Category: Transport

  • MIL-OSI: HYPR Continues Global Expansion with New Belgrade Office Amid Shift to Passkeys and Rising Deepfake Threats

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, April 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, HYPR, the Identity Assurance Company, announced a significant acceleration of its global growth strategy with the opening of a new European Center of Excellence in Belgrade, Serbia. This strategic second physical office will amplify the company’s capacity to serve its rapidly expanding worldwide customer base while leveraging the region’s deep reservoir of technical talent. Further fueling this global momentum, HYPR also announced the promotion of Douglas McLaughlin to Senior Vice President of Worldwide Sales, a strategic appointment that underscores the company’s response to the surging demand for its passwordless authentication and identity verification solutions across key sectors like financial services and healthcare, where cyber threats are reaching critical levels.

    Identity Renaissance Drives Market Demand

    HYPR’s recently released 2025 State of Passwordless Identity Assurance Report, conducted in partnership with S&P Global Market Intelligence 451 Research, reveals a critical inflection point in authentication security driven by a concerning reality. In 2024, nearly half (49%) of organizations suffered a breach, with an overwhelming 87% attributed to identity vulnerabilities. These breaches resulted in substantial financial losses averaging $2.5 million per incident, alongside legal ramifications forcing many organizations to reduce headcount and implement executive changes. Adding to this challenging landscape, the report also uncovers one of the most alarming findings: nearly 40% of organizations experienced a GenAI-related security incident in the past year, with a staggering 95% encountering some form of deepfake attack—including altered static imagery (50%) and manipulated live (44%) and recorded (41%) audio/video. However, amidst these escalating threats, the report highlights a historic shift in the authentication landscape. For the first time in its five-year history, FIDO passkeys and hardware keys are on track to become the dominant authentication method by 2027, offering a potential pathway to a more secure future.

    Global Expansion and Hiring Initiatives

    To better equip organizations for the escalating battle against identity-based attacks and to fuel its ambitious growth trajectory, HYPR has strategically expanded its operational footprint with a new European Center of Excellence in Belgrade, Serbia. This critical addition will significantly enhance the company’s ability to serve its increasing global customer base with localized expertise while tapping into the region’s robust technical talent market.

    “Our new Belgrade office represents a strategic investment in HYPR’s future,” added Simic. “As threats like sophisticated phishing campaigns and the alarming trend of North Korean hackers infiltrating IT departments continue to make headlines, organizations worldwide are recognizing that robust identity assurance is non-negotiable. We’re actively hiring across multiple functions in both the US and internationally to meet this surging demand.”

    The company’s HYPR Affirm identity verification solution has seen strong adoption across organizations of all sizes, from nimble SMBs to large enterprises, as identity fraud and verification challenges affect businesses regardless of scale. Organizations are leveraging HYPR Affirm to address critical identity challenges including employee onboarding fraud prevention, detection of fake workers, secure account recovery for helpdesks, and verification during high-risk transactions. This growth aligns with the report’s finding that identity verification tools are now the most widely deployed IAM tool (63%) and a top choice for post-breach implementation (68%).

    When combined with HYPR’s passwordless authentication capabilities, customers create a comprehensive identity assurance framework that significantly reduces risk across the identity lifecycle.

    Leadership for Hypergrowth

    Douglas McLaughlin has been named SVP of Worldwide Sales. Over the last six years, McLaughlin has been instrumental in HYPR’s growth trajectory, personally cultivating strategic partnerships with one of the top four US banks, a top five healthcare organization, and one of the nation’s largest credit unions, among other marquee accounts. His leadership has been pivotal in establishing HYPR as the trusted identity assurance partner for enterprises seeking to eliminate credential-based attacks. Additionally, Doug has played a crucial role in building and enhancing HYPR’s channel partner program, significantly expanding the company’s market reach and creating mutually beneficial relationships with strategic technology and service providers.

    “Doug has consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership and an unwavering commitment to our customers’ success,” said Bojan Simic, co-founder, CEO and CTO of HYPR. “His deep understanding of the evolving threat landscape and ability to translate our technical innovations into tangible business value for customers makes them the ideal leader to scale our global sales operations. This promotion reflects not only Doug’s individual achievements but also our company’s commitment to recognizing and elevating top talent.”

    Customers consistently cite McLaughlin’s ability to guide them through complex digital transformations, providing the confidence needed to undertake significant authentication modernization initiatives that deliver both enhanced security and improved user experiences.

    About HYPR

    HYPR, the Identity Assurance Company, helps organizations create trust in the identity lifecycle. The HYPR solution provides the strongest end-to-end identity security, combining modern passwordless authentication with adaptive risk mitigation, automated identity verification and a simple, intuitive user experience. With a third-party validated ROI of 324%, HYPR easily integrates with existing identity and security tools and can be rapidly deployed at scale in the most complex environments.

    Media Contact:
    Fabienne Dawson
    fabienne@hypr.com 
    917.374.6860

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Cequence Security Unveils Industry-First Security Layer to Govern and Protect Agentic AI

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN FRANCISCO, April 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Cequence Security, a leader in API security and bot management, today announced significant enhancements to its Unified API Protection (UAP) platform to deliver the industry’s first comprehensive security solution for agentic AI development, usage, and connectivity. This enhancement empowers organizations to secure every AI agent interaction, regardless of the development framework. By implementing robust guardrails, the solution protects both enterprise-hosted AI applications and external AI APIs, preventing sensitive data exfiltration through business logic abuse and ensuring regulatory compliance.

    There is no AI without APIs, and the rapid growth of agentic AI applications has amplified concerns about securing sensitive data during their interactions. These AI-driven exchanges can inadvertently expose internal systems, create significant vulnerabilities, and jeopardize valuable data assets. Recognizing this critical challenge, Cequence has expanded its UAP platform, introducing an enhanced security layer to govern interactions between AI agents and backend services specifically. This new layer of security enables customers to detect and prevent AI bots such as ChatGPT from OpenAI and Perplexity from harvesting organizational data.

    Internal telemetry across Global 2000 deployments shows that the overwhelming majority of AI-related bot traffic, nearly 88%, originates from large language model infrastructure, with most requests obfuscated behind generic or unidentified user agents. Less than 4% of this traffic is transparently attributed to bots like GPTBot or Gemini. Over 97% of it comes from U.S.-based IP addresses, highlighting the concentration of risk in North American enterprises. Cequence’s ability to detect and govern this traffic in real time, despite the lack of clear identifiers, reinforces the platform’s unmatched readiness for securing agentic AI in the wild.

    Key enhancements to Cequence’s UAP platform include:

    • Block unauthorized AI data harvesting: Understanding that external AI often seeks to learn by broadly collecting data without obtaining permission, Cequence provides organizations with the critical capability to manage which AI, if any, can interact with their proprietary information.
    • Detect and prevent sensitive data exposure: Empowers organizations to effectively detect and prevent sensitive data exposure across all forms of agentic AI. This includes safeguarding against external AI harvesting attempts and securing data within internal AI applications. The platform’s intelligent analysis automatically differentiates between legitimate data access during normal application usage and anomalous activities signaling sensitive data exfiltration, ensuring comprehensive protection against AI-related data loss.
    • Discover and manage shadow AI: Automatically discovers and classifies APIs from agentic AI tools like Microsoft Copilot and Salesforce Agentforce, presenting a unified view alongside customers’ internal and third-party APIs. This comprehensive visibility empowers organizations to easily manage these interactions and effectively detect and block sensitive data leaks, whether from external AI harvesting or internal AI usage.
    • Seamless integration: Integrates easily into DevOps frameworks for discovering internal AI applications and generates OpenAPI specifications that detail API schemas and security mechanisms, including strong authentication and security policies. Cequence delivers powerful protection without relying on third-party tools, while seamlessly integrating with the customer’s existing cybersecurity ecosystem. This simplifies management and security enforcement.

    Gartner® predicts that by 2028, 33% of enterprise software applications will include agentic AI, up from less than 1% in 2024, enabling 15% of day-to-day work decisions to be made autonomously.”*

    “We’ve taken immediate action to extend our market-leading API security and bot management capabilities,” said Ameya Talwalkar, CEO of Cequence. “Agentic AI introduces a new layer of complexity, where every agent behaves like a bidirectional API. That’s our wheelhouse. Our platform helps organizations embrace innovation at scale without sacrificing governance, compliance, or control.”

    These extended capabilities will be generally available in June.

    Additional Resources:

    *Gartner Articles, Intelligent Agents in AI Really Can Work Alone. Here’s How., October 2024. GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and is used herein with permission. All rights reserved.

    About Cequence Security
    Cequence is a pioneer in API security and bot management, protecting the applications and APIs that organizations depend on from attacks, business logic abuse, and fraud. Our unique Unified API Protection platform unites discovery, compliance, and protection capabilities, providing unmatched real-time security in the face of sophisticated threats. Demonstrating value in minutes rather than days or weeks, Cequence offers a flexible deployment model that requires no app instrumentation or modification. Cequence solutions scale to meet the needs of the largest and most demanding private and public sector organizations, protecting more than 8 billion daily API interactions and 3 billion user accounts. To learn more, visit www.cequence.ai.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI USA: Communities and AFSCME Sue to Save Efforts to Stop Trump Cuts, RFK Jr. Anti-Science Meddling

    Source: American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Union

    Municipalities in Texas, Tennessee, Ohio, and Missouri Unite to Prevent Pandemic-Prevention Programs

    Washington, D.C. – A coalition of major municipalities, including Harris County, Texas; Columbus, Ohio; the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee;  and Kansas City, Missouri, along with public service workers represented by the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) are uniting to challenge unlawful budget cuts at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that will cancel grants the municipalities rely on to protect people from infectious diseases and pandemics.

    The municipalities filed suit today in District Court for the District of Columbia, and the case is Harris County et. al v. Kennedy et. al. Nashville and Davidson County, Kansas City, and Columbus are represented by Democracy Forward and the Public Rights Project. AFSCME is also represented by Democracy Forward. Harris County is represented by Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee.

    “The pandemic exposed just how urgently we need strong public health systems,” said AFSCME President Lee Saunders. “In response, Congress stepped up — delivering crucial funding to local health departments to track, prepare for, and fight infectious diseases. But now, this administration is sidestepping the law and withholding taxpayer dollars meant to protect our communities so they can hand out massive tax breaks to billionaires. AFSCME members are on the front lines, vaccinating, educating and saving lives every single day. These actions threaten their ability to tackle threats like the flu and measles and jeopardize public health. We are filing this lawsuit with our partners because that funding belongs to our neighborhoods, not the ultra-rich.”

    “Harris County was set to receive funds to support critical public health services—programs that help us detect and prevent disease outbreaks, run vaccination clinics, and keep our residents healthy,” said Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee. “The Trump administration doesn’t get to override Congress just because it wants to score political points. This funding is the backbone of our local public health response – especially during disease outbreaks. You don’t get to break the law just because you don’t like how Congress spent the money.”

    “The Trump administration’s termination of billions of dollars in infectious disease funding is both dangerous and unconstitutional,” said Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein.“Cities cannot stay quiet on the sidelines as extremists within this administration continue to defy the constitution and recklessly endanger the health and safety of our children and the public. That’s why we’re in the arena fighting to see this funding released as Congress intended—so that health departments can do their jobs and prevent needless deaths of children and our most vulnerable from outbreaks of deadly diseases like measles.”

    “The federal government’s mass termination of local health programs has caused an immediate disruption in life-saving health care services. Metro Nashville joined this lawsuit because the federal government’s unlawful termination of health programs has forced layoffs of Health Department employees, termination of lab testing for infectious disease, including lab tests where the patient is waiting on a result, elimination of programs for childhood vaccination, and more. We were on the verge of providing these life saving services to our unhoused population but that initiative is halted in its tracks,” said Wally Dietz, Director of Law, Metropolitan Government of Nashville.

    On March 24, 2025, President Trump and controversial anti-science HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. unlawfully eliminated the congressionally-appropriated federal grants under Centers for Disease Control’s COVID-19 related grant programs, which provide more than $11 billion worth of federal grants to local municipalities for the vital public health work of identifying, monitoring, and addressing infectious diseases; ensuring access to necessary immunizations, including immunizations for children; and strengthening emergency preparedness to avoid future pandemics.

    “Cancelling programs that seek to prevent the spread of infectious diseases – in the middle of active pandemics – is not just unconstitutional, it is unconscionable,” said Skye Perryman, President and CEO of Democracy Forward. “The Trump administration’s destructive agenda threatens to deprive residents of essential public health services in the midst of continuing dangers posed by COVID-19 and other diseases, including a deadly measles outbreak centered in Texas that has spread to Ohio, Tennessee, and other states across the country. The stakes here are real and immediate. Democracy Forward is honored to work with the Public Rights Project and Harris County to represent these municipalities, which are fighting to preserve crucial and lifesaving public health efforts.”

    “Our government partners have been left scrambling to fill gaps from the loss of vital local initiatives,” said Jill Habig, founder and CEO of Public Rights Project. “These grants were more than a response to the pandemic — they were investments in the people and programs that keep our communities healthy every day.”

    Bizarrely, though the reasoning offered by the Trump administration for canceling the grants was the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, the programs canceled were not limited to work on COVID-19, and include work to stop outbreaks of avian flu and measles, two infectious diseases currently spreading in American neighborhoods.

    Please find the full complaint here.

    – # # # –

    Democracy Forward is a national legal organization that advances democracy and social progress through litigation, policy, public education, and regulatory engagement. For more information, please visit www.democracyforward.org.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Canberra’s most popular library books in 2024

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    Lola in the Mirror by Trent Dalton was most popular with Canberrans this year.

    In brief

    • The list of most-borrowed books from Libraries ACT in 2024 has been released.
    • Lola in the Mirror by Trent Dalton was most popular with Canberrans this year.
    • This article includes the top five books across five categories.

    Lola in the Mirror by Trent Dalton was the most-borrowed book from ACT libraries in 2024.

    The story, featuring the unforgettable heroine Lola, takes the crown from another gutsy female: Elizabeth Zott from Lessons in Chemistry. This Bonnie Garmus book claimed the top spot last year.

    Tenacity and resilience are qualities both Lola and Elizabeth have in spades.

    As did Eileen O’Shaughnessy, the subject of Anna Funder’s Wifedom: Mrs Orwell’s Invisible Life. This came in at number 1 in the adult non-fiction category.

    Local interest in strong female stories continued in the young adult fiction and graphic novels category. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas introduced Canberrans to protagonist Feyre Archeron.

    Lola in the Mirror

    Canberrans couldn’t get enough of Lola this year. The book topped both the adult fiction and all-formats categories. At one stage, there were 525 reservations to borrow the book.

    The title has been shortlisted for many awards and was named 2024 ABIA Book Literary Fiction Book of the Year.

    Its Australian author, Trent Dalton, also wrote the bestselling Boy Swallows Universe.

    Most popular books in all formats, including audio books

    1. Lola in the Mirror by Trent Dalton
    2. Past Lying by Val McDermid
    3. Sanctuary by Garry Disher
    4. The Raging Storm by Ann Cleeves
    5. What Happened to Nina? by Dervla McTiernan

    Top five adult fiction

    1. Lola in the Mirror by Trent Dalton
    2. Past Lying by Val McDermid
    3. Sanctuary by Garry Disher
    4. What Happened to Nina? by Dervla McTiernan
    5. Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson

    Top five adult non-fiction

    1. Wifedom: Mrs Orwell’s Invisible Life by Anna Funder
    2. RecipeTin Eats Dinner: 150+ Recipes From Australia’s Favourite Cook by Nagi Maehashi
    3. 4 Weeks to Better Sleep: A Life-Changing Plan for Deep Sleep, Improved Brain Function and Feeling Great by Michael Mosley
    4. The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathon Haidt
    5. Question 7 by Richard Flanagan

    Top five junior fiction and graphic novels

    1. Twenty Thousand Fleas Under the Sea (Dog Man #11) by Dav Pilkey
    2. Hypno-Ninja! (Ninja Kid #12) by Anh Do
    3. Ninja Games! (Ninja Kid #13) by Anh Do
    4. The Scarlet Shedder: A Graphic Novel (Dog Man #12) by Dav Pilkey
    5. The Race Is On (Wolf Girl 10) by Anh Do

    Top five young adult fiction and graphic novels

    1. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas
    2. Powerless by Lauren Roberts
    3. Heartstopper Volume 5 by Alice Oseman
    4. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
    5. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas

    Libraries ACT over summer

    All library branches are closed for the current holiday period with branches re-opening on Monday 6 January 2025.

    For more information on library opening hours over the summer period, visit library.act.gov.au

    Read more like this


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    MIL OSI News

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Belconnen shop upgrades continue

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    Those visiting Macquarie shops can now take a load off with new seating beside an improved play space.

    In brief:

    • Improvements are being made at several local shops across Canberra.
    • Public space improvements will improve safety, accessibility, look and feel.
    • This story looks at work taking place at three shopping areas in Belconnen.

    Have you noticed some work going on at your neighbourhood shops lately?

    Several local shopping areas are receiving a bit of a facelift through important public space upgrades.

    These include Macquarie shops, Kippax Group Centre and Evatt shops in Belconnen.

    Some of the upgrades include new play equipment, more places to sit and gather and improved access and parking.

    You can also expect improvements to each centre’s overall look and feel, through the addition of murals, new trees and landscaping.

    It’s hoped these improvements will encourage residents to shop local and spend more time in their suburbs.

    Community consultation

    Each project has involved community engagement.

    Community groups and local businesses have shared feedback on the changes they’d like to see. This has informed individual designs.

    You can find more on the consultation process and feedback received for each project by clicking on the links below.

    Macquarie shops

    Upgrades to the local shops at Macquarie Place are now complete.

    Key features include:

    • extra landscaping and tree plantings to provide more shade and enhance the spaces around the shops
    • new tables and seating
    • an upgraded playground with nature play and play elements such as balancing logs and steppers
    • new accessible parking bays
    • upgraded lighting to improve public safety
    • art murals (still to come).

    Find out more about the improvements at Macquarie shops.

    Kippax Group Centre

    Public space improvements have been made along Hardwick Crescent between Luke Street and the service station.

    These improvements took into consideration the other significant projects underway, both in and around the shopping area.

    Key features include:

    • better accessibility along shopfronts. Wider shopfront pavement will allow space for outdoor cafes and public outdoor furniture.
    • upgrades to the three pedestrian crossings in this section. These will become new raised crossings with new lighting. This change will improve safety for pedestrians and also slow traffic along Hardwick Crescent.
    • line marking within the carparks. This will direct pedestrians between the currently separated shops on either side of the large carparks.
    • two new parallel timed parking spaces along Hardwick Crescent and six loading zone spaces.
    • two new accessible parking spaces within the carpark adjacent to Hardwick Crescent.
    • an enhanced streetscape. There will be new plantings and landscaping, including 12 new Chinese elm trees expected to grow to 10 metres tall.
    • new seating.

    Some minor works to finish the streetlighting will be completed in early 2025. This work will have no impact to traffic arrangements along Hardwick Crescent.

    Find out more about the improvements at Kippax Group Centre.

    Evatt shops

    Upgrades are also underway at Evatt shops, on the corner of Clancy Street and Heydon Crescent.

    The public space improvements will include new play equipment – a priority raised through community consultation.

    Key features include:

    • new seating and tables
    • proposed nature play and accessible play elements
    • an art mural to brighten up the area
    • new accessible parking bays
    • a new toilet block
    • more trees and better landscaping
    • improved access for pedestrians including paths, safe crossings and stairways
    • resurfacing of the service area off McClure Street and improved access and safety at Heydon Place.

    Find out more about the improvements at Evatt shops.

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    MIL OSI News

  • MIL-OSI USA: UPDATED: Armstrong issues statement on passing of Pope Francis, directs flags flown at half-staff

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    Gov. Kelly Armstrong released the following statement regarding the passing of Pope Francis, leader of the Roman Catholic Church, who died Monday at age 88.

    “Pope Francis led by example with humility, kindness and respect for the dignity of all God’s children. We join members of the Catholic Church in North Dakota, and all who admired him around the world, in mourning his passing and honoring his legacy of servant leadership and caring for those in need,” Armstrong said.

    As a mark of respect for Pope Francis, Armstrong has directed all U.S. and North Dakota flags to be flown at half-staff, and encourages North Dakotans to do the same at their homes and businesses, until sunset on the day of interment. The directive is in accordance with a proclamation issued by President Donald Trump.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Economics: The Committee of Permanent Representatives to ASEAN and Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN meet with Secretary for Transport and Logistics of Hong Kong SAR

    Source: ASEAN – Association of SouthEast Asian Nations

    The Committee of Permanent Representatives to ASEAN (CPR) and Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for ASEAN Political-Security Community (DSG APSC) met with Ms Mable Chan, Secretary for Transport and Logistics of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), on 24 April 2025. Discussions focused on strengthening the connectivity between the two sides as well as advancing cooperation in areas such as transport infrastructure development, cross-border facilitation, and capacity building programmes to share expertise in transport and connectivity development.
     
    The day before, on 23 April, the ACJCC delegation visited Super Terminal 1 at Hong Kong International Airport. The tour provided insights into the latest innovations and future trends in terminal design, airport construction, and master planning, showcasing Hong Kong’s advancements in aviation infrastructure.

     
    The post The Committee of Permanent Representatives to ASEAN and Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN meet with Secretary for Transport and Logistics of Hong Kong SAR appeared first on ASEAN Main Portal.

    MIL OSI Economics

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Valuation Office Agency scrapped in government drive to slash inefficiencies

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

    News story

    Valuation Office Agency scrapped in government drive to slash inefficiencies

    Reforms to cut red tape, make savings, and improve businesses’ experience of the tax system have been set out today (28 April 2025) by Tax Minister James Murray, helping to deliver the Plan for Change by creating the conditions for growth.

    • VOA to become part of HMRC to increase efficiency, business experience and ministerial accountability

    • Comes ahead of government’s review of the status of hundreds of Arm’s-Length Bodies to rewire Whitehall for a more agile state

    • Measure features as part of government’s Tax Update: Simplification, Administration and Reform (TUSAR) published today

    As part of the government’s drive to slash red tape, increase oversight and ministerial accountability and rewire Whitehall to be more productive and agile, the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), the arm’s-length body (ALB) responsible for valuing properties for council tax and business rates, will be brought into its parent department HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) by April 2026.

    This is the latest ALB to be moved into central government following the decision last month that the world’s biggest quango, NHS England, will be brought back into the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).

    Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, James Murray, said:

    We are determined to reduce the hassle of the tax system for British businesses and taxpayers. Ending the inefficiency and duplication of a standalone VOA will help us drive change faster and improve value for money.

    This government is determined to make public services more productive, helping to deliver our Plan for Change and put more money in peoples’ pockets.

    The VOA’s work supports the collection of over £60 billion in council tax and business rates each year, and also provides commercial property valuation services to the public sector. 

    The move will improve the experience of taxpayers and businesses by cutting the time spent managing taxes and upgrading the customer experience during the transition to a reformed business rates system.

    Having become chair of HMRC’s board last year to strengthen political accountability and delivery, this will help deliver James Murray’s three priorities for HMRC: improving customer service, closing the tax gap, and modernising and reforming services.

    The majority of the VOA’s functions will be brought into HMRC by April 2026, and is expected to deliver between 5 to 10% of additional savings in VOA administrative costs by 2028-29.

    The announcement is part of the government’s Tax Update: Simplification, Administration and Reform (TUSAR) published today.

    As part of this update, 41 measures to reform and simplify the tax and customs system have been announced, making it more modern and effective, and creating the right conditions to support the Prime Minister’s Plan for Change.

    These measures include cutting red tape for small businesses by simplifying VAT administration through changes made to the VAT Capital Goods Scheme – a scheme allowing businesses to reclaim VAT on expensive capital items, based on their long-term use.

    The government will bring forward legislation to remove computer equipment from the Scheme’s qualifying assets. It will increase the threshold value for capital expenditure value of on land, buildings and civil engineering work from £250,000 to £600,000.

    This will free up time and resources spent on tax administration for around 105,000 commercial properties which will be removed from the scheme.

    Benefitting businesses, the government has also today published a consultation on a VAT relief to encourage charitable donations.

    Currently firms do not pay VAT on any goods they donate which are then sold on, for example through a charity shop. However, if goods, such as hygiene supplies and cleaning products, are not sold but are instead distributed free of charge to those in need, VAT must be paid for if it has been previously reclaimed by the business.

    The consultation is to introduce a UK-wide VAT relief for a range of goods which businesses donate to charities to give away free of charge to people in need.

    Mr Murray also announced that Scotch whisky makers will see an average 95% saving on their licensing costs from this summer through simplifying licensing.

    Producers of traditional spirits drinks which are protected by geographic Indication status, such as ‘Scotch whisky’ or ‘Somerset Cider Brandy’, are required to pay verification fees to HMRC.

    This can cost up to £11,410 every two years, and today James Murray announced that, from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2031, all spirit producers will start paying a flat fee of £250 every two years, regardless of the product.

    Further information

    • For more information on the 41 reforms measures announced, read the Written Ministerial Statement.

    • The new VAT relief on donated goods could include goods which are donated to charities for them to use, however such an approach would be paired with protections against VAT evasion, such as a low value limit on eligible goods. For example, the relief would not permit the commercial arm of an organisation buying IT equipment then donating it to a charitable wing to avoid VAT. The consultation seeks views on this.

    • Until today’s announcement, computers costing more than £50k were subject to the requirements of the Capital Good Scheme (CGS). The CGS was introduced in 1990 to ensure VAT recovery on long-life assets reflects their use over time. For land, buildings and engineering work, businesses need to review the taxable use annually over a 10-year period. It prevents schemes that use the asset for taxable activities, recover VAT, and then switch the use to exempt or non-business activity which would reduce the amount of VAT they should pay.

    • The Spirit Drink Verification Scheme is for the registration and verification of geographical indicators (GI) associated with spirit drinks. For example, the term “Scotch Whisky”. Those registered under the scheme pay verification fees to HMRC as part of an assurance process which checks whether products meet the specification associated with that GI. Although not a formal licensing scheme, only those products verified may lawfully carry those GI terms to describe them.

    • See the policy documents from the Tax Update Simplification and Reform Update 2025

    Updates to this page

    Published 28 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Open Day at the Polytechnic University brought together thousands of future students

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    Before the start of the admissions campaign, the Polytechnic University held an Open Day. On April 27, more than 4,000 applicants and their parents visited the Main Academic Building of the university. For those who could not come in person, a live broadcast was organized in the Polytechnic group for applicants on VKontakte.

    The event was opened by the Vice-Rector for Continuing and Pre-University Education of SPbPU Dmitry Tikhonov, who spoke about the advantages of studying at the Polytechnic University and the prospects for students. Then the responsible secretary of the Admissions Committee Vitaly Drobchik acquainted the participants with the key changes in the admission rules for the 2025 academic year.

    After the official part, the guests were able to visit the institutes’ stands, where they learned about the training areas and asked questions to the teachers and students. Various activities and presentations were prepared for the university’s guests. The Civil Engineering Institute held master classes on digital construction, life safety, and product design. Those interested in the humanities were able to learn about the professions of a digital linguist, psychologist, and specialist in foreign regional studies. The Institute of Biomedical Systems and Biotechnology held a master class on experiments with food pigments. The Institute of Industrial Management, Economics, and Trade organized a master class on commodity science, where schoolchildren learned to quickly determine the quality of products and identify signs of non-compliance with standards and possible counterfeiting.

    The SPbPU Career Development Department presented job opportunities to applicants in an interactive format. Specialists talked about practices, internships and options for cooperation with the university’s partners. Organizations that offer targeted training at the university were also presented.

    In addition, participants could visit a photo booth and take a sightseeing tour of the campus. At special consultation stands, guests of the university talked with employees of the Admissions Committee, activists of the United Student Council of Dormitories, representatives of the Black Bears-Polytech sports club and specialists of the Center for Work with Applicants.

    At the end of the event, participants were treated to an impressive scientific show from the Institute of Physics and Mathematics, as well as an awards ceremony for the winners of the university competition.

    The live broadcast was hosted by the Director of the Contingent Formation Center Varvara Sotova and a student of the Institute of Energy Victoria Chernova. They explained in detail the nuances of admission this year and talked about participation in the projects of the State Corporation Rosatom. The broadcast can be viewed inrecords in a group.

    The Open Day once again confirmed the leading position of the Polytechnic University, the relevance of our scientific developments and educational programs. There was a lot of excitement near the career guidance zones of each institute. And the university strategy adapted for presentation to schoolchildren aroused keen interest among applicants and parents, because we are talking about success and prospects. We see how the interest of young people in engineering areas and the use of modern technologies related to artificial intelligence, digital engineering, new materials is growing. It is especially valuable that applicants come to us not just for a diploma, but for the competencies of the future, which will allow them to become sought-after specialists in high-tech industries, – noted Dmitry Tikhonov.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Q&A on Recent Issues

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    Q: What should faculty, staff, or student workers do if they are approached or contacted by federal immigration authorities?

    A: Be polite and professional. Ask for appropriate identification if not easily recognizable. Immediately notify the UConn’s Office of the General Counsel (OGC) at 860-486-5796 or UConn Police at 860-486-4800. After hours contact OGC by email at Nicole.Gelston@uconn.edu. UConn OGC will ensure a valid search warrant, subpoena, or other enforceable legal document before releasing any documents, computers, records, or reports to government agents or law enforcement official unless otherwise required by law.

    Q: What if authorities contact me seeking student information?

    A: Remember that federal student privacy law, known as FERPA, apply. In light of that, don’t share personal student information including class schedules until you receive confirmation from OGC or the police. OGC will coordinate with departments the provision of any records to government agents or law enforcement officials.

    Q: Which campus locations are accessible to federal authorities?

    A: Federal law enforcement authorities may access any area of campus if they have a judicial warrant, meaning a warrant signed by a judge, authorizing them to do so. Otherwise, they may access areas of campus that are considered public, and parts of campus that are not considered public if they are provided with consent to do so by an authorized campus official or, if a dwelling, the resident. An administrative warrant, which is distinct from a judicial warrant, would not give authorities the ability to access non-public areas of campus without consent.

    Q: What spaces on UConn’s campuses are considered public and what are not considered public?

    A: As a public university, most of our campus spaces are considered public. However, there are exceptions to this, including: residence halls, faculty and staff offices, clinical care spaces, and other spaces that are locked when not in use or can only be accessed using a key card. It is virtually impossible to definitively designate every space on UConn’s campuses as public vs. not public as it would depend on a number of factors. Fortunately, faculty, staff, and students do not have to make this determination themselves, or try to decipher what is a judicial warrant versus an administrative warrant, or decide on the spot whether or not to release information – this is why anyone who may encounter federal authorities, including faculty teaching in a classroom, should contact the General Counsel or UConn Police.

    Q: What protections do I have if I am sued as a result of activities undertaken in the course of my employment? 

    A: Under state law, state employees sued due to actions taken within the scope of their employment are entitled to be provided a defense by the state through the Office of the Attorney General as long as such actions were not wanton, malicious or reckless or the Attorney General determines such representation would not be appropriate.  Any such employee would also typically be indemnified by the state in the event there was any monetary judgment awarded against them.  These rights are codified in state statute at sections 4-165 and 5-141d of the Connecticut General Statutes.

    Q: What do I do if I am served with a lawsuit or receive a threat of litigation concerning my University role or employment?

    A: Do not respond to any correspondence from the complainant or their attorney without first contacting the Office of the General Counsel and your direct supervisor.

    Q: What do I do if I am served with a subpoena or other legal document?

    A: As an employee at the University, you may encounter a situation in which a state marshal or other process server who is paid to deliver legal documents asks you to accept service of a legal document during the course of your workday. While less common, you may also receive these legal documents by mail or email. Typically, these legal documents consist of:

    • Subpoena: A subpoena is a written order issued by a court, attorney, or administrative agency. A subpoena generally requires a person to provide testimony and/or documents in connection with a legal proceeding, such as a deposition, court hearing or a trial. A subpoena is not a lawsuit against the University or the employee.
    • Summons and Complaint: A summons and complaint are the documents used to initiate a lawsuit.

    If you are asked to accept service of a subpoena or summons and complaint/lawsuit on behalf of the University or another employee, you should decline and inform the process server to contact the Office of the General Counsel.

    Exception: The only exception to the above is if the subpoena or summons specifically names you, as opposed to the University or another employee. In that situation, you can accept service of the subpoena or summons on your own behalf.  If you are unsure, contact the Office of the General Counsel before accepting any documents.

    Q: What do I do if I receive such documents by email or accidently accept service of such documents?

    A: Contact the Office of the General Counsel as soon as possible because these documents are time sensitive and failure to alert our office can result in adverse legal consequences.

    Please also feel free to contact the Office of the General Counsel at any time if you have any questions.

    Office of the General Counsel
    John J. Budds Building
    343 Mansfield Road
    (860) 486-5796

    generalcounsel@uconn.edu

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: A Message to the University Community

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    To the UConn Community:

    We write to share updates on issues related to actions taken by the federal government in recent weeks and to reiterate guidance previously provided to the community on current issues. Please note that additional information and resources will be shared as they become available.

    **

    SEVIS Revocations. As reported last week, 13 international students at UConn – 12 current students and one recent graduate completing postgraduate training – had their Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) records terminated, which threatened to cause serious disruptions in their academic careers. We have learned that all of the impacted students at UConn have now had their SEVIS records restored by the federal government, meaning absent some other unexpected change, they should be able to resume their studies and work at UConn uninterrupted. UConn continues to work to provide support for all the impacted students and will share new information as it becomes available.

    **

    Department of Education “Dear Colleague Letter.” In February, the U.S. Department of Education issued what is known as a “Dear Colleague Letter” to educational institutions with guidance regarding federal laws that prohibit discrimination. On March 1, the department followed-up with an FAQ. On Thursday, April 24, a federal judge in Maryland issued a nationwide stay of the letter. The court found that the letter set forth new legal obligations and therefore the government should have followed the requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act, which it failed to do. The stay is in effect until the conclusion of the related lawsuit that led to the order.

    **

    New NIH, DOE Policies. The UConn Office of the Vice President for Research has updated its Federal Research Funding FAQ page to reflect new policies recently issued by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The page can be accessed with your UConn NetID and password.

    **

    Potential Interactions with Federal Authorities. UConn is not aware of any instance of federal immigration authorities recently traveling to any of our campuses. The university continues to receive questions from community members about what to do if they encounter immigration authorities at UConn or are contacted by immigration authorities; which spaces on campus can or cannot be accessed by authorities and under what circumstances; and what their rights and protections are under the law more generally.

    The university has posted answers and background information on these issues.

    **

    Our Support Staff. In light of recent events, many UConn staff members at UConn are working tirelessly behind the scenes, directly supporting individuals within the campus community who have been affected. This is particularly true for those dedicated to assisting our students, such as the Dean of Students and the Center for International Students and Scholars in Global Affairs.

    With limited staff available, the committed few we rely on are putting in extraordinary time and effort to meet the needs at hand. We encourage you to show them your support. Before reaching out with questions, we ask all faculty and staff to first review the guidance and resources that have been thoughtfully prepared. Taking a moment to consult these materials will help ensure that our colleagues can concentrate their efforts where they’re most needed.

    As noted above, additional information and resources will be shared as they become available. The President, Provost, and Vice President for Research, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship are in regular communication with representatives from both the state and federal governments to stay updated and determine the best course of action moving forward.

    Anne D’Alleva

    Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

    Nathan Fuerst

    Vice President for Student Life and Enrollment

    Daniel Weiner

    Vice President for Global Affairs

    Jeffrey Hines

    Interim Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer

    Nicole Gelston

    General Counsel

    Pamir Alpay

    Vice President for Research, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Global: From withheld cancer drugs to postcode lotteries in treatment: why people in police custody are missing vital medications

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Gethin Rees, Senior Lecturer in Sociology, Newcastle University

    NottmCity/Shutterstock

    When someone is taken into police custody, they don’t lose their basic rights, including access to healthcare. But new research suggests that, for many people detained by police in England, getting the care they need can be anything but straightforward.

    Our research investigated healthcare provision inside police custody suites and uncovered a troubling reality: people held in custody often face long delays in receiving vital treatments. In some cases, they’re denied their medication altogether – even when they have serious health conditions.

    This isn’t just a bureaucratic hiccup. These delays and denials can pose real risks to people’s health and wellbeing, especially for those already living with chronic conditions or acute mental health issues.

    Healthcare inside police custody isn’t always provided by the NHS. Instead, police forces across England commission providers through a competitive tender process. These providers then employ healthcare professionals who are responsible for treating detainees and responding to emergencies.

    But our research found that the system doesn’t always work as it should. In many cases, the healthcare professionals are not based full-time at custody suites. Instead, one professional may be expected to cover several sites, often dozens of miles apart. It’s not unusual for a healthcare professional to be responsible for multiple suites spread over 50 miles or more.

    That means when someone in custody needs medical attention – say, for prescribed medication – the healthcare professional may not be there. And even if they are, they’re likely to be balancing demands from several locations and having to try to prioritise those people that need attention most urgently. This triage process, while necessary under current conditions, can result in significant and dangerous delays.

    Delays, denials and disbelief

    Delays are often compounded by another issue: distrust.

    Our data – including interviews with healthcare staff, police officers and people with lived experience – showed that many custody staff are deeply sceptical about detainees’ claims regarding their medication. There’s a strong concern that detainees might be seeking drugs or exaggerating their needs, which leads to staff adopting a highly cautious approach.

    In practice, this means that detainees are often made to wait at least six hours before receiving any medication – because they need to wait until they can be sure that any drugs taken before arrest will have metabolised. This practice is aimed at reducing the risk of overdose, but has been criticised by experts, including the Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine, a charity founded by the Royal College of Physicians. It also paints every detainee as dishonest by default.

    Across interviews and custody logs, research found repeated examples of vulnerable people missing doses of medication – whether for mental health, diabetes, or pain management.
    Andrii Spy_k/Shutterstock

    Even when people bring their own prescribed medicine, officers and staff may refuse to administer it unless it’s in its original box with the full pharmacy label – a condition that many can’t meet, especially if they were arrested suddenly.

    One person we interviewed described being detained while undergoing treatment for cancer. Despite explaining his situation, he was left without his medication.

    I can live with not having food for a couple of hours, but you can’t live with not having your medication when you’re due it … They had to take me to hospital to make sure I was all right.

    His experience was not an outlier. Across interviews and custody logs, we saw repeated examples of vulnerable people missing doses of medication – whether for mental health, diabetes, or pain management – because the system either didn’t believe them or wasn’t equipped to help them in time.

    Closing the care gap

    Based on our findings, we made a series of recommendations to improve healthcare in police custody. Two are critical to ensure that detainees receive timely access to essential medications.

    First, every custody suite should have a dedicated healthcare professional embedded on site. This would significantly reduce delays in treatment, ensuring that detainees are promptly assessed and cared for by qualified clinicians.

    Second, standardise the list of available medications across all providers police custody healthcare. A universal list of approved treatments would ensure consistency and fairness, no matter where someone is detained.

    These recommendations have already been echoed by the Independent Custody Visitors Association and the Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. Implementing them could make a real difference to people’s safety and dignity during custody.

    Police custody is often a place of crisis. It receives some of society’s most vulnerable people – those experiencing mental illness, substance use issues, homelessness, or poverty.

    These are people who already face barriers to healthcare in daily life. Detention shouldn’t become another one.

    Timely, appropriate, and compassionate care isn’t just something that is nice to have. It’s a human right. And right now, in too many custody suites, that right is being denied.

    Gethin Rees receives funding from the Economic and Social Research Council.

    ref. From withheld cancer drugs to postcode lotteries in treatment: why people in police custody are missing vital medications – https://theconversation.com/from-withheld-cancer-drugs-to-postcode-lotteries-in-treatment-why-people-in-police-custody-are-missing-vital-medications-255054

    MIL OSI – Global Reports

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Prime Minister’s statement on the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Speech

    Prime Minister’s statement on the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

    Prime Minister Liz Truss’s statement on the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

    2022 Truss Conservative government“>

    This was published under the 2022 Truss Conservative government

    Prime Minister Liz Truss’s statement on the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

    We are all devastated by the news we have just heard from Balmoral.

    The death of Her Majesty The Queen is a huge shock to the nation and to the world.

    Queen Elizabeth II was the rock on which modern Britain was built.

    Our country has grown and flourished under her reign.

    Britain is the great country it is today because of her.

    She ascended the throne just after the Second World War.

    She championed the development of the Commonwealth – from a small group of seven countries to a family of 56 nations spanning every continent of the world.

    We are now a modern, thriving, dynamic nation.

    Through thick and thin, Queen Elizabeth II provided us with the stability and the strength that we needed.

    She was the very spirit of Great Britain – and that spirit will endure.

    She has been our longest-ever reigning monarch.

    It is an extraordinary achievement to have presided with such dignity and grace for 70 years.

    Her life of service stretched beyond most of our living memories.

    In return, she was loved and admired by the people in the United Kingdom and all around the world.

    She has been a personal inspiration to me and to many Britons. Her devotion to duty is an example to us all.

    Earlier this week, at 96, she remained determined to carry out her duties as she appointed me as her 15th Prime Minister.

    Throughout her life she has visited more than 100 countries and she has touched the lives of millions around the world.

    In the difficult days ahead, we will come together with our friends…

    ….across the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth and the world…

    …to celebrate her extraordinary lifetime of service.

    It is a day of great loss, but Queen Elizabeth II leaves a great legacy.

    Today the Crown passes – as it is has done for more than a thousand years – to our new monarch, our new head of state:

    His Majesty King Charles III.

    With the King’s family, we mourn the loss of his mother.

    And as we mourn, we must come together as a people to support him.

    To help him bear the awesome responsibility that he now carries for us all.

    We offer him our loyalty and devotion just as his mother devoted so much to so many for so long.

    And with the passing of the second Elizabethan age, we usher in a new era in the magnificent history of our great country,

    – exactly as Her Majesty would have wished –

    by saying the words…

    God save the King.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI China: Xinglianlu grand bridge starts trial operation in C China’s Changsha

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

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI: Torrey Jacoby Joins Rate as Vice President of Mortgage in Houston

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CHICAGO, April 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Rate, a leader in fintech mortgage solutions, welcomes Torrey Jacoby to Rate as Vice President of Mortgage, based in Houston. A top 1% originator both locally and nationally, Torrey brings more than a decade of experience and a track record of consistent production—closing over $62 million in 2024 alone. As Rate continues to grow in Texas and nationwide, Torrey’s customer-first approach and deep roots in the Houston market are a strong match for our fintech-powered, loan officer–driven model.

    “I’ve always believed that customer service is the foundation of long-term success in this business,” said Jacoby. “That’s how you earn referrals for life. After seven great years at my previous company, I knew it was time to make a move to a platform built for top producers, with the tools and support to take things to the next level.”

    Torrey began his mortgage career in Houston in 2011, shortly after graduating from Pepperdine University and moving from California. He has been a President’s Club winner for the past 10 years and has built his business on trust, responsiveness, and results. He lives in Houston with his wife, Victoria (Tori), and their two children, Hudson (5) and Georgie (2).

    “Torrey represents exactly the kind of leadership and production mindset we value at Rate,” said Todd Heaton, EVP and Western Divisional Manager for Rate. “He’s a powerhouse originator who’s built his business on relationships and repeat referrals. We’re proud to have him on board.”

    About Rate

    Rate Companies is a leader in mortgage lending and digital financial services. Headquartered in Chicago, Rate has over 850 branches across all 50 states and Washington D.C. Since its launch in 2000, Rate has helped more than 2 million homeowners with home purchase loans and refinances. The company has cemented itself as an industry leader by introducing innovative technology, offering low rates, and delivering unparalleled customer service.

    Honors and awards include Best Mortgage Lender for First-Time Homebuyers by NerdWallet for 2023; HousingWire’s Tech100 award for the company’s industry-leading FlashClose℠ digital mortgage platform in 2020, MyAccount in 2022, and Language Access Program in 2023; the most Scotsman Guide Top Originators for 11 consecutive years; Chicago Agent Magazine’s Lender of the Year for seven consecutive years; and Chicago Tribune’s Top Workplaces list for seven straight years.

    Visit rate.com for more information.

    Media Contact

    press@rate.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: EIGHTCO HOLDINGS INC. APPOINTS NICOLA CAIANO TO BOARD OF DIRECTORS

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Easton, PA, April 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Eightco Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: OCTO) (the “Company” or “Eightco”) today announced the appointment of Nicola Caiano to its Board of Directors. Mr. Caiano brings over three decades of expertise in financial strategy, capital markets, and investment management, further strengthening Eightco’s strategic vision and growth trajectory.

    Mr. Caiano currently serves as Chief Financial Officer at Cytometric Therapeutics, where he leads capital formation strategies to fund clinical trials for groundbreaking cancer therapies. He is also the Founding Partner of Olea Management LLC, where he advises family offices and early-stage companies across diverse industries, including technology, finance, and consumer goods, on capital raising and mergers and acquisitions. Previously, Mr. Caiano was a Partner and Director of Research at Pinyon Asset Management, managing a global event-driven equity and credit portfolio. His career also includes senior roles at Paulson & Co. Inc., J.P. Morgan Chase, and Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc.

    “We are thrilled to welcome Nicola Caiano to our Board of Directors,” said Paul Vassilakos, CEO and Chairman of Eightco. “Nic’s proven track record in financial strategy, capital raising, and investment management aligns with our goals to drive sustainable growth and shareholder value. We look forward to him utilizing his expertise and strategic vision to help us execute our ambitious plans to lead in the technology and inventory funding sectors.”

    Mr. Caiano is replacing Mary Ann Halford. Ms. Halford had served on Eightco’s Board since October 2021. “We would like to thank Mary Ann for her dedicated service. Her insights, commitment, and leadership have made a lasting impact. We deeply appreciate her contributions and wish her all the best in her current and future endeavours,” said Mr. Vassilakos.

    About Eightco Holdings, Inc. Eightco (NASDAQ: OCTO) is committed to growth of its subsidiary, Forever 8 Fund, LLC, an inventory capital and management platform for e-commerce sellers. In addition, the Company is actively seeking new opportunities to add to its portfolio of technology solutions focused on the e-commerce ecosystem through strategic acquisitions. Through a combination of innovative strategies and focused execution, Eightco aims to create significant value and growth for its stockholders.

    For additional information, please visit www.8co.holdings and www.forever8.com.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements in this press release other than statements of historical fact could be deemed forward looking. Words such as “plans,” “expects,” “will,” “anticipates,” “continue,” “expand,” “advance,” “develop” “believes,” “guidance,” “target,” “may,” “remain,” “project,” “outlook,” “intend,” “estimate,” “could,” “should,” and other words and terms of similar meaning and expression are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain such terms. Forward-looking statements are based on management’s current beliefs and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties and are not guarantees of future performance. Actual results could differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement as a result of various factors, including, without limitation: Eightco’s ability to maintain compliance with the Nasdaq’s continued listing requirements; unexpected costs, charges or expenses that reduce Eightco’s capital resources; Eightco’s inability to raise adequate capital to fund its business; and Eightco’s inability to innovate and attract users for Eightco’s products and services. Given these risks and uncertainties, you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. For a discussion of other risks and uncertainties, and other important factors, any of which could cause Eightco’s actual results to differ from those contained in forward-looking statements, see Eightco’s filings with the SEC, including in its Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on April 15, 2025. All information in this press release is as of the date of the release, and Eightco undertakes no duty to update this information or to publicly announce the results of any revisions to any of such statements to reflect future events or developments, except as required by law.

    For further information, please contact:
    Investor Relations
    investors@8co.holdings

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Houston American Energy Corp. Announces Results of Special Meeting of Stockholders

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    HOUSTON, TX, April 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Houston American Energy Corp. (NYSE American: HUSA) (“HUSA” or the “Company”), today announced the results of the Company’s special meeting of stockholders (the “Meeting”) held virtually on April 24, 2025.

    At the Meeting, all of the matters put forward before the Company’s stockholders for consideration and approval, as set out in the Company’s definitive proxy statement dated April 11, 2025, were approved by the requisite number of votes cast at the meeting.

    Of most importance, the HUSA shareholders approved the Company’s proposed acquisition of Abundia Global Impact Group (AGIG) with over 90% of shareholders’ votes cast supporting HUSA’s plan to acquire AGIG, a company specializing in converting waste into high value fuels and chemicals. The acquisition supports HUSA’s strategy to diversify its portfolio, expand its global footprint and execute its strategy aimed at driving shareholder value through innovation in the renewable energy sector.

    HUSA and AGIG will continue developing a structured integration and execution plan, with additional updates to come as the acquisition advances toward closing. HUSA currently anticipates closing on the AGIG acquisition by the end of second quarter of 2025.

    “The AGIG acquisition aligns with our strategy to position HUSA into the multi-billion-dollar renewable energy market” said Peter Longo, CEO of HUSA. AGIG has developed a commercially ready project for converting waste into valuable fuels and chemicals, and this transaction gives HUSA stockholders a ready-made platform and project pipeline for future value generation. We are witnessing the growing momentum of the fuel and chemical industry’s transformation into alternative solutions like recycled chemical alternatives and the highly publicized sustainable aviation fuel market.”

    About HUSA

    HUSA is an independent oil and gas company focused on the development, exploration, acquisition, and production of natural gas and crude oil properties. Our principal properties, and operations, are in the U.S. Permian Basin. Additionally, we have properties in the Louisiana U.S. Gulf Coast region. For more information, please visit: https://houstonamerican.com/.

    About Abundia Global Impact Group

    AGIG’s mission is to transition the world into a decarbonized future through the deployment of its technologies, which convert plastic and certified biomass waste into high-quality renewable fuels, energy, and chemical products, providing sustainable solutions that meet the growing demand within established global markets, thus facilitating the transition into a decarbonized future. AGIG is preparing to build its first advanced plastic recycling facility in Cedar Port, Texas. The facility represents the first phase of a structured, capital-efficient growth plan aimed at scaling and deploying AGIG’s technologies for producing renewable fuels and chemicals from waste.

    Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information:

    This news release contains “forward-looking information” and “forward-looking statements” (collectively, “forward-looking information”) within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information is based on management’s current expectations and beliefs and is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking information in this news release includes, but not limited to, statements regarding HUSA’s expected financial condition and performance, the current and projected market, and growth opportunities for the company.

    With respect to the forward-looking information contained in this news release, the Company has made numerous assumptions. While the Company considers these assumptions to be reasonable, these assumptions are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, market and social uncertainties and contingencies. Additionally, there are known and unknown risk factors which could cause the Company’s actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information contained herein. A complete discussion of the risks and uncertainties facing our business is disclosed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and other filings with the SEC on www.sec.gov.

    All forward-looking information herein is qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement, and the Company disclaims any obligation to revise or update any such forward-looking information or to publicly announce the result of any revisions to any of the forward-looking information contained herein to reflect future results, events or developments, except as required by law.

    For additional information, view the company’s website at www.houstonamerican.com or contact Houston American Energy Corp. at (713) 222-6966.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: ARRAY Technologies Names Brian Pitel General Manager, Latin America

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., April 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ARRAY Technologies (NASDAQ: ARRY) (“ARRAY” or the “Company”), a leading provider of tracker solutions and services for utility-scale solar energy projects, has named Brian Pitel as its general manager, Latin America. He will be based in São Paulo, Brazil.

    With a career spanning more than two decades across technology and renewable energy in the Brazilian and Latin American markets, Pitel brings deep expertise in the local markets and regulatory environments. His track record of growing business operations through strategic partnerships led to his ascension at General Electric (GE), where he began as a senior sourcing and logistics manager before becoming general manager of its Latin America branch.

    “Brian’s impressive background in the energy sector combined with his expertise in the Brazilian and Latin American markets made him the perfect fit to lead ARRAY’s growth objectives in the region,” said Neil Manning, President and Chief Operating Officer at ARRAY. “He has an ability to anticipate trends and manage business relationships, which will help us expand our global footprint and reinforce our leadership in renewable energy innovation.”

    Pitel will oversee all of ARRAY’s operations in Brazil and Latin America, fostering efficiency, compliance, and alignment with regional and global objectives. He will play a critical role in supporting existing customers and exploring new market opportunities as ARRAY continues its mission to provide smart, sustainable, and cost-effective solar energy solutions.

    “The solar industry is entering a pivotal moment as we work to realize the impact of recent investments, and I admire ARRAY’s dedication to advancing clean energy across Latin America,” said Pitel. “I look forward to working with the leadership team to drive strategic growth in the region and shape the next generation of solar tracking solutions.”

    Since 2024, Pitel had served as senior advisor and new business development leader at Grupo GA230, a Brazilian manufacturer of components for the oil and gas and renewable energy sectors. He was previously at GE, managing its Latin America supply chain before rising to a general manager position in 2020. Pitel began his career at United Technologies Corporation, starting as a sourcing specialist and eventually relocated to Brazil to lead materials management and logistics at the UTC Otis Elevator factory in Sao Paulo. Pitel graduated from the University of Minnesota and has master’s degrees from RPI Lally School of Management and Purdue University.

    About ARRAY
    ARRAY Technologies (NASDAQ: ARRY) is a leading global provider of solar tracking technology to utility-scale and distributed generation customers who construct, develop, and operate solar PV sites. With solutions engineered to withstand the harshest weather conditions, ARRAY’s high-quality solar trackers, software platforms and field services combine to maximize energy production and deliver value to our customers for the entire lifecycle of a project. Founded and headquartered in the United States, ARRAY is rooted in manufacturing and driven by technology – relying on its domestic manufacturing, diversified global supply chain, and customer-centric approach to design, deliver, commission, train, and support solar energy deployment around the world. For more news and information on ARRAY, please visit arraytechinc.com.

    Forward Looking Statements
    This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements are not historical facts but rather are based on the Company’s current expectations and projections regarding its business, operations and other factors relating thereto. Words such as “may,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “anticipate,” “predict,” “potential,” “continue,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “projects,” “believes,” “estimates” and similar expressions are used to identify these forward-looking statements. These statements are only predictions and as such are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of a number of factors. Forward-looking statements should be evaluated together with the risks and uncertainties that affect our business and operations, particularly those described in more detail in the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and other documents on file with the SEC, each of which can be found on our website www.arraytechinc.com. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future.

    Media Contact
    Nicole Stewart
    505-589-8257
    nicole.stewart@arraytechinc.com

    Investor Relations
    ARRAY Technologies, Inc.
    Investor Relations
    investors@arraytechinc.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: TeraWulf Announces Participation in Upcoming Investor and Industry Conferences

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    EASTON, Md., April 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — TeraWulf Inc. (Nasdaq: WULF) (“TeraWulf” or the “Company”), which owns and operates vertically integrated, next-generation digital infrastructure primarily powered by zero-carbon energy, today announced that various members of senior management will be participating in the following upcoming conferences and events:

    • May 13-15, 2025: JP Morgan Global TMT Conference, Boston, MA
    • May 19-20, 2025: AIM Summit, London
    • May 21-22, 2025: B Riley 25th Annual Investor Conference, Marina del Ray, CA
    • May 27-29, 2025: Bitcoin 2025, Las Vegas, NV
    • June 3-5, 2025: Datacloud Global Congress 2025, Cannes FRA
    • June 10-11, 2025: Rosenblatt Annual Age of AI Summit, Virtual
    • June 24-26, 2025: Roth 15th Annual London Conference, London
    • June 25, 2025: Northland Growth Conference, Virtual

    About TeraWulf

    TeraWulf develops, owns, and operates environmentally sustainable, next-generation data center infrastructure in the United States, specifically designed for bitcoin mining and hosting HPC workloads. Led by a team of seasoned energy entrepreneurs, the Company owns and operates the Lake Mariner facility situated on the expansive site of a now retired coal plant in Western New York. Currently, TeraWulf generates revenue primarily through bitcoin mining, leveraging predominantly zero-carbon energy sources, including hydroelectric and nuclear power. Committed to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles that align with its business objectives, TeraWulf aims to deliver industry-leading economics in mining and data center operations at an industrial scale.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. Such forward-looking statements include statements concerning anticipated future events and expectations that are not historical facts. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements. In addition, forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as “plan,” “believe,” “goal,” “target,” “aim,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “outlook,” “estimate,” “forecast,” “project,” “seek,” “continue,” “could,” “may,” “might,” “possible,” “potential,” “strategy,” “opportunity,” “predict,” “should,” “would” and other similar words and expressions, although the absence of these words or expressions does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements are based on the current expectations and beliefs of TeraWulf’s management and are inherently subject to a number of factors, risks, uncertainties and assumptions and their potential effects. There can be no assurance that future developments will be those that have been anticipated. Actual results may vary materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements based on a number of factors, risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including, among others: (1) the ability to mine bitcoin profitably; (2) our ability to attract additional customers to lease our HPC data centers; (3) our ability to perform under our existing data center lease agreements (4) changes in applicable laws, regulations and/or permits affecting TeraWulf’s operations or the industries in which it operates; (5) the ability to implement certain business objectives, including its bitcoin mining and HPC data center development, and to timely and cost-effectively execute related projects; (6) failure to obtain adequate financing on a timely basis and/or on acceptable terms with regard to expansion or existing operations; (7) adverse geopolitical or economic conditions, including a high inflationary environment, the implementation of new tariffs and more restrictive trade regulations; (8) the potential of cybercrime, money-laundering, malware infections and phishing and/or loss and interference as a result of equipment malfunction or break-down, physical disaster, data security breach, computer malfunction or sabotage (and the costs associated with any of the foregoing); (9) the availability and cost of power as well as electrical infrastructure equipment necessary to maintain and grow the business and operations of TeraWulf; and (10) other risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Potential investors, stockholders and other readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they were made. TeraWulf does not assume any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement after it was made, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law or regulation. Investors are referred to the full discussion of risks and uncertainties associated with forward-looking statements and the discussion of risk factors contained in the Company’s filings with the SEC, which are available at www.sec.gov.

    Investors:
    Investors@terawulf.com

    Media:
    media@terawulf.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Fortinet Threat Report Reveals Record Surge in Automated Cyberattacks as Adversaries Weaponize AI and Fresh Techniques

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    FortiGuard Labs 2025 Global Threat Landscape Report highlights a boom in Cybercrime-as-a-Service on the darknet, fueling a lucrative market for credentials, exploits, and access

    SUNNYVALE, Calif., April 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —
            
    News Summary

    Fortinet® (NASDAQ: FTNT), the global cybersecurity leader driving the convergence of networking and security, today announced the release of the 2025 Global Threat Landscape Report from FortiGuard Labs. The latest annual report is a snapshot of the active threat landscape and trends from 2024, including a comprehensive analysis across all tactics used in cyberattacks, as outlined in the MITRE ATT&CK framework. The data reveals that threat actors are increasingly harnessing automation, commoditized tools, and AI to systematically erode the traditional advantages held by defenders.

    “Our latest Global Threat Landscape Report makes one thing clear: Cybercriminals are accelerating their efforts, using AI and automation to operate at unprecedented speed and scale,” said Derek Manky, Chief Security Strategist and Global VP Threat Intelligence, Fortinet FortiGuard Labs. “The traditional security playbook is no longer enough. Organizations must shift to a proactive, intelligence-led defense strategy powered by AI, zero trust, and continuous threat exposure management to stay ahead of today’s rapidly evolving threat landscape.”

    Key findings from the latest FortiGuard Labs Global Threat Landscape Report include:

    • Automated scanning hits record highs as attackers shift left to identify exposed targets early. To capitalize on newfound vulnerabilities, cybercriminals are deploying automated scanning at a global scale. Active scanning in cyberspace reached unprecedented levels in 2024, rising by 16.7% worldwide year-over-year, highlighting a sophisticated and massive collection of information on exposed digital infrastructure. FortiGuard Labs observed billions of scans each month, equating to 36,000 scans per second, revealing an intensified focus on mapping exposed services such as SIP and RDP and OT/IoT protocols like Modbus TCP.
    • Darknet marketplaces fuel easy access to neatly packaged exploit kits. In 2024, cybercriminal forums increasingly operated as sophisticated marketplaces for exploit kits, with over 40,000 new vulnerabilities added to the National Vulnerability Database, a 39% rise from 2023. In addition to zero-day vulnerabilities circulating on the darknet, initial access brokers are increasingly offering corporate credentials (20%), RDP access (19%), admin panels (13%), and web shells (12%). Additionally, FortiGuard Labs observed a 500% increase in the past year in logs available from systems compromised by infostealer malware, with 1.7 billion stolen credential records shared in these underground forums.
    • AI-powered cybercrime is scaling rapidly. Threat actors are harnessing AI to enhance phishing realism and evading traditional security controls, making cyberattacks more effective and difficult to detect. Tools like FraudGPT, BlackmailerV3, and ElevenLabs are fueling more scalable, believable, and effective campaigns, without the ethical restrictions of publicly available AI tools.
    • Targeted attacks on critical sectors intensify. Industries such as manufacturing, healthcare, and financial services continue to experience a surge in tailored cyberattacks, with adversaries deploying sector-specific exploitations. In 2024, the most targeted sectors were manufacturing (17%), business services (11%), construction (9%), and retail (9%). Both nation-state actors and Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) operators concentrated their efforts on these verticals, with the United States bearing the brunt of attacks (61%), followed by the United Kingdom (6%) and Canada (5%).
    • Cloud and IoT security risks escalate. Cloud environments continue to be a top target, with adversaries exploiting persistent weaknesses such as open storage buckets, over-permissioned identities, and misconfigured services. In 70% of observed incidents, attackers gained access through logins from unfamiliar geographies, highlighting the critical role of identity monitoring in cloud defense.
    • Credentials are the currency of cybercrime. In 2024, cybercriminals shared over 100 billion compromised records on underground forums, a 42% year-over-year spike, driven largely by the rise of “combo lists” containing stolen usernames, passwords, and email addresses. More than half of darknet posts involved leaked databases, enabling attackers to automate credential-stuffing attacks at scale. Well-known groups like BestCombo, BloddyMery, and ValidMail were the most active cybercriminal groups during this time and continue to lower the barrier to entry by packaging and validating these credentials, fueling a surge in account takeovers, financial fraud, and corporate espionage.

    CISO Takeaway: Strengthening Cyber Defenses Against Emerging Threats
    Fortinet’s Global Threat Landscape Report provides rich details on the latest attacker tactics and techniques while also delivering prescriptive recommendations and actionable insights. Designed to empower CISOs and security teams, the report offers strategies to counter threat actors before they strike, helping organizations stay ahead of emerging cyberthreats.

    This year’s report includes a “CISO Playbook for Adversary Defense” that highlights a few strategic areas to focus on:

    • Shifting from traditional threat detection to continuous threat exposure management: This proactive approach emphasizes continuous attack surface management, real-world emulation of adversary behavior, risk-based remediation prioritization, and automation of detection and defense responses. Utilizing breach and attack simulation (BAS) tools to regularly assess endpoint, network, and cloud defenses against real-world attack scenarios ensures resilience against lateral movement and exploitation.
    • Simulating real-world attacks: Conduct adversary emulation exercises, red and purple teaming, and leverage MITRE ATT&CK to test defenses against threats like ransomware and espionage campaigns.
    • Reducing attack surface exposure: Deploy attack surface management (ASM) tools to detect exposed assets, leaked credentials, and exploitable vulnerabilities while continuously monitoring darknet forums for emerging threats.
    • Prioritizing high-risk vulnerabilities: Focus remediation efforts on vulnerabilities actively discussed by cybercrime groups, leveraging risk-based prioritization frameworks such as EPSS and CVSS for effective patch management.
    • Leveraging dark web intelligence: Monitor darknet marketplaces for emerging ransomware services and track hacktivist coordination efforts to preemptively mitigate threats like DDoS and web defacement attacks.

    Discover how FortiGuard Labs Advisory Services combine cutting-edge technology and expert services to help organizations strengthen their security posture before threats emerge. In the event of an incident, FortiGuard Labs offers swift, effective response and in-depth forensic analysis to minimize impact and prevent future intrusions, delivering comprehensive protection in today’s increasingly volatile digital landscape.

    Additional Resources

    About Fortinet
    Fortinet (Nasdaq: FTNT) is a driving force in the evolution of cybersecurity and the convergence of networking and security. Our mission is to secure people, devices, and data everywhere, and today we deliver cybersecurity everywhere our customers need it with the largest integrated portfolio of over 50 enterprise-grade products. Well over half a million customers trust Fortinet’s solutions, which are among the most deployed, most patented, and most validated in the industry. The Fortinet Training Institute, one of the largest and broadest training programs in the industry, is dedicated to making cybersecurity training and new career opportunities available to everyone. Collaboration with esteemed organizations from both the public and private sectors, including Computer Emergency Response Teams (“CERTS”), government entities, and academia, is a fundamental aspect of Fortinet’s commitment to enhance cyber resilience globally. FortiGuard Labs, Fortinet’s elite threat intelligence and research organization, develops and utilizes leading-edge machine learning and AI technologies to provide customers with timely and consistently top-rated protection and actionable threat intelligence. Learn more at https://www.fortinet.com, the Fortinet Blog, and FortiGuard Labs.

    Copyright © 2025 Fortinet, Inc. All rights reserved. The symbols ® and ™ denote respectively federally registered trademarks and common law trademarks of Fortinet, Inc., its subsidiaries and affiliates. Fortinet’s trademarks include, but are not limited to, the following: Fortinet, the Fortinet logo, FortiGate, FortiOS, FortiGuard, FortiCare, FortiAnalyzer, FortiManager, FortiASIC, FortiClient, FortiCloud, FortiMail, FortiSandbox, FortiADC, FortiAI, FortiAIOps, FortiAgent, FortiAntenna, FortiAP, FortiAPCam, FortiAuthenticator, FortiCache, FortiCall, FortiCam, FortiCamera, FortiCarrier, FortiCASB, FortiCentral, FortiCNP, FortiConnect, FortiController, FortiConverter, FortiCSPM, FortiCWP, FortiDAST, FortiDB, FortiDDoS, FortiDeceptor, FortiDeploy, FortiDevSec, FortiDLP, FortiEdge, FortiEDR, FortiExplorer, FortiExtender, FortiFirewall, FortiFlex FortiFone, FortiGSLB, FortiGuest, FortiHypervisor, FortiInsight, FortiIsolator, FortiLAN, FortiLink, FortiMonitor, FortiNAC, FortiNDR, FortiPAM, FortiPenTest, FortiPhish, FortiPoint, FortiPolicy, FortiPortal, FortiPresence, FortiProxy, FortiRecon, FortiRecorder, FortiSASE, FortiScanner, FortiSDNConnector, FortiSIEM, FortiSMS, FortiSOAR, FortiSRA, FortiStack, FortiSwitch, FortiTester, FortiToken, FortiTrust, FortiVoice, FortiWAN, FortiWeb, FortiWiFi, FortiWLC, FortiWLM, FortiXDR and Lacework FortiCNAPP. Other trademarks belong to their respective owners. Fortinet has not independently verified statements or certifications herein attributed to third parties and Fortinet does not independently endorse such statements. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, nothing herein constitutes a warranty, guarantee, contract, binding specification or other binding commitment by Fortinet or any indication of intent related to a binding commitment, and performance and other specification information herein may be unique to certain environments.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Aktsiaselts Infortar 2024 audited Annual Report

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    The Supervisory Board of Aktsiaselts Infortar approved the audited annual report for 2024 and will submit it to the Annual General Meeting for approval.

    Major events

    Maritime transport

    In the summer, Infortar invested €110 million in acquiring Tallink Grupp (Tallink) shares, increasing its shareholding in Tallink to 68.5%.

    The total number of passengers in 2024 reached 5.6 million. As of the end of the financial year, Tallink operated 14 vessels. Three vessels were chartered out during the year. The number of transported cargo units exceeded 303,000, and passenger vehicles transported totalled 777,000.

    Energy

    Infortar’s subsidiary, Elenger Grupp (Elenger), signed a €120 million agreement with the German energy conglomerate EWE AG to acquire EWE Group’s business operations in Poland. The transaction included natural gas assets, a distribution network in Western Poland, and all energy sales segments.

    In 2024, Elenger sold a total of 18.4 TWh of energy (15.9 TWh in 2023). Sales in Estonia accounted for 16% of the total energy sales in 2024. The company’s market share in gas sales across the Finland-Baltic gas market for the year was 24.3%.

    Real estate

    Infortar’s real estate portfolio has expanded from 100,000 to 141,000 square meters over the past year. At the end of last year, the Rimi logistics centre in Saue received its occupancy permit. This summer, a new bridge in Pärnu will be completed, followed by the opening of Lasnamäe’s second DEPO store in Estonia next year. In early 2028, the Kangru-Saku section of the Rail Baltica main route will also be completed.

    Key figures of financial year

    Key figures 12 months 2024 12 months 2023
    Sales revenue. m€ 1 371.775 1 084.626
    Gross profit. m€ 128.628 149.473
    EBITDA. m€ 145.275 143.283
    EBITDA margin (%) 10.6% 13.2%
    Operating profit. EBIT. m€ 77.024 123.628
    Total profit(-loss). m€1,2 193.670 293.830
    EPS (euros)2 9.36 14.62
    Total equity m€ 1 166.221 820.210
    Total liabilities m€3 1 223.287 441.160
    Net debt m€4 1 055.708 354.045
    Investment loans to EBITDA (ratio)5 3.0x 1.7x

    1.The 2024 financial year total profit includes a one-off revaluation of €94 million, mainly arising from the acquisition of Tallink. The 2023 financial year profit includes a one-off revaluation of €159 million, mainly arising from the acquisition of Gaso.

    2. In the Q4 and 12-month annual results reported on 25 February 2025, the consolidated total profit for the financial year was €173.351 million, and earnings per share (EPS) amounted to €8.46. Adjustments have been made in the audited figures, mainly related to the purchase price allocation of Tallink Grupp, resulting in an increase of €20.319 million in the total profit for the annual year and an increase of earnings per share (EPS) by 0.9 euros.

    3–4. The significant increase in liabilities and net debt is due to the consolidation of Tallink’s loans into Infortar’s financial statements in 2024.

    5. Infortar Group’s investment loans / EBITDA ratio. For 2024 Tallink’s 12-month EBITDA (€265.447 million) has been used for comparability purposes

    Revenue

    2024. financial year, the group´s consolidated sales revenue increased by €287.149 million reaching €1 371.775 million (compared to €1 084.626 million in 2023). A significant impact was made by the consolidation of Tallink Grupp’s results into Infortar’s consolidated financial statements starting from August 1, 2024.

    EBITDA and Segment Reporting

    Maritime transport Segment: The EBITDA for the maritime transport segment in 2024 financial year was €175.181 million (compared to €214.528 million in the 2023 financial year). In segment reporting 100% Tallink results are presented.

    Tallink´s financial results were affected by difficult economic environment across all our home markets, and the lowest consumer confidence levels in a decade.

    Energy Segment: The EBITDA for the energy segment of the 2024 financial year was €77.235 million (compared to €135.999 million in 2023). Warmer winter led to a decrease in sales volumes, which in turn impacted profitability in the fourth quarter.

    Real Estate Segment: The profitability assessment considers the EBITDA of individual real estate companies. The EBITDA for the real estate segment of the 2024 financial year was €13.567 million (compared to €12.39 million in 2023). Three new buildings at Liivalaia 9, Tähesaju 9, and Tähesaju 11 were included in the accounting for the 2023 financial year.

    Total Profit

    The consolidated total profit for the 2024 financial year was €193.67 million (compared to €293.83 million in the 2023 financial year). One-off significant impacts included the effects related to the acquisition of Tallink in 2024 and Latvian gas distribution company Gaso in 2023. The consolidated operating profit for the 2024 financial year was €77.024 million (compared to €123.628 million in 2023).

    Investments

    Infortar entered the agricultural sector by acquiring one of Estonia’s largest dairy farms in Halinga and began constructing a biomethane plant next to the farm for local biomethane production. Infortar invested €110 million in purchasing Tallink shares, increasing its shareholding in Tallink to 68,5%.

    Infortar subsidiary Elenger signed a €120 million agreement with the German energy group EWE AG to acquire EWE Group’s entire Polish business. The transaction includes the natural gas distribution network in Western Poland as well as all energy sales operations.

    Financing

    Loan and lease liabilities amounted to €1 223.287 million in 2024 financial year (compared to €441.16 million in 2023 financial year). Significant increase in the 2024 financial year is primarily due to the line-by-line consolidation of Tallink Grupp, which resulted in the full inclusion of Tallink’s liabilities among the group’s obligations.

    Proportionally to the growth in assets, Infortar’s net debt increased by €701.663 million, reaching €1 055.708 million (compared to €354,045 million in 2023 financial year). The net debt to EBITDA ratio was 3.4.

    Dividends

    According to the dividend policy, the objective is to pay dividends of at least 1 euro per share per financial year. Dividend payments are made semi-annually. Infortar Group’s management proposes to pay a dividend of 3 euros per share for the 2024 financial year results.

    Consolidated statement of profit or loss and other comprehensive income

    (in thousands of EUR) 12 months 2024 12 months 2023
    Revenue 1 371 775 1 084 626
    Cost of goods (goods and services) sold -1 243 034 -934 811
    Write-down of receivables -113 -342
    Gross profit 128 628 149 473
    Marketing expenses -21 086 -1 620
    General administrative expenses -50 438 -22 085
    Profit (loss) from biological assets -139 0
    Profit (loss) from the change in the fair value of the investment property -949 -4 074
    Profit (loss) from changes in the fair value of fixed assets -8 691  
    Unsettled gain/loss on derivative financial instruments 26 672 1 969
    Other operating revenue 4 682 2 523
    Other operating expenses -1 655 -2 558
    Operating profit 77 024 123 628
    Profit (loss) from investments accounted for by equity method 22 974 39 639
    Financial income and expenses 13 392 0
    Other financial investments -50 -4
    Interest expense -38 274 -22 573
    Interest income 4 979 2 765
    Profit (loss) from changes in exchange rates 100 -173
    Gain from bargain purchase 93 659 159 158
    Total financial income and expenses 73 806 139 173
    Profit before tax 173 804 302 440
    Corporate income tax 19 866 -8 610
    Profit for the financial year 193 670 293 830
    including:    
    Profit attributable to the owners of the parent company 191 253 293 778
    Profit attributable to non-controlling interest 2 417 52
    Other comprehensive income    
    Items that will not be reclassified to profit or loss    
    Revaluation of post-employment benefit obligations -141 -44
    Items that may be subsequently reclassified to the income statement:    
    Revaluation of risk hedging instruments -45 792 -58 189
    Exchange rate differences attributable to foreign subsidiaries 53 -42
    Total of other comprehensive income -45 880 -58 275
    Total income 147 790 235 555
    including:    
    Comprehensive profit attributable to the owners of the parent company 145 514 235 503
    Comprehensive profit attributable to non-controlling interest 2 417 52
    Ordinary earnings per share (in euros per share) 9,36 14,62
    Diluted earnings per share (in euros per share) 9,12 14,15

    Consolidated statement of financial position

    (in thousands of EUR) 31.12.24 31.12.23
    Current assets    
    Cash and cash equivalents 167 579 87 115
    Short-term derivatives 8 333 28 728
    Settled derivative receivables 676 5 958
    Other prepayments and receivables 155 351 162 575
    Prepaid taxes 3 831 925
    Trade and other receivables 38 517 20 185
    Prepayments for inventories 2 498 3 493
    Inventories 215 914 146 884
    Biological assets 941 0
    Total current assets 593 640 455 863
    Non-current assets    
    Investments to associates 16 603 346 014
    Long-term derivative instruments 3 214 1 125
    Long-term loans and other receivables 35 163 9 072
    Investment property 67 931 176 024
    Property, plant and equipment 1 909 458 446 748
    Intangible assets 38 874 14 366
    Right-of-use assets 47 598 11 300
    Biological assets 2 753 0
    Total non-current assets 2 121 594 1 004 649
    TOTAL ASSETS 2 715 234 1 460 512
         
    (in thousands of EUR) 31.12.24 31.12.23
    Current liabilities    
    Loan liabilities 497 162 184 259
    Rental liabilities 9 020 1 766
    Payables to suppliers 87 941 74 751
    Tax obligations 49 354 32 822
    Buyers’ advances 31 126 3 099
    Settled derivatives 8 728 1 463
    Other current liabilities 63 431 10 851
    Short term derivatives 27 704 3 659
    Total current liabilities 774 466 312 670
    Non-current liabilities    
    Long-term provisions 9 946 8 399
    Deferred taxes 2 816 33 233
    Other long-term liabilities 43 209 30 679
    Long-term derivatives 1 471 186
    Loan-liabilities 676 670 246 410
    Rental liabilities 40 435 8 725
    Total non-current liabilities 774 547 327 632
    TOTAL LIABILITIES 1 549 013 640 302
         
    (in thousands of EUR) 31.12.24 31.12.23
    Equity    
    Share capital 2 117 2 105
    Own shares -72 -95
    Share premium 32 484 29 344
    Reserve capital 212 205
    Option reserve 6 223 3 864
    Hedging reserve* -21 674 24 118
    Unrealised exchange rate differences 45 -39
    Post-employment benefit obligation reserve -185 -44
    Retained earnings from previous periods 890 167 759 918
    Total equity attributable to equity holders of the Parent 909 317 819 376
    Minority interests 256 904 834
    Total equity 1 166 221 820 210
         
    TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY 2 715 234 1 460 512

    Consolidated statement of cash flows

    Cash flows from operating activities    
    (in thousands of EUR) 12 months
    2024
    12 months
    2023
    Profit for the financial year 193 670 293 830
    Adjustments:    
    Depreciation, amortisation, and impairment of non-current assets 68 251 19 655
    Change in the fair value of the investment property -22 974 -39 639
    Change in the value of derivatives -1 483 54 122
    Other financial income/expenses -112 030 -161 965
    Calculated interest expenses 38 274 22 573
    Profit/loss from non-current assets sold -955 -91
    Income from grants recognised as revenue -643 784
    Corporate income tax expense -19 866 8 610
    Income tax paid -10 551 -267
    Change in receivables and prepayments related to operating activities 52 023 54 540
    Change in inventories -12 831 -61 914
    Change in payables and prepayments relating to operating activities -81 275 -406
    Change in biological assets -322 0
    Total cash flows from operating activities 89 288 189 832
         
    Cash flows from investing activities    
    Purchases of associates 0 -10 314
    Purchases of subsidiaries -111 684 -103 414
    Received dividends 20 862 0
    Given loans 1 918 6 652
    Interest gain 4 953 2 691
    Purchases Investment property -10 352 -18 304
    Purchases of property, plant and equipment -27 835 -18 143
    Proceeds from sale of property 1 561 -252
    Total cash flows used in investing activities -120 577 -141 084
         
    Cash flows used in financing activities 12 months
    2024
    12 months
    2023
    Proceeds from targeted financing 225 0
    Changes in overdraft 12 863 14 348
    Proceeds from borrowings 358 731 287 606
    Repayments of borrowings -151 790 -312 846
    Repayment of finance lease liabilities -11 300 -2 233
    Interest paid -39 153 -22 224
    Dividends paid -60 997 -15 750
    Gain from share emission 3 174 29 464
    Total cash flows used in financing activities 111 753 -21 635
         
    TOTAL NET CASH FLOW 80 464 27 113
    Cash at the beginning of the year 87 115 60 002
    Cash at the end of the period 167 579 87 115
    Net (decrease)/increase in cash 80 464 27 113

    The 2024 Annual Report of Aktsiaselts Infortar is attached to this notice and will be made available on the website Reports | Infortar.

    Infortar operates in seven countries, the company’s main fields of activity are maritime transport, energy and real estate. Infortar owns a 68.47% stake in Tallink Grupp, a 100% stake in Elenger Grupp and a versatile and modern real estate portfolio of approx. 141,000 m2. In addition to the three main areas of activity, Infortar also operates in construction and mineral resources, agriculture, printing, and other areas. A total of 110 companies belong to the Infortar group: 101 subsidiaries, 4 affiliated companies and 5 subsidiaries of affiliated companies. Excluding affiliates, Infortar employs 6,228 people.

    Additional information:

    Kadri Laanvee
    Investor Relations Manager
    Phone: +372 5156662
    e-mail: kadri.laanvee@infortar.ee
    www.infortar.ee/en/investor

    Attachments

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: GDS Files 2024 Annual Report on Form 20-F

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SHANGHAI, China, April 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — GDS Holdings Limited (“GDS Holdings”, “GDS” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: GDS; HKEX: 9698), a leading developer and operator of high-performance data centers in China, today announced that it has filed its annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024 with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on April 28, 2025 U.S. Eastern Time.

    The annual report can be accessed on the Company’s investor relations website at investors.gds-services.com and on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. The Company will provide hardcopies of the annual report, free of charge, to its shareholders and ADS holders upon request. Requests should be submitted to ir@gds-services.com.

    About GDS Holdings Limited

    GDS Holdings Limited (NASDAQ: GDS; HKEX: 9698) is a leading developer and operator of high-performance data centers in China. The Company’s facilities are strategically located in and around primary economic hubs where demand for high-performance data center services is concentrated. The Company’s data centers have large net floor area, high power capacity, density and efficiency, and multiple redundancies across all critical systems. GDS is carrier and cloud-neutral, which enables its customers to access the major telecommunications networks, as well as the largest PRC and global public clouds, which are hosted in many of its facilities. The Company offers co-location and a suite of value-added services, including managed hybrid cloud services through direct private connection to leading public clouds, managed network services, and, where required, the resale of public cloud services. The Company has a 24-year track record of service delivery, successfully fulfilling the requirements of some of the largest and most demanding customers for outsourced data center services in China. The Company’s customer base consists predominantly of hyperscale cloud service providers, large internet companies, financial institutions, telecommunications carriers, IT service providers, and large domestic private sector and multinational corporations. The Company also holds a non-controlling 35.6% equity interest in DayOne Data Centers Limited which develops and operates data centers in International markets.

    For investor and media inquiries, please contact:

    GDS Holdings Limited
    Laura Chen
    Phone: +86 (21) 2029-2203
    Email: ir@gds-services.com

    Piacente Financial Communications
    Ross Warner
    Phone: +86 (10) 6508-0677
    Email: GDS@tpg-ir.com

    Brandi Piacente
    Phone: +1 (212) 481-2050
    Email: GDS@tpg-ir.com

    GDS Holdings Limited

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: MEXC Announces the Listing of MilkyWay (MILK) with 448,000 MILK and 50,000 USDT Prize Pool

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VICTORIA, Seychelles, April 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — MEXC, a leading global cryptocurrency exchange, announces the upcoming listing of MilkyWay (MILK) on April 29, 2025 (UTC). To celebrate this significant addition to the exchange, MEXC is launching a special event with a prize pool of 448,000 MILK and 50,000 USDT for both new and existing users.

    MilkyWay is a next-generation restaking protocol addressing security fragmentation across modular blockchains. As a liquid staking solution within the Celestia ecosystem and the leading restake protocol under Initia, it allows staked assets to secure multiple chains while improving capital efficiency through liquid staking (milkTIA) and AVS integration. It is currently integrated with over 10 DeFi protocols, including Osmosis, Levana, and Mars, offering users services such as trading, leverage, lending, and yield farming.MilkyWay’s TVL currently reaches $190 million.

    $MILK is the governance token of the MilkyWay ecosystem. Holders can stake to support network security, vote on proposals, and earn rewards through staking, liquidity incentives, and ecosystem growth. 10% of the total supply is airdropped to Celestia TIA stakers as a tribute to early supporters.

    To celebrate the listing, MEXC will launch an Airdrop+ event from April 28, 2025, 13:00 to May 8, 2025, 10:00 (UTC). The event includes the following benefits:
    Benefit 1: Deposit and share 336,000 MILK (New user exclusive)
    Benefit 2: Futures Challenge — Trade to share 50,000 USDT in Futures bonus (For all users)
    Benefit 3: Invite new users and share 112,000 MILK (For all users)

    The listing of MilkyWay (MILK) is just the latest example of MEXC’s dedication to bringing the most innovative and timely assets to its platform. According to the latest TokenInsight report, from November 1, 2024, to February 15, 2025, MEXC led the industry with an impressive 461 spot listings. During each bi-weekly period, MEXC maintained a high listing frequency, consistently ranking among the top six exchanges and demonstrating its ability to capture market trends quickly. To date, MEXC has listed more than 3,000 digital assets. MEXC will continue to maintain its industry-leading listing efficiency, innovate, and expand its offerings, ensuring users have access to the best opportunities in the ever-evolving crypto landscape.

    For full event details and participation rules, visit here.

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

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

    Source

    Contact:
    Lucia Hu
    lucia.hu@mexc.com

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

    Legal Disclaimer: This media platform provides the content of this article on an “as-is” basis, without any warranties or representations of any kind, express or implied. We assume no responsibility for any inaccuracies, errors, or omissions. We do not assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information presented herein. Any concerns, complaints, or copyright issues related to this article should be directed to the content provider mentioned above.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/73192371-340b-4487-b735-2023126ae5f7

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Champion Safe Company Wraps Up a Strong Showing at the 154th NRA Annual Meeting

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PROVO, UT, April 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Champion Safe Company, a leading manufacturer of premium safes and wholly-owned subsidiary of American Rebel Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: AREB), America’s Patriotic Brand (americanrebel.com), is proud to announce a strong and successful presence at the 154th NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits held this past weekend in Atlanta, Georgia. Champion’s booth saw steady traffic and enthusiastic interest from NRA members passionate about protecting their firearms, their families, and their Second Amendment rights.

    “Our team was energized by the incredible passion and patriotism of the NRA members we met in Atlanta,” said Tom Mihalek, CEO of Champion Safe Company. “It’s clear that Champion’s commitment to building safes with American-made steel and uncompromising strength really resonates with people who care deeply about freedom and security.”

    Throughout the event, attendees explored Champion’s full lineup of gun safes and vault doors, drawn to the company’s reputation for superior strength, fire protection, and craftsmanship. Many took advantage of show specials, and the strong interest in Champion products led to a significant boost to the brand during the weekend.

    “The NRA Annual Meeting is a reminder of why we do what we do,” Mihalek added. “Champion safes are built to protect the rights, values, and possessions that matter most to Americans.”

    Champion Safe Company extends its thanks to the NRA, the City of Atlanta, The Atlanta Safe House and the thousands of attendees who made the 154th Annual Meeting a tremendous success.

    For more information about Champion Safe, visit championsafe.com.

    About Champion Safe Company

    Champion Safe Company has been at the forefront of safe manufacturing for over 25 years, offering a range of high-quality safes designed for ultimate security and fire protection. With a commitment to craftsmanship and innovation, Champion Safes are trusted by homeowners, gun owners, and businesses across the nation.

    About American Rebel Holdings, Inc.

    American Rebel Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: AREB) has operated primarily as a designer, manufacturer and marketer of branded safes and personal security and self-defense products and has recently transitioned into the beverage industry through the introduction of American Rebel Beer. The Company also designs and produces branded apparel and accessories. To learn more, visit americanrebel.com and americanrebelbeer.com. For investor information, visit americanrebel.com/investor-relations.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. American Rebel Holdings, Inc., (NASDAQ: AREB; AREBW) (the “Company,” “American Rebel,” “we,” “our” or “us”) desires to take advantage of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and is including this cautionary statement in connection with this safe harbor legislation. The words “forecasts” “believe,” “may,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “should,” “plan,” “could,” “target,” “potential,” “is likely,” “expect” and similar expressions, as they relate to us, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. We have based these forward-looking statements primarily on our current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy, and financial needs. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ from those in the forward-looking statements include benefits of the meeting, actual effect of the meeting on sales, margin and profit growth, our ability to effectively execute our business plan, and the Risk Factors contained within AREB’s filings with the SEC, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 and Form 10-Q for the nine months ended September 30, 2024. Any forward-looking statement made by us herein speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

    Contact:
    ir@americanrebel.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Arctic Wolf Promotes Dan Schiappa to President, Technology and Services

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn., April 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Arctic Wolf®, a global leader in security operations, today announced the promotion of Dan Schiappa to President, Technology and Services. In this expanded leadership role, Schiappa will oversee the strategic direction and continued innovation of Arctic Wolf’s industry-leading Aurora Platform, which is transforming cybersecurity outcomes via artificial intelligence and the human-reinforced learning from one of the world’s largest commercial security operations centers (SOCs).

    Schiappa, who previously served as Chief Product and Services Officer at Arctic Wolf, brings decades of experience leading product strategy and development at some of the world’s most recognized cybersecurity and technology companies. Since joining Arctic Wolf, he has played a pivotal role in scaling the platform’s capabilities, driving product innovation, and aligning the company’s services with the evolving needs of customers navigating an increasingly complex threat landscape.

    “Dan’s promotion reflects the incredible impact he has made on our technology and services organization, as well as the confidence we have in his ability to lead Arctic Wolf into its next phase of growth,” said Nick Schneider, president and chief executive officer, Arctic Wolf. “His leadership will be instrumental as we continue to scale our AI-powered security operations platform and deliver outcomes that make security more accessible and effective for organizations of all sizes.”

    As President, Technology and Services, Schiappa will guide Arctic Wolf’s strategic initiatives across product management, engineering, security services, and threat intelligence—ensuring the company remains at the forefront of innovation in AI-driven security operations.

    Schiappa’s distinguished career includes executive roles at Sophos, Microsoft, and RSA, where he consistently championed security transformation and operational excellence.

    About Arctic Wolf
    Arctic Wolf® is a global leader in security operations, delivering the first cloud-native security operations platform to end cyber risk. Built on open XDR architecture, the Arctic Wolf Aurora Platform operates at a massive scale and combines the power of artificial intelligence with world-class security experts to provide 24×7 monitoring, detection, response, and risk management. We make security work!

    To learn more about Arctic Wolf, visit www.arcticwolf.com.

    Press Contact:
    Lauren Back
    PR@arcticwolf.com 

    © 2025 Arctic Wolf Networks, Inc., All Rights Reserved. Arctic Wolf, Aurora, Alpha AI, Arctic Wolf Security Operations Cloud, Arctic Wolf Managed Detection and Response, Arctic Wolf Managed Risk, Arctic Wolf Managed Security Awareness, Arctic Wolf Incident Response, and Arctic Wolf Concierge Security Team are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Arctic Wolf Networks, Inc. or Arctic Wolf Networks Canada, Inc. and any subsidiaries in Canada, the United States, and/or other countries.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Global: Italy’s Meloni is positioning herself as bridge between EU and Trump – but will it work?

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Julia Khrebtan-Hörhager, Associate Professor of Critical Cultural & International Studies, Colorado State University

    Italy Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni looks to thread a divide. Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images

    Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni recently became the first European leader to visit the United States after President Donald Trump announced a new tariff regime on trading partners, including a 20% levy on imports from the European Union.

    While those tariffs are currently on hold, the ongoing threat of them being enacted provided a telling backdrop for Meloni’s mid-April 2025 visit.

    Controversial and often perceived by critics as calculating, Meloni has walked a tightrope between European Union solidarity and embracing far-right causes since becoming Italy’s prime minister in 2022. She was the only European leader to attend Trump’s inauguration in January 2025 and counts tech titan Elon Musk among her allies.

    In many ways, Meloni reflects Europe’s own identity crisis: a regional power with global ambition. Italy, after all, was a founding pillar of the European Union, hosting the signing of the Treaties of Rome in 1957 establishing the European common market. Yet, for decades, Italy has often stood just outside the core of EU influence, overshadowed by the Franco-German partnership.

    Still, when the moment is right, Italy knows how to wield its leverage, especially as a bridge between clashing camps in Brussels.

    In Washington, Meloni made her pitch to Trump: a tighter ideological alliance over shared disdain for “woke” politics, diversity, equity and inclusion agendas, and lax immigration. She offered a sweetener – more Italian investment in the U.S. as a sop to the transatlantic trade dispute. But she also reiterated her and the EU’s support for Ukraine, a direct contrast to Trump’s skepticism to continued U.S. support in Ukraine’s conflict with Russia.

    In so doing, Meloni has cast herself as someone who can serve both Brussels and Washington without burning bridges on either side. The gamble? That balancing act could backfire. Trump’s demands over trade and increased defense spending by NATO countries force Meloni to choose between appeasing Washington or staying in line with EU norms. Her overtures to Trump risk alienating key European allies who are wary of his disruptive politics.

    In trying to play both sides, she could end up isolated from both – undermining Italy’s credibility and influence on the world stage.

    Italy was a founder member of the European Union, but it is often a third wheel behind Germany and France.
    Simona Granati/Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images

    Meloni as a bridge

    The story of modern Italy has been one of playing off sides.

    During the Cold War, Italy walked a fine line between NATO commitments and accommodating a powerful domestic Communist Party.

    Italy was regularly governed by a series of often fraught center-right coalitions that were forced to navigate fractious politics and quid pro quo political violence between the far right and far left. The center-right Christian Democrats that dominated this period married conservatism at home with a strong pro-European outlook.

    In the first decades after the Cold War ended, Italy continued to carve out its own lane – pushing for leniency on issues like immigration and fiscal rules. The period saw Italy oscillate between pro-European integration and bouts of euroscepticism, with successive governments frequently challenging Brussels over budgetary constraints or border management.

    Meloni’s own rise is deeply rooted in the post-2015 tensions, when Italy – overwhelmed by the Mediterranean migrant crisis – felt abandoned by its European partners. Her party’s hard-line stance on immigration capitalized on public frustration. While she now presents herself as firmly pro-EU, it’s a version of Europe that aligns with her own vision: more secure borders, stronger national sovereignty and less technocratic interference.

    Ironically, as the bloc itself drifts rightward on migration, Meloni’s positions no longer seem so fringe – perhaps allowing her to embrace the EU pragmatically, even as she critiques it ideologically. Meloni’s own background and rise reflect this ambiguity and duality. Emerging from a political movement with fascist roots, she now presents herself as a passionate Europeanist and pacifist while maintaining right-wing positions on immigration and cultural issues.

    Meloni has governed in that fashion: cultivating ties with conservative heavyweights like Trump and right-wing European leaders, pushing back against Brussels on contentious policy issues, but also remaining firmly committed to the European project when it suits her. Especially when the economy is at stake.

    Meloni as pragmatic European

    Meloni’s strongly nationalist rhetoric and right-wing cultural views might appear at odds with the EU’s purpose, but her approach to the continent is highly pragmatic.

    While she regularly critiques EU bureaucracy at home, her government remains the largest recipient of EU recovery funds, securing €191.5 billion (US$218 billion) from the EU’s post-COVID recovery plan program. That critical cash infusion for an aging country with persistently sluggish growth comes with a commitment to enact a series of stringent fiscal reforms and austerity measures by 2026. In addition, Italy continues to benefit from long-standing cohesion and structural funds, particularly the economically struggling south,.

    Meanwhile, Meloni’s support for Ukraine helps her stand apart from pro-Russia voices in her coalition and strengthens Italy’s standing with NATO and the EU. It’s another strategic move that boosts her credibility both at home and abroad. Far from being a fringe player, Italy under Meloni is central to the EU’s narrative of unity, solidarity and survival.

    A spaghetti Western alliance?

    While Meloni reconciles her nationalist views vis-a-vis the supranationalist EU, she has also prioritized selling her idea of Italy on a bilateral basis.

    That has largely focused on a shrewd charm offensive in the U.S., particularly since the return of Trump, whose right-wing administration provides any easy fit for Meloni. She has attempted to play both Trump and Musk to Italy’s advantage, leveraging Rome’s geopolitical position to secure economic agreements and ease tensions wrought by Trump tariffs, which Meloni called “wrong.”

    Trump has been quick to praise her stance against “anti-woke” politics, while Meloni promises to help resolve trade issues and boost U.S. gas imports, all while keeping Italy at the forefront of negotiations. With Musk, she has attempted to position Italy as a key partner in tech and energy, navigating the global game with both finesse and ambition.

    Italy runs a substantial trade surplus with the U.S. and underspends on NATO defense – two things that typically trigger Trump’s criticism. Yet with Meloni, Trump has been full of admiration: “She’s taken Europe by storm,” he said in April, agreeing during their last meeting to meet again in Rome in the near future.

    Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, left, has expressed solidarity with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
    Thierry Monasse/Getty Images

    Meloni’s diplomatic ambitions extend beyond the U.S., including making moves in the Middle East, particularly with Saudi Arabia. By promoting Italy as a gateway to Europe, she is securing key investments in energy and infrastructure, while boosting Italian exports and increasing her diplomatic leverage. The fact that many in Europe, and indeed Italy, eye such overtures toward Saudi money with distaste, appears neither here nor there. After all, in Italy there has long been an attitude among leaders that “money does not smell” – or “pecunia non olet” as the locals say – a phrase that by legend was uttered by Emperor Vespasian while slapping a tax on public urinals.

    Will all roads lead to Rome?

    While Meloni’s approach of casting Italy as a bridge between the U.S. and Europe may yield some short-term diplomatic gains, it’s nonetheless a delicate path fraught with risk. Cozying up to Washington under Trump, whose policies – especially on trade – have engendered widespread outrage in Europe, risks ruffling feathers in Brussels. Indeed, while Trump praised Meloni’s leadership, and both sides talked trade with no urgency on tariffs, Europe watched warily.

    Trying to navigate between Trump’s protectionist leanings and the EU’s collective trade stance could leave Meloni unable to satisfy either side. Should Trump push for concessions – like shrinking Italy’s trade surplus with the U.S. or increasing defense spending – Meloni may find herself at odds with EU standards and alienating European partners. But leaning too far into EU alignment – and the bloc’s commitment to Ukraine – risks souring her ties with Trump’s camp, potentially weakening her influence across the Atlantic.

    In trying to please both Washington and Brussels, Meloni could end up with enemies on both fronts – and very few wins to show for it.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    ref. Italy’s Meloni is positioning herself as bridge between EU and Trump – but will it work? – https://theconversation.com/italys-meloni-is-positioning-herself-as-bridge-between-eu-and-trump-but-will-it-work-254955

    MIL OSI – Global Reports

  • MIL-OSI Global: Oshikatsu, the fandom phenomenon Japan hopes can boost its flagging economy

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Fabio Gygi, Senior Lecturer in Anthropology, SOAS, University of London

    Posters in Tokyo’s enormous Shinjuku railway station are normally used for advertising commodities like cosmetics and food, as well as new films. But occasionally you may happen across a poster with a birthday message and a picture of a young man, often from a boy band and typically with impeccable looks.

    These posters are created by specialised advertising companies and are paid for by adoring fans. They are part of a phenomenon called oshikatsu, a term coined in recent years that is made from the Japanese words for “push” and “activity”.

    Oshikatsu refers to the efforts fans engage in to support their favourite oshi, which can mean an entertainer, an anime or manga character, or a group they admire and want to “push”.

    A considerable part of this support is economic in nature. Fans attend events and concerts, or buy merchandise such as CDs, posters and other collectables. Other forms of oshikatsu are meant to spread the fame of their idol by sharing content about their oshi, engaging in social media campaigns, and writing fan fiction or drawing fan art.

    A birthday message for Kogun, a South Korean singer trying to make it in Japan, in 2022.
    Fabio Gygi, CC BY-NC-ND

    Oshikatsu developed out of the desire of fans to have a closer link to their idols. The combination of oshi and katsu first appeared on social media networks in 2016 and became widespread as a hashtag on Twitter in 2018. In 2021, oshikatsu was nominated as a candidate for Japan’s word of the year, a sign that its use had become mainstream.

    Now, it has appeared on the radar of corporate Japan. The reason for this is a burst of inflation in recent years, caused by pandemic supply chain disruption and geopolitical shocks, that has caused Japanese consumers to reduce their spending.

    However, with wages set to rise again for the third time in three years, the government is cautiously optimistic that economic growth can be rekindled through consumer-driven spending. Entertainment and media companies are looking to oshikatsu as a potential driver of this, although it is unclear whether the upcoming pay hikes will be sufficient.

    A widespread phenomenon

    Contrary to popular perception, oshikatsu is no longer the purview solely of subcultures or young people. It has made inroads with older age groups in Japan as well.

    According to a 2024 survey by Japanese marketing research company Harumeku, 46% of women aged in their 50s have an oshi that they support financially. Older generations tend to have more money to spend, especially after their own children have finished education.

    Oshikatsu also signifies an interesting reversal in terms of gender. While husbands in the traditional Japanese household are still expected to be breadwinners, in oshikatsu it is more often women who financially support young men.

    How much fans spend on their oshi depends. According to a recent survey by Japanese marketing company CDG and Oshicoco, an advertising agency specialising in oshikatsu, the average amount fans spend on activities related to their oshis is 250,000 yen (about £1,300) annually.

    This contributes an estimated 3.5 trillion yen (£18.8 billion) to the Japanese economy each year, and accounts for 2.1% of Japan’s total annual retail sales.

    Oshikatsu will drive up consumer spending. But I doubt it will have the impact on the Japanese economy that the authorities are hoping for. For the younger fans, the danger is that government approval will kill any kind of cool clout, making oshikatsu less appealing to these people in the long run.

    And if you support an oshi who has not yet made it, you may have a stronger sense that your support matters. Hence some of the spending will go directly to individuals, rather than to established corporate superstars. But it’s also possible that struggling young oshis may spend more of this money than established celebrities.

    Japan hopes that fandom can help revitalise its economy.
    amri48 / Shutterstock

    The international press is focusing either on the economic side of oshikatsu, or on the quirkiness of “obsessive” fans who get second jobs to support their oshi and mothers spending large sums on a man half their age. But what such coverage misses is the slow yet profound societal transformation that oshikatsu is a sign of.

    Research from 2022 on people engaging in oshikatsu makes clear that “fan activities” address a deep wish for connection, validation and belonging. While this could be satisfied by friendship or an intimate partnership, an increasing number of Japanese young adults feel that such relationships are “bothersome”.

    Young men are leading in this category, especially those who do not work as white-collar corporate workers with relatively stable jobs, the so-called salarymen. Many who work part time or in blue-collar jobs are finding it difficult to imagine a future in which they have families.

    The tertiary sector is thus changing to accommodate an increasing number of services that turn intangible things such as friendship, companionship and escapist romance fantasies into paid-for services.

    From non-sexual cuddling to renting a friend for the day or going on a date with a cross-dressing escort, temporary respite from loneliness can be sought on a per-hour basis. As a result, human connection itself is becoming something that can be consumed for a fee.

    On the other hand, sharing oshikatsu activities can create new friendships. Fans coming together to worship their idols collectively is a powerful way of creating new communities. It remains to be seen how these shifts in the way people relate to each other will shape the future of Japan’s economy and society.

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

    ref. Oshikatsu, the fandom phenomenon Japan hopes can boost its flagging economy – https://theconversation.com/oshikatsu-the-fandom-phenomenon-japan-hopes-can-boost-its-flagging-economy-253853

    MIL OSI – Global Reports

  • MIL-OSI Global: 50 years later, Vietnam’s environment still bears the scars of war – and signals a dark future for Gaza and Ukraine

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Pamela McElwee, Professor of Human Ecology, Rutgers University

    During the Vietnam War, the U.S. bombed and defoliated vast areas of forest and protective mangroves. AP Photo

    When the Vietnam War finally ended on April 30, 1975, it left behind a landscape scarred with environmental damage. Vast stretches of coastal mangroves, once housing rich stocks of fish and birds, lay in ruins. Forests that had boasted hundreds of species were reduced to dried-out fragments, overgrown with invasive grasses.

    The term “ecocide” had been coined in the late 1960s to describe the U.S. military’s use of herbicides like Agent Orange and incendiary weapons like napalm to battle guerrilla forces that used jungles and marshes for cover.

    Fifty years later, Vietnam’s degraded ecosystems and dioxin-contaminated soils and waters still reflect the long-term ecological consequences of the war. Efforts to restore these damaged landscapes and even to assess the long-term harm have been limited.

    As an environmental scientist and anthropologist who has worked in Vietnam since the 1990s, I find the neglect and slow recovery efforts deeply troubling. Although the war spurred new international treaties aimed at protecting the environment during wartime, these efforts failed to compel post-war restoration for Vietnam. Current conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East show these laws and treaties still aren’t effective.

    Agent Orange and daisy cutters

    The U.S. first sent ground troops to Vietnam in March 1965 to support South Vietnam against revolutionary forces and North Vietnamese troops, but the war had been going on for years before then. To fight an elusive enemy operating clandestinely at night and from hideouts deep in swamps and jungles, the U.S. military turned to environmental modification technologies.

    The most well-known of these was Operation Ranch Hand, which sprayed at least 19 million gallons (75 million liters) of herbicides over approximately 6.4 million acres (2.6 million hectares), of South Vietnam. The chemicals fell on forests, and also on rivers, rice paddies and villages, exposing civilians and troops. More than half of that spraying involved the dioxin-contaminated defoliant Agent Orange.

    A U.S. Air Force C-123 flies low along a South Vietnamese highway spraying defoliants on dense jungle growth beside the road to eliminate ambush sites during the Vietnam War.
    AP Photo/Department of Defense

    Herbicides were used to strip the leaf cover from forests, increase visibility along transportation routes and destroy crops suspected of supplying guerrilla forces.

    As news of the damage from these tactics made it back to the U.S., scientists raised concerns about the campaign’s environmental impacts to President Lyndon Johnson, calling for a review of whether the U.S. was intentionally using chemical weapons. American military leaders’ position was that herbicides did not constitute chemical weapons under the Geneva Protocol, which the U.S. had yet to ratify.

    Scientific organizations also initiated studies within Vietnam during the war, finding widespread destruction of mangroves, economic losses of rubber and timber plantations, and harm to lakes and waterways.

    A photo at the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City, historically known as Saigon, shows the damage at Cần Giờ mangrove forest. The mangrove forest was destroyed by herbicides, bombs and plows.
    Gary Todd/Flickr

    In 1969, evidence linked a chemical in Agent Orange, 2,4,5-T, to birth defects and stillbirths in mice because it contained TCDD, a particularly harmful dioxin. That led to a ban on domestic use and suspension of Agent Orange use by the military in April 1970, with the last mission flown in early 1971.

    Incendiary weapons and the clearing of forests also ravaged rich ecosystems in Vietnam.

    The U.S. Forest Service tested large-scale incineration of jungles by igniting barrels of fuel oil dropped from planes. Particularly feared by civilians was the use of napalm bombs, with more than 400,000 tons of the thickened petroleum used during the war. After these infernos, invasive grasses often took over in hardened, infertile soils.

    Fires from napalm and other incendiary weapons cleared stretches of forest, in some cases scorching the soil so badly that nothing would regrow.
    AP Photo

    “Rome Plows,” massive bulldozers with an armor-fortified cutting blade, could clear 1,000 acres a day. Enormous concussive bombs, known as “daisy cutters”, flattened forests and set off shock waves killing everything within a 3,000-foot (900-meter) radius, down to earthworms in the soil.

    The U.S. also engaged in weather modification through Project Popeye, a secret program from 1967 to 1972 that seeded clouds with silver iodide to prolong the monsoon season in an attempt to cut the flow of fighters and supplies coming down the Ho Chi Minh Trail from North Vietnam. Congress eventually passed a bipartisan resolution in 1973 urging an international treaty to prohibit the use of weather modification as a weapon of war. That treaty came into effect in 1978.

    The U.S. military contended that all these tactics were operationally successful as a trade of trees for American lives.

    Despite Congress’ concerns, there was little scrutiny of the environmental impacts of U.S. military operations and technologies. Research sites were hard to access, and there was no regular environmental monitoring.

    Recovery efforts have been slow

    After the fall of Saigon to North Vietnamese troops on April 30, 1975, the U.S. imposed a trade and economic embargo on all of Vietnam, leaving the country both war-damaged and cash-strapped.

    Vietnamese scientists told me they cobbled together small-scale studies. One found a dramatic drop in bird and mammal diversity in forests. In the A Lưới valley of central Vietnam, 80% of forests subjected to herbicides had not recovered by the early 1980s. Biologists found only 24 bird and five mammal species in those areas, far below normal in unsprayed forests.

    Only a handful of ecosystem restoration projects were attempted, hampered by shoestring budgets. The most notable began in 1978, when foresters began hand-replanting mangroves at the mouth of the Saigon River in Cần Giờ forest, an area that had been completely denuded.

    Mangroves have been replanted in the Cần Giờ Biosphere Reserve near Ho Chi Minh City, but their restoration took decades.
    Tho Nau/Flickr, CC BY

    In inland areas, widespread tree-planting programs in the late 1980s and 1990s finally took root, but they focused on planting exotic trees like acacia, which did not restore the original diversity of the natural forests.

    Chemical cleanup is still underway

    For years, the U.S. also denied responsibility for Agent Orange cleanup, despite the recognition of dioxin-associated illnesses among U.S. veterans and testing that revealed continuing dioxin exposure among potentially tens of thousands of Vietnamese.

    The first remediation agreement between the two countries only occurred in 2006, after persistent advocacy by veterans, scientists and nongovernmental organizations led Congress to appropriate US$3 million for the remediation of the Da Nang airport.

    That project, completed in 2018, treated 150,000 cubic meters of dioxin-laden soil at an eventual cost of over $115 million, paid mostly by the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID. The cleanup required lakes to be drained and contaminated soil, which had seeped more than 9 feet (3 meters) deeper than expected, to be piled and heated to break down the dioxin molecules.

    Large amounts of Agent Orange had been stored at the Da Nang airport during the war and contaminated the soil with dioxin. The cleanup project, including heating contaminated soil to high temperatures, was completed in 2018.
    Richard Nyberg/USAID

    Another major hot spot is the heavily contaminated Biên Hoà airbase, where local residents continue to ingest high levels of dioxin through fish, chicken and ducks.

    Agent Orange barrels were stored at the base, which leaked large amounts of the toxin into soil and water, where it continues to accumulate in animal tissue as it moves up the food chain. Remediation began in 2019; however, further work is at risk with the Trump administration’s near elimination of USAID, leaving it unclear if there will be any American experts in Vietnam in charge of administering this complex project.

    Laws to prevent future ‘ecocide’ are complicated

    While Agent Orange’s health effects have understandably drawn scrutiny, its long-term ecological consequences have not been well studied.

    Current-day scientists have far more options than those 50 years ago, including satellite imagery, which is being used in Ukraine to identify fires, flooding and pollution. However, these tools cannot replace on-the-ground monitoring, which often is restricted or dangerous during wartime.

    The legal situation is similarly complex.

    In 1977, the Geneva Conventions governing conduct during wartime were revised to prohibit “widespread, long term, and severe damage to the natural environment.” A 1980 protocol restricted incendiary weapons. Yet oil fires set by Iraq during the Gulf War in 1991, and recent environmental damage in the Gaza Strip, Ukraine and Syria indicate the limits of relying on treaties when there are no strong mechanisms to ensure compliance.

    Remediation work to remove dioxin contamination was just getting started at the former Biên Hoà Air Base in Vietnam when USAID’s staff was dismantled in 2025.
    USAID Vietnam, CC BY-NC

    An international campaign currently underway calls for an amendment to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court to add ecocide as a fifth prosecutable crime alongside genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and aggression.

    Some countries have adopted their own ecocide laws. Vietnam was the first to legally state in its penal code that “Ecocide, destroying the natural environment, whether committed in time of peace or war, constitutes a crime against humanity.” Yet the law has resulted in no prosecutions, despite several large pollution cases.

    Both Russia and Ukraine also have ecocide laws, but these have not prevented harm or held anyone accountable for damage during the ongoing conflict.

    Lessons for the future

    The Vietnam War is a reminder that failure to address ecological consequences, both during war and after, will have long-term effects. What remains in short supply is the political will to ensure that these impacts are neither ignored nor repeated.

    Pamela McElwee receives funding from the Carnegie Corporation, National Science Foundation, and National Endowment for the Humanities.

    ref. 50 years later, Vietnam’s environment still bears the scars of war – and signals a dark future for Gaza and Ukraine – https://theconversation.com/50-years-later-vietnams-environment-still-bears-the-scars-of-war-and-signals-a-dark-future-for-gaza-and-ukraine-254971

    MIL OSI – Global Reports

  • MIL-OSI Global: Trump administration’s attempt to nix the labor rights of thousands of federal workers on ‘national security’ grounds furthers the GOP’s long-held anti-union agenda

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Bob Bussel, Professor Emeritus of History and Labor Education, University of Oregon

    Airline passengers wait at a Transportation Security Administration checkpoint before boarding to flights in Denver in 2022. Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

    As the Trump administration seeks to shrink the federal workforce, slash nonmilitary spending and curb opposition to its policies, it is taking steps beyond the firing and furloughing of thousands of government workers.

    The government is also trying to strip hundreds of thousands of federal employees of their right to bargain collectively and have a voice in their conditions of employment.

    Citing “national security” concerns, President Donald Trump issued an executive order on March 27, 2025, that canceled collective bargaining agreements at more than 30 federal agencies, commissions and programs, including the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Science Foundation and the Food and Drug Administration. A judge temporarily blocked the order’s enforcement on April 25.

    Over three decades of researching American unions, I’ve never witnessed such a sweeping assault on collective bargaining rights, which give workers represented by unions the ability to negotiate with employers about the terms of their employment.

    But advocates of strong labor rights should have known what might be in store given the labor policies recommended by the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025. That document, which Trump disavowed on the campaign trail in 2024 but has embraced in practice during his second term, questions whether public-sector unions should exist at all.

    Keeping Americans ‘safe’

    The Trump administration’s broad attack on federal workers’ rights arrived less than three weeks after an earlier, similar action by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

    On March 7, Noem announced that the government was scrapping collective bargaining rights for all Transportation Security Administration workers, eliminating a 2024 agreement. She cited what she called an “irreconcilable conflict” between union representation for those 47,000 federal workers and national security.

    Only a “flexible, at-will” workforce can possess the “organizational agility” needed to “safeguard our transportation systems and keep Americans safe,” she said. Employers may fire “at-will” workers at their discretion with few limitations.

    Noem’s claim that unions and national security aren’t compatible strikes me as disingenuous.

    Unionized workforces have displayed in recent history both patriotism and dedication in their efforts to keep Americans safe. Unionized firefighters, police officers and other first responders rushed to the World Trade Center attempting to rescue those trapped inside on 9/11, for example.

    Similarly, many unionized public-sector workers risked their health during the toxic cleanup that followed the terrorist attacks.

    It is also worth noting that veterans comprise approximately 30% of the federal workforce. Their history of military service attests, I would argue, to their clear record of demonstrating loyalty and patriotism.

    To my eye, the argument that federal workers belonging to unions compromises national security appears to be more rooted in ideology than evidence.

    Demonstrators rally in support of federal workers outside the Department of Health and Human Services on Feb. 14, 2025, in Washington.
    AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein

    TSA as a case study

    The TSA emerged as part of President George W. Bush’s administration’s response to the 9/11 attacks in 2001; it designated newly hired airport security officers as federal employees.

    At the time, Bush insisted that TSA security officers should not belong to a union. He invoked national security concerns, arguing that union representation would undercut the “culture of urgency” needed to wage the “war on terrorism.”

    TSA employees finally gained collective bargaining rights during the Obama administration when they joined the American Federation of Government Employees in 2011.

    But after joining a union, TSA workers were still paid less than most federal employees. And they still couldn’t appeal disciplinary cases outside of TSA’s authority to the external board used by other federal employees that they viewed as more impartial.

    However, in recent years, TSA workers have obtained wage increases and stronger rights of appeal, along with other advances contained in a 2024
    collective bargaining agreement that the American Federation of Government Employees described as “groundbreaking.” These gains included uniform allowances, greater input on safety concerns and a pledge to examine expanded child care options.

    Now, the union has sued Noem, another Trump administration official and the TSA itself to block the administration’s rollback of these workers’ rights and protect their 2024 contract.

    JFK empowered federal workers

    Federal employees had historically organized unions to advocate and lobby for their interests.

    However, these unions lacked the formal ability to negotiate with the federal government in a collective bargaining process where, as labor scholar Robert Repas has explained, “decisions are made jointly, rather than unilaterally,” or ultimately at managerial discretion.

    Their members did not gain collective bargaining rights until 1962 when President John F. Kennedy issued an executive order making that possible. Kennedy’s action reflected the view that government employees should not be denied basic union rights enjoyed by their private sector counterparts.

    Acknowledging concerns that union rights might limit the ability to exercise centralized command and control, Kennedy’s directive exempted the FBI, CIA and other agencies charged with national security functions from collective bargaining.

    Federal employees covered by the 1962 executive order were also barred from striking. They could not negotiate over wages and benefits; power to make these decisions remained in the hands of Congress.

    In 1978, Congress passed the Civil Service Reform Act, which expanded the right of federal employees to collectively bargain for better working conditions, which its authors said were “in the public interest.” This law created an authority to oversee federal labor relations and established an appeals board to adjudicate worker grievances.

    Although federal employees did not enjoy as many rights as most union members in the private sector, they did gain a stronger voice in determining their working conditions and accessing grievance procedures to address workplace issues and concerns.

    Reagan and the air traffic controllers union

    Three years later, however, President Ronald Reagan fired over 11,000 air traffic controllers who had gone on strike, even though they lacked the right to do so. The Federal Labor Relations Authority subsequently decertified their union, the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization – known as PATCO.

    The strike’s failure seriously diminished the economic and political leverage of all U.S. unions for years. Membership in private-sector unions has declined sharply, while public-sector union membership remained relatively stable at about 1 in 3 workers. Overall, just under 10% of U.S. workers belonged to a union in 2024.

    Besides seriously diminishing the labor movement’s power and influence, the PATCO strike also had important political consequences. In his book about this labor dispute, historian Joseph McCartin wrote that crushing the PATCO strike led the Republican Party “in the direction of an unambiguous antiunionism” and a heightened antipathy toward unions in the public sector.

    Members of PATCO, the air traffic controllers union, hold hands and raise their arms during a strike in 1981.
    Bettmann/Getty Images

    Long-term goal

    The White House’s attack on federal unions represents an attempt to fulfill a longtime ambition of conservative activists.

    Executive orders, which can be rescinded by any president, lack the power of laws.

    But Sens. Mike Lee of Utah and Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, both Republicans, introduced a bill in March that would enshrine Trump’s executive order in law. If that bill were to become law, it would “end federal labor unions and immediately terminate their collective bargaining agreements,” Lee and Blackburn have said.

    Meanwhile, eight House Republicans have asked the president to reverse course on collective bargaining rights, as have all House Democrats. A bipartisan group of senators has made a similar request.

    As the courts make their determinations and political opposition gathers, the American public has, I believe, an important question to answer. Is the spirit of the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 – that “labor organizations and collective bargaining in the civil service are in the public interest” – worth upholding?

    This question warrants careful consideration and scrutiny. How the courts, Congress and the public respond will have enormous consequences for federal workers and the future of the union movement and the state of American democracy.

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

    ref. Trump administration’s attempt to nix the labor rights of thousands of federal workers on ‘national security’ grounds furthers the GOP’s long-held anti-union agenda – https://theconversation.com/trump-administrations-attempt-to-nix-the-labor-rights-of-thousands-of-federal-workers-on-national-security-grounds-furthers-the-gops-long-held-anti-union-agenda-252347

    MIL OSI – Global Reports

  • MIL-OSI Global: Bureaucrats get a bad rap, but they deserve more credit − a sociologist of work explains why

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Michel Anteby, Professor of Management and Organizations & Sociology at Questrom School of Business & College of Arts and Sciences, Boston University

    It’s telling that U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration wants to fire bureaucrats. In its view, bureaucrats stand for everything that’s wrong with the United States: overregulation, inefficiency and even the nation’s deficit, since they draw salaries from taxpayers.

    But bureaucrats have historically stood for something else entirely. As the sociologist Max Weber argued in his 1921 classic “Economy and Society,” bureaucrats represent a set of critical ideals: upholding expert knowledge, promoting equal treatment and serving others. While they may not live up to those ideals everywhere and every day, the description does ring largely true in democratic societies.

    I know this firsthand, because as a sociologist of work I’ve studied federal, state and local bureaucrats for more than two decades. I’ve watched them oversee the handling of human remains, screen travelers for security threats as well as promote primary and secondary education. And over and over again, I’ve seen bureaucrats stand for Weber’s ideals while conducting their often-hidden work.

    Bureaucrats as experts and equalizers

    Weber defined bureaucrats as people who work within systems governed by rules and procedures aimed at rational action. He emphasized bureaucrats’ reliance on expert training, noting: “The choice is only that between ‘bureaucratisation’ and ‘dilettantism.’” The choice between a bureaucrat and a dilettante to run an army − in his days, like in ours − seems like an obvious one. Weber saw that bureaucrats’ strength lies in their mastery of specialized knowledge.

    I couldn’t agree more. When I studied the procurement of whole body donations for medical research, for example, the state bureaucrats I spoke with were among the most knowledgeable professionals I encountered. Whether directors of anatomical services or chief medical examiners, they knew precisely how to properly secure, handle and transfer human cadavers so physicians could get trained. I felt greatly reassured that they were overseeing the donated bodies of loved ones.

    Weber also described bureaucrats as people who don’t make decisions based on favors. In other forms of rule, he noted, “the ruler is free to grant or withhold clemency” based on “personal preference,” but in bureaucracies, decisions are reached impersonally. By “impersonal,” Weber meant “without hatred or passion” and without “love and enthusiasm.” Put otherwise, the bureaucrats fulfill their work without regard to the person: “Everyone is treated with formal equality.”

    The federal Transportation Security Administration officers who perform their duties to ensure that we all travel safely epitomize this ideal. While interviewing and observing them, I felt grateful to see them not speculate about loving or hating anyone but treating all travelers as potential threats. The standard operating procedures they followed often proved tedious, but they were applied across the board. Doing any favors here would create immense security risks, as the recent Netflix action film “Carry-On” − about an officer blackmailed into allowing a terrorist to board a plane − illustrates.

    Advancing the public’s interests

    Finally, Weber highlighted bureaucrats’ commitment to serving the public. He stressed their tendency to act “in the interests of the welfare of those subjects over whom they rule.” Bureaucrats’ expertise and adherence to impersonal rules are meant to advance the common interest: for young and old, rural and urban dwellers alike, and many more.

    The state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education staff that I partnered with for years at the Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ Youth exemplified this ethic. They always impressed me by the huge sense of responsibility they felt toward all state residents. Even when local resources varied, they worked to ensure that all young people in the state − regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity − could thrive. Based on my personal experience, while they didn’t always get everything right, they were consistently committed to serving others.

    Today, bureaucrats are often framed by the administration and its supporters as the root of all problems. Yet if Weber’s insights and my observations are any guide, bureaucrats are also the safeguards that stand between the public and dilettantism, favoritism and selfishness. The overwhelming majority of bureaucrats whom I have studied and worked with deeply care about upholding expertise, treating everyone equally and ensuring the welfare of all.

    Yes, bureaucrats can slow things down and seem inefficient or costly at times. Sure, they can also be co-opted by totalitarian regimes and end up complicit in unimaginable tragedies. But with the right accountability mechanisms, democratic control and sufficient resources for them to perform their tasks, bureaucrats typically uphold critical ideals.

    In an era of growing hostility, it’s key to remember what bureaucrats have long stood for − and, let’s hope, still do.

    Michel Anteby was during a decade a member of the Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ Youth and a former Vice-Chair, and then Chair of the Commission.

    ref. Bureaucrats get a bad rap, but they deserve more credit − a sociologist of work explains why – https://theconversation.com/bureaucrats-get-a-bad-rap-but-they-deserve-more-credit-a-sociologist-of-work-explains-why-253317

    MIL OSI – Global Reports