Blog

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks with Prime Minister of Greece

    Source: Government of India

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks with Prime Minister of Greece

    Both leaders reiterate commitment to strengthen Strategic Partnership

    They review progress in bilateral trade, defence, shipping and connectivity, in follow-up to PM Mitsotakis’s visit to India

    They exchange views on regional and global issues, including IMEEC

    Posted On: 02 NOV 2024 8:22AM by PIB Delhi

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a telephone call from the Prime Minister of Greece, H.E. Mr. Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

    PM Mitsotakis warmly congratulated PM Modi on his re-election following the general elections in India. 

    Both leaders appreciated the momentum generated in bilateral ties through recent high-level exchanges and reiterated their firm commitment to further strengthen India-Greece Strategic Partnership.

    They reviewed progress in a number of areas of bilateral cooperation, including trade, defence, shipping and connectivity, in follow-up to PM Mitsotakis’s visit to India earlier this year.

    The two leaders also exchanged views on various regional and global issues of interest, including IMEEC and developments in West Asia.

    The two leaders agreed to remain in touch.

     

    ***

    MJPS

    (Release ID: 2070256) Visitor Counter : 68

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI China: China mulls law revision to better protect maritime passengers

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    China aims to improve protection of the rights and interests of maritime passengers through a draft law revision.
    The draft revision to the maritime law has been submitted to an ongoing session of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, scheduled from Monday to Friday, for deliberation.
    The draft, containing 311 articles in 16 chapters, stipulates better protection of passenger rights by properly increasing the transport carriers’ liability limits for personal injury and property damage compensation to passengers, and by unifying the liability limits for compensation in domestic and international maritime passenger transportation.
    It also makes proper adjustments to the rights and obligations of parties involved in maritime activities.
    China’s maritime law came into force in 1993.

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI USA: US Department of Labor reports distressed pension assistance program has protected benefits for more than 1.2M workers, retirees, families

    Source: US Department of Labor

    WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced that its Employee Benefits Security Administration has issued a report illustrating how the American Rescue Plan has protected the financially distressed pension plans of more than 1.2 million U.S. workers, retirees and their families, ensuring they receive the retirement benefits they earned. 

    The department’s report on the impact of the Butch Lewis Emergency Pension Relief Act finds that, as of October 2024, more than $69 billion in Special Financial Assistance has been approved for 98 multiemployer pension plans whose participants faced reductions in retirement benefits averaging 41 percent. The report also shows the American Rescue Plan already has provided more than $1.6 billion in restorative payments and ongoing benefit payments to more than 121,000 retirees, an average of about $13,600 per retiree. Almost half of the $1.6 billion reversed retirees’ previous benefit reductions.

    “A pension is more than a number on a sheet of paper; it’s the ability to stop working after years of making a good, honest living, to rest your aching knees and aching backs, and to go to bed without setting an alarm clock. A pension isn’t given. It’s earned,” said Acting Secretary Julie Su. “The Biden-Harris administration’s American Rescue Plan has already delivered on the promise of ensuring a secure and dignified retirement for more than 1.2 million workers and retirees, and there’s still more to come. We ultimately expect pension plans covering more than two million workers and retirees to remain solvent and able to pay out full benefits for the next several decades.”

    Special Financial Assistance has safeguarded plan benefits for union workers and retirees in many industries, including nearly 620,000 Teamsters, more than 152,000 in the United Food and Commercial Workers International, over 103,000 Bakery and Confectionery workers, more than 89,000 United Steelworkers, over 50,000 Communications Workers of America, as well as 49,000 union musicians and 29,000 carpenters.

    The pension protection legislation in the American Rescue Plan was named for the late Butch Lewis, a former Teamster who fought to protect union retirees’ pensions from harsh benefit cuts through no fault of their own. Ultimately, the act is expected to ensure roughly two million workers’ and retirees’ pension plans remain solvent and able to pay full benefits workers earn through at least 2051.

    Read the EBSA report on Special Financial Assistance

    Read a White House fact sheet on the impact of the Butch Lewis Act.
     

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Administrator Samantha Power Speaks with UN Secretary-General António Guterres

    Source: USAID

    The below is attributable to Spokesperson Benjamin Suarato:‎

    Today, Administrator Samantha Power spoke with United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres about humanitarian responses to urgent crises in Sudan and Gaza, the detention of aid workers in Yemen, and developments in Somalia and Haiti. 

    Administrator Power thanked Secretary-General Guterres for his engagement with President of the Sovereign Council of Sudan Abdel Fatah al-Burhan to open the Adré border crossing point to Sudan from neighboring Chad, which is essential for the ability to scale assistance to hundreds of thousands of people experiencing famine. She noted her concern that Sudanese authorities have not yet agreed to keep this critical corridor open past the November 15 expiration of the agreement. Administrator Power and Secretary-General Guterres also spoke about the crucial importance of United Nations agencies and partners engaging the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces to ensure safe, unhindered access for humanitarians across lines of conflict, to reach the 25 million people in urgent need of assistance. 

    The Administrator and the Secretary-General discussed the dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and efforts to significantly increase the amount of assistance reaching civilians, including in Northern Gaza. 

    Administrator Power and Secretary-General Guterres discussed the Houthi detention of UN, diplomatic, and NGO staff in Yemen. The Administrator noted strong concern about the recent referral of several detainees for criminal prosecution on false charges of espionage and urged the UN to continue exploring all diplomatic channels for their release. They also discussed the necessary steps for sustained and effective support for international efforts to stabilize worsening security situations in Somalia and Haiti. The Administrator underscored the support of Haiti, the U.S., and other countries for transitioning the Multilateral Security Support Mission in Haiti (MSS) to a UN Peacekeeping Operation.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: News release on compost reimbursement program

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    News release on compost reimbursement program

    Posted on Nov 1, 2024 in Latest Department News, Newsroom

    DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

    ʻOIHANA MAHIʻAI

     

    JOSH GREEN, M.D.
    GOVERNOR

    KIAʻĀINA
                                                                           

    SHARON HURD
    CHAIRPERSON

    HAWAIʻI BOARD OF AGRICULTURE

     

     

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                               

    NR24-32

    Nov. 1, 2024

     

    COMPOST REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS

     

    HONOLULU – The Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture (HDOA) is accepting applications for the Compost Reimbursement Program for Fiscal Year 2025, which may reimburse agricultural producers for the cost of purchasing compost, including transportation costs.

     

    Act 231 was passed by the State Legislature during its 2024 session and Governor Josh Green, M.D., released funding totaling $400,000 in August 2024. Farming and landscaping operations may apply for reimbursement of up to 50% of the cost of compost purchased between July 1, 2024, and May 1, 2025. Reimbursements under this program are not to exceed $50,000 per qualified applicant.

     

    Under the reimbursement program, compost must be purchased from a certified processor, retailer or wholesaler licensed to do business in Hawaiʻi. In addition, certified Hawai‘i processors are limited to those companies regulated under the Hawaiʻi Department of Health Solid Waste Management Program. 

     

    “The cost of compost is a major expenditure for many farming operations,” said Sharon Hurd, chairperson of the Hawaiʻi Board of Agriculture. “This reimbursement program can help to prevent the spread of coconut rhinoceros beetles and other pests by providing an incentive to purchase compost from certified compost operators, which are required to treat all compost for pests prior to sale.”

     

    Qualified agricultural operations include commercial agriculture, aquacultural facilities, livestock, poultry, apiary and landscaping activities. Applicants must also provide a W-9 tax form, sample invoice and proof of compliance with federal, state and county tax and business regulations. The deadline to submit invoices is May 1, 2025.

     

    For more information and to download the application forms, go to:  https://hdoa.hawaii.gov/pi/main/compost-reimbursement2025/

    Program Contact:

    Plant Industry Division

    [email protected]

    808-973-9530

     

    # # #

     

    Attachment: Compost Reimbursement Fact Sheet

     

     

    Media Contact:
    Janelle Saneishi, Public Information Officer
    Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture
    Phone: 808-973-9560
    Cell: 808-341-5528
    [email protected]
    http://hdoa.hawaii.gov

    HDOA is committed to maintaining an environment free from discrimination, retaliation, or harassment on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, or disability, or any other class as protected under federal or state law, with respect to any program or activity.

                                                             

    For more information, including language accessibility and filing a complaint, please contact HDOA Non-Discrimination Coordinator at 808-973-9591, or visit HDOA’s website at http://hdoa.hawaii.gov/.

     

    To request translation, interpretation, modifications, accommodations, or other auxiliary aids or services for this document, contact the HDOA at 808-973-9591 or email [email protected].

     

    TITLE VI OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964

    The Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, or disability, or any other class as protected under applicable federal or state law, in administration of its programs, or activities. To learn more, or file a complaint, please refer to the links below:

     

    NON-DISCRIMINATION NOTICE

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    NON-EMPLOYEE DISCRIMINATION COMPLAINT PROCEDURES

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    DISABILITY NON-DISCRIMINATION PROGRAM AND POLICY

    English

    LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY (LEP) PLAN

    English

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: NEWS RELEASE: “RESCUE: HI-SURF” EPISODE DIRECTED BY NATIVE HAWAIIAN FILMMAKER ERIN LAU TO AIR NOVEMBER 4 ON FOX

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    NEWS RELEASE: “RESCUE: HI-SURF” EPISODE DIRECTED BY NATIVE HAWAIIAN FILMMAKER ERIN LAU TO AIR NOVEMBER 4 ON FOX

    Posted on Nov 1, 2024 in Latest Department News, Newsroom

    DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND TOURISM

     

     CREATIVE INDUSTRIES DIVISION

     

    JOSH GREEN, M.D.
    GOVERNOR

    JAMES KUNANE TOKIOKA

    DIRECTOR

    GEORJA SKINNER

    CHIEF OFFICER, CREATIVE INDUSTRIES DIVISION

     

     

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    November 1, 2024

    “RESCUE: HI-SURF” EPISODE DIRECTED BY NATIVE HAWAIIAN FILMMAKER ERIN LAU TO AIR NOVEMBER 4 ON FOX 

    Hawaii hires for the hit series earned more than $31 million in total wages; workforce training also provided to local interns 

     

    HONOLULU The pulse-pounding new drama “Rescue: HI-Surf,” a co-production of John Wells Productions, Warner Bros. Television and FOX Entertainment, continues to further opportunities for Hawaii’s creative talent. Native Hawaiian filmmaker Erin Lau directs the seventh episode of the North Shore O‘ahu-set series as it follows the personal and professional lives of local lifeguards. Airing on FOX November 4, 2024, the episode marks Lau’s directorial debut in the network television space, furthering her impressive writer/director/producer credits across high-profile branded content and award-winning short films.

    Exploring themes of redemption, legacy and identity, Erin Lau’s dynamic body of work is known for empathetic storytelling. Since graduating from Chapman University’s MFA program, she has honed her craft through opportunities with the Sundance Institute, Tribeca Studios and Women in Film among others. Lau’s work has screened at more than 50 film festivals globally. Her Chapman thesis, “The Moon and the Night,” received support from the Sundance Native Lab and the Criterion Channel. Her short film, “Inheritance,” premiered at the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival and won the Oscar-qualifying Best Hawai‘i Short Award at the 42nd Hawai‘i International Film Festival. Through Jubilee Media, Lau has directed content for global brands such as Google. 

    “I am incredibly grateful for the support from our local film community and the collective of organizations and advocates that have helped me grow as a filmmaker and are empowering even more voices,” shares Lau. “Opportunities like this are essential for our emerging artists, and I’m thrilled to be part of ʻRescue: HI-Surf’ as it celebrates Hawai‘i’s creatives and stories.”

    Lau joins over 2,100 local cast and crew that have been part of the first season of “Rescue: HI-Surf,” collectively earning more than $31.75 million in wages. The series inspired by the water men and women of Hawai‘i has additionally invested more than $33.85 million in the local economy through food purchases, lodging, equipment and office rentals and goods and services from local vendors. Production is also championing the next generation of creative workers, bringing on local interns across various departments and offering hands-on experience in roles as production assistants.

    Said Georja Skinner, chief officer, Creative Industries Division (CID) at the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT), “’Rescue: HI-Surf’ has made a significant step in providing Erin this opportunity to direct television. Already an accomplished, award-winning filmmaker, she is committed to her community to see others realize their dreams. The series not only authentically captures the courage and care of Hawai‘i’s lifeguard community but is also creating valuable workforce opportunities for local creatives on a network series.”

    “Rescue: HI-Surf” airs on Mondays at 8 p.m. in Hawai‘i on FOX affiliate KHON-TV. 

    The teaser trailer of the new “Rescue: HI-Surf” episode and photos of Erin Lau’s journey as a filmmaker in Hawai‘i are available here.

    About Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT) 

    DBEDT is Hawai‘i’s resource center for economic and statistical data, business development opportunities, energy and conservation information as well as foreign trade advantages. DBEDT’s mission is to achieve a Hawai‘i economy that embraces innovation and is globally competitive, dynamic and productive, providing opportunities for all Hawai‘i’s citizens. Through its attached agencies, the department fosters planned community development, creates affordable workforce housing units in high-quality living environments and promotes innovation sector job growth.

    About Creative Industries Division (CID)  

    CID, a division within DBEDT, is the state’s lead agency dedicated to advocating for and accelerating the growth of Hawai‘i’s creative economy. Through initiatives, program development and strategic partnerships, the division and its branches implement activities to expand the business development, global export and investment capacity of Hawai‘i’s arts, culture, music, film, literary, publishing, digital and new media industries. As a major branch of CID, the Hawai‘i Film Office (HFO) was established as the one-stop central coordinator for film and photographic use of state-administered parks, beaches, highways, and facilities and is committed to developing Hawai‘i’s film industry, which provides desirable jobs for residents, as well as opportunities to build the creative and technical skillsets of the local workforce.    

    # # # 

    Media Contacts: 

    Laci Goshi
    Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism
    808-518-5480 

    [email protected]

    Georja Skinner

    Chief Officer, Creative Industries Division
    Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism

    808-586-2590 
    [email protected]

    Susan Wright 

    Becker Communications 

    808-799-4293 

    [email protected]

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: NDA supply chain award winners 2024 revealed

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority group have announced five organisations as winners of this year’s supply chain awards.

    NDA supply chain award winners revealed

    Morgan Sindall Infrastructure, The Decommissioning Delivery Partnership, PA Consulting, Antech and The Higher Activity Waste Thermal Treatment Tranche 1 Team are the big winners in this year’s supply chain awards.

    The awards recognise the vital role that supply chain companies play in helping the NDA group deliver its nationally important mission and clean-up its 17 nuclear sites across the UK.

    NDA Group Chief Commercial and Business Development Officer, Emma Ferguson-Gould, said:

    These awards not only recognise how important the supply chain is to our mission, but they also showcase the variety of innovative work being delivered by businesses throughout the UK and beyond on our behalf.

    We’re looking forward to presenting the winners with their awards at the event in January.

    The event is a fantastic opportunity to see pioneering work from our mission critical supply chain, who the NDA group are committed to encouraging, supporting, and developing, not just for today, but for the future.

    NDA’s supply chain conference, which usually attracts around 1,700 delegates and 300 exhibitors, will take place on 16 January 2025 at The International Centre in Telford. Registration is open now with full details available on the supply chain event website.

    The full list of winners is below. Visit our LinkedIn page to view the films explaining more about each category and those shortlisted:

    Best approach to achieving social value
    Winner: The Decommissioning Delivery Partnership

    Best approach to environmental sustainability
    Winner: Morgan Sindall Infrastructure

    Best example of applying creative and innovative solutions
    Winner: PA Consulting for harnessing AI at Sellafield Ltd

    Best example of delivering excellence through collaboration
    Winner: The Higher Activity Waste Thermal Treatment Tranche 1 Team

    Best small and medium enterprise
    Winner: Antech

    Updates to this page

    Published 4 November 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI: Descartes Sets Date to Announce Third Quarter Fiscal 2025 Financial Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    WATERLOO, Ontario, Nov. 04, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Descartes Systems Group (TSX: DSG) (Nasdaq: DSGX), the global leader in uniting logistics-intensive businesses in commerce, is scheduled to report its third quarter fiscal 2025 financial results after market close on Tuesday, December 3, 2024.

    Members of Descartes’ executive management team will host a conference call to discuss the company’s financial results at 5:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, December 3, 2024. Designated numbers are +1 289 514 5100 and +1 800 717 1738 for Toll-Free in North America, using conference ID 07584.

    The company will simultaneously conduct an audio webcast on the Descartes website at www.descartes.com/descartes/investor-relations. Phone conference dial-in or webcast log-in is required approximately 10 minutes beforehand.

    Replays of the conference call will be available until December 10, 2024, by dialing +1 289 819 1325 or Toll-Free for North America using +1 888 660 6264 with Playback Passcode: 07584#. An archived replay of the webcast will be available at www.descartes.com/descartes/investor-relations.

    About Descartes Systems Group
    Descartes is the global leader in providing on-demand, software-as-a-service solutions focused on improving the productivity, security, and sustainability of logistics-intensive businesses. Customers use our modular, software-as-a-service solutions to route, track and help improve the safety, performance and compliance of delivery resources; plan, allocate and execute shipments; rate, audit and pay transportation invoices; access global trade data; file customs and security documents for imports and exports; and complete numerous other logistics processes by participating in the world’s largest, collaborative multimodal logistics community. Our headquarters are in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada and we have offices and partners around the world. Learn more at www.descartes.com, and connect with us on LinkedIn and X (Twitter).

    Descartes Investor Contact
    Laurie McCauley
    (519) 746-2969
    investor@descartes.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Castellum, Inc. Announces $11.6 Million Higher Sequential Revenue and Gross Profits for Q3 2024

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VIENNA, Va., Nov. 04, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Castellum, Inc. (“Castellum” or the “Company”) (NYSE-American: CTM), a cybersecurity, electronic warfare, and software services company focused on the federal government, announces certain highlights of its operating results for its third quarter ended September 30, 2024.

    Revenue for the third quarter of 2024 was $11.6 million, up sequentially from $11.5 million and $11.3 million during the second and first quarters of 2024, respectively. Gross profit was $5.0 million compared to $4.7 million and $4.5 million during the second and first quarters of 2024, respectively.

    “I’m encouraged by the momentum we are generating in 2024,” said Glen Ives, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company. “We have produced greater revenue and gross profit, quarter by quarter, but our growth is modest because it is based upon outstanding performance and execution on our current contracts. To strengthen our company and share value more significantly, our growth must come from new contract wins. Since I became CEO four months ago, our focus and priority have been to posture our company for realistic opportunities and new contract wins in 2025. Our exceptional CTM professionals bring world-class skills, talent, and experience to our customers and our vital national security mission. Together with our strong mission and technical capabilities, extensive and relevant past performance, and outstanding ability to execute on our current contracts, we have a solid foundation for growth. Moving forward, I believe our focused commitment and strategic investments to strengthen our new business growth capabilities and secure new contracts will drive significant and positive improvements in our quarterly and long-term performance.”

    Castellum’s full financial results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, are expected to be filed on or before November 14, 2024, on Form 10-Q, available at www.sec.gov.

    About Castellum, Inc. (NYSE-American: CTM):

    Castellum, Inc. is a cybersecurity, electronic warfare, and software engineering services company focused on the federal government – http://castellumus.com.

    Forward-Looking Statements:

    This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 2lE of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements represent the Company’s expectations or beliefs concerning future events and can generally be identified by the use of statements that include words such as “estimate,” “project,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “shooting to,” “intend,” “in a position,” “looking to,” “pursue,” “positioned,” “will,” “likely,” “would,” or similar words or phrases. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the Company’s expectations for revenue growth, new customer opportunities, improvements to cost structure, and profitability. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are outside of the Company’s control, that could cause actual results to differ (sometimes materially) from the results expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements, including, among others: the Company’s ability to compete against new and existing competitors; its ability to effectively integrate and grow its acquired companies; its ability to identify additional acquisition targets and close additional acquisitions; the impact on the Company’s revenue due to a delay in the U.S. Congress approving a federal budget; and the Company’s ability to maintain the listing of its common stock on the NYSE American LLC. For a more detailed description of these and other risk factors, please refer to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) which can be viewed at www.sec.gov. All forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain, based on current expectations and assumptions concerning future events or the future performance of the Company. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which are only predictions and speak only as of the date hereof. The Company expressly disclaims any intent or obligation to update any of the forward-looking statements made in this release or in any of its SEC filings except as may be otherwise stated by the Company.

    Contact:

    Glen Ives, President and Chief Executive Officer
    Phone: (703) 752-6157
    info@castellumus.com
    http://castellumus.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ff38729b-b1ec-428e-8b71-8162296c56e4

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Aroma Retail Supports Exponential Ecommerce Growth with Descartes Parcel Shipping Solution

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ATLANTA, Nov. 04, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Descartes Systems Group (Nasdaq:DSGX) (TSX:DSG), the global leader in uniting logistics-intensive businesses in commerce, announced that Las Vegas-based Aroma Retail, a leading environmental scenting company specializing in signature resort scents and unique fragrance libraries for home and business, is using Descartes’ cloud-based, multi-carrier parcel shipping solution to scale ecommerce order fulfillment in support of escalating sales growth.

    “What began as a tiny operation in our kitchen a few short years ago, manually shipping a handful of orders daily, has exploded into a 13,000-square-foot facility shipping on average 4,000+ orders per month, with more than US$5 million in annual revenue. It quickly became clear that we needed an ecommerce shipping solution that could scale rapidly and take our peak season volume spikes in stride,” said Jim Reding, CEO at Aroma Retail. “From hiccup-free integration with our ecommerce platform and rate shopping integrated into the checkout process to highly responsive support, the Descartes solution has simplified and expedited fulfilment, boosting productivity, cutting shipping costs and transforming the customer experience to help us build brand loyalty and drive continued growth.”

    Descartes’ cloud-based multi-carrier parcel shipping solutions help small-, medium- and even large-sized retailers control, manage and automate steps in ecommerce fulfillment processes to improve warehouse performance. The solutions help retailers reduce shipping costs by automatically importing ecommerce orders, comparing carrier rates, eliminating fulfillment decisions, printing shipping labels for all major carriers, and tracking shipments in real-time through final delivery. With seamless integration to leading ecommerce marketplaces, ERP providers, and supply chain platforms and live customer support, Descartes’ shipping solutions help ecommerce businesses scale easily and quickly to manage rising order volumes and drive growth.

    “We’re delighted that Descartes’ ecommerce shipping solution has played a meaningful role in Aroma Retail’s explosive growth,” said Mikel Richardson, General Manager, Ecommerce North America at Descartes. “In a highly competitive ecommerce marketplace, service differentiation is key to customer satisfaction and a steady flow of orders. Our multi-carrier parcel shipping solutions enable ecommerce businesses of all sizes to quickly scale their operations to meet peak demands, optimizing delivery execution and cultivating a differentiated customer experience to improve retention.”

    Learn more about Descartes’ Ecommerce Shipping & Fulfillment Solutions.

    About Aroma Retail

    Founded in 2017, Aroma Retail provides environmental scenting solutions for homes and businesses, including pure grade fragrance oils used by world-class resorts. The Green-Certified and Women-Owned company operates out of a 13,000 square-foot facility in Las Vegas, NV and offers a fragrance library of more than 100 scents. Aroma Retail ships a wide range of scented products and aroma diffusion machines globally via its ecommerce website and through its Las Vegas retail location, Smelly Bar. For more information, visit www.aromaretail.com.

    About Descartes

    Descartes (Nasdaq:DSGX) (TSX:DSG) is the global leader in providing on-demand, software-as-a-service solutions focused on improving the productivity, security and sustainability of logistics-intensive businesses. Customers use our modular, software-as-a-service solutions to route, track and help improve the safety, performance and compliance of delivery resources; plan, allocate and execute shipments; rate, audit and pay transportation invoices; access global trade data; file customs and security documents for imports and exports; and complete numerous other logistics processes by participating in the world’s largest, collaborative multimodal logistics community. Our headquarters are in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada and we have offices and partners around the world. Learn more at www.descartes.com, and connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

    Global Media Contact
    Cara Strohack                                                                     
    Tel: +1(800) 419-8495 ext. 202025                                 
    cstrohack@descartes.com  

    Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

    This release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws (“forward-looking statements”) that relate to Descartes’ ecommerce solution offerings and potential benefits derived therefrom; and other matters. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements or developments expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to, the factors and assumptions discussed in the section entitled, “Certain Factors That May Affect Future Results” in documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Ontario Securities Commission and other securities commissions across Canada including Descartes’ most recently filed management’s discussion and analysis. If any such risks actually occur, they could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations. In that case, the trading price of our common shares could decline, perhaps materially. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purposes of providing information about management’s current expectations and plans relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. We do not undertake or accept any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in our expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based, except as required by law.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: L’Ordre des CPA du Québec, CPA Ontario, and CPA Canada Reach Agreement on Standard Setting and Education

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MONTREAL and TORONTO, Nov. 04, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — L’Ordre des CPA du Québec, CPA Ontario, and CPA Canada are pleased to share that the organizations have signed a binding term sheet on standard setting and have finalized the details of the education agreement reached last fall.

    The agreement on standards ensures continued funding for standard setting, and continued access for CPAs in Ontario and Quebec to the CPA Canada Handbook and Board Guidance, which are foundational to the profession and critical to protecting the public.

    The finalized education agreement ensures continuity of the educational pathway for current CPA students in Ontario and Quebec, consistent with the organizations’ binding agreement reached in November 2023.

    These agreements follow the notice from L’Ordre des CPA du Québec and CPA Ontario regarding their withdrawal from the Collaboration Accord, effective December 2024.

    For further information or inquiries, please contact:

    CPA Canada
    Sunny Freeman
    sfreeman@cpacanada.ca

    CPA Ontario
    Kathryn Hanley
    khanley@cpaontario.ca

    Ordre des CPA du Québec
    Maude Bujeault-Bolduc
    mbujeault-bolduc@cpaquebec.ca

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: OTC Markets Group Welcomes Corero Network Security plc to OTCQX

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, Nov. 04, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM), operator of regulated markets for trading 12,000 U.S. and international securities, today announced Corero Network Security plc (LSE: CNS; OTCQX: DDOSF), a leading provider of distributed denial of service (DDoS) protection solutions, has qualified to trade on the OTCQX® Best Market. Corero Network Security plc upgraded to OTCQX from the OTCQB® Venture Market.

    Corero Network Security plc begins trading today on OTCQX under the symbol “DDOSF.” U.S. investors can find current financial disclosure and Real-Time Level 2 quotes for the company on www.otcmarkets.com.

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

    Carl Herberger, Chief Executive Officer at Corero, commented, “We are delighted to commence trading on OTCQX and further expand our reach and visibility into the US investor market. This is an exciting step in the Corero growth journey, recognizing the effort and value generated by the entire Corero team and the support of our growing international shareholder base.”

    About Corero Network Security plc
    Corero Network Security is a leading provider of distributed denial of service (DDoS) protection solutions. We are specialists in automatic detection and protection solutions, that include network visibility, analytics, and reporting tools. Corero’s technology provides scalable protection capabilities against both external DDoS attackers and internal DDoS threats, in even the most complex edge and subscriber environments, ensuring internet service availability and uptime. Corero’s key operational centres are in Marlborough, Massachusetts, USA, and Edinburgh, UK, with the Company’s headquarters in London, UK. The Company is listed on the London Stock Exchange’s AIM market under the ticker CNS and trades on the OTCQX Market under the Ticker DDOSF. For more information visit www.corero.com

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

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

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

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

    Subscribe to the OTC Markets RSS Feed

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

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: GraniteShares Financial Plc (the Issuer) Early Redemption Event of certain classes of ETP Securities

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LONDON, Nov. 04, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — GraniteShares announces changes in product offerings.

    Issuer Call Redemption Event

    The Issuer gives notice pursuant to Condition 8 (c) of the Conditions that all ETP Securities of the classes specified in Exhibit A are to be compulsorily redeemed and that the Issuer has nominated 09 December 2024 to be the Early Redemption Date in respect of all such classes. The Early Termination Amount for a particular class will be determined on the Early Redemption Date.

    The Securityholders of each class of ETP Securities will be entitled to the Value per ETP Securities for such class as determined on the Early Redemption Date and multiplied by the number of ETP Securities held on record day. The payment will be made via Euroclear Bank.

    It is expected that the ETP Securities subject to this Early Redemption Event will stop trading on the exchange venue listed in Exhibit A after the close of trading on 06 December 2024. The Issuer submitted the exchange venue with a notice for the ETP Securities to be delisted. If you wish to sell your securities before the compulsory redemption of these securities, you should do so by the close of trading on this date.

    Capitalised terms not defined herein shall have the meaning given to them in the Issue Deed relating to the ETP Securities.

    This Notice is given by the Issuer.

    GRANITESHARES FINANCIAL PLC

    By: __ /s/ Aileen Mannion___________

    Name: Aileen Mannion

    Title: Director

    Ground Floor, Two Dockland Central

    Guild Street

    North Dock

    Dublin 1

    Ireland

    Exhibit A List of ETP Securities subject to the Early Redemption Event

    GraniteShares Financial Plc

    LEI: 635400MFOIY6BX1JUC92

    ETP Securities Exchange
    venue
    Ticker SEDOL ISIN Last trading
    day
    Early
    Redemption
    Date
    Record day Expected
    payment day
    To Euroclear
    Bank
    GraniteShares 3x Long Enel Daily ETP Securities Borsa Italiana – ETF Plus 3LNL BP0BGQ5 XS2435552216 06 Dec 2024 09 Dec 2024 10 Dec 2024 13 Dec 2024
    GraniteShares 3x Short Enel Daily ETP Securities Borsa Italiana – ETF Plus 3SNL BP0BGJ8 XS2435552729 06 Dec 2024 09 Dec 2024 10 Dec 2024 13 Dec 2024
    GraniteShares 3x Long Eni Daily ETP Securities Borsa Italiana – ETF Plus 3LEN BP0BGS7 XS2435551242 06 Dec 2024 09 Dec 2024 10 Dec 2024 13 Dec 2024
    GraniteShares 3x Short Eni Daily ETP Securities Borsa Italiana – ETF Plus 3SEN BSY12G4 XS2846983471 06 Dec 2024 09 Dec 2024 10 Dec 2024 13 Dec 2024
    GraniteShares 3x Long MIB Daily ETF Securities Borsa Italiana – ETF Plus 3MIB BQKW8K3 XS2531766363 06 Dec 2024 09 Dec 2024 10 Dec 2024 13 Dec 2024
    GraniteShares 3x Short MIB Daily ETF Securities Borsa Italiana – ETF Plus 3SIT BQKW8J2 XS2531766447 06 Dec 2024 09 Dec 2024 10 Dec 2024 13 Dec 2024

    EuropeanTeam@graniteshares.com

    +44 (0)20 3950 1442

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: AMG Reports Financial and Operating Results for the Third Quarter and Nine Months Ended September 30, 2024

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Company reports EPS of $3.78, Economic EPS of $4.82 in the third quarter of 2024

    • Net income (controlling interest) of $124 million, Economic Net Income (controlling interest) of $153 million
    • Economic Earnings per share of $4.82 for the quarter, increased 18% year-over-year
    • Repurchased $103 million in common stock, bringing year-to-date share repurchases to $580 million

    WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., Nov. 04, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — AMG, a strategic partner to leading independent investment management firms globally, today reported its financial and operating results for the third quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2024.

    Jay C. Horgen, President and Chief Executive Officer of AMG, said:
    “AMG delivered strong results in the third quarter, including year-over-year growth of 18% in Economic Earnings per share, reflecting the ongoing momentum in our business and the positive impact of our disciplined capital allocation strategy.

    “Our growth strategy continues to drive the evolution of our business mix toward secular growth areas, with alternative strategies meaningfully, and increasingly, contributing to AMG’s earnings. AMG’s dedicated private markets Affiliates raised approximately $7 billion in the quarter, reflecting the strength of the ongoing demand for our Affiliates’ specialized strategies. During the quarter, we continued to invest AMG’s capital and resources in and alongside our Affiliates to enhance their growth – including by collaborating to develop additional innovative alternative solutions, across both private markets and liquid alternatives, for the U.S. wealth marketplace. AMG’s proven ability to magnify the competitive advantages of partner-owned firms, while also preserving their independence, continues to differentiate AMG’s partnership model and is highly valued by prospective Affiliates. As we form partnerships with additional new Affiliates in areas of secular demand and continue to invest in existing Affiliates, including by leveraging our capital formation capabilities, we expect to accelerate the evolution of AMG’s business profile toward alternatives and enhance our long-term growth prospects.

    “Our excellent capital position was further strengthened through the issuance of $400 million in senior notes in the quarter, extending the average duration of our debt to more than 20 years. Given our unique partnership model, proven strategic capabilities, and ample financial flexibility, we see increasing opportunities to invest for growth in both new and existing Affiliates, and create meaningful additional shareholder value over time.”

    FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS Three Months Ended   Nine Months Ended
    (in millions, except as noted and per share data) 9/30/2023   9/30/2024   9/30/2023   9/30/2024
    Operating Performance Measures              
    AUM (at period end, in billions) $ 635.8     $ 728.4     $ 635.8     $ 728.4  
    Average AUM (in billions)   663.8       711.7       664.4       694.9  
    Net client cash flows (in billions)   (9.4 )     (2.8 )     (23.1 )     (5.6 )
    Aggregate fees   997.5       1,157.1       3,505.7       3,726.8  
    Financial Performance Measures              
    Net income (controlling interest) $ 217.0     $ 123.6     $ 476.8     $ 349.5  
    Earnings per share (diluted)(1)   5.48       3.78       12.28       10.25  
    Supplemental Performance Measures(2)              
    Adjusted EBITDA (controlling interest) $ 208.4     $ 214.1     $ 639.6     $ 691.4  
    Economic net income (controlling interest)   149.5       153.2       474.9       495.8  
    Economic earnings per share   4.08       4.82       12.72       14.90  
                                   

    For additional information on our Supplemental Performance Measures, including reconciliations to GAAP, see the Financial Tables and Notes.

    Capital Management
    During the third quarter of 2024, the Company repurchased approximately $103 million in common stock, bringing total year-to-date repurchases to approximately $580 million. The Company also announced a third-quarter cash dividend of $0.01 per share of common stock, payable November 29, 2024 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on November 14, 2024.

    About AMG
    AMG (NYSE: AMG) is a strategic partner to leading independent investment management firms globally. AMG’s strategy is to generate long‐term value by investing in a diverse array of high-quality independent partner-owned firms, through a proven partnership approach, and allocating resources across AMG’s unique opportunity set to the areas of highest growth and return. Through its distinctive approach, AMG magnifies its Affiliates’ existing advantages and actively supports their independence and ownership culture. As of September 30, 2024, AMG’s aggregate assets under management were approximately $728 billion across a diverse range of private markets, liquid alternative, and differentiated long-only investment strategies. For more information, please visit the Company’s website at www.amg.com.

             

    Conference Call, Replay, and Presentation Information
    A conference call will be held with AMG’s management at 8:30 a.m. Eastern time today. Parties interested in listening to the conference call should dial 1-877-407-8291 (U.S. calls) or 1-201-689-8345 (non-U.S. calls) shortly before the call begins.

    The conference call will also be available for replay beginning approximately one hour after the conclusion of the call. To hear a replay of the call, please dial 1-877-660-6853 (U.S. calls) or 1-201-612-7415 (non-U.S. calls) and provide conference ID 13749048. The live call and replay of the session and a presentation highlighting the Company’s performance can also be accessed via AMG’s website at https://ir.amg.com/.

    Financial Tables Follow

    ASSETS UNDER MANAGEMENT – STATEMENTS OF CHANGES (in billions)
               
    BY STRATEGY – QUARTER TO DATE Alternatives Global Equities U.S. Equities Multi-Asset &
    Fixed Income
    Total
    AUM, June 30, 2024 $ 256.6   $ 186.4   $ 146.6   $ 111.4   $ 701.0  
    Client cash inflows and commitments   14.3     3.9     4.7     4.4     27.3  
    Client cash outflows   (6.9 )   (10.2 )   (8.4 )   (4.6 )   (30.1 )
    Net client cash flows   7.4     (6.3 )   (3.7 )   (0.2 )   (2.8 )
    New investments*               0.7     0.7  
    Market changes   1.1     11.2     8.3     3.6     24.2  
    Foreign exchange   2.8     3.0     0.4     0.5     6.7  
    Realizations and distributions (net)   (1.3 )   (0.0 )   (0.0 )   (0.1 )   (1.4 )
    Other   (0.1 )   0.0     0.0     0.1      
    AUM, September 30, 2024 $ 266.5   $ 194.3   $ 151.6   $ 116.0   $ 728.4  
               
    BY STRATEGY – YEAR TO DATE Alternatives Global Equities U.S. Equities Multi-Asset &
    Fixed Income
    Total
    AUM, December 31, 2023 $ 238.8   $ 186.6   $ 142.8   $ 104.5   $ 672.7  
    Client cash inflows and commitments   36.7     13.6     14.3     16.8     81.4  
    Client cash outflows   (18.4 )   (28.4 )   (25.9 )   (14.3 )   (87.0 )
    Net client cash flows   18.3     (14.8 )   (11.6 )   2.5     (5.6 )
    New investments   0.7             0.7     1.4  
    Market changes   7.7     23.8     20.1     8.3     59.9  
    Foreign exchange   2.4     1.8     (0.1 )   0.2     4.3  
    Realizations and distributions (net)   (3.9 )   (0.1 )   (0.1 )   (0.2 )   (4.3 )
    Other   2.5     (3.0 )   0.5     0.0     0.0  
    AUM, September 30, 2024 $ 266.5   $ 194.3   $ 151.6   $ 116.0   $ 728.4  
             
    BY CLIENT TYPE – QUARTER TO DATE Institutional Retail High Net
    Worth
    Total
    AUM, June 30, 2024 $ 369.7   $ 201.4   $ 129.9   $ 701.0  
    Client cash inflows and commitments   11.7     8.5     7.1     27.3  
    Client cash outflows   (11.7 )   (13.2 )   (5.2 )   (30.1 )
    Net client cash flows   (0.0 )   (4.7 )   1.9     (2.8 )
    New investments*           0.7     0.7  
    Market changes   9.2     9.4     5.6     24.2  
    Foreign exchange   3.6     2.9     0.2     6.7  
    Realizations and distributions (net)   (1.3 )   (0.1 )   (0.0 )   (1.4 )
    Other   (6.1 )   (0.4 )   6.5      
    AUM, September 30, 2024 $ 375.1   $ 208.5   $ 144.8   $ 728.4  
             
    BY CLIENT TYPE – YEAR TO DATE Institutional Retail High Net
    Worth
    Total
    AUM, December 31, 2023 $ 354.9   $ 196.0   $ 121.8   $ 672.7  
    Client cash inflows and commitments   36.8     26.3     18.3     81.4  
    Client cash outflows   (31.7 )   (39.1 )   (16.2 )   (87.0 )
    Net client cash flows   5.1     (12.8 )   2.1     (5.6 )
    New investments   0.5         0.9     1.4  
    Market changes   26.0     23.1     10.8     59.9  
    Foreign exchange   2.0     2.4     (0.1 )   4.3  
    Realizations and distributions (net)   (3.9 )   (0.3 )   (0.1 )   (4.3 )
    Other   (9.5 )   0.1     9.4     0.0  
    AUM, September 30, 2024 $ 375.1   $ 208.5   $ 144.8   $ 728.4  
     

    __________________________
    * Includes assets under management related to a new investment made by an existing Affiliate.

     
    CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
           
        Three Months Ended  
    (in millions, except per share data)   9/30/2023   9/30/2024  
    Consolidated revenue   $ 525.2     $ 516.4    
               
    Consolidated expenses:          
    Compensation and related expenses     211.8       220.8    
    Selling, general and administrative     91.1       97.0    
    Intangible amortization and impairments     12.5       7.3    
    Interest expense     31.1       34.7    
    Depreciation and other amortization     3.0       3.3    
    Other expenses (net)     7.9       11.6    
    Total consolidated expenses     357.4       374.7    
               
    Equity method income (net)(3)     39.8       52.6    
    Affiliate Transaction gain(4)     133.1          
    Investment and other income     23.0       22.8    
    Income before income taxes     363.7       217.1    
               
    Income tax expense     77.7       31.3    
    Net income     286.0       185.8    
               
    Net income (non-controlling interests)     (69.0 )     (62.2 )  
    Net income (controlling interest)   $ 217.0     $ 123.6    
               
    Average shares outstanding (basic)     34.9       30.1    
    Average shares outstanding (diluted)     43.4       35.0    
               
    Earnings per share (basic)   $ 6.22     $ 4.11    
    Earnings per share (diluted)(1)   $ 5.48     $ 3.78    
     
    RECONCILIATIONS OF SUPPLEMENTAL PERFORMANCE MEASURES(2)
        Three Months Ended  
    (in millions, except per share data)   9/30/2023   9/30/2024  
    Net income (controlling interest)   $ 217.0     $ 123.6    
    Intangible amortization and impairments     29.8       27.5    
    Intangible-related deferred taxes     14.7       15.6    
    Affiliate Transactions(4)     (104.7 )        
    Other economic items     (7.3 )     (13.5 )  
    Economic net income (controlling interest)   $ 149.5     $ 153.2    
               
    Average shares outstanding (adjusted diluted)     36.6       31.8    
    Economic earnings per share   $ 4.08     $ 4.82    
               
    Net income (controlling interest)   $ 217.0     $ 123.6    
    Interest expense     31.1       34.7    
    Income taxes     76.6       33.3    
    Intangible amortization and impairments     29.8       27.5    
    Affiliate Transactions(4)     (139.6 )        
    Other items     (6.5 )     (5.0 )  
    Adjusted EBITDA (controlling interest)   $ 208.4     $ 214.1    
                       

    See Notes for additional information.

     
    CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
           
        Nine Months Ended  
    (in millions, except per share data)   9/30/2023   9/30/2024  
    Consolidated revenue   $ 1,555.2     $ 1,516.6    
               
    Consolidated expenses:          
    Compensation and related expenses     663.0       676.5    
    Selling, general and administrative     273.4       278.1    
    Intangible amortization and impairments     37.5       21.8    
    Interest expense     92.4       98.1    
    Depreciation and other amortization     10.0       9.4    
    Other expenses (net)     36.2       31.5    
    Total consolidated expenses     1,112.5       1,115.4    
               
    Equity method income (net)(3)     154.3       188.3    
    Affiliate Transaction gain(4)     133.1          
    Investment and other income     87.2       60.0    
    Income before income taxes     817.3       649.5    
               
    Income tax expense     155.4       130.0    
    Net income     661.9       519.5    
               
    Net income (non-controlling interests)     (185.1 )     (170.0 )  
    Net income (controlling interest)   $ 476.8     $ 349.5    
               
    Average shares outstanding (basic)     35.6       31.4    
    Average shares outstanding (diluted)     42.9       35.2    
               
    Earnings per share (basic)   $ 13.41     $ 11.11    
    Earnings per share (diluted)(1)   $ 12.28     $ 10.25    
     
    RECONCILIATIONS OF SUPPLEMENTAL PERFORMANCE MEASURES(2)
           
        Nine Months Ended  
    (in millions, except per share data)   9/30/2023   9/30/2024  
    Net income (controlling interest)   $ 476.8     $ 349.5    
    Intangible amortization and impairments     88.6       118.7    
    Intangible-related deferred taxes     44.6       46.6    
    Affiliate Transactions(4)     (122.1 )        
    Other economic items     (13.0 )     (19.0 )  
    Economic net income (controlling interest)   $ 474.9     $ 495.8    
               
    Average shares outstanding (adjusted diluted)     37.3       33.3    
    Economic earnings per share   $ 12.72     $ 14.90    
               
    Net income (controlling interest)   $ 476.8     $ 349.5    
    Interest expense     92.4       98.1    
    Income taxes     150.7       133.0    
    Intangible amortization and impairments     88.6       118.7    
    Affiliate Transactions(4)     (162.7 )        
    Other items     (6.2 )     (7.9 )  
    Adjusted EBITDA (controlling interest)   $ 639.6     $ 691.4    
                       

    See Notes for additional information.

     
    CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
           
        Period Ended  
    (in millions)   12/31/2023   9/30/2024  
    Assets          
    Cash and cash equivalents   $ 813.6     $ 1,010.7    
    Receivables     368.4       457.1    
    Investments in marketable securities     461.0       66.1    
    Goodwill     2,523.6       2,532.0    
    Acquired client relationships (net)     1,812.4       1,807.1    
    Equity method investments in Affiliates (net)     2,288.5       2,148.4    
    Fixed assets (net)     67.3       61.0    
    Other investments     480.9       532.8    
    Other assets     243.9       287.8    
    Total assets   $ 9,059.6     $ 8,903.0    
               
    Liabilities and Equity          
    Payables and accrued liabilities   $ 628.5     $ 625.7    
    Debt     2,537.5       2,619.7    
    Deferred income tax liability (net)     463.8       522.0    
    Other liabilities     466.3       464.5    
    Total liabilities     4,096.1       4,231.9    
               
    Redeemable non-controlling interests     393.4       397.1    
    Equity:          
    Common stock     0.6       0.6    
    Additional paid-in capital     741.4       711.3    
    Accumulated other comprehensive loss     (167.6 )     (139.2 )  
    Retained earnings     6,389.6       6,738.1    
          6,964.0       7,310.8    
    Less: treasury stock, at cost     (3,376.1 )     (3,994.5 )  
    Total stockholders’ equity     3,587.9       3,316.3    
    Non-controlling interests     982.2       957.7    
    Total equity     4,570.1       4,274.0    
    Total liabilities and equity   $ 9,059.6     $ 8,903.0    
     

    Notes

    (1) Earnings per share (diluted) adjusts for the dilutive effect of the potential issuance of incremental shares of our common stock.
       
      We assume the settlement of all of our Redeemable non-controlling interests using the maximum number of shares permitted under our arrangements. The issuance of shares and the related income acquired are excluded from the calculation if an assumed purchase of Redeemable non-controlling interests would be anti-dilutive to diluted earnings per share.
       
      We are required to apply the if-converted method to our outstanding junior convertible securities when calculating Earnings per share (diluted). Under the if-converted method, shares that are issuable upon conversion are deemed outstanding, regardless of whether the securities are contractually convertible into our common stock at that time. For this calculation, the interest expense (net of tax) attributable to these dilutive securities is added back to Net income (controlling interest), reflecting the assumption that the securities have been converted. Issuable shares for these securities and related interest expense are excluded from the calculation if an assumed conversion would be anti-dilutive to diluted earnings per share.
       
      The following table provides a reconciliation of the numerator and denominator used in the calculation of basic and diluted earnings per share:
          Three Months Ended   Nine Months Ended  
      (in millions)   9/30/2023   9/30/2024   9/30/2023   9/30/2024  
      Numerator                  
      Net income (controlling interest)   $ 217.0   $ 123.6   $ 476.8   $ 349.5  
      Income from hypothetical settlement of Redeemable non-controlling interests, net of taxes     17.1     5.2     39.4     1.0  
      Interest expense on junior convertible securities, net of taxes     3.4     3.4     10.1     10.1  
      Net income (controlling interest), as adjusted   $ 237.5   $ 132.2   $ 526.3   $ 360.6  
      Denominator                  
      Average shares outstanding (basic)     34.9     30.1     35.6     31.4  
      Effect of dilutive instruments:                  
      Stock options and restricted stock units     1.7     1.7     1.7     1.9  
      Hypothetical issuance of shares to settle Redeemable non-controlling interests     5.1     1.5     3.9     0.2  
      Junior convertible securities     1.7     1.7     1.7     1.7  
      Average shares outstanding (diluted)     43.4     35.0     42.9     35.2  
       
    (2) As supplemental information, we provide non-GAAP performance measures of Adjusted EBITDA (controlling interest), Economic net income (controlling interest), and Economic earnings per share. We believe that many investors use our Adjusted EBITDA (controlling interest) when comparing our financial performance to other companies in the investment management industry. Management utilizes these non-GAAP performance measures to assess our performance before our share of certain non-cash GAAP expenses primarily related to the acquisition of interests in Affiliates and to improve comparability between periods. Economic net income (controlling interest) and Economic earnings per share are used by management and our Board of Directors as our principal performance benchmarks, including as one of the measures for determining executive compensation. These non-GAAP performance measures are provided in addition to, but not as a substitute for, Net income (controlling interest), Earnings per share, or other GAAP performance measures. For additional information on our non-GAAP measures, see our most recent Annual and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-K and 10-Q, respectively, which are accessible on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
       
      Adjusted EBITDA (controlling interest) represents our performance before our share of interest expense, income and certain non-income based taxes, depreciation, amortization, impairments, gains and losses related to Affiliate Transactions, and non-cash items such as certain Affiliate equity activity, gains and losses on our contingent payment obligations, and unrealized gains and losses on seed capital, general partner commitments, and other strategic investments. Adjusted EBITDA (controlling interest) is also adjusted to include realized economic gains and losses related to these seed capital, general partner commitments, and other strategic investments.
       
      Under our Economic net income (controlling interest) definition, we adjust Net income (controlling interest) for our share of pre-tax intangible amortization and impairments related to intangible assets (including the portion attributable to equity method investments in Affiliates) because these expenses do not correspond to the changes in the value of these assets, which do not diminish predictably over time. We also adjust for deferred taxes attributable to intangible assets because we believe it is unlikely these accruals will be used to settle material tax obligations. Further, we adjust for gains and losses related to Affiliate Transactions, net of tax, and other economic items. Other economic items include certain Affiliate equity activity, gains and losses related to contingent payment obligations, tax windfalls and shortfalls from share-based compensation, unrealized gains and losses on seed capital, general partner commitments, and other strategic investments, and realized economic gains and losses related to these seed capital, general partner commitments, and other strategic investments.
       
      Economic earnings per share represents Economic net income (controlling interest) divided by the Average shares outstanding (adjusted diluted). In this calculation, we exclude the potential shares issued upon settlement of Redeemable non-controlling interests from Average shares outstanding (adjusted diluted) because we intend to settle those obligations without issuing shares, consistent with all prior Affiliate equity purchase transactions. The potential share issuance in connection with our junior convertible securities is measured using a “treasury stock” method. Under this method, only the net number of shares of common stock equal to the value of the junior convertible securities in excess of par, if any, are deemed to be outstanding. We believe the inclusion of net shares under a treasury stock method best reflects the benefit of the increase in available capital resources (which could be used to repurchase shares of our common stock) that occurs when these securities are converted and we are relieved of our debt obligation.
       
      The following table provides a reconciliation of Average shares outstanding (adjusted diluted):
          Three Months Ended   Nine Months Ended  
      (in millions)   9/30/2023   9/30/2024   9/30/2023   9/30/2024  
      Average shares outstanding (diluted)   43.4     35.0     42.9     35.2    
      Hypothetical issuance of shares to settle Redeemable non-controlling interests   (5.1 )   (1.5 )   (3.9 )   (0.2 )  
      Junior convertible securities   (1.7 )   (1.7 )   (1.7 )   (1.7 )  
      Average shares outstanding (adjusted diluted)   36.6     31.8     37.3     33.3    
    (3) The following table presents equity method earnings and equity method intangible amortization and impairments, which in aggregate form Equity method income (net):
          Three Months Ended   Nine Months Ended  
      (in millions)   9/30/2023   9/30/2024   9/30/2023   9/30/2024  
      Equity method earnings   $ 61.0     $ 75.3     $ 217.3     $ 292.6    
      Equity method intangible amortization and impairments     (21.2 )     (22.7 )     (63.0 )     (104.3 )  
      Equity method income (net)   $ 39.8     $ 52.6     $ 154.3     $ 188.3    
    (4) The following table presents the impact of the completion of our previously announced sales of our equity interests in Veritable, LP to a third party in the third quarter of 2023, and Baring Private Equity Asia to EQT AB (EQT), a public company listed on Nasdaq Stockholm (EQT ST), in the fourth quarter of 2022, pursuant to which we received ordinary shares of EQT:
          Three Months Ended   Nine Months Ended  
      (in millions)   9/30/2023   9/30/2024   9/30/2023   9/30/2024  
      Affiliate Transaction gain   $ 133.1     $   $ 133.1     $  
      Investment and other income – Realized gains on EQT shares     6.5           29.6        
      Affiliate Transactions, pre-tax     139.6           162.7        
      Income taxes     (34.9 )         (40.6 )      
      Affiliate Transactions, after-tax   $ 104.7     $   $ 122.1     $  
                                     

    Forward-Looking Statements and Other Matters

    Certain matters discussed in this press release issued by Affiliated Managers Group, Inc. (“AMG” or the “Company”) may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements related to our expectations regarding the performance of our business, our financial results, our liquidity and capital resources, and other non-historical statements. You can identify these forward-looking statements by the use of words such as “outlook,” “guidance,” “believes,” “expects,” “potential,” “preliminary,” “continues,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “seeks,” “approximately,” “predicts,” “projects,” “positioned,” “prospects,” “intends,” “plans,” “estimates,” “pending investments,” “anticipates,” or the negative version of these words or other comparable words. Actual results and the timing of certain events could differ materially from those projected in or contemplated by the forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including changes in the securities or financial markets or in general economic conditions, the availability of equity and debt financing, competition for acquisitions of interests in investment management firms, uncertainties relating to closing of pending investments or transactions and potential changes in the anticipated benefits thereof, the investment performance and growth rates of our Affiliates and their ability to effectively market their investment strategies, the mix of Affiliate contributions to our earnings, and other risks, uncertainties, and assumptions, including those described under the section entitled “Risk Factors” in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Such factors may be updated from time to time in our periodic filings with the SEC. These factors should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read in conjunction with the other cautionary statements that are included in this release and in our filings with the SEC. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or review any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments, or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

    This release does not constitute an offer of any products, investment vehicles, or services of any AMG Affiliate.

    From time to time, AMG may use its website as a distribution channel of material Company information. AMG routinely posts financial and other important information regarding the Company in the Investor Relations section of its website at www.amg.com and encourages investors to consult that section regularly.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: New liquidity solutions firm Nodem Capital launches

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LONDON, Nov. 04, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Nodem Capital, a new secondaries firm which aims to meet the acute need across Next Wave markets for a creative liquidity provider, has officially launched.

    The firm will offer secondary liquidity to the holders of venture capital-backed assets in markets that include Emerging Europe, Turkey, Latin America, Southeast Asia and India. These Next Wave markets are defined as the world minus the 10 ‘legacy’ advanced economies such as North America and Western Europe.

    Nodem will specialise in offering partial liquidity (through preferred equity investments) to ‘non-sellers’ who want to maintain exposure and control but accelerate liquidity for distributions or growth.

    Nodem is well into the process of seeking FCA authorisation. All investment activities will commence once regulatory approvals are granted. Initial investor capital is in place, and the anticipated timeline is for investments to start in Q1 of 2025.

    In January 2025, Nodem will host a launch event and kick off monthly online panel discussions with leading Next Wave investors.

    Nodem was founded by Alex Branton, a former senior member of the private equity and venture capital teams at Sturgeon Capital. Sturgeon is an emerging markets investment firm with assets over $300 million, and investors include Chevron, the IFC and SBI.

    Before Sturgeon, Alex was also an investor at Cambridge Associates, advising some of the world’s most sophisticated institutions.

    Alex said: “Having spent my career as both a General Partner and Limited Partner in emerging markets, I feel uniquely qualified to solve the liquidity needs of our stakeholders.

    “We’re building a firm that investors can rely on for speedy solutions tailored to the specific needs of LPs and GPs active in our markets.”

    Pitchbook data suggest that from a near non-existent base in 2011-12, there has been a rapid build-up in capital raised by venture capital funds across Next Wave markets, peaking in 2021 when nearly $57bn was raised. The explosion in capital raising from 2019-21 was fuelled by earlier successes in the US/China and major early mobile internet successes by Next Wave VCs.

    Whilst these early fund vintages are rapidly maturing, widescale exits continue to be pushed back – with up to 20/ times as many companies now being financed by VCs versus exited.

    Alex added: “Many investors are now seeking, and struggling to find, liquidity solutions for their Next Wave holdings, resulting in LPs being reluctant to commit to new funds until value is released from earlier vintages.

    “Nodem is launching ahead of an expected ten-fold increase in the investable universe, which is defined as the value of assets held in venture capital funds older than 10 years old, to around $130bn. This presents us with a clear opportunity to serve clients in these markets.”

    For more information about Nodem Capital, visit nodem.com.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/178ed306-396d-4a71-abc5-b798ee2b4a75

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Capital Southwest Announces Proposed Convertible Notes Offering

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    DALLAS, Nov. 04, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Capital Southwest Corporation (Nasdaq: CSWC) (“Capital Southwest”) today announced the commencement of a registered public offering of unsecured convertible notes due 2029 (the “notes”) in an underwritten offering (the “offering”).

    The notes will be unsecured obligations of Capital Southwest, will accrue interest payable quarterly in arrears and will mature in 2029, unless earlier converted, redeemed or repurchased. Upon conversion, Capital Southwest will pay or deliver, as the case may be, cash, shares of Capital Southwest’s common stock or a combination of cash and shares of Capital Southwest’s common stock, at Capital Southwest’s election. The interest rate, initial conversion rate, redemption or repurchase rights and other terms of the notes will be determined at the time of pricing of the offering.

    Capital Southwest expects to use the net proceeds from the offering to redeem in full its 4.50% Notes due 2026, to repay a portion of the outstanding indebtedness under its senior secured revolving credit facility with ING Capital LLC, and for general corporate purposes.

    Oppenheimer & Co. is acting as sole book-running manager for the proposed offering.

    The proposed offering is being conducted pursuant to Capital Southwest’s automatic shelf registration statement on Form N-2, including a base prospectus, that was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on October 29, 2024 and became effective upon filing. A preliminary prospectus and accompanying prospectus relating to the proposed offering will be filed with the SEC and will be available for free on the SEC’s website located at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of the preliminary prospectus supplement relating to this offering and the accompanying prospectus may be obtained, when available, from: Oppenheimer & Co. Inc., Attention: Syndicate Prospectus Department, 85 Broad Street, 26th Floor, New York, NY 10004, by telephone at (212) 667-8055, or by email at EquityProspectus@opco.com.

    This press release is neither an offer to sell nor a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall it constitute an offer, solicitation or sale of any securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

    About Capital Southwest

    Capital Southwest Corporation (Nasdaq: CSWC) is a Dallas, Texas-based, internally managed business development company with approximately $1.5 billion in investments at fair value as of September 30, 2024. Capital Southwest is a middle market lending firm focused on supporting the acquisition and growth of middle market businesses with $5 million to $50 million investments across the capital structure, including first lien, second lien and non-control equity co-investments. As a public company with a permanent capital base, Capital Southwest has the flexibility to be creative in its financing solutions and to invest to support the growth of its portfolio companies over long periods of time.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains “forward-looking” statements, as that term is defined under the federal securities laws, including statements concerning the proposed terms of the notes, the completion, timing and size of the proposed offering of the notes, the anticipated use of proceeds from the offering, the potential impact of the foregoing or related transactions on dilution to holders of Capital Southwest’s common stock, the market price of Capital Southwest’s common stock or the notes or the conversion price of the notes. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which involve factors or circumstances that are beyond Capital Southwest’s control. Capital Southwest’s actual results could differ materially from those stated or implied in forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including but not limited to whether Capital Southwest will consummate the offering of notes on the expected terms or at all, which could differ or change based upon market conditions or for other reasons, and the other risks detailed in Capital Southwest’s Form 10-K filed with the SEC for the year ended March 31, 2024, in Capital Southwest’s quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2024 and in other filings and reports that Capital Southwest may file from time to time with the SEC. The forward-looking statements included in this press release represent Capital Southwest’s views as of the date of this press release. Capital Southwest anticipates that subsequent events and developments will cause Capital Southwest’s views to change. Capital Southwest undertakes no intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing Capital Southwest’s views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.

    Investor Relations Contact:

    Michael S. Sarner, Chief Financial Officer
    214-884-3829

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Thales’s Naval DRAKON solution enhances interoperability and secure connectivity for naval forces

    Source: Thales Group

    Headline: Thales’s Naval DRAKON solution enhances interoperability and secure connectivity for naval forces

    • With the return of high-intensity conflicts and an increasingly complex threat environment, naval forces must be prepared to take part in allied operations involving the coordinated deployment of multiple platform types including surface ships, submarines, aircraft and unmanned platforms.
    • Thales has developed Naval DRAKON to meet these new requirements, providing a cybersecure, interoperable connectivity solution for deployed forces by tying together multiple communication systems (military and commercial satcoms, VLF/LF, HF, V/UHF, etc.).
    • The new solution enables naval forces to control their electromagnetic footprint at sea and adapt communications to the operational tempo of the mission by prioritising data rate, discretion, resilience or low latency.
    @Thales

    “With Naval DRAKON, Thales is opening a new chapter in naval communications by guaranteeing secure, seamless communications for all the platforms deployed on collaborative combat operations, whatever the circumstances,” said Alexandre Bottero, Vice President, Networks and Infrastructure Systems, Thales.

    With the growing number of platform types deployed (allied naval formations, unmanned surface vessels, unmanned air systems, etc.), the broad array of communication systems available and the multitude of threats (missiles, torpedoes, drones, etc.), naval force coordination is becoming increasingly complex.

    Naval DRAKON was specifically developed to provide high-data-rate, robust and secure communications between naval vessels, airborne sensors and command centres. It is designed around an open architecture to support all the latest and most advanced communications technologies such as wideband HF (HF XL), ultra-compact multi-orbit satcom terminals, high-data-rate LOS radio and software-defined V/UHF.

    This sea-proven solution enables naval forces to control their electromagnetic footprint at sea and adapt communications to the operational tempo of the mission by prioritising data rate, discretion, resilience or low latency.

    Naval DRAKON is the naval version of Thales’s DRAKON solution for land forces, which was presented at Eurosatory in June 2024, and draws on the same operational expertise and proven capabilities.

    Naval DRAKON: integrated connectivity management for collaborative naval combat operations ©Thales” id=”image-4614590f-5154-4c21-9110-0a39ef6080f1″ data-id=”4614590f-5154-4c21-9110-0a39ef6080f1″ data-original=”https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/4614590f-5154-4c21-9110-0a39ef6080f1/-/inline/no/A4+DRAKON+FRESQUE.png” data-mfp-src=”https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/4614590f-5154-4c21-9110-0a39ef6080f1/-/resize/1200x/-/format/auto/” alt=”Naval DRAKON: integrated connectivity management for collaborative naval combat operations ©Thales”/>
    Naval DRAKON: integrated connectivity management for collaborative naval combat operations ©Thales

    Thales is a recognised leader in critical systems integration, working with more than 20 naval shipyards around the world and equipping more than 400 naval platforms, including about 100 submarines, over the last 40 years. Earlier this year, the Jacques Chevallier, the first of France’s new fleet replenishment tankers, completed a deployment of several months equipped with the COMTICS voice distribution system and the PARTNER-C communications management system.

    The other fleet replenishment tankers in the Jacques Chevallier class, as well as the FDI defence and intervention frigates for France and Greece and the UK Royal Navy’s T31 frigates, will be the first vessels to be equipped with this new, scalable solution, which will support advanced functionalities such as spectrum management, decision support, flow management, cybersecurity management and smart maintenance.

    Naval DRAKON will tie together all these services and functionalities to provide a fully integrated solution for naval forces.

    About Thales

    Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) is a global technology leader serving the Defence & Security, Aerospace & Space and Cybersecurity & Digital Identity markets.

    The Group develops products and solutions that help make the world safer, greener and more inclusive.

    Thales invests close to €4 billion a year in Research & Development, particularly in key areas such as AI, cybersecurity, quantum technologies, cloud technologies and 6G.

    Thales has 81,000 employees in 68 countries. In 2023, the Group generated sales of €18.4 billion.

    MIL OSI Economics

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Thales AI developments enhance operational performance of maritime mine countermeasures

    Source: Thales Group

    Headline: Thales AI developments enhance operational performance of maritime mine countermeasures

    • At the Euronaval exhibition at Paris Nord Villepinte from 4-7 November, Thales is showcasing recent advances in mine countermeasures with a presentation of its latest AI technologies implemented in the Pathmaster solution.
    • AI has a key role to play in the detection, classification, identification and neutralisation of maritime mines. With Thales’s Mi-Map sonar analysis application, sonar data can be processed up to four times faster than with conventional tools, making it possible to locate underwater mines with greater precision than ever before.
    • Thales’s Pathmaster solution draws on the latest research by cortAIx, the Group’s accelerator for trusted, cybersafe AI.
    @Thales

    At Euronaval (4-7 November 2024), Thales is showcasing recent advances in artificial intelligence with a presentation of its Pathmaster solution, which uses AI to detect and classify maritime mines with unprecedented precision for neutralisation by autonomous underwater vehicles.

    Maritime mines at any depth represent a low-cost, persistent threat to naval operations and compromise the safety of maritime shipping, which accounts for 90% of international trade. According to the latest estimates, several million maritime mines are now deployed worldwide, with particularly high densities in areas affected by major military conflicts or geopolitical tensions. As well as damaging marine ecosystems, they create a significant financial burden because of the need to re-route ships and protect shipping lanes.

    “With the proliferation and growing sophistication of maritime mines, advanced data gathering and analytics capabilities have an increasingly important role to play in countering this global threat. Autonomous mine countermeasures systems implementing artificial intelligence algorithms are now capable of processing data more efficiently and at lower cost than ever before while protecting human operators from the dangers of maritime minefields. Thales’s trusted AI augments the capabilities of its Pathmaster solution to significantly improve sonar data analysis and provide operators with valuable decision support during critical phases of their missions,” said Gwendoline Blandin-Roger, Vice President, Underwater Systems, Thales.

    Pathmaster uses AI to support the key tasks of mine detection and classification, while the Mi-Map application enables operators to analyse high-resolution sonar data covering hundreds of square kilometres, either in real time or after the mission, with greater efficiency than ever before. AI algorithms analyse sonar images to detect and classify potential mines much more accurately and over significantly larger areas. Thales’s Mi-Map solution is up to four times faster than conventional sonar data analysis tools as well as reducing the cognitive load on operators.

    Thales’s AI-augmented Pathmaster system has been proven in comprehensive sea trials conducted for the Franco-British MMCM programme and was certified in 2024 to the International Maritime Organization’s degree 3 autonomy by the Naval Authority Group within the UK MoD’s Defence, Equipment and Support (DE&S) organisation.

    AI at Thales

    Thales is a major player in trusted, cybersafe, transparent, explainable and ethical AI for armed forces, aircraft manufacturers and critical infrastructure providers. The Group employs over 600 engineers specialising in AI and around 100 doctoral candidates are conducting their AI research with Thales. Organised within Thales’s AI accelerator for research (AI Lab), systems, including decision support systems, (AI Factory) and sensors, including sonar, radar, radios and optronics, (AI Sensors), these experts are helping to incorporate AI into over 100 of Thales’s products and services. Thales’s AI capabilities draw on the most advanced sensor and system technologies to address the full spectrum of user requirements in the defence, aviation, space, cybersecurity and digital identity industries. Trusted AI is designed to meet the specific security and sovereignty needs of Thales’s customers. It brings greater efficiency to data analysis and decision support and speeds up the detection, identification and classification of objects of interest and target scenes, while taking account of specific constraints such as cybersecurity, embeddability and frugality in critical environments.

    In 2023, the Group was Europe’s top patent applicant in the field of AI for mission-critical systems. Also in 2023, the Group’s Friendly Hacker Unit demonstrated its credentials at the CAID challenge (Conference on Artificial Intelligence for Defence) organised by the French defence procurement agency (DGA), which involved finding AI training data even when it had been deleted from the system to preserve confidentiality.

    About Thales

    Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) is a global technology leader serving the Defence & Security, Aerospace & Space and Cybersecurity & Digital Identity markets.

    The Group develops products and solutions that help make the world safer, greener and more inclusive.

    Thales invests close to €4 billion a year in Research & Development, particularly in key areas such as AI, cybersecurity, quantum technologies, cloud technologies and 6G.

    Thales has 81,000 employees in 68 countries. In 2023, the Group generated sales of €18.4 billion.

    MIL OSI Economics

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Thales introduces CoastShield, a coastal surveillance system solution enabling nations to ensure coastal protection and safe maritime operations

    Source: Thales Group

    Headline: Thales introduces CoastShield, a coastal surveillance system solution enabling nations to ensure coastal protection and safe maritime operations

    • CoastShield is a modular and scalable advanced coastal surveillance system, designed to monitor and detect coastal activities in real-time, from the shore to the open sea, as well as the lower-altitude airspace.
    • Thanks to Artificial Intelligence (AI), CoastShield provides a better situational awareness picture and allows the operators to take their decision faster and more accurately.
    • Integrating various cutting-edge sensors, such as the CoastWatcher radar, this system provides constant monitoring, up to 100 nautical miles, regardless of the weather conditions.
    @Thales

    The maritime environment is marked by increasing challenges. Vast coastlines, dynamic maritime activities and increasing threats concealed amidst traditional civil maritime activities all contribute to the complex nature of coastal surveillance. These complexities make it essential to have reliable systems in place to avoid critical gaps that put coastlines, maritime activities and national safety and security at risk, including critical infrastructures such as windfarms. Enhancing coastal surveillance with a system capable of detecting and analysing this complex environment and the abnormal behaviours that can become threats is crucial. Thales stands out with its expertise in this field and its CoastShield offering.

    This system combines a series of complementary advanced sensors, providing early detection and tracking of even the smallest targets. It integrates all data from subsystems simultaneously and in real-time, from the surface sea level to the lower-altitude airspace, from 12 to 100 nautical miles, giving unparalleled maritime situation awareness. This helps support coastguards and maritime authorities in detecting and responding to threats sooner, faster and more effectively, reinforcing collaborative decision-making between civil and military entities.

    It includes the long-range CoastWatcher coastal surveillance radar, offering exceptional performance even in the most challenging conditions. The CoastWatcher also includes an Automatic Identification System (AIS) receiver, which transmits large volumes of data collected to the Control Centre. Other means include radio systems, long-range electro-optical sensors, as well as a video management system that allows for the management of streams, such as camera selection and recording. Drones (UAVs), Sonobuoy, along with complementary tactical means such as satellites and other requested sensors, can be easily integrated thanks to the modular and scalable nature of the system.The maritime Control Centre then merges all data collected from the various sensors to provide a comprehensive and up–to-date global maritime picture. Its open architecture also allows the integration of other data from Forces headquarters. Equipped with a user-friendly interface, the Control Centre can be combined with Artificial Intelligence capabilities to simplify the large amount of complex data into actionable insights, and accelerate the classification process needed by decision-makers to make informed decisions in critical situations.

    “With CoastShield, Thales ensures a nationwide coastal surveillance solution with early detection of the full threat spectrum, based on a smart set of sensors and its unique experience in Artificial Intelligence,” said Lionel de Castellane, Vice-President for Coastal and Civils Radars, Thales. “This launch marks a significant step in our commitment to support nations in protecting coastlines and off-shore critical assets, and reinforcing sovereignty.”

    About Thales

    Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) is a global technology leader serving the Defence & Security, Aerospace & Space and Cybersecurity & Digital Identity markets.

    The Group develops products and solutions that help make the world safer, greener and more inclusive.

    Thales invests close to €4 billion a year in Research & Development, particularly in key areas such as AI, cybersecurity, quantum technologies, cloud technologies and 6G.

    Thales has 81,000 employees in 68 countries. In 2023, the Group generated sales of €18.4 billion.

    MIL OSI Economics

  • MIL-OSI Economics: OEUK news OEUK responds to Autumn Budget 30 October 2024

    Source: Offshore Energy UK

    Headline: OEUK news

    OEUK responds to Autumn Budget

    30 October 2024

    Photo caption: OEUK CEO David Whitehouse. Credit: Offshore Energies UK.

    The leading trade body for the UK offshore energy sector has responded to today’s Autumn Budget.

    Confirming changes to the Energy Profits Levy, the Chancellor said she has sought to ensure the UK oil and gas industry can protect jobs and support domestic energy security. She confirmed that while the government will increase and extend the energy profits levy on oil and gas production to a headline rate of 78% and remove the associated investment allowance, the 100% first-year capital allowance and the decarbonisation allowance will be retained. The Chancellor also confirmed that the EPL will fall away in March 2030 unless the Energy Security Investment Mechanism is triggered before then.

    OEUK said there is different path which generates more economic value and enables a homegrown transition towards the country’s climate goals by anchoring the sector’s world class supply chain and supporting over 200,000 UK-wide jobs.

    The Chancellor today reconfirmed support for GB Energy and funding for carbon capture and storage and hydrogen projects across the UK.

    David Whitehouse, CEO Offshore Energies UK comments:

    “Today we heard the Chancellor recognise the role of the oil and gas sector to support high quality jobs and strengthen the UK’s energy security. We welcome that and the meetings and dialogue which have taken place between industry and the new government.

    “While the government will increase and extend the Energy profits levy on oil and gas production to a headline rate of 78% and remove the associated investment allowance, the 100% first-year allowance and the decarbonisation allowance will be retained. The Chancellor also confirmed that the EPL will fall away in March 2030.

    “However, with an increase in tax despite commodity prices at recent lows, there is no hiding that this is a difficult day for the sector.

    “Oil and gas companies, our world class supply chain and our highly skilled people will support the energy transition. We will not be successful without them.

    “It’s why there is a different path for this industry which can deliver the energy future we all agree on. With industry and government working in partnership we can protect the North Sea as a national economic asset. It can and should serve as an engine to realise UK economic growth and climate goals.

    “We welcome that the government will consult in early 2025 on how the oil and gas tax regime can encourage investment and respond to changes in the oil price. We also note the consultation on end use emissions for oil and gas projects.

    “That’s why we are calling for a homegrown energy transition – making the most of our whole homegrown sector – from oil, gas, wind, hydrogen to carbon capture projects with fair and competitive stable policies that keep jobs, skills and capital in the UK.”

    Notes to editors:

    1. Issued by the communications team, OEUK. Contact [email protected].
    2. OEUK is campaigning for a homegrown energy transition that makes the most of the UK’s people and industrial strengths to be a secure, sustainable and skilled future. Download a copy of OEUK’s industry manifesto here.

    Did you know?

    • 154,000 jobs are directly or indirectly related to offshore energy.
    • 120,000 of these are directly or indirectly supported by oil and gas projects. When induced jobs are included this increases to over 200,000.
    • Spend in the UK’s offshore energy sector could total £450bn by 2040.
    • The existing supply chain built through experience supporting the oil and gas sector has the capability to service 84%, 80% and 58% of our CCS, Hydrogen, and Floating offshore wind sectors, respectively.
    • Moving to net zero will require more than £1 trillion of investment across the UK economy.
    • The offshore energy sector is ready to spend £450bn on projects in the next 15 years under the right investment conditions.
    • The UK imports around 40% of its energy needs. UK energy production is at the lowest it has ever been.
    • The UK gets three-quarters of its total energy from oil and gas. Domestic production is equivalent to around half these needs.
    • Over 24 million homes rely on gas boilers for heating. 1.5 million more homes rely on heating oil.
    • Over 30% of UK electricity is supplied by gas power stations
    • 38 million UK vehicles run on petrol or diesel.

    Share this article

    MIL OSI Economics

  • MIL-OSI China: Announcement on Open Market Operations No.217 [2024]

    Source: Peoples Bank of China

    Announcement on Open Market Operations No.217 [2024]

    (Open Market Operations Office, November 4, 2024)

    In order to keep liquidity adequate at a reasonable level in the banking system, the People’s Bank of China conducted reverse repo operations in the amount of RMB17.3 billion through quantity bidding at a fixed interest rate on November 4, 2024.

    Details of the Reverse Repo Operations

    Maturity

    Volume

    Rate

    7 days

    RMB17.3 billion

    1.50%

    Date of last update Nov. 29 2018

    2024年11月04日

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Council pledge to improve public transport means more buses on the road

    Source: City of Stoke-on-Trent

    Published: Monday, 4th November 2024

    Seven new bus routes have been introduced in Stoke-on-Trent to make it easier for residents to get around the city.

    Some of the additional services are completely new and some are existing routes which will now run into the evenings and at weekends. They are in addition to the service improvements which were introduced by the city council in May.

    The new routes are:

    • Service 6A (Blythe Bridge – Meir Park – Meir – Longton – City Centre) – additional early morning buses on weekdays, operated by First Potteries.
    • Service 9A (Tunstall – Mill Hill – Bradeley – City Centre) – a new service operating every 30 minutes during the daytime Monday to Saturday, operated by D&G Bus, starting on 11 November. 
    • Service 11 (Longton – Stoke – Newcastle) – later evening buses on the Longton to Newcastle section of route on Mondays to Saturdays, operated by D&G Bus.
    • Service 19/19A (City Centre – Sneyd Green) – new routes serving Cobridge Health Centre, providing a direct link along Leek New Road to and from the Sneyd Green area, operated by Stanton’s of Stoke.
    • Service 21 (City Centre – Stoke – Trentham) – new hourly Sunday service operated by First Potteries.
    • Service 22 (Longton – Blurton – Trentham – Royal Stoke University Hospital – Newcastle) – a new hourly Sunday service, operated by First Potteries, and further buses operating later into the evenings on Mondays to Saturdays, operated by D&G Bus.
    • Service 43 (City Centre – Milton – Baddeley Green) – new hourly Sunday service operated by First Potteries.

    Councillor Finlay Gordon-McCusker, cabinet member for transport, infrastructure and regeneration, said: “Improving the city’s transport links is a key priority for Stoke-on-Trent City Council and is part of our wider vision of creating a healthier, wealthier and greener city for all.

    “Now we want to build on our commitment to improving public transport in the city by putting on even more new services which will make it easier for residents to get to work, college, their jobs and our city centre.”

    Cllr Gordon-McCusker added: “Earlier this year, we announced new routes which run more frequently and operate at the weekends. We also recently helped to introduce routes like the number 42 bus in Norton after listening to residents who say they have been cut off for many years.

    “We want to see these services continue for as long as possible, so I encourage all residents across the city to make use of our buses and ensure that these routes are sustainable for the long term.”

    David Brookes, managing director of D&G Bus, said: “The bus operators of Stoke-on-Trent, in collaboration with the city council, have worked together as part of the Enhanced Partnership to introduce these new routes, funded through the Bus Service Improvement Plan.

    “The partnership has been a tremendous success, and we are proud to have been part of it. The introduction of these routes, alongside the Affordable Fares scheme and other improvements, such as enhanced bus stop infrastructure, are all positive outcomes from the partnership that will further elevate and improve public transport in Stoke-on-Trent.”

    The new bus routes are part of the city council’s Bus Service Enhancement Scheme, part of the wider Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) which is being funded by £31.6 million from the Department for Transport (DfT).

    Already, BSIP has seen the launch of the incredibly successful Affordable Fares scheme, which offers discounted bus tickets to adults and young people, and improvements to more than 180 bus stops around the city.

    The next phase of the Bus Service Enhancement Scheme will see a tender produced for more new bus routes in the city, including proposals for daytime buses to the Middleport area and later, evening buses for Abbey Hulton, Blurton, Chell and Norton.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Satellite deal signed for advanced military tech

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

    New Juno satellite to support military operations will be designed and built in the UK.

    Artist impression of Juno

    Armed forces personnel are to have access to the latest space technology for military operations, following a deal signed for a new satellite.

    The £40 million project with Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd will support around 200 skilled jobs, boosting the UK’s space sector and helping to grow the economy.

    Named Juno, the satellite will be able to capture daytime images of the Earth’s surface, strengthening the UK’s Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities. Expected to launch in 2027, Juno will have advanced imagery sensors, building on the capabilities of Tyche, UK Space Command’s first satellite which successfully launched in August this year.

    Both satellites form part of the Ministry of Defence’s space-based Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance programme, which will deliver a constellation of satellites and supporting ground systems by 2031.

    These satellites will support military operations, for instance by monitoring adversary activities, and also contribute to other government tasks, including natural disaster monitoring, the development of mapping information, environmental monitoring and tracking the impact of climate change around the world.   

    Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry Maria Eagle said: 

    “The contract for Juno shows the UK’s commitment to grow one of the most innovative and attractive space economies in the world and keep our competitive edge in space science and technology. 

    “Juno will not only support Armed Forces personnel deployed globally, but also support highly skilled jobs, delivering on the government’s growth mission.” 

    Air Chief Marshal Sir Rich Knighton said:

    “With Tyche in space, and Juno now on contract, UK Space Command’s ISTARI programme is making great strides, showcasing innovation and collaboration across government and industry.

    “With these Earth Observation satellites on orbit, UK Space Command and defence will be better equipped to conduct all-domain military operations and deliver assured space-based intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance to the joint force and our allies.”

    The contract for Juno was awarded via competitive procurement to Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL), the same company that manufactured Tyche. 

    SSTL employs around 400 engineers, technicians and support staff across its two sites in Guildford, Surrey, and Bordon, Hampshire. With around half of these employees expected to work on the project, Juno will play a key part in securing critical UK skills in the growing global space sector. The project will also help inform the procurement strategy for future space capability requirements.

    Andrew Cawthorne, Managing Director, SSTL, said:

    “We’re incredibly proud that the Ministry of Defence has again placed its trust in SSTL to deliver the UK’s next sovereign intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance spacecraft.

    “Juno will offer a step change in imaging capability over Tyche, SSTL’s demonstrator spacecraft which launched in August and is now being operated for UK Space Command. We look forward to continuing our successful relationship with UK Space Command, DE&S, and Dstl, and playing a leading role in delivering the UK Defence Space Strategy.”

    Paul Russell, Space team leader at DE&S said:

    “Placing contracts and managing delivery of a new generation of UK military capabilities for use in a complex and critical environment takes incredible focus and collaborative working with our defence and industry partners. These efforts are key in ensuring the UK Armed Forces have access to the surveillance and intelligence information they need to maintain a competitive edge.”

    Updates to this page

    Published 4 November 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI: Form 8.3 – [ECKOH PLC – 01 11 2024] – (CGWL)

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    FORM 8.3

    PUBLIC OPENING POSITION DISCLOSURE/DEALING DISCLOSURE BY
    A PERSON WITH INTERESTS IN RELEVANT SECURITIES REPRESENTING 1% OR MORE
    Rule 8.3 of the Takeover Code (the “Code”)

    1.        KEY INFORMATION

    (a)   Full name of discloser: CANACCORD GENUITY WEALTH LIMITED (for Discretionary clients)
    (b)   Owner or controller of interests and short positions disclosed, if different from 1(a):
            The naming of nominee or vehicle companies is insufficient. For a trust, the trustee(s), settlor and beneficiaries must be named.
    N/A
    (c)   Name of offeror/offeree in relation to whose relevant securities this form relates:
            Use a separate form for each offeror/offeree
    ECKOH PLC
    (d)   If an exempt fund manager connected with an offeror/offeree, state this and specify identity of offeror/offeree: N/A
    (e)   Date position held/dealing undertaken:
            For an opening position disclosure, state the latest practicable date prior to the disclosure
    01 NOVEMBER 2024
    (f)   In addition to the company in 1(c) above, is the discloser making disclosures in respect of any other party to the offer?
            If it is a cash offer or possible cash offer, state “N/A”
    N/A

    2.        POSITIONS OF THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE

    If there are positions or rights to subscribe to disclose in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 2(a) or (b) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security.

    (a)      Interests and short positions in the relevant securities of the offeror or offeree to which the disclosure relates following the dealing (if any)

    Class of relevant security: 10p ORDINARY
      Interests Short positions
    Number % Number %
    (1)   Relevant securities owned and/or controlled: 19,886,513 6.8014    
    (2)   Cash-settled derivatives:        
    (3)   Stock-settled derivatives (including options) and agreements to purchase/sell:        
    TOTAL: 19,886,513 6.8014    

    NOTE: 12,060 shares were transferred out on 01/11/2024 by a discretionary client.

    All interests and all short positions should be disclosed.

    Details of any open stock-settled derivative positions (including traded options), or agreements to purchase or sell relevant securities, should be given on a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions).

    (b)      Rights to subscribe for new securities (including directors’ and other employee options)

    Class of relevant security in relation to which subscription right exists:  
    Details, including nature of the rights concerned and relevant percentages:  

    3.        DEALINGS (IF ANY) BY THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE

    Where there have been dealings in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 3(a), (b), (c) or (d) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security dealt in.

    The currency of all prices and other monetary amounts should be stated.

    (a)        Purchases and sales

    Class of relevant security Purchase/sale Number of securities Price per unit
    10p ORDINARY SALE 47,788 52.755p

    (b)        Cash-settled derivative transactions

    Class of relevant security Product description
    e.g. CFD
    Nature of dealing
    e.g. opening/closing a long/short position, increasing/reducing a long/short position
    Number of reference securities Price per unit
    NONE        

    (c)        Stock-settled derivative transactions (including options)

    (i)        Writing, selling, purchasing or varying

    Class of relevant security Product description e.g. call option Writing, purchasing, selling, varying etc. Number of securities to which option relates Exercise price per unit Type
    e.g. American, European etc.
    Expiry date Option money paid/ received per unit
    NONE              

    (ii)        Exercise

    Class of relevant security Product description
    e.g. call option
    Exercising/ exercised against Number of securities Exercise price per unit

    (d)        Other dealings (including subscribing for new securities)

    Class of relevant security Nature of dealing
    e.g. subscription, conversion
    Details Price per unit (if applicable)
    NONE      

    4.        OTHER INFORMATION

    (a)        Indemnity and other dealing arrangements

    Details of any indemnity or option arrangement, or any agreement or understanding, formal or informal, relating to relevant securities which may be an inducement to deal or refrain from dealing entered into by the person making the disclosure and any party to the offer or any person acting in concert with a party to the offer:
    Irrevocable commitments and letters of intent should not be included. If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”

    NONE

    (b)        Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to options or derivatives

    Details of any agreement, arrangement or understanding, formal or informal, between the person making the disclosure and any other person relating to:
    (i)   the voting rights of any relevant securities under any option; or
    (ii)   the voting rights or future acquisition or disposal of any relevant securities to which any derivative is referenced:
    If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”

    NONE

    (c)        Attachments

    Is a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions) attached? NO
    Date of disclosure: 04 NOVEMBER 2024
    Contact name: MARK ELLIOTT
    Telephone number: 01253 376539

    Public disclosures under Rule 8 of the Code must be made to a Regulatory Information Service.

    The Panel’s Market Surveillance Unit is available for consultation in relation to the Code’s disclosure requirements on +44 (0)20 7638 0129.

    The Code can be viewed on the Panel’s website at www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Economics: RBI imposes monetary penalty on Sahyog Urban Co-operative Bank Ltd., Udgir, Maharashtra

    Source: Reserve Bank of India

    The Reserve Bank of India (RBl) has, by an order dated October 21, 2024, imposed a monetary penalty of ₹1.50 lakh (Rupees One Lakh Fifty Thousand only) on Sahyog Urban Co-operative Bank Ltd., Udgir, Maharashtra (the bank), for contravention of the provisions of section 26A read with section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (BR Act). This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers vested in RBI, conferred under section 47A(1)(c) read with sections 46(4)(i) and 56 of the BR Act.

    The statutory inspection of the bank was conducted by RBI with reference to its financial position as on March 31, 2023. Based on supervisory findings of non-compliance with statutory provision and related correspondence in that regard, a notice was issued to the bank advising it to show cause as to why penalty should not be imposed on it for its failure to comply with the said provision of the BR Act. After considering the bank’s reply to the notice and oral submissions made by it during the personal hearing, RBI found, inter alia, that the following charge against the bank was sustained, warranting imposition of monetary penalty:

    The bank had not transferred the eligible amount to the Depositor Education and Awareness Fund within the prescribed time.

    This action is based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the bank with its customers. Further, imposition of this monetary penalty is without prejudice to any other action that may be initiated by RBI against the bank.

    (Puneet Pancholy)  
    Chief General Manager

    Press Release: 2024-2025/1423

    MIL OSI Economics

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Write for Rights: Amnesty launches annual letter-writing campaign to help people imprisoned for speaking truth to power

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Amnesty International launches flagship Write for Rights campaign to help people facing human rights abuses around the world

    Millions of letters and emails will be sent to support these individuals and urge authorities to end injustices

    ‘Sending a letter or email might seem like a small act, but when sent in their thousands they can change lives: those in power are forced to take notice’ – Sacha Deshmukh

    Amnesty International is calling on people across the UK to take part in its flagship letter writing campaign, Write for Rights, in support of individuals from around the world who have been persecuted, jailed, or face human rights abuses for standing up for their rights.

    This year, Write for Rights will support nine individuals who are suffering abuses, including:

    Ana da Silva Miguel, also known as Neth Nahara, was arrested in August last year after broadcasting a video on TikTok criticising President João Lourenço. The next day, Angola’s first stage court convicted her of an “outrage against the state, its symbols and bodies”. She was sentenced to six months in prison and fined one million kwanza (approximately $1,200). Last September, Angola’s second stage court extended Neth’s sentence to two years, following an appeal by the public prosecutor. During her imprisonment, authorities denied Neth her daily HIV medication for eight months, which severely impacted her health.

    Oqba Hashad, an Egyptian business student, has been arbitrarily detained for nearly five years without trial solely because of his brother’s human rights activism. Despite a court order for his release, he remains detained in horrific conditions, including being denied a proper prosthetic leg. Prison authorities have interrogated Oqba on multiple occasions about his brother’s activism and contact with his family. Egypt, as a state party to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, must ensure detainees with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation and health services.

    Professor Şebnem Korur Fincancı, head of the Turkish Medical Association, faces more than seven years in prison because of her human rights work. Professor Fincancı is a prominent human rights defender, anti-torture advocate and forensic medicine expert. In October 2022, she was arrested and put in pre-trial detention. A criminal investigation was launched against her after she called for an independent investigation into allegations that Turkish armed forces might have used chemical weapons in Kurdistan Region of Iraq in comments during a live TV interview. Professor Fincancı was later convicted of trumped-up charges of “making propaganda for a terrorist organisation”. She is currently awaiting the result of an appeal, but also faces additional charges linked to her human rights work.

    Sacha Deshmukh, Chief Executive of Amnesty International UK, said:

    “The people we have focused on this year are all imprisoned because the governments of their countries value power over free speech. By joining this campaign, people in the UK – and indeed around the world – can help improve their chances of getting justice.

    “Sending a letter or email might seem like a small act, but when sent in their thousands they can change lives: those in power are forced to take notice. 

    “Amnesty’s Write for Rights campaign helps to protect the lives of persecuted people every year. We hope to see people across the country getting involved to make as much noise as possible about the injustices these human rights defenders are facing.”

    Amnesty International’s Write for Rights campaign goes back to the roots of the organisation, which was founded in 1961, with early campaigners writing letters of support to those affected by human rights abuses, as well as letters of concern to governments around the world.

    Successes from previous Write for Rights campaigns:

    Human rights defender Rita Karasartova was arrested in 2022 along with 26 others for opposing a new border agreement that gave control of a freshwater reservoir to Uzbekistan. She was initially detained for organising ‘mass disorder’ and later charged with attempting to ‘violently overthrow the Government’, which carries a potential 15-year sentence. Rita and at least 21 others were acquitted on 14 June this year: a significant victory for justice and human rights in Kyrgyzstan, even though the prosecutor has filed an appeal against the ruling.

    She subsequently expressed her gratitude for the countless letters she received from Amnesty supporters during the campaign, emphasising that each one gave her immense hope and strength, reinforcing her belief in the power of solidarity.

    In 2021, Amnesty campaigned for Egyptian human rights lawyer Mohamed Baker, who received a presidential pardon in July last year and was released from prison the following day. He is now safely reunited with his loved ones.

    Cecillia Chimbiri and Joanah Mamombe were acquitted by the Zimbabwean High Court in July 2023 of communicating falsehoods and obstructing the course of justice. The two – together with Netsai Marova, who did not face trial as she is out of the country – were arrested and abducted in May 2020 following a protest on the Government’s failure to provide social protection during the Covid 19 pandemic. Amnesty campaigned for them during the 2022 Write for Rights campaign.

    MIL OSI NGO

  • MIL-OSI Global: The evolutionary benefits of being forgetful

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Sven Vanneste, Professor of Clinical Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin

    Don’t despair! Asier Romero

    Forgetting is part of our daily lives. You may walk into a room only to forget why you went in there – or perhaps someone says hi on the street and you can’t remember their name.

    But why do we forget things? Is it simply a sign of memory impairment, or are there benefits?

    One of the earliest findings in this area highlighted that forgetting can occur simply because the average person’s memories fade away. This comes from 19th century German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus, whose “forgetting curve” showed how most people forget the details of new information quite rapidly, but this tapers off over time. More recently, this has been replicated by neuroscientists.

    The forgetting curve:


    Cloud Assess

    Forgetting can also serve functional purposes, however. Our brains are bombarded with information constantly. If we were to remember every detail, it would become increasingly difficult to retain the important information.

    One of the ways that we avoid this is by not paying sufficient attention in the first place. Nobel prize winner Eric Kandel, and a host of subsequent research, suggest that memories are formed when the connections (synapses) between the cells in the brain (the neurons) are strengthened.

    Paying attention to something can strengthen those connections and sustain that memory. This same mechanism enables us to forget all the irrelevant details that we encounter each day. So although people show increased signs of being distracted as they age, and memory-related disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease are associated with attention impairments, we all need to be able to forget all the unimportant details in order to create memories.

    Handling new information

    Recalling a memory can sometimes also lead to it changing for the purposes of coping with new information. Suppose your daily commute involves driving the same route every day. You probably have a strong memory for this route, with the underlying brain connections strengthened by each journey.

    But suppose one Monday, one of your usual roads is closed, and there’s a new route for the next three weeks. Your memory for the journey needs to be flexible enough to incorporate this new information. One way in which the brain does this is by weakening some of the memory connections, while strengthening new additional connections to remember the new route.

    Ever reach the office and barely even remember driving there?
    Twinster Photo

    Clearly, an inability to update our memories would have significant negative consequences. Consider PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), where an inability to update or forget a traumatic memory means an individual is perpetually triggered by reminders in their environment.

    From an evolutionary standpoint, forgetting old memories in response to new information is undoubtedly beneficial. Our hunter-gatherer ancestors might have repeatedly visited a safe water hole, only to one day discover a rival settlement, or a bear with newborn cubs there. Their brains had to be able to update the memory to label this location as no longer safe. Failure to do so would have been a threat to their survival.

    Reactivating memories

    Sometimes, forgetting may not be due to memory loss, but to changes in our ability to access memories. Rodent research has demonstrated how forgotten memories can be remembered (or reactivated) by supporting the synaptic connections mentioned above.

    Rodents were taught to associate something neutral (like a bell ringing) with something unpleasant (like a mild shock to the foot). After several repetitions, the rodents formed a “fear memory” where hearing the bell made them react as though they expected a shock. The researchers were able to isolate the neuronal connections which were activated by pairing the bell and the shock, in the part of the brain known as the amygdala.

    They then wondered if artificially activating these neurons would make the rodents act as if they expected their foot to be shocked even if there was no bell and no shock. They did this using a technique called optogenetic stimulation, which involves using light and genetic engineering, and showed that it was indeed possible to activate (and subsequently inactivate) such memories.

    One way that this might be relevant to humans is through a type of transient forgetting which might not be due to memory loss. Return to the earlier example where you see someone in the street and can’t remember their name. Perhaps you believe you know the first letter, and you’ll get the name in a moment. This is known as the tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon.

    When this was originally studied by American psychologists Roger Brown and David McNeill in the 1960s, they reported that people’s ability to identify aspects of the missing word was better than chance. This suggested that the information was not fully forgotten.

    ‘It’ll come back to me.’
    Kyttan

    One theory is that the phenomenon occurs as a result of weakened connections in memory between the words and their meanings, reflecting difficulty in remembering the desired information.

    However, another possibility is that the phenomenon might serve as a signal to the individual that the information is not forgotten, only currently inaccessible.

    This might explain why it occurs more frequently as people age and become more knowledgeable, meaning their brains have to sort through more information to remember something. The tip of the tongue phenomenon might be their brain’s means of letting them know that the desired information is not forgotten, and that perseverance may lead to successful remembering.

    In sum, we may forget information for a host of reasons. Because we weren’t paying attention or because information decays over time. We may forget in order to update memories. And sometimes forgotten information is not permanently lost, but rather inaccessible. All these forms of forgetting help our brain to function efficiently, and have supported our survival over many generations.

    This is certainly not to minimise the negative outcomes caused by people becoming very forgetful (for example, through Alzheimer’s disease). Nonetheless, forgetting has its evolutionary advantages. We only hope that you’ve found this article sufficiently interesting that you won’t forget its contents in a hurry.

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

    ref. The evolutionary benefits of being forgetful – https://theconversation.com/the-evolutionary-benefits-of-being-forgetful-242629

    MIL OSI – Global Reports

  • MIL-OSI Global: Maia Sandu’s victory in second round of Moldovan election show’s limits to Moscow’s meddling

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Stefan Wolff, Professor of International Security, University of Birmingham

    Following a campaign marred by widespread and credible allegations of massive interference by Russia and pro-Russian proxies, Moldova’s incumbent president, Maia Sandu, has won another term in the second round of presidential elections.

    According to preliminary results published by the country’s central electoral commission on November 3, Sandu beat her second-round challenger, Alexandr Stoianoglo, with 55% of the vote and on a higher turnout than in the first round of elections on October 20.

    There were more than 180,000 votes between the incumbent and her challenger. In a country with an electorate of just over three million people, this is a significant margin, especially when compared with the razor-thin yes vote in the EU referendum that was on the same day as the first round of the presidential election two weeks ago. In that election, Sandu came first with 42%, compared to Staionoglo’s 26%, but in the EU poll, just 10,000 votes separated the yes and the no votes.

    Sandu, who campaigned on a strongly pro-European platform, prevailed despite pro-Russian interference and fearmongering and a campaign by Stoianoglo that emphasised the importance of good relations with both Moscow and Brussels.

    Moldova’s election result will certainly have come as a relief not only to Sandu and her supporters but also to Moldova’s western partners. It is the first time that a popularly elected president has won a second term in the tiny landlocked former Soviet satellite. The country borders Romania and Ukraine and has a small but significant Russian breakaway region, Transnistria, as a constant reminder of Moscow’s influence in the region.

    Moldova’s election presents a clear difference to the Georgian parliamentary election results on October 26, which saw an openly pro-Russian Georgian Dream party win an election considered as neither particularly free nor fair, in results that the Georgia’s opposition-aligned president and western pollsters allege have been rigged.

    Sandu’s win, by contrast, demonstrates both the appeal of the idea of a European future and the limits of Russian interference. Yet the understandable enthusiasm about the result in Moldova also needs to be tempered by a more careful analysis of some of the deeply entrenched societal cleavages that the elections have all but confirmed and the difficulties that lie ahead.

    Deep divisions

    Sandu’s win overall looks impressive. But she did not win the vote in Moldova itself, where Stoianoglo beat her by some 30,000 votes. What saved Sandu, like the EU referendum, was the strong support for her among voters in the diaspora, where she captured almost five times as many votes as Stoianoglo.

    Just over 270,000 votes (83%) of the votes cast by Moldovans living abroad, predominantly in western Europe and north America, saw her comfortably across the finishing line. There may be good reasons not to distinguish between votes from inside and outside Moldova – but the optics are not good.

    Nor can the overall margin of Sandu’s victory gloss over the fact that her supporters inside the country are predominantly concentrated in the capital and the centre of the country. In the capital Chisinau, in the centre of Moldova, Sandu won with 57%, representing almost one-third of her total vote inside the country. In the north and south of the country, Stoianoglo generally took the largest vote share.

    In the country’s second-largest city, Balti in the north, he won 70% of the vote, compared to Sandu’s 30%. In the southern autonomous region of Gagauzia, a hotbed of pro-Russian, anti-European activism, Sandu obtained less than 3%. In Transnistria, Sandu came away with just 20% of the vote.

    Map of Moldova showing the breakaway regions of Transnistria and Gaugazia.
    Institute for the Study of War

    These results are not surprising, given the outcome of the first round of the elections. But they represent fall in support for Sandu compared to in 2020, when she beat the then incumbent, socialist party leader Igor Dodon. Four years ago, Sandu obtained over 250,000 votes more than Dodon, winning almost 58% of the total vote. While she took the overwhelming share of the diaspora vote then as well, she also bested Dodon in most constituencies in the south.

    Dodon campaigned for Stoianoglo in this election, but much of the challenger’s support was very probably due to a massive pro-Russian interference campaign that capitalised on many Moldovans’ fears and frustrations. Pro-Moscow messages aimed to capitalise on fears about being dragged into Russia’s war against Ukraine.

    But there was also frustration with a government that has made little progress on much needed anti-corruption reforms and presided over a serious cost-of-living crisis in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic and made worse by the war on Moldova’s eastern neighbour. Sandu’s party, the Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) won a commanding majority in the 2021 elections – so failures of the government are seen as failures of Sandu and her agenda.

    Challenges ahead

    That Sandu won the presidency again, and against these odds, demonstrates her resilience. But it can’t be taken for granted that her party will similarly prevail in parliamentary elections due by the autumn of 2025. She may well be forced into a difficult cohabitation with a potentially socialist-led government next year. In a parliamentary democracy, in which the powers of the government by far exceed those of the president, this could significantly slow down Moldova’s EU accession negotiations.

    But there are also some silver linings on the horizon. That Sandu won clearly demonstrates the limits of Russian interference. There is a core part of the Moldovan electorate that cannot be swayed by Russian misinformation or vote buying. This is a basis on which Sandu and PAS can build.

    Perhaps more importantly, Sandu and Stoianoglo both sent conciliatory signals on election eve. Stoianoglo emphasised the importance of respecting the outcome of the democratic process and expressed the hope that Moldovans would now move beyond hatred and division. Sandu acknowledged the concerns of those who had not voted for her and promised to serve as the president of all Moldovans and to work for the country’s further development.

    If they both stay true to their word, Moldova may finally break with a past of repeated political crises and economic stagnation.

    Stefan Wolff is a past recipient of grant funding from the Natural Environment Research Council of the UK, the United States Institute of Peace, the Economic and Social Research Council of the UK, the British Academy, the NATO Science for Peace Programme, the EU Framework Programmes 6 and 7 and Horizon 2020, as well as the EU’s Jean Monnet Programme. He is a Trustee and Honorary Treasurer of the Political Studies Association of the UK and a Senior Research Fellow at the Foreign Policy Centre in London.

    ref. Maia Sandu’s victory in second round of Moldovan election show’s limits to Moscow’s meddling – https://theconversation.com/maia-sandus-victory-in-second-round-of-moldovan-election-shows-limits-to-moscows-meddling-242796

    MIL OSI – Global Reports

  • MIL-OSI Global: Divination in early modern Britain sought signs in swine, the stars and scripture

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Martha McGill, Historian of Supernatural Beliefs, University of Warwick

    The Fortune-Teller by Caravaggio (1595-8). Louvre Museum

    In the late 1740s, Samuel Meadwell arrived in London. A “raw country fellow” from Northamptonshire, he had come to work as a distiller’s apprentice and hoped to make his fortune.

    When a pair of women told him there was “something very particular in [his] face”, he was intrigued. They introduced him to a widow called Mary Smith, who allegedly practised “the art of astrology, before very great people, princes, and the like”. She persuaded Meadwell to wrap all his money in a handkerchief with two peppercorns, some salt and a little mould. After waiting three hours, she explained, he would discover a great fortune.

    Meadwell discovered only that his money had been replaced with scraps of metal. Smith was deported for fraud, while Meadwell learned a lesson about city life. He bemoaned his naivety – but he was not alone in believing in the power of astrologers, or the potential for magical methods to reveal weighty secrets.

    In early modern Britain (1500-1750), divination was widespread. People consulted diviners to find stolen goods, learn about the next harvest, or scrutinise their marriage fortunes. Sometimes they wanted to know what diseases or disasters loomed, and several nobles exhibited an unwholesome interest in the monarch’s date of demise.

    The sex of unborn children was another topic of speculation: when Anne Boleyn gave birth to the future Elizabeth I in 1533, she disappointed not only Henry VIII, but also a whole host of “astrologers, sorcerers, and sorceresses” who had assured the couple that a male heir was forthcoming.

    Diviners came from across the social spectrum. Learned astrologers could command audiences with kings and queens. Most people, however, relied on the services of a local cunning-man or woman.

    There were also so-called “Egyptian” fortunetellers who roamed the country reading palms. These travellers probably did not have African origins. A hostile 1673 work claimed that they were “great pretenders” who sought to dupe “the ignorant” by associating themselves with Egyptians, “a people heretofore very famous for astronomy, natural magic, [and] the art of divination”.

    The authorities did not approve. In 1530, an act passed by Henry VIII’s parliament sought to expel “Egyptians” from the country, complaining that they conned people using “great, subtle, and crafty means” such as fortunetelling.

    Underpinning many divinatory methods was the belief that God’s divine plan was encoded in the patterns of the natural world. Palmistry relied on interpreting the marks God had traced on the body. Astrologers, meanwhile, focused on the movements of the planets.

    Between 1658 and 1664, a woman called Sarah Jinner published almanacks containing astrological readings for the forthcoming year. She ranged from predicting “desperate and unreconciliable wars” to cautioning women that: “We find Mercury in Pisces retrograde in the 6th House, [which] denoteth that servants will generally be cross, vexatious, and intolerable, especially maidservants.”

    Meeting a Swine. From Dr Solman’s translation of Aristotle’s Golden Cabinet of Secrets (c. 1690).

    The behaviour of animals was also considered portentous. A pamphlet from circa 1690 declared that “to meet a swine the first thing in a morning, carrying straw in its mouth, denotes a maid, or widow, shall soon be married, and very fruitful in children”. On the other hand, magpies flying around you signified “much strife and brawling in marriage”.

    When a great murmuration of starlings was spied battling in the air above Cork in 1621, people whispered that it signified divine anger. Eight months later the city was devastated by a fire.

    Other divination practices relied on chance. Cheap pamphlets outlined ways of divining with dice, the idea being that God determined the outcome. Another practice was to open a Bible randomly and consult the first passage that caught the eye. Bibles could alternatively be used to catch thieves. The usual method was to insert a key into the Bible, recite the names of the suspects, and wait for the Bible or the key to move.

    A similar technique involved suspending a sieve from a pair of shears. The sieve would rotate when a thief’s name was mentioned.

    Divination and the authorities

    These practices were viewed with suspicion by the ecclesiastical and secular authorities, especially after the 16th-century Reformation.

    Divination by the sieve and shears in Cornelius Agrippa, De Occulta Philosophia (1567).
    Opera Omnia

    A Welsh scholar warned in 1711 that using the Bible as an “instrument of prognostication” was “the greatest insult that anyone can give to the scriptures”. Church courts punished people for the “devilry” of divining with a sieve and shears.

    Most dangerous of all was divination by consulting spirits. The Scottish cunning-man Andrew Man claimed to have an angelic adviser, Christsonday, who told him whether upcoming years would be good or bad. He was also in a sexual relationship with the Fairy Queen, who had promised to teach him to “know all things”. Leading local figures concluded that Man had really been cavorting with devils. He was tried for witchcraft, and executed in 1598.

    In general, however, cunning-folk enjoyed good standing within their communities. Currents of scepticism flowed faster during the 18th-century Enlightenment. A 1762 work expressed a common view when it blamed belief in divination on the “ignorance and darkness” that “covered the minds of mankind”. But divinatory practices were themselves a quest for enlightenment, and the prospect of unravelling the mysteries of the future has remained compelling up to the present day.



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    Martha McGill receives funding from the British Academy.

    ref. Divination in early modern Britain sought signs in swine, the stars and scripture – https://theconversation.com/divination-in-early-modern-britain-sought-signs-in-swine-the-stars-and-scripture-241825

    MIL OSI – Global Reports

  • MIL-OSI Global: Cop16: the world’s largest meeting to save nature has ended with no clear path ahead

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Harriet Bulkeley, Professor of Geography, Durham University

    Increasing rights for Indigenous people and local communities was one of the few steps forward at Cop16. Philipp Montenegro, CC BY-NC-ND

    Progress at the UN’s biodiversity summit, Cop16, in Cali, Columbia, has been slow. Frustratingly so.

    There were high hopes that the Colombian hosts could coordinate action between developed and developing countries towards reaching the landmark global biodiversity agreement reached in Montreal, Canada at Cop15 two years ago. But after two weeks and one long night, negotiations ended abruptly. Many delegates had to leave to catch flights home with key issues unresolved.

    This conference started with alarming news that the latest edition of the red list – the official record of threatened species – shows that more than one third of tree species face extinction in the wild. That’s more than the number of threatened birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians combined.

    Urging negotiators to recognise the seriousness of this nature crisis, Colombia’s president Gustavo Petro warned they were facing “the battle for life”.

    There was certainly no shortage of people seeking solutions.

    In the heart of the city, Cop16’s green zone hosted vibrant music, film screenings, indigenous arts and crafts. Local people, businesses and conference delegates discussed creative and collaborative ways to address the nature crisis.

    Over in the blue zone, the official conference space, there was a notable increase in the diversity of communities participating across side events and pavilions. The links between biodiversity and human health were highlighted. So too was the importance of nature for water and food security.

    In his opening video message, UN secretary general Antonio Guterres urged countries gathered to “engage all of society” as “la Cop de la gente” (a Cop of the people).

    So protests from Indigenous people and local communities were particularly powerful. Including greater recognition for these groups in the final decisions from the meeting was a rare sign of progress. A new fund to ensure that these groups would receive a share of the profits from the commercial use of digital sequence information – genetic information from native plants and animals – was another victory.

    A new set of principles developed by the UK government to prioritise gender issues in conservation and ensure fair access to the benefits biodiversity action for all marginalised groups received widespread support.

    The focus on economic resilience was more prominent than ever, with two days dedicated to business and finance. In 2018, only 300 businesses attended Cop14 in Egypt. In Cali, this number was 3,000.

    Delegates assemble for the negotiations at Cop16​.
    Philipp Montenegro, CC BY-NC-ND

    Private investors, pension funds, the insurance industry and public banks stressed the importance of creating robust measures of biodiversity improvement. Business sectors focused on transition plans that could support fair and transparent means of reporting progress. The nature tech sector is growing too, with start-ups expected to attract up to $2 billion (£1.5 billion) in investments by the end of 2024.

    Back in the negotiating halls, delegates faced an uphill struggle. Only 44 out of 196 national plans to protect biodiversity have been updated to reflect the new targets. So, it’s no surprise that a gap is widening between current reality and the ambitious set of 23 targets which governments must reach by 2030. While countries agreed to a progress review in 2026, no consensus was reached on the indicators to be used. Progress was painfully slow.

    Negotiators debated how the global agreement on biodiversity should interact with its sister conventions on climate and desertification. Further discussions next year might identify how this could work but this probably won’t lead to drastic change. Some countries, including India and Russia, still seemed unwilling to accept the critical risks posed to nature and society of exceeding the 1.5°C global target for climate change.

    Many developing nations were concerned that greater integration between the climate crisis and biodiversity would lead to “double counting” of funding with the danger that developed countries could backtrack on their promises to support dedicated action on nature. Others, including the EU, argued that action to conserve and restore nature was an essential part of tackling all environmental and societal global challenges.

    The deadlock between these positions continued for days. In the final hours of Cop16, negotiators reached a compromise that sets out a more integrated pathway for bringing action on climate and nature together. While the effects of climate change directly exacerbate biodiversity loss, restoring nature can be a powerful tool in the fight to mitigate the climate crisis and benefit biodiversity. Nature-based solutions – measures like restoring peatlands and wetlands, planting trees and mangroves – help build that resilience.

    Heads of state and ministers joining at the midpoint of the meeting pointed out the need to ensure that nature is protected both for its own sake and for the communities that depend on healthy ecosystems for their livelihood and wellbeing.

    But at the end of a long final night, these words were not accompanied by concrete plans for action or the financial commitments about how nature protection should be paid for that many at Cop16 were hoping for.

    Whole of society, all of government?

    The global biodiversity agreement set in 2022 called for a whole of society approach to address the nature crisis. Cop16 certainly delivered. From local communities to huge businesses, there was a spirit of rolling up sleeves and putting investment and innovation to work using nature-based solutions to restore and conserve biodiversity.

    One of many packed side-events which bought the ‘whole of society’ together at Cop16.
    Philipp Montenegro, CC BY-NC-ND

    The same energy and commitment was clear from many of the local and sub-national governments assembled at Cop16. The first gathering of Mayors for Nature demonstrated significant commitment to action.

    Leaders from California and Quebec set the tone by investing in large-scale programmes, with Quebec not only committing to fund their own biodiversity action but also contributing to the global biodiversity fund – the first regional government to do so.

    But national governments struggled to move forward. The complexity of addressing biodiversity and its necessary interactions with sectors such as agriculture, transport and mining, as well as concerns over historic injustices between developing and developed countries, was perhaps too much for Cop16 to resolve.

    The risk is that, as governments navigate these challenges, the private sector could accelerate action without scrutiny. I worry that the lack of policy coordination could deter investors and slow the pace of action that local communities and regional governments want to make. Rather than waiting for global consensus, groups can catalyse change while holding each other accountable to make swift progress to save nature.



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    Harriet Bulkeley receives funding from the European Commission and currently serves as an advisor to the UK Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

    ref. Cop16: the world’s largest meeting to save nature has ended with no clear path ahead – https://theconversation.com/cop16-the-worlds-largest-meeting-to-save-nature-has-ended-with-no-clear-path-ahead-242160

    MIL OSI – Global Reports