Category: 3. Business

Investment Supports Growth of Prosol’s Proprietary Fresh Food Model and Distinctive Customer Proposition

NEW YORK, Dec. 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Apollo (NYSE: APO) today announced that Apollo-managed funds (the “Apollo Funds”) have agreed to acquire a majority stake in Prosol Group (“Prosol” or the “Company”), the multi-specialist in fresh food businesses and food retail in France, from Ardian. Prosol’s existing shareholders and management team will reinvest alongside the Apollo Funds.

Founded in 1992, Prosol has differentiated itself by building a proprietary, vertically integrated supply chain, sourcing fresh, quality products resulting in a highly loyal and fast-growing customer base. Prosol operates nearly 450 stores across France under two main banners: Grand Frais, where it provides the fruits, vegetables, dairy and fish; and Fresh., a fully owned chain of stores that sell fruits, vegetables, dairy, fish, and meat. By working with over 2,300 partners to source premium produce and focusing on best-in-class in-store experiences, Prosol’s retail concept has developed a leading position among customers, with Grand Frais achieving high consumer sentiment in France. Prosol’s portfolio of retail brands also includes La Boulangerie du Marché, mon-marché.fr, BioFrais, and Banco Fresco in Italy.

Alex van Hoek, Lead Partner for European Private Equity at Apollo, said, “Prosol is a clear category leader in fresh food retail, with a powerful customer proposition and outstanding sourcing model. Under the leadership of Jean-Paul, the Company has demonstrated consistent organic growth over time, providing shoppers with exceptional quality products, breadth of assortment and strong value for money. As Prosol looks to expand its estate both in France and internationally, Apollo will draw on our extensive retail expertise to support the management team’s growth plans while maintaining the distinctive identity beloved by customers.”

Jean-Paul Mochet, Chief Executive Officer at Prosol, said, “This investment marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Prosol and is testament to not only the strength of our business, but also the deep relationships we have formed with our suppliers and customers. With the support and expertise of such a strong partner in Apollo, we are well-positioned to achieve our long-term growth ambitions and bring our distinctive retail concept to more customers across Europe.”

Apollo’s private equity business has a long and successful track record of transforming businesses spanning more than 35 years, including significant experience in the retail and consumer sector. Apollo has been actively investing in France for more than two decades and today has about €14 billion invested with French companies across its strategies. Certain French private equity investments include Constellium, Verallia and Vallourec, while Apollo has also provided large-scale capital solutions to leading French corporates including Air France-KLM, EDF and TotalEnergies, among others. Atlantys Investors, founded by Jean-Luc Allavena, serves as an advisor to Apollo in France.

The transaction is subject to satisfaction of certain closing conditions, including regulatory approvals, and is expected to close in Q2 2026.

UBS AG served as lead financial advisor to the Apollo Funds, while Royal Bank of Canada and Lazard also served as financial advisors. Sidley Austin LLP, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP and Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP served as legal counsel on the transaction.

About Apollo
Apollo is a high-growth, global alternative asset manager. In our asset management business, we seek to provide our clients excess return at every point along the risk-reward spectrum from investment grade credit to private equity. For more than three decades, our investing expertise across our fully integrated platform has served the financial return needs of our clients and provided businesses with innovative capital solutions for growth. Through Athene, our retirement services business, we specialize in helping clients achieve financial security by providing a suite of retirement savings products and acting as a solutions provider to institutions. Our patient, creative, and knowledgeable approach to investing aligns our clients, businesses we invest in, our employees, and the communities we impact, to expand opportunity and achieve positive outcomes. As of September 30, 2025, Apollo had approximately $908 billion of assets under management. To learn more, please visit www.apollo.com.

About Prosol
A leading player in specialised food retail in France, PROSOL has been developing an integrated, fresh-food-focused model for more than 30 years. By exercising full control over the value chain — from agricultural sourcing to distribution — the company ensures freshness, quality and traceability, in support of better eating for all.

Designed as a true infrastructure dedicated to taste, PROSOL’s model is built on long-term partnerships with carefully selected producers, in-house expertise in product enhancement and maturation, proprietary production facilities, and a dedicated, high-performance logistics network.

With nearly 450 points of sale, PROSOL operates a portfolio of complementary retail brands, including Grand Frais, fresh., La Boulangerie du Marché, mon-marché.fr, BioFrais, and Banco Fresco in Italy. Within Grand Frais stores, the company directly operates the fruit and vegetable, fish, dairy and cheese departments, as well as butchery departments in the Paris region and Eastern France.

Apollo Contacts

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

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

SoundCloud has confirmed that recent service outages and VPN access disruptions were caused by a security breach that exposed a portion of its user database, including email addresses and profile information. The disclosure comes after days of user complaints reporting “403 forbidden” errors when attempting to access the platform through virtual private networks.

The audio streaming company acknowledged that threat actors gained unauthorized access to one of its internal systems, prompting an incident response that included security containment measures, some of which unintentionally disrupted VPN connectivity.

Unauthorized Access Detected in Internal Service Dashboard

In a statement, SoundCloud said it recently detected unauthorized activity involving an ancillary service dashboard and immediately activated its internal incident response procedures.

We understand that a purported threat actor group accessed certain limited data that we hold,” the company said, adding that its investigation has now been completed.

According to SoundCloud, the breach was limited in scope and did not involve sensitive data such as passwords, financial information, or authentication credentials. The exposed data consisted only of users’ email addresses and information already visible on public SoundCloud profiles.

Up to 20% of Users Potentially Impacted

Despite SoundCloud’s assurances, the scale of the incident appears significant. Sources familiar with the matter said that approximately 20% of SoundCloud’s user base was affected by the breach. Based on publicly reported figures, this could translate to roughly 28 million user accounts.

SoundCloud has not independently confirmed the exact number of impacted users but said it is confident that all unauthorized access has now been blocked and that there is no ongoing risk to its systems.

As part of its containment efforts, SoundCloud implemented configuration changes designed to protect its infrastructure. However, these changes resulted in widespread VPN access disruptions, preventing users from connecting to the platform while using VPN services.

The company acknowledged the issue but has not provided a clear timeline for when VPN access will be fully restored. The lack of clarity has drawn criticism from privacy-conscious users who rely on VPNs for secure browsing.

Following the breach disclosure and mitigation steps, SoundCloud also experienced denial-of-service attacks that temporarily affected the availability of its web platform. The company did not attribute these attacks to the same threat actor but confirmed they were addressed as part of its broader security response.

SoundCloud said it is working with third-party cybersecurity experts to strengthen its defenses. Measures taken include enhanced monitoring and threat detection, a review of identity and access controls, and a wider assessment of related systems to prevent further compromise.

ShinyHunters Gang Allegedly Behind the Breach

While SoundCloud has not officially named the group responsible, BleepingComputer reported receiving information suggesting that the ShinyHunters extortion gang was behind the attack. According to the report, the group is allegedly attempting to extort SoundCloud after stealing a database containing user information.

ShinyHunters is a well-known cybercrime group linked to several high-profile data breaches in recent years. The same group has also been implicated in a separate breach involving PornHub, reported earlier the same day.

SoundCloud has declined to comment on the identity of the attackers or on any extortion demands.

What This Means for Users

Although SoundCloud maintains that no passwords or financial data were compromised, the exposure of email addresses still raises concerns about phishing and targeted scams. Cybersecurity experts typically warn that even limited data leaks can be exploited in follow-up attacks, particularly when combined with information from other breaches.

Users are advised to remain cautious of unsolicited emails, avoid clicking on suspicious links, and ensure that their SoundCloud-associated email accounts are protected with strong passwords and multi-factor authentication.

An innovative new anti-vaping ad campaign called Don’t let vaping in has been launched in South Australia to encourage more young people to quit.

This campaign is different to traditional approaches by incorporating an interactive element designed to engage audiences through social media, targeting young people who vape.

While the latest data shows vaping rates in young people are decreasing, there are still too many caught in the vaping cycle of nicotine addiction.

Data from the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) shows 10.8 per cent of young people aged between 15 and 29 vaped in 2024, down from 15.1 per cent in 2023.

The Don’t let vaping in campaign, developed by Quit Tasmania, is a modern, relatable and highly engaging portrayal of vaping addiction, with the personification of a vape as an online nuisance.

The campaign’s video advertisements will appear in a range of social media platforms, including TikTok, Instagram, Reddit and YouTube. Further campaign reach will be achieved through audio (Spotify and Listnr) and in outdoor advertising.

To effectively support young people to quit vaping, it is important to engage with them through multiple platforms and communication styles.

For this reason, a component of the campaign has been specifically designed to interact with users aged 16 years and over on the social media platform, TikTok.

When users interact with the videos they view, messages will be sent to them about addiction to vaping, creating a pathway to quitting advice and tools to help them quit.

A dedicated website will also boost the campaign’s modern look and feel, designed to engage young people with quick, accessible quit support information and strategies for managing cravings and withdrawal.

The Malinauskas Government has introduced a range of measures and laws targeting vaping and smoking in South Australia including:

• Investing $16 million in a taskforce within Consumer and Business Services (CBS) to tackle the illicit trade.
• Implementing a raft of new smoke and vape free public areas near beach jetties, schools, kids’ sporting events and shopping centre entrances.
• Banning the sale of therapeutic vapes to under 18s.
• Becoming the first state in the nation to ban highly addictive nicotine pouches.
• Banning vending machine sales of tobacco products in public areas.
• Delivering new education campaigns in schools to prevent children taking up vapes.
• Rolling out hard-hitting media advertising campaigns targeted specifically at young people about the harms of vaping.

South Australia’s response to tobacco and vapes has been rated the best in the country, according to a national scorecard released by the Australian Council on Smoking and Health.

To test the effectiveness of the Don’t let vaping in campaign, 400 young South Australians completed online surveys to provide feedback.

Sixty-four per cent of the surveyed cohort reported that the advertisement ‘makes me stop and think’, 67 per cent said it acts as a strong argument to quit vaping, 70 per cent reported the advertisement makes them feel concerned about their vaping, 69 per cent felt motivated to quit, and 64 per cent believed it could help someone realise they are addicted to vaping.

Quit Tasmania reported the advertisement performed very well, driving awareness and delivering more than 5 million impressions (single views) across social media platforms, and more than 14,000 visits to the quit support website.

The Don’t let vaping in campaign will air in South Australia over the next five weeks as part of the South Australian Government’s smoking and vaping harms awareness campaign.

People who smoke or vape are also encouraged to visit their GP to discuss how to begin their quitting journey. For additional support, call Quitline on 137 848 to talk to a counsellor, or visit besmokefree.com.au or bevapefree.com.au for more information.

Ad campaign materials can be accessed here.

Quotes

Attributable to Chris Picton

Vapes are full of highly addictive nicotine and nasty chemicals and we want our young people to stay away from them.

This new campaign is aimed at grabbing the attention of younger South Australians to highlight just how addictive and dangerous vapes are.

South Australia is leading the way in tackling this important health issue and it’s great that our measures are working. We want even more young people to quit vaping – or better yet, never take it up.

The only thing we should be putting in our lungs is air.

Attributable to Preventive Health SA Chief Executive Marina Bowshall

The ‘Don’t let vaping in’ campaign is expected to transform young people’s perception of vaping to make them stop and think about the very real consequences of this addictive and dangerous habit.

The unique interactive component is an innovative way to increase awareness among young South Australians.

Vaping and smoking are highly addictive – we are keen to see the positive impacts of this creative campaign.

Tens of thousands of doses of cutting-edge cancer therapies, which could help save lives and tackle some of the hardest-to-treat forms of cancer, are set to be produced from hundreds of tonnes of reprocessed uranium, generated from historic processing of spent nuclear reactor fuel. This work is being made possible thanks to a landmark agreement between the cutting-edge biotech firm Bicycle Therapeutics, and the UK Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, being announced today (Tuesday 16 December). Bicycle was co-founded by one of the luminaries of British science, Sir Greg Winter, who was honoured with the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 2018.

Bicycle will use a groundbreaking process developed by United Kingdom National Nuclear Laboratory (UKNNL) to harvest the valuable medical isotope lead-212 from reprocessed uranium. A tiny amount of lead-212’s parent material – equivalent to a single drop of water in an Olympic-sized swimming pool – is extracted through a series of processes, and through radioactive decay. An even tinier amount of lead-212 is then taken for use in radiopharmaceuticals: a type of precision medicine that could help treat some of the cancers that conventional treatments struggle to tackle.

The UK Nuclear Decommissioning Authority is set to provide Bicycle with access to up to 400 tonnes of material, in the form of reprocessed uranium, over 15 years. Reprocessed uranium will continually regenerate the isotopes required for this process, providing an enduring source of tens of thousands of doses of lead-212, for lifesaving precision therapies, each year.

Science and Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said:

Cancer is a disease that affects millions worldwide, and tears too many families apart. Breakthroughs in medical science are giving more cancer patients and their loved ones hope, and this unique partnership could help take that work even further.

Turning nuclear material into cutting-edge cancer treatments sounds like science fiction – but thanks to the brilliance of scientists, researchers and doctors, it could be a life-saving reality. Work like this shows exactly why we’re determined to support our life sciences innovators to make groundbreaking new treatments possible.

Bicycle Therapeutics CEO Kevin Lee, Ph.D., said:

As a UK-based biotech company, we are incredibly grateful to the UK Government for their recognition of Bicycle’s Nobel-prize winning science and potential to create radiopharmaceutical cancer therapies from up to 400 tonnes of reprocessed uranium over 15 years. We are proud to be part of the British life sciences ecosystem and collaborate to help people and support economic growth. This is a significant milestone, bringing us closer to our goal of helping patients live longer and live well.

This builds on the government’s wider work to transform cancer care across the NHS. It is overhauling the health service to catch cancer sooner and save lives – expanding diagnostic capacity and investing in new technology to ensure patients can access timely, high-quality care. This includes cutting cancer waiting times, with 110,000 more patients being diagnosed or having cancer ruled out within 28 days from an urgent GP or screening service referral between November 2024 to October 2025 compared to the previous year.

Health Innovation Minister, Dr Zubir Ahmed, said:

Every breakthrough that gives patients and their loved ones new hope matters deeply – and this extraordinary partnership could be truly life-changing for people facing some of the hardest-to-treat cancers.

I’m immensely proud that we’re backing partnerships like this, showcasing how British innovation can transform lives. By turning nuclear material into precision cancer treatments, we’re opening new frontiers in the fight against this deadly disease.

This is exactly the kind of bold thinking that will help us build an NHS fit for the future – harnessing life sciences potential to improve care, save lives, and drive economic growth across the UK.

Julianne Antrobus, Chief Executive Officer at UKNNL, said:   

Our purpose is nuclear science to benefit society, and this partnership is a perfect example of this in action. We’re proud to be part of the nuclear and life sciences sectors coming together, forging innovative collaborations that tackle some of healthcare’s most pressing challenges in transformative ways. It’s incredible to see UKNNL’s expertise at the forefront of the global fight against cancer. Decades of research by our dedicated teams has made unique partnerships like this possible, and I look forward to seeing our work with Bicycle and the NDA progress.

NDA Group CEO, David Peattie, said:

We’re proud to make part of our uranium inventory available to Bicycle, enabling the development of innovative, life-saving treatments.

As the organisation entrusted with the safe and secure management, storage, and disposal of the UK’s radioactive materials and waste—a responsibility we take extremely seriously—this collaboration demonstrates how we can go beyond our core mission.

By leveraging our unique capabilities, expertise, and resources, we’re helping to advance wider UK Government ambitions and create a lasting positive legacy for the nation.

Radiopharmaceuticals work by delivering radiotherapy directly to cancer cells: destroying tumours while reducing the chances of side effects. This could help the treatment of cancers that conventional therapies can sometimes struggle to tackle, including prostate cancer, and neuroendocrine cancers that can affect organs like the gut and pancreas.

Bicycle will extract lead-212 with a novel radioisotope generator, developed exclusively for them by medical isotope experts Spectron Rx.

Bicycle Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Cambridge (UK) developing a novel class of medicines, referred to as Bicycle® molecules, for diseases that are underserved by existing therapeutics.

All of this complements the £20 million funding announced, last month, for research into lead-212 extraction being conducted by UKNNL and Medicines Discovery Catapult. The government is determined to unleash a golden era of nuclear technology and innovation, and today’s news comes hot on the heels of government backing for Sizewell C on the Suffolk coast and small modular reactors in North Wales.

Notes to Editors

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Email press@dsit.gov.uk

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Pension funds—among the world’s largest asset owners—play a unique role in the financial sector’s climate transition. Given their long investment horizons, they are particularly exposed to both transition and physical climate risks that threaten asset values and returns.

Unlike other institutional investors, which often focus on short-term performance, pension providers have a fiduciary duty to address long-term systemic issues and act in their beneficiaries’ best interests. In many jurisdictions, this obligation includes setting credible climate targets, implementing internal changes to strategy, governance, and process, and actively supporting the decarbonization of the real economy.

Pension funds’ role in financing the climate transition is drawing sharper focus as the limits of public finance become clearer amid volatile markets, fiscal constraints, and rising climate risks. At the same time, sustainability disclosure rules and fiduciary standards are evolving across jurisdictions, creating both opportunities and uncertainty for long-term investors.

To reach their full potential for climate action, pension funds need support to overcome policy fragmentation, which continues to hinder their progress. Weak regulatory frameworks that prioritize short-term financial returns at the expense of long-term interest make it difficult for funds to integrate climate objectives into their own investment strategies and mandates with external managers.

This report presents an analysis of data from Climate Policy Initiative’s Net Zero Finance Tracker (NZFT) to explore the progress for the climate transition of 594 pension funds based in OECD countries, together representing USD 22.5 trillion in assets managed or owned. The report charts these funds’ progress across the three dimensions of Targets, Implementation, and Impacts to identify where pension funds are making meaningful progress and where further action is needed.

Key Takeaways

1. Pension funds are ramping up climate targets and implementation

Funds improved their target-setting, most notably for mitigation, with more detailed specifications of baselines and the sectors and asset classes covered. However, significant gaps remained in 2024, particularly for climate investment targets.

2. Pension funds remain materially exposed to fossil fuels

Tracked pension funds’ energy portfolios are concentrated in companies expanding their fossil fuel operations. Analysis of 96 entities with USD 310 billion invested in the energy sector found that expansionist fossil fuel companies  account for 55% (USD 169 billion) of their energy holdings, and non-expansionist companies account for 8% (USD 24 billion), the other 38% was in clean energy. The activities of expansionist companies are misaligned with the International Energy Agency’s net-zero scenario.

3. Climate-aligned pension funds match or surpass financial peers

NZFT data indicates that once funds start embedding climate into their governance and investment processes, they tend to score as highly, or higher, on climate-related indicators than other tracked financial institutions. In addition, pension funds tend to have larger clean technology exposures within their energy portfolios, with 38%, compared to just 26% of other financial entity types.

4. Targets, implementation measures, and transition plans matter

NZFT data show that these elements are more than symbolic commitments: they are associated with measurable shifts in portfolio allocation. Funds that have adopted climate targets, implementation measures, and transition plans hold a higher share of clean energy than those that have not.

5. Robust, mandatory policy frameworks are essential to embedding climate goals in pension fund strategies

Pension funds have stronger targets and implementation where they have clear regulatory guidance, such as in the Netherlands, Denmark, and the UK. Meanwhile, fragmented or voluntary regimes leave funds less able to act on climate change. Regulators must move from permitting climate action to requiring it, explicitly clarifying climate risk management as part of fiduciary duty.

6. The relationship between pension funds and asset managers is key to driving climate change

The world’s largest pension funds are uniquely positioned to drive climate impact at scale by influencing their asset managers. European funds consistently outperform peers on stewardship policies and disclosure, while many in North America and Asia lag, often due to legal or political constraints on ESG integration. Pension funds are steering delegated capital toward net zero by tightening engagement and mandate terms (including climate-aligned voting), terminating mandates when managers fall short, or reallocating/internalising assets to increase direct control and reduce risk.

Recommendations

The report also outlines recommendations to guide policymakers, asset owners/managers, pension funds, and civil organizations in maximizing pension fund climate investments, summarized as follows:

.

Please see the report for full findings and recommendations:

Read the full report here

Explore the NZFT Platform

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing (TGR) plans to exhibit at Tokyo Auto Salon 2026^*1 to be held at Makuhari Messe (in Chiba City, Japan) for three days from January 9 to 11, 2026. TGR’s booth at the event will showcase TGR’s new GR GT and GR GT3 flagship models, as well as other vehicles and vehicle parts. The exhibition is to take place at Makuhari Messe’s North Hall alongside Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd., Toyota Industries Corporation, and others, as Toyota Group members come together to boost excitement at Tokyo Auto Salon 2026. Chairman Akio Toyoda, aka Master Driver Morizo, is scheduled to appear at a media-only press conference planned for live-streaming^*2 to the general public on January 9 starting at 9 a.m.

The GR GT and GR GT3, which world premiered on December 5, are to mark their first reveal to the general public by being exhibited at Tokyo Auto Salon 2026. As part of the event, both models are scheduled for demo runs on January 10.

Additionally, during the event’s three days, TGR plans to hold talk sessions featuring various personalities, as well as other vehicle demo runs. Detailed information on exhibited items, the talk sessions, the demo runs, and others can be found on the following special website.
https://toyotagazooracing.com/eventexhibition/tokyoautosalon/

Fairfield City Council, on behalf of the event organiser is placing a public notice in accordance with section 5 of the Roads Regulation 2018 for Canley Heights RSL Sub-Branch – 2026 ANZAC Day March and Commemoration Service.

A temporary moving road closure on Humphries Road from King Park to Canley Heights RSL Club Cenotaph on Saturday 25th April 2025 (between 6.45am – 7.15am approximately) is proposed.

Should you wish to make a submission regarding the temporary moving road closure, please email your comments to trafficandtransport@fairfieldcity.nsw.gov.au or mail them to Council at PO Box 21, Fairfield NSW 1860 by Wednesday 16 January 2026. Please include your street address and the reference number 12/03616 in any reply you provide.

Should you have any further enquiries regarding this matter, please contact Mr Sameer Kabir, Council’s Traffic Engineer on 02 72 622 410.