees, to identify planting sites for street trees and new woodland areas, and work together to plant the trees over the next four years.

    They will also work with developers in the planning process to plant new trees as part of new developments.

    Trees have a host of benefits, from improving air quality by taking up pollutants and helping to reduce flood risk by intercepting water in their leaves and roots, to releasing chemicals which strengthen people’s immune, hormonal and nervous systems.

    Importantly, they absorb carbon dioxide, helping us in the fight against climate change. A single, fully-grown tree can absorb up to 22kg of carbon every year. 

    Cllr Jane Hamilton, Executive Support Member for Climate Change, Low Carbon and Green Agenda at Salford City Council said “the council declared a climate emergency in 2019 in recognition of the need for more urgent action to combat climate breakdown and ensure the city is as resilient as possible. Responding to climate change is one of the key priorities in our corporate plan, This is our Salford, which aims to create a fairer, greener, healthier and more inclusive city for all.

    “Our pledge to plant 8,000 trees by 2028 is just one of the practical steps we are taking to protect current and future generations from the impacts of climate change.”

    Kevin Wigley from City of Trees said “We have the funding for trees and woods, and so finding suitable locations for them to be planted is a priority of ours. We’re pleased to be working with Salford City Council to identify the best place for the new trees to be planted so their benefits can be enjoyed by residents for generations to come.

    “We would  encourage any other landowners in Salford to get in touch about planting woodlands on their land. Each wooded area contributes to creating a greener, more climate-resilient Salford.”

    To find out more about how Salford is responding to climate change visit Greener Salford.

    Share this

    Date published
    Tuesday 15 October 2024

    Press and media enquiries

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Escalating cyber threats demand stronger global defense and cooperation

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: Escalating cyber threats demand stronger global defense and cooperation

    Microsoft customers face more than 600 million cybercriminal and nation-state attacks every day, ranging from ransomware to phishing to identity attacks. Once again, nation-state affiliated threat actors demonstrated that cyber operations—whether for espionage, destruction, or influence—play a persistent supporting role in broader geopolitical conflicts. Also fueling the escalation in cyberattacks, we are seeing increasing evidence of the collusion of cybercrime gangs with nation-state groups sharing tools and techniques.  

    We must find a way to stem the tide of this malicious cyber activity. That includes continuing to harden our digital domains to protect our networks, data, and people at all levels. However, this challenge will not be accomplished solely by executing a checklist of cyber hygiene measures but only through a focus on and commitment to the foundations of cyber defense from the individual user to the corporate executive and to government leaders.

    These are some of the insights from the fifth annual Microsoft Digital Defense Report, which covers trends between July 2023 and June 2024. 

    State-affiliated actors increasingly are using cybercriminals and their tools.  

    Over the last year, Microsoft observed nation state actors conduct operations for financial gain, enlist cybercriminals to collect intelligence, particularly on the Ukrainian military, and make use of the same infostealers, command and control frameworks, and other tools favored by the cybercriminal community. Specifically:  

    • Russian threat actors appear to have outsourced some of their cyberespionage operations to criminal groups, especially operations targeting Ukraine. In June 2024, a suspected cybercrime group used commodity malware to compromise at least 50 Ukrainian military devices.  
    • Iranian nation state actors used ransomware in a cyber-enabled influence operation, marketing stolen Israeli dating website data. They offered to remove specific individual profiles from their data repository for a fee. 
    • North Korea is getting into the ransomware game. A newly-identified North Korean actor developed a custom ransomware variant called FakePenny, which it deployed at organizations in aerospace and defense after exfiltrating data from the impacted networks—demonstrating both intelligence gathering and monetization motivations.  

    Nation state activity was heavily concentrated around sites of active military conflict or regional tension 

    Aside from the United States and the United Kingdom, most of the nation-state-affiliated cyber threat activity we observed was concentrated around Israel, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, and Taiwan. In addition, Iran and Russia have used both the Russia-Ukraine war and the Israel-Hamas conflict to spread divisive and misleading messages through propaganda campaigns that extend their influence beyond the geographical boundaries of the conflict zones, demonstrating the globalized nature of hybrid warfare.  

    • Approximately 75% of Russian targets were in Ukraine or a NATO member state, as Moscow seeks to collect intelligence on the West’s policies on the war. 
    • Chinese threat actors’ targeting efforts remain similar to the last few years in terms of geographies targeted—Taiwan being a focus, as well as countries within Southeast Asia—and intensity of targeting per location. 
    • Iran placed significant focus on Israel, especially after the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war. Iranian actors continued to target the US and Gulf countries, including the UAE and Bahrain, in part because of their normalization of ties with Israel and Tehran’s perception that they are both enabling Israel’s war efforts. 
    Example of Iran’s targeting shift following the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict.

    Russia, Iran, and China focus in on the U.S. election 

    Russia, Iran, and China have all used ongoing geopolitical matters to drive discord on sensitive domestic issues leading up to the U.S. election, seeking to sway audiences in the U.S. to one party or candidate over another, or to degrade confidence in elections as a foundation of democracy. As we’ve reported, Iran and Russia have been the most active, and we expect this activity to continue to accelerate over the next two weeks ahead of the U.S. election.  

    In addition, Microsoft has observed a surge in election-related homoglyph domains—or spoofed links—delivering phishing and malware payloads. We believe these domains are examples both of cybercriminal activity driven by profit and of reconnaissance by nation-state threat actors in pursuit of political goals. At present, we are monitoring over 10,000 homoglyphs to detect possible impersonations. Our objective is to ensure Microsoft is not hosting malicious infrastructure and inform customers who might be victims of such impersonation threats.  

    Financially motivated cybercrime and fraud remain a persistent threat  

    While nation-state attacks continue to be a concern, so are financially motivated cyberattacks. In the past year Microsoft observed:   

    • A 2.75x increase year over year in ransomware attacks. Importantly, however, there was a threefold decrease in ransom attacks reaching the encryption stage. The most prevalent initial access techniques continue to be social engineering—specifically email phishing, SMS phishing, and voice phishing—but also identity compromise and exploiting vulnerabilities in public facing applications or unpatched operating systems. 
    • Tech scams skyrocketed 400% since 2022. In the past year, Microsoft observed a significant uptick in tech scam traffic with daily frequency surging from 7,000 in 2023 to 100,000 in 2024. Over 70% of malicious infrastructure was active for less than two hours, meaning they may be gone before they’re even detected. This rapid turnover rate underscores the need for more agile and effective cybersecurity measures. 

    Threat actors are experimenting with generative AI 

    Last year, we started to see threat actors—both cybercriminals and nation states—experimenting with AI. Just as AI is increasingly used to help people be more efficient, threat actors are learning how they can use AI efficiencies to target victims. With influence operations, China-affiliated actors favor AI-generated imagery, while Russia-affiliated actors use audio-focused AI across mediums. So far, we have not observed this content being effective in swaying audiences.  

    Nation-state adversarial use of AI in influence operations.

    But the story of AI and cybersecurity is also a potentially optimistic one. While still in its early days, AI has shown its benefits to cybersecurity professionals by acting as a tool to help respond in a fraction of the time it would take a person to manually process a multitude of alerts, malicious code files, and corresponding impact analysis. We continue to innovate our technology to find new ways that AI can benefit and strengthen cybersecurity.   

    Collaboration remains crucial to strengthening cybersecurity. 

    With more than 600 million attacks per day targeting Microsoft customers alone, there must be countervailing pressure to reduce the overall number of attacks online. Effective deterrence can be achieved in two ways: by denial of intrusions or by imposing consequences for malicious behavior. Microsoft continues to do our part to reduce intrusions and has committed to taking steps to protect ourselves and our customers through our Secure Future Initiative. 

    While the industry must do more to deny the efforts of attackers via better cybersecurity, this needs to be paired with government action to impose consequences that further discourage the most harmful cyberattacks. Success can only be achieved by combining defense with deterrence. In recent years, a great deal of attention has been given to the development of international norms of conduct in cyberspace. However, those norms so far lack meaningful consequence for their violation, and nation-state attacks have been undeterred, increasing in volume and aggression. To shift the playing field, it will take conscientiousness and commitment by both the public and private sectors so that attackers no longer have the advantage.  

    Microsoft continues to share important threat intelligence with the community, including our recent Cyber Signals research looking at cyber risks in the education sector. 

    Tags: AI, artificial intelligence, China, cyberattacks, cybercrime, cybersecurity, election, elections, generative ai, Hamas, homoglyphs, Iran, Israel, malware, Microsoft Digital Defense Report, NATO, North Korea, phishing, Russia, Secure Future Initiative, Tech scams, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Four Stoke-on-Trent shops closed as part of a raid on illegal cigarettes and vapes

    Source: City of Stoke-on-Trent

    Published: Monday, 14th October 2024

    Four shops in Stoke-on-Trent have been issued with closure orders after an operation by trading standards found illegal cigarettes and vapes being sold.

    Four shops in Stoke-on-Trent have been issued with closure orders after an operation by trading standards found illegal cigarettes and vapes being sold. This follows several months of investigation and test purchasing, including under age test purchasing, and a co-ordinated joint trading standards and police operation last week to target illegal cigarettes and vapes in the City. The officers were also supported by a tobacco detection team including sniffer dog, from Wagtail UK.

    The raids, linked to Operation CeCe, a national initiative which aims to tackle the supply of illegal tobacco, resulted in the seizure of  563 illegal vapes (£7319), 4.5kg of fake hand-rolling tobacco (retail value of £4300, street value £825 and £3000 of evaded duty), 17,600 illegal cigarettes (retail value of £11,000, street value £4000 and £8000 of evaded duty), and 40 packs of illegal shisha (estimated value £700) from the shop premises and one car which was also searched. 

    The council has now used its powers to issue four of the premises with a 48-hour closure notice and last week, Newcastle Magistrates Court made a closure order for each of the premises extending the 48 hours to three months. The city council will now work with the landlords of the premises to re-purpose them.

    Councillor Amjid Wazir OBE, cabinet member for city pride, enforcement and sustainability advised: “Another great result by the trading standards team. Premises found to be selling items illegally will face the consequences.
    “I encourage any resident to report any suspicious activity relating to the sale of illegal vapes, tobacco, underage sales and anything related.
    “We want Stoke-on-Trent to be a safe, thriving place, and this type of activity undermines the hard work of residents and legitimate businesses.”

    “When we have the evidence, we will continue to take action like this against businesses who sell illegal goods in Stoke-on-Trent.”

    Lord Michael Bichard, Chair, National Trading Standards, said: “The trade in illegal tobacco harms local communities and affects honest businesses operating within the law. Having removed 46 million illegal cigarettes, 12,600kg of hand rolling tobacco and almost 175kg of shisha products from sale, Operation CeCe, the National Trading Standards initiative in partnership with HMRC continues to successfully disrupt this illicit trade.” 

    Anyone who wants to report a similar issue to trading standards can call the Trading Standards Hotline 01782 238444 or visit stoke.gov.uk.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ‘Awful reality’: Albanese government injects $95 million to fight the latest deadly bird flu

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Wille, Senior research fellow, The University of Melbourne

    The Australian government has committed A$95 million to fight a virulent strain of bird flu wreaking havoc globally.

    With the arrival of millions of migratory birds this spring, there is an increased risk of a deadly strain arriving in Australia, known as highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1.

    Australia is the only continent free of this rapidly spreading strain. Overseas, HPAI H5N1 has been detected in poultry, wild birds and a wide range of mammals, including humans. But our reprieve will likely not last forever.

    As Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek warned on Monday, “the awful reality of this disease is that – like the rest of the world – we will not be able to prevent its arrival”. HPAI H5N1 is like nothing we’ve seen in Australia. The extra funding, which is in addition to Australia’s current biosecurity budget, will help us prepare and respond.

    A trail of destruction

    Avian influenza is a virus that infects birds, but can infect other animals.

    In Australia we have various strains of avian influenza that don’t cause disease, referred to as low pathogenic avian influenza. While these viruses occur naturally Australian wild birds, it is the disease-causing strains, such as HPAI H5N1 and HPAI H7 we are worried about. These HPAI strains have enormous consequences for wild birds, domestic animals, and animal producers and workers.

    HPAI H5N1 first emerged in Asia in 1996, and has been circulating in Asian poultry for decades. Following genetic changes in the virus, it repeatedly jumped into wild birds in 2014, 2016 and again in 2020, after which it caused an animal pandemic, or panzootic.

    Starting in 2021, the virus rapidly spread. First, from Europe to North America in 2021. Then into South America in 2022. There, in South America, the virus caused the death of more than 500,000 wild birds and 30,000 marine mammals.

    While we had seen large outbreaks in wild birds globally, the huge outbreaks in seals and sea lions in South America was unprecedented. With this came substantial concern that the virus was spreading from mammal to mammal, rather than just bird to bird or bird to mammal, as was happening elsewhere.

    About a year after arriving in South America, the virus was detected in the sub-Antarctic, and a few months later, on the Antarctic Peninsula.

    Australia and New Zealand are still free of the virus, for now.

    The rising death toll

    Beyond wildlife, HPAI H5N1 is having a huge impact on poultry.

    In 2022 alone, it caused 130 million poultry across 67 countries to die of the illness or be euthanased because they were infected.

    In contrast, earlier this year Australia’s biggest avian influenza outbreak to date – caused by a different strain, HPAI H7 – caused the death or destruction of 1.5 million chickens. That’s a drop in the bucket compared to what is occurring globally.

    Concerningly, in the United States, the virus has jumped into dairy cattle and so far has affected more than 200 dairy herds in 14 states. It has also jumping into humans: in the past ten days alone, six human cases have occurred – all in dairy workers in California.

    Given HPAI H5N1 has spread around the globe, the risk of the virus entering Australia has increased.

    In a recent risk assessment, my colleague and I identified two main pathways for H5N1 into Australia.

    The most likely route is that H5N1 is brought in from Asia by long-distance migratory birds. Birds such as shorebirds and seabirds arrive in the millions each spring from Asia (and in some cases as far away as Alaska).

    A second route is with ducks. If the virus spreads across the Wallace Line (a biogeographical boundary that runs through Indonesia), it will come into contact with endemic Australian duck species.

    Unlike shorebirds and seabirds, ducks are not long-distance migrants, and don’t migrate between Asia and Australia. That endemic Australian ducks are not exposed to this virus because they don’t migrate to Asia may be one of the reasons why H5N1 has not yet arrived in Australia.

    So, what’s the plan?

    The Australian government’s new $95 million funding commitment is a crucial response to the heightened level of risk, and the dire consequences if H5N1 entered the country.

    The funding is divided between environment, agriculture and human health – the three pillars of the “One Health” approach.

    Broadly, the money will be spent on:

    • enhancing surveillance to ensure timely detection and response if the disease enters and spreads in animals within Australia

    • strengthening preparedness and response capability to reduce harm to the production sector and native wildlife

    • supporting a nationally coordinated approach to response and communications

    • taking proactive measures to protect threatened iconic species from extinction

    • investing in more pre-pandemic vaccines to protect human health.

    Importantly, the funding covers preparedness, surveillance and response.

    Preparedness includes proactive measures to protect threatened birds – for example, vaccination or reducing other threats to these species) and improving biosecurity.

    Surveillance is essential to catch the virus as soon as it arrives and track its spread. Australia already has a wild bird surveillance program which, among other things, investigates sick and dead wildlife as well as sampling “healthy” wild birds. The additional commitment will bolster these activities.

    Response will include things like better and faster tests. It will also include funding for practical on-ground actions to limit the spread and impacts of HPAI H5N1 for susceptible wildlife. This might include a vaccination program for vulnerable threatened species, as an example.

    Work has already begun

    This funding is a long-term investment, and mostly allocated to future activities. In the short term, my colleagues and I have already begun our spring surveillance program.

    We aim to test about 1,000 long-distance migratory birds arriving in Australia for avian influenza. Based on our risk assessments, we are focusing on long-distance migratory seabirds such as the short-tailed shearwater, and various shorebirds including red-necked stints, arriving from breeding areas in Siberia.

    This surveillance program is supported by, and contributes to, the national surveillance program managed by Wildlife Health Australia

    In addition to our active surveillance, we need your help! If you see sick or dead wild birds or marine mammals, call the Emergency Animal Disease Watch Hotline on 1800 675 888.

    In addition, the Wildlife Health Australia website offers current advice for:

    For more information, visit birdflu.gov.au or Wildlife Health Australia’s avian influenza page

    Michelle Wille receives funding from Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and Wildlife Health Australia.

    – ref. ‘Awful reality’: Albanese government injects $95 million to fight the latest deadly bird flu – https://theconversation.com/awful-reality-albanese-government-injects-95-million-to-fight-the-latest-deadly-bird-flu-241243

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI: OTC Markets Group Welcomes Blumetric Environmental, Inc. to OTCQX

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, Oct. 14, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM), operator of regulated markets for trading 12,000 U.S. and international securities, today announced Blumetric Environmental, Inc. (TSX-V: BLM; OTCQX: BLMWF), (“BluMetric”) an integrated product and service organization, has qualified to trade on the OTCQX® Best Market. BluMetric Environmental, Inc. upgraded to OTCQX from the Pink® market.

    BluMetric Environmental, Inc. begins trading today on OTCQX under the symbol “BLMWF.”  U.S. investors can find current financial disclosure and Real-Time Level 2 quotes for the company on http://www.otcmarkets.com.

    The OTCQX Market provides investors with a premium U.S. public market to research and trade the shares of investor-focused companies. Graduating to the OTCQX Market marks an important milestone for companies, enabling them to demonstrate their qualifications and build visibility among U.S. investors. To qualify for OTCQX, companies must meet high financial standards, follow best practice corporate governance, and demonstrate compliance with applicable securities laws. 

    “We are excited to announce our trading debut on the OTCQX,  a milestone that reflects our commitment to connecting with a broader investor base,” said Scott MacFabe, CEO of BluMetric. “This achievement coincides with our strategic expansion into the U.S. market through our recent acquisition of Gemini Water. We look forward to leveraging this platform as we execute on our new opportunities and drive shareholder value.”

    About BluMetric Environmental Inc.
    BluMetric Environmental Inc. is an integrated product and service organization. It principally provides sustainable solutions for complex environmental issues. It serves clients in many industrial sectors, and at all levels of government, both domestically and internationally. The organization offers services and solutions such as environmental earth sciences and engineering; contaminated site remediation; water resource management; industrial hygiene; occupational health and safety; and water and wastewater design-build and pre-engineered solutions. It operates in Canada and internationally, of which the majority of the revenue is derived from the operations in Canada.

    About OTC Markets Group Inc.
    OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM) operates regulated markets for trading 12,000 U.S. and international securities. Our data-driven disclosure standards form the foundation of our three public markets: OTCQX® Best Market, OTCQB® Venture Market and Pink® Open Market.

    Our OTC Link® Alternative Trading Systems (ATSs) provide critical market infrastructure that broker-dealers rely on to facilitate trading.  Our innovative model offers companies more efficient access to the U.S. financial markets.

    OTC Link ATS, OTC Link ECN and OTC Link NQB are each an SEC regulated ATS, operated by OTC Link LLC, a FINRA and SEC registered broker-dealer, member SIPC.

    To learn more about how we create better informed and more efficient markets, visit http://www.otcmarkets.com.

    Subscribe to the OTC Markets RSS Feed

    Media Contact:
    OTC Markets Group Inc., +1 (212) 896-4428, media@otcmarkets.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Berlin Process Summit 2024: Minister Doughty intervention

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    UK Minister of State for Europe, North America and Overseas Territories outlines UK support for the Western Balkans and calls for a strong and connected Europe.

    Location:
    Berlin
    Delivered on:
    (Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered)

    Thank you, Chancellor Scholz, Madam President, Excellencies, friends.

    Russia’s brutal war in Ukraine shows that we cannot take peace and security in Europe for granted and so we must guard against all those who seek to destabilise the Western Balkans.

    Our work to achieve common goals and diffuse tensions is even more important than it’s already been in the 10 year history of this process.

    And indeed, the challenging outlook requires a strong and connected Europe, and that is why, under its new government, the United Kingdom is resetting our relations with friends across the continent, in this room and many more today at the Foreign Affairs Committee in Luxembourg, which my colleague, Foreign Secretary David Lammy is attending today.

    Indeed, the Western Balkans is one of the areas I believe that we, the United Kingdom, the European Union, all of whom in this room can work together much more closely, because our shared goals are basics we all need for a good life. Security. Prosperity. Equality.

    Buoyant business, solid infrastructure and strong institutions are crucial for driving regional growth.

    The United Kingdom is playing, and will continue to play its full part in supporting the European alignment of the region.

    We are very supportive of the Common Regional Market, and we are delighted to see progress on the Central Europe Free Trade Agreement.

    Over the life of this process, the United Kingdom’s trade with Western Balkans has quadrupled to over £4 billion.

    Through the Global Clean Power Alliance, we will roll out renewables faster and work with partners around this table on energy security and green transition.

    And through UK export finance, new infrastructure projects to help growth take off, working alongside partners here.

    But there is much more we can do.

    We must create more jobs for young people, curbing the ‘brain drain’ that damages a country’s economy.

    We must continue to make progress on the rights of women and girls as part of wider improvements on rights governance and ensuring pluralist democratic societies.

    Not just because that is the right thing to do, but because it is the cornerstone of our efforts to create a more peaceful, stable, prosperous region.

    So, I hope we will build on the success of the Gender Equality Forum and make that an annual feature.

    Chancellor Scholz – the drumbeat from the ministerial meetings has heightened expectations for the Berlin Process.

    And we can now make the most of the momentum and make amazing things happen. I look forward to our work together.

    Thank you.

    Updates to this page

    Published 14 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Asset Entities Signs Macy Gray, Multi-Platinum, Grammy Award Winning Artist, to Design, Develop, and Manage Her Music and Entertainment Discord Community

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    DALLAS, Oct. 14, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Asset Entities Inc. (“Asset Entities” or “the Company”) (NASDAQ: ASST), a provider of digital marketing and content delivery services across Discord and other social media platforms, and a Ternary Payment Platform company, today announced that renowned Grammy Award-winning R&B and soul singer, songwriter, producer and actress Macy Gray has chosen Asset Entities to Design, Develop, and Manage her server on the Discord social community platform.

    Macy Gray is a worldwide icon, revered for her unique approach to sound, lyrics, fashion, and acting. Gray has sold over 25 million album copies worldwide, won a Grammy for Best Female Vocal Performance for her song “I Try,” and has appeared in legendary movies such as Training Day and Spider Man. Macy had essentially given up on her music career when Jeff Blue, who was a young executive at Zomba Music Publishing, heard her demo in 1996 and knew her voice was something the world needed to hear. They developed her sound together, created a bidding war, signed with Epic Records, and Macy’s legend began.

    Macy has decided to team with Asset Entities to create a digital platform to give new artists a shot at stardom, showcasing their talent digitally on the platform Discord. “I am thrilled to be working with Asset Entities,” said Ms. Gray. “Asset Entities represents the future of fan engagement via Discord, and that’s why I chose to partner with the best in the game when it comes to growing fan bases via Discord.”

    Jeff Blue, Asset Entities’ Head of Entertainment, added, “I am so proud to have played a part in discovering Macy back in 1996, and teaming with her again 28 years later is an honor. There’s so much chaos in the music industry right now and I feel that Macy’s musical and personal integrity allows her to be the ideal person to help discover and develop new talent, representing the American dream. She is a role model of courage and faith, and among our century’s greatest entertainers.”

    To learn about Asset Entities, please go to http://www.assetentities.com. To learn about the Ternary payment platform, please go to http://www.ternarydev.com. To learn about Asset Entities 360 suite of discord services, go to http://www.ae360ddm.com and https://discord.gg/ae360ddm.  

    About Asset Entities, Inc.

    Asset Entities Inc. is a technology company providing social media marketing, management, and content delivery across Discord, TikTok, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, and other social media platforms. Asset Entities is believed to be the first publicly traded Company based on the Discord platform, where it hosts some of Discord’s largest social community-based education and entertainment servers. The Company’s AE.360.DDM suite of services is believed to be the first of its kind for the Design, Development, and Management of Discord community servers. Asset Entities’ initial AE.360.DDM customers have included businesses and celebrities. The Company also has its Ternary payment platform that is a Stripe-verified partner and CRM for Discord communities. The Company’s Social Influencer Network (SiN) service offers white-label marketing, content creation, content management, TikTok promotions, and TikTok consulting to clients in all industries and markets. The Company’s SiN influencers can increase the social media reach of client Discord servers and drives traffic to their businesses. Learn more at assetentities.com, and follow the Company on X at $ASST and @assetentities.

    Important Cautions Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements. In addition, from time to time, representatives of the Company may make forward-looking statements orally or in writing. These forward-looking statements are based on expectations and projections about future events, which are derived from the information currently available to the Company. Such forward-looking statements relate to future events or the Company’s future performance, including its financial performance and projections, growth in revenue and earnings, and business prospects and opportunities. Forward-looking statements can be identified by those statements that are not historical in nature, particularly those that use terminology such as “may,” “should,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “contemplates,” “estimates,” “believes,” “plans,” “projected,” “predicts,” “potential,” or “hopes” or the negative of these or similar terms. In evaluating these forward-looking statements, you should consider various factors including those that are described in the section titled “Risk Factors” in the Company’s periodic reports which are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These and other factors may cause the Company’s actual results to differ materially from any forward-looking statement. Forward-looking statements are only predictions. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake any responsibility to update the forward-looking statements in this release, except in accordance with applicable law.

    Company Contacts:
    Arshia Sarkhani, President and Chief Executive Officer
    Michael Gaubert, Executive Chairman
    Asset Entities Inc.
    Tel +1 (214) 459-3117 
    Email Contact

    Investor Contact:
    Skyline Corporate Communications Group, LLC
    Scott Powell, President
    1177 Avenue of the Americas, 5th Floor
    New York, NY 10036
    Office: (646) 893-5835
    Email: info@skylineccg.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: France’s submission of Catherine Geslain-Lanéelle’s candidacy for the position of FAO director general (18.12.18)

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

    The first EU candidate to the FAO

    The French candidate was designated on October 15 as the European Union candidate for FAO general director. This is the first time that EU member states are selecting a common candidate for election to the head of this agency. It is also the first time that a woman is a candidate for the position.

    A candidacy to put the fight against hunger and malnutrition back at the top of political agendas

    Since it was founded, the FAO has helped reduce food insecurity and malnutrition. However it must be noted that hunger is once again increasing in the world.

    Catherine Geslain-Lanéelle is determined to give a new impetus to the FAO and its efforts to eradicate hunger by 2030, in line with the UN’s sustainable development goals. Reducing poverty, stepping up rural development and deeply transforming our food systems are all priorities for the French and European candidate. It is vital to bring all member countries and partners around to a shared, renewed vision in order to strengthen the FAO’s efforts to bring about a world free from hunger and malnutrition.

    To that end, the candidate pledges to expand cooperation and synergies with other UN organizations, especially the IFAD, WFP and the WHO. She wishes to contribute fully to the implementation of UN reform, strengthening cooperation with scientific and technical bodies and all relevant actors.

    Catherine Geslain-Lanéelle also wants the FAO to play a major role as the leading global organization in the areas of food security and nutrition, based on solid and recognized technical and scientific knowledge.

    Strengthening food security, eradicating poverty, combating climate change: a type of agriculture that produces more, in a better way

    Food security and contributions to the agricultural, fisheries and forestry sectors are vital not only to feed humankind but also to provide decent jobs in rural areas, strengthen the role of women and young people, eradicate poverty, and save the planet.

    To achieve these goals, the candidate intends to strengthen investment in research and knowledge, education and training, innovation and infrastructure.

    In a context marked by climate change and the existence of numerous conflicts, the candidate is committed to ensuring that the FAO plays a central role in solutions so that everyone, regardless of where he or she lives, has access to healthy, safe and sustainably produced food. This is the prerequisite for a peaceful, more stable and fairer world.

    In-depth expertise in the areas of food and agriculture and recognized leadership

    Catherine Geslain-Lanéelle, an agricultural engineer and former director general of the Ministry of Agriculture, is a recognized leader with a proven capacity to manage complex organizations operating in a multicultural environment. She also has a high level of professional experience in the areas of food systems, rural development and food security, in France as well as in Europe.

    She has held the most senior positions in the French Ministry of Agriculture, serving successively as deputy director of the Department of International Trade (food aid and international assistance), director general, General Directorate for Food, and director general, General Directorate for Economic and Environmental Performance of Businesses.

    At the European level, after having worked at the European Commission as an expert on consumer food safety issues, she served as executive director of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) for more than seven years.

    Throughout her career, Catherine Geslain-Lanéelle has dedicated her strong scientific and technical expertise in agriculture, fisheries, forestry, rural development, food systems and nutrition to the design and implementation of public agricultural and food policies at the national, European and international levels.

    The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for issues relating to agriculture (including livestock farming, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture) and food. It is a universal intergovernmental organization with 197 members, including the EU. The FAO is active in more than 130 countries around the world. The next director general of the FAO will be elected by member states in June 2019 for a four-year term. Nominations for the office of director-general are being accepted from December 1, 2018, to February 28, 2019.

    Press contacts:

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI: VERB Chairman & CEO Letter to Stockholders

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. and LAS VEGAS, Oct. 14, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Verb Technology Company, Inc. (Nasdaq: VERB) (“VERB” or the “Company”), the 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, releases the full unredacted text of VERB Chairman & CEO Rory J. Cutaia’s Letter to Stockholders, distributed via Form 8-K filed on Friday, October 11, 2024.

    VERB Stockholders:

    I’m Rory J. Cutaia, VERB CEO, and I wanted to take this opportunity to share some information about the Company. Specifically, I want to address the recent reverse stock split, the current share price, the current businesses that comprise the Company, our financial condition, and finally, our future prospects.

    But first – here’s the headline – as of today, October 10, 2024, our market cap is approximately $3.8M, and as of our last Form 10-Q filing, we had cash in the bank of approximately $17.2M – and the only debt we have is a ridiculously small, low interest (3.75%), low payment, 30-year term SBA loan of approximately $125K.

    So do the math – this means if we traded at nothing more than our net cash value, the stock should be trading at more than $22 per share.

    And that assumes we get ZERO value for the underlying businesses – ZERO.

    It makes no sense to me that the stock should trade the way it does. I can only assume that people are not reading the filings, analyzing the financials, and recognizing the amazing opportunity that the new VERB represents.

    This is where I want to direct readers to the safe harbor provision disclosures at the bottom of this letter as I intend to make forward looking statements in what follows.

    We have completely restructured, realigned, reinvented, reconstituted, and reinvigorated our business. We sold an unprofitable business unit that was operating in a challenging business sector. We’ve since restructured VERB as a holding company with three distinct, yet complimentary business units, one of which we have yet to announce. Each is managed by a separate management team, incentivized for success, and all three are currently generating revenue and are growing and growing at a rate that far outpaces the rate of revenue growth we have ever experienced. Third quarter results will be exceedingly better than second quarter results as these business units are now hitting their stride, and based on what we’re seeing right now, fourth quarter will greatly exceed third quarter results.

    I believe we’ve placed ourselves atop a wave of three hot high-growth opportunities that are an outgrowth of recent changes in consumer, business, and societal behaviors, as well as recent changes in securities regulations, that are currently experiencing meaningful growth right now and into the foreseeable future.

    Our MARKET.live business has evolved to one of a service provider to brands fueled by our blossoming partnership with TikTok. Our revenue model has changed from a percent-of-client-sales model to a fixed-price, contract-based, recurring revenue business. Over the past six months you will have seen fewer MARKET.live businesses stream on MARKET.live – NOT because that business is declining – but because as we expanded our partnership with TikTok we shifted most of our live productions to TikTok Shop. A completely revamped MARKET.live is in the works and nearing release. More on that soon.

    Our GO FUND YOURSELF SHOW business vertical, though just-launched, is disrupting the equity crowd-funding sector, offering Reg CF and Reg A issuers an unmatched opportunity to create broad-based awareness for their equity offerings among the investment community. The GO FUND YOURSELF show format also reaches the everyman and everywoman non-accredited investor that can learn about and participate in these types of offerings. Our revenue model includes cash and equity-based fees paid by the issuers for appearances on the show, including fees for show assets we create for the issuers to use for their own marketing purposes. We also take a percentage of sales revenue from those issuers who utilize the Show’s unique shoppable platform to sell their products. We also generate revenue from sponsorships and advertisers.

    Our third business vertical is currently operating in stealth mode as we refine the user/subscriber experience. We believe this business represents an explosive revenue growth opportunity in one of the fastest-growing business sectors in the world today and I can’t wait to reveal it to you.

    As to the reverse stock split, we did everything reasonably possible – and then some – to avoid it. In the end, it’s not our call – let me repeat that because I don’t think some investors realize that – WE DON’T UNILATERALLY DECIDE TO DO A STOCK SPLIT. IT IS A DECISION MADE BY THE STOCKHOLDERS. Because of the way the stock traded, we received a delisting notice from Nasdaq.

    Our obligation as management and as board members is to take the steps required to give our stockholders the option to decide our path forward – delist from Nasdaq and potentially list on the OTC, or reverse split the shares and retain our Nasdaq listing. Neither management, nor our Board is able to implement a reverse stock split unless the stockholders decide to do so. Our job was to provide every stockholder with all the information needed to make that decision for themselves. If we had not given stockholders the option to choose, and if we had unilaterally decided NOT to do a reverse stock split, and we allowed VERB to be delisted – we would have violated our obligations to all stockholders and we would have been held accountable.

    On September 26, 2024, a significant majority of the stockholders that cast a vote, decided to do a reverse stock split in order to stay listed on Nasdaq. It was then our job to carry out that decision, which we’ve done. And now we look forward to the value creation opportunities that lay before us.

    We are extremely well capitalized – on even the most modest revenue assumptions, we have years of cash runway.

    We have virtually no debt to service.

    We have a super clean cap table – all of the warrants have either expired or are so far out of the money as to be irrelevant.

    There’s no hedge fund out there with cheap VERB shares they plan to short against warrants that they picked up for little or no consideration through a bad financing – as they simply don’t exist.

    We have an unbelievably small, tight float – only 763,230 shares as of October 9, 2024.

    We have three revenue generating, high-performing/growing business units.

    And once again – assuming all three of these businesses are worth zero – no value whatsoever – and we trade on nothing more than LIQUIDATION VALUE CASH IN THE BANK – we should be trading at more than $22 per share right now.

    Think about that.

    And think about this – as and when we see the stock trading in the range we believe it should – I will absolutely advocate for, and petition our Board to consider a FORWARD stock split. My interests are completely – 100% aligned with those of every stockholder – as are the interests of our management team and our Board.

    We win together and now is our time.

    Best,

    Rory

    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. 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, those identified in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including 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.

    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 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 and Philadelphia, PA.

    Investor Relations:
    investors@verb.tech

    Media Contact: 
    info@verb.tech 

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Bybit Announces Growth Milestone for Liquid Staking Token bbSOL, Surpassing $100 Million in Locked Value

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Oct. 14, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bybit, the world’s second-largest crypto exchange by trading volume, is thrilled to announce the continued growth and expansion of its innovative liquid staking token, bbSOL. As Bybit’s inaugural Liquid Staking Token (LST), bbSOL continues to offer users a seamless, secure way to stake SOL and earn competitive rewards.

    The rapid adoption of bbSOL has propelled its total locked value beyond 100 million USD in a short span. Beyond staking rewards, bbSOL holders can now further enhance their earning potential through three key opportunities:

    • Providing Liquidity to bbSOL Trading Pairs: Users can earn trading fees by contributing liquidity on decentralized exchanges such as Orca, Raydium and Kamino.
    • Utilizing bbSOL as Collateral: bbSOL can be used as collateral on partner platforms, including Drift, Kamino, marginfi, Save, enabling users to lend, borrow, and unlock higher returns.
    • Restaking bbSOL for Additional Rewards: Through partner platforms like Solayer, users can restake bbSOL to generate extra rewards while supporting the Solana network’s security and governance.

    “We’re excited to see bbSOL’s continued growth and success. The increasing total locked value demonstrates the trust and confidence our users have in bbSOL as a reliable and rewarding digital asset,” added Emily Bao, Head of Spot and Web3 at Bybit.

    As bbSOL’s reach extends across both centralized and decentralized exchanges, it solidifies its position as a premier liquid staking token. Bybit remains committed to offering innovative products and services that empower users to thrive in the digital asset space.

    #Bybit / #TheCryptoArk 

    About Bybit

    Bybit is the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, serving over 50 million users. Established in 2018, Bybit provides a professional platform where crypto investors and traders can find an ultra-fast matching engine, 24/7 customer service, and multilingual community support. Bybit is a proud partner of Formula One’s reigning Constructors’ and Drivers’ champions: the Oracle Red Bull Racing team.

    For more details about Bybit, users can visit Bybit Press. 

    For media inquiries, users can contact: media@bybit.com

    For more information, users can visit: https://www.bybit.com

    For updates, users can follow: Bybit’s Communities and Social Media

    Contact

    Head of PR
    Tony Au
    Bybit
    tony.au@bybit.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Denis Manturov awarded the best exporters of Russia

    MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Denis Manturov presented awards to the winners of the All-Russian Exporter of the Year award at the international forum Made in Russia

    First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov took part in the international forum “Made in Russia”, where he presented awards to the winners of the federal stage of the All-Russian “Exporter of the Year” award.

    The leaders of domestic exports were also congratulated on their high achievements by the Minister of Industry and Trade Anton Alikhanov, the Minister of Agriculture Oksana Lut, the Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov, the Chairman of the All-Russian public organization “Business Russia” Alexey Repik, the President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Sergey Katyrin, the President of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs Alexander Shokhin, the President of the All-Russian public organization of small and medium-sized businesses “Opora Rossii” Alexander Kalinin.

    “It is becoming increasingly difficult for us to identify the best of the best. Almost 1.7 thousand companies took part in this year’s competition, which together accounted for a tenth of the country’s non-resource non-energy exports in 2023. I would like to thank them all for their work in such difficult conditions. I would especially like to note the winners of the district stages of the Exporter of the Year award, your activities are of great importance for the development of our regions. We can and should look up to you, adopt your experience and best practices in conducting foreign economic activity,” Denis Manturov noted.

    The winners and prize winners of the All-Russian Prize in the field of international cooperation and export are determined in two stages: the first takes place at the level of each federal district, then the best exporters of the country are determined from among the companies that took first place according to the results of the district stage.

    “Exporter of the Year” is not only an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of our companies, but also a platform for exchanging experiences and best practices. We hope that this competition will inspire even more companies to develop their export activities and help them find new opportunities for growth and success in the international arena,” said Veronika Nikishina, CEO of the Russian Export Center (part of VEB.RF), following the award ceremony.

    Winners and prize winners were determined in 20 nominations: six main nominations (separately for SMEs and separately for large businesses, 12 in total) and five additional nominations (depending on the size of the company, 8 in total). Following the meetings of the unified district competition commission, 278 winners and prize winners were selected in eight federal districts. 117 companies entered the federal stage.

    Following the meeting of the federal competition commission, 62 winners and prize winners were determined (47 companies took prize places). The leader among the winning regions was Novosibirsk Oblast. Moscow Oblast was second in terms of export records. Third place was shared by St. Petersburg, Sverdlovsk and Volgograd Oblasts.

    The competition is held within the framework of the national project “International Cooperation and Export” with the support of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Economic Development, and the Ministry of Agriculture.

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

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

    http://government.ru/nevs/52990/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI: AMD Expands Alveo Portfolio with Launch of World’s Fastest Electronic Trading Accelerator in Slim Form Factor for Broad, Cost-Effective Server Deployments

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SANTA CLARA, Calif., Oct. 14, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — AMD (NASDAQ: AMD) today announced the AMD Alveo™ UL3422 accelerator card, the latest addition to its record-breaking family of accelerators1 designed for ultra-low latency electronic trading applications. AMD Alveo UL3422 provides trading firms, market makers and financial institutions with a slim form factor accelerator optimized for rack space, cost and designed for a fast path to deployment in a wide range of servers.

    The Alveo UL3422 accelerator is powered by an AMD Virtex™ UltraScale+™ FPGA that features a novel transceiver architecture with hardened, optimized network connectivity cores, custom built for high-speed trading. It enables ultra-low latency trade execution, achieving less than 3ns FPGA transceiver latency and breakthrough ‘tick-to-trade’ performance not achievable with standard off-the-shelf FPGAs1.

    “Speed is the ultimate advantage in the increasingly competitive world of high-speed trading,” said Yousef Khalilollahi, corporate vice president & general manager, Adaptive Computing Group, AMD. “The Alveo UL3422 card provides a lower-cost entry point while still delivering cutting-edge latency performance, making it accessible to firms of all sizes that want to stay competitive in the ultra-low latency trading space.”

    New Slim Form Factor for Cost-Effective Deployment
    The Alveo UL3422 accelerator card is packaged in a slim FHHL (full height, half length) form factor designed to fit into a wide range of servers and co-location exchange data centers.

    Compared to its predecessor, the Alveo UL3422 accelerator reduces port density, on-board memory, and connectivity options, while still being powered by the same AMD Virtex UltraScale+ VU2P FPGA for ultra-low latency.

    As a result, the Alveo UL3422 is half the size with equivalent performance to the existing Alveo UL3524 accelerator card which holds the current STAC-T0 benchmark world record for tick-to-trade performance1. The slim FHHL form factor of the Alveo UL3422 allows financial institutions to cost-effectively optimize compute density and rack-space.

    Ecosystem Solutions and Fast Path to Trade
    The Alveo UL3422 accelerator card is designed for a fast path to deployment by utilizing available infrastructure ecosystem solutions and reference designs, giving trading developers the edge they need for rapid design closure and time to market.

    It is supported by a growing network of ecosystem partner solutions that provide IP and development frameworks to enable the rapid implementation of trading solutions.

    • Exegy, a provider of end-to-end, front-office trading solutions, is supporting the AMD Alveo UL3422 card with its Development Framework (nxFramework). nxFramework is a hardware and software development environment designed to efficiently build and maintain ultra-low latency FPGA applications for the financial industry.
    • Hypertec, a provider of hardware, cloud, and value-added solutions for the financial services industry, has closely collaborated with AMD. The company’s HF X410R-G6 server is certified to support the Alveo UL3422 accelerator, making it the first 1U server fully optimized for this card.
    • Xelera Technologies, a software provider for high-speed network technology and machine learning (ML) applications, collaborated with AMD to help overcome the latency drawback of ML algorithms in high-frequency trading. With Xelera Silva users can take advantage of real-time, ML-based trading decisions while leveraging XGBoost, LightGBM, CatBoost and other advanced models.

    The Alveo UL3422 supports traditional FPGA flows using the AMD Vivado™ Design Suite and comes with a suite of reference designs and performance benchmarks that allow FPGA designers to quickly explore key metrics and develop custom trading strategies to specification.

    AMD is also providing developers with the open-sourced and community-supported FINN development framework, enabling low-latency AI models to be deployed into high-performance trading systems. FINN uses PyTorch and neural network quantization techniques designed to reduce the size of AI models while maintaining accuracy. The FINN compiler generates Quantized Neural Network (QNN) Hardware IP blocks that can be used with AMD FPGAs.

    The AMD Alveo UL3422 accelerator card is currently available and shipping in production volumes to global financial services customers.

    Supporting Resources

    About AMD
    For more than 50 years AMD has driven innovation in high-performance computing, graphics, and visualization technologies. Billions of people, leading Fortune 500 businesses, and cutting-edge scientific research institutions around the world rely on AMD technology daily to improve how they live, work, and play. AMD employees are focused on building leadership high-performance and adaptive products that push the boundaries of what is possible. For more information about how AMD is enabling today and inspiring tomorrow, visit the AMD (NASDAQ: AMD) website, blog, LinkedIn, and Twitter pages.

    AMD, the AMD Arrow logo, Alveo, UltraScale, Virtex, Vivado and combinations thereof are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. Other names are for informational purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners.

    1 The 2024 AMD world record for actionable latency is based on 3rd party testing commissioned by AMD and Exegy, by Strategic Technology Analysis Center, LLC (STAC®) in April 2024, using the STAC-T0 benchmark to test the AMD Alveo UL3524 accelerator card powered by the AMD Virtex Ultrascale+ VU2P FPGA, running on the Exegy nxFramework and Exegy nxTCP-UDP-10g-ULL IP Core, in a Dell PowerEdge R7525 server with AMD EPYC 7313 processors. See https://stacresearch.com/news/AMD240422 for the full STAC report. AMD holds the previous world record for latency (2020): https://www.stacresearch.com/news/XLX200514. Stated results for the Alveo UL3524 accelerator have been extrapolated to the AMD Alveo UL3422 card based on identical silicon and product features. (ALV-20).

    Media Contacts:
    Mike Sanchez
     AMD Communications
    +1 209-262-7458
    M.Sanchez@amd.com

    Mitch Haws
    AMD Investor Relations
    +1 408-749-2845
    Mitch.Haws@amd.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/416bce0e-416e-4cd3-8e25-a89b97c24f09

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