NewzIntel.com

Category: Americas

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Statement by Minister Khera marking the celebration of Diwali

    Source: Government of Canada News

    The Government of Canada marks Diwali.

    OTTAWA, October 31, 2024

    Today, Hindu, Jain, Sikh and Buddhist communities across Canada and around the world come together to celebrate Diwali, the Festival of Lights. This vibrant occasion symbolizes the triumph of good over evil and light over darkness.

    Diwali is much more than a festival; it’s a time for families and their loved ones to gather in joyous celebration. It is marked by prayers, the exchange heartfelt wishes, and the lighting of diyas, embodying the powerful message of hope, positivity and resilience. As homes are adorned with colorful decorations and delicious sweets are enjoyed, we are reminded that goodness always prevails.

    In Canada, this celebration resonates deeply, reminding us that, regardless of our diverse backgrounds or beliefs, we are united in our pursuit of kindness and strength to overcome challenges.

    Our government is also committed to safeguarding the right of communities to worship safely and are doing whatever it takes to protect everyone living in Canada. Recently, we launched Canada’s first-ever Action Plan on Combatting Hate to empower communities to identify and prevent hate, support victims and establish a coordinated approach across government to keep Canadians safe. A key component of the Action Plan is the Canada Community Security Program, which provides organizations and communities at risk of hate-motivated crime access to security and support when they need it.

    Wishing everyone a joyful, prosperous and peaceful Diwali filled with love, laughter and cherished moments with family and friends!

    Shubh Diwali!

    Waleed Saleem
    Press Secretary
    Office of the Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities
    waleed.saleem@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Crown Sector 2023-24 Payee Disclosure Report Released

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on October 31, 2024

    Crown Investments Corporation (CIC) tabled its 2023-24 Payee Disclosure Report with the Standing Committee on Crown and Central Agencies today. The report lists Crown sector payments from April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024. 

    This report emphasizes the transparency and accountability of the Crown corporations to their shareholders, the people of Saskatchewan, and provides the public with an opportunity to gain insight into the sector’s spending.

    On behalf of the Crown sector, CIC provided $152 million in dividends in 2023-24 to Saskatchewan’s General Revenue Fund to support priorities in health care, education, highways and more. The Crowns also invested $1.9 billion in infrastructure to ensure system reliability and safety and continued quality service delivery. Meanwhile, these activities helped stimulate local economies and created jobs for families and communities. High-quality infrastructure and strong local procurement are key to the Crowns’ abilities to deliver the reliable and affordable services that Saskatchewan people have come to expect. 

    The sector continues to respond to an increased demand for social and public policy programing support by investing $20.2 million through grants, contributions, donations and sponsorships to communities, not-for-profit organizations, educational institutions and others.  

    More than 11,000 Crown employees work across Saskatchewan. In 2023-24, payments to employees totaled $1.2 billion, an eight per cent increase compared to 2022-23, due to factors including a three per cent economic increase and retroactive adjustments to salaries and benefits resulting from negotiated in-scope collective agreements. Crown executive remuneration increased three per cent, reflecting a three per cent economic increase.

    Reporting Methodology

    The report is prepared in accordance with the guidelines established by the Standing Committee on Crown and Central Agencies. The report lists detailed information for CIC and its subsidiary Crown corporations under the following categories:

    • ministerial and board member payments for expenses;
    • payments to suppliers and other payees who received more than $50,000;
    • employees who received more than $50,000 in remuneration; and
    • grants, contributions, donations and sponsorships greater than $5,000.

    The report discloses amounts paid during the April 1 – March 31 fiscal year. Amounts earned by or owing to suppliers and employees but paid in a different fiscal year are not included. Caution should be exercised when making year-over-year comparisons.

    The report is available on Crown Investment Corporation’s website at www.cicorp.sk.ca.

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    For more information, contact:

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: 2023-24 Public Accounts Volume 2 Released

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on October 31, 2024

    The 2023-24 Public Accounts Volume 2 was released today, containing financial information for the General Revenue Fund.

    Volume 2 of the 2023-24 Public Accounts provides detailed expenses for ministries, the Legislative Assembly and its officers. It also includes a summary of pension plan and trust fund balances, a summary of individual pension plans and trust funds, a Statement of Remission of Taxes and Fees, and the Road-use Fuel Tax Accountability Report. 

    Volume 1, which reports on the Summary Financial Statements, was released on June 27, 2024. 

    Volume 1 and Volume 2 of the 2023-24 Public Accounts are available in the Government of Saskatchewan’s Publications Centre at: https://publications.saskatchewan.ca/#/categories/6118.

    -30-

    For more information, contact:

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: FEMA Approves $1.2 Million to Spanish Fork, Utah for Flood Recovery

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: FEMA Approves $1.2 Million to Spanish Fork, Utah for Flood Recovery

    FEMA Approves $1.2 Million to Spanish Fork, Utah for Flood Recovery

    DENVER – FEMA has approved $1.2 million to help the city of Spanish Fork repair its water pipeline and damaged embankments. The funding is part of a major disaster declaration by President Biden issued in response to the Spanish Fork River flooding in 2023. Flooding from rapid snow melt damaged part of the drinking water pipeline and embankment in four locations, which affecting the community’s drinking water infrastructure. The $1.2 million in FEMA funding will bring the facility to pre-disaster function, and capacity, while making the waterline stronger to prevent future damages. The project is 75% funded by FEMA. The FEMA Public Assistance program provides funding to governmental agencies and certain private non-profits for eligible disaster response costs. For more information about the Public Assistance program, visit: https://www.fema.gov/assistance/public/program-overview.
    anthony.mayne
    Thu, 10/31/2024 – 15:37

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Revised Preliminary Flood Maps for Lafourche Parish, Louisiana, Ready for Public View

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: Revised Preliminary Flood Maps for Lafourche Parish, Louisiana, Ready for Public View

    Revised Preliminary Flood Maps for Lafourche Parish, Louisiana, Ready for Public View

    DENTON, Texas – Revised Preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) are available for review by residents and business owners in all communities and incorporated areas of Lafourche Parish, Louisiana.Property owners are encouraged to review the latest information to learn about local flood risks and potential future flood insurance requirements. Community residents can identify any concerns or questions about the information provided and participate in the appeal and comment periods for the maps.This is Lafourche Parish’s first complete set of digital FIRMs. These maps serve multiple purposes, including defining Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs). SFHAs are areas at high risk for flooding. Community leaders and residents can use these maps to make informed decisions about building standards, development and flood insurance that will make the community more resilient and lessen the impacts of a flood event.FEMA stresses that flooding can and does happen outside of the most vulnerable areas.Review the preliminary flood maps by visiting the local floodplain administrator (FPA). A FEMA Map Specialist can help identify community FPAs. Specialists are available by telephone at 877-FEMA-MAP (877-336-2627) or by email at FEMA-FMIX@fema.dhs.gov.The preliminary maps may also be viewed online:The Flood Map Changes Viewer at http://msc.fema.gov/fmcv FEMA Flood Map Service Center at http://msc.fema.gov/portalFor more information about the flood maps:Use a live chat service about flood maps at floodmaps.fema.gov/fhm/fmx_main.html (just click on the “Live Chat Open” icon).Contact a FEMA Map Specialist by telephone at 877-FEMA-MAP (877-336-2627) or by email at FEMA-FMIX@fema.dhs.gov.There are cost-saving options available for those newly mapped into a high-risk flood zone. Learn more about your flood insurance options by talking with your insurance agent or visiting floodsmart.gov.
    alexa.brown
    Thu, 10/31/2024 – 15:10

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: UConn Health Makes Forbes ‘America’s Best Employers’ List

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    UConn Health is among Connecticut’s preferred places to work, according to this year’s “America’s Best Employers by State” report by Forbes.

    Using survey data from more than 160,000 people who work for U.S. companies with at least 500 employees, Forbes ranks UConn Health No. 5 among the 15 employers headquartered in Connecticut who make the list.

    (Forbes/Statista)

    “We have always believed deeply in supporting our incredible workforce which is the driving force behind UConn Health’s excellence in clinical care, teaching and research,” says Dr. Andrew Agwunobi, UConn Health CEO and executive vice president for health affairs. “It is therefore extraordinarily important and gratifying for us that an objective outside source has recognized UConn Health as being a top-five place to work in Connecticut.”

    The ranking puts UConn Health right behind Yale New Haven Health and in front of Hartford HealthCare.

    A market research firm asked survey participants to give a score of zero to 10 that indicates how likely they were to recommend their employer. It also asked respondents to evaluate employers they’d worked for within the past two years, and organizations they knew within their industry or through friends or family who worked there.

    “We believe that our people make us the best place to work, and this recognition is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our entire team, including our staff, leadership and union partners,” says Lakeesha Brown, who serves as chief human resources officer for both UConn and UConn Health. “Thank you to everyone for making our workplace exceptional — together, we will continue to strive for excellence and innovation.”

    Forbes notes that companies pay no fee to participate or be selected in the rankings.

    This is the first time UConn Health has made Forbes’ “America’s Best Employers by State” list.

    UConn Health has a workforce of more than 5,600 permanent employees working at 11 sites throughout Connecticut. Based in Farmington, its off-campus locations include West Hartford, East Hartford, Canton, Simsbury, Avon, Southington, Storrs, Willimantic, Putnam, and Torrington. Prospective employees can learn more on UConn Health’s job seekers page.

    UConn, including Storrs and the campuses beside UConn Health, also placed, ranking 12th among employers headquartered in Connecticut.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: First Lady Justice welcomes Chester to Preston High School, state’s 41st therapy dog through Friends With Paws program

    Source: US State of West Virginia

    The Friends With Paws program places certified therapy dogs in several schools across the state, providing companionship and comfort for students in need of a boost.

    Therapy dogs are specially trained to provide comfort and support to people in various tense environments. They can help people feel at ease, improve their mood, relieve anxiety, and remove social barriers. Friends With Paws therapy dogs are highly trained and certified to show their ability to work in stressful environments, ignore distractions, and provide therapy to people with diverse backgrounds and circumstances.

    “This has been a dream come true,” Angie Zofchak, Director of Attendance and Student Support for Preston County Schools, said. “I am so excited for Preston High students to have Sir Chester as a positive support. I would like to give a huge shoutout to Chris, the general manager from Tractor Supply in Kingwood, for supporting Chester, PHS, and the Friends With Paws Program! I would also like to thank our Board of Education members and student board members who are in support of the program and see the benefit that Sir Chester can provide to our students, socially and emotionally.”

    Following today’s assembly, students and staff had the chance to greet Chester.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: AG Ferguson, bipartisan coalition win $49 million and counting over generic drugs price-fixing conspiracy

    Source: Washington State News

    AGs assert it was one of the most damaging price-fixing schemes in U.S. history

    OLYMPIA — Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced today he and a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general have won more than $49 million so far in their case against major drug manufacturers that conspired to illegally raise prices on hundreds of generic drugs. The conspiracy caused consumers to pay more than 10 times as much for some drugs, ranging from antibiotic ointment to cancer treatments.

    As a result of the multistate litigation, Apotex will pay $39.1 million and Heritage Pharmaceuticals will pay $10 million, make significant reforms and cooperate with the case against the remaining companies. Washington’s share of these and future resolutions will be determined when the litigation is resolved against all of the companies. Washingtonians who bought generic drugs during the conspiracy are eligible to get the amount they overpaid returned to them through a claims process. What individuals will receive will be determined once all the cases are complete.

    “These companies conspired to line their pockets at the expense of Washingtonians,” Ferguson said. “Their conspiracy made it harder for people to afford medications they rely on for their health, and even their life. I will hold them accountable.”

    Lawsuits in the U.S. District Court of the District of Connecticut remain active against 30 other corporations — including some of the nation’s largest generic drug manufacturers — as well as 25 company executives for violations of federal and state antitrust laws, including the Washington Consumer Protection Act. The attorneys general assert the conspiracy was one of the most egregious and damaging illegal price-fixing schemes in U.S. history.

    Company executives and their sales representatives used code words to meet privately and plan how to artificially raise the prices on generic drugs to increase their profits. Some female sales representatives, for instance, would agree to meet at a “girls’ night out,” then plan how to collectively and artificially raise prices on generic drugs. Many of the companies raised prices by well over 1,000 percent at the height of the conspiracy. Company executives later destroyed text messages and documents after hearing about subpoenas from the investigation.

    If you purchased generic prescription drugs between 2010 and 2018, you may be eligible for restitution from this resolution or future resolutions. To determine your eligibility, visit www.AGGenericDrugs.com, call 1-866-290-0182, or email info@AGGenericDrugs.com.

    Bipartisan coalition of AGs takes on the generic drug industry

    The attorneys general partnered on three lawsuits against generic drug manufacturers. One case focuses on Heritage Pharmaceuticals’ involvement with 17 other companies to fix the prices of 15 drugs. Another case focuses on 20 companies that fixed prices on more than 100 drugs. A third lawsuit involves 26 companies fixing the prices on 80 topical generic drugs used for dermatology. Each lawsuit addresses a different set of drugs and defendants.

    The companies agreed to drive up the prices of over a hundred common drugs, from everyday antibiotics such as amoxicillin and penicillin to antidepressants, contraceptives, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, statins, ace inhibitors, beta blockers and more. These drugs are used to treat a wide range of diseases and conditions, such as diabetes, cancer, HIV, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, high blood pressure, arthritis, high cholesterol, acid reflux and more. A list of the drugs affected by the scheme is available here.

    When a branded drug manufacturer loses exclusive patent rights to a drug, generic drugs can enter the market at a lower cost. While some price increases are normal, prices of hundreds of generic drugs skyrocketed over the course of the conspiracy. Generic drug manufacturers argued publicly that the increases were due to legitimate factors such as industry consolidation, federally mandated plant closures or elimination of unprofitable generic drug product lines.

    Privately, however, the companies coordinated their prices at regular industry dinners, lunches, parties, golf outings, frequent telephone calls, emails and text messages. Throughout these communications, the conspirators used terms like “fair share,” “playing nice in the sandbox,” and “responsible competitor” to describe how they unlawfully discouraged competition, raised prices and enforced an ingrained culture of collusion within the industry. In addition to female sales representatives’ “girls’ night out,” male executives and employees often met under the guise of an “industry dinner.”

    The conspirators usually chose to communicate in person or by phone to avoid creating a written record of their illegal conduct. When communications were written, the companies often took calculated steps to destroy evidence of those communications.

    The states’ lawsuits seek restitution for consumers, damages for state agencies, maximum civil penalties and a court order to stop the illegal conduct and restore competition to the generic drug market.

    Antitrust Assistant Attorneys General Paula Pera, Holly Williams and Travis Kennedy, Litigation Support and Administrative Manager Kimberly Hitchcock, and paralegals Michelle Oliver and Tracy Jacoby are handling the case.

    The Antitrust Division investigates complaints about potential anti-competitive activity. For information about filing a complaint, visit https://fortress.wa.gov/atg/formhandler/ago/AntitrustComplaint.aspx.

    -30-

    Washington’s Attorney General serves the people and the state of Washington. As the state’s largest law firm, the Attorney General’s Office provides legal representation to every state agency, board, and commission in Washington. Additionally, the Office serves the people directly by enforcing consumer protection, civil rights, and environmental protection laws. The Office also prosecutes elder abuse, Medicaid fraud, and handles sexually violent predator cases in 38 of Washington’s 39 counties. Visit www.atg.wa.gov to learn more.

    Media Contact:

    Brionna Aho, Communications Director, (360) 753-2727; Brionna.aho@atg.wa.gov

    General contacts: Click here

    Media Resource Guide & Attorney General’s Office FAQ

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: All Living Former North Carolina Governors Praise State and County Elections Officials in Brief Supporting Governor Cooper in Elections Board Case

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: All Living Former North Carolina Governors Praise State and County Elections Officials in Brief Supporting Governor Cooper in Elections Board Case

    All Living Former North Carolina Governors Praise State and County Elections Officials in Brief Supporting Governor Cooper in Elections Board Case
    bconroy

    Earlier this week, a bipartisan group of all five living former North Carolina governors filed a brief in the North Carolina Court of Appeals supporting Governor Roy Cooper’s case against legislative leaders that challenges Senate Bill 749, enacted last year to give control of the State Board of Elections and all 100 County Boards of Elections to the General Assembly. The legislation was enacted over Governor Cooper’s veto without a single Democratic vote in support and the governor filed a lawsuit days later, challenging the bill’s blatant violation of our Constitution’s separation of powers.

    “All living North Carolina governors – Republican and Democrat – agree this legislation is unconstitutional and unjustified,” said Governor Cooper. “The Courts have rejected this change and the people overwhelmingly voted to oppose it when legislative Republicans tried to change it by amending the constitution. North Carolina has conducted safe and secure elections for decades under this system and the Court should uphold it.”

    In March, a bipartisan three-judge panel of superior court judges permanently enjoined Senate Bill 749 from taking effect, describing it as a “stark and blatant removal of the appointment power” that plainly violated the North Carolina Constitution and multiple North Carolina Supreme Court precedents. Republican legislative leaders have appealed that decision to the North Carolina Court of Appeals.

    On Tuesday, Governors Hunt, Martin, Easley, Perdue, and McCrory—two Republicans and three Democrats—jointly filed a brief to the appellate court explaining that Senate Bill 749 is not only “unconstitutional, but it also lacks any legitimate justification for its enactment.” As the former governors go on to explain, North Carolina has had the same structure for its Board of Elections since 1901 and “for nearly 125 years, our Board of Elections, with its members appointed and supervised by the Governor, has faithfully ensured time and time again that our elections are lawful and accurate.”

    The former governors highlight multiple examples of closely contested elections that were decided against the interests of the incumbent governor, as well as multiple examples of bipartisan praise for elections officials handling difficult elections issues in recent years. They also point out that the new board structure adopted in Senate Bill 749—which is almost certain to lead to an even split between Republicans and Democrats—would virtually guarantee deadlocked votes leading to a “situation where North Carolinians’ long-awaited end to each November election could unnecessarily extend into the holidays and beyond.” The “gridlock by design” structure in Senate Bill 749 would create a substantial risk that future elections could be decided by the courts or the legislature, instead of the voters.

    Read the brief here.

    Oct 31, 2024

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces Guilty Plea in Fatal DUI Crash on Navajo Nation

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBUQUERQUE – A Vanderwagen man pleaded guilty in federal court to two counts of involuntary manslaughter in connection with a fatal drunk driving crash that occurred on the Navajo Nation reservation in 2022.

    According to court documents, on October 2, 2022, Sheldon Carlton Daye, 30, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, drove while impaired by alcohol. He knew that driving drunk would pose a risk to others on the road. While driving on Highway 602 near Bread Springs, New Mexico, within the boundaries of the Navajo Nation reservation, Daye struck and killed two motorists who were stopped on the side of the highway changing a tire.

    Daye will remain on conditions of release pending sentencing, which has not yet been scheduled. At sentencing, Daye faces up to 16 years in prison. Upon his release from prison, Daye will be subject to up to three years of supervised release.

    U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

    The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark A. Probasco and Meg P. Tomlinson is prosecuting the case.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Galeas Patriarch, HSO Leader Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Human Smuggling and Money Laundering

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    DEL RIO, Texas – The leader of a human smuggling organization (HSO) was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio to 360 months in federal prison on Wednesday.

    According to court documents, Roberto Galeas-Mejia, 48, of Honduras, led a San Antonio-based HSO, overseeing activities that included the transportation and harboring of undocumented noncitizens and the coordination of payments. Funds were funneled through conspirators’ bank accounts and used to pay load drivers and stash house operators, as well as to rent stash houses and further aid the HSO. Funds were also used for personal expenses such as vehicle purchases. Over the course of the investigation, Homeland Security Investigations thwarted multiple smuggling loads and arrested numerous co-conspirators and undocumented noncitizens.

    On July 27, 2022, a federal jury found Galeas-Mejia guilty of all three counts in a superseding indictment: conspiracy to transport illegal migrants, conspiracy to harbor illegal migrants, and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. His wife Eva Maria Galeas and stepdaughter Lisa Marie Ortega, both of San Antonio, were also found guilty as co-conspirators. His sisters Sandra and Norma Galeas-Mejia, of Honduras, were also co-conspirators but pleaded guilty. The four women were sentenced in March.

    During the March sentence hearing, Chief U.S. District Judge Alia Moses ordered the forfeiture of $603,593.00, which was discovered in a safe during a search of Roberto’s home that he shared with Eva and Lisa Marie Ortega. On Wednesday, Roberto Galeas was also ordered to pay a money judgement of $1,008,000.

    HSI investigated the case with valuable assistance from U.S. Border Patrol, Texas Department of Public Safety, Maverick County Sheriff’s Office, Eagle Pass Police Department, Dimmit County Sheriff’s Office and the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Holly Pavlinski, Antonio Franco and Rex Beasley prosecuted the case.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Here and abroad, health-care workers bear witness to the world’s worst atrocities

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Suzanne Shoush, Indigenous Health Faculty Lead, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto

    As a physician, I remember the first time I saw a child dying.

    She was in the pediatric intensive care unit, flown in from a remote First Nations community with her family on the way. Intubated and sedated to cope with the blisters covering her little body, she’d had three of her four limbs amputated — the result of a horrific meningococcal infection.

    I remember standing rooted to the ground, unable to walk away from her bedside, wanting more than anything to undo her suffering. This was long before I became involved in academic medicine as Indigenous Health Faculty lead for the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto, yet it profoundly shaped my understanding of suffering and the fragility of life.

    I was a medical student without a magic cure, but I needed to stay close to her simply so she wouldn’t be alone. I remember everything about those moments, from the rhythm of her breath to the stillness of her body.

    Around the world, health-care workers are trained to be observers and meticulously examine those before us, monitoring life and death with intense attention. We witness with a required objectivity, documenting and responding with specificity. We encounter incredibly difficult moments, but the ones involving children are particularly engraved in our minds.

    The horrific situation in Gaza

    I have been considering what health-care workers are experiencing in Gaza, “the world’s most dangerous place to be a child,” according to UNICEF.

    Every single day, they bear witness to a reality that the New York Times has deemed “too horrific for publication” as it declines to print images of dozens of children with gunshot wounds to the head, neck and chest.

    These images came from health-care providers, documenting the time they spent in Gaza to provide desperately needed medical care in a place where nearly half the population is children.

    They’re fighting daily to stem the tsunami of death that has often been referred to as the world’s first live-streamed genocide. With unimaginable determination and exhaustion, they are treating tens of thousands of children, some who have been mortally wounded and maimed due to indiscriminate bombing and sniping. These young people have been starved and terrorized by what the United Nations has called a war on children.

    This crisis also constitutes a war on health care as hospitals in Gaza have been attacked, besieged, burned or decimated. Hundreds of Palestinian health-care workers in Gaza and the Occupied West Bank have been killed and countless more have been injured or abducted. Human Rights Watch says some have been subjected to torture.

    Burning alive

    A UN inquiry recently accused Israel of systematically destroying Gaza’s health-care system, amounting to a “crime of extermination.”

    A distressing video captured the agonizing moment as a patient, still tethered to his IV, was seen burning alive in his hospital bed, sparking global outrage.

    Hours after it went viral, Israel banned several Canadian and American medical aid organizations from entering Gaza to provide critical emergency support — crippling the ability of health-care workers to not only support their Palestinian colleagues in providing life-saving care, but also to document what is happening in Gaza.

    Because foreign journalists are barred from entering Gaza and Palestinian journalists have been targeted and killed at an unprecedented rate, much of what the public knows about Gaza is coming from health-care teams.

    Over the past year, health-care professionals have had to learn new terminology to describe what is happening in Palestine: scholasticide, sophicide, domicide and ecocide.

    Parallels in Turtle Island

    The plight in Gaza resonates with the historical experiences of the Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island. As an intergenerational survivor of the Indian Residential School System, I am acutely aware of the power dynamics inherent in silence and the systemic erasure that often accompanies genocide.

    Canada recently observed the fourth National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a time when the nation grapples with the ongoing impact of atrocities committed against Indigenous peoples.

    My work focuses on examining and understanding health practices and structures to better understand how to create anti-racist and anti-oppressive spaces for colleagues, learners and patients within our health-care systems, including how to engage Indigenous communities to propose and shape strategies.

    Polish jurist Raphael Lemkin coined the term “genocide,” identifying the techniques employed during genocide in eight areas: political, social, cultural, economic, biological, physical, religious and moral. Such systemic and immense violence is foundational to settler colonialism, and children bear the harshest brunt of the requisite dehumanization.

    Many of the atrocities against Indigenous people in Canada were carried out against Indigenous children, legitimized and legalized under the Indian Act — the blueprint for racial oppression within a democracy — and further enabled and enforced through secrecy, segregation and silence.

    Notable among the historical witnesses to these atrocities was Dr. Peter Bryce, a physician who documented the shocking mortality rates and abuses experienced by Indigenous children within the residential school system.

    A CBC report on Peter Bryce, a whistleblower on residential schools. (CBC News)

    As chief medical officer for the Department of Interior and Indian Affairs, Bryce went public with his findings.

    He was subsequently ostracized from the government and medical community and forced to retire. Defiantly, he went on to publish his findings in a report titled “The Story of A National Crime” in 1922.

    One hundred years later, his report remains a critical document for understanding the acts of genocide inflicted upon Indigenous Peoples.



    Read more:
    Residential school system recognized as genocide in Canada’s House of Commons: A harbinger of change

    Listening to health-care workers

    Bryce’s outspokenness shows that the voices of health-care workers are vital because we possess unique insights into the humanitarian crisis that unfolds in regions of conflict.

    They have a direct impact in areas of conflict due to their ability to provide care — and bear witness. What health-care workers are experiencing in Gaza is becoming incompatible with human life.

    Meaningful change will only emerge through an end to military aid, arms transfers and diplomatic cover for Israel, especially given it faces serious allegations from two international courts of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

    An immediate ceasefire and the lifting of the illegal blockade of Gaza are essential to enable health-care teams to provide critical life-saving care and to bear witness to the ongoing suffering.

    For me, personally, I carry the legacy of my ancestors as they watch down on me. Their survival of the horrors of the residential school system compel me — as a health-care professional — to break the silence around those suffering in Gaza.

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

    – ref. Here and abroad, health-care workers bear witness to the world’s worst atrocities – https://theconversation.com/here-and-abroad-health-care-workers-bear-witness-to-the-worlds-worst-atrocities-242076

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Gaetz Introduces Legislation to End Tax-Exempt Status for Non-Profits Abetting the U.S. Border Invasion

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Matt Gaetz (1st District of Florida)

    Washington, D.C. — This week, U.S. Congressman Matt Gaetz (FL-01) introduced the “Helping Americans by Restricting Resources to Immigrant Services Act,” also known as the HARRIS Act. The legislation, if enacted, would end the tax-exempt status of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), non-profits, and other entities that are aiding and abetting the U.S. border invasion by dedicating a “substantial” portion of their resources to goods and services for illegal aliens. The legislation is cosponsored by Reps. Randy Weber (TX-14), Lauren Boebert (CO-03), and Andy Biggs (AZ-05).

    Earlier this month, Congressman Gaetz introduced the “Blocking Assistance and Resources to Restrict Illegal Entry and Residency (BARRIER) Act” to cut federal funding to NGOs, non-profits, and other entities that help migrants illegally enter or reside in the U.S. Together, these two pieces of legislation would sever the public-private partnership that has supported the illegal crossing of our southern border by millions of people.

    “NGOs and non-profits that enable the Biden-Harris administration’s mass-migration policies – by focusing primarily on providing assistance to those who have broken federal immigration law – should not be receiving tax breaks. My legislation, the HARRIS Act, will strip tax-exempt status from organizations aiding and abetting the U.S. border invasion. If non-profits want special treatment under our tax-code, they should focus on doing genuine charity for genuine Americans, not illegal aliens,” said Congressman Gaetz.

    Full text of Congressman Gaetz’s bill can be found HERE. Additionally, exclusive coverage of the bill by Daily Caller can be found HERE.

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    For updates, subscribe to Congressman Gaetz’s newsletter here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 2023 Irrigation and Water Management data now available

    Source: US National Agricultural Statistics Service

    WASHINGTON, Oct. 31, 2024 – There were 212,714 farms with 53.1 million irrigated acres, which included 81 million acre-feet of water applied in the United States, according to the 2023 Irrigation and Water Management Survey results, published today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). In 2018, the irrigation survey results showed that there were 231,474 farms with 55.9 million irrigated acres, which included 83.4 million acre-feet of water. The results show that the number of farms irrigating, the amount of land irrigated, and the total water used for irrigation decreased between 2018 and 2023.

    “The 2023 Irrigation and Water Management Survey, conducted every five years, expands on the data collected in the 2022 Census of Agriculture,” said NASS Administrator Joseph L. Parsons. “This report offers detailed, comprehensive, up-to-date information specific to the agriculture industry’s use, management, and investment of water supplies and irrigation systems.”

    Data highlights from the 2023 Irrigation and Water Management Survey include:

    • The total amount of water used in 2023 was 81 million acre-feet, down 2.8% from 2018.
    • The average acre-feet applied per acre was 1.5, which was the same as the 2018 irrigation survey. (An acre-foot is the amount of water required to cover one acre to a depth of one foot.)
    • The largest portion of irrigated farmland acres in the United States was dedicated to cropland – including grain and oilseed crops, vegetables, nursery and greenhouse, and hay crops.
    • Farmers irrigated 49.6 million acres of harvested cropland acres in the open in 2023.
    • Ground water from on-farm wells accounted for 54% of irrigation water applied to acres in the open; the average well depth in 2023 was 241 feet.
    • Ground water from on-farm wells accounted for 54% of irrigation water applied to acres in the open; the average well depth in 2023 was 241 feet.
    • Five states accounted for around one-half of the irrigated acres, and more than half of all water applied – Arkansas, California, Idaho, Nebraska, and Texas.
    • Equipment, in general, is one of the leading irrigation expenditures with farmers and ranchers spending $3 billion on irrigation equipment, facilities, land improvements and computer technology in 2023; energy costs for pumping well and surface water amounted to $3.3 billion.
    • Irrigated area of horticulture under protection was 1.7 billion square feet in 2023. This compares with 1.5 billion square feet in 2018.
    • Irrigated horticulture grown in the open was 598,980 acres in 2023. This compares with 581,936 acres in 2018.

    The 2023 Irrigation and Water Management Survey followed up with approximately 35,000 producers who indicated in the 2022 Census of Agriculture that they irrigated or had irrigation equipment. Producers provided information on water sources and amount of water used; acres irrigated by type of system; irrigation use by crop; and system investments and energy costs.

    “The 2023 Irrigation and Water Management Survey data provide valuable information that producers, farm organizations, businesses, state departments of agriculture, elected representatives and legislative bodies at all levels of government can use to make agriculture water use more efficient,” said Parsons. “From comparing water use by application methods or appraising water use trends to developing improved technologies or federal programs, these data are crucial to the industry.”

    To access the results of the 2023 Irrigation and Water Management Survey, visit nass.usda.gov/AgCensus or view in NASS’s online Quick Stats database.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NIH trial of rectal microbicide for HIV prevention begins in the United States

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 2

    Media Advisory

    Thursday, October 31, 2024

    Study will assess safety and acceptability of rectal douche for pre-exposure prophylaxis.

    What

    A clinical trial sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has launched to examine the safety and acceptability of a novel rectal HIV microbicide douche containing the antiretroviral drug tenofovir. This “on-demand” HIV prevention approach involves using the microbicide prior to a potential exposure from receptive anal intercourse.

    Several forms of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) are in use in the United States and globally, namely daily oral pills, long-acting injections, and a monthly vaginal ring. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises that gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men who meet certain criteria can take “on-demand” oral PrEP around the time of sex to prevent HIV acquisition, but there is insufficient evidence to support its use in other populations. Rectal microbicides are another HIV prevention method being explored for use in an “on-demand” manner to expand the choices available to eligible people who engage in receptive anal intercourse and who stand to benefit from using PrEP.    

    The clinical trial will enroll about 150 adults assigned male at birth who have regular experience using an unmedicated rectal douche before receptive anal intercourse. Participants will each receive “on-demand” tenofovir rectal microbicide douche during one two-month period and on-demand oral PrEP with tenofovir disoproxil fumarate and emtricitabine in another two-month period. All participants will be monitored closely for safety. The study also will assess participants’ experience using their assigned PrEP method, including measures of acceptability, adherence, and method preference. The study will take place at eight sites in the United States.

    While HIV incidence is slowly decreasing in the United States, 67% of U.S. HIV diagnoses from 2018-2022 were among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men, pointing to the need for expanded HIV prevention options. The mid-stage study is sponsored NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and implemented through the NIH-funded HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN). NIH remains committed to developing safe and effective HIV prevention methods that people need, want, and are able to use.

    More information about this study, also known as HPTN 106, is available at ClinicalTrials.gov under identifier NCT06560684.

    Who

    Sheryl Zwerski, D.N.P., director of the Prevention Sciences Program in NIAID’s Division of AIDS, is available to discuss this research.

    NIAID conducts and supports research—at NIH, throughout the United States, and worldwide—to study the causes of infectious and immune-mediated diseases, and to develop better means of preventing, diagnosing and treating these illnesses. News releases, fact sheets and other NIAID-related materials are available on the NIAID website.

    About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation’s medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

    NIH…Turning Discovery Into Health®

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Minister Steven Guilbeault to make an announcement about dental care in Montréal

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Media advisory

    Montréal, Quebec – October 31, 2024 – Media representatives are advised that the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, will make an announcement about the Canadian Dental Care Plan, on behalf of the Honourable Mark Holland, Minister of Health, at a local dentist clinic in Montréal alongside the business owners. He will also be accompanied by Rachel Bendayan, Member of Parliament for Outremont.

    Event: Announcement
    Date: Friday, November 1, 2024
    Time: 12:00 p.m. (EDT)
    Location: Montréal, Quebec

    The location of the media availability will be confirmed only to accredited media representatives who have registered with Media Relations for Environment and Climate Change Canada at the following address: media@ec.gc.ca.

    Contacts

    Hermine Landry
    Press Secretary
    Office of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change
    873-455-3714
    Hermine.Landry@ec.gc.ca

    Media Relations
    Environment and Climate Change Canada
    819-938-3338 or 1-844-836-7799 (toll-free)
    media@ec.gc.ca

    Environment and Climate Change Canada’s X (Twitter) page

    Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Facebook page

    Matthew Kronberg
    Press Secretary
    Office of the Honourable Mark Holland
    Minister of Health
    343-552-5654
    Matthew.Kronberg@hc-sc.gc.ca

    Media Relations
    Health Canada
    613-957-2983
    media@hc-sc.gc.ca

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Collaboration Agreement for the Development of Arts and Culture in the Francophone Minority Communities of Canada renewed

    Source: Government of Canada News

    News release

    OTTAWA, October 31, 2024

    Showcasing Francophone artists and their work strengthens the vitality of Canada’s official language minority communities. More than ever, it is crucial to be collaborative and inclusive in increasing the visibility and outreach of minority artists, arts and culture organizations and industries.

    With these goals in mind, the Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages, met with the leaders of the National Arts Centre, the Canada Council for the Arts, the Fédération culturelle canadienne-française, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the National Film Board of Canada and Telefilm Canada at the annual forum of the network of members of the Fédération culturelle canadienne-française. They announced the renewal of the Collaboration Agreement for the Development of Arts and Culture in the Francophone Minority Communities of Canada. Minister Boissonault took part in the signing ceremony on behalf of the Honourable Pascale St-Onge, Minister of Canadian Heritage.

    The Agreement aims to strengthen consultation and collaboration among stakeholders, while allowing each of them to meet their obligations under the Official Languages Act. It proposes to implement concrete positive measures to ensure the sustainable cultural development of Canada’s Francophone minority communities as well as the vitality of Francophone minority culture.

    This agreement was signed 25 years ago and was recently renewed as part of the Action Plan for Official Languages 2023–2028. It plays an essential role in the promotion and support of arts and culture in Canada’s Francophone minority communities.

    Quotes

    “Arts and culture, like language, promote people’s expressions, shape their identity and contribute to the vitality of their communities. That’s why, today, we are renewing this Collaboration Agreement for the Development of Arts and Culture in the Francophone Minority Communities. This agreement will give Francophone minority communities across the country the tools they need to continue grow, learn and innovate through the arts.”

    – The Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages

    “By renewing this agreement, we’re empowering the arts and culture sector to drive economic growth and celebrate the rich diversity of Francophone Canada—amplifying its voice at home and around the world.”

    – The Honourable Pascale St-Onge, Minister of Canadian Heritage

    “The National Arts Centre has been part of this important agreement since its very beginning. Our commitment to artists from Francophone minority communities remains just as strong, as demonstrated by the renewal of this agreement. We will remain actively engaged in supporting expressions of Francophone culture and the French language across the country, and in partnering with Francophone performing arts organizations and artists.”

    – Christopher Deacon, President and Chief Executive Officer, National Arts Centre

    “I am extremely proud to sign the renewed Collaboration Agreement until 2028. This new version reflects the full extent of legislative improvements resulting from the modernization of the Official Languages Act, including the duty to implement positive measures to support the development of our communities and promote their growth.”

    – Nancy Juneau, President of the Fédération culturelle canadienne-française

    “In collaboration with our partners, the Canada Council for the Arts is proud to renew this agreement, which celebrates and develops the essential links between culture, official languages and identity. Artists from Francophone minority communities across the country help shape a rich and diverse artistic scene. Their contributions embody and strengthen Canada’s unique linguistic tapestry.”

    – Michelle Chawla, Director and Chief Executive Officer, Canada Council for the Arts

    “With its firm roots in the communities it serves, particularly those in linguistic minority settings, Radio-Canada plays an active role in expanding the reach of French-language culture and bringing Francophones across the country together. The renewal of this agreement gives us an additional tool to promote dialogue and collaboration with the federations and associations that, like us, are committed to securing the future of the French language and Francophone arts and culture in their rich diversity.”

    – Dany Meloul, Executive Vice-President, Radio-Canada

    “With the renewal of this agreement, the NFB is renewing its commitment, in collaboration with its valued partners, to showcasing French culture and ensuring it thrives throughout Canada. This is another concrete action in supporting and showcasing rich French culture, and the diversity of our communities where it originates, throughout the country.”

    – Suzanne Guèvremont, Government Film Commissioner and Chairperson, National Film Board of Canada

    “The unifying power of cinema resonates naturally within communities evolving in minority settings across Canada. This collaborative agreement allows us to maximize our impact in order to support the growth of artists in these communities and ensure that their stories are heard here and around the world. Telefilm Canada remains committed to achieving concrete results in implementing the Official Languages Act and actively pursues collaboration with cultural partners and key players in the audiovisual industry.” 

    – Julie Roy, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, Telefilm Canada

    Quick facts

    • In June 1998, a first Collaboration Agreement for the Development of Arts and Culture in the Francophone Minority Communities of Canada was signed to encourage structured dialogue and concerted action between federal agencies and Francophone communities. It is a pillar in the implementation of the Government of Canada’s official language commitments, supporting community development and cultural outreach through concrete projects.

    • The Action Plan for Official Languages 2023‑2028: Protection-Promotion-Collaboration represents a $4.1-billion investment in support of seven government departments and 33 new or enhanced initiatives aimed at protecting and promoting the country’s official languages.

    • This action plan is the fifth five-year official languages plan in 20 years. The 33 initiatives included in the plan have been structured around four pillars. In addition, they are inspired by government priorities and issues raised by Canadian communities during the Cross-Canada Official Languages Consultations 2022, which was the basis for the Report on the consultations – Cross-Canada Official Languages Consultations 2022.

    • On June 20, 2023, the Government of Canada received Royal Assent for Bill C-13, An Act for the Substantive Equality of Canada’s Official Languages. Among other goals, the Act aims to address the decline of French in the country and to clarify and strengthen the promotion of official languages, while supporting official language minority communities.

    • Every province and territory has official language minority communities, each with its own particular reality and needs. The Action Plan is designed to address the unique challenges facing Francophone communities outside Quebec and English-speaking communities in Quebec.

    Associated links

    Contacts

    For more information (media only), please contact:

    John Fragos
    Communications Advisor
    Office of the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages
    john.fragos@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca

    Media Relations
    Canadian Heritage
    media@pch.gc.ca

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Smith Announces Upcoming Staff Outreach Event

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE)

    Washington, D.C. – Constituents of Third District Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE) are invited to meet with a member of his staff during the month of November in Wilber.

    A staff outreach event is an opportunity for constituents to meet directly with a member of Smith’s staff about federal issues, receive assistance with a federal agency, or take advantage of the services available through his office.

    Smith, who has offices in Grand Island, Scottsbluff, and Nebraska City, will provide a staff member at the following time and location:

    Tuesday, November 12, 2024

    Saline County Courthouse
    204 High Street, Wilber
    10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. CT

    For additional information, please contact Smith’s Grand Island office at (308) 384-3900, his Scottsbluff office at (308) 633-6333, or his Nebraska City office at (402) 874-6050.
     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Columbia Airport Expressway Named After Congressman Joe Wilson

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Joe Wilson (2nd District of South Carolina)

    Washington, D.C. – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, South Carolina Secretary of Transportation Justin Powell, U.S. Congressman Ralph Norman (SC-05), elected officials, family and friends, all gathered today at the Columbia Metropolitan Airport for the naming ceremony of the Columbia Airport Expressway in honor of Congressman Joe Wilson (SC-02).

         Earlier this year, the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) Commission voted to name the section of highway after Wilson in appreciation for his many years of dedicated service to the Palmetto State.

         “I am beyond grateful to SCDOT for naming Columbia Airport Expressway the Congressman Joe Wilson Expressway and will always fight for the people of South Carolina and the United States,” said Congressman Wilson. 

    Congressman Wilson is joined by family members (L to R) Addison, Lauren, Hunter, Julian, Roxanne, Anna Grace, Jennifer, and Alan at the naming ceremony.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: International Petroleum Corporation Announces Results of Normal Course Issuer Bid and Updated Share Capital

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    International Petroleum Corporation (IPC or the Corporation) (TSX, Nasdaq Stockholm: IPCO) is pleased to announce that IPC repurchased a total of 66,800 IPC common shares (ISIN: CA46016U1084) during the period of October 28 to 31, 2024 under IPC’s normal course issuer bid / share repurchase program (NCIB).

    IPC’s NCIB, announced on December 1, 2023, is being implemented in accordance with the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 (MAR) and Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 2016/1052 (Safe Harbour Regulation) and the applicable rules and policies of the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) and Nasdaq Stockholm and applicable Canadian and Swedish securities laws.

    During the period of October 28 to 31, 2024, IPC repurchased a total of 52,500 IPC common shares on Nasdaq Stockholm. All of these share repurchases were carried out by Pareto Securities AB on behalf of IPC.

    For more information regarding transactions under the NCIB in Sweden, including aggregated volume, weighted average price per share and total transaction value for each trading day during the period of October 28 to 31, 2024, see the following link to Nasdaq Stockholm’s website:

    www.nasdaqomx.com/transactions/markets/nordic/corporate-actions/stockholm/repurchases-of-own-shares

    A detailed breakdown of the transactions conducted on Nasdaq Stockholm during the period of October 28 to 31, 2024 according to article 5.3 of MAR and article 2.3 of the Safe Harbour Regulation is available with this press release on IPC’s website: www.international-petroleum.com/news-and-media/press-releases.

    During the same period, IPC purchased a total of 14,300 IPC common shares on the TSX. All of these share repurchases were carried out by ATB Capital Markets Inc. on behalf of IPC.

    All common shares repurchased by IPC under the NCIB will be cancelled. During October 2024, IPC cancelled 506,400 common shares repurchased under the NCIB. As at October 31, 2024, the total number of issued and outstanding IPC common shares is 120,244,638 with voting rights and IPC holds 44,400 common shares in treasury.

    Since December 5, 2023 up to and including October 31, 2024, a total of 8,024,582 IPC common shares have been repurchased under the NCIB through the facilities of the TSX and Nasdaq Stockholm. A maximum of 8,342,119 IPC common shares may be repurchased over the period of twelve months commencing December 5, 2023 and ending December 4, 2024, or until such earlier date as the NCIB is completed or terminated by IPC.

    International Petroleum Corp. (IPC) is an international oil and gas exploration and production company with a high quality portfolio of assets located in Canada, Malaysia and France, providing a solid foundation for organic and inorganic growth. IPC is a member of the Lundin Group of Companies. IPC is incorporated in Canada and IPC’s shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) and the Nasdaq Stockholm exchange under the symbol “IPCO”.

    For further information, please contact:

    Rebecca Gordon
    SVP Corporate Planning and Investor Relations
    rebecca.gordon@international-petroleum.com
    Tel: +41 22 595 10 50    		   Robert Eriksson
    Media Manager
    reriksson@rive6.ch
    Tel: +46 701 11 26 15

    This information is information that International Petroleum Corporation is required to make public pursuant to the Swedish Financial Instruments Trading Act. The information
    was submitted for publication, through the contact persons set out above, at 17:30 CET on October 31, 2024.

    Forward-Looking Statements
    This press release contains statements and information which constitute “forward-looking statements” or “forward-looking information” (within the meaning of applicable securities legislation). Such statements and information (together, “forward-looking statements”) relate to future events, including the Corporation’s future performance, business prospects or opportunities. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release, unless otherwise indicated. IPC does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable laws.

    All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking statements. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, forecasts, guidance, budgets, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as “seek”, “anticipate”, “plan”, “continue”, “estimate”, “expect”, “may”, “will”, “project”, “forecast”, “predict”, “potential”, “targeting”, “intend”, “could”, “might”, “should”, “believe”, “budget” and similar expressions) are not statements of historical fact and may be “forward-looking statements”. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to: the ability and willingness of IPC to continue the NCIB, including the number of common shares to be acquired and cancelled and the timing of such purchases and cancellations; and the return of value to IPC’s shareholders as a result of any common share repurchases.

    The forward-looking statements are based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by IPC, including expectations and assumptions concerning: prevailing commodity prices and currency exchange rates; applicable royalty rates and tax laws; interest rates; future well production rates and reserve and contingent resource volumes; operating costs; our ability to maintain our existing credit ratings; our ability to achieve our performance targets; the timing of receipt of regulatory approvals; the performance of existing wells; the success obtained in drilling new wells; anticipated timing and results of capital expenditures; the sufficiency of budgeted capital expenditures in carrying out planned activities; the timing, location and extent of future drilling operations; the successful completion of acquisitions and dispositions and that we will be able to implement our standards, controls, procedures and policies in respect of any acquisitions and realize the expected synergies on the anticipated timeline or at all; the benefits of acquisitions; the state of the economy and the exploration and production business in the jurisdictions in which IPC operates and globally; the availability and cost of financing, labour and services; our intention to complete share repurchases under our normal course issuer bid program, including the funding of such share repurchases, existing and future market conditions, including with respect to the price of our common shares, and compliance with respect to applicable limitations under securities laws and regulations and stock exchange policies; and the ability to market crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids successfully.

    Although IPC believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because IPC can give no assurances that they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks. These include, but are not limited to: general global economic, market and business conditions; the risks associated with the oil and gas industry in general such as operational risks in development, exploration and production; delays or changes in plans with respect to exploration or development projects or capital expenditures; the uncertainty of estimates and projections relating to reserves, resources, production, revenues, costs and expenses; health, safety and environmental risks; commodity price fluctuations; interest rate and exchange rate fluctuations; marketing and transportation; loss of markets; environmental and climate-related risks; competition; innovation and cybersecurity risks related to our systems, including our costs of addressing or mitigating such risks; the ability to attract, engage and retain skilled employees; incorrect assessment of the value of acquisitions; failure to complete or realize the anticipated benefits of acquisitions or dispositions; the ability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources; failure to obtain required regulatory and other approvals; geopolitical conflicts, including the war between Ukraine and Russia and the conflict in the Middle East, and their potential impact on, among other things, global market conditions; and changes in legislation, including but not limited to tax laws, royalties and environmental regulations. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive.

    Additional information on these and other factors that could affect IPC, or its operations or financial results, are included in IPC’s annual information form for the year ended December 31, 2023 (See “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information”, “Risks Factors” and “Reserves and Resources Advisory” therein), in the management’s discussion and analysis (MD&A) for the three and six months ended June 30, 2024 (See “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information”, “Risks Factors” and “Reserves and Resources Advisory” therein) and other reports on file with applicable securities regulatory authorities, including previous financial reports, management’s discussion and analysis and material change reports, which may be accessed through the SEDAR+ website (www.sedarplus.ca) or IPC’s website (www.international-petroleum.com).

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: CFTC Warns of Potential Dangers for Messaging App Users

    Source: US Commodity Futures Trading Commission

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s Office of Customer Education and Outreach today released a customer advisory alerting messaging app users to beware of schemes to defraud them of assets, specifically crypto assets.

    Fraudsters are exploiting the default settings of commonly used messaging apps, telephone networks, and mobile devices to lure users into crypto pump-and-dump schemes and other scams.

    The customer advisory, Use Caution Responding to Messaging Apps, informs users of the default settings of WhatsApp, Telegram, and other popular messaging apps that allow scammers to add random or targeted phone numbers to group chats that are used for fraudulent activity. Similarly, default SMS text settings on smart phones allow for a greater number of spam texts that can result in fraud.

    “People who use these apps may not be familiar with the risks and frauds commonly associated with crypto assets,” said Melanie Devoe, director of the CFTC’s Office of Customer Education and Outreach. “Receiving a group message promising 300% or 1,000% returns with zero risk or getting in on a supposed crypto opportunity, can be enticing, but it is best to not engage.”

    The customer advisory, provides easy actions app users should take if they receive a message from an unfamiliar person or number saying “you’ve been added to a messaging app’s group chat”:

    • Do not reply.
    • Delete the messages or group discussions, block the senders and send text messages to junk or forward it to 7726 (SPAM).
    • Change your privacy settings to protect your information and reduce future spam.
    • Most apps, mobile carriers and devices provide ways to restrict who may contact you or block specific numbers. Check each messaging apps’ settings. Next, check your carrier’s account app settings, and your device settings. Many major carriers also offer free SMS spam-blocking or call filtering apps that can be added to your phone.

    About the Office of Customer Education and Outreach

    OCEO is dedicated to helping customers protect themselves from fraud or violations of the Commodity Exchange Act through the research and development of effective financial education materials and initiatives. OCEO engages in outreach and education to retail investors. The office also frequently partners with federal and state regulators as well as consumer protection groups. The CFTC’s full repository of customer education materials can be found at: cftc.gov/LearnAndProtect.

    Customer Advisory: Use Caution Responding to Messaging Apps is available in full below and HERE

    ###

    Customer Advisory: Use Caution Responding to Messaging Apps

    Fraudsters are contacting potential victims on their phones to try to lure them into cryptocurrency scams with promises of guaranteed returns. Spot the fraud by remembering all trades involve a risk of loss. Be suspicious of any messages you receive via WhatsApp, Telegram, SnapChat, WeChat, SMS texts, or other apps that promise guaranteed oversized returns. If you receive a suspicious message:

    • Do not reply.
    • Delete the messages or group discussions and block the senders. Send text messages to junk.
    • Review your privacy settings to protect your information and reduce future spam.

    Deception in the Palm of Your Hand

    By default, messaging apps allow anyone with your phone number to call or add you to a discussion group. Scammers use this vulnerability to add random or targeted phone numbers to WhatsApp groups or Telegram chats. You might see a message that you’ve been added to a group, then other messages follow. They might talk about trading crypto futures with leverage, “cooperative trading projects” (also called pump-and-dump schemes), 100, 500, 1,000 percent profits, advanced artificial intelligence, can’t-miss investment programs, or other supposed opportunities. You might also see testimonials from other group members. It’s all fake, lies designed to steal your money.

    Don’t Talk to Strangers

    Stranger danger applies to your mobile device too. Responding or complaining confirms to scammers that your number is active and will only lead to more fraud attempts. The same is true for answering unknown callers. Scammers sometimes use robocalls to identify working numbers.

    Caller ID can be easily faked. If you don’t recognize the phone number, or message sender, do not respond. If you receive an urgent message about a financial account, or from law enforcement, the CFTC, or other government agencies, visit the entity’s official website and confirm the message with customer service staff. Do not use phone numbers or links provided in the message.

    You should only trade futures with regulated individuals and firms that follow strict qualification, supervision, and customer protection requirements. Learn more about registration at cftc.gov/check. Taking financial advice from unregistered, random people online or trading with unregistered companies that don’t have a physical presence in the United States substantially increase your fraud risk.

    Tighten your Security

    Most apps let you adjust your privacy settings to only allow your contacts or specific numbers to message you or see your personal information, including your picture, location, and activity status. Check and adjust your settings in each app you use. Delete unwanted groups, block the admins, and report the groups and admins to the platform.

    For SMS and phone messages, check your carrier’s apps and account settings. Most major carriers offer free SMS spam and call blockers. Next, adjust phone and message settings on your device, including blocking unwanted callers or silencing spam calls. Activate options to filter unknown senders and junk. If you have the option to “delete and report junk,” use it. If not, forward unwanted messages to 7726 (SPAM). Both options help filter and block bad actors systemwide.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Five Steps to Keep Your Disaster Recovery on Track

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: Five Steps to Keep Your Disaster Recovery on Track

    Five Steps to Keep Your Disaster Recovery on Track

    Recovering from a disaster is a continuous process with many options and it is important for disaster survivors to know the resources available to support their recovery efforts. Depending on your particular needs and the steps you’ve already taken, there are several additional steps you can take to recover from your losses and mitigate your property against future damage.Here is a checklist to ensure you’ve taken all the steps in your federal assistance process:Visit a temporary Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) near you. A DRC is a place where you can receive in-person support, speak with FEMA and other federal representatives, upload documents, review the status of your application and submit appeals. Get answers to your questions while the DRC is open. Survivors of the August 18-19, 2024 Severe Storm, Flooding, Landslides and Mudslides in Connecticut can visit the following DRC: Until 6 p.m. November 4 – at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 910 Main Street, South, Southbury, CT 06488, operating Monday – Friday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday Closed. Note: This DRC will CLOSE permanently at 6 p.m. on Monday, November 4. NOTE: There will be no DRC service on Tuesday, November 5 and Wednesday, November 6.Beginning 8 a.m. November 7 – at Southbury Town Hall, 501 Main Street, South, Southbury, CT 06488, operating Monday – Friday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday Closed. Note: This DRC will be OPEN on Monday, November 11.  Apply for a low-interest U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) disaster loan. SBA disaster loans are not just for businesses. Homeowners, renters and nonprofit organizations may also apply. Next to insurance, an SBA low-interest disaster loan is the primary source of funds for property repairs and for replacing contents destroyed in a disaster event. Know that you are never obligated to accept a loan.To apply with the SBA: visit www.SBA.gov/disaster, call SBA’s Customer Service Center at 1-800-659-2955 (if you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services), or send an email to DisasterCustomerService@sba.gov. Survivors of the August 18-19, 2024 Severe Storm, Flooding, Landslides and Mudslides in Connecticut can visit the following SBA Business Recovery Centers (BRCs): Oxford Town Hall, 486 Oxford Road, Oxford, CT 06478, operating Monday – Friday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sunday Closed.Monroe Police Department, 7 Fam Hill, Monroe, CT 06468, operating Monday – Friday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Sunday Closed.NOTE: On October 15, 2024, it was announced that funds for the SBA Disaster Loan Program have been fully expended. While no new SBA Disaster loans can be issued until Congress appropriates additional funding, SBA remains committed to supporting disaster survivors. Applications will continue to be accepted and processed to ensure individuals and businesses are prepared to receive assistance once funding becomes available. Request continued temporary rental assistance forms. If you received initial rental assistance and remain unable to return to your pre-disaster primary residence due to a disaster declared event, make sure to apply for FEMA’s Continued Rental Assistance. If you did not receive a form by mail, you may request one by calling the FEMA helpline at 1-800-621-3362. Stay in touch with FEMA. Disaster survivors who applied for assistance from FEMA are asked to please stay in touch with the agency to review their application status, update their contact information and provide required documentation as needed. It is critical to keep in touch with FEMA. Missing or out of date information could slow much needed disaster assistance. Let FEMA know if your address or phone number has changed. Download and use the FEMA Mobile App, visit DisasterAssistance.gov or call FEMA’s helpline at 1-800-621-3362.  Know your appeal options. If you disagree with FEMA decisions, you have the option to submit additional documentation such as your insurance settlement or prove home ownership or documentation to prove your identity to have your case reconsidered. The appeal should be submitted within 60 days of the initial FEMA decision and include supporting documentation, such as a copy of a verifiable contractor’s estimate for repairs.For questions about federal disaster assistance, call the FEMA helpline: 1-800-621-3362. If you use video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA your number for that service. Phone lines operate from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. seven days a week.
    adrien.urbani
    Thu, 10/31/2024 – 16:41

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Q3 & 9 MONTHS 2024 RESULTS

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Paris (France), October 31st, 2024, 17h45 CET

    Q3 & 9 MONTHS 2024 RESULTS

    DELIVERING ON CASH GENERATION AND FINANCIAL ROADMAP

    ON TRACK TO HIT OUR FULL YEAR TARGET

      Q3 9M1
    Revenue2 $246m $778m (-3%)
    Adjusted EBITDA2 $98m $298m (+7%)
    Net Cash-Flow $10m $34m (vs -$15m in 9M 2023)

    Sophie Zurquiyah, Chief Executive Officer of Viridien, said:

    “Our results since the start of the year demonstrate the strength of our strategic vision, with technology leadership, new business growth, and cash flow all showing significant progress.

    Geoscience was particularly strong this quarter, leveraging its clear differentiation, best-in class imaging technology and HPC computing power to achieve a record high order book. In Earth Data, the Laconia project, using our most advanced technology, saw increased prefunding and is continuing to progress well.

    Sensing & Monitoring is actively implementing its adaption plan and is on track to achieve in 2025 the expected outcomes in cost reduction and operational flexibility to improve performance across the industry cycles.

    Lastly, we continue to address our financial roadmap with the implementation of the bond buyback program and looking forward, reaffirm our full-year targets”.

    Third Quarter Highlights2

    • Group2
      • IFRS Revenue, EBITDA and Net Income of respectively $219 million, $71 million, $(10) million.
      • Overall group revenue decline in absence of mega crew in Sensing & Monitoring (SMO, revenue down 50%) compared to Q3 2023. Stable DDE revenue, with very strong momentum at Geoscience (revenue + 32% and order intake +91%).
      • Group adjusted EBITDA of $98M, including -$12M penalty fees from vessel commitment. DDE Adjusted EBITDA of $108 million, up 5% thanks to strong Geoscience performance. SMO adjusted EBITDA of $1M (vs $12M).  
    • Net Cash flow of $10 million, including -$18 million contractual fees from vessel commitment.
    • Implementation of the bond buy back program. $25M already bought on the $30M 2024 program as of October 31 (o.w. $12M bought and cancelled as of September 30).
    • Liquidity at $442 million (including $100 million undrawn RCF).
    • Digital, Data and Energy Transition (DDE)
      • Revenue $187 million, up 1%: strong revenue growth at Geoscience offset by lower level of aftersale at Earth Data.
      • Adjusted EBITDA $108 million, up 5%: profitability impacted by -$12 million in penalty fees from vessel commitments (vs -$20 million during Q3 2003).
      • Geoscience
        • Revenue at $103 million (+32%).
        • Geoscience performance continues to be driven by technology leadership. Order intake (up 91%) benefits from best in class imaging technology, new UK HPC hub and increased activity in the Middle East.
        • The new businesses confirm positive momentum, both in CCUS with the release of the latest phase of Gulf of Mexico Carbon Storage Study to support upcoming lease rounds and in Minerals & Mining with the award of a sensing program in Oman, to identify, map and rank mineralization prospectivity potential.
      • Earth Data
        • Revenue: $83 million (-22%).
        • Prefunding revenue at $58 million (+4%). First contribution of the Laconia project in the Gulf of Mexico. Weaker after-sales in Q3 (down 50% at $26 million) with unfavorable cut offs.
        • New businesses: revenue from the Norwegian survey for Carbon storage leading to the reprocessing of legacy data in the area.
    • Sensing and Monitoring (SMO)
      • Revenue at $59 million, down 51% across land and marine products, following delivery of the “mega crew” systems in 2023.
      • Adjusted EBITDA at $1 million (vs $12M).
      • Transformation plan on track to achieve the expected cost reduction and operational flexibility.
      • New businesses representing 17% of revenue. Delivery of land seismic nodes for large-scale seismic surveys planned in urban areas to target energy resources, including geothermal.
    • 2024 Financial objectives
      • The Group reiterates its 2024 financial objectives and confirms its 2024-2025 financial roadmap.
        • Revenue expected to be in line with 2023
        • EBITDA to be positively impacted by business mix
        • Earth Data cash Capex expected at $230-250M
        • Net Cash Flow to reach similar level as 2023
    • Q3 2024 Conference call
      • The press release and the presentation are available on our website www.viridiengroup.com at 5:45 pm (CET)
      • An English language analysts conference call is scheduled today at 6.00 pm (CET)

    Participants should register for the call here to receive a dial-in number and code or participate in the live webcast from here.

    A replay of the conference call will be made available the day after for a period of 12 months in audio format on the Company’s website.

    The Board of Directors met on October 31, 2024 and approved the consolidated financial statements ending September 30, 2024.

    About Viridien:

    Viridien (www.viridiengroup.com) is an advanced technology, digital and Earth data company that pushes the boundaries of science for a more prosperous and sustainable future. With our ingenuity, drive and deep curiosity we discover new insights, innovations, and solutions that efficiently and responsibly resolve complex natural resource, digital, energy transition and infrastructure challenges. Viridien employs around 3,500 people worldwide and is listed as VIRI on the Euronext Paris SA (ISIN until July 30: FR0013181864 and ISIN as from July 31: FR001400PVN6).

    Contact:

     VP Corporate Finance

    Jean-Baptiste Roussille
    jean-baptiste.roussille@viridiengroup.com

    Q3 2024 – Financial Results

     CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS – September 30th, 2024

    Unaudited Interim Consolidated statement of operations – Year-To-Date

        Nine months ended September 30,
    (In millions of US$, except per share data) Notes 2024 2023
    Operating revenues   784.8 810.4
    Other income from ordinary activities   0.1 0.2
    Total income from ordinary activities   784.9 810.6
    Cost of operations   (587.1) (578.0)
    Gross profit   197.8 232.6
    Research and development expenses – net   (15.2) (20.5)
    Marketing and selling expenses   (28.6) (26.6)
    General and administrative expenses   (55.9) (54.2)
    Other revenues (expenses) – net 8 (3.6) (0.9)
    Operating income (loss)   94.6 130.4
    Cost of financial debt – gross   (82.3) (79.5)
    Income provided by cash and cash equivalents   8.7 4.0
    Cost of financial debt, net   (73.6) (75.5)
    Other financial income (loss) 9 (0.9) (1.6)
    Income (loss) before incomes taxes and share of income (loss) from companies accounted for under the equity method   20.1 53.3
    Income taxes   (14.2) (24.6)
    Net income (loss) before share of income (loss) from companies accounted for under the equity method   6.0 28.7
    Net income (loss) from companies accounted for under the equity method   0.9 0.5
    Net income (loss) from continuing operations   6.9 29.2
    Net income (loss) from discontinued operations 3 14.7 2.3
    Consolidated net income (loss)   21.6 31.5
    Attributable to :      
    Owners of Viridien S.A $ 21.2 28.0
    Non-controlling interests $ 0.4 3.5
    Net income (loss) per share      
    Basic $ 2.97 0.04
    Diluted $ 2.95 0.04
    Net income (loss) from continuing operations per share      
    Basic $ 0.91 0.04
    Diluted $ 0.91 0.04
    Net income (loss) from discontinued operations per share (a)      
    Basic $ 2.06 –
    Diluted $ 2.05 –

    (a)   Earning per share is presented as nil being less than US$0.01 at September 30,2023.

    See the notes to the Unaudited Interim Consolidated Financial Statements

    Unaudited Interim Consolidated statement of comprehensive income (loss) – Year-To-Date

        Nine months ended September 30,
    (In millions of US$) Notes 2024 (a) 2023 (a)
    Net income (loss) from statements of operations   21.6 31.5
    Net gain (loss) on cash flow hedges   0.2 0.2
    Variation in translation adjustments   3.3 10.5
    Net other comprehensive income (loss) to be reclassified in profit (loss) in subsequent period (1)   3.5 10.7
    Net gain (loss) on actuarial changes on pension plan   0.4 (0.7)
    Net other comprehensive income (loss) not to be reclassified in profit (loss) in subsequent period (2)   0.4 (0.7)
    Total other comprehensive income (loss) for the period. net of taxes (1) + (2)   3.9 10.0
    Total comprehensive income (loss) for the period   25.5 41.5
    Attributable to:   –  
    Owners of Viridien S.A.   24.7 39.2
    Non-controlling interests   0.8 2.3

    (a)  Including other comprehensive income related to the discontinued operations.

    Unaudited Interim Consolidated statement of financial position

    (In millions of US$) Notes September 30,
    2023    		 December 31, 2023
    ASSETS      
    Cash and cash equivalents   341.7 327.0
    Trade accounts and notes receivable, net   287.3 310.9
    Inventories and work-in-progress, net   207.1 212.9
    Income tax assets   37.0 30.8
    Other current assets, net   67.4 92.1
    Total current assets   940.5 973.7
    Deferred tax assets   35.5 29.9
    Other non-current assets, net   7.8 6.8
    Investments and other financial assets, net   25.3 22.7
    Investments in companies under the equity method   2.6 2.2
    Property, plant and equipment, net 4 230.7 206.1
    Intangible assets, net   611.5 579.7
    Goodwill, net   1 098.1 1 095.5
    Total non-current assets   2 011.4 1 942.9
    TOTAL ASSETS   2 951.9 2 916.6
    LIABILITIES AND EQUITY      
    Financial debt – current portion 5 79.8 58.0
    Trade accounts and notes payables   94.1 86.4
    Accrued payroll costs   87.9 89.1
    Income taxes payable   21.2 12.5
    Advance billings to customers   19.1 24.0
    Provisions — current portion   8.1 8.7
    Other current financial liabilities   5.9 21.3
    Other current liabilities   233.6 250.3
    Total current liabilities   549.8 550.3
    Deferred tax liabilities   22.1 24.3
    Provisions — non-current portion   32.8 30.1
    Financial debt – non-current portion 5 1 265.1 1 242.8
    Other non-current financial liabilities   – 0.5
    Other non-current liabilities   1.7 4.3
    Total non-current liabilities   1 321.7 1 302.0
    Common stock: 11,212,215 shares authorized and 7,161,465 shares with a €1.00 nominal value outstanding at September 30, 2024   8.7 8.7
    Additional paid-in capital   118.7 118.7
    Retained earnings   1 004.0 980.4
    Other Reserves   19.8 27.3
    Treasury shares   (20.1) (20.1)
    Cumulative income and expense recognized directly in equity   (1.2) (1.4)
    Cumulative translation adjustment   (87.9) (90.8)
    Equity attributable to owners of Viridien S.A.   1 042.0 1 022.8
    Non-controlling interests   38.5 41.5
    Total equity   1 080.5 1 064.3
    TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY   2 951.9 2 916.6

    See the notes to the Unaudited Interim Consolidated Financial Statements

    Unaudited Interim Consolidated statement of cash flows

        Nine months ended September 30,
    (In millions of US$) Notes 2024 2023
    OPERATING ACTIVITIES      
    Consolidated net income (loss)   21.6 31.5
    Less: Net income (loss) from discontinued operations 3 (14.7) (2.3)
    Net income (loss) from continuing operations   6.9 29.2
    Depreciation, amortization and impairment   71.8 63.3
    Earth Data surveys impairment and amortization   144.0 99.8
    Depreciation and amortization capitalized in Earth Data surveys   (11.6) (11.8)
    Variance on provisions   0.2 0.5
    Share-based compensation expenses   2.2 1.7
    Net (gain) loss on disposal of fixed and financial assets   0.1 0.1
    Share of (income) loss in companies recognized under equity method   (0.9) (0.5)
    Other non-cash items   (2.5) 1.8
    Net cash-flow including net cost of financial debt and income tax   210.2 184.1
    Less : Cost of financial debt   73.6 75.5
    Less : Income tax expense (gain)   14.2 24.6
    Net cash-flow excluding net cost of financial debt and income tax   297.9 284.2
    Income tax paid   (10.0) (3.8)
    Net cash-flow before changes in working capital   287.9 280.4
    Changes in working capital   10.0 (23.5)
    – change in trade accounts and notes receivable   (2.3) (29.4)
    – change in inventories and work-in-progress   7.0 17.4
    – change in other current assets   14.9 6.6
    – change in trade accounts and notes payable   10.6 (0.4)
    – change in other current liabilities   (20.2) (17.7)
    Net cash-flow from operating activities   297.8 256.9
    INVESTING ACTIVITIES      
    Total capital expenditures (tangible and intangible assets) net of variation of fixed assets suppliers, excluding Earth Data surveys) 4 (24.3) (48.3)
    Investment in Earth Data surveys   (180.1) (141.7)
    Proceeds from disposals of tangible and intangible assets   1.1 –
    Dividends received from investments in companies under the equity method   0.5 –
    Total net proceeds from financial assets   – (1.9)
    Variation in other non-current financial assets   (2.1) (2.9)
    Net cash-flow used in investing activities   (205.0) (194.8)
        Nine months ended September 30
    (In millions of US$) Notes 2024 2023
    FINANCING ACTIVITIES      
    Repayment of long-term debt 5 (12.2) (1.5)
    Total issuance of long-term debt 5 0.1 23.0
    Lease repayments 5 (43.4) (37.9)
    Financial expenses paid 5 (42.2) (46.5)
    Dividends paid and share capital reimbursements:   –  
    — to owners of Viridien   0.0 –
    — to non-controlling interests of integrated companies   (3.8) (0.8)
    Net cash-flow provided by (used in) financing activities   (101.6) (63.7)
    Effects of exchange rates on cash   1.1 (4.3)
    Net cash flows incurred by discontinued operations 3 22.4 (17.0)
    Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents   14.7 (22.9)
    Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year   327.0 298.0
    Cash and cash equivalents at end of period   341.7 275.1

    See the notes to the Interim Consolidated Financial Statements

    Unaudited Interim Consolidated statements of changes in equity

    Amounts in millions of
    US$. except share data    		 Number of Shares issued Share capital Additional paid-in capital Retained earnings Other reserves Treasury shares Income and expense recognized directly in equity Cumulative translation adjustment Equity attributable to owners of Viridien S.A. Non-controlling interests Total equity
    Balance at January 1, 2023 7 123 573 8.7 118.6 967.9 50.0 (20.1) (3.4) (102.4) 1 019.3 39.5 1 058.8
    Net gain (loss) on actuarial changes on pension plan (1)       (0.7)         (0.7)   (0.7)
    Net gain (loss) on cash flow hedges (2)             0.2   0.2   0.2
    Net gain (loss) on translation adjustments (3)               11.7 11.7 (1.2) 10.5
    Other comprehensive income (1)+(2)+(3) – – – (0.7) – – 0.2 11.7 11.2 (1.2) 10.0
    Net income (loss) (4)       28.0         28.0 3.5 31.5
    Comprehensive income (1)+(2)+(3)+(4) – – – 27.3 – – 0.2 11.7 39.2 2.3 41.5
    Exercise of warrants 238   0.1           0.1   0.1
    Dividends                 – (0.9) (0.9)
    Cost of share-based payment 12 951     1.7         1.7   1.7
    Variation in translation adjustments generated by the parent company         (10.7)       (10.7)   (10.7)
    Balance at September 30, 2023 7 136 763(a) 8.7 118.7 996.9 39.3 (20.1) (3.2) (90.7) 1 049.6 40.9 1 090.5
    Amounts in millions of
    US$. except share data    		 Number of Shares issued Share capital Additional paid-in capital Retained earnings Other reserves Treasury shares Income and expense recognized directly in equity Cumulative translation adjustment Equity attributable to owners of Viridien S.A. Non-controlling interests Total equity
    Balance at January 1, 2024 7 136 763 8.7 118.7 980.4 27.3 (20.1) (1.4) (90.8) 1 022.8 41.5 1 064.3
    Net gain (loss) on actuarial changes on pension plan (1)       0.4         0.4   0.4
    Net gain (loss) on cash flow hedges (2)             0.2   0.2   0.2
    Net gain (loss) on translation adjustments (3)               2.9 2.9 0.4 3.3
    Other comprehensive income (1)+(2)+(3) – – – 0.4 – – 0.2 2.9 3.5 0.4 3.9
    Net income (loss) (4)       21.2         21.2 0.4 21.6
    Comprehensive income (1)+(2)+(3)+(4) – – – 21.6 – – 0.2 2.9 24.7 0,8 25.5
    Dividends                 – (3.8) (3.8)
    Cost of share-based payment 24 703     2.0         2.0   2.0
    Variation in translation adjustments generated by the parent company         (7.5)       (7.5)   (7.5)
    Balance at September 30, 2024 7 161 465(b) 8.7 118.7 1 004.0 19.8 (20.1) (1.2) (87.9) 1 042.0 38.5 1 080.5

    (a)   Pro forma following Reverse Share Split

    (b)   Reverse Share Split: Pursuant to a delegation from the Combined General Meeting of shareholders of May 15, 2024, and a sub-delegation from the Board of Directors held on the same day, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer has decided to implement a reverse share split on the basis of 1 new share of €1.00 nominal value for 100 old shares of €0.01 nominal value.

    1All variations refer to the same period last year
    2Unless otherwise stated, all figures and comments are referring to “Segment” (i.e. pre-IFRS 15), as defined in the 2023 Universal Registration Document’s glossary, under section 8.7

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: With Tucker Carlson, Elon Musk and Donald Trump, Republicans’ ‘strict father’ has become the creepy uncle

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Karrin Vasby Anderson, Professor of Communication Studies, Colorado State University

    Tucker Carlson at the Trump campaign rally at Madison Square Garden on Oct. 27, 2024. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

    When Tucker Carlson, the reactionary pundit fired in 2023 from Fox News, preceded Donald Trump at the Turning Point rally in Duluth, Georgia, on Oct. 23, 2024, he roused attendees by tacitly likening Trump to a stern father and Democrats to a rebellious, “hormone-addled, 15-year-old daughter.” Carlson insisted, “there has to be a point at which Dad comes home.”

    After the crowd erupted with cheers and applause, Carlson continued:

    “Dad comes home and he’s pissed. Dad is pissed. He’s not vengeful. He loves his children. Disobedient as they may be, he loves them. Because they’re his children. They live in his house. But he’s very disappointed in their behavior. And he’s going to have to let them know.”

    Initially, to a political communication scholar like me who studies gender and political leadership, the riff sounded like it was shaped by a political philosophy identified by linguist George Lakoff in the 1990s. That philosophy embraced the “strict father” model of governance, in which the government is akin to a stern patriarch who enforces obedience through punishment and cultivates the self-reliance necessary for people to live without a social safety net.

    Lakoff attributed this philosophy to Republican presidents like Ronald Reagan and, later, George W. Bush, as well as to the GOP’s rank and file.

    But Carlson’s strict father departed from Lakoff’s version in an important way. According to Lakoff, the strict father’s moral authority is rooted in a personal ethic of self-discipline, temperance and restraint – characteristics he seeks to impart to those he is charged with protecting.

    Carlson’s strict father morphed into an unrestrained leader who takes pleasure in the pain of those he subordinates. As the crowd egged him on, Carlson role played:

    “And when Dad gets home, you know what he says? You’ve been a bad girl. You’ve been a bad little girl and you’re getting a vigorous spanking, right now. And, no, it’s not going to hurt me more than it hurts you. No, it’s not. I’m not going to lie. It’s going to hurt you a lot more than it hurts me. And you earned this. You’re getting a vigorous spanking because you’ve been a bad girl.”

    In Carlson’s re-telling, the MAGA Republican patriarch becomes a sadist who achieves pleasure by inflicting pain on an infantilized, feminized and vulnerable Democratic opponent. It was a perversion of an already sexist theory of governance.

    Tucker Carlson at a Turning Point rally on Oct. 23, 2024, in Duluth, Ga., said that when ‘dad gets home,’ he’ll tell his daughter ‘You’ve been a bad little girl, and you’re getting a vigorous spanking right now.’

    ‘Sexism, sadism and sexualization’

    In my research, I’ve examined how sexism, sadism and sexualization often coalesce in mainstream political discourse aimed at women candidates and women voters.

    As the 2024 presidential campaign heads into the home stretch, Trump and the acolytes who surround him have offered racist and sexist grievances propelled by vulgarity as their closing argument.

    On October 25, Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC posted an ad to the @America X account that Musk commandeered, with the warning: “America really can’t afford a ‘C-Word’ in the White House right now.”

    The ad opens with a content advisory: “WARNING: THIS AD CONTAINS MULTIPLE INSTANCES OF THE ‘C WORD.’ VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.”

    The narrator announces, “Kamala Harris is a C word,” as an off-screen audience gasps. The voice continues: “You heard that right. A big ole C word.”

    The ad accuses Harris of being a “tax-hiking, regulation-loving, gun-grabbing” – then the narration pauses to reveal a cat in a Soviet military uniform against a bright red background. The cat swiftly transforms into a picture of Harris in a Soviet-style fur hat while the ad reveals that the “C word” is “Communist” for “Comrade Kamala.” So she’s a tax-hiking, regulation-loving, gun-grabbing … Communist.

    The New York Times reported that, despite the final reveal, “the setup is an obvious play on a far more vulgar term that begins with the same letter – an insult against women that is one of the most obscene words in American English.” The ad’s depiction of Harris as a cat – a pussycat – is a decidedly unsubtle echo of the implied insult.

    A history of insulting women

    It’s not the first time that a Trump ally has invoked “the C word” to insult a woman running for president.

    In 2008, Trump’s friend, associate and future campaign strategist Roger Stone launched a PAC called “Citizens United Not Timid: a 527 Organization To Educate the American Public About What Hillary Clinton Really Is.” The important letters were bolded on the image Stone emblazoned on T-shirts: “C-U-N-T.”

    Fixating on women politicians’ private parts is, sadly, nothing new. I’ve written about it in books, scholarly articles, and for the popular press. But in a recent stump speech in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, Trump told a story about the size of professional golfer Arnold Palmer’s penis, ostensibly as a way to connect with audience members in Palmer’s birthplace of Latrobe.

    The anecdote was more than a casual aside. It was a performance of patriarchal authority.

    Trump said, “Arnold Palmer was all man, and I say that in all due respect to women.” His voice then turned guttural as he insisted, “And I love women, but this guy, this guy, this is a guy that was all man. This man was strong and tough.” Trump then explained, “when he took showers with the other pros they came outta there they said ‘oh my god, that’s unbelievable.’”

    Trump’s choice to inject “locker room talk” into his campaign discourse is a reminder of the Access Hollywood recording that surfaced in 2016 and featured Trump bragging about “try[ing] to f—” a married woman, “mov[ing] on her like a bitch,” and grabbing women “by the pussy,” without consent.

    ‘You will be protected’

    Trump flouts consent whether he is the aggressor or the ostensible protector. In an attempt to appeal to women voters, Trump recently added a promise to his stump speech: “You will no longer be abandoned, lonely or scared. You will no longer be in danger … You will be protected, and I will be your protector.”

    Predictably, that paternalistic refrain earned so much scorn, even his own advisers asked him to stop saying it.

    Trump’s response was telling. On Oct. 30, he told a rally audience that he refused his staff’s suggestion, saying, “I said, well, I’m gonna do it whether the women like it or not.”

    Doing it whether women like it or not is MAGA Republicans’ closing argument in the 2024 campaign. They’ve abandoned the “strict father” and become the creepy uncle.

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

    – ref. With Tucker Carlson, Elon Musk and Donald Trump, Republicans’ ‘strict father’ has become the creepy uncle – https://theconversation.com/with-tucker-carlson-elon-musk-and-donald-trump-republicans-strict-father-has-become-the-creepy-uncle-242622

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Langworthy Leads Twin Package of Bipartisan Bills to Improve Health Care Standards and Access for America’s Seniors

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Nick Langworthy (NY-23)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Recently, Congressman Nick Langworthy (NY-23) introduced two bipartisan bills focused on improving health outcomes and transparency in long-term care settings. H.R. 10072, the Long-Term Care Transparency Act, and H.R. 10071, the Evidence-Informed Health Promotion Act, aim to address critical gaps in senior care and public health programs across the United States.

    The Long-Term Care Transparency Act, co-led by Rep. Lloyd Smucker (R-PA), will ensure that Congress has access to crucial information about the quality and safety of care in long-term care facilities like nursing homes. Right now, state ombudsman programs gather a lot of data on issues in these facilities, from health and safety concerns to residents’ rights — however, it isn’t readily available at the national level. By requiring the Administration on Aging to compile and report this data to Congress, the bill helps improve oversight and highlight problem areas, ultimately leading to higher standards and better care for seniors. Cosponsors of this legislation include Reps. Claudia Tenney (NY-24), Mike Lawler (NY-17), and Don Davis (NC-01).

    “We need to bring transparency and congressional oversight to long-term care facilities to ensure that seniors receive the quality care they deserve,” said Congressman Langworthy. “This legislation is a commonsense solution to ensure data is shared with lawmakers, allowing Congress to fully address problem areas and shape policies that prioritize seniors’ health, safety, and dignity.”

    The Long-Term Care Transparency Act is supported by organizations, including the National Council on Aging, the Elder Justice Coalition, and the National Association of State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Programs.

    Bob Blancato, National Coordinator for the Elder Justice Coalition, said, “The bi-partisan 3000-member Elder Justice Coalition fully supports the Long Term Care Transparency Act of 2024. We commend Rep Langworthy for his leadership in sponsoring the bill. It is both appropriate and overdue for the state’s long-term care ombudsman program to be better supported. Calling for better data collection will certainly help the cause.” 

    Read the full text of the bill here.

     

    The second piece of legislation, the Evidence-Informed Health Promotion Act, co-led by Rep. Erin Houchin (IN-09), seeks to make health promotion and disease prevention programs more accessible, especially for seniors in rural areas, through new federal funding opportunities for Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs).

    AAAs are public or private nonprofit agencies designated by a state to address the needs and concerns of all older persons at the regional and local levels. Currently, the strict “evidence-based” requirements tied to federal funding under the Older Americans Actmake it challenging for these agencies to implement or adapt health programs that fit local needs. This bill would expand options for these agencies by allowing funds to support “evidence-informed” programs, which are still based on established research but are more adaptable and cost-effective.

    By opening up funding to evidence-informed programs, this bill would enable rural AAAs to provide a broader range of health and wellness services, including chronic disease management programs, fall prevention initiatives to reduce injury risks, and social connection programs that address the health impacts of isolation. With this flexibility, AAAs would be better equipped to deliver programs that help seniors stay healthy, active, and connected within their communities. 

    “Every senior deserves access to programs that help them stay healthy and connected, no matter where they live,” said Congressman Langworthy. “This bill gives our rural and underserved communities the resources to deliver effective, high-quality health services that meet their unique needs. Expanding funding options for evidence-informed programs is a practical step that will make a real difference in helping more older Americans receive support from their communities.”

    This legislation is supported by outside groups, including the National Council on Aging and USAging. 

    Sandy Markwood, CEO of USAging, said, “USAging is pleased to endorse the Evidence-Informed Health Promotion Act, which would update the Older Americans Act Title III D’s health promotion and disease prevention programs to better meet the needs of older adults nationwide. The bill provides Area Agencies on Aging the flexibility they need to reach more older adults with emerging interventions as well as proven evidence-based programs focused on fall prevention, chronic disease self-management, mental health and other issues that promote healthy aging. We thank Congressman Langworthy for his leadership in introducing this bill and hope it will be included in the forthcoming reauthorization of the Older Americans Act.”

    Read the full text of the bill here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Remarks by Vice President Harris in Press Gaggle | Madison,  WI

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    The Edgewater HotelMadison, Wisconsin
    10:08 A.M. CDT
    THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Okay.  Good morning, everyone.  Happy Halloween.
         Q    Good morning. 
         Q    Good morning.
         Q    Happy Halloween.
    THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And for those of you who are without your children today, thank you for just being on the road.
    So, today, we will be leaving Wisconsin, heading west.  And I’ll be, obviously, in three states again today talking with the American people about the stakes of this election and the opportunity that we, the American people, have to chart a new way forward.
    I will comment on the former President Donald Trump’s remark about women and — and whether they “like it or not.”  And, listen, it’s just — it actually is, I think, very offensive to women in terms of not understanding their agency, their authority, their right, and their ability to make decisions about their own lives, including their own bodies.
    And this is just the latest on a series of reveals by the former president of how he thinks about women and their agency, whether he has said, as he has, that women should be punished for their choices; whether he has talked about his pride in taking away a fundamental right from women; whether it be how he has actually created a situation in America where now one in three women lives in a Trump abortion ban state and has legal restrictions on the right she rightly should have to make decisions about her own body.
    The other point I will refer to about — in the last many hours is the speaker’s comments about the Affordable Care Act.  Look, I’ve been saying throughout this campaign: Be very clear that among the stakes in this election are whether we continue with the Affordable Care Act or not.
    It has been a part of Donald Trump’s agenda for a very long time.  He has made dozens of attempts to get rid of the Affordable Care Act.  And now we have further validation of that agenda from his supporter, the speaker of the House.
    And what that would mean for the American people is that pharma- — that — that insurance companies could go back to a time when they would deny you coverage for health insurance based on preexisting conditions — preexisting conditions, such as you being a survivor of breast cancer, asthma, diabetes.
    And what I know is that the American people, regardless of who they’re voting for, know the importance of the Affordable Care Act — of, as it is also called, “Obamacare,” in terms of expanding people’s coverage to health care based on a fundamental principle that I hold deeply: Access to health care should be a right and not just a privilege to those who can afford it.
    So, there’s still a lot of work to do.  But each day, I think that there are also indications that we are receiving from my opponent that verify, validate, and reinforce the fact that, one, he is not going to be fighting for women’s reproductive rights.  He does not prioritize the freedom of women and the intelligence of women to make decisions about their own lives and bodies.  And health care for all Americans is on the line in this election as well.
    I’ll take your questions. 
         AIDE:  Tam. 
    Q    Oh, yeah.  You know, since the beginning stages of your campaign, you’ve described yourself as an underdog.  That language is gone from your speech now.  Has something changed in how you’re feeling?
    THE VICE PRESIDENT:  No, listen, I am putting it all on the field, and it’s going to be a very tight race.  And I — I am running like the underdog, because we are.  Donald Trump has been running for the — the last decade.  I’ve been in this race about three and a half months, and the stakes are so high.
    But I’ve been saying for quite some time, regardless of what the polls say, we are going to win.  I do believe that, because I do believe that this is a choice about two very different directions for our country. 
    And the choice being offered by Donald Trump is about going backward, about a constant emphasis on degrading the American people in our capacity, versus a track that is about bringing the country together, knowing we have more in common than what separates us. 
    And we should have a plan, which I do, to actually get things done, including bringing down the cost of living for people, investing in our small businesses, expanding access to health care, investing in American industries, including the future of American industries and American workers. 
    So, there you go. 
    AIDE:  Will. 
    Q    So, you talked about the — what the former president said being offensive to women.  Wh- — 
    THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Oh, I think it’s offensive to everybody, by the way. 
    Q    Well, that — that was my question.
    THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Yeah.
    Q    The sort of hypermasculinity that he is talking about, do you — what do you think about it possibly resonating with men and male voters specifically?
    THE VICE PRESIDENT:  You will — you — you’ve been following me, and you will see that in the tens of thousands of people who attend our rallies — which is an opportunity to talk about the issues, talk about the future of our country — right? — there are men, women, young people, people of every race, every background. 
    One of the points, I think, that is a point of pride for everyone who attends — and including myself — is that our campaign really is about bringing people together, people of very different and diverse backgrounds, around a common theme that is about love of country, defending the Constitution of the United States, and investing in our future as — and rejecting the notion that we are divided or that that should be acceptable that we would be divided as a nation. 
    So, I’m very proud to have the support of — of men, women, young people, people of every background.
    AIDE:  Ebony. 
    Q    So, we know we have five days until the election.  How are you going to continue to draw the contest with former President Donald Trump, specifically with the undecided voters, as the pool is really shrinking now?
    THE VICE PRESIDENT:  I will continue — as we will do today, as we did yesterday, and so on — to talk with people where they live — so, again, here in Wisconsin, heading to Arizona, heading to Nevada — to talk with people about issues, like how we’re going to deal with price gouging — corporate price gouging as a way to deal with grocery costs; how we’re going to invest in small businesses and expand access to capital; how I will give first-time homeowners a $25,000 down payment assistance if they are a first-time homebuyer to help them get their foot in the door. 
    These are the issues that the American people want to talk about, because these are the issues that affect them.  These are the issues they think about when they’re sitting at their kitchen table or when they’re trying to go to sleep at night. 
    And what I know is that they want a president of the United States who, as I say, will walk into the Oval Office with a to-do list and not an enemies list. 
    And so, that’s what I will continue to do over the course of these next few days to let folks know that I see them, I hear them, and I’m prepared to address their challenges with a plan that is about getting things done.
    AIDE:  Thank you. 
         THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Okay.  Thank you. 
                                 END       10:15 A.M. CDT

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Canadian Coast Guard’s Arctic Marine Response Station in Rankin Inlet completes operational season

    Source: Government of Canada News

    The Canadian Coast Guard’s Arctic Marine Response Station (AMRS) in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, concluded its operational season and closed on October 22, 2024.

    October 31, 2024

    Yellowknife, NT – The Canadian Coast Guard’s Arctic Marine Response Station (AMRS) in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, concluded its operational season and closed on October 22, 2024.

    The station opened on June 21, 2024, and provided essential search and rescue services during the boating season in the areas of Rankin Inlet, Chesterfield Inlet, and Whale Cove. Personnel conducted four training exercises, responded to eight search and rescue cases, and travelled over 737 nautical miles.

    Throughout this season, crews carried out cultural education training, including Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (traditional Inuit knowledge), first response to oil spill training, and a land-based survival and rescue exercise. These exercises help Canadian Coast Guard staff gain a deeper understanding of the area, improve partnerships, and strengthen relationships with community members for future search and rescue operations. AMRS crews work closely with the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary, Inuit communities, and other Northern organizations and partner agencies to increase maritime safety in the Arctic.

    In western Hudson Bay, marine emergencies can be reported to the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Trenton 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, toll-free at 1-800-267-7270 or by VHF radio (channel 16).

    Originally established in 2018 as the Inshore Rescue Boat North station, the AMRS is the first Canadian Coast Guard search and rescue station in the Arctic, and is crewed by Indigenous Peoples, hired and trained by the Canadian Coast Guard. It represents a significant milestone under Canada’s Oceans Protection Plan, which is improving marine safety in Arctic waters in partnership with Indigenous communities.

    Media Relations
    Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Canadian Coast Guard
    Arctic Region
    204-984-4715
    XCA.Media@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sen. Jason Anavitarte Celebrates Acceleration of SOLARCYCLE Expansion in Polk County, Bringing Jobs and Economic Growth to the 31st District

    Source: US State of Georgia

    ATLANTA (October 31, 2024) — Today, Sen. Jason Anavitarte (R–Dallas) celebrated SOLARCYCLE’s announcement to expedite its solar recycling operations in Polk County. The expansion will create 640 new full-time jobs and inject over $62 million into the local economy. This growth will not only increase Georgia’s recycling capacity but also continue to position northwest Georgia as a hub for clean energy innovation and domestic manufacturing.

    “SOLARCYCLE’s decision to accelerate their operations in Polk County brings exactly the kind of jobs and forward-thinking industries our district needs,” said Sen. Anavitarte. “I am grateful to our partners and SOLARCYCLE for their commitment to creating high-quality, long-term job opportunities right here in our community. This expansion is proof of the vibrant future that clean energy and manufacturing can offer Georgia families, and I look forward to seeing its impact across the region.”

    SOLARCYCLE’s new recycling facility, located adjacent to the company’s future solar glass manufacturing plant, will recycle up to 10 million solar panels per year. The glass produced will contribute directly to the company’s solar glass manufacturing, supporting a full-circle, sustainable energy production process. As Georgia ranks among the top states for cumulative solar capacity, this expansion underscores the state’s leadership in sustainable energy and innovation.

    Residents interested in joining SOLARCYCLE’s growing team can find open positions in manufacturing, engineering and more at www.solarcycle.us/careers.

    # # # #

    Sen. Jason Anavitarte serves as Chair of the Senate Majority Caucus. He represents Senate District 31, which includes Paulding and Polk Counties. He can be reached at 404.656.9221 or at Jason.anavitarte@senate.ga.gov.

    For all media inquiries, please reach out to SenatePressInquiries@senate.ga.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Proactis SA – Financial Information 6m 07 24

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Proactis SA announces financial information for the 6 months period ended 31 July 2024

    Paris – 31 October 2024 – Proactis SA (Euronext: PROAC), a leading provider of comprehensive spend management and business process collaboration solutions, today announced financial information for the 6 months period ended 31 July 2024, in accordance with the “European Transparency Obligations Directive” financial disclosure requirements.

    Financial data

    € Million   H1 FY2023
    6 months period
    from 1 August 2022
    to 31 January 2023    		   H1 FY2025
    6 months period
    from 1 February 2024 to 31 July 2024    		   % Change
    2025 / 2023    		  
                   
    Revenue   6.5   4.3   (34)%  
    EBITDA (*)   0.2   0.8   408%  
    Net Earnings   (1.2)   (0.9)      
    Operating Cashflow   0.3   0.5   50%  
    Cash   0.2   0.5   257%  
                   
    (*) EBITDA: Operating result before depreciation and non-recurring items.        

    Subsequent to the previous fiscal year year-end date change to align with the Proactis UK Group year-end date change to 31 January, the fiscal year to consider is now 2025 to cover the period from February 1st 2024 to January, 31st 2025 (previous FY period was running from August 2022 until January 2024 – 18 months).

    Accounts for the 6 months period to 31 July 2024 have been reviewed by auditors and were approved by the Proactis SA Board of Directors on 17 October 2024.

    Revenue split is as follow:

    € Million   6 months period ended
    31 January 2023    		   6 months period ended
    31 July 2024
             
    Revenue   6.5   4.3
             
    Operating revenue   4.4   2.9
    Revenue from intercompany re-invoicing   2.1   1.4

    Operating revenue is at €2.9m, 35% lower than the period to 31 January 2023. As previously communicated in August, this revenue decrease is principally due to customer churn where contracts were incorporating third party software. The change to Service revenues reflects a large implementation project in the FY23 comparative that has since been completed.

    The EBITDA (*) has increased from €0.2m in the 6 months period to 31 January 2023 to €0.8m in the 6 months period to 31 July 2024. Increased EBITDA performance is driven by a rationalisation of the cost base and lower external charges on subcontracted projects that were included in H1 FY23 not repeated in H1 FY25.

    At 31 July 2024 the cash position was of €0.5m; aligned with the position recorded on 31 January 2024 (€0.6m).

    * * * *

    About Proactis SA (https://www.proactis.com/proactis-sa), a Proactis Company

    Proactis SA connects companies by providing business spend management and collaborative business process automation solutions for both goods and services, through The Business Network. Our solutions integrate with any ERP or procurement system, providing our customers with an easy-to-use solution which drives adoption, compliance and savings.

    Proactis SA has operations in France, Germany, USA and Manila.

    Listed in Compartment C on the Euronext Paris Eurolist.

    ISIN: FR0004052561, Euronext: PROAC, Reuters: HBWO.LN, Bloomberg: HBW.FP

    Contacts
    E-mail: investorContact@proactis.com

    * * * *

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hoyer, Cardin, Van Hollen, Ruppersberger Announce Over $7.5 Million for Carroll County Regional, Tipton, and Martin State Airports

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steny H Hoyer (MD-05)

    WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Steny Hoyer (MD-05), U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger (MD-02) recently announced $7,556,842 in U.S. Department of Transportation awards to Carroll County Regional, Tipton, and Martin State Airports for upgrades to modernize their facilities and improve passenger comfort.

    “President Biden and Vice President Harris’ Investing in America agenda continues to deliver for Maryland’s airports and boost our economic competitiveness,” said Congressman Hoyer. “As Chair of the Regional Leadership Council, I have worked with House Democrats and top officials in the Biden-Harris Administration to ensure that every community in America can see and feel the impact of the historic laws that Democrats passed in the 117th Congress. I was pleased to work with Team Maryland to secure these Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds for Carroll County Regional Airport, Martin State Airport, and Tipton Airport, which will create good jobs and provide a more reliable air travel experience. Together, we will continue to lower costs, create jobs, and ensure our state’s economy works for all Marylanders.”

    “The landmark infrastructure law enacted by President Biden in 2021 continues to invest in Maryland,” said Senator Cardin.  “It recognized that our airports, both large and small, have aging and outdated facilities that require upgrades to meet the changing demands on our aviation system and keep it safe and competitive.”

    “Our local airports are important transportation hubs that support our state’s economy, ensuring that travelers and goods get where they need to go. We fought for these investments to support the Carroll County Regional, Tipton, and Martin State airports in serving the growing needs of Maryland’s businesses, residents, and visitors,” said Senator Van Hollen.

    “The bipartisan infrastructure law continues to reap rewards for Maryland and Marylanders including this funding for local airports, which provide a critical connection to communities and economies throughout the region,” said Congressman Ruppersberger. “This is a strategic investment that will make our airports safer, more comfortable and convenient. I look forward to even more upgrades to our nation’s aging transportation infrastructure to come.”

    The funding was awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Airport Improvement Program and Airport Terminal Program.

    The federal grants have been awarded as follows:

    1. $3,612,000. Carroll County Regional Airport: To remove a building and relocate fencing identified as obstructions by the FAA.
    2. $2,944,842, Tipton Airport: To construct a 6,000 square-foot terminal to accommodate the movement of passengers and baggage.
    3. $1,000,000, Martin State Airport: To fund the funds the construction of a new Airport Traffic Control Tower, replacing the 82-year-old sponsor-owned tower that has reached the end of its useful life.

    The Airport Improvement Program funds various types of airport infrastructure projects across the country, including repairs and upgrades to runways, taxiways, airport signage, lighting and markings – all while creating thousands of good-paying, local jobs. The members have consistently fought to provide funds for airports and terminal operators, including through the fiscal year 2024 appropriations process, which makes $3.35 billion available from the Airport and Airway Trust Fund and an additional $532 million from the general fund for AIP projects.

    The Airport Terminal Program was created in 2021 through the lawmakers’ efforts to pass the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Funded at $1 billion in fiscal year 2024, the Airport Terminal Program supports safe, sustainable, and accessible airport terminals, on-airport rail access projects, and airport-owned airport traffic control towers.

    MIL OSI USA News –